West Seattle, Washington
18 Thursday
9:45 PM: Thanks for the tips. Power’s out for 329 homes in the Brace Point area, according to the Seattle City Light outage map, as of less than half an hour ago. The outage is attributed to “equipment failure”; the area has had multiple outages blamed on underground trouble over the years.
10:51 PM: As noted in a comment below, SCL says the outage is now affecting 169 homes.
2:29 AM: They’re still out.
10:26 AM: This morning 8 customers remain without electricity. We’ll be following up with SCL tomorrow about this outage and the long-planned project to address the area’s chronic problems.
2:27 PM: The outage is back to the original 329 customers, as pointed out below by commenter BP1, who says the SCL crew explained they had to do that for final repairs, which they hope to complete within the next two hours.
5:29 PM: BP1 noted below that the 329 number persisted on the map past when their power was restored; the outage has now entirely vanished from the map, so everyone should be reconnected.
ADDED MONDAY: We asked SCL’s Jenn Strang about the cause: “Due to a failed transformer. The first outage was caused by a fuse but when the area was restored the failed transformer was also found. The subsequent outage was required so that crews could safely access the area to replace the transformer.” We’ll have a separate update when we get the information about the upgrade project’s status.
Your next chance to plunge into Puget Sound from Alki Beach for a cause is one week from tomorrow – and this one is taking on disorders collectively known as EB, under the leadership of a West Seattle couple you might know. We received this announcement with the explanation that they’ve done this at their home in previous years but this year “want to get as many West Seattleites to join them as possible!”
Longtime West Seattleites Eddie & Jill Vedder co-founded EB Research Partnership (EBRP) in 2010 along with a dedicated group of parents set out to save their children’s lives. Their community will be rallying around Team Vedder by plunging into the cold waters of Puget Sound off Alki Beach on Sunday, April 21st at 10 am as part of a national campaign to raise money to treat and cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a family of painful and life-threatening rare genetic disorders that affect the body’s largest organ: the skin.
The Vedders serve as global fundraisers and ambassadors sharing the mission of curing and treating EB with the world. EBRP is now the largest global nonprofit funding research to discover treatments and cures for EB, and Jill serves as the Board’s chairperson. The organization has raised more than $60 million, funded 140 research projects, increased clinical trials from 2 to now more than 40, and helped lead to the first two ever FDA-approved treatments for EB last year.
The Plunge for Elodie is named after 7-year-old Elodie Kubik, who lives with a severe form of EB. The event began in 2018 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, organized by friends of Elodie’s mother, and has now grown into an annual global fundraising and awareness-raising initiative.
This year, Team Vedder will be plunging Alki Beach with a local EB patient, Patterson, a young boy who, like Elodie, suffers from a severe form of EB. Patterson endures daily bandage changes that can be grueling and take time away from other activities. EB is challenging, as it affects so much more than just his skin. It is a constant battle, both physically and emotionally, as he navigates through pain, itch, inflammation, and wound care. But amidst the challenges, there is a powerful force that emerges – strength and resilience.
“We are inspired by the courage that those with EB, like Patterson and Elodie, show every single day to fight alongside them. Our mission is to cure EB by 2030 and events like the Plunge help us raise the awareness and dollars to achieve it. We have made tremendous progress towards our goal of delivering treatments and a cure; however, we will not stop until there is a cure for every patient and our model can lead the way for all those battling rare diseases,” said EBRP Chairwoman Jill Vedder.
4 Ways to Support Team Vedder’s #PlungeForElodie This Year
1. Donate to Team Vedder: Hit the “Donate” Button to give. Every dollar raised through the Plunge supports EBRP’s mission to treat and cure EB.
2. Fundraise in Your Community: If you want to go bigger and make your own fundraising page under The Vedder Team, click “Join Team” and follow the prompts to create an account. (All ofyour efforts will be tallied up on the “Team Vedder” page.)* We have good prizes for top fundraisers!
3. Join Vedders & Friends in person at Alki Beach near the bathhouse at 10 am on Sunday, April 21 to take the plunge with us by making a minimum donation of $25 here *AND* completing this waiver online prior to the event.
4. If you can’t join us in-person, film yourself taking a virtual plunge in a cold-body-of-water, mound of snow, or tub filled with ice and tag @ebresearch and @jill.vedder #PlungeForElodie on April 21st so we can see your amazing plunge!
Alki Event Participants – Know Before You Go
-Bring a copy of your signed waiver and registration form, both of which need to be submitted ahead of time online.
-Arrive ready to Plunge with your plunge clothes beneath the clothes you wear to the event.
-Don’t forget to bring warm clothes and towels for after you plunge, comfy shoes that are easy to slip in and out of, and something to put your wet clothes in after!
-There will be no lifeguards on duty.
-Swim caps will be provided, first come-first serve.
More About EBRP
Combining its award-winning Venture Philanthropy business model and world-renown Scientific Advisory Board, EBRP is creating a blueprint for how rare diseases can be cured. Donating to EBRP not only supports families fighting EB everywhere, but also has the potential to impact thousands of other rare diseases.
Thanks to the long-standing support of brave EB Warriors, resilient EB families, brilliant medical experts and generous donors, EBRP has been able to raise over $60M for critical EB research, fund 140+ innovative projects, and accelerator the first two FDA approved treatments for EB and transform the clinical trial landscape by 20x since 2010.
The Alki Beach Bathhouse is at 60th SW/Alki SW.
If you saw that police response toward the east end of Sylvan Way this morning, it was for a home-burglary investigation. The neighbor who sent the photo reports someone broke into the house after 10:30 am, apparently via an unlocked door, while the resident was asleep. The suspect was taken into custody, according to the neighbor, who reports, “Our neighbor is fine, just very shaken up.” The SPD incident # is 24-099963. We’ll be following up.
(File photo, courtesy West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails)
This year’s series of free guided hikes hosted by the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group starts one week from today! Here’s their invitation for you:
Hike nearby in the largest contiguous forest in Seattle. The West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group will resume our popular guided hikes in the greenbelt on third Saturday mornings during the spring, summer, and fall. The first one is April 20. All meet and start at 9:30 a.m. at the south parking lot of Pathfinder K-8 School, 1901 SW Genesee Street.
Hike up to three miles and/or two hours based on group ability and trail conditions. The choice of trails may vary each month, usually on a mixture of maintained and less maintained trails. For more information, see wdgtrails.com.
(WSB photos)
That’s just some of what volunteer divers, coordinated by Seattle Dive Tours, brought up from the seafloor around Seacrest this morning. With the Water Taxi taking a break this weekend, it was the perfect chance to remove some discarded junk from Elliott Bay, as SDT and volunteers have done before. This electric scooter was one of the more unusual items:
Also retrieved: A handgun, which had been turned over to police by the time we visited the pier in late morning. Fairly rusty, we’re told, so it’s apparently been in the water a while. (Checking on last year’s cleanup coverage – divers found a scooter and gun then, too.)
P.S. Want to volunteer on land – in a way that benefits local waters and wildlife? Duwamish Alive! is next Saturday.
That photo is from early this morning, after police responded to a burglary at Alki Mail and Dispatch (4701 SW Admiral Way). Proprietor Bree sent the report, photo, and videos, and a request for customers who might have been affected:
I’m very sad to report that we were the victims of a break-in at 5:12 am this morning. There had been 2 previous failed attempts to make entry in the last few months (the 2nd time only being about 2 weeks ago) but apparently 3rd time was the charm.
From our early assessment … they grabbed 6 packages that were logged in for our personal mailbox holders, and from what we can tell, about 15-20 outbound prepaid parcels that had been dropped off by customers to go out, mostly UPS and a few FedEx. This is where our trouble lays, as we unfortunately don’t have a way of knowing who’s prepaid drop offs were taken. I feel so horrible that these awful people stole not only from me but from my customers! They also grabbed a bunch of my Alki T-shirts and hoodies, a few other knickknacks and, strangely, all of the Snapples from my beverage cooler!
I believe it may have been 3-4 people … They were men that all appear to be dressed in construction gear. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see any of their faces, although one did appear to have long dark hair. From what Officer Carey (the responding policeman) said, it appears they used a pry tool of some sort to gain entry. Thankfully there’s no damage.
My biggest concern is trying to locate customers who dropped off their prepaid outgoing parcels. If anyone dropped off a package after 4 pm on 4/12/24, please contact us either at our email staff@alkimail.com or call us at 206-932-2556 or to stop in and speak with us.
Bree says one box has already been found, empty. (added) Police report # is 24-099757.
(Added: WSB photos)
8:47 AM: Seattle Fire has a big response at a fire in the 9200 block of 18th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
8:51 AM: SFD says the fire was largely confined to a garage, and that it’s been “knocked down”; no injuries.
8:59 AM: Firefighters have now declared the fire “tapped” (out). They’ve checked the house at the same address and say the fire did not spread.
9:18 AM: At the scene, the incident commander tells us the fire’s cause is under investigation. Meantime, SFD is calling for the Red Cross to come help two adults and a teenager affected by the fire.
A pot of … coffee at the end of the rainbow? Animated Café proprietor Melanie/”Ana” sent that photo with news that she’s reopening today in her new Georgetown spot, one month after leaving West Seattle. She’s not far, just off the north end of the 1st Avenue South Bridge:
We’re finally re-opening again at 303 S Michigan St in Georgetown. We’re the first exit into Georgetown when you’re going north over the 1st Ave Bridge. We’re also finally set up to be a true drive-thru, the original vision for Animated Cafe.
I have to also give a huge shout-out to The Reef recreational cannabis store, who has leased us a location in their parking lot and has been incredibly supportive in the relocation. I can’t wait to see everyone again, and I’m so excited to be back up and running.
We did a bit of a remodel, made some upgrades, and have a brand new panini press perfect for making the toastiest of sandwiches. Also take a look at this beautiful omen (above) right before opening!
This is Animated Café’s third location – it launched in the Tony’s Market lot at 35th/Barton and then moved to 4518 Fauntleroy Way SW.
(Northern Flickers, photographed by Jerry Simmons)
Welcome to April’s second weekend! Here are highlights for today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
NO WATER TAXI: Service is canceled for today and tomorrow while the crew and vessels get ready for the added spring/summer service (Friday/Saturday later-evening runs) starting in the coming week. Service resumes Monday.
NO SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR MEETING: As noted late last night, our area’s Seattle School Board director Gina Topp had to cancel the community-conversation meeting that was supposed to happen at 10:30 am.
WEST SEATTLE RUNNER GROUP RUN: The store‘s where to meet for the weekly free group run at 8 am. (2743 California SW)
FREE! HEAVILY MEDITATED: Arrive by 8:50 am for community meditation at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska). Free event every Saturday but please register.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Second of two days for the Huskies’ second and final Alki Beach tournament of the season – starting with UW’s first game of the day at 10 am; see the schedule here.
EARLY EARTH DAY VOLUNTEERING: 10 am-1 pm at Westcrest Park (9000 8th SW) – details in our calendar listing.
SSC GARDEN CENTER: Plants await you at the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus, 10 am-3 pm.
FAMILY STORY TIME: 10:30 am-11 am at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond).
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.
UNDERWATER CLEANUP: During this Water Taxi-less day, Seattle Dive Tours is leading an underwater cleanup off Seacrest, 11 am-1 pm. (1660 Harbor SW)
WONDER WALK – FORAGING FOR BEGINNERS: 11 am at Camp Long (5200 SW Dawson) – check to see if tickets (by donation) are left!
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: Open 1-6 pm at the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
NEPENTHE’S WALK-IN MASSAGE CLINIC: 3-5 pm, show up at Nepenthe (9447 35th SW) with a specific problem to be addressed by massage, and you’ll get a free (gratuities appreciated) trial of their work.
LOW TIDE: Beachwalking alert – the tide is out to -1.4 feet at 3:07 pm today.
FLYOVER? The Mariners‘ 6:40 pm home game vs. the Cubs is “Salute to Armed Forces Night.” Will that bring a flyover? We asked the M’s Friday. We didn’t get a reply. But if you see unusual aircraft activity this evening … you’ve been forewarned.
SECOND WEEKEND FOR ‘ENGLISH’: The new play continues at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm. Ticket link in our calendar listing.
LIVE AT C & P: Guitar Gil performs 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), no cover, all ages.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Emerald City King’s Ball – Crown Jewels April Fools Drag King Show at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) – doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm, 21+, tickets available here.
ALL-AGES OPEN MIC: 7-10 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way)
BEATS: Saturday night DJs at Revelry Room – 9 pm. Tonight, DJ Soul Focus FM is at the Room. (4547 California SW, alley side)
KARAOKE: Saturday night, sing at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW), starting at 10 pm.
Planning a pop-up, 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!
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