West Seattle, Washington
15 Sunday
8:24 PM: Notice all the haze to the west this evening? The National Weather Service‘s forecast discussion notes that “some elevated smoke from fires in Canada may drift over the region, but this is not expected to significantly make it down to the surface.” While the air quality remains OK right now, the smoke forecast for the next two days shows it moving down into the “moderate” zone.
ADDED TUESDAY: Thanks to Jen Popp for that photo of the smoky sunset.
(April photo of encampment, taken by an Arrowhead Gardens resident)
The encampment on the east side of the north end of Myers Way hasn’t been cleared yet – in fact, WSDOT acknowledges, it continues to grow – but the state says a “site resolution plan” is still in the works. An update circulated today to area residents including the senior-living complex across the street, Arrowhead Gardens, also says they are considering “potentially placing [a] barrier to prevent more RVs and vehicles moving onsite” and taking steps to “identify and tag … abandoned tents and vehicles.” From the update sent by WSDOT assistant regional maintenance/operations manager Morgan Balogh:
… This encampment remains our top multijurisdictional priority site to address and the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State Patrol, the state Department of Commerce, King County Regional Homeless Authority, and the City of Seattle are working together to finalize a site resolution plan. Actions currently underway include:
Site stabilization
Vegetation clearing and removal, improve access control – WSDOT, in coordination with partners, will do additional assessment of the location this week to finalize a plan to remove vegetation as this helps improve sightlines to allow for better visibility. This assessment will also look at potentially placing barrier to prevent more RVs and vehicles moving onsite, to better manage ingress and egress to the site and to ultimately restrict growth.
Site clean-up and planning for reduction in footprint – There are a number of abandoned tents and vehicles on site, so we will start work to identify and tag those items for removal. Outreach providers are also working with those living onsite to do a major trash/debris pick-up.
Trash pick-up – The City of Seattle is onsite providing litter pick-ups and trash mitigation several times a week.
Outreach, Housing, and Shelter
We are aware of the fact that the site has experienced recent growth in terms of number of people and vehicles. We estimate the current number of people between 40-45 and are working with outreach providers to make sure we have an accurate number.
Expanded outreach – Outreach staff have increased their presence and are onsite daily to assist in making connections, learning about needs and sharing resources with those living onsite while work also continues to identify available shelter/housing options. This intensive outreach work takes time, but it has been shown to be the best way to achieve meaningful, long-term improvement rather than displacing people living homeless to another nearby location. The goal of this work is to put people on the road to safe, stable shelter/housing so they will no longer be living outside and have a chance to rebuild their lives.
Personal hygiene – This week’s assessment will help determine if temporary placement of portable toilets and hygiene stations to mitigate public health concerns and improve site cleanliness is possible while we work toward resolving the site.
Assistance to remove housing barriers – Outreach staff continue to provide assistance to ensure that any barriers to housing, such as obtaining identification documents, are addressed ahead of time so that people may move into housing immediately when resources become available.
As Brian shared in his previous message, housing and shelter outreach at this site are in alignment with state legislature requirements that WSDOT, and its partners in the Right of Way Safety Initiative, work to “transition persons residing on state-owned rights-of-way to safer housing opportunities, with an emphasis on permanent housing solutions,” and that the housing offered is a “meaningful improvement over the individual’s current living situation” and “well-matched to an individual’s assessed needs.”
On behalf of WSDOT and our partner agencies — the Washington State Patrol, the state Department of Commerce, King County Regional Homeless Authority, and the City of Seattle — we are committed to sharing the parameters in which we operate transparently and to share updates on activities happening at the site to ultimately resolve the encampment. Site resolution is very much a shared goal for all of us to include those of you living in proximity to the encampment.
The WSDOT message says they’re also working to meet the request for another community meeting soon; it’s been two months since the last one at Arrowhead Gardens with a group of city officials (WSB coverage here). What some thought was the start of “resolution” in mid-June was not.
(WSB file photo)
The peninsula’s biggest holiday event starts at 10 am tomorrow – the West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade! This afternoon we have some final words from organizer Megan Erb for everyone planning on participating or watching:
Tomorrow is the West Seattle 4th of July Kids Parade that heads through the North Admiral neighborhood and ends up at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. Here’s a few things to know if you’re planning on attending.
The kids are the parade! Dress up in your favorite 4th of July duds, decorate your bike, scooter, wagon, stroller, and yourself and join the fun! Or you can grab a chair and a flag and watch all the cuteness walk by. The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of 44th Ave. SW and Sunset Ave. [map] with a welcome speech by parade organizer Megan Erb, the singing of the National Anthem by Mode Music, and the parade countdown! There is a bunch of 4th of July swag that will also be handed out by Red Level sponsors of the parade: Neighborhood Naturopathic, Westside School, Holy Rosary School, and South Seattle Cooperative Preschool. Make your way to the start of the parade for pinwheels, flags, necklaces, and more!
If you’re heading to the fun at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, please note you will not be able to park at the parking lot. It’ll be blocked off for the safety of the paradegoers. SPD will be on hand to help keep everyone safe. Two food trucks, Lil’ J’s Super Dawgs and Homebites, will be there, and West Seattle Grounds will have a cold-brew coffee cart with pastries.
Several sponsors will have table activities for kiddos at the park, including Neighborhood Naturopathic, Holy Rosary School, South Seattle Cooperative Preschool, Outer Space Seattle, Sensa Play, Mathnasium, Mode Music, and the Admiral Neighborhood Association. The event isn’t possible without these sponsors and others, including West Seattle Blog, Potter Construction, Fit4Mom West Seattle, South Seattle Crossfit, West Seattle Food Bank, and Westside School.
Potato-sack races will kick off shortly after 11 for kids of all ages – including adults. The event ends at noon. For questions, please contact Megan Erb at meganerb@hotmail.com.
Also note if you’re traveling in the area between 10 am and 11 am, the parade does cross California SW south of Hamilton Viewpoint, so there’ll be some traffic stoppages. The parade’s been a tradition for more than a quarter-century!
(Reader photo of fireworks debris at a local park in 2020 – one that did NOT have lights on)
Here’s the annual announcement – the list of fields where Seattle Parks will turn on the lights for a few hours on the Fourth of July – and, this year, the preceding night – in hopes of discouraging fireworks use. Below, you’ll see the West Seattle list (for the full citywide list, go here):
Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evening of Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4 to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at approximately 8:30 p.m. and most will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.
The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.
The fields will be monitored from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:
Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW
(Last year, Parks turned on the lights for three nights.) As for Seattle Public Schools fields, they have not historically had a similar plan, but we’re checking. Also of note: Though the Parks news release doesn’t mention it, Hiawatha is currently undergoing a field renovation, and Delridge is just starting one.
In a reply to an online question, Just Poké had said they planned to try for a “soft open” of their long-anticipated West Seattle restaurant (4735 42nd SW) starting today. So we went by just now – and the sign tells the story: Yes, they’re open. It’s been a long road to this day for the regional chain – we first reported 5 1/2 years ago about Just Poké’s plans to expand to West Seattle, initially with a different Jefferson Square-area location; most recently, proprietor Norman Wu had told us they were aiming for late June. Their hours are 11 am-8 pm and they told us they’re expecting to have an official grand opening in a few weeks. This space was previously the art gallery/framing shop Wallflower, which closed four years ago.
(File photo – south side of former SLHS campus)
A year has passed since Seattle Lutheran High School ceased operations at 4100 SW Genesee at the north end of The Junction. Now Hope Lutheran – headquartered a short distance south – has announced it’s bought the 2/3-acre former SLHS campus. Here’s the announcement:
Hope Lutheran Church and School has finalized the purchase of the former Seattle Lutheran High School property, with plans to launch a new school campus called “Hope North” to serve area families and the surrounding community who are looking at middle school options for their students.
Hope North will initially be a middle-school expansion in Fall 2024, after necessary building improvements are made.
Hope Lutheran School has operated for more than 60 years at its original campus at 42nd Ave SW and Oregon St SW, serving students in preschool through 8th grade. The former Seattle Lutheran High School (SLHS) property is located one block north at 41st Ave SW and Genesee St SW.
SLHS had operated at the location from 1978 until 2022, when the Seattle Lutheran Board of Directors voted to close the school at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. Throughout the existence of SLHS, neighboring Hope Lutheran served as a steadfast supporter and partner in the school’s mission, while utilizing the SLHS gym, parking lot and facilities in a mutually beneficial way.
“This is a huge step of faith for our Hope community,” said Hope Lutheran Senior Pastor Peter Mueller. “This purchase will be a source of great blessing to many people by securing new space in which to pursue the mission God has entrusted to us.”
The SLHS property was owned by the Lutheran High School Association of Washington, which voted in late November 2022 to sell the building and nearby parking lot to Hope. The congregation of Hope Lutheran then unanimously approved the agreement, and the sale was finalized this past week.
Kristen Okabayashi, who is beginning her 14th year as principal at Hope Lutheran School, said the rare chance to purchase a full-sized gymnasium, 14 classrooms and a parking lot is “a life-changing opportunity” for Hope School.
Okabayashi said that in recent years, both SLHS and West Seattle Christian Church “have been generous in sharing gym space to support Hope’s robust PE and athletic programs.” She added that moving Hope’s middle school to the north campus “gives our middle school students the chance to enjoy expanded educational offerings, explore their interests and have a campus of their own,” while also providing space to “expand our well-loved preschool to add multiple classrooms and meet the growing needs of the community around us.”
Jason Grotelueschen, chair of the Hope Lutheran Board of Directors, said that as the school ministry grows, Hope’s leaders will take time to assess the feasibility of adding additional grades and classes in the future, which may include high school.
“It’s exciting to be at this point,” Grotelueschen said, “and we have a lot of great work still to be done.” Grotelueschen said the Hope board and SLHS board have worked closely together, particularly for the past three years, to establish a solid plan for the future.
Patrick Gehring, president of the SLHS board, said that the history of SLHS and its impact on alumni and the surrounding community have left a strong legacy to build on. “Such a special place,” Gehring said. “I can’t wait to see it once again filled with kids.”
Gehring added that, as part of the agreement to sell the former SLHS property to Hope, a portion of the proceeds will help fund an initial endowment for the Lutheran Elementary Schools Tournament (LEST), to help ensure its longevity and success. LEST is an annual academic and athletic tournament for Lutheran schools in the Pacific Northwest, hosted at Pacific Lutheran University in February.
Hope Lutheran has kicked off a major capital campaign called Hope North: Building for the Next Generation to raise funds for this new mission opportunity. Proceeds from the campaign will serve to reduce the amount of debt incurred for the purchase and to fund crucial improvements to the building and property. For more information and to get involved, please visit our campaign’s webpage.
Sally Heit, Admissions Director at Hope Lutheran School, said that tours and open houses will be held throughout Fall of 2023 at Hope North and the main campus, and applications for Fall 2024 will be accepted during this time. To learn more about Hope North or to schedule a tour, please visit our webpage.
“This is an incredible opportunity for middle students in West Seattle,” Heit said, “and I’m looking forward to seeing where the journey takes us.”
We asked a few followup questions – including whether the entire property will be used for the school expansion. Heit says yes. Also, in case you’re wondering, the purchase does include the 41st/Genesee parking lot that’s “diagonal from the campus.” (added) Purchase price: $1,626,876.
(Voodoo Lily, recently seen on Beach Drive and photographed by Mark)
Here’s the list for the pre-holiday hours ahead, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ART ON THE CORNER: Artist Bonnie Bennedsen‘s benefit art sale at 39th/Holden – featured here Sunday – continues until 3 pm. Proceeds benefit the West Seattle Food Bank.
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Open 11 am-8 pm, whatever the weather. (1100 SW Cloverdale)
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -3.8 feet at 11:24 am. Find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists 9:30 am-1:30 pm at Constellation Park (63rd/Alki) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW).
E.C. HUGHES WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm. (2805 SW Holden)
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day, except for chilly/cloudy days. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
COLMAN POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, this outdoor salt-water pool is open noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day. See the session schedule here.
CRAFTING AND CREATIVITY NIGHT: 6-10 pm at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
OPEN MIC: Weekly BedHead Open Mic continues at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (4201 SW Juneau), 6:30 pm – info in our calendar listing.
D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.
FAUNTLEROY MEDITATION: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation event at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
PLAY TRIVIA! Three options on Monday nights for playing trivia – 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
MONDAY MUSIC: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar ? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
We’re continuing to chronicle brown-water reports around West Seattle. Most often lately, it’s the result of fire-hydrant testing stirring up “sediment” – rust – in the lines, but it can also be first word of a problem such as a line break. Just got the first one of the week, from south Admiral, near Walnut/Hinds. If it happens at your home/business, always report it to Seattle Public Utilities‘ round-the-clock operations center, 206-386-1800.
6:00 AM: Good morning. Welcome to Monday, July 3rd – an unofficial holiday for many, with the Fourth of July coming up tomorrow.
WEATHER & SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Sunny, high in the upper 70s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:17 am; sunset will be at 9:10 pm. The moon was full at 4;38 am.
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
TRANSIT
Metro – Regular schedule, with trip cancellations and temporary route suspensions possible. Buses will run on Sunday schedules tomorrow, with extra late-night service.
Water Taxi – The West Seattle WT is on its regular schedule. (Here are changes planned for the Fourth of July and All-Star Week.)
Washington State Ferries – 2-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. See Vessel Watch for boats’ locations.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also up at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge – east-end vicinity:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – alternate route across the river:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities). Thank you!
(File photo, courtesy West Seattle Community Orchestras)
The West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ series of weekly concerts in Lincoln Park – open to community musicians – starts soon. They’re happening on four consecutive Tuesday nights, July 11th, 18th, 25th, and August 1st, with two open play-along sessions – “easy music” at 6 pm, “intermediate music” at 7 pm. You’re also welcome to just go listen, too. If you’re interested in playing, register in advance by going here so you can get the music a few days before you play in the park. WSCO plays in the meadow near the south end of the north parking lot (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW).
One of your creative West Seattle neighbors wants you to know about his new album – here’s the announcement we received to share with you:
Wobble in the Moon is the new album from West Seattle singer-songwriter Will Rainier, released June 30. The album combines indie rock, folk, and Americana influences and features two singles with accompanying videos. The videos were filmed mostly in West Seattle, White Center, Georgetown, and South Park, with additional footage filmed on Lopez Island and in Singapore.
The album was written and recorded by Rainier in his West Seattle home studio with friends adding parts remotely. Wife and longtime collaborator Jen Garrett added vocals and cello, Christine Hager piano, Chad Yenney bass guitar and synth, Kevin Suggs pedal steel and baritone guitar, and Raymond Richards added pedal steel. The album was mixed by Raymond Richards and mastered by Rachel Field at Resonant Mastering. Album artwork and design by Vlad Verano at VertVolta Press.
You can stream and download the album and other Will Rainier music on his website here.
Check out the videos for songs Are You Waving Goodbye and To Supreme here.
5:21 PM: Seven months after heading out on deployment the Monday after Thanksgiving, the crew of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is homeward bound to Bremerton on the weekend before Independence Day. Thanks to Andrea for the tip; MarineTraffic.com shows the aircraft carrier passing south Whidbey Island right now. How long it’ll take to be in view from West Seattle depends on its speed, currently 15 knots (17 miles) per hour.
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
6:25 PM: MarineTraffic now shows the Nimitz passing West Point on the north edge of Elliott Bay, so it should be coming into view if you look north from Alki and vicinity. The Nimitz stopped in San Diego on its way home; Navy Times published this short story about the conclusion of its deployment.
7:14 PM: It’s now turned into Rich Passage on the final leg of the journey home.
Thanks to the neighbor who’s been keeping us informed with photos and updates from the scene of last night’s crash that took out a pole and power lines, cutting electricity to thousands. (Here’s our overnight/morning coverage.) Admiral Way has now reopened after a 14-hour closure to clean up the crash site – the pickup truck ended up at Aegis Living’s entrance – and replace the pole and lines. No serious injuries were reported. We don’t know the status of the driver, who was under investigation for DUI, but will follow up with police tomorrow. As readers have noticed, this is almost identical to an incident last September.
(2016 Mini-STP group; photo courtesy Don Brubeck)
West Seattle Summer Fest is headed our way fast – weekend after next – starting with Summer Fest Eve fun in The Junction on Thursday night, July 13th, then continuing with the full festival Friday through Sunday, July 14-16. If you have a bicycle, you can join a fun way to get to Summer Fest on the final day – the annual “Little STP Ride” with West Seattle Bike Connections! If you haven’t already seen it in our Event Calendar, here are the specifics;
Have you ever wanted to do the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride, but forgot to sign up – or train? Here is your big chance! Do it in 2 hours! Same weekend as Cascade’s big STP, so you can brag and post pix like the other one-day riders. Join West Seattle Bike Connections on a Cascade Bicycle Club free group ride starting at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. We will be riding from SW Seattle Street to SW Portland Street, and back north to Summer Fest at the West Seattle Junction, for a fabulous finish-line party. After an hour or two there, participants can ride home independently, or ride with a leader back to the start. 10-mile, somewhat hilly route at a leisurely pace. We invite and welcome everyone, including people of all ages, languages, ethnicities, genders, races, and abilities.
Online registration is required and is free. See more information and register at cascade.org/node/81260.
See this year’s festival map here.
If you walk or run in Gatewood, you’ve probably seen the chalked messages now and then, inviting you to “Art on the Corner” at 39th/Holden. Today Megan sent photos, including the chalkboard above with the schedule. Here’s the artist, Bonnie Bennedsen:
Megan explains: “All of the paintings are watercolors made by Bonnie herself. Ships, flowers, birds, ferries, Seattle landscapes and cityscapes and more. She also sells hand-painted greeting cards. Every penny goes to the West Seattle Food Bank.” Look for the chalkboard and banner to find Bonnie’s house “on the corner.”
Family and friends are remembering Marty Davidson, and sharing this with his community:
Martin “Marty” Swen Davidson of Seattle, Washington, beloved and cherished Dad, husband, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, neighbor, and cat owner, passed away on June 25, 2023, at age 56, of heart failure.
Martin was born in Seattle to William and Beverly Davidson. A true Washingtonian, he grew up in Kent and graduated from Bremerton High School, where he was named Prom King and Class President. He attended the University of Washington and earned a degree in Accounting from Seattle University. Martin went on to become a Certified Public Accountant.
Over his career, Marty (as he has been known since college) has worked at numerous companies, including Price Waterhouse, AT&T Wireless, National Frozen Foods, PCC Community Markets, and Bartell Drugs. When he passed, he was Senior Director of SOX compliance at Rite Aid. Marty served on the Board of Directors for Camp Fire, a national nonprofit that connects young people to the outdoors, others, and themselves.
Family and friends were always the cornerstones of Martin’s life. When he was 7 years old, his father and Uncle David started to build “the round cabin,” at Hartstene Pointe, where he and his siblings and cousins spent summers and weekends together swimming, exploring the beaches, boating, building bonfires, and riding bikes. Hartstene Pointe was Martin’s “happy place” from early childhood, through high school and college, and long into adulthood, where Marty, Jamee, and Max obtained their own place and friends and family spent hours enjoying “the Barnacle” and being out on the boat.
Martin developed a tight group of lifelong friends in college with annual fly-fishing adventures including treks in the Northwest, Montana, and, recently, a trip of a lifetime to Patagonia. Also, avid music lovers, they seldom missed concerts by their favorite bands, starting with being Deadheads and attending many Grateful Dead concerts.Marty met Jamee Fields, his beautiful and loving wife of 20 years, at AT&T Wireless. Their marriage was full of love and adventure. They truly were best friends who built an incredible life together. They enjoyed travel, boating, playing pickleball, good food, fantastic wine with great company, daily games of Settlers of Catan, and spending time with those they loved most. The highlight of their life is their amazing 13-year-old son Max, whom Marty cherished with his entire being. The two enjoyed “hanging out,” challenging one another at chess, ping pong, and basketball, and talking about history, politics, favorite books, and TV shows.
Marty was a generous, thoughtful, kind-hearted, intelligent, engaged, and vibrant man of many talents. Known as the “Mayor of the Neighborhood,” he welcomed and showed up for everyone. He embraced life, spending hours gardening, tying flies for fishing, and socializing. He was proud of his Icelandic/Norwegian heritage, and his love of trivia and politics made him an excellent source of information about world events, current and past. He had an endearing sense of humor and was universally beloved by all.
Martin “Marty” was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Lee Wayne Davidson. He is survived by his wife and son; sister, Sandra Davidson; brothers Bob Davidson (Molly) and Steve Sorensen (Michele); nieces and nephews Jessie Davidson, Ford, Harpur and Marshall Davidson, Dane and Nicole Sorensen; and a large extended family that includes beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and close friends-turned-family.
A Raise Your Glass/Celebration of Life will be held on July 27. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Camp Fire Central Puget Sound, SonicGuild, Seattle Humane Society, Safecrossings Foundation, in Martin “Marty”’s memory. Forest Lawn Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
(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)
(Sweet-pea flowers – photo sent by Waikikigirl)
It’s the second Sunday of summer, and the second day of a four-day holiday weekend. Here’s what’s on the list for today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm; the market offers summer produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, plant starts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -3.2 feet at 10:38 am. Find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists 9:30 am-12:30 pm at Constellation Park (63rd/Alki) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW).
MOUNTAIN TO SOUND OUTFITTERS SALE: Today’s the final day – take 15 percent off your purchase of one in-stock item at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor)
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK OPEN: 11 am-8 pm daily through Labor Day, shine or rain. (1100 SW Cloverdale)
E.C. HUGHES WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm. (2805 SW Holden)
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day, except for chilly/cloudy days. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
COLMAN POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, this outdoor salt-water pool is open noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day. See the session schedule here.
FREE KIDS’ BOUNCY HOUSES: 11:30 am-2 pm at Junction Church (4157 California SW), all families welcome.
(added) CONCERT TRUCK AT ALKI: Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s Concert Truck will be by Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki) at noon.
NO ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS TODAY: But they’ll be back next Sunday (July 9th).
HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH: 3 pm matinee at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor). Our calendar listing includes the ticket link.
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
(Saturday night sunset – photo by Jan Pendergrass)
WATCH THE SUNSET: It’s starting to get earlier – tonight it’s at 9:10 pm. (The sun actually vanishes behind the Olympics 10 minutes before “official” sunset time, so you’ll see that around 9.)
Planning an event – one-time or recurring – that can be on West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
2:09 AM: Power flickered here in Upper Fauntleroy and that was first indication that others have lost power somewhere – apparently because of a driver hitting a pole on SW Admiral Way at Waite. Updates to come.
2:12 AM: Almost 4,700 customers are out. The driver is also reported to have hit the Aegis Living building.
2:23 AM: Above is a reader photo from the scene. Emergency responders are arriving at the scene. Haven’t yet heard whether the driver or anyone else is hurt. … Other areas report hearing “booms” just after the crash – The Junction and Delridge is who we’ve heard from/about – possibly some sort of chain reaction. … Note that you’re going to hear extra sirens in the early stage of any major outage, because fire alarms are often set off. (Daytime outages also tend to bring responses for people getting stuck in elevators but that’s not an issue right now.)
2:35 AM: Added above, also from our reader at the scene, the vehicle in which the driver hit the pole and building. Firefighters have told dispatch that he’s been evaluated and “does not want to go to the hospital.”
2:44 AM: Another reader photo added above – this one looking west/downhill at where the pole is blocking Admiral. It’ll be blocked for a while. There’s also a significant fuel spill from the crash, dispatch has been told; SDOT has to be summoned for that.
3:01 AM: From yet another reader (thanks to everyone texting photos – 206-293-6302 is our 24/7 hotline), a closer view of how the crash ended. … The driver is under investigation for DUI.
3:10 AM: About two-thirds of the outage zone has been restored – down now to 1,600+ still out:
4:40 AM: A few more customers have been restored, but the total out is still 1,600+.
8:41 AM: Everyone’s back on as of a little over an hour ago.
10:35 AM: Thanks for the texted photo and report that City Light brought in the replacement pole:
12:30 PM: As of about half an hour ago, Admiral Way was still closed and crews were still working at the scene.
2:37 PM: 12+ hours after the crash, the reader who’s been keeping us up to date just sent this new photo as SCL crews work to connect the lines:
4:30 PM: As noted separately, Admiral Way has reopened.
ADDED MONDAY: SPD says a 23-year-old man was arrested for suspicion of DUI but was not booked into jail.
As noted here two days ago, another stretch of low-low tides has begun. Misti was out during today’s low-low tide and shares the amazing video you can see above – describing it as “My mic drop achievement, catching a nudibranch fight on a video. Think mama was protecting her eggs, which are the cluster of white spots you see.” Misti saw these near the Fauntleroy ferry dock, and shared other low-tide wildlife images on Twitter, which has had some turmoil today, so apologies if you can’t see it – here’s another eye-catching image, identified by Misti as a sea pen:
Tomorrow’s low-low tide is -3.2 feet at 10:38 am; Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out too (see when and where here).
(Photos sent by Jayson)
9:10 PM: Thanks for the tips and photos. Police are investigating gunfire at an apartment complex at Avalon/Genesee. 911 callers first reported hearing possible gunfire around 7:20 pm. Then they got reports of an apartment window ‘blown out” by someone firing from outside (above), and bullet damage to a car (below).
So far, we’re not hearing of any injuries, though there was an apparently unrelated assault call on SW Yancy nearby less than half an hour earlier. No word of a suspect description. Police did find casings on SW Genesee, in addition to the damage noted above.
9:50 PM: Police just got a call from someone reporting bullet damage to another apartment at the same complex and will be returning to the area.
Sent by Ray:
This kids’ bike has been outside my house all day, and we don’t have any kids in our building … near Fairmount Park.
Know whose bike this is? Email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – and we’ll connect you.
Last week we noted reports of a new arrival in L-Pod, one of the three groups that comprise the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. Now there’s word of two, from the Center for Whale Research – here’s their announcement:
The Center for Whale Research (CWR) can confirm two new calves in the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population: L126 (mother L119) and L127 (mother L94). CWR researchers encountered the two calves during a survey of a group of whales containing members of J pod and the L12 subgroup in the Strait of Georgia on June 30, 2023.
L126 is L119’s first calf, while L127 is L94’s third. We estimate that both calves are at least two months old, and neither shows any immediate signs of illness or abnormality.
Both calves were very active and social while we observed them. The sex of the calves is still unknown, but CWR staff will attempt to get additional images of both calves in the coming days.
These are the first calves born in L pod since 2021 and the first calves born in the L12 subgroup since 2018. The first year is challenging for young whales, but we hope that both calves and their mothers can survive and thrive well into the future.
You can see photos on the CWR website (we’ll add one here if and when we get permission).
(Photos courtesy Puget Sound Bird Observatory)
Want to turn bird-watching into science? Here’s an opportunity we were asked to share with you:
The Puget Sound Seabird Survey is looking for birders in West Seattle and throughout Puget Sound to join this established Community Science program.
(Common Loon)
Volunteers are asked to conduct 7 surveys with a small team of fellow surveyors at specific locations. All surveys are synchronized to take place once per month on the first Saturday, October – April. You will be provided training in the survey technique, and ideally will have good seabird identification skills. However, there are roles on the survey teams for birders of all levels. Now in its 15th season, you’ll be contributing to valuable science that monitors
wintering seabirds across Puget Sound and informs important management decisions.Previously, the project was part of Birds Connect Seattle’s (formerly Seattle Audubon) science program but transitioned to its new home at Puget Sound Bird Observatory in 2022. More information can be found on our website and if interested in taking part, please reach out to Program Manager Toby Ross
t_ross@pugetsoundbirds.org
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