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BIZNOTE: New location for West Seattle’s only comic-book store Tails to Astonish

While out on an errand last night, we noticed a change at 5633 California SW, former home of Seattle Yarn (which moved to Admiral) – this is now the new home of West Seattle’s only comic-book store, Tails to Astonish. The shop opened three years ago at the south end of The Junction in a storefront set back from the street, where burglars struck multiple times; the new space has more visibility and, the proprietors tell us, “about twice as much space compared to the old store.” They’re open and almost done with moving everything; if you want to stop in for a look, Tails to Astonish is open until 7 pm.

The list for your West Seattle Tuesday, with a nod to ‘St. Rolf Day’

Not necessarily cause for celebration, but today is the 46th anniversary of the ship crash that took out the old West Seattle Bridge, so today’s featured photo is the recently restored trailside tribute to a key figure in the disaster, Rolf Neslund. (We stopped for the pic while covering this event Sunday.) No commemorative events today that we know of – though we did just get a “Happy St. Rolf Day!” reminder from statue steward Lars Fujikawa of the Delridge Maritime Historical Society as we wrote this – but here are the other highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FREE PLAYSPACE: Looking for an indoor playspace for your little one(s)? Drop in Tuesday and Thursday mornings until noon at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau).

FREE FLAG DAY SHOW: Silver Sounds performs at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), 1:30 pm, free admission, RSVP requested – our calendar listing has details.

CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm, also at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)

CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Regular weekly meeting of the Seattle City Council, 2 pm. There is a public-comment period – in person or by phone – if there’s something you want to tell the council. The agenda explains how. You can go downtown or watch live via Seattle Channel.

LADY JAYE’S PRE-FATHER’S DAY MEAT MARKET & BBQ: Want to buy beef to cook for Dad on Sunday? Lady Jaye (4523 California SW) is presenting its Pre-Father’s Day Meat Market today from 4 pm to 8 pm, and also offering a Backyard BBQ – details in our calendar listing.

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.

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 6 pm at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) conference room, community members welcome. Here’s the agenda.

WEST SEATTLE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: Monthly networking group meets at West Seattle Coworking (9030 35th SW), 6 pm. RSVP here.

FREE INTRODUCTORY ASL CLASSES: The series continues, and you can start at any time. 6 pm at the West Seattle Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4001 44th SW), info here.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm tonight, play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

FREE TRACK RUN: Bring your friends! Meet new ones! 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).

BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – weekly Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

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).

BINGO AT TALARICO’S: You can play 8 pm bingo every Tuesday. (4718 California SW)

Event coming up? Are community members invited? Tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar – please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

UPDATE: Water-rescue response at Emma Schmitz Overlook, quickly canceled

10:05 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a “water rescue response” to the 4500 block of Beach Drive – Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook [map] – after a caller further south on Beach Drive reported seeing what appeared to be a windsurfer in trouble. Land and sea units are headed that way.

10:15 AM: Police have just told their dispatcher that “Fire says he’s fine.” And then SFD told dispatch that the windsurfer is safely back ashore.

CONGRATULATIONS! Southside Revolution Rebels headed to national roller-derby competition

A local junior-roller-derby team is rolling into national competition this weekend! Thanks to Andrew for sending the report and photo:

Our local junior roller-derby team, Southside Revolution Rebels Travel Team, is heading to Denver this coming weekend (June 15-16) to face some of the best teams in the country in the Junior Roller Derby Association playoffs. Seeded number two in their regional, they have a season record of 10-2 against other teams in the area and the country.

Composed of teenage skaters from West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and beyond, the Rebels travel team is part of the Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby league. In its 10th year of operation, SSR makes its home at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. The league serves 90+ skaters aged 7-18 of any gender identity, with five teams spread across a range of skill levels. The Rebels team travels throughout the year to play high-level opponents across the country.

The teams will make an appearance at the West Seattle Grand Parade this year as well. For anyone interested in signups for new skaters to learn about derby at SSR’s September clinics, contact info@southsiderevolution.com

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Tuesday arrives

June 11, 2024 6:01 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Tuesday arrives
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, June 11.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Breezy, possible morning showers, then clearing, high in the upper 60s.. Today’s sunrise was at 5:11 am – where it stays, the earliest of the year, until June 22 – while sunset will be at 9:07 pm.

ONGOING ROAD WORK

*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:

*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work.

STADIUM ZONE

Mariners hsot the White Sox again, 6:40 pm.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; 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; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is. … Note that WSF is holding two online systemwide community meetings next week.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Low bridge: Here’s the main view:

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

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:

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!

COUNTDOWN: 5 days until Morgan Junction Community Festival, featuring MJ All-Wheels Association’s next community meeting

June 10, 2024 10:57 pm
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: 5 days until Morgan Junction Community Festival, featuring MJ All-Wheels Association’s next community meeting
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | WS & Sports

(WSB photo – banner on kiosk at Morgan Junction Park)

We’re counting down to the next major summer event in West Seattle – the Morgan Junction Community Festival, 10 am-2 pm Saturday (June 15) in and around Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW). Among the festival features will be your next chance to participate in planning the “all-wheels area” that’s on the drawing board for the southwest side of the soon-to-be-expanded park. The Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association has sent their official announcement of what they’re planning as part of the festival:

The Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association (MJAWA) is excited to announce our second community meeting for the Morgan Junction Park expansion.

Hosted at the Morgan Junction Community Festival, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the three skate spot design options from legendary West Seattle-based skatepark builder Grindline, participate in the interactive Skate Like a Girl “MJ Ramp-age,” and be entered to win a skate prize from By and By skate shop or project t-shirt. All community members are invited to vote for their favorite design on-site on Saturday, June 15.

“We are excited to present these design options to the Morgan Junction community,” said Matt Fluegge, CEO of Grindline. “Our goal is to create a space that not only meets the needs of local kids, but also enhances the overall park experience for everyone. The feedback we’ve received has been invaluable, and we’re committed to building a park that the community will be proud of.”

Grindline has incorporated feedback from the first community meeting on April 27, as well as a Seattle Parks and Recreation survey at last year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival.

In addition to the design presentations, Skate Like a Girl will be sponsoring the “MJ Ramp-age” feature. This interactive area will allow attendees to move real ramps around a 1,500 sq ft space, providing a hands-on experience to explore how different park features might feel and flow together.

Kristin Ebeling, executive director of Skate Like a Girl, added, “Skateboarding has the power to transform lives. It is both a physical and creative outlet with the power to build intergenerational community. We are proud to be part of a project that will create an accessible entry point for emerging skaters and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the Morgan Junction neighborhood.”

“Skateboarding teaches perseverance, creativity, and resilience,” said Jason Glover, Chief Sealth International High School teacher and local skateboarder. “I’ve seen firsthand how students who skateboard develop a strong sense of self-confidence and community. It’s more than just a sport; it’s a way for kids to express themselves and build essential life skills.”

Look for MJAWA in Morgan Junction Park during the festival, 10 am-2 pm Saturday. As the week continues, we’ll preview other festival features – entertainment, vendors, activities. (WSB is media sponsor for the festival, which is presented by the Morgan Community Association.)

UPDATE: Carport fire in Fauntleroy

9:14 PM: This is happening just south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock, in the 9100 block of Fauntleroy Way – a midsize Seattle Fire response is arriving at a house where a resident has reported a carport fire.

9:23 PM: Firefighters have apparently stopped this from becoming a major fire – the precautionarily dispatched fireboat is being cleared to leave.

9:38 PM: They’re starting to dismiss other units too; meantime, the SFD investigator has been summoned to look into how the fire started.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Rainbow clouds!

Thanks to everyone who sent photos of a weather phenomenon today – “rainbow clouds” over West Seattle. Above, from an anonymous texter; below, from Thomas Bach at Alki:

And from Craig Page, looking toward Vashon:

As explained here, this is also referred to simply as “cloud iridescence” is caused by “diffraction (which) occurs when small water droplets or small ice crystals scatter the sun’s light. … The cloud must be thin and have lots of water droplets or ice crystals of about the same size. When that happens, the sun’s rays encounter just a few droplets at at time. For this reason, semi-transparent clouds or clouds that are just forming are the ones most likely to have iridescence.”

Stolen? Lost? Stroller, laptop found on West Seattle streets

Two readers found two items on local streets and are hoping to get them back to their owners:

STROLLER: Beth sent the photo and says, “We noticed that part of a stroller bassinet was dumped in our yard today (likely last night). I just noticed another part of it appears to be in my neighbor’s yard. I believe this is an UppaBaby Vista stroller, which retails for about $1000. Wondering if anyone is missing theirs.”

LAPTOP: Will found this “in the middle of the northbound lane of Fauntleroy at the intersection of SW Juneau. Cars were trying actively to avoid it, and it does power on. It could have possibly fallen out of a cyclist’s backpack. The login page says ‘John T.’”

(That one could have been lost, rather than stolen/dumped, so it’s also posted in the Lost/Found/Non-Pets board in the WSB Community Forums.) Either of these items yours? Email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – and we’ll connect you.

FOLLOWUP: Metro bus crash blamed on unoccupied scooter

We followed up with Metro today to ask what they could tell us about the crash reported here early Sunday, with a coach reported to have veered off SW Roxbury and through a fence. We took several questions to Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer, who incorporated the replies into this response:

Based on preliminary information, about 3:06 a.m. early Sunday morning a RapidRide H Line bus traveling westbound on Southwest Roxbury Street left the roadway at 22nd Avenue Southwest to avoid striking a Lime scooter that was lying in the roadway that was mistaken for either an animal or a person. The bus went through a fenced driveway and partially into a backyard.

Seattle Fire Department responded to assist. The bus driver is doing OK and was not injured. One passenger was (treated for) what initially was reported to be a leg injury. Two other passengers remained on board for a period of time due in part to a customer mobility issue. They later boarded another bus. A Metro truck arrived about 3:56 a.m. to tow the bus back to base for inspection and repairs.

From budget gap to communication gap, here’s what our area’s School Board director Gina Topp heard at community-conversation meeting

(WSB photo)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

With tonight’s school-board meeting canceled, will June 26 be the date Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones brings his closure/consolidation to the board – and the community?

Our area’s school-board director Gina Topp told her community-conversation meeting Saturday that it’s her best current guess. As for why tonight’s meeting was called off – she said she wasn’t sure, but speculated the plan just wasn’t ready yet.

The impending plan was a major topic at Topp’s gathering, which ultimately filled the meeting room at High Point Library with about 30 people. She opened with an overview of what’s happening in the district: Next month, the board has to pass the budget for next school year; in her view, they’ve balanced the budget in “awful ways” but “looked continually outward” to change “the way we do business” to address costs. She reminded those gathered that the closure/consolidation plan (aka “a system of well-resourced schools”) wouldn’t take effect until the 2025-2026 school year, so it won’t be factoring into next year’s budget. She said that in the interest of being “open and transparent,” she needed to be clear that she doesn’t have any more information about the possible closures than the public has, but if they “move forward,” she wants to see:

Read More

FYI: Steve Cox Memorial Park tennis courts closing for 2+ months

(File photo of Steve Cox tennis courts, after 2012 renovations)

Given the popularity of racquet sports, we’re mentioning this here as well as on partner site White Center Now: King County Parks says the tennis courts at Steve Cox Memorial Park are closing starting this Wednesday (June 12) through August 20. The announcement says the courts will get some work done including “resurfacing the tennis courts, constructing a new ADA ramp, installation of root barriers, sidewalk repair, and fire lane striping.” It’s been 12 years since the courts got a major overhaul.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire in Arbor Heights

12:24 PM: Police are in Arbor Heights investigating a report of gunfire. Dispatch told officers that a 911 caller reported seeing three people “shooting into a pond” near 32nd Place/32nd Avenue SW. Police have taken two possible suspects into custody and reported finding a gun as well as casings. No injuries are reported.

12:35 PM: One suspect was found near 30th/Roxbury. We’ve gone to both scenes but police are still busy talking to people and no additional information is available yet; we’ll be following up later.

4:56 PM: The only additional thing police could tell us when we followed up is that one of the detained teenagers was booked into juvenile detention for investigation of unlawful gun possession.

See the first-place Mariners at a discount with West Seattle neighbors

June 10, 2024 11:59 am
|    Comments Off on See the first-place Mariners at a discount with West Seattle neighbors
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Out of the WSB inbox, sent by Malia, who asked us to share this with you:

West Seattle HS is having a night at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday, June 12th. We have a special link to buy tickets at a discounted rate. Here is the poster. We’d love to get the West Seattle community out for this! Deadline to get the tickets is tonight at 10 pm!

The Wednesday game is vs. the Chicago White Sox and starts at 6:40 pm. The M’s currently lead their division by five games!

FOLLOWUP: Admiral library branch reopening, and why a phone outage shut it down

As reported here, the West Seattle (Admiral) branch of the Seattle Public Library was closed on Sunday, with a phone outage cited as the reason. It’s back open today, regular Monday hours (10 am-6 pm), SPL spokesperson Laura Gentry told us when we followed up this morning. As for why the branch had to close because phone service was out, she explained: “This outage impacted phones at all locations in our Southwest service region, but the difference for the West Seattle Branch was that its emergency phone line also experienced the outage. That wasn’t an impact at the other branches. Given our significant technology outage with computers and internet access still down, we felt it was a safety concern to not have an operational emergency phone line if it was needed. That’s why we closed the branch and redeployed staff to other locations.” (As noted yesterday, SPL opened the High Point branch for the day instead.) Overall, though, Gentry says the phone trouble was “not related to our ongoing technology situation.” (Here’s the latest SPL update on that.)

10 events for your West Seattle Monday

June 10, 2024 9:45 am
|    Comments Off on 10 events for your West Seattle Monday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Spot the hummingbird with the summer blooms! Seen near Schmitz Park; photo sent by Stephanie)

Here’s what’s happening today, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

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.

AUTHOR TALK: Sarah Towle, author of the about-to-be-released “Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands,” speaks at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW) at 7 pm.

MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three places to play tonight – 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).

Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Remembering Kenneth R. Olson, 1931-2024

June 10, 2024 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on Remembering Kenneth R. Olson, 1931-2024
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Ken Olson, and sharing this remembrance with his community:

Kenneth Raymond Olson, known affectionately as Ken or Kenny to his friends and family, passed away peacefully of natural causes on June 4, 2024, in his native Seattle. Born on August 22, 1931, at Ballard Hospital, Ken’s journey through life was marked by his enduring charm, wit, and creative spirit.

Ken was a proud alumnus of West Seattle High School, where he began to shape a life full of accomplishment and service. Inheriting a strong work ethic, he took the reins of the family business, the Wardrobe Cleaners, which he ran successfully until his retirement in 1995. Ken’s entrepreneurial drive didn’t stop at the family business; he ventured into real estate and enjoyed working with various Seattle institutions, including the cruise ships docking in the city, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Seattle Sounders. His love for sports was further highlighted by his role as a part-owner and booster club president for the Seattle Rangers, the first professional football team in the city.

Ken’s passions were as diverse as his professional endeavors. He was an avid golfer, achieving the remarkable feat of shooting his age at 67. In his younger years, Ken was a fast-pitch softball player, demonstrating his athletic abilities and competitive spirit. His membership in the FreeMasons, Elks, and Eagles underscored his commitment to community and fellowship.

A true social butterfly, Ken relished socializing with friends, and he was known as an avid storyteller. In the words of Ken, “That was impressively unimpressive.” His humor and friendliness could light up any room, and his creative nature was evident in his various collections, which ranged from memorabilia to furniture and hats he made that he would joyfully share with others.

Ken is predeceased by his loving wives, Jeannette Olson and second wife Ginger Olson. He is survived by his three sons with Jeannette, Kenneth, Keith, and Kevin Olson, along with seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, all of whom he adored and cherished. Ken’s legacy is not only in the successful paths he forged but also in the warmth and laughter he brought into the lives of those around him.

Those who knew Ken would say that he lived by his own rules, he had a spirited Swedish demeanor, unwavering determination. and a reserved nature. Always self-composed, and a fortress of feelings.

Kenneth Raymond Olson’s life was a testament to the power of positivity, humor, and creativity. His friendly demeanor and his ability to find joy in every aspect of life left a lasting impression that will be carried forward by those who were fortunate enough to know him. Ken will be dearly missed, yet fondly remembered as a man who enriched the lives of many and left an indelible mark on his community (West Seattle) and beyond.

Please share memories, photos, and condolences for Ken on the Tribute Page at emmickfunerals.com/obituary/Kenneth-Olson

Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Monday begins

June 10, 2024 6:00 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Monday begins
 |   West Seattle news

6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, June 10.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Clearing, high in the low 70s.. Today’s sunrise was at 5:11 am – the earliest of the year (and that’ll be the sunrise time until June 22) – while sunset will be at 9:06 pm.

ONGOING ROAD WORK

*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:

*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work.

STADIUM ZONE

Mariners are back home with a 6:40 pm game vs. the White Sox.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; 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; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Low bridge: Here’s the main view:

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

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:

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!

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Woman attacked near two schools, creek

Received tonight from a reader:

I’m writing about an incident that occurred on Tuesday, 6/4 at about 3:30 pm. I was walking my dog at the corner of SW Kenyon and 24th Ave SW (across the street from the new pedestrian pathway over Longfellow Creek). A man attacked me from behind and put me in a choke hold. I was forced to the ground, held, and groped. The attacker ultimately released me and disappeared between a couple buildings in Westhaven Apartments. I reported the event to the police.

I just want to get the word out for people to be careful in that area – especially since it happened in the middle of the afternoon. A lot of students from Chief Sealth and Denny walk through that area before and after school.

The person who attacked me was a white male, approximately in his 20s, medium height, slightly overweight. He was wearing black, gray, and white.

No other descriptive details. If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 24-151643.

Rethink the Link’s ‘route walk’ draws light-rail supporters as well as skeptics

(Across from potential Delridge station location)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Today’s West Seattle light-rail “route walk” organized by Rethink the Link wasn’t a rally or protest.

What we heard and saw, walking along, was more like a collection of conversations. The three-dozen-plus participants included not just the light-rail skeptics of Rethink the Link and curious residents but also light-rail supporters, including at least one member of the Transportation Choices Coalition, and an advocate who toted this sign throughout the hour-and-a-half event:

Other transit advocates, including writers for the Seattle Transit Blog, were there too. So there were many perspectives in play as participants talked one-on-one along most of the round-trip mile-long walk from West Seattle Health Club to the middle of the low bridge and back, between multiple stops along a potential path for the train. At those stops, whoever was in earshot heard from RTL’s Alan McMurray, a route-area resident described as someone who walks to work in SODO and is therefore quite familiar with the route: “For the last four years, as I walk, I wonder how they’re going to do it.” The group gathered in the parking lot of the health club, whose management has expressed concern about a potential path that could take out its pool.

From there, walkers headed over Longfellow Creek via the SW Yancy footbridge – where environmental concerns were noted – then to Andover and into the office park that’s in a potential Delridge-station footprint, home to Alki Beach Academy and other businesses, alongside the Nucor steel plant, and looked upslope at the back of Delridge-fronting businesses also facing displacement – Ounces, The Skylark, Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and Mode Music and Performing Arts. Here’s the station rendering that’s been most recently shown:

Walking toward the low bridge, participants’ attention was directed toward Pigeon Point, along which the high bridge already runs, with West Seattle light rail requiring an additional new bridge to cross the Duwamish River.

The new bridge is expected to be at least as tall as the existing bridge, McMurray noted. How that’ll be built has yet to be finalized, but it’s expected to require some digging into Pigeon Point – “some kind of major cut” –
where herons nest. One took wing as walkers looked on, while birds’ coexistence with human-built infrastructure was on display too, as peregrine falcons’ nesting boxes on the underside of the high bridge were pointed out.

After trooping back along the path on the east side of Delridge, the group stopped for another perspective of the Skylark/Mode business building, when a person standing along the road shouted, “We don’t need no damn light rail!” A few participants responded “hear, hear”; he then said cheerfully, “OK, I’m done.”

Wrapping up shortly thereafter, McMurray explained the intent of the walk was “just meant to give you an idea of what it’s going to take” to build the West Seattle Link Extension through that area. A participant asked, “What can we do?” McMurray noted that the Final Environmental Impact Statement – precursor to a final vote on a route – is expected to be published this summer, and then there’s a “30-day window” before that final action can be taken. That’s the time to “be heard … make sure they hear you,” he said. Someone else pointed out that comments can be sent to Sound Transit now, too. (Contact info is on the project website.)

Whatever your view, McMurray concluded, “There is this common ground we all agree on – better transit.”

The still-roaming guinea fowl, growing-up goslings, and other West Seattle birds

(Photo sent by Kayano)

Almost every day, someone sends us a new photo of the still-roaming West Seattle Guinea Fowl, some still mistaking them for turkeys. So we’re opening this gallery of WSB readers’ bird photos with another mention of them.

(Photo sent by Lorenzo)

They’re not lost – we’ve been told they have a home, from which they are allowed to roam – most often seen in and near The Triangle, including in the street:

(Photo by Lisa Wallace)

As we reported earlier this spring, the Seattle Animal Shelter has tried, unsuccessfully, to corral them (they reiterated that to another reader just today) … Also often seen this spring, Canada Geese and their goslings. David Hutchinson sent this photo, observing that they’re growing up:

Here’s a view of a goose family earlier in the spring, by Angela Gunn:

Also on the shore, James Tilley photographed a Caspian Tern and Crow facing off:

In a more placid moment, this Great Blue Heron caught Benjamin Evans‘s attention:

Jerry Simmons photographed this Steller’s Jay taking time for self-care:

And here’s a Wilson’s Warbler photographed at Lincoln Park by Mark MacDonald:

Thanks to everyone who shares photos – birds, wildlife, breaking news, more – westseattleblog@gmail.com – also note that between galleries like this, we do feature bird photos with some of our daily event lists, so they’re worth a look if you don’t routinely read them!

WHALE WATCHING: Humpback off West Seattle

Whale sighting reported by Kersti Muul: “Humpback just north of Lowman Beach, mid-channel toward Me-Kwa-Mooks.” Let us know if you see it!

P.S. You can learn more about humpbacks in Puget Sound via this Seattle Channel video, produced by Annabel Cassam with photographer/editor Pete Cassam, and featuring some West Seattleites’ work – you’ll see Jeff Hogan interviewed, as well as photos by David Hutchinson:

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: What a car prowler took, then abandoned

Matthew says this happened near 47th/Hudson:

Our Subaru was successfully prowled last night. We had come back from our kids’ dance recital and accidentally left their iPad in the back seat of our car. The car was unlocked. Maybe for the best, as if they had seen the iPad (and broken) the window to get to it, then we’d have even more to deal with.

Sometime during the night the car was opened. The glove box was rifled through and the iPad was taken.

The bummer is that our 5-year-old son has hearing aids paired to that iPad so that he can play games, listen to shows and control the ambient volume of his hearing aids.

Thankfully, the iPad was signed in to an Apple ID, and Apple’s Find My was on.

This morning-when we realized it was gone-I was able to see its last-known location, where it had checked in. I biked to that location, and found nothing. I plopped down on the curb and happened to look over and saw it leaning up against the telephone pole.

My best guess is that the thief saw that it was signed in and locked to an Apple ID and would be impossible to sell without raising questions, and tossed it aside.

Still a little bit of a bummer as the screen was cracked and the iPad itself had been bent. It still functions, and we’re headed over to the store today to get it replaced under warranty.

All’s well in the end, but prowling is 100% a thing. Ah well!