West Seattle, Washington
28 Monday
From Chief Sealth High School, we get word the student newspaper is available online for the first time; see it here! (West Seattle HS‘s latest paper is online too.) Also, the CSHS daily e-mail update brings word that the Sealth girls’ soccer team is in the playoffs, starting with a game at 8 pm tonight at Memorial Stadium. (Added later: Just got WSHS e-mail, its girls soccer team is in the playoffs, #1 seed, playing 7 pm tonight at Southwest Athletic Complex.) Speaking of playoffs, Bil Hood sends word from Seattle Lutheran High School that the Saints football team has “clinched the Sea-Tac B League title, automatically qualifying them for the state tournament.” The Saints beat Sultan 29-6 at West Seattle Stadium on Friday night and finish the regular season with a game this Thursday at Evergreen Lutheran. Bil also reports:”Saints runners Gordy Mueller and Blake Wulf both qualified for the Washington State High School Cross-Country Championships this coming Saturday in Pasco.” Got school news – sports, academics, volunteering, whatever? Send it to WSB to share with your West Seattle neighbors!
2 major meetings on the WSB Events calendar: 1:30 pm at the King County Council Chambers, it’s the King County Ferry District public hearing we’ve been telling you about – if you can possibly break away to go voice your support for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi, it could mean a lot to the service’s future; if you can’t be there, send a WT support note to info@kingcountyferries.org … 7 pm tonight @ Denny Middle School, it’s the next session for the Design Team plotting the Denny site’s future, once the school itself moves to a new building on the Chief Sealth campus (here’s our report on the last meeting).
They didn’t win the league title, but the West Seattle High School Wildcats have no time to dwell on that – now it’s on to the playoffs, after last night’s loss to Eastside Catholic. Here’s our full report, including a video interview with the coach:Read More
The biggie, of course, West Seattle High School vs. Eastside Catholic at Memorial Stadium, 7:30 tomorrow, for the Metro League title, which WSHS last won in 1961 and EC last won in 1993. But there’s another big game: Bil Hood sends word that the Seattle Lutheran High School Saints are ranked 10th in their statewide division by Bsports.org, and they’re taking on the Sultan High School Turks at West Seattle Stadium at 7 tomorrow night.
Not much change expected in the number of West Seattle students kindergarten through fifth-grade age over the next few years, according to that slide from a presentation the Seattle School Board is seeing at a work session this afternoon. The work session is about “capacity management”; the biggest problem the district is trying to solve right now is overcrowding in the north end, but then board members are expected to take a vote tonight to direct district management to start looking at closures in other areas, to save money (as reported here last week). District spokesperson Patti Spencer reiterated to WSB today that there is NO list of targeted schools at this point; district Building Excellence program manager Don Gillmore had said at a meeting about the future of the Denny Middle School site, however, that there is talk of building an elementary school at that site — after Denny moves to its future new building on the Chief Sealth campus — while closing three unspecified others (WSB report here). If you want to see the entire presentation about district capacity, as shown to board members today, click here.
EARLY DISMISSAL DAY FOR SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Most schools are out two hours early; a few have made different plans, such as Chief Sealth High School, which has no classes today but does have parent/teacher conferences 1-8 pm.
SCHOOL BOARD TALKS ABOUT POSSIBLE SCHOOL CLOSURES: Seattle Public Schools‘ board members have a work session on “capacity management” 3-7 pm, followed by a voting session 8-10 pm. As part of that discussion, they are expected to take at least the first step toward another round of school closures, and since some schools in the north end are jampacked, it’s speculated that some West Seattle schools could wind up facing the ax. The work session is 3-7 pm, the “legislative session” 8-10 pm; agenda’s here, and the meetings are all at District HQ in Sodo.
PUBLIC SAFETY DOLLARS: Tonight at the “log cabin” building in White Center’s Steve Cox Memorial Park, King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, and other leaders will convene a town-hall meeting to talk about how the county budget deficit is likely to affect public safety. (We covered Sheriff Rahr’s early warnings about this at a SeaTac meeting last June.) Remember that cuts will affect city residents as well as unincorporated-area residents, because the county provides services for all in areas such as prosecution, public defense, courts, jails. The meeting’s at 7 pm; here’s a map to Steve Cox Park.
Just out of the WSB inbox from the West Seattle High School Alumni Association: They are hoping to organize a bus for alumni to attend Friday night’s WSHS-Eastside Catholic conference title game at Memorial Stadium downtown – and they would need to have 25 people confirmed for the bus ASAP to secure the bus. Cost would be $5 per person; the bus would leave WSHS parking lot at 6:30 pm, back around 10:30. If you’re interested, call Christy Rowe ASAP – 206-932-6953 – or if you can’t call, e-mail carowe@blarg.net (also ASAP).
(Photo courtesy Shorewood Christian School)
For a second straight year, Mrs. Beth Gatlin‘s second-grade class at Shorewood Christian School is supporting a nonprofit group on the other side of the planet … with popcorn. Last year, they sold popcorn after school, 50 cents a bag, to help missionaries in India buy bicycles – their popcorn sales ultimately bought five bikes at $105 each. This year they are selling popcorn again, in part to raise money for the same missionaries – who now are trying to build wells to get water to villages, at $1000/well — but also to help a Costa Rican orphanage buy books. If you can’t get over to Shorewood Christian to buy popcorn, you can bring a donation to the school office, 10300 28th SW (map), or call the school office at 206/933-1056.
Both are on the WSB Holidays page (along with tons more Halloween and winter-holidays events) but in case you’ve got something to sell at events like this, wanted to mention it quickly here too: 
Arbor Heights Elementary has its bazaar 4-8 pm December 4th; table charge $25, call or e-mail Amy Christensen, 206/938-2634 or amychristensen_3@hotmail.com – Highland Park Elementary has its bazaar 9 am (setup) to 3 pm December 6th, table charge $10, call Christie Sjostrom at 206/252-8250. (If you have an event coming up that’s NOT already on our Holidays page, or Events page if it’s not holiday-related, please e-mail us the info!)
Thanks to Bil Hood for that photo and this update:
Hope Lutheran Church and School celebrated a milestone today. The day after the church celebrated its 90th year of ministry, ribbon-cutting ceremonies took place, opening up the new wing of the grade school. The 8th grade, kindergarten and preschool classes all moved into their new rooms, and for the first time, all of the school’s classes are housed in the same building. The final phase of the construction will be completed at the end of the year, with the addition of a new computer classroom, music room, Discovery Program rooms, elevator, much larger church lobby and much more. To follow the progress, visit HopeSeattle.org.
We covered the Hope Lutheran project groundbreaking ceremonies back in June (here’s that report, with video); it’s one of three church-construction projects in the same area on The Junction’s northeast edge.
The prospect of more Seattle Public Schools closures in West Seattle has been hinted at during the now-under-way process of discussing the future of the Denny Middle School site — the district has said a “future elementary school” may be built there, but not as an additional school, instead as a replacement for three as-yet-unspecified schools to be closed. Now (hat tip to saveseattleschools.blogspot.com) the district has put up webpages about closure discussions (superintendent’s message here, FAQ here). More details could emerge by next Wednesday, when school-board members have a work session and special meeting regarding “capacity management,” which would include school closures. Here’s an excerpt from what’s now on the SPS website:
SPS has operated for many years with substantially more capacity than needed for the number of students enrolled; and we have more school buildings than other districts with comparable student populations. Many of these buildings are costly to maintain due to their age and amount of deferred maintenance.
The most recent Seattle Public Schools building closure in West Seattle was Fairmount Park Elementary, shut down at the end of the school year in 2007. If age is to be a factor in school-closure proposals, it’s worth noting the age of West Seattle school buildings that have not gone through recent renovations: Part of Gatewood Elementary dates back almost a century and has city landmark designation; Lafayette Elementary‘s buildings date back to 1941-1953; Arbor Heights Elementary‘s buildings were built between 1948 and 1958; Alki Elementary’s buildings are from 1954 and 1967; Roxhill Elementary opened in 1958; Schmitz Park Elementary opened in 1962; Sanislo Elementary opened in 1970. Next Wednesday’s School Board meeting is in two sessions, a 3-7 pm “workshop,” and 8 pm “special legislative session,” both at district HQ in Sodo.
That word just in from Bil Hood at West Seattle Stadium – he notes the 21-18 win means the Saints are still undefeated in league play.
From co-publisher Patrick @ Southwest Athletic Complex: Another cross-town rivalry game is in the books. Full coverage, including video of the trophy presentation, to follow soon
Back on Monday, the mayor and police chief stood outside Gatewood Elementary to show off the SPD speeder-cam van. Today, people from all over the city will converge on Gatewood for Earth Summit III; read about it here.
DESIGN REVIEW: We’re midway through tonight’s Southwest Design Review Board meeting. First project, a mixed-use building proposed for what’s currently a sloped, treed site at 4106 Delridge, is being sent back for a second round of “early design guidance” – board members said they weren’t seeing enough distinct options for the site. The Kenney‘s redevelopment project is next up. More details on that, and the Delridge review, later. (The Delridge writeup will be later Friday, after we can get some on-site photos of points raised during the review.)
PARKS BOARD: Meeting at Parks Department HQ downtown tonight, the board is taking public comments on its “request for proposals” that will soon be issued to seek a private operator for West Seattle Stadium. 
According to Morgan Junction‘s Cindi Barker, Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher also had another West Seattle note in his informal briefing at the start of the meeting – artists who are being displaced by the Magnuson Park redevelopment project might be moved to the Hughes School site (photo left; it temporarily housed South Lake High School for the past few years but is vacant this year). We’ll be checking to find out more on the status of that proposal.
FIRST IN-STORE TASTING: The two photos below are from the first wine tasting Thriftway in Morgan Junction hosted as part of its participation in the state’s pilot program of beer and wine sampling in grocery stores. We dropped by just as the event was starting at 4 pm. Thriftway charged $5 for the tasting plus snacks from the lavish appetizer spread you see below; the tasting’s theme was “Washington vs. Italy – Taste the Difference.”
Coincidentally, we’re at Madison Middle School (for tonight’s Design Review Board meeting) as we’re reading the news release sent late today by Seattle Public Schools: Madison is one of five SPS schools (the only one in West Seattle) honored as a “School of Distinction” for making dramatic improvements in reading and mathematics achievement. Madison, led by principal Jill Hudson, cited several reasons for its improvement, including low turnover in recent years, professional development time during the regular workday, intervention programs for struggling students, and “engaging afterschool programs.”
From the Chief Sealth PTSA, a confluence of events this Saturday that they’d like you to know about:
• Our adoption of Delridge Way SW, from Orchard to Brandon, through the Seattle Public Utitlies Adopt-A-Street program, which is part of our outreach efforts to the North Delrdge community while Sealth is located at Boren. In addition, we will plan to pick up litter on the school grounds and on other neighborhood streets within a 1-2 block radius of the school
• Make a Difference Day – We would like this to be a new PTSA tradition that we participate in each year
• The Teacher & Staff Wishlist program that we launched this school year. We are midway through fulfilling their request to make the teacher & staff lounge at Boren more friendly. Phase 1 was a furniture placement re-design in the space; Phase 2 is painting the walls (part of our event on 10/25); Phase 3 is decoration & finishing touches. We are working with a wonderful West Seattle designer, Gwen Williams of Space Transform
Volunteers are still needed for the Saturday 10/25 event, which starts at 10 am and finishes with a free lunch for volunteers when the work is done (around 1 pm). Chief Sealth students who participate will earn service learning hours. All materials and equipment will be provided. Contact PTSA president Leslie
Menstell: president@chiefsealthptsa.org
See the flyer here. Side note: Friday night is the big annual Chief Sealth vs. West Seattle HS “Huling Bowl” football game; we’ll be live-tweeting it (and reporting afterward) as we did with WSHS-Rainier Beach last week.
Loved that bumper sticker the first time we saw it, on a car along a Fauntlee Hills street. Might have been the same car on which we photographed it Saturday morning, after the Democratic Get Out the Vote rally at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Anyway, it certainly applied to this afternoon’s third meeting — a meeting that almost wasn’t — of the Design Team that’s helping shape what will happen to the Denny Middle School site, once the current school is demolished after the new Denny is built at the Chief Sealth High School campus – read on:Read More
Last night, West Seattle High School celebrated homecoming with a win – today, it’s homecoming for Seattle Lutheran High School at West Seattle Stadium. We have a multi-part Saints sports update courtesy of Bil Hood:
Today’s Seattle Lutheran High Homecoming football game will be webcast at www.bsports.org. Click on “Channel 2” to hear the Saints take on NaSalle at 1 pm.
In addition to the announcement of the Homecoming court, the game will also feature the Junior Saints Cheer Squad. The 15 members of this squad attended last summer’s Saints Cheer Camp for Grade Schoolers; this will be their big public debut.
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Congratulations to Kyle Hay, WIAA/Seattle Times state athletes of the weekClass 2B
Kyle Hay, Seattle Lutheran football: Hay accounted for five touchdowns against Chief Leschi. He ran for 62 yards and three scores, passed for 138 yards and a touchdown and returned an interception 51 yards for a
TD.
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The SLHS Soccer team and Coach Norton will be on TV today on KING 5 at 10 am. Then replayed again Saturday at 5 pm on Northwest Cable News. Then replayed again Sunday at 11:30 am on KONG 6/16.
If you’ve got school news – sports OR otherwise – let us know so we can share the news with your West Seattle neighbors! E-mail items short or long, any time. SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Congratulations to the Saints – they beat Naselle 22-19.
That video shows the West Seattle High School Wildcats busting through a banner to take the field at the start of the second half of Friday night’s homecoming game against Rainier Beach at Southwest Athletic Complex. WSB co-publisher Patrick has sports-reporting experience in his arsenal and was down at SWAC live-tweeting the big game; now that it’s in the books, he’s written up a full report (including a video interview with WSHS’s coach), which you’ll find just ahead:Read More
Homecoming game’s over — West Seattle pulled out a 20 to 16 win over Rainier Beach on a very soggy Friday night at Southwest Athletic Complex. Story to follow soon (we tweeted key plays as they happened — see the archive at twitter.com/westseattleblog). Next Friday night, it’s the “Huling Bowl,” West Seattle vs. Chief Sealth (which is 0-5 after losing to Franklin 27-12 tonight).
That bright new banner paying tribute to West Seattle High School‘s past, present, and future, now hangs in the school gym, scene of today’s pre-homecoming rally, featuring free food!
Signs of spirit were visible in the parking lot too:
West Seattle HS — undefeated! — takes on Rainier Beach at Southwest Athletic Complex at 7 pm; WSB will be there to cover the game (including updates via Twitter – check out twitter.com/westseattleblog), second-to-last regularly scheduled game of the year. (Tomorrow, by the way, is Seattle Lutheran‘s homecoming game – more on that later tonight!)
Thanks to Luckie for that photo from an Admiral District tradition – today’s edition of Lafayette Elementary‘s annual fundraising Walk-A-Thon – she also sent us this photo of new 4th-grade teacher Greg Schroeder and his daughter:
We dropped by the Walk-A-Thon during what turned out to be a bit of a lunchtime lull, but we did catch up with Todd Crooks, longtime Walk-A-Thon emcee, who did it today for the last time — the last Lafayette student in his family is in 5th grade this year (Crooks himself is a Lafayette alum):
Lafayette mustered a huge list of sponsors for the Walk-A-Thon – check out the back of the T-shirt:
Congratulations, Leopards!
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