(Photo by Steve Mohundro, taken in Genesee area)
No need to move at a snail’s pace as the week comes to an end. Got a bike? Work downtown or beyond? Today’s your last chance to join City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen biking to work from Weather Watch Park on Beach Drive, 7 am (here’s our story about the Wednesday ride) … 1 pm this afternoon, join the Nature Consortium at 14th/Holly for a free guided eco-hike through part of the West Duwamish Greenbelt (here’s our feature about the restoration work there); meet at 14th/Holly … Restaurant note: Skip from Angelina’s in the Admiral District asked us to share the word that they are ending weekday lunch after today (more here) … Tonight’s highlights include more Shakespeare in the park – check the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for today/tonight: GreenStage‘s Shakespeare in the Park makes its 2010 West Seattle debut tonight with “As You Like It,” 7 pm at Lincoln Park (follow the signs from the north parking lot) … If you prefer indoor theater, this is the second night for “Side Show” at ArtsWest, 7:30 pm … South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition discusses crime and other safety-related concerns at 6 pm at the White Center DSHS office (9650 15th SW) … And you’re invited to help out with the food garden at St. James Annex (9421 18th SW) with Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle‘s next round of “drop-in gardening,” 6:30 pm. … More of today/tonight’s events here.

(“Side Show” dress-rehearsal photo by Edgar Riebe from Captive Eye Media)
OPENING NIGHT FOR ‘SIDE SHOW’: The newest production at ArtsWest in The Junction opens tonight: “Side Show” is a presentation of the Musical Theater Apprenticeship program (16-21 year-olds), described as a “beloved cult musical.” Read more here. It plays through August 1st.

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT AT DELRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL: Tonight the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council‘s monthly meeting (7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center) features Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin as its special guests. Besides opening remarks from him, there is always Q/A time for these types of appearances, so if you have something to bring up – no shortage of hot topics these days! – this is your chance. Also on the agenda, two Department of Information Technology reps talk about the city’s newest online/open-data initiatives. (Preceding this meeting is the 6 pm “Strategy Delridge” discussion, to which you’re also invited.)

PRODUCE AND SOCCER IN HIGH POINT! Two events this afternoon/evening in High Point – First, it’s the next weekly edition of the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, 32nd/Juneau, 4-7 pm; second, Seattle Sounders FC defender Taylor Graham joins HP Community Center‘s “how to play soccer” session at 6 pm at Commons Park – and they’re inviting EVERYBODY to come out and play!

MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Jampacked agenda as usual for the Morgan Community Association quarterly meeting (7 pm at The Kenney) – see it here.

More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!

THE REMINDERS: The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council is on hiatus till September, so no meeting tonight (though if you’re interested in south WS, the South Delridge-White Center Community Safety Coalition‘s next meeting is 6 pm Thursday at the DSHS building in WC). On a related note, it’s exactly two weeks till Night Out, neighborhood-building/crime-fighting block-party night all over the area – 6-10 pm August 3rd – sign up now so you’ll be cleared to shut down your street for the occasion! (and let us know if we can stop by).

THE SPECIAL EVENTS: As previewed here, West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, featuring the WS Big Band and WS Volunteer Recognition Awards presentation, 7 pm (free!) on the Hiawatha Community Center east lawn … The new Alki Arts gallery/events space (here’s our story about its opening) is the site of the ChickChat networking/coaching event at 6 pm tonight (ticket info and other details here) … And the comedy show to raise money to fight Alzheimer’s, organized by West Seattleite Emily Meyer, is 8:30 tonight at Comedy Underground – here’s our preview with the details … More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!

Thanks to Dina Johnson for sharing that photo from last year’s Mediterranean Fantasy Fest, with dancers Lisa Yasmine (a West Seattleite) and Katia Sahar. Tomorrow and Sunday, 11 am-7 pm, MedFest takes over Hiawatha once more, inside and out, with more than 275 dancers from all over the West Coast – more info here. (11:10 pm note, a commenter points out a discrepancy between these hours, which we received as a submitted events-calendar announcement, and what’s on the MedFest website – we’d go with the latter – here’s the schedule of performances.) It’s one of tomorrow’s headlines that we’re previewing tonight – plus, a lot is going on at the beach:

(2008 Alki Car Show photo by David Hutchinson)
8 am-4 pm, the annual Alki Classic Car Show will line the boardwalk …here are the details from an earlier preview. You should be able to enter a car same-day if you’re not already signed up. Also on Alki:

(Photo by Joe Mabel, from Wikimedia)
At Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) it’s a first-ever event – the Painted Garden Art Festival, tomorrow and Sunday, 10 am-4 pm. Artists from a multitude of mediums will be at the historic museum, some of them working while they display! Admission free – and if you drop by at 2 or 4 pm, a 30-minute Alki history tour will be available.

Earlier, we previewed West Seattle Outdoor Movies‘ debut tomorrow night; later, we’ve got a few more events to preview! In the meantime, see the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for more of what’s happening – including Sunday’s marquee event, the West Seattle Garden Tour (co-sponsored by WSB).

(Last Wednesday’s sunrise, photographed by Susan DuTemple)
The sun will show up later, the forecasters promise. Today’s big events are outdoors: The Fun Fest at Hiawatha Community Center/Playfield runs 11 am -3 pm with carnival games, refreshments, dunk tank, children’s entertainment, face painting, more. Entertainment starts at 11:15 and carnival games at 12 noon; $5 for an all-day carnival bracelet. … During the noon hour @ the Hiawatha festival, the West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court will be coronated … Tonight at 6, celebrate the first anniversary of the Delridge Community Center Playground, built in a day by local volunteers with the help of KaBOOM! … This afternoon, it’s raspberry pickup for the Rotary Club of West Seattle Berry Sale (WSB sponsor), and that means some available for walkup purchase, 2-6 pm today (and 9 am-3 pm tomorrow) behind Admiral Safeway … 7 pm tonight at Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall, Stage Struck summer campers present “Oliver” (donation at the door) … Swimmers take note, Colman Pool is scheduled to be closed to the general public today through Sunday for swim-meet competition.

Thanks to Melanie for sharing great-blue-heron photos so awesome we had to share two. And beach news is in the morning preview: When the Alki Community Council meets tonight, one of its agenda items is a discussion of off-leash dogs at the beach – a rep from Seattle Animal Shelter will be on hand; another special guest is Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Benjamin Kinlow. ACC meets 7 pm, Alki UCC church (61st/Hinds). … TRAFFIC REMINDER: 10 pm-5 am tonight, Highway 99 closes both ways along a stretch through SODO for installation of more overhead signs … And speaking of 99, Mayor McGinn seems to be going full-bore with doubt-raising about the proposed tunnel – this afternoon he’s invited media to a briefing we’re planning to cover, with a “strategic infrastructure expert” who’s going to talk about what the invite calls “risks associated with the state’s proposed deep-bore tunnel project.” … One other note from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: Drop-in gardening at St. James Annex (9421 18th SW) with Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle, 6;30 pm – a great chance to do some gardening if you don’t have space of your own. And now, Melanie’s other cool heron photos, as we fly off into the day:

That photo’s from the sizzling sunshine of last Wednesday afternoon, when the High Point Market Garden farm stand opened for the first time this season. Today, round 2 – look for the tent next to the big, beautiful mini-farm at 32nd/Juneau, 4-7 pm. Also happening in High Point today – the library branch invites teens to come play games, 2-3:30 pm, and HP Community Center sponsors round 2 of soccer instruction, 6 pm at Commons Park. … Tonight at The Hall @ Fauntleroy, the 34th District Democrats will discuss I-1098, the income-tax initiative, and are also scheduled to hear a briefing on Burien issues (here’s the agenda), 7 pm … Also at 7, Fine Films at Freshy’s is showing “The Triplets of Belleville” tonight, in honor of Bastille Day … and in White Center, the Jubilee Days carnival at Steve Cox Memorial Park starts at 7, with fireworks at dusk.

HIGHLAND PARK SUNDAY MARKET: That’s where we found Jolie Blue with comfrey and herbal creations last Sunday. Got word this afternoon from organizer Tiffany Brace-Silver that she’s canceling this Sunday’s edition because many vendors will be at White Center Jubilee Days. And when it resumes on Sunday, July 25, the hours will be 11 am-3 pm. More vendors welcome, says Tiffany – e-mail her at highlandparksundaymarket@gmail.com.

LOCOL UPDATE: In a comment on Monday’s biznotes, Sage wondered what’s up with Locol, the future wine/beer bar in Sunrise Heights. We checked with Locol’s Kyle Duce, who responded to us and also updated the Locol page on Facebook. Their project is more complicated than some because it’s a “change of use” – as was Spring Hill in The Junction, which you may recall took a year and a half – and they’re now looking at “late summer/early fall.”

FOOD TRUCK HEADS-UP: If you’re at Don Armeni this Friday night, you will see the new burger truck Buns on Wheels. They asked us to let you know that it will NOT actually be open – they’re taking photos as part of a “friends-and-family” soft-open event. There was a momentary stir last night when a citywide website said the truck would be giving away food to anyone who RSVP’d – we even had that link in the WSB Forums for a short time – but Buns on Wheels says not so.

RED CROSS BOARD MEMBERS: Congratulations to West Seattle residents Colleen Murphy and Angelynn Talcott, who are among 10 new board members for the American Red Cross chapter that serves King and Kitsap Counties, according to an announcement we received today – and Deborah Haug, also a West Seattleite, is the new chair of the board, after eight years as a member.

(Hummingbird photographed Saturday night by Mark on Marine View Drive)
Highlights today/tonight: Just one week ago, SDOT announced it’s proposing rechannelization – also known as a “road diet” – for the stretch of Admiral Way between The Bridge and the viewpoint. Tonight, your chance to find out more about it, and tell SDOT what you think about the idea, comes with an open house at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 5-7 pm. Immediately afterward, it’s the monthly Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, 7 pm, Admiral UCC Church. Two other neighborhood groups meet tonight: Junction Neighborhood Organization, 6:30 pm at Ginomai (42nd/Genesee), has Real Change vending and Triangle planning on its agenda (here’s our Monday preview), and the Fauntleroy Community Association has issues to discuss including its ongoing concerns about RapidRide, 7 pm at the schoolhouse. Also tonight:

CONCERT AT ALKI PLAYFIELD: First of 3 free Alki outdoor concerts in the next month and a half. Anzanga Marimba Ensemble, 6 pm. Bring nonperishable food as a food-bank donation.

WONDER OF WELLNESS HEALTH FAIR: Hosted by Merrill Gardens at West Seattle (WSB sponsor) 4611 35th Ave. SW, 3-6 pm, including food and freebies.

‘A DRINK FOR THE KIDS’ AT WEST 5: This traveling benefit for the Vera Project youth-arts venue stops at West Seattle’s West 5 tonight.

BLOOD DRIVE WITH REWARDS – besides the life-saving satisfaction: Check out the Pint for Pint Blood Drive & Spaghetti Dinner that the White Center Eagles are hosting this afternoon/evening, 2-7 pm (more info here)

VOTE FOR WEST SEATTLE’S MISS SEAFAIR REP: The year after each West Seattle Hi-Yu Queen serves, she represents WS in the Miss Seafair program. This year, that rep is Margo Femiano, and you’re invited to join in a unique part of the program tonight: The candidates’ Community Service and Creative Expression presentations are happening 6:30 pm-8:30 pm at the Museum of Flight, and it’s a $1-per-vote fundraiser (explained here).

WSB contributor Randall G. Hauk sends that photo with word from the West Seattle Little League All-Stars car wash/pancake breakfast/etc. fundraiser that there’s also Terrace Club tickets being auctioned for tonight’s game. It’s all happening at Bar-S Field on the back side of Alki Point, Admiral Way west of 63rd SW. They’re wrapping up soon, so hurry! (added) Randall shared video of the car-washers in action:

Meantime, you have till 2 pm to get to the Help for Hannah sale in Gatewood:

Among the items donated for the sale at 39th and Othello, framed prints by longtime WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli:

And of course, the Seafair Pirates are back in West Seattle this afternoon, landing on Alki within the past hour after last night’s amazing Make-A-Wish event (WSB video coverage here). Here’s our clip – we’ll have a separate report with more visuals later:

Yes, we waded in with the Pirates. Cool way to spend part of a hot day with a big crowd!

We hope to see you (again) today at West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction. But it’s not alone in the “big things happening today” arena, so before we get back to continuous festival coverage (and breaking news) later today, we wanted to remind you about other cool events on tap:

(Photo just sent by Kathy, from the sale site)>
HELP FOR HANNAH: 7228 39th SW (map) in Gatewood, under way now and continuing till 2 pm. First previewed here; friends and relatives putting on a yard sale (they’ve even got two homemade quilts!), bake sale and lemonade stand to help the family of Hannah Grage, a 4-year-old West Seattle girl diagnosed with leukemia last April. Also see this post in the WSB Forums.

LITTLE LEAGUE BREAKFAST/CAR WASH: West Seattle Little League is raising money for its 10-11 All-Stars, who are going to the state tournament after winning the district championship – but it’s in Yakima, and the travel is expensive for kids’ families. 10 am-1 pm, pancakes and car washing, all happening at Bar-S Fields on Alki Point (map); here’s our original preview.

EDIBLE GARDEN TOUR, CHICKEN-COOP TOUR: 11 am-4 pm, some of West Seattle’s greatest edible gardens are open for the 3rd annual Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle Edible Garden Tour. Here’s how to get a ticket and map; for a bit extra, you also will get admission to the West Seattle stops on the Seattle Tilth Chicken Coop Tour. (Also note, as previewed here, CHoSS has a seed sale during the tour hours too.)

SEAFAIR PIRATES LANDING: Arrrr! They’re scheduled to come ashore in the noon hour – always fun to look out toward the water and try to figure out how they’re going to do it this time – but there are also booths and activities open earlier if you get down there sooner to stake out your spot.

ALKI ARTS OPENS: The new gallery space is scheduled to open its doors today on Alki, next to Cactus. (Here’s our story from last week.)

NIGHT MARKET: As part of the push to bring healthy food to Delridge, fresh produce will be on sale – and entertainment is planned – during the first-ever Night Market event outside Super 24 (map), 4-8 pm (previewed here).

OUTDOOR MOVIE: Outside Coastal boutique on Alki, the second of their three monthly outdoor movies is screening tonight – “Goonies,” at dusk.

And there’s more – see the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!

Highlights from the West Seattle Weekend Lineup: The West Seattle Little League 9-10 All-Stars play for their district championship this morning at 10, Bar-S Field on Alki Point … For our neighbors in South Park to make it through the bridgeless years, they need some love. Today’s a great chance to do that, as the weekly South Park “Market on Wheels” debuts for the season, right by the blocked-off south end of the shut-down bridge, 14th S. and S. Cloverdale (map). 10 am-4 pm, more info here … On your way to or from South Park, the Duwamish Longhouse hosts a rummage sale and frybread fundraiser today, same hours, 10 am-4 pm … Reminder that Marination Mobile will NOT make its WS stop today or next Saturday … Finally – there’s live music at venues including Kenyon Hall, C&P Coffee, Skylark Café and Club, and Shadowland … Details in the WSWL; and the full lookahead to tomorrow’s holiday events/info is on the WSB West Seattle 4th of July page.

(Photo by Jillian Lenox)
Maybe it’ll be sunny later. Can’t even rely on the forecast any more. In case it isn’t, here’s a blue-sky photo to enjoy. Fun stuff going on later, clouds, sun, or rain – the long-long-long-awaited Junction Plaza Park dedication (previewed here) at 5:30 pm; a Senior Housing and Resource Fair at Senior Center of West Seattle, lunch provided, 10 am-1 pm (full details here); tonight at 6:30 at Jefferson Square (suite 600), Savvy Seattle Women present “How to Finance and Buy a Fixer” … Porterhouse is the lone West Seattle restaurant on the list of participants for the first Spoke and Food Event — raising money for Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program if you bicycle to dinner … At 7 pm West Seattle Hi-Yu invites you to the 2010 White Rose Reception, a women-only event celebrating past and present Hi-Yu royalty and candidates at Fauntleroy Church Hall; past royalty are encouraged to wear or bring their sashes and memory scrapbooks … Another reception today, at South Seattle Community College, celebrates the artists showing their work in “This Old Piano,” 12 – 2 pm at the Art Gallery, more info here.

Last night and early today, we previewed some of today’s big events – including the West Seattle Reservoir Park design meeting (10 am @ Southwest Community Center) and Hands Across the Sand (11 am @ Alki), plus the Alaskan Way Viaduct and northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge closures – here are more:

SOCCER: If you haven’t already planned where to watch the USA vs. Ghana World Cup soccer match at 11:30 am, here’s our list of West Seattle venues that have been putting the games on their bigscreens; then tonight, a film full of the flavor of soccer mania screens again at 7 pm at Admiral Theater – “Argentina Futbol Club” – the subtitled trailer’s above.

GENESEE HILL SCHOOL CLEANUP 9 AM to 1 PM – A garden and grounds clean-up Genesee Hill School Playground! Come for a bit, or stay the whole time! Members of the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council are organizing a community clean-up event for the the north playground, raised beds, nature area and play structure at the vacant Genesee Hill School. At SW Dakota and 51st Ave SW. Tools and gloves provided.

‘FIELD DAY’ ALL WEEKEND: Ham radio operators’ Field Day at South Seattle Community College – they’re set up in the field on the southeast side of the SSCC campus.

TOOL LIBRARY: While you’re at SSCC, check out the new West Seattle Tool Library on the north side – its regular Saturday hours are 9 am-2 pm.

LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARS: All-Star play for West Seattle Little League gets under way, and some of the teams are playing at Bar-S on the east side of Alki Point – details here.

SWAP MEET/FLEA MARKET: 9 am to 5 pm at White Center Eagles, 10452 15th Ave SW
Their invite: “Come browse, come shop! Burgers & dogs served hot off the grill all afternoon. Bring your sweet tooth, baked goods also available for sale.”

FOR THE BIRDS: Save Our Amazing Raptors, West Seattle (Admiral) Library branch, 11 am (details here)

MAGIC AT YOUNGSTOWN: Another Saturday night magic show at Youngstown Arts Center, 6:30 pm – more info at gggreenmagic.com

David Ginsberg spotted that little critter in a big High Point-area maple tree earlier this month. If we had to caption it, we’d say “Hang on, Friday’s here.” As are its highlights: The West Seattle Community Car Wash, 10 am-4 pm at three locations, raising money for food banks and Haiti relief (bring nonperishable food donations too) … The World Harmony Run torch arrives at The Mount this afternoon and then runners take it to Alki – full details in our preview … Tonight, a give-and-get handbag event at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) – Click! is teaming up with Nyla from Cherry Consignment, president of the local chapter of The Ruby Room, a non-profit that helps teenage girls get formal wear for their special occasions. 6-9 pm tonight, bring a gently used handbag to donate and receive 20% off a new bag. … Also: Rainbow Bingo at the Senior Center … a barbecue and movie at Hiawatha Community Center … The Swinery’s “grand reopening” party … the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s first berry-pickup day (and you can walk up to buy, too), 1-6 behind Admiral Safeway … Even more on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.

(Wednesday night Alki photo by Aaron Bocchetti, who happened onto a championship Chesapeake Bay Golden Retriever in action)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: Two shopping events in The Junction tonight – CAPERS‘ 25th anniversary and Sweetie‘s 7th (details on The Junction website) … Seattle teen authors Phoebe Kitanidis and Kimberly Derting will be at Southwest Library at 6:30 tonight for readings and autographs, and Square 1 Books (WSB sponsor) will be selling books … Also at SW Library, get your readers started early – it’s Toddler Story Time, 11 am (details here) … On the meeting list tonight: The new Community Advisory Group for the Murray (Lowman Beach) CSO project, coming off Saturday’s all-day technical-information session (agenda here), meets at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 6 pm … The South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition talks crimefighting and more at 6 pm at the White Center DSHS office … and the city Parks Board meets at Parks HQ downtown, 6 pm – with the latest budget talk. (Oh, and the dessert truck.)

(Port photo, looking across from Salty’s, contributed to the WSB Flickr group by Hanards)
Forecast says mostly sunny later today! Just in time for the last day of classes for Seattle Public Schools students – out an hour early, back Sept. 8 (except for West Seattle Elementary, which starts Aug. 31). This afternoon at 2 pm, it’s the City Council committee item noted here yesterday about how to reduce waste from junk mail and phone books. Otherwise, not much on the calendar for today/tonight – except for some of the regular items on the calendar, like rock ‘n’ roll trivia night at Feedback Lounge (see and buy the new South Park Bridge Memorial T-shirts – and open-turntable night at Skylark Café and Club – bring your records! (Feedback and Skylark are WSB sponsors).

If we can’t see the sun, how about sun-like imagery? The building next to the light in Pye42‘s photo from the WSB Flickr group, if you don’t recognize it, is Link, going up in The Triangle along 38th south of Fauntleroy, kittycorner from the future West Seattle Trader Joe’s. Meantime, it’s now officially summer, with the solstice just a few hours ago; if it looks like sunset might be something resembling visible, you can watch it at Solstice Park with Alice Enevoldsen of Alice’s Astro Info – 9:11 pm , read about it here. And that still gives you time to check out Sustainable West Seattle‘s monthly Community Forum, tonight focusing on the role that public campaign financing would play in community sustainability, featuring Washington Public Campaigns (whose annual award banquet was in West Seattle this past Saturday night), 7 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction … Two events at Southwest Library today – Baby Story Time at 11:30 am (details here) and Afternoon Book Group at 2 pm (details here) … Lots more – just check the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.

(Spotted at Delridge/Holden, photographed by Venessa)
From the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, 1 pm is the magic hour once you’ve taken Dad to brunch/lunch: The Father’s Day Car Show at Providence Mount St. Vincent, 1-3:30 pm; at West Seattle Nursery – it’s another Beerfest, 1-4 pm – with hot dogs as well as beer from White Center’s Big Al Brewing, bring food donations for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks; at Camp Long, Nature Tots/Animal Daddies for the wee ones, 1 pm; also benefiting the WC Food Bank – if Dad’s an ice-cream fan, today marks the 2nd anniversary for Full Tilt Ice Cream‘s White Center location; if Dad likes ribs, check ’em out at 5 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor); and tonight’s music slate includes the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band at Kenyon Hall, 7 pm – go early for a root-beer float! Also today, as always, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm in The Junction.