West Seattle, Washington
05 Monday
(File photo of honey bee – photographed in 2024 by Steve Bender)
Out of the WSB inbox, from Johnny:
I was just at the Fauntleroy ferry dock near the tail end of the line [near tollbooth, lane 3] and there was a swarm of bees, dozens of them, flying all over the place. They must have built a nest nearby. I didn’t dare open my windows, even on a day like this. I thought I would send that information along since it can be real dangerous for some people. I reported it to WSDOT.
We’ll be checking with Washington State Ferries but in the meantime, since this is information we publish every year, we’ll take a moment to explain that if they’re honey bees, you should notify a local beekeeper who would be interested in collecting the swarm. Here’s the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association list for this year – including West Seattle contacts.
P.S. PSBA members and others will be happy to educate you about bees at this year’s West Seattle Bee Festival on May 17 – more info on that soon!
(Salmon hats and a salmon song gave fry a festive send-off)
Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by John Sturtevant
Special to West Seattle Blog
Preschoolers from The Cove School in the Admiral District opened salmon-release season today on Fauntleroy Creek. Teachers brought the coho fry the 22 students had helped rear through the Salmon in the Schools program, and a like number of parents, grandparents, and others came to celebrate with the children. Volunteers with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council gave a hand to be sure the inch-long fish had a gentle entry into the water.
(Dennis Hinton has been helping students put fish in the creek for 15 years)
Twenty two seems to be the number this spring – 22 volunteers to staff 22 school releases on the schedule (a record number), plus an all-ages community release on Sunday, June 1, 1:00-3:00 pm at the big bridge in Fauntleroy Park. By then, nearly 800 students will have come and roughly 2,000 fry will have started their year-long stay in the creek.
(Young, elder, and in between hands released 134 healthy coho fry)
Since late March, fry released last spring have been leaving the creek as smolts for their two years in saltwater. Volunteers will continue to check net traps in the upper and lower creek twice daily through most of May. So far, they have documented 18 smolts headed for nearshore habitat in Fauntleroy Cove to fatten up before moving into open water.
(WSB photo by Jason Grotelueschen)
That’s Sara Smith, coordinating Fauntleroy Church‘s long-running twice-yearly Recycle Roundup for the first time today, and excited about it! The church’s partner in the free dropoff event, 1 Green Planet, has two trucks ready to fill, and reinforcements waiting in the wings.
Just drive, ride, or walk up to the dropoff spot in the church’s lot at 9140 California SW before 3 pm. Sooner rather than later, so they don’t wind up with a last-minute backup! The list of what they will and won’t take is here.
2:15 PM: WSB’s Jason Grotelueschen sends that photo taken about half an hour ago, as Recycle Roundup approached its final hour, and reports, “Volunteers say things are going well, traffic slowed down around lunchtime, but has now picked up in the final hours. Still ample space for your treasures!” But 3 pm is closing time.
(WSB photo, April 2024)
Among the many things happening in West Seattle tomorrow is one that needs some preparation to get ready for, so we’re reminding you one more time that Saturday (April 26) is when Fauntleroy Church hosts the next twice-yearly Recycle Roundup. See the official list of what they will and won’t accept by going here. The Recycle Roundup is a free drive-up/ride-up/walk-up event in the church lot at 9140 California SW, 9 am-3 pm, with longtime recycling partner 1 Green Planet.
Fauntleroy has lost a longtime leader.
Just a few months after resigning as Fauntleroy Community Association president after 11 years, Mike Dey has unexpectedly died at age 74.
His wife Susan Lantz-Dey had been outdoors at their home Thursday night, then came indoors to make dinner, and found him unconscious. Seattle Fire medics responded but were unable to revive him.
This past January’s FCA meeting was Mr. Dey’s last one as president. As we reported in meeting coverage, he planned to stay on the board at least a year to help with the transition, but was hoping that handing over the reins would mean “new ideas can float to the top.”
In the subsequent edition of the FCA’s quarterly newsletter, editor Judy Pickens published this list of highlights from Mr. Dey’s years of leadership (while noting he would be first to point out that many others assisted):
*increased residential memberships from 121 to 224 and business memberships from 6 to 15.
*administered an annual FCA budget that more than doubled to $11,800.
*beautified the Endolyne business area with 23 planter boxes and maintained them.
*introduced crossing flags for pedestrian safety at 11 intersections in the neighborhood.
*opposed pickleball courts and an off-leash dog area in Lincoln Park.
*took positions on ferry-terminal replacement and pressed at city and state levels to be heard.
*examined and responded to numerous city proposals to increase building heights and density and decrease street and off-street parking for residents.
*took positions to enforce the city’s noise ordinance and retain funding for public safety.
*supported federal funding for repairing the West Seattle high bridge.
*introduced annual community egg and pumpkin hunts.
*pushed for converting Brace Point Dr. SW to one way and improving parking, adding a guard rail along Marine View Dr. SW, installing a wide-angle mirror for traffic safety at SW Roxbury and SW Marine View Dr., and adding traffic calming and pedestrian safety striping at problem locations.
*succeeded in getting the state to remove creosote logs and debris from Fauntleroy Cove.
*introduced automated FCA membership renewal and payment options.
A full obituary and word on memorial plans will be forthcoming.
Two quick reminders about free services the next two Saturdays that can help with your spring cleaning:
(WSB photo, 2023 event)
FREE SHREDDING TOMORROW: Saturday (April 19) brings the annual shredding event in the northwest Westwood Village parking lot, offered by John L. Scott Westwood Real Estate-The Madrona Group (WSB sponsor), 9 am-noon. Shredding is free, but if you can, bring food/money to donate to the White Center Food Bank.
RECYCLE ROUNDUP ON APRIL 26: Then one week from tomorrow, 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 26, it’s the spring edition of Fauntleroy Church‘s Recycle Roundup – free dropoff recycling for electronics and much more. Here’s the newest list of what will and won’t be accepted. Drive/ride/walk up to the church lot at 9140 California SW (but don’t wait until the last hour unless you absolutely can’t make it any sooner – they want to avoid a big crowd at closing time).
(File photo of current terminal/dock)
Construction of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal replacement is still a few years away – except for signalizing the entrance/exit intersection sooner – but planning is at full speed, and city reviews are part of the project. Checking agendas, we discovered that project reps will brief the city-convened Seattle Design Commission tomorrow morning (Thursday, April 17). The commission has a hybrid meeting – in person at City Hall’s Boards and Commission Room, online access too (the viewing link is on the agenda page). The meeting starts at 8:30 am and the Fauntleroy briefing is set to start at 9:30 am, with listed presenters including WSF’s John Vezina and Charles Torres with consultant Laura LaBissoniere. The commission meeting is not expected to include a vote or public hearing but it’s of interest if you want to see how WSF is describing the project at this stage, particularly aesthetically (which is an obvious focus for the Design Commission).
Washington State Ferries says it’s expecting to restore regular three-boat service on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth (the Triangle Route) June 30. When it does, the 2-boat schedule it’s been running these past few years will become a backup schedule – and WSF is revising it. So they’re asking for comments right now via an online open house you’ll find here, open through this Friday, April 18. (If you want to cut right to the proposed schedule changes before commenting, find them here.)
(WSB photos by Dave Gershgorn)
The first major egg hunt of the season was graced with sunshine on the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse grounds this afternoon. Fauntleroy Community Association volunteers hid 600 eggs filled with non-candy treats – and then let the egg-hunters run wild:
Photojournalist Dave Gershgorn was there for WSB, to capture the excitement:
A few eggs had special prizes – so families paused to peek inside:
The FCA got out ahead of the rest of the egg-hunting pack.
Next weekend, your options are many:
–Lincoln Park at 10 am Saturday with Eastridge Church
–Delridge and High Point Community Centers at 10 am Saturday with Seattle Parks
–Three hunts at Ounces on Saturday afternoon – noon for ages 4-8, 3 pm for ages 3 and under, 5 pm for grownups
-Some local churches also have egg hunts on Easter Sunday – we’re continuing to add to our listings.
(Are we missing yours? Email the info ASAP to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The next big Fauntleroy Community Association-organized event, this year’s Egg Hunt, is just three days away. It was one of the major topics at last night’s FCA board meeting, led by FCA president Frank Immel. FCA’s annual membership meeting was just three weeks ago; its board meets most months on the second Tuesday, but community members are always welcome at those meetings too.
EGG HUNT: Candace Blue coordinates it for FCA andprovided an update. It’s at 1 pm this Saturday (April 12) at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW). She said there were so many returned and donated plastic eggs that they have 600 to hide this year, up dramatically from the 359 last year; if you’re participating, look for the bins to use to recycle your eggs afterward. The littlest kids will get a head start right at 1, before the older kids get their turn; last year, Candace said, the hunt began with 60 kids. Another number she’s happy about – a dozen-plus volunteers have signed up to help hide eggs before the hunt. The eggs will be filled with non-candy treats, and there will be 10 “special prizes” (only one per family, please). If you’re going, look for wayfinding signs that will point you to where it’s happening on the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse grounds.
Other major topics last night:
(WSB photo from last fall’s Recycle Roundup)
One month from today – on Saturday, April 26 – Fauntleroy Church hosts the next twice-yearly Recycle Roundup. We have the official list of what they will and won’t take this time – see it here. This is a free drive-up/ride-up/walk-up event in the church’s lot at 9140 California SW, 9 am-3 pm, in partnership with 1 Green Planet.
Eat local, help global. You can do that one week from tonight, at a local dinner supporting volunteers’ upcoming trip to Central America. Here’s the announcement/invitation!
On March 28, a fundraising dinner will enable a West Seattle-based team of volunteers to go to a remote Mayan village in Guatemala in early May to improve living conditions for residents by installing stoves and water filters.
(West Seattle Rotary member Greg MacKenzie, left, helps install a stove for a Guatemalan family)
The 110 stoves they hope to assemble in Saclecan [map] will replace the open fires and dilapidated wood stoves commonly used there for cooking and heat. By venting to the outside, the stoves reduce respiratory illnesses and are designed to prevent burn injuries. Fabricated in the northern town of Santa Cruz Barillas by local labor, the efficient stoves also slow deforestation by using as much as 50 percent less wood.
The team will include members of the Rotary Club of West Seattle and Fauntleroy Church UCC, as well as other area residents, all of whom will pay their own expenses. They will pack lightly in order to bring school supplies and books for the children and will come prepared to make other community improvements as funding allows.
The Hands for Peacemaking Foundation, an Everett-based organization founded by the late Dr. Leeon Aller (a ’38 graduate of West Seattle High School), will host the team in country. Tested in consultation with Burn Design Labs on Vashon Island, the stoves will be purchased and delivered in advance using donations by area Rotary Clubs and individuals.
Tickets for the 6:00 pm Guatemalan dinner on Friday, March 28, at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California Ave. SW) are $25 per person purchased at bit.ly/4huP0pZ or at the door.
You can donate without attending the dinner by going here.
Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by Dave Gershgorn
For West Seattle Blog
School salmon releases will start soon on Fauntleroy Creek, and student research this week confirmed that coho fry that drift down to the lower creek, as well as “home-hatch” fry from last fall’s spawning there, will likely find food.
Two dozen fourth graders from <strong>Louisa Boren STEM K-8 did the annual count of stonefly exoskeletons in the spawning reach on Tuesday to continue research that’s been going on since 2000. Stonefly larvae crawl out of the creek this time of year, shed their exoskeletons, and fly for a short mating season.
The students’ count suggests how clean the water is and how much food is available for fry. The study also gives young researchers experience in following scientific protocol. They found 25 exoskeletons in the study area, compared with 16 last year. Torso size ranged from 3 cm to 4 cm, which was similar to 2024.
Led by Shannon Ninburg, volunteer educator with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council, the field trip also included a chance to see hundreds of fry from last fall’s spawning, as well as the first smolt documented leaving the creek this spring for saltwater.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Fauntleroy neighbors gathered Tuesday night for one of the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s biggest events of the year — the FCA Annual Meeting and Food Fest at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).
The popular yearly event (see WSB coverage of last year’s fest) featured food and drink samples from local purveyors, tables hosted by local community groups, and a brief FCA business meeting to elect next year’s FCA board:
From left to right, that’s Reed Haggerty (FCA’s newest board member), David Haggerty, president Frank Immel, vice president Catherine Bailey, treasurer Alan Grainger, Amber Heinemann, Meredith Sciarrio and Bruce Butterfield. Other board members for the upcoming year include David Follis, secretary Kris Ilgenfritz, Susan Lantz-Dey, Mike Dey, and Bill Wellington. This slate of officers was presented and approved unanimously by those in attendance on Tuesday night.
Unsurprisingly, the popularity of the Food Fest is driven largely by — you guessed it — the food! Here’s some of it:
Read MoreA salmon update from the Fauntleroy Watershed Council:
Volunteers are starting the annual spring count of coho smolts leaving Fauntleroy Creek for their two years in salt water.
(Photos by Dave Gershgorn. Above Scoutmaster James Kim and Dan Vornbrock [Ben’s dad] attach netting to the trap frame)
Last spring Ben Vornbrock supported this research by designing and building two net traps as his Eagle Scout project. This past Wednesday, family and fellow members of Scout Troop 284 put them back in at sites in the upper and lower creek to continue the research. Today, monitors were scheduled to start checking them twice daily through late May.
(Scout Naomi Bilinski helps Dan position the net so all creek flow goes through it. Superintending are Jamie Bilinski and creek volunteers Tom Trulin and Dennis Hinton)
Last spring’s smolt count was 30; the highest count since the research began in 2003 was 230.
By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Fauntleroy Community Association board members held their March meeting on Tuesday night, featuring updates and discussion about upcoming events, collaborative projects, and areas of neighborhood concern.
The well-attended gathering (open to the public, as usual) was held at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, with FCA’s Catherine Bailey running the meeting with assistance from Dave Follis. FCA president Frank Immel wasn’t in attendance because he was representing the group at the concurrent Washington State Ferries online community meeting about the Fauntleroy terminal project.
Much of the meeting was devoted to discussing final details for the FCA Annual Meeting and Food Fest (all are welcome), which is less than a week away: Tuesday, March 18 from 6-8 pm. More on that event below.
Bailey called the meeting to order and facilitated opening remarks, introductions, and approval of minutes, and then the group dove into the night’s agenda:
SPD UPDATE: Community Liaison Officer German Barreto from the Southwest Precinct was in attendance (as he walked in, he said he was coming directly from helping to recover a stolen vehicle), and he provided some crime updates and statistics: In a nutshell, “everything is down” as it relates to crime numbers for the Fauntleroy area compared to last year, when looking at year-to-date as well as the past 28 days specifically. That’s also true for the greater West Seattle area with the exception of thefts, which are up slightly compared to last year. There was a question about recent “shots fired” incidents, and Barreto said the cases primarily involved people shooting into the air (not at each other or anyone else). Another attendee asked Barreto if he expected criminal activity to increase as the weather gets warmer, and he agreed that typically that’s the trend. There was a question about hiring, and Barreto said that much of that would begin taking more shape as chief and captain positions get settled now that new SPD Chief Shon Barnes started work in January. Barreto said he hadn’t met Barnes yet, but noted that Barnes would be in attendance at next Tuesday’s meeting of the newly revived Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, at 6:30 pm at the precinct (same time as the Food Fest). An attendee asked where the SPD budget comes from, and Baretto explained that it’s set by the City Council, and he noted that officers are waiting for a new contract to come in. Barreto thanked attendees for their time and stepped out, adding that the SW Precinct’s Mobile Precinct vehicle would be onsite and parked outside for next week’s FCA Food Fest on Tuesday the 18th, and he encouraged people to check it out and to bring their kids.
ANNUAL MEETING & “FOOD FEST”: FCA is gearing up for next week’s FCA Annual Meeting and Food Fest at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), 6-8 pm Tuesday (see WSB coverage of last year’s event). Board member and event organizer David Haggerty said that this is “one of the biggest things we do — a real celebration of the community,” and said preparations are going very well. He shared a list of local organizations, businesses, and restaurants that are expected to attend. The local eateries will be providing free bites for attendees, and FCA representatives will be on-hand to help neighbors sign up for the group (or renew their annual dues) if they’re so inclined. If you’re a Fauntleroy neighbor, don’t miss this fun event! Board members also discussed the slate of officers that they’ll be presenting for approval on the 18th, during a brief business meeting that will take place at the halfway point of the event (approximately 7 pm).
DIGITAL WAYFINDING IN FAUNTLEROY PARK: As we reported previously, the Fauntleroy Watershed Council have launched a service allowing anyone with a smartphone to navigate the trails and points-of-interest in Fauntleroy Park. Project lead Tracy Randle was in attendance on Tuesday, showing off a printout of the poster that is available in the park kiosks at the SW Barton or 97th St. entrances to the park. (or, you can go directly to fauntleroywatershed.org/index.php/park or here to view the map.) You can scan the map’s QR code to download a geo-referenced map using Avenza Maps from fauntleroywatershed.org, or download a static map. You may instead download a static map to use as a guide.) Randle said that members of the project team will be on-hand to demonstrate the map during next week’s “food fest” on Tuesday the 18th.
ZONING AND “ONE SEATTLE” COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Follis provided an update on last month’s discussion about the city’s proposed rezoning plan and other elements of the One Seattle Plan, which will have impacts on Fauntleroy and city-wide. Board members and attendees reviewed and discussed several maps and visuals (which are available online from the city of Seattle’s GIS maps) including “critical areas by ordinance” and “neighborhood center zoning” among others:
Attendees discussed how particular areas of Fauntleroy present unique challenges and risks, while acknowledging the need for responsible development to increase opportunities for housing. Unsurprisingly, there were a variety of opinions on the issues as it relates to the issue: “I can’t afford to live where I was born and raised (I rent),” “All of these proposals talk about density, not about affordability,” “It shouldn’t even be about the density; it’s about the quality of how things are done,” “I want my kids to be able to actually own a house here, too,” “I don’t want us to lead with ‘no’ development; we want people to move in and enjoy the area,” “because of all the development in WS, things just aren’t the same,” “I’m grateful to have a bustling city; I want a mixture of people to live here.” Attendees agreed that “we need a lot of great minds to think about this,” including the FCA board and the community as a whole.
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA MEETING: Bailey gave an update on a recent meeting that the FCA board had with Rob Saka, describing it as a positive interaction and saying “it felt like we were heard” with regard to unique issues such as ferry traffic and terrain. Bailey added that Saka (and/or someone from his office) are going to tour the area next week (the morning of March 20th) along with FCA board members, to learn more. Bailey said that she’ll work with the board to accurately represent the variety of opinions that members have regarding various neighborhood issues and their possible solutions.
FERRIES: There was an online Washington State Ferries community meeting happening at the same time as the Tuesday meeting, and many Fauntleroy residents (including FCA president Frank Immel) were attending that. Bailey and other board members provided some updates, saying the project was in “level 3” screening with regard to the proposed longer dock, which will hold 124-155 vehicles (compared to 80, currently) while protecting Cove Park north of the dock. The WSDOT “online open house” is available through March 21st, with descriptions and photos and the opportunity to provide comments. Staff from WSF will also be at the Food Fest next Tuesday. Meeting attendees expressed a variety of opinions on the project, ranging from expansion support to concerns like “a bigger dock likely means bigger boats with more capacity; Fauntleroy Way would need to be widened” and “the expansion and changes may not speed things up at all” with regard to board loading/unloading.
Also during the meeting, treasurer Alan Grainger provided a positive financial update for the group, saying that things were “chugging along.” Also, some neighborhood concerns: Many (if not most) of the road-crossing safety flags and even the mounted flag holders are gone (likely stolen) — Bailey is following up on that. Bailey also said that some of the planter boxes in the area had been vandalized with graffiti, and she is leading the effort to clean them up.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
FUTURE MEETINGS: FCA meets most months at 6 pm on the second Tuesday at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, open to the public. The next two meetings are April 8 and May 13.
(WSB photo, 2024 FCA egg hunt)
You can help make smiles like those happen next month, when the Fauntleroy Community Association presents this year’s spring egg hunt. It’s happening at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) at 1 pm Saturday, April 12, and organizer Candace Blue is again recruiting volunteers to help hide eggs at 11:30 that morning. Contact her by phone, 209-401-8406, or email – blueyvette47@gmail.com – if you can help!
(Photo by Dave Gershgorn)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
Digital wayfinding in Fauntleroy Park has just gone live.
The Fauntleroy Watershed Council is introducing this resource so that anyone with a smartphone can navigate the park’s well-maintained trails and learn about points of interest along the way. It works like this:
-Locate the poster showing the map below on the kiosk at the SW Barton or 97th St. entrance to the park. (You may instead go directly to fauntleroywatershed.org/index.php/park or here to access the map.)
-Scan the QR code on the poster to download a geo-referenced map using Avenza Maps from fauntleroywatershed.org. (You may instead download a static map to use as a guide.)
The program will follow you as you walk the trail and provide information about points of interest when you come to them.
With input from other volunteers, Tracy Randle and Sam To worked on the project over several months. They were drawn to the technical challenge as well as by wayfinding’s potential as an education tool. Chris Nack made sure that users will find the map and text about points of interest on the council’s website (fauntleroywatershed.org).
“This initial edition of the map incorporates existing points of interest,” Tracy said, including the tree walk created in 2023. “It’s now our baseline for adding features that visitors suggest and as habitat features change over time.”
Members of the project team will be demonstrating the map during the Fauntleroy Community Association Annual Meeting and Food Fest on March 18, starting at 6 pm in The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). Park visitors may submit updates to the map anytime at fauntleroywatershed.org/index.php/contact.
(September 11, 2023, photo of M/V Wenatchee en route to Vigor, courtesy “Boating Motes”)
Washington State Ferries has operated at reduced service for years, including a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route. Now Gov. Bob Ferguson has announced he’s delaying the next two hybrid-electric boat conversions in hopes that will enable the WSF system to return to full strength. That affects Vigor on Harbor Island, where M/V Wenatchee‘s conversion continues, and two more are scheduled. Here’s the announcement:
Governor Bob Ferguson announced today he will delay hybrid-electric conversion for two of the state’s largest ferries, putting Washington on the path to restoring full domestic ferry service by this summer. As a result of this plan, Washington State Ferries will have 18 operating vessels in the water for the first time since 2019. Full domestic service is considered 21 vessels with 18 in the water at any time.
Ferguson is delaying the ferry conversion until after World Cup 2026, which is scheduled from June 26 through July 6. Converting the ferries removes them from service for an extended period of time. For example, the Wenatchee, the first Washington State Ferries vessel to undergo hybrid-electric conversion, will have been out of service at least 22 months by the time the conversion is completed this summer. …
… Since the pandemic, Washington State Ferries has operated on a reduced schedule, significantly impacting Washingtonians who rely on ferry service. Right now, for example, commuters who travel by ferry between Bremerton and Seattle — one of the state’s busiest ferry routes — must wait more than two hours between boats every day. This action will improve those wait times.
Delaying the hybrid-electric conversion for the remaining two ferries prioritizes improved ferry service, especially ahead of major events like the World Cup in summer 2026. …
None of the three boats being converted serve the Triangle Route, but their availability would reverse the domino effect on this route and others. The Vashon-based coalition Islanders for Ferry Action issued a statement saying in part, “For Vashon Island and the broader Fix Our Ferries coalition, this is a game-changing victory. As outlined in WSF’s official August 2023 Service Restoration Plan, the Triangle Route (Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth) is designated as the first priority for full restoration — and that moment has arrived.”
Meantime, the governor says he wants to build new electric ferries, so WSF’s procurement process for up to five new ones will continue. Bids are due next month.
Looking ahead to one of this week’s big events, here’s a reminder that the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) invites you to the annual fund-drive kickoff on Wednesday (March 5):
We are days away from the West Seattle and Fauntleroy Annual Fund Drive Kick-off event! Come join us at the Fauntleroy YMCA for an evening of food and drinks, and to learn more about the amazing work being done at the Y, along with what is possible with your support.
This is a free event for the community, RSVPs are required.
When: March 5th, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
Where: Fauntleroy YMCA Fellowship Hall, 9140 California Ave SW
Who: Everyone in our community
Perks: Meet your neighbors, learn more about the YMCA, Free food!RSVP here: linktr.ee/WestSeattleYMCA
If you are unable to attend, you can still give to the West Seattle and Fauntleroy YMCA here: seattleymca.org/give/donate/west-seattle-fauntleroy-ymca
This flyer explains the Y’s goals and plans for the annual fundraising campaign.
If you’ve heard the booms from Gatewood, Upper Fauntleroy, Westwood, etc., those are fireworks, not gunshots. We’ve heard them all, and police in the area have seen them. We’re just mentioning it because we’ve gotten a few texts and dispatchers/calltakers say they’re getting deluged.
The future of the Fauntleroy space that was briefly Bel Gatto and long The Original Bakery remains a question mark. Andrea sent us the link to an online auction of the space’s bakery and café equipment, to be held March 11-18 by veteran auctioneers James G. Murphy Co. After closing Bel Gatto in January, less than a year after opening the bakery/café next to his company’s restaurant Endolyne Joe’s, Peter Levy of Chow Foods told WSB, “There is no decision yet as to what we will be doing with the space that housed the bakery.” That sounded as if he and his company would decide its future, but when we contacted him after learning about the auction, he replied, “I am not sure of what the future use of the space will be. The Landlord will be making that determination.” We’re working to reach the building’s owners to find out if they plan to offer the space for lease. The online auction, meantime, is offering almost 60 items/groups of items, from “assorted plates” to a donut fryer to pizza ovens to bakery display cases/shelving.
(Fry in Fauntleroy Creek – photo by Dave Gershgorn)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
Three Fauntleroy Creek events this week signal that winter is on the wane:
– “Home hatch” coho started emerging to feed in the creek.
– Skunk-cabbage blossoms started dotting the streambank.
– Teachers started signing up for salmon releases.
(Skunk cabbage along Fauntleroy Creek – photo by Dave Gershgorn)
Two weeks ago, volunteers began monitoring the lower creek for evidence that eggs left in November by a record number of spawners (347) had survived. Yesterday (2/26) they sighted 15 active fry darting around in the water.
Last fall, spawners hid their eggs under a blanket of loose gravel for protection. After a few weeks, the eggs hatched into alevin equipped with a yolk sac to sustain them until they were mature enough to emerge from the gravel and forage for themselves. In a year’s time, they will have grown into 4”-5” smolts, ready to leave the creek for two years in saltwater.
This same transformation is playing out across West Seattle as students in the Salmon in the Schools program rear their own coho. Come May, Fauntleroy Watershed Council volunteers will host 18 field trips to Fauntleroy Park, where students will release their fry and explore habitat.
| 3 COMMENTS