West Seattle, Washington
08 Saturday
Thanks to the reader – who asked to be anonymous – who just sent that photo of tonight’s red moon. We noticed it while out and about a little while ago, high in the southeast sky, a followup to the deep-pink setting sun. Wildfire smoke will stay in the area a while, says the National Weather Service: “An upper level ridge will continue to keep conditions warm and dry through tomorrow. Hazy conditions will continue with the present pattern through at least this weekend due to smoke being put out by fires in the region.” And the smoke is low enough this time to affect air quality – mapping “moderate” according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
(WSB photo, 2023)
The two Walking on Logs sculptures toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge are what’s left of what originally was a four-sculpture installation. Today the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, caretaker of the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign nearby, announced that the entire area, including the sculptures, is planned for replacements, repairs, and a “refresh.” Here’s the announcement sent by the Chamber:
Structural repairs are beginning at the site and visitors will notice changes during this phase. Replacement sculptures are planned, with a detailed timeline and next steps to be shared soon.
Walking on Logs is a beloved bronze art installation by Phillip Levine that features four children balancing driftwood beside the Welcome to West Seattle sign. Installed in 1996, this piece of community art has become an enduring landmark, symbolizing both the playful spirit of youth and the distinctive character of West Seattle. Over time, the installation has faced theft and weather impacts, including the loss of one figure in 2014 and additional theft in 2023. These incidents helped catalyze the Chamber’s action.
“This Chamber initiative centers on stewardship of public art and community identity. The Chamber’s role is not only to advocate for business but also to safeguard the cultural touchstones that define West Seattle’s sense of place,” said Rachel Porter, ExecutivevDirector of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. “By leading this restoration, thevChamber affirms its belief that economic vitality and cultural identity go hand in hand. … We are caring for a piece of West Seattle identity … Walking on Logs will keep its spirit while we strengthen the site for the long term. Same spirit, new footing.”
The Chamber is coordinating with partners to ensure safe access, careful site work, and a refreshed welcome into West Seattle. A Cleaner Alki, led by Erik Bell, will refresh and clean the landscape as part of a multi-phased approach. The Chamber, Nucor Steel, and other stakeholders are working together to repair and replace the statues, ensuring that this iconic entryway continues to inspire both residents and visitors.
The West Seattle Chamber remains committed to projects that strengthen the community beyond commerce. From supporting local businesses to preserving public art, the Chamber’s leadership demonstrates how community partnerships can protect shared spaces, celebrate history, and carry West Seattle forward.
Original Walking Logs culptor Phillip Levine died four years ago; we have followup questions out to the Chamber, including who they have working on the replacements. As for the cleanup effort, that would fill a void left when other volunteer efforts ebbed many years ago for lack of participation.
Three biznotes today:
SAUNA ON THE SHORE: Alki already has one, and now another West Seattle beach park will be getting regular visits from a mobile sauna. Good Day Sauna is owned by Julia Winter and based in West Seattle. She explains: is a
Beginning September 20, 2025, our sauna will be stationed at Lincoln Park for scheduled events, located along the beach path to offer guests a seamless heat-up and cool-down experience with direct access to Puget Sound.
As demand grows, we plan to increase our presence and establish a regular schedule at the park. Good Day Sauna operates as a community sauna, with individual seats available for booking to encourage shared wellness and connection.
Julia has online booking for Good Day Sauna at gooddaysauna.com.
IN PIZZA WE CRUST UPDATE: This pizza joint long in the works for the former Swinery at 3207 California SW is getting closer to opening, proprietor Stephanie Tran told us when we inquired for the first time in four months: “We are finally making some headway. The city of Seattle finally approved our change of use permit last week and we are now pending our final inspection with the health department. I don’t have an official date yet as I’m waiting for the health department but we’ll likely open a couple weeks after the inspection.”
PANDA EXPRESS CEREMONY: One day after the Westwood Village Panda Express started serving customers with a “soft open,” they had a grand-opening ceremony this morning. We met manager Sophia – who has worked her way up through the ranks at other Puget Sound locations – and regional director Simon – they’re holding the commemorative T-shirt given to the first 88 guests:
Simon thanked the 20 or so people in line and introduced the Inochi Taiko duo:
West Seattle Chamber of Commerce executive director Rachel Porter coordinated the official ribboncutting:
Other businesses with future openings at WWV include J.Crew Factory, a UPS Store, an H&R Block branch, and F45 Training.
ORIGINAL 1:30 PM REPORT: Haven’t received one in a while till this came in via text today:
On my way to the bus today at 7:30 am I saw a coyote run across the street at Hanford and Belvidere. Probably going after the rabbits in the neighborhood. But with kids going back to school I thought it was worth sharing.
Our years of coyote reports are in this archive; if you haven’t read up on co-existence tips, go here!
ADDED 2:23 PM: Rose De Dan sent another video from her Wild Reiki Spa backyard pond – where a visiting coyote made off with a dog toy:
The local coyotes seem to favor the Wild Reiki Spa, making more frequent appearances. This one took advantage of an experiment I was conducting. Knowing how much my raccoon visitors enjoy using their paws, I thought they might enjoy playfully dunking a small dog rubber toy in the fountain. It never occurred to me that Coyote might find the ring toy fun too, carrying it off for a bit of play in the center of the yard, where the camera faintly catches a bit of pawing and pulling on it. The next morning, I found it at the end of the yard. I have since retired the ring toy after realizing it could present a choking hazard due to its size in relation to Coyote’s mouth. If I decide to try again, I’ll need to purchase a coyote-sized dog toy and see if it suits the raccoons as well.
12:12 PM: Thanks for the tip about the Seattle Fire crews headed toward Don Armeni Boat Ramp. There’s a water-rescue response for a reported vessel in distress. They’re not sure, according to first units on scene, whether there’s anyone aboard the boat, but they’re planning a quick search to find out.
(Added: Reader photo from Steve)
12:17 PM: SFD describes the boat as 18′, “partially submerged.” They’re sending in divers and rescue swimmers to be sure no one’s in the water. But as we suspected, it’s just been confirmed, this is the same boat that was towed to Don Armeni yesterday after taking on water off Beach Drive.
12:24 PM: “No one on boat, no one in danger” responders have just told dispatch. They’re trying to reach the boat owner with whom they made contact yesterday.
12:45 PM: Many of the responding units have been dismissed. Adding photo above, posted in a comment by Steve, and photo below, emailed by Stewart L.
(Added: Reader photo from Stewart L.)
10;42 PM: As of about 8 pm, the boat was still alongside one of Don Armeni’s docks, half-submerged.
Seattle City Light has finally published the video and slide deck from last week’s online meeting about the long-planned, finally under way Brace Point underground-cable replacement project. We monitored it as it happened last Thursday; an hour was allotted, but attendees ran out of questions and the meeting ended after 35 minutes.
The project premise is fairly simple, though the work is not – SCL needs to replace underground cables that have been failing, plunging hundreds of households into multiple outages. The project was originally slated to start in 2020; SCL gave a variety of reasons in 2022 why it didn’t. Then this past spring the project went out to bid again, a contractor was chosen, and work is starting now.
Leading off the meeting, SCL communicator Grant Barton began with a project presentation, including the project team:
Barton then went into a glossary of sorts, defining “electrical vaults” and “electrical conduits.”
He explained that the SCL service area has 590 miles of underground cable, some of it – like the Brace Point cables – buried without conduit protection, mostly back in the ’70s, and that’s put it more at risk of damage and resulting outages, as has happened here. Communications consultant Natasha Wheeler picked it up from there, explaining what the project entails:
She said work will have some traffic effects, and there’ll be flaggers when needed. The work will include some planned outages, likely in spring 2027. That work will involve transferring power service “from the old cables to the new cables” once everything is in place. Here’s the construction timeline:
Q&A included daily construction hours and a specific question on behalf of a condo building in the construction zone which needed to ensure access would be possible for a specific activity (the reply was to be sure to directly talk with the project team to arrange logistics). Another question was about whether above-ground poles would be removed; team member Francis Sammy said no, there are no plans to bury lines that are currently above ground. And then there was a question about whether some curbing and sidewalks would be added; the project team said generally not – their focus would be on “restoring” what they’d have to dig up. But, at least one type of addition is likely in some places – if they’re working at an intersection, restoration would have to be ADA-compliant (regardless of whether the intersection had been so before), which means curb ramps, for example. Barton also said the question suggested they need to include more information on the project website about what “restoration” work will entail. They also were asked about a large redwood tree, and SCL said they have tree protections in the plan. Also, some streetlights will be replaced, they said in response to another question.
P.S. If you’re interested in comparing, here is our report from a similar meeting when the project was about to launch under a different contractor four years ago.
(Seen Tuesday night in Fairmount Ravine, photographed by SeanO!)
Here’s our list for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HOTWIRE: The Junction coffeehouse celebrates its 23rd anniversary, until 5 pm. (4410 California SW)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Still time left in gardening season! The center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
TODDLER STORY TIME: 10:30 am at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), free.
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome at this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to see where they’re playing today.
DROP-IN CHESS: High Point Library‘s weekly event is back today, 4-5:30 pm for players under 18. (3411 SW Raymond)
HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: First of two regular Thursday night events here – every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Marigold Wood-Fired Pizza.
WINE TASTING WITH CLARK: Another regular Thursday event at HPCS, 5-7:30 pm – 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!
COMMUNITY SAFETY MEETING: Discussion of safety issues relating to the High Point Library/Neighborcare parking lot, 6 pm at the library (3411 SW Raymond).
DUSTY 45s FT. JOE ROSS & THE BIRDWATCHERS: Free live music 6-9 pm at Tim’s Tavern (16th/98th, White Center).
WESTIES RUN CLUB: 6 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), the Westies Run Club‘s Thursday night community run.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Rather walk? Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy for tonight’s group walk – details in our calendar listing.
DJ NIGHT: Extended-weekend spinning starts tonight at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Tomas, 8 pm.
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!
It’s a Fauntleroy Community Association tradition – the Pumpkin Search – and this year’s event is exactly one month away, scheduled for Saturday, October 4. But before the Pumpkin Search can happen, organizer Candace Blue launches a volunteer search, to line up people to help with hiding the pumpkins. This year the search returns to the Endolyne business district, and one more special addition – synergy with the Fauntleroy Fall Festival (October 19), with some of the hidden pumpkins marked so they can be brought to the festival two weeks later and receive a prize. If you plan to join in the search, set your calendar for 1-3 pm October 4; if you can volunteer to hide pumpkins, that starts at 11:30 am that day, and you can email Candace now – blueyvette47@gmail.com is her address.
6:01 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Thursday, September 4, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Today’s forecast is for sun, high in the upper 70s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:32 am; sunset will be at 7:42 pm.
BACK TO SCHOOL
All schools are now back in session.
TRANSIT TODAY
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
Washington State Ferries – WSF has three-boat service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas, M/V Issaquah, and M/V Sealth. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights.
TUNNEL ALERT
The Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight late Friday/early Saturday – here’s the WSDOT alert:
From 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5 to 6 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, maintenance crews will close both directions of the State Route 99 tunnel in Seattle between S Atlantic Street and Roy Street for tunnel maintenance. The Royal Brougham to northbound SR 99 and 6th Street to southbound SR 99 ramps will close at 9 p.m.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view 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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