West Seattle, Washington
26 Saturday
This Saturday (April 26) brings a long list of events in West Seattle – you can preview most of them via the listings on our West Seattle Event Calendar. We’ll be shouting out some of them in advance, too. That includes Healthy Kids Day at the West Seattle YMCA (36th/Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor). 10 am-1 pm, families are welcome to enjoy free fun activities – no membership required. The list this time around includes:
-Kayak races in the pool
-Glow in the dark yoga and Zumba classes
-Bouncy House
-Basketball mini hoop challenge
-Photobooth
-Face painting
-Hoola hoops
-Wood cookies crafting
-Trail Mix making
-Food samples from Distinguished Foods vendors
-Forgotten Dogs Rescue
No need to preregister – just show up! And if anybody in your household is looking for volunteer hours, the event runs on people power – go here to see what’s available!
Last month, West Seattle’s only overnight shelter – Westside Neighbors Shelter in The Triangle – announced it would stay open for overnight operations, at reduced capacity, year-round. Now that plan has changed. Just received from shelter manager Keith Hughes:
I want to thank all the people who have helped us on a continuous basis. As you know, Westside Neighbors Shelter typically offers cold-weather emergency overnight stays on cots in the Legion Hall auditorium from November through March. A few weeks ago, out of an abundance of compassion for those in need, we decided not to eliminate overnights once the weather grew warmer. We continued to offer breakfast, dinner, and overnight stays for 40 people.
However, with the new political reality and economic uncertainty in our country, donations to us and other organizations have dropped while the number of people who need help has grown. We found our resources so rapidly depleted that we realized we can’t afford to run the shelter full-time right now. For the survival of the shelter, we must return to our original model: starting Saturday, April 19, the shelter will once again function as a Warm Up Center only, 7 am to 11 am every day, and including a hot breakfast.
So many of our clients stop by my office each day and say, “Thank you for what you’re doing for us.” Our goal is to someday provide services year-round, full-time, to our neighbors who need help with basic day-to-day living. I am determined to make this a reality, with help from donors and volunteers who want to make a difference. If you’re interested in donating food, clothing, or money, or if you’re interested in volunteering, please see our website: www.westsideneighborsshelter.org.
Spring is a beautiful yet precarious time – and if you’re heading into the mountains, awareness and education can be life-saving. An informational event Wednesday at Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) can help – here’s the announcement:
Mountain to Sound Outfitters is collaborating with local mountain-guiding company Mountain Madness to host a springtime avalanche-awareness workshop! Attendees will learn tips and techniques for spring backcountry ski travel and gain insight into the unique challenges springtime avalanches present. One of Mountain Madness’s certified guides will be available to answer any questions attendees may have. Refreshments will be provided as well!
The event will start at 6 pm on Wednesday 4/16. Tickets are $5 and the money spent on tickets can be used toward the purchase of any backcountry-specific gear sold at M2S.
People can purchase tickets with this link.
ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: Thanks for the tip. Another automotive business in The Triangle has announced it’s closing. This time it’s Pep Boys (4441 Fauntleroy Way SW). We talked with manager Natasha, who confirmed that May 2 will be the business’s last day. They say the company’s closing this location (which it leases) because of impending light-rail construction; we’re checking with Sound Transit, as 2027 has long been cited as the expected start of construction – the project’s Environmental Impact Statement notes that this site would have been affected by any of the alternatives considered including tunneling into The Junction, which is what the “preferred alternative” calls for. The manager told us one of their employees will retire and the rest will have an option to move to Pep Boys’ SODO location (1961 4th Avenue S.). If you’ve been around more than a few years, you might recall that this was formerly Elliott Tire/Goodyear, until the Pep Boys rebranding in 2018. The closure news comes less than a month after Advance Auto Parts shuttered a short distance north, a closure that company said was part of a West Coast wave of closures. Between AAP and PB is the long-vacant former Midas site.
UPDATE ADDED WEDNESDAY: We asked Sound Transit spokesperson Henry Bendon about this site’s status. He reaffirmed that West Seattle light-rail construction is NOT starting in 2026, and added, “Our real property team has indicated they have not begun acquisition communications with that property (I do not know if they will or if it is impacted, but if it is, they have not started the process yet).”
Thanks to Kevin Seda-Kane for the photos and report on how Troop 799 spent their Saturday:
The annual Pinewood Derby took place at the West Seattle VFW. Scouts designed their own cars and raced them against each other. Lots of fun, designs, and good times were had.
Categories of competition were best design and fastest car.
The Pinewood Derby is a Scouting tradition with more than 70 years of history, as recounted here.
By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
As warmer temperatures arrive, Westside Neighbors Shelter announced this week that they are changing what has been a cold-weather-only overnight shelter to one that is open year-round, at a lower capacity.
The shelter, in the American Legion Post 160 building (3618 SW Alaska), was already providing a daily “warm-up” service every morning, but has only consistently offered a place to sleep overnight from November to March.
Operator Keith Hughes told WSB that the ability to do this is a case of the “stars aligning … It’s been my goal since I opened the shelter. There just wasn’t enough staff to do it.” Now volunteer Tim James is stepping up to be the shelter’s operations manager 4 1/2 days a week, which will free up Hughes and make it possible, with the help of other volunteers, to provide dinner and cots for three dozen people who would otherwise be sleeping outside in spring and summer.
Hughes says this year there was more need for shelter over the winter than they could sustain, despite being able to physically fit everyone in the building. “We had 60 people or more for more than 6 weeks [over the winter]. We put people where we could put them.” But the impact of everyone seeking help spilled over into the neighborhood, causing a variety of complaints and accusations from neighbors about everything from garbage and drug use to too many people at nearby bus stops. “We didn’t have the staff to manage that many people,” Hughes acknowledged, adding that they are working to be sensitive to the neighborhood with the changes they are making.
One of the biggest changes is that, as of last Wednesday, the shelter has been limiting overnight beds to 36. They also have new protocols for checking people in and are continuing to adjust things as needed, while still focusing on providing a safe, dry, and warm place for unhoused people in the community. “Some of the things that were happening in January have been fixed: No garbage on the property, no one living on the front porch. We don’t have 60 people occupying the bus stops when we close at 11 am. We have a more stable group of people here now.”
With stability, there’s the opportunity to bring help directly to people who either stop in for the morning warm-up or who are there overnight. Hughes is in the process of talking with two other nonprofits that he says should be able help transition people from simply finding a place to stay overnight to getting off the streets permanently. “We should have services in house to move them into temporary housing, and then into permanent housing. We never had the ability to do that until now.” And some of that is already happening. Hughes says just last week one person was able to move out of the shelter into low-income housing, while two others are currently in rehab.
While the expansion in services at the shelter is happening at the same time the city has started making CARE Community Crisis Responders available in West Seattle, Hughes says that timing is entirely coincidental. He said they have only had a CARE team visit the shelter once, and it remains to be seen how frequently those services will be needed for people at the shelter, but potentially, “We will have a way to get more people more help.”
Hughes is still working out how to pay for the expansion. The vast majority of the shelter’s funding comes from individual donations from people in the community. Just the morning warm-up services cost $4,000/month, so additional fundraising will be needed with 8 new months of dinners and showers to support. With the full program in the winter, the shelter costs $12,000 a month to run. Hughes hopes more people see the value of what he and other volunteers are doing and pitch in. “Homeless people don’t evaporate. All they do is change places.” He says when shelters are only open part of the year, it’s difficult to provide meaningful support that will get them off the streets. “If you run them out of your park, they go to another park in another neighborhood. You can either help me support these people in my shelter or you can have them sleeping in your doorway.”
Westside Neighbors Shelter accepts donations of food and other supplies listed on its website 7 days a week from 7 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 10 pm. Here’s the most-recent wish list sent to us:
Instant hot chocolate packets
Instant oatmeal packets
ground coffee (don’t need to be fancy, Folgers is fine)
Powdered coffee creamer (like coffee mate canisters)
20 oz cups (like Dixie Ultra)
heavy-duty plastic spoons and forks
paper napkins and paper towels
Swiffer wet jet refill liquid and cleaning pads
Stocking caps, gloves, sweatshirts/hoodies, socks, men’s underwear and T-shirts
Thanks for the tip. A little over a month after West Seattle Brewing closed at 4415 Fauntleroy Way SW – where an eviction notice had just gone up – the space is now officially up for lease. Signage on the building, as shown in our photo, offers only a phone number; cross-referencing that number points primarily to an apartment complex in the Capitol Hill area. The space was long a little store called Tervo’s; then in 2011, it became the Corner Store and Deli, and a year later West Seattle Brewing took over.
We just might have seen the last of this season’s subfreezing temperatures. That means emergency overnight operations can stop down at West Seattle’s only shelter. We just received this announcement from shelter operator Keith Hughes:
We have been open since the first week of November 2024, and in that time have provided 5,800 beds, over 11,000 meals, and over 9,000 items of clothing. Sunday, February 23, will be the last night of overnight stays at the Westside Neighbors Shelter, unless the weather takes a drastic turn.
We will continue to operate the Morning Warm-Up Center from 7 am till 11 am every day, including a healthy hot breakfast every morning at 8:30 am.
My sincere thanks to the citizens of West Seattle for generously supporting this effort, and giving me the peace of mind to know that when I ask, they will answer.
The shelter, co-housed with American Legion Post 160 and the West Seattle Veterans Center at 3618 SW Alaska, runs on donations and volunteers.
West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) branch executive Cleveland King sends word of three things to know about: First, the 2025 fundraising kickoff event is set for 6 pm March 5 at the Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall (9140 California SW) – here’s your invite to that; you are promised a fun time and a way to support making Y programs available to more people. Next, they’re starting up competitive basketball at both the Fauntleroy and Triangle locations, and tryouts are coming up next month, for girls and boys, 3rd through 8th grade. Here’s the flyer with dates and times; registration is open now. Finally, also for youth, sports-performance training will be offered at the main location in The Triangle, for ages 10 through 18 – you can find out more about that here.
Temperatures are down and shelter need is up. Keith Hughes from Westside Neighbors Shelter, the privately operated facility that is West Seattle’s only emergency overnight shelter, is asking for these four items:
We are completely out of stocking caps and gloves, and getting short on blankets and pillows. We have been taking care of 55 to 60 people every night with this very cold weather week. Thanks for your continued support.
The shelter is at 3618 SW Alaska. Donation-dropoff hours are on its website.
(File photo, courtesy Westside Neighbors Shelter)
As the year ends, the temperature has dropped, and West Seattle’s only emergency shelter is busy. Manager Keith Hughes shares wish lists periodically, and we just got this, if you’re inclined to help:
Thank you, West Seattle, for continuing to generously support your Community Shelter. We have averaged over 40 people per night for the past month, and that takes a lot of supplies. Needed now:
Dixie Ultra 10″ paper plates and 20 oz bowls
12″ and 18″ aluminum foil
CoffeeMate powdered coffee creamer
jelly
jarred pasta sauce
Sugar, 5#, 10# bags
pancake syrup (quarts)
12 oz hot cups (no lids)
toilet paper, paper towels
Pam Spray
vegetable oil for cooking
raisins (for the oatmeal)…. Big Item Request …. Alpha Camp folding camp cots. I need 10. Maybe a project for a group/organization that can do it together?
The shelter is at 3618 SW Alaska. Info on how and when to donate items, including online ordering/delivery if that works better, is on its website.
(Added: Texted reader photo)
4:27 AM: Thanks for the tips. Police are at the gas station/minimart at 4580 Fauntleroy Way SW trying to arrest a suspect. Radio traffic indicates the person they’re after is an assault suspect; the incident is described as domestic violence. More details as we get them.
4:44 AM: According to audio from the initial dispatch, the victim was described as a “man, bleeding badly, who said he was in a fight with his wife.” The victim has been taken to a hospital.
4:59 AM: They’re still searching for the suspect, now with a K-9 team helping. She is described as a Hispanic woman in her late 30s, about 4’8″, pink sweater, possibly armed with a knife (though the assault was not described nor dispatched as a stabbing).
5:14 AM: The K-9-accompanied search has ranged into the neighborhoods north/northeast of Fauntleroy/Alaska, so if you’re in that area and seeing/hearing police, it’s related to this.
5:48 AM: That search is continuing. Meantime, police have obtained a warrant to search the vehicle in which the suspect and victim are reported to have arrived at the gas station.
(Added: Reader photo)
5:53 AM: The tracking team has wound up back at the gas station. Meantime, we’re following up with SFD on the victim’s condition when taken to the hospital.
6:04 AM: They’ve finished that search; no one inside. The vehicle was initially described as a pickup truck but subsequent mentions, and at least one nearby resident, say it’s an RV.
6:14 AM: The search is wrapping up for now. We’ll be following up with police too.
11:45 AM: SFD says the victim, 34, was in stable condition when transported.
1:05 PM: And police have just confirmed to WSB that the suspect, 37, has been arrested. The jail register shows she was booked just before 10 am.
ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Here’s the SPD summary of the incident:
At 0401 hours, the victim drove his RV to the Shell Gas Station located at the 4500 BLK of Fauntleroy WY SW. The victim fell asleep, and the suspect became mad. The suspect started yelling at the victim and she pulled out a knife. The suspect slashed at the victim, and he blocked it with his arm. The victim suffered a deep laceration on his upper right wrist. The victim was transported to HMC by AMR. K9 responded to the scene and completed a track, but the suspect wasn’t located. A warrant was completed and approved. The suspect wasn’t located inside the RV. … The suspect was later located, arrested, and booked into KCJ for Assault.
She remains at the King County Jail as of late today.
(Photo courtesy Westside Neighbors Shelter)
As we’ve reported many times in recent years, Westside Neighbors Shelter (3618 SW Alaska) is West Seattle’s only emergency shelter, with overnight sleeping space during the cold months. Manager Keith Hughes asked us to share the latest wish list with you:
The real winter came on larger than expected. I am already averaging close to 30 people for dinner, overnight, and breakfast every day. I am running out of supplies much faster than anticipated. Things I am out or nearly out of include:
Instant Oatmeal (packets)
Instant Hot chocolate (packets)
Top Ramen noodle packets
Cup-o-soup
Granulated Sugar (5- or 10-pound bags)
White rice – 1- or 2-pound bags
12 oz hot cups (lids not needed)Thank you, West Seattle, for being so great about supporting the needs right here at home.
You can check out the shelter’s website for more info about how, where, and when to donate.
(WSB file photo)
As Westside Neighbors Shelter operator Keith Hughes told the Rotary Club of West Seattle today, “I’ll be there 12 hours a day for the next five months.” He has officially opened West Seattle’s only emergency shelter for the season; cold weather means it’s open overnight to up to 30 people who need a place to go. The shelter is at 3618 SW Alaska in The Triangle, co-housed with American Legion Post 160 and West Seattle Veterans Center. It runs on donations and volunteers, and Keith told the Rotary he can especially use more of the latter. (Here’s how to volunteer.)
(WSB file photo)
With overnight temperatures expected in the 30s this week, the Westside Neighbors’ Shelter in The Triangle is getting ready to open. Here’s the update from shelter manager Keith Hughes:
I will be opening the Overnight Cold Weather Shelter for Wednesday and Thursday nights this week.
Hours are 5:00 PM till 11:00 AM the next day. We will serve a hot dinner at 6:30 pm each day and a hot breakfast at 8:30 AM each day as well as provide cots and blankets inside. We serve adult men and women without exception.
Westside Neighbors Shelter is a 501c3 private nonprofit at 3618 SW Alaska, co-housed with American Legion Post 160 and the West Seattle Veteran Center. We’re checking to see if they have any current donation needs as they get ready to ramp up operations.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: Here’s how Keith replied:
Top of the List needs are: dry pasta (spaghetti, egg noodles) and pasta sauce, rice in 1 and 2 pound bags, peanut butter, salted butter cubes, store gift cards so we can get eggs, milk, fresh veggies. Non-food items needed are: socks, stocking caps, gloves, men’s boxers L and XL, winter coats.
(WSB photos)
Snow season has yet to begin, so it’s the right time to be sure you’re geared up for it. This weekend’s West Seattle Ski Swap has a bigger selection than ever – skis, boards, boots, apparel, more.
You’ll find all this at the West Seattle VFW Post 2713 Hall (3601 SW Alaska) until 5 pm today, and again from 10 am to 4 pm tomorrow.
The Ski Swap is presented again this year by Mountain to Sound Outfitters, whose storefront is across the street from the Ski Swap site.
(WSB photo, 2023 West Seattle Ski Swap)
If you have skis, snowboards, and/or other gear to sell at this weekend’s West Seattle Ski Swap, but you’re not registered yet, hurry and get it done – 6 pm tonight is the deadline for signups. Here’s where to go to do that; the window for dropping off your item(s) is 3-7 pm today. The dropoff, and Ski Swap, location is the VFW Hall at 3601 SW Alaska (across the street from Ski Swap sponsor Mountain to Sound Outfitters); sale hours are 10-5 tomorrow and 10-4 Sunday (October 12-13).
The Boeing Employees Choir, which rehearses in West Seattle, is inviting singers to any of three upcoming open rehearsals. Despite the name, you do not have to be a Boeing employee to join. The rehearsals are at American Legion Post 160 (3618 SW Alaska), at 6:30 pm October 15, 22, and 29. If you’re interested in participating on one of those dates, they’d love to hear from you at pr*******@*********ir.org – but RSVP isn’t mandatory. The choir has openings in all sections; read more about it here.
(WSB photo, this morning)
Two days after 32-year-old Laupule Talaga was shot and killed, a memorial of flowers and candles sits outside a door at Distinguished Foods, which rented space to his employer, Seattle Soul Kitchen. Police have nothing new to report publicly in their search for the person who entered the building at 4611 36th SW around 4 pm Wednesday and shot Mr. Talaga multiple times.
(WSB photo, Wednesday)
Seattle Soul Kitchen remains closed, but otherwise Distinguished Foods is open, according to a spokesperson for the kitchen-rental business, which sent this statement today:
… Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and friends as they navigate this unimaginable loss. In moments like these, words fall short, but we offer our sincerest condolences and unwavering support to those affected by this senseless act of violence.
We are incredibly thankful that no further injuries occurred, and we extend our gratitude to the first responders and community members who acted swiftly in the face of tragedy. The safety and well-being of our community are our highest priorities, and we stand with West Seattle as we collectively heal from this event.
To that last point, we asked if any security measures were planned; the spokesperson replied, “We are actively evaluating measures to enhance the safety of the building. This was a targeted incident, and while we continue to prioritize the safety of our tenants, customers, and employees, it appears there was little we could have done to prevent it.”
Seattle Soul Kitchen said via social media that Mr. Talaga was a father of three, and pleaded, “We call for peace in our streets and an end to the violence. It’s time to heal, time to put down the guns, time to live for our family and friends.” We asked Distinguished Foods if they knew of any crowdfunding to help the victim’s family; so far, no.
(Added: WSB photo)
3:57 PM: Police and fire are responding to a reported shooting in the 4600 block of 36th SW [vicinity map]. The victim is reported to be a man, with multiple gunshot wounds. The person who shot him is described as a Black man, late 20s to early 30s, all black clothing, white face mask, last seen running toward SW Snoqualmie. The victim is reported to be at the commissary kitchens across from the YMCA, though we don’t yet know if that’s where he was shot. Updates to come.
4:06 PM: The victim is reported to be in his (updated) 30s and conscious. SFD medics are treating him.
4:14 PM: He’ll be taken to Harborview Medical Center; medics say he was shot four times. The description of the shooter has been updated to add thin, tall, black hoodie and jeans, blue surgical mask.
4:25 PM: Our crew has confirmed the shooting happened inside the building at Distinguished Foods, which houses multiple small food businesses. We don’t know what if any relationship the victim has to any of them. Meantime, readers have pointed out that the West Seattle YMCA across the street went into lockdown as a precaution.
5:40 PM: Awaiting media briefing. SFD says the victim was in serious condition when transported.
7:11 PM: Finally just got media briefing. Sgt. Patrick Michaud says the victim has died. Description of his killer is the same as we mentioned above. The shooting happened in the building. We’ll upload full video of the briefing as soon as our crew is back at HQ.
7:41 PM: Here’s what else Sgt. Michaud told us (video added):
The (updated) 29-year-old victim was an employee of one of the businesses in the building, though he didn’t know which one. They’re not sure yet if this was random or targeted; there were other people in the room when the killer came in – entering through “the back kitchen door,” which was open – and shot the victim. The killer left on foot but as for whether he then got into a vehicle and left the area, they have “conflicting information,” with “several different car descriptions” – he said detectives are reviewing video from buildings in the area to find more clues. They have not found the gun that was used. If you have any information, call the SPD tipline at 206-233-5000.
12:36 AM: Thanks to the texter and commenter who report that the last police at the scene left before midnight and 36th reopened.
SIDE NOTE: This is the fourth homicide of 2024 in West Seattle, after 15-year-old Mobarak Adam‘s shooting death at Southwest Pool/Teen Center in January, 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara‘s shooting death on Duwamish Head in June, and 53-year-old William Tappe‘s beating death in the east Junction area in June. No arrests to date in either of the first two; in the third, as we first reported when the case came to light belatedly in July, 30-year-old Kyle Castillo is charged and out on $2 million bail.
THURSDAY 3:38 PM: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identifies the victim as 32-year-old Laupule Talaga. (added) A commenter points out that one of the businesses that rents space at Distinguished Foods, Seattle Soul Kitchen, has posted on social media that the victim was an employee of theirs, a father of three, and that they believe he was targeted.
(WSB file photo)
Volunteers and donations power the Westside Neighbors Shelter in The Triangle, and some of the latter are running low. Here are the items that shelter operator Keith Hughes says are most needed right now:
Granulated Sugar – 5# or 10# bags prefered
Coffee Mate powdered coffee creamer
Ground coffee – 2# / 3# cans – Folgers is fine.
Herbal Tea Bags
Krusteaz Pancake Mix – Family size (5# /10# bags)
Pancake syrup
Cornbread mix
Vegetable oil – plain and simple, nothing fancy
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Kitchen dishwashing soap
Laundry detergent soap pods
8 am-11 am daily is the best time to drop off donations at the shelter at 3618 SW Alaska – the building that also houses the West Seattle Veteran Center and American Legion Post 160.
An announcement from the West Seattle YMCA (longtime WSB sponsor):
Come into the West Seattle Y by Sunday the 25th to inquire about the tickets and your eligibility!
The WS Y branch is at 36th/Snoqualmie in The Triangle.
A 36-year-old man is expected to be booked into King County Jail after treatment at Harborview Medical Center following two break-ins in The Triangle early this morning – at Fire Station 32 and at The Grove. According to the report summary and incident audio, police say he first came to their attention around 3 am, when someone reported a man near the fire station, yelling for help. He then was reported to have gone into The Grove a few blocks east, claiming he was being followed, and starting “to barricade the entrance of (the hotel).” What happened after that isn’t explained (update: he left before police arrived) but at 4:30 am police got a report that the same man had gotten inside the fire station. Dispatch audio indicates he first was in the apparatus bay (where the SFD vehicles park), “refusing to leave,” and then went into a tool room and locked himself inside. There, he was reported to be “setting off fire extinguishers.” After about 20 minutes, officers talked him into emerging, and they arrested him. He was transported to Harborview after he, according to the summary, “admitted to taking meth prior to the incident and was hallucinating.” The summary also says he got into FS32 “through an unlocked basement”; we’re waiting to hear back from SFD about the extent of the damage done. (Thanks to Aaron for the tip on this.)
ADDED: SFD spokesperson Kristin Hanson tells WSB, “We are currently conducting an inventory of items that need to be replaced or repaired due to damage in the tool room.”
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