November 2013

Rock hurled through window

Nov. 18, it was reported that sometime between Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, a stone had been hurled through a downstairs window at a home on the 7300 block of 34th Ave NW. The stone, in its violent trajectory, damaged the single-pane window. The interior blinds were also damaged. With no evidence of the suspect located, the stone’s chucker remains a mystery.

Burglar from Vashon makes a clatter upon storage door

Close to 3 a.m. on Nov. 18, officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on the 2800 block of NW 58th St, where they found a man on the ground holding down a woman.

The man was the building employee. He was doing his rounds when he heard a loud clatter upon his storage closet door. He went to see what was astir and found the woman attempting to breach the storage door with two crowbars. He told her to drop the crowbars or he would call authorities. She tried to flee. He took hold of her by the jacket that she wore and held her down upon the cold apartment floor. They remained there until officers arrived. Neither transgressor nor vigilante suffered injuries.

By Peggy Sturdivant

“I will not take no for an answer,” Camelion Design owner Nicole Vandermeulen said at an early morning meeting in early October. The Front Steps committee of Ballard Merchants and Ballard Chamber of Commerce had been working their way to lighting Ballard for the 2013 holidays during even the sun-lit summer months.

Vandermeulen was talking about asking businesses to contribute to the cost of wrapping the trees of Ballard before the holidays, whether or not they considered it helpful for their business, but as a way pulling together and lifting the fortunes of all Ballard businesses. She was far from alone. Mike Stewart from the Ballard Chamber and Legh Burns of re-souL took on speaking to building owners and developers as well as merchants.

information from King County Metro

King County Metro Transit reminds riders that buses will operate on holiday and reduced weekday schedules over the Thanksgiving holiday and during several holiday periods through January – including a full week of reduced service at the end of December.

On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, Metro will operate a Sunday schedule. On Friday, Nov. 29, Metro will operate reduced weekday service, which offers more service than on weekends, but somewhat less service than on normal weekdays.

Using a limited schedule over holiday periods from November through January is estimated to save Metro about $1 million each year. These are planned reductions for holiday periods when Metro has historically seen a reduction in the number of weekday riders – estimated to be 15 percent or more systemwide. Details are posted on Metro’s holiday and reduced service page.

Sunday schedules will be in effect on the following holidays:
Thursday, Nov. 28 – Thanksgiving
Wednesday, Dec. 25 – Christmas
Wednesday, Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day

The reduced weekday schedule will be in effect on:

UPDATE 4:45pm
King County Sheriff's deputies are seeking the public's help in their investigation of the shooting death of a 23 year old man in White Center on Nov. 27. They provided more details about the shooting.

Detective Sergeant Tony McNabb said “Two young men were walking along SW 108 St. minding their own business when they were confronted by the two suspects. The suspects accused the innocent victim and his friend of being in a rival gang to which they both denied. As the victim and his friend began walking away, one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and began firing at the two, hitting and killing one of them.”

Deputy Charlie Akers is asking for the public to “Put themselves in the shoes of this innocent young man’s family. As we are entering the holiday season, this family is grieving the senseless loss of this young man. If this was one of your loved ones, you would want answers, you would want justice. A young man has lost his life because he was mistaken to be in a gang”. Deputy Akers added a message to the suspects “You took the life of an innocent young man for no reason, turn yourself in”.

On Saturday, November 30th, West Seattle Lights will have their 5th Annual Lighting Ceremony at the home of Corey and Taylor Helmstetler at 3908 SW Charlestown. The public is invited free of charge, but attendees are asked to bring a food or cash donation for either West Seattle Food Bank or The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.

This year the Helmstetler Christmas Spectacular will have a NEW Master Of Ceremonies…a talking and singing 8 Foot Tall Snowman!!! Along with his two talking/singing Christmas Trees, Jaeley and Jaxton! Here's the Herald story from last year with a preview video.

Earlier in the year a Name The Snowman Contest was conducted and the winner and the Snowmans’ new name will be announced.

By David Rosen

*Update as of 7:30 pm Nov 27

The Menashe family is having their lighting ceremony on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 5 pm. Josh Menashe told the Herald, " We have something big planned for the lighting ceremony on Sunday but I can't release the details as it will be a surprise to everyone."

They are also having their annual holiday event featuring Santa Claus on Saturday, December 14 from 6 pm to 10 pm. They encourage to bring down your family and kids for this fun filled night.

Original Post
A crew of men, led by Josh Menashe were a blur of activity at the home of his parents Jack and Linda Menashe at 5605 Beach Drive SW. Nov 27 where again this year they are putting on what is likely the most spectacular display of Christmas lights in West Seattle.

Menashe said the display this year has a few new key features including a new LED Ferris Wheel , 
a Mickey Mouse coming out of a chimney, Snoopy, two new candy canes, new deer, polar bears, a gingerbread house blow up on the roof, and new blue LED lights on a tree.

King County Wastewater Division has shared an update on the Barton Street Pump Station construction project now underway.

"As construction moves forward, King County will be providing monthly project updates to keep the community informed. King County will continue to notify the community and ferry commuters should any ferry lane closures or work requiring additional notification occur.

Previous work
Work over the past month has focused on rebar and concrete placement in order to:
· Continue forming walls in the pump station and valve room.
· Begin construction in the utilidor. The utilidor provides access to underground pipes for routine maintenance or emergencies.

Upcoming activity
Over the next month, you’ll see:
· More trucks coming in and out of the site; crews will continue to move traffic through the site in coordination with the ferry terminal.
· Concrete placement for the new pump station’s roof and the floor of the utilidor.

What to expect
· Work hours typically 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

According to SDOT, there will be a lane closure on the right northbound lane of Ballard Bridge today. A bridge crew will be working to repair the expansion joint where the bridge crosses NW Leary Way. The work should be completed before 3 p.m., however motorists should expect delays. SDOT warns motorists to slow down and use caution while crossing the bridge.

The recently formed West Seattle Transportation Coalition has been doing exactly what they said they would, taking action on transit and transportation issues for the West Seattle peninsula, holding a press conference/rally with elected officials last week and now working to promote the expansion of light rail.
They shared a post on their site with the West Seattle Herald.

"On November 21, members of the West Seattle Transportation Coalition attended an information hearing held by Sound Transit about the revision process for their long-range plan. Prior to this, virtually all the feedback we have heard either through the WSTC or through our various West Seattle community groups was overwhelmingly in support of and in favor of expanding Light Rail to West Seattle.

The Three Tree Point community in Burien lost long time resident last week. Louisa Rice, wife of Ray Rice, passed away.

The residents will surely miss her. She lived in the house on the tip and most beach residents knew her as the host for hundreds who gathered on the Rice family lawn to watch the annual Fourth of July fireworks show held each year on a barge anchored in front of the Rice residence.

Plus that, she was a champion walker and spent a lot of time chatting on her daily hike down the south beach on sunshiny days. I spotted her one day herding a small flock of four or five chickens along the road.

I stopped and chatted with her because I used to have some Banty hens when I was 8 years old living in Portland. They laid eggs in lots of spots in my dad's backyard garden. I talked to Louisa about getting some Buff Cochin hens and building a hen house and maybe get a rooster to wake the neighborhood up in the morning.

She never did. Maybe just as well. There are a lot of otters that live around the Rice rock bulkhead plus eagles, herons and even sea lions.