West Seattle, Washington
08 Sunday
Be part of the parties tomorrow as two independent local West Seattle businesses celebrate:
(Photo by Click!)
15TH ANNIVERSARY FOR CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS: Major milestone for Click! (WSB sponsor) at 4540 California SW, and you are invited to the party 4-7 pm Saturday. Food, drink, deals, all detailed here, including the annual Employee Art Pop-Up.
Down the street in Morgan Junction:
(WSB photo from last month)
GRAND OPENING AT PAPER BOAT BOOKSELLERS: After a few well-received weeks in something of a soft-open mode, the new bookstore at 6040 California SW is having an official grand-opening celebration, also including food and drink, plus prizes, a story time, and more, 10 am-5 pm Saturday, all detailed here.
The photo is from Pam, one of a half-dozen-plus people who have messaged us wondering about the yellow tape at the former Fire Station 37 (privately owned since the city sold the landmarked property seven years ago). The tape’s been there a few days, as we told a texter last night, but then when police cars were spotted there as well at midday today, sparking a rush of other inquiries, we asked SPD. Today’s response was to check out possible trespassing, we’re told. No one located. (That doesn’t explain the tape, but it has many possible uses, more often “hazard” than “crime.”)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:28 PM FRIDAY: Thanks to Eddie for the photos. As previewed here earlier this week, the tower crane for the two-building, ~300-unit Legacy Partners project at 4721 Fauntleroy Way SW and 4721 38th SW is going up today. Work started early this morning.
This breaks a four-month spell of tower-crane-lessness in West Seattle, since the one at 2749 California SW came down in May; that’s the mixed-use project where the new PCC Community Markets (WSB sponsor) store opened two days ago.
ADDED SATURDAY: Another photo from Eddie – the finished installation:
If you’re heading through North Delridge shortly, heads-up about a crash at Delridge/Dakota. A caller says a Seattle City Light truck is involved, but traffic is getting by. No SFD callout, which suggests no injuries.
Thanks to @macjustice for tweeting the photo – that’s the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, headed home to Bremerton. It’s been gone for almost three weeks, including a stop in San Diego, where a 21-year-old sailor was killed in a fall onboard. MarineTraffic.com shows the Nimitz currently rounding the south end of Bainbridge Island, heading into Rich Passage.
(Steller’s Jay, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Highlights for October’s first Friday:
BINGO! Every Friday, you are invited to play at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 11 am-2:30 pm, as long as you’re at least 18 years old. (4217 SW Oregon)
FALL FASHION SHOW: Three Junction businesses are presenting this night of fun – Lika Love (4547 California SW), Virago Gallery (4537 California SW), Carmilia’s (4528 California SW). 5-6:30, shopping; 6:30 pm show; 7:30 pm cocktail hour and raffle benefiting WestSide Baby. More info in our calendar listing.
CORNER BAR: The monthly pop-up bar and neighborhood hangout starts at 6 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club, continuing HPIC’s centennial countdown by celebrating the ’00s. (1116 SW Holden)
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: 6:30 pm at Resting Waters, as part of Deathsploration Month. (9205 35th SW)
NADINE WALDMANN: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
FOOTBALL: This week’s local home game is homecoming for West Seattle HS, vs. Franklin, 7 pm at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) … Also tonight at 7, Seattle Prep vs. O’Dea at West Seattle Stadium. (4432 35th SW)
LISA PRANK: Live in-store at Easy Street Records, 7 pm. Free, all ages. (California/Alaska)
CASEY MACGILL: 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall:
Hall favorite Casey MacGill has performed on Broadway, in film, and at international festivals — crooning, strumming, and trumpeting his way into the hearts of all who have experienced the joy with which he makes music come alive. Earlier this year he appeared to great acclaim at the hall with his new trio, including pianist Tony Foster, and bassist Nate Parker, and we’re delighted to have him back to ease us into autumn.
In this concert, Casey steps out from behind the keyboard as a stand-up singer, cornetist, and ukulelist, and his show features songs from the Great American Songbook, as well as Casey’s original compositions.
Front reserved table seats are $14. Row seating is $12 general and $10 seniors. With a reservation, row seating is $10 general and $8 seniors. Elementary, middle, and high school students are $5. Email kenyonhall@earthlink.net to reserve. (7904 35th SW)
‘SUNSET BABY’: 7:30 pm curtain again tonight at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), “Sunset Baby” by Dominique Morisseau. Ticket info here. (4711 California SW)
AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: “Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Shpilkis (klezmer horns) and The m9 (Balkan Romani brass).” 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. $10 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MORE! See our complete calendar for the full list, and browse beyond.
The photo and announcement are from Sound Physical Therapy, one of a half-dozen local clinics that would love to team up with you this month to fight hunter:
October is National Physical Therapy Month, and Physical Therapy clinics in West Seattle are holding their 8th annual food drive to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank!!
Last year, more than 2,900 pounds of food and supplies were collected by the participating clinics and we are hoping to far surpass this total in 2019!
Donations are welcome thru October at the following clinics:
Sound Physical Therapy – 3823 Delridge Way SW
Highline Physical Therapy – 4700 42nd Ave. SW #510
Kinetic Physical Therapy – 4828 California Ave. SW
Life in Balance – 5410 California Ave. SW #101
West Seattle Physical Therapy – 4545 41 st Ave. SW
Biojunction Sports Therapy – 3727 California Ave. SW #1AYou do not need to be a patient to participate! Feel free to drop off non-perishable food or
items at your convenience. A list of suggested items is available at westseattlefoodbank.org.
All but one of the clinic links above will take you to pages with the hours they are open, so you can plan when to drop off your donation!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning.
AVALON/35TH INTERSECTION CLOSURE: Starts at 9 am today, could last until early Monday (the first one, however, ended early, so we’ll be checking progress by Sunday pm). Find Metro changes here – for routes 21, 50 and 55, the RapidRide C Line, and the West Seattle Water Taxi Shuttle Route 773.
TOWER CRANE INSTALLATION: This was scheduled to have started early today – tower-crane installation for the 4722 Fauntleroy/4721 38th SW project; developers says staging is planned on the east side of the site, NOT on Fauntleroy.
Even more grocery news! Four weeks after signing the lease for their store space, Delridge Grocery Co-op has just announced what’s next:
With the Delridge Grocery Co-op and the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) officially signing off on the lease for the retail space at Cottage Grove Commons, construction will be starting this autumn. And that means it’s time for a party!
Come join fellow member-owners from our diverse Delridge and West Seattle community on November 2 as we say thanks for your help in getting us to this point and look toward the future opening of the Delridge Grocery Co-op in 2020.
We’ll have an old-fashioned groundbreaking ceremony with local dignitaries, delicious treats, and you’ll get a peek into the retail space. DGC members will also receive a special gift as well as a yard sign to help us spread the word.
(If you’re not a member yet, you can sign up during the Groundbreaking Party, or join today.)
After the Groundbreaking Party winds down, you’re invited to the Delridge Grocery Co-op 2019 Annual Meeting, which will be held inside the new Cottage Grove Commons retail space. Get more details on the progress we made this year, meet the current Board and other key volunteers working to open the DGC, hear about upcoming Board openings, and more.
Where: Cottage Grove Commons, 5444 Delridge Way SW
When: Saturday, November 2; 11 am to 1 pm for Groundbreaking Party; 1 pm to 2 pm for Annual Meeting
This has been 10 years in the making. It started as Delridge Produce Co-op and evolved to Delridge Grocery in 2013.
(Photo courtesy NOAA Fisheries)
While a whale sighting can be a delight for ferry riders, it also poses a risk for the whales if the vessel’s too close. Washington State Ferries announced this week that it’s now using a regional alert system:
Washington State Ferries has initiated use of a whale alert app and web-based system this week that will provide ferry captains more accurate and updated location information for southern resident orcas and other whales throughout Puget Sound. Access to Ocean Wise’s Whale Report Alert System (WRAS) is only granted to the commercial maritime operators such as ferries, ships and tugs. It is not available for public use or for whale watch operators.
The WRAS relies on real-time sightings, reported by members of the public via Ocean Wise’s WhaleReport smartphone application, to inform commercial mariners of whale presence. The system is expected to provide ferry captains and other commercial mariners with better information about large marine mammal locations in the vicinity of their vessels so ferry captains can make decisions to change course or reduce speed to avoid disturbing or colliding with marine mammals.
Each alert also supplies other pertinent details such as the species observed, the direction of whale travel, the time of the report and the number of whales in the group. This desktop interface allows watch standers at WSF’s operations centers to monitor the location of whale sightings relative to fleet vessel positions and relay whale presence information to captains as required.
“Because we operate our 22 ferries on Puget Sound and manage 20 terminals on its shores, we have an obligation to ensure WSF is doing everything we can to protect our environment, including marine life,” said WSF Assistant Secretary Amy Scarton.
WRAS was developed by Ocean Wise with funding from the Government of Canada, the Port of Prince Rupert, and the Port of Vancouver’s Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program,. WSF has been a member of the ECHO program’s Advisory Working Group since 2015 and helped in beta testing of WRAS.
(2017 photo by Trileigh Tucker)
If you want to help ensure we keep seeing them, set aside a few hours later this month to do this:
(2016 photo by Leda Costa for WSB)
Two weeks from Saturday, it’s the fall edition of
Join Duwamish Alive! this Fall as our salmon are returning in our Duwamish River and Longfellow Creek, with this watershed wide effort in improving the health of our salmon by restoring their habitat which provides food, shelter and cool, clean water that salmon need. Volunteers will be restoring native habitat on in multiple urban parks and open spaces by removing invasive weeds, planting native plants, removing debris and learning about healthy habitat. This is a family-friendly event, all ages welcomed and encouraged.
To volunteer, visit DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and register for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org
As you’ll see on the Duwamish Alive! link, your options include more than half a dozen sites here in West Seattle, and others elsewhere.
Yes, there’s other grocery-store news between the two grand openings! Notes about two WSB sponsors:
METROPOLITAN MARKET: Forest reports that “the west (42nd Ave.) sidewalk and entrance door are taped off this afternoon while the store exterior is being repainted.”
WEST SEATTLE THRIFTWAY: Big sale the next three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). 20 of the deals are shown on the Thriftway website’s home page.
If you’re a renter, you should know about your rights. The Junction Neighborhood Organization, JuNO, is offering you an easy chance to learn, at the next JuNO meeting Monday night. Here’s the preview:
Helena Benedict with the Tenants Union of Washington State will give an overview of tenants’ rights and responsibilities. It will cover both the state and city laws and touch on all stages of renting. A short question and answer session will follow the presentation.
Also:
Cecilia Gunn with Sound Transit will give an update about light-rail route alternatives that are being studied in the Draft EIS, timeline and how the community can be involved in this process.
And:
JuNO needs new officers starting in 2020! Amanda Sawyer will discuss officer elections and how to run!
We hope to see you Monday, October 7, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the West Seattle Senior Center. (4217 SW Oregon St, upstairs)
SFD is out on a “wires down” incident at 61st/Spokane. A reader just texted these details:
City utilities conducting water work on 61st and SW. Spokane St. knocked out major powerline. Wire is live! Street is blocked off. Powerline worker trapped in truck as the wire is touching the vehicle. In front of my house. Police and firefighters present, currently waiting on city light to address the issue.
Avoid the area.
The weekly update from the Avalon/35th project team is just in, and as you’d expect, it starts with the intersection closure:
35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way Intersection Closures:
Tomorrow, we are planning for our second weekend closure of the 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way intersection. We need to close the intersection to rebuild it. If there is significant rain in the forecast this weekend, we will postpone the intersection work to the following weekend of Friday, October 11 through Monday, October 14. During the closure, please expect:
· The intersection to be closed from Friday, October 4 at 9 AM to Monday, October 7 to 5 AM
o This intersection closure is weather dependent and subject to change. We will provide updates if the weather this weekend will not allow for work.
· We will coordinate with King County Metro on bus stops and routes. Check Metro Rider Alerts for the most up-to-date information.
· No parking signs on 37th Ave SW, 38th Ave SW, and SW Hanford St (east of California Ave SW) to accommodate metro buses and detour traffic
· Once crews complete work this weekend, this work may take up to 1 additional weekend to complete
· Please follow posted detour routes, see map below
The 35th Ave SW and Avalon Way SW intersection must be rebuilt to extend the useful life of the pavement. The project will also make utility upgrades and improvements for people walking, bicycling, driving, and riding the bus. Closing the intersection is necessary for the safety of the traveling public and it will allow us to complete this work as quickly and safely as possible.
Zone C and Zone D (SW Avalon Way from Fauntleroy Way SW to just east of 35th Ave SW)
Crews are excavating and completing concrete paving on the south side of SW Avalon Way in part of Zone C Zone D. Please note:
· Crews will continue pouring concrete curbs on SW Avalon Way east of 35th Ave SW
· Crews will be pouring concrete west of 35th Ave SW as soon as next week
· Crews will continue demolishing pavement in the western half of Zone D next week
Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)
· Crews are pouring concrete in the center lane on SW Avalon Way this week
· Crews will switch to conduct work on the east side of 35th Ave SW as soon as the week of October 14
As noted in multiple local SDOT briefings we’ve covered recently, the city says the project is on schedule. The second phase – finalizing striping/channelization – won’t happen until next spring.
(Cooper’s Hawk, photographed by Grant Samples)
What’s ahead for the rest of your Thursday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SENIORS OF COLOR SOARING: 10 am at Senior Center of West Seattle. “Learn how to age well & maintain your health, connect with other seniors of color, share your stories, ideas, and knowledge, grow relationships across cultures and generations, celebrate senior diversity & more.” (4217 SW Oregon)
POSTCARDS TO VOTERS: Local advocates are reaching across the miles by mail. Read what it’s about here; drop in at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) 10 am-noon. More info here. (5612 California SW)
DROP OFF SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE ENTRIES: 10 am-8 pm, drop off your entries (up to three!) at the Southwest Library. (9010 35th SW)
YMCA HALF-DAY PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 1:30-2:30 pm at Hallows Church, come visit the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor)’s new half-day preschool location. If you miss this open house, there’s another next Tuesday. (3420 SW Cloverdale)
LIBRARYLAB – AMUSEMENT PARK SCIENCE: 3-4:30 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, for kids 4-10: “Join us and design your own amusement park attractions.” (2306 42nd SW)
FAMILY CONNECTORS UNIVERSITY: Starting 6 pm tonight at Neighborhood House High Point, “10 weeks of classes to learn how to navigate the school system, how to create a higher education culture at home, and how to support a child’s academic success.” More info in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
BILL DAVIE: 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), no cover, all ages. (5612 California SW)
NORTH HIGHLINE UNINCORPORATED AREA COUNCIL: 7 pm at North Highline Fire District HQ, it’s the community council for White Center and vicinity. Tonight’s agenda includes a visit from King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht. (1243 SW 112th)
‘SUNSET BABY’: 7:30 pm curtain for the second-week start of this production at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), by Dominique Morisseau:
When the tough, independent Nina is visited by her father, a former revolutionary in the Black liberation movement, she can’t tell what he’s after–a fix to their broken relationship, or the cache of letters that ties their fates together. As father and daughter circle one another, old wounds are revealed, generational differences exposed, and blazing truths laid bare.
Ticket info here. (4711 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE SOUL: Get funky at Parliament Tavern! 9 pm, $10 cover, 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MUCH MORE HAPPENING … see our full calendar here.
(Photos courtesy West Seattle Coworking)
Tired of traffic? Coworking might be an option. Here on the peninsula, you have an independent, locally owned option for that – West Seattle Coworking (6040 California SW; WSB sponsor). And they have a few announcements:
Hello, West Seattle Community. We have prepped hard this summer to create the most productive work environment for you. We have upgraded our lighting to create a better mood and to be more gentle on the eyes. We have installed a new kitchen that makes it easier to snack and chat.
And a few other perks that you have to come and see. As a reminder, we are a West Seattle family. Our office offers 24/7 access, strong, office-grade internet (and backup), double monitors, meeting space, phone rooms, free coffee, and more. We currently have a $50 for one week trial promotion. That promotion will end on October 13th. So if you have been on the fence, don’t be. :) You can reach us at manager@westseattlecoworking.com or 206.531.0557..
Also, on Tuesday, October 8th, from 5 pm to 6:30 pm, we have a free workshop on how small business owners can identify and approach their ideal customers. More info here. .
Thank you, West Seattle, for being a great place to live and work.
Crystal and Rosario
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning. Crash reported at Fauntleroy/Juneau.
SEAHAWKS HOME GAME TONIGHT: 5:20 pm kickoff vs. the Rams. This means the West Seattle Water Taxi runs later.
AVALON/35TH INTERSECTION CLOSURE STARTS TOMORROW: 9 am Friday, weather permitting, SDOT starts the next three-day closure. The bus info is out now too – reroutes listed here – for Metro routes 21, 50 and 55, the RapidRide C Line and the West Seattle Water Taxi Shuttle Route 773.
TOWER CRANE INSTALLATION TOMORROW: Starting early Friday, for the 4722 Fauntleroy/4721 38th SW project, but developers says staging will NOT be on Fauntleroy.
ICYMI – BUS-LANE-BACKUP PLAN: More details last night on what SDOT is pursuing to fix the Bus-Lane Backup on NB 99 – here’s our report.
7:35 AM: Crash reported at 16th/Holden.
(SDOT camera screengrab from 7:39 am this past Monday, looking at EB West Seattle Bridge)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As we’ve been reporting, SDOT thinks it can relieve the backups blamed on the newly restored NB Highway 99 bus lane by making some changes – without removing the lane.
During a multi-agency “Seattle Squeeze” update at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting, SDOT’s downtown mobility director Heather Marx elaborated on exactly what’s under consideration.
Marx, a West Seattle resident, said: “We are working right now with WSDOT to get their approval to make some adjustments. We’re going to extend the merge 1,000 more feet so it’ll give people more mixing zone to stretch themselves out … instead of the pretty short merge area, we’re going to give you a lot longer … the shortness of the merge is creating a backup …” slowing down cars and buses. She said engineers believe that will make a difference, “to relieve some of that friction.” The goal is to have that change in place “shortly,” but she has no date, summarizing “We are quite aware of the problem and are actively developing a solution.”
Marx’s comments come six days after SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe said something similar – but less specific – to the West Seattle Transportation Coalition. It’s been a week and a half since the bus lane’s return has started backing up 99 onto the West Seattle Bridge, slowing not only drivers but also buses before they ever get to the lane.
The rest of the Seattle Squeeze presentation and other meeting details, ahead: Read More
Three more cases in West Seattle Crime Watch:
EARLY-MORNING ROBBERY: We asked police about a robbery call early this morning in the 8100 block of 24th SW. The report says the victim walked outside his house around 3:40 am and was approached by someone who “demanded money and struck the victim in the head.” The robber took “an unknown amount of money from the victim, kicked him, and ran away.” Police searched, with a K9 team, but didn’t find the robber; the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
PURSE THEFT: Tara reports that around noon today, her purse was taken from an outdoor workout room in the 3300 block of 59th SW. It’s described as a “small black leather long shoulder-strap purse” containing “a pink leather wallet with driver’s license, bank cards,” and cash.
ALKI ARREST: Another case from Alki – we found this one after noticing a familiar name on the jail register. 25-year-old Nickolas Osborne is the man arrested by police back in July for an Alki stabbing death a year earlier, but not charged (as explained here). He has been in jail for two weeks, charged with criminal trespassing, because of an incident in which he showed up outside an Alki residence and insisted he had to be allowed inside to get his things. But he had never lived or even visited there. The resident told police this wasn’t the first time he showed up at the house; she and her boyfriend tried to get him to leave but he wouldn’t. Police were finally called. He continued refusing to leave; they arrested him. His bail is set at $3,000 and he’s been through a mental-health assessment, with a competency hearing scheduled tomorrow. As noted in our summer coverage of the stabbing case, Osborne’s record includes a case from March of last year, in which he set an SPD car on fire while Southwest Precinct officers were taking him to jail for allegedly harassing Lincoln Park/Lowman Beach visitors.
Lot of questions about a police response at an apartment building on SW Avalon Way near 35th. We went over to ask. It was a domestic-violence situation, police told us. Seattle Fire was called in to help them gain entry to a unit – that’s why SFD was there but no callout was shown on the Real-Time 911 log. (added) One person was arrested.
One week ago, we showed you the concrete curb extension that’s been added on the westbound side of SW Barton alongside Westwood Village, where a driver hit and killed a pedestrian three months ago, in an area where neighborhood advocates have been pleading for safety improvements for years. But that’s not all SDOT is planning in the area, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition was told at its meeting last week. The briefing by Brad Topol, who’s currently leading SDOT’s Vision Zero efforts, was a followup to his WSTC appearance last July. Here’s what he brought to show what’s in the works:
(Here’s a PDF version if you can’t read it via Scribd above.) Also, we recorded him on video:
You’ll note in the renderings that a flashing beacon is now planned for the area as part of the conversion of Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line; that’s something that Topol had said in July was not in the plan.
Also discussed: Sightline effects of Metro buses parked along Roxhill Park, along eastbound SW Barton. SDOT plans curb paint and, if needed, signage to keep buses from parking where they impede visibility.
Regarding the curb extension, Topol drew some concern about the lane-narrowing pushing bicycles into the center of the traffic lane. He said this area is in the Bicycle Master Plan and could see a protected bike lane in the future. WSTC pressed further on design inconsistencies between this and, for example, Avalon. Topol’s predecessor Jim Curtin, also in attendance, jumped up to say that Avalon is being readied for protected bike lanes now, while Barton is only a possibility fo the future.
Continuing, Topol said 26th/Barton has work on the way to address its “high collision” status as well as Neighborhood Street Fund. “Leading pedestrian interval” signal timing was installed last week – only required a change in software programming. (LPI gives pedestrians a head-start over cars that might be turning into their path.)
One more question from WSTC for SDOT: How do you involve the Westwood Village property owner/management in these decisions? Short answer: They don’t even know who those are, let alone have interaction with them. But WSTC members observed that transportation flow outside the shopping center shouldn’t be considered as if it’s not related to the flow within/through the center.
4:26 PM: If you’re getting ready to head this way via the high bridge, heads up – there’s a two-car crash on the westbound side, near the Delridge offramp. The outside lane is partly blocked.
4:33 PM: This is now described as two separate crash scenes, related, no one hurt.
5:14 PM: All clear.
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