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VIDEO: Four City Council Position 8 candidates answer questions from West Seattle Democratic Women
June 24, 2024 10:10 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(WSB photo: L-R, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Tanya Woo, Tariq Yusuf, Saunatina Sanchez)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

In a little over three weeks, King County Elections will mail ballots for the August 6 primary. Among the positions for which you’ll be narrowing the fields is Seattle City Council Position 8, one of the council’s two citywide positions. It’s on the ballot because of the complex situation resulting from Teresa Mosqueda moving to the King County Council midway through her term – under city rules, first the council had to appoint a replacement to serve until the next general election, and now someone will be elected to serve the final year of the unexpired term.

Four candidates filed to run for that remaining year – Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez, Tanya Woo (who was appointed to serve until the fall election), and Tariq Yusuf. The only West Seattle forum for the race so far – perhaps the only one pre-primary – was held during last Thursday’s West Seattle Democratic Women dinner meeting at West Seattle Golf Course.

WSDW’s Ann Martin moderated. We recorded it on video – the acoustics were a bit challenged because of the fan running in the room on a very warm night, but our summaries of each answer are below the video so you can read them too.

FIRST: Opening statements:

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UPDATE: West Seattle low bridge reopens after 2+ hours stuck due to technical trouble
June 24, 2024 6:48 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:48 PM: Thanks for the tip. The low bridge is out of service right now. Gates won’t open, says a stuck bike rider.

7:06 PM: Gates still down. Watching the live camera, we’ve seen some westbound riders turn around and head back eastbound. Some westbound vehicles are still waiting. We’re trying to reach SDOT to ask if they have any ETA on repairs.

7:41 PM: SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson tells WSB, “The bridge is currently stuck due to a technical issue with the tail locking mechanism preventing us from opening or closing the bridge. A maintenance crew is currently en route to diagnose and fix the problem according to our standard response procedures.”

8:29 PM: Reopened, after 2+ hours. SDOT promises an update when they get the details on what went wrong.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Duwamish Head shooting victim not yet identified; Councilmember Saka vows ‘bold action’
June 24, 2024 5:30 pm
|      61 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, Saturday morning)

Two days after a man was shot and killed at the Duwamish Head viewpoint area where Harbor and Alki Avenues meet, we don’t yet know who the victim was; the King County Medical Examiner’s Office did not release his name today. So all we know about his identity remains what SPD said (in a slight update to its original post), that he was 22 years old, and that the other shooting victim, found alive in Renton, is 27. Beyond that, SPD told us today they have no new information to release. The person with the most to say today was District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka; we updated our coverage on Saturday with his early comments, and today he both spoke at the council’s weekly briefing meeting and issued a statement. His remarks at the meeting are five minutes into this Seattle Channel video:

In his written statement, Saka suggested “bold action,” and while it didn’t elaborate on what that might be, he told his council colleagues at this afternoon’s meeting that he is “inclined to support” one thing that residents near the shooting scene have long called for – including one whose home was hit by Saturday morning’s gunfire: Removing the angled parking at the viewpoint where the victim was shot. Saka said he is convening a conversation with the community and city leaders, and that includes city agencies, such as SDOT, which would be accountable for parking reconfiguration and any other street/sidewalk changes. Parks and SPD would be involved too, he said.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Roxhill Park robbery investigation
June 24, 2024 4:43 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Police are investigating a robbery reported at Roxhill Park. A man told them two men held him up at knifepoint, taking his wallet and phone. The victim said they walked away toward the nearby bus stops; police have already checked the buses that were in or leaving the area at that time. The two robbers are described as both around 35, white, short, one with long black hair and wearing a jacket with green sleeves, black pants, and white shoes, while the other was in a black top and black pants with “white lines.” The victim suffered arm injuries and is being treated by SFD medics. Call 911 if you have any info.

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SCHOOL’S OUT: West Seattle High School students’ international summer-study plans
June 24, 2024 3:07 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Today is the first weekday of summer break for thousands of local students. More than 50 West Seattle High School students will spend a large part of their summer studying outside the U.S. The report and photo are from WSHS teacher Meghan Schumacher, who is also Volunteer Site Coordinator for the program in which they’re participating:

This summer, 51 students from West Seattle High School will be studying abroad for 3-4 weeks with CIEE, the Council for International Educational Exchange, a nonprofit organization which coordinates high school and college international exchanges.

86% of these students are traveling with some kind of scholarship, either merit or need-based. West Seattle High School is a Global Navigator School with CIEE, which means that students at the school automatically qualify for at least $25,000 in scholarships toward program fees. This year, WSHS students earned $56,310 in scholarships. Students at West Seattle High have earned over $300,000 in scholarships since 2018, with 196 total students going abroad.

Students are participating in two types of programs. Language and Culture Programs involve studying French, Spanish, Italian, or Arabic in France, Spain, Argentina, Italy, or Morocco. Topic programs include art, creative writing, government, wildlife conservation, leadership and service, or engineering and innovation in Scotland, England, Portugal, Germany, Costa Rica, Botswana, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Ghana, Australia, the Netherlands, or Czechia.

We very much appreciate the support of the teachers, parents and community members of these students, encouraging them to apply and to put their best foot forward. These students and their support networks are helping to make West Seattle a more globally minded community.

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BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Next step for Total Wine & More at Westwood Village
June 24, 2024 1:22 pm
|      26 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | WS beverages

Two and a half months after we first reported that city permit files indicated Total Wine & More would move into Westwood Village‘s ex-Staples space, the shopping center’s owners have finally confirmed it – by adding it to the official WWV map.

(We check the map daily, as it’s been the only way the center “announces” new additions; this status change for the 2501 SW Trenton space is new today.) Still no sign on the exterior of the building at the center’s northeast corner, though.

We’ve renewed our inquiry with Total Wine to ask about timeline. This will be the chain’s third store in Seattle city limits, after Interbay and Northgate.

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Public Health cracks down on unlicensed Alki Beach vendors
June 24, 2024 12:17 pm
|      78 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Public Health – Seattle & King County announced this morning that it shut down seven unlicensed food vendors at Alki Beach last night for “operating without a valid permit.” They list the vendors in question as:

Botanas Lokas
Tacos El Amigo
Cocos
Unpermitted chicharron vendor
Tacos Seattle & Hot Dogs
Botanas
El Corre Caminos

Besides health, other permits are required for food vendors, as listed here. Meantime, you can check Public Health’s list of current food-establishment closures any time by going here.

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Here’s what’s happening for the rest of your West Seattle Monday
June 24, 2024 10:30 am
|    Comments Off on Here’s what’s happening for the rest of your West Seattle Monday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Sunday’s low tide at Fauntleroy ferry dock, photographed by Tom Trulin)

Here’s what’s up today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Daily operation continues – open 11 am-8 pm, free. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

COLMAN POOL: First weekday this summer for 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 7-day-a-week wading pool is open today noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.

BABY STORY TIME: Bring little ones up to 2 years old to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), noon-12:30 pm, for story time!

(Mottled sea star, photographed by Rosalie Miller)

LOW-LOW TIDE: -3.1 feet at 1:17 pm, second-to-last day of the current series of low-low tides. You’ll see Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists at Constellation Park (63rd/Beach Drive) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) 11:30 am-3:30 pm.

CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm at City Hall, the weekly meeting in which councilmembers talk about their plans for the week ahead. Here’s the agenda. Watch live via Seattle Channel.

GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, Monday brings “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.

D&D: Weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too.

MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three places to play tonight –7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander); 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)

MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: All welcome at free weekly Zen sitting/meditation in the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.

MEDITATION IN ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community hosts meditation at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), 7-8:30 pm.

MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.

KARAOKE: 9 pm start for Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).

Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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Remembering Alden J. Van Campen Jr., 1930-2024
June 24, 2024 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on Remembering Alden J. Van Campen Jr., 1930-2024
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Alden Van Campen, and sharing this with the community:

Longtime West Seattle resident Alden John Van Campen Jr. passed away June 18th in Stanwood, Washington.

He was born in Seattle on 3/30/1930 to Alden Van Campen and Lillian Whitmarsh Van Campen. He spent his early years in the Ravenna, Richmond Beach, and Queen Anne neighborhoods. He attended John Hay Elementary School and graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1948. He served in the USAF from 1950-1954 and was stationed in Japan and Guam during the Korean War. Upon his discharge from the Air Force, he began employment with Boeing, where he worked until his retirement in 1990.

He married Virginia Ann ‘Gini’ Larson in 1955 and moved to West Seattle, where he lived until 2023. Alden and Gini were blessed with four children and spent many happy years at the family cabin on Vashon. Alden was a self-described “Car Nut” and had and restored several classic cars throughout the years and was very active in attending the various car shows in western Washington. He also was an active motorcyclist, selling his last bike under family pressure when he was 83, he later tried a fast one, buying a moped when he was 88 to go to the cabin, until pressure from family made him return it. After his wife Gini passed away in 1991, he led a very active life traveling the world, building what his family described as a house around a garage where he kept his show cars, motorcycle, and however many other vehicles he had, never less than two more, wintering in Palm Springs and later, Arizona, spending lots of time at Vashon, and dancing at the White Center Eagles every Friday night.

After being diagnosed with Dementia in 2020, he had to make the toughest decision of his life and give up his beloved cars and move into the first of three assisted living facilities where, ever the ladies man, he never was without female companionship, he never lost his wit, and when asked if he had a new lady friend at the last place, said, “Well, you know Jack, I never plan it, these things just kind of happen.”

Alden was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Donald, his sister Mary, his daughter Kristi, and his wife Gini. He is survived by his children, John (Jack) (Jodi), Cyndi (Rob) Sparrow, Kurt (Ariel); grandchildren Amy Taylor, Jacob Sparrow, Kyle Sparrow, Kailey Gardin, Dylan Van Campen, and Matthew Van Campen; great-grandchildren Hunter, Riser, Dominic, Damian, McKenna, Cambri, Ember, Milo, Elena, and Emilia.

There will be no services at his request.

(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)

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WHALE: West Seattle sighting
June 24, 2024 8:42 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | Whales

Baleen whale – which usually means humpback or gray – in the Fauntleroy ferry lanes right now, per Kersti Muul.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: First Monday of summer
June 24, 2024 6:03 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: First Monday of summer
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, June 24 – first weekday since all remaining schools got out for summer break.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Clearing, high near 70. Today’s sunrise was at 5:12 am, while sunset will be at 9:11 pm (and will stay there until Saturday) – days are getting shorter now, but slowly (today, for example, has 17 seconds less daylight than Sunday).

ONGOING ROAD WORK

*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:

*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; check for advisories here.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.

Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, but now with the unscheduled “bonus boat” when available; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Low bridge: Here’s the main view:

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

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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WEEK AHEAD: School-closure proposal expected Wednesday
June 23, 2024 9:29 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Looking at the week ahead, one of the biggest stories is expected to result from Wednesday’s Seattle Public Schools Board meeting – SPS superintendent Dr. Brent Jones is supposed to finally unveil his proposal to close elementary schools. Community meetings in the past month – including this one we covered in West Seattle – were intended to explain why district administrators feel that’s the only way to close a big part of the budget gap for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. So far, the early version of the agenda gives no hint as to what exactly the superintendent will propose; it simply lists “Well-Resourced Schools Update” in the first hour, sometime between the 4:15 pm start of the meeting and the expected 5 pm start of public comment. (If you haven’t been following this, “a system of well-resourced schools” is what the district says it will have if it closes some elementaries – although K-8s are “on the table” too, reinforced by this FAQ.) Speaking of which – if you want to sign up to comment on the expected plan or anything else, signups start tomorrow morning at 8 am; the agenda explains how. The meeting will be held at district HQ in SODO (3rd/Lander) and shown live on SPS TV, via YouTube and cable.

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Scenes from West Seattle Garden Tour 2024
June 23, 2024 7:38 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news

Equipped with only a list of addresses for the 10 locations participating in today’s West Seattle Garden Tour, we randomly chose two to visit for photos – and they turned out to have one big thing in common: Backyard slopes. At a home in Gatewood, as shown above, the garden continued downslope – ending in a big space where the family’s five chickens roam.

They’re the subject of whimsical signage:

But whimsy resides elsewhere in this garden too. The husband – who is the main gardenkeeper – is a sculptor, and charming little artwork was everywhere in and around the plants and other features:

The backyard was ringed by several tall evergreens, which, we were told, means a lot of the focus is on shade gardening. From there we headed to a home just south of Westwood Village, where we discovered the backyard garden continued upslope:

This garden had many extra outdoor-living touches, including a backyard shed, hot tub, tables and chairs. Creative lighting fixtures, too:

Color abounded in planters, including red, white, and blue flowers:

Out front, a cat who seemed unperturbed by all the extra visitors:

One more Garden Tour note – we got this via text later in the day:

I just wanted to give a shout out to our neighbor who worked hard and petitioned to get our little block in White Center on the map for the West Seattle garden tour. We’re on 110th and 19th Ave SW … and have three houses on our block participating. It’s packed and so cool to see!

The Garden Tour was sold out in advance, as is the case most years, so if you want to go next year, watch for early word of ticket sales! Tour proceeds go toward grants for local nonprofits; if you are with a nonprofit interested in being one of next year’s recipients, applications are open for a few more weeks.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Westside Pickleball League hosts Rally on the Rock tournament
June 23, 2024 4:37 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Pickleball on the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex courts west of Southwest Pool isn’t a rare sight, but Saturday’s activity was more extensive than usual – the Westside Pickleball League was hosting its second annual Rally on the Rock tournament. Rosina Geary and Amy Greger from the WPL were tournament directors, managing to keep things running with about 160 players participating, including a few from Canada.

Every so often, they had to wrangle winning teams for medal presentations and photos:

We happened to be on hand for that group getting their medals – Max Brockman, Spencer Klein, Eric Kim, James Lee, Zachary Wagnild, and Shane Silkey. The league routinely raises money for student athletics, as we noted when we reported on its formation a year and a half ago – and the Rally on the Rock tournament was for Chief Sealth International High School Cross Country – some students from the team helped out as runners during the tournament, ferrying scoresheets around among other things.

ADDED: Amy sent a few stats – by tournament’s end, they had 182 players – 58 percent men, 42 percent women, ages ranging from 20s to 80s, with the biggest demographic group in their 30s.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Rotarians’ Adopt-a-Street cleanup
June 23, 2024 2:39 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

Every weekend – and some other days, too! – groups of West Seattle volunteers are out doing community work. This weekend, that included volunteers from the Rotary Club of West Seattle, which sent the photo:

They report, “The north mile of SW Delridge is cleaner today thanks to West Seattle Rotarians. Saturrday, members of the Rotary Club of West Seattle picked up trash as part of the City’s Adopt-a-Street program. New club member Ann Theony led the group project.” Other volunteers: Greg Dirks, Julie MacDonald, Al Bernahl, Martha Sidlo, Mark Ward, Brian Waid, Stefanie Fenix.

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‘Avoid the charcoal’: Fire damage at Lowman Beach Park
June 23, 2024 1:03 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB photos)

“Somebody set fire to the forts,” a little girl informed us as we photographed the blackened driftwood on the shore at Lowman Beach Park. We went there after multiple tips about fires there this morning; those aren’t allowed anywhere at this park.

The SFD log shows two calls, one at about 4:50 am, one at about 7:50 am, both categorized as “brush fire” although we didn’t see any sign of burned vegetation (SFD’s automated log has a limited number of classifications). We did see extensive driftwood damage; impossible to tell if any was from prior dates. The little girl’s mom warned her to “avoid the charcoal – the burned part.” Lowman Beach’s north side was restored to a more natural state in a project completed two years ago.

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FOLLOWUP: Southside Revolution wraps successful season. Clinics ahead for interested skaters!
June 23, 2024 12:35 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(Photos courtesy Southside Revolution)

Following up on this report about their planned trip for national competition, we have an update from junior roller-derby organization Southside Revolution on how things went and what’s next, sent by Andrew McCarty:

This past weekend, the Southside Revolution Rebels, our local junior roller derby travel team, spent 3 days in Denver to compete against 5 other teams at the Junior Roller Derby Association playoffs. After a long weekend, competing in two challenging games against Rome Junior Roller Derby (Rome, GA) and FoCo Junior Roller Derby (Denver, CO), Rebels came in second place after an unfortunate loss to FoCo ending off the 10th season of Southside Revolution with an 13-3 season record.

(Southside Revolution [black and green] vs Rome [white and gold])

In addition, Southside Revolution will sadly be saying goodbye their two seniors, Fiona Lindsey and TJ Elbert, graduating from Chief Sealth Int’l High School and Garfield High School. They are also known as Silent But Deadly #222 and Fox & Furious #240 on the track. An age-out ceremony was held during the first day of the tournament, congratulating Fiona and TJ along with many other seniors from other competing teams.

Both joining Southside Revolution in 2019, these two seniors have made a major positive impact on the league over the past 5 years and have influenced many of the younger skaters in the league. Southside wishes them the best of luck in their adulthood, and hope they continue their derby career.

Composed of teenage skaters from West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and beyond, SSR makes its home at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. The league serves 90+ skaters aged 7-18 of any gender identity, with five teams spread across a range of skill levels.

The teams will make an appearance at the West Seattle Grand Parade this year as well. For anyone interested in signups for new skaters to learn about derby at SSR’s September clinics, contact info@southsiderevolution.com

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GRADUATION: Hope Lutheran School’s last 8th-grade class before middle-school site move
June 23, 2024 10:26 am
|    Comments Off on GRADUATION: Hope Lutheran School’s last 8th-grade class before middle-school site move
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Hope Lutheran 8th grade graduates 2024
Photo by Richard Figgins
Story by Jason Grotelueschen

Hope Lutheran School said goodbye on Friday, June 14, to the last class of 8th graders before the middle school moves north. The students were honored and celebrated during the school’s annual graduation ceremony, in front of a packed house of family and friends.

There were 15 graduates in the class, who will be moving on to high school in the fall.  According to principal Kristen Okabayashi, the highest number will attend West Seattle High School, followed closely by Kennedy Catholic High School. Besides those two schools, students are each going to a variety of schools including Seattle Prep, Raisbeck Aviation, Maritime and Holy Names. 

Co-valedictorians were Coco Alba and Tobi Kunkel, and the co-winners of the “Eagle Award” (voted on by classmates, for citizenship and character) were Tobi Kunkel and Isaac Valgora. 

This year’s class was the final group to graduate from the current Hope campus, because middle-school classes will be moving to the school’s new north campus at the former Seattle Lutheran High School building at 4100 SW Genesee, starting in Fall 2024 (WSB photos from Hope’s recent open house are here, and prospective families can contact the school here).

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: 20 notes
June 23, 2024 6:07 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Saturday night cloud formation, photographed by Gene Pavola)

Here’s our list for your first summer Sunday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!

WEST SEATTLE GARDEN TOUR FYI: It’s sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket you’re out of luck, but if you do, here’s your reminder that it’s happening today, 9 am-5 pm.

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

MINI-POLAR PLUNGE: 9 am every Sunday, 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 this week’s Sunday Funday Run.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: The market is open today, 10 am-2 pm as usual, on California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon, offering earkt-summer vegetables, flowers, fruit, and plants, plus baked goods, cheese, fish, meat, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, candy, more! Here’s today’s vendor list.

ALSO WHILE YOU’RE AT THE MARKET … Vinyl Thunderdome pop-up at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW), wax, food, drinks, more, 10 am-4 pm.

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Daily operation continues – open 11 am-8 pm, free. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

MAARTEN PARK DEDICATION: 11:15 am, join West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau) and friends to dedicate the pocket park on church land and celebrate with hamburgers, hot dogs, and fun.

POP-UP ART SHOW: Noon-6 pm, final day for the “Feather in the Wind” multi-artist show in the space above Alki Arts (6030 California SW).

COLMAN POOL: Second day of 7-day-a-week operation for 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, this is the second day of the season for the only city-run wading pool in West Seattle to operate seven days a week, noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.

LOW-LOW TIDE: Low-low tides continue today with -3.2 feet at 12:32 pm, and even lower the next three days. Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out, too, 10:30 am-2:30 pm today at Lincoln and Constellation Parks.

ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS RETURN: Reminder that Alki Point Lighthouse reopenx to the public today for free tours, 1 pm-3:45 pm, Alki Avenue SW & Point Place SW.

MEET MODERN ENGLISH 2 pm album-signing event at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW).

BARBECUE POP-UP: The Bridge (California/Graham) hosts Porky T’s, 2 pm-8 pm.

‘CLYDE’S’ AT ARTSWEST: 3 pm performance at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – “In this 2022 Tony Award®-Nominated Best Play, creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck-stop cafe.” Find the ticket link and more info in our calendar listing.

CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Start gathering at 2:30 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) – our calendar listing has details on this month’s focus.

POP-UP CERAMICS CLASS: Create ‘n’ sip at Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW), 3 pm, $55.

SUMMER SOLSTICE YOGA & TAROT: Workshop at Limber Yoga (7901 35th SW), 6:30 pm – info and registration link in our calendar listing, $60.

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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UPDATE: Police break up street-racer takeover on West Marginal
June 23, 2024 12:35 am
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

12:35 AM: Some asked about a big police response a little while ago in the West Marginal Way vicinity near the 1st Avenue South Bridge. That was because of a street-racer takeover after the racers met up at 2nd/Michigan.

(Added: Reader video from the resulting traffic blockage)
Police headed that way too and the gathering scattered, reportedly mostly heading south via 509. Now that they’ve dispersed, officers are returning to what they were doing previously – including, according to one directive, an Alki patrol.

12:41 AM: Now there’s a takeover with cars and spectators reported on the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge – again dispersing as soon as police came into view, this time reported to be headed southbound on East Marginal.

TUESDAY: Police have released this summary:

At 0007 Hrs SW Patrol responded to a report of a street racing take-over event at 2 Ave SW and SW Michigan St that had manifested in multiple locations in the city throughout the night. During these events several people had been wounded by gunfire and there was a significant potential for additional incidents as the meet ups escalated. Approximately 100 vehicles were at the location and Officers utilized vehicle tactics to convince the crowd to disperse. The vehicles fled in numerous directions and appropriate jurisdictions were notified of their direction of travel. Officers remained at the location to deter any returning participants.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Awaiting a show from Corona Borealis, as explained at Alice Enevoldsen’s summer-solstice-plus-one sunset watch
June 22, 2024 10:11 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Awaiting a show from Corona Borealis, as explained at Alice Enevoldsen’s summer-solstice-plus-one sunset watch
 |   Skies Over West Seattle | West Seattle news

The sunset was the big draw, but another star got some attention at Alice Enevoldsen‘s one-day-delayed summer-solstice sunset watch Friday night, attended by more than 40 people at Solstice Park.

(Our report is delayed too, after breaking news overnight and early today.) Alice of course explained the solar system positioning that the solstices and equinoxes represent, with the help of young assistants, this time J.J. and Decker:

And Alice – an educator and volunteer NASA Solar System Ambassador who has led these events for 15+ years – answered questions, including whether any celestial phenomena were imminent. Besides the annual summer meteor showers, here’s something to watch for: A nova from the constellation Corona Borealis. Yes, that’s correct, Corona Borealis, not to be confused with the aurora borealis.

As explained in this Earth.com report, one of its stars is about to have an explosion known as a nova, something it does every 80 years or so, though exactly how soon, nobody knows. Alice advises loading a planetarium app on your phone to help you know where to look once it happens – which may be before her next sunset watch, on fall-equinox evening, 6:30 pm Sunday, September 22.

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YOUTH SPORTS: Tournament time for West Seattle Little League, and one district championship already
June 22, 2024 6:19 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

West Seattle Little League‘s regular season is over, and now it’s All-Star competition time. One team – the 12s softball All-Stars – already has a championship. WSLL’s Jackie Borg sent the photo and this update today:

West Seattle Little League is off to a hot start in the District 7 tournament!

West Seattle Little League (WSLL) is sending three baseball teams – one for each division, 10s, 11s, and 12s -and three softball teams – a 10s, 12s, and Juniors (13-14-year-olds) team – to compete in the WA District 7 Little League All-Stars Tournaments.

The 12s softball team was a force with 3 solid wins to take the District 7 Championship and are state-bound!

WSLL is excited to host the 12s and 11’s baseball All-Stars division tournament games at Bar-S (6464 SW Admiral Way). The first games will be a thrilling start to the tournament this weekend, with WSLL 12s vs. Rainier District Little League. The Bar-S Snack Shack will be serving up classic baseball treats and snacks. We warmly invite the West Seattle community to join us at Bar-S and be a part of the cheering crowd, showing our teams the support they deserve!

Around town, you can catch the other WSLL All-Stars teams in play:
-June 28: 11s All-Star baseball tournament begins at Bar-S
-June 28: 10s All-Star baseball district tournament begins at South Highline National LL fields in Normandy Park
-June 29: 10s All-Star softball tournament begins at Rainier Playfields

We will update the website, westseattlelittleleague.com, with standings as often as possible. You can also check out the rosters for all teams.

You can find tournament info here.

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UPDATE: Crash at Harbor/Fairmount
June 22, 2024 4:40 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

4:40 PM: SPD and SFD are on the scene of a crash at Harbor Avenue SW and Fairmount Avenue, and police are asking for traffic-control help. Officers have described it to dispatch as three cars, two of them parked, and a driver under investigation for possible DUI. No serious injuries reported.

5:05 PM: That driver has been taken into custody. Meantime, at least two cars are being towed, so the scene might clear before too much longer.

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