West Seattle, Washington
03 Thursday
(added 4:34 pm – car at left is the “vehicle of interest” police are seeking)
4:25 PM: Update to the photo we published earlier, showing a car similar to the one police think might be connected to Saturday night’s murder of Officer Tim Brenton – SPDBlotter now has details on the “profile” of who they are looking for, as well as images of the actual “vehicle of interest.” We’ll pull those out in a moment but right now, go here to see them. 4:36 PM: To help this get as wide exposure as possible, here’s the entire text of what’s on SPDBlotter:
While I cannot discuss all of our current investigation details and methods, please know that we are working with local, state and federal agencies to process all of the forensic evidence. There is no technology or resource that is not or will not be fully exploited in order to identify the individual (or individuals) responsible for this crime. As we continue in our efforts, we are calling for the assistance of the public to help us identify this subject or this group. We believe this subject engaged in recognizable behaviors and activities prior to, during and after the commission of this crime. He likely possesses certain traits and characteristics that would be noted by those around him.
His skills in weapons use and close quarter techniques suggest prior training. He has likely practiced a great deal with weapons and those around him will note his abilities and interest in them. These skills may have been developed through previous employment or hobbies. In the days and weeks prior to the shooting, he may have increased his practice with weapons.
After the shooting, he may have disposed of, altered, hidden or repaired his vehicle in some form. This vehicle may have been damaged in the firefight. It is described as a 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210. It is important that if anyone has recently sold a vehicle of this type or had one stolen that they call Seattle Police at 206 233-5000.
After the homicide, he may have displayed uncharacteristic behavior, such as being silent and quiet about the shooting when others would have expected him to be outspoken about it. He may also display an uncharacteristic interest or even fascination in the news of the shooting. Regardless, the stress of this homicide may cause him to behave differently from his norm.
On Halloween night, October 31st, he was notably absent for a period of time, in the hours before midnight. If there are others who are a part of his life and aware of his routine, and this includes relatives, co-workers, friends or others, he will have had to provide a plausible explanation for this absence to them.
He likely has experienced a significant personal crisis in the recent past. This event may have been the death of a loved one, loss of job or status, divorce, financial hardship, or other failure. Whatever it is that is bothering him, he may often be outspoken about what he perceives to be a deeply personal grievance. We’d like to know what this grievance is. His grievance may relate to his employment or position in life. We do believe that although he shot a police officer, he may in fact admire them and even act like them.
He knows that there are very good officers, and Officer Tim Brenton was a very good officer who swore a solemn oath to protect our citizenry. We’d like to know why this person chose the Seattle Police Department as the target of his grievance.
While it may appear we are focusing on a sole male offender, we have not ruled out the possibility of this crime being committed by a small group. What I have been describing is the likely personality and behavior of the dominant individual behind this plan that has turned into a serious crime. In fact, there may be others involved in the planning or actual attack who may not have expected this incident to have become the murder of a good and innocent police officer. If there is such an individual he or she may be in fear for their own safety. We are willing to listen and help, if such an individual wishes to contact us about the killer.
Clearly, we are also willing to listen to the offender to better understand his grievance.
We ask the public to carefully consider the information provided above and consider whether or not they may know this offender or have noted behaviors or activities suggestive of involvement in this incident. Please contact the Police Department if you feel you may have information related to this crime, no matter how insignificant it may appear to you. You may contact us by the following ways: 206-233-5000, anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 206-343-2020 or through a text message by texting TIP486 with a message, then sending that to 274637 (CRIMES).
We also remind the public of the $105,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this investigation.
Below are images of the 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210. The color appears to be white or beige. These images were captured by Seattle Police Department in-car cameras of officers responding to Officer Sweeney’s call for help. The images were captured in the vicinity of the murder.
(Photo by Mike Siegel/THE SEATTLE TIMES [WSB partner])
West Seattle-residing King County Executive-elect Dow Constantine has just announced his transition team – including another West Seattleite, Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis. Read on for the official announcement (p.s. regarding the main not-settled-yet race, Seattle Mayor, the next vote count should be out within an hour or so):Read More
Just breaking this afternoon: Seattle Police are distributing this photo in connection with the shooting death of Seattle Police officer Tim Brenton. They are looking for a Datsun B210 car similar to this one shown in an online car advertisement. The vehicle may be connected with the Saturday night murder. Again, here’s how to get police information about the case (this is excerpted from SPDBlotter):
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call either 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Unit at 206 684-5550, or the tipline at (206) 233-5000. Those wishing to remain annonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637). Your text message should include “TIP486″ to ensure proper routing.
The reward fund has passed $100,000.
3 weeks till Thanksgiving and some holiday decorations are already up (passing by Morgan Junction Tully’s last night, we noticed stockings and lights) – holiday news to share too: 
First, Village Green Perennial Nursery is taking orders for trees – priced from $30 to $400 (11-foot Noble Fir) – with a percentage of the proceeds raising $ for Community School of West Seattle. Here’s the price list and how to order. Second, Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association talked a bit at last night’s Southwest District Council meeting (other SWDC stories here and here) about the upcoming Hometown Holidays celebration in The Junction: You can mark your calendar for the tree lighting on Dec. 5, three Hometown Holidays Sundays with carriage rides and Santa photos on Dec. 6/13/20, and a special “shop late” holiday West Seattle Art Walk night on December 10th. (Be sure to let us know about your holiday events so we can get them on the calendar – editor@westseattleblog.com or “share” them via Facebook, facebook.com/westseattleblog – thanks!)
Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, The Little Gym of West Seattle, about to open at California/Myrtle (map). It’s WSB tradition for new sponsors to get the chance to share information about their business, so here’s what The Little Gym wants you to know: When new parents come to us and ask “why should I sign up for a class at The Little Gym?”, we ask them a very important question back- “What are you looking for in a program?” Some parents are looking for their children to learn fundamental motor and gymnastics skills, while other parents are looking for a class that emphasizes structured social interaction for their children. 
Others might want a place to take a class with friends in an environment that is fun and friendly, where they can connect and interact with other parents who have children of the same age. The reasons that people bring their children to The Little Gym are numerous, but the reasons that they stay with us have to do with both the dynamic teachers and the curriculum of our classes. We strive to create an environment of love, patience, respect, security and fun, while at the same time teaching real gymnastics skills from an early age that will get them started toward a healthy and active life. Our teachers are continually trained in both movement analysis and children¹s developmental milestones. Starting with babies at 4 months, and going through the age of 12 years old, The Little Gym gives children and parents a solid skill foundation that includes gross and fine motor skills, strength, coordination, balance, and a healthy dose of positive self image. We teach children to try their best, and that it is always ok to make a mistake – mistakes are how we learn and improve. We currently have 6 teachers from our other locations coming to teach at The Little Gym of West Seattle (3 are West Seattle residents!), and will continue to add more friendly faces as the program grows. Interested families are always welcome to join our program for a free introductory class, which they can either schedule over the phone at 206-937-0311 or online at www.tlgwestseattlewa.com. Our first week of classes will begin the week of November 9th, and our Open House is scheduled for Saturday, November 21st from 2-5 pm – bring a food donation for West Seattle Food Bank!
On a side note, our computer system had an email address glitch in it for a few weeks in September. We did not receive e-mail inquiries during this time, and were only able to recapture some of the lost e-mails. If you inquired and did not get a response back, we are sincerely sorry for the problem and would love to hear from you again!
We thank The Little Gym of West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
While Seattle Fire investigators have their hands full with an arsonist in the North End (PhinneyWood coverage here), they have ruled NO foul play in an early-morning fire in Highland Park: The fire at a house in the 7900 block of 9th SW (map) was accidental, no injuries, damage estimated at $70,000. (Thanks to Diane for the tip.)
That’s Allison Rich (thanks to Krista for the photo!), co-owner of the newly remodeled Angelina’s in Admiral (2311 California SW) – she just sent word that after several nights of “friends and family” dinner rehearsals, they’ve passed their inspections and Angelina’s will reopen to the public as of 5 pm tonight. Allison says it’ll be dinner only till Monday, when they add lunch. Allison and husband Skip Rich bought the restaurant from its longtime owners and did extensive remodeling inside, including adding a bar (here’s our story from halfway through the 2-month remodeling process). 1 PM UPDATE: Just went by for a couple photos:
(Note in the dining room photo, the chalkboard on the wall in the booth, as mentioned in our earlier story – they also have portable ones if requested for the non-booth tables.) The menu’s not online yet but we took a sneak peek at that – it does indeed include some old faves from the Trattoria days (tonight’s Fresh Sheet, for example, is topped by the chicken-and-hazelnuts fettucini, but also includes steak). Their website is just bare bones now, with more to come: angelinaswestseattle.com.
ADMIRAL SAFEWAY ALLEY VACATION: If you’re proposing a street or alley “vacation” – in which the public right-of-way is relinquished, for development or another reason – the Seattle Design Commission has to review your plan, including the “public benefits” you’re offering to make up for it. That’s why it’ll be looking at the Admiral Safeway redevelopment plan (here’s the most recent public presentation) today, 2 pm, Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall downtown.
NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING – BE THERE! West Seattle’s 5 areas with official plans – Admiral, Delridge, Morgan Junction, The Junction, Westwood/Highland Park – did a stellar job of representing at the neighborhood plan status/update meeting on that sizzling July day at Youngstown. Tonight’s the next step – a meeting to review how that information was processed, whether you agree the “status check” represents where things stand in your neighborhood, and what happens next. The WS neighborhoods are sharing a meeting place with a few others, so this meeting is on Beacon Hill, 6 pm, Mercer Middle School (directions). You’re also invited to participate in this online questionnaire.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TONIGHT: In girls’ soccer, West Seattle High School is in the Metro third-place game vs. Lakeside, 5 pm at Memorial Stadium downtown; in varsity football, *Seattle Lutheran High School plays Evergreen Lutheran, 7 pm at West Seattle Stadium.
From Wednesday night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting: NDNC has prioritized the traffic projects it hopes the city will fund, and settled on a list to send to the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council for review – here are the top three:
1. Delridge Way SW between Andover and Myrtle: Traffic calming by adding a median with trees and plants – cost between $6.8 and $8.3 million
2. Brandon between 23rd & 30th: Sidewalk to continue across creek and up the hill – cost between $2 and $2.5 million
3. Hudson between 26th and Puget Blvd: Add a sidewalk, as there is a school bus stop that serves 2 school buses — cost between $1.3 & $1.6 million
Before the group voted, discussion centered on a need for sidewalks, especially near bus stops – Metro as well as school buses – and in the areas where new townhouses have brought new density, and more people on foot. Also last night: Though the Delridge Produce Cooperative‘s “mobile market” experiment is over, the group is alive, well and looking for help in drawing up a business plan to create a 
storefront. DPC chief Galena White talked about the 525 surveys filled out during their four-week experiment, indicating high interest in locally grown organic produce being regularly available. The group meets 6 pm every Tuesday at Pearls on Delridge; online, you can find them here. And there was another reminder about Saturday’s Adopt-A-Street cleanup – show up outside Delridge Community Center (map) at 9:45 to get tools, supplies (and coffee!) – Nancy Folsom told the group they’ll have a drawing for a (Heart) Delridge T-shirt (as seen at right) from among those who show up.
From Laura at CoolMom, word that they’ve got room left for you and your family to join them in getting into the holiday mood this Friday:
RESERVE YOUR FAMILY’S SPOT @ Family Movie Night Hosted by West Seattle CoolMom – Nov 6, 6:30-8:30pm, Camp Long. It’s FREE and appropriate for ALL AGES! But you have to call ahead and reserve space for your family (206.684.7434).
Magic School Bus Holiday edition – This movie is based on the books by Joanna Cole with illustrations by Bruce Degen. The animated holiday film features voice talent by Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. Basic plot: During a class trip to Murph’s recycling plant, Wanda’s toy soldier is accidentally turned into plastic pellets. Unable to get into the production of the Nutcracker ballet without her toy soldier, Wnda wishes for a world without recycling. Ms. Fizzle decides to show Wanda and the other children the importance of recycling by un-recycling everything in Walkerville. Plus other features.
Bring your blankets/pillows and dinner if you choose. Donations to help cover the cost of the space appreciated. Questions? Contact Laura Elfline, West Seattle CoolMom Coordinator, 206.715.0893.
Tuesday night wasn’t just Election Night – at Chief Sealth High School, it was International Baccalaureate (IB) Information Night. From left, student ambassadors Alisha Dacus, Katie Marvin, Irene Idos, Natasha O’Rourke, Megan Korling, and Paul Duncan were among those there to answer questions. IB is a challenging academic program that’s in its third year at Sealth. Its courses are offered in junior and senior year, but it’s never too soon to start looking ahead – the 
Sealth website even offers advice on what middle schoolers can be studying to prepare for IB. Meantime, as principal John Boyd (photo at right) told those in attendance last night, the school itself has grown tremendously too – 750 students when he started five school years ago; 827 last year; 1000 this year. Asked by parents what the new attendance boundaries (reported here last night) may mean to Sealth’s size, he said that’s not clear yet, but the renovated school on SW Thistle (where they’ll be moving back next fall after 2 years in the temporary Boren quarters on Delridge) will have a “functional capacity” of 1130. Two more Sealth notes: the Chief Sealth PTSA just announced that the November 12 Seahawk Spirit dinner/auction is sold out; also, if you haven’t seen it yet, the school newspaper the Southwester is now online – check out the latest edition, with opinion as well as reporting.
The city is getting ready to spend $20 million on its golf courses over the next 20 years, and almost half that sum is designated for the West Seattle Golf Course, the Southwest District Council was reminded tonight. Deputy Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams attended the meeting to brief the SWDC on the status of plans for WSGC improvements (as discussed here in April). Williams said they’ll start pursuing the bond funding for the $20 million in January – leveraging the $1 million-plus profit the city’s golf courses make each year – and that’s also when he expects planning and design to begin for the first West Seattle project that’ll be teed up, a driving range (West Seattle is the only city golf course without one) against the hillside along 35th SW. Williams listed its cost at $4.5 million – that’s up from what was mentioned last spring, and says it’s slated to be built in 2011 after a year of planning and design that he promised will include meetings and other chances for public involvement. Also in the works, the $700,000 “perimeter trail” that will further connect the golf course with Camp Long, but Williams says it isn’t scheduled to be put in until the sixth or seventh year of the 20-year funding plan, and he says the clubhouse/crew facilities wouldn’t be built till “the end of the bond lifecycle.” Not good news, said Fairmount Community Association rep Sharonn Meeks – “that thing [current clubhouse] is falling down.” She also pointed out that nearby residents have concerns about the lighting for the driving range. One last note – Williams said West Seattle is under consideration for electric golf carts; it’s not just a matter of swapping out the carts, he explained, saying electric carts need special paths and a “cart barn” where they can plug in to charge up. (More info on golf-course improvement plans and the city’s Golf Course Master Plan can be found here.)
From a resident who wanted to be anonymous, word of a burglary today:
My house was broken into 11/4/09 between the hours of 7:30am to 5:30pm. Burglar broke window on side of house through the alley. Took coins in jar and rummaged through closets and jewelry. Fortunately when they left, they closed the door, thus keeping my 2 beloved cats safe in the house. House is located on Genesee between 44th and 45th [map].
Just back from the Southwest District Council meeting at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor), where one of the guests was Deputy Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams. His main topic was an update on future West Seattle Golf Course improvements; we’ll write about that separately. After that briefing, he asked if anyone in the room — the council is made up of representatives from community groups and organizations around western West Seattle, which the city calls the “Southwest District” — had questions or concerns about the cyclocross controversy. (If you missed it – that was a bike race scheduled for Halloween in Lincoln Park, till the Parks Department canceled the permit with days to go after being contacted by upset community members.)
No revelations, but for the record, since the topic generated so much interest here originally (and spawned a couple of citywide media stories, here and here): First Williams recapped the background — saying Parks promised it wouldn’t allow those races in “natural-area parks” after a 2002 cyclocross race at Lincoln Park left some trails and turf at the park “utterly destroyed,” but that policy “got lost” in the bureaucracy somewhere until the granting of this permit came to the attention of “members of the community” who “reminded us of our commitment,” at which time, “five days before the event, we canceled it … The department was trying to keep a commitment we made to the community, trying to recognize that Lincoln Park is a natural-area park that needs to have uses compatible with its design as a natural-area park.”
One point of interest in his brief recap: He acknowledged that the cancellation announcement brought “a lot of e-mail from people who were upset on both sides … that kept us busy for a number of days.” The race promoters went on to have an event on Halloween after all, in White Center’s Lakewood Park; Williams says there’s one scheduled in Seattle, in Lower Woodland Park, for November 15.
Photos and memories are being shared at Pegasus on Alki right now during the event previewed here this morning – West Seattle High School Class of 1988 alums gathering to remember their fellow ’88 alum Officer Tim Brenton, the first Seattle police officer murdered in the line of duty in 15 years. Those at the gathering when we stopped by (along with a couple TV stations) included, from left, Julie Gossard, Pegasus general manager Clara Doray, Rick Antonelli and Eileen de Guzman:
They’re collecting donations for the Brenton Family Assistance Fund (details here) and also have a donation box set up on the Pegasus counter:
Clara said they all used to hang out together in high school, and getting together seemed like a natural thing to do. They’re talking about the possibility of some kind of ongoing memorial, but it’s just in the idea stages right now. Rick told us he first heard the name go by on TV over the weekend – (Officer Brenton was identified at the Sunday afternoon briefing, 17 hours after the shooting) and went online to see if it was the same guy he remembered from high school – finding out it was, they all said, gave them chills. Their gathering is scheduled to continue at Pegasus till 9 tonight.
Meantime, today’s developments in the aftermath of the murder include: The reward is now up to $105,000 (more details on the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild website); the ambush survivor, Officer Britt Sweeney, has asked to return to work (here’s the Central District News story – also, you can join a new Facebook group, Support Officer Britt Sweeney); and, as noted here earlier, the procession route to precede Officer Brenton’s Friday memorial has been announced.
ORIGINAL 3:46 PM REPORT: The county has said that today’s results will be out at/around 4:30 pm – but sometimes they’re early – so here’s the link in case you want to keep checking. The Seattle Mayor’s race is of course the one that’s too close to call – so here’s the direct link to where you’ll see those results. On a statewide level, Referendum 71 is also close – the latest result update is from less than an hour ago – “yes” is still ahead – see the numbers here. 4:35 PM UPDATE: Results are out. McGinn still leads but it’s narrower – fewer than 500 votes. Referendum 71 has picked up a wider “yes” margin – now it’s more like 52 percent yes, 48 percent no. 5:38 PM UPDATE: In the King County Executive’s race, which is now Dow Constantine 58%, Susan Hutchison 42%, she finally conceded this afternoon, issuing a statement that reads in part:
Although we are encouraged to see tens of thousands of additional votes in our favor this afternoon, we are certain the final outcome in this race will remain the same. This afternoon I called my opponent, Dow Constantine, to congratulate him on his election to King County Executive. Because the new Executive has only a few weeks until taking office, I want him to be able to move forward quickly to accomplish an orderly transition.
Because he’s filling the remaining few months of Ron Sims‘ unfinished term, Constantine will be sworn in once the election’s certified. (Then our area will need a new King County Councilmember.) 6:35 PM: A couple more updates – Constantine’s starting to name his transition team, and it will include West Seattle-residing Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis, according to this Times report; McGinn’s only comment this afternoon has been a short statement that they’re just waiting and watching the returns – he’s taking two days off to spend with his family and won’t be doing interviews again till Friday, according to the statement.
Because the Alki Homestead is a city landmark, any change to its landmark-designated features must be approved by the city Landmarks Board – and the first step in this case is a meeting with its Architectural Review Committee. We’ve just confirmed with city Landmarks Board coordinator Beth Chave that Homestead owner Tom Lin is scheduled to take his proposal for the closed-by-fire property before the ARC next Friday, for the first public presentation since he discussed it with the Alki Community Council in mid-September (WSB coverage here). No final decisions will be made, as this is truly a group that reviews proposals and offers suggestions to those working on them, before they are brought up for official board action, but it’s a public meeting, 8:30 am, Room 4070 at the Municipal Tower downtown.
ORIGINAL 1:29 PM REPORT: Thanks for the tips about a helicopter search – we’ve headed in that general direction (Arbor Heights) and are making calls to law-enforcement agencies – details as we get them. 1:34 PM UPDATE: Seattle Police Det. Mark Jamieson says that Guardian One and SPD are helping with a King County Sheriff’s Office search involving someone who fled a stolen car. The call apparently started in the White Center area (17th/Roxbury) but we’re seeing the helicopter over the 11100 block of 35th SW in Arbor Heights. 1:53 PM UPDATE: Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart tells us the suspect is now in custody, as of just a few moments ago.
(thanks to Justin from Capitol Hill Seattle for making the G-map)
It won’t go through West Seattle, but it may pass near your workplace, or you might want to arrange to see it go by, so we are publishing the details just released by SDOT of the plan for a 1,000-plus-vehicle procession to Friday’s KeyArena memorial for murdered SPD Officer Timothy Brenton – read on:Read More
ALMOST OPEN: The remodeled Angelina’s in the Admiral District is almost ready to open. (Thanks to Krista for the shot of the new sign.) After “friends and family” previews this week, they’re just awaiting the final go-ahead (inspections, etc.) to open to the public; here’s our preview story from the midst of the major work. Meantime, we’ve got the opening date for another business-in-progress:
DATE SET: Greg Whittaker from Alki Kayak Tours says November 27 is set as the date for opening their new ski, paddlesports and rack shop in the Triangle, Mountain to Sound Outfitters. He sent the above photo “to get the ski bums excited!” now that inventory-stocking is under way – that’s Jon Steel, ski technician and kayaking guide, with some of the inventory. (As first reported here, the shop’s at 3602 SW Alaska [map].)
CYCLE U OPEN HOUSE/GRAND OPENING: Also in the Triangle, the new Cycle U at 4550 Fauntleroy SW is having its official grand-opening open house on Saturday, with giveaways and refreshments; full details online; here’s our Cycle U story from last month.
COFFEE CHANGE: “Rockergirl” first noted this in the WSB Forums and now Paul from PB&J Textiles confirms it: They’ve sold their 6-month-old shop Coffee at the Heights (WSB sponsor) to barista Andrea. Paul says, “She has always wanted to own her own coffee shop. We are very grateful to our customers and had a blast running the shop! We are not going far, we still have our other 2 businesses here in West Seattle. Soon we will be doing upgrades to the Olympic Heights Laundry.” That’s next door to the coffee shop (7349 35th SW).
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 tonight, Delridge Library (map). Holli Margell sends word of what’s in store:
Want to cast another vote? Join us (tonight). We’ll be reviewing the “Bridging the Gap” Projects for the neighborhood to prioritize and narrow down the list for submission. Also on the agenda are our guest speakers, Amy Pennington of Urbangardenshare.org and Galena White of the Delridge Produce Coop, both sharing about their programs and answering our questions.
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 tonight, South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) board room (map). As previewed here, highlights will include deputy Parks superintendent Christopher Williams with an update on plans for West Seattle Golf Course‘s future, and a rep for Councilmember Sally Clark talking about neighborhood planning. (The next step on that is tomorrow night, at a meeting that’s not in West Seattle but needs as many WS attendees as it can get – the followup to July’s neighborhood-plan “status check” meeting and all those online questionnaires – Thursday, 6 pm, Mercer Middle School on Beacon Hill [map].)
Now that an assistance fund has been set up for the family of murdered Seattle Police Officer Tim Brenton, drives are under way to gather donations. And one of them involves Officer Brenton’s classmates in the West Seattle High School Class of 1988. Jay Havner sends word that they’re gathering at Pegasus Pizza on Alki this afternoon/evening and are inviting “any and all” to join them – they’ll be sharing memories and collecting “money to donate to Tim’s family in this time of great need.” 3-9 pm today/tonight, 2770 Alki (map). Meantime, SPD continues planning for the memorial this Friday, 1 pm, KeyArena.
(original photo replaced 9:46 pm with our clip of Constantine arriving at the podium – speech video to come)
Dow Constantine vs. Susan Hutchison – results here. Constantine starts off with a big lead. We’re at his campaign party – huge cheer as the results were announced; he is not expected to speak until after 8:30. Rep. Sharon Nelson is speaking now (8:21) – saying it’s been “a long campaign against a Republican stealth candidate.” She says Dow came in and fought “for what is right … for King County.” 9:01 PM: Constantine gave an energetic, resolute speech – declaring this a “new beginning” for King County – but also exhorting Hutchison supporters to “join us.” We have it all on video from about 1 foot away (thanks to Teri from Furry Faces Foundation for assisting in crowd maneuvering!) and will upload the whole thing when we are back at HQ.
He stood next to his partner Shirley at the podium during his speech, after sharing the podium briefly with two of the state legislators who were among his primary opponents – Sen. Fred Jarrett and Rep. Ross Hunter. Now he’s giving TV interviews a few feet away from where we’re sitting in the media zone. 9:56 PM UPDATE: The crowd has gathered again here in the media zone – as the presumptive King County Executive-elect is back to give another round of interviews to TV people (and others), with the late news nearing; other camera-wielding types are starting to gather. We’ve added a video clip atop this story before finally attempting to leave the venue – his arrival at the podium, introduced by Rep. Nelson. 10:11 PM: Just talked to Constantine for a brief moment as he continues making the rounds – we noted that his presumed election means that West Seattle will remain home to one of the area’s top elected officials – he smiled, “It’s my turn to represent.” 12:20 AM UPDATE: Susan Hutchison has not conceded. Here’s the remainder of Constantine’s speech – 10 minutes, starting with some humor:
ADDED 1:33 AM: Our partners at the Times have a clip from Hutchison’s election-night remarks:
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