West Seattle, Washington
23 Monday
Thanks to everyone who sent photos of this morning’s moonset,seen over the Olympics before 7 am. Here are some of them! The top photo was texted anonymously; next one is from Stephanie Bruno on Atlas Place:
From Michael Burke in Fauntlee Hills:
And from Patricia, just before it went out of view:
Again, big thanks! Best way to send us photos if you can is westseattleblog@gmail.com – texting to 206-293-6302 also works, especially if it’s urgent (breaking news).
P.S. The current moon phase is part of the info on our West Seattle Weather page (recently added at a reader’s suggestion).
(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Here’s our list of what’s up today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
PALM SUNDAY SERVICES: Holy Week begins, and we have a list of services at West Seattle churches that have emailed us their schedules (not too late to add – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!).
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE JAMBOREE: Continuing 8:30 am-6 pm today at Bar-S Fields (64th/Admiral) on Alki Point – West Seattle Little League teams are playing in the season-opening Jamboree, as previewed here. (Find the game schedule here.)
MINI-POLAR PLUNGE: 9 am every Sunday, you’re welcome to join a group plunge into Puget Sound off Alki – meet at Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: The market is open 10 am-2 pm as usual on California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon, offering early-spring vegetables and fruit, plus cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, candy, more! Here’s today’s vendor list.
KINDIE WEST CONCERT SERIES: First show today at 10:30 am at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW), Brian Vogan and His Good Buddies!
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Need to borrow something for a home project? Visit the WSTL 11 am-4 pm. (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center)
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at 9 am at rotating locations – today it’s Dough Joy Donuts (4310 SW Oregon).
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOC. EGG HUNT: The hunting happens in two waves at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse‘s playground (9131 California SW) – be there at 1 pm – kids 4 and under go first.
ART SHOW AT NEPANTLA: Fourth weekend for Lucha Libre-themed show at South Delridge’s Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery (9414 Delridge Way SW). Open today noon-6 pm.
LEARN TO SAVE LIVES: Free training in overdose response and prevention, 1 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) – details in our preview.
ART SHOW AT NEPENTHE: Meet the artist! Open house for art show by Autumn Tranquilino, happening 2-5 pm at Nepenthe (9447 35th SW).
CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Meet up at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 3 pm – our calendar listing includes this month’s topic and other details!
FREE YOGA CLASS: 5 pm at Dragonfly (3270 California SW) – details and signup link are in our calendar listing.
ALSO AT DRAGONFLY: Sound bath, 7 pm, $40.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Wrap up your weekend with music by the Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8-10 pm.
Are you planning something that should be on our community event calendar – one-time or recurring? Please email us the basics – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Among the photos on the east wall of the great gathering room at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle, one stands out – a large portrait of the eldest daughter of Chief Si’ahl (Seattle), known as Princess Angeline, though her real name was Kikisoblu. The tribe gathers supporters each year for a tea social that is also a tribute to her, and that event filled the Longhouse today.
Titling the event the SovereignTEA was one way of reminding supporters about its ongoing fight to regain federal recognition.
There was no major update on the long-running legal battle today, but it was mentioned in some of the short speeches from Duwamish leaders. First, chair Cecile Hansen cheerily welcomed the sold-out crowd:
Duwamish Tribal Council member Paul Nelson had words of gratitude for community members continuing to support “justice for the Duwamish”:
Later, he told the story of Princess Angeline’s determination to stay in the city rather than moving out to a reservation; Seattle, the city named for her father, was the city where she lived and died. One of the chief’s descendants, Ken Workman, also spoke today:
Final words were offered by Edie Nelson, with a hope that Duwamish Tribe recognition – and true sovereignty – “will come soon.”
The Longhouse/Cultural Center hosts other public events throughout the year; next month, for example, a Spring Native Art Market is planned for the weekend of April 27-28.
It happens on the streets, it happens inside homes and businesses, it happens at schools: Drug overdoses are taking lives that could have been saved. If you have two hours to spend learning what to do for someone who is overdosing, we just found out about a free workshop Sunday afternoon at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW). The Washington Recovery Alliance is presenting it, 1 pm-3 pm tomorrow: “Patrons will gain knowledge, practice, and resources on how to identify and respond to a drug overdose. The trainer will also discuss local overdose trends, harm reduction & recovery resources, and provide naloxone at no cost.” Registration is optional, but you can do that here.
7:33 PM: This day that began with a beached SUV at Lincoln Park is concluding with a beached sailboat at Alki. Thanks to the reader who sent the photos with a tip about the SFD/SPD response by land and sea. It’s toward the west end of Alki (off the 3000 block).
So far as we can tell from emergency-radio exchanges, the person who was aboard the boat is unhurt, just stuck. The tide is going out right now, with low tide just after 11 pm, and the next high tide isn’t until 5:42 am tomorrow.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The boat’s still there. This update was sent by Andrew:
Talked to the fellow inside the boat and he said it was getting dark, he was trying to lower his sails, he was too close to shore (duh), and the wind got him. Wonder when the tide will be high enough to get him floating again…
According to the chart, next high tide is just after 5:30 pm, though it won’t be as high as the one this morning just after 5:30 am.
(Course map, from Emerald City Ride website)
While we’re talking about the West Seattle Bridge, here’s a reminder – you can see it up close and personal from a bicycle in just six weeks. We first told you two weeks ago about the Cascade Bicycle Club‘s Emerald City Ride, which will close the westbound side of the high bridge for a few hours on Sunday morning, May 5, so riders can cross as part of a route that starts and ends in SODO, with other West Seattle streets along the way. (See the course map here. The full ride is 20 miles, but there are shorter options.) Cascade is sponsoring WSB right now to advertise the ride, with registration still open – go here to sign up! Register by April 11 to get your packet by mail instead of having to pick it up.
(West Seattle Bridge cracks in March 2020, from sdotblog.seattle.gov)
This is a notable date in West Seattle history: Four years ago today, just before 3 pm on March 23, 2020, the city announced it would shut down the high-rise West Seattle Bridge indefinitely because of safety concerns, and did so a few hours later. (Here’s our as-it-happened report on the announcement.) The bridge didn’t reopen until two and a half years later, on September 17, 2022; a pivotal moment along the way was on November 19, 2020, when then-Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the bridge would be repaired, not replaced.
Looking ahead to today’s anniversary, we asked SDOT a few questions. When was the bridge last inspected? It got an in-person inspection back in January, responded SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson, and inspectors found “no notable new developments.” And it remains under continuous electronic monitoring, he adds: “There have not been any new developments since we published our one-year monitoring report this past September saying that the West Seattle Bridge remains safe and strong. The bridge is continuously monitored by an extensive and sophisticated structural-health monitoring system which allows us to detect subtle movements or any growth of existing cracks. This monitoring system runs 24/7 and automatically alerts engineers immediately of any issues that would require further inspection.” (You can read the September update here; it in turn links to this 10-page report.)
Next up, as we first reported earlier this week, is a big project for the bridge’s eastern half, the Spokane Street Viaduct, a separate structure that was not involved in the 2020-2022 closure: Resurfacing its eastbound (corrected: south) side. Bergerson says, “Construction will likely begin this summer and occur over several weekends. Once we select a contractor, we will work with them to schedule the exact dates and notify the public beforehand.” Since the project just went out to bid, it’ll be at least May before that happens.
Thanks to West Seattle/Georgetown/South Park entrepreneur John Bennett for sending the tip and the photo: A one-of-a-kind South Park business is having a going-out-of-business sale today and tomorrow. It’s the Big Top Curiosity Shop “antiques and oddities” store at 8507 14th Avenue South, right by the south end of the South Park Bridge. Open until 8 pm today, noon-6 pm tomorrow. As for why they’re closing, they’re also referring to this as the “lost our lease sale.”
11:42 AM: Just texted by Kersti Muul: “Group of orcas near Seattle to Bainbridge ferry lanes … Direction unknown.” Let us know if you see them!
12:09 PM: Kersti says the orcas are now off the north tip of Vashon Island, southbound, but not yet clearly showing which path they’ll choose to continue southward (west channel or east channel).
7:10 AM: SPD and SFD are on the north shore of Lincoln Park for what’s described as a vehicle in the water – but they have deduced that no one is in the vehicle, nor in the water nearby. One texter describes the vehicle as a “white SUV” (added: and says it’s actually on the beach, not submerged). We’re on our way to find out more.
7:32 AM: Thanks to the texter who sent that photo. Our photographer, walking into the park from the Lowman Beach end, has talked with one officer at the park who says a tow crew is on the way. The tide is receding; next low tide is at 11:31 am. (added) The next photo, sent by Greg Dirks, shows where on the north shore this happened:
7:48 AM: Unlike last weekend’s car-in-water off Alki, this one is getting towed out quickly – our photographer has arrived and says they’re there now.
Police tell us they don’t know yet whether the vehicle (described as a GMC Acadia) is stolen and they also haven’t figured out which way it was driven there, from the south entrance or north entrance – we’re looking and don’t see any obvious tracks or damage hinting at that.
ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Stephen Nielsen sent this photo of the SUV after it was pulled off the beach.
We hope to be able to find out Monday if police ever confirmed whether the SUV was stolen.
ADDED MONDAY: Police told us today they were unable to confirm whether it was stolen – at least, it hadn’t been reported stolen before turning up in the park. The incident summary says it was registered to someone in Kent: “Kent Police attempted to speak with the registered owner but were unable to reach him by phone.”
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
Welcome to the first weekend of spring! Here’s what’s in our Event Calendar listings for today/tonight:
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE JAMBOREE: 8:30 am-6 pm at Bar-S Fields (64th/Admiral) on Alki Point, cheer on <strong>West Seattle Little League teams in the season-opening Jamboree, as previewed here. (Find the game schedule here.)
FREE! GROUP RUN: Start your Saturday with this weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW) group run! All levels welcome. Meet at the shop by 8 am.
FREE! HEAVILY MEDITATED: Arrive by 8:50 am for community meditation at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska). Free event every Saturday but please register.
CRAFT SHOW AND SALE: The Missing Piece (35th/Roxbury) is hosting its third annual Craft Show and Sale, 9 am-4 pm.
SSC GARDEN CENTER: Scheduled to be open 10 am-2 pm today: “The Garden Center at South Seattle College provides Landscape Horticulture students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of plants while gaining real-world retail experience. Plants available for sale are selected, propagated, grown and presented by students. Additional plants are brought in from local growers.” (6000 16th Ave SW, north lot)
(added) SEATTLE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL GIVEAWAY: 10 am-3 pm at the former SLHS, future Hope Lutheran School north campus (4100 SW Genesee): “Two SLHS Board members, Pete Renn and Kelly Hammond, are hosting an event today at the former Seattle Lutheran High School main floor. Jerseys, yearbooks, backpacks, lanyards, etc will be available for SLHS alumni and supporters to select from.”
MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Info about Marco’s music is here.
FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am in West Seattle, registration required – see full details in our calendar listing.
FAMILY READING TIME: Every Saturday at 11 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
PRINCESS ANGELINE SOVEREIGNTEA: Annual event at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse (4705 West Marginal Way SW), 11 am-1:30 pm. When we asked Friday, a few tickets remained; online sales are over, so call to check.
ROXHILL COMMUNITY DAY: Celebrate Roxhill Park! 11 am-2 pm, DNDA and partners present games, activities, music, and food, for all ages. (29th/Barton)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN: The home of West Seattle history is open for your visit, noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER=: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2236 SW Orchard)
VISCON CELLARS: Tasting room open – wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar open 1-6 pm, north end of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
NEPENTHE’S WALK-IN MASSAGE CLINIC: 3-5 pm, show up at Nepenthe (9447 35th SW) with a specific problem to be addressed by massage, and you’ll get a free (gratuities appreciated) trial of their work.
MEET THE WINEMAKERS: Fossil & Fawn winemakers from Oregon are the guests for a 4-7 pm tasting today at Sebastiano’s (3278 California SW).
WIP & SIP: 6 pm at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW), paint and sip with artist Christopher Coleman – check to see if tickets remain!
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: The Flying Waves, Crash Site, Drama Club at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 7 pm, all ages, $10 at door.
FIRES AT EASY STREET: Free in-store show and signing by Fires, 7 pm at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW), all ages.
LIVE AT C & P: 7-9 pm, folk trio Friends and Folk at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). No cover, all ages.
LIVE AT KENYON HALL: 7 pm doors for Wiley Gaby ft. Acacia Forgot . (7904 35th SW)
ALL-AGES OPEN MIC: 7-10 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way)
BEATS: Saturday night DJs at Revelry Room – 9 pm. Tonight, DJ TOPSPIN. (4547 California SW, alley side)
KARAOKE: Saturday night, sing at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW), starting at 10 pm, with Michael Van Fleet.
Planning a pop-up, concert, open house, show, sale, event, walk, run, meeting, seminar, reading, field trip, fundraiser, class, game, or ? If the community’s welcome, your event belongs on our calendar! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The latest meeting of the Fauntleroy ferry-dock replacement project‘s Community Advisory Group was as notable for what members didn’t get as for what they did get.
First, they were expecting to get long-awaited research information at Wednesday’s meeting on promised studies of how dock traffic might be affected by changes such as using the Good To Go! electronic payment system. That information, as Fauntleroy resident Frank Immel said, is what “we all have been waiting for.” Some have long contended that the more efficient fare-paying can be made, the less space the new dock will need. WSF promised at last month’s meeting (as we reported) that the information would be available at this meeting, but said Wednesday it wasn’t ready after all.
Second, some members complained that they didn’t get the time they needed to review a 64-page environmental-analysis report that Washington State Ferries had sent to them the day before the meeting. (See that report here.)
Otherwise, there was one major headline from the meeting:
That’s Sue, one of the thousands of pets that have spent time on the WSB West Seattle Lost/Found Pets page since we launched it 15+ years ago. One month ago, Sue got lost – and then found – thanks to caring people. One of Sue’s people, Ryan, wanted to publicly thank them – and many others, as you’ll see if you read on:
I am writing this primarily to say thank you to West Seattle for helping us find our boy named Sue. He was recently hit while crossing Fauntleroy at night after he slipped his light collar. Afterward we found him in less than 24 hours because of this amazing community. So, I have to say, thank you, West Seattle!
Thank you to the commuter who accidentally hit my black dog as he ran home across Fauntleroy at 9:00 pm with no light. Thank you for calling your family and helping me look for him in Lincoln Park for 3 hours. You are amazing and why this community is the best.
Thank you to Sebastian, Lynn, Dave, Dirk, Tony, Brett, Sarah, Shia, and anyone else I might forget for scouring West Seattle for our dog.
Thank you to the West Seattle Blog and Nextdoor communities for helping us find him over a mile away licking his wounds and hiding.
Thank you to the VCA for helping Sue and getting him back to his goofy healthy self.
Our dog is happy, healthy, and home because of all of you.
Additionally, I want to say thank you to this amazing community I am lucky to call home. Thank you to Gatewood and all the other amazing public schools we have here and the hard work you do to make our community better.
Thank you to the amazing Parks Department that keeps our section of Seattle the best! (Even though you may be distracted by the pickleball debate.)
Thank you to the police, fire department, and all our amazing emergency services that do your best to help us in spite of ourselves. The majority of us trust, respect and appreciate you.
Thank you to the businesses that give us the best banh mi, tamales, dive bars, guitar shop, bakery, record store, movie theater, beach, and community in Seattle!
Thank you for being the only place I want to call home. In my lowest moments, this community always reminds me that we live in an amazing place surrounded by people who may not agree with you, may not particularly want to talk to you, but care for you and want to improve your life.
Thank you from Sue, Chelsea, Rowan, Renee, and Ryan.
(File photo)
Another look ahead to the weekend – Sunday (March 24) brings the first community egg hunt of the season. This one is presented by the Fauntleroy Community Association, which is doing it a bit differently this year – be at the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) playground at 1 pm Sunday; the hunting will happen in waves, with the littlest ones (4 and under) going first. At last report FCA is still looking for volunteers to help fill and hide the eggs earlier on Sunday, so if you might be able to help with that, email coordinator Candace Blue at the address you’ll find here.
All the rest of the community egg hunts are next weekend – Saturday, March 30, and Easter Sunday, March 31 – and we’ve updated the full list here. (If you know of one that’s not listed, please send us the info – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)
The Beer Junction (4511 California SW) plans to add a new service starting Monday. Here’s the announcement from proprietor Corey Leitch:
At noon on Monday, March 25th, The Beer Junction will launch our new online ordering system! It will now be easier than ever to shop for your favorites and find new beers to try. We will offer in store and curbside pickup of beer, cider, wine, snacks, and more.
We have been working diligently over the past six weeks to get our entire inventory added to the new store with photos and descriptions, so you will have access to everything we sell. Everything is set up by the single unit so you’re not limited to buying in 4/6 packs; you can build the mixed case of your dreams just like when you shop in our store.
Beyond our huge beer selection, we have developed a great wine program over the last year and we have a massive selection of non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks as well. We will also have our selection of snacks (soft pretzels, nachos, etc.) available for order all ready for you to heat them and enjoy at home.
One of the most exciting things about this new service for us is that this will make it easier for parents to shop at our store and we are thrilled to let you know that children 10 and younger may accompany parents into the store while they are picking up their orders
In preparation for this, The Beer Junction has remodeled its website – including a live tap list.
Play ball! It’s time for West Seattle Little League‘s season-opening Jamboree this weekend, and they’ve sent this community invitation:
West Seattle Little League (WSLL) will kick off the season with its annual Jamboree this weekend. All games will be held at WSLL’s Bar-S home field!
The games will be held on Saturday, March 23rd, and Sunday, March 24th. Games will be between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on both days.
Come cheer on our kids, take pictures with the DubSea Fish Sticks mascot, learn about WSLL, and grab a bite to eat at the concessions.
More info here! Bar-S is off Admiral Way west of 64th, on the back side of Alki Point.
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The main event at last night’s Alki Community Council meeting was a conversation with District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, in his fourth West Seattle community Q&A in a little over two weeks
ACC president Charlotte Starck said she wanted to “set the stage for the conversation” with the context that Alki isn’t just another neighborhood, it’s a “gem for the city of Seattle … but the city does not seem to manage to the crowds when they flex,” and that means a lot of chronic problems go unchecked.
Before she got into specifics – starting with questions received before the meeting – Saka introduced himself, saying “you don’t just win and turn it off .. I’m here right now putting in the work …” and giving a shoutout to his support staff, two of whom were present, district-relations director Leyla Gheisar and policy adviser Heather Marx.
Starck had opened with the topic of dangerous driving along Alki, including two crashes in the past year involving allegedly drunk drivers and cars ending up in the water.
(WSB file photo, Senior Center’s north side)
The Senior Center of West Seattle is getting close to unveiling a new name. To celebrate it, a mural will be painted on its building at California/Oregon – potentially all three sides – and an artist for that mural is being sought now. Here’s the announcement we just received:
Call for artists! Senior Center of West Seattle is seeking professional artists to submit proposals to paint a mural on its building in the West Seattle Junction.
The Senior Center of West Seattle is seeking artists to respond to its Request for Proposals to paint a mural on the side of its building at 4217 SW Oregon St. The mural will wrap from the alley on the Oregon St. side all the way to the California Ave. SW side of the building.
The Senior Center is excited to be going through a renaming and rebranding this year. In mid-May, the nonprofit will announce to the community its new name, which will reflect its long-term goal of broadening and diversifying its membership.
As part of that, the organization is seeking a vibrant and meaningful mural to express its new name and brand that will enhance the visual appeal of the center, create a welcoming atmosphere, and reflect the spirit of the community.
Part of the funding for this project is coming from a Neighborhood Matching grant from the City of Seattle. The Senior Center will be raising the remainder of the funds for the project through its GiveBIG campaign this May.
The Mural Committee for the Senior Center of West Seattle is putting out a Request for Proposal for muralists. Indigenous/BIPOC artists are encouraged to submit a proposal. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 22.
If you’re interested in receiving the Request for Proposal, please contact Karen Pfeiffer Bush at karen@housewarmingseattle.com
(Rosalie Miller photographed a ‘newly emerged Mason Bee’)
Here’s our list of Friday highlights! Most are from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
STAY & PLAY OPEN GYM: Until 11:30 am at Arbor Heights Community Church (4113 SW 102nd), free!
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Open 1-6 pm at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor).
FREE TODDLER GYM: 3-5 pm at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW).
HIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL: One home game – West Seattle HS hosts Kentlake, 4 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
HIGH-SCHOOL SOCCER: Two home matches – West Seattle HS hosts Bishop Blanchet, 4 pm at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle), while Chief Sealth IHS hosts Garfield, 4:30 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
FOOD POPUP: 5-9 pm at The Nook (2206 California SW) in North Admiral, Lovely and Dapper Desserts, McCormick Jam Co., and Cooking With Timmy are in the house.
CULTURAL CONNECTION NIGHT: “The White Center Teen Program (aka the Log Cabin) is excited to invite the community to the premiere of Cultural Connection Night from 5-7 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd). Join the WCTP for an evening of Cultural Performances along with a Visual Art Gallery featuring the artwork of local artists ages 12-19. In addition, attendees are welcome to wear cultural attire to participate in the inaugural Log Cabin Cultural Fashion Show.”
VISCON CELLARS: Tasting room/wine bar open tonight for wine by the glass or bottle – 5-9 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL MULTICULTURAL NIGHT: 6-8:30 pm, with dinner at 7, all welcome: “WSHS student clubs have come together to plan an incredible celebration of diversity through music, dance, and global cuisine. Enjoy student performances, education, community resources, and fun for the whole family!” More info in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: Tonight, you can see/hear longtime fave Forrest Sallee at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm, all ages, no cover.
SHOWCASE AT THE SPOT: Fridays are Live Artist Showcase nights at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), 7-10 pm.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: 7 pm doors for Sundodger, Pent Up!, Waves of Rust. $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
DJ NIGHT AT REVELRY ROOM: Music 9 pm-1 am on Fridays! Tonight: DJ Mr. Nyice Guy. (4547 California SW)
MAKE IT LOUD! Skate to live music at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW), 9 pm-midnight, this week featuring Rat King, Abhoria, Whythre. $18 cover + $5 skate rental
LATE-NIGHT SINGING: 10 pm karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Two weeks from today, school gets out for spring break for many local kids. For families still looking at options, here’s a nonprofit West Seattle day camp with room: DNDA is offering EcoArts Spring Nature Camp for students ages 7-12.
(DNDA images from camp flyer)
It will run 9 am-3 pm daily, Monday, April 8, through Friday, April 12, with before- and/or after-care options. The camp will be based at DNDA’s Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), with a field trip to Camp Long to learn rock climbing. You can register here – the deadline is March 31.
6:04 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, March 22.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Cloudy with a chance of more showers, high in the upper 50s. Sunrise will be at 7:06 am, sunset at 7:26 pm.
EAST MARGINAL PROJECT
As we noted Thursday, SDOT has “started early work at South Horton Street,” which means it’s closed between East Marginal and 99 – for maps and other alerts, see the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project website.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check 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 changes. 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 our hotlinr (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!
We have more information tonight about the home-invasion suspect arrested by SWAT officers near Fauntleroy/Hudson on Wednesday. We’re identifying him because he’s being held on another case in which he’s charged, as well as this one in which charges are still pending. Total bail for 20-year-old Tyler L. Taylor is $700,000. A half-million of that is for the home-invasion robbery in which he’s accused, while most of the rest is for the case in which he’s charged. That case involves domestic-violence assault and unlawful gun possession, stemming from a January incident at his home in North Seattle, in which he allegedly threatened to pistol-whip family members. Though Taylor does not have a felony record, he was not supposed to have the gun under terms of a protection order against him. He was arrested after that incident; the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office wanted his bail set at $350,000, but the (unidentified) first-appearance judge set it at $75,000, and after a week, Taylor got out on bond.
According to probable-cause documents from his hearing today, that was almost two months after the home invasion for which he’s being held now. It happened in North Seattle on December 2nd; four men broke into a house and held a couple at gunpoint for more than an hour while stealing items including a car and forcing them to access their bank accounts online. (The narrative notes that the robbers at one point argued over how debit and credit cards work.) Taylor and other suspects were eventually found through use of the victims’ stolen cards at stores and ATMs from which security video was procured, plus cross-referenced cell phone records. The probable-cause documents also say Taylor used a stolen card to buy a $550 virtual-reality headset from a Best Buy store and linked his own account to the purchase.
None of the court documents in either case give any hints as to what Taylor was doing in West Seattle at the time of his arrest Wednesday, nor how police knew to find him there, but one document does say he threw a handgun over a fence before he was taken into custody. It was recovered, and found to have been illegally modified to automatic. Taylor was one of three suspects arrested yesterday; the other two arrests happened outside West Seattle. Potential charges Taylor faces in this case, according to prosecutors, are first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, ID theft, motor-vehicle theft, and second-degree unlawful firearm possession.
Thanks for the tip. Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting a recent E. coli outbreak linked to PCC West Seattle (WSB sponsor). Here’s what the notice posted on the PHSKC website says:
Public Health is investigating an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (also known as STEC). Three of the five people who got sick had testing that matched by genetic fingerprinting. This means they most likely got sick from the same source.
Based on information collected, we found one common source for all sick people, which was a store-made guacamole purchased at PCC Community Markets – West Seattle Co-op on February 10, 2024. Even though we think this is the most likely source of illness, we do not know for certain. We did not find out how the guacamole might have been contaminated with STEC and did not have any left to test.
This outbreak appears to be over.
The Public Health report says the five people got sick between February 14 and February 28 and all had gastrointestinal symptoms. None were employees. The agency adds these details:
Four people who became sick had testing that was positive for STEC O157:H7. Three people also had further testing showing they matched by whole genome sequencing or WGS (like genetic fingerprinting) at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory. One person who became sick did not have any testing done.
Public Health also subsequently visited the store last Friday (March 15) to review rules and prevention strategies. We contacted PCC and they pointed us to this announcement on their website’s “recalls” page. It reiterates the PHSKC information about the outbreak and adds:
PCC has fully cooperated with Public Health. West Seattle PCC temporarily ceased all production of guacamole, conducted a deep cleaning of food production areas, and reinforced safe food handling procedures with our staff.
We are so sorry to those impacted by this unfortunate incident. At PCC, we believe in providing open information and responding swiftly if a food safety concern arises. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and know we are trusted in our region for our high quality standards.
As a leader in fostering and promoting healthy, resilient and sustainable food systems, the co-op makes these commitments to our staff, members and customers:
Prioritize and educate: Food safety is top of mind for all of us at PCC — from our staff, food handlers and certified food safety managers at each neighborhood PCC store, to the leaders of our supplier approval process, right up to the co-op’s leadership team.
Teamwork:Every role at the co-op is important to strengthening PCC’s food safety culture. We work collaboratively across all departments, so team members understand how they impact food safety and quality, as well as how they can reduce food safety risks.
Excellence: PCC works with local, state and federal health agencies to ensure that we meet and exceed safety compliance standards.
Continuous improvement: We regularly review our food safety program, procedures, processes, tools, and technology to ensure support and resources to effectively and efficiently manage food safety risks.
Listen deeply: Finally, we will continue to listen deeply to our staff, co-op members and customers when a concern about food safety arises.
You may learn more about recall protocols here. All shoppers can sign up to receive recall notifications here.
We asked a PCC spokesperson if they’re certain no one has this still in their fridge: “As indicated by Public Health, the one common source for all sick people was store-made guacamole purchased on February 10. Given the short shelf life, it is unlikely that any shoppers have this guacamole (still).” But if anyone hearing about this thinks they might have gotten sick too, they should contact Public Health.
| 4 COMMENTS