West Seattle, Washington
21 Friday
The latest random-act-of-holiday-kindness report to land in the WSB inbox is from Michael, who lives near West Seattle High School:
To whoever is leaving candy canes on doors–THANKS!!
My wife found a candy cane on our front door with the message: “Thank you for your lights, we love them!” I don’t believe that this is a new thing in West Seattle but it’s new to us. Nice holiday spirit!
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Jennifer:
Are you alone on Christmas Day and need to burn some humbug energy? Or maybe you just want to get out of the house for an hour and get your daily run on. A small group of us are doing a 10K run along Alki, rain or shine, to raise a few bucks for a friend who is heading to Africa to volunteer for three months in 2011. We’ll meet at 11 am. This is very low key. If interested, e-mail for more details … read30@yahoo.com
Any other activities, let us know; meantime, we are continuing to tweak the list of West Seattle restaurant/coffee shop/grocery store Christmas Eve/Day hours – you can find it here, and it’s linked from our updated-all-season-long West Seattle Holidays page (where you also will find Christmas Eve/Day church services).
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
It’s Christmas Eve-Eve, and you can start the revelry this morning with the Festivus celebration at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) at 10 am … Also in The Junction, 6-9 pm tonight, it’s the final Shop Late Thursday before Christmas (participants are highlighted here, including WSB West Seattle Holiday Shopping Guide sponsors Clementine, Knows Perfume, Click! Design That Fits, and Twilight Artist Collective) … Once you have that afternoon/evening shopping done, animal advocates are ready to wrap it up for you, 4-8 pm at Rocksport (details in this WSB Forums post) … The Admiral Theater‘s annual free Christmas movie is tonight, 7 pm, the Jim Carrey-voiced “A Christmas Carol” – bring a pet item to donate to the Humane Society … Also, one holiday open house – Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor), 9 am-7 pm – and one party, Heartland Café, 7 pm (Facebook invite here).
Caveat, this is a work-in-progress: WSB contributor/researcher Katie Meyer has done a tremendous amount of work to gather the info, but she’s still tying up loose ends, and we’ve still got a lot of links to add. That said, since we’re getting a lot of requests, we’re publishing the first “who’s open in West Seattle on the holiday” take for your reference (the link will remain the same as we tweak). This year, it includes who’s open for groceries, coffee, and/or dining on Christmas Eve and/or Day, so read carefully! And if you have firsthand knowledge of anything different/missing, please comment or e-mail us – thanks.
A few special events on the WSB West Seattle Events and West Seattle Holidays calendars: The monthly Poetrybridge reading/open-mike event at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) is tonight, sign-ups at 6:45 pm, event at 7 (more details here) … Another holiday service specially geared for people in the midst of a “Blue Christmas” because of loss or other challenges, 7 pm at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation … For your holiday shopping needs today/tonight, check out the WSB Holiday Shopping Guide and Coupons pages for deals and special hours; the guide includes sponsor Bin 41‘s wine-tasting event 5:30-7 pm tonight in The Junction … Just got word there are still some trees left, now half-price, at the Holy Rosary Tree Lot, last day, open 11 am-6 pm or till sold out.
(WSB video by Cliff DesPeaux)
Caroling can be a hoot – as that group of neighbors/church friends found out as they serenaded part of High Point last night with a truly merry round of Christmas songs. Thanks to Fred for inviting WSB to follow along for last night’s musical meandering!
The exact moment is 3:38 pm our time today – and from here on out, the days keep getting longer; spring and summer are in view! In addition to the winter-solstice-sunset viewing event we’ve been mentioning with West Seattle-residing NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park (sunset’s around 4:20 pm; if it’s not rainy, you’ll see Alice there by 3:30), two more events from the WSB West Seattle Holidays page, both presented by WSB sponsors: From the Christmastime-services list, Tibbetts United Methodist Church (3940 41st SW) invites you to tonight’s 7 pm Blue Christmas/Longest Night service, “a service for folks for whom this is not the most wonderful time of the year. … Join us for this service of reflection with music, readings and candle lighting to acknowledge the grief and pain and find a ray of hope.” … And at Merrill Gardens at West Seattle (4611 35th SW), the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (trailer above) plays in the theater at 1 pm, free admission and snacks.
First Delridge … then Seaview … tonight we got that video from Timothy in Fairmount Heights of “wassailing” – or maybe you’d call it caroling – in the neighborhood. Any other last-minute holiday haps, let us know … the WSB West Seattle Holidays page is still up and running, including a long list of Christmas Eve/Day church services (let us know if yours isn’t there yet), and we should be adding the Christmas Eve/Day restaurants/coffee “who’ll be open” info tomorrow.
Still need a Christmas tree? Holy Rosary just sent word that all its remaining trees are on sale as of today – half price, which means prices now range from $10 to $47.50 (with 15 percent of the price going to local charities). According to Holy Rosary Tree Lot chair Refawne Acarregui, “We have great inventory to choose from (that were just cut and delivered on 12/15). Lots of Doug Firs, Noble Firs and Grand Firs to choose from.” The lot is open 3:30-9 pm today and tomorrow, 11 am to 6 pm (or earlier if all trees are gone) on Wednesday. Remember it’s at 41st SW/SW Dakota (map) this year, between the north side of the school building and the south side of the playground, since their old site behind Admiral Safeway is now a construction zone.
We published this photo to Twitter and Facebook earlier in hopes someone might shine a little light onto our mysterious motorcycle Santa Claus sighting this afternoon, but nothing definitive yet, so we’re casting a wider net. He rode southbound on California till its dead-end south of Thistle, then turned around and headed back northbound, which is when we managed the iPhone photo. Anyone get their presents early?
P.S. Side note in the holiday-cheer department: Thumbs-up for the Seaview carolers who serenaded their neighbors tonight. Your editor here happened to be visiting friends when the carolers stopped by for a song, and it was charming (as were the Delridge carolers we covered on Friday).
Another story of holiday giving tonight, this one shared by Mike Jensen:
Every December for the last 15 years, Hope Church and School has quietly been making the Holidays brighter for children and families in West Seattle.
This year the Hope Community donated gifts that touched more than 350 local kids, as well as many of their parents, that otherwise would likely not have gifts at Christmas. In addition, the Hope Community generously donated items to men from the Lutheran Compass Center as well as various Hope members and shut-ins.
But they didn’t stop there. More than 500 gifts were collected to send to mission teams in Mexico where even something as simple as a blanket is as precious as a new toy. Mary Anne DeVry, Hope’s Director of Human Care Ministries, has spearheaded the Holiday giving effort all of these years and is continually amazed at the generosity and outpouring of support from the congregation and the community.
“This response is really beyond what human beings do – as a church, we don’t have funds to buy all of these gifts, but they just pour in,” said Mary Anne. “This showing is the true meaning of Christmas, that God loves his people so much that he sent this son, but also sends his care in the form of blankets, bicycles and books!”
While this Christmas-giving season is winding down, Mary Anne encourages anyone that wants to be a part of this experience in the future to contact the Hope Church office at 206-937-9330.
We have more giving opportunities listed on the West Seattle Holidays page.
After a midday sojourn in The Junction, we wandered north to Admiral to check in on two of the shops open this afternoon. Above, looking up to dad Kent, is Quinn, one of the namesakes of Max and Quinn’s Atomic Boys Shop-O-Rama, open for a “bonus day” of shopping till 5 today. We asked what’s hot this holiday season – one answer, these robot bugs:
Atomic Boys is at 4311 SW Admiral Way, just around the corner (westbound) from Alki Bike and Board, which is also featured in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Shopping Guide. They’re open till 5 today as well, and as proprietor Stu Hennessey notes, a lot bigger on the inside than you’d guess from the outside – plenty of room to chat as well as browse:
Alki Bike and Board is at 2606 California SW. To the south – if you’ve got presents to wrap and/or pets to buy gifts for – Beveridge Place Pub is the place:
Animal-advocacy volunteers from F3 and AARF are wrapping till 6 and also selling handmade pet beds and pre-filled dog stockings (6413 California SW). Back in The Junction, where we spent time earlier, Lisa from CAPERS shares a photo of one of her store’s annual holiday traditions, the Giving Tree for Hickman House. Still some cards on the tree; don’t let them go present-less:
Tomorrow’s the deadline for presents to be returned for the CAPERS tree. And one more reminder that Santa photos in The Junction and at Westwood Village are continuing till 4 this afternoon!
Need a break from the brilliant sunshine? Santa Claus is ready to meet you for a photo at Donna Ryan Photography in The Junction (4218 SW Alaska), part of Hometown Holidays (co-sponsored by WSB), with today’s $15 donation going to the West Seattle Food Bank. That’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Junior Court Queen Taylor Nichols assisting Santa today; also on hand, Pete Spalding from the food bank’s board. Kitty-corner from Santa and friends, you’ll find the stop for the free mule-drawn carriage rides taking you on a quick tour of The Junction:
And that’s right next to where we found PTSA president Lashanna Williams and principal David Dockendorf from Pathfinder K-8, in the Hometown Holidays HQ tent:
Today the tent is more a refuge from sunshine — just a week ago, we were enduring record rain! Though the Pathfinder wreaths are sold out, they’re still offering facepainting (adults as well as kids) and hot cocoa. Santa and Hometown Holidays HQ will be here till FOUR PM today, we are assured. The Farmers’ Market is on till 2 pm, as usual – among the folks you’ll find, Sustainable West Seattle and the West Seattle Tool Library team, who had planned to demonstrate the difference in energy usage between old-fashioned Christmas lights and LEDs. Even if you didn’t catch that, they’re selling gift memberships to the Tool Library – they’re on the northeast edge of the market. P.S. Here’s another perspective of West Seattle this clear-sky day, from local reporter (and occasional WSB contributing journalist) Johnathon Fitzpatrick, who happens to be flying south:
At the West Seattle Farmers’ Market within the past hour, Tammy Teachout, widow of Brian Teachout – who died at 46 after surgery for an injury suffered while hanging Christmas lights – was moved to tears. She stood by and watched as local glass artist Brad Burzynski and his family sold newly created blown-glass ornaments to raise money to help her family. The Burzynskis started selling the ornaments at 10 am; within 10 minutes, 23 of the 30 ornaments were already taken, some for far far more than the $20 donation requested, and they were all gone in less than an hour. During a break in the rush, Brad stepped back for a quick pose, with daughter:
Tammy Teachout told us her husband’s memorial on Friday was standing room only; also, she went last night to see the Helmstetler Family Spectacular Christmas lights at 3908 SW Charlestown, which is giving all donations from the past two nights and tonight to her family. If you didn’t get an ornament and can’t see the lights but still want to help her and their three children, there’s information in our original story.
ADDED 12:06 PM: Brad sent word of the final tally:
Thanks to the wonderful people of West Seattle (and Poulsbo) for raising $1085 for the Teachout family! Amazing and heartwarming!
(12/5/10 WSB photo)
IN THE JUNCTION: Today’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market promises not only its usual tastiness 10 am-2 pm, but also live music 10-11:30 am and a West Seattle Tool Library demonstration at noon, according to market management. Also at/around the Farmers’ Market, the blown-glass ornaments created by Brad Burzynski to raise money for Brian Teachout‘s family (explained here) will go on sale at 10 am – get ’em while they last. At 11 am, the Hometown Holidays festivities begin – Santa photos at Donna Ryan Photography, 4218 SW Alaska – this week’s $15 donation goes to the West Seattle Food Bank; mule-drawn carriage rides (line up at the KeyBank corner of California/Alaska); also at that corner, treats and more at the headquarters for Hometown Holidays, presented by the West Seattle Junction Association (with co-sponsors including WSB).
HOLIDAY SHOPPING ALL OVER WEST SEATTLE: Since this is the last weekend shopping day before Christmas, your local West Seattle merchants await you all over the peninsula! In the Admiral District, for example, the toy/novelty/retro shop Atomic Boys (4311 SW Admiral) is OPEN today for a “bonus day” of holiday shopping, 11 am-5 pm. Atomic Boys is part of WSB’s first-ever Holiday Shopping Guide; while you’re in the Admiral District, stop by nearby Alki Bike and Board (open noon-5 today). South of Admiral, Skin Care by Casey is also open 9-6 today (3272 California SW) especially for shoppers; further south at 3727 California SW, stop by Budget Cuts for a special prepaid-haircut deal. Also in the guide: Avalon Glassworks in the Luna Park district (bring food-bank donations for discounts – $1 for each item, up to a $10 discount!). And in The Junction, the 11 stores you’ll find in the guide include Funky Jane’s Consignment with a Sunday sale; Clementine with daily deals; Click! Design That Fits has gift suggestions you can check out online before stopping in; today’s the last day of the toy drive for Treehouse at Twilight Artist Collective; looking for cellular presents? Sound Advice is OPEN today with special holiday hours, noon-5 pm … In The Triangle, Mountain to Sound Outfitters (in the guide with its Seattle Ski Shuttle) is open 11 am-5 pm today … That’s just a sample; check out all the deals and other holiday info here – and if there’s anything you want to save for a reminder, each business’s listing can be shared individually via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc., using the Share This icon. … Also of note: If you’re shopping Westwood Village today, it’s Santa’s last day there too, noon-4 pm, bring a food bank or diaper donation for your photo!
ALSO HAPPENING TODAY: Want somebody else to wrap your presents? Local animal advocates are at it again today, wrapping for donations 1-5 pm at Beveridge Place Pub … Also from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Events page, local churches have special events including the West Seattle Eagles Band in concert at 11:30 am with a potluck at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), a Moravian Lovefeast (explained on the page) at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 4 pm, a special dessert-theater production by Taproot Theater at West Seattle Christian Church tonight (5:30 pm) … Got room in your heart for a furry friend? Kitty Harbor‘s final day open till next June is 1-6 pm today.
(January 1, 2010, WSB video by Christopher Boffoli)
That’s our video from last year’s New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim on Alki. Here’s this year’s announcement, just out of the WSB inbox this morning:
Come wash away the challenges of 2010 and bathe in the unlimited opportunities that 2011 brings to our lives by joining the West Seattle/White Center Polar Bear Swim this January 1, 2011 at 10:00 on Alki Beach.
Bring a suit, towel, slippers and dry clothes to put on after the swim. Over 75 of us gather each year at Alki Beach for our annual ceremony. (and it gets bigger each year!). We all hold hands in a long line, and run into Puget Sound together. It is great fun and not nearly as cold as one would think. And it makes the water a lot warmer when everyone runs in together holding hands. It is a grand time and the children have the most fun of all. Hot chocolate will be provided. We guarantee that this will help you get a great start on a new year filled with happiness, opportunity, love and adventure. If you are healthy, be brave! Come join the crowd. 10:00 am January 1, 2011 – Alki Beach across from Duke’s.
Questions:
Mark Ufkes (206) 595-7124
markufkes@comcast.net
When Banda Vagos took the stage at Denny International Middle School last night toward the end of Denny’s first-ever Posada Navideña holiday celebration, teacher Roxana Amaral had extra reasons to be proud. Not only did she help organize the Posada, with lots and lots of volunteers also part of hte effort, she explained regarding the band: “That’s my family.” Doubtless there were some among the estimated 150 attendees who hadn’t heard the rollicking banda style of Mexican music before – and that would be part of the event’s success, according to Denny principal Jeff Clark, seen here with some of the many volunteers and organizers:
Clark stressed, talking with us during the three-hour celebration, that it was more of what an “international” school is about – celebrating a culture’s rich traditions, with participants of many cultures. One big hit, literally, was the piñata-whacking right after the potluck dinner:
To avoid too much of a crazy scramble once the piñata was finally open, candy was handed out in a somewhat-more-orderly fashion. Raffle prizes were announced from the stage, by Amaral and young helpers:
(Amaral leads Proyecto Saber (explained here) at Denny.) In addition to the prizes, food, labor, and entertainment for the night also were donated, all to make it a more successful fundraiser for the Denny PTSA. That entertainment, incidentally, included mariachi music from Mariachi Seattle Azteca as well as the aforementioned banda group:
While we didn’t get there early enough for a look at the many traditional Mexican dishes brought for the potluck, the desserts remained in abundance:
Organizers hope the Posada will become an annual tradition for Denny – and if they do indeed have it again next year, they’ll be in the school’s brand-new building, getting close to completion on the Chief Sealth International High School campus across the street – with move-in scheduled immediately after this school year ends, so that, according to principal Clark, summer programs can be held in the new building and many members of the Denny community will be quite well acclimated to it by the time next school year starts in September 2011.
About 20 people added their voices to a cheery mix tonight in what organizers hope will be a new annual tradition: Delridge caroling. They set out from Greg Davis Park in North Delridge and serenaded neighbors along the way. And they had warm beverages too – Karrie Kohlhaas explained the ingenious wagon-borne setup:
Still plenty of holiday happenings around West Seattle this weekend – the updated lists, grouped by activity type, are on our Holidays page.
With just one week till Christmas Eve, we checked out four West Seattle holiday events tonight. First: Bakery Nouveau‘s open house in The Junction – packed house, of course, but then again, that happens most regular days too. The renowned bakery’s two-hour event offered holiday-treat samples and the chance to place pre-orders (which they’re taking till next Tuesday, according to the BN Facebook page). Over in the Admiral District, the party’s still under way at Admiral Pub, where they’re playing poker, celebrating “ugly sweaters,” and most important of all, collecting diapers – Adele explained it for us on video:
As Adele mentioned, Admiral Pub is collecting diapers through the end of the month – about three-fourths of the way to the 6,000-diaper goal as the night began, but you can bet they’d love nothing more than to far exceed the goal, so drop off diapers there even if you can’t make it to tonight’s festivities.
Beautiful day so far – clear sky, Olympics, Cascades, and Mount Rainier out in all their splendor. Reminder that school’s out early, one hour for Seattle Public Schools, independent schools vary. Also today/tonight: The Admiral Pub‘s diaper drive (featured on KING 5 – see clip above) goes big with an “ugly sweater” holiday party/poker tournament tonight, 7 pm – bring diapers for WestSide Baby; they’re more than halfway to their goal of 6,000 … Also in the Admiral District, West Seattle-based (and nationally acclaimed) food writer Kim O’Donnel signs her “Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook” at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor), 5-7 pm … In The Junction, it’s Bakery Nouveau‘s holiday open house, 4-6 pm, and wine tasting with Walla Walla’s Corliss Cellars at Bin 41 (WSB sponsor), 5:30-7 pm, plus Howden-Kennedy‘s annual memorial service/community open house, 5:30-8 pm … At the beach, it’s the last Friday night skating session of the year at Alki Community Center, 6:45-8:45 pm (they’re taking Christmas Eve/New Year’s Eve off) … Vaudeville with Matt Baker tonight at Kenyon Hall, 7:30 pm (reservations by e-mail at kenyonhall@earthlink.net ) … Go make your own music, caroling in Delridge! Meet at 7 pm at Greg Davis Park (26th/Brandon) … If you’re shopping for a Christmas tree this weekend, check out our 5th annual West Seattle tree-lot price survey. Have a great day!
Thanks to Westside School (WSB sponsor) for sharing photos of a big event today – for the fourth consecutive year, Westside kindergarteners hosted the holiday toy drive for Toys for Tots, and their toys/books/bikes/pillows collection was bigger than ever! Above, the proud kindergarteners; the picture below was taken a few hours later as firefighters from the new, nearby Station 37 received the donated toys:
If you can give toys – a number of drives continue – at Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction, they’re collecting for foster kids via Treehouse; at every West Seattle community center (“like” them all together on Facebook!) they’ve got a drive under way; and of course, there are your local firehouses. More giving opportunities on the WSB West Seattle Holidays page.
You made suggestions – and now the decision’s in. Just received from the Admiral Theater, word that the free Christmas movie at 7 pm next Thursday (December 23) will be Jim Carrey‘s 2009 animated version of “A Christmas Carol.” Carrey is the voice of Scrooge as well as the three ghosts who visit him. The “free” admission is qualified, as Dinah from The Admiral reminds us:
Remember, we are doing this as a benefit for the Humane Society. Statistics prove that animals are a good Xmas gift only to be brought back after the holidays. That’s when animal shelters see a large jump in attendance. So before you get your Jingle Bells on, you MUST bring something from the list below to the theater:
Animal crates (all sizes)
Premium dog & cat food
toys
bedding
collars
leashes
brushes
shampoo’s
warm blankets
and a new Prius (okay, that’s for me)Can’t wait to see you there!
Mrs. Claus (Dinah)
Never been to The Admiral? No! Well, maybe you’re new. California SW just north of Admiral Way.
Three quick notes previewing tonight: Shop local and shop late! It’s the second-to-last Shop Late Thursday in The Junction, with some stores open till 9 pm – see the list of participants here; four (Clementine, Click! Design That Fits, knows perfume, Twilight Artist Collective) also have deals/info featured in our Holiday Shopping Guide. … West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School face off in basketball tonight – junior-varsity boys at 4:45 pm, varsity girls at 6:15 pm, varsity boys at 8, at WSHS … At CSIHS tonight, it’s the music program’s Winter Concert, 7 pm in the auditorium … Reminder: For most if not all local schools, private as well as public, tomorrow’s the last day before winter break; for Seattle Public Schools, classes get out an hour early on Friday.
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