West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
Lively agenda announced for Wednesday night’s online meeting of HPAC, the community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge. They’re bringing in Metro to talk about the changes recently reported here and here – bus-stop closures (and a relocation) plus city-funded plans to add more service hours to Route 125 (which we have since learned was buried in this SDOT announcement). Public-safety concerns are on the agenda too. So is the recurring noise that some speculate might be a return of “The Hum” (traced more than a decade ago by HPAC’s then-leadership and WSB to dry-cargo unloading on the Duwamish River). Don’t miss this meeting, 7 pm Wednesday – connection/call-in info is in the preview here.
(Rendering by Atelier Drome Architects)
4:30 PM: Redevelopment has been in the works for the former auto-shop site at 9201 Delridge Way SW for six years. The project plan, and ownership, have changed along the way. Now the current developers, Housing Diversity Corporation, say that groundbreaking is expected within about two months for the five-story, 74-apartment development they’re calling Keystone. That’s part of an update we received this afternoon announcin “the closing of debt and equity” for the project, which explains in part:
Financial partners for the project include First Fed as the senior lender with a $5 million loan, Nuveen Green Capital as the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy & Resiliency lender with a $9.74 million loan, and Citizen Mint, a private markets platform for wealth advisors, who raised $5.18 million of equity from impact-minded wealth managers and high-net-worth individuals. …
The C-PACER program in Washington provides lower-than-market-rate debt for projects that are able to achieve high energy and resilience standards above code in an effort to encourage environmentally focused building practices. The seismic, plumbing, and thermal standards met by the development allowed the partnership to use C-PACER financing to cover 40% of the project’s overall cost at a favorable construction loan interest rate in the mid-7% range.
HDC’s partner in building Keystone is West Seattle-headquartered STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor), as is the case for the 115-apartment building under construction at 3405 Harbor SW and other projects on the drawing board, with Atelier Drome as the architect. The announcement says that “100% of the units in the development are priced at or below 80% of area median income, including 15 more deeply rent-restricted units made possible through Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption Program.” The project will include 4,207 square feet of commercial/retail space and will not include offstreet parking; none is required as it’s close to frequent transit (RapidRide H Line). The project finished going through Design Review in 2021, under the alternate address 9208 20th SW.
5:39 PM: We went over to look at the site right after publishing this story, and discovered work already has begun:
The old building was demolished sometime since we last went through that area several days ago.
“We have some exciting news regarding Fauntleroy to share at our Annual Fund Drive,” says West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) branch executive Cleveland King. “The bottom line is we are going nowhere anytime soon. We are committed to the Fauntleroy community and our partnership with the Fauntleroy Church.”
The Annual Fund Drive event is the Y’s annual fundraising kickoff, and it’s happening this Thursday (February 29), 6:30 pm at Fauntleroy Church‘s Fellowship Hall, steps from the Y facility that’s been the source of concern these past few months, ever since word began circulating that its closure was a possibility as the Y dealt with financial challenges. King is set to present an update on Fauntleroy’s status as part of the scheduled program.
But he also tells WSB that so far the community commitment to helping save and improve the location has fallen short of hopes. At last month’s “town hall” meeting about the Fauntleroy situation, the creation of committees, and a request for participation, was announced. The first committee meetings were held recently, “and a total of 6 people showed up,” King says. They “spent a significant amount of time reviewing the Fauntleroy financials and the current state of the Fauntleroy YMCA,” he adds, and notes, “there were some great comments and suggestions from the group that attended. We are hopeful to have more significant input from the community. The groups decided to give others another opportunity to participate before we started the planning phases.” You’re invited to the next meetings, all on (NEW DATE) Tuesday, March 26: Fundraising Committee, 5 pm-6 pm; Planning Committee, 6:15 pm-7:15 pm; Volunteer Committee, 7:30 pm-8:30 pm. (MARCH 25 UPDATE: New times – everyone gather at 6 pm.)
Meantime, if you haven’t RSVP’d yet for this Thursday’s fund-drive-and-more event, this flyer has those details.
In our last update on Fauntleroy Creek salmon, volunteers had counted 34 during last year’s spawning season. Now, three months later, some of the results are in view! Fauntleroy Watershed Council‘s Judy Pickens explains:
Coho fry from last fall’s spawning are now feeding in lower Fauntleroy Creek. Volunteers first noticed them last week and called in Sam Verbon, who captured this video on his GoPro.
Several of the 34 spawners counted in November left fertilized eggs. Protected from predators by a blanket of gravel, they hatched over several weeks into alevin, then matured into fry ready to swim freely and start feeding.
To avoid detection by birds or curious people, the tiny fish will forage near the bank and overhanging vegetation as they grow into fingerlings (parr), then 4″-5″ smolts. Those that survive will leave for saltwater in spring 2025.
This spring’s crop of smolts will soon begin leaving for Fauntleroy Cove and saltwater points beyond. Volunteers will check soft traps in the upper and lower creek twice daily to get an accurate count of them. Last year they documented 41.
In May, 19 West Seattle schools expect to release fry in Fauntleroy Park. Some of those fish will wash into the middle reach to populate the entire creek system with coho juveniles.
Before the long-delayed Don Armeni Boat Ramp dock-replacement project got started, Seattle Parks said repeatedly that one float would remain open throughout the work. As the photo above from Stewart L. shows, that isn’t currently the case. We asked Parks why, and when there’d be a usable dock again. Spokesperson Karen O’Connor replied, “We were working hard and had planned to keep one float open at all times during the work at Don Armeni, however, we ran into some unexpected conditions when driving the final piles for both the north and south floats. If all goes well and the weather cooperates, the project manager anticipates opening one dock/float this weekend/beginning of March.” The project is replacing the old dock structures and pilings with sturdier new ones, and increasing the “over-water coverage” by a third.
(Photo by Thomas Bach: ‘Taken from Alki Ave looking across at Alki Point as the storm swept in’ Monday)
Mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s what’s scheduled for the rest of today/tonight:
FREE PLAYSPACE: Drop in Tuesday mornings 9 am-noon at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau).
APPLICATION DEADLINE: The city asked us to remind you about this public-service opportunity:
Join the Equitable Development Initiative Community Advisory Board
The Equitable Development Initiative is extending an invitation to individuals rooted in communities facing a high risk of displacement and who are dedicated to addressing deep and persisting inequities. Prospective members are encouraged to apply and become a crucial part of shaping a more thriving Seattle. The priority deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. on February 27, 2024. Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered until all positions are filled. Compensation includes a monthly stipend of $60/hour, with a maximum of $300 for full participation. To apply, please visit the City’s Boards and Commissions website.
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE: The second meeting of the committee vice-chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka starts at 9:30 am. The focus is an overview of police accountability in Seattle. Here’s the agenda. You can watch live via Seattle Channel.
COFFEE, TEA, AND RESOURCES: Drop-in chat time at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW), 10-11 am.
CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)
CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Regular weekly meeting of the Seattle City Council, 2 pm. There is a public-comment section – in person or by phone – if there’s something you want to tell the council. The agenda explains how. You can watch live via Seattle Channel.
PIZZA FUNDRAISER: 4-9 pm, dine at Proletariat Pizza in White Center (9622 16th SW) and mention Highland Park Elementary so HPE will get a share of the proceeds!
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration continues at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.
LEARN ASL: Free weekly classes, 6 pm at West Seattle’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4001 44th SW). Start any Tuesday night! Details in our calendar listing.
SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm, you can play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).
FREE TRACK RUN: Run with new (or not-so-new) friends! Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.
LEARN ABOUT RAINWISE: If your neighborhood is eligible, you might be able to get a big rebate for making your home/yard RainWise! Be at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) at 6:30 pm to find out all about it.
MAKE POTTERY: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance to work on your project(s).
BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm Tuesdays. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
TRIVIA X 4: Four places to play Tuesday nights – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW) now has Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
OPEN MIC: 7 pm at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way). 21+.
BINGO AT TALARICO’S: You can play 8 pm bingo every Tuesday. (4718 California SW)
What are you planning? Are community members invited? Tell everyone via our event calendar – please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
That’s the West Seattle Big Band, guest-starring again this year at the West Seattle High School music-program-supporting Big Band Dinner Dance, 6-9 pm Friday, March 15, in the WSHS Commons (3000 California SW). Here’s the announcement:
Tickets are now available for our annual community dinner dance! Come and listen to the high school music students perform – not just our jazz band, but the band, orchestra, and choir too! And a wonderful dinner will be prepared by the WSHS Culinary Department. Come and see what our fabulous students are up to!
Featured Performance by the West Seattle Big Band, under the direction of Jim Edwards.
Dinner/Dance tickets are $30 when preordered, or $35 at the door (if available)
Dinner/Dance tickets for students, staff, or seniors are $20
Dance-only tickets are $10.
Go here to find the ticket link.
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, February 27.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Today’s forecast says rain/snow is possible again this morning, then just rain, high in the mid-40s. Sunrise will be at 6:54 am, sunset at 5:50 pm.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats 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!
They came to the West Seattle Food Bank this morning with loaves of bread they’d baked themselves – unique donations for the food bank, which otherwise doesn’t accept homemade food. But this group is a special exception. They’re West Seattleites who are among the nearly 900 home bakers participating in Community Loaves, founded in 2020 by Katherine Kehrli, who joined them for today’s tour of the food bank.
WSFB’s executive director Fran Yeatts gave the visiting bread donors a behind-the-scenes look at food-bank operations. Monday is a prep day inside WSFB, not a distribution day for clients, so the bakers saw a whirlwind of activity – deliveries of “rescued” food donated by grocery stores and pet shops, sorting of a wide variety of donated items, packing of bags that will be taken to clients who can’t make it to the food bank’s 35th/Morgan HQ.
The delivery bags are usually how the Community Loaves bread gets to food bank clients – who otherwise might not get a chance to enjoy fresh whole-grain bread. Kehrli explains that since bread is “shelf-stable,” the bakers are not required to get special licenses to bake and donate their loaves. (7,000 provided to WSFB so far, and it’s just one of dozens with which Community Loaves partners!) She added that today’s visit was meant to help the bakers “understand how meaningful their work is.”
(That’s Community Loaves founder Katherine Kehrli behind the cart, in patterned jacket)
The food bank stats they heard were eye-popping – 1,500 households visiting the food bank each week, more than 400 home deliveries, 430 weekend food packs for students, 200+ people served by mobile food bank visits to locations including the Senior Center of West Seattle. (“We gotta bake more bread, guys!” somebody shouted to the group after hearing all that.) And of course, the food bank’s not just about food – they operate the Clothesline clothing bank and provide emergency rent (etc.) assistance that’s currently at a million-dollar-a-year pace to try to keep people out of homelessness (part of why WSFB especially appreciates monetary donations – they’d love to see you at the April 27 Instruments of Change fundraiser, too). Meantime, Community Loaves would be happy to see more home bakers participate.
If you’re interested, you can go here to sign up for an online information session coming up in early March.
Miscellaneous West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
BUSINESS BURGLARY: We got a tip about this on Friday but police didn’t provide information until today. Burglars hit the Admiral Safeway gas station (42nd/Admiral) just before 3:30 am Friday. According to the SPD summary, “The (burglars) utilized crowbars and a U-Haul box truck with a tow rope to break into the fuel station kiosk. (They) stole cigarettes/merchandise and tried to remove the safe before driving away. Officers spotted the van a short distance away and began to coordinate a stop. The van driver began to drive recklessly, and officers disengaged, losing sight.” If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 24-051042.
UNHINGED: We’ve received multiple questions about, and photos of, the detached door at 4719 California SW:
Yes, police are aware of it – we’ve heard multiple calls in the past week or so, and there was another one this morning in the 6 am hour (SPD incident # 24-054044). It’s been reattached at least once that we’ve seen. Regardless of how it was opened, it’s ultimately the property owner’s responsibility to keep vacant spaces secured.
STOLEN AND/OR ABANDONED? Grant sent this photo of a possibly stolen and/or abandoned Kia this morning, seen at 37th/Elmgrove in Gatewood:
We walked through the area in early afternoon and didn’t see it. But Grant noted that it was parked the wrong way and practically protruding into the intersection. While you can call any suspected stolen car in to 911, if one is parked illegally, you can also simply report it to Parking Enforcement, which might be able to respond quicker – that direct number is 206-386-9012.
On an evening when some of us have a bit of snow on the ground, let’s talk summer camp! It’s the first day of open enrollment for new camps offered by West Seattle’s independent Tilden School (WSB sponsor), and it’s open to non-Tilden students too. Here’s the announcement:
This summer we are hosting the first Tilden School Summer Camp on campus. There are four camp sessions:
*Week of July 8
*Week of July 15
*Week of July 22
*Week of July 29Each camp session runs Monday – Friday. Camp hours are Monday – Thursday from 9 am to 3 pm, Friday from 9 am to 1 pm.
There are three grade cohorts per session, with up to 14 students planned per cohort. The grade-specific cohorts are based on the grade of your student for the current school year:
Cohort 1: Kindergarten/First Grade
Cohort 2: Second/Third Grade
Cohort 3: Fourth/Fifth GradeThe theme and programming of each camp only occurs once per grade cohort. For camps that run across distinct grade cohorts in different weeks, appropriate grade-level adaptations will be made to programming.
Camp instructors are current staff and will include alumni students. We are excited that you will get a chance to meet some Tilden grads who are now in high school and college. There will be at least two instructors per cohort, per camp.
The cost per camp, per student, is $500 per camp, per student. An activity fee may apply to select camps (e.g., entrance fees for activities in Around the Sound Adventure Camp) and will not exceed $40 per camp. Activity fee information will be released by June 14.
Today begins open enrollment to the general community. If camps fill up, we will maintain a waiting list.
Register here (where you’ll find more information on the camp’s weekly themes).
For more information, please email us at info@tildenschool.org.
4:15 PM: Thanks to the texter who sent that photo from Arbor Heights. We’re getting an icy rain mix right now in Upper Fauntleroy – a variant of the “wintry mix” that’s been in the forecast – and getting reports from other areas too.
4:35 PM: Also from Arbor Heights, an even-more-wintry photo via text. Be careful if you have to head out soon, as streets and sidewalks are coated in areas. But it’s already clearing to the west, so this wave might not last too long.
4:50 PM: And White Center has a white coating too. Here in Upper Fauntleroy, the sun is breaking through – mixed with light snow.
5:30 PM: See the comments for some traffic trouble in Arbor Heights. Meantime, radar shows a stretch of clear sky, but it could get below freezing tonight, and the now-wet roads could turn to ice. There’s a possibility of more “mix” overnight, too.
Just heard from Khalid Agour, proprietor of Itto’s Tapas (California/Genesee) and the new wine-bar-with-food Itto’s Vino next door. Two weeks after telling us it was “super close” to opening, he has set the grand-opening date for Itto’s Vino – this Friday (March 1), after “a couple soft opens.” You can see the food menu here and the drink menu here (you’ll find lists of wine by the glass or bottle on the website, too). Hours for Itto’s Vino will be 5-11 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 5 pm-midnight Fridays and Saturdays, closed on Sundays.
Three weeks ago, thanks to tips, we reported that the Delridge Playfield lights were out again because of wire thieves. Last week, one of our original tipsters, John – who had photographed the exact spot hit by the thieves – told us that crews were on scene to fix the system. We subsequently inquired with Parks, who responded today that the lights are working again. Security was improved, too, according to John’s observation: “Installation of steel conduit instead of PVC previously used, therefore making hard to steal the cables.”
Thanks for the tip – we went over to Patrick’s Café and Bakery at 15th/100th in White Center after a report of gunfire at the intersection.
Speaking to us and other media at the scene, proprietor Patrick Choy said he and others in the cafe heard the gunfire around 10:40 am but didn’t see it – he speculates it was someone in a vehicle shooting at someone in another vehicle.
Some of the bullets hit his building – no injuries but a very close call for a woman in the café, whose boot was hit by a bullet. Patrick said deputies found shell casings in the street, too. We checked with the King County Sheriff’s Office, which tells us they have no description information so far: “The suspects are unknown at this time.” Meantime, Patrick’s remains open for business as usual.
This morning brings news of the biggest potential roadblock yet to the mega-merger that could put five of West Seattle’s grocery stores under the same ownership: The Federal Trade Commission is suing to stop the merger of Kroger (parent of QFC, Fred Meyer, and other brands) and Albertsons (parent of Safeway among others). West Seattle has two QFC stores and three Safeway stores, and among those, two – Junction QFC and Jefferson Square – are barely a block apart. To the south, Westwood Village QFC and Roxbury Safeway (a former Fred Meyer) are separated by just a few blocks. Sixteen months have passed since the $24 billion merger announcement. In its announcement today, the FTC alleges that “the deal is anticompetitive (and would) eliminate fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons, leading to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items for millions of Americans.” The merger plan has drawn other opposition since it came to light, including U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal‘s call – announced in West Seattle – for the FTC to investigate. Kroger had sought to calm some concerns via a plan announced last September to sell some of its assets, including the QFC brand name (but not necessarily all QFC stores) to a third party.
WHAT’S NEXT: According to the FTC announcement, its action “marks the beginning of a proceeding in which the allegations will be tried in a formal hearing before an administrative law judge.”
Before we get to today’s event lineup, this has just been announced – the first Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meeting of 2024, first one since last June. The SWPCPC isn’t a group so much as a banner under which community members can come to the Southwest Precinct to hear from and talk with local police. The meeting is set for Wednesday, March 6, at 6 pm, organized by the precinct’s interim crime-prevention coordinator Mark Solomon, who has booked a guest, too: Amy Smith, interim chief of the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department. (Here’s our report following a chat with Chief Smith at the CARE/911 center downtown.) All welcome at the March 6 meeting; the precinct is at 2300 SW Webster.
9:02 AM: Seattle Police and Fire are responding to a “scenes of violence” call on Belvidere in the Fairmount Ravine area. Details to come.
9:09 AM: The address logged for this call is one to which emergency responders have been called multiple times before, including “person in crisis” situations.
(Added: Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
SFD responders were “staging” – waiting – nearby until police arrived, which dispatch has been told has just happened, so soon they should be able to verify what’s happening. “The initial report was that two people may have been stabbed,” is what SPD just told dispatch that they had heard from SFD, and now they’re going in to see whether that’s true.
9:19 AM: One person needs medical treatment, dispatch has just been told, “but no one’s stabbed.” So most of the response is being canceled.
9:25 AM: Our crew has just arrived and confirmed with SFD on scene that this was a false report of stabbings but one person does need treatment for “minor injuries.”
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, February 26, back-to-school day for those who were on midwinter break last week.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Today’s forecast is for clouds and colder temperatures, with rain/snow possible, high in the mid-40s. Sunrise will be at 6:56 am, sunset at 5:49 pm.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats 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!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
More than four years after Rebellyous Foods relocated its “revolution” in plant-based “chicken” to West Seattle, it’s ready to deploy the next weapon in that revolution.
From the start, Rebellyous – headquartered in the SK Foods building at 37th/Snoqualmie – has emphasized that it’s a technology company more than a food-production company.
Its founder, Christie Lagally (above), is a former aerospace engineer. Her company has been working on the second iteration of its patented manufacturing technology, aimed at streamlining and speeding up the process of making dough for plant-based meat, while bringing the production cost down. And now, they’re preparing for the first installation of the new system – known as Mock 2 – so they put out a Request For Proposals (read it here) to find a home for it.
After hearing about the RFP, we revisited Rebellyous HQ – almost exactly a year, it turns out, after our previous visit for an update on this unique local company. They’ve come a long way – when we first visited in fall 2019, they were producing 1,000 pounds a month of plant-based “chicken” nuggets, tenders, and patties; now they produce that much per hour. School districts are their largest customers – more than 200 districts around the country are buying and serving Rebellyous Foods products, and their sales continue to grow exponentially, according to Lagally. They’re also selling to other big clients, recently scoring a contract with the Vizient health-care system. Their production is done at Orca Bay‘s plant (still in West Seattle) – they’ve long since outgrown the space in The Triangle, though they have plenty of other uses for it, including research and development, and storage.
Components of the Mock 2 system are there, waiting for their future home. (Off-camera – since it’s proprietary technology.)
In its new home, the Mock 2 system will be used to produce Rebellyous Foods products and potentially other companies’ products too. Lagally says Mock 2 will be able to produce at least 2,500 pounds per hour – more than twice the current pace – and eventually up to 5,000 pounds an hour. The speed and efficiency means the cost of production will be reduced, and she says that’s a large part of what it’ll take for plant-based “meat” to truly compete with animal meat. The RFP declares that Mock 2 will result in a “60% lower cost of manufacturing than all current dough-making methods currently available to manufacturers.”
The central feature of the new system is continuous mixing – the dry ingredients are continuously hydrated and mixed into dough along the line, rather than being dumped into, say, a giant bowl, along with liquid, and mixed there. Of course, that’s a vast simplification, and they’re working on other efficiencies and improvements – we peeked inside one of the rooms where staffers were doing tests to come up with better ways to emulsify as well as testing viscosity.
When you’re inventing new ways to manufacture, you have to invent new components, too. Lagally says some of the Mock 2 parts are all new, some are modified. And the size of the Mock 2 installation requires some other customized equipment too – like a huge custom dishwasher that can handle the equipment’s parts. Associated equipment is part of the plan for efficiency too; they’re testing an energy-saving chiller, for example.
All this will serve the longstanding goal, Lagally says: “I’m very happy that our original mission still stands – getting plant-based meat into more (places).” Mock 2’s impending installation will be a major milestone, but Lagally and Rebellyous Foods won’t be resting on their laurels (or feathers) – they’re working already on Mock 3.
Two incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:
SEARCH FOR SUSPECT: This is happening right now in Delridge. Police were at the Salish Landing complex in the 6900 block of Delridge Way SW looking for a domestic-violence suspect. They made forced entry into an apartment and found the suspect used sheets and blankets to escape down the exterior of the building, and was last seen running “into the woods.” Officers gave this description to dispatch – Hispanic man, 20s, bald, 5’7″, slim, green checkered pants, white or gray tank top. They’ll be using a K9 to search so if you’re in the area you may hear sirens and loudspeaker announcements. 7:29 PM UPDATE: Police told dispatch they have found the suspect.
HIT-RUN WITH STOLEN CAR: Thanks for the texted tip and photos.
Above is a stolen Hyundai Sonata that someone crashed into parked cars southeast of Westwood Village late last night, after 11 pm. At least two were damaged:
After the crash, witnesses told police they saw three people in dark clothing – believed to be teenage boys – get out and head toward Westwood Village. No injuries reported. If you have any information, the SPD incident # in this case is 24-052892.
Before the weekend’s over, we have another gallery of reader-contributed West Seattle bird photos! Above, two Northern Flickers, from Chi K Photography; below, two Common Mergansers, photographed by James Tilley along Alki:
And two Crows – one leucistic – who posed for Michelle:
Mark Dale sent this photo of a Cooper’s Hawk in flight over Gatewood:
Two photos from Erin B. Jackson in Arbor Heights – first, a Spotted Towhee:
Next, a White-crowned Sparrow:
From Gentle Tassione McGaughey, a Townsend’s Warbler:
And this Ruby-crowned Kinglet was photographed by Greg Harrington:
Thanks to everyone for sharing their photos – best way to send us a pic, bird or otherwise, is westseattleblog@gmail.com (dfor breaking news info and photos, text 206-293-6302)!
4 PM: Thanks for the tip. On this blustery afternoon, a fallen tree/branch is blamed for that 46-customer power outage southeast of Westwood Village. The reader who texted us says, “We heard a loud boom and then everything went dead.” No other outages reported in West Seattle so far today.
5:31 PM: Our tipster tells us the power was restored around 5.
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