West Seattle, Washington
15 Wednesday
Out of the WSB inbox, from Annie:
Just thought I’d give a shout-out for a last-minute gift idea that is a win-win for all. I just visited the Admiral Theater and contributed to their adopt-a-seat campaign. It’s the perfect gift for many folks — especially movie lovers, but also the person who has everything. For a $40 donation, my gift recipient will have a name plate on a new seat and will also receive two movie passes and a VIP invitation to a private show once the new seats are installed.
The Admiral’s open for matinees today (2 & 4 pm) and evening shows tomorrow (7 & 9 pm). Got another last-minute gift suggestion that’s unique to West Seattle? Leave a comment here.
Not one of the brightest displays in West Seattle but on this Christmas Eve-Eve, we’re going for whimsy:
That’s a snowman on the roof, and a JackoLantern headed scarecrow-ish character in the yard to the right, northwest corner of 49th/Alaska. Now it’s on the clickable West Seattle Christmas Lights map that you can find on the WSB Holidays page (along with lots of other info including Christmas coffee, Christmas Eve/Day church services, and events through New Year’s); the photo features are all archived here. Bonus link: Pam at Nerd’s Eye View toured West Seattle displays, some of which we have featured here and some of which we have not; her post with a Flickr gallery link is here.
Jumping it off the top page so the amazing car story stays high up:Read More
First, the tree tip, from Steve in Highland Park:
McLendon’s (at least the one in White Center) is selling ALL trees at $10. Charlie Brown ones are $5! Good news for procrastinators like us.
We had mentioned somewhere that when we checked out West Seattle Nursery a couple days ago, they had some Douglas Firs as low as $11. We’ll be out checking around WS a little later but please let us know what you are seeing and hearing, too.
CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY CHURCH SERVICES: Forgot to mention in the earlier post about supermarkets and coffee shops, we also have been building a list of Christmas Eve/Day services in West Seattle, also on the WSB Holidays page, under the Dec. 24-25 events-by-day listings. We haven’t yet called the churches we couldn’t find online, but will be working on that today.
CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY MOVIES: We asked Steve Garrett @ Admiral Theater about holiday showtimes – here’s what he has planned: Christmas Eve 2:00 & 4:00 showtimes (matinee only); Christmas Day 7 & 9 pm showtimes (evening only). (Find the theater website here.)
BUSINESSES IN THE GIVING SPIRIT: So many West Seattle businesses have found ways to give this holiday season — food drives, donations, volunteering, etc. And here’s another one, just out of the inbox from the folks at smallclothes (3236 California):
smallclothes is offering 2 ways to help WestSide Baby [their site here], a non-profit organization that collects previously owned items for children and babies and distributes them free of charge to families in need.
Please consider one or both of the following ways you can help out:
1* Choose an outfit or two for someone in need. Receive 10% off resale items and we will deliver your donation to WestSide Baby.
2* Purchase a hand-made blanket from us, and both the profit and the blanket will be donated. smallclothes owner Ruth has made many fleece blankets in festive colors for $15 (toddler size) or $10 (crib size).
GUMBO: Just heard from Lakema Bell @ Delridge Community Center, who advises there’s still room to join in one of today’s West Seattle holiday events — the Santa Sleigh Ride and Holiday Gumbo Feast at DCC, noon-3 pm today, $5/bowl for gumbo ($3 refills).
GROCERIES: Finished our survey of grocery stores’ Christmas plans — the full list is on the WSB Holidays page — all three Safeways (Admiral, Jefferson, Roxbury) plan to be open 9 am-3 pm on Christmas Day; some West Seattle supermarkets are closing at 7 pm Christmas Eve, some at 6. We are still surveying coffee shops for their Christmas Day plans; that in-progress list is on the Holidays page too. And if you know of any West Seattle restaurants open on Christmas, you can help answer a question posted in the new WSB Forums (explained here).
Thanks to daPuffin for tipping us off to the Santa hat, on Roxbury at 36th. It’s now on the West Seattle Christmas lights map that you’ll find on the WSB Holidays page, and it’s in the light-display archive here.
10:08 pm tonight, in case you were wondering. Meantime, we have 28 listings of West Seattle events, happening now through Sunday, that you might want to check out as we celebrate the promise of more daylight to come (among other things):Read More
Since we’re decorating our tree bit by bit between waves of typing, this note from MargeC (with the photos shown above, ’01 ornament left, ’03 right) resonated:
Just finished decorating our tree and was wondering what happened to the annual “Junction Holiday Ornament”s? We moved here in Nov 2001 and that was the first one of what was-to-be a series – it was a fund raiser for decorating the Junction with the summer flower baskets. We purchased ours at the Town Hall on California Ave. AFAIK there wasn’t one in 2002, but there was one for 2003. Does anyone know if there ever was a 2002, or any post-2003? Wish they had continued – they’re beautifully made, unique collectibles.
Thanks to Elisabeth for sending this photo of the carefully crafted light display at 39th & Dakota; 
she warns it doesn’t do the lights justice, but the way we look at it, the pix are generally just to give you a hint there’s something cool at such-and-such an address, get out and see it if you’re holiday-lights fans like we are. Every display we’ve featured, going back to the very first one of the year — Salty’s, featured here on November 12 — is on our clickable, printable West Seattle Christmas lights map (find it on the WSB Holidays page) and in this archive.
Jeff Sullivan from the tree lot at Skyline Secure Park (Harbor Ave across from the 7-11) is giving away his last few trees – he wanted to give ’em to charities but contacted a few local nonprofits and is having trouble reaching folks so now he said, put out the word on WSB, anyone’s welcome to get one, bring your own twine, you haul. First come, first served – his only requirement, he says, is that you “have a Merry Christmas!”
Thanks to Margelyn for this photo of another Alki-area light-covered tree (a popular feature in that vicinity) — this one’s at 63rd/Hinds, and now it’s on our West Seattle Christmas lights map (available on the WSB Holidays page) as well as with other featured displays in this archive.
One week till Christmas … and at 4050 21st in Pigeon Point, all the lights are lining the walkway with care …
Thanks to Chris Wells for that photo. And thanks to Todd for e-mailing us about 2424 Alki, which looks awesome at night but also simply must be seen by daylight because of the decorated backhoe:
Both these displays are on the ever-growing list of what you can find with our West Seattle Christmas lights map, reachable at the WSB Holidays page, and they’re archived with all other displays we’ve featured, here.
First, a great photo:
Larry says it was about 4 pm today when he got that shot of a VERY busy afternoon on Elliott Bay. Thanks for sending it to WSB!
Second – congrats to Jeff from Soundproof Suite 1850, one of the 116 sites listed on our Other Blogs in West Seattle page – he won The Stranger‘s auction for a week of posting rights on the paper’s ever-spectacular Slog, coming up in January, and according to Slog, Jeff “looks forward to defending the honor of West Seattle and the Alaskan Way Viaduct.” (Hat tip to our pals at Capitol Hill Seattle for catching first word of Jeff’s Slog score.)
Third – on the holiday front: Not enough for a complete update of our West Seattle Christmas tree price check, but while out this afternoon, we noticed the Rite-Aids are out of trees, and West Seattle Nursery has marked down some of its Douglas firs (some nice ones for as low as $11!) – they’re open till 8 pm. Also, we’ve added many more West Seattle Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church services to the WSB Holidays page – as many as we’ve found online so far – will be making phone calls to fill out the list; we’re working on the list of Christmas Eve/Day grocery-store hours too.
We’ve told you about the West Seattle Food Bank‘s needs this holiday season (with its wish list here), and you’ve stepped up to the plate (as did Nucor employees with the big donation we covered last week) – Now we’ve heard from the White Center Food Bank, which serves families just south of West Seattle (its coverage area is shown here), which is also in need of a pre-Christmas boost. From Richard Jump at the WCFB:
The White Center Food Bank is expecting to serve more than 800 low-income families during our holiday distribution this week. Donations are still needed to meet the increased demand for services. Most needed items include: hams, fruit cocktail, olives, canned fruit, Stove Top stuffing, Rice-a-Roni, jello & pudding, chicken or turkey broth, dessert mixes, etc. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at the food bank at 10829 8th Ave SW. Our telephone number is 206.762.2848. Happy Holidays!
If you know of any other local nonprofit with urgent last-minute pre-Christmas needs, please let us know – e-mail us or call us (206/293-6302) and we’ll help get the word out here on WSB. 10:30 AM ADDENDUM: We checked with WCFB and they will accept donations during business hours — 8:30 to 6:30 pm — or by appointment.
No, not looking for a new arena site on all that suddenly vacant property; it was a special holiday-shopping spree at Westwood Village Target, according to the official Sonics blog.
One week till Christmas Eve! If your dream would resemble a warm Christmas more than a white Christmas, check this out:
Thanks to Becky for the photo, which she reports is from “36th or 37th just south of Roxbury” — we’ve added that approximate location to our clickable, printable West Seattle Christmas lights map (find it on the WSB Holidays page), will try to nail it down more closely with an in-person visual tomorrow. With your help, we’ve now featured 30 displays, all archived here.
Those Fairmount Springs folks have done it again – decorating their traffic island along Fauntleroy (which sported Halloween spirit earlier this fall) – augmenting the year-round candy-cane striping of the stop-sign poles. And this time they’ve included a little sign taking credit (closeup below); their website, by the way, is among the neighborhood-group sites we’ve just collected for a new list you’ll find on the right WSB sidebar.
Got last-minute Christmas mail to send? We just checked on West Seattle post-office hours. 
The Junction branch is open 8:30-5 on weekdays; the Westwood branch is open 8:30-6, though when we stepped into the lobby to check on its hours, a worker volunteered that the doors open a few minutes early this time of the year. (Here’s the Postal Service webpage with holiday deadlines.)
This is one of the flashiest displays in the greater Admiral area — 45th and Stevens, just west of PCC. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed us to make sure it made the WSB roundup! While snagging this photo tonight, we noticed several other well-lit houses along 45th north of this spot. Please keep sending in suggested locations – we’ll continue featuring local lights nightly through Christmas; you’ll find them all on our clickable, printable West Seattle Christmas lights map, viewable on the WSB Holidays page, with the nightly features archived here.
We’re going to have to go out and check on the tree situation West Seattle-wide as time permits this afternoon – we figured some things might have changed since we did the research 2 weeks ago for our West Seattle Christmas Tree Price Check (read it here) — and in fact, we just got e-mail from this year’s new addition, the tree lot on Harbor Ave across from the 7-11. Jeff Sullivan wrote (as of half an hour ago):
We just wanted to let you know that we have around 40 or 50 trees left in a variety of shapes & sizes. We still have Noble, grand and douglas firs. All trees are just $20/each!
Merry Christmas to you!
Sincerely,
Jeff Sullivan
Skyline Secure Park
Tonight at 7, Tibbetts United Methodist Church is presenting what its new pastor calls the “Blue Christmas/Longest Night” service. Rev. Dr. Joanne Carlson Brown describes it this way:
No, it is not just an Elvis song. For many people, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year. Maybe someone you loved died this year and this is the first Christmas without them. Maybe you lost someone around Christmas time and the anniversary is painful. Maybe you’ve lost your job or even your faith. Maybe it is just the holidays are way too much to handle. For whatever reason, if you find yourself at odds with the holiday cheer, come spend an hour with others in a time to acknowledge the grief, the sadness, the pain and to find a way to hope. This is a service of readings, prayers and music.
Tibbetts UMC is at 3940 41st SW (that’s 41st/Andover; here’s a map). When we first heard from the pastor about this, and she mentioned having just been appointed, we asked her for a short bio:Read More
Jodi e-mailed WSB (thank you!) about a house in the 4000 block of Fauntleroy, which runs parallel to the end of The Bridge; we hope this is the right one — impossible to see street numbers in the dark, and there are several nicely lit homes on the block, but this one is the brightest, and the photo barely does it justice because there’s a whole lot of blinking and strobing going on. It’s the latest addition to our clickable/printable West Seattle Christmas lights map, linked from the WSB Holidays page and now featuring 28 locations, all around our peninsula, and all also archived here.
First, the 3400 block of Walnut; thanks to Wendy for the tip:
Lots of nicely decorated homes in that general area between Admiral and The Junction, including this one on 42nd north of Spokane – not splashy, just nicely arranged.
We’ve added both these homes to our updated-nightly West Seattle Christmas lights map, which you’ll find on the WSB Holidays page, and you’ll find all featured displays archived here.
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