West Seattle, Washington
13 Friday
As the M’s return home tonight, the West Seattle High School baseball team is looking ahead to its annual chance to play at what’s now T-Mobile Park – which is paired with their annual sale of tickets to an M’s game. Thanks to Sheree for the two-part announcement (and photo):
West Seattle HS vs Ballard HS
in the High School Baseball Classic at T-Mobile Park
6:30 pm, Saturday, April 20th, 2019
Free!
******
Get your tickets to the hottest team in the MLB – The Mariners!
The WSHS Baseball team is selling tickets to the Mariners game on July 2nd at 7:10 pm vs the St Louis Cardinals at T-Mobile Park.
100 level tickets – $40 each (down the first base line)
300 level tickets – $20 each (behind home plate)To buy tickets, contact Sheree at WSHSMarinerstickets@gmail.com
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:46 AM: Good morning! On this last weekday of spring break for many local students, we start with reminders:
TUNNEL CLOSURE TONIGHT: 11 pm tonight to 8 am Saturday morning, the SB Highway 99 tunnel will be closed.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners are back home starting tonight, 7:10 pm vs. the Astros.
NEXT WEEK: SDOT‘s Avalon/35th/Alaska project starts next week, with work proceeding zone by zone over the next year-plus, starting in the Avalon/Yancy vicinity. We went to SDOT HQ downtown on Thursday for an in-depth preview and we’ll publish that story today.
It’s never too soon to look ahead to … fall? That was part of the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s April agenda this past Tuesday.
(WSB photo from 2018 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER: The FCA is a major supporter of the annual festival and is involved in its major fundraiser coming up May 7th at Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW; WSB sponsor) – dine there that day/night and part of the proceeds benefit this year’s festival! FCA board members donate baskets to be raffled during the benefit, and spent some time Tuesday discussing that.
POLICE UPDATE: Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand was in attendance. He mentioned a noise-enforcement patrol is planned in Fauntleroy soon. As precinct leadership have been telling community groups, they’re providing special attention in other trouble spots too. He also had another update on the fire-ravaged problem house across from Lincoln Park – it’s boarded up, with “no trespassing” signage, and ready for sale or demolition. (No permits are in the city files but we did see the “emergency order” mandating it to be vacated a month ago.)
As happens at just about every community meeting with police in attendance, the subject of RV camping came up. Lt. Strand said “new directives” are in progress for dealing with that and should be in place within a few weeks.
FERRY DOCK’S FUTURE: Though the Fauntleroy dock rebuild is still a decade or so away, conversations about the project are already happening. A rep from one of the engineering firms already talking with Washington State Ferries, Harbor Consulting Engineers, was at the FCA meeting. He said the state is currently looking at a nearly $100 million investment in the project, starting with an environmental study that alone would likely take about four years. His main message was that the state wants to get community opinion about the dock’s future and impacts including traffic. The FCA’s longtime ferry liaison Gary Dawson pointed out that all this has long been on the FCA’s radar. Another significant issue: The dock project’s effect on salmon, with Fauntleroy Creek’s mouth right next door.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays most months, 7 pm, at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse; community members always welcome. Watch fauntleroy.net for updates between meetings.
The 15th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (presented by WSB) is exactly one month away – Saturday, May 11th. If you’re planning a sale and haven’t signed up yet, you have two more weeks to register – 100 sales are already signed up! – just go here. If you want to sell but don’t have a space to do it – every year somebody offers spaces for rent, and so far this year The Kenney (WSB sponsor) is the first:
Got stuff to sell, but no yard? RENT A YARD HERE! We have a limited number of 10′ x 10′ spaces available on our lawn for a $25 donation. 1 six-foot table, 2 chairs included. Sell your own items, keep your profits! Table fee benefits our Resident Care Fund. Contact Danette via email: dutley@thekenney.org or call 206-937-2800.
The Kenney is at 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW, just north of Lincoln Park. You’ll see it on the map, which will be available in clickable and downloadable/printable versions one week before sale day!
5:57 PM: Awesome night for art! The first spring 2019 West Seattle Art Walk is on, and our first photo is courtesy of Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor), where Shelli Markee and her wire sculptures are featured until 8 tonight. Check out this post on the WSAW website for more highlights, plus the map and venue list – we’re off to make a few stops too.
6:49 PM: On the north end of The Junction, we visited West Seattle Art Nest (4138 California SW):
That’s calligrapher Claire Braby demonstrating her art.
7:17 PM: And a bit south, Maggie Sharar is at Hotwire Coffee:
Hotwire is at 4410 California. Art Walk is second Thursday every month – get out and explore!
A new pizza option in West Seattle starting today: Deep dish. West of Chicago Pizza Company is opening in Delridge and joining the WSB sponsor team to get the word out:
West of Chicago Pizza Company is pick-up only for now, and you can place your order online or by phone. “While West Seattle has plenty of pizza places, there are 0 deep-dish pizza places, says proprietor Shawn Millard – until now. He explains that he has “almost 25 years of experience feeding people,” and a “passion for the craft” of preparing food, respecting the ingredients too. “People who know me fight for a seat at my table; people know when I’m feeding them, they’ll be fed well. … I think the community will be pleased with an option that is completely different from the other current options.”
West of Chicago Pizza Company is starting small, at 5604 Delridge Way SW, but expecting to expand as sales grow. Shawn is a resident of West Seattle and is here to stay; he is looking forward to supporting local nonprofits, too, as do so many local independent businesses. You can see the West of Chicago Pizza Company menu on the website and you can order there for pickup, or call 206-339-DEEP – that’s 206-339-3337. Thursdays through Sundays, 4 pm-10 pm (last order at 9:15 pm).
We thank West of Chicago Pizza Company for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
.
2:24 PM: After multiple questions about motorcycles and other law-enforcement vehicles in a motorcade through West Seattle – plus a few photos, including the one above (thanks!) – we called SPD to check. It’s training again, they tell us. This time, multi-agency.
2:42 PM: Also thanks to the reader who sent this video as the vehicles went through Fauntleroy:
Story, photos, video by Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Four of the five candidates who have registered campaigns for the District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Council seat appeared in the second forum of the season last night.
This one was presented by the 34th District Democrats, whose rules require that candidates contending for the group’s endorsement – the ultimate reason the group has forums – affirm they are Democrats. Isaiah Willoughby did not, the 34th DDs said, but the remaining four – Lisa Herbold, Phil Tavel, Brendan Kolding, Jesse Greene (that’s the L-R order in which they were seated) – did.
First, here’s our full unedited video of the forum, organized by legislative-action committee chair Jordan Crawley, with questions asked by first vice-chair Rachel Glass:
Crawley explained they had used results of their online survey to determine seven issues to focus on. If you don’t have time to watch/listen, we have toplines ahead – but please note, these are not anything close to full transcriptions; for the candidates’ full answers, see the video.
(Added: SDOT traffic-cam image)
11:52 AM: Thanks for the tips. If you’re headed off-peninsula, don’t take the eastbound bridge for a while – two lanes are blocked near the Delridge onramp because of a crash. Big backup.
12:32 PM: The crash scene has cleared. We’re checking with SFD on injuries.
Two weeks ago, we reported that the trial was under way for 43-year-old Chayce A. Hanson, a West Seattle man charged with five felonies including rape and witness tampering. After tips from people following the case, we have confirmed via court documents this morning that a King County Superior Court jury found Hanson guilty on all five counts: Second-degree rape, witness tampering, second-degree assault, hit-and-run, and vehicular assault. In addition, the jury included a “special verdict” that the assault was done with sexual motivation. Hanson was found guilty of raping a West Seattle woman, described as an acquaintance, in February 2017, while she was incapacitated because she had been seriously injured in a crash that he didn’t report. The witness-tampering charge resulted from Hanson trying to get the victim to sign a document saying he had not raped her.
Hanson has a felony conviction in his past, for killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter in Renton in 2000 by kicking her down a flight of stairs. He was originally found guilty of murder but a state Supreme Court ruling overturned the conviction and he subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter. We have an inquiry out with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to find out when Hanson will be sentenced in the rape case. He has been in jail since the rape charge was filed two years ago.
(Photo courtesy Dream Dinners-West Seattle: Meghan Hogan and Leslie Thomson)
A big change for a longtime Junction business, Dream Dinners-West Seattle (also a longtime WSB sponsor): New ownership! Just announced this morning:
After nearly 15 years of owning and operating Dream Dinners, West Seattle, Leslie and Lew Thomson are super excited to announce they are turning over the keys to longtime Dream Dinners guests Meghan and Mark Hogan.
The Hogans are West Seattle residents and have 2 children at Lafayette Elementary School. They share Leslie and Lew’s passion for the Dream Dinners mission “Growing Great Kids!” by making dinner time a reality in homes in our community.
Leslie and Lew are grateful to the amazing Dream Dinners team who helped serve our fantastic guests these past 15 years. It has been an honor helping families make dinner time a reality. The Thomsons are humbled and blessed by each of you and the way you touched their lives.
Meghan and Mark look forward to meeting you and are excited to help make dinner time just a little easier at your home.
Dream Dinners-West Seattle is on the outer east side of Jefferson Square, at 4701 41st SW. Never tried it? Here’s what it’s all about.
We start with the night’s biggest event … the West Seattle Art Walk! Here’s the spring quarter map/venue list:
Note the venues offering food/drink specials in support of the Art Walk, some with artists, some without. As for the art – previews are here, with some amazing features this month, including:
JEWELRY: Shelli Markee at Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW, WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm.
COOKING WITH CANNABIS: At Canna West Seattle Culture Shop, 5435 California SW, “Mary J. White, author of Every Day Mary J, will be signing copies of her book in-store! Since this event takes place during the art walk the Culture Shop will also feature spray artist Zcans! There will also be complimentary refreshments.” (21+)
WEST SEATTLE ART NEST: Calligrapher Claire Braby, 5-8 pm at 4138 California SW.
HOTWIRE COFFEE: Live painting, live DJ, and free tarot readings, 5-8 pm with artist Maggie Sharar at 4410 California SW.
CAPERS: West Seattle artist Cathy Woo shows paintings at 4525 California SW starting at 5 pm.
ROSEFIT: New WSAW participant at 4519 California SW will reveal a mural by Mari Shibuya, starting at 6 pm.
VIRAGO GALLERY: Mixed-media artist Alisa Sikelianos-Carter starting at 5 pm, 4537 California SW.
Two things you should know today:
DON ARMENI BOAT RAMP CLOSED TODAY: West Seattle’s boat ramp is out of service today, as explained here.
NO RAMP ACCESS AT LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The museum is open noon-4 om as usual but its access ramp is out of service because of repairs, until next week. (61st SW/SW Stevens)
And finally, a few other highlights from our full WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SECOND THURSDAY OUT! The Senior Center of West Seattle partners with Generations Aging With Pride for a community conversation themed “Don’t Call Me a Senior.” 6 pm. Free dinner! Details here. (4217 SW Oregon)
WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: 6 pm at Southwest Library: “Join us to hear Kurt Armbruster discuss his newest railway history, ‘Pacific Coast, Seattle’s Own Railroad’.” (9010 35th SW)
WHITE CENTER SAFETY: Talk about it with residents, businesspeople, and King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Bill Kennamer, 6:30 pm at RJB Photo Studio. (9649 16th SW)
OPEN MIC: All ages, all genres! At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
JESSIE McKENNA & FRIENDS: Plus the Jaydogs. 8 pm at The Skylark, $8, 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
SOUL BLAZERS: “Soul/funk mashup” at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MUCH MORE … listed on our full calendar!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:39 AM: Good morning! Another quiet morning, so far.
TUNNEL CLOSURE REMINDER: Friday night 11 pm to Saturday morning 8 am, the SB Highway 99 tunnel will be closed.
7:48 AM: An SFD dispatch is headed for a crash reported at 51st SW/SW Admiral Way.
8:02 AM: That call just closed.
(Photos courtesy Waypoint Sign Company)
If you travel on the Fauntleroy end of the West Seattle Bridge, you might have seen the activity today – Waypoint Sign Company has begun the process of installing the new “Welcome to West Seattle” sign.
We received the photos and update from Cara at Waypoint, which is based in South Park. She tells WSB, “We are so honored to create this amazing sign.” Today, the base went into position.
Tomorrow, Waypoint expects to pour concrete. That’ll set for a few days before they finish getting ready to install the sign itself.
We’re checking with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce for an update on the unveiling plans – as you will probably recall, the new sign is a Chamber project, announced last summer along with a donation from Adah Cruzen to fund it as well as a sustainable maintenance plan.
(WSB photo from spring 2018 Duwamish Alive!)
Are you registered yet to volunteer for the spring Duwamish Alive! event – multiple locations on Saturday, April 20th? This time, the focus is on how your help can assist in saving Puget Sound’s endangered orcas. Here’s the official announcement:
One of the key elements identified by the Governor’s Task Force in saving our Southern Resident Orcas is not just saving our salmon runs but also increasing the vitality and abundance of salmon runs, especially Chinook Salmon. They are the primary food source, almost exclusively, for Southern Resident Killer Whales. The Green-Duwamish Watershed is home to all 5 species of salmon, including Chinook. The Task Force identified restoring and increasing salmon habitat as one of the 3 primary actions required to save our orca and where individuals can make a positive difference in the orca’s survival and in improving the overall health of our watersheds. Orca are among many wildlife that are dependent on salmon for their survival. Volunteering throughout the year to improve salmon habitat with the many organizations dedicated in improving salmon health in the Puget Sound region will make a difference for the orcas’ survival.
Duwamish Alive! is a 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. Starting at 10:00 am Saturday, April 20th, volunteers will be restoring native habitat in multiple urban parks and open spaces from Seattle to Auburn in the ongoing effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon, and Puget Sound. Proving that many individuals working together can make a substantial difference.
Duwamish Alive! is a collaborative stewardship effort of conservation groups, businesses, and government entities, recognizing that our collective efforts are needed to make lasting, positive improvements in the health and vitality of the Green-Duwamish Watershed. Twice a year these events organize hundreds of volunteers to work at multiple sites in the river’s watershed, connecting the efforts of communities from Auburn to Seattle. Volunteers’ efforts include, a river cleanup by kayak, shoreline salmon habitat restoration, and native forest revitalization.
To volunteer, visit www.DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and RSVP to the contact for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org
P.S. Even if you can’t volunteer, consider stopping by Roxhill Bog on Duwamish Alive! day, 11 am-1 pm – a special event there will help advance long-running efforts to fix hydrologic problems that threaten its future.
From the WSB inbox – two security-camera clips capturing items being taken:
SIGN STOLEN: What you see being taken from the sidewalk and put into that truck is a dead-end sign, explains Melody, who says that was part of an odd chain of events: “The night before at 11:34 PM 2 white males walked up and kicked it off the post, then tossed it in the street. I got up, retrieved it from the intersection, and leaned it up against the post. In the morning, called DOT to replace it. Then this truck pulled up and took it. The 2 males also tagged the back of the stop sign, dead end signs, and the yellow handicapped curb.”
PACKAGE THEFT: This happened outside a house near West Seattle Bowl in The Junction:
Kenny says it happened around 3:30 pm, and three packages were taken.
Unwind Café is about to open across from Seacrest (aka the West Seattle Water Taxi dock), at 1619 Harbor Avenue SW. It’s actually something of a “reopening” because Unwind Café’s proprietor Vanessa Kammeyer was a co-proprietor of the shop that used to be in the space, Moondrop Coffee and Tea. Vanessa tells WSB that while the new name is a fresh start, otherwise, “everything is the same”:
Same menu; fresh juices and smoothies made with real fruits/vegetables. We have dairy-free bubble tea, organic/fair trade coffee provided by “Grounds for Change,” locally roasted in Poulsbo, which I pair with organic milks only. My dad’s anise/almond biscottis will still be stocked. Bagel sandwiches made with Einstein Brothers bagels, and smoothie bowls topped off with superfoods like cacao nibs, chia seeds, spirulina, granola, etc.
Vanessa notes that she has worked for 14 years in the food-service industry, running the Harbor Avenue shop since October 2014:
One of my goals has been to serve healthy food with great ingredients to my community; Unwind Cafe is my opportunity to do that. And to top it off, we have a great view of the Seattle skyline. … It’s a great place to come and unwind.
Vanessa expects to reopen the shop this Friday.
Two ships that Elliott Bay-watchers will see soon:
FIRST CRUISE SHIP ON MONDAY: Though regular weekly cruise-ship departures don’t start until May, the first call of the season will be on Monday (April 15th), when the Celebrity Cruises ship Eclipse stops at Pier 66. It will be on its way to Vancouver, B.C., where it will depart on a 12-night one-way cruise to Hawaii two days later. After that, the next arrivals aren’t scheduled until May 4th. See the full schedule here; the port’s 2019 cruise-season one-sheet is here.
MATSON’S MOVE: We’re following up on all the changes set in motion by last week’s vote approving short-term and long-term leases for West Seattle’s Terminal 5. The former, Matson, will have its first T-5 call on April 26, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance, whose spokesperson Katie Whittier adds, in response to our inquiry, that “Matson yard equipment will be delivered to T-5 between now and April 22. The gate will open for receiving cargo on April 22.” According to the Matson website, that Hawaii-bound vessel should be the Mahimahi.
Thanks to Jim for the photo and alert – the Point Williams path on the west side of Colman Pool at Lincoln Park is blocked for a few hours. The truck is there with a crew installing new pumps. As we reported last month, the first scheduled swimming this year is one month from tomorrow, two weeks earlier than usual, because of extra funding added to the budget by the City Council for extra pre- and post-season weekends expanding the season.
(Photo by Trileigh Tucker, who explains: “Red-breasted Nuthatch working hard to excavate his nest. You can see the sawdust flying!”)
Highlights for the rest of your Wednesday:
CODING WITHOUT COMPUTERS: 2:30-4 pm, 6-to-12-year-olds are invited to drop in at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library for this session of LibraryLab. (2306 42nd SW)
RIVERVIEW PLAYFIELD: As explained here, special Highland Park Action Committee meeting at 5:30 pm at the south end of the park, to talk with Seattle Parks about barrier options. (12th & Webster)
FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) at 6:15 pm. All runners welcome. (2743 California SW)
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES’ FORUM: 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, all five candidates currently campaigning for the District 1 City Council race will appear in their second side-by-side forum, during the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting. All welcome, nonmembers included, no admission fee. AFTERNOON UPDATE: The 34th DDs tell us Isaiah Willoughby will not be participating as he has not confirmed to them that he’s a Democrat, which is a prerequisite for the group’s forums. (9131 California SW)
POETRYBRIDGE: Peter Munro and Judith Roche are the featured readers at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – full details here. 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
YADA YADA BLUES BAND: Live at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm, no cover, 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
OF COURSE THERE’S MORE … see our full calendar!
From the WSB inbox:
Seattle Lutheran High School Seniors are hosting a Parents’ Night Out on Saturday, April 13th from 6:00 – 9:00 pm.
Who: For children ages 3-12 years old. This event includes a movie, fun games, light dinner (bagel bites, milk, and carrots)
Location: Seattle Lutheran High School Gymnasium, 4100 SW Genesee
Cost: $15 for 1st child and $10 for each additional child. No RSVP’s necessary.
This event is to help defray the cost of their graduation trip. For more information, please contact info@seattlelutheran.org.
(Hard to believe, but graduation season is just two months away! SLHS’s ceremony is June 6th.)
If you’re planning a visit to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum on Alki this week, curator Tasia Williams wants you to know, “Our ADA ramp at the Log House Museum will be closed this week due to repairs.” The museum at 61st SW and SW Stevens will be open noon-4 pm Thursday-Sunday as usual, otherwise.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:15 AM: Good morning! No traffic or transit alerts in our area so far.
| 1 COMMENT