West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Thanks to the WSB Forum and the WSB inbox for bringing in the info on these: Easy Street is participating in Record Store Day this Saturday; 12 West Seattle restaurants are participating in Dining Out for Life next Thursday (participants are listed on the DO4L site as well as in this WSBF thread).
5:35 PM UPDATE: Just got e-mail from Jordan’s mom, she has been found. ORIGINAL POST FROM LATE THURSDAY MORNING: That’s a recent photo of 14-year-old Jordan King, a West Seattle teen with Asperger’s Syndrome who was missing three days last month until a WSB reader spotted her at the White Center library. Now Jordan’s mother has e-mailed WSB asking that you be on the lookout for her again; Jordan has been staying at a group home in Burien and has not been seen since 11 pm last night. Her mother describes her as follows: “She may have been wearing black sweat pants and black tank top. Hair has been dyed blue. She is 5’3″ and about 140 lbs.” Call 911 if you see her. 2:30 PM UPDATE: We just talked to Jordan’s mom, who is out putting up flyers in Burien right now — she wanted to add that the investigation is being handled by the King County Sheriff’s Office (since this is outside Seattle city limits) and also that Jordan’s hair may be better described as streaked with multiple colors, according to staff at Sylvester Middle School, where she had just started attending classes yesterday.
Look for coverage from all four TV stations and the P-I – that’s who came to the arson-gutted Puget Sound Key and Lock site in Morgan Junction this morning for an interview availability with owner Michael Dein, updating what’s been happening with him and his business since last month’s still-unsolved firebombing, and looking ahead to Saturday night’s Admiral Pub fundraiser/raffle, organized by WSB Forum Community members. The Forum Community also organized this morning’s interview opportunity and was represented on-site by JoB and Kathy, seen in the second photo above, talking with the KOMO 4 News crew. Full WSB story, with video, to come in a separate post. 1:29 PM UPDATE: Here’s a link to the first TV story to appear online, the noon coverage from KING5’s Roberta Romero. 5:37 PM UPDATE: Here’s the P-I story.
Much smaller crowd for the city Parks Department‘s project manager on the Myrtle Reservoir park project, Virginia Hassinger, at the quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting at The Kenney last night — but for a few minutes, it was even more contentious than the testiest moments of the last public meeting specifically about the park project (WSB coverage here). Main reason: As Hassinger reiterated, and as we reported here and here, “the decision is made” to set aside an area of the Myrtle park for a future “skate(board) feature.” The most pointed questions for her tonight sought to zero in on who made that decision, when it was made, and why High Point Community Center — listed in the city Skatepark Plan as the other option for a West Seattle skateboard park — was ruled out.Read More
We told you Monday night about the abrupt cancellation of the Parks Department Strategic Plan public meeting @ Hiawatha, blamed on lingering fumes from the previous week’s floor refinishing work. Just got word from Parks spokesperson Malia Langworthy that a new date is set for that meeting — 6:30 pm Monday (4/21) — so check it out if you haven’t gone to one of these meetings yet and can’t make the one tonight @ Southwest CC, or Saturday @ Delridge CC, or next Thursday @ High Point CC.
Quick highlights for today/tonight from the Events page: Open houses with a takehome freebie @ Dream Dinners in The Junction … Alki-area residents’ chance to become Masters of Disaster (click here to look for your neighborhood’s event) … the fourth of six West Seattle meetings to let the Parks Department know if you think they’re heading in the right direction … P.S. In neighboring South Park, Parque Cesar Chavez is dedicated tonight, with an accompanying march to the SP Community Center … These events, and dozens of others for the weeks/months ahead, are listed here.
At least two reports will ensue from tonight’s Morgan Community Association (MoCA) quarterly meeting at The Kenney, starting with this one: If you visit Lowman Beach frequently, you’re familiar with that big white land-use sign that’s been up a long time for the 2nd phase of the county’s improvements to the underground pump station there. (Full explanation here.) MoCA president Steve Sindiong said tonight that the project is “on hold” for now, along with others, while Metro sorts out its funding situation and decides “which ones to go forward with, and which ones to hold till next year.” Sindiong says that decision is expected within the next month. (Next MoCA report, in the morning: A mini-showdown over the Myrtle Reservoir park project skateboard-feature decision.)
Those are a few of the photos that WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham took at last year’s “Snooty Walk” pet event put on by the West Seattle High School Class of ’09. This Saturday, the ’09ers are doing it again — and class co-president Sumeet Chadha wrote this to tell you a little more about the event:
This year the class of 2009 at WSHS is hard at work wrapping up the final preparations for the Snooty Walk on April 19th. It has been very hectic because our Advisor went on Admin. leave so the class has been working extra hard to bring everything together.
This year there are plenty of new events like, cutest couple, best dancer, and the obstacle course. Of course we are keeping some of the most fun events that we had last year such as, drooliest and best trick. Husky will be providing ice cream and volunteers will be cookin’ up hot dogs (pun) and hamburgers. We will also feature a bouncy toy.
We are going for more of a spring carnival feel with the bouncy toy. There will be a lot more to do while roaming around this year because we are setting up a “driveway fair” with a bunch of non-profits and sponsors coming to talk about their products.
It is $10.00 to enter a pet and all proceeds benefit WSHS class of 2009 in order to create a $5 prom. The money will also be used for graduation and other class needs.
We raised more than $1,400 last year and hope to beat that amount this year!
That’s this Saturday @ Hiawatha. Check out the Snooty Walk website for more, including event times. Organizers say it’s on, rain or shine!
THE GROUCHOS OF NORTHERN PIGEON POINT: Have been meaning to share West Seattle writer Mark Bourne‘s Grouchos writeup on Film.com, for anyone who didn’t catch it when it was aggregated on our More page.
WATER AND WALKING: Chas Redmond happened onto this city page re: the Westcrest Park reservoir’s history. He was doing research for this project; another public workshop’s coming up in South Seattle on April 30. Another project he’s involved in, West Seattle Walking Trails (originally reported here), is progressing — a grant application to fund some of the wayfinding kiosks has made it to the next stage of a process that has several more months to go; meantime, tomorrow he and Feet First reps will brief the Seattle Design Commission (agenda here) on the entire project.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY UPDATE: 40+ sales signed up so far for the 4th annual version of the big all-over-West-Seattle selling and shopping day May 10th, from individual sales to school/block sales — if you don’t want to register a sale because you’d have only have a few things to sell, there’s a location offering you space – get the latest WSCGSD info (including of course how to register) by going here (we’re updating that site, westseattlegaragesale.com, daily; if you have any questions before or after registering, please e-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com).
Four days after a WSB’er e-mailed us wondering where the Alki fire rings had gone (we posted about it here), city Parks Department spokesperson Dewey Potter told us they’ve just been brought back — so freshly returned, in fact, when we subsequently dashed over to get a photo, we could still see the tire tracks in the sand. Potter also reminds us the rules ‘n’ regulations for beach fires can be found here.
If you bag the gas-powered mower, the city will subsidize part of the cost of an electric or push replacement:Read More
Camp Long‘s Sheila Brown is interviewed during “Sound Focus,” 2:20 pm. (Should be archived on the same site later if you miss it.) Incidentally, 6:30 pm tonight at Camp Long, it’s the next of six West Seattle meetings on the Parks Department’s draft Strategic Plan — your best chance to sound off on where you want the city parks system’s focus to be (more of something? less of something?) in the years to come.
Here’s the West Seattle version; unveiled today to accompany a mayoral news conference. (Some of what’s on the map is featured in our report from last night’s WSCSP meeting.)
That’s a quick look up at the steeple/bell tower at Fauntleroy Church, which is celebrating its centennial this year. As we told you two weeks ago, starting this Saturday, the church bell will be rung daily at noon for 100 days, counting down to the centennial-celebration weekend July 25-27. People are signing up in the church lobby to take turns ringing the bell during those 100 days, in honor of birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. We got a sneak preview of the bell-ringing with the help of the Fauntleroy Church parishioner who’s been a member the longest, David Galbraith — whose parents rang the bell on their wedding day in 1917! — and 4-year-old Eli Johnson, a student at the church’s Little Pilgrims School:
For all the coyote sightings we’ve posted here, we’ve never seen one ourselves till five minutes ago – crossing California south of Thistle, heading toward the Thistle greenbelt/staircase. (Photos courtesy intrepid Patrick the Sales Guy, who grabbed the camera and headed outside while your editor here stood transfixed at the window.)
Reminder that the city provided tips on coexisting with coyotes and urban wildlife at a presentation earlier this year; WSB coverage here. (It’s breeding season, so sightings are likely to be more frequent; follow some of the advice in that report and your chances of an unwanted run-in will be reduced.)
Just got word from the Parks Department – the new “approved schematic design,” including space set aside for a “future skate spot” along 35th, is now online at the Myrtle Reservoir park’s official project page, along with a reminder about the May 1st public meeting. Here’s a direct link to see the design; our Monday follow-up clarifying the “skate spot” status is here.
One more update from last night’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting (see the traffic-improvements report and added car-prowl details below): Community Police Team officer Adonis Topacio says at least three recent local burglaries have been linked to a suspect with a criminal history — and right now, Topacio said, he’s in custody in Florida, where he had gone to visit relatives even though leaving the state was a probation violation. Police are working to see how many burglaries in all might be linked to this suspect; this time, Topacio said, “looks like he’s going to be spending a lot of time in jail.”
No arrests yet, almost 4 weeks after the arson that gutted Puget Sound Key and Lock in Morgan Junction. WSB Forum Community members are not only inviting you to a get-together Saturday night to raise some $ to help the business reopen, they’re also selling raffle tickets ahead of time so you can pitch in — and get a chance at great prizes donated by generous businesses — without even attending Saturday night if you have other plans. You can buy tickets at Admiral Pub tonight and tomorrow night, 7-8 pm, to win M’s tickets, gym memberships, artwork, massage(s), and more! The winning tickets will be announced at the community get-together/fundraiser, also at Admiral Pub, 6-9 pm Saturday. You don’t need to be present to win. Raffle tickets also available at the get-together (and families are welcome, since Admiral Pub is all-ages till 9 pm; more info in this WSB Forum thread), as well as during the West Seattle Community Recognition Awards gathering 7-8 pm Friday at Capers in The Junction (stop in and say hi if you can) — and you can even e-mail to get in on the raffle: wsbforum@gmail.com will connect you with the Forum Community members who are handling it.
On our way to tonight’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting at the Southwest Precinct, we spotted that radar-powered speed sign along westbound Morgan, just west of 40th, where people barrel down the hill toward Fauntleroy/California (we only registered 7 mph because we had to slow down for the photo!). This was a timely sighting because most of the WSCSP meeting was about this type of solution to some of West Seattle’s traffic problems — the method the experts refer to as “traffic calming” — here’s some of what’s in store, and where:Read More
In the wake of last week’s Design Review Board meeting for two major Junction proposals, a commenter wondered rhetorically where she/he was when the official Neighborhood Plans were being drawn up years ago – plans that today’s development must fit into. Those plans will be updated soon, and if you’d like to get involved, a good first step would be a workshop this Saturday morning at City Hall. Can’t upload the flyer right this second but you can read it on the Miller Park blog – it’s for anyone anywhere in the city.
From “Trick” in Arbor Heights, who thought his pix might suit the lighter side of Crime Watch, once he survived the two-on-one staredown!
Out of the WSB inbox, from Paul (the report he refers to from yesterday can be found here):
The 6053 California property, that you have (run yesterday) in your blog, has been continually attacked by taggers and graffiti. It had a severe attack again last week on the opposite 2 sides that were shown in your picture.
Saturday afternoon, when I drove into the alley I spotted a man with paint and roller next to his car. I was suspicious and approached him in my gruffest block-watch-nosey-neighbor way. He said hello and said he hated graffiti and was going to paint. This caught me completely off guard. I asked him if he was a new property manager. He said no, he was just a concerned neighbor that lived on 66th. (? this was a little vague).
But anyway, he took white paint and covered all the graffiti and cleaned the paint off a local contractor’s panel truck. It was a miracle! Never has a stranger drove in that alley to do good.
I am ashamed that I did not pay closer attention to the man’s name but I want to see that his efforts are recognized. I would like to thank Dick from 66th ave. (?) for painting and cleaning the alley along 6053 California. Thank you. Your efforts have encouraged me.
I was going to send you a picture of a blank white brick wall to go along with this story. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
This time, the alert comes straight from Lt. Steve Paulsen @ Southwest Precinct, who asked that we share this with you:
(Starting with the recent spring vacations), the Harbor Ave SW area has been inundated with carprowls … The suspects are bold and aggressive. They will wait for vehicles to park, then once the owner leaves they commit their crime. The suspects are prowling cars parked on the street and local businesses. We are working this issue aggressively with patrols and followup work from our detectives. We hope to get some success out of this. Citizens need to be reminded to keep valuables out of cars, particularly laptops.
We’d second that one, having seen countless cases of car break-ins where laptops, iPods, and GPS systems were the loot. 9:07 PM UPDATE: Just back from the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting, where we learned more about this — Officer Brian Ballew said last night alone, there were about half a dozen in the Salty’s vicinity during a 2-hour period; there’s surveillance video showing possible suspects so that’s being reviewed now.
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