West Seattle, Washington
10 Wednesday
(County overview of the proposed Murray project; go here for full-size PDF version)
A new public-comment period has just opened for one of two combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) control proposals in West Seattle – King County says its environmental review of the Murray Pump Station basin proposal for a million-gallon underground tank across from Lowman Beach concluded that an official environmental-impact statement is NOT needed, because the county believes this project will have “no significant environmental impacts.”
Shortly after receiving a news release with the announcement – which you can read in full here – we talked by phone with Annie Kolb-Nelson from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, which is managing the project. She says the county has not finished its review of the other West Seattle CSO-control proposal, the Barton Pump Station basin plan for raingardens and other “green stormwater infrastructure” in Sunrise Heights and Westwood.
State law is requiring CSO-control projects for both basins, to cut down on their untreated overflows into Puget Sound, which happen when heavy rain maxes out the system and the pump station can’t handle the flow from “combined sewers,” which mix stormwater and sewage.
The documents related to the decision announced today can be read here, or if you’d rather read printed-out copies, the county says those can be found at the West Seattle (Admiral) library branch at 2306 42nd SW.
Today’s announcement opens a new public-comment period that will continue until May 16th. The county is requesting comments be sent by postal mail to:
Wesley Sprague, Supervisor, Community Services and Environmental Planning
King County Wastewater Treatment Division
201 South Jackson Street, MS: KSC-NR-0505
Seattle, WA 98104-3855
Questions about the environmental review can go to Sue Meyer at 206-684-1171 or
sue.meyer@kingcounty.gov; other questions about the Murray CSO project can go to
Doug Marsano at 206-684-1235 or doug.marsano@kingcounty.gov.
(Flowers and a flag on the victim’s truck at the GT yard on Harbor Avenue last fall)
Just found out from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office that the woman who hit and killed 51-year-old GT Towing driver William “Tony” Padilla pleaded guilty this afternoon. Shavelle Lewis was charged with vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run for the crash on I-5 last September 24th (the police narrative of what happened is contained in our original report on the charges), and KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says that’s what she pleaded guilty to (in other words, no plea bargain). She will be sentenced on May 20th, and is facing what Donohoe describes as a range of “41 to 54 months in prison.”
If you’re still a little hinky about clearing out your medicine cabinet via National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day dropoff spots this Saturday, maybe this will help: Jodie Underwood from the Drug Enforcement Agency‘s Seattle office says their Admiral Way Viewpoint location will be a drive-through! Right there at the viewpoint on the northeast side of the top-of-Admiral-Way curve, you can drive through – 10 am-2 pm Saturday (April 30) – drop off the meds, drive away. You don’t even have to give them your prescription container (though if you do, you can block out the info with a marker ahead of time) – you can just empty it into their receptacle. Underwood stresses that this is a no-questions-asked event – they just want to get unneeded drugs away from places where they might be a danger or temptation to someone (there are also environmental hazards, since some think it’s OK to flush them or dump them down some other drain). Underwood also tells us the DEA’s Admiral Way site will have a mascot – good ol’ Mr. Yuk. That’s one of two drop-off locations in West Seattle on Saturday; Seattle Police will also have one, same hours, at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster).
The Aggressive Drivers Response Team‘s latest report just turned up on SPD Blotter, with top speeding tickets mentioned including 54 mph on 35th SW, 58 mph on Admiral Way, 66 mph on the West Seattle Bridge, among other spots. Full list here. (P.S. The speed-camera van also has been spotted on 35th SW today, according to a phone call we received. And no, police do NOT mind if we warn you.)
Local Brownies’ donation drive yesterday afternoon outside West Side Presbyterian Church – to “stuff the van” for two local charities – ran into a bit of a weather snag (remember the pounding downpour?). Rosina Geary shared the photo and a reminder that they’ll be back tomorrow:
Yesterday our 16 Girl Scouts (Troop #40890) held their STUFF THE VAN event. The girls stood outside for 40 minutes, in the rain. They took turns holding signs. They chanted “Stuff The Van!!” But after 40 minutes, we couldn’t take the rain anymore. So we took the girls inside and cut our event short by 30 minutes.
Hopefully the weather will be nicer to us on Friday. Come by and see us. Even if you don’t have a donation, HONK to support these 2nd Grade Girl Scouts.
WHAT TO DONATE:
Gently used, clean blankets, children’s PJs & children’s DVDs.WHEN:
4-5p, Friday, April 29thWHERE:
West Side Presbyterian Church (On California and Spokane). Look for the black EuroVan.All to benefit critically ill children at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the homeless through Wellspring Family Services.
Today we welcome a new sponsor, Underdog Sports Leagues, who would like to ask you three questions.
*Do you spend more time coming up with nicknames for your teammates than coming up with plays to run?
*Does your pre-game preparation consist of remembering where you left your glove and cleats?
*Do you remember half the lines from “Office Space” and “Caddyshack,” but often forget what your team record is?
If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions, and if you’re over 21, Underdog Sports would like to invite you to join them for any of the eight sports they offer in the Seattle area. Whether it’s kickball, dodgeball, volleyball, and/or their brand-new bocce-ball league, Underdog Sports wants you to know that they offer a place to meet people and have some fun. Here in West Seattle, Underdog offers beach-volleyball leagues starting in May at Alki. Choose from a Monday or Wednesday night league and get out in the sand for some fun. The season is six weeks long, with an additional two weeks of playoffs. The format is co-ed four’s with teams rosters up to eight people; games are one hour, and you get three matches in a night, two skill levels to choose from. Signups are online at this link – and you can use this special WSB online coupon for a discount.
In the fall, we bring it inside for some liquid sunshine at West Seattle Bowl, with 6-week bowling leagues filled with theme nights and prizes! Leagues start again in the fall when the leaves start to change.
We thank Underdog Sports Leagues for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*At an apartment in the 2600 block of 42nd SW, tenants must display a parking permit in order to use the rear parking lot. Tuesday morning, a tenant heard a tow truck and saw it preparing to tow his roommate’s car. The tenant ran downstairs, opened the car door, found the permit on the floor and showed it to the driver. But the tow truck driver ignored him. The roommate came down as well, and when she stood in front of the rear tire of her vehicle, she claims the driver deliberately struck her bare foot with a metal crossbar. The car was towed, and the residents have been advised to contact the building’s management company about the incident.
*Someone entered a fenced yard in the 5600 block of 35th SW last week on Wednesday and stole a number of metal parts from a restaurant-quality barbecue grill. The estimated loss is $2,000.
11 more summaries – including more details on a case we’ve been following outside WSBeat, a bus-stop robbery, a potential case of tree poisoning, and more – after the jump:Read More
(WSB iPhone photo taken Tuesday during a near-sunbreak on Alki)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
7100 DELRIDGE DESIGN REVIEW: Design Review Board meeting for 7100 Delridge, 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, here’s our preview with the graphics/info that board members will review.
DINING OUT FOR LIFE: The citywide restaurant event to raise money for Lifelong AIDS Alliance; four West Seattle restaurants are participating, as reported here on Wednesday. And here’s the full citywide list.
HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE WITHOUT GOING BROKE: Information session at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle, map and directions), 7 pm – 8:30 pm. See full details here
MEET THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FACULTY: At 4:30 pm today, faculty for Westside School (WSB sponsor)’s new Middle School are available to meet and talk with parents in the school’s multipurpose room (interested prospective future parents as well as current students’ parents). Participants will include new humanities teacher Glyn Jenkins, new science instructor Sara Harper-Smith (via video conference), math teacher David Preston, athletic director Devin McQuiston, Spanish teacher Veronica Hellar, and Mandarin Chinese teacher Su-Chen Wang. (Bios here.)
SCIENCE FAIR: Tonight, the future scientists of Sanislo Elementary show their work, 6-8 pm.
REMINDER: THE WATER TAXI’S BACK; Just in case you missed yesterday afternoon’s announcement, the county says the West Seattle run is back in service today.
You’re invited to a free party tonight to celebrate Seattle’s art-walk scene – it’s on Capitol Hill, but it gives you the chance to vote in a contest with two West Seattle-staked artists! It’s the City Arts Magazine quarterly “Best of Seattle Art Walk Awards” event. Unlike most awards events, the awards aren’t predetermined; tonight’s attendees get to choose. At left, Sarah Loertscher is a finalist for her geometric-jewelry showing at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), which provided the photo. Also among the six finalists, Carla G, for her paintings shown at Carmilia’s. The party’s at 8 pm at FRED Wildlife Refuge art center, 127 East Boylston (map), and if you’re 21 or older, you can get in free by RSVP’ing to promos@cityartsmagazine.com. The winning artist gets $1,000 and a City Arts profile; the magazine is sponsoring the awards each quarter, with nominations coming from the businesses and galleries participating in a dozen art walks around the city, including West Seattle.
Remember the warm sunshine back on Saturday? And the movie shoot with Alki standing in for a Florida backdrop? Here’s one more Alki scene from Saturday – West Seattle aerial photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen just sent this Alki Point Lighthouse aerial, inviting us to share it with you, and given the fact the weather’s done a 180 since then, it’s a welcome sight. (Click the photo, or this link, to see a larger version.)
Can the new synthetic turf at Walt Hundley Playfield, next to High Point Community Center, be marked for youth soccer as well as adult soccer? That was one question brought up tonight at Southwest Library, during Seattle Parks‘ only scheduled community meeting for the $1 million Parks and Green Spaces Levy project (though this field wasn’t originally on the levy list, its new turf will be paid for with savings from four others – including Delridge – that were). Project manager Ted Holden said it would cost $28,000 more to set up the field for youth soccer; West Seattle Soccer Club reps were there and said their demand is growing, so they need all the field space they can get. (That led to a side discussion about field-scheduling issues; Parks reps said that would have to be discussed separately.) Otherwise, there wasn’t much controversy – no lighting issues, as existing lighting will be kept; along with soccer interests, there was some advocacy for lacrosse as well. When someone asked about baseball, Holden said that’s not feasible, since the field is too small, and there are two grass/dirt lots nearby already. Construction is expected to start sometime this summer and be done by fall; though this was the only scheduled meeting, your comments are still welcomed by e-mail and phone – you can reach project manager Holden at 206-684-7021 or ted.holden@seattle.gov.
One more quick mention that we’re in the final 3 hours of registration for the 7th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, coordinated/presented by WSB – deadline is 11:59 pm tonight. This year’s lineup for sale day on May 14th is looking pretty astounding – around 240 sales so far, big and small, north and south, east and west. Once signups close, we start organizing everything for the map, which will be available online by May 7th, and promoted widely so garage-sale fans from all around the region will know this is THE place to be on May 14th. If you haven’t registered your sale yet but want to be part of what we fondly consider a massive one-day person-to-person recycling effort – go here before 11:59 pm. Then tomorrow, the previews begin!
(WSB photo from 2010 Walk With Us to Cure Lupus on Alki)
The annual Walk With Us to Cure Lupus is returning to Alki Beach next month, and organizers are excited to have just secured the same emcee as last year – Seahawks player and lupus-fighting advocate Jordan Babineaux is returning, according to Laurie Gray from the Alliance for Lupus Research. 500 people joined in last year’s walk, raising $40,000 to fight the autoimmune disorder, which affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. alone. The walk starts at 10 am Saturday, May 14th, from the Alki Bathhouse; you can sign up in advance, and/or make a pledge, by going to the official website.
Just in from the city – before their parking-ticket “scofflaw” program kicks in this July, they’re offering people with overdue parking tickets a chance to catch up. Read ahead for the news release:Read More
Before it’s too late to make or change plans – here’s a look ahead to Dining Out for Life tomorrow night around Seattle, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, four West Seattle venues are on the participant list: Buddha Ruksa, Fresh Bistro, Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), and Talarico’s are all participating for dinner, and Fresh Bistro is in for lunch, too. (P.S. Longtime WSB sponsor M3 Bodyworks Massage Clinic invites you to join them at Talarico’s at 10 tomorrow night with special guest Precious Cargo.) ADDED 9:04 PM: Via Facebook, Skylark points out this coincides with their monthly Westside Burlesque Revue – though dinner service is over when burlesque begins at 9, they are contributing to the cause with drink specials.
3:24 PM: Just in from the King County Department of Transportation’s Marine Division: The West Seattle Water Taxi‘s runs are now canceled for the rest of today, because repair of what was described as a “defective weld” in the hull of the Rachel Marie is taking longer. The county is expecting to resume West Seattle Water Taxi service tomorrow morning.
5 PM UPDATE: The county confirms service will resume tomorrow.
Another road-work announcement from SDOT:
Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews tentatively plan to spot-repair the pavement at three locations on Delridge Way SW next week, weather permitting. One lane of traffic will be open for each direction of traffic. Some on-street parking will be restricted in front of locations being paved.
As for which three locations – we are working to find out SDOT’s Marybeth Turner says it’s an area between Holly and Willow; an area between Oregon and Alaska; and an area 300 feet north of SW Genesee.
In the meantime, the paving crew has finished its work on Sylvan Way and has moved on today to grinding the potholed surface off SW Orchard between Delridge and Dumar (map), with new asphalt scheduled to follow on Friday (as always, provided the weather isn’t too bad). At this spot, traffic is going one way at a time, with police and flagger assistance
(Recent screengrab from the “incident response” map [incidents are NOT “real-time”])
From last night’s West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network meeting at the Southwest Precinct: A city delegation spoke to the group to provide a full list of online resources available from Seattle Police. Amy Hirotaka from the city’s Community Technology program, Sol Villareal from the mayor’s office, and Shanna Christie, who runs SPD’s online operations, were on hand. From the list she distributed:
SPD website: seattle.gov
SPD Blotter (summaries of some incidents): spdblotter.seattle.gov
SPD on Twitter: twitter.com/SeattlePD
SPD on Facebook: facebook.com/SeattlePolice
Download police reports online: seattle.gov/police/records/online.htm
Map of recent police reports: web5.seattle.gov/mnm/policereports.aspx
Map of recent 911 responses: web5.seattle.gov/mnm/incidentresponse.aspx
File a crime report online: seattle.gov/police/report
Crime statistics: seattle.gov/police/crime/stats.htm
Crime-prevention info: seattle.gov/police/prevention
Block Watch info: seattle.gov/police/programs/blockwatch
Night Out info: seattle.gov/police/nightout
Open city datasets (not just police/crime-related): data.seattle.gov
They also discussed what additional resources might be helpful; WSBWCN’s Deb Greer suggested a video explaining how to start a Block Watch. Christie says the SPD site is going “through a revamp process,” so comments are welcome: shanna.christie@seattle.gov.
WSBWCN also has links on its website from last night’s presentation – so far, two handouts with more context for city resources, current and future, and more may be added – here’s that link.
Aside from the presentation, one topic of discussion, brought up by attendees: Whether medical-marijuana businesses attract crime. The City Attorney’s precinct liaison, Henry Chae, said there aren’t many stats to point to yet. He reiterated that the city is continuing to wait to see what the state will do, as SB 5073 – which would license and regulate medical-marijuana enterprises – is still awaiting Governor Gregoire‘s action (she has hinted she might veto parts of it).
The West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network meets on fourth Tuesdays at the SW Precinct, 6:30 pm. They’re online at wsblockwatchnet.wordpress.com and on Facebook here.
Today’s the day Schmitz Park Elementary and Concord International were scheduled to receive their Washington Achievement Awards – two of 13 Seattle Public Schools honored in the statewide awards. Both were honored for “overall excellence,” and Schmitz Park received additional honors for math achievement. The awards, based on assessment data from the past 3 years, were announced in February and to be presented this morning in Tacoma.
(Photo from Alki last week, by Kenna Klosterman)
WATER TAXI OUT OF SERVICE THIS MORNING … and maybe longer; the county will provide updates. As announced yesterday afternoon, the West Seattle Water Taxi will NOT run this morning because it’s getting a “defective weld” repaired. Keep an eye here and on the WSB Facebook page and Twitter feed for the latest.
UP EARLY? And, in the construction trades? Westside Professionals would love to meet you this morning, 8 am, The Kenney. Here’s the Facebook invite explaining what it’s all about.
WALT HUNDLEY PLAYFIELD TURF: 6:30 pm tonight, be at Southwest Library for a meeting about the Parks and Green Spaces Levy $1 million renovation project that’ll bring new synthetic turf to the playfield next to High Point Community Center.
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Help shape goals by joining in discussion at tonight’s meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee meets, 7 pm, Highland Park Improvement Club (12th/Holden).
OPENING NIGHT! “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment...” opens at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), 7:30 tonight, running through May 21st.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE: The Lafayette Playground Committee is holding its monthly meeting to update the community on its playground effort. It will be held this Wednesday, April 27 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. In Lafayette Elementary‘s library. Come and hear an update and see how you can help in the final fundraising stages!!!!!
SCIENCE! Denny International Middle School science fair, 6-8 pm
DUWAMISH CLEANUP PUBLIC MEETING: EPA Public Meeting: Boeing Plant 2. 6 pm at South Park Community Center, 8319 8th Avenue South. Food and Spanish interpretation will be available.
6 pm: Open House
7 pm: Presentations by Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and EPA
8 pm: Public testimony: Your comments are needed!!
POETRY AND STORYTELLING: Free, all ages, monthly series with a featured reader followed by open mike for stories and tales (short and tall) from 7 pm – 9 pm. Via poetrybridge.net at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW.
RESUME WORKSHOP: Free workshop “Effective Resumes” at SSCC WorkSource – see full story here
Even more on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!
Two West Seattle Crime Watch updates tonight:
HIGHLAND PARK ARREST TONIGHT: Via Twitter and e-mail, we received several reports of police, guns drawn, at a home in Highland Park a few hours ago, in the 10th/Thistle vicinity (map). Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams explains that officers surrounded the house in hopes of carrying out an arrest warrant – and they were successful. Aside from the alarming-to-neighbors sight, Lt. Williams says the arrest was made “without incident” and the suspect is in jail.
JOEL LUND UPDATE: We’ve been following this 28-year-old suspect’s case, particularly since a judge allowed him out of jail and into the Community Center for Alternative Programs – requiring daily check-ins and classes, among other things – after his arrest in connection with a catalytic-converter theft involving an elderly victim south of The Junction. He subsequently was arrested last Thursday night and charged with assault. His bail was upped to $20,000, but tonight it is double that, now that a judge has canceled his alternative-program participation in connection with the previous charge. As court documents note, one of the conditions of participating in the alternative program was “You shall commit no (new) crimes.”
As the weather warms up, you’re likely to get more activity on your doorstep. First – be aware that commercial solicitors are required to have licenses/IDs, and you don’t have to be shy about asking to see them, if you choose to answer the door. Second, if you put up a “No Solicitors” sign, solicitors who ignore it are breaking the law. (City rules on “residential sales” are here.) 2 door-to-door reports from the WSB inbox, ahead, plus a phone-scam alert, received via e-mail:Read More
One day left to sign up for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – 26 hours, to be precise – and the sellers who already have registered have set a record! The unofficial number at this hour is 210. Since more are likely to come in, that means this is going to be one amazing buying-and-selling-and-mingling spree, 9 am-3 pm on Saturday, May 14th.
Registration closes at 11:59 pm tomorrow (Wednesday) night, which gives us the lead time to get going on the maps (online-only Google version, and “fixed” printable version) so they will be available no later than one week before sale day. The links will be here, on the Garage Sale Day website and WSCGSD Facebook page, and on the semi-new – have YOU “liked” it yet? – WSB FB page. And we encourage you to invite all your non-West Seattle friends and relatives to come on over, wander the peninsula, shop like mad, enjoy coffee/lunch somewhere here too, then happily head back to their own neighborhoods with fond memories of a great day.
If you’ve been procrastinating and are ready to sign up YOUR sale – from a table in front of your house, to your entire block/business/school – find the link on this page. (Be sure you receive TWO confirmations – one from us, one from PayPal after you’ve paid the registration fee. If you have any problems, call us at 206-293-6302. And if you’ve signed up but you do NOT have the PayPal confirmation, please e-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com, to make sure your sale gets on the list!)
Whether you’re planning to sell or shop, thanks in advance for being part of the 7th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (the fourth year WSB has presented/coordinated it)!
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