West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
Three reader reports we’ll classify as door-to-door alerts, although two weren’t solicitations so much as requests for help – both very similar, a man and child approaching people outside their homes in the Fairmount Springs area. Read on for all three reports:Read More
Tomorrow, you have 70 options for dining or shopping to be part of the multiple-sclerosis-fighting fundraiser put together by West Seattleite William Khazaal. As first reported here earlier this month, William was inspired by West Seattle for Japan, the multi-business fundraiser organized by West 5‘s Dave Montoure to help quake/tsunami victims. William is an MS patient himself, as well as a dad and a graduate student; he explained in our original story that multiple sclerosis remains an incurable mystery that hits harder in the Northwest than other regions, so we all have a stake in raising money to help researchers figure it out. The full list of participants is in the “info” area of the World MS Day Seattle page on Facebook, and it’s truly citywide, with about half the participants in West Seattle and half elsewhere (mostly restaurants, but a few retailers too – even a car dealer!); we’ll also list the West Seattle participants here tomorrow, with links.
1:25 AM WEDNESDAY: There’s now a map of participants citywide, which means a list on its left sidebar – find it here.
Memorial arrangements are pending for West Seattle resident Sally Eustis, killed when a driver hit her as she rode a bicycle near Walla Walla last weekend. The report comes from our partners at the Seattle Times. She was an executive with the furniture company her husband, Howard Eustis, founded more than 30 years ago, Heartwood. The company website pays tribute to Ms. Eustis on its home page as “lovely and gracious” and says memorial details will be posted there. According to an Eastern Washington report, the driver who hit and killed Ms. Eustis was trying to pass her and the relative with whom she was riding.
Why leave town for Memorial Day weekend, when you can help two new businesses celebrate their grand openings on Saturday?
THE SNEAKERY: This new shoe store in The Junction is already open, as reported here two weeks ago, but this Saturday is the grand-opening celebration, according to a note from Sneakery owner Drea. She says they’ll be raffling off 50 pairs of shoes and offering 30 percent off socks during the festivities, 11 am-7 pm Saturday at 4736 California SW, followed by live music – an acoustic set by Troy and Mackenzie of the Young Evils at 7 pm.
CAIRDEAS WINERY TASTING ROOM: Also on Saturday, noon-5 pm, a new wine-tasting business opens in West Seattle: The tasting room for Cairdeas Winery will open in ActivSpace on Harbor Avenue SW. They’re waiving their tasting fee for the grand-opening weekend. Read all about it here.
If you’re waiting for someone to get home from downtown via bus – or waiting to get on a bus – there’s trouble downtown, according to multiple reports. Sharonn explained via e-mail, “The 21 bus broke down at 2nd and Columbia westbound stop. One bus at a time can load.” Another report via text says things *just* started moving again, so maybe the logjam is ending. Thanks for the update – traffic/bus info welcome any time (here’s how to reach us).
4:17 PM: The business boom in medical-marijuana may be about to go bust. In Olympia today, the legislator who had been trying to get a state law passed to regulate medical-marijuana dispensaries announced the effort is officially dead, and King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg is quoted as saying that means the “gray area” that allowed dispensaries to proliferate is “gone.” Here are the details from our partners at the Seattle Times. The dispensary boom has brought at least two into West Seattle so far, with a third and possibly fourth on the way, in addition to a dispensary and a “lounge” that recently opened in White Center. Will a crackdown/shutdown campaign ensue? No word yet.
ADDED 5:09 PM: We asked for comment from City Attorney Pete Holmes, with whom we had a wide-ranging discussion about this issue 2 months ago. Here’s his statement:
“The Governor’s ill-advised veto not only further confuses the legal landscape for medical cannabis, it forces local governments to go it alone. We do not have the luxury of ignoring law enforcement’s need for guidance in regard to proliferating dispensaries and grow operations. I am committed to working with our County Prosecutor, the SPD, the Mayor and City Council to find a way for authorized medical cannabis users to obtain their medicine without sacrificing public safety. State and federal authorities have only further complicated this difficult goal, but Seattle will find a way to make a bad situation tolerable.
Holmes also “commended Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles for her doggedness and diligence” on the issue, according to his office.
Ever think it’s time West Seattle becomes its own city again (which we were, a century-plus ago) – considering all it takes is a few well-placed bridge-entrance-blocking stalled cars for us to be cut off anyway? West Seattleite Paul Leonardo says not only is it time for us to secede, it’s time for him to be Mayor of West Seattle. He recently launched a “campaign” via a Facebook group – see it here – and it caught citywide-media attention today (here’s what Linda “The News Chick” Thomas wrote about Paul’s campaign). Paul is a community-minded guy already – at left, that’s him accepting a West Seattle Volunteer Recognition Award a year and a half ago for his youth-sports leadership. Via his FB group, Paul says you can hear him discuss his campaign tonight on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM, after 7:30 pm.
A car prowl in Highland Park stole more than just belongings – it stole precious memories that were all Mary‘s daughter and grandchildren had left of their husband/father, killed in the Middle East. Mary says it took her a while to realize that a public plea just might somehow help bring back that one item full of memories – one particular hard drive:
Last month my daughter’s Suburban was broken into when she and the
babies spent the night at my house. When I opened the curtains in the morning I saw that the back hatch was open. She ran outside, looked in and instantly started crying – someone had stolen EVERYTHING from in it. Two car seats and all the stuff that goes with them, a large emergency kit she had just put together, the dog’s leases and toys, yard tools that she borrowed from me, the brand new Easter presents for the kids, a bunch of toys and of course all the electronics. They even took the kids’ cups that were in the back seat, some miscellaneous clothes that were tossed in and all the kids’ snacks that were in the glove box. Unbelievable.The absolute worst part – they took two external hard drives. She had them in the console and was taking them somewhere to have one copied onto the other. The one she was copying belonged to her husband who died in Afghanistan last year. On it were the last photos and movies he took of his life with his military friends, what he was doing and feeling on his 9-month tour and the last photos of his life. The people who have this hard drive have no idea what they have done to my daughter – they took his life from her. Again.
I don’t think this was just some random kids prowling the streets and checking for unlocked car doors, these people must have had a large vehicle to take all this stuff away and while they tried to jimmy the ignition, they just succeeding in scratching up the steering column. We called the police and of course there is nothing they can do, this happens almost every night they say. Unfortunately the magnitude of this does not even register with them, it’s just another car prowl.
I know asking for the hard drives back is a stretch to say the least but I have to try. And of course if they get returned there will be no questions asked. Thank you.
You probably remember Mary’s son-in-law: Navy Petty Officer Jarod Newlove, the West Seattleite killed in Afghanistan ten months ago.
Last Saturday, we reported the first construction permit granted for the long-awaited West Seattle Trader Joe’s at 4545 Fauntleroy Way SW, meaning construction is imminent. And here’s another sign – as of this afternoon, the fence is up. We have a message out to corporate PR to ask if they have any update from the six-month construction schedule listed in the plans we reviewed downtown earlier this year. (ADDED 4:37 PM: A TJ’s spokesperson tells WSB they won’t get any more specific than “4th quarter” for an expected opening date.)
SIDE NOTE: Seems West Seattle Trader Joe’s fans have kindred spirits across the water in Kitsap County. They’re finally getting one, in Silverdale, – and this Kitsap Sun story about its impending opening next month includes the same sort of saga we’ve gone through here over years of rumors/etc.
Just announced by Jeff Gilbert of Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) – West Seattle’s very own beer, Löwman Bräu, is ready for its closeup:
Löwman Bräu was conceived and named in 2010 by the owners of The Feedback Lounge in West Seattle’s Morgan Junction. Over the course of last year, we modified our concept, contacted master brewer Alejandro Brown over at the way cool Big Al Brewing in White Center, and invited some of our fellow bar/restaurant owners together to present a local beer that’s not only West Seattle-centric in its name (you’ve heard of our locally famous Lowman Beach, yes?), but is designed to support our totally kick-ass neighborhood and community.
We each do this by pledging a percentage of every pint sold during Löwman Bräu’s limited summer run to West Seattle-only charities. So yeah, another excellent reason to drink this awesome beer!
The Feedback Lounge, along with our friends at West 5, Shadowland, Mission, Easy Street Records, The Bridge, Locöl, and of course, Big Al Brewing, is introducing Löwman Bräu to the entire West Seattle community, all on the same night in each of our establishments.
Wednesday, June 15, 7 pm, all the participating venues will hold a 21 & older premiere party for Löwman Bräu, so whichever place is your hangout, we got you covered.
Löwman Bräu will be sold as “pint pours from kegs,” only in West Seattle/White Center/Georgetown, and each participating venue will determine a percentage of the proceeds to go to charity. There will be West Seattle-exclusive seasonal beers too – find out about them, and the full scoop on Löwman Bräu, from this page on The Feedback’s website.
(SIDE NOTE: If you haven’t heard, this is Washington Beer Week; find all the latest updates at West Seattle-headquartered Washington Beer Blog.)
Tom shared that photo with a coyote-sighting report from a little more than an hour ago – one of two we’ve received this morning, which we’re publishing along with two more from recent days. First, Tom’s note accompanying the photo:
8:40 AM this morning … A young coyote was on our deck on 21st Ave SW near Holly St. He was not afraid, we walked right up to the window with the camera. He wanted to play, tried several times to pick up this blue toy.
A short time earlier, from the Admiral District, Caylyn had a double sighting:
I live on 44th between Hinds and Hanford and just ran outside because I thought I
saw two dogs running down the middle of the street. I brought out my dog treats to see if I could call to them. To my surprise they were very big coyotes. Yellowish brown in color and looked like small German Shepherds. Please, people with children, gardening and walking dogs, be careful in this area.
The other 2 sightings, ahead:Read More
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
CRIME-PREVENTION FIELD TRIP: Tonight’s meeting of the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network will start at the Southwest Precinct as usual (6:30 pm), but then moves on to a carpool (or self-driven) field trip to a private residence where Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design will be shown in action, following up on a presentation by Community Police Team Officer Jon Kiehn at a WSBCN meeting earlier this year. All welcome, not just Block Watch captains.
TRAFFIC ALERT – PARTIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE OVERNIGHT: One more time tonight, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled for an overnight shutdown, 10 pm-5 am, which again means that the bridge ramps from I-5 and from Columbian Way (Beacon Hill) will be closed too. Here’s the official SDOT advisory.
HIGH-SCHOOL ART SHOW: Today through Saturday, the ArtsWest Gallery presents the work of top student artists from West Seattle High School, Seattle Lutheran High School, and Chief Sealth International High School. A reception and awards presentation is planned 6 pm Thursday night, but starting today, you can visit the gallery and see their work.
Top Seattle Public Schools leaders including interim superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield and school board president Steve Sundquist led a forum last night at Neighborhood Center in High Point. It was not an official district event, but was co-sponsored by private organizations Neighborhood House and the Alliance for Education. Though an invitation was extended to anyone in West Seattle with public-school questions and concerns, the bulk of the discussion involved issues unique to High Point, including transportation to Denny International Middle School, whose principal Jeff Clark was also among those on hand. Though Denny students in HP are technically inside the walk zone, it was noted that they will be provided with transit passes. We recorded the nearly-two-hour meeting, which included translation for Somali community members, in its entirety from the point where Dr. Enfield began speaking (first hour atop the story, second hour below):
Our video was recorded by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who estimates the attendance at about 50. The translator was Aynna Aden.
Metro sent word on Monday that brand-new hybrid buses had just hit the street, and when the official announcement just mentioned “South King County,” we asked if perhaps that included West Seattle and/or White Center. Turns out – it did! If you rode Route 128 somewhere between Admiral and Southcenter on Monday, you were among the first to ride Metro’s new Orion 40-foot hybrid-electric buses, each costing about half a million dollars but partially paid for by federal “stimulus” funds. Read all about ’em here.
(Photos by Katie Meyer for WSB)
Four city councilmembers were in West Seattle tonight – Councilmember Tom Rasmussen for the first of three Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee forums around the city (more on that later), and Councilmembers Tim Burgess, Mike O’Brien (above), and Jean Godden for a discussion of the city’s public-safety budget. (Burgess chairs the Public Safety committee.) The latter meeting was never widely announced; we stumbled onto a brief mention on a city calendar, then a note to a neighborhood mailing list, and when we asked why no news release had been sent to announce the meeting and get it on media events calendars, we were told they were using a small-group format that could only accommodate about 75 people, and they didn’t want to have to turn people away.
They shouldn’t have worried.
We asked WSB contributor Katie Meyer to check out that meeting, and she estimates the citizen turnout at Delridge Community Center (aside from councilmembers and staffers) at fewer than 20. A quick meeting summary, ahead:Read More
(Photo shared by Michael, added Tuesday morning)
Couple messages came in earlier tonight about police activity at Delridge and Holden. Here’s what it was about, according to Lt. Ron Smith of the (not far from the scene) Southwest Precinct: About quarter till six, a call of “burglary in progress” in the 2400 block of SW Holden brought police to the scene. 
A witness said he had seen two “male juveniles” go into a home, steal items, and walk/run away.
Description/”direction of travel” information that the witness gave, quickly distributed among police, was good enough that officers found the suspects several blocks away; they fled into a residence and then, Lt. Smith continues, “The 2 suspects fled out a window at the rear of the house and were apprehended on a steep uphill embankment where they tried to conceal the stolen goods in the blackberry brush. Officers processed the scene and the recovered property was placed into evidence. Both suspects were positively identified and placed into the Youth Services Center for burglary. One suspect was also booked for a warrant. Thank you, West Seattleites, for taking good care of your neighborhoods!”
(P.S. Interested in burglary prevention? This meeting/field trip tomorrow night is for you.)
ADDED 10:23 PM: Since publishing this, we’ve received a note from the witness, Phillip, telling his story:
I actually heard them busting through my neighbor’s house and then saw them leaping over the fence, so I jumped up and ran out my door chasing after them down the street – I called out to my neighbor to call 911, and kept chasing them all the way down Holden (barefoot, mind you.. I didn’t even realize I forgot my shoes) where I saw them go running into a house. I managed to cut up my foot a bit chasing after them, but didn’t even realize until I got in my house and saw I was tracking blood around. I just did what any good neighbor would – looking out for them. :)
The credit really should go to the WSPD for their incredibly fast response.. it was only about 2 minutes from when I lost sight of them to when the first cruiser rolled up, and they’d apprehended them moments afterward.
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: SPD Blotter featured this case early today. Only added detail is that the suspects are 16 and 17. Also, Michael shared a photo he took during the big police response, and we’ve added it atop the story.
You can hear them from Don Armeni, Jack Block, and Seacrest, and vicinity – but unless you’re out on the water, or have binoculars, no closeup look. Patrick McCaffrey provides us with a view of the sea lions that hang out off Harbor Avenue – from a distance and close up.
Thanks to Patrick and the other fine photographers who share photos here – if you have a photo to share, here are the various ways to share it!
(Sanislo Elementary salmon-releasing visit** to Fauntleroy Creek last week; photo by Lisa Keith)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
This week, Fauntleroy residents Judy Pickens and Phil Sweetland will finish a busy schedule of assisting hundreds of local schoolchildren with salmon releases into Fauntleroy Creek, which runs steps away from their home.
But there’s no time to rest, if they are going to be back at creekside, doing it again next year.
One day before their schedule of salmon releases ends, the gavel is scheduled to fall on the special session of the State Legislature. And with that gavel, it will be official: No state money for the program that has facilitated the releases over the years, Salmon in the Classroom.
In our coverage of the recent joint Chief Sealth International High School-Denny International Middle School PTSA briefing, we mentioned a big event announced that night by Denny principal Jeff Clark – a June 11th event to say goodbye to the half-century old school that is soon to be demolished. Today, we have more information about that event, and a couple other dates you can mark on the calendar: First, the June 11th event, for anyone interested to take “one last look” at the old Denny, will start with “walking the halls” at 10 am – then 10:30-noon, a program in the cafeteria. (This is on a Saturday, so classes will not be in session.) Dates also have been set for the new Denny’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, 1 pm Tuesday, September 6th, the day before the new school year starts, and an “all-community celebration” at 10 am Saturday, September 24th.
As for exactly when the old Denny building is to be demolished, making way for new sports facilities – a softball field and tennis courts – replacing the ones lost in the construction of the new school on the Sealth campus, we have that question out to the district, which expects to be able to share the information later this week. The demolition permit has not yet been granted, but it’s close, as the city website lists its status as “reviews completed.” The land-use permit for the project was granted in March.
As promised, we have before/after numbers on the West Seattle Water Taxi, through the prism of the Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct lane-reduction “squeeze” that began one week ago today.
For the week BEFORE the Squeeze, morning-commute ridership averaged 90 passengers daily, afternoon-commute ridership averaged 150 passengers daily.
For last week, the numbers jumped 50+ percent in the morning – averaging 140 passengers – and doubled in the pm, to 300.
From the office of King County Councilmember Joe McDermott (who also chairs the King County Ferry District Board), Michelle Allison says, “We look forward to this trend continuing. There is still plenty of room on the boat and the free shuttle that meets the taxi at Seacrest dock, bringing riders to several important transfer points, including 35th and Avalon. From here riders can catch the 54, 55, 21 and 22 buses.” (The schedule for the 775 to Admiral/Alki is here; the schedule for the 773 to The Junction, and part-time to Morgan Junction, is here.)
Thanks to Nancy for sharing that photo of demolition in progress this morning at 4149 Beach Drive (map). It’s a 95-year-old house, listed on county rolls as a duplex, being torn down for what the city lists as a new 3-story single-family house with “accessory dwelling unit.” The city site says it’s been exactly four years ago since an application was filed for a different project at the site (reported here); the same city page says that project was canceled.
SIDE NOTE: Wondering about trends? The city keeps online statistics for building permits by month. No breakdown by region or project, but in April (when this permit was issued), building, demolition and related permits totaled $305 million in value, compared to $107 million for April last year.
12:44 PM UPDATE: House gone. Katie E shares this new photo:
She adds, “Thanks for the tip on the demolition on Beach Drive. It made for a nice pre-lunch outing for my three year old son and I. … The house is now a pile of boards and rubble. Also, Henry (who’s 3 and fancies himself a construction vehicle expert), tells me it’s an excavator, not a backhoe. Not sure if he’s right, but that’s what he insists!” (Editor’s note: Consulting Google Image Search, we will take Henry’s correction. So much for the first alliterative headline; we’ll scrap “busy backhoe” for “duplex demolished.” Thanks!)
Before the news of the day sweeps too much further along, one last reminder about 4 one-time-only events tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
TRANSPORTATION FUTURE: Certainly a lot of concern about Seattle’s transportation “present” – so if you have something to say, join in a workshop about its future, 5:30-7:30 pm tonight, Southwest Library (35th/Henderson). City Council Transportation Committee chair Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will be there too. Here’s our previously published preview.
PUBLIC-SAFETY BUDGET: Long before the big clamorous budget hearings, councilmembers are trying a new format to find out citizens’ priorities and concerns. Here’s one: A community conversation about the city’s Public Safety budget with Public Safety Committee chair Tim Burgess among those on hand, Delridge Community Center gym (4501 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT IN WEST SEATTLE: West Seattleites with an interest in Seattle Public Schools issues are invited to a public forum at High Point Neighborhood Center (6400 Sylvan Way) tonight with interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield and other district officials, 6:30 pm.
BENEFIT:Not in West Seattle, but it’s on behalf of a West Seattleite: A benefit for Nicole Pieratt, who’s battling breast cancer, is tonight at Fred Wildlife Refuge (128 Belmont Ave E) on Capitol Hill, 6 – 11 pm. More details here.
If you’re heading toward West Seattle late tonight or early tomorrow, from work or play or wherever, this might affect you: 10 pm tonight-5 am tomorrow, it’s the second of three overnight construction closures for the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct – the section of the West Seattle Bridge that’s between I-5 and Highway 99. The first closure (last Thursday night) caught some by surprise despite advance alerts, especially those using I-5, since this means the West Seattle exits will be closed, as well as access from Beacon Hill’s Columbian Way. Here’s the original alert from SDOT.
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