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    NEW SSC PRESIDENT: Her first months

Seattle Public Schools appoints new Chief Academic Officer
July 1, 2009 3:43 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Announcements

That’s Dr. Susan Enfield, just announced as Seattle Public Schools‘ new chief academic officer, succeeding Carla Santorno (a West Seattle resident), who is taking a job with another district. Here’s the official announcement from the district:

– Following an extensive national search that included interviews by teams comprised of staff, community and labor association representatives, Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., announced the selection of Dr. Susan Enfield as the new Chief Academic Officer for Seattle Public Schools. Dr. Enfield’s appointment is effective July 6, 2009.

Most recently Dr. Enfield served as Deputy Superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools, a district of more than 26,000 students based in Vancouver, Washington, where she was instrumental in providing key systemic leadership in the design and implementation of K-12 curriculum and instruction for the school district.

“I am delighted to attract a leader of Dr. Enfield’s caliber and experience to lead learning and teaching at Seattle Public Schools,” said Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson. “This appointment furthers our focus on strengthening leadership district-wide by attracting outstanding leaders. Dr. Enfield’s proven successes demonstrate that she has the skill, passion and commitment to continue implementation of Excellence for All and to help ensure excellence for every student in every school.”

Dr. Enfield has extensive experience in curriculum and instruction. During her tenure at Evergreen Public Schools (2006 – 2009), she initiated the development of a five-year plan for math curriculum implementation and support; nearly doubled the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes; and established a Cultural Proficiency Work team to address the needs of the district’s increasingly diverse student population. Dr. Enfield also worked with a team of district staff to develop an early intervention system aimed at reducing the number of students referred to special education and hired bilingual/family liaisons to improve district outreach to key communities.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to be joining Seattle Public Schools,” said Dr. Enfield. “I look forward to working with teachers, principals, staff and administrators to ensure that our students and their families are engaged and supported each and every day. This is a community that uniquely supports its children and its schools, and I am confident that working together we will reach the ambitious but achievable goals that are the foundation for Excellence for All.”

Dr. Enfield began her educational career in 1993 as a high school teacher in the Fremont Union High School District in Cupertino, California. Prior to joining Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, WA, she served as Director of Teaching and Learning at Portland Public Schools where Dr. Enfield functioned as the district’s Chief Academic Officer and increased the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards in 2004-05 and 2005-06 with students scoring higher on state assessments at every grade level. She also was the Director of the Bureau of Teaching and Learning Support from August 2003-October 2004 and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education from January 2003-August 2003 for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Dr. Enfield earned her Ed.D. from Harvard University’s prestigious Urban Superintendents Program as well as an M.Ed. with a concentration in Administration, Planning and Social Policy. She has a Masters in Education from Stanford University and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Taggers deface Ercolini playground
July 1, 2009 2:56 pm
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

One year ago this month, Ercolini Park celebrated its dedication, the culmination of a lot of hard work, volunteer hours, donations of money and material, and it’s now a popular place for so many residents west of The Junction who had no neighborhood park before. And now – the work of tagging vandals at the Ercolini Park playground is sparking neighborhood outrage. David Cagen sent us photos; we have blurred most of the tagging but felt it important to at least show the extent of what they did:

The white spray-paint pattern resembles that used in the obscene words/drawings with which homes within a mile were vandalized recently (WSB coverage here); we have a call out to police to ask if there’s any link or any progress in the case. Meantime, David, who was among the many who worked on the park, writes the three letters in the tags started with W (we’re not including the whole thing) and adds:

… has anyone seen this pattern? The neighbors are on the lookout and are going to shoot some pictures of the next repeat performance. My guess is, defacing little kids’ play areas isn’t worth getting into that much trouble. The park is nobody’s but the kids, so to see it look like crap is not fun. If anyone has leads, let us know.

We followed up by asking David if the neighborhood needs help cleaning this up; he believes they will:

My guess is the city doesn’t have budget nor the time to clean this up. The plastic parts are pretty easy, they can be scrubbed, and the kids sliding have already worn off a lot. The poles and the merry-go-round are tougher and I don’t know the proper way to remove the markings without mucking up the existing paints.

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What’s on the Seattle Parks Board agenda for July 9th
July 1, 2009 2:13 pm
|    Comments Off on What’s on the Seattle Parks Board agenda for July 9th
 |   Announcements

The official Parks Board meeting announcement from the city Parks Department – always worth noting since West Seattle is such a hotspot of park properties:

SEATTLE PARK BOARD TO HOLD REGULAR MEETING ON JULY 9

The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will hold its next regularly
scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9 in the Park Board Room at
the Parks Administration Building, 100 Dexter Ave. N (the corner of
Dexter and Denny).

The agenda includes:

· A Board briefing by members of Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted
Parks.Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP) is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to preserving Seattle’s unique Olmsted landscape
heritage and raising awareness of the Olmsted philosophy of providing
open space for all people. Brooks Kolb, FSOP President, and Anne Knight
and Jerry Arbes, both of the FSOP Advisory Board, will present the
briefing. For more information about FSOP and Seattle’s Olmsted legacy,
please see http://www.seattle.gov/FriendsOfOlmstedParks and
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/olmsted.htm.

· A Board briefing on park classification designations.The
proposed Seattle Parks classification system presents a method for
grouping parks and facilities in Seattle’s parks and open space system
based on similar characteristics, including physical characteristics,
built environment, natural environment and programming. The briefing is
intended to provide an overview of the proposed system. A briefing paper
on the proposed classification system is located at
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp.

· Park Operating Hours – Board discussion and recommendation.As
established by City Council ordinance, most Seattle parks are open from
4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; however, the Parks Superintendent has the
authority to make exceptions. Many exceptions have been made over the
years in response to problems in some parks that include noise,
graffiti, and alcohol and drug use. As a result, Parks has a variety of
park operating hours. The Board, which heard a briefing on the issue on
February 26, 2009 and held a public hearing on May 14, 2009, will
continue the discussion it started at the June 25 meeting, and make a
recommendation on how best to create consistency in park operating hours
and to address actual and perceived neighborhood safety issues. A
briefing paper on park operating hours is at
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp.

· Use of Synthetic Turf Policy – Board discussion and
recommendation.The Board will continue the discussion it started at the
June 25 meeting, and make a recommendation to the Superintendent on a
proposed policy on the safe use of synthetic turf at Seattle Parks and
Recreation ballfields. The Board had a staff briefing on April 23, 2009,
and a public hearing on May 28, 2009. A briefing paper and the proposed
Use of Synthetic Turf Policy are available for review at
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp.

The Board of Park Commissioners is a seven-member citizen board created
by the City Charter. Three members are appointed by the Mayor and
confirmed by the City Council; three members are appointed by the City
Council; and one member is appointed by the Park Board. The Board meets
the second and fourth Thursday of each month to advise the Parks and
Recreation Superintendent, the Mayor, and the City Council on parks and
recreation matters. For more information, please contact Sandy Brooks at
206-684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov

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Countdown to Outdoor Movies on the Wall; bachelors wanted
July 1, 2009 1:41 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies


(click to see larger, zoomable PDF version)
If you missed it at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market last Sunday – that’s the eye-catching official poster for the West Seattle Junction Summer Outdoor Movies on the Wall series, which kicks off in just two and a half weeks. And the head movie maven herself, Lora Lewis from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), sent along a photo of barista Kerry (photo) – who is going to be the bachelorette in the pre-movie festivities for the kickoff showing of “The Princess Bride” (Saturday night, July 18). What Lora’s looking for now is three bachelors to come forward for the “Find a True Prince Dating Game” – send your pic/contact info to lora@hotwirecoffee.com. See the full movie slate on the official Movies on the Wall site (WSB is among the series co-sponsors; we’ll be leading you in the five-note singalong before “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” in August!)

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Duwamish Tribe salmon bake for legal $: “Life or death moment”
July 1, 2009 12:34 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

We recorded that video six months ago, as lawyer Scott Wheat spoke at the dedication of the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle, talking about the tribe’s fight for legal survival. That fight is not yet won; it’s being pursued on two fronts: a lawsuit, and Congressional legislation (for which Duwamish chair Cecile Hansen is invited to travel to D.C. in two weeks to testify). And it all requires $, even though the tribe is getting a lot of pro-bono help. To help with that, the tribe invites you to the longhouse for a fundraising salmon bake noon-4 pm this Friday (with a hot-dog option too). Read on for details, and the latest on the recognition fight, described as at a “life or death moment”:Read More

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Kol HaNeshamah announces transitional leadership
July 1, 2009 11:58 am
|    Comments Off on Kol HaNeshamah announces transitional leadership
 |   Announcements

Just received this announcement from West Seattle’s Kol HaNeshamah synagogue:

Kol HaNeshamah, a progressive synagogue community in West Seattle, is pleased to announce that Rabbi Anson Laytner has assumed the position of Interim Rabbi. Rabbi Laytner will lead his first service in his new role on Friday, July 3, 2009 at 7 pm at 6115 SW Hinds Street in West Seattle.

Rabbi Laytner will serve as Interim Rabbi while Kol HaNeshamah seeks to fill the permanent position recently vacated by Rabbi Michael Adam Latz. Rabbi Latz, who moved back to his hometown of Minneapolis to be near his family and to lead a synagogue there, is the founding Rabbi of Kol HaNeshamah. The synagogue was founded six years ago, bringing to life his vision of bringing a progressive synagogue to West Seattle whose values center on community and inclusiveness.

The role of Interim Rabbi is different from that of a permanent Rabbi. The role of the Interim is to support a congregation to keep a steady course–to advise and quietly guide during the transition between two permanent Rabbis. “We are thrilled that Rabbi Laytner is willing to guide us during this transitional year”, says Board President Eric Orlin.

Rabbi Laytner brings to Kol HaNeshamah an exceptional depth of wisdom as a scholar, a theologian and an experienced professional. He founded the Interfaith Council of Washington State in 1988. He directed the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle for a decade and served as the Executive Director of Multifaith Works for 12 years. Most recently, he directed the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. He is an adjunct professor at Seattle University in the School of Theology and Ministry.

Kol HaNeshamah, founded in 2003, is a progressive synagogue rejoicing in Torah, Avodah (Worship/Prayer), Tzedek and Tikkun Olam (Justice and Healing) but specializing in K’hillah (Community). We attract members from all around Seattle who believe a synagogue is a place to experience the joys of Judaism. We deeply believe in inclusiveness. For more information, please go to www.kol-haneshamah.org

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City Council townhouse talk in West Seattle: Less (rules) is more?
July 1, 2009 11:26 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

…As in, less (fewer) restrictions could mean more variety in housing units. Or, so said the architects from whom City Councilmember Sally Clark townhouseswithoutwindows.jpgand her Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee heard at Youngstown Arts Center Tuesday night. A fair share of the two-dozen-plus audience members came from a class at the UW, according to a shoutout from Clark as the meeting wrapped up, but those on hand also included two West Seattle architects who have spoken out on the subject before: Brandon Nicholson, who recently completed a city consultancy contract to work on part of the Multi-Family Code Update – that’s the zoning section that includes townhouses – and David Foster, a former chair of the Southwest Design Review Board (of which Nicholson is a current member, though he’s been on hiatus while on the city contract). No votes were taken, no decisions were made, but it’s another stretch of the road toward a change. Read on for details:Read More

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Almost Seafair: Blue Angels noise alert from Boeing Field
July 1, 2009 10:22 am
|    Comments Off on Almost Seafair: Blue Angels noise alert from Boeing Field
 |   Announcements | Blue Angels

Just circulated by Ron Angeles from the city’s Neighborhood Service Office in Delridge:

King County International Airport
July 1, 2009
Community Notice

Seattle/Tukwila/Renton metropolitan area residents may experience temporary increases in aircraft noise levels from SEAFAIR celebration events during July-August 2009. Please note the following dates:
July 29 Blue Angels Arrive
July 30 Blue Angels practice times:
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
July 31 Blue Angels performances:
1:20 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
August 1 1:20 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
August 2 1:20 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
August 3 Blue Angels depart

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Also tonight: North Delridge Neighborhood Council
July 1, 2009 10:00 am
|    Comments Off on Also tonight: North Delridge Neighborhood Council
 |   Delridge | Southwest District Council | West Seattle news

First Wednesday night of the month is the regular meeting night for two West Seattle community organizations. One, the Southwest District Council, does NOT meet tonight, but the other does: If you live or work in the North Delridge area, join the North Delridge Neighborhood Council at 6:30 tonight at the Delridge Library. This group has a LOT going on, including the Delridge Community Center playground-in-a-day project on July 17th (a few dozen volunteers still needed at last report – have you signed up yet? E-mail helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com ASAP!).

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Suspect arrested – 10+ miles away
July 1, 2009 9:48 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

This morning, SPDBlotter reports on an incident we heard play out via the scanner overnight without having all the details till now: It started in West Seattle, when officers detected a stolen car and followed it onto The Viaduct; the vehicle didn’t stop until the driver crashed it in the Woodland Park area. Along the way, radio communication between officers in various areas kept the vehicle in view. Police say that after it hit a tree and signs in the north end, the suspect – who turned out to be a juvenile – bolted, and tried to break into a nearby home before getting caught with the help of a K-9 team. Here are the details on SPDBlotter. ADDED AT 10:04 AM: Two details that aren’t in that report – we checked with SPD media unit Officer Mark Jamieson to verify the West Seattle location where this started — 7100 block of 35th. He also provided the suspect’s exact age: 17.

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Landmarks Board: The Sanctuary today, The Kenney in 2 weeks
July 1, 2009 7:02 am
|    Comments Off on Landmarks Board: The Sanctuary today, The Kenney in 2 weeks
 |   The Kenney | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

As the city Landmarks Preservation Board gets ready to hear the landmark nomination for The Sanctuary at Admiral this afternoon (3:30 pm, 40th floor of the Municipal Tower downtown, agenda here), it’s also set the date to hear the nomination for the Seaview and Sunrise Buildings at The Kenney. As this newly published public notice says, that hearing will be in two weeks – 3:30 pm July 15th at the Muni Tower; you can see the nomination document here. (The board’s proceedings are open to the public.)

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County Executive race: 4 candidates show for environment forum
July 1, 2009 5:54 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle politics

Though August 18 is the official date for the primary election, voting begins in less than a month, as King County Elections will start mailing ballots four weeks from today (military/overseas ballots even sooner). Candidates in the hottest incumbentless race, King County Executive, talked environmental issues last night at Town Hall downtown, as a sizable audience looked on:

By Johnathon Fitzpatrick
Special to West Seattle Blog

The stage was set as if for a musical recital, with tall backed bar-stools and music stands. Hoping for a quintet performance by King County Executive candidates, the full audience that gathered at Town Hall for a debate on environmental leadership had to settle for the regular quartet performance by the four elected Democrats running in this officially nonpartisan race – King County Council Chair Dow Constantine of West Seattle, State Rep. Ross Hunter of Medina, County Councilmember Larry Phillips of Magnolia and State Sen. Fred Jarrett of Mercer Island. (8 candidates are running; see the full list here.)

As they climbed onto their seats for the debate, someone in the crowd shouted: “Where’s Susan?” That question seemed to be on many minds, as the audience erupted in boos when Clifford Traisman, moderator for the otherwise-orderly debate hosted by the Washington Environmental Council, gave the now-familiar explanation that candidate Susan Hutchison had declined their request, citing a prior engagement. (She did attend a forum the night before – here’s the Daily Weekly‘s account – and mentions the environment on her website’s “issues” page.)

Read More

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Royal reception: “White Rose” night for West Seattle Hi-Yu
July 1, 2009 3:22 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

Story and photos by Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

There were princesses everywhere, just as would be expected, at last night’s White Rose Ceremony and Reception in Fauntleroy, part of the 75th annual West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival festivities.

Dressed in jewel-hued gowns, dining on cake, the current courts met the new Senior Court candidates and offered them a little entertainment, during a women-only event to celebrate Hi-Yu royalty past and present.

In the crowd were a dozen or more past Hi-Yu royalty, including Pam Storz, a princess in 1978, and Ella (then Vogelpohl) Engelking, who was Miss Congeniality in 1973.

Read More

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Nickelsville says it’s been told, leave West Seattle site by Monday
July 1, 2009 1:42 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

(mid-June photo by Revel Smith)
The homeless camp that calls itself “Nickelsville” will mark one month back in West Seattle on Monday (here’s our June 6 report about its arrival) – if it’s still there. Spokesperson Revel Smith just sent this announcement saying they’ve been told to clear out of the 2nd SW/Highland Park Way site by then:

Yesterday, Ron Judd, Sr. Advisor to Governor Gregoire, told Nickelsville it must move by Monday July 6th. [Today] Nickelsville Representatives will appear downtown at end of the Women in Black Vigil [noon, 5th/Cherry] for homeless who’ve recently died. At that time they will present a letter requesting more time from Governor Gregoire. …
At the end of the vigil, Nickelodeons will provide a formal written request to the Governor asking for more time to stay at the current West Seattle site … while they seek a permanent location.

No new permanent site has been made available at this time. “We’re asking the Governor, ‘Please give us a chance to find a permanent site.”

The site the camp took over on June 6, after moving from a church parking lot elsewhere in the city, is state-owned land, just east of the city-owned site where “Nickelsville” first set up for about a week last fall (punctuated by a police sweep).

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More congratulations: West Seattle’s Rotarian of the Year
June 30, 2009 11:53 pm
|    Comments Off on More congratulations: West Seattle’s Rotarian of the Year
 |   Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

At the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s annual installation banquet tonight at The Kenney, Steve Fuller was honored as Rotarian of the Year. Josh Sutton from the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) sent the photo and info, explaining that Steve is “our most recent International Chair. Over the past two years, Steve has led our club’s efforts in supporting demining in Cambodia, fresh water wells in Vietnam, building the great Baikal Trail, put in solar refrigerator, generator & wiring at the East African Center in Takaungu, Kenya. He was pretty surprised! Outgoing president Carol Coram presented” the award. (By the way, the Rotarians have two more rounds of berry sales this summer – orders are being accepted now; check their website for info.) P.S. Also congratulations to Amy Lee Derenthal from The Kenney, installed last night as the new Rotary president.

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Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade updates: Got water balloons?
June 30, 2009 11:07 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

sherriandmayorandhiyu.jpg

Good news from Sherri Chun – the people represented in that photo from just before last year’s Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade, West Seattle’s ONLY Independence Day parade, will be back for this year’s edition on Saturday! Sherri just e-mailed to say that Mayor Nickels and the Hi-Yu Junior Court have confirmed. And she’s putting out the call for something specific:

We are anticipating nice weather – I am seeking volunteers to bring water balloons for the annual water balloon toss. Please e-mail me if you’re willing to bring 20 filled water balloons. sherri.chun@att.net. You can drop them at my house the day before, or I can come get them. Get out your red, white and blue, and we’ll see you there!

Every kid in West Seattle is invited to be part of the parade – be at 44th and Sunset (map), 10 am Saturday (that’s a half-hour earlier than previous years). And if you can, please bring a dollar donation per child – as Sherri explained two weeks ago, the fund that pays for the parade permit (and fun activities afterward at Hamilton Viewpoint) is running low and they’ll have donation boxes out to collect money to make sure the parade happens again next year, and beyond.

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Congratulations, West Seattle All-Stars!
June 30, 2009 10:41 pm
|    Comments Off on Congratulations, West Seattle All-Stars!
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Thanks to Lisa for sharing that photo with the news that the West Seattle All-Stars, from the West Seattle Association of Pee-Wee Baseball, won the Maltby Invitational Baseball Tournament last weekend – taking the title in the U-10 bracket, with the leadership of head coach Manny Flores. Congratulations! (Got good news to share? Lots of ways to get it to WSB, any time!) ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Some upcoming Pee Wee Baseball info from league president Eric Olson:

Our 10U team is hosting the 2009 West Seattle Mustang Tune Up on July 10th – 12th.
Twelve of the best 10U teams from around the region will be at this tournament. This tournament gets them ready for the Pony Sectional tournament which is the first step in the process of making it to the Pony 10U World Series later this summer.

The West Seattle Niners will be hosting the 2009 West Seattle Junior Mustang Shootout on July 17th – 19th. Again, 12 of the region’s best 9U teams will be in attendance.

Both tournaments are held at the West Seattle Pee Wee Fields at Lower Riverview. The address is 1200 SW Myrtle St. Tournament schedules can be found at www.westseattlepeewee.com.

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If you saw the smoke to the east …
June 30, 2009 8:53 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway

(photo from Daniel, added 9:07 pm)
We got a call from someone thinking the huge plume of smoke to the east was from Beacon Hill. Nope – it’s an apartment building in Renton. We’re following photos and info via Twitter – here’s one photo, and another. Here’s a link to whatever’s the latest reported here;; a map to the exact location is here. ADDED 9:05 PM: A few more photos via Twitter – the flames; the smoke from Mercer Island. And we added a photo from Daniel (thank you!) showing the smoke as seen from Westwood. (P.S.) @alexpietsch on Twitter says the building that’s burning is newly constructed Harrington Square.

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Washington State Ferries’ long-range plan: $3.3 billion short
June 30, 2009 6:23 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Just made public: The long-range plan for Washington State Ferries, which says the system is $3.3 billion short of what it needs for the next 22 years. Here’s the link; read on for the news release – we’ll be analyzing it for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ramifications:Read More

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Video: Inside one of West Seattle’s new restaurants, Café Revò
June 30, 2009 5:02 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | West Seattle video

Whether it’s here in the news section or in the WSB Forums, food never fails to cook up a lively discussion. With that in mind, and his own interest in the subject, WSB contributing journalist Christopher Boffoli has been taking a behind-the-scenes look at some local restaurants, including the Luna Park business district’s 4-months-old Café Revò (WSB sponsor), and with a holiday weekend ahead, we wanted to share the video he put together – as well as the article that begins below. Before we get to that: Knowing we would be running this, we also checked with Café Revò’s Sofia Zadra Goff to see what’s in store for the 4th of July – she says they’ll be open at 11 am as usual, breakfast and frittata menu till 3, then dinner; planning to stay open till 11 unless it gets “really slow.” She says they’re suggesting also to customers that “people can come get food to go from Cafe Revo to take to the beach or picnic, or buy their favorite wines from us for their 4th of July events since we have our retail wine license.” Now, as a companion to the video story above, here’s Christopher’s report in text:

By Christopher Boffoli
WSB contributing journalist

The longer I live in the Pacific Northwest, the more it reinforces the extent to which I count myself fortunate to be living in one of the most interesting regions for food in the country. Still, as an East Coaster of Southern Italian descent, it is not always so easy to find many of the familiar foods and flavors of my childhood. The Italians and their “soul food” are here. Somewhere. You just have to work harder to find them. Their presence is not as well-defined as, say, the Nordic or Asian communities in Seattle. For every bright star like Salumi or Via Tribunali, it seems there are many more watered-down red-sauce joints that pass themselves off as Italian but are just a copy of something that wasn’t very authentic to begin with.

Read More

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Followup: 48th SW fire blamed on electrical malfunction
June 30, 2009 4:48 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

Around this time yesterday, a huge Seattle Fire Department response rushed to the 4100 block of 48th SW for what turned out to be a basement fire, nobody hurt. We just checked with SFD spokesperson Helen Fitzpatrick to get the cause: She says a waterbed heating pad ignited, catching the mattress and then the frame on fire. Damage total: $70,000. (On the WSB Facebook page, a relative of the family mentioned that while the fire damage itself wasn’t so much, there’s a lot of water damage and many keepsakes were lost.) Photo by WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli

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Update: Gatewood block party Thursday welcomes “Tour de Revs”
June 30, 2009 4:03 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Gatewood | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

If you drive Thistle between California and Delridge, you’ve probably noticed that banner outside Peace Lutheran Church. We first reported June 6 about the Tour de Revs heading this way — three Lutheran ministers on one special bicycle, pedaling around the country to fight global hunger — and now we’ve got an update on the street party/barbecue that Peace Lutheran is planning for their visit 6-8 pm Thursday — Kristie says everyone’s invited to a barbecue, and to ride with the “Revs” afterward:

We’ve officially been granted the permit for this all-invited Block Party featuring the three cycling Revs on the bamboo bike designed by well-known eco-bike maker Craig Calfee … Bring a donation for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks and something to share. Picnic fare available. Ride with the Revs and hear about their cross-country journey! 6-8 pm, ride following.

Peace Lutheran is at 39th/Thistle (map). You can read all about the Tour de Revs (and see their unique three-person bicycle) at their website – including this section with frequent updates.

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Marian Wright Edelman coming to Seattle for “summit”
June 30, 2009 3:46 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway

West Seattle is one of the city’s three focus areas for the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative – as discussed during last Thursday’s City Council town-hall meeting in Fauntleroy — so anything related to it is news here, even if it’s an event happening in another part of the city, like this one: It’s just been announced that Marian Wright Edelman is coming to Seattle for a YVPI summit next Tuesday in the Rainier Valley – read on for the official announcement:Read More

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