West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
(WSB photo, July 2016)
ORIGINAL SUNDAY REPORT, 6:25 PM: Again this year, dozens of Northwest tribes are sending canoes on a regional journey to a gathering site, and Alki Beach is one of the stops along the way. Last year was the first time in four years that they stopped at Alki, where the Muckleshoots are the hosts; here’s our coverage of their arrival and their departure. Last year the canoe families were headed to the South Sound; this year, participants are taking separate routes to Campbell River, British Columbia, with arrival there on August 5th. The Alki stop is set for this Wednesday, July 19th, departing the next day; we don’t have specific times yet but will update when we do.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: We’re told the arrivals are expected around 3 pm.
(Today’s schedule is here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here … Previous coverage: Saturday report #3 here, report #2 here, and report #1 here; Friday report #2 here and report #1 here; Summer Fest Eve here)
(“Live” SDOT camera showing part of the festival zone, on California north of Alaska)
11:57 AM: Day 3 of West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 went from 0 to 60 very fast. Lots of people, lots of bubbles, lots of music. And – dancing!
Day 3 of #wssummerfest starting with Jennifer Cepeda and friends dancing! pic.twitter.com/afl6hIm5yw
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2017
Jennifer Cepeda and friends were at the main stage to get the morning moving as the festival’s final day began about an hour ago. As for the bubbles – the bubble-machine-equipped clown who’s been busking all weekend is on the KeyBank corner this morning and breezes are bringing bubbles right onto our keyboard! WSB’s Leda Costa photographed him toward the end of day 2:
In the Community Tent section of the Info Booth this morning are the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and Harbor School – you can check out community groups here as well as at Sustainable West Seattle‘s GreenLife expo over in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska). (At noon, SWS president Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board will be talking about E-Bikes on the stage there.) And some organizations have booths amid the visiting vendors – you can buy a raffle ticket from the West Seattle Food Bank:
That’s Ben Viscon (winemaker of WSB sponsor Viscon Cellars) and Judi Yazzolino in the WSFB booth this morning. It’s a Summer Fest theme of sorts – look around every corner, inside every door, you never know what you’ll find (and we mean that in a good way). You also never know who you’re going to see. Seattle’s most famous busker Boe “Scarf Dancer” Oddisey just stopped by the Info Booth, and while we didn’t get him on camera, we did photograph two well-known West Seattleites who also visited about that same time:
If you’re new – that’s County Executive (and lifelong West Seattleite) Dow Constantine and daughter Sabrina. It’s been eight years since he introduced Mudhoney here at Summer Fest, by the way – somebody was sharing that festival memory on Twitter the other day. (See the video here.) As for today’s music, South Sound Tug and Barge is about to get going on the main stage. And we’ll say it yet again, since it’s the top question at the Info Booth so far – yes, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market IS still happening, just not in its usual spot – it’s in the lot behind KeyBank (if you’ve been here for a few years, you’ll remember that as “where the market used to be”):
Besides answering questions, we also have lots of info here about other upcoming summer events – the West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park (Tuesday, 7 pm at Hiawatha), the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha series (starting Thursday, 6:30 pm), West Seattle Outdoor Movies (starting next Saturday, July 22nd, in the SW Snoqualmie/36th SW “festival street” by the West Seattle YMCA [WSB sponsor]), the summer-quarter West Seattle Art Walk (second Thursdays), and the West Seattle Car Show (August 26th at South Seattle College [WSB sponsor]). Stop by the booth (California/Alaska), get flyers/cards you can take home and put up on the fridge.
12:57 PM: Some video from South Sound Tug and Barge on the main stage an hour ago:
… video: pic.twitter.com/A469f3vb5W
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2017
Mega Bog is starting shortly; Swedish Finnish is up at 2 – full lineup here. The festival continues until 5 – but today, unlike the first two days, everything closes at once … and then it’s breakdown time … so c’mon down soon and join the rest of your neighbors and friends.
2:02 PM: We’ve reunited a dog and a wallet with their respective owners here in the past half hour or so. We’ve also got new arrivals at the Info Booth – the Junction Neighborhood Organization on the west side, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on the south side. West Seattle Chamber of Commerce CEO Lynn Dennis is volunteering on the east side. Yes, Summer Fest can be educational. Especially in GreenLife at Junction Plaza Park, where you can check out some bees, talk with a beekeeper from the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association, and buy raw honey:
Three hours left – lots of time to shop, nosh, play. This is the afternoon that feels most like a West Seattle-wide family reunion. And it’s also a chance to find out more about local businesses – like longtime WSB sponsor Fitness Together:
Get here this afternoon to get in on their festival special: “10 sessions for $50 each, this weekend only!” They’re on the northeast corner of California/Alaska, outside the city-landmark Campbell Building.
A few other WSB sponsors who are here that we haven’t mentioned yet in earlier coverage – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate; Westside School; HomeStreet Bank; Dream Dinners; Emerald Water Anglers; GoodMed Direct Primary Care (which is providing first aid for the festival); The Whittaker.
Meantime, at the main stage (California north of Oregon):
Swedish Finnish playing right now @ #wssummerfest ! pic.twitter.com/1UODbju0oH
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2017
That’s Swedish Finnish! Two more performances ahead – Carrie Akre and Danny Newcomb at 3 pm, The Dusty 45s closing out the festival at 4 pm.
2:53 PM: Got little ones? Haven’t been to the Kid Zone yet? Behind the Hamm Building (Easy Street, Virago Gallery, etc.), under the Wells Fargo drive-thru overhang, lots of activities:
And our area’s most famous facepainter, Lashanna, is working her magic:
4:06 PM: Last hour. The Dusty 45s are playing on the main stage now – (added) here’s some video:
Dusty 45s closing out #wssummerfest music. Festival wraps at 5. Thanks for a fun weekend! pic.twitter.com/J8Nw8QTdmA
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2017
And dancing!
Still lots of people in line for food and rides, and wandering the booths. Even though the festival officially ends at 5 and breakdown begins, you of course can still stay in The Junction and have dinner and/or drinks at the year-round restaurants, some of which are new since last Summer Fest – including Great American Diner and Bar and Falafel Salam, both on the east side of California just north of Edmunds, and Alchemy, on 42nd south of Alaska.
We should also note – if you lost your car keys, we have two sets here at the Info Booth. For lost-found info after the festival’s over, contact the Junction Association (wsjunction.org).
4:36 PM: Last chance this year for a cheeseburger on a Krispy Kreme … really!
Perhaps just as well that’s across the street from the mentioned-earlier Fitness Together booth. Unless you are from the “street fair calories don’t count” faction. Meantime, signs of cleanup are erupting early. And if you wondered what happens to keep this going behind the scenes, frequent trash pickup is part of it – here’s a Recology worker we noticed about an hour ago:
It’s getting serious now. The QFC booth across from us, which has offered $3 coconuts and $1 water all weekend, is folding up. The balloon-and-bubbles-busking-with-boombox clown has switched to “California Love.” But summertime is all West Seattle love. Later this evening, we’ll move on to looking ahead to the big stuff happening this week and next weekend.
Breakdown time. 5 pm and #wssummerfest is a wrap. Balloons-n-bubbles busker still going, though pic.twitter.com/sxVQtCH1Vb
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 17, 2017
5:04 PM: We’re done – but several hours of hard work are ahead for festival producer Oliver Little of Monumental Undertakings and his crew, among others. The Junction streets will stay closed to traffic until everything’s all packed up. We’ll update when we get word. And Lora Swift of the West Seattle Junction Association, which organizes and presents Summer Fest, says you can look for a survey soon to gather festival feedback – we’ll have that link when it’s available, too. Thanks to everyone who was part of the festival, whether visiting or vending or volunteering or presenting or … and to everyone who stopped by to say hi.
12:50 AM: The Junction streets are open to vehicle traffic again – just verified via the live video feed on the city’s info map.
After an 8-day tournament in Vancouver, Washington, the West Seattle Little League 10-11 All-Stars are coming home with the state championship! Thanks to everyone who sent the exciting news. This is from Darrell Glover:
The West Seattle Little League 10/11 All Star Team beat Kirkland 6-4 on Saturday to bring home the first State Championship for West Seattle Little League.
The team went undefeated (9- 0) through the District 7 and Washington State Championship Tournaments. There were close games and nailbiters throughout the run, but the team always found a way to win. There was “no bottom of the order” on the team – every player was clutch !!
Manager – Mike Fahey, Coaches – Sean Eley and Brian Sherrick. Players are alphabetically – Tristan Buehring, Parker Eley, Caden Fahey, Robbie Foisey, Wyatt Glover, Miles Gosztola, Mathew Hazlegrove, Mathew Henning-Dierickx, Joe Sherrick, Blake Taft, Bobby Trigg, Simon Vance
(West Seattle Summer Fest Saturday photo by Leda Costa for WSB)
The summer’s biggest party goes so fast – it’s already day 3 of West Seattle Summer Fest 2017. So that starts our highlights list one more time:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST’S THIRD DAY:
Official festival hours – 11 am to 5 pm – here’s the vendor/merchant list
Ride hours – 10 am to 5 pm (prices here)
Kids Zone activity schedule – see the schedule here
Food hours – 11 am to 5 pm
Music – Starts with South Sound Tug & Barge at noon, final performance The Dusty 45s at 4 pm (here’s the schedule)
GreenLife presentations – see the schedule here
Community Tent organizations – see the list here
Even if you’ve already been – come see what you missed! And if you’re looking for anything or anyone in particular, come see us in the Information Booth at California/Alaska.
YES, THE FARMERS’ MARKET IS STILL ON: You’ll find it in the lot behind KeyBank etc. on the south side of SW Alaska between California and 44th. 10 am-2 pm.
GET TO THE FESTIVAL VIA THE MINI-STP BIKE RIDE: 9:15 am departure from North Admiral, headed from Seattle (Street) to Portland (Street, in Gatewood), and then to Summer Fest. All ages! Details here.
And outside The Junction:
WADING POOLS AND SPRAYPARK: Highland Park spraypark and Lincoln Park wading pool are open 11 am-5 pm; Delridge wading pool is open noon-6:30 pm. (Find addresses here)
MEDITERRANEAN FANTASY FESTIVAL, LAST DAY EVER: 11 am-5 pm, one last day full of dancing, as the region’s biggest belly-dance celebration concludes its 30-year run. Find dancing inside and outside Hiawatha Community Center; here’s the lineup. And here are our photos from Saturday. (2700 California SW)
ALKI LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: 1-4 pm, visit the historic lighthouse at Alki Point – get there by 3:40 pm to be part of the last group in. (3201 Alki SW)
BLUEGRASS AND OLD-TIME MUSIC … with Jamtime at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm. (5612 California SW)
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: “Comedy of Errors,” free, 3 pm, High Point Commons Park, presented by GreenStage. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
SEATTLE GREEN SPACES COALITION: You’re invited to the SGSC meeting at 3 pm, High Point Library. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
SEE WHAT ELSE IS UP … by checking our complete-calendar page!
It was a Summer Fest spectacle last night on the main stage – lasers and smoke as West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker and The Rodeo wrapped up Saturday night.
(At left, dancer Ruby Mimosa, who’s often performed with the band)
They’ve toured nationally and internationally but hadn’t previously headlined here in Amaker’s hometown, which he hailed from the stage as “best Seattle,” drawing whoops and cheers. Their music’s been described as “psychedelic New Wave country” or some combination thereof. Listen for yourself:
(And here too – maybe the only band that can get a Saturday night crowd moving and grooving to a song with the hook “Death Is Always Near.”) If you want more Rodeo in your life, they’re at Jazzbones in Tacoma next Saturday night. As for Summer Fest, today’s the last of three days; music starts at noon with South Sound Tug and Barge and concludes with The Dusty 45s at 4.
(WSB photos by Leda Costa)
Today (Sunday) is your last chance to enjoy the region’s biggest belly-dancing festival without leaving West Seattle.
As we reported last weekend, the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival will be history after this final two-day run.
WSB contributing photographer Leda Costa stopped by Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California SW) toward the end of the festival finale’s first day.
She also found a shirt in tribute to festival coordinator Saroya Poirier, who founded it with other members of her Babylonian Ensemble – “da Babs” – 30 years ago.
And the dancing went on into the evening:
You can watch dancers and browse vendors 11 am-5 pm Sunday.
Here are the dancer lineups for the indoor and outdoor stages.
Admission is free.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:19 PM SATURDAY: Remember six years ago, when the bulbous SBX was a floating fixture here for a few months? Tonight, another missile-defense radar vessel is visiting West Seattle – the SS Pacific Tracker. It and the SBX are both featured in this 2014 roundup of “The Wild Radar Ships That Make Missile Defense Possible.” Thanks to Paul Nicholson for today’s tip and photo; the Northwest Seaport Alliance schedule shows the Pacific Tracker scheduled to be in port in Seattle until Monday; MarineTraffic.com shows it berthed right now at Terminal 5. MT also shows it came here from Honolulu; it and another missile-defense ship were reported to be there last month “after participating in a first-of-its-kind test intercept of an intercontinental ballistic missile target high over the Pacific on May 30.”
MONDAY UPDATE: Port spokesperson Peter McGraw tells us it’ll be here about a week: “It’s taking on some provisions for the crew, fuel and water. It may have some light maintenance performed, as well.”
You might already know this, but more than a few people have asked us, so we’re publishing this reminder: Even though West Seattle Summer Fest booths have taken over the usual Farmers’ Market spots on California between Alaska and Oregon, the market DOES happen tomorrow. Just for this one Sunday a year, you’ll find it in the lot where it used to be located – behind KeyBank, Bin 41, Pharmaca, etc. along the south side of SW Alaska, west of California. Hours are the same as every Sunday, 10 am-2 pm.
(Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here … Previous coverage: Saturday report #1 here, Friday report #2 here, Friday report #1 here, Summer Fest Eve here)
4:56 PM: That’s a screengrab taken a few minutes ago from the SDOT camera (see it “live” here) pointed north at California/Alaska, where we are headquartered for the duration of West Seattle Summer Fest 2017. The streets are buzzing, and bubbling – a busking clown has been here with a bubble machine, and a boombox, all weekend, and it’s kept things iridescent, to say the least,, all weekend. Meantime, the biggest attraction in the Information Booth/Community Tent right now – dead birds, courtesy of Seattle Audubon.
Music continues on the main stage, on California north of Oregon, and tonight’s headliners are West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker and the Rodeo at 10 pm. Before then, you can see:
Genders – 5:30
Sisters – 6:30
Charms – 7:30
Porter Ray – 8:30
Memway – 9:30
Here’s Golden Gardens, the 4:30 pm band:
There’s also special evening programming at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska) – the film “Transition 2.0” at 8 pm. That’s also the closing time for kids’ rides tonight (price info is here).
5:26 PM: You can admire art and buy art at Summer Fest … and you can make some! The Community Mural is being created in the Kids Zone by Wells Fargo:
You can buy yard art … we spotted this critter:
And outside Fleurt on the east side of California between Oregon and Alaska, this coffee cup:
On the west side of that block, you can find West Seattle merch – the famous yellow-star logo, including T-shirts – at CAPERS.
6:25 PM: The crowd milling around Walk All Ways keeps growing. Some are watching the father-and-son buskers performing steps away. Sign says the little guy’s 5:
Father & son busking at #wssummerfest pic.twitter.com/L0bZEgSARJ
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2017
One comment we’ve heard over and over this weekend – the weather’s perfect. Sunny, not too hot, not too cold. Don’t be alarmed if you wake up tomorrow and discover it’s cloudy – forecast says that’ll burn off.
ADDED 8:48 PM: The sun has set and tonight’s headline performance is a little over an hour away. Meantime, here’s an aerial view, looking south along California from the beer garden/mainstage zone, courtesy of Paul Weatherman:
Paul says the photo is from about 7 o’clock tonight.
NOTE: For coverage of Saturday night’s headliners Brent Amaker and The Rodeo, go here!
(Springer and new calf, photographed by Lisa Spaven, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
It’s a birth announcement from Canada that has many here in West Seattle and around Puget Sound rejoicing too:
The heroic rescue in Puget Sound fifteen years ago of the orphaned orca Springer (A-73) and her return home 300 miles north to Johnstone Strait will be celebrated July 21-23 at Telegraph Cove, British Columbia.
Just in time for the celebration, Springer has a new calf! The calf was first spotted by CetaceaLab on BC’s north central coast on June 5th and confirmed by a Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) research survey. Springer’s first calf, Spirit, was born in 2013.
“Celebrate Springer!” brings together the 2002 rescue team to give first-hand accounts of how Springer was identified, rescued and rehabilitated. She was taken by jet catamaran to the north end of Vancouver Island and reunited with her Northern Resident family.
“Springer’s story is an inspiration on many levels,” said Paul Spong of OrcaLab. “It proved that an orphan orca, alone and separated from her family, can be rehabilitated and returned to a normal productive life with her family and community; and it showed that disparate parties with diverse interests can come together and work together for the common goal of helping one little whale.”
Fifteen years later, Springer is still healthy and now has given birth twice. They are most often seen on the north central British Columbia coast and occasionally return to Johnstone Strait in summer.
The public is invited to Telegraph Cove at 11 AM on July 22 to hear “Springer’s Story,” a slide show narration by members of Springer’s rescue team, followed by a panel discussion. At 4 PM, the new Telegraph Cove Whale Trail sign will be dedicated and at 5:30 PM, the public is invited to join in for a salmon dinner on the Boardwalk.
“We can hardly believe it has been 15 years since Springer was reunited with her family. We encourage everyone to come and celebrate this milestone with us at the Whale Interpretive Centre in Telegraph Cove,” said Mary Borrowman, director of the Center. “The most exciting news is the confirmation that Springer has had another calf and we hope we will be fortunate enough to see this famous mother with her family this summer.”
“Fifteen and half years ago Springer was orphaned, 300 miles from home, starving, sick and completely alone,” said Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, director of the Cetacean Research Program at Ocean Wise. “Her rescue, relocation, reunification with relatives and transition to motherhood is an incredible story. I see it as testimony to both the resiliency of killer whales as a species and to the wonderful things we humans can do when we work together on behalf of — rather than against — nature.”
“The few, well-documented records that we receive of Springer each year are testament not only to the success of her rehabilitation and reintegration with her population but also to the dedication of cetacean researchers up and down the more remote regions of our coast,” said Jared Towers, DFO’s killer whale research technician.
“The Springer success story continues to be an inspiration for all of us working on conservation in the Salish Sea,” said Lynne Barre, the lead for orca recovery at NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast regional office in Seattle. “The partnerships created during Springer’s rescue provide a strong foundation for international cooperation as well as coordination between government, state, tribal, and non-profit groups to benefit both Northern and Southern Resident killer whales.”
“Springer’s reunion is an unqualified success – the only project of its kind in history,” said Donna Sandstrom, director of The Whale Trail and co-organizer of “Celebrate Springer!” Telegraph Cove event. “To get the little whale home, we had to learn how to work together, as organizations, agencies and nations. Above all, we put her best interests first. Community members played a key role in shaping Springer’s fate. We hope her story inspires people to join us in working on issues facing our endangered southern resident orcas today, with the same urgency, commitment, and resolve.”
Find out more at The Whale Trail.
(DAY 1, REPORT #1 HERE … DAY/NIGHT 1, REPORT #2 HERE … SCHEDULE LINKS HERE … BUS REROUTES HERE)
10:48 AM: THAT is how you get your West Seattle Summer Fest on … Bear the dog knows how. And if you bring your own canine companion, don’t miss the gelato at the Camp Crockett (WSB sponsor) booth:
They’re on the west side of California between Oregon and Alaska. Here’s the overall festival-zone map:
If you’re looking for a specific vendor, stop by and ask us in the Info Booth (California/Alaska, look for the giant INFORMATION banners). For specific links to what’s up today, see our West Seattle Saturday daily preview. A few notes: Music starts at 11:30 am, with performers from the School of Rock; at Sustainable West Seattle‘s GreenLife expo in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska), the next presentation is about “minimalist consumption,” at 11 am, with West Seattle Timebank and the Community General Store. And parading around the festival, based at GreenLife, it’s a giant inflatable orca:
Festival shopping goes until 6 tonight, rides and food (everyone keeps asking us about corn on the cob –
none this year that we’ve found, sorry!) until 8-ish, music until 11 pm.
School of Rock performers start the day on #wssummerfest main stage: pic.twitter.com/slsRELEXjj
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 15, 2017
12:06 PM: The music has begun! Above, that’s video from School of Rock performers on the main stage (north of SW Oregon) about half an hour ago. Another place you’ll find music:
The West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ pop-up “instrument petting zoo” is inside the ArtsWest lobby, west side of California south of Alaska, until 2 pm. Stop in and try something! Then wander a little further south on the west side of California, and you will see the friendly people in the Explorer West Middle School booth:
You can play a game there – draw a ball, get asked a question, and win some candy.
12:48 PM: One week from today, the Float Dodger 5K will be on the run from Admiral to The Junction, followed by the West Seattle Grand Parade. You can sign up for the 5K here at Summer Fest – look for the booth on the east side of California between Oregon and Alaska – that’s where we found Tim and Lori McConnell of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), which is presenting the run/walk again this year:
Another note – if you’re looking for cotton candy and/or snow cones, they’re in the ride zone on Alaska west of California.
1:18 PM: Again today, there’s pop-up entertainment all around – the DNG Dancers just put on a show at California/Alaska:
This just happened at #wssummerfest ! pic.twitter.com/j33R0nr8w3
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 15, 2017
Seen in the crowd – cool balloon hats:
The balloon artist is midblock on California between Alaska and Edmunds – at least when last we saw him.
Meantime, it’s getting close to showtime for the one Summer Fest event we’re involved in besides hanging out at the Info Booth – the mayoral-candidates forum, coming up at 2 pm. Junction Plaza Park is a bit hidden behind some of the food vendors, north side of Alaska between California and 42nd – we’ll see you there.
4:15 PM: The forum is over – thanks to everyone who was there, watching, and/or asking questions, plus the candidates! 14 in all showed up. Several left before the forum was over because of another event. Sustainable West Seattle had someone recording video and we’ll point to it when it’s available. We’re now about to get going with today’s second report!
West Seattle Summer Fest is again the big event of the day and night, in the streets in the heart of The Junction:
(“Live” image of festival zone, courtesy of SDOT info-map camera – refresh page for newest image)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUMMER FEST TODAY/TONIGHT:
Official festival hours – 10 am to 6 pm – here’s the vendor/merchant list
Ride hours – 10 am to 8 pm (prices here)
Kids Zone activity schedule – see the schedule here
Food hours – 10 am to ~8 pm
Music – Starts with School of Rock performers at 11:30 am, concludes with headliner Brent Amaker and The Rodeo at 10 pm (here’s the schedule)
Mayoral forum – ~15 of the 21 candidates for Seattle Mayor will be in the forum we’re moderating at the Sustainable West Seattle GreenLife Expo, 2 pm
GreenLife presentations – see the schedule here
Community Tent organizations – see the list here
Also, don’t miss Pet Junction (by Next-to-Nature), Art Dive (California just north of Oregon), the new band-merch tent by the main stage, the beer garden by the main stage … and as you pass by, wave hi to us in the Info Booth (California/Alaska – we’re on the north-facing side).
Here are the highlights of what else is happening today:
DUWAMISH ROWING CLUB REGATTA: Now through noon, as previewed here, it’s the second annual regatta for our area’s only rowing club – all welcome at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park. (10th Ave. S. & S. Elmgrove)
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT: Register by 10 am – go here – to play in the noon tournament at The Bridge, raising money for Shamrock Charities. (California SW/SW Graham)
FINAL MEDITERRANEAN FANTASY FESTIVAL: As we reported in our recent interview with founder Saroya Poirier, this is the final year of the 30-years-running two-day belly-dancing festival in and around Hiawatha Community Center. Dancing and shopping, 11 am-7 pm today – schedules are linked here. (2700 California SW)
WADING POOLS AND SPRAYPARK OPEN TODAY: Lincoln Park wading pool and Highland Park spraypark are open 11 am-8 pm; Delridge and Hiawatha wading pools are open noon-6:30 pm. (Find addresses here)
COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC: Final day this year that the pool is scheduled to be closed to the public because of a swim meet – open again tomorrow.
TALK WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REP: Got a question, concern, compliment, idea, etc., for something related to Seattle Public Schools? Drop-in community conversation with West Seattle/South Park’s Seattle School Board director Leslie Harris, 3-5 pm at Southwest Library. (9010 35th SW)
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: “Hamlet” presented by GreenStage at High Point Commons Park, 7 pm, details in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
ROO FORREST & FRIENDS: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
‘IN TRANSITION 2.0’: Special outdoor-movie presentation at West Seattle Summer Fest GreenLife, 8 pm – details in our calendar listing. At Junction Plaza Park. (42nd SW/SW Alaska)
INDIE ROCK AND PUNK & ROLL: That’s what’s on the slate tonight at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm-midnight. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral)
MUCH MORE … just check our complete-calendar page.
(Added: WSB photos, unless otherwise credited)
6:02 AM: Seattle Fire crews are heading to the 3200 block of 42nd SW for a possible house fire. The first crews arriving report seeing smoke from the back of a house. Updates to come.
6:07 AM: SFD has updated the location to 3200 block of 41st SW [map].
6:14 AM: Crews are fighting the fire, which is reported to be in the attic. So far, everyone is reported to be safely out of the house.
6:24 AM: SFD reports the fire is under control.
6:33 AM: The flames flared up in the attic but are now reported to be again under control. We’re adding photos as we get them from our crew at the scene.
6:49 AM: The response is starting to wind down. One resident was treated for minor injuries. SFD’s investigator is on the way to look into how the fire started, and that information won’t be available until later (we’ll update when it is). So far, we’re told at the scene that it appears to have started on the exterior and spread to the attic.
(Added: Seattle Fire Department photo showing the back of the house)
6:57 AM: The fire has just been declared “tapped” and some of the units are leaving the scene.
12:38 PM: SFD’s report on the cause: “Fire investigators ruled the fire as accidental, and determined the cause was from discarded smoking materials. The estimated loss to the structure is $150,000 and contents is $50,000.”
By Patrick Sand and Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Like his predecessor, West Seattle High School‘s new head baseball coach has deep roots at the school.
Bryan Tupper, a 2002 WSHS graduate, has been announced as the school’s new head baseball coach, successor to Velko Vitalich, who – as reported here a month ago – retired from the role after 31 years.
We talked with Coach Tupper at a local coffee shop this week. His rise to the head-coach job comes after he spent six of the past seven years as an assistant coach for the Wildcats.
He’s a born-and-raised West Seattleite who started playing ball at Bar-S Playfield and played with West Seattle Little League all the way up through seniors. He played in the Pony League, too, for the West Seattle Dodgers.
After college, he wanted to go into coaching, and Coach Vitalich gave him a chance. Since he’s worked with the team for so many years already, he says he’s familiar with the students in the program, and while he’ll have to get to know some of the freshmen, many of them have older siblings with whom he’s already worked at WSHS.
Coach Tupper says his core group for next season has good talent coming along, and he sees a real possibility to build a program that produces teams like the ones who went to state for five consecutive years in the past decade. The building blocks are in place now, he says, to have a competitive team for next year. He says WSHS’s increasing success in sports has encouraged more student athletes to stay at the school rather than switch to independent schools.
Overall, Coach Tupper says, he sees this as a great opportunity – and it’s in his hometown, where his folks still live, too. Now, it’s on to preparing for the 2018 season.
(DIRECT INFOLINKS: Today’s lineups are here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here, )
A little video of Po'Brothers: pic.twitter.com/Y3baheeu9G
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 14, 2017
The mainstage music has begun at West Seattle Summer Fest! Above, a short clip from Po’Brothers’ performance, kicking off the schedule, which concludes with tonight’s headliner Thunderpussy at 10 pm. Wiscon is up next at 4:30 See the full music schedule here. And also note, there’s music tonight on the GreenLife stage in Junction Plaza Park, too – Teresa and the Wolves at 6:30, The Broadcast at 7:45, and Cellar Bells at 9.
Shopping and snacking continue throughout the festival. And art! Diane Venti, former proprietor of Alki Arts at the beach, has a pop-up booth outside CAPERS:
She’s selling work by Michael Birawer. Nearby, we figured out this mystery pretty fast:
That’s a promotion for the opening-this-fall Escape Artist (as explained in our story last month) “escape room” game venue coming to three spaces off the midblock breezeway. Also seen in the area, unique apparel outside the Antique Mall:
And further south, don’t miss the ultimate summer outdoor furniture at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor):
It’s been a trouble-free day so far – the SPD Summer Fest patrol has been here all day, and verifies that:
5:13 PM: Dinner time! Remember the ~20 outdoor cafes. Food goes beyond what you see in the festival-specific booths – although they have unique treats (not just the ones we mentioned earlier) like the burger on a Krispy Kreme donut, Trinidad street food, $3 coconuts at the QFC stand (which is right across from us in the Info Booth – north side of Walk All Ways – $1 water bottles too, as well as bags of tortilla chips).
5:36 PM: Frequently asked question – “is the Farmers’ Market still happening on Sunday?” Yes, it is – but since the street is full of festival booths, you’ll find it in its old spot, the lot behind KeyBank/Bin 41/Pharmaca/etc., 10 am-2 pm Sunday. Another common question – where do you buy ride tickets? Look for the tent just past Pecos Pit and Fish Ice Cream on the south side of SW Alaska, west of California. But if you forget any of this, just ask any of us at the Information Booth in the heart of Walk All Ways – we’re here with reps from the West Seattle Junction Association (which presents Summer Fest) plus volunteers from local organizations like the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, and the “community gathering tent” groups (see the list here). If you’re looking for a community group that’s not in the “tent,” you might find them at GreenLife, or even in a booth of their own along California.
6:05 PM: Lots of dogs seen today at Summer Fest. Among them, Olive:
The “Pet Junction” zone is on the west side of California north of Alaska, by Next-to-Nature. We’ve seen signs of pet-friendliness elsewhere, too, such as drinking bowls set out for dogs.
Lots of kids here, too, from babies in front-packs to tweens and teens. Rides are scheduled to run until 8 tonight:
And the music goes until 11 (headliner Thunderpussy is at 10). Getting lots of questions right now about the stage location – California, north of Oregon.
More to come! (Today’s first report is here.)
8:32 PM: From Junction Plaza Park, the first of three acts on the GreenLife evening music slate, Teresa and the Wolves, who started playing around 6:30 pm:
Teresa and the Wolves on the GreenLife stage at #wssummerfest – where we will face ~15 mayoral candidates tomorrow pic.twitter.com/D1rTxzdpml
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 15, 2017
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: We went back for the start of Thunderpussy‘s headliner performance, closing the night on the mainstage:
The crowd filled the street:
And the band rocked the stage:
They were introduced by Troy Nelson, who with Ben Jenkins curated this year’s Summer Fest slate:
(Photo added – this great shot is by Keven Ruf:)
Saturday’s headliner is West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker and the Rodeo.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
SOUTH DELRIDGE BURGLARY ARRESTS: From SPD Blotter:
Officers arrested two suspects, ages 16 and 18, early this morning after they fled from an occupied house during a burglary in the South Delridge neighborhood in West Seattle.
Shortly after 5:00 am, a woman and her small child woke to the sound of breaking glass from the sliding door in the kitchen while at the same time the doorbell was ringing. The woman looked outside and saw an unknown person standing at her front door. The victim called 911. The victim was able to give a description of the person outside, and then heard someone enter her home in the 9200 block of 23rd Avenue SW.
Fearing for her safety, the woman grabbed her toddler and escaped out the bedroom window and ran toward the arriving officers. Officers quickly ran to the back of the house in search of the suspects. As officers entered the house both suspects fled out the front door. After running through bushes and jumping over retaining walls, officers located and detained both suspects.
The victim positively identified the suspects. They were arrested and transported to the Southwest Precinct where they were interviewed by a detective from the Major Crimes Task Force. Following the interview, the 18-year-old was booked into the King County Jail while the 16-year-old was booked into the Youth Services Center.
MORE BURGLARY ARRESTS: We are also following up on a report of burglary arrests in the Providence Mount St. Vincent area around midday today. No details yet.
DIVING GEAR STOLEN: From Richard:
Had some personal dive gear stolen out of my van last night between 10:00 pm and 10:00 am 26th Ave SW & Dakota St.(Youngstown Flats). Van was in our apartment building parking structure. Everything was in a black bin with a yellow lid. Asking readers to keep an eye out for it. Attaching a photo of the stolen items, plus a DUI weight harness that is not pictured.
BUDDHA STATUE STOLEN: From Melody:
We reported this to the police the morning it happened, but I’ve spent the last few days trying to track down a picture to post. Sometime between 10 pm 7/10 and Tues, 7/11 7 am, someone stole our 40-45 pound 20” Buddha statue that was nail glued down to a dead tree stump in our tree-lawn/front yard. Most likely they used a tool (crowbar?) and drove off as it couldn’t just be pulled off the stump– and due to how heavy it is, it’s unlikely they walked off with it. We are very close to our neighbors and no one saw or heard anything.
We knew it was a risk keeping the Buddha in a high-traffic area, but we wanted to share it with the neighborhood. It sat there peacefully without incident for almost 3 years. It definitely became a “mascot” for our block and has great sentimental value. If anyone has any info, please comment. Or if the thief is willing to return it, we would appreciate it back, no questions asked. 13th Ave SW between Henderson and Barton- Highland Park. Thank you.
Thanks for the text – transient orcas are reported to be headed this way, southbound past West Point on the other side of Elliott Bay. Let us know if you see them!
Almost four weeks into the procedural changes that Washington State Ferries hopes will alleviate backups on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, the volunteer task force overseeing them says it’s too soon to tell if they’re working. They’ve written an open letter to ferry riders:
The new procedures (explained here) were implemented on June 19th. The task force met again earlier this week, starting with an hour of observation at the Fauntleroy dock during the pm commute.
(DIRECT INFOLINKS: Today’s lineups are here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here, )
(“Live” image of festival zone, courtesy of SDOT info-map camera – refresh page for newest image)
11:08 AM: At the bottom of the image above, that’s the Info Booth/Community Tent at California/Alaska, where we’re stationed, covering West Seattle Summer Fest again this year. The festival’s in its second hour – shopping, noshing, riding, all under way already. The weather’s perfect. Music (here’s the lineup) starts at 3:30 pm. We’ll be showing the sights and the highlights as the day goes by – more to come.
11:41 AM: One trick of maximizing your festival visit is knowing where to look for everything. This year the Sustainable West Seattle GreenLife Expo is in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska) – a bit obscured by food booths, so don’t pass it by! Behind the solar panels, in our photo:
Here’s the schedule of demonstrations and events – you’ll find many cool community groups there too. Meantime, at one of the food booths on that side of SW Alaska, the most unusual offering we’ve spotted so far:
Another place you’ll want to look past the main Summer Fest routes on California and Alaska – the Kids Zone (presented by longtime WSB sponsor, the West Seattle YMCA). Activities and inflatables are under the Wells Fargo drive-thru and in the lot beyond, as well as some on Alaska by 44th .
You’ll find the ride-ticket booth on the south side of Alaska by the entrance to the parking lot behind KeyBank – and note that the rides are open a little longer than other vendors on Friday and Saturday night; prices are here.
Back to the food – many year-round Junction eateries do something special at Summer Fest. Like Husky Deli, whose Jack Miller was all smiles already, first thing this morning:
Lots of outdoor seating, too, throughout The Junction, special for Summer Fest. Meantime, between year-round merchants and festival-only booths, about 200 places to shop and visit – including this one that caught our (admittedly geeky) eye:
By the way, if you’re here or in The Junction in general, that’s just a TV helicopter buzzing the festival right now.
12:32 PM: A few government agencies are here too. Including WSDOT, on the west side of California south of Alaska, answering questions about the tunnel – with an exhibit featuring this:
Meantime, festival activities are starting to intensify. Coming up at 1 pm on the stage at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park – an opening ceremony with the Duwamish Tribe.
1:35 PM: Here’s a short clip of Ken Workman, Chief Si’ahl’s great-great-great-great grandson, welcoming the festival:
Some video from the welcome. pic.twitter.com/68olyLV2UZ
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 14, 2017
On that same stage, Orca Dance: Illuminatos is scheduled at 4 pm. The ongoing displays at GreenLife include these guys:
The crowd is getting bigger as the afternoon goes on – and a lot of people are stopping by to ask about the band schedule – we do have the Summer Fest programs here, free, while they last, along with various other informational items you might want to pick up, such as the cards with the West Seattle Outdoor Movies schedule (first movie “Rogue One,” one week from tomorrow, at the Y “festival street,” 36th/Snoqualmie in The Triangle).
3 PM: We’ll be launching report #2 once the mainstage music gets going later this hour – we’re taking a break to publish a few non-festival news stories in the meantime. By the way, the stage/music isn’t the only reason to head north of Oregon (where you have to wait for a crossing signal, since it remains open to east-west travel):
Art is happening just north of Oregon – at and around the Art Dive. Our photo shows what’s happening just outside Red Cup Espresso – where there’s not only an artist at work, but also DJing, and a food truck. More Summer Fest coverage to come! Vendors are open until at least 6, food and rides until 8-ish, beer garden and music until 11 – come see and hear what’s happening.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Some neighborhoods have pushed back against the city’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda rezoning plans by pointing out that they conflict with longstanding community-crafted neighborhood plans.
Groups in Morgan Junction and the West Seattle Junction are pursuing amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan to try to ensure that HALA rezoning doesn’t overwrite parts of their neighborhood plan.
And this week, they learned that the city has launched a pre-emptive strike with its own amendment to do exactly that. Language in the Morgan, WS Junction, and Westwood-Highland Park plans, and six others citywide, would have specific zoning references struck by this part of what the city’s pursuing:
Make amendments to specific neighborhood plan policies.
Individual policies or goals in the Neighborhood Plan element of the Comprehensive Plan are proposed for amendment where they explicitly call for maintaining single-family zoning within an urban village or center. Certain policies that call for maintaining aspects of single-family areas (such as scale, character, or integrity) are proposed for amendment if they would clearly and directly conflict with the draft MHA implementation proposal. However, in cases where neighborhood plan policies call for maintaining aspects of a single-family areas (i.e. character) that are possible to achieve while implementing MHA, the neighborhood plan policy is not proposed for amendment.
Amendments would remove explicit references to preservation of zoning, in favor of statements to preserve physical scale or character where appropriate. For goal or policy statements that could be construed to directly conflict with MHA implementation short of direct references to zoning, policy language would be added to recognize the potential for addition of a variety of housing types, while preserving aspects of single family areas that are desired for preservation by the neighborhood plan policy. The following Neighborhood Plan policies would be amended.
• Fremont F-P13
• Morgan Junction MJ-P13, MJ-P14
• Northgate NG-P8
• Roosevelt R-LUG1
• Westwood/Highland Park W/HP-P3
• Aurora-Licton Springs AL-P2
• North Rainier NR-P9
• Wallingford W-P1
• West Seattle Junction WSJ-P13
You can read the entire city amendment document here. The next step in potential comprehensive-plan changes is a City Council committee hearing on July 24th – the proposed amendments, including those proposed by Morgan Junction and West Seattle Junction groups, are all linked here.
While those proposed changes are not part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for HALA’s Mandatory Housing Affordability rezoning, the city’s counterproposal did come up at Tuesday night’s Junction Neighborhood Organization Land Use Committee (JLUC) workshop on DEIS commenting, which is open until August 7th. Here’s what happened during that workshop, including what committee leaders say they have found so far in their review of the document’s hundreds of pages: Read More
(Whale off Alki, photographed Thursday evening by John Saalwaechter)
The weekend is in view and there are many reasons to leap for joy:
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST: Our area’s biggest party of the year officially starts at 10 am. We’re in the Information Booth again this year for as-it-happens coverage starting later this morning (watch our Twitter feed for festival scenes, too), but here meantime are the toplines:
Shopping: 10 am-6 pm – here’s the list
Kids’ rides: 10 am-8 pm – here are ride hours and prices
Schedule for other kids’ activities is here
GreenLife – Sustainable West Seattle‘s sustainability-and-more expo is in Junction Plaza Park off Alaska east of California – schedule is here
Food: 10 am-8-ish for booths, later for many year-round restaurants – here’s the list
Music: Starts on the main stage (California north of Oregon) at 3:30 pm with Po’Brothers; headliner Thunderpussy takes the stage at 10 – here’s the schedule
Beer garden: Next to the stage, open till late
Community groups: In the Info Booth – see the list here
Pet Junction: By Next to Nature, on west side of California north of Alaska – see the list here
See you at Summer Fest! Also today/tonight:
WADING POOLS/SPRAYPARK: Open today are the Highland Park spraypark and Lincoln Park wading pool, 11 am-8 pm; Hiawatha wading pool, noon-6:30 pm; EC Hughes wading pool, noon-7 pm. (Find addresses here)
COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC TODAY/TOMORROW … for a swim meet.
FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: Greenstage presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” 7 pm at High Point Commons Park, directed by Erin Day. Details in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
ELLIOTT BAY’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY: Party starts at 7 pm, with a beer garden outside Elliott Bay Brewing Company as it celebrates 20 years in West Seattle, and live music. (4720 California SW)
MOVIE IN THE PARK: “Hidden Figures” will be shown at the “park” south of West Seattle Church of the Nazarene at dusk, 9 pm-ish. Free hot dogs and soda. All welcome! (42nd SW/SW Juneau)
MODERNIST GARAGE AND PSYCH POP: That’s what you’ll find at Parliament Tavern tonight. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
THERE’S MORE … as you’ll see on our complete-calendar page.
(HERE’S THE REVAMPED SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:03 AM: Good morning! No traffic/transit trouble so far this morning on routes in/from West Seattle.
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST CLOSURES/REROUTES: They’re all in effect as of last night – California SW is closed to vehicle traffic between Edmunds and just south of Genesee – SW Oregon is open as an east/west through route; SW Alaska is closed between 42nd and 44th. For bus reroutes, check this page of the Metro website. This will all continue throughout the weekend, until late Sunday night. The festival begins at 10 am today – go here for full details.
8:11 AM: One more reminder, for tonight: Electrical work is scheduled on the east section of the West Seattle Bridge late tonight and early tomorrow, and possibly again on Saturday. Here’s the alert we published earlier this week.
(From Water Taxi website: Rendering showing interior of new passenger-ferry terminal, expected to open in late 2018)
One month ago, we received and published an alert saying that King County Water Taxi service – both West Seattle and Vashon – would be interrupted in August so the downtown dock could be moved when Colman Dock‘s remodeling project revved up.
At the time, the start date was TBA, and the length was described as up to 10 days. Late last night, Water Taxi spokesperson Brent Champaco sent word that the start date is now set: August 7th is the first day of the service suspension, which will last “up to a week.” During that time, the downtown terminal will be moved from the south side of Colman Dock to the north side. It’s expected to remain there into fall of next year, while the new passenger-only ferry terminal is built at Pier 50, for both the Water Taxi and the new Kitsap Fast Ferries service.
As also mentioned in the June announcement, the Water Taxi schedule will change when service resumes from the temporary terminal (see the revised schedule here).
One more note: Water Taxi shuttle-bus routes 773 and 775 will continue running during the August boat-service suspension, the county says.
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