West Seattle, Washington
15 Saturday
Need Valentine flowers? Fleurt (WSB sponsor) in The Junction is still taking Valentine’s Day orders, and will be open extended hours tomorrow – 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. From left in our photo, you see Fleurt’s Tiffany, proprietor Sam, and Devon, who are still on cloud 9 after Fleurt was crowned the city’s “Best Flower and Garden Shop” by Seattle Magazine. As noted recently on the West Seattle Junction Association website, Fleurt offers gift options way beyond flowers, too. Find Fleurt at 4536 California SW.
(2011 egg hunt at Hiawatha; photo by Jason Grotelueschen)
If your family is among those who preferred the traditional center-by-center Easter-egg hunts at West Seattle’s city-run community centers – after one year away, they’re back this year. We noticed in the multi-center catalog, while previewing today’s Hiawatha pancake breakfast, that each center is listed as having its own egg hunt, all at 10 am Saturday, March 30. (Last year the centers experimented by joining forces for one huge regional event at Southwest Athletic Complex.) P.S. We’re building our list of spring-holiday events already – if your organization, business, church, etc., has something to add, be sure to get us the info as early as possible – thanks!
Unique way to spend the evening on Valentine’s Day – running a 5K course in West Seattle to raise money to fight human trafficking. You even have your choice of groups with whom to run – the Valentine’s Day “lovers” or Valentine’s Day “haters,” two separate courses, and at the end, a big afterparty. Here’s the announcement we just received from organizers of the Cupid 5K:
This Valentine’s day, join us for a night of adventure through the streets of West Seattle as we race to end human trafficking. Fetch Fitness, Starbucks Coffee, K2 Sports and ExOfficio present the 1st annual Cupid 5K, a costumed urban race on Valentine’s Night. Every cent we raise goes straight to the A21 Campaign, fighing sex trafficking & modern-day slavery. No, we’re not crazy, we’re just crazy serious about this amazing cause.
The racers break into two teams – Lovers and Haters – and take alternate routes to get to all of the checkpoints in a mad dash to the finish line. To make things more interesting, participants must do their best to dodge ‘Cupid’s grasp,’ Cupid 5K staff who will be in pursuit during the race. The evening culminates in two amazing after-parties, complete with prizes.
Both groups meet up at 7 pm at the Alki Statue of Liberty located at 1702 Alki Ave SW. The race winds through the gorgeous streets and parks of West Seattle’s historic Admiral District and Alki Beach communities. Early check-in is available on location 2 hours before the race. While the two teams ‘Lovers’ & ‘Haters’ run different routes, we all begin and end at the same start & finish line. After the race, Lovers will reconvene at Alki Starbucks and Haters will stroll over to the historic Celtic Swell. Afterparty tickets are included in the cost of entry.
Registration is $36. To register, or for more information on either the Cupid 5K or the A21 Campaign, please visit Cupid5K.com.
It would have taken an impossibly high tide to carry that crab pot to where it was found during this afternoon’s West Seattle Spokespeople-organized cleanup under the bridge. That’s the most unusual item they’d found when we stopped by midway through the cleanup.
It was a multi-generational cleanup – Theresa and her daughter were among those out along the bike path, photographed near the West Marginal Place access point:
Tools for the cleanup were provided by the West Seattle Tool Library.
Monday is a federal holiday to commemorate the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – here’s what’s closed/changed (and what’s not):
SCHOOLS: Closed.
TRANSIT: Metro is on a reduced-weekday schedule; Sound Transit buses are on a regular schedule. The Water Taxi will NOT run. Washington State Ferries are on their regular weekday schedule.
GOVERNMENT OFFICES/FACILITIES: Mostly closed – including all Seattle Public Library locations.
TRASH/RECYCLING/YARD WASTE PICKUP: Normal service, and transfer stations are open.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: Holiday – no delivery, etc.
BANKS: Holiday.
PARKING HOLIDAY: Yes, for spaces with the City of Seattle’s pay stations/meters.
MLK DAY OF SERVICE: We’ve highlighted two events – the Nature Consortium work party and the West Seattle Spokespeople under-the-bridge cleanup. Anyone in need of volunteers tomorrow? Let us know with a comment or e-mail and we’d be glad to add the mention.
OFFICIAL CELEBRATION: Not in West Seattle but not far – rally, march, workshops; details here.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
As the first day of 2013 comes to an end, a closer look at some of the people who started it with a brisk tradition – West Seattle’s annual Polar Bear Swim on Alki. Though hundreds dashed into Puget Sound together, for each one, it was a very personal type of triumph. Above, Andrew Kurtz‘s fist-pump; next, Lisa Hayden‘s spirited wave as she emerged:
Charlie Duncan and Steve Douglas were pumped up even before they went in:
More of WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams‘ Polar Bear Swim scenes – before, during, and after – ahead:
Sunny again this year for West Seattle’s traditional Polar Bear Swim on Alki – with hundreds heading into the xx-degree water for at least a quick dunk. Our first report features community-contributed photos – above, by David Christensen, who explained that his wife “decided this was the year to join the polar bear plunge. … It was 32 F at the time.” (Water temperature in the 40s.) Next, from Russ Walker‘s Flickr gallery, what happens AFTER everybody runs into the water:
And another scenic view of swimmers on the run back to the beach, courtesy of Pat Binns:
Also, Andrew Jacobs was there for the first time, and just e-mailed to let us know you can see his splashy – literally – photos here. Thanks, all, for sharing (and if anyone else wants to add to this roundup, editor@westseattleblog.com)! Meantime, contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there on assignment for WSB, and you’ll see his work in report #2 later today. Happy sunny start to 2013!
What a way to start the year – sunshine! If you are looking for our lists of restaurants/coffee shops open today/tonight, they’re on the Holiday Guide page, along with what else is up today, and atop the “Big Stories” list over on the sidebar. Metro is on a Sunday schedule; no Water Taxi. Then tomorrow, everything starts creaking back toward full speed again (except schools – most don’t resume till Monday).
(Photo by Nick Adams)
From anywhere it was in view, the Space Needle held all in thrall for seven minutes as 2013 arrived.
(Photo by Nick Adams)
No rain, no fog, just chilly air and cheers as fireworks of many colors blossomed in the New Year’s first moments.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
The end of 2012 meant the end of the Needle’s 50th anniversary year.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
The fireworks tradition, meantime, is in its 3rd decade, having begun in 1992.
(Photo by Nick Adams)
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
It’s not loud – and no explosives are involved – but the Highland Park Improvement Club‘s New Year’s Eve “Sage Comet” always puts the fireworks to shame. That’s Chris Huson spinning the briefly blazing display tonight outside HPIC, following the fourth annual “Not-So-Silent Night Parade“:
Highland Park’s big party is actually still under way right now – since midnight hasn’t arrived yet – with a special edition of HPIC’s “Corner Bar,” which usually happens the first Friday of the month – and you’re welcome to go join the fun at 12th/Holden:
Meantime, more of WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams‘ photos from the parade and show that started the night are ahead:
We like to think of the end of the year as a time to look ahead more than to look back. But one particular year-in-review list has become a tradition here on WSB – the “most-commented-on” stories of the year. The 2012 top 10 is actually the top 11, because of a tie at numbers 5/6 (depending on which way you’re counting). Here’s the countdown:
10. FIRST WEEKDAY COMMUTE WITH RAPIDRIDE AND RESTRUCTURING – 139 comments – October 1, 2012
First weekday after Metro launched the RapidRide C Line and a fleet of “restructuring” changes on other routes.
9. ICY THURSDAY, AFTERNOON UPDATES – 141 comments – January 19, 2012
Wintry weather always means lots of WSB commenters sharing information to help each other stay safe.
8. GOAPE ZIPLINE PROPOSAL SCRAPPED – 142 comments – July 11, 2012
The day after hundreds crowded into a special Fauntleroy Community Association meeting to hear for the first time from Seattle Parks about a proposal to allow a commercial zipline/ropes course attraction in Lincoln Park – and to almost unanimously decry it – Parks announced it was shelved.
7. LAFAYETTE PRINCIPAL EXPLAINS NO-COSTUMES-ON-HALLOWEEN DECISION – 143 comments – October 16, 2012
Lafayette Elementary didn’t ban Halloween and didn’t ban costumes. But the staff did decide not to allow costumes on Halloween itself (a shortened school day), and that led to much discussion, plus an explanation from the principal.
6. OCCUPY WEST SEATTLE ANNOUNCES WEST SEATTLE RALLY – 145 comments – March 12, 2012
We published Occupy West Seattle’s first announcement of a rally/protest – targeting Chase Bank in The Junction. Much discussion followed (the event itself was relatively low-key).
It’s a tradition at Providence Mount St. Vincent – West Seattle’s earliest New Year celebration. So early, it just wrapped up, nine hours before 2013’s local arrival. Among the revelers, Gwen:
Gwen has seen more than 80 new years arrive, we learned, and is looking forward to another one. While we couldn’t stay for the whole thing, we were told they were expecting to wrap up by dancing to the song for which 2012 will be remembered (bet you can guess which one).
Popular question for these days between Christmas and New Year’s: Where/how to recycle no-longer-needed lights and/or the done-for-the-season tree? We just got two new answers to the latter. But first, the former:
RECYCLING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Thanks to Victoria for sending this link to KING 5‘s list of locations – while it starts off with details about a mostly Tacoma-centered program, it includes a mention that McLendon Hardware is recycling lights this year, and that means you don’t have to go far; they’re at 16th/102nd in White Center.
MORE OPTIONS FOR RECYCLING CHRISTMAS TREES: We’ve mentioned the city’s how-to a couple times, for curbside pickup or transfer-station dropoff. Just in, two other options: First, the West Seattle Rainbow Girls are again recycling trees by donation at the Masonic Hall in The Junction (40th/Edmunds), this Saturday (January 5), 10 am-2 pm. Second, Dreamscapes Landscaping owner Jacob Ford says he’ll pick your tree up for free in West Seattle – he mulches the branches and “makes things out of” the rest. 206-412-7707.
(1/1/12 Needle fireworks, photographed by David Hutchinson)
You already know about the midnight fireworks – visible from anywhere there’s a view of the Space Needle, or from anywhere there’s a screen (via KING 5). But long before we get to midnight – here are three things you can do BEFORE your late-night celebration of choice:
NEW YEAR’S EVE WALK: The Emerald City Wanderers have again organized “healthy, scenic walks” for tonight and tomorrow. Both start from St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (California/Hanford, just south of West Seattle High School) and you can start any time between 4 and 7 pm today, 9 am-noon tomorrow. No charge, no competition, just show up and find out about the routes (different 5K and 10K routes each day).
LABYRINTH WALK: 6-8 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), in the Vashon Room (enter through the lower-level door off the parking lot on the west side of Fauntleroy Schoolhouse). Suggested $5 donation benefits the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse capital campaign. More info here.
NOT-SO-SILENT NIGHT PARADE, AND MORE: At 6 pm, the annual New Year’s Eve noisemaking parade takes off from the Highland Park Improvement Club, strolling through nearby – followed by the “Sage Comet” in the parking lot, and then indoors, new for this year, starting around 7, a special New Year’s Eve edition of the all-ages Corner Bar.
For the late-night parties, etc. – see the Holiday Guide!
The latest edition of the New Year’s Eve/Day list in the WSB Holiday Guide includes a newly added option to get moving on the first day of the year: Wise Orchid Martial Arts‘ free
Qigong/Tai-Chi class, 9 am Tuesday at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Other get-moving options on the list: 24-Hour Fitness in Westwood Village has a free Zumba/bootcamp event New Year’s Eve, Center Studio is offering a “Intention Practice to Welcome 2013” class at 2 pm New Year’s Day afternoon, plus the morning Polar Bear Swim on Alki, NYE and NYD walks, lots more … find the updated New Year’s Eve/Day list in the Holiday Guide (which also links to the lists we’ve compiled of restaurants/coffee shops/grocery stores’ hours for NYE and NYD).
Ben e-mailed today to ask, “Where/when do we take our Christmas trees to be removed? Will the city pick them up?” The info is in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, but for expediency’s sake, here’s the bottom line: Between now and January 13, you can put your tree out for curbside pickup OR take it to the transfer station (nearest one is in South Park). If it’s taller than six feet, you need to cut it to that length before putting it out for curbside pickup – or take it to the transfer station, where it can be intact up to eight feet tall. The city’s full how-to is here. P.S. Also remember, if you have Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday trash/recycling/yard-waste/etc. pickup, it’ll be on one-day delay again this week because of the holiday – Tuesday pickup will be on Wednesday, and so on. Then it’s all back to normal the week of January 7th.
(Fauntleroy Fall Festival 2012 photo of The Hall’s labyrinth, by Nick Adams for WSB)
Another unique New Year’s Eve event in West Seattle: The Hall at Fauntleroy‘s Labyrinth Walk (see the flyer here). It’s 6-8 pm Monday in The Hall’s space on the south side of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW). The suggested donation, $5/person ($20/family if 4 or more), is to benefit the “Raise the Roof” capital campaign for the schoolhouse (now a nonprofit-owned community facility that’s had $1 million-plus in repairs, such as roof work, to deal with). To find out more about the labyrinth itself, go here.
(The Labyrinth Walk is one of many New Year’s Eve/Day West Seattle/White Center events spotlighted in the WSB Holiday Guide (where you’ll also find the lists of restaurants/coffee shops/grocery stores open on NYE and/or NYD) – more to be added if you let us know what we’re missing!)
(New Year’s Eve 2011 video by Randall G. Hauk for WSB)
For the past three New Year’s Eves, the Highland Park “Not-So-Silent Night Parade” has been West Seattle’s liveliest all-ages way to ring (and drum, and shout…) out the old year. We knew a fourth annual parade was in the works, followed by the “Sage Comet,” but now we know what else is in store at the Highland Park Improvement Club next Monday night – starting shortly after 7 pm, the first-ever New Year’s Eve “Corner Bar” :
Live music from
Sedagive: eclectic, centering around rock, roots rock, classic stuff
Justin Hoffman: original folk rock with a reggae punch
Woody Moses & friends: jam session, starting around 11 pm until after midnight. Anyone who’s interested is welcome to sit in.Your favorite local beer on tap, wine by the glass and the return of the awesome Sangria – all for $3 each. Non-alcoholic drinks $1 each. Peanuts and pretzels for all! Champagne toast at midnight. No cover charge – but bring some dollars to support the bands.
P.S. For the parade, HPIC reminds everybody, “Bring noisemakers, flashlights, lanterns, umbrellas – whatever is necessary! Parade starts when everyone is ready!” (Around 6 pm – 12th and Holden.)
P.P.S. More New Year’s Eve/Day events in the WSB Holiday Guide!
(New Year’s 2011 Space Needle fireworks photographed from West Seattle by Cnellis Photography)
Now that Christmas is past, it’s time to get serious about New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – next Monday and Tuesday. So we’re making sure you know that events for both occasions are listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, which we’ve been updating all season long since before Thanksgiving; NYE/NYD is at the top of the page now – and there’s room for more! If you’re presenting – or know of – an open-to-the-public event for either NYE/NYD that isn’t listed there yet, please let us know so we can add it – editor@westseattleblog.com. (That goes for community groups as well as businesses – if it’s a special event, party, gala dinner menu, etc., send the basic info along! Special church services, too. Thanks!)
Heard all those classic holiday favorites way too many times by now? Here are a few more holiday selections – recorded in West Seattle. Above, Belles and Beaux performing “Carol of the Wise Men” at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) earlier this month – you can find other seasonal performances on the Tibbetts YouTube channel (choral, keyboard, more). Meantime, we also happened onto 4th graders from Hope Lutheran School with a simple, short and sweet version of “Jingle Bells” :
(Decorated boats accompanying the Christmas Ship at Lowman Beach, 12/8/12; photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
Merry Christmas! Here’s some info we hope will be helpful on this holiday:
TRANSIT: Metro’s on a Sunday schedule; no Water Taxi; the Fauntleroy state-ferry route is on a 2-boat schedule.
TRASH/RECYCLING ON ONE-DAY DELAY: No pickup today – everything for the rest of the week is on one-day delay, so if you usually have Tuesday service, it’s tomorrow instead.
COFFEE SHOPS OPEN TODAY: Condensed from our full holiday list, here’s who told us they’d be open today:
Alki Juice and Java: 9 am– 2 pm
Caffé Delia (WSB sponsor): 9 am–12 pm
Caffé Ladro: 7 am–12 pm
Café Rozella: 8 am–2 pm
Diva Espresso: 8 am–1 pm
Freshy’s Coffee: 8 am–2 pm
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor): 8 am–2 pm
Red Cup Espresso: 8 am–12 pm
Starbucks Admiral, Morgan Junction, 35th/Fauntleroy: 7 am–4 pm
Tully’s on Alki: 6 am–6 pm
RESTAURANTS OPEN TODAY: 13 told us they would be open today/tonight. Find them on our holiday restaurant-hours list.
GROCERY STORES OPEN TODAY: QFC and Safeway are open today – hours are on our holiday list.
CHURCH SERVICES: There are four Christmas Day services on our holiday list – see it here.
MOVIES: West Seattle’s Admiral Theater is open this afternoon/evening – here’s the schedule
WEST SEATTLE LIGHTS: The music-synched lights at 39th/Charlestown will run till midnight tonight – full schedule (and song lists) here.
NEWS: WSB never closes. Hoping for a quiet day, but if you see/hear news, text/call as always, any time – 206-293-6302 – or, if it’s not urgent, e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Santa is real. (We explained why we believe, in our own way, toward the end of the very first thing we ever published on WSB, exactly seven years ago.) Of course, there are doubters. The concept is explored charmingly in West Seattle independent video producer/animator Heather Arment‘s video, shared above.
Out of the WSB inbox, from a West Seattle resident:
Earlier today my husband was recipient of a random act of kindness; he found a card underneath his windshield wipers, inside was crisp new $10.00 bill with note that said “A random act to honor one of the 26 lost in Connecticut. Kindness and compassion are the antidote. Please, if you can, pay it forward. ”
I thought it was so cool, that it made my day. I hope it will do the same for you. Merry Christmas!
The e-mail doesn’t say where exactly this happened – but that really doesn’t matter, in this case.
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