West Seattle, Washington
11 Thursday
As promised, we’ve uploaded video from our Seattle City Council District 1 candidates’ forum as fast as we could. Thanks to the ~40 people who braved the intense rain tonight to come see Maren Costa and Rob Saka respond to questions for an hour at the Senior Center of West Seattle. Most of the questions we asked were sent to us by WSB readers; thanks again to everyone who suggested questions. We’ll add written summaries of the Q&A sometime soon. Upcoming forums in West Seattle include:
OCTOBER 3: Seattle CityClub and GSBA will present a District 1 debate in the Brockey Center at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), 7 pm, in-person and livestreamed. More info here, as well as a registration link which the sponsors say offers a chance to suggest a question.
OCTOBER 5: The Harbor-Alki Neighbors’ Group has announced an in-person “town hall Q&A” with the candidates at 7 pm Thursday, October 5th. The venue will be Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill).
OCTOBER 10: Westside Interfaith Network and the League of Women Voters co-sponsor an in-person form at Our Lady of Guadalupe (35th/Myrtle), 7 pm.
OCTOBER 23: Age-Friendly Seattle forum at the Senior Center (4217 SW Oregon), 3 pm. Go here to register and suggest a question.
A week and a half ago, we reported that Seattle Parks had changed its mind about adding pickleball stripes to three of the six tennis courts at Solstice Park. Instead, Parks said, it would create a pickleball-only area at nearby Lincoln Park.
So far that’s not going over well with either pickleball players or wildlife advocates.
First, we asked Parks for more information on the plan and the timing. Spokesperson Rachel Schulkin said the site would be the decommissioned ex-tennis courts in the upper park. “The Lincoln plan creates 6 dedicated courts at this location made from an asphalt overlay, with installation set to conclude at the end of Fall 2023. Next, we will evaluate the feasibility of lights at this location.”
West Seattle wildlife biologist/advocate Kersti Muul says she’s helping organize opposition, and explains:
I am requesting the city provide further information regarding the proposed pickleball courts in Lincoln Park. Including that which reflects poorly on the city; not informing the public or providing opportunity for public comment, and bending to a niche voice. This has resulted in another poor idea from the city as it further marginalizes park wildlife inhabitants and will severely impact how people and wildlife use and enjoy the park. I was consulted on, and have begun the process of opposition based on environmental, public, and mental health concerns.
Lincoln Park needs to remain as natural as possible. It already shares its greenspace with many picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, two pools, heavily traversed outer paths and quieter inner [unmaintained] paths and, unfortunately, lots of off-leash dogs. Pickleball courts are loud with sustained and repetitive noise. Saturday I measured decibels at the Highpoint courts and at times it was over 80. They are also bright. Light pollution is detrimental to wildlife as well as public health. I am providing (much like the dog park opposition, and lots of crossover) extensive ecological and biological knowledge as well as an intimate understanding of the complexities of species interactions within the park habitat, with humans, and with each other, and how this type of disruption will impact them. Basically, I am outlining why this is a bad idea. I am encouraging folks to reach out to the city via email, and guiding them on comments. There is a lot of opposition.
You can contact her at kersti.e.muul@gmail.com. Meantime, pickleball advocates/players aren’t thrilled either. They want the city to keep its original commitment of adding stripes to half the courts at Solstice Park. The Seattle Metro Pickleball Association has started an online petition, with this explanation, saying, among other things, it’s an efficient use of the courts:
… West Seattle pickleball players need lighted courts for the short winter days. We play outdoor year round. We squeegee rain, snow, and even hail to clear the courts to play. Tennis is not played at all when the courts are wet. The 6 to-be-resurfaced Solstice tennis courts with new LED lights will be mostly empty for months.
We can only guess what happened. The most likely scenario is that some tennis players were not happy to share three of their six courts with pickleball players and successfully convinced Seattle Parks to reverse course. … The Solstice courts are scheduled to be resurfaced and the work can start any day.
Transparency: Seattle Parks need to explain the decision process that led them to reverse their decision to paint pickleball court lines on three of the six Solstice Parks tennis courts, and to explain why pickleball players were not involved in this process.
Reversal: Seattle Parks need to follow through and deliver the 6 pickleball courts at Solstice Park.
The pickleball group says they had no notice that the city was even thinking about reversing a decision they say was made seven months ago. Their petition is here. The city’s announcement a week ago said that the idea of Lincoln Park had been floated in previous discussions of the city’s Outdoor Pickleball Study, though that ultimately called for a pickleball-only facility at Hiawatha (we don’t yet know how or whether the Lincoln Park plan will affect that).
(SDOT photo, January)
SDOT announced today that it’s set the date for a surface-traffic closure starting October 7th and lasting “approximately one week” to reinstall the cylinder removed last January. From the announcement:
… The next step in the maintenance process is to reinstall the turn cylinder that was removed from the low bridge’s east pier housing last winter for refurbishment. When the east pier’s cylinder was removed last December, preparations to overhaul all four of the bridge’s hydraulic turning cylinders were actually already underway as part of our comprehensive repair and maintenance effort. When the unexpected damage to the cylinder occurred, the planning work we had already completed enabled us to quickly jump into developing a response plan and likely allowed us to complete repairs sooner than if we had been starting from scratch.
The turn cylinder overhaul work will replace or repair these parts so that they can continue to function as originally designed, and can be readily replaced if needed, as part of our ongoing preventative maintenance work on this bridge.
From Saturday, October 7 through Saturday, October 14, 2023, crews will reinstall the repaired turn cylinder inside the east pier housing that was removed in early 2023. The remaining three turn cylinders will also be rehabilitated in the future. This operation will require us to close the low bridge for people driving, biking, and walking for approximately one week. Our work will be vital to keep the bridge reliably in operation for today and the future.
The announcement also says that free Transit GO credits will be provided so you can take a daily bus or Water Taxi round trip at no charge. (Metro had previously announced that the Water Taxi will be out of service October 14-15 for winter preparation, so we’re checking to see if the low-bridge closure is expected to end by October 14, or whether some overlap is possible.)
Family and friends continue looking for 86-year-old Jim Price, one week after he was last seen on Pigeon Point. Here’s a new poster they’re circulating:
You can access a high-resolution copy via this link Heidi shared in an earlier comment thread. That also includes a link to a map of areas that have been searched so far. Rather than one big coordinated search, they’ve asking everyone to look wherever they can. Jim was last seen leaving his home on foot last Monday night, possibly headed for The Junction.
2:26 PM: SPD and SFD are responding to a reported “rollover” blocking one southbound lane of the Admiral Way hill (north of the West Seattle Bridge). The driver is reported to have gotten out of the car so it’s just a one-engine response.
2:48 PM: Photo added. We just drove by the scene, which is not in a safe spot to pull over and ask questions. Only the outside downhill lane is blocked.
3:10 PM: They’re still waiting for the tow truck. Once it arrives, clearing the scene may temporarily block more than just the outside lane.
4:07 PM: SFD tells us that the “approximately 24-year-old male driver was evaluated and treated at the scene and did not want to go to the hospital for further care.”
(South Seattle College photo)
1:48 PM: The last big back-to-school day of fall is tomorrow (Tuesday, September 26th), when hundreds of students start classes at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). If you’ve been considering continuing your education, it’s not too late to register – you can start the process here. We asked SSC communications director Ty Swenson what’s planned to welcome students back; he told us, “For the first two days of fall (tomorrow and Wednesday), we will have ‘Ask Me’ volunteers posted up around campus to help students find classes and resources. Weather permitting, we will also have a table with snacks in the clock tower plaza. A Welcome Back BBQ that was scheduled for Thursday is being rescheduled to a better-weather day next week.” SSC is part of the three-school Seattle Colleges district, which also includes Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill and North Seattle College near Northgate.
4:30 PM: Commenter Mellow Kitty pointed out that SSC is going “smoke-free” with the new quarter’s start. Swenson confirms it, explaining, “We are becoming a smoke-free campus (including smoking, chewing and vaping) starting this fall quarter. It will be a gradual roll-out of introducing folks to the new policy throughout the quarter as we place signage, remove smoking huts and share cessation resources with the campus community.”
As mentioned here recently, the Southwest Precinct has more steering-wheel locks available free for people with Hyundais and Kias, current favored target of thieves, so the precinct’s acting Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon just scheduled an open pickup time:
Based on the number of folks that reached out to me regarding getting a steering-wheel lock, I have scheduled a steering wheel lock giveaway at the Southwest Precinct for this coming Wednesday (September 27th), between 5-7 pm. Anyone who wants a lock can come to the Precinct and get one, as long as supplies last.
The precinct is at 2300 SW Webster, next to The Home Depot.
(Newest image from Junction SDOT camera)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, highlights for the hours ahead, including a chance to see and hear the two people who are in the running for our area’s City Council seat:
FOR VETERANS: If you need help filing a disability claim, the DAV offers free drop-in assistance 9 am-1 pm. (4857 Delridge Way SW)
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING: Not happening today – canceled.
GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, this is “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES: Seattle City Council District 1 candidates Maren Costa and Rob Saka will share the stage upstairs at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon) tonight in the first West Seattle forum of the general-election campaign season, coordinated and moderated by WSB, 7-8 pm, open to the public, questions including those sent in by readers. We are video-recording it for publication afterward. (The originally planned opening discussion with County Council candidates is off due to one candidate’s illness, but the City Council forum is ON.)
MONDAY MEDITATION: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
BEDHEAD OPEN MIC: Weekly BedHead Open Mic at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (4201 SW Juneau), 7 pm (signups at 6:30) – info in our calendar listing.
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three weekly events – 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar ? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
This Thursday night brings one of the most delicious fundraisers of the year – the Taste of West Seattle, a chance to sample food and drink from dozens of local venues, all in one place, to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank‘s work fighting hunger and homelessness. It’s happening this Thursday night (September 28th) at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). VIP admission ($125) gets you a half-hour head start at 5:30 pm; general admission ($75) brings you in at 6 pm. It’s a 21+ event. The Taste of West Seattle always sells out but with three days to go, some tickets remain, so you can go here to get yours. (See the list of participating food and beverage purveyors here – they include WSB sponsors Viscon Cellars, Dream Dinners, and Pecos Pit, as well as more than two dozen other sweet and/or savory faves!)
8:32 AM: SFD and SPD are arriving in the area of what was reported as a possible shooting, but haven’t found anything/anyone yet. They started with an address in the 9200 block of 16th SW, are now checking the 9600 block of 15th SW, while trying to reach the original caller.
8:39 AM: Having not found anything – officers even looked on the unincorporated King County side of the area – they’re canceling the response.
11:09 AM: Now there’s another response to the same area – we’re monitoring.
11:14 AM: Ths one also appears to be unfounded.
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, September 25th, first weekday of fall.
WEATHER AND SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Rain easing by afternoon, back late tonight, high in the mid-60s. Sunrise today is at 7 am; sunset, 7:01 pm.
TRANSIT TODAY
Metro – Regular schedule; check advisories here.
Water Taxi – Regular schedule.
Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use Vessel Watch to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low-bridge cam:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – alternate route across the river:
Highway 99: – 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: The @SDOTBridges Twitter/X feed shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see trouble 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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