West Seattle, Washington
06 Sunday
Thanks to Mike Munson for the photo from Lincoln Park. Mike reports, “Shoulder to shoulder fishing this morning at Lincoln Park, just north of the pool. Saw several catches. The crowd has been building over the last week — run must be getting strong.” That’s the every-two-year pink-salmon run.
The family of Brick Ludington is sharing this remembrance:
Brick (Harvey) Ludington was born in Seattle on March 26, 1948. He died January 14, 2021 in Carson City, Nevada.
He was a proud Vietnam Veteran! He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He loved to golf.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jan, daughter Bridgett (Barry) sons Shane (Huong) and Harvey (Dana). Grandchildren Brittany, Bryce, Brandon, Janet, Harvey, and Alexander. Great-granddaughter StellaRose. Brother Ron (Denise) sister Bonnie (Rick), and many nieces and nephews.
Brick graduated from Chief Sealth High School in 1966.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
(Sunday view of The Junction with the Farmers’ Market, looking south, photographed by Kent Rhodes earlier this month)
Good morning – here are notes for the hours ahead:
ROAD-WORK REMINDERS: SW Genesee is scheduled to be closed again today west of Delridge – we’ll check on that by 9 am (update: still closed), along with SW Avalon, which was bollixed by not-widely-announced paving work Saturday. (Update: No work on Avalon, fully open.) Meantime, the Highland Park Way/West Marginal intersection work is scheduled until 1 pm again today, and northbound 26th SW remains closed between Roxbury and Barton.
CHURCHES: Many are still streaming, in place of – or in addition to – in-person services. Here are the newest links for 20+ West Seattle churches’ services. (We’ll continue updating that list each Sunday for as long as a significant number continue streaming services.)
ULTIMATE FRISBEE PICKUP: 10 am at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th SW/SW Myrtle).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm on California between Oregon and Alaska. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (The market is a WSB sponsor.)
CLOTHES & FOOD DONATION DRIVE: 11 am-3 pm outside Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) – here’s what they are asking for.
ALKI BEACH PRIDE, DAY 2: Today’s big events include Pride-Out on the Water, kayaking/SUPing from Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW), 11:30 am … rolling/bicycling parade from Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki), 1 pm … vaccination clinic at the plaza 3-9 pm … outdoor movie at Alki Playground, 8:15 pm … full schedule here.
SUNDAY RUN CLUB: Noon at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) – info in our calendar listing.
LIVE MUSIC @ C & P: Gary Benson performs 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 8 pm to 1 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor).
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
Event listings welcome – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
11:28 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “rescue extrication” response to what’s described by the dispatcher as a “rollover” at 55th/Alki. Updates to come.
11:32 PM: Arriving units report a car on its side. The response is being downsized – apparently no major injuries.
11:52 PM: Added texted photos (thank you!). Texter reports road closed both ways.
ADDED SUNDAY MORNING: The call classification indicates a DUI investigation associated with the crash.
(Photo tweeted by Aaron)
11:14 PM: Though tonight brought another pink-globe sunset, if you observed closely, you could see the smoke wasn’t as dense as last night – the sun was visible all the way until it “touched” the Olympics.
(Texted photo)
The air quality is better now, because the remaining smoke is “aloft” rather than down at ground level, according to the National Weather Service. So will tomorrow’s sunrise still be pink too?
(Saturday sunrise photo by Marc Milrod)
The NWS says, “Elevated smoke will continue across the area tonight, then decrease from the west on Sunday.”
1:03 AM: Orange-red moon again tonight – Monica Zaborac sent the photo:
Internet-service outages are generally not as simple to quantify as oh, say, power and water, but we’ll mention them here when there are reports from multiple areas. Molly said CenturyLink is out atop Genesee Hill and that it appeared to be a wider outage; she’s had trouble getting through to CL by phone. The crowdsourced site DownDetector shows trouble, and we checked around on Twitter; others who say it’s out for them are in areas from Admiral to Lincoln Park. (We’re just east of LP and ours is fine.) Anyone else?
Smiles, waves, billowing flags, and honking horns kicked off this year’s Alki Beach Pride weekend – celebrating the LGBTQ+ community – with a car/motorcycle parade that left Jack Block Park shortly after noon. Even a classic fire truck!
Here’s our video of the entire parade as it headed onto Harbor Avenue SW, beach-bound:
After the parade, we headed uphill to The Admiral District, where the Rainbow City Band was serenading outdoor diners on restaurant row:
Day 1 festivities continue with parties at West Seattle Brewing and Alki Beach Pub; tomorrow includes a rolling/biking parade from Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza at 1 pm and an outdoor movie at 8:15 pm at Alki Playground – see the full schedule here. This is the 7th year for ABP, but as explained here, its roots go back much further.
Still time to get over to Walt Hundley Playfield and add food donations to help Highline Premier FC “Fill the Goal”! It’s the soccer organization’s annual food drive and field day, with drills and games for kids:
The playfield is in High Point at 34th/Myrtle, and the event is on until 6.
Received today from David in the Alki Point area:
I had a yellow and orange Necky Kayak and paddle stolen between 3 PM and 9 PM on Saturday 8-7.
I wanted to warn others to be on the lookout for people looking around their property.
The kayak had a cinderblock attached to it to discourage theft and they took that too. SO – probably not just one person is my guess. And probably a vehicle involved.
A police report has been filed,
(WSB photo)
If you’ve been considering bidding to be part of the historic Stone Cottage‘s move next week (late Tuesday/early Wednesday), you have extra time. The group that’s been working to preserve it, Save The Stone Cottage, has an update. They’ve also announced the timeline for the move. First, the auction reminder:
The stone-studded cottage at 1123 Harbor Ave SW has been a beloved and legendary landmark in West Seattle for 90 years. Threatened with demolition, the Stone Cottage has been saved by the community, and is going to be moved into storage the night of August 17.
The Save the Stone Cottage has extended the bidding deadline of the ‘First Mile’ Auction another 24 hours. This Auction offers fans of the Stone Cottage the opportunity to bid on five separate packages that epitomize moving the Stone Cottage:
Lead the Move — Ride in the Pilot Car
Launch the Convoy — Push The Blast-Off Button
Backseat Driver — Ride in the Moving Rig
Shadow the Convoy — Ride in the Sweeper Car
Wave-in the Convoy — Finish Line Checkered FlagPrefer sleeping during the midnight move? Consider a ‘Buy The Mile’ per-foot donation for the haul route.
With this extension, the Save the Stone Cottage ‘First Mile’ Auction website will remain open for bids through 4 pm on Sunday, August 15. Highest bid winners will be notified of their status and specific move details beginning at 6 pm Sunday, August 15.
Visit The ‘First Mile’ Auction site to bid and start the fun. The ‘First Mile’ Auction site is hosted by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and we are grateful for its auction expertise.
Save the Stone Cottage LLC has raised more than $82,000 of the $110,000 donation goal to execute a phased plan to rescue, relocate and restore the Stone Cottage. Donations are still being accepted through the website savethestonecottage.org and a GoFundMe charity account. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is serving as the fiscal sponsor of the Save the Stone Cottage Project. We appreciate its steadfast participation.
Now, here’s what you need to know if you’re planning on watching Tuesday night – first, the schedule:
Approximately 8 p.m.: Nickel Bros’ crew will maneuver the Stone Cottage from wooden cribbing piles onto oversized dollies, and connect them to the semi-truck.
11:30 p.m.: Special remarks by VIP’s at the Information area,
11:55 p.m.: VIP’s lead a countdown, then the ‘Big Go Button’ is pressed by the Save the Stone Cottage auction winner. Lights and fog will erupt from the Stone Cottage.
11:59 p.m.: Drivers and riders enter their convoy vehicles: Nickel Bros Truck Cab, Pilot Car, and Sweeper Car
12:05 a.m.: Nickel Bros truck pulls the Stone Cottage into the Harbor Avenue SW roadway and gets in line between the Pilot Car and the Sweeper Car.
12:15 a.m.: Stone Cottage convoy heads south on Harbor Avenue SW at parade speed – approx 5mph. The rolling convoy may stop to let vehicular traffic from cross street through.
By 1 a.m.: Nickel Bros truck pulls the Stone Cottage through the SW Florida Street gates while the Pilot Car and Sweeper Car turn around and head back to the starting point.
By 2 a.m.: Nickel Bros crew will have the Stone Cottage securely parked onto wooden piers in the Port of Seattle storage lot.
Some things you need to know regarding the route:
No public will be allowed in or near the Nickel Bros Stone Cottage work crew area on the west side of Harbor Ave at Maryland Place.
No public will be allowed within the driving roadway during the move.
No Parking will be allowed on the east side of Harbor Ave SW between the Don Armeni boat launch entrance and SW Florida Street.
SDOT and SPD are responsible for maintaining one-way vehicular flow along eastern side of Harbor Avenue SW during the move. .
Sidewalks along Harbor Avenue SW will provide great elevated viewing opportunities.
Two and a half years have passed since we first reported on local preservationists’ campaign to save the quirky little house after its site was bought by a developer.
The Delridge wading pool is closed today because of a staff shortage. Seattle Parks just tweeted that announcement. Lincoln Park wading pool remains open until 7, Highland Park spraypark until 8.
Besides the SW Genesee closure we’ve been mentioning, there’s paving work on SW Avalon just north of Genesee. Traffic is being directed but it’s still jammed (backed up to Fauntleroy).
(WSB photos)
Another way to show West Seattle pride – Highland Park Improvement Club merch! It’s part of what you’ll find outside HPIC (1116 SW Holden) today during the summer’s second Giant Garage Sale – happening outdoors, less than two months after the big fire that ravaged the historic building.
Just like any good Giant Garage Sale, sellers are offering a variety of stuff – with some helping out their hosts too:
Another way to support HPIC – have a drink:
The portable bar survived the fire and is set up again today for thirsty Giant Garage Sale’rs. As for the post-fire recovery, HPIC’s Kay Kirkpatrick tells us they’re still dealing with the insurance company. Fencing is the newest addition around the century-old building:
But as is evidenced again today, HPIC isn’t letting the fire damage push it out of its community-centered role – watch for other outdoor events while the summer/fall weather allows. (P.S. As a nonprofit, they’re also continuing to accept donations, here.)
After reporting “two .40 cal handgun shots recorded at (2700 block 59th Avenue SW)” around 3 am, Edd “went outside this morning and (found) two shell casings on the ground.” He sent us photos of both; you can see one above. He had called police at the time, didn’t see anyone respond, but after calling them again about the casings this morning, he says the officer who responded to collect them as evidence said he was the original responder. No injury calls to that area overnight.
(Wandering Tattler, photographed by Matthew Olson)
Here’s what’s happening, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
TRAFFIC ALERTS: SW Genesee is closed west of Delridge Way … work continues into the early afternoon at the Highland Park Way/West Marginal intersection … northbound 26th SW remains closed between Roxbury and Barton.
YMCA JOB FAIR: Do work that matters! Get a job with the West Seattle YMCA (36th & Snoqualmie). which is hosting a job fair today, 10 am-1 pm, as previewed here. (Hiring bonuses!)
HPIC’S GIANT GARAGE SALE: Second of this summer’s monthly megasales – outdoors at Highland Park Improvement Club (12th and Holden), 10 am-3 pm.
LEMONADE FUNDRAISER: 10 am-2 pm, local girls are raising money for a trip to Costa Rica, selling lemonade, iced coffee, and treats again,, 42nd and Charlestown.
lAFAYETTE KINDERGARTEN PLAY DATE; Incoming kindergartener at Lafayette Elementary? Join other families for a play date at Hiawatha Playground (2700 California SW) at 10 am.
SOUTH DELRIDGE FARMERS’ MARKET: The new monthly market is open today, 11 am-3 pm, 9421 18th SW. See featured vendors here.
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: Yes, the new West Seattle shop Tails To Astonish is participating: “We will be giving away free comics (limit 2 per person) as well as doing a 10% off discount on all our back issues, toys, and statues.” They’re open 11 am-7 pm at 4850 California SW.
COMMUNITY CLEANUP: 11 am-1 pm, help clean up the West Seattle Bridge bike trail! Info’s here.
FOOD DRIVE AT ADMIRAL CHURCH: 11 am-3 pm, outside the church at 4320 SW Hill – here’s what to bring.
ALKI BEACH PRIDE: The first day of this all-weekend celebration starts with the car and motorcycle parade from Jack Block Park (2130 Harbor SW) at noon. Other events today include volleyball training, a vaccination clinic (noon-7 pm at Alki Bathhouse), two bar parties, and the Rainbow City Band – see the full updated list here.
SOCCER FIELD DAY & FOOD DRIVE: 4-6 pm, the annual Highline Premier FC soccer field day and “fill the goal” food drive at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th SW & SW Myrtle) – even if you’re not joining in the field-day fun, stop by with food and/or money to donate!
CHEER FOR A LOCAL BAND: West Seattle’s own Aurora Avenue has made the finals in the ShoreLake Battle of the Bands, and you’re invited to be in Lake Forest Park tonight to cheer them on (“crowd enhusiasm” is a factor in judging!).
Finals start at 6:30 pm – open-air concert at Animal Acres Park (NE 178th and Brookside Blvd. – map). $5 admission.
WANDERERS BY TRADE: 8:30 pm, Bob Dylan cover band at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW),$10 cover.
DOLLY & THE DJ: Beach-party vibes tonight! 9 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor). P.S. Air conditioned!
More on our calendar – and if you have something for it, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Photo by James Bratsanos)
9:34 PM: Tonight, the sun didn’t set behind the Olympics – it set behind the smoke, well before it would have gotten to the point where the mountains become the western horizon. After a day of ever-thicker alert-level smoke, red dots are all over the air-quality map. Here’s what the National Weather Service says in its newest regional Forecast Discussion:
Surface smoke should gradually clear out Saturday, but pockets of poor air quality are likely to stick around. The skies will remain hazy through the rest of the weekend though as smoke at the upper levels is expected to stick around through Sunday.
(Photo by Gene Pavola)
The heat warning is still set to expire Saturday evening, and tomorrow’s temperature is only forecast to get into the 80s; Today’s official high was 91, down four degrees from Thursday.
10:21 PM: After the pink-red sun, the orange-red moon – another photo sent by Gene Pavola:
5:25 PM: Thanks for the tips. A “bang” was heard and then the power went out – we’re getting reports so far from the South Delridge area.
5:29 PM: A caller says there’s a wire down in trees by Delridge and Kenyon. The City Light map says more than 200 customers are out.
6:05 PM: The signal at 17th/Roxbury is out. Remember that a nonworking signal means an all-ways stop.
7 PM: Thanks for the tips. The outage hss just expanded to more than 2,000 customers.
8:49 PM: The map attributes the outage to unspecified “equipment failure.” We have a call out to their on-call media rep seeking further elaboration.
9:55 PM: Power’s back for almost everyone, though one of the original pockets – 50 customers – is still shown as out.If we don’t hear sooner, we’ll follow up f9r a more detailed explanation of the cause on Monday.
ADDED SATURDAY AFTERNOON: As of 3:30 pm Saturday, the map shows 59 customers still out, mostly in pockets along SW Roxbury. Here’s the screengrab for the record:
5:13 PM SATURDAY: Since then, everybody’s been reconnected.
Smoke alert, heat alert – and now, a burn ban. Here’s the announcement from the Seattle Fire Department:
The City of Seattle has joined King County under a State 2 burn ban effective immediately. During a Stage 2 burn ban, any outdoor fire such as a backyard fire pit or campfire using chopped firewood or charcoal is prohibited.
Under the ban, any person with a recreational fire who fails to take immediate action to extinguish or discontinue when ordered or notified to do so can be charged with, up to and including, a misdemeanor. Seattle firefighters have also been directed to extinguish any illegal fires during this ban.
Manufactured portable outdoor devices are allowed, including barbecues and patio warmers that are used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Approved fuel devices – including those that rely on charcoal, natural gas or propane gas – are also allowed.
Seattle has experienced two large brush fires along I-5 this week, and the long spell without significant rainfall, the risk of fire in vegetated areas remains high. Let’s do all we can to reduce the risk of an unintentional fire:
• Follow the Stage 2 burn ban
• Safely discard any smoking materials (e.g. don’t snuff out in potted plants)
• Check your vehicle to make sure nothing could drag and create sparks while driving
• Avoid parking on dry grassy areas as hot components could start a fireCall 9-1-1 immediately if you see a brush fire so we can send crews right away.
Another crew shortage for Washington State Ferries on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route has it down to two boats this evening. WSF has canceled all sailings scheduled for the #3 boat; the list of specific canceled sailings is here.
(WSB photo, last month: West Seattle Bridge seen from Harbor Avenue rooftop)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Answers to recurring questions were among the highlights of this month’s West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting, held online Thursday afternoon
The meeting was led by CTF co-chair Greg Nickels. Here’s the video, followed by our report on what happened:
MEMBERS’ OBSERVATIONS/QUESTIONS: The meeting usually begins with these, ever since one meeting that was stuffed full of presentations, with little time for CTF members to discuss anything. Liz Powell of West Seattle Bridge NOW brought up Seattle City Council Position 8 finalist Ken Wilson, a civil engineer, having been quoted by a Seattle Times columnist as contending that the bridge could/should be partly reopened immediately.
(WSB photos)
Thanks for the tips! After reader questions about the future of the bright-green building at 11th/Henderson, we made contact with its owners, who bought the property late last year, and found out about their plan:
Addy’s Pet Shop is on the way this fall. David Leischner and wife Cortney are the building’s owners, and he’s busy remodeling:
He explains that they live in Highland Park “and we would drive by the building every day. During the start of the pandemic, I was helping out a friend at his pet store in Wallingford, Wally’s Pets, which is where the idea of opening our own shop began. We would walk our dog, Addy, past this building frequently to Westcrest dog park. We feel fortunate in our decision when you consider the location of the building to the dog park and the great neighborhood we live in.”
So far they’re on schedule to open Addy’s Pet Shop on October 1st. Hours will be 10 am-7 pm Tuesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays. They’ll specialize in dog and cat supplies – food, treats, toys, carriers, leashes, collars (no fish or reptile supplies).
P.S. This is not the family’s only new venture – their second child is due soon, too!
(SDOT photo – new curb bulb)
Work continues on and near Delridge Way SW in the project to prepare for next year’s conversion of Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line. SDOT usually sends a weekly preview on Fridays – here are the key points for the week ahead (and a bit beyond):
• Final channelization and overnight lane striping will continue throughout the corridor later this month
• Construction in Zone B is nearly complete but we will continue to make minor updates throughout the duration of construction
• We have started installing the new sidewalk on SW Hudson St and will continue these upgrades through next week
• Spot sidewalk upgrades between SW Holden St and SW Thistle St on the east side of Delridge Way SW began this week. We will also be returning to SW Thistle St to adjust one of the curb ramps in the area later this month.
• As a reminder, 26th Ave SW is closed to northbound traffic between SW Barton St and SW Roxbury St for King County Metro’s construction of their portion of the project. Please contact King County Metro if you have any questions about this work.
Here’s the full preview. Meantime, speaking of work that’s not part of the project, we have been mentioning in our morning traffic notes that SW Genesee is closed west of Delridge, today through the weekend. SDOT says that’s not part of its project – the private developer who has built townhouses at that corner is working on the street.
Now THAT is a cool perch. If you don’t have the advantage of flying to the top of the Alki Point Lighthouse, here are other ideas for beating the heat:
WHERE TO FIND A/C: From the city-compiled list, today in West Seattle, you’ll find air conditioning at the libraries in High Point (3411 SW Raymond) and Delridge (5423 Delridge Way SW), until 6 pm. The Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon) is open until 4:30 but might extend if usage is high. Air-conditioned businesses include West Seattle’s only moviehouse, Admiral Theater (2343 California SW); also see our list of businesses from June’s heat wave.
AQUATIC SCHEDULE: City-run facilities open today – Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) 11 am to 8 pm; Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) noon-7 pm; Colman Pool, also at Lincoln Park.
Also happening today/tonight:
FUN & FESTIVE FRIDAYS: The Senior Center isn’t just a hub for air conditioning – Friday means the weekly special event, with refreshments outside 11 am-1 pm and a performance inside 3-4 pm – today, pianist/vocalist Richard Dean.
SAFETY HUB MEET AND GREET: The West Seattle Safety Hub is hosting a Community Meet and Greet at High Point Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way SW), 3 pm-7 pm, with free food, a DJ, and a 2×2 Basketball Tournament for youth 12-17.
BE PART OF THE STONE COTTAGE’S MOVE: 2nd-to-last day to bid in the auction for various opportunities as part of the historic Stone Cottage‘s move to a temporary holding site next Tuesday night – start here.
’80S NIGHT AT ADMIRAL PUB: You can also find A/C at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor), where tonight is ’80s Night with DJ Bugzy, 9 pm.
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