day : 10/04/2016 6 results

The City Council is scheduled to vote tomorrow afternoon on two new members of the city Board of Park Commissioners, both with West Seattle ties, both introduced during the committee meeting we were at last Thursday because of the tree-cutting discussion. First on the agenda will be Evan Hundley (WSB photo at right). Hundley is head of school at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor), just east of Arbor Heights. And he is the son of Walt Hundley, the namesake of High Point’s sprawling playfields and former Seattle Parks Superintendent and city budget director, as well as civil-rights advocacy. Evan Hundley told councilmembers on Thursday that he has been following parks issues since junior high. City Council president Bruce Harrell recalled Hundley’s father as “a phenomenal leader … and now (this appointment) is a chance to revisit his legacy.” Hundley has led Explorer West since 2007, continuing an education career that goes back more than 20 years.

Also scheduled for a City Council appointment vote tomorrow is Kelly McCaffrey, a West Seattle resident. She told councilmembers at Thursday’s committee meeting that she feels a lot of pride in Seattle parks and visits them often with her children and her dogs. She currently serves on the city’s Water Systems Advisory Committee and previously was on the Park District Oversight Committee.

Assuming their appointments are approved tomorrow, they will join the 9-member Parks Board – a voluntary advisory board that considers issues and policies and makes recommendations to city leaders – starting with its meeting next Thursday; see the agenda here.

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NEXT WEEKEND: Peony & Bamboo Festival @ Seattle Chinese Garden

April 10, 2016 4:18 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Puget Ridge | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(Photo courtesy Seattle Chinese Garden)

Looking ahead to next weekend – you might want to set some time aside to visit the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge, as the 4th annual Peony and Bamboo Festival will be happening both days, 10 am-4 pm Saturday and Sunday (April 16th and 17th):

This family-friendly event, celebrating two of China’s horticultural treasures, kicks off with a rousing lion dance at 11 am on Saturday. A festival centerpiece is the tree-peony display garden with more than 400 plants of two dozen varieties from Luoyang, China’s peony capital for more than 1,500 years.

Festival activities include talks and demonstrations on plant care, plant sales including unusual varieties of bamboo from specialty growers in Washington and Oregon, cultural entertainment and Chinese artist painting demonstrations, and sale of art and craft items. Plus, Chinese food booths will offer a variety of dishes and snacks. Visit the SCG website Tuesday for the schedule of activities.

Suggested adult donation is $5.

Co-sponsoring next weekend’s festival are the American Peony Art and Culture Association and American Bamboo Society Northwest Chapter. To reach the Chinese Garden, take the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) north entrance at 6000 16th SW.

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CONGRATULATIONS! ‘Diver Laura’ joins Women Divers Hall of Fame

April 10, 2016 2:02 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Congratulations to “Diver Laura” James (top right in the photo above) for her recent induction into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. She explains, “WDHOF honors the contributions of women in diving, but more importantly, gives back through its burgeoning scholarship and mentorship programs. If you know of a student who needs some support, have them check out these ocean programs at wdhof.org Congrats to my Sea Sisters Chantelle Taylor-Newman, Dawn Kernagis, Patti Kirk Gross, Cody Unser, and Ruth Petzold.” While we’ve been reporting on her projects for the past few years, Laura’s undersea achievements go back much further – more than 20 years! We asked her for some highlights, and she mentioned “helping organize the first non-commercial, non-military team to visit 3 of our local deep shipwrecks in the early ’90s: the Al-Ind-Eska Sea, the Bunker Hill, and the AJ Fuller – yes, making me the first woman on them – and owning/operating the first extended range diving shop north of California.” What’s she working on next? Narrated live undersea streaming!

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HAPPENING NOW: Free West Seattle Water Taxi rides all day

April 10, 2016 11:28 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

West Seattle Water Taxi arrival. You might need this boat during #99closure ! pic.twitter.com/qYGQ1JAp4a

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) April 10, 2016

11:28 AM: The sun is starting to win its fight with the clouds and that means it’s an even-better day for a free ride on the West Seattle Water Taxi – if you’ve never been on it before, you might at least want to take a trial run in case you need it during the upcoming 2-week Alaskan Way Viaduct closure. The county has declared this “Customer Appreciation Day” with all trips free to the end of today’s schedule – 8 pm is the last run from Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW). If you get here before noon, free refreshments are happening under the blue tent by the gangway, but otherwise, it’s a low-key celebration. Lots of room on the M/V Doc Maynard, which is double the capacity of its predecessor – it has room for 270+ passengers.

12:26 PM: Adding more photos. Thanks to Alex Erzen for this photo taken during his ride:

Two photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand:

You can get to and from Seacrest via the free Water Taxi shuttle – today’s schedules are here (Route 773 to and from The Junction) and here (Route 775 to and from Admiral and Alki). Parking can be a challenge; for the Viaduct closure expected later this spring, there will be added parking and shuttles, as detailed in the presentation that the City Council will see tomorrow.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Beware of grocery-store thieves

April 10, 2016 10:13 am

| 48 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Don’t even think about leaving your purse/wallet or another personal item in your cart while you grocery-shop, warns a reader who just sent this report: They made a brief visit to Trader Joe’s on Saturday when “a woman … started engaging with me to distract me. In minutes my wallet which is essentially my purse was gone. In about 10 minutes this group of people were making purchases at the Target in Westwood Village for hundreds and hundreds of dollars on all 4 of my cards. There was definitely a group of people involved in this scam. The cops were called to Trader Joe’s and immediately called a squad to Westwood Village. They were able to identify two suspects based on the time stamp of the transactions. We never caught this person but this person has all my information from where I live to the business I own. I wanted to let you know so people can become aware since these people have a plan, and (I) don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

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West Seattle Sunday: Water Taxi celebration; concerts; meditation; more…

April 10, 2016 6:30 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Sunday: Water Taxi celebration; concerts; meditation; more…

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Saturday photo by David Hutchinson: Water Taxi passengers getting ready to sail onto fog-topped Elliott Bay)

The West Seattle Water Taxi is celebrating its spring/summer schedule, and that kicks off our Sunday list of what’s up:

WATER TAXI CELEBRATION: 8:30 am-8 pm, free rides on the West Seattle Water Taxi all day, with refreshments at Seacrest Pier 10:30 am-noon, which is also when you’ll find King County Council chair Joe McDermott and KCDOT Marine Division head Paul Brodeur to greet passengers and talk about the service. (1660 Harbor SW)

FIRST WEEKEND FOR BRUNCH AT MIOPOSTO: Day 2 of the first weekend of brunch at Mioposto (WSB sponsor) in Admiral. (2139 California SW)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, including the annual return of Langley Fine Gardens from Vashon, with plants! ~~Also, look for the TAF Academy Speech Team with special performances.~~ (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)

MEDITATION AND PRAYERS FOR WORLD PEACE: 11:30 am at Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor), all welcome: “Western Buddhist Monk Gen Kelsang Khedrub will come to West Seattle to give a teaching on Buddhist meditation and lead prayers dedicated to world peace.” All welcome; $10 suggested donation. (5639 California SW)

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM CLOSED TODAY … for a volunteer-appreciation celebration. Next week it’s back to the regular Thursdays-Sundays, noon-4 pm, schedule.

CLASSICAL STRING QUARTET: 3 pm, live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), celebrating 20 years of playing together. (5612 California SW)

LADIES MUSICAL CLUB: 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, it’s a program of music by Seattle-area composers – details in our listing. (2306 42nd SW)

MUSIC NORTHWEST PRESENTS PIANO BRILLIANCE: 3 pm at Olympic Recital Hall at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), “piano music of the 21st century by African, American, and Russian composers—a one-of-a-kind concert, heard nowhere else on the planet.” More info in our listing. (6000 16th SW)

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … by browsing our calendar for the days/weeks/months ahead!

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