West Seattle, Washington

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month : 07/2018 333 results

Alki Beach beware – Seafair Pirates Landing tomorrow!
July 6, 2018 4:42 pm
|    Comments Off on Alki Beach beware – Seafair Pirates Landing tomorrow!
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

IMG_2307
(2016 Seafair Pirates sighting offshore, photographed by Paul Panzl, from the yacht Pearl)

Alki Beach will be awash in pirate fans tomorrow (Saturday, July 7th) as the Seafair Pirates approach for their annual landing. As usual (as previewed here last month), the occasion calls for an all-day festival, 10 am-5 pm, with vendors, kids’ rides, and music. The stars of the show will be ashore sometime in the early afternoon – last estimate we heard is 1:30ish, but that could change … they’re pirates, after all. You’ll usually hear cannon booms offshore as they get close; eventually they’ll pull up in their landing craft and wade ashore, into the crowd that gathers near Alki Bathhouse (60th SW/Alki SW). Their non-seagoing Moby Duck usually awaits them along the street, but not until their arrival has been followed by photos and pillaging. This is the first big event of the four weeks at the heart of Seafair; the Pirates will be back for the West Seattle Grand Parade two weeks later, but this is the one time you get to see them sail in! (Forecast, by the way, looks perfect.)

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West 5: Welcoming a new WSB sponsor!
July 6, 2018 2:20 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | WS beverages

You probably recognize this now-iconic mug – known best to hold the Mai Tai at West 5.

The West Seattle Junction restaurant/bar is one of our newest WSB sponsors, and we’re officially welcoming them in this week when we all celebrate what’s local as Summer Fest approaches.

This is a big year for West 5, celebrating its 15th anniversary in the spring. Co-proprietor Dean Overton explains that the idea of opening a place grew out of the closure of the old Admiral Benbow. He and business partner Dave Montoure thought that the neighborhood needed a good bar that kept the spirit and flavor of the neighborhood alive. Since Dean and Dave are both West Seattle born and raised, they thought they were suited to bring that idea to life.

Once they secured West 5‘s location in the Junction, Dave and Dean stocked the place with items from some of the other former West Seattle establishments, such as the giant plaster ship painting, which came from the old Vann’s (now the Maha).

West 5‘s signature lighted crown in the rear of the restaurant came from the time when the space was a bowling alley.

Looking back, Dean says he and Dave were ahead of the curve in trying to bring a great establishment to the Junction. (One that happens to be TV-free!) Over time, they believe that they’ve been around this long because they let the community have a say in which direction West 5 would take. While that’s meant some changes to the menu – don’t worry, some faves like the legendary mac and cheese are still there! – and drinks, it also creates a sense of togetherness for both the patrons and staff.

As always, West 5 will have its outdoor café for Summer Fest next weekend, starting Thursday night with the Yadda Yadda Blues Band. But you are welcome to visit any time of year – 4539 California SW – lunch, dinner, drinks, and/or weekend brunch.

We thank West 5 for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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No Float Dodger 5K this year – but you can still run pre-parade
July 6, 2018 12:41 pm
|    Comments Off on No Float Dodger 5K this year – but you can still run pre-parade
 |   West Seattle Grand Parade | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(2017 Float Dodger 5K photo courtesy Dave Vague)

After six years of serving as an opening act for the West Seattle Grand Parade, the Float Dodger 5K run/walk on the parade route is taking a break this year. After a tip from Marion, we went over to West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), organizers of the Float Dodger 5K. Tim McConnell told us a variety of factors led to the decision to skip this year – including a late start to fundraising – which is a vital component, given permit fees and other costs – plus other business/family projects. But as you’ll see on the Float Dodger website, they’re organizing a casual run pre-parade: “Please join West Seattle Runner for a casual group run the morning of the parade on July ​21 at 9:30 am to run the parade route and watch the parade from the store afterward.” And they’re hoping to bring back the Float Dodger 5K in 2019.

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West Seattle Friday: Ways to get your weekend started!
July 6, 2018 11:11 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Fledgling Cooper’s Hawk, photographed in Schmitz Park by Jeremiah Holt)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WADING POOLS: Open today! In West Seattle, that means Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), until 8 pm; EC Hughes (2805 SW Holden), noon-7 pm; Hiawatha (Walnut/Lander), noon-6:30 pm.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES: 1 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, Terry presents The Greatest Movies You’ve Never Heard Of. Today: “Year by the Sea” (2016). $1 members, $2 nonmembers, free popcorn! (4217 SW Oregon)

CORNER BAR: Sixth anniversary of the monthly pop-up-bar-and-more at Highland Park Improvement Club, 6 pm, with music starting around 8. This month’s band – Roxbury Saints! More details in our calendar listing. (1116 SW Holden)

TX TRUMBO: Performing with Alan Sobel at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

LIVE IN-STORE: 7 pm, Snuff Redux plays Easy Street Records. Free, live, all-ages. (California/Alaska)

RIOT AT THE DOJO: 8 pm at The Skylark, $8 cover, 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

MORE! Preview the weekend, and beyond, by browsing our complete-calendar page.

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Some West Seattle bus stops on Metro Route 21 are about to be closed
July 6, 2018 10:09 am
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Thanks to Seth for letting us know about notices like that one, posted at some Metro Route 21 stops on 35th SW. We inquired with Metro’s Jeff Switzer, who replied with this info about stops closing in a week – and one set not closing:

This was a Route 5 and 21 stop rebalancing effort to improve travel time for riders. The effect will be to speed up trips for riders by several minutes. (The Rt. 5 and Rt. 21 are interconnected, in that the Rt. 5 comes downtown from the north and turns into Rt. 21, and vice versa.)

Why Routes 5 and 21?

· Additional service frequency in 2012 increased ridership.
· Some segments have bus stops spaced close together which slows transit speed.
· Metro optimized the N. Greenwood segment as part of the SDOT repaving project.
· Bus operators recommended bus stop optimization as a means to improve schedule.

How are stops located where they are?

The Metro guideline is one-quarter mile between bus stops. Some factors considered in located bus stops include bus transfer points, traffic signals, topography, sidewalk, libraries, schools, community centers, and senior housing.

What steps were taken in outreach?

Rider Alerts were posted at 21 stops the first week in May through the end of May for customer comments. This included nine low-ridership stops on the Rt. 5 and 12 low-ridership stops on the Rt. 21 for customer comments. Metro Staff reviewed all 120 customer comments (51 from Rt. 21 riders).

What did Metro decide?

The finalized plan includes the closure of 4 bus stops on the Rt. 5 and 10 bus stops on the Rt. 21, expected to speed up travel times for riders.

These 14 bus stops were posted with Rider Alerts early this week to let Riders know of stop closures scheduled for Saturday, July 14.

Time savings, especially in the peak hours, could be as much as 3 to 7 minutes for a combined trip (Rt. 21 & Rt. 5). This can be crucial in maintaining on time performance.

In some cases, just the increase in trip time by a minute can mean Metro has to add the cost of adding an additional coach.

What feedback led Metro to not close certain stops?

For the Rt. 21, we dropped the proposed closure of the pair of stops at 35 Av SW & SW Hudson St due to concerns from Providence St. Vincent about access to their facility, even though the ridership is very low at these stops.

Route 21 STOPS TO CLOSE

• #23040 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Cloverdale St
• #23040 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Cloverdale St

• #22670 NB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Othello St
• #22980 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Othello St

• #22690 NB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Willow St
• #22960 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Willow St

• #22740 NB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Juneau St
• #22910 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Juneau St

• #22760 NB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Brandon St
• #22890 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Brandon St

Route 21 STOPS THAT WILL NOT CLOSE

• #22780 NB 35th Ave SW, NS SW Hudson St
• #22870 SB 35th Ave SW, FS SW Hudson St

Again, the closures are scheduled to start July 14th – one week from tomorrow.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch
July 6, 2018 7:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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

7:02 AM: Good morning. First up, the scene of last night’s deadly crash on 99/509 has not fully reopened. WSDOT tweeted a few minutes ago, “The S Cloverdale St on-ramp to NB SR 99 is back open. However, all lanes of NB SR 99 remain closed @ Des Moines Memorial Dr/14th Ave S. Continue to avoid the area!” (Southbound is open.)

No other area incidents so far this morning.

STADIUM ZONE TONIGHT: Mariners are home vs. Colorado, 7:10 pm.

WEEKEND NOTES: Here’s the SDOT roundup, including tomorrow’s Seafair Pirates Landing at Alki (no road closures but the beach will be extra-busy for the all-day event, with the landing itself expected around 1:30 pm).

7:28 AM: From Brian in comments: “The 7:06 route 57 bus is a no-show. No alerts from Metro.”

UPDATE: The 99/509 crash scene reopened as of 8:33 am.

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UPDATE: West Seattle High School student killed in crash at 99/509/Cloverdale
July 5, 2018 11:21 pm
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   South Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

11:21 PM: The State Patrol and other agencies are dealing with a deadly one-vehicle crash at the Cloverdale overpass where 509/99 meet – avoid the area. The crash brought down a big sign – see the WSP-tweeted photo above – and Trooper Rick Johnson says that’ll mean a long closure on the NB side. More as we get it.

11:39 PM: Thanks to the reader who texted this wider view:

A nearby resident says the driver hit the pole at high speed. [map]

12:49 AM: Still closed.

7:30 AM: As noted elsewhere, NB is still closed as crews deal with the sign. SB reopened overnight. Meantime, WSP’s media update says the driver was a 17-year-old Seattle resident.

UPDATE: The 99/509 crash scene has reopened as of 8:33 am.

2:26 PM: Seattle Public Schools has confirmed what was first reported in comments below – that the victim was a West Seattle High School student. Here’s the letter WSHS principal Brian Vance has just sent to families:

Dear West Seattle High School families,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic news that one of our students, Jonathan Teso-Rueda was killed in a car accident on Thursday night. Jonathan was a bright, talented and well-liked student at West Seattle High School. His sense of humor and big, caring heart will be missed. As a community, I know we will come together to not only support Jonathan’s family, but one another.

We will have counselors available at West Seattle High School on Monday, July 9 from 9 am-12 pm for students needing support or wanting to be with their friends on campus.

When someone dies, particularly suddenly, it’s normal for children and teens to have different kinds of feelings and reactions. Parents and guardians have important roles in helping students understand about death.

Here are some suggestions for how to help students

• Stick to facts. Answer questions factually.
• Remain calm and reassuring. Students take their cues from their parents and adults.
• Be a good listener and observer. Pay attention to changes in behavior.
• Be especially loving and supportive; children and teens need you even more at this time.

We recognize that even if your student may not have known or been close to Jonathan, or his family, he/she may still feel a strong reaction. We also realize this may be your student’s first experience with death or it may trigger feelings about other deaths your child may have experienced. This is an opportunity for students and families to acknowledge their grief and express their feelings about a sudden loss for which they have no control over.

Please take care and we will share information about any events to support students, staff and families if and/or when they become available.

Brian Vance
Principal
West Seattle High School

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West Seattle scenes: First sunset in the heart of summer
July 5, 2018 10:33 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Photo by David Hutchinson, from Alki)

You’ve probably heard it many times – “summer starts in Seattle on July 5th.” Seems appropriate this year, with a beautiful 5th following a cloudy 4th of July night, so we appreciate the photos that captured the sunset starting the heart of summer!

(Photo by Elaine Dale, from Gatewood)

One of those sunsets where the colors just kept intensifying …

(Photo by Mike Jensen, via Twitter)

Although even our more-muted view an hour later had its own majesty:

(WSB photo, from Lincoln Park)

Welcome, summer!

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More summer music: West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park coming up!
July 5, 2018 9:13 pm
|    Comments Off on More summer music: West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park coming up!
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(WSB photo from 2017 concert)

Now that outdoor summer music season has begun in a big way, we want to be sure the West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park is on your calendar! It’s on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (along Walnut south of Lander), 7 pm Tuesday, July 17th, free and fun. This year, WSBB director Jim Edwards tells us, they’ll have a special guest – “CC,” who you might know as a regular performer at Chelan Café. Haven’t seen the WSBB before? Here’s the band’s history – dating back more than 20 years, with a tradition of not only musical excellence, but also support for local schools. All you have to bring on the 17th is a blanket or chair, picnic dinner if you feel like it, the family, the neighbors, whoever else, and get ready for a one-of-a-kind summer concert (you can get up and dance too). See you there!

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BIZNOTE: Verity Credit Union opens its doors – wide! – in West Seattle Junction
July 5, 2018 6:52 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

It’s the financial institution that looks more like a café than a financial institution. That’s the view from the open-air (weather permitting) storefront where Verity Credit Union (WSB sponsor) soft-opened its first West Seattle branch today (4505 California SW; previous tenant, Radio Shack).

There’ll always be someone at the front to greet you; depending on what you’re there to do, you can go sit at a table, or at the bar in the back.

One feature of note – a coin-counting machine. Free for Verity members, five percent fee for others:

Speaking of five – you can join Verity for $5 (explained here). And there’s an ATM outside, part of the Co-Op network if you’re a member of another credit union. The branch will be open 10 am-6 pm weekdays, 10 am-2 pm Saturdays, and the grand-opening celebration is the first day of West Seattle Summer Fest (Friday, July 13th).

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BIZNOTE: Alki Cleaners closes
July 5, 2018 5:11 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Thanks to Ben Hutchinson for the tip: The sign on the door at Alki Cleaners (2718 Alki SW) announces its closure after 19 years. If you still have cleaning to pick up, the sign has a phone number and email address to arrange pickup until July 14th. This is the fourth business to close in the heart of Alki in recent months, after Alki Urban Market, Maree Bistro, and Tully’s Coffee.

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FOLLOWUP: East Marginal Way fire scene, the day after
July 5, 2018 3:45 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

Here’s what most of the aftermath of last night’s 2-alarm fire at 3633 East Marginal Way S. (we confirmed the correct address at the scene today) consists of – burned cars.

We went over at midday for a look. Seattle Fire crews are still there because of hotspots, and SFD says investigators are still working to determine the cause.

The fire was primarily around the back side of the warehouse property; SFD describes the affected area as a “warehouse repair garage” and “wrecking yard.” The cars – and what’s still in them – are the main reason it sent so much thick, dark smoke into the sky. No injuries reported.

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West Seattle Little League: Big tournament ahead, and ballpark improvement you’ll see
July 5, 2018 2:53 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Two announcements today from West Seattle Little League:

ALL-STAR TOURNAMENT STARTS SATURDAY: Bar-S Playfield will host the 12-year-olds’ All-Star Tournament, starting with WSLL’s game at 9 am Saturday. WSLL’s Kathy Powers adds, “Our own WSLL team won the State Championship last year so we are excited to kick off this tournament and host!” You’ll find the brackets on the WSLL website.

BATTING CAGE IMPROVEMENT: Just happened last week!

Richie Wallace, former ball player at WSLL [in photo with WSLL VP David Sazama], improved our batting cage last week for his Boy Scouts Eagle Project! The new cage not only looks great, but is now usable year around with a proper pitching mound and new sport turf that took care of previous drainage issues.

Thank you, Richie Wallace and Troop 274 of the BSA Mount Tahoma District.

Bar-S, home of WSLL, is at 6425 SW Admiral Way.

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West Seattle post-4th of July scene: Solstice Park fireworks debris
July 5, 2018 1:35 pm
|      47 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

As the annual “fireworks are illegal but the law’s not enforced” discussion rages on, the fact of the matter is that fireworks don’t just make noise, they often result in toxic trash left behind by users, especially in public parks. We’ve received photos from one, Solstice Park, same place across from north Lincoln Park where we cover the annual change-of-season gatherings (decidedly non-trash-generating events), and just upslope from a P-Patch.

Lori sent these photos along with an expression of her dismay: “Just walked up to see the mess from last night. UGH. They walked past our house and I’m sure they were all teens. Lots of empty beer cans and bottles and an OJ container that I bet has vodka in it. Illegal fireworks and drinking, with no punishment, so it will certainly happen again next year. Unless we put up lights, have neighbors occupy the park from 8-midnight, or hire a security guard for the night!” (We’re checking with >Seattle Parks about their general citywide postmortem.)

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COUNTDOWN! What’s new at West Seattle Summer Fest 2018
July 5, 2018 11:20 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(SDOT cam image captured during 2017 West Seattle Summer Fest)

Now that the 4th of July is past – we’re stepping up the countdown for West Seattle Summer Fest, the peninsula’s biggest party of the year, now just eight days away! (Seven, if you are starting with Summer Fest Eve, the Thursday night pre-festival fun – here’s our newest info on that.) We talked with Lora Swift of the West Seattle Junction Association – the merchants’ organization that presents Summer Fest (with co-sponsors including WSB) – to see what’s new this year. Here’s a taste:

-More local restaurants/bars with outdoor cafés – at least 26 at last count, Lora told us! – so the focus is on local food/beverages, with fewer outside vendors
-More activities for teens and tweens
-Giant games
-More signage to point you to the basics, like restrooms
-The music stage will be a bit further north, still on California between Genesee and Oregon
-Shade tents set up around the festival if you need to take a break from the sun ‘n’ fun

Lots more info to roll out, but we’ll start with this. Festival hours are Friday (July 13th) and Saturday (July 14th), 10 am-6 pm, with music and beer garden running into the late evening, plus Sunday (July 15th), 11 am-5 pm. Since the festival takes over California from Genesee to Edmunds, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on Summer Fest Sunday will be back in the 44th/Alaska parking lot where it got its start (usual hours, 10 am-2 pm). Music lineup is here; pricing and hours for the kids’ rides is here; other info soon!

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West Seattle Thursday: What to do post-holiday
July 5, 2018 10:10 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Newly fledged Downy Woodpecker, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

What’s up for this day after the 4th, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

STEM BOARD GAMES: Come play at the Southwest Library, 11 am. (9010 35th SW)

WADING POOLS: The Seattle Parks hotline says they’ll be open today. So in West Seattle that means Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) 11 am-8 pm, EC Hughes (2805 SW Holden) noon-7 pm, Hiawatha (Walnut/Lander) noon-6:30 pm.

COLMAN POOL: Also open today – city-run outdoor saltwater pool on the shore in Lincoln Park. Here’s the schedule of sessions noon-7 pm. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

FREE LUNCH, SNACKS: Two locations where kids/teens up to 18 can get free food today – no need to go hungry during summer break: Delridge Library, noon-1 pm (5423 Delridge Way SW; details here), and High Point Library, 3-4 pm (3411 SW Raymond; details here).

TRIVIA TIMES TWO: 7 pm and 8 pm at Great American Diner & Bar in The Junction. Free, with prizes! (4752 California SW)

THREE BANDS: Live music at The Skylark in North Delridge, 8 pm, with Night Lunch, Sunstang, and Reji Marc. $8 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Post-holiday Thursday watch
July 5, 2018 6:58 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Post-holiday Thursday watch
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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

6:58 AM: Good morning! No incidents currently reported in/from West Seattle.

STADIUM ZONE TONIGHT: The Mariners‘ home stand continues with a 7:10 pm game vs. the Angels.

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West Seattle 4th of July 2018 late-night notes
July 4, 2018 10:34 pm
|      59 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

10:32 PM: So far, nothing major *in* West Seattle. An SFD call to California/Findlay was a fire in a tree, per a texter, extinguished even before SFD’s arrival. The Lake Union fireworks are happening right now so the Alki-and-vicinity outbound wave is less than half an hour away – remember the police plan to redirect traffic until that’s clear. They had a big presence at Alki even before dusk – we were out checking on that when the East Marginal fire broke out; we counted at least a dozen SPD cars, marked and unmarked, with the Mobile Precinct at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, which was blocked off to vehicle entries.

10:57 PM: Another police sighting – Delridge Community Center Park, according to a neighbor who says it’s been “the worst year yet” for illegal fireworks there.

11:14 PM: The photo above is courtesy of Carolyn Newman, who reports, “Traffic seems to be moving a bit quicker than normal on Harbor Ave, however, still a slow go.”

MIDNIGHT: SFD has dispatched six units to the 4500 block of 42nd SW for a call described as “dumpster fire with exposure.”

12:03 AM: That’s in a parking garage, according to radio communication.

12:11 AM: The call’s been downsized. Meantime, somewhere on SW Kenyon – we didn’t catch the cross-street/block – police are checking on multiple 911 reports of five people who had been shooting guns and who then got into a white BMW. No word of any injuries.

12:14 AM: Now police are going after a black Infiniti for some reason, Fauntleroy/Avalon at last report. (Update: It was a suspect with a $100,000 warrant in a West Seattle gun/drug case.)

1:21 AM: Things have quieted down since then, at least in terms of local police/fire dispatches. We remain on call, 24/7, at 206-293-6302.

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UPDATE: 2-alarm fire on East Marginal Way, visible from West Seattle
July 4, 2018 7:15 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

7:15 PM: The fire generating that smoke is a building in the 3600 block of E Marginal Way, not in WS. [map] Seattle Fire is going defensive on it – too dangerous to do otherwise. Per scanner, it includes ‘two metal structures, fully involved’ with propane tanks nearby.

7:27 PM: SFD has called a 2nd alarm. We just crossed the bridge and got this view:

Avoid the bridge if you can- very smoky. The fire is still spreading per scanner and you’ll want to stay far from E. Marginal too.

7:38 PM: No injuries reported, SFD says. They describe it as a “warehouse fire”; the address checks to a “private event space.”

7:43 PM: SFD is calling a third alarm. We are going back over the bridge.

7:46 PM: Third alarm canceled. Some vehicles reported to be on fire.

(Tweeted by Sareana)

8:06 PM: SFD is reporting progress knocking down the fire but also still calling for more reinforcements. Meantime, thanks for all the photos – we’ve just returned to HQ (we were out in the Alki area checking on the holiday scene when this broke out) and are catching up while monitoring this via scanner. Also, as we noted in a comment, we apologize that our image-upload-in-comment feature is not fixed yet, so even if it looks to you like it’s uploaded, it’s not showing – photos are always welcome at westseattleblog@gmail.com.

8:41 PM: Still fighting the fire, and reporting progress – “well under control” is how it’s been described over SFD radio.

9:02 PM: Checked the traffic cams. Smoke over the West Seattle Bridge appears to have dissipated. On the surface, E. Marginal is still blocked at Spokane:

That’s a “live” SDOT cam view.

9:18 PM: Some units are being dismissed. SFD has tweeted photos including this one:

The tweet says the fire “has been contained to one building. Firefighters will remain on scene through the night working on spot fires.”

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VIDEO: 2018 West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, report #2 – see it all!
July 4, 2018 6:17 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

That’s our video of today’s West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade in North Admiral, in its entirety, from an SPD motorcycle officer and Seattle Fire Engine 29 leading the way, to the very last young parader, as they headed westward from the starting point on Sunset. No way to formally count, but every year it seems bigger – here’s a couple photos showing just part of the crowd toward the start and end of the route:

It’s an informal parade – just show up and you’re in it, coordinated by neighborhood moms for almost a quarter-century – this year, Emily Williams, Nicole Lutomski, and Megan Erb.

Costumes and decorations range from simple to lavish:

A few signs, in the spirit of the day:

It’s not a parade without a banner, although this one was mid-parade:

And at the end of the route – the post-parade party at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, where sack races are a tradition:

The final race this year took a never-before twist!

Also at the park – food trucks (long lines!) and activity booths presented by parade sponsors – among them, WSB sponsors – including A Kid’s Place Too Dentistry:

And Dream Dinners-West Seattle:

Engine 29 was there for tours:

WestSide Baby‘s famous bus was a dropoff spot for diapers:

If you enjoyed being in and/or watching the parade – coordinators are still crowdfunding to cover the costs, and you can contribute here.

P.S. Next West Seattle parade: The WS Grand Parade on Saturday, July 21st, from California/Lander (10:30-ish start for the motorcycle squads, 11 am rest of the parade) to California/Edmunds, preceded this year by the PAWrade – more on that here!

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West Seattle 4th of July 2018: Historical Society’s annual picnic
July 4, 2018 4:37 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle 4th of July 2018: Historical Society’s annual picnic
 |   Holidays | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

Another 4th of July tradition: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s annual picnic at its headquarters, the Log House Museum on Alki. We stopped by around noontime and caught guest speaker Clay Eals, local historian and past SWSHS executive director:

He was speaking about Erma Couden, who died recently at age 103. As noted in her obituary, Ms. Couden was an advocate of “civil rights and local heritage preservation, all grounded in the pursuit of caring human connections.” She also was the wife of SWSHS founder Elliott Couden. Eals’s successor as SWSHS executive director, Jeff McCord, spoke too:

One of the things he wanted to be sure everyone knows about: The SWSHS is celebrating summer with a new event, Open Draw. On three upcoming Thursday nights (July 26th, August 23rd, and September 27th), 5-7 pm, you can draw and drink wine in the Log House Museum’s Native Plant Courtyard. Free of charge except for the wine, which will be $5/glass. The LHM is at 3003 61st SW and is regularly open Thursdays-Sundays, noon-4 pm.

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READER REPORTS: Stolen bike rack; found football gear
July 4, 2018 3:01 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Both reports are from the Schmitz Park Elementary campus vicinity:

FROM MIKE: “Somebody stole our Thule XT Pro bike rack (holds 4 bikes) off our trailer hitch, while parked in our driveway, between 9 pm July 3 and 8:30 am today July 4. Was locked to the hitch too. It’s very heavy, would need a hitch or pick up to take away. Silver/black for the half that has the hitch mount and all black for the add-on half.”

FROM SEAN: “Found this youth gear behind SP near the playfield and suspect the owner may want it back.”

He was not able to scoop it up for safekeeping so if you are looking for it, that’s where to check.

P.S. While we spotlight items like this that might have been stolen and dumped, our main Lost and Found/Non-Pets section is in the WSB Forums, which are self-post.

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UPDATE: 2 West Seattle power outages
July 4, 2018 11:19 am
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

(Added 12:10 pm: Map of outages)

11:19 AM: Thanks for the tip: The Seattle City Light map shows 184 homes/businesses out in Highland Park/Puget Ridge, along 16th SW. No word on the cause yet; Brian says via e-mail, “Explosion was heard toward SSC and then power went out.”

12:03 PM: Checking the SCL site for an update, we see another 299 customers went out just west of the original outage zone, mostly along 21st SW, about half an hour ago. (updated) Added a map image for both outages.

1:19 PM: Tipster Aaron notes that SFD is/was checking out transformers near Riverview Playfield. Meantime, the newer, westernmost outage has dropped in size by about a third.

8:46 PM: As this has stretched on for so long, we tried SCL’s after-hours media pager and just got a call back. The outage was caused by a fire at the base of a pole in the greenbelt by SW Holly – the cause hasn’t been determined – but it’s been difficult for crews to access; they’re “close” to restoration, the spokesperson says.

10:17 PM: We noticed a few minutes ago that the outage was down to 191 customers. And we just got a text that power’s come back on at 21st/Holly. The map might not reflect that immediately.

10:40 PM: Looks like that was it – all but a handful are reconnected, after ~12 hours.

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