West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
(WSB photo, last month)
One month after its first modernized berth opened for cargo shipping, Terminal 5 has ‘already had a huge win,” Northwest Seaport Alliance managing members were told at their February meeting.
The NWSA says the West Seattle terminal is benefiting from port and railroad congestion in Canada – two of the first three ships to call were sent here instead of Vancouver, B.C., and sent thousands of containers via rail to Montreal and Toronto. Terminal 5’s rail capability was a key selling point for the modernization project.
This was announced in the “operational update” during the meeting of the Seattle and Tacoma port commissioners (the NWSA is the two ports’ joint cargo-operations authority). They were told that the initial startup of T-5’s north berth “is going very well.” All four of the giant new cranes have operated with no downtime – something of a rarity, NWSA staff said – and unions have filled all the terminal operators’ orders for workers.
Next milestones for the north berth, as we’ve reported, will be the arrival of the first big ships later this month (the dates change frequently). These also tend to be newer as well as shore-power-capable, meaning they can use on-dock electricity rather than running their engines and burning fuel while docked.
The NWSA meeting this past Tuesday (here’s the video) also included a construction update on the overall T-5 project, which includes modernization of the south berth, on which work is well under way. Project manager Emma Del Vento said they’re seeing some effects of the concrete strike and supply-chain issues, but nothing affecting the “critical path” schedule overall. Here’s the slide deck she presented:
The total cost of the T-5 project is now projected at $368 million. That’s double the low end of the early projections back in 2015.
Thanks to Kelly for the video above and S. for the photo below. Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, with the assistance of SR3, rescued an ailing harbor seal at Lincoln Park today. Seal Sitters’ Lynn Shimamoto tells WSB that this is a weaned pup they watched at the park this past Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It returned this afternoon “and was observed to be very thin and coughing … Shocking how much the pup’s condition had deteriorated.”
It’s been taken to SR3’s facility in Des Moines for evaluation. If you see a marime mammal on a West Seattle beach – or appearing to be in distress offshore – call Seal Sitters at 206-905-SEAL.
The report is from Bismark, who lives near 30th/Charlestown:
On February 5 [Saturday] at around 3:30 am, our house was the target of a home invasion burglary.
My roommate and I were sleeping upstairs at that time and was alerted by my dog that someone was inside the house. We quickly assessed the situation and took appropriate action in equipping ourselves with our personal defense and called 911. The subjects ended up getting away with valuable assets and around 6 am we received a call from Kirkland PD that the 4 people responsible were arrested along with the stolen car they had at the time. They are currently in custody … and I am asking the West Seattle community if they have been a target of recent burglary or have footage of suspects entering homes to please contact Seattle and Kirkland PD with your findings.
We hope to bring justice and peace of mind that we don’t tolerate this criminal activity in our neighborhood.
We are also aware that our situation could have been a terrible outcome and luckily nobody got hurt or worse.
The SPD incident number is 22-030289. We don’t have the Kirkland PD incident number yet but will be following up.
Another Sunday bird gallery, thanks to local photographers kindly sharing their work! Above, Trileigh Tucker captures one of those adorable tiny Bushtits you might see flocking through the trees. Below, one of the more captivatingly colorful backyard birds, a Varied Thrush, photographed by Michelle Green Arnson:
Michelle also shared this view of a Bald Eagle:
Next, another Bald Eagle is the first of three birds James Tilley shows us:
Also in flight, two Gulls:
This one’s more of a backyard bird, a Yellow-rumped Warbler:
Tom Trulin photographed a Great Blue Heron against the sunset (and the Fauntleroy ferry):
And in case you missed the Jerry Simmons photo of a rain-damp California Scrub-Jay we showed here, he shared another view:
Thanks for the photos! One more note – bird lovers will want to be part of a Duwamish Longhouse event on Saturday, February 26 – Birds of the Duwamish River Valley! In-person bird walks at 9 and 11 am, and a talk at 10 am with nature guide Elaine Chuang. (A chance to watch the 10 am presentation online is promised too, but we don’t have a link for that yet – hope to have that in a calendar listing soon.) The Longhouse is at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW.
Separate from the school-levies vote, there’s another election happening right now. Tuesday’s also the deadline for voting. And it’s even easier – for this one, you can vote online. It’s the King Conservation District‘s election for one of its three supervisor positions. From the most-recent reminder:
King Conservation District (KCD) is holding its annual Board Supervisor election through February 8, 2022. The 2022 election has attracted four candidates for the position. Kirstin Haugen, Barbara Roessler, Dominique Torgerson, and Tripp Williams are all vying for the seat. Candidate statements can be found at kingcd.org/elections. …
Ballots will be available to eligible voters online … through February 8, 2022, at 8:00 PM. Voters may return ballots electronically through the online ballot access system or print and mail ballots to King County Elections at 919 SW Grady Way, Suite 200, Renton, WA 98057. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by February 8, 2022, and received by February 17, 2022, to be counted. Ballots may also be dropped off at King County Elections at 919 SW Grady Way, Suite 200, Renton, WA 98057. King County Elections will tabulate all ballots and report all results.
KCD is a special purpose district committed to helping people engage in stewardship and conservation of natural resources, serving over two million people in 34 cities and unincorporated King County (excluding the cities of Enumclaw, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific, and Skykomish). KCD assists private residents with forestry management, streamside and shoreline restoration, farm conservation planning, and other environmental efforts. It works with cities and community organizations to support community gardens, urban forest canopy, and local food systems. KCD is funded primarily by a per-parcel assessment fee.
An all-volunteer, five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for overseeing KCD operations, budget, and setting policy. Voters elect three supervisors and the Washington State Conservation Commission appoints two supervisors. Supervisors serve three-year terms.
For more information about the election and candidates, please visit kingcd.org/elections.
The link for voting is at the bottom of that webpage. Considering very few have voted so far, your vote could count in an outsize way.
P.S. As far as we can tell, none of the four candidates for this position are West Seattle residents, but one of the other two elected KCD supervisors, whose position is not up for election this year, is – Chris Porter.
2:04 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “full response” to a possible fire in the 8100 block of 15th SW [map]. First crew to arrive reports “light smoke.” Updates to come.
2:07 PM: Turned out to be another small fire, already out, and the response is being downsized.
As of Friday, fewer than 18 percent of Seattle’s registered voters had turned in their ballots for Tuesday’s school-levy election. So here’s your reminder to vote. Two Seattle Public Schools levies are the only things on your ballot – three-year Proposition 1: Educational Programs & Operations, and six-year Proposition 2: Buildings, Technology, and Academics/Athletics. For details on both, here’s a story we published last month. 8 pm Tuesday (February 8th) is when the dropboxes close; if you plan to mail your ballot, be sure it’s postmarked no later than Tuesday.
Friends of Jon Boudreau are sharing news of his passing along with a way to assist his family:
It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Jon Boudreau, a beloved member of our West Seattle community and the spouse of Odetta Owen Boudreau. After a glioblastoma diagnosis, Jon focused on healing his body and soul by focusing his energy on his love of family, friends, music, and gardening.
In addition to giving support and care to Jon, Odetta has given so much to our community in times of need, including organizing a food distribution center at Highland Park Improvement Club at the beginning of the pandemic that operated for 2 years.
To honor Jon’s memory, we are posting Odetta’s tribute to him and a link to the GoFundMe page set up in his name to help the family during this difficult time.
“With a heavy heart I share with you that my beloved Jon passed quietly and without pain (January 30). Over two years ago he was given the fatal diagnosis of brain cancer, glioblastoma. At the time he never wanted that information on social media. He did not feel that it would be helpful to anyone and he was in this diagnosis, as in his entire life, determined to live.
When you think of Jon and this period of his life, I hope you will as I am today remembering this beautiful quote.
‘The body of a starving horse does not forget the size it was born to.’
-Jane HirshfieldJon knew the eventual outcome of his diagnosis. In spite of that he never forgot the size he was born to.
Although we here still tethered to the planet, did not get what we wanted in outcomes for our dear, sweet husband, father, son, brother and friend, we must always honor the path he took. We feel deeply a loss, and we tend to talk about disease, especially cancer in terms of winning and losing.
Sweet friends, such language diminishes the size Jon was born to. Simply, and truthfully, God chose to heal him in a way that was different than what we wanted.”
(Push-pin slime mold, photographed at Fauntleroy Park by Rosalie Miller)
Here’s what’s happening on February’s first Sunday:
TRAFFIC ALERT: Repaving is scheduled to continue on West Marginal Way between 2nd SW and Highland Park Way, detouring northbound traffic, until about 1 pm. (Let us know if you see the road fully reopened sooner – text 206-293-6302 – thank you.)
CHURCHES: Many West Seattle churches are continuing online-only services for now – here’s our weekly update on 20+ churches.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, find fresh food at the weekly WSFM (WSB sponsor). (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
LINCOLN PARK CO-OP PRESCHOOL DINE-OUT (& MORE) FUNDRAISER: Lincoln Park Co-op Preschool gets a boost today from Lady Jaye (4523 California SW) – shop their market 10 am-2 pm, dine/drink 2 pm-8 pm (there or takeout), or buy gift cards (today only) – details in our calendar listing.
BLANKETS & BEDDING DRIVE: 11:30 am-1 pm donation drive at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) – details in our calendar listing.
‘MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA’: Today’s 3 pm matinee wraps up the second weekend of this world-premiere play at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor). Read about it here; buy your tickets here.
NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church serves a free meal (take-away available) at 5 pm Sundays at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW).
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 8 pm to 1 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
Got an event to list in our calendar and previews? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s sunset didn’t splash the entire sky with color – mostly a bright band of vivid pink over the horizon, as shown in Kersti Muul‘s photo above and Marc Milrod‘s photo below. Marc also shows us the view to the south from Constellation Park, with Mount Rainier’s pink-tinged cap:
Today’s high was 47, a few degrees below the seasonal norm, but the forecast says we’re in for a warming trend.
The next few days should approach 50, and then the high is expected to reach the low 50s starting at midweek.
A Seattle Fire “full response” was sent to a “fire in building” call in the 4800 block of 48th SW, but it’s quickly being downsized – pronounced “a microwave fire,” and it’s out.
It’s college-application season. If you have a future college student in the family who’s considering West Seattle’s own South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) or one of its sibling colleges, they have just three weeks left until the deadline for the Seattle Promise scholarship. That’s the program that covers the costs of two years (whatever’s left to cover after other financial aid) for Seattle Public Schools (and certain charter high schools) graduates, as explained here. March 1st is the deadline for Class of 2022 students to apply. P.S. Prospective applicants might also be interested in upcoming online workshops about some of the accompanying paperwork.
(Video by Mark Jaroslaw)
That’s Cami Voss, one of the musicians slated to perform at a West Seattle-wide event during this Thursday’s WS Art Walk – called Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices. Nine businesses will host performers, in the three Junctions, most 6-7:45 pm. The Art of Music, which has presented live music during several Art Walks, is co-presenting this musical celebration along with local musician Sue Quigley (who’s also performing during Muse Fest). Here’s the list of who and where:
All are 6 pm-7:45 pm Thursday (February 10th) except Intisaar, who performs 7 pm-8:30 pm, and all are free. You can find out more about all the performers and venues by going here.
(WSB photos)
Sam and Keonii, the mother-daughter team who run Fleurt Collective (4536 California SW), welcome you back to their Junction shop starting today! As mentioned in our daily preview, today is grand-reopening day after weeks of remodel/refresh work:
Right now, as you might expect, Fleurt is in full-on Valentine mode. But you’ll find year-round faves too:
They’re reopening with new hours.
You can visit Fleurt – which has been in The Junction for almost 12 years – 11 am-4 pm Saturdays and Sundays, noon-5 pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. They’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Thanks to Troy for the photo. The new West Seattle location of Ezell’s Famous Chicken is on track for the “early-to-mid-February” opening they told us about two weeks ago. The note on the door describes Monday (February 7th) as the “official” opening; a company spokesperson tells WSB they’re considering it a “soft open,” so hours etc. may vary. Whatever you call it, they’ll be selling chicken in two days, 13 months after we first told you about the plan to take over the space on the southeast corner of California/Fauntleroy (official address = 4205 SW Morgan), and a month-plus after the New Year’s Eve “sneak peek.” It’ll be the first fried-chicken-chain restaurant to open in West Seattle since KFC closed at 35th/Avalon in 2018.
ADDED 2:14 PM: They’re apparently having unannounced soft-open bursts before then, too. Kersti reports in comments that the next one is at 4 pm today.
4:05 PM: Big line, report Kersti and others. (photo added)
4:40 PM: Regular hours, once they’re officially open, will be 10:30 am-9 pm weekdays, 10:30 am-10 pm weekends. (Sunday update: What’s now posted online since then is slightly different.)
(WSB file photo)
Washington State Ferries continues planning for the Fauntleroy dock/terminal replacement, which could start construction as soon as 2025. WSF hasn’t convened the Community Advisory Group for the project since early December (WSB coverage here), but now two dates are set for presentations and discussions – March 2nd and 16th. The announcement sent to advisory-group members says these meetings will focus on “screening criteria and draft alternatives.” The dock/terminal replacement is intended to address challenges including earthquake safety and sea-level rise. The meetings are online and open to everyone – you can RSVP here to get the attendance links.
(Anna’s Hummingbird, photographed Friday by Jerry Simmons)
Saturday has arrived! Here’s what’s happening (mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar):
TRAFFIC ALERT: One today – repaving until about 1 pm (and again 1 am-1 pm Sunday) on West Marginal Way SW between 2nd SW and Highland Park Way SW. SDOT said in its announcement that southbound traffic will be allowed through but northbound will be detoured.
COMMUNITY CLEANUP: 10 am, meet at 2452 Alki Ave. SW to join Jessica‘s monthly beach cleanup, as previewed here – all ages welcome, no RSVP required.
FREE WEEKLY WRITERS’ GROUP: New participants welcome. 10:30 am – go here to register and to get the meeting address. More details are in our calendar listing.
GRAND REOPENING: Fleurt Collective (4536 California SW) in The Junction reopens at 11 am after weeks of remodeling and maintenance. Come see what’s new and enjoy snacks while you visit and shop.
WINE & CHOCOLATE: Viscon Cellars‘ (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) tasting room is open 1-6 pm. Chocolate – local creations from Intrigue Chocolate Co. – is in the spotlight along with wine this Valentine season.
BOOK SIGNING: 1-2 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW), West Seattle author Rachel Van’t Land will sign copies of her book “Talk Back to Me: A Radical Guide to Growing Up.”
OPEN MIC: Go perform at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), 6 pm!
‘MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA’: The world-premiere play at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) continues its second weekend at 7:30 tonight. Read about it here; buy your tickets here.
THE SHIFT: This folk/rock/reggae band is on tonight’s bill at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm.
WEST SEATTLE DRAG SHOW: At Admiral Pub (2306 California SW) with Dolly Madison, 9 pm.
Are we missing anything? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Immediately south of the heart of the downtown White Center business district, 16th Avenue SW widens to four lanes, and it’s been precarious for pedestrians, with more than 20 injured over the past decade, and at least two killed. So King County is planning a rechannelization project for 16th SW between 100th and 107th, and brought early word of it to last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, which we covered for partner site White Center Now. This stretch is of extra interest to West Seattleites, as 107th is a much-used route between WS and WC. King County Roads has launched a survey asking for opinions on two options, both of which would narrow that stretch to one travel lane each way, while adding parking:
As shown above, one option adds parking on the east side and bike lanes, while the other adds parking on both sides. You can tell King County what you think via this survey. The project website has even more details – including, at the bottom, the project budget (about $1 million) and a construction timeline – 2024.
The CleanUpSEA coalition has an invitation for you, to start what’s expected to be a rainless weekend:
Join Jess at her monthly 10 am cleanup from Alki Beach to Constellation Park, and neighboring streets in between — the first Saturday of every month!
We’ll meet outside 2452 Alki Ave SW (brick apartment building across from new bathrooms on the beach) and spread out from there. We have pickup sticks & buckets you can use, or bring your own.
Friendly doggies and supervised children of all ages are welcome. Please, no dogs on the beach. Dress for the weather and bring gloves if you’d like your hands covered.
Early Riser? Meet Erik & Garet at 7 am every Saturday to clean up starting at the Statue of Liberty.
No RSVP needed – just show up!
One month after taking office, Mayor Bruce Harrell, his deputy mayors, and public-safety chiefs went before the media at midmorning today to promise action on violent crime that’s at its “highest level in 24 years.” You can watch the video above. For starters, Mayor Harrell said, he’s told Police Chief Adrian Diaz to “focus on those places where crime is concentrated, and on the relatively few individuals causing the most harm.” (He wouldn’t say exactly where “those places” are, at one point suggesting that locations could be deduced if you “read the blogs.”) He also acknowledged “inherit(ing) a depleted and demoralized police force,” now down 350 officers, and promised the remaining police he would support them providing they “perform (their) duties with honor and excellence.”
“We need more police,” declared Chief Diaz, also identifying gun violence as a particular problem. The mayor’s list of statistics included a 40 percent increase in shootings, with or without injuries. Chief Diaz said officers recovered 3,200+ shell casings recovered last year, in 600+ incidents.
That category of crime is affecting how firefighters do their work too, said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. His department responded to more than 400 “scenes of violence” (weapon-involved injuries, not only guns) calls last year, up a third from 2020. They’ve had to change their policy on weapons incidents – now wearing “ballistic vests and helmets,” and staging 4 blocks away until assured the scene is secure. He also talked about the increase in SFD responses to encampments – this month averaging five fire responses and 33 medical responses a day. That’s in the context of an increased number of all service calls – 94,000+ last year, up from 80,000+ in 2020.
Public safety isn’t just about SPD and SFD, cautioned Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell, promising a “holistic” approach. She was followed by Tiffany Washington, Deputy Mayor for homelessness/housing issues, who also made the point that “the issues of homelessness and public safety are not one and the same.”
So what exactly are they doing? “We are building systems right now,” said Mayor Harrell, who said he and his team are working “feverishly” toward solutions. He promised more specifics to come. West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, issued a statement of support afterward; you can see it here. In it, she also spotlights some of the public-safety alternatives the city is funding, which she detailed to the District 1 Community Network this week, as reported here.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes so far today:
ATTEMPTED LURING: The report is from Lynn:
I’ve been alerted that while my son was at the Whale Tail playground near Alki yesterday afternoon, a strange man beckoned to him and a three-year-old to “come over here”. My son ignored him and walked away toward his group of school friends and informed his teacher about it. I just want other parents to be on alert about this.
Lynn didn’t have a description, yet.
MYSTERY STABBING: From a preliminary police summary – a 911 call at 1 am today reported “a man in the road with red marks on his back” in the 3000 block of SW Avalon Way, but police didn’t find anyone. Half an hour later, the man called the AMR ambulance service to say he’d been stabbed. Officers went back and found him at the 35th/Avalon 7-11. The summary continues:
The victim shared no specific details that could assist in the investigation, location of scene, or suspect description. (He) had several small puncture wounds on his back.
SFD was called; they took him to the hospital for evaluation.
If you’ve walked past 4538 California SW in The Junction in the past few days, it’s clear that furniture store Village Woodworks has cleared out, after 25 years. Here’s the view through the front window:
We’ve been trying all week to get some details before publishing a story. Back on Sunday, while in The Junction, we found owner Brian Low continuing to clear out the space, but he declined comment at the time, saying they’d contact us by email in a day or two. We have yet to hear back via email or phone, so we still don’t know if this is simply a case of retirement, or whether there’s a new location elsewhere, or something else. But we did finally make contact with the building’s owners via email; they responded to our question about what’s next for the space:
Ownership is currently evaluating our options.
At this time there is no current tenant lined up to move in.
We are exploring our options including renting out the existing space or a redevelopment of the property.
Anything and everything is currently on the table.
(Some of the building’s history can be seen here.) As of this writing, the closure is not yet acknowledged on Village Woodworks’ online channels.
Three months after installation of the new play structure between Fairmount Park Elementary and Fairmount Playfield, it’s finally open. As reported here last week, Seattle Parks blamed issues such as wood-chip availability and the concrete strike for the most-recent holdups, but said they hoped to open it this week. We hadn’t checked since Wednesday afternoon, but today we went by after a tip from Kevin, and as shown above, it’s open and in use, just in time for the weekend. Planning for the play-structure replacement began in 2019 and it was originally projected to be complete two years ago.
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