West Seattle, Washington
29 Tuesday
(WSB photo, May)
When you’re ready to put your primary-election ballot in a King County Elections dropbox, remember that we now have four in West Seattle, with the addition of that one by Morgan Junction Park. First, of course, you’ll have to get your ballot, and that could happen as soon as Thursday, because they’re set to be mailed out tomorrow (Wednesday, July 17). If you want to preview what’s on yours, go here. You’ll see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2, State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. Once you get your ballot, you have until 8 pm August 6 to get it in a dropbox; if you’re using postal mail, you just have to be sure it’ll be postmarked by that date.
At the City Council‘s weekly meeting today, councilmembers voted 8-1 (Tammy Morales was the lone “no”) to approve the bill intended to crack down on stunt driving categorized under the description “street racing” (read it here). The vote followed public comment that featured Alki community leaders, starting about 4:40 into the video.
What councilmembers approved included amendments by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka to add penalties, including higher fines for second (or beyond) violations. You can read the whole bill here; here’s the council announcement’s summary of what it will do, assuming Mayor Bruce Harrell signs it:
*The new ordinance amends the city code on illegal racing by creating a new traffic infraction penalizing the registered owner of a vehicle involved in racing and by adopting the state law changes.
*Adoption of the state law now gives the City Attorney’s Office the statutory authority to now prosecute illegal racing as misdemeanor and gross misdemeanors crimes.
*Vehicle owners and participants are subject to a $500 non-criminal traffic infraction. Adopted amendments by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) increase the fine to $800 for a second infraction, and $1,500 for third and subsequent infractions.
*Any person knowingly attending an unlawful race event with the intent to observe, support, or encourage the event may face a civil infraction base fine of $100 if they fail to leave the event if instructed to do so by officers.
If you’re wondering exactly what the bill covers, here’s part of the language:
… “unlawful race event” means an event on a street, alley, way open to the public, or off-street facility wherein persons willfully: (1) compare or contest relative speeds by operation of one or more motor vehicles, or (2) demonstrate, exhibit, or compare speed, maneuverability, or the power of one or more motor vehicles, in a straight or curved direction, in a circular direction, around corners, or in circles in an activity commonly referred to as “drifting,” or by breaking traction.
(corrected attribution) Councilmember Tanya Woo, co-sponsor of the bill, said the place for that kind of driving is at race tracks and other venues where drivers can safely pursue “their passion.” But as Pumphrey pointed out in his comments, legislation alone doesn’t accomplish anything – he spoke to the last council a year ago before they passed the “racing zone” bill authorizing cameras (which have yet to be installed) – enforcement will be key. Since this was an “emergency” bill, if and when the mayor signs it, the law changes immediately.
The report and photo are from Jessica:
My scooter was stolen from Beach Dr SW today around 2 pm. It’s a blue 2022 Piaggio Liberty. My license plate is 4K4655. Police report # 24-196295.
Starbucks has a two-part announcement – main headline is that it’s closing its Alki store (2742 Alki Avenue SW), but it’s also temporarily closing its Avalon store. Here’s the announcement we received from company spokesperson Sam Jefferies:
Starbucks is adjusting the operations of two stores in the West Seattle area.
We evaluate our store portfolio annually to determine where we can best meet our community and customers’ needs. This includes opening new locations, identifying stores in need of investment or renovation, and making decisions about store closure or relocation
After careful consideration, we’ve determined it is best to close the store at 2742 Alki Avenue. Our last day at this location will be August 11, 2024. All Starbucks partners (employees) working at that store will have the opportunity to transfer to one of our nearby locations in Seattle.
In alignment with this closure, we are happy to share that our store located at 4408 Fauntleroy Way SW will undergo a renovation and will close from July 29 until September of 2024. The store will reopen with an updated design, including the new Siren System.
ADDED: The Alki store’s been open since 1999. Its most recent renovation was nine years ago, in 2015. Its closure will leave five standalone Starbucks stores in West Seattle (Admiral, Junction, Avalon, Morgan, Westwood) as well as multiple grocery-store stands. The last standalone store Starbucks closed in West Seattle was in Jefferson Square in 2008; that one was open less than a year, and was one of hundreds of closures at that time, but the company tells us the Alki closure is the only Seattle closure they’re planning at this time … As for the beverage scene on Alki, after this closure, Ampersand will be the only coffee-focused shop in the heart of the beach, though several other places offer coffee as a sideline, and there’s a new tea shop on the way to Alki (Happy Lemon).
8 PM P.S. As noted in comments, there’s now a “Save Our Alki Starbucks” online petition.
Two weeks after our previous update on West Seattle’s wandering guinea fowl, we’ve received two new photos today – and since they’re still meandering into streets, we’re warning you again to be mindful. Above, a texter saw them early this morning northeast of The Junction, reporting, “The two famous fowls slowed down my morning commute”; below, Spenser saw them later near West Seattle Bowl, a favorite spot of theirs:
If you’ve missed previous reports, they’re not lost, they are reported to have a home from which they roam. We first mentioned them last September (when they numbered at least four).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
This Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade is not only a celebration of the parade’s 90th anniversary, but will be the biggest parade in years, with more than 80 entries.
We sat in on the pre-parade lineup review last night, led by parade coordinator Michelle Edwards, for a sneak peek at what you’ll see. Today, we’re previewing some of the new participants! But first, a few of the basics:
-The route is the same – the parade is scheduled to start from California/Lander in The Admiral District at 11 am, proceeding southbound to California/Edmunds in The Junction. (Staging includes some side streets so watch for no-parking signs and heed them.)
-The main parade announcing stand is at California/Alaska, with Brian Callanan and Christa Callanan, Again this year, there also will be an auxiliary announcing stand at California/Charlestown, with members of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle
-As we’ve already reported, the Grand Marshals are the players and coaches of West Seattle High School‘s state-championship-winning baseball team, and the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community winners are Bianca Thomka and Neil Duncan.
Here are five of the new participants:
DUWAMISH TRIBE: Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen is expected to be at California/Alaska shortly after 11 to give a blessing before the parade arrives in The Junction
SAYAW FILIPINO FOLK DANCE TROUPE: A “student-based” group
COMERFORD SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE: As seen at West Seattle Summer Fest!
ORCA NETWORK PARADE POD: An entry in honor of the whales whose waters we share
WEST SEATTLE MRS. ROPERS: An entry with a sense of humor and 1970s TV roots (as seen in a pub crawl last year)
We’re working on daily previews for the rest of the week. Other parade entries include the Seafair Pirates and Clowns, marching bands, specialty vehicles, schools, businesses, nonprofits, youth groups from Scouting to sports, among others. And all that doesn’t just happen spontaneously – coordinator Michelle has worked hard on outreach; every year there are other areas of the region having parades on the same summer Saturday, so there’s something of a competition for entries. (This year it’s Des Moines.) Michelle is second-generation parade coordinator; her dad Jim Edwards, coordinator emeritus, works on logistics, especially the 13 amateur-radio operators in communication along the route, while her mom Barbara Edwards has long coordinated the judging. The parade is presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle Service Foundation, represented at last night’s lineup review by Keith Hughes (who runs the building where it happened – home to the Westside Neighbors’ Shelter, American Legion Post 160, and the West Seattle Veteran Center).
It’s all powered by volunteers, sponsors, and donations – plus, spectators: If you can, show up on the sidelines along California on Saturday and cheer, to help make sure all that hard work producing a parade (something most neighborhoods in the city don’t have) is worthwhile!
(Reader photo, Luna/Anchor Park)
Here’s what’s up for the rest of today/tonight, as listed on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (send us your event any time – we*************@***il.com):
FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS: Our calendar listing has information on where and when kids 1-18 can get free food.
POSTCARDS4DEMOCRACY: Advocacy from afar, 10:30 am-noon every Tuesday at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
COLMAN POOL: Continued daily operations for the outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, the 7-day-a-week wading pool is open today, noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.
CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email co*****@******ld.net.)
CITY COUNCIL: 2 pm weekly meeting, with public comment in person or online – the agenda explains how. Watch via Seattle Channel.
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration continues on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t bring your own.
FERRY TERMINAL COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP: 6 pm online, public invited to observe (but no Q/A/comment period) at the next meeting of the group providing feedback on the ongoing planning for replacing/expanding the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. You can register here to get the link.
PLAY ALONG IN THE PARK WITH WSCO: 6 pm at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), the second night this summer you can bring your instrument to play along with the West Seattle Community Orchestras – or just listen in! Off the north parking lot. Our calendar listing includes a link for players to preregister.
STORYTIME IN THE GARDEN: 6 pm Tuesdays all summer, bring the little one(s) to Delridge P-Patch (5078 25th SW) for storytime plus a garden activity.
SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm tonight, play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).
FREE TRACK RUN: All runners welcome! Gather at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.
MAKE POTTERY: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance to work on your project(s).
WEST SEATTLE BIG BAND CONCERT: The West Seattle Big Band‘s annual free Concert in the Park, brought to you by the West Seattle Grand Parade, is at 7 pm at High Point Commons Park (Graham/Lanham) – bring your own chair/blanket/picnic!
BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – weekly Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE PFLAG: Third Tuesdays at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill), 7 pm. (Check with the church before you go in case there’s a summer schedule change.)
TRIVIA X 4: Four places to play Tuesday nights – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW) has Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7:10 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
Event coming up? Are community members invited? Tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar – please email the info to we*************@***il.com – thank you!
(WSB file photo, Float Dodger 5K)
Saturday brings the 10th anniversary of the 5K that’s the opening act for the West Seattle Grand Parade – the Float Dodger 5K. You can run or walk the parade route, from Admiral to The Junction and back, and then enjoy a root-beer float as parade time approaches. Costumes welcome for Float Dodger, too (but not mandatory). Best of all, your entry fee supports the West Seattle Food Bank – the 5K’s organizers at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) set it up as a fundraiser, so the more people are in it, the more $ for WSFB in its work providing not only food but also emergency assistance to keep people from becoming homeless. The Float Dodger 5K starts at 9:30 am Saturday, with a free Kids’ Dash before it, at 8:45 am. Register for either or both here!
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, July 16.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
The forecast: Sunny, high in the low 80s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:28 am, while sunset will be at 9:01 pm.
ROAD WORK
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project has begun; here are more specifics. Fairmount Avenue is now closed under the bridge for the duration of the project, likely into early 2025.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
SATURDAY CLOSURES FOR PARADE AND 5K
Early reminder – Saturday brings the West Seattle Grand Parade and Float Dodger 5K on California SW between Admiral and The Junction, and that means street closures (including some side streets for staging) – heed the no-parking signs, because those who don’t WILL be towed.
PSA: SCHOOL ZONES
A reader suggested the reminder that some school-zone beacons – and speed cameras – are operating throughout the summer, so don’t ignore them.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Back to regular schedules; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, and the unscheduled third boat may should be back, per WSF.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (Minus the ones that were still down early today)
Delridge cameras: Besides 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.
South Park Bridge:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
1:32 AM: Police are investigating a carjacking reported a short time ago. A black 2009 BMW X5 SUV was reported to have been taken at gunpoint by four people described as Hispanic, male, all in black ski masks, all with guns. They are reported to have arrived at the scene in an “older model” tan Audi. No plate information yet. Police are talking with the victims in the 1000 block of Harbor SW but we’re still checking for confirmation of the exact carjacking location. This is the second West Seattle carjacking in less than a week.
2:07 AM: Location confirmed as 1000 block of Harbor. And dispatch has obtained and broadcast the stolen car’s plate #: CKG0766. If you have any information for the investigation, the incident # is 24-195654.
10:01 AM: We followed up with SPD, which tells us that although the call was logged as 1000 Harbor, it happened further west on Alki. Here’s the narrative they sent in response to our request:
On July 16, Seattle police responded to the 2600 block of Alki Avenue SW for the report of an armed robbery. The incident occurred at about 1:19 a.m. A 41-year-old man reported that he was parked in an SUV when a sedan with four men inside pulled up next to him. The victim said the four men exited the vehicle and one told him to get out of his SUV. The victim was held at gunpoint and the suspects demanded his keys and took his other belongings. The suspects drove away in his SUV and in the sedan. The vehicles have not been found.
Over the weekend, we published video from a reader reporting a man had tried to get into their home in south Highland Park early Saturday morning. Via comments, we learned that wasn’t the only attempt in that area that morning, and that a suspect had been arrested. Today we followed up. First with police, who confirmed that they had responded to an attempted burglary report around 1:20 am Saturday in the 8100 block of 13th Avenue SW, after a woman “reported a man with knives tried to break into her front door.” An SPD spokesperson added, “Several other people in the area also reported similar incidents during this time. Officers found the suspect walking nearby and after a brief foot pursuit, a 33-year-old man was taken into custody and booked into the King County Jail.”
Tonight, that man remains in custody, in lieu of $7,500 bail. Court records show he was arrested and charged for similar break-in attempts in a South Delridge apartment building last December. After he spent almost two months in jail, the case was dismissed in February, for the lack of “a civilian witness,” according to the court file. He has a conviction from a case in late 2022 in which he was charged with harassment for threatening a woman in White Center, while on a vandalism rampage using a knife to damage cars. He eventually pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor and received a suspended sentence, though he already had spent months in jail. For the current case, the jail docket isn’t clear on whether his case is being handled by the City Attorney’s Office – Municipal Court – or the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office – Superior Court. We hope to clarify tomorrow.
Ready to take a chair, blanket, and/or picnic dinner to the park for a free concert? You have two chances in the next three nights:
(WSB photo, 2022 Big Band Concert in the Park)
TUESDAY – BIG BAND CONCERT IN THE PARK: 7 pm tomorrow (July 16), High Point
Commons Park (Lanham and Graham) fills with the swinging sounds of the West Seattle Big Band, directed by Jim Edwards. The park concert is a midsummer tradition, sponsored by the West Seattle Grand Parade. This is the 27th year!
THURSDAY – ADMIRAL MUSIC IN THE PARKS, CONCERT #1: 6:30 pm Thursday (July 18), one of this year’s three new venues (plus a new name) for the concert series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association – this show is at Belvedere Park (3600 SW Admiral Way), with Troy Aylesworth and The Potholes. Also new, you can order a picnic spread in advance from Soirée, to be delivered to the park!
(File photo)
One of West Seattle’s longest-running restaurants has put in an order for a new owner. Luna Park Café owner John Bennett tells WSB that he’s put his legendary burgers-and-breakfast (among other things) restaurant on the market. “It was a tough decision to make after 35 years, but it’s time to pass the torch,” Bennett says. “I am looking for someone who will keep it going as it is for another 35 years or more. The restaurant is doing well and I think someone could step in and take it over without skipping a beat.” He’s keeping it open while it’s on the market so the “new owner can come right in and take over. I’ve got a great staff there and I want to make sure that they can stay and hopefully the restaurant will stay the same.” If somehow you haven’t been, it’s not just about the food and beverages (including famous milkshakes) but also the quirky decor.
(WSB photo, 2023)
(And the history!) If you’re potentially interested, you can contact Bennett at 206-227-1950 or be***************@*****st.net. You can see the listing here.
The report and photo are from Center For Active Living executive director Amy Lee Derenthal:
We were the fortunate recipients of a $18,400 gift from Impact West Seattle and we’re so very thankful for their support of the work we are doing in the community for people 50+. This funding will help pay for the 40+ programs and services we have happening in our building each week. Here’s our new website showing the programming they are supporting: wscenter.org.
Impact West Seattle is a coalition of women in West Seattle who use our collective giving and action to make an impact on the social, economic and environmental issues facing our region. They are always looking for more women to join, and they also meet here at The Center on a quarterly basis. We have a longtime relationship with these women, who are supporting so many of our local non-profits.
A huge THANK YOU to Impact West Seattle for this funding!
You can find out more about Impact West Seattle here. And you can donate to the Center For Active Living any time here.
In this morning’s traffic roundup, we briefly mentioned SFD units blocking part of Harbor Avenue because of a medical response at Seacrest. Though the callout was not listed as a water rescue, we later learned from readers in the area that the person who was treated by SFD medics had been diving. Dispatch audio indicated he was unconscious when brought out of the water around 9 am. Radio exchanges also indicated that he would be taken to Virginia Mason Hospital, which has a hyperbaric chamber. Seattle Fire spokesperson David Cuerpo tells WSB that the 63-year-old man was assessed as being in critical condition when transported to VM.
Thanks to Stewart L. for the tip and the photo above. Part of the city effort to rein in problems along Alki/Harbor Avenues has been signage, and here’s more. He says these signs were installed Friday or early Saturday at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, which has become more of a hotspot for trouble from stunt driving all the way to murder (two unsolved shooting deaths at or near the park in 13 months).
(WSB photo)
Police have been stationed at the park on some nights as well.
P.S. Our archives remind us that this isn’t the first time signage has been added in hopes of tamping down on some problems at the boat-ramp park.
11:56 AM: Thanks to Tom Trulin for the photos taken today as the years-overdue Lincoln Park South Play Area replacement enters the home stretch. Seattle Parks most recently told us it would be complete this month. Tom’s photos show some of the marine-theme features in the design created with community input six years ago.
This past Friday marked seven years since the old south play area’s shutdown because of safety concerns from wood damage.
At the time in July 2017, Parks said it might take a year to fix or replace the damaged structure. We’re checking to see if they have an official projected opening date yet, now that this appears to be down to the final stages of construction.
4:56 PM: Parks spokesperson Karen O’Connor replies, “We are working through some final construction items. We should have a better idea early next week on an opening date.”
(Prolific jasmine, photographed by Jerry Simmons)
As the summer fun and summer sun take a brief break this morning, here’s today’s highlight list, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS: Available different times and locations – here’s the local list.
COLMAN POOL: The outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is open noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, since it’s expected to be warm again this afternoon, the 7-day-a-week wading pool will be open today noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.
BABY STORY TIME: Bring little ones up to 2 years old to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), noon-12:30 pm, for story time!
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm at City Hall, the weekly meeting in which councilmembers talk about their plans for the week ahead. Here’s the agenda. Watch live via Seattle Channel.
GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, Monday brings “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
D&D: Weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too.
HAND-BUILD CLAY ANIMALS: 6:30 pm at The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW) – registration info is in our calendar listing.
(added) COMEDY TONIGHT: From the folks at Cozy Comedy:
Where: Otter on the Rocks (4210 Admiral Way)
When: 7 pm show start
Who: A comedy show with 3 up and coming feature act comedians; all of which are comedy competition and comedy club veterans!
Link to tickets
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three places to play on Mondays – 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander); 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: All welcome at free weekly Zen sitting/meditation in the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
MEDITATION IN ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community hosts meditation at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), 7-8:30 pm.
MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
KARAOKE: 9 pm start for Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
If you have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar, please send the info to we*************@***il.com – thank you!
9:24 AM: There’s a car-fire response at Highland Park Way and West Marginal, and per police radio, the response is blocking HP Way both ways. (Added – it was a truck – we passed by and saw the aftermath:)
9:33 AM: Harbor northbound is blocked near Seacrest because of an SFD medical response.
9:59 AM: Harbor has reopened. So has at least one lane on HP Way.
Earlier:
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, July 15. Street closures and bus reroutes for West Seattle Summer Fest are over.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
The forecast: Some clouds, then clearing, high in the low 80s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:27 am, while sunset will be at 9:02 pm.
ROAD WORK
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project has begun; here are more specifics. Fairmount Avenue is now closed under the bridge for the duration of the project, likely into early 2025.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
PSA: SCHOOL ZONES
One reader wanted us to remind you that some school-zone beacons – and speed cameras – are operating throughout the summer, and that’s not a mistake.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Back to regular schedules; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, and the unscheduled third boat may should be back, per WSF.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (Minus the ones that were still down early today)
Delridge cameras: Besides 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.
South Park Bridge:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
12:11 AM: Police are investigating what’s reported as a collision near Westwood Village involving a driver hitting a pedestrian in the 25th/Barton vicinity in the past half-hour, then leaving the scene. The initial description of the vehicle was only “black sedan.” The pedestrian is reported to have a serious leg injury.
12:18 AM: Dispatch has been told they’re taking the victim to Harborview Medical Center.
10:01 AM: SFD tells us the pedestrian is a woman in her mid-30s and that she was in stable condition when transported.
ADDED WEDNESDAY: Here’s the SPD summary:
At 2347 hours, a witness called 911 Dispatch (CARE) to report a vehicle vs pedestrian collision in the 2500 block SW Barton St. Officers arrived in the area and located the victim lying in the roadway with obvious injuries. The witness stated he observed the victim crawling across the roadway when a dark colored sedan struck her and continued without stopping. SFD arrived and treated the victim who was transported to HMC.
The artist who created an iconic West Seattle sculpture is asking for support in his quest to save it from being demolished instead of replaced.
(Photo courtesy Don Fels)
That’s the Paragon, installed more than 20 years ago at what’s now known as həʔapus Village Park and Shoreline Habitat (formerly T-107 Park) along West Marginal Way near the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse. We heard from artist Don Fels over the weekend – he explains that this dates back to when he was the lead artist on the West Seattle Cultural Trail on Alki 25+ years ago – and continued it down West Marginal Way. He picks up the story from there, in the email he sent us explaining why he’s asking for community words of support:
I created three sculptures there, including the Geo-Slice, which tells the geomorphic history of the site, and the Paragon, which features a scaled-down wooden framework of a halibut schooner designed and built in Seattle in 1923. The sculpture is now in mortal danger!
The sculpture was a broad ranging collaboration between me, the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, the Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle City Light and people from the Croatian community of West Seattle. I obtained the plans for the original Paragon, which is still fishing up in Alaska, and then Michael Vlahovich, a third-generation boat builder, whose grandmother lived on the site, built the wooden ‘boat’ with his boat-building students at Bates Technical College.
Under the boat are several panels giving the history of the site- telling how the Native people who lived and fished there were forced out by destruction of the habitat, how immigrants from (the then) Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy moved in, often squatting, to live and build boats. The Port bulldozed down their settlement, which even though the Port arranged to have the sculpture created on the site, they let me acknowledge in the text I produced for the sculpture.
Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture was charged with maintaining the wood boat structure, which they failed to do. There is now considerable rot and it is infested with carpenter ants. Suddenly, their solution to years of their neglect: tear it down. To counter that very real threat, I am organizing a rebuild of the wooden boat (the steel and concrete structure is sound). In very short order I have garnered support from the Center for Wooden Boats, the Burke Museum, the Port of Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, Allied Arts, and thanks to the great help from Ken (Workman), the Duwamish Tribe. I continue to reach out to other potential partners, and am certain there will be many others.
At present we are planning for a community rebuilding of the boat next year. I would WELCOME volunteers, donations of materials, etc etc. But for now I’m looking to get letters from the community sent to the Office of Arts and Culture from people who want the sculpture to remain and be fixed up. They can be directed to the Deputy Director, Kelly Davidson. Her email is Ke************@*****le.gov.
Fels is meeting with her on Tuesday morning and adds, “If anyone feels compelled to write her, it would be wonderfully helpful if they did so before then, so that she sees there is real support to save the sculpture. I want them to take ‘deaccessioning’ (i.e. destroying it) off their agenda. This is very important ASAP, because once they officially stamp it ‘deaccessioned,’ the sculpture goes from being an artwork to a corpse.” If you can spare a moment to email Kelly Davidson, Don adds, please cc him, at do********@***il.com.
ADDED TUESDAY MIDDAY: Here’s the statement we received from the Office of Arts and Culture:
The Office of Arts & Culture envisions a city driven by creativity that provides the opportunity for everyone to engage in diverse arts and cultural experiences. Deaccessioning artworks is always a last resort. The first priority of any public artwork commission is to ensure that there is no risk to the public if the structure were to break apart or collapse.
Don Fels’ Paragon has stood at həʔapus Village Park & Shoreline Habitat since 2001, honoring its surrounding communities. It is one of 400 art works in the Seattle Civic Art Collection, each of which requires maintenance. The Office of Arts and Culture has maintained the structure over the years, however, Seattle’s rainy climate, the passage of time (23 years) and the original materials used in Paragon have resulted in this very natural outcome. We look forward to meeting with Mr. Fels this week to discuss the options for potentially saving the current structure. (Indeed, we will be meeting with Mr. Fels later this morning). That said, the structure is currently a significant safety hazard that must be addressed as soon as possible.
Anytime people are moved by art, we consider our mission successful.That you all feel passionate about this artwork to write to us and save it makes us proud.
Gülgün Kayim
Director, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
Thanks to Al for sending the photo and report on West Seattle Bike Connections‘ “Little STP” ride today:
Here’s the photo from the end of today’s WSSTP … 27 people, 26 pedalers, and one fantastic time!
As previewed here, the “little STP” is WS Bike Connections’ annual riff off the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride that’s also happening this weekend – this one goes from SW Seattle Street in North Admiral to SW Portland Street in Gatewood, with the option for riders to then go back to The Junction to visit West Seattle Summer Fest.
4:24 PM: Seattle Fire and Police are converging for what SFD has classified as a “scenes of violence” response at 35th/Morgan. Updates to come.
4:28 PM: Police have just told dispatch they haven’t found a victim yet. So the SFD response has been closed. We have a crew en route to find out what the initial report was.
4:32 PM: The initial call appears to have involved gunfire, according to another radio exchange. A K9 team was on their way.
4:37 PM: Police confirmed to us on scene that they’re investigating gunfire but so far no one has been found hit/hurt. They’re investigating on the east side of the 35th/Morgan intersection, which is blocked, so avoid the area.
5:17 PM: Just went through 35th/Morgan on our way back from Summer Fest. The intersection is now fully open, no police in sight.
6:13 PM: Listening back to archived police radio from around time of this dispatch, we so far have not found descriptions of the circumstances or shooter/s, but a mention that officers found at least four casings, and that “suspects” were last seen southbound on 34th. The incident #, if you have any information, is 24-194122.
ADDED MONDAY: We followed up with SPD, and received this summary:
On July 14, Seattle police responded to the area of 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Morgan Street for shots fired at about 4:12 p.m. It was reported one man fired a shot toward another man and they both left the area. A wall of a nearby building had several holes from the gunshots and shell casings were recovered. A King County Sheriff’s Office K9 was called to the scene. No suspect or shooting victim was located.
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