day : 18/06/2011 10 results

The longest days of the year are here, and summer officially starts with the solstice on Tuesday. (Warmth is bound to follow.) So the West Seattle Junction Association is ready to launch Shop Late Thursdays this coming week, with participating stores staying open till 9 pm on Thursday nights, all summer long (not just the Thursday nights with extra fun like West Seattle Art Walk or Summer Fest Eve). Nineteen merchants are on the list already (and remember there’s a growing number of restaurants/lounges to enjoy while you’re there too). More info’s on The Junction’s website.

West Seattle scenes: Can you solve these low-tide mysteries?

June 18, 2011 10:01 pm

| 23 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Eve sent these two photos taken during Friday’s low-low tide, wondering if anyone knows what they are – the first, she said, looked “like plastic” but clearly wasn’t (we also recall seeing the formation in another low-tide photo we had received but not published); the next, she said, looked almost “like red tide”:

Thanks in advance, beach expert(s) who will solve the mystery!

10:24 PM UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who has solved the FIRST mystery in the comment section – second one is still a open case.

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Bright Horizons celebrates its West Seattle child-care center

June 18, 2011 7:31 pm

| Comments Off on Bright Horizons celebrates its West Seattle child-care center

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

With center director Laurie Paul and regional manager Mahira Aleem beaming, and State Sen. Sharon Nelson helping, a handmade “ribbon” was cut this morning to officially dedicate West Seattle’s first Bright Horizons child-care center, the largest of three businesses on the ground floor of the new Link Apartments at 38th/Alaska in The Triangle. (BH and Link are WSB sponsors.) The center opened last month (here’s their photo gallery) and has been ramping up to get ready for this community celebration. One high-profile visitor, seen in our photo below with Sen. Nelson and center director Paul (who is a longtime West Seattleite, though till now she’d worked for BH in Bellevue), was West Seattle Chamber of Commerce CEO Patti Mullen:

Special guest stars today: The Not-Its, performing their bouncy “kindie rock” for some very enthusiastic young fans:

The Not-Its have a new album coming out in a little more than a week – Tuesday, June 28th – titled “Tag, You’re It.” Bright Horizons, meantime, is open Mondays-Fridays, and if you would like to find out more about their center, contact info can be found here. In addition to its extensive space on the north side of Link’s ground floor, it has outdoor playspace nearby, too.

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Another traffic alert: Highland Park Way blocked westbound

June 18, 2011 6:05 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| Highland Park | Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(UPDATE: As of 10:10 pm, STILL closed in the westbound direction)

If you’re heading toward Highland Park Way westbound (uphill) from West Marginal Way SW (etc.), sorry, you can’t go that way – police have blocked it off. We’ve had multiple reports of some kind of slick on the hill, with people “fishtailing” according to Stephanie‘s report via Facebook. A state trooper is there along with SPD (photo above), and he tells us a truck spilled fuel – they had been “following it for a while,” he said – and the hill will stay closed, westbound, till they can get it cleaned up.

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West Seattle helicopter sighting: Another Chinook ‘flyby’

June 18, 2011 4:36 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Helicopter | West Seattle news

4:36 PM: The second time we heard the approaching Chinook today in West Seattle, we were someplace we could get a photo – outside, at Alki’s Bar-S Playfield, covering the West Seattle Little League regular-season-ending barbecue and Snack Shack ribboncutting (full story on that later). More than one person in attendance joked that WSLL must have booked a flyby for the occasion. Several others from around West Seattle have e-mailed or otherwise messaged to say this was low enough to rattle their home – as our photo attempts to show, low indeed. No concrete info on what they’re doing, but the last notable flyover on Memorial Day eventually was confirmed as training, according to our pal Patty at Roosiehood.

5:17 PM: Elizabeth solved the “mystery” pretty fast. As was noted in our morning preview, the Museum of Flight had an all-day helicopter event – and she confirms that the Chinook was part of it, sharing the closeup shot above as it landed at Boeing Field.

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Traffic alert update: Lots of crashes – be careful!

June 18, 2011 1:45 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

1:45 PM: We mentioned this earlier only on Facebook and Twitter because it looked like it would clear fairly fast, but apparently it hasn’t cleared yet: Avoid Fauntleroy end of eastbound bridge, there’s a crash parallel with Nucor.

2 PM: We passed the aforementioned scene on both sides of a quick run downtown. It should be clear shortly – a tow truck was getting the last of the vehicles at about 1:50 pm. (We don’t have any information on circumstances or injuries, though.)

We also have seen two apparent spinouts today on the southbound 99 offramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge – this one at about 1:46 pm hadn’t even drawn police yet:

There’s also been a crash in West Seattle, 42nd/Findlay, this past half-hour, and Christopher Boffoli checked it out – stand by for more on that.

2:33 PM: From Christopher:

He says private ambulances were on hand, with at least two people expected to go to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. We don’t have the official word yet on citations but it appeared that the southbound car had a yield sign but failed to yield, he says, adding: “It took SFD a bit of time to extract the passenger in the gold van as the door on that side was deformed by the crash.”

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New at the West Seattle Tool Library: Fixers’ Collective!

June 18, 2011 12:42 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Sustainable West Seattle | West Seattle news

(Fixers’ Collective founder Greg Kono taking a break from the clock-radio challenge)
Story and photos by Christy True
Special to West Seattle Blog

The first meeting of the West Seattle Fixers’ Collective was lightly attended but productive, as members tried to bring a broken clock radio and an espresso maker back to life.

The collective plans to meet Thursday nights (but not weekly) at the West Seattle Tool Library workshop at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. It’s a new venture for people interested in prolonging the life of the things they own, learning how things work, saving a few resources, or who just love to tinker. It is modeled on a Fixers’ Collective in Brooklyn, New York.

The small crew that gathered Thursday night dissembled a clock radio that would
no longer turn on after it was dropped on the floor.

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The WSBeat: Alki attack; stalker break-ins; more

June 18, 2011 10:31 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*Around 12:30 last Sunday morning, two men walking in the 2500 block of Alki SW were confronted by a group of men in their twenties who demanded money. When the men refused, they were knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked. One victim suffered no losses, but the other man’s clothes were ripped and his wallet stolen. The attackers ran to the south and left in two cars: one a dark blue Chevy diesel “dually” truck (one with four rear tires — two on each side) and the other a dark SUV.

Fairly quiet week, so only three more summaries after the jump:Read More

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West Seattle Saturday: Bright Horizons; BBQ; SWAC; WSLL; bingo

June 18, 2011 9:06 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

WORK PARTY WITH A VIEW: Seacrest Garden work party: Help maintain the beautiful native-plant garden on the shore of Elliott Bay! Weeds need to be pulled and mulch needs to be spread. All tools and gloves will be provided, plus some snacks and beverages to keep you fueled up! Now till noon, 1660 Harbor SW.

BRIGHT HORIZONS’ WEST SEATTLE CELEBRATION: The new child-care center at Link (like BH, a WSB sponsor) celebrates with family fun including a performance by The Not-Its at noon. Full schedule here. 38th/Alaska (map).

IN CASE YOU SEE A LOT OF HELICOPTERS… (Or hear them, given the weather …) The nearby Museum of Flight is having helicopters fly in for today’s American Heroes Air Show, gates open at 10 am. See full story here

SWAC SIGNUPS: SWAC Football/Cheer (WSB sponsor) registration at Roxbury Safeway, 11 am-2 pm, ages 7-14 welcome for the season starting with August practices.

LUNCH FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Fundraising barbecue at West Seattle Thriftway with proceeds to benefit Pencil Me In For Kids, starts 11 am.

TOUR THE LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Noon-4 pm, today and every Thursday-Saturday, 61st/Stevens (more info here).

SWIM OUTDOORS, EVERY DAY TILL FALL: Colman Pool starts its 7-day-a-week summer operations today.

USO FUNDRAISER: USO Fundraiser and the presentation “Eleanor Roosevelt, Her Life and Times,” Merrill Gardens at Admiral Heights (2326 California Ave SW). 12 – 4 pm. Cost is $10. Lunch served 12 – 1 pm, raffle 1:30 PM, and featured presentation at 2:30 pm. RSVP to 206.938.3964.

VOLUNTEER AT THE CHINESE GARDEN: Seattle Chinese Garden is having a Volunteer Orientation from 1 – 4 pm. It starts with a guided tour which meets in the Garden’s entry court. Volunteers are needed to help with gardening, staffing the Discovery Center, and working in the office. For more information, please see this webpage or call the office at 206.934.5219.

BAKE/CRAFT SALE: Bake sale and homemade crafts sale for Power of Hope, a non-profit organization focusing on youth empowerment through arts. All proceeds go to camp tuition for underprivileged youth. Bake sale will be held Saturday, June 18th 1:30PM-6PM and Sunday June 19th from 10 AM-3 PM at the West Seattle junction- outside the Key Bank @ 4701 California Avenue Southwest. Delicious homemade delicacies will include traditional and unique goodies, diabetic friendly cookies, plus vegan and gluten free treats!

TOUR NICKELSVILLE: Nickelsville potluck/open house, organized by members of the WSB Forums, open house 2-6 pm, potluck at 5 pm (more details here), West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way

WSLL CELEBRATION: West Seattle Little League ribbon-cutting ceremony formally celebrating their new snack shack. The dedication will be held at 3 pm at Bar-S Playfield. Read WSB story here

BINGO TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER: The Half Racks team is holding a Bingo For Boobs fundraiser to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen 3-day Cancer Walk. Each team member has to raise $2,300. The fundraiser will be at the West Seattle Senior Center on Saturday, June 18th. The doors open at 6 pm and bingo starts at 7 pm. We will have food and drinks available, and tickets are $20 each and include a free dauber!

DANCE ON THE SAND: Salsa on Alki Beach, 6-10 pm. Sponsored by BelltownDanceStudio & Century Ballroom.

WHITE CENTER ART WALK – WITH A FILM FESTIVAL! Short films are part of tonight’s White Center Art Walk, 6-9 pm – details, venues, artists here

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Congratulations, Chief Sealth Int’l High School Class of 2011

June 18, 2011 1:44 am

| Comments Off on Congratulations, Chief Sealth Int’l High School Class of 2011

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photos by Patrick Sand for WSB)
Their year started with a ribbon-cutting and ended with confetti-tossing – and the Chief Sealth International High School Class of 2011 is officially launched into the post-high-school world. Friday evening at Memorial Stadium downtown, sun graced the grads as their devoted cheering sections filled the stands:

These three had unique reasons to cheer:

School Board president Steve Sundquist has a Class of ’11 daughter, Rachel Sundquist (his second Sealth graduate, after Leslie in 2008); Dr. Susan Enfield is in her first round of sendoffs as acting district superintendent; principal John Boyd shepherded his first class in the much-renovated campus. Ahead, more scenes from tonight’s ceremony, the third and final commencement for West Seattle’s major high schools:Read More

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