West Seattle, Washington
17 Monday
Three Washington State Ferries notes:
TONIGHT: On the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route, M/V Kitsap is sailing at a reduced capacity for the rest of the night, 300 people maximum, because of a crew shortage.
SUNDAY: The systemwide summer schedule takes effect tomorrow. For the Triangle Route, that means two things, WSF says:
Beginning with our summer schedule, we will operate an unscheduled third ferry weekdays on our Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route when crewing and a vessel are available.
This boat will sail around the other two scheduled vessels to help move more riders and keep the two-boat schedule on time.
(Also) an added roundtrip sailing between Vashon and Fauntleroy midday on Fridays.
MONDAY/TUESDAY: Another reminder that WSF’s systemwide updates/Q&A community meeting will be held in two online sessions, noon Monday and 6 pm Tuesday, with duplicate presentations. Registration to get the link for either (or both) is here.
Washington State Ferries says that “due to the lack of an Oiler,” it will take M/V Kitsap out of service after the 6:15 pm Fauntleroy to Vashon sailing. After that, all #2 sailings are canceled for the rest of the night; M/V Kittitas will remain in service. (You can use Vessel Watch to check its location while you’re waiting.)
No major topics at June’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting, held at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse and online on Tuesday night, but we do have a few toplines from monitoring via Zoom:
FAUNTLEROY FERRY DOCK PROJECT: FCA’s ferry-issues point person Frank Immel said the next Community Advisory Group meeting for the dock-replacement project isn’t expected any sooner than July – the traffic studies they’ve been waiting for aren’t ready yet. (WSF is having systemwide general-info meetings next week, though – info on those is here.) He met recently with Ferries’ new boss Steve Nevey; FCA president Mike Dey says he has a conversation scheduled next week with our area’s State Sen. Joe Nguyễn.
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER: Last month’s dine-out benefit at Endolyne Joe’s was deemed a success. The annual festival is entirely supported by donations and volunteers, so another dine-out benefit is under consideration, perhaps with Wildwood Market as well as Joe’s.
PLANTERS: FCA maintains the flower planters you might have noticed around the Endolyne mini-business district. They were recently replenished – with 19 volunteers, that took about an hour and a half.
WHAT’S NEXT: The FCA board meets most months on the second Tuesday at 6 pm. Watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
8:37 AM: Thanks for the tip. Washington State Ferries has only one boat running on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, because M/V Kitsap is having mechanical trouble. That leaves only M/V Kittitas in operation.
10:08 AM: If you’re waiting, you can check Vessel Watch to see how close (or far) the ferry is.
12:40 PM: Per text alert from WSF, the Kitsap is returning to service at 12:45, on a run from Vashon to Southworth.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
This afternoon, preschoolers from Holy Rosary School capped one of the busiest salmon-release seasons on Fauntleroy Creek since the first, in 1991.
Between April 28 and May 31, volunteers with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council hosted 720 students and 250 adults for 19 releases that introduced 2,000+ coho fry to the creek.
The total included about 400 fry reared by volunteer Jack Lawless to ensure that, even if a school lost a lot of fish, every student would have at least one to put in the water. His fish also enabled children from Holy Rosary, three other area preschools, and members of Scout Troop 284 to have a salmon-release experience.
During elementary-school releases, students explored habitat in Fauntleroy Park, and one group went on to Lincoln Park to hear the stewardship story behind Bruun Idun, the troll sculpture.
(Releases went on regardless of the weather – here, fish dipper Dennis Hinton assisted Highland Park Elementary 4th graders – photo by Tom Trulin)
“It was a very busy but rewarding season with quite a variety of enthused students,” said Dennis Hinton. Shannon Ninburg and Tom Trulin joined him in making up the release team, and six new watershed volunteers gave a hand.
Release fry and those from last fall’s spawning are now feeding primarily on aquatic-insect larva in the creek. Those that find enough food and protection will head to saltwater next spring as smolts (teenagers). From mid-March to mid-May this year, volunteers used net traps in the upper and lower creek to document 30 smolts en route to nearshore habitat in Fauntleroy Cove.
“Fry released at the big bridge in the park will linger there for a few weeks, so come have a look,” Dennis said. “Given the life cycle of these fish, the creek has salmon in it year round, so remember to help protect them by keeping dogs out of the water and leaving limbs where they are in the creek.”
(WSB photo)
Next up for the general public: the annual drumming in October to call in spawners and, if it’s successful, a weekend “open creek.”
Ben and Reed from the Fauntleroy Fall Festival are at Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW) right now as the restaurant’s special annual festival fundraiser continues. If you dine/drink, part of today’s tab will go to the donations-and-volunteers-powered festival, but that’s not the only way to help!
Whether or not you’re dining/drinking, you can buy raffle tickets – three for $5 – for a chance at a variety of donated goodie baskets – items up for grabs include games, puzzles, coffee, event tickets, gardening items, more!
The basket raffle is on through 9 pm; Joe’s is open until 10. And set your calendar for the next Fauntleroy Fall Festival – October 20! (Here’s our 2023 coverage, if you’ve never been and wonder what it’s like.)
(WSB photo: Pumpkin-decorating at 2023 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
Yes, spring/summer event season is just getting started, but one of fall’s biggest events will have a moment in the spotlight at a tasty fundraiser next Tuesday. It’s the annual Endolyne Joe’s dine-out day for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, a free-admission event that runs entirely on donations and volunteers. If you come to the restaurant (9261 45th SW in the heart of Fauntleroy’s mini-business district) on Tuesday, May 21 (it’s open 8 am-10 pm), you’ll be part of it. Here’s the announcement from festival organizers:
Join us @ Endolyne Joe’s on Tuesday, May 21st, for a full day of fundraising! A portion of the daily sales from Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be donated directly to our beloved Fall Festival. Dinner time (4-9 pm) @ Joe’s will have the famous raffle ticket sales for amazing gift baskets donated by our local community.
If you haven’t been to the Fall Festival before – check out our coverage from last year.
(WSB photo, April 27)
Twice a year, Fauntleroy Church offers the community the opportunity for free drop-off recycling of many items you can’t put out for curbside pickup. Judy Pickens shares the tally from the recent spring edition:
At least 475 people took advantage of 1 Green Planet‘s free, responsible recycling at Fauntleroy Church on April 27. The day’s take of 15.518 tons of recyclables brought the total since these Recycle Roundups began, in 2010, to just over 353 tons. The fall roundup will be on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The participation fluctuates a bit year to year – weather can be a factor, too – but for comparison, this is up a bit from last year’s spring totals.
Field trip to Fauntleroy Creek this morning for fifth-graders from Arbor Heights Elementary, the first of this year’s Salmon in the Schools participants to release the fry they’ve been raising in tanks.
It’s been four months since volunteers Judy Pickens and Phil Sweetland coordinated getting salmon eggs from hatchery to teachers so that students could start fry-raising. Over the next month, Fauntleroy Watershed Council volunteers will team with teachers and students for 19 release visits.
Above is volunteer Dennis Hinton, one of those who helped with this morning’s Arbor Heights visit. These sunglasses factored into the event too, but not for the usual reason:
Polarized glasses helped the students see the baby fish in the water after they’re released. They’re part of a growing tradition – last year almost 1,000 people participated in the releases, the most since the first one in 1991. As for the fish, those that survive a year in the creek will head out for salt water next spring.
Story by Tracy Record
Photos/video by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
The West Seattle Food Bank is providing food to 30 percent more people than it did a year ago.
If that sounds like a big increase, consider this: The need for another WSFB service, emergency financial assistance, has gone up 300 percent.
All that is part of why every dollar given at the WSFB’s “Instruments of Change“ dinner/auction mattered so much. The crowd gathered Saturday night at The Hall at Fauntleroy heard about the people behind those numbers – an average of 500 families served every day that the Food Bank’s 35th/Morgan HQ is open for distribution, home deliveries to 400 more families every week, more than 400 students getting “backpacks” of food to take home for the weekend, when there’s no school meals to stave off hunger. And the WSFB operates the Clothesline clothing bank, too, whose clientele has doubled.
To help pay for all those services for another year, hundreds of supporters not only bought tickets to the dinner, but also had the opportunity to give more in multiple ways at the event, such as the traditional “dessert dash”:
There was also bidding on auction items – the silent auction included this bicycle:
The live-auction options included a West Seattle “staycation” that went for $400 and an annual favorite, the taco-and-margarita party with WSFB executive director Fran Yeatts and former operations manager Lester Yuh (auctioneer Matthew DiLoreto awarded two, at $2,600 each)
Before the bidding, Yeatts took the microphone to speak about the WSFB’s “explosive growth” as well as a big upcoming staff change and a highlight of the night – the annual Instrument of Change Award, presented this year to C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) proprietors Pete and Cameron Moores.
As Yeatts explained, C & P supports the food bank in myriad ways – from regular musical fundraisers tp Pete’s weekly volunteer delivery-driver shift!
Also speaking was the new WSFB board president, Joe Everett, who you might know as the longtime City Attorney’s Office liaison at the Southwest Precinct. He spoke about how his public-service career has shown him so much of what happens “when our social safety net fails” but he’s heartened at the support for the work WSFB does “to stop those things before they happen”:
A video produced by Straight 8 Films was shown later, introducing gala-goers to WSFB clients and volunteers, with the observation “None of us ever expect to be in need … but it happens … and when it does, you can expect the West Seattle Food Bank to be here.”
Earlier in the program, there were shoutouts for some of the elected officials past and present who were in attendance. We photographed them, and a few others, during the “happy hour” that opened the event. First, from left, State Rep. Emily Alvarado, State Senator Joe Nguyen, and Deputy King County Executive Shannon Braddock:
Below, former State Rep. Eileen Cody and former King County Councilmember Joe McDermott:
Below, WSFB’s outgoing development director Breanna Bushaw (thanked by Yeatts in her speech) and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce executive director Rachel Porter:
And incoming WSFB Development Director Robbin Peterson with executive director Yeatts:
If you couldn’t get to the event, you can help WSFB in multiple ways every day of the year – here’s how.
(WSB was a community co-sponsor of this year’s Instruments of Change.)
(WSB photos)
Big demand for free dropoff recycling of what you can’t put out at the curb! The spring Recycle Roundup is happening in the Fauntleroy Church lot (9140 California SW) until 3 pm, and organizers tell us the drive-up line was more than a block long before it began. This one catches up quickly, and DTG Recycle – new parent company of longtime partner 1 Green Planet – has multiple trucks on site.
Here is the list of what they will and won’t take this time. You have until 3 pm to get there, but organizers remind you, please don’t wait until the last minute, so they can close on time without people still waiting. If you can’t get to today’s event, the church usually does it again in fall; also, Seattle Public Utilities‘ “Where Does It Go?” page can help with recycling/disposal options.
Here’s a reminder about three events this weekend that can help with your spring cleaning in a variety of ways:
FREE RECYCLING SATURDAY: That’s the list from Fauntleroy Church for its twice-yearly Recycle Roundup, happening 9 am-3 pm Saturday (April 27) in the church lot. (You can also see it here in PDF.) Just drive up or ride/walk up and Recycle Roundup partner DTG Recycle/1 Green Planet will take your item(s). The lot is at 9140 California SW.
DRUG TAKE-BACK WITH SHREDDING SATURDAY: Also on Saturday, the twice-yearly Drug Take-Back Day dropoff event is happening outside the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), 10 am-2 pm, and this year SPD is offering free shredding, too (up to three boxes) – bring nonperishable food for the West Seattle Food Bank.
FREE SHREDDING AND FOOD DRIVE SUNDAY: On Sunday (April 28), 9 am-noon, you can shred with John L. Scott Real Estate Westwood (WSB sponsor), which will be accepting food/money donations for the White Center Food Bank. Look for the canopy and truck in the northwest lot at Westwood Village (west of the former Bed Bath and Beyond, north of the future Daiso).
(WSB file photo, Fauntleroy WSF terminal)
We’ve been reporting for three years on planning for Washington State Ferries‘ upcoming replacement of the Fauntleroy dock/terminal, but with construction not planned until late in the decade, it’s still in a relatively early stage – multiple alternatives are under consideration, all bigger than the current dock, by varying degrees. WSF is offering you the chance to catch up via an “online open house” that just launched, as well as two online meetings in early May. The “open house” includes this review of the dock-design alternatives currently under consideration. You can visit any time for the next month. You’re also invited to an online meeting – two options for attending what’s promised to be the same meeting – 6 pm Tuesday, May 7 (register here), or noon Wednesday, May 8 (register here).
Meantime, the planning process we’ve been covering continues with the next Community Advisory Group meeting, online at 6 pm Wednesday, May 15 (here’s our report on their most-recent meeting, in March). The public is welcome to observe those meetings (register here).
One week until Fauntleroy Church‘s twice-yearly Recycle Roundup! Here’s another look at the list of what you can drop off, for free (and what NOT to bring):
It’s happening 9 am-3 pm next Saturday, April 27, in the church lot. at 9140 California SW. Drive up or ride/walk up with your item(s) and the church’s Recycle Roundup partner 1 Green Planet will handle it. Generally traffic flows fairly well across the six hours, but they axk that you NOT wait until the last minute. (You can also see the list here in PDF.)
We’ve been reporting on the expanded hours at the Fauntleroy YMCA (9140 California SW; WSB sponsor), responding to community requests voiced after the branch’s future was called into question at the start of the year. Those new hours are official as of this week: 9 am to noon and 4 pm to 7 pm Mondays through Thursdays. And as of this week, classes have relaunched – starting with circuit at 9:30 am Mondays and Wednesdays, yoga at 9:30 am Tuesdays and 10:30 am Thursdays, and Zumba at 10:30 am Wednesdays (see the full Fauntleroy schedule here). To welcome more people in to enjoy the classes and facility, the Y is offering new memberships for the next two weeks with no joining fee – go here to sign up, and use the code WSJOIN2024. The no-fee offer continues through April 30.
9:06 PM: Thanks for the tips. Police are at the Fauntleroy ferry dock, and Washington State Ferries says M/V Cathlamet‘s 8:50 pm departure is delayed because of “law-enforcement activity.” We’re heading to the dock to find out more.
(WSB photos)
9:20 PM: Police at the dock tell us it’s a “person in crisis” situation; they are dealing with an agitated person who was threatening to jump off the dock. SFD and other emergency personnel were called to get him help; he’s going to be transported to Harborview Medical Center via ambulance.
9:24 PM: Our crew at the dock says they’ve just announced over the PA system that service will be resuming (the other boat on the run, M/V Kittitas, has been waiting just off Fauntleroy).
9:31 PM: To catch up, WSF has said via text alert, Cathlamet will take Southworth-destined vehicles and people only, while Kittitas will load only for Vashon.
A discussion of the Fauntleroy ferry-dock replacement project was among the toplines at this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting, this past Tuesday night. FCA’s ferry-issues point person Frank Immel said Washington State Ferries has set the next Community Advisory Group meeting for May 15 (you can register for the link via the WSF website), and they’re expecting to hear long-awaited information about how using Good To Go! might affect traffic at the new dock. FCA members voiced concerns including how the proposed traffic light at the dock intersection might affect traffic controls further uphill. They also want WSF to provide newer, more specific data on where inbound ferry users are going after they leave the boats at Fauntleroy. It also was noted that WSF has a new leader – Steve Nevey succeeded Patty Rubstello last month.
The group also discussed the recent egg hunt FCA presented at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse – about 80 kids and 60 families participated. The hunt coordinated by Candace Blue said it was a big success and feedback included positive comments on the eggs being stuffed with non-vandy items.
The board meets most months on the second Tuesday, now at 6 pm, so next meeting will be May 14th; watch fauntleroy.net for updates in the meantime.
(Photo by Thomas Bach)
Here’s the list for today, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE: Need college money? Today’s the last day to apply for two scholarships offered by the Rotary Club of West Seattle. Get the details here.
EXPANDED FAUNTLEROY YMCA HOURS: Starting today, the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) is soft-opening its newly expanded hours – 9 am to noon and 4 pm to 7 pm.
TONY’S MARKET OPENS: Today is the day the new owners of Tony’s Market (35th/Roxbury) were expecting to open for the season, 10 am-6 pm.
BABY STORY TIME: Bring wee ones up to 2 years old to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), noon-12:30 pm, for story time!
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm at City Hall, the weekly meeting in which councilmembers talk about their plans for the week ahead. Here’s the agenda. Watch live via Seattle Channel.
GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, Monday brings “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three places to play tonight – 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander); 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASEBALL: One home game on the schedule – West Seattle HS hosts Roosevelt, 7 pm, Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: All welcome to join free weekly Zen sitting/meditation at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
MEDITATION ON ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community welcomes you to Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) for meditation. 7 pm.
MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
KARAOKE: 9 pm is the start time for Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
The West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) is taking the first step toward expanding its hours, a key community request in the past few months’ discussion of the location’s future. Here’s the flyer in circulation today:
(Reader photo)
West Seattle/Fauntleroy Y branch executive Cleveland King tells WSB that the April 1 change will be a “soft open,” giving members the chance to adjust their schedules to new hours (50 percent more than the hours Fauntleroy’s been open in recent years). He says they’ll also be announcing new programs when the expanded hours are finalized in mid-April. And he says community members can help by showing support: “As we continue to grow, we will need the community to re-engage with our Fauntleroy YMCA.”
When we saw West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) branch executive Cleveland King at last week’s Fauntleroy Community Association annual membership meeting, he told us they’re getting close to a plan for expanding hours at the Fauntleroy Y – a request by many members after news first broke of the location’s possible closure. But as Y leaders said at the January “town hall,” they need community help to ensure its future. Tomorrow is your next chance to pitch in:
A reader just sent that photo of a flyer with the updated times for tomorrow’s gathering of everyone who can help, even if you didn’t get to the lightly attended first meeting. The committees were originally announced as focusing on fundraising, planning, and volunteering.
Big fun this afternoon on the playground behind Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, where egg-hunt season began with one presented by the Fauntleroy Community Association. First volunteers – led by coordinator Candace Blue – hid eggs:
Then it was time to let the kids 4 and under have the first chance to find some:
FCA also presents a pumpkin search in the fall – at a somewhat more leisurely pace.
West Seattle has more than half a dozen other egg hunts yet to come next weekend – here’s our updated list.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The latest meeting of the Fauntleroy ferry-dock replacement project‘s Community Advisory Group was as notable for what members didn’t get as for what they did get.
First, they were expecting to get long-awaited research information at Wednesday’s meeting on promised studies of how dock traffic might be affected by changes such as using the Good To Go! electronic payment system. That information, as Fauntleroy resident Frank Immel said, is what “we all have been waiting for.” Some have long contended that the more efficient fare-paying can be made, the less space the new dock will need. WSF promised at last month’s meeting (as we reported) that the information would be available at this meeting, but said Wednesday it wasn’t ready after all.
Second, some members complained that they didn’t get the time they needed to review a 64-page environmental-analysis report that Washington State Ferries had sent to them the day before the meeting. (See that report here.)
Otherwise, there was one major headline from the meeting:
6:14 PM: If you live/work in Fauntleroy, this event is for you: The Fauntleroy Community Association‘s annual membership meeting, best known as the Food Fest, is happening until ~8 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). Local food/beverage businesses are here with food samples and local nonprofits/organizations are here with information. Updates to come!
6:22 PM: We’ve taken a quick spin around the room. Food and drink samples are courtesy of local businesses including Wildwood Market, the newly opened bel gatto, The Unsweetened Tooth, Village Green West Seattle, and Nola’s Events. Nonprofits and other organizations you’ll see include not only the FCA itself, which is selling brand-new Fauntleroy sweatshirts ($50):
… but also West Seattle Bike Connections, The Whale Trail, Morgan Community Association, Seattle Public Utilities with information about the Fauntleroy Creek culverts project, and Seattle Police (the mobile precinct is parked out on California SW for an “open house”).
6:40 PM: Also here – the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor), Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, Seal Sitters, and sharing a table on the south side of the room with MoCA, the West Seattle wing of the Emergency Communication Hubs Network, with a practical quick thing you can learn regarding preparedness:
Those props are there so you can learn how to deal with utilities in case of disaster – for your gas meter, how to turn it off, and for your water heater, how to access that water if service is otherwise interrupted. …Meantime, back on the Food Fest side of the event, The Birdhouse is here too, and of course so is Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering, which operates The Hall at Fauntleroy. Coming up at 7 pm-ish, the festivities stop down briefly for the annual FCA officer election. (P.S. Stop by the FCA table to find out more about the 1 pm Sunday, March 24, egg hunt that the organization is presenting!)
8:16 PM: The board was reelected by unanimous voice vote of those gathered; FCA vice president Catherine Bailey led the short business meeting from the stage, in president Mike Dey‘s absence.
(With a few other board members out of town right now, we’ll get the annual group photo at the next board meeting.) She noted a few more big dates on this year’s Fauntleroy calendar – May 21 is the annual Endolyne Joe’s fundraiser for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. The donations-and-volunteers-powered festival, which also had a presence at tonight’s event, is happening on Sunday, October 20, this year.
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