West Seattle, Washington

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Spotlight Stories

WEST SEATTLE TUESDAY: Options for the rest of today/tonight
August 15, 2023 10:53 am
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE TUESDAY: Options for the rest of today/tonight
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Sunrise fishing at Seacrest, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s what’s happening for the rest of today/tonight, including some indoor activities you might consider to escape the heat:

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Open 11 am-8 pm. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS: Here’s the list of local sites where free food is available for kids on weekdays this summer, 11:30 am-1 pm lunch, 2-3 pm snacks.

E.C. HUGHES WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm – last week for this pool, with its season ending Sunday, August 29th. (2805 SW Holden)

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

COLMAN POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, this outdoor salt-water pool is open noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day. See the session schedule here.

CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm at the air-conditioned Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon): “Are you looking for a new activity to keep your brain sharp and clear? The Senior Center Chess Club welcomes both novice and experienced players. Join us at 1:30 p.m. for lessons, short tutorials, and chess for all levels of expertise.” (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.

STORYTIME IN THE GARDEN: 6 pm stories and activities for kids at the Delridge P-Patch, weekly throughout the summer. (5078 25th SW)

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm, you can play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

WINE & BUY: Free class for prospective homebuyers, 6 pm at Pine Lake Cellars (5405 California SW) – info and RSVP link in our calendar listing.

TOASTMASTERS ONLINE: Improve your communication skills without leaving your house/apartment, 6:30 pm online meeting of West Seattle Toastmasters 832 – our calendar listing has RSVP info to get the link.

THE CLAY CAULDRON: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance or drop in to work on your project(s).

NEW TRIVIA: Zeeks Pizza West Seattle recently launched a Tuesday trivia night: 7 pm, teams of up to 6, free to play, happy-hour food and beverage specials. Hosted by Geeks Who Drink. (6459 California SW)

MORE TRIVIA: Three other places to play Tuesday nights – 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW); also, 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).

BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!

You can see the future any time via our event calendar – if you have something to include on it, please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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HELP FOR MAUI: Local updates
August 15, 2023 9:00 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

In Maui, last week’s catastrophic fires are now known to have taken at least 99 lives and done at least $6 billion in damage. People around the world are reaching out to help, including here in West Seattle, where we have updates and reminders:

FLEURT FUNDRAISING AUCTION: The Junction boutique at 4536 California SW is having an auction, Fleurt’s Keonii tells us:

Join us in supporting Maui’s recovery. We will be hosting an auction this Thursday 8/17 to Sunday 8/20 for a stunning 10″ Bird of Paradise and Pikake Jasmine candle. The highest bid contributes 100% to the Maui Humane Society’s vital work. Available for delivery in West Seattle or pick up at the shop.

They’re taking bids on social media, but you can also participate in other ways: “People can also come into the shop, email, or call with their best and final bid because people on social media will keep upping their bid price. We will collect their name, contact info and their best/final bid.” Fleurt’s hours and contact info are at fleurtcollective.com.

‘MUSUBI FOR MAUI’ TOTAL: Last weekend’s fundraiser at Marination Ma Kai and its sibling restaurants was a big success, with the help of a match from a West Seattle family:

We went into the weekend with a goal of raising $20,000 in two days. We didn’t hit that goal but instead we exceeded it due to the incredible outpouring of support from all of you and the amazing generosity of the Arakawa family.

Total Musubi Sold: 2930
Cash Received: $1,439
Arakawa Family Match: $15,000
TOTAL RAISED: $30,356.50

Continuing local fundraisers, from our previous roundup:

GRILLBIRD: The teriyaki restaurant (35th/Morgan) is inviting customers to “round up” their tabs so the extra can be donated to Maui relief – through the end of August.

ALAIR/DYLAN: The South Admiral shop (3270 California SW) will send you a 10 percent discount code if you message them with word you’ve donated to Maui fire relief.

ARTIST FUNDRAISER: West Seattle artist Eileen Jiminez is donating proceeds from sales at MaeseArt “to mutual aid efforts in Maui and to directly impacted native Hawaiians.”

ROTARY DONATION FUND: There are many options for donating money rather than goods. Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s Brian Waid invites support for “the Hawaiian Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund managed by Rotarians in Hawaii at www.rotaryd5000.org; the Rotarians do not charge anything for administering the funds and do not siphon off a percentage for a national organization.”

CHURCH DONATION FUND: West Seattle has three UCC churches and one parishioner has pointed out the denomination is supporting this fund.

OTHER MONETARY DONATION OPTIONS: The State of Hawai’i has an official information page about the fire aftermath, and it includes these two links:

Maui Strong Fund
Hawai’i Red Cross

Any other local (West Seattle/White Center) ways to help, please email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com so we can add to this list – thank you!

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Tuesday notes
August 15, 2023 6:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:02 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, August 15th.

WEATHER & SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

The National Weather Service‘s heat alert remains in effect until late Wednesday night. Today’s forecast: Sunny, high in the upper 80s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:05 am; sunset will be at 8:22 pm.

VICE PRESIDENT’S VISIT

Vice President Kamala Harris visits Seattle for a few hours today. Her published schedule starts with 11:10 am arrival at Boeing Field, from which she heads to McKinstry in Georgetown for a noon speech; after that, it’s off to a campaign fundraiser (unannounced location), and her departure from Boeing Field is expected just after 3:30 pm.

TRANSIT TODAY

Metro – regular schedule – check here for advisories.

Water Taxi – regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service. Check Vessel Watch to see where the boats are.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also up at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.

High Bridge – the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

Low-bridge cam:

1st Ave. S. Bridge – alternate route across the river:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.

If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities). Thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Package thief in a truck
August 14, 2023 10:41 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

From an Arroyos resident:

I live in the Arroyos neighborhood and last week we had a truck following a UPS truck in our neighborhood and stealing packages from porches in broad daylight. We have a neighborhood Whatsapp and a couple neighbors reported it, one neighbor caught the theft completely on video through Ring. Another sent a picture they took driving up our hill.

(Screengrab from video)

The truck is a Ford F-250 or F-350, white w/ 4 doors, and has a black “landscaping” gate around back. The truck is pretty unique, and no plates (of course). (Saturday) night my family was returning home around 10:45 pm from a long day out and we came up right behind the truck. We drove past the truck and I snapped another picture for a better close-up and the guy saw me do it, so he ran us down in his truck and almost hit us and then tried to run us off the road. He pulled up next to the passenger side with a face mask on and was yelling at us about taking his picture and he was taking a video of us. Fortunately he didn’t actually do any damage and we got away and home safely, but needless to say it shook us up and he clearly didn’t like being “seen.” … The driver was definitely the man in the earlier pictures. I got a better picture of the unique mud flaps on his vehicle, which my husband tracked down to a Foxboro, Mass Ford dealership called Rodman Ford (logo looks like a lion). The truck and the mud flaps are pretty distinct, not to mention no plates.

This happened so far south in The Arroyos that they’re working with the King County Sheriff’s Office on the case, the sender said. If you have information, KCSO’s non-emergency line is 206-296-3311.

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MISSING: Robin – FOUND
August 14, 2023 7:45 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | White Center

8:01 PM TUESDAY: Thanks to Alki Resident for mentioning in comments that KCSO has announced Robin’s been found.

EARLIER:

Read More

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ELECTION 2023: Five of the six Seattle City Council District 1 candidates who didn’t make the cut endorse one of the two who did
August 14, 2023 5:48 pm
|      161 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

5:48 PM: Tomorrow, King County Elections certifies results of the August 1st primary. The two candidates advancing to the November 7th general in the Seattle City Council District 1 race will be Maren Costa and Rob Saka. Just out of the WSB inbox, five of the six candidates who aren’t advancing have sent an “open letter” saying they all are endorsing Costa:

An Open Letter to Seattle’s District One Residents,

We, the undersigned, Seattle City Council District One candidates, proud residents of West Seattle, passionate believers in the future of our great city, hereby endorse our one-time opponent Maren Costa to be the next Seattle City Council member representing District One.

We endorse Maren for the same reason we sought the office; we love Seattle and we want to see it thrive.

Over these intense past five months of campaigning, Maren has shown herself to be a serious, caring, quick study. Her growth on the campaign trail was evident to all of us. She found her voice in the truest sense. She learned how to be real in public, and we can attest, that is no small feat. At every forum, debate or community event, Maren was there – showing up with authenticity, humor and self-effacing charm. What you see is what you get; no “consultancy speak” – just Maren.

She has experience fighting for justice and a better world. She has management skills and a healthy dollop of guile gleaned in the cutthroat grind of high tech. She has the persistence and patience of a parent and a partner.

This group endorsement is more notable because some of us have non-trivial policy differences with Maren on some of the issues that dominated this campaign season. But, in spite of those differences, we believe Maren’s openness, transparency and candor make her more likely than her general election opponent to be a successful collaborator on the Seattle City Council.

Onward,


Phillip Tavel
Administrative Law Judge

Preston Anderson
LICSW, MPA

Stephen Brown
President, Eltana Bagels

Lucy Barefoot
Outreach Specialist, Office of the Secretary of State of Washington

Mia Jacobson
Longshoreman

We received the letter from Tavel, who says he is the group’s spokesperson (and we’re asking him a few followup questions). The only primary candidate not on the list is Jean Iannelli Craciun.

8:46 PM: First a note – we’ve corrected Tavel’s profession and first-name spelling, which were erroneous in what was originally sent to us. Meantime, we asked Tavel for a little more on how the group endorsement came about; he said he, Anderson, and Brown were talking post-election and agreed that they felt “District 1 would be in considerably better hands with Maren”; they invited the others to join them, including Craciun, who did not sign the letter, Tavel says, because “she had already endorsed Maren and… was the first to do so.” (Costa also says Craciun had previously endorsed her.) Meantime, Saka’s campaign has sent a news release reacting to the group endorsement, saying he “expressed his deep shock and dismay with the decision of his former opponents to endorse Costa, a move he believes contradicts the spirit of change and progress that their campaigns initially advocated for” and quoting him as calling the group endorsement a “political stunt.” … (added) Costa, meantime, told us when we asked for comment on the group endorsement, “I was quite surprised and thankful for my fellow candidates’ support. We all got to know each other quite well on the campaign trail. Good group.”

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About the dark smoke visible from downtown
August 14, 2023 5:10 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news

5:10 PM: A texter sent that photo as several other readers were asking if we knew anything about that dark smoke from downtown. It’s a fire response logged to Fairview and Mercer, in the South Lake Union area, just re-coded on the 911 log to “encampment fire.” Firefighters are still working to extinguish it, according to radio exchanges.

6:06 PM: SFD says the fire is under control and that no one was hurt.

ADDED TUESDAY: Regional media has long since picked up on this – our initial basic item was published because they were slow on the uptake and we were getting lots of questions. But for the record, here’s the SPD report summary posted today:

At 1654 hours, officers responded to assist SFD with a fire that occurred in an encampment located near Minor Ave N / Mercer St. The encampment was in a vacant lot near an apartment building. SFD put the fire out before it could damage the apartment building. No one was in the encampment during the fire and the only losses were tent structures and personal property inside the encampment and plant life. Witnesses described a suspect who may have started the fire. Officers located that suspect in the area. The suspect provided information indicating that he lived in the encampment and accidentally started the fire. The suspect was taken into custody for Reckless Burning 1st degree.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen white F-350
August 14, 2023 3:33 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Sent by Susan:

Was stolen overnight in Gatewood. Ford F-350 white King Ranch special Edition truck. W (University of Washington) sticker on back canopy window and also on trailer hitch. License plate B67087N, SPD incident # 23-232975.

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Coming soon to the West Seattle Bridge: Bus-lane enforcement camera
August 14, 2023 2:02 pm
|      70 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Just announced by SDOT: The city is adding three new traffic-enforcement cameras, and one of them will be for bus-lane violations on the West Seattle Bridge (the other two will be downtown block-the-box cameras). From the announcement:

… The new cameras will allow the city to collect a larger data set for a more robust analysis of the impact and effectiveness of these types of automated enforcement programs. The city expects to install the cameras at the three identified locations at the beginning of September. There will be a 30-day warning period to ensure the public has adequate notice to learn the rules of the road. … The locations were selected due to the large volume of pedestrians present combined with a high rate of observed violations by drivers.

This is part of a “pilot program” resulting from legislative authorization of more uses for automated enforcement cameras. Separate from the one-month grace period, the city says, first-time violators will get a warning letter, and $75 tickets after that. Where does the money go? The announcement notes:

Under state law, half of the net revenue from the traffic cameras will go to a Washington Traffic Safety Commission fund for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, and the other half of the net revenue must be used to build safety and mobility improvements for people with disabilities in Seattle. SDOT plans to invest this in building more accessible walk signals which vibrate and make a noise to let people with limited vision or hearing know when it is safe to cross the street.

As with other automated enforcement cameras – like school-zone speeding and red-light running – the announcement notes, “To protect privacy, the cameras will only record vehicle license plates and not the people inside the car. The photos are only intended to be used for enforcing the bus lane and blocking the box laws, and are not intended for other law enforcement action.”

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FOLLOWUP: About today’s port-truck backup
August 14, 2023 1:18 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

(Screengrab from SDOT traffic camera just after 11 am)

As mentioned in our morning traffic roundup, port-bound trucks have been backed up on the westbound side of the Spokane Street Viaduct for hours. Last time this happened, two weeks ago, the Northwest Seaport Alliance – the Seattle/Tacoma port partnership – cited a “technical issue” at Terminal 5. Today, NWSA spokesperson Kate Nolan tells WSB, “Both Terminal 5 and Terminal 30 are closed (to)day, which has redirected a portion of the associated truck traffic to Terminal 18. They have confirmed to our operations team that they are implementing several measures to process this truck volume as quickly as possible today.” (T-18 is on Harbor Island; T-30 is toward the south end of the downtown waterfront.)

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Here’s what’s happening for the rest of your West Seattle Monday
August 14, 2023 12:26 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news

(This morning’s sunrise, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

The weather has shuffled our routine today so this list is later than usual, but might still be of value, so here are the calendar highlights – note that we can’t verify which indoor venues do and don’t have A/C, so check directly before you go:

GLASS FLOAT HUNT CONTINUES: As of early this morning, 19 floats were still waiting to be found. Plus, organizers tell us:

Merchants are holding their own events for people who haven’t been able to find one:

CAPERS Home is doing drawings next Sunday and on the 20th at 2pm and the way to register is by signing up on their mailing list.

Fleurt is auctioning off 2 and the proceeds will go to the Maui Humane Society.

Current Coffee is holding a drawing and the way to enter is by making a purchase in-store.

SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS: Here’s the list of local sites where free food is available for kids on weekdays this summer, 11:30 am-1 pm lunch, 2-3 pm snacks.

WADING POOLS OPEN: Noon-7 pm. Today’s scheduled pools in West Seattle: EC Hughes (2805 SW Holden) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW).

COLMAN POOL OPEN: This outdoor salt-water pool at Lincoln Park is open noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day. See the session schedule here.

COMMUNITY PADDLE: Monday nights all summer long, get out on the water with Alki Kayak Tours, 6 pm. (1660 Harbor SW).

CRAFTING AND CREATIVITY NIGHT: 6-10 pm at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.

D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.

INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION: Monthly event, all welcome, doors open 6:45 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds).

FAUNTLEROY MEDITATION: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation event at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.

OPEN MIC: Weekly BedHead Open Mic continues at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (4201 SW Juneau), 7 pm (signups at 6:30) – info in our calendar listing.

PLAY TRIVIA! Here are three Monday night options for trivia – 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)

MONDAY MUSIC: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.

Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar ? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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FOLLOWUP: Alki Elementary demolition resumes
August 14, 2023 11:56 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thanks for the tip. Demolition has resumed at Alki Elementary, four days after a city hearing examiner’s ruling granting an appeal of the zoning exception needed to build the new school without off-street parking. A week and a half ago, Charter Construction crews had demolished the old portable on the north side of the school and installed an office trailer; Seattle Public Schools had told us at the time that the permits were being granted in phases, so some grading and shoring work also would be done on the site regardless of the appeal process. So far, the district’s comment on the appeal decision has been only that they were “reviewing” it. Alki classes are currently planned to be held in the former Schmitz Park Elementary for the next two years while the new expanded, levy-funded building is constructed.

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Low-bridge closure alert signs ‘a mistake’
August 14, 2023 10:05 am
|    Comments Off on Low-bridge closure alert signs ‘a mistake’
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

As noted in the morning traffic roundup, we’ve been trying since Sunday afternoon to find out why at least two SDOT message boards in West Seattle announced a multi-day low-bridge closure that wasn’t – so far – happening. This morning, we finally heard back from SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali: “This is a mistake. We postponed a planned closure until October.” (Thanks to everyone who let us know about the signs so we could investigate.)

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Memorial service planned August 25 for Mary Marlene Flanary, 1932-2021
August 14, 2023 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on Memorial service planned August 25 for Mary Marlene Flanary, 1932-2021
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather August 25 to remember Mary Marlene Flanary. Here’s the remembrance that’s being shared now with the community:

Mary Marlene Flanary, daughter of Frank Griffin and Catherine Brady Neville, was born on 12/30/1932 in Deadwood, South Dakota, and passed on 12/18/2021 in Hot Springs, Montana.

She was preceded in death by her son Donald Schoenberg, husband and father of her children Jerome Schoenberg, and husband Robert Flanary. She is survived by daughters Suzette Perna, Rosalind Schoenberg, and Melanie Money. She leaves behind six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Marlene had two notable passions: music and family. An accomplished pianist and lifelong learner, she took up the study of the harpsichord at age 80.

Marlene surrounded herself with her larger-than-life extended family hosting frequent holiday dinners. All were welcome in her home on Queen Anne Hill and later in her home on Beach Drive in West Seattle.

Her early education in parochial schools in Butte, Montana, was followed by a high-school education in San Francisco, then Seattle. She achieved a Bachelor of Arts from Seattle University and a masters in speech and hearing therapy from the University of Washington.

A service will be held at 10:00 AM on August 25th at Holy Rosary in West Seattle. For those who would like to pray the Rosary, it will begin at 9:30 AM. There will be a gathering at 11:00 following the service. Her family welcomes you.

(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)

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Heat-wave Monday, including port-truck backup
August 14, 2023 6:01 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

11:14 AM: The port-truck backup mentioned by commenters earlier is still affecting the westbound bridge all the way back to I-5, so if you have to head this way from off-peninsula, try another option. We’re checking on what’s happening this time.

Earlier:

6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, August 14th.

WEATHER & SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

The National Weather Service‘s heat alert is in effect. Today’s forecast: Sunny with afternoon haze, high in the mid-80s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:04 am; sunset will be at 8:23 pm.

TRANSIT TODAY

Metro – regular schedule – check here for advisories.

Water Taxi – regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service. Check Vessel Watch to see where the boats are.

LOW BRIDGE

You might have seen the SDOT messageboards announcing a low-bridge closure starting yesterday and lasting all week. No such closure was announced by SDOT, and the bridge was open yesterday, plus it appears to be open this morning. No one at SDOT got back to us yesterday to explain the signs so we’re hoping to reach them this morning. Meantime, here’s the low-bridge cam:

OTHER SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also up at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.

High Bridge – the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge – alternate route across the river:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.

If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities). Thank you!

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BIZNOTE: Owners of Youngstown Coffee, HeartBeet Café, Launchpad announce they’ll close in late September
August 13, 2023 9:45 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Autumn Lovewell and Monica Colgan have brought a lot to Morgan Junction, with many community-building events and initiatives, while running their three small independent businesses here. And soon, they’re going to leave a void when they close all three. They announced today that they’re closing their three businesses – Youngstown Coffee, HeartBeet Organic Superfoods Café, and Launchpad – at 6030-6032 California SW on September 30th. Thanks to everyone who forwarded the announcements sent to the Youngstown and HeartBeet email lists – from the former (which you can read in its entirety here):

… While there are a handful of reasons we’re closing permanently, ultimately fate has decided for us with the sale of our 100-year-old building and the closure of our sister businesses HeartBeet Cafe and Launchpad Co-Working space (all closing on Sept 30th).

Monica, myself, our kids, and our amazing staff will exit with our heads held high, proud of the magic we made in our tiny corner of West Seattle called Morgan Junction. With your support we’ve built a beautiful community and have accomplished so much together in these short but long 3+ years. From our Pride marches, to fundraisers, and supporting local marginalized businesses at our markets, we’ve all made an impact together. We’re so proud of you and all of us.

We’re asking you continue to support the incredible small businesses in Morgan Junction. Supporting small is so vital to the health of our people! …

From the letter to customers of HeartBeet, whose Queen Anne location will close too:

… The list of reasons for our closure is long and mostly financial-related, but we are proud of our accomplishment of making it nearly 15 years in Seattle, while all odds are against small businesses. During that time, we’ve sold well over 100,000 dishes of our very popular Buddha Bowl, we served roughly 1.1 million customer meals (wow!), and tens of thousands of hacked coconuts. Together we’ve made it so far with the events affecting HeartBeet: a flood, a major light rail construction project, snowpocalypses, heat domes, multiple burglaries, and even a global pandemic!

The ultimate last straw prompting closure is the loss of our main production facility in West Seattle, due to the pending sale of our 100-year old building. Were we in a better financial position, were financial institutions more supportive of small restaurant businesses, were the delivery service fees through UberEats and DoorDash (which comprise a large volume of our sales), not 30%, and were it not getting so hard to hire staff, things might be different….

In West Seattle, Autumn and Monica took over Youngstown Coffee three years ago; HeartBeet was founded elsewhere in the city but then opened a Junction pop-up before the Morgan location. They converted the north side of the California SW storefronts to an event space that then became Launchpad. Before Autumn and Monica’s businesses, the spaces held others including Harry’s Chicken Joint (closed in 2019) and Jade West Café (closed in 2010). Again, they don’t plan to close until September 30th, but as the HeartBeet letter notes, that may be a challenge if the coffee shop and café staff find new jobs sooner (and the Youngstown message says, “If you have any leads for them, please email us at hello@youngstowncoffeeseattle.com).

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COUNTDOWN: 3 street festivals in the next 2 weekends
August 13, 2023 8:24 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

This was one of those rare summer weekends without any major events. The next two weekends are a different story, so here’s a reminder:

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20: Alki Beach Pride is one week from today, and this year part of the celebration will be in the street as well as on the beach. It’s happening noon-7 pm next Sunday and Alki Avenue SW will be closed between Marine and 60th. Here’s the official community notice, including setup and breakdown times. Watch the ABP website for the schedule of events.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26: Both ends of the peninsula will be partying in the street on this date:

Admiral Funktion – California SW will be closed between Admiral Way and College for the second annual festival presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. Festivities start at 11 am that day and continue until 10 pm. (WSB is a community co-sponsor.)

(WCN photo from 2022 White Center Block Party)

White Center Block Party – Also starting at 11 am that day and continuing into the night, the annual WC Block Party takes over 16th SW from Roxbury to 100th. Highlights are in this announcement published on our partner site White Center Now.

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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: USS Nimitz, northbound
August 13, 2023 6:38 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(Added: Photo by John Skerratt)

Thanks for the texted tip. Six weeks after the Bremerton-based aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) got home from deployment, it’s headed out again. MarineTraffic.com shows it currently west of Alki Point, midchannel.

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WEST SEATTLE COYOTES: Arbor Heights sighting
August 13, 2023 5:51 pm
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

The photo is from Abigail G., who spotted two coyotes – including that one – around 1:30 am today. She first saw them at 34th and 102nd and “followed them for a block before I could get a good photo. They were both in the middle of the road when I turned the corner and one took off down 102nd and the other one went into a yard.” This continues the recent resurgence in sightings (you can scroll through our archives here). So it’s a good time to learn about coexistence – including encouraging them to keep their distance by not providing food (from pet food to unaccompanied pets) – they can live just find by foraging for everything from fruit to rodents.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Heat alert upgraded – and shortened
August 13, 2023 4:05 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Now that the heat is here – mid-80s at mid-afternoon – the National Weather Service has upgraded its alert to an Excessive Heat Warning. But it’s also shortened the duration; instead of stretching into Thursday, the NWS is currently expecting the alert to expire late Wednesday night. The alert warns of: “Dangerously hot conditions with daytime temperatures in the low to mid 90s and lows in the 60s expected. This will pose a major risk of heat-related illness.” Keep yourself hydrated (and if you have a bird bath, keep that full too).

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About those historic-aircraft flyovers
August 13, 2023 2:21 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news

We’ve also had questions this weekend about aircraft flyovers beyond usual patterns. Here in south West Seattle, we were just seeing general-aviation aircraft, but further north, a far more memorable sight. Commenter Jeff solved the mystery (and this morning, Kathleen sent a photo): Historic aircraft flying out of the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, from the Commemorative Air Force. Scheduled rides (aboard a B-17 or B-25 bomber) ended at 1 pm but ground tours continue until 6 pm – info here.

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Wildfire smoke returning to West Seattle
August 13, 2023 12:35 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

While out on errands, we started getting messages from people wondering about a smoky smell in the air and noting there are no local fires on the Real-Time 911 log. Yes, it’s apparently wildfire smoke again – take a look at not only the view from Don Armeni Boat Ramp a short time ago (the Cascades aren’t visible), but also the air quality readings. The Washington Smoke Information website also foresaw smoke from the Sourdough fire heading to the west side of the Cascades, with wind out of the north/northeast (which is how it’s blowing right now).

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BACK TO SCHOOL: One West Seattle school starts this week
August 13, 2023 10:46 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Around this time every summer, we start checking online calendars to compile a list of school-year start dates, since it’s a matter of interest beyond school communities – neighbors, businesses, drivers, etc. So far we’ve found that for at least one school, this is the last weekend of summer – the first day at school for Summit Atlas, the charter middle/high school at 35th/Roxbury in Arbor Heights, is this Wednesday, August 16th. (Yes, they do get out earlier – June 7th is the last scheduled day of the 2023-2024 school year.)

Side note: According to the Washington Charter School Commission website, Summit Atlas is up for authorization renewal this year; public comment will be accepted through early October. The school opened in 2017. Renewal materials say the school has almost 500 students enrolled.

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