CONGRATULATIONS! Lora Swift chosen as Grand Marshal of 2018 West Seattle Grand Parade
What a year for Lora Swift! Just a little past halfway into 2018, she’s already scored two major local honors – first, Westsider of the Year, as awarded by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and now, we’ve learned she’s been chosen as Grand Marshal of the West Seattle Grand Parade (coming up July 21st)! You might know her best as executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association, but that’s just one of the many hats (and tiaras!) Lora has worn in the community. For more than a decade, she was proprietor of Hotwire Online Coffeehouse at the north end of The Junction; there, she founded what’s now the West Seattle Outdoor Movies series, which brings hundreds of people together on summer Saturday nights, and she’s also masterminded the West Seattle Art Walk among other fab community events. Right now, as news of her parade honor is announced, she’s coordinating the peninsula’s biggest party, West Seattle Summer Fest, Friday-Sunday (July 13th-15th) in the heart of The Junction. And then – maybe she can at least take a quick break to bask in the cheers along the parade route when she rides as Grand Marshal, starting at 11 am Saturday, July 21st, southbound on California SW from Lander to Edmunds. (WSB photo from May, as Lora volunteered at West Seattle Food Bank gala)
VIDEO: Music Under The Stars at Delridge CC Park, rain or shine!
7:36 PM: A raindrop here and there isn’t getting in the way of the second of four Music Under The Stars events, presented by the Seattle Chamber Music Society at Delridge Community Center Park (Genesee/26th) – live music by a student ensemble until 8, then live audio streamed in from the SCMS Summer Festival concert at Benaroya Hall. (Added – two longer clips from the live-at-Delridge mini-concert:)
Free – and North Delridge’s own Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) is here too with a kids’ activity booth.
7:59 PM: The live concert has ended – but the UW student musicians (who are awesome – we’ll add a clip or two when back at HQ) will be back during intermission, the SCMS rep has announced. Also: A prize drawing for everybody here – concert tickets. We’re headed in but the live audio from downtown is just about to start and there’s a lot of fun to be had at the park. (The drizzle, by the way, has long since stopped.)
COUNTDOWN: Preview the West Seattle Summer Fest visiting-vendor list!
West Seattle Summer Fest 2018 is just a few days away! The streets in the heart of The Junction close at 4 pm Thursday for setup and Summer Fest Eve fun – then West Seattle’s biggest party of the year starts at 10 am Friday. While the year-round Junction merchants, restaurants, and bars are the stars of the show – most with something extra during the festival (outdoor sales, sidewalk cafés, etc.) – 110+ visiting vendors (and organizations) will have booths too, and tonight, while the list is in the process of being added to the official Summer Fest website, we have the names (after the jump if you’re reading from the WSB home page):
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FOLLOWUP: Bail set at $100,000 for West Seattle apartment-arson suspect
(WSB photo, Sunday)
A judge has set bail at $100,000 for the 31-year-old man arrested Sunday for allegedly setting his West Seattle Junction apartment on fire. We covered the fire at the Elan 41 complex at Jefferson Square early yesterday morning; later in the day, police announced they had arrested the resident of the apartment where the fire started. According to probable-cause documents used at this afternoon’s bail hearing, the man first told firefighters that he started the fire because, the report says, “there had been snipers in his apartment and they were shooting at him; to defend himself, he grabbed a bottle of acetone, threw it at them, and lit it on fire.” He then ran out, he is reported to have explained, but came back for his dog. After police arrested him, the report says, officers asked him why he started the fire; they say, “He changed the subject and wanted to know who the person was in the back of the patrol car.” The officer wrote that he advised the suspect he couldn’t see that person; “this made him upset.” The suspect then repeated what he had told SFD, adding, according to the police report, “he had saved people because the snipers would have killed them all.” The only prior arrest we can find for him was a misdemeanor assault case a year and a half ago, dismissed because there was “no prosecuting witness.” Not much information is available about that case but we do note his address was listed as the same apartment. One person was hurt in the fire, an SFD lieutenant who suffered minor injuries.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen black Honda mini-van, ‘desperately needed for doctor appointments and therapies’
Another stolen vehicle to watch for – Ayn and her family really need it:
It was stolen the morning of the 8th between 2:30 am and 8:00 am. From in front of our house near the corner of 18th Ave SW & Elmgrove.
It is a Black 2018 Honda Odyssey, license plate# BJX 7919. Has a license plate holder that says SODO Honda of Seattle.
I’m disabled and have three children with Autism. We desperately need our vehicle for doctor appointments and therapies.
My disability placards and walker with wheels and seat were also in the Van.
Call 911 if you see the van – and/or an abandoned walker, too.
FOLLOWUP: Arrest in South Park teen murder
(WSB photo, February rally/march)
12:46 PM: Seattle Police have announced an arrest in the February murder of a 16-year-old boy in South Park. This was the deadly shooting that brought more than 100 people to a rally/march for peace days later. While the suspect is not yet charged in the murder, he is also jailed in connection with a $250,000 warrant in a case where charges have been filed, so we are publishing his name: 27-year-old Juan J. Macias. In the other case, he was charged in June with choking his girlfriend unconscious. We are checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to see if he is due for a bail hearing today; police say they arrested him in South Park on Saturday.
6:30 PM: Macias did have a bail hearing this afternoon. We don’t have documents yet but the jail register shows his bail now upped to $2,250,000.
More West Seattle outdoor music! 2018 lineup for Summer Concerts at The Mount
(WSB photo from 2017 Summer Concerts at The Mount)
In a summer full of outdoor music – West Seattle Summer Fest, Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, the Alki Art Fair, SPF 30, and more – here’s the newest lineup: Summer Concerts at The Mount! Four free Friday night shows on the south side of the Providence Mount St. Vincent campus (4831 35th SW). We just checked in with The Mount after a reader question, and found out this is the plan:
Aug. 3rd: The Abbagraphs
Playing the pop hits of ABBA and the disco era
Aug. 10th: The Illusion of Elvis by Danny Vernon
The King is back by popular demand!
Aug. 17th: Maia Santell and House Blend
Jazz, Big Band, Contemporary Favorites and Classic Hits
Aug. 24th: The 85th Street Big Band
Featuring swing favorites from the 30s, 40s & 50s
Dinner: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Live music: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Dinner is optional and available for purchase at all Mount concerts.
4 for your West Seattle Monday
(California sea lion, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
CREATE YOUR OWN COMIC: Southwest Library series starts for 4th through 7th graders, 2:30 pm. Free but registration is required – check to see if there’s room! (9010 35th SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUPS: Two meet tonight at local libraries at 6:45 pm – Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) is discussing “Orange is the New Black” by Piper Kerman; West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW) is discussing “Run” by Ann Patchett.
MUSIC UNDER THE STARS, WEEK 2: Second of four Monday nights for the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s free series at Delridge Community Center Park – at 7:30 pm, an ensemble plays live, and then at 8 pm the sound system carries live audio from the SCMS Summer Festival concert at Benaroya Hall. Bring your own blanket/chair, bring a picnic, bring the family, bring your neighbors! Here’s what last week was like. (Genesee/26th SW)
MONDAY QUIZ: 7:30 pm, all ages, prizes – longrunning quiz night at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen blue Ford pickup truck; car prowls
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this morning:
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: From Amanda:
Our truck, a blue 2002 Ford F-250 crew cab, was stolen from outside our house last night. We live on 38th near Oregon st.
(10:50 am update: Plates B96816K.)
CAR PROWLS: Karen says this happened on 48th SW between Hanford and Hinds:
Just wanted to let you know that our block had a car prowler last night. My wife’s car was ransacked, but nothing taken and I could see one other vehicle while walking our dog that had it happen, as well. I forgot to lock the door after running out to move the car. We don’t keep anything of value, but they did go through everything. They opened everything.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! No incidents currently reported in/from West Seattle.
PATH ALERT: Scott tweeted about tree and light trouble on the bicycle/foot path near the bridge about an hour ago. We haven’t heard if SDOT has responded yet.
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