West Seattle, Washington
26 Saturday
A quick reminder that if you’re interested in studying at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – whether seeking a degree or certificate, or a continuing-education class – tomorrow’s the day to visit. 3:30 to 6:30 pm on Tuesday (March 11), you’re invited to SSC’s annual Discover Open House. The college will offer campus tours, program presentations, opportunities to speak with faculty and advisers, plus information on admissions, financial aid, and other student resources. You can RSVP here. Know before you go – review options here, from career training, college transfer, and applied bachelor’s degrees, to short-term training and personal enrichment courses. SSC is on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge, at 6000 16th SW.
9:20 AM: We’re on Puget Ridge to check out what’s happening in the first hour of this morning’s recycling/reusing/dropoff event in the north lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and West Seattle Junction Association. For starters, the line of cars stretches about a block past the SSC south entrance. Updates to come.
9:45 AM: Once you’re in the lot, things appear to be moving smoothly. Parking is to the west; the trucks are in a line to the east; lots of volunteers to direct you, and carts on wheels that you can borrow if you need one.
Above, that’s WSJA executive director Chris Mackay directing drivers as they arrive for dropoffs.
10:06 AM: The line of cars waiting to get into the lot is very short now! Fewer than 10 cars before the lot entrance.
12:20 PM: Commenters note that the electronics-recycling truck hit capacity before the event is over. If you still have those types of items waiting to be recycled, that’s part of what they’ll be taking, as usual, at the Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup, a free dropoff event 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 26 – we’ll publish the official item list when it’s available.
(WSB file photo)
Exactly two weeks until the annual “Beyond the Cart” free recycling/shredding event presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and West Seattle Junction Association with partners. It’s happening 9 am-noon on Saturday, March 8, in the north lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). If you’re driving there, this year rather than have you idling in a long line waiting to unload, they’ll direct you to park and walk your stuff to the dropoff station(s). We verified, after the previous announcement raised questions, that assistance will be available for those who need it. Meantime, here again is the list of what they’re taking and not taking:
ACCEPTED ITEMS:
• Foam blocks
• Household batteries (no damaged batteries)
• Florescent tubes and bulbs (no broken bulbs, limit: 4 ft.)
• Small, empty propane camping canisters
• Small electronics (TVs, computers, etc.)
• Small appliances (non-freon)
• Paper for shredding (limit: 4 boxes of paper)
• Clothing, accessories, bedding, and curtains in good condition
• Home goods and toysITEMS NOT ACCEPTED:
• Stained, ripped, or worn-out fabrics
• Mismatched items (single shoes, etc.)
• Furniture
• Hazardous waste
• Automotive waste
• Construction waste
• Car seats
• Mattresses
• Household garbage, yard waste, or recycling
Trucks will leave when full.
Wednesday (February 19) is the Day of Remembrance, the 83rd anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s order that led to the incarceration of about 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry, as explained here. Again this year, South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) is hosting a community commemoration, and sent this invitation:
Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration: Healing through Art, Music, and Storytelling
Please join us virtually or in person at South Seattle College (SSC) on February 19 for our event commemorating Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration. SSC Music Faculty Mako Kikuchi will speak about his family’s experience of forced removal and incarceration during WWII and will perform excerpts from his forthcoming EP In Shadows alongside sanshin player and vocalist Mako Willett. Dee Goto, Joe Abo, and Mary Abo, members of the Omoide Project, will be in conversation with Kikuchi to discuss the importance of storytelling to heal from trauma and ensure that history does not repeat.
Refreshments will be provided after the program.
Attendees who would like to attend virtually can register for and access the event using this link: zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G-bw_hEATuSvWS49kCO0xg.
We look forward to gathering and sharing stories with you all! Please reach out to ma**********@*************es.edu with any questions about the event. Sponsored by the Kip Tokuda Civil Liberties Program, 4Culture, South Seattle College ACO, and AANAPISI.
Featuring live performances and conversations with:
Mako Kikuchi, South Seattle Music Faculty
Mako Willett, Sanshin Player and Vocalist
The Omoide Project, Japanese American Writing GroupDATE: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
TIME: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
LOCATION: South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave SW, West Seattle / Olympic Hall, Room 120 – South Seattle College Campus (“OLY” on the campus map)
(WSB video/photos)
The Seattle Chinese Garden‘s Lunar New Year festival today not only had a lion-dance “workshop” and children’s crafts…
… it also had a visit from Mayor Bruce Harrell, who spoke for five minutes, preceding a proclamation with a spirited defense of diversity, equity, and inclusion, currently under federal siege:
As the mayor pointed out, north-end City Councilmember Dan Strauss – who has visited Seattle’s Chinese sister city Chongqing, home to the garden’s stylistic inspiration – was also at the festival, which offered music and games as well. The garden’s regular visiting hours are here.
A texter asked about a big police response near 18th/Dawson on Puget Ridge at midmorning. Took a while to get the info but here’s what happened, according to police: It was a person-in-crisis call involving a 20-year-old man who was reported to be armed with a knife and threatening at least one family member. He was then reported to be out on foot in the neighborhood, possibly under the influence; police responded, finding him and talking with him. They asked him if he had a knife on him and though he didn’t answer, officers say he eventually took out a sheathed knife – with a four-inch-long blade – and tossed it into grass nearby. He was taken into custody without incident, according to police, for investigation of domestic-violence felony harassment, which the report says is cause for a mandatory arrest. They later also found pepper-spray gel in the suspect’s possession, according to the report narrative. The suspect was booked into jail. No one was reported injured.
One last back-to-school date on the calendar – tomorrow (Monday, September 23) is the start of the fall quarter at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). It’s not too late to register for classes; you can see here what they’re offering. Notable for this quarter – it’s the first one for SSC’s new president Dr. Monica Brown, who started work in August. SSC serves about 15,000 students a year at its main campus on Puget Ridge (6000 16th SW) and satellite campus in Georgetown.
Again tonight, police are investigating gunfire in West Seattle. This time, on Puget Ridge. In the past half-hour, 911 calls came in from people who thought they heard gunfire in the 18th/Myrtle vicinity [vicinity map]. A caller in the 2100 block of SW Myrtle reported having security video showing a “newer blue Chevrolet” from which the gunshots might have been fired. And officers have since confirmed to dispatch that they found three casings. No report of injuries.
Thanks to Peter S. Miller for that video from a Morris dance performance at Duwamish Cohousing earlier this week. He explained:
The group performed at Duwamish Cohousing, then went to Lincoln Park and danced around the troll. All for the Celtic Festival of Lammas/Lughnasadh.
First, if you haven’t heard of Morris dancing (we’ll admit, we hadn’t), here’s a detailed history. As for the festival, that too has a long history (here’s a short summary), but is generally explained as a harvest festival celebrated around August 1, also noting the coming transition from summer to autumn.
Thanks to Margaret for the tip and photo! That taped-off area in the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Arboretum will be the site of a new garden. It had held a rock fountain that long had stopped functioning; it was demolished this month to make way for a sensory garden. SSC spokesperson Ty Swenson told WSB that students in SSC’s Landscape Horticulture program (the same program that runs the Garden Center nearby) “did several designs for the sensory garden that are posted in the kiosks in the front of the arboretum. One will be chosen and students will bring that vision to reality.” The Arboretum is in the northwest corner of the campus, west of the Seattle Chinese Garden and the aforementioned Garden Center.
Dozens of hardy concertgoers brought chairs and blankets to the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge tonight for the first of this summer’s two West Seattle visits by the Seattle Chamber Music Society Concert Truck.
Tonight’s musicians for the free concert included Rachel Lee Priday on violin, Susan Zhang and Nick Luby on piano, and Sterling Elliott on cello. The program included compositions by Maurice Ravel, Clara Schumann, Gabriel Fauré, Johannes Brahms, Florence Price, Anton Arensky, and Astor Piazzolla (the full music list is toward the bottom of this page on the SCWS site). Here’s a snippet of tonight’s performance:
Your second chance to see the Concert Truck performance is this Sunday (June 30) at noon outside Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki)
Chloe Bolduc is one of the amateur-radio operators you can meet if you stop by the north lot/field at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) sometime before midday Sunday, during this year’s Seattle Radio Field Day. She’s working on a project to communicate with the International Space Station, in connection with the Pacific Science Center. Every radio operator – aka “ham”- at Field Day has a story, and they’re all gathered for what might be described as an annual combination of preparedness exercise, open house, mini-convention, and reunion, part of a nationwide 24-hour-plus event.
You can watch and listen as the local operators make contact with others hundreds or thousands of miles away, and you can even take a turn getting on the air.
Even if you’ve been in past years, every year brings something new – like Chloe’s project. Read more about Field Day here; this year’s event involves four clubs teaming up, including the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club.
Today we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, a unique part of the West Seattle wine scene, the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College. New sponsors have the opportunity to tell you about themselves – here’s what the Northwest Wine Academy wants you to know:
The Northwest Wine Academy Tasting Room at South Seattle College offers a serene retreat from city life, nestled beside the college arboretum, a community garden, and the Seattle Chinese Garden. It’s located in the Puget Ridge neighborhood of West Seattle. Step into a lively space where students craft unique wines, providing a tasting experience brimming with Pacific Northwest flavors, from the bold notes of black cherry and blackberries to the subtle nuances of woody oak, vanilla, and more. By supporting the Wine Academy, you are supporting our students’ journey to build their skills and find fulfilling work in Washington’s bustling wine industry.
Whether you prefer the outdoors in summer or the cozy indoors year-round, indulge in our affordable tastings priced at just $8 per person for a flight of four varieties. Join our vibrant community at one of the Northwest Wine Academy‘s regular events, where we not only showcase wines but also engage in activities such as painting, plant potting, cookie decorating, and delightful food pairings.
Elevate your experience by becoming a member of our Wine Club after attending one of our events. Our club offers various membership tiers, ranging in prices, and includes shipments of 4 to 12 bottles twice a year. Members also enjoy exclusive discounts on all other purchases throughout the year. These experiences go to help fund student led projects, new equipment, and support the health of the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College.
Interested in hosting an event in the tasting room or have questions regarding visiting us for a tasting? Contact: Wi******@*************es.edu. We can provide you with room rental fees and our current catering menu!
The Northwest Wine Academy is in the north lot of the SSC campus at 6000 16th SW. Follow the Northwest Wine Academy on Instagram to learn more about our upcoming events and offerings, including food truck pop-ups ran by our Culinary Arts students.
We thank the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email pa*****@******es.com for info on joining the team!
Buy plants, support education! You can do that every day the South Seattle College Garden Center – one of our newest sponsors – is open. Here’s what they would like you to know:
Discover the vibrant world of plants and support both budding horticulturalists and a student-run business at the Garden Center at South Seattle College, located in the Puget Ridge neighborhood of West Seattle [map]. Our center serves as a hands-on learning hub for Landscape Horticulture Program students, offering them real-world experience and knowledge in both plant care and retail. By supporting the Garden Center, you are supporting our students’ goals in pursuit of careers in the landscape horticulture field.
Step into our oasis and explore a diverse array of indoor and outdoor plants, including snake plants, bird nest ferns, annual edibles, and a variety of colorful flowers. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, our dedicated volunteers and students are available to provide expert advice and insight, honing their skills while helping you cultivate your green thumb.
Nestled between our living, breathing classroom, the Arboretum, and the Northwest Wine Academy (with a tasting room!), our Garden Center is a year-round haven for plant lovers. As the seasons change, so does our selection, ensuring your garden projects thrive year-round.
This Spring and Summer, join us in nurturing both plants and students by supporting the Landscape Horticulture program and our student-run Garden Center.
Visit us Thursday through Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm, and follow us on Instagram for updates and inspiration. We can’t wait to grow with you!
We thank the South Seattle College Garden Center for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email pa*****@******es.com for info on joining the team!
Just in from SDOT: Repaving is coming up on Puget Ridge and Pigeon Point (and a bit beyond), with tree-trimming the next two days to get ready for it. Here’s the announcement:
SDOT crews will repave on 21st Ave SW and 22nd/23rd Ave SW between SW Dawson St and SW Oregon St.
The paving will occur:
Monday 4/8 – Wednesday 4/10 on 21st Ave SW
Thursday 4/11 – Sunday 4/14 on 22nd/23rd Ave SWIn prep for the paving, SDOT will also tree-prune tomorrow 4/4 and Friday 4/5 on 21st Ave SW.
During work hours, we’ll keep 1 lane open to alternate between northbound and southbound traffic.
Here’s a flyer with full details on the repaving plan, including parking restrictions.
Moving on to college? Going back to college? Thinking about a career change? South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) likely has something for you. As part of “Discover Seattle Colleges” events these next two weeks, you have multiple opportunities to learn about the possibilities. First, four online events this week will explore academic programs and career pathways offered by SSC and its sibling campuses (North and Central):
Health and Medical / Education and Human Services: Monday, March 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Business and Accounting / Science, Engineering and Technology: Tuesday, March 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Culinary, Hospitality and Wine / Skilled Trades and Technical Training: Wednesday, March 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Arts, Design and Graphics / Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages: Thursday, March 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
RSVP to get the links for any or all of those online events – go here.
Then next week, the Seattle Colleges campuses all have in-person open houses where you can meet faculty, take tours, get admission/resources information, and more. (Even if you’re not considering enrollment, community members are welcome to visit and learn more about the colleges too!) Here are the two for SSC:
Georgetown Apprenticeship & Education Center, South Seattle College: Monday, March 11, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
South Seattle College Main Campus (in West Seattle): Tuesday, March 12, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
To RSVP for either or both, and to get info about open houses at the other colleges, go here. (And if you’re ready to enroll, you can do that now too, for spring-quarter classes starting April 1st.)
(Full ‘Snow Moon’ setting this morning, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
The arrival of the full “Snow Moon” brings an end to two weeks of Lunar New Year celebrations. Tomorrow (Saturday, February 24) you’re invited to the final community event announced for West Seattle – the Lunar New Year Lantern Festival at the Seattle Chinese Garden. The garden borders the north edge of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge. The festival is set to start at 11 am and continue through 3 pm, with music, dance, crafts, story time, tea, and more – the full schedule is here. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
The date is set for one of West Seattle’s most popular spring (in this case, almost-spring) events – the recycling/shredding event presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce. We’ve just received information about this year’s event, set for 9 am-noon Saturday, March 9, in the north lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). From the official flyer, here’s what they’ll be accepting:
This is a drive-up/ride-up/walk-up, free-of-charge event, with other partners including Seattle Public Utilities and Waste Management. For a more detailed list of what will and won’t be accepted, and a few limits (such as 4 boxes of shreddable paper), see our calendar listing.
Today is the holiday-season occasion known as Giving Tuesday – with the spotlight on donations. We feature giving opportunities year-round on WSB, including the list of donation drives in our West Seattle Holiday Guide. But we received two requests for Giving Tuesday mentions, both coincidentally on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge, so we’re sharing them with you:
SANISLO ELEMENTARY: The Sanislo PTA wants you to know that even a little gift will make a big difference for their small-but-mighty school:
Sanislo Elementary School is one of the smallest schools in Seattle Public Schools, and it is right here in the heart of West Seattle. We know our tiny school escaped the chopping block for this next year’s school consolidation push, but we are trying to prove that our tiny school (fewer than 200 students) is an important part of our community.
The Sanislo PTA is doing a GIVING TUESDAY fundraiser, and we are hoping for just $2,000 in donations from at least 30 donors. It’s a modest goal, but these funds go a long way with our small school. Our PTA funds everything from afterschool activities (improv classes, Ultimate Frisbee team, movie nights, and cultural celebrations) to basic classroom necessities (snacks, reading materials, classroom supplies).
We are a Title 1 school, which means a considerable majority of our students are from low-income families. Sanislo is certainly one of the under-resourced schools described by the district, but that doesn’t mean we can’t offer our students the support, community, and education they deserve. We believe that all students should have the opportunity to create, learn, and grow within the community that supports them.
So, help us support them. Anyone can contribute to our fundraiser at our Member Planet Donation site. memberplanet.com/campaign/sanislopta/givingtuesday_34 or through our Venmo Platform — @Sanislo-Pta .
Small schools are on borrowed time in Seattle, and we want to prove that because we have strong roots in our community and are willing to water our potential with our own generosity, our students will grow and thrive without uprooting them and transplanting them somewhere new.
The Sanislo PTA’s gardening analogy fits with the fact that the other fundraiser we were asked to share is for a garden so big it’s a public park – Puget Ridge Edible Park has a donation drive going today:
(WSB file photo)
Our story started with a Seattle City Parks acquisition levy that passed with big voter support. Our Puget Ridge neighborhood organized to apply for a grant to acquire a 3/4 acre parcel that is one of the last standing undeveloped agriculture-based land. For the past 8 years this land has been regenerated through permaculture techniques to provide free, self-harvest food to the public.
We also distribute food through our farmstand and to food banks. It is our goal to share the methods we had set forth to make this project a reality. Organizing the community to have open communications on a variety of topics through an email group was the first step to our success. Finding a few motivated gardeners with some knowledge and background was not hard. Starting awareness events and work parties began to gel a core group capable of making great progress over the years of development. The park has been a learning center for local backyard gardeners as well as schools. We have also seen similar projects started from this project. Our only real financial support has been the Seed Money Campaign.
Puget Ridge Edible Park is at 18th/Brandon.
As we move into the season of long dark nights, we have news of a light show coming to West Seattle for the holiday season. The website for the Seattle Chinese Garden, which is on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge, points to the site for Astra Lumina, a traveling light show described as an hour-long “enchanted night walk” along a “celestial pathway of lustrous light, cosmic visions, and astral song” comprising a “multisensory immersive experience for all ages.” It’s been to 19 other places, including Los Angeles, for which this promotional clip was prepared:
This is expected to be a regional attraction, December 8-31, running Thursdays-Sundays, 5 pm-10 pm (Saturdays until 1 pm), then seven nights a week December 14-31. Admission, according to the Astra Lumina website, will be $41 for ages 13 and up, $35 seniors 65+, $31 kids 4-12, group discounts available, plus paid parking if you drive. Lots of info on this page (scroll down and you’ll find an FAQ link).
SPD and SFD are arriving at the scene of a collision at 16th/Myrtle. According to emergency-radio exchanges, a 35-year-old woman is reported to have been hit by a driver and suffered an ankle injury. The driver, according to dispatch, pulled over and remains on scene. Avoid the area for a while.
(South Seattle College photo)
1:48 PM: The last big back-to-school day of fall is tomorrow (Tuesday, September 26th), when hundreds of students start classes at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). If you’ve been considering continuing your education, it’s not too late to register – you can start the process here. We asked SSC communications director Ty Swenson what’s planned to welcome students back; he told us, “For the first two days of fall (tomorrow and Wednesday), we will have ‘Ask Me’ volunteers posted up around campus to help students find classes and resources. Weather permitting, we will also have a table with snacks in the clock tower plaza. A Welcome Back BBQ that was scheduled for Thursday is being rescheduled to a better-weather day next week.” SSC is part of the three-school Seattle Colleges district, which also includes Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill and North Seattle College near Northgate.
4:30 PM: Commenter Mellow Kitty pointed out that SSC is going “smoke-free” with the new quarter’s start. Swenson confirms it, explaining, “We are becoming a smoke-free campus (including smoking, chewing and vaping) starting this fall quarter. It will be a gradual roll-out of introducing folks to the new policy throughout the quarter as we place signage, remove smoking huts and share cessation resources with the campus community.”
7:29 PM: Thanks for the tips. Above is a screengrab of the Seattle City Light map showing 317 customers lost power about 10 minutes ago, mostly in the Puget Ridge area. No obvious cause yet. Let us know if you see SCL crews!
7:51 PM: We don’t know yet if it’s related but SFD is responding to a vault fire in the 6700 block of West Marginal [map]. Firefighters report “light smoke coming from an underground vault” and SFD says via Twitter/X: “Firefighters are establishing a 300-foot safety perimeter as a precaution and to protect nearby structures.” … The outage map has, since the start, included two spots off West Marginal, including one in the area of the vault fire, so that might be an indication.
8:05 PM: They’re dismissing most of the units from the vault-fire call.
9:19 PM: Power’s restored to the 300+ who were out.
| Comments Off on PREVIEW: South Seattle College’s annual ‘Discover’ open house Tuesday