West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
It’s not summer in South Park without the masked wrestlers of Lucha Libre Volcánica putting on a show. Today was the day.
Their ring has popped up in multiple South Park spots in recent years – from Duwamish Waterway Park to a closed street to, today, the future South Park Plaza. The performances, however, haven’t changed – the luchadores work the ring in the Mexico-born style. Like so many variants of pro wrestling over the years, there are characters – heroes and villains – costumes, stage names. Like Santa Muerte:
Here she is in action against Nick Wayne:
Nick and Jet Knight ended that bout triumphant over Santa Muerte and her partner (accomplice?). The opening bout featured Rey Jaguar, El Tapatio, Alcatan, and Dragon Quetzal:
Here’s Rey Jaguar in mid-air:
And Alcatan from the same bout:
Lucha Libre has a lot in common with acrobatics. Check out these moves from Kid Cuervo, Spartano, and Halcon Negro‘s bout:
All the while, the announcer keeps up the running narration, and if not directly involved at the moment, the luchadores will encourage cheering – this is sport/theater that thrives on crowd engagement.
Today’s show was part of the first-ever South Park Barrio Party, which also included vendors, food, and music. Lucha Libre Volcánica – which is a school as well as a troupe – also performs around the region; you can check their schedule here.
Four weeks from today, you’re invited to a golf tournament to raise money for a project to expand the usability of West Seattle High School‘s south playfield by student athletes. First, some background:
West Seattle is growing! More people using the parks has shrunk access by WSHS student athletes. Seattle Public Schools has a joint-use agreement with the Parks department that limits WSHS access in favor of groups who rent Parks fields (such as Hiawatha). Baseball practices for example used to be 3+ hours; today they are less than 2 hours as non WSHS sports teams claim the field.
In 2017 a group of WSHS parents, booster, coaches, and administrators began a campaign to expand field access by installing artificial turf, covered batting cages, fencing, and other athletic training resources on the West Seattle High School south play field — at one time a parking lot and also a dog park. Our growing movement has achieved great progress — individual matching donors have stepped up, Seattle voters approved the BEX V levy, and a growing alumni network is beginning to engage.
The South Playfield Athletic Resources and Cages (SPARC) project will benefit all WSHS students through enhanced PE curriculum and access by all sports teams. This project will provide a turf practice area, covered cages and equipment for all teams at WSHS, benefiting players of all abilities and across all athletics. Proceeds from the Westside Golf Tournament will go toward the construction of SPARC. Investing in this infrastructure project today benefits the community of kids today and the high schoolers of tomorrow.
Now, about the tournament:
Come support the WSHS booster community in our first annual golf tournament at the beautiful High Cedars Golf Course in Orting. The golf tournament will benefit the construction of the South Playfield Athletic Resources and Cages (SPARC) at West Seattle High School.
September 28th, 2019
Registration at 11:30 am, Shotgun Golf Tournament at 1 pm, Dinner and Auction at 6:00 pmFor more information about the SPARC project, to become an event sponsor, or for online tournament registration please visit:
westsidetourney.orgClick here for secure online registration.
Email WSHSgolftournament@gmail.com if you have any questions, or to discuss sponsorship.
Thanks to Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections for the report on and photos from today’s Cycle History ride that WSBC sponsored with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Cascade Bicycle Club:
The theme this year was community gathering places that were initiated and build by neighborhood groups in West Seattle, starting with Highland Park Inprovement Club.
Kay Kirkpatrick filled us in with the club’s 100-year history and current life.
Then we visited Puget Ridge Playground and the Puget Ridge Edible Park, where Helen Shampain met us and showed us their neighborhood’s one-acre permaculture food garden and gathering spot.
At the Disabled American Veterans Hall on Delridge, historian Judy Bentley told us about its former life as the Youngstown Improvement Club, and the place of those clubs in local history.
Then on to the Delridge P-Patch and to Greg Davis Park, where the neighborhood successfully blocked expansion of the West Seattle Golf Course (and removal of their houses), and wound up with a nice little park instead.
Finally, we received a warm reception and refreshments at the Vietnamese Cultural Center on SW Orchard.
Many of those places have community events we feature in our calendar and daily highlights list, as we did for today’s ride – for example, you’re invited to visit the Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard) a week from tomorrow for the Children’s Moonlight Festival.
Two more reader reports of car prowls, starting with one in which someone else’s stuff was left behind:
ARBOR HEIGHTS: From Morgan:
Someone broke into my car last night in Arbor Heights (police report filed) and, in addition to stealing a bag of items to go to Goodwill, left us a stereo faceplate and bike. I’d love to reunite these items with their owners, if possible. Stereo faceplate is a Kenwood; bike is a metallic blue Magna.
If one or both of those might be yours, contact us.
MORGAN JUNCTION: From Ranny: “I would like to report a car prowl in my vehicle on the night of August 28th. I was parked on SW Graham St and California Ave, pretty close to the main road. No windows were bashed in, but petty change and an Apple cord was stolen. Please be careful!”
Thanks to Todd for the tip! He forwarded this email announcement from West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW):
After 35 years, Mark Smith, owner and founder of West Seattle Nursery, is retiring.
His last day on the job will be September 30th.
This business has come a long way from the Christmas tree lot where it began, back in 1984.
Mark has been a great boss and we will miss him. We hope you will stop by this month and wish him well.
We caught up with Mark Smith at the nursery this morning.
He confirmed the announcement and stressed that WSN customers will NOT see a change in operations – he’s working with staffers on a plan for them to take over the nursery. Meantime, he’ll be on the job for another month. Watch for word of a retirement celebration.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Junction Association)
Here’s a reason to get to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market right at the start tomorrow: Your last chance to get a free “swag bag”! The last 100 bags, full of freebies and coupons from local businesses and organizations. The bags were created through a grant-funded collaboration of the Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce. They’ll be available starting at 10 am Sunday at the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle booth at the south end of the market, right at California/Alaska, until they’re gone.
(Fishing at Lincoln Park, photographed earlier this month by Lars Lindblad)
Welcome to the holiday weekend! The highlight list is shorter than many summer Saturdays, but we do have these events of interest:
HISTORY RIDE: Meet at Highland Park Improvement Club at 9:30 am to get ready for the 10 am “Cycle History 2019: The Places of Community” ride. Details on the official ride page. Presented by West Seattle Bike Connections and the Log House Museum. (1116 SW Holden)
SOUTH PARK BARRIO PARTY, WITH LUCHA LIBRE: Noon-8 pm at South Park Plaza:
The Lucha Libre masked-wrestling show is set for 3-5 pm. (14th Ave. S. & S. Dallas)
LOW TIDE: -1.5 feet at 12:09 pm isn’t mega-low, but it’s still a good opportunity for beachwalking.
ANIMAL-RESCUE BENEFIT: 1-3 pm at Ounces, drink beer and buy raffle benefits to support Resilient Hearts Animal Sanctuary. (3809 Delridge Way SW)
CARRIE AKRE: The well-regarded local singer is live in-store at Easy Street Records, 7 pm, celebrating the release of her first new album in more than a decade. Free, all ages. (California/Alaska)
DOG HOUSE PRAYERS: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
‘THE BEST YOU’VE EVER SEEN: “Curated evening of music, film and visual effects,” 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. $8 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
From the “fireworks or gunshots?” file, several explosions heard in Gatewood a short time ago were definitely fireworks. At least one person called them in to 911 as gunshots, but they were close to our HQ and we heard them. In addition, a nearby resident said she found “tubes” from the fireworks – apparently placed/tossed by someone in a vehicle – along SW Thistle.
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