West Seattle businesses: ZippyDogs celebrates new location
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
If you’re in the promotional-items business – just figures you’re going to put pizzazz into the otherwise semi-simple act of moving your location. And so tonight, the proprietors of ZippyDogs – Elise “Top Dog” Lindborg and Kelli “Chili Dog” Henderson – threw a party to celebrate the ribbon-cutting outside their new “world headquarters” in the newly built 6031 California SW building north of Morgan Junction. They’re not a new business – 10 years (“that’s 70 in dog years,” their website points out) – but now they’ve got fresh digs, and they hosted friends/clients/community members tonight:
ZippyDogs makes a point of offering eco-friendly options – and its proprietors show their environmental interest on the road too:
That’s their ZENN electric car (zero emission, no noise). (P.S. – Practically across the street, another business celebrates its own new location this weekend – Solar Epiphany plans an open house at its new solar showroom, 6016 California SW, 10 am-4 pm Saturday.)
West Seattle High School’s visiting teacher needs a place to stay
From Carol at West Seattle High School – can you help?
West Seattle High School is looking for a host family for Mr. Jinan Jia for the 2010/2011 school year. Mr. Jia is a teacher from China who is teaching Chinese this year at West Seattle High School. This is an exciting opportunity for the host family to learn of the Chinese culture and the Mandarin Chinese language. A home in West Seattle is preferred as the teacher will use Metro to get to work and will be networking with his colleagues at Denny, Madison, Sealth and West Seattle High School. Please call West Seattle High School Principal Ruth Medsker or her secretary Carol Wakefield at 206 252-8800 if you are interested. Thank you!
West Seattle Water Taxi: Councilmember Jan Drago’s update
(September 26 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
A week and a half after the downtown crash that damaged the Rachel Marie badly enough that it’ll be off the West Seattle run of the King County Water Taxi for weeks, if not months, we’ve got an update from King County Councilmember Jan Drago. In an “op-ed” essay, she reveals she’s told the county to “contract with Argosy Cruises to deliver, without interruption, West Seattle Water Taxi service” – since the crash, Argosy’s Sightseer, which used to run the route till the county took it over, has handled weekday service. Read on for Drago’s full essay:Read More
Dept. of Neighborhoods budget: Like ‘cutting an arm off’ vs. a leg
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One day after facing the City Council Budget Committee to explain the cuts proposed for her section of city government, Department of Neighborhoods director Stella Chao faced what arguably could be considered a tougher, and even more personally involved, group: The West Seattle neighborhood-group/organization reps who comprise the Southwest District Council.
“We took a big hit,” Chao acknowledged – including a 22 percent cut in the Neighborhood Matching Fund program, which has helped pay for community-generated projects such as parks and traffic projects.
But the part of that “big hit” which concerned the SWDC members even more was the proposed closure of the Neighborhood Service Center in The Junction and the elimination of the Neighborhood District Coordinator job headquartered there – a job held by Stan Lock, who sat just two seats away, and has declined comment on the proposed job cut since it was announced.
As Chao listened to member after member declare that even if the center itself had to be lost, Lock’s role is too vital to cut, for the health of the neighborhood and the issues it’s dealing with, she reiterated: While it’s important for her to hear, the people who most need to have the case made to them, are the City Council members who will be here in West Seattle for a public hearing next week.
Read on for more on her appearance and other major discussions at SWDC last night, including a shorter discussion of the Seattle Public Library‘s proposed cuts, and an update on Alaska Airlines’ “Greener Skies” program, which could change Sea-Tac approach paths in this area:Read More
West Seattle election countdown: Fitzgibbon-Heavey @ WS Kiwanis
This one’s too hot to wait for our nightly election update in 12 hours or so: The newest Kiwanis Club of West Seattle newsletter is out, and it includes word of both 34th District State House Position 2 candidates appearing at the club’s next weekly lunch meeting, noon Wednesday (October 13th) at Be’s Restaurant in The Junction (4509 California SW) – if you’re interested in attending but not a member, call 206-938-8032. That’s the only West Seattle forum/debate on the horizon right now.
West Seattle coyotes: Two spotted near Forest Lawn
Thanks to Cormac for sharing the photo. His note mentioned only “Highland Park” but we have a followup inquiry out to ask if he can provide a slightly more specific location. 11:20 AM UPDATE: Cormac replied and identified the location as “near Forest Lawn Cemetery” [WSB sponsor] which is more like “east of High Point,” so we’ve changed the headline. He also says he saw at least three in all. (Think you know all about coyotes? Here’s the “Living with Wildlife” link we always offer – including information on what to do if you find yourself too-close-for-comfort to a coyote.)
City budget hearing in West Seattle next week: How it’ll work
With so many cuts proposed in next year’s city budget, and so much concern over their potential effects – we’re working right now on the story of the Southwest District Council hearing last night from the Department of Neighborhoods‘ director, who frequently used the word “pain” – next Wednesday’s public hearing in West Seattle is bound to draw hundreds. If you are planning on going – and all involved urge you to! – you’ll want to see the full online agenda, which includes some of the plans for procedures and guidelines, as well as a note that the hearing is actually TWO hearings – the first one about where the city might get money (property-tax levy?), the second, comments on the proposal itself. The agenda also includes links to documents you might want to review. The hearing’s at 5:30 pm (sign-ins at 5) at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center, next Wednesday, October 13th; the full agenda is here. (And even more budget info, including other ways to comment, can be found here.)
Fake quake: West Seattle drill needs you to shake things up
View West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs in a larger map
It’s been a while since we’ve talked about the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs (above) – neighborhood-designated sites around the peninsula where you would be able to go in case of disaster/major emergency, to get information and help (here’s where to find the one that’s closest to you). This morning, we have a request for you to help the Hubs during an upcoming “fake quake.” From Cindi Barker:
On Saturday, October 16, there will be a citywide drill of volunteer Emergency Preparedness organizations. In West Seattle, the Emergency Communications Hubs will set up 3 of their Hubs and conduct a live drill of an earthquake scenario, complete with aftershocks. To make this as realistic as possible, we would like to have citizen “actors” come to the Admiral, Fauntleroy or Highland Park Hubs to report damage, request assistance or offer resources (we’ll provide the script ideas). We would especially like to invite SNAP groups or Block Watch members to help, so you can see how the Hubs could interact with your neighborhood group. The drill will run from 9:00 am to noon on the 16th and you can participate for part or all of the drill. If you can help, please contact us at info@bepreparedseattle.info.
West Seattle election countdown: 2 ways to talk politics
Continuing our nightly mini-updates looking ahead to the November 2nd election, with voting starting in just about a week, since the county says ballots go into the mail next Wednesday: If you’re interested in talking politics online with other West Seattleites, we call your attention to the WSB Forums, where we started a Politics section two years ago, by request. That year, perhaps not surprisingly, participants were far more interested in talking national politics than local politics. This year, it’s been a mix. You can browse the topics currently under discussion from the index page for this section of the forum – if you want to join in, you have to sign up, but it’s usually pretty quick. Meantime, if you want to talk politics in person – you’re in luck, since tonight (Thursday) is a special election-focused program by the Southwest Seattle Business and Professional Women, looking at how this year’s elections might affect women. Longtime political consultant Cathy Allen is the guest speaker. The event starts at 6 in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood; full details here, including how to RSVP. Meantime, as we will remind you in every update, you have more than three dozen races/issues to decide, so start preparing now, before your ballot arrives – here’s where to find your online “guide” (the general pamphlet’s linked on the left, or you can create your own custom version on the right).
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