West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
(Alki eagle, by SurferLucas, from the WSB Flickr group)
Continuing with our daily highlight lists (our comprehensive calendar will return along with our full website, whose overhaul has gone into overtime) – here’s your preview for the rest of this rainy Wednesday:
HARBOR SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30 pm at K-8 Harbor School (WSB sponsor) on Vashon Island, with this special invite for West Seattle families:
For West Seattle families interested in attending, please RSVP by phone at 206-567-5955 or by e-mail at admissions@harborschool.org. Shuttle service will be offered to West Seattle attendees walking on at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal and arriving on Vashon. Attendees wishing to utilize the shuttle must RSVP prior to the event.
(15920 Vashon Hwy. SW)
FREE IRISH SET DANCING: 6:30 pm at Kenyon Hall:
Join us for an evening of Irish Set Dancing (Irish square dance). From 6:30 to 7 pm there will be instruction in the basics, then traditional dancing 7 pm to 9 pm. No partner is necessary. Jim Belcher will teach and call. Call Connie with questions; 206-935-5648. Sponsored by Puget Sound Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
(7904 35th SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy. Tonight’s agenda (see it here) for our area’s biggest political organization looks ahead to the rest of this big election year and features a panel on youth homelessness. (9131 California SW)
ROO FORREST AND FRIENDS: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
TREEHOUSE LOUNGE OPEN MICROPHONE: Sign up at 7:30 pm, music at 8, hosted by Alan Sobel – come perform at tonight’s edition of the twice-monthly open-microphone event at Treehouse Lounge in The Admiral District. (2206 California SW)
TRIVIA: 8:30 pm, the famous Talarico’s Pizza trivia night hosted by Phillip Tavel. (4718 California SW)
Please continue to send upcoming events, as we will be catching up the calendar once it’s back in service. editor@wsb.blackfin.biz – plain-text information in the body of your e-mail, NOT attachments – at least a week in advance. Thank you!
Just announced by Seafair: U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet #7 will visit Seattle tomorrow for a planning meeting looking ahead to next summer’s air show. It’s expected at nearby Boeing Field around 11:30 am, with two pilots, #7 Lt. Tyler Davies and #8 Capt. Corrie Mays. Dates for this year’s airshow, by the way, are August 5-7.
No matter what school your kid(s) go to, the Madison Middle School PTSA invites you to its meeting next week to find out what parents should know about “cyberbullying” and social media.
As a followup to the Finding Kind program for our students in December, school administration has put together an expert panel of representatives from Seattle Children’s, Seattle Public Schools, OSPI (Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction), and UW to help our families navigate these difficult years. Let’s have a high turnout for this panel! Everyone is busy but it is important to take time to tool yourself with the advice and input from our experts.
Here’s the flyer, shared by Madison PTSA president Carla Rogers. The event is at 7 pm Wednesday, January 20th, in the Madison library (45th SW and SW Spokane).
6:45 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents in, or outbound from, West Seattle – we’re keeping watch as usual at this time of the day.
EARLY-DISMISSAL DAY FOR SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Classes are out two hours early today. (And, looking ahead to next weekend, school’s out next Monday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.)
7:04 AM: Emergency response to a crash at 17th SW and SW Roxbury. No details, but be aware, if you travel that way.
7:21 AM: Seattle Fire has cleared the crash scene, which indicates no major injuries.
7:35 AM: The “low bridge” has closed again. Periodic reminder – you can check local bridges’ statuses via the @SDOTbridges Twitter account.
7:44 AM: More crashes to report – no details, but just FYI: 37th SW and SW Austin in Gatewood; 1st S. and S. Jackson in Pioneer Square (since 1st is an alternative way to get into downtown, we keep an eye on it, and also 4th). Significant rain right now, too.
8:30 AM: Just went out briefly and there’s lots of street flooding, so be careful. Meantime, if you’re headed this way from north of downtown, be aware of a crash blocking one lane on southbound 99 just south of the Battery Street Tunnel.
8:42 AM: Multiple reports of a crash at Delridge and Orchard. On Delridge, just south of the intersection. No major injuries, apparently – no Seattle Fire dispatch – but it’s a “T-bone” crash per one message, so might take a while to clear. (Thanks to Jason and Randall for sending word of this!)
8:55 AM: And now – a crash reported at 9th and Roxbury.
10:32 AM: Now there’s a crash response on the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct at Seneca. (Added: “Big backup,” per commenter.)
11:09 AM: Speaking of the Viaduct, Mike just e-mailed to warn, “Just hydroplaned my way down WA-99 S and thought you might want to mention that the typical standing water problem just before you reach the WS Bridge is a bit worse than usual, and I encountered a first (for me) a puddle just S of the viaduct as it flattens out that was deep enough to be a problem.”
Another police report we’ve been seeking to follow up on a recent incident became available today. This one is from the police standoff Saturday night at an apartment building north of The Junction.
(WSB photo, Saturday night)
The report says almost 50 officers ultimately were there as police eventually convinced an armed man – originally reported as having threatened self-harm – to come out of his apartment and surrender peacefully. The report says the man was booked into jail for investigation of domestic-violence assault and a gun-possession violation. According to the report, police learned during the standoff that he was a convicted felon, with a record of assault and weapons convictions in Oregon.
The report says his wife told police he was intoxicated, angry, and confrontational after going out for a walk Saturday night. She reported that he had duct-taped a handgun to his right hand, a .357 revolver that had belonged to her father and had been stored in a safe for a decade. She said he threatened to shoot and kill her and “everyone else,” pointing the gun at her, and at himself, saying he wanted “death by police.” He left the apartment with his keys and phone. She called a friend who, the report says, told her to leave the apartment and call 911. She apparently did not, but the friend did, reporting that the man had threatened his wife with a gun and might be seeking a “suicide by cop” situation. Police rushed to the area, found the man’s wife, and set up containment as well as calling for a negotiator.
Several responded, including the officer who wrote the report. He reported talking with the man’s wife and “obtained further background information on (him) that could assist negotiators in resolving this incident in a safe manner for all involved.” For those who wondered about the magnitude of the response, note that the officer wrote, “Due to the nature of the call, involving a suicidal subject with mental-health issues and with prior military-combat experience, SWAT was requested to respond to the scene,” and they decided to wait until SWAT arrived before trying to make contact with the man in the apartment. Meanwhile, they talked with his wife, who said she thought the gun was loaded, and that it had been modified to shoot single-action only.
The report added, “In an effort to resolve this incident in a safe manner, it involved a huge police response of 48 officers” – patrol officers from two watches in this area, officers from the South and East Precincts, hostage negotiators, SWAT, and the Arson/Bomb Squad.
Around 9:40 pm, the officer writing the report “rode in a SWAT armored vehicle” to outside the apartment building, where the man came out onto the balcony in a bathrobe, smoking a cigarette. They noted he no longer had a gun taped to his hand. They started talking to him and “discussed a safety plan … gave him instructions on how to walk to his apartment door and meet with the officers waiting outside.” Within five minutes, he was in custody. The report says his wife gave consent for them to search the apartment, where they found the gun, unloaded, with what “appeared to be tape residue.” We don’t know his name, so we don’t know his current status.
Ever since last week’s incident that led police to find 32 shell casings outside a house in the 5600 block of Delridge Way, we’ve been working to get the report, to see if it would include anything more on what happened or why. We finally obtained it today.
The report was written by the patrol officer who responded to what was described as five callers who “reported hearing 10 or more shots in the area” just before 1 am last Wednesday (January 6th). That included a caller who reported finding “eight bullet holes in her front and side windows.”
At that residence, the officer wrote:
The glass storm door that faces west was shattered and there was a bullet hole in the front door. The front yard on the west side of the house was littered with shell casings and there appeared to be multiple bullet holes in the north side of the house. Twenty-seven 7.62 shell casings were located in the front/west yard and driveway, along with five 9 mm shell casings and one unfired 9 mm round. The casings were strewn about the front/west yard and driveway. It appeared the shooter or shooters stood in the yard and the driveway and targeted the house. 13 holes were located in the house, including a shattered window frame in the north side of the house. Two spent rounds that appeared to have hit the yard and bounced into the cement foundation of the house were located on the ground on the west side of the house.
The resident told police she was asleep when she heard the shots, “jumped out of bed and pulled her mother out of her chair and onto the floor.” Another resident slept through it. As previously reported, no one was hurt; a witness reported that “he heard the shots, then saw 4 subjects run southbound on 23rd SW from SW Findlay and get into a dark-colored vehicle and left in an unknown direction.” (There is no description of the “subjects” nor anything more about the vehicle.) Police speculated a nearby alley might have been used as an escape route.
We have followups in the works on other recent incidents, too, but are writing them up separately. If you have concerns about this or any other neighborhood crime issues, by the way, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s next meeting – with local police in attendance as always – is one week from tonight, Tuesday, January 19th, 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct, Delridge Way SW and SW Webster.
(Everett Fire Department photo)
We’ve just learned today from Seattle Public Schools that the woman killed in an Everett espresso-stand fire was the mother of a student at West Seattle’s Lafayette Elementary School.
SPS says Lafayette’s principal Robert Gallagher and acting assistant principal Kathy Jolly are sending a note to the school community:
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the tragic news that a Lafayette parent died yesterday after a recent and sudden accident.
As a community, we will come together to support the student and family. We will continue to have counselors and mental health support available for students, staff and families, as needed.
When someone dies, it is normal for children to have different kinds of feelings and reactions. Parents and guardians have important roles in helping students understand these tragedies. We understand that each culture has its own way of dealing with death, and we encourage children to talk with their families about their ideas, thoughts and beliefs. We recognize that even if your student may not have known or been close to this family, he/she may still feel a strong reaction. We also realize this may be your child’s first experience with death or it may trigger feelings about other deaths your child may have experienced.
The family will be in our thoughts as they grieve their loss. As we learn of more ways to support them, we will let the school community know. Please note that we are honoring the family’s request for privacy at this time.
The victim has been identified in regional media, including The Seattle Times, as Courtney Campbell. She was badly burned when her Everett espresso stand went up in flames – complicated by a propane-tank explosion – on Thursday, and then came news yesterday that she had died. She was mother of two daughters, including the Lafayette student, and her family has set up a GoFundMe account.
THURSDAY UPDATE: Organizers say the concert is canceled and they’re refunding advance ticket sales – CB is ill.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Just got word of a concert that will liven up this Saturday morning for hundreds of local families – Caspar Babypants is performing at the Brockey Center on the south side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. It’s a fundraiser for the SSC Cooperative Preschools’ Mary E. Philips Scholarship Fund – organizers say, “It’s a super-fun time for a great cause. Come dance with your kids and help keep co-op preschool available and affordable for all families.” 10:30 am Saturday (January 16th), 45-minute show, admission $7 (kids under 1 year old are free). WSB photo, 2014
P.S. Tickets will be sold at the door – or you can get yours online now, here.
11:41 AM: Just in from WSDOT regarding something that’s stopped down the tunneling machine even though the machine itself is OK:
One of the barges Seattle Tunnel Partners is using to haul away excavated material began to list or lean to one side as STP crews loaded it early Tuesday.
To prevent damage to the conveyor system, STP released the barge from its moorage at Terminal 46. Some excavated clean soils were spilled into Elliott Bay. The barge then drifted into nearby Pier 48, which is owned by WSDOT and slated for demolition.
The barge has since been moved to the west end of Terminal 46. STP crews are working to transfer the material on the barge to another barge. STP is inspecting Terminal 46 and Pier 48 to determine if any damage occurred.
Tunnel excavation is temporarily on hold as STP addresses this issue. We’ll provide additional updates as we receive new information.
ADDED 5:13 PM: Update from WSDOT:
STP divers and marine surveyors continue to inspect damage at Terminal 46. Crews are assessing what needs to be done to safely stage a barge at Terminal 46 for loading.
STP is using a barge-mounted clamshell to transfer material from the damaged barge to another barge.
STP anticipates resuming tunneling and disposal of excavated materials after a third barge returns to the site from unloading excavated material at CalPortland’s Mats Mats reclamation facility in Port Ludlow. They must also confirm that a barge can be safely staged at Terminal 46.
As of Tuesday morning, STP had mined more than 190 feet and installed 30 concrete tunnel rings since Bertha first moved forward in the pit on Dec. 22. This brings the total distance tunneled to 1,280 feet and a total of 188 concrete rings.
The recently renovated apartment complex over Jefferson Square, now known as Elan 41, has just gone on the market. The listing price: $24.5 million. Property records show the 78-unit complex last changed hands for a higher price, $27 million, in 2005. In 2009, we reported on an agreement for Seattle Public Schools – which owns the land on which Jefferson Square, and everything above it, is built – to sell the apartments’ “air rights” – we’re checking to see if that deal was ever completed. (WSB file photo)
P.S. One of the flyers accompanying the Elan 41 listing reveals a recent sale along Avalon – which in turn explains the building’s name change; we’d noticed recently that Vue at 3261 Avalon Way had become Marq. County records don’t show a sale yet, but the flyer from Elan 41 listing agent McQuaid Real Estate says the 111-unit building completed in 2014 sold last month for $38.5 million.
(OUR CALENDAR SPONSOR IS MEEPLES GAMES
Our regular calendar will be back when our overhauled site is up – meantime, our daily highlight lists continue, and here’s what’s happening today/tonight:
LIBRARY STORY TIMES: Baby Story Time at Southwest Library, 10:30 am (35th SW/SW Henderson); Toddler Story Time at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 10:30 am (2306 42nd SW); Family Story Time at Delridge Library, 7 pm (5401 Delridge Way SW)
LIVE MUSIC AT SALTY’S: Justin Kausal-Hayes performs at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)
PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8 pm at Hope Lutheran School. (42nd SW/SW Oregon)
CHIEF SEALTH PTSA: 7 pm meeting, all welcome, in the Confucius Center at Chief Sealth International High School. (2600 SW Thistle)
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Choosing new leadership and looking at the future of the former interim Fire Station 29 site are two major agenda items, as previewed here. 7 pm, all welcome, The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd SW & SW Lander)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: The FCA board meets at historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, 7 pm, all welcome. (9131 California SW)
And a look even further ahead:
WINTER’S HIGHEST TIDES, NEXT THREE DAYS: This will happen before our daily preview is published the next three days, so we’re mentioning it now – the highest high tides (“king tides”) of winter are happening the next three mornings, 12.9 feet – 7:35 am Wednesday, 8:14 am Thursday, 8:55 am Friday.
Good morning – no West Seattle-area incidents so far this morning.
22ND/ANDOVER REMINDER: Seattle Public Utilities says it plans to finish the work at and around this intersection between 7 and 10 this morning.
NIGHTTIME WORK ON SW ALASKA BETWEEN FAUNTLEROY AND 40TH: This work is expected to continue tonight (we’re doublechecking and will update if not).
FIRST REPORT: Tonight is the first night of road work that’s closing SW Alaska between 40th SW and Fauntleroy Way, related to The Whittaker, the big mixed-use project under construction there. The project team says SDOT required that the work be done at night to minimize the effect on traffic. Detour signs are set up.
ADDED 10:10 AM TUESDAY: More information on what’s happening: It’s about linking the signals and preparing for upgraded crossings between The Whittaker and Spruce across the intersection; the work will continue nightly through the 20th, approximately 8 pm to 6 am: “Scope of work is to install all the underground conduits and doing temp patch for a later date down the road [when more work will be done] … They will try as much as possible to be conscious of noise, but also want to be sure to finish on time to minimize the time of construction.”
We just received this from Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark, who says it was sent to all families at Denny and adjacent Chief Sealth International Middle School:
Dear Denny and Sealth Scholars and Families,
We want to share information with you regarding an incident that occurred today.
Towards the end of 8th grade lunchtime today at 12:30 pm, three high-school-age kids who do not attend Denny or Chief Sealth came onto the sidewalk near the northern end of the Denny playfield on Kenyon St. They had an altercation with a Denny 8th grader, which was very quickly broken up by staff (no weapons were involved). Due to the fact that they do not attend our schools and that they wore bandanas, Denny staff called the Seattle Police Department, who quickly responded. The non-students left the area quickly and have been identified. We are working with Police Department to follow-up with next steps.
Today after school there was an extra presence of Police in the Denny parking lot and in the Denny/Sealth surrounding neighborhood area. Thank you to the Denny staff, our scholars, and the Police Department for addressing this situation quickly and thoroughly.
The letter was signed by Clark and by Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer.
As reported earlier, the 22nd/Andover sewer project ran hours later than planned this morning. We followed up with Seattle Public Utilities, whose spokesperson Rachel Garrett confirms more work is ahead tomorrow (Tuesday) morning:
· Work finished up this morning somewhat later than expected, however, residents were able to leave from 22nd Ave. SW and travel along the detour route via 21st Avenue and SW Oregon Street. We recognize that this created some additional traffic backups along the detour route.
· Paving work will take about two additional hours to complete. Crews plan to complete this work tomorrow, Tues., Jan. 12, between 7 and 10 a.m. Traffic will still be able to access 22nd Ave. SW, but residents who normally access the area via Andover will need to follow detour routes to SW Oregon Street (detour signage will be in place). Commuters should plan ahead for some additional traffic in the area.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last June, we checked in with what’s now the area’s only standalone aquarium store, B & D in White Center, after a reader expressed concern for its future. At the time, its owner told us he would “hang on” as long as he could. Recently, multiple readers wrote to tell us it didn’t appear he would be hanging on much longer. We found out they’re right.
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog and White Center Now
Citing a continued “rising costs and lower sales,” the owner of B & D Aquarium says the 44-year-old White Center business will be closing shop for good at some point in the coming weeks.
“You can’t keep losing money every day and stay open,” says P.D. who opened his aquarium-hobbyist shop at 35th and Roxbury in 1972.
Though a sign hanging from a corner of the shop declares that December 31st would be the last day for business, P.D. is still open because he’s trying to liquidate as much of his stock as he can before he’s is forced to vacate the building. In addition to the deep discounts he’s offering on everything in the shop in what the owner calls his “indoor yard sale,” he’s been giving freebies to his loyal, long-time customers to help things come to a close as quickly as possible.
Though B & D was unable to continue to compete, price-wise, with the offerings of online retailers or big-chain pet stores, P.D. and his staff have long been well-regarded by local hobbyists for their expertise, which will the biggest loss to local hobbyists.
“What we’re getting from the customers is that they don’t want us to leave, because they don’t know where they’re going to go,” says Kelly Greer, who has worked at B & D for nearly 30 years. “Their next options are in Burien or Kent.”
Facing the loss of such knowledge and willingness to help, several customers have apparently decided to give up the hobby altogether, knowing how difficult it would be to replace what they’ll lose when B & D finally shutters its doors.
“Yeah, we’ve had about a dozen people give up their tanks because we’re going out of business,” says P.D. “They want to give their tanks to us, but I’ve got a couple-hundred tanks to get rid of already.”
Because they’ve already stayed open beyond what they’d originally planned, P.D. doesn’t know when the true final day will arrive. Though he’d prefer to be able to close shop because he’s successfully cleared his on-hand stock, he knows he’ll likely have to stop before he can liquidate everything completely.
As for his own future?
“I’ll have to start wearing shoes, get a haircut, and look for a job.”
Until they finally close, B & D will continue to open at 10450 15th Ave SW (next to the White Center Eagles) Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Phone service has been disconnected, so you won’t be able to call to see whether they are still there.
1:03 PM: Thanks to Betsy, Steve, and Ragan for the tip on this: The light at California and Oregon is both red and green. So far, it’s being treated as a four-way stop, which is what you’re supposed to do when a signal is out or malfunctioning. SDOT has been notified.
1:26 PM UPDATE: It’s been fixed, our crew reports.
(WSB photo from this morning)
10:22 AM: The window display at Easy Street Records in The Junction actually preceded music superstar David Bowie‘s death – as did many such displays in honor of his album release and birthday last week, with his four-decade-plus career celebrated while fans had no idea he was on the brink of death. News of his passing emerged around 11:30 last night. Early today, Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan mused on Instagram:
“Crushing. Having a tough time w this one. There hasn’t been a day this last week that I hadn’t listened to his new record. I’ve been in a Bowie world this week and so proud of the record he just delivered. I’ve said to people in the store, staff, and my fellow Bowie heads…that I’ve never heard a record like this before, music like this before. He tested us to the very end. In listening to it, many of the lyrics seem to question his mortality, it’s a comforting record, yet other times as if he’s isolated…out on his own lil space capsule. I’ve never been a fan of one artist for this long. …”
Vaughan also mentioned meeting David Bowie at one of his Seattle performances; online tour-date histories show concerts in Seattle including 1972, 1976, 1997, and 2004, two years before his last live performance.
1:46 PM: And now there’s a marquee tribute too:
(Originally published on our backup site during our technical overhaul)
The WSB West Seattle Event Calendar remains temporarily out of view during our official website’s overhaul work. We’re still presenting daily event highlights, so here’s what we have for today/tonight:
TEEN SERVICE LEARNING: Teenagers interested in service learning through the Seattle Public Library are invited to a 4 pm meeting at Southwest Library – but be sure to read this first. (35th SW & SW Henderson)
WEST SEATTLE PRESCHOOL FAIR: 5:30-7:30 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church – see the list of participants here – they include WSB sponsor West Seattle Montessori School. (3050 California SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: The Chief Sealth International High School girls-varsity team hosts Shorewood Christian School, 6 pm. (2600 SW Thistle)
NDNC MEETING: Second Monday means it’s meeting night for the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
DENNY PTSA MEETING: 7 pm, PTSA meets at Denny International Middle School. (2601 SW Kenyon)
6:03 AM: Good morning. No incidents in or from West Seattle so far, as the commute begins for the second full week of 2016.
HIGHWAY 99 LANE-CLOSURES REMINDER: One week now from the start of long-term lane closures on Highway 99 north of downtown – all the info’s on this WSDOT webpage.
7:16 AM: Still no incidents. Meantime, a reminder for this Wednesday (January 13) – Seattle Public Schools will be out two hours early.
7:24 AM: Commenter Sam-C says the overnight work at 22nd/Andover on Pigeon Point – and on 22nd north and south of the intersection – was NOT done by 5 am as Seattle Public Utilities had said it would be, and was still ongoing as of the top of this hour. We’ll head over shortly for a look.
8:06 AM: The icy rain that’s been moving north from the South Sound is here.
8:15 AM: Confirmed – Andover is still closed at 22nd (and 22nd on both sides) while the sewer work that was supposed to end or pause by 5 am continues.
12:48 PM: Multiple reports of traffic-light trouble at California/Oregon – steady green one way, flashing red another. It’s been reported to SDOT.
12:05 AM: Just a reminder that 22nd SW and SW Andover – and 22nd on both sides of the intersection – is closed overnight for Seattle Public Utilities‘ emergency sewer work. They adjusted the end time to 5 am after hearing concerns from area residents worried about getting out to work/school/etc. If the work isn’t finished tonight, SPU said, they’d have to continue Monday night, so we will check later this morning to see if that’s planned, or not.
8:21 AM: As commenter Sam-C noted earlier, this did NOT wrap up at 5 am after all. We just drove to Pigeon Point to see if it’s still continuing – and verified that it is, so these closures still apply. We’re checking with SPU to see about an estimated reopening as well as whether more work will be happening tonight.
(Photo courtesy DeAndre Coulter, at center, with Mayor Ed Murray at left, Chief Kathleen O’Toole at right)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“I can’t describe how excited I am!”
That’s what DeAndre Coulter, a University of Washington student who graduated from West Seattle High School in 2012, said today when we talked with him about his impending trip to The White House, where he’ll be during President Obama‘s final State of the Union address on Tuesday.
We found out about Coulter’s trip when Seattle Police announced this afternoon that Chief Kathleen O’Toole had been invited to D.C. to join First Lady Michelle Obama for the speech, and that Coulter would accompany the chief to the capital:
… At the invitation of Mayor Murray, DeAndre Coulter, a Mayor’s Youth Employment Initiative Intern who participated in the Summer of Safety, the city’s coordinated approach to public safety providing jobs for youth and young adults, will accompany Chief O’Toole to Washington, D.C.
Coulter told us he has had the internship since last summer, working primarily on communications initiatives via the city Office of Economic Development and Office of Film and Music. His career aspirations include public relations and marketing. He’s also been working on some of that already for a family business – we had heard from him recently when he sent information about his mom Tara Scott‘s new restaurant in White Center, Taradise Café.
His trip to D.C. will be brief – leaving Monday morning, returning Wednesday. A special reception is part of the schedule. Coulter is quoted in the Seattle Police announcement as saying he hopes that his achievements will inspire other young people, including his siblings. He told us that he has two younger brothers, 12 and 15 years old, one of whom is a student at Denny International Middle School.
For anyone else considering an internship, he enthuses, “I say, go for it! This has brought me so many great connections and so many work experiences – apply to as many (internships) as you can. (Last summer) when I got this, I had no idea what great experiences I would have … more than I could have imagined.”
And as for the trip to D.C., he adds, “I’m super-excited and super-honored that the mayor suggested me.”
The State of the Union speech will be at 6 pm our time Tuesday (January 12th).
Another election is now less than a month away: The February 9 vote for two Seattle Public Schools levies. Proposition 1, the Operations Levy, would bring in more than three-quarters of a billion dollars over three years; you can read the details here. Proposition 2 is the six-year Buildings, Technology and Academics Capital Levy (BTA), raising more than $475 million for projects in the district including these in West Seattle, as we reported in November:
*$6.7 million for EC Hughes upgrades to enable it to reopen as a 550-student elementary school (to which, the district has said, it will move the Roxhill Elementary program)
*5.4 million for Gatewood Elementary, most of that for HVAC, also some $ for cladding work
*1.8 million for athletic-field lights at Southwest Athletic Complex (ID’d in the documents as Chief Sealth IHS, which is across the street)
*$1.5 million for the roof at West Seattle HS
*94,000 for doors at Sanislo Elementary
Both are replacements for expiring levies, though at higher sums. If you’re not registered to vote, tomorrow’s the deadline to register online, with a later deadline for signing up in person – details on the King County Elections website. Ballots will go in the mail January 20th.
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