West Seattle, Washington
23 Thursday
12:35 PM: The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route has been down to one boat so far today due to what WSF describes as “a shortage of crew,” and Washington State Ferries has no ETA for the return of a second boat. If you’re going, note that they’re following the #1 boat schedule (linked in the ferry-alert roundup), and use Vessel Watch to check the boat’s location while you wait.
2:30 PM: WSF says it’s back to two boats. However, the South Vashon (Tahlequah-Point Defiance) run will go out of service starting late this afternoon, so that’s likely to put extra pressure on this route
A West Seattle mini-market with a passionate fan base is celebrating its customers this afternoon. As featured in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and today’s highlight list, Super Deli Mart – northwest corner of 35th and Barton – is hosting a parking-lot party until 5 pm. Free food, games, and live music, plus a beer garden. The celebration is a summertime tradition for the store.
(July photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
With one of only two state-ferry docks in the city of Seattle – the only one in a primarily residential neighborhood – West Seattle has a unique role in the system. So Washington State Ferries is hoping you’ll answer a survey about when, how, and where you use its boats. It’s part of a passenger-demographic study that WSF plans to send to the state Legislature in December. You can take the survey in English or in Spanish. This survey is open through the end of the month.
ADDED FRIDAY: The phone option is working now – 877-586-1133.
Thanks to Susan for the tip. The crane at the Fauntleroy ferry dock is there for another phase of repairs after the damage done when the ferry Cathlamet crashed into a terminal structure called a “dolphin” one year ago. The July 28, 2022, crash was blamed by Washington State Ferries on “human error”; the captain retired immediately afterward and has never spoken publicly about it. The dolphin underwent temporary repairs but now the permanent work is being done. We asked WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling about it; his reply: “The work to do the permanent repair to the dolphin is expected to take several weeks to complete and includes setting new piling for last July’s damaged dolphin (between fabrication and fish windows, this couldn’t have happened sooner), and some other routine maintenance while at the terminal. American Construction is the contractor. The work is not expected to have a big effect on customers.” Damage to the boat and dock were estimated at nearly $8 million.
(Added: WSB photos)
12:01 PM: Thanks for the tip. The Fauntleroy ferry dock is full and the offloading/loading of M/V Kittitas is delayed because of a problem with the apron, according to what we’re told at the dock. Terminal workers tell us it’s being worked on. Updates to come.
12:05 PM: To be more specific, we’re told it’s a power problem with the apron. It’s just been announced at the dock that an electrician has arrived but they don’t have an ETA for how soon this will be fixed.
12:16 PM: The Kittitas has left Fauntleroy headed back to Vashon since there’s no ETA, and cars waiting at Fauntleroy are being allowed to turn around and leave the dock.
12:21 PM: WSF has finally officially issued a bulletin about this, saying only, “The Fauntleroy Terminal in west Seattle is out of service until further notice due to necessary maintenance.”
(Latest image from WSF camera at dock)
1:19 PM: The empty Kittitas has returned to wait at Fauntleroy. Meantime, WSF is detouring boats to downtown: “Seattle-bound traffic from Vashon or Southworth will be diverted to Pier 52 to off-load. But traffic bound for Vashon will not be loaded at Pier 52.”
2 PM: The Kittitas has left again, apparently to be put into service on the diverted runs that will head from Vashon/Southworth to downtown. No updates on repair progress.
2:40 PM: WSF says repairs were “successful” and the Fauntleroy dock is in service again:
Operations out of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal have resumed following successful repairs to the terminal bridge. Though the route will return to service, customers should anticipate longer than usual waits due to increased traffic. Boats are still attempting to move as much traffic and get back into position as quickly as possible …
Though it’s not mentioned in that update, Vessel Watch showed a third boat, M/V Issaquah, was summoned into service, at least temporarily.
2:53 PM: The King County Water Taxi is adding a run from downtown to Vashon at 3:30 pm to help with the backlog.
Thanks for the photos! For the first time in a long time, we’ve received reports of a West Seattle coyote sighting. Very early this morning, in Upper Fauntleroy, along 37th SW – the photo above is from William, and the one below is from Adam.
As we routinely reminded readers back when we received and published many such sightings (you can scroll through the archives here), this is not something to be alarmed about. Yes, coyotes eat smaller animals, sometimes even roaming cats, but more often, their diets have been found to include what you might consider nuisances/pests – like rodents. William, in fact, reported seeing the coyote after it “had just finished his unsuccessful pursuit of a squirrel.” Advice on how to coexist by keeping them at a distance is part of this state-produced Living With Wildlife guide.
Ongoing state planning for the ferry-terminal replacement project was a major topic at this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting.
From the recent Washington State Ferries online meeting for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth and Point Defiance-Tahlequah communities (WSB coverage here), FCA board members were concerned to hear WSF management mention the idea of a second slip was still in play. While it isn’t envisioned to be part of this project, WSF was clearly leaving the door open for a possible addition down the road.
FCA has also continued talking with 34th District state legislators (who represent both West Seattle and Vashon/Maury Islands, as well as other areas). They’re hoping to get insights on which way WSF is leaning, either toward a new terminal/dock with the same footprint, or one with expanded overwater space. They’re also talking with City Councilmember Lisa Herbold to see if the city could renew its 1997 resolution opposing dock expansion.
Speaking of which, they also discussed last week’s WSB/District 1 Community Network candidates’ forum for the race to succeed Herbold. FCA submitted the question we asked about whether the candidates supported expanding the dock’s overwater footprint. None of the eight candidates expressed opposition. So FCA president Mike Dey messaged them all to explain the FCA’s position and the dock’s history. At Tuesday’s meeting, Dey said Stephen Brown was the first to reply, saying he had changed his mind after reading Dey’s letter. He said Phil Tavel and Rob Saka also responded, asking for meetings with the FCA board or Fauntleroy residents to talk about it. But as of Tuesday night’s meeting, the other five hadn’t responded.
Also discussed – the upcoming FCA community survey. Their emphasis this year will be to gather more demographic information. Questions also will focus on public safety, pedestrian safety, and neighborhood density.
The Fauntleroy Community Association meets at 7 pm second Tuesdays at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) and online. Watch fauntleroy.net for more info between meetings.
When Washington State Ferries held an online community meeting this week for its southernmost routes (video above), it included bad news for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth – WSF now doesn’t expect to restore 3-boat service to the route before “early 2024.” (The previous official estimate was to have weekday 3-boat service back last month.)
Getting in the way are the same twin troubles they’ve been mentioning for months – personnel and vessel shortages. In the former, they still need more licensed deck officers most of all – the system currently has 170 and needs 200 – and there’s a long process to qualify; WSF says it’s doing OK on hiring entry-level crew members. Regarding vessels, one current example was given – M/V Cathlamet had to be pulled from the Triangle Route this week and replaced with the lower-capacity M/V Sealth because of a domino effect that started when the Bremerton route’s only boat, M/V Walla Walla, started having trouble again. (It’s the one that ran aground on south Bainbridge Island earlier this year.) It’s out for two weeks.
Also discussed briefly, the Fauntleroy dock/terminal replacement project. WSF’s David Sowers said they’re still working to develop a “preferred alternative”; in the meantime, you might notice some work around the dock next week – a boat will be working near and under the dock to map eelgrass and microalgae.
(WSB photo, Lincoln Park South Play Area shortly after July 2017 closure)
After years of delays – six years, in one case – construction is finally on the horizon for two West Seattle playground projects, Lincoln Park South and Westcrest Park. Bundled together, as Seattle Parks said last year would be done, they are now open for bidding. The previous play equipment at Lincoln Park South was closed in July 2017 because of safety concerns from termite damage; at the time, Parks said it might take until the following year (2018) to get it replaced. A community-engagement process in 2017-2018 settled on a marine theme for the replacement. But over the ensuing years, the timeline has just kept sliding, with no clear explanation.
(WSB photo, Westcrest Park play area shortly after May 2021 closure)
Meantime, the Westcrest Park play area was closed two years ago, with similar “deterioration” concerns cited. Parks first said it would be replaced as part of the work at Westcrest Off-Leash Area, but last year decided instead to bundle it with the Lincoln Park project. The bid documents aren’t yet available online, but the schedule says bidding opened yesterday and will continue for three weeks. Typically, the construction schedule isn’t set until a contractor is chosen, so we don’t know yet how soon the work will start, nor whether the two will be built simultaneously or sequentially. The city website says the Lincoln Park project is budgeted at $600,000, but doesn’t list a dollar amount for Westcrest; both projects will be funded by the Seattle Park District.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
Students from the Fauntleroy Children’s Center capped one of the biggest salmon-release seasons on Fauntleroy Creek since the first, in 1991.
Between April 27 and May 31, volunteers with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council hosted 730 students and some 235 adults for 17 releases in Fauntleroy Park. They brought 1,850 coho fry reared from eyed eggs through Salmon in the Schools-Seattle.
The total included 500 fry raised by volunteer Jack Lawless to ensure that, in the event of a school die-off, every student would have a fish to put in the water. His fish also enabled children from four additional preschools to have a release experience.
k(WSB photo – volunteer Dennis Hinton at left)
Elementary field trips to Fauntleroy Park included exploring nearby habitat and seeing some of the aquatic insects that comprise a large portion of a fry’s diet. Those that find enough food and protection in the creek will head to saltwater next spring as smolts.
(Photo by Tom Trulin)
From mid-March to late May, volunteers checked net traps in the upper and lower creek twice daily to document 41 smolts that had survived to leave for nearshore habitat in Fauntleroy Cove. Eleven of them came from the pond that formed during April’s partial blockage of the creek culvert under 45th Avenue SW.
“Finding so many downstream of the park confirmed that juveniles are making use of the entire system,” said veteran volunteer Dennis Hinton. “Those released at the big bridge in the park will linger there for a few weeks, so come have a look – but be sure to keep your dog out of the water.”
Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by Tom Trulin
Special to West Seattle Blog
Installation of a new rabbi usually doesn’t include a salmon release – but it just made sense for Kol HaNeshamah, West Seattle’s progressive synagogue.
On Sunday morning (5/21), an estimated 35 people, from infants to elders, rendezvoused with Fauntleroy Watershed Council volunteers and a bucket of coho fry to release in upper Fauntleroy Creek.
“As a sacred community, we’re called to affirm life – and salmon have been central to Pacific Northwest communal life since time immemorial,” said Shannon Ninburg, KHN board of trustees member, seasonal naturalist, and creek volunteer. “We were thrilled to be able to include it as we welcomed Rabbi Sabine Meyer into our communal life.”
(Volunteer Dennis Hinton hands a cup of fish to Rabbi Sabine Meyer to start the release
She is the fifth rabbi to serve Kol HaNeshamah since its founding in 2003. After more than a decade as an educator for congregations in the Southwest, she was most recently rabbi for Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, South Carolina.
By the last Fauntleroy Creek salmon release of the season on May 31, more than 900 students and adults will have stocked the upper creek with nearly 2,000 fry reared through the Salmon in the Schools program.
From Washington State Ferries:
Due to lack of crew, the final sailing for the #2 Cathlamet will be the 5:55 p.m. Fauntleroy to Vashon departure. The #1 Kittitas will remain on the #1 boat schedule for the remainder of the night.
If that changes, WSF will update here.
Toplines from last night’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting:
FERRY TERMINAL PROJECT: The FCA board’s liaison with Washington State Ferries, Frank Immel, had news. (corrected) A WSF community meeting is set for 6 pm June 7th. The plan to restore three-boat service on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run remains on hold because of vessel and staffing shortages. Immel also said fare increases are a possibility as legislators seek to have WSF cover more of its operating costs.
POLICE UPDATES: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Martin Rivera said the most dramatic trend is the one that’s been mentioned at many community meetings lately – auto theft is up dramatically. In the precinct’s jurisdiction (West Seattle and South Park), thefts are running 100 vehicles ahead of the total at this point last year; part of that, he attributed to the notorious “TikTok Challenge” that has spiked thefts of Hyundais and Kias.
FCA president Mike Dey reminded everyone that the Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meets at the precinct at 6 pm Thursday (tomorrow) and will include SPD’s Parking Enforcement Unit – with topics including RPZs, a special area of interest in Fauntleroy areas near the ferry dock. Capt. Rivera said Parking Enforcement, which is back in SPD after a turbulent time outside it, has a new leader.
COMMUNITY SURVEY: FCA will send one out this year, likely this fall. They decided not to send one out while the West Seattle Bridge was closed, feeling it likely would have been dominated by bridge-related issues that would soon be resolved.
FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER: Last month’s fundraiser at Endolyne Joe’s raised $2,700 for the festival – which is entirely powered by donations and volunteers. $1,500 was from restaurant proceeds on the fundraiser day/night, and $1,200 was from the gift-basket raffle. This year’s festival is scheduled for Sunday, October 15th.
NEXT MEETING: The FCA board meets at 7 pm second Tuesdays at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, with community members always welcome.
(WSB photo, April 22)
If you dropped off recyclables during Fauntleroy Church‘s spring Recycle Roundup on Earth Day, here’s the tally, reported today by Judy Pickens:
450 people took advantage of 1 Green Planet‘s free, responsible recycling. The day’s take of just over 14 tons of recyclables brings the total since these roundups began, in 2010, to more than 336 tons. The fall event will be on Saturday, September 23.
46 students from Roxhill Elementary were the first to visit Fauntleroy Creek as this year’s Salmon In The Schools releases begin.
Volunteer creek stewards help school students and staff release the fry they’ve been raising at school, a process that starts with volunteers delivering eggs from hatcheries. Over the next five weeks, 17 releases are planned at Fauntleroy Creek, one of Seattle’s few remaining salmon-bearing creeks.
The annual salmon life cycle continues in the creek with coho spawners’ return in fall – last year volunteers counted 254, one of the highest totals since creek restoration a quarter-century ago.
As one commenter noted following today’s event list, “two lines, no wait” at Fauntleroy Church‘s spring Recycle Roundup, a free dropoff event that continues until 3 pm. The list of what Recycle Roundup partner One Green Planet will take is long – more than 70 different kinds of items you might just have in a closet, basement, outside, but can’t donate or sell. Check the list here. Then just drive up, ride up, walk up, and drop it off.
P.S. If you missed this – Fauntleroy Church usually does it in the fall too, so watch for news of that!
Fans of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, you still have more than two hours to be part of a major fundraiser that helps keep the festival free for all. It’s happening at Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW) and you have two ways to support the festival there right now – until 9 pm you can buy tickets for the gift-basket raffle, and/or you can dine/drink before Joe’s closes at 10 pm, and part of the proceeds will go to the festival.
The gift baskets span a variety of interests, from cooking to gardening to sports and more.
(Video by Tom Trulin)
It’s a simple sight – water, flowing – and yet restoring that flow wasn’t simple at all. We’ve been updating you on work to unclog Fauntleroy Creek‘s 45th Avenue SW culvert, caught by creek stewards who called for city help after they saw “ponding” upstream, and now Seattle Public Utilities confirms its most-recent efforts last week succeeded. Crews removed “most of the blockage,” reports SPU, adding, “We are still monitoring the culvert and evaluating whether additional short-term work is needed to ensure the culvert’s operation.” We asked what they pulled out of the culvert to unclog it; SPU spokesperson Sabrina Register replied, “Debris – mud, leaves and branches, and possible slurry – created the blockage. SPU is looking into the debris’ contents and its origins.” The utility continues working on a long-term plan to replace the culvert, with construction expected to start in 2026. Fauntleroy Creek is one of the few remaining salmon-bearing creeks in Seattle; this year’s fry releases as part of the Salmon in the Schools program start toward the end of this month.
(WSB file photo)
Paintable pumpkins are part of what’s needed to put on the fun, free Fauntleroy Fall Festival every year. If you’ve ever been, you know the festival also offers live music, birdhouse-building, salmon-hat-making, a cakewalk, a chance to see raptors up close, a climbing wall for kids … and it’s all powered by donations and volunteers. One of the biggest donation events to raise festival funding is happening this week, Tuesday (April 18th), at Fauntleroy restaurant Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW). On Tuesday, go to Joe’s for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner – its hours will be 8 am-10 pm that day – and part of the proceeds will be donated to the festival. At dinnertime, you can buy tickets for the gift-basket raffle (5-9 pm), even if you’re not dining. Meantime, set your calendar – this year’s festival will happen on Sunday, October 15th.
We wanted to remind you that the net two Saturdays bring opportunities to clear out more clutter:
(WSB photo, September 2022)
RECYCLE ROUNDUP ON APRIL 22: Fauntleroy Church‘s twice-yearly dropoff event is next Saturday, 9 am-3 pm in the church parking lot at 9140 California SW [map]. Drive up, ride up, walk up and drop off anything you have that’s on the list of what they’re accepting; see it here. The church is partnering with 1 Green Planet again this year, as a free service (though donations to help them cover the cost are always welcome), and their main request is that you NOT wait until the last minute, so they don’t have to deal with a line at shutdown time. The previous Recycle Roundup in September brought out almost 500 people to recycle more than 16 tons!
SHREDDING AND FOOD DRIVE ON APRIL 29: Tax season is coming to a close, and you might have realized you have some documents you don’t need to keep any more. So two weeks from today, John L. Scott Real Estate – Westwood (WSB sponsor) is offering free shredding in the northwest parking lot at Westwood Village 2 pm-5 pm. If you can, bring nonperishable food (or a monetary donation) for the White Center Food Bank.
(Triangle Route ferry photographed from Lincoln Park by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Thanks to Tom for the tip via this comment. Washington State Ferries now says they don’t expect to restore three-boat service on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run before next month. That’s a change from what WSF said when they announced M/V Cathlamet was returning to service, and also from the Service Restoration Plan‘s projection of trial 3-boat service in early April. The problem, says WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling, remains staffing: “We’re still too short-handed to reliably go to three-boat service. However, we anticipate that by May, the staffing situation will have improved enough to allow us to trial full service, thankfully.”
Here are toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s April board meeting, held this past Tuesday night:
POLICE UPDATES: Lt. Mike Watson from the Southwest Precinct talked a bit about the shooting death of 20-year-old Ka-Don Brown on the Chief Sealth International High School campus this past Saturday. He said the victim is believed to have been shot where his body was found in the faculty parking area in the southwest corner of the campus, not where casings were found in 27th SW upslope. And he said the victim was a frequent visitor to programs at Southwest Teen Life Center across SW Thistle from the school. Lt. Watson also said Mr. Brown’s murder is part of a trend – violent crimes are up 50 percent over this time last year. Property crimes are down lately, but catalytic-converter thefts continue at a pace of at least 50 a month citywide. Last year’s total citywide was about 2,000. As for hotspots, he said they’re doing “emphasis” at Westwood Village three or four days a week, and shoplifting remains the major problem there.
FCA board members remain concerned about enforcement of Fauntleroy’s RPZ, since physical permits are being phased out and parking-enforcement officers will just need to electronically check plates. Lt. Watson said the new method isn’t fully deployed yet. Meantime, the PEO’s shifts end around 10 pm, raising questions about enforcement of early-morning RPZs like the one in Fauntleroy.
SPEAKING OF TRANSPORTATION: Still no followup from SDOT since the walking tour with director Greg Spotts four months ago, reported FCA vice president Catherine Bailey. She said she has emailed repeatedly and received no reply.
PREPAREDNESS: Cindi Barker and Chris Jaramillo talked about the Emergency Communication Hubs – volunteer-managed locations that would be set up if an earthquake or other disaster disrupted normal channels of communication. Jaramillo urged the FCA to help raise community awareness of the hubs, with updates in the FCA newsletter and more information on the FCA website. Barker noted that the Hubs table at the recent Food Fest annual membership meeting generated a lot of interest and discussion. FCA president Mike Dey said the group’s community survey this year will include the hubs as a topic and ask respondents what information they need. Meantime, Barker said the next drill for the hubs will be on June 11th and volunteers will set up in The Junction, at Hope Lutheran. The scenario this time will be a citywide power outage rather than an earthquake. (Whichever West Seattle neighborhood is yours, check this map to learn the location of your nearest hub.)
FERRIES: FCA’s point person for Washington State Ferries issues, Frank Immel, said there wasn’t much new to report. WSF is still working on a date for the next meeting of the Community Advisory Group for the Fauntleroy ferry dock rebuild. He also said the third boat is expected to return to the Triangle Route next week (now that Cathlamet is back in service) but the performance will be watched closely.
FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER: Next Tuesday, April 18th, is the big day at Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW) when part of the proceeds go to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, which is produced entirely with donations and volunteers. If you go to Joe’s after 5 pm, you can also participate in the raffle for gift baskets.
SPEAKING OF EVENTS: FCA’s egg hunt was a big hit – at least 300 people, and the change to a single venue (the schoolhouse) worked well … Last month’s Food Fest had a good turnout too, an estimated 150 prople.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets in person and online at 7 pm second Tuesdays most months – watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
(Photos of last week’s SPU work by Tom Trulin)
Seattle Public Utilities workers are expected to return tomorrow to 45th SW, where Fauntleroy Creek – one of our city’s few salmon-bearing streams – goes under the street in a culvert that’s currently clogged. Creek stewards have been keeping us up to date on efforts to unclog it, as the backup has led to ponding.
Here’s what SPU has to say about what’s going on:
Three weeks ago, when water started to pond upstream, SPU investigated and determined that the culvert was mostly blocked with debris. During this time, SPU has been assessing repair options and actively monitoring and evaluating the culvert and upstream conditions. As soon as (tomorrow), SPU will use a pump and bypass system to attempt to lower the water level upstream of the culvert to better assess conditions in the culvert. During this temporary work, you can expect periodic noise from the pumping equipment and slower traffic in the work area. This work would occur during daytime hours. SPU will continue to perform work at the culvert to eliminate the blockage and may change strategies depending on the culvert and weather conditions.
The culvert needs to be replaced – as we’ve previously reported – and SPU says it’s currently “in the process of developing a design,” but because “there are requirements from State and Federal agencies that must be met and reviewed during the culvert’s design process … the design will not be completed for several years, with construction anticipated to start in summer 2026.” You can see the preliminary design concept on the project website.
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