West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
5:52 PM: Seattle Fire has a water-rescue response headed by land and sea to a report of a sailboat in trouble north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Updates to come.
5:56 PM: The callout is being canceled – per scanner, a resident says the sailor is a neighbor and is already safely out of the water.
If you feel like going off-peninsula now and then, without having to cross the river, ‘Say Hello to Burien.’ That’s the new invitation from the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce, sponsoring WSB right now to get the word out. Here’s their video and announcement:
The Seattle Southside Chamber announced the public launch of the “Say Hello to Burien” campaign, which is focused on inviting people from throughout the Puget Sound region to experience the best this small, diverse city on the sound has to offer.
“As a life-long resident of King County and a transplant to Burien from Seattle, I definitely had my own preconceived notions about Burien,” offered Andrea Reay, President/CEO of the Seattle Southside Chamber. “However, once I took the time to “say hello” personally to this amazing community, I fell in love. I am so proud to live in and work for a community that is rich in both culture and opportunity.”
The campaign is an open invitation for all to “Say Hello to Burien” and come experience the best Burien has to offer. Whether it’s dining and experiencing authentic cuisine from around the world, shopping in family-owned boutiques and independent bookstores, or getting outside for a hike in Seahurst beach or kayaking on the sound, you’ll be glad you made the trip. Come say hello to Burien—just south of Seattle and miles from ordinary.
If you would like dining, shopping, or activity suggestions, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at Staff@SeattleSouthsideChamber.com or give us a call at 206-575-1633 and we’d be happy to help you say hello to Burien.
We thank Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
With Halloween now less than two weeks away, we’re continuing to spotlight what is, and isn’t, happening:
WESTWOOD VILLAGE: As with The Junction and The Admiral District, this annual business trick-or-treating is canceled, the center’s management announced today. They’re having an online photo contest instead – details here.
GRACE CHURCH: The church at 10323 28th SW is having a Fall Festival on Halloween, with afternoon drive-thru trunk-or-treating followed by a drive-in movie:
Grace Church Fall Festival – Trunk or Treat and Drive-In Movie Showing of Monsters, Inc.
3 pm – 5 pm, Drive Thru Trunk or Treat, 5 pm – 7:30 pm Drive-In Movie
Join us for the 2020 Grace Church Fall Festival! Stop by the Drive Thru Trunk or Treat for candy and spooky delights and then come back for a fun, family-friendly drive-in movie experience at 5 pm! The People’s Burger food truck will be on site providing food for purchase beginning at 4pm.
Price: Free – Grace Church will be collecting non-perishable food for donation to the White Center Food Bank upon arrival.
Where do I get tickets? Tickets are required for the Drive-In Movie and can be reserved here. No tickets required for drive-thru Trunk or Treat
Other details and safety measures:
Food for purchase will be available from The People’s Burger food truck. Masks are required when you are outside of our vehicle.
Candy will be available via a socially distant car drop-off. Trick or Treat!
P.S. We’re still collecting decoration locations to launch a list later this week! westseattleblog@gmail.com with or without a photo – thank you!
Four notes:
ALLEY HOLDUP: From the SPD “significant incident reports” file – this happened Thursday night in Arbor Heights, in the 4300 block of SW 100th::
On 10-15-2020 at 1924 hours, the victim was in his alley taking out his trash when the suspect came up behind him and pressed something in his back (believed to be a gun). The suspect demanded his cell phone or he would shoot him. He didn’t have his cell on him so the suspect told him to turn out his pockets. The victim had nothing in his pockets. The suspect told the victim to run down the alley and not look back or he’d shoot. The suspect left the area in a vehicle.
No description or other details, but we’re requesting the report. (TUESDAY UPDATE: Police say the victim believes he knows the would-be robber, and that it’s related to an ongoing dispute.)
STOLEN CAR: From Byron, just south of the city-limits line:
Our red 2007 Honda Civic 4-door, license plate 867WSD, was stolen from our driveway. Sometime between 9pm last night and 11:15 am this morning. (10600 block of) 27th Ave. SW. There’s a car seat in the back and a brand new Yakima rack and kayak carrier on the roof.
If you see it, call 911.
LICENSE PLATE FOUND: From the “possibly stolen/dumped” file, Desiree spotted this plate in the greenery alongside the front parking at Junction TrueValue (44th/Edmunds):
CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY: Got crime/safety concerns, or questions for police? Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 20th) night at 7 pm online, the next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is your chance for updates from, and Q&A with, local police. Here’s the link (via Teams).
Looking for some good news? Despite the COVID-19 economic crunch, generosity is running rampant. We have an update on Arbor Heights-based Cub Scout Pack 799‘s recent Scouting for Food door-to-door drive, courtesy of parent Jason T.:
Please let everyone in West Seattle know that Pack 799 has concluded its food drive, including returning for any initially missed pickups as we were notified.
We are sincerely grateful for the broad support we experienced in performing our service activity, and look forward to sustaining and improving the health of West Seattle in our own small way in the future. According to Karla and all the extremely helpful folks at the West Seattle Food Bank, Pack 799 was able to facilitate the collection of 3,221 pounds of food and household goods — nearly three times the amounts we’ve collected in past drives!
(One of the participating Scouts)
It is really heartwarming to have that level of community support, which gives solid encouragement to our young Scouts who chose to serve their communities in the midst of all the challenges, through a little adaptation and innovation.
You can of course contribute to local food banks at any time – the WSFB’s donation info is here, and info for the White Center Food Bank (whose service area includes south West Seattle) is here.
Wednesday’s the day for that 10-establishment food fundraiser organized as a fundraiser for the West Seattle High School Class of 2021, which made this video as a reminder.
On October 21st, these are the 10 establishments sharing part of the profits with the senior class:
Circa (2605 California SW)
Bebop Waffle Shop (2600 California SW)
Arthur’s (2311 California SW)
Mission Cantina (2325 California SW)
Admiral Pub (2306 California SW)
Ampersand Café (2536 Alki SW)
Lady Jaye (4523 California SW)
Peel and Press (6503 California SW)
The Westy (7908 35th SW)
Dream Dinners* (4701 41st SW)
Three notes: First, Dream Dinners-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is unique – place your order for tomorrow, to pick up the you-cook meal on Thursday, using this link. Second: You’ll also be able to buy raffle tickets at dinner time. Third: 4 pm-4:45 pm Wednesday, the band Aurora Avenue plans a “live COVID-friendly performance:” at Lady Jaye. The students – and businesses – appreciate your support.
One West Seattle event of note tonight: The second community meeting about a proposed sport court at Lowman Beach Park. The upcoming seawall-removal project will also take out the current tennis court; though there’s no replacement in the plan, a community group is pursuing a proposal to build a sport court – not necessarily tennis, or just tennis – elsewhere in the park (see the “opportunity area” above). That group got a grant for a survey and community meeting (here’s our August coverage here), and plans to announce the results and next steps tonight, 6:30 pm online. To attend:
Meeting number: 146 733 7298
Password: lowmanbeach
(Link here)
Join by phone – 206-207-1700
6:21 AM: Welcome to Monday – the 210th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK, ETC.
*Delridge project: Here’s the plan for this week.
*Tunnel closure: This Friday night-Saturday morning (October 23-24), the Highway 99 tunnel closes both ways for maintenance, 10 pm-6 am.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here are two cameras:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s the nearest camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Fare collection has resumed.
Water Taxi – Also no longer free.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
The Southern Resident Killer Whales have come home because the salmon are returning. And if Fauntleroy Creek advocates and neighbors are lucky, they’ll see some of those fish any day now. That’s the reason for the annual drum circle to call the salmon home, organized by Judy Pickens steps from the creek on Sunday afternoon:
Judy told the all-ages attendees that the annual volunteer salmon watch was on, and there’d been a good sign – a female salmon spotted near the mouth of the creek, though she didn’t make it up the creek and her fate is unknown. Jamie Schilling led a bit of singing and drumming, as she does every year, but then – something new:
Visitors were invited to take a stone from a plate of river rocks longtime volunteer Dennis Hinton had brought back from a trip to Yakima, and to write a word or two with a wish for the salmon:
Before taking their rock-borne messages over to the creek banks, everyone was invited to share what they wrote – Messages of welcome, like “you are welcome here”; messages of encouragement, like “Go for it” and “Keep swimming”; and messages of hope, like “glory,” “love,” “peace,” “healing.”
If spawners show up in the creek, watch for word of an “open creek” chance to visit on an upcoming weekend.
19 showed up last year – we’ll know soon how this year turns out. As Jamie observed, despite the pandemic, “life goes on.”
Steve emailed to report, “A few coyotes near 23rd and Andover (Pigeon Point) I heard 2, maybe 3, I think. Please give a warning for people to keep their pets indoors.” (We used to get coyote reports often, but haven’t for quite some time – not sure if that means they’re more scarce, or if people are just used to them.)
Wrapping up our weekend, here are tonight’s pandemic notes:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*25,097 people have tested positive, up 105 from yesterday’s total
*785 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*2,480 people have been hospitalized, up 2 from yesterday’s total
*485,294 people have been tested, down 16,417 from yesterday’s total (attributed to “data corrections”)
One week ago, the King County totals were 24,053/776/2,434/480,195.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 39.8 million cases and 1,112,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
PANDEMIC-STYLE HALLOWEEN: We’re getting more announcements of pandemic-style distanced events, like this one: Drive-up trick-or-treating at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse on Halloween afternoon.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT? OR? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Kendall Jones, West Seattle-based publisher of the Washington Beer Blog, calls the Great American Beer Festival “the most important beer-judging competition on earth.” 
His explanation comes with the news in this WBB post that West Seattle’s own The Good Society Brewery and Public House won two big awards at the GABF – Small Brewpub/Brewer of the Year, as well as a gold medal for one of their ales. Nick Berger and Phil Cammarano opened TGS in The Admiral District just eight months ago – two weeks before the first King County case of COVID-19. Reacting to the awards via Instagram, TGS says of Year 1, “It’s been a ride and the only thing I’d trade it for is no COVID.” You can see the full list of winners here.
(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of what’s described as the Highland Park-Burien line’s Hillside Station – possibly in Riverview – 1915)
What is currently a busy bridge-detour route now, with thousands of cars passing each day, held trolley tracks a century ago, and Highland Park Improvement Club is honoring that with its newest streetside sandwich-board art. The four boards, installed this afternoon along SW Holden east of 12th SW, say this to westbound drivers/riders/passersby:
Those traveling eastbound will see H-P-I-C.
And yes, the boards are secured:
The artists also put together the display we showed you back in August.
The streetcars that traveled nearby were part of the Highland Park-Lake Burien Railroad, in service from 1912-1929.
(Reader photo: Teacher Michael Franzen getting his flu shot during September CSIHS clinic)
More drive-through flu-shot clinics are coming up starting this week at two local schools, with the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association and Seattle Public Schools nurses teaming up to offer the service. The dates/times:
MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL (45th and Spokane)
Wednesday, October 21 – 9 am-5 pm
Wednesday, October 28 – 10 am-5:30 pm
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (2600 SW Thistle)
Thursday, October 22 – 10 am-5:30 pm
Monday, October 26 – 10 am-5:30 pm
Wednesday, October 28 – 9 am-5 pm
Make an appointment in advance for everybody in your household (ages 4 and up) who’ll be coming along for a vaccination – go here to pick the date, time, and location. Bring your insurance card; if you’re uninsured, shots are available at no cost.
ADDED: It’s since been clarified, ALL are welcome – not just students/staff/families – at all of these clinics, and for anyone who doesn’t have insurance, the cost will be covered.
3:43 PM: Thanks to Gunner for the tip, which we just verified with an in-person look: The Westwood Village USPS drive-up/ride-up mailbox is full. No Sunday pickup time listed, so if you have something to mail, try another box or wait until tomorrow.
4:50 PM: Thanks to everyone in comments who said the box has since been emptied.
Thanks again to tipster Mike – first, he reported the south Lincoln Park parking lot’s reopening back on Thursday; today, he sent the photo above with news that the north Lincoln Park lot is open again as well. (We had checked just yesterday afternoon, and at that time it was still closed.) As we noted on Thursday, while tomorrow is the official reopening date for lots like these (as we first reported two weeks ago), Parks crews have actually been reopening them over the past week, since the work that’s involved – like removing those big blocks from the south LP lot – couldn’t all be done in one day. The lots and others at “destination parks” citywide were closed seven months ago as “an effort to encourage social distancing and reduce the number of congregating crowds”; then in May, the south lot opened some accessible spaces for disabled park visitors.
11:40 AM: Just got a call from Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch – orcas are heading for West Seattle waters again, currently southbound in the Bainbridge Island ferry lanes. Let us know if you see them!
12:05 PM: Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales says they’re visible off Alki Point.
12:17 PM: Saw them! From north Emma Schmitz Overlook, with binoculars.
1:51 PN: Just seen off The Arroyos, per commenter Desertdweller, still southbound.
Angelina sent the photo, explaining: “I found a walker with a wonky wheel on 31st Ave SW. I put it in my yard, but it seems like a weird thing to lose. So if someone’s walker was stolen, I might have it.” If it might be yours, let us know and we’ll connect you.
SIDE NOTE: For items that are more likely to be simply lost/found and not stolen, we have a West Seattle Lost/Found (Non-Pets) section here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For the second time this month, the Southwest Design Review Board met to consider a South Delridge mixed-use project.
This time, though, they told the project team to go back and try again.
The project is a 5-story building proposed for 9218 18th SW (map), with ~59 apartments, some retail, and ~25 offstreet-parking spaces. The online meeting Thursday night was for Early Design Guidance, the first phase of the city’s Design Review process,
The meeting was chaired by Matt Hutchins; ongoing chair Crystal Loya and the three other members, John Cheng, Alan Grainger, and Scott Rosenstock, were all there too. The meeting proceeded in the usual four-part format:
ARCHITECTS’ PRESENTATION: Here’s the design packet by Caron Architecture. I 5-story, 1 floor of parking below grade, accessed from the alley, 59 units and 21 parking spots. Many site constraints have to be dealt with, including a close-by power line, and a property line set back 26′ from Delridge Way. Here are the “massing” (size/shape) concepts they offered:
(Thursday sunset at Cormorant Cove, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
What’s ahead for your Sunday:
ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Updated listings and links for 23 West Seattle churches – find them here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska; pickups for online orders are at California/Oregon)
(WSB photo from last Sunday, Denis Shapiro of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle)
TOYS FOR TOTS COLLECTION: 10 am-1:30 pm near the market’s entrance/exit, look for the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. (California/Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE SKI SWAP DAY 2: 10 am-4 pm, shop for skis, snowboards, and gear at the VFW Hall in The Triangle. (3601 SW Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)
DRUMMING TO CALL THE SALMON HOME: 4 pm, gather – masked and distanced – near Fauntleroy Creek for this annual autumn tradition. All ages welcome. Bring any kind of drum you have handy – makeshift is welcome too. (4539 SW Director Place)
FREE TO-GO DINNER: White Center Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near the Bartell Drugs parking lot in White Center, SW Roxbury St. & 15th Ave. SW (9600 15th Ave SW)
Anything else happening? Let us know – text 206-293-6302 – thank you!
9:54 PM: That’s reader video sent before emergency responders arrived at Delridge/Trenton, currently blocked to through traffic because of a 2-vehicle collision. So far no medic unit sent, indicating injuries are likely not major. The reader who sent the video says the collision happened as one vehicle was headed north on Delridge and turning west on Trenton while the other was headed south on Delridge.
10;17 PM: Thanks to SB for the photo, added above. SFD has since cleared from the call but SPD is still there.
Here’s our nightly check-in with news and notes related to the virus crisis:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*24,992 people have tested positive, 219 more than yesterday’s total
*785 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*2,478 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday’s total
*501,711 people have been tested, 3,428 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 23,879/776/2,433/475,507.
WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers accessible in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” In the past 2 weeks, 48 positive test results were reported; 61 in the 2 weeks before that; 33 in the two weeks before that – so we have a downward trend going, after being on the upswing when we did the same check the last two Saturday nights.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 39.5 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,108,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 219,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, Argentina (which passed Colombia this week to become #5). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
TOY DRIVE: The pandemic is going to make it a tough holiday season for many, so donation drives have started early. The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is at California/Alaska every Sunday, by the Farmers’ Market entrance, continuing tomorrow, 10 am-1:30 pm, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Halloween is two weeks from tonight. The Duwamish Tribe Longhouse has just announced that it’ll welcome trick-or-treaters in pandemic-era style, with drive-up trick-or-treating. 2-5 pm on Halloween (Saturday, October 31st), you’re welcome to drive/ride into the Longhouse’s parking lot at 4705 West Marginal Way SW to get a “Halloween goodie bag.” Just one thing the Longhouse asks in return: “It’s critical that we keep our communities safe this holiday season, so please wear a mask in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.”
P.S. We’re still collecting decoration locations – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
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