day : 05/07/2021 8 results

Next week, the ballots go out and the voting begins for the August 3rd primary – including 15 candidates seeking to succeed Jenny Durkan as Seattle mayor. Dozens of organizations have hosted candidate forums on a variety of topics. This Saturday (July 10th) at noon, WSB and the West Seattle Junction Association will present the only pre-primary forum devoted entirely to West Seattle matters. We invited all 15 candidates; 9 accepted. We have roughed out a list of potential questions but are curious what’s on YOUR mind, so if you have a question to suggest – please email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com. The forum is an in-person event at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon); it’ll be streamed on multiple channels, including here on WSB, and we’ll also have a limited number of seats for those interested in being there – stand by for details on that in an update tomorrow.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Axe arrest

July 5, 2021 5:54 pm

| 35 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

One more incident from the Fourth of July. The preliminary police summary says this was reported just before 9:30 pm last night – here’s the narrative:

Officers responded to the 7-11 located on Erskine Way to a report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim, who is an employee. The victim told officers that an unidentified male came into the store acting “crazy” — throwing things around and yelling. When the male left the store, the victim followed him outside. The male turned and retrieved an approx. 2-foot-long axe from his pants pocket. The male swung the axe at the victim — who managed to get out of the way — narrowly missing the victim’s head and neck area with the blade. Another store employee pepper-sprayed the male, who fled the area on foot. The suspect was located by officers a short while later a short distance away — still in possession of the axe.

He was arrested and booked into jail.

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BIZNOTE: Delridge Grocery Co-op adds third day of in-store shopping

July 5, 2021 4:26 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Delridge | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

As of this Friday, the Delridge Grocery Co-op storefront at 5444 Delridge Way SW is open three days a week for shopping.

The Delridge Grocery Co-op is excited to announce the addition of a third day of open market hours. Starting July 9, the DGC will be open on Fridays from 3–7. We’re also open on Saturdays from 9:30–1:30 (when we are also packing and distributing DGC Essential produce boxes) and on Sundays from 11–3.

We’re adding more inventory to the store this week, including Bob’s Red Mill quinoa and grits, Bragg apple cider and nutritional yeast, Dr. Bronner’s soaps and toothpaste, as well as jams, salsas, noodles, marinara sauce, and more.

This next Sunday (July 11) is also our monthly Owner-Member Discount Day, when those who have paid full or partial ownership shares in the Co-op will receive a 10% discount on in-store purchases. A full ownership share costs $100 per household. Learn more about becoming and owner-member of the Delridge Grocery Co-op at our website.

We also continue to offer our weekly DGC Essentials produce box, full of 9 to 11 pounds of fruits and veggies, as well feature local products as add-ons. This week we’re partnering with West Seattle-based Milpa Masa Company to offer their freshly made organic yellow corn tortillas and organic fresh masa (for making your own tamales and tortillas at home).

DGC started store hours with Saturdays two months ago, then added Sundays a month later

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Ellie the entrepreneur

July 5, 2021 3:07 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

If you’re in the Puget Ridge vicinity this afternoon, Ellie is selling ice-cream cones at 5428 16th SW. Experts say it’s a good idea to teach kids entrepreneurial skills early, and Ellie’s proud family texted us, “5-year-old girlboss open for business!” Tillamook ice cream; gluten-free cones available, until 5 pm.

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FOLLOWUP: Fireworks aftermath, more brush-fire calls, and neighborly cleanups

July 5, 2021 12:46 pm

| 41 COMMENTS

| Environment | Holidays | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

Again this year, we asked for photos of fireworks debris/trash encountered by readers this morning. What you see above is from Kay, who reported fireworks aftermath at Lincoln Park, “from the south parking lot to the pool.” And while we can’t say for sure whether fireworks are to blame, just before 5 am, this fire broke out in trees on the park’s west-facing slope:

Andrew saw it from a ferry; the SFD log shows two engines and a ladder truck were sent. The aftermath of another brush fire is part of Kim‘s report from High Point:

I just went up to Walt Hundley Park with a bucket and garbage picker. There is so much small fireworks debris in the park and street at 34th and Myrtle, I could not pick it all up. I concentrated on picking up the bigger stuff.

It appears there was a brush fire last night across from the park on the weedy slope next to Guadalupe. There is a burned area and the resulting messy mud in the road must be from the water used to extinguish the fire. (I reported this to the city’s Find It Fix It app, along with some big garbage dumped there that was too much for me to manage this morning.)

It’s too bad that the people who create the mess don’t clean up after themselves. But I encourage neighbors to get out and help clean up their neighborhoods today. If this street is any indication, it’s a mess out there.

The SFD log does show a brush-fire call at 1:22 am in that area. Also from High Point, Codrin sent this photo from Viewpoint Park:

Here’s a texted photo from EC Hughes Playground:

Heading north, from Leigh at 36th/Lander:

On my morning walk saw this. Helped a neighbor clean up.

Just one of several photos sent by Pat, at Don Armeni Boat Ramp:

And from Kristina, at Whale Tail Park:

At least they cleaned up the trash? Sounded like a war zone for hours last night.

Thanks again to those who sent photos and/or were out cleaning up this morning – we will add any other photos we receive – westseattleblog@gmail.com.

ADDED 2:28 PM: From Brooke, at Highland Park Spraypark:

It’s not so bad as others but the kids are playing barefoot in/around it. Also the Roxhill park and parking lot were covered with fireworks debris, so much that my kids decided not to play there this morning.

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WILDLIFE: What you need to know as seal-pupping season begins

July 5, 2021 10:59 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Echo, first harbor-seal pup sighted here last year)

The photos and report are from David Hutchinson of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network:

Harbor seal pupping season is now underway in our area of Puget Sound. Over the next months, you may come across a vulnerable newborn or newly weaned pup on any of our local beaches. It is against Federal law to feed, touch, disturb or move a harbor seal pup.

Many of you are already familiar with Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network. For new residents of West Seattle, we are part of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, covering the shoreline from Brace Point through the Duwamish River, including Harbor Island and the downtown side of the East Waterway up to the Coast Guard station. Seal Sitters responds to all reports of marine mammals on the beaches, alive or dead. If you come across any marine mammal on shore, please keep your distance, keep people and pets away, and call Seal Sitters’ hotline at 206-905-7325.

Harbor seal pups are nursed by their mothers for only 4-6 weeks before being left on their own. Pups that show up this early in the season may well have a mother offshore; it’s very important that people keep their distance. If there is any disturbance nearby, a seal mom may abandon her pup. That was the case with “Echo,” the first pup Seal Sitters responded to last year. Echo still had a short umbilical cord stump attached and was estimated to be just a few days old. When no mother returned to Alki Beach for Echo, she was taken to PAWS. After a successful rehabilitation, she was released back into Puget Sound. Only members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network are authorized to handle and transport marine mammals.

(Elephant seal seen last month near Des Moines)

Another seal you may find resting on our beaches is the northern elephant seal. More of this species have been showing up in local waters. In April of this year, Seal Sitters provided volunteers in support of our network partner to the north, Sno-King Marine Mammal Response, to help protect a young female elephant seal “molting” on a downtown Seattle beach. A numbered flipper tag revealed that this animal had been born in early 2020 in the Año Nuevo colony in California. Recently, there have also been a number of sightings of a male elephant seal in Puget Sound to the south of West Seattle. These animals are very large, irritable and unpredictable when going through their lengthy molt, so please keep a safe distance.

Seal Sitters’ hotline (206-905-7325) is staffed from 8 AM – 8 PM, 7 days a week. Early or late calls – if no one is available when you call, please leave a message.

*Please note that all photos were taken with a telephoto lens.

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WEATHER, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Monday holiday notes

July 5, 2021 6:12 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:12 AM: Good morning, One more day in the holiday weekend, as today’s the official government observance of Independence Day. Today’s forecast calls for some clouds, some sun, potentially 80s.

TRAFFIC NOTE

The early-morning fire in downtown White Center is likely to still be affecting traffic on 16th SW south of Roxbury.

TRANSIT

Limited West Seattle Water Taxi service today

Sunday schedule for Metro

Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations, @wsferries for major WSF changes.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

469th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 25th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends, when the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available for some categories of drivers.)

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

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

And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

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

Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)

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

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

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UPDATE: City, county team up to fight 2-alarm White Center fire; LumberYard Bar gutted, other businesses damaged

July 5, 2021 1:54 am

| 49 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news | White Center

1:54 AM: Big Seattle Fire response for what’s described as a structure fire at 16th and Roxbury. We’re on our way to find out more.

(West Seattle Blog/White Center Now photos by Patrick Sand)

2:07 AM: The fire is being fought by King County units as well as SFD, per radio communication – we’re still waiting for word from our crew regarding the fire’s specific location, as the real-time log has not been updated beyond “16th/Roxbury.”

2:29 AM: The public-information officer on scene tells us it’s in the commercial building on the west side of 16th just south of Roxbury. Still trying to determine which business(es).

2:37 AM: Our photographer has confirmed the building that holds LumberYard Bar and Rat City Tattoo is involved. We’re told a city crew was first on scene of this – Engine 11 (based in Highland Park) was on a medical call a short distance north on 16th when someone ran up and told them a building was on fire.

3:10 AM: The fire’s not entirely out yet – firefighters are still dealing with hotspots and trying to ensure the fire hasn’t spread. No reports of injuries, and it’s too soon for the investigation to begin into the cause.

3:48 AM: Not out yet. Firefighters from multiple departments are still working on it from both sides of the building (16th and 17th). Of note: This is a 2-alarm fire, according to the public-information-officer team.

4:32 AM: The LumberYard’s Instagram feed notes it was closed Sunday night because of a power outage. We don’t know details of that outage, but the City Light map shows 32 customers now out in that area because of the fire, so this may affect businesses beyond the ones damaged by the fire itself. We’ll of course be following up.

ADDED 10:37 AM: We went back this morning – in the view above, you are looking into the building from the alley side. Fire crews are still there:

We talked to Chief Mike Marrs of Fire District 2, which includes North Highline and Burien. The investigator finally got into the building a few hours ago to try to determine the cause.

Other businesses to the north were damaged – including broken glass. Firefighters were expected to be on scene, with 16th remaining closed in that block, until noonish. We will check back again.

11:58 AM: As linked in comments, a crowdfunding campaign has been set up for the LumberYard.

1:45 PM: Fire District 2 public-information Shauna Sheppard says they do NOT believe this was caused by fireworks. So far they’ve traced the origin to the LumberYard’s basement, and they believe it was accidental, though the specific cause remains under investigation.

7:54 PM: Along with the crowdfunding link for the LumberYard, here are three others for those affected: For the Boxing Gym; for staff of the affected businesses; and for Nuggi, a boba-tea shop that was opening soon.

ADDED TUESDAY: More crowdfunding – this time for La Tipica Oaxaqueña, and for Dottie’s Doublewide (that page notes it had new owners who were preparing to reopen).

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