day : 14/04/2023 10 results

Another West Seattle McDonald’s is closing for an overhaul. That sign, displayed on the doors and drive-thru menuboard at the Morgan Junction McDonald’s (6546 California SW), announces it’s closing after tonight. The sign doesn’t estimate how long the closure will last, but the person who tipped us to this says they spoke to some “VIPs” on the site who told them it would be about two months. The restaurant closed for a few weeks back in December, but permit filings indicated that mostly involved equipment upgrades. That’s most of the information visible regarding this closure too – the online summary says, “Remodel existing McDonald’s restaurant. Update mechanical systems and new kitchen hoods.” An earlier tip – which we weren’t able to confirm – said this remodel is expected to be “extensive.” Another area McDonald’s, the one at Westwood Village, recently reopened after a major overhaul.

SIDE NOTE: City permit files also show another remodel on the drawing board for the Admiral McDonald’s (3003 California SW), which was overhauled five years ago. This probably won’t start for a while as the early “pre-application” was just filed a week ago.

UPDATE: Crash on Avalon Way

April 14, 2023 9:07 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

9:07 PM: Thanks for the texted tip and photo! Avoid the 3200 block of Avalon Way for a while – three vehicles are reported to be involved in a collision that’s partly blocking the road. No major injuries reported so far.

9:41 PM: Police have just told dispatch that the road has reopened all ways.

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WEEKEND PREVIEW: Byrd Ensemble returns to West Seattle on Saturday, with a ticket deal

April 14, 2023 8:48 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The acclaimed Byrd Ensemble is performing in West Seattle again Saturday night at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. This time, the chamber vocal ensemble’s concert is themed “Prince of Music: Palestrina.” Here’s the concert summary:

Palestrina was the outstanding composer of the late Renaissance in Europe. His long-lasting influence on the development of church music and counterpoint included his most famous mass setting, Missa Papae Marcelli, which served as a model for mass settings during the Counter-Reformation. The program also features music by two other leading contemporaries of Palestrina: Spanish Counter-Reformation composer and possible pupil of Palestrina, Tomás Luis de Victoria, and Franco-Flemish composer Orlando Lassus.

The full program and other information can be seen in our calendar listing. To get the word out, the Byrd Ensemble is advertising on WSB, and offering a deal if you use this code while getting tickets online: WESTSEATTLE30. The concert starts at 7:30 pm Saturday (April 15th); Holy Rosary is at 42nd/Genesee on the north side of The Junction.

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First West Seattle Junction Pride Fest planned, and two other new events on the way

April 14, 2023 6:15 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, 2019)

Since 2019, the West Seattle Junction has put up Pride flags, but there’s been no accompanying festival. That’s about to change. This year, the Junction area will have its own Pride Fest, the result of a city grant program (mentioned here in February) that will help launch that and two other new events. Here’s the announcement from the Junction Association:

The West Seattle Junction Association has been working with the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture (ARTS) on a funding program for cultural activations in the Junction. With $56,950 to distribute, we requested proposals and convened a awards panel of West Seattle arts and business professionals. We saw many excellent proposals and wished we could have funded them all!

We are delighted to announce that funding was awarded for the three following projects:

West Seattle First Fridays, a dynamic art and retail experience beginning in May at Jet City Labs, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for BIPOC makers, artists and entrepreneurs.

Sounds from Around the World: two free community concert events produced by Urgent Africa – one all day in Junction Plaza Park on June 3, one in the Senior Center on May 31 – of live world music featuring at least 25 performing artists in total.

West Seattle Pride Fest: our community’s long overdue first Pride Fest, held throughout the West Seattle Junction on June 17, bringing the community together to celebrate LGBTQ Art and Culture with music, comedy, drag shows, and more.

We are looking forward to the continued revitalization of arts, culture, and community in the Junction!

We’re reaching out to the respective events’ organizers to find out more about the plans.

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FOLLOWUP: Highland Park’s new signal at 12th/Holden complete

April 14, 2023 4:07 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Highland Park | Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(SDOT photo)

We just heard from SDOT this afternoon that the new signal at 12th/Holden is complete and should be in operation by now:

We have installed two pedestrian crossing signals (slated to be activated today), curb ramps, and a crosswalk, and painted the roadway. This project provides another controlled crossing at SW Holden St for people walking or biking along 12th Ave SW. There will be “new signal ahead” signs to alert drivers of the new signal. This signal at 12th Ave SW is also intended to be part of the Highland Park/Riverview Neighborhood Greenway. Signage on this is to come at a future phase of work.

The flashing lights at 11th Ave SW and SW Holden St will remain.

The 11th/Holden beacon was originally planned for removal until community pushback.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Leticia Martinez-Cosman’s death confirmed; Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to file murder charge

April 14, 2023 1:03 pm

| 31 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

1:03 PM: Two weeks after Leticia Martinez-Cosman vanished, last seen leaving a Mariners’ game with a man now in jail, the search for her is over.

It’s been confirmed that she is the person found dead in Renton after investigators went there this past Tuesday – the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has just announced it plans to charge 46-year-old Brett M. Gitchel with second-degree murder for her death.

Gitchel is the man with whom she attended the Mariners’ game; he is already charged with kidnapping and trying to kill Ms. Martinez-Cosman’s 24-year-old special-needs son and then setting her car on fire hours later. A gun found in his car is the reason for another felony charge, as he is already a convicted felon and not supposed to possess one. In addition, as we first reported Wednesday, Gitchel is charged with committing a West Seattle burglary shown here in a Crime Watch reader report on March 28th.

Ms. Martinez-Cosman was known in West Seattle as owner of the Café Rozella coffee shop and community hub in South Delridge a decade ago. Checking the archives of our partner site White Center Now, we found this 2012 photo of her and her son, who had just achieved the honor roll at Madison Middle School:

Raising money for his future is the subject of crowdfunding. The newest page was set up by his uncle Ricardo Martinez; find it here.

Meantime, Gitchel remains in jail, bail set at $5,050,000, and is due in court to be arraigned April 24th. Information yet to be released includes the cause of Ms. Martinez-Cosman’s death.

2:57 PM: The Medical Examiner has just released that, saying she died by strangulation, and estimating the date of death as April 1st.

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ANNIVERSARY: Here’s how West Seattle Runner is celebrating 13 years

April 14, 2023 11:35 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

51,318 pairs of shoes.

That’s how many West Seattle Runner has sold in the past 13 years.

The total will certainly grow over the next three days, as West Seattle’s only running shop – a longtime WSB sponsor – celebrates its 13th anniversary with a sale and other events.

We visited the shop this week to talk with co-proprietors Tim and Lori McConnell, who we first met in February 2009, in an interview for this story about their plan to open the shop. At the time, they were not only working on their shop’s original space – at Charlestown Center, from which they moved to 2743 California SW six years later – but also inviting for name suggestions.

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11 options for your West Seattle Friday afternoon/evening

April 14, 2023 10:23 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo from this morning, by Linda McKelvey)

The weekend’s almost here!

WEST SEATTLE RUNNER ANNIVERSARY SALE & GROUP RUN: Help WSR (longtime WSB sponsor) celebrate 13 years in business! Sales and more. Group run tonight at 6:15 pm – you can demo Hoka shoes on your run, then come back to the shop for a Beer Junction Keg and Root Beer Social Hour, plus a raffle for a pair of Hoka shoes. (2743 California SW)

SCRABBLE CLUB: Come play 12:30-1:30 pm at Margie’s Café in the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY TASTING ROOM: 1-6 pm, open for visits at the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.

FREE INDOOR PLAYSPACE: 2-6-year-olds welcome 3:30-5 pm at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW).

LIVE AT EASY STREET: Sandrider performs a free in-store concert at 6 pm tonight. (4559 California SW)

(added) DRY HEAT: Monthly alcohol-free “sober bar night” at BeBop Waffle Shop (California/Admiral), 6-9 pm.

COFFEEHOUSE MUSIC: Songwriters’ Showcase at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7 pm.

MUSIC AT THE SPOT: 7 pm, teenage West Seattle band Geoducks perform at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way).

KENYON HALL CABARET: 7 pm doors, 7:30 pm drag show at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW) – details in our calendar listing.

ACUPUNCTURE AND SOUND HEALING: 7:30-8:45 pm with Maari Falsetto at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $45.

AT THE SKYLARK: Preacher’s Flask, Letters From Traffic, Trask, 8 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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Volunteers, vendors, performers sought for 2023 White Center Pride Block Party

April 14, 2023 9:13 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | White Center

(WSB/WCN photo, June 2022)

Again this year, White Center Pride is inviting neighbors far and wide to a daylong block party – this time set for noon to midnight June 3rd. WCP asked us to publish their call for volunteers, vendors, and performers:

White Center’s annual Pride Block Party is less than two months away! We are looking for volunteers, entertainers, and vendors to celebrate with us. On June 3rd , we will block off 16th Ave SW between Roxbury and SW 100 th St, and fill the street up with music, shows, wrestlers, local businesses, food and beer gardens, and our first ever kids area with the White Center Library’s book mobile, face painters, storytellers, and more.

Please visit our website at whitecenterpride.org/white-center-pride-festival to learn
more. We need volunteers to assist with all types of activities for the day. We are also looking for local businesses to help fill out the street with booths and food trucks. And finally, we want to put out the call for entertainers that want to celebrate our region’s LGBTQIA+ community. Any questions, feel free to email info@whitecenterpride.org. Thank you!

The White Center Pride Committee
501c3 Nonprofit

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Friday morning

April 14, 2023 6:03 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, April 14th. final weekday of spring break for Seattle Public Schools and others.

WEATHER & SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

The forecast for today: Partly sunny, high in the mid-50s. Sunrise 6:23 am, sunset 7:58 pm.

TRANSIT

Metro – Regular schedule, but trip cancellations are still happening, so watch for alerts (if you’re not signed up to receive them, check channels like this).

Water Taxi – Regular schedule. Reminder: Late-night Friday/Saturday trips resume April 21; to get ready, there will be no WSWT service this weekend (Saturday-Sunday, April 15-16).

Washington State Ferries‘ Triangle Route continues on the 2-boat schedule; check here for alerts/updates and see Vessel Watch for boats’ locations.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also up at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.

High Bridge – the camera at the top:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

Low Bridge – looking southwestward toward it:

1st Ave. S. Bridge – another route across the river:

Highway 99: – the northbound side at Lander.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed to see if the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities). Thank you!

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