West Seattle, Washington
06 Saturday
Two volunteer cleanups in West Seattle this weekend – first, the one that happened today:
UNDER THE BRIDGE: Erik Bell from A Cleaner Alki sent photos from the cleanup on which his group and We Heart Seattle teamed up, beneath the Admiral Way approach to the West Seattle Bridge: “This is what you’ve been driving over when you come off Admiral Way to get on the Bridge. It’s looking much better now.” Before and after examples:
Erik’s group has frequent cleanups around the peninsula – find them at byandby.org. Meantime, another group has an event planned Sunday:
SEATTLE STREET FIXERS: A few weeks ago, we showed you what these volunteers did in Gatewood, “revealing” an overgrown sidewalk. They’re tackling another one starting at 1 pm Sunday, in Morgan Junction, in the 6300 block o 41st SW, and more volunteers are welcome. Organizer Conrad explains, “Currently, more than half of the sidewalk on the south side of Fauntleroy, between 41st and the nearest alleyway, is inaccessible due to ivy and an overgrown hedge.” He sent this photo:
Conrad continues, “Given the size of the hedge, any big trimming tools will be useful, as will yard-waste bags, given the large amount of debris this work will generate. This spot is along a busy road so we will need to stay mindful while working.”
Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
STOLEN CAR: West Seattle resident Dan‘s car was stolen in Burien and he’s getting the word out regionally to watch for it:
My car, a white 1997 Subaru Legacy GT wagon, was stolen this afternoon (around 1-1:30 pm) in Burien on SW 157th in the parking lot between Azteca and Value Village. License plate #2869 LEM. Video footage from Azteca shows two men pull up in a green Ford Ranger, steal the car within a few minutes. Both sped out of the parking lot after stealing the car.
It’s been reported to police/sheriffs in Burien; we’ll add the number when we get it. (Added: C23001615)
STOLEN TRUCK: This was posted via a comment, so we’re following up to get the location: “My 15-foot truck U-HAUL was stolen today around 1:00 pm. License plate AG30561 – if you see the truck, please call 911 or contact me by email: Mrgpuckett@outlook.com”
ARRESTS AFTER NEIGHBORS’ FIGHT: A post on SPD Blotter this afternoon recaps an incident to which police responded Friday evening around 5:30 pm in the 8400 block of Delridge Way SW. Police say it started with a report of a fight between neighbors and ended with a 38-year-old woman and 40-year-old man arrested for investigation of burglary, assault, and hate crime; details are here.
It’s the only “edible park” in West Seattle – Puget Ridge Edible Park – and it’s right here on the peninsula. A recent arrival to Puget Ridge who has been chronicling her family’s journeys on YouTube, Melissa Smith, discovered PREP (18th SW and SW Brandon) and wanted to tell its story. After she sent us the link to the resulting video (embedded above), we asked her for the backstory about her storytelling:
Since summer 2022, we have been traveling by van across the West Coast from Santa Cruz, California, where I first converted a 1/10 acre property into a micro food forest. As former middle-school science teachers, my husband and I decided to pursue our dream to start a regenerative farm and are now on the road searching for where to buy land and immerse ourselves in a community with our farm and education center.
In late October, we decided to settle for the winter and looked around the Seattle area. We fell in love with West Seattle after experiencing the Halloween bash downtown. We found a furnished space to rent and have started to explore areas locally. I just so happened to walk by PREP and immediately fell in love. I met Stu [Hennessey] and asked if it would be possible to share all he and this community have done to create such a powerful place.
It is a dream to help others create similar spaces like PREP in their communities.
PREP itself is the fruition of a dream dating back into the ’00s, finally funded in the ’10s by the city Parks Levy Opportunity Fund, transformed and maintained by community volunteers,
Becky and Alyssa are welcoming you this afternoon/evening to what their shop Doll Parts Collective‘s third and hopefully permanent location.
They’re now on the south end of The Junction at 4832 California SW (which held Again & Again/Kid Friendly Footwear until that shop merged into Three Little Birds), just a few blocks south of their former space, which is being redeveloped, as was their original space in north Morgan Junction. Today they’re celebrating their “grand reopening” after the move:
Doll Parts offers vintage clothing and other quirky, funky items including houseware – a place where shopping can be fun.
Stop by today before 6 pm for a look and celebratory extras including snacks and flash tattooing.
(Preferred ‘massing’ – size and shape – for project, from draft design packet)
As first reported here last July, Aegis Living is proposing a new assisted-living/memory-care complex at the long-vacant strip mall/restaurant site on the northeast side of California/Brandon, formally using the address 5252 California SW. Last month, the six-story, 100+-unit project was set for a mid-January date before the Southwest Design Review Board, but now that’s changed – it’s set for the second half of an online doubleheader, 7 pm Thursday, February 2nd. (The first half of the meeting – at 5 pm – will focus on the 7617 35th SW mixed-use project.) Meeting participation info, including how to comment, is here; the official meeting notice (to be published by the city Tuesday) is here; a draft version of the design packet is here. The first meeting is for “early design guidance,” so it will focus on the project’s size, shape, and placement on the site.
Ice and snow didn’t stop the volunteer bakers of West Seattle this holiday season! The photo above is from Ross at West Seattle Coworking, where homemade cookies for The Christmas People were dropped off and packaged during a few days just before Christmas. He reports, “This year we had the goal to collect and distribute 7,000 cookies.The first day we only had about 1,000 cookies. The second day was the great freeze and we only had 2 donors (understandably). Luckily the good-hearted West Seattle community showed up at the very last day and, in what feels like a Christmas miracle, we were able to collect and distribute an additional 5k cookies for a grand total of ~6,000 cookies. All those bakers, and volunteers made a difference for thousands of less fortunate in our area.”
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
Here’s what you should know os the three-day weekend begins:
LOW BRIDGE OPEN AGAIN: Reminder that the West Seattle low bridge reopened Friday afternoon – but since it’s temporarily operating with one less turning cylinder, if you have to wait for a maritime opening, it’ll likely take longer than it does when running on all cylinders. (The low bridge’s traffic cams are here and here.)
MARATHON TRAINING BEGINS: 8 am at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor):
Kick off your marathon training program for a May marathon! This is a free program, so it is not a comprehensive weekly plan, but will give you a group and workouts to train with 3 days per week! (For those wanting a comprehensive training plan complete with a full week of workouts and training paces, we recommend coaching with P3 Running coaches Michele and Lori via p3running.com) There will be a plan for intermediate and novice marathoners. Contact Lori lori@westseattlerunner.com
SATURDAY MORNING ULTIMATE: 8 am at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), drop in and play with the West Seattle Ultimate Frisbee Family.
HEALTH INSURANCE, SERVICES, MORE: Big event at Highland Park Elementary (1012 SW Trenton) 10 am-2 pm offering health-insurance enrollment, health services, and other assistance for all community members who qualify.
MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform.
SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN: 10 am-4 pm, the garden’s centerpiece courtyard is open, while the rest of the garden’s grounds are accessible dawn to dusk. More info here. (5640 16th SW)
FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am in West Seattle, registration required – full details in our calendar listing.
DOLL PARTS COLLECTIVE GRAND REOPENING: “Doll Parts is reopening at our new spot (4832 California Ave SW)! We’ll be open 12:00-6:00, and we’ll have snacks, flash tattooing, and as always, plenty of fabulous vintage.”
MY NECESSITEA OPEN HOUSE: Drop in to help My Necessitea celebrate 20 years! Open house noon-4 pm. (3237-B California Ave SW)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: Open to visitors noon-3 pm, as noted here. (2234 SW Orchard)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The home of West Seattle’s history is open to visitors noon-4 pm Saturdays. (3003 61st SW)
WINE TIME: The tasting room at Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) – selling wine by the glass or bottle – is open 1-6 pm. (5910 California SW)
MUSIC MATINEE: The Half Brothers play Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW) at the family-friendly hour of 3 pm.
SONGWRITER SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY MODE MUSIC STUDIOS: 4-7 pm at The Skylark, next to Mode at 3803 Delridge Way SW. See our calendar listing for highlights. Free!
THE SKYLARK GETS LOUDER: Then at 8 pm at Skylark, Fake Hands, anMech, 2Libras, and Headrvsh shake the stage.
ROLLER DERBY! The House Cup at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW), doubleheader with bouts at 4:30 and 6:40 pm.
OUT AT THE BOX: Enjoy a night of drag and show tunes at Box Bar (5401 California SW), 9:30 pm. 21+, no cover.
Something to add to our calendar – event, class, game, music, theater, comedy, outdoor activity, fundraiser, or … ? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
This month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting offered more than police updates and community Q&A – it also offered the opportunity to learn about an agency you might never have heard of – King County Crisis and Commitment Services. KCCCS has people on duty 24/7, explained Frank Couch, to deal with complaints/allegations about someone who’s become threatening and/or a danger to themselves and/or others. Their potential tool is the Involuntary Treatment Act, which, Couch explained, despite its name, is about public safety, not treatment. Here’s our video of what he told the WSCPC last night at the Southwest Precinct:
Key points from his presentation:
The agency is headquartered in downtown Seattle but serves people countywide, working with more than 30 law-enforcement agencies. Yet to cover all that, they have just 41 people – 6 to 8 crisis responders on duty at any given time, 2 always available by phone to take calls about potential referrals. And right now, they’re short-staffed. Attracting and retaining people is difficult because It’s a challenging job – they are involved in the heat of the crisis and don’t get to see what happens after that. Couch explained, “We’re triaging all day, every day’ – the work is nonstop. But he was clear that they are not “first responders.” They investigate in person and decide if someone needs to be involuntarily detained, for up to 120 hours, after which a hospital can file to keep them for another 14 days or put them on an agreed order.
Keeping people for longer is not a default goal, Couch stressed. “Our job is not only to detain people but also to find less-restrictive options.” Their duty is to protect the patient and community – and to “de-institutionalize” people, compared to the old days of institutionalizing people indefinitely, which is now considered “not appropriate.” People need “a clear path to reintegrate back into the community …. learn to live a productive life.” It’s considered “not appropriate” to institutionalize someone forever.
They may also be called in to evaluate people in jail before they’re released.
Couch explained the decisionmaking progress about whether to “detain” someone – it’s not just law-enforcement referrals, but also the general public, In 2018, the law changed – among other things, references to “designated mental health providers” became references to “responders.” You have the legal right to have a behavioral condition and not be detained for it – but once it becomes a danger to others, or yourself, that’s where this comes in. Complicating matters, though, Couch continued, they run into a capacity problem – there might not be a bed if someone needs it. “We can’t detain unless there’s a bed.” They have to fill out a “no-bed” report if there’s no place for someone to go.
He also offered advice: If you’re reporting someone, tell them everything you can about the person and their behavior rather than trying to make an evaluation/determination – “don’t try to dictate it, just (tell us everything) and we’ll (figure it out) … We don’t detain everyone.” Federal rules limit how many beds a facility can have, he noted in response to a question – you can’t just decide to expand a facility by adding beds. Another question: What can be done about an area with many people likely in danger/crisis, such as an encampment? They deal only with specific individual people who are referred, Couch said.
Contact information for Crisis and Commitment Services is on their webpage.
Some readers asked about the police search this past hour in South Delridge. Police were looking for a man reported to have violated a no-contact order and damaged some items inside his ex-partner’s apartment near 17th/Henderson. No injuries reported. We haven’t heard yet whether they found him or not. (9:44 pm update: So far, they haven’t.)
One year after the modernized north berth at Terminal 5 in West Seattle had its first cargo call, the T-5 project’s “Quiet Zone” component has finally gone out to bid. It’s a package of crossing improvements aimed at reducing the need for train operators to sound their horns along a six-tenths-of-a-mile stretch of track between T-5 and Riverside Mill (specifics are in this followup last July). In the most-recent briefings, in November, NWSA reps said the project was expected to be in bidding by year’s end. SDOT is overseeing the construction so the bidding documents are in the city system, which says bids are due January 25th. This summary of the project estimates the cost at about $5 million. We have questions out to SDOT regarding when they’re expecting construction to start and conclude, given the current bidding timeline.
Family and friends are remembering Gregor Terjung, longtime owner of Terjung’s Studio of Gifts in the West Seattle Junction. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing with his community:
Gregor Terjung, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother-in-law, uncle, entrepreneur, artist, craftsman, passed away on the evening of January 9, 2023 at the age of 93 with his family by his side.
Greg was born an only child on September 19, 1929 in a rural area of Chicago, Illinois to immigrant parents from Hamburg, Germany. He spent his boyhood working on local farms and playing in vacant lots joining friends in pranks and antics. He told stories of rubber-band-pistol fights in the local cemetery, making their own ice-skating rinks and racing bikes with Wizard motors.
As a young teenager, he worked mowing lawns. He learned to paint from his pastor’s wife and created several beautiful acrylic pieces that are still hanging in the Terjung home today. He attended a four-year all-boys technical high school in Chicago and graduated in 1948. Soon after, joining the Western Army Antiaircraft Command at Hamilton Air Force Base in California, where he trained and worked as a draftsman preparing maps and charts.
In the fall of 1950, Greg married the love of his life, Gloria Pucci, and two years later left the army. Greg and Gloria eventually settled in West Seattle, finding work as a graphic platemaker, where he held fond memories of his work and co-workers. He also found great pleasure in sharing camping, boating, hiking, surf fishing, and clamming adventures with family and friends.
Finally, in 1969 Greg found an occupation that would serve him well for 50 years – proprietor of a West Seattle gift store. There again, he loved his work and found great satisfaction in serving people and making close friendships. Greg was active in the West Seattle community, serving as president of the “Junction Shopping Center,” was involved in the West Seattle Rotary Club, and acted as president of the Westside Italian Civic Club (despite his German roots).
After retiring at the age of 89, Greg continued to keep busy in his deluxe workshop, making everything from furniture to small toys, gifting most of his work to family and friends.
It was no secret that Greg had a zest for life, was hardworking, generous, patient, adventurous, kind and loved his family with all his heart.
Greg is survived by his wife Gloria, children Gina McCullough Grohs (Ken), Gail Spores (Beldon), grandson Reis McCullough (Azusa), and great-granddaughter Noelle. A celebration of life will be planned for a future date.
Please share condolences, photos and memories with the Terjung Family at emmickfunerals.com/obituary/Gregor-Terjung
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)
4:03 PM: Widespread outage reports. Don’t know yet where it originated. 4400+ customers per Seattle City Light map. Updates to come.
4:06 PM: Wires are reported down at 26th/Juneau. … This is affecting some major intersections such as Fauntleroy/35th and 35th/Avalon so please remember that when the signals are out, it’s an all-ways stop.
4:14 PM: Commenters report hearing three “booms.” (That corresponds with the three flickers we experienced here.) … One more reminder, the “estimated restoration time” you see on the SCL map is only a wild guess, so it’s not anything to take stock in. Basic power-outage advice includes, don’t open your refrigerator/freezer – what’s in them will last longer if you keep the cold air in. More advice here.
4:26 PM: No downed wires were found at 26th/Juneau but a commenter is saying a tree’s down near 25th/26th/Alaska/Hudson. We’re on our way to check that out. Meantime, if you’re hearing a lot of sirens, it’s because power outages tend to set off fire alarms and get people stuck in elevators, both of which result in SFD responses.
4:50 PM: Thanks again for the tips on the tree. Our crew has just gone to that area.
It’s in a somewhat difficult to reach area of a greenbelt near the 4700 block of 26th SW: the initial SCL crew has left to go back for some different equipment to get in and remove it/repair things.
5:13 PM: Power’s back, according to commenters, texters, and the SCL map.
Thanks for the tip! Last night at 10:13 pm, 16 miles beneath California/Dawson, there was a 2.2-magnitude earthquake, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. That’s a small quake but it’s the first time in decades that West Seattle has had a 2.0-or-greater quake, according to the PNSN list. (We haven’t heard from anyone who felt it – the tip came from someone who got an automated alert about it.) Last quake we noted here was a 1.4 beneath Roxbury/14th two years ago.
ADDED 4:59 PM: We’ve gone back and searched quake records; since that 1.4 in December 2020, we’ve had two even-smaller microquakes in West Seattle, on two consecutive days – a 1.3, 7.8 miles beneath the surface just west of Fairmount Ravine’s north end, on May 29th of last year, and a 1.7 the next day, 12.7 miles beneath 42nd/Waite.
12:03 PM: Three weeks after closing to street and path traffic because of mechanical trouble, the West Seattle low bridge is about to reopen. Joseph sent that photo showing workers removing fencing from the east side of the low bridge a little while ago; we had moments earlier asked SDOT for a status update; they’ve just confirmed that reopening is imminent:
Seattle Department of Transportation has completed emergency repairs to the Spokane St Swing Bridge (low bridge), and the bridge will reopen this afternoon (Friday, January 13). Crews have already begun removing fencing and traffic control equipment around the bridge, and expect to finish removing signs and barricades by 2 p.m.
Since removing a leaky turn cylinder last Sunday night, they’ve been testing bridge opening/closing without that cylinder, which they warn will mean that opening for maritime traffic will take longer. SDOT has more info here, including the plan for the road sections that had been converted to temporary bike lanes (in short, 1st Ave. S. will be removed, W. Marginal will not); meantime, watch the low-bridge camera for reopening:
2:25 PM: Just reopened.
(One more look at this week’s rainbow show – photo by Kahlia Root)
Here’s what’s ahead as this Friday continues:
SCRABBLE CLUB: Come play 12:30-1:30 pm at Margie’s Café in the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
MLK CELEBRATION CONVERSATION: 1 pm Community Conversation as part of The Seattle Colleges‘ annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, featuring Rev. Sharon Risher, in the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Brockey Center. (6000 16th SW)
AFTER-SCHOOL MAGIC LEAGUE: Weekly 4-6 pm event for 12+, $5 per player – learn about and play “Magic: the Gathering” at Meeples Games (3727 California SW)
ALIEN OPEN MIC: It’s happening again at Freshy’s (2735 California SW), 5:55-8:30 pm, hosted by Krystal Kelley, whose website has full details, including how to watch the livestream if you can’t be there in person.
SONGWRITERS’ SHOWCASE: 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: 7 pm doors, 8 pm music, with Double or Muffin, Juicy Thompson and the Snuggle Regime, Here Comes the Hooch. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: No home games tonight – everybody’s on the road.
Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
If you’re shopping for pet food this weekend, consider buying extra for this upcoming donation drive: National Honor Society students at West Seattle High School are hosting a pet food donation drive for Seattle Humane. They will have two dropoff dates – 3 to 5 pm (updated – one date only) January 25th, at the north entrance of WSHS (3000 California SW). Organizers say they’re especially interested in dry or canned cat food, “but we’ll accept it for any pets!”
6 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, January 13th.
WEATHER
Rainy and breezy, high in the low 50s.
LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE
This is the 22nd day the low bridge has been closed to street/path users.
REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY ON MONDAY
Schools, government offices, libraries, banks closed Monday; no Water Taxi service; USPS holiday.
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
Reminder – while the low bridge is closed to surface traffic, free Metro/Water Taxi rides are available via an app.
–Metro is on a regular schedule today but still down buses for repairs (and Thursday we learned there were more than originally announced) – keep watching notification channels such as @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations and route suspensions.
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular schedule (but as mentioned above, no service Monday).
-WSF’s Triangle Route remains on its two-boat schedule- check here for alerts/updates.
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Updating this recent report, five are now live. Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also up at Delridge/Oregon, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Henderson.
If you see a problem on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
Updates on two West Seattle encampments:
(Reader photo sent by Conrad)
SW MARGINAL PLACE SWEPT: Thanks to those who sent tips that the SW Marginal Place RV encampment [map] has been swept again. The cul-de-sac by the bridge was swept in August, but RVs and associated vehicles eventually showed up again. At tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Dorothy Kim confirmed that the encampment was swept today. The street also has been at least temporarily blocked off as closed – it’s always been a route betweem the bridge-side path and West Marginal Way, but now that the low bridge is closed to riders (among others), the street is a major link in the bike route.
2ND/MICHIGAN: Also at the WSCPC meeting, Lt. Kim was asked about the notorious encampment next to the 1st Avenue South Bridge – best known for stolen cars (she said tonight that police have recovered more than 100 there). At the November WSCPC meeting (WSB coverage here), she had said dates were set for a cleanup of that site. Tonight, when the topic came up, she said police were frustrated because the cleanup plan “fell through.” Both she and City Attorney’s Office precinct liaison Joe Everett talked about the situation. (Added: Here’s our video)
Everett said that dates had been worked out at a meeting with city and state reps – it’s state-owned land – in early December. All are well aware that it’s a “huge drain on SPD resources” as well as a major problem for nearby businesses. But as the dates got closer, something caused it to be called off – possibly concerns from the mayor’s office, possibly logistics, possibly because of a “request from WSDOT to share resources,” whatever the case, it didn’t happen, and “two bureaucracies trying to work together” didn’t make things any easier – “there’s a lot of coordination that needs to happen.” But they’re now “trying to put it together again.” We’ll be following up on this tomorrow.
Tomorrow marks two weeks since the West Seattle low bridge closed to street/path traffic. Two notes tonight:
(SDOT photo)
CYLINDER TROUBLESHOOTING: The leaky turn cylinder removed from the bridge last Sunday is undergoing diagnostic work at an offsite shop. SDOT tweeted photos today including the one above, saying, “Spotted already: a failed main seal!” While the cylinder is being repaired, SDOT hopes to be able to open and close the bridge without it – which, as we’ve reported, will take longer – and continued testing along those lines today.
BRIEFING PLANNED: The City Council’s Transportation and Public Utilities Committee has scheduled a briefing on the low-bridge situation for its meeting next Tuesday, 9:30 am. You can go to City Hall (600 4th downtown) or watch via Seattle Channel; the meeting also has a public-comment period – see the agenda for more on that.
As we write this, it’s only lightly raining … good night to go show some love to local artists! Find your nearest venue(s) on the list/map featured on the West Seattle Art Walk website. We’re just back from one – a student-artist show!
West Seattle High School artists are showing their work tonight at West Seattle Grounds in North Admiral. Above is Amelia; below, Maxi:
And Quinn:
All three are juniors. Tonight’s reception continues at WSG (2141 California SW) until about 7 pm. West Seattle Art Walk happens every month on the second Thursday!
(Photo courtesy Molly’s Bottle Shop)
If you’ve been in the 3200 block of California SW today, you might have noticed that startling sight – the “parklet” structure out front of Molly’s Bottle Shop is now in pieces. Shop manager Sebastiano says a hit-run driver destroyed it just after 3 am – the collision was caught, though not clearly, on a neighbor’s security camera:
(Choose YT’s “full screen” option for a slightly better view)
If you have any information – especially if you’re the driver right behind the hit-run vehicle – please contact the shop, which is awaiting a police-report number.
After a decade, David Bestock is leaving his job leading DNDA – Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association – as its executive director. Here’s the announcement:
The Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) is seeking an Interim Executive Director to lead the next stage of the organization’s growth. DNDA is a celebrated and trusted institution in West Seattle, with a 26-year history of innovative programming in affordable housing, youth arts education, and environmental stewardship. Based at their own Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, DNDA is a beloved community convener focusing on social, racial, and environmental justice.
DNDA’s current Executive Director, David Bestock, plans to stay with the organization through 2023 with a focus on fundraising and supporting DNDA’s volunteer leadership.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve done together here in the 10 years I’ve been leading DNDA,” says Bestock. “I’m also excited to empower new leadership, and to spend the next year strengthening relationships with our amazing donors and community partners.”
DNDA currently operates 7 affordable housing properties, runs environmental restoration efforts throughout West Seattle, and is a leader in youth arts education. According to incoming board chair Aaron Edenshaw, “DNDA is now poised to double our housing portfolio and to expand our community engagement, continuing to bring neighbors together for civic engagement and celebrations as we’ve done successfully for so long. Our work is needed now more than ever.”
DNDA’s board of directors is now accepting applications for the Interim Executive Director position. Applications received by February 28th will be given priority.
Bestock took over DNDA – which is headquartered at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge – in late 2012, after some rocky times at the organization. He tells WSB he has no plan yet for what’s next but, “I really want to focus on fundraising through this year, and it’s too much to hold that along with all the day-to-day, and with our plans to grow our affordable housing and community engagement, etc.”
Just got a reader text about what appeared to be a sighting of Blue Angels jet #7, seen from the West Seattle Bridge. Indeed, subsequent checking reveals that #7 was due in this afternoon at Boeing Field for the Seafair winter meetings. The Museum of Flight just tweeted arrival video. This year’s Seafair airshow will be August 4-6; for the first time, this year’s team of demonstration-jet pilots includes a woman, U.S. Navy Lt. Amanda Lee.
| 10 COMMENTS