West Seattle, Washington
18 Saturday
If you’re shopping for a middle school for next year, you’ll want to go to Greater West Seattle Middle School information Night tomorrow (Monday, November 4). 6 pm to 7:15 pm in the Our Lady of Guadalupe gym (35th/Myrtle), you’ll find reps from schools including Explorer West MS (WSB sponsor), Harbor School (Vashon Island), Holy Family Bilingual, Holy Rosary, Hope Lutheran (WSB sponsor), Lake Washington Girls, McMurray MS (Vashon Island), Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Bernadette, Summit Atlas, and Westside School (WSB sponsor). You can RSVP by going here.
(Pam Lustig’s ‘Garden Pose,’ winner of 2024 WSGT competition)
Here on the first day of Pacific Standard Time, summer feels like a long way away. But local artists are invited to have summer in their hearts and come up with creations to submit for the West Seattle Garden Tour‘s annual art competition – one week until the deadline, Sunday, November 10:
We welcome your submissions for our 2025 event and look forward to seeing your art!
Each year West Seattle Garden Tour, a 501(c)(3) organization, seeks out other nonprofits whose goals fit our mission—to promote horticulture, education, and artistic endeavors within West Seattle and neighboring communities. Your submissions and the winning art, along with the generous support of our sponsors, allow the West Seattle Garden Tour to fund projects in our community that align with our mission. Our 2024 tour raised and distributed $57,700 for 11 local nonprofits.
Submissions should be reflective of the following narrative with a focus on use of color, composition, texture and contrast to excite interest in the tour.
Gardens are personal statements that reflect the passions and creativity of their gardeners. They may be places of refuge and retreat or active environments that invite engagement. The gardens featured in our tour exhibit those qualities as well as an artful mix of design, rich color palettes, texture, contrast, creative and inspiring use of plants, art, and hardscaping.
You can find the rules/guidelines here, and send in your entry here. Think bright and beautiful during these long dark nightd, looking ahead to next year’s Garden Tour, set for June 22nd.
(Photos courtesy Deb Barker)
As previewed here, tonight’s the night that Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood (39th/Thistle) has thrown open its doors to welcome anyone interested in gathering to contemplate the upcoming election, wherever you stand on the candidates and issues. Pastor Erik Kindem explains that the community prayer vigil is happening in the main sanctuary.
Follow the lanterns up the stairs to the doorway. This is an open-house format where people can stay as long as they want to. Instrumental music will alternate with periods of silence. There will be spoken or sung prayers too. This is scheduled to continue until 7 pm.
P.S. Remember to get your ballot in by 8 pm Tuesday via dropbox, earlier if via USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked in time.
Two weather notes today:
SNOW-COATED OLYMPICS: The mountains across Puget Sound to our west put on a show today, as notable mountain snow arrived in The Olympics, after a longer-than-usual wait. The photo above is from Chris Frankovich; the photo below is from Brooke Gosztola:
The snow level in The Olympics is down to about 4,000 feet today, possibly falling to 3,000 feet tomorrow.
BLUSTERY MONDAY AHEAD: Here at (and near) sea level, tomorrow will be wet and windy. So far advisories and alerts are out for many parts of western Washington, but not our area yet; nonetheless, be ready for sustained winds to 20 mph, gusts past 30, out of the southwest.
Today's flyover features 2 EA-18G Growler Jets from the Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-140 Patriots out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.@USNavy | #AFFlyover pic.twitter.com/ifrmw7ceQb
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 3, 2024
Heard the military jets about half an hour ago? Confirmed via X/Twitter, that was a Seahawks flyover: “Today’s flyover features 2 EA-18G Growler Jets from the Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-140 Patriots out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.”
(Photos by Tom Trulin)
The salmon spawners have arrived in Fauntleroy Creek and right now, it’s your first big chance this season to try to see them firsthand. Creek stewards and volunteer salmon watchers are hosting an “open creek” along the stretch where you’re most likely to see them, which runs through private property, but you’ll be guided down to creekside if you go to the public overlook that’s right off the corner of upper Fauntleroy Way and SW Director [map].
This opportunity continues until 3 pm today. All ages welcome, but children should be with an adult and dogs should be leashed. Note that you might see dead fish as well as live ones – that’s the natural end of the spawning cycle.
Thanks to Mark Jaroslaw for the video! On Saturday, La Chingona Taqueria (2940 SW Avalon Way) celebrated Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) with performances including Aztec dancing and mariachi musicians, plus a procession to remember those who’ve gone before.
Family and friends have said goodbye to Donna McCallister and are sharing this remembrance:
Donna Lee McCallister peacefully passed away, surrounded by family and love, on October 23, 2024.
Born on August 17, 1946, in Seattle, Donna married her soulmate, Gary McCallister, on April 20, 1967, and together they built a life filled with warmth and laughter in West Seattle. Donna’s greatest joy was her family, and she cherished every moment spent with them. A gifted seamstress, she lovingly crafted clothes, quilts, and countless keepsakes, each stitch a testament to her care and artistry. Her love for sewing was matched only by her devotion to her family and loyal pets, all of whom she adored deeply.
Known affectionately as Mom, Mama Lee, and Nana, Donna’s presence was a constant source of comfort and joy, and her legacy lives on in the hearts of those she loved. Donna is survived by her beloved husband, Gary; her daughters, Heather (Edward) and Nina (Vince); and her cherished grandchildren, Bella, Lola, E.J., Avery, Olive, and Vinny. Her name and love are a legacy that will be carried forward by all who knew her. Donna will be dearly missed, her memory treasured by family, friends, and all whose lives she touched. A service celebrating her life was held on Friday at Forest Lawn Funeral Home.
(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)
(Photo by Arlene Rubin, seen from Lincoln Park shore – note the faint rainbow)
Here are the highlights of what’s happening in our area today, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find even more listings). First, two traffic alerts:
DIA DE MUERTOS BRUNCH: Special weekend brunch at La Chingona Taqueria (2940 SW Avalon Way), 8 am-2 pm.
SWIM IN THE SOUND: At 9 am, dive into the weekly group plunge into Puget Sound off Alki – meet at Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki).
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet for today’s run at 9 am at Uptown Espresso (Delridge/Andover).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: As usual, open 10 am-2 pm, with seasonal produce, plus beverages, baked goods, flowers, cheese, fish, meat, prepared food, nuts, candy, condiments, more. (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)
SMALL-BIZ POP-UP MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, see who’s selling what at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW).
DIA DE MUERTOS POP-UP: Milpa Masa (3416 SW Webster) hosts Rice, Beans, and Happiness, 10 am-2 pm.
(Work by Jenny Mandt, one of the participating artists – photo by Ana Cecilia Del Claro)
FAUNTLEROY FINE ART AND HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW FINALE: 11 am-2 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), 18 artists and crafters want you to see what they’ve brought to the show for early holiday gift shopping, if you didn’t visit on Friday and/or Saturday.
‘OPEN CREEK’ TO SEE FAUNTLEROY SALMON: The spawners have started coming into Fauntleroy Creek, so volunteer salmon watchers are ready for you to visit in hopes of seeing them. 1-3 pm, go to the overlook at upper Fauntleroy/SW Director and wait to be called down to creekside.
MUSICIANS FOR THE WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK: Carmaig and Geddon and A Band of Poets, welcoming donations of money/food for WSFB, 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor)
PRE-ELECTION PRAYER VIGIL: 5-6 pm “safe, contemplative space for people to gather” at Peace Lutheran Church (39th/Thistle), all welcome.
‘BEYOND LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’: Last in a series of Sunday night events at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW):
We are pleased to be able to offer this series to our community and invite all who are interested in learning more about the history and future of the Duwamish tribe and the effects of colonization on the Indigenous community to join us.
5 pm-6 pm, no RSVP required.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Sunday night music with the Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW) – 8-10 pm.
Are you planning, organizing, and/or publicizing something that should be listed on our community event calendar – one-time or recurring? Just email us the basics – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
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