West Seattle, Washington
24 Friday
6:03 AM: Good morning! Sunny today, maybe even 70s.
ROAD WORK
26th SW & beyond – Northbound 26th SW remains closed between Roxbury and Barton, and King County says the closure is expected to shift to the southbound side within a few weeks.
25th SW & Barton – New closure: 25th is closed on the south side of this intersection – details here.
Delridge project – Winding down.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRise H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips.
For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today, but note that the Spirit of Kingston has replaced Doc Maynard on the West Seatte Water Taxi Run until further notice. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
546th 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 camera’s back, now pointed west:
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:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (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.
Three incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:
APARTMENT BURGLARY: This happened at the Bridge Park senior-living apartment complex in High Point early Saturday. We tried to get the full report from SPD today but so far have only the brief summary, which says:
On 09-18-2021 at 0056 hours, officers responded to a retirement home regarding a suspect who broke into an occupied bedroom window. On arrival, officers learned that the suspect shattered an exterior window and gained access to the victim’s bedroom. The suspect then fled out the front door after being confronted and into the interior of the building. The suspect attempted to gain access to more occupied rooms as he moved down the hallway, until he was able to gain access to another occupied room. Officers, who were actively searching for the suspect, heard the victim calling for help inside. Officers were able to gain access to the room and the suspect was taken into custody and booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary. There were no injuries to any victims.
CAR PROWLS: Matt‘s street got hit by two rounds of car prowls last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and he put together a narrated video with security-camera footage – see it here.
VANDAL ON WHEELS: We heard a dispatch this evening about someone tearing up the park next to Delridge Community Center by driving a dune buggy on it. A bit later, a reader sent us this video:
Incident number is 21-248038.
(Photo by Dennis Hinton)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Every fall, volunteers watch Fauntleroy Creek for signs of coho salmon swimming home to spawn.
The creek is one of just a few in the city to which salmon still return.
(“Wally,” a 2016 Fauntleroy Creek coho photographed by Mark Ahlness)
It’s hospitable again thanks to human helping hands decades ago, from volunteers who formed the Fauntleroy Watershed Council.
As they celebrate the council’s 20th anniversary, the dedicated volunteers at the heart of the group are hoping now to welcome more neighbors into the fold – whether for one-time events or recurring involvement. There’s much to be done – today, for example, volunteers were out clearing logs from the mouth of the creek (top photo), so any returning spawners don’t face a “roadblock.”
While the city’s share of the RapidRide H Line preparation project along Delridge Way is winding down, the county’s share is continuing. As part of that, we got word today that work is starting at the intersection of 25th SW and SW Barton, and that means a closure on the souths side of the intersection. From the announcement:
Over the coming weeks, crews will be removing the existing pavement and ADA curb ramps, upgrading utilities, installing new roadway panels and ADA curb ramps, and making improvements that will serve current Routes 60, 120, 125, and 560, and the future RapidRide H Line. This work is expected to last for approximately three weeks. Typical hours of work are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with occasional weekend and night work.
During this work:
25th Avenue SW will be closed to northbound and southbound traffic at SW Barton Street.
Detours will be in place for people driving, walking, and rolling. Please follow posted detour signage.
Meantime, the northbound 26th SW closure continues between Barton and Roxbury, and we’re told that is expected to switch directions to the southbound lanes within a few weeks.
4:12 PM: Thanks for the tip. Avoid 35th/Morgan for a while – a crash is reported to be blocking two lanes. No SFD dispatch so far, but police are there. They’re calling for SDOT to clean up debris.
4:35 PM: That scene is reported to be cleared. But now police have told dispatch that the signal is flashing at Delridge/Spokane (the 5-way).
5:05 PM: The backup from that is big, we’re hearing via Twitter – one driver says getting through the area took 40 minutes.
(MV Doc Maynard – WSB file photo)
The Spirit of Kingston is replacing Doc Maynard on the West Seattle Water Taxi run until further notice. After Metro sent that announcement this afternoon, we asked spokesperson Al Sanders why. He explains, “The Doc Maynard is going to the shipyard for repairs to the vessel’s propeller. The issue was discovered during the morning run and it was taken out of service.” The swap is notable since the Spirit of Kingston’s 149-passenger capacity is only about half that of Doc Maynard, but Metro says ridership has been averaging “well below” 149. Sanders says there’s no estimate yet how long Doc Maynard will be out of service.
Seattle Public Schools‘ weekly COVID-19 dashboard update is up. It shows 214 total cases reported among students and staff since the school year began – 97 more than the 117 reported in last week’s update. The individual school numbers don’t show week-to-week change on the dashboard, but here’s what we have compared to last week’s numbers:
Chief Sealth International High School – 8, up 2
Lafayette Elementary – 7, up 1
Denny International Middle School – 6, up 2
Roxhill Elementary – 6, up 3
Highland Park Elementary – 5, up 1
Gatewood Elementary – 3, unchanged
Pathfinder K-8 – 3, up 1
West Seattle High School – 2, up 1
Madison Middle School – 2, both newly reported this week
Genesee Hill Elementary – 1, unchanged
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – 1, unchanged
Sanislo Elementary – 1, unchanged
West Seattle Elementary – 1, newly reported this week
Still no cases reported at Alki, Arbor Heights, Concord International, or Fairmount Park elementaries. The school-by-school numbers are not separated into students/staff, but in the Southwest Region (West Seattle/South Park), 41 of the 46 cases are listed as students, 5 as staff.
A few have asked about the date for Fauntleroy Church‘s next Recycle Roundup. Though a date had tentatively been set for one this fall, organizers weren’t able to get their usual partner to commit, so it’s NOT happening. While awaiting the next time they do get one scheduled, here’s what you can do if you have recyclables beyond what is accepted at curbside: Use the “Where Does It Go?” lookup. It will point you to options including scheduling an extra-cost special curbside pickup. If you’re looking specifically for electronics recycling, here’s who’s in the Take It Back Network, including some drop-off spots as close as SODO.
Fall arrives at 12:30 pm Wednesday (September 22nd) and the trees are already starting to turn – we saw the one above along the Hiawatha track on Sunday night. Meantime, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox, here’s what’s happening:
TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE: Today is the first day of the weeklong dine-out benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank. 27 food/drink establishments are participating – some by donating a percentage of proceeds, some with specific menu items. The venue list and other info – be sure to get your “passport” first time you participate this week! – can be found here.
SOUTHWEST POOL: Just a reminder that West Seattle’s only city-run indoor pool (2801 SW Thistle) is open again – here’s the schedule, which starts on Mondays with lap swimming at noon and concludes with water exercise at 7 pm.
CITY COUNCIL: Weekly meeting at 2 pm; here’s the agenda, which includes information on how to participate in public comment.
FRESH HOP WEEK: Special weeklong event at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), which opens at 4 pm today.
OPEN D&D: Weekly drop-in event at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), 6:30-10 pm.
QUIZFIX TRIVIA: 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) – prizes!
Got something for the calendar, one-time or recurring? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends are remembering Dr. Paul Smits and sharing this remembrance with the community:
Longtime West Seattle dentist, Paul Kari Smits, of Bellevue, passed away in Seattle on September 10th from complications of prostate cancer; he fought the disease courageously for ten years.
He was born in 1941 to Paul Aire Smits, DDS, and Ina Kari Smits and grew up in Aberdeen, WA.
He attended the University of Washington and graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, for two years and, while there, met his future wife, Joyce (Becker) Smits. He then served two years in the Army Reserve while establishing his private dental practice in West Seattle. Paul cared for his patients for over 45 years, becoming friends with many.
Paul loved spending time outdoors with Joyce and their three sons, especially on the ski slopes. An avid photographer, he documented everything from their travels in the U.S. and around the world, to his grandchildren’s sporting events and celebrations. He was quick to laugh and tell a story and will always be remembered for his warm, friendly personality and dedication to his family and patients.
Paul is loved and will be forever missed by Joyce, his wife for over 50 years; sons Tyler, Ryan, and Kyle, and their wives Lori, Christina, and Jessica; grandchildren Gavin, Audrey, Ella, and Lily, all of whom live in the Seattle area; sister Karen (Morgan Kari) of Woodland Hills, CA; brother- and sister-in-law René and Jan Robert of San Ramon, CA and their family; and his many friends.
His family would like to thank the doctors and many other Virginia Mason caregivers who provided medical care and compassion to Paul.
Donations in memory of Paul may be made to Zero Cancer at zerocancer.org or a charity of your choice.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
6:12 AM: Good morning! Dry day expected.
ROAD WORK
26th SW & beyond – Northbound 26th SW remains closed between Roxbury and Barton.
Delridge project – Winding down.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRise H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips.
For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
545th 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 camera’s back, now pointed west:
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:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (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.
Here’s our weekly collection of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest numbers.
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:
*145,662 people have tested positive – 3,892 more than a week ago (5,202 in West Seattle, up 114)
*7,810 people have been hospitalized – 139 more than a week ago (237 from West Seattle, up 4)
*1,835 people have died – 23 more than a week ago (71 in West Seattle, unchanged)
VACCINATION RATE: Note that King County has this disclaimer on its page: “On 9/14/2021, population estimates used to determine the percentage of the population vaccinated were updated from 2019 estimates to recently released 2020 estimates for sub-county geographic divisions (i.e. zip codes, health reporting areas, and regions). Due to population growth, some percentages for sub-county geographies are now slightly lower than previously reported. Countywide percentages were already using 2020 population estimates, so they are unchanged by this update.” So this explains what a commenter noticed about the zip-code-specific stats.
79.2% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .7% in the past week)
By West Seattle zip code (see disclaimer above):
98106 – 80.6%
98116 – 85.5%
98126 – 77%
98136 – 87%
98146 – 76%
(More COVID-related King County stats here)
PANDEMIC NEWS
Vaccine or negative test required – Announced this week, a variety of venues in King County are required to ask you for proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result starting October 25th.
Seattle Public Schools cases – The district is updating its dashboard on Mondays, and started including individual schools’ numbers. Here’s our West Seattle/South Park breakout of last week’s update..
Boosters or not? An FDA advisory committee says they’re not necessary yet for most people. but that’s not the final word.
NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?
The UW Medicine testing service at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.
NOT VACCINATED YET?
Go here to see where you can change that. Also note clinics in the week ahead: White Center locations on Wednesday and Friday and Louisa Boren STEM K-8 next Sunday (flu shots at that one too).
September means community groups are back on their meeting schedules again, with most still meeting online. Last Thursday night, three topics were in the spotlight as the Alki Community Council resumed its third-Thursday schedule:
POLICE STAFFING: That made up most of what the ACC heard from Southwest Precinct Lt. David Terry. As he’s said in past briefings, they’re understaffed – minimum number of officers at night is supposed to be 9, and that night (Thursday) they were down to 7 – SPD offers OT for officers interested in filling the gap, but more and more are saying no. “So we’re running the shift with shorter numbers, which is crazy” – this weekend they faced the possibility of being down to 6 or 7 on a shift. Lt. Terry summarized, “We’re out of bodies.” In response to an attendee’s questions, Lt. Terry acknowledged that they sometimes have even fewer in West Seattle/South Park because they have to lend officers to a “task force” callout elsewhere in the city, and when that happens – these days, mostly for nightlife safety – the SW Precinct may be down to “4 or 5 officers for 17 square miles.” Attendees mentioned they are disappointed that Seattle Parks returned to regular closing time at Alki this week and asked what SPD thinks about it. Lt. Terry said he couldn’t offer an opinion, just the observation that it would most likely mean “more calls for service.” As for Alki police responses over the summer – there was a “small spike” in June and July but a drop in August. “You’re still the second safest area in all of West Seattle” (after Fauntleroy), he noted.
FRIENDS OF ALKI NEIGHBORHOODS: Quality-of-life concerns – crime among them – have given rise to this new group, FANS for short. Reps formally introduced themselves at the ACC meeting with a presentation. Here’s the new group’s purpose:
“We want to voice our interest as one connected neighborhood … we’re all experiencing the same thing,” said Mollie Means, who led the presentation. What they all have in common: Proximity to Alki Beach Park. Means estimates that 24,000 people comprise the Alki neighborhoods. They’re putting together a survey to identify the key issues they want the city to address. “We want to gather data to support strategic initiatives.” They hope that will lead to change that enhances the experience of residents and visitors alike. This past summer was problematic in multiple ways, she said – first “car caravans” visiting, then the chaotic “kickback” crowd in May, then the June quadruple shooting that left one man dead. “What was really effective is that (after that) Police and Parks worked together to ‘tweak” the way things work at the beach.
Pending survey results, here’s some of what FANS hopes to advocate for:
Three reader reports about items taken from cars:
STOLEN WHEELS: The photo and report are from John, who says the victim is his neighbor:
Wheels stolen off this car in front of Holy Rosary last night after 1 am.
And two more stolen catalytic converters:
SOUTH OF THE JUNCTION: Another reader named John reports, “I got back from lovely vacation (Saturday) night to find some lowlife a–hole stole my catalytic converter from my Honda Element. 42nd SW and SW Dawson. Sometime between September 4 and 18.”
BEACH DRIVE: Deborah reports, “I started my car around 8:15 (Saturday) morning to a horrendous racket. Neighbor heard noise and looked out at the parking lot around 3:30 am, to see a blue 4-door sedan departing the complex. We assume this vehicle contained the thieves who removed my catalytic converter. My car was parked in a well-lit lot of a small apartment building at 4120 Beach Dr SW. No other hybrids in our small lot appear to have been hit (yet). The theft has been reported to SPD.” (Her car is a 2008 Prius.)
When we previewed the Taste of West Seattle last week – a weeklong dine-out benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank‘s work to end hunger and prevent homelessness – 20 food/drink businesses were in, Now, with The Taste starting tomorrow, the list is up to 27!
Bakery Nouveau
Best of Hands Barrelhouse
Box Bar
Coastline Burgers
Copper Coin
Flying Apron
Grillbird
Harry’s Beach House
Hotwire Coffeehouse
Itto’s Tapas
Lady Jaye
Locust Cider
Mission Cantina
No Name Diner Alki
Nos Nos Coffee House
Ounces Taproom & Beer Garden
Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que
Phoenecia
Pot Pie Factory, Inc.
Soprano’s Antico Pizza and Pasta
Talarico’s Pizzeria
The Bridge
The Good Society Brewery & Public House
The Westy
West 5
West Seattle Cellars
West Seattle Grounds
During Taste of West Seattle week – Monday, September 20th through Sunday, September 26th – participating establishments will either “donate a percent of sales from a special ‘Taste Menu’ created by the restaurant, or a percentage of sales.” Also, remember that there’s potentially more in it for you than the knowledge you’re getting good food/beverages and doing a good deed – note that this is an update since our last preview:
All participating restaurants will be listed on a restaurant “passport.” The more stamps/ signatures someone gets on their card by ordering from participating restaurants, the more times they are entered into the drawing. Each stamp = 1 drawing entry. We will select 5 winners for a $100 gift card to a West Seattle Restaurant or Whole Foods. Customers will need to mail/drop off their passport to the WSFB by October 3rd to be entered into the drawing.
Pick up your “Taste Passport” at a participating restaurants, at the West Seattle Food Bank, or email your address to breanna.bushaw@westseattlefoodbank.org to have one mailed to you.
Again, this all starts tomorrow. (WSB is a Taste of West Seattle community co-sponsor.)
Thanks to everyone who’s sent photos, we have another gallery of West Seattle bird sightings, always fun on a football afternoon. The top photo is by Kersti Muul, who explains it’s a Virginia Rail:
A rare treat to see in West Seattle. Was called by the Port to assess an injured bird and was stunned to find that it was a rail. I’ve never seen one here, and they are rare to see anyway, easier to hear. Very secretive, marsh-dwelling birds. This one had taken up residence behind the bathrooms at Jack Block Park. Stunning bird, and great camouflage.
Down in The Arroyos, Mark MacDonald photographed a Killdeer:
Next photo is from Robin Sinner, who says this Surfbird is “back from the tundra”:
Meantime, this Rufous Hummingbird will soon depart, according to Mark Wangerin:
Mark also sent this photo of an American Goldfinch:
Two views of California Scrub-Jays – first, from Susan Hayes-McQueen:
And from Jerry Simmons:
Finally, a photo taken from a Fauntleroy-bound ferry by middle-schooler Eva, who saw a Great Blue Heron sharing space with a seal:
(Just a reminder if you haven’t clicked – all the bird species names are linked to their pages on the Seattle Audubon BirdWeb, which includes photos and audio files of the birds’ calls.)
1:14 PM: For those who are asking: Still looking for official confirmation but this is one of those things on which we can make an educated guess: Seahawks pregame flyover.
@westseattleblog @KING5Seattle We’ve been getting a bit of an airshow over in West Seattle for the last 30min or so. pic.twitter.com/QvZOiZH8lR
— Chris (@bensoncSEA) September 19, 2021
1:26 PM: A reporter covering the game verifies the flyover.
HPAC – the community organization for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – resumes monthly meetings this week with hot topics including traffic and crime. Here’s the announcement:
We welcome all back for our first meeting of the 2021-22 season. This month we’ll be hearing from Seattle Police Department with neighborhood crime trends, plus the Port of Seattle sharing impacts we can expect to neighborhood traffic as Terminal 5 reopens in January 2022.
Finally, we will be hosting Home Zone and Reconnect West Seattle team members from SDOT for a report out on the projects they are working on. There have been some changes in direction, particularly for residents on 16th Avenue SW, we’ll have them explained at the meeting with opportunities for suggestions and comments.
If you are noticing new detour route incursions of vehicles, or other traffic pattern changes to report, your voice is needed!
See you at 7 PM on Sept. 22 – virtually on Zoom during the HPIC rebuilding process.
You can find the meeting link (and call-in number) on HPAC’s website. The group also has opened a survey to ask neighbors what they would like future meetings to address – go here to participate.
Family and friends are remembering “Snookie” Gardanar and sharing this remembrance with the community:
Ragna “Snookie” Eleanor Gardanar passed away on September 3rd, 2021, at the age of 77.
She was born on May 24th, 1944, at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. She was the youngest of 2 kids. She is survived by her 3 kids Duane, Greg, and Karie; grandkids Kelsie, Bradley, Ava, Owen, and Benjamin; and great-grandchild Marcus.
Snookie went to school in West Seattle; Highland Park Elementary, Denny Junior High, Sealth High School, and South Seattle CC. Mom lived most of her life in West Seattle, then moved to Kent. She retired from Allied Solutions and DSHS as a clerical specialist. Mom’s favorite job was working for Bogle & Gates Law Firm in Seattle.
Mom loved music, spending time with family, watching Seahawk games, going to the ocean, walking on the beach and hanging out on the balcony feeding seagulls she always named Jonathon. Mom loved dogs, especially “Lady” and most all other poodles. She loved Bingo, Solitaire, and Rummy. Mom checked off a bucket-list item when she traveled to Memphis to visit Elvis Presley’s memorial – she loved that trip.
Snookie was a loving Mother and Grandmother to her children and grandchild, who will miss her dearly. “WE LOVE YOU, MOM & MAMA!!!”
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(WSB photo – clouds seen from Don Armeni at midday Saturday)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
ROAD WORK ALERTS: Weather permitting, SDOT plans more West Marginal Way work today, both the Duwamish Longhouse interim signal/crossing and the Highland Park Way intersection.
ORCA HALF, DAY 2: Starting at 7:30 am, about 350 runners will leave this half-marathon‘s starting line in Lincoln Park in waves, headed for Don Armeni Boat Ramp. No road/lane closures. This is the second of two days for the Orca Half; here’s our coverage of the first.
CHURCHES: Many continue streaming, along with in-person services. Here are the newest links for 20+ West Seattle churches’ services.
COVID & FLU SHOT CLINIC: 10 am-3 pm at Madison Middle School (3429 45th SW), as previewed here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm on California between Oregon and Alaska. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (The market is a WSB sponsor.)
DONATION DRIVE: 11 am-3 pm outside Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds):
Alki United Church of Christ (Alki UCC) has joined St. Vincent de Paul and the Westside Interfaith Network (WIN) to support 13 Nicaraguan families resettling in White Center as recent immigrés to the United States. We welcome them to our larger community and hope to be instrumental in helping them thrive in their new homes.
Children’s school clothing donations are critically needed. We call on our generous neighbors to look through closets and bring clean, new-or-gently used children’s clothing to the drive, outside the church’s main entrance.
As always, we welcome non-perishable food and hygiene items to be distributed through the White Center Food Bank. Suggestions include: aseptic and nut milks, cereal, peanut butter, tuna fish, pasta and sauces, canned soup, chili, and beans (poptop preferred).
Donations of Men’s Casual/Work Clothes are also needed, as well as NEW socks — the clothing item most requested by our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
MAKERS’ ART MARKET: Browse artist/crafters’ creations at Alki Beach, noon-6 pm.
PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET, DAY 2: Rain or shine, a lot full of vendors offers an “underground shopping experience” outdoors noon-5 pm in White Center, $1 admission. Here are some scenes from Day 1. (9834 17th SW)
SUNDAY RUN CLUB: Noon at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) – info in our calendar listing
CLASSIC NOVELS & MOVIES BOOK CLUB: Meeting at 3 pm outdoors at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) to discuss Langston Hughes‘s “Not Without Laughter.”
ROO AND THE FEW: Live music at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm.
NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS: 6:30 pm show at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) to benefit LGBTQ youth. $15 at the door
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 8 pm to 1 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor).
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
Got an event for listing in our calendar and previews? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Two reader reports of vandalism in West Seattle Crime Watch:
RACIST VANDALISM: Gordon reported extensive tagging at the Southwest Youth and Family Services building just east of Delridge Playfield. He has reported it but he also painted out part of it himself – what he describes as racist graffiti targeting Black people, painted on the west side of the building.
CAR VANDALISM: A texter sent the photo and report, wondering if this has happened to anyone else:
My cousin is visiting from Minnesota to take care of his dad, who’s in the hospital, and got his car vandalized overnight in the Fauntleroy neighborhood (on 41st). He’s now looking at 5 new windows, we’ve had zero luck with any attempt at removal. We think it’s a glass etching compound. We tried everything from soap and water and razor blades to acetone and methyl ethyl ketone. Nothing touches it.
7:50 PM: SFD and SPD are arriving at what’s reported as a car-over-embankment crash at the north end of California SW, near Hamilton Viewpoint. A tree and/or utility pole is reported involved too. Updates to come.
7:57 PM: They’re trying to get California Way blocked (the section that comes up from Harbor) while they work to stabilize the vehicle. Firefighters have told dispatch there was one person in the vehicle but they’re “unaccounted for” so far.
(This photo and next one by Christopher Boffoli)
8:05 PM: SFD says the vehicle is 10 feet down the embankment. Meantime, California will be closed, according to dispatch, starting at SW Donald [map].
8:11 PM: Firefighters have just told dispatch that their search hasn’t turned up anyone, so they’re downsizing the response.
8:25 PM: Above, photographed by WSB’s Patrick Sand, that’s the empty pickup found down the embankment beneath Hamilton Viewpoint. SFD is clearing; it’s been secured from further movement until a tow truck arrives to remove it.
10:14 PM: WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli talked with police at the scene, and they confirmed to him that the pickup was stolen; the owners apparently saw the theft happen, chased after it, and called police. Exactly where it was stolen, we don’t know, but we’ll be following up.
Just before the thunderstorms arrived, the first of two days for this year’s Orca Half half-marathon in West Seattle wrapped up. The early-morning rain had stopped by the time runners got going early this morning, leaving in waves from the starting line at Lincoln Park.
At mid-morning, sunbreaks greeted finishers at the west end of Don Armeni Boat Ramp.
Organizers expected about 600 runners today – and 350 tomorrow. Some traveled a long way to run along the scenic West Seattle shore – while at the finish line, we heard names called out with hometowns including Moses Lake and Lacey. (Some from even further away – the oldest finisher today was 73-year-old Ann Fowble from Grove City, Ohio!)
Full results are here; Rachel Brown was first to finish, in 1:21:28. The first Orca Half was in 2016.
P.S. Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail tells WSB that it continues to be a beneficiary of the Orca Half:
The Whale Trail has been a beneficiary of the Orca Half since it was first held in 2016. This year other beneficiaries include Long Live the Kings and United Indians of All Tribes.
One key feature of the race is that participants run for individual orcas, whose lD number and life history is printed on their race bibs. It’s been a wonderful way to connect people to J, K and L pods and the issues they face. This year for the first time, more orcas were added to the list of orcas than were removed from it.
| Comments Off on TRAFFIC, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: Tuesday notes