November 2015

Seattle Police Department and King County Medical Examiner are investigating the death of Anne Zachariasen, 45, who was found under the Ballard Bridge on Nov. 19.

SPD received the report around 6 a.m. that day. They reported that there was no obvious sign of trauma to the woman. By trauma SPD means no abrasions, cuts, stabbings, bruises or gunshot wounds. SPD could not report if there were any weapons, drug paraphernalia or witnesses at the scene.

KCME released Zachariasen’s name on Nov. 20th, but the manner and cause of death was determined as pending. The Medical Examiners office is waiting on studies and testing results that could take up to eight weeks. The Examiner could not release the specifics of testing for Zachariasen because the case is still under investigation; however, KCME reported that tissue, toxicology and neurological testing are the kinds of tests that could take that amount of time.

SPD could also not report any other information because the case is still under investigation.

By Amanda Knox

I was fourteen when I first learned the word, “Casualty.” It was September 11th, 2001, I was a freshman in highschool, and that word, louder than “Tragedy” and “Terror,” rang out to me. I didn’t quite understand it at first. I gleaned that it must mean a person killed in an act of war, but didn’t that mean a soldier? Weren’t the people who worked in the World Trade Center civilians?

My confusion was rooted in my naivety. Sheltered my entire life in safe Seattle suburbs, 9/11/01 was the first time I realized that war wasn’t just historical. It wasn’t far away. It didn’t just mean fighters, fighting. It meant everyone, dying. “Casualty” meant you, me.

This past week I’ve felt jolted back into that hollowed-out feeling of fragility. I would love to write about other things on my mind—chess, travel, Charlie Brown—but even though I’ve thought about these things too, I’m distracted. My heart hurts.

Update Nov. 25
Donations are rolling in to Salty's on Alki and others are collecting food items across the area as part of the KING5 Hometeam Harvest food drive. The drive is seeking specific food items listed below. The date has been moved up to Dec. 5 so if you plan on donating (or competing with your business or apartment complex) please take note.
Here are the food items most needed:

• Beef stew, chili and similar meals with low salt, sugar and saturated fats
• Canned fruit, especially with low sugar (but not artificial sweeteners)
• Canned fish or meat
• Peanut butter (plastic jars are preferred)
• Canned vegetables (low sodium)
• Brown rice
• Whole grain pastas
• Tomato products and canned sauces
• Shelf-stable milk
• Baby formula
• Jars of baby food
• Powdered or canned milk
• Infant cereal

Original Post

by Greg Whittaker

The Mt Baker Ski Area is OPEN, and Crystal Mountain is a go for limited operations tomorrow, Saturday 11/21. Get your gear waxed up and head to the hills people! Snow reports are good: the last storm cycle left the the Mt. Baker Ski Area with 34" at the base and over 60" at the top of Pan Dome.

Speaking of which, that was an amazing storm that started cold depositing a good layer of snow down to 3000 ft throughout the Cascades. Later, it warmed up as it slammed wind and waves into West Seattle, with sightings of a surfer off Constellation Park. There was another good cool down after the warm front with more snow in the hills. Check out the photo in the slideshow of Highway 410, you can barely tell there is a road there. Highway 2 also got hit hard, with the pass currently closed at Skykomish with no predicted opening. This could be devastating for Stevens Pass and the pass-holders who are ready to go, so much thanks to the highway department for working hard to this lifeline open as soon as possible.

information from the Whale Trail

Over the past year, six new calves have been born to the Southern Resident Killer Whales (J, K and L pods). What does that mean for this endangered population - how healthy are they overall? What have we learned over the past year, and what are the most pressing questions still to be addressed?

Join us to hear the latest findings and future research directions, presented by Dr. Brad Hanson, NWFSC lead killer whale researcher. Thursday December 3, 7:30 - 9 pm at C & P Coffee 5612 California Ave SW.

This is the second in the 2015/2016 Orca Talk series hosted by The Whale Trail in West Seattle. The event also features updates from Robin Lindsay (Seal Sitters), and Diver Laura James (tox-ick.org). Come early and share some holiday cheer!

Buy tickets now to reserve your seat. And hurry - this will likely sell out.

About the Speaker

The permit for the Nickelsville encampment (2826 NW Market St.) was issued today and organizers are planning to set up camp quickly.

Nickelsville social worker, David Delagado told the Ballard News-Tribune that Nickelsville is planning to move five tiny houses to the lot and set up a security station by the end of the week. The houses are planned to be on the frontage side of the site.

Last week the seven squatters who were living at the site were asked by Nickelville to vacate the premises by Monday. They left voluntarily and some have registered with Nickelsville. They are now on a waiting list and will have priority when being selected to live at the Ballard site.


New potential residents are encouraged to visit the site and apply for intake. All residents are selected through a screening process and then follow strict camp rules, such as no drinking or drug use.

Today Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced the 24 community groups receiving matching funds to support neighborhood-initiated projects across the city. Totaling $464,823, the awards are from the Neighborhood Matching Fund for a variety of physical improvements, cultural festivals, and events.

“These awards recognize the dedication and hard work of community members working together to improve their neighborhood,” said Mayor Murray. “Whether the projects are for physical improvements or a cultural celebration, the benefit of this program is the connection and engagement of neighbors and the broader community.”

These awards are part of the Small and Simple Projects Fund, one of three funds offered by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. It provides cash awards of up to $25,000 in matching funds to community organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2015 November awards range from $5,000 to $25,000, and the organizations pledge to match the City of Seattle’s $464,823 investment with $523,744 of locally raised money, donated materials, and volunteer labor.

West Seattle Helpline announced that the 6th Annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors Dinner & Auction was the most successful fundraising event in the organization's history.

The crowd of 150 people helped raise over $85,000 for programs that provide emergency assistance to neighbors in need. This is more than the amounts raised at this event in the last two years combined.
The event sponsors covered all expenses for the night, making it possible for every single dollar raised to go directly to serving our neighbors in need.

Presenting Sponsor:
Metropolitan Market

Neighbor Heroes:
Homestreet Bank
PunchDrunk Productions

Community Builder:
The CoHo Team of Windermere Agents

Great Neighbors:
Charlie's Produce
AmeriGroup
YMCA

Helping Hands:
BR Networking
Companis
Berkshire Hathaway
John L Scott Real Estate
Jackson, Morgan, & Hunt
LiveOak Audio Visual

information from ECOSS

ECOSS, Hope Academy and Alnoor Mosque are celebrating the first rain garden and cistern project at a mosque in Seattle and raising awareness about water quality.

Hope Academy and Alnoor Mosque are located at 9421 18th Ave SW in the White Center neighborhood. The private school and mosque serves primarily Somali and other East African populations, although the mosque is open to all Muslims.

The completion of this community teaching tool will be celebrated on Friday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with festivities open to the public—including a ribbon cutting, garden tours and refreshments. While the primary goals of the project are environmental stewardship and flood prevention, this demonstration project also serves to educate students and community members.

Now that much of the West Coast and other parts of the country have declared a state of emergency for homelessness, a new look at housing people is warranted.

Cities across the country all have different strategies for housing the homeless and elevating them to stability. Some cities such as Salt Lake City, spend millions on constructing swaths of permanent housing with onsite counseling and vocational resource advisors. Other cities build huge hospital-like facilities with counselors, doctors and housing all under one roof. Some cities do nothing. This rainy city of Seattle emphasizes housing homelessness is tent encampments.

But permanent housing and tents aren’t the only options.

What if it was possible to quickly set up temporary housing, safely, securely, and intended purely as temporary shelter at a reasonable cost? Wouldn’t it make sense, and show genuine human compassion to pursue that kind of solution?