West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Admiral Church‘s two-thirds-of-an-acre campus hosts more than a congregation. It’s also home to a preschool, recovery groups, anti-racism classes, bystander-intervention training, rental space for local arts organizations, and a rest stop for Metro bus drivers.
The church’s congregation has decided to open it to another use: An overnight shelter where up to 10 men can sleep.
One week after the congregation made that decision in what pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom called a “near-unanimous” vote, it opened the sanctuary Sunday afternoon to neighbors who came bearing questions.
After an online-only 2020 show, Skeleton Theatre is back – in-person and online! Just got the word from Maia Low at Skeleton Theatre:
Skeleton Theatre will be live AND virtual this year! We put together a short show called “Get Silly” that will run on Halloween and November 1 between 6 and 9 pm. We opted for a short show to avoid large groups of people gathering for an extended time. We will also post a pre-recorded version of the show on skeletontheatre.com on Halloween. Here are the details:
Skeleton Theatre 2021 – “Get Silly”
Show length: 6 minutesLive Performance
Show times: 6 pm-9 pm, about every 10 minutes
Show dates: Sunday, October 31 and Monday, November 1Please wear a mask and observe social distancing while watching the show.
Virtual Performance
Available starting on October 31
skeletontheatre.comWe’re looking forward to celebrating Halloween with our neighbors again!
Skeleton Theatre is an outdoor animatronic show in a yard at 36th/Hanford.
P.S. We’ve just added this to the WSB West Seattle Halloween Guide, which has other event listings, including trick-or-treat events, plus photos/locations of decorations suggested by neighbors all over the peninsula. Still more to add – email westseattleblog@gmail.com if you have decorations or an event for the page!
Two Bald Eagles are flying free again after a scary snarl in a West Seattle back yard. WSB reader Robin thought just one eagle was entangled in the bushes when she emailed us wondering if local naturalist/urban-wildlife first responder Kersti Muul might know what to do. Robin had already called the state Fish and Wildlife Department and said they didn’t have much to offer. We connected her with Kersti, who tells the story from there (and sent the photos):
When I arrived on scene, I realized that there were actually two eagles. Not only were they really entangled in vegetation, but also were locked onto each other’s legs.
I first pruned the morning glory and blackberry off of the wings. Then waited for assistance.
Brett Rogers, a Seattle Animal Control officer, came to assist me. We netted the one on top, which seemed to be bigger (perhaps a female) And then I proceeded to prune heavily on the rhododendron. Once the whole area around them was clear, I figured they would start paying attention more to us than each other, and that’s exactly what happened. Once freed up from the vegetation, The wings started flapping and the wheels started turning.
They let each other go. The bigger one on top flew off immediately, landed on the deck for a second and then took off. The smaller one hopped and flew out, got entangled in another vine but quickly got out and landed on a fence post. He stretched his wings momentarily, And then flew off. About 5 minutes later, I could hear one calling.
Neither one was Bey. This wasn’t her territory anyway, but good to know!
(That’s a reference to this eagle rescue last February.)
3:48 PM: The South Park Bridge has opened again to vehicle traffic, two days after it was closed because of utility poles and trees down on East Marginal Way, blocking access to its east end. Here’s some of what they cleaned up (photos courtesy SDOT):
4:25 PM: Though the bridge is open/accessible again, SDOT says parts of East Marginal are still closed – to be specific, between 16th Ave South & South 86th Place.
5:40 PM: In an email update, SDOT elaborates, “Although SCL has completed work to clear debris and repair equipment within Seattle city limits, damaged traffic signal equipment in Tukwila continues to make the road unsafe to reopen south of the bridge. SDOT and Tukwila Public Works are continuing to work closely together to respond to the situation.” The stretch of East Marginal that remains closed isn’t expected to reopen before tomorrow.
Nicole Warner and Tara Biller are the West Seattle nurse practitioners who started the mobile health-care service Pliable as a pandemic ‘pivot” in their careers. And now their company is on board as the vaccination providers for the city’s new clinic at Neighborhood House High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW). We first reported on Monday that the city had chosen this location for the West Seattle clinic it’s been promising for a month, and today Mayor Jenny Durkan led a media briefing there. Here’s our video:
The mayor was joined by City Councilmember Lisa Herbold and Neighborhood House executive director Janice Deguchi, as well as by the Pliable co-founders. Here are the basics: The clinic will be open 11 am-7 pm Fridays and 8:30 am-4:30 pm Saturdays for starters, beginning this week (but skipping some dates such as the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving). They have capacity up to 800 vaccinations a day – you can make an appointment if you want a guaranteed time, but they will accept walk-ups too. They’ll have all three vaccines, with separate rooms in Neighborhood House (this is indoors) for each one – first shots, second shots, or boosters – what you get is what you request. (Yes, they’ll do mix-match boosters if that’s what you request.) If you want to make an appointment, you can do it through the city website.
They’re also prepared to scale up once vaccinations are approved for younger kids – they’ll have a separate pediatric area at the clinic. Warner noted that if you’ve been to one of their pop-ups, you know they try to make it a “fun” atmosphere. They say they’re excited to help “fill in the gaps” in the local vaccination-access system.
Pliable also tells us they’re adding to the team of vaccinators – “We are looking for medical professionals (retired medical professionals are also great) to help vaccinate.” This is paid-hourly work (if someone would rather do it on a volunteer basis, they’re open to that). Here’s the flyer; the link to sign up for shifts is here.
P.S. Here’s how to get to the new clinic location – including free rides.
On October 16th, we reported briefly on a street robbery in South Delridge. Today police are releasing more details of the case, including a description of the robber, in hopes of finding him. From SPD Blotter:
Detectives are seeking assistance identifying a man who robbed a woman at knifepoint in the Delridge neighborhood.
Around 10:30 PM on October 16th, the victim had gotten out of her car in an alley in the 8800 block of Delridge Way Southwest when a man came up behind her, grabbed her by the throat, and held a knife to her ribs. The suspect then grabbed the woman’s purse, punched her in the face, and fled. The woman called 911 a short time later. Officers and a K9 team searched the area but were unable to find the suspect.
The woman told police the suspect was a Black man in his late 30s, 5’10, wearing a black jacket, white shoes, a black mask with three white stripes on it, and sunglasses. While police do not yet have photos or video related to this case, detectives are hoping the description of the distinctive mask will help lead them to the suspect.
If you have any information about this incident, please contact SPD’s Robbery Unit at 206-684-5535.
11:25 AM: A Seattle Fire “rope rescue” response is arriving at the Admiral/Stevens entrance to Schmitz Park [map]. The call is described as a man in his 30s falling down an embankment and unable to get out on his own.
11:31 AM: SFD is calling for SPD help blocking Admiral Way while the rescue continues.
11:35 AM: Firefighters told dispatchers the man is not believed to have major injuries – his main complaint so far is leg pain.
11:41 AM: SFD says the man is “directly under the bridge” – if you’ve been to Schmitz Park, you know how steep that embankment is.
11:54 AM: Added a photo as they work to lift the man out. SFD confirms to us at the scene that he has only minor injuries and will be taken to a hospital by private ambulance.
11:56 AM: He’s out, firefighters just told dispatch. … (Added above a minute later, photo from our crew.)
More than a year after Chaco Canyon Organic Café closed at 3770 SW Alaska in The Triangle, there’s word of a new tenant for the space. While looking through city permit files, we found a renovation application in the name of West of Chicago Pizza Company, the pizzeria that’s been operating out of the KBM Seattle Commissary Kitchen in Delridge. The specialty: Deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. West of Chicago proprietor Shawn Millard tells WSB he’s not ready to disclose details of the plan for the Triangle space, but he’s looking forward to starting work on the overhaul, with the hope of being open in February.
Today, with meetings at 9:30 am and 2 pm, the City Council launches into the next phase of shaping the next city budget: Going through proposed amendments. Almost 200 of them will be rolled out over the next three days. We read the documents for today’s reviews and found six of particular note:
*Almost $500,000 to add air conditioning to the non-A/C area of Southwest Library, for “climate adaptation”
*Two amendments for Camp Second Chance, West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment – $80,000 to connect the camp to a sewer system in the area, $100,000 to ensure a mobile city hygiene trailer visits CSC regularly
*$380,000 for “Indigenous-led energy efficiency projects in the Duwamish Valley,” described as potentially involving work at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse
*200,000 to support youth leadership programs in the Duwamish Valley, such as the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps
This is just the first of three days in which proposed amendments will be presented – we’ll be going through the documents for the other two days too. Today, the many other proposed amendments also include another of note from West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold (who also proposed the Camp Second Chance and youth leadership amendments mentioned above) – almost $400,000 for animal-control patrols in city parks.
HOW TO COMMENT: There’s still a lot of time to comment before the council gets to the point of finalizing its version of the budget. Most meetings, for example, start with a public comment period; two more public hearings are planned in November. This page has all the information.
6:05 AM: Good morning!
WEATHER
More rain in today’s forecast – some wind but not as much as the past two days.
CLOSURE
The South Park Bridge and a stretch of East Marginal Way, between 14th Ave South and South 86th Place, are still closed for power line/pole repairs. Here’s the nearest camera:
OTHER BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
584th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here 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):
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
Are movable bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed is down again. But 1st Ave. South Bridge openings are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.
ROAD WORK – TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND
26th SW – Ongoing closure between Roxbury and Barton for RapidRide H Line prep work, at least a few more weeks, the county says.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES
Regular Metro schedule, except for the rerouting in RapidRide H Line work zones – on 26th and 15th SW in particular. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.
For ferries and Water Taxi: WSF is still on a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates. The Water Taxi remains on its new schedule (no weekend or off-peak shuttle buses).
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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