West Seattle, Washington
30 Tuesday
Listed for sale, either separately or all three for $1.9 million — three side-by-side Alki rentals (2 are duplexes, one single-family, according to county records) at 1752, 1756, 1758 Alki. If you can’t quite place them – you can see the area via Google Street View (which just launched in Seattle, if you hadn’t heard; WSB Forum members buzzed about it last week) – that’s what the image above is from – Google offers that embedding code if you have a website where you want to use it too (they hit all the arterials) – just click your cursor in the picture and you can move the picture around. By the way – the triplex that’s four parcels west of these three is for sale too.
This season, the businesses that comprise the West Seattle Junction Association (WSB sponsor)invite you to “Live Local” — and at the top of the list, that means “Shop Local.” 
You’ve got a great chance to do that this weekend with a variety of open houses and other special events – and one of them is at at a longtime Junction store, Square 1 Books, which rejoins WSB as a sponsor to get the word out about its Anniversary Sale. To celebrate 21 years of serving West Seattle as an independent bookseller, Square 1 is offering 21% off everything this Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Square 1 Books is at Jefferson Square, a few doors south of Bartell Drugs.
During a brief hearing this afternoon in a courtroom at the King County Jail downtown, a judge “found probable cause” to keep 41-year-old Richard L. Lovejoy (left) in jail until a hearing Wednesday on what, if any, bail amount should be set for him. Lovejoy is the convicted rapist arrested early Sunday morning (WSB coverage here, including victim’s story) in Fauntleroy, where he is suspected of breaking into a home shortly after trying to break into the Colman Pool building in Lincoln Park. Thanks to King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office media liaison Dan Donohoe for providing us with the document used at today’s hearing (which we attended, though the suspect himself did not actually appear); it says in part:
Suspect Lovejoy broke out two windows at the Colman Pool in Lincoln Park. The sound woke up the on-site caretaker, who confronted the suspect as he tried to enter via a broken window. The suspect ran off into the park and officers were unable to locate him. A truck registered to suspect Lovejoy was located illegally parked at the entrance to the Lincoln Park beach service road at 7171 Beach Drive SW. Several hours later, a report of an occupied residential burglary came out several blocks away. The suspect (Lovejoy) in that instance was captured.
The report goes on to say that a witness from Colman Pool identified him as the same suspect in that earlier break-in attempt, and later in the document, under the section that asks whether law enforcers would object to the suspect’s release, it says “Do not release. Suspect is a convicted felon and sex offender (and is on active Department of Corrections supervision).” His sex-offender status emerged in the comment thread on our followup report; we found him in the public lookup system, registered to an Arbor Heights address, and that’s where the photo you see at above left comes from. The document from today’s hearing also lists his criminal history as including: Rape, escape, drugs, harassment, domestic violence.
We reported late Friday night that Ferndale was next up for West Seattle High School after the Wildcats’ playoff win against Enumclaw. Now we know the game’s set for 7:30 pm Friday in Bellingham, and we’ve just received an invitation to pass along for WSHS alums:
Hello Alums,
Okay…we’re getting another bus to go to the State Playoff game this coming Friday! WSHS plays Ferndale in Bellingham, 7:30 p.m.The price for bus (a coach bus – not a school bus) and ticket to the game will be $23 per person and leaves WSHS parking lot at 3 p.m. (traffic will not be fun!) But, what a great way to travel to the game! The bus to the Metro playoffs was filled and it was a great way to go to the game and support our
local high school football team.If you are interested, please email me or leave a voice mail by 3 p.m. Wednesday, November 12th to save your spot and I’ll put your name on the list.
Christy Rowe
206-932-6953
carowe@blarg.net
The forecast for tomorrow night into Wednesday now calls for rain “heavy at times” plus fairly serious wind (up to 45 mph). And that explains why this advisory came in from Seattle City Light – some of it you’ve heard before, but worth revisiting at the start of winter storm season:Read More
This just in from the Southwest Precinct‘s Lt. Steve Paulsen – even more burglary arrests (besides what we reported the past two mornings):
The Southwest Precinct is pleased to announce to the community that the suspects in the BB-Gun Residential Burglaries have been arrested.
Several suspects have been identified/arrested. Over the past 2-3 weeks, Southwest Precinct Detectives and Patrol officers (all three patrol shifts) have been working together in tracking down leads as well as processing trace evidence in order to identify the subjects involved. The burglaries have been mostly in the Highland Park/Westwood neighborhoods. Recent followup work has tied these suspects to the Beacon Hill neighborhood as well.
Detectives have also recovered several items of victim’s property and are working closely with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office to ensure that the cases are adjudicated in court.
Most if not all of the suspects have affiliation with Asian Street gangs. All but one of the subjects are juveniles and none live in the West Seattle community.
This has not been a good week for West Seattle-area Burglars. Thanks again to our observant citizens who report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
We reported Friday night on the plan for this Wednesday’s Seattle School Board meeting to include a vote on the proposal for changing the public-notice requirements when school closures are to be proposed; the district says it needs the changes because it must move quickly on the next round of closure proposals (the list is due out 11/25). Among other things, they’re cutting community newspapers out of the formal (paid) advance-notice-publication process and just including them on the “outreach” list (we can’t help but notice even the “revised” policy seems outdated because it has no mention of online-only local-news operations like WSB, and in fact doesn’t mention ANY websites aside from the SPS site; at least we are on the SPS media list so we get and publish these notices anyway). If you have anything to say about the changes, you should read the entire policy and send your thoughts to the board, or show up on Wednesday night. Meantime, the posted agenda for that same meeting (6 pm Wednesday, district HQ in Sodo) also includes a vote on the $1.8 million deal to sell the Fauntleroy schoolhouse to the Fauntleroy Community Service Agency (first reported here a month ago).
(click to see larger, citywide version)
That’s part of a city map distributed at a media briefing we attended this morning at Don Armeni (with the steep slide-prone slope of California Way, and North Admiral ridgetop homes, as a backdrop) – red marks the steepest areas, blue marks other potential landslide zones. Reps from Seattle Public Utilities and the Department of Planning and Development warn that last week’s heavy, sustained rain raised the landslide risk – and one more storm (there’s more rain in the forecast) could elevate it further – so they are distributing information on what to look out for, as well as publicizing a workshop you’ll want to attend if your home or business is in a potential slide zone – read on to find out more, and to hear about one of the West Seattle spots that experts watch closely:Read More
(photos by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
Thanks to everyone who’s e-mailed us with a tip about this – major police activity in the Belvidere/Admiral area (map). Police there tell us there’s a possible burglary suspect in a house there. More to come. P.S. That’s also why you are hearing/seeing helicopters – there’s at least one news chopper in the area. 11:43 AM UPDATE: This is breaking up now – two suspects have just been arrested. ADDED 12:28 PM: Here’s Christopher’s photo of one suspect – we are not showing his face because at this point, he is not formally charged (that would come later and be up to prosecutors):
Click ahead for one more photo PLUS a brief update on the Sunday morning burglary arrest in Fauntleroy (Southwest Precinct police have been busy!!!!):Read More
Tomorrow’s Veterans Day, and it was suggested back on Columbus Day that we put up the “who’s closed” reminders a day in advance rather than waiting till the day itself. So here goes. First, a couple more notes: Even if you didn’t answer the call on Friday, Alki Elementary invites any and all local veterans to come be honored at its assembly this afternoon, 2:15 pm, school cafeteria; also, a full list of major statewide Veterans Day events can be found on this state-website page.
Again, the following is all for TOMORROW, Tuesday 11/11/08:
BANKS: Most if not all closed
MAIL: Regular delivery, no; Express Mail, yes.
SCHOOLS: Closed
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Most facilities closed, including community centers (and just-reopened Southwest Pool)
PARKING: Free in the Seattle spots where you’d usually pay meters/pay stations
TRANSIT: Regular (with a few exceptions, Metro info here, Sound Transit info here)
LIBRARIES: Closed
TRASH/RECYCLING PICKUP: Normal
Considering the lowest posted gas price in West Seattle on our latest late-Sunday-night weekly survey is less than a quarter away from being sub-$2 — with prices having dropped about 2 dollars since their peak less than 5 months ago — that’s not such a ridiculous question to ask. Read on for our full list of West Seattle gas stations’ prices (for regular and premium) as of a few hours ago (with comparison numbers for previous weeks/months):Read More
Less than 2 weeks after the Water Taxi ended its season, we’ve received word of another upcoming chance for you to have a say on its future: 7 pm Thursday, January 15th, is the time/date just set for a city/county-led public meeting at Alki Community Center, regarding both the WT’s anticipated move to year-round service in January 2010, and plans to improve the WT dock at Seacrest. Separately, the King County Ferry District comes up for $ reauthorization later this month and the county’s still taking your comments on what the Water Taxi means to you – dozens have come in, hundreds would be better: info@kingcountyferries.org
2 reports tonight: First, SPD Blotter has posted more details on the incident that sparked the helicopter-assisted search and arrest we reported early this morning (previous WSB coverage here). Seems the 41-year-old man eventually arrested for burglarizing a home in the 4300 block of Cloverdale (map) also is suspected of trying to break into another house near Lincoln Park first. Read the details here. ADDED 8:17 PM: Just posted as a comment on our original early-morning report, Kelly tells the story firsthand:
Hi All: I was the victim in this incident. A white male broke into my house in Fauntleroy last night around 12:30. I’m a single mom, home alone with two young kids (5 and 3). The guy tried kicking in my side door and then walked around up front and kicked in my front door. That noise woke me up and I went downstairs to see what was going on… and froze on my landing as I looked down and saw this jack ass standing in my doorway. I backtracked upstairs, had a complete and total moral dilemma about what to do next: cell phone and interior lock were in my bedroom, to the right but to the left were my kids’ rooms. I headed into my bedroom, locked the door, and called 911 from my balcony. The burglar juggled on the bedroom door handle and… I don’t remember much then. The police arrived within probably 5 minutes. They had been in the neighborhood because the same person had tried to break into Colman Pool (earlier) and they were just winding up their search for him in Lincoln Park. I was lucky. The police had already identified the suspect from his truck and apparently was a level one sex offender. The guy ran with a few of my household items and the police found him a few blocks away. I was taken to that scene and identified him. It was awful and scary and shattering considering the fact I thought this neighborhood was so safe. The police were excellent and gave me a lot of good pointers for security on my house. At least next time, if it happens, I’ll be more prepared.
Thanks to Kelly for sharing her story. (continuing with original 7 pm post) Meantime, we’ve just received e-mail about an Admiral break-in this weekend, including a plea for neighbors everywhere to be more watchful — read on:Read More
Among the joys of attending neighborhood-group meetings for WSB news reports: Learning more about cherished features of each neighborhood — some of which we’ve managed to miss even though we’ve lived in West Seattle for 17 years. Above, one such feature – the labyrinth in the “recovery garden” at the southwest corner of Cottage Grove Park in North Delridge (map). We checked it out because of an announcement at last week’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting: A candlelight winter-solstice event is being planned at the labyrinth, 6-8 pm December 21st – “candles, cider, music,” promised Michal-Ann McElhany, who ran the NDNC meeting this time. She also has gotten the labyrinth listed on the worldwide Labyrinth Locator; see it on this page with Seattle’s nine other listed labyrinths. (The solstice walk is now on our Holiday Happenings page.) Meantime, not too far north of there, a random blog post that came up in one of our routine searches called our attention to this public artwork on the west side of the park area at Delridge Community Center/Playfield (here’s a map):
The blog post (see it here) expressed delight in discovering that the third, darker boulder in the group (our photo doesn’t show part of the westernmost boulder because of tagger vandalism) isn’t a boulder at all, but a bronze sculpture. Subsequently searching for more information, we found this bit of the 1994 installation’s history – and thought we’d share for anyone else who’d never noticed before. P.S. Speaking of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council — congrats on another successful Adopt-a-Street cleanup yesterday — eight volunteers spent several hours brightening the neighborhood, and the rain stopped just in time. NDNC also has entered a new phase in the Cottage Grove Park tot-lot project; more on that to come.
(sign on kiosk in South Delridge Triangle area)
Dorsol Plants, chair of the Highland Park Action Committee — which not only has led the fight against two proposed city-jail sites in HP, but also is involved in a citywide effort to make the case that a new jail’s not needed at all — forwards word of a strategy session tomorrow, and anyone interested is invited: It’s being led by Real Change, and the invitation notes that RC “continues to organize around the principles that a new jail is an expensive, unnecessary, counterproductive and inhumane investment for Seattle to make. The budget process is ending. The next step being considered for this campaign is the possibility of launching an initiative against the jail to go on the ballot next November.” That’s part of the strategy that will be discussed 5:30-7:30 pm tomorrow (Monday 11/10) in Hall 6 of the Seattle Labor Temple in Belltown (2800 1st Ave.; here’s a map). The invite adds: “This will be a time for leaders from the service providers, advocacy groups, and neighborhood organizations opposed to or concerned by a new jail to come together and strategize.”
Elizabeth wonders if anybody else had the same door-to-door visitor she had last night at 36th/Graham (map) – read on:Read More
The next West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day — which’ll be the second one presented by WSB, after the late great Megawatt sponsored the first three — is exactly six months from today! Just wanted to mention that so you could be sure to mark your calendar. Last year was a blast, with more than 140 sales all around West Seattle (browse our coverage archive at westseattlegaragesale.com); if you don’t have an ’09 calendar yet, set an Outlook reminder or whatever it takes – Saturday, May 9, 2009, is the date. (But first, let’s savor what remains of ’08 … including the holidays … we’re continuously adding more West Seattle holiday events to our Holiday Happenings page, by the way.)
Sunday morning’s here, so it’s time for the link to the latest “ripe and ready” list of what you’ll find at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market – 10 am-2 pm, SE corner of 44th/Alaska.
We caught that jubilant jump from someone on the sidelines just as the West Seattle High School Wildcats varsity football players were lining up on the Memorial Stadium field last night to exchange handshakes with the Enumclaw players they’d just beaten, 38 to 20. Their next playoff opponent: undefeated Ferndale. Read on for the story of the Saturday night win (which we covered “live” via Twitter) that brought the Wildcats to 9-1 on the year:Read More
It’s pretty much right over our house in Upper Fauntleroy. Nothing on 911 in terms of medic call. Listening to the scanner to see if we can pick up anything about who they’re looking for and why – they’re focused on a house (where, we don’t know) where radio traffic indicates they are following footprints, plus a canine is involved in the search. 8400 block has been mentioned, on or near Tillicum (east of Lincoln Park; map). 12:43 AM UPDATE: Per scanner, it was a burglary, and there is a suspect now in custody. Helicopter has just moved on.
38 to 20 over Enumclaw. Full report later. ADDED 11:02 PM: They’ll play Ferndale next weekend, up in Whatcom County according to what we were told at the game, since Ferndale beat Bonney Lake 56-6.
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
That’s part of our quick chat this afternoon with Otis Austin of OK Corral, which just opened a few days ago (as we reported here) at 4417 Fauntleroy (between Aikido of West Seattle 
and Tervo’s; here’s a map; don’t let the old Teriyaki/Burger sign on the storefront, which hasn’t been removed yet, fool you). He says those first few days have gone so well, he’s suffered from what we might call the Zippy’s Syndrome here at WSB (after the hot Highland Park burger joint that was so mobbed the first few days after its opening six months ago, it sold out repeatedly) – and as you can hear him say in our video clip, so much for the naysayers who say that’s a lousy location. In fact, he also told us, “I think West Seattle’s going to work out even better than the North End.” (His first OK Corral is in Greenwood.) He hasn’t printed up takeout menus yet but is working on it; by the way, Otis told us he will probably be closed tomorrow (Sunday) to regroup for the week ahead, though otherwise he intends to be open 7 days a week.
The West Seattle High School-Enumclaw game’s about to start at Memorial Stadium downtown (7:45), and WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand is there to cover it the same way he covered a couple of the big games toward season’s end – not only will he write up a full report later, but he’ll be posting short, frequent game updates via Twitter. If you use Twitter, just follow wsbbizdev – or you can check the updates on the Web at twitter.com/wsbbizdev – or here on the WSB home page, look for the red Twitter box in the sidebar, over the usual blue one – the red one will show his newest update any time you refresh this page (you can use the little arrow in the lower right corner of the box to click back through previous ones).
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