West Seattle, Washington
31 Sunday
(Photo by David Rosen from SlickPix Photography)
Thanks to the photographers who shared their views of tonight’s “supermoon” moonrise (explained here – the closest-to-Earth point in its orbit). We were out watching it too, but these photos are all better than ours.
((Photo by Mike Scharer)
Though the moon was first visible coming up from behind the Cascades if you were looking east from the southern half of West Seattle, it eventually was visible from further north:
(Photo by R.C. Eng)
This is the crowd on Hamilton Viewpoint. We spotted gatherings like this in many places, especially along east Alki.
(Photo by R.C. Eng)
Next natural phenomenon: Very high tide, early tomorrow morning (12.3 feet at 5:45 am, highest tide of the month).
ADDED 11:38 PM: More just came in (thank you!):
(Photo by Patrick McCaffrey)
As that one demonstrates – as the moon rose, it took on something resembling its normal coloration (an hour after we watched the moonrise from Sunrise Heights, with reddish hue like most of these photos show, we saw it again over the hill that’s southeast of central Alki, and by then, it was a more normal silvery-white) –
(Photo by Jim Clark)
But the early view remains the most striking:
(Photo by Kai McNichols)
Even if you weren’t close enough to the beach to see the luminarias, if you traveled along Alki tonight, you probably saw the TV trucks there to cover a vigil for the survivors and victims of the Japan earthquake/tsunami: “Our Hearts Send Hope.” Dozens of people gathered along a stretch of the beach east of the Bathhouse; the three-hour event, announced via Facebook, is scheduled to wrap up shortly. (added) Our video is more notable for the sound than the sights – a lone drumbeat; the steady waves:
Here is the text of one handout from a vigil participant, one of several on a piece of paper headed HOPE, with the “O” replaced by the red circle (sun) of the Japanese flag:
Thay’s Prayer for Japan
Sending love and compassion to the people of JapanDear friends in Japan,
As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died.
The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body.
An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what’s most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best we can do for those who have died; we can live in such a way that they continue, beautifully, in us.
Here in Seattle and at our (faith) centers all over the world, our brothers and sisters will continue to chant (pray) for you, sending you the energy of peace, healing and protection. Our prayers are with you.
Thich Nhat Hanh
ADDED 12:50 AM: Two photos by David Rosen of SlickPix Photography:
(SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: Police have just posted their account – we’ve added it)
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
7:49 PM: We finally have a bit of information about the big police response that’s drawn tips and questions the past hour and a half. The first tipster thought they were seeing something “undercover” around California/Juneau, so we headed out and saw police at two scenes, the tense “guns-drawn” situation in the photo above (which we photographed with a zoom lens), just north of California-Brandon, where someone was ordered out of a car and then cuffed:
Further south, there were multiple cars outside the building that is home to a medical-marijuana dispensary, and while you can’t see it from this angle, police were inside – the door is set back from the street (the building is not in our angle either, it’s immediately south) – talking with people:
Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams tells WSB that since officers are still out, full details aren’t available yet but it is reported to have been a robbery or attempted robbery; three people are in custody (according to later scanner traffic, two are juveniles, one is an adult), and up to two more suspects may still be at large. Lt. Williams says robbery and CSI detectives are responding to investigate now. There is no indication anyone is hurt, and no information yet about whether anything was taken.
10:28 PM UPDATE: More information from Lt. Williams, now confirming it was a robbery: “The suspects’ did take some property of the dispensary and personal property of at least one person inside. At least some of the property taken was recovered by officers. The detectives are continuing their investigation.” (We just drove past the scene, on our way back from two other stories, and saw two police cars still parked outside the building on California.)
SUNDAY MORNING, 9:17 AM: SPD Blotter has just posted a summary of what they say happened:
On March 19th, shortly after 6:00 PM, three suspects entered a licensed medical marijuana dispensary located in the 5400 Block of California Avenue SW. Also inside the business were three employees and two customers. The three suspects were asked by employees to leave, as they were not there to purchase anything. At that point, the suspects pulled out handguns and proceeded to restrain everyone in the store and rob them. The suspects then fled the store on foot. The employees of the business were able to free themselves and gave chase. They managed to catch two of the suspects a few blocks away. In his haste to get away, one of the suspects dropped his handgun and some stolen items in the alley. Responding officers arrested the two suspects and then located and arrested the third suspect a short distance away. In all, two handguns, the victim’s wallets and money and stolen marijuana were all recovered. Robbery and CSI detectives responded to the location to process the scene. All of the suspects were interviewed by detectives. The 24 year old male was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery. The other suspects, ages 16 and 17, were booked into the Youth Services Center for Investigation of Robbery. Robbery detectives will have the responsibility for the continuing investigation.
After a day of closure for inspection, maintenance, and testing those new in-case-of-quake gates, the Alaskan Way Viaduct reopened at 5:30 pm, WSDOT just announced. It’s scheduled for 6 am-6 pm closure again tomorrow (if it reopens early as usual on Sundays during these weekends, we’ll publish an update) – remember that traffic out of West Seattle can be brutal, as it was at times today (here’s one pic from Twitter), so allow yourself extra time.
The West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) is working right now to raise money for its Partners With Youth program – which supports an amazing array of youth-geared offerings around the community. Tomorrow night, you can pitch in by Zumba’ing with the Y – here are the details just shared by Tish:
Zumbathon event to benefit West Seattle & Fauntleroy Y Partners with Youth – 5 pm – 7 pm Sunday
________________________________
West Seattle Family YMCA (GYM)
4515 36th Ave. SW$20 minimum donation. All money raised goes to seving youth in the West Seattle community.
Everyone is invited to JOIN THE PARTY – dance, sweat, laugh, move and help our community’s families live healthy and well lives… Stay for as little or as long as you like (you are not required to move for 2 solid hours! ha!)
It’s been said, You are never so Tall as when you stoop to help a child. Let’s see what happens when you dance to help a child?!
Midway through the first “Keep Seattle Beautiful” cleanup – offshoot of the campaign whose founder Mike Merta wrote an open letter, published here – we caught up with King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who was with other volunteers along the Olson Place/1st Avenue South hill between Highway 509 and the West Seattle/White Center line (cleanup participants fanned out after meeting up at Waste Management, a short distance north).
McDermott later noted on his Facebook page that the cleanup had netted “six yards of trash” even before it officially ended at 2 pm.
Meantime, Admiral Neighborhood Association president Katy Walum reported that one of the biggest Adopt-A-Street turnouts in some time, 21 people, showed up to join ANA’s cleanup this morning – we’ll update this with any more aftermath information we find.
And we’re also waiting to hear from the Fairmount Ravine cleanup team, who were scheduled to head out for their annual event this morning, not just cleaning up the much-traveled canyon, but also helping save its forest by removing ivy and other invasives. Congratulations to everyone who’s out there making our area a cleaner and better place! Keep an eye on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for news of future cleanups (we usually announce them here on the main page too, along with one last reminder on the morning of an event).
Not that they don’t have a tough-enough leader in Marcus Pimpleton already, but … imagine the pressure of hitting the right notes when Darth Vader is wielding the baton! The Chief Sealth International High School Band had a surprise guest conductor for a few minutes during their mini-concert this morning at the Pacific Science Center grand opening of “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.” We reported on Thursday about the band’s downtown gig to celebrate the Science Center opening the doors for the first ticketholders to the new exhibit; after they played a medley of key themes from the entire “Star Wars” movie series, an entourage of familiar characters made their entrance, including Lord Vader. (They’re from the 501st Legion – explained here; right after the opening event with the Sealth band, they paraded over to the new exhibit, posing for photos – which their leader had explained is part of the deal in exchange for the costuming help they get from Lucasfilm!)
ADDED 2:04 PM: The band’s performance of the “Star Wars” medley, WITHOUT Darth Vader. That’s above; click ahead, and after the jump you will find the section of the encore that featured the Dark Lord of the Sith, plus a few more photos from this morning’s event:Read More
(Low-tide sights from Machel Spence earlier this week – “Super Moon” rises 7:30 tonight)
VERY busy Saturday! Here are some highlights of things to do/places to go, starting with a traffic alert – all from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
VIADUCT CLOSURE: The Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed till 6 pm tonight, scheduled for closure again 6 am-6 pm Sunday, for inspection/maintenance/quake-gate testing.
RAVINE CLEANUP: Fairmount Ravine Preservation Group will sponsor the 19th Annual Spring Cleanup and Reforestation of Fairmount Ravine. Gather at 8:30 for delicious Tully’s coffee and hot cocoa along with donuts. Cleanup is usually completed within two hours. Meet your friends and neighbors at the top of the ravine Forest St. and Fairmount Ave., just east of Hiawatha Park). Beware that currently there is utility construction at this intersection. You can walk through intersection but need to park nearby. Wear boots and gloves. Bring a pruning saw if interested in removing ivy from trees. We extend a special invitation to those who use the ravine to access the waterfront; please donate an hour of your time to keep this greenbelt healthy and pristine.
‘STREET SCRAMBLE’: Alki Street Scramble, registration starts 8;30 am 62nd/Alki, details here
ADMIRAL CLEANUP: Admiral Neighborhood Association Adopt-A-Street cleanup, meet at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor), 9 am (breakfast snacks/beverages and sack lunch provided, tools and vests too)
BUY BOOKS, HELP STUDENTS: Sanislo Elementary‘s 4th Grade Used Book Sale, 10 am-2 pm (Facebook event page here), raising money for their camp fund.
ATOMIC BOYS’ ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: Atomic Boys in the Admiral District celebrating its third anniversary: Food, Fun & Games! Nifty drawings for kids of all ages! (yes, grown-ups too) Wear your Atomic Boys shirt for something neat-o! (10 am-6 pm)
WEST SEATTLE NESTFEST: Remodeling workshop including WSB sponsors Ventana Construction and WEDesign, Senior Center of West Seattle presenting information about remodeling with family needs in mind, 10 am (registration information here)
‘KEEP SEATTLE BEAUTIFUL’ CLEANUP: This one started as the “Clean Up Your Act, Seattle” cleanup, meet 8111 First Avenue South, 10 am, with King County Councilmember Joe McDermott joining in and Waste Management (whose HQ is at the meeting site) providing free breakfast.
FUNDRAISER CAR WASH: Rainbow Girls of West Seattle are holding a car wash on Saturday, March 19, 2011 from Noon to 3:00 pm at the Alki Masonic Hall – 4736 40th SW. Donations are gladly accepted. Rainbow is a service organization for girls between the ages of 11 and 20.
BOOK SIGNING: Barnes & Noble is proud to welcome members of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society to our West Seattle store for a book signing event on March 19th. Society members will be signing copies of their latest “Images of America” series book, about West Seattle, 1-3 pm
CELEBRATE PURIM: Kol HaNeshamah welcomes the community to its Purim celebration Saturday evening, March 19. We will have a child-oriented Celebration and Megilla Reading from 6:00-6:45: come hear the story of Purim told with the help of puppets!!! At 7:00 p.m. come see “Shushan on the Roof” as our congregants retell the story of Purim in costume and set to the music of the famous musical. Dress in costume (there will be prizes) and bring Hamantashen to share if you like (there will be more prizes for the most original or unusual!). For those who would like to help transform the Purim celebration into a force for good, bring small change to go into our tzedakah grogger! Kol HaNeshamah shares space with the Alki UCC and is located at 6115 SW Hinds St.
SCRABBLE FOR CHARITY: Play Scrabble, raise money for nonprofits, weekly tournament at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 3:30 pm
FREE BOAT SAFETY CHECKS: Coast Guard Auxiliary boat safety checks at Don Armeni boat ramp, 3-5 pm
And that’s not even everything – check the calendar for more.
(Photo courtesy Troop 282)
Remember that this month and next, donations to your local food banks count for extra because of the Feinstein Challenge (explained here) – and one way you can give is via a door-to-door drive that local Boy Scouts are conducting the next two Saturdays, plus a Cub Scout collection site today. First – if you get info about Scouting For Food left at your door today, consider putting out a donation next Saturday. Rick McMinn with Troop 282 explains:
Boy Scouts of America teaches the value of community service and the importance of helping others in all of its programs. “Doing a good turn daily” is a cornerstone of the Scouting program.
For the next two Saturdays boys from West Seattle will be in the neighborhood “Scouting for Food”. “Scouting for Food” is a program of the Boy Scouts of America in conjunction with local food banks conducted throughout the country each year. Scouts will be distributing door hangers this Saturday, March 19 and returning next Saturday, March 26th to collect food donations for the West Seattle Food Bank. Non perishable food donations such as peanut butter, baby formula, packaged meals and canned goods (especially tuna, soups, stews, meats, fruits and vegetables) would be greatly appreciated. Simply take the door hanger and use it to remind yourself to dig out of your cupboards or shop for the above items and put them out for the scouts to collect in the morning on March 26th.
Second, here’s a way to drop off donations this morning:
Cub Scouts from Den 7, Pack 284 will be at West Seattle Morgan Street Thriftway from 8:30-10:30 Saturday morning collecting food as part of their annual Scouting for Food. All proceeds and food will benefit West Seattle Food Bank. Our goal is to stuff a pickup truck full to overflowing. Anyone missing this time slot but still want to donate can contact me and I’ll make arrangements to get donations picked up. 206.383.2352
(WSB photo taken last month)
It was a major point of discussion during the first two design meetings for the new P-Patch at 34th SW and SW Barton in Westwood (here’s WSB coverage from Feb. 13 and March 2), and it even came up during Mayor McGinn‘s walking-tour visit two weeks ago: Should the big birch tree that’s on the lot now stay, or should it go? Kate Farley sends word tonight that the decision has been made:
A special session was called for the steering committee of the Barton P-Patch to gather more information on how the gardeners can live compatibly with the birch tree, which will remain on site. Several local arborists donated their time and expertise to form a panel discussion. Included were Mark Harman of Stonehedge Tree Experts, Sean Dugan of Tree Solutions, Joe Markovich from SDOT, and Kyle Henegar, who is with the Washington Park Arboretum. Cass Turnbull from Plant Amnesty and John Hushagen of Seattle Tree Preservation were not able to attend.
The discussion was centered on how to protect the tree, and at the end of the meeting there was agreement that the controversial root barrier should not be installed. As Kyle Henegar said at the end of the meeting, “It just doesn’t get any better than this…these are some of the top tree people in Seattle.” Several ideas for protecting the tree were suggested and will be explored as we go along in the design process, so stay tuned.
The 34th/Barton site, previously Seattle Public Utilities land that wasn’t needed by that department any more, is being turned into a P-Patch courtesy of money from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy that voters approved in 2008. The third and final open community meeting before the garden is built, with a final proposed design to be presented, is scheduled for 1:30 pm Saturday, April 2nd – two weeks from tomorrow – at Southwest Community Center.
(Photos courtesy Noah Zeichner)
If you drove home past Walking on Logs at the Fauntleroy end of the West Seattle Bridge, you saw their latest theme – a banner and T-shirts for the World Water Week “ideas festival” coming up next Monday through Friday at Chief Sealth International High School.
Important thing to remember: World Water Week kicks off with a big event for the entire community, not just the school – an author, a congressmember, a tribal leader. (More on them in a moment.) Along the bridge this afternoon, on what was an official day off for the school district, young volunteers dressed the sculptures with permission from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, which is the official permission-granter for that privilege, conferred only on good causes. And earlier, they had an even more-monumental task:
They spent the morning filling water bottles for the Walk for Water next Friday; it will dramatize what millions of people around the world have to go through to get something resembling clean, safe water to their homes and families.
But first, the stage is set for next Monday, and there’s one thing they can’t do without you – fill the Sealth auditorium Monday night for author Robert Glennon‘s 7 pm presentation on “America’s Water Crisis and What to Do About It,” also featuring appearances by Congressmember Jay Inslee and Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen. There’s a resource fair at 6:15 pm that’ll overflow with information (plus live music and refreshments0, followed by the talk at 7 pm. Here’s the official flyer for the entire evening (all free!).
Earlier Monday, you can get a preview by listening to KUOW (94.9 FM, or you can listen live online at kuow.org), when Glennon will be interviewed along with Molly Freed, the student leader of the World Water Week project at Sealth (working with social-studies teacher Noah Zeichner, following up on their Aspen Ideas Festival trip last year) – she too was filling water jugs today:
Participants in the Walk for Water will carry the jugs – 1 to 5 gallons, for up to 5 kilometers. More details on that next week – but first, mark your calendar for Monday night, to share the new knowledge that’ll be brought to the community as a school expands its education efforts beyond those who attend each day.
They didn’t call it that on SPD Blotter this time – instead, the roundup got the headline ‘A Fast Friday’ – but West Seattle and vicinity once again received extra police attention today. They were in the 4700 block of Admiral Way, where SDOT says a signal isn’t warranted, but SPD promised extra patrols; and look, another 84 mph ticket on the West Seattle Bridge:
On Friday, March 18th the Seattle Police Traffic Unit conducted enforcement around the city in accordance with their mission to promote traffic safety through the vigorous enforcement of city and state traffic laws.
In the 4700 block of SW Admiral Way, 12 speeding tickets were issued with a high of 45 mph in the 30 mph zone. Additionally, tickets were issued for no proof of insurance and no front license plate.
The Traffic Unit also worked the area from the 4200 to the 4700 block of 1st Avenue South [map]. Tickets were issued for 67 mph in a 35 zone, 69 mph in a 35 zone and a high of 70 mph in a 35 zone.
The West Seattle Bridge and Highway 99 were also patrolled.
On the West Seattle Bridge, a 45 mph zone, 25 speeding tickets were issued for speeds over 65 mph. Six tickets were issued for speeds over 70 mph, with a high of 84 mph in the 45 mph zone.
On Highway 99, a 50 mph zone, eight tickets were issued for speeds over 70 mph with a high of 75 mph in the 50 mph zone.
All in a day’s work.
A first-of-its-kind race is coming to West Seattle in four weeks – HP3, on April 16th. We heard first word of it at a community meeting months ago; organizers have been putting it together ever since
HP3’s unique 16-mile Adventure Race crisscrosses the Delridge community and features multiple challenges that will help the Parks Department maintain and upgrade trails in West Seattle parks, including: carrying two 5-gallon buckets of gravel over a series of routes, pushing a wheelbarrow full of mulch and planting trees.
HP3 features an exclusive partnership with the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods & Parks Department, engaging community members, businesses, students and City officials in an event to raise awareness and foster action on environmental issues.
The race consists of two divisions: an Elite Division for experienced, competitive runners and an Open Division for less competitive runners interested in a relay style event. Each division is restricted to 25 teams.
Here’s more about what the race entails; here’s where to sign up.
West Seattle Little League‘s Opening Day Jamboree is still on schedule for March 26, but WSLL president Mark Terao sends word that the ribboncutting ceremony for their Bar-S Playfield improvements will not happen that same day. “Mother Nature, along with other holdups and delays, put up too many obstacles for us to overcome,” he explained via e-mail. “We will re-evaluate what is needed for completion along with establishing the new timeline for completion so that we can set up a new ribbon cutting date. It is my hope to complete the project within a few weeks.”
This afternoon at City Hall, a new twist in the ongoing saga of who will eventually annex White Center and the rest of remaining unincorporated North Highline: Instead of deciding whether to give voters in that area a chance to decide this fall if they want to join Seattle, there’s a new push to give Seattle’s council one more year to make up its mind. This afternoon, the council’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee passed a resolution proposed at the last minute, saying that if the council doesn’t decide by next February to seek a North Highline annexation, they will officially withdraw the city’s longstanding designation of NH as a “potential annexation area.” The resolution goes to the full Seattle council on March 28th. More details on our partner site White Center Now.
One week ago, we published the sad story of the hit-run crash that killed Lucy, a 13-year-old Golden Retriever. First we heard from the witness who saw the whole thing, as Lucy and her owner were crossing California SW at Dakota. Then we heard directly from Matt, who was with Lucy when it happened, and almost got hit himself. While there is no word from police on any break in the case, those who told their stories have been working on the pedestrian-safety advocacy they hope might be Lucy’s legacy. We promised a followup. First, the witness e-mailed three City Council members, who, he says, got a fourth involved, which ultimately led him to Seattle City Light to make sure the street light on the southwest corner of that intersection is working. He was also pointed to SDOT to request better signage for the crosswalk.
The witness was also directly in touch with Matt (and wife Sarah), who say they have connected with SDOT’s community traffic liaison, Jim Curtin. They learned Jim, a West Seattleite, had heard about Lucy’s death via WSB, and they wrote:
Jim informed me that the wheels are turning at SDOT and they plan to do a full site visit and evaluation to determine the most appropriate options for making the California/Dakota intersection safer. He indicated that he will be back in touch with me within one to two weeks with recommendations and next steps. Additionally, we briefly discussed potential opportunities for funding if there isn’t a budget for the recommended improvements. Some alternative sources of funds could include the SDOT Neighborhood Street Fund and/or the DON Neighborhood Matching Fund in conjunction with community funding (via fundraiser).
Also, we’ve received a more detailed description of the vehicle involved in the hit-run incident from the Seattle Police Department. The vehicle is a customized dark colored El Camino with possibly aftermarket grill and rims and tinted windows. It would be great if we could ask the community to keep a look out for this vehicle and, if seen, inform the Police. The SW Precinct police officers involved have been incredibly responsive and helpful.
… Please let the community know how much we appreciate all their kind words and thoughts for our family during this difficult time and how fortunate we feel to live in such a wonderful, close-knit community.
We’ll continue to follow up.
Updates on West Seattle help for the quake/tsunami survivors in Japan: First, last night we heard back from Karla, who sent out feelers about organizing a peninsula-wide effort. She says she’s gotten a great response so far.
And now – West 5 proprietor Dave Montoure just shared the news that he is organizing local restaurants for a one-night West Seattle benefit.
It’s not just that he, like so many, wants to help with such a horrific tragedy – Dave has ties to the northeastern coastal zone that was hit the hardest, with thousands killed. In a phone conversation a short time ago, he told WSB he’s been to almost every area you’ve seen in quake/tsunami-aftermath coverage on TV, while living in Japan for several years after college, including some of the Iwate Prefecture (similar to a state) areas ravaged by the tsunami, like Miyako. He also lived in the Iwate city of Morioka while working as an English teacher, and has friends still there; he says they’re OK.
Here’s what he’s working on – and if you’re a local restaurateur that would like to be part of it, but haven’t heard from Dave yet, he welcomes your e-mail at dave@westfive.com: Right now, he’s looking at doing this a week from Sunday, March 27th.He’s asking interested participants to come up with some kind of fundraising element – whether it’s a special menu item, a portion of proceeds, it’ll be up to them. They’ll also be expected to publicize the event through all their respective networks. (And yes, Dave is talking with Karla, to see how to synergize their efforts.)
He hasn’t decided yet which relief agency/operation would be the beneficiary; he is talking daily with a friend from Iwate prefecture (comparable to a USA state) who also happens to be an experienced disaster-relief professional with experience in the disaster zones of Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
So if you’re interested in participating as a venue on March 27, get a hold of Dave (who says a few already have signed on, including Feedback Lounge [WSB sponsor]). To be part of the benefit when it happens, by going to one of the venues, watch for more details, which he’ll send out via the West 5 Facebook page (here) and Twitter account (here). We of course will bring you updates too (here as well as on FB, where our page has changed – find it here).
Mark Harman from Stonehedge Tree Experts (WSB sponsor) is among a team of professional arborists spending their morning up in trees today. Not that they don’t spend a lot of their time doing that anyway – but this day is special: It’s an early Arbor Day present to the city, with an estimated $3,000 worth of professional pruning being donated, as the arborists work to carefully prune 10 white oaks in central Lincoln Park. The participants are all arborists who get referrals from Plant Amnesty:
The organization’s dedicated to making sure people know how to properly care for trees, including the right way to prune them. Along with Harman, participants included Renaissance Tree Care‘s John Zehren, Green Tree Care‘s Patrick Storey, Symbiosis Tree‘s Kurt Fickeisen, Apical Tree Care‘s Rodger Groom and Andy Major, Out on a Climb‘s Kathy Holger and crew, The Tree Stewards‘ Erick Matteo, and Fluent Tree Pro‘s Alan Lamp.
Stonehedge’s Harman explains that they do a volunteer event like this every year in honor of Arbor Day, but since that time of year is not optimal for pruning, they have to move it up.
This morning, we welcome a new WSB sponsor, which per WSB tradition gets the chance to introduce themselves to you: Bethany Community Church West Seattle is a satellite campus of Bethany Community Church (churchbcc.org). This community started with an adventurous group of Bethany members from West Seattle who had been commuting to Bethany’s fast-growing original campus near Green Lake, but longed to worship — and be more practically available to serve one another and our neighbors — in our own West Seattle locale. We are excited to publicly introduce ourselves to our West Seattle neighbors and invite you to join us at our open-house worship service this coming Sunday, March 20, at 9:30 am. Children’s programs are available for nursery through 5th grade. Refreshments and a children’s play area will also be available afterward.
Bethany attenders are characterized by the attitude inscripted on an old wooden sign that has been around the church for decades: “ In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” A new attender says, “ I recently moved here from Indiana. I chose to attend Bethany because it is a group of people who are committed to learning, seeking, struggling and hoping together.” Campus Pastor Shonnie Scott says, “Bethany’s mission is to connect people to God, to community and to wholeness. Our strong sense of purpose has grown out of our deepening relationships with Christ, with each other, and with our community. We’ve already engaged in supporting High Point Community Center and Navos Mental Health Solutions, and look forward to participating in Navos’ “ Planting Day” in April. It is our greatest joy to ‘pay forward’ God’s love, grace and transformation — the wholeness we receive through Christ — by actively loving each other and our local community. We’d like that to include you as well!”
Bethany West Seattle gathers every Sunday at 9:30 am at High Point Community Center (6920 34th Avenue SW) for vibrant worship and inspiring biblical teaching, while also providing children with quality programs. Visit Bethany West Seattle’s website for more information about staff, upcoming events, sermons, and a short video of a typical Sunday morning: westseattle.churchbcc.org.
We thank Bethany Community Church/West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(Look who joined Lincoln Park beachcombers on Thursday! Photo shared by Trileigh Tucker)
NO SCHOOL! No classes in Seattle Public Schools today.
FREE GUIDED ECO-HIKE: Nature Consortium guided eco-hike in West Duwamish Greenbelt, meet at 14th and Holly, 1 pm
FREE MOVIE NIGHT: The Highland Park Improvement Club presents another Movie Night! Doors open at 6:30 pm, movie starts at 7. Popcorn, candy and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Our movie license does not allow us to publish the movie title, so here’s this month’s hint: Adam Sandler’s 2008 movie for kids. Movies will be shown in the dance hall, with chairs available for seating. Or, bring blankets, pillows, folding chairs (that won’t scratch the floor) and camp out on the floor!
ALL ACCESS AT YOUNGSTOWN: ALL ACCESS Winter 2011 showcase (+ Massive Breakdance Battle presented by Arts Corps)
* 6 pm – 8:30 pm
* Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW
* Free, All- Ages, Open to families and community!
* Massive Breakdance Battle Pre-Lims, Hip Hop Dance, Songwriting, Rock School Showcase, FEEST organic food +knowledge, Hip Hop emcee/music showcase, DIY Fashion
* *Donations for arts programs accepted at the event
Each quarter ALL ACCESS classes end with a showcase, where youth have an opportunity to demonstrate their hard work on stage in the Youngstown theatre, with their families and the community in attendance.
‘DISTRACTED’: The second weekend of the newest production by ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction – full details here.
TRAFFIC REMINDERS: Northbound 1st Avenue South will be closed overnight at SW Spokane (under the Spokane Street Viaduct), 8 pm-5 am. And don’t forget that the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to be closed 6 am-6 pm BOTH days this weekend for its twice-yearly maintenance checkup.
BENEFIT WINE TASTING: As noted here yesterday, Bin 41 in The Junction will donate all proceeds from the $5 fee for its 5:30-7 pm tasting tonight to Japan quake relief.
BRANCHING OUT: 8 am-2 pm, Certified arborists (including WSB sponsor Stonehedge Tree Service‘s Mark Harman) are pruning 10 White Oak trees in Lincoln Park as a gift to the city – they get together annually to celebrate Arbor Day, but explain that time in April would be bad time for pruning, so they’re out today. Plant Amnesty will be there too with information about proper tree care. This is just south of the ballfields.
OPEN HOUSE: Join nurse practitioner Chris Porter, ARNP, for an Open House today at his new clinic, 3623 SW Alaska, 206-937-5747, 12:30 – 6 pm.
ANNEX WHITE CENTER/NORTH HIGHLINE TO SEATTLE? The Regional Development and Sustainability Committee of the Seattle City Council considers whether to move toward a North Highline annexation election this fall, City Hall, 2 pm (here’s the agenda)
SPECIAL SERVICE: At Kol HaNeshamah: Special Friday evening Service beginning at 7:00 p.m. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Fire and to acknowledge the struggles around labor issues occurring in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the US, we will focus on Jewish ethical teachings on labor and the dignity due the laborer during our Shabbat service.
More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!
(Added 4:53 am: Looking eastbound/downhill on SW Holden at the sizable initial response)
3:34 AM: Fire units are at an apartment complex in the 2200 block of SW Holden (map). Scanner indicates the fire is confined to a single unit in a 3-story building.
3:49 AM UPDATE: Both SW Holden and 22nd SW are blocked; our crew on the scene indicates that the fire is closer to 24th, in terms of a cross-street. No indication of any injuries; we had already heard on the scanner that everyone had gotten out of the building OK, and that the fire is “tapped.” Cameraphone photo added; that’s Ladder 13, out of Highland Park’s Station 11.
CLICK AHEAD FOR MORE OF OUR COVERAGE AS-IT-HAPPENED (including video of battalion chief briefing):Read More
Big week for Westside School (WSB sponsor) in Sunrise Heights – the admission letters for next year went out, and a high-energy set of assembly guests came in. Our video catches eight minutes of highlights from the Thursday assembly headlined by Alborada – a musical family from Mexico that has toured to perform at hundreds of schools, entertaining as well as educating. Westside’s David Bergler explained that they book “world music” whenever they can, and in this case, it complements Westside’s Spanish-language instruction, since the group performs in both English and Spanish. (You’ll see a school administrator addressing the kids en Español, too.) P.S. Westside is still taking applications for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade (the latter, as part of its first year of phasing in middle school – they’ll add 7th grade the following year, 8th grade the year after that) – more info here.
News tonight for mobile-food fans – Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff is headed for West Seattle. Starting April 1st, according to co-owner Veronica, it’ll set up on the Alki Auto Repair lot five days a week. Veronica says it’s an offshoot of their original 
Charlie’s Dog House cart – named after Charlie the Yorkie (photo right). They serve “specialty hamburgers, grilled sandwiches, gourmet sausages, fries, and more,” Veronica says, with other items from a “rotating menu … introduced periodically.” Veronica’s co-owner Mignon works the “front of the house.” Veronica says she works early mornings as a driver for Metro, while Mignon is getting ready to go to nursing school, after being caught in the WaMu layoffs almost two years ago. Veronica had been a longtime independent-sales rep until deciding a year and a half ago that she wanted to start a hot-dog-cart business, which she says went so well that they decided to go for a full-fledged food truck this past February. (The burgers, she notes, are handmade from grass-fed beef.)
Veronica says they’ll be at Alki Auto’s lot (2504 Alki SW) 3 pm-7 pm Wednesdays-Fridays, 11:30 am-4 pm Saturdays and Sundays, during April and May, and will change their hours when summer arrives. They’re online here, on Facebook here, and on Twitter at @charliesbuns.
ADDED SUNDAY 3/20: Via Twitter tonight, Charlie’s Buns announced they’ll also be in West Seattle at Jiffy Lube east of The Junction, Mondays & Tuesdays from 4 pm-7 pm starting 3/28.
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