Over the weekend, we introduced the first-ever WSB Coupons, with freebies, discounts, and other special offers from a dozen WSB sponsors — including one of our newest sponsors, Stor-More Self-Storage, whose big sign is hard to miss when you travel on or near Avalon, just south of the Luna Park business district. Stor-More‘s West Seattle facility on Yancy east of Avalon (map) is home to not only a sizable amount of storage, but also mailbox services, all under new resident management. Here’s what Stor-More wants you to know about their West Seattle facility: “Merry Christmas and Happy 2009 from Stor-More Self Storage in West Seattle, where you are welcomed as a Neighbor by singing snowmen this month! You will love the Shop Local Community Table with ads from local businesses. Stor-More offers several different-sized storage units for all of your storage needs. Every unit has an individual gate code, and there are on-site Resident Managers, which is the industry standard for quality properties. Mailboxes are available with 24-hour access. The Store, open 7 days a week, is filled with moving and packing supplies, as well as seasonal items including gift ideas. Tenants are delighted this month to find a 99-Cent Stocking-Stuffer Wall! Stor-More is a member of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Stop by and meet the Managers, Brian and Talani (native Washingtonians; photos at left) and the Assistant Manager, TJ. Tell them West Seattle Blog sent you! Stor-More Self Storage – 2850 SW Yancy St., Seattle, WA 98126 – (206) 933-8200.” If that address looks familiar – Stor-More has long been the official WSB mailbox provider, and since we visit daily, we can verify that the holiday touches are festive indeed. Thanks to Stor-More Self-Storage for supporting 24/7 West Seattle news, information, and discussion here on WSB; check out their coupon (and 11 others) by going here; and if you’d like to find out how to join the WSB sponsor team – and see the latest lineup – here’s the place to start.
This was sent to us by a parent at one of the schools currently caught up in the Seattle Public Schools closure/changes process, AKA “capacity management” (all WSB coverage archived here; we are working on a mammoth recap of “where it stands/what’s next” since today is a rare meetingless day after 2 weeks of nonstop events and discussions related to all this). It’s written by West Seattle-area teacher Jesse Hagopian: “I’m Changing the School’s Name to Chrysler.” Follow that link to read the whole thing; in part, he writes:
… if “letting GM go is a terrible idea”—as General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner recently warned Congress in his plea for a bailout of his failing company—then letting our schools fail in the wake of free-falling state budgets would be catastrophic.
There’s a lot more we could say, but you have said it better, in so many comments on our reports during this school-closure round alone. By the way, we wanted to mention again – many have been saying, can’t we all just work together on a plan for West Seattle schools, rather than sniping at each other – and there is a citizens’ group meeting later this week with exactly that goal in mind: 6:30 Thursday at West Seattle Elementary in High Point – read about it here. ADDED 1:54 PM: The transcription of Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson‘s Seattle Times online Q/A from this morning is available online now – she answers several questions regarding the West Seattle schools now being discussed in this process (Arbor Heights, Cooper, Pathfinder) but no new revelations – here’s the transcript.
Thanks to Marco for sending word, and that picture, of a bus stop closure TFN on northbound 35th just south of Avalon (as the sign says, buses will pick you up 20 feet south of there). Shortly after getting his note, we went to check out the area, and discovered that construction congestion because of Avalon Center is REALLY intense today – a lineup of cement mixers in the center lane on Avalon stretching eastward from 35th, eastbound lane on Avalon and northbound lane on 35th blocked off at the corner, good idea to avoid that area if you can:
We’ve been telling you about West Seattle businesses with holiday food drives and giving trees (and if you’ve got one that’s not on our Holidays page, please e-mail to let us know!) – today, there’s an added freebie for donations in one drive: Cupcake Royale is marking the company’s fifth birthday, and if you bring a nonperishable food item there today, you get a free cupcake. (That offer is TODAY ONLY, though the food drive at CR, benefiting West Seattle Food Bank, continues till just before Christmas.)
Gas prices continue to drop — the national average is its lowest in five years, according to weekend reports — but they’re falling more slowly; two West Seattle stations actually have the same prices as they did during our last survey a week ago. As for everybody else, varying drops. In the list you’ll see ahead, the first number is regular, as posted on the stations’ streetfront signs; second number is premium (where posted)Read More
Thanks to Huzefa Mogri for sharing that overview of the scene inside West Seattle Christian Church‘s (WSB sponsor) new multiuse facility, opened unofficially for a dessert-theater performance Sunday night, with Taproot Theatre staging “It’s a Wonderful Improv Life” – zaniness ensued, as this photo suggests:
More on the new facility soon; Taproot, by the way, performs the same show at its Greenwood theater the next two Friday nights – info’s on their website.
Always nice to have pix to share as the weekend comes to a close. That one actually was sent Thursday by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, who says hummingbirds have been busy in his garden lately. Next, the beautiful sunrise from Saturday morning, while both of us were up early to cover special events (TR at the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, PS at the Rotary Shopping Spree) – actually got this scene looking northeast from the Southwest Community Center parking lot:
Later on Saturday, more of those unusual cloud formations gave David Hutchinson the chance for this postcard-perfect shot of the Alki Statue of Liberty:
David sent that along with this reminder from the Statue of Liberty Plaza Project about a holiday gift opportunity:
We would like to remind everyone that there are only a little over 3 weeks left to get your engraved brick for the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza. We have received orders for over 290 bricks to date. All orders for this final sale must be mailed to Urban Sparks, our fiscal sponsor, no later than December 31st of this year.
It was originally planned to have the bricks engraved on site but we want to take advantage of a lower cost per brick by having them produced at the engraving company’s facility and trucked to Alki for installation. All orders will be submitted to them in January of 2009 and Seattle Parks and Recreation will be responsible for the installation in the spring. Due to this cost savings, the price has been reduced to $100 per brick. Everyone who purchased their bricks at the $150 price will be notified of their options. We have also begun our 3 for 2 Christmas Brick Sale.
For additional details see www.sealady.org or contact Eilene at 206-933-8352 or sslpp@msn.com. If you are interested in a bronze Tribute Plaque that will be installed along the front edge of the Plaza, see our website or contact Libby Carr at 206-938-8721 or libby@carrbiz.com.
No West Seattle sightings mentioned since the ones a week ago (12/2 photo at left, courtesy Jeff Hogan), but the latest Orca Network e-mail update mentions major sightings today around south Vashon Island — so they may be passing this way again — one morning sighting mentions seeing two sizable groups pass Des Moines this morning, and the captain of the Point Defiance-Tahlequah (south Vashon to northwest Tacoma) ferry “reported 20-30 orcas milling off Pt. Defiance” just after 1:30 pm. (Side note – The same Orca Network update reports a protest at Maury Island early tomorrow morning related to the state’s recent approval of construction of a 300-foot-long pier over an aquatic reserve to facilitate expansion of gravel mining; The Backbone Campaign is gathering a flotilla at Sandy Shores at 7 am.)
It’s festive … it’s sustainable … it’s affordable … it’s 24 hours away! Tomorrow night is Sustainable West Seattle’s Money-Free Shopping Spree, and you are invited – 6-9 pm, Camp Long Lodge. It’s a potluck and gift-swap occasion, and while SWS is hoping people will bring handmade gifts — the full list of what to bring (food and gift-wise) is on the SWS website — their latest bulletin also notes:
… if you don’t have time to pull together a gift between now and Monday, it is good to purchase something made by hand locally and give that OR better yet please consider offering a service/skill for 1-2 hours: gardening, bike repair, a foraging tour in West Seattle, wormbox 101, beekeeping 101, tutoring, a meal, making a dinner, kayak tour, etc. The possibilities of what you can give of some time to a neighbor are limitless …
In addition to the money-free gift swap, the event also features food, music by West Seattle acoustic guitarist Gunnar Goelitz, and guest speakers — West Seattle Chamber of Commerce executive director Patti Mullen (did you know the C of C is heavily involved in promoting sustainability? It’s even got a Green Team!),Sustainable Seattle executive director Sean Schmidt (who’ll talk about the Celebrate Local campaign that’s under way citywide this season), and WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand with a few words about the wonderful sense of community we’ve been seeing and reporting on throughout the year. That’s tomorrow, 6-9 pm, Camp Long Lodge (map), check out the complete details here.
They’re the biggest and brightest Christmas lights in West Seattle – the mega-display at the Menashe Family home on Beach Drive. We took a WSB video tour again this year — that first clip is a 2-minute walkthrough; next, Josh Menashe tells us what’s new this year:
Here’s a closer look at the mailbox he mentioned:
The Menashe display is along the southern stretch of Beach Drive – no direct access from the east but you can either hit Beach Drive from the Lowman Beach area and head north, or from the Jacobsen Road end and drive south. Here’s a map.
Santa Claus isn’t just comin’ to town – he’s here, till 4 pm (and noon-4 pm the next two Sundays) at Cupcake Royale, with photographer Donna Ryan, for Santa photos provided by the West Seattle Junction Association (WSB sponsor); donations are suggested, and go to three West Seattle nonprofits that have a heavier-than-ever load to bear this year – West Seattle Food Bank, WestSide Baby, and West Seattle Helpline. Meantime, kitty-corner via the Walk All Ways intersection at California/Alaska, the Hometown Holidays Headquarters tent is where you’ll find wreath sales for Pathfinder K-8:
Volunteering at the booth today for Pathfinder, Lashanna Williams and Jen Kocir. The school’s fundraising wreaths will be on sale at the HHH tent the next two Sundays (noon-4 in front of Key Bank) too. P.S. They’re doing face-painting too.
Just out of the WSB inbox from Ryan in Seaview, with the photo above:
Unfortunately I’ve got bad news to share. Sometime between 3 am (I was up feeding our youngest son) and 10:30 am, our beautiful 1959 Airstream trailer was stolen off its parking pad. It was double locked and in full view in the alley. We live on 45th Ave SW between Juneau and Findlay. We’d really appreciate it if you could post a photo or two on the blog asking for your readers to keep an eye out for it.
Since Ryan sent several photos, we’ve posted two more angles (one showing the back of the trailer, one showing the front) after the jump:Read More
1. We have a list of all West Seattle tree lots (with maps and a price sampler) here.
2. West Seattle Nursery is one of the 12 WSB sponsors participating in our first-ever coupon offering, and one of those coupons is for $5 off any one of their cut trees. Get the coupons here.
No winter break for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market – it’s continuing year-round, and new additions pop up each week throughout the year. Here’s today’s list of what’s new and what’s fresh; the Farmers’ Market is open 10 am-2 pm, and those first couple hours are just the prelude to the first Hometown Holidays Sunday fun, Santa photos and all.
That’s the view from the stage in the Farmers’ Market parking lot a couple hours ago, as your WSB co-publishers joined an eclectic crew of performers and guest tree-lighters for what turned out to be a double tree lighting (maybe not such a surprise if you saw the lights being tested last night) – the little “official” Junction tree, and the big tree right on the 44th/Alaska corner. Hope you enjoyed it; having sat through too many long events featuring endless speeches, we managed to make it through what was envisioned as an hour-long program in about 40 minutes. Of course, the nailbiting part is ahead of time, when you wonder whether anyone will show up – here’s the view from the refreshment-tent-to-be around 4:30:
Even around 5 till 5, almost no one was there, but we all chanted the mantra: No one in Seattle EVER shows up early for ANYTHING. And sure enough, before long, hundreds were on hand. Our pix are all from the stage/backstage view, but one group that provided a particularly festive view from any angle – the “Plaid Tidings” guys from ArtsWest‘s holiday show:
OK, now as for the actual tree-lighting – everyone was watching the small “official” tree, but instead, the big tree on the corner lit up – followed shortly afterward by the little one — Junior Member of the Team got both:
We’ll add some more video later – the Endolyne Children’s Choir did a great job too, as well as the plaid guys. Meantime, The Junction (WSB sponsor) is a hot place to be tomorrow, too – the first Hometown Holidays Sunday brings Santa photos at Cupcake Royale, noon-4 pm, along with mule-carriage rides and special in-store events (more here). SUNDAY NIGHT P.S.: Nice photo gallery by the fab M&M at Incremental Updates (one of the 100 West Seattle-based blogs whose automated feeds power our Blogs page) – get past the first couple showing us, and there are lovely shots of lots of nice folks having a great time. See it here.
We didn’t make it to this morning’s district-organized “community workshop” on the school-closure plan — same format as the one we covered Thursday night — but a report is up on the P-I site. It mentions Arbor Heights Elementary parent Gerard Denommee getting applause for suggesting taking the issue to state lawmakers and fighting for better public-school funding, rather than continuing to pit neighborhood against neighborhood to fight for shares of a shrinking pie. The Arbor Heights PTSA Yahoo! group also has an account of the meeting, and a more vivid description of the ovation received by Denommee, as well as a mention of Cooper Elementary parents’ presence (as they’d planned at the meeting we covered last night). Next meetings: Tuesday night, the School Board is scheduled to get new data and discuss the next phase of recommendations at a board workshop starting at 4 pm at district HQ; that same night, a district-organized meeting is planned at Arbor Heights, 6 pm. In the meantime, feedback can be sent to the school district any time at capacity@seattleschools.org. (All WSB coverage of this round of school-closure proposals is archived here.)
Last reminder, join us in The Junction — Farmers’ Market parking lot at 44th/Alaska — from 5 till about 6 pm tonight, for the West Seattle Junction Tree Lighting event … including music from Endolyne Children’s Choir, a sampler of “Plaid Tidings” from ArtsWest, singalongs with the band Hazelwood Motel, and lots more – see you there!
They’ve got their own tab in the “navigation” bar below the sunset header on every WSB page – just click there any time and you’ll find them – as well as in the Freebies, Deals, Sales section of the WSB Forums – but we also wanted to give it a shoutout here: As an extra incentive to “Shop Local” this holiday season, 12 WSB sponsors have put together special coupon offers (even a discount on your Christmas tree!). We expect to have more to share soon too, but for starters, these are available right now for you to print out and use. Click here to get them (a 3-page printable, clippable PDF). Thanks for supporting West Seattle businesses, especially the WSB sponsors who make it possible for you to find West Seattle news, information, and discussion here 24/7! (We’ll be handing out the coupons at tonight’s tree lighting too, so look for a copy there.)
Made it over to Highland Park Elementary (10th and Trenton; here’s a map) to check out the holiday bazaar – lots on sale, plus kids’ activities too – a chance to “fish”:
The Highland Park Elementary bazaar continues till 3. Under way till 4 pm, it’s the Southwest Community Center bazaar (on Thistle a few blocks east of 35th; here’s a map); another reminder, all the rest of what’s happening today/tonight, and tomorrow, is in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup!
Sorry to report that we had the wrong information on our calendar – the Art Under $100 sale in South Park is actually TONIGHT, 4 pm-10 pm, not during the day. From the announcement:
South Park artists will knock your socks off with original, edgy works not seen at a typical holiday sale. What’s more, everything is affordable, with nothing priced over $100. The event will showcase a diverse array of art including painting, sculpture, neon, jewelry, clothing, photography, glass, letterpress, and more. Local musicians Mark Johnson (Amateur Radio Operator) and Kevin Suggs (Evangeline, Amateur Radio Operator, KEXP) will sculpt an ever-changing atmospheric sound-scape throughout the event. Sip wine, feast on appetizers, and actually enjoy holiday shopping. A mysterious masked bugle boy will blow his horn every half hour to announce art raffles donated by the participating artists. Raffle tickets will be available for $2 each or 3 for $5
for all of your storage needs. Every unit has an individual gate code, and there are on-site Resident Managers, which is the industry standard for quality properties. Mailboxes are available with 24-hour access. The Store, open 7 days a week, is filled with moving and packing supplies, as well as seasonal items including gift ideas. Tenants are delighted this month to find a 99-Cent Stocking-Stuffer Wall! Stor-More is a member of the 
Tell them West Seattle Blog sent you! Stor-More Self Storage – 2850 SW Yancy St., Seattle, WA 98126 – (206) 933-8200.” If that address looks familiar – Stor-More has long been the official WSB mailbox provider, and since we visit daily, we can verify that the holiday touches are festive indeed. Thanks to 
This was sent to us by a parent at one of the schools currently caught up in the 
Gas prices continue to drop — the national average is its lowest in five years, 
No West Seattle sightings mentioned since 
Last reminder, join us in The Junction — Farmers’ Market parking lot at 44th/Alaska — from 5 till about 6 pm tonight, for the 
there any time and you’ll find them – as well as in the 
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