West Seattle, Washington
11 Sunday
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
West Seattle High School #1, sophomore Airric Lewis, scored the Wildcats’ lone touchdown in tonight’s 42-7 home loss to undefeated Ingraham. The Rams had a better ground game and used it to their advantage to control the clock; their defense gave West Seattle little time with the ball. Some notes from the sidelines, though – this was Breast Cancer Awareness Night, so the cheer squad had some pink gear:
Other pink signs of support included a flamingo in the WSHS student section.
The game’s soundtrack was courtesy of the band (which will lead the costume parade at the West Seattle Junction Harvest Fest in two weeks, October 30):
Next Friday (October 21st), the Wildcats are on the road, playing Nathan Hale, 7 pm at Northeast Athletic Complex.
**IF* the Metro Leage site is to be believed Ing is undefeated.
You’ve probably heard by now that one giant grocery company wants to buy another: If it goes through, an immediate result would be the same ownership for five of West Seattle’s 11 supermarkets, and in the longer run, the question would be whether any local closures might result. Kroger is proposing buying Albertsons. Kroger is parent company of QFC (among many other brands, including regionally prominent Fred Meyer), and Albertsons owns brands including Safeway (which it bought in the mid-2010s). West Seattle has two QFC stores and three Safeway stores, and among those, two – Junction QFC and Jefferson Square – are barely a block apart. To the south, Westwood Village QFC and Roxbury Safeway (a former Fred Meyer) are just a few blocks apart. Kroger’s news release announcing the proposed purchase/merger says they “expect to make store divestitures,” starting with spinning off up to 375 stores (not yet identified) into a separate company. That’s out of almost 5,000 stores held by the two companies now, plus almost 4,000 pharmacies and more than 2,000 gas stations. Kroger says the deal isn’t expected to close until early 2024. Early opposition to the merger includes UFCW locals who represent many local stores’ workers. They allege the merger would create a “monopoly … for many communities.” West Seattle has a relatively diversified supermarket scene, including independent West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), mini-chain stores PCC (WSB sponsor) and Metropolitan Market, and three stores that are part of national chains, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Target.
We talk a lot about sports at Chief Sealth International and West Seattle High Schools, but we seldom hear about sports at the peninsula’s newest high school, Summit Atlas in Arbor Heights (which also serves middle-school grades). Its new athletic director Andres Lara wants to change that, so he’s inviting the community to the Summit Atlas boys’ varsity soccer homecoming game tomorrow (Saturday, October 15). They’re playing Sound Christian Academy at 4 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). It’s a fundraiser for the athletic program, too; entrance fees are $5 adults, $3 youth. The school is a member of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association but does not currently belong to any of the leagues, playing as an independent school.
SATURDAY UPDATE: Amid the smoky air, the game’s been canceled.
That’s the trailer for one of West Seattle’s spookiest Halloween shows, “Nightfall Orphanage.” It’s back this year, but at a new location, and its run soft-opens tonight. Here’s the announcement:
THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF WONDER
The Halloween season is at hand, and the veil between this world and the Radiant Twilight grows thin as the ethereal echos of Nightfall Orphanage materialize in its NEW WEST SEATTLE LOCATION.
Admission is free and Nightfall Orphanage will be accepting non-perishable food donations for West Seattle Food Bank and monetary contributions for Washington’s National Park Fund. As Nightfall Orphanage is a neighborhood home haunt for charity; we ask that you please be respectful of the community.
Please check the website before attending for information and to explore the lore of Nightfall Orphanage. Dates, times, and realities are subject to change.
All are welcome who would welcome others.
Please give generously to our charities.Nightfall Orphanage may be too intense for some younger guests. Parental discretion is advised.
New Location:
4544 51st Place SWTHERE IS NO HAUNT PARKING ON 51st PLACE. Please park on a nearby side street.
October 14,15 (Soft Open*)
October 21,22,28,29,30
7 pm-10 pmOctober 31st HALLOWEEN
7 pm-10:30 pm*The table is set and dinner is served but some things might still be in the oven.
This will be in our calendar and the WSB West Seattle Halloween Guide (which will launch this weekend).
We asked King County Metro this morning if they might change their mind about this weekend’s planned Water Taxi service outage, given the additional big sporting event(s). First reply was that nothing had changed, but now this is just in:
We want to support fans heading to this weekend’s baseball, football and hockey games, so the West Seattle Water Taxi will operate its normal 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday schedules on Oct. 15-16!
The picturesque and congestion-free trip between West Seattle and downtown Seattle takes as little as 10 minutes.
Free route 773 and 775 water taxi shuttles in West Seattle will also operate, carrying riders to and from Seacrest Dock connecting with all Water Taxi arrivals and departures until 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Evening Metro bus service between downtown Seattle and West Seattle is available on RapidRide C Line, and routes 120 and 125.
Schedules and fare information are online at the Water Taxi webpage. Fares for youth age 18 and under are free.
With the Seattle Mariners playoff schedule in hand, Metro’s Marine Division worked the past several days to identify available captains and crew to provide the service this weekend. Previously planned maintenance and a temporary suspension of service will be rescheduled at a later date.
(SDOT image)
1 PM: Thanks for the tips. Avoid the eastbound West Seattle Bridge – near the 1st Avenue South exit, two lanes are blocked because of a vehicle-on-side crash. Updates to come.
1:24 PM: Still a backup, as shown by the high-rise-bridge camera. SFD has closed out its response, though, so apparently no serious injuries (we’ll be following up to check).
2:02 PM: All clear, says SDOT.
5:28 PM: SFD says they evaluated a 42-year-old man “who reported no injuries (and) declined further medical care.”
While some pandemic-related government actions are about to sunset, some are becoming permanent. Among them, a network of closed-to-through-traffic “Healthy Streets,” per this map published this week by SDOT:
What the city had called “Stay Healthy Streets” or “Keep Moving Streets,” originally implemented to create more room for socially distanced riding/walking/rolling, are now simply “Healthy Streets.” Most notable on the map is the declaration that the Alki Point stretch is now permanent, a status it hadn’t had until now. It was created in May 2020 – first the city announced it would close the northernmost end of Beach Drive to through traffic, then almost immediately, it added the westernmost end of Alki Avenue. Over the ensuing months and years, there have been surveys and petition drives, but never until now a final decision on its status. The city has long hinted, however, that it would be permanent, and solicited feedback on a “permanent design.” That too has been (mostly) decided, according to SDOT’s update, which refers to the design survey it circulated a year ago:
The design we’re moving forward with for public engagement is Option 1 from the survey: Stay Healthy Street + Neighborhood Greenway.
This design will upgrade the street to a Neighborhood Greenway and include additional elements of a Healthy Street. As part of the larger Healthy Streets program, we’ve also updated the name of the project to “Alki Point Healthy Street.”
In coming days, we’ll share information about public engagement events in November 2022. We’ll be hosting in-person and virtual events, so that the community has more than one option for attending and giving feedback on the Alki Point Healthy Street design.
If you have a request for our public engagement events in November, please email us at AlkiKeepMovingStreet@seattle.gov.
This is not West Seattle’s only Stay Healthy Street, but it was the one that generated the most discussion/controversy. The plans for the others are in links you’ll find here.
If you missed our previous mentions here or here – the businesses of The Admiral District want to be sure you know their trick-or-treating event is returning, and is happening on Halloween itself this year, so this formal announcement is just in from Brent Amacher:
Admiral District merchants of West Seattle are proud to announce the return of the annual “Trick-or-Treating” event for 2022. The Admiral District “Trick or Treating” event will occur on Halloween, giving families the opportunity to trick or treat in a safe environment on the holiday itself. This long-standing Admiral neighborhood tradition has grown in popularity each year, and continues to be a West Seattle family favorite.
Trick or treating in The Admiral District is 100% volunteer-supported by the businesses operating near the intersection of Admiral and California Ave SW. Each year, local businesses give back to the community by providing a safe place for families to enjoy the holiday. Find your favorite costume, grab the kids, and come out on Monday, October 31st, to join in on this popular West Seattle event!
If you are interested in finding out whether a specific business in your area will be participating, stop by in advance, or give them a call. This event is well attended and most Admiral area storefronts take part in the fun. On the day of the event, simply look for the sign (shown above) in business windows, and stroll through the Admiral District with family and friends.
Trick or Treating will happen between 3 pm and 6 pm on 10/31/22 in The Admiral District.
Here’s our roundup of what was discussed at the October meeting of the Fauntleroy Community Association this past Tuesday night:
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: This is now a little over a week away, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 23rd, across the grounds of Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and Schoolhouse (which are across California SW from each other, in the 9100 block, and there’s always a crossing guard on festival day). Coordinator Reed Haggerty said that despite earlier-voiced concerns about rising costs for the donation/volunteer-supported event, they’ve been able to bring back a petting zoo (smaller-scale this time – bunnies!) and inflatable climbing wall after all.
PUMPKIN SEARCH: This three-hour event in the heart of Fauntleroy’s Endolyne business district last weekend was a success, reported coordinator Candace Blue, with a “steady stream of people” throughout the afternoon.
POLICE UPDATE: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Martin Rivera spoke briefly at the start of the meeting and offered to answer questions, though there were few. The categories of crime most on the rise locally are auto theft and burglaries; violent crime is down. He said staffing is still a struggle – “we gain a body, lose two” – and is likely to be for a long time. Asked if the precinct lost anyone because of the COVID vaccine mandate, he replied, “two or three.” He was asked about traffic concerns and suggested talking to SDOT about traffic-control measures.
SPEAKING OF TRAFFIC SAFETY: The FCA already is talking to SDOT, as discussed later in the meeting. They’re trying to set up a meeting with new SDOT director Greg Spotts – not just having him be a guest at an upcoming meeting, but showing him firsthand what happens during peak ferry-traffic times.
SPEAKING OF FERRIES: The FCA’s point person on Washington State Ferries issues, Frank Immel, recapped the newest developments in the plan for rebuilding the Fauntleroy terminal/dock. As reported here, the proposed alternatives are down to two – rebuild without expanding the dock, or rebuild by lengthening it. Though the option that had drawn the most West Seattle community opposition, widening the dock, has been ruled out, the FCA is continuing to advocate against expanding it at all and has met with/talked to city, county, and state elected officials. They’re also continuing to circulate a petition and gathered signatures recently at both the Pumpkin Search and West Seattle Farmers’ Market, with plans to gather more at the Fall Festival.
NEXT MEETING: The Fauntleroy Community Association meets most second Tuesdays at 7 pm; watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
Here’s what’s happening in the hours ahead:
BLOCK DROP: As the texted photo shows, DIY cleanup equipment is available at Myrtle Reservoir Park (35th/Myrtle) until 6 pm – that’s also where you can drop off what you pick up, as part of closing the Block Drop loop!
LAST DAY TO COMMENT: Should zoning exceptions be granted for the Alki Elementary rebuild? Today’s the deadline for comments, as explained in our story from last week.
SOUTHWEST ART SHOWCASE: See the community show at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), which is open until 6 pm today.
GLASS-BLOWING DEMO/ART GLASS PUMPKIN PATCH: As part of “Refract – The Seattle Glass Experience,” you can see live glass-blowing noon-4 pm at Avalon Glassworks (2914 SW Avalon Way) and check out their art-glass pumpkin patch.
CAKE! Lovely and Dapper Desserts will pop up with other food vendors at The Nook (2206 California SW) tonight, 5-10 pm.
SILENT DISCO: Dance to music only you can hear, 6-8 pm at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki), explained in our calendar listing.
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: One home game tonight – the West Seattle High School Wildcats host Ingraham at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 7 pm. Admission is $4 students/senior citizens, $6 adults, cash only. P.S. If you’re wondering who’s playing at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), that’ll be O’Dea vs. Ballard, 7 pm.
MUSIC AT C & P: 7-9 pm, the monthly Songwriters’ Showcase takes the stage at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW), free, all ages.
BINGO AT ADMIRAL PUB: West Seattle’s “sassiest bingo party” starts at 7 pm. (2306 California SW)
AT ARTSWEST: The ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) play “Swimming While Drowning” continues the third week of its run, 7:30 pm curtain. Tickets are available online.
Have something to add to our Event Calendar? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB file photo)
A one-day, multi-site boost for the Duwamish River and its watershed is just hours away. The fall Duwamish Alive! volunteer restoration events are tomorrow, and it all starts with an opening ceremony in West Seattle. Here’s the reminder from the Duwamish Alive! Coalition:
The popular community autumn event Duwamish Alive! is restoring local native habitat on Saturday, October 15th at urban parks and open spaces throughout the Green-Duwamish Watershed to support the environmental health of the river and wildlife. Starting at 10:00 am, volunteers at multiple Duwamish sites will participate in a day of major cleanup and habitat restoration in the ongoing effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon, and Puget Sound . The Green-Duwamish River is home to the critical Chinook salmon which the Southern Resident Orcas depend upon for food.
The community is invited to opening ceremonies at həʔapus Village Park & Shoreline Habitat, 4750 W. Marginal Way SW starting at 10:00 to learn more about the efforts to address pollution issues of the river, salmon recovery and community efforts. Speakers include Sean Dixon, Executive Director of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance; Matt Goehring, Salmon Recovery Manager for the Green-Duwamish Watershed; and Paulina López, Executive Director of the Duwamish River Community Coalition. Volunteers will be removing trash from the river on kayaks, planting native plants and removing invasive plants. Volunteer opportunities are still available – for more information, visit Duwamishalive.org
Duwamish Alive! is a collaborative stewardship effort of conservation groups, businesses, and government entities, recognizing that our collective efforts are needed to make lasting, positive improvements in the health and vitality of the Green-Duwamish Watershed. Twice a year these events organize hundreds of volunteers to work at multiple sites in the river’s watershed, connecting the efforts of communities from Seattle to Auburn.
6:03 AM: Good morning. It’s Friday, October 14th.
WEATHER
Here’s the forecast – sunny, high in the 60s, still no rain in sight. (Thursday’s high was 75, tying the record set in 1961.)
TRANSIT INFO
Metro buses are on their regular schedules; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts.
No changes in ferries (check here for alerts/updates) so far today.
The West Seattle Water Taxi starts its fall/winter schedule (still daily but no late Friday/Saturday runs) Monday (October 17th), so there’s NO service this weekend (October 15-16) for season-change maintenance. **AFTERNOON UPDATE** – Change of plan – the Water Taxi WILL run this weekend.
WEEKEND NOTES
-As just mentioned, no Water Taxi service.
–Mariners playoff game at T-Mobile Park Saturday, 1:07 pm
-If they win Saturday, Mariners playoff game at T-Mobile Park Sunday, 12:07 pm
–Seahawks host Cardinals at Lumen Field, 1:05 pm Sunday (2:30 pm if there’s a Mariners game)
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
High Bridge – here’s the camera at the top.
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end.
Low Bridge: Open to all.
1st Ave. S. Bridge: Still showing this for those finding it more convenient.
Highway 99: Whichever bridge you’re using to get to 99, here’s the northbound side at Lander.
All functional city traffic cams can be seen here (new URL), many with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page … Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
If you see trouble on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
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