West Seattle, Washington
23 Sunday
8:09 AM: Texter says eastbound West Seattle Bridge is backing up west of Delridge onramp because of a rear-ender involving a school bus and a car.
8:44 AM: An officer just told dispatch that the lanes are all open now.
9 AM: Readers tell us that’s NOT so. Backup persists too. (See comments – also, this texted photo of backup:)
Earlier:
6:00 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Today’s forecast is for sun, high in the low 80s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:29 am; sunset will be at 7:46 pm.
REOPENED
-One last reminder – Admiral Way Bridge work is mostly done, so Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge has reopened after 13 months.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Almost everyone who’s not back already will be back today, including Seattle Public Schools. That means School Street restrictions are back in effect near some schools (note that Madison MS has painted curb bulbs too); the new speed cam near West Seattle High School is not expected to be activated until later this month, but pre-existing cameras will be operating.
TRANSIT TODAY
Fare changes – One last reminder, Metro and Water Taxi fare changes took effect Monday (mostly increases); here’s what to know.
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
Washington State Ferries – WSF has three-boat service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas, M/V Issaquah, and M/V Sealth. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west:
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!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In a week and a half, the City Council will listen to what might be hundreds of speakers at the last major public hearing on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan – aka One Seattle Plan – which is meant to guide the city’s growth for the next 20 years.
Upzoning has been the focus of what’s working its way through the system, dating back to the unveiling of proposed maps last October. The plan details included new terminology for new types of zones, including Neighborhood Centers envisioned as hubs of businesses and denser housing. We first reported, after that unveiling, on seven West Seattle areas proposed for the Neighborhood Center designation – north to south:
*Delridge (centered on Delridge/Dakota)
*Brandon Junction (centered on Delridge/Brandon)
*Fairmount (centered on California/Findlay)
*High Point (centered on 35th/Morgan)
*Holden (centered on 35th/Holden)
*Upper Fauntleroy (centered on 35th/Barton)
*Endolyne (centered on 45th/Wildwood)
We also noted in our initial report that the city had considered three other West Seattle areas as potential Neighborhood Centers but decided against the designation:
*Alki (would have been centered on 61st/Stevens)
*Sylvan Junction (would have been centered on Delridge/Orchard)
*Highland Park (would have been centered on 9th/Trenton)
Now, one of the 106 amendments that councilmembers have proposed for the Comp Plan/rezoning would resuscitate the idea of an Alki neighborhood center. And Alki neighborhood advocates say that shouldn’t happen without a chance for them to be part of the process – more than just having their say at the upcoming eleventh-hour public hearing.
The Alki NC proposal is in the 34th amendment in this package of amendments, one of eight neighborhood centers that citywide Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck wants to add to the plan (none of the other seven are in West Seattle) with support of a housing-advocacy organization. This amendment starts on page 56 of the 424-page document with all councilmembers’ proposals. Her amendment describes the proposed Alki neighborhood center as follows:
1. Alki (District 1)
This amendment would create a new Alki Neighborhood Center generally located west of 59th Avenue (SW), north of SW Hinds Street and south and east of Alki Avenue SW (Council District 1). It would encompass approximately 95 acres.
The area to be included in the Neighborhood Center includes a mixture of Neighborhood residential zoning, generally to the south, Lowrise 1, 2, and 3 zoning in the middle and west of the proposed center, and Neighborhood Commercial 1-40 zoning along Alki Avenue SW in the northeast corner of the proposed district. The area contains mostly single-family homes in the Neighborhood Residential zone, multifamily buildings in the lowrise zones, and a mix of commercial, mixed-use and multifamily structures in the Neighborhood Commercial zoned area. In addition to the section of commercial zoning proposed to be included in the neighborhood center, the commercial district extends three blocks east along Alki Avenue SW outside of the proposed boundaries. In addition, there are a number of parks in the area, including Alki Beach, Bar-S Playground and Alki Playground.
Bus stops for the 50 and 56 bus routes are located along SW Admiral Way, 63rd Avenue SW, 61st Avenue SW and Alki Avenue SW. The 775 bus route runs westbound along SW Admiral Way, north of 63rd Avenue SW, and eastbound along Alki Avenue SW. None of these routes individually meets the definition of providing frequent transit service. The areas farthest from the transit stops are approximately one half mile (2,640 feet) from the center of the proposed neighborhood center.
“Neighborhood center” was originally defined by the city as:
… places with a variety of housing options centered around a local commercial district and/or major transit stop (such as RapidRide). They typically serve as focal points within neighborhoods, offering shops, services, grocery stores, restaurants, and more. These places are suitable for residential and mixed-use buildings up to six stories in the core and smaller apartment buildings on the periphery. Neighborhood centers should generally encompass areas within 800 feet, or one to three blocks, of the central intersection or transit stop.
Councilmember Rinck’s amendment notes that some of her proposed additions (obviously including Alki) don’t fit the definition;
Many of the proposed boundaries of these Neighborhood Centers include areas that are significantly more than 800 feet from the central intersection of the center or a bus rapid stop. Consequently, the boundaries that would be adopted through this amendment are generally not consistent with Comprehensive Plan policy GS 5.4 which states: “GS 5.4 Determine the boundaries of Neighborhood Centers based on local conditions, but generally include areas within a 3-minute walk (800 feet) of the central intersection or bus rapid transit stop. ”
If the Council wants to adopt the boundaries for the new centers as proposed under this amendment, it should also amend this policy to allow greater flexibility in the configuration of neighborhood center boundaries.
While the originally proposed Neighborhood Centers around the city have been up for scrutiny and feedback dating to last October, the ones Councilmember Rinck seeks to add, including Alki, have not, and the Alki Community Council is voicing concern about that, sending the ACC mailing list an alert today, saying in part:
your voice will not be heard unless you message City Council that Alki deserves the same education, workshops, and outreach that the 30 other designated Neighborhood Centers received before zoning is approved. To compare public information in the 30 other Neighborhood Centers, here is a synopsis below from the city webpage. Alki deserves to be treated equally and fairly.
Outreach & Timeline in 30 Neighborhood Centers
Oct 16, 2024 – Dec. City launches One Seattle Plan zoning update website; 60-day public comment period opens.
Dec 20, 2024 – Public comment period closes.
May 2025 – Mayor introduces plan to City Council with 30 Neighborhood Centers (Alki still excluded after feasibility analysis).
July 31, 2025 – CM Rinck [proposes amending] plan to add back Alki and the other excluded neighborhoods, just weeks before the Sept. 19 vote — leaving no time for public education or feedback in Alki.
Aug 9, 2025 – CM Rinck’s staff holds a small unadvertised meeting in Alki to discuss rezoning.
If you aren’t on the ACC list and therefore haven’t seen it, you can read the full email, including information on how to comment, by going here.
(Regarding the “small unadvertised meeting” last month, we can confirm there was no media notification. One attendee, community advocate Steve Pumphrey, described it to neighbors in a message about the proposed rezoning, saying that he “attended a less than well-publicized (there were just four legitimate Alki residents that I could see) community meeting that was supposed to be for fact finding and community feedback. It was nothing more than a sales pitch.”
Councilmembers are scheduled to vote on the 100+ amendments, and the rest of the Comprehensive Plan’s Phase 1, the week after the September 12 public hearing, so that they can finalize it before spending more than two months focused on the budget, as happens every fall. In urging people to offer feedback, pro, con, or otherwise, ACC president Charlotte Starck says, “Your voice matters — no matter your opinion on how Alki growth evolves. What’s unacceptable is eliminating Alki’s voice altogether.” Testimony will be accepted in person and online during the two-session hearing on Friday, September 12 – 9:30 am and 3 pm; the agenda explains how to participate, as does the ACC email linked above. (Also on the agenda, links to everything that’s currently up for consideration.)
12 years after Panda Express first considered Westwood Village, and two years after they got serious about it, the fast-American-Chinese-food chain is finally hours away from opening. We heard tonight from their PR team and it seems both this banner …
… and the Thursday grand-opening announcement are correct. The company says the WWV Panda Express is soft-opening tomorrow (Wednesday, September 3) and having the gala grand opening on Thursday (ribbon-cutting, T-shirts for the first 88 in line, music from the Japanese taiko-drum band Inochi Taiko). Ongoing hours will be 10:30 am to 10 pm.
P.S. If you’re not a frequent WWV visitor and don’t know this offhand – PE is just north of the QFC, on the east side of the center, where Pet Pros used to be.
Young skater in the house? This might be the sport for them! Here’s the announcement of Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby‘s upcoming tryouts:
Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby is gearing up for its 12th season, and your kid is invited to join its skaters at the rink. Open to any gender, ages 7-18, this fast-moving sport is a perfect place for any kid ready to assert their personality, skate quickly, and (when appropriate, and with safeguards and safety gear) smash against other kids.
The league will teach your kid everything they need to know at its New Skater Clinics, September 14th, 21st, and 28th. It does help to have some basic skating ability. Coaches will roster them on a team matching their skills during the clinics; the regular season starts up the following week and runs through May. Sign up for clinics here: https://bit.ly/ssr_derby_clinics
Experienced roller derby players who want to skate for one of SSR’s travel charters are invited to attend tryouts on September 7th and 9th. Sign up to attend these by early September, here: forms.gle/q8DEXhfFp8svzC3i7
SSR doesn’t want the cost of equipment to prevent anyone from playing this fun, kinetic sport. Reach out to the league upon registration to see what is available to borrow prior to the first clinic.
Learn more about Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby and its teams at southsiderevolution.org.
SSR’s home rink is Southgate on 17th SW just south of Roxbury.
Seattle Public Schools first through 12th graders return to school tomorrow, and this year six local SPS schools will have new principals/interim principals starting their first full school year:
Arbor Heights Elementary – Lauren Porto
Boren STEM K-8 – Adrienne Ollerenshaw
Chief Sealth International High School – Hope Perry
Pathfinder K-8 – Daxa Thomas
Roxhill Elementary – Kelly Bruno
West Seattle Elementary – Ritchie Garcia
We’ve linked each school name above to the official SPS announcement of that principal’s appointment.
P.S. While Wednesdays will be early-release days for SPS schools for most of the year, the first day tomorrow will be a full day. And one more reminder that West Seattle Elementary will start the first day with its annual red-carpet ceremony, in which community members are encouraged to participate.
Here’s what we’ve found out regarding two incidents readers have asked about:
EARLY MORNING RIVERVIEW SEARCH: Here’s what led to a police search in Riverview around 3 am today: A car turned up in the playfield lot that was linked to a crash-and-grab burglary that the South Precinct police had been investigating a short time earlier. Here’s the narrative for that:
At 2:07 a.m., officers received reports of a vehicle backing into a store in the 5900 block of Corson Avenue South. Police arrived and found severe damage to the front door of the store and tire tracks leading up to the building from the parking lot. A building search was conducted, and no suspects were found inside. The employee of the store arrived and stated thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise was stolen from the establishment.
The police investigation revealed that a silver-colored sedan backed into the store and damaged the front entry. Two suspects entered the store wearing dark clothing and masks. The suspects exited the store with stolen items and fled the scene in the vehicle. There may have been a third suspect driver.
There was no narrative for the Riverview search itself but archived audio shows a K9 search – which is why neighbors heard “short bursts of sirens” – followed the discovery of the car, a silver Hyundai sedan stolen from Burien, and that police reported seeing a gun magazine in it. The burglary suspects however, were not found, at last report.
JUNCTION RESPONSE ON MONDAY: Several readers asked about a big police response at 41st/Alaska early Monday afternoon. This turned out to have been the arrest of the suspect in an assault a short time earlier at Admiral Safeway; the 22-year-old man remains in jail today. According to the police narrative, it started just before noon with reports of a man “throwing merchandise at staff and punch(ing) a customer” inside the store, then leaving southbound on California. Police circulated photos of the man – described as a “chronic shoplifter” who had allegedly stolen a six-pack of beer from the store three hours earlier and was back for a repeat of that. When a store employee called 911, police say, the suspect threw “a 6-pack of full glass bottles” at the employee “from about 10 feet away,” then threw a “four-pound bag of oranges” at someone else. The employee escaped being hit by the bottles but the other person was hit by the oranges; three other customers were assaulted before the suspect left, according to the narrative, including a 76-year-old disabled woman who thought she was hit by a pumpkin. A short time later, police found the suspect in The Junction (the report says 42nd/Alaska though readers reported it was the Bank of America parking lot at 41st/Alaska), at which time officers say he threw “a glass jar of salsa” at an one of them, and missed, though it broke and splashed both the officer and their patrol car. The narrative continues:
(The suspect) was escorted to the ground where he continued not listening to officers’ commands to put his hands behind his back and continuously tried biting officers. (He) was eventually handcuffed and transported to KCJ without incident.
The jail roster shows the suspect is facing misdemeanor theft and assault charges for starters, with bail set at $2,000.
1 PM: As reported here yesterday, the new Wendy’s in White Center was expected to open today. And a texter reports it’s indeed open, saying they’ve got “Frosties in hand.” If you missed earlier coverage, it’s at 16th SW/SW 102nd.
3:05 PM: We finally got someone over to verify and grab a couple photos:
No permanent signage outside so far but lots of banners and balloons. Here’s what the franchisee’s spokesperson told us last week the hours would be, once they opened:
Pick-Up Window:
Sunday–Thursday: 6:30 AM – 1:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 6:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Dining Room: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM (All days)
11:43 AM: We’re about to head back from Ballard, where Mayor Bruce Harrell led a lineup of local leaders in insisting that all of ST3 – including light-rail extensions to West Seattle and Ballard – must be built. The exhortation “Build it all” came from another speaker, regional labor leader Katie Garrow, but others said it in other ways; West Seattle was represented by County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who declared, “Voters said yes in 2016; now our job is to deliver on that promise … if we fail [to complete all of ST3], we fail the entire region.” There was no hint of anything dramatic such as new taxes; there was some talk of what ST board member and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci mentioned at last week’s ST board meeting (WSB coverage here), looking at whether the second downtown tunnel could be dropped, and the mayor noted that city councilmembers are about to take up legislation allocating dozens of city jobs to speeding up permitting and otherwise assisting with the project. (We asked if the city has estimated how much that might save ST; the mayor said no.) More details when we get back to HQ, including video of the event.
2:46 PM: Adding video as promised. First, above, Harrell’s opening remarks; below, the other two elected officials who spoke, City Councilmember Dan Strauss (whose district includes Ballard) and County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (whose district includes West Seattle):
As Harrell remarked afterward, Mosqueda “brought the fire” – she was the most fiery speaker at the event. The ST “spine” does not work without strong connections such as West Seattle and Ballard, she declared. Of note: Strauss is on the ST board; Mosqueda is not, though she told us afterward she has long wanted to be (no openings currently but that could change considering that two other County Councilmembers who are on the board are candidates for County Executive in the November election). Also of note, two elected officials stood behind Harrell but did not speak – Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson (who like Harrell faces a come-from-behind re-election fight in November) and County Councilmember Jorge Baron.
5:02 PM: Adding the final section of video – the two non-elected officials who spoke, Kirk Hovenkotter of the Transportation Choices Coalition and Katie Garrow of MLK Labor, plus media Q&A:
If you want to read the mayor’s-office version of what today was about, go here. As noted in that writeup, the proposals for city-staff resources will be presented at tomorrow morning’s meeting of the City Council’s Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee (9:30 am; documents linked in the agenda). Speaking of the council, one more note – if you’re wondering why West Seattle’s City Councilmember Rob Saka was not at today’s media event – it was held at the same time as the meeting of the Transportation Committee, which he chairs.
Quick preview today as we’re headed out on a story. First, almost everything on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today is a regular weekly event, so please check there for what’s happening in the hours ahead.
Second, one thing not on the calendar: It’s switchover day for the third of three West Seattle drugstores converting to CVS. As we reported last week, the Admiral Bartell Drugs staff told us the plan for the changeover is to close at noon today, then reopen tomorrow as CVS. Jefferson Square made the switch last week, while the Rite Aid on California SW south of The Junction converted last month; the Westwood Village Rite Aid was not acquired, and it permanently closed last week.
Thanks to the reader who texted that photo. According to a sign on the Westwood Village Post Office drive-up/ride-up/walk-up mailbox, it’s been broken into. That leaves West Seattle without this type of mailbox again, as the West Seattle Junction Post Office mailbox still hasn’t been replaced, two years after it as stolen (though a reader recently told us the Post Office staff there told them replacement was finally imminent). The Westwood box was absent for three weeks last year for unspecified “repairs.” We’ll be checking with USPS regarding the plan for this one.
6:03 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Today’s forecast is for sun and pm haze, high in the upper 70s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:29 am; sunset will be at 7:46 pm.
REOPENED
–Admiral Way Bridge work is mostly done, so Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge has reopened after 13 months.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Here’s who starts today:
Holy Rosary School
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School
Bridge School Cooperative Elementary
Vashon Island School District
TRANSIT TODAY
Fare changes – Metro and Water Taxi fare changes took effect Monday (mostly increases); here’s what to know.
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
Washington State Ferries – WSF has three-boat service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas, M/V Issaquah, and M/V Sealth. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west:
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!
PHOTOS BY OLIVER HAMLIN FOR WSB
A Labor Day tradition was carried out again today at Alki Masonic Lodge on the east edge of The Junction: The annual changing of the flag that flies over the lodge. It’s held in conjunction with a community barbecue/picnic, and this year there was a bonus. First, the main event, preceded by a flag tribute read by a member of the Rainbow Girls youth group, who then joined attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance:
Then, with assistance from members of two VFW posts, the old flag was brought down and meticulously folded, and the new one went up:
The retired flag will be kept by Alki Lodge’s outgoing Worshipful Master Ron Creel, who received it from Post 1263’s Traci Williams and observed, “This is special” as a memento of his year leading the lodge:
She was assisted by Ron Palacios from West Seattle’s Post 2719 and Darrell Pilat, also of Post 1263:
After the flag ceremony, everyone enjoyed lunch inside – a little too chilly to grill outdoors, they decided – and then it was time for the scheduled visit from Engine 32 firefighters, based at Junction Station 32:
Firefighter Kelsey Nolta gave tours of the engine, while firefighter Max Wagner demonstrated their gear:
7-year-old Owen was among the kids who got a firsthand look inside Engine 32:
The lodge’s other community events include the annual student awards (here’s our coverage of this year’s presentation).
Each corner of 16th/Henderson had about 10 sign-wavers when we went by about an hour and a half into the two-hour window for West Seattle Indivisible‘s Labor Day rally/protest. Messages included some specific to this pro-worker holiday:
Next up, the organization is hoping to organize 1,000 people jnto a “human banner” on the West Seattle waterfront for International Day of Peace on September 21.
Maybe you can help find this distinctive ebike:
My bike was stolen just outside of the Benbow Room on California and Admiral in West Seattle at 1:04 pm today, September 1st. Distinguishable features include large trunk on back, has light-up pedals, an underglow that can be turned on, as well as an LED sign that lights up on top of the trunk. I have also included photos of the new tires put on recently … This is my daily commuter and use this to get to and from work. Any help is very much appreciated and I am very grateful.
We’ll add the police-report # when we get it. (UPDATE: It’s 25-253565.)
(WSB file photo)
Most local schools will start a new year of classes within the next few days; a few have started already. Even if you don’t have a student in the household, it might be helpful to know who starts when, so we compile this every year:
ALREADY STARTED
Summit Atlas (started August 13)
Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School (started last Wednesday)
Kennedy Catholic HS (started August 22)
STARTING TUESDAY
Holy Rosary School
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School
Bridge School Cooperative Elementary
Vashon Island School District
STARTING WEDNESDAY
Seattle Public Schools (grades 1-12)
Westside School (WSB sponsor)
Tilden School (WSB sponsor)
Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor)
Hope School
West Seattle Montessori
Highline Public Schools (grades 1-12)
STARTING NEXT MONDAY (SEPTEMBER 8)
Seattle Public Schools (pre-K and K)
Whichever school(s) you’re affiliated with, tell us what’s new, now and as the year progresses – new principal? fundraisers? events open to the community? successes? – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
As mentioned here last week, HomeStreet Bank becomes part of Bay Area-based Mechanics Bank as of tomorrow, and while in The Junction this afternoon, we noted the signage is up at 4022 SW Alaska. Both companies have century-plus histories, but their branches have been in different areas, so there’s no overlap here or elsewhere, we’re told. Before the name change, what was then HomeStreet had one last event:
(Bank-provided photo)
The branch had been showcasing local independent businesses every month, closing out the month with a drawing – this month’s showcase featured M & M Balloon Co.
Quick updates:
WENDY’S WHITE CENTER: We just went over to 10050 16th SW to see if they indeed made their “target date” of today. A worker outside told us no, they’re not open yet, but aiming for “tomorrow after lunch.” We’re awaiting an official reply from the franchisee. (Signage wasn’t up yet either.)
PANDA EXPRESS COUNTDOWN, SORT OF: When last we heard from Panda Express about the Westwood Village location, they were hoping for “the week of September 8.” Then a sign went up three days ago (as noted by a commenter) declaring “coming soon – 4 days.” The sign then switched to “3 days.” But we just checked on our way back from White Center, and it’s been stuck on “3 days” for two days now.
ELSEWHERE IN WESTWOOD VILLAGE: The fourth year of Spirit Halloween temporarily taking over the ex-Bed Bath and Beyond has begun – they’re now open.
LAST DAY BEFORE MOVE: And a reminder, also in the south end: Today is the last day for The Missing Piece Café and Game Lounge at its original 35th/Roxbury location. As first noted here in May, they’re moving to the ex-Pharmaca space in The Junction, 4707 California SW, next to Emerald Water Anglers and KeyBank. The Missing Piece hopes to be open there “the second week of September” if all goes well. (No word yet about a 35th/Roxbury successor.)
(Boats in the setting sun off Alki – photo by Erik Moris)
Good morning! Holiday notes:
TRANSIT/TRAFFIC
–Metro buses are running on a Sunday schedule
–West Seattle Water Taxi is on a regular schedule
-Fares change today for Metro bus and Water Taxi service too – here’s our original report with details
–Sound Transit buses and light rail are on Sunday schedules
-If you’re going to an area of the city with pay-station street parking, you don’t have to pay today
-Check local traffic cams here, citywide cams here
HAPPENING TODAY/TONIGHT
Last day of the season for most city outdoor aquatic facilities – After today, city-run wading pools and sprayparks are closed until next year – so it’s your last day for Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale), 11 am-8 pm, and Lincoln Park‘s wading pool (noon-7 pm). But Colman Pool not only will be open noon-7 pm today, it’ll have two postseason weekends this year, September 6-7 and 13-14.
Last day of the season for Alki summer hours and beach fires – as noted here.
Art on the Corner – artist’s home-studio sale benefiting food banks, 8 am-4 pm at 39th SW/SW Holden
Silent Disco and Plunge for the Orcas – 11 am-1 pm, dance and swim by the Alki Bathhouse.
Labor Day rally – West Seattle Indivisible plans to sign-wave in support of labor, 11 am-1 pm, at 16th SW/SW Henderson.
Flag ceremony, BBQ, SFD visit – Everyone is welcome at Alki Masonic Lodge‘s annual event, starting with the annual flag-dedication ceremony at noon at 40th/Edmunds, including free burgers/hot dogs, and then visiting firefighters/SFD apparatus at 1 pm.
(See our calendar for more!)
NOT HAPPENING TODAY
-Banking (holiday)
-U.S. Postal Service (holiday)
-Libraries (closed)
-Many Seattle Parks facilities (here’s the closed/open list)
-City Council briefing meeting (councilmembers are back from 2-week end-of-summer break tomorrow)
WEATHER AND SUNRISE/SUNSET
Cloudy, then clearing, high in the mid-70s. Sunrise will be at 6:28 am, sunset at 7:48 pm.
Police are investigating confirmed gunfire in the Alki area. After 911 calls, they went to look for gunfire evidence, and found casings at 59th/Alki a short time ago. No reports of injuries or property damage so far.
11:14 PM: Avoid Delridge/Trenton – a crash is reported to be blocking the intersection and police have just told dispatch that “one of the parties involved” is getting CPR, but at this early stage they’re “not sure if he was a pedestrian or in a vehicle.”
11:30 PM: Thanks to Corey for the photos. Toward the center of the photo above you can see that one driver went through a fence. We haven’t heard anything further about the status of the person initially reported to be getting CPR.
12:28 AM: Police have just described this over the radio as a suspected case of DUI. Meantime, they’re waiting for an SDOT cleanup crew. whose work will enable the intersection to reopen. And we have an inquiry out to SFD regarding injuries.
1:01 AM: Officers have just told dispatch that the intersection has reopened.
ADDED MONDAY AFTERNOON: SFD says two people were treated, neither with life-threatening injuries:
-40-year-old male who was in stable condition. He was transported to Harborview via AMR.
-50-year-old female in stable condition. She was transported to a hospital via AMR.
Deb Achak is a West Seattle-based fine-art photographer. After living in various neighborhoods around the peninsula for almost two decades, in 2013 she and her husband bought and renovated the former Villa Heidelberg B&B along Erskine Way, where they now reside with their two sons, and where she works from her home photography studio. Last year Deb had her first solo fine-art photography exhibition in New York City, and also oversaw the publication of a new monograph: “All The Colors That I Am Inside.” West Seattle Blog senior contributor Christopher Boffoli recently sat down with Deb – who was fresh from travels in the Himalayas, where she was shooting her next project – to talk about how she came to photography, her connection to West Seattle, and the power of intuition.
(All images courtesy Deb Achak Photography)
By Christopher Boffoli
West Seattle Blog senior contributor
Deb Achak didn’t nurture childhood dreams of becoming a visual artist. She didn’t employ Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000-hour rule” in pursuit of a life with a camera in her hands. In fact, you wouldn’t know from looking at the stunning, painterly fine-art images that she produces, that she came to photography fairly late in life, in what she has characterized as a “sudden and demanding compulsion.”
As someone who actually did start young, who has spent decades working at photography, and who still frequently fails at it, it’s hard to not be a bit envious. After all, we photographers can be a competitive lot. Observing Deb’s work often feels like eavesdropping on a conversation of someone particularly eloquent and perceptive. While photography may not have been in her early plans, some of the experiences of her childhood would inform the creative work that would come.
As a girl growing up in Amherst, New Hampshire, a creative career was the furthest thing from her mind. Neither of her parents were exceptionally creative. Both worked long hours supporting the family. There simply wasn’t anyone in her world who provided a blueprint for a career in the arts. Sometimes, though, life has a subtle way of illuminating things that we will circle back on later, even if we’re not initially conscious of it: like acorns that rain down around us, never knowing which ones will find purchase, seek out rays of sun, and later send up green shoots.
“My mother was a crafter. She was a quilter, “ says Deb. “She sewed clothes for us, did needlepoint, made stained glass. But we didn’t think of her as an artist. She worked as an HR director and she did these things at home.” Deb saw these endeavors as hobbies, apart from work life. “I figured you’d always have creative hobbies and then you’d have a real job.”
Deb’s childhood summers were a time of light. New Hampshire isn’t really known for its coastline, all 15 miles of it (18 miles by the most generous estimates). The state’s limited seashore is underwhelming as beaches go. But in the eyes of a child, it might as well have been the French Riviera. Like a lot of blue-collar families in the area, Deb’s spent time during their summers at Hampton Beach.
It’s perhaps not much different now than it was in the ’80s. One might not hear the same “woca-woca-woca” sound of Pac-Man spilling out of the arcades, but across the narrow ribbon of beach, and beyond the gray asphalt perpetually jammed with cars, you’re likely to find the same clam shacks and fried dough stands, T-shirt and souvenir shops, salt-water taffy vendors and people playing Skee-Ball. “We didn’t go to fancy beaches. That’s how we grew up. We didn’t have money.” Deb says that she mostly remembered it as “crowds of people relaxed and at ease, enjoying the ocean.” For what it lacked in luxury, it more than made up in sensory stimulation.
Later she would major in English at the University of New Hampshire, with an minor in studio art. But she claims the latter was more of a casual interest and never something that she imagined as a vocation. “I didn’t have any example of working artists. It wasn’t even on my radar.”
Like many who finished college at the end of the (first) Bush administration, a deep recession made for a challenging job market. Despite working multiple jobs, Deb just found she wasn’t surviving. “So I saved every penny and moved to the West Coast because a friend had moved here.”
Seeking adventure – and hopefully employment – Deb moved to Seattle in 1992. That version of the city would look largely unfamiliar to those moving here now. At the time, though, it seemed to suddenly be on the cultural radar of the world, in the midst of the white-hot success of the grunge music genre. Around this time, Starbucks had its IPO with around 165 total locations. AIDS deaths were still on the rise and Amazon was just a river in South America. Microsoft Windows was on its third version. “Sleepless in Seattle” was filming in town and Cameron Crowe‘s film “Singles” was screening in theaters. The Kingdome was still the city’s main sports and entertainment venue.
Deb couch-surfed with a friend for a while as she scrambled to work multiple jobs including waiting tables, staffing a catering company, and taking on cleaning jobs. At the same time she was diligent about sending out resumes and watching for openings. At length she found more promising prospects in a listing at Harborview, counseling victims at what was then called the sexual-assault center. She soondiscovered that she had a facility for the work, and found it fulfilling. This led her to similar work as a patient-care coordinator at a clinic at the University of Washington, where she liaised with physicians and nurses, helping with coordination between the medical side and law enforcement in pursuing sexual-assault cases. For a while she considered careers in law, or medicine, or mental health. But ultimately she chose social work, pursuing a master’s degree at UW.
Around the same time that she started working on her master’s, she met Ramin, the man who would become her husband. By the end of the ’90s, they decided it was time to buy a house, which led them to West Seattle. Over the next fifteen years they lived in several neighborhoods on the peninsula, during which time they became parents. Looking for something more spacious, they fell in love with the former Villa Heidelberg, which they bought (in 2013) and then spent years meticulously renovating. The exquisite result of that project has been featured in design magazines.
Deb’s transition from a challenging, if fulfilling, career in social work, into motherhood, and then into a multi-year house renovation project, progressively led her to picking up a camera. At first, she says, it was – like it is for a lot of parents – about documenting the childhood of her small children. But as much as she found cameraphones to be convenient, she quickly found herself chafing against the limits of the technology. “I just wanted something better to shoot with,” she says. After her husband gave her a compact Canon DSLR as a gift, her interest was supercharged. “I went everywhere with that camera. I really fell down the rabbit hole. I read the manual and taught myself everything that I possibly could.” Deb says that she set up an account on Flickr, which was very popular around that time, taught herself editing software, and joined every photo club she could find.
Soon after discovering this passion, Deb had an instinct to do something with a package of delicate optics and electronics that maybe wouldn’t be so intuitive to most: she wanted to submerge it in seawater. That risky decision fortunately would not end in disaster. In fact, it became the genesis of her first official series of elevated fine-art images.
This Thursday, Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW) celebrates its 23rd anniversary, and as is often the case with business anniversaries, customers get the gift(s). Hotwire will offer 23 percent off everything on its menu that day, and plans to serve a limited-edition “23 Latte” to celebrate (with touches of brown sugar, Madagascar vanilla, and cinnamon). Proprietor Jeffrey Silva says the shop will be open 6:30 am to 5 pm that day (September 4).
(WSB photo, 2023 flag ceremony @ Alki Lodge)
Our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar includes several special events for tomorrow, including Alki Masonic Lodge‘s annual flag-retirement ceremony, with two bonus community invitations: They’ll be grilling free hamburgers and hot dogs starting at noon – you’re welcome (but not required) to bring a side or dessert for the potluck picnic – and around 1 pm, they’re expecting a visit from local firefighters: “This year we are partnering with the Seattle Fire Department to have firefighters available to show off their trucks and emergency equipment. We are hoping to get the word out to parents who would like their children to get a close look at fire trucks. SFD is scheduling their visit in our parking lot at 1:00 p.m. and expects to be there for about 30 minutes.” Alki Lodge is in The Junction, on the northeast corner of 40th SW/SW Edmunds.
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