Speaking of wildlife — unusual cat on the loose
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Earlier today, we got this note and posted it to the Pets page:
I just saw a very exotic cat wandering around 48th and Lander. It almost looked like a zoo kitty and not a domestic cat (looked like a small leopard). I will go see if I can get its picture, but just in case someone is looking for this cat. It did not look comfortable outside.
We just got a phone call — apparently it’s still out there in that area somewhere (the caller said it looks like an ocelot?) and neighbors are a little spooked, but the person who called us said Animal Control wasn’t interested in coming out. This cat sound familiar to anyone?
Raccoons: Friend or foe? 2 requests to discuss ’em
That photo is from Luckie, who explains:
This raccoon was walking around my backyard when I got home today just after noon. I scared it up a tree. I’ve called a couple of wildlife guys; they can come out next week, and each will charge between $185 and $220 to set live traps for raccoons. My question: is it worth it? Can this sort of action make a difference in the raccoon population of West Seattle ? Or would I just be spitting in the wind? Are other people having daytime raccoon visitations? I wouldn’t care so much, but we’ve lost several pets to raccoons.
P.S. The raccoon is still there. It fell asleep.
This gives us the excuse to finally post one other note we received a few days from someone who wanted to discuss the West Seattle raccoon situation. This one, its sender told WSB, was written by a cat named Eros:Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: Crime-stats breakout
When we mentioned yesterday’s announcement that citywide crime hit a 40-year low last year, we also mentioned we didn’t have a West Seattle breakout. Right now, we do, thanks to the kindness and tech-savvy-ness of Scott from Central District News. He sent the following list of crime stats in major categories in West Seattle for 1996-2007, year by year, for census tracts 96, 97, 98, 99, 105, 106, 107, 108, 116, 115, 114, 113, 120, and 121 all together — we don’t have time right this second to doublecheck where the boundaries end, but you can find your census tract here. Now, those numbers:Read More
Fauntleroy wants you!
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Judy Pickens:
Fauntleroy documentary project seeks marketing expert:
Fauntleroy is coming together to write, film, produce, and screen a 30-minute documentary that will capture the historic events, people, and places that shaped the neighborhood, profile what it is today, and explore the challenges of nurturing community in an increasingly urbanized city. This combination volunteer/professional project is just getting under way and needs a marketing expert on the team. If you could solicit sponsorships to augment grant funding, develop a marketing plan, and identify screening venues, you might be the one! Passion for Fauntleroy a plus. To explore this opportunity, contact Judy_Pickens@msn.com.
Join us in The Junction tonight
Second-to-last reminder (we’ll bring it up again toward day’s end) — if you’re in The Junction tonight or not otherwise occupied, we hope to see you TONIGHT at Capers, 7-8ish pm, at the informal gathering announcing the honorees in the first-ever quarterly West Seattle Community Recognition Awards (explained here). 
Since this is the first time, there’s no big formal program planned — no big speeches, no golden statuettes, no tuxes and gowns (sorry), just a chance to come say hi, find out who the recipients are, and meet some of your fellow West Seattleites. Can’t say whether 10 people will be there or 100, but the three of us will be, as will Julie Mireille Anderson of Divina (who hatched the idea for this as a new way to recognize and thank some of the unsung heroes of West Seattle), and the nice folks from Capers who offered to host the gathering (thank you, and also thank you to the judges, who we’ll be listing later, as well as to the people who sent nominations). 7-8ish pm, Capers in The Junction (west side of California, midblock between Oregon and Alaska).
Trial updates for two high-profile West Seattle cases
Both just posted at the P-I site: The jury in the Tatsuo Nakata 47th/Admiral pedestrian-death case will start deliberating the fate of defendant Ephraim Schwartz tomorrow morning (story here); the jury in the trial of ex-Huling salesmen Adrian Dillard and Ted Coxwell heard lawyers’ opening statements today (story here).
A morning @ 34th/Morgan: Crossing-guard crunch, and more
We saw that close call while spending time at 34th/Morgan this past Tuesday morning, meeting with neighborhood and pedestrian-safety activists who say it’s one of this area’s most dangerous places for schoolkids to have to cross. Here’s a taste of the regular traffic:
Kids coming from the booming north side of High Point cross here to get to West Seattle (formerly High Point) Elementary, which is further south on 34th.Read More
West Seattle wildlife updates: Delridge coyote; birdwatch win
First, a coyote sighting this morning at 21st & Andover (map), from Emily (thank you!):
9:05 this morning as I was driving to work there was a big beautiful coyote on the sidewalk. I stopped my car and it stopped and looked at me for a full minute. It looked really healthy and was as big as a large dog but with a fox shaped tail and a skinny jaw. It ducked down into the very small woodsy area by SW Charlestown. I drove around the block and put my cat inside for the day. I’ve heard they were here but I didn’t realize they were 1 bk from my house.
Now, the birdwatching win. Imagine seeing 79 different bird species in your yard! We can recall maybe 10 … such as the Northern Flicker and Steller’s Jay:
Those photos are courtesy of Ed Newbold, who coordinates the YardBirdRace around Western Washington. He sent word (from his YardBirdRace breaking news page) that the Seattle Residential category of the 4th annual YardBirdRace had West Seattle winners:
Jim Flynn and Marissa Benevente appear to be testing the upper limits of what it’s possible to see from a residential Seattle yard as they ended up with 79, five ahead of the record in Seattle overall and Seattle residential, both of which they set last year. Common Nighthawk and Western Screech-Owl are two of the birds that helped them get there. This is the second year West Seattle & Flynn/Benevente have led in Seattle residential and Seattle overall.
You can find out more about the YardBirdRace here.
Early start for “Day of Service” @ West Seattle Elementary
After we mentioned the “Day of Service” volunteer work planned for Monday @ West Seattle Elementary, Seattle Works e-mailed to let us know some of the work it’s doing in conjunction with City Year would actually start today. Here’s some of what’s happening at the school right now — starting with the outlining of a hummingbird mural outside a classroom:
Outside the school, these volunteers are literally laying the groundwork for a play area that will serve the district’s special-needs preschool that’s on the WSES campus:
And this carpentry work will create decorative planters for the school’s entrance:
As you might have guessed from the orange shirts, most of the volunteers at WSES today are from Home Depot — Seattle Works says the Delridge store coordinated the effort but the HD workers are from all around Puget Sound. Meantime, organizers are still looking for donations to complete the preschoolers’ play area; our original post has info on how to help.
Pothole problems: Faulty fixes?
We’ve talked here before about pothole problems and rutted roads around West Seattle. This week, we heard from a High Point resident named Casey Crowell who has an unusual take on it: He is concerned about the same potholes being fixed over and over, making things worse, rather than getting a longer-lasting fix in the first place. Here’s the letter he just wrote to the mayor about it, with specifics all the way down to the pothole Casey has nicknamed “Bruno”:Read More
“December was catch-a-burglar month”
That quote from Southwest Precinct Sgt. Jeff Durden at Tuesday night’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting — from which we have a few holdover notes to share with you before too much more time elapses, in addition to the news we reported last night about the high-security funeral that’ll be at Freedom Church next Tuesday. To elaborate on that quote, in the past month, SW Precinct leadership estimates its team has arrested more than 15 burglary suspects. Lt. Steve Paulsen noted that detectives and patrol officers are working more closely together, literally – four detectives are now based at the precinct, rather than elsewhere, which means more chances for them to talk face-to-face with the officers working the streets. “Our clearance [case-solving] rate has just been remarkable,” Lt. Paulsen noted. Not only are they arresting suspects, but he says they’re recovering lots of stolen property too. And they also praised community members whose eagle eyes and quick phone calls are helping them detect crimes and catch suspects more quickly. Other notes from the WSCSP meeting, including community “trouble spots” they’re watching:Read More
Fire callout in Highland Park
Major fire callout at 8638 10th SW (map). Crews aren’t saying much on the scanner about how big it is; heading over to check it out. 11:53 PM UPDATE: Only two trucks were still there, no frantic activity, no visible smoke, so nothing big (though whatever happened may have forced the residents out for the night; after returning, we heard a scanner call to bring in the Red Cross to assist them).
Hours after state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond
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