West Seattle, Washington
05 Tuesday
If you went to Summer Fest – whether for three minutes, three hours, or all three days – the West Seattle Junction Association has a few questions for you. Answer their survey and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Junction gift card. Most are yes/no questions but two are open-ended, so you can provide festival feedback to help them make it better. Here’s the survey link!
(First two photos by Steven Director)
Thanks for the photos! This turned some heads in the Alki area this afternoon, particularly once it was airborne:
Information in the top photo points to two websites, neither Seattle-based – the Airtime Aircraft site (Florida) says this is a “Light Sport Amphibious Trike,” calling it “The Perfect Recreational Aircraft.”
This one is registered in Florida, too, to Amphibian Air, whose social media page mentions a road trip – with a photo taken here today – but no details (we’re sending a message to ask).
ADDED: Dave responded to our message with this comment below, saying he’s in the area offering “introductory flights.”
One week after voting ended in our state’s primary, the vote-counting is mostly done, though the election results won’t be certified for another week. We’re checking back on a few races of note:
CITY COUNCIL CITYWIDE POSITION 8: Whoever wins in November gets to serve the final year of this unexpired term – and then next fall there’s a vote for a full four-year term. Challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck will be on the November ballot along with appointed incumbent Councilmember Tanya Woo; none of the other three candidates got out of single digits. Current count for the top two, with 43 percent citywide turnout:
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 98,902 – 50.17%
Tanya Woo – 75,684 – 38.39%
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS: There’s been some suspense about whether the November contest would be between two Republicans, but King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove of Des Moines, a Democrat, has been holding onto second place for a few days now. Current count for the top three:
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 408,179 – 21.9%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 390,973 – 20.98%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 385,510 – 20.68%
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: West Seattleite Nick Brown, a Democrat and former U.S. Attorney, is headed for the general against Republican Pete Serrano, mayor of Pasco. Current count for the top two:
Pete Serrano (R) – 792,016 – 41.82%
Nick Brown (D) – 672,076 – 35.48%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE: Though each race has only two candidates, they were on the primary ballot (and will be on the November ballot too) because that’s the law for partisan races, so here’s a look at the current count for both seats:
Position 1
Emily Alvarado (D)* – 37,746 -86.45%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,820 – 13.33%
Position 2
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* – 37,418 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,366 – 14.52%
If you’re interested in seeing how the results have evolved over the week, here’s what these races looked like after the first count last Tuesday.
P.S. Updated state results are here; updated King County results are here.
A decade after opening his fly-fishing-and-more-for-outdoors shop at 42nd/Oregon, Dave McCoy has landed a new, more-visible location for Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor). But he’s staying in The Junction – Emerald Water Anglers’ new home will be the former Bin 41 space at 4707 California SW. He’s doing extensive work on the space right now (photo above), planning to be open there in late September. Though the EWA store dates back to 2014, Dave’s business, with guide services as well as full-service fly-fishing outfitting, started long before that, in 1999. EWA also offers classes and hosts events including book launches and film screening, along with selling fishing gear and outdoor apparel. So look for all that in the new space this fall; meantime, you can still visit EWA’s original location at 4502 42nd SW (which is now officially up for lease).
Thanks to the anonymous reader who sent that photo of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as it passed West Seattle, headed for Bremerton, this past hour. It’ll be homeported there while getting work done at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; for almost a decade, it’s been homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. The carrier was last seen here in 2013, when it was headed for San Diego.
The development files have been fairly quiet lately, aside from townhouse projects, which aren’t always noteworthy, but this is an exception, as it’s one of the larger such projects we’ve seen in a while, and on a high-visibility site: Two years after the sale of three 80-year-old duplexes across from Cormorant Cove Park, there’s an early-stage redevelopment plan. Nine 3-bedroom townhouses, with nine offstreet parking spaces, are proposed to replace the boxy duplexes on the corner of Beach Drive SW and SW Orleans (which hold the official addresses 3702-3708 Beach and 6011 Orleans). Seven units would face Beach, two would face Orleans. These are the last un-redeveloped parcels on the inland side of the 3700 block of Beach Drive. A Seattle investment entity affiliated with architecture firm MG2 – whose name is on the site plan – bought the site for $3 million in 2022.
August is usually a time of few community meetings, but there are exceptions, and tomorrow night brings one of them. The 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting is happening in-person at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds), 7:30 pm Wednesday following a 6:30 pm pre-meeting presentation. During the regular meeting, County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock – both West Seattleites – are scheduled for a half-hour mini Town Hall. Also on the agenda – though the group has already made most of its endorsement votes for the year, its endorsed presidential candidate is no longer running, so they’ll be voting on whether to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris‘s candidacy. A few other issues are up for endorsement votes too. Only members can vote, but the meeting is open to all to attend, non-members included.
(Photo by Steve Bender, who believes that’s a California Little Blue Butterfly)
Here’s our highlight list for the rest of today/tonight, as shown on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (send us your event any time – westseattleblog@gmail.com):
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Open daily through Labor Day, 11 am-8 pm. (1100 SW Cloverdale)
COLMAN POOL: Also just under (corrected) three weeks left to visit 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, the wading pool is expected to be open today, noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area, with sunbreaks and 70-degree weather due this afternoon.
E.C. HUGHES WADING POOL: Also open noon-7 pm. (2805 SW Holden)
CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)
CITY COUNCIL: 2 pm weekly meeting, with public comment in person or online – the agenda explains how. Mid-year budget issues are the key items today. Watch via Seattle Channel.
FREE DROP-IN CLIMBING: Another chance to try out Schurman Rock at Camp Long (5200 35th SW) – two free sessions, 5 pm and 6:30 pm, with signups starting half an hour before the session begins.
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration continues on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t bring your own.
STORYTIME IN THE GARDEN: 6 pm Tuesdays all summer, bring the little one(s) to Delridge P-Patch (5078 25th SW) for storytime plus a garden activity.
SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm tonight, play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).
FREE TRACK RUN: All runners welcome! Meet up at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.
MAKE POTTERY: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance to work on your project(s).
BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – weekly Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
TRIVIA X 4: Four places to play Tuesday nights – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW) has Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7:10 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
Planning an event? Are community members invited? Tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar – please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Winning teams: The Admiral Pie Rats; Lucy & Annie’s Big Adventure; Bean House; and, We’re FINE!)
The annual Summer Scramble treasure hunt is over, after a fun four days for searchers and participating businesses. Organizer Alice Kuder shares this wrap-up announcement:
Eighty-one teams participated in the second annual Summer Scramble Treasure Hunt, which ran from Aug. 1st-4th here in West Seattle. Scramblers searched for twenty-five locations, following clues provided by the hunt orchestrator, Alice Kuder. Hunters who sent in selfies showing themselves in front of the correct locations qualified for prize treasure chests filled with booty donated by generous local businesses.
Eleven teams solved all twenty-five clues, and 510 selfies were submitted in all. A drawing determined the four teams that won treasure chests. They are: The Admiral Pie Rats; Lucy & Annie’s Big Adventure; Bean House; and, We’re FINE!
As with the annual Winter Wander Scavenger Hunt, Summer Scramble is designed to provide fun for everyone and to promote lesser-known local businesses spread across West Seattle neighborhoods. Both annual events are orchestrated by Alice Kuder, Preparedness Coach with Just in Case, and REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, as her gift to the community.
Please show your appreciation to the following businesses that helped make this event happen. West Seattle is the best Seattle!
Shug’s Soda Fountain, Dumplings of Fury, Alki Aloha Style Salon, Mis Fit Strength Studio, Rush Hour, Alki Beach Academy, Meat the Live Butcher, Banh Mi XO, Nacho Mama’s Fry Bread Café, Center Sign Shop, Swedish Automotive, Good Day Donuts, West Seattle Bowl, West of Chicago Pizza, West Seattle Wonder Dogs, Ounces Taproom, Admiral Theater, Kenyon Hall, The Kenney, Seattle Sorbets, The Birdhouse, and Avalon Glassworks.
Reema Rafii, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, and Randy Winn also provided valuable assistance with this year’s Scramble.
Watch for word of Winter Wander when the holiday season approaches!
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, August 13.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Today’s forecast: Cloudy, high around 70. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:03 am, while sunset will be at 8:23 pm.
TRANSIT NOTES
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule for both routes.
Metro buses today – Regular schedules; check for advisories here.
Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, and the unscheduled third boat may be available. Check that link before you sail.
SPOKANE ST. VIADUCT CLOSURES
See the schedule here for this week’s planned closures for the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project, and remember it’s always subject to last-minute change (last night, in fact, the two left EB lanes weren’t closed after all).
OTHER ROAD WORK NOTES
*The East Marginal Way S. project continues, with a temporary routing change for bicycle riders starting this week:
People biking will be routed onto the street of E Marginal Way S in temporary protected bike lanes from S Spokane St to north of the Terminal 30 parking lot at approximately S Stacy St. At the T30 parking lot / S Stacy St, people will be routed back into the existing bike lanes and sidewalk on the west side of the street. Please note that the T30 parking lot is south of the main T30 entrance.
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project is in progress. Fairmount Avenue is closed under the bridge for the duration of the project, at least into early 2025. Lane closures have begun on the top deck too.
*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch. Watch for no-parking zones and steel plates, plus flaggers.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:
Low bridge: Here’s the main view:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
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.
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!
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