West Seattle, Washington

15 Friday

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month : 01/2016 295 results

WEST SEATTLE SNOW: Sunday afternoon weather updates; SDOT’s plan for tonight
January 3, 2016 12:18 pm
|      44 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES, including city’s overnight plan)

12:18 PM: No, you’re not imagining things. If you’re in West Seattle’s upper elevations (High Point, Arbor Heights, Upper Fauntleroy …), those are snowflakes, very light flurry so far. The National Weather Service‘s forecast wasn’t expecting them until overnight. But let us know if you’re seeing them too.

12:42 PM: More intense flurry now!

(Gatewood snow, by Cindi Barker)
1:07 PM: Starting to stick here (300+ feet uphill and east of Lincoln Park), as some are noting in comments. Be careful driving/walking – it’s slick. By the way, our last visible snow was on December 27th.

(Fauntleroy snow, by Clyde Suggs)
1:21 PM: Still snowing big, fluffy flakes here.

(Video added Sunday night – thanks to Dorothy – excited kids @ WS Farmers’ Market as snowfall began)
And the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has just lifted the King County burn ban.


(Video tweeted by @MetPatrick22 in Sunrise Heights – that’s Fire Station 37)
1:48 PM: Back to more of a flurry than a shower – the road’s wet, planting strips and lawns (etc.) have a dusting.

(Robin at Lincoln Park – photo by Erin Jackson)
2:09 PM: In case you wondered – as did one commenter – no changes resulting from the snow so far; just not enough for that. But we’ll be on watch as always, including overnight and into the early-morning hours – we have morning traffic coverage atop the main WSB page every weekday, and weather is included when conditions merit.

2:55 PM: Speaking of tomorrow morning – this is just in via e-mail from SDOT:

To support the safe flow of traffic, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will pretreat roads with salt brine and salt late Sunday to address potential ice or snow on arterial roadways.

Travelers are advised to check weather and roadway conditions prior to beginning their Monday morning commute. If possible, residents should consider delaying their trips in the morning to avoid potentially icy conditions. Information on winter weather preparedness, to include SDOT’s winter weather brochure and snow route map, can be found here.

3:10 PM: If you’re checking in at halftime – the snow’s stopped. For now, anyway.

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ADOPT A PET IN 2016! You can start at today’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market
January 3, 2016 11:59 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

As mentioned in the daily preview, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is on, and we found special guests today at the south end (California/Alaska):

This 8-year-old kitty was looking especially regal, awaiting adoption:

If you miss MaxMobile today (there until 2 pm), two more West Seattle visits are on the calendar for this month – Pet Pros at Westwood Village on January 15 from 2 pm to 5 pm, Mud Bay in Admiral (2611 California SW) on January 23 from 11 am to 2 pm.

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What’s happening on the new year’s first West Seattle Sunday
January 3, 2016 8:50 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

That’s Parker, who asked her mom to send us the photo in honor of the Seahawks’ last regular-season game, 1:25 pm today at Arizona. Besides watching the game, what’s happening around West Seattle for the rest of today? A few options:

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: First WSFM of the year! See what’s fresh in the heart of winter. 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. (California SW between SW Edmunds and SW Oregon)

FLING YOUR FRISBEE: 10 am at Walt Hundley Playfield, pickup game with West Seattle Ultimate Family Frisbee. (34th SW & SW Myrtle)

SWIM AT SOUTHWEST POOL: Four public swim sessions today (and all Sundays this winter), between 11 am and 6 pm – see the schedule here. (2801 SW Thistle)

GO BACK IN TIME … at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum, a perfect side trip if you’re going to Alki to walk, dine, enjoy the view – or a destination all its own. Noon-4 pm, now featuring items from the Nordic Heritage Museum’s exhibit about West Seattle’s own Ivar Haglund. Noon-4 pm.

LIVE MUSIC: Acoustic-based singer/songwriter Hayden Eller performs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW … what’s happening tomorrow, next week, next month, by browsing the advance listings in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.

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High-school basketball: Two wins for Seattle Lutheran; what’s ahead for local teams next week
January 2, 2016 11:19 pm
|    Comments Off on High-school basketball: Two wins for Seattle Lutheran; what’s ahead for local teams next week
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Two basketball wins for Seattle Lutheran High School tonight at Shoreline Christian; thanks to Mike Jensen for the score reports via Twitter. Girls’ final 46-21; boys’ final 82-37. The boys’ next game is at home, 7:30 pm Tuesday, vs. Christian Faith, while the girls are on the road at Puget Sound Adventist next Thursday, 6 pm.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR OTHER LOCAL TEAMS: Chief Sealth International High School and West Seattle High School boys both have road games on Tuesday, 7:30 pm – CSIHS at Garfield, WSHS at O’Dea. … Both schools’ girls have road games Wednesday, WSHS at Holy Names, CSIHS at Garfield, both at 7:30.

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The Whale Trail: With the next ‘Orca Talk’ on Thursday, here’s what the last one revealed
January 2, 2016 7:15 pm
|    Comments Off on The Whale Trail: With the next ‘Orca Talk’ on Thursday, here’s what the last one revealed
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

After a year full of new hope for survival of Puget Sound’s resident orcas, what will 2016 bring?

On the first Thursday of the new year, The Whale Trail invites you to its next Orca Talk in West Seattle – this time looking at the ecology of the “transient” orcas who visit our waters; registration for the 7 pm presentation on January 7th at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) is open now.

If you’re interested, you’ll want to get your tickets fast, since the last Orca Talk of 2015 brought a sold-out full house. Good news is, it’s on video:

Orca Talk with Brad Hanson – SRKW 2015 Winter Update from Donna Sandstrom on Vimeo.

NOAA researcher Brad Hanson spoke at C & P on December 3rd to talk about the Southern Resident Killer Whales’ baby boom. At that time, the count stood at six in less than a year, and as if that wasn’t exciting enough, two more babies have been announced since then.

Read More

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash at 35th/Webster
January 2, 2016 5:34 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Added: Photo tweeted by @MetPatrick22)
Thanks to @MetPatrick22 for the tip: Southbound 35th SW is blocked at Webster because of a crash. No medic unit dispatched so far – just one SFD engine – which means no major injuries, but you’ll want to avoid the area for a while.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Vehicle and ski gear stolen in The Junction; Pigeon Point car prowls; Highland Park plate thefts
January 2, 2016 3:52 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:52 PM: Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reports this afternoon. First: Stolen cars are sometimes abandoned nearby, sometimes driven many miles, so this could be anywhere. From Kimberly:

I woke up New Year’s morning to find my beloved 1996 Nissan 240SX (lic# AFC7216) stolen from the street along Erskine Way, just west of California Ave, south of the Alaska Junction. The loss of the car is bad enough but it also contained all of my ski gear.

My car is pictured (above), parked outside of Uptown Espresso at Edmunds and California. Mine is the car in front; both cars pictured are Nissan 240SXs (or similar model) and I would like to speak to the owner of the car parked behind mine. That car is a souped-up version which showed up in the neighborhood a week or two ago but which has not been around since. If you see either car please contact me by phone at 2O6-379-6OI4 (voice or txt). The skis are Salomon Siam 10s in a 149cm length, with Salomon Z10 Ti bindings, the boots are translucent orange Tecnica Diablo Race and the poles are a blue Swix Mach Carbon. … There were also other items such as helmet, goggles and gloves.

CAR PROWLS: Meaghan reports, “Up in Pigeon point on 21st Ave Sw, two of our neighbors had their windows smashed on their cars this morning. I’m not sure if anything was stolen.” We also had a comment earlier today from PSPS on the day’s first story, reporting what looked like the aftermath of car prowls on 40th SW north of The Junction; we couldn’t find anything obvious when we went to look, but if you were a victim, please let us know so we can include in Crime Watch coverage, editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you.

ADDED 5:57 PM: From Dawn in Highland Park:

Several neighbors report license plate theft on my block. Sometime in the past several nights, someone stole the license plate off my RV parked in my backyard (not fenced to alley access). Some neighbors said they were replacing plates with different plates. Mine was not. 12th & Henderson.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Brush fire by I-5 north, just past West Seattle Bridge
January 2, 2016 2:09 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

2:09 PM: Thanks to Jamie for the tip – if you’re headed toward I-5 north, it’s slow going just north of the bridge because of a fire Jamie describes as “under the freeway.” Brush fire, according to the SFD 911 log.

ADDED 2:23 PM: Thanks to Cory for the photo, added above.

ADDED MONDAY AFTERNOON: SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold tells WSB that this remains on the books as a “brush fire” and was not investigated otherwise.

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Reader reports: Car vandalized; black backpack found
January 2, 2016 1:30 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Two reader reports to share – first, from West Seattle Crime Watch, car vandalism:

Vera sent the photo and reports:

Upon leaving Westwood village (Friday night) … this is what I found my car to look like. Someone walked up over the hood onto my roof, footprints visible in the frost. Apparently no one saw this happen??? I was visiting Barnes & Noble on January 1 from eight until 10 PM. I was parked right outside of Barnes & Noble and someone walks up over top of my car and crashed my windshield; I’m wondering if they have any video footage or cameras outside of Barnes & Noble . I parked a mere 12 ft from the entrance.

We suggested checking with the store, for starters – if you have any other ideas, please comment.

Next – a backpack found in the 3400 block of Walnut SW at 7 am today. More often than not, these things turn out to have been stolen from someone somewhere, but as the finder observes, this might also have fallen off a vehicle:

My wife went for a walk early this morning and found a nice black backpack in the middle of our street containing snowboarding items (boots, goggles etc.). The pack was open – in the next block North of us she found a snowboard helmet and clothing. It appears to belong to boy, and must have fallen off the roof of a car…they may be having a very bad day at the slopes :( … If anyone knows who this belongs to, they can contact Brian at 303.396.9273. There is a name on the backpack and other identifying characteristics that we will ask to verify ownership.

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BURN BAN: No fireplace use, as ‘Stage 1’ ban called for King County
January 2, 2016 12:33 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Graphic from Puget Sound Clean Air Agency website)

With another day of stagnant air, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has announced a Stage 1 burn ban for all of King County, in hopes of keeping the air quality from getting any worse. That means: “Use of fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves and inserts prohibited. Pellet stoves, EPA certified wood stoves and inserts are allowed. Outdoor burning prohibited.” Find out more here.

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UPDATE: ‘Fire in building’ response on Beach Drive
January 2, 2016 12:09 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

12:09 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a major “fire in building” response to the 3800 block of Beach Drive SW. Updates to come.

12:15 PM: It’s a four-story multifamily building, and that’s the reason for the big response, but so far, per scanner, no sign of a fire – aside from one in a fireplace (added: Christmas tree was being burned). The response is being downsized.

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WEST SEATTLE BIZNOTES: Post-holiday breaks
January 2, 2016 10:08 am
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE BIZNOTES: Post-holiday breaks
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Quick notes about West Seattle businesses with extended breaks this post-holiday month (let us know if you’ve heard of others!):

CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS: You CAN shop at Click! Design That Fits in The Junction (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor) this weekend, but then the shop’s taking an extended break starting January 4th. Read about it on the Click! website.

WEST SEATTLE PRODUCE COMPANY: No, the shop at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW is NOT closed permanently, as one reader who contacted us feared. WSP is taking a break until January 16th and still searching for a new location, while awaiting word on when it’ll have to clear out from this one. The CVS drugstore project for the site continues to proceed but doesn’t have final approval yet, as, among other things, it still requires at least one more Southwest Design Review Board meeting (no date set yet). WSP originally opened in April 2010 across the street, where The Whittaker is now under construction.

SPEAKING OF PRODUCE STANDS: Just a reminder that Tony’s Market at 35th and Barton is temporarily closed too, its traditional break after the end of Christmas-tree-selling season. It usually reopens in late winter/early spring (it was later than usual last year because of renovations including parking-lot work).

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What’s up for your first West Seattle Saturday of 2016
January 2, 2016 6:21 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photos above and below are by Mark Wangerin: Double-crested Cormorant with Pacific Staghorn Sculpin)
While we hope you’ll find some time to rest during this post-holiday-season weekend, our calendar does offer some options:

‘WEST SEATTLE GET FIT’ TRAINING RUN: 8 am, meet at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) as this year’s free “couch-to-half-marathon” training program gets going. (2743 California SW)

TREE-CYCLE WITH THE RAINBOW GIRLS: 9 am-2 pm in the parking lot outside the Alki Masonic Hall in The Junction, drop off your tree with the West Seattle Rainbow Girls‘ annual fundraiser, by donation – more info in our preview. (4736 40th SW)

SPECIAL SATURDAY STORY TIME: 11 am, bring the kids to the monthly Saturday family story time at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. (2306 42nd SW)

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY REOPENS: 11 am-4 pm, first day for the West Seattle Tool Library after its holiday break. On the NE side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

IVAR EXHIBIT AT LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Noon-4 pm, visit the home of West Seattle’s history, and enjoy the visiting exhibit that spotlights the life and times of West Seattle entrepreneur Ivar Haglund. (61st SW & SW Stevens)

LAST WEEKEND FOR WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE: This just might be the last of the lights for this holiday season. West Seattle Yuletide, music-synched lights, plans to run through this weekend. Schedule’s on the WSY website. (38th between Dakota and Genesee)

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … via the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.

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WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2016: Lisa Herbold officially becomes West Seattle and South Park’s City Councilmember; ceremony on Monday
January 1, 2016 9:13 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Another look ahead, now that it’s a brand-new year:

Two months after the election, and one month after recount results were finalized, Lisa Herbold officially becomes the first Seattle City Councilmember for District 1 (West Seattle and South Park) on Monday. As our screengrab at left shows, her official city webpage is already up (though not yet linked from the council’s index page, which we wouldn’t expect before Monday, anyway).

The oath-of-office ceremony for Herbold and other councilmembers is scheduled to start off the afternoon session, and is expected to draw a full house, so early arrival is advised (well before the official 2 pm start). Herbold told us in our post-election interview (published here December 7th) that she has chosen outgoing Councilmember Nick Licata, for whom she has worked more than a decade and a half, to administer her oath. The ceremony’s published order is numerical by district, so she’s up first.

On Monday, the council – with four new members and five returnees, albeit in different roles given the new seven-district-and-two-at-large makeup – also will finalize committee chairs/members. According to the mid-December announcement, Herbold is expected to chair the Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, and Arts Committee, whose first meeting of 2016 is at 9:30 am January 12. During the campaign, she said she was interested in chairing what will now be the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee; that role instead is slated for new District 4 (Northeast Seattle) Councilmember Rob Johnson, with its former chair Councilmember Mike O’Brien as vice chair, but Herbold is listed as the committee’s third member. She is also expected to be vice chair of the Affordable Housing, Neighborhoods, and Finance Committee, and alternate member of the Sustainability and Transportation Committee. (Each committee has a chair, vice chair, member, and alternate, though any councilmember can show up at a committee meeting to participate.)

BACKSTORY: In case you’re new, or otherwise just tuning in, Herbold, a Highland Park resident, won election by a hand-recount-verified 39-vote margin over Shannon Braddock in the general election, following a nine-candidate primary (with five prospective candidates dropping out before the primary, and one falling just short of the number of petition signatures required to make the ballot in lieu of a $1200 fee). She’ll be one of two West Seattleites on the council, along with Lorena González, elected to at-large (citywide) Position 9.

CONTACTING YOUR NEW COUNCILMEMBER: As seen on Herbold’s webpage, her e-mail address is lisa.herbold@seattle.gov, her office phone number 206-684-8803.

P.S. If you’d like to hear from her in person and/or ask a question, Herbold is also scheduled to be at next Wednesday’s Southwest District Council meeting, 6:30 pm (January 6th) at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, California/Oregon.

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WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2016: Teeing off West Seattle Mini-Golf project, one year later than first projected
January 1, 2016 6:39 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Over the next few days, we’ll look ahead at some of what will be making news early in the new year. First – the latest on the West Seattle Mini-Golf project:

Back in fall 2014, we reported on the plan for a miniature-golf course at West Seattle Golf Course, after finding it mentioned in Mayor Murray’s 2015 budget plan. At the time, Seattle Parks described it – in response to our followup inquiry – as “proposed,” though the mayor’s budget said it was expected to be built before the end of 2015, after community discussions.

With 2015 ending, absent community discussions, let alone construction, we followed up again. First, we received a tip that a Parks letter dated October 2015 had been posted on the West Seattle Golf Club website this month. It included a new timeline, projecting that the course will be built next summer, and open by summer’s end. The letter also identified Parks’ Garrett Farrell as senior project manager, so we asked him about the project’s status. Farrell told WSB that the mini-golf project is now “in the planning, permitting, and budgeting stages,” with a community meeting (promised in the letter) getting closer: “Once we get some of the parameters set including schedule, we will post a project sign and hope to schedule the meeting shortly after the New Year.” He adds that a Parks website for the miniature-golf project is under development.

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Get moving in 2016: Dance! West Seattle offers options this winter
January 1, 2016 3:01 pm
|    Comments Off on Get moving in 2016: Dance! West Seattle offers options this winter
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Resolved to get more movement into your life this year? Dance! West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is enrolling now for the winter session, which starts Monday:

We have classes for ages 2 (out of diapers) through adult, and would love for you to join our dance family. While specializing in Classical Ballet, we have added Contemporary and Hip Hop to the curriculum. Call or e-mail to arrange for your free trial class and start the New Year off with a dance in your step. Sign up by January 15th to participate in our June performance of “La Fiesta” and other dances. Visit our website dancewestseattle.com or call 206-938-3062 for more information!

DWS is headquartered in the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse.

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VIDEO: Hundreds launch 2016 with a splash via the West Seattle Polar Bear Swim at Alki Beach
January 1, 2016 12:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(Video/photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand, unless otherwise credited)
Clear sky, 33-degree air, 50-degree water, and hundreds of cheery participants combined for this year’s West Seattle Polar Bear Swim at Alki Beach this morning. Here’s the leader of the countdown you hear in the video, organizer Mark Ufkes:

He went in wearing his “I (Heart) White Center” T-shirt. As usual, the crowd was peppered with costumes and uniforms – and it’s not a Polar Bear Swim without the softball umpires:

Another group went prehistoric:

The most popular “costume” generally involved head/face gear of some kind:

(This photo and next one by Scott Nelson)
The Olympics provided a beautiful backdrop:

To get the internal temperature back up afterward, free chowder courtesy of Duke’s (right across the street from the gathering spot for the “swim”):

Can’t guarantee the sunshine but the day and time are locked in – so mark your calendar for New Year’s Day 2017!

P.S. Our clip from the sidewalk gives you more of an idea of how many people were on the beach before, during, and after:

Past years’ WSB coverage:
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010

(Reviewing our links, you might be surprised to see it’s been sunny on NYD more often than not!)

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HAPPY 2016! What’s up for your West Seattle New Year’s Day
January 1, 2016 8:23 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(The Olympics on New Year’s Eve, by Monica Zaborac – you can soak in the same view today)

Welcome to 2016! Here’s what you need to know on this first day of the new year:

GETTING AROUND: Metro‘s on a Sunday schedule; the Water Taxi is not running; Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is on a regular weekday schedule.

RESTAURANTS: Our annual list of holiday hours has info for West Seattle restaurants that told us they’d be open today/tonight – but please note the disclaimer.

COFFEE: See the West Seattle Holiday Guide for shops that told us they’d be open today.

GROCERY STORES: The only one closed today is Trader Joe’s.

NYD WALKS: Emerald City Wanderers invite you to walk into 2016, with 5- and 10-kilometer routes you can start any time between 9 am and noon from St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. (3050 California SW)

POLAR BEAR SWIM: 10 am on Alki Beach, across from Duke’s (which provides clam chowder for the hardy “swimmers”) – info in our preview. As we write this, the air temperature is 25 degrees, water temperature 50 degrees, so consider it a way to warm up! (58th SW & Alki SW)

SPECIAL YOGA WORKSHOP: 10 am at Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor) – start the new year by finding your true path via Dharma Yoga. More info here. (5639 California SW)

SPECIAL CLASS: 10 am at the Center for Movement and Healing, with meditation, dance, and more. Info here. (7901 35th SW)

LABYRINTH WALK: Our Lady of Guadalupe hosts its first New Year’s Day Labyrinth Walk – visit any time between 11 am and 1 pm; details here. (35th SW & SW Myrtle)

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HAPPY 2016! Space Needle fireworks launch Seattle’s new year
January 1, 2016 7:46 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL FRIDAY REPORT: Thanks to West Seattle photographer Craig Young for sharing views of the Space Needle fireworks that launched the new year.

Ever wonder what goes into planning the show? GeekWire talked to the “architect” of the show since its start 20+ years ago, Alberto Navarro.

You can watch video of the entire eight-minute display at KING5.com.

ADDED SATURDAY: Two more photos, above and below this line, shot by Bill Morgan from Hamilton Viewpoint Park in North Admiral:

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