West Seattle, Washington
09 Thursday
If you live near Jefferson Square, have a vehicle parked on the street, and haven’t used it yet today, Jake‘s report might be of interest:
At least six cars along the Jefferson Square block of 41st Ave SW had their tires slashed. Perpetrator(s) were not seen but a young man’s voice was heard. If you live in the area and parked on the street last night, check your tires.
That was Jake’s initial note this morning, with the time frame believed to be in the 9 pm hour, but then he sent this:
I’m hearing new reports from neighbors of seeing cars attempting to drive with flat tires on 41st Ave SW throughout the day yesterday. The slashing spree may have started earlier or gone on throughout the day.
If it happened to you, here’s where to file a report online.
(The Brothers, photographed Friday night by James Bratsanos)
Welcome to the weekend! Here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, inbox, and preview archives:
TRAFFIC ALERTS: SDOT has two for today:
Saturday afternoon between noon and 5 PM, we’ll be striping travel lanes at 17th and SW Henderson St. We’ll be extending two crosswalks, installing bike markings, and painting barriers in addition to sign work. Please anticipate short-term traffic delays as you navigate the area.
On Saturday (and Sunday), we’ll be working on a walkway extension on Sylvan Way SW between SW Holly St and Sylvan Heights Dr. This work is scheduled to begin as early as 7 AM through 5 PM on both days. Our trucks will be entering and exiting the roadway as we complete this work. Please anticipate slowdowns in the area.
BENEFIT PLANT SALE: 9 am-3 pm, lots of plants, raising money to fight lung cancer. (3703 SW 107th)
CELEBRATION FOR JAMES RASMUSSEN: The longtime local advocate is retiring and moving out of state; a farewell event is happening 10 am-1 pm at El Rio Events (836 S. Kenyon, South Park).
DISCOVERY SHOP’S BIG SALE: Nonprofit Junction shop benefiting the American Cancer Society has a 50 percent discount storewide sale continuing today. Open 10 am-4:30 pm today. (4535 California SW)
SHOREWOOD ON THE SOUND SALES: Another community garage sale day! 9 am-4 pm, dozens of sales in Shorewood on the Sound, a Burien neighborhood. The link for their map is in our preview.
SOUTH DELRIDGE FARMERS MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the twice-monthly market is in session at Hope Academy (9421 18th SW).
WEST SEATTLE ROCK & GEM SHOW: 10 am-5 pm today (and tomorrow) at Alki Masonic Hall (4735 40th SW). One highlight: “The World’s Fossils and Minerals is delighted to participate in the West Seattle Rock Club’s Gem & Mineral show.”
MORNING MUSIC: Marco de Carvalho and Friends, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
BENEFIT BASEBALL TOURNAMENT: West Seattle 10U Pee-Wee All-Stars tournament all weekend, with games 11 am-3:30 pm today – see the schedule here. Plus: “We would like to invite everyone to come down and support us by purchasing a meatball sub from Uncle Polly’s meatball cart in which Uncle Polly will be donating the funds to the WS Pee Wee baseball league.” UPDATE: Play starts at 1:15 pm because of post-rain field preps. (7226 12th SW)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: Open to visitors noon-3 pm, as noted here. (2234 SW Orchard)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society has reopened its museum on Alki, and you can visit noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)
WHITE CENTER PRIDE FESTIVAL The White Center Pride Street Festival is back! Vendor fair noon-6 pm. Entertainment until 11 pm – see the schedule here. Food and drink specials at participating WC establishments with a wristband – $15 in advance here, $20 at the festival.
WEST SEATTLE HS CAR SHOW: 1-4 pm in the school parking lot (3000 California SW), as previewed here. Non-competitive – just bring your car to show off!
FISH STICKS BASEBALL: See the DubSea Fish Sticks play the Redmond Dudes tonight at 6:05 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 107th), with advance tickets that you can buy here to benefit West Seattle Baseball.
EVENING MUSIC AT C & P: 7-9 pm, Roo Forrest and Friends perform at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
AT KENYON HALL: The Ray Skjelbred Trio performs at 7:30 pm at historic Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW):
The Ray Skjelbred Trio plays classic hot jazz, swing and blues inspired by music from Chicago in the 1920’s and 30’s. Each musician has many years’ experience and a strong historic sense of the music they set out to perform, as well as a sense of daring to explore new ideas in traditional forms.
Tickets are $15 adults, $10 seniors (55+) and students (6-18), kids 5 and under free. Email kenyon@kenyonhall.org to reserve ticket(s).
DRAG SHOW AT ADMIRAL PUB: Saturday’s the night for Dolly Madison‘s show at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), 9 pm.
Something to add, for today/tonight or beyond? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight: We reported on Monday that a man was arrested after a shoplift-turned-robbery at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged the suspect, 48-year-old Ryan R. Knake, with second-degree robbery. A store employee told police he had confronted Knake after seeing him hide a sandwich in a personal bag, and that, in response, Knake brandished a knife and said, “Do you wanna die?”, then held the knife toward employees as he left the store. Charging documents say police found him walking eastbound along the north side of the store, seeming to be distraught and in crisis. They arrested him and found the knife in his possession, according to the documents, which also say he threatened officers as they transported him to jail. Knake has no criminal convictions, prosecutors say, but this is his seventh jail booking in eight months; they requested $30,000 bail, and that’s what a judge set.
Thanks to a tip from reader Michael, we’ve learned the answer to a question many have been asking: What’s next for the former West 5 space at 4539 California SW in The Junction?
Answer: A bar/restaurant called Camp West.
We connected today with a member of the ownership team, Patrick Haight, who tells us he and his partners have plenty of local ties. More on them all in a moment. First, what will Camp West be? His explanation:
Camp West will be 21+ and a Camping’esque theme inside. We will have a full bar with a wide range of spirits and signature cocktails with fun Camping names like “The one-eyed Squirrel,” “The rabid Raccoon,” “Snorting Elk,” and “The Airstream Cooler.” The food menu is still in development and will not be of one particular genre. The menu will offer a range of items to choose from that don’t all fit into one particular category. We are conscious of the neighborhood’s establishments and hope to offer items you won’t necessarily see in the Junction. We are lucky to be working from a full kitchen to give us that flexibility, unlike our location in Tacoma, and able to creatively offer our guests some fun items and experiences. We will be bringing our signature S’mores to this location, where you can roast your own s’mores at the table and a myriad of chocolate options to choose from to smoosh that Sammich together.
“Our location in Tacoma” is The Camp Bar, which Haight opened in 2017 along with Nuri Aydinel, another Camp West co-owner. Aydinel also is co-owner/co-founder of Kizuki Ramen and Izakaya in The Junction and 18 other locations (around Puget Sound and in Chicago). Haight has “been in and out of West Seattle for the past 50+ years” – his mom grew up here and he has a house here though he lives in the South Sound. His hospitality background includes being the GM for Tini Bigs/Hula Hula/Watertown at the bottom of Queen Anne for 17 years, being part-owner of a club in the early ’90s called the “Weathered Wall” near the Westin Hotel, and working as Food and Beverage Manager for Snoqualmie Casino until 2015 after opening it in 2008. He is the co-author of a cocktail book called “Tini Bigs, Big Martinis” and an award-winning cocktail creator.
As for the West 5 ties, another Camp West co-owner, Toni UY, was its general manager for 15 years, Haight says she “left West 5 to pursue other opportunities outside of the food and beverage industry and realized she missed the daily interaction with her customers and fellow merchants in the neighborhood. She will be the GM and part-owner of the restaurant and will carry the reputation she has had for 15 years doing business in the Junction, where she has cultivated many relationships and friendships.”
We asked Haight what kind of changes they’d be making to the space. He says, “The general layout will be similar to its former occupant, but we will have more booth seating vs stand-up tables. We absolutely love the bar that already exists and plan on keeping it with some slight design modifications to fit our camping theme, since it’s a focal part of this beautiful space. Inside will have a refined NW camping experience, from hanging hammocks, tent-style barriers, etc., to sage-colored walls that are organic and calming, some greenery to make you feel less inside and more outside.”
The big question – when do they hope to open? “We are planning on a tentative opening date in September. With supply issues on some equipment and fixtures, and the dozens of other items that need to be made, and ordered, and delivery of such items will dictate if we are close or not to opening. We also plan on holding a series of walk-in hiring days, a few weeks before we open, so we can begin to build our family of Camp Counselors.”
5:34 PM: Big Seattle Fire “vault-fire response” is headed for the 7700 block of Delridge Way SW. Sparks and smoke are reported to be coming from beneath a concrete slab at a “new construction” site. Police are being dispatched to help direct traffic in the area. Updates to come.
5:42 PM: Per dispatch, northbound Delridge traffic will be diverted at SW Kenyon.
5:49 PM: Update from our crew – Delridge is completely blocked from Holden to Kenyon. SFD is still investigating the electrical problem that is causing this. Our crew reports “popping” is audible and there’s a strong unpleasant smell. No report of injuries; nearby residences have been evacuated while they sort this out. … The 120 bus is being rerouted, too.
6:42 PM: Seattle City Light has shut off electricity and is now in charge of investigating the problem. Seattle Fire units have departed.
5:33 PM FRIDAY: Thanks for the tips. A child was injured in a collision at 42nd/Admiral just after 4 pm. The scene was clear before we heard about it but we’ve pieced together some information – she was reported to be “conscious and alert” as medics checked her out. We have an inquiry out to SFD to find out more.
10;19 PM SATURDAY: Just heard back from SFD. The victim is an 11-year-old girl hit while riding a bicycle. She was in stable condition when taken to the hospital.
4:26 PM: If you don’t mind whale-watching in the rain, Kersti Muul just sent word that orcas are headed southbound in Puget Sound, crossing the mouth of Elliott Bay, south of West Point.
5:29 PM: Kersti reports via the comment section that they’re in the Bainbridge ferry lanes, closer to the Bainbridge side.
(Seattle Parks photo)
After seven month of work, West Seattle’s only off-leash area is reopening today. Seattle Parks announced early this afternoon that the Westcrest Park OLA would reopen by the end of the day – if it’s not open already (we won’t get to go look for a few hours). The drainage work that has had the area closed since November is detailed here. Today’s announcement says some work remains, however:
There are a few work items that will be completed after reopening due to shipment delays and construction sequence:
-Installation of (1) new accessible picnic table. The contractor will close off individual areas to install the benches once they arrive.
-Restoration of the temporary off-leash area near p-patch. Fencing around this area will stay up for the contractor to restore this area with soil amendment, hydroseed and allow for lawn establishment.
We have also kept temporary fencing around two newly seeded lawn areas in the main off-leash area for lawn establishment. Fencing will be taken down once the lawn has established vigorous growth.
As noted here earlier this week, another Westcrest project – play-structure replacement – isn’t expected until fall.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
West Seattle’s only charter school, Summit Atlas in Arbor Heights, has graduated its second class of 12th-graders. A ceremony last night at South Seattle College‘s Brockey Center celebrated the 33 members of the Summit Atlas Class of 2022. Student speakers included Maka Yusuf, Steisy Leon, and Wilder Roff:
The class’s mentors, Sr. Perez and Ms. Smith, presented diplomas:
And Grupo Folklorico Citlali, featuring Class of 2022 member Angelina Gonzalez, performed:
Summit Atlas’s high-school executive director is Dan Effland:
Three more high-school graduations are ahead in West Seattle – the last Seattle Lutheran HS commencement tonight, Chief Sealth IHS and West Seattle HS on Monday.
“No Parking” signs are up at our area’s longest-running RV encampment site, SW Andover between 26th and 28th. The signs are marked for June 14-17 – next Tuesday through Friday – which fits the range previously announced for the next planned “remediation.” What remains to be seen is whether the “No Parking” order will be enforced this time; signs have gone up for the last two cleanups, in December and April, but the RVs didn’t move (aside from one photographed by a reader in December, being taken away on a flatbed). City Councilmember Lisa Herbold had said she planned a meeting with the mayor’s office “to discuss planned enforcement of the 72-hour parking rule at this location.” We have inquiries out for more details on next week’s plan.
(Thursday’s sunset sunbreak, photographed by Jan Pendergrass)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
DISCOVERY SHOP’S BIG SALE: Nonprofit Junction shop benefiting the American Cancer Society has a 50 percent discount storewide sale today and Saturday. Open 10 am-4:30 pm today. (4535 California SW)
‘BUY A MEAL, GIVE A MEAL’: 10 am-3:30 pm, Chef Gino Williamson of The Home Skillit is selling food outside Roxy’s (2823 SW Roxbury) again today to raise money for meals he and his daughter will be serving to unsheltered people downtown this weekend – here’s the flyer.
DONUT FUNDRAISER: 3:45-4:30 pm, the Madison Middle School PTSA will be back outside the school (3429 45th SW) selling Krispy Kreme donuts by the dozen as a fundraiser.
TASTING: 4-6 pm at West Seattle Liquor and Wine (4714 42nd SW; WSB sponsor), a single-malt whiskey tasting – you’re invited “to experience the new innovative whiskey from Seattle’s own Westland Distillery.”
AFTER-SCHOOL MAGIC LEAGUE: 4-6 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), open to all 12+ interested in Magic: The Gathering.
SONGWRITERS’ SHOWCASE: Monthly musical event at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7 pm. No cover, all ages.
GRADUATION: The ceremony for Seattle Lutheran High School‘s final graduating class is at 7:30 pm in the school gym (4100 SW Genesee).
BENEFIT SHOW: $5 of each $15 ticket for tonight’s 8 pm show at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) goes to Children’s Hospital. Performing are Wesley of the Wolves, Night of Al, Oliver Amatist, Shawn Rose.
Have an event for our calendar/daily lists? We’re adding more daily – email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
This is the second weekend of the short summer season for the DubSea Fish Sticks, playing at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center. If you’re up for going to tomorrow night’s game, you can buy tickets through a special link and do some good for the youth players of West Seattle Baseball! The Fish Sticks face the Redmond Dudes at 6:05 pm Saturday (June 11th) and you can get those special tickets right now by going here.
6:01 AM: Good morning; welcome to Friday, June 10th.
WEATHER
Rain is expected again at times today, with a warmer high, maybe back into the 70s.
ROAD WORK, TODAY + THE WEEKEND
Today – Seattle Public Utilities‘ pavement-restoration work at California/Myrtle continues.
This weekend – Three advisories from SDOT:
Saturday afternoon between noon and 5 PM, we’ll be striping travel lanes at 17th and SW Henderson St. We’ll be extending two crosswalks, installing bike markings, and painting barriers in addition to sign work. Please anticipate short-term traffic delays as you navigate the area.
On Saturday and Sunday, we’ll be working on a walkway extension on Sylvan Way SW between SW Holly St and Sylvan Heights Dr. This work is scheduled to begin as early as 7 AM through 5 PM on both days. Our trucks will be entering and exiting the roadway as we complete this work. Please anticipate slowdowns in the area.
On Sunday, we will be doing some maintenance work on Dumar Way SW and SW Orchard St. We will begin this work as early as 8 AM and conclude by 4 PM. There will be minimal traffic impacts; however, you may see our crews in the area.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES
Metro is on its regular weekday schedule; watch @kcmetroalerts for word of reroutes/trip cancellations.
The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular schedule.
Ferries: WSF continues on the two-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. Check here for alerts/updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
810th morning without the West Seattle Bridge, and it looks like we’ll hit ~900 before it reopens.
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
1st Avenue South Bridge:
South Park Bridge:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way (one of four new cameras!):
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are tweeted by @wsdot_traffic.
All city traffic cams can be seen here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
Keep an eye out for Jordan‘s pickup truck:
Our truck was stolen last night from the street in front of our house on 16th Ave SW near South Seattle College. It’s a red 1997 Ford Ranger, with a white canopy with stickers on it.
Plates are B19866L, and the police report is 22-146801.
In the past hour and a half, firefighters have been working to extinguish a fire at a house near 32nd SW and SW Juneau in High Point. SFD says one person was home at the time and got out OK, but one firefighter suffered what are described as “minor injuries.” Some of the initial large response has been dismissed, but the incident log shows 10 units still on scene, including fire investigators working to find out how this started.
4:12 PM: Just announced by SDOT: The West Seattle Bridge is expected to reopen in September. From the written version of the announcement made during the Community Task Force meeting:
“We expect the West Seattle Bridge to be open to traffic during the week of September 12. Sharing that today is a relief since our focus has always been on safely getting everyone back on the bridge ASAP. It’s been hard having to wait for this update, but we did need to get through the concrete work to understand exactly where we were schedule-wise. Thank you for being so patient, Seattle,” SDOT Program Manager Heather Marx said.
The disruptions caused by the regional concrete strike have had an ongoing impact on the project schedule. SDOT’s construction contractor originally planned to begin pouring concrete at the beginning of the year, but ultimately had to wait until mid-April to start pouring the structural concrete, which is essential to strengthening the bridge. Today’s announced schedule shift is about equal in length to the extra time spent waiting for concrete to arrive.
During the concrete strike, SDOT adjusted the sequence of work activities to minimize delays and keep the project moving forward in other ways. Crews never stopped working to repair and strengthen the bridge, and continued working on epoxy injections and carbon fiber wrapping during the wait for concrete.
Specialized structural concrete is an essential part of the plan to strengthen the bridge. Crews finished pouring structural concrete on May 26, 2022 and it takes 28 days for the concrete to fully harden and become strong enough to hold the 20 million pounds of force associated with the new post-tensioning system. Crews are currently in the process of installing ducts and threading steel cables through the concrete blocks, but must wait for the concrete to finish hardening before they can tighten these cables to strengthen the bridge and prevent future cracking.
Since the final structural concrete pour was completed, SDOT has worked with the construction contractor to finalize the sequence of the remaining work. SDOT will continue to hold its construction contractor accountable to meet their updated timeframe. Remaining repairs for completion of the project require challenging and complex work. SDOT released a tentative schedule today in the interest of transparency, and stressed that a project of this scale may still encounter additional unforeseen challenges outside the City’s control. SDOT will continue to provide ongoing construction updates and notify the public if the schedule changes. …
Final repairs to the bridge include three key repair procedures: epoxy injections to fill cracks, carbon-fiber wrapping to add strength, and post-tensioning with steel cables to compress the concrete.
After the post-tensioning is complete, crews will complete a final round of epoxy crack injections and carbon-fiber wrapping. They will also complete other work to prepare the bridge for reopening to traffic. This work includes replacing expansion joints, restoring the road by closing crew access holes, replacing overhead signs, replacing concrete panels east of 35th Ave SW, installing a concrete overlay on the Fauntleroy Expressway, and removing detours and adjusting traffic signals in West Seattle.
If this timeline holds, the bridge will reopen after 2 1/2 years of closure, dating back to its shutdown – with only a few hours of advance notice to the public – on March 23, 2020. Three weeks later, SDOT warned the bridge wouldn’t reopen before 2022. Seven months after that, then-Mayor Jenny Durkan announced her decision to proceed with repairing rather than replacing the bridge. Stabilization work had already been done; one year after the mayor’s announcement, “final repairs” began.
Below, our continuing coverage of the Community Task Force meeting at which today’s announcement was made:
======================
4:01 PM, MEETING BEGINS: Two years and two and a half months after the West Seattle Bridge‘s emergency closure began, its end may finally be in sight. We’re expecting news of a reopening date during the Community Task Force meeting that’s just under way – we’ll be chronicling the meeting live below this video window you can use to watch:
The meeting began with a mention of two traffic deaths in West Seattle and SODO last month. Task Force co-chair Greg Nickels then offered reflections, and thanks, noting it’s been two years since then-Mayor Jenny Durkan convened the advisory group. He talked about the group’s advocacy for ensuring people in need of life-saving medical treatment could use the low bridge – noting he and his wife Sharon Nickels needed that as she underwent months of cancer treatment.
SDOT interim director Kristen Simpson also offered gratitude to the CTF members.
4:11 PM: Bridge program director Heather Marx says the bridge will is expected to reopen “the week of September 12th.” We’ve now added the written announcement above, but will continue chronicling the meeting here. She says “structural concrete curing,” epoxy injection, carbon-fiber wrapping, post-tensioning, and other work remains. “A precise date” is expected with one month’s notice, Marx says. She warns there are still risks to even that schedule.
4:17 PM: City Councilmember Lisa Herbold asks if there’s any way the bridge could open sooner – like, before school starts. Marx says the bridge crews “are already working 60 hours a week” so adding to that isn’t feasible, but they’re looking at other options. How’s the falcon nest doing? asks CTF member Deb Barker. Fine, says Marx.
Next, CTF member Dan Austin says he’s astonished (not in a good way) by the September date. Marx tries to explain that the delay, saying, “When I heard September, my heart sank.”
4:28 PM: CTF member Anne Higuera says this would still be in the third quarter, and she’s OK with that. Marx warns that “schedules are malleable” and “this might still be something of a roller-coaster in the next few months.” Then she goes into a recap of what’s been done so far and what’s yet to be done.
4:38 PM: Now on to the low bridge, which also has repair work planned. Some closures are anticipated, no dates yet. Marx also reiterated that low-bridge restrictions will be lifted once the high bridge reopens. She also discussed the sequencing of testing and finishing touches at the end of the process. “The bridge you’re getting back is going to be better,” she insisted. … What kind of monitoring is planned in the future? she was asked. “The bridge is (now) all wired up,” Marx noted, adding “it’s a little more expensive taking care of a repaired bridge than a new bridge” – more repainting will be needed, because some of the repair components are UV-sensitive, for example. That’ll require financial support for more bridge maintenance, it was noted.
4:51 PM: Co-chair Nickels notes that this remains the last scheduled meeting of the CTF, though the bridge won’t be reopening for (at least) three months – unless something major happens. He mentions there’ll be some kind of ribboncutting before it reopens (that would be separate from the celebration that a community coalition’s been planning). Co-chair Paulina López offers her reflections too, asking CTF members to share their thoughts on how their part of the process has gone.
5:06 PM: What ensued was more a round of thanks and acknowledgments, and now the meeting is over. Bottom line again: SDOT does not expect the bridge to reopen before “the week of September 12th.”
Our area’s largest political group finished its pre-primary endorsements last night, but voting members didn’t have a clear choice in this year’s biggest local race, so that wound up with a dual endorsement: Two Democrats are among the three candidates seeking to succeed State House Rep. Eileen Cody, and after three rounds of voting last night, the 34th DDs had endorsed both of them, Emily Alvarado and Leah Griffin. The group’s rules reauire 60 percent approval for an endorsement, and while Griffin came close — 58% on the first ballot – that wasn’t enough. Two other contested races went to multiple ballots, both Seattle Municipal Court judgeships; Position #7 resulted in a sole endorsement for incumbent Judge Damon Shadid, while Position #3 ended up in a dual endorsement. The 34th DDs also endorsed a slate of candidates on a unanimous vote, pulling out one of those candidates – Leesa Manion, the West Seattleite running for King County Prosecutor – for a standalone vote, also a unanimous endorsement. The online meeting was attended by more than 100 people, with just under 90 voting. The primary election is Tuesday, August 2nd.
Thanks for the tips. One of West Seattle’s most visible tent-encampment sites, at Rotary Viewpoint Park (35th/Alaska), has been swept, the city confirms, saying campsites at nearby West Seattle Stadium were swept too. This notice was still up on a pole by Rotary Viewpoint Park when we went over Wednesday for a look:
Several tents had been in view around the park’s totem-pole plaza for at least the past several months, but as of yesterday, they were all gone:
The grassy area around the plaza had a few obviously cleared spots in view:
The question is, what kind of notice did people living at the park get? Keith Hughes, who runs West Seattle’s only severe-weather shelter barely a block away, says the park’s residents did not get notice: “No prior notice posted. No warning on the day of. No first thing in the morning while the residents are there to gather their personal belongings. Middle of the day. More police on site than residents – suddenly the police have nothing to do?? – No offers of alternative shelters/living spaces for their stuff to be moved to. Just everything confiscated and thrown into compacting type garbage trucks and hauled away, and huge red ‘Park Closed’ signs put up.”
The city says it did give notice. We sought comment yesterday and received this statement from Seattle Parks and Recreation this morning (published below exactly as received – we are asking for clarification on the notice date, as Monday was June 6th, not 3rd; 6/3 is the date on the notice we showed above, but we have no independent verification of when it was actually posted):
On Monday, June 3, 2022, the City posted a notice at West Seattle Stadium (4 tents) and Rotary Viewpoint (1 tent) that all personal items must be removed by June 7, 2022, when tent obstructions were removed.
The HOPE Team, a City of Seattle program within the Human Services Department that coordinates homelessness outreach and referrals to shelter, and outreach providers intensified outreach to these two locations to connect those residing onsite with offers of shelter and services. They began visiting these sites on May 26 and visited several other times leading up to the removal.
On the day of the removal, the HOPE Team identified four people experiencing homelessness onsite, all were offered shelter, and resulting in three referrals to 24/7 enhanced shelter options.
Any personal items remaining on June 7, 2022, were stored per City policy. People can retrieve their items by calling 206-459-9949, and we will work with individuals to make arrangements for delivery.
Though the city statement says one tent was at the viewpoint, we’ve consistently noted a higher number when driving by in recent months. Meantime, this sweep came exactly one week after Mayor Bruce Harrell went public with a new “dashboard” for data including “verified” and “closed” RV and tent encampments; it’s clearly missing some West Seattle sites but lists a “tent encampment” at Roxhill Park as having been swept last month.
Several people asked about a SWAT-type response early Wednesday morning in the 38th/Juneau vicinity – described by one neighbor as including bullhorn announcements and at least one flashbang explosion. The scene had cleared by the time we got to there, and it took a while to run down some information since it wasn’t a Seattle Police case, but we have a bit today. A spokesperson for Renton Police confirms theirs was the lead agency, and that it was a warrant service. The person for whom the warrant had been issued, in a drug case, was arrested. We don’t know their status – though we’re trying to find out – but did want to let you know what we had learned so far.
First on our list today, the biggest event:
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE UPDATE: Will we hear a reopening date, or just an update on progress toward one? A “timeline update” is promised during what’s expected to be the final meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, online starting at 4 pm – here’s the livestream link; here’s the agenda. We will of course be covering it live here.
Here’s what else is happening this morning/afternoon/evening:
‘BUY A MEAL, GIVE A MEAL’: 11 am-8 pm, Chef Gino Williamson of The Home Skillit is selling food outside Roxy’s (2823 SW Roxbury) to raise money for meals he’ll be serving to unsheltered people downtown this weekend – here’s the flyer.
PRIDE MONTH WORKSHOP: 4-6 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon):
This special presentation and Q&A led by GenPride will include an overview of gender, gender identity and respectful language/personal pronouns used with the trans and non-binary community. Learn about 2SLGBTQIA+ people through personal storytelling and a historical context of the discrimination that this community has faced.
Call 206-932-4044 (extension 1).
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: 5-9 pm, dozens of venues are offering art and/or food-and-drink specials, for this month’s second-Thursday West Seattle Art Walk. Here’s the list, as featured in our preview earlier this week:
Preview many of tonight’s featured artists on the WSAW website!
THE ART OF MUSIC: During tonight’s Art Walk, two free live musical performances will be featured, both 6 pm-7:40 pm – see Sue Quigley at KeyBank Plaza (California/Alaska) in The Junction and Paul Gerard at West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW in North Admiral).
GRADUATION: The first of four West Seattle high-school-commencement ceremonies in four nights – 12th-graders from Summit Atlas in Arbor Heights will graduate at 6 pm at Brockey Center on the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
BOARD GAME NIGHT: Come try something new at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), 6:30-10 pm.
PIANO PERFORMANCE: 7 pm at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), Bettie Spangenburg plays piano. 21+, no cover.
OPEN MIC: 7 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
BINGO! 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), Richard Moore hosts “the sassiest bingo party” around. Free to play.
If you have an event for our calendar/daily lists, please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Photo courtesy Madison MS PTSA)
Outside Madison Middle School, it’ll be a temporary donut shop for a while tomorrow – the Madison PTSA is again selling Krispy Kreme donuts as a fundraiser. They’ll be sold by the dozen between 8:15 am and 9 am, and again 3:45 pm-4:30 pm on Friday (June 10th), $15/dozen, cash preferred. The school is at 3429 45th SW.
6 AM: Good morning; welcome to Thursday, June 9th.
WEATHER
Rain returns today, and the high is expected to drop into the 60s.
ROAD WORK
*Seattle Public Utilities‘ pavement-restoration work at California/Myrtle continues.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES
Metro is on its regular weekday schedule; watch @kcmetroalerts for word of reroutes/trip cancellations.
The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular schedule.
Ferries: WSF continues on the two-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. Check here for alerts/updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
809th morning without the West Seattle Bridge, but later today we expect an update on the reopening timeline.
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
1st Avenue South Bridge:
South Park Bridge:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way (one of four new cameras!):
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are tweeted by @wsdot_traffic.
All city traffic cams can be seen here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
Last Saturday, our highlight list included a guided hike for National Trails Day. Judy Bentley shares this report, with photos, on how it went, and what’s next:
Forest restoration expert Steve Richmond led 25 hikers on trails through the Puget Creek watershed Saturday, June 4, on National Trails Day. Richmond has lived on Puget Ridge for 60 years and worked to bring the creek and its health to the community’s attention. He has motivated countless work parties spanning several decades.
The walk highlighted the origins of the creek near Puget Ridge Edible Park at 18th Ave. SW and Brandon Street to its undergrounding near the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center on West Marginal Way. Sponsored by the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group, the event highlighted efforts to maintain the health of the creek and its watershed. Joanna Florer talked about water quality monitoring of the creek.
Hikers came from as far away as Snoqualmie (the West Seattle Blog reaches far) for the event. The West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group has resumed Saturday guided hikes in the greenbelt this summer. The next is Saturday, July 2, an exploration of tribal uses of native plants found in the greenbelt. Check wdgtrails.wordpress.com for more information.
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