Fundraising can be a challenge. A West Seattle Scout has managed to conquer that, big time. Jack R. emailed us to share the story:

Scouting Sales Sensation: Layton Stone’s Trailblazing Popcorn Journey

You may have seen this dashing Scout from Troop 282 around West Seattle and close neighborhoods hawking popcorn. You may have observed his great selling abilities and charming smile. What you may not know is that Layton is a popcorn-selling sensation and sold more popcorn in 2024 than all but one other Scout in the country, over $50,000. He sold so much popcorn that he’s throwing out the first pitch on at the Mariners baseball Scout Night game in April. So, that is your chance to say you saw Layton back in the day before he was famous.

You may be wondering, what is this popcorn he was selling? Popcorn is the way scouts raise money for their troop and Scouting activities. So if you were one of the great people buying popcorn from Layton, you helped support a great cause. If you see a Scout selling popcorn when sales start up again this summer, please stop by. A little hint – the caramel popcorn is the best.

For once, a package story that’s not about theft. From the WSB inbox:

We received a package that was mistakenly delivered to our home that has a very similar address to the intended recipient. Vida, if you are looking for a package from Michael’s, we drove over and dropped it at your front door, but I tucked it behind a small bush for safe keeping. I hope you have found it, and happy crafting!

(WSB photos)

Back on Tuesday night, we reported briefly on a driver going up onto a sidewalk in Upper Morgan and hitting a home’s streetfront stairs. We’ve learned only one thing about the crash since then: It took out the stairs’ railing (missing in the photo above, taken this morning). That left the home’s longtime resident unable to get to and from the sidewalk safely, explained the neighbors who decided to take action.

Above are Todd and Noah. Another neighbor texted us this morning (thank you!) that they would be working today to “weld a new handrail and repair other damage.” We went over and took the photo just as they were setting up, with plans to go back in the afternoon to get the “after” photo:

Todd and Noah were gone by then, but when we saw them this morning, they were low-key about their good deed – Todd said they’d been neighbors a long time, and just wanted to help.

One of the region’s first babies of 2025 was born to a West Seattle couple before the new year was even an hour old! Providence Swedish shared the photo and announcement with WSB:

Mary and Bill Belcher of West Seattle welcomed their second child – an 8.54-pound, 20.5-inch-long baby boy, named Wilder Oak Belcher – at 12:47 a.m, which earned him the distinction of being the first baby born at Providence Swedish First Hill in 2025.

The arrival of Wilder was preceded by 6,231 births at the 114-year-old, nonprofit hospital in 2024.

The Belchers, who have been married for six years, are also parents of a two-year-old daughter named Willow, who was being cared for by her grandmother, Sharon, while Mary labored and delivered in the hospital. The family shared that Mary’s 60-minute labor went smoothly and included a minute between contractions, which allowed them to experience a memorable countdown to midnight with their Labor and Delivery caregivers. The couple added, “We’re overjoyed with the birth and excited to introduce Wilder to his big sister, Willow.”

On New Year’s Eve, USA TODAY reported, “Babies born in 2025, and for the 14 years following, will make up the newest generation, called Generation Beta. Members of Gen Beta, for short, will be the children of younger millennials and older Gen Zers and by 2035, they are estimated to make up at least 16% of the global population. Additionally, many Gen Beta members will likely live into the 22nd century. Babies born in 2025 will be 76 years old when the year 2101 comes around.”

(Photos courtesy Dave Townsend and family)

By Anne Higuera
Special to West Seattle Blog

If you go to a tree nursery, they will often tell you that the best time to plant a tree is today. For one West Seattle family, the best time started 70 years ago, when their grandfather began purchasing regenerating timberland with an eye to the future. Just this month, Robert Wise’s vision and his family’s work stewarding that land led to his grandchildren and their spouses being named National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year by the American Forest Foundation.

(The family’s 2023 award paved the way for this year’s national award)

Wise settled in West Seattle almost a century ago, after finishing a business degree at the University of Washington. He came to Washington State from Iowa after serving in WWI, determined not to be a farmer, but he was wowed by the vast forests of the Pacific Northwest as rode the train westward. Summer breaks from college were spent at logging camps, and after graduating, Wise continued to work as a logger, and started a fuel business with his wife Beatrice from his property on Harbor Avenue SW.

(Robert Wise, 1960)

While the Wises were raising their two sons and daughter in the city, Robert wasn’t initially able to realize the dream of owning his own timberland.

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8:48 PM: The missing woman’s family says she’s been found. Photo and contact info removed. Earlier:

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Just by their nature, senior-living communities tend to see firefighters/paramedics often. But this encounter wasn’t an emergency, as explained by Quail Park of West Seattle (WSB sponsor):

In a show of appreciation for the tireless efforts of local first responders, Quail Park of West Seattle delivered a special lunch to the dedicated firefighters of Station 32 today. Residents and staff brought a hearty meal of brisket, ribs, and pulled pork from Jack’s BBQ in SoDo to thank the firehouse for their service to the community.

This gesture is a heartfelt thank-you to the team at Station 32, who have served Quail Park and the surrounding neighborhood over the years. The BBQ lunch was a small token of gratitude for the critical work they do to keep the area safe.

Station 32 is just east of The Junction, at 38th/Alaska.

By Eddie Westerman
Special to West Seattle Blog

Whether knocking on doors, writing postcards, donating money, participating in conversations, or simply being barraged by news and election ads, it would have been difficult not to experience some stress in the months leading up to Tuesday’s election.

That’s why folklorist and grief coach Tamara Kubacki led a Post-Election Grief/Relief Walk at Jack Block Park in. West Seattle this afternoon, open to people feeling either of those emotions, though the former seemed to prevail among participants. The rainy walk gave people the chance to be in nature while feeling and talking about grief or relief from the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s election. The peaceful walk also opened the door to other issues people feel they are facing in their own lives and the collective stress in the nation and world.

“We’re not meant to grieve on our own,” Kubacki says. “Being with others makes it feel less lonely.”

Participants shared their experiences through stories, poetry and conversation along the walking path. Kubacki, who runs a company called Listening to Grief, says she hopes participants of today’s walk felt a sense of community. She reminds people that it is healthy to talk about their grief.

One participant, Smith Sinclair, says he took a day off after the election and that he is still in denial.

“My grief is spilling over. I’m not participating in any media,” Sinclair says. “I was so hopeful.” He says he’s worried for immigrants and others and that he was deeply disappointed because he felt Kamala Harris ran a flawless campaign. He felt hopeful in the campaign work he did in Washington State, but despondent about what happened in the nation.

As part of the walk, Kubacki asked participants to ground themselves with breathing exercises, notice the sounds and the nature in the park and take time to genuinely listen to one another’s thoughts.

“I feel like fleeing,” Susan Holmgren says. She came on the walk, she says, to connect with her mother, who was a political activist when she was alive. Holmgren says her mother marched in countless anti-war demonstrations and that she would be so distressed to feel her children might have fewer rights than she had. While she does have dual citizenship because her mother was a United Kingdom citizen, Holmgren feels there are too many obstacles – especially financial ones — preventing her from trying to live in a different country.

Another walker at today’s event said it was heartbreaking to watch his 30-something children’s faces fall as the election results tumbled in. He was sad he couldn’t just “kiss the problem away for them.”

Kubacki says today’s walk, inspired by two Olympia-based organizations — Window Seat Media and Wild Grief – is a way for those in the community to come together when things feel awry. “Stories can be an anchor in uncertain times,” she says. The walk gave people the chance to think about what stories they were holding on to that they wanted to release.

That’s the trailer for “Stories of Us,” a documentary about people at West Seattle’s only tiny-home village, Camp Second Chance, and it’s the first film up for the relaunch of the quarterly West Seattle Meaningful Movies gatherings. The screening is set for this Saturday – here’s what the group wants you to know:

Meaningful Movies West Seattle has our new home and things are back in action.

The first movie since COVID will be an informational movie and discussion about the life for our unhoused community. The name of the movie is: STORIES OF US: CAMP SECOND CHANCE. Date and time: Saturday, October 19 at 6:30 pm. Location: Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 7141 California Ave. SW. There is no cost; however, donations are appreciated to help support the program.

Join us in person for this important film about our local unhoused community. In this powerful award-winning film, director Melinda Raebyne embeds herself one winter at West Seattle’s only tiny-house village, Camp Second Chance, challenging public ignorance and humanizing a population that locals would rather neglect, sharing with you some of their personal stories and her actual experience of what it’s like to be homeless.

The filmmaker will be at the Meaningful Movies screening for Q&A afterward.

Trivia is not trivial to West Seattleites! Every week, our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar features a long list of weekly games at local venues. Trivia host Will Drew organized the West Seattle Trivia Championships again this year and sent this report and photo after last night’s finale:

Last night, West Seattle’s 2024 trivia champion was crowned at The Good Society. The Nard Dogs, representing Beveridge Place, bested teams from Three 9 Lounge, The Good Society, Admiral Pub, and Talarico’s. The Great Space Baboon Uprising, also from Beveridge Place, took second place. Thank you to The Good Society for hosting, and for all the quizmasters and trivia teams that participated.

The flyer was sent by a friend of the missing man – who lives in Ballard but has West Seattle ties, including a longtime Seattle Parks job at Delridge Community Center:

Kevin’s friend Andrew tells us the missing man, a lifelong Seattleite, was last seen September 1. His family has already checked hospitals and jails around the region but no luck. They’re casting the net as wide as they can in the hopes he’ll be found.

(WSB photos)

As hundreds of mourners gathered tonight on Alki Beach to mourn former West Seattleite Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, our state’s two U.S. senators echoed her family in calling for an American investigation into her killing. Israeli soldiers shot and killed her as she participated in a demonstration in the West Bank last Thursday. Friends from the UW, where she graduated just a few months ago, were among those celebrating her life tonight on the beach where she is reported to have recently celebrated her 26th birthday.

Earlier in the day, U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell both sent letters to the White House (here’s Cantwell’s letter; here’s Murray’s letter, co-signed by U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal).

Israel is reported to have said its soldiers likely killed Ms. Eygi “unintentionally.” Her family has said in a statement that they are “deeply offended” by that claim. A statement from them was read by a friend at tonight’s memorial, remembering Ms. Eygi as a loving, caring person.

Also speaking tonight on Alki were friends of hers from pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the UW this past spring, describing her as a shining influence on their activism. Some mourners flew white kites:

Ms. Eygi attended West Seattle High School, but not all the way to graduation. Readers have remembered her from Alki Elementary and Madison Middle School as well.

The start of the school year always brings changes and challenges – new teachers, new classmates, new lessons – but for one high-school junior from West Seattle, this school year finds him in a new country, with a new family (temporarily). Boden Hammerstad‘s proud mom Joelle Hammerstad shares the announcement of his adventure:

Boden Hammerstad, a student from Seattle, has been awarded a Future Leaders Exchange Abroad (FLEX Abroad) scholarship for 2024-2025. Boden will live with a host family and study in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the academic year.

Boden is one of only 20 students selected competitively from across the United States who were selected by the U.S. Department of State to participate in the FLEX Abroad program. The merit-based award covers the full cost of an academic year abroad, providing Boden a full academic and cultural immersion experience including living with a host family in Georgia, attending a Georgian high school, and helping him develop the skills necessary to be a leader in the global community. The FLEX Abroad program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Through Boden’s participation in FLEX Abroad, he will be at the forefront of citizen diplomacy, serving as a “youth ambassador” in his host country, enhancing cross-cultural understanding and deepening trust by building lasting relationships with his host family and peers, and engaging in volunteer service and leadership training to help his host community. Through the FLEX Abroad experience, Boden will develop the skills to share American values, find new ways for America to compete effectively in the global marketplace, and contribute to a more peaceful world.

The FLEX program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1992, as an effort to increase dialogue and mutual understanding between people of the United States and people of Eurasia. Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the FLEX program was expanded in 2021 to include FLEX Abroad for American high school students to study overseas. FLEX Abroad provides opportunities for Americans to study for one academic year in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Romania, or Poland.

FLEX Abroad is administered by American Councils for International Education, an international nonprofit that strives to create access to educational opportunities for individuals and institutions across the globe. A leader in international education, academic exchange, language acquisition and assessment, and research, American Councils prepares individuals and institutions to succeed in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world. 

For more information about FLEX Abroad, visit discoverflex.org/flex-abroad – scholarship applications are open now. For more information about hosting a FLEX international exchange student, visit discoverflex.org/host-families-and-schools.

Joelle says Boden left for Georgia on September 1 and will be back in June. Next year, he’ll attend The Downtown School, where he went last year. “He didn’t have any career goals associated with international diplomacy or leadership when he heard about the program, but the whole concept really captured his imagination — so he went for it,” she explains.

1:13 PM: Thanks for the tips. One of today’s biggest international stories is the death of 26-year-old American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, reported to have been shot by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, during what the Associated Press describes as “a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion.” The UK-based Daily Mail was first to note that Ms. Eygi listed herself on social media as having attended West Seattle High School. A texter tells us they remember her from the Class of 2016’s junior year and sent the yearbook photo shown at right. We have an inquiry out to Seattle Public Schools. We’ll add whatever more we find out.

3:06 PM: Multiple readers also have mentioned that Ms. Eygi attended other local schools including Alki Elementary and Madison MS. Her family is not speaking publicly, according to this statement from the organization with which she was volunteering, the International Solidarity Movement. The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) says in a news release that Ms. Eygi graduated this year from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in Middle Eastern languages and cultures.

ADDED: A statement attributed to Ms. Eygi’s family has been posted on social media by a close friend. In it, they ask the U.S. government for an independent investigation into their daughter’s killing.

4:06 PM UPDATE: Missing woman says she’s been found and is safe.

EARLIER: This image and the information in it are from this missing woman’s family:

(image removed)

Though the graphic mentions the non-emergency number, if you find a person reported as missing, please call 911.