West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
11:20 PM: Police are reporting the eastbound West Seattle Bridge is blocked by two crashes near the 1st Avenue South exit. Use the low bridge or the south bridges if you need to head off-peninsula any time soon.
12:53 AM: The bridge is now clear. Radio communication indicated a lot of post-crash cleanup was necessary, with an oil slick resulting, and finally some road salting on this icy night.
If you’re going to The Junction tomorrow for the Farmers’ Market and/or other shopping – look for the return of some of West Seattle’s most popular handmade decorations! If you haven’t already seen it in our Holiday Guide, here’s the announcement:
Pathfinder K-8 PTSA is holding our 27th annual wreath fundraiser to benefit outdoor education at Pathfinder K-8 School. After a 2-year hiatus we’re so excited to announce we’re back selling Door Decor – wreaths and other holiday swag – at The Junction (next to Wells Fargo) during Farmers Market days December 4th, 11th, and 18th. Everything is 100% unique and made from foraged materials from our yards and tree lots (thank you, Trees by the Sea on Alki!). This year’s selection will be some of our best! For more info: pathfinderk8ptsa.org
Have a hot lead on fallen branches or other supplies we can use in our creations? Email kathleen.hynes@me.com and bae.jungun@gmail.com
Thank you for supporting the kids at Pathfinder School!
(Screengrab of California/Alaska traffic cam during event’s final hour)
4:18 PM: It’s happening now in The Junction, where California and Alaska are closed to traffic and open to winter fun at the expanded Hometown Holidays Festival, culminating with the tree lighting in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska, scheduled to follow the lights-costume contest, which is around 6 pm). Here’s the schedule:
4:00 – Festival begins. Night Market and Beer & Wine Garden are open. Endolyne Choir, School of Rock, and Mode Music Studio perform on stage.
5:00 – G.L.O.W.S. Costume Promenade on streets. Elvis performs on stage.
6:00 – Costume Contest on stage.
6:30 – Lighting of the tree in Junction Plaza Park, followed by Santa reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and leading a carol sing-along.
7:00 – Dancer and Prancer perform on stage.
8:00 – Night Market and Beer & Mulled Wine Garden close.
Our preview, which includes more info on the contest, is here. See you there!
5:24 PM: The Night Market and light-costume promenade are happening on California.
The beer/wine garden is happening, and Elvis is performing, on Alaska.
(added) He was preceded by community musical groups including the Endolyne Choirs:
The tree lighting is an hour or less away!
6:50 PM: The tree is lit, and the festival continues:
(added) Here’s how the countdown went – first Jack Menashe, members of his family, and Santa took the stage:
Then, tree time:
The band Dancer & Prancer is closing out the entertainment, and the market and beer/wine continue until 8.
8:41 PM: We’ve added photos and video inline above (and still adding). One more highlight – the costume contest, with winners chosen by audience acclaim, after attendees were nominated by the light-costume artists who had been chosen to stroll, Here’s how it went, starting with the artists themselves onstage:
Winners got Junction gift cards – $500 for group, $250 for individual, $100 for pet. Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay promised the new feature – GLOWS (Glorious Light of West Seattle) – would be even better next year. As for this season, the next Hometown Holidays event – next Thursday night’s Art Walk, enhanced with holiday extras including carolers and Santa.
Three months ago we published this remembrance of Clara S. Hattori. Now her Celebration of Life is scheduled – here’s the announcement:
Please join friends and family to celebrate 103 years of life well-lived by CLARA SASAKI HATTORI.
Share your memories and stories.
December 6th, Tuesday
4:30 to 6:30 pm
at C&P Coffee in West Seattle (5612 California SW)
(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)
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
GUNFIRE ARREST: Two weeks after a man allegedly shot at police who were looking for him in a domestic-violence case, the suspect is in jail. Police say detectives assisted by the US Marshals Service arrested the 26-year-old suspect Thursday night. (Here’s our report on the original incident in the early hours of November 19th in South Delridge.)
REPEAT BURGLARY: Reader report from Matt – “We wanted to report a break-in … again. This is the third time in 6 months on our Fairmount home. This time the lock on the shed was cut and miscellaneous items were stolen.
2:25 PM: That’s Kersti Muul‘s photo of a Trumpeter Swan seen at Alki this morning, showing signs of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, aka “bird flu.” She says it was last seen headed toward Duwamish Head, but wants to remind everyone to keep your distance – and especially to keep dogs leashed (they’re not supposed to be on the beach anyway), as this is a contagious disease for which there is no cure. It’s also a risk to other wild birds and has led to Bald Eagle deaths, as reported here recently. Here’s background on the current nationwide situation.
10:04 PM: As Kersti updated in comments, the bird died. She emailed us to explain, “James Tilley and I hiked up and down Alki until we found it. There’s no way I wanted the eagles or dogs getting into that tomorrow. Looks like some dogs already have at least approached (paw prints in sand). Bird has been double bagged and disposed of and my report to WDFW updated.”
Paths are cleared to get to the Senior Center of West Seattle door at 4217 SW Oregon, and once you’re inside, you’ll see tables ringing the main hall with items you won’t see anywhere else – like Denise LeBlanc‘s calendars featuring her Northwest-scenery paintings:
Jen Vanderhoof‘s underwater photography gives you an up-close perspective on sea life:
Jen also has “beaver stick” pencils – made from sticks left behind by beavers.
Also crafted from wood, the dulcimers that Norm Zemke is selling:
They’re challenging to make, he explains, requiring “steam bending.” Then there are some repurposed crafts – Tammy Majeski‘s wreaths are made from vintage Christmas ornaments:
Other vendors have handmade apparel, jewelry, and baked goods – you’ll even find “fidget spinners,” This is all happening until 4 pm, which is when The Junction’s festival starts, so go early and catch the bazaar too.
11:50 AM: The snow couldn’t keep Dominic and Atticus from their annual drive-up/ride-up food drive in the lot behind Hope Lutheran (off SW Oregon just east of California). So they’re waiting for you until 3 pm, collecting coats as well as nonperishable food. You can safely pull into a covered space so they can unload what you brought, so don’t worry about the snow/slush. (Do remember that California is now closed, south of Oregon to north of Edmunds, in preparation for tonight’s festival, so approach the lot entrance from Oregon – it’s on the westbound side.)
ADDED WEDNESDAY: The West Seattle Food Bank reports the brothers collected 530 pounds of food and $145 in cash donations.
That’s a live look at the heart of The Junction, where streets will close later this morning and stay closed until late tonight for the holiday season’s biggest celebration. More on that midway down the list, which is a long one today, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:
WATCH THE WORLD CUP: Here’s our list of who’s opening early for the 7 am USA-Netherlands match – nine establishments in West Seattle and South Park.
HOLIDAY PHOTO POP-UP: 8:30 am-2 pm, join Gail Ann Photography for holiday photos at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW). Fee, part of which is a nonprofit donation. Full details, including how to make an appointment for today or other dates, are in our calendar listing.
SOUTHWEST POOL: Closed today, as staff illnesses continue.
SCAVENGER HUNT CONTINUES: This is the first full day of the nine-day Winter Wander West Seattle scavenger hunt that Alice Kuder is presenting again this year – have fun exploring the peninsula, with a chance for prizes from local businesses. Register your team ASAP – all the details are in our preview.
SOUTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP: “Please join your neighbors – pick up trash, bag leaves, and clear the street gutters. Supplies available at 8812 18th Ave SW at 9:15 am.” CANCELED
BOOTSIE’S SAUCE POP-UP: Small-batch hot-sauce maker! 9:45 am-1 pm at Delridge Grocery Co-op (5444 Delridge Way SW).
DRIVE-THROUGH FOOD AND COAT DRIVE: Two students are again organizing their annual drive-up/ride-up donation drive in the lot behind Hope Lutheran (42nd/Oregon), 10 am-3 pm, more in our calendar listing.
TILDEN SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-noon, this independent elementary school (a WSB sponsor) welcomes prospective families: “We invite you to visit the school, tour our campus, and chat with the teachers and specialists who make Tilden extraordinary.” (4105 California SW)
BRIDGE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-noon, this cooperative elementary school (also a WSB sponsor) invites prospective families to visit. (10300 28th SW)
SENIOR CENTER HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Shop local from more than 20 vendors during this event at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 10 am-4 pm. (California/Oregon)
GARDEN CENTER: Rare open day for the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Garden Center! 10 am-3 pm, north end of campus. (6000 16th SW) POSTPONED TO 12/10
(added) OUTDOOR BAZAAR: Until 4 pm: “West Seattle Kiwanis is hosting a fabulous Outdoor Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale! Shop from a huge selection of great gift items (with amazing prices). We have Santas, elves, hats, boxes, table-top and four-foot trees (lighted and not), tree toppers, garlands, ribbon, ornament balls and more. There is a treasure here for everyone!! All proceeds go to Key Club members from West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School. (Free coffee and hot chocolate too! 5637 42nd Avenue SW)
SANTA PAWS AT WINDERMERE: Free event with a professional photographer taking your pet’s pic with Santa, 11 am-1 pm – details in this flyer. (4526 California SW)
POTTERY POP-UP: Shop work by artists from Rat City Studios and Rain City Clay during the second day of this three-day pop-up at California/Oregon, 11 am-5 pm.
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM GIFT SHOP: Noon-4 pm, visit the gift shop at the home of local history, with a 50%-off sale on glass ornaments and books. (3003 61st SW)
MAKERS’ HOLIDAY ART MARKET: Noon-5 pm at Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki) – shop dozens of local artists, crafters, makers. See participant lineup in our calendar listing.
MAGIC SHOW: Magician Raymond has a 1 pm show at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW) that still had tickets available as of early this morning – go to the Kenyon Hall website to get yours if they’re still available!
HOLIDAY MARKET AT FUTURE PRIMITIVE: Future Primitive Brewing in White Center (9832 14th SW) celebrates its 4th anniversary with a Holiday Market starting at 1 pm and Santa on hand for photos 3:30-5:30 pm.
(WSB photos)(WSB file photo)
HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS FESTIVAL, GLOWS, NIGHT MARKET, TREE LIGHTING: Tonight’s the night! 4-8 pm in The Junction, where California and Alaska will be closed for the festivities. Here’s our full preview; here’s the schedule:
4:00 – Festival begins. Night Market and Beer & Wine Garden are open. Endolyne Choir, School of Rock, and Mode Music Studio perform on stage.
5:00 – G.L.O.W.S. Costume Promenade on streets. Elvis performs on stage.
6:00 – Costume Contest on stage.
6:30 – Lighting of the tree in Junction Plaza Park, followed by Santa reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and leading a carol sing-along.
7:00 – Dancer and Prancer perform on stage.
As explained in our preview, the costume contest is for YOU and/or your pet. Bottom line, this celebration is vastly expanded from years past, so come down to Downtown West Seattle and have fun!
WINTER BENEFIT CONCERT: Local musicians play at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) to benefit local charities, 4:30 pm – details and (free) ticket link in our calendar listing.
CHRISTMAS BASH: 5-8 pm party at West Seattle Christian Church (4400 42nd SW), all welcome: “Join us during West Seattle’s Hometown Holidays Night Market and GLOW (we’re just a block away!) for an evening full of Christmas Cheer with music, a holiday smorgasbord of delectable delights (including our chocolate fountain), gingerbread houses, cookie decorating, holiday crafts, games, Photo Booth, Pastor’s Spicy Christmas Wassail, and our UGLY SWEATER CONTEST!”
SOCCER PLAYOFF MATCH: 5 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), Cultures United plays Dep. Rose City in a UPSL playoff game. Free admission.
WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE: Second weekend for thousands of lights synched to music outside the Iversons‘ home on 38th SW between Genesee and Dakota – 6:30-10 pm,
HOLIDAY CONCERT: West Seattleite-founded Puget Soundworks, an all-gender, LGBTQIA+-centered community chorus, presents the second of three performances of their holiday concert “Menagerie,” 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – tickets here.
MUSIC & TOY DRIVE: Live at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), DEAL and Ricky Gene Powell perform on Teddy Bear Night – bring new teddy bears (or other types of toys) to donate to Toys for Tots. Doors at 7, music at 8, $10 at the door, 21+.
ARTSWEST HOLIDAY SHOW: Tonight at 7:30 pm, it’s the next performance of “Q Brothers Christmas Carol” at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – ticket info is in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE DRAG SHOW: 9 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), with Queen Andrew and VJ Lacefront.
Have something to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(‘Live’ SDOT camera)
It’s been snowing for a few hours now, and we have a few notes:
ROADS CLOSED: We’ve been hearing about some tree trouble – Sylvan Way in particular, apparently a downed tree. Another one is reported around 14th/Holden but not blocking the street. INFOLINKS: Here’s the SDOT map showing which streets are closed and which have been plowed. … Here’s the Metro Winter page (some parts of the region are on snow routing but NOT us so far).
SPEAKING OF TREE TROUBLE: Connie sent this photo and report:
This tree is blocking the entrance to the parking lot of the dog park off of Southwest Cloverdale at 5th.
POWER OUTAGES: A few pockets of southernmost West Seattle (Seola, Myers Way) are part of a 4,300-customer outage – see the map here. ADDED 3:11 AM: Now a West Seattle outage too – more than 500 customers:
(4:39 PM: SCL says it’s hoping to have the South Park/SE WS areas restored by 7.)
FORECAST: This is expected to eventually change over to rain. But right now we’re still under a Winter Weather Advisory. (4:25 AM NOTE: We can hear the steady melt from the roof, so we’ll see what’s left by daylight.)
See trouble? Text us at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
“Let It Snow” was one of the first few carols tonight at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s “Light Up the Night” celebration – and snow was indeed falling, lightly, by the time the city’s highest-elevation Christmas tree was illuminated. You can see it in our video:
Emcee Brian Callanan led the countdown, followed by more caroling from OLG’s 4th/5th-grades’ choir – here’s a longer version, with the closing carols, including the crowd-participation fave “Jingle Bells”:
It was a perfect holiday celebration, including warm beverages.
And warm hearts led to donations for the food drive helping St. Vincent de Paul:
OLG has another community holiday event ahead – one week from tonight, at 7 pm December 9, the vocal ensemble The Starry Crowns, who sang tonight’s first few songs, present a concert to which all are welcome. Meantime, you can see the OLG tree – and the other lights outside the church – by driving, riding, running, or walking past 7000 35th SW.
(WSB photo, September)
For many years, Harbor Avenue/Alki Avenue residents have been asking that action be taken to deter reckless driving. In September, two sets of speed bumps were installed in the Alki business district. Tonight, SDOT tells us that more are on the way to the east Alki area. We got the news this evening from SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson:
We are planning to build safety enhancements along Harbor Ave SW and Alki Ave SW between the West Seattle Water Taxi and Luna Park in response to reckless and illegal driving incidents. We have received several requests from neighbors asking for safety improvements such as speed humps to help address this problem.
We will install about a half dozen sets of speed humps, as well as a raised center divider to prevent people from illegally driving the wrong direction to pass other cars. … We will prioritize completing this work as soon as we can. The work requires a few days of dry weather, so we will be watching the forecast closely and ready to mobilize our crews quickly if there is a break in the rain and snow. If the current forecast holds, there may potentially be an opportunity to complete this work within the next week.
Bergerson said they’re also talking with Parks about added speed humps in the Don Armeni parking lot (which already has some bumps). We’ll be following up Monday for more details, particularly where the “raised center divider” is planned.
The first of this weekend’s three holiday tree-lighting events in West Seattle happened on the north side of Neighborhood House High Point this evening – the second annual Fruit Tree Lighting. High Point community builder Ella McRae led a cheery countdown:
The tree lighting followed an afternoon festival that celebrated both the arrival of winter and High Point’s new community-designed salmon street murals.
Two days ago we reported on the arrest of a man found half-naked in a stolen pickup truck near Highland Park Elementary. When police searched the truck, they found drugs an a gun. Now three felony charges are filed against 25-year-old Ezequiel A. Lopez-Ortiz of Tacoma: Unlawful gun possession, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of drugs with intent to distribute or manufacture. The truck, a 2020 Dodge Ram, had been stolen from the Port of Seattle, according to the charging documents, and partially spray-painted red. Prosecutors also say Lopez-Ortiz has 10 felony convictions in the past 10 years, including three for unlawful gun possession, and seven current warrants from three counties – King, Spokane, and Kittitas. The gun seized from under the driver’s seat in the stolen truck is described as a 9mm SIG Sauer P320 pistol “with fifteen rounds in the magazine and one round in the firing chamber, under the driver’s seat.” Police also found “a backpack behind the driver’s seat containing .45 caliber bullets and an AR15 style magazine with 5.56 caliber bullets.” The drugs described in the previous report are what the charging documents list – cocaine, meth in baggies, and more than 100 suspected “blues” (fentanyl pills). Prosecutors are asking that bail for Lopez-Ortiz be set at $50,000 but as of the filing, there hadn’t been a bail decision yet because Lopez-Ortiz had been refusing to appear in court.
It has been a struggle and it has been a privilege.”
Those words will resonate with everyone who owns a small independent business.
And with those words (and others), Alair Gift Shop proprietor Shandon Armstrong announced this afternoon that as her shop marks its sixth anniversary tomorrow, that will be its last. She sent us the announcement she shared with customers in a heartfelt email – here it is in its entirety:
6 years on Dec 3.
6 years ago I got the keys to the original location. I started an LLC. I learned how to buy wholesale and how to love a community without holding back.
I am proud of Alair.
I am proud of how Alair has become as much mine as yours. I am proud of how this community handled a robbery. How we handled having our first landlord that was a cartoon version of a villain landlord. How we handled a pandemic.
I’m also proud of how we handled having a new landlord, that is the embodiment of everything good in the world. How we have been able to say thank you to this community that has given us so much.
We have won Emerging Business of the Year. I was a Top 40 Under 40 (back before I was 40). We won Business of the Year. We’ve been voted Best Gift Shop and Best Boutique in Readers Choice Awards for several local publications.
I have laughed harder than I’ve ever laughed.
I have cried harder than I’ve ever cried.
I have been lonelier than I’ve ever been, and I’ve also never felt less alone.
I’ve lost so many friends and I’ve gained more. It has been a struggle and it has been a PRIVILEGE.
It has been my pleasure. I love you. I appreciate you. I am so grateful.
It is also time for me to move on. It’s a different world now. The pandemic has changed so many things and is continuing to do so. I’m managing a website. I’m on a screen all day. I feel like I spend so much of every single day just sticking up for myself. I’m tired. The disappointment fatigue is real.
_____________________________
I sent y’all an email in September giving a state of the Alair union. One result of that was that someone reached out to me and offered me a new way to look at my future. Over the next 10 weeks, I figured out my path forward and what the future looks like. And last week, I accepted a full time position doing a job that I didn’t even know existed but is perfect for me. I don’t believe in soulmates and I don’t believe in one dream job. Alair has been my dream. Then, I was offered a position that is definitely my next dream.
So, right as we hit our 6 year anniversary, I am also announcing the end of an era.
Anything could still happen. Maybe one of you will want to swoop in and buy Alair. I’m still gunning hard to get Sam to take it over, because that lady loves this place as much as I do. Maybe someone will come in and buy all the insides and lease, but rebrand it and make it their own.
I hope so. The pandemic has taken a lot of small businesses.
The current plan is to operate as normal through the holidays. Then we will assess and see where we are and what needs to happen next. We have accumulated A LOT of stuff. I have no idea how to clear it all out in a responsible way. We will figure that out as soon as the holidays are over. I am aiming to have the doors closed by February 1st though.
And what I DO know that this is my last Alairiversary. And I’m so grateful for every single one.
Thank you. Thank you for letting me live my dream and also for helping me see a new one.
People are good.
My people are the best.
Alair originally opened in what had been a fitness studio, before moving a few doors down.
We’re now just one day away from an expanded Hometown Holidays street festival in The Junction, centered on the Night Market and tree lighting, also featuring the first-ever GLOWS (Glorious Lights of West Seattle) celebration. That includes artists promenading in light-decked costumes they designed – West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay shares a photo she received showing one of the works in progress:
You’re invited to create your own costume of light to be part of a contest at the festival – the costumed artists will be judging the people they see promenading on California SW, which will be closed for the festival. The categories are Best Group, Best Individual, Best Pet; each artist will nominate one entrant in each category by handing them a light wand. If you get one, you’ll then be on stage at 6 pm for audience judging. Prizes are $500, $250, and $100 in Junction gift cards!
The festival runs 4-8 pm, with the Night Market and beer/hot-wine garden – sponsored by Elliott Bay Brewing and Darby Winery – open the whole time. You can also buy this limited-edition mug for your beverage (or future use) if interested:
For kids, Hope Lutheran will have free hot cocoa. Other things to know – here’s the festival schedule:
4:00 – Festival begins. Night Market and Beer & Wine Garden are open. Endolyne Choir, School of Rock, and Mode Music Studio perform on stage.
5:00 – G.L.O.W.S. Costume Promenade on streets. Elvis performs on stage.
6:00 – Costume Contest on stage.
6:30 – Lighting of the tree in Junction Plaza Park, followed by Santa reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and leading a carol sing-along.
7:00 – Dancer and Prancer perform on stage.
Community co-sponsors of Hometown Holidays include WSB. The streets will close in the morning, and a variety of other events are happening all day at and around The Junction (see our Holiday Guide!), so come down early and enjoy the festivities.
Back in 2016, after repeated problems with “brown water” in multiple West Seattle neighborhoods, Seattle Public Utilities carried out a major flush of local lines. Now they’re planning one for southeast West Seattle and South Park, in the areas outlined on this map:
That map is included in a letter SPU has just mailed to affected residents and businesses, saying the flush will start soon and continue into next year. Here’s what else the letter says:
SPU is performing this work to help maintain water quality and help reduce the occurrence of discolored water that can sometimes occur. Flushing won’t eliminate discolored water, but it will help decrease it.
What do customers need to do? SPU crews will perform the flushing at night by flowing water from fire hydrants. Residents and businesses do not need to take any action to prepare for this work. Customers will be able to use their water as usual. When crews are flushing nearby, customers may notice a slight reduction in their water pressure. They may also experience temporary discolored water, which should clear quickly once crews are done flushing the water main. Running the cold water for a few minutes can also help clear the discoloration.
Why does discolored water occur? Discolored water can happen when crews operate a fire hydrant, when there is a water main break or leak, or when the water in the pipes is forced to travel in a different direction than normal. When one of these events happens, sediment in the water and rust in the pipes get stirred up, causing the water to look discolored. Flushing the water mains will remove some of the sediment and rust that has been resting in the pipes. This will help reduce the level of discoloration and the time it takes for the water to clear when there’s a disturbance in the pipes.
Is the water safe? Yes. Every single day, SPU takes samples throughout the drinking water system that serves 1.5 million people. The water is tested for contaminants and is regulated by the Washington State Department of Health. Seattle’s water remains safe to drink.
See the full letter here.
That’s the notice that was posted this morning on the door of Pegasus Pizza (2768 Alki SW); we went there after a reader tip. The doors were chained and locked.
Court records indicate an “unlawful detainer” (eviction) case was filed against the business in July, and that the eviction order followed a hearing and ruling on November 16. According to case documents, the restaurant was ordered to pay its landlord, Alki 37 LLC, more than $146,000. We are working to reach Pegasus’s owners for comment. They moved into this building 15 years ago from a different location on the same block; the space underwent changes six years ago.
A year and a half after we first reported it was on the way, Pet Supplies Plus is now open in the center of Westwood Village. The store is operated by a regional franchisee of a nationwide chain with more than 400 locations. It offers grooming and a dog wash as well as merchandise; hours are 9 am-9 pm Mondays through Saturdays, 10 am-6 pm Sundays.
(Thursday photo @ Hiawatha, tweeted by @i8ipod)
Still just a little snow on the ground (and a little more possible) as one of the biggest weekends of the holiday season begins. So here’s what’s happening for the rest of your Friday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide (where you’ll find lots of other seasonal info too):
SOUTHWEST POOL: Normal operations today, (corrected) closed tomorrow, as announced last night.
POTTERY POP-UP: Shop work by artists from Rat City Studios and Rain City Clay during the first day of this three-day pop-up at California/Oregon, 11 am-5 pm,
CAT/KITTEN ADOPTION: 2-4 pm at Pet Elements (6511 California SW), Beloveds Animal Relief Rescue Foundation can introduce you to cats/kittens looking for their forever homes.
FESTIVAL AND FRUIT-TREE LIGHTING: Celebrate the season with a two-part High Point celebration, first a Winter Festival 3-5 pm, then the Fruit Tree Lighting at 5:15 – this year it’s all happening outside Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way SW) and the Amphitheater behind it: “Join over 15 organizations with fun-filled activities for all ages. Dance to live music from West Seattle High School Band and stay for the fruit tree lighting.”
SCAVENGER HUNT BEGINS: At 4 pm, the hunt is on! That’s the official start time for the nine-day Winter Wander West Seattle scavenger hunt that Alice Kuder is presenting again this year – have fun exploring the peninsula, with a chance for prizes from local businesses. Register your team ASAP – all the details are in our preview.
WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE: Second weekend begins for thousands of lights synched to music outside a home on 38th SW between Genesee and Dakota – 6:30-10 pm,
‘LIGHT UP THE NIGHT’ AT OLG: 7 pm outside Our Lady of Guadalupe (7000 35th SW), the lighting of the city’s highest-elevation Christmas tree and thousands of other lights on the OLG grounds, plus a Christmas carol singalong and more. Bring nonperishable food if you can, to donate to St. Vincent de Paul.
HOLIDAY CONCERT: West Seattleite-founded Puget Soundworks, an all-gender, LGBTQIA+-centered community chorus, presents the first of three performances of their holiday concert “Menagerie,” 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – tickets here.
THE PROFITS: Live at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), alternative/new wave/rock/funk. Doors at 7, music at 8, $10.
ARTSWEST HOLIDAY SHOW: Tonight at 7:30 pm, it’s your next chance to see “Q Brothers Christmas Carol” at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – ticket info is in our calendar listing.
Have something to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
With the USA team set for a must-win World Cup match against the Netherlands team early Saturday (7 am), we’ve received some questions about who’s opening early for watch parties. So we’re again building a list in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar. So far we have five establishments on the list – Christo’s on Alki, Prost, The Bridge, The Westy, West Seattle Brewing. Anyplace else? Please let us know so we can add!
6:00 AM: Good morning. It’s Friday, December 2nd.
WEATHER
Very cold overnight – temperatures dropped into the 20s. But only a slight chance of snow this morning, with today’s high near 40. (Check the latest alert status here.)
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is back to its regular schedule this morning.
-WSF’s Triangle Route is too – check here for alerts/updates.
–Metro buses are on regular schedules; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts. 7:15 AM UPDATE: Metro is suspending Routes 55, 56, 57 for the rest of the day.
WEEKEND ALERT
Saturday’s big Hometown Holidays festival in The Junction means street closures on both California and Alaska most of the day and into the evening
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.
That security-camera image is from charging documents in the case that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed against an alleged serial shoplifter, 25-year-old West Seattle resident Joseph E. Herdrich. It is described as showing Herdrich exiting the Marshall’s store at Westwood Village on October 5th with more than $850 in stolen merchandise. He wasn’t arrested that day, but just two weeks earlier, he had been arrested there in similar circumstances – here’s a security-camera image from that day, in which he is accused of stealing $700 worth of merchandise:
Three and a half days later, on September 24th, with no charges yet filed, he was released from jail. But he’s there now, two weeks after yet another arrest at Westwood Village, after allegedly shoplifting more than $500 in items from the QFC store on November 18th. In that case, store security confronted him and got the items back; he was still outside the store when police arrived and arrested him. Now the KCPAO has charged him with three counts of second-degree burglary for all three of the incidents we’ve mentioned, The charging documents say Herdrich had already been banned – “trespassed” – from both those stores and from other businesses in Westwood Village, but keeps going back to shoplift. An SPD detective wrote in a September report that Herdrich had been under investigation for months for thefts at both the same Marshall’s store and Delridge Home Depot and that he was “driven by his fentanyl addiction.” Herdrich’s arraignment is scheduled for December 7. His bail was set at just $250 by a judge who prosecutors say was unaware of his previous arrests; they argued for raising it to $5,000 given the added facts in the case, but the court docket says that motion was denied.
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