ORIGINAL 3:02 AM REPORT: Nothing is confirmed - it’s all scanner traffic [assault with weapons call] - but there are multiple indications this is related to the search for Maurice Clemmons, the suspect in the Pierce County police murders: Someone’s been shot in the 4400 block of South Kenyon, south [...]
Three reports to share this time - first one’s a case of watchful neighbors getting a suspect off the street:
Fairmount Springs coalition of Block Watchers (about a hundred on our list) had a success story last week by reporting a local known problem person who had no reason to be [...]
Wise holiday decorators are getting their lights up early - who knows how many more mostly dry days you’ll see before Christmas? Putting them up early, however, is one thing - planning your display for months, another. But that’s the story behind the lights-synchronized-to-music display in that real-time video shared [...]
City Councilmember Tim Burgess’s staff sends word that the “chronic nuisance” ordinance - one of two proposals that address some of the problems flagged in the Delridge problem-properties tour last April - has won unanimous approval. Here’s what Burgess wrote about it on his website; read the [...]
View Manhunt! in a larger map
As of this writing, Pierce County police-killing suspect Maurice Clemmons (right) isn’t in custody yet, but there’ve been more than half a dozen searches in Seattle today - as shown in this Google Map assembled by @captaingentry, circulated via Twitter [...]
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With the first Hometown Holidays weekend coming up, The Junction is getting its holiday trimmings today. (See wsjunction.org for full details on Saturday’s tree lighting, Sunday’s HH fun - including Santa photos - and the ongoing $6,500 giveaway). Meantime, from Fauntleroy, we have a post-Thanksgiving thanks [...]
If you’re seeing smoke near The Bridge - it’s a truck fire in the 3200 block of 16th SW on Harbor Island (map). Heavy black smoke, as you can see in the cameraphone photo we just received (thanks!). 11:59 AM UPDATE: Via Twitter, @brucecmoore says the [...]
(During our interview, we asked for “a video message to your fans” - there’s the result)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two months ago, West Seattle radio personalities Marty Riemer and Jodi Brothers got axed from their long-running show without getting so much as a chance to say goodbye.
But [...]
From today’s city Land Use Information Bulletin: More than a year after demolition of the big old house at 4532 42nd SW (map) - just north of Capco Plaza — the official city decision is published approving the mixed-use project replacing it (July rendering above) [...]
This final day of the month is relatively quiet — nothing major on the calendar. But the first public meetings for two West Seattle park projects - both funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy - are happening later this week, so here’s an early reminder: 6:30 pm [...]
ORIGINAL 6:10 PM REPORT: A new development in the search for the man who killed four Lakewood Police officers in a Pierce County coffee shop this morning: Authorities have gone public with the photo at left, saying that 37-year-old Maurice Clemmons is a “person of interest” [...]
Along Beach Drive just before sunset, we caught this scene - West Seattle’s most famous holiday light display, in the process of being put up, all the way up to the big star on the tallest tree. If you’re new to the area - it’s the Menashe Family [...]
Though Westside Pharmacy technically closed two and a half months ago, when the pharmacy operations and staff moved to the new QFC in time for its opening day (previous stories here and here), they’ve continued the slow process of winding down the business, selling fixtures and other inventory [...]
If you’re with a group that can use student volunteers, here’s a chance to find them:
Chief Sealth High School will be hosting a Service Learning Fair for non-profit organizations that offer Service Learning opportunities to high school youth, 14-21 years of age, on Monday, December 7, 9:00 - 11:00 [...]
Several people have reported seeing/hearing this — multiple police cars and officers, reportedly including King County Sheriff’s Office as well as Seattle Police with K-9, involved in a search in Seaview overnight, between 2 and 4 am. (Phone-cam photo at left.) We’ve received reports from several spots [...]
Not West Seattle news, but so soon after former West Seattleite Officer Timothy Brenton was murdered here in our city … this is the region’s biggest story today, and we’re noting here in case you had not heard: Someone went into a coffee shop in Lakewood, south of Tacoma, around [...]
The most recent West Seattle crime-stat toplines included a slight rise in auto theft, and this morning we have two reports to share. First, from Meryl:
They stole my neighbor’s car (Friday) night, an old Bronco, on Holden St. between 41st and California (map).
I believe they were pros as [...]
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm as always. New items include parsnips, pears and matsutake mushrooms, according to the new Ripe ‘n’ Ready list.
HOTWIRE FREEBIES: The first two of four new coupons from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) runs through tomorrow - free latte’ or americano - [...]
Richie Jenkin says there’s two things in the back of everybody’s closet - a guitar and a set of weights. He says that people want to find a way to make the instrument part of their lives and he said that’s why he’s in the business of teaching guitar. Teaching [...]
For the second consecutive Saturday, West Seattle Bowl played host to a “Turkey Bowl” fundraiser - this one, including the group of local celebs you see above. (Recognize ‘em? Lots of media and/or sports links.) They bowled today to help out St. Martin de Porres shelter ([...]
On the same day King County Executive Dow Constantine was sworn in, the list of 11 applicants for his now-empty County Council seat was made public. Two are from West Seattle. State Sen. Joe McDermott’s candidacy already has been covered here - including video of what he told the [...]
The murder trial of Amanda Knox, whose mother Edda Mellas lives in West Seattle, could be over by this time next week. Mellas and Knox’s father Curt Knox are back in Italy now to await the verdict, but today they got unexpected news: They’ve received notice that Italian authorities [...]
Note the barrel in the foreground of our shot from Santa’s House in Westwood Village - it’s not just a place for the little ones to share their holiday wishes, it’s also a place for you to help make somebody else’s holiday dreams come true - Santa photos [...]
Seriously now - do you really want to drive 15 miles in the middle of the night to stand out in the cold and the (possible) rain and go through this?
And after all that, it may turn out that there were only two of the “doorbuster” items in stock, and [...]
Our biggest trip away from HQ on this quiet (so far, knock wood) Thanksgiving took us to The Junction, where the Easy Street Records marquee carried the traditional message. Two blocks up California SW, we peeked in on the West Seattle Eagles reviving their free-holiday-dinner tradition:
[...]
As we celebrate this holiday, we have a story from the last one - Halloween. Local writer Lesley Holdcroft tells the tale of the day’s most unusual event, from an inside perspective - she was one of the “ghosts” at the Southwest Historical Society’s fundraiser brunch.
Story by Lesley [...]
It’s the perfect day to ponder some of what you’re thankful for. So it’s perfect for the latest update we received from the local chiropractor rescued from a kayak mishap last March - who first sent in his account of the rescue, and has since updated us twice [...]
“We apologize for the inconvenience this Thanksgiving Day,” says the Seattle City Light recording, updating the second West Seattle outage in two days — last night, the Westwood Village area; today, almost 300 customers (given the area, we’d guess almost entirely residential) in southern Arbor Heights/The Arroyos. City [...]
One of many things we can be thankful for - spectacular scenery like that image David Hutchinson captured a few weeks ago from Seacrest. Here we are, on Thanksgiving Day - the first of the Major Winter Holidays is here. So is our compilation of information that might [...]
Before we go into something resembling holiday-news mode (we’ve got some great stories to share during the day, plus we’ll be on standby for breaking news, 24-7-365 means 24-7-365), we’ve got 6 Crime Watch reports to share. First some good news: In the WSB Forums, The Velvet [...]
Thanks to Matt Weiner, teacher candidate at Sanislo Elementary, for sharing photos from a fun event there last week, along with the story:
On Thursday, November 19th, Sanislo Elementary School held its annual Family Game Night. This year’s Game Night was organized by the four Teacher Candidates (formerly [...]
Finally got some official information about a power outage in the Westwood Village vicinity. We got a text about a “spotty” outage in a few places at the center earlier tonight - went over and looked around, didn’t see any obvious evidence of an outage. Seattle City Light didn’t [...]
View West Seattle coffee shops open Thanksgiving 2009 in a larger map
Coffee and cooking just seem to go together. So once again this year, we’ve compiled a list of which coffee shops will be open Thanksgiving (and when). Click any spot on the map and you’ll see the [...]
Remember those big roundups from SDOT before the big summer weekends? They’re back for the holidays and with so many activities around the city, we’re thinking you’ll be interested. Among them, as mentioned here a few times, Friday morning (8:45 am start)’s Macy’s Holiday Parade with the Denny/Sealth bands [...]
Just posted at SPDBlotter: Southwest Precinct investigators who’ve been working on dental-office break-ins in West Seattle and citywide are asking your help in finding the man shown at left. Here’s the text of the alert: “Seattle Police detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Shane L. [...]
First, one more pre-Thanksgiving food bank pitch. The West Seattle Food Bank is open till 3 pm today - one more hour - the White Center Food Bank (which serves part of southern WS too) is (THIS IS AN UPDATE) open till 7 pm. You’ve probably seen our [...]
A crash is blocking the turn lane from 35th SW northbound to The Bridge eastbound at Fauntleroy - doesn’t look like a serious injury situation, but traffic is backing up on 35th.
[...]
Continuing our pre-Thanksgiving info roundups (yesterday, we published the restaurant list — and have made some additions/changes since then; thanks to everyone for collaborating!) - now, here’s the West Seattle grocery store list, with who’s open/who’s not on Thanksgiving:
METROPOLITAN MARKET , Admiral
Open till 2 pm [...]
Didn’t get to photograph the most spectacular intervals of fog this morning, but this view looking south from the top of Genesee Hill shows some of the lingering fog as it drifted over the water. Nothing extraordinary in the holiday weekend forecast - a break right now, but [...]
We stopped by to check out the Triangle site (38th/Alaska) where work has begun on Link (background here), taking these photos just as day 2 of demolition work was concluding at mid-afternoon Tuesday. The old Huling repair-shop building (which more recently had been used to build/store Hi-Yu [...]
(Still photos in this report are courtesy King County)
A photographer working for King County took that photo of West Seattleites Dow Constantine and longtime partner Shirley Carlson in the front row at Daniels Recital Hall downtown, moments before he went to the stage to be sworn in [...]
(photo added 9:45 pm)
ORIGINAL 8:42 PM REPORT (when the headline mentioned “heavy rescue call”): Scanner says it’s a report of a car over an embankment into a building at Avalon/Genesee (map). On our way to check. Meantime, scanner says first responders report “no injuries” but they’re [...]
(very brief clip added 9:09 pm, K-9 crew returning to SPD car after searching)
ORIGINAL 7:21 PM REPORT: (original headline described “assault with weapons” call) All we can tell so far from the scanner is that police are looking for a suspect who ran west from the scene in the [...]
The verdict’s in for DeShawn “Cash Money” Clark, the teenage pimp linked to a gang called the Westside Street Mobb: Guilty. He’s the first person convicted under King County’s human-trafficking law. Though the gang was said to have originated in West Seattle, Clark’s crimes did not happen here - court [...]
(Photo above courtesy King County, added 7:32 pm; original report and photos start below)
ORIGINAL 4:02 PM REPORT: We’re at Daniels Recital Hall downtown, the former 1st United Methodist Church, where West Seattleite Dow Constantine is about to be sworn in as King County Executive. As you’d [...]
The county’s on furlough tomorrow, and has certified election results today - this is it, three weeks after Election Day, the final count. Dow Constantine, who’ll be sworn in at 4 pm (more here), beat Susan Hutchison for County Executive with 325,777 votes (59.04%) to [...]
Guaranteed to make you want to stand in the middle of Walk-All-Ways, join hands with your fellow West Seattleites and sway gently (or not-so-gently depending on what you’ve been up to) while singing along … it’s “We Are The Junction” - as announced/explained by Feedback Lounge (WSB [...]
While talking to some folks at the county about another story, we were reminded that there’s a West Seattle dropoff spot for recycling used cooking oil - and the county in fact has just put out a reminder that you can use it for free, 24/7. It’s at General [...]
That’s how Chas Redmond captioned this scene from Alki. (There’s probably also a “different way to stuff the bird” joke lurking in there too.) By the way, the forecast is calling for “more of the same” for the foreseeable future.
[...]A few people asked about a sizable sludgy mess in the street in the heart of The Junction this morning. We didn’t get a photo before the cleanup was complete about an hour ago, but we did nail down what it was all about, after getting a hint it had [...]
We’re still checking around so this is probably NOT the final list. But this is who we know so far will be open at least part of the time on Thursday - at least as of our research done Monday. Thank you to Sue Scharff for volunteering to [...]
If you’re heading back this way in the next few hours, this might be a reason to avoid The Viaduct. From Peg Nielsen at SDOT:
Today, Tuesday, November 24, a Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crew will be making emergency repairs to an expansion joint on the Alaskan Way Viaduct southbound [...]
TODAY’S MAIN EVENT: As of shortly after 4 pm today, West Seattle will be home to the officeholders of two of the state’s three top political jobs. That status isn’t permanent, but even after the changing of the mayoral guard in January, we’ll still be home-’hood to the [...]
Probably the shortest community meeting we’ve covered in a long time - barely half an hour (followed by about 20 minutes of folks milling around asking questions and looking at drawings): Monday night at Delridge Community Center, the Parks Department unveiled the tweaked design for the $3 million-plus [...]
Two West Seattle parents contacted us to share this news: Parents who use the Kids Corner drop-in child-care program at the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor), which is based at Fauntleroy Church, got word today that the program is closing after this Wednesday. A letter [...]
If you’ve been worried about H1N1 flu - a bit of good news from King County Public Health - the number of cases is on the decline. KCPH just sent a news release with the newest info - read on:
Following the relentless increase in H1N1 influenza (swine flu) illness [...]
The West Seattle Weekend Lineup is in the works, but first, from the WSB Events calendar (where you’ll find a long list of things happening today and beyond), three sales starting/happening today/tonight: First, day 1 of the 2-day anniversary sale at West Seattle’s independent book store Square 1 [...]
One more note from the Alki Community Council, following last night’s meeting (here’s our wrapup of other items): In time for holiday shopping … there’s another chance to buy bricks or a plaque at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza, to support its maintenance fund. The announcement [...]
That’s one alternative for 4435 35th SW (map) - the proposed 100+-unit residential/12,000-sf commercial project on the Redline-and-south site - shown for the first time at Thursday night’s Southwest Design Review Board meeting, but not in the online packet. It’s the one that won the most attention [...]
The Admiral Theater invites you to help choose a free movie for the holidays. Dinah from The Admiral sends the pitch:
We would love to host a free holiday movie for our neighbors and want your suggestions! Last year we showed, the perennial favorite, A Christmas Story. Please suggest something [...]
From tonight’s Alki Community Council meeting: Officer elections, with 3 returnees and one new: Jule Sugarman, Randie Stone and Paul Carr are returning as president, vice president and secretary, respectively; since Larry Carpenter chose to step down from the treasurer position, Terry Zerngast was elected to take over. ACC [...]
West Seattle Chamber of Commerce members and guests were at Westwood Village tonight as WSCC president/CEO Patti Mullen and WWV manager Stuart Crandall cut the ribbon for Santa’s new digs in the original Wyatt’s Jewelers [WSB sponsor] storefront across the breezeway from 24 Hour Fitness during the chamber’s [...]
Betsy reports a burglary on 26th SW in North Delridge - and says she came face-to-face with one of the burglars when she arrived at her neighboring home around 1 pm — “a slender, dark-skinned African American man between the ages of 17-24 walking out of my neighbor’s house carrying [...]
The Seattle City Council just announced who’ll be in charge of which committee once its two new members, Sally Bagshaw and Mike O’Brien, are sworn in after the holidays. One change of particular note to West Seattleites - WS-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen is moving from the Parks Committee chair [...]
We’ve been covering this story since night before last on partner site White Center Now, when several people sent tips about the crash and resulting traffic trouble - but now investigators are casting a wider net in trying to solve the hit and run (16th/106th) that [...]
Just out of the WSB inbox, this update from West Seattle Food Bank executive director Fran Yeatts:
The West Seattle Food Bank will be changing hours during the week of Thanksgiving.
We will be distributing our holiday food on Monday, 11/23 for seniors from 9:30 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. and for the [...]
Thank you to everyone who has shared news so far of holiday events around West Seattle - we’ve put it all together in Version 1.0 of the WSB West Seattle Holidays page. Events start with the Canape Chef Services (WSB sponsor) cooking class tonight, continue through [...]
First came Fauntleroy - next, Admiral and Alki are on deck for the West Seattle Trails Wayfinding and Kiosks project, which includes a $100,000 city grant. The first meeting to plan Admiral kiosks (similar to the one shown in a Feet First website photo at left, the [...]
Less than three weeks after the Halloween night shooting that shook the city and took Officer Timothy Brenton’s life, his partner Officer Britt Sweeney is telling her story. That video clip is from Wednesday night’s Q13 FOX newscast; Sweeney talked with anchor David Rose during a taping of the [...]
The Seattle School Board has finally voted late tonight on the attendance maps that are a key component of the new Student Assignment Plan, and for West Seattle, it went along the path that local board rep Steve Sundquist had outlined at his meeting this morning (WSB coverage here) [...]
First, a quick CW report from Nicole:
I read the West Seattle Crime (Watch) frequently since our home was burglarized back in August. Wanted to report that our SUV was vandalized night of November 16 — someone keyed along the entire length of the car. It was parked on the street [...]
Out of the WSB inbox - a request for help, from Rob:
I was hoping that you could help me in our search for the owner of a dog that was on leash outside Prost on California Ave on Monday, November 16th at around 5:45 pm. At about this time, I [...]
If you ever went to a play, a concert or an assembly in the Chief Sealth High School auditorium - you’ll remember these seats. They’re being replaced as part of the renovation project that’s in its home stretch. Second Use Building Materials shared the photo with [...]
The snowplow we saw at 35th/Morgan today must just have been SDOT on more test runs, because there is nothing even resembling snow in our forecast any time soon. Another round of wind is on the way, though, with an official wind advisory in effect till [...]
Thanks to everyone who has nominated someone (some have nominated more than one!) for the next round of West Seattle Volunteer Recognition, sponsored by the Delridge District Council (which meets tonight! 7 pm at Youngstown), Southwest District Council and WSB. Today’s the deadline - so we’re [...]
(Photo from April tour of problem spots in the Delridge neighborhood)
We reported here yesterday on two measures going to Seattle City Council committees this week, both providing potential tools for problems like the ones viewed on the North Delridge tour joined by those committee’s [...]
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With hours to go until the Seattle School Board votes on attendance-area maps as part of its new neighborhood-based Student Assignment Plan, West Seattle’s board rep laid his cards on the table during a meeting this morning at Delridge [...]
With almost $40,000 in the city budget to work on planning for what many consider the gateway to West Seattle, the Triangle area, leaders of the nearby Fairmount Community Association continue to work to make sure key players get a firsthand look at the area as it stands [...]
From Nina Chambers at Madison Middle School - they want to make sure everyone’s heard about this honor they received this fall:
Madison Middle School scores 2 years running as School of Distinction! Madison Middle School is one of “10 [district] schools … recognized by [...]
Six months after news of three new traffic cameras on the way to West Seattle (here’s our May story), installation is under way - but don’t expect to see the images immediately. We took the photo at left while driving through The Junction on Monday; Marybeth Turner [...]
SCHOOLS: 10 am, Steve Sundquist, West Seattle’s rep on the school board, is at Delridge Library for a community chat bound to be dominated by the proposed school-attendance maps the board will vote on tonight (6 pm, district HQ in SODO).
WATER: Could reclaimed wastewater mean a brighter future [...]
From tonight’s Youth Violence Prevention Initiative community dialogue at Chief Sealth High School: Attendees of all ages talked about solutions as well as the problem. We visited during the breakout sessions midway through the two-hour-plus event, and noticed the theme was jobs - a young person [...]
STOLEN VAN: Stephanie hopes you can help track down the van her husband needs for his blacksmith/metal-arts work: “Our 1986 Toyota van (silver with black steel racks with red tops on four corners) was stolen last night, 11/16. It’s a work van, really important. We live on 12th Avenue near [...]
It’s all over - Bob Warden went into Southwest Community Center with his concealed weapon, a parks security staffer came up to him and asked him to leave, he left, now he says he’s got grounds to sue. Big media circus, of course, including TV, newspaper and new-media [...]
Got a note about an outage in Gatewood that’s been under way since about 8 this morning. Just checked with Seattle City Light’s on-call media rep - no estimate yet when it’ll be fixed; they say it’s affecting about 53 customers, in the northern Gatewood Hill residential area east [...]
(Added: Toy Swap photo from about 10 am)
SAVE MONEY, SAVE THE EARTH: That’s the slogan for CoolMom’s second annual Toy Swap ‘n’ Sale, 9 am-1 pm. CoolMom’s Terri Glaberson tells us some deal-hunting earlybirds were even waiting when the doors opened last [...]
That’s the question members of the city Landmarks Preservation Board will want to see sorted out, as became clear during this morning’s meeting of the board’s Architectural Review Committee. This was the first public meeting at which Tom Lin, owner of the fire-damaged landmark, and his [...]
As promised when a team from Seattle Fire Department Station 11 (map) visited last month’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting (WSB coverage here), HPAC put together a delegation to bring the station a home-cooked dinner tonight, and we dropped by to catch the good [...]
Last weekend, we told you about Delridge and Pigeon Point volunteers spending a soggy, breezy Saturday morning making their neighborhood nicer (here’s our story). Tonight, two notes: First, Rose Feliciano (left) will be out raking up leaves again tomorrow morning around 9 am along the bike trail [...]
Just in from James Apa at King County Public Health, at the end of a week in which people lined up to get H1N1 vaccine wherever it was available (above, one of West Seattleite Brandon Nicholson’s photos from the line Wednesday outside a Sand Point pharmacy that briefly [...]
We have been SO overdue for cute owl photos, ever since the charming saga of Wollet over the summer. And now, our unspoken wish is granted, courtesy of Jonathan French, who says his neighbor northwest of The Junction - proprietor of Better Coops and Gardens - [...]
As the King County Water Taxi’s West Seattle run sends out the official announcement of another record-setting year (which ended on Halloween), we also have word that work has begun on the expansion of its Seacrest dock - which will enable the foot ferry to go year-round starting [...]
We’re extending the deadline for nominations in the second round of West Seattle Volunteer Recognition - if you can spare a few minutes today or this weekend - the sooner the better - take this chance to tell the world about somebody you think deserves public props [...]
(Photo courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation, from project sign installation Thursday)
From the last meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee, we reported that Seattle Parks had set a December 3rd meeting for discussion of the West Seattle (Westcrest) Reservoir park design (here’s that story). [...]
Holiday shopping season is here. This weekend includes bazaars - starting this morning at The Mount — CoolMom’s Toy Swap ‘n’ Sale on Saturday — the Sunday sale at Curious Kidstuff (WSB sponsor), the West Seattle Fashion Brunch, and more. Last year, we procrastinated, [...]
