year : 2015 3718 results

The two documents above (and here) comprise a county judge’s ruling today that the city is within its rights to tax guns and ammunition, despite what opponents argued three months ago. Here’s how the city announced today’s court decision:

The City of Seattle has the legal authority to enact a $25 per firearm tax on retailers to mitigate the costs of gun violence, King County Superior Court Judge Palmer Robinson ruled Tuesday.

“The tax imposed by the Ordinance under the City’s constitutional and legislative authority to impose taxes, which is separate from its regulatory authority under its police power, is not preempted by RCW 9.41.290,” Judge Robinson ruled, dashing the NRA’s attempt to overturn the law.

Her ruling aligns with the position argued by the City that “The Ordinance does not limit any person’s right to purchase, sell, acquire, transfer, discharge, or transport firearms or ammunition.”

“I’m gratified by Judge Robinson’s thorough analysis, and congratulate our team of attorneys who argued the case before her last Friday,” City Attorney Pete Holmes said Tuesday. “The NRA needs to butt out of Seattle’s efforts to enact sensible gun safety legislation.”

“The Court got the law absolutely right,” said William Abrams of Steptoe & Johnson, who led the litigation team and appeared for the City pro bono. “Seattle’s right to fund research and education on gun violence was upheld. This time the NRA was unsuccessful in trying to block research on gun violence. The real winners are the citizens of Seattle, whose government can move forward to fund important research on this public health epidemic that affects everyone.”

In a Seattle summer marred by random gunfire, the City Council unanimously approved, and Mayor Ed Murray signed, the ordinance that, come January, will levy a $25 tax on businesses for each firearm sold at retail within City limits to provide a sustained local revenue source for research and prevention programs. In addition, the City will impose a 2-cent tax for every round of .22 caliber ammunition sold and a 5-cent tax for every other round of ammunition sold. A companion ordinance mandates that lost or stolen firearms be reported to the Seattle Police Department.

Of the ruling, the ordinance’s sponsor, Councilmember Tim Burgess, said, “We established the gun violence tax as a legitimate and appropriate way to raise revenue for gun safety research and prevention programs. The NRA and its allies always oppose these common sense steps to shine light on the gun violence epidemic. They have blocked funding for basic gun safety research at the federal level for decades. But in Seattle it is different. Judge Robinson saw through the NRA’s distorted efforts to put gun industry profits ahead of public safety.”

Welcoming the ruling, Mayor Murray said, “Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles. Our community will not stand by as so many in our city, particularly young people of color, continue to pay the highest price for inaction on gun violence at the national and state level. For too long, we have had insufficient research and data on gun violence in Seattle to help guide our response. We will now have critical funding to advance our work on gun violence research and prevention.”

Go here to read what the city passed.

Share This

FERRY FOLLOWUP: Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth’s 3rd boat is back

December 22, 2015 5:53 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Transportation | West Seattle news

After a day with just two boats on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run – leading to big backups at terminals – Washington State Ferries says M/V Cathlamet is fixed and about to go back into service, so the three-boat schedule is resuming, with its late departure on what would have been the 5:35 pm run from Vashon to Southworth.

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Woman punched in the face by attacker, needs $3,000 in dental work

December 22, 2015 3:19 pm

| 40 COMMENTS

| Crime | How to help | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

A 67-year-old West Seattle woman is recovering from being attacked and robbed while walking back to her house after visiting her ailing husband.

We hadn’t heard about last Friday’s attack until a friend of the victim e-mailed us last night:

She was walking the few blocks home after visiting her husband at a care facility and she was attacked by a random perpetrator. He punched her in the face and knocked her to the ground. She suffered a black eye and had two teeth knocked out, as well as suffering other damage to her teeth. They caught the suspect, but she is now looking at a $3,000 dental bill, and she is retired on a fixed income. We wanted to get the word out and make sure everyone stays safe and is aware of their surroundings.

We’ve since obtained the report that includes details of the incident. Here’s what an officer reported finding after responding to the 911 call from 16th SW and SW Sullivan around 6 pm Friday:

(The victim) was holding her face and blood was coming out of her mouth. She stated that she thought her teeth were broken. (She) stated that she was walking down 16th Ave SW when she noticed a male following behind her. She stated that the unknown male charged at her and punched her in the face with a closed fist. (She) fell to the ground on her right knee and screamed for help. She stated that she had had a full knee replacement in her right knee.

She was now experiencing significant pain in her right knee. (She) stated that after she fell, the male came back at her and punched her a second time in the face. The male then ran northbound down the alley on the west side of 16 Ave SW. (The victim) advised that she was missing a pair of prescription glasses.

When the suspect was found nearby, he had her glasses – worth $500 – in his possession, according to the case paperwork, and that raised the crime level from assault to robbery.

Turned out that officers had found him even before they learned of the attack, because of a burglary attempt nearby – a resident in the 8400 block of 17th SW reported a man “banging and kicking at the back door,” according to the police report, which added that the man was reported to have appeared “extremely intoxicated.” The resident yelled at him to leave, which he did, briefly, returning to kick open the door to a shed behind the house, police say. Officers found the suspect at 17th and Cloverdale a short time later; they happened to be nearby, checking out a report of a hit-run crash that damaged a parked car.

The suspect is 19 years old. His record shows that he last spent time in jail this past March; documents in that case indicate that he was arrested for allegedly stealing a hotel van in SeaTac. He was charged with auto theft and DUI – with tests finding .20 blood alcohol – and then struck a plea bargain, pleading guilty to car prowl and DUI. In June, Judge Roger Rogoff sentenced him to two days in jail plus a one-year suspended sentence. While paperwork in this case doesn’t include a current address for him, he was living on Beacon Hill at the time of his arrest in March. Right now, he’s in the King County Jail, in lieu of $75,000 bail.

Meanwhile, the donation account set up by friends of the victim to pay for her estimated $3,000 in dental work is on this GoFundMe page.

8:08 PM NOTE: After reaching the goal, the donation page has been closed, we just noticed.

Share This

VIDEO: Fire at Cottage Grove Commons on Delridge sends 1 to hospital with burns; SFD finds dead man in building, apparently not related

December 22, 2015 12:21 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

12:21 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a big response to a possible fire at Cottage Grove Commons, the DESC-owned supportive-housing building in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW.

12:26 PM: SFD reports that two people are hurt and that the fire is under control.

12:35 PM: Because of the sizable response, Delridge Way is closed for at least a block, between Brandon and Findlay, as Andrew points out in comments and as confirmed by our crew at the scene.

12:50 PM: If you’re seeing/hearing a helicopter in the area, it’s just TV checking this out.

1:12 PM: SFD has just briefed the media on scene, saying one person has gone to Harborview with serious burns; the fire was limited to a mattress in that person’s apartment on the ~~top~~ second floor and the building’s sprinkler system put it out.

The other injured person did not need hospitalization. The Fire Department also says one person was found dead in a nearby apartment, and apparently had died within the past few hours, but that is not believed to have been related to the fire.

2:10 PM: Delridge had reopened and SFD’s fire investigator was on scene when we passed through about 15 minutes ago. We’ll update when there’s official word on the fire’s cause. Though the flames hadn’t spread beyond the aforementioned mattress, SFD says three units had significant damage because of the water from the sprinkler system.

2:50 PM: We’ve added more photos as well as the unedited video of SFD Lt. Sue Stangl‘s earlier briefing.

4:43 PM: If you are in the area and wondering about a new multi-unit response at the building, the 911 log shows it’s an “automatic fire alarm” response.

ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: The Seattle Times reports that the man hospitalized after this fire has died. The County Medical Examiner’s daily media recording lists the death of the 39-year-old burn victim mentioned in the Times’ report but does not specify a location, so we’ll be verifying later this morning. We had checked with SFD on Wednesday to ask about any official ruling on the fire’s cause; not yet, they told us.

Share This

VIDEO: WSDOT says Highway 99 tunneling machine has taken its ‘next step’

December 22, 2015 11:10 am

| 14 COMMENTS

| Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news

The Highway 99 tunneling machine is out of sight but by no means out of mind.

WSDOT announced this morning that the machine has started moving forward in the “access pit” where its cutterhead was accessed for repairs (now backfilled, as shown in the WSDOT time-lapse video above). Here’s the full text of its latest news release (and note the reminder of a Viaduct closure in a few months, if all stays on the current schedule):

The State Route 99 tunneling machine entered its next phase of testing early Tuesday, Dec. 22, near Pier 48, moving forward and installing a tunnel ring at the bottom of the 120-foot-deep pit crews built to access and repair the machine. Seattle Tunnel Partners, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s design-build contractor for the tunnel project, plans to tunnel a short distance further in the access pit tunnel before giving crews a break for the holidays.

“Testing the machine in the conditions it will face during the rest of the tunnel drive is a critical part of our work to resume full-production mining,” said Chris Dixon, Seattle Tunnel Partners project manager. “The next several hundred feet of excavation will give us the information we need to make final adjustments before we tunnel beneath the viaduct and downtown.”

After the new year, STP plans to mine out of the access pit toward a planned maintenance stop 450 feet to the north. Along the way crews will mine slowly while installing tunnel rings and continuing to run tests. When the machine reaches the maintenance stop – essentially an underground block of concrete just south of Colman Dock – crews will perform maintenance and make final adjustments before diving beneath the viaduct.

Tunneling under the viaduct will require a full closure of SR 99 through downtown for approximately two weeks. The contractor’s latest projections show that the closure will occur in March, but the actual closure date will depend on Bertha’s progress and the state cannot verify the contractor’s schedule.

STP and Bertha’s manufacturer, Hitachi Zosen, are responsible for the repair effort, including the schedule. While the machine was under repair, STP continued essential work at the future tunnel portals, including construction of ramp and highway connections, and the buildings that will house tunnel operations.

STP crews halted tunneling in December 2013 after the machine overheated. After an investigation, they discovered damage to the seal system and determined it needed to be replaced along with the main bearing. The cause of the damage has not been determined. Responsibility for costs associated with the delay will be determined through the process outlined in the tunnel contract.

“Moving the tunneling machine forward in the access pit is the next step in STP’s testing program,” said Todd Trepanier, WSDOT’s administrator for the viaduct program. “WSDOT will continue to protect taxpayers as we work with STP to complete the project.”

Share This

What’s up for the rest of your holiday-week West Seattle Tuesday

December 22, 2015 10:27 am

| Comments Off on What’s up for the rest of your holiday-week West Seattle Tuesday

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Thanks for the tip! Brightly lit house on 50th SW north of Hudson, photographed last night, added to our Holiday Guide list)

Three days until Christmas! Lots of holiday info in our WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – who still has trees, where to see the brightest lights, coffee/restaurant/grocery-store hours and church-service schedules for later this week – but some of this is from our regular year-round calendar, too:

MOVIE AT THE LIBRARY: 11:30 am, watch “The Lorax” at Southwest Library. Free! Snacks, too. (35th SW & SW Henderson)

MUSIC AT THRIFTWAY: Pianist Keith Terhune, 2-5 pm, and We Three Carolers, 5-7 pm, at WSB sponsor West Seattle Thriftway. (Fauntleroy/California/Morgan)

SANTA CLAUS: Two places to find Ol’ Saint Nick today – West Seattle Thriftway, 3-7 pm, and Westwood Village.

GIVING TREE DEADLINE: CAPERS in The Junction is hosting one for Hickman House again this year. Get a tag and return the gift, wrapped or unwrapped, by the end of the day today. And if you don’t have time to shop – give a gift card! (4525 California SW)

AFTER-HOURS WITH THE FAMILY EISENDRATH: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest, “After Hours” with Ann and Ian, as explained in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Two mail-theft reports

December 22, 2015 9:30 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reports of West Seattle mail theft – first, from Lori:

Just walked out [Monday afternoon] to get our mail (on Webster near Solstice Park) and our mailbox was stuffed with opened cards and mail from 2 other addresses. Not sure how it got into our box – perhaps it was on the ground and a passerby thought it was ours. We’ve called the post office and will also be contacting the 2 addresses. Just hope that nothing of value was in the cards.

We were also forwarded a report of someone breaking into three locked mailboxes along SW Thistle in Upper Fauntleroy. Here’s the US Postal Inspection Service‘s advice on preventing and reporting mail theft.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch; holiday transit schedules; state-ferry run down a boat for most of the day

December 22, 2015 7:44 am

| Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch; holiday transit schedules; state-ferry run down a boat for most of the day

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Heading for the heart of the commute, and it’s been quiet so far. One ongoing reminder:

TRANSIT CHANGES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY: Metro will run “reduced weekday” service on Thursday and a Sunday schedule on Friday; the Water Taxi won’t run on Friday; Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a weekend schedule Friday.

GREENWAY UPDATE: In case you missed it on Monday – here’s the latest on the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway project, four months after the work began.

9:01 AM: Trouble on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state ferry run – just in from WSF via e-mail:

The 8:45 am sailing from Fauntleroy to Southworth, and the 9:20 am sailing from Southworth to Vashon have been cancelled due to necessary repairs on the Cathlamet.

We’ll update here when there’s new info.

9:55 AM: Update from WSF:

The following sailings will be cancelled due to necessary repairs on the Cathlamet: 9:40 am, 10:45 am, 11:30 am, 12:25 pm from Vashon; 10:20 am, 11:55 am, 12:55 pm from Fauntleroy; 11:10 am from Southworth. Updates will be provided when information is available regarding the sailing schedule for the afternoon commute.

5:23 PM: Still a two-boat schedule.

5:54 PM: And now – the Cathlamet and the three-boat schedule are back.

Share This

West Seattle holidays: WS Tool Library taking a break

December 22, 2015 3:01 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle holidays: WS Tool Library taking a break

| Delridge | Sustainable West Seattle | West Seattle news

If you need to borrow something from the West Seattle Tool Library before Christmas – hurry! After today and tomorrow, the WSTL is taking a break until the New Year. Christina Hahs wants you to know the Tool Library will “be closed from Thursday, December 24th through Thursday, December 31st. We’ll be back up and running on Saturday, January 2nd. We are requesting that items due back during this time not be returned until we are open again. No late fees will accrue.” Haven’t been to the Tool Library? It’s on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 4408 Delridge Way SW – read all about it here, including inventory and regular hours.

Share This

CONGRATULATIONS! West Seattle King Tigers win boys’ U11 championship at SYSA City Tournament

December 22, 2015 2:03 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Turns out another West Seattle Soccer Club team came home from the SYSA City Tournament last weekend as champions – thanks to Alex Fernandez for sharing the photo and report:

WS King Tigers BU11 won the city championship this weekend! Tremendous run and exciting final match.

Team: Coaches – Ben Palmer, Mark McDonough. Players – Dane Hansen, Declan Golan, Eli Palmer, Emmet McDonough, Henry Achak, Jack Henzke, Levi Hirose, Tavi Fernandez, Steele Guthrie, Taz Hanson, Tristan Buehring, Will Skibitzke

Proud of all the West Seattle Soccer Teams this year!

Per the tournament schedule, the King Tigers beat the LVR Strikers. Also home with a championship – the West Seattle Shock, as featured here Saturday.

Share This

UPDATE: Shots or not? Police investigating Admiral, North Delridge reports

December 21, 2015 8:45 pm

| 17 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Photo added 9:55 pm – by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli, who found police checking in Admiral)

8:45 PM: Thanks to everybody who’s texted/messaged about possible gunshots or fireworks heard in the Admiral area a short time ago. As we’ve replied to everyone, please call 911 when you hear something like this – it helps them zero in on what might, or might not, have happened. Once in a rare while, it might lead them to a shooting victim. One person who did call 911 says they were told some others have called and that police are heading that way to look around. The people we’ve heard from say they heard around half a dozen booms or pops. Unless they find something – shell casings, property damage – we might never know, but we’re mentioning it because so many people contacted us to ask about it.

9:35 PM: If you haven’t seen the comments – prevailing opinion seems to be, fireworks. No word of anything found so far suggesting otherwise. Meantime, we also have a couple reports of one “boom” heard, primarily in the North Delridge area. Police were dispatched on that, too, but this also hasn’t led to any discoveries so far as we can tell.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Student charged with unlawful possession of firearm in Chief Sealth IHS gun incident

December 21, 2015 6:21 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

The 15-year-old arrested for allegedly bringing a gun and bullets to Chief Sealth International High School last Wednesday is now charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. We obtained the charging papers late today from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. They include the probable-cause document written by Seattle Police, which we transcribed as follows, minus suspect and witness names:

On 12/16/15 prior to the start of school, at Chief Sealth High School, an ammo clip for a firearm was found on the floor of (teacher’s) classroom. The ammo clip was turned over to Ms. Hammer, the school Principal. A meeting was held by Ms. Hammer that was attended by the Vice Principals and school security, where a plan of action was discussed.

Share This

West Seattle seasonal scene: Winter Solstice semi-sunset with Alice

December 21, 2015 5:14 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Skies Over West Seattle | West Seattle news

After a day of pelting rain, the clouds lifted and even parted enough to show some color just as our Skies Over West Seattle correspondent, NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, led the Winter Solstice Sunset Watch at West Seattle’s Solstice Park a little over an hour ago.

The hardy souls who turned out got to hear, and see, what the solstice is all about. Here’s part of her demonstration:

Since the sunset itself wasn’t visible, the Solstice Park stones that line up with the solstice sunset couldn’t be “tested,” but the sun’s not moving that much in the next few days, so if we get some clearing around sunset time, you can still get to the park and have a look.

Bonus for today’s eventgoers: Alice mentioned a launch attempt planned tonight, the SpaceX ORBCOMM-2 mission, with a launch window at 5:29 pm – check out the live feed here, if you see this before then; Alice pointed out that a key feature of this launch will be an attempt to bring part of the rocket back down to solid ground. (5:40 pm note – It was a success!)

Share This

TRAFFIC ALERTS: 35th/Avalon; southbound Highway 99

December 21, 2015 4:03 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

4:03 PM: Two traffic alerts right now:

35TH/AVALON: A Metro bus and Seattle Police car got into a “fender-bender,” no injuries, but the eastbound lanes have been intermittently blocked. And to compound matters, northbound 35th is blocked by construction work, so 35th is one lane each way south of Avalon, for now.

SOUTHBOUND 99: There’s a medic response for a crash near the stadium zone, according to the live 911 log.

4:50 PM: That 99 response is closed now, but SDOT tweeted that a vehicle is blocking the right lane of southbound 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel, so if you’re headed this way from north of there, take note. We can’t check back on 35th/Avalon for a while but it’s likely to have cleared by now, with no medic involvement or serious damage.

5:02 PM: Yet another crash response on southbound 99, this time at Seneca.

Share This

Delridge-Highland Park Greenway and Natural Drainage Systems: What’s under construction now, and what’s next

December 21, 2015 1:43 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Highland Park | Transportation | West Seattle news

City crews continue working on West Seattle’s second neighborhood greenway, Delridge-Highland Park, and concurrently, on roadside raingardens and other “natural drainage” elements in part of the area. Some of this work will involve temporary water shutoffs, according to this update just sent by project managers:

Seattle Public Utilities began constructing the natural drainage system along 17th Ave SW from SW Cloverdale Street to SW Thistle Street.

Construction crews are installing curb ramps that are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards in this area, and pedestrian detours are in effect. To perform water-service relocations, SPU water crews will shut down the water main two blocks at a time. If your water is going to be shut off, you will receive a door-hanger notification 48 hours in advance. Curbs and sidewalks that were removed for the water service relocations will then be re-installed.

The project webpage says some of that water work was expected to happen today and tomorrow, and includes a reminder that once the water’s back on, you might see discoloration for a while.

Meantime, the city’s update continues with information on the next round of road and sidewalk work:

Construction to build a pedestrian pathway connecting areas north and south of the cul-de-sac on 17th Ave SW between SW Myrtle and SW Webster streets has been delayed and will begin as early as January 4, 2016.

When construction begins, parking will be limited and pedestrian detours will be in place around the work area. This work is expected to take up to two weeks to complete.

Final work to be done at the intersection of 15th Ave SW and SW Holden St includes pouring curb ramps and sidewalk. We expect this work will be complete by Monday, December 28.

Crews began preparing the intersection at 16th Ave SW and SW Webster St for pedestrian safety improvements, including new crosswalks, new sidewalk, and new ADA-compliant curb ramps.

Crews began pouring sidewalk and curb ramps. Weather permitting, this work is expected to be complete by December 28.

Crews will return to the west side of 21st Ave SW, south of where 21st Ave SW and 22nd Ave SW merge, to rebuild the sidewalk. We expect this work will begin as early as January 4 and will include pouring concrete for sidewalk and asphalt for driveways. Both pours require dry days. Weather permitting, this work will take 2 weeks to complete. Residents will be notified in advance of driveway closures.

Construction is complete at 16th Ave SW and SW Kenyon St.

And the city notice includes the caveat that much of this is weather-dependent, so rain can change the schedule. More updates, and links to the full project plan, can be found here. The work’s been under way since late summer.

Share This

VIDEO: As winter starts, a reminder of summer

December 21, 2015 12:17 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

GETS THE COMPANY OF (Andy Reynolds) from LetsMakeMedia on Vimeo.

Noontime and it’s so dark, we have the lights on. But – with the solstice tonight – just six more months until summer! And just for fun – moviemaker Justin Lapriore, a former West Seattleite, thought you might like to see his profile of local photographer Andy Reynolds, recorded during a midsummer day of passerby photography on Alki Beach.

Share This

West Seattle Monday, ‘shortest day of the year’ edition: Solstice sunset & more

December 21, 2015 10:26 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Monday, ‘shortest day of the year’ edition: Solstice sunset & more

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(White-crowned sparrow photographed Sunday on Alki by Matt Olson)

Wondering what’s up today/tonight? Here’s what we have, mostly from our WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and year-round Event Calendar:

GIVE THE GIFT OF TURKEY: If you can donate a turkey to the West Seattle Food Bank to help someone in need have a hearty holiday dinner, WSFB tells us today’s the optimal day. Donation hours continue until 3 pm; you can use the garage off SW Morgan east of 35th.

‘KING TIDE’: Without a north wind, you won’t see waves and spray, but as shown here yesterday, it’s an interesting backdrop for a walk by the water, at the very least, especially on the Alki promenade west of the Bathhouse. 12.3 feet at 12:38 pm today, and waning in the ensuing days.

MUSIC WHILE YOU SHOP: Keith Terhune (piano) and We Three Carolers at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – piano 2-5 pm, caroling 5-7 pm. (Fauntleroy/California/Morgan)

SOLSTICE SUNSET WITH ALICE: This is the best West Seattle way to observe the change of seasons – join your friendly neighborhood NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park for sunset watch. Free, fun, educational. Be there around 3:45 pm; more info on Alice’s website. (Use her map to get there)

‘LONGEST NIGHT’ SERVICE: 7 pm at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), which explains:

This is a service of prayer, reflection, music, remembering, and candle lighting. It is a time especially for people for whom this is not the most wonderful time of the year. It is hard when you have lost a loved one this year and this is the first Christmas without them. It is hard if you have lost a loved one around Christmas and this time of year brings back painful memories. It is hard if you have lost your job, have lost even your faith, and are feeling unmoored. This is a service where you can be yourself and receive a message of comfort and hope. If you are just not feeling the Christmas spirit; if the enforced jolliness is getting to you; whatever reason, this is the service for you.

This is part of our Holiday Guide‘s list of church services for this week. (3940 41st SW)

Share This

From the West Seattle Holiday Guide: Christmas restaurant, grocery-store hours

December 21, 2015 9:24 am

| Comments Off on From the West Seattle Holiday Guide: Christmas restaurant, grocery-store hours

| Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Three days before Christmas, and just in case you’re wondering, the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide now includes links to our list of restaurants open on Christmas Eve and/or Day, as well as our list of grocery-store hours for those two days. The restaurant list is here; it’s the result of dozens of phone calls, and we know businesses sometimes change their plans at the last minute, so if you have a change or addition, please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com. Meantime, the supermarket list is here. (If you still haven’t browsed the guide, note that it also includes Christmas Eve/Day church services, as well as New Year’s Eve/Day info, and we’ll continue with daily updates until 2016 is here.)

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates; holiday previews

December 21, 2015 6:21 am

| Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates; holiday previews

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:21 AM: Here’s what you need to know as the week begins in pre-holiday mode:

*No school – winter break is on

*Over the weekend, Metro added “announcements for all scheduled stops instead of intermittent announcements as has previously been the case” for 80 more routes, as part of adjustments to “meet or exceed Federal Transit Administration requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.” The West Seattle-area routes on the list to be added as of this past Saturday include 21, 22, 37, 50, 60, 113, 120, RapidRide C.

TRANSIT CHANGES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY: Metro plans “reduced weekday” service on Thursday and Sunday service on Friday; the Water Taxi doesn’t run on Friday; Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a weekday schedule Friday.

8:53 AM: This major-incident-free morning commute is wrapping up; we continue to track traffic through the day, so if you see something, please let us know – 206-293=6302 (provided you can text/call safely/legally, as a passenger, or once you get to where you’re going) – thank you as always!

Share This

VIDEO: Dozens join the fun for West Seattle Runner’s 2015 Christmas Lights Run

December 20, 2015 11:41 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

With lights twinkling and bells jingling, dozens headed out on the ultimate holiday-season fun run tonight – the annual Christmas Lights Run organized by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), whose proprietors Lori and Tim McConnell led the decked-out way (with Myrtle the greyhound):

This was the first Christmas Lights Run since they moved WSR north to 2743 California SW, but the route included its traditional highlight, the West Seattle Lights/Helmstetler Family Spectacular music-synched light show at 3908 SW Charlestown.

SIDE NOTE: For another on-your-feet holiday tradition, see the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide‘s New Year’s Eve/Day section for the walks organized by the Emerald City Wanderers.

Share This

Inclusive play area for West Seattle? Former Explorer West Middle School classmates’ project synergizing with Lincoln Park plan

December 20, 2015 6:35 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

A play-area renovation in West Seattle may ultimately be even more inclusive than envisioned, thanks to advocacy by four local teenagers, based on work they did in their final year at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor).

We told you about their “Change the World Project” work seven months ago. Their main goal was to raise awareness about West Seattle’s lack of an “inclusive” playground – one with features that can be enjoyed by children of all ability levels, including those with physical and/or developmental challenges. There’s only one such play area in the entire city (the Children’s PlayGarden).

With the four – Makenzie White, Cyrus Storlie, Tess Wassermann, and Ellen Applewhite – leaving Explorer West just after completing the project as part of their work with teacher Tim Owens, they weren’t sure about its fate, nor about what additional work they could do. When summer was over, the four former classmates were enrolled in four different high schools, further complicating any plans to collaborate.

Then the Lincoln Park North Play Area Renovation project came along, and now they are talking with Seattle Parks about ways to incorporate their proposals.

Share This

West Seattle Christmas lights: One street to see

December 20, 2015 3:52 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle Christmas lights | West Seattle news

We’ve been looking, and asking, but haven’t come up with much of a list of must-see Christmas-lights displays this year. One theory: With so few breaks in the rain earlier this month, some people missed the usual windows for putting up lights. But we’re still looking – and last night we happened onto a stretch to add to the (short) list in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide: 30th SW between Roxbury and Barton has a lot of spirit, including the home in our photo above. If you have any recommendations – either a spirited street, or a particular house – please comment here or e-mail (editor@westseattleblog.com). Especially in the next few nights ahead before Christmas Eve, looking at lights is a long-held tradition, and we’re always happy to help, so we’ll add whatever turns up. Thanks!

Share This

YOU CAN HELP! End the year with a few hours of volunteering

December 20, 2015 1:44 pm

| Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP! End the year with a few hours of volunteering

| How to help | West Seattle news | White Center

One way to start the New Year off fresh – end the old year by doing a good deed. The White Center Food Bank is asking for help on New Year’s Eve:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR INVENTORY HELP DECEMBER 31!

Are you available to help weigh and count the inventory of the White Center Food Bank? We start at 9 am and go until it’s done (usually before 2 pm). We will need 5-10 people who can lift 40 pounds. Other tasks that morning include counting and recording. If you can help with this important yearly task, contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-762-2848.

The WCFB is headquartered at 10829 8th SW.

Share This