MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
West Seattle Junction playhouse ArtsWest opens its next production this week: Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Topdog/Underdog” by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton. The cast features Yusef Seevers as Booth and ML Roberts as Lincoln. After a sold-out Wednesday night discount preview, the official run is Thursdays through Sundays, February 5-March 1. (Opening night is sold out too!) Here’s how ArtsWest describes its new production:
Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, “Topdog/Underdog” is a darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity and is Suzan-Lori Parks’ groundbreaking riff on the way we are defined by history. The play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.
ArtsWest and The Hansberry Project have been co-producers since 2014. Founded in 2004, The Hansberry Project is a professional black theatre company dedicated to the artistic exploration of African American life, history and culture. Past co-productions include audience favorites “Clyde’s” by Lynn Nottage (2024) and “Sunset Baby” by Dominique Morriseau (2019). “Topdog/Underdog” marks the fifth collaboration between the two theater companies; each with Valerie Curtis-Newton in the role of director.
“Topdog/Underdog” is about the struggle to reach success in a system that is rigged. This drama packs a punch with as much comedy as it has intensity. A rooming house room the size of a boxing ring becomes a pressure cooker for the two brothers who share a past and are carving their own paths as they strive towards their dreams for the future. Director Valerie Curtis-Newton remarks, “The life of a dog in the fight is a life that breeds paranoia. The under dog is always watching their back and struggling to reach the top. The top dog gets to call the shots, but for how long? “Topdog/Underdog” puts the pain of that cycle under a microscope with the hope that in investigating it, we can learn to break it.”
“Topdog/Underdog” is the third production of ArtsWest’s 2025-2026 Season titled Between Us. The season features 5 bold contemporary plays that explore the invisible threads that bind us — the responsibilities we bear for one another, the debts of care we carry, and the lifelines we extend in moments of crisis. In TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, two brothers wrestle with what they owe one another whether it be a roof over their head, a cut of their paycheck, or a watchful eye while the play asks audiences to contemplate the systems of oppression in America and what we owe our communities to create change.
ArtsWest is at 4711 California SW. Tickets are available online here, by phone at 206-938-0339, and at the box office, Thursday – Saturday 2 pm-7 pm, Sundays 11 am-3 pm.
After a few years in which catalytic-converter theft was seldom heard of, we see Mto have had at least a mini-resurgence lately. Kate emailed today to report:
Reading about the recent catalytic converter reports – wanted to let you know that my 2000 Toyota 4Runner was hit in the Gatewood neighborhood- near 37th and Holden. It was stolen on Sunday, 1/19. But just verified via mechanic last week. From shops I have been talking to – sounds like there may be a recent uptick in West Seattle.
“Thank you” is one of our favorite phrases, so we’re happy to share this message for you about the request we published from West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor) a week and a half ago, as they planned their exhibit for the upcoming Northwest Flower and Garden Festival. WSN’s Marie McKinsey emailed the photo and message:
We asked you to put out the word that we wanted old books. This is a FRACTION of what we got. Thank you and the community!
The question invariably arises – voters passed a levy, so how’s the money being spent? SDOT has just released its “draft plan” for spending Seattle Transportation Levy dollars this year. You’ll recall that voters approved the eight-year, $1.55 billion levy in fall 2024, so this is its second year. The draft 2-026 plan – see it in its entirety here – will be presented Thursday morning (February 5) to the Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee chaired by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka. It lists hundreds of projects/locations by name, though without specifics, so we went through it to get the West Seattle highlights, under the classifications used in the plan. Note that these are just the West Seattle mentions – and there are hundreds of projects listed from elsewhere in the city; projects are generally categorized in the plan as either being in design this year or starting construction:
VISION ZERO: Highland Park Way hill project, design
California/Oregon, construction
SW Barton between 26th and 29th, construction
West Seattle Bridge central eastbound span, construction
TRAFFIC CALMING: Harbor Ave from California to Spokane, construction
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL: Projects for Denny IMS, Highland Park Elementary, Madison MS, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Roxhill Elementary zones
‘NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATED SAFETY PROJECTS’: Highland Park greenway/traffic calming, North Delridge all-way stop, South Delridge traffic calming and daylighting
‘NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS’: Planning will start for 26th between Brandon and Juneau. 63rd between Alki and Admiral, SW 100th between 35th and 44th, SW 106th between 35th and Marine View Drive, SSW Holden between 12th and 11th
SPOT PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS, ASPHALT: 35th SW, 108th to 111th; 106th, 32nd to 35th
NEW PROTECTED BIKE LANE: Highland Park Way hill project, design
PROTECTED BIKE LANE UPGRADE: Admiral Way, Spokane to Lander, design
‘PEOPLE STREETS’: Lander, 18th, in design
FREIGHT: SW Manning crossing improvement, “derelict rail removal” on West Marginal Way
Some categories promised such a high number of projects – like sidewalk repairs – that they weren’t called out by name/location. Also keep in mind that this is not the entirety of what SDOT is working on – just what the levy is funding; they have other non-levy work too. Many of these led us to wonder “what exactly will be done THERE?” and so we have followup questions out to SDOT. Meantime, you can watch their briefing for the council committee at 9:30 am Thursday, either in person or via Seattle Channel. The agenda explains how to comment, though also keep in mind, this isn’t something they’ll be voting on. One more note: As for how they spent levy dollars in Year 1, this new “dashboard” might answer some questions.
For everyone watching for signs of construction at Morgan Junction’s future city-operated EV-charging lot site, you won’t have to wait much longer – Seattle City Light says on-site work is finally about to begin. SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang says contractor Zenisco Inc. “will begin work at the … site this week.” She adds, “We currently anticipate the chargers will be operational in August 2026.” Eight chargers are planned for the lot, on the site of a long-ago SCL substation kittycorner across SW Morgan from West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). We first reported on the project almost four years ago, at which the utility had hoped to start work within a year. We’re asking for any construction notice that might have gone to neighbors with details also helpful to people who drive, ride, and walk in that area, as well as any new details about one component of construction expected to require trenching on Fauntleroy Way, north of the site.
It preceded a short media briefing, in which he answered questions about safety and spending. Here’s what happened, (added) starting with district video of the event:
District chief of staff Bev Redmond opened with a statement about the “deep loss” of two teens shot to death in South Seattle Friday and led a moment of silence; four schools in South Seattle are on modified schedules today as part of the response. She said police are still actively investigating. A bit later in the event, School Board president Topp echoed the sentiment.
“An important moment for Seattle Public Schools” is how Redmond then described the start of Shuldiner’s tenure as superintendent. Topp said the former Lansing, MI, superintendent would lead the Seattle district in improving “trust” and “outcomes.” She administered the oath of office to him.
He then took the microphone, starting by saying that last night he had visited the neighborhood where the deadly shootings happened. He then said he was asked about his hope for the year, and turned the question to, “what is OUR hope?” He repeated what he’d said during the interview process – he wants SPS to be the best urban public-school district in America. Safety is vital; so is “raising the bar,” because he believes students will rise to what’s expected of them. He did not speak for long, saying that he didn’t believe anyone really wanted “to hear me speak” – that educators, students, and families instead wanted to get on with the work of education. He said “the collective we” is what will “make this district terrific.”
Media Q&A followed. First question: How to make students safe? He said there are a variety of tactics such as cameras, “single point of entry,” but it’s also “about having a relationship with SPD” and family involvement. “We can do some gold-standard things inside the building” but then must work with the community on everything else.
Second question: Do they need community members watching bus stops, police at bus stops, to keep students safe? (Friday’s shootings happened at a bus stop.) Shuldiner said it’s important for everyone to “work together,” and that would lead to change. He said brainstorming with the community would be vital.
Third question was also about the district’s specific plans for helping students deal with the news of Friday’s shootings, and Shuldiner recapped the support the district was offering – bringing in counselors, giving students time to talk about it. Redmond said the district would offer those supports throughout the week.
Fourth question was about Shuldiner’s promises of transparency in communication. He said he would do his best and pointed to a message he had sent to families last night. If the community has a request and it becomes reality, for example, he said they would follow up and offer proof that it had happened (a photo of equipment installation, for example).
Fifth question recounted Shuldiner’s talk about budget review during interviews last year “to make sure everybody’s in the right place.” Will budgetary challenges result in layoffs? He replied, “There is a pot of money that we need to fill, what does that look like?”- they don’t yet know. Maybe positions will be eliminated through attrition (such as retirement), for example. “I don’t think initially you’re going to see any (changes/cuts) large-scale.”
Sixth question was about immigration-enforcement concerns on campuses. Shuldiner replied that the district has worked hard ‘to get information out” to communities. That’s important, but so is “the law … and understanding what we can and cannot do,” he said. “The school building … is probably the safest place for children to be,” not just because of physical security of schools but because there are administrators and (district) lawyers as resources that can be drawn on. “School is the safest place to be.”
Seventh question was about his communication plans. He will write a weekly letter to the community and is reviving a “roundtable” involving students, plus planning to visit schools. He also invited students and others to email him. “My job is to be a superintendent for all the people.”
The event was wrapped at 8:39 am, after a little more than half an hour.
11:02 AM: One month before the South Delridge Walgreens (9456 16th SW) announced its impending closure late last summer, we had reported it was on the market. Now, it’s been sold. The sale, first reported by the Daily Journal of Commerce, was for $2.4 million – a third below the $3.75 million asking price in our previous story, plus less than half what the site/building is valued at in county records, and less than half what it sold for in 2003. The new owner of the 53,000-square-foot site is Team Amalfi LLC, whose principals include real-estate broker/developer James Tjoa; he’s been involved with other West Seattle projects including a 12-home site on Pigeon Point. We have a message out to ask about plans for the ex-Walgreens site; nothing’s showing up in city files so far.
1:12 PM: Went over for a new photo of the building (substituted above for the originally used King County Assessor file photo); discovered the new owner has signs up offering the building for lease:
The listing offers the option of leasing just part of the building.
FREE INFO ON DIGESTIVE HEALTH: 12:30 pm online, you can learn “Why SIBO Keeps Coming Back — and What’s Really Behind the Relapse” with Dr. Megan Taylor, ND, FABNG, from Neighborhood Naturopathic and Primary Care (WSB sponsor). Our calendar listing explains how to get the link (and how to get the recording later).
‘SOLUTIONS, NOT RESOLUTIONS’: Weekly speaker series starts with 1 pm presentation on “Paperwork and Packing Tape” at Brookdale West Seattle (4611 35th SW). Our calendar listing explains how to RSVP.
‘BEFORE THE BADGE’: 5:30 pm online dialogue with SPD recruits, all community members welcome. Our calendar listing explains how to get the link to participate.
D&D: Long-running weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too!
‘LISTENING TO GRIEF’ SUPPORT GROUP: 6:30 pm, ongoing weekly group gathering for people experiencing grief – you can participate once, weekly, or occasionally. Fee; RSVP/register here. (4034 California SW)
Thanks as always to everybody who sends info for our calendar; if you have something to add or cancel (or otherwise update), please send the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends are remembering Bill Gill and sharing this remembrance with his community:
Bill passed away on December 27, 2025 (79 years old) in Seattle. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1946. Survived by his son James, daughter-in-law Susie, grandson LJ, great-grandson Benjamin, and his wife of 20 years, Karen.
Bill spent his younger life in West Virginia, joined the Navy after high school, lived in California, Texas, and resided in Seattle for the last 40 years.
He was an outdoor adventurist and attempted a Mt. Rainier climb twice but was disappointedly turned back because of inclement weather. He was an avid bicyclist and during his working years loved to plan weekend bicycle jaunts to new areas. He assisted in Puget Sound Save the Octopi for several years. He also loved cooking and trying new recipes.
His career spanned the Pac Bell Telephone Company, Boeing, and Federal Home Loan Bank. He took an early retirement and volunteered at Highline Hospital for several years, where he was truly appreciated and loved. He also helped run a home- and pet-sitting business and spent time in Mexico. Bill truly enjoyed his retirement years and his time at Highline, and pet-sitting was one of the highlights of his adult life.
He struggled with many medical issues over the years but in typical Bill style always had a positive attitude and a warm sincere smile. He thoroughly enjoyed his last six months at Brookdale Admiral, getting involved with many activities and making friends with residents and loving staff members.
Bill loved to study history, was an avid reader and movie buff; he could quote lines off the cuff from both consistently. His FAVORITE book was “Bad Dad Jokes” and he shared them daily with everyone. He was a member of the “Bookies” Book Club of West Seattle for over a decade.
Friends and family describe Bill as “living and loving” the moment at any given moment. He was truly a gentle loving Giant. RIP, SWEET Bill.
(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)
6:00 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Monday, February 2, 2026.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
Today’s forecast is for more rain, high in the low 50s; then the rest of the week is expected to be drier and warmer. Sunrise at 7:34 am; sunset at 5:12 pm.
(Saturday’s sunset, looking toward Three Tree Point – photo by Chris Frankovich)
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
12:38 AM: Police are in the 9200 block of 16th SW [vicinity map] investigating what’s reported to have been a hit-run crash that left a motorcyclist seriously injured. They’re looking for what they say witnesses described as a brown, older Ford F-150, likely to be damaged and leaking fluid. (Added: Officers tell dispatch witnesses say it was last seen heading eastbound on either Barton or Henderson.) If you have any information, the case # to refer to is 26-032194.
9:17 AM: SFD tells us the motorcyclist is a 51-year-old man who was in stable condition when taken to a hospital. We’re checking on whether police found the suspected hit-run vehicle/driver.
BUSINESS BURGLARY: El Chupacabra on Alki reports a break-in early today, and says it wasn’t the first:
Early Sunday morning, El Chupacabra Alki was broken into by 3 individuals. We were broken into 2 weeks ago and believe it may be the same group.
If you have any information for police, refer to incident # 26-030686.
ANOTHER ABANDONED VEHICLE: An apparently dumped vehicle has turned up in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, for the second consecutive day, Brian reports:
Joining yesterday’s van is yet another dumped vehicle in the Greenbelt this morning. The trails and fields are also becoming a muddy, rutted out mess and it’s a sad trajectory this usually peaceful space is on.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT: Another reader reports, “The catalytic converter was stolen from our 1984 Toyota truck this morning. Our neighbors, whose newer Toyota had its catalytic converter stolen last week, heard sawing at 4 am this morning and saw it was our truck. We are on the 5400 block of Beach Drive, and a police report has been filed.” (Here’s the report from a week earlier.)
PACKAGE THEFTS: Finally, two package-theft reporters, with video. First, from Lerah:
A package was stolen from my front door this morning at 8:31 am in the 9000 block of 17th Ave SW.
Second, from Michelle:
We were hit by a porch pirate on Friday, 1/23/26 in broad daylight in the North Admiral area, on a dead-end street no less. The individual walked up our front steps carrying an empty cardboard box, set it down next to the much larger box filled with over $400 worth of human-grade frozen dog food (our pup’s food stock for the next month), which he nonchalantly picked up and turned tail back down the stairs with. Someone replied (on the Ring network comments) that someone with a similar build also stole their package the day before, and was seen leaving in a red truck. Not sure anything will come of this, but due to the value of the stolen merchandise, I just wanted to put this out there for attention.
The West Seattle Junction Association‘s first-ever Sweet Stroll this afternoon was sweet indeed – the $20 tickets for tastes at five Junction venues were sold out days before the event. Photojournalist Dave Gershgorn captured some scenes for WSB. Above, A La Mode Pies was the starting spot, where ticketholders could pick up “passports” to get stamped at all five participating businesses for an entry to a prize drawing. The pie tastes they were offering were raspberry crumble a la mode and cookies & cream:
Across the street at Panterelli Patisserie, proprietor Jacques Nawar was serving profiteroles:
The Junction’s most-famous purveyor of sweets, Bakery Nouveau, served Sweet Stroll-ers their choice of traditional croissant, sakura petit-four, or brownie:
And at Top Pot Doughnuts, it was a double-chocolate treat – hot chocolate doughnut and mini hot chocolate:
Wondering what’s up next in The Junction? Here’s this year’s event schedule so far – if you’re a fan of the twice-yearly Wine Walk, first one is set for May 15.
8:11 PM: This was supposed to be fairly quick but for some reason it’s taking crews a while to reposition a barrier near the Fauntleroy end of the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, and dozens of drivers are stuck waiting. If you have to head eastbound, get on the bridge another way.
8:15 PM: The dispatcher just told SPD that SDOT needs “traffic control” for another barrier fix closer to the bridge entrance at 35th; an officer replied, “Just as soon as this one gets figured out.” So avoid 35th/Fauntleroy entirely for a while.
8:19 PM: The live camera just east of 35th shows SDOT now blocking the inside eastbound lane but the others have reopened.
8:30 PM: Now they’re blocking all eastbound lanes again just past the Fauntleroy entrance, per police radio.
9:27 PM: Still blocked, per live view on traffic cameras.
10:34 PM: We’ve been checking the live feed every few minutes; it’s just reopened.
Tomorrow (Monday, February 2) is the first official weekday on the job for Ben Shuldiner, the new Seattle Public Schools superintendent, coming here from Lansing, Michigan. If you’re interested in hearing from him as he gets started, the district plans to livestream a media briefing scheduled to start at 8 am Monday at Mercer Middle School on Beacon Hill. During the briefing, the district preview says:
-School Board President Gina Topp will deliver brief remarks and administer the oath of office to Shuldiner.
-Afterward, Shuldiner will speak about his excitement for rolling up his sleeves and getting to work, spending time in each and every school and their classrooms, and collaborating with communities to build the best schools for all our students.
-Stepping into office in the aftermath of Friday evening’s tragedy in the Rainier Beach neighborhood, Shuldiner will also emphasize his commitment to acting to strengthen student safety and security.
5:55 PM: If you’re headed this way from points north, avoid southbound Highway 99 – a crash is blocking the ramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge. No other details yet.
6:29 PM: Officers have just told dispatch that the ramp has reopened.
Story and photos by Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
South Delridge’s Nacho Mama’s Fry Bread Cafe (9418 Delridge Way SW) is back after a months-long closure for remodeling, and owner Debra Lecomb is looking forward to welcoming in the community for more than its namesake menu offerings.
The updated space is light and bright, featuring a new tile-faced bar area, new floors, updated decorations and furniture and some kitchen improvements, including a commercial dishwasher. Lecomb also added a raised stage area in the corner for musicians to play. She has Marlee Walker booked to play blues on Friday nights from 5-8.
Nacho Mama’s menu is still largely the same, with fry bread as a featured part of everything from breakfasts to tacos, and sundaes to PB&J sandwiches. There are nachos too, and breakfast served all day. Lecomb learned to make fry bread from her grandmother, a skill that she says isn’t as simple as following a recipe. She prepares all of the dough herself.
Lecomb is invested, not just in the food but in the space itself. She says it took more than a year of working nights after her two day jobs to get the space cleaned up and ready to open initially in 2022. Lecomb says it had been broken into, vandalized and occupied by transients before she took it over. This latest 4-month remodel, partly funded by a city grant, allowed her to make some of the finishing touches that she wasn’t able to do the first time around. She’s in it for the long haul: “To be able to work efficiently and stay here for a long time and be here for the community and give back.”
The only vestige of the former Hoang Kim Vietnamese restaurant that Lecomb kept is a mural by artist Sarah Robbins on the north wall. “There was all kinds of graffiti all over these walls, a dragon going down the wall. The ravens were here — I kept them.” Now they are the backdrop for the stage and anchor a space that Lecomb is really excited about. Plus, she now has some help in the kitchen — a family friend who moved here to lend a hand. “I was doing everything by myself. I was cooking, serving, shopping, prepping. Jacob’s been wonderful to me and I really appreciate him.”
Nacho Mama’s is open 7 days: Monday and Tuesday 11 am-9 pm and the rest of the week from 10 am-8 pm.
2:17 PM: Get over to Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW) – the root beer’s free this afternoon! The historic “community center for the arts” is famous for its root-beer floats, so they’re free during the “Root Beer Social” open house, which continues until 4 pm – Löcol root beer, Husky Deli ice cream.
It’s a chance to wander in for a look at the renovations that closed the 110-year-old hall since midsummer – and some of the memorabilia turned up during the work. More photos to come!
2:56 PM: That’s Kenyon Hall’s Murphy Janssen cutting the ribbon. Meantime, Kyle Canaday is today’s guest organist on The Mighty Wurlitzer:
Here’s some of the memorabilia, including items from the venue’s days as Hokum Hall, and even items from the community sports teams sponsored in the Olympic Heights Social Hall days:
Also the tribute to Kenyon Hall’s longtime operator Lou Magor:
If you didn’t get to any of the reopening-weekend events, you can check out one of the upcoming performances – next one, The Morsel Trio, on Saturday (February 7).
1:10 PM: Today, the mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is apparently underwater – or afloat – judging by the rainbow photos we’ve received (thank you!).
(Reader photo via text)
Meantime, the National Weather Service says the weather’s warming up – Tuesday through Friday, the highs are predicted to be in the upper 50s!
3:24 PM: One more view, from Jerry Simmons, showing “the other end” of the rainbow:
One week until the Seahawks take on New England in the Super Bowl. Signs of Seahawks support are showing up around the region – this was sent by Samantha at Nucor‘s West Seattle steel mill (WSB sponsor), where a familiar figure is now sporting blue and green:
In case you’re collecting signs of Seahawk spirit from around West Seattle, we wanted to share our Steel Man at Nucor.
Anybody else with team-spirit displays as the week goes on – or venues with Super Bowl watch parties (which we’re adding to our event calendar) – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Open as usual on California SW between Oregon and Alaska, 10 am-2 pm, now in winter produce-and-products season – roots, greens, peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, beans, garlic, apples, more – plus lots of baked goods, cheeses, meats, fish, prepared foods, condiments, pasta, more.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Need a tool but don’t need to, or can’t, buy it? You’ll probably be able to find it at, and borrow it from, the Tool Library, open 11 am-4 pm on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
KENYON HALL ROOT BEER SOCIAL:This open house wraps up Reopening Weekend at the historic hall, 2-4 pm; visit to see the renovations as well as memorabilia from its century-plus history. (7904 35th SW)
WELCOME ROAD WINERY: Spend part of your Sunday afternoon relaxing at this West Seattle tasting room (with a patio!) open 2-5 pm, kids and dogs welcome. (3804 California SW; WSB sponsor)
SWEET STROLL, SOLD OUT! If you don’t already have ticket(s) for the first-ever West Seattle Junction Sweet Stroll 2-5 pm today, sorry, they’re sold out, so this is just a reminder to those who do, as well as a potential answer to “what’s going on in The Junction?” today after the market.
WEST SEATTLE SCHOOL OF ROCK @ TIM’S TAVERN: Two shows, 3:30 pm (“Fleetwood Mac meets Heart”) and 7:30 pm (“Devo vs. The Cars”), ticket info here. (9655 16th SW, White Center)
SCREAMING AT LINCOLN PARK: The monthly gathering of Scream Club Seattle is at 4:30 pm on the Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) waterfront, picnic shelter #4.
Are you planning, organizing, and/or publicizing something that we could add to the WSB community event calendar – one-time or recurring? Please email us the basic details – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
What’s happened in Minneapolis the past few weeks poses questions that ask us about the strength of our local community. If the federal government sent a similarly sizable contingent of immigration-enforcement agents here on a long-duration operation, how would we respond? Do people here have the ability to endure as a community and protect the most vulnerable among us? What lessons can people here learn from the community organizers who have directly confronted ICE in Minneapolis?
These were the topics which Fauntleroy UCC Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski touched on in her nearly hour-long talk Wednesday night. As reported here, she recently returned from a brief trip to Minneapolis, along with more than 650 interfaith leaders from various congregations across the US. Together, they helped a variety of Minneapolis community organizers on the ground.
She was there on short notice. “This time [two weeks ago] I didn’t know I was going on this trip. The Thursday prior [Jan. 15th], an organization in Minneapolis […] said ‘We need help – can we put an event together quickly with interfaith leaders from across the country quickly to come?’ and they said, let’s do it. The next day there was a call out, and they sent it to [us] – I secured child care, got a plane ticket, and said I’d come.”
The gravity of the situation was immediate to her within her first day there. “[When we got to the church of the organization that was hosting us, it was obvious to us how tired they were, how exhausted they [were], because Minneapolis-St. Paul is truly a city that is under siege,” she said. After a brief training by the religious organizers, she was at first scheduled to go to a protest at a federal building, but this was immediately rescinded by the organizers due to the threat of federal agents’ presence. “They [the religious organizers] got the call that the temperature [of the situation] was not good, for five busloads of clergy to show up and even just engage in a prayer -they said it would not be safe.” she recalled.
Instead, she went on a patrol to watch for ICE activity in a close-by neighborhood. At first, nothing seemed off. The patrol finished with no events of note, and she returned to a nearby bus stop to go back and meet with the other organizers at the main church. But then others from their group on patrol in the same area came to talk to them: “Three clergy run up to us, they’re out of breath, and they share with us they had just interrupted an abduction. And where was it? It was right there, right behind us, it was in a strip mall right behind the bus shelter – and at the other end of the strip mall parking there was a van with a pregnant woman and her children. ICE vehicles surrounded it, 12 agents got out, and the clergy started blowing whistles and took video on their phones […] and after less than 60 seconds [the ICE officers left] – that is all it took for the abduction to take place. They are not sure if the ICE agents left because the woman produced the ’right papers’ or because the clergy were there, but the agents left.”
It stuck with her on how it seemed to occur both silently, literally behind her back, and quickly. “That is terrifying news – that it can happen within 60 seconds. That is how quick and sneaky this can be, and how hard it is for people to observe,” she said.
The next day, she chose to help an immigrant-focused church in the suburbs of Minneapolis. She talked about the sense that, during the time of crisis for the community, the church tried to look beyond a place of self-importance, and simply serve as an institution for the community to find peace. “They were doing things like opening the church up at night to be a place of healing, bringing in chairs for reiki and massage tables – people coming to just talk and to listen to those who needed an ear – having a nightly dance (with a disco ball) so that in the midst of a neighborhood where ICE is going door to door, they could be a place where there was joy that could be experienced in the midst of pain. That morning they packed meals. It’s said about 16,000 households in Minneapolis-St. Paul do not feel safe to leave their houses.” she said.
But even that concept of peace and sanctuary seemed short-lived in the face of constant siege. After being there only a short time, the church went into lockdown over federal activity nearby. “I was going down to the basement, where there are 3 rooms acting as clinics so people can come down here for treatment by volunteer professionals because it is no longer safe to receive care at other places – I was going down there to use the bathroom and there was a great hustle and bustle – and I heard, there was a completed abduction a block and a half away, and people were injured.” she said. “They rushed someone into the church, who was injured from a smashed windshield [during the stop], with her face being torn up.”
But even in the midst of chaos, the pastor found inspiration from the community’s resilience. “[As soon as the church went on lockdown], volunteers started opening the cabinets of the church kitchen, and taking down food so they could immediately make soup for all of us locked in there. They said they wanted something comforting for us to eat.” she said. “We all have a role to play. Everyone there had a role to play. Some of them are not glamorous or glorious – most of them aren’t. Some feel small. But they’re all connected, all important.”
From these experiences, she spoke about what she saw as the crucial infrastructure that helped Minneapolis stay so organized in the face of a seemingly omnipresent threat. A lot of it came down to the infrastructure of how community groups organized, and had been doing so since the days of the George Floyd protests in 2020. Local neighborhoods had their own independent, encrypted Signal chats, and these worked in tandem with larger cross-city political or non-profit organizations. She emphasized that the simultaneous decentralization and interconnection of power allowed groups to rapidly mobilize and respond.
“The single greatest lesson I came home with – what Minneapolis taught me – is that resisting authoritarianism requires training sustained resistance in cooperation with your neighbors. And so we need to get to know our neighbors, care for our neighbors, be a neighbor to one another, and engage in hyper-local community organization. If things can happen in 60 seconds, what matters most is the community you have right around you.” she said.
Rev. Atkinson Bilinski said she hoped her experiences, and the lessons she took with them, could help in the event that the same kind of federal deployment happens here. “I hope that you hear loud and clear, we are here, there is sustained resistance from communities against authoritarian systems, it’s not gonna be one march or one protest, it’s gonna be all of us doing what we can with each other, together, in order to be what we need to be. There is an increased ICE presence in Seattle, and we need the eyes to see it before it becomes worse.” she said.
Bill passed away on December 27, 2025 (79 years old) in Seattle. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1946. Survived by his son James, daughter-in-law Susie, grandson LJ, great-grandson Benjamin, and his wife of 20 years, Karen.
Tomorrow (Monday, February 2) is the first official weekday on the job for Ben Shuldiner, the new 
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