West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
We are now just under six weeks away from this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – hundreds of sales big and small on Saturday, May 11, 2024 (always the second Saturday in May). This year is the 18th WSCGSD (founded in 2005, with a two-year pandemic hiatus 2020-2021), and we here at WSB are coordinating it as we’ve done since taking over for its founders in 2008. We open registration early so everyone interested has plenty of time to get signed up, and tomorrow is when we plan to open it for this year – Monday, April 1. Time TBA – depends on the news flow of the day, but we’re hoping for noonish; when all is ready, you’ll see the announcement, and the registration link, here on WSB. No changes planned this year; official sale hours will be 9 am-3 pm, and if you plan to start earlier and/or end later, please say that in the description you submit on the sale-registration form. The description is both part of the clickable online map and the printable sale guide, so think of what you most want people to know, including any unusual item(s)! Registration will be open for about three and a half weeks; then we close it so we can get busy making the map and guide, which will be available one week before WSCGSD as always so prospective shoppers can plan.
Four wildlife photos for a sunny Sunday. Advance warning, the last one – which might be described as a Bald Eagle with its Easter brunch – is a bit graphic. But first, two bunny views – first, from Jerry Simmons:
Second, an extreme close-up from Steve Bender:
We also have two views of local Bald Eagles. This juvenile was photographed by David Hutchinson at Alki:
And an anonymous reader saw this one on SW Raymond, dining on what they said was an Opossum:
As always, thanks for the memorable photos! We also include a photo every day with our event list – sometimes wildlife, sometimes simply neighborhood sightings, or sunrise/sunset scenes – westseattleblog@gmail.com is where to send them.
A nearby resident noticed crews installing solar panels recently atop the building in The Triangle that holds Westside Neighbors Shelter, the West Seattle Veteran Center, and American Legion Post 160. We asked shelter manager/post commander Keith Hughes about it; he said the building now has a “14.6 KW Solar Array on the roof. It was all completed with donated equipment and donated labor. By my calculations, it will provide about 65% of our current electrical use, saving us an average of about $450 per month.” We asked about the donors: “This was a joint effort of West Seattle Electric and Solar, Platt Electric Supply, and Mad Energy Solar of Puyallup.” (WS Electric and Solar is Keith’s own company.) Meantime, two other notes about West Seattle’s only emergency shelter, itself operated with donations and volunteers: First, also on the subject of utility bills, the shelter has new help to cover theirs, thanks to a church group from Capitol Hill – read about that here. Second, one week from today you’re invited to support the shelter while enjoying great music – the West Seattle-based Boeing Employees Choir is performing a benefit concert at 4 pm Sunday, April 7th. No tickets needed; donations will be accepted at the door, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW).
12:25 PM: Thanks to Gill for the tip. Northbound Highway 99 near Cloverdale is blocked right now because of the response for a multiple-car crash. Traffic will be diverted off the highway and into South Park (via 14th) until this is cleared. No major injuries reported.
12:36 PM: They’re reopening one northbound lane but keeping the ramp from Cloverdale closed – check this camera to see if that’s changed.
Just texted by Kersti Muul – orcas are southbound off Restoration Point (which is on Bainbridge Island directly across the Sound from the mouth of Elliott Bay). Let us know if you see them!
(Photo by Troy Sterk)
Good morning! Here’s our list of what’s happening, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
EASTER SUNDAY SERVICES & ACTIVITIES: 15 local churches answered our open call to send info on their Easter Sunday (and Holy Week) services; this list is the result. It includes 6:30 am sunrise services at Alki Beach, Forest Lawn, and Westcrest Park, as well as churches with breakfast/brunch and churches with egg hunts.
EASTER CLOSURES: A few readers asked us this week if we were making a list, and we replied that we usually don’t make an Easter list, as we haven’t historically found many closures. However, a walk around The Junction last night suggested otherwise. So, in The Junction and otherwise, here are some places we know will be closed for Easter: (updated) Circa, City Mouse, Discovery Shop, Husky Deli, Junction True Value, Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery, Northwest Art and Frame, Talarico’s, Target, Three Little Birds. Add to the list by commenting below!
MINI-POLAR PLUNGE: 9 am every Sunday, you’re welcome to join a group plunge into Puget Sound off Alki – meet at Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki).
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at 9 am at rotating locations – today it’s Olympia Coffee (3840 California SW).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: The market is open today, 10 am-2 pm as usual, on California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon, offering early-spring vegetables and fruit, plus cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, candy, more! Here’s today’s vendor list.
ALKI KAYAK TOURS: Open again today to get you out on the water!
Hop on Over to Alki Kayak Tours for an Egg-citing Easter Weekend! Join us this Easter weekend from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM for a unique and unforgettable experience. Bring your friends and family to Alki Kayak Tours and enjoy our popular Sunset or Elliott Bay tours. We will also have hourly rentals available.
(1660 Harbor SW)
VENUS DEMILO AT EASY STREET: Acoustic set at 5 pm, all ages, no cover. (4559 California SW)
READY FREDDY PREP PARTY: Get started on the path to preparedness in just half an hour with Alice Kuder of Just in Case Disaster Preparedness Services (a new WSB sponsor), 7-7:30 pm at West Seattle Coworking (9030 35th SW), free – our calendar listing explains!
LIVE MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Wrap up your weekend with music by the Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8-10 pm.
Are you planning something that should be on our community event calendar – one-time or recurring? Please email us the basics – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
King County Sheriff’s Deputies are reported to be searching with a K-9 after an armed robbery at the 30th/Roxbury 76 station/mini-mart. Two robbers were reported to have left on foot, westbound on Roxbury, after acquiring an additional gun by stealing it from an employee, according to the dispatcher. A “gray sedan” might also be associated with the robbers, as was the case in what was reportedly a similar robbery earlier this evening in South King County. Seattle Police are helping KCSO look for the robbers.
If you’re going to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market in The Junction tomorrow, you might notice a suddenly empty storefront on the east side of the block. While at last week’s Farmers’ Market, we noticed a small whiteboard sign in the window of Seattle E-Bike at 4540 California SW, hand-lettered, announcing a “MOVING SALE.” The shop wasn’t open at the time so we couldn’t follow up, and didn’t get around to it this week. Then we got a text today from someone saying the shop is “gone.” We went down this evening to verify, and indeed, the space was empty, as our photo above shows, with no explanatory signage, nor do any of their online channels say anything about a move or closure. Looking into court records, we found documents saying the shop’s landlord had filed an “unlawful detainer” (the allegation that can lead to eviction) case in December, alleging the shop’s owner was behind in rent. Records show the case was settled this week, including an agreement for the shop to “vacate the premises” by month’s end. Seattle E-Bike had been in that space for a little more than a year, moving from 4517 California SW across the street (where Rush Hour is now) after 2 1/2 years; the shop had been in Pioneer Square before that. Before Seattle E-Bike, the 4540 California SW space had been home to Click! Design That Fits for 18 years.
Four weeks from tonight, people will gather to be “Instruments of Change” for the West Seattle Food Bank, furthering its mission to prevent hunger and homelessness. The WSFB’s annual fundraising dinner/auction is set for Saturday, April 27, in The Hall at Fauntleroy, and it’s not sold out – yet. This is the 17th year that WSFB will bring together supporters for a “night of food, drinks, games, auctions, raffles, and more, all to help our neighbors and build a strong community.” It all starts at 6 pm, with beverages and appetizers before dinner served by The Hall’s own Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering (see the menu on the same page where you can buy your ticket). The auction items always feature a variety of amazing one-of-a-kind experiences, from gourmet meals to dream getaways. The money raised will help the WSFB continue so many programs for which the need continues to grow, including rent and utility assistance to help people get through a crisis and stay in their homes. The Food Bank welcomes community co-sponsors for the event (we’re the media sponsor) – here’s how your business/organization can become one!
(WSB photos/video)
You can’t have an egg hunt without the Easter Bunny’s helpers. At High Point Community Center this morning, the egg-hunt team included Debbie, Thomas, and Jeremy (above). Thanks to a lot of hard work, hundreds of kids had serious fun, from the littlest ones let loose in the gym …
… to the older ones, whose hunt was held outdoors:
High Point was one of two Seattle Parks community centers in West Seattle where egg hunts were held this morning, along with Delridge CC. All the egg hunts set for tomorrow are happening in conjunction with Easter services at local churches.
If someone in your household could use college-scholarship money, the Rotary Club of West Seattle wants to remind you today that two more days remain to get applications in for two scholarships they’re offering:
APRIL 1 is the deadline for the Gambriell (up to $7400) and the Past Presidents ($6,000) scholarship applications. Go to westseattlerotary.org, click on scholarships, and follow the directions. Graduating seniors who live in the West Seattle area or go to school in West Seattle may apply for both, and for the Past Presidents Scholarship, you can actually be a graduating senior or someone who needs to get back to finish their degree!. If you have any questions, please contact seillusions@gmail.com HURRY!
2:58 PM: For the second time in less than four months, SFD hazardous-materials responders are at Arrowhead Gardens in southeast West Seattle because of a report of sprinkled “powder,” this time on “front steps” somewhere in the senior-living complex. Last time in December, powder was reported in a hallway, and it was found to be a non-hazardous substance. Updates to come.
3:22 PM: Firefighters on scene just told dispatch they’re now ready to go into a third-floor area where this “orange powder” was reported.
4:10 PM: The incident commander has just told dispatch that what they found was a “non-threatening product.”
9:07 PM: So what WAS it? SFD tells us they couldn’t figure that out: “Our Hazmat crews performed a series of tests and determined the substance was not hazardous, but were unable to identify what it was. The scene transferred back to building management for them to clean up. No injuries were reported.”
(Photos by Jason Grotelueschen)
As we’ve been previewing, this is the biggest day on the calendar for egg hunts – and perhaps the biggest every year is the one sponsored by Eastridge Church in Lincoln Park‘s south meadow. It drew a crowd as usual:
Along with the eggs, the church brought inflatables, for post-hunt bouncing:
Pics to come later from the High Point Community Center egg hunt. And there’s still one hunt to go on today’s calendar – at Ounces, 3 pm, 3809 Delridge Way SW. Tomorrow, as featured on our list, several local churches offer egg hunts adjacent to their Easter Sunday services, too.
From Robert:
There’s a red Chevy Extended Cab 4×4 2500 LS pickup that appears to have been abandoned at the 4800 block of 46 Ave SW in West Seattle.
Condition of truck is pretty good; driver’s-side window down and tail light assembly has fallen off. Inside cab is in pretty good shape; however, the entire steering column and ignition is trashed. Police have been notified.
Thanks to Jennifer for two updates on West Seattle High School‘s new water-polo team!
The previously undefeated West Seattle Water Polo girls lost a nail-biter in the last minute of play against Shorewood on Wednesday, March 27th, with a final score of 3-5. Marlo Pietsch [above] scored all 3 goals. With no subs due to illness and injury, the Wildcats played strong defense to the end. Their next game will be after spring break against Shorecrest on April 19th at Medgar Evers Pool at 8 pm.
The team has set up an ongoing online auction with the goal of making next year’s team more affordable. Supporters can join the auction to bid on gift cards donated by local businesses at: paybee.io/@wswaterpolo@3
As previously reported, the water-polo team is a “club sport” – not supported by district funding – launched this year after students campaigned to get approval to start a team.
(Seen at Solstice Park – photo by Yma)
Welcome to the second weekend of spring! Here are highlights for today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
METRO SERVICE CHANGE: Today’s the day Metro makes its twice-yearly bus-service adjustments. Here’s our breakdown of how West Seattle routes are affected; first change to take effect is trip additions to RapidRide H Line on weekend mornings.
M’S GAME AND SPECIAL WATER-TAXI SERVICE: The Mariners‘ opening homestand continues with a 6:40 pm game vs. Boston, and tonight is the last night (for now) of special late-night West Seattle Water Taxi service.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES: Some Saturday services and Easter vigils are on our list of schedules sent by 15 West Seattle churches.
FREE! GROUP RUN: Start your Saturday with this weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW) group run! All levels welcome. Meet at the shop by 8 am.
FREE! HEAVILY MEDITATED: Arrive by 8:50 am for community meditation at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska). Free event every Saturday but please register.
MORNING EGG HUNTS: This is the biggest day of egg-hunt season. From our full list, here’s what’s scheduled this morning:
–Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW), 10 am
–High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), 10 am
–Eastridge Church at Lincoln Park south meadow (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), 10 am
–Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4001 44th SW), 10 am
(Added: Photo courtesy Three Little Birds)
THREE LITTLE BIRDS ANNIVERSARY SALE: The Junction kids-apparel-and-more shop is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a 30%-off sale (and more fun!). Open 10 am-5 pm. (4736 California SW)
SSC GARDEN CENTER: Scheduled to be open 10 am-2 pm today: “The Garden Center at South Seattle College provides Landscape Horticulture students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of plants while gaining real-world retail experience. Plants available for sale are selected, propagated, grown and presented by students. Additional plants are brought in from local growers.” (6000 16th Ave SW, north lot)
MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Info about Marco’s music is here.
FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am in West Seattle, registration required – see full details in our calendar listing.
ALKI KAYAK TOURS: Open this weekend to get you out on the water!
Hop on Over to Alki Kayak Tours for an Egg-citing Easter Weekend! Join us this Easter weekend from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM for a unique and unforgettable experience. Bring your friends and family to Alki Kayak Tours and enjoy our popular Sunset or Elliott Bay tours. We will also have hourly rentals available.
(1660 Harbor SW)
FAMILY READING TIME: Every Saturday at 11 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
ALSO AT PAPER BOAT: 11 am-5 pm vendors’ fair. See who’ll be there.
GEORGETOWN BITES: 11 am-4 pm, it’s a food-and-drink fest in nearby Georgetown – full details (and list of participants) here.
ROXHILL PARK EGG HUNT: Noon-4 pm, egg hunt presented by Rec N The Streets. (29th/Barton)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN: The home of West Seattle history is open for your visit, noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2236 SW Orchard)
VISCON CELLARS: Tasting room open – wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar open 1-6 pm, north end of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
BEER GARDEN EGG HUNT: Happening at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) – be there by 3 pm for the free kids’ egg hunt. NOTE: Per Ounces’ website, the Dick’s truck had to cancel – so they’ll have a hot-dog truck at 4 pm instead.
NEPENTHE’S WALK-IN MASSAGE CLINIC: 3-5 pm, show up at Nepenthe (9447 35th SW) with a specific problem to be addressed by massage, and you’ll get a free (gratuities appreciated) trial of their work.
‘MEAN GIRLS: THE MUSICAL’: Third night for the new production at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW), 7 pm – get your tickets here before they sell out!
WEST END GIRLS AT THE SKYLARK: 7th anniversary show for West Seattle drag extravaganza West End Girls at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), hosted by Cookie Couture – doors at 7 pm, show at 8.
LIVE AT KENYON HALL: 7 pm doors for songwriter showcase hosted by ‘The El,’ featuring Zan Fiskum with guest Gina Belliveau . (7904 35th SW)
ALL-AGES OPEN MIC: 7-10 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way)
BEATS: Saturday night DJs at Revelry Room – 9 pm. Tonight, DJ Rizoma debuts at the Room. (4547 California SW, alley side)
KARAOKE: Saturday night, sing at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW), starting at 10 pm.
Planning a pop-up, concert, open house, show, sale, event, walk, run, meeting, seminar, reading, field trip, fundraiser, class, game, or ? If the community’s welcome, your event belongs on our calendar! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ASSAULT SUSPECT CHARGED: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged the man arrested on Tuesday for allegedly shooting at his girlfriend at the just-cleared 1st/Cloverdale encampment. 42-year-old Pascual Ferrer-Gonzalez is charged with second-degree domestic-violence assault and first-degree unlawful gun possession. Charging documents say he “got upset with the victim and began hitting her. After hitting her he armed himself with a rifle and then fired a round at her.” After police arrested him, prosecutors say, they obtained a search warrant for the RV where they found him, and that’s where they seized the weapons and ammunition mentioned previously. He remains jailed, bail set at $300,000, with his arraignment scheduled for April 9th.
STORE SUSPECT CHARGED: Early Thursday, police were called to the Marshalls store in Westwood Village for a report of a possible burglary. They eventually found a 33-year-old woman hiding under a clothing rack inside the store and arrested her for investigation of burglary, though they found no sign of forced entry. The jail docket indicates she was charged with misdemeanor trespassing and released from jail today; the Municipal Court system isn’t bringing up documents to corroborate that so far, though, so we’re not identifying her.
POSSIBLY STOLEN/DUMPED PACKAGE: If you’re in the 4800 block of 42nd SW and are missing a package, Eric may have found the box, tossed into his yard. Contact us and we can connect you.
New music out today from local band Aurora Ave., which describes itself as “an 8-piece band from West Seattle that has honed an Indie-Pop, Jazz, and J-Pop sound into something uniquely our own.” They’ve been together for three years now (when we first mentioned the band, more than half the members were WSHS students), and have a new lead singer, just in time for their new single, explained this way:
The band’s new song Pearl is inspired by the challenges of finding your way in young life, and feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. The song has existed in concept for over 3 years, and a very different version of the track was slated but eventually scrapped from the group’s self-titled debut album in 2021. Now, over 3 years later, the track has evolved into one of the group’s favorite songs.
Pearl is tied together by an incredible vocal performance by the band’s newest member, lead singer Samara Reign. Samara brings a soulful, angelic quality to the band’s brass-heavy rhythms.
You can stream or buy “Pearl” by going to one of the links you’ll find here. If you’d like to see Aurora Ave. perform, mark your calendar for Northwest Folklife on May 24 – and more to come.
(NWSA photo)
Back on March 20, we reported on the first cargo-ship call at the newly modernized second berth of West Seattle’s Terminal 5 [map]. At the time, the Northwest Seaport Alliance – the Seattle-Tacoma partnership that runs both ports’ cargo docks – said it wasn’t fully “commissioned” yet. Now it is, so, NWSA says, MSC Lily, at the berth right now, is the “inaugural vessel to call the fully modernized terminal.” We asked NWSA spokesperson Melanie Stambaugh what had been done since March 20 to complete the modernization; she replied, “The commissioning involved the shore power system for the last vessel. With that complete, the terminal is fully operational and the MSC Lily and future vessels can now plug-in and be worked.” The modernization of the two-berth terminal was a half-billion-dollar project.
(WSB photos)
You might have noticed the activity and new signage at 35th/Barton, as Tony’s Market gets ready to open for the season. One big change – new owners!
Razmye “Raz” Vorng and Sandy Saeteurn are taking over from Joey Genzale, who had run the produce-stand-and-more business since his dad, market founder and namesake Tony Genzale, died in 2010. They are West Seattle residents. They explain that Raz is an acquaintance of Tony, who they say “expressed his desire to close the chapter on his family’s produce stand. We wanted to salvage the business and keep it going.”
This is their first retail venture, though Sandy explains that Raz – who will run the store – “has an entrepreneurial mindset” as part-owner of Ananas Pizzeria on First Hill. They hope to open as soon as Monday (April 1) and expect hours for starters to be Mondays-Saturdays, 10 am-6 pm. And yes, they expect to continue the seasonal specialties for which Tony’s has long been known – pumpkins and Christmas trees.
1:50 PM: Friday afternoon whale watching! Reported by Kersti Muul – a baleen whale is in the area, most recently seen in the Fauntleroy-Vashon ferry lanes, southbound.
4:03 PM: If you haven’t seen Kersti’s updates in comments – she says it’s a gray. (Around here, baleen usually means gray or humpback – though others have shown up on occasion.)
Three Little Birds in The Junction is having a party today and tomorrow. Proprietor Jennifer Young explains, “Can you believe it? Three Little Birds is celebrating 10 years in business. We are celebrating all today and tomorrow with a big sale, prizes, and goodies. We are so grateful for our amazing West Seattle customers that have shown their love and support for ALL THESE YEARS!” The shop is open until 5 today, 10 am-5 pm Saturday: “We opened 10 years ago on 3/30 … so we are doing a 30% discount!” Three Little Birds, selling kids’ apparel and more, is at 4736 California SW, where it moved in October 2019 after being in Morgan Junction for its first five years.
(WSB photos)
11:18 AM: As reported here earlier this week, today is the first day of a clearance operation at the encampment that’s been growing on 1st Avenue South, just north of the Highway 509 Cloverdale overpass [map].
The road is narrow and traffic is backed up on southbound 1st in the area. The site includes both state and city land, so multiple agencies are involved. The first thing they’re doing is removing and towing vehicles.
Agencies on site include SDOT, SPD, SPU, and WSDOT, and they expect to be there “all day.”
Though the city and state say they’ve been planning this for months, clearance plans acquired extra urgency after a man was arrested at the encampment on Tuesday after allegedly shooting at his girlfriend.
4:18 PM: We asked state and city spokespeople for details on today’s operation. “Ten individuals were offered housing from the Cloverdale site, and all 10 accepted,” said WSDOT’s James Poling. He says the vehicles removed were on the city part of the site, so city spokesperson Lori Baxter addressed that: “A total of 13 vehicles were towed today from City property as part of this site resolution, nine of which were abandoned and partially stripped. One box truck, one RV, and one motorcycle were also included in the towed vehicles.” She added, “Outreach coordinators from the Unified Care Team were also onsite to offer same-day shelter referrals for anyone at the site that had not already received an offer of housing. One additional shelter referral was made.”
8:14 PM: We drove through the area late today – above, the view of the cleared site from the road; below, a section of fencing placed along the road just to the south:
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