WSB site note: Better way to share stories (Facebook, e-mail, etc.)
For more than a year, we’ve had a “Share This” link beneath each WSB story; clicking it would open a new page giving you some options for e-mailing that story to others or sharing it via “social” sites. A note from a WSBer this week reminded us that those options were limited – Facebook, now hugely popular (more than 1,000 people have “friended” us as WS Blog there, where we share selected links and quick updates, and are glad to get messages from you when you have something to say/share), wasn’t available, for one. So we just upgraded “Share This.” Look for it with the little green icon (like the one shown at left) at the end of each WSB report. Clicking it will open a small window with three tabs:
POST: You can post the link to your Facebook profile, Twitter account, Blogger or WordPress.com site, among others
SEND/E-MAIL: E-mail the link, or use the drop-down menu here to choose messaging such as AIM or MySpace
SOCIAL WEB: Share the link through various services from Facebook (behaves the same way as “posting” to FB) to Google Bookmarks to Delicious and Digg, with more options along the way
Hope this is useful. If it’s missing something you use to share links, please let us know!
Out with the grasses, in with the food: A hunger-fighting garden
We’ve also posted this at partner site White Center Now, but thought you might be interested too, as the White Center Food Bank also serves part of West Seattle. From Aviva at Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle:
Community Harvest of SW Seattle in partnership with the White Center Food Bank will be removing some grasses and other ornamentals to make room for a food garden. This demonstration garden, designed by a SSCC horticulture student, will have sections for traditional Asian greens, square foot gardening, northwest berries, and containers. The intention of this garden is to inspire and educate on the possibilities for growing food, even in limited spaces.
Seattleworks volunteers will be digging up existing landscaping on February 21st, and we would like to offer some of these lovely grasses and bushes in exchange for compost (or $$ to buy compost!) All donations of time or money will be happily accepted and will go toward this project and other projects which encourage food growing amongst low-income residents of West Seattle and White Center.
Contact: info@gleanit.org
Happening now: West Seattle Art Walk goes to the dogs!
We’ve already got a photographer checking out some of the West Seattle Art Walk venues – and just got this note we wanted to share, from Amy Lee Derenthal at The Kenney:
We have a lobby full of dogs, artists and wonderful food along with wine tasting by South Seattle Community College… and did I mention the champagne? The artists are pet photographers and a pet portrait artist. Come on down! It’s fun!
Photos to come. P.S. We’re told you’re welcome to bring YOUR dog to The Kenney. ADDED 7:24 PM: Back with a few photos – first, Leon the Australian cattle dog, who was there with Jen Flynn from Four Legs Photography:
Second, part of the lavish layout of treats at The Kenney (not shown – chocolate-dipped strawberries, sparkling cider, and champagne):
We also checked out Art Walk stops on the other side of West Seattle – those photos shortly – event continues till 9; here’s the map. ADDED 7:51 PM: Without really plotting our stops this way, we ended up with something of a creature theme – this squid creation was on display at the Senior Center of West Seattle:
At Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in the Admiral District, this sculpin by Megan Bailey:
If you drop by Click! with a donation for the West Seattle Food Bank, you can get 10 percent off any one item in the store. Last but by no means least (more than 40 venues and we just got to a few), from Twilight in The Junction, custom metalwork by Lisa Geertsen and Andy Blakney, seen here mugging with one of their creations:
And at Brunette Mix (WSB sponsor), oil paintings by Akiko Masker, including this:
West Seattle red-light camera update: First signs are up
When we first reported eight days ago that SDOT crews had finally put up the two red-light cameras announced 13 months earlier, the city told us that warning signs would follow, “one to two weeks before the cameras begin to operate.” So – here’s your “one- to two-week warning” – the signs you see above are on eastbound Thistle, west of 35th, and they match two signs on westbound Thistle, east of 35th. What we didn’t see this afternoon are: signs on 35th itself (where the 35th/Thistle red-light camera is supposed to be catching southbound red-light runners), nor did we see signs around the other camera, on westbound Avalon east of 35th, but we’ll be watching; let us know if you see them first (editor@westseattleblog.com)!
Crime Watch from not so far away: Burien bank robber
Though it didn’t happen in West Seattle, it wasn’t that far away, and the photo’s pretty clear, so on the offhand chance you recognize this bank robber, we’re sharing the photo provided by the FBI. He held up a Key Bank on SW 152nd in Burien around 10:45 this morning, using a “demand note.” White man, late 20s, medium height, slim build, brown hair, and goatee. Call 911 if you have a clue about his identity and/or whereabouts.
Another West Seattle restaurant listed for sale: Yoshio’s Teriyaki
Just found this on our periodic check of listings: Yoshio’s Teriyaki (photo above) in North Delridge is listed for sale, $130,000. Other West Seattle restaurants still listed: Garlic Jim’s ($199,000), Angelina’s ($235,000), Beato (closed, $195,000) and Blackbird (closed, $250,000).
WestSide Baby makes history with Valentine Tea sellout
The final tally’s in for the WestSide Baby fundraising tea last weekend – a sellout crowd for the first time ever – and executive director Nancy Woodland sends along the official announcement:
WestSide Baby’s Annual Tea fundraiser generated a sell-out crowd of more than 460 attendees and raised nearly $70,000 to help South King County families in need.
The Annual Tea was held on Sunday, February 8, at the Brockey Center on South Seattle’s Community College campus. Each year, table captains provide their own tea service so their guests can enjoy afternoon refreshments and socializing. The event focused on the impact WestSide Baby has in supporting more than 12,000 local children in 2008 and guests made financial contributions to support programs. “The guests who gathered for the Tea recognized the obviously increasing importance of supporting children in need our community. This response is critical to our mission because 96% of our financial support comes from individuals and small businesses,” said Nancy Woodland, Executive Director.
This year, twenty-one local business Sponsors covered the costs of the event while an additional nine offered gifts for give-aways. “The generous spirit of local small businesses is astounding during economic times like these. Business support like this is critical to pulling off an event of this magnitude without directing other funds away from immediate community needs for items such as diapers and clothing.” Woodland said. Since opening in 2001, WestSide Baby has distributed over $6 million worth of clothing, toys, baby gear, and other items.
The sponsors are listed on this page of the WestSide Baby website; meantime, you can help WestSide Baby too – its website will show you how.
Welcoming a new WSB sponsor: Real-estate agent Roger Steiner
Today we’re welcoming the latest WSB sponsor, Roger Steiner. As always, we ask sponsors to share information you might like to know, and here’s more from Roger: 
He is a residential real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Danforth, and is dedicated to helping buyers in West Seattle have a great real estate experience. “We moved to West Seattle from the Central District in 2004, and I immediately fell in love. I grew up in Ketchum, Idaho, and I feel like West Seattle has this wonderful energy much like a little resort town. We’re surrounded by so much natural beauty, there’s a strong sense of community, and neighbors who truly care about one another- there’s so much to see and experience right here – and yet, if you want to do the big city thing, it’s literally right over there.” Prior to joining Coldwell Banker in 2008, Roger was an agent in the Belltown office of Windermere Wall Street. Although he has helped buyers and sellers all over Seattle, and does most of his business through friends and referrals, he hopes to expand his business by reaching out to folks who are considering buying in West Seattle. “I love working with buyers, especially first-time buyers, because it’s like solving a puzzle together- talking people through the process, helping them figure out what their priorities are, what is realistic for them, and then going on the big Treasure Hunt. And right now it’s great, because buyers get to be choosy, take their time, and negotiate. Combined with historically low interest rates, the market being tilted way in the buyer’s favor for a change, and the fact that the government is continuing to offer tax credit incentives to many buyers, for many folks it’s a perfect storm for buying, if you’re in a place to be considering it.” Contact Roger Steiner today if you’re considering a move, and let him know you saw his ad on WSB! (All our sponsors are listed here, where you can also find information on how to join them.)
Badges & businesspeople: West Seattle Chamber @ SW Precinct
At right, that’s Southwest Precinct commander, Captain Joe Kessler, talking to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly luncheon meeting – which transformed the precinct’s community room into an informal banquet room for the occasion. Capt. Kessler is coming up on his first anniversary since taking over precinct leadership; he was joined in speaking to the chamber by Lt. Steve Paulsen, whose role as operations lieutenant is basically “assistant precinct commander,” he explained, and he also introduced Lt. Norm James, one of the precinct’s “watch commanders.” They didn’t discuss crime specifics — though Capt. Kessler said he’s “confident” about progress in the Steve Bushaw shooting investigation — as much as voice hopes about working more closely with the business community, inviting them to be represented on the Precinct Advisory Council (whose chair Pete Spalding was in attendance). Mentioning the reports that the city’s likely in the market for a new police chief, Capt. Kessler mentioned that “at the internal service level, nothing will change” even if the department’s top leadership changes. As for his position, he said he’s hoping to stay put at this precinct a while, praising his team and also the level of community involvement he’s found in West Seattle. Other notes from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch: There’s still time for you to nominate people for the WSCC’s Business of the Year and Community Service awards, which will be presented at the annual Awards Breakfast on April 8; the forms are linked from this page. Next Chamber lunch meeting is March 11; the theme: “speed networking.” (Disclosure: WSB is one of the many, many West Seattle businesses that belong to the Chamber of Commerce, so we attend the monthly luncheons as member-participants as well as to be there in case news is made!)
West Seattle is already home to the city’s mayor – will it be home to the King County Executive too? Depends on whether 
King County Council Chair Dow Constantine told
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