West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
From the website of Bloodworks Northwest, the regional blood bank: “Our inventory has been low in the past few weeks, yet we have shipped blood components to OneBlood, the blood center in Florida, in response to their emergency appeal. We have now been notified that their immediate needs for blood have been satisfied as a result of additional shipments from us and others.” But that means Bloodworks NW needs to replenish the local supply, and if you can donate, there happens to be a blood drive already scheduled for tomorrow in West Seattle, 1-7 pm at Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood (39th/Thistle) – more information in our calendar listing.
For five years, OutWest Bar has been West Seattle’s only LGBTQ bar. Today, after news of the massacre at LGBTQ nightclub Pulse in Orlando, OutWest opened its doors early; a small table outside holds a card and flowers, with messages of sympathy and solidarity.
The Alki Statue of Liberty has long been a place to gather, a place for tributes, and today it becomes that again: Sam Samaniego decided to make a sash for Lady Liberty, as a show of love in the wake of this morning’s Orlando massacre. It’s inscribed ‘From Our Coast to Yours’ and as we write, they’ve added a banner along the base that you’re invited to sign:
Sam says she’ll of course be sending the banner to Florida – but before then, she sees power in the photographs people will take, and hopes that they’re seen in Orlando so people there know people here care:
15 years ago, Alki’s mini Statue of Liberty became a gathering place to mourn the 9/11 victims, and five years ago, it drew hundreds for a tribute on the 10th anniversary of the attack.
‘PEACE TO ORLANDO AND EVERYWHERE’: On a fence in West Seattle, photographed by a reader:
BANNER PLANNED: In a comment on our earlier report of the mayor’s statement about the Orlando massacre, Sam announced plans for a support banner at Alki Statue of Liberty around 3:30 pm this afternoon.
STREET MARKET BENEFITING PRIDEFEST: Today’s Luna Park Street Market was long planned as a benefit for Seattle PrideFest – we stopped by for a photo as a reminder it’s happening now:
Artists, music, barbecue, and drinks, outside Ola and Duos in the 2900 block of SW Avalon Way, until 4 pm.
ADDED 3:15 PM: A card and flowers are outside OutWest Bar (California/Brandon).
(Photo courtesy Peter Yanacek)
10:44 AM: If you’re wondering about the big Seattle Fire response at Fauntleroy Church right now: It is categorized as an automatic fire alarm. Scanner reports indicate sprinklers went off, possibly because of an electrical fire. We are en route to find out more.
10:56 AM: Church member Peter Yanacek, who also posted this in comments, says the fire was in the library, and happened during the Music Sunday service; everyone is reported to be safe outside.
(WSB photo)
SFD has dispatched its investigator. Our photographer just called in and said the sprinklers discharged “a lot of water,” according to SFD, so that will require cleanup.
11:06 AM: Church attendees are being allowed back in to get their personal items. The church also has put out a call for wet-dry/shop-type vacs that they could use with the cleanup. The co-housed Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) is closed, we’re told, for water cleanup, and they don’t yet know if they’ll reopen later today.
3:33 PM: Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski sent this to her church’s congregation:
This morning, during our worship service, we experienced a small fire in our fourth floor library. The fire was accidentally caused by a child (who was not physically harmed, but who is quite emotionally upset). The sprinkler system worked as it should, and the fire was contained to a very small area within the library.
Water did soak walls and flooring on the fourth floor outside the library, office floor below (outside of offices), lobby, and one bathroom in the narthex as it came through the ceiling.
A big thank you to all of our volunteers who jumped right to work cleaning up what water we could before the professionals arrived this afternoon. Bless you, bless you, bless you!
Our annual meeting will be rescheduled and we will be in touch with that new date within the next few days. If pieces of Music Sunday are able to rescheduled, we’ll also let you know that.
The fire was small, and we are a strong, healthy church. All will be well!
As we rejoice in that wellness, let us remember to pray today for those who are not well, notably those involved in the horribly tragic loss of life in Orlando. Let us pray for those lost, their families, LGBTQ families everywhere and a world in which so much hate still exists and is allowed to fester.
And to those prayers, I ask a smaller, but special additional prayer — for one very scared child and her family today, who need to know us as their church family. Love is so powerful, and I thank God for a church that loves well and adds love to a world in such desperate need of it.
5:28 PM: We stopped by a short time ago. The water cleanup continues:
A professional cleanup crew is on site now, but Rev. Bilinski says they are thankful for the many volunteers who pitched in earlier today.
5:42 PM: The Fauntleroy Y will reopen tomorrow.
After this morning’s Orlando massacre, Mayor Ed Murray has sent a statement including a note that “Seattle Police Department has increased security for Pride events and other large gatherings”:
Mayor Edward Murray made the following statement today regarding the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning:
“Americans woke up this morning with the all-too-familiar feeling of incomprehension at another act of mass violence, and LGBTQ Americans awoke with the sickening, all-too-familiar feeling of fear that our community has once again been attacked.
“Words cannot adequately encompass the feelings of grief I am feeling for the loss of so many of our LGBTQ and allied brothers and sisters in Orlando during the largest single act of violence against LGBTQ people in United States history. For too long, our community has been the target of violence throughout the world. It will never make sense to me that love is met with such hate.
“On behalf of the people of the City of Seattle, my heart and my thoughts go out to those whose lives were forever changed by the events last night. Today our community draws closer to one another for comfort, support and healing, and to honor those who were tragically lost.”
Murray will speak to the Seattle LGBTQ community at a candlelight vigil at 8:00 pm at Cal Anderson Park this evening.
Murray said that all SPD officers have received substantial active shooter training, and the Seattle Police Department has increased security for Pride events and other large gatherings.
He has ordered the flags at City Hall to be lowered to half-staff.
(Passing Alki on Saturday, photographed by Gary Jones: Argosy Cruises tour boat and U.S. Army Watercraft Vessel Small Tugboat ST-916 Desert Storm)
Here are the highlights for Sunday, June 12th, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and our inbox:
TRANSPORTATION NOTES: Washington State Ferries‘ summer schedule takes effect today, continuing through September 17th – find it here. Meantime, another week of overnight closures begins tonight on the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am. And remember that the closures will start later next Tuesday and Thursday nights.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. You never know what you’ll find – but last week, we noticed an abundance of strawberries, lettuce … and buskers! (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
LUNA PARK STREET MARKET: At Duos Lounge (2940 SW Avalon Way) and Ola Salon (2942 SW Avalon Way) in the Luna Park business district, a full day of fun – music, art, drinks, barbecue more – benefiting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Seattle PrideFest. 11 am-4 pm, all ages.
COLMAN POOL: Another preseason Sunday for the outdoor pool on the shore of Lincoln Park – swim sessions noon-7 pm; see the schedule breakdown here. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
KITTY HARBOR: Open for adoptions, noon-4 pm, second day of opening weekend. (3422 Harbor Avenue SW)
RETIREMENT CELEBRATION @ WEST SIDE PRESBYTERIAN: As previewed here, West Side Presbyterian Church invites you to an open-house celebration 1-4 pm (program at 2) in honor of longtime pastor Dr. Paul Smith. (3601 California SW)
SUNDAY FUNDAY: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s first “Sunday FUNday” is for the whole family – 1-3 pm at the Log House Museum, “family-focused history activities, including arts and crafts, story time and refreshments.” Here’s a SWSHS volunteer inviting you to be there:
You’re also invited to the museum for its regular hours, noon-4 pm, and it’s the final day of the Ivar Haglund exhibit. (61st/Stevens)
CHORAL CONCERT: 1 pm at Providence Mount St. Vincent‘s chapel, the NORCO College Choir performs a free concert. (4831 35th SW)
SILVER LINING: “Neo-retro” duo performs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
PREVIEW NEXT WEEK, and beyond, via our complete calendar!
Two incident reports from readers – first, from Libby:
(Saturday) at 1:45 pm, my husband, kids, and I were merging onto I-5 south from the West Seattle Bridge. We were in the merging lane when, seemingly out of nowhere, we saw a giant wooden doghouse fly out of the back of a navy blue pickup truck and bounce onto the freeway. The body of the house bounced up 8 feet into the air and then landed behind a semi truck in the middle lanes while the roof flew onto the freeway directly in front of our car. My husband attempted to swerve to avoid it but did not want to risk getting hit by oncoming traffic in other lane so was ultimately forced to drive right over the structure which caused tremendous damage to our white Subaru Outback. We pulled over at the next exit (Michigan exit) to call 911 about the debris and the possible aftermath. We were told a state trooper would call us back to get a statement. As of (late Saturday night), no call has come our way.
We never got a license plate of the driver of the truck and would like to know if anyone else witnessed this. It happened in just seconds and we weren’t fast enough to grab plates. There were several cars behind us coming off of the West Seattle bridge to merge onto I-5 south and if anyone at all has any information we would so appreciate it.
We can be reached at 206-782-9671 call/text (Jay) or by email at sivak.jason@gmail.com
From Bethany:
Highland Park resident here, wanted to shoot you guys a heads-up about a weird hit and run outside our home to our two cars on 13th between Elmgrove and Kenyon – one car had the side mirror removed (no other damage, and the mirror is nowhere to be found, so whomever removed the darn thing either ACTUALLY removed it, or hit it and cleaned up after themselves), and the other car was hit with such force it shoved the rear wheels up onto the curb. No other vehicles on the road seem to be damaged, but there’s suspiciously little debris in the street. No bueno.
That was reported on Saturday morning.
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