West Seattle, Washington
14 Saturday
11:02 PM: Crews are rushing to a house-fire report in the 8500 block of 14th SW. We are on the way.
11:21 PM UPDATE: Not a major incident – no smoke or flames visible, no report of injuries. Firefighters arr starting to pack up. Our crew is waiting to talk with the incident commander.
11:50 PM UPDATE: SFD tells us that the house was “illegally occupied” – the fire is believed to have started in a hibachi and spread to the porch. They had to cut into the structure for some ventilation. They also confirm, nobody hurt. An investigator is on scene to make the official determination of the fire’s cause.
11:59 PM UPDATE: Via the scanner, SFD just updated the address for the fire scene – not the same address originally on the 911 log. The address has a 10-year history of repeated citations for alleged city-code violations such as junk storage.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says this was an accidental fire: “Transients had been occupying the vacant home. One individual removed burning ashes from a second floor fireplace and placed them in a cardboard box on the front porch which lit the porch and the void space below. The fire then traveled up into the wall. The estimated dollar loss is $5,000.”
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
A two-hour open house at Fire Station 11 (16th/Holden in Highland Park) had two purposes today: Welcome the neighbors, and share information about upcoming upgrades. The neighbors most delighted to be there, as usual, were the youngest ones, who got an up-close look at Engine 11.
(Battalion Chief Mike Walsh with an open-house visitor)
Here’s how the city describes the upgrades:
Station 11 requires additional seismic bracing to meet current codes. The other improvements include a modest remodel to provide capacity for apparatus bay support functions, including decontamination, crew preparation, and vehicle maintenance areas. In addition, the station office and lobby will be remodeled for greater operational efficiency and security.
It’s in the “schematic design” phase right now, and according to the newest SFD update on projects funded by the Fire Levy, construction should start about this time next year. Upgrades also are in the works for West Seattle’s Fire Station 36, where Delridge meets the bridge, and that work will likely start next summer.
They’re impressive from the ground – but from the air, West Seattle’s fall colors are breathtaking. Thanks to local pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen for sharing the photo taken while he flew over Highland Park Way. You can see a larger version on his website.
(October 10th photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Just in from King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cindi West:
30-year-old Emanuel Kozma was arrested tonight around 6:30 pm in the Denny’s parking lot at S170sth and Pacific Hwy in SeaTac. He was the subject that King County Sheriff detectives chased on the 10th in the White Center area.
Detectives said he will be booked for investigation of Eluding, Assault 1, and Unlawful Possession of Firearm. The case will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review. He was caught due to persistent work from detectives!
Here’s our coverage from last Wednesday. Kozma had just gotten out of jail three hours before the chase/search, after a White Center drug arrest. Deputies started pursuing him in WC, and then he ran after the car he was driving flipped at 17th and Trenton.
Highland Park Elementary students gathered for a group photo after a memorable International Walk To School Day stroll. Not only were they basking in October sunshine, they also were celebrating new safety improvements in the area (crosswalk, speed bumps, stop signs) – with a VIP guest on hand:
Actually, those are both VIPs. Photographed with Mayor McGinn, that’s Rachael Wright, a parent volunteer who has worked hard to get safety issues addressed, including securing grants to fund them (as mentioned in previous WSB coverage including this big safety celebration last spring). This morning, she was part of the crowd crossing at the 11th/Holden crosswalk that’s become a reality
Carrying the banner – CityYear corps members who work at HP Elementary:
They huddled with the mayor too:
And, as the walk proceeded, Highland Park Elementary principal Ben Ostrom chatted with the mayor:
Highland Park community leaders were on hand too – we saw HP Action Committee co-chair Carolyn Stauffer, and members of nearby Highland Park Improvement Club.
ADDED: Wouldn’t be an appearance without a speech – we recorded that too:
Find out more about Safe Routes to School here.
(Photo courtesy Rachael Wright)
Tomorrow is International Walk To School Day, and while many schools are planning special events here and elsewhere, Highland Park Elementary has the biggest West Seattle celebration, since – as first noted here last Wednesday – Mayor McGinn is coming to help dedicate “Safe Routes to School” grant-funded safety improvements along the route to HPE. Parent volunteer Rachael Wright has been working on this for a long time and in addition to the 11th/Holden crossing and speed bumps on 10th, she e-mailed us this morning to point out an “unexpected (but much appreciated) result of the improvements”: New stop signs on 9th SW at SW Henderson (map). Rachael quotes longtime Highland Park resident and parent Monica Benshoof:
“The recent placement of the stop signs located at the intersection of 9th & Henderson, has made it tremendously easier for me & my children to cross the street- to enter the park & trails on the other side. I have resided in Highland Park for 41 years, and up until now, it has always been difficult to cross there, being as it is a very busy arterial road. Even now that I am a driver, it is also less difficult to utilize this intersection, because other vehicles don’t have a choice of stopping to rotate traffic flow. It’s awesome!!!”
In our correspondence, Rachael added:
I love that Monica mentions access to Westcrest park and trails. Because of the nature of Highland Park, located in the most SW quadrant of West Seattle, and crisscrossed by arterial roads, it can be very difficult for local children and adults to safely access our amazing parks. As kids walk to school, they also walk to parks, and we have been very fortunate that the Safe Routes project, by creating safer routes to school, also created safer routes to our local parks: Riverview Park, Highland Park Playground and Playfield, and Westcrest Park.
You’re invited to join in tomorrow morning’s ribbon-cutting, followed by a walk to HPE with the mayor – be at 11th and Holden (map) at 8 am.
With community advocates tracing the source of “The Hum” to a ship-unloading operation at CalPortland on the Duwamish River edge of West Seattle – as first reported here yesterday – the question became: So now what? We have an update from Carolyn and Billy Stauffer, co-chairs of Highland Park Action Committee, who had helped sleuth “The Hum” and led the discussion at last night’s HPAC meeting. They went back to CalPortland today/tonight and have just shared this update with WSB:
Here are the steps CalPortland is taking:
*They can’t just shut it down right now after learning about the problem, as the ship is on an international schedule and they’ve committed to having it unloaded by a certain date.
*They shut the vacuum pumps off for 6 hours today to change the direction of the discharge hoping that might help in the interim.
*They are adding soundproofing to the unit as we speak
*They have hired an outside noise consultant to help them find a solution
*Tomorrow afternoon the current shipment should be done, and they plan on dissambling the vacuums so they can inspect the mufflers and
*Noise abatement equipment within the unit
*Most importantly though- they are committed to finding a solution
We still have an inquiry out with the city to see where their investigation stands with the new discovery, but didn’t hear back before day’s end.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We have found The Hum.”
So began Highland Park Action Committee co-chair Carolyn Stauffer, opening tonight’s HPAC meeting – and drawing cheers.
(If you don’t know why she said that – read this story first.)
There also was applause for Jonathan Hall from Lafarge, as Carolyn reiterated that the previous evening’s “reconnaissance mission” clarified that the plant was not the source of the persistent noise. Kay Kirkpatrick, who had first sleuthed “The Hum” in early September and was part of last night’s “mission,” stood up and reiterated her appreciation for Lafarge’s interest in community cooperation.
After reconfirming this morning that the sound traces to a ship-offloading operation at the CalPortland dock on the Duwamish River, Carolyn said, she went there, young children in tow, in hopes of talking to them about what had been discovered.
“A really intensive shop-vac” is how she described the equipment that seems to be the noise, and “they do it 24/7 until the ship is emptied out.” She recapped reporting The Hum to the city weeks ago and getting unrealistic responses, then forgetting about it until WSB reports and comments earlier this month revealed how many people were being affected.
“We have sourced it – so the question is what do we do from here?” Carolyn said. She’s in contact with the city, and pointed out that Julie Schickling – who recorded it earlier this month (here’s the WSB story with her original audio clip) – got it at 62 decibels, from her home, at 4:30 this morning. 50 decibels, Carolyn said, is the limit for the industrial zone. However, she said, they’re having trouble getting the city to come record it since they only work morning to mid-afternoon.
Carolyn also sent a copy of the crowd-sourced Google Map created by a WSB reader to the CalPortland manager with whom she spoke. Co-chair Billy Stauffer then said they received a statement just before the meeting, saying CalPortland thanks the community for pointing out the problem, and “they will do everything they can to work with us.” Carolyn added, “The ball is rolling and it’s just a matter of time.” Here’s the statement, from CP’s Steve Penswick:
We learned for the first time today that our operation is a suspected source of the West Seattle Hum. We have begun investigating the situation to confirm these suspicions. We will cooperate with the community and local agencies to take appropriate steps to address the community’s concerns.
“So much for the fish,” somebody cracks from the audience, drawing laughter, as Carolyn removes the microphone that the KING 5 TV crew had asked her to wear.
Meantime, The Hum continued, audible right outside the building – Billy said they had relatives visiting and while the subject hadn’t come up, they stopped and said – “What is that NOISE?”
Several attendees told their stories too of being troubled by the sound, but expressed hope that tracing the source was a great first start.
Two other big topics at the meeting – coverage ahead, starting with Nickelsville, which HPAC has been talking about for months:
Just last night – as reported in our recap – the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network heard that mail theft seemed to be on the rise. Kathleen reports it happened in Highland Park just this morning, to a neighbor of hers around 12th and Kenyon:
Some jerk is going around RIGHT NOW stealing mail from flags-up outgoing mailboxes! My elderly neighbor just got hers taken.
We asked about a description, and received one this afternoon:
I finally got a possible description of the suspect: small-size pickup truck, light in color-maybe gray or cream, nicely dressed white male, slacks, shirt.
Here’s what the U.S. Postal Service says about preventing, and reporting, mail theft.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A late-night round of sleuthing may help settle the question of what’s behind “The Hum,” which returned Monday night after two-plus weeks – at least, the latest version of it.
If you’ve heard it – listen to see if this is what you are hearing, and note the ship stack visible as we zoom in toward the end:
We shot that video (most useful for audio purposes) from West Marginal Way SW last night, not far south of Highland Park Way, after a late-night round of sleuthing involving Highland Park community advocates plus managers/staffers from a different company – NOT where the video/audio came from – who were trying to determine for once or for all if their operations were to blame.
A milestone today for the Highland Park Spraypark project – it has officially gone out to bid. At one point, Seattle Parks had hoped it might be built and open this summer, but when we followed up last month with project manager Kelly Goold, he said it wouldn’t be ready to open before next season after all. The spraypark will be built at the site of the old wading pool, closed almost four years. It started as a simple conversion plan but Highland Park’s Carolyn Stauffer led a successful push to get Parks and Green Spaces Levy money to enhance the project. The request for bids has just been published, and it gives would-be bidders till September 12th, when bids will be opened.
If Highland Park had a “Junction,” it would be 16th/Holden, with commercial buildings on two corners and Fire Station 11 on a third. The southeast corner of that intersection once held an espresso stand and is about to get a new one – Jenny’s Java Joint. We talked today with Highland Park resident Jennifer Francisco (you can call her Jen OR Jenny), who plans to open JJJ as soon as September 1st, in the spot where JoJo’s Fine Espresso closed more than a year and a half ago, next to the Seamart convenience store. Details ahead!
The giant Highland Park Improvement Club multi-seller rummage/parking lot/yard sale is on now, with everything from classic garden advice (above) to Dan Mullins‘ traditional annual rubber-duckie giveaway (one per kid, while they last):
… to a $3 lunch, hot dog and drink …
… and you gotta get your Highland Park T-shirt!
HPIC is at 12th/Holden, and whether you need a $5 boom box or a pair of shoes or Halloween decor, you just might find it on somebody’s table there, till 3 pm today.
Sue Bird bobblehead, anyone? Or how about a sturdy steel rainbarrel? Just two of the eclectic items already ready and waiting for a megasale this weekend, at the hub – really, the heart – of Highland Park.
Come one, come all to the annual Highland Park Improvement Club Giant Group Sale. More than 20 participants with a huge variety of stuff, from cool collectibles, to folk/yard art, furnishings, clothing, jewelry, you name it we have it. A one-stop shopping experience!
Proceeds help the Club, the sellers, and the neighborhood – so drop by and say hi.
Sale hours: 9 am to 3 pm, one day only, Saturday Aug. 11th
Address: 1116 SW Holden, corner of SW Holden and 12th Ave SWQuestions? e-mail Kay Kirkpatrick at hpic1919@gmail.com
P.S. If you’re having a yard sale this weekend (or any time) – you can feature it in the WSB Forums for free; make sure you post in the Freebies/Deals/Sales section (and be sure to mention the date in the subject line).
(Courtesy SiteWorkshop – click for full-size PDF version)
Good news and not-so-good news for everyone looking forward to the Highland Park Spraypark, to be built on the current site of the Highland Park wading pool, which is in its fourth season of closure: The good news, according to Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold, is that the King County Health permit for construction/operation was finalized just yesterday – and that means construction is a go. But now, they have to get the $635,000-budgeted project out to bid. Goold says that process is likely to start next Wednesday, with a three-week window for bidding, meaning a contractor won’t be chosen before mid-August, and construction would start in the fall. He says that’s perhaps just as well, since use of the play area would be dramatically curtailed by construction operations right at the heart of summer season, so bottom line, looks like the spraypark won’t open till next year. (The rendering above shows the final design as presented to the community at a Highland Park Action Committee meeting this past March [WSB coverage here].)
A crash has drawn a crowd and blocked a major street in Highland Park. The car hit a pole, according to a witness, and came to a stop at Highland Park Way and SW Holden, and the emergency response is blocking Holden at the spot for now. One person was being taken to the hospital. The witness told us that the driver appeared impaired and tried to get out of the car and walk away after the impact, but bystanders kept her from doing that.
Also of note: The first Seattle Fire crew sent to the scene was Ladder 13, which, as reported here last Thursday, is scheduled to be taken out of service tomorrow morning. The crash scene is just a few blocks east of Station 11, where it had been based for almost a year and a half. Meantime, we’ll check with SPD later this morning regarding any investigation findings from the crash.
ADDED MONDAY NIGHT: SPD did confirm the driver was “processed for DUI.” However, we haven’t been able to find out anything else about her, either her condition or age, as she was not taken to a hospital by Seattle Fire’s medic crew, so it’s not on their records, according to spokesperson Kyle Moore. Meantime, Kay from Highland Park Improvement Club mentioned in comments that they’d lost a street tree when the driver veered off the road by their building, a couple blocks west of the crash scene on Holden. We went over to take a look today:
The utility pole that was hit didn’t look much the worse for wear, except for a field of small debris around it, and what appeared to be automotive fluid on the sidewalk:
(WSB photo of Ladder 13 and crew at scene of recent South Park fire)
The extra fire truck added to West Seattle in February of last year will be gone after this Sunday. So say multiple sources who called and e-mailed to tell us that Ladder 13, based at Highland Park’s Station 11, will be taken out of service as of Monday morning, leaving Engine 11 alone at the station.
Ladder 13’s primary purpose, as explained when it first arrived, was to make sure West Seattle would be adequately covered despite the fact Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project work complicated WS Bridge access for the emergency units that come from the other side of the bay when there’s a major incident. Now, the new 1st Avenue South onramp is available for emergency vehicles – per a newly installed sign on the westbound SSV. (However, last year it was also explained that Ladder 13 would help cover South Park, which won’t have fast access from crews east of the Duwamish till the new SP Bridge opens more than a year from now.)
The eventual end of Ladder 13 – commissioned just for this task, not a pre-existing truck number moved from elsewhere – was mentioned here back in February, when it was a topic of conversation during our stop at Station 11 on Neighbor Appreciation Day. The fire station is supposed to get a seismic/safety upgrade soon – as explained here – and we were told in February that would happen after Ladder 13’s departure. The timetable is one of the things we’re asking SFD about for a followup, but in the meantime, if you see Ladder 13’s crew out and about in the next few days, you might consider taking the opportunity to say thanks for their West Seattle/South Park service.
ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: We had asked SFD some followup questions. Spokesperson Kyle Moore notes that West Seattle’s “permanent ladder truck,” Ladder 11, will continue to be based at Station 32 in The Triangle, staffed by a four-person crew. Regarding South Park, he says:
South Park is served by Fire Station 26 located at 800 South Cloverdale Street. The station is staffed 24 hours a day with four firefighters and a fire engine.
The loss off Ladder 13 will have a nominal impact on the response times to the South Park area. The Seattle Fire Department looked at response times with the bridge closure in order to ensure the residents of South Park received the same level of medical and fire care. Our analysis shows that response times were not significantly affected by the bridge closure.
He also notes that the Station 11 work isn’t likely to start before early 2014.
This day got off to such a running start, we never published the daily preview. Here are two happenings of note:
(Photo courtesy ArtsWest)
XANADU OPENING NIGHT: ArtsWest‘s youth-apprenticeship program is ready to roll with tonight’s debut of “Xanadu,” 7:30 pm, first of more than a dozen performances between now and mid-July. Yes, it is indeed based on the roller-disco movie that starred Olivia Newton-John! Come cheer on an energetic cast of on-the-rise young performers. (Online ticket purchasing here – for tonight, just go to the box office.)
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: HPAC sent out this preview for its monthly meeting, which it dubbed “Sustainable Highland Park“:
Please join us (tonight) to hear about green home incentives, and how to get rebates for all kinds of fun stuff for your Highland Park property like rain gardens (using the water that falls on your own roof or driveway), cisterns, energy assessments, and energy upgrades. We’ll have a series of speakers from King County, Sustainable Seattle, Seattle Public Utilities and Community Power Works.
Meeting at 7 pm at the Highland Park Improvement Club on 12th and Holden, but come early to meet your awesome neighbors at the 6:30 potluck.
And a few other events are on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar, which you can check any time.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch prowling incidents reported today – one house, one car – read on:Read More
From a report just published on SPD Blotter:
Last night at around 8:30 pm, Southwest Precinct officers responded to a “shots fired” call in the 8100 block of 9th Avenue Southwest [map]. The call stated that a neighbor heard 3 gun shots and then a car speeding away. Officers arrived and contacted a resident. He told officers that he was alone in the house sleeping when he heard a noise at the front door, followed by a loud crash at the back door of the house. The victim walked out of the front door to investigate, and he saw three Asian males, and a black male, all in their teens, running from behind his house. The victim told officers that he yelled at them. One of the males turned around and pointed his arm at the victim. The victim stated that he could not actually see a gun, but saw 2-3 flashes and heard gun shots. According to the victim, the group of teens then ran southbound on 9th Ave SW and then west on SW Thistle Street.
The victim returned to his house and found that the back door had been kicked in. Officers conducted an area search but did not locate the suspects. Officers did, however, locate two shell casings in the area where the victim stated the suspects fired the gun.
Police say they don’t have any additional descriptive information; nobody was hurt.
2:45 PM, FIRST REPORT: We’re en route to a crash scene in Highland Park – a vehicle rollover reported at 15th/Holden, just east of the central HP commercial zone at 16th/Holden. No injuries reported so far. More to come.
2:56 PM UPDATE: As you can see from the photo we added, it’s actually on its side, on the sidewalk, along the eastbound side of SW Holden, closer to 14th SW. The driver was not seriously hurt, we are told. It’s a bit of a traffic distraction, eastbound, but a tow truck should be there soon.
7:18 PM: At Highland Park Way and Othello, a few trees came down – apparently concurrent with the downpour about an hour ago – and right now, one downhill lane is closed.
7:33 PM UPDATE: Cleanup crew is on scene. Photos added.
If you live near the Highland Park home where longtime community advocate Martha Mallett and son Brian escaped from a fire in early May, you’ve probably already seen this – but in case you were among those who came to the post-fire neighborhood benefit from other parts of West Seattle, a neighbor sent us this photo to share, to be sure everyone who helped knows they’re appreciated. (We haven’t heard how the fire survivors are doing now, but we’re checking.)
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