West Seattle, Washington
15 Tuesday
Congratulations to the West Seattle High School Wildcats softball team for another strong season, which ended tonight. The team, coached by Kyler Tsukada, made it to the district tournament again this year but lost their opening game, 9-4, vs. Renton’s Liberty High School, played at Juanita HS in Kirkland. The Wildcats finish the year 11-11.
Independent elementary Tilden School (WSB sponsor) is planning a party – here’s the invitation!
The Tilden School board of directors will be hosting Tilden’s FIRST-ever fundraiser on May 31st. We’re calling this Tilden PROM (Past and Present Remembering Our Magic). All Tilden alumni, current families, incoming families and friends of Tilden (18 and over) are welcome. It’ll be held at Kenyon Hall from 7-10 PM with food, drinks, live music, a short program, and catching up. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/tildenprom
(Alki UCC photo: Celebration for newest banners, March 14 – before yet another act of vandalism)
The church Alki UCC and the synagogue Kol HaNeshamah have shared the building at 6115 SW Hinds for more than 20 years. Both hold not only regular services but also do community work as part of their commitment to social justice. And they’ve been dealing with a recurring problem: “In the past nine months, the Pride/Trans and Black Lives Matter banners hanging from the front of our building were vandalized and replaced multiple times. After the fifth recent vandalism, we began to imagine together the possibility of a different response.” You’re invited to be part of that response; details shortly, but first, here’s what’s happened so far:
ļ· August 7, 2023: Rainbow Pride Flag and Trans Pride Flag torn down by unknown perpetrator. A police report was filed; we immediately replaced the flags.
ļ· February 18, 2024: Rainbow Pride Flag and Trans Pride Flag torn down; report filed.
ļ· February 27, 2024: Black Lives Matter Flag torn from its frame and security camera cord severed. Police report filed.
ļ· On March 10, higher-quality Pride Progress Flag and Black Lives Matter flags installed on sturdy frames and dedicated on March 17.
ļ· March 23, 2024: Black Lives Matter flag removed from its frame and later found in the street. The Progress Pride flag was partially removed from its frame. The security camera cord had been severed. Police report was filed, and the flags were replaced the same day.
ļ· March 29, 2024: Black Lives Matter flag ripped, removing 2/3 of the image, and not recovered. Police report filed.
Rather than immediately replacing the Black Lives Matter banner after that last incident, the congregations “consulted with a local artist to collaborate on how to best transform the sign into a statement of love and justice. The words of the prophet Amos, quoted by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., called to us: ‘Let justice roll down like water.’ The scripture text will be highlighted with a river of grace flowing from the torn edge.”
As part of that, the congregations invite the community to join them in front of the building on Sunday (May 19) between 11:15 am and 12:30 pm: “50 days after the tearing of the flag, we will gather together to paint the prophetic words and evocative image on the sign.” The community is invited “to join us to add their personal expression to this community collaboration by painting a letter or splash of river. Weāll have art tables with materials for all to imagine what justice looks like.” They promise it will be an “all-ages joyful event” also including refreshments and “a sing-along to songs of love and justice with Alki UCC Music Director Stephen Anthony Rawson.”
If you want to hear what the city is doing about crime and/or other public-safety issues – and share your thoughts about what you’d like to see done – here’s another reminder: Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14) brings Mayor Harrell‘s regional public-safety forum. It’s happening at 6 pm at Concord International Elementary School, 723 S. Concord in South Park (here’s a map). This is the third in a series of five, one in each of the city’s SPD-precinct areas (the Southwest Precinct serves both West Seattle and South Park). Here’s how the format’s been described in media advisories:
The public forum is part of a series of forums held in neighborhoods with community members across Seattle over the next month to share more about Mayor Harrellās public safety framework and to receive input and feedback on safety priorities, allowing neighbors to engage in direct conversation with City leaders and representatives on public safety ideas and solutions.
Mayor Harrell and City leaders will make opening remarks, followed by interactive input sessions for participants. Community members will rotate in small groups to engage directly with City leaders and provide input informing action and policy priorities.
According to an SPD event announcement, these are the city departments expected to be represented:
Seattle Police Department
Seattle Fire Department
CARE (Community Assisted Response & Engagement Team)
Seattle Police Department Alternative Response Team
PARKS ā Park Rangers
Seattle Police Department Youth Liaison
Department of Education and Early Learning
Seattle Department of Transportation
King County Metro
Department of Neighborhood
Office of Economic Development
(corrected) Human Services Department
Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
They’re asking for attendees to RSVP – you can do that here.
(WSB file photo)
If you can help, Keith Hughes at Westside Neighbors Shelter – which continues to operate year-round, entirely donation- and volunteer-powered – sent this list of donations that would be useful right now:
Here is a list of some essential supplies that we are running very short on.
Top Ramen packages
Cup-O-Noodles
Coffee Mate Creamer
Pancake syrup8 oz paper cups (cold cups)
12 oz hot cups (without lids)
mens size large boxers and T-shirtsThank you so much for continuing to supports our efforts to help the homeless in WS.
The center is at 3618 SW Alaska, co-housed with West Seattle Veteran Center and American Legion Post 160.
Thanks to the texter who sent the photo – a Seattle Police Mounted Patrol sighting at Westwood Village. They’re seen around West Seattle on occasion, as they’re based here, at Westcrest Park (as shown in this WSB story from last year); SPD has told us in the past that this is one of the places they go to get acclimatized to being around people and traffic. Community interaction is the unit’s main job, aka “relational policing” –
Now that Filing Week is over, the ballot lineups are set for local offices – here’s who you’ll see on the August primary ballot (unless they withdraw by the deadline later today):
*34th District State Representative, Position 1 – incumbent Rep. Emily Alvarado (D) vs. Kimberly Cloud (R)
*34th District State Representative, Position 2 – incumbent Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D) vs. Jolie Lansdowne (R), who ran for Position 1 two years ago
*City Council citywide Position 8 – Councilmember Tanya Woo‘s appointment to this nonpartisan position runs through fall, so there’s an election for one more year of this position’s unexpired term; Woo has filed, as have Saul Patu, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez, and Tariq Yusuf
*King County Superior Court – 54 judicial positions are open; not a single one has drawn multiple candidates
You can see the lineups – with links to the candidates’ websites, if any – including statewide, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate races, by going here. Primary Election Day is August 6.
P.S. For those who asked about perennial candidate Goodspaceguy – he’s filed for U.S. Senate.
(Added, WSB photo: SDOT truck at project site this morning)
Just announced by the coalition opposing the Alki Point Healthy Street plan, with SDOT planning to launch major construction shortly – a community meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14):
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Jack Dwight Blanchard passed away peacefully on April 29, 2024. 
Skunk Works Robotics and Tekerz Robotics invite you to an info night on May 16, from 6-8 pm. They are looking for students who will be in grades 8-12 next year to join their competitive robotics teams. Skunk Works began competing in 2007 in FIRST FRC, while the High Tekerz got their start in 2011. Both teams build 125-lb robots that compete on a field about the size of a basketball court. 
Spring/summer event season has begun! We’re now only four weeks away from the 
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