West Seattle, Washington
10 Friday
Tonight’s the first of five public meetings (all listed here) the city’s holding to discuss the new Youth and Families Initiative. The fourth one is in West Seattle, 7 pm March 15 at Denny International Middle School, but in the meantime, Mayor Mike McGinn‘s staff has taken the unusual step of sending code for an embeddable form you can use RIGHT NOW to let them know what you think:
The information you submit, by the way, does NOT go to us – while we’re embedding the form, it’s hosted on another website, and everything goes straight to them (we just tested it to make sure it works).
Our video shows the scene inside the Alaska Marine Lines loading dock on West Marginal Way SW this morning – about two hours after West Seattle’s 30,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies arrived, and about two hours before they were all scheduled to be gone, picked up by reps of the 25 troops selling cookies in our area this year. From outside the dock:
As always, volunteers young and old helped out – coordinated by West Seattle Service Unit Cookie Manager Cheryl Brown – including this group we got to stop down for a photo:
What’s new this year, you ask? Two things: First, the new flavor is Thank You Berry Munch, described as:
Real, premium cranberries provide a delightful tartness in these hearty cookies sweetened with creamy white fudge chips.
And of course, as you probably noticed in the video, older faves are still available too, like Samoas, Thin Mints, last year’s new flavor Dulce de Leche …But here’s what’s really big: The Cookie Locator. Once cookie sales officially begin next Friday, February 26th, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington website will have a spot for you to enter your zip code and find the locations and times where you’ll find cookie sales nearby! (Around Western Washington, Cheryl says, 18,844 girls sold 2,773,288 boxes of cookies last year; 112,569 were donated to Operation Cookie Drop – you can buy a box of cookies to be donated to U.S. military personnel.)
(photo added 1:36 pm)
OFFICE ITEMS, FURNITURE ON SALE TO RAISE HAITI $: Just got the word from the folks at Westside Dermatology (WSB sponsor). Outside their building, Olympic Court in The Junction, there’s a sale under way “till 4 or 5 pm” to raise money for Haiti quake relief. From Joe Erickson at Westside Dermatology:
All proceeds will go to the Haiti Relief Fund. There is lot of furniture and office items. We are hoping to raise $5-10 per item. Some items are free with an optional donation. Please come by and help out.
Joe also says they have a lot of framed prints. (added 12:55 pm) Also: “Office chairs, lots of framed floral prints, a Nordic track exercise ski machine, desk tops antiques, solid marble table with heavy metal base, desktops, heavy lockable file cabinets etc.” Here’s a map to Olympic Court. Meantime, less than a block away:
BIN 41 SIGN: Driving through The Junction late yesterday, we spotted the sign going up for Bin 41, the specialty wine store going into the former Georgia Blu space between Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy (WSB sponsor) and KeyBank. In this January 29th WSB story, Bin 41’s proprietors told the story of what their store will be all about.
STUDENTS HELPING HAITI: From left, Lafayette Elementary student council representatives Anna Goldberg, Alyx Hastings and Quinn Gerberding. Proud Lafayette principal Virginia Turner says they “conceived of, publicized and organized the fundraising effort” that brought in $1,460 for Haiti relief — the council sponsored the collection. Lafayette teacher Kent Ferris worked with the students to help them make it happen. Another big announcement:
ARTISTS HELPING HAITI: Last weekend, we brought you a progress report during West Seattle artist/entrepreneur Stephanie Hargrave‘s art sale to raise money to help Haiti. She now has the final numbers: $17,031 raised during the one-day sale! It’s going to Partners in Health, Doctors Without Borders, and Mercy Corps. Stephanie took the above photo of all the art in her studio during the sale, and adds: “My two friends who were instrumental in the effort and worked tirelessly are West Seattleites Anne-Marie Meredith and Bronwyn McNutt.” She also included a full list of the artists who participated by donating work – see that list (with information on how to contact the artists – web links or phone/e-mail) here.
NEW WEST SEATTLE HELP FOR HAITI: Kari Robins e-mailed to say:
I am a West Seattle resident and a high school teacher. I am going to be traveling to Haiti this summer with Global Volunteer Network. I will be working with orphaned children and homeless women. I want to raise money to help offset the cost of travel and participating in the program.
I will be working with children, youth and women within two camps; Pinchinat and Kay Wolf. These camps have more than 3,000 people who became homeless after the quake. I will be helping to run education classes for children as the schools have been closed down until September.
I am looking for community support to help offset the expense and to maximize my time down in Haiti.
Read more about the type of work she’ll be doing, by going here; to e-mail her with questions and/or help, kari.robins@hotmail.com.
Earlier today, we mentioned the West Seattle Helpline‘s “Taste of West Seattle” coming up May 13th, and their call for more local restaurants to be part of it. (Here’s that story.) 
Right now, news of another tasty West Seattle event for a good cause — the Nature Consortium‘s second annual benefit brunch, noon Sunday, March 14, at The Hall at Fauntleroy. WSB is proud to be among the event sponsors. The Nature Consortium’s main mission is to work in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, along the eastern edge of West Seattle, restoring it to healthy forest-hood. They’re based at Youngstown Arts Center here in WSB. You can go to the NC’s site to find out more about the benefit brunch and how to RSVP.
West Seattle artist Stephanie Hargrave was beaming when we stopped by her studio (3234 California SW, across from the business she co-owns, smallclothes) around 1: In the first two hours of the benefit art/jewelry sale she organized to raise money for Haiti relief, she told us, more than $7,000 already had come in: “It’s exceeded my wildest expectations!” And the number was rising even as we stood there taking photos – the work you see next to her in the picture was in the process of being sold, and it came off the wall minutes later. Several other artists contributed work, including jewelry artist Frances Smersh from Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor):
The sale continues till 6 tonight; here’s a map – her studio’s in an old house, up a stairway from the sidewalk, but you’ll see the sign at street level.
Just before 11 this morning, we sent this out in our “Announcements” stream as well as Facebook and Twitter, right after SPDBlotter announced it. But in case you hadn’t seen it any of those ways, we want to be sure you see it here on the home page, too: 
CrossFit West Seattle (42nd/Admiral) will be hosting a Hero Memorial Workout” on Sunday, in honor of SPD Officer Tim Brenton, the West Seattle High School graduate murdered in the line of duty last Halloween night. CFWS’s Eric Renn says this is “a CrossFit tradition when one of our members or their family members dies in the line of duty). … Unfortunately, the officer that died (Tim Brenton) was the brother of two of our dedicated gym members. We have created a workout that will be held in his honor which was requested by his family.” It’s a fundraiser for the Behind the Badge Foundation, according to SPDBlotter, $20/person if you want to join the workout (and that’ll get you a memorial T-shirt as well), spectators/well-wishers are welcome too! 3 pm Sunday, CrossFit West Seattle.
From left, that’s Grace Peer, Siena Jeakle, Sophie Baker and Colleen Donahue. Steve Peer shared the photo and explains they’re Holy Rosary 7th graders who’ve been going door to door seeking donated baked goods and distributing flyers for tomorrow night’s bake sale at The Kenney during the West Seattle Art Walk. Proceeds will go to Haiti quake relief. And there’s still time for you to help – you can bake something tomorrow (or, for our fellow night owls, tonight!) and drop it off at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way; map) right up until sale time (6-9 pm Thursday). This, by the way, fits in perfectly with something new that’ll be offered during tomorrow night’s Art Walk to get more people to The Kenney and other southern stops – Ron Sterling of Sterling Images Gallery, one such stop, at Lowman Beach, has rustled up a shuttle between The Junction and his side of town – read the full details about where and how to catch it, in this WSB Forums post.
First heard about this from Andrea Mercado of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society – aka the Log House Museum folks – at last week’s Southwest District Council meeting. She says the project could use some help. She’s putting together a book of West Seattle photo history, for Arcadia Publishing, along the lines of what you see at left (thanks to Arcadia for providing the image). Andrea says they have “fantastic images” – but they’re not sure who everybody in the photos happens to be – or, for example, what the photo was all about. “Who are these people, why are they all holding a red umbrella, that sort of thing,” she explained. Once the book is finished and published, profits will benefit the Historical Society, which is a small nonprofit with the big job of curating and honoring West Seattle (and vicinity) history. Besides the search for assistance in identifying who’s in the photos, she says they also still need editors, typists, people who can clean up photo scans, etc. Just contact her through the Log House Museum – the contact info’s all here. (Side note: The museum is hosting a special talk Thursday night, 7 pm – Lorraine McConaghy will discuss and sign her new book (available for purchase too), “Warship under Sail, The USS Decatur in the Pacific West,” taking another look at a pivotal event from Seattle’s earliest years in the mid-1850s.)
We’ve reported several student fundraisers but hadn’t heard about this one till this item appeared in Seattle Public Schools‘ newest School Beat e-newsletter:
Highland Park Elementary students raised $1,091.35 in four days to aide the earthquake victims in Haiti. More than 80 percent of the students at Highland Park receive free and reduced-price lunch. The school’s head secretary, Margaret Young, helped organize the fund-raiser by asking teachers to share information about the devastation in Haiti . After adding up the collections each morning, Principal Ann Gray and head teacher Rhonda Moore read the total contribution amounts to the students.
“We praised the compassion, understanding and generous nature of our students and parents to give to such a worthy cause. Our students continued to donate their coins, which consisted of mostly pennies. The students were excited and proud … and so were we, as a school,” Moore said.
Congratulations!
The city has just added a few new facets to the search for the next Seattle Police chief – including three public forums (none in West Seattle), a new website (here), and the chance for you to answer four key questions from the mayor, online or by phone if you can’t make the forums – read on for the official announcement:Read More
We have a followup from Kristina Surface today re: Alki Elementary School‘s Friday night events to benefit Haiti earthquake relief:
The two Alki Elementary fundraisers for Haiti (penny drive and movie night) raised a grand total of $2717.17! We are incredibly grateful to PCC and Safeway for donating snacks and drinks to sell at our movie night, as this enabled us to donate 100% of the proceeds to The American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. It’s amazing what we can do when we work as a community.
Kristina shared the photos, too – above, the cafeteria full of families awaiting the movie (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”); below, from left, Alki parent Jill Rose and principal Clover Codd. Kristina adds, “Without Jill’s leadership and Clover’s support, we couldn’t have done it. We are so proud of our Alki families for coming together as a community and helping the people of Haiti.”
Speaking of Alki and Haiti – beach resident Angela Williams has announced more details of her Valentine’s Day event (we talked with her for a WSB story last week) – you can now get the full scoop here.
(WSB photo from December 2009 by Christopher Boffoli)
Every Sunday, Restoration Worship Center meets at High Point Community Center. The photo above shows its leader, Bishop Deborah Dinkins, from the day we met her during a pre-Christmas toy drive which almost didn’t happen – till many bighearted people reached out (here’s our story). Starting today, Bishop Dinkins has a new effort, and hopes you will help:
I have this heartfelt mission to do a canned/ non perishable food drive event to help Haiti and our local community in need. The Launch date for this event is starting Sunday February 7, 2010 until we reach our goal of 17,000 canned goods and 17,000 dry goods/nonperishable food items.
We need monetary donations to cover the cost of storage containers and transportation cost of shipping to those less fortunate as a result of this catastrophe. The local community will also be helped because we need to support our neighbors as well for food help or essential needs based on what we receive.
The location to drop off the food and monetary donations will be High Point Community Center
between 11:30 am and 3:00 PM on Sundays. The address location is 6920 34th Avenue SW [map].The Church is nonprofit 501c3; any donations are tax deductible. Any questions and information, contact Bishop Deborah Dinkins for more information at 360-440-4428. or Susan McKinney at 206-618-3657.
WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland had reason to smile. WestSide Baby’s 9th annual Benefit Tea in Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge was sold out long before the doors opened – check out the crowd:
Volunteers young and old made it a success – including ambassadors Sonja and Kelsey (wearing, and handing out, tiaras):
WestSide Baby’s website counted the guest list at more than 450; we’ve got messages out to find out the final tallies. WestSide Baby helps thousands of families and has lots of other ways for you to make sure they can keep doing it. 10:59 PM UPDATE: Nancy Woodland says the final guest count was 470 – and they raised more than $100,000. “Unbelievable and amazing and we are so very thankful!” she adds. ADDED 12:36 AM: Courtesy of Donna Ryan Photography, Rinku Wheaton speaking at the event, including her thoughts on being part of WestSide Baby’s “Giving Circle” (read more about it here):
That’s one of the photos Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) tweeted – find them on Twitter at @illusionshaird and on Facebook too – during today’s “Have a Heart Day” fundraiser. Stylists donated their time and all proceeds from haircuts went to the West Seattle Food Bank. Illusions says they raised more than $900.
(P.S. The Food Bank has its own big fundraiser coming up in April – “Instruments of Change” – ticket info’s online now.)
Longtime West Seattle resident Victoria Shaw has a request for West Seattle’s art community (and anyone else who sees this):
I am the director of an international children’s art and cultural exchange program called “The Mural Project” (themuralproject.net).
We are working with the organization Art For Haitian Children to help them rebuild an art school in Jacmel, Haiti and to gather art supplies to take to them this Spring.
I know that there are many artists in the West Seattle area, if any of you might have extra acrylic paints, rolls of canvas and/or paintbrushes or would like to donate new items, these children would love to receive them.
If you have any questions please contact Victoria Shaw at (206) 937-9747 or
_amural98@aol.com
Three updates tonight on West Seattle help for Haiti post-earthquake relief: First, we’ve got word that The Community School of West Seattle preschoolers’ Bake Sale for Haiti today brought in $422! The kids, ages 3-5, helped manage the money themselves – above, just a few of the preschoolers involved when we stopped by during the sale – pretend cash register, but real cash! Meantime, Kristina just e-mailed this update from Alki Elementary School about a fundraiser happening there right now:
Alki Parent Jill Rose has organized a movie showing of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in the school cafeteria to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. It looks like we are going to be at capacity! 100% of the proceeds are going to the Red Cross to benefit the people of Haiti, and the families of Alki Elementary are out in force. The school did a penny drive for Haiti, as well, and tonight we’ll be announcing to the students that their small change added up to over $1200!
And the third update: While working on a project for WSB, reporter Mary Sheely learned this afternoon that all Matador locations, including West Seattle, plan to donate 100 percent of profits on Fat Tuesday — which is one and a half weeks away, February 16th — to Haiti relief.
Announced this morning – a series of meetings at which Mayor Mike McGinn invites you to help him fulfill one of the promises made in his inaugural address, for a Youth/Families Initiative. One of the meetings is in West Seattle, March 15th at Denny International Middle School. Here’s the full announcement.
Several more West Seattle-linked fundraisers for Haiti earthquake relief are in the works. First one is TODAY – thanks to Kristin for sharing the news of a bake sale today at the Community School of West Seattle – an idea hatched by CSWS preschoolers! Kristin writes:
It’s … from 11:45-12:30 in front of the school (22nd and Roxbury) [map] and all proceeds will go to Haiti relief efforts. The preschoolers came up with the idea during discussions of the Haiti earthquake (my daughter is in the class). It certainly isn’t a big event, but its cool for the kids to be able to do something…
And we have an update from local artist/businessperson Stephanie Hargrave (co-owner of smallclothes) about her big event next weekend – she says she has more than 30 artists signed up to contribute to the fundraising sale she’s organizing, many from West Seattle:
I’m hosting an Art Sale / Haiti Fundraiser on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14th from 11 am-6 pm at my studio located at 3234 California Avenue SW [map] in West Seattle. Anyone who would like to donate, simply give me a ring or e-mail, and by all means, forward this information along to anyone who would like to buy some art and help the earthquake victims in Haiti at the same time.
ALL proceeds will go directly to Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, or Mercy Corps – the art buyers will write checks to these organizations directly. My goal is to raise several thousand dollars to send off by the end of the weekend.
I’ll be selling encaustic paintings, some ceramics, and hand-made cards – other artists are donating oil and acrylic paintings, photographs, jewelry, and crafts. It should be a great selection! I’ve got painters Juan Alonso (www.juanalonso.info) and Diane Culhane on board, photographer Conrad Chavez of Brightbox Studio, and Smersh Design Jewelry!
Last but not least, we also have heard from Pepper Petersen, owner of The Pepper Boutique on Alki. She says there’s a silent auction, all proceeds to Haiti relief, as part of the art show she’s been having at Alki Starbucks this month:
“… my highest -end couture collection in the most vivid colors imaginable… It’s very beautiful… All the pieces are currently on the walls right now. But more importantly in efforts to contribute my talents in helping to fund raise money for Haiti, I worked unbelievably hard and late into the evenings to create a one of a kind couture dress in the Haitian flag colors of red and blue. It is a beautiful dress that is … hanging above the fireplace in the air from a lighting rail. You can’t miss it as you walk in the door.”
She says the retail value of the dress is $2,000 and the bids start at $500; the silent-auction card is at the store.
Wednesday night at The Hall at Fauntleroy, smiles and energy spread among more than 150 volunteers as the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) kicked off its Partners With Youth campaign. Dinner, games and a raffle filled the evening.
That’s Dawn Baber (standing) and husband Carl (seated at her right). Partners With Youth raises money for activity scholarships and in-school programs, among other things (there’s a more detailed description in this report on last year’s fundraising success). Volunteers will be making phone calls as well as talking to prospective donors face-to-face in the weeks ahead. (You can also donate online.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Hundreds – if not thousands by now – of West Seattleites have reached out to help the Haiti earthquake victims in ways big and small.
But Alki resident Angela Williams felt one thing was missing: A direct, personal, hands-on connection. “Any time there’s like a crisis or trauma, I have an overwhelming feeling to help or deal with the emotional aspect instead of just saying, ‘here’s a check’ … money seems like not doing enough, not connecting with event.”
Going to Haiti to try to personally connect wasn’t quite feasible, so the next best thing was to hatch a plan for people who care to connect with each other, while they learn about what’s happened in Haiti since the quake, and figure out how best to help.
We found out about Angela’s event through a Facebook event invitation that led to a somewhat mysterious website:
From Amy McGrath with the West Seattle Eagles: Final tally from their Saturday night fundraiser – $4,526.43 for Mercy Corps. And Amy says they’re still collecting shoes till February 13th – new or gently used, take them to the Eagles (immediately south of the post office in The Junction). It was a fundraising doubleheader for the Eagles – they had a live/silent auction that same night, right before the Haiti benefit, and Amy says that brought in $1,100 for the Eagles’ Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund. (P.S. Updates coming later today on more new West Seattle-linked help for Haiti.)
Received a couple of nice notes today that were really about YOUR response to requests for help, so we didn’t want to keep them all to ourselves. So often, if there’s a fundraiser, we report the money numbers – but we don’t always hear the numbers in terms of people who volunteer their time (among other things). First one is from Kim at Puget Sound Blood Center, re: their Bloodmobile drive outside Admiral Safeway last Saturday (previewed here):
There was a great turnout with 38 people registering to donate. Of these, our staff was able to collect 30 units of volunteered blood. We had 6 first time donors! Since each donation can go to three separate patients, this drive went towards saving or dramatically improving the lives of up to 90 sick patients in the Puget Sound area. In a matter of days/weeks, the volunteered blood will be in a local hospital saving someone’s life.
And from Romina at Neighborhood House, who has just lined up new mentors for local kids (the call went out four weeks ago):
I just wanted to say thank you for helping me make this Recruit-A-Mentor Challenge campaign at Neighborhood House a success. This campaign helped us get 11 new mentors in a span of just one month … The majority of our new mentors came from reading the post on WSB and in turn, we have mentors who live in the very community where our mentees come from. Couldn’t have been any better!
Thank you all for reaching out to help your neighbors in so many ways, big and small. Please keep sharing the requests for what’s needed and how people can help (here’s all the ways to send the info); we’ve got a few more in queue for later today.
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