West Seattle, Washington

10 Friday

64℉

Spotlight Stories

ORCAS: Visible from West Seattle
June 4, 2023 4:21 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Whales

4:21 PM: Thanks to Kersti Muul for the report: Transient killer whales are northbound, headed through the Southworth ferry lane at last report, visible from West Seattle (through whitecaps, since it’s a breezy afternoon).

4:55 PM: Now visible north of Blake Island, Kersti reports in comments.

Share This

COUNTDOWN: 2 weeks until Morgan Junction Community Festival 2023
June 4, 2023 3:06 pm
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: 2 weeks until Morgan Junction Community Festival 2023
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

The banners are up for this year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival, now exactly two weeks away! The Morgan Community Association will present the festival 1-4 pm Sunday, June 18, at Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW). Yes, that’s Father’s Day – MoCA says it’s a great place for Dad and the kid(s) to go together. Here’s the festival overview from MoCA’s Michael Brunner – starting with the three performers:

Mikey the Rad Scientist has been teaching and singing nature songs for over ten years and makes science fun by using stories, songs, props and movement to reinforce student’s learning.

The Potholes are a five piece funk-pop fusion band that performs covers as well as songs from their just released EP “Public Transportation.” The Potholes are all West Seattleites, and students at West Seattle High School. They were featured at last year’s West Seattle Summer Fest and Harvest Fest.

Gary Benson is a Seattle-based singer and acoustic guitarist who plays in the style of the iconic musical figures that he grew up listening to, including James Taylor, CSNY, the Beatles, Allison Krauss, and Shawn Colvin. His folk-based acoustic style has been very popular in the open-mic scene in Seattle, where he plays regularly, along with summer festivals and farmers’ markets. He has performed at the Morgan Junction Festival for many years.

This year we will also host non-profit booths and tables. Participants will include 34th District Democrats, Seattle Be Prepared, Southwest Historical Society, The Whale Trail, and Westside Healthy Empowered Youth. Each will offer important information updates to the community, and several will feature fun children activities as well.

Community business co-sponsors of the festival include WSB.

Share This

YOU CAN HELP: Get involved with Watershed Woof! – starting with West Seattle event this afternoon
June 4, 2023 12:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Pets | West Seattle news

Speaking of clean water … if you share your life with a dog, there’s easy action you can take. A local student is teaming up with West Seattle-based Poogooder for a new initiative that includes a community event today. Just out of the WSB inbox:

Watershed Woof! is a local community engagement initiative to help raise awareness of stormwater pollution and simple ways we can all help keep our waters cleaner and healthier, such as reducing the amount of wayward dog poo left on the ground. It’s a collaboration between Lori Kothe from Poogooder and Mac Callahan, a West Seattle resident and Maritime High School student who is focusing his freshman end-of-year project on preventing dog-poo pollution in our Duwamish River Watershed. Includes an informative web page with videos by Mac and others (watershedwoof.com), a fun event today (June 4) from 3-6 pm at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), and a Poogooder prize drawing with goodies from Poogooder, Pawsitively Kleen, and Good Dog Daycare (enter on the website by June 5). We ask everyone to visit the Watershed Woof! page and share what they learn with others for a happier, healthier community and planet.

Share This

Today’s brown-water reports: Highland Park, Arbor Heights
June 4, 2023 12:36 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Two more areas are reporting brown water today – Highland Park (18th/Cloverdale) and Arbor Heights. Lately it’s usually been because of hydrant testing stirring up “sediment” (mostly rust) in the lines, but if it happens to you, please report to Seattle Public Utilities, as it’s also sometimes first word of a line break. 206-386-1800 is their 24/7 hotline. And while the utility says the discoloration is not toxic, you definitely don’t want to do laundry until it’s cleared.

Share This

Remembering Michael R. Butler, 1935-2023
June 4, 2023 10:18 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Michael R. Butler and sharing this with the community:

Michael Richard Butler of Seattle died on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. He was born on August 19, 1935, and lived to be 87 years old. He was the youngest child of Mayo Philbrick Butler and Jeannette Florence (Hainsworth) Butler.

He is survived by his wife Betty M. (Kidder) Butler and three sons, Michael P. Butler (Puyallup), Todd K. Butler (Ketchikan, Alaska), and Brett H. Butler (West Seattle). Mike was the grandfather of Natasha M. (Butler) Whipple, Jason R. Butler, Melissa B. Butler, and Tanner K. Butler. He was the great-grandfather to seven great-grandchildren.

After graduating from West Seattle High School in 1953, he attended the University of Washington, where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. After graduation he served six months active duty in the Army and 9½ years in the Army Reserve. He was honorably discharged in 1968 as a Captain in the Army Corps of Engineers. After active duty, he began working for the family business, Butler Construction & Engineering Company. They built many highways, bridges, and buildings in the Pacific Northwest.

He was a lifelong member of the Seattle Yacht Club. He joined in 1954 as a junior member to participate in the yacht club’s junior sailboat racing program. Soon after, in 1955, Mike’s father also joined and had the family cruiser “Paramour” built. One of Mike’s greatest pleasures was cruising in the Paramour throughout Southeast Alaska and the British Columbia coast with family and friends.

He enjoyed learning family history and was always involved in a history project. His family were early residents of West Seattle, in the Admiral district, and helped develop the area. He assisted his niece Barbara Pope with stories and photos when she wrote “A History of Butler Construction Company, 1908-1992.” He was a member of the Southwest Historical Society and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum and contributed some early family photos to the history book of West Seattle, “West Side Story.”

Remembrances can be sent to Southwest Seattle Historical Society or the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum.

(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)

Share This

9 options for your West Seattle Sunday
June 4, 2023 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on 9 options for your West Seattle Sunday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Saturday post-sunset – photo by Doug Eglington)

Here’s what’s on the list for the second half of the weekend, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

LOW-LOW TIDE, WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out 9:30 am-1:30 pm at Constellation Park (63rd/Beach) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), as the low tide goes out to -3.3 feet at 11:42 am.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm; the market offers spring produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, plant starts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)

SOUL SPA: Inner Alchemy is hosting Soul Spas on Sundays at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW) during Farmers’ Market hours, 10 am-2 pm: “a fun community experience of meeting our talented local healers, makers, and artists right alongside the Farmers’ Market. Mini-sessions, shopping, connecting, and Timmy cooking brunch!”

PIZZA FUNDRAISER: The West Seattle High School Chinese Culture Club will benefit from part of the proceeds at MOD Pizza (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW location) today, 10:30 am-10 pm, if you mention the fundraiser – info is in our calendar listing.

DELRIDGE DISC-O ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT: Hat tournament for middle- and high-school players, 10:30 am-5 pm at Delridge Playfield South (Delridge/Alaska). Details in our calendar listing.

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK OPEN: 11 am-8 pm daily through Labor Day. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: Second Sunday of the season for free tours of historic Alki Point Lighthouse (3201 Alki Avenue SW), 1-4 pm (last tour starts at 3:45 pm).

END THE WEEKEND PEACEFULLY: Inner Alchemy offers Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Breath Work, and Gong Bath from 7-8:30 pm at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska). RSVP/fee info is in our calendar listing.

SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.

Have an event – one-time or recurring – to add to our calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Share This

Trailside tribute to ‘patron saint of the broken bridge’ topples. How to restore it?
June 3, 2023 10:12 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

The photos are from Bill, one of several people who have emailed us in the past few days to report that tragedy has befallen a rogue West Seattle art installation – the trailside tribute to Rolf Neslund, “patron saint of the broken bridge,” placed and announced in September 2020, half a year into the West Seattle Bridge’s closure. The sculpture and its pedestal have gone sideways.

(Tipsters’ assessment is that it fell because its wooden pedestal rotted, not because of vandalism.) If you’re new around here, Neslund was blamed for the 1978 ship collision that forced the old West Seattle Bridge to be replaced. He subsequently retired and was murdered by his wife in 1980. HistoryLink summarizes the strange story. Anyway, the sculpture was nothing official – it was announced by a mysterious person claiming to be ‘Lars Fujikawa of the Delridge Maritime Historical Society.” The first installation was stolen barely a week after its placement; the replacement was installed by “Lars” (and friends?) about a month later. So the question arises now, in pixels rather than a Bat-signal in the sky – “Lars,” where are you? Can you make Rolf an upstanding sculpture again? (We emailed the account from which the sculpture news arrived in 2020, but no acknowledgment so far.) Or – anyone else able to ride, sail, etc., to the rescue?

SUNDAY UPDATE: Rose, the first person who sounded the alarm about this, has taken Rolf and plaque into protective custody. If “Lars” – or anyone else interested in helping – sees this, email us and we’ll connect you.

Share This

VIDEO: Largest Loop the ‘Lupe turnout ever!
June 3, 2023 8:05 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: Largest Loop the ‘Lupe turnout ever!
 |   High Point | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

That’s the start of the largest of five events comprising Loop the ‘Lupe today at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point, steps away from Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose social-service community work benefits from its proceeds. Those runners were off on the Family Wave of Loop the ‘Lupe’s 5K obstacle course; below, the smaller group for this year’s new addition, an Elite Wave with two extra obstacles for those seeking even more of a challenge – a barrel crawl and teeter-totters:

The other events were the 5K Fun Run, Senior Saunter, and Youth Dash – but since Loop the ‘Lupe is the only local 5K offering obstacles, they’re the main attraction:

Organizer Brian Callanan said registration passed 700 people, the biggest Loop the ‘Lupe in its seven-year history. Lots of community business participation, too, such as Hannah from HIIT Lab leading the pre-race warmup:

West Seattle School of Rock provided student musicians to keep the event rocking:

WSB was a community co-sponsor of the event, as were other local businesses including WSB sponsors Lake Washington Physical Therapy-West Seattle, West Seattle Runner, and Verity Credit Union.

Share This

WEEKEND SCENE: Classic cars outside West Seattle HS all-school reunion
June 3, 2023 5:56 pm
|    Comments Off on WEEKEND SCENE: Classic cars outside West Seattle HS all-school reunion
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By the time we got to West Seattle High School for this afternoon’s return of the All-School Reunion, everybody was in breakout rooms. But if you like classic cars, you can take a look at another component of the revived reunion – the mini-show just outside the north side of the school. Our photos above and below show classic MGs of different eras.

And a classic Ford:

At 7 pm, the alumni party moves to Whisky West (6451 California SW) for the afterparty, until midnight, featuring WSHS alums who are members of The Nitemates. P.S. If you missed it previously – current WSHS students are organizing a car show for June 17th.

Share This

UPDATE: Water-rescue response in 5200 block Beach Drive, short-lived
June 3, 2023 5:16 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

5:16 PM: Seattle Fire has a water-rescue response headed by land and sea for a kayaker reported in trouble off 5200 block of Beach Drive.

5:19 PM: And the kayaker is reported to have made it to shore. … so they’re canceling the response.

Share This

Brown water in Alki area
June 3, 2023 5:13 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

We’re continuing to keep track of brown-water reports, since there’s no public log for them. This afternoon, Dani reported, “Just letting you know that we’re experiencing brown water. We notified SPU and they let us know they are doing maintenance on a fire hydrant that will affect the water for anywhere from 1-24 hours. For reference we are near Alki off Admiral and Lander.” Earlier we got a report of a hydrant-testing sighting but no accompanying water discoloration at the time. If it happens to you, report it to SPU ta 206-386-1800.

Share This

VIDEO: Sounds from Around the World Festál in The Junction
June 3, 2023 3:25 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: Sounds from Around the World Festál in The Junction
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Beautiful afternoon for an outdoor concert – as Sounds from Around the World Festál continues at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska). Boka Kouyaté and The Djeliyah Band started the day.

They were the first of four bands/performers scheduled to perform until 7 pm.

Comfort Food is scheduled to be onstage now, followed by Lion of Judah Band at 5 pm. The event was produced by Janean Wyvold of Urgent Africa:

This is one of three free community events funded by neighborhood-recovery grants the city made available through the West Seattle Junction Association.

Share This

WEEKEND SCENE: Biggest White Center Pride Street Festival yet
June 3, 2023 2:39 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | White Center

(Also published on partner site White Center Now)

(WSB/WCN photos)

With a nonstop slate of entertainment, 100 vendors, sidewalk food and beverage cafés, a kids’ area, and more, we’d call this the biggest White Center Pride Street Festival yet. 16th SW is closed to vehicle traffic on the blocks both south and north of SW 98th. At the north end, DJ Baby Van Beezly was spinning:

At the south end, Aleksa Manila was leading story time by the King County Library System van:

Steps away, there’s wrestling outside Lariat Bar:

At 16th/98th, you’ll find the White Center Pride organizers – we photographed Kyle, Eliot, and Terry:

Stop by their booth to find out more about WC Pride, including the online silent auction to fund future outreach work, and the optional bracelets you can buy for local specials during the festival. P.S. The vendors include community organizations and businesses from West Seattle as well as White Center. And West Seattle Pride events are ahead too – watch this category of our event-calendar listings.

Share This

Driver crashes into Jefferson Square store
June 3, 2023 1:03 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

Thanks for the tips, and to Erin for the top photo. The front of the AT&T store at Jefferson Square is smashed in – but this was NOT a burglary, it was a crash. The car is still in the store:

(WSB photo)

No injuries. One witness says it was apparently a case of gas pedal/brake pedal confusion but we were unable to confirm that with police.

Share This

WEEKEND SCENE: Gatewood Elementary Gator Fair
June 3, 2023 12:15 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | Gatewood | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thanks to Brandy for the photo! Another event happening right now, spotlighted in our daily list, the Gator Fair at Gatewood Elementary (4320 SW Myrtle). Brandy notes, “Lots of booths, music, prizes, and fun. Goes until 2:30 pm. All welcome!” Indoor science fair and art walk too.

Share This

HOW TO HELP: Students’ book donation drive
June 3, 2023 11:11 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

From the Key Club at West Seattle High School:

We are currently doing a book drive for Books for Africa. We have locations open for book donations – the West Seattle High School library, New Leaf Bistro, and Paper Boat Booksellers.

They’ve collected 500 books so far and need at least 500 more.

Share This

WEEKEND SCENE: West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club fishing pond for kids
June 3, 2023 9:27 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

This morning, the fishing action at Seacrest is on the pier instead of from the pier. Until 11 am, kids under 14 are welcome to try their luck – poles provided – at the portable pond the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club has set up and stocked with trout:

This is an annual tradition that the club offers as a chance for kids to learn about fishing, free. Seacrest is at 1660 Harbor SW (home of the Water Taxi, Alki Kayak Tours, and Marination ma kai).

Share This

Loop the ‘Lupe, kids’ fishing derby, Sounds from Around the World, WSHS reunion, Gator Fair, more for your West Seattle Saturday!
June 3, 2023 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on Loop the ‘Lupe, kids’ fishing derby, Sounds from Around the World, WSHS reunion, Gator Fair, more for your West Seattle Saturday!
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Friday evening photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Welcome to the first weekend of June. Mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s what’s happening!

KIDS’ FISHING POND: West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club presents the first event of the day!

On Saturday, June 3rd the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club will be back hosting the annual Free Kids Fishing Derby at Seacrest Park and Marina, located at 1660 Harbor Ave SW. The trout fishing pond will open at 8:00 am and conclude at 11:00 am, and fishing poles and bait will be provided for free to kids age 14 and younger. No pre-registration or fishing experience is required!

The West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club in association with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have been hosting the Kids Fishing Derby at various locations in West Seattle since 1934. Kids and their families can all enjoy a morning on the waterfront while the kids enjoy their fishing opportunity. For many this will be their first fishing trip! For more information go to wssportsmen.org.

LOW-LOW TIDE, WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out 9:30 am-12:30 pm at Constellation Park (63rd/Beach) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), as the low tide goes out to -2.6 feet at 11:02 am.

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: 9:30 am-3 pm, the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Garden Center will be open, selling a vast variety of student-grown plants. (6000 16th SW, north end of campus)

SOUTH DELRIDGE FARMERS’ MARKET: Back for a third year, this farmers’ market on the grounds of Hope Academy (9421 18th SW) is happening weekly this year, 10 am-2 pm Saturday, prioritizing vendors of color and presented by African Community Housing & Development.

SOCCER FUNDRAISER: The HPFC Girls 2010 soccer team is having a fundraising yard sale 10 am-2 pm, including beverages and baked goods. (49th/Genesee)

GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY GATOR FAIR: Free family fun at Gatewood Elementary (4320 SW Myrtle), 10:30 am-2:30 pm, outdoors and indoors, including a science fair and art walk!

MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Get info about Marco’s music here.

FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am in West Seattle, registration required – see full details in our calendar listing.

LOOP THE ‘LUPE: Five fun events at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle) benefiting Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s social outreach work – the obstacle course “Elite Wave” at 11 am, the obstacle course “Family Wave” at 11:30 am, 5K fun run at 11:45 am, Senior Saunter at noon, and Youth Dash at 1 pm. Plus beer, food, and music. If you aren’t signed up yet, you can register on site. (WSB is a community co-sponsor of Loop the ‘Lupe.)

SOUNDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FESTAL: World-music festival in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska), 11 am-7 pm, free – see the lineup here and read about them here!

MORE THAN A MEETING: Food and fun are also promised at the EPA’s all-day in-person meeting to help you provide comments on the cleanup plan for the Duwamish River’s east waterway. Drop in for as much or little as you can. South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Georgetown Campus Building C (6737 Corson Ave. S.)

FAMILY READING TIME: Every Saturday at 11 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

SPRAYPARK OPEN: Highland Park Spraypark is open daily, through Labor Day, 11 am-8 pm. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

WHITE CENTER PRIDE STREET FESTIVAL: 11 am-midnight, 16th SW is closed to vehicles and open to revelry in the heart of downtown White Center for this year’s White Center Pride Street Festival, with performers, vendors, food trucks, wrestling, a kids’ area, more – here’s the schedule.

VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2234 SW Orchard)

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM CLOSED: It’s usually open Saturdays, but not this weekend or next.

VISCON CELLARS: 1-6 pm, visit the tasting room at Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) – selling wine by the glass or bottle. Learn about their wines here! (5910 California SW)

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-SCHOOL REUNION: It’s back! All years’ WSHS alums are invited to visit the school 4-7 pm to reconnect with old friends. (3000 California SW)

AUTHOR READING: Presented by Salaam Cultural Museum, West Seattle author Amal Sedky Winter reads from her new book “Escape to Aswan” at 4 pm at Cherry Street Village (720 25th Ave., Capitol Hill).

DUBSEA FISH STICKS’ OPENING NIGHT: Sold-out crowd will be at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd) for the “first fish” at 6:20 pm to start the collegiate summer baseball team‘s first game of the season, vs. the Gumberoos.

WSHS REUNION AFTER-PARTY: 7 pm-midnight at Whisky West (6451 California SW), the celebration continues after the West Seattle High School All-School Reunion. Live music with alum members of The Nitemates!

If you have a show, sale, event, meeting, seminar, reading, field trip, fundraiser, class, game, or ? for our calendar … please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Share This

SHORE SIGHTS: New brownish bloom; low-low tide on the way
June 2, 2023 10:21 pm
|    Comments Off on SHORE SIGHTS: New brownish bloom; low-low tide on the way
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle shore sights to mention:

NEW BROWNISH BLOOM: A week ago, the reddish-orange Noctiluca bloom startled water-watchers along the West Seattle shore. Today, we got questions about a brownish-green bloom, and this photo from Manuel:

Yes, it looks like a spill. But it’s not, as explained here. Biologists say these blooms are largely nontoxic – but swallowing or inhaling them isn’t recommended.

LOW-LOW TIDE: The next round of low-low tides is on the way. Saturday at 11:02 am, it’ll be out to -2.6 feet, and then for the next four days, the lowest tides will be out past -3 feet – here’s the chart. If you head out on the beach and tread lightly, you might see sights like the ones Rosalie Miller photographed during the last round of low-low tides:

That’s an urchin with a painted anemone and sea star. If you want help identifying what you’re seeing, Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will be out at Constellation Park (63rd/Beach) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) during the lowest tides the next five days, starting with 9:30 am-12:30 pm tomorrow – see the full schedule here.

Share This

COUNTDOWN: 4 days until all 8 City Council D-1 candidates share a stage
June 2, 2023 9:17 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

All 8 of the candidates who will be on your ballot for Seattle City Council District 1 have now RSVP’d for our first forum next Tuesday (June 6th). The election isn’t as far away as it might seem – King County Elections will mail ballots July 12th, and dropboxes open the next day, so voting starts in just six weeks. If you haven’t already decided who you’re voting for in the primary, come see them side by side at what we promise will be a fast-paced forum, so we can get in as many questions as possible. Thanks to everyone who sent suggestions when we requested them! The forum is a two-part event, starting at 6 pm Tuesday at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s expansive Walmesley Center (northeast corner of 35th/Myrtle) – at 6 pm, come in and meet local neighborhood group reps from the District 1 Community Network‘s member organizations (D1CN is co-presenting the forum); at 6:45, the candidates take the stage. We’re inviting them to come a bit early and to hang around while we’re breaking down the room afterward, to meet prospective constituents. If you can’t be there, we’re planning to video-record it and publish it here.

Share This

CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Here’s what we know about the Roxy’s Casino shooting suspect
June 2, 2023 5:58 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Court documents reveal that revenge related to a West Seattle robbery case is the alleged motive in the Roxy’s Casino shootings that left one casino patron dead and two employees wounded. The suspect – whose arrest we reported last night – is not yet charged but we are identifying him as he is still in Department of Corrections community custody – our state’s version of parole – for a different West Seattle robbery case. He is 21-year-old Omar A. Upham Jr.; we reported on the charges filed against him in 2019 for a holdup at the 35th/Henderson gas station/mini-mart then known as Lucky 5. He was eventually sentenced to just under four years in prison and was released into community custody last October, according to information we obtained this afternoon from Corrections (which also provided the photo at right).

Now, Upham is being held without bail after a hearing this afternoon. The probable-cause documents provided by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office say his alleged target Saturday night was actually one of the shooting survivors, a casino security guard. From the court documents:

… Witnesses and associates of (the guard) were interviewed, and several of them stated (he) was being sought after (because) he “snitched” on someone involved in a robbery. (The guard) later provided a recorded statement identifying Omar Upham as the person who shot him. (He) and Upham were once friends, but their friendship ended when (he) informed on Upham when they were arrested for robbery. When Upham entered the casino on 5/27/23, (the guard) immediately recognized Upham by his eyes and ran. When asked why Upham was after (him), he replied, “I told on him four years ago.” A search of … criminal history showed an arrest by Seattle PD in 2019, where (he) had identified Upham as an accomplice in a robbery (Seattle PD case no. 2019-441721).

We cross-referenced that to a street robbery in The Junction early Thanksgiving morning 2019, days before the Lucky 5 holdup. His arrest and that of another suspect in December 2019 had numerous West Seattle links, as explained here. Upham pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery in 2021 and was sentenced to 46 months, the low end of the standard sentencing range, though he had prior convictions – as a juvenile – for robbery and assault. His current community-custody supervision was scheduled to run until March 2024. The court documents say he was most recently living in Renton and was arrested early Thursday morning at a Georgetown business described in the documents as his employer.

Share This

TRAFFIC ALERT: Collision at Fauntleroy/Raymond
June 2, 2023 5:06 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Avoid Fauntleroy Way northeast of Morgan Junction for a while – a three-vehicle collision is reported at Fauntleroy/Raymond.

Share This

Lockboxes given away for Gun Violence Awareness Day
June 2, 2023 4:33 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | White Center

(WSB photos. King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall at Greenbridge event)

Greenbridge Plaza (8th SW just south of SW Roxbury) is one of five places where Public Health Seattle & King County is giving away 100 gun lockboxes right now as part of a Gun Violence Awareness Day event.

As noted in our daily preview and calendar, the giveaway is happening until 5:30 pm, in partnership with YMCA Alive and Free. PHSKC’s announcement explains:

Safe firearm storage is the best way to reduce the risk of unintentional shootings and injury, and prevent firearms from being stolen and misused by others. In order to help increase safe firearm storage, Public Health runs the Lock It Up program. Everyone who owns firearms can take action by locking up their guns. For more information about gun lockboxes and related resources, visit Public Health’s Lock It Up program webpage.

That page includes a list of retailers where storage/locking devices are available if you miss today’s giveaway.

Share This