West Seattle, Washington
09 Thursday
Lots of updates from Lake Washington Physical Therapy – West Seattle (WSB sponsor, now with two locations):
Lake Washington Physical Therapy is excited to share some updates and events happening this fall and winter as we continue to expand services and grow to serve the West Seattle community!
Alpine Training Project Starts October 15th – Space is limited
(Reminder – it’ll be snow season soon!)
Are you ready for ski season? Sign up for the Alpine Training Project hosted at West Seattle Lake Washington Physical Therapy. Classes will cover a progressive multi-modal approach to training and injury prevention for skiers and snowboarders. In-person classes are for 6 weeks every Wednesday, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, beginning October 15th, 2025. Cost is $230/person which includes 6 in-person classes, and 6 months of access to online workouts.
Classes at LWPT–West Seattle will be led by our ski and snowboard expert, Amanda Ford, PT DPT FDNS. Only 12 spots available! If the class is full, please use the email in the link to add your name to the waitlist. Another class may be added based on demand. Here’s the signup link.
Musculoskeletal Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging–October 20th
On October 20, 2025, we’re hosting a special day of Real-Time Musculoskeletal US Imaging with Expert Insight at our West Seattle clinic.
Led by Greg Fritz, PT DPT RMSK, a nationally recognized expert with over 25 years of experience, and Maxwell Ngo, PT DPT. Each 30-minute session includes real-time imaging and results, a written/digital report, and communication with your medical provider. Cost: $200 (HSA/FSA eligible).
Points of Interest Include: tendon pain, rotator cuff tears and shoulder pain, bursitis of the shoulder/elbow/hip, golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand/wrist injuries, plantar fasciitis, muscle strains/tears
Spots are limited – email MaxwellNgo@lakewashingtonpt.com (If October 20 doesn’t work, later in the year, Maxwell Ngo, PT DPT will be offering this service on a daily basis at our Alki clinic.)Now TWO locations to serve you – Alki and Fauntleroy!
In addition to our Alki clinic, did you know that we have added a second clinic location in West Seattle to better serve our community? The LWPT Fauntleroy clinic is located inside The Kenney, supporting the West Seattle neighborhood and the residents living in this beautiful retirement community. Alison Read, PT DPT CEEAA Cert-MOA FSOAE, brings a strong background in outpatient orthopedics and diverse clinical experiences, specializing in treating older adults by passionately empowering this population to maintain strength and independence. Click HERE to watch a video and learn more about Alison! We offer 1:1 care and 55-minute appointments at our Fauntleroy clinic. Medicare and most insurances accepted. Book an appointment by calling us at 206-906-9207.
New Specialized Services
We are proud to introduce new specialized treatments at our clinics, including:
Dry Needling with Amanda Ford, PT DPT FDNS to improve functionality and relieve pain and tension.
Professional Bike Fitting with Erin Heald, PT DPT, ensuring optimal cycling performance.
Running Evaluations using Runeasi Technology and Video Running AnalysisEarly Morning and Weekend Appointments
To better serve the West Seattle community, we have expanded our hours and added two new clinicians at our Alki location. Need an early morning or weekend appointment? We’ve got you covered! Join us in welcoming Jordan Samford, PT DPT MS and Olivia Dominguez, PT DPT to our Alki team!
The main LWPTWS clinic is at 1309 Harbor Avenue SW; the Fauntleroy clinic is at 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW.
As previewed here, an informal walk was scheduled in West Seattle again this year on the same day as the big citywide Walk to End Alzheimer’s. It happened this morning; we just got this report, from Connie:
The West Seattle Alzheimer’s Support Group rallied to the cause Saturday for the annual Walk To End Alzheimer’s. Upward of three dozen, men, women, children, and dogs from West Seattle walked a stretch of 35th Ave SW near the water tower, to coincide with the larger event at Seattle Center.
The annual walk is part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the many forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, and to provide support for families living with disease – through resources, advocacy, and research to find a cure. The West Seattle walk was organized by support group facilitator Martha Smith.
If you’re interested in the group, here’s more info.
Next Saturday, the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association starts a series of eight flu and COVID vaccination clinics at three West Seattle schools, all on weekends, and they’re open to all community members. SVNA says:
These clinics are open to the public, but appointments are required.
Patients will be able to get a flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, or both in the same appointment. We can vaccinate kids 4 and up for flu and 5 and up for COVID-19. All patients can receive COVID-19 vaccines this season due to a Washington State Department of Health order.
We will be using the updated Moderna products for 2025. Each patient needs their own registration, in their name, with their information. If anyone has questions, they can email us at info@seattlevna.com.
REGISTRATION LINK: schedule.seattlevna.com/home/9d20cac8-d510-ec11-b6e6-000d3a57ec4c
If you have trouble reading the grid above, the clinics also are listed by location, date, and time on this Seattle Public Schools webpage, which also notes, “SVNA clinics require insurance (most insurance accepted) or payment.”
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.
If you can donate blood, here’s a special chance to do it in West Seattle! We checked and as of this morning, spaces remain in this one-day drive announced just before the weekend:
SMASH Seattle & Music’s In Our Blood are coming together to honor Susie Tennant (RIP), a beloved member of the Seattle music community, with a blood drive on Sunday, October 5, from 9 am-3 pm in the West Seattle Junction.
We’re joining forces with our friends at Easy Street Records, Sub Pop Records, Top Pot Doughnuts, Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, the West Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Market, the West Seattle Junction and the Tennant/Swenson Family to celebrate her legacy and save lives.
Our collective goal is to sign up 48 West Seattleites to donate blood, enjoy free swag, eat sweet treats, and be part of this special tribute.
Blood donors must sign up ahead of time at this link: donate.bloodworksnw.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/98124
Each blood donor will receive:
(1) Limited-edition West Seattle Hard Core Susie Tennant t-shirt, donated by Sub Pop
(1) Limited-edition Musics In Our Blood t-shirt
(1) Scoop of Molly Moon’s Ice Cream
(1) Top Pot Doughnut or Coffee
(1) Easy Street Records stickerBlood Drive facts & inspo
-It takes 1,000 blood donors every day to maintain blood inventory at our local hospitals.
-Only 62% of the population is eligible to donate blood – for a variety of reasons – and of those, only 3% donate blood.
-It takes 1 hour to donate 1 pint of blood that could save 1-3 lives. (15 minutes to give blood, and 45 minutes for paperwork and prep).
-Every 2 seconds someone in our country needs a blood transfusion.
-You can donate blood every 56 days.
-When you donate blood, you’ll also find out your blood type, which is good to know in case you need blood in an emergency.
Susie’s been gone since early last year. If you didn’t know her, this remembrance talks about her life.
10:11 PM: Thanks to Dave Taylor for the photo of tonight’s smoke-orange moon over Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, where the Chief Sealth IHS Seahawks won their season opener over Hockinson, 33-6. (We had a reporter and photographer there and will have their story later!) The game started early because of the air quality, or lack of it, and we also learned West Seattle HS‘s scheduled season opener tomorrow in Yakima is off entirely because of the smoke. Meantime, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued an Air Quality Alert for our area, through at least noon tomorrow. If you check the live map linked from the agency’s website, you’ll see areas of northeast Seattle, and the Eastside, are worse off. Fires in the Cascades are getting the blame as much as the big one in the Olympics. The alert says, “Everyone, especially sensitive groups, should limit time spent spent outdoors, avoid strenuous activities outdoors, and choose light indoor activities.”
ADDED 11:08 AM SATURDAY: Good news for air quality – it’s raining.
(WSB photo, The Mount concert, August 1)
This year’s Summer Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor) will go into the books as just one concert. For the third consecutive week, The Mount has sent word they have to cancel:
Due to recent COVID-19 cases and recommended health precautions, the Summer Concert originally scheduled for August 22 at Providence Mount St. Vincent has been canceled. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to prioritize the safety and well-being of our residents and community.
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back to the concerts next year!
The one concert that did happen was back on August 1, when Danny Vernon presented The Illusion of Elvis (WSB coverage here). The canceled concerts were to feature a Frank Sinatra tribute, a country group, and a big band.
(Reader photo via text)
6:56 PM: If the 90-degree temperature isn’t enough, how about a helping of wildfire smoke too? Several people have pinged us to point out it’s getting smokier, and some have sent photos (even without them, we can tell now that the sunlight is filtered through that unmistakable haze. Checking the National Weather Service‘s most-recent “forecast discussion,” this was anticipated: “… With the switch of wind direction, expect that some haze and smoke from a large fire burning on Vancouver Island may begin to move eastward across the local area. This may be most prominent across the northern portion of the area (the San Juan Islands east into the North Cascades), but another source will be the Bear Gulch fires.” The latter have been burning for weeks on the Olympic Peninsula.
(Photo sent by Melanie from North Admiral)
Keep an eye on your favorite air-quality map; the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency map isn’t detecting it yet but does have this advice about dealing with wildfire smoke.
8:44 PM: It was a shocking-pink sunset. Thanks to those who’ve sent photos – Kay Kendall with the color above, Aaron Brethorst and Curry Gibson with the aftermath below.
What would have been the second of four outdoor concerts at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor) this Friday night is canceled. Here’s the announcement:
Due to recent COVID-19 cases and recommended health precautions, the Summer Concert originally scheduled for August 8 at Providence Mount St. Vincent has been canceled. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to prioritize the safety and well-being of our residents and community.
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back on August 15 for an evening of folk, bluegrass, and country music from the 1950s to 1980s, featuring Salt Luck.
The performer who had been scheduled this Friday was Frank Sinatra tribute singer Joey Jewell. We asked a Mount spokesperson if anyone in attendance last Friday, when Elvis Presley tribute singer Danny Vernon performed, had reason for concern; they said no: “We don’t believe our outdoor venue offered any increased risk of exposure as any other public event or activity in the community.”
Not to say the proprietor of Harold’s Fitness is going to ignore his advice and quit working out – but Harold Calkins is closing the West Seattle business through which he’s continued to coach others well into his 80s. Longtime member Petra just sent word that the gym at 5908 California SW will be the scene of a community celebration tomorrow (Saturday, July 26) at 2 pm. Harold “has retired and the gym will be shutting down this weekend,” she explains. The party is open to “anyone who is part of that community to come pay respects to Harold Caulkins, visit old friends, and say goodbye to this West Seattle institution.” It’s a potluck, so if you’re going, bring something to share. Harold has been in the fitness business for 65 years!
Earlier this week, Public Health – Seattle & King County announced that paralytic shellfish poison had been detected on Vashon Island shores. Now it’s expanded further north to West Seattle beaches, so the department sent this warning:
Paralytic shellfish poison has been detected at unsafe levels from Alki Beach south to Dash Point State Park, as well as along all of the beaches on the eastern shores of Vashon-Maury Island, including Quartermaster Harbor. As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed these areas to recreational shellfish harvesting. People should always check the DOH shellfish safety website before harvesting shellfish.
Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) has been detected at unsafe levels from the north point of Alki Beach in Seattle south to Dash Point State Park in Federal Way, as well as along all of the beaches on the eastern shores of Vashon-Maury Island, including Quartermaster Harbor.
As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed these shores to recreational shellfish harvesting. For beaches in these affected areas that are already closed year-round to shellfish harvesting, this notice serves as an added health warning. This closure is an expansion of the PSP recreational shellfish harvesting restriction announced on July 23, which included Quartermaster Harbor only. People should always check the DOH shellfish safety website before harvesting shellfish.
Working with partners, Public Health – Seattle & King County is posting advisory signs at beaches warning people to not collect shellfish. This announcement applies only to recreational shellfish. Commercial shellfish harvesting sites are monitored and regulated separately. Commercial shellfish harvesters should check the advisory status on DOH’s Commercial Shellfish Map Viewer.
Species of shellfish affected
The closure includes all species of shellfish including clams, geoduck, scallops, mussels, oysters, snails and other invertebrates; the closure does not include crab or shrimp. Crabmeat is not known to contain the PSP toxin, but the guts can contain unsafe levels. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (“butter”).
What’s the risk?
Anyone who eats PSP-contaminated shellfish is at risk for illness and death. PSP poisoning is caused by eating shellfish containing this potent neurotoxin. A naturally occurring marine organism produces the toxin. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
A person cannot determine if PSP toxin is present by visual inspection of the water or shellfish. For this reason, the term “red tide” is misleading and inaccurate. PSP can only be detected by laboratory testing.
Symptoms of PSP
Symptoms of PSP usually begin 30-60 minutes after eating the contaminated shellfish but may take several hours. Symptoms are generally mild, and begin with numbness or tingling of the face, arms, and legs. This is followed by headache, dizziness, nausea, and loss of muscle coordination. Sometimes a floating sensation occurs. In cases of severe poisoning, muscle paralysis and respiratory failure occur, and in these cases, death may occur in 2 to 25 hours.
If symptoms are mild, call your health care provider or Washington Poison Center (800-222-1222), and Public Health (206-296-4774). If symptoms are severe, call 911 or have someone take you to the emergency room immediately.
Always check before harvesting shellfish
Recreational shellfish harvesting can be closed at any time for multiple reasons, including rising levels of PSP or pollution. Therefore, harvesters are advised to call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 800-562-5632 or visit DOH’s shellfish safety website before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Puget Sound.
Last weekend, we reported on The Row House‘s announcement it would close its West Seattle Junction location (4203 SW Oregon). The announcement mentioned another business taking the space in early August. We’ve been working since then to find out more about that; now we’ve received an announcement directly from the prospective tenant, NW Fitness Project, sent on behalf of co-founders Kyle Davis and Matt Holland:
After eight years of building community-centered fitness in Fremont, we’re excited to share that we’re in early discussions about bringing our personal and small group training philosophy to a second location in West Seattle. For those not familiar, we believe fitness should adapt to your life, not the other way around and want to help you train smarter and get stronger.
While nothing is finalized yet and lease negotiations are still ongoing, we’re thrilled about the possibility of serving the West Seattle community with the same sustainable, personalized training that has defined NW Fitness Project since 2017 at our flagship studio in Fremont.
We understand that West Seattle Row House members may be searching for a new fitness home, and should our expansion move forward (fingers crossed!), we’d love to assure that the community would be in very capable hands. Whether through our small (10 people max) group classes or one-on-one personal training, we focus on meeting each person exactly where they are while building relationships both in Fremont, and hopefully, in our new home in West Seattle.
We’re committed to taking the right steps at the right pace – growth that’s sustainable for our team, our values, and most importantly, for the community of clients we serve.
They promise updates at nwfitnessproject.com/westseattle and also are offering, if you’re interested, a free class at their current location in Fremont.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Before Mallory Carlson, a young mom of three, talked with us about the reason for our phone interview, she wanted to tell us about her love for West Seattle.
She moved here the first time at age 14, to live with an aunt and uncle. She attended Chief Sealth International High School.
The second time she moved here was the first time with her husband and their first child, a son who’s now 4 years old. They had to leave because her husband’s job search led them to California. “We’ll be back,” they promised each other. And this spring, they managed to return to what Mallory calls an “incredible community,” home to many members of her family.
It seemed like the first step into a warm, bright future. They had expanded their family with identical twin girls half a year ago.
And then, just weeks after their return to West Seattle … “this happened.”
That word, “this,” encompasses so much heartache … but also hope. Sisters Josie and Lucy were diagnosed with an aggressive type of leukemia that Mallory says affects only 100 babies a year – ALL. The girls are now two weeks into an experimental chemotherapy treatment that they will have to endure for nine months. And that’s if they’re lucky. That’s inpatient chemotherapy at the start of a two-year treatment plan, their mom explains.
“The girls are stable – but not doing well,” Mallory told us when we talked Tuesday afteroon. “At least, they’re not in danger of dying today. … For every day, we’re grateful, but this is truly terrifying.”
Mallory is a self-employed wedding photographer. She can’t work now for multiple reasons – not just the need to stay at Seattle Children’s Hospital with Josie and Lucy, but also because she has to limit her exposure to other people, for fear she’ll catch something and spread it to them. “If they catch a cold, it could kill them, so I’m trying to be incredibly careful.” Her husband has just started his new job and hasn’t accumulated paid time off, so he has to keep working so that they can cover mounting medical bills and keep the “fixer-upper” West Seattle house they’d bought before “this.”
So they are crowdfunding, painful in its own way for someone who says she’s never had to ask for help before, “but I have to put my pride away.” In addition to raising money, Mallory is also trying to raise awareness and end the stigma that invariably arises with the word “cancer.” If people don’t want to help her family, she says, maybe Lucy and Josie will inspire them to donate to a foundation researching childhood cancer.
Research has suddenly become a large part of the family’s life. The girls are part of a clinical trial right now – a trial that hadn’t begun when they were diagnosed, but, Mallory explains, was opened seven months early to admit them. It is a trial that expands the chemotherapy currently used to treat ALL.
How did they both get it? Because they shared a placenta, one spread it to the other, Mallory explains. Josie was the first diagnosed, and the double diagnosis drew researchers’ attention quickly, enabling them to get into the aforementioned trial. “It could save them, at least keep them in and no matter what happens to them, it could change medical history … (but) even if it doesn’t save them, I want to bring awareness to this awful, awful rare disease.”
Their care is estimated to cost $1 million per twin – per year. “We are doing everything we can, but this fight is bigger than us alone,” Mallory says. And bigger than two very little girls living in a hospital right now.
Here’s the crowdfunding/updates site set up by friends and family.
(Google Maps Street View image)
Thanks for the tip. Via email, the West Seattle branch of Row House (4203 SW Oregon) announced today that it’s closing in four weeks:
It is with sincere gratitude and heavy hearts we share the news that Row House West Seattle will be closing its doors permanently. Our final day of classes will be Sunday, July 27th. Despite being listed for sale over the past year, a transition was not secured, and a new business will be assuming the lease August 4th.
Over the years, your support, dedication, and energy have created a vibrant, inspiring community, one that we’ve been honored to be a part of. The friendships formed, progress achieved, and spirit shared within these walls have meant more to us than words can express.
With this chapter coming to an end, we still have a full month to finish strong. We are planning themed rows and celebrations for our final month, so let’s fill these classes and go out with a bang!
We will be issuing prorated refunds for active memberships and class packages. If you have any questions about your membership, please reach out to westseattlegm@therowhouse.com and we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you again for being a part of the Row House West Seattle community. Your commitment and passion have truly been the heartbeat of the studio. Once a crew, always a crew.
Sincerely,
The Row House West Seattle Team
No indication yet what that “new business” is; the space has been listed for sublease for several months. Row House is affiliated with a nationwide chain of indoor-rowing studios, and has been open in West Seattle for almost six years.
Longtime WSB sponsor Lake Washington Physical Therapy West Seattle has updates including an added location and added services! Here are the details, from LWPTWS proprietor Mark Bouma:
Celebrating Four Years in West Seattle!
(Lake Washington Physical Therapy West Seattle photos)
Lake Washington Physical Therapy West Seattle is celebrating its four-year anniversary! To show our appreciation, we hosted Patient Appreciation Week, recognizing the incredible community that has supported us since day one. Thank you!
New Fauntleroy Clinic Opening Soon!
We’re expanding! On July 8th, 2025, we’ll open our new Fauntleroy Clinic inside The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Ave SW, 3rd Floor), bringing specialized care closer to you. Alison Read (above with LWPT’s Mark Bouma), PT DPT CEEAA Cert-MMOA, will serve as the clinic director, focusing on older adults, individuals with balance impairments, and those experiencing mobility limitations. We offer 1:1 care and 55-minute appointments. Medicare and most insurances accepted. You can book an appointment HERE or call us at 206-906-9207. Click HERE to watch an intro video with Alison!
New Specialized Services
We are proud to introduce new specialized treatments at our clinics, including:
–Dry Needling with Amanda Ford, PT DPT FDNS to improve functionality and relieve pain and tension.
–Musculoskeletal Diagnostic Ultrasound & Biofeedback with Maxwell Ngo, PT DPT, for quick and readily available imaging results and enhanced, informed care.
–Professional Bike Fitting with Erin Heald, PT DPT, ensuring optimal cycling performance.
Supporting Local Soccer Teams
We’re passionate about keeping athletes healthy and in top form! Our clinical team is working alongside Junction FC and Rhodies FC, providing expert care during training and games. Find out why our team of clinicians are trusted by these athletes to keep them playing at their best! Keep an eye out for our tent at upcoming matches — we’d love to see you there!
Expanding Availability at Our Alki Location
To better serve the West Seattle community, we are expanding our hours and adding new clinicians at our Alki location later this Summer. Need an early morning or weekend appointment? We’ve got you covered! Join us in welcoming Jordan Samford, PT DPT MS, Ben Clark, PT DPT, and Olivia Dominguez, PT DPT to our Alki team!
The main location of LWPTWS remains at 1309 Harbor SW.
Three quick business notes today:
(WSB photo after sign went up in April)
JUNCTION HARDWARE: We reported back in February on this locally owned store’s switch from affiliation with True Value to affiliation with the ACE co-op. This Saturday, the store at 44th SW/SW Edmunds will formally celebrate the change, at a “grand reopening” party, 10 am-2 pm (June 28). That starts with a ceremonial ribboncutting and includes demos by grilling experts, and more, as detailed in our calendar listing.
SEATTLE HEARING SERVICES MOVING: Audiologist Dr. Jo Munson wants you to know that the clinic’s West Seattle offices are moving: They’ve been in Morgan Junction but are moving further north, to 5036 California SW. The new location will open this Wednesday, June 25.
SEATTLE BEAUTY MOVES: Another local service has moved office locations – Seattle Beauty is now at 4050 SW Admiral Way, Dr. Desiree Wood tells us. Her office previously was in The Junction
If you can give blood, there’s a special incentive for a one-day drive that’s exactly two weeks away – here’s the announcement, along with other dates if that one doesn’t work:
Blood donors in West Seattle will have multiple opportunities to make a life-saving impact this summer, with blood drives scheduled at Our Lady of Guadalupe on June 30, July 1, 2, 7, 8 and August 4, 5, 6, 11, and 12. The drives are organized by Bloodworks Northwest, a regional nonprofit dedicated to ensuring a safe and reliable blood supply to hospitals across the Pacific Northwest.
In a special promotion on Wednesday, July 2, all donors will receive a coupon for a free pint of Seattle Sorbet as a thank-you gift. The “Give a Pint, Get a Pint” campaign is proudly sponsored by Seattle Sorbets and Electric Butter Marketing.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Gym
Address: 7000 35th Avenue SWAppointments are strongly encouraged and can be scheduled at donate.bloodworksnw.org. Donors should use the code OLG2 when checking in to receive their sorbet voucher. For help booking, email schedule@bloodworksnw.org.
We’ve routinely reported “brown water” sightings for years – so many at one point, Seattle Public Utilities did a system “flush” in West Seattle in 2016 to try to clear out the rust and other sediment that was getting stirred up. Recently, we heard from multiple West Seattle Junction-area apartment residents with a different sighting in their water – white hair-like “fibers.” Here’s one description:
The hair-like objects range up to about half an inch in length and there was consistently a few in any glass of water. I could not tell if they were plastic, organic, or what. My only rudimentary test showed that they do not dissolve in vinegar. There was no discoloration.
That resident had dealt with SPU and property management among others to try to solve the mystery. SPU is on the front lines in terms of water safety, so we asked them. Here’s what SPU spokesperson Brad Wong told us late today:
Seattle Public Utilities has analyzed water samples from the area around 42nd Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street in West Seattle after receiving reports from customers of microscopic strands or filaments in it.
SPU believes the strands are a result of a recent algae bloom in one of our water supply reservoirs, which has occurred seasonally for more than 15 years. The water is safe to drink because SPU has treated and disinfected it. The Cedar River supply does not have filtration, but meets treatment requirements with ozone, UV light, and chlorine.
Customers who have concerns can call SPU’s 24/7 Operations Response Center at 206-386-1800. Customers may choose to filter their drinking water or purchase bottled water but should not consider this necessary.
SPU will contact customers who called with concerns and continue to monitor the situation.
The response didn’t explain why these complaints were mainly coming from The Junction; our tipster says the SPU person to whom they spoke didn’t have an explanation for that either. The reader quoted above says an SPU rep told them that the algae bloom was in <strong>Lake Youngs, a source for Seattle city water.
(WSB photo, March)
This year’s Loop the ‘Lupe – obstacle-course 5K and more – is one week from tomorrow, and organizer Brian Callanan tells us today that both participants and spectators will have the opportunity to get health care from the Care-a-Van. The mobile health-care service was in West Seattle for March’s Resource Fair at Westwood Village, and it’ll be at Walt Hundley Playfield 11 am-3 pm on Saturday, June 7th. Services will include childhood, flu, COVID, and mpox vaccines, as well as blood-pressure and blood-sugar screenings, with more information – and a QR code for preregistering (though they expect to accommodate some walk-ups too) – on this flyer in English and en Español. Again, you do NOT have to be a Loop the ‘Lupe participant to use the Care-a-Van services during its visit that day.
Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, Halcyon Massage and Bodywork. Here’s what they’d like you to know about what they do:
Halcyon Massage and Bodywork is an integrative manual therapy studio in Sodo’s Urban Worklofts, just across the West Seattle Bridge. Sessions at Halcyon are an invitation to slow down and tune into the messages of your body as owner/operator 
Jennifer Keller, LMT, CCST, CMLDT supports you on your individuated healing path.
Halcyon offers gentle yet potent treatments by design. They are especially effective for people seeking relief from persistent pain, recovering from injury, managing stress and PTSD, and folks with sensitive nervous systems. This work helps to regulate your nervous system, cues safety in the body, and allows Jennifer to access long-guarded structures without triggering reflexive bracing. This encourages lasting change.
If you’ve ever encountered a tangled necklace, you know it takes patience and delicacy to get it untangled without damaging the chain. Often, the knot at the crux of the tangle has all sorts of other loops tied in with it. Jennifer unravels these knots and tangles, layer after layer, to treat the root cause so you can improve how you feel in your body and live a fuller life.
Whether you’re seeking relief from chronic pain, assistance with injury or surgery recovery,support for nervous system regulation, or simply wanting to improve your overall well-being, you belong at Halcyon.
Halcyon Massage and Bodywork is located in the Urban Worklofts at 3250 Airport Way S. By appointment only: Tues 11-7, Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-5, Sat 10-4. First-time clients receive $10 off, and packages are available. Now is the time to shore up your internal reserves. Schedule your session today at halcyonmb.com
We thank Halcyon Massage and Bodywork for choosing to advertise their business by sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB. Interested in doing the same? Please email WSBAdvertising@wsbsales.com – thank you!
Four notes this afternoon as cuts in D.C. reverberate here in “the other Washington”:
(WSB photo, last Saturday)
CARE-A-VAN SUSPENDED: The state Health Department’s Care-a-Van mobile health service was part of the resource fair at Westwood Village last Saturday. That was one of its last stops before the state learned the feds have defunded it, tweeting this morning:
We received notice from the CDC that our funding for Care-A-Van has been terminated, effective March 24, 2025. As a result of this unexpected decision, we must immediately suspend Care-A-Van operations. Thank you to all of our requesters and community partners for your support.
SENIORS PLAN PROTEST: As noted in our West Seattle Event Calendar, we received an announcement that residents at Brookdale Admiral Heights (2326 California SW) plan a protest outside their building at 3 pm Saturday. The announcement says they’ll be protesting cuts to programs as pursued by the federal DOGE operation.
PREPARING FOR APRIL 5 PARTICIPATION: West Seattle Indivisible is leading two sign-making events this Sunday in advance of the April 5 “Hands Off” rally at Seattle Center, protesting cuts to programs/services – one at 11 am Sunday in High Point, one at 3:30 pm in Admiral. (They want to be sure you know the venues have limited space.)
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE: The City Council’s new Federal Administration and Policy Changes Committee, set up to help councilmembers stay informed on D.C. changes affecting Seattle, will have its second meeting Thursday (April 3) at 2 pm, focusing on housing issues. (This is a “select committee,” so all councilmembers are on it.) Citywide Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck sent this announcement today with details.
One more reminder that a Resource Fair is planned at Westwood Village‘s ex-Bed Bath Beyond/Spirit Halloween space on Saturday, 11 am-3 pm. We asked the Seattle Police Community Resource Officers, who organized it, for a list of the 40+ participating agencies/organizations – here it is:
Community Service Officers/SPD
Villa Communitaria
Seattle Animal Shelter/Control
Promoteres Network
Hopelink Community transportation program
King County Public Health Community Navigators
Building Beyond Communities
King County Health Public Outreach
Resource Navigation Neighborhood House
Neighborhood House MHP
Community Access & Engagement King County L&I
Washingron Relay Outreach
Project Help
Impact Public Schools Outreach
King County Environmental Health Services
Cell Phone Provider
Disability Empowerment Center
Union Gospel Mission
King County e-911
DEA Outreach
Seattle Public Schools
Victim Support Team
We Heart Seattle
Sea Mar Community Health Centers
Valley Cities Behavioral Health
Southwest PCT Crime Prevention Coordinator
Arms Around You
Communities of Belonging
Community for Youth
Delridge Community Center
Overdose Coordinator/KCME
Cultivate South Park
The More We Love
Care-a-Van WSDOH Vaccine Van
VA – suicide prevention coordinator
Transform Burien
Target
Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association
Haircut Team
West Seattle Food Bank
Park Rangers
Humana
Atlantic Street Center
Community Health Plan of WA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Seattle Public Library – High Point
Molina Healthcare
TJX/Marshalls
If you’re in need of vaccination – either child or adult – here’s what the Care-A-Van will be there to offer.
(WSB photo)
Michael, Vanessa, and Alfred are Community Crisis Responders with the city’s CARE Department Team. We caught up with them for a quick photo at Alki this afternoon as they wrapped up their first week of being available for calls in West Seattle and vicinity. As reported here previously, the CARE Team was able to expand to this area of the city once it grew in size, as budgeted, after its first year and a half. As explained here, CCRs – all behavioral-health professionals – respond (at least initially with police) to situations involving people in crisis or other behavioral-health emergencies. CARE – short for Community Assisted Response and Engagement – is led by Chief Amy Barden and is considered one of the city’s public-safety departments. Though they’ll eventually have workspace in this area, the responders told us they’re currently based downtown. (We might hear more about that when the mayor comes to West Seattle next week for a formal announcement that the CARE responders are now available here.)
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