West Seattle, Washington
08 Tuesday
If you browse through our Wildlife archive category, you’ll see amazing eagle photos, taken by various West Seattle photographers. These might be the most amazing yet, and just in time for Valentine’s Day. Sandy Adams gets the hat tip – while we chatted at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch last Wednesday, she mentioned these photos, taken by Melanie Dixon, showing an eagle couple apparently mating. And at Sandy’s request, Melanie agreed to share the photos. Click ahead to see three more; no, you can’t “see anything,” it’s pretty much PG (as is WSB in general), but they’re undeniably gorgeous (and unusual) pictures of the majestic birds who share our peninsula (by the way – they mate for life):Read More
On a slow-ish Saturday afternoon, you can meander over to the WSB Forums if you haven’t already. Among the current discussion – Tigger and others are trying to figure out why their utility bills suddenly jumped. (Also browsable, the 100+ West Seattle-based sites that feed into the Blogs page – their latest entries are linked here.)
We took a few dozen photos at the Lunar New Year lion dance in White Center, outside Pho My Loi restaurant (10439 16th SW), this morning, and while you can also see half a dozen of them inline at partner site White Center Now, we’re sharing them here too as a slideshow from the West Seattle Blog Flickr group. Starting tomorrow, it’s the lunar Year of the Tiger.
Compared to the semi-uproar that erupted when a new draft Code of Conduct for Seattle Parks was presented to the Parks Board a month ago, there wasn’t much attention when the board voted on a revised code this past Thursday night. We couldn’t make the meeting but checked in with Alki-residing board chair Jackie Ramels on Friday to ask what happened. First, she points out, 80% of the code – “25 existing rules and regulations pertaining to parks” – is from the Seattle Municipal Code, Revised Code of Washington, or current Parks Policy and Procedures. Six new rules/regulations were added. And there were some changes from the last revision of the draft code. Ramels says:
The proposed Code of Conduct passed, with some changes; these are pertaining to new rules:
1. we re-worded and shortened the bathroom one (improper use of restrooms)
2. smoking and use of tobacco products we recommended for playgrounds, playfields and beaches within 25 ft. of another person, rather than ALL parks
3. the other new proposed rules, we passed
She adds, “We made some additional recommendations pertaining to existing rules” – including expanding the language about dog owners cleaning up after their pets, “owner carry scoop equipment AND USE IT,” and recommending that Parks “coordinate with other city departments to address homelessness — a topic that came up several times during the public hearing two weeks earlier, which also saw passionate testimony for and against a total smoking ban. Final say on the Code of Conduct rests with the City Council; it’ll show up first in the Parks Committee, which has its next meeting Thursday, 9:30 am (though its agenda for that meeting isn’t online yet). The committee’s chair, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, was at the Thursday night Parks Board meeting. Parks Board side note from Ramels: “Last week the board had a nice breakfast with most of the living former board chairs (there are seven total). Of the five who attended, two are from West Seattle: Bruce Bentley and Margaret Ceis.”
Editor’s note postscript – As pointed out later in comments, this does NOT go to the City Council – it’s an administrative rule.
(Thanks to Kurt for the photo of a Friday rainbow over Mural [WSB sponsor] in The Junction)
First – our West Seattle Valentine’s Dining Guide has info for tonight as well as tomorrow, if you haven’t checked it out yet – see it here. Next, highlights from the West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Sima Martial Arts (WSB sponsor) in The Junction is offering a free couples’ kickboxing class at 12:30 today — this WSB Forums post has details (plus free couples’ yoga at co-located Limber Yoga tomorrow); another WSB sponsor, Mountain to Sound Outfitters, invites you to a free Olympics-kickoff barbecue at noon today (3602 SW Alaska; details here). (Find other West Seattle freebies for today and beyond by going here.) Radio Disney’s at West Seattle Thriftway for a free Valentine show 10:30 am-noon today; two movie notes – West Seattle Film Forum screens and discusses “500 Days of Summer” at Southwest Library, 10:30 am (free), while Admiral Theater has one more round of the “Twilight”/”New Moon” double bill, 4 pm. Three special events tonight – Family Game Night, supper included, 4:30-7 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW), Parents’ Night Out at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), 5:30-10 pm (registration required – call to check on openings), and the West Seattle Sweetheart Community Dance at Hiawatha Community Center – swing dance lesson for beginners at 7, then dance to waltz, blues, more, as well as swing, 8-10 pm. Lots of live music too; the full Saturday list (and Sunday) is here!
We received this last weekend and realized we hadn’t shared it. The photo above came with just a few lines:
The house on Beach Drive that had a fire the day before Thanksgiving, has started rebuilding again. After a long wait with the Insurance investigator, we finally have the go ahead.
Thanks to all who have given us support.
The Joyce Family
That fire was ruled accidental, with damage around a quarter-million dollars, as we reported the day it happened..
Margaret sent this report Thursday night – as she notes, area animal-walkers might need to know, among others:
As I was walking my dog on Harbor Avenue today, I saw a wolf or a coyote dash across the street, from the harbor side to the wooded ravine. This occurred between Salty’s and the entrance to Jack Block Park. I think the animal may have been disturbed by someone driving a piece of heavy machinery pushing gravel around in the vacant lot next to Salty’s. The animal was almost hit by two cars as it crossed the street — one moving in each direction. It was about 12:30, in broad daylight. There was another witness (besides the drivers of the cars, who swerved to miss the animal) — a man walking toward Salty’s. He thought it was a wolf; I thought it was a coyote. In any case, it was not a loose dog. Perhaps people walking small animals in that area need to know. There is also a house … with goats in the back, on the hillside. I would hate to see carnage.
Wolf, pretty unlikely; coyote, much more likely. In fact, it’s been a little over a year since the case of the stranded coyote at Jack Block.
From WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli: A car fire south of The Junction is getting some extra attention from investigators tonight. Just before 7 pm, firefighters were called out to the 5200 block of California (map). They quickly put out the fire, which was apparently confined to the passenger compartment of a late model Lincoln Town Car. Fire investigators arrived at the scene shortly thereafter and taped off the parking lot. The front passenger window of the car was shattered and there appeared to be a red plastic gas can on the front seat of the car. Investigators seemed to be studying the contents of the car, including some loose papers and a set of blue latex gloves. There were no injuries reported and no apparent damage to the adjacent buildings. We will keep following up to see what investigators determine about the fire’s cause.
Several West Seattle Crime Watch reports in this roundup tonight. In the first, we have a few more details from police on something we mentioned via Twitter late last night – a report of shots fired near 21st/Barton (map). A nearby resident e-mailed today to say they’d heard about half a dozen shots. We checked with Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James, who says a woman told police she was stopped in a vehicle at that intersection when someone got out of another car and fired several rounds at hers. She took off and called police; Lt. James says, “They found several bullet holes in her vehicle and recovered 2 casings at 21st and Barton.” No injuries. Meantime, we have three other miscellaneous crime reports – including another car-on-blocks, nowhere near yesterday’s two reports – read on:Read More
KING5.com reports that the gun ban in certain Seattle Parks facilities has been overturned by a local judge. The case in which the ruling was made is NOT the one filed by the Kent man who invited media to come see him walk into Southwest Community Center with a concealed weapon last November (here’s our coverage), but that man – Bob Warden – has sent out a news release pointing out this afternoon’s ruling. We asked the City Attorney’s Office for its reaction; spokesperson Kathy Mulady has just sent this short statement – “”We will comply with the court order and we are weighing with our clients the options for an appeal.” (By “clients,” she says, they mean the mayor and City Council.) The park gun ban was ordered by former Mayor Greg Nickels last October; one of the first signs seen around the city was the one in the photo at left, shared with us by Hillary and shown here 10/21/09. 7:43 PM UPDATE: We’ve been away from the desk for a little while, and more reaction’s come in, in the meantime. From Mayor Mike McGinn:
“I am disappointed in today’s ruling. Cities should have the right to restrict guns in playgrounds, pools and community centers where children are present. The court’s ruling was based on a state law, RCW 9.41.290, which preempts Seattle from regulating the possession of firearms. It’s time for the state Legislature to change that law.”
8:12 PM: We also have a copy of the judge’s order, courtesy of the City Attorney’s Office. You can see the three-page order here. We are reminded, looking at the plaintiffs’ names, that two of them – Winnie Chan and Ray Carter – were described last fall as West Seattle residents.
Since we broke the story here on WSB this morning, there’s been regional and national attention for the shooting deaths of at least five sea lions that washed up here in West Seattle. Newest development – this just in from the Humane Society of the United States:
The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the deaths of five sea lions.
* Dan Paul, Washington state director for The HSUS, said about the case: “The individual or individuals responsible for this callous poaching have an appalling disregard for both sea lions and the laws that exist to protect these iconic animals. The Humane Society of the United States applauds the National Marine Fisheries Service for investigating this case.”
* Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the National Marine Fisheries Service at 1-800-853-1964.
The Humane Society also points out that since the sea lions are federally protected, a convicted poacher could face a fine up to $50,000. 5:20 PM UPDATE: Robin Lindsey with Seal Sitters has updated their site with the results of a necropsy on a harbor seal found dead – THAT one was natural causes.
This note came in from Sara Corn at Safeway’s local corporate HQ, after she read a discussion in comments following our full report on last night’s 5th and final Southwest Design Review Board meeting for the Admiral Safeway redevelopment. It seemed worth showcasing beyond just popping it into that comment thread.
Each of the [current Admiral Safeway] employees will be offered the opportunity to work in a different Safeway store in the Seattle Metro District during the time of construction. We understand this could be inconvenient for some, but years of planning could not yield a design that would allow the existing store to stay open during construction. It is one of the many reasons that we wanted to shorten the construction timeline to as short as possible. In addition, it is worth noting that the new store will employ 65-100 more employees than the current store employs, and the existing employees will have more hours available to them to work.
Just before 11 this morning, we sent this out in our “Announcements” stream as well as Facebook and Twitter, right after SPDBlotter announced it. But in case you hadn’t seen it any of those ways, we want to be sure you see it here on the home page, too: 
CrossFit West Seattle (42nd/Admiral) will be hosting a Hero Memorial Workout” on Sunday, in honor of SPD Officer Tim Brenton, the West Seattle High School graduate murdered in the line of duty last Halloween night. CFWS’s Eric Renn says this is “a CrossFit tradition when one of our members or their family members dies in the line of duty). … Unfortunately, the officer that died (Tim Brenton) was the brother of two of our dedicated gym members. We have created a workout that will be held in his honor which was requested by his family.” It’s a fundraiser for the Behind the Badge Foundation, according to SPDBlotter, $20/person if you want to join the workout (and that’ll get you a memorial T-shirt as well), spectators/well-wishers are welcome too! 3 pm Sunday, CrossFit West Seattle.
(1:55 pm summary: Rodney James has been sentenced to the 30 months in prison that prosecutors recommended.)
(WSB photo added 2:02 pm – Rodney James foreground left, the Wong family – from left, Jason, Wah, Salina, Jimmy – background right)
We are in King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector‘s courtroom downtown, along with Jade West Cafe proprietor Wah Wong and his son Jason Wong (plus many relatives and supporters), for the sentencing of Rodney James, the drunk driver who pleaded guilty to vehicular assault in the crash that badly hurt the Wongs two months ago. (The restaurant north of Morgan Junction has been closed ever since, its future still up in the air.) Also here: Three TV crews and a photographer from the Seattle Times (WSB partner) – close to 50 people in all in the courtroom. We are told some family members will address the judge; we’ll publish developments as they happen, with a longer story (including video and photos) later.
1:10 PM: The hearing has begun. The recommended 2 1/2 years is described as an “exceptional sentence.”
(WSB photo added 2:05 pm – Jimmy Wong at left, James’ lawyer at right)
1:16 PM: Jimmy Wong, the eldest son from California, is about to speak, after senior deputy prosecutor Amy Freedheim finished explaining how heinous the case is. “No amount of apology that he says will undo any of the damage that has been done. Mr. James’ actions have ruined my family’s fortune, source of income, my father’s passion, having his own restaurant for 20 years, serving the West Seattle community, that passion’s been taken away from him.” And he is speaking emotionally of his brother, who lost a leg. “The only thing I have left are memories of my brother … dancing at my wedding.” Then, he speaks of the customers of Jade West, who considered it home: “They don’t have a home any more.”
1:22 PM: Salina Wong, Wah’s wife and Jason’s mother, is speaking now. She too is crying. And then, she is angry, and tells James not to repeat the mistake. (added 5:15 pm – video of her testimony)
1:26 PM: Jason Wong, in a wheelchair, is speaking now. “One day I will get over this – but my family won’t. My parents have worked so hard, to see everything crumble in one day.”
1:30 PM: The lawyer for Rodney James is speaking and says he chose to accept “complete responsibility” and “wishes that day had never happened.” She spoke for about four minutes; James is speaking now, saying “I am devastated by this loss and it has affected me a great deal … if I could do this all over again, I would not have gotten in my car on that night.”
1:35 PM: Now the judge is speaking. “But for the heroic act of Jason, his father might not be here today.” She says the court has received 113 letters of support for the Wongs and Jade West. “More letters than I have ever seen, combined, in my 11th year on the bench.” She says the letters express outrage, disbelief, disappointment in the legal system. She calls James’s behavior “outrageous.” She says that James has agreed to factors that make it possible for her to sentence him to more than the standard range of 13 to 17 months. “Some of the letters have asked me to sentence you to the maximum the law permits … that would be 10 years. Some asked for more … even life. The law simply does not allow for that.” (added 2:37 – part of that statement, on video – sorry about all the typing noise)
She says she is aware that the Wong family are “incredible members of our community … Jason had agreed with a degree in aeronautical engineering and was in the process of obtaining a masters in that field … when your car (James’s car) landed in their driveway.” She says that on Wah Wong’s behalf, a former owner of the Jade West even wrote a letter, and “took great pride in seeing how it had grown in reputation throughout the West Seattle community.” She says the letters have been “overwhelming.” And, “No amount of time” will bring back the way the Wongs were .. the way the Jade West was. “Our entire community grieves for your losses, currently and prospectively,” the judge says. She also says she got letters from James’s parents expressing “deep remorse over their son’s actions.” She says toxicology reports now show James’ blood-alcohol level was .19 – higher than the originally reported .16. “The court will sentence you to the original 30 months agreed to,” she says. He also will serve 18 months probation afterward, and a $1,700-plus financial obligation even before a restitution hearing to determine what else he will be ordered to pay. If he gets a driver license in the future, he will have to have a device that will keep his car from starting unless he has less than .02 blood alcohol. She told him a few minutes earlier that he should never drive a car again, and that “if we were in Europe” he would lose his license for life.
1:56 PM: The hearing is concluded. We will see if the Wongs plan to speak to reporters outside the courtroom; we spoke with Jimmy Wong before the hearing, and he wasn’t sure if they would want to.
(UPDATED EARLY SATURDAY) Another weekend, another big Sunday – this time, instead of the game of football, it’s the game of love. We’ve been featuring the West Seattle Valentine’s Day dining guide – see the latest updates here – highlights from the WSB sponsor ranks include brunch (mimosa carafe!) and dinner special features at Skylark Cafe and Club and a steak/shrimp special at Feedback Lounge. Also – self-defense and yoga freebies, a free movie, an art show to help Haiti, Fauntleroy’s “The Man Show” tonight, Lafayette Elementary’s theater production tonight, Twilight/New Moon double features today and tomorrow at The Admiral … From tonight through Sunday night, more than 40 events/activities, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club, where you’ll find FREE live music and rockin’ food:Read More
This Sunday, February 14th, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM at the West Seattle CrossFit located at 4200 Admiral Way Southwest there will be a fundraiser for the Behind the Badge Foundation. There will be a Memorial Workout honoring Officer Tim Brenton. Don’t want to work out? Just stop by and say hello! This event is open to the public. A $20 donation will get you in the door and a Memorial t-shirt. For additional information, contact Greg Tomlinson at (206) 409-3166.
Officer Brenton, you’ll recall, was a West Seattle High School graduate; he is the SPD officer murdered more than three months ago in Leschi.
Followup on the story we published yesterday about sea lions found dead on West Seattle shores (also updated late last night on the Seal Sitters’ site): 
We just talked with Brian Gorman at the National Marine Fisheries Service. He says that preliminary necropsy results show that at least five dead sea lions found in the past week in this area had been shot. (Inset photo, courtesy of Will, is from an on-beach necropsy south of Alki Point yesterday.) One, Gorman says, was a federally protected Steller sea lion – a species not commonly seen in Puget Sound. (Seal Sitters wrote about that sea lion’s death [scroll down].) “This is unusual,” he says. “We’ve turned over the evidence to our enforcement folks … We’ll certainly be tracking this.” he says. Investigators have no idea yet where these animals were shot, by whom, and why (no specifics yet on the type of gun/s that were used, either). There’s a chance there are more; Gorman says they’ve received reports of “floating carcasses,” though they might have been multiple sightings of the ones that already have washed up.
Regarding whether these shootings would be treated as a crime, he explains, “There are instances where you could shoot a sea lion if it were threatening your life, and there are a few tribes that have permits to shoot sea lions [in fishing circumstances] … Certainly not Stellers.” NMFS usually gets one or two reports of sea-lion shootings each year, he says, but “it is certainly very unusual for us to get this many.” Quoting the Seal Sitters website: “If a marine mammal is being harassed or harmed, call NOAA Enforcement Hotline, 800-853-1964. If there is imminent danger, call 911.”
A few more notes from high-school basketball last night: Chief Sealth High School‘s boys’ varsity team solidified its 2nd-place ranking in the Metro Conference by beating Bainbridge last night, 72-56 (stats here). In girls’ varsity, Bainbridge defeated Sealth, 57-35 (stats here). Meantime, there’s more to report from WSHS’s games besides the melee we mentioned last night – ceremonies honoring senior players, and game highlights – read on:Read More
As mentioned on Wednesday – this is an unpaid-furlough day for some city Parks workers, and that means some facilities are closed, including community centers (except for child-care and late-night programs) and Southwest Pool. Here’s the full list. And everything’s closed next Monday for Presidents Day.
Story and photo by Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
If you live in Westwood and have an idea of how to improve the neighborhood, now’s your chance.
The hot-button topic at Thursday night’s Westwood Neighborhood Council meeting wasn’t the choice of artist or location for an upcoming grant-funded mural, or whether county leadership might reopen the conversation about the West Seattle RapidRide route.
There was minimal discussion around those subjects, as well as the P-Patch that is going in at 34th and Barton at the old Seattle Public Utilities site, or about the letter of intent filed for a Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund grant to improve the Longfellow Creek trail near SW Thistle. The majority of the meeting discussion swirled around the very existence of the group – its shortage of membership, volunteers and general interest, and what can be done to change that.
Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Hungry?
Jessica Creager understands that a lot of people are these days — for jobs, for money, or for food.
Her show “Craving,” featured during Thursday night’s West Seattle Art Walk and continuing on display at Wallflower Custom Framing (WSB sponsor), 4735 42nd Ave SW, is a response to that reality: her paintings are focused on the “little things in life that cause her to spontaneously smile,” like a pink-frosted cupcake or a pair of Swedish Fish. Some of the paintings themselves are tiny, too, and that’s intentional, to make them more affordable to people who are feeling an economic pinch.
In fact, Creager is one of those people, but she’s not a starving artist. Instead, she’s an artist who’s looking for a job in law.
Police had to help break up a melee that led to tonight’s boys’ varsity basketball game at West Seattle High School getting cut short. At the gym, WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who’s covered numerous games around WS this season, says the game had less than five minutes to go when he saw two players, one from Rainier Beach HS and one from WSHS, get into a confrontation on the floor, then someone “came out of nowhere” to join the melee, police stepped in, someone in the stands was yelling at the refs, and others joined in the criticism of the refs. Police stepped in and started helping get things under control, but the game was officially called with 4:22 to go, score RB 58, WSHS 22, and we are told it will count. No word of any injuries. Patrick talked with WSHS principal Bruce Bivins as the gym was clearing; he said, “The students acted correctly – (but) the actions of hotheaded adults” are what resulted in the melee. 11:02 PM: Long before the game’s abrupt ending, this was Senior Night and Open House night at WSHS, and we’ll have a separate story on all that a bit later.
(Street-level rendering by Fuller Sears Architects, showing the middle of the new store’s California SW frontage)
We’re at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge, where a major development proposal has just reached a milestone: The Admiral Safeway redevelopment project has finished the Design Review process. The process is a two-meeting minimum for any project, but this was the 5th design-review meeting. Safeway plans to tear down the current store and moving a house on Safeway property behind it, building a larger new store, a small one-story retail building, and a residential/flex-work-units project on the 42nd SW side of the property. Only one issue remained for this last meeting – the new store’s California SW frontage – and it took less than an hour for the board to give its approval. Four board members were present, and only one was on the board when it started going through the Design Review process in September of 2008 (here’s our first report). They’re about to turn out the lights here in the Youngstown theater, as board members and development representatives wrap up post-meeting chat, so we’re moving back to HQ to finish the story. This isn’t the last review for the project overall – it still needs City Council approval for alley vacation (behind the current store) and partial rezoning. ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: Read on for the details of the meeting:Read More
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