West Seattle, Washington
14 Thursday
(Sea cucumber, photographed last month by Eva Skold Westerlind)
Tread extra-lightly on local beaches starting Tuesday – sea creatures like that might be exposed as this week’s full moon brings the next wave of what we refer to as “low-low tides.” Here’s when, and how far, the tides will be out:
Tuesday 10:44 am, -2.3 feet
Wednesday 11:27 am, -3.3 feet
Thursday 12:11 pm, -3.9 feet
Friday 12:58 pm, -3.9 feet
Saturday 1:46 pm, -3.4 feet
Sunday 2:37 pm, -2.5 feet
Thursday and Friday, that low-low tide is close to the lowest this summer – only one day (June 25th, -4.0) will see a lower low tide.
Bonus – the Seattle Aquarium Volunteer Beach Naturalist Program is back this year, and naturalists will be at two West Seattle spots Wednesday-Sunday to answer questions: Lincoln Park and Constellation Park (labeled “South Alki” on the program list) – see the times and locations by going here and choosing the dropdown to reveal them.
(Delridge/Roxbury box painted by Desmond Hansen last June)
ORIGINAL SUNDAY NOTE: This Tuesday, it will be exactly one year since George Floyd‘s murder in Minnesota – which intensified the movement for racial justice, coast to coast and beyond. A citywide vigil is set for Tuesday night, with a local gathering in support, for those who can’t go. Here’s the announcement:
Prayer, Healing, and Action for Racial Solidarity on the First Anniversary of George Floyd’s Murder
All are invited to an ecumenical prayer service at St. James Cathedral on Tuesday, May 25th at 7 pm. Gather with Archbishop Etienne to commemorate the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, reflect on the need for repentance and healing, pray, and find ways to work together for change. South Seattle parishes will share how they will commit to working for racial justice. Limited in-person attendance is available by registering at conta.cc/3vqoo0L.
If you cannot make it downtown but would like to gather with others, we will livestream the event at Our Lady of Guadalupe in the church (more information here). You can also livestream the event from home on St. James’s Vimeo page.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is at 35th SW/SW Myrtle. If you know of any other West Seattle events Tuesday, please email westseattleblog@gmail.com so we can include in the Event Calendar.
11:48 AM MONDAY: Organizers at OLG say they’ve canceled this but are urging anyone interested to go downtown or watch the stream. Members/pastors of both OLG and Holy Rosary will be part of the event.
A one-car crash in the outside westbound lane of Olson Place near 3rd SW cleared a short time ago. That’s the King County Medical Examiner’s Office van in our photo, sent there because a person died – but, police say, the death wasn’t because of the crash, they believe it was because of what caused the crash. Police told us at the scene that the driver, 84 years old, apparently suffered a deadly medical episode just before his car went onto the shoulder and hit a pole. We’re not showing the car because we don’t know if next of kin have been notified, but the damage to both car and pole appeared minor. The SFD 911 log shows the crash response was first dispatched just after 8:30 am.
Family and friends are remembering Mary Ellen Finch, and sharing this with her community:
Mary Ellen Finch
July 25, 1922 – April 18, 2021Mary Ellen (Anderson) Finch, a long-time West Seattle resident, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2021, at the home of her daughter in Gig Harbor. She was born on July 25, 1922 in Spirit Lake, Idaho, to Mel and Veronica (Dolan) Anderson. Her family relocated to West Seattle in 1927, when her father took a job at Boeing, and she resided there until 2015, when she moved to Gig Harbor. On April 10, 1948, she married Robert (Bob) Finch at Holy Rosary Church and they were married for 42 years. He preceded her in death on October 5, 1990.
Mary Ellen was the first graduate of Holy Rosary High School, which was the class of 1940. She is believed to be the last surviving graduate of that initial class. She was the mother of six, Nana of ten, and GG of six. She was the last surviving Dolan cousin out of the thirty-four grandchildren of James Albert Dolan, her mother’s father.
For us, the six children of Mary Ellen and Bob, our childhood was a blast. But in hindsight, it must have seemed like an eternal foot race. Between laundry, meals, school uniforms, appointments, groceries, Sunday Mass and 101 other things for six kids, it had to be terribly wearing for our parents. We don’t know how they kept up their strength and positive attitudes nor why they didn’t put half of us up for adoption. But, from our viewpoint at the time, our childhood was magical. Each of us knew he or she was mom’s favorite.
Mary Ellen was an avid reader, and was a big fan of Jane Austin, John Grisham, and any and all biographies. She organized materials on the Finch family divers and family genealogy. She had a keen interest in history and how the families played into those larger stories, such as the maritime history of the PNW and Alaska, and also the first half-century of Boeing (her father, along with Bill Boeing, met Amelia Earhart at the 1929 Cleveland Air Show, where Boeing displayed its new aircraft, the 80-A passenger plane). She was also interested in World War II, as she, her relatives, and essentially her whole generation was involved and affected by it. She was also fascinated by the Indigenous Peoples of North America, especially those people of the Coastal Tribes from Washington state on through to Alaska.
In addition to history, Mary Ellen had a passion for reading and learning about Roman and Egyptian archaeology. She was pleased that she was born the same year as the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in Egypt. Although she never traveled to Egypt, she was thrilled to see several Tut exhibits in Seattle over the years. In 1987, she had a cameo role in the TV film “Stamp of a Killer,” starring Jimmy Smits and Judith Light. At the age of 89 and again at age 91, she traveled to Saudi Arabia.
Family was important to mom. She enjoyed when everyone got together to celebrate her birthday. Bob always put the flag out on her special day and the tradition continued through her time in West Seattle. Mary Ellen and Bob instilled in their six children the importance of education, hard work, integrity, equality, justice, and service to others. They demonstrated to them a love of reading, love of family and love of country.
Mary Ellen is survived by her six children: Mary Ann Strickler, Olympia; Tim Finch, Sequim; Trish Hanson and husband Bill, Gig Harbor; John Finch, Grants Pass, OR; Suzann Finch and partner Tom McNeely, Bellingham; and Sandye (Alex) Finch and husband Abdullah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Grandchildren include Veronica Lannom, Scott Finch, Adam Finch, Monica Hanson, Daniel Hanson, Robbie (Ahmed) Khatib, and Fahad, Jumana, Abdul Wadood and Maria al-Subiany. Great-grandchildren include Averie, Henry, Emmett, Griffey, Georgia, and Remi. Her husband Bob, parents, and brothers Ed and Bill Anderson preceded her in death.
The family wants to thank the staff of MultiCare Home Health and Hospice, as well as our sister Trish, for giving our dear mother such wonderful care in her final months.
Mom’s favorite quote, which she wanted in her obituary, was from the lotus chalice found in Tut’s tomb: May your ka live, may you spend millions of years, you, who love Thebes, sitting with your face to the north wind, your eyes beholding happiness.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Fauntleroy Park, Saturday afternoon)
Good morning! Some options for your Sunday:
TODAY’S ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Every Sunday, we update our list of more than 20 local churches’ online Sunday services (some offer in-person options too), with the newest links – see it here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Vegetables, fruit, cheese, meat, beverages, lots more – something new every week this time of year at the Farmers’ Market, open 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. 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)
DINE OUT FOR GENESEE HILL ELEMENTARY: Announced by the Genesee Hill Elementary PTA:
Please join us for a Genesee Hill Elementary School fundraiser at Lady Jaye today! Genesee Hill will receive 20% of all purchases placed on this day. This includes takeout orders, dine-in (limited, reservation only), gift cards, and drinks. Please place your online order here. Thank you for supporting our school!
Lady Jaye, at 4523 California SW, is open 11 am-6:30 pm today.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)’
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Now open to the public again! Visit the home of West Seattle’s history today (noon-4 pm, 61st/Stevens).
COSTUMED BIKE PARADE: Put on a costume, get on your bike, and join the Alki Daze parade: “We’ll be leaving from 63rd and Alki at 2:00 pm Sunday. We’ll be riding in the street from 63rd to 54th and then continuing on the bike path to the Don Armeni boat launch on Harbor Ave. We will be practicing safe COVID 19 protocols as much as possible.”
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)
LIVE MUSIC: At The Alley, behind 4509 California SW, the Triangular Jazztet plays two sets tonight, 8 pm and 9 pm.
Got something for our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Here’s where the pandemic stands tonight, locally:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*108,308 people have tested positive, 205 more than yesterday’s total
*1,575 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*6,099 people have been hospitalized, 18 more than yesterday’s total
*1,087,290 people have been tested, 3,616 more than yesterday’s total
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 102,756/1,559/6,030/1,065,311.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 166.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,454,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 589,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Turkey (unchanged again this week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
SUPERMARKET UPDATE: Thanks to the reader who pointed out that along with Metropolitan Market, PCC, QFC. and Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market also has changed its mask policy and isn’t requiring fully vaccinated customers to wear them.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
We’ve been reporting on the sidewalk camp along the west side of Delridge Way just north of SW Roxbury. At one point, more than a dozen tents were blocking the sidewalk there, but as we reported last week, it’s shrunk to just a few tents. That happened without a city “sweep” removal operation, though one was pending until outreach workers learned of a gastrointestinal-illness outbreak among people living there. Seattle-King County Public Health was investigating the outbreak. We finally got an update from Public Health spokesperson Kate Cole, who tells WSB, “We have completed this investigation. Based on gathering illness reports from outreach workers familiar with the encampment, we believe it to have been an outbreak of norovirus-like illness based on the clinical and epi picture. There does not appear to be any evidence of ongoing illness at this time and we are considering the cluster of GI illnesses resolved.” But that hasn’t led to a renewal of the original plan to clear the camp, according to SDOT, where spokesperson Ethan Bergerson subsequently told us there is no current plan for that, despite an outreach worker telling us they believed the city might seek to “post” the remains of the camp for removal.
As for those who left, here’s how it happened, according to Jesse Benet of CoLEAD, the program that worked with people camping at the site. Benet sent outreach workers to the site two weeks earlier to get to know the people there. Eventually, Benet said, after talking with people at a site like this, they “bring out the clipboards” and start talking about options. Once they have shelter for someone, they set a “moving-out day,” and talk with the person about what they want to bring to the shelter and what they don’t want to bring. Benet’s team is there on moving day; whatever is left behind is handled by city workers who are part of the Clean City Initiative.
(“Moving day” cleanup at South Delridge camp – photo courtesy CoLEAD)
The people they work with have been generally moved into hotel rooms that have been funded temporarily by federal dollars. But they’re not just delivered to the rooms and left alone. Benet says they have case managers who work with people in the program to get them health care and housing assessments, for example. The CoLEAD work at this camp was part of the LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program’s long-planned expansion into the White Center area, Benet said, adding that the program had been collaborating with City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who talks about it in her latest weekly newsletter.
As for what happens with the small camp that remains at the south end of the block, that’s not clear, but we will keep following up.
(Photo courtesy Vietnamese Cultural Center)
That’s the Fallen Soldiers Memorial at the Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard) in West Seattle. It will be the site of a Memorial Day lunch, hosted by the VCC, inviting all Vietnam War veterans and their families for a reunion and gratitude. Center director Lee Ducly Bui, a South Vietnam Navy veteran, asked us to share the invitation for the lunch at noon Memorial Day (Monday, May 31st). No RSVP needed but if you hace questions, you can call him at 206-779 6875.
Three Crime Watch notes:
CAR PROWLER: From a Sylvan Heights resident:
This man was seen in the Sylvan Heights neighborhood at 3:30 am. By the time the police had arrived he was gone. He was attempting to get into this car for at least 15 minutes.
DUMPED BICYCLES: From the dumped-and-likely-stolen file:
Found these two bikes dumped by the bus stop at Trenton and 16th today:
They’ve checked Bike Index – neither is registered. They’ll be checking with police too, but in the meantime, if you recognize either let us know and we’ll connect you.
SUSPECTED GUNFIRE INVESTIGATED: We don’t always receive police reports on suspected gunfire that goes unconfirmed, but we did on this one that happened just after 2 am today, so in case you heard it too: “Multiple callers reported hearing gunshots in the 4500 block of Beach Drive SW. Officers located two unidentified witnesses who reported hearing shots being fired and vehicles speeding away. No victims, shell casings, or evidence were located.”
(Seattle Parks photos)
Four weeks from today, West Seattle’s only city-owned outdoor pool will reopen. Historic Colman Pool is at Point Williams on the Lincoln Park store. Today, Seattle Parks tweeted photos of work being done to get it ready to open for the first time since September 2019.
Parks says, “Crews made plaster and pool-shell repairs, tested a new filtration system, and started filling it up with salt water.”
One bonus photo: “A couple of orcas even swam by to see the action!”
Parks announced in April that Colman Pool would reopen this year, then said earlier this month that June 19th would be opening day. More details on this year’s season (set to last through September 6th) are here.
(Cartoon image from ‘Votes for Women Volume 1, Issue 11,’ courtesy SWSHS)
Our state was a leader in granting women the right to vote, and the movement’s leaders included Alki’s Katherine Smith. This Thursday at 6 pm, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society explores part of what brought suffragists to victory, with an online presentation and panel discussion (and we’re honored to be part of it). Here’s the announcement of “Pressing the System: How Newsprint Won Women the Right to Vote”:
Join us for a presentation discussing suffragist Katherine Smith’s utilization of newsprint to inform voters, and hear from SWSHS volunteers Bethany Green and Kathy Mulady, as well as Tracy Record from West Seattle Blog in a panel discussion reflecting the power of the press. Registration is required.
Newspapers were instrumental in convincing voters that women deserve the right to vote in Washington state 10 full years before the 19th amendment passed in Congress. This program will dig deeper into that journalistic legacy, and explore how the press protects and promotes the basic rights of the American people today. We’ll discuss how the press shaped the way that the public perceived the suffrage movement in Washington for 50 years while women fought for the right to vote and reflect on that power today.
The program will consist of a 20-minute presentation from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, followed by a 30-minute panel discussion, and an opportunity for an audience Q&A.
For more details and to register, please visit our website at loghousemuseum.org/blog/may-27-pressing-the-system
Questions? Curator Maggie Kase can answer them – maggiek@loghousemuseum.org.
Thanks to Kevin Freitas for sharing that view of urban wildlife going head-to-head in his neighborhood southeast of The Junction. When he first published it on Twitter, general consensus was that the rabbit was defending a nearby nest, and it is indeed baby-bunny season. For info on rabbits, you can check out the state’s “Living with Wildlife” species-specific guide.
(WSB photo from Memorial Day 2018)
Making a comeback this year: Holiday flags in the West Seattle Junction. They’ll go up for Memmorial Day (Monday, May 31st), says Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association, with the assistance of American Legion veterans, and volunteers of all ages are welcome to help. Meet outside Cupcake Royale (northeast corner of California/Alaska) at 9 am Memorial Day to help put them up, and/or same place at 4 pm that day to help take them down.
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
Morning through night, your West Seattle options include:
SSC GARDEN CENTER PLANT SALE, WITH WEDESIGN: 10 am-3 pm, second sale day of the season at the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) Garden Center. Special guest, Michael Lockman of WEdesign (WSB sponsor), answering questions about plant selection, landscape design, and the SSCC Horticulture program (for which he’s a faculty member).
ROCK SHOW: In Herbert and Mary‘s driveway!
“Please join us for a rock and gem show. Come see the best selection/collection in West Seattle. 10 am to 4 pm, 2009 SW Dakota.”
SKYLINK VOLUNTEERING: 10 am at Ercolini Park (48th/Alaska), meet up to help West Seattle SkyLink advocates distribute promotional material.
FURRY FACES FOUNDATION PLANT SALE: 11 am-4 pm, help people and their pets by buying plants – many varieties – with afternoon tunes. 3809 46th SW – more in our calendar listing.
MORE SALES! See the listings in the WSB Community Forums‘ Freebies/Deals/Sales section.
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Open to the public again! Noon-4 pm, 61st/Stevens.
ALKI DAZE: Community celebration this weekend, with a 1 pm potluck starting today’s festivities. Info’s in our preview.
HIGHLAND PARK DECANTED: 4-8 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden), as previewed here. Pop-up bar outside (and wine purchases), tours by donation, all to raise money for and awareness of HPIC repairs/renovations.
Anything else? Text us! 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic headlines:
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: We start with the daily stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*108,103 people have tested positive, 232 more than yesterday’s total
*1,572 people have died, 7 more than yesterday’s total
*6,081 people have been hospitalized, 9 more than yesterday’s total
*1,083,674 people have been tested, 7,986 more than yesterday’s total
Now our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*1,383,084 people have received one dose (70.8% of everyone 12+ – this week they changed the stat to the wider age range, previously 16+)
*1,102,810 people have received both doses (56.5% of everyone 12+)
*2,125,115 doses have been allocated to King County (not counting pharmacy programs)
One week ago, the first four totals were 102,526/1,554/6,006/1,064,605, and the vaccination totals were 1,316,460/988,215/2,025,315.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 166.1 million cases, 3,443,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
THIRD-TO-LAST SATURDAY FOR WEST SEATTLE HUB: On Thursday, we broke the news that the city will close West Seattle’s vaccination hub after June 9th. Today, the official announcement was made. So tomorrow’s your third-to-last Saturday to get vaccinated at the hub, open 9 am-5:30 pm at 2801 SW Thistle.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“This feels so eleventh-hour,” one frustrated parent said toward the end of an online meeting today about asbestos-removal work at Lafayette Elementary.
That wasn’t an exaggeration. In response to copious concerns voiced by staff and parents, Seattle Public Schools‘ project-team leaders met with them this afternoon toward the end of the last workday before the work is set to start. The work actually was supposed to get going this past Monday – as noted here a week ago when the district sent us a community notice – but was pushed back so concerns could be addressed. (Here’s a letter from staff and PTSA members spelling out the concerns.)
The asbestos removal is the opening act of a project that has been in the works for going on two years – earthquake-proofing work, fire-sprinkler installation, and replacement of the school’s 70-year-old boiler. It’s the consolation prize of sorts for Lafayette having been passed over for a rebuild in the district’s most-recent BEX levy, though it was listed as “priority” for condition/capacity concerns during levy planning. (It’s not likely to be up for a rebuild for 10 to 15 years, one district official said today when the topic came up.)
Though the overall project is long-planned, the asbestos-removal component wasn’t mentioned until last week, staff and parents say.
This was the official Filing Week for candidates who want to be on the August 3rd primary ballot in King County (and the November 2nd general election if they make the top two). The deadline has passed; here are the highlights:
SEATTLE MAYOR: Jenny Durkan, remember, decided not to run for re-election. 15 people filed this week to run, including West Seattleite Lorena González, president of the City Council:
Jessyn Farrell
Bobby Tucker
Bruce Harrell
Arthur K. Langlie
Omari Tahir-Garrett
Colleen Echohawk
Don L. Rivers
Henry C. Dennison
M. Lorena González
Andrew Grant Houston
Lance Randall
Casey Sixkiller
Clinton Bliss
James Donaldson
Stan Lippmann
KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE: West Seattleite Dow Constantine is seeking a fourth term; West Seattleite Joe Nguyen, the 34th District’s state senator, is one of four challengers.
Bill Hirt
Joe Nguyen
Goodspaceguy
Dow Constantine
Johnathon Crines
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8: West Seattleite Teresa Mosqueda is the incumbent, and has drawn 10 challengers:
Kate Martin
Kenneth Wilson
Teresa Mosqueda
Jordan Elizabeth Fisher
Paul Felipe Glumaz
Alex Tsimerman
Brian Fahey
Jesse James
George Freeman
Alexander White
Bobby Lindsey Miller
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 9: This citywide seat is the one González is leaving to run for mayor. West Seattleite Brianna Thomas is among the seven contenders:
Corey Eichner
Sara Nelson
Rebecca L. Williamson
Nikkita Oliver
Xtian Gunther
Lindsay McHaffie
Brianna K. Thomas
CITY ATTORNEY: Incumbent Pete Holmes has two challengers:
Pete Holmes
Nicole Thomas-Kennedy
Ann Davison
Other positions you’ll see on the ballot include three Seattle Port Commission seats, each with the incumbent plus one challenger. See those lists, and links to more information about all the candidates, by going here. The list won’t be finalized until after the Monday deadline for filers to change their mind and withdraw.
As mentioned in this morning’s traffic roundup, the Delridge Way road-and-utility project preparing for the RapidRide H Line will close part of the Barton/Henderson/Delridge intersection for up to three weeks starting Monday. The full weekly update is in – here’s the map:
The advisory says, “SW Barton Pl will be closed from 21st Ave SW to Delridge Way SW (see map above). During this closure, the 21st Ave SW slip lane will be closed. 21st Ave SW between SW Barton Pl will only have access from SW Barton St. Please use SW Trenton St or SW Roxbury St to detour around this closure.” Metro has reroutes, too – Routes 60, 120, and 125 will be affected; the specific reroute plans are linked here.
Other focuses for the week ahead, per SDOT:
Landscaping and irrigation installation continues throughout the corridor
Zone A (West Seattle Bridge to SW Findlay St)
Paving work between the West Seattle Bridge and SW Dakota St will start overnight on Monday, May 24
Zone B (SW Findlay St to north of SW Orchard St)
Restoration between SW Willow St and SW Orchard St continues (east side)
Zone C (SW Orchard St to SW Roxbury St)
Roadwork demolition and paving to on the east side between SW Holden St and SW Thistle St Continues
Bus stop upgrades continue near SW Thistle St and SW Trenton St (west side)
The full preview for all work zones next week is here.
(WSB file photo from Alki bicycle parade)
Alki Daze is back. It’s a low-key community celebration at the beach, organized by Alki resident Guy Olson, in the spirit of the “Car-Free Day”/Summer Streets events the city used to hold. Everyone’s invited to join in. The big highlight is Sunday’s costumed bike parade: “We’ll be leaving from 63rd and Alki at 2:00 pm Sunday. We’ll be riding in the street from 63rd to 54th and then continuing on the bike path to the Don Armeni boat launch on Harbor Ave.” There are events on Saturday, too, starting with a potluck at 1 pm. The full Alki Daze lineup is here.
Three reader reports:
BUILDING BREAK-IN: From Laura:
At about 8:30 (Thursday) morning, a person gained access to our condo building near California and Findlay and managed to break into some storage lockers.
We will add the police-report number when we get it.
PHONE SCAM: The utility-shutoff scam callers are still at it, and Emily emailed this warning:
I live near the Junction and just received a scam call (a 206 number) from someone claiming they were from Seattle City Light and that my account is past due (it isn’t) and they were giving me a courtesy call because they were about to disconnect my electricity. They then gave me an 800 number to call to resolve my balance and prevent disconnection.
I didn’t call the 800 number, I instead called Seattle City Light to verify my account was ok and they told me that there was a scam happening right now and that Seattle PD was investigating. Apparently a lot of people have been victims and Seattle City Light can’t really do much to help them. Just wanted to share in case they’re calling other West Seattle neighbors – the guy was pretty convincing!
City Light’s website notes: “City Light will never demand payment over the phone. If you receive a call from someone demanding payment and threatening to shut off your power, hang up immediately and call 206-684-3000 to confirm your account status. You can report attempted scams to City Light using our online form.”
P.S. Same goes for other utilities – if you get a call claiming shutoff is imminent, hang up and call the utility to check your status.
DUMPED BICYCLE: The photo and report are from CJ:
I found this bike stashed in my backyard this morning at 42nd Ave SW and Heights. Looks like a beat-up Novara brand that’s been spray painted silver.
Yours? Let us know and we’ll connect you.
Back in September, we told you about Poogooder, founded by West Seattleite Lori Kothe as a way to tackle the problem so many complain about … dog waste fouling sidewalks, planting strips, etc., and sparking un-neighborly spats. Lori says nearly 80 Poogooder disposal bins – each with its own volunteer steward – are now up in local neighborhoods. But that’s just a start toward ending the problem, so Lori’s announced the Zero Poo Challenge, and you have two ways to be part of it:
The Poogooder Zero Poo Challenge is a free, crowd-sourced education initiative to raise awareness of the social and environmental impacts of wayward dog poo and the small steps we can take to foster a happier, healthier community and planet. It involves 2 main activities open to the public: an all-ages PSA Art & Video Contest and a Wayward Poo Hunt. Participants can win prizes, fame, goodies from local businesses, and even trophies! Deadline to submit or vote for family-friendly PSA creations is June 12. The Wayward Poo Hunt citizen-science research project runs May 23 – June 12 and coincides with PAWSWalk. Poo Hunters will use the Pooper Snooper mobile app to “win” by finding real secret treasure tins hidden throughout West Seattle.
If you are a local business, educator, organization, or individual who would like to be involved in some way and/or donate to the prize packs, please submit a contact form at Poogooder.com. Let’s have fun, get the facts, and inspire change to do some good today. More info, Dog Poo 101 guide, PSA voting gallery, and entry details at zeropoo.com.
Thanks to James Tilley for the photo. Seen off West Seattle on Thursday, that’s the former USCGC John Midgett, now in the service of the Vietnam Coast Guard. The photo helped solve a mystery we couldn’t solve two months ago, Lynn Hall photographed it before the repainting was complete:
At the time, we weren’t able to dig up the backstory (though the ship was flying the flag of Vietnam by then). The transfer has been in the works for at least a year and a half, according to this report, which says it’s the second US Coast Guard cutter given to Vietnam. This report says some of the work on the 378-foot cutter was done at Lake Union Drydock Company. The transfer was via the Foreign Military Financing program, this report notes. As USCGC John Midgett, the 1971-built ship was homeported in Seattle.
(View from the Water Taxi – photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Here’s what’s happening today as we head for the weekend:
‘DINE OUT’ FOR ALKI CO-OP PRESCHOOL: Through 7 pm tonight, part of the proceeds at Ampersand (2535 Alki SW) will benefit Alki Co-op Preschool.
HISTORY PRESENTATION: West Seattle historian/author Judy Bentley talks about “Washington Remembers: From Marcus Whitman to Billy Frank, Jr – Stories of Washington Statues and Memorials” online at noon, presented by the Woman’s Century Club. Our calendar listing has info on how to attend.
VACCINATION POP-UP: 1:30-5:30 pm, UW Medicine has a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up outside West Seattle High School (3000 California SW), and asked us to let you know everyone 12+ is welcome, not just students.
PATHFINDER K-8 ONLINE AUCTION CONTINUES: You can bid online in this school-fundraiser auction through Saturday night.
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