West Seattle, Washington
13 Sunday
(Inside HPIC, shortly after 2021 fire)
As mentioned in our coverage of last week’s HPAC meeting, Highland Park Improvement Club is set to take the next step in its plan to rebuild after the fire that ravaged its building – with a special Corner Bar event this Friday. We just received the announcement and community invitation:
Come meet your neighbors and enjoy a beverage this Friday night as we roll out our plans to rebuild a community space that’s been central to our neighborhood for more than 100 years: the Highland Park Improvement Club!
In 2021, the Highland Park Improvement Club (HPIC) building was tragically destroyed in a fire. Once home to monthly gatherings, live music, a community garden, regular yoga classes, and more – HPIC is no longer the bustling center of neighborhood activity it once was. Now the burned building sits vacant on the corner of 12th and Holden in West Seattle, deemed unsafe for use after the blaze.
This is not the future anyone wants to see for this rare gem that has played such a vital role in connecting and supporting the surrounding communities, like it did when community leaders used it as a food insecurity resource during the pandemic. To keep HPIC alive, the executive board and trustees have been hard at work for the last year creating a vision for the future to make sure it can be sustainably restored – including working with architects, designers, contractors, donors, volunteers and more to bring this space back to life.
Now – it’s crunch time. We’re about a third of the way there on fundraising, but we need more help to cross the finish line and raise about two million dollars this year. That’s where you come in! Join us for a fun night of community conversation about how to restore this wonderful place and make it even better than before!
Who: You!
What: Corner Bar
When: February 3, 2023, 6 pm-10 pm
Where: Highland Park Corner Store- 7789 Highland Park Way SW
Why: To build community support around the REBUILDING TOGETHER fundraising Campaign. Help us reach our capital fundraising goal of 3.4 million dollars by Q3 2023!Our goal is demolition and groundbreaking in the fall, hoping to open in late 2024. Board members for the Rebuilding Together campaign will be on site to talk more about HPIC’s Nine-Month Fundraising Sprint at Friday’s event. Hope to see you at the Highland Park Corner Store on Friday, February 3rd for fun, music, and the kind of community enthusiasm we need to keep HPIC’s future alive!
3:35 PM: A police pursuit that started outside West Seattle just ended with a crash and arrest in North Delridge. We don’t have details on the original incident yet but the car is described as stolen and police quickly arrested the person who ran from it after the crash near 26th/Alaska. If you’re seeing the Guardian One helicopter, they were arriving to assist just as the suspect headed into West Seattle.
4:13 PM: We got to the scene just as the car, a Kia Soul (as a commenter noted), was about to be towed off to the SPD evidence-processing facility. Still awaiting further details on the original incident, but robbery detectives are among those reported to be interested.
4:38 PM: According to archived police-radio audio, the car first came to officers’ attention on Beacon Hill as a stolen vehicle associated with an armed-robbery suspect, and they followed/pursued it as the driver continued this way and got off the bridge at the Delridge exit. A neighbor just texted this photo of the arrest:
The audio (and a commenter) clarifies that while the arrest was at 26th SW/SW Alaska, the crash was at 26th/Oregon.
ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: The police summary has a bit more information:
Officers located a stolen Kia Sol believed to have been involved in an armed robbery and a carjacking the day before. A pursuit was authorized by a patrol supervisor. The suspect vehicle fled, and officers pursued it into West Seattle. The vehicle struck a curb and became disabled, at which time the driver fled on foot. Officers captured the suspect a short distance away and took him into custody without incident. The vehicle was taken to the [processing room] pending a search warrant and evidence collection. The suspect was booked into [juvenile detention].
After last week’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, we reported on SDOT’s numbers for “free rides” offered through the Transit GO app during the last of the three weeks that the West Seattle low bridge was closed to street/path use. We also asked SDOT for a breakdown between Metro and Water Taxi usage; today we got that info from SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson:
*900 single-ride bus tickets (including about 100 reduced-fare tickets)
*70 day-pass bus tickets (including about 15 reduced-fare tickets)
*450 Water Taxi tickets (including about 40 senior-fare tickets)
If you have unused points, here’s what happens to those, and another app-related note:
Any points already earned through the “LOWBRIDGE23” code won’t expire but will become inactive after 6 months of inactivity on the Transit GO app rewards tab. At the end of each month, if your status remains inactive, 300 points will be deducted from your account and returned to the provider.
All other rewards campaigns within the Transit GO app are still available to you if you’re interested in more ways to earn rides – information is available in the app for your use as well as on the King County Metro Transit GO web page. We again appreciate the support of the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure for helping fund these transit trips during the low bridge closure and for the collaboration of our partners at King County Metro.
By now, you’ve likely received your ballot for the February 14th special election deciding the fate of Seattle Initiative 135. It’s also time to vote on something that’s NOT on that ballot: A position on the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors. This is a countywide (except for five small cities) position, but two of the three candidates are from West Seattle. This voting is happening online for the fourth year, so the only reminder you’ve received is a postcard that probably arrived last week. Here’s what it’s all about:
The KCD Board of Supervisors oversees a roughly $8 million dollar budget paid by residents of King County through rates and charges.
KCD is a special purpose district committed to helping people engage in stewardship and conservation of natural resources, serving over two million people in 34 cities and unincorporated King County (excluding the cities of Enumclaw, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific, and Skykomish that are not member jurisdictions). KCD assists private residents with forestry management, streamside and shoreline enhancement, farm conservation planning, and other environmental efforts. It works with cities and community organizations to support community gardens, urban forest canopy, and local food systems. KCD is funded primarily by a per-parcel rates and charges fee paid by residents of the district.
An all-volunteer, five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for overseeing KCD operations, budget, and setting policy. Voters elect three supervisors and the Washington State Conservation Commission appoints two supervisors. Supervisors serve three-year terms.
The candidates are April Brown, Csenka Favorini-Csorba, and incumbent Chris L. Porter. Favorini-Csorba and Porter both live in West Seattle. Go here to find information about the candidates (including the video recording of a forum. held last week) plus a link for voting, as well as how to contact King CD if you need a paper ballot instead. Deadline to vote is 8 pm February 14th,
(Luna/Anchor Park and the Olympic Mountains’ ‘The Brothers,’ photographed Sunday by James Bratsanos)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s today’s highlight list!
MONDAY MOVIE: 1 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon), “Terry’s Greatest Movies You’ve Never Heard Of,” today featuring “Dead Ringer.” Free popcorn! Advance registration required – our calendar listing explains how.
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm, councilmembers preview the week ahead (here’s the agenda). You can watch online or on cable via Seattle Channel.
FREE INDOOR PLAYSPACE: Second week for the new free Toddler Gym weekday afternoons at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW), ages 2-6, begins today, 3:30-5 pm.
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE: The city presents an online meeting at 6 pm about the Comprehensive Plan Update. Here’s the short explanation:
he updated Seattle Comprehensive Plan will guide City decisions about where we locate housing and jobs, and where and how we invest in transportation, utilities, parks, and other public assets. Our goal is to make the city more equitable, livable, sustainable, and resilient for today’s communities and future residents.
Our Plan will address challenges new and old: racial equity, housing costs, access to economic opportunity and education, climate change, and more.
You’re welcome to join the meeting, which will include a presentation and Q/A. The link is on this city webpage (right under “What’s Happening Now”).
CRAFTING AND CREATIVITY NIGHT: 6-10 pm at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), explained here.
MEDITATION: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation event at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
PLAY TRIVIA! Three scheduled options tonight for trivia players – 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to list on our calendar ? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Two reader reports this morning:
STOLEN SUBARU: From Scott:
Sometime after sundown last night and before 6 am this morning, my old Subaru was stolen. The plate is / was CCL0595. The car was parked at the 2100 block of 42nd SW. SPD incident # 23-028214.
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN TOOLS: From Anita:
Found tools at the bus stop at 35th & Henderson Shell station.
6:02 AM: Good morning! It’s a new week – Monday, January 30th.
WEATHER
Increasing clouds through the day, high in the upper 30s. (Sunday’s high was 40, nine degrees below normal for that date.)
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
–Metro is on its regular schedule but still running with fewer buses and fewer drivers – keep watching notification channels such as @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations and route suspensions.
-Regular schedule for the West Seattle Water Taxi.
–Washington State Ferries‘ Triangle Route remains on a two-boat schedule – check here for alerts/updates.
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also up at Delridge/Oregon, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Henderson.
High Bridge – the camera at the top:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge – open again:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – the south route:
Highway 99: – the northbound side at Lander.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page … Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do it safely) – 206-293-6302.
9:40 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “full response” to California/Edmunds. The report is: flames in alley, but “they’re not sure what’s on fire.” It’s on the alley east of California, west of 42nd, and reported to be in a basement, in a building described as “just behind US Bank.” Updates to come.
9:45 PM: They’re reducing the response. Apparently not a large fire. We’re on our way to find out exactly which building.
9:54 PM: Fire declared “tapped” (out). No injuries reported. SFD describes it as an exterior fire.
9:59 PM: The fire was on the back side of the Performing Arts building per the tweeted photo above.
10:04 PM: Our photographer has talked to firefighters who say it was trash burning in a dumpster.
(WSB photo)
No building damage reported. (Added) For more location context, here’s a wider shot texted to us:
That’s the US Bank lot in the left foreground, and in the semi-distance at upper right, the Edmunds/California 7-11.
ADDED 11:12 AM: Regarding cause/damage, SFD tells WSB, “Fire investigators ruled this fire as undetermined. It was a debris fire in a covered patio area next to structure. Total estimated loss is $50,000.”
Six years have passed since we first reported on Seattle Parks‘ plan to replace the floating docks at Don Armeni Boat Ramp in West Seattle. At that time, the project was expected to start half a year later, in fall 2017. But by fall 2018, it hadn’t, and that delay was blamed on a “late state budget signing” holding up grant money to fund part of the project. In a 2019 update about related environmental work, Parks said construction would happen in 2020. Next time we checked in on it, in early 2022, a federal permitting delay got the blame for the ongoing holdup. Though those permits hadn’t been finalized by the time Parks posted this update last month, the city said it would go ahead and put the project out to bid because they can’t work in the water until July anyway. And now the city’s bidding site indeed shows they’ve opened the project to bids this week, which are due February 15th. According to online documents, the new docks will be bigger than the ones they’re replacing: “The new docks will increase in width from 6 to 8 feet and extend out an additional 4.25 feet, increasing overwater coverage by 691 square feet.” Parks has said previously that the work would take about three months and that they would install the new docks one at a time so that one would remain open for boaters to continue using during the work.
Via email, a reader report from Genesee Hill:
Someone shattered the sliding glass door to our basement on Friday night in an apparent home break-in attempt. We live between Dakota and Andover on 54th Ave SW. We have a camera on the front of our home but no record of a trespasser in the front. It seems this person climbed over our backyard fence (which is now damaged) and dropped their flashlight on the way out. We don’t think this person entered our home or stole anything, but we can’t be sure. Either way, it leaves an unsettled feeling. We now have cameras facing our backyard and side yards. The motion lights and home security system are being installed too. Stay alert and look out for your neighbors!
(added) SPD incident # is 23-027070.
(WSB photo from February 2020 Polar Plunge at Alki)
Outdoor events are few and far between in the heart of winter – but here’s an exception: We’re now four weeks away from the return of the Polar Plunge “winter beach party” to Alki, benefiting Special Olympics Washington. Here’s how organizers explain it:
The Special Olympics Washington Polar Plunge, on Saturday, February 25, is a Seattle tradition. The annual event brings together supporters throughout the area to Get Cold for a Cause. The 2023 installment of this Winter Beach Party is expanding to offer something for everyone.
Partygoers can show up to plunge or participate in the festivities and cheer others on.
Attendees can expect a full-on beach party with live music, beach games, a beer garden, food trucks, costume contests, and great prizes along the way! Individual and team registrants are encouraged to raise donations in support of Special Olympics Washington athletes. As they raise funds, they can also earn prizes including airline vouchers and Papa John’s gift cards for the top individual and team fundraisers.
The Polar Plunge campaign kicks off the year strong by raising funds that directly go to providing athletes with year-round opportunities to train and compete, as well as receive free health screenings and leadership training. Proceeds from the event ensure that over 7,500 Washington children and adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities have the opportunity to participate at no cost to them.
On Saturday, February 25, festivities kick off at 8:00 a.m. at Alki Beach & Bathhouse [60th SW & Alki Avenue SW]. The costume contest will begin at 12:10 p.m., with winners awarded based on crowd response. Polar plunging starts at 1:00 p.m.!
Unlike the New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim, this isn’t an en-masse jump-in-run-out event – but immersing yourself in Puget Sound is part of it. Individual and team registration starts here.
2:07 PM: Late last night, the sky cleared and Comet ZTF (its abbreviated name) was visible from West Seattle. Expert skywatcher/educator Alice Enevoldsen tweeted about it, including photos:
A view of the comet from tonight. There was still some haze at times (which is why the inconsistent sky background comes from). This was an integration of about 50 separate 1-second long images, 180mm f/2.8 lens. Image by Jason Enevoldsen.@westseattleblog #CometZTF pic.twitter.com/1L0KsFipWf
— Alice's AstroInfo (vaxxed & masked) (@AlicesAstroInfo) January 29, 2023
Today, Alice says things are looking good for tonight – but you’ll need binoculars and something to steady yourself against, like a railing or tripod. In this tweet, she explains that “it will still be neatly between Polaris and the cup of the Big Dipper, so scan from the North Star (Polaris) slowly towards the Big Dipper.” Here’s a link she suggests for more info on how to find it; here’s what Space.com says about it, including some backstory.
9:08 PM: Alice is working on a pop-up comet-viewing opportunity for later tonight. We’ll add the info here as soon as she decides (or you can follow her on Twitter, where she’ll announce it).
9:52 PM: Alice is at Alki Playfield near Alki Elementary.
You’ve probably seen the Endolyne Children’s Choir over the years at a West Seattle Junction Christmas Tree Lighting performance – but that’s just one of many ways in which this organization enriches the community. Now they’re looking for new support, with openings on the board. Here’s the announcement sent to us to share with you:
If you’re looking to give back to the community and add board-member experience to your resume, Endolyne Children’s Choir (ECC) wants to talk to you! ECC teaches the joy of singing in a community setting that fosters self-confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong appreciation for music.
Making this happen for thousands of kids over the last 20 years takes a village, and a vital part of our village is our board of directors. The leaders who serve on our board have a front-row seat to watch these kids connect with, inspire, and uplift the greater community, while developing lifelong appreciation for music and the arts.
Here’s what a few long-term board members had to say about why they serve:
“Creating community among our singers and their families. It’s such a joy to build relationships, to bring people together, and to watch our singers grow and mature both as choral musicians and as humans over the years.”
“I get to work with dedicated board members and staff to provide a caring and fun space and wonderful opportunities for our young singers to grow as individuals.”
“The fun and collaborative environment! Being able to share my enthusiasm for children’s choral singing/music education by brainstorming new and creative ideas with an amazing group of dedicated volunteers!”
Interested in using your accounting or fundraising expertise and leadership to make a difference in your community? ECC is actively recruiting for a Treasurer and Fundraising Chair, so reach out to us at endolyneboard@gmail.com
11:45 AM: Alex suggested other West Seattle neighbors headed east today might want to know that a big power outage in Georgetown, SODO, and Beacon Hill is affecting some businesses and major intersections. If you’re planning to head that way, check the map first.
1:51 PM: Most of the outage area has power back, except (mostly) for the SODO customers with a planned outage as noted by Amy in comments.
Family and friends are remembering Patricia Way and sharing this remembrance with the community:
Patricia Ann Way
Born Halloween 1951 in Washington, D.C., to her Mom (born Christmas Day) and her Dad (born Valentine’s Day). Passed away peacefully 01/08/2023 and went with God. She got her Masters in Fine Arts in Printmaking from Stanford University, and was a very talented artist (and supportive teacher) her whole life, with shows in the US and abroad.
Patricia was always a caring, thoughtful, giving spirit to her family, friends, and anyone she met. Her beautiful, kind soul and her wonderful, strong art made this world a better place.
She is survived by her loving husband Christopher, her son Sam, her two kitties Ace and Stella, and her two puppies Pac and Coco.
God Bless Patricia!
Please share condolences, photos, & memories of Patricia at emmickfunerals.com/obituary/Patricia-Way
Arrangements entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
(Saturday photo by Jerry Simmons)
If your Sunday isn’t entirely spoken for, here are options, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ONLINE RELIGIOUS SERVICES: We’re continuing to list these – see today’s lineup here.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-1 pm, visit Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s campus at 34th/Myrtle – the open house is your chance to tour the school and meet staff.
BINGO/DRAG BRUNCH: 10 am-2 pm at Box Bar (5401 California SW), with bingo noon-2 pm – details in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market offers winter produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
CHALLAH BRAIDING: During the Farmers’ Market, TLC of West Seattle will have a booth today showing people how to braid challah bread.
WINTER SPORTS GEAR SALE: Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) has a flash sale through Tuesday – 25% off select skis + clothing, 15 percent off full ski or snowboard and binding/boots packages. Open 11 am-5 pm today.
HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 11:30 am-1 pm, visit Holy Rosary‘s campus at 42nd/Genesee – tour the school and meet staff.
LEARN ABOUT ATTRACTING BACKYARD BIRDS: 1 pm class at West Seattle Nursery (5245 California SW), all ages – learn about attracting native birds to your backyard.
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: Two events today – 2 pm soup swap (update: even if you don’t have soup to swap, you’re welcome to attend to learn about the event and timebanking) and 6:30 pm online meeting. Our calendar listing has full details and RSVP link for soup-swap location.
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: 3-5 pm, Citizens of Earth perform at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), no cover.
‘AN ENDLESS SHIFT’: New play at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) continues with a 3 pm performance. “Created from verbatim accounts of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Seattle nurses who were there, ‘An Endless Shift’ is a tribute to the everyday heroes who were confronted with what would become the longest shift of their lives.” Get your ticket(s) here.
(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor; tonight’s sunset is at 5:05 pm)
NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church serves a free meal (take-away available) at 5 pm Sundays at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).
YOGA, MEDITATION, GONG BATH: Presented by Inner Alchemy, 7 pm at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $35.
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
LATIN SUNDAY: Party to Latin American music with a DJ @ Benbow Room (4210 SW Admiral Way), starting at 9 pm.
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 9 pm to 1:30 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
Have an event to add to our calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Big day of basketball at the West Seattle High School gym, as the final regular-season home games meant senior sendoffs for the varsity teams. The girls have two seniors, Brooke Swanson:
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
And Lauren Wright:
The boys have seven seniors – from left in our photo, Tre Pryor, Ryder Mackay, Miles Gosztola, Chase Clifton, Luke Wade, Calvin Barasch, and Maximus Holliman:
Now on to the games. Both teams played Eastside Catholic (as did the JV and C teams earlier in the day). The girls were up first.
They were out to a double-digit lead at halftime, 33-18, but had a tougher time in the second half, nonetheless pulling out the win, 43-39.
(WSHS #21, sophomore Alyssa Neumann)
The girls, coached by Darnell Taylor, are now 10-7 and finish the regular season at Seattle Prep on Wednesday.
The boys, coached by Dan Kriley, also were victorious today:
With the 76-54 win, they’re now 10-6.
(WSHS #1, senior Tre Pryor)
They have three games remaining in the regular season, all on the road – Seattle Prep on Tuesday, Chief Sealth on Thursday, and Rainier Beach next Saturday.
(WSB photo)
Part of the north fence at the Holy Rosary School playground is now adorned with tiles as the result of a local Eagle Scout project that’s been years in the making. Noah Gauyan, mentored by Troop 282 assistant scoutmaster Don Bazemore, created “Hands of Hope.” Noah worked with Holy Rosary students to create tiles with inspirational messages.
(This photo and next, courtesy Don Bazemore)
Noah explains that the original planning for his project – which also includes a bench – dated back to 2019, before the pandemic.
During the planning phase of the project; COVID hit, suspending in-person troop meetings and in turn putting a pause on my Eagle Scout Project. We really needed the students because we wanted them to write the messages themselves. So once school was back in session we could get moving again.
The tiles got done within a few months, all hand-done by the students of Holy Rosary West Seattle. … This project has a special meaning because my dad used to write messages in my lunch for me when I was a little kid and it always put a smile on my face. I also know that kids sometimes have a tough day at school and teachers too. So I wanted to provide a space for them to decompress and read thoughtful messages. The bench also symbolizes a place for students to meet new students and grow closer as a class. I still remember sitting on the sides of the playground with my friends talking about our weekend plans; now students can come to the bench and talk to each other. I hope that “the bench” becomes a phrase for students to use when they want to meet up.
(WSB photo)
Fellow Troop 282 Scouts helped build the bench, and today, Noah and helpers installed it and the tiles.
As Marc Milrod‘s photo shows, we had clouds to the east this evening, while the sky was mostly clear to the west. Right now, though, icy showers are moving through (as in graupel/hail/sleet/”chunky rain”). The forecast didn’t call for a wintry mix, but it does suggest tonight’s low might dip below freezing.
(WSB photos)
Two weeks ago we told you about Alki Beach Pride‘s first-ever coat/clothing drive, with dropoff spots all over the area. Today, the ABP crew and partner Out of the Closet Thrift Stores took a truck tour to pick up the results.
We caught up with them at the first, and southernmost, stop, the Lumber Yard Bar in White Center.
From there, they were planning to stop at Youngstown Coffee, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest (WSB sponsor), Arthur’s, Admiral Theater, and Harry’s Beach House. (Out of the Closet is a thrift-shop chain benefiting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation; its Seattle store is on Capitol Hill at 1016 E. Pike.) We’ll be checking back for the grand total – they expected to have collected dozens of boxes and bags full of warm clothing/coats before day’s end!
P.S. Watch alkibeachpride.org for other activities, including this year’s big celebration in August.
2:23 PM: Thanks for the tips. 280 Seattle City Light customers in the south Alki area are without power right now. The SCL outage map shows it went out just before 2 pm. One person who contacted us reported hearing a “boom” just before losing power. No word yet on the cause. – the SFD 911 log shows no incidents in the area.
3:11 PM: The outage map now attributes this to “bird/animal contact.”
4:08 PM: Power’s back.
The report and photo are from Steve:
I was robbed at knifepoint about 11 am in the front yard of my N Admiral home, a couple blocks north of Met Market on 41st. I had listed a used 9-year-old MacBook Pro laptop on OfferUp and Craigslist earlier this morning, and a person who is registered on OfferUp under the name Abukar responded via the OU app that he urgently needed a replacement for his broken laptop for school, and asked if it was available immediately, saying he was a few minutes away in downtown Seattle. I considered setting up a meet at Starbucks or Safeway but decided to give my address and meet him outside … big mistake, although what happened later could have occurred anywhere.
He drove up in a late-model black Honda Accord Sport with red dealer ad card (Toyota of Renton) in the license plate area instead of a license plate; also a black license frame showed the same dealer. The man came up to my yard and I showed him the laptop, took it out and booted it up, put it back in box and said he (5’10” or so, thin, late 20s, wearing black mask, white sweat band, long black hooded winter coat, black sweats, white high-top basketball shoes) wanted to use his CashApp to pay. I replied “sorry, cash only” and told him there are 3-4 ATMs a few blocks away. He then said he wanted to show it to his girlfriend in the car, and when I said no, asked for the box so he could photograph the label underneath the box containing model and serial #. Next thing I knew I was looking at his 8” knife a few inches from my stomach with blade extended as he backed away with laptop in hand. I got 3-4 pictures as he was leaving, filed a nonemergency report with SPD and am waiting for officer to drop by because there was a threat of physical violence and I have a good description of the “suspect,” for whatever good that will do.
Lesson learned about giving anyone my address in the future, although as said above, if we’d met outside Starbucks or in a nearby parking lot, I’m not sure the outcome would have been much different.
We’ve reported other OfferUp-related holdups – like this one from last fall, and the two West Seattle robberies that are among three noted in this SPD post from 2021. Today’s incident # is 23-026746.
Baseball season gets ever closer! Another local youth league is still welcoming players to sign up for spring – here’s the announcement sent by West Seattle Baseball:
Calling all baseball players! West Seattle Baseball registration is open until February 15th, and some divisions are nearly at capacity. Sign up at westseattlebaseball.com.
West Seattle Baseball offers six different divisions for players ages 4 through 18. Our tee-ball and coach-pitch divisions target younger participants, while Bronco (12U) baseball has been developed to help players begin adjusting to the larger diamonds and different rules of high-school baseball.
Prices start as low as $130 for the season. Registration costs include a ballcap and team jersey for each player, in addition to a full season of baseball with events three times per week from mid-March through early June.
West Seattle Baseball is a 100% volunteer-run, nonprofit youth baseball league. Our goal is to provide comprehensive baseball programming that appeals to kids of all levels of enthusiasm and ability. The league prides itself on being a fun and enjoyable program that our players, their families, and their coaches want to participate in again each succeeding season. If you have questions about the divisions or anything else West Seattle Baseball, please email the league at info@westseattlebaseball.com.
We hope to see you at the West Seattle PeeWee Fields soon. For the love of the game.
If you’re new to the area, here’s where the fields are.
| Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Conversation and celebration Friday as next step in rebuilding Highland Park Improvement Club