West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
Our coverage of the 2019 West Seattle Grand Parade continues with more of the people who made it memorable. Above, Adah Rhodes Cruzen was this year’s recipient of the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community (named for the parade’s founder, as explained here). Carl Blake – who had a bakery for decades in the space now home to Bakery Nouveau – was Grand Marshal:
Local veterans’ organization leaders often ride in convertibles too, but this year VFW Post 2713 commander Steve Strand walked, carrying the post flag:
Dozens of local Scouts walked in the parade, starting with the Troop 282 flag-bearers at the start:
There were also Sea Scouts:
And Girl Scouts:
Announcing all the entries as they passed, Brian and Christa Callanan in The Junction:
And at the new West Seattle Amateur Radio Club reviewing stand at California/Charlestown, Ron Zuber:
(As mentioned in our parade previews, amateur-radio operators work behind the scenes during the parade to coordinate and monitor everything along the route.) Another parade gallery or two to come before the weekend’s out!
(Photo courtesy Michelle Edwards)
Those are some of the hard-working volunteers who make the West Seattle Grand Parade happen – the judges! They’ve sent the awards list from today’s parade, and we’re adding video/photos we took along the way:
On behalf of Barbara Edwards (above center) and the West Seattle Grand Parade Judges, here is the list of winners from today’s parade:
OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNERS:
1st Place: Seattle Schools All City Marching Band
2nd Place: Sumner High School Spartan Marching Band:
3rd Place: Seafair Pirates
First @SeafairPirates cannon blast of @wsparade pic.twitter.com/CbEvAPeiy7
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 20, 2019
Marching Bands:
1st Place – Seattle Schools All-City Marching Band:
2nd Place – Sumner High School Spartan Marching Band:
Tie for 3rd Place:
Rainbow City Marching Band and Spinout:Kennedy Catholic High School Marching Band:
Performing Acts:
1st Place: Seafair Pirates:
2nd Place: Pathfinder K-8 School Unicycle Team:
3rd Place: Joyas Mestizas – Seattle Mexican Folk Dance Youth:
Cars & Motorcycles:
1st Place: West Seattle Amateur Radio Club:
2nd Place: 1942 American LaFrance Fire Truck
3rd Place: Camp Crockett Dog Day Camp:
Commercial:
1st Place: Counterforce Taekwando:
2nd Place: O’Neill Plumbing:
3rd Place: Luna Park Café:
Community:
1st Place: Hope Lutheran School:
2nd Place: West Seattle Bengals Youth Football & Cheer
3rd Place: WA State Sons of the American Revolution
Drill Teams Jr & Cheer Squads:
1st Place: Butterfly Electronettes Drill Team:
Tied for 2nd Place:
West City Rope Ninjas & Ropeworks:Washington Diamonds Drill Team Jr.
Drill Teams Sr.:
1st Place: Washington Diamonds Drill Team & Drums:
2nd Place: Electronettes Drill Team & Drum Squad
3rd Place: West Seattle High School Cheer:
Floats:
1st Place: Holy Rosary School:
2nd Place: West Seattle Lions Club:
3rd Place: Skunkworks Robotics:
We’ll continue to add video and/or photos of the winners listed above, and we have other parade galleries in the works too.
Eight months after their previous announced-with-little-notice West Seattle Junction walking tour, Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best took another quick spin through the area this morning.
They dropped in on several local businesses, and some businesses’ proprietors walked with them, but there was no general-public coffee chat like the one they held last time.
They followed it up by walking in the West Seattle Grand Parade.
Not much information yet, but police are investigating after a body washed up on a south West Seattle beach. It was first reported by a passing boater as “somewhere between Seahurst and Lowman,” police tell us, and then a kayaker’s report helped them locate the body on a beach between Brace Point and The Arroyos. All they know is that the person appears to be female. They have called in the Medical Examiner, whose job it will be to determine the cause of death and identification.
Between the Float Dodger 5K and the West Seattle Grand Parade, dogs and their people had a chance to stroll The Junction this morning in the second annual PAWrade. Creativity and whimsy abounded:
So did cuddliness:
The PAWrade was organized by Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association (below left):
The PAWrade even had its own marching band – the Junior All-City Band.
10:52 AM: Just under way from California/Lander, headed south to The Junction (California/Edmunds), the 2019 West Seattle Grand Parade is on! ~75 entries, as we’ve been previewing for the past week-plus. The Seattle and Vancouver (BC) Police Motorcycle Drill Teams lead the way, and then the rest of the parade – preceded again this year, by the PAWrade in The Junction. We’ll be tweeting some of the sights alnng the way (@westseattleblog) with an update here when it’s over, and multiple reports with photos and video here on WSB later.
12:33 PM: The parade has just ended at the north end of the route. We’ll update again when it’s concluded in The Junction.
1:22 PM: The last entry has passed the end of the route. Streets will be reopening.
P.S. While we put together comprehensive coverage in the hours ahead, here’s our vote for one of the liveliest parade moments – (updated) Miss Seafair 2015, Nella Kwan, with disco moves, instead of riding in a convertible doing the parade wave:
Miss @SeafairFestival is "Stayin' Alive" pic.twitter.com/GIJbFPBA3E
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 20, 2019
9:41 AM: The first of today’s big events is on! The Float Dodger 5K has left Hiawatha, headed down California SW on the parade route. The West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor)-presented 5K, benefiting West Seattle Helpline, was on hiatus last year, but back this year as an opening act for the West Seattle Grand Parade. After leaving the Hiawatha track, the runners “dodged” the Rotary Club “wheel” float in the street and then headed south. Awaiting them back at Hiawatha: Root-beer floats.
9:49 AM: Above, that’s our video of everyone leaving the start line. Below, runners as they arrived in The Junction:
At left, West Seattle Runner proprietors Lori McConnell and Tim McConnell ran the race in addition to presenting it:
And we can hear the announcement of the first runners arriving back at Hiawatha! Results later – plus more of the pre-race fun, including the costume contest.
ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Results for the 300+ timed runners are here.
That’s a “live” SDOT view of California/Alaska, part of the route for the two big events that start the day with road-closure and parking-restriction alerts, the West Seattle Grand Parade and, just before it, the Float Dodger 5K. California SW will be closed starting at ~7 am at the south side of SW Admiral Way, and the rest of the way south to SW Edmunds by ~9 am, with restrictions on streets to the west and east, especially toward both ends of the route, for staging/detours. When you see those no-parking signs and barricades, take them seriously! (Find bus reroutes here.) As for what else you need to know about those events and what else is happening today:
FLOAT DODGER 5K: Before the West Seattle Grand Parade, run/walk the route, in the Float Dodger 5K, presented by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor)! Last-minute registration starts at 8 am; kids’ dash on the track at 8:45 am; race starts at 9:30 am. Hiawatha Playfield and onto the parade route. More info here. (2700 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE GRAND PARADE: The Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., Police Motorcycle Drill Teams start from California/Lander between 10:30 and 11 am, rest of the parade 11 am, heading south on California to Edmunds in The Junction. Our most-recent preview of this year’s parade are here. As reported here, this year’s Orville Rummel Trophy winner is Adah Rhodes Cruzen; grand marshal is Carl Blake; come cheer hundreds of your neighbors as they roll, walk, ride, jump, dance, etc. down the parade route. (California SW between The Admiral District and The Junction)
PAWRADE: Right before the Grand Parade, at 11 am from California/Genesee to California/Edmunds, people and pooches will parade in the second annual PAWrade. Free to participate, and if you haven’t pre-registered, it’s OK, just show up – details here.
WHITE CENTER JUBILEE DAYS: Street fair 11 am-8 pm today, on 16th SW between Roxbury and SW 100th; car show 11 am-5 pm at 100th/WC cutoff. See the music lineup here – it’s happening 5-10 pm inside Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW). Also, the carnival continues at WC Heights Elementary, 11 am-11 pm today. (10015 6th SW)
Also:
COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC: Another swim-meet day.
WHITE CENTER LIBRARY GUILD SIDEWALK SALE: 10 am-3 pm, info here. (1409 SW 107th)
SEATTLE YARN SIDEWALK SALE: Today and tomorrow 10 am-5 pm. “Sale and clearance items from 30%-60% off; all regular priced items 10% off.” (5633 California SW)
FREE PIZZA: At Ounces, noon-2 pm (while it lasts), free slices from West of Chicago Pizza. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
TALK WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: Drop-in conversation with Leslie Harris, 3-5 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. (2306 42nd SW)
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION PARTY: At the Tug Inn, 6-9 pm. (2216 SW Orchard)
ROO AND THE FEW: 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), no cover, all ages. (5612 California SW)
LOTS MORE … see our complete calendar!
Your ballot has likely arrived by now, and you have until the night of Tuesday, August 6th, to vote. While the City Council District 1 race is not the only thing on your ballot, it’s the highest-profile race in our area and the three contenders answered questions side by side again Thursday night, this time at a forum presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). We recorded it all on video:
It ran just under an hour. If you can’t (or don’t want to) take the time to watch/listen, ahead you’ll find our brief highlights of the Q&A – not direct quotes unless marked as such:
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