West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
The photo and report are from Eilene Hutchinson:
Around 7:40 this evening, we were just south of Salty’s when we were startled by a loud sound and looked up to see a whale surfacing close to shore. We believe this was a gray whale.
It moved off to the north along the Harbor Ave shoreline. We drove to Duwamish Head, where along with others, we watched it surface a number of times before the whale headed southwest toward Alki Point about 8:00 PM.
When the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meets tomorrow, they will no doubt hear about the milestone reached at the encampment on Friday: Its last tent was taken down, replaced by another “tiny house.” Donors have been funding the construction, which has been done under a tent on C2C’s Myers Way Parcels site:
Though Saturdays are the days with big volunteer turnouts, a few were at the camp on Friday, including Tomasz Biernacki, who showed us another recent upgrade:
That’s the shower trailer donated to the camp by the Kent Sunrise Rotary. As we’ve reported in previous CAC coverage, the camp had been seeking better hygiene access; previously, it had been getting weekly visits from a mobile shower trailer. This one is set up with an electric water heater (below) connected to the power grid; the water is trucked in and trucked out.
As of our visit Friday, the plan was to build 6 more tiny houses for C2C, which would bring the total to 50, housing about 60 people. Two additional ones would replace the “overnight tent” by the camp entrance.
Biernacki also noted that some of the tiny houses still need to be painted and said the White Center Community Development Association‘s upcoming Refresh event will include that. Meantime, if you have questions or comments about the camp, Sunday’s Community Advisory Council meeting is at 2 pm at Arrowhead Gardens (9200 2nd SW).
The report and photo are from proud mom Cori Roed:
Nicole Roed (Chief Sealth ’15) just graduated with a degree in exercise science from Cal Lutheran University and was named 1st Team All-American for Water Polo 2019.
So far this summer, Cori adds, Nicole is “currently coaching swim and water polo at Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club and looking for a job in the sports sciences.”
She is now a three-time All-American! She helped lead her team to its first national-championship tournament appearance in a decade.
Bryson‘s mom Mel sent that photo, reporting that he “had a fun time fishing for the first time at the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club event this morning.” This was the annual free fishing pond at Seacrest, presented each year by the WSSC for kids up to 14:
(WSB photos from here)
The morning started off foggy, but spirits under the tent were bright:
The club provides the gear and gets the temporary pond stocked with more than 200 trout for the occasion.
8:16 PM: Hearing the sirens? Big SFD response on Alki, described as “Fireboat and rescue swimmers responding to the water near 2500 Blk. of Alki Ave. SW for possible paddleboarder in distress.”
8:20 PM: SFD says the paddleboarder was found and didn’t need help after all, so they’re canceling the response.
(Photo courtesy Seattle Yarn)
The doors were open a little later than usual tonight at Seattle Yarn (5633 California SW) because of four knitters including, L-R above, Sharon Larson, Elspeth Jones, and Katie Weber. They are speed-knitting as part of a global competition called Sock Madness. And they’ve made it into the semifinals, four Seattle Yarn regulars in the final 100 (trimmed from more than 1,000 original competitors). Seattle Yarn co-proprietor Destiny Itano explains that it’s all about how quickly they can knit a pair of socks; she’s competed before, as has Elspeth, but, she says, it’s Sharon’s first time “and she’s killin’ it!”
(WSB photo)
The competition has some tough rules including no time to get familiar with the pattern – it’s sent to competitors and then it’s time to knit!
P.S. We learned while at the shop that next Saturday (June 8th) is Worldwide Knit in Public Day. Watch for some pop-up knitting events!
If you went to West Seattle High School – whatever the year – this reunion is for you. All classes, all years are invited to the annual all-school reunion, continuing until 7 pm.
Besides a special spotlight on the class that’s celebrating 50 years since its graduation – this year, that’s 1969 – there are special celebrations too.
Two more alumni are being inducted into the Hall of Fame – from the Class of 1965, journalist/author Elizabeth Becker, and from the class of 1978, Christine Charbonneau, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands. And the reunion also celebrates scholarships awarded to more than 20 outstanding students. Note that the setup changed this year – everybody’s in the commons instead of breaking up into multiple classrooms.
P.S. This year’s unofficial afterparty gets going at Whisky West (6451 California SW) around 7:30 pm, and the WSHS Alumni Association says it’s the last one that musician Tim Turner plans to host.
White Center has four @HONKFestWest stages on 16th SW between Roxbury and SW 98th – until 6! pic.twitter.com/sVQHZboWRu
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 1, 2019
You can walk, run, dance in the street for two more hours as HONK! Fest West bands play White Center on the second day of this year’s festival. Bands change every 20 minutes on the four stages along 16th SW south of Roxbury, so just a quick visit will get you a chance to check out a lot of music.
(WSB photos)
If you don’t get to White Center by 6 pm today, HONK! Fest West moves to Columbia City for its final day, 2-6 pm tomorrow.
We spotted that SDOT crew on SW Thistle at 30th SW this afternoon. They’re marking the spot for another crossing island that’s part of the West Seattle Neighborhood Greenway project. As shown on the project page map, the greenway runs on 30th north to SW Kenyon, where it jogs up to 34th SW; a crossing island is in the works at 34th/Morgan, too, and one is already installed on SW Trenton at 30th.
Usually you’ll find the gear and guides of Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) at their shop in The Junction (4502 42nd SW) or out on the water somewhere. Today – until 3 pm – they’re in the park at Me-Kwa-Mooks, for the annual Fly Fest. You can try out gear and check out demos/classes – the day got going wth one geared for women:
You can also meet vendors:
And you can talk with volunteers from this year’s spotlight nonprofit, Casting for Recovery, which sends 14 breast-cancer survivors on a fly-fishing retreat every year Casting for Recovery reps tell us that women can apply for the retreat each year; so far they have 50 applicants for the fall spots, and a lottery will choose who goes. Also in the park, the biggest Guide Cookoff ever:
That’s EWA proprietor Dave McCoy explaining the rules – 11 guides had 30 minutes to prepare the kind of dish they’d cook for themselves and two clients.
This year, even a trophy! We’ll add the list of guides and dishes later (booking guided trips is something else you can do through EWA). But here’s one – salmon with strawberry cilantro salsa:
Me-Kwa-Mooks is at 4503 Beach Drive SW.
Do you know where your nearest Emergency Communication Hub is? If you don’t, finding it on the map and memorizing it is the single most important takeaway from that story. Two of the hubs – volunteer-staffed rendezvous points that would be set up in case of catastrophe – are “activated” right now as part of a citywide drill, explained in the announcement:
The drill simulates conditions the day after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake along the Seattle Fault has caused extensive infrastructure damage. The damage from such a quake would likely include a failure of grid power and cellular service, making communications and emergency services a challenge. Because the Hubs are key gathering points for neighborhoods, communications between the Hubs, (Auxiliary Communication Service), and the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are critical. Much of the exercise will involve moving simulated messages around the city using field- deployed, off-grid communications.
The two hubs participating in the drill, which continues until noon, include Hiawatha and Morgan Junction Park. We stopped at the latter:
Though to the unknowing passerby it might have looked like a lot of standing/sitting around, everyone has a role, and periodic drills like this are vital to keep plans and skills top-of-mind.
Again, these preparations – and what would happen if disaster struck – are all-volunteer efforts. It’s been stressed time and time again that the “officials” will be overwhelmed so especially in the early aftermath, you have to be ready to help yourself, your family, your neighbors. And if you are interested in setting up a hub – here’s how.
(River Otter, photographed by Robin Sinner, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
It’s a huge Saturday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and preview coverage:
KIDS’ FISHING POND: ~250 trout are in a temporary pond at Seacrest, awaiting kids/youth trying their hand at catching them, 8 am-11 am:
We photographed the fish after they were trucked in on Friday afternoon. The West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club presents the fishing pond every year and provides all the gear, free, first come first served while the fish last. (1660 Harbor Avenue SW)
DISASTER DRILL: 9 am-noon, two of West Seattle’s volunteer-staffed Emergency Communication Hubs will be “activated” as part of a citywide drill. You’re welcome to stop by and watch, learn, maybe even get drafted into role-playing. One hub is on the baseball field at Hiawatha (2700 California SW), the other is at Morgan Junction ParK (6383 California SW).
EMERALD WATER ANGLERS FLY FEST: Me-Kwa-Mooks gets taken over by a celebration of fly fishing, 9 am-3 pm, from gear to demos to camp cooking. Presented by Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor). Here’s a schedule with the highlights. (4503 Beach Drive SW)
DELRIDGE TRIANGLE: 9 am, be at Highland Park Improvement Club to help plan the future of the Delridge/Barton “triangle,” as previewed here. (1116 SW Holden)
‘WALK NATIVE LAND’: Celebrate National Trails Day by joining the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group on a walk with Ken Workman of the Duwamish Tribe. 10 am. Details in our preview. Meet at trailhead near the Seattle Chinese Garden, located on South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) north side. (6000 16th SW)
ORCA ACTION MONTH KAYAK TOUR: You might not see an orca but you’re guaranteed to learn about them! Special Saturday 10 am tours this month with Alki Kayak Tours – info here. (1660 Harbor SW)
GATOR GREEN FEST: The Gatewood Elementary PTA invites everyone to join the school celebration of sustainability and the environment – special activities and more on the playground, 11 am-2 pm. (4320 SW Myrtle)
HABIT BURGER FREEBIES: 11:30 am-1:30 pm and 5-7 pm are the first soft-open sessions for the new burger joint – as previewed here, up to 200 freebies for each session. (3501 SW Avalon Way)
COLMAN POOL: Another pre-season weekend at the city-owned outdoor pool on the shore at Lincoln Park, noon-7 pm – see the session schedule here. (8603 Fauntleroy Way SW)
HONK! FEST WEST IN WHITE CENTER: 1-6 pm, the free street-band festival goes wild on four informal stages. 16th SW will be closed between Roxbury and 98th. Map here; band schedule here.
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-CLASS REUNION: 4-7 pm at WSHS – note the format is different this year. See that explanation, plus the schedule, here. (3000 California SW)
FLY TYING WITH KATE WATSON: 6 pm at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor), follow up the Fly Fest with Kate, tying traditional summer steelhead flies. Check here for tickets. (4502 42nd SW)
THE ’80S ARE BACK: Tickets still available for this party raising money for the Sanislo Elementary PTA. 6 pm at South Seattle College’s Brockey Center. (6000 16th SW)
HIGHLINE BEARS OPENING NIGHT: Festivities at 6:45 pm, game starts at 7:10 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park as the summer collegiate baseball team the Highline Bears (WSB sponsor) play the Laces. Get your tickets here. (1310 SW 102nd)
CHRISTY McWILSON: 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
UNOFFICIAL WSHS REUNION AFTER-PARTY: 7:30 pm at Whisky West. Tim Turner‘s last year hosting. Details here. 21+. (6451 California SW)
PSYCH ROCK/SHOEGAZE: Trio of bands at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm: Black Night Crash, Head Band, Floored Faces. $7. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
EVEN MORE … for tonight/tomorrow/beyond, all on our complete calendar.
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