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West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas in the area again
February 9, 2011 4:12 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

4:12 PM: Local whale experts have spotted the orcas off West Seattle again – Fauntleroy and heading north within the past hour – so if you’re by the water, keep an eye out.

4:28 PM: A caller just mentioned that there’s a NOAA research boat in the area of the whales – so if you’re looking for them, look for that boat.

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West Seattle front-lawn fire truck’s owner ordered to remove it
February 9, 2011 12:33 pm
|      155 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from December 2010)
Two months after that retired mid-’70s-vintage Oregon fire truck turned up on a front lawn along 44th SW in The Junction (here’s our original story), its owner says he is under orders to move it. Gary Elliott e-mailed WSB to say:

I am the owner of the tribute to firemen/women (the fire truck in the Junction). The City of Seattle has notified to “discontinue the outdoor storage of the fire truck in the front yard.” The housing and zoning Inspector Maggie Dang would not grant me the time I needed to explore other options, I am left with scrapping the fire truck for metal unless the WS Blog has other options?

Online city records confirm that there was a complaint about the fire truck a month ago, the city investigated, and decided it’s in violation, with the compliance deadline just extended to March 15th. Since the owner asked if we have “other options,” we’re asking you – any ideas?

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Film crew coming to Fauntleroy starting this weekend
February 9, 2011 11:02 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

A film crew is coming to Fauntleroy, starting this Saturday. As a few WSB’ers have mentioned in e-mail, notices have been distributed to nearby homes, and “No Parking” signs are up; we also have spoken with location manager Dave Drummond, who shares this information:

The independent feature film “After the Ghost” will be filming scenes at a residence in Fauntleroy, a short distance north of the ferry terminal. Filming will occur on February 12-16 and Feb 19-21, both during the day and sometimes at night. The production is coordinating with the Fauntleroy Community Association and all nearby residents regarding parking, noise, and other potential impact to the area. Traffic on Fauntleroy Way should not be significantly impacted during daytime and peak hours. Minor traffic delays may be experienced late at night in that area, as Seattle Police will be conducting intermittent traffic holds for some scenes.

“After the Ghost” will be directed by Seattle’s Skip Moody and is being produced and shot entirely in Western Washington. For more information about the production or the impact to the Fauntleroy area, please contact Location Manager Dave Drummond at dave@drummondmedia.com

“After the Ghost” is described online as a “present-day supernatural drama”; you can find out more about it here.

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Lincoln Park attack suspect Duane Starkenburg pleads not guilty, barred from all parks in King County
February 9, 2011 9:13 am
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

(Starkenburg at left)
Here at the King County Courthouse, 46-year-old Duane Starkenburg has just appeared for arraignment on the charges he’s facing in connection with three attacks on women in Lincoln Park. He has been out of jail since two days after his January 25th arrest; he arrived at court in a suit and tie. With King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler presiding, Starkenburg pleaded not guilty to the two indecent-liberties charges and one attempted-indecent-liberties charge against him. Prosecutors asked not only that he continue to be prohibited from being in Lincoln Park, but also that he be prohibited from being in any public park or “marked walking or jogging trail” in King County, “for the safety of the community.” The judge agreed. Starkenburg’s bail status has not changed; he remains free on $175,000 bond. Next up in the case: A hearing on March 28th. (Photo credits: Top, Tracy Record/WSB; right, Mike Siegel/Seattle Times, republished with permission)

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West Seattle Wednesday: Politics, schools, job-search help…
February 9, 2011 7:14 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Pye42 from the WSB Flickr group pool)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: A presentation about the Port of Seattle is part of the agenda for the 34th District Democrats tonight, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy … Westside School (WSB sponsor) open house for its new Middle School program, 6-7 pm, details here … There’s also an open house at West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) open house, 6:30-8 pm … Final performances of “The Real Inspector Hound” presented by the Chief Sealth International High School Drama Club are in the campus Little Theater at 3 pm and 7 pm (free) … Chat with School Board member Steve Sundquist, Delridge Library, 11 am … West Seattle Garden Tour Committee Meeting and Potluck at 6:30 pm: Help plan this year’s 17th Annual West Seattle Garden Tour – RSVP to info@westseattlegardentour.com … South Seattle Community College‘s WorkSource Center has a free job search workshop, 4:30 – 6 pm in the WorkSource office located in RSB 79 … Glee Club practice at the ActivSpace building from 7:30 until 9:30 PM. Their message: “We are not professional singers, just a group of people who enjoy singing. There is no audition, and no previous experience necessary.” … More on the calendar!

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Checking on what the helicopter is WAS searching for
February 9, 2011 1:13 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

Getting multiple reports of a helicopter over Arbor Heights/Roxbury – checking to see what it’s looking for. (And a moment after we published this – the chopper headed northward, away from the area. But we’ll still see if we can find out what it WAS here for. If we don’t get that info soon, we’ll check again with police later this morning.)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: SWAT team at 41st/Edmunds
February 8, 2011 10:16 pm
|      35 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Updated Wednesday morning with new information from Seattle Police)

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB, added 11:07 pm)
10:16 PM: Breaking right now – what appear to be SWAT officers making arrests in the 41st/Edmunds vicinity (map) on the south side of The Junction. Christopher Boffoli is there for WSB and says what he’s been told so far is that it’s a narcotics operation. The intersection’s blocked off, so steer clear TFN. More to come.

10:39 PM: Christopher says police at the scene confirm narcotics/SWAT officers involved, and that two people have been arrested. A car is being towed away. The intersection has just reopened.

11:30 PM: No additional details – and there may not be any before morning, if then (we’ll be checking the jail register, among other places to harvest info) – but also of note, both Christopher and WSB contributor Katie Meyer report that from observation in The Junction and from radio traffic, this was the result of a planned stakeout, with support units standing by for blocks around until the operation was over. (Christopher adds that Gang Unit detectives were seen participating, too.)

WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: New details from Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson: He says this was part of a “pretty extensive ongoing undercover narcotics operation – involving Gang Unit, Southwest Anti-Crime Team, and members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.” Over the past month or so, he says, “they had been buying on several occasions from a pretty prolific drug trafficker and gangster … and yesterday they decided to do the ‘order up take down’.” They had just “concluded a transaction and moved in to make the arrest.” The suspect they were seeking is a 40-year-old with a felony criminal history; Det. Jamieson didn’t have information on what kind of drugs he allegedly was dealing, but says he was armed with a “stolen handgun” so he’s been booked into King County Jail on weapons charges as well as drug charges.

We just checked – he’s still in as of 8:30 this morning. (A quick check of his court record reveals a long list of cases, including a Court of Appeals case in he appealed his convictions for “multiple counts of driving while license suspended and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle,” challenging the terminology “immediately” rather than challenging the violations themselves. He lost.) Det. Jamieson says a 48-year-old woman was in the car with him, but she was released after being questioned at the Southwest Precinct.

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Admiral Neighborhood Association: Safeway project changes; more
February 8, 2011 10:14 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

“Full house!” as Admiral Neighborhood Association past president Mark Wainwright put it, arriving at the ANA meeting tonight at Admiral Congregational Church – more than two dozen people.

The evening’s main event was a somewhat tense appearance by the Admiral Safeway project team, explaining the recent, seemingly sudden change in the project (reported here two weeks ago) – doubling the number of the residential units in the building on the southeast side of the site, discarding the flex-work office component (we first reported the change when it appeared on the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin, and Safeway shared an explanation later that day).

Safeway’s Sara Corn and Fuller/Sears architect Bill Fuller explained that the change was the result of financing troubles unfolding after construction began; ANA president Katy Walum read an official statement gently chiding the team for not having given the group a heads-up. In turn, the Safeway team implored the ANA to bring any concerns to them in the weeks ahead rather than just debuting them before the City Council when the proposed change comes up for a future hearing. More on this, and other meeting topics, ahead:Read More

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High-school postseason basketball: Chief Sealth IHS win, West Seattle HS loss
February 8, 2011 8:59 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Final scores are in from both of tonight’s postseason high-school boys’ basketball games: At Chief Sealth International High School, the Seahawks beat Eastside Catholic, 61-50; West Seattle High School lost its road game at Lakeside, 57-42.

ADDED: Sealth advances to the next round. More on tonight’s home game, ahead:Read More

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Followup: Memorial this Sunday for Shorewood teen hit by car
February 8, 2011 7:57 pm
|    Comments Off on Followup: Memorial this Sunday for Shorewood teen hit by car
 |   Shorewood | West Seattle news

Family friends of Carter Allen, the 14-year-old Shorewood boy who died last weekend of injuries suffered when a car hit him three weeks earlier, asked us to share word of his memorial. It’ll be at 2 pm this Sunday at the school he attended, in the gym at Evergreen High School (830 SW 116th; here’s a map). Family friend Ericka adds:

HS3 will need volunteers to help set up or bake cookies for a reception following. Donations for the family can be made through PayPal (link) and 100% of the funds will go to Carter’s family to cover medical, funeral and other necessary expenses. Cards & donations can also be sent to Carter’s father:

Derek Allen
10805 26th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98146-1991

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Followup: What you missed at the West Seattle Triangle open house
February 8, 2011 5:59 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Development | Triangle | West Seattle news

We reported “live” last night from the West Seattle Triangle open house, which drew more than 60 people, including local neighborhood and business leaders as well as city planners. (Here’s our story, including video of what City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen had to say.) If you couldn’t be there – you can still take a look at what was presented, now that it’s all published to the city’s website. The introductory overview is here; the “boards” are here, including the final few pages focusing on the potential of 85-foot-high buildings in part of The Triangle, 20 feet above current zoning; and a closer look at the “street-use concept” proposal is here. Next steps: These concepts get official city reviews, with more opportunities for you to officially comment.

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Heard the planes over West Seattle? We did too.
February 8, 2011 4:03 pm
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news

(Photo added 10:57 pm – taken by “Uncle Mikey” in Schmitz Park area)
4:03 PM: Checking around to see what that was all about … one person on Twitter says it was “three fighter jets,” someone else described it as two fighter jets escorting a plane. Yet another person on Twitter says two F-16s and an A-6 Intruder.

4:10 PM: KING calls it “a photo op, F-18s & EA-6B.” (Still looking for details, though, half-an-hour later … will add whenever some emerge!)

4:54 PM: Now it seems a historic MiG-29 may have been the noisemaker, with “chase planes.” So says KIRO 7. Here’s the MiG’s test-flight takeoff from Snohomish County:

Story still in motion, though!

9 PM: As Mike points out in comments, looks like we have our final answer – details on the photo op that KING mentioned. (The MiG, apparently, was a coincidence.) Here’s the KING story, with photos of the planes you heard/saw.

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West Seattle schools: Lafayette playground makes goal, bids soon
February 8, 2011 2:55 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle schools: Lafayette playground makes goal, bids soon
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

It’s full speed ahead for the latest phase of the longrunning playground-improvement project at West Seattle’s most populous elementary school. Organizers of the Play It Forward campaign raising money for Lafayette Elementary‘s playground say they achieved the goal of matching funds/labor/materials to get the $100,000 city grant they had won, so they “are on schedule to head out to bid for the project as soon as some of the construction drawings are finalized,” according to Deborah Hazlegrove, who adds: “Our intention is to break ground after school is out and have a brand-spanking new playground for the kids when they return in the fall.” In the meantime, you’re invited to the next community meeting updating the project – February 17th, 7 pm, school library – and they’re still fundraising, so if you have ideas to help with that and/or with promotion, they’d love to see you there, or to hear from you any time (e-mail Holly at rhgrambihler@msn.com).

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Happy anniversary, West 5: Founders ‘humbled’ by icon status
February 8, 2011 12:58 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | WS beverages

(West 5 team, coaxed outside briefly during “Spring Cleaning” day last Sunday)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Their restaurant/lounge is laden with reminders of West Seattle’s past – and is an irresistible part of West Seattle’s present. As West 5‘s founders celebrate their establishment’s 8th anniversary today, they’re seeing a bright future.

To follow up on the anniversary announcement published here 2 weeks ago, we sat down to talk with Dave Montoure and Dean Overton on Super Bowl Sunday, when they traditionally close West 5 for “spring cleaning” – which goes far beyond just bringing out mops, buckets, and sponges. All around us, team members (who we’re told volunteered to come in and help) were joining their bosses in intensive work – with the day’s plan including even drywalling.

Not much point in being open that particular day, anyway, since West 5 is TV-free. That against-the-grain status is reminiscent of its origins as an establishment “free” of something else – smoke. Back in 2003, smoking was still allowed inside some establishments, but West 5 opened as a trailblazing nonsmoking lounge. Predictions of an inevitably quick death obviously, well, went up in smoke.

But did they imagine they’d make it to 8 years in business?

Read More

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Update: New date for Lincoln Park attack suspect’s hearing
February 8, 2011 11:20 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

An update this morning in the case of accused Lincoln Park attacker Duane Starkenburg, the 46-year-old Gatewood man out on bond after being charged in connection with three incidents in which women say they were tackled and assaulted, most recently two weeks ago, the day he was arrested. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says Starkenburg’s arraignment has been moved up a day. Instead of appearing this Thursday, he is now scheduled to appear tomorrow at 8:30 am in King County Superior Court downtown, room E-1201. (For those who have asked about the process – arraignment is usually a fairly short hearing at which a suspect enters a plea, though multiple defendants are usually scheduled in that courtroom simultaneously, and it could be some time after 8:30 before he appears.) KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says the charges against him remain the same ones filed week before last – two counts of indecent liberties, one count of attempted indecent liberties.

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Community Orchard of West Seattle grows a website, plans classes
February 8, 2011 10:43 am
|    Comments Off on Community Orchard of West Seattle grows a website, plans classes
 |   Gardening | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from orchard work party last month)
Another step ahead for the new Community Orchard of West Seattle – it’s sprouted a website! You’ll find COWS online at fruitinwestseattle.org. And there you also will find details of two upcoming events to which community volunteers are heartily invited – classes followed by lunch and a work party, 10 am Saturdays, February 12 with the topic “Perennial Plantings” and March 12 with the topic “Annual Plantings.” It all happens at the north end of South Seattle Community College on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge (6000 16th SW) – RSVP info is on the brand-new website.

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Suspected ‘polite robber’ gained infamy as the ‘Transaction Bandit’
February 8, 2011 9:41 am
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

WSB policy is usually not to identify crime suspects until they are charged. But there are a few exceptions – same ones we had while in citywide media – including cases in which the person is photographed/videotaped actually committing the crime. So with that said, we are reporting that 65-year-old Gregory Paul Hess is the man arrested in Top Hat and then booked into King County Jail late last night on suspicion of being the so-called “polite” robber who was videotaped (here’s KING5‘s original story) holding up the Roxbury Shell last Saturday morning.

Announcing the arrest on Monday afternoon, King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart mentioned that the suspect had been previously convicted of armed robbery. Researching Hess’s background last night and this morning, we discovered that his criminal past brought him media coverage before: In 2003, he was arrested after a string of bank robberies (none in West Seattle) attributed to the “Transaction Bandit.” As was the case in the videotaped Roxbury heist, the robber in those cases waited until the till was open and then changed from customer to robber. Not only that – the “need money” story told by the Roxbury robber echoes the “Transaction Bandit” saga. Charges against Hess were detailed in this 2003 Seattle Times (WSB partner) story, which began:

Gregory Paul Hess hadn’t worked in months, and he had rent to pay and groceries to buy, federal prosecutors say in court documents filed yesterday charging Hess with bank robbery.

The 58-year-old Seattle man had quit his job steaming lattes at a Starbucks in Madison Park before Christmas, and he was sure his unemployment benefits would dry up any day, according to charges filed against Hess in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

According to federal court dockets we reviewed online this morning, Hess struck a plea bargain in 2004, pleading guilty to three of the five counts with which he was charged. He was sentenced to 4 years, 9 months in prison. According to the Bureau of Prisons website, he was released in July 2007. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he’s due for a bail hearing at 2:30 this afternoon.

3:38 PM UPDATE: Hess’s bail was set this afternoon at $250,000. Prosecutors have until Thursday to file formal charges.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Neighborhoods; school buses; basketball
February 8, 2011 8:12 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Monday rainbow as seen from West Seattle’s shore, photo by Danny McMillin from the WSB Flickr group pool)
Second Tuesday of the month means neighborhood-association meetings. An Admiral Safeway project update is part of the agenda for the Admiral Neighborhood Association at 7 pm, Admiral Congregational Church lower-level meeting room (California/Hill); Fauntleroy Community Association also meets at 7 pm, in the old schoolhouse (9141 California SW), board meeting but public’s welcome. … Chief Sealth International High School hosts two major events tonight – an areawide meeting about the proposed district Transportation Plan, 6:30 pm (more here), and 7 pm is tipoff for the Sealth boys-varsity basketball team hosting a postseason game against Eastside Catholic. … 7 pm is also when West Seattle High School‘s boys-varsity team travels to Lakeside for their postseason game. … Arbor Heights Elementary welcomes visitors to its Open House at 6:30 tonight … As first previewed here two weeks ago, it’s the 8th anniversary of West 5 in The Junction – more on that later this morning, as they promise happy-hour prices all day (starting at 11 am) and other reasons to drop by and celebrate … Lots more on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!

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West Seattle Hi-Yu updates: Float sketch; button-design winner
February 7, 2011 11:07 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Hi-Yu updates: Float sketch; button-design winner
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

Seems summer begins in February. In the past week, we’ve been looking ahead to all sorts of big West Seattle summer events – and tonight, we have three previews from the latest West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival meeting. In the top photo, that’s the official design for this year’s Hi-Yu float, based on the “Sparkling Seattle” theme chosen from Junior Court Princess Riley Fredericks‘s idea in December (WSB coverage here). Once again this year, West Seattle Hi-Yu needs someplace to build the float – please contact the festival through their website if you have a site to suggest.

Next, tonight’s meeting resulted in the choice of a winning design for this year’s fundraising button:

The winning design was created by Marianne Unite, sister of Senior Court Princess Rosemarie Unite. You’ll see it on sale as Hi-Yu gets closer. Meantime, Princess Rosemarie and her court-mate Princess Victoria Ferrulli showed off this year’s princess gown:

Fashion expert Angela Nichols of Funky Jane’s Consignment – who’s also mom of reigning Junior Court Queen Taylor Nichols – calls the color “raspberry/salmon.” The queen’s gown will be the same design, but made in blue.

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West Seattle scenes: ‘Sea lion spectacle’ off Lincoln Park
February 7, 2011 9:09 pm
|      48 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

To our knowledge, no one reported spotting the distinctive dark fins of orcas off West Seattle shores today, but Trileigh is sharing photos tonight of a not-so-everyday sea-lion sighting:

My partner and I encountered a wonderful Sea Lion spectacle at the Lincoln Park beach this afternoon. There were several sea lions-at least three or four. At first they were just drifting around off the north beach, looking like logs except that they’d raise their heads every once in a while. Then we saw a single sea lion further offshore, resting on its back with flippers up, just like a big sleepy bear in the water!

We walked to the beach south of Colman Pool, and then things got really interesting. A big brown female sea lion was actively fishing, much to the excitement of the gulls flocking overhead and on nearby water … Word apparently got around, and soon she was joined by three additional sea lions (maybe those were the guys lounging around by the north beach). They dove and did headstands as they hunted underwater.

(The next photo shows) that the sea lions were pretty good fishers.

What a wonderful place to live!

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Update: More than 60 turn out for a say on The Triangle’s future
February 7, 2011 6:12 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   Development | Triangle | West Seattle news

(The city’s “Triangle Study Area,” which stretches a little beyond the boundaries of the 35th/Fauntleroy/Alaska Triangle itself)
6:12 PM: It’s already home to businesses and residential complexes like the West Seattle Family YMCA and Tom’s Automotive (both WSB sponsors), Alki Lumber and Diva Espresso, the VFW and American Legion halls, medical clinics for people and pets, Fire Station 32, the soon-to-be-made-over Seattle West Inn and Suites, the new Link residential/retail building and Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsors), the future lounge/restaurant The Bridge, Mountain to Sound Outfitters, the future Trader Joe’s and future Les Schwab Tire Center, and more … and from the south end of the West Seattle Bridge, it’s a gateway. So how will The Triangle evolve? Right now, it’s your chance for a closer look at proposed street-use and land-use concepts, potentially phased in over the years ahead, following months of work by city planners and a citizens’ advisory group – and your chance to share what you think about the concepts. The West Seattle Triangle Open House is under way till 8 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon in The Junction, enter from Oregon), with what’s promised to be a “short presentation” at 6:30. More to come.

7:05 PM: More than 60 people are here – both familiar faces from the business and neighborhood-association communities, and others who want to know what might be in store for this pivotal neighborhood. As shown in our photo above, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who has been involved in Triangle planning and brainstorming for almost three years – is here too. He spoke briefly (video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown):

Also speaking were city planner Susan McLain and architect David Hewitt. (They presented very brief toplines on the ways in which The Triangle could evolve, including pedestrian streetscapes in its interior, and the latest version of the Fauntleroy Way “boulevard” concept from SW Alaska to The Bridge – which could have two travel lanes in each direction plus a landscaped median – that’s not officially written into any city plans or budgets yet, though, according to our most recent checks.)

Also here, if you have questions – Paul Roybal and Christine Alar from the county and city respectively, answering questions about Metro’s coming-next-year RapidRide (see our latest story here). One of the Luna Park business leaders who is concerned about RapidRide-related parking loss, John Bennett, is here and voiced his concerns as the presentation ended. Harbor Properties’ Denny Onslow followed him, talking about Link, the mixed-use apartments/retail building that’s almost complete in The Triangle, which he expects will bring 300 new residents to The Triangle, as well as dozens of jobs in the restaurant, yoga studio, and child-care center that are moving in. The formal presentation just ended – still an hour left for Q/A, with planning reps, architects, and RapidRide, as noted.

7:51 PM: The public’s gone and the official participants have rolled up the renderings and folded up the aisles – it’s over. McLain says the presentation will be on the city website tomorrow (we’ll post a separate update when it turns up). Next steps, as she noted in her remarks – even more public meetings and comment periods, as city departments formally review these concepts for potential inclusion in official city planning records, where they would be consulted as redevelopment happens in the area in the years and decades ahead.

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Update: ‘Polite’ Roxbury robbery suspect arrested
February 7, 2011 3:54 pm
|      35 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

Just announced by King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart:

The armed robber dubbed the “polite robber” by local media was arrested this afternoon by Sheriff’s detectives and the SWAT Team. He was taken into custody without incident about 2:00 PM. His demeanor at the time of arrest is unknown.

The arrest took place at a residence in the Top Hat neighborhood where the man was living. The location is not far from the Shell Station at 2805 SW Roxbury that he allegedly robbed on Saturday, February 5th about 11:20 AM. He was carrying what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol during the robbery.

The video of the robbery, complete with sound, was released by the store owner has since “gone viral”. The suspect was quickly identified from tips.

The man arrested is a convicted felon, including convictions for Forgery and Armed Robbery (!). He is 65 years old.

Here’s our previous story.

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Seattle Police Foundation steps up to save West Seattle-based SPD Mounted Patrol
February 7, 2011 2:25 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

The Seattle Police Mounted Patrol Unit is downtown right now along with police leaders including Southwest Precinct Captain Steve Paulsen as part of big news for Highland Park (and the rest of West Seattle) – Zippy’s Giant Burgers may be leaving, but it looks like the SPD Mounted Patrol is staying. OK, Zippy’s isn’t part of the announcement, but just to keep things in context … The Seattle Police Foundation has committed to fund the Mounted Patrol, which has been headquartered next to Westcrest Park since 2001, for three years – but they need a little more funding from the public. The Mounted Patrol was scheduled to be disbanded entirely because of budget cuts (as first reported here last fall). We’ll have details of the campaign shortly; a website is up at saveourhorses.net.

2:58 PM UPDATE: The news conference to announce the campaign, by the stage at Westlake Park, was cut short by a downpour of rain and sleet (as you’ll see in this clip):

(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)

The Seattle Police Foundation is looking for more than $30,000 from the public to augment what it’s chipping in – and the Seattle Hotel Association is its partner in raising the money. The saveourhorses.net website is where you can go to find out about donating; once the downpour eased a bit, we talked with Sgt. Ballingham of the Mounted Patrol, who told WSB they’re “grateful” for the commitment to serve the Mounted Patrol and happy to be staying in West Seattle (which is their base, though they are deployed all around the city). Note that the fundraising campaign will pay for the horses’ care, food and support, while the Mounted Unit officers stay on the SPD payroll; at one point, it was expected they would be transferred to other parts of the department. (The Seattle Police Foundation’s executive director Renée Hopkins, by the way, is a West Seattleite.)

(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)

3:42 PM UPDATE: Added one more clip – SPD Deputy Chief Nick Metz explaining why the department values the Mounted Patrol. And if you want to read the official news release on today’s announcement, you’ll find it here.

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