(Art by Tara J., photographed by Ann Anderson)

Good morning! Notes for the day ahead:

ONLINE EASTER SERVICES: Two dozen West Seattle churches are on our list – with services as early as 6:30 am.

DONATION DRIVE: Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) invites you to be a helper on this holiday:

The COVID19 pandemic is disproportionally hurting our most vulnerable neighbors. Here’s how you can help!

This Easter Sunday, there will be donations barrels outside Alki UCC, for your donations of clothing and non-perishable foods. Social distancing observed! The bins will be available from 10 am to 5 pm.

Food donations will be distributed by the White Center Food Bank. Top requests include Canned Meat/Soup/Fruit (pop-top cans, if possible); Rice, Noodles, Peanut Butter, Oats, Toilet Paper; Diapers, Similac Formula, Baby Wipes, Cleaning Supplies and Hand Sanitizer.

Clothing Donations will be distributed via the West Seattle Clothesline and the King Country Drug Court, which serves our neighbors receiving treatment for minor drug offenses. Many men have been moved into supportive housing during the current crisis; they need shirts, jackets, pants, shoes, underwear, socks, etc. for a smooth transition back into our community. Alki UCC’s Easter Service will be streaming live beginning at 10:00 am. If you’re in the neighborhood before 11:30 am or so, you’ll be able to enjoy a bit of the service music as you walk or drive by.

GROCERY SHOPPING TODAY? Some different hours for the holiday – see our Saturday story.

EASTER TAKEOUT: We’re continuing to update our West Seattle (etc.) restaurant list – some are even offering Easter dinners.

FREE TO-GO DINNERS: High Point Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near High Point Community Center. (6920 34th SW)

(added) MORE FREE MEALS: This offer is from the West Seattle Eagles (4426 California SW):

2 FREE MEALS at your West Seattle Eagles !!!

First up, Gabby and her Mom Debbie will step into the Kitchen from 12 – 2 pm. Our delicious Easter Brunch menu offers up Eggs Benedict, Potatoes and Fresh Fruit.

Round 2 begins at 5.30 pm, when John hits the kitchen to prepare his WORLD FAMOUS SMASH BURGERS !!! You can’t just eat one…

As always, all meals are FREE and open to the PUBLIC !!!

Please enter through the blue door located at the SE corner of the building. We adhere to all CDC Social Distancing Guidelines, so please follow the 6 feet rule. Donations gladly accepted.

And two reminders:

THREE PARKS CLOSED: Stay out of Alki, Lincoln Park, and West Seattle Stadium, which are closed until early Monday.

NO FARMERS’ MARKET … though it apparently almost happened.

(Reader photo from Bruce)

Good morning and welcome to 2020. Notes for the holiday:

TRANSPORTATION INFO:
*Metro is on the Sunday schedule
*No Water Taxi service
*Sound Transit light rail and buses on the Sunday schedule
*Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run is on its regular weekday schedule
*No charge for parking today on city streets in neighborhoods with pay stations
*Traffic cameras: West Seattle-relevant ones here; citywide views are available via this SDOT map

OTHER INFO:
*No trash/recycling/etc. pickup today – Wednesday pickups will happen Thursday; Thursday pickups on Friday, Friday pickups on Saturday
*Seattle Parks closures for today
*Seattle Public Libraries are closed today
*The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center is closed today
*The Admiral Theater (2343 California SW) is open this afternoon/evening – schedule here

NO CLOSED/OPEN LIST
*We’ve found that far fewer businesses close New Year’s Day than Thanksgiving/Christmas.

EVENTS TODAY
*Alki Polar Bear Swim, 10 am on the beach at 58th SW – here’s the announcement

*5K/10K walk + special Nia class … see our Holiday Guide.

If you see/hear news, please text/call 206-293-6302 – we appreciate your tips 24/7/365 – this year 366!)

(Space Needle laser-light show, photographed Monday night by Monica Zaborac)

9:23 PM: Now that we’re in the final few hours of 2019, unless there’s big breaking news, we’re just going to open this running thread for updates. So far, the Space Needle fireworks are still ON – the wind (still in advisory mode until 4 am) hasn’t been too bad – and you have one more chance to catch the laser light show, 10 pm-10:10 pm. Meantime, just in from Highland Park:

All are welcome at the Highland Park Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden) Corner Bar party, one of the NYE/NYD events listed in our Holiday Guide. More updates to come!

10:10 PM: From the scanner, flurry of 911 callers thinking they hear shots. No – it’s fireworks.

10:53 PM: Good news – the NWS Wind Advisory has been dropped five hours before the original projected end. Bodes well for the fireworks. Speaking of the NWS, they’ve tweeted these decade-in-review stats:

11:04 PM: Monitoring KING5, which broadcasts the fireworks. They say the call will be made at 11:50 pm.

11:51 PM: No fireworks:

11:57 PM: But if the winds calm, they’ll try the fireworks at 2 am.

12:22 AM: KING’s anchors just said the station WILL broadcast the fireworks at 2 am if they go off then.

1:12 AM: The Needle just tweeted a pessimistic forecast but didn’t say clearly whether the 2 am fireworks are still a possibility.

1:54 AM: No fireworks. Final word from the Needle:

(January 1, 2019 photo by Robert Spears, shared via the WSB Flickr group)

11:22 AM: The biggest West Seattle party on New Year’s Eve is usually a multi-location event – people gathering on north-facing shores and overlooks to watch the midnight Space Needle fireworks. Tonight, as we’ve reported, the National Weather Service expects strong winds, so you might wonder what that means for the show. The Seattle Times reports that the Needle’s laser light show will go on, regardless, but the fireworks could be canceled or postponed depending on the late-night wind speed. The light show runs earlier in the evening, by the way, according to the Needle website:

7 PM – 7:10 PM
8 PM – 8:10 PM
9 PM – 9:10 PM
10 PM – 10:10 PM

We’ll be monitoring late tonight and will publish an update if the fireworks are no-go. As for what else is up – we have bar parties, restaurant toasts, the Highland Park Improvement Club Not-So-Silent Night Parade and Corner Bar, plus Emerald City Wanderers‘ walks, all listed in the final version of the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide. (No “who’s open/closed” lists for this holiday – we’ve found over the years that closures are far fewer for New Year’s than for Thanksgiving/Christmas.)

3:35 PM: One cancellation for tonight: West Seattle Yuletide was going to run its light show through tomorrow night but decided the wind was too much of a threat to some of the setup so it’s done for the year.

We’re continuing to add New Year’s Eve parties to the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, but that’s not the only way to say goodbye to 2019: Again this year, you’re invited to walk a 5K or 10K route with Emerald City Wanderers. Start any time between 4 pm and 7 pm Tuesday from St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW), where you’ll find route info, and where hot soup awaits you on your return. And if you’re up for more, that’s also where to start a New Year’s Day walk between 9 am and noon.

(WSB file photo)

From the Highland Park Improvement Club Not-So-Silent-Night Parade (above) and Corner Bar, to Space Needle fireworks-watching, we’ve already got some West Seattle New Year’s Eve fun in the WSB Holiday Guide – but we can add more, so this is just a friendly reminder: If you’re having a community party, bar party, champagne toast, run/walk, or … please send info! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you.

Looking for someplace to enjoy a Christmas dinner? The Christmas People have holiday volunteers standing by, serving a free buffet at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW) until 4 pm. Local volunteers like Jen and Mike Shaughnessy are spending their Christmas afternoon helping out:

All are welcome!

(Thank you to the person who decorates the Admiral Way bridge with red bows every year!)

Welcome to Christmas Day, with Hanukkah’s fourth night at sundown. It’s our holiday tradition to present information you might find helpful:

COFFEE SHOPS OPEN TODAY: Our list of coffee shops that planned to be open for at least part of today is in the Christmas section atop our Holiday Guide. (Did we miss anyone? Let us know!)

GROCERY STORES OPEN TODAY: Also in the Christmas section atop our Holiday Guide.

RESTAURANTS (AND BARS-WITH-FOOD) OPEN TODAY AND/OR TONIGHT: Here’s the list, always subject to last-minute change without notice to us. Please let us know if you find discrepancies or omissions – thank you!

FREE HOLIDAY MEALS: Two options – The Christmas People are offering a hoiiday buffet noon-4 pm to all at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW); local Jewish and Muslim community members are serving an outdoor meal at noon in the parking lot between 14th and 15th SW, south of Roxbury, in White Center.

CHRISTMAS DAY TRANSPORTATION INFO:
*Metro is on the Sunday schedule
*No Water Taxi service
*Sound Transit light rail and buses on the Sunday schedule
*Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run is on its regular weekday schedule
*No charge for parking today on city streets in neighborhoods with pay stations
*Traffic cameras: West Seattle-relevant ones here; citywide views are available via this SDOT map

OTHER INFO:
*No trash/recycling/etc. pickup today – Wednesday pickups will happen Thursday; Thursday pickups on Friday, Friday pickups on Saturday
*Seattle Parks closures for today
*Seattle Public Libraries are closed today
*West Seattle’s Log House Museum is closed today
*The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center is closed today
*The Admiral Theater (2343 California SW) is open this afternoon/evening – schedule here

If you see/hear news, please text/call 206-293-6302 – we appreciate your tips 24/7/365!)

It’s Christmas Eve, and the third night of Hanukkah. As usual, we’ve compiled hopefully handy lists of info:

-Restaurants open today/tonight and/or tomorrow – go here.

The other four lists are in our WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:

-Grocery-store closing times for tonight, and wha’s closed/open tomorrow
-Coffee shops open today/tonight and/or tomorrow
-Retailers open today/tonight

The grocery list is all-inclusive (as we have “only” 9 in West Seattle); the others include info from businesses that responded to our multiple invitations to send info, as well as a combination of phone calls, website checks, and walking around looking at signs on doors. Not too late for additions – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank YOU!
–

(2017 photo by Robert Spears)

Lots of questions about whether this is on – and finally we can say yes. Once again, longtime community advocate Mark Ufkes will lead the West Seattle Polar Bear Swim on New Year’s Day morning. And once again this year, as in years past, his announcement voices political hopes and critiques. Here it is, as received:

West Seattle Polar Bear Swim
January 1, 2020 (The Year of Perfect Vision!)

We enter the water at 10 am sharp !

2020 is finally here. West Seattle’s Alki Beach is the place. Across from Dukes.

We run into the water at 10:00 am sharp, Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Last year we had about 700 swimmers, up from a handful of swimmers when we started this tradition over 15 years ago. Swimmers should bring a towel, good water shoes, and their hopes and dreams for the New Year.

We line up and down Alki beach in a long row, we hold hands with our family and friends (in my case, with my remarkable, beautiful wife Lois), count down from 10, 9, 8, 7 (be sure to wait for the countdown!), …. and at 10:00 sharp we run into Puget Sound screaming as if we are mildly insane. It’s all over in less than a minute, quite painless really, and everyone is happy and smiling afterword. There is something monumental about forcing ourselves out of our comfort zone and willingly jumping into Puget Sound to wash away the complexities of the previous year and invite the unlimited possibilities of the New Year into our lives.

What I want in 2020; well, I recently retired after 12 years as a Scoutmaster where I spent thousands of hours mentoring over 40 boys to complete their Eagle Scout award. I helped these Scouts (my two boys included) to develop a profound appreciation for our natural world and I always stressed several character traits that they need in adulthood.

First, I taught Scouts to never degrade or bully anyone. We can disagree, but everyone deserves respect. And if these Scouts see bullying, they have an obligation to intervene and stop it. Yet President Trump degrades and bullies others every day.

Second, I emphasized the importance of respecting family. Yet President Trump cheated on all three of his wives and bragged about sexually assaulting women. Imagine how his actions disrespected and hurt the self-esteem of these women and his children?

Third, I stressed that Scouts need to live a life of service to others in some form. Doing “a good turn daily”, the Scout Motto, should not be taken lightly. Yet President Trump created a non-profit to make us think that he was serving others, but he used the funds for himself. Trump’s action is really the moral equivalent of shoplifting at Goodwill.

Finally, I reminded these boys that when they turn 18, they must register for the military draft, consider military or other community service to pay America back, and that they should register and then vote. Trump had five deferments to avoid military service, and more important, he repeatedly ridiculed veterans who served honorably (think Senator John McCain and others). And Trump’s Republican operatives are pushing many states to make it harder for every legal citizen, 18 and older, to vote in 2020, because they know that lower voter turnouts help Republicans win.

So, for 2020, all I want is for America to realize that the Presidency of the United States reflects the moral character of our nation and that Donald Trump has proven that he does not deserve this great honor. And for all you outraged Trump supporters, all I can ask is this; “would you want your children to treat people the way Donald Trump treats people?”

Finally, I will be wearing pink again as usual on January 1, until the day that the majority of our Members of Congress are women and/or people of color, since these two groups are the American majority. That, my friends, is the only way we will truly Make America Great Again!

Mark L. Ufkes
Polar Bear Swimmer

Here’s our coverage from last year.