STUDENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Fairmount Park Elementary event

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| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Middle- and high-school students looking for volunteer opportunities might be interested in this announcement we were asked to share:

Volunteer opportunity for middle and high school students:

Fairmount Park Elementary PTA is hosting their annual Falcon Fest on Friday, November 3, 2023 and is looking for middle-school and high-school volunteers to help set up, run game stations, and clean up after.

Volunteer shifts are 4:30-5:30 pm, 5:30-7:00 pm, and 7:00-8:30p m.

Fairmount Park Elementary is located just off Fauntleroy at 3800 SW Findlay St

Please contact volunteer@fairmountparkpta.org for more info and to sign up!

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FOLLOWUP: Lincoln Park pickleball project gets promised page

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | WS & Sports

(WSB photo, Lincoln Park’s former tennis-court site)

Another Seattle Parks note: When the plan to convert former tennis courts in Lincoln Park to 6 pickleball courts was quietly announced three and a half weeks ago, the city promised project information online. It’s finally added a page (thanks for the tips) – see it here. The page answers one major question some opponents of the plan have had – where Parks found the money for the court conversion. The $140,000 is attributed to the Associated Recreation Council, an independent nonprofit that has long supported Parks programs. It has its own staff and a volunteer Board of Directors. You can see the ARC’s financial documents here; its annual reports (newest one is from 2021) list hundreds of individual and organizational donors. The pickleball-project page on Parks’ site, meantime, says the plan for a “new” dedicated pickleball facility – which a city study suggests would be at Hiawatha – is “long term,” while this kind of conversion is “mid-term.” Parks says this will be built by the end of the year.

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WEST SEATTLE PARKS: Junction ‘landbanked’ site chat Tuesday

October 9, 2023 12:06 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB file photo)

Reminder – tomorrow (Tuesday, October 10th) Seattle Parks reps will be at the long-“landbanked” future park in The Junction. It’s been a long time since they developed designs for the two-thirds-of-an-acre site in the 4700 block of 40th SW, and they want to at the very least refresh everyone’s memory of what’s planned, before projected construction next year. You can talk with them about the park plan and your hopes for it at the site tomorrow, and/or answer this survey about potential added park features. They’re scheduled to be at the site 4-6 pm Tuesday.

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Holiday closures/changes, and what else is happening on your West Seattle Monday

October 9, 2023 10:08 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(This morning’s sunrise, photographed by Jerry Simmons)

As noted earlier, today is a state (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) and federal (Columbus Day) holiday. That means some closures and changes:

SEATTLE PARKS FACILITIES: Most are closed today – here’s the list.

LIBRARIES: City and county systems are both closed today.

US POSTAL SERVICE: No regular delivery; post offices closed.

BANKS: Most (if not all) closed in observance of the federal holiday.

And here’s what IS happening – Monday highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FOR VETERANS: If you need help filing a disability claim, the DAV offers free drop-in assistance 9 am-1 pm. (4857 Delridge Way SW)

POP-UP ART SHOW: First day of a one-week pop-up organized by Alki Arts and showcasing multiple local artists, 11 am-5 pm in the Senior Center’s corner space (California and Oregon).

GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, this is “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.

D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.

MONDAY MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.

MONTHLY INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION: The Alki Dharma Community welcomes you to this regular second-Mondays event, 7 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds).

BEDHEAD OPEN MIC: Weekly BedHead Open Mic at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (4201 SW Juneau), 7 pm (signups at 6:30) – info in our calendar listing.

MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three weekly events – 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)

MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.

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

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Celebration of Life planned November 4 for Diane L. Fields, 1959-2023

October 9, 2023 9:13 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather next month to celebrate the life of Diane Fields. Here’s what they’re sharing with her community now:

Diane Lynn Fields
Birth April 30, 1959 – homecoming September 18, 2023

Daughter to James (deceased) and Annie Fields, sister to Simeon Davis Fields and Mother to Cassie Ann Fields. Diane had a great many loved Uncles, Aunts, and cousins in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Seattle. Diane also left behind a great many very loved friends.

Diane was born and raised in Seattle and attended Wedgwood Elementary School from kindergarten to sixth grade, Jane Addams Junior High School, and graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1977. Diane attended and graduated from George Fox College in Newberg, Oregon.

Diane spent most of her adult life living and raising Cas in West Seattle, where she also volunteered and loved spending time. She was active in PTSAs at Alki Elementary, Denny Middle School, and Aviation High School, including being the President of the Denny PTSA.

Diane had a huge heart, and in recent years opened her home to several different exchange students. This summer she took a trip to several countries in Europe, visiting students she had shared her home with while they were in Seattle.

Diane loved her family and friends and had great memories of the people she worked with through the years. You may have seen her in recent years at Home Depot, King County, or Seattle Public Utilities. Diane loved her dogs Dusty, Buddy, Brandi, and Shaggy, her Mariners, and Seahawks.

Diane’s viewing will be held Sunday, October 15th from 1:00 – 4:00 pm at Bonney Watson, 16445 International Blvd, Seatac, WA 98188. Her Celebration of Life will be held November 4th, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Hope Church NW, 200 SW Langston Rd, Renton, WA 98057. If you attend either event, please wear Mariners or Seahawks gear, if you have it, to recognize Diane’s love for those teams.

(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: Monday notes, with low-bridge closure continuing

October 9, 2023 6:03 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, October 9th, observed in our state as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed federally as Columbus Day.

WEATHER AND SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Rain expected today, high in the low 60s. Sunrise today is at 7:19 am; sunset, 6:32 pm.

(Sunday photo by Tony Tschanz)

LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE CONTINUES

Third day of West Seattle low bridge being closed to surface (driving, riding, walking, running, rolling) use, for cylinder work. Free transit rides available – explained in the final paragraphs here.

HIGH-BRIDGE LANE-CLOSURE ALERT

Through tomorrow, SDOT expectss daily lane closures for “preventive maintenance.”

TRANSIT TODAY

Water Taxi – Running on a Sundaay schedule today. < Metro – Regular schedule except for Water Taxi shuttles, which like the boats are on a Sunday schedule today; check advisories here.

Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use Vessel Watch to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

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

1st Ave. S. Bridge – southeastern route across the river:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on Twitter/X shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.

If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities). Thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Another grab-and-drive purse-snatch robbery

October 9, 2023 12:33 am

| 18 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

This happened around 6:30 pm Sunday in Morgan Junction, Christine reported via email:

I witnessed a purse snatch on Fauntleroy 1 block west of Starbucks. Suspect is white male wearing all black/ski mask and drove off in red/orange small Kia. Cops were called, issued case number, and little old lady is okay.

Police audio from the incident doesn’t have much to add – noting two juveniles possibly involved. SPD incident # is 23-292032.

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UPDATE: 4.3 earthquake in North Sound, felt here

October 8, 2023 7:29 pm

| 66 COMMENTS

| Earthquake | West Seattle news

7:29 PM: Multiple readers are reporting they felt an earthquake. Preliminary report is a 4.2, southeast of Marrowstone, in the North Sound. Tsunami **NOT** expected.

7:40 PM: The magnitude has been revised to 4.5.

7:45 PM: And another revision – 4.3.

8:23 PM: Checking the archives, last quake felt in our area was a 2.2 microquake nine months ago, 16 miles beneath California/Dawson. … That’s a lot shallower than tonight’s quake; according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network‘s event page, this one was 35 miles down.

8:37 PM: A reader comment reminds us to mention two things:
-If this reminds you to take just one simple preparedness step, know the location of your closest Emergency Communication Hub.
-The annual statewide ShakeOut earthquake drill is coming up October 19th.

8:50 PM: A few more notes – did you know Alki has a seismogram? Left side of this screengrab is how the 7:21 pm quake looked there:

And for even more data related to this quake, here’s its USGS page.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Morgan Junction mini-mart hit again (and again, and again); Kia break-in; theft victim finds bike

October 8, 2023 7:11 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Four reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

MINI-MART BURGLARIZED AGAIN, REPEATEDLY: Thanks for the tips. Customers report that the mini-mart at the Exxon station in Morgan Junction was burglarized not once, not twice, but three times overnight. Archived police audio and the incident log confirms the multiple burglaries reported in the 2 and 3 am hours. One partial description: Man in his 30s, dark complexion, black ski mask, khaki boots. Items stolen reportedly included cigarettes and lottery scratch tickets.

KIA BREAK-IN: This report and photos were sent by Hunter:

I wanted to report a car break-in at the intersection of Lander and 42nd Ave (next to the tennis courts at Hiawatha). I’ve been driving a rental for work this week. Parked it for the weekend and when I returned this morning I noticed the driver’s side window had been smashed in.

Nothing was stolen (nothing was in the vehicle).

Police report has already been filed but I wanted to let the community know as well! The incident most likely occurred sometime last night.

ANYBODY MISSING THIS CAR? Bill sent this report and photo:

Likely stolen car dumped on Avalon. Plates are spray painted. Damage to front right fender. Reported via Find It Fix It.

BIKE-THEFT FOLLOWUP: We published Dan‘s bike-theft report on Friday. This afternoon, he emailed this update:

Great news, I found my bike! I was walking to the bus on Saturday night in front of Westwood Village and someone was walking down the street with it. It was not the same person from my ring video footage and I talked to them and they said they had purchased it earlier that day. After explaining that it had been stolen from me and calling the police, they gave it back to me with very little resistance.

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WEST SEATTLE HALLOWEEN: Got something for our guide?

October 8, 2023 4:09 pm

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| Fun stuff to do | Halloween | West Seattle news

As usual, we’re assembling a Halloween guide, with info on events between now and The Big Night, as well as decoration displays. So if you haven’t already sent us info on your event/display, here’s your invitation! Best way is via email – westseattleblog@gmail.com. If that doesn’t work for you, texting is OK too – 206-293-6302. We’re publishing the guide in a few days, and we’ll continue adding to it – in the meantime, Halloween events also can be found in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.

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COUNTDOWN: Fauntleroy Fall Festival 2023, one week away!

October 8, 2023 2:11 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle festivals

(2022 WSB photo, The Falconer at Fauntleroy Fall Festival)

From birds to bunnies to bouncing, crafting to cakewalking, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival‘s unique lineup of fun is just one week away! From 2-5 pm next Sunday, October 15th, festival activities take over both sides of the 9100 block of California Avenue SW in the heart of Fauntleroy, in and around Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and The Hall at Fauntleroy/Schoolhouse. Thanks to donations and volunteers (still a few spots left), it’s all free (except for some food/beverage offerings). P.S. If you’ve never been to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival before, our coverage from last year shows you some of the fun.

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Brown water in Fairmount Park area

October 8, 2023 12:47 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

Thanks to Libby for the report – brown water in the Fairmount Park area. Libby has already reported this to Seattle Public Utilities – 206-386-1800, the number to ALWAYS call about water trouble – and says SPU advised that there’s hydrant testing in the area. (The discoloration is caused when unusual activity, from hydrant testing to a fire response to a pipe break, stirs up “sediment,” most often rust, in the system.)

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GRATITUDE: Pet rescue gets plenty of paper for puppies

October 8, 2023 10:48 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Pets | West Seattle news

Two months ago, we published a call from Jennifer for no-longer-needed newspaper, to help Smidget Dog Rescue handle a plethora of puppies. This week, on behalf of the now-adoptable dogs in her collage (and others), she sent this message of thanks:

A HUGE thank you to readers! Over the last weeks I’ve picked up and delivered an entire shed full of newspapers for the puppies (40+ of them now) to Smidget Rescue! We are so grateful. The oldest ones are ready for applications!

Email for applications: Smidgetrescue@hotmail.com

Thank you for the boost [on the newspaper needs]. It’s a rough time for rescues and this was a big help.

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WHALES: Orcas in Elliott Bay

October 8, 2023 8:42 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales

8:42 AM: Three orcas are in Elliott Bay, headed toward downtown, according to a texted report from Kersti Muul. Let us know if you see them!

9:51 AM: Thanks for the updates in comments, and the photo uploaded by A Labs.

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: 13 notes!

October 8, 2023 6:16 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Space Needle and Mount Baker, photographed Friday by Jerry Simmons)

One more day of post-summer sunshine expected today – here’s what’s happening:

LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE CONTINUES: This is Day 2 of the West Seattle low bridge’s week-long surface-traffic (driving, riding, walking, rolling) closure; here’s our Saturday-night update.

COLLEGE BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Day 2 of the UW-hosted beach-volleyball tournament at Alki, with play starting at 9 am again today.

CLOSING SALE CONTINUES: As noted Saturday, the closing sale at HeartBeet Organic Superfood Café (6032 California SW) continues, 9 am-4 pm, but they’d really like to clear everything out by noon, so go make an offer!

WESTIES RUN CLUB: Now they’re running on Sunday mornings too – meet at 9 am at Dough Joy Donuts (4310 SW Oregon).

SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE: Community art on display at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), open 10 am-6 pm.

POP-UP ART SALE: Again today, three artists are selling their work 10 am-5 pm in the pop-up space at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market is open as usual between SW Alaska and SW Oregon on California, offering fall fruit and vegetables as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list.

SILVER SEALS SWIM: Too late to sign up if you didn’t make the deadline, but prospective spectators should note that – as previewed here – (age) 55+ swimmers will be in the water starting at 11 am, heading northeast along the shore from Alki Bathhouse.

BEE GARDEN NEEDS YOU: Volunteer at the West Seattle Bee Garden (Lanham/Graham) 11 am-1 pm today to help get it ready for fall/winter!

OKTOBERFEST AT OUNCES: Noon-7 pm, third and final day of Oktoberfest fun at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) – see the schedule/offerings/events here.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: Bring your pet – or a photo – to the West Seattle High School parking lot (3000 California SW) for the annual community Blessing of the Animals, with The Rev. Elise Johnstone from neighboring St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church presiding – details in our calendar listing.

COFFEEHOUSE ART: Jennifer Carrasco leads figure painting/drawing at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 6-9 pm. Contact her to sign up.

SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.

Something for our calendar – one-time or recurring? Email us the info – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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SPORTS: Road wins for WSHS, CSIHS football teams

October 7, 2023 11:48 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Both local high-school varsity football teams played on the road this week, and both won, according to the Metro League scoreboard. Friday night, West Seattle High School defeated Lakeside 23-7 at Northwest Athletic Complex; this afternoon, Chief Sealth International High School won its game against Brewster, 38-37. Next Friday (October 13th), CSIHS (4-2) is home at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, 7 pm vs. Nathan Hale, while WSHS (4-1) plays again at NWAC, this time versus Ingraham, 5 pm.

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LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE: Cylinder work on Day 1 ‘went very well,’ per SDOT director

October 7, 2023 9:26 pm

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| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Reminder that the West Seattle low bridge – aka the Spokane Street Swing Bridge – remains closed for a week of work following the return of the cylinder removed nine months ago for repairs. SDOT director Greg Spotts announced via Twitter/X tonight that today’s work to bring in the rehabilitated cylinder “went very well!” He added, “Tomorrow work continues on reinstallation.” The work is expected to continue until next Saturday afternoon (October 14th). In the meantime, as explained toward the end of this SDOT post, you can use the Transit GO app for a free daily round trip on Metro, either bus or West Seattle Water Taxi. (If you choose the latter, though, note two things: The WS Water Taxi will be on a Sunday schedule for the Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday Monday, and next Saturday it won’t be running at all because of maintenance work to prepare for winter.)

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UPDATE: Bicycle rider dies after falling in 1200 block Alki Avenue

October 7, 2023 6:04 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

6:04 PM: SFD medics and SPD officers are in the 1200 block of Alki Avenue SW, where witnesses told them a bicycle rider fell “out of the blue” while riding on the trail. The rider, described as a male adult, is reported to have hit his head and suffered potential life-threatening injuries, for which he’s being treated right now. Avoid the area.

6:24 PM: Medical discussion over emergency radio indicates the rider, described as in his mid-40s, is still in bad shape and the reason he suddenly fell is a mystery. Medics are still working to revive him.

7:51 PM: As noted in comments, radio exchanges indicate the rider did not survive. We don’t have any other information about circumstances and it would be up to the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine whether a medical incident preceding the fall was to blame, or an injury from it.

8:42 PM: SFD has also officially confirmed to us that the rider died, and updates his age to “approximately 40.”

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Police investigating possibly linked street robbery, gas-station holdup attempt

October 7, 2023 5:50 pm

| 18 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

5:50 PM: Police are responding right now to the Admiral Safeway gas station after a report of an attempted robbery. According to dispatch, the caller reported at least two would-be robbers, one described as a white man in his early 20s with a black ski mask, the other a Black man his 20s driving a car described as a dark blue Hyundai Elantra with a dent on the driver-side door, no plates, last seen headed eastbound on Admiral after a staff member “chased them away.”

6:11 PM: Officers investigating that incident mentioned that it sounded like an “earlier robbery.” The call log now shows a “purse snatch” investigated about 15 minutes earlier in the 4100 block of California SW. We’ll be working to get details on that.

8:30 PM: Per commenters and archived police-radio audio, the purse-snatch robbery happened by Tram’s Salon, and was reported to involve two men, one in a ski mask, who grabbed the victim’s purse, briefly dragged her, then got away in a black Kia, no plates.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Oktoberfest at Highland Park Corner Store

October 7, 2023 4:36 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Fun stuff to do | Highland Park | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Thanks to Kathleen for the photo! That’s your host Meaghan at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), where Oktoberfest-ivities continue until 7 pm. Special food, beer, music, more (including a 5 pm stein-raising competition), as noted on the HPCS website. (As also spotlighted in our daily event list, North Delridge’s Ounces is celebrating Oktoberfest too!)

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READER REPORT: Film crew at Lincoln Park

October 7, 2023 4:16 pm

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| Seen around town | West Seattle news

Thanks to everyone who messaged us about a film-crew sighting on the Lincoln Park waterfront today. According to the texter who sent the photo above: “Spoke to one of the organizers. It’s a short film. They are hoping to submit to Sundance. All local crew (Seattle-based).”

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CONTINUING SUNDAY: Closing sale at HeartBeet Organic Superfood Café

October 7, 2023 1:49 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

1:49 PM: One week after HeartBeet Organic Superfood Café closed in Morgan Junction (following its sibling businesses Youngstown Coffee and Launchpad Coworking), proprietors Autumn and Monica sent word that their “closing sale” is under way right now, continuing tomorrow (Sunday): “We have plenty of items left that would be helpful for folks looking to save some money. Pantry and frozen/fresh items, kitchen/office/electronic supplies, holiday decorations, masks, paper goods, kitchen equipment, Vitamixes, metro racks, and much more.” The sale continues at 6032 California SW until 4 pm today, and 9 am-4 pm tomorrow.

6 PM UPDATE: Tomorrow between 9 am and noon, it’ll be “make an offer” – they’re still planning to be there until 4 pm but the faster they clear it all out, the better.

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READER REPORT: Looking for lunch? Taco pop-up in Sunrise Heights

October 7, 2023 12:15 pm

| Comments Off on READER REPORT: Looking for lunch? Taco pop-up in Sunrise Heights

| Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news

Thanks to Tisbury for sending the photos and report:

Popup tacos ,chilaquiles and pozole at Webster and 35th at Milpa Masa Tortilleria. (Until) 2 pm – come support @ Rice Beans and Happiness. They’ll be there till 2 pm or until they sell out. *Sent by a neighbor to let everyone know.