West Seattle, Washington
27 Friday
Another new business location that just turned up in city permit filings this week already has put up signage. Thanks to Stacy for the tip on that; we went by 3902 California SW this afternoon to see the site for forthcoming Delphinium Delicatessen. It’s planned for the space inhabited by West Seattle Tattoo before that business joined the exodus to The Junction. Here’s a closer look at what the signage says:
(If you can’t read the fine print, it promises, “A specialty market with fine groceries and goods.”) On its early-stage website, Delphinium also promises “whole-wheel cheeses.” The site plan shows a kitchen – might that mean prepared food? We have a message out to the proprietor to find out more.
SDOT says it’s finalized the plan for seven blocks of new sidewalks and walkways in Highland Park, five months after proposing which blocks would go into “conceptual design.” The orange lines above show the final decisions – which removed several blocks from last October’s proposal. Now a block of Cloverdale is removed, and the 8th and 7th sidewalks/walkways will end at Thistle instead of stretching north to Kenyon. City reps walked the area with local residents in May, to help determine where to improve walking routes with Seattle Transportation Levy money. See the final report here; it includes notes on other traffic-calming features, as well as this:
In most cases, sidewalk or walkway will be designed on one side of the street. Sidewalks and walkways may be constructed from a variety of materials including paint, asphalt, concrete and barriers. Specific design treatments are decided based on factors including the space available on the street, drainage needs, existing infrastructure, impacts to parking, slopes, and estimated construction costs. Projects will be in construction between 2026 and 2029.
3:43 PM: Just in case you visit the park by newly reopened Hiawatha Community Center and wonder about the yellow tape around one of the porta-potties on the wading-pool side – it was damaged by fire about an hour and a half ago. SFD was gone by the time we got there, but at one point they were asking for police to take “witness statements,” according to a dispatch; no police incident logged, though, so we’re asking SFD about the cause.
6:14 PM: They’re only saying that the cause “is under investigation.”
The only member of District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s staff who’s been there since he took office two years ago is leaving. But Chief of Staff Elaine Ikoma Ko – who’s been his representative at so many community events (among other duties) over those two years – says this was always the plan. She sent us the farewell note she sent to city colleagues:
Dear colleagues,
I have completed the two-year term I agreed to with Councilmember Saka. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve and for our outstanding D1 team and colleagues who supported and partnered with me along the way.
Although I’m retiring, again, I will remain engaged in the community and continue supporting the important work happening in D1 as a resident and neighbor.
Let me be clear: this transition was planned from the start when I joined two years ago. There is no drama and no backstory. It has been a privilege to work alongside Councilmember Saka, and I remain one of his strongest supporters in the work he does every day for the people of D1 and the entire city.
All my best,
Elaine
Today is her last day; she says a successor, interim or otherwise, hasn’t yet been announced.
(‘Site plan’ from city permit filings for Glassyard Commons)
With less than a week to go until the community meeting about the plan for a 72-RV lot and 20 tiny houses in southeast West Seattle, to be called Glassyard Commons, we have more followup information resulting from our inquiries with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, working with LIHI, which will operate the site. From this “community engagement” document, here’s what the March 5 meeting is supposed to accomplish, and some followup points about the 7201 2nd SW plan:
At this community meeting, LIHI operations management, supportive services management, development, and community engagement staff will give a detailed presentation of the program and operations plans. Attendees will be able to ask questions and participate in discussion with LIHI staff members. LIHI staff will make their contact information available for community members who would like to be in touch about the RV Safe Lot/Tiny House Village’s development and programming on an ongoing basis.
When Glassyard Commons opens, LIHI will hold a grand opening event. To continue building relationships with residents and business owners in the immediate neighborhood, the individuals who participated in the public community meeting will be invited to the grand opening. Further, in accordance with SMC 23.42.056, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the RV Safe Lot/Tiny House Village will be formed. The CAC will be composed of five to ten neighbors, business owners, faith leaders, and community representatives who have submitted an application to become a member. …
Serving as a liaison between the program and the community, the CAC will meet monthly. At these meetings, onsite management staff and case managers will give a report of the program’s events and outcomes. Participants are welcome to add meeting agenda items for discussion, ask questions and give feedback. These meetings will enable community members to develop a relationship with the onsite staff and provide a forum for direct communication. While CAC members are expected to be in attendance at every meeting and actively involved, all CAC meetings will be open to the public.
Camp Second Chance, the tiny-house village that LIHI operates on Myers Way, has long had a CAC but it went dormant for a while as participation lagged; it’s currently held online, 4 pm fourth Tuesdays (here are the most-recent minutes). Meantime, the same document includes these details: “The site will be staffed with 24/7 security, and there will be an onsite Shelter Operations Manager. Clients will have access to comprehensive case management and behavioral health as they work toward permanent housing, and they will be required to sign a code of conduct.” Meantime, we’ve requested a copy of LIHI’s $3 million contract for Glassyard Commons, which we’re told is still being finalized.
NEXT WEEK’S MEETING: As announced earlier this week:
Thursday, March 5th, 2026 at 5:30 PM
New Direction Missionary Baptist Church
755 S Homer St. [map], Georgetown
Church and street parking available
Though the name is similar, it’s a different church from the one announced as the new RV lot/tiny-house site’s “religious sponsor,” New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.
Thanks to the texter who sent the photo and reports that the Coca-Cola truck has been blocking the alley between the Admiral CVS and Brookdale Admiral Heights for at least 45 minutes: “Coke truck is high-centered and can’t move forward or back.” (If you’ve used the Admiral CVS lot, you know the ramp on the west side is fairly steep.)
(Seen at Lowman Beach. Photo sent by Rob)
here’s what’s happening for the rest of today/tonight – mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
MOMMY AND ME PLAYTIME WITH SPECIAL BUNNY: 9:30 am-11 am, rescue bunnies visit Grace Church‘s playtime, community welcome. (10323 28th SW)
MYERS WAY WETLAND TOUR: Restoration volunteers with Weed Warriors will show you around! Meet at 10 am at gate (9701 Myers Way S.).
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER Spring gets ever closer; every dry day is another chance to get ready. The center is open today, 10 am-3 pm at north end of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus (6000 16th SW).
STAY ‘N’ PLAY: Free indoor playtime for little ones and their caregivers is back at Arbor Heights Community Church (4113 SW 102nd), 10-11:30 am.
BABY STORY TIME: 11 am at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW).
FREE TAX HELP: Drop in at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) 11 am-4 pm and get help with your taxes!
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Visit the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) to learn about and enjoy local history – open noon-4 pm today.
ENGLISH CONVERSATION CIRCLE: Winter session continues at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), 12:30 pm-2 pm Fridays, no registration required.
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE BOOTHS: Day 2! Look for nearby booth locations and times here. Cookies $6/box this year except for $7 gluten-free Toffee-tastic.
TASTING ROOM AND WINE BAR: Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) is open 5-9 pm Fridays. Stop in to sip, or buy by the bottle.
COFFEEHOUSE MUSIC: 6-8 pm, singer-songwriter Jim Page at C & P Coffee. (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), all ages, no cover.
WSHS LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: Everybody’s welcome to celebrate at this student-organized celebration with food and performances, 6:30-8 pm at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW).
ASTRA LUMINA: Last weekend for the celestially inspired lights-and-sound show at Seattle Chinese Garden on the north end of the South Seattle College campus (6000 16th SW); first admission at 6:30 pm, get tickets here.
SEATTLE TIGERS FUNDRAISER: 7 pm drag bingo and auction at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds) to raise money for 12U baseball team’s Cooperstown trip. Details and ticket link in our calendar listing.
‘TOPDOG/UNDERDOG’: Last weekend for the new play at ArtsWest (4711 California SW), 7:30 pm curtain, online tickets are sold out so check the box office.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Live music with Mango Rabbit, Mutton, Killing Caesar, doors at 7, show at 8. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
GREEK GODS: Drag runway competition at Mr. B’s Mead Center (9444 Delridge Way SW), doors at 7, show at 8.
SPINNING: Revelry Room is open tonight (4547 California SW), with Supreme La Rock, 9 pm.
‘MAKE IT LOUD’ SKATING WITH MUSIC: Tonight, Goth Skate with Ghosts in the Graveyard, Eve’s Black Heart, 9 pm at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW). 21+. $20 cover/$5 skates.
If you have something to showcase on our event lists or ongoing calendar, please email what/when/where/etc. info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:03 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Friday, February 27, 2026.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
Still a chance of rain in the forecast – breezy again too, high in the low 50s. Sunrise at 6:53 am; sunset at 5:51 pm. (Next weekend – early March 8 – we spring forward an hour!)
(Thursday sunset, photographed by Bob Burns)
WEEKEND BRIDGE ALERTS
As sent by WSDOT:
From 6 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 1, all lanes of northbound State Route 99, the left lane of southbound SR 99 between Harrison and North 50th streets, as well as the southbound SR 99 off-ramp to Harrison Street will close for the Hot Chocolate Run in Seattle.
People traveling SR 99 should also continue to expect delays on northbound SR 99 over the First Avenue South bridge south of downtown Seattle, where two right lanes remain closed until further notice following a bridge inspection on Wednesday, Feb. 18. A temporary speed reduction to 25 mph remains in effect. This comes on top of existing lane reductions on northbound I-5 as part of the Revive I-5 program to preserve the Ship Canal Bridge.
TRANSIT TODAY
West Seattle Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service, winter schedule.
Washington State Ferries – Check WSF’s alert page for any changes to the 3-boat schedule. Also check that page for an explanation of the 3 percent fee that’ll be added to card payments starting Sunday.
Metro buses – Regular weekday schedule and routes.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (SDOT has finally fixed the framegrab problem)
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the westward view. Also note, maritime-opening info is available via X (ex-Twitter):
1st Avenue South Bridge (see the WSDOT alert above):
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!
We were on the dock at Terminal 5 in northeast West Seattle this morning for those brief streamed speeches that in essence declared T-5’s half-billion-dollar modernization project is finally pretty much complete (as summarized here). No ribbon-cutting, no applauding crowd. Just a simple media invite – with us and a TV photojournalist showing up – and a short event on the windswept dock. It was a two-part announcement – one, that they’ve expanded the amount of plugs for refrigerated containers, and will now be able to accommodate more than 1,500. That means an expanded capacity for the food that Washington exports so much of – like apples. One speaker, a sales rep, talked about visiting a remote Mexican town where his family has roots, and discovering a Washington Red Delicious apple in a tiny store – there thanks to the sort of shipments T-5 can handle.
But the really big news was what’s in our photo above, the new gate complex, with a larger truck-queueing area that is supposed to bring an end to those backups that spill out onto the low bridge, surface Spokane Street, sometimes even the east end of the high bridge.
The doubled queue space isn’t the only component of this $14 million upgrade – Seattle Port Commission president Ryan Calkins (the first speaker in the video) touched on the “weigh in motion” technology that means trucks don’t even have to stop to get weighed.
They keep moving, traffic off the dock keeps moving. There are now 12 lanes, plus a restroom for drivers (who do have to stop, obviously, to avail themselves of that) … all part of the final touches in a project that dates back more than a decade, and was envisioned back in 2014 as less than half the eventual cost.
Ever since the “for lease” sign came down and the window-covering paper went up a few weeks ago, readers have been asking us if we know who’s moving into 4736 California SW (most recently home to My Three Little Birds, which is now at West Seattle Mercantile about a mile north). Tonight we finally know, thanks to a new city permit filing. It’s an extension of the trend for businesses to move into The Junction from elsewhere in West Seattle. In this case, it’s the dance, fitness, and capoeira studio – and community cultural space – VivaArts, currently at 4421 Fauntleroy Way SW. Proprietor Jennifer Hobbs tells WSB, “This move will be an expansion for VivaArts – the new location will have a reception area, two studio rooms, changing areas, an ADA bathroom and in-studio bathrooms. We hope to expand our programming and to reach more folks in West Seattle to bring our cultural arts, dance, and fitness programming for all ages.” When will they move? “VivaArts will stay at our Fauntleroy location most likely until the end of July or early August when we expect the construction to be completed at the new space in the Junction.” Other businesses that have moved relatively recently into the heart of The Junction – California between Oregon and Edmunds – from elsewhere in West Seattle include WSB sponsor Paper Boat Booksellers (from Morgan Junction), The Missing Piece (from just north of Arbor Heights), and Emerald Water Anglers (from 42nd/Oregon).
By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It’s that time of year again! Girl Scout Cookie Booth season kicked off this afternoon with five different locations around The Junction, and more than 20 in all of West Seattle. We visited the booths (tables) in front of Husky Deli and Easy Street Records, which were just getting started at mid-afternoon. Additional booths were in the process of being set up in front of the Junction QFC, Jefferson Square Safeway, and A La Mode Pies around 4:00 p.m.
Across the street, Eliana and MJ, two members of Troop 41333, were setting up in front of Easy Street Records. The pair are eighth-graders who have been Girl Scouts since kindergarten.
These Girl Scouts are planning to sell cookies at the aforementioned locations several more times in the coming weeks, with full details on dates and times for Junction locations found here. Other locations in West Seattle can be accessed through the “Cookie Finder” by entering a zip code, which will direct you to the booths closest to you.
Looking to order cookies online? Girl Scouts of Western Washington also offers the Cookie Connector, which allows you to enter a zip code, and support a local troop in your area through buying online.
Proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie season go toward the local council, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, which operates from Bellingham down to Cowlitz County, and toward individual troops. There are currently more than 40 troops selling in West Seattle. Cookies run $6 a box, except for the gluten-free “Toffee-Tastic,” $7 per box; find out more about the cookie varieties here.
Sales will continue until March 15, marking a little under three weeks to get your cookies and support the Girl Scouts!
That’s what SDOT is proposing to address longstanding concerns aired three weeks ago at a community meeting about RV parking on 16th SW alongside South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), The map was explained in this announcement from SDOT’s Mike Estey, who was one of the city reps at the meeting:
… At the meeting, many residents described the RV’s parking and clustering for long periods of time despite efforts to enforce existing parking rules and regulations, and in the wake of multiple formal RV remediation and cleanup efforts that have had little success in providing any lasting, sustainable changes. Representatives of the College echoed those concerns and also described the importance of reliable access to on-street parking for students.
As an outcome of the meeting, SDOT agreed to look at potential updates to curb management and installing new signs along 16th Avenue SW to further discourage long-term use by RV’s. In particular, SDOT is considering the following:
“No Parking, 11 pm – 5 am” signs on the east side of 16th Avenue SW between SW Morgan St to the south and SW Findlay St to the north
4-hour daytime time-limited parking on the west side of 16th Avenue SW for this same stretch
Please see the map and graphics for reference.
These new parking restrictions would apply to all vehicles, not just RV’s. Those parked in violation of the newly signed rules would be subject to enforcement.
Because SDOT’s experience is generally that similar RV issues tend to occur less frequently adjacent to residential properties, and because the daytime time limits may have unintended impacts adjacent to residential properties on the west side of 16th Ave SW, SDOT is inclined to start with the overnight “no parking” signs on the east side, monitor their effectiveness, and then determine whether the west-side restrictions are still advisable.
Before implementing these changes, we would appreciate knowing if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Please email curbspace@seattle.gov to share any such comments. Depending on comments received, SDOT currently intends moving forward with any potential parking adjustments in April.
So what does SSC support? This statement was included in the email to neighbors that began with the SDOT announcement above:
College Decision on Signage: South Seattle College has asked the City of Seattle to move forward with parking restriction signage on the college side of 16th Ave SW after gathering perspective from neighbors and the college community. In the attached proposal you’ll find SDOT’s recommendation for signage on the west side of 16th, opposite college grounds, as well.
As a community college guided by our mission to make higher education accessible for all, we see this as a step toward ensuring students and employees who chose not to pay for parking on campus can still find close parking and easy, safe access to the college from 16th Ave SW.
We came to this decision based on concern for access and safety for those who learn and work at the college, and from the experiences and concerns shared by our neighbors. We appreciate the City of Seattle’s continued efforts to provide support and services to the unhoused community while exploring new options for long-term vehicle parking.
Follow-up on Campus Parking: During our community conversation in early February, the idea of the college making parking free on campus came up. South Seattle College charges parking fees based on Washington Administrative Code 132F-116-062, which states, in part, that “Fees collected from the sale of parking permits shall be used to help offset the expenses of the district’s commute trip reduction program, to help maintain the parking facilities at each campus, and to assist with funding of the positions necessary to enforce these parking rules and regulations, and other purposes deemed appropriate.”
These fees are critical for the college’s ability to subsidize ORCA Cards for students and employees who use public transportation, maintain our parking lots, and pay our public safety employees’ salaries.
The 11 pm-5 am signage option would be identical to what SDOT did in 2023 along most of Harbor Avenue, which has been mostly devoid of RVs ever since. The “daytime 4 hours” signage would be what SDOT did on SW Trenton by Westwood Village in 2024 with similar results, though the occasional RV turns up.
ADDED 9 PM: We drove this stretch of 16th tonight. Three trailers/RVs, compared to 10 around the day of the meeting three weeks ago.
Thanks for the tips about citywide-media reports that 34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, who serves as State House Majority Leader, has acknowledged being drunk on the job. We requested and obtained his statement from the State House Democrats‘ office:
I deeply regret and apologize for the fact that I consumed alcohol before the work of the Appropriations Committee was completed on Wednesday, and the result was obvious. This was a serious mistake for many reasons. Being impaired in that situation was harmful to my work and to my co-workers. This was a painful and embarrassing lesson, one I won’t forget, and I will not put myself and others in this situation again in the future. Again, I apologize.
“The result” is visible/audible in video from a hearing, as recorded by TVW (and embedded here).
Fitzgibbon has been in the 34th District’s State House Position 2 for 15 years and has been House Majority Leader for three years. He has filed to run for re-election this year, after winning his current term in 2024 with 84 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Jolie Lansdowne.
We also have received a statement from State House Speaker Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) about the situation:
We expect professionalism in the workplace, and while Rep. Fitzgibbon did not meet that standard Wednesday night, he has acknowledged that behavior is unacceptable and has apologized. The people of Washington expect and deserve their legislators to be fully focused and clear on the work we are here to do on their behalf, and House Democratic Caucus leadership stands with Rep. Fitzgibbon as he takes whatever steps he needs to ensure his well-being.
We’ll add anything more we find out about fallout.
Samantha is missing from Tacoma, but her family says she has ties to West Seattle and might be here, and asked us to let you know.
Samantha is 17 years old, 5’1″, 110 pounds, wears glasses and has a septum piercing. Her family says she needs meds for a chronic condition, and adds:
She went missing on 2/22/26. She abandoned her car and turned off her cell phone. She was last seen wearing white Nikes, a white tank top, a light-style dark gray jacket that had newspaper clippings on it, and a pair of blue jeans. We believe she got into another car, but do not know who that would be.
If you see/find her, please call 911 and refer to Tacoma Police case # 2605300805.
Juan is looking for his stolen yellow-and-black Yume scooter, stolen at Westwood Village:
It was stolen from me at the Target location at 2800 SW Barton St at 5:15 pm (Wednesday). Temporary SPD report number: TO005214.
Juan also sent this screenshot from security video:
If you find a scooter like this abandoned somewhere, call 911 and refer to the report # above.
(WSB photo: Jim Guevara, Lizzy Greene)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Digital communication has its limitations.
That observation is from two West Seattle High School seniors who are organizing an in-person gathering for more than 100 of their peers this Saturday.
The gathering at WSHS will make history as the first-ever Seattle ASB Leadership Summit, with students from every comprehensive high school in the city coming to spend the day learning from each other. In our photo above are the co-leads, Jim Guevara and Lizzy Greene. They went to 11 high schools to meet with other ASB (Associated Student Body) leaders to get buy-in for the summit plan.
Not only do they have triple-digit RSVPs, they’re also expecting a few non-student visitors – including two people new to their high-profile jobs, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson (making it her second consecutive Saturday in West Seattle) and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner. But this event is about, for, and by students, partly rooted in how students from around the district came together outside district HQ last fall:
(WSB photo, September 2025)
The reason for that rally was the district’s sudden decision, after the school year had started, to split lunch periods at high schools including WSHS. One of the students’ main objections was a loss of gathering time for activities such as clubs and academic support. That remains an issue, Lizzy and Jim agree. But the lunch controversy wasn’t the only inspiration. Jim says the idea of a summit was a “passion project” for him. They’ve been planning it for months now. The day will include 20 breakout sessions, with topics including event planning. They’ll have in-house performers at the opening ceremony – the band Across 35th, plus the WSHS Marching Band, Drumline, and Cheer Team.
What are they hoping to achieve with the summit? “Showing that Seattle youth can actively collaborate,” says Jim. Lizzy adds that they hope it will result in “continued communication and flow of ideas.” They’re also proud that as the school organizing and hosting the first one, that will shine a positive light on WSHS citywide.
And they have a lot of knowledge to share, noting that the WSHS ASB is one of the largest and most successful in the city, and that this self-sustaining part of student life has enough of a financial cushion to cover what it’s costing to put this on. Costs include security, food, transportation, even “decor.” (Their fundraising activities through the year include dances and Parents’ Night Out group babysitting events.)
But at least one thing about this first-ever summit will be priceless – the fact that it’s, as described by Jim, centering students “as decision-makers, rather than participants in an adult-led program.”
(The Olympics this morning, photographed by James Bratsanos)
Here’s what’s on our list for the hours ahead, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find even more – thanks again to everyone who sends events for us to list!):
FREE PLAYSPACE: West Seattle Church of the Nazarene is hosting playspace today until noon. (42nd SW & SW Juneau)
GATHERING AT THE VOID: Escape your home office for a few hours! “Work, Game, Craft, or Chat! At The Void” hangout at The Void, 10 am-noon Thursdays. (5048 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY RUN/WALK: New free, fun gathering, 10 am, starting from Lincoln Park parking lot #2. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Whether you’re planting or planning – the center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm – north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
TODDLER STORY TIME IN WESTWOOD: 10:30 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME IN ADMIRAL: West Seattle Library story time (2306 42nd SW), 10:30 am.
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: From newbie to pro, all levels welcome at this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to see where they’re playing today. (Even if you just want to know so you can go listen!)
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE BOOTHS BEGIN: 3 pm is the earliest booth we’ve found in West Seattle on Day 1. Look for nearby booth locations and times here.
DROP-IN CHESS: High Point Library‘s weekly event is on today, 4-5:30 pm for players under 18. (3411 SW Raymond)
HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: First of two regular Thursday night events at HPCS – every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Kathmandu Momocha .
WINE TASTING WITH CLARK: Another regular Thursday event at HPCS, 5-7:30 pm – info here.
ALSO AT HPCS AT 4 PM: Girl Scout Cookies!
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 5-8 pm for your tool-borrowing needs. (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center)
VISCON CELLARS: This West Seattle winery’s friendly tasting room/wine bar is open Thursdays, 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor), for wine by the glass or bottle!
POKEMON LEAGUE: 6 pm Thursdays at Fourth Emerald Games (4517 California SW, upstairs) – bring your own console.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: 6 pm, starting from Future Primitive Beach Bar (2536 Alki SW), you’re welcome to join the Westies Run Club‘s Thursday night community run!
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: If you’d rather walk, meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fontanelle for tonight’s group walk – details in our calendar listing.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Doors 6, show 7 pm, with Radon Radar, Chewing Gum, Across 35th. $5 cover, all ages. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
BINGO BENEFIT AT OUNCES: 7 pm, free to play, donations benefit cancer care for canines. (3809 Delridge Way SW)
MORBIDLY CURIOUS BOOK CLUB: 7 pm at Great American Diner & Bar (4736 California SW), this month reading/discussing “Rabid.”
‘TOPDOG/UNDERDOG’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm, last week for this ArtsWest production, “Topdog/Underdog.” Online tickets are sold out for the rest of the run, but check with the theater box office! (4711 California SW)
TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE VOID: Newest West Seattle trivia night! 7:30 pm, with prizes, at The Void (5048 California SW).
DJ NIGHT AT REVELRY ROOM: Spinning happens tonight at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Kingblind & DJ Teenage Rampage, starting at 8 pm. 21+.
LISTENING PARTY AT EASY STREET: 7 pm, hear Iron & Wine “Hen’s Teeth” at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW). Free, all ages.
Are you planning an event that should be on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Another spring event to get on your calendar: The West Seattle Food Bank‘s annual “Nourish & Flourish”! You can save your spot(s) now:
The West Seattle Food Bank’s annual Nourish & Flourish dinner and auction returns Saturday, May 2 at 4105 in SODO — and early bird tickets are now available.
This is more than a fundraiser. It’s a night to gather with neighbors who believe in showing up for one another.
Join 300 community members, local businesses, and leaders for an evening of great food, meaningful connection, and shared purpose. Together, we’ll raise critical funds to support food access and eviction prevention for West Seattle families.
Last year alone, the West Seattle Food Bank distributed more than 2 million pounds of food and helped hundreds of households stay safely housed. Nourish & Flourish helps make that work possible — and reminds us what our community can do when we come together.
If you’re looking for a room full of generous, hopeful people, this is your night.
Early bird tickets are available for a limited time. Join us to nourish hope.
Saturday, May 2, 2026
6 pm
Must be 21+ to attend
4105 Airport Way
Early Bird Tickets $125 until April 3rd.Tickets and details: bit.ly/NAF2026
Community Sponsorships still available – contact Robbin@westseattlefoodbank.org.
6:02 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Thursday, February 26, 2026.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
Rain possibilities are again in the forecast – breezy too, high in the low 50s. Sunrise at 6:55 am; sunset at 5:49 pm.
(Wednesday sunset, photographed by Bob Burns)
BRIDGE ALERT
*Lane closures continue on the NB 1st Avenue South Bridge – plus a speed-limit reduction to 25 mph – until further notice.
TRANSIT TODAY
West Seattle Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service, winter schedule.
Washington State Ferries – Check WSF’s alert page for any changes to the 3-boat schedule.
Metro buses – Regular weekday schedule and routes.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (note that SDOT may still be having some trouble – we’ve reported it – so if the “live” framegrabs seem stuck, choose almost any camera from SDOT’s page and view live video instead)
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the westward view. Also note, maritime-opening info is available via X (ex-Twitter):
1st Avenue South Bridge (see the alert above):
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!
12:17 AM: SFD Engine 37 is on the scene of a car fire next to the Shell station at 35th SW and SW Henderson, across from Southwest Library. The traffic cam live video shows flames through the trees at screen right (the mass of light at screen left is the fire engine). We haven’t heard anything yet about circumstances or whether the car’s owner/driver is on scene.
12:25 AM: Police hadn’t been called in on this but SFD is now asking for them to respond, “for traffic control.”
12:46 AM: Now they’re calling in the SFD investigator.
(WSB photos)
1:04 AM: We just went over for a look at the aftermath. No new info available; we’ll have to follow up later this morning. If you’re in the area and notice the library’s fire alarm sounding, SFD told dispatch that was triggered by their use of a hydrant.
ADDED THURSDAY EVENING: SFD says the cause of the fire was ruled “undetermined” and that no driver/owner was around when their crews responded to the fire. We haven’t yet found evidence of a police investigation.
By Charlotte Starck
Special to West Seattle Blog
On March 3, my brother Jim Starck and I will board a plane to Detroit carrying something far too fragile to ship — our grandfather’s 1930 Fisher Body Napoleonic model coach, carefully secured inside the handcrafted wooden box he built for it himself.
It will be the first time the carriage has ever left the Seattle area.
(Irvin Starck and the carriage, photo in locket)
Nearly ninety-five years ago, as a teenager in South Dakota during the Great Depression, our grandfather, Irvin A. Starck, obtained one of the very first Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild model coach plans provided by the Guild – the inaugural year of what would become General Motors’ long running and most influential youth outreach and recruiting initiative aimed at getting boys into auto engineering.
He had a natural-born talent for building things and hoped to enter it by the Guild contest.
But, life happened. He was living in poverty during the Depression. He scrambled to work multiple jobs to survive. And just couldn’t sacrifice the time to focus on the model before the submission deadline.
But he never got rid of it. He kept it. For a someday.
We didn’t fully understand how poor he was then – until much later. One Thanksgiving, I noticed he never put mashed potatoes on his plate. (It was our favorite.) I finally asked why. He replied, “During the Depression, we didn’t have money for food. At one point, he said, that’s all we had. I had to eat potatoes for a few weeks.” He hated them ever since.
That moment stuck with me. As an adolescent, it was the first time I became aware of how fortunate I was to have food on the table every night. When he explained more of those days, it gave new meaning to the unfinished coach.
Eventually he moved to Seattle, was hired at Boeing, and spent 30 years as a machinist building airplanes. Precision became his profession.
And one day, he started to work on it again. Slowly. In the evenings after his shifts on the line, or when our grandmother was a little grumpy. Down to the garage he would go. To his own creative world. Under dim lights, hunched over his workbench with his glasses low on his nose.
The oversized plans, yellow with age, were mounted on the wall above as he shaped parts so small he sometimes held them in a vice. If a tool did not exist to create a detail, he fabricated one. He built the tool to build the design pressed into leather. He made tools to craft the intricate patterns that embellished the plated wheels. Complex parts didn’t stop him. He just built them.
He kept at it. This was not tinkering. It was mastery.
In 1985 — fifty-five years after purchasing the kit — he announced it was finished. That same year, he entered it in the model competition at the Washington State (Puyallup) Fair and won the top prize, a Blue Ribbon. News of the precision craftsmanship traveled from the fairgrounds all the way to General Motors headquarters in Detroit.
An executive wrote inviting him to place the carriage in the GM Heritage Museum.
He declined.
Having only recently completed it after more than half a century, he told us, with a chuckle, “I just finished it.” He wanted a little time to appreciate his own work.
Some facts from the Fair:
Irvin A. Starck’s Fisher Body Napoleonic Model Coach:
• Purchased: 1930 (first-year issue of the Guild contest)
• Completed: 1985 – Seattle, Washington
• Blue Ribbon: Washington State Puyallup Fair (1985)
• Estimated labor: 18,000 hours
• Approximate parts: 2,000
The Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild contest was created during the Great Depression as both a recruiting pipeline and a youth outreach initiative.
Thousands of teenagers and their families participated. The 1/18-scale Napoleonic coach — based on Fisher Body’s iconic emblem inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte’s ceremonial carriage — became a symbol of craftsmanship and design excellence during the transition from horse-drawn transport to the automobile age.
My brother and I talked and agreed that it was time for others to see it. We contacted Kevin Kirbitz, Chief of GM Heritage. Over the decades, he has seen several surviving Guild coaches in fair shape. But he told us they had not seen one with this level of beauty and precision craftsmanship. General Motors is opening a new Heritage Center museum next spring, and Kevin said they would be honored to include our grandfather’s carriage in the permanent collection.
Now, 40 years after he first declined GM’s invitation — and nearly 95 years after he purchased that original kit — our grandfather’s carriage will finally return to Detroit.
It’s an emotional trip, because we love our grandfather so much and miss him dearly; he died in 2002. He taught us how to finish something you start. How to be patient when you don’t see all the pieces. How to find solutions and move forward. And how to do work you can be proud of.
Before it departs the Pacific Northwest, we believe this represents more than industrial history. It is a Seattle story — a Boeing machinist’s Depression-era dream completed over fifty-five years in a garage, honored at the Washington State Fair, and now returning to Detroit as part of American industrial heritage.
We will depart March 3rd to deliver it to the GM Heritage Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
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Charlotte Starck is a former journalist currently engaged in civic and community service as president of the Alki Community Council.
Two months ago, Gay showed us how a tree took out Little Free Library #8702, uphill from Lowman Beach. Tonight, Gay sent this update, with photos!
The LFL on 48th and Graham is back in business. Our friend Dana and crew from Legendary Tree got the space all ready yesterday. Matt Lukin repaired it and put it back up today.
Shoutout to Pegasus Books for the continued support.
Thanks to Denny International Middle School student/family advocate and Kingmaker facilitator Keenen Allen Ladd for the report and photo from Denny’s Black History Month assembly today:
(From left, CM Saka, Keenen Allen Ladd, Dr. Mia Williams of SPS Office of African American Male Achievement, 8th grade math teacher Ms. Brown, Denny principal Mary Ingraham)
During our Black History Month Assembly, our students delivered powerful presentations honoring Black trailblazers and our Kingmaker students recited our King’s Pledge with pride and excellence. The program was a meaningful celebration of culture, history, and student leadership.
We were also honored to welcome Councilmember Rob Saka, who officially proclaimed today, February 25, 2026 as “Denny International Middle School Black History Month Day” in the City of Seattle. It was a powerful civic moment for our students to witness their school and community recognized at the city level.
To find out more about the Kingmaker program, you can read about it here.
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