day : 15/11/2008 10 results

How busy IS that street? Here are the numbers

Just found this link and added it to our Fauntleroy Way lane-reconfiguration followup – but we wanted to share it separately, too. The city’s Traffic Flow Data maps are online, with the daily totals for major arterials. Currently you can find the 1996-2006 maps/data; start here. It’s a bit hard to read (turned sideways with east on top), but for example, this map section shows the West Seattle Bridge and its feeders in 2006; the comparable section from 1996 shows higher volume on the bridge’s main stretch then, than 10 years later. ADDED SUNDAY: Want some REAL perspective? WSB Forums member “manuelw” started a thread with a photo of truly historic traffic on one of The Bridge’s predecessors.

Happening now: Beer Church “Turkey Bowl”

They’re not just knocking down pins, they’re stacking up food for West Seattle Food Bank tonight at West Seattle Bowl, where the Beer Church has tapped quite the crowd for its 10th annual fundraiser/food drive Turkey Bowl:

Kendall from the Beer Church told WSB there’s no exact count yet but $ raised for WS Food Bank appears to have surpassed $2500.

This is going on till about 10 tonight – you are welcome to drop by with a food donation, or to just “hang out.” Find out more about the Beer Church at its website (which includes Beer News Headlines!). Also, you can help the two food banks that serve West Seattle any time, with an online $ donation — donate $ to WS Food Bank by going here; donate $ to White Center Food Bank by going here.

Two more high-school playoff reports – from Seattle Lutheran

Two state playoff games today for Seattle Lutheran, and Bil Hood just sent word of the scores: The football team lost to Naselle 34-7, so their season is over; the Lady Saints soccer team beat Liberty Bell 6-0 and are in the state tournament’s final 4 – next game, next weekend. SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: Thanks to the fan who provided a link to the brackets with the next game – Noon Friday in Sumner. The Lady Saints are 13-3-3, opponent LaSalle (from Union Gap, WA) is 16-1; the winner advances to the championship game, same place, the following day.

West Seattle weekend scenes: Salmon; sunset

The fish “flag” is flying at the Fauntleroy Creek overlook – because the first coho spawner has arrived! The notice posted at the overlook is the same one you can read on this page of fauntleroy.net. It says: “Our first coho spawner (dubbed “Hillary” as a kind of consolation prize!) came in on Saturday, Nov. 8, and as of Monday is still awaiting a mate. Congratulations to watchers Ann Samenfink and Cathy Follis for making the first sighting.” So, “Hillary” arrived less than two weeks after the gathering to “call the salmon home” (WSB video coverage here); the fish ladder is marking its 10th anniversary this fall. Shortly after visiting the creek, we headed north to catch tonight’s glorious sunset from just south of Alki Point:

Seattle marriage-equality march/rally: Photos

(added photos at the bottom of this post)
ORIGINAL POST: The march and rally are happening right now, Capitol Hill to downtown, and Slog has coverage — including these overview photos of the march stretching for blocks. We’re hoping for photos later from West Seattleites who are participating. 2:36 PM UPDATE: Cami uploaded this video from the VERY early going, just as the first people were starting to gather at Volunteer Park:

And she sent this photo (thank you!) of organizer Kyler Powell onstage:

Capitol Hill Seattle also has photos (you have to click through them in the box on the left side of the post). ADDED 7:25 PM: Thanks to WSB Forums‘ Zenguy for sharing these photos – the first one shows you the depth of the Volunteer Park crowd (Zenguy says that’s Ron Sims way up at the stage — we’ll take his word for it; the other two pix show the marchers going through downtown):

ADDED LATE SATURDAY NIGHT: Thanks to Cheryl for sharing these photos taken by Greg Martin of her making a sign, and her and her goddaughter with their signs at the rally:

The WSB Forums thread about the event (discussed before and after) is here. ADDED VERY EARLY MONDAY: Just found this post on the Jew-Ish blog, recounting what Rabbi Michael Latz from West Seattle’s Kol HaNeshamah congregation said at the rally.

More ways to help: A giving kind of day – and night

November 15, 2008 1:20 pm
|    Comments Off on More ways to help: A giving kind of day – and night
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

Thanks to JenV for adding a comment to our previous post, pointing out that you can donate a turkey to the West Seattle Food Bank today by buying it for just $5 at Jefferson Square Safeway. Two other food drive/fundraiser events for WSFB are happening tonight in the general Junction vicinity — the Beer Church‘s annual Turkey Bowl, starting at 5:30 pm at West Seattle Bowl (the TB lanes are full but you’re welcome to drop by, bring food and/or money for WSFB, and hang out) — and at 8 pm, a live-music benefit, Serve It Up, at Rocksport, with the toplines as follows:

Features Fall from Grace, To the Glorious Lonely, Memphis Radio Kings, Down with People, Something Vital and unplugged sets from Owen Wright, Martin Chandler, Tom Gunn and Dudley Taft. Door goes to Food Bank. $10.00 cover. Bins to donate non-perishable foods as well as raffles for prizes!

It’s the ultimate multitasking — having fun while doing good. P.S. If you can’t join in any of the above, you can still help the two food banks that serve West Seattle, right now without even leaving your computer/tucking away your iPhone/whatever — donate $ to WSFB by going here; donate $ to White Center Food Bank by going here.

Happening now (and later): Toy sale; bazaar; books; more

That’s the scene at the Camp Long Lodge, where the first-ever CoolMom.org Toy Swap/Sale is happening till 1 this afternoon (added later: everything’s been marked down till sale’s over!) — the “swapping” happened in advance with donations taken in exchange for sale credit, so today, just bring your $ – proceeds benefit WestSide Baby and West Seattle Food Bank as well as CoolMom. Not far away, it’s the second and final day of the Holiday Bazaar at Providence Mount St. Vincent:

You can shop the bazaar till 3 pm. Overall, it’s a great day to get a jump on holiday shopping – it’s also the final day of the Square 1 Books (WSB sponsor) everything-21%-off anniversary sale; another WSB sponsor, West Seattle Nursery, has its annual open house; Capers and Friends and Company have special events in The Junction; Snap Fitness on the 42nd SW side of Jefferson Square (run by longtime WSB’ers) has its grand opening; browse the West Seattle Weekend Lineup for the full list of EVERYTHING happening today — including playoff games for Seattle Lutheran‘s football (1 pm vs. Naselle) and girls’ soccer (4 pm vs. Liberty Bell) teams, both at Sammamish High School.

All good things must come to an end: WSHS season finale

By Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publisher

West Seattle High’s seniors took to the field. The game had been over for half an hour.

By ones and twos, they came out of the locker room and all but one walked onto the field. The seniors walked past the clutch of parents, grandparents, younger siblings, and girlfriends who waited for them outside the locker room and onto the turf. This was it – the last time they would all be under the same lights, and on the same field.

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Fauntleroy follow-up: Why the city’s proposing fewer lanes

Give SDOT credit for proactivity: After our report yesterday that the city’s proposing cutting down travel lanes on Fauntleroy Way between Alaska and California – from two each way to one each way plus a center turn lane, in conjunction with anticipated repaving – SDOT offered up a key interview before we could even ask: Eric Widstrand, the man who will recommend to SDOT leadership whether this should go forward. We talked this morning, and here’s what we found out:Read More