West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
Here’s our lively list of what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find even more):
FREE PLAYSPACE: West Seattle Church of the Nazarene is opening its free community playspace, 9 am-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays. (42nd/Juneau)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Explore options for your fall gardening! The center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE – DROPOFFS CONTINUE: As explained in our calendar listing, the annual Southwest Artist Showcase starts this weekend at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), and you can participate just by bringing in up to 3 artworks for inclusion. Library’s open 10 am-6 pm today for the second day of dropoffs.
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome at this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to see where they’re playing today.
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: 4 pm, Chief Sealth IHS hosts Squalicum for slowpitch softball, Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), and West Seattle HS hosts Lincoln for girls’ soccer, Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle).
COMMUNITY CLOTHING SWAP: KAVU in South Delridge (9064 Delridge Way SW) is hosting this swap – bring in your swappable clothing dtarting at 4 pm, swap/shopping is 5-7 pm, as explained in our calendar listing.
DROP-IN CHESS: High Point Library‘s weekly event is back today, 4-5:30 pm for players under 18. (3411 SW Raymond)
HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: First of two regular Thursday night events here – every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Cascadia Pizza Co..
WINE TASTING WITH CLARK: Another regular Thursday event at HPCS, 5-7:30 pm – info here.
WINE AND JAZZ NIGHT: Support the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon) while enjoying good wine and good music, 5-9 pm. Our calendar listing includes the ticket link.
VISCON CELLARS: This West Seattle winery’s friendly tasting room/wine bar is open Thursdays, 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor). Stop in for wine by the glass or bottle!
FAUNTLEROY CULVERTS MEETING: Get the latest information – and answers to your questions – from Seattle Public Utilities, 5:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), as the first of these projects nears.
NEED A NOTARY? 6-7:30 pm at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond).
DUSTY 45s FT. SPECIAL GUESTS: In White Center tonight: Free live music 6-9 pm at Tim’s Tavern (16th/98th, White Center) with The Dusty 45s featuring Not Dead Yet and the Joel Astley Band.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: 6 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), it’s the Westies Run Club‘s Thursday night community run.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Is walking more your speed? Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy for tonight’s group walk – details in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE TAE KWON DO CLUB: October’s first class is at 6:30 pm at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), all skill levels welcome.
WEST SEATTLE BOOK CLUB: The club is back after summer break. Choose your venue, bring your own book. 7 pm start – locations are in our calendar listing.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE CANDIDATES: A mini-campaign forum is part of what’s planned for tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting at the North Highline Fire Station in White Center (1243 SW 112th), 7 pm.
GAMING WATCH PARTY: 7 pm at Fourth Emerald Games (4517 California SW, upstairs), celebrate “the premiere of Campaign IV of Critical Role and witness the birth of Araman!”
THE HEATS LIVE AT EASY STREET RECORDS: 7 pm in-store show, free, all ages. (4559 California SW)
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Blankslate, Tiny Monsters, Raegan Leilani. Doors at 7 pm. Music at 8 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
‘THE ROOMMATE’ AT ARTSWEST: Second week! 7:30 pm. Our calendar listing has info including the ticket link. (4711 California SW)
COMEDY SHOWCASE: 8 pm at Great American Diner & Bar (4752 California SW) – our calendar listing includes the ticket link.
DJ NIGHT: Extended-weekend spinning starts tonight at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Marc Muller, 8 pm.
Are you planning an event that should be on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
This time yesterday, we noted that Halloween season is here. The winter holidays are right behind that, and one of the earliest local bazaars – at Shorewood Elementary in North Burien – is sending out a call for vendors;
Vendor Applications Open – 2025 Shorewood Craft Bazaar
The Shorewood PTA is thrilled to invite vendors to participate in our upcoming Craft Bazaar on November 8th. This event is such a fun, long standing community event! Interested, please fill out the form here: forms.gle/T22ckFjmWy8ZgjJR9
We’ll be publishing a holiday guide as always, so please send dates/times/locations of whatever holiday events you’re presenting when you’re ready! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
9:04 AM: Car breakdown reported in bus lane on eastbound high bridge.
Earlier:
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, October 2, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
The forecast for today is partly sunny, chance of showers, high in the mid-to-upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 7:10 am; sunset, at 6:45 pm.
ROAD WORK
-The South Park Bridge will close overnight for four nights in the coming week: 7 pm Friday to 6 am Saturday, 7 pm Saturday to 6 am Sunday, 7 pm Monday to 6 am Tuesday, and 7 pm Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday.
-The Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight this Friday night/Saturday morning for maintenance.
–59th SW in Alki still has some closures, we’re told, but crews are reopening it when they can.
-“Natural drainage” construction closing the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.
TRANSIT TODAY
Washington State Ferries – WSF continues two-boat service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Issaquah, because of a boat breakdown on another route, but has added M/V Salish as an unscheduled third boat. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where; ferry alerts will update when the situation changes. That’s also where you’ll find information on new fares that started Wednesday.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west. Also note, maritime-opening info is again available via X (ex-Twitter):
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
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!
12:48 AM: For the second time in three weeks, someone has shot at residential windows in a Harbor Avenue SW building. On September 10, it happened at The Residences across from Don Armeni Boat Ramp; this time, it happened at Harbor Flats, at the south end of Harbor by the West Seattle Bridge. Police rushed there after multiple calls about gunfire, including someone saying they had at least one damaged window, and the officers have told dispatch at least three units have bullet damage. They’re checking to be sure no one is injured. As for who did it, so far they’re telling dispatch a “white or gray” vehicle was seen heading onto the eastbound bridge after the gunfire.
1:04 PM: We requested and obtained the narrative from SPD:
On 10/02/2025, at 0041 hours, uniformed Seattle Police patrol officers responded to [3400 BLK] Harbor Ave SW to investigate a report of shots fired.
When officers arrived on scene they discovered three separate apartment units, specifically their windows, had been struck by gunfire and were damaged. Officers also were flagged down by a victim and witness, identified as XXXX VICTIM 2.
VICTIM 2 told officers he had heard two separate series of gun shots. When he first heard the first set he had looked out his window and saw a light colored gray sedan (possibly a Honda) driving northbound and shooting at an unknown individual who running southbound on Harbor Ave SW, on the east side of the street. As that individual was running he was also firing a gun, specifically at the gray vehicle. The subject on foot ran towards Harbor Ave SW/SW Spokane St. VICTIM 2 advised his window, apartment XXX, had been hit by one of the stray rounds. He also was not injured.
Officers checked the building and observed damage to VICTIM 2’s window and two other separate windows of the apartment building. Officers checked the building and conducted knock and talks, attempting to identify any victims. Officers contacted XXXX VICTIM 1, who lived on the fourth floor, in unit XXX. VICTIM 1 told officers he was sitting on his bed, when suddenly a gunshot broke his window and hit his air conditioning unit. He became immediately afraid for his safety and ran into his closet and hid. He did not see who shot at him and advised he did not think he was a target. He also reported he was not injured.
Officers examined his window and the damaged AC unit, and observed the flight path of the projectile was consistent with coming from the ground level and in an upwards direction. The window had a impact point shatter pattern on the lower right side. In line with that impact point was damage on the AC unit that appeared to be an entry point. At the top of the AC unit was a small hole that appeared to be the exit point, and again was in line (at about a [45] degree angle) with the entry point on the AC and impact point the window.
Officers conducted a knock and talk on the adjacent units that were also struck, units XXX and XXX, but officers discovered they were vacant with no tenants. Officers also checked the units that were beneath that had also been hit, units XXX and XXX, but also discovered they were vacant.
Officers checked the area and discovered two separate sets of spent shell casings on the ground, on the east side of Harbor Ave SW, supporting VICTIM 2’s observation that the subject who he saw running southbound on Harbor Ave SW was firing a gun. The first set of spent shell casings was on the side walk, in front of [3400 BLK] Harbor Ave SW and the second set was located on the ground, in front of [3400 BLK] Harbor Ave SW. Officers located XXXX XXXX a total of 11 spent shell casings. Officers photographed XXXX XXXX the shell casings XXXX XXXX. Also, during the investigation officers discovered that there were cameras at [3400 BLK] and [3400 BLK] Harbor Ave SW, pointing directly where the incident occurred. VICTIM 2 advised officers he knows the owner and would contact them for camera footage. VICTIM 2 was provided an AXON link for any photos and video evidence.
Additionally, one of the 911 callers reported seeing the suspect on foot get into a white unknown model Tesla, which then fled eastbound on the West Seattle bridge. The caller XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX license plate, and when officers checked the scene they did not locate the vehicle and or any related evidence around the intersection.
(WSB photo, September 12)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The driver accused of trying repeatedly to run down a pedestrian in West Seattle – until an off-duty police captain intervened – is charged with felony assault.
The incident happened almost three weeks ago, across from the north end of Lincoln Park. We first reported on it shortly after it happened. The next day, SPD’s preliminary summary mentioned “an off-duty officer” had stopped the driver, and two days later, SPD revealed the officer was actually an off-duty, newly promoted captain who was days away from taking over as commander of the South Precinct.
At the time, all we knew about the status of the suspect, 29-year-old Eric V. Sloboda, was that he had been released from the King County Jail after less than two days. We learned later that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had argued for $100,000 bail, but a judge granted personal recognizance. Five days after the incident, KCPAO charged Sloboda with second-degree assault, a felony. He didn’t show up for his arraignment days later, and a warrant was issued, but public information about his current status is limited – he may be undergoing mental-health evaluation/treatment, as public records show his summons was sent to Western State Hospital (which told us they are not allowed to either confirm or deny whether any particular person is there). The charging document says he appeared to be “in crisis” at the time of the incident and his subsequent arrest blocks away.
The narrative in the charging document also has a bit more information about the case than previously disclosed. The person Sloboda allegedly tried to run over was arriving for his job at a nearby taco truck and, the narrative says, was standing on the sidewalk on the east side of Fauntleroy Way SW when, as described by a witness, this happened:
As (Sloboda’s) Prius entered the intersection, it veered wide and drove up onto the East sidewalk and drove straight at the victim, causing the victim to move out of the way. The Prius then made a circle and drove onto the sidewalk again attempting to hit the victim a second time but missed again. The witness stated the Prius then drove around his vehicle and again onto the sidewalk and aimed right toward the victim but he jumped out of the way again.
That’s when Capt. Heidi Tuttle, a West Seattle resident who was off-duty and driving her personal SUV, saw what was happening and took action, the charging documents continue:
The witness reported that it appeared like the Prius was circling around for a fourth attempt to run over the victim when the black Toyota 4Runner rammed the passenger side of the Prius disabling it. The suspect then exited his vehicle, screamed at the SPD Captain, and then ran North on Fauntleroy Way SW.
Patrol officers caught up with him shortly thereafter.
That all unfolded on a Friday afternoon. On the following Monday, the SPD media team identified Capt. Tuttle in an SPD Blotter post with more on what she did.
It brought back memories, she told us in a subsequent interview, of an incident years ago in which she chased a kidnapping suspect from Westwood, “rammed him all the way down Myers Way.” She noted that “the minute you decide to take action, you’re on duty … You just want to make people safe.” It’s a matter of “duty of care,” she continued, saying she felt “comfortable taking action because I’ve had so many years on the street.” (23, to be exact.) In a moment like the situation on Fauntleroy Way, she said, “everything slows down to the point where you can remember every bit of training.”
There’s a lot of it when it comes to vehicles, she said: “PIT training, pinning, ramming.” But her interests go beyond the mechanics of the job. “Many of us joined to make changes. I joined to be part of the solution.”
Her decision to become an officer almost three decades ago was something of a surprise twist; she says she came from a family of firefighters and was expected to become one. Instead, she went into police work, and “I could never in my life choose a different job.”
She’s served in a variety of roles at SPD and is most excited that new-ish Chief Shon Barnes has indicated she’ll get to stay in this one for a while; she says he’s pledged to keep precinct commanders in their roles longer, so they and their communities can truly build a relationship. She says he’s rolling out “massive change” but with a sense of “calm.”
Meantime, she’s adjusting to her own massive change – leading a precinct of more than 100 people. But the work comes down to a more personal level, including the case that’s bringing her a new round of attention; she says she’s always been interested in restorative work – “I care so much about the victim – and the offender.”
Crashed in a Kia, left in a Hyundai. So reported police after getting to the scene of a two-car crash at 34th/Thistle a short time ago. Whoever was driving a Kia Soul collided with another car and then left the scene in a Hyundai Sonata that showed up to pick them up. Police confirmed the Kia was confirmed stolen. No description of its driver so far. Nobody was hurt, according to police, but avoid the area for a while until the wreck gets cleaned up.
Remember Astra Lumina, the light-and-sound show that took over the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge for the holiday season (and beyond) again last year? The producers have added a Halloween-season show this year, Forest of Shadows, and it starts tomorrow, running until early November. The photo above was sent by Margaret, showing a daytime view of one of the many features added in the garden to help set up the show, which is described as taking visitors “down a dark path of mystery and fright … an immersive, strange world where illusions twist reality, echoes surround you, and hidden figures linger beyond sight.” After an invitation-only preview tonight, “Forest of Shadows” runs most Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (with a few exceptions/additions) through November 2nd – see the schedule and pricing here.
P.S. Astra Lumina will be back too, scheduled to start just a few days after Forest of Shadows closes.
Thanks to Steve Pumphrey for the tip. Those are just a few of the dozens of “no parking” signs lining Harbor and Alki Avenues from Don Armeni Boat Ramp to Anchor/Luna Park (and along the north/west half of Don Armeni, too). The spaces are all reserved for a production company (which shot there last year too), all day Saturday (October 4) and Monday (October 6). As Pumphrey, a nearby resident, points out, that’s going to take a big bite out of parking during a weekend with massive events that will bring extra riders to the Water Taxi (among other users in the area) – Saturday brings the Mariners‘ first game of the American League Division Series and Sounders FC‘s match with Portland. But we looked closely at multiple signs and the restrictions are NOT in effect Sunday, which has another Mariners’ playoff game as well as the Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay, so you should be able to use the parking spots on that day. On Saturday, though, you might be better served using the shuttle buses, riding a bike, or having someone drop you off.
Back in May, SDOT held a walking tour in Highland Park (WSB coverage here) – one of several in West Seattle – to gather community input on where new sidewalks/walkways should be built with Seattle Transportation Levy money. Today, the department sent the results, in report format, including the map above, showing blocks that are going to “move into conceptual design.” The report explains:
In most cases, sidewalk or walkway will be designed on one side of the street. Sidewalks and walkways may be constructed from a variety of materials including paint, asphalt, concrete and barriers. Specific design treatments are decided based on factors including the space available on the street, drainage needs, existing infrastructure, impacts to parking, slopes, and estimated construction costs. Projects will be in construction between 2026 and 2029. We will be working closely with adjacent property owners as design progresses. Updates will also be provided on our project website. Project schedules will begin to be available as soon as the end of 2025.
They’re looking for feedback by next Wednesday (October 8) at LevySidewalk@seattle.gov – see the full report here.
Thanks for the photos! Between the sunbreaks and showers, that rainbow showed up. Katie S. sent the photo above and says, “Watched this beautiful rainbow today at Lincoln Park. It lasted a long time.” The photo below is from Gene Pavola, a bit further north:
The National Weather Service forecast says we might get a thunderstorm this afternoon. (The NWS says it’s working through the shutdown, aside from a few things.)
ADDED: Thanks to everyone who added pics in comments. Also, Kathleen emailed this one from Highland Park:
(WSB photo, this morning)
While the park expansion less than two blocks away languishes, another city project in Morgan Junction appears to be approaching construction. Checking on the Morgan Junction electric-vehicle-charging lot site between Fauntleroy and Morgan, north of 42nd SW, we discovered the winning bidder’s contract was finalized just this past Monday. Zenisco Inc. beat out eight other bidders, according to this page on the city’s bidding website, which says the contract amount is $823,250. Zenisco’s project gallery is heavy on telecom work. This is a Seattle City Light project, as we’ve been reporting since 2022, and we have a message out to SCL to ask how soon they expect construction to begin. Back in April, SCL had projected it would start this month and be ready in spring, just a few months after an estimate that it would be finished this fall.
This area’s U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a West Seattle resident, has a list of questions/answers about the federal government shutdown, and we’re sharing it in case it’s helpful. The questions addressed on this list are not about the politics of the shutdown but about its effects – questions you might have about federal-government services such as Medicare, Social Security, passport applications, etc. See it here.
(Lincoln Park photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Here’s what’s happening for October’s first Wednesday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (and if we’re missing something – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thanks!):
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: 10 am Wednesday walks leave from 47th/Fauntleroy (this is a last-minute reminder, so would-be walkers can set their calendars for next Wednesday morning!).
TODDLER READING TIME AT PAPER BOAT: 10:30 am at the bookstore. (4522 California SW)
FREE ECO-TOUR: Starting at the Duwamish Longhouse (4705 West Marginal Way SW), 11 am-noon. (Friday and Saturday too, if you miss this one!)
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE – DROPOFFS BEGIN: As explained in our calendar listing, the annual Southwest Artist Showcase starts this weekend at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), and you can participate just by bringing in up to 3 artworks for inclusion. Library’s open noon-8 pm today for the first day of dropoffs.
NO AMERICAN MAH JONGG TODAY: Afternoon meetups are still on hold until The Missing Piece reopens in its new West Seattle Junction location.
FREE KIDS’ ART WORKSHOP: With Rec’N The Streets at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW), 3 pm.
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS:
ROCK BAND GAMING AT MR. B’S MEAD CENTER: 5-10 pm, new weekly event in South Delridge! (9444 Delridge Way SW)
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix your broken item instead of throwing it out! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
MUSIC AT C & P: Rhythm and Roots Night at C & P Coffee, 6-8 pm: “For fans of roots, blues and heritage music and acoustic music with a variety of instrumentation beyond guitar (dobro, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, hand drums, etc.)” All ages, no cover. (5612 California SW)
POTTERINGS OPEN STUDIO: 6-8 pm, drop in and create! If you want some inspiration, this month’s spotlight project is a seasonal pumpkin luminary. (3400 Harbor SW)
FREE ART CLASS: 6-8 pm, pay what you can, all levels invited to explore watercolors at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
WEST SEATTLE URBANISM: All are welcome at the group’s weekly happy-hour meetup, 6-8 pm at Great American Diner & Bar. (4752 California SW).
CRIBBAGE NIGHT: 6 pm at West Seattle Eagles (4426 California SW), membership not required, come play!
CLASSIC SF BOOK CLUB: 6 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW) – this month’s book is “The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham.
PIANO NIGHT AT UPWELL: 6 pm, music with your beverage(s) at Upwell Coffee and Wine! (4811 California SW)
TONE CIRCLE: 6 pm at Alki Arts (6030 California SW), “show up and sing!” Preregistration required. $20.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RUN: An energetic way to mark the middle of the week – the weekly 6:15 pm group run with West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) – all welcome, regardless of pace!
GET RAINWISE: In-person event at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) with info on how to get a rebate for a cistern and/or rain garden on your property, if you’re eligible! 6:30 pm.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer lineup. (7902 35th SW)
MUSIC BINGO: Weekly music bingo at at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
KUNDALINI YOGA: 7 pm at Inner Alchemy Studio/Sanctuary (3618 SW Alaska). $35.
TRIVIA x 4: Four West Seattle trivia spots on our Wednesday list: Admiral Pub (2306 California SW) at 7 pm … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) has Wednesday trivia at 8 pm … Quiz Night also starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and it’s an 8:30 pm start for trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW), all ages until 10 pm.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: West Seattle’s longest-running open mic – 7:30 pm signups for the weekly event at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
KARAOKE AT ADMIRAL PUB: You’re invited to sing at the pub starting at 8:45 pm. (2306 California SW)
Planning something that’s open to community participation/observation? Please send us info so we can add it to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(2024 photo by Janelle Otterholt)
Now that it’s October, Halloween is just under a month away.Just four weeks and one day until Halloween. We’ve noticed some decorations are already up. So it’s also time for a reminder that we showcase Halloween decorations every year and would love your photo(s)! You don’t have to provide your exact address as long as it’s a vicinity where people who want a firsthand look are likely to find the display (“in the xx block of xxth Street,” for example). It’s also helpful if you indicate whether the display’s more intended for night – lights? – or day (or spooky any time of day). westseattleblog@gmail.com or text to 206-293-6302. P.S. Business displays welcome too – we see every year that some go all-out with the seasonal spirit!
6:02 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
The forecast for today is showery at times, high in the mid-to-upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 7:09 am; sunset, at 6:47 pm.
ROAD WORK
-The Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight this Friday night/Saturday morning for maintenance.
-The South Park Bridge will close overnight for four nights in the coming week: 7 pm Friday to 6 am Saturday, 7 pm Saturday to 6 am Sunday, 7 pm Monday to 6 am Tuesday, and 7 pm Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday.
–59th SW in Alki was open as of late Tuesday (thanks for the tip; we went there to verify at day’s end) – we’re checking to see if the closure is indeed entirely over.
-“Natural drainage” construction closing the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.
TRANSIT TODAY
Washington State Ferries – WSF continues two-boat service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Issaquah, because of a boat breakdown on another route, but has added M/V Salish as an unscheduled third boat. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where; ferry alerts will update when the situation changes. That’s also where you’ll find information on new fares that start today.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west. Also note, maritime-opening info is again available via X (ex-Twitter):
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
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!
2:17 AM: Police are in the 4400 block of California SW, where a person was found dead early today outside a business building on the west side of the street. SFD medics were summoned but they told dispatch the person “was an obvious DOA” and they canceled the response quickly. There’s been no word on the circumstances or whether it’s considered suspicious; we’ll be following up later this morning.
11:43 AM: Though they’re not releasing other details, SPD tells us the report title indicates that this is a suspected case of death by suicide. It’s now up to the Medical Examiner to determine the cause and identify the victim.
If you’re having thoughts of self-harm, the 988 hotline is available 24/7.
If you don’t use our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and daily lists, you might not know about all five of these local book clubs featured monthly. They’re all open to whomever shows up, no preregistration, dues, or memberships required:
WEST SEATTLE CLASSIC SF BOOK CLUB: Next meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, October 1), 6 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW). This club discusses classic sci-fi/fantasy books; this month’s title is “The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham (1957).
WEST SEATTLE BOOK CLUB: The WSBC was originally the West Seattle Silent Book Club and has grown into a massive multi-venue event with hundreds of readers, first Thursday of most months, reconvening at 7 pm this Thursday (October 2) after summer break. Choose your venue, choose your book, come read quietly, then talk with people – or don’t! This month’s locations, from North Admiral to White Center, are in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE MODERN CLASSIC BOOK CLUB: Ed, who leads the Classic SF Book Club mentioned above, created this one too. The next meeting is 3 pm Sunday (October 5) at Paper Boat Booksellers, and this month’s book is “Rosemary’s Baby” by Ira Levin (1967).
WEST SEATTLE CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Julia‘s club gathers at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW) one Sunday afternoon a month. For the next meeting on October 26 – 2:30 pm to chat, 3 pm to start discussing – they’re reading “The Witches of Eastwick” by John Updike (1984), which was made into a movie in 1987.
MORBIDLY CURIOUS BOOK CLUB, WEST SEATTLE CHAPTER: The name of this club explains the mindset of readers to whom it appeals! Perla is your host, and “Ghostland, an American History in Haunted Places” by Colin Dickey is what MCBC is reading this month. Next meeting is at 7 pm Thursday, October 30, at 2 Fingers Social (9211 Delridge Way).
Any other West Seattle book clubs open to more readers? Let us know so we can list them in our calendar too!
When we mentioned that the second season of in-water Duwamish River cleanup starts tomorrow, we also noted some overnight closures of the South Park Bridge are planned. The first dates have just been finalized:
Upcoming Overnight Closures of South Park Bridge
Nights of October 3, 4, 6, and 7, 2025This week, the South Park Bridge will be fully closed overnight to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for two nights on Friday, October 3, and Saturday, October 4, ending the morning of October 5. Closures will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Next week, King County Road Services will also close the South Park Bridge to traffic on the following nights: Monday, October 6, and Tuesday, October 7, ending the morning of October 8. If additional dates are needed, the bridge may be closed again at night on October 9, 10, and 11. We will notify the community if these additional dates are needed.
During this time, the bridge will be in the “raised” position to accommodate dredging activities underneath the bridge. Unlike daytime construction, recreational vessels will not be permitted to pass beneath the South Park Bridge during this time.
King County Metro Route 60, which travels over the South Park Bridge, will be rerouted during the hours of the bridge closures. To learn more about the Route 60 reroute, please check Metro’s Service Advisories page. …
You can expect additional South Park Bridge closures later this fall and winter.
6:46 PM: Seattle Police are on the scene of a two-car crash on the east side of the 35th/Trenton intersection. No injuries but one driver is reported to have walked away from the scene; they’ve checked both vehicles and neither is reported as stolen. They’ve called for a tow truck and have been looking for the missing driver.
7:51 PM: The scene is clear. No word whether they found the missing driver.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While the Morgan Junction Park expansion site rolls toward its next step – hydroseeding, now that the contaminated soil has been replaced with new fill dirt – the community group fighting for a “skate dot” at or near the site has just talked face-to-face with city reps.
Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association, which rose from a community effort to unofficially “activate” the long-vacant site with skateboarding features a few years ago, has put volunteer time and grant money into what they originally were told could be built along with the rest of the expansion project at no extra cost.
(Grindline’s schematic for proposed ‘skate dot’ at Morgan Junction Park site)
Then Seattle Parks‘ project team changed and so did the message they gave to MJAWA – that the price tag for the “skate dot” (a relatively small skatable area within a park, not a full-fledged skatepark) was much higher than the estimate given by the skatepark experts at Grindline when creating a schematic design for MJAWA, and that the skate feature could not be covered by the project budget even though that is now estimated at $7.5 million, more than two-thirds of which has been spent.
Standing at the current Morgan Junction Park site in a drizzle late Monday afternoon, MJAWA reps, Seattle Parks reps, the president of the Morgan Community Association, and reps from two nonprofits who’ve been supporting MJAWA through the process, Skate Like a Girl and Seattle Parks Foundation, talked for about an hour and a half. MJAWA didn’t get exactly what one of its leaders, Matt Johnston, kept asking for – a cost estimate just for what they propose building, without throwing in the cost of other complications – but some progress was made.
The biggest complication, said new project manager Trae Yang, is stormwater drainage, made more complex by the slope of the site. If the skate dot goes in the existing Morgan Junction Park – the scenario with which MJAWA and the previous Parks team had been working – a pipe has to go 500 feet downslope to the west. If it goes on the expansion site, she said, chances are it could be connected to a pipe at street level. But using that site would require a different design, since the one on which MJAWA worked with Grindline incorporated some existing features at the current park (and MJAWA leaders reminded Parks that one of the concerns about the expansion site had been noise for adjacent residents, less of an issue if it were built on the park site further south).
All the new concerns are because of requirements imposed by stormwater regulations dating to 2016 which Yang pronounced “pretty brutal.” She added that “infiltration” drainage is not allowed because of the contaminated soil at the park expansion site – even though it’s been removed, the site isn’t totally clean. And even though Parks and SDOT have reportedly resolved the issue of ownership of the Eddy Street right-of-way that bisects the park-and-addition site, Yang said she still needs to find out whether any of that is contaminated. (The existing park site apparently got a clean bill of health sometime back, though it held a service station/vehicle-repair shop before its short-lived time as a potential Seattle Monorail station site.)
MJAWA leaders expressed their frustration that all this seems to be in danger of washing their two years of work with the previous city team – including $72,000 worth of design work funded in part by a city grant – down the drain, figuratively and literally. And not just their work – also the community’s buy-in and enthusiasm: “We told the entire community this is where it would be.”
So the bottom line for that aspect of the project, Yang explained, is that she has a lot of investigating to do to figure out the stormwater-drainage issue and how the park addition’s original design – even before MJAWA got involved – can factor into it: “We still don’t know a lot about the site.” (That despite the city having bought it more than a decade ago, and having demolished the commercial building it held just a few years after that.) She and other Parks representatives – including Kim Baldwin, Olivia Reed, and Annie Hindenlang – said that’s likely to take at least a few months, and committed to monthly updates on where that stands.
But they still wouldn’t give MJAWA what they were desperate for, a ballpark number for what skate-dot construction might cost, separate from the drainage issues and any other site complications. MJAWA wanted the city to acknowledge that resolving drainage difficulties was a Parks issue, not theirs. As Johnston put it, “It’s like Parks is putting some bricks in our backpacks when we’re just trying to ride our bikes.” Baldwin countered, “Parks will fund as much as we can but we just don’t know” the extent. Hindenlang said they needed to figure out the site constraints before they met again with the designers who’d been involved in the project, Board and Vellum.
MJAWA did get city reps to acknowledge that they’re the ones who changed the terms – the skate dot’s current state of limbo isn’t the community volunteers’ fault. But that’s not much solace when the future is to some degree clear as mud. Yang expressed some hope that things will turn out to be not as costly or problematic as she fears but stressed that she has a lot of work to do to get answers. And some of the issues she’s dealing with could come down to factors such as how tough their assigned reviewer at the Department of Construction and Inspections will be.
Skate Like A Girl’s Kristin Eberling said the most important constituency in the process was waiting for answers too: “I’d like to have something to tell the 13- to 17-year-olds I’ve been telling about this.”
WHAT’S NEXT? Among other things, there’ll be a project update of some kind when the Morgan Community Association has its quarterly meeting on October 15 (watch morganjunction.org for details). And MJAWA promises updates too.
No word yet from D.C. of any deal to avoid a federal-government shutdown. A statement from the Port of Seattle is the first to land in the WSB inbox with a statement about a local agency’s response plan:
Port of Seattle facilities, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and the Port’s cruise terminals, will remain fully open and operational should a government shutdown begin on October 1. The Port is working closely with its federal partners to keep operations as close to normal as possible.
SEA passengers are encouraged to follow standard recommendations and plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to a domestic flight and at least three hours prior to an international flight in order to provide enough time to park, transit, check in, and go through security. The Port will continue to offer the popular Spot Saver program to reserve a security screening time, and encourages travelers to confirm travel information directly with their airlines.
“The Port of Seattle urges Congress to find a bipartisan solution to avoid or minimize any shutdown of the federal government and to retain the federal workforce necessary to keep trade and travel running smoothly,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Ryan Calkins. “Our facilities will remain operational during any shutdown, but many of our federal partners will be working without pay. Additionally, any shutdown could cause disruptions to our regional economy, which is already seeing impacts from global and economic uncertainty. We hope those traveling through our gateways will join us in thanking our federal workers for their ongoing professionalism during this time. The Port will do all we can to support them in the case of a shutdown.”
The Port is determining what actions it could take to support its federal aviation and maritime security partners, who would be working without pay during this period. During the 2018-2019 federal government shutdown, the Port worked with a variety of partners and the community to provide federal workers with food and other essential supplies, as well as access to resources to help them deal with missing paychecks.
The port has multiple facilities in West Seattle, including parks and docks.
Don sent that photo Monday, after noticing installation of the new school-zone speed cameras on Admiral Way for the return next year of Alki Elementary, once its new building is complete. That led us to check in with SDOT for the status of the new school-zone speed cameras that have been scheduled to start operation this year, on California SW near West Seattle High School (not far from Lafayette Elementary, too). SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali‘s reply revealed that they’re likely to start with the southbound direction only:
The new southbound school zone speed camera on California Ave SW near West Seattle High School has been installed and is in final testing. We expect it to be activated in the coming weeks, though the exact date is still being finalized. Once activated, the camera will issue warnings only for the first 30 days after activation, with citations beginning after that period. SDOT will share information with the community when the camera goes live. Notices will be mailed to drivers during the warning period.
A northbound camera is also planned for West Seattle High but has been delayed due to underground utility conflicts. Our engineering team is working on a solution, and we’ll share an updated installation timeline once available.
SDOT also verified that the Alki Elementary-related cameras on Admiral Way are in place (as shown above) “but will remain inactive until the new school building opens, currently expected in 2026.” Five other school zones in West Seattle have ticketing cameras, listed here. Getting a ticket from a school-zone cam could cost you more than $200.
One day after pulling the third boat from Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth because of a ferry breakdown elsewhere, Washington State Ferries says it expects that the Triangle Route “will be on the two-boat schedule for the next couple of weeks.” But starting this afternoon, WSF is adding back an unscheduled third boat, the 64-vehicle M/V Salish. (Check the Vessel Watch tracker to see when it’s officially on the run.)
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