West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
One last community-meeting report from this past week: The Admiral Neighborhood Association met Tuesday night at Admiral Church. ANA’s new president Joanie Jacobs led the meeting. Parks and police were two major topics. For the former, Hiawatha’s status tops the list – both for general community interest, and because the ANA’s long-running summer concert series happens there. Parks didn’t send a rep to the meeting, but ANA leadership has been in contact. As reported here last month, the community center’s long-planned upgrade project isnn’t expected to start construction before May, and that would keep Hiawatha closed until early 2024. ANA’s Dan Jacobs, who’s been communicating with Parks, says the play-area move and playfield turf-replacement projects are other complicating factors. The play area, like the community center, has gone into another round of delays, he was told, and plans are currently in “revisions.” Concert-series coordinator Stephanie Jordan is looking for help scouting for alternate locations and planning. The concerts might be in a different format if they do happen – possibly even a one-day music festival.
(ANA president Joanie Jacobs and Southwest Precinct Lt. Nathan Shopay)
Seattle Police did have a representative at the meeting, Southwest Precinct night-shift commander Lt. Nathan Shopay. He noted that Admiral overall remains one of the quietest areas in Seattle’s safest neighborhood. As has been the case at other neighborhood meetings, he was asked about staffing – still a challenge – and also talked about a new version of the four-day schedule that’s being implemented for officers. No updates on specific incidents, but regarding emphasis patrols, he said he’s still placing some officers in the Don Armeni Boat Ramp area on Friday and Saturday nights to try to deter street racers and other stunt drivers.
Other notes: The ANA Adopt-a-Street cleanups will be revived – can you pitch in? Message ANA to volunteer … West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW) is collecting sock donations through the end of the month – drop off packages of new socks for Operation Nightwatch’s work with unsheltered people … The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is continuing to open the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) one day a week, noon-4 pm Saturdays, for visitors. … Watch connecttoadmiral.org for neighborhood updates between meetings.
Seattle Parks has opened its annual call for vendors interested in concession spots, and two West Seattle parks are on the list: Alki Beach (two spaces) and Lincoln Park (one). Approved vendors will be able to start selling in May. Parks says it’s seeking both food and non-food concessionaires. You can get specifics via the Request For Proposals document on the Parks website; proposals are due March 2nd.
Molly sent the photos from a sunny Saturday sighting at Jack Block Park, noting: “Looks like E32 firefighters were doing diving training at Jack Block Park. They kept having one of the firefighters throw the cone into the water and the diver would run into the water and find it as quickly as possible, and then swim back to shore as well. It was awesome to watch (my 3-year-old wanted to watch them all day).”
We don’t have official information on exactly what kind of training/practicing was happening there – but we do know some SFD firefighters are trained as Rescue Swimmers (this Seattle Channel video shows what that program’s all about).
Daystar Retirement Village (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) has announced its first AARP-presented class in three-plus years, and it’s open to the community (age 55+). It’s a daylong safe-driving class, 9 am-5:30 pm Saturday, January 28th, in the Hearthside Building Activity Room at Daystar. The class teaches:
-Important facts about the effects of medication on driving.
-How to reduce driver distractions.
-How to maintain the proper following distance behind another car.
-Proper use of safety belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes and new technology found in cars today.
-Techniques for handling left turns, right-of-way, and roundabouts.
-Age-related physical changes and how to adjust your driving to compensate.
If you’re an AARP member, it’s $23.95; if not, $29.95. AARP says completing the class might make you eligible for an auto-insurance discount. You can sign up to take the class by calling Daystar at 206-937-6122.
Since this morning’s report on a West Seattle business break-in, we’ve heard from another business, hit by an apparent burglary attempt:
That’s the door at Cherry Consignment (4142 California SW), whose proprietor Nyla says it happened sometime last night or this morning. Whoever broke the door glass didn’t make it all the way through, as the photo shows. She’s hoping someone nearby might have caught something on a security camera or might otherwise have seen something.
The photo is from Jordan, who was surprised to see that river otter crossing Fauntleroy Way by the ferry dock around midnight a few nights ago, “heading toward the ravine that runs though the neighborhood there. Concerned about him getting hit and also wondering if otters have been seen in these parts of West Seattle Was a very special moment when I realized it wasn’t a cat but a massive otter… it looked much bigger then a typical river otter!” Short answer – yes, you might see them in any area of West Seattle that’s not too far from water, and in fact, our last “otters crossing” reminder a year-plus ago was from the Lincoln Park area, months after one reported in Solstice Park. They cross roads to get to inland dens – and once in a while they just get lost, like the two orphaned otters who went all the way up to Hiawatha via Fairmount in 2018.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning:
COFFEE STAND BREAK-IN: The photos and report are from Erik:
Mighty Mugs Coffee – West Seattle on West Marginal was broken into last night, I just happened to be driving by as workers were cleaning up the wreckage so pitched in and will add some bags to yesterday’s pile for pickup. It looks like a vehicle was used to pull the door off its hinges and then they proceeded to trash the place, causing lots of damage.
If you have any information please contact the business and call the police, and then please patronize this business when they’re up and running again!
The police-report number is 23-014120.
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN BICYCLE: Matt spotted this in Highland Park:
Seen on Henderson Place SW and 9th Ave SW.
(Pelagic Cormorant with gunnel, photographed by James Tilley)
Welcome to Sunday! Here’s the highlight list from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
LOW BRIDGE OPEN: One more reminder that the West Seattle low bridge is open again.
CHURCHES WITH ONLINE SERVICES: We’re continuing to list these – see today’s lineup here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: As usual, 10 am-2 pm, the market offers winter produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages, nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
DONATION DRIVE AT ALKI UCC: 11 am-3 pm, the church at 6115 SW Hinds has this request:
Our unsheltered neighbors are in critical need of men’s waterproof outerwear and sleeping bags. Donations of non-perishable food, clothing and gear are distributed through the Westside Interfaith Network Saturday lunch, hosted in White Center.
Other info is in our calendar listing.
SEATTLE STREET FIXERS: 1 pm, volunteers will take on the task of clearing vegetation that’s blocking the sidewalk at 6355 41st SW. Our calendar listing has info on how you can help.
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: 3 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Musicians for the West Seattle Food Bank, featuring Bill Davie and Steve Norris.
NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church serves a free meal (take-away available) at 5 pm Sundays at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).
BEARDED QUEEN PAGEANT: At The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), the National Pacific Northwest Bearded Queen Pageant takes the stage at 7 pm (doors at 6). More info and tickets here.
YOGA, MEDITATION, GONG BATH: Presented by Inner Alchemy, 7 pm at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $35.
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
LATIN SUNDAYS: The Benbow Room (4210 SW Admiral Way) invites you over for Latin Sundays, with DJ Papito Peace, starting at 9 pm.
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 9 pm to 1:30 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
Have an event to add to our calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
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