West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
By this time next Saturday night, you might have a lot less no-longer-needed stuff. since the annual free recycling/shredding event presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce is next Saturday morning – 9 am until noon March 9, in the north lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). From the official flyer, here’s what will be accepted:
First-come, first-served, so don’t wait until the last moment; some trucks might fill up last. Also note that shreddable paper is limited to four boxes. (See the list of what will NOT be accepted by checking our calendar listing.)
Two events coming up tomorrow (Sunday, March 3) that you might want an advance alert about:
WEST SEATTLE BEE GARDEN: Lisa sent the photo and an invitation for volunteers of all ages to help out tomorrow, all or part of the three-hour period between 10 am and 1 pm:
Our next work party is full of opportunity to:
-plant native plants – a wide variety coming from the King Conservation District Native Plant Sale,
-move loads of compost for our new perennial pollinator pads,
-plant native flower seeds – blanket flower and globe gilia,
-make more temporary signs, and,
=relocate desirable plants.As usual, dress for the weather and bring a water bottle. We’ll have some light snacks. We also have an assortment of garden tools but if you have a personal favorite, you’re welcome to bring it.
We need lots of folks to make this all happen. Bonus points for those that bring a friend :) Thanks so much for your consideration and effort to help shape the West Seattle Bee Garden into a place of education, inspiration, and beauty.
The West Seattle Bee Garden is located at Commons Park – Graham St and Lanham Pl SW.
FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH: If you’ve been looking into your family history but reaching some dead ends, local experts might be able to help – they’re inviting you to this free event Sunday:
Join us for an afternoon of free Family History Research
Sunday, March 3, 2024
2:30 pm – 4:30 pmInterested in your family history? We have expertise! We’d love to help you discover the joy of family history! Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged. Email bevitaly@gmail.com to reserve a time slot.
Timed to coincide with this Thursday to Saturday event: RootsTech 2024 – The world’s largest family history event. (In Salt Lake City and online.) Then join us in person on Sunday afternoon!
The West Seattle Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 4001 44th Ave SW
The photo and report are from Sweta:
This morning I found that our mailboxes had been pried open with mail scattered on the ground. Our building is on California in North Admiral. Incident was reported to the US Postal Inspection Service.
Ruby, Leona, and Tatum from Troop 43450 were enjoying a sunbreak when we stopped by for a photo this morning outside Easy Street Records in The Junction, one of multiple places you’ll find local Girl Scouts selling cookies this weekend. You can use the search box here to see where else cookie booths are set up, and you can go here to find online sellers who are delivering (or to donate cookies to people in the military). This year, local Scouts are selling nine varieties, $6/box; cookie-booth season continues through March 17th.
We talk a lot about the major nonprofits helping feed and clothe people in our area, but there are myriad smaller efforts too. One of them is seeking support to keep going – here’s the request we were asked to share with you:
Covid-19 Mutual Aid – Seattle, South King County/Eastside Mutual Aid, and Super Familia have been hosting a mutual-aid food pantry every month for the past 3 years! We are a youth-led, immigrant-led group that supports 150 families each month with fresh produce – from local BIPOC farmers – and hygiene products. We have been distributing food for the past three years, and we are now in need of more support for this project to continue. We are looking for folks who can help us raise funds to buy produce from BIPOC farmers and volunteers who are able to commit to purchasing and dropping off grocery items each month at our location in West Seattle. Please fill out this interest form if you are able to work with us, and we will be in contact. Thank you so much!
(Pieris japonica ‘Valley Valentine’ photographed at SSC Arboretum by Rosalie Miller)
Welcome to the first weekend of March! Here’s what’s in our Event Calendar listings for today/tonight:
FREE! GROUP RUN: Kick off your Saturday with this weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW) group run! All levels welcome. Meet at the shop by 8 am.
FREE! HEAVILY MEDITATED: Arrive by 8:50 am for community meditation at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska). Free event every Saturday but please register.
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES: Second day of cookie booths at various locations – some starting as early as 9 am. Search here for your nearest locations.
PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: You can visit Admiral Co-op Preschool, 9:30-11:30 am! (3940 41st SW)
TAE KWON DO: First March class of West Seattle Tae Kwon Do Club, 9:30 am at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW).
BEIGNET POP-UP: 10 am-2 pm, you’ll find Jet City Beignet at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW).
SSC GARDEN CENTER: Scheduled to be open 10 am-2 pm today: “The Garden Center at South Seattle College provides Landscape Horticulture students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of plants while gaining real-world retail experience. Plants available for sale are selected, propagated, grown and presented by students. Additional plants are brought in from local growers. (6000 16th Ave SW, north lot)
MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Info about Marco’s music is here.
FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am in West Seattle, registration required – see full details in our calendar listing.
FAMILY READING TIME: Every Saturday at 11 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN: The home of West Seattle history is open for your visit, noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2236 SW Orchard)
VISCON CELLARS: Tasting room open – wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar open 1-6 pm, north end of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
LISTENING PARTY AT EASY STREET: Listen to the new self-titled album by BLEACHERS one week early! 5 pm at Easy Street Records. (4559 California SW)
canceled AT KENYON HALL: 7 pm, Great Aunt performs; reservation link in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
ALL-AGES OPEN MIC: 7-10 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way)
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: BOG’s Birthday Bash with Bad Honey and Wax Lips “drag extravaganza” at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm, $10 cover.
BEATS: Saturday night DJ at Revelry Room – 9 pm. (4547 California SW, alley side)
KARAOKE: Saturday night, sing at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW), starting at 10 pm, with Michael Van Fleet.
Planning a concert, open house, show, sale, event, walk, run, meeting, seminar, reading, field trip, fundraiser, class, game, or ? If the community’s welcome, your event belongs on our calendar! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Image from last December’s council-committee agenda, incorporating Google Maps photo)
Three months ago, outgoing City Councilmembers shelved consideration of a plan to pay the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Suquamish Tribe $133,000 for murals on up to 15 columns under the West Seattle Bridge – a mile from the Duwamish Tribe‘s Longhouse, funded with money left over in the bridge-repair project. In response to community concerns, then-Councilmember Lisa Herbold elicited SDOT acknowledgment that there had been no outreach to the Duwamish Tribe regarding the prospective pillar art, and a Transportation Committee vote was delayed at her request. According to the agenda published this afternoon, the proposal returns this Tuesday (March 5) to the committee, now chaired by Herbold’s District 1 successor, Councilmember Rob Saka. (The committee’s previous chair, Alex Pedersen, like Herbold, chose not to run for re-election last year.) Three of the committee’s other four members are new to the council as well.
Nothing in the agenda materials for Tuesday’s meeting indicates anything has changed since the December committee meeting at which the vote was postponed. In response to concerns about not involving the Duwamish Tribe in this project, SDOT reps mentioned at the December meeting that the Duwamish would be involved in a different art project closer to the Longhouse. They had few details to offer when we followed up at the time; that project has since been revealed to involve a stretch of sidewalk. Here’s an image the tribe included in an email to its members regarding a planning event for the sidewalk project:
Tuesday’s committee meeting is at 9:30 am at City Hall; it’ll include public comment, in person and remote, and the agenda explains how to participate. Other scheduled topics include an update on the newly released Seattle Transportation Plan and a “State of the Bridges” briefing.
The report and security-camera images were sent by Admiral Pub proprietor Alex Garcia:
It was bound to happen eventually. We had a break-in (today) around 5 am. We really have nothing worth stealing, it was more the 6k in damages that hurts the most. They stole alcohol, cash, and broke both the front doors and back door.
Luckily we have a temporary fix for both the front and back… but it will cost us 3k plus install for new front doors and the back door also is going to require a new door, frame + install etc.
Luckily we were still able to be open and will continue to be open.
As bar owners, we do our best to plan for these days, but they always come when you least expect them. If you would like to support us here are 2 ways you can support us: You can donate to our gofundme. Or you can come out next week to Wednesday Trivia (7 pm) or Thursday Music Bingo (7 pm). We will have drink specials and it will be a fundraiser for the new doors and lost liquor (that was stolen). Any kind of support would be greatly appreciated. We love you all!
We’ll add the SPD report number when we get it.
While we’re talking about person-to-person recycling/reusing – here’s an event this weekend, in case you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar: This Sunday (March 3), families are invited to participate in a free West Seattle toy swap! It’s happening (updated time) 2-4 pm Sunday at the Fit4Mom studio (2707 California SW). From the invitation:
Have toys that your little one is no longer loving? Let’s keep them in use!
Please bring 3-5 toys (any toys) geared toward little ones 7 and under:
– No vintage toys, or toys with missing parts or broken pieces
– All toys should be wiped down prior to showing up
– Bring a reusable bag or boxes for your takeaways
Leftovers will be donated. (Image via Freepik)
A few more people have asked us about West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2024 – so we’re stepping up the countdown. Today, we are exactly one month away from the start of registration. WSCGSD will be on Saturday, May 11, this year – always the second Saturday in May – and we open registration in early April. So on Monday, April 1, watch WSB for the announcement that registration has begun. If you’re new, WSCGSD – which we have coordinated since 2008, three years after it began – brings many sales large and small all over the peninsula, in garages and yards and courtyards and community rooms and schools and businesses and driveways and … (Here’s our coverage of last year’s WSCGSD.) We create a map/guide to all the sales, available a week in advance so you can start planning. So again, the dates to remember – April 1, registration begins; May 11, sale day!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Tell anyone that will hear you … we’re not going anywhere.”
At last night’s West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA annual-fund-drive kickoff dinner, that’s the “exciting news” that branch executive Cleveland King exhorted attendees to share. He was referring specifically to the Fauntleroy YMCA and the questions about its future that have been circulating since the Y considered closing it amid financial struggles.
King had one major announcement: Fauntleroy Church is giving the Y a rent break for the next three years, signing a lease through 2026, with what he later told WSB is a 33 percent discount. But that’s not all he said about Fauntleroy’s future – first, here’s video of his remarks:
King declared himself “the biggest advocate for keeping Fauntleroy YMCA open,” and acknowledged the Y had received both positive and not-so-positive suggestions in the two months since closure rumors sent a shock wave through the community.
Among the criticism has been the schedule for the location – just nine hours a week, weekday mornings at that. In an info sheet provided at last night’s event, the Y said it’s been unable to expand hours because the West Seattle/Fauntleroy membership and revenue still hasn’t recovered from the pandemic shutdown and restrictions: “During the pandemic, we lost 54% of our members and 60% of our membership revenue. Unfortunately, right now, we are still down. Currently, we have 30% fewer members, compared to the period before the Covid-19 pandemic.” The info sheet also notes staffing and operational costs have risen “substantially.” And it says the Y has tried to reduce expenses with limiting facility and building hours at both locations, as well as closing its Studio B space.
Nonetheless, King promised, they’re going to “work on” offering more at Fauntleroy, citing survey results showing community priorities including group fitness and teen activities. He again stressed that community participation is vital toward making that happen – three committees will meet on March 26 (as explained here).
But it’s not going to be all work and no play – he promised that the church and Y also will plan a centennial celebration, too, commemorating how long the two have been partners. “It’s a great day for the Y, the church, relationships … we’re sitting on 100 years and looking at another 100 years … tell anyone that will hear you, that we’re not going anywhere.”
Last night’s event overall was not meant just to drum up support for the Fauntleroy Y, but also to assist the branch’s main location in The Triangle.
Board chair Lisette Terry served as emcee and introduced several guest speakers who highlighted specific Y programs. Dr. Sonya Walker explained their “whole person health” offerings, including mental-health coaching as well as various ways of addressing physical health:
Aquatic director Sam Haisten said the pool program will be relaunching the “Safety Around Water” program:
Early-learning director Jill Mudge talked about their preschool programs, especially the relatively new center at Westwood Village, which she said is now serving more than 100 children, while explaining how scholarship money can help with the costs for some families. Perhaps the most enthusiastic speaker was youth basketball coach Mike Kreiger, who exclaimed, “What the YMCA does is magic!” as he spoke about kids getting their sports start in its programs.
One unscheduled speaker delivered the bottom-line call to action, standing up from a table just before the event ended. She asked attendees to “work at what we have to do to raise the money to support our beloved Fauntleroy,” adding, “You cannot be passive at this moment.” She recalled past drives that she said had brought in a quarter-million dollars (five times this year’s fund-drive goal). “We can do this again!” (Donations can be made online here.)
(WSB photo, February)
We just double-checked, and yes, West Seattle’s new driver-licensing office is now open as scheduled at Delridge/Dakota, on the back side of the building. The state announced the new location February 1 and opened it today after a week-long closure for moving out of the old location east of Westwood Village (whose owner plans a redevelopment project). Here’s where to make an appointment.
(Springlike scene earlier this week outside Holy Family – photo by Gill Loring)
Delayed by breaking news, here’s our list of Friday highlights, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Open 1-6 pm at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor).
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE BOOTHS: First day, as previewed last night – 12 locations with booths today, as early as 2 pm and as late as 8 pm.
FREE TODDLER GYM: 3-5 pm at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW).
VISCON CELLARS: Tasting room/wine bar open – wine by the glass or bottle – 5-9 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
BRITTANY DAVIS AT EASY STREET: Record-release party and live performance, 7 pm at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW). Free, all ages.
SWEET, SWEET MUSIC: Music, poetry, and dessert! 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), $10 suggested donation, kids free.
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: Tonight, you can enjoy the acoustic Circle of Songs at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm, all ages, no cover.
SHOWCASE AT THE SPOT: Fridays are Live Artist Showcase nights at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), 7-10 pm.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: 8 pm, Royal Blunder, Mourning Watch, Square Peg. $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
DJ NIGHT AT REVELRY ROOM: Music 9 pm-1 am on Fridays! (4547 California SW)
MAKE IT LOUD! Skate to live music at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW), 9 pm-midnight, this week featuring KLED, No Edits, Laser Beans. $18 cover + $5 skate rental
LATE-NIGHT SINGING: 10 pm karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
9:38 AM: Thanks to Desiree for the photo and report of a slide blocking Lincoln Park‘s north waterfront path, a short distance east of Colman Pool (and Bruun Idun the troll). We’re checking with Parks regarding cleanup plans.
3:15 PM: Christina Hirsch of Parks replied, “I can confirm that the trail will not reopen today. Our Heavy Equipment crew needs to get out there to do cleanup first.”
(Photo sent by Jonathan)
8:37 AM: Thanks for the tips about the SFD response to the West Seattle Water Taxi dock at Seacrest. SFD says there were “no signs of active fire” so it reduced what was initially a large response.
(Added: Photo sent by Carolyn)
8:49 AM: All SFD units have left the scene. Metro says West Seattle Water Taxi service is canceled for the rest of the morning. The Sally Fox is still at Seacrest, its doors open.
(WSB photo)
9:05 AM: The crew won’t comment on what happened; the original dispatch was for a possible engine-room fire. We’re checking with Metro management for comment, including how this will affect service later in the day.
10:35 AM: Here’s the official statement via Metro spokesperson Elaine Porterfield:
A minor engine fire was detected and quickly extinguished at about 8 a.m. on the King County Water Taxi MV Sally Fox while at the Seacrest dock in West Seattle. Crew members quickly evacuated the one passenger on board and activated the automated fire suppression system. The fire was immediately extinguished. No injuries occurred and the Seattle Fire Department inspected the vessel and confirmed the fire was out. Four crew members were aboard.
The Port Engineer and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) will inspect the vessel. Once the vessel is cleared to depart Seacrest dock, it will be brought back to Pier 48. It is anticipated that the King County Water Taxi the MV Spirit of Kingston will be brought in to resume West Seattle midday service.
11:04 AM: Water Taxi Watch tracker shows Sally Fox has left Seacrest, headed downtown.
11:29 AM: Metro says service is resuming with the 11:30 am run from downtown to West Seattle.
11:51 AM: As noted by a commenter, service has resumed with Doc Maynard, not Spirit of Kingston, though Metro’s Porterfield tells us the vessel assignment might change later.
9 AM: As noted here, West Seattle Water Taxi service is suspended until some point later in the day because of what was reported as an engine-room fire, albeit short-lived, aboard the Sally Fox.
Earlier:
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, March 1st.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Mostly cloudy, breezy, and more “wintry mix” possible in today’s forecast, high in the mid-40s. Sunrise will be at 6:48 am, sunset at 5:55 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!
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