West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
For a second year, the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle has had to skip flipping pancakes at a holiday-season breakfast benefit – so the service club hopes you’ll shop their online auction instead. Lots of gift cards donated by local businesses – food, fun, fitness, and more – plus potential presents, from art to electronics to jewelry. You can browse and bid by going here. The auction’s on through December 4th, which in non-pandemic times would be the day the club hosts that pancake breakfast. Instead, all you have to do is spend a little time with their online auction so they can keep helping kids, with projects from Key Clubs to Scouting to fighting childhood cancer.
After a pandemic off-year, the Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship set sail again tonight – and its first stop was West Seattle, where a crowd lined the shore at Don Armeni Boat Ramp
They heard The Dickens Carolers sing holiday classics from on board – we recorded part of their 20-minute performance:
As listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, the Christmas Ship will make two more West Seattle stops, both tomorrow night – 5:35 pm outside Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor Avenue SW; WSB sponsor), and 8:35 pm at Alki Beach Park, near the Bathhouse (60th/Alki), with a bonfire planned. That’s it for WS stops this year but you can see the entire season’s schedule here.
<
for this weekend’s Native Art Market and Holiday Gift Fair at the Duwamish Longhouse, crossing guards are still stopping traffic on West Marginal Way, because the newly installed signal isn’t ready yet. Earlier this month, SDOT told the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force that they expected to turn on the signal in “late November,” if weather permitted the crosswalk to be painted. Turns out the weather got in the way of a different aspect of the project. We followed up on the signal statuw before the holiday and got this explanation:
Seattle Department of Transportation crews completed all of the initial work to install traffic signal poles and equipment in early November. The next step is for Seattle City Light to hook up power to the traffic signal so that we can turn it on. Due to the series of severe storms leading to widespread power outages, Seattle City Light has had to reschedule this step for the first weekend in December. Once the power is connected, SDOT crews are ready to take the final steps to unveil the signal lights and paint the crosswalks, which will require dry weather. We intentionally wait to do this until the signal is ready to be turned on in order to avoid confusing travelers.
This signal is technically temporary, with a permanent one to follow.
West Seattle’s only charity-fundraising Christmas-tree lot is open for the season. Holy Rosary School is selling trees again this year just north of the school.
Many options – you can shop in person or online, pick it up at the lot or have it delivered for an extra fee. They have 2′ to 10′ Noble, Douglas, and Fraser firs.
If you bring five non-perishable food items for the West Seattle Food Bank, you get $5 off the tree price.
They’re also selling wreaths, as well as poinsettias from nearby Seattle Lutheran High SchoolPar.
The lot at 41st/Dakota is open 4-9 pm weekdays, 9 am-9 pm weekends, through the weekend before Christmas. Part of the proceeds go to the WSFB and to Hickman House.
All West Seattle tree sellers are listed in our Holiday Guide – if we’re missing something, please let us know!
Orcas are visible off Constellation Park, northbound, reports Kersti Muul, so you might be able to glimpse them from Alki for a while.
At the Duwamish Longhouse Native Art Market and Holiday Gift Fair, you can find ornaments to decorate your tree, and/or gifts to put under it.
The work above is by Seciwa’s Southwest Native Jewelry and Crafts, one of this year’s vendors, spotlighting “the people and crafts from the Pueblo of Zuni,” described in a flyer as “the largest of the 20 ‘Pueblo’ tribes in New Mexico and Arizona.” The gift fair is a place to learn as well as to browse and buy.
It was also a popular shopping stop while we were there in late morning, with a line to get in since capacity was capped. But you have plenty of time – until 5 pm today, and again 10 am-5 pm tomorrow and Sunday.
Parking is across the street in the Seattle Public Utilities lot – and there are crossing guards to stop West Marginal Way traffic so you can safely get across. (The temporary signal and crosswalk are not ready yet – more on that in a separate story later.) P.S. You can also visit the exhibits in the Longhouse Cultural Center while you’re there, and the gift shop is open,
(WSB photo, last week)
One week ago, after Mayor Durkan‘s visit to Husky Deli, we reported that we had talked there with SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe, who told us to “expect some good news right after Thanksgiving” regarding West Seattle Bridge repairs. That news is scheduled for Monday morning (November 29th), when he and the mayor will brief media reps at what the announcement calls an event “marking the start of (the) final phase of West Seattle Bridge repairs.” Contractor Kraemer North America. which also handled the stabilization work on the bridge last year, has begun on-site preparation work, SDOT said last week.
(Spanning the entire holiday season in two inflatables – photo tweeted by Claire)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and year-round Event Calendar:
ST. NICHOLAS FAIRE: Online bidding continues with fun themed gift packages available, all raising money for the West Seattle Food Bank in this virtual version of First Lutheran Church of West Seattle‘s annual fundraiser fair – go here to browse and bid.
DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE NATIVE ART MARKET AND HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR: Shop Native artists and crafters are selling their creations at the Longhouse, 10 am-5 pm daily through Sunday:
Parking: the Longhouse parking lot is reserved for elders and disabled. The adjacent north lot is reserved for vendors and customers. Additional parking at the SPU (Seattle Public Utilities) for customers is across the street. Parking attendants and crosswalk guides will be on hand to guide you. Enjoy soup and fry bread by Cecile Hansen.
(4705 West Marginal Way SW)
THUNDER ROAD GUITARS ANNIVERSARY SALE: 10 years in business for Thunder Road Guitars (6400 California SW; WSB sponsor)! Open today 10 am-5 pm, “15% off most guitars and amplifiers, 15% off all pedals and free local delivery (West Seattle).” Sale is online, too.
HOLY ROSARY TREE LOT: This year’s Holy Rosary Tree Lot, north of the school, opens today:
The lot, located on the Holy Rosary School playground, will open Friday, November 26 and remain open through December 18. The lot will offer Noble, Douglas and Fraser firs ranging in height from 2-10’. Specialty heights, up to 11′, may be requested.
Holiday greenery is also for sale. Circle and cross wreaths, garland sold by the foot and Seattle Lutheran poinsettias will be available for pre-order or to purchase at the lot.
Multiple purchase options will be available:
1. Shop the lot, masks required
2. Pre-purchase on the school web site
3. Delivery available for an additional $25 fee, as a fundraiser for the 8th grade class.In addition to proceeds benefiting Holy Rosary School and Seattle Lutheran (poinsettias only), two local charities will also receive a portion of the proceeds: Salvation Army Hickman House and West Seattle Food Bank & Clothesline. Let’s work together as a community and fill the shelves at the West Seattle Food Bank. Bring 5 Cans of Food, Receive $5 Off Your Purchase!
Lot hours, directions and additional information may be found
at holyrosaryws.org/give/tree-lot.
Open until 9 pm tonight.
FOGUE GALLERY POP-UP: Family-friendly outdoor pop-up at Fogue Gallery (WSB sponsor):
Looking for a unique and thoughtful gift? Consider handmade, local, gifts made with love from small- businesses. Bring joy to an artist and the lucky recipient.
Art Under $100,
Art Sale 20%-60% Off
Crafts • Gifts • Prints •Cards • Jewelry
Complimentary hot cider and cookies
Ornament decorating
Noon-5 pm. (4130 California SW)
OTHER SHOPPING SPOTLIGHTS … for today and beyond are in our Holiday Guide.
CHRISTMAS SHIP: The Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship will make three West Seattle stops on its first two nights of the season, starting with one tonight: Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW), 5:35 pm. The Dickens Carolers will be on board to serenade those watching from land and sea.
CASEY MACGILL: 7 pm tonight, streamed show presented by Kenyon Hall becomes available – info here.
‘WE’VE BATTLED MONSTERS BEFORE’: Tonight is the official opening night for the world-premiere two-person musical at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm, get tickets here.
6:01 AM Good morning!
WEATHER
ROAD WORK
26th SW – Now open both ways.
20th/Roxbury – Work on the SW side of the intersection.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES
Metro is back to its regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations. (Thursday will run on the Sunday schedule, Friday on a regular weekday schedule.)
Ferries and Water Taxi: WSF is running a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates. The Water Taxi is NOT in service today.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
613th 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.) No change for the holiday.
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
South Park Bridge:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable bridges opening for vessels? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed can tell you; 1st Ave. South Bridge openings are also 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.
| Comments Off on Stocking stuffers that can change the world: Kiwanis Club of West Seattle auctioning local gift cards and more instead of serving pancakes