West Seattle, Washington

18 Saturday

59℉

Spotlight Stories

West Seattle Grand Parade countdown: The Orville Rummel Trophy goes to … Cindi Barker!
July 20, 2011 9:32 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Grand Parade | West Seattle news

Tonight, you’ll find Cindi Barker at the quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association, in her role as information coordinator. Like many leadership positions in neighborhood councils, it’s an unsung-hero role – no glamour, no glory, no pay, lots of hard work. But last night, as much as she shies from the limelight anyway, Cindi was in it for a brief moment at intermission of the West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, as West Seattle Grand Parade co-coordinator Dave Vague (above left) presented her with the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community, which she’ll carry in Saturday’s parade:

We wrote about the award’s history last year, after WSB was announced as its 2010 recipient. Parade-hosting American Legion Post 160 has presented it each year since 1984, a half-century after its namesake, then-Post Commander Orville Rummel, founded in 1934 what was originally called the Hi-Yu Parade.

Cindi works as a manager in Boeing’s 777 program, and spends copious hours of her “free time” in community volunteer work. Perhaps her most visible current role is with West Seattle Be Prepared, the groundbreaking neighborhood-preparedness effort that for the past three-plus years has set the bar for other parts of the city, setting up volunteer-led “neighborhood hubs” that will help coordinate communication and calls for help if the unthinkable ever happens. Below, Cindi is at left with Sharonn Meeks during a “hub” drill last fall:

Cindi’s history as a volunteer in community service goes back more than a quarter-century, including advisory committees such as the citywide Parks Levy Oversight Committee and the local Southwest Precinct Advisory Committee, neighborhood-planning roles with the City Neighborhood Council as well as MoCA – a long list of committees and roles with detail-oriented work whose results will last for years – the roll-up-your-sleeves-and-dig-into-the-details work that is particularly unglamorous, since you can’t point to a specific project and say “I did that!” (not that Cindi would anyway). She also has worked with youth, mentoring the Robotics Club at Chief Sealth International High School for several years. And she helped found Boeing Women in Leadership almost a decade ago.

After she accepted the award last night, we asked for her reaction. “Very cool!” she said – then quickly adding, “Nothing happens without everyone else” – in other words, no matter what you’re coordinating or leading, you can’t do it unless there are others to pitch in. Exactly what you would expect to hear from Cindi, whom we first met when WSB began to focus on community news more than four years ago. She’s practical but also resolutely cheery, no matter how tough the task. So look for her winning smile toward the start of the parade route (California SW from Lander to Edmunds) on Saturday morning, starting at 11 am, and give her a cheer. The unsung heroes have so few chances to receive one. She’s been in the parade before – appropriately enough, with an entry honoring volunteers.

After the jump – the full list of Orville Rummel Trophy winners, from 1984 through Cindi:Read More

Share This

West Seattle Wednesday: Little League; traffic alert; fresh veggies
July 20, 2011 6:30 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

It’s sunny in Cheney! That’s where the West Seattle Little League 10-11 All-Stars are in the state championship tournament, and Lisa Stencel shared the photo with news that they’ve won their first two games and are playing again today. Good luck! Meantime, some of what else is happening today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

EVENING TRAFFIC ALERT: Tonight’s the night with the Sounders-Manchester U game plus the Katy Perry concert at KeyArena bringing tens of thousands of people into downtown – so if you need to get around, maybe consider leaving (or going to, if you work nights) work early. Here’s the official city advisory; and remember, the Water Taxi is running into the evening tonight.

TRIBAL JOURNEY CANOES: We learned earlier this week, as reported here, that some of the Tribal Journey canoes will paddle from Alki Beach on Thursday – but you may see some today, if “no parking” signs we noticed along the beach on Tuesday are accurate; they marked off a spot east of the bathhouse starting THIS morning and continuing into tomorrow.

NEED FACEBOOK HELP? “Basics of Facebook” class at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St, also August 24th and 26th), 9:30 – 11:30 am. Cost $10 members, $15 non-members, per series. Prepayment required. Must have a valid e-mail address for class.

HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 2nd week of the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, 4-7 pm, 32nd Ave SW and SW Juneau. This is a weekly Farm Stand selling seasonal fresh organically grown produce right in the garden where the produce is grown. Accepts Basic Food EBT cards. More details here; our story from last week is here.

KAYAK THE DUWAMISH: Tonight’s the next in a series of community tours of the Duwamish River, 5:30-8:30 pm. RSVP to Alki Kayak Tours (206) 953-0237. Tours cost $45 per person, plus a requested $5 donation per person to support Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition educational programs. All equipment, instructions, and guiding provided; children under 18 must be accompanied by parent/guardian. More info here; meet at Terminal 107 Port Park (4700 West Marginal Way SW).

HOME LOANS 101: FINANCING YOUR DREAM: Next in the series of free workshops sponsored by Savvy Seattle Women, Deanne Sposari, Senior Loan Officer for M & T Bank, will give you the latest information about how to obtain a home loan. Plenty of opportunity for Q & A during this casual, yet quick-paced workshop. Wed., July 20, 6 – 7:30 pm, Prudential Northwest Realty office in Jefferson Square, 4700 42nd Av SW, Suite 600. Attendees are encouraged to bring business cards and use this as an opportunity to network with other local business people and potential clients. Free refreshments, too!

COMMUNITY MEETING #1: Southwest District Council and Delridge District Council have their annual joint meeting, 7 pm at High Point Neighborhood Center, agenda includes potential Metro Transit cuts (with King County Councilmember Joe McDermott expected to speak), Highline Medical Group (WSB sponsor), and whether the Gathering of Neighbors will or won’t happen this year.

COMMUNITY MEETING #2: Morgan Community Association quarterly meeting, 7 pm, The Kenney, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW. Agenda scheduled to include:
Rapid Ride Status
SDOT: Fauntleroy Expressway retrofit
Murray Pump Station update
Lifelong Recreation Advisory Council
West Seattle in Motion
Whale Trail
MoCA Bylaws Update
Candidates for City Council

Share This

Jury selection in Steve Bushaw murder trial likely to start Monday
July 20, 2011 1:19 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Today (Wednesday) will be Day 3 of pre-jury-selection motions and other business in the murder trial of Bryce Huber and Brandon Chaney, two of the four men charged in the February 2009 West Seattle shooting death of Steve Bushaw. (The other two have pleaded guilty and are expected to testify.) Tuesday brought about two hours of courtroom activity. Big headline: Jury selection isn’t likely to start before Monday – among other things, all sides agreed that a new group of jurors is more likely to yield people who can stay through a trial that will last weeks rather than days. Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque is asking for a pool of more than 60. Otherwise, evidence and motions were discussed on Tuesday afternoon, including cell-phone records for defendants and witnesses. Observed Huber’s lawyer Anthony Savage, “We have a three-page document here that’ll strike you blind if you try to read it.” Prosecutor Jeff Baird came with a sheaf of charts that apparently show timelines with arrows, horizontal lines, and photos, to help visualize the cell-phone trail. Then came the discussion of what evidence will be admissible – for example, the home-invasion robbery that is alleged to be the reason why Huber allegedly wanted Bushaw dead, and the marijuana dealing in which both were allegedly involved. Said prosecutor Baird: “I think everyone knows by now that marijuana is in a state of quasi-legality in Seattle, and other parts of the country, and does not rise to the level of crimes that require close police attention. I don’t think anyone would hold it against Mr. Huber or for that matter Mr. Bushaw that they happened to buy marijuana and sell it on a small scale to their acquaintances.” Proceedings are scheduled to resume at 9 this morning.

Share This

Update: Car flips after hitting parked vehicles, driver OK
July 19, 2011 11:22 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

11:22 PM: Delridge is closed southbound in the 5900 block after a car hit parked cars and flipped. No major injuries reported.

11:48 PM: Added a photo. Neighbors say the parked car next to which the flipped car is seen is one of two cars it hit.

12:10 AM: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli talked to police; the driver did not have to be taken to the hospital. Police wouldn’t elaborate on the circumstances of the crash but were seen giving the driver a citation. Here’s what the car looked like after a tow truck righted it:

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Police report on stabbings
July 19, 2011 9:46 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

No word of any arrests yet, but the police report “narrative” from the Saturday night North Admiral stabbings is available online. Many details are redacted in the online copy – not just names but some places – which we are denoting below with asterisks. Read on:Read More

Share This

2 weeks till Night Out – registered your West Seattle block party yet?
July 19, 2011 9:23 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | Neighborhoods | Safety | West Seattle news

Only two weeks till this year’s Night Out Against Crime, Tuesday, August 2nd. Still time to register your block party so you can close the street, providing it’s not an arterial. Here’s where to sign up.. You can also check out the Night Out page on Facebook – find it here. And if you wouldn’t mind us stopping by your party as we travel around that night trying to get to as many as possible, please send us the address (here’s how to reach us) before party night, and let us know who to ask for! Also note the city is inviting people to map their parties by adding them to a calendar – this is the first time ever for that – once you’re in the calendar, there’s a map on the city Night Out page showing locations that have been added!

Share This

Video: West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park 2011
July 19, 2011 7:24 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

7:24 PM: If you’re not already among the 100 or so people here – c’mon over to Hiawatha’s east lawn. The West Seattle Big Band is playing what Jim Edwards quipped is the “Hi-Yu FALL Festival Concert in the Park” (added, that’s Jim with the mike in the center background, in the next photo):

And the program so far has included songs evocative of the weather, like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The concert’s scheduled to continue till about 8:30, and we’ve even seen sunbreaks. Bring a blanket to sit on and another one to wrap yourself in, and you’ll be fine (and a dollar for a Hi-Yu fundraising button – the royalty and volunteers are here). We’ll add more photos later as well as video.

ADDED EARLY WEDNESDAY: A sample of the sounds:

More outdoor music ahead for West Seattle this summer – even if you might need a sweater to enjoy it! – the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association (co-sponsored by WSB) start July 28 (full schedule here), and Friday Night Summer Concerts at the Mount start August 5 (full schedule here). Back to Hi-Yu – cheer the float, royalty, and volunteers in this Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade, 11 am, California SW from Lander to Edmunds.

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: What police were doing by the Super 24
July 19, 2011 7:19 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news

7:19 PM: Thanks to those who tipped us (206-293-6302, voice or text any time) about a big police presence at the Super 24 on Delridge within the past hour. Police at the scene tell us there was a report of a road-rage incident, involving someone waving or pointing a gun out of a car. They pulled over the suspect; no injuries reported.

ADDED 12:19 AM: Here are more details in a summary published on SPD Blotter:

On July 19th, just after 4:30 PM, a 29 year old male suspect was involved in a traffic dispute with another driver. Both vehicles had just exited the West Seattle Bridge onto Delridge. The suspect raised a semi-auto handgun and pointed it at the victim. The victim fled and called 911. Officers responded but the suspect vehicle had left the area.

Just before 6:00 PM, an officer from the Southwest Precinct located the suspect vehicle, a black 1997 Mercedes Benz, at a gas station in the 5400 Block of Delridge Way SW, occupied by two males and a female. The occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without incident. The suspect admitted to officers that there was a handgun in the driver’s door compartment and gave officers consent to search the vehicle. Officers recovered the 9mm pistol, a loaded magazine, and a box of ammunition. The 29 year old suspect was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Harassment. The other occupants were identified and released.

Share This

Followup: Charges filed against suspect sought in SWAT ‘standoff’
July 19, 2011 4:23 pm
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Charges have just been filed against the man who police thought was inside a Delridge home last Friday morning, leading to hours of SWAT-team presence that all traced back to an incident at Camp Long on Thursday night. 20-year-old Jory Lee Preston is charged with two counts of domestic-violence assault, one 2nd degree and one 4th degree. The charging documents refer to two incidents: First, the Thursday night incident in which he allegedly pointed a gun at his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend; and also, the previous Monday (July 11th), Preston is accused of “confront(ing) the victim at a park in West Seattle, angry with her that she was hanging out with other guys. He grabbed her and attempted to force her into his vehicle and threatened to push her in front of a moving vehicle.” He had been held on $100,000 bail, but prosecutors are asking to have that raised to $250,000, saying in the documents, “The gun in the July 14, 2011, incident was not recovered, but when the SWAT Team made entrance into his residence they recovered a rifle, a loaded revolver and a shotgun and shotgun ammunition, and a large knife. In February 2011, the Seattle Police Department responded to a 911 report that the defendant had threatened to kill his step-father. According to the police report, when police responded to the scene, they took the defendant into custody and … recovered several firearms from his bedroom.” The probable-cause section of the charging documents, based on the police report, say that Preston and the victim broke up last March, and say that the July 11th incident happened at Me-Kwa-Mooks on Beach Drive, but was not reported to SPD until that afternoon. The charging documents also include an extensive account of how police say events unfolded at Camp Long and then during the SWAT presence at Preston’s Delridge residence; we will add that to this report a bit later – there are a lot of witness and victim names to excise. (Friday photo courtesy of Amanda)

ADDED 10:26 AM: The transcript of the “probable cause” narrative by police – we transcribed it from the documents that accompanied the charges filed yesterday, as they were not in a “cut-and-paste”-enabled format. Names aside from the charged person have been excised, as have addresses, license plate numbers and other identifying information. This begins with the Camp Long incident and carries through the overnight SWAT standoff, quoting those who were inside the house as saying they didn’t open up because they thought police would “go away”:Read More

Share This

Update: SBX’s short trip off West Seattle shores; drillship’s arrival
July 19, 2011 1:36 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(10:22 PM – 2 more photos, including SBX and stand-up paddleboarders!)

(Photo added 1:46 pm, courtesy of Toni)
As first reported here Monday morning, the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) that’s been so prominently visible from Harbor Island’s Vigor Shipyard for the past two months is making a short trip today. As scheduled, around 1 pm it headed out into Elliott Bay. It’s scheduled to be out for about six hours of testing while the floating offshore-drilling ship Kulluk is maneuvered into Vigor at the end of its long tow from Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

ADDED 2:29 PM: Kathy Olson shared this photo from Seacrest:

Our friends at MyBallard.com have photos of the Kulluk as it was under tow earlier. (added 3:11 pm) Here’s CL’s photo as the Kulluk rounded West Point into the bay:

We don’t have formal word on this, but one report we encountered while researching all this yesterday indicated that the work on the Kulluk is scheduled to take at least seven months. Meantime, SBX was expected to be out for at least six hours today, so if you want to see it out and about, you might get to see it moving back toward the shipyard before dark.

ADDED 6:22 PM: Thanks again to everyone who has been sharing photos of the sights at sea – again, SBX is NOT leaving permanently, it’s been here two months and was expected to be at Vigor at least three. First photo, WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand got a view of the Water Taxi with the SBX behind:

This one’s courtesy of Rebecca Nelson (editor of RavennaBlog.com but passing through via ferry):

Our original tip about these marine moves came from her. She also spotted a sailboat near a Coast Guard vessel enforcing the 500-yard keep-away-from-SBX zone:

Might add a few more later.

9:52 PM UPDATE: The SBX was still out in the bay when we passed by after the Hi-Yu concert, a little more than an hour ago. And we have this photo courtesy of Debra Herbst:

We believe those would be the Tuesday night stand-up paddleboarders from Alki Kayak Tours, with extra sights this evening.

ADDED 10:22 PM: David Hutchinson shares the view of the Kulluk in one of the late afternoon/early evening sunbreaks:

As Shell told WSB in a statement yesterday, they hope to use the Kulluk to drill in the Beaufort Sea next year, off Alaska’s northeasternmost coast.

Share This

West Seattle restaurants: Mawadda Café expands to Admiral District
July 19, 2011 12:31 pm
|      33 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

How do you like your chai? Brewed with a blend of twelve different spices? How about your Chicken Shawarma? Marinated in a mixture of twenty-five different spices?

West Seattleites will get a chance to try Chef Rami Al-Jebori’s thoughtfully crafted “Middle East cuisine” when he expands his popular Mawadda Café to the Admiral District in September, in the former Museum Quality Framing storefront.

Blending Iranian, Greek, Turkish and Mediterranean flavors, Al-Jebori will feature items such as falafel, hummus, gyros and shish kebob. There will be a variety of vegetarian options and all the food will be made following the rules of Halal (Islamic dietary guidelines). Desserts will also be offered and he points out that his Baklava recipe uses pistachios instead of the usual walnuts.

Read More

Share This

Phone books: What to do if you opted out but still got one
July 19, 2011 10:29 am
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox, from Joe in Arbor Heights:

Dex phone books are here again. After all of the opt-out hype and after three other times of contacting Dex and requesting that I not be delivered phone books, the kid (who appeared too young to even be working) attempted to deliver another archaic Dex phone book to my residence until I hollered out the window for him to go away. What do we have to do?

If you have opted out through the new service that’s officially partnered with the city, you’re advised to sign into your account and file a complaint.

10:41 AM: We mentioned this on Twitter and Councilmember Mike O’Brien tweeted that he’s interested if this happens to you.

Share This

Trial continues today for 2 of Steve Bushaw’s alleged murderers
July 19, 2011 10:10 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

This afternoon at the King County Courthouse, pre-testimony proceedings in the trial of Brandon Chaney and Bryce Huber are scheduled to resume.

Huber (left) and Chaney (right), are two of the four men who were charged with gunning down 26-year-old Steve Bushaw along California north of Edmunds in The Junction on Super Bowl night in 2009. The other two, Danny O’Neal and John Sylve, already have pleaded guilty. As mentioned earlier, we were in court as proceedings began Monday afternoon.

Toplines: The case has a new prosecutor, Jeff Baird, because the one originally assigned to the case, James Konat – who won the case against South Park killer/rapist Isaiah Kalebu earlier this summer – was taken off it amid a controversy over racist remarks he made in an unrelated case in which a conviction was overturned as a result. Baird gained fame last decade for leading the Green River Killer prosecution team. His first major announcement in this case: Seeking to drop the “conspiracy to commit murder” charge against Chaney and Huber.

Chaney’s lawyer James Rowe didn’t object, so his client now is on trial for one charge – 1st-degree murder with firearm enhancement – but Huber’s lawyer Anthony Savage did object, saying the alleged conspiracy was going to figure into his defense, and dropping the charge “disarms” him of a contention he planned to pursue. Judge Joan DuBuque gave Savage until first thing this morning to cite case law to support his argument against dropping the conspiracy charge.

She also suggested the defense lawyers would want to read the trial brief that Baird had turned in – hinting that it would raise a number of issues that might take days to hash out – and when court reconvenes today, everyone will have “a better sense of what there is to argue about.”

All that means this may not get to jury selection for a while.

The trial originally was set to start in January – then suddenly, Sylve and O’Neal pleaded guilty, and that led to delays. It was pushed further back when Konat was still on the case, so as not to conflict with the South Park murder/rapes trial. Even Judge DuBuque acknowledged yesterday, “This [Bushaw murder] case has been proceeding in a piecemeal fashion.”

It’s also a complicated case – and as noted again in court yesterday, evidence will include a copious amount of cell-phone records – with the general allegation that Bushaw was killed because Huber believed he had been involved in a home-invasion robbery; Sylve and O’Neal allegedly were the triggermen, and Chaney the getaway driver.

(Photo credit: January 2011, by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)

Share This

Countdown to the Alki Art Fair: Winning T-shirt design
July 19, 2011 9:14 am
|    Comments Off on Countdown to the Alki Art Fair: Winning T-shirt design
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

When it’s a celebration of artists – and there’s a competition to design the official T-shirt – you know the result will be memorable. This Saturday and Sunday, the beach will be alive with art for the annual Alki Art Fair (co-sponsored by WSB), and though it’s free, you can help support it by buying a shirt. The winning design is above; the winning artist is Susan Basher, who organizers tell us is new to the fair, and will have a booth there. (You’ve probably seen the poster all around town too – it was created by Alaina Gridley, who has participated in the fair for several years.) In addition to the art you can admire and buy during the fair (10 am-6 pm both days this weekend), make plans to check out at least a few of the 29 acts slated for live musical performances – here’s our previous report with the full schedule, and help pay tribute to the Alki Bathhouse’s centennial (did you catch the Then And Now Seattle Times feature on Sunday?). More previews ahead; check out the official Alki Art Fair website here. And the forecast still tantalizes us with a suggestion of some weekend sunshine…

Share This

West Seattle Tuesday: SBX; playground; Hi-Yu concert; produce
July 19, 2011 8:26 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo courtesy Steve Fuller)
We reported yesterday morning on the impending temporary move of the SBX from its Vigor Shipyard spot so the Arctic-offshore-oil-drilling rig Kulluk can be maneuvered in. MarineTraffic.com indicates the Kulluk is now off north Seattle shores, so it looks like all this is still on for later today – the plan was for the SBX to spend about six hours out in Elliott Bay doing testing this afternoon/evening. Meantime, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

JOB-SEARCH SUPPORT GROUP: The long-running job-searcher-support group Notes From The Job Search meets every Tuesday at 11 am at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW. Members have of course come and gone, as jobs have been found (and lost), and if you’re a current searcher, they welcome you to drop in.

COMMUNITY FELDENKRAIS: Community Feldenkrais at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St), Erik LaSeur (WSB sponsor), Mary Morrison, & Anna Oeste, guild-certified Feldenkrais practitioners. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 12:30 – 1:15 group session, $5 members/$10 non-members, 1:30 – 3:30pm individual sessions with appointment (call Erik at 206-406-8154), improve balance and stability, increase flexibility, decrease pain, increase mental clarity.

KIDS’ DESIGN MEETING FOR NEW HIGH POINT PLAYGROUND: High Point is getting a playground at Bataan Park with the help of KaBOOM! and the Windermere Foundation, as first reported here last week, and this is the chance for area kids to have their say in its design. 4:30-7:30 pm, HP Neighborhood Center, 6400 Sylvan Way.

WEST SEATTLE HI-YU CONCERT IN THE PARK: Tonight’s the night! West Seattle Big Band at 7 pm, east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center, free (but bring a few dollars to buy West Seattle Hi-Yu buttons from circulating volunteers and royalty, to support the festival and Seattle’s last neighborhood parade float).

DELRIDGE PRODUCE COOPERATIVE BUYERS’ CLUB: Tonight is this new group’s every-other-Tuesday meeting, to order discounted organic produce for pickup next Sunday. You are welcome to join at any time – just look for the Delridge Produce Cooperative group at 7 pm at Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way SW.

Share This

West Seattle coyotes: 2 sightings, including a pet-safety reminder
July 19, 2011 8:08 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Our most recent two coyote sightings include a reminder for pet owners – it’s in a report this morning from DRS:

A rather bold coyote tried to eat my bunny (last night) at our home on 26th by Cottage Grove Park. Thanks to our awesome neighbors she’s safe and sound. Unfortunately no pic of the pesky canine but he/she was about the size of a border collie (just skinnier and more coyoteish, obviously). If you have pets that stay outside, make sure their pens are secure enough to withstand a frontal attack.

And Anya posted this one early Monday to the WSB Facebook wall:

Another coyote sighting. Between 36th/37th and Hudson. He was huge (at least 4 1/2 feet long, a good 2 feet tall and a very long bushy tail. His ears were perked straight up and he was a golden with dark brown down his spine into his tail); he looked like he was scrounging for food but he took me by surprise. I’ve lived in this house my whole life (22 years) and parents for a year before I came along and we’ve never seen a coyote around here.

Remember, while they’re apparently everywhere, the less seen, the better, because it means less entanglement between them, pets, and people – and if you do see one, do your best to scare it off, as advised in the “coexisting with coyotes” advice from wildlife authorities.

Share This

Help beautify Boren – and discourage tagging vandalism
July 19, 2011 12:59 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from June 4th)
Last month, a small, spirited group of volunteers spent a sunny Saturday morning at Boren School on Delridge, painting the backs and sides of mural panels that will go up around the closed campus to both beautify it and discourage tagging vandalism. Now, Pete Spalding (who’s at left in our photo) says, your help is needed to finish the work so the murals can be put up. You don’t need artistic talent – just a little time to lend to the work. 9 am July 30th (one week from this Saturday); e-mail Pete at bayouwonder@comcast.net so he knows how many people might show up.

Share This

Reader report: Suspicion-sparking person at Hiawatha wading pool
July 18, 2011 10:13 pm
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

This is one of those reports that’s hard to interpret – maybe it wasn’t what it seemed – but Todd asked that we share it, just in case:Read More

Share This

Free, live music tomorrow! West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park
July 18, 2011 6:13 pm
|    Comments Off on Free, live music tomorrow! West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

(WSB photo of the West Seattle Big Band during the 2010 Hi-Yu Concert in the Park)
Might be some clouds, but no rain forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday) night – which is good news for the next big summer event, the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Concert in the Park. You’re invited to the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, 7-8:30 pm tomorrow – bring your own blanket/chair, picnic dinner if you feel like it, and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band (celebrating its 15th anniversary). If you haven’t been there before – Hiawatha’s address is 2700 California SW, just north of West Seattle High School, but the concert area is on the east side, which is bordered by Walnut. (Parking is generally plentiful in the high-school lot, entering from California SW, however.)

Share This

West Seattle Junction Car Show reels in ‘Deadliest Catch’ visit
July 18, 2011 4:07 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Junction Car Show reels in ‘Deadliest Catch’ visit
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from 2010 West Seattle Junction Car Show)
From West Seattle Junction Car Show organizer Michael Hoffman, we get word that this year’s show will have four special guests from the cast of Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” Which four? Not set yet – stay tuned. Michael also says the website is updated at wsjunctioncarshow.com – if you’d like to enter a car in the show, you’ll find applications there. The Last Resort Fire Department‘s scheduled to bring back its antique fire trucks, and a charity raffle is again scheduled, with Junction True Value already stepping up to donate a $350 Weber Gas Grill. The Junction Car Show – with co-sponsors including WSB – will be on Sunday, September 18th, 8 am-4 pm, in the heart of The Junction. (P.S. In case you missed earlier word, no Alki car show this year – so this is your next big chance!)

Share This

More food trucks on a street near you? City Council OK’s rule change
July 18, 2011 3:30 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

The City Council has just approved a change in the city rules that have required food trucks to find private lots to set up on: Now they’ll be allowed to get permits to park on streets, with some restrictions, as detailed by our partners at the Seattle Times. (To read the full text of what the council approved, here’s the ordinance, and here’s a related resolution.)

Share This

Wednesday traffic alert: Big soccer game; extra Water Taxi service
July 18, 2011 2:31 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

Heads up for Wednesday night: The Seattle Sounders-Manchester United soccer game at 7 pm Wednesday will bring an estimated 66,000 people to the stadium zone. But the good news is that you can take the West Seattle Water Taxi – it’s running Wednesday night between Pier 50 and Seacrest every half hour from 7:30 to 10:30 pm, the county says. (Thanks to Jissy for the tip!) There’s also a series of bus reroutes – read on:Read More

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Updating 4 high-profile cases
July 18, 2011 2:20 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

gavel.jpgSTEVE BUSHAW MURDER TRIAL BEGINS: We’re at the King County Courthouse courtroom of Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque, where the rescheduled murder trial is starting this afternoon for the two remaining defendants in the February 2009 Junction shooting death of 26-year-old Steve Bushaw (two have already pleaded guilty). A jury has to be chosen before testimony can begin; right now, various motions are being brought up, including the prosecution’s proposal to drop the “conspiracy to commit murder” charge and leave the two defendants, Brandon Chaney and Bryce Huber, charged with first-degree murder/firearm enhancement. We’ll have a separate report on today’s proceedings later. (2:42 pm note – court has already recessed for the day.)

GATEWOOD ARSON: John C. Siegel, charged with arson and domestic violence in the June 28th fire at the Gatewood home he owned with his ex-wife, is scheduled to return to court tomorrow for a case-setting hearing, after pleading guilty last week. He remains in jail, status listed as “bail denied” (though a $1 million bail amount remains on the books for the arson charge).

FAIRMOUNT SPRINGS BURGLARY/ASSAULT: Monty Richardson, arrested two weeks ago and charged with breaking into a neighbor’s house and attacking her, was in court last week to answer the burglary, assault, and unlawful-imprisonment charges against him. He pleaded not guilty and remains in jail, with his bail still $250,000, due back in court for a case-setting hearing on July 25th.

STOLEN CAR/CAR-THEFT-TOOLS CASE: Repeat offender Skyelar Hailey remains in the Regional Justice Center jail in Kent, with bail set at $65,000, in a possession-of-stolen-vehicle/vehicle-theft-tools case we detailed here last month. He too was in court last week to plead guilty, and has a case-setting hearing set this Wednesday.

Share This