West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
That’s “Running for Love” by West Seattle band Not Dead Yet, which the band describes as their “second video in 10+ years … a postcard of our favorite running routes in Seattle, set to our feel-good rock ‘n’ roll.” The band’s first video was “West Seattle Hey,” featured here in 2012. They’re so excited about the new one, they’re playing The Skylark in North Delridge tomorrow night (Friday, October 13th). Doors open at 7 pm, show’s at 8, and Not Dead Yet says they’ll be joined by “two West Seattle favorites, Memphis Radio Kings and Knathan Ryan.” $10 cover. You can go early and have dinner – The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) is a restaurant/bar as well as a music venue.
Thanks to Joan for the photo and tip. The standalone Bank of America ATM in Morgan Junction (between West Seattle Thriftway [WSB sponsor] and Ezell’s Famous Chicken) is out of service after a break-in attempt early this morning. 911 was called just before 3 am by someone who reported two people using “hammers and crowbars” to try to get into the ATM. When police arrived, they were gone – leaving a tool behind that officers described to dispatch as “Jaws of Life,” apparently stolen from King County Fire District 2 (Burien and vicinity).
ADDED FRIDAY: Thanks to JB for providing this photo in a comment below:
ADDED SATURDAY: SPD released a short summary of the incident today, saying that the two people actually fled just as police arrived – in a blue Hyundai with no plates, “at a high rate of speed.”
6:29 PM: The sky’s clear and it’s as good as a fall night gets for seeing art …
Florence Weintraub is one of the artists we’ve met so far tonight while visiting a few West Seattle Art Walk stops. You can meet her and see her work at the Discovery Shop (4535 California SW) until 8 pm tonight. Here’s a verse she wrote, featured on the Art Walk website:
OLD WOMAN JOURNEY
monologue, catalogue
chronicle of the times
of my mind
landscape mind
with this earth
now
containing all that has ever been
my mind
our minds
vastness filled
with unexplained jewels
beyond our knowing
See the Art Walk venue list – from North Admiral to Morgan Junction – and artist spotlights here, and remember that until 7:45 pm you can catch three free Art of Music performances too!
6:47 PM: As noted in our preview, some participating venues have more than one artist. Among them, this week’s Alki Arts pop-up, curated by Diane Venti, at California/Oregon – we met some of the featured artists tonight, including Joanne Shellan:
And Debbie Bianchi:
The Alki Arts pop-up is open until 8 pm tonight for Art Walk, and then continues daily through this Sunday, 11 am-6 pm.
7:06 PM: Also participating tonight – Doris Goulet, with cards, at Verity Credit Union (4505 California SW):
Doris is no stranger to The Junction – she owned the craft store Friends and Company for a dozen-plus years until closing in 2010 – that’s the spot where Click! Design That Fits used to be, now Seattle E-bike. Her cards are made from beeswax and napkins, and she scours stores looking for the perfect napkins to use! She’s at Verity tonight until 8.
ADDED 8:56 PM: Verity also hosted one of tonight’s Art of Music performances – we recorded a bit of Lana Sparks‘ mini-concert:
West Seattle Art Walk happens on the second Thursday every month, year-round, so set your calendar for the next one, November 9th.
We learned from a parent that Highland Park Elementary was briefly in shelter-in-place earlier this afternoon. For anyone else wondering about it, here’s what we found out about the reason: Police were dispatched to a reported “disturbance” at the school around quarter till 3. Dispatch told officers the call was somewhat convoluted, involving an off-campus dispute over a possible burglary and people including a parent showing up at the campus, arguing. We asked SPD how it ended up, and here’s the summary: “There was an incident that occurred by the school with a parent and approximately three high school kids. A parent accused the high schoolers of burglary. When officers arrived, all subjects had left the scene. The school was put into shelter in place briefly and has subsequently been lifted.”
(Photo by Mark Dale, July 28, 2022)
Thanks for the tips. Fourteen and a half months after the state ferry M/V Cathlamet hit an offshore structure at the Fauntleroy terminal, the National Transportation Safety Board has announced the results of its investigation. First, here’s the NTSB summary:
Fatigue and complacency led to a Washington State Ferries passenger and car ferry striking a mooring structure, or dolphin, at a Seattle ferry terminal last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. The contact resulted in $10.3 million in damages to the vessel and $300,000 in damages to the dolphin.
The Cathlamet had crossed Puget Sound with 94 people on board and was approaching the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal on July 28, 2022, when it struck the ferry terminal dolphin. One minor injury was reported.
The master did not take any action to correct the ferry’s course, slow down or sound the alarm before the contact. He also did not recall what happened and seemed unaware of how the ferry ended up striking the dolphin. Investigators found these events were all consistent with incapacitation from a microsleep, a brief period of sleep lasting a few seconds, due to fatigue.
“Fatigue affects all aspects of human performance, including decision-making, alertness, and reaction time,” NTSB investigators said in the final report. “Mariners should understand the performance effects of sleep loss and recognize the dangers of fatigue, such as microsleeps. When affected by fatigue, mariners should arrange for a qualified watchstander to serve in their place and avoid being on duty when unable to safely carry out their responsibilities.”
The NTSB also found the Cathlamet bridge team exhibited complacency by not complying with Washington State Ferries’ policies when undocking and docking the ferry. The Cathlamet quartermaster did not actively monitor the master as the ferry approached the dock, as required by company policy. Had he done so, he could have quickly taken the helm when the master became incapacitated.
“Complacency occurs when operators repeatedly complete a task without consequence, desensitizing them to its inherent risk,” the report said. “To combat complacency, operators should comply with procedures, such as operating checklists, that are in place to prevent single points of failure, and companies should train operators on the importance of following procedures.”
The full 18-page investigation report is here. It includes this:
Coast Guard Investigators interviewed the master on the day of the casualty. When asked if he felt rested when he arrived at the vessel on the morning of the casualty, the master said, “Well, I don’t know if I’d call it 100% rested … I mean, it was hot out, very hot, you know, trying to sleep.” (At the time of the casualty, there was a heat wave occurring in the Seattle area.) The master informed investigators of a family member’s medical condition and overall health, which had been deteriorating, and that the situation had been bothering him. The master told investigators, “I got engagement, and the next thing I know I hit, I hit the dolphin. That’s all I know.”
The master retired from WSF the day after the casualty, surrendered his Coast Guard credential, and would not provide any additional information to investigators.
Washington State Ferries released its own report back in March (WSB coverage here), as the repaired ferry was finally returning to service. The federal report lists a higher cost ($10.6 million) for the ferry and structure damage than WSF cited ($7.7 million) back in March
Want to have a Halloween-season block party on your non-arterial street? SDOT is offering the Trick Or Streets program again this year:
We encourage anyone who is interested to apply for this free permit and close your street to vehicles during the week of Halloween and Día de Muertos for safer trick-or-treating and community-building festivities!
This year, Trick or Streets are available from October 28 through November 5. One of the coolest things about this program is that you can close your street until 10 pm.
There are multiple ways to apply; the deadline is next Tuesday (October 17).
Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
DELRIDGE PLAYFIELD WIRE THEFT: Thanks for the tips. Days after resurfaced Delridge Playfield reopened, local sports programs discovered they couldn’t use the field at night because the lights weren’t working, apparently because of wire theft. We inquired with Seattle Parks and got their response this morning, confirming the theft: “The wiring was stolen during the final leg of the field-replacement project. It will be replaced in a couple of weeks and will be secured to reduce theft.”
EASY STREET VANDALISM: We followed up today on a snippet of police-radio traffic late last night about vandalism at California/Alaska. Someone broke this window on the south side of Easy Street Records:
It was not described as a burglary attempt and store staff told us nothing was missing.
GUN-WIELDING SHOPLIFTER: This happened Sunday but the police-report summary wasn’t available until a few days later. The address is at Westwood Village, but the business was not identified in the summary:
At 10:45 (am), the suspect walked inside a business in the 2500 block of Southwest Barton Street. The suspect grabbed merchandise and started walking out. It was reported to police that a customer inside the store hinted to the suspect where the line to pay was located. The suspect then pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the customer. The suspect exited the business and left the location in a silver truck. The suspect was not located.
Here are highlights for the rest of today/tonight:
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE CONTINUES: Until 6 pm, Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) is open – drop by to see the work displayed by community members in its annual Southwest Artist Showcase.
CANDIDATES & COMMERCE: West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch features the candidates for King County Council District 8 and Seattle City Council District 1, 11:30 am at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds). Online registration is closed but you can call to see if there’s room.
GET HELP … with transportation and/or passport issues, at High Point Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way SW), noon-1:30 pm.
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to find out where they’re playing today.
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK, WITH THE ART OF MUSIC: Tonight’s the night – second Thursday! Art Walk receptions start as early as 4 pm; the three Art of Music performances run 6-7:45 pm. Details are in our previews: Art here, music here.
PEOPLE’S BUDGET VOTING POP-UP: 4-8 pm at West Seattle YMCA (36th/Snoqualmie, WSB sponsor), community-engagement volunteer Danitra Hunter is hosting another event at which you can vote on how to spend the $27 million the city allotted for “participatory budgeting,” as explained in our Wednesday report. (You can also vote online any time, here.)
THURSDAY FOOD-TRUCK POP-UP: 4-8 pm at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), Where Ya At Matt? will be visiting.
HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: Also at HP Corner Store, meet up at 6:30 pm for a 3-mile run!
WORDS, WRITERS, SOUTHWEST STORIES: Online presentation with Michelle Liu, talking about “What Laughter Tells Us: Asian Americans, Comedy, and Belonging,” presented by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Our calendar listing has details and the registration link.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: New location! Meet at Future Primitive Beer Bar (2536 Alki SW) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run – more in our calendar listing.
BLUES NIGHT: 7 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.
THURSDAY THROWDOWN: All-vinyl DJ night at Revelry Room (4547 California SW, alley entrance), 8-11 pm.
We publish daily lists like this as reminders, but you can look ahead any time, to any day, by visiting our calendar!
Add another business-district trick-or-treating event to your pre-Halloween list – Alki Beach Trick-or-Treat is back for a third year! Participating businesses along Alki Avenue SW between 63rd SW and 57th SW will have treats for costumed kids, noon-2 pm on Saturday, October 28th. Plus, organizers add: “Don’t miss a surprise performance by Debbie’s Delridge Dancers at 1 pm, at the Statue of Liberty Plaza!” (That’s at 61st/Alki.) See the map and participant list here (and check back for updates before the big day).
P.S. If you missed the earlier announcements, the other two major business-district trick-or-treat events announced so far are Admiral, 3-6 pm Friday, October 27th, and The Junction, 11 am-2 pm Sunday, October 29th.
9:04 AM: Visibility’s a bit of a challenge at the moment, but orcas are out there, according to a texted update from Kersti Muul – a southbound group of transients was off the Bainbridge ferry terminal about half an hour ago, and another group of orcas was further north. Let us know if you see them!
10:03 AM: In addition to her update in comments below, Kersti texted: “Here they come! Southern group of whales now spread out SB from Shilshole to Bainbridge.”
4:54 PM: In addition to the updates all day in comments – thanks! – we have a text from someone who says four are in view right now from the Alki Beach volleyball courts.
4:59 PM: That texter now thinks they might actually be seeing dolphins.
6:25 PM: Kersti in comments and Erin via email tell us there are whales very close to shore along Alki Avenue, off Duwamish Head! (added) Erin sent this photo:
6:01 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Thursday, October 12th.
LAST REMINDER: LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE ENDED EARLY
One last reminder – the West Seattle low-bridge closure that was expected to last until Saturday instead ended Tuesday,
WEATHER AND SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Becoming sunnier as the day goes on, high in the low 60s. Sunrise today is at 7:23 am; sunset, 6:27 pm.
(Wednesday photo by Tom Trulin)
LOOKING AHEAD
-No Seattle Public Schools classes tomorrow (Friday).
-1 am Saturday through 3 pm Monday, the ramp from Beacon Hill to the westbound West Seattle Bridge will be closed.
TRANSIT TODAY
Water Taxi – Regular schedule today. Remember – no West Seattle service this weekend.
Metro – Regular schedule today; check advisories here.
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):
1st Ave. S. Bridge – southeastern 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 feed on Twitter/X 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!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In just one week, ballots will be mailed out for the general election, and you can vote as soon as you get yours. The two West Seattleites contending in the highest-profile local race, Seattle City Council District 1, continue an intensive campaign schedule in the meantime, with another side-by-side Q&A forum Tuesday night.
This one was presented by Westside Interfaith Network, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the League of Women Voters, at OLG’s Walmesley Center, moderated by local journalist/broadcaster Brian Callanan (serving in a volunteer capacity). The questions for candidates Maren Costa and Rob Saka spanned a variety of topics; after an hour of asking questions planned by forum organizers, Callanan turned to audience questions submitted in writing during the event. (We counted about 40 people in attendance.)
Our video, unedited, starts and ends with the opening and closing statements from each candidate. Below it, we briefly summarize the questions and answers, in the order they were asked and answered.
Unless a phrase/sentence is within quotation marks, it’s our summary, not a direct quote, and we’ve kept our summaries to the portions of the replies that answered or attempted to answer the questions. For the full replies, watch the video.
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