West Seattle, Washington
27 Sunday
Two more area schools have issued invitations for vendors at their upcoming holiday bazaars. Schmitz Park Elementary started lining up its vendors last month – here’s our previous story – 
and tonight we have invites from both Highland Park Elementary and Shorewood Elementary. Highland Park (1012 SW Trenton) is having its bazaar 10 am-3 pm on December 4th – in addition to the bazaar itself, they’re having a raffle, with donations from vendors and local businesses, linked to a food drive for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks (bring a nonperishable food item, get a free raffle ticket). If you’re intererested in being a vendor, e-mail highlandparkpta@hotmail.com. Meantime, Shorewood (2725 SW 116th) is looking for craft vendors for its bazaar, 10 am-4 pm on November 13th; e-mail shorewoodbazaar@gmail.com to find out more. (P.S. If your school or organization has a bazaar coming up, please share the info! editor@westseattleblog.com – if you’re looking for vendors, we can share the news; if you’re not, we want to be sure it’s at least on the WSB Events calendar.)
Two photos from the WSB inbox (thanks!): First, Amanda shared that shot of a sign that’s turned up on the fence by Delridge Playfield – if you’ve passed the in-progress renovations lately, the joke makes perfect sense; if not, take a close look at what’s in the background, and imagine dozens of those mini-hills on one field. (We’ll be checking with Seattle Parks on the project’s status this week.) Meantime, a view from inside The Bohemian:
As Ryan put it in the note accompanying the picture, “Everyone (was) enjoying the sun today.” Another place to enjoy it was the South Seattle Community College Arboretum on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge:
WSB contributor Keri DeTore shared that with a few other fall-colors photos from a walk through the Arboretum this afternoon – you’ll see another one atop tomorrow’s morning-preview lineup.
(More photos, video added since this was first published in mid-afternoon)
ORIGINAL 3:12 PM REPORT: They’re standing tall in Fauntleroy this afternoon – even without the stilts on which that roaming performer is perched. Under the clear blue sky, the annual Fauntleroy Fall Festival continues at two sites across the street from each other, Fauntleroy Church and co-located Fauntleroy YMCA plus the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, till 5:30 pm. Many free activities for all ages – including, of course, autumn art, and at this table, birdhouse-making:
And tasty treats (bring some $ for those), including creations cooked up by new WSB sponsors Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Events and Catering, which is headquartered at the Hall at Fauntleroy in the historic schoolhouse, though the crew’s mostly outdoors today:
We’re going back over to check in again shortly – music, dance, and more are on the schedule (see it here). Not sure where the church/Y/schoolhouse are? 9131/9140 California SW, but don’t try to head straight down California from points north, because this part doesn’t connect – here’s a map.
7:01 PM NOTE: Huge turnout this afternoon; we have more photos and video to publish later. ADDED 9:58 PM: Chief Sealth International High School‘s Jazz Ensemble 2 – described as a “non-auditioned group” that had only been playing together a few weeks; could have fooled us! – performing “Shake and Bake” in the Fauntleroy Church sanctuary:
Also performing, bands including Let’s Get Lost – whose keyboardist had a four-footed assistant:
Then there was a festival visit from this walking-upright “dog” – there to promote picking up after your canine companions:
Lots of other critters on view – and check out the line for the petting zoo – the nearby pony rides were popular too:
Another pic or two yet to come.
We mentioned Avalon Glassworks‘ pumpkin-making event earlier – seems there’s another patch of glass pumpkins in West Seattle today: WSB contributing photographer Ellen Cedergreen happened onto this show/sale that Tacoma Glassblowing Studio is presenting till 4 pm at Alki Bathhouse. Above, that’s studio co-owner Jeannine Sigafoos; part of today’s proceeds are going toward an orphanage in Romania and a Puget Sound charity (explained here, along with other venues that’ll be hosting the event in the weeks ahead).
Just got word from WSDOT that the Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection/maintenance closure is over, and it reopened about half an hour ago, more than five hours ahead of schedule. Their announcement says this is what they did this time around:
In addition to structural inspections, WSDOT and the City of Seattle coordinated maintenance and preservation work during this closure. Work this weekend included:
*Surveying the structure to check for settlement.
*Repairing expansion joints and damaged bridge rails.
*Applying a protective covering to exposed rebar.
*Servicing drainage and lighting systems and traffic cameras.
*Washing the walls of the Battery Street Tunnel and inspecting its lighting and ventilation systems.
“Preliminary inspection results” will be made public by Friday.
Saturday night’s 10th anniversary celebration for West Seattle-based Killer Whale Tales was in an unusual – but thoroughly appropriate – setting: The Seattle Aquarium, after-hours. Killer Whale Tales is an educational program led by West Seattleite Jeff Hogan – who often sends first word of local orca sightings to share with WSB’ers. He presented a slideshow to last night’s partygoers:
WSB contributing photographer Ellen Cedergreen reports that the slideshow’s focus was on educating kids, to ensure the future of the whales. Jeff explained what he does in the classroom with the kids – not just interactive talks, but also having kids take pledge sheets home and fill them out and then send them back to KWT. They pledge to use less water, learn how to properly dispose of toxic waste, how to use less electricity, etc. They are also encouraged to get adults to pledge the same. In addition to Jeff’s presentation, the party included a fundraising auction, with items including a Killer Whale Tales San Juan Islands Orca Expedition. And there was more exhibit viewing – otter-feeding! Particularly a hit with young eventgoers.
There was also the chance to meet more volunteers working to educate people about local marine life, like another West Seattleite, Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail:
Last night, we also learned more details about upcoming events, including one on which Donna and Jeff are collaborating (we’d heard a bit while out whale-spotting last week): On November 7th at Alki Bathhouse, you’re invited to a “Welcome the Whales” Environmental Fair. Jeff is scheduled to give a talk as part of it; Donna will be talking about the Neighborhood Matching Fund grant that The Whale Trail has won to install local whale-viewing signs and to start an orca-steward training program. More on that, and the event, soon. (KWT, by the way, is a nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible – here’s how to help, any time.)
Robotics is one of the hottest team “sports” for kids – some get involved through school, but there are other ways too, like the team that Brian Conte e-mailed WSB about:
I am forming a West Seattle team to enter the FIRST robot building competition. FIRST is an organization that helps kids 9-14 learn about teamwork, research, and of course robotics. We are starting Monday, and we currently have 7 out of the maximum 10 kids – so still have a few open slots left.
More details are available online here, including how to contact Brian (ASAP!) to let him know about a potential team member.
(WSB photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
Three nights after White Center Food Bank executive director Rick Jump was at the microphone in South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center, telling the City Council Budget Committee about his agency’s new mobile service, its truck was at the same spot – on display for the food bank’s annual Harvest Dinner and Auction. With it above are volunteers Brittany McIntyre, Lena Guevara, and Johnny Huynh. It took to the streets for the first time on Tuesday, serving WC Food Bank clients at Arrowhead Gardens (WSB sponsor). Of course, the food bank’s leader himself was at last night’s event too, all smiles over the big turnout:
The Harvest Dinner program noted, “This year we’ve faced tremendous challenges as we coped with the realities of an economic downturn and the sharp rise in need in our community. Thanks to your support and partnership, we’ve more than met the basic needs of the families we serve to ensure nutritious meals are available to those who need them most.” Also on the program, quite the entertainment lineup, including Rainier Dance Group, photographed as they prepared to go onstage:
Also performing: Fusion Dance Crew, plus a harpist and jazz pianist. The night included live and silent auctions, a dessert dash (with all money going to buy holiday pies for WC Food Bank clients), and a 50/50 raffle. If you weren’t there, your chance to help out the White Center Food Bank – which is responsible for southern West Seattle too (Myrtle is the south boundary of the West Seattle Food Bank‘s service area) – is year-round, online – just go here.
Reminder that the Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed again today for one of its regular inspections, scheduled to reopen at 6 pm (we’ll update if it happens sooner) … No need to leave the peninsula – as previewed last night, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is 2-5:30 pm at the church/Y/schoolhouse (map) – the full schedule is here, from pony rides to art creation to environmental activities and tons more … Got a fall project? The new hours at the West Seattle Tool Library, as of this weekend, include 1-5 pm Sundays, north side of South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th SW … Today’s the day Avalon Glassworks is making customer-designed glass pumpkins – check if they still have spots available (2914 SW Avalon Way) … The West Seattle Farmers’ Market is open 10 am-2 pm as always, 44th/Alaska in The Junction … Also from the “every Sunday” department, it’s all-ages live-music night at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 3803 Delridge Way, schedule here.
12:20 AM: From King County Department of Transportation:
The King County Water Taxi West Seattle/Downtown Seattle route is expected to return to normal operation Sunday, Oct. 17, pending the U.S. Coast Guard’s inspection and approval of repairs made to the vessel Melissa Ann. Service was cancelled Saturday because of a mechanical problem.
Here’s our earlier coverage. Meantime, on the same webpage that’s been tracking this, you’ll find word that there are ticket machines at the Seacrest and Pier 50 docks (Vashon too, for that route) that will start operating on Monday, taking credit/debit cards.
8:52 AM UPDATE: The county confirms the Water Taxi is running again – and the live marine-traffic map confirms this.
Fire trucks have rushed back to the 17th SW house that burned this morning. More to come. 12:03 AM UPDATE: At the scene. Flareup out. Most trucks dismissed. House doesn’t look much worse than the gutted condition in which this morning’s fire left it. 12:33 AM UPDATE: Per the scanner, an engine will be staying there TFN on “fire watch.”
First thing this morning, volunteers were at work in the Fauntleroy Church parking lot, one of the venues for the annual Fauntleroy Fall Festival tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. So far, the forecast looks perfect – brisk fall sunshine. The festival happens at multiple spots around the church/co-located YMCA (WSB sponsor) and the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse across the street, 2 pm-5:30 pm, with a long list of activities – we published the full schedule a week ago (you can see it here). There’s environmental learning for kids and adults, music and dancing, food (bring $) from purveyors including Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering and Events (WSB sponsor), tours of the renovated church, pony rides for the youngest kids, a climbing wall for the older ones – even a chance to see the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival 2010 float up close and personal. Again, the list’s here; the addresses are 9131 and 9140 California SW – here’s a map – but at this point, California is more like a bend in SW Barton, headed downhill from 35th SW toward the Endolyne business district, and the ferry dock.
Saturday night in The Junction, and the nightlife is usually centered around the restaurants and bars – but this evening, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) was the place to be. Two weeks after opening for business in their new, larger Junction store, proprietors John and Frances Smersh threw their official grand-opening party. The top photo was taken from the “mezzanine” overlooking the store’s main floor – it’s mostly administrative/storage space, but tonight it was DJ Cotton Candy‘s perch too:
Back down among the partygoers and merchandise, two young shoppers found a place to sit:
This is the seventh year in business in West Seattle for Click! – their sixth anniversary was October 1st, the day the new store at 4540 California SW opened its doors. T-shirts, anyone?
As first reported here earlier this week, their former storefront at 2210 California SW is now the future home of West Seattle Fabric Company.
As WestSide Baby‘s car-seat-collection drive was wrapping up at 2 this afternoon, that dumpster was packed full of car seats for recycling – about 400 collected today and at a Ballard dropoff last Saturday. The dropoffs today also included about 50 reusable car seats:
Today’s drive is in an expansion facility that WestSide Baby is finally ready to start talking about in a big way – it’s a former auto shop right behind their 15th SW headquarters in White Center, but it fronts on 14th SW, and gives them lots more room to accept donations for local families, and for volunteers to work on sorting those donations, starting in early November. WestSide Baby’s Nancy Woodland explains that it means not only can they accept more items to distribute to local families in need, they also can separate the pickup and dropoff areas, making it easier for people on both ends of the equation to deal with WS Baby. The expansion building – which is being remodeled with donated materials and labors by many businesses, groups and individuals (including WSB sponsor West Seattle Design Build) – is at 10027 14th SW; it’s also where the diapers collected in last July’s Stuff the Bus were taken for storage (here’s our report with video). If you missed today’s car-seat event, by the way, no worries, Nancy says they hope to have more!
(Tailgating in the chilly sunshine before the game)
This weekend’s final local high-school football game is over – at West Seattle Stadium, it was Orcas Island 28, Seattle Lutheran High School 20. This was homecoming for the Saints, so lots of ceremony. ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Video (including the guest band from Chief Sealth) and more details after the jump:Read More
2:24 PM UPDATE: KCDOT has just announced that the West Seattle Water Taxi is canceled for the rest of today/tonight. They’re still saying “mechanical problems.”
10:24 PM UPDATE: In case you’re wondering, the county still has not announced whether there will or won’t be Water Taxi service tomorrow (keep an eye on this page).
(Scroll down for newest information – investigators have figured out how the fire started)
(Video substituted at 12:14 pm for previously published photo)
ORIGINAL 11:12 AM REPORT: On our way to check out the house-fire call (7900 block of 17th SW – map). 11:23 AM UPDATE: We are at the scene, significant fire, front of house charred, smoke still coming out. No word yet if anyone is hurt. 11:34 AM UPDATE: Incident commander tells us everyone got out OK but a few firefighters are being checked out for possible minor injuries. It’s easy to see inside the front of the house from the street, and it appears gutted. It’ll be a while before investigators can say how it started. 12:16 PM NOTE: In comments, Mookie mentioned “decon” for firefighters on scene. Here’s what that consisted of:
We’ll update whenever the information’s available about the fire’s cause. 1:29 PM UPDATE: SFD confirms via Twitter that two firefighters had to be treated for “minor injuries.” 2:51 PM UPDATE: Update from SFD: The fire was accidental, started when someone tried to get a fire going in the fireplace and nearby “combustible materials” caught fire in the process. The house is considered “pretty much a total loss,” according to SFD’s Helen Fitzpatrick, with damage to home and contents estimated at $150,000. She also explains that the two firefighters who were hurt suffered ankle injuries from stepping out the back door into a “short drop” that had no stairs. 12:29 AM SUNDAY: Firefighters went back late Saturday night for a flare-up. It appeared to be out by the time we got there, with most of the dispatched trucks having been sent back.
Cindi Barker and Sharonn Meeks are two of the volunteers at the Fauntleroy Emergency Communications Hub (explained here), one of three hubs, along with Highland Park and Admiral, that are part of an earthquake drill this morning. It’s a followup to a May drill – meant to simulate what the hubs might deal with in the not-as-immediate aftermath of The Big One. The scenario given to volunteers is that it’s about 30 hours after a major quake hit the region, affecting power and transportation, and breaking or overloading major communications systems, so Community Hubs are up and running, and ham-radio teams are in action. Today’s participants are acting as if they are relieving the first group that’s been working since just after the quake, and have to deal with “a large amount of message traffic” – note the radio and the bulletin board in the photo. The volunteers will be attempting to relay those messages, among other parts of the drill. (This is the same one for which we put out a call for “actors.”) What can you do? Know where your nearest Emergency Communication Hub is – that’s where you would go to find out information and how to get help when the conventional ways of doing so have failed. Also, don’t just think of a disaster kit as “we’ll get around to it” – be ready now – weather disasters may be partly predictable, but earthquakes still aren’t. Find tips on the excellent, volunteer-created West Seattle Be Prepared website.
That’s Katie Salinas from Waste Management, photographed a week ago when we got full details about the car-seat collection events in which WM is partnering with WestSide Baby. Today is the big collection event for West Seattle/White Center and vicinity; between 10 am and 2 pm, take your no-longer-need car seat/booster seat to 10027 14th SW in White Center (that’s a block from WS Baby’s current location – here’s a map). If it’s in good-enough shape to reuse, that’ll happen; if not, it’ll be recycled. More details on the WS Baby website – which says the collection event in Ballard last weekend netted 50 reusable seats and almost 200 recyclable ones. Can West Seattle/White Center top that? Just hours to go.
Right about now, the Alaskan Way Viaduct should be shutting down for Day 1 of its two-day semi-annual inspection – 6 am to 6 pm, today and tomorrow. And as announced last night, the Spokane Street Viaduct‘s westbound lanes will close overnight tonight, 10 pm-5 am. But its eastbound lanes aren’t affected – and during the AWV closure, the new 4th Avenue offramp on that side should help you get downtown without having to go all the way to I-5.
News just down the block from WSB HQ right now. Somebody made a deafening racket crashing a VW Jetta through the DO NOT ENTER sign at California/Thistle (map), heading southbound on California (the dead-end direction in which you’re not supposed to enter), and ending up against the front steps of a house at California/Sullivan. Nobody hurt, but the driver, according to neighbors, took off, apparently northbound on California; the only description is male, in a white shirt. Police have been called. The car is still there in the stairs, DO NOT ENTER sign against its hood, smoking; chunks of debris, including the concrete that held the sign, litter the street. 3:48 AM NOTE: An officer arrived within minutes of a neighbor’s call; another one headed out in search of the runaway driver. First question some (including us) had – was it a stolen car? Responding officer checked and says it’s not reported as such.
4:51 AM UPDATE: Police found the suspect, brought him back to the scene for witness ID (we weren’t the witnesses, we only heard the crash; the driver had bolted before we went out to see what had happened), and took him away. The car’s being towed, and SDOT has arrived to clean up the street debris and mark the suddenly signless “wrong way” street end; the car pushed/dragged the DO NOT ENTER sign more than 100 feet.
(Roxhill librarian Pat Bliquez, visiting China in 2007, photo from school website)
Roxhill Elementary School principal Carmela Dellino sends word of a big honor for a member of her team:
Roxhill Elementary is proud to announce that our librarian, Pat Bliquez, has been selected as one of the seven 19th Annual Golden Apple Award winners for Excellence in Teaching in Washington State!
http://kcts9.org/kids/golden-apple-awardsThis year almost 200 educators from across the state were nominated for this award. This award was the idea of the Golden Apple founder Martin J. (Mike) Koldyke, who felt that excellent teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society. Pat will be officially recognized during January at the Awards Banquet, but we will be honoring her at Roxhill later this month. …
Pat is 1000% dedicated to all students’ success. She is acutely aware of how to help Roxhill students become the best global citizens that they can become. She imbeds this instruction into her daily lessons for every grade level. She includes – truly and authentically – includes our self-contained Autism students, our Head Start students, our developmental preschool students, our transitional kindergarten students, as well as our general education students into this kind of learning.
She has devoted millions of hours (I can tell you that is NO exaggeration) to helping the lives and learning of students. Ms. Bliquez believes AND LIVES on a daily basis the importance that every student can excel at a very high level. She reaches those students who struggle academically and those who academically far exceed their peers. She brings in a global perspective to her lessons. Our students learn about Chinese characters and culture, the Holocaust, about slavery through the text of Elijah, Home of the Brave, and a myriad of other social justice topics.
And it doesn’t stop there. They say that a library is supposed to be the hub of a school. Our librarian IS the hub of our school. Learning centers around her work and efforts. She is the cog in the wheel. She goes out of her way to support every single teacher, support staff and the principal so that learning can be engaging, enriching, intentional and meaningful. Roxhill would not be the same without her.
She knows how to challenge thinking; push her own thinking; and help all of us grow (students and staff) as thinkers.
I could talk about the endless hours, the endless summer hours, the being the first to get here and sometimes the last to leave, but perhaps what resounds in my heart the most is the profound impact she makes on the intellectual, emotional, social and personal lives of every educator and student at Roxhill.
She IS the Golden Apple Award.
The principal says Roxhill head teacher Christopher Robert – himself a past Golden Apple recipient – nominated Pat Bliquez for the award. Congratulations to her and to Roxhill!
The game’s over at Southwest Athletic Complex – Nathan Hale 52, Chief Sealth International High School 34. More to come, including touchdown video plus the band’s halftime performance on the field. ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: That’s all after the jump:Read More
| 3 COMMENTS