West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
Two weeks from tomorrow, the peninsula’s biggest party of the year begins – West Seattle Summer Fest. In the days ahead we’ll bring you festival previews with what you need to know about this year’s event, Friday, July 12, through Sunday, July 14, in The Junction. First off – this year is the first time Summer Fest goes big with an all-out “zero-waste” initiative, joining forces with Bold Reuse and Seattle Public Utilities for reusable drinkware, dishware, and serviceware at both festival food booths and at the beer garden. Your most important role in this is to properly return those items after use. Collection bins with explanatory signage will be available throughout the festival zone, and people will be standing by to help you know what goes into which bin – reusable, recyclable, compostable, or garbage. Throughout the days and evenings of the festival, the West Seattle Junction Association tells us, Bold Reuse will check in with vendors to be sure they’re stocked up; the company then will inspect, clean, and replenish items for each day. This will not only be a first for West Seattle Summer Fest, but the first festival-reusables program “at this scale” in the city.
(Photo courtesy Bold Reuse)
This is happening in connection with the city’s Reuse Seattle initiative, and in addition to doing your part as a West Seattle Summer Fest food/drink consumer, there’s another way to help: Volunteers are being recruited, to help festivalgoers know what goes where (as mentioned above) and to explain the benefits of reusing. If you’re interested, fill out this online form, and program reps will be in touch about the possibilities. More Summer Fest previews ahead!
(WSB photo of 16th/Holden site, April)
Three weeks have passed since the deadline for proposals to develop the 9,425-square-foot ex-substation site on the southwest corner of 16th and Holden into a mixed-use building with “affordable homeownership” units. The city Office of Housing was seeking proposals for building ~16 for-sale residential units over commercial space at the site, and tells WSB that it received two proposals. They’re not commenting on who the proposals are from, but plan to choose a winner “in August.” This was one of half a dozen area ex-substation sites declared “surplus” by Seattle City Light more than a decade ago; after years of discussion and community advocacy, SCL transferred it to the Office of Housing to get this project off the ground Housing paid the site’s current valuation, $424,000, to SCL, using funding from Mandatory Housing Affordability fees paid by developers in lieu of including affordable housing in their own projects. The units in the eventual project, according to the city, “must be affordable to households with incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the Seattle area,” taking into account “a 5% down payment, a monthly payment for housing costs (mortgage principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and other dues) of not more than 35% of income, a household size of one more person than number of bedrooms, and a realistic mortgage interest rate.” Assuming this plan proceeds to fruition, this will be only the second of those six surplus ex-substations to be developed into housing, after these “tiny townhomes” on Pigeon Point.
That photo is from Jordan, who’s organizing a community cleanup at West Seattle’s only official dog park – Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area [map] – this Saturday (June 29). We’re mentioning it here in case you haven’t seen it in our Event Calendar or seen the sign-up sheets at the park. Jordan says advance sign-up is NOT necessary – just show up on Saturday, between 10 am and 2 pm: “We’re looking for volunteers to help clean up the park via trimming bushes, filling holes, moving rocks, cleaning the bulletin board, and picking up trash/poop. We ask that people bring some shovels, racks, clippers, and buckets if they have them but some are available to use at the park. Otherwise, donuts/ muffins/ baked goods and coffee will be available to snack on, and whoever would like to show up is more than welcome to!”
(Surfing gull, photographed at Jack Block Park by Steve Bender)
Here’s the highlight list for the rest of your Thursday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!
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!
COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC: Swim-meet closure today.
WADING POOLS CLOSED: Cool and cloudy, so the city won’t be opening them.
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 Seoul Bowl.
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.
SEATTLE CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT TRUCK: Scheduled for a 6 pm visit to bring free chamber music to Seattle Chinese Garden (north end of South Seattle College north lot, 6000 16th SW). We’re checking on how the weather is or isn’t affecting the plan.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fauntleroy to walk in Lincoln Park – details in our calendar listing.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: A few readers have asked if any bars are planning watch parties for the 6 pm showdown. So far, we haven’t heard of any, but if you have, please let us know and we’ll add them here – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at Good Society (California/Lander) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run.
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!)
BLUES NIGHT: 6:30-9 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Apology Wars, Atomic Pines, Silver Shores, doors at 7 pm, music at 8 pm, $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
TRIVIA: 7 pm at Burger Planet (9614 14th SW).
‘CLYDE’S’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm performance as the final week begins for “Clyde’s” at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – “In this 2022 Tony Award®-Nominated Best Play, creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck-stop cafe.” Find the ticket link and more info in our calendar listing.
Planning an event that should be on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends are remembering George Felhosi, and sharing this remembrance with the community:
George was born June 6, 1939, in Óbuda, Hungary, a small, unincorporated town north of Budapest.
Born into a small family and the older brother of one sister, George fled Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. He was given two American dollars, so his father told him to run to the neighboring country of Austria with his neighbor.
After three days of arduous travel by foot, George made it to the Austrian border, where a farmer picked up the two young men in his tractor and took them to the Red Cross Refugee camp in Coasetanburg. After weeks in a retired military barracks, he and the other Hungarian men were bussed to Lido, Italy, on December 17th, 1956. There, the Italian consult offered them a choice: volunteer for service in the U.S. military for citizenship or learn Italian. Unfortunately for George, he was not 18; along with three other boys, he lived in Milan until his birthday.
Flying to Frankfurt, Germany, he and 40 other refugees were sworn into service for the U.S. Army. From there, he was sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he attended an English language school for six months in 1957. Then, after finishing basic training, he was shipped off to Fort Lewis, Washington. From there, he was sent to Camp Kaiser, Inchon, Korea, where he served as a machine gunner in the primary invasion defense group, enduring 13 months of active conflict without leave. After his tours of duty in Korea, he transferred to the Atomic Fallout Recovery Division, then to the military sports club, where he played soccer for the American team, traveling for two years. Being discharged on June 27th, 1962, he returned to Seattle, getting a job at Bethlehem Steel for six years before becoming a longshoreman in 1969, working for 35 years at the Port of Seattle and retiring in 2004.
George’s love for skiing, Formula One, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles took him all over the world. George was a dedicated and loyal friend who we will all dearly miss.
(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)
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, June 27.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Rain likely, high around 65. Today’s sunrise was at 5:13 am, while sunset will again be at 9:11 pm (staying there until Saturday).
ROAD WORK
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project – including a months-long closure of Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge – could start as soon as Monday.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; 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, but now with the unscheduled “bonus boat” on weekdays when available; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (most city cameras were down as of early this morning)
1st Ave. S. Bridge (a state camera:
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!
(WSB video and photos)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Alki-area community advocates who co-hosted tonight’s public-safety meeting with District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka have long been pushing for as much action against street disorder as the city can muster. Last weekend’s shootings at Duwamish Head were just the latest flashpoint.
Perhaps that’s why the first actions promised tonight by city reps – but, they insisted, not the last – had to do with street design: Lane-narrowing and more speed cushions are on the way, per SDOT managers. The action most requested by attendees, installing speed cameras, isn’t so easy, panelists explained. Same with the matter of “holding people accountable.”
Above is our video from the nearly-two-hour meeting inside the sanctuary at Alki UCC; below, our recap:
(Photo sent by Kevin)
8:52 PM: Police are investigating a shooting inside the Stewart Manor apartment building at 34th/Morgan. A man was taken to the hospital after the shooting was reported inside one of the units around 7 pm. No suspect or circumstances information so far; we’re checking with SFD to find out what condition the victim was in when transported.
11:11 PM: SFD says the victim, in his mid-20s, was in serious condition when transported to Harborview.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: SPD has since posted this about the incident; the only specific beyond what we reported already was that the man was found in a hallway.
When we first introduced you to the CARE response team – part of the city’s “third public-safety department” – we noted that their small size limited their response area downtown, but CARE Chief Amy Smith vowed they would make it to West Seattle. Now there’s a commitment, from Mayor Bruce Harrell, who formally announced the CARE RespponseTeam’s planned expansion today. From the announcement:
The expansion plan calls for hiring an additional 18 responders and three supervisors in the coming months and will immediately extend the current service area from Downtown, SODO, and the Chinatown-International District to additional neighborhoods including Capitol Hill, Central Area, First Hill, Judkins Park, Madison Park, Montlake, and upper Pike/Pine. This coverage will align with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) West and East precincts. The phased expansion – based on an analysis of 9-1-1 call volume and requests – targets this fall for expansion into North Seattle, followed by South and Southwest Seattle by the end of 2024.
The proposal for an additional 21 positions will be included in Mayor Harrell’s Mid-Year Supplemental Budget request, with 2024 costs fully funded through $1.9 million in federal funding due to Congressman Adam Smith and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s support. The mayor also announced that he will nominate CARE Acting Chief Amy Smith to serve as the department’s permanent Chief, which is subject to City Council approval.
The CARE department includes both the responders and the city’s 911 center. (Here’s more about what the response team does.)
Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this afternoon:
STOLEN BICYCLES: Sent by Laura in Seaview:
Sometime last night (between 6/25-6/26) thieves forcefully broke into our garage and stole $10k worth of bikes: 2 pedal assist e-bikes and 1 gravel/road bike.
What makes this crime particularly egregious is that the thieves tried multiple points of entry on the garage (crowbar, broken windows, etc.).
The thieves were also in the garage for quite a while because they took the batteries that were stored separately from the 2 e-bikes. … The makes and models of the bikes are:
1. 2020 Yuba Boda Boda pedal assist cargo bike. Bright teal with monkey bars on the back for a child’s seat. Can’t miss it. Serial # (ends in) 019
2. 2021 Canondale Tesoro neo x1 pedal assist. Graphite color. Serial #(ends in) 888
2. 2020 Specialized Diverge e5 gravel/road bike. Dark red with lighter orange Specialized logo. Serial #: (ends in) 87p
We’ll add the police-report number when we get it.
STOLEN WHITE ELANTRA: Sent by a friend of the stolen white 2015 Hyundai Elantra’s owner:
My friend that lives on 60th in Alki came home from work at 1 am last night and parked on the street north of Admiral. After she and a friend came back from lunch … they noticed her car was not there and was stolen. This was around 3 pm today. She filed a police report already and they are investigating.
Just as we finished writing this, we got word that the car’s already been found, in Kent, so consider this a report for neighborhood awareness.
(Slide from SDOT presentation at May 2024 Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting)
One month after the Admiral Neighborhood Association got an update on the Admiral Way Bridge seismic-strengthening project (WSB coverage here), SDOT has just announced that work will start as soon as Monday (July 1). The bridge over Fairmount Ravine is actually two bridges; they’ll have some closures during the project, but, as explained in the ANA meeting, the biggest impact will be under those bridges, with a months-long around-the-clock closure of Fairmount Avenue. Here’s the SDOT announcement:
As early as Monday, July 1, SDOT is set to begin seismic retrofits on the Admiral Way North and South Bridges. These essential improvements will enhance the bridges’ ability to withstand earthquakes. The construction is expected to last approximately 7-8 months, but schedules may change due to factors such as weather and availability of crews and materials.
To ensure the work is completed safely and efficiently, there will be lane closures on SW Admiral Way at the bridge throughout the construction period. Additionally, there will be full 24/7 closures of the bridge on two weekends, with specific dates to be determined. Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, for the duration of the construction.
We understand these closures will impact those who regularly use the bridge and Fairmount Avenue, and we will strive to minimize these disruptions.
This update didn’t mention the specific detour plans for the closures, nor did last month’s briefing, so we’re following up about those.
ADDED FRIDAY: SDOT says they haven’t finalized those plans but that the work potentially starting Monday won’t require “traffic control.”
What you see in the foreground of that photo is new netting for a play structure at Highland Park Elementary. You won’t see it there today – because somebody stole it between 6 pm last night and 6 am today. HPE’s Patti Bunting explains, “Someone cut the lock off the gate and dragged the netting off the playground using some sort of cart.” And that wouldn’t have been easy – she says the plastic-fiber rope is “so heavy the installation company was planning on using their front loader to move it.” That installation WAS supposed to happen within days. If you see the stolen netting, please contact the school – plbunting@seattleschools.org – we’ll add the police-report number when it’s available.
ADDED THURSDAY: The stolen netting is worth $17,000. Police report number is 24-933987.
11:05 AM: Thanks for the tips. Seattle City Light‘s outage map shows 139 homes and businesses out of power in the area shown in the screengrab above, east of Luna Park and on the edge of North Delridge. We haven’t yet heard what might have caused it.
1:35 PM: The map shows the outage has since been resolved. We’re checking with SCL on its cause.
5:23 PM: SCL’s Jenn Strang says it was a “brief unplanned outage” that happened during a “pole transfer.”
(Reader photo, April 2023)
It’s been more than a year since a driver did that damage to the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign near the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge. A reader recently tipped us that it appeared some repair work is under way. The sign was installed in 2019 by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, thanks to a gift from the late philanthropist Ada Cruzen, so we asked Chamber executive director Rachel Porter about the repair status when we saw her at an event on Tuesday. She confirms that restoration is under way, with the help of an area metal-work firm, and should be complete within a month; other details are yet to come.
(California poppy, photographed by Rosalie Miller)
Here’s our list of what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FOOD DRIVE: The almost-daily summer food-donation drive continues at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill) – you can drop off nonperishable items until noon.
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: 10 am walk in Lincoln Park (meet at 47th/Fauntleroy) – info’s in our calendar listing.
TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
SPRAYPARK: Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open every day, 11 am-8 pm, free.
COLMAN POOL: Third weekday this summer for the 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: First day of the season at this pool, noon-5:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix it, don’t toss it! Weekly event, free (but donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
ALKI COMMUNITY-SAFETY MEETING: 6 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), city leaders and community advocates invite you to a conversation about community safety, after the shootings early Saturday that killed a man and injured another at the Duwamish Head viewpoint where Harbor/Alki Avenues meet. Our preview includes the link to use if you have a question to submit in advance.
FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.
FREE GROUP RUNS: The weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run welcomes all levels – meet at the shop by 6:15 pm.
TRIVIA x 5: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
YOGA IN THE PARK: Two West Seattle teachers lead Wednesday night outdoor-yoga events at Myrtle Reservoir Park (35th/Myrtle), 7:30 pm.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, etc., and it’s open to the community, please send us info so we can get it onto West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, June 26.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Cloudy this morning, then clearing, breezy, high near 70. Today’s sunrise was at 5:13 am, while sunset will be at 9:11 pm (and will stay there until Saturday).
ONGOING ROAD WORK
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; 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, but now with the unscheduled “bonus boat” on weekdays when available; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (Sorry about the problems – we’ll report to SDOT if they’re not working by morning’s end)
Low bridge: Here’s the main view:
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
High Bridge – Here’s 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:
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!
Twp items of extra local interest were on the agenda Tuesday for the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, for which District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka serves as vice chair.
First – starting at 20 minutes into the meeting video above – a consulting firm presented results of their commissioned study on waterway safety in Seattle, “a year in the making,” according to Councilmember Dan Strauss, who had advocated for it. You can read the full report here, and see their slide deck here. One major recommendation: More safety education for recreational boaters, who often aren’t aware of rules, laws, and best safety practices. More signage might help, they suggested. The consultants also recommended more synching between Seattle Police and Fire marine resources – they already cooperate and collaborate, but it should be more formalized. Their data could be better utilized, too.
They also noted the need for more marine-focused resources – SFD, for example, wants to build a new fire station on South Lake Union; SPD Harbor Patrol could use more staffing. And they could leverage other city personnel – perhaps the expanded Park Rangers team could help with noise enforcement, they suggested.
While the briefing didn’t touch on any West Seattle waterway-safety specifics, we noted while searching the full report that there are some local mentions – for example, on page 43, “SPD is developing a new map drawn to identify more specific Harbor Patrol ‘beat’ areas, such as Elliott Bay, Lake Union, Duwamish, Alki, and Fauntleroy.” Also mentioned (page 16), Fire Station 36 under the West Seattle Bridge at the north end of Delridge, because it “has the Marine 1 Unit, which provides landside firefighting response for fires on or near the water.”
No action was taken or proposed – the recommendations aren’t at the level of proposed policies or budget items, yet. A slightly different situation for the meeting’s second briefing, billed as the first look at “an ordinance relating to street racing; adding the crime of racing; adding the traffic infraction of vehicle participation in unlawful racing …” What City Attorney Ann Davison (who was at the meeting) announced last week, a new $500 fine for registered owners of participating vehicles, was just part of it. They’re also aligning with some new state laws, as noted in the rather sparse slide deck. Watch the briefing (which starts 54 minutes into the meeting video) for much more elaboration, including SPD Assistant Chief Dan Nelson recounting multiple “takeover” events this past Saturday night around the city, including the one on which we reported, at 2nd/Michigan/West Marginal. This recounting featured a video compilation. Nelson said it was important for SPD to use “targeted enforcement” to keep tracking and breaking up those gatherings, because some result in crime and collisions (shootings were associated with a takeover on MLK Way that same night, he said).
Saka asked why automated cameras couldn’t be more extensively used; a City Attorney’s Office rep explained that technologically, cameras could be used for much more, but state law limits their use, so it would have to change. Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth asked how people participating in driving stunts such as donuts would get ticketed; Nelson said officers would first move in to “triage” life-safety dangers, and then would start gathering plate numbers. Saka wondered where the $500 fine came from. Davison said they felt it would be “meaningful” but not “excessive.”
Before the proposed new laws can take effect, they’ll have to come back to the committee for a vote, and then go to the full council.
9:34 PM: According to exchanges between dispatch and responders, a pedestrian was hit and injured by a motorcycle rider on the Alki Point “Healthy Street.” Police were still sorting it out, but the most recent exchanges indicated the injured person was in a crosswalk close to Alki Point. They are reported to have suffered a head injury and briefly lost consciousness, and were to be taken to a hospital.
9:49 PM: The motorcycle is stolen, according to further exchanges between officers and dispatch. A commenter says they witnessed the crash and that the motorcycle rider left the scene with other riding friends – that matches with an early radio exchange about a second motorcycle leaving the area after the collision.
(Reader photo, uploaded to comment below)
12:10 AM: Two more commenters below have reports from the scene, including one with the photo we have republished above, showing the motorcycle left behind. Meantime, SPD just provided us with this short early summary:
Shortly after 9:00 p.m., 911 received reports of a man being struck by a motorcycle at Beach Dr SW and SW Benton Pl SW. Police arrived and located a male in his 60’s suffering from a head injury. Seattle Fire Department provided aid and the man refused transport to the hospital. He was later transported to the hospital by family.
Witnesses said the victim was in an altercation with a suspect that was driving a motorcycle. The suspect drove a short distance away, turned around and drove at speeds and struck the man, who was standing in the street. The suspect left the motorcycle on the ground and fled with another motorcyclist on a red/black motorcycle.
The motorcycle that was left by the suspect was verified stolen. The suspect is described as a WM [white male], 5’10”, heavy build, wearing a helmet.
The incident number, if you have information, is 24-173756.
When Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones announced earlier today that he would delay the release of a potential school-closure plan until September, that information was the second half of a message to the community. The first half involved another major proposal – possible policies to address school violence. Dr. Jones’s message began with a reference to the recent shooting death of a Garfield High School student; he did not mention January’s shooting death of 15-year-old Chief Sealth International HS student Mobarak Adam, at the Southwest Center/Pool across the street from the school, but that still weighs heavily on hearts and minds here. The superintendent’s message promises “concrete steps to enhance the safety of our school environments.” He promises “to include gun violence prevention in high schools and increased mental health support for all grades” and says he has “allocated over $2 million for staff to improve school building exteriors and campus security.”
Beyond that, he lists possible policy changes that “may include”:
-Increasing SPS security and neighborhood safety organization patrols around our buildings.
-Wearing identification badges on campus.
-Requiring clear backpacks.
-Closing campuses for lunch.
Dr. Jones says he will be talking with “regional and building leaders about the needs of their school communities” before any decisions are made. He also mentioned the SPS Safe Schools Hotline 206-252-0510 that “can be used 24/7 to report any threats to our schools.” Chief Sealth IHS administration said some safety changes were made there after Mobarak Adam’s death, as detailed at a lightly attended safety forum in April.
Once again today, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office daily list did not include the name of the man shot and killed at Duwamish Head early Saturday. But for the first time since the shooting, a small memorial has appeared at the scene, on the sidewalk’s edge alongside the angled-parking area at the viewpoint, steps from where police found the victim after multiple calls about gunfire. We’ve been going by every day since Saturday and this is new since Monday night. So far, authorities have said only that the victim was 22. As reported here earlier today, city reps – in partnership with neighborhood advocates – plan a community meeting at 6 pm tomorrow (Alki UCC, 6115 SW Hinds) to discuss solutions to violence and disorder in the area.
ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: The KCMEO identified the victim in today’s list – 22-year-old Luis Angel Solis Lara, killed by gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A new West Seattle community park with an inspiring origin story was officially opened to the public in an emotional celebration ceremony and ribbon-cutting on Sunday.
The new park, at the south end of the West Seattle Church of the Nazarene property at 4201 SW Juneau St, is called Maarten Park, named after neighbor and congregation member Maarten Verburg, who passed away in 2023 after battling leukemia, and who was instrumental in helping to realize the vision of converting the space into a park.
More than a decade ago, the church began plans to revitalize and redevelop its property, which included building six townhomes, and utilizing the outdoor open space known informally as “the park” which has been used over the years for outdoor movies and gatherings and other events. Sunday’s ceremony, which we previewed earlier last week, represented an important step in officially establishing the park as a true community resource, according to church leaders.
Here’s a video of the ribbon-cutting portion of the ceremony, with Verburg’s wife Marcy Mabry and son Jakob doing the honors, and with an introductory assist from pastor Shaun Mattson, as kids eagerly waited for the park to open:
Prior to the service, the congregation held a “church service in the park,” during which Mattson talked about the history of the church property and the support and generosity of Verburg, whom he said “started as a neighbor, became a friend, and turned into a church member” and was a “gift to us all”:
As the service concluded, the congregation and visitors moved toward the south end of the property, for the park dedication ceremony:
Mattson (at center) invited Joe Paar (at left), a local developer who was instrumental in helping with the church’s property plans including the development of the park, to say a few words, with help from church family member Jayden (at right) who held the ribbon-cutting scissors:
The group also acknowledged the efforts of John Mullan and his team at PlayCreation for donating time and materials to help get the project completed.
Mabry (with her son) then shared that her husband “loved living in this neighborhood; he loved this community and this church,” and she said she’s thankful “for all of the great things to come from having this space for kids, neighbors and community to gather:”
You may notice in the photos that both Mabry and Mattson were wearing Dutch wooden shoes, in honor of Verburg (who was born in the Netherlands, and famously wore the shoes often while working on the church grounds). Mattson joked that “You could always hear Maarten coming!” and Mabry said that she and Maarten even wore the shoes during their wedding):
After the ribbon was cut and the kids and their families happily ran into the park to play, the group prepared and enjoyed a BBQ lunch:
The park itself includes open play areas and playground equipment, in addition to toys for younger kids to enjoy:
Maarten Park is open to the public, south of the church building at the southwest corner of 42nd Ave SW and Juneau St.
(Monday night image from SDOT camera, via X/Twitter)
Monday evening, after reader tips (thank you!), we reported on the West Seattle low bridge being unusable to all surface traffic for two-plus hours. SDOT promised a followup explanation, and here it is:
The Spokane Street Bridge (also known as the West Seattle Low Bridge) was stuck from approximately 5:30 – 8:00 pm on June 24 due to a technical issue with the bridge’s tail locking mechanism.
The tail lock is the equipment that locks the bridge in place so that cars, bikes, and people can safely travel across it (it is called a “tail lock” because it is located where the two sides of the movable bridge meet in the center of the waterway, referred to as the “tail span” of the bridge). A specialized maintenance crew was called in to help diagnose and fix the problem and determined that the issue was likely caused by the bridge spans drifting slightly during the raising and lowering process, causing sensors to detect a misalignment in the locking mechanism.
We are currently working on a series of projects to maintain and modernize the Spokane Street Bridge. This includes a variety of investments to repair or replace the bridge’s control system, electronics, and mechanical parts. While much of this work has already been completed, there are ongoing plans for more repairs to address the bridge’s tail locking mechanism and other related parts.
Our moveable bridges operate with complex mechanical and electrical equipment. Though they are rare, issues with these systems can happen. When an outage occurs, our roadway structures crew and engineers work as fast as possible to restore service to the traveling public. A detailed explanation of our standard procedures to respond to bridge malfunctions is available on this webpage.
| 3 COMMENTS