West Seattle, Washington
30 Sunday
The 26-year-old suspected prowler arrested in Highland Park/South Delridge six days ago has not yet been charged, 
but she’s still in jail because of two previous cases. Since she is charged in those cases and documents show she has pleaded guilty and been sentenced, we’re identifying her: Taylor A. Church. Neighbors caught images including the one at right before she was arrested last Wednesday in Highland Park/South Delridge; as we reported after her bail hearing last Thursday, documents say neighbors reported her trying to break into homes in the 8600 and 8800 blocks of 17th SW and the 8800 block of 18th SW. Police found her at 18th SW and SW Thistle. While the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told us a case hadn’t been referred to them yet for what happened last week, police did find Church had two warrants, for trespassing and theft. According to Seattle Municipal Court online records, she appeared in connection with those cases yesterday, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for time served. City court documents are less comprehensive than the ones available through the county, so we’re not sure how much time Church is credited with – the jail register indicates she’s spent a cumulative total of 100 days in jail in connection with 7 bookings over the past 11 months, but they’re not all necessarily related to those cases, both of which involve businesses at Westwood Village.
(Left, map of 13 Seattle “neighborhood districts”; right, map of 7 Seattle City Council districts. Both from seattle.gov)
2:36 PM: Just out of the inbox – a media advisory for tomorrow, about something related to what’s been a hot topic in neighborhood groups for months. This is the media advisory in its entirety:
Murray to announce the formation of Community Involvement Commission
Tomorrow Mayor Ed Murray will join neighborhood leaders and stakeholders to announce the formation of the Community Involvement Commission, which will replace the District Council system.
WHO: Mayor Ed Murray
WHAT: Executive Order signing, press conference
WHEN: Wednesday, July 13, 2:30 PM
Tomorrow’s announcement isn’t a public event but is happening at City Hall. Working to find out more …
3:27 PM: Of all the people we have messages out to, the first to reply: Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s office. Legislative assistant Newell Aldrich says they didn’t get an advance alert on this either and are also trying to find out more. As he says, the deadline for the City Council to get the Department of Neighborhoods’ report on potentially aligning the 13 neighborhood districts with the 7 City Council districts wasn’t due until this Friday; a draft report had been in circulation for two months. Our most extensive report on local discussion of this is here.
P.S. Councilmember Herbold was already expected to talk about this topic, among others, at tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, 7 pm at The Sanctuary at Admiral (42nd/Lander), all welcome.
1:39 PM: Thanks to Brad at West Seattle Cyclery for being the first business to mention to us that there’s a multi-state Comcast Business phone outage right now. We’ve verified through Twitter:
Business customers may be experiencing issues w/ phone svc. We are aware & working to resolve. For updates visit: https://t.co/XNCSSB4luL
— Comcast Business (@comcastbusiness) July 12, 2016
Brad says Comcast told him it might take until at least 3 pm for this to be fixed. He’s encouraging his store’s customers to e-mail instead – service@westseattlecyclery.com. Let us know if this is affecting you and if you have an alternate way for customers to get through.
3:45 PM: Some local businesses have commented below on how to reach them (if you’re seeing this from the WSB home page, get to the comments by either clicking the word “comments” under the headline, or clicking the headline to open the full story page). Meantime, Comcast’s most recent update, from a little more than an hour ago, says they’re still working on it.
4:45 PM: Junction True Value texted a few minutes ago to say their service is back.
(From last year’s second Early Design Guidance packet for the CVS project)
Three years after we first reported the plan to bring a CVS drugstore to 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW – we’ve learned that plan has apparently quietly died.
We found this out as a spinoff of research for Monday afternoon’s update on two developments, including 4754 Fauntleroy. The CVS plan had already gone through Early Design Guidance, first stage of the Design Review process, twice, but the second meeting was more than a year ago, and no third meeting on the schedule. So we looked deeper into the files and found a document dated in May, a note to the city from CVS’s developer representative Velmeir, saying “Our client has decided not to move forward with this project…”
We’ve tried to reach Velmeir and CVS to find out more; no replies yet. We also stopped by West Seattle Produce, which was going to have to move because of the CVS project, and staffers told us they haven’t heard anything new for a while and are still on month-to-month tenancy. And we asked the city to verify that the CVS project file is closed, and DCI spokesperson Wendy Shark said yes, it is, by request of the applicant. The project had generated some controversy because it was far less than could be built on the site, which is zoned for up to eight stories.
So will CVS surface somewhere else in West Seattle? At one point, The Whittaker across Fauntleroy was supposed to have a drugstore space; we contacted its leasing executive and were reminded that since one potential pharmacy tenant didn’t pan out, they decided to split up the south retail space into several smaller spaces – no tenants to announce yet. We’ll update with anything more we find out, meantime, about the 4722 Fauntleroy site’s future.
We’ve received several reports/questions about overnight explosion-type noise west of The Junction that seems to be a mystery in need of solving – maybe you can help. One report today is from Lisa, who says it’s been going on for a few weeks, in the very early morning hours, and seems too loud to be any kind of fireworks. Other reports are from north of The Junction, including “huge booms” heard around 2:30 am near California/Andover. Lisa, meantime, summarizes: “I would like to figure out how to get this out and report it effectively to make it stop; if illegal, to have more done.” We know from scanner traffic that 911 did get some calls, but nothing conclusive appears to have resulted, so far.
(Preferred ‘massing’ rendering by Hewitt, from Early Design Guidance packet for 2749 California SW)
8:01 AM: For more than a year, we’ve been reporting on changes at the longtime West Seattle site of PCC Natural Markets (2749 California SW; WSB sponsor) – first an ownership change, then indications a redevelopment project was ahead. PCC promised all along that once it knew whether it would be part of the redevelopment, it would let us know as soon as its staff knew. Last night, PCC closed its West Seattle store early for a staff meeting, at which time employees were told what the co-op is sharing with us and you this morning: PCC **WILL** be part of the redevelopment project, which means a closure during construction, but then a brand-new store:
PCC Natural Markets is finally able to announce that we have secured our long-term future in West Seattle, a community we have served for over 25 years. While the co-op’s current location on California Avenue SW will be redeveloped, PCC reached an agreement with the new landlord and will return as the retail tenant in the building once the project is complete.
Demolition will begin next year and, as a result, we anticipate the West Seattle PCC will temporarily close in early 2017. While we are sad to close for a while, we are pleased to confirm that we will be able to serve our West Seattle members and shoppers for decades to come.
We will reopen on California Avenue S.W. in the second half of 2018 with a 25,000-square foot store that will feature all the best that PCC has to offer. During the closure, we will continue to offer delivery to West Seattle through both Instacart and Prime Now.
PCC’s dedicated, knowledgeable, and friendly staff is a true key to our success, so during the closure, we will place our current West Seattle employees in our other PCC locations. Our hope is that many will stay with the co-op and return to West Seattle when the new store opens.
We look forward to continuing to welcome you into our West Seattle store over the coming months, and we hope to see you at our other stores, including the not-too-far away Columbia City PCC.
PCC has been a tenant at this site for more than a quarter of a century; as we first reported last May, Madison Development Group – bought the site for $5,750,000, but its plan for a new mixed-use building did not emerge until last month. As we reported along with news of a July 21st Design Review meeting, Madison’s early-stage plan is for 112 apartments over 25,000 square feet of retail space, with below-ground parking as well as the existing surface lot on the southwest side of the site.
This will be the second grocery-store redevelopment in the area; barely a block away, Admiral Safeway was rebuilt in 2010-2011. Madison Development Group also was part of that project – not the store itself, but the apartment building on the site’s east side, which another developer had initiated but couldn’t finish; Madison also was the final developer of the Spruce West Seattle site on the east edge of The Junction.
2:52 PM: We talked this afternoon by phone with PCC CEO Cate Hardy, to ask a few of the questions that have come up in comments, plus a few that we had.
First – the new store is not yet designed, so what it will and won’t include is yet to be determined. But it will be almost twice the size of the current West Seattle store, 25,000 square feet (current one is 13,000). The current store has 86 offstreet parking spaces; the current plan (subject to change) is for about 40 underground spaces in the new building, plus the 31 existing ones in the surface lot at 44th/Stevens.
Hardy was careful not to promise that anything you’re seeing in the newest PCC stores – Bothell, which opened today, plus Columbia City and Green Lake – would be replicated in the new West Seattle store, but she mentioned some possibilities: Full-service meat/seafood counter, for example; an “extensive” selection of made-in-store meals; rotisserie meats. And, “More of what’s already great,” including more room for more produce, bulk foods, etc.
The store’s 125 staff members are being offered not only employment in other PCC stores, but also incentives to stay at West Seattle until it closes next year, something Hardy says might be “unprecedented” for a situation like this.
Again, the PCC-plus-112-apartments project, which is being developed by the site’s new owner Madison, goes before the Design Review Board on July 21st.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:06 AM: Good morning. Nothing reported on the main routes but we’re heading over to check out a crash at 20th SW/SW Cloverdale.
7:24 AM: In the meantime, regional road-work alerts to share:
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT, NORTHBOUND I-5: The northbound lanes of I-5 downtown will be closed at Seneca Street 11:30 pm tonight until no later than 4:30 am Wednesday, WSDOT says, for repair work.
7:33 AM: The crash at 20th/Cloverdale was a one-car rollover – only logged as a basic “motor-vehicle incident” with one engine originally dispatched to the call around quarter till 7, so didn’t catch our attention until a reader texted us (206-293-6302 any time – thank you!).
Police at the scene say the driver was taken to the hospital by private ambulance to be checked out, but not seriously hurt. The tow truck is arriving and this should be clear shortly.
The place to be on Monday night was Delridge Community Center – for three events, inside and out:
Inside, a celebration of Eid al-Fitr – the end of Ramadan – a party that was part of the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association’s Cultural Events Series. Above, DJ Sam and friend; below, facepainting for kids:
DNDA’s next Cultural Event will be part of the Delridge Day festival on August 13th – also at DCC, but outside this time – on August 13th.
Outside the center, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council barbecued as part of their July meeting:
At center are NDNC’s Nancy Folsom and Michael Taylor-Judd. NDNC meets second Monday, most months, with locations varying in the warm season – watch for updates at ndnc.org.
Across the park from the meeting, Trio Camellia performed in Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s second “Music Under the Stars” concert:
Concertgoers from toddlers to seniors sprawled out across the grassy lawn and slope to listen until the trio made way for a live stream from Benaroya Hall.
Here’s our video of the first section of the trio’s performance in the park, as introduced by Noel Evans from SCMS:
Bach, Haydn, Schubert, and Mozart were part of the program. Two more chances to enjoy live chamber music outside Delridge Community Center in this free series – 7:15 pm the next two Mondays (July 18th and 25th).
A week ago, they shared the stage before the West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade:
(WSB photo, July 4: Mayor & County Executive with, at left, parade coordinator Emily Williams)
This week, Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine plan separate appearances at two major West Seattle events.
Wednesday, the mayor will be at the 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). The group’s official announcement says he’s set to spend an hour with the group, speaking and answering questions, 7:15-8:15. The meeting also will “consider additional endorsements for the August Primary Election, discuss the upcoming Casino Night fundraiser,” and more. Here’s the full agenda; here are the endorsements the 34th DDs have made so far. Before the meeting, an informal social hour at 6:30 pm will offer information “about the District’s hardworking local service non-profit organizations. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided by renowned local chef Marvin Rosete and beverages will be available.”
Thursday, the county executive, who chairs the Sound Transit board, will speak to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting about what West Seattle would get from ST3, which will be on your ballot in November. Here’s how to make a reservation for the luncheon, which starts at 11:30 am Thursday at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW).
(WSB photo of the Southwest Precinct, taken tonight)
Sent tonight by Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis, a message for you:
In the wake of the recent officer-involved shootings across the country and the most recent tragedy resulting in the deaths of several law enforcement officers in Dallas Texas, we again find ourselves heartbroken and shaken to the core.
But in this time of bewilderment, shock and sadness, we find ourselves humbled and blessed to have a fantastic Seattle community that will not only continue to partner with their officers, but will also provide comfort, understanding and continuing dialog with hopes of strengthening the bond between their officers and the community.
Since the occurrence of the aforementioned incidents, our West Seattle community to include our local West Seattle media, has again shown us why they are world class. The undying compassion, support and partnership exhibited to your officers is and continues to be second to none. Your West Seattle officers are truly humbled, blessed and privileged to serve all of you who have chosen to be the guardians of your guardians.
With the utmost pride and admiration, we thank you!
Capt. Pierre Davis and your West Seattle Officers
(WSB photo, from April – Cove Park at left, 8923 Fauntleroy house & beach at right)
A month and a half after a community meeting (WSB coverage here) on whether to take over a King County-owned beachfront home at 8923 Fauntleroy Way SW, the Seattle Parks recommendation is in – they support moving ahead with a swap of sorts that would in effect expand Cove Park next to the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Here’s the news release we just received:
After considering public comments, input from a public meeting, and City policy, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) has recommended that King County Wastewater Treatment Division move forward with the street vacation request which would involve the transferring of the King County owned property located at 8923 Fauntleroy Way SW to the City of Seattle. Having made this recommendation, the next step in the process involves King County Wastewater Treatment Division applying for a street vacation. This is one of many steps in the process prior to the Seattle City Council making a final decision on the street vacation and taking ownership of the property.
In 2015, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division finished an upgrade to the Barton Pump Station by the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal to accommodate West Seattle’s growing population. To build the new pump station, King County acquired the property just to the north of SW Barton Street for use during construction. Once the project was finished, King County began the process to surplus the property. With the City expressing an interest in the property, this raised the possibility of trading the Fauntleroy Way SW property to the City for a partial vacation of SW Barton St. (under the county’s pump station) which the County is interested in obtaining.
This potential trade is not solely an SPR issue, but rather a City issue that needs the input of multiple departments for an adequate review. The comprehensive City review required by a street vacation application will help provide the information necessary to fully inform the public, address unanswered questions, and lead to an informed decision by City Council.
The street vacation process will be run by Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and will include plenty of opportunities for further public input and dialogue.
For more information on this proposal, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/projects/cove_park/addition.htm or contact Chip Nevins, SPR, at chip.nevins@seattle.gov or 206-233-3879.
The possibility of Seattle taking over the county-owned house and 35-foot-wide strip of beach (aerial map here) was first explained publicly at April’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting (WSB coverage here).
Two West Seattle development updates today:
UPDATE FOR 4220 SW 100TH LIVE-WORK UNITS: Back in April, we brought you first word of an early-stage proposal for nine live-work units at 4220 SW 100th in Arbor Heights, replacing a church building. The project is advancing, now with a land-use permit application number – #3025192 – and a notation that it will have to go through Design Review. Watch for a formal application notice in an upcoming Land Use Information Bulletin. The newest “site plan” still shows the same basic configuration as the one filed in April – three units fronting on California SW, six on SW 100th, with nine surface parking spaces on the north side of the 8,100-square-foot site, which is zoned for commercial/residential up to three stories.
SPEAKING OF DESIGN REVIEW – MEETING SET FOR 4754 FAUNTLEROY: We’ve reported twice since December on the mixed-use project planned for what had been the site of the Capitol Loans pawn shop (which closed two months ago). Its first session with the Southwest Design Review Board is set for what’s now the second half of a doubleheader on August 4th, and its configuration has changed again: Now it’s proposed as a “126,500 sq. ft., 7-story mixed-use building containing 108 residential units and 10 live/work units. Parking to be provided for 88 vehicles below grade.” The architecture firm has changed, too; it’s now Mithun. This project is set for the 8 pm slot on August 4th, following (as reported here last month) the review for 5458 California SW.
(Delridge Fitness Zone equipment, photographed last Tuesday evening)
A week and a half ago, in our report on the July 30th grand-opening plan for Hiawatha‘s new Fitness Zone outdoor-workout equipment, we promised to check on the other new West Seattle set, outside Delridge Community Center. Found out over the weekend that the grand-opening celebration is planned for the upcoming Delridge Day festival on August 13th; one of the festival’s organizers, Pete Spalding, told us about it during West Seattle Summer Fest. The two new Fitness Zones were announced last year and are funded with the help of nonprofit partners. The one in Delridge is just west of the play equipment outside the community center’s north side – you can admire it (through the protective chain-link fencing) if you’re going to any of the Delridge CC events happening tonight. Want to know more about Fitness Zones? Here’s the backstory.
(Weekend dancing on Alki Beach at sunset – thanks to Bill for the photo)
With the 4th of July and three-day West Seattle Summer Fest all in the span of the past week (among other things!) … it’s time to take a few deep breaths and catch up. Or is it? Here are highlights of what’s happening today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – including three events at one venue:
EID MUBARAK! As part of the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association‘s “Cultural Events Series,” you’re invited to “Eid Mubarak: An Eid al-Fitr Celebration,” marking the recent end of Ramadan, 4-8 pm at Delridge Community Center. Details in our calendar listing. (4523 Delridge Way SW)
HANDS-ON CANDY WORKSHOPS: Free fun for kids in grades K-5, 6:30 pm at High Point Library, demonstrating “basic chemistry, physics, and nutrition concepts using bubbling Warheads, giant gummy worms, bobbing conversation hearts, and sinking marshmallows.” (35th SW/SW Raymond)
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: This month’s meeting is a 6:30 pm barbecue in the Delridge Community Center park:
We’ll have omnivore, vegetarian, kosher, and halal fare! Bring a side or dessert to share, or BYOBBQ, and we will grill it for you. (Supplies while they last.) Eat and meet (or not!) supporters talking about the 2016 Seattle Housing Levy, which will be on the August primary ballot. What does it mean, and how will it affect people?
Ballots go out this Wednesday, so it’s prime time to learn more about what you’ll be voting on. If you live and/or work and/or play in North Delridge, go meet your neighbors!
Then after the meeting, stay for…
MUSIC UNDER THE STARS, #2: 7:15 tonight in the park north of Delridge Community Center, it’s the second of four free mini-concerts brought to you by the Seattle Chamber Music Society, and then stay for the live stream of the group’s big concert at Benaroya Hall. Trio Camellia performs tonight. Here’s our coverage of the first event last week. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
Also tonight:
CRIME/SAFETY/POLICE FOCUS GROUP: 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct, researcher Jennifer Burbridge’s community focus groups resume, with tonight’s invitation extended to the Pigeon Point community. Details in our calendar listing. (2300 SW Webster)
JAZZ/ROCK/FUNK … with Special Forces, 8:30 pm at Parliament Tavern. No cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MORE FOR TODAY/TONIGHT/BEYOND … on our complete calendar.
Summertime is reunion time and we’re continuing to get announcements. If you are a ’60s or ’70s graduate of Chief Sealth High School, you’re invited to the first-ever multi-class reunion, 5-8 pm July 22nd on the beach at Lincoln Park. Organizer David Katt says picnic shelters #3 and #4, plus 20 tables, will be set up (the area closest to the park’s south end). He and Tom Huling from the Class of ’72 are sponsoring this first multi-class event, “with several other classes involved,” and you can reach him with questions at djkatt@comcast.net or 206-650-0863. The announcement also notes, “Some catering will be provided but Chief Sealth alums are encouraged to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to this complimentary event.”
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:50 AM: Good morning! Post-Summer Fest cleanup concluded overnight and Junction streets are open again, with bus routes back to normal. Also, no incidents in/from West Seattle so far; regional reports say traffic volumes are a little lower than usual.
BRIDGE CLOSURE TONIGHT: As announced last week, the west end of the bridge will close overnight tonight, starting at 9 pm and reopening by 5 am, for a round of followup after the re-replacement of more than 600 earthquake-safety cushions beneath the Fauntleroy Expressway section.
8:56 AM – ONE MORE OVERNIGHT ALERT: From WSDOT – Concrete-panel work on I-90 between I-5 and Lake Washington will bring these closures this week:
Monday, July 11, to the morning of Wednesday, July 13
Each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning, crews will close the ramp from northbound I-5 to eastbound I-90.Wednesday, July 13, to the morning of Friday, July 15
Each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning, crews will close the ramp from southbound I-5 to eastbound I-90.
Just in from a resident near Lowman Beach – this happened about 20 minutes ago:
Just now a couple of young people came pounding down our little winding street, making a racket talking and running. I heard a car door open, went to the window and saw one rummaging around in my partner’s car. I yelled “Get out of there!” and he ran off. I think he had a light-colored T-shirt on.
That car is kept unlocked (to avoid people breaking in as they have in my car), and of course he doesn’t keep anything of value in there. But it’s a little upsetting nonetheless.
West Seattle Summer Fest is over, but The Junction has more summer fun ahead.
(WSB photo from 2015 West Seattle Outdoor Movies)
Next Saturday night (July 16), West Seattle Outdoor Movies begins, with “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” last winter’s sensation, the first new SW movie in a decade. This starts the countdown to WSOM’s season-ending move to a new venue – the first five Saturday-night movies this season are where they’ve long been, the courtyard next to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW; WSB sponsor) on the north end of The Junction; then the season finale on August 20th will be the first movie in the new venue, the “festival street” next to the West Seattle YMCA (4515 36th SW; WSB sponsor) in The Triangle. Here again is the season lineup – each title links to its trailer:
July 16th: “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” (featuring pre-show Star Wars trivia)
July 23rd – “Monty Python and The Holy Grail” (featuring pre-show live music)
July 30th – “School of Rock” (featuring pre-show live music)
August 6th – “Skyfall” (featuring pre-show James Bond trivia)
August 13th – “The Lego Movie” (featuring a free pre-movie barbecue)
August 20th – “Princess Bride“
The big question is always “what time does the movie start?” The answer varies week to week because the start time is dusk, and that gets earlier as the weeks go by, starting in the 9 pm vicinity. But you don’t want to show up at the last minute anyway, because space in the courtyard goes fast once the gates open at 6:30 pm (this is a big reason why the series is moving at season’s end, to someplace with lots more space).
What else you need to know:
-Bring your own chairs and/or blankets
-Admission is free; bring cash for concessions and raffles raising $ for local nonprofits
-See the official poster (which we featured here) for the list of local businesses and organizations co-sponsoring WSOM (including us!)
-If you didn’t get the official robot-logo button at Summer Fest, ask for one on Saturday!
Thanks to Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections for sharing that photo from the south end of today’s Mini-STP ride (Seattle Street in North Admiral to Portland Street in Gatewood and then on to West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction). WSBC says 35 people of all ages joined in the ride, and that the Portland neighbors kindly offered them Otter Pops again this year! This is the fourth year they’ve made the trip on Summer Fest weekend (first one was in 2013). The name is a tribute to the STP (Seattle to Portland) megaride, which is happening next weekend, with thousands of riders taking one or two days to get between the two cities.
(TODAY’S INFO HERE; TODAY’S 1ST REPORT HERE; SATURDAY COVERAGE HERE, HERE; FRIDAY REPORTS HERE, HERE, HERE)
2:34 PM: Final hours of West Seattle Summer Fest 2016 and it seems like EVERYONE, and we do mean EVERYONE, is here. This is your last chance for festival deals, for one thing – above, that’s the Easy Street Records tent, right outside their store, where, according to their Instagram post, you’ll find “3 for $5 LPs, CDs & DVDs. Tons of 45s too.”
Steps away, in the Pet Junction zone outside Next to Nature, you will find the answer to a question that’s been asked for months … “When is The Hydrant opening?” :
It was Summer Fest last year when The Hydrant was announced as “coming soon” for the former Junction Bakery/Coffee to a Tea space. The banner above the window there, in the Pet Junction zone, explains that the proprietors had to deal with a death in the family but that the “place for people and pets” really will be opening.
2:57 PM: While you’re here, don’t miss GreenLife, at the south end of the festival zone. While SeattleTinyHomes.com has been drawing a lot of interest, as we’ve shown you in the past few days, GreenLife has a lot more going on. There’s a petting zoo, for starters, and booths with local groups and businesses focused on sustainability. Among them, Tamsen Spengler from the West Seattle Timebank, who sent us a note talking about networking happening here – her organization, for example, has a new member because of connections they’ve made here: The Urban Homestead Foundation:
We reported on the UHF during recent coverage of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, when they came to talk about their plan for the Genesee Hill ex-substation:
You can catch up with them (and the Timebank) at GreenLife, before 5 pm. And just about anywhere in the festival zone – be on the lookout for impromptu performances:
Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby impromptu performance right outside the Community Tent! #wssummerfest pic.twitter.com/mP4wgfOmW4
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 10, 2016
They’re with Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby, which you’ll find on the south side of the Info Tent/Community Tent. Now, we’re off to check out the 3 pm band, The Swearengens.
3:26 PM: And here they are:
The Swearengens live at #wssummerfest right now! pic.twitter.com/eB7YkEOyLT
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 10, 2016
Today’s headline band is coming up at 4 pm – last band of the day – The Dusty 45s. While you’re headed north to the stage, some places to stop – we see Seattle App Academy (WSB sponsor) on the sidewalk outside West Seattle Computers on the east side of California just south of Oregon, and in that same vicinity, the Bella Maps booth caught our eye:
Maps in laser-cut wood!
Meantime, also ahead at 4 pm, your second-to-last chance to get into a We Love The Junction group photo, just north of the Info Tent. And while you’re in the vicinity, take one last look at all the info we have about upcoming summer events (grab a free West Seattle Outdoor Movies button, and make plans to join us for the first movie next Saturday – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”).
4:21 PM: The Dusty 45s are onstage right now (photos added):
One more reminder – today’s the one day that the festival ends at its official announced closing time; at 5 pm, the breakdown and cleanup begins, so that the streets will be cleared no later than midnight. But first – right at 5 – one last “We Love The Junction” group photo, so if you’re here, come to California and Alaska, by the YMCA and QFC booths, and make it the biggest one of the weekend. Plus – last call for deep-fried PB&Js, gigantic stacks of french fries, elephant ears big enough to sleep on, etc…. (And coconuts or fruit kabobs from QFC across the way.)
5:03 PM: And … it’s over. But not before that last group photo – video:
And if you’re wondering why Ladder 11 is at the end of SW Alaska with its ladder extended … just there for festivalgoers to see.
They tell us you’re welcome to stop by for a look!
P.S. Remember that it will be late tonight before the Junction streets reopen and bus reroutes end. We’ll put up traffic cameras later in the evening so you can check, and we’ll keep watch, too.
11:28 PM: Still closed, as shown on the 42nd/Alaska camera (looking west):
When the “road closed” barricades are gone, that means it’s open again.
12:21 PM: Thanks to everybody who’s tipped us about backups on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge. It turns out to be unannounced road work – stripe-painting near 99, according to what we’re seeing on the cameras. We haven’t been able to get SDOT to reply on Twitter (where they usually have 7-day-a-week staff) with information on how much longer this will last, so for now, be forewarned of eastbound backups TFN.
2:22 PM: Just checked again on the video camera and it appears this has ended – the eastbound bridge looks to be flowing normally again.
(TODAY’S INFO HERE; SATURDAY COVERAGE HERE & HERE; FRIDAY COVERAGE HERE & HERE & HERE)
11:30 AM: The last day of West Seattle Summer Fest always goes fast. We’re in the Info Tent again today, with volunteers from the WS Chamber of Commerce as well as team members from the West Seattle Junction Association, which presents the festival every year. In the Community Tent sections (same tent, west and south sides) right now are the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network, West Seattle Wildcats Football and Cheer, Empower Mentoring Network, and the West Seattle Community Orchestras:
Come try an instrument! Then steps away from us, the kids’ rides are in full swing, including this one (Saturday photo):
The all-day ride pass today is $18, a little less than the previous two days, since everything ends at 5 pm. (Single tickets are $1.25 and the rides/bouncy toys – on SW Alaska west of California and in the lot behind Wells Fargo just north of there – cost 1 to 5 tickets each.)
Music starts in an hour and a half – four bands today on the main stage (California north of Oregon):
1 pm – Featherbones
2 pm – Marieke and the Go Get ‘Em Boys
3 pm – The Swearengens
4 pm – The Dusty 45s
12:28 PM: Lunchtime at the fair. If this is your first visit, all the food booths are on SW Alaska east of California – but many year-round restaurants have special carts and/or seating areas out front, just for the weekend, so check them out too! And the fruit kabobs/coconuts are at the QFC stand across from the Info Tent – look for the orange umbrellas. One thing we should mention about the food booths – if you have an allergy, be sure to ask before you buy – a mom called us to say her teenager wound up with something with undisclosed peanuts, and that was a scary close call.
Speaking of scary – if you lose or find a child at Summer Fest, come to the Info Tent and folks here will get the word out and contact police. They’re dealing with one right now – usually these are resolved quickly but if one ever isn’t, we’ll add the info here.
And thanks as always to everyone who’s been stopping by to say hi. Al from West Seattle Bike Connections visited right after the “Mini-STP” got to the festival – and showed off the new WSBC T-shirts:
Today’s your last chance to come down, meantime, and find out about lots of local businesses in one place – many have booths among the visiting vendors. Another WSB sponsor who’s here is GoodMed Direct Primary Care, which is offering a new way to ensure you have access to primary health care:
Come talk to Dr. Ryan Campbell and Dr. Wendy Hueners (both NDs) from GoodMed at their booth, on the east side of California a little ways south of Alaska.
12:51 PM: Getting close to the top of the hour, and the next We Love The Junction group photo at California/Alaska. Look for the banner, which should be unfurled shortly, and for photographer Peder Nelson:
If you miss the 1 pm photo – four more after that, at 2, 3, 4, and 5. Top of the hour also means the music is starting on the main stage.
1:31 PM: Just wandered up to check out the first act, Featherbones:
The beer garden’s next to the main stage. Next up, Marieke and the Go Get ‘Em Boys at 2.
Just north of all that, don’t miss Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), where your editor here just picked up her second Mexi-Mocha of the festival. Cayenne and all. Enhances the wakefulness required for Info Tent duty.
Booths on the north end include Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor), whose booth includes a trivia game. They’re on the east side, north of Oregon, and on the west side, you’ll find WSDOT, talking about the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, aka the tunnel project. For kids, they have a show-and-tell about what kind of soil the tunneling machine has been going through:
For adults – we talked with today’s booth reps about the most frequently asked questions. “When’s it going to be done?” was one; the other, how people from West Seattle are going to get onto and off Highway 99 once the tunnel’s open. For all the times we’ve covered that, one thing we didn’t realize – not only will the Battery Street Tunnel be decommissioned, it will be filled in and filled over, and that will be a north-end connection to the grid.
2:08 PM: Another We Love The Junction walking tour is about to take off from here at California/Alaska, 2:15 pm – hear about the stores in The Junction’s past. The SW Seattle Historical Society just took its 2 pm group shot – each starts with a countdown:
Featherbones onstage now at #wssummerfest pic.twitter.com/yZpLQ0jO6j
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 10, 2016
Next one, 3 pm. And we’re about to launch our second and final report of the day to track the last few hours of the festival, which will go by SO fast – it’s sunny, busy, and fun.
Number one question here at the West Seattle Summer Fest Info Tent so far this morning – “Where’s the Farmers’ Market?” Answer: Today only, because of the festival, just like last year, it’s back in its old spot behind KeyBank, 44th/Alaska. You’ll find all the vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, beverages, baked goods, and more – until 2 pm as usual, and then NEXT Sunday, as the sign says:
Our Summer Fest coverage, meantime, gets going in a few minutes.
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