West Seattle, Washington
06 Friday
9:33 PM: Police are temporarily blocking off 48th/Beach Drive/Lincoln Park Way while investigating confirmed gunfire. 911 callers thought it came from a vehicle (we haven’t yet heard a description). Responding officers told dispatch that so far they’ve found “several casings” on Lincoln Park Way. No report of injuries or damage.
ADDED: No additional information, but if you have info or video that would help police investigate, the case to refer to is 23-355206.
MONDAY UPDATE: A few more details from the report summary SPD released today – “Witnesses advised of a white SUV that fled the scene after a passenger fired multiple shots out the window. Officers located 5 spent shell casings in the intersection and a ‘Stop’ sign and ‘No Parking’ sign that had been struck by gunfire.”
For a second consecutive night, Junction Plaza Park was the setting for a winter-holiday lighting ceremony – last night a Christmas tree, tonight a Hanukkah menorah. This is the fourth night of the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Despite this being a “time of rising antisemitism around the world,” as Kol HaNeshamah Rabbi Sabine Meyer described it – as a security guard stood watch on the park’s edge – her congregation was there again this year to be “visibly Jewish” and to take a stand for freedom:
Along with candle-lighting, the progressive synagogue offered donuts to any and all in attendance:
Orin Reynolds led Hanukkah songs including these two:
West Seattle has one more public Hanukkah celebration scheduled this year – the Torah Learning Center of West Seattle plans to light its giant menorah on Alki at (updated) 4 pm Thursday, the eighth and final night.
There’s light at the end of the calendar tunnel … we are now at the earliest sunset point (rounded, 4:17 pm) and next Friday (December 15), it starts getting later (rounded, 4:18 pm). The sunrise, though, doesn’t start getting earlier until January 7th. Meantime, we have holiday lights to keep things bright. The photo above is from Stacey: “We are in White Center and have lots of Christmas lights. I’m not sure if we are too far from WS. 11343 4th Pl SW.” Yes, we do feature lights just outside the city limits a couple times per season! Keep the West Seattle and vicinity tips coming – with or without photos/video – at westseattleblog@gmail.com; scroll through this archive to see what we’ve already shown (and previous years, too).
1:53 PM: Per a text from Kersti Muul, orcas are southbound, just past West Point. mid-channel, visible from Alki. Let us know if you see them.
2:22 PM: See comments for updates, including that these are Southern Resident Killer Whales.
ADDED SUNDAY EVENING: Thanks to David Hutchinson for photos! Above, one of the orcas; below, people viewing from Constellation Park:
That’s what it looked like on Alki in November 2020, when a 12.6-foot “king tide” was enhanced by atmospheric conditions. 12.6 is where the next round of “king tides” will peak late next week – too soon to tell if any atmospheric enhancement is likely this time (so far the forecast looks relatively calm). The highest high tides will be 12.6 feet at 7:30 am Friday (December 15), 8:14 am Saturday (December 16), 8:58 am Sunday (December 17), 9:43 am Monday (December 18). This winter’s highest predicted “king tides” will hit or surpass 13 feet in mid-January. P.S. If you need sandbags, remember the closest city-stocked pickup spot this year is in South Park.
Another holiday donation drive in The Junction – this one until 1 pm at Seattle Fire Station 32 in The Triangle (38th/Alaska). There you’ll find U.S. Marines on behalf of Toys For Tots, accepting new, unwrapped toys – and, this year for the first time, nonperishable food. In our photo are Lance Corporal Boze, Private First Class Camacho, and Lance Corporal Nguyen.
P.S. If you can’t get to this collection point, other drives with at least a few days left are listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – scroll down to Giving Opportunities!
Right now at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, volunteers from the Kiwanis Club await your donations of coats and warm clothing! Until 1:30 this afternoon, their booth at the south end of the market, right past the barricades at California/Alaska, is headquarters for the West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Cocoa and Coat Drive – cocoa for donors! Everything collected goes to the people helped by the West Seattle Food Bank. (Our photo shows all the donations from the first filled barrel being offloaded so there’s room for more!)
(Seacrest, photographed Friday afternoon by Lynn Hall)
Welcome to December’s second Sunday! Here’s what’s happening – from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:
‘WINTER WANDER’ SCAVENGER HUNT: Alice Kuder‘s West Seattle scavenger hunt ends today, and you can still register to participate until 6 pm! Go here to find out more and to sign up.
HOLIDAY FUN PHOTOS WITH GAIL ANN: 8:30 am-2 pm is the window today for sessions at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse – book your time here.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at 9 am at rotating locations – today it’s Ampersand Café on Alki.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market is open as usual between SW Alaska and SW Oregon on California, offering late-fall fruit and vegetables as well as cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, candy, more – even Christmas trees (from Three Tree Farms)! Here’s today’s vendor list.
COCOA AND COAT DRIVE AT FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-1:30 pm, bring coats and warm clothes to the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle booth at the south end of the market, for the West Seattle Food Bank, and get a cup of cocoa while you’re there! Part of West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays.
(A few of the Pathfinder wreaths, photographed last Sunday)
PATHFINDER WREATH SALES DURING FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm on the southwest corner of California/Alaska, look for Pathfinder K-8‘s famous handmade wreaths and other “door decor”! And if you can’t get to the market, you can “still buy wreaths online or have a custom one made, and pick up at Pathfinder – www.pathfinderk8ptsa.org/shop.”
BEIGNET POP-UP: 10 am-2 pm, Jet City Beignet is popping up at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW)
FOURTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH – FAMILY WORKSHOP: 10 am, the Torah Learning Center of West Seattle is at The Home Depot, 7345 Delridge Way SW, for “a free family-friendly woodwork shop where we build a Menorah/Dreidel game!”
FIREFIGHTERS’ TOY/FOOD DRIVE: 11 am-1 pm, bring new, unwrapped toys and/or nonperishable food to Fire Station 32 (38th/Alaska), one of five stations around the city participating in a special collection drive today.
WINTER MARKET AT TILL DAWN: Noon-4 pm, local vendors await your shopping visit to
SANTA AT MY THREE LITTLE BIRDS: At 4736 California SW in The Junction:
Santa is making his annual visit to Three Little Birds. He will be in store twice:
(Today) from 1-4
Saturday 12/16 from 10-1Families can sign in and then will be called when their turn comes. They CAN take their own photos, or have us take them as well, tell Santa what their Christmas wish is, and then get a treat to go. The cost is $5 per family.
TEA AND SCI-FI SOCIAL MEETUP: 1 pm, online, explained in our calendar listing.
‘SNOWED IN’: ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) presents its holiday production, “a journey of song, dance, friendship, family, and the true meaning of the holidays.” 3 pm today. Tickets are available here – just a few as of early this morning!
‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’: The radio-play edition of Twelfth Night Productions‘ beloved show at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW), 3 pm – get ticket info and other details on the Brown Paper Tickets website.
MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: At C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor): Deb Seymour brings her “offbeat songs” starting at 3 pm.
FOURTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH COMMUNITY CELEBRATION: West Seattle congregation Kol HaNeshamah returns to Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska) with “Pop-Up Chanukah,” featuring candlelighting, songs, and “donuts to go.” 5 pm, all welcome.
ASTRA LUMINA: Celestially inspired light show on the grounds of the Seattle Chinese Garden at the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, times vary. Tickets and info here.
NORTHWEST BOYCHOIR: 7 pm, Northwest Boychoir‘s annual “Festival of Lessons and Carols” at Holy Rosary Church.Get tickets here. (42nd SW/SW Genesee)
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
Something for our calendar – one-time or recurring? Or for the West Seattle Holiday Guide? Please email us the info – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
That was a curtain call of sorts for local musicians who were part of a musical showcase during The Junction’s GLOWS festival that could have been an event all its own – an assemblage of “West Seattle All-Stars” led by Jay Cates, performing holiday songs for about an hour right before the tree lighting and projected-art show. For the finale, Ayron Jones – soon to head out on a world tour – with a wistful rendition of “Silent Night“:
Some holiday history, with The Sonics‘ “Santa Claus” performed by Scott Helgason, David Cinnamon, and Zach Rourke here’s a sample:
Tomo Nakayama took on “White Christmas“:
And then there was “Blue Christmas” by BB Jones and Peder Nelson of Sulk:
The inescapable classic “All I Want for Christmas” sung by Z:
Rachael Reis, Billy Joe Huels, and friends with “Santa Baby“:
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” promised Cameron Lavi-Jones of King Youngblood:
B Anthony Nelson and Johnny Nails delivered a bluesy “Run Run Rudolph“:
Cates – who credited Nelson with producing the All-Star assemblage – contributed “Winter Wonderland”:
And our last clip features Cates and “Voice of the Mariners” Tom Hutyler dueting on “Little Drummer Boy“:
That’s not even the entirety of the show – but enough to give you an idea of what an epic holiday concert it turned out to be. (Asterisks mark a few performers whose names we didn’t catch – we hope to fix that by obtaining a list ASAP.)
MONDAY UPDATE: We’ve replaced those asterisks with names – here’s the set list; here’s the slide deck of performer names with QR codes you can use to find out more about them.
Earlier coverage: Festival’s first two hours – including video of Endolyne Children’s Choir, West Seattle School of Rock, and ArtsWest‘s “Snowed In” cast – covered here; the tree lighting and art projection, here.
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