By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Tomorrow, West Seattle soccer fans will get their first look at the new pre-professional soccer team Rhodies FC, and you’re invited to March to the Match, too.

Named for the Rhododendron flower, to represent a commitment to community and strength, The Rhodies will make their home debut Sunday at 2 pm against Ballard’s Salmon Bay FC. The Rhodies are affiliated with West Seattle Junction FC, which made its own debut a year ago, following a trend of growth for pre-professional soccer across the last several years.

As a new USL W League team, the Rhodies are joining an ever-expanding network of almost 100 clubs across the country, since the league’s inaugural season in 2022.

(Rhodies Head Coach Lyndsey Patterson at a recent training session – photo by Erik Sandvik @slow_snaps)

The Rhodies’ head coach is Lyndsey Patterson, a 24-year veteran of women’s soccer with experience coaching at University of Tennessee and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a professional career spanning seven years, including time with Seattle Reign FC and Seattle Sounders Women.

The ties to West Seattle Junction FC, the Rhodies are embedded in the community. According to their website, “Just as Rhododendrons thrive in clusters, our strength lies in unity. We are deeply connected to West Seattle, committed to building relationships that strengthen our local soccer culture and bring people together.”

The Rhodies’ home field is Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). Fans are invited to get there via a family-friendly March to the Match ahead of time, from EC Hughes Playground a few blocks north. Here’s the plan:

Participating in the march and its adjacent activities is free, but tickets will be required to watch the Rhodies play. They are available online here. Tomorrow is one of five home matches on the Rhodies’ inaugural schedule.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Westbound bridge’s west end reopened

May 17, 2025 5:43 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

5:43 PM: Traffic headed toward the west end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge is being detoured onto Admiral. We are not seeing any current crash reports but a reader did note that jersey barriers in the area were out of place earlier.

6:02 PM: Checking the live camera, westbound traffic is flowing to the Fauntleroy end of the bridge, so the blockage/closure is over.

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CONTINUING SUNDAY: Peony Festival 2025 at Seattle Chinese Garden

May 17, 2025 4:45 pm

| 0 COMMENTS

| Puget Ridge | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

WSB PHOTOS BY DAVE GERSHGORN

The first day of this year’s Peony Festival at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north end of the South Seattle College campus drew more visitors than you might expect on a gray, showery day. But this was the day for performances and demonstrations, like grounds manager Julian Leung demonstrating Tai Chi:

Flautist Michael serenaded festivalgoers:

You could make a paper peony, as Rhonda was doing:

Or photograph the festival’s namesake flower:

Enjoy tea:

Or just wander the garden, sightseeing, as we found Joshua, Sarah, and Juniper doing:

The festival continues 11 am-4 pm tomorrow. Admission to the gardens, on the north end of the campus at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge, is by donation.

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Remembrance, crime updates, housing policy, membership growth & more @ Fauntleroy Community Association’s May meeting

May 17, 2025 3:11 pm

| 0 COMMENTS

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Fauntleroy Community Association gathered for their May meeting on Tuesday night, featuring discussion about crime and safety, housing, recruiting new members and sharing remembrances of one of their own.

The public meeting was held in the packed front room of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, with FCA president Frank Immel facilitating.

REMEMBERING MIKE DEY: Members expressed heartfelt condolences regarding the loss of longtime FCA president Mike Dey, who died in April. The group shared memories of Mike, highlighting his significant contributions as a community leader, friend, and pillar of the neighborhood. His impact on the association and the community was deeply felt, and members acknowledged the ongoing grief and the challenge of moving forward in his absence. Dey’s wife Susan Lantz-Dey was also praised for her partnership and significant contributions. Immel called Dey a dear friend and said FCA meant so much to him, and that “we have to figure out a way forward without him; his legacy will live on.”

CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SAFETY: Joining the meeting remotely was SPD’s Jennifer Satterwhite, Crime Prevention Coordinator from the Southwest Precinct, who presented a recent batch of crime statistics for the area, saying that overall “the numbers look great.”

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: First day of 2025 for Delridge Farmers’ Market

May 17, 2025 1:03 pm

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| Delridge | West Seattle news

The Delridge Farmers’ Market is back! As previewed here, the Saturday market presented by African Community Housing and Development has returned to the courtyard of Hope Academy (9421 18th SW). More than two dozen vendors are there today, about a fourth of them farmers like Masra from Coyote Run in the Sammamish Valley:

If you like salad, check out his tables:

He’ll be back in two weeks with more, including pea vines and lettuce. Rotation is part of Delridge Farmers’ Market’s secret sauce – more than 60 vendors are on the list for this season. Today, they also include Jeanne from Bahati Farm in Kent:

Her greens include deep-purple lettuce:

Despite the drippy weather, this BIPOC-vendor-focused market was bustling. The layout includes covered table areas where you can sit and enjoy the fresh-cooked food you’ll find at some stands – beverages too, with coffee and tea providers. Some vendors are along the sidewalk bordering 18th SW (like Akio’s Bakery, with offerings including miso chocolate chip cookies). And if you can’t get there before closing time today, make plans for next Saturday (May 24), when the market will officially celebrate the new season with a ribboncutting ceremony at 10 am.

P.S. Besides the merits of what the growers and vendors are selling, DFM suggests reasons to support the market include its buyback program for any merchandise that hasn’t been purchased by closing time, and the fact ACHD does not take a percentage – the sellers keep all their proceeds.

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West Seattle Democratic Women to host all three 34th District state legislators

May 17, 2025 11:22 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

While the City Council gets much of the elected-official attention, state legislators are the ones with the power to make many types of laws that affect you. All three of our state’s legislators, House Reps. Joe Fitzgibbon and Brianna Thomas, and State Sen. Emily Alvarado, are scheduled to speak with the West Seattle Democratic Women at the group’s next meeting, 5 pm Thursday (May 22), and all are welcome. This is their first public joint appearance in West Seattle since the Legislature’s adjournment. Since the WSDW has dinner meetings (at the West Seattle Golf Course, 4470 35th SW), RSVPs are requested well in advance, but you can also email them to ask about attendance without dinner – all that info is in our calendar listing.

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WEST SEATTLE SATURDAY: 32 notes!

May 17, 2025 6:03 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Jerry Simmons)

Here’s your list of West Seattle happenings – mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CLEANUP: Start signing up at Mission Cantina (2325 California SW) at 8:30 am to find out how you can be part of the 9 am-noon cleanup; don’t worry if you can’t stay all three hours, whatever time you can give is perfect!

SATURDAY GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) at 8 am for the free weekly group run. (And congratulate WSR on their “Business of the Year” Westside Award!)

MURAL PAINTING: 9 am-3 pm, community help is invited as a mural is painted on a breezeway at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) – details in our preview.

HEAVILY MEDITATED: Free community meditation, 9 am at Inner Alchemy‘s sanctuary/studio (3618 SW Alaska).

WEST DUWAMISH GREENBELT HIKE: Free guided hike! Meet at 9:30 am at the Arboretum on the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.

REPAIR EVENT: Got something that needs fixing? First-come first-served event 9:30 am-12:30 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park Fieldhouse (1321 SW 102nd, White Center).

INTRODUCTORY WALK: First of two sequential weekly walking events – meeting at the same spot, 47th/Fauntleroy, first at 9:30 am for a flat-terrain 1-mile walk.

WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: The second event is this walk in which you can participate regardless of whether you were on the introductory stroll. Meet at 47th/Fauntleroy.

DELRIDGE FARMERS’ MARKET: First day of the year! 10 am-2 pm, Saturdays through October, at Hope Academy (9421 18th SW). Here’s our preview.

MASTER GARDENERS: They’re out again in the community, ready to answer your questions! Saturdays this spring and summer, they’re at The Home Depot (7345 Delridge Way SW), 10 am-2 pm.

MORNING MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Jon Wall performs uke and harmonica music.

FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am – “This is a free, weekly, in-person active writing group grounded in the Amherst Writers and Artists method. It is a safe, critique-free space. Writers of all levels welcome, 16 and up.” Our calendar listing has location and RSVP info.

THE CREATIVE BLEND: Meetup with Tamika Jamison to talk coffee and creativity, books and brews, 10:30 am at Dubsea Coffee (9910 8th SW).

FAMILY STORY TIME: Canceled at High Point Library this week.

PEONY FESTIVAL: 11 am-4 pm both days this weekend at the Seattle Chinese Garden (north end of South Seattle College campus, 6000 16th SW) – performances today only; our calendar listing has the schedule link.

FAMILY READING TIME: At Paper Boat Booksellers, 11 am family reading time. (4522 California SW)

WEST SEATTLE 5K PACKET PICKUP: Registered for tomorrow’s big run/walk before this past Thursday? You can pick up your packet/bib between noon and 5 pm today at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor).

(add) BEE FEST: Organizers had said this would be a small neighborhood-only event this year, but this morning have decided to extend the invitation to everyone to stop by:

12-3 pm, West Seattle Bee Garden in High Point. Come learn about the honey bees and native bees with demonstration hives, chat with Tilth Alliance, Master Gardeners and other community partners, and enjoy some family friendly activities in the High Point Bee Garden. (3108 SW Graham)

SECOND WEEKEND FOR COLMAN POOL: The heated salt-water outdoor pool at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is open today to start the second of six preseason weekends, noon-7 pm, with four hour-and-a-half swim sessions, each half lap swimming and half open swim – see the schedule here.

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN: Explore the present and past at the home of West Seattle history, open for your visit, noon-4 pm – see the newest exhibit, about the West Duwamish Greenbelt! (61st/Stevens)

VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER OPEN: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2236 SW Orchard)

VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM/WINE BAR: Tasting room open – wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).

DISASTERS DON’T WAIT! That’s why you should spend a little time today exploring preparedness at a free Ready Freddy Prep Party, 1 pm at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW).

PET-A-PUP: Meet adoptable German Shepherd puppies at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), 2-5 pm.

VINTAGE CLOTHING POP-UP: 2-5:30 pm, vintage-clothing pop-up at The Locöl Kitchen & Bar (7902 35th SW) with Holly Main Vintage.

FREE MASSAGE: Walk into Nepenthe (9447 35th SW) 3-5 pm for short, specific free massage.

BASEBALL: West Seattle HS plays Ballard for the Metro League championship at 4 pm, Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd).

LIVE AT C & P COFFEE: 6-8 pm, Roo Forrest & Friends perform, no cover, all ages, at C & P (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).

MOONGIRL AT ALKI ARTS: Intimate concert with Moongirl, 6-8 pm in the gallery, donation at the door. (6032 California SW)

MASSY FERGUSON LIVE AT EASY STREET: 7 pm at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW), free, all ages.

REVELRY ROOM DJ: Saturday spinning starts at 9 pm – tonight it’s DJ Topspin at Revelry Room. (4547 California SW).

KARAOKE AT TALARICO’S: Saturday night singing, 10 pm at Talarico’s Pizzeria. (4718 California SW)

Got a West Seattle event coming up? If community members are welcome, your event is welcome on our calendar! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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SOFTBALL: Chief Sealth IHS team plays again today after Friday night district-tournament win

May 17, 2025 2:41 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Chief Sealth International High School softball team cruised to a 22-4 victory over Tukwila’s Foster High School 22-4 on Friday night in the 2A District tournament at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex.

The Seahawks jumped out to a commanding 7-0 lead in the first inning, fueled by clutch hits by Maddie Moeller and Olivia Dunham (photo above), along with several defensive miscues by Foster. Sealth broke the game wide open in the second inning, starting with a lead-off triple by Allie Ohta (photo below).

The offensive onslaught continued with RBI doubles by Lauren Moore and Ava Boisoneau, powering the team to a 22-2 lead.

The Foster girls were never able to muster a serious threat as Seahawks starting pitcher Danica Thach (photo above) kept the Bulldogs’ hitters off-balance throughout the game.

With this win, the Sealth Seahawks keep their hopes of making the State Tournment alive. Coach Breena Belgarde said, “We’re excited. We’re focused on playing one game at a time and taking our team as far as we can go.”

The team’s next game is scheduled for 1:00 pm today (Saturday, May 17) at Juanita High School in Kirkland, where they will face the winner of the 11 am game between Nathan Hale and Evergreen (White Center).

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Three more investigations – 7-Eleven robbery, two possible gunfire incidents

May 16, 2025 11:54 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

It’s continued to be a busy night for West Seattle police. Right now they’re at one confirmed incident 0 the 16th/Holden 7-Eleven, was reported to have been robbed a short time ago. No weapons, but the robbers got away with “many bottles of alcohol” and cash. Description for all three: Black, male, 16-20, face masks, dark clothing.

Police are also still looking for evidence that would confirm gunfire in either or both of two places where many people reported hearing it within the past hour – Arbor Heights and Lincoln Park. Officers have checked multiple potential locations in both but so far we haven’t heard any reports of them finding evidence (casings, property damage, injured people).

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BASEBALL: Chief Sealth IHS finishes second at district tournament. Next stop, state

May 16, 2025 9:52 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

WSB PHOTOS BY OLIVER HAMLIN
(Sealth 3B Brady Murphy tags out a runner)

ORIGINAL 9:52 PM SUMMARY: In an extra-inning heartbreaker at Steve Cox Memorial Park‘s Mel Olson Stadium, Chief Sealth IHS finished second in the District 2 2A baseball tournament moments ago. Nathan Hale defeated Chief Sealth 5-1, but the game was closer than the score reveals; the Seahawks had the lead 1-0 going into the seventh, then the Raiders tied it, and Hale blew it open in the top of the ninth. Details and photos to come; the Seahawks had already secured a state-playoff spot, so their season continues.

HIGHLIGHTS ADDED 12:30 AM: Sealth starting pitcher Sam Popelka (#7, above) had a shutout into the seventh, when, with one out, he gave up an RBI single that tied the game 1-1.

#11 Seth Clark took over in the eighth and got out of that inning unscathed, but then came the ninth. Toward the start of the game, Clark had a memorable battle against Hale starter PJ Sale (#5), battling to a full count and then some before finally drawing a walk.

First baseman Peter Sketchley hits an RBI single in the fourth inning to put the Seahawks ahead.[/caption]

Sealth’s Peter Sketchley (#23, above) had the Seahawks’ lone RBI, a single in the 4th, bringing in Brady Murphy (#14, below), who had originally gotten on base via a walk.

Sealth threatened to score more in the fourth, with two on after #2 Julian Reinhardt drew a walk, but #6 Graham Hull hit an infield fly and that ended the inning. Popelka’s pitching kept them close but Raiders pitcher Sale hung tough too, including getting himself out of a two-on-nobody-out jam in the sixth.

(CSIHS #5 Oliver Clark signals to the dugout after stealing second)

Both teams have at least a week off now, as opening-round games in the state tournament start on Saturday, May 24 – here’s the bracket that’ll be filled out when the matchups are set. According to Sealth athletic director and baseball head coach Ernest Policarpio, this is the Seahawks’ first trip to state in 40 years.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire in High Point

May 16, 2025 5:57 pm

| 32 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

5:57 PM: And another gunfire call, about an hour and a half after the one at 35th/Barton – this time on 29th SW in High Point; officers just confirmed to dispatch that they’ve found casings. Haven’t yet heard the exact block; as is usual with these situations, the initial reports came from multiple locations where people heard it. No injuries reported. A silver “newer Accord or Civic” might have been involved, with yellow paper tags.

9:45 PM: We have no further information, but multiple commenters say the gunfire happened on 30th, not 29th as officers/dispatch originally discussed.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire at 35th/Barton

May 16, 2025 4:37 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

4:37 PM: Thanks for the tip. Police are investigating gunfire at 35th/Barton. No injuries reported. Officers were just clearing the scene as we got here so we don’t yet know exactly where the casings were found but they were driving out of the 7-11 lot. Updates to come.

5:01 PM: Our original tipster tells us, “I was driving west on Barton and they had the eastbound lane blocked at 35th for a block. There were probably half a dozen markers on Barton and in the 7-11 parking lot close to the entrance on Barton.”

5:49 PM: Just checked original dispatch/officer audio. No other details aside from that the car was initially described as a black RAV-4 with tinted windows, and the shooting was done out of a passenger window; the driver then headed east on Barton. There was a later mention of a silver RAV-4 though it wasn’t clear whether that was a second car or not.

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Here’s what happened during the mayor’s mini-tour of Alki businesses

May 16, 2025 3:53 pm

| 19 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Mayor Bruce Harrell was so impressed by West Seattle Arcade during an Alki mini-tour today, he vowed to figure out how to better promote it and other beach businesses to the rest of the region – and even to tourists who visit Seattle from afar.

The arcade was one of four businesses Harrell visited during an invitation-only mini-tour that concluded with a Q&A gathering. We were invited to cover it, though the mayor’s staff set “no recording” as a requirement for sitting in on the gathering, so we don’t have video of that.

Harrell started his tour at Natalie’s on Alki, where Natalie’s son Vinny showed him how they make their popular drinks, including sugar-cane juice fresh-squeezed from cane grown, and imported from, a family farm in Vietnam.

Asked if they had any specific concerns with which the city could help, the Natalie’s team said no. But at the next stop, Fire Tacos, they expressed concerns about the bus stop/layover area right outside their restaurant’s front windows, blocking the view and leading to loitering.

While noting that Metro is a county, not city, system, Harrell promised to have his staff look into the stop-location situation. The restaurateurs also recalled a recent incident in which police had requested video from their security cameras’ outdoor views, and Harrell noted that the Real-Time Crime Center that’s about to launch will be able to utilize private cameras, with their owners’ consent: “We think that’s going to be a game-changer.”

Speaking of games, shortly thereafter, he was off to West Seattle Arcade, where the mayor talked with proprietors Elyssa and Matt Cichy and played two games, the Godzilla VR one shown above, and push-button basketball:

The Cichys asked the mayor to “keep Alki safe,” saying that crime/disorder is a major concern, while noting that their businesses – WS Arcade and Gary’s Place – were founded in no small part because they thought it important to give young people something to do. They also told him about working to keep their prices reasonable, after the mayor offered the unsolicited observation that an outside-the-city gaming business which shall go nameless seemed pretty pricey to him. He added that people should be coming to WS Arcade, and other Alki businesses, from all around the region, and cruise ships too. And he promised to return: “You’re going to see me back here with my posse.”

The mayor was then driven back eastward to the final stop, Christos on Alki, where invited business and community leaders were gathered, and City Councilmember Rob Saka sat with the mayor in the center of the room.

Unlike Saka’s High Point meeting on Wednesday night, this one was focused around giving attendees a chance to ask questions and make comments. Harrell declared that “supporting small businesses” was a priority. In addition to Alki businesspeople, those we recognized in the room included reps from Alki Community Council, Alki Beach Pride, A Cleaner Alki, Alki UCC, and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. City reps included deputy mayor Jessyn Farrell as well as reps from SPD and Seattle Parks.

The mayor opened by touting recent drops in crime stats. Those don’t tend to address street-disorder concerns, though, which were brought up by one businessperson, who asked Harrell if he would be willing to shut down Alki Avenue to vehicle traffic in the summer, to eliminate stunt driving. “Not really,” the mayor replied, then asking for a show of hands if anyone else favored the idea; we didn’t see any go up. Another crime/safety issue raised was the difficulty in getting through to the non-emergency line for reporting some situations; city reps said they’d look into that (though it’s been said elsewhere that they’re staffing up the call center after attrition problems), and the mayor suggested AI might be a solution. In another tech topic, Harrell was asked about gunshot detectors; he said he remains a supporter but the city’s budget woes are getting in the way.

Another major topic of concern was unlicensed vendors on Alki, blocking beach access and taking customers away from the year-round bricks-and-mortar businesses. It was pointed out that these are not small one-off cart operators, but rather well-organized multiple-tent entrepreneurs. Suggestions for making the area less attractive to them included landscaping the “grassy sand” areas of the beach and installing some accessible parking spaces.

Parks’ Jon Jainga (at right in photo above), whose portfolio includes the rangers, reminded everyone that summer changes, including Alki’s earlier closing time, start one week from tonight, and said the rangers would be working later too, with their days split into 9 am-7:30 pm and 2 pm-12:30 am shifts. He said the rangers will be empowered to give unpermitted vendors “cease and desist” letters telling them to move, and if they don’t, they’ll be able to call in police “for citations and removal.” If they simply move off Parks land and go onto right-of-way, SDOT will be contacted to deal with that, he added.

WHAT’S NEXT: We’ll be following up to see what happens with a couple of key things Harrell (who is running for re-election this year) promised that his staff would investigate – including promoting Alki businesses and possibly moving the bus stop/layover location at 61st/Alki.

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WEST SEATTLE SCHOOLS: Arbor Heights Elementary gets new principal for 2025-2026

May 16, 2025 1:59 pm

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| Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

This week Seattle Public Schools announced another group of principal appointments for next school year, and a new principal for Arbor Heights Elementary is among them: Lauren Porto will take over the school as of July. The announcement on the AHES website didn’t say much about her, aside from:

Principal Porto was selected through a formal interview process that included participation of staff, students, parents, and community. What stood out to the Arbor Heights interview team was her collaborative vision for Arbor Heights that is reflective of what the community has named as priorities, along with her expertise with inclusionary practices and special education.

Nooria Miskell has been serving as interim principal of AHES this year, after the departure of Christy Collins, who led the school for more than a decade. Future principal Porto is currently assistant principal of an elementary school in the Renton School District.

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BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Total Wine & More announces Westwood Village opening date

May 16, 2025 12:01 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

Thanks for the tip! We’ve just gone over to Westwood Village to confirm it and get a photo – Total Wine & More, in the northeast corner of the center, has posted its opening date and time: 9 am Friday, May 30. We have been tracking the development of the store, in the former Staples space, since first discovering the plan in city permit files 13 months ago. More info to come …

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Junction Wine Walk, West Seattle Community Orchestras’ free concert, more for your Friday

May 16, 2025 9:54 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s our Friday highlights list, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SPECIAL SALE: All week, 10 am-2 pm daily (ending today), The Mount’s thrift shop Emilie’s Treasures has been having a special sale – details in our calendar listing. (4831 35th SW)

STAY ‘N’ PLAY: 10 am-11:30 am open gym for little kids is back at Arbor Heights Community Church (4113 SW 102nd).

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: The center (a WSB sponsor) is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.

QI GONG AT VIVA ARTS: Fridays at 12:15 pm – info in our calendar listing. (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW)

WEST SEATTLE WINE WALK: The West Seattle Junction Association says online ticket sales are over for tonight’s sip-and-stroll event, but if you go to one of the check-in locations (Row House, 4203 SW Oregon, or John L. Scott, 4445 California SW) at 5 pm, a few are still available “at the door.” Info here. Also if you’re going to be in The Junction, Wine Walking or not, look for Beecher’s Cheese at KeyBank Plaza with soup/cheese samples.

STEEL GUITAR AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: 6-8 pm, monthly Fraser Hammer plays pedal steel guitar at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW). Free, all ages.

COULD YOU HUG A CACTUS? The Bridge School‘s musical, first of two performances, 6 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), more info here.

SIP ‘N’ SPIN: Spend your evening at Rain City Clay in Arbor Heights! 6 pm start; see if there’s room.(4208 SW 100th)

SINGER/SONGWRITER INCUBATOR NIGHT: Signups at 6, music at 6:30 at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW).

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Free concert at Chief Sealth IHS Auditorium (2600 SW Thistle), 7 pm.

BASEBALL: 7 pm, Chief Sealth IHS vs. Nathan Hale in a postseason game at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd, White Center).

LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Dreams Down Deep, Mallard, Snowmound, doors 7 pm, show 8, at The Skylark, $10. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

REVELRY ROOM DJ: 9 pm, DJ Hershe tonight! (4547 California SW)

MAKE IT LOUD: Skating to live music at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW), doors at 9 pm, $18 cover, $5 skates, 21+. Tonight: JAMN, Thief Motif.

If you have something to showcase on our event lists or calendar, please email what/when/where/etc. info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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COUNTDOWN: 2 days until the 2025 West Seattle 5K!

May 16, 2025 9:00 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(2023 WS5K photo by David Hutchinson)

In case you don’t read the daily traffic notes and so haven’t seen this week’s reminders, remember that streets on and around the heart of Alki will close for a few hours on Sunday morning (May 18) because of the West Seattle 5K. Here’s the race-day schedule:

7:30-9:00 am: Packet pick-up (and bibs for those registering after May 15) will be available on-site at the event near the Alki Beach Bathhouse located at 2701 Alki Ave SW. Be prepared for long lines. No in person registration; register via mobile phone at the getmeregistered.com link up until 9:00 a.m. race day. T Shirts available to the first 1,200 registered participants, while supplies last.

9:10 am: Pre-race warm-up
9:30 am: 5K Run/Walk starts
8:30 to 11:30 am: Visit our sponsor booths

The 5K run/walk takes off eastbound from the start/finish line on Alki Avenue near 61st, heading to Luna/Anchor Park and back. It’s organized by, and a benefit for, the West Seattle High School PTSA. (WSB is a community co-sponsor.)

P.S. If you were registered by yesterday, you can pick up your bib/packet Saturday noon-5 pm at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor).

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TRAFFIC, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: Friday + weekend notes

May 16, 2025 6:03 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Friday, May 16, 2025.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Mostly cloudy, chance of rain, high near 60. Today’s sunrise was at 5:30 am; sunset will be at 8:42 pm.

SUNDAY MORNING ROAD-CLOSURE ALERT

Another reminder that the West Seattle 5K will close Alki/Harbor Avenues to through traffic ~8 am-11 am Sunday morning (May 18), and some Alki side streets will be blocked close to Alki Avenue.

ROAD WORK

-In South Alki, street work for the Alki Standby Generator Project is in a new phase, centered at 64th/Beach Drive – details and maps are here, along with what’s next.

TRANSIT TODAY

Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; spring/summer schedule, with later-evening sailings Fridays (tonight!) and Saturdays.

Metro buses – Regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries – Regular service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Cathlamet. M/V Salish will be back serving as the “bonus boat” sometime this morning, after being diverted to the Bremerton route because of urgent repairs on another boat.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.

See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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UPDATE: Police response for gunfire reported as accidental

May 16, 2025 2:32 am

| 16 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

2:32 AM: Police are heading to an apartment building in the 7700 block of Delridge Way SW, after what was called in as “accidental” gunfire. According to the dispatch, the caller – who was described as having a concealed-pistol license – reported they dropped their gun and it fired. A resident in the apartment below theirs, meantime, reported hearing gunfire and then finding “a bullet in their ceiling.” No injuries reported, so far.

ADDED 2:25 PM: We just obtained the report narrative and are pasting it verbatim (names redacted by SPD). Note that it says the gun “fell” rather than “was dropped”:

The following call is recorded on the MDT:

1 MIN AGO, RP SAYS THEIR WPN ACCIDENTALLY DISCHARGED WHEN IT FELL, NO INJ IN UNIT, RP UNSURE IF ANYONE OUTSIDE OF UNIT WAS INJ

I arrived at 7XXX Delridge Way SW, Apt XXX, where I spoke with the reporting party and owner of the discharged firearm, identified as XXXX. According to XXXX, he had just returned home from work and placed his firearm, a XXXX (XXXX), on the side of the bed while retrieving a case for it from the closet. XXXX stated that the firearm fell off the bed and discharged into the ground.

I observed where the bullet penetrated the rug and the floor. Pictures were taken and uploaded as evidence. Responding officers spoke with the downstairs neighbors, identified as XXXX, who live directly below XXXX.

XXXX heard the firearm discharge and reported that the bullet came through her roof into one of her unoccupied rooms. The bullet struck a dresser and came to rest at floor level. XXXX lives with XXXX and XXXX, all of whom were home during this incident. No one was injured.

I seized XXXX firearm and entered it into evidence at the Southwest Precinct, along with the spent cartridge.

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FOLLOWUP: That ‘wasn’t anger for the sake of anger,’ explains ‘bullet hole in car seat’ dad

May 15, 2025 11:59 pm

| 31 COMMENTS

| Delridge | High Point | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, Wednesday night)

11:59 PM: As we reported last night, City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s community-safety meeting for three West Seattle neighborhoods ended with several frustrated attendees shouting that they hadn’t been allowed to speak.

Among them, Phil Brandt, the High Point resident whose car had been hit by gunfire in High Point last month – leaving his 3-year-old’s car seat with a bullet hole.

Today, he contacted WSB wanting to tell his side of the story, to offer context. “That wasn’t anger for the sake. of anger,” he said. “It’s important for the community to understand the three weeks that preceded last night.”

He laid out this timeline:

-April 17, in gunfire near Walt Hundley Playfield, two rounds hit his vehicle, one going through his son’s car seat. We received this photo from a reader that night:

Brandt said that was one of eight West Seattle gunfire incidents in 34 days. Two were in High Point, he said, one in an area with a longterm streetlight outage. He said he was out of town at the time and not aware of the bullet hole for a few days but once he was, he emailed a photo of the car seat to Councilmember Saka, and other emails to SPD and the councilmember’s staff. He said they got back to him and urged him to speak at the April 22 City Council meeting, which he did (with the car seat), expressing frustration there too (see it here, two minutes into the meeting).

After that meeting, he said, “multiple staffers from multiple councilmembers” asked what they could do. Talking to other High Point community members, he said, they had three demands, starting by asking that all 33 streetlight outages in High Point within a week. He said that led to staff for four councilmembers – Saka, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Sara Nelson, Dan Strauss – contacting City Light, and fast repair action resulting.

Second, he said, was a High Point town hall with Saka and SPD, and third was a High Point neighborhood walkthrough with Saka, his staff, and local police. Saka’s staff started working on the town hall, Brandt said, and community members emphasized that they did NOT want a presentation. “They agreed to open Q&A,” he said. But, he said, he did not hear from Saka himself until a phone call on May 2. “I don’t know why it took 11 days to contact me directly.”

The meeting announcement sent to Saka’s newsletter email list said the meeting would be “about listening” among other things – here’s a screengrab:

But, Brandt told. us, “last night I had a feeling we weren’t going to get what we asked for. I’m happy that (many) city officials showed up, but it’s not what we asked for and agreed to. When I got there at 6 pm, it was the first time I had heard there would not be live questions.”

Overall, he said he found the hour-and-a-half meeting frustrating except for Police Chief Shon Barnes and Chief Public Safety Officer Natalie Walton-Anderson. Regarding the announcement promising “listening,” he said, “I don’t know where the ‘listening’ was.” Not with Saka, he alleged, “I lost track of how many times he (started sentences) with ‘I’… this was not a campaign stop, this was a community hurting.” Instead of guns, Saka focused on sidewalks, Brandt noted, saying that might have been relevant if there was data to show that a lack of sidewalks factored into crime.

Brandt has lived in High Point since last summer, after returning to Seattle from a few years away, noting that he has two sets of family members who also live in High Point. He says the organizations that manage the area have been “very helpful,” so his beef’s not with them.

He’s waiting to hear what Saka plans to do … but hadn’t heard from him or his staff by day’s end. (We’ll be asking them “what’s next?” tomorrow.)

ADDED 1:05 PM FRIDAY: We saw Councilmember Saka at an event on Alki with the mayor this morning (report to come). We asked him afterward what he had done about all this since the meeting. He told us to “stay tuned” for his next newsletter. It just arrived, including his explanation of the Wednesday meeting format.

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WEST SEATTLE ART: Emma Schmitz Overlook mural painting postponed

May 15, 2025 10:20 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Artist Nalisha Estrellas’s concepts for the Emma Schmitz Overlook mural)

FYI from organizers of community mural-painting at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive – they’re postponing the planned Saturday painting session by a week, and asked tonight if we would share this:

After looking at the forecast for this Saturday, we’re officially moving the paint day to Saturday, May 24th. The weather will be much better and all volunteer shift times will stay the same.

We understand that it’s a Holiday weekend and some of you may not make it but, please know you’re still an important part of the project and this community mural is for you!

If you’re able to keep your shift on the 24th, we look forward to seeing you! THANK YOU!

Please contact the artist Nalisha Estrellas with any questions nalishaestrellas@gmail.com

We first reported on the mural plan back in January.

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NEW DOG PARK: City sets June 5 ‘open house’ at West Seattle’s future off-leash-area site

May 15, 2025 6:30 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

According to that postcard received by a reader, Seattle Parks plans an “open house” about West Seattle’s new off-leash area – aka “dog park” – Thursday, June 5. That’ll be the first public Q&A opportunity since the department tabled about it at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market in February. The off-leash area is planned for what’s currently a parking-overflow area south of the West Seattle Stadium parking lot, and that’s where the open-house event on June 5 will be, 4-6 pm. The postcard promises they’ll have new schematic designs to show at the event. The new off-leash area is expected to be built next year.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: 2 charges filed against Admiral stabbing/robbery suspect Jiminson Calix-Bodden

May 15, 2025 4:45 pm

| 25 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(Monday WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)

Just in, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 25-year-old Jiminson A. Calix-Bodden of Tukwila with first-degree assault and second-degree robbery, three days after his arrest following attacks in Admiral. The charging documents tell the same narrative we’ve reported before – alleging that Calix-Bodden stabbed a 47-year-old man walking outside PCC, unprovoked, and alleging that he grabbed a woman’s arm and stole her phone – but also add two previously undisclosed notes: One, that the stabbing victim was injured more seriously than first reported, that the blade punctured his lung, and two, that a person reported to police that they had seen Calix-Bodden at Don Armeni Boat Ramp six days earlier, dropping and picking up a knife, and had images of this from a bike-mounted camera:

(Image from charging document)

Calix-Bodden remains in the King County Jail, bail set at $250,000, and is scheduled for arraignment on May 29. As we previously reported, there’s no indication Calix-Bodden has a criminal record.

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