West Seattle, Washington
16 Tuesday
Just in – the map of what’s happening where at the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival this Sunday! Even if you’re not planning to go, remember that the festival “footprint” is close to West Seattle Summer Fest – the streets will be festival-filled (and off-limits to motorized traffic) on California SW from Oregon to Edmunds and on SW Alaska from 44th to 42nd. The festival runs 10 am-2 pm, concurrent from the Farmers’ Market (which will be on its usual block, California between Alaska and Oregon), and one popular feature will start earlier this year- the Chili Cookoff “flights” go on sale just as the festival begins, 10 am on the KeyBank corner. (More flights for sale, too – 400 this year – $10 donation to the West Seattle Food Bank gets you a taste of the contenders‘ chili offerings plus a chance to vote!) Other times are the same as past years, costume parade at 11:30 am (start gathering by Junction Plaza Park at 42nd/Alaska at 11:15) and trick-or-treating at noon. We’re a Harvest Festival co-sponsor and will be reporting as-it-happens from the Info Booth at Walk-All-Ways – see you there, rain or shine.
P.S. In our next preview, get a sneak peek at this year’s lineup of free festival activities!
By the time the new tentative trial date for Ryan Cox arrives, nearly 16 months will have passed since he was arrested following the August 2017 stabbing of a man in Gatewood. The latest hearing in his case resulted in a new trial date in early December, with both sides saying they still had to work to do to be ready; the prosecution, for example, told the judge it has two more witness statements to get and expects to present at least 20 witnesses at trial. In July, Cox was found competent to stand trial. He remains in jail in lieu of $150,000 bail and is due back in court November 16th for an omnibus (trial-readiness) hearing.
Don’t have party plans set yet for this Saturday night? It’s your next chance to have a good time for a good cause. The West Seattle Community Orchestras rely on community generosity to help make it possible for student musicians to play for free. Here are the newest party details:
Rummage through your costume collection and then plan to join West Seattle Community Orchestras (WSCO) for its annual gala fundraiser in support of free participation in our orchestras for student musicians!
The West Seattle Big Band will once again provide music for dancing—and just plain good listening!
(WSB photo, WS Big Band at last Sunday’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
Very special items for our silent and live auctions have been donated by our generous supporters. Here’s a small sample:
Canlis | Seattle Shakespeare Theatre | Boehm’s Candy Kitchen | Beer Junction | Chihuly Garden | MoPOP | Kenyon Hall | Seattle Storm | Lake Union Civic Orchestra | PlantAmnesty | Seafair | Countryside Café | Elliott Bay Brewery | Ivar’s| Caffe Ladro | Pagliacci Pizza | Bakery Nouveau
Here’s the agenda:
6:00-7:15: Doors open, cocktail reception, silent auctions, entertainment by WSCO musicians
7:15: Buffet dinner served
7:55-8:40: Live auction, raise the paddle, dessert dash
8:40++: Dancing to the West Seattle Big Band!Your support will help WSCO continue to provide FREE participation and instruction in orchestral music for our student musicians.
Here’s the important info:
— Saturday, October 27, 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.
— Alki Masonic Lodge, 4736 40th Ave. SW.
— Adults 18+ $40, children 6-17 and seniors $25Plan to have fun while supporting this vital West Seattle resource! REGISTER & PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE HERE. Tickets also available at the door. Costumed or not, don’t forget your dancing shoes!
(American Crow photographed at Seacrest by Robin Sinner, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FERRY-SCHEDULE MEETING: 5-7 pm at Fauntleroy Church, drop in to talk with Washington State Ferries about the proposed overhaul of the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route schedule. (9140 California SW)
TELL CITY COUNCILMEMBERS WHAT YOU WANT IN THE BUDGET: 5:30 pm at City Hall downtown, it’s the second and final major public hearing about the city budget. If there’s something you are passionate about, this is the time/place to show it. (600 4th Ave.)
BALLOTS AND BARISTAS: Want to talk about the initiatives on this fall’s ballot? Stop in for this League of Women Voters-hosted coffeehouse chat at Cupcake Royale in The Junction. Free “babycakes” while they last! (California/Alaska)
KINDERGARTEN INFO NIGHT: 6:30 pm at Hope Lutheran School (WSB sponsor) – how to know whether your child’s ready for kindergarten, what to look for when choosing one, and what Hope offers. (4456 42nd SW)
WEST SEATTLE BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: Last meeting of the year since the next two months conflict with the holidays. 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, all welcome to hear and talk about crime and safety issues and neighborhood safety. Here’s the preview. (2300 SW Webster)
PATHFINDER PTSA: 6:30 pm general meeting of the Pathfinder K-8 PTSA – agenda info here. Free child care for ages 5=12. (1912 SW Genesee)
TRIVIA AT OUNCES: 7 pm, free weekly trivia. (3809 Delridge Way SW)
‘GEEKS WHO DRINK’ AT WHISKY WEST: 8 pm, weekly trivia at Whisky West (WSB sponsor) with Geeks Who Drink. (6451 California SW)
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE with our complete calendar and Halloween Etc. Guide.
This morning, before King County Councilmembers get briefed on budgetary matters related to housing, they’ll watch that trailer for West Seattleite Tomasz Biernacki‘s new documentary “Trickle Down Town.“ The film premiered to a full house Sunday night at West Seattle’s historic Admiral Theater; your editor was among those there to see it. For most of the film, you meet people with different relationships to the homelessness crisis, telling their stories in their own words. Among the people in “Trickle Down Town,” which runs about two hours:
-A mail carrier living in an RV on Harbor Avenue
-A retired machinist living at city-sanctioned Myers Way encampment Camp Second Chance
-A recovering addict who hits the streets to deliver sandwiches, water bottles, and to listen
-An architect who found himself launching a nonprofit
-A couple whose backyard houses a formerly homeless person’s tiny home
-An artist living in a tiny house with his expectant partner
Others seen and heard from include a historian and local politicians. Much, but not all, of the film was shot in West Seattle. Its next scheduled public screening is Saturday, November 3rd, at West Seattle Meaningful Movies (6:30 pm doors, admission free, no RSVP required, Neighborhood House High Point). What else? The filmmaker tells us a few more screenings are planned – no confirmed dates yet nearby (though his website mentions one November 15th on Bainbridge Island). Eventually it likely will be available online. Making the film already has changed Biernacki’s life in one way: “Since making this film, I have joined the volunteers at Camp Second Chance and we are building tiny homes. I feel that is a viable and safe alternative to what is happening now around us. If we cant afford to provide affordable housing to people, then a place like Camp Second Chance is a safe alternative. Its not the prefect or permanent solution, but much better then people dying in our streets.”
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! The fog hasn’t left yet. No alerts in or from West Seattle so far.
FERRY-SCHEDULE MEETING: 5-7 tonight at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) is the Washington State Ferries meeting seeking your feedback on a proposed major overhaul of the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route schedule. Info here.
7:15 AM: Stalled vehicle reported in SB turn lane of 35th SW at SW Juneau. Police on the way to check it out.
Usually we point lost-and-found-non-pet listings to this section of the WSB Forums. But bigger items might have been stolen and dumped, so we showcase them in the news stream when possible. Here’s one: Guy e-mailed to report:
I found an acoustic guitar on Harbor Ave today around 2:00 pm. It was still in its guitar case. I turned it in to West Bay Espresso on Harbor Ave. It was in great condition when handed in.
So if you’re missing a guitar … check with West Bay (2255 Harbor SW), which opens at 6 am.
Thanks to Amber for the photo. This car-on-side crash happened in the 6900 block of California SW in south Morgan Junction (map) a little over half an hour ago. No serious injuries reported – one SFD engine was sent and it closed out of the call relatively quickly; Amber reports that the driver appears OK and is talking to police. Avoid the area for a while.
(Photos courtesy SDOT)
That’s the stairway at SW Hill in North Admiral, complete, with enough funding remaining to replace the stairway on the east side of 42nd SW. SDOT‘s Greg Funk sends that update and others. He says the 42nd project “just started this week and will be opened back up by the end of November.”
Another update goes with this photo:
“SW Holly [at Beveridge] concrete work is complete and are awaiting post fabrication, and the order of recycled plastic for the rail. We are hoping to have the stairway opened before the Thanksgiving weekend.”
And finally, an update on the Myrtle/Sylvan/25th SW project first mentioned here in August. Some community concern led to a delay while SDOT talked with neighbors; a meeting is planned November 7th, per the newest notice:
The plan is expected to move forward after that – here’s the updated construction notice:
Funk adds that the crosswalk-related comments following our August stairway report have been called to the attention of the appropriate team at SDOT.
(Dates updated)
The regular season is over and now we know what’s next on the football schedule for Chief Sealth International High School and West Seattle High School. The Seahawks, who finished atop the Metro League‘s Sound Division, have a rematch with Roosevelt, who they beat 42-37 last Friday. The two will play at Memorial Stadium downtown at 5:45 pm this Saturday (October 27). The Wildcats, meantime, have a 7 pm game Thursday (October 25) at Thomas Jefferson in Federal Way.
The community advocates who comprise Visualized Increased Engagement in West Seattle (VIEWS) have announced the recipients of the group’s latest grants:
Above, Cindi Barker received a check for $500 on behalf of the Emergency Communication Hubs to help continue their imports work here in West Seattle. Larry Winkler, Chas Redmond, and Pete Spalding presented the check to Cindi.
Above, Nafasi Farrell and David Bestock received a check for $750. These funds were earmarked by VIEWS to help with youth programming at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. This donation is in recognition of Nafasi’s efforts in supporting the cultural programming at the annual Delridge Day festival.
Wendy Westover – above left – and Daryl Look – above right – were presented a check for $1250 on behalf of the Delridge Associated Recreation Council to help underwrite scholarships for youth in the Delridge neighborhood so they could participate in programming at the Delridge Community Center. The Delridge Community Center is a great partner with VIEWS in putting on the annual Delridge Day Festival.
Also: Chas Redmond was presented a check for $400 to help in purchasing new sound equipment. If you have attended any of the local neighborhood festivals or any number of events across the West Seattle peninsula it is a good bet that Chas was responsible for the sound.
Watch for VIEWS to present the next Delridge Day festival in August 2019!
As of right now, 38 events are listed in our West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide – for kids, adults, even pets – many, but not all, later this week and this weekend. But we’re sure there’s more, and we’d love to add yours. White Center and South Park events are welcome as well as everything happening in West Seattle. Please e-mail us the info at westseattleblog@gmail.com!
(WSB photo from June)
Four months after that work party – a ribbon-cutting party! Everyone is invited to Roxhill Elementary @ EC Hughes (34th/Holden) this Thursday for a celebration of what the community added to the renovation project before the school’s move – a playground and mural. Here’s the announcement:
Friends of Roxhill Elementary invites one and all to the grand opening ceremony for our Seattle Department of Neighborhoods-funded and community-built playground and a celebration of our new mural by artist Henry Luke on Thursday, October 25, at 5:30 p.m. at Roxhill at E.C. Hughes. We’ll meet by the playground behind the school. Parents and school community members are invited to continue on to curriculum night.
On June 2, more than 75 people came together to put together and install the playground equipment. Then, over the course of the summer, more than 50 volunteers installed and laid the safety surface and wood chips, and Henry painted the community-designed mural. Both projects are public amenities because of how they’re funded — that’s right, we can all play on the playground now!
To make it all happen, Friends of Roxhill engaged in a public process to select the playground vendor and held an open call for artists for the mural. The projects had to each go through the Landmarks Preservation Board, with multiple meetings required to gain approval. The whole project required the work of hundreds of community volunteers to be successful—if anyone at any time had faltered, it would not have come together in the short time it did. If you worked on the project in any way, please come help cut the ribbon and celebrate! You helped make this happen!
If you can’t make the event but would like to support Friends of Roxhill in another way, Roxhill teacher, parent, and FoRE member Shawna Patterson Lystra is running this November’s Seattle Marathon to raise money for the nonprofit. With a goal of $2,620 (like those 26.2 miles of the marathon), Ms. Lystra wants to raise money for field trips, materials and programs important for the Roxhill learning community. Check out her GoFundMe here.
Have questions about any of this? Contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and generosity. See you on the playground!
The photo above is from Melissa, who e-mailed to report, “I woke up this morning to find a strange bike in my parking spot behind my house, and my son’s bike was gone.” This was in the 6900 block of California SW. The stolen bicycle is a red Genesis 20″ Boy’s Assault Bicycle. If you happen to find her son’s bike – or if the dumped bike is yours – the temporary police-report holding # is T18013140.
From today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin, approvals for two West Seattle projects:
ARBOR HEIGHTS TOWNHOUSES: This land-use approval is for the nine-unit project long in the works for a sliver of multifamily/commercially zoned land at 4220 SW 100th – eight townhouses and one live-work unit, with eight offstreet-parking spaces. The notice opens a two-week appeal period until November 5th. The project’s third and final Design Review meeting was back in June.
JUNCTION APARTMENTS: This land-use approval is for the four-story, 62-apartment, 26-offstreet-parking-space Junction Landing project at 4417 42nd SW, north of (and by the same project team as) Junction Flats. This notice also opens an appeal period through November 5th. The project went through Design Review in three meetings concluding last spring.
(Fall color at Hiawatha, by Laura Goodrich, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WALK IN LINCOLN PARK: 10 am walk with Sound Steps – meet at the south end of the north parking lot. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
GET BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT: La Leche League meets at Neighborhood House High Point on fourth Mondays, 10 am-noon. Children and partners welcome. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
LIBRARYLAB – THINK LIKE A COMPUTER SCIENTIST: 4-7 pm, drop in at Delridge Library: “Learn how to think like a computer scientist without even using a computer! Learn to code with board games like Code Monkey Island and robotic kits like the Kibo 18 Robot Kit and Osmo coding game.” (5423 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLEITES URGE YOU TO VOTE: Not in WS, but organized by and featuring West Seattleites: Maggie Cuevas sends word of #MyVoteMyVoice, an event exhorting voting, 7-9 pm at Optimism Brewing on Capitol Hill, with speakers including West Seattleites Claudia Castro Luna (7:30 pm), Washington Poet Laureate, and Aneelah Afzali (7:40 pm), executive director of the American Muslim Empowerment Network. Bring your ballot and join the event-ending march to “the ballot box by the Jimi Hendrix statue.” (1158 Broadway)
PUB QUIZ: 8 pm trivia at Shadowland in The Junction – info here. (4458 California SW)
SEE THE FUTURE via our complete calendar and Halloween (Etc.) Guide!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:33 AM: No outbound traffic incidents or transit alerts so far this morning.
WATER TAXI NOTE: This is the last week of the West Seattle Water Taxi’s 7-day-a-week, all-day schedule; one week from today, the 5-day-a-week, commute-times-only schedule begins.
3:55 AM: Busy early morning for Seattle Fire – now they are at the scene of a small fire on the second floor of an apartment building in the 9200 block of 17th SW. (map) Via radio, they’re reporting they found what appears to be a deliberately set fire in a small trash can. It’s out; they’re calling for the SFD investigator.
3:59 AM: No injuries reported; the response is being downsized.
3:41 AM: At least one person is being taken to the hospital after a rollover crash in the 10600 block of Marine View Drive (map). According to radio communication, a pickup truck went down an embankment, rolled, and hit another vehicle; the 27-year-old driver had to be cut out of the truck’s wreckage.
9:08 AM: This is being investigated as suspected DUI.
Lindsey sent the photo, hoping you might know who hit her car early today and took off:
My car was hit last night at around 2 am on 63rd and Marguerite. [map] I believe I heard the sound, as I woke up to a loud bang. Unfortunately I heard no further sounds and did not go out to the street to investigate. Police salvaged parts of the other vehicle at the scene. A black Ford, very likely 2004 Mustang, was involved. Please look out for a black vehicle with significant front-end damage in the area. Would probably be more so on the passenger side. Police stated they believe the driver to have been traveling at a very high rate of speed. Possibly 60 MPH or so.
We will add the police report # when we get it.
Multiple quick updates at the Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meeting this past week.
MORGAN JUNCTION PARK EXPANSION: It’s now been more than four years since the city bought and “landbanked” the site north of Morgan Junction Park to expand that park. Planning of the expansion is expected to continue into next year; soil testing is under way too, to see what remediation might be needed considering its past, including the years a dry cleaner was on the site. About 200 people commented on the park’s future when feedback was collected at the Morgan Junction Community Festival in June.
LOWMAN BEACH PARK SEAWALL: The next step in this project determining the future of the park’s failing seawall is to get to the 60 percent design phase; a county grant for $150,000 is helping fund the work. Seattle Parks expects to hold a public meeting in January about what happens next.
LITTER LEAGUE: Speaking of grants, Jill Boone, who’s been organizing volunteer community cleanups in Morgan Junction, is applying for a Seattle Public Utilities grant. She told MoCA that cigarette butts comprise a large part of the litter that volunteers have picked up in the past year.
AFTER THE VIADUCT: Chris Arkills from King County briefed MoCA about bus-route changes, both right after the Alaskan Way Viaduct is permanently closed January 11th and beyond. (We published the information here.) He also reiterated plans for the Water Taxi to add boat and shuttle service as well as Pier 2 parking during the three-or-so-week Highway 99 closure post-viaduct/pre-shuttle.
ABANDONED BUILDINGS: MoCA president Deb Barker talked with City Councilmember Lisa Herbold about beefing up the city’s monitoring and enforcement of rules regarding vacant buildings. (Herbold focused on the program in this online update.) MoCA’s Tamsen Spengler pointed out that there’s an e-mail campaign now to let the council know about support for funding that increased monitoring and enforcement.
The Morgan Community Association meets quarterly, third Wednesdays in January, April, July, and October, 7 pm at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW).
2:55 PM: The sun has arrived! And the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is on, until 5 pm, at the church/schoolhouse/Y in the 9100 block of California SW. Here again is what’s happening and who’s here:
(If you can’t view what’s above, here’s the PDF version.) Among the attractions: The Falconer:
3:35 PM: This is an outdoor-indoor festival – something going on at every turn. Music, too! Inside The Hall at Fauntleroy on the west side of the street:
The @wsbigband just started playing in The Hall at Fauntleroy's big room. Awesome as always. pic.twitter.com/FQVPYBxIkX
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 21, 2018
Elvis is in The Hall, too!
Meantime, outside the church/Y on the east side of the street, here’s who was playing when we arrived:
The Don't Ask Band outdoors at Fauntleroy Fall Festival. (Inside The Hall across the street, Elvis in one room, @wsbigband in the other!) pic.twitter.com/JXpG11kxjM
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 21, 2018
To get between them, you’ll be assisted by volunteer crossing guards!
This is all free (except for food/drink) – this year funded in part by a city Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund Grant.
5 PM: Festival’s over! Big turnout, all ages. Adding more photos/video in the next hour-plus. Starting with pumpkin-painting:
ADDED: More video – first Elvis:
The West Seattle Big Band:
Festival vendors included Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) with a multigenerational team:
And Wildwood Market with proprietor Lonjina:
Climbing was easier with a little help:
And it’s not the Fall Festival without salmon-hat-making (supervising off-camera, Judy Pickens):
By the way, Fauntleroy welcomes you back next Sunday (October 28th) – drum to welcome the salmon home (and bring fish jokes!) at 5 pm at the fish ladder across and upslope from the ferry dock.
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