Tonight’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: HPAC’s regular monthly meeting tonight will include a celebration of the recent “no new jail after all” announcement (WSB coverage here), which was as sudden as the original news two years earlier that the city needed to build a new jail and had 2 eastern West Seattle sites on its original list of four. HPAC meets at 7 pm, Highland Park Improvement Club at 11th/Holden.

GENESEE SCHMITZ NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: A recent note asked what this group had been up to since its first official organizing meeting in March (WSB coverage here). They’re working toward an official membership meeting next month – and the organizing committee meets again tonight, 7 pm at PCC (WSB sponsor; 2749 California SW).

HELP YOUR TEEN BE A BETTER DRIVER: Advice for parents is promised in a special presentation tonight at the West Seattle High School Library (3000 California SW) by two reps from PEMCO Insurance. Promised topics include “the effect of teenage passengers on teenage drivers.” Teens themselves are welcome too; this is free and starts at 6 pm.

AT THE COFFEEHOUSES: C&P Coffee (5612 California SW) hosts the monthly Poetry Bridge reading at 7 pm, featuring poet Ian Hegwood as well as open-mike time … Freshy’s Coffee (2735 California SW) hosts the weekly “Fine Films at Freshy” movie series, screening “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” at 7 pm.

SELF-DEFENSE: Seattle Integrated Martial Arts (4711 42nd SW) offers its hourlong self-defense class for women again tonight, 7:15 pm.