day : 23/06/2024 9 results

Looking at the week ahead, one of the biggest stories is expected to result from Wednesday’s Seattle Public Schools Board meeting – SPS superintendent Dr. Brent Jones is supposed to finally unveil his proposal to close elementary schools. Community meetings in the past month – including this one we covered in West Seattle – were intended to explain why district administrators feel that’s the only way to close a big part of the budget gap for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. So far, the early version of the agenda gives no hint as to what exactly the superintendent will propose; it simply lists “Well-Resourced Schools Update” in the first hour, sometime between the 4:15 pm start of the meeting and the expected 5 pm start of public comment. (If you haven’t been following this, “a system of well-resourced schools” is what the district says it will have if it closes some elementaries – although K-8s are “on the table” too, reinforced by this FAQ.) Speaking of which – if you want to sign up to comment on the expected plan or anything else, signups start tomorrow morning at 8 am; the agenda explains how. The meeting will be held at district HQ in SODO (3rd/Lander) and shown live on SPS TV, via YouTube and cable.

Scenes from West Seattle Garden Tour 2024

June 23, 2024 7:38 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Gardening | West Seattle news

Equipped with only a list of addresses for the 10 locations participating in today’s West Seattle Garden Tour, we randomly chose two to visit for photos – and they turned out to have one big thing in common: Backyard slopes. At a home in Gatewood, as shown above, the garden continued downslope – ending in a big space where the family’s five chickens roam.

They’re the subject of whimsical signage:

But whimsy resides elsewhere in this garden too. The husband – who is the main gardenkeeper – is a sculptor, and charming little artwork was everywhere in and around the plants and other features:

The backyard was ringed by several tall evergreens, which, we were told, means a lot of the focus is on shade gardening. From there we headed to a home just south of Westwood Village, where we discovered the backyard garden continued upslope:

This garden had many extra outdoor-living touches, including a backyard shed, hot tub, tables and chairs. Creative lighting fixtures, too:

Color abounded in planters, including red, white, and blue flowers:

Out front, a cat who seemed unperturbed by all the extra visitors:

One more Garden Tour note – we got this via text later in the day:

I just wanted to give a shout out to our neighbor who worked hard and petitioned to get our little block in White Center on the map for the West Seattle garden tour. We’re on 110th and 19th Ave SW … and have three houses on our block participating. It’s packed and so cool to see!

The Garden Tour was sold out in advance, as is the case most years, so if you want to go next year, watch for early word of ticket sales! Tour proceeds go toward grants for local nonprofits; if you are with a nonprofit interested in being one of next year’s recipients, applications are open for a few more weeks.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Westside Pickleball League hosts Rally on the Rock tournament

June 23, 2024 4:37 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Pickleball on the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex courts west of Southwest Pool isn’t a rare sight, but Saturday’s activity was more extensive than usual – the Westside Pickleball League was hosting its second annual Rally on the Rock tournament. Rosina Geary and Amy Greger from the WPL were tournament directors, managing to keep things running with about 160 players participating, including a few from Canada.

Every so often, they had to wrangle winning teams for medal presentations and photos:

We happened to be on hand for that group getting their medals – Max Brockman, Spencer Klein, Eric Kim, James Lee, Zachary Wagnild, and Shane Silkey. The league routinely raises money for student athletics, as we noted when we reported on its formation a year and a half ago – and the Rally on the Rock tournament was for Chief Sealth International High School Cross Country – some students from the team helped out as runners during the tournament, ferrying scoresheets around among other things.

ADDED: Amy sent a few stats – by tournament’s end, they had 182 players – 58 percent men, 42 percent women, ages ranging from 20s to 80s, with the biggest demographic group in their 30s.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Rotarians’ Adopt-a-Street cleanup

June 23, 2024 2:39 pm

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| Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

Every weekend – and some other days, too! – groups of West Seattle volunteers are out doing community work. This weekend, that included volunteers from the Rotary Club of West Seattle, which sent the photo:

They report, “The north mile of SW Delridge is cleaner today thanks to West Seattle Rotarians. Saturrday, members of the Rotary Club of West Seattle picked up trash as part of the City’s Adopt-a-Street program. New club member Ann Theony led the group project.” Other volunteers: Greg Dirks, Julie MacDonald, Al Bernahl, Martha Sidlo, Mark Ward, Brian Waid, Stefanie Fenix.

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‘Avoid the charcoal’: Fire damage at Lowman Beach Park

June 23, 2024 1:03 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB photos)

“Somebody set fire to the forts,” a little girl informed us as we photographed the blackened driftwood on the shore at Lowman Beach Park. We went there after multiple tips about fires there this morning; those aren’t allowed anywhere at this park.

The SFD log shows two calls, one at about 4:50 am, one at about 7:50 am, both categorized as “brush fire” although we didn’t see any sign of burned vegetation (SFD’s automated log has a limited number of classifications). We did see extensive driftwood damage; impossible to tell if any was from prior dates. The little girl’s mom warned her to “avoid the charcoal – the burned part.” Lowman Beach’s north side was restored to a more natural state in a project completed two years ago.

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FOLLOWUP: Southside Revolution wraps successful season. Clinics ahead for interested skaters!

June 23, 2024 12:35 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(Photos courtesy Southside Revolution)

Following up on this report about their planned trip for national competition, we have an update from junior roller-derby organization Southside Revolution on how things went and what’s next, sent by Andrew McCarty:

This past weekend, the Southside Revolution Rebels, our local junior roller derby travel team, spent 3 days in Denver to compete against 5 other teams at the Junior Roller Derby Association playoffs. After a long weekend, competing in two challenging games against Rome Junior Roller Derby (Rome, GA) and FoCo Junior Roller Derby (Denver, CO), Rebels came in second place after an unfortunate loss to FoCo ending off the 10th season of Southside Revolution with an 13-3 season record.

(Southside Revolution [black and green] vs Rome [white and gold])

In addition, Southside Revolution will sadly be saying goodbye their two seniors, Fiona Lindsey and TJ Elbert, graduating from Chief Sealth Int’l High School and Garfield High School. They are also known as Silent But Deadly #222 and Fox & Furious #240 on the track. An age-out ceremony was held during the first day of the tournament, congratulating Fiona and TJ along with many other seniors from other competing teams.

Both joining Southside Revolution in 2019, these two seniors have made a major positive impact on the league over the past 5 years and have influenced many of the younger skaters in the league. Southside wishes them the best of luck in their adulthood, and hope they continue their derby career.

Composed of teenage skaters from West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and beyond, SSR makes its home at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. The league serves 90+ skaters aged 7-18 of any gender identity, with five teams spread across a range of skill levels.

The teams will make an appearance at the West Seattle Grand Parade this year as well. For anyone interested in signups for new skaters to learn about derby at SSR’s September clinics, contact info@southsiderevolution.com

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GRADUATION: Hope Lutheran School’s last 8th-grade class before middle-school site move

June 23, 2024 10:26 am

| Comments Off on GRADUATION: Hope Lutheran School’s last 8th-grade class before middle-school site move

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Hope Lutheran 8th grade graduates 2024
Photo by Richard Figgins
Story by Jason Grotelueschen

Hope Lutheran School said goodbye on Friday, June 14, to the last class of 8th graders before the middle school moves north. The students were honored and celebrated during the school’s annual graduation ceremony, in front of a packed house of family and friends.

There were 15 graduates in the class, who will be moving on to high school in the fall. According to principal Kristen Okabayashi, the highest number will attend West Seattle High School, followed closely by Kennedy Catholic High School. Besides those two schools, students are each going to a variety of schools including Seattle Prep, Raisbeck Aviation, Maritime and Holy Names.

Co-valedictorians were Coco Alba and Tobi Kunkel, and the co-winners of the “Eagle Award” (voted on by classmates, for citizenship and character) were Tobi Kunkel and Isaac Valgora.

This year’s class was the final group to graduate from the current Hope campus, because middle-school classes will be moving to the school’s new north campus at the former Seattle Lutheran High School building at 4100 SW Genesee, starting in Fall 2024 (WSB photos from Hope’s recent open house are here, and prospective families can contact the school here).

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: 20 notes

June 23, 2024 6:07 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Saturday night cloud formation, photographed by Gene Pavola)

Here’s our list for your first summer Sunday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!

WEST SEATTLE GARDEN TOUR FYI: It’s sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket you’re out of luck, but if you do, here’s your reminder that it’s happening today, 9 am-5 pm.

ADMIRAL CHURCH FOOD DRIVE: Continues today – drop off nonperishable-food donations at the church (4320 SW Hill) 9 am-noon.

MINI-POLAR PLUNGE: 9 am every Sunday, you’re welcome to join a group plunge into Puget Sound off Alki – meet at Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki).

WESTIES RUN CLUB: 9 am, meet at Dough Joy Donuts (4310 SW Oregon) for this week’s Sunday Funday Run.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: The market is open today, 10 am-2 pm as usual, on California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon, offering earkt-summer vegetables, flowers, fruit, and plants, plus baked goods, cheese, fish, meat, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, candy, more! Here’s today’s vendor list.

ALSO WHILE YOU’RE AT THE MARKET … Vinyl Thunderdome pop-up at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW), wax, food, drinks, more, 10 am-4 pm.

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Daily operation continues – open 11 am-8 pm, free. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

MAARTEN PARK DEDICATION: 11:15 am, join West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau) and friends to dedicate the pocket park on church land and celebrate with hamburgers, hot dogs, and fun.

POP-UP ART SHOW: Noon-6 pm, final day for the “Feather in the Wind” multi-artist show in the space above Alki Arts (6030 California SW).

COLMAN POOL: Second day of 7-day-a-week operation for the outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, this is the second day of the season for the only city-run wading pool in West Seattle to operate seven days a week, noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.

LOW-LOW TIDE: Low-low tides continue today with -3.2 feet at 12:32 pm, and even lower the next three days. Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out, too, 10:30 am-2:30 pm today at Lincoln and Constellation Parks.

ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS RETURN: Reminder that Alki Point Lighthouse reopenx to the public today for free tours, 1 pm-3:45 pm, Alki Avenue SW & Point Place SW.

MEET MODERN ENGLISH 2 pm album-signing event at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW).

BARBECUE POP-UP: The Bridge (California/Graham) hosts Porky T’s, 2 pm-8 pm.

‘CLYDE’S’ AT ARTSWEST: 3 pm performance at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – “In this 2022 Tony Award®-Nominated Best Play, creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck-stop cafe.” Find the ticket link and more info in our calendar listing.

CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Start gathering at 2:30 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) – our calendar listing has details on this month’s focus.

POP-UP CERAMICS CLASS: Create ‘n’ sip at Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW), 3 pm, $55.

SUMMER SOLSTICE YOGA & TAROT: Workshop at Limber Yoga (7901 35th SW), 6:30 pm – info and registration link in our calendar listing, $60.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Enjoy Sunday night music with the Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8-10 pm.

Organizing and/or publicizing something that should be on our community event calendar – one-time or recurring? Please email us the basics – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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UPDATE: Police break up street-racer takeover on West Marginal

June 23, 2024 12:35 am

| 38 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

12:35 AM: Some asked about a big police response a little while ago in the West Marginal Way vicinity near the 1st Avenue South Bridge. That was because of a street-racer takeover after the racers met up at 2nd/Michigan.

(Added: Reader video from the resulting traffic blockage)
Police headed that way too and the gathering scattered, reportedly mostly heading south via 509. Now that they’ve dispersed, officers are returning to what they were doing previously – including, according to one directive, an Alki patrol.

12:41 AM: Now there’s a takeover with cars and spectators reported on the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge – again dispersing as soon as police came into view, this time reported to be headed southbound on East Marginal.

TUESDAY: Police have released this summary:

At 0007 Hrs SW Patrol responded to a report of a street racing take-over event at 2 Ave SW and SW Michigan St that had manifested in multiple locations in the city throughout the night. During these events several people had been wounded by gunfire and there was a significant potential for additional incidents as the meet ups escalated. Approximately 100 vehicles were at the location and Officers utilized vehicle tactics to convince the crowd to disperse. The vehicles fled in numerous directions and appropriate jurisdictions were notified of their direction of travel. Officers remained at the location to deter any returning participants.

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