Out of the WSB inbox this afternoon:

In the interest of keeping our neighborhood a safe place, I am writing to let you know of an incidence of stalking that happened to me this week in our neighborhood:

This Tuesday morning around 9:40 am I was walking east up Admiral and walked by a car that was parked in the “dead zone” between 49th Ave SW and Garlough Ave SW. When I was almost to 48th on SW Lander, he drove the wrong way up Lander, pulled over in his car and started talking to me. He let his feelings be known that he liked me and wanted to see me twice, which I answered with “NO” and “NO, I’m married.” and then he drove away. I was very distraught but dismissed it as a weird one-time occurrence. Wednesday I took my daughter to school and stayed for a school activity. Driving home, I saw his car again in the same place and time on Admiral; this was at about 9:15 am. Today, as I was running with my friend, west down Admiral he took a right turn in front of us from 51st onto Admiral and pulled over between 51st and Garlough at around 9:10 am.

After seeing him again this morning I called and made a police report. SPD gave me a case number (24-105089), told me to call 911 if he tries to make contact again, and asked that I put my neighborhood on high alert. I did not get a picture and do not remember any more than this: He presented as a white male with dark hair in his mid 30-40s. He was driving what I remember as a newer-looking black or very dark blue small sedan or hatchback with fully tinted windows. When I first walked by his car, the windows were cracked and I could smell cigarette smoke.

(Willow the dog is back home; info removed)

(Rainbow photographed Tuesday morning by Erin O)

Mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

EXPANDED FAUNTLEROY YMCA HOURS: Third week for the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) expanded hours – 9 am to noon and 4 pm to 7 pm, Mondays through Thursdays – now with classes (see the schedule here).

FREE PLAYSPACE: Drop-in space open at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau) until noon.

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Now open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.

WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com for info on where they’re playing today.

NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar now open Thursdays-Saturdays 1 pm-6 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.

STRONG BODIES, STRONG BONES: 2:30 pm class at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: Every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Bai Tong on Wheels.

SOFTBALL: One high-school home game today – Chief Sealth IHS hosts Lincoln, 4 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle)

FREE CLASS: CommunityFlow at Dragonfly (3270 California SW), 4-5 pm – sign up here.

FREE ECO-ARTS CLASS: 5-7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – you’re invited to drop in!

VISCON CELLARS: The West Seattle winery’s tasting room/wine bar is open 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) for wine by the glass or bottle.

BASQUE WINE AND VERMOUTH TASTING: 5-7 pm at Sebastiano’s (3278 California SW).

WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at Good Society (California/Lander) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run.

HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: 6:30 pm, meet at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) for a 3-mile run through the neighborhood. (Walking option, too!)

BLUES NIGHT: 6:30-9 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.

ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Parks and Police reps are among the guests to talk about plans for spring/summer at the park, 7 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) – attend in person or online; info’s in our preview.

THURSDAY NIGHT TRIVIA: Burger Planet (9614 14th SW) in White Center now has Thursday night trivia at 7 pm – prizes!

THIRD WEEK FOR ‘ENGLISH’: The current play at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) takes the stage at 7:30 pm. See our calendar listing for info, including the ticket link.

Planning an event that should be on our calendar and in daily preview lists like this one? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Summer is approaching and it’s time to find out what the plans are for keeping people safe at Alki Beach as the weather warms and crowds grow. The new leadership of the Alki Community Council is laser-focused on getting answers, and this Thursday is the night to join them – in person or online – to see what they’re finding out, and ask your own questions. For one – now that city Park Rangers are able to work outside downtown, they’ll be coming to Alki, and some will be at the ACC meeting to talk with community members. Another key guest, according to ACC president Charlotte Starck, will be Seattle Parks’ director of security Markeith Blackshire, with updates including beach hours this summer – will the earlier closings resume? Other beach-related issues the ACC is tackling include how city budget woes will (or won’t) affect park maintenance. Beyond the beach, plans for Whale Tail Park and the Alki Elementary play area are on the agenda too. And Southwest Precinct police will be there. All this in less than an hour and a half, if you can invest just a bit of time in your community. 7 pm is the start time at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) or online (here’s the link).

(info removed)

Longtime West Seattleites Eddie & Jill Vedder co-founded EB Research Partnership (EBRP) in 2010 along with a dedicated group of parents set out to save their children’s lives. Their community will be rallying around Team Vedder by plunging into the cold waters of Puget Sound off Alki Beach on Sunday, April 21st at 10 am as part of a national campaign to raise money to treat and cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a family of painful and life-threatening rare genetic disorders that affect the body’s largest organ: the skin.

The Vedders serve as global fundraisers and ambassadors sharing the mission of curing and treating EB with the world. EBRP is now the largest global nonprofit funding research to discover treatments and cures for EB, and Jill serves as the Board’s chairperson. The organization has raised more than $60 million, funded 140 research projects, increased clinical trials from 2 to now more than 40, and helped lead to the first two ever FDA-approved treatments for EB last year.

The Plunge for Elodie is named after 7-year-old Elodie Kubik, who lives with a severe form of EB. The event began in 2018 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, organized by friends of Elodie’s mother, and has now grown into an annual global fundraising and awareness-raising initiative.

This year, Team Vedder will be plunging Alki Beach with a local EB patient, Patterson, a young boy who, like Elodie, suffers from a severe form of EB. Patterson endures daily bandage changes that can be grueling and take time away from other activities. EB is challenging, as it affects so much more than just his skin. It is a constant battle, both physically and emotionally, as he navigates through pain, itch, inflammation, and wound care. But amidst the challenges, there is a powerful force that emerges – strength and resilience.

“We are inspired by the courage that those with EB, like Patterson and Elodie, show every single day to fight alongside them. Our mission is to cure EB by 2030 and events like the Plunge help us raise the awareness and dollars to achieve it. We have made tremendous progress towards our goal of delivering treatments and a cure; however, we will not stop until there is a cure for every patient and our model can lead the way for all those battling rare diseases,” said EBRP Chairwoman Jill Vedder.

4 Ways to Support Team Vedder’s #PlungeForElodie This Year

1. Donate to Team Vedder: Hit the “Donate” Button to give. Every dollar raised through the Plunge supports EBRP’s mission to treat and cure EB.

2. Fundraise in Your Community: If you want to go bigger and make your own fundraising page under The Vedder Team, click “Join Team” and follow the prompts to create an account. (All ofyour efforts will be tallied up on the “Team Vedder” page.)* We have good prizes for top fundraisers!

3. Join Vedders & Friends in person at Alki Beach near the bathhouse at 10 am on Sunday, April 21 to take the plunge with us by making a minimum donation of $25 here *AND* completing this waiver online prior to the event.

4. If you can’t join us in-person, film yourself taking a virtual plunge in a cold-body-of-water, mound of snow, or tub filled with ice and tag @ebresearch and @jill.vedder #PlungeForElodie on April 21st so we can see your amazing plunge!

Alki Event Participants – Know Before You Go

-Bring a copy of your signed waiver and registration form, both of which need to be submitted ahead of time online.

-Arrive ready to Plunge with your plunge clothes beneath the clothes you wear to the event.

-Don’t forget to bring warm clothes and towels for after you plunge, comfy shoes that are easy to slip in and out of, and something to put your wet clothes in after!

-There will be no lifeguards on duty.

-Swim caps will be provided, first come-first serve.

More About EBRP

Combining its award-winning Venture Philanthropy business model and world-renown Scientific Advisory Board, EBRP is creating a blueprint for how rare diseases can be cured. Donating to EBRP not only supports families fighting EB everywhere, but also has the potential to impact thousands of other rare diseases.

Thanks to the long-standing support of brave EB Warriors, resilient EB families, brilliant medical experts and generous donors, EBRP has been able to raise over $60M for critical EB research, fund 140+ innovative projects, and accelerator the first two FDA approved treatments for EB and transform the clinical trial landscape by 20x since 2010.

Your next chance to plunge into Puget Sound from Alki Beach for a cause is one week from tomorrow – and this one is taking on disorders collectively known as EB, under the leadership of a West Seattle couple you might know. We received this announcement with the explanation that they’ve done this at their home in previous years but this year “want to get as many West Seattleites to join them as possible!”

Longtime West Seattleites Eddie & Jill Vedder co-founded EB Research Partnership (EBRP) in 2010 along with a dedicated group of parents set out to save their children’s lives. Their community will be rallying around Team Vedder by plunging into the cold waters of Puget Sound off Alki Beach on Sunday, April 21st at 10 am as part of a national campaign to raise money to treat and cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a family of painful and life-threatening rare genetic disorders that affect the body’s largest organ: the skin.

The Vedders serve as global fundraisers and ambassadors sharing the mission of curing and treating EB with the world. EBRP is now the largest global nonprofit funding research to discover treatments and cures for EB, and Jill serves as the Board’s chairperson. The organization has raised more than $60 million, funded 140 research projects, increased clinical trials from 2 to now more than 40, and helped lead to the first two ever FDA-approved treatments for EB last year.

The Plunge for Elodie is named after 7-year-old Elodie Kubik, who lives with a severe form of EB. The event began in 2018 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, organized by friends of Elodie’s mother, and has now grown into an annual global fundraising and awareness-raising initiative.

This year, Team Vedder will be plunging Alki Beach with a local EB patient, Patterson, a young boy who, like Elodie, suffers from a severe form of EB. Patterson endures daily bandage changes that can be grueling and take time away from other activities. EB is challenging, as it affects so much more than just his skin. It is a constant battle, both physically and emotionally, as he navigates through pain, itch, inflammation, and wound care. But amidst the challenges, there is a powerful force that emerges – strength and resilience.

“We are inspired by the courage that those with EB, like Patterson and Elodie, show every single day to fight alongside them. Our mission is to cure EB by 2030 and events like the Plunge help us raise the awareness and dollars to achieve it. We have made tremendous progress towards our goal of delivering treatments and a cure; however, we will not stop until there is a cure for every patient and our model can lead the way for all those battling rare diseases,” said EBRP Chairwoman Jill Vedder.

4 Ways to Support Team Vedder’s #PlungeForElodie This Year

1. Donate to Team Vedder: Hit the “Donate” Button to give. Every dollar raised through the Plunge supports EBRP’s mission to treat and cure EB.

2. Fundraise in Your Community: If you want to go bigger and make your own fundraising page under The Vedder Team, click “Join Team” and follow the prompts to create an account. (All ofyour efforts will be tallied up on the “Team Vedder” page.)* We have good prizes for top fundraisers!

3. Join Vedders & Friends in person at Alki Beach near the bathhouse at 10 am on Sunday, April 21 to take the plunge with us by making a minimum donation of $25 here *AND* completing this waiver online prior to the event.

4. If you can’t join us in-person, film yourself taking a virtual plunge in a cold-body-of-water, mound of snow, or tub filled with ice and tag @ebresearch and @jill.vedder #PlungeForElodie on April 21st so we can see your amazing plunge!

Alki Event Participants – Know Before You Go

-Bring a copy of your signed waiver and registration form, both of which need to be submitted ahead of time online.

-Arrive ready to Plunge with your plunge clothes beneath the clothes you wear to the event.

-Don’t forget to bring warm clothes and towels for after you plunge, comfy shoes that are easy to slip in and out of, and something to put your wet clothes in after!

-There will be no lifeguards on duty.

-Swim caps will be provided, first come-first serve.

More About EBRP

Combining its award-winning Venture Philanthropy business model and world-renown Scientific Advisory Board, EBRP is creating a blueprint for how rare diseases can be cured. Donating to EBRP not only supports families fighting EB everywhere, but also has the potential to impact thousands of other rare diseases.

Thanks to the long-standing support of brave EB Warriors, resilient EB families, brilliant medical experts and generous donors, EBRP has been able to raise over $60M for critical EB research, fund 140+ innovative projects, and accelerator the first two FDA approved treatments for EB and transform the clinical trial landscape by 20x since 2010.

The Alki Beach Bathhouse is at 60th SW/Alki SW.

That photo is from early this morning, after police responded to a burglary at Alki Mail and Dispatch (4701 SW Admiral Way). Proprietor Bree sent the report, photo, and videos, and a request for customers who might have been affected:

I’m very sad to report that we were the victims of a break-in at 5:12 am this morning. There had been 2 previous failed attempts to make entry in the last few months (the 2nd time only being about 2 weeks ago) but apparently 3rd time was the charm.

From our early assessment … they grabbed 6 packages that were logged in for our personal mailbox holders, and from what we can tell, about 15-20 outbound prepaid parcels that had been dropped off by customers to go out, mostly UPS and a few FedEx. This is where our trouble lays, as we unfortunately don’t have a way of knowing who’s prepaid drop offs were taken. I feel so horrible that these awful people stole not only from me but from my customers! They also grabbed a bunch of my Alki T-shirts and hoodies, a few other knickknacks and, strangely, all of the Snapples from my beverage cooler!

I believe it may have been 3-4 people … They were men that all appear to be dressed in construction gear. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see any of their faces, although one did appear to have long dark hair. From what Officer Carey (the responding policeman) said, it appears they used a pry tool of some sort to gain entry. Thankfully there’s no damage.

My biggest concern is trying to locate customers who dropped off their prepaid outgoing parcels. If anyone dropped off a package after 4 pm on 4/12/24, please contact us either at our email staff@alkimail.com or call us at 206-932-2556 or to stop in and speak with us.

Bree says one box has already been found, empty. (added) Police report # is 24-099757.

See you all at our first market of the year> at Alki Beach on May 5th from 12-5 pm!

The market is outdoors on the east side of the Alki Beach Bathhouse. We will have 21 PNW makers who are excited to showcase their work – ceramics, paintings, candles, jewelry, children’s books, freshly baked goods and more! Come enjoy a sunny day at the beach with us!