West Seattle, Washington
13 Sunday
Wednesday’s the day that King County Elections plans to mail ballots for the February 14th special election. You’ll get a ballot with one measure – Seattle Initiative 135, which we wrote about earlier this month. If passed, this “would create a public development authority to develop, own, and maintain publicly financed mixed-income social housing developments.” The initiative does not specify how that housing will be funded, but supporters explains in their FAQ, “Once the public developer is established, they can receive and request funds from city, state, federal governments, as well as private donations if those donors feel so inclined.” Read I-135’s full text here. Ballot dropboxes open Thursday – West Seattle has three – one day after ballots are sent; you’ll have until 8 pm February 14th to get your ballot into one, or you can send it via USPS mail as long as it’s postmarked by that day.
P.S. If you want to find out more about I-135 before voting, it’ll be a major topic at the West Seattle Democratic Women‘s meeting Thursday night online – our calendar listing has info on how to RSVP.
As featured in our Sunday event list, the Vietnamese Cultural Center of West Seattle held a community Tết (Lunar New Year) celebration on Sunday. On behalf of the center, Lynda Bui shared the photo and this note:
Under cool gray skies, members of the community and Vietnamese Cultural Center gathered to welcome the Year of the Cat. The great lion-dance team of Vietnamese Youth Group GĐPT Vạn Hạnh joined us with a wonderful performance. It is rare to be able to gather on the actual day (and on a weekend) so we thank everyone for making time to join us.
Best wishes to you all in the new year. May all your endeavors go your way and good health to you all! Thank you for your support and we’ll see you again. Happy Vietnamese Lunar New Year!
You can see video here.
P.S. Two more Lunar New Year celebrations are yet to come in West Seattle, both welcoming the community too – West Seattle HS Chinese students’ event at Hiawatha on February 3rd, and the Seattle Chinese Garden‘s New Year Lantern Festival on February 5th
From Nico, who says this happened in North Admiral:
We had a car stolen overnight last night. 2000 Honda CR-V, WA Plate # AJZ2148. Antisocial sticker on back window and has a roof rack. Police report has been filed. Contact me or SPD if you happen to see it.
More new-business news – we’d been looking into who’s taking over the ex-Best of Hands Barrelhouse space (7500 35th SW) since a reader mentioned the “For Lease” signage had disappeared, and now we have the answer: GH Pizza and Pasta. The name may be new but the operator is not – Chef Brian Clevenger and General Harvest Restaurants, which already has Haymaker (open since 2019) and Raccolto (open since 2016) in The Junction, among other Seattle restaurants. The announcement notes, “The menu boasts fan favorite large bowls of fresh pastas, a variety of pizzas with rotating specials, starters, and salads all at approachable prices.” They’re excited about the new West Seattle location, planning to offer “a huge year-round outdoor-seating section along with a separate adults-only space.” GH Pizza and Pasta is aiming to open in West Seattle in “late spring.” But will the rooftop cow stay? We asked that on followup; the reply – “Of course!” There’s one GH Pasta location so far, in Belltown, and the announcement notes GH Pizza and Pasta is currently “taking over” Haymaker’s Eastlake location – see the menu here.
Two years after 24 Hour Fitness left Westwood Village, the center’s owners appear to have found another gym to move into the space. Though the “for lease” sign is still up, documents in city permit files indicate that Fitness 19 has plans to take over the spot. Fitness 19 describes itself as “a simple fitness club concept – an extremely affordable, family-friendly facility that offers state-of-the-art cardio, strength, and free-weight equipment,” operating in 12 states; the only location listed in Washington right now is in Ballard. In addition to documents seeking a city permit to add signage for the WWV space, we’ve also found state records for a newly formed LLC on behalf of “Fitness 19 WA 318,” with Westwood Village’s address. We have an inquiry out about when they hope to open.
(Comatricha nigra slime mold, photographed at Schmitz Park by Rosalie Miller)
If you haven’t checked the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar yet today, here’s the highlight list!
MONDAY MOVIE: 1 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon), “Terry’s Greatest Movies You’ve Never Heard Of,” today featuring “Private Buckaroo.” Free popcorn! Advance registration required – our calendar listing explains how.
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm, councilmembers preview the week ahead (here’s the agenda). You can watch online or on cable via Seattle Channel.
FREE INDOOR PLAYSPACE: Toddler Gym weekday afternoons at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW), ages 2-6, begins today, 3:30-5 pm.
CRAFTING AND CREATIVITY NIGHT: 6-10 pm at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), explained in our calendar listing.
MEDITATION: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation event at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
PLAY TRIVIA! Three scheduled options tonight for trivia players – new 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)
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to list on our calendar ? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
It’s the time of year for families to look ahead to next school year, if they are thinking of changing schools, or have a first-time student to enroll. We’ve already spotlighted some open houses and tours, and more are ahead this week. Here are two Seattle Public Schools we’ve heard directly from – Wednesday morning at 8:15 am, Arbor Heights Elementary opens its doors to prospective parents; while the tour’s geared toward pre-K and kindergarten families, all are welcome. The school is at 3701 SW 104th. Then Thursday morning at 8:30 and Thursday evening at 6, families can visit Highland Park Elementary (1012 SW Trenton). A full list of SPS tours is on the district website; if your school would like to be on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar too, send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, January 23rd.
WEATHER
Partly sunny, high in the low-to-mid-40s. (Sunday’s high was 44, five degrees below what’s normal for that date.)
TODAY’S TRANSIT STATUS
–Metro is on a regular schedule today but still down buses and down drivers – keep watching notification channels such as @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations and route suspensions.
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular schedule.
-WSF’s Triangle Route remains on a two-boat schedule- check here for alerts/updates.
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Tomorrow and Wednesday (January 24-25), expect intermittent lane closures on the South Park Bridge, 8 am-3 pm each day, for crews who will be power-washing the bridge sidewalks.
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also up at Delridge/Oregon, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Henderson.
High Bridge – the camera at the top:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge – open again:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – the south route:
Highway 99: – the northbound side at Lander.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All working traffic cams citywide can be seen here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page … Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
If you see a problem on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Drawings by kids, from planes to pigs, cover the wall by the front door at The Swinery.
Kim Leveille says drawings don’t come down until they fall down. Some are by kids who’ve become adults in her 13+ years at The Swinery: “I’ve seen entire families grow up.”
The Swinery’s a family thing for her too – she owns it with her husband Danny Rogers; her father-in-law comes in and helps out on weekends. The little shop at 3207 California SW is wall-to-wall memories, hopes, dreams.
“I’m just not ready to let it go.”
But she might have to if a new round of crowdfunding doesn’t help.
They tried it in the heart of the pandemic and West Seattle Bridge closure, an agonizing time for so many local small independent businesses. In that 2021 crowdfunding, Kim says, fans raised $17,000 in two days. But they’ve had equipment breakdowns and thefts since then, and are looking for help again to catch up. They started a new crowdfunding campaign a month ago but, Kim says, “It didn’t work.” So they’re trying again – this time, more directly declaring they’re in danger of having to close.
“We may not make it until spring,” Kim said in her email to us, which we decided to follow up on by visiting the shop. In addition to cooler/freezer repairs, they have a simple need: More staff, beyond their longtime part-time helper and a “very part-time dishwasher.” “It’s a Catch-22 – we need enough money to hire a fulltime person so the grill can do more volume.”
Right now, it’s Danny on the grill, which is an ever-increasingly important part of The Swinery’s business. Kim has worked there since just months after its original ownership opened the shop to much fanfare in 2009; she and Danny bought it in 2018. The shop was founded as “more of a butcher shop with a few things on the side.” But then one of those “things” drew extra acclaim: “Once we got ‘Best Burger in Seattle’ …” demand soared. The shop also was featured on the Food Network and the Travel Network. “Now the grill is much more important.” Tons of takeout/delivery orders, since The Swinery’s only seating is a small courtyard by the grill.
Along with all that grilling, their other offerings are labor-intensive too – “since we do everything in-house.” The meat case is full of sausages, chops, smoked meats, and more.
Popular items include ribs and beef bacon. For Thanksgiving, they smoke turkeys; for Christmas, ribeye roasts. No nitrites. No allergens. “I just want everyone to be able to eat,” says Kim.
She’s hopeful this time they’ll get the boost they need to stay in business and up the output so revenue isn’t an issue again. What if somebody would rather buy a few pounds of sausage, for example, than just give money? “Anything would help,” Kim says. That includes more patronage.
Thanks to Lynn Hall for the photo of tonight’s layered pink sunset. It gives us the chance to mention something heartening if you’re not a fan of the short, dark days of early winter … Thursday is the first day this year that the sun will set after 5 pm (5:01 to be exact). Only eight weeks until spring!
We’ve been reporting on the Morgan Junction Park Addition site, bought by the city in 2014, planned for park development until the pandemic led Parks to put this and other projects on hold. In the short run, the former dry-cleaner/mini-mart site is supposed to get soil cleanup, but even that plan’s been dragging on. So community members set up an unofficial skatepark on the site – and that got relatively swift Parks action, shutting it down. We updated the situation in coverage of this past week’s Morgan Community Association meeting. That’s one of three “landbanked” future park sites in West Seattle. Today, an update on another:
Development of that park-to-be site on 40th SW between SW Edmunds and SW Alaska is also on indefinite hold but getting interim use as an unofficial dog park. As explained in a recent West Seattle Junction Association newsletter:
The Parks Department has this space slated to be turned into a beautiful park several years from now, so it has been fenced for some time. The fence is now down. We are asking that everyone who uses the green space clean up after themselves so we can continue to use it. We will have monthly cleaning crews of volunteers the first Saturday of each month at 10 am. Just show up and pitch in! Keeping the space looking good ensures the fence does not go back up. It will be a great place to walk your dog – just remember to clean up after your pooch, and take that doggy bag with you. The city is not supplying garbage cans right now. We are hoping with a lot of active use we can prevent any negative use of the space.
This one’s been owned by the city even longer, more than a decade; it was purchased even as the city asked for feedback on whether the site “made sense” as a park. Hundreds of apartments have since been built around it – Broadstone Sky to the south, The Whittaker across 40th to the east. There are many dog owners among their residents, noted WSJA executive director Chris Mackay in a conversation about this interim use for the site. She stresses that the city will put the fence back up if the site’s not kept clean. She also notes it’s irrigated and has lighting.
5:04 PM: Thanks to Mel for the tip. Two-car collision. Possibly complicating matters, initial radio exchanges indicate one car is reported to be plateless and its occupants are reported to have bolted. Avoid the area for a while.
(Added, WSB photo)
5:56 PM: Only one car remains at the scene, the Hyundai Elantra Sonata whose occupant(s) ran. Police confirmed to us that the car is believed to have been stolen and believed to be linked to a robbery in North Delridge earlier in the afternoon.
2:42 PM: Sandbags and concrete blocks are in place in South Park in preparation for the return of “king tides” the next few mornings, but the good news is a calm forecast – no prediction for the kind of stormy weather that added to the predicted high tides last month, when low atmospheric pressure accompanied heavy rain. Tomorrow’s forecast is partly sunny; Tuesday brings a “slight chance of rain”; Thursday is expected to be mostly cloudy. Nonetheless, Seattle Public Utilities says it’s done what it can, just in case, as outlined here. City reps said at a briefing earlier this month that 49 homes and businesses suffered “substantial” damage from flooding in December.
9:49 PM: In an update for media tonight, SPU reiterates that the forecast doesn’t suggest flooding. But its preparations so far total “an estimated 90,000 sandbags and barriers totaling 1.4 miles.” Its update also notes that housing assistance for those affected by last month’s flooding has been extended through February 28th.
That’s one of the 93 new flower baskets you’ll see hanging in The Junction starting in late May. It’s bigger and heavier than baskets used in past years; West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay tells WSB the company that previously grew and maintained the baskets couldn’t do that this year, so they found a new grower – Van Wingerden Greenhouses in Blaine – and a local firm to keep them watered and maintained., Though the new baskets are bigger, they’ll require less water and less fertilizer. The Junction is again covering part of the costs by offering the baskets for “adoption,” $189 per basket – if you’re interested, go here. (The Junction is a nonprofit, so it’s a tax-deductible donation.)
From Jonathan:
1989 Land Cruiser
Plate BJL4073Stolen from SW Myrtle Street near (Myrtle Reservoir) park.
Incident # 2023-020722
Around 7 am today, my vehicle was stolen. I saw the thieves driving off and jumped in another car to follow. I lost them around Roxbury Safeway. If seen, please report to Police.
(Note that this is the same general area from which we received a stolen-car report Saturday.)
(Saturday sunrise, photographed by Jerry Simmons)
Welcome to the second half of your West Seattle weekend! Here’s what’s happening:
CHURCHES WITH ONLINE SERVICES: We’re continuing to list these – see today’s lineup here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: As usual, 10 am-2 pm, the market offers winter produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
FOOD FUNDRAISER: TheHomeSkillit.com will be selling food on Webster west of Delridge (by The Home Depot’s south entrance) 11 am-6 pm, raising money for Chef Gino and his daughter to move, and for their ongoing work donating food to homeless people.
VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR: Noon-3 pm, the Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard) celebrates Tết with lion dancing and flag raising, all welcome.
LEARN ABOUT ORGANIC HOUSE-PLANT CARE: 1 pm workshop at West Seattle Nursery (5245 California SW).
CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Monthly gathering, 3 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), this time planning to “discuss ‘The Master and Margarita,’ by Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov.”
NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church serves a free meal (take-away available) at 5 pm Sundays at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).
YOGA, MEDITATION, GONG BATH: Presented by Inner Alchemy, 7 pm at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $35.
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
LATIN SUNDAY: Party to Latin American music with a DJ @ Benbow Room (4210 SW Admiral Way), starting at 9 pm.
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 9 pm to 1:30 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
Have an event to add to our calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
P.S. Happy 81st birthday, Admiral Theater!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Three topics dominated this month’s Alki Community Council meeting: The Harbor Avenue RVs, the Stone Cottage’s future, and the Alki Point “Healthy Street.”
ACC president Tony Fragada facilitated the meeting, held hybrid-style – in person at Alki UCC and online – on Thursday night; we covered it via Zoom.
(WSB photo, earlier this week)
HARBOR AVENUE RVs: Alki-area residents who have been demanding action from the city to make the RV residents move say they’re not getting it, while the roadside encampment grows (it’s up to 12 RVs and trailers, plus associated vehicles including an old school bus and a truck full of wooden pallets, at last count). Discussion with SPD’s night-shift commander Lt. Nathan Shopay focused on what police can and can’t do. If crimes are being committed, call 911. If you’re just upset that they’re there, police can’t do anything about that. There is still an interdepartmental city team meeting weekly – Lt. Shopay says he attends that meeting – and they discuss the status of various encampments around the city, but he says they’re “inundated” with demands for action. Nonetheless, he says, keep reporting concerns via Find It Fix It and sites will move up the priority list. This area’s new point person for LEAD, Michelle McClendon, jumped in to talk about outreach done with RV residents like those on Harbor. She said their methods include “motivational interviewing, trauma-informed … this does not happen overnight.” They “assess each person’s needs” – some qualify for permanent supportive housing, for example. But she reminded attendees that even if they offer someone services, they can’t be forced to accept the offer. As for the perennial issue of enforcing the 72-hour parking rule, Lt. Shopay was asked if bringing Parking Enforcement Officers back into the Police Department would help; Most likely, he replied, though it’d not clear yet how long that will take.
STONE COTTAGE SITE SEARCH: Almost a year and a half has passed since the historic Stone Cottage was moved from its location at 1123 Harbor Avenue SW because of then-imminent (since stalled) development.
(August 2021 reader photo by Rachel)
It remains in storage on Port of Seattle land while the preservationist volunteers who worked to save it tackle the next task: Finding a permanent home. Two of those volunteers, Mike Shaughnessy and Deb Barker, came to the ACC meeting with an update; Shaughnessy recapped the effort to date, and pre-pandemic progress with a proposal that they fix up the Stone Cottage and then donate it to Seattle Parks and Recreation – a proposal that he said was gaining traction until COVID shut down everything down and set back many Parks projects, Now, in addition to that, Parks is under new leadership, with recently appointed Superintendent AP Diaz, so they are “starting from scratch … taking a ‘Hail Mary’ approach” to pitch the project again. If Parks doesn’t want it, they’ll find a site. Whatever happens, the “Save the Stone Cottage” effort will soon go into Phase 2.
ALKI POINT HEALTHY STREET: SDOT hasn’t made a final decision on the permanent “design” for the stretches of Beach Drive and Alki Avenue north/east of 63rd SW. As shown during a community meeting in November (WSB coverage here), they’re looking at a variety of traffic-calming features. A few community advocates recently hosted SDOT director Greg Spotts for an unpublicized visit to the area. They said he was particularly interested in the idea of restricting parking adjacent to Constellation Park, saying he talked about Stonehenge in the UK once allowing parking so close to the historic stones that it took away from the attraction. Their contention is that the Healthy Street doesn’t need added features such as traffic circles and chicanes – they think the city should just focus on emphasizing traffic calming at the entry points (63rd/Beach and 63rd/Alki). They also want to see some parking preserved for area residents as well as for visitors; the 63rd/Beach area is particularly problematic, it was noted. ACC members agreed to send a letter of support to the city.
NEXT MEETING: The ACC meets third Thursdays most months, in-person and online; watch alkicommunitycouncil.org for updates.
(Kids’ Dash before 2022 Float Dodger 5K – WSB photo)
West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) says it’s time to think summer – they’re announcing that they’ll again present the West Seattle Float Dodger 5K right before this year’s West Seattle Grand Parade. The date: Saturday, July 22nd. The reason they want you to know this so early: Registration will open February 1st, at a discount rate through February 22nd. If you haven’t run or walked the Float Dodger before, it starts in The Admiral District and heads south along the parade route down California Avenue SW before heading back – with root-beer floats post-race! (Here’s our coverage, with video, from last July.) There’ll be a kids’ dash again this year too (no registration fee for that). It’s all a benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank. We’ll remind you when registration opens in a week and a half – or, keep an eye on floatdodger5k.com!
On a soggy day like today, in a usually damp city like ours, it may be hard to imagine a world without water. But that’s what West Seattle author Susan Whiting Kemp did for her new novel “The Climate Machine.” Pre-orders are being accepted now for the e-book, officially publishing February 4th. Her announcement says the movel is about “a botched effort to combat climate change.” Here’s the synopsis:
No one seems to know why the waters are vanishing from the Northwestern United States. In the greater Seattle area — an area of over three million people — crime and chaos reign as society collapses.
Marella Wells, a young employee at a worldwide chemical company, thinks she may have discovered what is happening to the water. But there is no way to alert authorities and no time to spare.
With her mentor-boss and a displaced college student, Marella travels through the depleted regions of the Pacific Ocean to stop the run-away Climate Machine.
Along the way, the small band of unlikely warriors must battle for survival through unprecedented droughts, storms, and fires. To make matters worse, a violent religious doomsday cult is at their heels. If Marella and her companions fail in their mission, all life on Earth will perish.
This is the author’s first novel; she is one of three short-story writers who contributed to “We Grew Tales,” published in paperback and e-book formats. Options for “The Climate Machine” pre-orders can be found here and here.
You’ve heard a lot about the upcoming “king tides,” but the flip side of that is, we’re also in a period with very low low tides too – though this time of year they happen late at night, so they’re not as conducive to exploring. Nonetheless, some people were out last night, including Rosalie Miller, who shared four photos (thank you!) – above, Painted Anemone; below, Mottled Star:
The next two: Monterey Dorid and Gumboot Chiton:
Rosalie summarizes her experience as, “Amazing night at the beach! A gala of marine life and low-tide enthusiasts.” Tonight the low-low tide is even lower than last night – it’ll be out to -3.6 feet at 10:32 pm.
The areas served by the community coalition HPAC – Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge – have been through a lot of transportation issues in recent years, particularly the two and a half years of traffic overload from the West Seattle Bridge closure detours. But the reopening of the bridge didn’t solve everything. If you live/work/study/do business in those areas, check out HPAC’s first meeting of 2023 this coming Wednesday (January 25), when guests will include new SDOT director Greg Spotts, visiting to hear about the area’s transportation concerns and ideas. Another guest of note: Michelle McClendon is the new LEAD project manager for the Southwest Precinct area, and she’ll be there to talk and hear about public-safety issues. And HPAC co-chair Craig Rankin will talk about the new West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails map, reported on and discussed here last month. One more hot topic: The city’s Comprehensive Plan update, which the meeting announcement points out “has numerous implications for the future way our community grows. Notably the plan lists our area as one with a high risk of displacement.” All this and more is part of HPAC’s agenda for 7 pm Wednesday, online. Attendance info, via video or phone, is in the full announcement on HPAC’s website.
West Seattle Autoworks (7501 35th SW; WSB sponsor) is cleaning up after two break-ins overnight, one of which was a crash-and-grab.
(WSB photos)
First, their office was broken into around 7 pm. The burglar(s) took an empty safe. According to their security cameras, they were in a red Honda CR-V. Then after 6 am, a white van rammed the garage door on the south side of the building. The door was damaged and a battery charger and a diagnostic tool were taken.
Security video shows the van being backed into the building twice, and three burglars getting out, with one also hitting the building with some kind of tool:
West Seattle Autoworks wants customers with vehicles at the shop this weekend to know that all of their keys are safe – and they are now being kept off-site; no customers’ vehicles were damaged or otherwise touched. If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 23-019442.
SATURDAY: Sent by John:
Our blue 2018 Hyundai Elantra was stolen from in front of our house on 35th Ave between Holly and Willow. WA Plate #BIH3868. Please call SPD if you see it. Thank you.
This happened Thursday night/Friday morning.
SUNDAY: See comments – John’s car was spotted by a reader. However, his Seal Sitters equipment inside is missing – if you see cones or signs dumped somewhere, let us know!
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