West Seattle, Washington
23 Tuesday
Topping this afternoon’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup – police confirm that a house at 17th/Barton [map] was shot at, describing it as “random vandalism,” not a case of someone being targeted. We got a text about shots heard in that area early yesterday but had no confirmation until we checked with police following a note from Adrienne, who says her neighbor’s townhome was shot at. Police say no one was hurt. Ahead, several more reports, starting with the case of the huge, now-missing tire:Read More
Thanks to Kacy Bear for sharing that photo along with news from the Seattle Public Library‘s Breakfast of Champions event downtown this morning, celebrating winners of the SPL Summer Reading Program. Pictured above are two of the local winners, West Seattle (Admiral) branch’s Catherine Evans and Southwest branch winner Ptolemy Bear (Kacy’s son); Kacy says the programs also list winners Maia Glass-Quicksall from the Delridge branch, Aliyah Mohamed from the High Point branch, and from nearby South Park, Duy Ly. We’ll check with SPL to see if there’s info on how much they read. Congratulations to all! (Side note – remember all city library branches will be closed from Monday 8/31 till reopening Tuesday 9/8.) 1:49 PM: SPL spokesperson Liz Kaune tells WSB the final numbers haven’t been tallied yet – that information is expected to be made public after the libraries reopen in early September.
Though we don’t do a lot of open-ended discussion here on the main page – the WSB Forums always have lots of that going on – we’re just back from KUOW, representing partner site White Center Now 
in a discussion of the just-approved-by-voters North Highline South Annexation during “Weekday,” and toward the end of the program, host Steve Scher (iPhone photo at left) turned the discussion to, what’s next for the un-annexed area – most of White Center? A caller (not from West Seattle or WC) said he felt many neighborhood groups around Seattle are against it; Mayor Nickels had supported it (and we’re checking with the two finalists for his job regarding what they think), but the City Council voted 8-1 against endorsing an agreement with Burien and other agencies that would have given Seattle exclusive rights to consider the area through the end of 2011 — members said they weren’t necessarily against annexation, but weren’t so sure about the terms of that agreement. During this morning’s broadcast, Burien City Manager Mike Martin said his council hasn’t decided yet whether (and when) they want to pursue White Center. So what do you think – assuming that White Center has to become part of a city one way or another (which the county has made clear, as is the case with all unincorporated urban areas), should it become part of Seattle? Or Burien?
With the new school year less than 2 weeks away for most local students, it’s also time for a lot of volunteering to rev up again – and some organizations are looking for new help, like this tutoring program that asked us to help get the word out again this year – here’s the announcement:
Become a volunteer tutor with the Youth Tutoring Program! A great volunteer opportunity in West Seattle!
Catholic Community Services’ Youth Tutoring Program (YTP) is an after-school educational enrichment program for at-risk students in first through twelfth grade. These students live in low and mixed-income public housing communities in Seattle. Begun in 1991 as a partnership with the Seattle Housing Authority, YTP provides youth with a safe, positive, and stimulating environment to explore learning and experience academic and personal success.
Students attend the centers voluntarily and enjoy working with volunteer tutors-the heart of the program. Tutors work with an individual student for the one-hour tutoring session. In addition to offering academic support, volunteers serve as positive role models to the students and help strengthen their sense of self-esteem and self-respect.
During the tutoring session, tutors spend time helping the students with reading, homework (all subjects), and building math and language arts skills. No specific background is necessary, and there are a variety of resources at the tutoring center if you’ve forgotten the formula for the slope of a line or the difference between a gerund, participle, and infinitive! Volunteers must be currently enrolled in high school or have obtained a high school diploma (or equivalent).
Tutoring Centers are open 4:20-7:40 on Monday and Wednesday; 5:30-7:40 Tuesday and Thursday.
Volunteers tutor 1-3 hours per week on the same night every week.
Ideally, tutors work with the same student(s) every week.
There is a tutoring center close to you-in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle!
Please visit our website to learn more about our program, how you can get involved and APPLY ONLINE TODAY! http://www.ccsww.org/ytp
Or call (206) 328-5659 or email volunteerytp@ccsww.org to request an application.
CONCERT SERIES’ SWAN SONG: Call it a BIG finale for the first-ever Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, sponsored by businesses and organizations including WSB: The West Seattle Big Band plays tonight on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, 6:30 pm, free, b/y/o chair/blanket. Also tonight in the Admiral District:
GIRLS ON THE RUN! AT CLICK! Tonight, 6-9 pm at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), a shopping and sparkling-wine-tasting event celebrates Girls On The Run of Puget Sound, an afterschool empowerment program that’s expanding in West Seattle this fall. Click! will donate 10 percent of tonight’s purchases to GOTR; lots more info here.
NORTH DELRIDGE ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Ice cream! Games! Meet your neighbors! The North Delridge Neighborhood Council invites one and all to its ice-cream social, 6:30-8:30 pm, Cottage Grove Park (here’s the invite we published last weekend).
SOUTH DELRIDGE/WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY SAFETY COALITION: Talk about issues of crime, safety, and nuisance properties with this dedicated group, 6 pm, St. James Place, 9418 18th SW.
Nine months after Dorsol Plants stood before the Highland Park Action Committee – which he chaired at the time — to say he was launching a run for Seattle City Council (here’s our 11/24/08 report), he stood before HPAC again last night to post-mortem his run. The clip above shows Dina Johnson presenting Plants with a certificate of appreciation; in the next one, you’ll see him spend about five minutes recalling what the campaign was like, and revealing who he’s supporting now:
With most of the votes counted, the most recent results show Plants finishing with 14% of the vote in the District 4 race – far behind leader Sally Bagshaw at 51%, but not that far behind second-place David Bloom at 18%, who (with Bagshaw) advances to the general (and who, as you heard if you watched the second video clip, Plants is endorsing). Plants, a U.S. Army veteran who currently works for a human-services agency, hasn’t announced his next political plan, but says there will definitely be one – “I’m not done yet.” (In the very short term, by the way, he’ll be celebrating his 25th birthday this weekend.)
It’s been a big week for Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle since our last report on their fruit-picking season, in more ways than one. For one, they’ll be featured on TV later this week – KING5 shot CHoSS volunteers harvesting plums at Margaret‘s house earlier this week. The story is tentatively scheduled to air tomorrow morning and noontime, according to Aviva from CHoSS, who adds:
Community Harvest would like to thank all the tree owners who have been donating their trees for picking. Since the posting last week, we have harvested over 1,000 pounds of fruit from 12 trees. We appreciate all the new harvest volunteers who have responded as well, and especially those folks who have picked their own trees for donation.
Tree owners do help – like Margaret’s daughter Hazel, walking here with a CHoSS volunteer:
Donated fruit goes to keep local folks from going hungry. If you can volunteer to help pick, and/or have a tree to “donate,” contact info for Community Harvest is on its website, gleanit.org. (Thanks to Margaret for sharing the pix!)
Didn’t get an official announcement about this, but we just happened to check the website of Terry Brooks, 
the mega-selling author who lives in West Seattle, and discovered he’s scheduled his annual-tradition local appearance at Barnes and Noble in Westwood Village: 2 pm this Saturday. This will be the fourth consecutive year we’ve covered his readings there, always in late summer: 2006, 2007, 2008. Also according to the author’s website, Brooks is sponsoring the Seattle Interagency Academy Book Fair at the same time. These appearances always coincide with a new book release, and this time it’ll be “A Princess in Landover,” the sixth book in his “Magic Kingdom” series. (Terry Brooks photo from terrybrooks.net, used with permission)
KCTS (Channel 9) announced tonight that it’s confirmed the first live TV debate between the King County Executive finalists, Susan Hutchison and West Seattle-residing County Council Chair Dow Constantine. 7 pm October 15th. It’ll be held in their studios, according to the station’s announcement.
Thanks to Gary J for these photos taken as the Pacific Unity exercise participants sailed past West Seattle shores en route to the downtown U.S. Coast Guard station this afternoon. That’s the Yashima, from Japan, above; next, Canadian hovercraft Siyay along with the USCG’s Midgett:
And from Russia, the Volovskiy:
Here’s more on the exercise they’re involved in, from the preview we published last night.
(Fauntleroy/Juneau photo taken last week by Chas Redmond)
Just in from Marybeth Turner at SDOT:
We are happy to announce that final paving on Fauntleroy starts tomorrow!
The project has progressed nicely. Our contractor, Gary Merlino, will begin the final overlay tomorrow and expects to complete the work by Friday night. Traffic will be shifted several times throughout the day but uniformed police officers will be on site to assist traffic. We expect work to continue into the PM peak hour as crews work long days in an attempt to complete all the paving before the weekend.
Shortly after the final overlay is completed, the contractor will begin striping the roadway with the new “channelization” (lane line configuration). Barrels and caution tape will remain in place until all of the striping is completed. During the same time, the contractor will take care of the finishing details and cleanup work.
Work is expected to wrap up in mid-September. We thank everyone in advance for their patience.
Here’s how the road will be configured after the work is done:
(future skatepark site at northeastern corner of Delridge Playfield/Community Center park)
A followup this afternoon to a story we brought you yesterday, with Pete Spalding reporting from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee meeting that the funding situation for the planned Delridge Skatepark was changing. We checked in with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the Parks Committee, and today he’s sent this update:
As the Chair of the City Council’s Parks and Seattle Center Committee, I am working to ensure that the City keeps its commitment to build the skateparks that are planned. When I saw yesterday’s article in the West Seattle Blog about the money for the Delridge Skatepark vanishing I immediately contacted the Superintendent’s Office to find out what is going on.
There has been confusion about the funding source for the project, but based upon assurances from the Parks Superintendent, I am confident that the solution the Parks Department and Levy Oversight Committee have settled on is a workable one. I will keep a close eye on this during the City Council’s yearly budget review and will make sure we have the skatepark built as planned.
I want to thank Pete Spalding for his work on the Parks Levy Oversight Committee and your readers and the Delridge neighborhood residents for their tireless support of this project. In other areas of the city we have had trouble finding sites for skateparks. Delridge has been very supportive and welcoming. Together we can make this happen!
I am committed to the project 110%. I agree with the suggestion of some of the writers that it would be good to contact the other eight City Councilmembers to ask them to support the Delridge Skatepark. It is important that the Council hear from the community now and during our budget review which will begin at the end of September.
Thank you,
Tom Rasmussen
Seattle City Councilmember
Here again is the contact information for City Councilmembers
(July photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Just announced by Gabriel Claycamp:
After the longest summer in the history of Man, The Swinery is about to open…(with the shortest press release ever)
3207 California Ave SW
shop 206.932.4211
www.swinerymeats.com
sales@swinerymeats.comartisan butcher, charcuterie, aged cheeses, delicatessen, snacks, sandwiches, wine, etc … Opening September 15th.
You heard about the location here first, you may recall, thanks to the reporting of WSB contributing journalist Christopher Boffoli (June 21 story here, and here’s Christopher’s in-depth look at the space, and what’s planned, from July 26).
Late August is supposed to be a slow time, with summer ebbing, extra time to enjoy the sun. But somehow it always manages to be an exciting time here at WSB HQ. Almost exactly two years ago, your support helped plant the seeds of WSB’s transformation into a business, with seed money raised during our first and only Pledge Day. Today, we’re thrilled to announce our participation in a new journalistic collaboration involving our region’s largest news organization as well as three of our fellow independent, neighborhood-based online news publishers.
West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen calls this to our attention – and yours: The elimination — scheduled to take effect today — of four particular positions in the state Department of Corrections has him and his colleagues worried about the effect on local crime/safety. 
If you think that department only works with the state prison system, think again: For just one example, there are DOC officers who partner with local police, hitting the street to track down wanted criminals with arrest warrants. (So many times, when we receive “what are police doing on my street?” questions, the answer turns out to be “warrant service.”) In this specific case, according to a letter signed by the Seattle City Council as well as Interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz, King County Sheriff Sue Rahr and leaders of other cities around the county (plus other law-enforcement agencies, while none of the four positions to be cut in the Neighborhood Corrections Initiative is West Seattle-specific, the cuts do include one position assigned to the King County Sheriff’s Office and created specifically after the murder in White Center of KCSO Deputy Steve Cox (whose killer was under DOC supervision at the time). Here’s an excerpt of the letter:
The cuts would adversely impact our region’s ability to capture wanted felons, to monitor offenders in our communities on DOC-supervised release, and to provide hands-on personal assistance to DOC-supervised individuals who require housing, detoxification services, medical care, social services, and crisis intervention and support in order to stay out of trouble and risk reoffending.
Many DOC-supervised individuals engage in stranger-on-stranger violence to maintain their drug and alcohol addictions; they significantly contribute to social disorder in more densely populated areas due to aggressive panhandling and anti-social behavior associated with mental illness and chemical dependency. As a result, residents are rightly worried about their personal safety. They seek our help to protect them.
Read the full letter here; read more about state DOC budget-cut implementation here. Councilmember Rasmussen says he and Councilmember Tim Burgess, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, developed the letter and believe, “For the sake of the safety of our communities whether they are Bellevue, Shoreline, Seattle or White Center, we need these positions to be able to capture suspects and to ensure that offenders are being effectively supervised by the Department of Corrections.” We are checking with the governor’s office to get reaction to the city leaders’ letter and to see if there is any chance the positions will be restored. If you want to share a comment with the governor (on this issue or anything else), here’s how. 12:55 PM UPDATE: A spokesperson for the governor says she’s been out of town and they’re not sure if she’s seen the letter yet but they’re checking.
Just in from the King County Department of Transportation:
The King County Road Services Division will close the South Park Bridge over the Duwamish River on 14th/16th Avenue South this Saturday, Aug. 29 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for repairs. The bridge will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic over the bridge and to large marine vessels on the water.
The repairs involve drawbridge alignment – more details here.
The latest West Seattle Crime Watch reports we’ve received involve three cars, three neighborhoods around the peninsula, from Admiral all the way south almost to White Center — one broken into, one tagged, and one stolen while its owner was moving, with a precious family keepsake now gone – read on for details (and prevention info, too):Read More
In a parking lot by Jack Block Park Tuesday afternoon, Kevin McClintic happened onto Seattle Fire Department‘s West Seattle-based Ladder 11 practicing a couple of mesmerizing maneuvers with its 100-foot-long centerpiece:
Thanks to Kevin for sharing the photos. This also gives us an excuse to mention a semi-related Daily Weekly item you may not have seen – The Weekly’s West Seattle-residing managing editor Mike Seely reported last week that a ladder truck is in Station 11‘s future too. One other West Seattle scene to share:
Mike caught Tuesday night’s glorious sunset – which we’ll use to segue to the newest forecast, which says we’re going back into the 80s; summer’s not giving up without a fight.
Many West Seattle neighborhood/community groups skip August meetings because it’s such a busy time for vacations, back-to-school prep, you name it, but now they’re about to rev up again. Here’s some of what’s coming up:
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Tomorrow night, 7 pm, HPAC meets at the Highland Park Improvement Club building (address/map – Google Street View above). On the agenda, from the preview sent out by HPAC chair Dan Mullins today, “a presentation from a local youth group that has been cleaning up Westcrest Park and the greenbelt, AND, former HPAC Chair and Seattle City Council candidate, Dorsol Plants will tell us about his election campaign experience and answer your questions …” This is also the only regular neighborhood-group meeting with a business spotlight (Cafe Rozella this month) AND a raffle.
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: This Thursday is the grand finale in its first-ever series of six Summer Concerts at Hiawatha – and they’re meant to be a neighborhood-building opportunity as well as good old-fashioned outdoor fun. Come enjoy the West Seattle Big Band, free, at 6:30 pm Thursday, east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center, meet the ANA reps who’ll be on hand (and then join them at the regular September meeting, 7 pm 9/9 in the basement meeting room at Admiral Church).
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Next regular meeting is Wednesday 9/2 (6:30 pm, Delridge Library) but we’re reminding you again about the Ice Cream Social THIS Thursday, all neighbors invited, with games as well as treats (here’s the invite). 6:30 pm Thursday, Cottage Grove Park (address/map).
SOUTH DELRIDGE/WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY SAFETY COALITION: Crime and safety news for southeastern West Seattle and beyond, St. James Place, 9421 18th SW (map), 6 pm Thursday (free dinner).
Looking a couple weeks into the future, this meeting was just announced today:
HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION’S QUARTERLY MEETING: 6 pm September 10th, Commons Park Amphitheater. Topic, according to Jennifer Cobb – how to be a good neighbor(hood), by getting involved, pitching in, etc. Refreshments! RSVP via Facebook.
Luckily, nobody is hurt. But it was a close call for the driver of that car — she got sideswiped earlier this evening at California/Charlestown (map). WSB’er Diane called to let us know as others summoned police. The driver says she was heading north on California when a silver 4-door BMW, maybe a year or two old, sideswiped her while turning left onto eastbound Charlestown, from southbound California, before she was out of the intersection. Witnesses say the driver stopped briefly a half-block or so away, looked at his car – which would have front-end damage – then got back in and kept driving. The Seattle Municipal Code is very clear (as you can see here) about a driver’s duty to stop after a crash. 11:11 PM: Check the comments – where Larry says a similar-sounding car hit his in the same time frame.
The Russian Border Guard Vessel Vorovskiy is one of the ships you can expect to see off West Seattle shores tomorrow as Coast Guard ships from several Pacific Rim nations arrive for to continue the Pacific Unity exercise. According to a media advisory tonight from U.S. Coast Guard District 13, “Japan, Russia, Canada and the United States are sending vessels to take part” in the exercise, while “China and South Korea will be participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three-day event.” Arrivals are expected on the downtown waterfront around 2:30 pm, so watch for them earlier in the afternoon; others heading this way include the Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft Siyay, shown here in Coast Guard video from the Port Angeles area, where the exercise also has been under way:
The USCG has lots more info online, including links to other video clips, reachable from this special page.
BRICKYARD BBQ: Word was forwarded to us that the new barbecue joint at 2310 California SW (map) will open Friday instead of tomorrow, because of “late last-minute finishing touches.”
Meantime, a new business is open further south on California:
CHERRY CONSIGNMENT: Thanks to Jennifer for that photo and word that Cherry Consignment is open at 4142 California SW (map). The space was formerly home to Designer Labels; Cherry Consignment opened under brand-new ownership, and its website notes that the store is dealing in both women’s and men’s clothing, 11 am-6 pm Mondays-Saturdays. (Added 11:09 pm – a note from proprietor Nyla Bittermann with more info:)
We look forward to establishing ourselves as a Women’s/Men’s consignment store that caters to women and men of all shapes, sizes and lifestyles. We plan to provide those “hard to find items”: plus size, maternity and men’s business attire, in addition to women’s clothing.
We are SO excited to be new business owners in West Seattle. My husband grew up in WS, I have been here almost 20 years and we are raising 3 kids in this amazing community we call home!
We are currently in transformation with a new name, new signs, website in the works and a coat of fresh paint. In our two weeks of business we have met wonderful people who have welcomed us with open arms and we look forward to getting to know even more of our WS neighbors.
She says a grand-opening event is planned for September 1st (next Monday).
A CHILD BECOMES : Teaching assistant Hope from A Child Becomes Preschool e-mailed to share the news that the school has moved – it’s now based at Admiral Church (California and Hill; map) – and has opened a new Pre-K class that still has openings, Tues/Thurs/Fri, 11:45-2:45.
New business? Moved? Expanded? Special event? Let us know (all our contact info’s here); businesses also are welcome to post sales/special deals in the WSB Forums’ Freebies, Deals, Sales section, and job openings in the West Seattle Jobs Offered section, both free.
One, a business break-in attempt – the other targeted a car (whose owner is puzzled why the thief/thieves took what they did) – read on for both reports (one includes a photo):Read More
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