West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
Photos by Oliver Hamlin for WSB
On Saturday, Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore officially opens for the year, and one last work party today got it ready. Photojournalist Oliver Hamlin was there for WSB. Above, lifeguards Rommel D (left) and Patrick K dismantle an old lane line before discarding it in a dumpster outside the pool. This year Colman Pool has new lane lines and reels thanks to a donation from the Greater Seattle Swimming Association. You can see them in the next photo, behind Aquatic Technical Supervisor Robert Danielson preparing the diving board:
Lifeguard Patrick K tested out the diving board after installation:
Another kind of board was also addressed today – the protective wooden boards were removed from the Plexiglas around the pool (we showed you a reader photo of the work in progress earlier).
Other work was done inside. Below, Aquatic Center Coordinator Wendy Van De Sompele points toward the filtration system in the Colman Pool pump room. The pump room contains a mix of newer and original pipes from the 1940s.
These are the wells that bring Puget Sound water into Colman Pool, visible during low tide today. The pool can only be filled during high tide, meaning sometimes work must get done in the middle of the night.
Colman Pool celebrated its milestone 75th anniversary nine years ago. This year, as we first reported last month, it’ll be open for “preseason weekends” through mid-June, then seven days a week (except for swim-meet closures June 26-28 and July 18-19) through September 1, and two “postseason weekends” after that. For those who have asked about the slide, it’s only open during private events; they’re keeping it out of service the rest of the time, Van De Sompele told us, because it gets in the way of lap swimming and creates staffing challenges, and the diving board is considered a more accessible feature to keep open.
See the pool schedule here; plus, you can get a sneak peek at the pool during Friday night’s West Seattle Water Polo matches starting at 6:20 pm.
If you play pickleball, the West Seattle Booster Club has an invitation for you!
Who will be crowned the pickleball champions of WSHS?
We are excited to invite you to participate in the WS Booster Club’s inaugural Paddle Battle Pickleball Tournament, benefiting student-athletes at WSHS. Please sign up and bring your family, neighbors and friends to join us for this fun community event benefiting WSHS.
Learn more and REGISTER NOW:
The tournament is set for all day June 1 on the courts west of Southwest Pool.
6:46 PM: If sunset whale-watching (from shore, of course) sounds good, you’re in luck tonight – with more than an hour and a half of daylight left, orcas are off Alki right now, reports Kersti Muul – headed southwest, off the Bathhouse (60th/Alki). Let us know if you see them!
6:48 PM: They’re moving fast, Kersti says – now reported around Alki Point and off Constellation Park.
6:13 PM: We’re in The Junction tonight as the May 2025 West Seattle Art Walk enters its second hour:
Artist Nalisha Estrellas is at Compass Real Estate-West Seattle (4531 California SW) tonight, doing some live painting. We mentioned her most recently as she’s the artist for the project to paint a mural on the long concrete retaining wall by the shore at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook. … A bit further up the same block, CAPERS Home (4525 California SW; WSB sponsor) is hosting artists from the West Seattle Garden Tour competition, including Memo Luna:
And Stacey Almgren:
Most Art Walk receptions continue until 8 pm (see all your options here). Right now, though, a special feature this month – 11 mini-concerts comprising Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices, concurrently until 7:45, so we’re headed off to record a musician or two!
6:40 PM: We hopped a block south to listen to Havilah Rand at Great American Diner & Bar:
She’s playing all originals. Her venue is at 4752 California SW. We’re still in The Junction and off to check out another Muse Fest performance.
7:31 PM: That’s Champagne Honeybee, the Muse Fest performer at Darby Winery tonight. … And a reader report from Kate, with an artist who’s at West Seattle Arcade in Alki tonight:
An art walk update from Alki! Drew Mortenson’s art is so fun in the West Seattle Arcade!
Save the second Thursday of EVERY month for the West Seattle Art Walk! But also remember that many artists’ work is up all month long at the venues where they’re featured tonight, so you still have many chances to get out and enjoy local art.
Time for another quick look ahead to West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (570+ registered sales) this Saturday! More photos from sellers, showing their spotlight items:
That’s “a Western show saddle with hand-carved leather and sterling silver accents” and it will be at Sale #279. Or how about a classic camera?
You’ll find that “Leica IIIf camera with several lenses” at Sale #133. And from Sale #416:
That’s an “authentic Chanel Handbag in mint condition ~ box, dust jacket & original price tag included.”
Treasures (a word used in 21 sale descriptions) abound, with more than 570 registered sales – moving sales, cleanout sales, estate sales, more. Ready to plan your stops? Here’s the online map; here’s the printable list/guide. And a couple more quick notes:
STILL LOOKING FOR SOMEPLACE TO SELL? We’re still hearing from people who missed registration (we can’t add sales after it closes). If you don’t have a ton of stuff, check if these multi-seller sites still have space.
CHECK THE MAP BEFORE YOU SHOP: Reminder that the map page here on WSB is where we’re noting last-minute changes (such as canceled sales, which we cannot change in the printable list but do mark in the online list, and mini-lists of sale types), so check there before you head out on Saturday!
STAMP OUT HUNGER ON SATURDAY: Another reminder – before shopping or selling on Saturday, if you can, set out a bag of nonperishable food for your postal carrier to pick up as part of the Stamp Out Hunger food drive (you might have already received a bag in your mailbox/slot – that’s a photo of ours above – but if not, any bag will do).
Still more previews to come! Official sale hours are 9 am-3 pm Saturday, but some are adding extra hours and/or extra days – check the sale descriptions.
(WSB file photo)
Just under one month until West Seattle hosts the city’s only obstacle-course 5K (you can run/walk it without obstacles, too), Loop the ‘Lupe! It’s four events in one at Walt Hundley Playfield on Saturday, June 7, benefiting the community/social work of nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe. You can enter the obstacle-course 5K, the fun run, the Youth Dash, or the Senior Saunter. Organizer Brian Callanan says one incentive for signing up now is that they’re about a week away from putting in their T-shirt order, and you’re guaranteed to get the size you want if you’re registered by then. A second reason to sign up ASAP if you haven’t already – there are still spots in the bonus Penalty-Kick Shootout for entrants 18+: everyone who enters the shootout ($25, while tickets last) gets free tickets to a West Seattle Junction FC or Rhodies FC match (players will be there for a 1:30 pm exposition match before the 2 pm shootout). The shootout winner gets “a special West Seattle soccer prize pack!” Here’s where to register.
From the “in case you wondered too” file: Dave emailed to ask what happened to the on-street bike rack on the northwest corner of California/Oregon, by Dumplings of Fury and its north neighbors. He used it to park on Sunday, April 27, but found the rack missing this past Sunday. Our photo from yesterday shows the bicycle marking on the street but the rack (and other infrastructure) missing; here’s what it looked like in a 2023 Google Street View image:
First we asked the West Seattle Junction Association if they were aware of the removal. They weren’t. So we then asked SDOT, which is accountable for installing and maintaining these racks; spokesperson Mariam Ali checked around and then replied to us Tuesday, “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We didn’t remove the bike rack at the northwest corner of SW Oregon and California SW, and we’re not sure what happened to it. Our crews will install a replacement.”
However, when we took a closer look at the scene Wednesday before writing the story, we thought there had to be more to it – couldn’t have been a metal theft, as the wheel stops and bollard were gone too. So we asked SDOT about it again, wondering if they had cross-referenced all the permit filings in the area, etc. That turned out to be the key, said spokesperson Ali:
After receiving your follow-up question, I connected with another team we hadn’t checked with earlier and confirmed that the bike rack was removed as part of the construction project at 4448 California Ave SW to accommodate traffic rerouting in their traffic control plan. Once construction is complete and they’ve completed any restoration work, they’ll reinstall the bike rack at the same location.
Concurrent with that update from SDOT, WSJA told us they’d just received the same explanation. So bottom line: The bike rack on the northwest corner of California/Oregon was removed as part of the mixed-use project on the northeast corner (background is in our coverage of its groundbreaking), but will be reinstalled when construction is complete (expected next year).
Thanks to the three readers who sent photos and info about three Lincoln Park sightings, starting with tree trouble:
Huge fallen oak tree limb on the north stairs at Lincoln Park, the ones that were recently closed for the stair maintenance
From another reader, this sighting of what appears to be a poisonous weed:
Sharing a safety alert: there is a lot of poison hemlock growing in Lincoln Park between the south playfield and south restroom. The one by the restroom (NW corner) would be especially easy for a small child or a dog to snag a piece of and eat. The bigger patch (south of field, north of the concrete) is also very exposed. I’ve alerted Parks and King County noxious weeds department but unsure how quickly these will be addressed so thought you may want to post a warning.
Here’s a closer look at, and more information about, this plant.
Finally, from Dawn, who spotted this on the shore:
Panels coming down at Colman.
As we reported a month ago, Saturday is the first preseason-weekend day for the only city-owned outdoor salt-water swimming facility, Colman Pool, but you’ll see activity there tomorrow too (Friday, May 9, 6:20 pm) as the West Seattle Water Polo team hosts a home game!
We start the Thursday highlight list with the West Seattle Art Walk, 5-8 pm tonight (with some venue variations) – locations and artists previewed here, and here’s the full list:
Here’s our preview published last night, including this: During tonight’s Art Walk, 6-7:45 pm, 11 locations host musical performances as part of the mini-festival Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices, free admission everywhere:
Here’s what else is happening, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Spring planting season continues. The center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30 am at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW).
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to get the latest on where they’re playing today.
DROP-IN CHESS: 4-5:30 pm at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), youth up to 18 years old are invited to drop in and play.
HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: First of three regular Thursday night events tonight here – every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Stanford’s.
WINE TASTING WITH CLARK: This is also a regular Thursday event at HPCS, 5-7:30 pm – info here.
HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: Last but never least, HPCS is the starting point tonight for running 3 miles, or walking a shorter path, in the neighborhood near HPCS with the Run Club, leaving from the store at 6:30 pm, returning for beverages – info here.
VISCON CELLARS: This West Seattle winery’s friendly tasting room/wine bar is open Thursdays, 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor). Stop in for wine by the glass or bottle! The tasting room is a West Seattle Art Walk stop, too.
WORDS, WRITERS, SOUTHWEST STORIES: 6 pm online, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s monthly speaker program focuses on a company you might know:
Join Mama Lil’ Peppers Founder, Howard Lev, and Seattle Times Now & Then Columnist, Jean Sherrard, for a spicy take on starting a small business.
Lev will share his rollicking tale of failure and — ultimately — success as he built his pepper business, wedding his mother’s family recipe to the Hungarian Goat-horn peppers of Yakima Valley. Lev and Sherrard will share videos, discuss Lev’s book A Pepper for Your Thoughts, and even prepare snacks with his famous Mama’s Lil’ Peppers.
Register here to get the link.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: This group’s 6 pm weekly Thursday run departs from The Good Society in Admiral (California/Lander).
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: More into walking than running? Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy for tonight’s group walk – details in our calendar listing.
LIVE MUSIC IN THE JUNCTION: 6-9 pm, Patrick Rifflin performs Thursdays at Pegasus Pizza in The Junction (4520 California SW).
DUSTY THURSDAYS: 6 pm at Tim’s Tavern (98th/16th, White Center). From West Seattle’s own Billy Joe Huels:
Dusty Thursdays concert series is returning at Tim’s Tavern 6-9 pm on the outdoor stage. Each week we will feature a top local band (most hailing from West Seattle) followed by The Dusty 45s. It’s free, all-ages and everyone is welcome!
Featured tonight – The Evanstones.
SPORTS: 7 pm, Chief Sealth IHS takes on Cleveland in a postseason baseball game at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
TRIVIA: 7 pm at Burger Planet, hosted by Good Old-Fashioned Local Trivia (9614 14th SW).
DJ NIGHT: The weekend starts spinning early at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Supreme La Rock, starting at 7 pm.
BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS: Come tell a story at Mr. B’s Mead Center, or just listen to others tell theirs! 7:30 pm, free admission. (9444 Delridge Way SW)
Are you planning an event that should be on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Last night at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (NCSWAC), the West Seattle High School softball team took on top-ranked Ballard High School in the Metro 3A League tournament. Ballard lived up to its ranking, quickly going on a scoring spree that was topped off by a 2-run home run that cleared the fence. The Beavers led by a score of 10-0 after 3 innings,
But the Wildcats, whose team motto “Boogie with a Suitcase” captures their irrepressible spirit, never gave up. Coach Kyler Tsukada urged the girls to keep their energy up, forget about the score, and just work on getting one run at a time. The Wildcats broke through with 3 runs in the fifth inning, powered by a triple from Molly Lefkowitz.
The girls kept it going in the 7th inning, putting together a fierce rally, including a double by Julia Herron. But the Wildcats came up short, losing by a score of 11-6.
Pitcher Daeja Piggee went the distance for the Wildcats, bouncing back after being hit by a fastball pitch to the ankle.
After the game, Coach Kyler praised the team for their competitive drive and for showing that they can hang with any team they come up against. The team’s next game is on Friday at 1:30 pm versus Seattle Prep at NCSWAC.
8:58 AM: Thanks to the person who just called to report an incident blocking the left lane of the eastbound high bridge approaching I-5, saying it’s “not super-obvious until you come up on it” and that it’s backing up traffic.
Earlier:
6:00 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Thursday, May 8, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Mostly sunny, high in the low 60s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:40 am; sunset will be at 8:31 pm.
ROAD WORK
-Street work for the Alki Standby Generator Project is under way – details and map here, along with what’s next after this first phase.
-The Admiral Way Bridge’s outside lane on the eastbound/southbound side is still closed; here’s a project update.
TRANSIT TODAY
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; spring/summer schedule, with later-evening sailings Fridays and Saturdays.
Metro buses – Regular schedule.
Washington State Ferries – Regular service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Cathlamet, plus M/V Salish is serving as the “bonus boat”. P.S. Next round of community meetings – online, systemwide – have been announced for later this month.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Spokane Street Viaduct:
Low Bridge – Looking west:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to 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 (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
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