West Seattle, Washington
24 Monday

12:49 PM: Today’s downpour is causing some challenges for drivers – we have word of big puddles along Avalon among other places – more to come – let us know about other trouble spots.

ADDED 1:13 PM: Some photos – top photo is by Christopher Boffoli in The Junction, photo immediately above this paragraph is from Staci at Luna Park Café, where she says it looked like a “river” for a while. We’ve also heard of water “bubbling” from a drain uphill at 35th and Avalon, will be checking on that.
2:44 PM: Just back from driving around to take a look. No remaining signs – the sun’s even been out. As Tiff points out in comments, those hit with temporary flooding included Bakery Nouveau in The Junction, whose Twitter feed says they had to close a while to mop because the rain overwhelmed the drain system – open again now.
5:43 PM: The National Weather Service now has our area under a wind advisory for tomorrow (Thursday), noon-10 pm, saying we could see gusts up to 50 mph.
Though Michael Hoffman has moved his business Liberty Bell Printing out of a storefront and therefore out of The Junction, he’s coming back again this year to organize the West Seattle Junction Car Show, on behalf of the WS Junction Association. He tells WSB the show’s return is now official – and if you’re a car owner or car fan, you can mark your calendar for Sunday, September 18th. More to come in the months ahead.
“The only acceptable crime stat would be no crime in the city,” Seattle Police Chief John Diaz qualified, toward the start of a Tuesday briefing as the last of the 2010 crime statistics were released, finishing the picture of last year in its entirety. We attended the briefing downtown, and reviewed the statistics later, to put together an update including West Seattle specifics.
Citywide headlines included the number of murders – 19, with 15 of them solved – fewest murders since 1956 (three in West Seattle, all solved). Two categories were up – most notably car theft, plus a slight increase in aggravated assaults – while everything else was down. Assistant Chief Jim Pugel, who leads the Investigations Bureau, started the briefing after opening remarks from the chief. Here’s video of their half-hour-long briefing:
(About 21 minutes in, WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand asked Chief Diaz about something Mayor McGinn said in West Seattle last Sunday, regarding a new emphasis on community policing. The chief confirmed that’s under discussion, without offering specifics.)
Aside from this one-sheet breaking down the categories of crimes and listing the citywide numbers, compared to previous years and the “10-year average,” the only other stats available for the year are the monthly precinct-by-precinct sheets posted to the city’s website. From those:
WEST SEATTLE SPECIFICS:
Through the month-by-month breakouts that were posted, we took a look at the two property-crime categories that Southwest Precinct leadership has acknowledged are the most challenging – burglaries and auto thefts. For the year, the SWP area – West Seattle and South Park – had 436 car thefts and 829 burglaries. For car thefts, March 2010 was the low (23) and May 2010 the high (50), while for burglaries, November 2010 was the low (49) and January 2010 the high (95). Compared to a year earlier, burglaries were down (from 983 in 2009) and car thefts were up (from 395 in 2009).
One final set of 2010 numbers – those who think east West Seattle has more crime than west West Seattle might be surprised to hear that the eastern sector (Frank) had fewer burglaries than the western sector (William) – 345 of them were in F, 483 in W. (Here’s the citywide sector map.)
So what are police doing about property crimes? That was discussed during the briefing by Assistant Chief Mike Sanford, who supervises the precincts. He explained how police are looking for micro-crime patterns (which also is another reason why it’s vital that you report even seemingly small crimes) and work to figure out how to deter crime:
You can explore the latest crime statistics further starting with this page on the SPD website – the year-by-year breakout pages are where you will find the precinct-by-precinct links.
We are pleased to share obituaries free of charge on WSB, as a tribute to those who in ways small and large worked to make this a better community, before they passed on. Here’s one we just received, in memory of Jim Anthony, whose memorial is this Saturday:
James T. Anthony went to be with our Lord March 5, 2011. Jim was born in Chase River, B.C. (Vancouver Island) on January 9, 1915 to William and Isabel Anthony (originally from Scotland). With his parents and two older sisters, Jean and Chrissie, Jim grew up in Nanaimo, B.C. As a young man he moved to Vancouver, B.C. where he met and fell in love with Marjorie V. Lear. They were married 62 years, before Marge’s passing in 2002.
In his younger days he delivered groceries via bicycle, was a cowboy rounding up wild horses in Dead Man Creek Valley (interior B.C.), joined the Canadian Army, then switched to the Canadian Navy. He was aboard a mine sweeper in the Mediterranean and saw action at D-Day, Sicily, Italy, and North Africa. In 1952, with his wife, Marge, and two children, Gary and Trisha, the family moved to West Seattle. In 1958 the family became U.S. citizens.
3 quick Alaskan Way Viaduct notes – Northbound this morning, the Seneca exit is backed up more than usual because of a crash at Seneca/2nd – Metro has even rerouted the 21, 54, 55, 56, and 120. It’s not a major-injury situation, though, so a long-running blockage is not likely … THIS SUNDAY, you may have seen signs about a Viaduct closure for the St. Patrick’s Day Dash. To clarify, WSDOT says the 8-11 am closure is north of downtown, Republican to the Aurora Bridge (course map here), so it shouldn’t affect you south of the Battery Street Tunnel … One more reminder, WEEKEND AFTER NEXT, March 19-20, it’s the next weekend-long Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection shutdown, 6 am-6 pm both days.

(‘Distracted‘ cast members photographed by Michael Brunk for ArtsWest)
Feeling “Distracted“? The newest production at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) may be your antidote. The Lisa Loomer-authored play opens tonight, 7:30; ArtsWest in The Junction – details here … Tonight, the 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting is headlined by City Council President Richard Conlin, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy; find the agenda here … “You don’t have to be a Master Gardener to join us,” say the West Seattle Garden Tour Committee‘s leaders – dig into this year’s planning tonight, 6:30 pm (e-mail info@westseattlegardentour.com for the location) … West Seattle CoolMom talks garden planning at 7 pm, C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor; 5612 California) … Feel like dancing? Balorico Studios has a new “spinning and styling” class for women starting tonight at 7 at Kenyon Hall, get info here … Or, like singing? Karaoke debuts at The Bridge tonight, 9:30 pm, with Tony B … If you’re looking for tips on how to look for work, another free job-search workshop is 4:30 pm today at South Seattle Community College‘s WorkSource center, focusing on interviewing basics … And we should also note, this is Ash Wednesday. LOTS more on the calendar – just go here.

(September 2010 photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
It’s “the pizza that made White Center famous,” but it’s also popular among West Seattleites and beyond, so we’re sharing the news here that Proletariat Pizza confirms it’s about to venture into delivery (as hinted earlier today on their Facebook page). WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz talked to Proletariat’s Stefanie Albaeck, who says they’re starting simple – a customized bicycle now being built in Georgetown will enable home delivery in the 9622 16th SW pizzeria’s immediate area. After that, Proletariat expects to expand to delivery by car, to a much wider area (no boundaries set yet, though eventually they would hope to cover much of White Center, West Seattle, and Burien). Right now, they’re strategizing the logistics of this expansion. It’s already been a half-year since Proletariat celebrated its one-year anniversary – here’s the story Deanie wrote last fall.
GOT THE NEED TO READ? Sanislo Elementary has a Used Book Sale coming up in just a week and a half – 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, March 19th, at the school (1812 SW Myrtle). Used books for both kids and grownups – “most priced below $2,” organizers note.
Heading south – big news in Arbor Heights:

BECU GRANT BUYS A-V CART FOR ARBOR HEIGHTS: In the parent-contributed photo above, that’s Sarah Lyons from BECU at Roxbury Safeway at left, with Robert and Meri Patton of the PTSA, Arbor Heights Elementary principal Dr. Carol Coram at center, and students, at the school assembly that kicked off this week with something big to celebrate: BECU granted Arbor Heights’ PTSA-parent-written-grant request to fund an A-V cart, which includes a projector and sound system, plus the cart to transport them around. We’re told Arbor Heights has never had a cart like this; it will be used for student and staff audio/visual needs, including showing videos and online media in a wide range of subject areas, and helping launch the online Study Island program. It also means teachers will be able to access closed captioning, which is not currently possible with many of the TVs in the school. The BECU grant is for $2,289.88, and Sarah from BECU presented it with the whole school on hand!
You can make it a “good time for a good cause” doubleheader this Saturday night and Sunday midday with two events that WSB is honored to be co-sponsoring:
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS’ SPRING GALA: Saturday night, the intergenerational three-group West Seattle Community Orchestras are raising money for their youth programs with a night of music, silent auction, and light dinner at West Seattle’s Kenyon Hall. The gala is at 7 pm Saturday, doors open at 6:30, tickets $25. To check on availability, e-mail Abe Santini at abe@wscorchestras.org.
NATURE CONSORTIUM BRUNCH: Then Sunday, mimosas are on the menu for the Nature Consortium‘s annual brunch. So are roasted-vegetable stratas, the acclaimed cuisine of Tuxedoes and Tennis Shoes Catering (WSB sponsor). And you’ll be inspired by a performance from the NC’s Youth Art Program. It’s noon-1:30 pm Sunday at the The Hall at Fauntleroy. It’s free to register (NC contributions will be requested during the event). Just go here to get your name on the list.

(King County rendering of new South Park Bridge design)
Two months after they were requested, bids were opened this afternoon for the new South Park Bridge, and the county has announced that the “apparent low bidder” is Kiewit-Massman. The joint venture of Kiewit Infrastructure West Company (Kiewit, by the way, helped build the West Seattle Bridge) and Massman Construction Company bid just over $96 million dollars, less than the county’s estimate ($98 million-$108 million). In the official county news release, King County Executive Dow Constantine called it an “excellent bid”; it needs to be evaluated before it becomes the official winning bid. Construction is expected to start in May, about 11 months after the old South Park Bridge was permanently closed, and the new bridge is expected to open in mid-2013. On the eve of the bid opening, the county threw a “Thank You, South Park” party last night at the Machinists Union Hall in SP (celebrants posed for the group photo below, including Constantine and King County Councilmember Joe McDermott)

(Photo by Ned Ahrens, courtesy King County DOT)
From Devin, a car theft in Fauntleroy:
I wanted to report that our car was stolen on Sunday evening, sometime between 10:30 pm and 6 am Monday. It was parked on the street in front of our house on Vashon View SW [map]. We have filed a police report. The car is a 1996 Acura Integra. It’s dark red with a spoiler on the trunk.
WSBers have spotted stolen cars before, but since we don’t get reports directly from police (their special Twitter feed doesn’t identify the theft location), please keep sending in the info if car theft happens to you. By the way, this is the only category of major crime that rose in Seattle last year compared to 2009, according to 2010 crime stats released today by Seattle Police. We were at HQ for the announcement and are putting together a West Seattle-focused story you’ll see here later.
To the list of political leaders with West Seattle appearances ahead (including City Council President Richard Conlin tomorrow night and all 3 state legislators this Saturday, as previewed here), add one more: Congressmember Jim McDermott has just scheduled a “coffee hour” at West Seattle’s C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) for 10 am March 26th. His staff says it’s the first in a series of “constituent coffee hours” he’ll be holding around the city.
One day before the first tenants are expected to move into Harbor Properties‘ new Link (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle on March 25th, its plan for another Triangle site will be shown to the Southwest Design Review Board. The SWDRB meeting for Harbor’s proposal at 4600 36th SW (just north of the motel) is set for 6:30 pm March 24th at the Senior Center of West Seattle. We first reported two months ago that Harbor was planning to develop the site, currently used for parking. They’re promising more details later this week, but in the meantime, the city webpage for the proposal describes it as “a 5-story, multifamily residential structure containing 63 units of housing.” That’s about a third of the number of units in Link, two blocks west. Side note – since few major developments have been under consideration around here lately, this will be the SWDRB’s first meeting since its “early design guidance” session seven months ago for the 7100 Delridge proposal (which has yet to go to a second SWDRB meeting).
From WSB contributor Katie Meyer at the King County Courthouse: Arraignment has just concluded for 19-year-old Angelo Felice, charged with first-degree murder for last month’s fatal stabbing of the Fauntleroy-residing entertainer best known as Hokum W. Jeebs. Felice pleaded not guilty; his bail remains at $1 million, and his next hearing is set for (updated) April 6th at 1 pm. He was arrested at 16th/Holden after police started searching for a man seen climbing out of a ravine near the murder scene hours afterward (as reported by a commenter here). More details, and a photo (the judge denied the defense’s request to stop the media from photographing Felice’s face) to come. ADDED 11:58 AM: Photo of the suspect in court today, photographed for WSB by Jill Schmieder of Altena Photography. Here’s her image of the entire scene at the bench, including Judge Theresa Doyle:


(Photo from 2010 Taste of West Seattle)
It’s a major fundraiser for West Seattle Helpline, and a major chance for West Seattleites (and visitors) to try out local food and beverages all in one place, one night. The Taste of West Seattle was bigger than ever last year – more than 300 people showed up – and the planning for this year’s event has just begun, so we’ve been asked to share the word that organizers are looking for restaurants to participate – and for sponsors, too. The date’s set – 6-9 pm May 19th, The Hall at Fauntleroy. If you’re interested in being part of it, you’ll find the contact info at tasteofwestseattle.org – that’s also where tickets for Taste-goers will be available soon (and you can watch the Facebook page, too).
10:50 AM: Update on the contact info – to reach WS Helpline to express interest in participation or sponsorship, call 206.932.4357 or e-mail wshelpline@gmail.com.

(Crocuses photographed by Tina Doherty)
Welcome to a soggy Fat Tuesday (here’s the forecast). It’s also “second Tuesday,” which means community meetings – the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s agenda has a long list of items including a briefing on the Lafayette Elementary playground project, 7 pm at Admiral UCC Church (California/Hill), while the Fauntleroy Community Association board meets at 7 pm in The Hall at Fauntleroy (also site of the FCA’s March 15th Fauntleroy Food Fest annual meeting and membership drive next week), and the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Association has organized a Block Watch meeting for tonight – whether you are a Block Watch captain or you have a neighborhood that needs a Block Watch, you’re invited to meet with neighborhood reps, SPD reps, and West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network reps, 6 pm at Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster) … The Kenney has an open house for its Ballymena independent-living units tonight, with a tour and beverages, 5 pm (RSVP to Karmen, 206-938-6941) … At High Point Branch Library (35th/Raymond), 6-7:45 pm, members of Poetrybridge will be on hand to comment on poets’ works in progress – call to register (206-684-7454) … Capers Home in The Junction kicks off its new Design Department with free classes for customers, including one at 11 am today, “Divining Your Style” (register by calling 206-932-0371) … Also at midday today, another brown-bag talk on “Developing Personal Safety Nets,” Alki Arts (call 206-659-0665 to register) … More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!
Well, the story could have started that way, though Jesse headed the e-mail sent early today “Crazy late-night wildlife” – read on:Read More

(WSB photo of ‘The Hole,’ 2 weeks ago)
When last we were in court on February 24 covering the legal maneuvering over “The Hole,” once King County Superior Court Judge Susan Craighead rendered her order putting the foreclosure sale on hold, there was a “last day of school” sense – as if the key players didn’t expect to see each other again for a while. The next trial in the two-part case, after all, isn’t scheduled to start for three months. Then – the case took another turn. Now a new hearing is set … on April Fool’s Day … for the motion that could do no less than preclude that future trial.

Yet another memorable image arrived in the inbox to share with you. Robin Lindsey‘s backstory for this: “Two hours of patience finally paid off this morning – the sun momentarily broke through the clouds just as this heron reacted to an incoming cormorant.” Robin is known well as first responder for Seal Sitters (see more of her work on their Blubberblog site) but says all’s been quiet on the seal front lately – the birds, however, are another story!
Two warnings from the WSB inbox tonight: First, an odd telephone call that turns out to be a scam attempt that’s been going around a while; second, a Craigslist post for a West Seattle rental that yielded a bizarre reply. Read on for details on both:Read More

(WSB photo from October 2010 Halloween Ski [etc.] Swap)
Another winter-gear-swap event is in the works, organized by the folks at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle. Dropping by the store today, we heard from M2SO staff about the plans for a followup to the first-ever Halloween Ski Swap last year: The swap event will be at the VFW Hall (3601 SW Alaska, across the street from M2SO), Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27 – with dropoff on Friday the 25th, 4-7 pm; the swap 10 am-6 pm on Saturday and 11 am-5 pm on Sunday (retrieve the leftovers 4-6 pm). M2SO tells us 20 percent of the proceeds will benefit nonprofits. Details are being finalized, so more info is yet to come, but go ahead and mark your calendar if you’ve got gear to swap! P.S. M2SO’s winter-clearance sale is in its final week – including 50% discounts.
Today, we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Always Best Care Senior Services of Seattle, specializing in non-medical in-home care and senior living referrals, and owned and operated by Brian and Maureen Englund.
New sponsors are offered the chance to let you know more about their business: With more than 30 years of experience in senior living, care and services, the Englunds have a sincere concern for enhancing the quality of life that goes beyond doing what is required and doing more for those entrusted to their care.
Always Best Care Seattle is licensed to provide non-medical in-home care needed for seniors and adults of any age to continue living safely and comfortably at home. Care providers are directly employed, licensed, insured and bonded, and receive comprehensive orientation and ongoing training. Home care services are available 1 to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. With Always Best Care, seniors and their families have the important and empowering option of remaining at home with in-home care or receiving assistance with the selection and move to a senior living community. You will receive guidance in making a well informed and sound decision. Either way, you will receive exceptional service and peace of mind.
Always Best Care is also pleased to offer their services as certified leaders of the American Red Cross Family Caregiving program as a complimentary public service. The program consists of eight one-hour classes, and each is a self-contained module allowing you to attend any or all of the classes. The program has just begun at the Senior Center of West Seattle, every Wednesday, continuing this week (March 9). The next seven classes are:
General Caregiving Skills – March 9
Positioning and Helping Your Loved One Move – March 16
Assisting with Personal Care – March 23
Healthy Eating – March 30
Caring for the Caregiver – April 6
Legal and Financial Issues – April 13
Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease – April 20
To register online, go to www.abc-seattle.com/red-cross.
We thank Always Best Care Senior Services of Seattle 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.

Craig Young has been keeping an eye on the emergency sewer-main repair at Fairmount/Forest in the Admiral District – which started with a once-small sinkhole – and sent us a new photo this morning: Repair workers almost 30 feet under the street! So we called Seattle Public Utilities to get more details about this “big dig” – and a conversation with Frank McDonald revealed a lot about what goes on underground, here and elsewhere:
McDonald says the collapsed main that’s being replaced is a century-old, one-foot-wide clay “sanitary sewer” pipe. He says clay is actually a “resilient” material for pipes like this, so the age and material aren’t necessarily the cause of failure. Though the pipe is almost 30 feet – which means a contractor is doing the repairs, as SPU workers stop at about 18 feet – McDonald says it was only five feet under when it was installed in 1910, and most pipes are only about 10 feet down. This street has been graded and straightened over the years, and so the pipes just kept going further down.
We say “pipes” because McDonald says there’s another one under there that may have something to do with this one’s failure – an 18-inch-wide storm-drain pipe installed in 1974, when the “combined” sewer system was split in this area as part of the Forward Thrust program. That pipe crosses over the sewer main in a few spots, he says, and the interplay between the pipes and groundwater may have led to the settlement that revealed the growing problem underground. It was confirmed with use of a special camera, McDonald explains, equipment that’s carried by five SPU trucks. They don’t just respond to problems – they also use data analysis to figure out what types and ages of pipes around the city might be most at risk of trouble, so they are out proactively checking on pipelines too. (With 43,000 pipelines around the city, McDonald notes dryly, they have to prioritize.)
In this case, he says, after they dug down to the “original problem,” the crews started checking further down the line – literally – and “are finding some other potential problem areas,” so they’re going to keep going until they get to a section that seems to be OK. He still expects the work will be done by the end of this week – unless they find some major additional problem.
The digging has included the removal of the intersection’s traffic circle – here’s our photo from February 18th, before the repair work began:

McDonald says it’ll be up to SDOT to come in and replace the road surface, as well as features like the traffic circle. (And then, he points out, SPU will get an interdepartmental bill.)
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