day : 28/07/2024 8 results

The people who showed up tonight to say goodbye to the century-old Highland Park Improvement Club building spanned close to a century themselves – from babies to longtime HPIC board member Martha Mallett, whose 90th birthday was celebrated there six years ago.

(That’s Martha at left above, with friend Dorothy Ziegler.) Three years after that party, in 2021, the HPIC building at 12th/Holden was ravaged by fire, and the community-owned center’s trustees have been working ever since on design and fundraising for its replacement. More a successor than replacement, really, as the old building carries so many memories (here’s a bit of its history). But it’s had to remain fenced off for safety reasons while the process proceeded – and the patio that once hosted lively summer gatherings has grown weedy.

As if to promise that the site’s idle interlude is ending, those who came tonight surrounded the fence as a “group hug” for the building:

They were also invited to share memories in online posts using the hashtags shown on this sign (you can do that too):

Another sign on a different side of the fence served as a reminder of what’s to come:

But first comes the site clearing. Demolition was expected to start tomorrow, but HPIC board members say they aren’t quite done with the permit process after all, so it’ll be a while longer. Once the building is gone, they expect to be able to use the site for some interim events while they continue fundraising to build the new HPIC (scroll down here for more on their successes and needs).

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FOLLOWUP: After 3+ months, beached SUV finally gone

July 28, 2024 9:29 pm

| 22 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(April photo sent by Craig)

Today is the 100th day since the abandonment of a stolen Jeep Compass SUV on a stretch of shoreline in the Arroyos/Seola Beach area. However, this isn’t a “100 days and it’s still there” story – because it’s not.

(Saturday photos sent by Robin)

Area resident Robin, who has been doggedly tracking the situation for many weeks (as we most recently noted here), went down on Saturday for a look – and discovered it was gone, nothing left behind but some parts – “the bumper is still in the driftwood and the gas tank and hood are on the rocks too. But the whole SUV carcass is gone gone gone.”

What we don’t know is what happened to it. Robin had reported it to a variety of authorities but not received any word of a removal plan. When in the area Saturday, she told us, she talked to a resident who said someone “from the city” had come by a few days ago and wanted to take photos. Another nearby resident told her they had secondhand information that “someone was taking parts off it,” suggesting it was dismantled rather than removed in one piece. We’ve checked with one neighborhood source who hadn’t heard anything. So we’ll check around tomorrow.

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FOLLOWUP: Installation begins for new speed cushions/humps on Harbor and Alki Avenues

July 28, 2024 6:47 pm

| 45 COMMENTS

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tip! SDOT crews were out today working on some of the 10 new speed cushion/hump sets promised for the Alki/Harbor Avenue area. We found three now in place on Harbor – near Jack Block Park‘s main entrance (photo above), near Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), and near the West Bay Coffee drive-thru. We reported last Monday on the locations where the new speed humps/cushions are planned, shown on this map:

The ones now in place on Harbor are the easternmost ones shown on that map. The new Alki Avenue locations have been marked off; construction wasn’t supposed to start before tomorrow but impending rainy weather may have factored into the change of plan. The city hopes the added humps/cushions will reduce racing and other aggressive-driving problems; as per City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s Monday announcement, SDOT also is still planning some lane narrowing, and is considering whether anything can be done with the Duwamish Head angle-parking zone, which nearby residents want to see changed to reduce its appeal as a gathering spot.

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PREVIEW: Duwamish Tribe’s canoe to land at Alki Beach on Monday (4th update)

July 28, 2024 3:12 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Duwamish Tribe | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(Saturday photo, sent by Eddie)

That’s the Duwamish Tribe‘s Raven canoe, crossing the river by bridge instead of by water, seen as it was towed downtown for the tribe’s participation in the Seafair Torchlight Parade. Tomorrow you are invited to be at Alki Beach as the Duwamish canoe family lands while participating in this year’s scaled-down regional Canoe Journey. The Duwamish canoe will be leaving Suquamish on Monday morning, paddling to Alki for a short stop, and then continuing on to Des Moines, all participating canoe families’ official Monday night stop before finishing the journey in Tacoma. There’s no estimated time of arrival yet – from “midday” to “mid-afternoon” are the early estimates – but the tribe promises social-media updates on Monday.

9:35 AM MONDAY: The latest estimate is between 11 and 11:30 am.

10:13 AM: Another update – the weather has forced some canoes to get out of the water, so the Duwamish canoe will now be brought to Alki by trailer sometime this afternoon.

11:55 AM: New update for that – around 2 pm.

2:23 PM: They brought the canoe to Don Armeni Boat Ramp, from which they’re launching shortly, heading to Des Moines. So they’ll be paddling past Alki Beach proper. We’ll have photos in a separate story later.

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BIZNOTE: West Seattle Supercuts closing too

July 28, 2024 12:27 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Turns out this is closing day for another Junction business too. A texter tipped us that Supercuts in Jefferson Square is closing after 40 years in business. Coincidentally we were at Jefferson Square when that tip came in, so we walked over to confirm. It’s true, staff told us, saying “corporate” made the decision to close the location. Subsequent records searches shows it’s a franchise, with a parent company holding multiple regional locations; we’ll be following up. Obviously any Jefferson Square changes from hereon out also have to be viewed through the prism of the center’s likely demolition for the Sound Transit Junction light-rail station, though the current timeline doesn’t start construction for at least three years. Meantime, according to the location list on the Supercuts website, this closure will leave the chain with only one outlet within Seattle city limits, in Northgate.

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UPDATE: About this morning’s Admiral police response

July 28, 2024 10:39 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Reader photo)

ORIGINAL SUNDAY REPORT: Lots of questions about a sizable police response in Admiral around 8 am. Officers were gone by the time we were able to get to the area but incident audio indicates the initial report was a possible robbery inside an apartment building in the 2100 block of California SW. The victim – reported to be a delivery driver – arranged to meet police near Admiral/42nd, so that’s why people saw officers there too. There was one report that the alleged robber may have brandished an “AR-pattern rifle,” so that’s why some texters saw police with long guns out at one point, and there was also a report he might have been associated with a unit inside the building. Police were still trying to sort out what actually happened, so we will follow up, but a final incident summary won’t be accessible before tomorrow.

ADDED 2:30 PM MONDAY: Here’s what police provided in response to our inquiry:

On July 28, Seattle police responded to the 2100 block of California Avenue Southwest for the report of an armed robbery at an apartment building. The incident happened just before 8 a.m. Officers found the victim, a 38-year-old man, in the 4100 block of Southwest Admiral Way. He told Seattle police he was making a grocery order delivery when a man appeared near the building’s stairs with a rifle and told him to drop the delivery. The victim reported the suspect threatened him and told him to leave while pointing the gun at him. The victim pleaded with the suspect not to fire the rifle, dropped the groceries, and ran to the corner of 44th Avenue Southwest and Southwest College Street to call for help. The suspect was described as a white man in his mid-30s, approximately 5’10” tall, with short black hair and a black beard, wearing plaid pajama pants and a sweater. No arrest has been made at this time.

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BIZNOTE: Last day for Swan Dive in The Junction

July 28, 2024 9:09 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(Reader photo sent by Mark)

Today is closing day for Swan Dive, which opened a year and half ago at 4537 California SW in The Junction. Via email, proprietor Ali Brownrigg tells WSB:

It’s really super sad for me. I loved having a shop in the Junction but sales are just too slow and as a single mom with no other income, I don’t have the runway to wait for sales to improve. I hope that people think back on Swan Dive’s brief stint in the Junction with fondness. I know I will. I’ve met so many great people through the store and that makes me feel blessed.

Before Swan Dive moved in, the space held Virago Gallery, which left to go online-only.

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: 16 options!

July 28, 2024 6:12 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Thanks to H&A for sending the aerial view from west Admiral)

Here’s what’s happening on our summer Sunday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!

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

PLUNGE INTO THE SOUND: At 9 am, 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 the Sunday run.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, midsummer produce, plus beverages, baked goods, flowers, cheese, fish, meat, prepared food, nuts, candy, more. (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)

SUNDAYS IN THE ALLEY: Pop-up shopping experience – music and food too – behind Carmilia’s, in the alley behind the (corrected) east side of the 4500 block of California SW, 10 am-3 pm. More info in our calendar listing.

MAKERS’ ART MARKET AT ALKI: Noon to 5 pm, “meet your favorite local makers, artists, and food vendors” at the market next to Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki).

COLMAN POOL: The outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is open to the public today, noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, the season continues for the 7-days-a-week city wading pool, noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.

ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS : Reminder that the historic Alki Point Lighthouse is open to the public today for free tours, 1 pm-3:45 pm, Alki Avenue SW & Point Place SW. (But not NEXT Sunday, though, as volunteers will be busy with Seafair.)

(added) POP-UP MARKET: Cascadia Wicks tells us they’re among the vendors at a pop-up market at Future Primitive in White Center (9832 14th SW), 1-5 pm.

CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Monthly gathering, 3 pm at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) – see our calendar listing for info on this month’s discussion.

I DRAW SLOW: Acoustic music, live at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW), doors open 3 pm – tickets and info here.

FAREWELL TO HIGHLAND PARK IMPROVEMENT CLUB BUILDING: As previewed here, the time has come to say farewell to the fire-ravaged historic building, with demolition about to start, so you’re invited to HPIC‘s 5 pm celebration at the site (1116 SW Holden).

FREE OUTDOOR COMMUNITY YOGA: Presented by Dragonfly, 5 pm at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook (water side of 4500 block of Beach Drive SW), nonprofit fundraiser if you can donate, details in our calendar listing.

GONG BATH & NATURE MEDITATION: 7:30 pm at Lowman Beach Park (7017 Beach Drive SW) – ticket link’s in our calendar listing.

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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