West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
It’s been a week and a half since local firefighters moved into the new Fire Station 32 in the West Seattle Triangle. You’ve likely seen its gleaming, glass-laden exterior at 38th/Alaska – now, take a look inside. We had a longstanding request in for a tour, and got it this past week, once the move-in was well-enough along for a visit.
The $18 million station opened 10 years after the date originally projected when voters passed the 2003 Fire Levy (we reported on the schedule changes in 2015). It is now officially the central fire station for this area – home to Ladder 11, Engine 32, and Medic 32, as it had been before, plus the area’s battalion-chief unit, Battalion 7, moved to Station 32, from Station 29 in North Admiral.
The new station has three floors plus a basement. Our tour began up top, in the kitchen/dining area, known in fire stations as “the beanery.”
This one opens onto a north-facing deck, which has a barbecue and a cornhole-game setup:
That’s the newly renovated meeting hall that’s headquarters to Disabled American Veterans Chapter 23 in North Delridge, and they are inviting you to come visit on Labor Day (Monday, September 4th), with a pancake breakfast 9 am-noon, and an open house noon-3 pm.
Leo Potts from DAV #23 says, “We want to invite the community, especially veterans, to the open-house event! Enjoy hot cakes, sausage, and hot coffee, then take a tour of our facility. Learn of the free services and assistance offered to our American veterans.” The hall is at 4857 Delridge Way SW.
5:37 PM: A three-vehicle crash is blocking southbound Delridge at Trenton, according to the initial dispatch and the first emergency crews on the scene. We’re off to check it out.
5:51 PM: We’re told no one is hurt – SFD was leaving. The three cars are in a row on the southbound side. Police are directing traffic around the scene, but we’d still advise avoiding the area for a while.
6:34 PM: Just went back to check. Traffic is flowing freely again. One police car remains, but it’s on the side, out of the travel lane.
Festival Centroamericano – one of today’s highlight events – continues until 7 pm on the big field at Westcrest Park. This is the second year that this celebration of Central American culture has come to Highland Park. The group that put it together includes organizing secretary Keylee Fernandez:
Performances have continued throughout the afternoon:
Among the festival’s aims – “embracing our Central American heritage and culture (for) a community that is not well exposed to it.”
Still time to check it out at Westcrest Park, which is at 9000 8th SW.
Last year, WSB readers tracked the deer eventually nicknamed “Westley” on his journey through West Seattle and to points south – he was first sighted on Pigeon Point in October, last reported in south King County about three weeks later. Today, a new West Seattle deer sighting:
The photos and report are from Amy:
Spotted about 15 minutes ago in our backyard. We live surrounded by the West Duwamish green belt, overlooking West Marginal Way. We’ve lived here over sixteen years, and this is the first time we’ve ever seen a deer!
We also got a call earlier this month about a deer sighting in Top Hat, but no photos and no other reports – until now.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
Didn’t get to the Arts in Nature Festival on Saturday – or did, but didn’t experience everything? Day 2 still has more than four hours to go, and Camp Long‘s cool forests and cabins await, as well as the sunny meadow where you’ll see the fish – part of a youth-art project about the Duwamish River. In our Saturday coverage, we spotlighted “Dream Hatching,” the “nest” you can add to – here’s how it’s grown:
Another chance to envision and hope for the future is at Cabin 9 (here’s the full list of cabin installations – these are in the cabins otherwise available for overnight camping), with Alyssa Anne and Wynn Adele‘s “Fertile Ground”:
And music continues throughout the afternoon. Ky Burt opened the day on the Nancy Stage outdoors:
The schedule also includes the lineup for performances inside Camp Long’s historic lodge, and by the park’s pond. There’s also a beer garden (presented by premier event producers Monumental Undertaking), food trucks, and more. The festival continues until 6 pm; it’s presented by DNDA/Nature Consortium, with co-sponsors including WSB.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
Almost 900 runners and walkers filled Alki Avenue this morning for the first-ever West Seattle edition of the Cosmo 7K. As noted here previously, Cosmo is a multi-city run series that previously held its local races in Kirkland. It moved our way this year as successor to the Alki Beach 5K that Northwest Hope and Healing is no longer organizing – though NWHH is this year’s Cosmo beneficiary; we caught up with its immediate-past executive director Kristina Dahl pre-race:
(Photos/video from here down are by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
The sun shone bright as all gathered at the starting line:
And here’s our video as they took off:
Since the race included a 7K run as well as 5K run/walk, participants headed westbound at the beginning instead of eastbound as most Alki 5Ks do.
(First 4 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Never mind Mayweather vs. McGregor. Last night’s big local battles were in the ring at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park, as Lucha Libre Volcánica‘s luchadores put on a show following the Duwamish River Festival.
Above, the purple-costumed luchador is The Joker, who lost to the crowd favorite Peligro.
Below, El Dragon Dorado took on Milky Burrado (in beige):
El Dragon was the victor. Bonus photo if you missed it in comments on our Saturday daily preview – this one posted by Steve shows just how high-flying lucha libre can be:
Lucha Libre Volcánica is not only a lucha-libre troupe, it also is home to the only school in Puget Sound for lucha libre. The luchadores perform in South Park at least once a year, with shows elsewhere throughout the year.
(Pigeon guillemot, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Not as busy as Saturday – but busier than the usual Sunday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
COSMO 7K ON ALKI: 8 am last-minute registration, 9:30 am race, 10:30 am kids’ run. Heed the parking and road-closure signs on Alki SW until it’s over! More info here. (60th SW/Alki SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, see what’s fresh this week. Plenty of bounty last Sunday, from berries to beets! (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
… and while you’re there …
HENNA ART FUNDRAISER: Rifka Bahaman plans to offer henna art for hands/feet outside Many Moons Trading during the WSFM hours, 10 am-2 pm, today. Read her story here. (4461 California SW)
ARTS IN NATURE FESTIVAL CONTINUES: 11 am-6 pm, second day of art, music, interactivity, and joy at Camp Long, as the DNDA/Nature Consortium-presented Arts in Nature Festival continues. See the schedule here; see our Saturday photos here. Ticket info here. (5200 35th SW)
WADING POOL AND SPRAYPARK: The only West Seattle wading pool still open for the season is Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way); it’s open 11 am-8 pm today, as is Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale), both open daily through Labor Day.
FESTIVAL CENTROAMERICANO: Noon-7 pm at Westcrest Park, it’s the second annual festival celebrating the seven Central American nations’ culture, with entertainment, education, food, and more. Here’s our preview. (9000 8th SW)
ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: 1-4 pm, one of your last chances to tour the Alki Point Lighthouse this summer – be there by 3:40 pm to get in. (3201 Alki SW)
CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL: 2 pm, all are welcome at the rescheduled August meeting of the community advisory council for the lone city-sanctioned/funded encampment in West Seattle, scheduled for the community room at Arrowhead Gardens. (9200 2nd SW)
BYSTANDER INTERVENTION WORKSHOP: 2-3:30 pm at Admiral UCC – info here. (California/Hill)
ANDREA & JOSEPH … perform originals and covers at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
SWING, JAZZ, R&B … with Monty Banks at Parliament Tavern, 7-10 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
WATER TAXI ON EXTENDED SCHEDULE: Going to the Sounders FC match tonight? The >West Seattle Water Taxi is on its extended schedule tonight because of that.
PREVIEW THE WEEK AHEAD … and beyond, via our complete calendar.
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