day : 01/12/2024 9 results

WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Menashe Family’s 2024 display

Christmas-light season is officially on. The Menashe Family’s home at 5605 Beach Drive SW is ablaze in lights – our video above is a minute-long look at most of it. One aspect that’ll catch your eye, the transportation features – train, plane, helicopter, among others.

Lots of Christmasy characters inhabit almost every square inch of the yard. And by the sidewalk, the traditional mailbox for letters to Santa Claus:

Santa himself will visit in two weeks, the night of December 14 (as noted in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide), with reindeer accompanying him. (He’s already represented on the north side of the display.)

We’ll be showcasing lights from around the community again this season, starting tomorrow (Monday) – if yours are extra-festive, or you see some that are, please let us know! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

HOLIDAY SCENE: Serenading Prost West Seattle’s Tannenbaum, as a week of tree lightings begins

December 1, 2024 8:01 pm
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 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

If you’re going to sing “O Tannenbaum” under a Christmas tree, no better place to do it in West Seattle than Prost! That’s one of the songs local musician (and renowned announcer) Tom Hutyler sang there tonight in honor of the official first night of the bar’s Christmas tree.

P.S. Other tree lightings ahead this week include the Our Lady of Guadalupe tree during Light Up the Night on Friday and The Junction’s (somewhat diminished, but illuminated anyway) tree during the Holiday Festival on Saturday.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen black Infiniti SUV; police-community meeting reminder

December 1, 2024 7:30 pm
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 |   Crime | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

STOLEN INFINITI: Matt reports his Infiniti QX80 SUV was stolen from 16th and Barton at 3 this morning.

“It’s black and was just washed,” he adds. Plate CGU8665, police report # 24-338373. Call 911 if you find it.

POLICE-COMMUNITY MEETING REMINDER: Got concerns/questions for local police? Want to find out more about the Unified Care Team‘s work with encampments? That’s all on the agenda for the Thursday (December 5) meeting of the Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council (if you show up, you’re instantly part of it), 6:30 pm at the precinct, 2300 SW Webster.

VIDEO: Hanseroth Twins (with special guests) at Easy Street Records

(photos and videos by WSB contributor Jason Grotelueschen)

Grammy-winning local music legends Hanseroth Twins (best known as longtime band members with Brandi Carlile) played a packed in-store show at Easy Street Records on Black Friday night, in support of the brothers’ new album Vera.

WSB contributor Jason Grotelueschen was on the scene (albeit in the back row) and said the twins’ harmonies and songs were on full display at the show, and they were joined onstage by musician Akira Galaxy (based in Los Angeles but with local ties, and the niece of Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam), and also shared the finale with Carlile herself:

Jason also shared a few videos from the performance:

After the show, the twins did a meet-and-greet with fans. They announced from the stage how grateful they were that fans at the show had purchased the entire stock of albums that they had onsite, and thanked attendees for their support. 

WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: 7 new views!

Thanks to everyone who sends bird photos – enabling our first gallery in a while!

James Tilley photographed those Barrow’s Goldeneyes at Jack Block Park; that’s where Christopher Boffoli saw this Merganser.

The Cormorant below (with a snack) is from Vince Marx:

Steve Bender was in South Park when this Mallard sailed past:

Susan Romanenghi shared two photos – first, a Robin:

And a Starling:

Jerry Simmons photographed this juvenile Townsend’s Warbler:

We appreciate photos from birds to breaking news (and Christmas lights!) – westseattleblog@gmail.com, or text to 206-293-6302 – thank you!

New way to immerse yourself in Seattle’s largest forest, even when you can’t be there

(Photo courtesy West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails)

West Seattle’s biggest green treasure is now alive online as well as in real life. The folks working to help you learn about, enjoy, and protect the West Duwamish Greenbelt sent this announcement today:

There’s a new way to engage with the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group (WDGT) and explore the trails in Seattle’s largest remaining contiguous forest.

The West Duwamish Greenbelt covers 500 acres spanning more than four miles north to south. A large network of trails lead from the Duwamish Longhouse and Highland Park Way to Puget Park, Pigeon Point Park, and Riverview Playfield, passing the South Seattle College campus. As part of WDGT’s ongoing commitment to promote use of the greenbelt, restore the forest, and develop sustainable trails, we’ve developed a new website at wdgtrails.org.

The new website makes it easier for visitors to learn about the trails, with links to an updated map and articles about the history and ecology of the space.

The goal of this website is to not just share information about the trails and connect the community with the West Duwamish Greenbelt but also to tell the story of the greenbelt from the perspective of the community and other trail users.

This living website will be actively updated with new content, including history articles and information about guided hikes, volunteer opportunities, and other events.

Open Call for Contributions

Do you have a story of the West Duwamish Greenbelt? A memory of playing in the forest as a kid or knowledge of the history of the land? Insights into the life and geology of the area?

We welcome your contributions to the History and Nature articles, either writing your own or reaching out to our team and giving us an interview for an article.

The new website also features community-contributed photos. Whether it’s scenes of the forest, bird shots, macro photography, or snapshots of hikes, you can submit your own photos to share with the community.

Send us your contributions via the Get Involved page or to wdgtrails@gmail.com.

Who is WDGT?

WDGT is a collection of neighbors who guide creation, maintenance and promotion of walking and hiking trails in the greenbelt. We have been working in partnership with the Duwamish Tribe and the Ridge to River coalition to draw people to the forested land. We meet monthly on the second Tuesday of the month. All are invited. See Get Involved for the time, place, and medium of the next meeting.

Hosting for the website was funded by the Neighborhood Matching Fund from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and the website was developed by WDGT volunteer and Puget Ridge resident Jay Speidell. The same grant funded a current exhibit, “Seattle’s Forest,” at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s Log House Museum, 3003 61st Ave. SW.

WEEK AHEAD: Fauntleroy YMCA progress report Wednesday

December 1, 2024 1:42 pm
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 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

What’s happened at the Fauntleroy YMCA since the possibility of closure shocked the community almost a year ago? It’s time for a progress report, says the YMCA (WSB sponsor), with changes over the year including expanded hours and programming. So, we’re reminding you, that progress report is expected at a “town hall”-style meeting at 6 pm Wednesday (December 4) in the Fellowship Hall of Fauntleroy Church (which shares its location with the Fauntleroy Y, at 9140 California SW). Last January, the Y convened an initial town-hall meeting about the challenges and needs, so you can come see – and ask questions about/provide feedback on – what’s happened since then.

BIZNOTE: HomeStreet Bank hosts ‘Snowed In (Again)’ playwright for prize drawing

If you’ve been to ArtsWest to see the holiday musical “Snowed In (Again),” that’s playwright Corinne Park-Buffelen at left in our photo. Corinne visited HomeStreet Bank (4022 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) to celebrate the conclusion of ArtsWest’s monthlong showcase at the bank; she and HomeStreet’s Andrew Tento drew two winners for pairs of tickets to see “Snowed In (Again).” Every month HomeStreet’s West Seattle branch showcases a different community business or organization, concluding with a prize drawing – you can enter just by visiting the branch, which is open Mondays-Thursdays 9 am-5 pm, Fridays 9 am-6 pm. The featured business for December is Meeples Games.

What to know for your end-of-Thanksgiving-weekend West Seattle Sunday

(Photo by Tom Trulin, downtown reflection of last night’s sunset)

Lots to tell you about this morning. First, a traffic alert if you’re headed east off-peninsula in the hours ahead:

SEATTLE MARATHON: A stretch of northbound 99 north of downtown will be closed this morning and early afternoon because of the marathon, as will part of the I-5 express lanes through downtown. Here’s the full closure list.

Next, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, the holiday happenings today and tonight:

(WSB photo, Friday at Duwamish Longhouse)

DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE NATIVE ART MARKET: Last day of your annual chance to buy from Native artists and crafters the weekend after Thanksgiving. 10 am-5 pm. Food vendors too. Parking on both sides of the street. Here’s our report from day 1. (4705 West Marginal Way SW)

TOYS FOR TOTS AT THE FARMERS’ MARKET: West Seattle Kiwanis continues with their holiday-season booth at the south end of the market (California/Alaska) – bring new unwrapped toys to donate, and buy your advance pancake-breakfast ticket(s)!

JET CITY LABS’ SMALL-BIZ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, stop in to see who’s selling what at Jet City Labs today. (4547 California SW)

SWEET REEL HOLIDAY MAKERS’ MARKET: Local artists and makers sell their creations 11 am-4 pm at 5001 Delridge Way SW.

SANTA AT OUNCES: Free pics with the jolly ol’ fella 1-4 pm. (3809 Delridge Way SW)

‘SNOWED IN (AGAIN)’: ArtsWest‘s holiday musical has a 3 pm matinée today; get your ticket(s) here. (4711 California SW)

MENASHE FAMILY LIGHTS: The Menashe Family Lights are the biggest and brightest display in West Seattle. Tonight is the first “official” night, though they’ve been on a while. (5605 Beach Drive SW)

EVENING POP-UP: Art market 4-8 pm at Bebop Waffle Shop (2600 California SW).

CERAMIC ORNAMENT-MAKING CLASS: At Locust Cider‘s Alki taproom (2820 Alki SW), 4-7 pm.

PROST! TREE LIGHTING AND HOLIDAY MUSIC: Tom Hutyler performs at the Prost! West Seattle (3407 California SW) tree lighting, starting at 5. Bring new unwrapped toy(s) for a collection to be dropped off during the Seattle Fire Department drive on December 7.

ASTRA LUMINA: Celestially inspired light show on the grounds of the Seattle Chinese Garden at the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, times vary. Tickets and info here.

And everything else – mostly from the year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet for today’s run at 9 am at Upwell (4811 California SW).

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

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Fall is project time. Need a tool to make yours happen? Borrow it from the Tool Library, open 11 am-4 pm on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

MUSICIANS FOR THE WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK: Bring $ and/or nonperishable food for WSFB to C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), and enjoy live music.

FREE COMMUNITY MEAL: “We wanted to let all of our West Seattle Neighbors know that Bethany Community Church, West Seattle (8600 9th Ave SW) is hosting a free community meal three times during december: Sunday Dec 1, Dec, 15, and Dec. 29th. We know these can be tough times, so it’s our hope to provide a hot meal for anyone who needs it. Meals will be served 5:30-6:30 PM in our Fellowship Hall.”

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 – and/or in our Holiday Guide? Just email us the basics – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!