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Spotlight Stories


  • Meeting

    ALL TALK, NO LISTENING: Meeting stirs frustration

  • Winners

    THE WINNERS! Westside Awards celebration

  • 5K

    WEST SEATTLE 5K: Today! Final updates

UPDATE: Brown water and work crews in Admiral. Plus, a signal update
February 22, 2024 12:49 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

12:49 PM: We noticed that work crew on the north side of 47th/Admiral this morning and since we saw SDOT logos, we sent an inquiry to see if it’s related to the signal troubles at that intersection. While awaiting that reply, we’ve since heard from one nearby resident who says the crew was working on sewer/water, while another says crews were working with the hydrant a few blocks north at 47th/Walker, and that brown water has ensued. So we’re checking with SPU too, but in the meantime, if you’re in the area, check your water before laundry/bathing/etc.

ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT: Here’s what we heard back from SDOT:

Our workers were repairing the road panels, replacing old concrete with new ones featuring curbs. This project is unrelated to the traffic signal issue.

Regarding the traffic signal problem, today a backhoe accidentally blocked a traffic light sensor, causing the light to remain on as it detected a vehicle presence all day. However, the digging is now complete, so we anticipate no further issues with the signal.

To stop issues like this from happening again, we made the northbound detection zone smaller to catch problems with illegal parking or similar situations. We’re still looking into the problem by putting in a hard drive to take pictures for a better look. This should help us find out why it’s acting up.

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BIZNOTE: West Seattle Coworking hosting 24-hour CodeDay code-a-thon
February 22, 2024 11:56 am
|    Comments Off on BIZNOTE: West Seattle Coworking hosting 24-hour CodeDay code-a-thon
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

West Seattle Coworking‘s main location at 9030 35th SW will host dozens of students this weekend for a 24-hour code-a-thon. The event is presented by the nonprofit organization CodeDay, which explains that it’s “committed to providing inclusive opportunities for underserved students to learn about technology.” More than 70 students are participating and will be building games, websites, apps, and more between noon Saturday and noon Sunday, in what CodeDay explains will be “an immersive learning experience, with mentors and workshops guiding students through the process of turning their ideas into tangible projects.” CodeDay’s goal is to eliminate the financial burden for students to get tech knowhow, and toward that end, the announcement notes that they’re even providing “free laptops for the event that attendees can keep in order to promote a continued interest in coding beyond the event.” A CodeDay spokesperson says the opening ceremony (noon-12:30 pm Saturday) and closing awards ceremony (11 am-noon Sunday) are open to the public if you’re interested in visiting.

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The list for your West Seattle Thursday!
February 22, 2024 10:12 am
|    Comments Off on The list for your West Seattle Thursday!
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s what’s happening for the rest of your Thursday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FREE PLAYSPACE: Drop-in space open at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau) until noon.

NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Open 1-6 pm at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor).

WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com for info on where they’re playing today.

HOW REAL ESTATE TRENDS AFFECT SENIOR LIVING: Free presentation at Village Green West Seattle (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor), 2 pm – please RSVP.

STRONG BODIES, STRONG BONES: 2:30 pm class at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: Every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Paparepas.

FREE ECO-ARTS CLASS: 4-7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – drop in!

VISCON CELLARS: The West Seattle winery’s tasting room/wine bar is open 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) for wine by the glass or bottle.

(added) DINE AND DONATE: Haymaker in The Junction (4706 California SW) is donating proceeds to the West Seattle Food Bank tonight. Open 5-10 pm.

TALK WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REP: The Seattle Public Schools board director for West Seattle/South Park, Gina Topp, hosts a community-conversation meeting online, 6-7 pm. Find the attendance link here.

WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at Future Primitive Beer Bar (2536 Alki SW) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run – more in our calendar listing.

HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: 6:30 pm, meet at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) for a 3-mile run through the neighborhood.

DOG-PARK BRIEFING: This previously postponed item (including siting for West Seattle’s second off-leash area) is back on the agenda for tonight’s meeting of the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, 6:30 pm. UPDATE: Our previous link to attendance information turned out to be wrong. We asked Parks for correct information – here it is:

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Feb 22, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners 2/22/24

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

zoom.us/j/91227156890?pwd=L1RvM3Y2azNEUTRJejJTNm9UNlJzQT09

Passcode: ParksNRec

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

+1 253 205 0468 US

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Webinar ID: 912 2715 6890
Passcode: 564353451

BLUES NIGHT: 6:30-9 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.

THURSDAY NIGHT TRIVIA: Burger Planet (9614 14th SW) in White Center now has Thursday night trivia at 7 pm – prizes!

‘BORN WITH TEETH’: Final week for the current play at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm – tickets here.

WHO WAS KIT MARLOWE? Before the play – or, even if you’ve already been (or haven’t gone yet) – free discussion at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 6-7 pm. RSVP link is in our calendar listing.

Planning an event that should be on our calendar and in daily preview lists like this one? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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Remembering Darrellee Pavey, 1951-2023
February 22, 2024 9:13 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Darrellee Pavey, and sharing this remembrance with her community:

Darrellee Pavey of West Seattle passed away on December 26 at Swedish First Hill after a nine-year battle with lung cancer.

She was born on January 6, 1951, to Fred and Helen Ihrig, in Seattle. She was raised by her mother, spending time in Oklahoma as her stepfather was stationed in Ft. Sill, then later lived in South Park, now a portion of Tukwila. Later she moved with her mother to West Seattle, where she attended Madison Middle School and West Seattle High School. It was in this timeframe she met her future husband, Pat Pavey.

Darrellee was married on October 29, 1971 and started homemaking with her husband and first son, Sean David, in the South Admiral area until a new home was built in the Fauntleroy Springs area. Having moved only 200 feet from Fairmount Park Elementary School, she took up her passion to work with children and was employed by the school to watch over children during their breakfast and lunch breaks. She also took up being a mother to her second son, Travis Christian.

It was the spring of 2015 that she was rushed to Swedish First Hill hospital only to find out she had small cell lung cancer and started the long path to tratment, including three rounds of chemotherapy as well as radiation treatments. Even with this devastating diagnosis, Darrellee continued on with her loves. One of those loves was the raising of her Golden Retrievers, raising four of them. A second love was her home and garden, where she spent most of her free time.

With her husband’s retirement from the Seattle Fire Department, and her sons long moved from the family home, Darrellee made an effort to maintain a carefree life even with her ongoing treatments for her cancer, but in the end the cancer won out. The year 2023 became her toughest challenge, and with visits to the hospital lasting longer it became obvious she was losing the battle. Nevertheless she maintained her poise and did not let the inevitable sway her. She had promised her brother that she would make one more Christmas and that she did. She also made her fifty-second marriage anniversary, celebrating while in Swedish. Her passing was not a surprise but it still left her family in heartbreak. She is survived by her brother Nick Barrie, sons Sean David and Travis Christian, and her husband, Patrick.

(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)

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Thursday notes
February 22, 2024 6:01 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Thursday notes
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, February 22; second-to-last weekday of midwinter break for many local schools.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Clearing and a high in the low-to-mid-50s highlight today’s forecast. Sunrise will be at 7:03 am, sunset at 5:43 pm.

ADVANCE ALERT

The two right northbound lanes on the 1st Avenue South Bridge are scheduled to be closed Saturday morning (February 24) for road work, 6 am-noon.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here. Monday will be on the regular weekday schedule.

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 changes, and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, and Delridge/Oregon.

High Bridge – the main camera:

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

Low Bridge:

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 opening for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene). Thank you!

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34th District Democrats hear from statewide candidates, advocates for Gazans @ February 2024 meeting
February 21, 2024 10:44 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

By Sean Golonka
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Local members with the 34th District Democrats, the West Seattle area’s largest political organization, received a wide-ranging presentation on Gaza during the group’s online-only monthly meeting on Wednesday night, through a conversation that focused heavily on the Israel-Hamas conflict’s effects on families in Gaza.

Several candidates for statewide office — including Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti, Democrats who are both seeking re-election — also made appearances at the meeting, a sign the election season is getting underway, with the primary election set for August 6.

Focus on Gaza

Rachel Glass, the 34th DDs’ first vice-chair, said the conversation was motivated by an “urgent need for dialogue and education” to understand the complexities of the ongoing conflict, and the pre-meeting program featured two local community activists with longtime ties to Palestinians.

Read More

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UPDATE: 35th/Morgan crash
February 21, 2024 8:31 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

8:31 PM: Avoid 35th/Morgan for a while – three of the four sides of the intersection are reported blocked because of a 2-car crash. Dispatch told officers that witnesses who called it in said one vehicle was speeding and hit the other. No serious injuries are reported, but they’ll have to tow the vehicles and clean up a reported fluid spill before the intersection can reopen.

8:57 PM: Police just told dispatch that 35th/Morgan has reopened.

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BIZNOTE: Miss Kamei Japanese Restaurant? Here’s where to find it now
February 21, 2024 7:02 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure

Two years after closing in the West Seattle Junction, the owners of Kamei Japanese Restaurant have justopened a new location in Tacoma. They contacted us today to ask us to share that news with their West Seattle fans. They sent a few photos, too.

You’ll find Kamei Sushi Restaurant at 10435 Pacific Avenue South in Tacoma, Tuesdays-Sundays 11 am-2:30 pm for lunch and 4:30-8:30 pm for dinner. It opened earlier this month. (The West Seattle building that replaced the former locations of Kamei and Lee’s Asian restaurants, at 4508 California SW, is nearing completion, but its commercial space will be taken by an urgent-care clinic, as we reported in December.)

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FOLLOWUP: City approves new plan for 15 parking spaces at rebuilt/expanded Alki Elementary School
February 21, 2024 4:40 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(New design proposal for Alki Elementary, with 15 parking spaces in southwest corner of site)

Two months after Seattle Public Schools proposed a new plan for the Alki Elementary rebuild/expansion, with 15 offstreet parking spaces instead of zero, the city has approved it. This comes six months after a city hearing examiner told SPS it had to revisit its no-on-site-parking plan, after nearby residents appealed the original city decision allowing nine zoning exceptions (“departures”) for the project. Without a zoning exception, the rebuilt/expanded school would require 48 spaces. We discovered the decision on the plan revision while checking online files today; it’s scheduled to be widely circulated via tomorrow’s twice-weekly Land Use Information Bulletin. From the 21-page decision document, here’s the bottom line:

In evaluating the initial parking departure request, the Director reviewed the district required school program, the DON recommendations, public comment, the proposed site plan, and location of the programmatic elements such as circulation, shared learning areas, outdoor play area, and classroom spaces, and all technical information and analysis. The Director approved the initial parking departure request (for zero on-site vehicular parking stalls) with the conditions listed at the end of this report (May 2023). The Hearing Examiner Decision (August 2023) returned the parking departure request back to the Director for additional study of parking impacts. Upon further review of the proposal, including the additional parking analyses, revised site plan (to include 15 on-site vehicular parking spaces), and all public comment, the Director finds that the departure is appropriate in relation to the character and scale of the area; there is a presence of edges, a right of way, a park and a topographic break which provides a transition in bulk and scale and the departure does not exacerbate or diminish the area character; and the departure will not significantly exacerbate traffic, noise, circulation, parking or impact housing or open space in the area.

The Director finds that the educational need for this departure is met and that the impacts of the proposal could be adequately mitigated by the conditions recommended by DON and the Director. Therefore, the Director grants the departure request …

The “educational need” is explained elsewhere in the decision document as the district’s contention that providing more parking would require actions that would affect how well the new school could function, Meantime, the decision argues that the new plan is actually an increase in official parking for the site, compared to the now-demolished school:

The proposed departure request will result in no significant loss of vehicular parking on site and will establish an increase in parking for the record. First, the prior Alki Elementary had a surface service area that was informally used by staff for vehicular parking and was estimated to accommodate approximately 19-20 vehicles. The hard surface play area north of the building (and off-site) is City of Seattle property and is signed for “Community Center Parking Only” but was used for school-event parking and was estimated to accommodate approximately 27 vehicles. In addition, there was a right-of-way that was used for informal parking at the northeast corner of the site, where Parks has a community center. This city property will continue to exist. Further, Parks has two parking spots for the community center that continue to exist (one 15-minute load space and one accessible permit space). To the east of these spaces are six spaces signed for “Alki Community Center Permitted Staff Parking Only.” SPS’s revised site plan for Alki Elementary now includes 15 medium-sized vehicular parking stalls with an ADA accessible space located in the southwest portion of the Alki Elementary site. The addition of these 15 parking spaces required redesign or elimination of project elements previously included in the design such as the staging area for delivery trucks and garbage pickup, location of the transformer, building storage space, bicycle storage area, and pedestrian path.

As with the original zoning-exception decision, this approval can be appealed. The publication notice explains how, and sets a deadline of March 7. The original plan was for Alki Elementary to hold classes at the former Schmitz Park Elementary this year and next, but the construction delay already has the district acknowledging Alki will be housed there for 2025-2026 too.

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WHALES: Southern Residents’ J-Pod in the area
February 21, 2024 2:38 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Whales

2:38 PM: After heading south this morning, whales from the Southern Resident orcas’ J-Pod are northbound again and right across the Sound from West Seattle, reports Kersti Muul. She says they’ve exited Colvos Passage (on the west side of Vashon) and are headed for the east side of Blake Island. Let us know if you see them!

3:51 PM: Gary says in comments that as of a few minutes ago, they were passing Alki Point, still northbound.

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READER REPORT: Fisher Scone truck in Admiral
February 21, 2024 2:18 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Thanks to Laurie for the tip! If you want a taste of the State Fair without going to Puyallup, you can catch up with the Fisher Scones truck at Metropolitan Market (42nd/Admiral) in West Seattle until 4 pm today.

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UPDATE: 2 hurt in crash on Olson Place
February 21, 2024 1:06 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

1:06 PM: SFD and SPD are headed for a crash reported toward the east end of the Roxbury corridor, on the Olson Place hill, just west of Arrowhead Gardens [map]. Avoid the area for a while.

1:08 PM: First arriving crews report it’s a two-vehicle crash, including “a truck on its side.”

1:27 PM: Thanks to Collin for the photo. No word so far on injuries, but no medic unit’s been sent, which suggests no major injuries – we’ll be following up with SFD.

2:20 PM: SFD has closed the call but Collin tells us the scene hasn’t cleared yet – next step is towing.

2:29 PM: Clear now!

ADDED WEDNESDAY EVENING: SFD says two people were hurt – a 47-year-old woman who was taken to a hospital by private ambulance, and a 62-year-old woman treated at the scene.

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VIDEO: City Councilmember Rob Saka puts his ‘King of Potholes’ nickname into action
February 21, 2024 11:52 am
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(WSB photos/video)

If you’re going to be The King of Potholes, you might as well go get a firsthand look at your kingdom. That’s what District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka did this morning, joining an SDOT “Pothole Rangers“ crew at work in South Park and West Seattle. We heard him mention the plan during yesterday’s meeting of the Transportation Committee, which he chairs, so we contacted his staff and arranged to meet up at his first stop.

In this case, the Pothole Rangers had a fairly deep rut to deal with immediately south of the city transfer station in west South Park – an industrial area heavily traveled by trucks. Saka put on a hard hat and vest and joined the crew.

The rain stopped just in time, but SDOT’s crew told us they work in every kind of weather except snow/ice. So first task was to dry out this pothole best as they could.

Then came the application of “tack,” to which the asphalt fill would adhere. And finally the asphalt itself, with which the councilmember assisted:

Here’s the “after” view, and how the process concluded:

As recently noted here, SDOT crews – which are based regionally, including one assigned to West Seattle – filled more than 25,000 potholes around the city last year. And there’s always more waiting to be filled – here’s a screengrab from the map of reported-and-waiting potholes:

(Go here for options on how to report one.) Saka told us this is just the first visit he plans to make to a variety of frontline crews – he’ll be visiting bridge-maintenance workers too. He also reiterated that he’s well aware the underlying cause of potholes needs to be addressed too – streets in desperate need of repaving. The next transportation levy is expected to address that, though Saka said he hasn’t been involved yet in specific project lists, so he doesn’t know whether, for example, SW Roxbury (which was supposed to be repaved with Levy to Move Seattle money, then got shelved) will be addressed.

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Today’s West Seattle list!
February 21, 2024 10:03 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Rosalie Miller, who explains: “Trametes versicolor fungus on a decomposing stump in North Admiral”)

Here’s what’s up in the hours ahead:

TODDLER READING TIME: Every Wednesday morning, 10:30 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 11 am-noon, visit Alki Cooperative Preschool (6115 SW Hinds).

FREE TODDLER GYM: 3-5 pm drop-in playspace at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Repair your broken item instead of replacing it! Weekly event, 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for the weekly free group run.

TRIVIA x 4: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Online this month. 6:30 pm program focuses on the war in Gaza, 7:30 pm meeting focuses on monthly business matters including candidate appearances – see agenda highlights here; register to view/participate here.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)

MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic – no cover to watch. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, etc., and it’s open to the community, please send us info for West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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THURSDAY: Next chance to talk with West Seattle’s school-board rep
February 21, 2024 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on THURSDAY: Next chance to talk with West Seattle’s school-board rep
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Before we get to what’s happening today – here’s a heads-up for tomorrow: The Seattle Public Schools Board director for West Seattle and most of South Park, Gina Topp, is hosting her second community-conversation meeting Thursday night (February 22). This time, it’s online, 6-7 pm. The link for participating is here. These are usually informal meetings with an opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns; here’s our coverage of her first one last month.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Wednesday begins
February 21, 2024 6:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, February 21; midwinter break continues for many local schools.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Showers and a high in the low 50s are again in today’s forecast. Sunrise will be at 7:05 am, sunset at 5:41 pm.

(Tuesday noontime rainbow, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

ADVANCE ALERT

The two right northbound lanes on the 1st Avenue South Bridge are scheduled to be closed Saturday morning (February 24) for road work.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here. Monday will be on the regular weekday schedule.

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 changes, and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, and Delridge/Oregon.

High Bridge – the main camera:

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

Low Bridge:

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 opening for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene). Thank you!

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BIZNOTE: West Seattle’s newest restaurant/bar Little Donkey opens Wednesday
February 20, 2024 8:41 pm
|      59 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

(WSB photos)

After a few soft-open trial runs, including tonight, the new restaurant/bar Little Donkey plans to officially open tomorrow (Wednesday, February 21) at 3401 California SW. As we first reported when Spiro’s ended its 31-year run in the corner space 14 months ago, it’s a venture with partners including Ben Jenkins (Shadowland, Dumplings of Fury) and Mike Meckling (Woodinville Cut Shop, Neumos), both West Seattleites. It’s all ages, except, of course, at the bar.

You can see the menu here – overseen by chef Enrique Vargas, who’s worked in the industry for more than 20 years and is originally from Mexico City:

The drink menu is perusable online, too. For starters, Little Donkey will open at 3 pm – but soon they’ll be offering weekend brunch starting at 9 am, launching not this weekend, but the weekend after (March 2-3).

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: The Little Donkey team tells us they’re not opening until 5 pm tonight and Thursday.

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Brown water in South Delridge/Highland Park
February 20, 2024 8:28 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Just reported by email: “Starting this evening I noticed our tap water was noticeably brown. Not sure if it’s just our house. We’re by 15th Ave SW and Henderson.” No incidents on the Seattle Public Utilties water-trouble map; if it happens to you, be sure to report it to SPU’s 24-hour hotline, 206-386-1800. (And us too!)

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COUNTDOWN: Four days until Polar Plunge ‘winter beach party’ at Alki
February 20, 2024 7:59 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo, past Special Olympics Polar Plunge)

If the forecast holds, it won’t be very “polar” for Saturday’s Special Olympics Washington-benefiting Polar Plunge at Alki. But it’s good news overall for the “winter beach party” that the event promises to be, with a beer garden, food trucks, and costume contest, before all the “plunging” gets going. The party starts near Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki) at 10 am Saturday (February 24); the costume contest starts around 12:10 pm, and even if you’re not going in the water (that begins at 1 pm), you have a role to play, since the costume judging will be by audience acclaim. If you do want to go in, there’s still time to register online. P.S. The beer garden also offers a tasting experience – tickets are available in advance online here.

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VIDEO: Mayor Harrell’s third State of the City speech
February 20, 2024 5:51 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Just one scripted shoutout to West Seattle in Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s State of the City speech today – in the context of the planned Sound Transit light-rail extension. Other topics in his speech, delivered at the Museum of History and Industry in South Lake Union, were familiar and timeless, public safety chief among them – he hailed some ongoing changes, like the creation of the CARE Department (with 911 and a crisis-response team), and said – as we’d heard last week – that Seattle’s Park Rangers will soon be working citywide. He also promised to convene a public-safety forum next month to hear from community members. And he said that when he proposes the next transportation levy, it will focus on “the basics” – repaving, bridge maintenance, signage and striping, potholes (District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka got a shoutout there), etc. And he acknowledged that the pressure is on, since he can pretty much count on support from the mostly-new City Council: “There is a new level of expectations.” On homelessness, he hit the points made in the media briefing we covered last week. Read the speech here (or watch the video above).

P.S. Set your calendar – the mayor said the next citywide Day of Service is set for May 18th.

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NOMINATION TIME: 2024 Westside Awards
February 20, 2024 3:19 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Just in from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce – it’s nomination time for the businesses, organizations, and people you’d like to see recognized with this year’s Westside Awards. Here’s the announcement we received:

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce presents the annual Westside Awards in May and the nomination process is now open for submissions. The Chamber is seeking nominations in the following categories:

1) Business of the Year
2) Not-for-Profit of the Year
3) Emerging Business of the Year
4) Westsider of the Year

The community is invited to submit nominations online here: loom.ly/qS8SmDE. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by 5 pm.

The Westside Awards honor leadership in entrepreneurship, innovation, and community impact, highlighting the achievements and contributions of businesses, organizations, and individuals within our West Seattle community.

“The Westside Awards represent the heartbeat of our community’s resilience,” said Rachel Porter, executive director of the West Seattle Chamber. “The Awards showcase the extraordinary contributions of businesses and individuals who make West Seattle such a vibrant, thriving community.”

Mark your calendar for the annual Westside Awards Breakfast to be held in person on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The West Seattle Chamber will honor the award winners as well as the awardee finalists at the Awards Breakfast — event details to follow at wschamber.com.

“Our Chamber has a long history of recognizing leadership,” notes Porter. You can take a look back at the previous Westside Award winners in each category online, by visiting wschamber.com/westside-awards.

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VIDEO: Before the next transportation levy, what has the current one done? City Council Transportation Committee gets SDOT recap
February 20, 2024 1:53 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

16 minutes into that Seattle Channel video, the City Council Transportation Committee – chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka – hears SDOT recap the past eight years of the $930 million Levy to Move Seattle, which expires at the end of this year. (See the slide deck here.) This is a precursor to announcing the plan for the next levy, which Mayor Bruce Harrell said in his State of the City address today that he expects to do in spring. The SDOT contingent briefing the Transportation Committee today was led by director Greg Spotts and Francisca Stefan. They noted that the levy funding comprises almost a third of SDOT’s budget, and that this is the 18th year SDOT has had levy funding. They also noted the levy “pivot” for the pandemic, and then the later course correction to get back on track with its original intent. One program that’s getting back on track is seismic upgrades for bridges – though no new specifics were given, two are pending for West Seattle this year, the Delridge pedestrian overpass and the twin Admiral Way bridges over Fairmount Ravine. (A check of records shows that the contract for the former is about to be awarded, and bidding is still open for the latter.)

It was also noted that one major West Seattle project promised when the Levy to Move Seattle went to the ballot in 2015, known as Fauntleroy Boulevard, remains “paused,” as it has been for six years, since Fauntleroy Way became a possible path for the Sound Transit light-rail extension, which now seems likely to tunnel into The Junction instead. (The project actually was included in a revised version of the levy announced by then-Mayor Ed Murray, two months after the original proposal.) Not mentioned today, but also unfulfilled though it was expected when the levy was passed – Roxbury repaving. (Initial planning happened, but then in 2019 we discovered it was shelved until at least the next levy.)

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UPDATE: Gas leak at 40th/Dawson
February 20, 2024 12:47 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

12:47 PM: Police are helping SFD block off traffic on 40th SW between Hudson and Dawson [map], southeast of The Junction. Fire crews say a 3/4-inch gas line has been severed and they’re evacuating some homes in the area. They’re awaiting Puget Sound Energy to shut off the gas.

1:13 PM: The incident commander has just told dispatch that PSE has arrived and is “assessing.”

1:51 PM: Firefighters have deemed the nearby houses safe to re-enter, and they’re getting ready to leave the scene.

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