The journey to 50,000 diapers begins with a single donation (to paraphrase the maxim). The “price” of admission for Saturday’s Recess Monkey show at WestSide Baby‘s White Center donation headquarters was, not surprisingly, diapers, since it was the kickoff to this summer’s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive. WestSide Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland talked about it while introducing the band:
As you heard Nancy say, there are two big differences this year: One is that the actual “Stuff the Bus” day, Sunday, July 24th – four weeks from today – will be at Viking Bank (4022 SW Alaska) instead of the old location alongside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. (But don’t worry, we’re told kids still get to honk the school-bus horn!) Another – the push to have lots of individual diaper drives feeding into the one big day (contact WestSide Baby if you’d like to host one). As explained on the WS Baby site, if they get 50,000 diapers, Huggies will match with 100,000 more. And don’t worry, volunteers are standing by to handle them:
Every package of diapers helps – as the number of kids helped by WestSide Baby continues to grow. WSB is proud to be co-sponsoring “Stuff the Bus” again this year, and we’ll look forward to seeing you in the Viking Bank parking lot 10 am-2 pm on July 24th, diaper donations in tow.
Lots of buzz today about the one-day online-fundraising drive for hundreds of nonprofits around the region, through the Seattle Foundation. Their online list of who’s eligible is overwhelmingly long, but we reviewed it to cull the West Seattle/White Center-based names we recognized, in case you haven’t already found your favorite nonprofit to donate to. And yes, we know many, many, many more groups operate IN this area as part of regional operations – wherever you choose to donate, just donate, regional or local or wherever! Once you see a name, find it on this Seattle Foundation page to get the direct link for their page. List ahead:Read More
Next Tuesday is this year’s Spoke and Food benefit event – to encourage people to bicycle to local restaurants. In West Seattle, Chaco Canyon Organic Café is participating, and in neighboring White Center,Proletariat Pizza is participating. 20 percent of that night’s proceeds from all participants go to the Seattle Tilth Children’s Garden. Both restaurants have bicycle racks, of course! It’s 5-10 pm next Tuesday (June 28).
It’s how many years they’ve been in business, as of tomorrow (Monday, June 20th).
It’s how many locations they have open – though that number will rise soon.
And it’s how many members there are in Full Tilt founders Justin Cline and Ann Magyar‘s household, as of baby Moss‘s arrival 4 months ago – which made today Justin’s first Father’s Day as a dad.
On Monday, Full Tilt celebrates its anniversary by matching all the ice cream you buy that day with an equivalent donation to the White Center Food Bank (which also serves West Seattle, from Gatewood south). It also marks the start of 7-day-a-week operation, since till now, they haven’t been open on Mondays.
But before moving ahead, a look back: June 20, 2008, White Center and block-away West Seattle didn’t really realize an ice-cream phenomenon had just launched in their midst.
Certainly Justin didn’t realize what was going to happen.
(Cindy and new general manager Dan, photographed tonight @ Merrill Gardens-West Seattle)
Some may recall hearing about the USO and its troops-supporting work primarily in the context of past wars. But the USO is very much alive and well and still at work today to help Americans serving in the nation’s military. Right now, Merrill Gardens retirement centers have a companywide series of USO fundraisers under way, and one was held tonight at Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (4611 35th SW in The Triangle) – not just collecting donations, but also including dinner and a performance by the West Seattle Big Band. There’s also a USO fundraiser coming up at Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (which like the 35th SW location is a WSB sponsor) on Saturday, at noon, with lunch and a presentation on the life and times of Eleanor Roosevelt – RSVP to 206.938.3964.
(Photo by Laura Sweany)
The Community Orchard of West Seattle continues taking shape on the north side of the South Seattle Community College campus, and just marked a milestone, according to this report from Patrick Dunn (who’s in the photo above with fellow orchard Steering Committee member Narcissa Nelson):
I’m pleased to report that The Community Orchard of West Seattle delivered its first small harvest of spinach and lettuce to The West Seattle Food Bank (Wednesday) for (that evening’s) distribution. As our newly planted orchard comes of age, this will be the first of many future produce donations to support local food security programs.
Since The Community Orchard broke ground in January at South Seattle Community College, hundreds of neighbors have joined in to sheet mulch the plot, build pathways and trellises, and plant a vast array of edibles. In the process, those neighbors have not only improved the future of our local food security but they’ve also formed a great Orchard community that’s growing right along with the plants.
And we hope to continue meeting more our neighbors through our monthly work parties, socials, and free classes. Next month’s free class on July 16th will be “Tracking Critters in the Urban Garden,” taught by local tracker Pete McGlenn. For more information, please visit: fruitinwestseattle.org
(Our first round of photos from the communitywide LB debut is here)
Story by Stephanie Chacharon
Photos by Christina Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It was really only a matter of time before West Seattle had its own branded beer. Enter Löwman Bräu, a summery Kölsch-style beer that unapologetically boasts: “It’s a West Seattle thing, you wouldn’t understand.”
LB is the hops-filled lovechild of Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) proprietor Jeff Gilbert and master brewer Alejandro Brown of White Center’s Big Al Brewing(both pictured below with Feedback co-owner Matt Johnson). To celebrate the release of this local legend-in-the-making, ten neighborhood bars tapped their kegs at 7 pm Wednesday night — serving up frosty pints that both taste good and do good.
The Feedback Lounge was filled with neighbors bellied up to a pint (or two) of Löwman Bräu, many wearing the beer’s signature t-shirt, created by Modern Dog Design. Proprietor and LB-instigator Jeff greeted guests with a handshake or a cheerily raised glass, calling “Happy Löwman Bräu day!” to the steady crowd in front of the T-shirt table.
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Sure, it was an excuse to drink a brand-new beer. But tonight’s Löwman Bräu launch was about fundraising, too. With so many venues participating, and donating part of the proceeds from this new West Seattle brew, we had two crews out checking in with the events – here’s the first round of photos, from WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen. Top photo, that’s The Bridge co-owner Trevor Garand with dog rescuer Ginger and crew – The Bridge’s beneficiaries are canine charities including hers. Heading south from there, Locöl chose Roxhill Elementary, which had a contingent in a booth:
Behind the bar at Locöl was Shane, who said, “Come to Locöl, drink for kids!”
On Ellen went to White Center, where Big Al Brewing brewed Löwman Bräu – and is donating to the White Center Food Bank, which had a team out on Big Al’s patio (executive director Rick Jump included):
Full Tilt Ice Cream also is benefiting WC Food Bank with its Löwman Bräu sales – and with matching donations from its 3rd-birthday ice-cream sales next Monday, as noted here. One more WC stop – we found Jesse and Aaron at Company, which chose WestSide Baby (as did Shadowland in West Seattle):
Our north/center crew will check in later, including the scoop from Löwman Bräu central at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor). The venues listed here all got an initial shipment of the new brew, so even if you didn’t make it out tonight, ask for it tomorrow and beyond!
The nonprofit Delridge Produce Cooperative has been working for the past few years to find ways to get more fresh food to the supermarket-less stretches of eastern West Seattle – affordably! – and they’re inviting you to come on board for their next move: Forming a Buyers’ Club to buy local, organic food, “in bulk from local farms.” Anyone and everyone interested is invited to come to the club’s first meeting, 7 pm next Tuesday (June 21) at Delridge Community Center. Questions before you leap in? delridgeproducecoop@gmail.com or 206.660.8958.
11:15 AM WEDNESDAY: Galena White from the co-op writes to say they have a new website – so we’ve changed the link above: www.delridgeproducecoop.com
Got fans (young or not-quite-that-young) of The Not-Its and/or Recess Monkey in the house? 2 events ahead:
We recorded The Not-Its last year in The Junction – and this weekend, they’ll be back in West Seattle, in The Triangle. You can see them at the grand opening for Bright Horizons-West Seattle, the new child-care center atLink (which along with Bright Horizons is a WSB sponsor), along 38th between Fauntleroy and Alaska. The open-house event is 10 am-1 pm, with The Not-Its scheduled to perform at noon.
Then one week later – WestSide Baby kicks off this year’s Stuff-the-Bus diaper drive – which has expanded to “50 Drives in 50 Days for 50,000 Diapers” – with a benefit concert by Recess Monkey at the WS Baby donation facility, 10027 14th SW in White Center, 1 pm Saturday, June 25th. Bring diapers or money to donate, and you’re in.
They’re also recruiting people/groups to run diaper drives RIGHT NOW – not just for this year’s Stuff the Bus event (which will be on July 24th at Viking Bank in The Junction), but ASAP, because if they gather 50,000 diapers, they get a 2-for-1 match from Huggies, which means 100,000 more. E-mail shana@westsidebaby.org to talk about being a Diaper Driver. And bring what you can to the Recess Monkey concert on June 25th!
The premiere party for “West Seattle’s own beer,” Löwman Bräu, is 7 pm tomorrow night at venues around West Seattle and White Center – and since ringleader Jeff Gilbert of Feedback Lounge had noted that a percentage of LB sales will benefit local organizations, he’s just sent word of which nonprofits will benefit from sales at which venues:
THE BRIDGE: Dogs For Dogs MISSION: Summer Concerts at Hiawatha SHADOWLAND and COMPANY: WestSide Baby WEST 5: Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum LOCOL: Roxhill Elementary FEEDBACK LOUNGE: West Seattle Helpline EASY STREET: West Seattle Food Bank BIG AL BREWING: White Center Food Bank
During the Saturday night sock-hop fundraiser for West Seattle-based Family Promise of Seattle at Holy Rosary, we talked with board member Lynne Downs about the shelter service’s reopening: She tells WSB they have already helped two homeless families, 11 people in all, just since last Monday, and have met their goal of hiring a case worker.
It’s been a long road back for Family Promise, since their August announcement of a “hiatus” till they could raise enough money to resume operations, but in March, they vowed to reopen in June – and so they have. It’s a nationwide model involving a partnership with organizations (usually churches) that take turns hosting and feeding the families at night, while FP offers a day center and other help so the families can get back on their feet – and in this area, it’s the only place homeless families can stay together (instead of separating to go to men’s/women’s shelters). Miss the fundraiser? You can donate online right now, here.
A local family is hoping you can help find their runaway son – even though that may mean he gets arrested. We talked with the mom of 16-year-old Brody Webster. He ran away more than two weeks ago, and they reported it to police shortly afterward; his mom explains he has a history of running away, but this time, they are more worried than ever about his safety, who he’s with, what he’s up to, and have decided to put up posters and ask widely for help in finding him. He has an arrest warrant, she explains, because he violated terms of a “Youth At Risk” petition (explained here); she says they just want to get him the help he needs. As you can see on the full poster his family is distributing, they ask that you call 911 if you see Brody or know where he might be. He is 5’6″, 110 pounds, brown-haired and blue-eyed, and a West Seattle High Schoolstudent.
When you’ve been going all night – it takes a final push to make it through those final hours. At West Seattle Stadium this morning, a team captain blew bubbles to keep spirits high as the 2011 West Seattle Relay for Life reached its final hour. On the other side of the field, a throwing game had takers:
And special visitors drew attention – Ladder 11 (off-camera, its stationmate from Station 32 in The Junction, Engine 32, was on hand as well):
As we reported last night, organizers say this year’s Relay was bigger than ever – we’ll check in the days ahead for final fundraising totals. At the heart of it all, the fight against cancer – on a large scale, and on a very personal scale, as West Seattle survivor Wendy Weeks told participants just before the Survivor’s Lap launched the event last night:
She has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer for 10 months but is a longtime Relay for Life participant; she said that last year, as she walked past the luminarias lit after dark on Relay night, she could never have imagined that this year, her name would be on one of the bags.
The land’s secured, the design’s finished, the ground’s broken – but there’s work to do to transform the Barton/34th parcel into a real P-Patch. Some stalwart volunteers have been out there every weekend – they can’t do it alone, so they’re asking for help:
Everyone is invited to participate in the building of this community garden. Work Parties are planned for Saturdays (9:30- 3 pm) and Sundays (11-3 pm) throughout the summer.
Upcoming work parties will focus on moving sod, spreading manure, gravel and wood chips, protecting the area around the tree, building a shed kit, retaining walls and curbs, providing refreshments and handing out informational materials regarding the P-Patch program. In addition to general labor, we are seeking volunteers with advanced building and masonry skills to help with specific projects.
Please contact Steering Committee Chair Randee Frost at RandeeF@comcast.net if you
would like to schedule a group to work on a specific day or project.
Or – you can just show up, this weekend and/or any weekend.
The traditional Survivors’ Lap opened tonight’s West Seattle Relay for Life about two hours ago at West Seattle Stadium – and this year, the cancer survivors (in purple T-shirts) had extra company: Their caregivers were invited to walk along, and the survivors/caregivers group was followed by marching student musicians (all or most from Chief Sealth IHS, we believe, led by Denny/Sealth maestro Marcus Pimpleton), starting with the reassuring “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” Before the lap, survivor Wendy Weeks told her story of fighting breast cancer over the past 10 months (we’ll add video later).
WS Relay chair Jilyan Perry and other organizers tell us this is one of the biggest WS Relays yet – more than 230 participants in 26 teams, and so far they’ve collectively raised $36,000 for the American Cancer Society. They have campsites set up around the stadium for the duration.
The rules say each team has to have at least one person on the track at all times between now and the event’s end at mid-morning tomorrow. They have a variety of events planned along the way, and visitors are welcome (except for between 1-5 am). The big event tonight: The luminaria ceremony at 10 pm, with the track lined with luminarias honoring survivors and remembering those who have lost the fight. (If you can’t visit the Relay in person, you can donate online here.)
Host a College Board Chinese teacher and help support the Chinese-language program at West Seattle High and Madison Middle School. In addition to making Chinese language accessible to students, it will also give your family the opportunity to experience firsthand the Chinese culture. The home stay commitment will run ideally from late August and last thru late June; shorter stays may be possible. The home stay would consist of providing a room, meals and access to laundry. The schools will pick up lunch and possibly breakfast during the school year. Our guest teacher, Zhao (Cathy) Ping, will be in her second year working at Madison and will begin her first year at West Seattle High. Cathy is an easy house mate, she is independent, has a great personality, and is outgoing.
For more information, please contact West Seattle at 252-8800 or Madison at 252-9200. You may also e-mail the principals directly.
As you may know, Chief Sealth and Denny have hosted Chinese Guest Teachers through an exchange program with the College Board for the last three and a half years. This has been a great experience for both of our schools, led to the creation of a K-12 Mandarin Chinese program in SPS, and helped us make the connections that resulted in our schools hosting the Confucius Institute for the State of Washington.
Our current Guest Teacher, Mr. Yang Dawei, is returning to China this year after two years of service to us. We are very excited to be welcoming Ms. Xilong Zeng, who also uses the English name of Celine. Ms. Zeng has been teaching English to Chinese secondary students since 1998.
We are in need of a host family for Ms. Zeng to stay with starting on July 28. Ms. Zeng would stay with the host family for all of the 2011-2012 school year. This is a great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and pick up some Mandarin Chinese, while doing a great service for our schools. Hosting the Guest Teacher is much like hosting an exchange student, families are responsible for providing the teachers with a room of their own, including the teachers in family meals, and providing them access to things like a washer and dryer. The teacher will receive a modest salary through the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Confucius Institute, and will be provided a insured car from the schools as transportation.
If you are interested in serving as a host family, or know of someone in West Seattle who would be interested, please have them contact the Chief Sealth Main Office at 252-8850.
Two chances this Saturday night to have nostalgic fun while helping local nonprofits:
FAMILY PROMISE OF SEATTLE: As FP gets back into the business of helping homeless families, they need to raise money to be sustainable, so they’ll never have to go on hiatus again – we reported about the heartbreaking stories of their phone ringing, with nothing they could do to help the families seeking somewhere to stay, together. Saturday night 5-10 pm at the Holy Rosary gym, it’s ’50s-’60s music for a sock hop dance, dinner and auction to benefit Family Promise (which is West Seattle-based) – libby@carrbiz.com or 937-2703 for tickets, $25/person, $40/couple.
(Photo courtesy the John family)
This Saturday, you have a chance to help Joplin, Missouri, tornado victims – without leaving West Seattle. A neighborhood yard sale (4726 50th SW, 9 am-3 pm Saturday) is being organized as a benefit – not only because the organizers want to help, but because they have a personal tie: Their neighbors have family in Joplin. The photo above was shared by those neighbors, Torrey and Steve John, taken during Steve’s recent trip, accompanying his father to help their relatives – here’s his dad:
We asked Torrey for more about their Joplin relatives’ story. Read it after the jump, along with more on the sale – to which you can donate, by the way, even if you can’t shop it on Saturday (they’ll be accepting donated items on Friday):Read More
The summer’s biggest events are approaching fast – among them, the West Seattle Garden Tour, 9 am-5 pm on Sunday, July 17th, with a milestone today: Tickets are now about to go on sale, now that ticket books have just arrived at West Seattle Nursery, and the rest to be available at all designated outlets by this weekend, according to Jane Watson from the WSGT:
The WS ticket outlets are: Junction True Value, West Seattle Nursery, ArtsWest, Metropolitan Market and Village Green Perennial Nursery.
We hope to sell a record number of tickets this year to support our 2011 beneficiaries (Seattle Chinese Garden, Walking on Logs Landscape Restoration Group, West Seattle Tool Library, Nantes Park, Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, Nature Consortium, Lincoln Park P-Patch, and ArtsWest).
11:21 AM: Somewhere around lap 37 of his 60 fundraising laps for Make-A-Wish (explained in our Sunday story), Pathfinder K-8 teacher Lou Cutler had to take a break. For a good reason – a KING 5 TV photojournalist had shown up to interview him and roll a little video as Lou and students ran/walked around the field during his annual fundraiser.
After that, “we’re going to be on channel 5!” was the buzz in the spectator gallery – but shortly, it was back to “How many laps has Lou done?” (There’s an easel where young assistants are diligently marking off each one and shouting his progress as he passes by during each lap.) He told the TV visitor he’s more than halfway to his $6,000 fundraising goal for this year’s run. (If you missed our story – Lou doesn’t just run to raise money for Make-A-Wish, one lap for each year as his 60th birthday approaches; he’s volunteered for them for 15 years and is on the team that grants “rush wishes” – for children who may be in their final days or even final hours, as was the case of little Gracie, to whom this year’s run is dedicated.)
Their online list of who’s eligible is 
It’s how many years they’ve been in business, as of tomorrow (Monday, June 20th).
The premiere party for “West Seattle’s own beer,” Löwman Bräu, is 7 pm tomorrow night at venues around West Seattle and White Center – and since ringleader Jeff Gilbert of 
A local family is hoping you can help find their runaway son – even though that may mean he gets arrested. We talked with the mom of 16-year-old Brody Webster. He ran away more than two weeks ago, and they reported it to police shortly afterward; his mom explains he has a history of running away, but this time, they are more worried than ever about his safety, who he’s with, what he’s up to, and have decided to put up posters and ask widely for help in finding him. He has an arrest warrant, she explains, because he violated terms of a “Youth At Risk” petition (
The summer’s biggest events are approaching fast – among them, the 
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