day : 27/01/2019 7 results

This is it. Barring some surprise, this will be the third and final week of Highway 99-less-ness, post-Alaskan Way Viaduct closure. A few things to know going in:

REMEMBER THE RAMP: The new Dearborn St. offramp that will take you into downtown from NB 99 before the tunnel entrance is still expected to take a week or so extra to open. So unless there’s a dramatic shortening of that estimate soon, non-tunnel users are really more like halfway through this phase of the squeeze. The tunnel is still expected to open in time for the Monday, February 4, morning commute.

ONE LIGHT(ER) DAY THIS WEEK: Wednesday (January 30th), no classes for Seattle Public Schools (“day between semesters”). Also of note, the Vashon Island School District marks that day Monday; Highline Public Schools, immediately south of here, has no classes Monday for grades 7-12.

CELEBRATION THIS WEEKEND: If you missed our progress-report roundup on Friday and are planning to go to this weekend’s goodbye-viaduct-hello-tunnel celebration, check it out here. The celebration website shows free tickets sold out for all Saturday times, but WSDOT said on Friday’s conference call that there would be some room for walk-ups. The West Seattle Water Taxi will run Saturday (not Sunday – special schedule expected soon) and you’re advised to take sea or land transit to get to the viaduct/tunnel event – “there’s no parking” in the area, you’re warned.

SPEAKING OF THE WATER TAXI: If you’re thinking long term, remember that its two-vessel schedule is scheduled to continue until the 7-days-a-week season starts at the end of March. Not the extra parking, though.

TRAFFIC COVERAGE: We’re back at it at 5:30 am.

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10th anniversary, and centuries of history, for the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle

January 27, 2019 8:05 pm

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| Duwamish Tribe | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, its origins go back decades.

Joleen Haas, the Longhouse’s director, observes that it “really started 30 or 40 years ago … the purpose was to have a home for the Duwamish but also a place to share our history with, and educate, everyone. We surveyed the membership and asked, what more do you want besides (federal) recognition? They said, they wanted a longhouse.” It would be the first since in more than a century, since settlers burned almost 100 Duwamish longhouses in the 1800s and early 1900s.

The search for a site was not easy. The search ranged far and wide, “until the Friends of the Duwamish found this property,” recalled Haas, daughter of Duwamish chair Cecile Hansen, during a recent interview with us at the Longhouse. Finally a site was found in West Seattle, a former dumpsite as Haas recounts. “As soon as we got the land we started planning.” More of the history is recounted on the tribe’s website:

The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center is located on the west side of West Marginal Way in West Seattle overlooking the Duwamish River valley near a village site where the young Chief Seattle grew up. Our Center is across the street from a major archeological site, Duwamish Site No. 1 (45-KI-23), a designated site in the National Register of Historic Places. Archeologists have uncovered a major village dated back to 600 A.D. It was occupied during the fall, winter and early spring and was known for a gathering place for shellfish from the tide flats of the original Duwamish River. Shell middens along the riverbanks are still visible: This is the only remaining stretch of the original Duwamish River.

Tribal Elders in 1927 called the village Ha-AH-poos, had its own shaman (healer), several longhouses, and hundreds of inhabitants that lived there in the 1800’s. Directly north of Ha AH-poos is another major former village, Tul a’lt, or Herrings House, now Herrings House Park. This large village consisted of four medium-sized longhouses (100 ft x 50 ft) and a larger potlatch house more than 300 feet long.

The 6,000-square-foot Duwamish Longhouse’s groundbreaking ceremony was held in June 2007:

(WSB photo, June 2007)

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3 West Seattle road-work notes for Monday and beyond

January 27, 2019 5:57 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

With sunny weather forecast for Monday, here are three projects – not related to #Realign99 (we’ll have a preview later for Week 3 of that!) – that you should know about:

8TH SW: Thanks to the reader who forwarded this notice for 8th SW between Roxbury and Cambridge [map]:

SW JUNEAU: As announced by SDOT at week’s end, curb-ramp work at 35th and Juneau will start “as soon as” tomorrow, with Juneau to be closed between 35th and 36th [map].

SW GENESEE: Also from the “as soon as (tomorrow)” file, as reported here last week, the eastbound lane of SW Genesee between 26th and 30th [map] will be closed for Sound Transit light-rail-research soil sampling.

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West Seattle street scene: Desmond Hansen’s newest signal-box portraits

January 27, 2019 3:33 pm

| 28 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Thanks to the reader who sent photos of West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen‘s latest signal-box work:

That one, at 35th and Fauntleroy, is Nikola Tesla (here’s a picture on Hansen’s Instagram account, including finishing touches). Nearby, at 35th/Avalon:

That’s since been completed too – as you can see here, it’s Macklemore. It’s been almost 11 months since the artist started his project.

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THE BIG PLUNGE: Less than 2 weeks until Special Olympics fundraiser – and beer/food festival! – at Alki

January 27, 2019 2:04 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from promotional pre-plunge event at Alki earlier this month)

February 9th is now less than two weeks away, and we’re learning more about the all-day celebration that’ll be centered on The Big Plunge at Alki. As originally announced by Special Olympics of Washington, it’s a fundraiser and an attempt to set a world record, so the more plungers, the better. This isn’t a run-in-run-out five-minute event, either; it’s set for 10 am-3 pm Saturday, February 9th, and now there is also a plan for a food/beer festival that’s open to all, not just plungers. The day promises a beer garden, food trucks, DJs (listed here), “winter beach games,” even heated changing tents. Here’s how to register for the Plunge.

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BIZNOTE: Flying Apron now open in West Seattle Junction

January 27, 2019 10:51 am

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Four months after Flying Apron announced it would add a West Seattle Junction location in the former Great Harvest space at 4709 California SW, today is opening day. The photos and announcement are out of the WSB inbox this morning:

Because we are SO EXCITED to bring our store to the West Seattle neighborhood, we’re opening to the public starting today – Sunday, 1/27! We’ve still got a few things to complete at the shop and will be working with limited hours to the public for the next two weeks – but we are very excited to launch this new, beautiful store to the West Seattle neighborhood. Expect us to be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, with a few exceptions here and there. If you see us, knock on the door, stop by and say hello! We’ll have a full menu of food and beverage, casual dining, and AMAZING coffee. To find out what we’re about, visit: www.flyingapron.com – Hello neighbors!

Grand Opening is Saturday, February 9th!

Join us on Saturday, February 9th – for our grand opening! We’ll have music and tons of samples! Stop by, say hello, grab some food – this day is on US! We want everyone to experience what it means to Eat Freely. More details to come!

The new location of their vegan/gluten-free eatery is the third West Seattle business for proprietors Angela Cough and Jeff Silva, who also own Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW) and Shack Coffeehouse (2920 SW Avalon Way).

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6 for your West Seattle Sunday

January 27, 2019 6:12 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Alki Point eagle and crow, photographed by Gary Jones)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

CATHOLIC SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES: All three local Catholic schools have open houses today:
–Our Lady of Guadalupe, 9 am-1 pm (34th/Myrtle)
–Holy Family, 10:30 am-2 pm (9615 20th SW)
–Holy Rosary, 12 pm-1:30 pm (4142 42nd SW)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, year-round, in the street in the heart of The Junction. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)

(update: canceled) AFTERNOON TUNES: Stone Shoulder plays folk-rock at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. No cover. (5612 California SW)

M. BUTTERFLY: First matinée of ArtsWest‘s new production, 3 pm. (4711 California SW)

TRIANGULAR JAZZTET: 7-9 pm at The Alley in The Junction. (4509 California SW)

BLUEGRASS JAM/SINGALONG: Bring your instrument(s) – and/or voice – to Parliament Tavern‘s last-Sunday jam. 9 pm. 21+ (4210 SW Admiral Way)

SEE THE FUTURE … via our complete calendar.

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