July 2026

Combined team finishes fourth

By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

The combined team from the Queen Anne, RUG and Ballard  Little League areas of Seattle finished fourth in the Junior League Basehall West Region tournament after taking an anticlimactic 14-1 loss to Northern California on Tuesday afternoon.

The squad came in with an impressive three-game tournament winning streak since opening the action in Bend, Oregon with a loss to Nevada last Friday.

Northern California goes on to play Hawaii in a 9 a.m. Wednesday loser's bracket final for the right to take on Southern California for the championship at 9 a.m. Thursday.

The champion advances to World Series play in Taylor, Michigan.

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West Seattle Glass Float Hunt returns Aug. 7

Information from West Seattle Junction

Hand-blown glass floats will be hidden throughout shops and parks across West Seattle, just waiting to be discovered. If you find one, simply scan the QR code and it's yours to keep!

This year, in honor of our 2026 Seahawks Superbowl win, the floats are a beautiful green and blue. It's a fun way to explore the neighborhood, visit local businesses, and maybe even uncover a few hidden gems along the way.

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Ken's View: A soldier, a newspaper, and a warning
What the overhaul of Stars and Stripes signals

By Ken Robinson

Managing Editor

In 1966, I was drafted into the U.S. Army at 22 years old while still a college student. After boot camp and occupational specialty training, I was sent to Germany and assigned to the same division that had once hosted Elvis Presley: the 3rd Armored Division.

My training had been at the Defense Information School in Indianapolis. Eight weeks later, sitting in a gymnasium in Frankfurt with about 500 new recruits, I waited nervously for my assignment. Having grown up in the community newspaper business back in Seattle, I held out hope for a related role.

Instead, a crewcut PFC handed me my papers: I was being sent to southern Germany to be a tank crewman. My dream of a plum job on the base newspaper quickly vanished.

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Sports Watch 7-28-26
Sporting events worth keeping an eye on

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

The upcoming schedule features a busy stretch for professional and collegiate teams, highlighted by significant home stands and high-profile regional rivalries.

In Major League Baseball, the Mariners conclude a road series in Los Angeles before returning to T-Mobile Park for home series against the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. A major highlight in professional soccer is the Sounders traveling to face their long-standing rivals, the Portland Timbers, on August 1.

In women’s professional sports, the Storm host Indiana at Climate Pledge Arena before embarking on an East Coast road trip to face Atlanta and New York.

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Combined Ballard team advances

 

By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

Queen Anne/RUG/Ballard just keeps advancing through the loser's bracket of the Junior League Baseball West Region Tournament.

The Washington representatives in the all-star Little League action in Bend, Oregon posted an 11-9 victory Monday afternoon against Utah and goes on to a 1 p.m. Tuesday meeting against Northern California.

The winner plays in the 9 a.m. Wednesday loser's bracket final against the loser of the winner's bracket final between Hawaii and Southern California.

Tuesday's loser finishes fourth in the action for ages 13-14.

The local combined team has won three games in a row now since opening with a loss to Nevada.

The tournament champion goes on to World Series action in Taylor, Michigan.

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A collaborative vision realized: A first look inside the new Alki Elementary School

On a bright July 27 morning, the future of West Seattle education took center stage as WestsideSeattle toured the nearly completed Alki Elementary School. Guided by Brian Fabella, LEED AP Project Manager for Seattle Public Schools, and Tina Christiansen, Communications Specialist for Capital Projects and Planning, the tour revealed a facility that is as much a tribute to its natural surroundings as it is a state-of-the-art learning environment.

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Correction: Fairmount Playground transformation scheduled: Construction will begin on new synthetic turf infield this fall

Seattle Parks has provided a correction to our story below:

Karen O'Connor with Seattle Parks said,

"We are finalizing our bid documents for this project and anticipate being in construction this fall with opening prior to the Spring 2027 softball season."

Original post:

Construction has officially begun at Fairmount Playground, marking a major milestone in the $1.5 million project to modernize the local athletic field. Located at 5400 Fauntleroy Way SW, the site is currently closed to the public as crews work to convert the traditionally mud-prone dirt softball infield into a high-performance synthetic turf surface.

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Combined Ballard team beats Oregon

 

By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

The combined team from Queen Anne, RUG and Ballard outslugged the Oregon state champions by a 16-12 score Sunday afternoon to stay alive in the Juniors age 13-14 Little League all-star baseball tournament.

The team had taken a 14-8 loss to Nevada in its opener Froday before beating the host Bend, Ore. team by a 15-5 score Saturday.

At least one more game will be played at a time and against an opponent to be announced as the team tries to battle back through the loser's bracket to earn a trip to Taylor, Mich. for the Junior League World Series.

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Ballard combined team wins

By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

A combined team from the Queen Anne, RUG and Ballard areas bounced back to win its second game at the West Region Juniors age 13-14 all-star Little League baseball tournament Saturday.

The contingent won by a convincing 15-5 margin after opening with a 14-8 loss to Nevada the day before.

The tournament is being played in Bend, Oregon where the team will stay for at least a 2 p.m. Sunday game against an opponent to be determined.

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West Seattle takes two for state title

By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

West Seattle won two-straight games Saturday to wrest away the state age 9-11 all-star Little League softball title against Magnolia/Northeast Seattle.

The Westsiders won the early Saturday afternoon provisional championship over the combined team from up north by a 2-1 score to force a second if-necessary game on the Gig Harbor Little League diamond.

West Seattle went out and took that game, too, by an even greater 4-1 margin to earn the right to be called state champions.

The state champion does not advance to regional play in this age group but does have regional action and an eventual World Series in Greenville, S.C. for the age 10-12 Majors.

The Magnolia age 13-14 Juniors are currently involved in regional play in Tucson, Arizona.

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