West Seattle, Washington
07 Saturday
You’d have to call tonight’s colorful sunset something of a surprise. Less than an hour earlier, the all-day rain was still falling (two-thirds of an inch in the official Sea-Tac Airport gauge, according to the National Weather Service. Then suddenly – it stopped, and a gap appared between the clouds and the Olympics, soon allowing the sunset color through. Even if you had just a peek view, it was a sight to see:
(Photo by Laurel Taylor @ High Point Library)
(Photo by Eddie @ The Junction)
The forecast, meantime, suggests we might see some snow at some point next week. Almost every day starting Monday has a “chance” of snow, or rain/snow, in the prediction, and nighttime temperatures could get into the 20s (or colder), so any winterizing you’ve been delaying, now’s the time to get it done.
(WSB photos/video unless otherwise credited)
Whether seated on shoulders or resting against railings, Christmas Ship fans were bunched up along the Don Armeni Boat Ramp shore tonight for the first 2022 stop of the Argosy Cruises tradition. The ship – known the rest of the year as Spirit of Seattle – stopped off the West Seattle park to serenade the waiting crowd.
The Dickens Carolers were on board to sing 20 minutes of Christmas classics, bite-size, so they packed in plenty, starting, appropriately, with “I Saw Three Ships and moved on to other favorites including “Winter Wonderland” (above) and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”:
The Christmas Ship will be back in West Seattle twice more – both tomorrow night (Saturday, November 26), 5:35 pm by Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor), 8:35 pm at Alki Beach Park (when Seattle Parks will host the stop, with a bonfire if weather permits), both also featuring The Dickens Carolers.
Then the Christmas Ship is off to many other areas on Puget Sound and local lakes for a busy four-week season – you can see the schedule here (and book a ride on the Christmas Ship or one of its “follow boats”).
Thanks to Laurie for the tip and video. On the westbound West Seattle Bridge, at or just past the top of the high rise, there’s a multiple-vehicle collision blocking the outside lane. Not on SDOT’s cameras but the high-rise camera is still pointed westward and we’re seeing the slowdown. … No injuries reported so far, apparently, as there’s no SFD dispatch.
John reports a stolen 1994 black Honda del Sol from behind the 4100 block of California SW. Awaiting plate. SPD incident # is 2022-316305.
ADDED: The plate is CEB3731
Today is the first of three days for a West Seattle holiday-shopping tradition – the Native Art Market at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse (4705 West Marginal Way SW). The art you’ll find there represents many tribes/nations – one of the art businesses there is IgmútÈŸaÅ‹ka Iháŋble (Lakota for Mountain Lion Dreams):
Neecee’s Ancestral Art is by Denise Emerson, Navajo and Skokomish:
The market continues until 5 pm today, and is open 10 am-5 pm Saturday and Sunday. If you’re driving, note that the Longhouse has increased parking options, plus a traffic signal to get safely across West Marginal if you park on the east side.
2:30 PM: The ramp from southbound Highway 99 to the westbound West Seattle Bridge is being shut down for the response to what’s described as a one-vehicle crash “into the guardrail.” We don’t know where this is in relation to the “trouble spot” on the bridge near that ramp, as none of the traffic cameras have been turned to show the location, but so far descriptions have focused on the ramp, not the bridge.
2:33 PM: Via a murky picture, SDOT’s traffic center now reports this is on the ramp.
4:20 PM: The ramp has since reopened.
Texter reported a lot of black smoke from the north end of Vashon Island, so we looked into it, and found out there’s a house-fire response in the 10700 block of SW 111th Place [vicinity map]. No further information so far.
P.S. No official information, but commenters have shared some updates and visuals.
It’s a one-of-a-kind West Seattle holiday event – and it’s now just one week away. Starting next Friday, Winter Wander invites you to roam the peninsula in a holiday scavenger hunt, with prizes. Organizer Alice Kuder explains:
Winter Wander is a free, 10-day outdoor adventure designed to bring friends and families together for holiday fun!
Dates/Times: Begins Friday, December 2, 2022 at 5 PM; ends Sunday, December 11, 7 PM
Location: It starts at your front door and takes you wandering through five different West Seattle neighborhoods
Rules/Instruction sheet available for download now here
Clue sheet and map available for download starting at 4 PM December 2 here
Open to West Seattle residents of all ages, as well as their friends and families.
Team registration is now open via email to wswinterwander@gmail.com. Every registered, participating team will receive a $10 gift card from a local business.
$100 gift card for the first team to correctly solve and submit solutions to all 25 clues.
Swag Bag filled with goodies from various West Seattle businesses will be awarded to one team by random drawing.
Donations to West Seattle Food Bank and Toys for Tots deposited in donation barrels at Jefferson Square lobby will earn extra drawing tickets.
If you have a question before signing up, email Alice at wswinterwander@gmail.com. This is the third year she’s organized Winter Wander – here’s the wrapup on how last year went.
(Thanksgiving Eve photo from Lincoln Park by Susan Romanenghi)
Here’s what’s happening for the rest of today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:
NATIVE ART MARKET: It’s a tradition for the last Friday-Saturday-Sunday of November – the Native Art Market at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse (4705 W. Marginal Way SW) is a great place to start your gift shopping and support Indigenous artists/crafters. On until 5 pm today and 10 am-5 pm Saturday-Sunday.
BLACK FRIDAY LOCAL SHOPPING: As previewed here, today’s sales include West Seattle independent businesses and WSB sponsors Thunder Road Guitars and The Bass Shop (6400 California SW), Lauren’s Jewelry (Westwood Village), Emerald Water Anglers (4502 42nd SW), and Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska).
WATCH THE WORLD CUP: We’ve listed seven West Seattle spots where you can watch the 11 am USA-England match.
CHRISTMAS SHIP: The first of three West Seattle stops for the Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship is at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1200 block of Harbor Avenue SW), 5:35 pm. Carolers sing from the ship, you watch from the shore!
ST. NICHOLAS FAIRE ONLINE AUCTION: Bid for a variety of holiday-gift items (or maybe something you can use!), support the West Seattle Food Bank. It’s all happening online 6-9 pm tonight – as explained here.
ARTSWEST HOLIDAY SHOW: Tonight at 7:30 pm, it’s opening night for “Q Brothers Christmas Carol” at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – ticket info is in our calendar listing.
HOLY ROSARY TREE LOT: First day of the season at the Holy Rosary School Christmas tree lot, where part of the proceeds benefit local nonprofits. Open until 9 tonight – days and hours are here. (Off 42nd SW north of Genesee)
Have something to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
10:21 AM: We noted last month that La Rustica, the Italian restaurant at 4100 Beach Drive SW, would be closed for much of November due to kitchen-floor work. Co-proprietor Kat Hoffman sends word today that the work is done and the restaurant indeed is reopening tonight, You won’t notice anything different, since the work really was just in the kitchen: “it has been a lot of hard work to get it done.” They want to be sure patrons know how much they appreciate the “patience and support.”
4:30 PM: Kat just told us the reopening is delayed until Saturday – they have to fix their hot-water heater.
Family and friends will gather tonight and tomorrow to remember Jose M. Martinez Jr. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing with the community:
Our beloved, Jose Manuel Martinez Jr., was called home to heaven after a short, intense fight with cancer on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 1:40 PM.
Jose transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by his immediate family, who loves and misses him dearly, beyond measure.
Jose entered this world in April of 1949, the youngest child of ten, born to Aurora T. and Jose Manuel Martinez, Sr. Jose was born in Southern Texas and grew up in Sunnyside, Washington – the area that his family called home since relocating in the 1950s. He attended schools in Sunnyside and graduated from Sunnyside High School in 1967, with accolades including State and District High School wrestling championships, and his place among WIAA All-State Wrestlers. These accolades allowed Jose to attend college in Seattle on an athletic scholarship. Later in life, Jose worked twenty years in the construction industry as a journey-level carpenter and worked as a custom upholsterer for a short time until transitioning to working as a letter carrier with the US Postal Service. Jose retired in 2021, after a thirty-two-year career. He carried mail out of Seattle’s Interbay Station and he made many friends both in the office and out along his route. He was a Union Steward for NALC Branch 79 and caused many of his supervisors much consternation with his skill in advocating for workers’ rights.
Jose was an athlete most of his life and a dedicated coach throughout his adult life; first as a player-coach, playing softball next to his favorite teammate, Evonne. Later, as his children grew old enough to play sports, he coached each one of them in a variety of sports depending on the season – baseball, softball, basketball, wrestling. In later years, he dedicated his life to coaching youth soccer. As his children became adults and ventured out into their own lives, he began coaching other youth. He coached at the premier, middle school, and high school levels and was a Nationally licensed soccer coach with additional advanced training, Although he could have continued to coach for premier teams or charged significantly for his training services, his focus was in providing high-level training opportunities to youth and families that would not have been able to afford it otherwise, especially within the Latino and immigrant community. He also loved to work with young people who were not given the same opportunities by other coaches because of their lack of skill or because of limited abilities that made it challenging for them to make progress in a linear fashion. His patience and great respect for each player and his focus on skill development and not on his teams’ winning was what eventually led to his players becoming very skilled and he often had championship level teams as a result. In addition to teaching his players soccer skills, he also stressed to players the importance of always doing their best in whatever they attempted, including academics and maintaining their familial relationships. He was not just a coach- he was a mentor, a confidant, an advocate, and his teams became more like extensions of families that he led as their respected elder.
He was excited and proud that he was able to coach his young grandsons as they recently began their soccer careers.
Family was extremely important to Jose. For decades, he organized family gatherings at the family property where he and many others grew up, in order to continue the connections, and share the family history with the younger generations. Family was more than a biological connection to Jose. The family gatherings became huge events where all those who had become family came to share in the relationships that he strove to maintain. He worked hard to clean up the property and tried to provide everything for the family to be able to gather and share each other’s company. Another way that he maintained and shared family tradition was through his preparation of a pit barbacoa. He would stay up all night tending to the fire to make sure it didn’t go out so that it would be ready for the main family meal the next day.
He was very proud of his father’s involvement in the Mexican Revolution as a member of Los Dorados, an elite team of marksmen for Pancho Villa. His father’s background contributed to Jose’s own involvement in social justice issues such as working on farmworker justice by picketing, boycotting, and performing in improvisational theater as a member of El Teatro del Piojo from the University of Washington in the ’70s. His later years were concentrated on increasing social justice for the youth he coached through his attempts to increase access to opportunities in a variety of areas especially for academic advancement utilizing, at times, their athletics to gain that access.
Jose joins many loved ones who have transitioned to heaven before him, including his oldest son, Regino, from his first marriage. He joins his parents, Manuel and Aurora, and his siblings, sister Manuela, and brothers Regino, Refugio, Andres, Enrique, and Samuel. He is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Evonne, and their children, Quetzal (Anjila), Quiauhxochitl, Quauhtli (Megan), and Quipachtli. His grandsons, Xopil, Itzli, Acalli, and Teocalli, granddaughters, Audi, Kaelin, Alyssa, and great-grandchildren, Kyrie and Ajlina, and sisters, Aurora, Maria (Lucio), and Virginia. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and other extended family and friends that feel a great loss with his death.
Celebration of Life Services: Please note that the family requests that, out of respect and consideration for family members at high risk of illness, that masks be worn while inside and that you not attend if ill. Saturday service will be livestreamed if you are unable to attend in person.
Rosary vigil: Friday, November 25, 2022, 5:30 PM at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 7000 35th Ave SW.
Celebration of Life Mass: Saturday, November 26, 2022, 11:00 AM, also at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
Reception after mass in the parish gym, 3410 SW Myrtle St. Seattle, WA 98126 – you are welcome to bring a dish to share if you would like.
Burial of ashes will be scheduled for next year per Jose’s wishes.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Jose’s name to Beacon Hill Youth Soccer Club, 1719 South Lander, Seattle, WA 98144, https://beaconhillsoccerclub.org/donate-1
Please share memories, photos, & condolences with Jose’s Family on the Tribute Wall.
Arrangements entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
6:07 AM: Good morning. It’s Friday, November 25th. It’s not a four-day weekend for everyone, so we’re publishing this traffic (etc.) watch today.
WEATHER
Rain returns today, high around 50.
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
–Metro buses are bacj ti regular schedules; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts. If you’re on a bus around 4 pm today, please note there’ll be a moment to remember Mark McLaughlin (explained here).
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is out of service again today, back Saturday.
-Still a 2-boat schedule for WSF’s Triangle Route – check here for alerts/updates.
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
High Bridge – here’s the camera at the top.
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (if SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way).
Low Bridge: Or nearby, depending on where SDOT points the camera.
1st Ave. S. Bridge: The south route.
Highway 99: Here’s the northbound side at Lander.
All functional city traffic cams can be seen here, most 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 a problem on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
| 2 COMMENTS