West Seattle, Washington
19 Tuesday
6:07 PM: The May 2024 West Seattle Art Walk is happening right now at more than three dozen venues from North Admiral to Morgan Junction!
Our first stop tonight is West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW), where Clara Boline is tonight’s featured artist:
Her show, “Bumper Sticker on a Ferrari,” is described on the Art Walk website as:
This show depicts orchids with various permanent changes made to them. The series of work is meant to call out the strength and resilience of femininity and the harmful comments women receive when making permanent changes to their own bodies. The title of the show refers to a comment the artist has actually received; “Why would she get that tattoo? It’s like slapping a bumper sticker on a Ferrari!”
She’s at WSG until 8 pm. Now that it’s past 6 pm, we’re off to check out some of the 11 performances comprising Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices until 7:45 pm. More coverage to come! (WSB is an Art Walk co-sponsor.)
6:30 PM: CAPERS in The Junction (4511 California SW) is featuring artists from the West Seattle Garden Tour poster contest, including winner Pam Lustig:
6:52 PM: At the Discovery Shop – a nonprofit that raises money for the American Cancer Society – volunteer Ann McClary is tonight’s artist:
She’s donating proceeds from sales of her watercolors.
7:34 PM: Thanks to Jason Grotelueschen for this clip of Sue Quigley‘s Muse Fest appearance at Beveridge Place Pub:
Sue co-coordinated the Muse Fest lineup. She had to cut her set short, so Sheryl Wiser moved over from Whisky West next door:
Co-coordinator for Muse Fest with Quigley was John Redenbaugh, who arranges Art of Music performances for many Art Walks through the year. Art Walk is second Thursday, every month, so that means the next one is June 13!
It’s been a month since we first reported on County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda standing before the Sound Transit Board and asking them to put West Seattle light rail on a Delridge route that could bypass and potentially save local businesses. Those local businesses also have been taking their case to the board, while making contingency plans; we talked with Erin Rubin of Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and Mode Music and Performing Arts in this report. Now another business in the project’s path, West Seattle Health Club, is asking its members for support. Several readers have forwarded us this message sent to WSHC members by club management today:
We have been informed of the recent decision by Sound Transit to alter its initial plan for the West Seattle Light Rail. Rather than running it around the West Seattle Health Club, the preferred route would require placing a pillar through our pool. We have been working diligently, alongside local businesses and King County Councilmember, Teresa Mosqueda, to ensure that our concerns are heard by the Sound Transit board. Specifically, we have requested a refinement of the plan to place the pillar 20 feet west of the club or over the top. The board has acknowledged our request, and a final decision will be made in June.
We are advocating for a change in the decision, which, while not immediately impacting the gym, would, over time, have significant ramifications. The removal of the West Seattle Health Club would not only result in the loss of a gym but also the displacement of a community. We believe that the decision-makers on the board may not fully appreciate the gym’s value to our community. Some of you have been members since the early 2000s when the gym was known as Allstar Fitness. You have shown remarkable loyalty and dedication to the club and its community, even during challenging times of poor management and financial struggles. We are aware that you have expressed concerns about the proposed changes because you do not wish to lose a community staple that has become so important to you. Some of you have made lifelong friends at the West Seattle Health Club, formerly known as Allstar Fitness, and have been members for over two decades. We are not merely a gym. We are an all-inclusive community that provides a sense of belonging and support. While there may be several other gym options in the area, none can match the feeling of walking through the doors of the West Seattle Health Club.
We support Sound Transit’s efforts to bring the Light Rail to the West Seattle community. However, the removal of our gym will have a profound impact, not only on our community of over 6200 members but also on over 100 employees who travel to West Seattle and support the businesses in the area. We implore you to support us in our efforts to communicate to the Sound Transit board that placing a pillar through the pool of the West Seattle Health Club is not merely a matter of relocating another business. It would have far-reaching consequences.
If you wish to voice your opinion, please contact Cali Knight at CKnight@kingcounty.gov and Shannon Braddock at Shannon.Braddock@kingcounty.gov.
Shannon Braddock, a West Seattleite, is deputy county executive for County Executive Dow Constantine, also a West Seattleite, who is on the Sound Transit Board. Calli Knight is also on the executive’s staff, as infrastructure initiatives director. The board has not yet made a decision about final routing but is expected to vote in the second half of this year, after the final Environmental Impact Statement is released (no date for that yet beyond “midyear”).
(Schmitz Park, in the center of pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen‘s 2012 image)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In the spirit of the people who brought Fauntleroy Creek back from near-death, a new community coalition is dreaming of restoring another creek to its salmon-sustaining glory.
Right now, the stream in Schmitz (Preserve) Park ends unceremoniously underground and then into Elliott Bay via an outfall. The vision is to daylight it and let it run to the sea along its historic path to Alki.
To daylight this vision, a roomful of community leaders gathered at renowned photographer Art Wolfe‘s Seaview home this past Tuesday night for a presentation that Wolfe himself introduced, with a slideshow of images of Schmitz Park in its greenest glory.
“This is a good idea for this time,” declared Wolfe – good for people, good for wildlife (he mentioned his most recent book “Wild Lives“). That wildlife includes salmon; they have just a few home creeks left in the city limits, including Fauntleroy and Longfellow, but Wolfe expressed certainty that Schmitz Park’s creek could join them. “I think it’s worth trying to open-air the creek to salt water.” That would be a few blocks downhill to the north, at Alki Beach.
The room rippled with people murmuring “yes” in agreement. Wolfe continued showing images of what he found in Schmitz Park earlier this spring – trillium and salmonberry flowers, hummingbirds “like little gems,” a pileated woodpecker, red-breasted sapsucker, the snags where birds can find food and respite, trees coated with moss. Wolfe said everyone should see it for themselves: “This kind of environment” – the forest’s “boggy bottom” – “is what purifies the water and makes this a viable salmon-spawning resource.”
His photos also included the not-so-scenic grate over a segment of the creek at 57th and Stevens – here’s the Google Maps Street View image of that spot:
From there, he recounted, the culvert “empties so far out (in Elliott Bay) that nobody realizes (fresh water is mingling).” Wolfe said a potential vision for the Schmitz Park creek could be to run the streambed along a street and down to the beach, “maybe a sidewalk along one side and the creek on the other.” But he stressed that it’s “early in the game” and this is just an idea for now. But: “I think we need more salmon-spawning streams.”
Next to speak was Daniel Nye, co-chair of the new coalition, the Schmitz Park Creek Restore Project. He too spoke reverently of Schmitz Park, “sacred ground,” observing that its old-growth trees “have been here waiting and watching … for centuries since the icebergs retreated.” The forest, he reiterated, is “a spiritual place.”
Nye recounted the park’s history – long before it was a park, it was part of the home territory of the Duwamish people (whose chair Cecile Hansen and council member Ken Workman were among the guests at the gathering). In 1851, the Alki arrival of the white settlers known as the Denny Party started a wave of change on the peninsula. The Schmitz family (whose representative Vicki Schmitz Block was at the gathering) set aside the 53 unlogged acres that became Schmitz Park.
Nye talked about the park’s design by the famed Olmsted Brothers (shown above in an image from a federal website). Their plan “was only partly realized,” he noted – hopes of a “treed corridor (that) went from Alki to the Park” went unrealized, though, as he observed, the features that were realized included the WPS-built “art deco bridge” circa 1936.
This new effort, he said, could make a long-held dream come true. That’s why Nye and co-chair Brian Barilleaux are “getting together a group of people and approaching Seattle Parks with a plan of how to achieve this, and how to finance it.” Nye noted that this is a rare chance to “protect and preserve” something that has not yet been totally transformed from its origins. “We also want to restore the ties to the community and the gift of this park that was given.” And it would be a gift for our area’s life-sustaining salmon. “There are no marine species (in the creek). because it was cut off … even though it’s clear water, it’s essentially lifeless. We want to bring the fish back. … If we restore it, the fish will come.”
But long before the grand dream of daylighting the creek might come true, Nye said, people can take relatively simple action now to help the park and creek – removing ivy and graffiti, clearing blocked sections of the creek within the park. And in the big picture, “There are several ways to get the creek to the beach.” Looking back into history, they think the Alki Elementary playground might have held a “natural lagoon”: “The ghosts of that lagoon are still there,” so perhaps the creek ran in that area to get to the sea.
The dream stretches beyond the creek. They envision the possibility of a National Heritage Area, with buildings such as Alki Point Lighthouse, the Alki Beach Bathhouse, the Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead – and the awaiting-a-new-home Stone Cottage could factor into this too (among those at the gathering was Mike Shaughnessy from Save The Stone Cottage). Wayfinding to help people with area trails could be a factor. Barilleaux added, “Make it a historic monument and historic attraction.”
Other possibilities suggested by Nye: Restoring ties with local schools; demonstrating Indigenous agriculture such as camas (recently planted at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse) and berries; honoring the “sacred” nature of the forest and creek through connecting with local faith communities.
So how to make it happen? Schmitz Park already has inspired generosity and future vision, Nye noted, with a nod to yet another person in the room, Bruce Stotler, who has donated his park-adjacent home to become part of the park when he’s gone. “He’s an inspiration to all of us … in the tradition of Emma and Ferdinand Schmitz.”
An initial list of coalition supporters was shown – and an invitation offered for all to join – that means you, too. “Even if there’s nothing you think you can contribute to this, you can pull out ivy!” They’re going to have ivy-removal training sessions soon, and then organize teams to go to the park in June and July and get going.
You can find out more about the restoration proposal here, and you can email with questions or to volunteer at SchmitzParkCreekRestore@gmail.com.
Buy plants, support education! You can do that every day the South Seattle College Garden Center – one of our newest sponsors – is open. Here’s what they would like you to know:
Discover the vibrant world of plants and support both budding horticulturalists and a student-run business at the Garden Center at South Seattle College, located in the Puget Ridge neighborhood of West Seattle [map]. Our center serves as a hands-on learning hub for Landscape Horticulture Program students, offering them real-world experience and knowledge in both plant care and retail. By supporting the Garden Center, you are supporting our students’ goals in pursuit of careers in the landscape horticulture field.
Step into our oasis and explore a diverse array of indoor and outdoor plants, including snake plants, bird nest ferns, annual edibles, and a variety of colorful flowers. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, our dedicated volunteers and students are available to provide expert advice and insight, honing their skills while helping you cultivate your green thumb.
Nestled between our living, breathing classroom, the Arboretum, and the Northwest Wine Academy (with a tasting room!), our Garden Center is a year-round haven for plant lovers. As the seasons change, so does our selection, ensuring your garden projects thrive year-round.
This Spring and Summer, join us in nurturing both plants and students by supporting the Landscape Horticulture program and our student-run Garden Center.
Visit us Thursday through Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm, and follow us on Instagram for updates and inspiration. We can’t wait to grow with you!
We thank the South Seattle College Garden Center 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!
With the snow-sports season ending, Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle is going “appointment-only.” Here’s the announcement we received on behalf of M2SO proprietor Greg Whittaker:
Greetings Fellow Snow and Paddle Sport Lovers,
We have some updates as we plan for summer that we wanted to share with you all. Effective May 12th, Mountain to Sound Outfitters will temporarily close to regular store hours for the summer season and pivot to appointment only. This decision reflects our commitment to improvement, as we seek to restructure our operations for the betterment of our community and to set up for a fantastic 2024-2025 winter season. We will remain open at Alki Kayak Tours, and will keep staff busy at the beach running on-water operations and facilitating by appointment sales and services at Mountain to Sound Outfitters.
During this hiatus, we will be working behind the scenes, refining our offerings and updating some systems to help the operations run smoothly. When we return for the launch of the 2024-25 winter season we look forward to reconnecting and dialing you in with the best winter gear.
Your support during this transitional period means the world to us. We invite you to visit us over the weeks, whether to stock up on summer essentials or gear up for the snowy season ahead. Your patronage now will help sustain us through this period of reimagining. If you are in need of paddle gear, please order and buy online, or make an appointment and we will be your personal shopper during our appointment hours.
We want to express our gratitude for your support and understanding during this reset. Rest assured, we remain committed to serving you. We still have a great selection of stand up paddleboards, kayaks, and accessories as well as vehicle racks. Most of what we sell will be available for demo at our sister business Alki Kayak Tours, which will be open 7 days a week beginning in June, and is currently operating weekends and by appointment. Please check our website for updates.
Sincerely,
Greg & the M2S Crew
With 70-degree weather, you’re not going to want to stay inside after work or school, so here are the options for the hours ahead!
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK WITH MUSE FEST: Not only is tonight full of art, it’s full of music, as previewed here on Wednesday – 11 venues are hosting musicians who will perform free mini-concerts 6 pm-7:45 pm for Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices.
In addition, more than three dozen venues from North Admiral to Morgan Junction are ready to welcome you to view this month’s featured art, with the artist(s) on hand at many stops. The list/map is here; see who’s featured where by scrolling through this page. Enjoy food/drink specials at participating restaurants/bars, too! Art Walk receptions are generally 5-8 pm.
Here’s what else is happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Now open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -3.2 feet – lowest this month! – at 12:24 pm.
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com for info on where they’re playing today.
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar now open Thursdays-Saturdays 1 pm-6 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
STRONG BODIES, STRONG BONES: 2:30 pm class at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
HELP CARE FOR HIGH POINT’S FRUIT TREES: Spend part of your evening with City Fruit caring for the fruit trees at High Point Commons Park (Graham/Lanham), 4-6 pm – more info and RSVP link in our calendar listing!
HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: Every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Off the Rez.
FREE ECO-ARTS CLASS: 5-7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – you’re invited to drop in!
VISCON CELLARS: The West Seattle winery’s tasting room/wine bar is open 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) not just for Art Walk but also for wine by the glass or bottle.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at Good Society (California/Lander) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run.
HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: 6:30 pm, meet at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) for a 3-mile run through the neighborhood. (Walking option, too!)
BLUES NIGHT: 6:30-9 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.
Planning an event that should be on our calendar and in daily preview lists like this one? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB photo, April 27)
Twice a year, Fauntleroy Church offers the community the opportunity for free drop-off recycling of many items you can’t put out for curbside pickup. Judy Pickens shares the tally from the recent spring edition:
At least 475 people took advantage of 1 Green Planet‘s free, responsible recycling at Fauntleroy Church on April 27. The day’s take of 15.518 tons of recyclables brought the total since these Recycle Roundups began, in 2010, to just over 353 tons. The fall roundup will be on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The participation fluctuates a bit year to year – weather can be a factor, too – but for comparison, this is up a bit from last year’s spring totals.
Another school fundraiser is welcoming wider community participation this week. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:
The annual Move-a-Thon at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is happening THIS WEEK May 9 & 10! We invite the community to support our STEM students by making donations to a specific grade on the move-a-thon page (under “classes”) or through our general donation page.
All STEM students get to participate in the Move-a-Thon during their regular PE class. Activity stations such as four-square, volleyball or dance party will be set up in the gym, and students will rotate through the stations during PE class.
The Move-a-Thon is a fundraiser that helps pay for library books, school and classroom supplies, staff appreciation, and much more to support our school.
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, May 9.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Sunny and warm today, high in the low 70s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:39 am; sunset will be at 8:32 pm.
UPCOMING ALERTS
FRIDAY & SATURDAY: No specifics yet on President Biden‘s route, just the airspace advisory suggesting his Seattle visit will span a window of 5:15 pm Friday to 2:45 pm Saturday.
SATURDAY: From Seattle Public Utilities, covering the next two Saturdays:
On Saturday, May 11 and Saturday, May 18, SPU contractor crews will be performing pavement restoration on Sylvan Way SW between SW Orchard St and Delridge Way SW as part of the Longfellow Natural Drainage System (NDS) project.
To perform this work safely and effectively, Sylvan Way SW between Home Depot’s eastern access and SW Orchard St will be temporarily closed to traffic. Local access will be allowed to driveways east of the closure on Sylvan Way SW. Signage and flaggers will be on site to direct traffic. Working hours on May 11 and May 18 will be 7 am – 7 pm.
ALSO SATURDAY: It’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day at more than 500 locations around the peninsula and a bit beyond, 9 am-3 pm.
ONGOING ROAD-WORK ALERT
*SDOT’s info page for the Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project is updated with more details about the ongoing work at Delridge/Oregon, which is narrowed as a result:
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 last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Low bridge: Open.
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
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 open for vessel traffic. (We’re aware that the low bridge hasn’t shown up in this feed since the recent closure, and we’re awaiting word from SDOT on whether that’ll be fixed.)
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
Many months into Seattle Public Schools‘ march toward seemingly inevitable school closures/consolidations to close a budget hole, a few things were clarified at tonight’s School Board meeting. For one, they’re only talking about elementary schools, so the plan that Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones is working on might be more accurately titled “A System of Well-Resourced Elementary Schools.” For two, while they insist there’s no specific list yet, the likelihood is that about 20 of the district’s 70 elementaries will be proposed for closure/consolidation:
But the district’s chief operating officer Fred Podesta insisted, “We weren’t looking for 20 schools to close, we’re looking for 50 schools to keep open.” They also outlined how a “well-resourced school” would be staffed – about 500 students, with full-time art, music, and PE teachers (though not full-time nurses):
The well-resourced schools plan – minus a specific list of schools – was discussed with board members after they moved down to tables with district managers; they voted unanimously at the meeting’s end to accept the plan outline, which was not, it was stressed, an “approval.” First, lots of questions; West Seattle/South Park board director Gina Topp, for example, asked Dr. Jones how he came to decide that closures/consolidations was the way to go. “A smaller footprint is going to allow us to do more things,” he replied. Other board directors asked hypotheticals regarding criteria for choosing which schools would be proposed for changes; the replies seemed to indicate that enrollment size will be the major driver.
Wondering about local elementaries’ sizes? West Seattle/South Park has 11 SPS elementaries – we’ve listed them with the enrollment projections for next year as noted in this budgeting document:
Alki (currently at the former Schmitz Park Elementary building, awaiting its appeal-delayed rebuild/expansion) – 267
Arbor Heights (rebuilt and expanded in the past decade) – 450
Concord International – 264
Fairmount Park (closed in the ’00s, reopened and expanded in the ’10s) – 366
Gatewood – 402
Genesee Hill (rebuilt and expanded in the past decade) – 439
Highland Park – 238
Lafayette – 494
Roxhill at EC Hughes (renovated six years ago) – 240
Sanislo – 164
West Seattle (recently expanded) – 330
So what’s next? Meetings:
We’ll publish the list of community meeting dates and places as soon as it’s made public. Meantime, Dr. Jones spoke repeatedly of bringing a detailed closure/consolidation proposal to the board “sometime next month,” no specific date yet. See tonight’s slide deck in full here. Again, this would be a plan to start in the 2025-2026 school year, NOT next school year.
(Photos courtesy Kersti Muul)
That baby Barred Owl was in a bit of a predicament tonight at Lincoln Park. We got a text from someone who said the owlet seemed to have fallen out of its tree, and what should they do? We in turn texted local wildlife advocate Kersti Muul to ask her. She ended up heading to the park and helping the fuzzy little critter.
The folks who originally texted explained this followed a youth-baseball game:
The West Seattle Baseball team Husky Deli Pintos were walking back and a group of kids and parents spotted the owl and were amazed seeing the baby and the mama owl fending off the crows trying to harass them. We probably watched it all for 10 minutes. Thanks for connecting us to Kersti; she went right down and got the owl! She knew right where the nest was. What a neat and sweet West Seattle story!
Kersti tells us she’s hoping the owlet can be returned to its nest quickly.
Time for our daily reminder that 500+ of your neighbors – maybe you’re among them? – will be hosting sales this Saturday on West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day! If you haven’t seen the map yet, it’s here (where you’ll also find a link to the printable guide). We’re continuing to compile mini-lists – tonight, sales for pet people! First, the sales mentioning pet item(s)
#36: 7031 13th Ave SW
#88: 4116 California Ave SW
#115: 5000 SW Charlestown St
#144: 5002 SW Andover St
#169: 3225 47th Ave SW
#243: 4707 45th Ave SW
#278: 5940 36th Ave SW
#287: 8308 35th Ave SW
#331: 9600 34th Ave SW
#382: 4117 39th Ave SW
#428: 7571 46th Ave SW
#490: 9809 39th Ave SW
#514: 3528 SW 107th St
These sales’ descriptions mention dog item(s) specifically:
#11: 8115 12th Ave SW
#16: 4712 25th Ave SW
#41: 1600 SW Graham St
#58: 3303 56th Ave SW
#98: 3420 60th Ave SW
#120: 4851 46th Ave SW
#148: 2214 42nd Ave SW
#185: 2205 44th Ave SW
#208: 2768 44th Ave SW
#298: 6547 30th Place SW
#299: 3005 SW Barton St
#334: 3420 37th Ave SW
#488: 6043 48th Ave SW
And at one sale, #156 at 3435 47th Ave SW, you can bring your pet for a portrait – that sale is both a fundraiser (for Hazelwood Preschool) and a launch party of sorts for PAWparazzi, described as “a new West Seattle-based pop-up mobile pet photo studio.” That’s not the only sale with “something extra”; we’ll spotlight more of those tomorrow. Meantime, a reminder that both the clickable map of sales and the link to the printable guide (PDF, 32 pages) are accessible here. (Links to our previous mini-lists – including fundraisers, businesses, sales with lemonade stands, and sales with extra days – are on the map page, too.)
(WSB photos)
One of the three local high-school teams that played Metro League postseason ballgames this afternoon and evening is still standing: The West Seattle High School softball team. Our photos are from the first of the two games they played today at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, an 11-1 win over Eastside Catholic. Above, Julia Herron at the plate – she hit a triple today. Below, Tangerine Zurek threw a complete game, giving up only five hits and one run.
A few hours later, the Wildcats lost to Roosevelt, 14-0. WSHS’s next game is at 3:30 pm Friday vs. the loser of tonight’s Blanchet-Prep game.
Also in softball today, Chief Sealth International High School lost a must-win game vs. Holy Names at NCSWAC this afternoon, 15-0.
Chief Sealth’s baseball team also came to the end of its road at the Metro tournament today, losing to Blanchet 2-0 at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center.
Ford Rains pitched the complete game, giving up 2 runs on only 1 hits and 1 walk. The Seahawks almost rallied in the final inning – Mason Filitaula drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and made it to third.
But a double play ended the game.
P.S. The WSHS baseball team is off until Saturday, when it plays Ballard for the Metro championship, also at Steve Cox (1321 SW 102nd), at 7 pm.
You might have noticed a few of those unique parking signs around the peninsula. They mark curbside spaces for users of Seattle City Light‘s new public Level 2 curbside chargers. SCL invited media to a demonstration on Tuesday at the one installed in the 2100 block of California SW, one of the locations we first mentioned after spotting the city permit application more than a year ago. Citywide, the pilot project is installing 58 chargers at 31 locations – two chargers at most sites – and 25 of those sites are now operational, five in West Seattle, including this one.
The program uses a few different types of chargers – this one is tailored expressly to installation on metal utility poles. It’s first-come, first-served, up to four hours of parking for EVs that are being charged (longer if they’re parked overnight). They envision the average user, driving 25 miles a day, would use a charger like this once or twice a week, for up to four hours. These are (corrected) 9.6-kilowatt-hour chargers, not high-speed; the cost to the user is 21 cents per kilowatt-hour, so that’s (corrected) about $2 an hour, which SCL’s Jacob Orenberg says would get the average EV driver about 30 miles. You need to use an app, special card, or pay by phone to get access to the cord. Here’s how it works.
To reduce the chances of vandalism and theft that have plagued City Light’s first generation of public chargers, features include the cables staying inaccessible until activated, and the fact that these Level 2 cables have very little content of value, Orenberg said, maybe “a buck worth of copper.” The installation and activation took longer than originally hoped, he also said, for reasons inclluding designs that needed to be “reconfigured,” leading to “permits that needed to be redone,” and contractor scheduling delays, “no one thing.” But now that they’re available, SCL say, “use has far exceeded our expectations,” so far. You can see the five West Seattle locations (plus the city’s Junction fast-charger station, and future Morgan Junction charging lot) on this map.
Here’s your chance to see the Seattle Symphony without leaving West Seattle and without buying tickets – plus, talented student musicians too. We received the announcement today:
On Tuesday, May 14, the Seattle Symphony returns to West Seattle and shares the stage with the Chief Sealth International High School Chamber Orchestra for a FREE 60-minute Community Concert featuring works by an array of composers, from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Elisa Kain Johnson, a recent alum of the Symphony’s Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop!
Admission free, but RSVP recommended – go here. Chief Sealth IHS is at 2600 SW Thistle; the auditorium is on the west side of the campus.
Today we welcome two new WSB sponsors, The Alpine Diner and Big Mario’s, neighbors sharing the space at 9635 16th SW in White Center. As new sponsors, here’s what they would like you to know:
If you’ve ever had the privilege of enjoying an après ski (that is, the meal and company following a long day of skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or otherwise enjoying the alpine), you’ll know there’s something a little magical about a lodge: Enjoying a hot meal in a cozy place after a day of exposure is deeply satisfying.
That’s exactly the emotion we set out to capture at The Alpine Diner & Big Mario’s White Center. Every choice, from our menu to our decor, is designed with warmth in mind. At Alpine Diner, the sister to Seattle favorite Lost Lake Café, we’ve crafted a menu of family-friendly familiar favorites: Burgers, breakfasts, hearty dinners, and monthly specials inspired by the season.
Cross the open threshold into neighboring Big Mario’s, and grab the famous NY-inspired slice popular enough to garner a cult following in Seattle.
Need to take a break from the table? Hit up the game room shared by both restaurants.
We’ve been asked: Why White Center? And our answer is simple: Because we couldn’t imagine a better environment to welcome our own families. It’s Seattle’s newest up-and-coming neighborhood — We’re situated directly next to Southgate Roller Rink, a favorite stop to many venturing south of downtown. New businesses are popping up every day, bringing new life and opportunity for Seattleites of all ages. It’s the perfect backdrop for some of the city’s favorite diner fare.
We hope to see you for your next meal: In our dining room, it’s always time for après. The Alpine Diner is open 9 am-10 pm Mondays-Fridays, 8 am-10 pm Saturdays-Sundays; Big Mario’s is open 11 am-midnight Sundays-Thursdays, 11 am-2 am Fridays and Saturday.
We thank The Alpine Diner and Big Mario’s White Center 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!
At the top of the list of mayor’s-office cabinet/staff changes announced today is a new role for a West Seattle resident: Natalie Walton-Anderson is the new director of public-safety for Mayor Bruce Harrell. Until recently, Walton-Anderson led the criminal division in City Attorney Ann Davison‘s office, appointed by Davison in 2021. Today’s announcement also notes her background includes management roles in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. You can likely expect to see her at next Tuesday’s mayoral public-safety forum for District 1, 6 pm at Concord International Elementary in South Park (RSVP required – the link is in our calendar listing).
One of the best places for a low-low tide view, if you’re not going down to walk on the beach, is Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook (4500 block of Beach Drive SW). Above, the view a short time ago, looking north, and below, what we saw looking south:
As noted in our daily preview list, the tide bottomed out at -2.8 feet at 11:43 am today; the next two days (here’s the chart), it’s even lower, -3.2 feet at 12:24 pm tomorrow (Thursday, May 9), -3.0 feet. These are the lowest low tides of the month, but there’ll be some decent ones Memorial Day weekend too – that’s also when the Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will make their seasonal debut, with two West Seattle locations (see the schedule and sites here).
As you plan how to enjoy the clear, warm weather in the days and nights ahead, one more big event not to miss – Thursday night’s West Seattle Art Walk, featuring 11 musical performances comprising this year’s Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices music festival! Here’s the lineup:
As noted on the poster, the performances are concurrent, 6-7:45 pm, at venues from North Admiral to Morgan Junction. Muse Fest is part of The Art of Music, coordinated by John Redenbaugh, providing live music during many Art Walk nights each year; Sue Quigley is co-producing tomorrow night’s event (and performing too!). You can find more information about the artists by going here.
Meantime, dozens of venues are part of the Art Walk itself, showing art and/or hosting artist receptions and/or offering food/beverage specials. Here’s the spring list:
The Art Walk’s “official” hours are 5 pm to 8 pm, but artist receptions may start/end at different types – each venue sets its own hours – so scroll through the May previews here to see who you’ll find, where, and when.
If you’re heading out for the low-low tide (-2.8 feet at 11:43 am), you can do some whale-watching too – Kersti Muul just texted with word that a humpback whale is “smack in the center of Elliott Bay.” Let us know if you see it!
(Goslings seen along Harbor Avenue – photographed by David Hutchinson)
Here’s what’s up for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
LOW-LOW TIDE: It’s out to -2.8 feet at 11:43 am – even lower tomorrow afternoon, as the tide table shows.
TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
FERRY DOCK MEETING: Another chance to catch up on the Fauntleroy ferry-dock replacement project during today’s noon online meeting with Washington State Ferries. Our calendar listing has the registration link.
POSTSEASON SPORTS: In softball, WSHS plays Eastside Catholic at 1:30 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). … In baseball, Chief Sealth IHS plays Bishop Blanchet at 4 pm Wednesday, at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd, White Center).
SCHOOL BOARD: Another budget update, with the school closure/consolidation plan now a month away, plus public comments including two topics on which we’ve reported this week, WSHS’s Chinese teacher and Junction FC at Southwest Athletic Complex, all part of the meeting at district HQ downtown (3rd/Lander), viewable live here, 4:15 pm; here’s the agenda.
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: DO fix what IS broke, to reconfigure the saying. Weekly event, 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.
FREE GROUP RUN + EVENT SPOTLIGHTS: The weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run welcomes all levels, 6:15 pm.
TRIVIA x 4: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins 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).
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: This month’s meeting is in person at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), 6:30 pm pre-meetijng program, 7:30 pm meeting including an update from the district’s three state legislators – here are agenda details.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)
SAN FERMIN AT EASY STREET RECORDS: Live in-store show and signing, 7 pm. (4559 California SW)
POETRY: Another literary night at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7 pm – PoetryBridge‘s gathering!
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (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 so we can get it onto West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:02 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, May 8.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Sunny today, high in the low 60s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:40 am; sunset will be at 8:32 pm.
ROAD-WORK ALERT
*SDOT’s info page for the Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project is updated with more details about the ongoing work at Delridge/Oregon, which is narrowed as a result:
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT AHEAD
Regional outlets had brief mentions of a visit to Seattle by President Biden on Friday, reported to be flying into Sea-Tac (not Boeing Field). No other details as of early today, but we looked up the airspace advisory issued last night, and it spans a window of 7:15 pm Friday to 2:45 pm Saturday.
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 last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Low bridge: Open.
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
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 open for vessel traffic. (We’re aware that the low bridge hasn’t shown up in this feed since the recent closure, and we’re awaiting SDOT’s explanation.)
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
Now the forecast for Saturday is up to 80-ish – especially excellent news for the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day sales promising lemonade stands! So that’s the first of tonight’s two mini-lists from among the 500+ sales registered for Saturday (May 11) – the sales with descriptions mentioning lemonade:
#19: 7517 19th Ave SW
#42: 7742 15th Ave SW
#61: 4819 47th Ave SW
#111: 4845 48th Ave SW
#113: 3227 45th Ave SW
#149: 4707 SW Hudson St
#210: 3604 61st Ave SW
#228: 4720 SW Edmunds St
#248: 1616 42nd Ave SW
#249: 2707 48th Ave SW
#307: 3279 38th Ave SW
#319: 7924 32nd Ave SW
#415: Fauntleroy Way SW and Holly Place SW
#441: 9360 Forest Court SW
#443: 4313 SW Concord St
#455: 5955 42nd Ave SW
#502: 11217 Arroyo Beach Place SW
#507: 10750 18th Ave SW
The other mini-list we promised for tonight – sales with added days:
#69: 4822 SW Niesz Ct (also open Friday)
#129: 4764 Beach Drive SW (also open Sunday)
#209: 4056 44th Ave SW (also open Sunday)
#289: 7333 29th Ave SW (also open Sunday)
#386: 5633 44th Ave SW (also open Friday and Sunday)
#398: 5610 42nd Ave SW (also open Friday)
#414: 6757 40th Ave SW (also open Friday)
#433: 7525 44th Ave SW (also open Friday)
#448: 5637 42nd Ave SW (also open Friday)
#506: 3703 SW 107th St (also open Sunday)
If you haven’t visited the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day map yet, find the clickable/zoomable/etc. online version here, and see who’s having a sale near you – many have told us that’s their favorite thing about WSCGSD, a chance to meet more neighbors. Find the printable guide here (PDF) with all 500+ listings. Official sale hours Saturday are 9 am-3 pm; some are starting earlier and/or ending later, and that’ll be in their listing (please also heed the plea “No earlybirds” except for the few sales that expressly say they’re welcoming early visitors). More previews to come!
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