West Seattle, Washington
08 Thursday
Tomorrow (Saturday, May 25) you have one more chance to talk with SDOT reps in person about the Highland Park Way hill project – a proposal to remove one downhill motor-vehicle lane and replace it with a protected bike lane, an expanded multi-use path, or (eventually) both. SDOT will be at the Delridge Farmers’ Market (9421 18th SW) 10 am-2 pm Saturday. Meantime, as we reported yesterday, attendees at this month’s HPAC meeting had some questions the SDOT reps were unable to immediately answer – so we sent some of those questions to the department, and got answers late today, as follows:
WSB: “What are the cost estimates of the three options? … And how much money has been spent so far on this very early stage of the project?”
SDOT: “We are engaging the community to shape the scope before we develop draft cost estimates for the options. Generally speaking, Option 1 (protected bike lane) has fewer construction needs since it removes a travel lane and adds concrete barriers. Option 2 (multiuse path) has more complex construction needs since it involves moving a curb line, potential drainage work, and a wider landscape buffer and path. So far, we have spent $145,000 for this project.”
WSB: “(SDOT reps at the meeting) had the current car traffic data. What is the most recent bicycle usage and pedestrian usage data for that section of HP Way?”
SDOT: (Provided table as seen below)
“We plan to collect additional data this summer.”
WSB: “It’s oft-cited ‘if you build the infrastructure (for riders) they will come.’ So it was asked (at the meeting), what is the bicycle usage data for other semi-new lanes in West Seattle, like the Delridge lane post-Delridge rechannelizing?”
SDOT: “We have not measured the bicycle usage on Delridge since the project was completed. We do have data from the West Marginal Way SW Safety Corridor Project, gathered from August-October last year:
“·Weekday bike volumes have increased by 144% from an average of 103 bikers before the project was installed to an average of 251 daily bikers. Weekend bike volumes have increased by 53%.
“·The number of people walking or using a mobility assistance device (like a wheelchair or accessibility scooter) increased significantly, 96% on weekdays and 91% on weekends.
“Here are a few local and national studies showing the effect of bike lanes:”
seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SDOT/About/DocumentLibrary/Reports/NE65thSt_Evaluation_Report_91620-1.pdf
trec.pdx.edu/research/project/583/Lessons_from_the_Green_Lanes:_Evaluating_Protected_Bike_Lanes_in_the_U.S._
nacto.org/2016/07/20/high-quality-bike-facilities-increase-ridership-make-biking-safer/
Those aren’t all the questions HPAC attendees had, just the ones we asked SDOT in followup, so watch for more info from HPAC. Meantime, whatever you think about the project, you can also comment – June 15 is the deadline – via this survey, or via email at HighlandHolden@seattle.gov, or via voicemail at 206-900-8741.
Thanks to Jason Grotelueschen for the photo from Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, where a rainbow graced West Seattle Junction FC‘s first regular-season victory tonight, 1-0 over Lane United FC from Eugene. Tonight’s lone goal came 12 minutes in, by Junction FC’s co-captain #7 Jafer Mustafa. The club plays again at home at 2 pm Sunday vs. United PDX.
(WSB photo, Bubbleman at 2022 Morgan Community Festival)
The season of big events has begun – and we have an update on one of June’s biggest events, the Morgan Junction Community Festival. It’s set for 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, June 15 – three weeks from tomorrow – and the entertainment lineup is set, with a big comeback: Bubbleman returns! Here’s the latest festival lineup, from the Morgan Community Association:
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE: Morgan Junction Park
10:00 to 10:45 – The Bubbleman: Returning Festival favorite featuring good clean fun
10:50 to 11:40 – Raymond the Magician: Artful, innovative, and very, very cool
11:45 to 12:35 – Gary Benson: Our local folk-rock favorite
12:45 to 2:00 – The Potholes: Still slinging funky-fusion, guac and rock right back at ya!!PLUS:
-Community Vendors in the Zeeks/Whisky West parking lot
-First Responders on California
–MJAWA‘s All Wheels meet-up on BeveridgeMore details at the MoCA website: morganjunction.org/festival
Questions for the Festival Team – mocacnc@gmail.com
All this will be happening in and around Morgan Junction Park, on the west side of California SW a short distance north of Fauntleroy Way SW. (WSB is media sponsor for the festival.)
(WSB photo from last week, Beach Drive alongside Constellation Park)
1:57 PM: Another update in the longrunning saga of the Alki Point Healthy Street (both Alki Avenue and Beach Drive west of 63rd SW) – just in from SDOT, a few more changes to the plan:
We’re moving forward with Alki Point Healthy Street upgrades, based on robust community input over the past several years.
We paused the installation briefly to meet with marine mammal and environmental stewardship stakeholders and listen to their concerns. Construction is now expected to begin as soon as June.
This Healthy Street offers a unique space for community members to walk, bike, and roll while taking in views of Elliott Bay and West Seattle’s Alki Beach and marine reserve.
Newest features in response to community feedback include:
*Welcome signs
*Additional load zones that can be used by school buses
*Inviting community artwork celebrating nature
*Adding parking time restrictions and guidelines on more nearby streets to make it easier for visitors to find a space.Previously announced additions based on community requests:
(One of the ‘nearby locations’ for public parking. Photo by David Hutchinson)
*A 10-foot path along the beachfront separated from people driving,
*Three new ADA-accessible parking spaces,
*New public parking signs and guidelines at two nearby locationsToward the end of the year, we’ll share an evaluation with vehicle speeds, foot traffic, and parking use, and include a user experience survey.
We’re following up with SDOT to ask exactly where the loading zones and parking-time restrictions are planned to go.
6 PM: Here’s what SDOT sent in response to our questions:
*We will explore adding loading or other special event zones large enough for school buses on Beach Dr SW near 63rd Ave SW.
*We will add parking signs and paint parking guidelines in the parking lot near the Alki Point Lighthouse to make it clear that this is a free public parking lot. There will be a 4-hour parking time limit except for one ADA parking space.
*We will be adding 4-hour parking signs on the east side of SW Benton Pl, and adding parking guidelines to clearly define the parking spaces as separate from the roadway.
The last two seem to refer more to the “previously announced additions” than the “newest features,” so we’ll be looking to clarify further with SDOT after the holiday weekend.
1:42 PM: Two weeks ago, we reported on West Seattle Health Club‘s request for member support in opposing a possible light-rail route that would among other things take out their pool, which in turn followed County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s plea to the Sound Transit Board to consider alternatives that would spare area businesses. Today, WSHC has sent a followup with word that the concerns are gaining traction. Thanks to those who forwarded us the email, which tells members, in part:
… Your support has made a difference. The Executive’s office has responded positively to our request, and questions are being raised about modifying route options. The original plan to finalize this location in June has been delayed. A summary of all the public comments they received on the gym/pool was read out loud into the record at yesterday’s Sound Transit Board meeting and the turnout was impressive. Executive Dow Constantine has requested that Sound Transit host a community forum. We will keep you updated as we learn more.
Our petition will remain available at the front desk and online at https://chng.it/VH4L96c6Dn . Additionally, we invite you to join members of our community for a “Walk the Route” event on Sunday, June 9th at 10 am, starting in our parking lot and ending at the West Seattle lower bridge. …
The next step before the ST Board can finalize the West Seattle routing will be the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement; for months, ST has said only that it’s expected to be out “midyear” (we’re checking on whether they’ve refined that timeline yet). Environmental studies are continuing (as noted here last week).
2:44 PM: ST spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham says “summer” is the only current timeline for the final EIS. She also says that since Executive Constantine just made the community-forum request yesterday, there’s nothing official on that yet, but we might hear more next week.
(Reader photo from Me-Kwa-Mooks response)
Police find stolen cars every day, in varying circumstances. Two this morning in West Seattle had similar circumstances – both were found with people asleep inside. A short time ago, one such “vehicle recovery” was a startling sight for people in the Me-Kwa-Mooks Park vicinity on Beach Drive – police moved in on the stolen vehicle with guns drawn after finding people inside (they told dispatch they had placed “Terminators” around the vehicle so those inside couldn’t try to make a getaway). Earlier, a stolen work truck was found near Delridge/Orchard; we were about to publish a Crime Watch report about it when we heard the recovery discussed on police radio, and the person who had sent us the stolen-vehicle report told us this vehicle also was found with people asleep inside. We know the truck was stolen on Puget Ridge, but otherwise, no further details in either incident yet, including whether any of the people found in the vehicles were arrested.
(Orange-crowned Warbler photographed in Arbor Heights by Erin B. Jackson)
Here’s what’s happening – right now and in the hours ahead – from the WSB inbox and Event Calendar:
ROXHILL ELEMENTARY JOG-A-THON: Your support welcome! Happening today:
Today, Roxhill Elementary School will host our Annual Jog‐A‐Thon. The Jog-A-Thon is a fundraiser where students will raise money partly to support the 5th grade overnight outdoor learning field trip to Nature Bridge. This fundraiser is a huge help to offset the cost of the trip for 5th graders, staff, and chaperones to attend, including transportation costs, meals, and other expenses. During this 4-night stay, students engage in various outdoor learning activities that build students’ self-confidence, team building skills and knowledge of physical sciences. It has been a tradition for many years that each 5th grade class attends an outdoor learning education overnight field trip. It is the experience of a lifetime!
In addition to supporting the 5th grade outdoor field trip, money raised may go toward funding other school field trips. If you would like to donate to our fundraising effort, click the link.
SSC GARDEN CENTER: Plants await you at the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus, until 3 pm.
LOW-LOW TIDE WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: First day of thes season for volunteer Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists! The tide bottoms out at -2.5 feet just after noon; they’ll be at Constellation Park (63rd SW/Beach Drive) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW, near Colman Pool) 10:30 am-1:30 pm.
MEMORIAL DAY POPPIES: Get yours at American Legion Post 160 today and through Memorial Day weekend. (3618 SW Alaska)
VISCON CELLARS: The tasting room/wine bar is open tonight for wine by the glass or bottle – 5-9 pm – at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
AT THE SKYLARK: Caspian Coberly, Ben Root, No Monaco. Doors at 6 pm, music at 7, $15 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
WATCH WSHS IN STATE BASEBALL SEMIFINALS: West Seattle High School plays Eastside Catholic in the state 3A baseball championship semifinals in Pasco at 7 pm but we’re told by a team parent that the game will be streamed onscreen here in West Seattle at Good Society, so join fans there! (California/Lander)
GUITAR CONCERT: Tracy Moore and Peter Janson at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW), 7 pm, no cover.
LIVE AT EASY STREET RECORDS: In-store performance by Girl and Girl, celebrating their album release, 7 pm, free, all ages. (4559 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION FC: Second home match at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 7 pm vs. Lane United FC – tickets available online.
SHOWCASE AT THE SPOT: Fridays are Live Artist Showcase nights at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), 7-10 pm.
DJ AT REVELRY ROOM: DJ E-Pop, 9 pm-1 am! (4547 California SW)
LATE-NIGHT SINGING: 10 pm karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
REMINDER – EARLY CLOSING TIME STARTS AT ALKI: Starting tonight, through late September, the park officially closes at 10:30 pm.
Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB file photo, sign at site last October)
9:18 AM: Seattle Parks has dropped its plan to convert former tennis courts in Lincoln Park into pickleball courts, according to the advocates who led a campaign against the plan. Sandy Shettler says, “Parks informed us that they will not be building pickleball courts in Lincoln Park! They even suggested that they are open to our hope to depave and rewild the cement pad.” Kersti Muul adds that Parks has told her “the fencing [around the site] will be removed by the end of the week.” We’re following up with Parks today to see what their West Seattle pickleball plan will now focus on.
We reported last month that Parks deputy superintendent Andy Sheffer had told the city Parks Board that a decision was close. We first told you about the pickleball-conversion proposal first in September, when Parks dropped a plan to add pickleball stripes to Solstice Park tennis courts, and pivoted to the Lincoln Park conversion concept, which drew intense opposition.
12:27 PM: Parks spokesperson Christina Hirsch confirms this: “Seattle Parks and Recreation has made great progress identifying another location to add another pickleball court to West Seattle and thus has decided to no longer pursue creating courts at Lincoln Park.” That new location has not yet been disclosed; there are various already-discussed possibilities – for example, while speaking to the Fauntleroy Community Association earlier this year, deputy superintendent Sheffer suggested there might be possibilities with the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (which is shared by Seattle Public Schools and Parks), and previously, Hiawatha had been under consideration as a “pickleball hub.”
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, May 24, and Memorial Day weekend is on the way.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Cloudy with possible showers, high in the upper 50s.. Today’s sunrise was at 5:21 am; sunset will be at 8:51 pm.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL
Heading out of town? These WSDOT charts might help you plan when to be on the road.
ROAD-WORK REMINDER
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is. P.S. Metro tells us NO extra late-night runs after the Billy Joel concert tonight – just the regular Friday night schedule.
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. … Starting this week, work at the Southworth terminal is closing some lanes there for about 3 weeks.
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. (Except the low bridge, for now; SDOT says it’s working on it.)
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!
Sent by Andras:
Not sure if this is well known or not but it’s my first time seeing them in Lincoln Park and I’m here every morning. Was stalked by a couple very resilient coyotes (Wednesday) morning while walking my dog; they were skittish as usual but kept coming back after running off. I managed to get a picture of one.
We have long published coyote sightings (click “coyotes” under the headline and scroll through our archive) – for awareness, not alarm. Here’s information on coexisting with coyotes.
SIDE NOTE: You can learn about urban wildlife from a naturalist while volunteering with Friends of Lincoln Park 10 am-noon Sunday, June 2 – sign-ups are open, here.
ORIGINAL THURSDAY REPORT: Thanks for the tips. That’s the note on the door at Miso, which opened eight months ago at 1513 SW Holden in Highland Park. The other piece of paper is a Seattle Public Utilities notice dated today saying that water is facing imminent shutoff in the face of a $2,106 bill. Does this mean the restaurant is permanently closed? We’ve tried to reach the owner, including via phone numbers in licensing and corporate records, but have not made contact yet. Miso started serving Korean food last September in the space vacated five months earlier by Wanna Burger and Teriyaki. We’ll update with anything more we find out about its status.
FRIDAY UPDATE: Went by to check late this afternoon – still closed, same two notes on the door.
When Chief Sealth International High School students, teachers, coaches, and family members gathered last night for the winter sports-awards banquet, college signings were among the highlights. Ocean Freeman signed a letter of intent to play football for Lewis and Clark College:
Gavin Brown signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Gig Harbor:
He also won the spring Seahawk Award – an honor presented to outstanding student-athletes from each sport. Here are all the winners:
Jennie Brown, fast-pitch softball:
Jason Nguyen, boys’ tennis:
Reachany Oung, girls’ tennis:
Carter Reeve, boys’ track:
Stoli Slywester, boys’ soccer:
Not in attendance was Tori Lillich-Roberts for girls’ track. Meantime, Chief Sealth’s Cheer Team was there to celebrate everyone:
Also part of last night’s celebration, retiring softball coach Karen Rains:
Sealth’s sports program is led by longtime athletic director Ernest Policarpio
Longtime WSB sponsor Fitness Together West Seattle in The Junction is now offering small-group training classes, and a deal:
Fitness Together is now offering Small Group Training Classes! Our groups will be capped at 6 people so you get a personalized experience while still enjoying the community support and camaraderie. To sign up for a free trial class, click HERE.
After the free class, FTWS is offering a 10 percent discount. They recently expanded its studio space (4546 California SW), as we reported earlier this year.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The proposal to replace one downhill driving lane on the Highland Park Way hill with either a protected bicycle lane or expanded multi-use path is mostly about slowing down speeding drivers. That was made clear by an SDOT rep who was at last night’s HPAC meeting to talk about the plan.
The SDOT reps led by James Le were also there for Q&A, but more than a few questions went unanswered aside from “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
First, if you are reading this before Thursday evening, you have another opportunity to go try to get answers in person, 4-8 pm tonight at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW). That was supposed to be the last in-person event for now, but SDOT has just added another one this Saturday – more on that at the end of this story.
Backstory on the proposal: In 2020, SDOT had a plan for a bike lane on the Highland Park Way hill, but put it on hold. The concept re-emerged in a 2022 application for federal funding. Two weeks ago, SDOT formally announced a plan for a downhill bike lane and/or expanded path along about half a mile of the hill.
In the announcement of this plan on May 10, SDOT also opened a survey, which they tell us today has already brought in almost 1,000 responses. We don’t know how the opinions are going on that, but last night, with about two dozen people attending the online meeting, HPAC did an informal survey of its own:
(Zoom screengrab)
That “straw poll” had one option not in the SDOT survey or project plan – improving the existing path without removing a driving lane. Le was asked repeatedly if SDOT would consider an option that keeps the current motorized-vehicle-lane configuration, and Le eventually said, “Let me throw that back at you – how would you (slow traffic) without removing a lane?” He had repeatedly referred to traffic-slowing as a prime goal of the project, citing SDOT data showing that while the posted speed limit is 25 mph, hill traffic averages 43 mph, so, he said, “we have to redesign the roads.” The hill has too much “capacity,” he contended, which would be reduced by removing a driving lane. He cited 49 collisions of note in five years, including head-ons and sideswipes.
The danger of head-on collisions is one reason not to remove a lane, some attendees countered, saying that the lane reduction would mean nowhere to get around an obstacle, and asking if there was any consideration of a barrier between the two directions as a safety measure. Le said SDOT had considered “some barrier options” but none seemed feasible, so the lane removal is a “self-enforcing design.” One attendee said they were “strongly in favor” of that, and disagreed with other attendees’ contention that the single downhill lane would be a “chokepoint,” observing that drivers coming off Holden, for example, are in one lane as they turn onto the hill. That attendee was one of the few who identified themselves as riders, and also voiced support for the project providing a better connection for riders headed toward Georgetown.
Even if the hill seems to have “too much capacity” now, other attendees said, it should be preserved in case of access trouble such as a repeat of the West Seattle Bridge closure, which turned the Highland Park Way hill into a lifeline in and out of West Seattle for 2 1/2 years as the 1st Avenue South Bridge became the major detour route. “It’s a vital connector,” stressed one attendee. Le’s answer to concern about another West Seattle Bridge closure was, “I don’t think that will happen” – since the WS Bridge is expected to last its full lifespan following the repairs that reopened it in September 2022.
The questions that went unanswered included the cost/budget for the project. The SDOT reps said they didn’t have those numbers, repeating that it’s very early in the design process, and there’s no funding yet beyond “early design,” explaining that future funding would depend on what option they eventually decided to pursue. Attendees pressed the question of how much money is allotted so far, but that wasn’t answered. Nor was a question about how many bicycle riders and pedestrians use the hill path now. (We’ve sent those and other followup questions to SDOT’s media team today.) There also was a concern about how the bike path would be maintained, given that others – such as the relatively new one on Delridge – have been observed with leaves, broken glass, and other debris.
One attendee, identifying herself as a pedestrian as well as driver, said she wanted to see “traffic calming that is actually calming,” fearing the lane removal will be the opposite, invariably resulting in more road rage. What about stationing a police officer on the hill full time? asked another attendee. Le thought that would be “very expensive.” Also suggested: A “holistic” look at the traffic situation in Highland Park, considering all the changes implemented during and after the bridge closure, including the HP Way/Holden intersection work and all the “Home Zone” neighborhood traffic-calming installations.
Eventually the discussion ebbed and HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick ran the informal “straw poll” shown above. Le said all the feedback – including the HPAC meeting – would be compiled in a report that would be out midsummer or so. No date has been given for a final decision or for construction.
WHAT’S NEXT: As noted above, SDOT plans to be at Highland Park Corner Store tonight, 4-8 pm, and the project outreach team just told us this morning that they’ve added one more in-person tabling event for Q&A and feedback, this Saturday (May 25) at Delridge Farmers’ Market (9421 18th SW), 10 am-2 pm. The survey is open until June 15, and the project page offers an email address and voicemail line you can also use for feedback and/or questions. And though it’s not an official project-related event, the proposal is expected to be discussed at tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting too (6:30 pm online, connection info here).
ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: We took some of the unanswered questions to SDOT post-meeting; here are the answers.
(Reader photo)
1:17 PM: Thanks for the tip and photo of the first of two crashes that police are handling right now, not far apart – the one in the photo is reported to involve a car and bus, with Delridge blocked near Kenyon. Police are also being called to the 2600 block of SW Thistle, near Chief Sealth IHS, where someone driving a gray Kia Soul is reported to have crashed into two parked cars before abandoning the Kia and running away.
(WSB photo)
1:22 PM: Officers at the SW Thistle scene just asked dispatch to check the Kia’s plate; the dispatcher told them the number belonged to a Kia Rio stolen somewhere in Seattle.
(WSB photo)
Meantime, officers at the Delridge/Kenyon scene told us that investigation is being turned over to transit police (who are part of the King County Sheriff’s Office), since it involved a bus.
2:34 PM: Delridge is clear. We don’t have an update on Thistle.
Almost two years after the parent company of Origins Cannabis bought the commercial building at 4822 California SW, they’re almost ready to move in. When Than Brothers Pho closed there in July 2022, we reported on the new ownership, but they hadn’t announced plans for relocating from 4800 40th SW (long set for redevelopment). Now after months of renovations, the sign is up at the new location and a mural has been painted on the north side of the building. Origins tells us, “We are on target to move to our new West Seattle location in July. We wanted to move to a space that would allow for a more open and interactive shopping experience for our adult-use consumers.”
The mural is by artist Glynn Rosenberg: “We were excited to collaborate with Glynn to help beautifully maintain the old-school charm of the Junction.” This will be Origins’ third location since opening in West Seattle in 2016; it was originally at 15th/Roxbury before moving to 40th SW.
Seattle Public Library has just announced its summer schedule – and only one of West Seattle’s four branches will be open seven days a week, High Point; the one that’s currently open daily, Delridge, will join Southwest and West Seattle (Admiral) in being open 6 days a week. The new systemwide schedule starts June 20; the current schedule – originally announced as being in place at least through June 4 – will continue until then. Here’s the new schedule:
Summer Hours schedule effective Thursday, June 20
Delridge Branch
Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tue 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wed Noon to 8 p.m.
Thu Noon to 8 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun ClosedHigh Point Branch
Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tue 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thu 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Southwest Branch
Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tue Noon to 8 p.m.
Wed Noon to 8 p.m.
Thu 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sat Closed
Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.West Seattle Branch
Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tue Noon to 8 p.m.
Wed Noon to 8 p.m.
Thu 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fri Closed
Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
So why move the closure day from High Point to Delridge? Systemwide, SPL says it made the closure decisions based on maximizing hours at larger, air-conditioned branches. The SPL announcement also notes that our area’s one branch without air conditioning, West Seattle (Admiral), is one of five SPL Carnegie-era branches for which it is seeking federal funding for HVAC modernization. After semi-recent upgrades, the Southwest Branch is now fully air-conditioned.
(Seen in Gatewood – WSB photo)
Here are highlights of what’s happening in the hours ahead!
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Need plants? The center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
‘LUNCH AND LEARN’ – SKIN CARE: Neighborhood Naturopathic (WSB sponsor) launches its new series of noontime online “lunch and learn” sessions, as previewed here. 12:30 pm-1 pm today, learn about healthy skin care – go here to register and get the link.
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.
EMPATHY HOUR: At what’s now the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon), 1-2:30 pm, free:
We all long to be heard with attention, kindness and empathy—and without judgment, criticism or lecturing. Come to Empathy Hour to receive empathic listening and to give the gift of empathic listening to others. Sura Hart, a trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication, will help you strengthen your listening skills through fun activities, role plays and her No-Fault Zone® game.
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. Food too – drop by to sip and nosh!
STRONG BODIES, STRONG BONES: 2:30 pm class at what’s now the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon).
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 Sam Choy’s Poké to the Max.
TALK WITH SDOT ABOUT HIGHLAND PARK WAY HILL: Also 4-8 pm at HPCS, for a second consecutive Thursday, SDOT will be tabling with information and Q&A about the proposal to replace one downhill vehicle lane on the Highland Park Way hill with a protected bike lane or wider multi-use path.
VISCON CELLARS: The West Seattle winery’s tasting room/wine bar is open 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) 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.
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: The new report on SDOT’s Vision Zero program is part of the agenda for this 6:30 pm online meeting. Connection information is part of the preview in our calendar listing.
TRIVIA: 7 pm at Burger Planet (9614 14th SW).
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!
When the long search for Jim Price ended in January, his family said a memorial would be planned for a later date. Now they have set that date – June 1 – and are sharing it with this remembrance:
Born 12/3/36, James Connon Price, “Jim,” went for a walk September 18, 2023, and didn’t return. He was found deceased on January 15, 2024 in the Duwamish Greenbelt of West Seattle.
Son of Herbert and Evelyn Price, Jim grew up in West Seattle and Vashon. A grad of West Seattle High and University of Washington, he was a commercial interior architect. Jim had a very active life. He belonged to Historic Seattle, Center for Wooden Boats, Backbone Campaign, YMCA, and the Senior Center in West Seattle.
He married Sharon in Scotland, the first of many trips including a summer teaching English in China. He raced 10k’s to triathlons and also his sailboat. Jim is survived by his wife Sharon, children Connon and Anne by former wife Celeste, stepson Richard, 6 grandsons, and loving nephews and their families who led searches for Jim. More can be found at emmickfunerals.com.
There will be a Celebration of Life at the Senior Center of West Seattle on June 1 at 2 pm.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, May 23.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Clearing by afternoon, high in mid-60s.. Today’s sunrise was at 5:22 am; sunset will be at 8:50 pm.
ROAD-WORK ALERTS
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:
*Sound Transit is scheduled to continue drilling on 41st SW in the east part of The Junction – here’s the alert info.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is. P.S. Metro tells us NO extra late-night runs after the Billy Joel concert tomorrow – just the regular Friday night schedule.
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. … Starting this week, work at the Southworth terminal is closing some lanes there for about 3 weeks.
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. (Except the low bridge, for now; SDOT says it’s working on that.)
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!
Thanks to everyone who sent photos of tonight’s drop-everything-and-stare sunset, seen looking northwest from Alki; the pic above is from Gene Pavola. The clouds are not expected to entirely leave us between now and Memorial Day – the forecast suggests some sun tomorrow, Friday, and Monday (when the temperature might hit 70), but mostly cloudy on Saturday and Sunday.
Story and photos/video by Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
No matter how busy you are, set time aside to celebrate your hard work and success.
That advice was offered by the guest speaker at today’s Westside Awards breakfast, at which West Seattle Chamber of Commerce members and other attendees did exactly that – celebrating the four award recipients the Chamber had announced three weeks ago.
Each year, the Chamber invites community nominations for the four categories – Business of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year, Not-for-Profit of the Year, and Westsider of the Year – before choosing winners. All winners were at this morning’s celebration at The Hall at Fauntleroy – here’s what they had to say:
Business of the Year – Alki Beach Academy
10 years after founding their still-growing child-care business in North Delridge, Julieann Donohue and James Donohue said the award was “very unexpected, given some of the issues we’re dealing with right now” (a reference to the possibility they’ll have to move because of light-rail routing). They talked about Alki Beach Academy’s inclusion of special-needs kids, rooted in their decision to start the business because their own child, living with autism, was having challenges in a traditional school setting. Here’s everything they told the attendees:
Emerging Business of the Year – Southpaw Barber Shop
Co-proprietors Tommy Andrade and Jeff Chou accepted the award, and Andrade noted that the shop will celebrate its first anniversary this weekend. He explained he had left a tech career to answer the call to be a barber and help the community – “service first, community first” is the business philosophy. Here’s his speech:
Not-for-Profit of the Year – A Cleaner Alki
Erik Bell, who founded the growing organization that leads cleanups far beyond Alki, told his story of starting with cleanups while taking walks with his brother and broadening into a communitywide organization – with an invitation to anyone and everyone to get involved. Here’s everything he said:
Westsider of the Year – Madison Middle School teacher Mike Kreiger
This is a “community champion” type of award; Kreiger is a teacher and coach at Madison, involved with programs including eighth-graders mentoring newly arrived sixth-graders. Here’s his brief and energetic speech of gratitude:
Chamber executive director Rachel Porter, presiding over the first Westside Awards since she started the job nine months ago, congratulated all the winners and nominees for “dedication and excellence that makes West Seattle tick”:
Before the presentations, emcee Brian Callanan sat down for a conversation with guest speaker Fred Rivera, executive vice president of the Seattle Mariners.
Their far-ranging conversation included a discussion of inspiring your workforce by taking time to celebrate – for example, Rivera said, the Mariners have “First Place Fridays” – every Friday that the team is in first place, they celebrate with treats. Other advice included being aware of how people are using your product; the M’s, for example, are aware more and more people are seeing games in small chunks rather than the full three hours. Here’s their entire conversation:
Kreiger’s words bear repeating – they apply to all ages, even if you’re not an educator or parent: “No one remembers what you taught them, but they remember how you made them feel.” It’s likely that most on hand felt inspired, to say the least, as they headed out into the morning shortly thereafter.
All the past Westside Awards winners are listed here.
The West Duwamish Greenbelt is our city’s longest stretch of unbroken forest, running through eastern West Seattle – and if you have images of it, the Log House Museum would like to see them! Here’s the call for contributions:
(Photo courtesy West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group)
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group invite community members to submit photographs and other artistic depictions of the West Duwamish Greenbelt for an upcoming exhibit at the Log House Museum.
The Greenbelt, the city’s largest contiguous forest, spans 500 acres from Pigeon Point to Westcrest Park, from the Duwamish Waterway to Puget Ridge. The exhibit will highlight its indigenous and industrial history, the story of civic advocacy that led to its protection, and – through community-sourced submissions – contemporary depictions of its flora, fauna, and urban stories.
Submissions can include historical or contemporary images and documentary or artistic representations. Submissions that depict the diversity of the Greenbelt, including both natural and urban environments, are encouraged.
Submissions are due by June 10. To submit, use this online form.
Questions? Contact museum@loghousemuseum.org or call us at 206.350.0999
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