West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
(Friday sunrise, photographed by Stewart L.)
Welcome to the first weekend of fall! Here’s our big West Seattle list for Saturday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
SATURDAY GROUP RUN: Want to start your weekend with a run? West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) leads Saturday 8 am free group runs!
GARAGE/YARD SALES: Anyone having a yard/garage sale today? Check listings in the WSB Community Forums. (If you have a sale to add, but don’t have a login for that section, go to westseattleblog/log-in – thanks!)
URBAN FARMING WORKSHOP: 9 am at Puget Ridge Edible Park (18th/Brandon), the second workshop in a series that will teach you about growing food in an urban community garden, as previewed here. Today’s topic: “Fall gardening. Fall is the best time to start a garden. Find out why.”
HEAVILY MEDITATED: Free 9 am community meditation at Inner Alchemy Sanctuary/Studio (3618 SW Alaska) – register here.
PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT: The big “Rally on the Rock” tournament with more than 100 players is today, 9 am-6 pm at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex courts. (2801 SW Thistle)
ADULTING WITH CONFIDENCE: New workshop series starts at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon), 9 am-noon.
INTRODUCTORY WALK: First of two sequential weekly walking events – meeting at the same spot, 47th/Fauntleroy, first at 9:30 am for a flat-terrain 1-mile walk.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: That’s followed by this 10 am walk, which you can join even if you didn’t go on the introductory walk. Meet at 47th/Fauntleroy.
WEST SEATTLE ECOLOGY FAIR: What can you do to help our ecologically challenged planet and the lives that depend on it? Find out 10 am-2 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s Walmesley Center (northeast side of 35th/Myrtle), with keynote speech at noon. Here’s our preview.
SSC GARDEN CENTER: The Garden Center at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, north end of campus), is open 10 am-3 pm.
DELRIDGE FARMERS’ MARKET: Just a few more weeks to shop at this weekly market! Open 10 am-2 pm, Saturdays through October, in and around the courtyard at Hope Academy in South Delridge (9421 18th SW). Fresh produce, cooked-on-site food, sweet treats, body-care products, more!
VASHON ISLAND LOWLAND GAMES: Looking for something different to do? Our neighbors to the west are hosting their first Scottish Highland Games-style event all day. 10 am-9 pm, schedule and more in our calendar listing. (18876 Vashon Highway, Vashon Island)
MORNING MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Info about Marco’s music is here.
FAMILY STORY TIME: 10:30 am at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond).
FREE WRITING GROUP: On hiatus; no gathering until mid-October
FAMILY READING TIME: At Paper Boat Booksellers, 11 am family reading time. (4522 California SW)
PET ADOPTION EVENT: Noon-2 pm at Mud Bay Admiral (2611 California SW), part of Neighborhood Pet Store Day event during which pet-food sales are matched with donations to pet organizations.
FRESH HOP WEEK AT OUNCES: Annual event at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), open noon-9 pm today.
OKTOBERFEST AT THE BEER JUNCTION: Second day of the fall celebration! Open noon-midnight. (4511 California SW)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The home of West Seattle’s history is open noon-4 pm on Saturdays. (61st SW/SW Stevens)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2236 SW Orchard)
CHOOSING, PLANTING, CARING FOR TREES: 1 pm educational event at West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW), free.
(Photo from past showcase)
WEST SEATTLE QUILTERS SHOWCASE: 1-4 pm, come see the work of dozens of local quilters! Free showcase at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon).
VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM/WINE BAR: Tasting room open for you to enjoy wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY TASTING ROOM, WINE BAR, STORE: On the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus:
The Northwest Wine Academy Tasting Room, Wine Bar, and Retail Store are open Thursday-Saturday from 1-6 pm. Come taste and purchase our student-produced wine! The Northwest Wine Academy features a large tasting room and retail store. While tasting one of our current releases, you can request a tour of our barrel room and bottling area.
BEER JUNCTION BIKE CLUB: 2 pm, gather in back for the monthly ride around the neighborhood, all ages. (4511 California SW)
WHITE CENTER NIGHT MARKET: Second and biggest night of this event at 16th/98th, hosted by the Cambodian American Community Council of Washington, including a car show. Here’s our White Center Now report on night 1. 2-10 pm.
EVENING MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: A cappella folk ensemble Gather Round at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 6-8 pm, no cover, all ages.
MORBIDLY CURIOUS BOOK CLUB: First anniversary! This month’s book, “In the Mouth of the Wolf.” 7 pm gathering at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW).
LISTENING EVENT AT EASY STREET: Be one of the first to hear Neko Case‘s new album. 7 pm at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW), free, all ages.
‘THE ROOMMATE’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm curtain, first weekend for the new play at the Junction playhouuse; ticket link in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)
DRAG AT THE SKYLARK: 9 pm, tonight it’s Love Lounge, hosted by Fraya Love, 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
REVELRY ROOM DJ: Saturday spinning starts at 9 pm – tonight it’s DJs Kingblind, Teenage Rampage, Smack at Revelry Room. (4547 California SW).
SATURDAY NIGHT SK8 PARTY: 9 pm-midnight, with rotating DJ Josh and DJ NightMere, 21+, at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW, White Center).
KARAOKE AT TALARICO’S: Our Saturday list concludes with 10 pm karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria. (4718 California SW)
Got a West Seattle event coming up? If community members are welcome, your event is welcome on our calendar! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
9:04 PM: Police are on their way to what’s reported as a flipped-car crash in the 2100 block of 46th SW. The vehicle is described as a Toyota RAV-4 and dispatchers say callers reported the driver got out safely and does not want medical attention, so SFD is not going. The driver may have hit parked cars. We’re en route to look.
9:13 PM: SPD has called for SFD, saying the crashed vehicle “is a hybrid and it’s still running.”
9:28 PM: Added our crew’s photo atop the story. They report a tow truck arriving. … And below, a texted photo (thanks!):
9:35 PM: Police tell our crew the driver was arrested. He’s under investigation for possible DUI.
9:54 PM: Here’s reader video of the flipped car being righted by a tow crew:
Next Tuesday (September 30), Seattle Public Schools has a special meeting in West Seattle regarding advanced learning, and parent Chi wants to be sure everyone interested has heard about it, so they asked us to share this:
If you have a designated Highly Capable (HC) or Advanced Learner (AL), or if your kiddo is simply bored at school because they’re not getting the accelerated education they need in West Seattle, please show up next Tuesday 9/30, 6:15 pm at Chief Sealth IHS to talk to the new director of the Highly Capable department at SPS, Dr. Paula Montgomery. She is collecting feedback to improve the program. The more WS families show up, the more likely HC/AL services will return to WS.
Chief Sealth is at 2600 SW Thistle. This will be the second of seven meetings the district is hosting on this topic, including one online; locations, dates, and meeting format are here.
We don’t always cover South Park events, but this one brought in a couple reader questions: Last Tuesday night, 
the Guardian One helicopter circled an area of South Park for going on two hours, and King County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted an intensive search on the ground, including two K9 teams. There was no news coverage and no explanation to the community of what was happening, so the next day, we received a couple email questions asking if we knew. Since then, we’ve checked out the archived KCSO radio exchanges as well as asked KCSO what they could tell us. It took a few days but here’s what we were able to find out: According to KCSO, “Deputies and detectives were around the 10th Avenue S. and S. Donovan area working to arrest a suspect possibly stealing cars; Guardian 1 was up helping the search, as were the K9 units.” KCSO adds, “The car they were looking for was a silver Kia.” We don’t know if that’s the same car that crashed just before the search began, around 8:18 pm per the archived audio. There was mention of at least one person jumping fences of area homes after the crash. (One left behind a pair of shoes in one home’s yard.) Despite the extensive searching, KCSO says, “No arrests have been made at this point.” They add that if you have any information, tips are appreciated at MCUtips@kingcounty.gov.
SIDE NOTE: Though most of South Park is in the city and therefore part of the Seattle Police Southwest Precinct jurisdiction, there is a small part that is unincorporated King County. In addition, a law-enforcement agency may be working in an area outside its jurisdiction if the investigation involved something over
One month after work resumed to fill the hole where contaminated dirt was removed at the future Morgan Junction Park expansion site, we have a progress report. The report and photo are from Morgan Community Association president Deb Barker, who’s been monitoring the project closely:
Earlier today, I talked to Holt Services backhoe operator Erik about the status of Phase I at Morgan Junction Park expansion site. While he was waiting for topsoil to arrive, he said that Holt was almost done with filing the pit, with just a few more topsoil loads to be added. Parks plans to hydroseed the site next week. Holt will install straw coil erosion control at the base of the southern and western slopes and will re-anchor the construction fencing for the long term. Erik mentioned that the 12 inches of added topsoil will settle after the rains come so that the eventual sod will be ‘even’ with the adjacent asphalt. The photo shows the southern 2 to 1 slope ending at the unimproved alley along with the topsoil layer.
Once the grass is established and the site is opened to the public – expected in “late fall,” the city says – the next phase is actual development of park features. What those features will be is not yet finalized – you’ll recall the question of what happened to funding that Parks once said would cover inclusion of an “all-wheels” feature at the park/expansion site and now says requires community fundraising. The all-wheels advocates of MJAWA, who already have rustled up a lot of volunteer time and grant money for the project, expect to talk again with the city in the week ahead. And you can count on an overall project update in some form at the next MoCA meeting October 15.
Again this year, West Seattleites who can’t or don’t want to go downtown for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s are invited to join an unofficial local mini-version the same day. It’s still in Gatewood, but with a different starting point this year. Here’s the announcement from organizer Pat:
Our local Walk To End Alzheimer’s is on October 4 (Saturday) – 9:30 am
Meeting at the water tower (35th and Myrtle) on Myrtle (different meeting spot than in past years)
We’ll do a mainly level walk along 35th, length negotiable!
It’s a great chance to connect with others and show support for this disease. (It’s the same day as the Seattle walk at Seattle Center. The West Seattle Alzheimer’s Caregivers support group welcomes all who want to stay in the West Seattle neighborhood and still show support. (You don’t need to sign up, but if you want to, go to the ALZ website and find your way to the West Seattle group.)
Free event. WEAR Purple if you have it!
=Here’s a map to 35th/Myrtle.
Thanks to the texter who sent that photo! We saw the sign for Café Verde (7354 35th SW) too, while passing by on our way home from a nighttime meeting, and already had an inquiry out to the proprietors by the time we started getting tips. We first reported on Café Verde’s West Seattle plan a year and a half ago; co-proprietor K.C. explained then that he and spouse Tatiana, West Seattle residents, have been roasting coffee in Auburn but planned to move that operation to the Sunrise Heights space and serve up drinks too. Asked for an update via email, K.C. told WSB last night:
We hope to open the coffee shop by November. We are in the final stages of installing the roasting equipment, inspections and calibrations. Our goal remains the same, to serve delicious fresh-roasted coffee by the bag and by the cup. This space will allow us to do both.
In our April 2024 story, we quoted K.C. as elaborating, “You wouldn’t buy specialty bread baked a month ago … we don’t think you should have to drink coffee roasted a month ago.” They have history at this – they once operated a combination roastery/coffee shop in Peru.
(WSB photo from South Delridge walking tour last April)
SDOT‘s been doing a series of walking tours in areas that might get a few new stretches of sidewalks/walkways because of the Seattle Transportation Levy (we’ve covered Highland Park and South Delridge tours). Now they’ve just announced a tour in one of West Seattle’s most sidewalk-less neighborhoods, Arbor Heights. Here’s the announcement:
Want to see new safe places to walk in the Arbor Heights neighborhood? Thanks to the Seattle Transportation Levy we can build at least 10 blocks of new sidewalk or walkway in Arbor Heights. Please join us for a neighborhood walk and share with us where you would like to see new walkways and/or sidewalks.
Date: Wednesday October 8, 2025
Time: 5:00-6:30 pm
Location: Meet in covered area in front of Arbor Heights Elementary School at 3701 SW 104th St and then walk the neighborhood with us!
Kids are welcome! Rain or Shine!
Here’s the official notice.
(Fall shadow study, sent by Al)
Here are Friday options, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
CITY COUNCIL’S MONEY MEETING: Two sessions, at 9:30 pm and 2 pm, for individual departments’ budget presentations – here’s the agenda, which includes slide-deck links you might find informative even if you can’t watch the meeting. (If you can – see it here.
STAY ‘N’ PLAY: Free drop-in indoor playtime for little ones is back, 10 am-11:30 am Fridays at Arbor Heights Community Church. (4113 SW 102nd)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER The center is open for plant-shopping Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
KNIFE SHARPENING: Kneighborhood Knives is back for another pop-up at Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), 10 am-5 pm.
BEER JUNCTION OKTOBERFEST: The Beer Junction celebrates Oktoberfest all day today and tomorrow! Open noon-midnight today. (4511 California SW)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Visit the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) to learn about local history – open noon-4 pm today.
QI-GONG: 12:30-1 pm at Viva Arts (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW).
SIGNING AND MEET-GREET AT EASY STREET: Amanda Shires will be at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) for her album-release signing/meet-and-greet at 2 pm.
FRESH HOP WEEK: Continuing 3-9 pm at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW).
POSTCARD-WRITING: High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond) is the location for long-distance advocacy with West Seattle Indivisible, 3-5:30 pm.
TASTING ROOM AND WINE BAR: Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) is open 5-9 pm Fridays. Stop in to sip, or buy a bottle: “We have wines for picnics, cookouts, hikes, camping, boating, and even just hanging out on the deck.”
(added) NIGHT MARKET IN WHITE CENTER: 5-10 pm, first of two nights, with live and DJ music – see the schedule here. (16th SW/SW 98th)
FREE TEEN SWIM: 6-7 pm at Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle), free swim session for ages 13=18.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 6-9 pm, singer-songwriter John Quinn performs at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: This week both teams are on the road with games at Northwest Athletic Complex, where Chief Sealth IHS lost 18-17 to Ingraham last night and West Seattle HS plays Lincoln at 7 tonight.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE SKYLARK: Live music with TV Sundaze, Plash, The Heart Smashers, “nerd-core pop punk,” doors 7, show 8, $10. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
‘THE ROOMMATE’ AT ARTSWEST: Night 2 of the new production, 7:30 pm. See our calendar listing for the ticket link and synopsis. (4711 California SW)
REVELRY ROOM DJ: 9 pm, DJ Mike. Illvester tonight! (4547 California SW)
‘MAKE IT LOUD’ SKATING: Skating with live bands – tonight, Reverse Death (Record Release), Serafima & the Shakedowns – 9 pm at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW). 21+. $18 cover/$5 skates.
If you have something to showcase on our event lists or calendar, please email what/when/where/etc. info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Wall-to-wall treats Thursday night in both major rooms at The Hall at Fauntleroy, for the sold-out Taste of West Seattle, raising money for the West Seattle Food Bank.
More than two dozen local restaurants, cafés, caterers, wineries, breweries, and specialty food vendors were there to dish up and pour out some of what sets them apart from the rest. The desserts looked especially delectable. A team from Margie’s from the Center for Active Living wanted to add extra whip to this berry cobbler before its photo op:
Nearby, Dolcetta’s Artisan Sweets offered beautiful candy – and won the attendees’ vote for “Best Sweet”:
Beautious Bakin’ and Kakin‘ had a table stacked with mini-cakes:
At least one venue brought sweet and savory options – The Neighborhood, Morgan Junction’s new restaurant, offered hummus and chocolate mousse:
From further south, White Center’s The Roll Pod served achaari aloo rolls and won “Best Veggie” taste:
We also found a pocket of Admiral participants – Joanie Jacobs and husband Dan Jacobs on behalf of the shop she runs, West Seattle Grounds, with – what else – brewed coffee, roasted by Caffe Vita:
The Jacobs are also on the leadership team of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, whose meeting guests two nights ago included Seattle School Board president Gina Topp, who tonight was steps away from them on behalf of her restaurant Mission Cantina, serving shrimp ceviche:
From The Junction (and beyond) Molly Moon’s Ice Cream brought mini-sundaes:
Also in the dairy division, A Butter Place offered tastings of their title specialty:
Want to wash that down with wine? Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) was there – no surprise as winemaker Ben Viscon is a longtime bigtime Food Bank supporter; Viscon was the winner for the night’s “Best Pour”:
The parade of main dishes continued – beef stew and rice from Ku Mana‘s (Burundian cuisine):
Red beans and rice, mac and cheese, and cornbread from Peninsula Soul Food, the winner for “Best Savory” taste:
Nola’s Catering had meatballs and “meatless balls”:
And that’s just, well, a taste of what was offered. (The winners’ list included one we hadn’t photographed, La La’s Lemonade, “Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage.”) Taste’rs were also serenaded by music man Jim Page, who we recorded at the start of his story-song about bus drivers:
Guests also could play Plinko and/or enter gift-basket raffles. Before the event, WSFB’s Robbin Peterson said this Taste had the biggest advance ticket sales yet; we’re expecting the fundraising tally later today and will add it here!
3:11 PM: And here’s the WSFB report:
We are so grateful to everyone who came out to support the Taste of West Seattle! Together, our community raised an incredible $40,120 for the West Seattle Food Bank. While we fell short of our $60,000 goal, every dollar makes a real difference in helping neighbors access food, rent and utility assistance, clothing, and other vital resources. If you weren’t able to attend—or if you’d like to help us close the gap — contributions can still be made online. Thank you for showing up with such generosity; with your continued support, we can make sure every neighbor feels the strength of this community.
Special thanks to:
All the vendors who participated and brought their best food and drink, and to our sponsors and supporters: Hunt Jackson CPA, Pet Supplies Plus, Electric Butter Marketing, West Seattle Blog, eDesign Creative, MVP Photo Booth, Dsquared Hospitality/Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes, LD Techniques, Jamison Johnson Photography, and Jim Page.We are deeply grateful not only to our attendees but also to the many small businesses who couldn’t join us in person yet still gave generously to our raffle. In the end, Taste of West Seattle 2025 was as much a celebration of small, local businesses as it was of community—and we’re honored to be part of such a caring, connected neighborhood.
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, September 26, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Mostly sunny and upper 60s today. Sunrise will be at 7:02 am; sunset, at 6:58 pm.
ROAD WORK & NEW ALL-WAY STOP
-Another reminder that Oregon/44th is now an all-way stop (we’re waiting for info from SDOT on why; a comment discussion revealed a community petition drive).
–59th SW in Alki is closed for at least two more weeks by the school-construction zone.
-“Natural drainage” construction closing the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.
-Regionally, WSDOT is warning about four big projects this weekend.
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/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.
STADIUM ZONE
The division-champion Mariners‘ final regular-season homestand continues, with an 6:40 pm game vs. the Dodgers.
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, 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!
(Wednesday sunset photographed by Tony Tschanz)
Sunsets like that one are a reminder of our region’s beauty mixed with danger, like that posed by wildfires. So what can you do? This Saturday, find out! Originally inspired by Pope Francis‘s environmental encyclical, this is the third year Our Lady of Guadalupe is hosting the West Seattle Ecology Fair, in partnership with other peninsula faith communities and environmental/sustainability organizations. The Eco-Fair is coming up Saturday (September 27) at OLG’s Walmesley Center gym:
Organizations from throughout Puget Sound will be at this fair to answer your questions on what we can do to stabilize our rapidly changing natural world. Our keynote speaker is Nicholas Bond, Emeritus Washington State Climatologist. He will discuss implications of climate change on human health, as well as broader impacts on wildlife in our region, and he will offer ideas of actions we can take.
Some exhibitors will be;
Beyond Plastic Puget Sound
Climate Reality Project (King Coungy.)
Puget SoundKeeper
Save The Wild Salmon
WA Climate Impacts Group
The keynote presentation is expected at noon. Admission is free; Walmesley Center is on the northeast side of the OLG campus at 35th/Myrtle.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Seattle’s first community-council meeting of fall was on the second night of fall, as the Admiral Neighborhood Association held its every-other-month gathering at the Admiral HUB (formerly church) this past Tuesday. We’ve already featured two news items from the meeting; here’s the full story:
SOUTHWEST PRECINCT POLICE: This briefing was presented by Lt. Wes Collier, the second-watch (dayside) commander, relatively new to the Southwest Precinct, after a variety of roles in the department – “I’ve been around for a while.”
He brought an update on the 27th SW shooting, as noted here, and also talked about Admiral-specific crime trends. Robberies are up 44 percent – a category of crime covering more than you think – could be a shoplifter making a threat or using violence. There’ve been four more in Admiral this year to date compared to last year. “That is a cause for concern.” He also said Southwest Precinct response times are slower than the – minute goal – currently 10 minutes, even for highest-priority calls (“if you tell me someone is here right now”). He said he’d be addressing that at a gathering Monday, the next day most of his officers are on duty because of an overlap. He declared he’s “no stranger to holding people accountable.” An attendee asked, “What’s the vibe about the end of the consent decree?” Reply: “A weight off our shoulders.” Another question: What about staffing? (As noted in our story on the mayor’s proposed budget – more hires, fewer departures than expected.) What about planning for next year’s World Cup matches? Planning began last year, Lt. Collier said. “We treat all the (big sporting events) as practice runs” for that, plus they’ve had a lot of drills – they’ve also sent police and POET (protest-focused team) members to London “to see how they handle it.”
Lt. Collier also noted the Traffic Unit has two motorcycle officers day shift who can do, and are doing, traffic enforcement. One attendee had words of praise for officers who were on Alki on the Fourth of July; another attendee said the Don Armeni Boat Ramp nighttime closures have been helpful: “It kept things nice and calm.” Lt. Collier said he’s going to dedicate two officers to an “09” car – emphasis patrol (which has been done on Alki and Westwood), taking orders directly from the watch commander rather than dispatchers (unless of course there’s a major emergency). He hopes to dedicate them to vehicle thefts, among other things. He also gave a short introduction to Matt Brown, who’ll be filling in for Jennifer Satterwhite as Crime Prevention Coordinator during her upcoming maternity leave. (Brown is South Precinct CPC right now.)
SCHOOL BOARD: Board president and West Seattle (and vicinity) director Gina Topp (who’s also a local small-biz owner, as a partner in Admiral’s Mission Cantina) was the next guest.
Enrollment is steady, finances are not – they’re facing an $80 million deficit, she noted, out of a $1.3 billion budget for a 49,000-student district. She said they’re trying hard to “protect what students need most.” Then there’s the superintendent search. They’ve heard from families, students, other community members, and they have a “leadership profile.” As noted in our Tuesday story, they have 41 qualified applicants for the job. “That is great – we are super excited about that number.” First review as a board is this Friday, she said. And as we recently reported, Alki Elementary remains on (revised) schedule to open in September of next year. One man noted that 43 percent of his property taxes go to education; Topp agreed it’s regressive taxation. Another attendee noted that West Seattle HS’s student body count – more than 1500 – is larger than last year, so how’s the district count now? Holding steady (100 more than last year, per figures presented to the board this week), although the graduating class is larger than incoming kindergarten, Topp said. “Looks like we may be plateau’ing a bit.”
An attendee who identified herself as a late-career SPS nurse said she’s one for 1,600 at her (non-WS) school, and before that 1,100. “We saved this community during COVID.” She talked about the effects of the lunch split – today she had two suicide threats, a dozen diabetics, and the idea of one nurse handling 1200 students is almost impossible. She seldom gets lunch and says it’s an impossible job for one person to handle. “You need to look at Health Services” and related areas, she implored. Another attendee mentioned that 2026 graduation dates are right up against the local FIFA World Cup matches and that’s going to make things difficult. “I hope there’s been some thought about moving the ceremonies early.” The attendee also talked about his child’s school using PTA fundraising for a school nurse and counselor, and he hoped that would be allowed where it’s possible so that district resources could be freed up to cover such services at schools that don’t have a fundraising capacity. He also suggested the district could be making more money off some of its facilities, like Nino Cantu Douthwest Athletic Complex. Overall, he said, “I’d like to see a new focus on fundraising.”
In wrapping, Topp noted that the next night’s board meeting – which also tackled the high-school lunch issue (WSB coverage here) – was planned in work session format, so no in-person public comment
EVENTS: President Joanie Jacobs sang the praises of volunteers. First, the two new coordinators of the Fourth of July Kids’ Parade … the organizers of the AMP concert series … and everybody who helped with the Admiral Block Party. Now it’s fall and it’s time for more fun, including Trick or Treating. Volunteers will be needed for the October 24 trick-or-treat event, as well as December 13 business event Winter Wonderland. Trick or Treating will go from Avamere in North Admiral to Charlestown/California in South Admiral. It’ll go back to 3 pm to 6 pm this year. Also ahead, 7 pm October 7 at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor) is a gathering for prospective volunteers, for both the trick-or-treating event and Winter Wonderland.
ADMIRAL EMERGENCY HUB: Hiawatha is a gathering spot in case of catastrophe, with a big box full of emergency supplies. There’s a new hub captain, and the outgoing one spoke to the group, explaining what would happen there in case of trouble – the communication that would happen because regular channels would be down. Lt. Collier was asked about police readiness; he said they’d of course do what it took to help keep people safe, but also advised that people sign up for Alert Seattle, and mentioned that many more officers are trained as EMTs now.
NEXT ANA MEETING: November, which will include board elections. Possibly November 18, since the second Tuesday is Veterans’ Day and they don’t think that’s the proper night for a community council meeting. Watch the website for updates.
Just one week after Washington State Ferries announced a date for their fall online-only system-wide community meetings, they’ve changed it: The meetings are now set for 1 pm and 6 pm Tuesday, October 14. If you’d already registered for the original date, you’ll have to re-register for the new one; you can register for one or both (WSF promises duplicate content) right now by going here.
Back-to-school season isn’t entirely over in West Seattle. For South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), the fall quarter starts Monday (September 29). We asked SSC spokesperson Ty Swenson what’s new this year, and he gave us a list including these three items. First, more students can plug into EV-related training:
The Automotive Technology program is jump starting electric and hybrid vehicle training this year. Toyota donated a Prius to the program for students to practice hybrid maintenance and repair and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges awarded the program a competitive workforce development grant to develop electric vehicle training. our Senior Director of Workforce Education Dalia Sherif at the Seattle Colleges District Office has engaged with the Washington State Auto Dealers Association and Western Washington Toyota Dealers over the past year to bring this donation to fruition, and future vehicle donations are in the works.
Second – classes you can take even if you’re not looking for a new degree or certificate:
South’s Continuing Education program is back with a full lineup of new and returning classes for personal enrichment and professional development — available both in-person and online. Whether you’re looking to pick up a new hobby or boost your career skills, there’s something for everyone.
Third, a special area of growth for SSC:
We are excited to see a 45 percent increase in students joining us this fall for college transfer pathways compared to last fall. Our college transfer students traditionally take freshman and sophomore classes at South for a fraction of the cost of four-year universities and colleges, earn their associate degree and then transfer to a four-year university or college with the skills and confidence to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
SSC’s main campus is at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge and includes several spots also open to non-students, such as the retail Garden Center and Northwest Wine Academy tasting room/wine bar (both open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays). More on the new quarter tomorrow!
(One of the M’s hats here at HQ, decorated with a prized parade pin)
Thanks to the texter who pointed out this is among the systemwide alerts that Washington State Ferries has sent so far today:
At 5 p.m. today, all ferries underway will sound their horns to salute the Seattle Mariners on winning the American League West title — their first in 24 years! Congratulations to the team and fans as they head into the playoffs.
While they haven’t won a division title since 2001, the M’s have been to the playoffs more recently – here’s the Mariners’ full playoff history. As for this year, the brackets aren’t full yet, but they’ll give you an idea of dates.
(Center for Active Living’s HQ, Sisson Building, photographed by Holli Margell)
A little volunteer power goes a long way, and the Center for Active Living in the West Seattle Junction could use a little more! Here’s the people-power wish list we received from Danny Perez:
The Center for Active Living (formerly the Senior Center of West Seattle) at 4127 SW Oregon St is currently in need of volunteers to fill various positions. Volunteers can enjoy connecting with fellow volunteers and seniors in a friendly, relaxed environment. The Center is seeking to fill the following volunteer positions:
Critical need: dishwashers on Tuesdays from 10 am-2 pm, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am-2 pm; rinse and load a commercial-grade dishwasher
Café Attendant: Wednesdays 8:30 am-12 pm, or Thursdays from 11 am-2 pm, take customer orders and prepare sandwiches and salads in The Center’s onsite café
Dining Room Attendant: Thursdays from 10 am-1 pm; Serve beverages and prepared meals to seniors participating in our Community Dining program
Retail Sales Clerk/Cashier: provide general customer assistance in The Center Thrift Shop
Westside Friends: provide companionship and support to seniors in their home location in West Seattle
Must be 18 years of age or older, and shifts are generally weekdays during the day, and can be two to three hours in duration. Flexible scheduling options are available. To apply, click the following link to complete a volunteer application: Volunteer – The Center for Active Living or email dannyp@wscenter.org
West Seattle has a multitude of options for people who love to play trivia, as evidenced in our Event Calendar and daily highlight lists. One of the peninsula’s dedicated, talented hosts, Will, sent this report and the accompanying photos:
West Seattle has a new trivia champion! 2023 champion team “Good Enough Society” took back the trophy at last night’s 2025 West Seattle Trivia Championship. Hosted by Beveridge Place, with hosts from Beveridge Place, The Good Society, and Talarico’s contributing questions-
Good Enough Society bested teams from 5 other bars to take home the trophy!
(Sunrise photo sent by Al)
Here’s what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where. you’ll find even more):
KNIFE SHARPENING: Kneighborhood Knives is back for another pop-up at Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), 10 am-5 pm, today and tomorrow.
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Explore options for your fall gardening! 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.
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30 am at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd 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.
YAPPY HOUR: Bring your dog to Arthur’s patio (2311 California SW) for fun! 3-6 pm.
KIKI’S CLOSET POP-UP SALE: Shop for fashion – and enjoy $5 glasses of wine – at Welcome Road Winery (3804 California SW; WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing.
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 Levantine Cuisine.
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!
TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE: There might be NO tickets available at the door at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW) for this food and drink festival (with music!) benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank – 5:30 pm VIP entry, 6 pm general entry – sold out, WSFB says thanks!
CHAMELEONS LIVE AT EASY STREET RECORDS: 6 pm in-store show, free, all ages. (4559 California SW)
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: “Come out for an All-Ager Rager with Daughters of Venus, Vagabond, and As You Wish. Doors at 6:00. Music at 7:00. All Ages. $10.” (3803 Delridge Way SW)
DUSTY 45s FT. SPECIAL GUESTS: In White Center tonight: Free live music 6-9 pm at Tim’s Tavern (16th/98th, White Center) with The Dusty 45s featuring Tropical Itch.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: 6 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), it’s the Westies Run Club‘s Thursday night community run.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Prefer to walk? Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy for tonight’s group walk – details in our calendar listing.
‘THE ROOMMATE’ AT ARTSWEST: Opening night! 7:30 pm. Our calendar listing has info including the ticket link. (4711 California SW)
DJ NIGHT: Extended-weekend spinning starts tonight at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Sherman, 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!
Family and friends will gather November 1 in West Seattle for a casual meetup to remember Chris Witwer, and are sharing this remembrance with the community now:
Former West Seattle resident Chris S. Witwer, CIP (56), aka Chris the Writer, as she loved to be known, shrugged off the confines of her failing body after a long battle with cancer on Dec. 3, 2024. She passed peacefully in her sleep at her home in Rockville, MD, held in the arms of her wife, with her beloved kitty Stella in her lap. She is now free to ride the wind & waves she always loved alongside the beloved whales, dolphins, orcas, & seals she adored photographing at any opportunity.
Devastatingly, Chris has left behind her shattered but endlessly grateful wife of 11 years & love of 22 ½ years, or 8193 days & forever, Shiloh Blue (formerly known as L. A. Vess). Chris was also forced to say goodbye to her two precious fur babies, Stella & Molly. Chris is also survived by her parents, John & Joyce Witwer, & sister Kathy. She is preceded in death by her sister Cindy, paternal grandparents Lee & Polly Witwer, whom she cherished, & maternal grandmother Ruth Granade. Along the way, she also lost three other beloved fur babies: her childhood kitty Boots, her boon companion Mozart, & her sweet baby Dolce.
Chris enjoyed a 20+ year storied career in medical research human subjects protection that spanned across the country, including Quorum Review IRB (now Advarra) & the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. She was also proud to serve many years on the CIP Council of PRIM&R before proudly being named co-chair in 2023. Chris gathered an enormous community of colleagues, friends & chosen family from all over the world; too many to name. Still, her wife wishes to give special thanks locally in Seattle to Barbie, for her boundless love & joy, to Jo, Marianne, & Linda for helping to ensure Chris was cared for in the best possible ways imaginable in her last months, & to Jill, for taking care of Chris’s favorite person ever besides her wife, & making sure she is happy & thriving.
More than just a beloved wife & amazing colleague, Chris was also a beautiful piano player, a singer, previously with the Austin Tapestry Singers, & she was passionate about photography, especially of beautiful landscapes, wild beaches, & magnificent marine life. Chris also loved to travel whenever she could – especially if art museums were involved – or just pick a direction nearby to go adventuring. You could also find her volunteering for causes she believed in whenever she had the chance, including several years with Seattle’s Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SSMMSN). Above all things, however, Chris loved to write, including for the Wallyhood blog for several years. Her favorite author, Eudora Welty, greatly inspired her, especially the short story “A Worn Path.” In addition to penning numerous articles & essays over the years, Chris published two bucket list books in the last year of her life: A Deafening Absence, a collection of short stories, & Rubbings, a travelogue about backpacking through Europe before the advent of cellphones & the Internet. The best way to honor her memory is to read them; they are available through her Amazon author page. Particularly while enjoying an Old Fashioned if you imbibe, or a nice slice of cake, as she was very fond of both.
As those who knew Chris would likely understand, she wanted no fanfare or fuss at her passing. She was sent back to stardust at a simple cremation with her loving wife as witness. Such a good, honest, & genuinely kind soul should have had a forever of tomorrows, but instead, can now only hope to be remembered for the incredible human being she was, the devoted & caring wife she was, & the loyal & kind friend she was. She made lasting impacts, great & small, on so many, personally & professionally. She lives on in those beautiful ripples she sent out into the world, making it a more wonderful place for every moment she was in it, & for long after she is gone.
Anyone who might wish to remember Chris at one of her favorite places, Alki Beach, with one of her very favorite guilty pleasures, tacos from Marination Ma Kai, please feel free to meet up there with her wife, Shiloh – who recently moved back to their beloved West Seattle at the gentle urging of her wife’s last wishes, at 1660 Harbor Ave SW, Seattle, on November 1st, 2025 from 2 PM to 3 PM.
Full memorial can be read at hiltonfh.com/december. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to SealSitters.org or HappyWhale.com.
(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)
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, September 25, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Partly sunny and only into the 60s today. Sunrise will be at 7 am; sunset, at 7 pm.
(Fall’s third sunset, photographed by Hana Alishio)
ROAD WORK & NEW ALL-WAY STOP
-As reported here last night, Oregon/44th is now an all-way stop (previously the stop signs were just in the north/south direction).
–59th SW in Alki is closed for at least two and a half more weeks by the school-construction zone.
-“Natural drainage” construction toward the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.
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/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.
STADIUM ZONE
The division-champion Mariners‘ final regular-season homestand continues, with one more 6:40 pm game vs. Colorado.
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, 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!
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
As we first reported earlier this month, Seattle Public Schools sparked controversy with an abrupt announced that all comprehensive high schools (including West Seattle and Chief Sealth) must have two separate lunch periods. The announcement made a week and a half into the school year led to a districtwide walkout protest at district HQ on September 15th. But the district is moving ahead with the change, it was clear after a short discussion at Wednesday night’s special meeting of the School Board, and all schools must have split lunches in place by October 6.
The justification was simple. “We serve more lunches if there are multiple lunch periods.” said superintendent Fred Podesta. He provided statistics such as a case study from Cleveland High School that showed splitting the lunch period led to 31 percent more lunches being served to students, addressing the district’s persistent concerns about ood access. Other justifications were reiterated, such as the need for staff to take their own breaks in accordance with contracts, which were noted in the slide deck posted beoore the meeting.
Nonetheless, acknowledging the community backlash, the district plans some “mitigations” and will seek community engagement. Many complaints were from students feeling that the change would split personal availability and time to use for either extracurricular or personal matters: the ability to schedule a club meeting, meet with a teacher, do homework in advance of a class, or to be able to see friends. Some possibilities include a scheduled advisory time between students and teachers, more flexible choices for students in the time of their lunch period, and shifting club meeting times
It was noted that meetings are under way with student leaders from affected schools to ask them for feedback. Coordination with school principals on the implementation of the plan was promised too. Here’s a slide showing the status of that:
Associate superintendent Dr. Rocky Torres-Morales noted there are many different approaches on how to deal with the change, and these will be left to each respective school implementing the change. “Each school is their own school, there is no one size fits all decision.” he said.
Also discussed: The school lunch change as part of thei overall plan to re-evaluate the high school day this year and next. A task force will be dedicated to the re-evaluation, working on options for equitable access to credit-earning opportunities, protecting time for extracurricular activities, and reviewing school start and end times, among other goals.
The school board’s hope is that this upcoming process will be more transparent than what led to the lunch announcement. “This [the upcoming changes] is a serious topic, we won’t unwrap it like a Christmas gift in April, people need to hear about it along the way.” said superintendent Podesta. The recommendations on revisions to the high school day will be due from the task force in spring 2026.
Note the “all-way” on that stop sign. That’s the new status of Oregon/44th in The Junction. A texter tipped us about it this evening, saying they “almost drove through it” (and we saw someone else do that shortly after we snapped the pic). Many of the added all-way stops recently have been along routes to schools; we’ll check with SDOT tomorrow to see if that’s the rationale for this one (Tilden School [WSB sponsor], Hope Lutheran, and Holy Rosary are within several blocks, and Genesee Hill Elementary is a bit further) or something else.
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