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.
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).
Joe Fitzgibbon is running for the State House of Representatives seat that his recent boss, Rep. Sharon Nelson, is leaving to seek a State Senate spot, and he has her endorsement.
Sound like a shoo-in? Nope. This year, for the first time in 18 years, the 34th District (map) has an open seat and a spirited race, with Fitzgibbon running against two other Democrats – one of whom has the official party nomination and district endorsement – plus an Independent.
So what’s Fitzgibbon, a 23-year-old Burien resident, doing to set himself apart in the race to succeed Rep. Nelson in State House Position 2?
First, as we sat down in a White Center coffee shop to talk for an hour (the same time we allotted each candidate conversation), we asked what he had been up to earlier that day.
Another media interview, a news release about endorsements, and the “daily grind of doorbelling and taking phone calls,” Fitzgibbon replied. As of this past weekend, when we talked with him at West Seattle Summer Fest (photo below), he estimated he had knocked on about 5,000 doors – more than half the 9,000 he hopes to hit before the August 17 primary.
Thanks to Diane for spotting this one: According to a Craigslist help-wanted ad, the new restaurant at West Seattle Bowl, replacing Terrace West, will be called Highstrike Grill, and it’s set for a September 1st opening. The ad mentions highstrikegrill.com – but as of right now, that site’s not working. We’ll check with WS Bowl tomorrow to see what more we can find out; owner Andrew Carlconfirmed to us a month ago that there would be a change in the bowling center’s restaurant operation. We’ll also check on the Terrace West closing date, which two WSB’ers have e-mailed to say is later this week. P.S. The new restaurant’s name/logo is on the WS Bowl website too, but no additional details.
That’s 4-year-old leukemia patient Hannah Grage and mom Carrie, in a photo shared by Kathy Henderson, the West Seattleite who had originally e-mailed WSB about last Saturday’s bake sale/yard sale/lemonade stand to help Hannah (WSB coverage here and here). Tonight, Kathy e-mailed again, asking if we could publish a big thank you to everyone for the heartwarming response on Saturday:
It was a huge success and far surpassed our expectations of what we would raise to help this family. … We were just astounded by the generosity of this community in helping this little girl and her family. … we really do want to send out a heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this event a big success. …
I also wanted to mention that the fundraiser would not have been possible without the help of an amazing group of women: West Seattle Moms of Tots (WSMOT – meetup.com). This group collected, sorted and priced all the items for the sale and also baked lots of goodies in some crazy hot weather. The sale would not have happened without the help of these moms, most of whom don’t know Hannah directly.
The baked goods even included an adorable cake – here’s a photo we took Saturday but had only previously shared via Twitter:
That photo is courtesy of Alice Haury, who shared it along with this report:
This sailboat, the Gypsy Woman, owned by Rick of Brace Point, just south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock, broke its buoy anchor and drifted aground early this morning. No one was aboard when she broke her anchor. Rick is waiting for high tide at 7:00 pm to get her back in the water. My sister in law Jeanne James, my granddaughter, Mikki Haury and I walked the beach to get this picture around 2:00 this afternoon.
Meantime, two notes about and from West Seattle-headquartered Prudential Northwest Realty: West Seattleite Irene Stewart, director of the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens, tells us that Mike Gain and Don Bereiter from PNW Realty have stepped up to underwrite coffee and baked goods for Senior Coffee Hours – no longer in the city’s budget. Read the city’s announcement here. Plus, Prudential Northwest is celebrating their ranking as one of the Top 50 Prudential companies – the Prudential “Gilbraltar Circle.” Read their news release here.
That’s the staff at Tom’s Automotive Service in The Triangle, one of our newest WSB sponsors. Tom’s Automotive Service is run by Tom Smith and Kandie Jennings, who say their success has been built on treating people like family and talking to their customers in a plain, straightforward way. Tom says his whole staff works at making people feel comfortable by knowing that each car will get only the work it needs, and nothing more. Tom’s Automotive first opened up in 1971 at a location near Morgan Junction and moved to their current location near the West Seattle YMCA (also a WSB sponsor) a couple of years later. Their current building was completed in 1994. Over time, Tom’s has assembled a staff that’s stayed put for many years, so when you come to Tom’s, you can get the same service from the same people who have been taking car of your car and who have come to know you as well. Tom and Kandie belong to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce; Tom’s was the Chamber’s 2008 Business of the Year. Tom and Kandie are on the South Seattle Community College Automotive Technical Education Advisory Board. They’ve been longtime sponsors of teams for West Seattle girls’ pee-wee softball, and supporters of both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in West Seattle. Next time you take your car to Tom’s Automotive Service, bring three or more cans of food as a food-bank donation, and you’ll get $20 off. You’ll find Tom’s Automotive Service online at tomsautomotive.com, or call 206-973-0737.
We thank Tom’s Automotive Service for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
Under the noontime gray sky, the damp silver sand by Luna Park stretched much further out than usual – today marked the lowest tide you’ll see till next year. Just one more minus-three-foot low tide ahead – 12:37 pm tomorrow; we won’t even see a 2.9 again until November.
(Since the banner outside this in-the-works restaurant on Delridge originally promised a spring opening, now that it’s summer, some have asked us if we know what’s going on. So we found the owners and got the story.)
Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Though the only aroma currently coming from this storefront is that of paint and varnish, the owners of this new restaurant located next door to Olympia Pizza on Delridge Way promise that in a couple of weeks, the smells of spiced meat, banh mi sandwiches and pho will be enticing customers to visit.
Owners Melinda Nguyen and Scott Dang, who have owned other restaurants including Lemongrass near Seattle University (which they sold in 2002), moved to West Seattle recently and decided they needed to open another restaurant.
Got a question/concern about Real Change vendors? Take it to the top, without leaving West Seattle, as Real Change‘s director of vendor services Tara Moss and field organizer Neal Lampi come to the Junction Neighborhood Organization‘s next meeting tomorrow night for Q/A. Also on the agenda: An update on where planning stands for the West Seattle Triangle, after a series of meetings with city planners and a local advisory group this spring. The planner who’s leading the project, Susan McLain, will talk about the progress toward creating a Street Design/Public Realm Concept Plan process for The Triangle, as well as zoning/land use. Everyone’s welcome at the JuNO meeting – 6:30 pm Tuesday at Ginomai (southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee).
Quick note for tonight from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: The North Delridge Neighborhood Council meets tonight for the first time on their new night, at their “old” location – NDNC is back at the Delridge Library, now meeting on the second Monday of the month, 6:30 pm. ADDED 12:07 PM:Agenda info here.
On this drizzly Monday morning, here’s one more photo from sunny West Seattle Summer Fest – the Rotary Club of West Seattle promoting its berry sale (advertised on WSB) in the festival’s Community Zone. This Friday and Saturday, it’s raspberry time, and you can guarantee yours by ordering online today or tomorrow. (Pickups are in the Admiral Safeway south lot.)
We had a great Garden Tour Container party today at Clay Swidler’s house, preparing magnificent Succulent containers for next week’s 16th annual West Seattle Garden Tour!
Pictured from left to right are committee members Carolyn Graye, Michelle Drewien, 2010 WSGT Gardener extraordinaire Mari Malcom, and Kathleen Kemp. See you all at the July 18th WSGT next week!
In case you were wondering – as of a few minutes ago, the heart of The Junction was still closed for West Seattle Summer Fest breakdown and cleanup. (The permits run till midnight, so they aren’t required to reopen before then, though most of the time they do.) About two hours ago, we were heading toward The Bridge when we spotted a festival fixture alongside us on Fauntleroy Way in The Triangle:
The West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival float was on its way back to the garage (being driven, not towed) post-festival. You’ll see it in action in the White Center Jubilee Days Parade next Sunday at 10 am and the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade on Saturday, July 24, at 11 am. ADDED 10:48 PM: Best hairdo spotted at Summer Fest, seen late today, photographed by ToFuGuns and shared via the WSB photo pool on Flickr:
Thanks again to everyone who shared photos, video and comments!
Though Summer Fest is over, lots of big events are still ahead for West Seattle in the weeks ahead. Among them – August 29th is the Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run to raise money for Northwest Hope and Healing to help breast-cancer patients – and though that sounds like a long time away, today’s a deadline: If you register by tonight, you get an early-bird discount on the registration fee. Here’s the link.
Welcome to the third and final day of West Seattle Summer Fest 2010! The iconic Easy Street Recordssign is just a few yards from our spot back in the Information Booth, where we’ll be covering the festival live again today. Booths are open till 5. First music of the day should be getting under way right now – Capping Day at the California (north end) stage. (video added post-show)
Tip of the day: Some of the merchants offer extra discounts on Summer Fest’s final day – one of them, WSB sponsor Bin 41, “your Junction wine shop,” also just feet away from where you’ll find us – we’ve got cards for a 10 percent discount off your purchase, good till 5 pm. You’ll find other WSB sponsors with booths at Summer Fest – including Mural Apartments, which is on the north side of the Walk All Ways intersection, also promoting the businesses in Mural (Fresh Bistro, Wallflower Custom Framing, Season’s Hair Salon) and the under-construction-in-The-Triangle Link Apartments:
Next to Cupcake Royale, there’s Fitness Together (disclosure, it’s a photo from yesterday, but not previously used), where proprietor Bonnie Katz offers a chance for you to test your strength:
By the way, if you’re looking for the official Summer Fest T-shirts, they’re on sale at the Seattle Logo Pro booth, which is right in front of Cupcake Royale’s west side – next to the aforementioned Mural etc. booth.
12:21 PM UPDATE: Under way right now – Ropeworks is back at the Alaska stage, with jump-rope champ Rene Bibaud. We had iPhone video of their performance yesterday – we’re rolling our slightly bigger camera on this one! (video added – spectators joining in!)
12:58 PM UPDATE: Youth performers from Youngstown Arts Center are getting ready to take the stage here now; Dusty 45s are playing up at the California stage. (video added after the show)
We also just checked in with Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith, who’s been leading the Summer Fest force the past three days – he says things are still quiet, no major problems. (Couple of kids skateboarding by into near-collisions got a stern warning, though.) If you’re down here and need to check in on the World Cup game – it’s on the big screen outside Elliott Bay Brewery. And now (1:03 pm) the big news – the sun’s back!
1:54 PM: This may be the most perfect festival weather yet – some clouds, some sun, warming up but nothing like the day 1 heat. Variety show on the Alaska stage – Youngstown’s had hip-hop and rock (the latter, a band of teen boys currently onstage with a line of teen girls screaming in admiration every chance they get). Speaking of youth, West Seattle Hi-Yu royalty and candidates are on the move again today – buttons and pins, just a few bucks to help support the festival and its award-winning float:
The Junior Court Coronation is coming up Friday – you’ve got till Tuesday to apply – and the Senior Court Coronation is two weeks away. Here at Summer Fest, somebody’s got bubbles – they’re blowing right past the keyboard here – and the Minute to Win It $10,000 drawing is scheduled at 2:15 pm. Another special we should mention – ArtsWest has a big ticket deal under way right now. (You can also buy tickets there for the West Seattle Garden Tour, one week from today.) Here’s what ArtsWest’s Alan Harrison wrote about the deal in a WSB comment thread in earlier coverage:
Buy a set of season tickets for only $159/6 plays (which is already like getting one play free), and you’ll also get:
a $10 gift certificate good for anything at ArtsWest (concessions, another ticket, artwork, etc.)
a free ticket to the Apprentice Production of “SIDE SHOW,” which opens on July 21 for a 2-week run.
That’s a $25 value…free during SummerFest only! Just stop by ArtsWest and ask about it.
2:54 PM UPDATE: Minute to Win It (again – no, that’s not the TV host, but a lookalike) ended with the three finalists winning trips to Vegas – nobody made it all the way to the $10K. Meantime, an onstage announcement shortly afterward reminds us – Starbucks sponsored the recycling for the festival, which we’re told is a notable chunk of the costs. So that’s helped keep the festival zone clean.
3:53 PM UPDATE: Day 3 always zooms by. In the last hour – go drop by the Community Zone over by Junction Plaza Park (on SW Alaska east of Walk All Ways) – the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s among the groups there now:
That’s executive director Andrea Mercado at right. Nearby, Karen and Deanie are at the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network table. Earlier in the weekend, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council took their turn (Nancy Folsom’s in the photo) – their next meeting is tomorrow night, Delridge Library, 6:30 pm:
NDNC also will help celebrate the Delridge Playground’s first anniversary next Friday night. Even some impromptu fun in that end of the street … as we walked back toward the Information Booth a little while ago, an impromptu water battle broke out:
Same spot saw the Pathfinder K-8 unicyclists a little earlier in the afternoon:
Back along the row of booths on the south stretch of California, we said hi to the 34th District Democrats‘ crew:
Their next regular meeting is coming up this Wednesday night, 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy. More Summer Fest till the breakdown begins … Kris Orlowski’s onstage by us (Alaska Stage) now – last scheduled act of the day, along with the Polyrhythmics playing right now up at the California Stage. (video of Kris O, added post-show)
And before it all wraps up, another look at the kid activities’ zone – where Clowns Unlimited brought the bouncers, and Pathfinder K-8 presented the free crafts activities:
5:08 PM: Officially over. We’re still here a few more minutes – still have flyers at the Information Booth for upcoming Junction events: West Seattle Outdoor Movies by Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) start next Saturday night with “Mamma Mia!” (free and fun, bring your own blanket/chair, and some money for concessions), and then on September 19th the streets close again for the West Seattle Junction Car Show.
While you’re at West Seattle Summer Fest, you can veer over to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market – under way till 2 pm as usual – where we found those lovely carrots. High season for flowers too:
A bit breezy today and certainly chillier than the past two days, so till the sun comes out, you might consider bringing a sweater. On our way to The Junction, we stopped at the second-ever Highland Park Sunday Market, also continuing till 2, with new additions this week:
That’s some of what’s being offered by the Street Treats truck – operator Diane’s family lives in West Seattle, so she’s virtually local. Also there today, a booth full of gorgeous produce:
The Highland Park market is at 12th/Holden, in the parking lot of HP Improvement Club.
Also look for this tent – where kids can join in creating art:
If you miss them this week – they’re weekly TFN, from hereon out.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Steps away from Summer Fest, at 44th/Alaska, the market is open 10 am-2 pm as usual. Here’s the Ripe ‘n’ Ready list.
HIGHLAND PARK SUNDAY MARKET: 10 am-2 pm is also the new schedule for this new gathering of vendors. Check its Facebook page to see some of who’s joined up since the first HPSM two weeks ago (which we covered “live”) – there’s food, art, crafts … The Highland Park Improvement Club parking lot (map) is the place.
We didn’t make it to the street dance, but we hear it was a smash – @shermanscorner tweeted about the Cherry Cherry (Neil Diamond tribute band) singalong! Music along the sidewalks last night, too – WSB’er “D” shared iPhone video of two members of the Junk Queens:
The music continues today – starting with Capping Day on the California stage on the north end of the festival zone at 11:30 am; here’s the schedule.
So much going on this weekend, we haven’t found the time to tidewalk … but mega-low tides are back and maybe you’d like to get out on the beach today. Gatewood resident Pam, writer/publisher of Nerd’s Eye View, was out Saturday with “Mr. NEV,” whom she credits for the above photo, and wrote a vivid tale about their Lincoln Park tidewalk (including more photos). This morning, you can go out in search of your own story, as the tide will be even lower just after 11 am: -3.2, according to this chart – at Lincoln Park by Colman Pool and Constellation Park, you’ll find Seattle Aquarium (WSB sponsor) beach naturalists 10 am-2 pm, too.
Seemed like a lot more people IN the water, waiting to greet the Seafair Pirates as they landed on Alki today, than in years past. We waded right in with them (our video was in an earlier WSB update, but if you missed it, click here to see it). Meantime, thanks to Gary Jones for sharing his perspective from a bit further away:
Our partners at the Seattle Times talked to some of the pirates and spectators, as you’ll see in their clip here:
Remember 13-year-old Joseph, the Make-A-Wish kid who became an honorary Seafair Pirate in that amazing pre-landing event on Alki Friday night (WSB coverage here)? Today, he became Captain Kidd Jr. He’s the fifth photo in the Times’ gallery – click here to go there directly. Two more photos to share – these are “pirate portraits” from today by Dave Estep from Estepworks Photography:
You will of course see the Pirates at many Seafair-sanctioned events in the next month or so – here’s the Seafair events list; among them, the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade coming up two weeks from today – Saturday, July 24th, 11 am, from California/Lander in the Admiral District to California/Edmunds in The Junction.
Story and photos by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
That’s Diane Venti (left), who owns Alki Arts with her husband, Tom Wyrick, who is also a metal artist whose work is currently featured in the gallery. She told me this afternoon that their first day is going very well. There was certainly a steady stream of visitors while I was there.
She said that even before they opened, while they were in there painting the walls, people were knocking on the door to ask about it. And she said she has had to clean plenty of “nose prints” off the windows as people have apparently been peeking in to get a better look. They had their garage-style doors fully open today.
Venti tells me that she came up with the idea for a gallery in early June. (We first reported on the new business last Tuesday.) She is an artist herself, has experience working in galleries downtown, and wanted to own a space for real West Seattle working artists. The current crop of artists was assembled in about ten days. The way the system works is that artists rent the wall space from the gallery by the month. The gallery takes no commissions on whatever the artist sells. In addition, each artist can host an event/opening there on one night during the month their art is on display. The gallery can also be rented by the night for anyone who wishes to have events there.
Venti says the mission of Alki Arts is to feature West Seattle artists, sculptors and glass artists (but not photographers). Artists wishing to sell their work at Alki Arts are welcome to send an e-mail for more information, though there currently is a waiting list. Venti says that she works to carefully curate the art to make sure it is right for the gallery. Wall spaces rent out for between $500-$700 per month, though she said she has the flexibility to work with artists on a case-by-case basis if they just want to display a couple of pieces on commission. She said she is hoping to find some more sculptors and glass artists to fill some of the open floor space in the gallery. Venti says their goal is to have pieces that range in price from $200-$2,000.
The photos are by Christopher Boffoli, who spotted a few unexpected sights while out covering some non-Summer Fest news for WSB today. He explains:
If people saw a convoy of classic Triumph cars driving through West Seattle or at the Fauntleroy ferry today, it was the Seattle-based Tyee Triumph Club, headed to Vashon for a monthly meeting. They assembled in the future Trader Joe’s parking lot before heading out to catch the ferry.
P.S. Speaking of classic cars – several people asked about upcoming car shows while we were helping in the Summer Fest Information Booth again today (11 am-5 pm tomorrow). The Alki Car Show is next Saturday, 8 am-4 pm (here’s our recent preview); the West Seattle Junction Car Show (which we’re co-sponsoring again this year) is September 19, also 8 am-4 pm.
Though the only aroma currently coming from this storefront is that of paint and varnish, the owners of this new restaurant located next door to 
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