day : 27/11/2010 11 results

West Seattle Crime Watch: Highland Park car break-ins

A second West Seattle Crime Watch report tonight – this one from John and Lisa, asking that it be shared “for neighborhood awareness”:

When: Wee hours after Black Friday

Where: 7000 block of 13th SW, near Riverview Park [map]

Multi-vehicle, VERY aggressive break-ins of cars and house porches, driveways. They stole lots and didn’t restrict their choices and if they saw items on your porch, those were taken too.

Items ranges from work truck oxygen tanks, scooter, backpacks from vehicles, and more. Lots of time spent searching thru cars. Police report made and multiple case numbers issued.

West Seattle Christmas lights: Helmstetler Family Spectacular 2010

That’s our personal favorite song from the Helmstetler Family Spectacular music-synched Christmas-lights show, which began its second year at 3908 SW Charlestown (map; across from the water tower) tonight. The first number was preceded by an official lighting ceremony – special guest pushing the button, Zack Lystedt, a Maple Valley teenager who suffered a brain injury after going back into a football game in 2006 following a hard hit – that inspired a history-making law signed by Governor Gregoire last year. In his honor, his family chose Pushing Boundaries as the nonprofit to benefit from any donations made during the show tonight. Zach’s dad Victor spoke briefly at the start of our video – the man on the right is Jim Winder, Helmstetler family friend and mastermind of the lighting extravaganza:

If you go watch in your car – you’ll hear the synchronized music on 101.9. Bring a donation for the West Seattle Food Bank – there’s a donation bin right in front of the house. This year the show even has its own website at westseattlelights.com, loaded with information from directions to schedule, and more. And if last year is any indication, we know Jim will soon have much-better clips of the show than ours, so watch for those.

Happening now: Kenyon Hall benefit for Sofia Goff and family

Kenyon Hall is one of West Seattle’s semi-secret magical places, and tonight its doors are open, inviting you inside for a food-and-music (silent auction too!) fundraiser, benefiting former Café Revo proprietor Sofia Goff and her children. It’s continuing till midnight; just before it started, Kenyon Hall’s Lou Magor sent out this final reminder with an overview:

We’ll have lots of entertainment, including Bob White at the organ, singing by Debbie Sweetland, Connie Corrick, Hugh Hastings, Phyllis Stewart, David Parker’s Ragtime piano, Comedy Juggling with Matt Baker, and general silliness at the eighty-eight with yours truly.

All evening we’ll have a silent auction and a raffle. Lots of items have been donated from neighbors, businesses, and community friends.

We’re asking for a $20 donation to Sofia from each person who attends, but will accept other amounts. Everything we take in will go directly to Sofia.

More details at caferevo.com, which also explains the backstory, if you hadn’t heard it before. Kenyon Hall is at 7904 35th SW (map).

West Seattle holiday scenes: Santa arrives; trees blessed; holiday nuts

Santa Claus has arrived in West Seattle! His four-weekend visit to Westwood Village began today; he’ll be back noon-4 pm tomorrow (and Dec. 4-5, 11-12, 18-19) – bring a food-bank donation; they’re collecting diapers for WestSide Baby, too, and there’s free gift wrapping, with donations accepted for local nonprofits. (Santa’s in The Junction, too, during Hometown Holidays on Dec. 5, 12, 19, 11 am-3 pm, with photos at Donna Ryan Photography, donations benefiting WS Baby.) Speaking of The Junction, on its northern edge the Holy Rosary School Christmas Tree Sale started today in its new location, with the traditional blessing, led this year by Father Mike Raschko:

From there, Father Raschko mentioned he was back to resume watching the Huskies game; perhaps that was an auspicious start to the HR tree season, since as you’ve probably heard, they won in the last minute. As we noted in this Thursday story, the new location is between the Holy Rosary school building and playground, off SW Dakota. Trees have also arrived at West Seattle Produce:

We dropped by today after getting a couple reports of roasting chestnuts. Those, we seem to have missed, but we found Victoria and Eric Straus, up from the South Sound, freshly cinnamon-glazing a few other types of nuts:

They told us they’ll be back at WS Produce (4721 Fauntleroy Way SW) tomorrow, starting around noon, and the weekends of December 11th and 18th.

Happening now: Sustainable West Seattle Money-Free Shopping Spree

Still time to get over to Camp Long Lodge and join in the Sustainable West Seattle Money-Free Shopping Spree. There you’ll find a SWS leader doing double duty today – Stu Hennessey not only is participating in the spree, which is part of “Green Saturday,” he’s also been a leading local advocate for “Small Business Saturday” (his Alki Bike and Board was among the West Seattle businesses featured in TV coverage). The “Shopping Spree” is a chance to exchange handmade items or service offerings, without money, to get holiday gifts – you’ll also find Steve Tracy there with his metal creations:

And this quilted wall hanging is the work of Lin Sierra:

Camp Long Lodge is at 5200 35th SW – look for the trademark Seattle Parks striped sign along 35th.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Genesee Hill break-in

Out of the WSB inbox, from a neighbor who didn’t want her name used:

Just learned that my neighbor (2 doors down) was (burglarized) this morning in broad daylight. They left their home at 9 AM and returned at Noon and many electronics were boosted. Most of us on the street were home during that time, but didn’t notice anything.

Another neighbor thinks she saw an older model rust-colored car in the driveway during that time. Around 11 AM, I went on a walk nearby … didn’t notice anything at their house, but did take notice of a car fitting a similar description further down the road. It was a 80’s style small sedan, rusty red color with a bit of a loud muffler/engine. I noticed the car because it was older looking and it was driving rather fast and loud down the road while I was walking.

House is between Dakota and Andover on 50th Ave SW. [map]

The city’s “My Neighborhood” map often shows incidents like this within a day or two – but e-mails like this can get the word out quicker. The map’s default view is for reports filed during the week preceding your map view – three West Seattle burglaries are shown on or since last Saturday, November 20th: that date in the 3300 block of Admiral Way; last Sunday (11/21) in the 8600 block of 35th SW; Wednesday (11/24) in the 12000 block of Marine View Drive.

Happening now: Native Art Fair at Duwamish Longhouse

November 27, 2010 1:54 pm
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 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

There are many reasons to head over to the Duwamish Longhouse in eastern West Seattle (4705 West Marginal Way SW) this afternoon – and one of them is Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen‘s famous frybread. She and her granddaughters were in the longhouse kitchen working on it when we stopped by earlier to get photos from the Native Art Fair, continuing till 5 tonight. Close to the main entrance, you’ll find Duwamish artist Virginia Nelson and husband Tim:

She has fuzzy purses and wallets, among other items, while he’s selling an eclectic doorstop made from a paver, decorated like a snowman – and you can even get them in Husky or Cougar garb. (The Cougs outsell the Huskies, the Nelsons insist.) Next to their table, you will find Duwamish Designs by DeAnn – including dolls made from cedar bark and cattails:

She told us, “I’m not a patient person … but making these has taught me patience,” as she shepherds the entire artistic process, starting with harvesting the cattails and bark. (In the left corner of the photo are beaded bookmarks she is also selling.) You’ll also find hats, wall-hangings, even tribal-art Christmas stockings.

Happening now: Holiday bazaar at Highland Park Improvement Club

November 27, 2010 1:04 pm
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 |   Highland Park | Holidays | West Seattle news

Inside the Highland Park Improvement Club – just look for that building, and the signs, at 12th/Holden (map) – today’s Holiday Bazaar is so vendor-packed, organizer Tiffany Silver-Brace says she even had to turn down some would-be sellers. The 20-plus that you will find inside the historic HPIC building include Amy Bradley of DragonTamer Design, who is a beading artist (and offers classes, too):

Amaranta is there too, with Dia de Los Muertos-inspired creations:

(If you miss today’s event, she’ll be at the upcoming South Park Art Under $100, which she’s promoting with mini-flyers at her HPIC table.) We also found treats, dolls, gift baskets, scented waxes, hats, much more, and of course – your chance to show off Highland Park pride:

The bazaar continues till 4 today. There’s street parking alongside 12th stretching north of HPIC if its lot looks full.

Happening now: Jellyfish-glassblowing at Avalon Glassworks

November 27, 2010 12:45 pm
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 |   Luna Park | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

On this “Small Business Saturday,” remember the smaller business districts of West Seattle too – like Luna Park, along Avalon Way just south of the West Seattle Bridge, where you will find Avalon Glassworks. Luckie shared photos from today’s glassblowing demonstration, featuring glass jellyfish created by guest artist Richard Lowrie.

You can go watch till 5 pm today – and Luckie also notes that Avalon Glassworks has a food drive under way; bring a donation and you’ll get $1 off a purchase.

Followup: West Seattle Fabric Company opening soon

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

On this first Small Business Saturday, one small business in West Seattle won’t be welcoming customers today.

But not because its proprietor doesn’t want to!

Monica Skov is beyond eager to get her West Seattle Fabric Company open for business at 2210 California SW, where would-be customers are sticking their heads in to ask the big question: When will it be open? Answer: First half of December – Monica’s expecting to announce her grand-opening date sometime next week.

In the meantime, she is stocking the store; many have asked us for a progress report since our original story appeared last month, so we stopped in for an update a few days before the wintry weather started dominating the news. The photo above shows the north wall that’s filled with notions; other shelves in the store were starting to fill with fabrics, from flannel to oilcloth and many types inbetween, including patterns specifically for creating kids’ items (one based on the popular board book “Very Hungry Caterpillar” caught our eye). She plans to carry a “small selection of simple patterns” too. And the step-up section with most of the fabric has a central shelf on which you’ll be able to leave your choices till you’re ready to check out and have them cut into the length you need.

“It’s like the walk-in closet of my dreams,” she smiled, showing us around.

Monica also showed off other spaces in the store – spaces you might not have seen even if you visited the space in its previous incarnations. She is hoping to host classes — and eventually group gatherings — in those back spaces, which even include kitchenette and bathroom access (left over from an earlier life as residential space), describing it as “a place for people to be creative.” Not just experts: “I want to inspire people of all ages that maybe don’t even know how to sew!”

But till opening day, the bolts of fabric are just part of the nuts and bolts of opening a business – inventory, database. Then sometime next month, it’ll be time to welcome those “creative” customers, who have been without a fabric store in West Seattle for two and a half years.

West Seattle gets regional spotlight for ‘Small Business Saturday’

Three West Seattle businesses got a quick spotlight in that KING 5 story aired during last night’s newscast – all because they’re getting the word out that today is Small Business Saturday nationwide, meant to be a counterpoint to the bigbox-store emphasis during Black Friday. Watch the story and you’ll see Alki Bike and Board, CAPERS, and Sweetie. (Alki Bike and Board also is part of the WSB West Seattle Holiday Shopping/Business Guide, which we’re offering as another advertising showcase for local businesses this holiday season. They’ve got special deals; so does Clementine, another participant, which also has a hat trunk show/artist reception today. Also among those in the midst of a sale: WSB sponsor Mountain to Sound Outfitters.) One thing to consider about small local businesses: As Monday’s snow and road/bus woes reminded us, our peninsula can sometimes be more like an island, and a thriving local business community means you can find what you need here, especially during those times when you can’t (or don’t want to) leave!