West Seattle, Washington

07 Saturday

64℉

Spotlight Stories


  • Closure

    SPOKANE ST. VIADUCT: This weekend’s closure

  • Light rail

    WS LIGHT RAIL: Sound Transit’s EIS date

  • School

    WELCOME BACK! One school’s spirited start

Why a Tennessee arrest has meaning for a West Seattle church
March 29, 2009 7:02 am
|    Comments Off on Why a Tennessee arrest has meaning for a West Seattle church
 |   Crime | West Seattle religion

An arrest in Tennessee will be welcome news for the congregation of Gatewood’s Peace Lutheran Church. Pastor Erik Kindem e-mailed the other day to call our attention to this seattlepi.com story about a woman mourning her murdered son, unable to leave the Tukwila motel where he was killed because she had nowhere else to go. Kindem knew the family and officiated at 24-year-old Kevin Camacho‘s funeral a week ago, in addition to seeking help for the family. Now there’s word from Tennessee that the suspected killer is in custody, awaiting an extradition hearing so he can be returned here to face charges.

Share This

What to expect today at West Seattle Farmers’ Market
March 29, 2009 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on What to expect today at West Seattle Farmers’ Market
 |   Junction Plaza Park | West Seattle Farmers' Market

Yogurt, daffodils, and order-taking for Easter ham/lamb are among the highlights promised by the Ripe and Ready list for today’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska). Also look for Friends of Junction Plaza Park, as they continue collecting pledges of volunteer help for the big push to get the long-in-the-works park done this year.

Share This

Video: Groundbreaking ceremony for ARK Park in Arbor Heights
March 29, 2009 3:13 am
|    Comments Off on Video: Groundbreaking ceremony for ARK Park in Arbor Heights
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | West Seattle religion | West Seattle video

That’s the future site of ARK Memorial Park, just west and a little south of Arbor Heights Community Church, which owns the 8,000-square-foot parcel. Under and around that gazebo, a small but hardy group gathered Saturday afternoon for the ceremonial groundbreaking:

The young assistants are Isabella and Elliana Kimball, sisters of the park’s namesake, Alexandra Ramona Kimball, stillborn on the same day – March 28th – one year earlier. As Hal Kimball noted goodnaturedly during the downpour-graced groundbreaking, baby Alexandra’s initials are part of the double meaning in the park’s name:

AHCC says the park/playground will be for the entire community, not just for church families. As noted in our first story about the ARK Park plan last summer (see it here), this is a private project, not seeking city funding. So far they have raised more than $5,000, enough to begin the project’s first phase, but that’s just a start; next fundraising event is a spaghetti dinner at the church Fellowship Hall on April 18th (more info here). The timetable for construction depends on how the fundraising effort goes, but

Share This

Still not sure about your new trash day? Check online
March 28, 2009 11:56 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

After a discussion in the WSB Forums earlier today regarding the changes that kick in as of Monday, we checked with Seattle Public Utilities — and they told us that the collection-calendar lookup tool on the SPU website is now working. We tested it and indeed, it shows our new pickup day – although beware, it also suggests that day was in effect earlier this month. So ignore anything before Monday 3/30, but from thereon out, you should be able to verify your new pickup schedule here. Lots more info, from “what goes where” to how-to videos, is on the SPU site too.

Share This

Digging into garden season: Two West Seattle notes
March 28, 2009 10:26 pm
|    Comments Off on Digging into garden season: Two West Seattle notes
 |   Gardening | How to help | West Seattle news

furrysetup.jpg

GOT PLANTS? Local animal-helping nonprofit Furry Faces Foundation is getting ready for another season of fundraising plant sales (photo above is from one of its 2008 events) and has this request for you:

Donate Your Extra Garden Plants & Save Lives!

Furry Faces Foundation’s 9th Annual Plant Sale Season is in full swing. Funds raised from our plant sales support our ‘It’s Hip To Be Snipped’ program and ‘Oliver’s Fund,’ which assists companion animals whose humans are on a fixed income.

Do you have healthy plants that require division? Never made it out of the pot and into the ground? Are you (re)- landscaping & have extra plants? Looking for a good home for these plants? Please donate them to the animals.

Thank you for thinking of Furry Faces Foundation! For more information, please e-mail furryfaces@hotmail.com

F3 will start the selling with the Mother’s Day Hanging Basket Sale 10 am-4 pm May 2 and 3 in the courtyard outside Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) – for $20, pick out your own plants and build your own basket – “soil, hanging baskets, and caring coaching are all included,” Teri says. Then two weekends of even-bigger plant sales happen May 16-17 and June 6-7; more on those later. Now, our second note:

SUNSET SHOWCASE: West Seattle gardener and writer Willi Galloway is featured in the latest edition of Sunset magazine — you can see the pages on Willi’s site, DigginFood.com (one of the 100 West Seattle-based websites whose latest posts are linked from our Blogs page). Willi tells WSB, “We were super excited to represent Seattle — and West Seattle in particular — in Sunset!” Keep an eye on Willi’s site – she’s promising a series of reports on other West Seattle food gardens later this year. (Besides gardening and writing her own site, Willi also is West Coast editor for Organic Gardening magazine and a regular panelist for the Greendays gardening discussions on KUOW, 10 am Tuesdays.)

Share This

“Earth Hour”: 8:30-9:30 tonight
March 28, 2009 7:33 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

This year, the city is expanding its participation in this event – according to this city news release, a variety of city landmarks and facilities will “go dark” 8:30 to 9:30, including the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Municipal Tower, and the neon City Light sign along the Spokane Street Viaduct. King County government also issued a news release, saying its “non-essential facilities” will go dark. The official Earth Hour website has images from what happened during Earth Hour back east, a few hours ago. (If you choose to participate, we’ll miss you — but we hope to see you back here at 9:31.) 9:50 PM UPDATE: We were out and about for Earth Hour – at Denny Middle School to catch video of the student Jazz Ensemble (more on that later) performing, which took till just after 9 pm, so in terms of observing West Seattle participation — we managed to drive north on 35th SW (more houses dark in the residential non-arterial areas north of Fauntleroy) and then on into the Admiral District, where we checked out the mayor’s porch light for the second consecutive Earth Hour: On again this year. Not that he had publicly vowed to go dark – and we don’t even know if he was home, as he was scheduled to help emcee a fundraising event in Fauntleroy earlier in the night – but for symbolism’s sake, we looked.

Share This

New WSB sponsor: Gathering of Neighbors, one week away!
March 28, 2009 6:51 pm
|    Comments Off on New WSB sponsor: Gathering of Neighbors, one week away!
 |   Fun stuff to do | Gathering of Neighbors | West Seattle businesses

We’re welcoming a new sponsor that happens to also be an event in which we’ll be participating: the Gathering of Neighbors, coming up one week from today, Saturday, April 4, at Chief Sealth High School (@ Boren). Here’s the reminder announcement from organizers:

Gathering of Neighbors takes place on April 4th!
Joining neighbors and businesses in 2009.

Come be a part of the Gathering of Neighbors: Businesses and community organizations from across the West Seattle Peninsula, all together, one day, one place, as “one community.”

More than 75 businesses, resource, and community information groups have registered to participate, so that attendees can experience, in one place and time, the tremendous wealth of services and goods available to them in their own neighborhoods right here in West Seattle.

Sponsored by the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA) and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the combination of both community and businesses participants promises to have Chief Sealth High School (at Boren) bursting at the seams with booths full of information.

Entertainment and refreshments will also be part of the celebration.

This is the first Gathering of Neighbors in more than two years – a little context, if you are new to the area: It was created by Megawatt, a community-connection nonprofit; when Megawatt disbanded, it looked for organizations to take over its two signature events — DNDA stepped forward to handle Gathering of Neighbors, and we here at WSB took on West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. In fact, as we mentioned a few days ago, we are going to open registration for this year’s Community Garage Sale Day on Gathering of Neighbors day, and we’re offering special one-day-only in-person discounts if you come to G-o-N and register your sale at our G-o-N table. Even if you’re not planning to participate in WSCGSD, or if you’re not sure yet, we hope to see you there – as do the 70-plus other businesses and organizations that are participating — that’s 11 am-3 pm next Saturday, April 4; here’s a map to the location (and a Google Street View clickable image below):


View Larger Map

Throughout the coming week, we’ll count down to the event with more specifics on who you’ll see when you go.

Share This

Saturday sailing: A little color during another gray day
March 28, 2009 4:47 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Rick R. for the photo, taken from over Brace Point. We believe it was the Corinthian Yacht Club‘s annual Pully Point Race, featured here last year too.

Share This

Four more fun, food, and fundraising events tonight
March 28, 2009 1:28 pm
|    Comments Off on Four more fun, food, and fundraising events tonight
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help

Those are the Derby Brats – young skaters, based in West Seattle, who compete in junior roller derby (two age groups, 6-10 and 11-18) – and tonight, as noted in recent weeks in the WSB Forums, they’re raising money with a spaghetti feed at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church next to West Seattle High School, 5 pm. You can find out more about them at their MySpace site. Tonight’s other dinner fundraisers include the Fauntleroy Children’s Center fundraising dinner and silent auction at 5:30 pm at the Hall at Fauntleroy, with emcees including Mayor Nickels; more info here.
the WSHS Baseball/Softball dinner and auction, 5:30 pm, and the Denny Middle School jazz dinner/auction, 6 pm, both at their respective schools.

Share This

Also tonight: Coffee, dessert, music to support Camp Long
March 28, 2009 11:53 am
|    Comments Off on Also tonight: Coffee, dessert, music to support Camp Long
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

wallmadronacamplong.jpg

(WSB photo, January 2008, madrona alongside Schurman Rock)
We shared news of this event earlier this week but failed to get it into the West Seattle Weekend Lineup so here’s another reminder: Tonight at Camp Long, 7 pm, a coffeehouse and dessert-auction fundraiser featuring music by Jim Page and Grant Dermody. $10 per adult; kids over 5 are $5, and will be invited to participate in a naturalist program during the event. While Camp Long is a beautiful, sprawling treasure, its main entrance is a “blink and you miss it” spot along 35th, so here’s a map to help, if needed. (P.S. Registration is under way for Camp Long’s spring events; you can see the catalog here.)

Share This

Hope Lutheran and Seattle Lutheran schools’ new plan
March 28, 2009 10:30 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle religion | West Seattle schools

From Bil Hood:

For the past 30 years Hope Lutheran School and Seattle Lutheran High School have operated as separate entities. This fall the schools will begin operating as Seattle Lutheran Schools.

As the first phase in pursuing a Joint Operating Agreement between Hope Lutheran School and Seattle Lutheran High School, the Administrative teams from both schools have worked to evaluate the resources and roles that can be shared between the two schools to further enhance the educational offering to the community and families, as well as better utilize staff strengths. The immediate benefit will be increased academic opportunities at both schools. … Listed below are some upcoming events that we will be holding to invite the community to (learn more).

School Tours will be held on April 15, 16, 17 (Wed.-Fri) from 8:30-10:00 in Hope’s lobby.

Tentative Schedule for the Tours:

8:30-8:45 Welcome
8:45-9:10 Joint schools presentation
9:10-9:20 Question and Answer time with administrators
9:20-9:45 Walking tours lead by parent volunteers
9:45-10:00 Drop in time for classrooms

April 19th, Hope Lutheran Church will be celebrating its 90th anniversary at the morning services (8 and 10:30) as well as a reception following the last service at Seattle Lutheran High School.

We are having a community Open House for Hope Church and School after 10:30 service on Sunday, April 26th. This is a good opportunity for people to see the campus and all we offer as a church and school.

Hope and Seattle Lutheran are in The Junction; more info can be found on the Hope website and the SLHS website. (Added 12:05 pm – We asked whether this would mean a name change for Hope; Bil says that’s not expected, at this point.)

Share This

West Seattle Little League Jamboree rained out
March 28, 2009 8:50 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Just in from Cami MacNamara: “Due to current weather and field conditions, the Jamboree has been cancelled. This event will not be rescheduled.” More WSLL updates online at westseattlelittleleague.com.

Share This

Your West Seattle weekend: LOTS happening today
March 28, 2009 7:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help

So much, in fact, that we simply want to direct you to this link that’ll take you right to the Saturday section of the latest West Seattle Weekend Lineup, with myriad events from the Delridge Produce Cooperative Potluck to Somanda Bodyworks‘ (WSB sponsor) free demo to a psychic fair to school fundraisers. Have fun!

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: 4 wheels gone; 1 sighting; 1 break-in
March 27, 2009 11:59 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Amanda sent that photo and this report:

On Friday morning, 3/27 I went outside to walk my dog at around 5:30 a.m. and noticed that all four wheels and tires had been stolen from my car, which was parked in front of my house on 44th Ave SW, between Oregon and Genesee (map). My husband and I parked the car in that location at approximately 8:30 p.m. last night, so the incident occurred overnight. The vandals were kind enough to leave the car sitting on a tire jack and a spare tire. My car is a 2005 Honda Civic and it did have alloy wheels. … I’ve rarely seen this level of damage on our street and, frankly, I don’t know how you police this sort of thing. But, just a word of caution to other folks in the area.

Less than a mile away, we just got a phoned-in report about a possible car-prowl suspect spotted in the 50th/Edmunds vicinity (map) – the caller had phoned 911 but also wanted to alert people in the area to a man seen looking in at least one car window, and then walking away very quickly when spotted by a passerby. She described him as “Asian, 18-23, about 5-9, red baseball cap, hoodie-type sweatshirt, and jeans. last seen heading south on 50th. She noted that two of her friends had their cars broken into in the past week in the Admiral District, so she’s got her radar up.

Last but not least, a report received earlier today from Steve:

Just wanted to get the word out that my car was broken into out in front of our house last night.This is in the 8700 block of 16th ave sw, at SW Trenton (map). They broke the passenger side window right at the lock button, got in and rifled through everything. Luckily there was nothing of value in the car (learned that the last time they did this a couple of years ago). In fact, the only thing that was missing was a couple of packets of Starbucks Via instant coffee that were in the space between the seats. Luckily, we have a regular speed trap in front of our house too, in the school zone, so Officer Sue took the report & all this morning.

Share This

From Seattle Channel: Learn about our city’s Somali community
March 27, 2009 11:34 pm
|    Comments Off on From Seattle Channel: Learn about our city’s Somali community
 |   West Seattle people | WS culture/arts

Seattle Channel has just posted a video that focuses on one of Seattle’s fastest-growing communities, one with a significant presence in the West Seattle/White Center area: Somali immigrants. It’s a look into the community’s traditions, successes, hopes, fears, and faith, all in 15 minutes: Watch online here.

Share This

Green wheels: New electric car for West Seattle 80-year-old
March 27, 2009 10:36 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Transportation | West Seattle news

These photos and mini-report were sent by a WSB’er who wants to be anonymous (but isn’t a salesperson, we verified – just wanted to share the news about this acquisition):

West Seattle resident Floy C. recently leaped into the future with the purchase of a Miles Electric Vehicle, becoming at age 80 an early adopter of the new wave of road-legal electric cars. Her new Miles, courtesy of MC Electric Vehicles (on Dearborn, down by Goodwill) has a range of 40 miles, a top speed of 35 mph, and plenty of cargo space – as demonstrated by her adventures transporting groceries, lumber for a new stairwell, and various household supplies.

The car is pure electric, not a hybrid, so burns no fuel – instead of fueling off a gas pump, it fuels off a standard power outlet – with a “full tank” costing about two dollars – a REALLY green car perfect for local errands and commuting, or for anyone who doesn’t need freeway speeds.

List price is about $19K, according to this page on the Miles website. Here’s what Floy’s new car looks like inside:

Share This

Yet another banner day, this time for West Seattle Junction parking
March 27, 2009 6:44 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

More of the West Seattle Junction Association‘s new banners went up today – including banners marking the 4 “free parking” lots that WSJA members pay regular fees to maintain, so customers can park free. (As shown above, these banners are replacing old, well-worn ones.) After our report the other day about other new banners going up around The Junction, some commenters wondered aloud about the new tag line “The Junction: Downtown West Seattle.” It’s been phased in since its first introduction during the promotion for Hometown Holidays before Christmas, but Susan Melrose of the Junction Association elaborates, “It’s part of a rebranding initiative, underscoring the general enlivening and sprucing up of The Junction, but the tagline also touches on the history of The Junction as the natural center of, and gathering place for, West Seattle.” Three of the parking-lot banners were scheduled to go up today. (The lots are privately owned and therefore are not part of the city-led study that is under way to determine whether restrictions, signage, or even pay stations are in order for the city parking around The Junction; for more on that parking study, check out our coverage archives.)

Share This

West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Earth Hour, and the other 53 hours
March 27, 2009 5:43 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Earth Hour, and the other 53 hours
 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

wswllicon3.png54 hours remain in the weekend as we publish this – Earth Hour is one of them, Saturday night at 8:30 – after Saturday events including the Delridge Produce Cooperative community potluck celebration, a free SOMA Bodywork demonstration by WSB sponsor Amanda Coleman, the groundbreaking for ARK Park in Arbor Heights, and tonight’s full of fun too – including “The Underpants” (WSB sponsor) and world music/dance at Kenyon Hall — all among 40-plus events in this edition of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup (sponsored by Skylark Cafe and Club):Read More

Share This

Spanning the generations: Big award for The Mount
March 27, 2009 4:32 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

That’s a snapshot from the Intergenerational Learning Center at Providence Mount St. Vincent in the Fairmount neighborhood of West Seattle – a one-of-a-kind early-learning program, which, according to an announcement just forwarded by Arlene Carter from The Mount, has just won a major award – read on for the details:Read More

Share This

School-money crisis: Budget ax falling at individual schools
March 27, 2009 2:51 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Principals in Seattle Public Schools have to turn in their budgets today for next school year. And it’s not likely that any of them will provide a rosy picture, since the district is dealing with an eight-digit shortfall. Just one example: Chief Sealth High School principal John Boyd called a meeting this week to let Sealth families know what was ahead for their school, since his budget falls $634,000 short of what is needed, as he put it in a conversation with us this afternoon, “to fully staff the building the way it’s staffed now.” We are working to find out what’s happening at other West Seattle public schools, but for starters, read on to see what else we heard from Boyd – and the PTSA’s separate call for a show of statewide concern:Read More

Share This

New WSB sponsor: Twelfth Night presents “The Underpants”
March 27, 2009 2:14 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts

Maybe you could use a little comic relief after this week (or after any week, really). Toward that end, we welcome a new sponsor, Twelfth Night Productions‘ latest play, “The Underpants,” opening tonight at Youngstown Arts Center. Here’s the official news release announcing the show:

Never underestimate the power of a glimpse of lingerie. Twelfth Night Productions (TNP) is proud to announce its next offering, “The Underpants.”

Adapted by Steve Martin from Carl Sternheim‘s 1910 comedy Die Hose,” this hilarious comedy dives into issues of sex, feminism and politics. The story begins when young housewife Louise has a mishap with her underpants – they fall to her ankles, resting there for a few moments in public. The sight of her underpants unearths passion in those who witnessed it and concern from her boring, government-employed husband. “The Underpants” is a witty and hilarious look at marriage, gender roles, celebrity and class. This production is for mature audiences only.

TNP is a non-profit performing arts organization located at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. This production features several artists from the West Seattle community as well as the greater Seattle area.

“The Underpants” runs in a special limited engagement at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the former historic Cooper School, in West Seattle. Show times are: March 27th and 28th, April 3rd and 4th at 7:30PM, with matinees at 3 PM on March 29th and April 5th. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students & seniors, and are available through Brown Paper Tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com), and at the Youngstown Theater on performance days. “The Underpants” is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Twelfth Night Productions (www.twelfthnightproductions.org) is a non-profit arts organization and anchor tenant at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (www.youngstownarts.org). Established by educators in West Seattle over twenty years ago, Twelfth Night has been active in charitable and neighborhood improvement projects such as The Compass Center and Delridge Neighborhood Development Association. The organization has raised tens of thousands of dollars for local charities, and offers theater training and mentorship to all members of the community, free of charge. Recent productions have included Once Upon a Mattress, True West, Fiddler on the Roof, The Dining Room, The Foreigner, Oklahoma!, DeathTrap, Crazy for You, and Bullshot Crummond.

Thanks to Twelfth Night Productions’ “The Underpants” for sponsoring local news, information, and discussion here on WSB; our current sponsor team is listed here.

Share This

Happening now: Alki Homestead post-fire cleanup, repairs
March 27, 2009 11:28 am
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Alki Homestead | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Meet Marcus, Josiah, and Taylor Tunison, brothers who went to high school at West Seattle’s own Seattle Lutheran, volunteering their time right now to help clean up the historic Alki Homestead‘s fire-ravaged interior. In a WSB comment thread earlier this week about concern for the Homestead’s future, 2 months after the fire, owner Tom Lin said this:

I found a contractor who can come on Friday to build a temporary roof. If anyone is really interested in helping out, be at Homestead 9 am on Friday. He will start the work at that time.

This morning, four people did that – three of them, the young brothers you see above. A professional work crew is also there:

That worker subsequently invited us inside to see what’s happening – the cords in this photo, next to the huge stone fireplace, lead up through an opening in the roof, which workers are trying to get covered:

The most striking image of the morning remains that of the three young brothers who just showed up to help:

Lin wondered – where is everyone else? He says that contrary to perception, the insurance company he’s working with has been “great” – and finally just this week gave him a green light to do some cleanup, even though the insurance company itself technically now owns the “contents,” including fire-damaged items that the young volunteers are helping bring out. We will check back later in the day to see how this is going; Lin had to leave the site for a while for an appointment at the restaurant he says he is taking over so that his Homestead employees will have work — “Ten people are going to get a job from that,” he called out to us, as he walked to his car. (He is not yet publicly naming the restaurant.) If you want to help with the cleanup happening right now, the Homestead is on 61st just south of Alki Ave (map).

Share This

Viaduct inspection results: “Small amount of settlement”
March 27, 2009 10:39 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation

… but WSDOT says the Alaskan Way Viaduct remains safe. Here’s the full news release just sent out about the results of last weekend’s inspections:Read More

Share This