West Seattle, Washington
01 Thursday
Recently we noticed online permit activity for 3401 California SW, long the home of the West Seattle location of Spiro’s Pizza and Pasta. The owners weren’t ready to comment on their restaurant’s future until today. Here’s their announcement:
Dear West Seattle,
Since 1991, Spiro’s Pizza & Pasta and the Voltsis family has had the privilege and honor of being a part of the community. From the little location at 3401 California Ave, we have been able to grow our businesses, as we have been able to watch the area expand as well. Through our modest doors we have seen generations of families come in, and watch their children grow, and through time come in with their children. We are forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful neighborhood over the past 31 years.
After three decades at this location, it is time for us to sadly say goodbye to West Seattle. We will close our doors in West Seattle for the final time December 16th, 2022. We ask that you welcome the new tenants, West Seattle residents Mike Meckling (Woodinville Cut Shop, Neumos) and Ben Jenkins (Shadowland, Dumplings of Fury) who will be opening a family-friendly Mexican restaurant offering authentic Mexican food by chef Danny Ludwig.
We will forever remember our time in West Seattle, and we thank you for the many years of patronage and friendship.
With our sincerest gratitude to West Seattle,
Jim, Sia, Evan and Eleni Voltsis
You can read the backstory of the multigenerational family pizza business here. West Seattle was their first location; Spiro’s is also in Shoreline and Mukilteo.
Two reader reports:
PACKAGE THEFT: Jessica reports this person stole a package Wednesday on 14th SW and her security cam got the thief and his getaway car:
Couldn’t make out a license plate #. Saw him drive away in person and it looked like the plate was covered with a yellow paper/advertisement.
CAR PROWLS: Libby sent this report:
Writing on behalf of two of us neighbors in the 5900 block of 38th Ave SW. We both left our cars unlocked and they were rummaged through (Tuesday) night sometime between 11 pm and 4 am. The thieves took miscellaneous items, vehicle registrations, and insurance cards. We have filed police reports. A good reminder to lock your vehicles!
Longtime WSB sponsor SoundYoga wants you to know, “We’re still here!” despite one big change. Here’s the announcement, and a request:
On February 2, 1998, Chris Dormaier, Yoga instructor and author, founded and began operating the SoundYoga studio at 5639 California Avenue SW.
For nearly 25 years at this location, Chris and her fellow teachers have provided various levels of Yoga classes and Yoga teacher training to many of our West Seattle and broader Seattle-area residents. This past summer, Chris was notified by her landlord that the SoundYoga lease would not be renewed. Well, the time has come to close the beautiful SoundYoga studio space. However, like many businesses, SoundYoga had pivoted to providing online classes during COVID and we will continue to offer online classes after the studio space is gone. We will also offer a limited number of in-person classes near our former studio. If you have studio space to share, please contact us at info@soundyoga.com.
Our last day in the studio is November 30, 2022, and we look forward to continuing to serve the West Seattle community and beyond via our online classes found at SoundYoga.com.
Now that the weather has calmed – a look ahead at the rest of today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and year-round Event Calendar:
SOUTHWEST POOL REOPENS: After a two-day closure, the pool at 2801 SW Thistle is back open today but on a limited schedule – details in this update.
FESTIVAL OF TREES: Drop in to see the dozen-plus decorated, donated trees and wreaths on display at Brookdale Admiral Heights (2326 California SW) before 5 pm, and if you like one (or more) consider bidding for it in the Rotary Service Foundation‘s benefit auction next week!
THURSDAY FOOD-TRUCK POP-UPS: 4-8 pm at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), Foody Moody will be visiting.
HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: Also at HP Corner Store, meet up at 6:30 pm Thursdays for a ~3-mile run.
MENASHE FAMILY LIGHTS: Tonight is the first official night for West Seattle’s brightest holiday display (5605 Beach Drive SW). Here’s our preview from earlier this week.
MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 7 pm, Bill Davie and Amy Read perform at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
WEST SEATTLE’S SILENT BOOK CLUB: It’s gotten so popular, it’s meeting at multiple locations tonight, 7 pm – the list is here.
PIANO BAR: Larry Knapp and Friends provide the music – and you could too, as there’s an open mic as well as the option to just sit and enjoy the music. 7-10 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon), $5 entrance fee. Drinks and fruit/cheese trays available for purchase.
COMMUNITY MEETING: If you live in White Center or vicinity, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council is your community council, meeting monthly online to discuss a variety of issues. Here are details on tonight’s 7 pm meeting and how to watch/listen/participate.
ARTSWEST HOLIDAY SHOW: Tonight at 7:30 pm, the second week begins for “Q Brothers Christmas Carol” at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – ticket info is in our calendar listing.
Have something to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
“I have people here … They need to be treated with dignity.”
And that’s why Keith Hughes keeps opening the doors of the West Seattle Veteran Center to people who need someplace to go during cold-weather emergencies.
Some have asked what kind of help he could use right now. Warm-clothing items like hats and gloves. Volunteer help, too. And also – understanding.
If you know of someone who needs shelter – or have hats/gloves to donate – the center is at 3618 SW Alaska.
(Latest ‘live’ view from California/Admiral SDOT camera)
Good morning. It’s Thursday, December 1st. Icy (and then snowy) weather has led to some changes this morning. (Anything to add? Text/call 206-293-6302)
SCHOOL CHANGES
Several schools and neighboring districts are starting late, as announced last night and this morning. See the updated list here. (6:36 am update: Updated on the list but also FYI, Vashon Island SD has now changed to “all schools closed.”)
WEATHER UPDATES
The Winter Weather Advisory is still in effect through 4 pm, warning that more snow is possible throughout the day (6:19 am, light snow is falling now) but so far the main challenge is ice. (7 am: Cars are coated in snow up here.) (7:53 am: Mostly stopped for now.)
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
–Metro buses are on regular routes and schedules in our area but snow routes in the service’s East Region; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts, and here for weather-related changes.
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is back to its full schedule. (6:51 AM UPDATE: West Seattle run now out of service – mechanical problem with Spirit of Kingston. 7:23 AM UPDATE: Metro expects WSWT service to resume with 7:40 am run from downtown to WS.) (12:30 pm note: A short-term “staffing shortage” has the WSWT canceling one more round trip today: “Thurs. Dec. 1, 12:30 & 1:00pm Water Taxi departures canceled due to temporary staffing constraints. Regular service resumes with the 1:30 p.m. departure from downtown and the 2:00 p.m. departure from West Seattle.”)
-WSF’s Triangle Route is back to 2 boats – check here for alerts/updates.
TRAFFIC UPDATE
8:12 AM: Truck has gone sideways on the NB I-5 ramp to WB West Seattle Bridge:
Check the live camera here.
10:33 AM: The ramp has reopened.
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
High Bridge – here’s the camera at the top.
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (if SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way).
Low Bridge: Or nearby, depending on where SDOT points the camera.
1st Ave. S. Bridge: The south route.
Highway 99: Here’s the northbound side at Lander.
All functional city traffic cams can be seen here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page … Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
If you see a problem on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
9:25 PM: Just got the first announcement of a school change for Thursday, so we’ll start building a list. Please text or call 206-293-6302 or email westseattleblog@gmail.com with updates – thank you!
2 HOURS LATE THURSDAY
Hope Lutheran School starting 2 hours late, no morning extended-care program or half-day preschool
(added 9:59 pm) Highline Public Schools starting 2 hours late – full details here
(added 10:12 pm) Kennedy Catholic High School starting 2 hours late – full details here
(added 5:27 am) South Seattle College, 10 am start
(added 5:44 am) Summit Atlas starting 2 hours late
(added 6:44 am) Highline College starting at noon
(added 6:47 am) The Bridge School starting 2 hours late
(added 6:57 am) Holy Rosary School starting 2 hours late
(added 6:57 am) Our Lady of Guadalupe School starting 2 hours late
SCHOOLS CLOSED THURSDAY
(updated 6:34 am) Vashon Island School District just changed its status to “all schools closed”
After a two-day closure because of staff illness, Southwest Pool will reopen tomorrow, but not yet on its full schedule, according to the announcement we received tonight:
Southwest Pool will run limited operations on Thursday, December 1st.
We still have multiple staff members out sick. We are able to run limited programming including our afternoon swim lessons. The day will look like:
12-3:30 Adult Swim – No WX or 3pm Lap
4-5:30 Lessons
5:45-6:45 Lap Swim
Public Swim CancelledWe are working to return to full operation as soon as staffing allows. Check the pool webpage or call 206-684-7440 for updates.
Tonight we photographed one of the first big West Seattle Christmas light displays up every year … at the home of Ken Arkills in Fauntlee Hills.
The house is on a corner lot, so there’s a lot to see on multiple sides.
You can see it at 39th SW and SW Trenton [map].
If you have lights to show everyone, or happened to see a notable display, please let us know – again this year, we hope to showcase lights every night through Christmas. Photos are welcome but if you don’t have them, just tell us where we can find the lights to photograph them ourselves – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Photo courtesy Southwest Seattle Historical Society)
Two holiday-shopping notes tonight from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society – first, TONIGHT is the deadline to order Log House Museum 25th anniversary apparel in time to get it before Christmas (as first mentioned here two weeks ago) – you can order here. They’ll have another batch for sale after that, through year’s end, but not available before Christmas, so if you’re interested, order now.
Second, the museum’s gift shop will be open the next three Saturdays, with a holiday sale – half-price books and glass souvenir ornaments (photo above). You can shop local, support a nonprofit, and celebrate local history. The museum and gift shop are at 61st/Stevens, and you can visit the shop noon-4 pm December 3, 10, and 17.
Right now some wet snow is falling, but not sticking, and the temperature’s a few degrees above freezing. There’s a chance of more-serious snow overnight, the National Weather Service warns, so it has a Winter Weather Advisory in effect again, currently set to expire at 4 pm tomorrow.. The NWS’s analysis (aka “forecast discussion“) says colder air is on the way and that could mean, if not snow, icy streets, so if you have to head out in the morning, leave yourself extra time. The NWS says things will be “unsettled” into next week, but there should be breaks in the moisture, including parts of Friday and Saturday.
(Seattle Police photos)
Seattle Police have arrested a man found in the stolen pickup shown above near Highland Park Elementary, passed out, partly unclothed, with drugs and a loaded gun. They say people at the school and in the neighborhood reported the man around 7:40 am for “lewd conduct” at 11th/Cloverdale. Officers found the 26-year-old man, a convicted felon, inside the pickup “which appeared to have been spray-painted white,” with his pants pulled down. His girlfriend was trying to wake him up. After learning the pickup was stolen, they arrested him, and a subsequent search turned up what SPD lists as “a 24-gram brick of cocaine, 115 grams of methamphetamine in individual baggies, a 55-gram rock of methamphetamine, 149 fentanyl pills, and ammunition.”
He’s currently in the King County Jail. Court records show he’s already awaiting trial on four King County charges from 2020 and 2021 – 2 cases of attempting to elude police, one of possessing a stolen car, one of possessing drugs.
The video and report are from Amy:
We live in a townhouse in the alley behind Juneau Street Market. Our neighbor’s mailbox was broken into on Monday night and his mail was stolen. (The thief also checked our mailboxes and checked out our neighbor’s house.) We have video of the thieves approaching and of the break-in. (above) … Our neighbor has reported the incident but we wanted the West Seattle community to be aware.
This is the framegrab with the clearest view of both faces:
We’ll add the incident # when we get it.
Those are some of the founding members of the new PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) launched for West Seattle Elementary. Elle sent the photo and report:
West Seattle Elementary is excited to announce the launch of its Parent Teacher Organization (PTO): Friends of West Seattle Elementary (also known as FOWSE).
Readers may be surprised to hear that unlike every other public elementary school in West Seattle, West Seattle Elementary did not have an established PTO until the 2022-23 school year. In partnership with the Alliance for Education, a non-profit that supports excellence in education by advancing educational justice and racial equity for students in Seattle Public Schools, and West Seattle Public Schools Equity Fund, WSE has been building the groundwork to establish and govern such a group for several years.
FOWSE aims to support WSE students in their academic success by building a strong community between teachers, staff and families, and providing additional resources through fundraising efforts and volunteers to help close the achievement gap. WSE Principal Pam McCowan-Conyers said, “Establishing a PTO at West Seattle Elementary is a pivotal step to creating an equitable learning environment where parents, teachers and staff partner on how best to serve the unique needs of our students”. The group had its inaugural meeting on November 7th and interested community members and/or parents are invited to attend their next meeting January 9th @ 5 PM at High Point Community Center.
If you’re a parent at the school or community member interested in getting involved with the PTO or simply learning more, visit the PTO website, make a donation here (select ‘Friends of West Seattle Elementary – 23602‘ under group dropdown) or send them an email at friendsofwse@gmail.com for more information.
West Seattle Elementary is in its second year at the former Schmitz Park Elementary while an addition is built at its permanent High Point campus.
If you’re a parent at the school or community member interested in getting involved with the PTO or simply learning more, visit the PTO website, make a donation here (select ‘Friends of West Seattle Elementary – 23602’ under group drop down) or send them an email at friendsofwse@gmail.com for more information.
(2020 photo from first year of the drop-off drive)
This Saturday (December 3rd( is one of the busiest days of the holiday season – so much happening – but if you can take a few minutes to stop by this student-organized drop-off food/coat drive, it would make a big difference toward keeping people from going hungry. Here’s the organizers’ announcement:
3rd Annual Drive-Through Holiday Food Drive!
My name is Atticus and I am a sophomore at Raisbeck Aviation High School. My brother Dominic, who is an 8th grader at Hope Lutheran, and I are once again doing a food drive to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank during the holiday season.
Just drive up and pop your trunk! Monetary donations are also appreciated.
We are also collecting new or gently used coats of all sizes which will be placed by WIN (Westside Interfaith Network) at their welcome table, every Saturday in White Center.
Thank you once again for helping us support the members of our community during these times!
They’ll be in the lower Hope Lutheran lot, off SW Oregon east of California, 10 am-3 pm Saturday.
(Beauty in fallen leaves and lingering flowers, photographed by Caity Gerhardt)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and year-round Event Calendar, here are notes for the rest of today/tonight:
SOUTHWEST POOL CLOSED: The city-run pool at 2801 SW Thistle is closed again today for staff shortage because of illness.
LAST DAY FOR YOUNGSTOWN ART SHOW: Drop in today if you haven’t yet seen “The Shapes of Our Community” at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
DONATION DRIVE FOR TREEHOUSE: One of the donation drives we’re spotlighting in our calendar and Holiday Guide has just one week to go – toys and other gifts for foster youth served by Treehouse, collected at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor).
FESTIVAL OF TREES: Stop in to see the dozen-plus decorated, donated trees on display at Brookdale Admiral Heights (2326 California SW) before 5 pm, and if you like one (or more) consider bidding for it in the Rotary Service Foundation‘s benefit auction next week!
LIVE AT LOCOL: Locöl (7902 35th SW) spotlights live music 6:30-8:30 pm Wednesdays, no cover, 21+, rotating artists. (And see what’s new!)
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
TRIVIA x 5: At 7 pm, you can play trivia at the West Seattle Brewing Mothership (4415 Fauntleroy Way SW); Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm; there’s 7:30 and 8:30 pm trivia at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska); trivia starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW); at 8:30 pm, trivia is back at Talarico’s (4718 California SW) with Phil T.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups @ West Seattle’s longest-running open mic – no cover to watch. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Have an event – one-time or recurring – to add to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Andy sent this stolen-car report, hoping you might see it abandoned somewhere:
I wanted to report that my red 1999 Honda CR-V was stolen sometime between 3 am-530 am this morning. It had been parked right in front of our house on SW Dawson Street (west of California Ave/Rite Aid).
We looked out to see if there was snow. No snow, no car, either!
Police have been contacted, and I’ve spoken to an officer directly. They’re on the lookout. Hopefully someone spots it!
1999 Honda CR-V (Red)
License Plate: AYB4627
THURSDAY UPDATE: Found – see comment.
6:07 AM: Good morning. It’s Wednesday, November 30th.
WEATHER
The Winter Storm Warning alert issued late last night during another blast of snow is still in effect through 11 am, but the forecast is back to rain, and the temperature – currently in the high 30s – is currently more conducive to that. The forecast suggests the next chance of snow here is late tonight.
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
–Metro buses are on regular routes and schedules; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts.
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is back to its full schedule.
-WSF’s Triangle Route is back to 2 boats – check here for alerts/updates.
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
High Bridge – here’s the camera at the top.
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (if SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way).
Low Bridge: Or nearby, depending on where SDOT points the camera.
1st Ave. S. Bridge: The south route.
Highway 99: Here’s the northbound side at Lander.
All functional city traffic cams can be seen here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page … Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
If you see a problem on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
12:08 AM: Remember when the forecasters warned they wouldn’t really know what was coming with this system until it got here? We’re seeing another blast of unpredictability – a heavy snow shower just coated the cars again up here. And although the National Weather Service dropped the Winter Weather Advisory alert, now it’s issued a Winter Storm Warning, through 11 am Wednesday, saying we could see up to three inches of snow after all.
2:18 AM: The snow’s been coming and going; checking the traffic cams, things look slushy more than snowy. One more note: The National Weather Service has canceled the Wind Advisory – strong wind never did show up in this area.
2:40 AM: Metro has put its Central Seattle buses on snow routes. Our area – considered part of the South Seattle sector- remains on regular routes. (Check here for the latest.)
(WSB photo: Ladder 13 at a West Seattle fire response in July)
The City Council took its final budget vote today, and money for added Seattle Fire resources in our area made the final cut. Shortly after the West Seattle Bridge closure in 2020, SFD took Ladder 13 and Medic 26 out of its reserves and stationed them – along with the personnel to staff them – in West Seattle and South Park, respectively. That doubled our area’s allocation of each of those types of units; previously, if a big call, or pverlapping calls, required more than 1 ladder truck or medic unit to respond to this area, the second one had to come from another part of the city. The council news release about today’s budget vote says the two units responded to more than 2,000 calls last year alone, The argument for keeping them beyond the reopening of the bridge was improving response times for the southernmost areas of the city – without the added medic unit based at Station 26 in South Park, medic response times could triple, and without the added ladder truck based at Station 37 in Sunrise Heights, response times to southernmost West Seattle could double.
Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s budget proposal did not include money for keeping the units here; West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold pushed to add it, and got her amendment all the way through the budget review process. It allots $4.7 million in 2023 and $5.6 million in 2024 for the personnel and equipment costs. The documents say extra spending would be needed after that because Ladder 13 and Medic 26 were summoned into service “beyond their replacement age” – the medic unit will be replaced in late 2024, the truck a year later. The budget has one more step for final approval – the mayor can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. His post-vote statement suggests he’s OK with it.
8:44 PM: Though it still isn’t showing up on the Seattle City Light map, we’ve heard from several people about an outage in Gatewood. We’re told it started more than an hour ago. (One location mentioned: 4000 block of SW Webster.) No indication of the cause, though of course it’s been a day and night of feisty weather. So for now, we’re just noting it for the record. Side note: Checking on this, we discovered the City Light outage map has undergone something of an overhaul sometime in the past week or so – mostly some visual changes to the same basic info it’s long offered.
8:56 PM: Via Twitter, one person affected says crews were out working on “a blown transformer” and that they hoped to have power restored in four to six hours.
(Photo courtesy Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish)
With the snow’s over and the possible wind has yet to arrive, we’re taking a moment to talk about three West Seattle tree lightings later this week:
FRIDAY NIGHT, HIGH POINT FRUIT-TREE LIGHTING: Following the afternoon Winter Festival (3-5 pm), you’re invited to (location updated) Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) for the lighting of the fruit trees at 5:15 pm Friday (December 2nd). This is the second year of this multi-tree lighting ceremony in the park.
FRIDAY NIGHT, OLG ‘LIGHT UP THE NIGHT’: 7 pm at 35th/Myrtle, on the north side of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it’s the annual event lighting the city’s highest-elevation Christmas tree (along with other greenery outside the church). Christmas carol singalong, too. Bring a nonperishable food donation, if you can, for St. Vincent de Paul.
SATURDAY NIGHT, WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION: As we’ve previewed a few times already, this year the Christmas tree lighting at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska) is part of an even-bigger street festival, with a Night Market and Glorious Lights of West Seattle (wear lights and compete in a contest!), live holiday music, plus a beer/mulled-wine garden. The festival is set for 4 pm-8:30 pm, with the tree lighting at 6:30 pm.
In case you missed our mention earlier – Metro says both Water Taxi routes, West Seattle and Vashon, are returning to full service this afternoon. Two of the three boats had to be taken out of service Monday for repairs to propeller damage, but Metro says the work is complete on M/V Doc Maynard so it’s back in service, and along with M/V Spirit of Kingston, that means full service on both runs. The regular Vashon boat, M/V Sally Fox, is still awaiting repairs. We asked specifics regarding the “submerged debris” on which the propeller damage was blamed; Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer replied, “Per our water taxi team, we typically encounter debris between Duwamish Head and Alki Point. During high tides in the winter, logs get washed into our path. Large debris can be found everywhere we operate, washing off the shores of Vashon, Downtown Seattle and from the rivers.”
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