Art Walk, Shop Late, music, food, rezoning discussion, new book club, landmarked-house history, more for your West Seattle Thursday!

(Winter garden color, photographed by Jerry Simmons)

Thursday lists are always big! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Shop fall plants at the center, open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus. Annuals, perennials, sun, shade, natives, edibles, ground covers … wide variety!

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.

STRONG BODIES, STRONG BONES: 2:30 pm yoga class at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon).

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: Holiday edition, all around the peninsula! 5 pm until late but some art can be seen earlier, some later – scroll through this page for venue and artist specifics for today/tonight! Look for food/drink specials offered to Art Walk’ers, too.

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 Vandalz Taqueria.

BONUS FOOD AT HPCS TONIGHT: Also 4-8 pm at HPCS, “Mark Thai Food Box Pop Up – Mark Thai Food Box will be at the Corner Store giving out samples of his delicious curries and rice.”

WINE TASTING WITH CLARK: Even more at HPCS, 5-7:30 pm – details here.

HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: And after all that fun, run or walk the neighborhood with the Run Club, leaving from, you guessed it, HPCS, 6:30 pm – info here.

MODE MUSIC STUDIOS’ UNDER-21 OPEN MIC AT SKYLARK: Tonight’s the monthly open mic that Mode (WSB sponsor) hosts at Skylark next door, 5 pm signups, 6 pm music, optional theme “Holiday Faves.” (3803 Delridge Way SW)

NEW BOOK CLUB: As previewed here, Ed is hosting the new Classic SF Book Club‘s first meeting tonight at 6 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW)

SHOP LATE THURSDAY: Second one of the season in The Junction, concurrent with Art Walk night! Silver Belles are caroling around the heart of the business district 6-8 pm, Santa is roaming, and many stores are open later – including another Pop-Up Market at Jet City Labs. Go explore, festively!

THE ART OF MUSIC: Complementing tonight’s art receptions and displays, you’ll find live mini-concerts 6-7:45 pm at four venues tonight! Taylor John Hardin is at West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW) in North Admiral, MoonGirl is at Great American Diner & Bar (4752 California SW) in The Junction, Alyvia Miller is at CAPERS (4525 California SW; WSB sponsor) in The Junction, and Willow Scrivner is at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) in Morgan Junction.

VISCON CELLARS: The West Seattle winery’s cozy tasting room/wine bar is open 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor). Stop in for wine by the glass or bottle! And enjoy the Art Walk reception for artist Jessie Summa Russo, too.

REZONING DISCUSSION: The Morgan Community Association invites you to High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond) 6-7:30 pm for a discussion of city rezoning proposals, for which the comment period runs through December 20. This is a community-organized-and-led info opportunity – not a city-convened event. More info in our preview.

LANDMARKED-HOUSE HISTORY: Learn about West Seattle’s Cettolin House during Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, 6 pm online – more info in our calendar listing, including how to RSVP.

WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy for a group walk in Lincoln Park, continuing into the fall and winter after all – details in our calendar listing.

WESTIES RUN CLUB: The 6 pm weekly run is now departing from Future Primitive on Alki (2536 Alki SW).

SKIN YARD AT EASY STREET RECORDS: Listening event, signing, Q&A, to celebrate record release, 7 pm, free, all ages. (California/Alaska)

OPEN MIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 7 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor)

TRIVIA: 7 pm at Burger Planet (9614 14th SW).

‘SNOWED IN (AGAIN)’: The holiday show continues at ArtsWest (4711 California SW), 7:30 pm; ticket info is in our calendar listing.

DJ NIGHT: The weekend starts early at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Nostalgia B starting at 8 pm.

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

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Celebration of life planned in February for Joseph R. Nokes, 1950-2024

December 12, 2024 9:04 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

A celebration of life is planned February 15 for Joe Nokes, whose family and friends are sharing this remembrance now:

Joseph “Joe” Robert Nokes passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington on December 4, 2024, at the age of 74, after a long battle with colon cancer.

Affectionately called Joe, Joey, or Joe Bob, he was born a twin in Seattle, Washington May 28, 1950, to Della & George Nokes Sr. Joe grew up in West Seattle and graduated from West Seattle High School in 1969. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers George Jr., Jim, and John.

Joe worked for more than 30 years for Auto Processing and then Distribution Auto Services in Seattle. Joe retired when the company closed in 2001. He moved to his home at Lake Limerick in 2003. He then started working at the Little Creek Casino as a security guard. He also worked at the 40et8 veterans’ club as a karaoke disc jockey.

Joe was a golfer and an avid Mariners, Huskies, Seahawks, and Kraken fan. He was a member of the 1980 National Championship Peterbilt fastpitch softball team that just recently was inducted into the 2024 Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma.

Joe is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Henderson (Ron); a son, Scott Nokes (Amanda); granddaughters Katelyn and Bailee Nokes and Reese Henderson; his twin brother Jerry Nokes (Sheila); sister Renie Dyson (Dean); sister-in-law Debbie Nokes; and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a celebration of life on February 15, 2025, at the Lake Limerick’s Community Hall, 790 E. St. Andrews Dr., Shelton Washington, from 12:00 to 4:00 PM.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK, WEATHER: Thursday info, with Delridge crash

December 12, 2024 6:01 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

8:20 AM: Thanks for the tip. Crash at Drlridge/Orchard.

9:17 AM: Added photo sent by Mel. Checking with SFD re: injuries, though only one engine was sent, suggesting no major injuries. Nearest traffic cam suggests the scene has cleared.

Earlier:

6:01 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Thursday, December 12th.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Possible rain, high in the mid-40s. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:49 am, while sunset will be at 4:17 pm – as early as the sunset gets – Saturday, it starts getting later! (The sunrise gets later too, until a week into January.)

TRANSIT

Water Taxi today – Regular service today.

Washington State Ferries today – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route with M/V Issaquah and M/V Cathlamet, plus M/V Sealth as the “ghost boat.” Check here for last-minute changes.

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

ROAD WORK/CLOSURES

*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project continues; the south half of the bridge is closed, with one lane each way on the north side. This will change later this month, SDOT has announced:

We’ll be transitioning into our third phase of traffic control on December 19. The two center lanes on Admiral Way SW will be closed during this phase, with one lane in each direction open for people driving. As part of this transition, the temporary crosswalk at Admiral Way SW and 39th Ave SW will be removed.

We expect more info soon. Meantime, Fairmount Avenue remains closed beneath the bridge.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon. SDOT finally provided that update, with word of a lane shift, too.

*Beach Drive gas-pipeline work continues into January, PSE tells us – here’s our update.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

See trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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HELPING: Local Girl Scouts solve a problem, as ‘Agents of Change’

December 11, 2024 11:44 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Troop co-leaders Robin and Jess shared this news:

Our Girl Scout Troop made up of Junior Girl Scouts from local West Seattle schools, all in 5th grade, recently completed a huge project … at a camp we attend for Girl Scouts, St. Albans. They had to come up with a problem to solve, one that would result in the change being lasting and substantial. When we went camping at St. Albans we couldn’t figure out the recycling, so that was our problem that we then spent a year “fixing” for future campers.
It took a lot of creative thinking for outdoor signs (waterproof paper!) and how to make sure animals wouldn’t get into the bins (“put your CLEAN can in here”).

They received a donation of recycled milk crates from Smith Brothers Farms, courtesy of a former Girl Scout. “Those 25 crates saved us hundred of dollars on bins, and helped us up-cycle plastic in our recycling project!” Here’s the troop’s official announcement:

Junior Girl Scout Troop 40028 is excited to announce the completion of our Agents of Change project at Girl Scouts of Western Washington property Camp St. Albans.

This yearlong project started with a problem to solve, not understanding how and what to recycle when we camped at St. Albans.

With engineering, teamwork, and design, we created a framework that will help campers at St. Albans dispose of waste correctly. This system will sustain for many seasons to come, rain or shine.

Thank you to Smith Brothers Farms for donating milk crates, an essential tool in our project.

Thanks to future Girl Scout Campers who will maintain and sustain this project for St. Albans and for helping to make this world a better place.

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BIZNOTE: Pet Pros closing in Jefferson Square

December 11, 2024 8:38 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| Pets | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tips. The Pet Pros store in Jefferson Square is closing. That was confirmed by Nina, who we talked to by phone; she told us she’s worked for PP for 14 years and just got word of the closure. She told us she didn’t have details – such as the last day – yet. Pet Pros moved to J-Square two years ago, after 15 years at Westwood Village, a run that ended when national chain Pet Supplies Plus moved to that center. The J-Square space isn’t yet listed for lease on the center’s website yet, but it’s next to two others that are – the temp See’s Candies shop and the former U-Frame It space – plus it’s just a few doors down from the vacant ex-Supercuts. The center is likely to face the wrecking ball if West Seattle light rail stays on the path that Sound Transit‘s board voted to support earlier this year, but construction is at least three years out.

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TONIGHT’S LIGHTS: ‘Bigger, brighter’ in North Admiral

December 11, 2024 7:15 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Holidays | West Seattle Christmas lights | West Seattle news

Tonight’s spotlighted lights are from, and by, Dana in North Admiral:

Hey neighbors! For the past six years, I’ve been decking the halls (and walls!) with thousands of twinkling lights. Every year, I add something new to the show, and this year is no exception. We’ve got a bigger, brighter display with new animations, and our mischievous elves are back and more animated than ever!

Come on by and check out the lights from 5 PM to 11 PM every night through New Year’s. We hope to put a smile on your face and brighten up your holiday season. 4321 SW Atlantic St. [map]

Thanks again to everyone who’s sending photos and/or suggestions – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text our hotline, 206-293-6302. You can see what we’ve shown already by scrolling through this archive!

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TRAFFIC ALERTS: 30th/Thistle crash; north end of Delridge crash

December 11, 2024 6:02 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:02 PM: Thanks for the tips. A crash involving three cars is blocking part of the intersection at 30th/Thistle. “Please approach slowly if you are heading west on Thistle coming uphill,” says a texter.

6:20 PM: Now there’s a crash with a larger emergency response, in the 3800 block of Delridge Way SW, by the West Seattle Bridge.

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TOMORROW: Shop Late Thursday, West Seattle Art Walk, The Art of Music!

December 11, 2024 5:11 pm

| 0 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Tomorrow night (Thursday, December 12) brings three reasons to be out celebrating community and creativity in the heart of the holiday season:

SHOP LATE THURSDAY: West Seattle Junction shops are staying open late again tomorrow night, and you’ll find Santa roaming, plus the return of the Silver Belles carolers (with a repertoire of holiday parodies, as featured in our coverage last week) – the fun starts after 5 pm.

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: 5 pm is also start time for Art Walk, in The Junction as well as around other peninsula neighborhoods – you can see the map here (this quarter’s venue list is above), and scroll through the spotlights for specific artist receptions here. Group shows, individual shows, early, late – and so many possible gifts!

(2022 reader photo of harpist Alyvia Miller)

THE ART OF MUSIC: Four musicians are presenting concurrent mini-concerts Thursday night, 6 pm to 7:45 pm! Taylor John Hardin is at West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW) in North Admiral, MoonGirl is at Great American Diner & Bar (4752 California SW) in The Junction, Alyvia Miller is at CAPERS (4525 California SW; WSB sponsor) in The Junction, and Willow Scrivner is at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) in Morgan Junction.

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WEST SEATTLE HOLIDAYS: Village Green Holiday Market still has vendor spots

December 11, 2024 3:35 pm

| 0 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle news | Westwood

Two weeks until Christmas and Hanukkah, and still lots of holiday happenings ahead! One of the events in our Holiday Guide still has room for participants.

Village Green West Seattle (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) asked us to share this announcement:

Village Green West Seattle invites you to share your talents at our vendor fair! We still have 5 tables available free of charge for local vendors. Our Holiday Market will be from 11 AM-4 PM 12/17/1014!

That’s Tuesday of next week, and everyone is invited to shop, not just Village Green residents. If interested in being a vendor, please email Corinne at corinne@villagegreenretirement.com.

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WEST SEATTLE GIVING SPIRIT: Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, ‘growing community hub … for all families’

December 11, 2024 2:31 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Delridge | How to help | West Seattle Giving Spirit | West Seattle news

The West Seattle Giving Spirit envelops and inspires people all around the peninsula, as local nonprofits fill an array of community needs. Three times a week through year’s end, WSB is bringing you this special holiday-season opportunity to learn more about, and support, some of those amazing nonprofits, in partnership with the Learning Communities Foundation. Today – see how DNDA‘s mission goes beyond its name:

Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) is a community-based organization dedicated to empowering residents of the Delridge neighborhood in West Seattle.

DNDA is more than just a neighborhood organization. We’re a growing community hub offering a wide range of services and opportunities for all families to participate in. From community rental spaces at our vibrant Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, to our commitment to restorative justice, nature restoration, free art programs, and affordable housing development, there’s something for everyone.

One of our core programs is the Summer Youth Program. which offers a variety of activities and experiences for young people ages 7 to 19. For over 5 years, this program has empowered young minds through engaging activities like field trips, sports tournaments, and environmental workshops. This program enriches lives, develops important skills, and fosters lasting relationships. Many participants, having grown up in this program, have now taken on leadership roles, shaping a brighter future for our community. In 2024, we served over 750 young people and plan to expand to serve even more families in the coming years.

To ensure that our youth can participate in these valuable experiences, we are seeking $50,000 to support purchasing and maintaining a transportation van. This van will allow us to remove logistical barriers and transport our program participants safely to and from various locations, expanding our reach and impact.

Your generous donation, in any amount, will directly contribute to providing our young people with the transportation they need to access enriching experiences and opportunities. By supporting DNDA, you are investing back into our community and helping to Integrate Art, Nature, and Neighborhood to build and sustain a dynamic Delridge!

Help us make a difference!

DONATE HERE 

LEARN MORE – SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS

LEARN MORE – ECOARTS PROGRAM

GET DNDA’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

VOLUNTEER

QUESTIONS? Phoenix Robbins, 206-935-2999, phoenix@dnda.org

Scroll through our archive of West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlights here (newest to oldest), and watch for the next one on Friday!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Coffee stand break-in; potential carjacking attempt

December 11, 2024 12:58 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:

COFFEE STAND BURGLARY: After hearing a bit about this on police radio earlier today, we requested the report narrative from SPD. An employee arriving at the Mighty Mugs drive-up coffee stand on West Marginal Way SW just north of Highland Park Way after 4 am this morning saw a broken window and an intruder inside. So she went elsewhere and called police. Nearby, they found a 21-year-old woman who told officers she had broken the coffee-stand window to get in because she was cold. Police went in and reported the interior looked ransacked. They say they found the suspect to be in possession of a container of what tested out as meth; they took her to jail but the booking was declined because of “drug intoxication.” So she was taken to Harborview instead.

CARJACKING ATTEMPT? We also asked SPD about a call early Tuesday labeled as a possible carjacking attempt. Here’s what the report says: Around 6:11 am, a woman called 911 and met police near California/Admiral to report what happened. She said she was driving on SW Hanford at California when she saw a man “sprinting down the sidewalk” before he ran in front of her car, “causing her to stop in the travel lane.” The report narrative continues, “The suspect then approached the driver-side door. (The driver) advised it appeared that the suspect was possibly going for her driver-side door. She then kept driving northbound on California Av SW, called 911, and stood by for officers.” She described the suspect as a white man in his 30s, thin, 6′, blonde hair, wearing a black puffy jacket and black pants, last seen running northbound on California. The driver said he did not say anything to her but had “something in his hands.” Officers searched the area but didn’t find anyone.

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GROCERY MEGA-MERGER: Day after court rulings, Albertsons/Safeway bags the plan

December 11, 2024 11:22 am

| 24 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

One of the biggest national stories on Tuesday was a pair of court rulings – including one in our state – against the proposed Kroger (QFC, Fred Meyer, etc.)/Albertsons (Safeway) merger. One day later, Albertsons has announced it’s officially canceling the merger. From the company’s announcement:

Albertsons Companies, Inc. today announced it has exercised its right to terminate its merger agreement with Kroger after the U.S. District Court in Oregon and the King County Superior Court for the State of Washington issued injunctions with respect to the proposed merger on December 10, 2024.

Vivek Sankaran, CEO, commented: “Given the recent federal and state court decisions to block our proposed merger with Kroger, we have made the difficult decision to terminate the merger agreement. We are deeply disappointed in the courts’ decisions.”

In a separate announcement, Albertsons announced it’s suing Kroger, with this accusation:

Kroger willfully breached the Merger Agreement in several key ways, including by repeatedly refusing to divest assets necessary for antitrust approval, ignoring regulators’ feedback, rejecting stronger divestiture buyers and failing to cooperate with Albertsons.

In its own announcement, Kroger says the lawsuit is “baseless and without merit.”

If the merger had gone through, three West Seattle grocery stores were slated for divestiture to a third entity, as reported here in July – Admiral Safeway and both QFCs (Westwood Village and West Seattle Junction). The mega-merger plan was first announced more than two years ago.

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Fauntleroy ferry dock meeting, West Seattle Community Orchestras concert, poetry, 17 more reminders for your Wednesday

December 11, 2024 10:21 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Alice Wheeler, taken near Alki Point)

Here’s our list of what’s happening, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:

DONATION DRIVES: Our Holiday Guide has a long list of ways you can share your bounty this season – from giving the gift of warm clothing to dropping off new, unwrapped toys at Toys for Tots and other collection locations around West Seattle, to monetary donations for students and families in need.

TODDLER READING TIME AT PAPER BOAT: 10:30 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

SEAHAWKS LEGENDS: 11 am at the Center for Active Living (California/Oregon), “Meet former players, mascot Blitz and adorable therapy dogs at this fun event at The Center. Whether you’re a longtime “12” or a new fan, this is a chance to get an up-close look at the Seattle Seahawks.”

HOLIDAY ROOM SELFIES: More drop-in DIY photo ops with a holiday backdrop at Curious Kidstuff (4740 California SW), noon – 5 pm.

REJUVENATE YOGA: Weekly class at Viva Arts, 1:30 pm. (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW)

TODDLER STORY TIME AT SW LIBRARY: At Southwest Library, 3 pm, for kids ages 1-3. (9010 35th SW)

SANTA HAT NIGHT AT OUNCES: 4-9 pm, wear a Santa Hat at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) and get a drink discount.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AT ARTHUR’S: Second-to-last day for the Admiral District café to pay homage to the 12 Days of Christmas with a different feature starting at 4 pm daily – today the “eleven pipers piping” are celebrated with a craft, making pipe-cleaner snowflakes. See the full list here. (2311 California SW)

HOMEWORK HELP: Volunteer helpers are available 4-7 pm at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond).

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix it, don’t toss it! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center). Learn more about the WS Tool Library in our recent West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlight!

FAUNTLEROY FERRY DOCK COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP: All are welcome to sit in on this online meeting with project updates and discussion – 6 pm; go here to register for the link.

MONTHLY CRIBBAGE NIGHT: 6 pm at West Seattle Eagles (4426 California SW), all players welcome, all ages.

FREE GROUP RUN: All year ’round! All runners, all levels, are welcome to join the weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run – meet at the shop by 6:15 pm.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Second free winter concert by ensembles of the WSCO! (Donations welcome, of course.) 7 pm at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) auditorium.

POETRYBRIDGE: 7 pm monthly gathering at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).

TRIVIA x 4: Three Wednesday trivia locations: Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW), all ages until 10 pm.

WELLNESS EVENT: Kundalini yoga, breath work, meditation at Inner Alchemy studio/sanctuary (3618 SW Alaska), 7 pm.

MUSIC BINGO X 2: Two places to play on Wednesdays! Play at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm … Or, at Three 9 Lounge (39th/Oregon), you can play MINGO music bingo, hosted by Mingo Maniac, at 7:30 pm Wednesdays.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: The mic is yours! 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

Planning an open house, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, show, meeting, presentation, etc., that’s open to the community? Please send us info so we can add it to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – and if it’s a holiday event, send it for the Holiday Guide – thank you!

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Remembering Robert Estep, 1931-2024

December 11, 2024 9:00 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Bob Estep and sharing this remembrance with his community:

Robert (Bob) Estep
1931 – 2024

Robert Estep passed peacefully on November 16, 2024 at the age of 93, into the presence of his Lord and Savior.

Bob was a lifelong resident of West Seattle and one of six children. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1948 and joined the US Navy soon after. He served on the USS Norton Sound as a Radioman, Third Class during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1951, where he returned to West Seattle and married his high-school sweetheart and started a family.

Bob enjoyed a decades-long career at the Boeing Company until his retirement in 1991. During his time at Boeing, he served on the board of the Boeing Management Association and was part of the team that moved the Red Barn up the Duwamish River to its current location at the Museum of Flight.

Bob and his wife were longtime members of West Side Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Deacon and Elder. Later in life, they attended University Presbyterian Church.

Bob’s many hobbies included bicycling, golfing, walking, and in his later years, playing recreational volleyball with other seniors at a local community center. He undertook a self-imposed mission of finding, walking, and mapping every outdoor public stairway in West Seattle. His efforts were featured in a March 5, 2010 edition of the West Seattle Herald.

At the age of 40, his family gave him a bicycle and he started a tradition of cycling his age in miles each year on his birthday, taking his last ride at the age of 80. He participated in the Chilly Hilly, STP ride, and the Heart Fund Ride in 1976 and 1978.

As an avid walker, he participated in several 3-day cancer walks in honor and support of his wife.

The West Seattle YMCA was also a special part of his life. Bob started going to the Y as a young boy in 1940. There he would swim, attend community dinners, and played on the Y basketball team along with one of his brothers. As an adult, Bob and his wife participated in the Active Older Adults fitness classes, forming long-lasting friendships. Bob also taught the AARP Safe Driving course at the Y for 15 years.

For most of his retirement years, Bob and his wife would spend the month of October on Maui. Over the years they developed another group of close friends that became their Maui family.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife of over 50 years, and youngest daughter. He is survived by 3 children, 5 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, a sister, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Although a quiet and private man, he will be remembered for his deep faith and kind soul who was always looking for ways to help others. He loved his family and friends deeply.

The family would like to express their deep gratitude to Florence of Seattle for their exceptional care and support they provided Robert for the past 2 and 1/2 years.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Wednesday watch

December 11, 2024 6:03 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

8:30 AM: Crash blocking Lincoln Park Way, reported as hit-run.

(Texted photo)

Earlier:

6:03 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Wednesday, December 11th.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Mostly cloudy, rain likely returning tonight, high near 50. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:48 am, while sunset will be at 4:17 pm – as early as the sunset gets – Saturday, it starts getting later! (The sunrise gets later too, for the rest of the month.)

TRANSIT

Water Taxi today – Regular service today.

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

ROAD WORK/CLOSURES

*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project continues; the south half of the bridge is closed, with one lane each way on the north side. This will change later this month, SDOT has announced:

We’ll be transitioning into our third phase of traffic control on December 19. The two center lanes on Admiral Way SW will be closed during this phase, with one lane in each direction open for people driving. As part of this transition, the temporary crosswalk at Admiral Way SW and 39th Ave SW will be removed.

We expect more info later today. Meantime, Fairmount Avenue remains closed beneath the bridge.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon. SDOT finally provided that update, with word of a lane shift, too.

*Beach Drive gas-pipeline work continues into January, PSE tells us – here’s our update.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

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Bringing the Duwamish River ‘back to life’: Milestone in long-running cleanup

December 11, 2024 5:08 am

| 12 COMMENTS

| Environment | South Park | West Seattle news

(King County photos)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

You’ve probably heard many times that the Duwamish River – running along much of West Seattle’s eastern boundary – is a “Superfund site,” referring to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program, and that a multi-billion-dollar cleanup has long been under way.

Tuesday, we got a rare chance to hear specifics, as the cleanup of decades-old industrial pollution – really, more than one cleanup – marked a milestone.

A media briefing was held on the river’s shore at Duwamish River People’s Park (itself a cleaned-up site), days after work began.

The last speaker, Duwamish River Community Coalition director Paulina López, offered the most relatable context, reminding those gathered that the cleanup was about bringing the river “back to life”:

(WSB videos)
López followed representatives of government agencies and Boeing, all talking briefly about what role their agencies play. The cleanup section where polluted sediment is being scooped out right now – much of it contaminated by PCBs – is managed by King County, said Jim Bolger, whose brief words of introduction were followed in this clip by Elly Hale, (updated) one of the EPA’s project managers along with Nasrin Erdelyi:

We talked with Hale after the briefing to get details on exactly what’s happening right now. Contaminated sediment is being scooped up, placed on a barge, towed to shore, transferred to land, then loaded onto trains bound for the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Oregon.

How deep the scooping goes depends on how deep the pollution goes – the goal is to get to clean sediment, Hale said, which could be anywhere from one to six feet down. An important point she had mentioned at the microphone was that people are still advised not to eat any fish from the Duwamish River but salmon. Wondering why that’s OK but others aren’t? It’s because the others are residents, living out their lives in the polluted river, while salmon spend most of their lives out in cleaner sea water before showing up here.

Another key point of the work that’s under way is “source control” – keeping new pollution out of the river. The lead agency in that work is the state Department of Ecology, whose representative Dr. Kim Wooten spoke briefly too, along with Boeing‘s Katie Moxley and the City of Seattle’s David Schuchardt:

The in-water work that’s under way now can only last through February before taking a break until October, to protect fish. Because of that short work window, it’ll take 10 years for the operation to get to the south end of Harbor Island.

The cleanup work – planning, design, and execution – has been a quarter-century in the making. This is, to be technical, the Upper Reach of the Lower Duwamish Waterway. This page has more detail on exactly what’s happening now; Pacific Pile & Marine is the lead contractor.

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