Get closeup with West Seattle wonders during ‘Celebrate Lincoln Park, parts 1 and 2

April 6, 2013 7:42 pm

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| Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(Hemiptera, photographed in Lincoln Park by Machel Spence)
The Fauntleroy Community Association has been working for months to plan two “Celebrate Lincoln Park” events – and now, they’re just weeks away. As announced by FCA’s Carolyn Duncan:

Celebrate Lincoln Park, Part I on Tuesday, April 23, at The Hall at Fauntleroy will have information tables from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and presentations about the history, creatures, and ecological importance of the park from 7 to 8 pm.

Seattle Parks and Recreation Acting Superintendent Christopher Williams will be there to share management and strategic planning news in response to last year’s controversy over a staff proposal to add a commercial zip line to the park. Since dropping the proposal, he and his staff have been working collaboratively with FCA to build a better relationship with neighbors and users of the park. Alliance

Information tables will include representatives from Seal Sitters, the Whale Trail, Fauntleroy YMCA, Seattle Parks, Puget Sound Partnership, Seattle Animal Control, Friends of Lincoln Park, and the Alliance for Lincoln Park Nature. Speakers in addition to Williams will be local historian Judy Pickens, Seattle University Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Trileigh Tucker, and Friends of Lincoln Park President Sharon Baker.

Celebrate Lincoln Park, Part II on Saturday, April 27, will take advantage of a minus 2.6-foot tide to help park visitors see and learn about sea life along the beach and in the water. Volunteer beach naturalists and Seal Sitters, plus staff from the Seattle Aquarium, will be on hand. Local experts in birds, marine life, plants, ecology, nature photography, and art will lead nature walks and creative activities in the forested upper part of the park. The four-hour window for participating will be 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. All activities will start in the south part of the park. Signs and volunteers will direct visitors to activities.

All activities will be free. Watch for updates at fauntleroy.net.

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Beckett’s basketball bracket: West Seattle 6-year-old picks ’em!

April 6, 2013 3:39 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people | WS & Sports

Not only does 6-year-old Beckett Howard-Kuzma of Seaview play basketball, he loves to watch hoops – and has an extra incentive to be watching as the NCAA men’s tournament plays out with Final Four games today and the championship Monday. As reported last night by our partners at The Seattle Times, Beckett has such a keen eye for talent that his ESPN Tournament Challenge bracket is tied for #6 out of more than eight million entries! Beckett’s proud mom Kelly Howard contacted us to share the news with West Seattle neighbors. She says her son “actually has 3 brackets going. They are all in the top 1% of the ESPN bracket challenge. He did pick Florida Gulf Coast to advance to the 2nd round in his 2 other brackets (but not the bracket that is #6 overall).” And she says the kindergartener “loves math and numbers in general.” Plus basketball – he played this winter via the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) and even plays while visiting his grandparents in Arbor Heights, who put up a backyard hoop in his honor. You can see Beckett’s bracket here. What might he win besides bragging rights, you ask? All entries in the top 1 percent are entered in a drawing for a $10,000 Best Buy gift card.

5:57 PM UPDATE: Beckett’s pick for today’s first game was the winner – and he’s now tied for #4!

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Happening now: West Seattle Runner’s 3rd anniversary sale, and WS 5K registration party

April 6, 2013 2:47 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Happy 3rd anniversary to Lori and Tim McConnell and their business West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), celebrating with a sale through tomorrow! (That’s Hombre the greyhound with them in our photo.) When we first reported on their plan in February 2010, it was the most-commented-on new-business report ever – with WSB’ers enthusing that the area really needed this kind of shop, not just for the retail, but also for a coalescing point for the running community. Their milestones along the way have even included co-launching a brand-new event, the Float Dodger 5K preceding the West Seattle Grand Parade; the second annual FD5K is in the works for July 20th. Speaking of 5K’s, if you make it to West Seattle Runner before 4 pm today, it’s one last chance at an earlybird-discount signup for the West Seattle 5K, which is coming up May 19th:

(WS5K race director Jeff Mensing at left with WSHS PTSA president Tracy Burrows and Jim Donovan)
The WS5K is a benefit for the West Seattle High School PTSA, and will kick off a doubleheader of Alki events again this year, with Seattle Summer Streets following the run/walk. (WSB has been a proud sponsor every year since it launched in 2009.) If you can’t get to WS Runner before 4, you’ve got plenty of time to sign up online, at the regular rate

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‘Bertha’ watch: Tunnel-machine ship finally docked downtown

April 6, 2013 1:08 pm

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| Alaskan Way Viaduct | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Bertha ship docks at the Port of Seattle

(WSDOT photo from this afternoon, added here Saturday night)
Since its arrival Tuesday, the Jumbo Fairpartner – carrying “Bertha” the tunneling machine, in 41 pieces – has been anchored off West Seattle’s northeastern shore. Today, it finally sailed the rest of the way to Terminal 46, which means the WSDOT webcam is now live – it’s a live-video camera, too. The most recent tweet from @BerthaDigsSR99 says unloading might start later today.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen Subaru; 4 other reader reports

April 6, 2013 12:24 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

Five reader reports to share today in West Seattle Crime Watch: First, Stephanie‘s car was stolen overnight and she hopes you will watch for it:

I’d like to report a stolen Subaru Outback from Beach Drive SW near Me-Kwa-Mooks Park. The theft happened between 9 pm last night and 8 am this morning. It’s a dark red car, license AJT2684.

(SUNDAY UPDATE: Stephanie reports her car’s been found – in Everett.)

(back to original Saturday report) Next – two reader-report links from the WSB Forums, in case you can help but haven’t seen them yet – the search for a hit-run driver, and the search for whomever owns a most-likely-stolen bike dumped in a local yard.

Finally, two car-prowl reports from earlier this week, which got lost in our queue while Crime Watch was overtaken for several days with high-profile incidents – read on:

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Happening now: 1 day, 4 stores – West Seattle Kiwanis food drive

April 6, 2013 11:41 am

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| How to help | West Seattle news

SATURDAY, 11:41 AM: You have lots of time left – till 3 pm! – to donate food and/or money TODAY to the West Seattle Food Bank, with the help of West Seattle Kiwanis members like Linda Cox, shown here with local Key Club members helping out. As noted in our daily highlights, dropoff spots include PCC Natural Markets (California/Stevens), where we photographed this team, West Seattle Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy), Metropolitan Market (42nd/Admiral), and the Junction QFC (42nd/Alaska).

MONDAY MORNING P.S. – Via the WS Food Bank’s Facebook page, we’ve learned the drive brought in “1800 pounds of food and $773.95!”

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2 division leaders at Chief Sealth IHS: Soccer and softball

April 6, 2013 10:47 am

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

Also leading their divisions in the Metro League this spring high-school-sports season: Chief Sealth International High School‘s softball team and soccer team, both notching wins on Friday.

Per the soccer standings in The Seattle Times (WSB partner), the Seahawks are undefeated in the Metro League’s Sound Division, after Friday’s 9-0 win over Rainier Beach. Next game is against West Seattle HS, 4 pm Tuesday at Southwest Athletic Complex.

The Seahawks softball team, meantime, are shown in The Times’ standings with one league loss; their Friday win was 14-4 over Sammamish, per the @SealthAthletics Twitter feed. Next game: 3:30 pm Wednesday vs. Nathan Hale, at Meadowbrook.

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Division-leading West Seattle High School baseball wins again

April 6, 2013 9:59 am

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

West Seattle High School‘s baseball team is atop its division and celebrating its latest win, 11-1 over Nathan Hale on Friday afternoon. Thanks again to Greg Slader for game photos and summary:

The varsity baseball team returned home for a rematch against Nathan Hale after Wednesday’s loss. Ben Wexler (#28, top photo) pitched a complete game (six innings) with five strikeouts and one earned run. Graham French (#25, photo below) added to the offense with a double and two runs scored as the team hit very well and scored 11 runs in six innings.

Next WSHS baseball game is also at home, so it’s your next chance to go cheer the team on: Monday against O’Dea, 3:30 pm at Hiawatha (next to the school).

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West Seattle Saturday: 15 notes and highlights!

April 6, 2013 8:56 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Male red crossbill photographed recently @ Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)
Despite dire predictions, there’s blue sky out there now as Saturday gets into high gear. Here are some of the highlights for today/tonight:

TRAFFIC REMINDER: Lane closures on I-5 northbound, just south of West Seattle, all weekend – WSDOT‘s infopage is here.

HELP OUT IN LINCOLN PARK: Friends of Lincoln Park, as previewed last night, is working 9 to noon (and you can join late), removing invasive plants.

KIWANIS FOOD DRIVE: 9 am-3 pm, the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle will have members and Key Club students outside four local grocery stores, collecting food and money for the West Seattle Food Bank. Find them at WSB sponsors Metropolitan Market (42nd/Admiral), PCC Natural Markets (California/Stevens), and West Seattle Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy) and at QFC (42nd/Alaska).

HELP OUT IN NORTH DELRIDGE: Also previewed last night – the ND Neighborhood Council‘s Beautification Committee takes on the 23rd/Juneau staircase 10 am-noon – details, map here.

NOT WEST SEATTLE BUT – IT’S YOUR CITY HALL TOO! It’s the annual open house at Seattle City Hall downtown, 10 am-2 pm. Here’s the lineup of events – with West Seattle involvement including demonstrations by South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) culinary students.

WEST SEATTLE BEE GARDEN WORK PARTY: Lots of community help is needed with the final preparations/construction for this unique new West Seattle feature (here’s our recent story about it). 10 am-2 pm, prep work is planned today – find out more here (including a link for participation in future work parties if you can’t do it today; also, if you can contribute $, here’s how).

FIND OUT ABOUT VOLUNTEERING TO HELP WITH HISTORY: 11 am-1 pm at the Log House Museum, it’s this month’s introductory session for would-be Southwest Seattle Historical Society volunteers. Our preview has details. (61st/Stevens)

WEST SEATTLE RUNNER ANNIVERSARY SALE / WEST SEATTLE 5K SIGNUP EVENT: The West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) third-anniversary sale continues today and tomorrow – and today from noon-4 pm there’s a special incentive to drop by: Sign up for this year’s West Seattle 5K (co-sponsored by WSB), and get the early-registration discount, which is no longer available online.

CAMP LONG CHALLENGE COURSE: 1-5 pm today, visit West Seattle’s own Camp Long Environmental Learning Center and be among the first to check out the new Hub and Spoke high (ropes) course, as well as getting a closer look at the low course, and joining the 3 pm ribbon-cutting celebration. Here’s our preview from earlier this week. (5200 35th SW)

WOMEN-ONLY SWIMS/LESSONS START AT SW POOL: When Mayor McGinn visited West Seattle recently, his second stop, after the much-covered Admiral District tour, was Southwest Pool, to join in a celebration of the expanded women-only swimming/lessons program (here’s our coverage of the event). Today’s the official start of the program – see the 2:30-4:30 pm schedule here. (2801 SW Thistle)

CHIEF SEALTH BASEBALL DINNER/AUCTION: 5-7 pm in the Sealth Galleria, spaghetti dinner and silent auction to raise money for the baseball program – tickets available (cash/checks) at the Galleria door. (2600 SW Thistle)

**Saturday night note: canceled for rain; will be rescheduled** OWLING IN SCHMITZ PARK: Head out on an adventure with West Seattle naturalist Stewart Wechsler, 7-9 pm – details here.

WSHS MUSICAL: Another chance at 7:30 pm to catch the West Seattle High School Drama Club‘s spring musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” in the WSHS Theater. (3000 California SW)

‘NEXT FALL’ FINALE: 7:30 pm, it’s your last chance to see ArtsWest‘s current production. (4711 California SW)

LIVE MUSIC! See the calendar listings here – from alt-pop at C & P Coffee, jazz at La Romanza Bistro, and 2 bands at Feedback Lounge (all WSB sponsors) to the second night of the Mighty Wurlitzer Spectacular at Kenyon Hall, the monthly midnight “Rocky Horror” show @ The Admiral, and more.

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