West Seattle, Washington
23 Wednesday
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
Everything, and everyone, was looking up at tonight’s fall equinox sunset watch.
Astronomy educator Alice Enevoldsen has led quarterly change-of-season sunset watches at West Seattle’s Solstice Park for 17+ years, as part of her work as what she described as pretty muc the coolest volunteer title ever, NASA Solar System Ambassador:
First a chance to watch the setting sun line up with the designated equinox-aligned path (the park-top plateau has paths and markers for solstices and equinoxes):
Then, everyone circled up for Alice’s demonstration (with a young volunteer as usual) of what “equinox” – this one having arrived just two hours earlier- really means:
It’s always a casual gathering, all ages …
Pups too:
Alice always hangs around to ask questions, and sometimes there’s swag:
Tonight there was even wildlife:
And fall’s first sunset just kept getting better:
You can always check Alice’s website for the next sunset watch – winter solstice, December 21st, 3:45 pm – and other skywatching info, such as aurora advice.
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
This Thursday will mark the two-year anniversary of one of West Seattle’s thriving book clubs, the Morbidly Curious Book Club.
The club revolves around non-fiction books centered on dark and taboo topics, with common themes involving death, true crime, occultic or alternative spiritual practices, and the limits of the human body. This month’s book exemplifies these themes: On Thursday, they will be discussing “Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery“ by Ira Rutkow. We sat down with the founder of the club, West Seattle resident Perla X. Caballero, to talk about her and the club as they look toward the anniversary.
First, about the founding of the club: It is actually a chapter of a national book club started in 2021 by a woman named Patricia, intended as a digital-only book club. Caballero said she found out about it from this initial digital push: “The algorithm found me,” she said, “’Hey, you like this kinda stuff!’ it said.” (Caballero is also an avid fan of horror and noir detective fiction, and participates in other Seattle area groups dedicated to those books.) “Patricia wanted to make it more global, put the call out to ‘hey, if anybody wants to start your chapter, first come first serve,’ I noticed Bellingham and Tacoma had a chapter, and I messaged her ‘Hey, is West Seattle available?’ and she said yes.”
Growth during the past two years has been significant. “Only eight people attended my first meeting, which was at Beveridge Place.” she said. (She gave a shout-out to the owners, Gary Sink and Terri Griffith, who she said are “like uncles” for the support they gave to her in her early days.) Average attendance now is between 15 and 22 people each month, and the group’s online page has more than 260 people signed up.
From that growth, Perla shared that the club has come to represent people across all walks of life from West Seattle. “Anyone from senior citizens to someone who’s like a young twenty-something has come to our book club.” she said. She noted that her one of her most recent attendees is actually a mom, who is there representing her daughter of around fourteen who is unfortunately too young to come to most of the 21-and-over locations the club tends to meet at. Though, of course, many of the members do reflect some of the content of the books themselves: “A lot of members that are with us are nurses, and we also have ambulance drivers, a forensic anthropologist, and a phlebotomist among them.”
We also asked her about her initial interest in the dark subject material of the book club. “What got me into dark non-fiction was probably based around what I grew up around. I grew up in California in the Bay Area in the mid-’80s. I moved to Portland first, and they caught the Green River Killer two months after I got there. My mom called me and said I needed to move back home because Ted Bundy was there, and when you’re in murderland, you get curious.” she said. Part of her interest is also motivated by her ongoing background in legal work. “I’m a trained paralegal, and I’ve worked in places such as the Public Defender’s Office. People do terrible things to each other, and are constantly putting each other in harm’s way. That gave me a tough skin.”
She also shared that part of it was her proximity to a “Christian cult” in her childhood. (Books about cults, she said, feature as some of the most popular readings for the club.) “I grew up in a Christian cult; my mom converted when I was very young, and I spent a lot of time recruiting people. I learned about the dark side of community – which is that they will do whatever it takes to get their way in breaking your free will – so maybe that’s why I’m into this.” she said.
On the more positive side, one of the things that motivated her most was simply reading as an act against the overwhelming digital influence in her life, negativity from world events, and the loss of focus that entailed. “When the [national] book club started, it was during the pandemic, I couldn’t read because of what was going on – so this was a month where I had time to read a book, I’d read a book.” She said it was the first in a long time, and she gradually worked her way up: she read ten books in 2024, 28 in 2025, and this year her total is at least 50. “My goal is just – I love doing the meetings, if it’s 4 people to 25 people, I am happy to see people take time out of their day to talk about the books. A lot of friendships have been formed by the book club.”
Her mantra to encourage people to come to the club summarized this theme succinctly: “Less doomscrolling, more doom-reading!” (This theme continues even in the graphics and other social media for the club online, which she does mostly by hand, alone. “I grew up in the Sarah Connor era,” she said. “Computers are bad, and I don’t believe in AI..”)
For the future, Perla says she’s just happy to continue as long as there’s direction from the national organization. “I didn’t see myself surviving two years, by month three I didn’t know what I was gonna do – I really just hope people pick up a book.” she said. “Tomorrow, Patricia could shut down a book club, and the national chapter goes and so we could we – so hopefully, we just have another year of reading.”
This month’s meeting (and 2nd-anniversary celebration) will be taking place at 7 pm Thursday (September 24) Jet City Labs/Revelry Room (4547 California SW)on Thursday, September 24th. As mentioned above, the book will be ‘Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery’ by Ira Rutkow. (You can also see past and upcoming book selections on the Morbidly Curious Book Club main website here.
If you’re interested in getting the book locally, Caballero mentioned that she has partnered with both Paper Boat Booksellers (WSB sponsor) and Pegasus Books to have copies of the books available for the club. And, as always, she offered that she is always available to reach out to if you’re interested in the material, particularly if you might have a hard time dealing with it: “Know what your comfort zone is, and if you hit a fence or don’t want to open that door, just message me and I’ll let you know how it ends. I’m the one that has to have the weird nightmares at night.”
(WSB photo)
Notices like that one are posted on some of the trees along 16th Avenue SW by South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), particularly on the west side. This note we received from SDOT explains why:
The Sidewalk Safety Repair Program is planning to make repairs to the sidewalks damaged by tree roots on both sides of 16th Ave SW between SW Findlay St and South Seattle College Entry #2. Our tentative start date is October 5 and will likely take a few weeks once the work begins. The schedule depends on how much root pruning work there will be, especially on the west sidewalk. Our goal is to preserve all the trees, but there are a few trees at risk for removal because of the size and amount of roots that will need to be pruned to bring the sidewalk and driveways back down for ADA accessibility. The trees that are at higher risk for removal have been posted with SDOT Urban Forestry’s contact information. The sidewalk team and Urban Forestry will work closely together during construction to achieve both pedestrian safety and tree preservation to the extent feasible.
Sent by Jen:
My daughter’s car was stolen from 58th Ave SW and Alki Ave SW this morning while she was working at Ampersand Cafe (between 4:53 am and 6:45 am). It is a 2001 dark green Honda CR-V.
We’ll add the plate # when we get it.
ADDED: Plate is CLX6168, and here’s a photo:
Call 911 if you find it.
1:42 PM: Mayor Katie Wilson just wrapped up her first budget address, presented at the main library downtown, as she went public with a $9.1 billion proposed budget. Key points included that she said she’s “righting the ship,” presenting a budget with “no general fund deficit” through 2030, also promising “effective government” and “growing a resilient economy.” She said she’ll do that with “no new major sources of progressive revenue,” aka taxes. And she said she’s “fully funding” the current Seattle Police hiring plan, budgeting for 66 more police officers next year than this year. Her public-safety points included the only West Seattle-specific mention of the speech (which was light on geographic references otherwise), permanent funding for a teen late-night program in High Point that’s been operating as a pilot. Regarding transportation, while she said the levy-funded programs would proceed as planned, some maintenance projects (not identified in the speech) will “face delays.” Regarding city jobs overall – in a speech she opened by expressing gratitude for city workers – she said 128 jobs would be cut, mostly vacant, but 15 currently employed people would lose their jobs. Individual departments are starting to send out their summaries of what the budget means to them, so we’ll be updating this story with more details as the afternoon goes on. For starters, here’s the summary from the mayor’s office. Budget documents from her proposal are linked here.
4:37 PM: From the budget summary document, here’s more elaboration on public-safety spending:
• The Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) 2027 Proposed Budget includes $556 million to support public safety. Compared to the 2026 Adopted Budget, this increases SPD’s budget by $68 million (13.9%) annually to fund 1,250 officers in both 2027 and 2028, 66 more than were funded in the 2026 Adopted Budget. This net growth includes a reduction of $9.5 million, including eliminating funding for 28 civilian positions (four of which are filled), and reducing funding in SPD’s marketing and recruitment budget to help address the structural budget deficit.
• The Seattle Fire Department’s (SFD) 2027 Proposed Budget includes $346 million to maintain core fire and emergency response services, reflecting the City’s budget constraints, with a $7.1 million reduction to its overtime budget. The budget also increases ongoing funding for maintenance and utilities to better reflect actual expenditure trends and adds 5.0 FTE Firefighter to staff peak-time aid car. In addition, the proposed budget adds $8.7 million over the biennium in the Department of Finance and Administrative Services’ (FAS) budget to increase funds for renovations to Fire Station 25.
• The Community Assisted Response &Engagement (CARE) Department’s proposed budget of $72.6 million sustains operations of the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center and Community Crisis Responders working 6:30am-1:00am in most areas of the city. The proposed budget also supports the Mayor’s Gun Violence Plan (MGVP) with funding transferred from HSD to CARE. These investments will support immediate actions to address gun violence including designating CARE as the city’s command center for gun violence reduction strategies, aligning community-based violence services with 911 emergency response, network coordination for Seattle’s Community-led Safety Network, launching Violence Reduction Councils to review homicides, and a new partnership with the University of Washington for data-driven assessment and evaluation.
In addition, the CARE’s 2027 proposed budget includes an increase of $1.6 million of ongoing funding for the CoLEAD program, the ongoing lease and operations of a housing site, which provides dedicated housing capacity for CoLEAD participants and specialized populations with behavioral health and substance abuse issues. The investment preserves continuity of services and is a key component of the City’s alternative response and public safety strategy.
And more details on the aforementioned High Point program:
$300,000 to sustain a Teen Late Night pilot at High Point Community Center, the ninth community center or Teen Life Center with Teen Late Night programming citywide. This free program, run by Seattle Parks and Recreation in partnership with Seattle Police Department, creates a supportive environment most Friday and Saturday nights for youth ages 13-19 by having trained adults provide educational services, intercultural activities, athletics, free pool time for certain locations, and career readiness opportunities …
LOCAL NOTES: First one we’ve found in the fine print is in the Parks budget doc:
$700,000 to complete planning and design work for Camp Long Lodge rebuild, which was significantly damaged in November 20(2)4 and has been stabilized using insurance proceeds. The department will continue to explore funding options for the unfunded construction work including grants and future Park District capital funding.
Checking SDOT specifics next, no West Seattle projects called out. Still checking other major departments’ specifics.
Thanks to a nearby resident for the tip. SDOT has sent an update on the “People Street” project proposing to close part of SW Lander west of California SW to motor-vehicle traffic. After a survey and in-person events, here’s how SDOT summarized feedback:
Accompanying that graphic:
Now, we are using your feedback to create design options for the project … Later this year, we will share these design options with you and the neighborhood to gather feedback to inform the final design. We will send out dates for future events soon.
The section of street under consideration from the change is between Lafayette Elementary and the commercial building housing The Good Society and Seattle Yarn. It’s currently one-way eastbound. If you have questions or comments, the SDOT update points you to urbandesign@seattle.gov.
(Photo sent by Eddie in early September)
After many months in which a sign like that one might have been your primary clue that Sound Transit is (or would be) doing field work leading up to West Seattle light-rail construction – soil sampling and other types of testing – there’s a new place to check. We’ve been asking ST for a while if there’s a page to check online for notices, and we just got this update from ST spokesperson Amy Enbysk: “Our fieldwork page is now live: westseattlelink.infocommunity.org/fieldwork-updates.html#fieldwork-activities! This page provides the latest information on current and upcoming fieldwork that will inform the design and construction of the West Seattle Link Extension project.”
(Sketch sent by West Seattle artist William Wittmann)
Here’s our list of highlights for today/tonight, many – but not all! – from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FREE INDOOR PLAYSPACE: It’s back! West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (4201 SW Juneau) welcomes little ones and their caregivers, 9 am-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, free.
POSTCARDS4DEMOCRACY: New postcard-writers as well as returnees are welcome at this weekly advocacy gathering, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). Sign up here before you go, if this is your first time.
ROTARY CLUB OF WEST SEATTLE: Noon lunch meeting at West Seattle Golf Course (4470 35th SW) – today’s featured speaker is retired Judge Michael Heavey.
MAYOR’S BUDGET SPEECH: Mayor Katie Wilson is presenting her first budget proposal today, starting with a 12:30 pm speech that will be streamed live by Seattle Channel.
CHESS CLUB: All levels! 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon).
OTHER EVENTS AT THE CENTER: Dozens every week! Go here for the full Center for Active Living calendar.
CITY COUNCIL: 2 pm, weekly full-council meeting, with viewing/attending/commenting info on the agenda.
CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 4 pm online, community members welcome to hear updates on and ask questions about the tiny-house village in southeast West Seattle.
DROP-IN WINE TASTING: 5-7 pm Tuesdays at Walter’s Wine Shop (4811 California SW) – $15 fee, $5 off with bottle purchases.
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS AUDITIONS: 5-8 pm, as previewed here – sign up to get details.
CHIEF SEALTH IHS MULTICULTURAL FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: 6 pm at White Center Library (1409 SW 107th).
TRACK RUN WITH WEST SEATTLE RUNNER: Meet up by 6:15 pm at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for WSR’s free weekly track run.
FALL EQUINOX SUNSET WATCH WITH ALICE: The seasons change at 5:05 pm, and 6:30-7:30 pm, you can join Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW, upslope) to watch fall’s first sunset and learn about the equinox.
SING WITH THE BOEING EMPLOYEES CHOIR … even if you’re not a Boeing employee! Open rehearsals continue tonight, 6:30 pm, at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (3940 41st SW), and our calendar listing explains how to RSVP.
TIM’S OPEN MIC: 6:30 pm signups, 7 pm music – weekly open mic hosted by Levi Said at Tim’s (16th SW and SW 98th) in White Center.
PASS THE AUX AT REVELRY ROOM: 7 pm game time at Revelry Room (4547 California SW).
SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING: Weekly lessons at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), 7 pm – lots of info in our ongoing calendar listing.
WOMEN’S MEDITATION CIRCLE: Weekly small-group meditation at Mama Be Well Healing Studio (4034-A California SW), 7 pm. Our calendar listing has info on registering before you go.
BINGO! Play free weekly Belle of the Balls Bingo at The Skylark, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
TRIVIA X 4: Four Tuesday trivia venues – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW), Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 pm and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free, hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia … 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink … 7 pm at Admiral Pub, free to play, prizes. (2306 California SW).
KARAOKE AT POGGIE TAVERN: 9 pm until 1:30 am, sing at The Poggie! (4717 California SW)
Organizing an event, fundraiser, class, performance, gathering, etc.? Tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar – just email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends will gather October 2nd to remember Betty Code, and are sharing this with her community now:
Betty Alice Code
February 1, 1926 – May 24, 2025Betty was known for stretching a dollar, dancing up a storm, meeting everyone at the party, and clipping bushes within an inch of their lives. She was all about getting things done and had more energy than her kids and grandkids combined.
The only child of John and Rhetta Blair, Betty grew up on Queen Anne Hill and attended Coe Primary School and Queen Anne High. Her summers were spent at a cabin, swimming and canoeing on Lake Sammamish. An excellent student, Betty applied and was accepted to Mills College for Women in Oakland, CA. She studied a range of subjects and took up modern dance which cemented her lifelong love of dance, as well as her amazing flexibility. Ultimately though, Betty decided to major in business and transferred to Washington State where she was active in the Alpha Phi Sorority. She also took summer classes at the UW, where she became reacquainted with Bill Code, a fellow Queen Anne graduate. When asked what first attracted him to Betty, Bill said, “We were at Lake Wilderness and while all the other girls were gabbing, Betty was on the water, rolling logs with the guys. I liked her energy!” They were married in 1948 and immediately embarked on an adventure to Chicago’s southside, where Bill was enrolled in graduate school. They found a tiny apartment in a sketchy neighborhood and Betty gamely commuted on the El each day to her job as a bookkeeper. It was an exciting way to begin their 76 years of marriage.
Betty and Bill returned to Seattle and started a family within a few years. Although she stayed home with Bob, Merilee, and Jim, Betty was in no way stationary, mastering multi-tasking before it became a thing. Availing herself of a very long phone cord, Betty was known to conduct PTA business or comfort elderly friends over the phone, while simultaneously cooking dinner and cutting the kids’ hair. There were some complaints about lopsided cuts and dried out chuck steak, but she got an amazing amount done. Betty was a tremendous cheerleader, motivator, and supporter of her family, creating a comfortable home on a tight budget and imbuing her kids with the same active spirit. The TV suspiciously broke every summer and going out to play was a clear expectation. Without complaint, Betty also provisioned weekly camping trips for family and friends to their property on the Key Peninsula, packing Styrofoam coolers with ice frozen in margarine containers, planning meals that could be made over a campfire, and ensuring that there were enough clothes and towels to survive a downpour.
As the children grew older, Betty started volunteering at West Seattle High and eventually was employed in the career counseling center. She developed ties with the business community, brought in speakers, and organized field trips that introduced students to a variety of occupations. She took kids, especially girls, who seemed a bit directionless under her wing and encouraged them to think about their interests and strengths. One appreciative student wrote: “I always wanted to thank Mrs. Code for helping me find a job at a veterinary clinic after school. It saved my life by showing me there was a whole world outside of school and that the bullies…meant nothing in the larger world.”
Inspired by her mother who had worked full-time running a business, Betty developed an independent spirit. She was a pragmatic, brass tacks kind of person who did not shy away from voicing opinions about politics, investments, and what was “square” enough to pass muster. She liked to keep busy so after retiring from the counseling center, Betty started doing secretarial tasks for the family business, giving her time with her sons and a sense of productivity. In her free moments, Betty enjoyed going to the theater and Husky basketball games, maintaining a huge yard, canning peaches and putting up strawberry jam, and boating, golfing, and swimming. Betty was someone who could be counted on to come to the rescue and help in any way possible. She seemed to always be lending a hand to women older than herself who were also named Betty. She was very involved in her church, Westside Presbyterian and shared responsibility with Bill for the “Special People Program” providing transportation, lunch, and entertainment for disabled folks over a thirty year period.
When it came to her grandchildren, Randy, Ian, Tessa, Kyle, and Jason, Betty was the pied piper. She could get the kids interested in doing just about anything active from stacking blocks to hitting tennis balls to dancing around the living room, even weeding! Betty and Bill made it a priority to attend their sporting events, school presentations, and award ceremonies and they were proudly present at each grandchild’s college graduation. Betty was also delighted to get to know her son-in-law’s children, Brendon, Nathan, and Megan.
Betty will be remembered for her true love of Bill and family, her action-oriented zest for life, her thoughtfulness and interest in other people, and her dazzling, movie star smile. She is survived by her three children and their spouses, Bob and Mary Code, Merilee and Scott Robar, and Jim and Claire Code, eight grandchildren and their spouses, ten great-grandchildren, and her niece, Sharon Hostetter, and nephew Bill Code and his wife Carol and their children.
Please join us for a celebration of Betty’s life at Tahoma National Cemetery on Friday, Oct. 2nd, from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Remembrances may be made to Westside Presbyterian Church.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
6:01 AM: Good morning. It’s Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
Showers possible this morning, then clearing, high in the upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 6:56 am today; sunset will be at 7:06 pm. (Fall officially begins at 5:05 pm.)
(Reader photo, summer’s last sunset)
ROAD WORK
As announced by SDOT, the first phase of a repaving project on SW 106th is expected to contiue today:
Through Wednesday, Sept 23
o SW 106th St between 35th Ave SW and 32nd Ave SW will be reduced to a single lane alternating between eastbound and westbound traffic.
o Driveways will be CLOSED during working hours. Driveway access will be provided to the extent possible, but there may be delays of up to one hour to let equipment clear or to let new asphalt cool down enough to accept traffic loads.
TRANSIT TODAY
Washington State Ferries – The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route is on the three-boat schedule (until Monday, October 5, when it goes to two boats for a month). Check the alert page for any late-breaking changes.
Metro buses – Regular weekday schedule today – any reroute/stop advisories will be here. (Including one for the SW 106th project zone mentioned above.)
West Seattle Water Taxi – Regular summer schedule, with later night runs Fridays and Saturdays for just under three more weeks.
BRIDGE TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Here are four bridge views from the SDOT map:
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the westward view:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
See trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“ICE activity is HERE in West Seattle,” was the statement projected onto a screen as West Seattle Indivisible opened its September meeting.
Photos like these, from Saturday, half a mile from WS Indivisible’s meeting site at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, had underscored that declaration. But the group’s meeting focus, community response to the immigration-enforcement crackdown, had been planned weeks if not months earlier.
WSI co-director Laurie Reinhardt opened the discussion with a recap of Saturday’s streetcorner demonstration in memory of 76 people whose deaths were linked to ICE operations, with memorial signs held by people dressed in black, standing at more than a dozen streetcorners along California SW between Morgan Junction and Admiral Junction. The signs were handmade by a WSI member, “emotionally grueling” work, as Reinhardt said, before segueing to a video showing some of the signs and signholders, set to somber music.
The first speaker was Natalia Vasileva of WSI’s immigration-focused team, presenting data she said had been collected by advocacy groups making disclosure requests – first showing a bar grant immigrant apprehensions per month in our state since 2022, increasing dramatically in recent months – almost 700 in June and July. Of those, she said, 120 of those 700 had convictions, but only three were felons, she said. For the first half of 2026, most people taken into custody spent “one week to two months” in detention.
Another bar chart showed Mexico as the home country for the vast majority of detainees, and almost all the others were Latin Americans; the rest of the top five countries from which detainees had come were Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, and Colombia.
She said 300 children under 18 were taken into immigration custody in this state so far this year, adding that, around the country, 1900 children are currently in immigration custody. She said that volunteer lawyers are being sought by the Children’s Due Process Project to help petition for juveniles’ release.
WSI member Dianne talked about working with an immigrant and his partner, who were going through the system. He was an entrepreneur in his own country, went to school for a master’s degree, got a job here, bought a house, He ‘went to all his check-ins” and then was arrested and put into detention in mid-July because of an “erroneous domestic-violence charge.” They found a pro-bono lawyer who wasn’t available immediately so supporters and co-workers raised money to get him help sooner. But he remained detained. A judge finally found that his rights had been violated because he was detained at a check-in without warning, and he was released August 24. Then another man her group had been working with was detained this week; he is fighting Stage 4 cancer. A doctor at the detention center advised against detaining him further – so he’s home.
Next, a panel discussion moderated by veteran immigration lawyer Jay Stansell, with local people who work with groups including the Alaska Junction Community Defense Network, National Day Laborers Organizing Network, Adopt-a-Corner, and Kids in Need of Defense. Because of the work they do, most of the panel participants went by pseudonyms, and photography was not allowed.
KIND was explained as a nonprofit that “strives to protect the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children” so that “no kid has to appear in court by themselves.”
The NDLON volunteer explained that they stand in solidarity with people looking for work who are “vulnerable because of what’s going on right now.” They are there to make connections, not just show up for a while and leave. They hope they can be a deterrent “if ICE were to show up.” They want to make what they do more “accessible” and say that “anyone can do this – I’m just a regular person with no special skills,” not even another language.
The Community Defense Network volunteer said she’s involved in “patrol and rapid response.” For the former, people do it in a variety of ways, where there might be vulnerable people or an event. It can be “tailored to exactly what you want to do or feel comfortable doing.” They look for “suspicious” cars – heavily tinted windows, for example. Rapid response is what happens when someone’s been taken away – a call will go out (via Signal, these groups’ primary commuication channel) – usually the person has been taken away before resonse volunteers arrive, but the person’s vehicle and personal belongings have been left behind, so volunteers work to secure those and contact their family. Another rapid-response volunteer spoke next. She talked about what happened when contractor Eduardo Esparza was taken away in July – they were within a block of it. She talked about “aftercare” including in that case comforting the woman who tried to stop it. On Saturday at 42nd/Andover, they made sure the car got back to its owner’s family. They offer long-term care for families too – maybe fundraising, grocery buying, dogwalking, offering a place to stay for a few days. She said there are currently “20 abductions in Seattle per day,” many “unseen because they’re being sneaky.” She talked about the trauma experienced by one witness who saw what happened Saturday – saw the window-smashing, tire-slashing, the targeted people’s raw terror – so they’re getting that person some help. They can use volunteers doing almost anything.
“What else can I do?” is the question Stansell said everyone can ask. “It’s important to be alarmed (but also) to take action.”
The volunteer from NDLON said they take two-hour weekly shifts and bring coffee and treats, “it’s just like hanging out with friends … we’re just hoping to be here and nothing ever happens.” But things have gotten more nerve-wracking the last few months.” Stansell noted, “Being out there, you’re winning all the time,” likely being a deterrent – “you’re saving people.”
He then asked how people can help KIND. Its rep said that ICE is detaining juveniles when they’re not supposed to. Their cases are being sped up to a rate that even lawyers can’t keep up with. There are hearings at which 50 to 60 children are churned through the system in a day, “It’s ridiculous,” but her organization at least tries to provide information. Fundraising, pro-bono lawyers, those are things KIND is looking for (it has offices all over the country).
What’s the most important thing to do if you see an ICE abduction? Contact someone you know who is in rapid response. Better yet, the volunteer said, sign up for their group – and then you can text if you see something. She joined so she would “know what to do.” Her group literally started as a few neighbors and has done a lot of good work – she related helping a family who chose to “self-deport,” and needed suitcases – she said they put out a call and “five suitcases were on my porch” soon. If you volunteer, yes, you’re going to see negative things, but you’re also going to see positive things that “will overwhelm you,” in a good way. They also have training for just about everything people can help with, and if they don’t, “we’ll create the training together.”
Stansell said it’s people’s constitutional right to “be in their community, to witness what’s going on.” He added, “If you’re neighborly with your neighbors, you’ll know what’s needed.”
In subsequent discussion, the Rapid Response volunteer noted, “There’s no one right way to do rapid response.” Stansell said there is one important constant, though: “The Trump Administration considers us all people who are trying to violently overthrow the government” but they stress nonviolent action “so we can never be accused of being violent, because we’re not.”
They then heard from a nearby resident who was in the area of Saturday’s ICE operation and told a nearby construction crew about it – after which, she said, “they left and weren’t there today.” She also promoted the Southwest Family Fund, which is having an upcoming fundraiser at Southgate Roller Rink. The rapid-response volunteer said that “100 percent of the fund goes to people here who are impacted by ICE.”
WSI offers Constitutional Observer Training every week, Reinhardt reminded everyone (the WSI website has the info).
The group then broke into small groups so people could talk individually with the panelists. They do all their work on Signal- “security is key” – if you want to be referred to someone but weren’t at the meeting, contact WSI, which can put you in contact. And “tell people” about getting involved, one of the volunteers urged. (Ask your neighbors – maybe one of them is already involved.” (They have a hotline but don’t distribute it widely.)
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-Get Out the Vote online event with the 34th District Democrats on Wednesday (September 23)
-No Kings: Vote Early event on October 17, focusing on a planned downtown demonstration
-Signmaking party in lieu of October 18 meeting
-Ballot-box march from here to Junction drop box on October 25 – “I would love to see a thousand people!” said Reinhardt. 1:30-3:30 pm, joyful with drumming etc., “Bop to the Box.”
Seattle Public Schools announced this afternoon that it’s changing its technology approach for its youngest students, starting early next year, after winter break. Key points of the announcement:
*K-2 students will no longer be assigned individual iPads beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
*iPads will remain available as shared classroom resources.
*Technology use will generally range from 0-30 minutes per day.
*Students will continue to use technology for instruction, assessments, accessibility, and approved learning activities.
*Hands-on, teacher-led learning will remain the primary instructional approach in K-2 classrooms.
*Students with IEPs, 504 Plans, and assistive technology needs will continue to receive required supports and accommodations.
Families with students in those grades are getting an explanatory letter from the district, which you can read here. That same page also includes an FAQ, which says this is why the district’s making the change:
Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences for young children. Research and instructional best practices emphasize the importance of balancing technology use with:
-Direct teacher instruction
-Reading and writing
-Small-group learning
-Discussion and conversation
-Play-based learning
-Hands-on exploration
-Movement and social interactionThe goal is for technology to complement learning, not replace these important experiences.
District executives unveiled the changes in a media briefing; we’ve added the district video of that above. In opening remarks, superintendent Ben Shuldiner said it’s something of a course correction from the extensive technology reliance dating back to when schools closed during the pandemic. Will other grades be next? Shuldiner said they want to see how this works, first. How will they measure that? “We want to hear from the parents, and the kids themselves,” primarily, he said.
Two cross country athletes from West Seattle High School set school 5K records at the Bellevue Invitational meet over the weekend, reports WSHS athletic director Corey Sorenson:
West Seattle Cross Country delivered a historic day at Saturday’s Bellevue Cross Country Invitational at Lake Sammamish State Park!
Zach O’Keefe and Evelyn Satwicz each established new West Seattle 5K school records:
Zach O’Keefe — 15:53.16
Evelyn Satwicz — 18:41.88The Wildcats also turned in two strong team performances, with the girls finishing fifth and the boys placing sixth.
Congratulations to Zach, Evelyn, and the entire West Seattle Cross Country program!
1:01 PM: Thanks for the tip. A vehicle-fire response has the northbound I-5 exit to the westbound West Seattle Bridge closed right now.
Thanks to the tipster for that photo.
1:47 PM: Still closed, per WSDOT, which also notes that the exit to Columbian Way – heading EB to Beacon Hill at the east end of the bridge – is open.
(Added: SFD photo)
3:10 PM: SFD confirms it’s a garbage-truck fire and says it’s “predominantly contained to the garbage compartment… Crews are working to restart the engine to unload the contents and extinguish the fire.”
3:22 PM: Update from SFD: “Crews are unable to restart the engine. Rescue Company 1 is responding. The plan is to cut into the side of the garbage compartment of the vehicle to access the fire. Once extinguished, the garbage truck can be safely towed off the freeway.”
(Added: WSDOT photo)
4:17 PM: Update from SFD – “Fire is under control. The garbage truck will be towed off the freeway and crews will continue to monitor it.”
4:37 PM: WSDOT says the ramp is cleared and has reopened.
ADDED TUESDAY: No cause yet, but SFD has published more about what made this so tricky to fight.
We’ve already previewed part of what’s on the HPAC agenda for Wednesday – the Homestead Community Land Trust plan for the ex-substation at 12th/Holden. An even-bigger agenda item: Crime and safety.
(WSB photo: Capt. Krista Bair at one of last week’s community meetings)
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair, who was at community meetings last Thursday about Roxhill Park (WSB coverage here) and Alki (WSB coverage here), will also be at HPAC’s first fall meeting. The community coalition’s neighborhoods – Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge – have seen multiple shootings this summer, as summarized on the HPAC website – and are seeking updates on the investigations as well as plans to prevent more violence. HPAC’s meeting is set for 6:30 pm Wednesday (September 23) at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW).
(Fall colors preview in Gatewood – photo by Troy Sterk)
Here are highlights of what’s happening around the peninsula for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
STORY TIME AT DELRIDGE LIBRARY: 10:30-11 am for little ones and their parents/caregivers, in Spanish and English. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
NO CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: The weekly 2 pm meeting is canceled today.
(added) DROP-IN HOMEWORK HELP: 4-5:30 pm, it’s back at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond).
DEMONSTRATION: West Seattle Resist plans a pop-up protest 4-6 pm in support of immigrants. (California/Charlestown)
LIVE MUSIC AT SEBASTIANO’S: 6 pm at the wine shop, piano jazz! (3278 California SW)
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA X 3: Three venues on our list with trivia tonight – Music Quiz at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW), 6:30 and 7:30 pm sessions… Also, 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), $2 cash to enter … 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW).
‘LISTENING TO GRIEF’ SUPPORT GROUP: 6:30 pm, weekly group gathering for people going through grief – you can participate once, weekly, or occasionally. Fee. Before you go, RSVP/register here. (4034 California SW)
D&D: Long-running weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too! $5.
PRACTICE SPEAKING SPANISH: 6:30-8:30 pm, this informal group gathers at Future Primitive Brewing in White Center (9832 14th SW), all welcome.
canceled ALKI MEDITATION: Two places to meditate on Monday nights – in north West Seattle, there’s meditation at Alki UCC, doors open at 6:45, meditation at 7. (6115 SW Hinds)
MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: In south West Seattle, free weekly Zen sitting/meditation in the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
COMEDY AT OTTER ON THE ROCKS: 7 pm monthly comedy night, this time with Hayden Kristal headlining. Our calendar listing includes the ticket link. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MONDAY NIGHT SALSA LESSONS: Series continues, 7 pm with BALORICO at Viva Arts (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW).
YOM KIPPUR: The Jewish “Day of Atonement” observance starts at sundown.
POOL TOURNAMENT: The Corner Pocket‘s weekly tournament, 7 pm. $10 buy-in. (4302 SW Alaska, entrance on California)
PINBALL TOURNAMENT: Sign up at 7, start playing at 7:30, at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
JAZZ AT THE ALLEY: Monday night jazz with The Westside Jazz Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
KARAOKE AT TALARICO’S: Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Huge thanks to everybody who sends info for our calendar, which we update daily; if you have something to add or cancel (or update), please send the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Make it a musical fall by joining the West Seattle Community Orchestras – here’s a reminder that tryouts are tomorrow:
September 22, 5-8 pm: West Seattle Community Orchestras Auditions
Audition for West Seattle Community Orchestras! These auditions are casual and help our conductors decide which of our ensembles is the best fit. Pre-registration encouraged, all orchestral instruments welcome.
K-12 students participate in our programs for free; adults pay a minimal registration fee. For more information, please email cassie@wscorchestras.org or visit wscorchestras.org/register.
Most WSCO performances are at Chief Sealth International HS (2600 SW Thistle), as are their practices.
6:00 AM: Good morning. It’s Monday, September 21, 2026.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
Increasing cloudiness expected throughout the day, high in the upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 6:55 am today; sunset will be at 7:08 pm. (Fall officially begins at 5:05 pm Tuesday.)
ROAD WORK
As announced by SDOT, the first phase of a repaving project on SW 106th is expected to begin today:
Monday, Sept 21 – Wednesday, Sept 23
o SW 106th St between 35th Ave SW and 32nd Ave SW will be reduced to a single lane alternating between eastbound and westbound traffic.
o Driveways will be CLOSED during working hours. Driveway access will be provided to the extent possible, but there may be delays of up to one hour to let equipment clear or to let new asphalt cool down enough to accept traffic loads.
TRANSIT TODAY
Washington State Ferries – The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route is on the three-boat schedule.
Check the alert page for any late-breaking changes.
Metro buses – Regular weekday schedule today – any reroute/stop advisories will be here. (Including one for the SW 106th project zone mentioned above.)
West Seattle Water Taxi – Regular summer schedule, with later night runs Fridays and Saturdays for just under three more weeks.
BRIDGE TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Here are four bridge views from the SDOT map:
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the westward view:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
See trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
10:44 PM SUNDAY: Details are few so far, but police are investigating a reported armed robbery just after 10 pm in Morgan Junction. The initial report was that it happened at the gas station/mini-mart at 6540 California SW (though it should be noted, that address has two other businesses open at this hour, Domino’s Pizza and the BECU ATM). The only descriptive info sent out over the radio was a Black man in his 20s, no other details. Since there’s been so little radio traffic on this, we might not find out more until the written report is available.
9:49 AM MONDAY: We obtained the narrative from SPD:
On 09/20/2026 at 2203 hours I was working uniformed patrol for the Seattle Police Department … I responded to a Robbery call at 65XX California Av Sw. The call notes read as follows:
2 MIN AGO, ROBBERY AT GUNPOINT
I contacted XXXX who is employed as a clerk at the gas station located at 65XX California Av Sw. XXXX stated that the following had occurred: A customer (XXXX) was purchasing beer at the counter. The suspect has his firearm drawn and tells XXXX to move out of the way.
The suspect points the firearm at XXXX and tells him “give me all your money” while pointing the firearm directly at him. XXXX opens the cash register and starts to manually hand all the money to the suspect from the cash register. After receiving the money, the suspect then proceeds to walk out of the store and leaves in an unknown direction. It is unknown if the suspect utilized a vehicle or left on foot.
XXXX stated that approximately 1700-2000$ dollars were taken by the suspect. XXXX showed officers video footage of the robbery and the suspect can be described as follow: black male, 20s, black mask, black hoodie, Nike tech pants and the suspect was wearing all black/gray colors. The firearm that the suspect utilized was black. XXXX was not injured during the commission of the robbery.
Thanks to JayDee for sending the photo of tonight’s sunset, second-to-last one of summer 2026. Tuesday (September 22) will bring the first sunset of fall – about two hours after the equinox moment (5:05 pm) – and you can welcome the change of seasons by watching with educator/expert skywatcher Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park. She’ll be there 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm; official sunset time is 7:07 pm, but the sun could drop below the timberline as early as 6:50 pm. The gathering spot is on the park’s top level, upslope from the tennis courts (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW) and P-patch. If you haven’t been to one of Alice’s sunset watches, the location is perfect because that area of the park has granite markers and paths aligned with the setting sun’s locations for equinoxes and solstices. Free, all ages, educational, and fun!
Thanks to Eddie for the photo and update – the Sound Transit work on the bike/foot path from Delridge alongside the West Seattle Bridge, scheduled to continue through today, ended early, and he found the path reopened on Saturday. The work involved soil sampling along the area where a new light-rail-only bridge is planned to be part of the West Seattle Link Extension project.
Community members of all ages can get vaccinated at clinics coming up at local schools – here’s the announcement we were asked to share to you (corrected):
Seattle Visiting Nurse Association runs annual flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics at various middle and high schools in partnership with Seattle Public Schools.
These clinics are open to the public, but appointments are required. Our first clinic is coming up on 10/4 at Louisa Boren STEM K-8.
These clinics are open to the public, but appointments are required. The registration link is also below—please feel free to re-title it for your communications. Our first clinic is coming up on 10/10 at Louisa Boren STEM K-8.
Patients will be able to get a flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, or both in the same appointment. We can vaccinate kids 4 and up for flu and 5 and up for COVID-19. All patients can receive COVID-19 vaccines this season due to a Washington State Department of Health order.
We will be using the updated Moderna products for 2025. Each patient needs their own registration, in their name, with their information.
We are currently able to accept almost all local health plans, including Medicare and Apple Health, but cannot accept Cigna, Tricare, or First Choice insurance.
If anyone has questions, they can email us at info@seattlevna.com.
Here’s the registration link.
On Sundays we often look ahead to events in the coming week. This Thursday evening, Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW; WSB sponsor) will host a West Seattle writer’s book launch: “Climate Anxiety and Spiritual Resilience” by Suzanne Crawford O’Brien. The author is a professor at Pacific Lutheran University. From the publisher’s description:
Religious and Indigenous practices that counter despair, cultivate courage, and sustain moral action in the fight for environmental justice. Climate change is an ecological and political crisis, but it is also a spiritual one. Fractured relationships with the natural systems that sustain us and frustration with leaders’ seeming inability to respond, has led many to grief, despair, burnout, and moral exhaustion. Indeed, current research on eco-anxiety and climate grief show that emotional overwhelm undermines collective action, even when solutions are known and available.
But there is a path forward, one found within religious and Indigenous traditions that have long cultivated practices for living with loss, sustaining hope, and acting ethically within fragile ecosystems. By bringing the psychology of climate grief into conversation with Indigenous and religious traditions, this book offers a framework for moving beyond paralysis toward resilient, justice-centered engagement. Each chapter draws on case studies from diverse Indigenous and religious traditions. challenging extractive worldviews, emphasizing relationality and interdependence, and grounding justice in care for land, community, and future generations. Together, they explore what it means to engage in inner activism: the work of moral courage, clarity, and presence that makes sustained ecological action possible. Practices of mindfulness, ritual, lament, storytelling, and community accountability are presented not as private coping strategies but as sources of collective resilience and ethical commitment. Emphasizing hope without denial and action without burnout, this book offers spiritual resources for transforming grief into courage, solidarity, and sustained engagement for ecological justice.
If you’re interested in attending the 6 pm event on Thursday (September 24), RSVP here ASAP, as there’s an attendance cap. All ages welcome; wine for 21+ attendees.
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