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Morgan Community Association meeting tomorrow night
July 14, 2009 11:44 am
|    Comments Off on Morgan Community Association meeting tomorrow night
 |   Announcements

Tomorrow night, the Morgan Community Association has a long list of big items for its quarterly meeting – many of which will interest even those living outside Morgan Junction – president Deb Barker provided the rundown – read on: Read More

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Happening now across the bay: Coast Guard change of command
July 14, 2009 11:16 am
|    Comments Off on Happening now across the bay: Coast Guard change of command
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway

We’re just back from another event on the downtown waterfront (call it the “tunnel defense” media briefing, story in the works) and didn’t know about this one till we found out on Twitter: A change of command ceremony is under way at US Coast Guard District 13 HQ at Pier 36 right now – with a 15-gun salute. Here’s a news release – but even better, you’ll find links to photos (like the one above) and running commentary from the District 13 public-affairs staff on Twitter at @uscgd13.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Break-in “string” alert
July 14, 2009 11:06 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Eric just e-mailed to share this report — and an alert:

Yesterday, Monday 7/14, our house was broken into, sometime during the day. They kicked in a back door and took only small valuable things. When we spoke with a police officer last night, he said there has been a string of similar incidents in our area, within a six-block radius. We live on 35th and Brandon [map]. Maybe by putting the word out we can save our neighbors from experiencing this.

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HELP! “Minor miracle” needed for Delridge Playground-building!
July 14, 2009 9:24 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Just in from Betsy Hoffmeister, as North Delridge residents – with hundreds of volunteers helping – get ready to build their new playground at Delridge Community Center later this week – they’ve got most of what they need lined up for the build-a-thon but now need what she calls “a minor miracle”:

Life has gotten a little extra complicated for the Delridge Community Center playground. We have an amazing, thrilling number of volunteers lined up for Friday’s event, food is in place, and we’re good to go, except for one exciting detail. When the hole was excavated, more and more concrete was found. The hole is now much, much deeper than anticipated. We are getting 30 cubic yards of gravel delivered Wednesday afternoon, and we need to move it into the hole and spread it evenly. We do not currently have heavy equipment or a heavy equipment operator lined up to do this task for us. We know that if we had a skid steer, it could be done in a few hours. If humans need to do this, it is a monumental task. So, we are looking for a skid steer and skilled operator, or a contingent of Marines. Or neighbors with shovels and rakes. Please, neighbors, when we have asked for food, you’ve provided food. When we’ve asked for cash, you’ve given cash. When we’ve asked for time, you’ve given time. A mere skid steer and operator seems like a minor miracle to us – but you may have the answer sitting in your back yard. Please, friends, contact helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com or call Betsy at 206 353 9334. Thank you!!

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West Seattle Grand Parade: JP Patches, another “clown,” more
July 14, 2009 9:21 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle Grand Parade | West Seattle news

jppatches.jpg

American Legion Post 160 has finished the lineup for the West Seattle Grand Parade this Saturday – and “Patches Pals” will be pleased to hear that the legendary JP Patches is back! He’s been fighting cancer and wasn’t in the parade last year (our photo above is from 2007), but the lineup says he’ll be riding with Bill and Cynthia Reid again this Saturday just like old times. Speaking of clowns, the Seattle Seafair Clowns announced they’ll have a special guest:

That’s West Seattle’s own Jim Dever from Evening Magazine, clowning around, upside down, in a behind-the-scenes video he posted to his Twitter feed (@jimdever) – Calling Jim “a clown in his own right,” the Seafair Clowns’ news release also notes, “Although not substantiated, Dever claims to be an accomplished concert cellist, foot model and president of the National Association of Male Contortionists.” The Seafair Clowns themselves also have a brand-new vehicle – thanks to West Seattle-residing “Officer Lumpy” for sharing the news (and this link to a look at the vehicle). As for OTHER officers in the West Seattle Grand Parade — with almost 80 entries in all this year, as always, they start with not one but TWO motorcycle drill teams – the Vancouver, B.C. Police right after Seattle’s finest:

seattlebikecops.jpg

As we reported here a month ago, the parade’s Grand Marshal is designer/artist Blayne, known both for his “Project Runway” season and for his work at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). The parade starts at California/Lander (by Lafayette Elementary) at 11 am Saturday and continues south on California to the end of the main Junction business district, so stake out your spot anywhere along the way. And all kids are invited to be in the Rotary Club of West Seattle-presented Kiddies’ Parade, which starts at 10:30 from California/Genesee (shorter route and plenty of time to get back to your spot to see the “other” parade!).

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Tonight: Hi-Yu Concert in the Park – and volunteers’ honors!
July 14, 2009 7:02 am
|    Comments Off on Tonight: Hi-Yu Concert in the Park – and volunteers’ honors!
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

Video thumbnail. Click to play.
Click To Play

Will it be a night for romping – like last year, when the music even had the littlest concertgoers on the move? The forecast promises clearing skies by showtime for tonight’s free West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, 7 pm on the east lawn outside Hiawatha Community Center – b/y/o chair(s), blanket(s), picnic, friends/family … As always, the West Seattle Big Band is front and center. This year, a special feature: During the performance, the first West Seattle Volunteer Recognition recipients will be announced and honored — from dozens of nominations received, six were chosen (the committee says there were so many GREAT nominations, it was a tough job!). WSVR is a new program presented by the Southwest and Delridge District Councils and WSB, and another round’s coming up later this year. See you tonight at Hiawatha (which is also where the Hi-Yu Junior Court Coronation happens this Friday – and TODAY is the deadline to enter – details and application here).

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West Seattleite-directed Young Shakespeare Workshop plans sonnet marathon
July 14, 2009 1:27 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattleite-directed Young Shakespeare Workshop plans sonnet marathon
 |   Announcements

Though the event’s not in West Seattle, the Young Shakespeare Workshop‘s director Darren Lay lives here, so here’s the word on what’s coming up next month:

“Assist me some extemporal god of Rhyme, for I
am sure I shall turn Sonnet.” — Don Armado, Love’s Labor’s Lost

A marathon performance of poetry will grace Seattle stages this summer. All 154 of William Shakespeare’s sonnets — short poems which he wrote for his friends and loved ones — will be performed on Saturday, August 1st to mark the 400th anniversary of their publication.

This sonnet marathon is hosted by Young Shakespeare Workshop, a company of talented teenagers gathered from Seattle and beyond who spend their summers steeped in Shakespeare’s words. Instead of swimming, camping and playing soccer, these teenagers are learning to fence, to speak with authority, and to interpret and express the multiple layers of meaning embedded in Shakespeare’s text. Their hard work culminates in a first year recital performance and a touring production presented by returning students each summer. Many of the participants return to Young Shakespeare Workshop year after year to perform in the summer production or to mentor younger players.

This summer’s Young Shakespeare Workshop production is the beloved romantic comedy, Twelfth Night. It continues through mid-August at various venues. Young Shakespeare Workshop’s sonnet marathon will take place on Saturday, August 1 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space in the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford, 4649 Wallingford Ave. N. The audience is invited to not only “sponsor” a sonnet for $30 but to step up and speak or read a sonnet aloud if they wish. The money will be used to support Young Shakespeare Workshop, which is entirely funded by grants and donations and charges no tuition. Young Shakespeare Workshop was created in 1992 by distinguished stage director Edward Payson Call, who wanted to encourage young people to develop a love of the English language by immersing them in the words of its greatest practitioner. Since 1998 it has been directed by Darren Lay, a professional actor, director and teacher [and West Seattle resident] whose scholarly research on Shakespeare has been published in the Times Literary Supplement (UK).

For several years, Young Shakespeare Workshop has been nationally recognized as a Coming Up Taller semifinalist by the President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities (www.pcah.gov/cut.htm). It has also received the Mayor’s Race & Social Justice Award twice from the city of Seattle for its aggressive outreach to Spanish-speaking youth.

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King County Council takes $ action including hiring freeze
July 14, 2009 1:04 am
|    Comments Off on King County Council takes $ action including hiring freeze
 |   Announcements

Monday news release from the King County Council:

The Metropolitan King County Council today cut positions in its own staff and those in Executive-branch agencies, and froze hiring for non-essential County services, to help preserve most of the critical human services “lifeboat” programs in the 2009 King County budget. This budget amendment, sponsored by Councilmembers Bob Ferguson, Dow Constantine, and Larry Gossett, enables the County to fund $1.5 million in lifeboat programs without spending any of the reserves set aside to help close the anticipated shortfall in the 2010 budget.

“With sales tax collections in decline and the prospect of more hard times ahead, we must take immediate, decisive action to protect critical public services,” said Council Chair Dow Constantine, a co-sponsor of the plan. “Last year’s budget used the ‘lifeboat’ concept—granting only partial-year funding to some programs to encourage the state Legislature to approve new revenue sources. The Legislature didn’t provide any new funding, so this proposal shifts existing revenues to maintain key human services programs.”

“Preserving the safety net for our most vulnerable citizens is critical, as is fiscal responsibility during this budget crisis,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, also a co-sponsor of the plan. “By making cuts in various agencies, including the Council, we reprioritized our funding and met both goals.”

“We were able to work with our colleagues to create a solution that preserves the out-year reserves necessary to help with the county’s projected 2010 budget shortfall,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett, Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee and a co-sponsor of the plan. “This plan allows us to continue providing vital services to the neediest members of our community.”

In the 2009 budget, many health and human services programs were placed in a six-month “lifeboat” that – without new revenue sources – was set to be eliminated on June 30.
Earlier this summer, the Executive proposed using more than $2 million in out-year reserves, set aside to help close the 2010 budget shortfall, to fund many of these lifeboat programs. However, with no identified future funding source for these programs and a projected $50 million general fund budget shortfall for 2010, many Councilmembers expressed concern about the Executive’s proposal.
Councilmembers Constantine, Ferguson and Gossett today introduced an alternative that has two goals: 1) to fund the most critical elements of the human services safety net and 2) to maintain the reserves that will be needed to close next year’s budget gap. Their proposal, which was adopted by the Council, achieves these goals by making deep cuts throughout the general fund and reprioritizing these dollars for the human services safety net.

As part of the plan, the County Council will cut $875,000 from its 2009 budget allocation by not filling vacant positions and transferring unspent funds reserved for two council-initiated programs. Also filling the gap will be $110,000 in unspent funds from the Elections Office and Department of Assessments, and $900,000 in cuts to Executive branch agencies. The Council also prioritized funding for those lifeboat programs that provide direct services to vulnerable populations and reduced the lifeboat funding amount for all programs by approximately one-third.

The Council today also approved a hiring freeze proposed by Council Chair Constantine as an emergency measure. Savings from the hiring freeze through the end of 2009 help fund the remaining costs associated with the “lifeboat” so that no reserves earmarked to deal with next year’s budget gap will have to be spent.

The hiring freeze will not affect County employees whose jobs directly impact public health and safety, including Sheriff’s deputies, corrections officers, health care providers, and employees of the courts and prosecutor’s office. It also allows the County Executive to approve new hires in specific cases where a department can show that keeping a position vacant would actually increase costs to the County.

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Delridge District Council meets this Wednesday night
July 14, 2009 12:30 am
|    Comments Off on Delridge District Council meets this Wednesday night
 |   Announcements

From Ron Angeles, Delridge Neighborhoods District Services Coordinator for the city, announcing this Wednesday’s Delridge District Council meeting, to which you are invited:

In the City of Seattle, citizens are encouraged to participate in city government and one of the most effective ways of getting involved in through your Delridge District Council.

In 1987, the Seattle City Council established the District Council system as a way of soliciting input and advice from citizens on city-sponsored programs and initiatives.

It is also a regular monthly forum where residents, community leaders, neighborhood groups, and community agencies, can network, gather support, recruit volunteers and share what issues, projects, programs, and community building activities they are involved.

Next Delridge District Council meeting:

Wednesday
July 15th
7 pm
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW

This month’s Guest Presentation:

The Seattle Green Bag Campaign, which is an educational campaign formed to
-Inform voters about Referendum 1 on our Aug 18th Seattle Ballot
-Encourage them to vote “yes” for Ref 1 and
-Encourage more public participation in bringing reusable bags to the grocery store.

The Green Bag Fee ordinance referred to in Ref 1 would require grocery and drug stores to charge consumers 20 cents for every disposable plastic or paper market bag they use, instead of embedding the cost of such disposables in the general cost of products, as has been the common practice. The purpose of this fee is to reduce waste created by making shoppers more aware of the cost of disposable bags. The ordinance was passed in July of 2008 by Seattle’s City Council, and was suppose to take effect Jan 1 2009. It has been postponed until a vote of Seattle citizens because of a paid signature gathering effort funded by the ACC (American Chemistry Council).

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WSB exclusive: Hundreds of waterproofing leaks found at Myrtle, Beacon Reservoirs; “membranes” now being dug up and redone
July 13, 2009 8:18 pm
|      45 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

West Seattle Blog has learned that Seattle Public Utilities has ordered waterproofing work dug up and redone at two newly covered city reservoirs — Myrtle Reservoir here in West Seattle (photo) and Beacon Hill Reservoir — because of hundreds of leaks discovered in the “membranes” applied to both projects.

To get to the membranes, the grass, dirt and “drain rock” over the reservoirs must all be removed, which is happening right now. SPU says it has not finished calculating the costs of the additional work but will front the money to the contractor until it is decided – potentially in court – who is to blame for the leaks, which SPU emphasizes do not pose any health risk.

In the case of Myrtle Reservoir, the transfer of part of the site to the Seattle Parks Department, for construction of a park on the newly created open space has been delayed a year already — we reported delays here and here — in June of last year, in fact, the site was seeded, the same month we were told “final acceptance testing” was planned.

Now, though, SPU says that because the waterproofing is being redone, the transfer to Parks may not happen before the end of November.

The waterproofing problems recently came to our attention because of questions from neighbors who live near Myrtle Reservoir. Several e-mailed WSB in the past week to ask why the Myrtle site was being “dug up again.” Today, SPU spokesperson Andy Ryan confirmed the problem to WSB and provided more information on what happened, how it was discovered, what’s being done and what happens next. (We also have spoken with another SPU manager and with the state Health Department.)

Read More

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West Seattle Summer Movies on the Wall season starts Saturday!
July 13, 2009 6:57 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies

The Princess Bride | Movie Trailers

That’s the trailer for “The Princess Bride,” which kicks off the West Seattle Summer Outdoor Movies on the Wall series (co-sponsored by WSB) this Saturday night in the courtyard between Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) and Dr. Wolff. Bring your own chair/blanket and a few dollars for concessions and the raffle, all benefiting nonprofits, but otherwise, this movie and the five that follow are FREE! This 1st showing is sponsored by Dr. Wolff, Dr. Horowitz, Lady Di Pet Chaperone (WSB sponsor), Hands to Paws Animal Massage and Dream Dinners (WSB sponsor), which is serving Barbecue Pork Sliders before the movie and providing a $100 gift certificate for the raffle. Also: BACHELORS STILL NEEDED! Each movie this summer has a pre-show activity and this Saturday it’s a Dating Game – two more bachelors needed to play along with bachelorette Kerry (originally explained here). Movie starts at dusk – you’re welcome to come early and stake out your spot, enjoy concessions and meeting your neighbors. Full movie-series lineup here!

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Traffic alert: Lower Spokane St. detour at night this week
July 13, 2009 6:03 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Spokane St. Viaduct project | West Seattle traffic alerts

If you will be using lower Spokane Street 7 pm-5 am for any or all of the next five nights, note that the westbound traffic will be detoured into the currently closed eastbound lanes between 1st and 2nd (map) because of utility work related to the ongoing construction project. Police will direct traffic. SDOT adds, “Eastbound local access between 1st and 2nd will continue to be provided as needed.”

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Followup: City Council unanimously passes bridge resolution
July 13, 2009 5:29 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of The Bridge while it was being built)
As previewed here last week, the City Council voted today on a resolution to give the West Seattle Bridge a “secondary name” in honor of the late City Councilmember Jeanette Williams, who fought to get key funding for its construction. Thanks to Brian Hawksford in the office of City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who worked for and with Ms. Williams for many years and sponsored today’s resolution – for confirming it passed unanimously, 9-0. Williams’ son Rusty Williams, who is running for City Council this year, thanked the council for honoring his mom. Also today, a proclamation was read in honor of tomorrow’s 25th anniversary of the opening of the high bridge, six years after a freighter smashed into and shut down the drawbridge that preceded it. Read on for the full text:Read More

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Election 2009: Hunter says he’d kill West Seattle’s Water Taxi run
July 13, 2009 4:39 pm
|      37 COMMENTS
 |   King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

State Rep. Ross Hunter is the second candidate in a week to include changes to King County Water Taxi plans as part of a proposal for what he would do if elected King County Executive. Last week, State Sen. Fred Jarrett said he would scuttle plans to expand Water Taxi operations; today, according to West Seattleite Mike Seely writing in the Daily Weekly, Hunter says he would drop the West Seattle-downtown run altogether. Here’s the story. (Hunter and Jarrett are running for the open seat against Water Taxi champion and King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, County Councilmember Larry Phillips, former TV anchor Susan Hutchison and three others; the August 18th primary election will narrow the field to two – could be any two, since it’s now a nonpartisan office. Follow the links here to find out more about all the candidates.)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Playground purse-snatching reported
July 13, 2009 1:42 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Gatewood | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, Jennifer reports a theft at the Gatewood Elementary playground around 11:30 this morning – read on for her report:Read More

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Reminder: Fauntleroy Way road work just revved up again
July 13, 2009 1:03 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Quoting one driver’s frustrated note a short time ago on Twitter, “Seven minutes to get through Fauntleroy and California!” (map) That’s because as previewed last week, the Fauntleroy Way road-rebuilding work has revved up again today. At the aforementioned intersection, this means traffic’s down to 1 lane each way, and it also means you can’t use the north entrance to West Seattle Thriftway during work hours:

(The store’s west and east entrances are open as usual.) As per the city bulletin from last week, grinding work is also happening on the eastbound lanes further north along the road-rebuilding stretch, which runs all the way to SW Edmunds. The official city project-info/overview/updates page is here; the project is expected to continue into October, but the Fauntleroy/California work that started up again today is supposed to be done by the end of the week, “weather permitting,” per SDOT.

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Michelle Babb, MS, RD: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor
July 13, 2009 12:15 pm
|    Comments Off on Michelle Babb, MS, RD: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor
 |   Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle online

Today we’re welcoming a new sponsor, Michelle Babb, MS, RD, a Bastyr graduate and adjunct professor who consults on finding optimum health by improving nutrition. New sponsors are always offered the chance to share information with you regarding what they do; Michelle says, “Clients seek me out because they’re looking to change their lifestyle to address their health issues and restore vitality. They’re often very frustrated and worn out with traditional methods for weight loss and disease prevention, and they don’t know where to turn. Most people need a little information and a lot of motivation. I encourage them to make small, but meaningful changes and build up to an optimal diet and I provide support every step of the way. I also use therapeutic diets when warranted, and my patients commonly report feeling better than they have in years. Once they start seeing and feeling the results of restoring balance to the body through good nutrition, exercise and relaxation, that becomes its own motivation.” Michelle says that if you’ve been trying to lose weight or have been diagnosed with a digestive problem, she can work with you to find the right foods. She’s also in touch with naturopaths, medical doctors, acupuncturists and chiropractors to create a whole plan for better nutrition and health. Find Michelle Babb, MS, RD, online at eatplaybe.com. We welcome her to the WSB sponsor lineup, listed in full here along with information on how to become part of it.

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Next step in “Soundway” land transfer: Hearing date set
July 13, 2009 10:45 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

We’ve been reporting on the process of transferring the “Soundway” property in the West Duwamish Greenbelt to the city Parks Department, long after the site (32 acres that are mostly south of South Seattle Community College) was platted into streets that were never built. Almost a month after the Seattle Design Commission gave its blessing to the plan (which they have to do with all “street vacation” proposals), today’s Land Use Information Bulletin confirms that a public hearing is now set before the City Council Transportation Committee: 9:30 am August 4th. The council must give final approval before the status of this land can be changed from “public right-of-way” for potential roads. Once that happens, it will be leased (explained in our June report) to the West Seattle-based Nature Consortium, which works on forest restoration in the West Duwamish Greenbelt. (If you can’t be at the hearing, the public notice explains how to comment by e-mail or postal mail.) P.S. For a closeup look at part of this site, take the Nature Consortium’s free guided hike this Friday, 1 pm (RSVP to lisa@naturec.org or 206.923.0853).

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Car break-in, with an aftermath tip
July 13, 2009 2:51 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox a little while ago, from Kara, a car break-in report that ends with a tip we haven’t heard before – read on:Read More

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Another Seafair “invasion”: West Seattleites’ Green Lake win
July 13, 2009 2:49 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

On the same day the Seafair Pirates stormed Alki (WSB coverage with video here), two West Seattle families were storming Green Lake for a prize-winning appearance in the Seafair Milk Carton Derby. We got the word late Sunday night from Admiral resident Sherri Chun, who also shared photos:

Here we are – West Seattle’s entry in the Seafair Milk Carton Derby on Green Lake, and winner of the Seattle’s Child award for best family boat. I don’t know if there were others, but we officially represented West Seattle’s finest milk cartons! Alki Mail and Dispatch was our unofficial sponsor, contributing hundreds of milk cartons to the effort, along with numerous other West Seattle families.

We are officially the Zarkowski and Scholten families. On the boat are Corey Zarkowski, Oscar Scholten, me, and Weston Scholten. The second picture is the night before the race – all loaded up and ready to go (Roger Scholten, Zelma Zieman, Sherri, and Paul Zarkowski).

Here’s that second photo:

Full Milk Carton Derby results are here. This is the second weekend Sherri has made news – she is also organizer of the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade (WSB coverage, with video, here). Regarding that event, we asked her if the donation drive in conjunction with this year’s parade and postparade activities brought in enough to ensure they’ll continue next year — she replied, “We did GREAT on donations for the Admiral Kids 4th of July Parade, so yes, there will be a parade next year! A big THANK YOU to the community for making it happen!”

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Rolling through West Seattle (& beyond) for Tour de Watertower
July 13, 2009 1:32 am
|    Comments Off on Rolling through West Seattle (& beyond) for Tour de Watertower
 |   Fun stuff to do | Transportation | West Seattle news

While most of West Seattle’s attention was on Summer Fest and/or the rain for most of Sunday, another event spun through the peninsula: Tour de Watertower, with a route including two of West Seattle’s water towers. Gatewood bicyclist Tom Furtwangler, who writes the new-ish site bikejuju.com, shared photos and a report:

I stopped by my local water tower at High Point [Myrtle Reservoir] to catch some of the Tour de Watertower bicycle racers as they came past their first stop.

Tour de Watertower is an urban bike race organized by Go Means Go. While ten thousand cyclists (were) on their way to Portland in the STP this weekend, (Sunday)’s water-tower race was a more modest affair, with 25 registrants running a 33-mile urban course that includes seven water towers. Racers started from Capitol Hill in two-minute intervals to race the clock around the course. The first two stops were in West Seattle at High Point and Charlestown.

Minding the High Point stop was West Seattle artist Karl Addison, and as we chatted between racers, we agreed we were impressed with the diversity of cyclists attracted to this event. Then I cycled down to Morgan Thriftway and back up the hill and was grateful I wasn’t racing around to six more water towers!

Tom also shared this Google map link for all the stops. The results are published on Go Means Go – 22 of the 25 registrants finished, in times ranging from 2 hours, 19 minutes, to 3 hours, 42 minutes.

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Another West Seattle Hi-Yu honor – and the upcoming schedule
July 12, 2009 10:43 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

Just remembered we’d forgotten to mention breaking news we heard from West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival‘s Carol Winston during WS Summer Fest this afternoon — this year’s Hi-Yu float (shown above at WSSF on Friday) has won another award — “best float” at the Kent Cornucopia Days parade today. Third big award this season; you’ll get to see the float up close next Saturday in the West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by American Legion Post 160 (starts at California/Lander at 11 am and proceeds to the south end of The Junction). Meantime, lots of Hi-Yu events coming up in the next 2 weeks – Carol and husband Tim Winston, Hi-Yu president, just sent this comprehensive list:

7/13 – Monday, 7 pm, Fauntleroy Church, (Hi-Yu Senior Court) Candidate Essay Reading and Reception. This is a judged event, but open to the public. It would be great to have a large audience for the girls to stand before and read their essays.

7/14 – Tuesday, 7 pm, Hiawatha East Lawn, Concert in the Park (weather permitting). The West Seattle Big Band is always a hit. People should bring a picnic dinner and blanket and enjoy the music. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

Note on that – remember, the Southwest and Delridge District Councils along with WSB will be honoring the first West Seattle Volunteer Recognition recipients during the concert, so be there to give them a round of applause. Now, back to the list:

7/17 – Friday, 12-3 pm, Hiawatha East Lawn, Hiawatha Kids Fun Festival and Hi-Yu Junior Court Coronation. Lots of carnival games, face painting, refreshments, clowns, jump toys, on-stage children’s entertainment, etc. The Junior Court Coronation will take place at 12:45 on the main stage.

7/18 – Saturday, 11 am, (along California from) Lander-Edmunds Streets, American Legion Grand Parade. Come and see our award-winning float.

7/19 – Sunday, 9 am-noon, American Legion Hall, The Hi-Yu Community Breakfast. Always a great breakfast hosted by Don & Sheryl Bogie – open to the public. Suggested donation $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 12 and under.

7/20 – Monday, 7 pm, West Seattle High School Theater, Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Coronation. Tickets $10 for adults and $5 for all students and children 12 and under. Elisa Jaffe of KOMO 4 will be our MC for the evening. Come and see the young women who have been running for Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu. The candidates will each perform a stage talent and give answers for both prepared and spontaneous questions. Nine cash awards donated by local businesses and individuals will be presented in addition to the $2,000 scholarship for the Queen and $1,000 scholarships to the Princesses.

7/25 – Saturday, 7:30 pm, Downtown Seattle, Seafair Torchlight Parade. Cheer on last year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Queen, Sivona Lingle, at the Seafair Coronation and see the West Seattle float with its lighted decorations.

All proceeds from these events not only help pay for the expenses of the event, but go toward building our next float and for educational scholarships for the young women chosen to represent West Seattle.

And we’ll add a data point we cite often: West Seattle is the ONLY remaining neighborhood in the city that still has its own float, traveling to represent the area in spring/summer/fall presents. You’ll help literally keep West Seattle on the parade/festival map by supporting Hi-Yu.

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Election 2009: West Seattle Chamber announces 7/21 forum
July 12, 2009 7:02 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

checkbox.jpgFrom Patti Mullen, president/CEO of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce (who’s been staffing the Information side of the big tent we shared at West Seattle Summer Fest the past three days): The Chamber’s presenting a Seattle City Council Candidates’ Forum one week from Tuesday. It starts at 5 pm July 21 with meet-and-greet, 5:30-7 pm forum, at ArtsWest in The Junction. C.R. Douglas, who you’ll know from Seattle Channel, will moderate. Some BIG decisions to make, even on the primary ballot, including two open Council seats — five candidates running for Position 4, six running for Position 8. (Election aside: Did you know you can get the latest daily updates on who’s contributed what to which city candidate by going here?)

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