West Seattle, Washington

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month : 10/2017 325 results

READER REPORT: Halloween heartbreak
October 31, 2017 10:45 pm
|      126 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

From Amanda:

It was suggested to me that I email you regarding a moment that happened tonight as we were trick or treating.

My son was going up to a house and these two young Muslim girls, maybe 14-16, went up at the same time.

They were so excited, but as they got up there the man at the door yelled at and shamed them for being too old and not wearing costumes.

It broke my heart, they left nearly running away, upset. I don’t understand the hostility, because I grew up doing this until about 17. Also, these kids are not allowed to dress up, from what I was told. I feel like it was completely uncalled for, and hateful.

I want to try to reach out to the community and see if we can somehow get these girls candy. I feel like a lot of the Somali Muslim population in High Point may be new to this country and maybe these girls hadn’t gotten to experience Halloween before, and this man totally ruined their experience.

People need to meet others with love and empathy, and it has bothered me all night that this took place.

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MORE HALLOWEEN SCENES: From around West Seattle
October 31, 2017 10:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

And a few more West Seattle Halloween scenes before the night is out … thanks to everyone who sent photos! The one above is from Chris O’Claire, who explains, “I love this crowd – they are always a theme. You featured them last year as the cones. This year they are jellyfish. They call themselves SoGen. And the Halloween chair is Lori Sherick.” Below, a photo from Victoria Gnatoka:

More to come!

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HAPPENING NOW: ‘Haunted Pumpkin Patch’ on Alki
October 31, 2017 9:27 pm
|    Comments Off on HAPPENING NOW: ‘Haunted Pumpkin Patch’ on Alki
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

If you’re staying out a bit late this Halloween night, you are invited to wander the “Haunted Pumpkin Patch” at 2130 Alki Avenue SW until about 10:30 pm. We added it to this year’s WSB Halloween Etc. Guide earlier this week after hearing from mastermind Tawd, who posed for us with son Liam when we stopped by a little while ago:

As he explained, he has worked in the “Halloween industry” for 20 years, and decided to bring more of the seasonal spirit to Alki.

As for the pumpkins:

Picture-perfect Halloween night, everywhere we went.

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VIDEO: Skeleton Theatre 2017, night 1
October 31, 2017 8:36 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: Skeleton Theatre 2017, night 1
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Night 1 of Skeleton Theatre got off to a late start – they were still “debugging” when we first stopped by around 6:30 – but all’s well now and they are just starting the final performance of the first night.

As promised, it’s full of “pop culture” references, including movie dialogue and music, from “Wizard of Oz” to a wizard named Harry, and more:

With music, dialogue, lighting, and a pro (all-volunteer) crew wearing headsets, this is always a quality production – more comedic than spooky (although skeletons are spooky in almost any context).

Good crowd gathered around the corner of Hanford and 36th:

Scheduled showtimes tomorrow (Wednesday, November 1st) are between 6 and 9 pm.

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VIDEO: Front-yard ‘Nightmare on 44th’
October 31, 2017 7:13 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: Front-yard ‘Nightmare on 44th’
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

We just stopped by Nightmare on 44th, the animatronic Halloween show lining the walkway through the front yard of a house on 44th SW between Charlestown and Andover (map; look for the orange lights and the gold/purple-lit wreath over the entrance).

David Williams adds new touches every year and documents his work on social media so you can get in the Halloween mood early. Lots of delighted spectators, as you can hear in this clip, once the Skull Brothers started “singing”:


One night only!

See it before 9 pm.

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TOUR TIME: Saturday’s the day you get to see West Seattle’s Fire Station 32 up close
October 31, 2017 6:09 pm
|    Comments Off on TOUR TIME: Saturday’s the day you get to see West Seattle’s Fire Station 32 up close
 |   Triangle | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, inside new Fire Station 32)

Shortly after West Seattle’s new Fire Station 32 was occupied two months ago, we requested a tour and showed you some of what’s inside. Not long after that, we confirmed that SFD planned an open house on November 4th – and now, it’s almost here! The department published an official reminder today, saying that Saturday’s 11 am-1 pm event will include your chance to “tour the new station, meet (your) local firefighters, explore children’s activities, and enjoy refreshments.” And the city’s Office of Arts and Culture says the artist who created “Station 32 1/2“ for FS32, Sean Orlando, will be there too. Everybody’s welcome; the station’s at 3715 SW Alaska.

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HALLOWEEN 2017: Trick-or-treaters roaming Westwood Village
October 31, 2017 4:47 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

4:47 PM: How often do you get to trick-or-treat at a haunted jewelry store? The decorations are up and the candy is out at Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor), which sent the photo as Westwood Village (2600 SW Barton) trick-or-treating kicked off. We’re on our way for more photos.

5:15 PM: We’re here and the crowd’s big and steady!

At Wyatt’s Jewelers, they had counted 400 kids after just the first hour! The candy-hunting continues until 6 pm here too. (See the rest of tonight’s Halloween happenings in our guide.)

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HALLOWEEN 2017: Time to trick-or-treat in The Admiral District
October 31, 2017 3:34 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

3:34 PM: This year, businesses in The Admiral District decided to offer trick-or-treating on Halloween, and it’s happening right now!

The heart of the business district is at Admiral/California, but it stretches out a few blocks to the north, east, and south. Above, that’s Tena at A Kids Place Dentistry for Children (2617 California SW; WSB sponsor).

3:52 PM: Not as crowded as years past, so if you are still thinking about it, just pack everybody up and head over. Like the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival on Sunday, we’re seeing some theme-costumed families:

4:15 PM: Getting busier. We’ve also heard there was an early wave before 3 pm – Lafayette Elementary gets out at 2:25 pm, so maybe that’s why. Here’s the scene inside Brookdale (2326 California):

And across from The Historic Admiral Theater – a candy-consuming mummy:

More photos to come.

It’s on until 6 pm!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Locker-room theft victim chases thief
October 31, 2017 2:51 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, from Andrew:

I had just returned to the locker room from a post-workout shower at LA Fitness at about 7:30 am to discover that someone had cut the lock off of my locker and stolen my wallet and bus pass. I’ve been exercising there every morning before work for over two years, so I recognize most of the regulars.

I’d seen a unfamiliar man there this morning, so I confronted him then contacted the gym’s staff. When the staff asked that he empty his pockets, he had my credit card and about $50 in cash from my wallet on him.

He bolted out of the front door, and I gave chase while the staff called the police. I then took photos of him while he was getting away. He took off on a bicycle heading east on SW Alaska Street. I did not escalate the situation because I didn’t know if he had a knife or some other weapon.

Fortunately, he must’ve ditched my wallet and bus pass at some point during the confrontation, because the gym staff found and returned both, minus the cash, which he must’ve shoved back into his pockets. He was not a member of the gym and apparently snuck in somehow. I’ve been working out with no problems at LA Fitness since they opened their West Seattle location, and I’m somewhat shaken by the brazenness of this encounter. However, I will return, since something like this could happen almost anywhere.

I gave my statement and emailed the photos to the police, and they provided me with Incident # 17-404018.

Andrew added more description in a followup note: White man, late 30s, medium build, about 5’10”.

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Getting ready for RapidRide H Line: Traffic studies in White Center
October 31, 2017 12:59 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

After a few questions about temporary traffic cameras in downtown White Center, we found out that King County is doing studies for the future conversion of Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line. (Let us know if you see similar installations on this side of the line!) Details – including your next chance for feedback – are in the story we just published on partner site White Center Now.

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West Seattle Halloween scene: Costume parade at The Mount
October 31, 2017 11:43 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Halloween scene: Costume parade at The Mount
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

Trick or treating started early for some kids in West Seattle. We stopped by Providence Mount St. Vincent a little while ago as students from The Mount’s preschool started parading around the building in costumes, delighting staffers as well as residents.

Their chaperones got into the spirit too:

Later today, we’re told, the older students – 4- and 5-year-olds – get to judge the grownups’ costumes.

P.S. More than a dozen ways to spend the rest of your Halloween are here!

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West Seattle Tuesday: What’s happening for Halloween 2017!
October 31, 2017 10:26 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(Halloween Eve sunset, photographed by Chris Frankovich)

Today/tonight, it’s all about Halloween. From the WSB West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide and year-round Event Calendar:

ADMIRAL DISTRICT BUSINESS TRICK-OR-TREATING: 3-6 pm, it’s time for business Trick-or-Treating in The Admiral District. Look for the “participating” sign at businesses in the California/Admiral area.

WESTWOOD VILLAGE TRICK-OR-TREATING: 4-6 pm, trick-or-treaters are welcome around the shopping center. (2600 SW Barton)

MEEDS MANOR HAUNTED HOUSE: 5-9:30 pm: “Come visit the Meeds residence on Halloween night in the Seaview neighborhood. We have sweet treats and plenty of scary tricks. Admission is always free but we will be collecting non-perishable food donations for the West Seattle Food Bank.” (5415 49th Ave SW)

WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH TRUNK-OR-TREAT: 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Christian Church with “decorated trunks full of candy, parked in our lot directly behind our Sanctuary. Inside our gym everyone can enjoy a warm beverage, cookie decorating, face painting, and a small bounce house for the youngest kids.” (4400 42nd SW)

SKELETON THEATRE: The southeast Admiral animatronic attraction Skeleton Theatre is back – 6-9 pm tonight and tomorrow. The theme: “Back to Our Roots” – by request, “a show consisting of pop-cultural clips” like the early days, “with a few new tricks” and ending with “one original scene” previewing next year. Free – but you can donate online! (36th SW/SW Hanford)

NIGHTMARE ON 44TH: Animatronics and more in a spooky West Seattle yard. 6-9 pm. Creator David Williams sends this photo of a new “crypt wall” that’s part of the show. See more on Twitter and Instagram. (44th SW between Charlestown and Andover)

GRACE CHURCH TRUNK-OR-TREAT: Trunk Or Treat at Grace Church, 6-8 pm. (10323 28th Ave SW)

HALLOWEEN LIGHT SHOW: 6-10 pm, possibly running later tonight depending on turnout, Halloween Light Show by the folks who bring you West Seattle Yuletide. 6-10 pm nightly – probably a little later on October 28th and 31st. (38th SW between Genesee and Dakota)

HALLOWEEN TRIVIA AND COSTUME CONTEST 7-9 pm at Ounces. (3809 Delridge Way SW)

LARRINGTONS RANCH HAUNTED HOUSE: 7 pm-10 pm. Suggested for ages 10 and up. Free “but we accept donations of cans toward support of the local food bank.” (Erskine Way/SW Hudson) …

‘HAUNTED PUMPKIN PATCH’ ON ALKI: 7:30 -10:30 pm, “visitors are welcome to walk through the haunted pumpkin patch in our front yard, full of carved pumpkins, skeletons, zombies, and giant spiders.” And they’ll have candy tonight for trick-or-treaters. (2130 Alki Ave SW)

OTHER SPOOKY DECORATIONS: See the Halloween Etc. Guide for locations readers told us about.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT MUSIC: 9 pm-midnight at Parliament Tavern, Hallo-WEEN Spectacular! w/ Boys Club (Ween Tribute) and The Heebie Jeebies, who are the ultimate holiday party band for the end of October as they play the scariest tunes in town. Boys Club follows it up with a tribute to Ween featuring the album “White Pepper” in its entirety. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

PREVIEW NOVEMBER AND BEYOND … via our full calendar (and get your winter-holiday events to us ASAP! editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!)

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CITY BUDGET: Changes reviewed today; public hearing Wednesday night
October 31, 2017 9:00 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Click “play” to watch budget meeting live this morning)

Before we get to what’s happening in West Seattle today/tonight, a two-part note for everyone following the City Council‘s budget process, chaired this year by West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold: The next phase of reviewing potential changes starts at 9:30 am today, when Herbold officially presents what’s called the “initial balancing package” – the draft list of changes that have made it through the process so far. You can review them (with links to individual explanations) by going here. You can watch live at seattlechannel.org (or cable 21). Then tomorrow (Wednesday) night brings the second and final evening public hearing before the budget gets finalized pre-Thanksgiving – 5:30 pm at City Hall (600 4th Ave.). The day after that, Thursday, is the deadline for councilmembers to propose changes to what’s being presented today.

P.S. If you can’t make it to the hearing but have a case to make for or against something, council@seattle.gov is the e-mail address.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Halloween Tuesday
October 31, 2017 7:05 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Halloween Tuesday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:05 AM: No cameras yet – SDOT changed its website on Monday and they’re not turning up where they should be. The SDOT map links to live video but not the usual still images. We’ll re-add them as soon as they have them. Aside from that – no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.

HALLOWEEN REMINDERS: Admiral District businesses invite trick-or-treaters to stop by 3-6 pm today … Westwood Village business trick-or-treating is 4-6 pm. Wherever you go, the dry weather is likely to mean more trick-or-treaters than ever, so please be extra-careful.

7:30 AM: Still no incidents. WSDOT (state, not city) traffic cameras were not affected by the city’s change so we’re adding a few of those above for now (they have none on the WS Bridge as it’s a city roadway).

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Climbing legend and West Seattle High School alumnus Fred Beckey dies at 94
October 30, 2017 9:57 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

That New York Times video from 2008 tells the story of Fred Beckey, a climbing legend and West Seattle High School alumnus who has died at age 94. (Thanks to James for e-mailing to ensure we had heard.) Mr. Beckey’s obituary published tonight on Outside Online says he is “widely hailed as North America’s most prolific climber and mountaineer” – in the history books for a multitude of “first ascents.” Before he was inducted into the West Seattle High School Hall of Fame in 2014, this bio was written to explain why he should be part of it (he was in the WSHS Class of 1941); it notes there’s even a mountain named after him (Mt. Beckey in Alaska). Mr. Beckey also recently became the subject of a documentary about his lifelong obsession with climbing:

The Seattle Times reports that Mr. Beckey died today at the home of a longtime friend. According to the SeattlePI.com obituary for Mr. Beckey, his many other climbing companions included Lloyd Anderson, who co-founded REI while living in West Seattle. Mr. Beckey was still climbing in recent years, and was a prolific guidebook writer, as noted on the HistoryLink.org page that tells his story.

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WEST SEATTLE HALLOWEEN: Skeleton Theatre returns tomorrow & Wednesday
October 30, 2017 8:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

We stopped by 36th/Hanford at dusk to say hi to the Skeleton Theatre team, who were working hard to get West Seattle’s most extensive animatronic Halloween extravaganza ready for the next two nights, on, and behind, the front-yard stage:

As noted in the WSB West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide, Skeleton Theatre mastermind Chris Walker tells us, “The theme this year is ‘Back to our Roots.’ Through the years people have asked us to do this again, so we’re going to do a show consisting of pop culture clips – like we did for the first two years of Skeleton Theatre a decade ago, with a few new tricks added in. We will end with one original scene: It’s a preview for the new show that we’ll be putting up next year.” The show is set to run continuously 6-9 pm Halloween night and the night after (Tuesday and Wednesday; here’s a map). Free but if you are moved to help the Skeleton crew cover their costs, there’s a donation button on their webpage (where you can also catch up on the backstory – ST has been a tradition since 2006!).

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FOLLOWUP: West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival 2017, by the numbers
October 30, 2017 7:34 pm
|    Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival 2017, by the numbers
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(Photo by Leda Costa for WSB)

If you were part of Sunday’s West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival – here are three numbers that reiterate that it rocked:

From Lora Swift at the West Seattle Junction Association – 35 community businesses, groups, and nonprofits donated time and materials for free games and activities. … Almost 300 root-beer floats were served up by The Beer Junction in the first-ever Root Beer Garden … and the biggest number of all is from the Chili Cookoff:

From Judi Yazzolino of the West Seattle Food Bank:

Thank you so much to everyone who came to the 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off to taste the delicious chili at the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival on Sunday. All proceeds went to the West Seattle Food Bank, and what a success – we raised $3,146 from the tastings and $160 from the Beer Junction Root Beer Float Garden tips. We’d really like to extend a special thanks to the nine establishments who not only donated their fabulous chili but their time serving it: Brookdale Senior Living, Duos Catering, Easy Street Café, Elliott Bay Brewery, Fresh Bistro, Girls Gone BBQ, Husky Deli, Pecos Pit, and The Westy. Congratulations to Joshua & Benjamin from Duos Catering for being our 2017 winner by a landslide!

See our as-it-happened festival coverage, with video and photos, here.

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DEVELOPMENT: Early-stage proposal to rezone Fauntleroy site at 9250 45th SW for new 5-story mixed-use building
October 30, 2017 4:59 pm
|      64 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

New in the city-permit files: An early-stage proposal to rezone a site in Fauntleroy’s Endolyne business district and demolish the building that’s there now, replacing it with a new 5-story mixed-use building. The early documents were filed last week for 9250 45th SW (photo above), the site also known as 4412 Brace Point Drive and bounded by Wildwood Place on the north side, just uphill from the Fauntleroy ferry dock [map]. Notes from an early conference with city reps say the building would be ground-floor “retail,” four floors residential, with 32 units proposed, no offstreet parking. (It’s on the RapidRide C Line.) The site is currently zoned NC (Neighborhood Commercial) 1-30 (for up to three stories), and the owners are proposing a rezone to NC3. Working title for the project, as shown on one early-stage sketch, is “The Fauntleroy.” Again, this has just appeared in city files, no formal application yet, but we’ll be watching for official comment periods and other parts of the process that would be required for rezoning – which ultimately requires City Council approval – as well as redevelopment. (This is the same area where traffic flow was reconfigured a little over a year ago, with the Brace Point Drive side changing to one-way eastbound.)

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Seen this stolen black Honda Civic?
October 30, 2017 3:26 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Seen this stolen black Honda Civic?
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox, from Chris:

My wife and I just got back to our Roxbury Street home from a weekend visiting family to find my 1999 Honda Civic stolen (4 door, black, license plate #ASU6838). If anyone finds it abandoned on their street, please let me know.

But first, call 911. (Update – you can refer to SPD incident # 2017-430174.)

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TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: Trouble on West Seattle ‘low bridge’ – fixed
October 30, 2017 2:56 pm
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: Trouble on West Seattle ‘low bridge’ – fixed
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

2:56 PM: SDOT says the “low bridge” is currently closed to vehicle traffic because of mechanical trouble – so avoid it TFN. We’ll update when we get word it’s fixed.

3:06 PM: The live-video camera on the SDOT map shows the gate’s now up, the light’s green, and vehicle traffic is moving across the bridge again.

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GREEN SEATTLE DAY: 3 West Seattle greenspaces that would love to see you Saturday
October 30, 2017 2:34 pm
|    Comments Off on GREEN SEATTLE DAY: 3 West Seattle greenspaces that would love to see you Saturday
 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

Before we get too much further into fall, it’s still prime time for planting, and that’s what Green Seattle Day is all about next Saturday (November 4th). If you can help out 9 am-noon, three West Seattle spots would appreciate your tree-planting TLC, including:

Westcrest Park in Highland Park – get details and RSVP here

Duwamish Head Greenbelt in East Admiral – get details and RSVP here

Me-Kwa-Mooks along Beach Drive – get details and RSVP here

All ages welcome – tools (and more) provided.

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FOLLOWUP: Falconridge Farm hasn’t galloped into the sunset – yet
October 30, 2017 12:58 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from September report – covered riding arena at Falconridge Farm)

By Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Dr. Jean Nokes, her beloved mare Cielo, and Luna, the three-legged cat who used to ride Cielo in her heyday, are still holding the fort down at Falconridge Farm, the 4.2 acre oasis in Highland Park.

As West Seattle Blog first reported in early September, Nokes and her husband Milt Ghivizzani put the horse farm up for sale because Nokes, an experienced equestrian, is no longer riding. We checked back on its status after the topic came up at last week’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting.

Read More

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West Seattle Monday: Halloween Eve haunts, and other happenings
October 30, 2017 11:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo courtesy of the ‘haunted pumpkin patch’ creator)

Starting highlights for today/tonight – we’ve continued adding to the WSB West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide, especially spookily decorated houses that you’ve kindly let us know about, like the one above!

‘HAUNTED PUMPKIN PATCH’ ON ALKI: Just got word of this last night. An Alki resident who “has worked in the Halloween Industry for 20 years” decided it’s time to “bring the Halloween spirit to Alki,” so tonight and tomorrow, 7:30-10:30 pm, “visitors are welcome to walk through the haunted pumpkin patch in our front yard, full of carved pumpkins, skeletons, zombies, and giant spiders.” (2130 Alki Ave SW)

COSTUME STORY TIME: 6:30 pm at High Point Library: “It is story time at the High Point Branch! Bring your preschoolers and toddlers in their favorite costumes to enjoy not-so-spooky stories and fun with our children’s librarian.” (35th SW/SW Raymond)

HALLOWEEN LIGHT SHOW: Continuing through Halloween night, see animated lights and characters from the team behind West Seattle Yuletide. 6-10 pm nightly. (38th SW between Genesee and Dakota)

(Saturday night’s sunset, photographed by a reader who wished to be anonymous)

And from our year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

VOTER REGISTRATION: New arrival or, for another reason, never before registered in this state? You can still register to vote in the November 7 election if you do so in person by end of the day. Nearest place is downtown.

ART ON THE iPAD: That’s the theme of today’s free interactive Tinkerlab activity at Delridge Library, 4-5:30 pm, all ages. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

FREE BARRE CLASSES: Barre Bohemian in Upper Morgan has three free classes each day this week, morning and afternoon – next one at 4:30 pm – sign up here. (6531 35th SW)

MONDAY MEDITATION: 7 pm at SoundYoga (WSB sponsor), “The Three Root Delusions” wraps up this series of Monday night meditation sessions. All welcome. Class fee $12. (5639 Californai SW)

MONDAY QUIZ: 7:30 pm at The Skylark, no cover, all ages, prizes! (3803 Delridge Way SW)

FULL LIST FOR TODAY/TONIGHT … is on our complete calendar.

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