May 2026

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Nucor Steel Seattle, is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Westside Awards. These annual honors recognize the visionary businesses, non-profits, and individuals who define the unique character and spirit of the West Seattle community.

"The Westside Awards are our chance to say thank you out loud," said Rachel Porter, Executive Director of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. "Every honoree this year represents something powerful: the idea that local business and community spirit are not separate things. They are the same".

This year's distinguished honorees include:

The local community is preparing to take to the streets this weekend for the 2nd Annual Spring Fling Block Party. On Saturday, May 9th, 2026, White Center merchants will transform the neighborhood into a vibrant hub of activity from 2 PM to 8 PM.

The celebration will stretch across 16th Ave SW between Roxbury and 100th St., closing the area to traffic to make room for food, music, and shopping. Organizers describe the event as a celebration of the "great energy" and unique character that defines the White Center neighborhood.

Attendees can look forward to a diverse range of attractions, including:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is officially recruiting community members to join the newly formed Transportation Funding Task Force. This advisory group is tasked with identifying equitable and sustainable funding solutions to address the city’s most pressing infrastructure needs, including the maintenance and improvement of bridges, sidewalks, and pavement conditions.

The creation of this Task Force was directed by the Seattle Transportation Levy after community members expressed concerns that current funding is insufficient to maintain these critical city assets. To ensure a wide range of perspectives, SDOT is seeking individuals from all neighborhoods and backgrounds—including those with professional experience in finance, policy, or trades, as well as those with lived experience navigating the city's transportation systems. Applicants do not need to be professionals in the field to be considered.

The King County Council is set to take direct action on Tuesday to tighten oversight of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) and establish a fact-based process to evaluate the agency's future viability.

The motion, sponsored by Councilmembers Jorge L. Barón, Steffanie Fain, and Rod Dembowski, is a direct response to a recent forensic evaluation that uncovered patterns of financial mismanagement and inadequate internal controls within the Authority. Nearly $13 million were unaccounted for which drew multiple calls for the KCRHA to be dissolved.

Rather than going through the standard committee review, the council is expected to "walk on" the motion, bringing it straight to a full council vote on Tuesday, May 5, at 1:30 p.m..

Desmond Hansen, a dedicated muralist based in West Seattle, has spent years on a mission to make his city more beautiful. Starting in 2018, Hansen began painting vibrant portraits on utility boxes, an initiative that he continued through the pandemic until his art adorned more than 75 intersections from West Seattle to the University District.

Having successfully raised over $30,000 for those initial projects, Hansen is now rallying the community once again—this time, to protect art that already exists.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) has officially launched a new districtwide cellphone procedure aimed at removing digital distractions from classrooms and creating a unified learning environment. The new guidance, which takes effect Monday, May 4, 2026, replaces a previous patchwork of school-by-school rules with a single, clear standard for every student in the district.

Superintendent Ben Shuldiner enacted the change as a procedure rather than a board-voted policy to ensure students have the "chance to think deeply, engage fully, and be present". The district describes cellphones as one of the most significant barriers to learning and focus in modern classrooms.

Grade-Level Expectations

The new rules are tailored by grade span to reflect the developmental needs of students: