West Seattle, Washington

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month : 02/2021 279 results

City Council to consider temporarily loosening some rules for running businesses from home
February 22, 2021 11:56 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Some small-business proprietors are working to stay afloat by moving operations into their homes, at least temporarily. But certain city rules can get in the way. So the City Council is considering CB 120001, titled “Bringing Business Home.” This was noted during this morning’s just-concluded weekly council briefing meeting, with an explanation that under current rules, if somebody files a complaint against a business that’s operating at home, the city doesn’t have the option to not pursue it, so this bill would loosen the rules that often lead to complaints. From today’s announcement:

The requirements that would be suspended are:

*Customer visits are by appointment only
*There is no evidence of the home-based business visible from the exterior of the structure
*No more than two persons who are not residents of the building may work in a home-based business
*The home-based business shall not cause a substantial increase in on-street parking congestion or a substantial increase in traffic within the immediate vicinity
Home-based businesses would also be allowed to operate in a house’s off-street parking stall or garage and have one non-illuminated sign with the business name if it is not larger than 720 square inches.

To be clear, city rules already allow home-based businesses, but the conditions for operation are stringent, and this would loosen some of them, for the next year (unless extended). You can read the full text of the proposal here; it will be considered in the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee at 9:30 am this Wednesday (February 24th) – we’ll link the agenda when it’s out – with a full council vote likely on March 15th.

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BUS CUTS? Here are the options Seattle Public Schools board will discuss Tuesday
February 22, 2021 10:50 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

We’ve been reporting since last month on the Seattle Public Schools proposal to drop bus service to most “option schools” – including Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in Delridge and Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point – to nibble at a budget crunch. The suggestion is from district staff and has not yet gone to a vote of the School Board, which won’t finalize the budget until summer. But since the idea came to light after a budget work session last month (here’s our first report), it’s stirred opposition at affected schools, and the board has a “work session” tomorrow to focus specifically on transportation funding, including this proposal. The agenda is out now and notes that the district’s transportation costs have risen sharply. Its contract with yellow-bus provider First Student was $26 million in 2017-2018, and $36 million for 2020-2021. Cutting bus service to 1,100+ students at 12 option schools including the two serving West Seattle/South Park was estimated to be a potential $740,000 savings. Here are some other possibilities for transportation savings that will be presented to the board tomorrow:

Here are recommendations the staff plans to propose:

District staff also call attention to the need to “fix” state funding for school transportation, and to keep districts’ funding from suffering because of pandemic-related enrollment drops. The full agenda and slide deck is here and includes information for watching/listening to the 4:30 pm Tuesday meeting, which does not include a public-comment period. (You can send comments any time, though, to spsdirectors@seattleschools.org.)

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Gardening this year? Grow your plan with HPAC this Wednesday
February 22, 2021 9:22 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Gardening | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Ever since the West Seattle Bridge closed 11 months ago, transportation topics have dominated most neighborhood meetings. But this Wednesday, HPAC – the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – has a palate cleanser: Gardening. Here’s the agenda for the online meeting at 7 pm Wednesday (February 24):

Announcements – learn about upcoming free compost giveaway events!

Report from Waste Management on best compost practices

Presentation & Discussion:

Your Pandemic Garden 2.0: “You started it last year, now what?”

Led by neighbor gardener and Seattle Tilth Alliance Community Education Manager Chris Hoffer. Learn more about starting and maintaining a garden to grow food in the city. Meet other neighborhood gardeners and share ideas and inspiration!

Chris will take us through:

Getting Started: Beds, Boxes and Containers
Plants for Success
Tips for Long-term Success
Resource sharing + Q&A

Participation info is on the HPAC website.

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WEATHER, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: February’s final Monday
February 22, 2021 6:07 am
|    Comments Off on WEATHER, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: February’s final Monday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Good morning. Breezy weather with off-and-on rain today.

ROAD WORK: Here’s the plan for the Delridge project this week.

TRANSIT: Metro is on its regular routes. … The Water Taxi has its regular vessel, regular schedule … The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route has 2 boats but with Sealth filling in for Cathlamet, which will be out for about a month of work.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES: 336th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how things are looking:

Low Bridge: Seventh week for automated enforcement cameras, while restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily. Here’s a bridge view:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden – with a new left-turn signal for northbound HP Way, turning to westbound Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:

To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.

Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 2/21/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check
February 21, 2021 9:09 pm
|    Comments Off on CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 2/21/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

The county’s data dashboard skipped the Saturday update again this weekend, so we start with two days’ data:

KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: Here are the Sunday numbers from the King County daily-summary dashboard:

*81,175 people have tested positive, 316 more than Friday’s total

*1,345 people have died, unchanged from Friday’s total

*5,072 people have been hospitalized, 10 more than Friday’s total

*888,341 people have been tested, 880 more than Friday’s total

One week ago, the King County totals were 80,144/1,321/4,997/877,293.

WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Here’s our weekly check of this stat – on Sunday again this time, since the county didn’t update its dashboards Saturday – with numbers shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs). For the past two weeks, 66 positive test results; 115 in the 2 weeks before that; 240 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 60, unchanged from a week ago.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 111.3 million cases and 2,466,000+ deaths, 498,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.

VACCINATION SITUATION: As reported earlier this evening, there’s a limited-space clinic for people 65+ in West Seattle next Friday/Saturday … We just checked the lists on both the official state Vaccine Locator and the unofficial covidwa.com, nothing else showing as available in our area right now.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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VACCINATION: Limited West Seattle clinic announced for Friday and Saturday
February 21, 2021 7:13 pm
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Thanks to Ann for the tip: The city and UW Medicine are having a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in West Seattle next Friday and Saturday (February 26-27). She just forwarded the announcement, which says in part:

This Friday and Saturday, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) will administer the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to roughly 600 eligible people ages 65 and older who live in the West Seattle and South Park area. While supply remains constrained, SFD will focus its limited doses on older adults who live in areas that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 virus.

The clinic will be held at the city’s testing site, in the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot at 2801 SW Thistle. Appointment required; here’s the link in the announcement. We have no way of knowing how many spots remain, but if you’re eligible, good luck.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Wind, waves, and a ‘wave cloud’
February 21, 2021 6:12 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Troy Sterk for the video from Lincoln Park earlier today. It’s been windy all day and the forecast says that’s going to continue through Tuesday, with gusts to 35 mph tonight and tomorrow, to 30 mph on Tuesday. Another sight of interest as the weather changes:

Perhaps this cloud, in a photo texted to us around sunset:

ADDED 8:18 PM: More views of the cloud – this one from Lynn Hall:

And this composite view from Dan Ciske:

P.S. The rain has arrived.

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DELRIDGE PROJECT: 4 key work areas, and what else is planned this week
February 21, 2021 4:59 pm
|    Comments Off on DELRIDGE PROJECT: 4 key work areas, and what else is planned this week
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Work continues in all three zones of Delridge Way where pavement and utility upgrades are preparing for the RapidRide H Line conversion. Here is the SDOT list of key points for the week ahead:

*Intersection demolition and restoration at SW Holden St and SW Kenyon St continues this week. Work at both intersections will be completed in phases to maintain access to the roadway.

*Electrical upgrades near SW Oregon St and SW Alaska St continue, with sidewalk and driveway restoration beginning next week. Residents will be notified in advance of driveway closures.

*Water-main installation and upgrades near SW Juneau St to continue into early March

*Roadway demolition on the east side of Delridge Way SW between Croft Pl SW and SW Orchard St to begin as soon as March 1

The full project update for this week is here.

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YOUTH SPORTS: Spring signup time for Southwest Lacrosse Club Titans
February 21, 2021 3:34 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(WSB photo from 2018)

Youth-sports registration season is continuing, and we’ve heard from another organization that’s inviting local youth to play – the Southwest Lacrosse Club:

Do you have kids who are looking for a fun new sport with which to get involved? The Titans, our local lacrosse league, is recruiting, and we want to help kids get back into outdoor activities using the best available safety protocols, while balancing the need to get kids active and outdoors again. If you’re interested in finding out what is so fun about the “fastest game on two feet”, keep reading and reach out to us or come on out to one of our practices beginning March 15th at Pathfinder K-8 from 5:30-7:00 pm

Founded in 2008, the Southwest Lacrosse Club (SWLC) is dedicated to the promotion, organization and development of lacrosse in the south end. Our mission is to teach lacrosse fundamentals and good sportsmanship, while emphasizing the importance of discipline, teamwork, and physical fitness. Players of all skill levels have the opportunity to develop their game, and we will prepare each athlete for the next level of play.

The club and region have had exciting growth and expansion over the past two years, helping initiate a new West Seattle Lacrosse Club (WSLAX) last season to support high-school players within the West Seattle High School boundaries.

This year, both clubs are working to grow the girls’ program (hosted by WSLAX) and field a full program of teams for 3rd through 8th grade girls. The joint program is actively seeking first time players from throughout the Southwest region, West Seattle to Des Moines and Federal Way. If your child is interested, please email us- we’d love to welcome them to a practice to get a feel for the game.

Not familiar with lacrosse? It’s explained here. If you have questions, or want to inquire about a scholarship, email swlctitans@gmail.com – otherwise, you can proceed to registration from this page.

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READER REPORT: Crash on West Marginal Way
February 21, 2021 2:10 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Thanks to Monika for the photo and report – she heard a “loud bang,” then looked out the window and saw the scene, at West Marginal Way SW and SW Dakota [map]. No SFD dispatch, so apparently no serious injuries. That’s not far from where SDOT crews have been working to repair pavement by a road-spanning railroad track this weekend.

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West Seattle Crime Prevention Council hears from City Attorney Pete Holmes on criminal-justice reform and more
February 21, 2021 12:31 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

For the first time in six years, City Attorney Pete Holmes visited the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council for Q&A, one week after he announced he’s running for re-election.

Much has changed in the six years since that previous visit, though the City Attorney’s responsibilities have not: The office is responsible for prosecuting low-level crimes – misdemeanors – while felonies are handled by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. It’s also the official legal representative for the city in a wide variety of matters, whether it’s defending the city in court or taking action against, say, a nuisance property owner.

That last type of work is most often handled by the City Attorney’s Precinct Liaisons, a position that Joe Everett currently holds for the Southwest and South Precincts, and that was explained as Holmes began speaking. (It was also reiterated in response to an attendee questions; if the City Attorney’s Office can help with “chronic neighborhood problems,” for example, Holmes said, then that lightens the load on police and can lead to a “better resolution.”)

Read More

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LISTEN: All Ways West Seattle features ‘Typewriter Guy,’ and more from us
February 21, 2021 10:27 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

A Sunday morning listening note: After All Ways West Seattle podcaster Keith Bacon spent time recently talking with us about WSB, he decided to run the interview in two parts, and his newest episode features the conclusion. Also featured in the current AWWS episode: Writer Sean Petrie, the “Typewriter Guy,” seen (in pre-pandemic times) creating poetry in public and, most recently, the book “Listen to the Trees,” including West Seattle-inspired poems. Keith has produced more than 20 episodes of All Ways West Seattle so far, all available here.

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: What’s happening today
February 21, 2021 6:21 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Lincoln Park, photographed Saturday by Anjanette Nelson-Wally)

We start with a second day for these two traffic alerts:

1ST AVENUE SOUTH BRIDGE: WSDOT is scheduled to again close two northbound lanes of the bridge 6 am-noon for grid-deck work.

WEST MARGINAL PAVEMENT REPAIR: The road surface around those old tracks north of the Duwamish Longhouse is being repaired, with city crews scheduled to work 8 am-3:30 pm again today.

Also today:

TODAY’S ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Every week we update our list of more than 20 local churches’ Sunday online services (a few also offer in-person options), with the latest links; find them here.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, the market’s back after last week’s snow-out. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska; pickups for online orders are at California/Oregon)

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)

FREE TO-GO DINNER: White Center Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near the Bartell Drugs parking lot in White Center. (9600 15th Ave SW)

Got something for our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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CORONAVIRUS: No Saturday 2/20/2021 roundup
February 20, 2021 10:30 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

For the second consecutive Saturday, King County Public Health has not updated its COVID-19 “daily summary” dashboard, so we have no roundup tonight. As we did last week, we’ll include the West Seattle trends – which we’ve been updating on Saturdays – in the next roundup.

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Proposed fireworks ban back in play for White Center and rest of unincorporated King County
February 20, 2021 8:46 pm
|      43 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | White Center

(File photo, fireworks stand in White Center)

Though fireworks are illegal in Seattle, Burien, and Tukwila, some are legal for the area between them – unincorporated North Highline, including White Center, just south of West Seattle. Early last year, a ban proposal was launched in the King County Council – and then the pandemic hit, shelving all but emergency actions for months. Now a proposed ban is back in consideration, starting with a discussion in the council’s Committee of the Whole last week. The proposal is sponsored by our area’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who also represents unincorporated areas including North Highline and Vashon Island. He cites the July 2019 North Highline fire that killed a 70-year-old man as major motivation. You can read the proposal here; watch the discussion in the meeting video here. The proposal is expected to return to the committee for action, and then one month’s notice is required before it would go to a vote in the full County Council.

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MYSTERY: What kind of animal was this from?
February 20, 2021 6:43 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

Every so often, an animal mystery lands in the WSB inbox. (Like the Beach Drive cow 10 years ago.) Tonight, a new one – what looks like part of a wild animal turned up in Barrett‘s yard. He’s looking for help in figuring out what it is:

I found in my side yard a large piece of what appears to be skin from a bear’s head. It is fresh and covered in thick black hair with a distinctly large and round furry ear. Am in North Admiral. Where could this have come from?? Presumedly left by a raccoon. Seriously, it really looks like it’s from a bear. Could there be any readers out there who recently hunted and skinned a bear at home and mismanaged the bits? Maybe a reader could identify it as lost pet remains?

The photo isn’t particularly gross but nonetheless, we’re not showing it unless you want to see it by clicking hereor here. Any ideas, please comment, or email us.

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HISTORY: ‘Here for the Beer’ next Friday
February 20, 2021 4:27 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news | WS beverages

The next special online presentation from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is all about beer. Here’s the announcement:

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is delighted to announce “Here for the Beer! How Craft Beer Has Shaped Seattle’s Community Identity,” a live Zoom presentation and panel discussion on Friday, February 26 at 5:30 PM. Join us for a presentation mapping out the history of craft beer in Seattle, and hear from local favorites The Good Society, Future Primitive Brewing, and Elliott Bay Brewing Company as to what makes beer on the Duwamish Peninsula so unique. Registration is required.

Craft brewing hit the beer market for the first time in the 1980s, and since then has revolutionized the way that beer is produced and sold in the United States. The Pacific Northwest quickly became a hub for great beer, and today Seattle is especially known for its local breweries in every neighborhood. We’ll explore a brief history of craft beer in the Pacific Northwest with Maggie Kase, the Programs and Interpretation Coordinator at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Then, we’ll zoom in on the Duwamish Peninsula to hear firsthand why beer is such a big part of Seattleites’ sense of community identity, and what makes beer in West Seattle and White Center so special.

Thank you to our partners The Good Society, Future Primitive Brewing, and Elliott Bay Brewing Company for making this program possible.

For more details and to register, please visit our website or contact Maggie at programs@loghousemuseum.org.

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EASTER WEEKEND: West Seattle Junction plans egg hunt
February 20, 2021 2:34 pm
|    Comments Off on EASTER WEEKEND: West Seattle Junction plans egg hunt
 |   Fun stuff to do | Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Though this will be a second spring without the big traditional everybody-at-once Easter egg hunts, the West Seattle Junction Association have come up with a plan for one on Saturday, April 3rd, the day before Easter.

It’s in the spirit of the Harvest Fest and Hometown Holidays “boxes” sold last year to provide community fun and support merchants: The Junction will be selling a limited number of $30 tote bags that will include an Easter craft, Easter candy (including Bakery Nouveau brownies), Easter book, and surprises in the egg-stra special eggs, as well as participation in the egg hunt, and a raffle entry for a “fluffy bunny.” Egg hunters will be able to sign up for one of three windows – 11 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 4 pm, or a 6 pm-8 pm “after dark” hunt with glow sticks. Watch for details soon via The Junction’s website.

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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: USCGC Polar Star, icebreaker home from Arctic mission
February 20, 2021 12:36 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(Photo by Lynn Hall)

12:36 PM: Thanks to everyone who sent photos! That’s the heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10), returning home to Seattle this morning after a 2 1/2-month journey to the Arctic. The 45-year-old heavy icebreaker usually goes to the Antarctic this time of year, but the pandemic got in the way of that mission, and the Coast Guard announced in October that Polar Star would head north instead. Here’s an Alaska news report on the end of the Polar Star’s deployment; see photos here.

6:16 PM: Those photos are also featured in a news release published by the USCG late today.

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Youth artist/writer in your household? ‘Tales of Quarantine’ competition
February 20, 2021 10:33 am
|    Comments Off on Youth artist/writer in your household? ‘Tales of Quarantine’ competition
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

It’s a big question: “How has COVID-19 impacted you and your community?” A competition is about to open for youth making art in three categories – media, visual, writing – addressing that theme. The organization presenting it is Mission InspirEd, “a high-school-student-run, Seattle-based education nonprofit” which explains that “to tackle education disparity, we organize free classes, tutoring, seminars, and more, and have impacted more than 2000 K-12 students.” They want to reach as many Seattle-area students as possible, so they asked us to share the announcement. The competition is Tales of Quarantine, for students 6-18, with the opportunity to win up to $1,000. It starts this Monday; read the rules and meet the judges by going here.

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Traffic alerts and what else is happening for your West Seattle Saturday
February 20, 2021 6:16 am
|    Comments Off on Traffic alerts and what else is happening for your West Seattle Saturday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Late-winter bloom that survived the snow, photographed by Marc Milrod)

Welcome to the weekend! We start with (updated) three travel alerts:

1ST AVENUE SOUTH BRIDGE: WSDOT is closing two northbound lanes of the bridge 6 am-noon today and tomorrow for grid-deck work.

WEST MARGINAL PAVEMENT REPAIR: The road surface around those old tracks north of the Duwamish Longhouse is going to be fixed, with city crews working 8 am-3:30 pm each day this weekend and next and possibly the weekend after that.

(added) CITY LIGHT WORK: Headed eastbound in the Roxbury corridor late this morning, we noticed City Light crews blocking the outside SB/WB lane of 1st Ave. S./Olson (uphill from the 509 ramps). Unannounced work but there have been longterm streetlight outages there; we’ll check with SCL on Monday.

Today’s events:

SOUTHWEST LITTLE LEAGUE SIGNUPS: Delayed a week because of the snow, noon-2 pm, eligible players can sign up for Southwest Little League at the Log Cabin at Steve Cox Memorial Park, 1321 SW 102nd in White Center.

COMMUNITY CLEANUP: You’re invited to help clean up around the bridge and West Marginal Way this afternoon, 1-4 pm, equipment provided. Here’s all the info, including where to go and how to RSVP.

FREE FOOD: 2-4 pm, boxes at Greater Seattle Filipino-American SDA Church, 2620 SW Kenyon, while they last.

BE A MASTER COMPOSTER/SUSTAINABILITY STEWARD: Seattle Tilth says today’s the deadline to apply:

Are you a Seattle resident who loves to get your hands dirty and want to share your environmental knowledge and passion with others in your community? Get trained by Tilth Alliance to become a Master Composter & Sustainability Steward! Learn about composting, soil, sorting compostables and recyclables, reducing waste and improving water quality in 12 classes, then take action in your community. Learn more and apply by Saturday, February 20.

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UPDATE: Seattle Fire response at Avalon/Charlestown
February 20, 2021 12:29 am
|    Comments Off on UPDATE: Seattle Fire response at Avalon/Charlestown
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

12:29 AM: A Seattle Fire “full response” is arriving at Avalon/Charlestown after a report of “black smoke (seen coming from) a restaurant.” So far they haven’t found anything and, while still checking, are reducing the response.

12:34 AM: Firefighters have talked with the person who called it in. They now believe it was smoke from a dryer.

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Power flickers after driver hits pole on Highland Park Way SW
February 19, 2021 10:50 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

If your power flickered a short time ago, this is likely why: A driver is reported to have hit a pole on Highland Park Way near West Marginal Way SW. The SFD dispatch says injuries are minor.

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