West Seattle, Washington
13 Friday
10:39 PM: If you’re headed toward the 1st Avenue South Bridge any time soon, be aware that most of the northbound side is blocked by a collision reported to involve four vehicles, one on its side. No life-threatening injuries reported but it’s drawn a big emergency response.
12:42 AM: The camera shows the bridge is clear. SFD confirms injuries were minor.
This past Tuesday’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting was its last one before fall. No headlines, but here are the toplines:
CRIME TRENDS: Same stats Southwest Precinct commander Pierre Davis brought to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce five days earlier: Down 13 percent overall year to year. One point of note, emphasis patrols have helped quiet things at Westwood Village.
COMMUNITY CONCERNS: The recurring gatherings at 24th/Kenyon in memory of murdered musician JuiceThe God (whose downtown killing remains unsolved) are still a concern for nearby residents, as voiced a month earlier too. The night before the meeting, people had gathered there for the victim’s birthday. Capt. Davis said Community Police Team officers had gone out earlier in the day for some cleanup, but he and City Attorney Precinct Liaison Joe Everett said some other approaches might be needed in the long term, such as trespassing enforcement and ensuring the right of way (streets/sidewalks) remains clear. As for the gunfire on that corner in mid-May, Davis said the Gang Unit has identified a few potential suspects and continues to investigate. … A concern about camping in Me-Kwa-Mooks Park had arisen a few days earlier; Davis said officers went to the park earlier Tuesday but didn’t find anyone. He promised to continue patrols. (Later in the week, we heard from an area resident who had CC’d us on her letter of concern to various officials; she said she had been notified “that the City’s encampment crew removed the camps” on Thursday.)
NEXT MEETING: WSCPC meets on third Tuesdays and is expected to resume that schedule in September.
(WSB photo from 2018 Seafair Pirates Landing)
Two weeks from today – on Saturday, July 6th – the Seafair Pirates land on Alki Beach. As usual, they’re expected ashore in the early afternoon. And that’s just one of the big event dates Seafair has officially announced for this summer. Here are a few others with West Seattle impacts:
Monday, July 29th – Parade of Ships, with U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy ships sailing past West Seattle on their way to the downtown waterfront
Thursday-Sunday, August 1st-4th – U.S. Navy Blue Angels, rehearsing and then performing, taking off from and landing at nearby Boeing Field
Lots of other Seafair events elsewhere, of course – the full calendar is here (including local events that are sanctioned, and in some cases participated in, but not presented, by Seafair).
(WSB photo from 2017 Arts in Nature Festival)
As we head into the heart of summer, big events are getting closer – like the 2019 Arts in Nature Festival, just one week away! Here’s the newest preview:
The 20th annual Arts in Nature Festival is right around the corner. Produced by Delridge
Neighborhoods Development Association, this unique FREE Festival on June 29th-30th will feature live musical performances, interactive art installations, creative nature-based activities and more, set in the lush 68-acre landscape of Camp Long, Seattle’s only campground.Come for an hour, or stay all day, enjoy visual art installations in 8 rustic cabins, and full schedules of performances throughout the park each day, including featured musical acts Hollis Wong-Wear, Thaddillac, Tiffany Wilson, and eclectic performances throughout the weekend from performers like Cherdonna Shinatra, NW Tap Connection, Show Brazil!, AU Collective, Totem Star, and so many more.
Arts in Nature Festival: Harmony
June 29 & 30, 2019
Saturday, 11 am – 8 pm / Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm
Camp Long, 5200 35th Ave SW
FREE!!!In addition to interactive art activities and games for all ages, there will be local food trucks on site, and adults can wet their whistle at the festival beer garden. There will also be booths from many of DNDA’s local partners. Bring some cash to purchase items and to donate to the Festival if you can.
Activities abound for kids and adults. Become immersed in your local environment and experience the beauty that exists at the intersection of art, nature and neighborhood.
You can learn more about the Arts in Nature Festival on the DNDA website, www.dnda.org/festival.
(Roxbury Safeway, Kiing County Assessor’s Office photo)
After this Seattle Times report about Safeway‘s renovation plans around the metro area, we checked to see if any local stores were on the list. Safeway’s Sara Osborne tells us yes:
The Roxbury remodel will start in July and the Junction remodel will start in October. The duration of the remodel usually takes about 2 months. Generally, all our remodels this year will include new self-checkout lanes, space dedicated to “Drive Up & Go” grocery pick-up services (if feasible at the location), updated interior décor, refreshed exterior, and upgraded service departments.
Our area’s other Safeway, Admiral, was fully rebuilt from the ground up eight years ago.
(FESTIVAL SCHEDULE HERE … VENDOR LIST HERE … ‘BARK OF MORGAN’ INFO HERE)
Music and more will greet you as soon as you get to the Morgan Junction Community Festival, happening until 4 pm in and around Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW):
That's Bubbleman, watching the Endolyne Children's Choir at the Morgan Junction Community Festival. He's up at 10:45. pic.twitter.com/sMw4A0KKDA
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 22, 2019
As a sponsor, we’re on site for the duration, and right next to us on the north side of the park, you have the chance to talk with Seattle Parks about the future park addition:
They’re seeking opinions on proposed concept for the park, as planning/design continues. Also here on the north side, kids’ art activities. Entertainment is in the park; vendors and community organizations are just to the south, including the lot behind Zeeks Pizza and Whisky West.
More coverage to come!
11:40 AM: Bubbleman has wrapped up after delighting a park full of delighted kids:
Spotted in the crowd: One child who brought a baseball mitt to try to catch bubbles. Right after Bubbleman said bye-bye, the families streamed out here to the north side, many for the face-painting and art activities (balloon artist, too!) … some to check out the park-feedback table next door … and others are talking with Yun Pitre from the Department of Neighborhoods, who has joined their space. Also here, the SPD Mobile Precinct.
On the sidewalk nearby: Chalk art!
And in the park, the next performance is about to begin – world-beat music with Soyaya. Then in about an hour, be here with your dog(s) for the Bark of Morgan!
12:20 PM: All three City Council District 1 candidates are here, with tables between the park and Beveridge Place Pub. Phil Tavel would be here anyway, as he’s helped coordinate the festival and serves as vice president of the Morgan Community Association, which presents it:
Also here, Brendan Kolding and Lisa Herbold:
No speeches scheduled – just a chance to talk with them if you have a question, comment, etc. Two of these three will advance to the general election, depending on how the August 6th primary turns out.
Meantime, Soyaya continues to perform in the park:
And it’s lunchtime! You have multiple options. But if you go over to West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), the fresh-grilled burger/hot dog lunch proceeds all go to support keeping the festival free!
Bark of Morgan coming up at 12:45! Bring your dog(s) to the north side of the park – look for the signs on the fence of the future park addition.
Bark of Morgan dog parade: pic.twitter.com/d2pt0y6YTz
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 22, 2019
1:30 PM: Above, our Twitter video of the parade as it concluded, followed by contests. Cash, for example, won “loudest bark”:
Happening now, a festival favorite – the Splatter of Morgan, on the fence around the future park addition. Paint and squirters provided!
Onstage in the park: Servants of the Rich.
Billed as Celtic folk music, Servants of the Rich has been doing a lot of U.S. oldies pic.twitter.com/HHMd2RwjCW
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 22, 2019
The festival continues until 4 pm.
2:49 PM: This is the quieter home stretch of the festival. The final performers are even playing under the name Quiet Heart (Gary Benson and Ariel Westfall). The banner-towing plane (not associated with the festival!) that was making passes every 15 minutes for a while is gone. Some cool art has been created:
Kids’ craft/art tables are still in action west of us; the Parks table to the east of us is gettng lots of action. The festival is volunteer-powered, and free in no small part thanks to community sponsors (including us):
Remember that supporting local community businesses often also means you’re supporting local community events and activities too.
3:06 PM: The sun finally joined the party!
Festival's final hour. pic.twitter.com/kInKf4O3IF
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 22, 2019
3:47 PM: Cleanup has begun. Congratulations to the Morgan Community Association on a fun 14th annual festival!
That big tent at Jack Block Park is where the Port of Seattle/Northwest Seaport Alliance invites you to visit until 11:30 am to get information/answers about the modernization project they’re about to start at nearby Terminal 5.
Easels are set up with the toplines on everything from project basics to the plan for handling concerns from air pollution to noise.
The entrance to the park is at 2130 Harbor SW, just southeast of Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor). Groundbreaking on the project to make the terminal “big-ship ready” is expected next month.
(Photographed at Lincoln Park by Susan Romanenghi)
Welcome to the first full day of summer!
FIELD DAY & MINI URBAN SURVIVAL SKILLS FAIR: 9 am-5 pm, you’re invited to visit local amateur-radio operators during Field Day – schedule’s in our calendar listing. This year, 11 am-3 pm, there’s also a Mini-Urban Survival Skills Fair. Happening in the field on the south end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. (6000 16h SW)
TERMINAL 5 PROJECT OPEN HOUSE: Coffee, donuts, and info. Come to Jack Block Park 9:30 am-11:30 am to ask questions and get answers about the soon-to-start Terminal 5 project. (2130 Harbor SW)
MORGAN JUNCTION COMMUNITY FESTIVAL: 10 am-4 pm at Morgan Junction Park – entertainment – including The Bubbleman – art activities, vendors, food, the Bark of Morgan dog parade/contests … be there! The schedule and other details are in our calendar listing. We’re a co-sponsor and will be there to cover it as it happens. (6413 California SW)
GRAND REOPENING: Right across the street from the festival, 10 am-6 pm, first day in the new storefront for Thunder Road Guitars and The Bass Shop (WSB sponsors), as previewed here. (6400 California SW)
COOKBOOK/MOVING SALE: 10 am-2 pm, West Seattle cookbook author is “lightening her cookbook library” before a big move. Some kitchen/pantry items too. Location & more here.
MORE THAN TREES: Special event at the Duwamish Longhouse, in partnership with Seattle Parks, teaches you about native-tree ID. Full details here. 11 am. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: First day of the season, as previewed here. 11 am-8 pm. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
(Fledgling crow in Delridge, photographed by Chuck)
LGBTQ/RAINBOW STORY TIME: Special all-ages story time for Pride Month at the High Point Library, 11:30 am-12:30 pm. (3411 SW Raymond)
CHINESE GARDEN KITE FESTIVAL: 2-6 pm at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Bring your own kite or buy one there. Free admission for kids up to 12; suggested donation $3 teens, $5 adults. (6000 16th SW)
SUMMER BARBECUE PARTY: 2-6 pm at Canna Culture, with a DJ, and with Girls Gone BBQ selling food. Games start at 2:30 pm. 21+. (5435 California SW)
SUMMER KICKOFF MUSIC: 6 pm-9 pm at Drunky Two Shoes in White Center, but a lot of West Seattle energy on this:
No cover. All ages. (9655 16th SW)
ART MARKET: 6-10 pm at Tin Dog Brewing in South Park. (309 S. Cloverdale)
AT C & P COFFEE: 7 pm, Mike Spine and Barbara Luna perform at the coffeehouse. No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: 9 pm, The Jesus Chords, Will Rainier & The Pines – “Americana, roots and cool w/some down home solid West Seattle folk.” $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
THERE’S MORE! Just see our complete calendar.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Clear skies and an impressive Friday night sunset treated visitors at West Seattle’s Solstice Park for a summer solstice watch hosted by local volunteer and NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen (pictured above at center-left, holding her trusty globe-on-a-stick and explaining with youth volunteers how the Sun and Earth are positioned at various times of the year).
Enevoldsen, who said she has been organizing these quarterly change-of-seasons gatherings for “10 years — plus one sunset!” talked with attendees about the solstice.
The unique park, uphill from the tennis courts by north Lincoln Park, has paths and markers that were built to align precisely with the sunsets on solstice/equinox days. Prior to sunset just after 9 pm, Enevoldsen showed visitors where to stand to best experience the event.
Several younger attendees were equally happy to run around the markers and burn off some welcome-to-summer energy.
In Seattle, the exact moment of the summer solstice occurred at 8:54 a.m. on Friday, and during the day the sun’s position in the sky was at its highest point of the year (66 degrees).
| Comments Off on UPDATE: Crash on NB 1st Avenue South Bridge