West Seattle, Washington
12 Sunday
Alki Beach Ben & Jerry’s – co-housed with Alki Coffee Co. at 2742 Alki Avenue SW – will offer free ice-cream cones noon-8 pm this Tuesday (April 14). The announcement that six Ben & Jerry’s around the region will participate, including Alki, says it’s a “global tradition of giving away free ice cream to thank fans and celebrate community” and that this year’s giveaway day “will also highlight the region’s strong civic spirit.” In that spirit, the nonprofit, nonpartisan League of Women Voters plans to have reps at Alki to register voters and offer election info. According to the company website, there’s no rules about what flavors they’re giving away – get your favorite.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
More change is on the way for the heart of the Luna Park mini-business district.
Shannon Felix and Jon Felix are looking for new ownership for Avalon Glassworks, which they’ve owned for 23 of its 33 years at 2914 SW Avalon Way.
Their one-of-a-kind business – West Seattle’s only commercial glass-blowing studio and retail shop – is next door to Luna Park Café, which itself changed ownership in 2024 after 35 years.
We talked to the Felixes this afternoon at Avalon Glassworks. Shannon said the decision to sell the business has been a decade in the making. “I’m calling it ‘retiring’ because I don’t have another job or business I’m going to, but” – she said cheerily – “I have a beach house, family in California, a fun dog, a fun husband,” and she feels she’s learned everything she can about art retailing, so it’s time to do something else. Running a small business can be intense, the Felixes know, and for the past decade or so, they’ve been putting things off like visiting family and friends, but now it feels like time to stop deferring, start doing.
They and their landlords – the Bennett family – really want the space to remain a glass-blowing shop, the Felixes say. They’ll be turning it over in good condition, with newer equipment (the sale flyer has specs), and they hope there’s an experienced glass blower who’s ready for their own studio/shop, “somebody with the likelihood of succeeding,” out there.
But they say that won’t be their chief glass-blower Sean Welch, who’s worked for Avalon Glassworks for 20 years – he wants to keep creating blown-glass art, not run a shop, they explain.
But he’s “certainly one of the secrets to our success,” and they count their landlords as another. We asked about highlights of their 23 years; Shannon says she’s “enjoyed coming in every day (and) making new things every day … It’s hard to leave something I love, but I know there are other things [out there] I’m going to love too.”
Ideally, they’d love to be able to turn over the shop by “early summer.” Contact Shannon through the shop to find out more (including getting the entire flyer), or stop by during Avalon Glassworks’s business hours.
Alki’s beach-volleyball courts were in low-key use when Bob Burns took that photo a little over a week ago, but later this week, that will change: The University of Washington beach-volleyball team will host the Alki Beach Invitational next Friday and Saturday. According to the online schedule, participating schools include Portland, Florida Atlantic, Oregon, and Boise State, which hosted the tournament in which the Huskies played this weekend.
The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW) is hosting community events again, and this Wednesday it will be the meeting site for a community coalition that used to meet their regularly, the Morgan Community Association. MoCA meets quarterly and has rotated through various sites, as well as gathering online, in recent years. At 7 pm Wednesday (April 15), it’ll be a hybrid meeting, with a variety of highlights and updates, including officer elections, public-safety info, and the latest on the Morgan Junction Park addition. See the agenda in our calendar listing, which includes the online link if you can’t attend in person.
(WSB photo)
Today is the second and final day of this donation dropoff at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) to support farmworkers:
Community Garden Donation Drive
Join C&P Coffee Company, WashMasks Mutual Aid, Nuestra Casa, & rural organizers in supporting food access in the Lower Yakima Valley by donating plant starts or tools to their community garden.
Requested plant starts: jalapeño, tomato, pinto beans, bush beans, cucumber, corn, strawberry, basil, thyme, rosemary, epazote, hierbabuena (peppermint), cilantro, lavender, sunflowers, nasturtium, chamomile, marigold
Requested tools & supplies: soil, compost, wheelbarrow, large pots, garden gloves for youth & adults, extra long hose, a bistro table set, or gardening tools
Donations can be dropped off at the coffeehouse until 1 pm today. The chair in our photo is next to the table at the back patio where you’ll find the volunteers.
(Great Blue Heron seen at Seacrest this week by WSB contributor Anne Higuera)
Some weekly events, some special events in our lineup for your Sunday, mostly from our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SUNDAY FUNDAY RUNDAY: The Westies Run Club is meeting at Highland Park Corner Store at 9 am today for a today’s Sunday Funday run. (7789 Highland Park Way SW)
AMERICAN MAH JONGG: In The Junction, weekly Sunday morning games are happening at the new location of The Missing Piece (4707 California SW), 9:30 am.
WEST SEATTLE RUNNER’S 16TH ANNIVERSARY: 10 am HOKA demo run/walk kicks off today’s celebration – treats afterward! (2743 California SW)
DONATION DRIVE FOR FARMWORKERS: Plant starts, tools, supplies needed for community garden – dropoff donation drive 10 am-1 pm again today at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Open today and every Sunday year-round on California SW between Oregon and Alaska, 10 am-2 pm, now in early spring produce-and-products season – roots, greens, microgreens, peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, beans, garlic, apples, more – and an abundant selection of baked goods, cheeses, meats, fish, fresh- and pre-prepared foods, nuts, condiments, pasta …
WEEKEND SINGALONG BRUNCH: 10 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), sing to hits of the ’80s, ’90s, ’00s and enjoy a buffet breakfast.
FREE NIA CLASS: Begins at 10:15 am; first class free if you pre-register. At Inner Alchemy Studio/Sanctuary. (3618 SW Alaska)
PLAY DATE AND OPEN HOUSE: Bring your up-to-5-year-old to Little Trailblazers (3003 SW Roxbury), 10:30 am-noon.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Need a tool but don’t need/want to, or can’t, buy it? You’ll probably be able to find it at, and borrow it from, the Tool Library, open 11 am-4 pm on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
FREE TAX HELP: 11 am-4 pm at Southwest Library, registration required – check for openings before going. (9010 35th SW)
WEST SEATTLE RESIST: Regular weekly West Seattle Resist Sunday sign-holding event, 11:30 am-1:30 pm. South of Farmers’ Market. (California SW and SW Alaska)
CELEBRATE POETRY! Write some at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), 1-4 pm.
WELCOME ROAD WINERY: You’re invited to hang out this afternoon at this West Seattle tasting room (with a patio!) open 2-5 pm, kids and dogs welcome. (3804 California SW; WSB sponsor)
MODERN CLASSIC BOOK CLUB: This month’s gathering is at 3 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW), discussing “Ravelstein” by Saul Bellow.
FIRST MATINEE OF ‘WALDEN’: ArtsWest‘s new play has a 3 pm curtain today – get ticket(s) here. (4711 California SW)
ARTIST RECEPTION: Susan Clifford‘s new work at Bakery Nouveau (4737 California S), 3:30-5 pm opening reception.
TRIVIA AT MR. B’S: 5 pm, new art-trivia at Mr. B’s Mead Center with host Morgue Anne (9444 Delridge Way SW).
LIVE AT TIM’S: 7 pm Sunday night all-ages show at Tim’s Tavern – jazz singers in Dave Desrochers’ All-Star Jazz Bonanza Extravaganza. (16th SW & SW 98th, White Center)
BLACK TEA AT REVELRY ROOM: 7 pm-midnight late-night tea service with host Jack Sanders, info and RSVP here. (4547 California SW)
UNDERGROUND TRIVIA AT CORNER POCKET: Trivia starts at 7:30 pm – free to play, and you can win prizes! (4302 SW Alaska)
LIVE JAZZ AT THE ALLEY: 8-10 pm jazz, with the Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW).
Organizing, or helping with, an event that we could add to the WSB community calendar – whether one-time or recurring? Please email the basic details – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Torin Record-Sand
or West Seattle Blog
“Then 2025 hit.”
Culture/arts institutions from coast to coast would understand the pain in those three words from Southwest Seattle Historical Society board president Kathy Duncan toward the start of the organization’s Tides of History fundraising gala Friday night at Salty’s on Alki
She primarily spoke about why fundraising was needed more than ever: SWSHS spent more than two years planning its upcoming permanent exhibit, when the new federal administration slashed support for culture, arts, education and more: “Grants that we were pursuing disappeared.” Compounding that, shortly thereafter, tariffs “raised the cost” for much of what they needed.
SWSHS could have pulled back, given up, downsized their vision. They decided to “push forward” instead. And if all goes well, the exhibit – looking at “how the waters around us have connected and divided us – will open this summer at SWSHS’s home on Alki, the Log House Museum. It will be far more than a display case of items – it will include maps, recordings, video, signage outside the building, even a role for the museum’s garden of native plants. Here’s our video of everything Duncan said:
She was preceded by brief words of welcome from Ken Workman, a descendant of Chief Seattle, on behalf of the Native people whose history here goes the furthest back of all:
What’s ahead for the Log House Museum in addition to the new permanent exhibit was detailed by a relatively new member of the staff, program coordinator Oli Castañon Villa, who is planning events including “getting people thinking about the legacy of the United States” in conjunction with America 250, as well as a Riverside Memorial Plaza cleanup in June and a special story time on the Fourth of July:
SWSHS executive director Elizabeth Rudrud, continuing to serve as emcee, introduced spotlight speaker Roger Evans from the Washington State Black Legacy Institute and Seattle Griot Project.
WSBLI is in its second year headquartered at West Seattle’s city-landmarked ex-church formerly known as The Sanctuary. Evans explained in his presentation how they’re focusing on digitization and archiving as well as an oral history collection; he also talked about the challenges of obtaining the historical material they’re gathering, because it’s often in the possession of people who fought hard to preserve it and don’t want to run the risk of losing it.
He said WSBLI and SGP are “coontinuing to build a growing digital archive” and that the space in the ex-church “allows us to bring history to life.” And, he concluded, “We invite partnership; we invite collaboration.”
Bringing it all together was executive director Rudrud, moving from the emcee role to podium as the final pre-auction speaker. Summoning both the night’s theme and the spirit of the forthcoming permanent exhibit, she noted, “The tides of history are powerful, unyielding – they alter our landscape and define our future.” She acknowledged key figures who factor into the community’s history and were in attendance, such as 90-year-old Mas Tahara, historian of the Tengu Fishing Club, which just had its first derby of the year last weekend (watch the auction video below to hear from him):
She also had shout-outs for many others including Carol-Ann Thornton, a key figure in Seattle civil-rights history (and a current member of the SWSHS board):
From the Duwamish Tribe, Kristina Pearson and Nancy Sackman:
West Seattle-residing former Mayor Greg Nickels – who has made history as the only two-term Seattle mayor so far this millennium – and wife Sharon Nickels:
Rudrud also spoke of past SWSHS leaders and many others. Here’s everything she said:
Her talk also included a remembrance of West Seattle native Jim Whittaker, the history-making mountaineer who died this past week. Here’s the short video she played of Whittaker and his twin brother, the late Lou Whittaker, sharing West Seattle memories nine years ago:
“These are the stories of our community,” she observed.
She turned the floor over to one of her predecessors in the SWSHS leadership role, Clay Eals (below left), and board member Mike Shaughnessy (below right), both of whom served as auctioneers again this year, with Shaughnessy coaxing the bidders and Eals talking to key figures in the crowd.
Their section of the event ran 27 minutes – a very entertaining 27 minutes even if you weren’t bidding:
They auctioned off five items (separate from silent- and online-auction items the SWSHS offered):
-A ride on the Zamboni at a Sno-King Ice Rink went for $700
-A two-hour consultation with master garden coach Jeff Daley went for $1100
-A “private speakeasy party wth Shaughnessy and local preservationist John Bennett went for $1,500
-A walking tour of the West Duwamish Greenbelt with Ken Workman wwent for $1,400
-Making your own Husky Deli ice-cream flavor and having a launch party for it (last year’s winning bidder was there and told his story of making mango cardamom ice crea) went for $3,100
The night wrapped up with an auction-night tradition, “raise the paddle” monetary donations, and guests lingered to chat, snack, and admire the view.
It had been noted earlier that the evening’s goal was to raise $30,000 more to help cover the cost of the new exhibit:
Supporting work like this “is about loving your community,” Eals had said, and the tally Rudrud shared with WSB (the event’s media sponsor) today showed a whole lot of love:
Prior to our event last night, we raised $135,000 in contributions toward our exhibit (very new grant from Norcliff Foundation). These include sponsorships, foundation gifts, ticket sales, online auction, and individual contributions. Foundations and sponsors include:
Nucor Steel
Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation
The Norcliff Foundation
City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture
City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
John Bennett Preservation Foundation
West Seattle Garden ClubIn total, we raised: $51,075 from our Gala and Online Auction including our record breaking fundraising that we reached last night: $31,950 – $11,200 in our live auction (donors provided multiple bids for Master Gardening with Jeff Daley, president of the West Seattle Garden Club, and multiple bids for the private speakeasy), plus $20,750 in Raise the Paddle
WHAT’S NEXT: If all goes well, the new exhibit will open on the Fourth of July. And it’s more than just an exhibit – the SWSHS, founded 42 years ago, wants to carry out a “vision” of transforming how people experience its museum, and local stories. This page on their website (which itself will be transformed soon) explains, and offers you a chance to donate too if you’re so moved.
(WSB file photo from a past Station 37 open house
When the city announced that May 2 will be “Neighbor Day,” we asked the Seattle Fire Department if, as happened on many past occasions, they’d be opening local fire stations to community visitors. Though it’s not mentioned in the Neighbor Day announcement, SFD tells us yes, all stations will be open noon-2 pm on that day (three weeks from today) One caveat, though – the firefighters will remain on call, so if they’re dispatched to an emergency, that could bring an abrupt end to that station’s open house. West Seattle has five fire stations – Station 11 in Highland Park at 16th/Holden, Station 29 in North Admiral at 2139 Ferry Avenue SW, Station 32 in The Triangle at 38th/Alaska, Station 36 at the north end of Delridge beneath the West Seattle Bridge, Station 37 in Sunrise Heights at 35th/Holden.
5:50 PM: Police responding to 911 calls about possible gunfire in High Point have found casings in the 6000 block of 30th SW. The shots are reported to have been fired by someone in a “newer-model black 4-door BMW.” No injuries confirmed so far.
5;55 PM: Officers just told dispatch they’ve found a second grouping of casings in the same block.
6:07 PM: And they’re reporting at least one window hit by a bullet.
7:41 PM: Dispatch is telling police a caller reports “seven more” casings or bullets in the same area.
6:44 AM SUNDAY: Here’s the SPD summary:
At 1735 hours, officers responded to several reports of shots fired in the 6000 block 30 Ave SW. Officers arrived and located multiple fired cartridge casings in two separate areas on the east sidewalk. Three homes and a vehicle sustained bullet damage with no reported injuries. Witnesses reported hearing the shots and observing two black sedans with heavy tint leaving the area with one chasing the other.
If you have any information for police, the incident number is 26-99370.
That pic is just in from WSB contributor Anne Higuera, on state ferry M/V Kittitas headed from Fauntleroy and Vashon. Let us know if you’ve seen it/them!
(File photo from a reader – that long stretch of greenbelt is the WDG)
Just west of Seattle’s only river, in eastern West Seattle, you’ll find the city’s longest unbroken stretch of forest, the West Duwamish Greenbelt. Last year we reported on a survey asking your thoughts about it, conducted by the Ridge to River Coalition. Now the results are out, and we’ve received this announcement summarizing it and looking ahead to what’s next:
Last year, the Ridge to River Coalition (R2R) invited the community to share experiences and ideas for the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest forest. 589 people completed an online survey. That is an impressive response! To see the results, visit the R2R website r2rduwamish.org. R2R thanks all who participated.
Survey findings will help shape a community vision for the greenbelt that supports environmental stewardship and addresses the needs of the surrounding communities.
Key findings include:
-The West Duwamish Greenbelt is widely viewed as a critical environmental resource and a valued refuge for nature, recreation, and community wellbeing.
-Respondents most frequently engage with the Greenbelt through walking, hiking, nature observation, and informal recreation.
-Environmental protection, personal safety, encampments, wayfinding and maintenance emerged as overall priorities.
-Many respondents expressed concern about balancing improved access with preservation of sensitive ecosystems.
-Top priorities for trail development were wayfinding, developing longer, continuous hiking routes within the greenbelt, and making trails usable in wet weather.
-Community members demonstrated strong interest in continued involvement and stewardship.
R2R is currently inviting adjacent neighbors and landowners to meet for “coffee hours” for more input. Later this year, R2R will return to gather public feedback on options for planning concepts for trails and restoration. Herrera Environmental Consultants is leading a team to perform environmental studies and planning.
The Ridge to River Coalition includes West Seattle and Duwamish Valley community organizations, individuals, and the Duwamish Tribe. This project is funded by grants from the King County Parks Levy Fund and the King Conservation District. Seattle Parks Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of R2R. Seattle Parks and Recreation is reviewing the work as it proceeds. Technical assistance is being provided by the National Park Service’s River and Trail Corridor Assistance Program.
For any questions or comments, please contact info@r2rduwamish.org
Four weeks from now – on Saturday, May 9 – we’ll be in the waning official moments of West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2026 (though some are staying open later or even continuing their sales the next day). We are also midway through registration, which opened the morning of April 1 and is closing the evening of April 22; we’re almost up to 300 sales now, as usual, all sizes, all around the peninsula (plus some a bit south/southeast of West Seattle, in White Center, Top Hat, and South Park). We’ve been reviewing/proofreading the listings and noting creative descriptions and unusual items – among them, the seller who describes their sale as a “pop-culture fever dream of vintage ephemera and modern kitsch” and the seller who declares theirs to be a “baby blow-out – the good kind!” plus the seller who promises a “modernist aesthetic from an obsessive thrifter.” Besides all the individual sales, we’ll have block sales, multi-family sales, and a few multi-seller sites that have participated in past years too (including Hotwire Coffeehouse and C & P Coffee).
If you’re planning a sale but haven’t signed up yet, the deadline is 11 pm Wednesday, April 22 to do it, but don’t run the risk you’ll procrastinate and forget until it’s too late – get your up-to-20-words listing ready, and go here to register! Whether you’re selling or shopping, watch for the WSCGSD map to be available online – in clickable and printable-list formats – on May 2, which is one week before sale day.
11:50 AM: It’s a mellow open house happening at West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW; WSB sponsor) right now, as proprietor Marcia Bruno describes it, but full of highlights. Want to learn about bees? Washington Bee Atlas volunteers are there:
WBA is working to identify and map our state’s wild bees, and the plants that they favor.
You can find out how to volunteer! Also at the open house, West Seattle author Lori Kothe and her picture book “Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea“:
(If you can’t get there today, WSN is selling Lori’s book and should have some signed copies too.) After noon, a special highlight – WSN’s own Chelsea Ginnis launching Nosegay Gardens, and will be there to talk about it and the plants she’ll be selling. The open house is on until 2 pm.
1:59 PM: We went back to catch up with Chelsea, who is a fulltime WS Nursery employee and now a wholesale plant grower/seller. She’s focusing on roses and perennials, telling us that if she grows annuals, they’d mostly be “edibles.” She’s also excited about helping educate gardeners and plans to post about rose care this coming week on her website. (She’s actually been in business as a landscaper under the Nosegay Gardens name since 2022, but now she’s no longer taking new clients in that business and focusing on plants – which you of course can buy at WSN, which is open 9 am-7 pm this time of year.)
(WSB photo, September 2025 Recycle Roundup)
If the return of the rain has you spending some time indoors today and wondering what to do – sort your recyclables for West Seattle’s next big free-dropoff recycling event. We’re now exactly two weeks away from the spring Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 25 – here’s the list of what will and won’t be accepted. Twice a year, the church partners with 1 Green Planet to offer this free service to the community; since it’s a six-hour window, they request that you come earlier rather than later, to avoid a last-minute backup.
(Friday night, off Harbor Avenue; WSB photo by Torin Record-Sand)
Happy Saturday! First, a transportation note:
WATER TAXI’S NEW SCHEDULE: The spring/summer schedule for the West Seattle Water Taxi starts today, including extra weekend daytime runs, and later night runs on Saturdays (starting tonight) and Fridays (starting next Friday), as previewed here.
Now the other Saturday highlights, as usual mostly from our West Seattle Event Calendar (if we’re missing something, text info ASAP to 206-293-6302):
SATURDAY GROUP RUN: At West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor), you’re invited to join the Saturday 8 am free group run – kicking off the second day of 16th-anniversary weekend (see below).
FREE MEDITATION: For a calming start to your weekend, check out Heavily Meditated, 9 am free meditation at Inner Alchemy Studio/Sanctuary (3618 SW Alaska).
SCHMITZ PARK IVY PULL: Join Schmitz Park Creek Restore, A Cleaner Alki, others to help save the park’s trees by pulling invasive ivy, 9:30-11:30 am. (56th SW and SW Spokane)
INTRODUCTORY WALK and WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: 9:30 am, walk a mile before the 10 am well-being walk (or just show up for that one). Both start from 47th SW and Fontanelle.
WEST SEATTLE RUNNER CELEBRATES 16 YEARS: Second day of anniversary weekend, open 10 am to 5 pm – “discounts, raffle drawings, Hawthorne Chair massage, Lake Washington PT and Hidef PT on site at various times during the weekend. Call ahead for specific questions on scheduling: 206-938-0545.” (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor)
DONATION DRIVE FOR FARMWORKERS: Plant starts, tools, supplies needed for community garden – dropoff donation drive 10 am-1 pm today and tomorrow at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor)
WEST SEATTLE NURSERY OPEN HOUSE: Spring open house 10 am-2 pm at West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW; WSB sponsor), featuring bees, books, and a new grower!
COMPOST GIVEAWAY: 10 am to 2 pm or while it lasts, bring your own bucket/shovel to Westcrest Park P-Patch (9000 8th SW) for free compost, as previewed here.
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The home of West Seattle’s history is open, new Saturday hours 10 am-4 pm (61st SW and SW Stevens).
SSC GARDEN CENTER: 10 am-3 pm, open today! New plants in! North end of campus at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor)
DAHLIA TUBER SALE: 10 am-3 pm, prolific gardener’s overflow for sale. (4557 51st Place SW)
SINGALONG BRUNCH SOLD OUT: 10 am weekends at Admiral Pub, sing to classics – today, Taylor Swift edition, and it’s sold out. Table Reservation for future dates includes a Brunch Buffet! (2306 California SW)
GAME ON FOR KIDS! NAT’L BOARD GAME DAY: Kids are invited to celebrate by playing games at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), 10:30 am-3:30 pm.
MORNING MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Info about Marco’s music is here.
FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am today – free, weekly, in-person, critique-free group resumes today – details including location are in our calendar listing.
FAMILY STORY TIME: 10:30 am at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), for families with kids up to 5 years old.
ALKI HISTORY WALKING TOUR: Second one of the season! 11 am, leaving from the Log House Museum (61st SW and SW Stevens).
FREE TAX HELP: 11 am-3 pm, no appointment needed, with United Way and West Seattle Food Bank at WS Community Resource Center (6516 35th SW).
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN HAIRCUTS: 11 am-3 pm at Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon), Little Shop of Hairdos is cutting hair for 50+ at whatever price they can pay, no appointment necessary, proceeds donated to the center.
FAMILY READING TIME: At Paper Boat Booksellers, 11 am family reading time. (4522 California SW; WSB sponsor)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: Community visitors welcome noon-3 pm at the West Seattle Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard).
VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM/WINE BAR: Tasting room open, with wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY TASTING ROOM, WINE BAR, STORE: Open 1-6 pm on north end of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
COMMUNITY NOTARY DAY: 1-3 pm at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW), no registration required.
MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 6-8 pm at C & P Coffeehouse (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), singer-songwriter John Shaw. Free, all ages.
‘WALDEN’ AT ARTSWEST: First weekend continues for ArtsWest‘s new play, 7:30 pm curtain. (4711 California SW)
MUSIC AT KENYON HALL Feral Songwriters in the Round at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW), 7:30 pm, all ages.
CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERT: 7:30 pm at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd SW and SW Juneau), renowned guitarist Michael Partington will present music by Portland (OR) composer Bryan Johanson to celebrate his 75th year,
MUSIC AT THE SKYLARK: 8 pm, Pale People, Henry Mansfield, Cats with Bowties, $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
MUSIC AT TIM’S: Far Reaches, The Unsundered, Guilded Lilly at Tim’s in White Center, 8 pm, all ages. (16th SW & SW 98th)
REVELRY ROOM: 9 pm, Soul Focus FM. (4547 California SW)
SKATE PARTY: 9 pm-midnight at Southgate Roller Rink (9676 17th SW), with rotating DJs spinning old-school funk & hip-hop, $18 plus $5 skate rental.
KARAOKE AT TALARICO’S: Sing with Rone at 10 pm at Talarico’s Pizzeria. (4718 California SW)
Have a West Seattle event coming up? If community members are welcome, your event is welcome on our calendar, where listings are free of charge, always! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
10:30 PM: Seattle Police and a King County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team are searching for a suspected burglar who might be armed with a gun. This is happening near Delridge and Willow [map], where two people said they were in a residence when they encountered a intruder. If you’re hearing siren bursts, that’s because of the K-9 search. The only description so far is a Black man in his 20s, dressed in all black, with a white bandanna covering much of his face.
11:12 PM: Police are still searching, in a wide area.
11:41 PM: No luck finding the burglar yet but police told dispatch that they found a gun in a bag they believe he discarded.
Back on March 26, we brought you first word that the city’s “Summer of Safety” plan would be extended this year, to start May 1 and end September 30. Driving Alki Avenue tonight after covering an unrelated event, we saw illuminated trailer-borne signs for the dates and the 10:30 pm summer closing time:
Our report last month was based on a briefing given to the Parks Board; the city has yet to formally announce this year’s plan, though May 1st is just three weeks away.
(NASA image from Artemis II moon flyby)
The Artemis II crew is home safe from its Moon-flyby mission, as of just after 5 pm our time. According to our state’s U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, dozens of Washington state companies contributed in some way to the Artemis II mission. WSB reader Cindi wondered if anyone from West Seattle played a part in any way. If you know, she – and we – would love to hear – comment below or email us!
(WSB photos)
If you’ve crossed the West Seattle Bridge, you’ve seen the site that most know as “the old grain silos.” You might even know that part of the site is now Harbor Island Studios. Later this month, you have chances to go inside – not so much to see the studios as to see “History Comes Alive” – true stories, and performances related to them, as planned by Invisible Histories, a project of Cari Simson and Elke Hautala, whose podcasts unearth many such stories. Cari met us at the site on Thursday.
Until they set up for the performances and projections that will highlight the tours 6-10 pm on Thursday and Friday, April 23-24, it’s largely vast and empty inside:
But imagine learning stories including a rum-runner couple, a sabotaged munitions barge, Native life, the fight over where Seattle’s port would be centered … and more. That’s just part of what will be featured.
Guided group tours those two nights will take you back in time, immersively. You’ll meet historic figures as well as learning about historic places, from a segregated military facility to a chicken farm – all of which happened in the vicinity of Harbor Island (which is a human-made island, filling in tidelands).
The studios also contain items from their own recent history – props left behind by past productions, plus a costume shop, and memorabilia of some of what’s been filmed there.
And behind a closed door, there’s a film shoot happening there right now.
The tour will end outside, along the Duwamish River, with another tale from local history, Cari told us.
Once back in the lot, there’ll be reasons to hang out and enjoy the evening, including the Muy Macho food truck. There’ll also be a chance for you to share any Harbor Island history of your own, or your family, at a video booth that will be part of the event.
Cari says she and Elke are excited about the studios’ potential as a blank canvas, and hoping the stories and performances will captivate tour-takers. Find out more here; tickets and time windows are here.
(WSB photo, January 2, City Hall)
Since covering her inauguration at City Hall on January 2nd, we’ve reported on five appearances by Mayor Katie Wilson in and near West Seattle. Today marks her first 100 days in office, according to her team’s summary of what she’s done in that time – including two West Seattle references:
On January 2nd, an overflow crowd packed City Hall to celebrate Mayor Katie B. Wilson’s inauguration and mark a new era of city government. In the 100 days since taking office, the mayor and her team have gotten to work and quickly started making progress on some of the city’s biggest challenges.
“We’re just getting started,” said Mayor Wilson. “There’s a lot of work ahead, and there will be lots to celebrate too.”
The Mayor promised a coalition-building approach to the office, and she’s delivered. The members of her transition team carried out a uniquely robust body of work that included reaching out to hundreds of community members about their priorities for her term in office. And thousands of people have reconnected with their city government through events, forums, and digital media because the mayor is rooting her work in shared values, articulating a powerful vision for change, and bringing people together to make those changes real.
First 100 days on expanding shelter
In her first weeks in office, Mayor Wilson announced an executive order to dramatically accelerate the process to build new shelter and housing. She assembled an Interdepartmental Team which rapidly reviewed a number of potential sites for new shelter and emergency housing and managed to cut development timelines in half. She also advanced a package of legislation which would further accelerate the process of opening new shelter with wraparound services, allow existing successful shelters to serve more people, and identified underused city funds to make it happen.Earlier this week, the mayor gathered hundreds of community members at City Hall to provide an update on progress toward the goal of opening 1,000 new units of shelter and emergency housing with wraparound services this year. She announced that an initial go-first shelter will be moving forward on West Armory in Interbay, and that two sites already under development (Glassyard Commons and Brighton Village) are being accelerated through the permitting process. These are just the very first sites, with many more ahead as we finally treat this citywide issue with the citywide focus it deserves.
First 100 days on affordability
Almost 9,000 people completed the Mayoral Renters Survey to share their experiences trying to find an affordable place to live in the city and speak to their biggest challenges as renters. This survey will inform the development of policy this year to address some of the pressures facing Seattle renters.In order to help address our shortage of housing that people can afford, the mayor also signed legislation that will speed up development by eliminating unnecessary and time-consuming SEPA review, and announced a plan to build “taller, denser, and faster” by accelerating, combining, and expanding the next two phases of the city’s comprehensive plan.
The mayor also announced that the expanded Seattle Preschool Program is now open for all 3- and 4-year olds to apply, and that she’s enrolling her daughter in the program.
First 100 days on public safety
The mayor announced specific steps to respond to any potential surge in federal immigration enforcement activity, and announced a decision to pause the expansion of the city’s Real-Time Crime Center until an audit of data governance and privacy protections can be completed.Her team is focused on building out new neighborhood based framework to address hotspots, and developing a multipronged approach building on national best practices to reduce gun violence.
First 100 days on transportation
Mayor Wilson is committed to delivering on a vision of a world-class transportation system that works for everyone — whether or not they own a car. And she’s moving quickly to make that a reality for more people across the city. Just weeks into office, she issued an executive order directing the Seattle Department of Transportation to develop a plan to open a new bus lane on Denny Way to speed up the Metro #8, one of the city’s most-used and slowest-traveling bus routes.A new Sound Transit Board Member, the Mayor got to celebrate the opening of the Crosslake Connection linking Seattle light rail riders to the Eastside. She is working to advance the promised extension to West Seattle with shovels in the ground this year, and to go on to deliver the Ballard line voters were promised. She also helped mark the newly open Yesler bike lane, which safely connects waterfront riders right up to City Hall.
First 100 days of civic pride
Since the mayor took office, Seattle has leveled up into one of the best sports cities in the country. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the Rainier Beach High School boys basketball team won the state championship, we’re getting ready to host the FIFA World Cup, and we took a huge step to welcoming back our Sonics.The mayor also introduced a new library levy, helped open a ton of new buildings and projects, address the public through dozens of media appearances, met another Katie Wilson who already worked at the City, visited the top of the Space Needle, got a haircut, took a port crane for a test drive, enjoyed a snow day, and even welcomed a 7-foot tall urbanist sasquatch to the waterfront.
And there’s about 265 more days ahead this year alone.
Did you catch the two references? (West Seattle light rail and the forthcoming Glassyard Commons RV/tiny-house site.)
(File photo from recent compost giveaway in Highland Park)
Tomorrow’s the day that GROW will be sponsoring a compost giveaway at Westcrest Garden P-Patch (9000 8th SW) – 10 am to 2 pm Saturday or while the free compost lasts. It’s in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities and the Department of Neighborhoods as well as the Westcrest P-Patch community team. Bring your own bucket and shovel
The Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle has two new reasons for you to visit – venue and events coordinator Victoria Welch sent the photos above and below of “two new welcome figures permanently installed at the Duwamish Longhouse — something we’re incredibly proud of after years of planning.”
She adds, “We would love to invite the community to visit the Longhouse and experience the new welcome figures in person. The photos she sent show them from behind because “we hope people will come see them for themselves.” The Longhouse is open to the public 10 am-5 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays; if you visit tomorrow, you might notice a special event happening – she explains, “We’ve also been hosting quarterly Native elders’ luncheons, and our upcoming gathering on April 11th has more than doubled in attendance. We are currently at capacity for the luncheon, but we’re so encouraged by the level of interest and support from so many different tribes.” (Another event coming up that IS open to the public is the Spring Art Market April 25-26.) The Longhouse is at 4705 West Marginal Way SW, and while it’s not on a bus route, the parking has expanded over the years (and there’s a nearby bike lane too).
(Alki seaspray, photographed by Lisa Ruiz)
Here’s what’s making a splash today/tonight – mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you can always peek days/weeks ahead):
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER Spring is garden time! See what’s new at the center, 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 open at Arbor Heights Community Church (4113 SW 102nd), 10-11:30 am.
FREE TAX HELP: Free tax help at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) 11 am-4 pm, registration required so don’t go unless you have (or can get) one!
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM CLOSED TODAY: SWSHS is preparing for tonight’s gala (see below).
ENGLISH CONVERSATION CIRCLE: 12:30-2 pm, a chance to practice at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond) with other adult English-language learners.
KEEPING YOUR BRAIN HEALTHY: 4 pm presentation at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW), community welcome with RSVP.
TASTING ROOM AND WINE BAR: Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) is open 5-9 pm Fridays. Stop in to sip, or buy a bottle.
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: Two baseball games and one softball game at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) – in baseball, West Seattle HS vs. Seattle Prep at 3:30 pm, and Chief Sealth IHS vs. Nathan Hale at 7 pm; in softball, West Seattle HS hosts Ballard at NCSWAC, 4 pm.
‘TIDES OF HISTORY’: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s fundraising gala, 6 pm at Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW), is sold out, so if you already have tickets, this is a reminder it’s happening tonight!
MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: Songwriters’ Showcase at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 6-8 pm, all ages, no cover.
OPEN MIC IN ADMIRAL 6 pm open mic at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
KENYON HALL CABARET: 6:30 pm drag show at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW), all ages; our calendar listing has ticket info.
‘SOUND OF MUSIC’: Closing night for the West Seattle High School production of the classic musical, 7 pm curtain. (3000 California SW)
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Live music with Summer Bedhead (on tour, from Denver), Session 0, Poysenberry. Doors at 7, music at 8. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
‘WALDEN’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm, second performance of ArtsWest‘s new “speculative fiction” play. (4711 California SW)
SPINNING: Revelry Room is open tonight (4547 California SW), spinning tonight with DJ Swervewon, 9 pm.
‘MAKE IT LOUD’ SKATING WITH MUSIC: Tonight, skate to live music with Sugar of a Down and Little Sister, 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!
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