January 2017

Update 1-23-17
As the West Seattle Herald reported first on Jan. 20, The San Juan Apartments were the subject of a closure and vacation order by the City of Seattle Department of Bulidings and Construction. The original notice posted on the front door called for the entire building but only one unit was ordered vacated at that time, unit 41. Two more units have been added to the inspection list since then and the Herald, upon visiting drew the attention of further potential health hazards and building faults to the City. The spokesperson Bryan Stevens said they would attempt to gain access to to the second floor and other areas. He also issued a statement regarding the situation and what tenants can do in the event relocation is required.

Steven's statement:

information from Twelfth Night Productions

Twelfth Night Production (TNP) is proud to present BECKY’S NEW CAR.

Have you ever been tempted to flee your own life? Becky foster is caught in middle age, middle management and in a middling marriage with no prospects for change on the horizon. Then one night a socially inept and grief-struck millionaire stumbles into the car dealership where Becky works. Becky is offered nothing short of a new life and the audience is offered a chance to ride shotgun in a way that most plays wouldn’t dare.

BECKY’S NEW CAR is a thoroughly original comedy with serious overtones, a devious and delightful romp down the road not taken.

Playing at. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for students and seniors.

The West Seattle Helpline, in response to fears expressed to them by many members of the community about the changing political climate shared the following open letter:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

In light of some disturbing, recent trends, we feel compelled to speak out.

In the last few months, we have seen a rise in hate crimes against members of immigrant, LGBTQ, and Muslim communities. Harassment of women and people of color has been reported at higher rates locally and nationwide. We’ve seen increased hateful, divisive dialogue in the media, online, in our schools and at public gatherings. From the neighbors we serve, to our volunteers and supporters, to our own friends and families, fear for safety of self and others has become far too common.

By Gwen Davis

The city’s new affordable housing plans are coming and coming fast. Packaged into a program called HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda), the city is about to take a leap into changing zoning so that residential areas will become more dense, leading to capacity for more affordable housing. With tens of thousands of new families projected to move into Seattle within the next several years, city officials are determined to make Seattle an affordable place to live for everyone, no matter what one’s income bracket.

However, many people in West Seattle are saying: “We agree there needs to be more affordable housing, but this is coming to us too fast! Give us time to understand the plans and provide feedback.”

The new West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) is doing just that.

The latest JuNO meeting took place Thursday evening at the Senior Center.

“I want to welcome everyone for coming out on a dark, wet Thursday to talk about land use planning,” Carl Guess, the vice chair of JuNO.

Guess first asked how many people knew about the land use changes.

After numerous things were stolen off his porch one Ballard man is fighting crime in his own special way.

Matt Coggan of Ballard used a hidden camera to get evidence of a young man stealing a package but the thief didn't get away with much, besides moldy hummus.

“Today I caught a person stealing a lovely packaged delicacy,” said Coggan sarcastically. “Being a guy who lives alone I have plenty of stuff in my fridge and found the most putrid and nasty dish of hummus from weeks ago. It had enough weight to it for someone to think there was something in the box.”

The thefts have been going on for months, and Coggan said that he has had everything from bikes stolen, to cars broken into and items stolen from inside his neighbors’ windows. The final theft that prompted action was over the holidays. He was watching a Seahawks game at his house and waiting for his father’s present to be delivered. He checked the status of the package, and it said that it had already been dropped off, but there was nothing there.
It had been stolen.

“I was inside 10 feet away, so when that happened I said I’ve had it and decided to do something.”

Information from King County

During a period of heavy rain and high tides, King County crews quickly responded when the Alki combined sewer overflow (CSO) treatment facility flooded with mixed stormwater and wastewater on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

During the storm, the County’s 63rd Avenue Pump Station sent high flows to the Alki Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) treatment facility at 3380 Beach Dr. SW.

The pump station is designed to discharge treated stormwater and wastewater flows exceeding capacity through an outfall extending into Puget Sound. High tides can add to the flow going to the CSO treatment facility.

High flows from the pump station flooded the Alki CSO treatment facility, causing an overflow into a nearby storm drain that empties into Puget Sound. The volume and duration of the overflow have not yet been determined.

King County reported the overflow to health and regulatory agencies. A cleanup crew and vacuum truck removed remaining wastewater in the building. King County employees posted signs by the beach and employees with the County’s Environmental Lab conducted water quality monitoring.

Update:
The 74 year old man shot as he slept at his SeaTac home has died. An investigation is underway.

Original Post
information from King County Sheriff

Police responded to numerous reports of shots being heard near S128th St and 26 Ave S around midnight. One caller in the 12800 block of 26 Ave S said their house had been struck multiple times by bullets. When deputies arrived they found shell casings on the ground in front of the house and bullet holes in the walls and a vehicle parked at that location. No one was injured at the house.

Within minutes police received another 911 call from the next door neighbor’s house saying a man had been shot in the head. Deputies ran to the house and found a 74 year old man in bed with a gunshot wound to the head. Police believe a stray round from the shots next door went through the wall of his house and struck him as he slept. Medics arrived and transported the man to Harborview with life threatening injuries.

Detectives have not determined a motive for the shooting. There is no suspect information at this time.

Information provided by SDOT

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises travelers to be aware of the following event happening on Saturday, January 21 in the city that will significantly impact area traffic.
On Saturday, about 30,000 people are expected to participate in a women’s equity and social justice march in Seattle. Please plan and expect delays as the march continues throughout the city.

Womxn's March on Seattle: The rally starts at Judkins Park followed by a march to Seattle Center beginning at 11am. From 20th Ave S and S Weller St, the route heads north on 20th Ave S, west on S Jackson St, north on 4th Ave, west on Denny Way, and north on 2nd Ave N into Seattle Center. About 30,000 people are expected to attend.

What caused the power outage last Monday that affected over 22,000 people in Fremont, Queen Anne and Ballard?

Seattle City Light Engineering and Technology Innovation Officer, Sephir Hamilton, reported today on twitter that a failed “cable terminator” was the source of the failure.

SCL made the announcement in response to public inquiries on social media about the causes of the outage. A popular question was if a squirrel had caused the failure.

The Ballard News-Tribune asked SCL this question directly.

“No, a squirrel did not cause the outage,” said Scott Thomsen, Public Affairs Officer for Seattle City Light.

“We are not certain of the cause yet, but we are continuing to look at all the parts to see what we can determine.”

Hamilton explained on twitter that cable terminators move power from underground wires to wires on the surface, which eventually feed homes and other surface infrastructure.

SCL would not reported where exactly the failed cable terminator was located in North Seattle but that it was in the “general vicinity of the neighborhoods affected.”

By Peggy Sturdivant

Madison Thomas thought she wanted to go into medicine. Then she got a taste of government as a page for then-State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles and realized, instead of one patient at a time, she could help masses through legislation. Now she’s in truly in charge of organizing the masses, as college engagement coordinator for the January 21, 2017 Women’s March on Washington.

Thomas considers herself a citizen of two cities; her hometown of Seattle (Ballard), and her Georgetown University college town of Washington, D.C. Like many she watched the presidential election returns in shock, but unlike most she was shortly fielding thousands of phone calls as an intern in Senator Patty Murray’s D.C. office. “Citizens were worried about the future of the United States. ‘What do I do?’ they kept asking?’ I didn’t have an answer.”