West Seattle, Washington
17 Tuesday
6:00 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Sunny, high in the low 70s. Today’s sunrise was again at 5:11 am (as early as it gets); sunset will be at 9:09 pm. (Summer officially arrives Friday evening!)
ROAD WORK
-Admiral Bridge work continues, with traffic routed to one lane each way on the north side of the bridge.
SCHOOL STATUS
Seattle Public Schools‘ last day is this Wednesday (June 18);Vashon Island gets out June 24; Highline Public Schools on June 25. Other schools are closed for the summer.
TRANSIT TODAY
Metro buses – Regular schedule today.
Washington State Ferries – Regular service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Cathlamet. M/V Salish serves as the “bonus boat”. Three-boat service is still expected to relaunch on June 30th.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; spring/summer schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights, plus weeknights with Mariners’ home games (and some other events). Speaking of which …
STADIUM ZONE
Mariners are home, facing Boston again tonight at 6:40 pm.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Looking west:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
Police are investigating confirmed gunfire in High Point. Someone said they were shot at while driving home from High Point Library, and wasn’t sure where it had happened, but police told dispatch they have found both several bullet holes in the car and several casings on 35th near the library. No injuries reported so far.
In a comment during our power-outage coverage, someone wondered if the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 graduation ceremony would be affected. Turns out it was – but everybody adapted adeptly, says Amy, who sent the photo and report:
Just wanted to give a shout out to Boren STEM K-8 8th graders who had their 8th grade graduation this evening at the school with no power. They had to pivot with only an hour before the ceremony when the lights went out. They moved the event to the lunch room since it has windows and natural light, moved as many decorations as they could, and they had no mics or amplified music or slideshows as planned. The grads rolled with it all, gave their speeches, celebrated each other, and still had a great evening together. Congratulations to all the graduates!
Poetry Slam participants Delicia Figueroa, Ruby Garcia Campos, and Alex Garcia
Story, video, and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A packed house filled the Denny International Middle School Galleria on Thursday evening for the 13th annual ]8th-grade Poetry Slam, featuring spoken performances by more than 50 Denny students and special guest poets.
After a welcome from Denny principal Mary Ingraham, literacy teacher and event organizer Colin Slingsby (at right in the photo below) and assistant principal for literacy Michael Kamin praised the bravery and talent of the participating students as they express themselves through poetry:
The teachers also explained the “slam etiquette” and format, including the audience’s use of “snaps” to show encouragement and appreciation.
The official motto of the event, which was decorated as a backdrop on the stage, was a Swahili proverb with a theme of unity: “A boat doesn’t go forward if each one is rowing their own way.” Here is a PDF of the official program for the event.
Although Slingsby and the other organizers repeatedly emphasized that the focus of the event was on the overall experience and participation, not on competition, a panel of esteemed judges did evaluate and score every performance:
From left-to-right that’s former Denny students Addison Johnsen-Whited, Doe Doe, and Alex Casamalhaupa, who each also helped start the show by performing a poem of their own, along with fellow former student Hazel Simper (who Slingsby said he invited to perform her poem Rosemary because it was “one of the best poems I’ve ever heard,” and here’s our video of it: Hazel Simper – Denny 2025 Poetry Slam)
At the end of the night, the winning poets (as pictured in the photo below, courtesy of poetry teacher Emily Neeleman) were:
The student emcees for the event, keeping things moving between poets, were Marco Cendejas, Lizbeth Garcia and Isaac Naranjo-Lopez:
Also providing audio flavor between poets, as well as music during the pre-event dinner in the galleria, was Denny slam mainstay DJ Sureal:
Before the current Denny students took the stage, guests were treated to poems by professional guest poets Jamaar Smiley (see our video here: Jamaar Smiley – Denny 2025 Poetry Slam), a West Seattleite who Slingsby said he reached out to via his website and was pleasantly surprised to get an enthusiastic response, as well as Smiley’s guests Gentleman Dro and Wizdom the Wordsmith:
Then it was time to hear from the talented Denny student poets, such as Lyn Visick:
Topics from the poets ranged from the serious to the lighthearted, everything from gender issues and abuse to sports and food (see below). Most of the poets performed individually, and here are videos of a couple of them:
Some of the poets performed as groups, in “two-voice” or “three-voice” style, and here are some videos of those:
Among the more serious recurring themes of the night were poems about the immigrant family experience and international family heritage, with several poems delivered in Spanish (with English translation on a projector):
Slingsby thanked attendees for coming and students for participating, and also gave special thanks to a host of volunteers and helpers who made the event happen, including: Denny teachers and leadership, Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Denny City Year team, El Paisano Rosticeria y Cocina, DJ Sureal, the special guest poets, and former Denny students/judges.
(Added: Screenshot from City Light outage map)
4:59 PM: Thanks for the tips on the power outage. 911 log has a “wires down” call in 7000 block 18th SW. 6,300+ homes and businesses are out, per City Light, as far south as White Center. Updates to come.
5:08 PM UPDATE: A downed tree is to blame in the location above, per emergency radio.
5:22 PM UPDATE: Actually more than 7,300 customers out – the SCL outage map shows this as two outages with that total.
5:39 PM UPDATE: For those asking about restoration estimates, while the City Light map offers them, as we often caution people, don’t put much faith in those, as they’re not based on an actual assessment of the outage, so it could be much later – or much sooner (and they tend to change). Just remember two things: Don’t open your fridge/freezer (so the cool air lasts longer), and intersections with dark signals are all-way stops!
5:47 PM UPDATE: There’s the tree that’s to blame for this. Thanks to Michael for sending the photo!
6:35 PM: SCL’s map shows most customers now restored – down to fewer than 500 out, mostly in Highland Park/Riverview.
9:53 PM: As noted in comments, 438 are still out – for the record, here’s that map:
3:26 PM: Transient killer whales have entered the bay, southbound, “close to the Seattle side,” reports Kersti Muul. Let us know if you see them!
ADDED MONDAY NIGHT: They eventually left the bay and continued southbound in the Sound. Thanks to Madison Kirkman for sending these photos! Above, a view from the Fauntleroy ferry dock; below, looking toward the SW 97th street end:
2:54 PM: 13 hours after a crash brought down power lines, closing West Marginal Way SW just north of Highland Park Way, the street is finally reopening. The live SDOT camera has shown southbound traffic coming through, and it’s showing crews removing the “street closed” signage on the northbound side. That should alleviate traffic backups that had been growing on other routes – such as the low bridge – because of the closure.
3:06 PM: The last signs were removed and the last SDOT truck just left, so it’s fully open both ways.
9:44 PM: We asked police if the car whose driver started all this had turned out to be stolen. Not as far as they can tell, SPD says tonight – they asked King County Sheriff’s Deputies to try a “knock and talk” at the car owner’s residence but deputies couldn’t get past a locked gate. To date, apparently it hasn’t been reported stolen, so they’re concluding it wasn’t.
If you’ve ever wanted Colman Pool all to yourself, the first session of the first day of this year’s 7-day-a-week season certainly offered something close to that – this was the scene about an hour ago; we stopped for a photo while walking on the Lincoln Park waterside path. Today through September 1, the outdoor heated salt-water pool is open daily, with this schedule:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm…. Lap Swim (daily) and weekend Recreation Swim (Fri-Sun only)
1:45 pm – 3:15 pm…. Lap Swim and Recreation Swim
3:45 pm – 5:15 pm…. Lap Swim and Recreation Swim
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm…. Lap Swim and Recreation Swim
Note that it’ll be closed to the public five days this month and next for swim meets: June 26-28 and July 18-19. After Labor Day, two post-season weekends are planned, September 6-7 and 13-14. Fees are listed here. There’s a free aquatic opportunity in Lincoln Park too (for kids, anyway) – this Saturday (June 21) will be the first day of the 7-day-a-week season for the park’s wading pool, also open daily (weather permitting) through Labor Day.
Two business notes from our partner site White Center Now – we’re linking them here in case you haven’t seen them there:
ARCADE OPENING: We first reported on WCN four years ago that Southgate Roller Rink, on 17th SW just south of Roxbury, was taking over the former Bank of America next door. Now it’s announced a plan to open as an arcade. (1:44 PM UPDATE: We’ve talked to the owner since publishing this and added more info to our WCN item, including the plan to open July !!.)
RESTAURANT CLOSED: Less than two years after opening in the former Zippy’s Giant Burgers space on 14th SW just south of Roxbury, Burger Planet confirms it’s permanently closed.
(California Poppy, photographed by Rosalie Miller)
Here’s what’s on our highlight list from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (are we missing something? let us know!):
FAMILY STORY TIME: Southwest Library‘s 10:30 am story time is open to wee ones and their parents/guardians/caretakers. (9010 35th SW)
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Open every day 11 am-8 pm for kids to keep cool! (1100 SW Cloverdale)
COLMAN POOL STARTS EVERY-DAY SCHEDULE: Starting today and continuing through Labor Day, the outdoor pool at Lincoln Park is open every day, noon-7 pm.
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: See city councilmembers look ahead to the rest of the week, 2 pm. The agenda explains how to watch.
HOMEWORK HELP: Done for the year.
WINE CLASS: 6 pm at Walter’s Wine Shop (4811 California SW) – get tickets here.
CRAFTING & CREATIVITY NIGHT: 6-10 pm, Monday is “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
D&D: Long-running weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too!
LISTENING TO GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP: No need to grieve alone. 6:30 pm at Mama Be Well Healing Studio, join a group with Listening to Grief. Registration/fee info here. (4034A California SW).
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA: Four places you can play tonight! Every-other-week music quiz hosted by @pubquizdavid at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) has sessions at 6:30 and 7:30 pm … 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander) … 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW), 21+ … 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
ALKI MEDITATION: Every Monday – doors open at Alki UCC at 6:45, and the meeting is from 7-8:30. (6115 SW Hinds)
LAUGHTER: The monthly Routine Killers comedy show – five comedians! – will bring you some, 7 pm at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way) – check for tickets here!
POOL TOURNAMENT: The Corner Pocket‘s weekly tournament starts at 7 pm. $10 buy-in. (4302 SW Alaska)
FAUNTLEROY MEDITATION: More Monday night meditating – free weekly Zen sitting/meditation in the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
JAZZ AT THE ALLEY: Live music on Monday nights – jazz with The Westside Jazz Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
MONDAY KARAOKE You can sing at 9 pm Monday nights – karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Thanks to everyone who sends info for our calendar – if you have something to add or cancel (or otherwise update), please send the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(9:05 am screenshot of SDOT camera)
9:06 AM: West Marginal north of Front is still closed and apparently won’t reopen soon, as an officer just told dispatch that City Light is bringing in a new pole.
9:17 AM: As mentioned in comments, there’s also been tour-bus trouble at the top of the Highland Park Way hill. An officer just told dispatch that a tow truck has now arrived for the bus.
9:45 AM: Police say City Light tells them it’ll be “another two to three hours.”
Earlier:
6:10 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Monday, June 16, 2025.
CLOSURE NOTE
As of right now, the West Marginal Way crash scene north of Highland Park Way hasn’t cleared yet, so avoid that route.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Sunny, high in the low 70s. Today’s sunrise was again at 5:11 am (as early as it gets, and staying there another week); sunset will be at 9:09 pm. (Summer officially arrives Friday evening!)
(Weekend sunset, photographed by Curry Gibson)
ROAD WORK
-Today’s the day that drilling is planned as part of advance work for the future Fauntleroy Way/ferry terminal traffic signal, and delays are expected in the area while work continues, as previewed here.
SCHOOL STATUS
-Public schools are pretty much the only ones that haven’t closed yet. Seattle Public Schools‘ last day is this Wednesday (June 18);Vashon Island gets out June 24; Highline Public Schools on June 25.
TRANSIT TODAY, + REROUTES SATURDAY
Metro buses – Regular schedule today.
Washington State Ferries – Regular service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Cathlamet. M/V Salish serves as the “bonus boat”. Three-boat service is still expected to relaunch on June 30th.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; spring/summer schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights, plus weeknights with Mariners’ home games (and some other events). Speaking of which …
STADIUM ZONE
Mariners are home, facing Boston at 6:40 pm.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Looking west:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
2:07 AM: West Marginal Way is blocked by downed power lines near Front Street (just north of Highland Park Way). According to police, they came down when a driver flipped a Tesla, likely because of racing involving at least two other cars. Officers have told dispatch the Tesla was unoccupied when they arrived, but seriously damaged. They’ve summoned City Light to deal with the downed lines, and the closure might last for hours.
2:28 AM: The traffic-camera screenshot shows where the street is blocked. City Light isn’t on scene yet, police are telling dispatch.
9 AM NOTE: We’re updating the closure in our morning traffic report.
2:56 PM: West Marginal is finally reopening.
Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
ABOUT THE 35TH/ROXBURY RESPONSE: If you noticed multiple police cars at the strip mall on the northeast corner of 35th/Roxbury this past hour, here’s what that was about: An officer’s Automated License Plate Reader detected what police call a “rolling stolen” – stolen car on the move, a red Acura. The officer first saw it southbound on 35th at Henderson just before 7 pm, briefly lost track of it, then saw it pulled into the strip mall, where the driver was reportedly seen going into the Global Smoke & Vape store. Backup arrived and officers took the driver into custody. According to dispatch, the car was reported stolen outside the city, somewhere in King County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. We’ll follow up on what happened from there. … MONDAY UPDATE: The driver, a 39-year-old man, was arrested, and is in the King County Jail. Police say they found him inside the store, keys to the stolen car in hand, plus a credit card belonging to the vehicle’s registered owner. He claimed the Acura TL was a rental car he’d only been driving for a few hours, though he had no explanation for the credit card, per the police report. We’ll check back later on the suspect’s bail, assuming he had a hearing this afternoon as would be standard for the day after an arrest.
CAR CONSOLE STOLEN FROM ABOVE: Reader report from Andrew:
Heads up to those living on Fauntleroy near Lincoln Park. We used to see on our cameras people coming by about 3 in the morning testing car doors to see if they were open (driving slowly and reaching out to test). We always lock our car and never keep anything of value in the cars. So far so good for 8 years… until yesterday, thieves pried up the hard top on my Jeep Wrangler (after 2 years of parking this newish vehicle here) and stole the “uConnect” infotainment / navigation / stereo system, and damaged the roof, the door, the center dash is gashed up.
It’s been reported to police; the permanent report number is pending, but the tracking # is T00032361.
6:26 PM: Thanks for the tips. Power’s out for more than 200 homes in south Fauntleroy/Arbor Heights. One reader says an “explosion” preceded this; the SFD log shows a “wires down” call at 101st/Marine View Drive.
7:03 PM: One of our original tipsters, Andrew, says a tree fell on a line at that location; crews are there now. Here’s a neighbor’s photo, shared via Andrew:
7:35 PM: City Light now says 338 homes are out.
8:14 PM: Map is back to 204 homes. A note if you’re paying attention to the “estimated restoration time” – which has moved from 1 to 2 am – it’s not based on anything much, SCL has admitted in the past, so it could be back on much sooner … or later. Most important advice: Don’t open your fridge/freezer, so the cold air lasts longer.
9:22 PM: City Light says all but 28 homes have power back.
Some suggest Amazon customers use company lockers as a more-secure way to receive packages. That’s not necessarily 100 percent theft-proof, judging by what Jim reports happened to him:
Amazon Locker Flavius, located at 35th and Barton 7-Eleven, was either somehow electrically opened without triggering the “picked up” email, or the Amazon driver just dumped everything next to the box.
My locker was still in a “delivered” but “not picked up” status. But all the empty bags next to the locker had my name on them. So I suspected my locker would be empty, which it was. I did not open it till I had customer service on the phone.
No problem, everything will be replaced in a day or two, but it is worth putting out a word of caution.
On this day celebrating dads, we start our gallery of West Seattle bird photos – all but one sent by readers (thank you!) – with some family views – above, Stewart L. sent the photo of a Canada Goose family afloat. Below, Janelle Otterholt photographed an American Robin and nestlings:
Barred Owlets in Lincoln Park have drawn a lot of attention lately. This photo is from a reader who asked to be anonymous:
Closer-up views were provided by Jamie Kinney, including this one:
And the grownups are interesting too – WSB contributing photojournalist Oliver Hamlin snapped this one:
Also seen in Lincoln Park: Bald Eagles. Mara Jacroux shared this image:
Jerry Simmons saw a Juvenile Bald Eagle with a familiar green-and-white backdrop:
Also from Jerry, an American Goldfinch:
Even the ubiquitous Crow had its moments for photographers in recent weeks. Sarah saw a leucistic – “caramel” – crow in North Fauntleroy:
And Matt Baerwalde caught one posing with a sculpted relative at Cove Park (north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock):
Thanks to everyone who sends bird and other wildlife photos (as well as breaking news, interesting sights, etc.) – westseattleblog@gmail.com is the best mailbox if it’s not urgent!
Someone who stopped by our booth at Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival asked when the Westwood Village J. Crew Factory store would be opening. We went to the center later in the afternoon to see if anything had changed physically with the space, and found the window wrap on the west side of the building, promising the clothing shop will open this fall. We first reported back in January that permit applications had revealed the plan for the space formerly occupied by Game Stop and tanning salons.
Yes, summer is busy, but if you can spare just an hour and a half for your neighborhood, the Alki Community Council would love to see you this month. But this month’s meeting date is shifting, so don’t show up this Thursday, which would be the regular third-Thursday date! This excerpt from the ACC newsletter explains:
In recognition of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that marks the end of slavery in our nation, we are shifting our next Alki Community Council meeting to the following Thursday night to allow our Black, Indigenous, and neighbors of all colors the space and opportunity to celebrate and reflect on this important day. Juneteenth recognizes the delayed liberation that followed the Emancipation Proclamation over 161 years ago. It remains a time to acknowledge the enduring impact of this history on our nation and local communities. …
Mark your Calendar: Our June meeting is Thursday, June 26 at 7:00 PM — stay tuned for Zoom details as we also lock in onsite details. You can look forward to Alki Holiday Lights and Alki Beach Pride Festival news + volunteer opportunities to start… Bring your Alki neighborhood concerns, ideas and we’ll do our best to connect you and your passion to make a difference.
Read the full newsletter here.
A memorial service is planned Wednesday (June 18) for Jeannette Eshom. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:
Jeannette Eshom, 78, of Seattle and Mesa, Arizona, passed away on Saturday, June 7, 2025, lovingly surrounded by her children.
Born August 1, 1946, to Edward and Mae Hetrick, Jeannette grew up in West Seattle, fifth in the group of six siblings. She graduated from Chief Sealth High School in 1964.
Known for her warmth, quick laugh, and quiet strength, she touched the lives of everyone who knew her.
In 1967, she married John Eshom, and together they raised three children: Terrie, Roger, and Christina. Later, she met her beloved partner John Burmaz, where they have been a steady presence in the West Seattle community. Together, they shared more than 40 years of love, laughter, and adventure — traveling the world, building a beautiful life, and eventually spending their winters in Mesa, Arizona. There, they cultivated an additional community of friends, as well.Jeannette worked for many years at Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way, dedicating herself to the growth and well-being of students. After retiring, she fully embraced her passions: traveling, genealogy, crafts, ceramics, and bingo. She loved the joy of finding hidden treasures in thrift stores and delighted in collecting Disney figures, coins, and stamps.
Jeannette was generous with her time, always the first to help friends, neighbors, or family. She had a gift for making people feel welcomed and included, and she was the kind of person you could always count on. Her love for her family knew no bounds—she enjoyed many family events, grandkid activities, and milestones in the lives of her children and grandchildren. Family reunions were her favorite, and she was often the heart of every gathering. She was adored by her family and beloved by many friends across the country and beyond. Her kindness, humor, and steady presence made a lasting impact on all who knew her. Her friends continue to share how much she was loved and how much she meant to them.
Jeannette was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Jean and Sally, and her brother Ed. She is survived by her longtime partner John; brothers John and Mark; daughters Terrie (Sofiane) and Christina (Steve); son Roger, and grandchildren Ryan, Zachary, Alex, and Chloe, her partner’s sons Ken and Rick, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service will be held at Fauntleroy Church, UCC in West Seattle on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 2:00 PM, with a Celebration of Her Life immediately following. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association (or other charity of your choice) in Jeannette’s memory.
Her generous spirit and unwavering love will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
(Saturday on Elliott Bay – photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Happy Father’s Day if you’re celebrating! Here are highlights for today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Today’s Sunday Funday run leaves from Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), 9 am.
WEST SEATTLE BRAKE SERVICE SALE: As previewed here, moving/closure sale for contents of the longtime business at 4464 37th SW, 9 am-2 pm again today.
AMERICAN MAH JONGG: Meet up with other players – all levels – 9:30-11:30 am at The Missing Piece. (35th/Roxbury)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, with almost-summer produce (strawberries! lots of greens! asparagus!) plus beverages, flowers, cheese, yogurt, fish, meat, prepared hot food, baked goods, nuts, dried peppers, garlic, candy, condiments, more. (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)
MASTER GARDENERS: While at the market, look for Master Gardeners, ready to answer your questions! Sundays throughout the summer, they’re back at the market, 10 am-2 pm.
(added) FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH: At the West Seattle Eagles (4426 California SW): “Brunch is from 10 am-1 pm, Fathers get it for free, others will be $15 each…so much good food!!! Kids under 10 years old, free also.”
FREE NIA CLASS: 10:30 am, first class free if you pre-register. At Inner Alchemy Sanctuary/Studio (3618 SW Alaska)
SPRAYPARK SEASON CONTINUES: Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open every day, 11 am-8 pm.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Need a tool but don’t need to, or can’t, buy it? You’ll probably be able to borrow it from the Tool Library, open 11 am-4 pm on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
DONATION DRIVE: 11 am-3 pm, monthly dropoff donation drive in the Alki UCC courtyard (6115 SW Hinds):
This month’s priority needs:
Clean and wearable Men’s Work/Casual Clothing
New Socks
Non-Perishable FoodWe also welcome clean and wearable men’s/women’s outerwear suitable for the season, hygiene items and camping gear. Donations are distributed through the Westside Interfaith Network (WIN) Saturday lunch, hosted in White Center. Deepest gratitude to our community for your generous support of our neighbors in need.
WEST SEATTLE RESISTS: Sunday signholding in The Junction (California/Alaska), 11:30 am-1:30 pm.
FATHER’S DAY GAME PARTY: Noon-6 pm, Elsom Cellars in nearby SODO invites you to come play board games, card games, Jenga, Cornhole, other family favorites. (2960 4th Ave. S.)
SIXTH WEEKEND FOR COLMAN POOL: The heated salt-water outdoor pool at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is open again today during the last of six preseason weekends, noon-7 pm, with four hour-and-a-half swim sessions, each half lap swimming and half open swim – see the schedule here.
ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: Third Sunday of the season for these free tours! Grounds at 3201 Alki SW open at 1 pm; last tour starts 3:45 pm; more info in our calendar listing.
WELCOME ROAD WINERY: Enjoy your Sunday afternoon at this West Seattle tasting room (with a patio!) open 2-5 pm, kids and dogs welcome. (3804 California SW; WSB sponsor)
CRIBBAGE AT THE EAGLES: 2 pm, more-advanced play, membership not required. (4426 California SW)
LOW TIDE: Not mega-low, but low enough for an interesting beach walk with Dad (or whoever), -1.7 feet at 2:21 pm.
NEW BOOK CLUB: First-ever meeting of the West Seattle Modern Classic Book Club, 3 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW). This month’s book: “White Noise.”
ONE-ACT PLAY: Chief Sealth Drama student-directed production, “The Angel Intrudes,” 4 pm. Tickets $2. (2600 SW Thistle)
LIVE MUSIC AT TIM’S: Chop Chop with Kurt Reifler & the Watchdogs , 7 pm at Tim’s Tavern in White Center. (16th/98th)
LIVE MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Weekend’s end brings Sunday night music provided by the Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW) – 8-10 pm.
Are you planning, organizing, and/or publicizing something that we could feature on the WSB community event calendar – one-time or recurring? Please email us the basic details – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Story and photos by Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
One more big event. today: The Chief Sealth International High School parking lot was a rainbow of colors today as the Chief Sealth Automobile Association held its first-ever car show, in collaboration with White Center community staple Eazy Duz It Car Club. Visitors were treated to rows of extravagant cars, live music, dancing, and food.
Unfortunately for Chief Sealth IHS Junior and club president Richie Nguyen, his favorite car was not in attendance. As he puts it, “A Paul Walker classic – the Nissan Skyline R34” (as in Paul Walker, best known for his roles in the original “Fast and Furious” films).
Despite this, he couldn’t have been happier with the event. The Chief Sealth Automobile Association has been planning this all year, according to Nguyen. Seeing the parking lot lined with more than a dozen chrome-plated bumpers and metallic finishes in colors across the spectrum brought him hope for the future of the club.
“Today isn’t just a way to show off cars and spread car culture, it’s a chance for the community to get together,” Nguyen said. “(District) Funding was difficult to get, but eventually we sat down and figured out exactly what we needed, and we made it happen.”
Nguyen managed to reach every corner of the Chief Sealth community, with music performances from current students and alumni alike. The Chief Sealth MECHLA club attended, and the Chief Sealth Marching band and Jazz Combo, the Star Dance Club, and the alumni-led South Park-based band Opus all performed in the background of the show.
Special Education teacher Sopath Keith has helped oversee the club’s activities, and his connections played a crucial role in making the show happen. The credit should go to the students, though, according to Keith. “I was so impressed by how motivated the students were. Today wasn’t just a club event; it was an exercise in building networking skills, planning, and sending emails. All of those skills are things they’re going to need as adults. I just did whatever I could to help fulfill their goals. Most importantly, these kids worked hard.”
Fulfilling their goals in this case meant reaching out to the Eazy Duz It Car Club, a White Center community mainstay who have been building, fine-tuning, and showing off lowrider cars since 2010. Eazy Duz It founder Keo Sanh says events like these are important for the club as both car enthusiasts and community members.
“(Eazy Duz It) started in 2010 as just a group of friends, but as we got older, we decided we wanted to get involved in the community. It seemed like the responsible thing to do. Events like this are a perfect example. When (Keith) told us about it, we went in full force, we didn’t hesitate,” said Sanh.
The pride and joy of the event for Sanh today was Eazy Duz It’s newest creation, a lowrider in metallic purple. Each year, the club builds a car, which will join more than 140 others during their summer show on July 19th, on 16th Avenue SW in White Center.
As for the Chief Sealth club: “Hopefully we can use this momentum to do bigger and better next year,” said Nguyen, looking ahead. They’re hoping to grow their membership, hold activities during the year, such as going to car shows, and even advising students on safe driving. They also hope to collaborate with West Seattle High School’s automotive club, the “Greasy Peeps” car club (which had its own show last weekend), in a joint show next summer.
Gary Potter and his crew from longtime WSB sponsor Potter Construction spent this sunny summer Saturday in the shaded front yard of a Fairmount Park-area home, working on a special project – building a ramp to give the gift of mobility. It was part of the annual Rampathon by Master Builders of King and Snohomish Counties, with the help of community volunteers, building access ramps for those who otherwise couldn’t afford them. Here’s how today’s project was explained:
This West Seattle home has 4 steps to navigate, and our ramp recipients currently need assistance from 2 people to help them up and down the exterior steps. The ramp recipient, Queenie, has mobility issues due to Cerebral Palsy. Queenie also lives with her mother, who is 80 years old and recently diagnosed with ALS. They will both benefit from use of the ramp, and it will safely allow them to get in and out of their home.
Rampathon has been a tradition for more than 30 years; Potter Construction has been participating since the early 2000s.
Photos by Richard Figgins
Story by Jason Grotelueschen
The graduating 8th-grade class of Hope Lutheran School was honored and celebrated on Friday night during the school’s annual graduation ceremony, in front of an adoring crowd of friends and family.
There were 17 graduates in the class, and according to admissions director Sally Heit, they will be attending eight area high schools in the fall: West Seattle, Chief Sealth, Kennedy Catholic, Seattle Prep, Bishop Blanchet, Lakeside, Seattle Christian, and Vashon Island.
The class valedictorian was Emily Esses and co-salutatorians were Michael Raleigh and Addie Grotelueschen, and the winner of the coveted “Eagle Award” (voted on by classmates, for citizenship and character) was Bryson Fukumoto.
Hope principal Kristen Okabayashi said, “This year’s graduating class is a bright and talented group of young people! They care about the community around them and will do well at the high school of their choice. We are so proud of them!”
This 8th-grade class was part of the first middle-school group to attend classes this past year at Hope’s newly renovated “north campus” at the former Seattle Lutheran High School building at 4100 SW Genesee St. Friday’s graduation ceremony was held in its usual location in the Hope Lutheran Church sanctuary, attached to the school’s main campus at 42nd Ave SW & Oregon St.
Heit added that Hope Lutheran has openings for the next school year, and tours are available during the summer (contact the school here).
Here is another class photo courtesy of Hope Lutheran, featuring the class verse:
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