day : 18/11/2010 13 results

Westwood Village manager Stuart Crandall (right) and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce board president Jerome Cohen cut the ribbon tonight to officially open Santa’s House at WV. It’s not formally open to the public for Santa photos till a week from Saturday, but this is the traditional sneak peek and ribboncutting that happens during an early holiday-season Chamber get-together. The hours are set for noon-4 pm Saturdays and Sundays, November 27-December 19, and remember to bring donations – food for food banks will get you a free photo – White Center Food Bank‘s Audrey Zemke talked about how important that is:

They’re also again collecting diapers (sizes 3-6 preferred!) for WestSide Baby, whose executive director Nancy Woodland talked about how you can help:

WV manager Crandall says they had 5,800 Santa visits last year. Santa’s House is in the breezeway east of Bed Bath Beyond (across from 24-Hour Fitness). The schedule will be added momentarily to our West Seattle Holidays page!

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Big game Friday for Seattle Lutheran High School soccer team

November 18, 2010 10:09 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The Seattle Lutheran High School soccer team is one win away from the state finals. Tomorrow, they play Warden in Sumner, 4 pm – and if they win that game, it’s on to the championship. We talked with players Ashley Shaw, Emily Winter, Michala Watford, Jillian Smith and Danya Van Trojen, looking ahead to the big game:

This is already an unforgettable season for their coach, Jeff Norton – he talked with us last month about his 200th career win. If his team wins their game tomorrow, their opponent for the title will be whichever team won the game before theirs – Evergreen Lutheran or Napavine.

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Video: Hundreds fill Chief Sealth’s Galleria for dinner/auction

November 18, 2010 8:59 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

This is the second year that Chief Sealth International High School put on a Seahawk Spirit Dinner/Auction fundraiser, but the first one since the school moved back to its renovated/upgraded permanent campus – and as you can see in our top photo, it all unfolded tonight in the sweeping space known as the Galleria. Its multiple levels allows for surprises to pop up during events – like the cheer squad:

Speakers included school-community leaders like principal John Boyd, PTSA president Amy Daly-Donovan, and school board member Steve Sundquist, but there was even more Sealth student power helping make it hall appen – including the ASB and Senior Class officers at the Dessert Dash table:

Students from Sealth’s acclaimed music program performed as well – the pep band and orchestra in the early going, the honor choir a bit later:

Tonight’s event was presented by the Chief Sealth PTSA, with support from the alumni group Friends of Sealth & Chief Sealth Performing Arts. It was also the occasion for presentation of Community Partner Awards to Friends of Sealth, El Centro de la Raza, and Campana Quetzal. We’ll update this story when the evening’s fundraising total is announced.

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‘1 small person, 1 big difference’: West Seattle boy on the run

November 18, 2010 6:37 pm

| 18 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

It turned up on Twitter a few nights ago – a curiosity-piquing tweet about a West Seattle 8-year-old raising money to help wildlife. We saw it and followed the link, which led to the tale of Clayton Drennan. His mom Kathleen agreed to share his story – and that photo, which she says was taken last Friday, as he “clos(ed) in on mile 15 … At this point he’d already walked nearly four miles that day.”

About a month ago, Clayton announced to us that he wanted to try to complete the Seattle Children’s Kids Marathon. Since then, much to our surprise, he’s been cheerfully running and walking laps on our block, taking the lead on long walks to the park (including one four-miler that took us on an odyssey around West Seattle), often pushing his little brother Joey in the jogging stroller. Once we saw how serious he was about it, we told him about how lots of people raise money for worthy causes by taking on similar challenges. This piqued his interest.

Considering what an animal lover he is, I immediately thought of the work that Conservation Northwest is doing to protect wildlife habitat in Washington and told him about how I’d seen a slideshow describing their work with the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition. When I described how the proposed and planned bridges and underpasses will save the lives of animals and people, too, he insisted that Conservation Northwest was the charity for him. He didn’t even want to hear about other options.

Clayton typed and dictated most of the blog content himself; his dad and I just edited a bit and added details where they were needed. Readers should go there to find out more about how they can donate and how he’s hoping to triple any donations that come in.

Charity fundraising aside, he is just excited to tackle the challenge of running the last 1.2 miles of the race (which he’ll do with me, his dad, his 9-year-old friend Allison, and a gaggle of other kids on November 27th). He plans to train at 6:30 a.m. every morning for the next week or so with Allison and his Dad until race day.

We hope that folks around West Seattle will visit the blog, leave encouraging comments, maybe even make a donation in Clayton’s honor, and help our eight-year-old learn how one small person can make a big difference.

Again, Clayton’s website is here – with a donation link toward the bottom (you can leave those encouraging comments on his site too).

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‘The Hole’ followups: Read the ruling; see who’s tracking its safety

November 18, 2010 3:58 pm

| 26 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

(Aerial view of The Hole, September 2009)
“The Hole” – the excavated Fauntleroy Place site at Alaska/Fauntleroy/39th – has been sitting there for two years, through the snowy winter of 2008-2009, the not-too-bad winter of 2009-2010, and the rainy-so-far fall of 2010, with no likelihood of any change in its status soon. That was addressed by King County Superior Court Judge Susan Craighead this past Monday when she issued her decision in the first major trial related to the stalled development (WSB coverage here). By the way, the full 53-page decision is now online; we’ve downloaded a copy and re-uploaded it so you can read it – go here. A judgment ordering foreclosure sale – a document that was not available while we were in court on Monday – is also online now; read it here. Meantime, we’ve looked into the safety issues she raised. As noted in our Monday report, Judge Craighead wrote:

… The ongoing viability of that excavation is in doubt. The shoring system that supports the excavation is by design a temporary system. It was neither designed nor intended to be in place for longterm suspension of the Project, and it has already been in place two years, well beyond its intended life span. The City of Seattle is the governing jurisdiction, and can at any time order that it be decommissioned and the excavation filled in, and if the owner fails to perform such an order, the City holds a $1 million cash deposit in pay for that work to be performed. … In the meantime, the shored excavation is subject to potential failure. Even a minor failure, where one of the shored walls shifted inward by just a matter of inches would result in substantial displacement and settlement of soils supporting adjacent streets, houses and other structures.

So, how specifically is it being “governed” by the city? We took the question to two city agencies. First, the Department of Planning and Development, which issues permits for projects. Spokesperson Bryan Stevens told WSB, “Both DPD and SDOT receive a monthly summary report of the shoring monitoring from the private geotechnical special inspector that was hired by the owner (The Riley Group took over from the shoring designer, Kleinfelder). The survey readings are taken twice a week. SDOT also has their inspectors visit the site periodically. To date, things have looked good.”

As for the question of the $1 million bond, and what it would take to order that an excavation like this be filled, Stevens referred us to SDOT, whose communications director Rick Sheridan provided answers to our questions. Read on for that part of the story:Read More

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Delridge District Council: Camp Long budget, DNDA primer, more…

November 18, 2010 1:59 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Delridge District Council | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

With the city budget days away from a final vote, its effect on the city Environmental Learning Center in West Seattle, Camp Long, was among the discussion items at last night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting. While CL is *not* slated for closure, it will go through big changes, including the end of non-school-related educational programs, Sheila Brown explained to the DNDC (video clip below left):

The final budget vote is slated for Monday. Meantime, the leader of one of the council’s member organizations, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA), presented a primer on what DNDA is all about. In the above-right clip, you can see/hear DNDA executive director Derek Birnie‘s presentation. He explained that the organization’s about projects big – like affordable-housing developments – and small – like the Delridge “Night Market” events this summer and fall as part of the campaign to make healthier food more available in the area. In addition to listening to the presentation, you can find out a lot about DNDA at dnda.org.

Another huge topic of the night – Mayor Mike McGinn‘s impending visit to Delridge for a Community Forum on December 2nd (first reported here 2 weeks ago). DNDC attendees last night worked on ways to ensure the mayor would hear about central topics of community concern – maybe even preparing a briefing paper to get to him. The Delridge-area concerns that were mentioned last night included the need for an east-west transit connection, economic-development funds, and greenbelt protection. The mayor’s event is set for 6-8 pm on December 2nd at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, and it’ll include a chance for you to learn about local community organizations as well as Q/A with the mayor..

The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council includes reps from community councils and major organizations around what the city calls the Delridge Neighborhoods District – mostly east West Seattle, from 35th SW eastward. Its December meeting will be a mostly social potluck, but business meetings are usually on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

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Skin Care by Casey: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor

November 18, 2010 12:13 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, Skin Care by Casey (grand-opening party this Saturday!). Here’s what proprietor Casey Ann would like to share about her business: She has re-designed a quaint oasis across from The Bohemian in the “mid-Junction” area. While this location may be a new venture, Casey’s 10 years of experience as an esthetician (two as a West Seattle business owner and resident), and her reputation for five-star service follows her there. She is committed to providing results-oriented skin care in a serene, relaxing and professional setting. Clients have come to count on Skin Care by Casey’s knowledge and experience to help guide them toward better understanding their skin and its functions. She specializes in top-of-the-line, advanced medical skin therapies such as micro-current, microdermabrasion, peels, mini, customized facials, full face and body waxing, make-up, body treatments, lash and brow tinting and sunless tanning. Her business is built upon developing trusting relationships and her visitors often feel they spent their time with a trusting, compassionate friend. Casey also cares deeply for the arts and giving back to her community, incorporating both into her practice. At her new location, local art adorns the walls and she features handmade jewelry and artisan soaps. She donates 5% of her client’s service to a charity of their choice upon request.

This Saturday (November 20th) from noon-4pm, she invites the community to support a worthy cause and drop by The Bohemian for her grand-opening party. Featuring live music by Trevor Ras, food, wine, and more than $2,000 in giveaways from a variety of local businesses, all net proceeds will benefit Friends and Families of Violent Crimes Victims. To buy tickets visit brownpapertickets.com/event/136075.

Appointments with Skin Care by Casey can be made via e-mail or by phone (206-788-5677), and gift certificates are available. She always encourages newcomers to come in for a free consultation. Visit www.skincarebycasey.com for her full-service menu and all the details.

We thank Skin Care by Casey for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here!

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RapidRide Triangle parking removal: ‘5 businesses (possibly) ruined’

November 18, 2010 10:52 am

| 21 COMMENTS

| Transportation | Triangle | West Seattle news

By Karen Berge
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

More than 25 people filled a room at the Senior Center of West Seattle last night for a special meeting about the RapidRide “C Line” bus service’s potential effects on the West Seattle Triangle area.

This topic brought together members of the West Seattle Triangle planning advisory group, Metro Transit, Seattle Department of Transportation, project architects, local business owners, community leaders, and neighborhood residents.

A big concern for many is the potential elimination of street parking on SW Alaska between Fauntleroy Way SW and 35th Ave SW; that topic became the main point of discussion.

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Benefit for Sofia Goff and family at Kenyon Hall next Tuesday

November 18, 2010 9:28 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| Announcements

One of several announcements we’ve received about the next fundraiser for former Café Revo proprietor Sofia Goff – this one is from Lou Magor at Kenyon Hall, which has donated space for the event next Tuesday:

Next Tuesday, November 23, from 2 to 10 P.M., we’re sponsoring an open house fundraiser for Sofia Goff, who until recently was the owner of Café Revo on Avalon.

Shortly after their restaurant opened, Sofia’s husband and business partner, Sean, passed away, leaving her with the decision of whether or not to continue. Thankfully, for all of us who had become accustomed to Revo’s uncommon cuisine, Sofia decided to give it a go.

Sadly, a few weeks ago, Sofia concluded that Café Revo must close its doors. Now she’s trying to pick up the pieces, and the folks at Kenyon Hall have jumped in to help.

Sofia is in danger of losing her home. The very thought of it brought tears to her eyes last week as she expressed the hope that her children, ages 10 and 16, having lost their father, and having watched their mother attempt unsuccessfully to save their family business, will somehow be able to continue to live in their home.

The open house at Kenyon Hall next Tuesday will be filled with good food and drink, provided by Sofia, her family, and several local restaurants, and continuous family-friendly entertainment, starting with Bob White and Andy Crow at the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ, playing classy accompaniments to classic silent films, and continuing with a variety of entertainers, all donating their time to help Sofia and her family brighten this dark period in their lives.

As plans become firm, I’ll send … more information, including an entertainment schedule and items to be included in a special silent auction. In the meantime, please join me in holding good thoughts for Sofia and her kids, and consider coming to Kenyon Hall sometime during the day or evening next Tuesday to lend a hand.

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West Seattle Thursday: Sealth auction; Alki council; spaghetti …

November 18, 2010 8:56 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(The Delridge Dragonfly Pavilion, by pye42, from the WSB Flickr group)
Some of what’s on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for tonight: It’s the 2nd annual Seahawk Spirit Dinner and Auction at Chief Sealth International High School, starting with building tours at 4:30 pm – more here … Meet your Alki Community Center Advisory Council and ACC staff by joining them for a spaghetti dinner tonight – $2/person, $5 family, 6-8 pm … Also at the beach, the Alki Community Council meets at Alki UCC, 61st/Hinds, 7 pm, with a visit from nearby resident City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen on the agenda … The Sanislo Elementary PTA meets tonight, 6:30 pm … Got two hours to help WestSide Baby move 100,000 diapers, among other things? … 7-9 pm, RSVP details here … Of citywide interest given that the City Council’s budget vote is days away, the Seattle Parks Board meets tonight at Parks HQ downtown (agenda here), 7 pm, and while no formal budget briefing is planned, it’s bound to be part of the discussion; Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, chair of the council’s Parks Committee, will be there.

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2 forest events Friday: Toddler-friendly tree planting; eco-hike

November 18, 2010 8:08 am

| Comments Off on 2 forest events Friday: Toddler-friendly tree planting; eco-hike

| Announcements

Two events in the West Duwamish Greenbelt tomorrow (Friday), announced by the Nature Consortium:

Toddler tree planting 10-11:30: Join us for a toddler and preschool age-friendly tree planting in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest remaining forest. We will plant (and name!) tree saplings in an area recently cleared of invasive blackberries, discover other hidden treasures of this amazing natural wonder, and hear about the history and the future of the forest from Mark (buphalo) Tomkiewicz, Forest Restoration Director for Nature Consortium. We provide tools and will be accommodating of the little ones! Feel free to bring kid-sized shovels.

Monthly hike at 1 pm: Join us for a free public guided hike in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest remaining forest. We will explore the hidden treasures of this amazing natural wonder, and hear about the history and the future of the forest from Nancy Whitlock, Executive Director for the Nature Consortium (and forest steward). Difficulty is mild. Inexperienced hikers, seniors, and babies in backpacks are welcome. Special note to Parents of toddlers and preschoolers: please be warned that this hike can be challenging for you if you are with a preschooler or two who walk down the hills but want to be carried up.

Both events will start by meeting at the 14th SW/SW Holly trailhead; extreme rain cancels; bring your own water bottle; granola bars will be provided. To RSVP for either one (or both!) – they’re free, by the way – call 206- 923-0853 or e-mail Lisa@naturec.org.

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West Seattleites air concerns about school assignment plan’s Year 2

November 18, 2010 3:10 am

| 20 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Seattle Public Schools managers said they were in the West Seattle High School commons Tuesday night to hear ideas from community members about how to continuing transitioning into the in-its-first-year Student Assignment Plan.

What they heard most loudly from the crowd of approximately 100 was that they needed to answer more questions before community members would be ready to offer suggestions.

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Chief Sealth sophomore Clint Hewitt chosen ‘Future Leader’

November 18, 2010 2:12 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Chief Sealth International High School sophomore Clint Hewitt is just back from four days at Disney World, but it wasn’t a vacation: He was one of just two students from our state (all participants nationwide are listed here) chosen to attend the Toro Future Leaders Forum, as part of The First Tee Golf Program. (Clint is at right in the top photo, with the 2 other Northwest participants, Griffin Dahem from Oregon and Haley Chinn of Mercer Island.) Clint’s proud mom Carrie Hewitt explains:

Clint is super-active in our community and most recently volunteered many hours for the Seattle Mariners and Rick Rizzs Toys For Kids annual auction dinner that took place at the Harbor Club in Bellevue just one week ago. He is an outstanding young man that we are so very proud of. …

Clint spent this past summer as one of the Interns for The First Tee of Greater Seattle, working at the Jefferson Golf Course (and just finished) a season of being on the Varsity Football Team for Chief Sealth.

Here’s a website explaining the Future Leaders Forum program. The First Tee, which is also about teaching leadership through programs associated with golf, has posted some photos from the Future Leaders Program on its Facebook page. (You can also find out about the local chapter by going here.)

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