West Seattle, Washington
17 Tuesday
Five months after suiting up a new name – the DubSea Fish Sticks – our area’s summer collegiate baseball season is selling tickets for the upcoming season, which starts in just four weeks. The Fish Sticks are sponsoring WSB right now to get the word out – here’s the announcement:
The DubSea Fish Sticks summer collegiate baseball team launched its single game ticket sales for the month of June this morning.
The team recruits players from colleges across the country to come and play for the months of June and July. The 2022 summer roster is comprised of players from thirty different colleges. The players report in late May and play with the team to hone their skills and hope to one day play professionally.
You may have seen some of the billboards in West Seattle, White Center, and Burien this week donning the tough-looking fish-stick character logo with his hat backward, swinging a french-fry bat. The billboards use the catch phrase “Not Your Average Baseball Game.”
“This is going to be a circus where there happens to be a baseball game going on. This is guaranteed to be the most fun you’ve ever had inside a baseball stadium. From the music, to the great food, beer, and crazy promotions, this will be something you’ll never forget.” promised General Manager Justin Moser.
Tickets to Fish Sticks games are $12 for Adults and $8 for Youth (12 & under), Military, and Seniors. There are also Flex Packs with discounted ticket options ranging from three to fourteen games. The team will host 27 home games this summer, including every Friday and Saturday night from June 4th – July 31st.
The Fish Sticks also allow youth organizations and nonprofits to run ticket fundraisers at every game and sell discounted group packages.
You can find more information on the Fish Sticks at GoFishSticks.com/tickets and secure your tickets today.
The Fish Sticks play home games in the stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center (1321 SW 102nd).
(Photo by Patrick Sand for WSB/WCN)
This morning at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center, Interim King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall was introduced by County Executive Dow Constantine as his choice for the permanent job. If confirmed by the King County Council, she will be the county’s next appointed sheriff, succeeding its last elected sheriff, Mitzi Johanknecht, a West Seattleite whose term ended last year. Voters approved the switch from electing to appointing a sheriff. We were at the announcement for partner site White Center Now; you can see the coverage, with video, by going here.
2 PM: If you’re headed to a business in the main White Center district, check first – as reported on our partner site White Center Now, 268 customers are without electricity because of an outage blamed on a balloon. (Thanks to Cindi for the initial tip.)
3:48 PM: Power’s restored, according to the SCL map.
(Photo courtesy DubSea Fish Sticks)
Got room under your roof for a summer visitor? The DubSea Fish Sticks – the newly renamed collegiate baseball team that plays home games in White Center – are looking for a few more host families for the players who will spend a big part of their summer in this area. Here’s the pitch:
The team recruits players from colleges across the country to come and play for the months of June and July. The 2022 summer roster is composed of players from 26 different colleges. The players report in late May and play with the team to hone their skills and hope to one day play professionally.
Similarly to junior-hockey teams like the Seattle Thunderbirds out of Kent, the Fish Sticks rely on the support of local families to host players for the summer months, also known as billets in the hockey community.
General Manager Justin Moser said, “Host families are the backbone to successful summer collegiate teams. Being able to recruit players from a broader range of area improves our ability to be as competitive as possible. It also allows us to expand our reach into other communities and give college student athletes an experience of living in our community.”
The Fish Sticks aren’t just a baseball team, though. They require players to volunteer within the community weekly, performing community-service hours at the food bank, with local non-profit organizations, help run youth baseball camps, and do community cleanups regularly.
“We’ve seen host families in the past start out as a safe place to stay, and then the relationship grows and many players become an extension of the family. Most of our former players and their families still have relationships with their former host families,” explained Moser.
If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a host family, please visit gofishsticks.com/hostfamilies. The team is still in need of hosts for 8 players this summer.
You can find more information about the Fish Sticks at GoFishSticks.com, where you can join their priority ticket list. Season tickets and flex packs go on sale in mid-April and single-game tickets go on sale in May.
If you’re not sure about inquiring, take a look at the info packet for prospective host families here.
That’s Mel Olson Stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center, where the DubSea Fish Sticks (aka the ex-Highline Bears) will play baseball starting in June. First, a job fair this Sunday! Here’s the announcement:
The DubSea Fish Sticks summer collegiate baseball team is holding a job fair Sunday, April 10, 2022 at Mel Olson Stadium inside King County’s Steve Cox Memorial Park. The job fair will run from 1 pm-3 pm.
The team is currently looking to hire 20-30 part-time employees for the months of June and July. High school and college students are welcome to apply with select positions being available to those 15 years of age and older. There are select positions such as servers and security that do require the applicant to be 21 years of age or older.
The job fair will allow those interested in working for the Fish Sticks to find out more information about each position and apply on site. For those that are interested but cannot attend the job fair, they can apply online at GoFishSticks.com/jobs. Positions that are currently available include concessions, ticketing, game day operations, servers and security.
The DubSea Fish Sticks’ season begins on Saturday, June 4th, running through July 31st. They will host 27 different home shows (games) this summer at Mel Olson Stadium also known as The Fryer by fans. The team hosts upwards of 40 college players from around the country for the summer where they will play 48 games throughout the Pacific Northwest.
For more information on the DubSea Fish Sticks, you can visit GoFishSticks.com.
If you’re on one of the orange-shaded blocks of Westwood, South Delridge, and White Center, you should have received a notice from Seattle Public Utilities about a planned overnight water outage next week for about 500 homes/businesses: 9 pm Tuesday, March 22nd, to 6 am the next morning, Wednesday, March 23rd. SPU says the outage is needed because “SPU crews will be testing the water main shut off valves and preparing for some hydrant and water main work that will occur in April.” If you didn’t receive a notice, here’s the one-sheet explaining what to do and what not to do before and during the outage.
Last month, we reported on King County Road Services‘ plan to rechannelize 16th SW between 100th and 107th, after a short presentation to the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council. This month, a county rep returned to NHUAC with a more-detailed presentation, including early results of the online survey asking people about two options. Both options would change that stretch of 16th SW to one vehicle-travel lane each way. If you’re interested in the project, we’ve published our coverage of the newest briefing on partner site White Center Now. Also, the survey is still open, so if you haven’t responded, you can go here.
7:14 PM MONDAY: The Chief Sealth International High School community is mourning an educator who also served as the school’s tennis coach. 37-year-old Steadman Mathis died after an early-morning fire at his home in White Center on Sunday. Firefighters responded to the house in the 400 block of SW 108th [map] around 3:45 am on Sunday (March 6th). They quickly pulled Mr. Mathis out of the house, says Fire Chief Mike Marrs, but it was too late to save him – the King County Medical Examiner’s Office says he died of smoke inhalation. Two children in the house were rescued as well and they survived. Marrs says the fire was ruled accidental. CSIHS athletic director Ernest Policarpio remembers Mr. Mathis as “a good man.”
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: Chief Sealth principal Ray Morales sent families a note about Mr. Mathis, and we’ve obtained it from the district. From that note:
It is with profound sadness that I am sharing news of the death of a staff member from our community. Steadman Mathis tragically passed away in a house fire early Sunday morning. He supported our community in many ways, both formally and informally. He was an Instructional Assistant in the Access Program and was Chief Sealth’s Tennis Coach. He was not just an educator and a colleague but a father, a brother, a son, a nephew and more. …
… We are a community because we care about each other. In this time of sadness, our hearts and thoughts go out to Mr. Mathis’s family. As we learn of more ways to support them, we will let you know. If you have any questions, please contact the school.
The full letter also includes resources for coping with loss.
Just in from the White Center Food Bank, which also serves part of West Seattle:
CALL FOR BABY FORMULA DONATIONS!
There was a recall of formula, and White Center Food Bank is running extremely low on supplies for our baby pantry.
We could use our community’s help to restock the shelves!
Here are the recall guidelines so you can check before you buy.
Donation hours at the food bank are 8-3:30 Mondays-Fridays (10829 8th Ave SW)
If those hours or location are not convenient, we have donation barrels located at:
– BECU in Roxbury Safeway
– Burien Press
– Moonshot Coffee
– Good Day Donuts
– Future Primitive Beer
– White Center and Fauntleroy Starbucks locationsYou can also donate online at: whitecenterfoodbank.networkforgood.com
(WSB photos)
9:22 AM: Thanks for the tip. SW Roxbury is blocked at 16th by a large police/sheriff’s response. We are told at the scene that they are attempting to arrest “a person with a knife” who is outside the T-Mobile store at that intersection. The closure continues to the east. Updates to come.
9:30 AM: This is primarily a KCSO situation, although SPD is there too. Deputies tell us they had dealt with the suspect earlier and that he had threatened them with a knife, so that’s what preceded this standoff. 16th and Delridge are both blocked to the north of Roxbury. (added) Metro has rerouted the 120, 128, and 60, according to an alert.
9:42 AM: The man is now in custody. Our crew was still on scene and reports that the man moved toward a line of shielded deputies and was within Taser distance, so they used that weapon to subdue and arrest him. They tell us the streets should reopen in 15 to 30 minutes.
10:21 AM: As shown on the nearest traffic cam, the scene has cleared and the streets are open again. Metro has also sent an update that buses are back to their normal routes.
Another local school invites you to support them via a dine-out fundraiser. This Thursday (March 3), between 4 pm and 9 pm, part of the proceeds at Proletariat Pizza (9622 16th SW, White Center) will support Friends of Roxhill Elementary, if you mention that you’re supporting the school. You can dine in or get take-out or delivery. You can even order online, or by phone (206-432-9765). The Proletariat menu included vegan and gluten-free options too.
Even more food news tonight – Justin Cline, who founded Full Tilt Ice Cream in downtown White Center 14 years ago, just announced he’s adding something new at the same storefront: Elder Gods Pizza, which will serve vegan pizza, Detroit pan style. Pre-ordering starts tomorrow. The story’s on our partner site White Center Now.
Immediately south of the heart of the downtown White Center business district, 16th Avenue SW widens to four lanes, and it’s been precarious for pedestrians, with more than 20 injured over the past decade, and at least two killed. So King County is planning a rechannelization project for 16th SW between 100th and 107th, and brought early word of it to last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, which we covered for partner site White Center Now. This stretch is of extra interest to West Seattleites, as 107th is a much-used route between WS and WC. King County Roads has launched a survey asking for opinions on two options, both of which would narrow that stretch to one travel lane each way, while adding parking:
As shown above, one option adds parking on the east side and bike lanes, while the other adds parking on both sides. You can tell King County what you think via this survey. The project website has even more details – including, at the bottom, the project budget (about $1 million) and a construction timeline – 2024.
The White Center Food Bank, which also serves south West Seattle, needs your help, if you can donate food. Here’s the announcement we received:
Soup (pop top)
Broth
Peanut Butter
Rice
Sugar (in a box)
Condiments (BBQ, mustard, mayo)
Oil
Flour
Coffee & Tea
Soy Sauce
Mac and Cheese
Ramen Noodles
Salt
Black PepperDonation hours at the food bank are 8 am-3:30 pm M-F, 10829 8th Ave SW.
Please get in touch with a staff member when you arrive and they can help load in.
If those hours or location are not convenient, we have donation barrels located at:
– BECU in Roxbury Safeway
– Moonshot Coffee (White Center)
– Good Day Donuts (White Center)
– Future Primitive Beer (White Center)
– White Center and Fauntleroy Starbucks locations
(West Seattle Blog/White Center Now photos)
Four months after the fire that gutted the Locker Room Bar and Grill, one of the other White Center businesses affected is about to reopen: Full Tilt Ice Cream‘s flagship location at 9629 16th SW reopens tomorrow (Tuesday, January 18th). We stopped by this evening as they finished getting ready.
That wall is an example of what had to be fixed before Full Tilt could reopen – firefighters had to break through it while working to stop the September fire. And they’re two doors down from Locker Room; the damage was even worse at neighboring Huong Xua Deli and, on the other side of Locker Room, Bizzarro Italian Café. No updates on them yet (Bizzarro is still open in Wallingford). Full Tilt will reopen with a few new touches – like this Simpsons-themed pinball machine:
Hours will be the same as pre-fire – 3 to 8 pm.
The photos are from a water-main break in White Center that is being blamed for trouble including discolored water in Highland Park. The photos are from Tom, who told us via email: “We had a water main break down here in White Center right in front of Mount View Elementary. All of 12th north of the school down to 106th was flooded. I think that the water was also flowing down to Coronado Springs but I never had a chance to see how bad it was down there. Most of us on 12th were pretty busy trying to keep the water out of our houses to limited success. Crews are tearing up the street now to repair and all of us have had our water shut off.”
In Highland Park, residents reporting brown water to Seattle Public Utilities (always call it in to 206-386-1800) report they were told the White Center break is to blame. The SPU water-outage map says it started just before 6 pm.
Stolen from White Center, but Peyton sent this report and photo to ask for watchful eyes on both sides of the city-limits line:
*STOLEN VEHICLE**
White Ford box truck with 2 LED lights on back and extendable ladder on the side
License plate- C95272LMy dad Sean Sullivan woke up yesterday morning 12/16 to an unimaginable nightmare – his work truck was gone. It was parked in White Center off 14th and 100th in front of the old La Mexicana building. One unit south of WestSide Baby. It was holding an estimated 50-100k worth of tools and equipment. My father started his company about 7 years ago and has worked extremely hard to grow both his company and the tools he had stored in his truck. This is his daily work truck so it had an extensive amount of his important tools as well as his daily working tools, excess parts, extra wire, hundreds of breakers, just about anything you can imagine you would need as an electrical contractor was in this truck. We are hoping someone may have seen or heard something. I can only imagine the heartache my father is feeling having lost what seems like his livelihood..especially with the holiday season right around the corner! If you have any leads or think you may have seen or heard something, please reach out to myself or my father! The police were (alerted) and there is an open case C-21040633 with King County Sheriffs.
Sullivan Electric LLC
Peyton- 425-312-4461
Sean- 206-419-8884
If you see it, also call 911.
One of the vacant spaces on 16th SW in White Center won’t be vacant much longer. Last night on partner site White Center Now, we reported that the former Taradise Café space at 9808 16th SW – closed since last summer, a few weeks before its proprietor Tara Eckman Scott died – has a new tenant, Que Chevere will be a “Latino fusion” restaurant and bar – with an emphasis on the food, proprietor Felipe Maqueda tells us. See the full story here.
We’re just back from the Edgewater Hotel on the downtown waterfront, where the owner of the former Highline Bears summer collegiate baseball team (a WSB sponsor) chose a maritime setting for the ceremonial reveal of the team’s new name: Dub Sea Fish Sticks. Back in October, we reported that the team had narrowed a field of 200+ suggestions down to two finalists. 5,400+ votes later, Dub Sea Fish Sticks emerged victorious (not surprising, given the reaction to the other finalist, Dub Sea Seal Slingers). Here’s our video of the announcement event hosted by team owner Justin Moser:
The slicker-clad fisherman is just a temporary mascot, Moser says – there’ll be a naming contest soon for the permanent mascot, too.
But the new nickname for the team’s home field, Mel Olson Stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center, will, well, stick.
And Moser promised fish sticks will be offered at the concession stand.
The team usually plays home and away games June, July, and early August, but missed the past two summers because of the pandemic. Opening day for next summer is set for June 4th. If you want to be notified when tickets go on sale, join the list at the team’s new website, GoFishSticks.com.
SIDE NOTE: This isn’t just about sports – the team says it’s helped local groups and nonprofits raise $10,000 over the past five years, and the players are required to do volunteer work every week during the season.
(WSB photo)
What a relief! WestSide Baby has welcomed shipments totaling 1 million diapers this past week, partly thanks to pandemic relief – with $225,000 received from the City of Seattle’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Diaper Distribution program. We were at the West Seattleite-founded nonprofit’s White Center hub this morning as the final installment arrived. Yet as impressive as a million diapers sounds, the need is even greater.
(WSB photo)
Last year alone, WestSide Baby provided families with a record-high number of diapers – 2.4 million. Executive director Sarah Cody Roth notes, “In King County, 23% of families could not afford enough diapers and the devastating economic impacts of COVID have only widened that gap.” The nonprofit has strong community support, but the city contribution has made a huge difference. West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who chairs the Public Safety and Human Services Committee, calls WS Baby “a regional treasure … helping low-income families survive through the pandemic.” Also invaluably helpful, WestSide Baby says, was its WC neighbor La Mexicana, which temporarily donated warehouse space to help store all those diapers. Now they’re racing to distribute them quickly!
(WestSide Baby photo)
That photo’s from a delivery in High Point. “We have never done anything this big before – we are coordinating the distribution of 700,000 diapers over the next 4 weeks, one of the quickest and largest distributions we have ever done, all in response to emergency need this winter,” said Will Owen, WS Baby’s donation and logistics manager.
Here’s how you can help: Support WS Baby’s holiday-season JOY campaign – have a diaper drive, donate to one, and/or donate money so the purchases – and distributions! – can continue. Follow the link to see what else is on their most-needed list – such as winter coats, warm hats and gloves, and baby hygiene items.
(Also published on partner site White Center Now)
Thanks for the tips! The sign’s been up for months at 9602 16th SW – now finally The Roll Pod is about to get rolling. The Indian fast-food mini-chain says its White Center location will open its doors this Saturday (November 6th) at 6 pm. Hours will be 11 am to 8:30 pm, 7 days a week. You can preview the menu here. This will be the fifth incarnation for the space in less than five years – 3.14 Bakery, Brass Knuckle Bistro, Biscuit Bitch, and Bloom Bistro.
Though the full West Seattle Monster Dash 5K is “virtual” again this year, the in-person Kids’ Dash/Family Fun Event is happening right now, until 1 pm. We were at the White Center Cooperative Preschool play area (10806 12th Ave SW) for the first of several “dashes” they planned to run today.
This is a chance to show off your costume. Parents too!
There’s a registration fee, which benefits the nonprofit West Seattle Cooperative Preschools, and includes a Monster Dash T-shirt.
Follow the signs to the back of the school and you can’t miss the canopies. Kids can do crafts as well as participate in the dash (five laps around the sport court).
P.S. As noted in our morning preview, there’s still time – through Halloween – to register for the virtual 5K and enter the drawing for a jersey that the Sounders fan in your life would love. (Here’s how.)
Here’s your chance to rename a baseball team! The White Center-based (former) Highline Bears announced earlier this year they were pursuing a new name. Now it’s down to the final two, and they’re inviting you to help choose. From today’s announcement:
Today the Highline Bears summer collegiate baseball team announced the final two possible new team names. The final names are the DubSea Seal Slingers and the DubSea Fish Sticks. The team will now let the community vote online for which name they want to see on the field next summer. Fans can vote online at RenameOurTeam.com, and they can also vote by pre-ordering merchandise of the logo and team name they like best. Voting will remain open for four weeks and the final team name will be announced on November 15th.
Back in June the team announced they would be renaming the team and ran a “Name the Team” contest for 2 weeks. After receiving more than 200 entries, they flew in the baseball-branding company Brandiose. The branding company has helped name dozens of teams in minor league baseball over the past fifteen years, including the Rocket City Trash Pandas and Armadillo Sod Poodles. While in town in July they canvassed the area, ran community focus groups, and brainstormed with the team about what direction they should go. Over the course of the past three months the team has been working on narrowing down all the fan entries, checking trademark statuses on potential names and developing the final two brands,
The team plays more than two dozen games during regular summers (not the past two years, though) with a 40-player roster of college players from around the country, who stay with host families during the season. Their home field is Mel Olson Stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center.
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