day : 30/09/2025 11 results

Love to read? 5 West Seattle book clubs to know about

If you don’t use our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and daily lists, you might not know about all five of these local book clubs featured monthly. They’re all open to whomever shows up, no preregistration, dues, or memberships required:

WEST SEATTLE CLASSIC SF BOOK CLUB: Next meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, October 1), 6 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW). This club discusses classic sci-fi/fantasy books; this month’s title is “The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham (1957).

WEST SEATTLE BOOK CLUB: The WSBC was originally the West Seattle Silent Book Club and has grown into a massive multi-venue event with hundreds of readers, first Thursday of most months, reconvening at 7 pm this Thursday (October 2) after summer break. Choose your venue, choose your book, come read quietly, then talk with people – or don’t! This month’s locations, from North Admiral to White Center, are in our calendar listing.

WEST SEATTLE MODERN CLASSIC BOOK CLUB: Ed, who leads the Classic SF Book Club mentioned above, created this one too. The next meeting is 3 pm Sunday (October 5) at Paper Boat Booksellers, and this month’s book is “Rosemary’s Baby” by Ira Levin (1967).

WEST SEATTLE CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Julia‘s club gathers at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW) one Sunday afternoon a month. For the next meeting on October 26 – 2:30 pm to chat, 3 pm to start discussing – they’re reading “The Witches of Eastwick” by John Updike (1984), which was made into a movie in 1987.

MORBIDLY CURIOUS BOOK CLUB, WEST SEATTLE CHAPTER: The name of this club explains the mindset of readers to whom it appeals! Perla is your host, and “Ghostland, an American History in Haunted Places” by Colin Dickey is what MCBC is reading this month. Next meeting is at 7 pm Thursday, October 30, at 2 Fingers Social (9211 Delridge Way).

Any other West Seattle book clubs open to more readers? Let us know so we can list them in our calendar too!

CLOSURE ALERT: Dates set for first South Park Bridge closures during Duwamish River in-water cleanup season

When we mentioned that the second season of in-water Duwamish River cleanup starts tomorrow, we also noted some overnight closures of the South Park Bridge are planned. The first dates have just been finalized:

Upcoming Overnight Closures of South Park Bridge
Nights of October 3, 4, 6, and 7, 2025

This week, the South Park Bridge will be fully closed overnight to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for two nights on Friday, October 3, and Saturday, October 4, ending the morning of October 5. Closures will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Next week, King County Road Services will also close the South Park Bridge to traffic on the following nights: Monday, October 6, and Tuesday, October 7, ending the morning of October 8. If additional dates are needed, the bridge may be closed again at night on October 9, 10, and 11. We will notify the community if these additional dates are needed.

During this time, the bridge will be in the “raised” position to accommodate dredging activities underneath the bridge. Unlike daytime construction, recreational vessels will not be permitted to pass beneath the South Park Bridge during this time.

King County Metro Route 60, which travels over the South Park Bridge, will be rerouted during the hours of the bridge closures. To learn more about the Route 60 reroute, please check Metro’s Service Advisories page. …

You can expect additional South Park Bridge closures later this fall and winter.

UPDATE: Crash at 35th/Trenton

6:46 PM: Seattle Police are on the scene of a two-car crash on the east side of the 35th/Trenton intersection. No injuries but one driver is reported to have walked away from the scene; they’ve checked both vehicles and neither is reported as stolen. They’ve called for a tow truck and have been looking for the missing driver.

7:51 PM: The scene is clear. No word whether they found the missing driver.

FOLLOWUP: Can Morgan Junction Park’s skate-dot plan be saved? Supporters meet city reps at Morgan Junction Park

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

While the Morgan Junction Park expansion site rolls toward its next step – hydroseeding, now that the contaminated soil has been replaced with new fill dirt – the community group fighting for a “skate dot” at or near the site has just talked face-to-face with city reps.

Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association, which rose from a community effort to unofficially “activate” the long-vacant site with skateboarding features a few years ago, has put volunteer time and grant money into what they originally were told could be built along with the rest of the expansion project at no extra cost.

(Grindline’s schematic for proposed ‘skate dot’ at Morgan Junction Park site)

Then Seattle Parks‘ project team changed and so did the message they gave to MJAWA – that the price tag for the “skate dot” (a relatively small skatable area within a park, not a full-fledged skatepark) was much higher than the estimate given by the skatepark experts at Grindline when creating a schematic design for MJAWA, and that the skate feature could not be covered by the project budget even though that is now estimated at $7.5 million, more than two-thirds of which has been spent.

Standing at the current Morgan Junction Park site in a drizzle late Monday afternoon, MJAWA reps, Seattle Parks reps, the president of the Morgan Community Association, and reps from two nonprofits who’ve been supporting MJAWA through the process, Skate Like a Girl and Seattle Parks Foundation, talked for about an hour and a half. MJAWA didn’t get exactly what one of its leaders, Matt Johnston, kept asking for – a cost estimate just for what they propose building, without throwing in the cost of other complications – but some progress was made.

The biggest complication, said new project manager Trae Yang, is stormwater drainage, made more complex by the slope of the site. If the skate dot goes in the existing Morgan Junction Park – the scenario with which MJAWA and the previous Parks team had been working – a pipe has to go 500 feet downslope to the west. If it goes on the expansion site, she said, chances are it could be connected to a pipe at street level. But using that site would require a different design, since the one on which MJAWA worked with Grindline incorporated some existing features at the current park (and MJAWA leaders reminded Parks that one of the concerns about the expansion site had been noise for adjacent residents, less of an issue if it were built on the park site further south).

All the new concerns are because of requirements imposed by stormwater regulations dating to 2016 which Yang pronounced “pretty brutal.” She added that “infiltration” drainage is not allowed because of the contaminated soil at the park expansion site – even though it’s been removed, the site isn’t totally clean. And even though Parks and SDOT have reportedly resolved the issue of ownership of the Eddy Street right-of-way that bisects the park-and-addition site, Yang said she still needs to find out whether any of that is contaminated. (The existing park site apparently got a clean bill of health sometime back, though it held a service station/vehicle-repair shop before its short-lived time as a potential Seattle Monorail station site.)

MJAWA leaders expressed their frustration that all this seems to be in danger of washing their two years of work with the previous city team – including $72,000 worth of design work funded in part by a city grant – down the drain, figuratively and literally. And not just their work – also the community’s buy-in and enthusiasm: “We told the entire community this is where it would be.”

So the bottom line for that aspect of the project, Yang explained, is that she has a lot of investigating to do to figure out the stormwater-drainage issue and how the park addition’s original design – even before MJAWA got involved – can factor into it: “We still don’t know a lot about the site.” (That despite the city having bought it more than a decade ago, and having demolished the commercial building it held just a few years after that.) She and other Parks representatives – including Kim Baldwin, Olivia Reed, and Annie Hindenlang – said that’s likely to take at least a few months, and committed to monthly updates on where that stands.

But they still wouldn’t give MJAWA what they were desperate for, a ballpark number for what skate-dot construction might cost, separate from the drainage issues and any other site complications. MJAWA wanted the city to acknowledge that resolving drainage difficulties was a Parks issue, not theirs. As Johnston put it, “It’s like Parks is putting some bricks in our backpacks when we’re just trying to ride our bikes.” Baldwin countered, “Parks will fund as much as we can but we just don’t know” the extent. Hindenlang said they needed to figure out the site constraints before they met again with the designers who’d been involved in the project, Board and Vellum.

MJAWA did get city reps to acknowledge that they’re the ones who changed the terms – the skate dot’s current state of limbo isn’t the community volunteers’ fault. But that’s not much solace when the future is to some degree clear as mud. Yang expressed some hope that things will turn out to be not as costly or problematic as she fears but stressed that she has a lot of work to do to get answers. And some of the issues she’s dealing with could come down to factors such as how tough their assigned reviewer at the Department of Construction and Inspections will be.

Skate Like A Girl’s Kristin Eberling said the most important constituency in the process was waiting for answers too: “I’d like to have something to tell the 13- to 17-year-olds I’ve been telling about this.”

WHAT’S NEXT? Among other things, there’ll be a project update of some kind when the Morgan Community Association has its quarterly meeting on October 15 (watch morganjunction.org for details). And MJAWA promises updates too.

FEDERAL SHUTDOWN? Here’s what Port of Seattle plans if it happens

No word yet from D.C. of any deal to avoid a federal-government shutdown. A statement from the Port of Seattle is the first to land in the WSB inbox with a statement about a local agency’s response plan:

Port of Seattle facilities, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and the Port’s cruise terminals, will remain fully open and operational should a government shutdown begin on October 1. The Port is working closely with its federal partners to keep operations as close to normal as possible.

SEA passengers are encouraged to follow standard recommendations and plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to a domestic flight and at least three hours prior to an international flight in order to provide enough time to park, transit, check in, and go through security. The Port will continue to offer the popular Spot Saver program to reserve a security screening time, and encourages travelers to confirm travel information directly with their airlines.

“The Port of Seattle urges Congress to find a bipartisan solution to avoid or minimize any shutdown of the federal government and to retain the federal workforce necessary to keep trade and travel running smoothly,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Ryan Calkins. “Our facilities will remain operational during any shutdown, but many of our federal partners will be working without pay. Additionally, any shutdown could cause disruptions to our regional economy, which is already seeing impacts from global and economic uncertainty. We hope those traveling through our gateways will join us in thanking our federal workers for their ongoing professionalism during this time. The Port will do all we can to support them in the case of a shutdown.”

The Port is determining what actions it could take to support its federal aviation and maritime security partners, who would be working without pay during this period. During the 2018-2019 federal government shutdown, the Port worked with a variety of partners and the community to provide federal workers with food and other essential supplies, as well as access to resources to help them deal with missing paychecks.

The port has multiple facilities in West Seattle, including parks and docks.

West Seattle’s four new school-zone speed cameras are in place. Only one will be activated soon.

Don sent that photo Monday, after noticing installation of the new school-zone speed cameras on Admiral Way for the return next year of Alki Elementary, once its new building is complete. That led us to check in with SDOT for the status of the new school-zone speed cameras that have been scheduled to start operation this year, on California SW near West Seattle High School (not far from Lafayette Elementary, too). SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali‘s reply revealed that they’re likely to start with the southbound direction only:

The new southbound school zone speed camera on California Ave SW near West Seattle High School has been installed and is in final testing. We expect it to be activated in the coming weeks, though the exact date is still being finalized. Once activated, the camera will issue warnings only for the first 30 days after activation, with citations beginning after that period. SDOT will share information with the community when the camera goes live. Notices will be mailed to drivers during the warning period.

A northbound camera is also planned for West Seattle High but has been delayed due to underground utility conflicts. Our engineering team is working on a solution, and we’ll share an updated installation timeline once available.

SDOT also verified that the Alki Elementary-related cameras on Admiral Way are in place (as shown above) “but will remain inactive until the new school building opens, currently expected in 2026.” Five other school zones in West Seattle have ticketing cameras, listed here. Getting a ticket from a school-zone cam could cost you more than $200.

FERRY ALERT UPDATE: Triangle Route may remain on two-boat schedule for ‘couple of weeks’

One day after pulling the third boat from Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth because of a ferry breakdown elsewhere, Washington State Ferries says it expects that the Triangle Route “will be on the two-boat schedule for the next couple of weeks.” But starting this afternoon, WSF is adding back an unscheduled third boat, the 64-vehicle M/V Salish. (Check the Vessel Watch tracker to see when it’s officially on the run.)

FOLLOWUP: Salmon Bone Bridge in North Delridge reopens earlier than expected

(Seattle Public Utilities photo)

If you’re looking for somewhere to get outside in the early fall sunshine, Longfellow Creek’s Salmon Bone Bridge is an option again. Seattle Public UtilitiesBrad Wong just sent word – with the photo above – that the bridge has reopened. That’s a month earlier than the potential late October reopening mentioned when the foot bridge was closed this summer for more renovation work. The bridge is over the creek between 26th and 28th SW, north of SW Nevada [map].

New playspace, dine-out fundraiser, Scottish Country Dancing, Highly Capable program meeting, more for your West Seattle Tuesday

(The sun’s end-of-day appearance on Monday, photographed by Carol Ann Joyce)

Here’s our Tuesday list, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FREE PLAYSPACE: West Seattle Church of the Nazarene is opening its free community playspace, 9 am-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays. (42nd/Juneau)

CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING: Morning and afternoon sessions, 9:30 am start, individual department presentations continue. See the agenda here; watch live via Seattle Channel.

QI GONG AT VIVA ARTS: 10 am with Natalia – last-minute reminder, so mark your calendar for next week!. (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW)

POSTCARDS4DEMOCRACY: New postcard-writers as well as returnees are welcome at this weekly advocacy gathering, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). Sign up here before you go, if this is your first time.

ROTARY CLUB OF WEST SEATTLE: Noon lunch meeting at West Seattle Golf Course (4470 35th SW) features a speaker from PeaceTrees Vietnam. (WSB sponsor)

CHESS CLUB: All levels welcome! 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.

DINE OUT FUNDRAISER FOR WSHS FOOTBALL: Both dine-in and online orders are eligible for this fundraiser at West Wings (2329 California SW) benefiting the West Seattle High School football program, 4-8 pm.

HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: Chief Sealth IHS girls’ soccer hosts Rainier Beach at Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 4:30 pm.

DROP-IN WINE TASTING: 5-8 pm Tuesdays at Walter’s Wine Shop (4811 California SW) – $15 fee, $5 off with bottle purchases.

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t bring your own.

TRACK RUN WITH WEST SEATTLE RUNNER: Meet up by 6:15 pm at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for WSR’s free weekly track run.

HIGHLY CAPABLE/ADVANCED LEARNING DISCUSSION: 6:30 pm regional gathering for Seattle Public Schools families/staff involved with or interested in these services, at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle).

CREATE POTTERY: Weekly 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), register in advance to work on your project(s).

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING: New classes continue, 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW). Our calendar listing has details including how to check if they have space. Newcomers are always welcome, and the first class is free.

WOMEN’S MEDITATION CIRCLE: Weekly small-group event at Mama Be Well Healing Studio (4034 California SW), 7 pm. Our calendar listing has info on registering before you participate.

BINGO: Play free Tuesday night Belle of the Balls Bingo at The Skylark, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

TRIVIA X 4: Four options for Tuesday night trivia – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW), Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7 pm at Admiral Pub, free, prizes. (2306 California SW).

If you are organizing an event, class, performance, gathering, etc., tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar, from which we draw our daily lists too – just email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

It’s your art show! Southwest Artist Showcase dropoffs start tomorrow

For more than 30 years, the Southwest Library has hosted the anual Southwest Artist Showcase, a non-juried exhibition in which you can participate just by bringing in art to display. The dropoff period starts tomorrow (Wednesday, October 1) and continues through Friday; the showcase starts Sunday (October 5), with an opening reception 11 am-12:30 pm, and continues during regular library hours through November 2. For other details, see the infopage about the showcase, then get ready to submit up to three of your artworks over the next three days. Southwest Library is at 9010 35th SW.

TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK: Tuesday info

8:07 AM: Texter reports 2-car crash blocking eastbound bridge’s right lane before 99 exit.

Earlier:

6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET

The forecast for today is rainy at times, breezy too, high in the mid-to-upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 7:07 am; sunset, at 6:49 pm.

ROAD WORK

-The Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight this Friday night/Saturday morning for maintenance.

59th SW in Alki is closed for the school-construction project; we’ll check on progress this week.

-“Natural drainage” construction closing the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.

TRANSIT TODAY

Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.

Washington State Ferries – WSF went to two-boat service on the Triangle Route on Monday, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Issaquah, because of a boat breakdown on another route. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where; ferry alerts will update when the situation changes.

Water TaxiRegular West Seattle service; summer/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west. Also note, maritime-opening info is again available via X (ex-Twitter):

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!