(Reader photo, April 2023)

It’s been more than a year since a driver did that damage to the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign near the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge. A reader recently tipped us that it appeared some repair work is under way. The sign was installed in 2019 by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, thanks to a gift from the late philanthropist Ada Cruzen, so we asked Chamber executive director Rachel Porter about the repair status when we saw her at an event on Tuesday. She confirms that restoration is under way, with the help of an area metal-work firm, and should be complete within a month; other details are yet to come.

9:34 PM: According to exchanges between dispatch and responders, a pedestrian was hit and injured by a motorcycle rider on the Alki Point “Healthy Street.” Police were still sorting it out, but the most recent exchanges indicated the injured person was in a crosswalk close to Alki Point. They are reported to have suffered a head injury and briefly lost consciousness, and were to be taken to a hospital.

9:49 PM: The motorcycle is stolen, according to further exchanges between officers and dispatch. A commenter says they witnessed the crash and that the motorcycle rider left the scene with other riding friends – that matches with an early radio exchange about a second motorcycle leaving the area after the collision.

(Reader photo, uploaded to comment below)

12:10 AM: Two more commenters below have reports from the scene, including one with the photo we have republished above, showing the motorcycle left behind. Meantime, SPD just provided us with this short early summary:

Shortly after 9:00 p.m., 911 received reports of a man being struck by a motorcycle at Beach Dr SW and SW Benton Pl SW. Police arrived and located a male in his 60’s suffering from a head injury. Seattle Fire Department provided aid and the man refused transport to the hospital. He was later transported to the hospital by family.

Witnesses said the victim was in an altercation with a suspect that was driving a motorcycle. The suspect drove a short distance away, turned around and drove at speeds and struck the man, who was standing in the street. The suspect left the motorcycle on the ground and fled with another motorcyclist on a red/black motorcycle.

The motorcycle that was left by the suspect was verified stolen. The suspect is described as a WM [white male], 5’10”, heavy build, wearing a helmet.

The incident number, if you have information, is 24-173756.

(WSB file photo)

We’re in the second half of Pride Month, with more special events ahead, announced since our first update just before the start of the month:

JUNE 21 – LOUD N PROUD: The White Center Community Development Association presents this street fair noon-5 pm tomorrow on SW 98th in downtown White Center. Performances, food, resources – info on our partner site White Center Now.

JUNE 22 – RAINBOW FLAGS: The West Seattle Junction Association changed the date it’s displaying rainbow flags (like the one in our photo above) to Saturday (June 22). A few volunteer spots remain to place (9 am) and remove (4 pm) them – you can sign up here.

JUNE 22 – PRIDE PARTY: Also on Saturday, Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) is hosting a Pride Party, 3-7 pm, “a special event to promote diversity, inclusivity and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ persons! Event features fun Pride Beers on tap, Glitter Beer & Pride Flights, FREE Giveaways, Pride Desserts, and a DJ spinning low-key vibes from 4-6 pm. FREE! Family/Dog-Friendly!”

JUNE 22 – PRIDE STORYTIME: 4:30 pm Saturday at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), Miss Lacey is hosting another Pride Storytime: “All ages & families welcome. There will be reading books, singing songs, and an activity.”

JUNE 22 – DRAG BRUNCH: Looks like a few reservations remain for drag brunch Saturday at Box Bar (5401 California SW, 21+ venue). Seating begins at 10:45 am; $25 admission includes a mimosa.

JUNE 28 – DRAG KINGS: Doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm on Friday, June 28, for Emerald City Kings Ball Pride at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW). Advance tickets $20, available online.

Got something to add to our list/calendar for Pride in West Seattle/White Center – or other calendar events? Please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Two West Seattle music notes for later this week:

AURORA AVE. ON THE ROAD: West Seattle-founded band Aurora Ave. hopes to entice you to leave the peninsula for their big show this Wednesday:

Aurora Ave. is so excited to have our biggest hometown show yet this Wednesday. We’ll be headlining at one of our favorite venues in Capitol Hill, Neumos, on June 19th! This show is our last show in Washington before the band continues our Origami Tour in California for the first time. Our tour includes a show at the famous Whiskey a Go Go in LA, so come out for our Seattle show before we leave! We would love to see our West Seattle community at the show. We began as a band in WS, so we couldn’t be where we are now without you! We’ll be playing alongside our friends WINEHOUSE and The Kerrys, so come out to this awesome show. This show is 21+. You can get tickets at auroraave.com or neumos.com

NOVOSELIC’S BONA FIDE BAND AT EASY STREET: Then on Thursday, you can stay right here in West Seattle and see/hear rock royalty. Easy Street Records‘ endless series of free, all-ages in-store performances continues Thursday with the debut perforance of Novoselic’s Bona Fide Band – that’s Novoselic as in Krist Novoselic, whose first claim to fame was Nirvana. Also in the band, Mark Pickerel from Screaming Trees, along with Kathy Moore (Brad, Star Anna), and, from 3rd Secret, Jillian Weiss and Jennifer Johnson. 7 pm Thursday, free, all ages!

Midway through the run of its current production “Clyde’s,” ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) has revealed what it’s working on for next season! From the official announcement:

ArtsWest has announced their 2024-2025 season THE FAMILY OF THINGS, with five dynamic productions – featuring multiple New York Times Critic picks, a return of an audience favorite, and unique collaborations with local Seattle partners, Pratidhwani and Salle Auriol Seattle. This is the fourth season programmed by a collective of ArtsWest Associate Artists in collaboration with ArtsWest Artistic Director Mathew Wright, with this year’s Associate Artist roles taken on entirely by ArtsWest staff.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things
– Mary Oliver, (excerpt from “Wild Geese”)

Mary Oliver is beloved as one of the great poets of the natural world. She found her place there early on, and throughout her life gave us messages in bottles about how we might find our place too. She admired the bird and the bear and the snake and the tree, pointing out that humans are the sole members of the natural world who have been blessed and cursed to ask questions like “Who am I?” and “Where do I belong?” Finding answers to these questions can seem like an impossible quest, but in Wild Geese, Mary Oliver gives us a place to start:

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

THE FAMILY OF THINGS is about some humans, the softest animals, striving to let themselves and each other love, which, as Mary shows us, is the only path to belonging. We’ll explore the love of two friends in a regime where beauty is for the few and lives are expendable; in a friendship where artistic success is on the line; in a culture where the wrong kind of love must remain secret; in a female friendship where proving oneself is a necessity; and finally in the context of a passion which verges on mania.

Through it all, we’ll hold the hope that love will show us the path to belonging and allow us each to find our place in the family of things.

GUARDS AT THE TAJ
by Rajiv Joseph
A Co-Production with Pratidhwani
September 12 – October 6
Winner, 2016 Obie Award for Best New American Play
Winner, 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play

In 1648 India, two Imperial Guards watch from their post as the sun rises for the first time on the newly-completed Taj Mahal—an event that shakes their respective worlds. When they are ordered to perform an unthinkable task, the aftermath forces them to question the concepts of friendship, beauty, and duty, and changes them forever. GUARDS AT THE TAJ is one of Pulitzer Prize Finalist Rajiv Joseph’s seminal works.

SNOWED IN (AGAIN)
Created by Corinne Park-Buffelen & Mathew Wright
November 21 – December 22
ArtsWest Audience Favorite!

Last year, a new holiday tradition was born as ArtsWest sent four of Seattle’s hottest musical theater stars on a cozy retreat to write the most perfect holiday show the world had ever seen. But when a blizzard hit, tensions rose and the crumpled-up notebook pages began to pile up even faster than the snow. This year, four more stars scramble to remount last year’s holiday hit. With hindsight on their side, the process should be foolproof. What could possibly go wrong?

Inspired by classic holiday TV specials and musicals about putting on a musical, witness this new Seattle theater tradition as four of the city’s most beloved musical theater stars take you on a journey of song, dance, friendship, family, and the true meaning of the holidays.

COVENANT
by York Walker
February 6 – March 2
NY Times Critic’s Pick!

When a struggling guitarist returns to his small Georgia town a blues star, rumors begin swirling that he may have made a deal with the devil to attain his musical genius. Before long, however, it becomes clear he’s not the only one with a secret. A mythic and suspenseful new play that delivers one devilish twist after another, York Walker’s Covenant explores the power of belief and the thin line between rumor and truth.

ATHENA
by Gracie Gardner
In Collaboration with Salle Auriol
April 10 – May 4
NY Times Critic’s Pick!

ADVANCE. PARRY. REPEAT. Mary Wallace and Athena are both seventeen-year-old fencers training for Nationals. Mary Wallace lives in a house in New Jersey, loves marine biology and practices at home. Athena lives in an apartment in New York City, takes acne medication and Athena is not her real name. Follow their journey from competitors to confidantes as they form a bond navigating the milestones of adolescence, training together only to learn the future is only certain for one of them.

THE EFFECT
by Lucy Prebble
June 19 – July 13
NY Times Critic’s Pick!

In this thrilling play by Lucy Prebble (HBO’s “Succession”), two young volunteers, Tristan and Connie, agree to take part in a clinical drug trial. Succumbing to the gravitational pull of attraction and love, however, Tristan and Connie manage to throw the trial off-course, much to the frustration of the clinicians involved. This funny, moving and perhaps surprisingly human play explores questions of sanity, neurology and the limits of medicine, alongside ideas of fate, loyalty and the inevitability of physical attraction.

Season subscriptions are available now – go here. Meantime, “Clyde’s” runs Thursdays-Sundays through the end of this month; get tickets and info here.

For those who haven’t checked today’s highlight list, we’re shining a spotlight on one of the special events interspersed with weekly happenings – you have two more chances to see “WWE: The Musical,” an original production that’s not only is performed by student actors and musicians, but is written and directed by students too – Ash Johnston and Roy Keller.

Music is by Miles MacDonald, performed by popular West Seattle band The Potholes. The show is described as “a satirical musical about professional wrestling” and it’s been two years in the making; one commenter who went on opening night calls it “a straight up delight … highly entertaining and really impressive.” Doors open at the WSHS Theater (3000 California SW) at 7 pm, and showtime is 7:30 pm, tonight and tomorrow (Thursday) night. Free admission, and they’re accepting donations for the nonprofit API Chaya.

(ABBAgraphs at The Mount, WSB photo from 2019)

As noted here two weeks ago, the Admiral Neighborhood Association is relaunching its summer concert series as Admiral Music in the Parks, and has chosen three locations for this year’s three shows:

Thursday, July 18th 6:30 pm @ Belvedere Park

Thursday, July 25th 6:30 pm @ California Place Park

Thursday, August 1st 6:30 pm @ Hamilton Viewpoint

ANA has now made its first band announcement – not for the first date, but for the third – ABBAgraphs will bring the music of ABBA to the final show on August 1st! All shows are free – bring your own blanket/chair.

P.S. ANA is still seeking concert sponsors – you can contact them here to find out more about that.

The next production at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) is just one week away:

(ArtsWest photo)

ArtsWest will produce “Clyde’s” by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined). This co-production with The Hansberry Project will be directed by Seattle theatre staple Valerie Curtis-Newton. The cast features Reginald Jackson, Deja Culver, Jacob Alcazar, Joe Moore, and Tracy Michelle Hughes playing the titular role. Clyde’s performs at ArtsWest from June 6 through June 30, 2024. Tickets are available online at artswest.org or by phone at 206-938.0963.

In this 2022 Tony Award®-Nominated Best Play, creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck stop cafe. As the shop’s mischievous owner tries to keep them under her thumb, the staff work to see themselves as whole—to dream again—despite their pasts.

Through the lens of comedy and food, Nottage asks us to consider the long-term weight of the criminal justice system, the difficulties of reentry, and how we view second chances. Joe Moore, who plays Jason in the show, points to the fact that while we live in a country with “by far the biggest incarcerated population in the world,” there is “very little support” in the system for formerly incarcerated folks. This show calls us to “reflect on our own biases, and… open ourselves up to empath[y].” We hope you will join us.

ArtsWest will present Clyde’s, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3 pm.

Before the official June 6 opening, there’s a Wednesday night (June 5) preview – check for tickets here.

(WSB file photo)

June is Pride Month, and special events start as soon as the calendar changes. Here are announcements we’ve received so far, through the first half of the month:

JUNE 1 – WHITE CENTER PRIDE STREET FESTIVAL: 11 am-11 pm Saturday, June 1, on 16th SW in the heart of White Center between SW Roxbury and SW 100th, music, performances, more (toplines here). It’s free, but if you buy a wristband, that’ll connect you with special deals:

-Expedited access to VIP drink lines
-Backstage experiences
-Premium seating
-All-day discounts at 15+ bars and restaurants

From Happy Hour prices to $5 Wells, $4 Pints, $4 Slices – exclusively for wristband holders.

You can buy yours online for $15 (that link is also where you’ll find the list of participating venues), or look for the White Center Pride booth at the festival on Saturday.

JUNE 1 – JOKES AT THE JUNCTION PRIDE SHOW: The monthly Jokes at The Junction show at Great American Diner and Bar (4752 California SW) features an all-LGBTQ+ slate this time, 8 pm Saturday, June 1. West Seattle’s own Cozy Comedy presents host AJ Norris, headliner Ricci Armani, plus Javann Jones and Novae Simper. Get your ticket(s) here now.

JUNE 8 – AZUQAR! DANCE NIGHT At The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), “a Sapphic Dance Night for BIPOC + Allies,” billed as a pre-Pride kickoff. 8 pm Saturday, June 8 – more info here.

JUNE 14 – PRIDE IN OZ: 7 pm Friday, June 14, doors open at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW) for this all-ages drag show, hosted by Jizzuhbell Johnson. Tickets are on sale here.

JUNE 15 – PRIDE WITH POLLINATORS: 10 am-1 pm Saturday, June 15, it’s a volunteer restoration event at Westcrest Park:

Come celebrate Pride Month with Dirt Corps and Green Seattle Partnership‘s annual “Pride with Pollinators” restoration event! We’ll be honoring the beauty of diversity by tending to our vibrant pollinator garden and caring for the amazing creatures that help it thrive. We’ll get our hands dirty by removing invasive blackberry shrubs and applying nourishing mulch to prepare for new native plantings this fall. We’ll also be watering last year’s plantings to ensure our garden stays colorful and diverse.

Gloves, tools, water, snacks provided – register here.

Got something to add to our list/calendar for Pride in West Seattle/White Center – or other calendar events, for that matter? Please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

P.S. The West Seattle Junction Association currently plans to fly rainbow flags (like the one in our photo above) on Sunday, June 30, and is recruiting volunteers to place and remove them that day – you can sign up here.

(WSB photo, July 2023 Admiral concert crowd)

In addition to the West Seattle Summer Fest music lineup announced this morning by the Junction Association, we have more summer concert news, this time from last night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association gathering. The longrunning concert series is now AMP – Admiral Music in the Parks! They’re still on Thursday nights – three this year, July 18, July 25, and August 1; Hiawatha is out of play this year due to construction, so the venues will be Hamilton Viewpoint, Belvedere Park, and California Place Park. They haven’t finalized the performer lineup yet. (ANA also will present music as part of the August 24th Admiral Funktion block party, and the organization also is now coordinating the West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, led by Megan Erb. All these events welcome volunteer help and donations/sponsorships!)