September 2025

Seattle City Council Transportation Committee tackles sidewalk repairs and rolls out E-Cargo Bike program

The Seattle Transportation Committee of the Seattle City Council convened on September 2nd, 2025, for a crucial meeting that saw discussions on vital city infrastructure and innovative transportation solutions. Chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, the committee addressed the ongoing challenges of the city's extensive sidewalk network and introduced a pioneering e-cargo bike permit program aimed at boosting climate goals and urban delivery efficiency.

Focus on Sidewalks: Repair, Construction, and Equity Concerns

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Admiral Way bridges nearing seismic retrofit completion; All traffic now open

All lanes along the Admiral Way North and South Bridges, as well as Fairmount Ave N, have officially reopened to traffic as construction on crucial seismic retrofits is nearing completion. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced the removal of all traffic control devices, signaling a significant milestone for the project aimed at making the bridges more resilient to earthquakes.

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Panda Express in Westwood Village opens Wednesday
Grand Opening Thursday will have giveaways and discounts

The new Panda Express location in Westwood Village, just north of the QFC grocery store is set to open at 10am on Thursday  Sept. 2, The store, which formerly was occupied by Pat Pros, has been under renovation for well over a year. It's a Panda Home "concept store" complete with red lanterns and a moon gate portal on the wall. The store will be open from 10 to 9pm daily.

The Grand Opening on Thursday will give the first 80 customers a free T-shirt, a bag and panda present. There will be prizes and discounts offered throughout the day.

The restaurant is a fast casual concept, and their top selling items include Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef and Honey Walnut Shrimp. Other dishes like Broccoli Beef and Mushroom Chicken are popular too, but these three consistently sell more.

It joins over 40 Panda Express locations across Western Washington, spanning cities like:

  • Seattle – 3 locations

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West Seattle Community Orchestras announce open registration, leadership updates 

Information from West Seattle Community Orchestras

With the 2025–2026 concert season fast approaching, the West Seattle Community Orchestras (WSCO) has announced registration and audition details as well as new conductors for two of their four ensembles—well-known Concert Orchestra conductor Bryan Kolk returning as conductor of WSCO’s Symphony Orchestra and Allion Salvador joining as the new conductor of WSCO’s Concert Orchestra. 

Fall registration for all ensembles is now open. Auditions for new members are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23. For more information, visit wscorchestras.org/register or e-mail info@wscorchestras.org.  

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Mayor Harrell doubles down on West Seattle and Ballard Link amidst multi-billion dollar shortfall, City takes proactive steps
Another levy, 'Sound Transit 4' may be a necessity he said

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, in a coordinated effort with King County officials, today unveiled an urgent strategy to combat a projected $30 billion funding gap in Sound Transit's expansive budget. At the heart of Harrell's plan is a resolute focus on rapidly advancing projects crucial to Seattle, most notably the West Seattle and Ballard Link light rail extensions.

The announcement follows a recent Sound Transit Board meeting where a financial shortfall of $22 billion to $30 billion was acknowledged for the ST3 program, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2016. This substantial deficit is attributed to a confluence of factors, including escalating construction costs due to inflation, widespread supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, rising costs for acquiring rights-of-way, higher financing expenses, and lower-than-anticipated sales tax revenue forecasts.

Direct and Enhanced Focus on West Seattle and Ballard:

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Jennifer's View: Horses of the heart

By Jennifer Carrasco

Many of us have a motif that appears repeatedly in our lives. Mine were horses. As a kid, I was so horse crazy, I whinnied when I came to breakfast.  But Dad put his foot down when I requested a horse.No horse for Jennifer....

 

Jennifer as a girl

 

So, by the time I was 8, I was drawing horses constantly. And when I wasn't drawing them, I was reading about them. My best Xmas was when I was 10 and got 8 horse books and a pair of red Roy Rodgers cowboy boots. I also was given a set of pastels. My Dad made me a kid's easel and gave me Uncle Bert's drawing board. Then he took me over to the Pomeroy newspaper to buy me a ream of newsprint from Mr. Red Bunch, the owner of the East Washingtonian.

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