West Seattle, Washington
30 Wednesday
2:45 PM: Thanks for the tips on this. SFD is sending more reinforcements to a hard-to-fight brush fire in the Camp Long forest. They’ve just described it over the radio as a slow-moving 20′ x 60′ brush fire, 800 feet and downhill from their access location, which means they’re having a challenging time getting water there.
2:56 PM: Added photo from reader, showing smoke visible from Delridge to the east.
3:33 PM: Added another reader photo, this one showing the SFD apparatus staged in Camp Long’s big meadow. That’s not where the fire is – it’s in the forest on the east slope of the park. One radio exchange with dispatch and firefighters just now indicates they’re consulting a captain who’s “wildland-certified.” No word on what sparked this, but as we noted yesterday in coverage of another brush fire in a city park, the rainfall total is sharply below what’s normal by this point in the year – 27 inches since October 1, three-fourths of the normal 36 inches.
4:36 PM: We haven’t heard any further status updates, but firefighters are still in the park.
5:11 PM: They’re starting to dismiss crews.
(Mark Sears shoveled away enough sand for a good look at what’s left of the wooden pipe)
Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by Tom Trulin
Special to West Seattle Blog
In 1925, the city created the first swimming pool in Lincoln Park by enlarging a small lagoon on Point Williams. Affectionately called “the mud hole” by some, the lagoon pool served waders, swimmer, and divers until construction began on Colman Pool, which opened at the point in 1941.
The ingenious feature of the first pool was the pipe used to fill and drain it. Mark Sears maintained Colman Pool for 43 years and thought he knew every feature of the area. While walking the beach during a -2’ tide in mid-July, however, he discovered a segment of the original pipe.
The relic consists of the bottom seven wooden staves of the pipe. Each stave (likely cedar) is 1 3/4” thick and 3 1/4” wide. Mark also saw evidence of rusting iron, which could have been from the hoops that held the tongue-and-groove staves in place.
Longtime Fauntleroy resident Morey Skaret lifeguarded at the pool just prior to World War II and in his book, “Morey’s Bench,” described how the system worked:
The pipe was two or three feet in diameter and had a gate valve with a screen filter. The incoming tide would send water through the pipe to fill the pool and gravity would empty it when the tide went out. All we had to so was open and close that gate valve. We changed the water about every four days and used a chemical test to tell us when it was time.
I remember turning the wheel to open the gate valve at low tide and watching the water rush out. As the tide came in, the pool would fill in about three hours and the screen would trap sizable debris. It let in small fish, though, and shiners and candlefish would swim around along with everyone else!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Morgan Junction Park expansion site, bought by the city 11 years ago, remains a fenced hole in the ground. And the matter of what will ultimately be built on it still isn’t settled.
The “all-wheels area” that seemed like a promising addition for so long is up in the air, since Seattle Parks now insists there’s not enough funding to include it in the project. Community supporters, who coalesced as MJAWA (Morgan Junction All-Wheels Area), just got word this week that their part of the project didn’t receive a $250,000 King County grant they were hoping would help cover the cost, so they say this means Parks will tell them to raise “$700,000 for a 1,500-sf skateable area.” They’re now looking ahead to conversations with Parks in the coming weeks.
In advance of that, MJAWA and the Morgan Community Association got a somewhat convoluted update last week from two Seattle Parks managers who came to MoCA’s quarterly meeting to provide a status update. MoCA has since sent the city a list of questions to be answered.
First – here’s what they did hear about the status of the site, where a jurisdictional conflict between Parks and SDOT has idled the soil-cleanup process – required because of contaminated soil from the site’s history (including time as a dry cleaner) – for many months. Parks’ Olivia Reed told MoCA that the cleanup should finally be complete “late this fall” – now that SDOT and Parks have reached an agreement about transferring some of the property – and they’re still planning to open the expansion site as a grassy public area after that.
(Schematic for ‘skate dot’ that MJAWA got Grindline to design for Morgan Junction Park site)
Will the final version of the site have an all-wheels area, aka “skate dot”? That would require added community funding, Reed reiterated, though MJAWA already has brought a lot of contributions to the project, from volunteer expertise to a grant. During the MoCA discussion, the project’s funding and price tag reained unclear, with the Parks reps saying the “total budget” is $1.2 million, as well as saying that amount had been “added” to the project this year. But, Parks’ Andy Sheffler insisted, “We have a commitment to get the project done” and he insisted they are “moving forward diligently now.”
That “moving forward” includes taking the plan back to a committee of the city Design Commission – the plan for what the site will look like when Phase 1, remediation and hydroseeding, is complete this fall. MoCA president Deb Barker expressed disappointment that the committee will end up seeing that plan before the community.
This was all largely a continuation of a similarly disappointing discussion with a different Parks official at the previous MoCA meeting in April, at which the $1.2 million budget and skate-dot skepticism were cited, while MJAWA pointed out that the budget seemed to be “missing a million” after previous citations of a $2.2 million budget. The $1.2 million apparently is only expected to cover some pathways and seating on the expansion site. Community fundraising could put the “all-wheels area” into the plan, but otherwise it would be “decoupled” for some possible future phase. Parks is focused on finishing the cleanup and settling the right-of-way issue with SDOT, which won’t be finalized until the City Council approves transferring SW Eddy Street right-of-way to Parks.
After the MoCA meeting, these questions were sent to the Parks reps, taking them up on a suggestion they made during the meeting:Read More
6:47 PM: California Place Park is a relatively small triangle of land, but “we’re going to make it sound like a stadium,” promised Michael Pearsall before launching into his first song (“Awake and Alive”) as tonight’s Admiral Music in the Parks concert began. Concertgoers of all ages are here enjoying the evening.
Michael “and friends” will be performing until at least 8 pm. The concert is free – presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association – just bring your own blanket/chair, food/drink, and enjoy.
8:28 PM: The concert just concluded. We’ll add video and more photos later; the third and final AMP concert this year is at Hamilton Viewpoint, 6:30 next Thursday (July 31), with The Flaming Pies presenting a tribute to The Beatles.
ADDED: Songs from the concert! Michael Pearsall began solo:
Then he made way for solo turns by the “Friends” on the bill – including Troy Aylesworth:
And Camille Watson:
And finally he fronted a full band that rocked its way through the rest of the almost-two-hour show:
Scenes from the concert, photographed by Jason Grotelueschen for WSB:
Above, the crowd was estimated at 350 people, according to ANA president Joanie Jacobs (below with husband Dan Jacobs):
As you probably noticed in our video clips, the lawn in front of the performers became an exuberant toddler/preschooler dance floor again this week:
On the less-frenetic side of spectating were people participating in the Seattle Yarn knitting (etc.) circle:
Series sponsors on hand included PCC (which is a WSB sponsor too):
Speaking of food – if you’re coming next week, bring a nonperishable food donation if you can!
Volunteers from A Cleaner Alki handled cleanup as the crowd packed up.
As the start of our video shows, it was a casual atmosphere as West Seattle Community Orchestras musicians welcomed guests to sit in for their third of this year’s four Play Along in the Park events. Every Tuesday night in July, WSCO welcomed guests to join them in Lincoln Park, and advance signups allowed them to be ready for a variety of music – in our clip, for example, the composition was “Let It Go,” from the movie “Frozen.” Play Along in the Park is open to spectators too, and tonight’s audience filled the space in the meadow near the north lot:
If you’re interested in either playing or watching, you have one more chance, next Tuesday (July 29), 6-8 pm.
(WSB photo, July 2024)
California Place Park is a 10,500-square-foot triangle in North Admiral, just east of Admiral Church, one of West Seattle’s smallest and most-overlooked parks. If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume it’s part of the church grounds. But last year’s Admiral Music in the Parks concert series – presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association – brought a concert to California Place Park (WSB coverage here), and it worked out well enough, they’re doing it again this year. It’s the second of three parks that are home to this year’s AMP concerts, and you can see and hear for yourself this Thursday (July 24) at 6:30 pm, when West Seattle’s own Michael Pearsall and Friends will perform. The concert is free – just bring your own chair, blanket, picnic dinner (or takeout from one of Admiral’s tasty options), etc. And if you knit, remember that Seattle Yarn is hosting a circle at this year’s AMP concerts! (Community co-sponsors include WSB and other local businesses listed on the series webpage, where you can also donate to support AMP if you’re so inclined.)
6:44 PM: Another wonderful warm summer night with the opportunity to sit in a shaded park and enjoy live music! This time it’s Belvedere Park (3600 SW Admiral Way, though it’s best to approach from the 37th/Olga side), opening venue for the three-park, three-show Admiral Music in the Parks series, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. The West Seattle-based “country tonk” band Lookout Mountain Lookout is performing tonight, until about 8 pm – bring a chair, a blanket, a picnic dinner, even your dancing shoes if you feel like it.
We’ll have video clips later; if you can’t get to this show, the next two Thursday nights bring two more – listed here.
9:10 PM: The show lasted until about 8:20 pm. Back at HQ now and downloading video (almost all of which is full of exuberant toddlers and preschoolers dancing in the open space between the band and the audience).
10:03 PM: First clip:
Two more songs:
Their show was largely a mix of country classics and originals:
The band members include lead vocalist Scott Herman and drummer Travis Curry:
Bassist Alex Hagenah:
And guitarist Aaron Stayman:
Emcee was ANA president Joanie Jacobs:
She and husband Dan Jacobs – another ANA Board member singled out for major AMP support tonight along with Meagan Loftin – will ride toward the start of Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade as Orville Rummel Community Service Award winners. Meantime, one more clip from the concert:
3:26 PM: As discussed here Wednesday, some were concerned about a commercial film crew using part of the lot at Don Armeni Boat Ramp today when boaters were allowed to head out for chinook salmon. So WSB’s Anne Higuera went there this afternoon to see how things were going.
She noted at least a dozen vehicles associated with the production, which she was told is for a Ford commercial. One person returning from fishing told her he had been able to get in and out without a problem, although, in a side note, he said the biggest hassle of the day had been dealing with a new app for procuring permits. Meantime, a (corrected) Parks employee on duty told Anne that things had been moving quickly as most people were hitting their limit soon after going out, so they returned to shore before long. All the while, the production crew continued its work on the south side of the lot, with lots of gear including a wardrobe rack.
Their permit is for work that could run as late as 1 am tonight.
(Added: Photo by Doug Eglington)
7:23 PM: Doug Eglington, who sent the photo above, just sent this one showing drones awaiting their role in the shoot:
ADDED 11:50 PM: Doug sent later photos of the drones, illuminated:
(WSB photo)
4:30 PM: Thanks for the tips on this. Don Armeni Boat Ramp is festooned with a sizable amount of “no parking” signs that will be in effect 11 am tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) to 1 am Friday. The supplementary-info sheet on some of the signs attributes it to “filming,” which happens at the park from time to time given its incredibly scenic skyline backdrop. We asked Seattle Parks for information before we knew that, as one reader was particularly concerned, saying that tomorrow is a major fishing day. Parks tells WSB, after asking the city Film and Special Events Office, “It looks like the boat ramp will NOT be closed, nor will the ramp itself be impacted. The impacts are only to the southern portion of the lot where parking will be reserved, and that portion of the lot being fully closed after 7 pm. There will be police on site to direct traffic where needed and inform folks about what is going on. Additionally, the impacts are ONLY tomorrow. The reason the 18th is on the signage is because they are filming until 1 am.” (The contact on the signage is for a regional location scout.)
6:21 PM: A few additions directly from the Special Events Office:
-This is a commercial film production.
-The production is working in the south end of the parking lot.
-The boat ramp, north entrance, and north-end parking will be open and unimpacted, and access to launch from the ramp will be maintained all day.
-Work in the south-end of the lot includes parking space restrictions from 11:00AM Thursday to 1:00AM Friday, and through-traffic restrictions from 7:00 PM Thursday to 1:00 AM Friday.
-The production is aware of the opening of chinook salmon season and will be communicating on the day with boaters and park visitors to the nature of the parking space and access restrictions and timing.
Summer Fest was just the beginning – much more outdoor music to come this summer in West Seattle. Here are highlights – first one just hours away!
(WSB photo from West Seattle Big Band 2024 Concert in the Park)
TUESDAY, JULY 15
West Seattle Big Band‘s Concert in the Park, 7 pm, High Point Commons Park (behind 6400 Sylvan Way SW)
TUESDAYS, JULY 15, 22, 29
West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ Play Along in the Park continues Tuesday nights all month, 6 pm, at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), for spectators as well as musicians
THURSDAYS, JULY 17, 24, 31
Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Admiral Music in the Parks, 6:30 pm, three bands, three parks, starting this week with Lookout Mountain Lookout at Belvedere Park (3600 SW Admiral Way)
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, JULY 18-20
Alki Art Fair along the promenade, with a DJ spinning on Friday, and a full live-music lineup Saturday-Sunday (2701 Alki SW)
FRIDAYS, AUGUST 1-22
Summer Concerts at The Mount, 6 pm, starting with Danny Vernon‘s Illusion of Elvis on August 1 (4831 35th SW)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
Alki Beach Pride, with a full stage lineup TBA
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23
Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Block Party, with a full stage lineup TBA. (California SW north of Admiral Way)
All of the above are FREE shows (in some cases with options available for $ like BBQ dinner at The Mount). Are we missing anything? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
If you’ve noticed more charred driftwood today at Lincoln Park, note that it has been reported to police. The photos and report are from a texter:
Someone is setting fire to logs at Lincoln Park again. This is across from picnic shelter 3 on the south side.
It’s still smoldering right now and there’s also a half-burned log at the picnic shelter.
The fire did not appear to have been reported to SFD, so we suggested the texter do that, since it was “smoldering”; they reported back, “I called 911, and they transferred me to SFD, who transferred me to SPD because I think nothing was actively on fire. Then they transferred me to non-emergency, who surprisingly answered in less than 2 minutes.” (Side note, it was mentioned at a recent community meeting that the non-emergency line is being covered at least some of the time again. Nonetheless, the advice remains, start with 911.)
Tonight through this weekend, West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction is in the spotlight. The music doesn’t stop there, though. One week from tonight – Thursday, July 17 – you’re invited to the first of three free Thursday night concerts in the Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented Admiral Music in the Parks series. Here’s a reminder from ANA:
Get your picnic blankets ready for the first concert of Admiral Music in the Parks 2025! Join the Admiral Neighborhood Association on July 17th at 6:30 PM as we gather at Belvedere Park for an evening of PNW country-tonk with Lookout Mountain Lookout.
Then mark your calendars for our other concerts:
6:30 PM on July 24th at California Place Park where we will welcome back West Seattle favorite Micheal Pearsall and Friends.
6:30 PM on July 31st at Hamilton Viewpoint Park as we close out AMP 2025 with The Flaming Pies and the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
New this year, you can join Seattle Yarn’s knitting circle at each event.
Thank you to our business sponsors, including our “Producer” partners: West Seattle Realty, Timeless Kitchen Design, and West Seattle Grounds, and our individual donors who make this event possible.
To find out more about AMP, visit us here.
This is the second year that AMP is happening in parks that aren’t often used for events – worked out great last year, so ANA is doing it again! Belvedere Park is at 3600 SW Admiral Way. (WSB is media sponsor for the concert series.)
(File photo)
Now that July is here, outdoor music season has arrived too – this month, that includes West Seattle Summer Fest (July 11-13), Admiral Music in the Parks (July 17, 24, and 31), Alki Art Fair (July 18-20), the West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park (July 15) … and one multi-night event in which you can participate! That’s the West Seattle Community Orchestras’ Play Along in the Park, 6-8 pm on the next four Tuesdays (not tonight) in July in Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), near the north lot. Rotating WSCO conductors lead full ensembles in “music ranging from classical to contemporary.” Spectators are welcome too, of course, but players are especially encouraged. If you want to play, register here so you’ll get the music parts for the night(s) you want to join in. Free for musicians and audience!
Today marks the start of the summer-meals program, and food is available for kids and teens at multiple locations. In our area, the locations open to everyone 18 and under – no registration or ID required – include:
Highland Park Playground
South Park Plaza
High Point Community Center
Dick Thurnau Park – KC Parks (White Center)
White Center Community Center at Steve Cox Memorial Park – KC Parks
The sites offer breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks. The hours and days vary – that information is on the full site list, linked from this page on the city website.
Glenn emailed with this question:
I wondered if you all had heard of or know of a population of weasels at Lincoln Park or if perhaps someone may have let a pet go. I’ve lived near and run in the park for 23 years now and have never seen one before, but the other day on the beach path one ran across in front of me from the water back towards the wood. It was quite small, short legged, and black in color which is why I believe it to be a weasel species and not a fisher or ferret but I’m no biologist.
And that reminded us of photos DeAnna had sent last month that we hadn’t published. She thought it was a Stoat:
(DeAnna wrote) It was a tiny thing, body not more than about 6” long ( or counting the tail) and was whipping around the logs and rocks near the pool. There was something kind of swim camp going on and the beach was full of kids absolutely oblivious to the menace among them. This is my first sighting of such a critter in my 35 years here.
We checked the archives but have never had a report on this critter in our 17+ years of wildlife coverage, either. Hoping at least one reader will have further enlightenment for us!
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
12:48 PM: With the chilly weather, it’s even more of a mountain-ish experience today at Camp Long‘s Mountain Fest! The free festival is on until 5 pm with activities including a lot more than climbing – head to the meadow when you get here and visit the booths to find out what you can try and where (and other activities like a scavenger hunt).
At the naturalists’ tent, Emily and Beth will lead you through the Animal Olympics and talk with you about park wildlife, including a Cooper’s Hawk nest with fledglings nestlings!
The Falconer is here too, in one of the shelters – we caught a demonstration with Mr. Peabody the vulture:
The climbing wall is open too, of course!
(Photo by Kevin Freitas)
The park is at 5200 35th SW.
5:29 PM P.S. If you’re wondering about the fire-gutted lodge, closed now for seven months, it’s still boarded up and fenced off:
Park management says the emphasis right now is on stabilizing the lodge.
Despite the devastating lodge fire last November, Seattle Parks is going ahead with one of Camp Long‘s biggest events of the year – Mountain Fest, set for this Saturday! They asked us to share the poster with you:
The daylong festival is meant as a celebration of the park’s famous climbing rock and rope course, among other things. As for the lodge fire, permits for repairs and renovation continue proceeding through the city system..
If you’ve ever wanted Colman Pool all to yourself, the first session of the first day of this year’s 7-day-a-week season certainly offered something close to that – this was the scene about an hour ago; we stopped for a photo while walking on the Lincoln Park waterside path. Today through September 1, the outdoor heated salt-water pool is open daily, with this schedule:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm…. Lap Swim (daily) and weekend Recreation Swim (Fri-Sun only)
1:45 pm – 3:15 pm…. Lap Swim and Recreation Swim
3:45 pm – 5:15 pm…. Lap Swim and Recreation Swim
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm…. Lap Swim and Recreation Swim
Note that it’ll be closed to the public five days this month and next for swim meets: June 26-28 and July 18-19. After Labor Day, two post-season weekends are planned, September 6-7 and 13-14. Fees are listed here. There’s a free aquatic opportunity in Lincoln Park too (for kids, anyway) – this Saturday (June 21) will be the first day of the 7-day-a-week season for the park’s wading pool, also open daily (weather permitting) through Labor Day.
(From WSB files, reader photo of fireworks debris collected post-Fourth at Walt Hundley Playfield)
Though the Fourth of July is still three weeks away, Seattle Parks has gone public with this year’s plan for keeping lights on at some fields to try to deter fireworks use. This year’s plan includes lights for July 3 and 4 at the same four West Seattle fields as last year, but this time the lights at the three synthetic-turf fields on the list will stay on an extra four hours. Here’s the announcement – we’ve excised the non-West Seattle locations:
Two of West Seattle’s artificial-turf fields, Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex and Madison Middle School, are owned by Seattle Public Schools, which has not announced its plans (we’re checking). NCSWAC had last year’s most significant fireworks-related damage.
Worth noting as dry weather continues, with hotter temperatures on the way – Seattle Fire dispatched four units to Westcrest Park for a brush fire that’s just been extinguished. They identified 8th/Cloverdale and a field with a weight limit, so sounds like it might have been on the reservoir lid. How it started is under investigation.
We went to the site of West Seattle’s future second official dog park (aka off-leash area) toward the end of Thursday’s lightly attended “open house” to get a quick in-person update on what’s next for the project, currently planned for construction next year. (If you’ve missed previous reports, this is in an area south of the West Seattle Stadium parking lot at 4432 35th SW, for which it’s currently used as overflow parking.)
The project team told us this is the last public meeting before construction next summer/fall. The main purpose was to show the “schematic design” they’ve settled on (on the easel shown above, plus page 8 in this slide deck), from the three possibilities they had shown previously. The main changes include an added pathway plus “more developed drainage.” And they still have a few things to decide, such as gravel vs. wood chips; both have their upsides and downsides, fans and detractors.
They also want potential future users to know that an area in the northwest section of the site is still planned for a small lot where city EVs can recharge. No public access, they said. (At one point, you might recall, the entire site was under consideration for a city EV lot INSTEAD of the dog park.)
For one last round of feedback, they now have an online survey you can answer here, and the project webpage features an explanatory video walking you through the current plan. The survey’s open until June 23.
If you’re interested in plans for West Seattle’s second official off-leash area – aka dog park – tomorrow’s your next chance for a look. As we first told you three weeks ago, Seattle Parks will have an “open house” on the site just south of West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), now used as overflow parking.
SPR’s project team and design consultant will be available to answer questions, present the preferred schematic designs, and gather valuable community feedback. Additionally, officers from the Seattle Animal Shelter will be present (to) offer community resources. … (The park) will include fencing, seating for pet owners, and an environmentally friendly stormwater bioretention area with thoughtful plantings. An online presentation and a survey will be available on the website following the meeting.
The drop-in event is scheduled for 4-6 pm tomorrow (Thursday, June 5).
FYI from Seattle Parks:
Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities and programs will be closed Thursday, June 5, 2025, due to a Recreation Division staff training day.
These facilities and services are CLOSED:
All recreation programs
Community centers and teen life centers
Environmental learning centers
Indoor swimming pools
Amy Yee Tennis Center
Green Lake Small Craft Center
Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center
Mounger and Colman Outdoor PoolsThese facilities are OPEN on regular schedules:
Parks
Volunteer Park Conservatory
Boat ramps
Golf courses and ranges
Lifeguarded Beaches (Madrona Beach and West Green Lake Beach)
Sprayparks
| 13 COMMENTS