West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
Once again this year, MyTeam Triumph led the way at the Float Dodger 5K, celebrating its 10th year as the West Seattle Grand Parade‘s opening act. About 600 people had registered by race time – here’s most of the rest of them “dodging” the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s logo float at California/Lander:
Half an hour before race time, the Kids’ Dash saw dozens of young runners take a lap around the Hiawatha track.
The Float Dodger is presented by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and proceeds go to the West Seattle Food Bank, which had a booth at Hiawatha, selling their fundraising summer raffle tickets.
(Above, WSFB’s Robbin Peterson and volunteer Al Carlson, with WSR proprietors Tim and Lori McConnell)
Also on hand – Lake Washington Physical Therapy-West Seattle (WSB sponsor):
Results are posted here.
Welcome to another big-fun West Seattle Saturday! First, the two big events that will close much of California SW to traffic into the early afternoon:
WEST SEATTLE GRAND PARADE: California/Alaska, shown in the “live” view above, is one block from the south end of the route for today’s 90th West Seattle Grand Parade, which starts at California/Lander at 11 am. Scroll through this WSB archive to see the many previews we’ve published! (And remember that California south of Admiral, and some side streets, close as early as 7 for the parade and staging.)
FLOAT DODGER 5K Before the parade, you can run or walk the route while raising money for the West Seattle Food Bank! Last-minute registration can be done before the start, 9:30 am from Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW). Come early with your kid(s) and they can run the free Kids’ Dash at ~9 am/
Here are other highlights, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find even more):
DON ARMENI FILMING REMINDER: All day (until 11:59 pm), some parking spots at Don Armeni Boat Ramp and on the street alongside it are off-limits because a film crew will be working.
WEST DUWAMISH GREENBELT HIKE: Free guided hike! Meet at Pathfinder K-8 (1901 SW Genesee), south end of parking lot; hike starts at 9:30 am.
ALKI ART FAIR, DAY 2: Art, music, and food await you in booths along the Alki promenade in the Alki Art Fair‘s second of three days. Artists are there 10 am-6 pm; music is scheduled noon-7 pm; you can bid on silent-auction items inside the Bathhouse 11:30 am-3:30 pm today. (60th-63rd & Alki)
DELRIDGE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market’s fourth season offers produce, plants, condiments, prepared food, more. (9421 18th SW)
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: You’re invited to join others taking a walk in Lincoln Park (meet at 47th/Fauntleroy), 10 am.
SSC GARDEN CENTER: Summer gardening season still has weeks to go – add something new! Student-grown plants await you at the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus, 10 am-3 pm.
MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Info about Marco’s music is here.
(Sunflower sea star, photographed earlier this month by Rosalie Miller)
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -2.7 feet at 10:47 am; 9:30 am-12:30 pm, find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists at Constellation and Lincoln Parks.
LOW-RIDER BLOCK PARTY: This year it’s moved from South Delridge to White Center – cars, art, music, more on 17th SW between Roxbury and 100th, 11 am-8 pm.
FAMILY READING TIME: Every Saturday at 11 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK OPEN: Spraypark season continues – open 11 am-8 pm, free, every day. (1100 SW Cloverdale)
COLMAN POOL: Open noon-7 pm on the Lincoln Park shore – find the session schedule online. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, the season continues for the only city-run wading pool in West Seattle to operate seven days a week, noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
HIAWATHA WADING POOL OPEN: Also open today, noon-5:30 pm. (2700 California SW)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN: The home of West Seattle history is open for your visit, noon-4 pm. You’re running out of time to see its award-winning Longfellow Creek exhibit, which closes this week! (61st/Stevens)
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2236 SW Orchard)
VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM/WINE BAR: Tasting room open – wine by the glass or bottle – 1-6 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
BIKE & BREW RIDE: Join West Seattle Bike Connections on this ride, family-friendly, leaving at 1 pm from Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY TASTING ROOM/WINE BAR: The tasting room/wine bar is open 1-6 pm with student-produced wines and “affordable eats” at the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK #1: “Henry VI, parts 2 & 3” presented by GreenStage, at 3 pm, Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW). Free.
NEPENTHE’S WALK-IN MASSAGE CLINIC: 3-5 pm, show up at Nepenthe (9447 35th SW) with a specific problem to be addressed by massage, and you’ll get a free (gratuities appreciated) trial of their work.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK #2: “Twelfth Night” presented by GreenStage, at 7 pm, Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW). Free.
BEAUTIFUL FREAKS: Show and signing at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW), free, all ages, 7 pm.
ALL-AGES OPEN MIC: 7-10 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way)
LIVE MUSIC AT WHISKY WEST: Tommy Thomas, 8-10 pm. (6451 California SW)
BEATS AT THE ROOM: Revelry Room continues with Saturday night DJs – 9 pm. Tonight, DJ Toxic Max-Q-Linity. (4547 California SW, alley side)
KARAOKE AT THE PIZZERIA: Saturday nights, you can sing at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW), starting at 10 pm.
West Seattle event coming up? If the community’s welcome, your event belongs on our calendar! Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
It all begins in a matter of hours … and some participants in tomorrow’s West Seattle Grand Parade are just finishing up their entries:
That’s part of the crew from Potter Construction, a parade sponsor and participant (and longtime WSB sponsor too), decorating their truck. We’ve been publishing parade previews all week, after sitting in on the Monday night parade-lineup review meeting as usual. More entries to mention tonight so you can be ready to cheer them on – youth-focused organizations! Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby, Rain City Ropeworks, Endolyne Children’s Choir, Highline Premier FC, West Seattle Junior Football and Cheer, Seattle Gymnastics Academy, drill teams, scouting groups … you can also watch for unique entries like the DeLorean car(s), costumed Star Wars fans, and the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum‘s USS Nimitz replica.
(WSB photo, 2023 Float Dodger 5K)
But first, the Float Dodger 5K sends hundreds of runners and walkers from Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW) out onto the parade route at 9:30 am, and you can still register to be part of it – West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) presents the Float Dodger, and proceeds go to help the West Seattle Food Bank fight hunger and prevent homelessness.
As the signs say, parking is off-limits on the parade route – California from SW Lander to SW Edmunds – plus side streets used for staging, starting at 7 am, so get your car moved by then, because tow trucks have their own pre-parade of sorts. Otherwise, just set up a spot somewhere on the route and enjoy the parade. (If you’re not settled on a spot, as we mentioned last night, West Seattle Realty [2715 California SW; WSB sponsor] invites you to their parade-viewing party, out front of the office, treats and restroom access!) The parade, celebrating its 90th year, starts from California/Lander at 11 am and usually ends by ~1:30 at the south end of the route, but this is the biggest one in years, and there are always variables along the way, so that’s just an estimate.
Two reader reports on abandoned items; if either might be yours, please email us and we’ll connect you with the finders:
TOOLBOX: Cynthia sent the photo and report:
This was left behind our condo building and it doesn’t belong to any of us. It has some scuffs on the top so it doesn’t seem to be brand new. But it also still has stickers on it from some kind of retailer. There was only one item left inside but we figured someone might want the toolbox back.
BICYCLE: A reader who wante to be anonymous sent this photo and report:
Bicycle abandoned near Fairmount Ave SW and Harbor Ave. It has been there since last weekend, so clearly it is abandoned. At the back side of Duwamish Head Greenspace behind the pump station.
10:21 PM UPDATE: Marlene’s family confirms she is now safe at home.
Earlier:Read More
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:58 PM: Biggest event on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (breaking news precluded a highlight list today) is happening right now – first day of the Alki Art Fair, on the promenade and lawn west of the sand. We’re on our way to the beach now for photos. The list of participating artists is here; the music lineup (mostly Saturday/Sunday) is here. The booths are scheduled to be open until 8 tonight, 10 am-6 pm tomorrow and Sunday, with music 12-7 pm Saturday, 11 am-5 pm Sunday.
5:49 PM: As promised, we’re adding photos – wide variety of work again this year, from visual art (Ula Nero‘s work, above, and Shelby Huff‘s photography, below) …
… to the apparel, jewelry, and basketry you’ll find at Rekik Mezenghie‘s booth:
This year’s Kid Zone focuses on giving little visitors a place to create their own art:
Again, this is on until 8 tonight, then starts up again at 10 am Saturday.
Thanks for the tip. Another sign today that the city really is getting close to the long-planned soil cleanup at the Morgan Junction Park addition site – crews were there today to clear the fenced-off areas, including a junk-hauling truck and police in unmarked vehicles. There’ve been signs of camping there recently, so we have an inquiry out with the city’s Unified Care Team about whether this was part of their process. We reported on Thursday that the Seattle Parks project manager for the expansion told the Morgan Community Association this week that the soil cleanup is scheduled to start August 8th. Once 16 feet of contaminated dirt has been removed, clean fill will be brought in, and the site will be seeded, for potential open-space use until the actual park expansion is built next year.
Three months after we first told you about two new businesses moving into the ex-beauty-school space on the south edge of The Junction, they’re open! After soft-opening during West Seattle Summer Fest, Rosanne Zhu and Chris Tanghe are now announcing their businesses’ official debut:
The day has arrived! Upwell Wine & Coffee and Walter’s Wine Shop are now open for business 7 days a week on California Ave SW near the Alaska Junction.
Coffee shop hours are 7 am-3 pm where you can always grab a coffee brewed with Herkimer beans or experiment with a rotating roaster that changes every 8 weeks. Our initial partner is Seattle’s own Elm Roasters from Pioneer square. All pastries made in house and starting at 9 am there will soon be a daytime menu featuring made to order breakfast and lunch items too.
Coffee service ends at 3 and Thursdays through Saturdays, Upwell transforms into a wine bar with 12 wines by the glass and an evolving menu of seasonal dishes, tinned fish, and other goodies.
Walter’s Wine Shop opens at 11 and has wines from around the world featuring sustainable practices and a spectrum of styles. Wine classes start in a few weeks on Wednesdays and the wine club will follow suit. Free delivery to West Seattle will commence when the online shop is up in August.
We look forward to meeting the West Seattle community!
Upwell/Walter’s is at 4811 California SW.
Thanks to everyone who has sent tips after getting notification from Bank of America that it plans to close its Admiral branch (one of its three West Seattle branches). This announcement comes with more than half a year of lead time – the notices, and the B of A website, say the closure date is February 11, 2025. This will be the second bank closure in Admiral in less than a year; the Wells Fargo branch at California/Admiral closed last March (and the building remains up for sale). And it’s the latest of several local branch closures in the past few years- most recently, the Sound Credit Union branch in The Junction closed last month; the Washington Federal branch in Morgan Junction closed three years ago; and Chase closed its in-store branch at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) half a year before that. We’re following up with B&A regarding the Admiral closure notice. (For history fans – when we got here in the early ’90s, the building was a diner.)
ORIGINAL REPORT: Police are investigating early-morning gunfire near 11th/Roxbury. They say reports of suspected gunfire were received around 5:17 am, and responding officers found a man whose vehicle had bullet damage. He was not hurt. He said the gunfire came from someone in another vehicle (we don’t have any descriptive information); in addition to the vehicle damage, casings were found on the sidewalk on the south side of Roxbury near 11th.
ADDED TUESDAY: Here’s the final SPD summary of this incident:
At 0517 hours, Officers responded to the reports of shots heard. Another caller reported that they had been shot at and their vehicle had sustained damage. Officers contacted the victim, who was uninjured, who stated that they were parked at a dead-end street. The victim was inside their vehicle facing north in front of a RV that belonged to their friend. The victim heard someone from the south, behind them, shout something and then heard 2 to 3 loud bangs. The victim then realized a bullet had hit the rear window of their vehicle and went through the windshield as well, just missing the victim. A 9mm shell casing was found on the sidewalk of the arterial. There was no available description of a suspect or vehicle at the time of the report.
7:06 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, July 19. The West Seattle Bridge is now fully open eastbound after a 3+-hour closure following a one-car collision, so we’re moving on with the daily roundup.
ABOUT THAT TECH OUTAGE
A global glitch has affected air travel, so if you’re flying out or picking someone up, check with your airline. We’re not aware yet of other major local effects.
Now our regular local info:
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
The forecast: Partly cloudy, becoming sunny, high in the low 80s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:32 am, while sunset will be at 8:58 pm.
SATURDAY CLOSURES FOR PARADE AND 5K
Reminder – Saturday brings the West Seattle Grand Parade and Float Dodger 5K on California SW between Admiral and The Junction, and that means street closures/parking restrictions (including some side streets for staging) – don’t ignore the no-parking signs (7 am-3 pm), because those who don’t WILL be towed. … Watch for bus advisories here.
ALSO THIS WEEKEND
No road closures for this, but the beach will be extra-busy with the Alki Art Fair running today through Sunday, mostly on the promenade west of the Bathhouse.
ROAD WORK
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project is in progress; here are more specifics. Fairmount Avenue is closed under the bridge for the duration of the project, likely into early 2025.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro – Regular schedules; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is. It’s Friday, so there’ll be later runs.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, and the unscheduled third boat may be back. Also, WSF promises three boats for this weekend’s Vashon Strawberry Festival crowds.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (Minus the ones that were still down early today)
Delridge cameras: Besides 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.
South Park Bridge:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
5:23 AM: Thanks for the tips. The eastbound high bridge is closed right now because of a crash investigation. Police radio suggests this could last at least until after 6:30 am. (added) Archived SFD/SPD radio indicates this happened around 3:30 am near the 1st Avenue South exit and was described as a single-vehicle crash, a Tesla Model 3 from which one person needed to be extricated.
5:47 AM: A commenter and one of the few operating SDOT cameras in the area indicate that the closure is at the 99 overpass; you can get onto the bridge but you’ll be diverted onto NB 99.
6:10 AM: Added screengrab from SDOT camera looking west toward the crash scene and the 99 overpass and exit. The wrecked car, which is white, is partly visible.
6:53 AM: Officers just told dispatch that the bridge should reopen soon after SDOT finishes cleaning up the scene.
7:01 AM: All but one lane of the EB bridge has now fully reopened, We’ll update this story with whatever followup information we get later about injury/circumstances.
8:45 AM: Here’s the summary from SPD:
On Friday July 19, 2024, at 0326 hours a white Tesla was travelling at a high rate-of-speed eastbound on the West Seattle bridge. The vehicle failed to maintain its lane of travel and careened between the north and south cement barriers before coming to rest, quite a distance later. The 33-year-old male driver showed obvious signs of impairment and was placed under arrest. The 25-year-old female passenger suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. She was transported to Harborview Medical Center via Medic One. It was expected the adult male driver would be booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Vehicular Assault, pending medical evaluation by hospital staff.
Tonight, they presented a free concert … Saturday, the Admiral Neighborhood Association will be in the 90th-anniversary West Seattle Grand Parade! Neighborhood and community groups, nonprofits, and schools are always part of the lineup (more than 80 entries this year). Among those you’ll be able to cheer for as they roll and/or stroll down the road: Service clubs West Seattle Rotary (whose Service Foundation presents the parade) and West Seattle Lions; nonprofits and community organizations including the West Seattle Food Bank‘s Clothesline, the Center For Active Living (formerly the Senior Center), A Cleaner Alki, the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor), and the American Red Cross; and school groups including Westside School (WSB sponsor), Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hope Lutheran, and cheer teams from Chief Sealth International, West Seattle, and Kennedy Catholic High Schools. Again, that’s just a sampling of what you’ll see! Other parade notes:
The no-parking signs are out – so remember, whether you’re watching the parade – or participating – or not, remember California will close from south of Admiral Way to just south of The Junction, and parking restrictions will be in effect too (signs are up for 7 am through 3 pm). The Saturday morning fun starts with the Float Dodger 5K on the parade route at 9:30 am (you still have time to register to participate); the parade rolls out onto California SW from SW Lander (north side of Hiawatha) at 11 am and heads south to Edmunds. Announcing stands are at California/Alaska with Brian and Christa Callanan and at California/Charlestown with the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle. Stand by for one more preview tomorrow, then we’ll see you out on the route Saturday! (Our previous previews are here, here, here, and here.)
P.S. Haven’t decided on a place to watch the parade? West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor) invites you to their parade-viewing party, out front of their office in the Admiral Station building (2715 California SW) near the start of the parade route. WSR’s Kevin Broveleit says everyone’s welcome to sit with them: “Lots of treats, a great location and nice bathrooms.”
6:37 PM: Happening right now at Belvedere Park, the first of this year’s three summer concerts presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. They’ve given a new name – Admiral Music in the Parks – to what was for many years Summer Concerts at Hiawatha (which isn’t a viable venue currently because of the community-center overhaul). Each of this year’s concerts will be at a different park in Admiral. Tonight’s series-opening show is a double bill, Troy Aylesworth (who’s up first) and The Potholes. Get here before 8 pm if you’re not here already – bring a chair and/or blanket and/or picnic.
7:17 PM: A bit of Troy Aylesworth’s music (more video when we get back to HQ):
He is wrapping up his set now – classic Seattle-style sound (you won’t be surprised to hear he’s part of a Stone Temple Pilots tribute band). Meantime, the crowd has grown – lots of young families, some kids romping around even some bubbles if you look closely at this view:
Potholes up shortly.
7:26 PM: While The Potholes set up, ANA president Joanie Jacobs is talking about next week – at California Place Park, next to Admiral Church (which she says is providing power and restroom access for the concert – bring donations for the church food drive if you can). Next week’s music is another double bill – Michael Pearsall and Westside Pretenders.
7:36 PM: The Potholes are performing now.
Miles, Mitch, Hugo, and Jimmy, with Lucy singing.
8:22 PM: The Potholes concluded their set with the Hendrix classic “Fire,” and that’s it for the first Admiral Music in the Parks show. See you at California Place Park (we’re the series media sponsor) next Thursday (July 25), 6:30 pm!
11:50 PM: Added two more photos and two more videos.
(Rendering by Atelier Drome)
Two years after its final approval from the Southwest Design Review Board, the 7-story mixed-use project planned for 4448 California SW in The Junction just got a key city land-use approval. Publication of the decision (read it here) opens a two-week appeal period (explained in this notice). The city description of the building includes a mix of 43 apartments and an unspecified number of “hotel” units, plus commercial space, with no offstreet parking. The development team is the same one that’s built the almost-complete 3405 Harbor SW apartment building and is constructing the 9201 Delridge Way SW mixed-use building – Housing Diversity Corporation, STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor), and Atelier Drome. The building currently on the site is partly vacant; West Seattle Coworking maintains an auxiliary space there (though their main location is at 9030 35th SW). We have a message out to the project team to ask about the project’s timeline.
ADDED FRIDAY: Their reply – “We’re looking at Q4 but still finalizing the timeline.”
(Courtesy Mark B. Bauschke Photography)
Thanks to everybody who asked, and sent images, of the U.S. Coast Guard operation off Alki this past hour. We called District 13 Public Affairs to ask; they told us it was a “rescue demonstration.”
(Video sent by Eli Barlag)
(Photo sent by Thomas Bach)
Early warning that you’ll also see USCG non-emergency activity over and off Alki on July 30th – that’s the date for this year’s Seafair Parade of Ships, and the USCG will be participating along with the US Navy and Canadian Navy.
As ballots for the August 6 primary start arriving, King County Elections dropboxes are now open – including the newest one in West Seattle, next to Morgan Junction Park [map], installed in May. In our photo above, our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda joined KC Elections Director Julie Wise for a brief ceremony this morning to dedicate and celebrate the box. They also talked about what’s new this election: Your ballot will arrive with a couple new features – the “I Voted!” sticker that was given out to people voting in person, and a list of the five dropboxes closest to your address. In West Seattle, besides the new dropbox, the locations are High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), The Junction (south side of SW Alaska just east of 44th SW), and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, on the driveway in front of the administration building), and the box by the White Center Library isn’t far (1409 SW 107th). KCE says dropboxes handle an average of 50 percent to 60 percent of all ballots in elections; they are emptied at least once a day by a team of two KC employees. Other datapoints: The boxes are made in Puyallup, weigh half a ton each, and are secured by four 8-inch bolts cemented into the ground.
(We’re told a school bus hit a dropbox and the box didn’t budge, though the bus suffered notable damage.) While Wise was there, we also asked her about the status of the ranked-choice voting system approved by Seattle voters two years ago. As we reported in this update last year, the 2022 ballot measure required it to be implemented for city elections by 2027 …. and that’s when Wise says it will happen. In the meantime, an advisory committee is being formed right now and will have its first meeting next month.
P.S. For this election, get your ballot in a dropbox by 8 pm August 6 – or in USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked no later than that date.
(WSB photo, this morning)
The Morgan Junction Park addition site, north of the park [map], has been an agenda item for the Morgan Community Association at dozens of meetings since the city acquired the site a decade ago. But last night’s meeting brought some big news, plus updates on several other matters. Here are our toplines:
MORGAN JUNCTION PARK ADDITION SITE CLEANUP: Seattle Parks‘ Kelly Goold told MoCA that the date is finally set for the start of long-planned soil cleanup work (a dry cleaner was one of the two businesses formerly on the site, and auto work was done nearby). Thursday, August 8, is the date it’s scheduled to start, with work expected to last about seven weeks, 7:30 am-3:30 pm weekdays. Five days will involve heavy-equipment use, Goold said. The work will involve two dirt containers on the site, and multiple trucks hauling back and forth. Once the soil has been removed – the contamination is about 15 feet down – it’ll be replaced with clean fill, and hydroseeded, so that the site can potentially serve as open space before park construction next year. If you live/work nearby, look for signage and notices the week before cleanup work starts.
FUTURE ALL-WHEEL AREA: When the addition goes into construction, an all-wheel area – aka “skate dot” – is planned for the south side of the current park, and the community group MJAWA continues working on that. MJAWA’s Matt Johnston said the group’s Summer Fest outreach went well, and their next milestones involve meetings with Seattle Parks – a design review on August 15, and a technical review later in August. (Here’s our recent report on their design progress.)
POLICE: Officer German Barreto had no major Morgan-specific news but said Southwest Precinct (West Seattle and South Park) crime is similar to a year earlier, with upticks in two categories – robberies and gunfire. He also noted that some juvenile carjacking suspects were arrested earlier in the day in South Park (we’re following up with SPD’s media office in hopes of finding out more).
DEVELOPMENT: MoCA has been working to stay updated on the future StoryBuilt development site at 41st/Graham [map], planned as more than 30 “stacked townhomes” (here’s our 2022 report). Its developer was not at the meeting but has been in email contact with MoCA president Deb Barker, who said there’s no indication of construction any time soon but the developer continues monitoring the property and is asking neighbors to be watchful too.
PREPAREDNESS: Cindi Barker from the Emergency Hubs says their work with Gatewood Elementary (which we featured last year) continues, so that the school has a preparedness plan in case of catastrophe. They’ve been working with nearby neighbors who are committed to helping with communication while school staff focus on keeping the kids safe until they can be reunited with their families.
NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: David Hancock told MoCA about West Seattle Wildscaping, his ecologically friendly landscaping and horticulture business. He offers landscaping and landscaping consulting along with small tree (25′ or less) work, rainwater systems, and some small pathway work. In August he’ll be putting in a bulk order for native plants. If interested, you can contact him.
WHAT’S NEXT: MoCA meets on third Wednesdays in July, October, January, and April. Watch for updates at morganjunction.org.
(Great Blue Heron off Lincoln Park’s Point Williams, photo by Tom Trulin)
Slightly delayed by breaking news, here’s our list of what’s happening for the rest of your Thursday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS: Five locations and varying times in West Seattle – here’s the list.
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Still prime time for summer gardening – so if you need plants, the center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus. Annuals, perennials, sun, shade, natives, edibles, ground covers … wide variety!
SPRAYPARK: Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open every day, 11 am-8 pm, free.
COLMAN POOL: The season continues for this outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, the 7-day-a-week wading pool is open today noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.
DELRIDGE WADING POOL: Also open today, next to Delridge Community Center, noon-5:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
HIAWATHA WADING POOL: This pool is open today too, next to Hiawatha Community Center, noon-5:30 pm. (2700 California SW)
FAUNTLEROY FERRY DOCK PROJECT’S TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP: Two days after the Community Advisory Group for the dock-replacement project met (WSB coverage here), the Technical Advisory Group is meeting online at 1 pm today. This too is open to public observation (though there’s no public comment or Q&A period) – get the link here.
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com for info on where they’re playing today.
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar now open Thursdays-Saturdays 1 pm-6 pm, north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus. Food too – stop by to sip and nosh!
STRONG BODIES, STRONG BONES: 2:30 pm yoga class at what’s now the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon).
HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: Every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Paparepas.
VISCON CELLARS: The West Seattle winery’s tasting room/wine bar is open 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) for wine by the glass or bottle.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy to walk in Lincoln Park – details in our calendar listing.
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at Good Society (California/Lander) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run.
ADMIRAL MUSIC IN THE PARKS: First of this year’s three free outdoor concerts presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, 6:30 pm, Belvedere Park (across from Admiral Way Viewpoint), featuring The Potholes and Troy Aylesworth. You can pre-order a picnic pack from Soirée for park delivery, too.
HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: 6:30 pm, meet at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) for a 3-mile run through the neighborhood. (Walking option, too!)
TOASTMASTERS #832: Join the online meeting at 6:30 p.m. to work on your communication skills! RSVP: wstoastmasters832@gmail.com
BLUES NIGHT: 6:30-9 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.
TRIVIA: 7 pm at Burger Planet (9614 14th SW).
Planning an event that should be on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
9:04 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a full response to what they’re reporting as a “fire in a vacant house” on 18th SW near Thistle.
9:07 AM: Arriving crews confirm it’s a “working fire.”
9:11 AM: Radio traffic indicates this house was on SFD’s radar even before this, as they’re describing it as a “derelict building” and saying the house is a “no-entry zone.” They have water on the fire from “a safe distance away from the building.”
9:14 AM: Now firefighters are going in.
9:17 AM: Our crew has arrived; adding photos. Fire is reported under control and SFD says no one’s hurt.
9:21 AM: Neighbors tell us this house has been vacant for quite a while, and that squatters are often seen coming and going.
9:32 AM: The house’s owner is on scene too and says he’s been trying to keep it locked up. Meantime, SFD has the fire out in the basement but is still working on other areas of the house.
9:43 AM: Firefighters are starting to wrap up the response (which is a gradual process).
ADDED MONDAY: So far, investigators are ruling the cause of the fire “undetermined.”
The report and photo are from Jacob:
Our Tern GSD-S00 Electric Cargo Bike was stolen from our garage (Wednesday) evening.
It had an orange child seat equipped when it was stolen. So it looks more like this now,
Our garage is between 30th and 31st and Othello and Myrtle. It was stolen between 6:15 pm and 10:00 pm (probably closer to 10:00 pm). Neighbors’ cameras saw a red minivan, dark-tinted rear windows, case our house twice.
Reward will bo offered for information leading to its recovery. I can be contacted at 571-296-7109.
The police report # is 24-197860.
FRIDAY UPDATE: Jacob commented below that they got the bike back.
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, July 18.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
The forecast: Partly cloudy, becoming sunny, high around 80. Today’s sunrise was at 5:31 am, while sunset will be at 8:59 pm.
ROAD WORK
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project is in progress; here are more specifics. Fairmount Avenue is closed under the bridge for the duration of the project, likely into early 2025.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
SATURDAY CLOSURES FOR PARADE AND 5K
Reminder – Saturday brings the West Seattle Grand Parade and Float Dodger 5K on California SW between Admiral and The Junction, and that means street closures (including some side streets for staging) – heed the no-parking signs, because those who don’t WILL be towed. … Watch for bus advisories here.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro – Regular schedules; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, and the unscheduled third boat may be back.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (Minus the ones that were still down early today)
Delridge cameras: Besides 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.
South Park Bridge:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
Time for another preview of Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade – this one’s for marching-band fans!
(WSB file photos)
ALL-CITY MARCHING BAND: The marching musicians of this beloved band are from throughout Seattle Public Schools (which is why you don’t see individual SPS schools’ bands in summer parades), led by Dr. Marcus Pimpleton. Last year, West Seattle Grand Parade judges chose them as Grand Prize winners.
KENNEDY CATHOLIC HS BAND: Again this year, the band from Burien – ever distinctive in their classic uniforms – will visit to participate in the Grand Parade.
SUMNER HS MARCHING BAND: This will be the Pierce County school’s first appearance in the West Seattle Grand Parade since 2019. Their town may not be big, but the band is – more than 100 members!
DRUMLINES: Also in the category of marching musicians, watch for drumlines – the All-Star Drumline, plus – accompanying drill teams – Anointed to Praise, Epitome Family Entertainment, and Dolls & Gents.
Two more previews to come before parade day! (The ones we’ve already published are here, here, and here.) The basics – the Grand Parade heads southbound on California SW from Lander to Edmunds starting at 11 am Saturday (July 20) – announcing stands will be at California/Alaska and California/Charlestown, if you want to hear about who you’re seeing. The parade is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year; it’s a community celebration presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle Service Foundation, in collaboration with volunteers, donors, sponsors, participants, and spectators!
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