West Seattle, Washington

15 Monday

55℉

day : 24/01/2024 11 results

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Mailbox break-in
January 24, 2024 10:43 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

One reader report received today, from Christopher:

I wanted to report some mail theft that occurred sometime around midday Monday 1/22. I live in a townhouse at the corner of Delridge Way SW and SW Edmunds Street; we have a joint, locking mailbox for our four units. We found that our mailbox has been pried open and our mail stolen. We have reported this to Seattle police department and the USPS Inspector General. I’m hoping to get this out to see if anyone else had their mail stolen as well, and encourage them to report it.

You can report mail theft to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service here.

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Make it a triple! Three ways – including the Dick’s Drive-In truck – to help Highland Park Elementary this Saturday
January 24, 2024 9:09 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

That’s a photo from the Dick’s Drive-In truck visit to Highland Park Corner Store last May. It’s returning this Saturday (January 27), this time as one of three ways to help nearby Highland Park Elementary School students, via the PTA.

First – show up for a community cleanup at 10 am Saturday – meet on the west side of the school (1012 SW Trenton) by the dumpsters.

Second – At 11 am, head to the HP Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), where the Dick’s truck will be selling burgers and shakes until 2 pm as part of a fundraiser for the PTA.

Third – While you’re at HPCS, grab a Mighty Mustang soda, and/or a pint of local beer, and bid on raffle items, also at HPCS, as the PTA works to raise money for new stools and acrylic paint for the school’s Art Room. grab a Mighty Mustang Soda or a pint of local beer, and bid on raffle items – the proceeds of which will go to support the Highland Park Elementary PTA. The PTA thanks Dick’s, The Bridge, and HPCS for supporting the school, and hopes you’ll be there to help.

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HAPPY HUNDREDTH! Providence Mount St. Vincent celebrates centennial
January 24, 2024 7:21 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news

A centennial celebration today at The Mount, which sent this report and photos:

Exactly 100 years ago today, Providence Mount St. Vincent opened its doors in the same location that it is today on 35th Avenue SW. Today “The Mount,” as it is informally called, kicked off a year-long celebration with a special centennial Mass honoring the Sisters of Providence. The Most Reverend Paul D. Etienne, Seattle Archbishop, presided.

(Photos by Jennifer Richard)

The Sisters of Providence founded Providence Mount St. Vincent with a goal of caring for the poor and vulnerable elders in the community with dignity, compassion, respect and love. In 1924 it was known as the “St. Vincent Home for the Aged.” The Sisters and novices relocated Providence’s Provincial headquarters from Vancouver to the West Seattle site.

Today, The Mount serves more than 200 residents on site; 125 children in the child-care center; and nearly 1,000 patients annually in its sub-acute Transitional Care Unit. It is recognized internationally for its intergenerational programs that bring together older adults and children.

On April 26, 2024, Providence Mount St. Vincent will host a Centennial Community Open House Celebration—exactly 100 years since the building was dedicated and officially opened to the public on April 26, 1924.

That event will be open to the public – watch for more details to come.

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VIDEO: You’ve probably passed it many times. Now, see inside King County’s water-cleaning facility just off 1st Ave. S. Bridge
January 24, 2024 5:33 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Georgetown | West Seattle news

(WSB photos and video)

With another “atmospheric river” on the way, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division‘s Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station is gearing up for another potentially busy run of intercepting contaminated runoff/overflow water before it gets to the Duwamish River. This is the year-old facility you may have driven or rode past many times, near the north end of the 1st Avenue South Bridge, on the northwest corner of 4th and Michigan. Today the county gave media crews a behind-the-scenes tour.

Operating the quarter-billion-dollar facility – built over more than four years – is not labor-intensive – just one person is needed at all times to run it, and if there’s a major storm event sending millions of gallons of water through it, that rises to a grand total of three. It can handle up to 70 million gallons of combined-sewer overflow per day. (So far its peak usage has been 26 million gallons a day during an early December storm.)

Unlike the county’s Murray Wet Weather Facility by Lowman Beach, and the West Duwamish Wet Weather Storage Facility that’ll be built on our side of the 1st Avenue South Bridge, the Georgetown facility is a treatment plant – taking solids out of the water via a “high-speed settling tank” using materials like the sand in these bags to quickly pull the solids out of the water:

The solids eventually wind up in agricultural use. The filtered water gets disinfected with ultraviolet light:

After all that, the treated water gets sent into the Duwamish River, via an outfall under the nearby bridge.

King County Executive Dow Constantine gave the overview of the plant, noting it’s won awards and is intended for climate resiliency, including the fact it was built to handle up to two feet of sea-level rise:

(added) Rebecca Singer, who oversees facilities including this one, said this rainy season is the real test for the treatment station:

The facility also has interpretive features and gets visits from students.

The county has been working on combined-sewer-overflow reduction for more than a decade under orders from the federal government to reduce the overflows into local waterways. The consent decree related to this gave a deadline of 2030 to meet the goals; we asked Wastewater Treatment Division spokesperson Alison Hawkes how much progress the county has made: “We built the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station as one of our commitments in the consent decree. We have controlled a number of outfalls already, and are working to meet requirements on others. Some of the details on this future work, such as the timeline, are in negotiations with EPA and [state] Ecology as part of our request for modification of the consent decree – that information will be released to the public once negotiations are finalized.”

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UPDATE: House fire on 46th SW, out quickly
January 24, 2024 3:04 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(Added: WSB photo)

3:04 PM: A sizable Seattle Fire response is arriving in the 3200 block of 46th SW [vicinity map] for what was initially reported as a kitchen fire spreading beyond the kitchen. Updates to come.

3:08 PM: The fire is under control, firefighters told dispatch.

(Added: Reader photo, sent by Dale)

3:11 PM: And now they’ve declared it out (“tapped”) and are downsizing the response.

3:30 PM: Our crew has arrived at the scene and talked with incident command. They confirm the fire started in the kitchen and tell us everyone got out OK – no injuries.

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West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic: Welcome, new WSB sponsor!
January 24, 2024 2:51 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic as a new WSB sponsor, with urgent-care appointments available now!

West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic is West Seattle’s independently and locally owned podiatric care clinic. Our board-certified doctors provide the highest level of foot and ankle care possible, while treating patients as a whole. We strive to take time, listen carefully, and educate each patient. Currently owned and operated by West Seattle resident Dr. Matthew LaBella, our clinic has been dedicated to serving patients in West Seattle since 1979.

We have urgent care appointments available most days. Call us at 206-937-4700 to schedule an appointment with a trained, board-certified specialist to address your foot and ankle care needs.

Services

West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic sees patients for foot and ankle pain related to use, injury, deformity, and/or acute infection. We see patients of all ages for:

Foot/Ankle Pain
Foot/Ankle Injuries
Heel Pain
Bunions
Hammertoes
Warts
Ingrown Toenails
Diabetic Foot Evaluations
Custom Orthotics
Foot/Ankle Fractures
Achilles Tendon Issues
Overuse Injuries of Foot/Ankle
Arthritis of Foot/Ankle
Flat Feet/Over Pronation
Corns/Calluses
Infections
Gait Issues Related to Foot/Ankle
Fungal Toenails/Skin

Staff

West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic is staffed by Dr. Matthew LaBella and Dr. Ryan Schwanke. Both are board-certified in foot and ankle surgery and have outpatient surgical privileges at St. Anne hospital in Burien and in the Providence Swedish health system. Dr. LaBella and Dr. Schwanke are highly regarded practitioners in Seattle and throughout the region.

Our medical and administrative support staff is comprised of mostly West Seattle residents who are passionate about caring for our patients. We see our patients as neighbors and friends in the West Seattle community. To learn more about our staff, visit wsfac.com/staff.html

Insurance

West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic is contracted with most major insurance and has an experienced billing manager dedicated to helping our patients maximize their insurance benefits. For more details, visit more at wsfac.com/insurance.html

Contact & Hours

West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic is located at 4520 42nd Ave. SW, Suite 34. Our phone number is 206-937-4700. Our hours of operation are Mondays-Thursdays 8 am-5 pm, Fridays 7 am-noon.

We thank West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!

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FOLLOWUP: Will the lone City Council appointment finalist from West Seattle run next year?
January 24, 2024 12:51 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

One day after City Councilmembers chose Tanya Woo to fill the citywide Position 8 vacancy until November, we heard from the lone West Seattleite among the other seven finalists. Steve Strand, who is commander of the West Seattle VFW Post as well as a Seattle Police captain, told WSB, “I would like to send out a big thank you to the outpouring of support I received from the West Seattle community. I will continue to work hard to make Seattle safe as a captain on the Seattle police department. It was just gratifying to hear the lives I’ve touched throughout West Seattle.” When each councilmember nominated a finalist from among the 72 “qualified applicants” on January 12th, Strand was nominated by Council President Sara Nelson, but on Tuesday, she was one of the five councilmembers who voted to appoint Woo (as was D-1 Councilmember Rob Saka). The appointment only lasts until someone is elected this fall, so will Strand file to run for the job? His reply: “I haven’t decided yet. We’ll see what kind of feedback I get.”

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FOLLOWUP: Seattle City Light promises to remove much-vandalized fencing component at future charging site
January 24, 2024 11:11 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

(WSB photo with tags partly blurred out)

When Seattle City Light cleared its former substation/future EV-charging site in Morgan Junction, community advocates worried aloud that it would become a vacant eyesore for however much ensuing time it remained vacant, awaiting construction. Those concerns became reality as the cloth draping on the fencing around the site (4118 SW Morgan), which is bordered by two major streets (Fauntleroy and Morgan), has been repeatedly vandalized by taggers (it’s even visible via a Google Street View image from a year ago). When SCL reps came to last week’s Morgan Community Association meeting with a project update – bottom line, as reported here, the site won’t be open for at least a year – MoCA president Deb Barker asked the reps in attendance if SCL would clean up the tagging; the rep wouldn’t commit to that, and suggested the vandalism would probably stop when the site is “activated” (built). So we followed up with SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang to ask if it were really true that the utility had no intention of cleaning up the fencing. She replied that it’s actually not needed any more anyway, so they’ll just remove it: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The mesh barrier that has been tagged is no longer required and we have requested that it be removed. A timeline for the removal will be available after a work order has been generated.”

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HPAC’s first 2024 meeting, U.S. Rep. Jayapal’s town hall, more for your West Seattle Wednesday
January 24, 2024 9:49 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Lowman Beach photo by Kea Ireland)

Here are highlights for the rest of today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you can look ahead any time):

TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

REP. JAYAPAL’S WEST SEATTLE TOWN HALL: 5:30-7 pm – RSVP here to see if there’s still room at the town hall planned by our area’s U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and to get the location (in-person event).

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Repair it instead of replacing it! Weekly event, 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for the weekly free group run, 6:15 pm.

‘GOT FIT’ INFO NIGHT: Also at West Seattle Runner, 6:30 pm, info session about this training program for runners with half-marathon experience.

TRIVIA x 5: Five places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … 7 pm trivia at Burger Planet (9614 14th SW, White Center) … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).

HPAC IN PERSON! The community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge meets in person at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), 6:30 pm – go here to see what they’re planning to discuss, and bring your community comments/ideas!

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)

MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.

BASKETBALL: One varsity home game tonight, at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW) girls host Lakeside, 7:30 pm.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups @ West Seattle’s longest-running open mic – no cover to watch. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, etc., and it’s open to the community, please send us info for West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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Remembering Patricia (Patti) Schaefer Newman, 1957-2024
January 24, 2024 9:00 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

The family of Patti Schaefer Newman is sharing this remembrance with her community:

Patricia (Patti) Schaefer Newman, 66, of Seattle, died of a brain tumor on 1/16/24.

She was born in Seattle in 1957 to Marilyn and Bob Schaefer. Patti attended Central Washington University, earning her degree in teaching. Patti had many jobs, but most will remember her for her creative passions, such as baking and weaving. She was a proud graduate of West Seattle High School, class of 1975.

Patti leaves behind her children, Maclean and Lilli. She is survived by her siblings Diana, Scott, and Judy.

In lieu of flowers, please spend time exploring your creative passions in memory of Patti.

She can be seen in the 1975 reunion photo, second down, second row from the top, 4 over from the left:

(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)

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Wednesday begins
January 24, 2024 6:03 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning. Welcome to Wednesday, January 24th.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Yet more rain expected, with some breaks, and a high around 50. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:45 am, sunset at 4:57 pm.

CLOSURE ALERT

As reported here, a trail spur beneath the low bridge will be closed for more than two months starting as soon as tomorrow because of the project to upgrade the bridge’s communication cabling.

TRANSIT NOTES

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.

Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.

Washington State Ferries today – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for changes, and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

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

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene). Thank you!

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