Rather than grieving on the first anniversary of the fire that ravaged its community-owned building, Highland Park Improvement Club is throwing a party.

Next Saturday is June 25th, one year since the early-morning HPIC fire. That afternoon and evening, at nearby Riverview Playfield (7226 12th SW), HPIC is presenting Reset Fest, with live music, food, and fun for all ages. (So far the forecast looks promising – sunny and 70s.) It’s also a chance for you to see and hear about the plans for HPIC’s rebuild (here’s our most-recent report) – architect Matt Wittman will be there to present the design and answer questions. Plus, the celebration is a fundraiser as HPIC, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization, starts seeking what it’ll take to rebuild beyond the basic insurance coverage. Be at Riverview for the party between 2 pm and 7 pm next Saturday.

HELPING: Camp Second Chance residents go shoe-shopping with Fauntleroy Church assistance

June 18, 2022 7:18 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people | Westwood

(WSB photo)

We’ve reported before on Fauntleroy Church‘s support of Camp Second Chance, the city-sanctioned tiny-home encampment in southeast West Seattle. The support led to a shopping trip at Big 5 Sporting Goods in Westwood Village on Friday, which provided major discounts for church contributions to help buy shoes for camp residents. Fauntleroy Church volunteer Judy Pickens tells the story:

Picking out new shoes that fit just right is a rare luxury for people living on the edge of homelessness, but three tiny-home residents of Camp Second Chance got to do just that Friday at Big 5 Sporting Goods in Westwood Village.

The shoppers are among the 40+ people living in the sanctioned camp at 9701 Myers Way S. Managed by the Low Income Housing Institute, the camp provides a supportive bridge between the streets and long-term housing.

In 2018, Fauntleroy Church, United Church of Christ (9140 California Ave. SW), began enriching camp life with such amenities as towels, bedding, and electric blankets. During the height of the pandemic, the church also provided games to encourage socializing and art supplies for creative expression.

On Friday, donations from church members financed the first of several shopping trips to fit residents with comfortable, practical, and NEW shoes. Members of the congregation’s homelessness task force met the residents at Big 5, where staff were eager to serve them. The church gave each shopper a dollar limit, which the store extended with a discount.

More camp residents will get their turn at shoe shopping as the camp’s case manager identifies those most in need.

In our photo above are church volunteers Joan and Cathy (at left and right) with case manager Marjorie (second from left) and CSC residents.

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SURVEY: Researchers want to know how you get around and how you shop

June 18, 2022 4:36 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

The UW Urban Freight Lab has some questions for you, if you can spare a few minutes for a survey. Here’s how they explained it in their note asking if we’d consider publishing the survey link:

In collaboration with the Seattle Department of Transportation, we are currently running a survey of consumer shopping behaviors in West Seattle. Our goal is to understand how people shop, travel to stores, and make online purchases in 2022 and relate this information back to the transportation system. The survey should take about 5 minutes to complete and participants can enter into a drawing for a $50 gift card.

We went through the survey before publishing this; the questions we saw included ones about shopping and dining as well as how/whether the bridge closure has changed your transportation habits. It’s an anonymous survey and starts here.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Pride flags in The Junction

June 18, 2022 2:25 pm

| Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Pride flags in The Junction

| Seen around town | West Seattle news

Thanks to volunteer help, the West Seattle Junction Association‘s rainbow Pride flags are flying today.

They’re scheduled to be in place until 6 pm. Other Pride events continue at various West Seattle venues throughout the month – see this section of our Event Calendar. A highlight will be 2-4 pm next Sunday (June 26th), the third annual Pride March in Morgan Junction.

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AS-IT-HAPPENED COVERAGE: Morgan Junction Community Festival’s comeback

June 18, 2022 11:02 am

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| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

11:02 AM: We’re at Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW), where the first Morgan Junction Community Festival since 2019 has just begun. As we’ve been previewing, the Morgan Community Association is presenting is an abbreviated edition – just two hours, until 1 pm. Two performers are scheduled – longtime festival favorites – The Bubbleman (who’s about to start), and acoustic musician Gary Benson. About half a dozen community organizations are here tabling too (as are we). Updates to come!

11:15 AM: MoCA says this may be The Bubbleman’s final show ever, after 40+ years – so they have a community card you can sign to wish him well.

11:40 AM: Bubbleman has wrapped up, with MoCA vice president Phil Tavel leading the crowd in a shouted “THANK YOU, BUBBLEMAN!” Music starts at noon; in the meantime you can visit the community organizations that are here:

The Whale Trail (above), Southwest Seattle Historical Society, CleanupSEA, Poogooder (first photo below), Westside HEY, 34th District Democrats, designers of the future park addition Board & Vellum (secon photo below), and us, all under canopies ringing the park.

You can also learn more about how to get involved with the Morgan Community Association (whose next quarterly meeting is July 20th).

12:03 PM: Gary Benson is performing now – quiet acoustic ballads, so people can visit the booths or sit on the park grass/benches and chat.

12:11 PM: And the sun has just made a guest appearance!

12:58 PM: And that’s a wrap. “Our festival will be returning more robustly next year,” MoCA promised in the closing announcement. (We’ll be adding more photos later.)

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UPDATE: Seattle Fire ‘full response’ in 5000 block of 25th SW – downsized

June 18, 2022 10:32 am

| Comments Off on UPDATE: Seattle Fire ‘full response’ in 5000 block of 25th SW – downsized

| Delridge | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

10:32 AM: A sizable Seattle Fire response is headed for a house in the 5000 block of 25th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.

10:35 AM: This has been quickly downsized – turned out to be a fire in the backyard.

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FOLLOWUP: Eco-blocks installed along former Andover/28th RV-encampment site

June 18, 2022 10:03 am

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| Delridge | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

Two days after the city cleared the mostly-RVs encampment site along SW Andover/28th SW, eco-blocks were installed this morning. The neighboring West Seattle Health Club had announced pre-sweep that to “avoid the return of the encampment, the West Seattle Health Club is partnering with our neighboring businesses to place cement eco-blocks along the surrounding area.” After a tip early this morning, we went over around 7:30 am and found two workers in gear from neighboring Nucor finishing the placement, which they said they’d started about two hours earlier.

Blocks are also in place along the west side of 28th.

As the camping was illegal – though not enforced for six-plus years – this is too. We asked SDOT about it on Thursday and spokesperson Ethan Bergerson replied:

Seattle Municipal Code 15.04 states that it is unlawful to place objects or structures in a public place without first securing a written permit. SDOT does not issue permits to obstruct public streets, sidewalks or parking spaces with concrete blocks because this can cause problems such as parking spillover onto adjacent streets, blocking utility access, conflicts with other transportation needs, or accessibility barriers which violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Additionally, the desire to prevent others from using a public space is not a valid reason for seeking a permit in and of itself.

Blocks like these have been installed, however, in other areas of the city, either post-sweeps or preventively. Some are also in place along part of a formerly much-camped area of 1st Avenue South in southeast West Seattle.

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Morgan Junction Community Festival and 22 other notes for your West Seattle Saturday

June 18, 2022 6:34 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Jerry Simmons)

Here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, inbox, and preview archives:

TRAFFIC ALERTS: The eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct is closed for pothole work, as previewed here; also from SDOT, “Signs and Marking crews will be marking and repainting speed humps on 45th Ave SW and SW Trenton St. Contingent on scheduling availability they will also be working on SW Webster St and 12th Ave SW. We anticipate minimal impact to traffic as these are low volume, non-arterial streets.”

TRACK AND FIELD MEET: Regional Masters championships at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), 8:30 am-3 pm – schedule here.

PRIDE FLAGS: They’ll be up 9 am-6 pm in The Junction today, thanks to volunteer help.

VACCINATION POP-UP CLINIC: 10 am-1 pm, Seattle Public Schools students, staff, and families can get COVID vaccinations at the Madison Middle School (3429 45th SW) commons – walk-in is OK if you don’t already have an appointment.

ILLUSIONS POST-CLOSURE SALE: 10 am-4 pm, fixtures, equipment, and more from the now-closed Illusions Hair Design salon are being sold – one day only!

Cash/Checks ONLY! Displays, fixtures, chairs, holiday decor, tools, lighting, kitchen appliances, audio equipment, TV’s, bookcases, telephones, DVD player, aluminum trash cans, washer/dryer, baskets, chairs, misc salon supplies, perm rods, brushes, combs, NEW & used Mannequin heads & stands, stations, gently used AND BRAND NEW curling irons & blow dryers…. AND SO MUCH MORE!

(5619 California SW)

MORNING MUSIC: Marco de Carvalho and Friends, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).

MORGAN JUNCTION COMMUNITY FESTIVAL: 11 am-1 pm at Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW), the first Morgan Junction Community Festival in three years, short and sweet, with The Bubbleman performing at 11 am, followed by the music of Gary Benson, plus community tabling, as previewed here. Free!

KAYAK DEMO: 11 am-3 pm, Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) is hosting an in-water kayak demo at Alki Kayak Tours (1660 Harbor SW) – as explained in our calendar listing.

FURRY FACES FOUNDATION PLANT SALE: 11 am-4 pm, get everything you need for your garden – see our calendar listing for the types of plants offered, all to benefit an all-volunteer nonprofit devoted to keeping pets and people together, (3809 46th SW)

COLMAN POOL: Opening day for the outdoor pool on the Lincoln Park shore (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm.

VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: Open to visitors noon-3 pm, as noted here. (2234 SW Orchard)

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society museum is open on Alki, and you can visit noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)

VINTAGE CLOTHING POP-UP: 1-6 pm at The Brocante Beach House (2622 Alki SW).

PAINT KINDNESS ROCKS: 2-4 pm family-friendly volunteering event at The Pearsalls’, as explained in our calendar listing. (3264 57th SW)

PRIDE PARTY: Queery presents a Pride party at West Seattle Brewing‘s Tap Shack (2536 Alki SW), 2-9 pm.

LOW TIDE: One more low-enough-to-be-interesting low tide – today’s tide is out to -2.4 feet at 2:39 pm. Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists are at Constellation and Lincoln Parks from 1 pm to 4 pm.

TALK WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REP: You’re invited to drop in at the Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW) 3-5 pm and discuss Seattle Public Schools issues with this area’s elected school-board director Leslie Harris.

FISH STICKS BASEBALL: See the DubSea Fish Sticks play the Everett Merchants tonight at 6:05 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 107th), with advance tickets available here.

AT THE SKYLARK: 7 pm doors, 8 pm music – here’s what’s happening tonight:

Festival of Friends Events presents: Bandmixers – Discography performance series featuring curated cover bands showcasing select tracks from some of rock music’s most iconic albums. Performing bands are made up of musicians from within the Festival of Friends Events recreational musician community. Our Volume 4 installment includes music from Fleetwood Mac’s – Rumours, Radiohead – The Bends, The Cranberries – Stars/Best Of, and Def Leppard’s – Pyromania.

21+. $10 at the door. More info here. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

(added) LIVE AT EASY STREET RECORDS: Purple Strange performs live in store at 7 pm. (California/Alaska)

MIKU, AND THE GODS. 7:30 pm, it’s the third performance of this world-premiere play at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), tickets available here. (Read our story about playwright Julia Izumi here.)

AT KENYON HALL: 7:30 pm, The David Duvall Trio performs Let It Be: The Beatles Songbook at historic Kenyon Hall. Our calendar listing explains how to get tickets.

DRAG SHOW AT ADMIRAL PUB: Saturday’s the night for Dolly Madison‘s show at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), 9 pm.

Something to add, for today/tonight or beyond? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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