West Seattle, Washington
22 Friday
Just got two reports that the Genesee/Avalon traffic signal is finally out of testing mode and into official operation – co-publisher Patrick spotted it (and sent the above photo), while North Delridge’s Holli Margell just tweeted about it. It’s been in testing mode for three weeks; installment work started three months ago. Metro’s Route 50 has been awaiting this light so it can travel its intended route; that, we were told earlier this month, will happen when the next service change takes effect February 16th. The new traffic signal, years in the making, is the result of neighborhood leaders seeking and finally getting a city grant for it.
1:09 PM: For the first of this afternoon’s two West Seattle Crime Watch reports, we are still working to get more details from police, 
but for starters, they confirm the robbery happened: Stacey e-mailed to say she was walking through the Westwood Village parking lot yesterday afternoon “when four 8th grade boys asked to use my phone. They were visibly shaken up and had, they said, just been robbed at gunpoint by three masked men while walking down an alley near the park across the street (Roxhill Park). The robbers each had guns and the boys gave up their phones, wallets and in one case a backpack.” That’s all we know so far; police tell us more details will be available via SPD Blotter later this afternoon, and we’ll add to this report when that information is in. We have no idea at this point if there’s any relation to the armed robbery at a 35th/Roxbury business on Monday.
3:13 PM UPDATE: The SPD report says this was one of TWO robberies targeting kids that age, in that area, in the past four days – the first one was near 27th and Cambridge last Sunday, and yesterday’s robbery is now described as having happened in Roxhill Park itself. Details here.
(back to original report) Second, a stolen truck to look for: In the Hansen View area south of The Mount, a locked work truck – white Silverado with a Charter Construction logo and the word HEROIC on the back – was reported as stolen overnight. Here’s the @getyourcarback tweet; call 911 if you see it.
Speaking of stolen cars – the blue Camry reported as stolen in our Monday night Crime Watch roundup has been found on White Center, according to this comment from Melissa, who sent the original report.
(Great blue heron photographed at Alki Point by Yuri Levchenko, shared via WSB Flickr group)
Before we get further into the day – nine notes for tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – starting with two that affect WS but are happening outside our area:
SCHOOL BOARD (ETC.): Tonight the board finalizes the Capacity Management plan for next year; before the board meeting, opponents of MAP testing plan a rally outside district HQ in SODO. That’s at 4; the board meeting’s at 4:15 – updated agenda here (including details on the transportation plan for next year, which you can see here).
REAL TALK FOR GIRLS: Young women 12-19 are welcome at 5:30 pm at Southwest Teen Life Center to talk about what’s on their minds (2801 SW Thistle).
OPPORTUNITY FUND PRESENTATIONS: The Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee (chaired by West Seattleite Pete Spalding) listens tonight to presentations by those who’ve applied for the second round of grants from the levy’s Opportunity Fund. While city staff has ranked Genesee Hill and South Park projects highest for this region, that’s just part of what the committee takes into account, and now is the time for applicants to make their case; eventually, the City Council has to give its blessing. This is the first of two events for presentations, and the closest one to West Seattle – it’s at South Shore Middle School (4800 S. Henderson; here’s a map), 6-9 pm, starting with an open house.
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: 7 pm tonight at Highland Park Improvement Club (or come early for the 6:30 pm potluck), 12th/Holden. Agenda includes talking with Seattle Parks about the possibility of more trees for Riverview Park, an update on the raingarden coming to HPIC, and a call for “ideas on what you think could improve Highland Park.” Plus – leadership nominations!
POEMS AND STORIES: The monthly poetry/storytelling night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), 7 pm – more info here.
BASKETBALL – WSHS @ CSIHS, NIGHT 2: Tonight, the Wildcats and Seahawks’ girls teams face off in the Chief Sealth International High School gym (2600 SW Thistle) – 5:45 JV, 7:30 pm varsity.
OPENING NIGHT FOR ‘SHIRLEY VALENTINE’: The new production at ArtsWest debuts tonight, 7:30 pm, details here.
JAZZ AT DUOS LOUNGE: The new beverage/food spot on Avalon Way in Luna Park is starting jazz music on Wednesday nights – 8 pm, the Triangular Jazztets perform.
TALARICO’S TRIVIA: New addition to our calendar – though not a new addition to the West Seattle nightlife scene! Phil Tavel e-mailed WSB to point out that he has been doing trivia at Talarico’s every Wednesday night for five years, 8:30 till 10 (or a little beyond) – says he hasn’t missed a week, even in snow! $2 person, no maximum or minimum team size, “cash prices to the top 3 teams and bottles of champagne for the bottom three teams.”
A preferred “schematic design” was revealed last night for what is now going by the working title of the “new elementary school at Genesee Hill,” rather than “the new Schmitz Park Elementary at Genesee Hill,” according to project manager Janet Donelson.
The design was shown to about 20 community members in the Schmitz Park cafeteria, exactly three weeks before the February 12th election in which Seattle voters will decide whether to approve the Seattle Public Schools BEX (Building Excellence) IV levy that will generate the property-tax dollars for this $38 million project and others around the city.
As Donelson explained at the start of the meeting, the district provided some advance money to get the design work under way – since getting a new school open by fall 2015 would be impossible if they waited till after the election to start; a community advisory team has been working since last fall.
Ahead, four more views from last night’s presentation led by BLRB Architects, and what happens next:
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Normal never looked so good. Everybody raise their hands if they’d had enough of the fog. (But don’t raise them if you’re driving! Don’t read this if you’re driving, either.) Once again, we’re on the move for the day. Besides the various projects under way around town, a traffic-alert again tonight: Southbound 99 closed again from Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 10 pm-5 am, for SODO overpass work.
The friendly cross-peninsula rivalry between our area’s two major public high schools is back on the court this week. Above, boys-basketball head coaches Keffrey Fazio of West Seattle HS and Colin Slingsby of Chief Sealth International HS, as their teams faced off Tuesday night in the Sealth gym, where the girls play tonight. In the boys-varsity game, the Seahawks topped the Wildcats 66-54, but it was closer than that much of the way:
Game toplines and more photos ahead:
The campaign announced back in September to push for electing City Council members by district filed its charter-amendment petition with the city today, report our partners at The Seattle Times. Right now, for example, there’s one West Seattle resident on the City Council, Tom Rasmussen, but he, like his eight council colleagues, was elected to represent the entire city. The Seattle Districts Now proposal draws boundaries for 7 council districts (here’s the map; note that West Seattle would be District #1); read the full text here. So what would it take to pass this? All explained here.
(WSB file photo of the West Seattle Water Taxi, May 2011)
There’s scheduling news from today’s meeting of the King County Ferry District Board – county councilmembers wearing their marine hats, overseeing West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi operations. First, one small tweak that local families say will make a big difference; second, a big-picture commitment that should be a relief to local professional sports fans. Details on both, ahead:
Suicide is an epidemic – five times as common as homicide in our county – but fears and taboos keep us from talking openly about it, which may actually be keeping us from preventing it. Here’s a chance to make a difference – by learning life-saving information about dealing with suicide and depression among children and teenagers. It’s a free seminar/workshop that the Chief Sealth International High School PTSA will present 6-8 pm next Tuesday, January 29, at the conference room of High Point Library (35th/Raymond), in partnership with the branch’s teen librarian Ken Gollersrud. Two guest speakers are planned – read about them and what they’ll focus on, by going to the Sealth PTSA website.
(Photo courtesy Tammy Wooley, added 9:18 pm)
Several people called/texted/e-mailed to say they saw Seattle Police out on horseback on SW Barton within the past hour or so. So far, no photo – and when we went out looking for them, we couldn’t find them – but just in case you didn’t know, it’s not unusual to see them out and about, since the SPD horse force is based here in West Seattle, at Westcrest Park. We’ve reported sightings in the past, most often at Westwood Village (like this and this and this), where they’re taken for acclimation – they often show up at the summertime Picnic at the Precinct, too. As reported here two years ago, their funding was slated to be cut until the Seattle Police Foundation stepped in to help. P.S. If you saw them today and took a photo – we would love to share it – thanks!
(WSB photo taken this morning, looking southeast at the slide zone)
Five months after the city announced a settlement in the legal fight over the Beach Drive slide zone, there’s finally a sign that slope-stabilization work will start soon. As reported here in August of last year, mediation led to an agreement for “insurance monies and private funds” to pay for retaining walls and a drainage system to stabilize the slope below the 6000 block of Atlas (map), site of repeated slides, including this one in 2010:
Homeowners below the slope had sued the city and Atlas homeowner Peter Saladino, who, for agreeing to build the walls and drainage, would be spared “the majority of fines” the city could have levied (they had sued him too). Browsing the city Department of Planning and Development site last night, we discovered permits had been issued for at least some of the work, so we followed up today with DPD spokesperson Bryan Stevens, who explains:
Permit #6239617 includes 6067 Atlas, 6053 Atlas, and 6049 Atlas. This permit covers the construction of two retaining walls (one upper, one lower along Beach Drive), installation of subsurface drainage and revegetation of the hillside across the three properties.
Work can begin on the lower wall, as we have conditionally granted their request to work in this area during the wet season. The upper wall is in a more sensitive location and will have to wait until after April 1st, when conditions are typically dryer.
This work is of interest not just to those who live in the area, but also to those who use that much-rutted stretch of Beach Drive – once the slope work is done, the road can be fixed. (After last year’s agreement was announced, the city repaved a nearby section of Beach Drive that wasn’t directly beneath the unstable slope.) The whole mess even came before the City Council Transportation Committee two years ago this month. We don’t know yet exactly when the first phase of work will start, but we’ll update whenever we find out.
Another development in the movement of some Seattle Public Schools‘ teachers expressing opposition to, or even declining to administer, the testing known as MAP: The district just announced that it will “host a media briefing with Superintendent José Banda and other district officials regarding the district’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing” at district HQ tomorrow afternoon. The announcement says he will be joined by three district officials – interim teaching/learning assistant superintendent Michael Tolley, research/evaluation manager Eric Anderson, and Teacher Incentive Fund project director Clover Codd (a former Alki Elementary principal, by the way). No word yet whether an announcement will be made or whether it’ll be a reiteration of what the superintendent has already said. This all started when Garfield High School teachers announced they would not give the tests; since then, other expressions of opposition have included letters sent by the teachers at Sanislo (WSB report here) and Schmitz Park (WSB report here) elementaries here in West Seattle.
A 30-year-old man is now in jail for investigation of burglary, thanks to what Seattle Police describe as “an alert neighbor” who called 911 this morning after seeing a stranger “lurking” before vanishing into a yard. From the report on SPD Blotter:
This morning just shortly after 9:00 am, a woman saw an unknown male roaming around in her neighbor’s yard in the 3700 block of SW Donovan St, she then heard the sound of glass breaking. The woman immediately called 911 and gave an excellent description and direction of travel as the suspect was leaving her neighbor’s yard.
Officers were close by and quickly responded. They located the suspect in the immediate vicinity. The suspect was identified and detained for an outstanding warrant. He was subsequently identified by the caller as the subject in her friend’s yard. Officers determined that the suspect attempted to gain entry by breaking the window on the north side door.
P.S. We don’t know whether this neighborhood has a Block Watch but whether you do or don’t, if you’re interested in banding together to prevent/fight crime, here’s one more reminder that the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meets at 6:30 tonight, Southwest Precinct (Webster west of Delridge).
10:55 AM: Crews are on the scene of a house-fire call in the 200 block of SW Roxbury – the east end of the street. They’ve already reported it as “tapped” and are dismissing some of the crews; more to come.
11:11 AM: Firefighters on the scene say what fire there was, was in the back of the house. No injuries reported; the investigation into its cause is under way.
11:25 AM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore has just been to the scene and provided new information: The fire started in a backyard kennel-type structure that was housing 4 dogs (all described as Chihuahuas). They’re all OK. But the flames did extend to the deck and the back wall of the house – the interior was not involved, so the house remains habitable. Investigators are still trying to find out what sparked the fire.
(This photo and next one courtesy of SFD)
4:36 PM: Adding photos shared by SFD’s Moore showing where the fire started (and spread), at the back of the home, where the wire kennel area was.
Still awaiting final word on the fire’s cause.
10:44 PM UPDATE: And that information’s now in – a heater in the “dog house” caused an accidental electrical fire, SFD says, with flames spreading to the wooden deck and siding before the fire was extinguished. Damage is estimated at $20,000.
Every so often, a thief makes off with a boat on a trailer. The one reported in South Park over the weekend is not your everyday stolen boat on a trailer. We just called Seattle Police to follow up on an over-the-air “be on the lookout” heard on Monday, and here’s what Det. Mark Jamieson told us: The “fast-attack prototype” boat was on a three-axle, 40-foot boat trailer with a red and white 1987 Freightliner cab, taken from a fenced area on the east side of a commercial building in the 1400 block of South Henderson (map). The report says it had been parked there since March of last year and was believed to have been stolen Sunday night; the gate lock had been cut. Asked if there were any other identifying features we could mention about the stolen boat, Det. Jamieson says the trailer was reported to say “Maaco” on the side, and the trailer “might have a white, yellow, orange, and blue cargo box on the back.” As with all stolen vehicles, if you think you’ve seen this, call 911.
Just like the third-eyelid-sporting crow photographed at Jack Block Park by David Hutchinson, the busy schedule in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar has a totally no-nonsense look for today/tonight. Some of what’s on the schedule:
NOTES FROM THE JOB SEARCH: Yes, this networking group is still meeting – if you are new to the job-search world and looking for support, check it out, 11 am at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW).
ROTARY CLUB OF WEST SEATTLE LUNCH MEETING: Jazz writer Paul de Barros is this week’s guest speaker. Interested in checking out the West Seattle Rotary? You’re welcome to attend – noon at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor).
BASKETBALL – WSHS BOYS VISIT SEALTH: Junior varsity at 5:45, varsity at 7:30, as Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) hosts West Seattle High School for two basketball games tonight (the girls play there tomorrow).
BLOCKWATCH CAPTAINS’ NETWORK: You don’t have to be a Block Watch captain to come to this neighborhood-to-neighborhood crime-prevention-support (and more) meeting. On the agenda tonight, they’ll get a re-introduction from recently returned Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler, and they’ll talk about home-security cameras. 6:30 pm at the precinct (Delridge/Webster).
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE’S ANNUAL MEETING: New board members, a 2012 recap, and a new community grant opportunity are part of what’s on the agenda at 7 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon) – all welcome, members or not! Full details on the SWS website.
DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR NEW SCHOOL: See how the potential designs for the new Schmitz Park Elementary at Genesee Hill are evolving, presented by the architects and district at 7 pm at the current SP Elementary (5000 SW Spokane).
PESTICIDES AND FOOD: Public Health Café discussion tonight at Chaco Canyon Organic Café (38th and Alaska), 7 pm – details in our calendar listing.
SOCIAL CHANGE RE: MENTAL HEALTH … is the topic of a community discussion at 7 pm @ Hope Lutheran Church (42nd/Oregon). Details in our preview.
NIGHTLIFE … Live music at Löcol and OutWest, trivia at Feedback Lounge, karaoke at Skylark, singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland – all listed on the calendar with full details.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:59 AM: If the forecast comes true, it’ll be soggy instead of foggy by tomorrow morning’s commute. But for now, one more round of murk, with a dense-fog advisory in effect till noon. Plus, a traffic-alert for tonight: Southbound 99 is closed again from Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 10 pm-5 am, for SODO overpass work.
8:10 AM: Last week, you’ll recall, Metro went public with results of its online and in-person surveys of West Seattle riders, and crowded buses comprised the top complaint. Christian just sent an inside-RapidRide photo from about half an hour ago:
“There were more people standing then sitting,” Christian noted.
9:03 AM: If you take the 1st Avenue Bridge northbound from southeast West Seattle (or points further south), heads up from WSDOT via Twitter:
Heads up, crews are closing the right lane of NB SR 99 on the 1st Ave Bridge starting. …now, until about noon.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) January 22, 2013
1:34 PM UPDATE: WSDOT says the work’s not over yet – the bridge had to open for marine traffic, among other complications. They’re now hoping to be done by mid-afternoon.
First – no arrest so far in this afternoon’s armed robbery. We do have 3 Crime Watch reader reports. First – Melissa asks that you be on the lookout for this stolen car:
My boyfriend’s car was stolen today in Westwood between 2 pm and 7:15 pm. It’s a blue 1991 Toyota Camry with the plate 695-ZHJ. There’s noticeable damage to both the front and back bumper. It’s scratched up and pretty much black on the corners. Nothing valuable inside, just hoping to locate it.
Call 911 if you see it, as advised by SPD via @getyourcarback.
The other two are car prowls. From Amie:
Car was rummaged through. Nothing valuable taken because nothing valuable was in the car, but papers were strew on the seat from the glove box. Seaview neighborhood.
And from Conor:
We live on 47th SW between Charlestown and Spokane and had our car window smashed (early Monday) at 2 am. Cameras show a man and a women team working each side of the street. They wiped the fog off nearly every car on the block looking for stuff.
Cameras are in fact on the agenda for our area’s next crime-fighting meeting: West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets Tuesday night, 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), all welcome, even if you’re not a BW captain or even (yet) in a BW.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Chief Sealth International High School 1275, West Seattle High School 968.
It’s no sports score; there’s much more at stake with that tally, the 2012-2013 enrollment stats for our area’s two major public high schools.
That’s why it was on the WSHS PTSA‘s agenda for this month’s meeting, with two high-ranking district reps on hand – the Southwest Region Executive Director of Schools, Carmela Dellino, and the elected School Board director for West Seattle/South Park, Marty McLaren.
Neither was in her current position when district staffers and board members crafted and approved the Student Assignment Plan blamed for the current state of enrollment inequity – something the then-board was warned would happen – and did.
4:17 PM: Police are searching right now for someone reported to have held up a business in the strip mall on the northeast corner of 35th and Roxbury. The robber is described in scanner traffic as black, male, about 25 years old, red bandana over his face, 6 feet tall, slender, black beanie, dark puffy jacket. He was reported to be armed with a 9-mm handgun. He was last seen headed northbound on 35th. The address given for the robbery is the smoke shop at 9650 35th; we have a crew en route.
4:52 PM: Adding a photo. Not much additional information at the scene – police confirmed Discount Smoke and Beverage is the store that was robbed; they got conflicting reports about which way the robber was seen running, so they’re searching in all directions. They were also still working to find out what the robber got away with. No injuries reported.
It would have taken an impossibly high tide to carry that crab pot to where it was found during this afternoon’s West Seattle Spokespeople-organized cleanup under the bridge. That’s the most unusual item they’d found when we stopped by midway through the cleanup.
It was a multi-generational cleanup – Theresa and her daughter were among those out along the bike path, photographed near the West Marginal Place access point:
Tools for the cleanup were provided by the West Seattle Tool Library.
(Seattle Derby Brats in action; photo by Frank Blau)
So almost everybody’s talking basketball today. But roller derby is making news too – not just because the Rat City Rollergirls‘ season is under way, but because of this big event coming to Southgate Roller Rink on Saturday. Manya shares the news on behalf of the Seattle Derby Brats:
On January 26th, at 5 pm, the Portland Rosebuds and the Seattle Derby Brats Galaxy Girls will bout at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. They are two of the best junior roller-derby teams in the country, and they are also ranked #1 and #3 in the world.
The Seattle Derby Brats were started by a Rat City Rollergirl at Pathfinder School in West Seattle. The ‘brats’ now number 103 girls, ages 8 to 18, drawn from all areas of the Northwest.
The Galaxy Girls evolved as the competitive travel team that bouts other teams in the state and country. If you would like to read more on this sport, there’s a video at seattlederbybrats.com, the second part shows some of the girls in an actual bout.
If you enjoy great action and athleticism, come join us at Southgate Skate Center on Saturday night!
Southgate is at 9646 17th SW, less than a block south of Roxbury.
Just in from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency: The burn ban in King County is OVER (here’s the proof) – so no more restrictions TFN. The fog isn’t expected to be around too much longer – the newest forecast projects rain as soon as tomorrow night.
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