West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(WSB photo: Zach Scott signing autographs at 2011 Lafayette Elementary playground celebration)
After the Seattle Sounders FC‘s 1-0 win over Vancouver at CenturyLink Field today, fans have three more regular-season chances to cheer for the West Seattle-residing player who has announced this is his last season. 36-year-old Zach Scott plans to retire after what the team describes as “a distinguished 15-year professional career in Seattle at the USL and MLS levels, making 347 all-time appearances in a Sounders uniform, including the last eight seasons in MLS.” Scott “won seven trophies throughout his time in Seattle, including two USL league titles, four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and the 2014 Supporters’ Shield.” In addition, the club notes that Scott “is one of three remaining original players from Sounders FC’s expansion season in 2009, and he ranks fifth in club history with 116 career regular-season appearances, starting 91.”
Scott grew up in Hawai’i and lives in West Seattle with his wife Alana and their three children. When not on the field, he’s given a lot of his time to community involvement – some of which is chronicled in WSB coverage archives, like his visits to the West Seattle Cup community soccer event in June 2014:
(June 2014 photo contributed by Steph – that’s her son Zach Arthur with Zach Scott at the West Seattle Cup)
The Sounders announcement of Scott’s upcoming retirement quotes him as saying, “The time has come for me to turn the page on my soccer career and start a new chapter of my life. When I signed with the USL Sounders in 2002, I never imagined that I would have a professional career that lasted 15 years, and it’s been a rare blessing to have played in the same city the entire time. That said, I have much more to offer in this life and I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s next. … It’s unlike me to draw individual attention to myself, and my focus for the rest of the season remains on helping my teammates and this club get to the playoffs. However, my family and I owe so much to the overall Seattle community and the organization, so we wanted to share these final weeks with everyone. I wouldn’t have wanted my career to go any other way and I couldn’t have picked a better place for us to put down roots as a family.”
(Sounders file photo of Zach Scott, by Corky Trewin, used with permission)
The Sounders’ schedule for the rest of the season is here; the three home games are two Wednesdays (7:30 pm), September 28th vs. Chicago and October 12th vs. Houston, and one Sunday (1 pm), October 23rd vs. Salt Lake.
If you missed it in our coverage of City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s update at this week’s 34th District Democrats meeting – three speed bumps are going in on Beach Drive along Constellation Park, in hopes of deterring late-night racing and other speeding. Herbold also wrote about it in her newest online update (which addresses other topics of interest, too). Then while out checking on the wind and waves just before tonight’s sunset, we noticed the three spots marked up on the street along the straightaway between the stormwater-treatment plant and the intersection with 63rd SW.
Neighbors have been working a long time for this – back in March, we reported on their visit to the Southwest District Council seeking support for a grant application to fund the speed bumps, which are already in place on another straightaway stretch of Beach Drive, south of Jacobsen.
6:19 PM: Though it’s been windier today than we’ve seen in a while, we haven’t had any reports of trees downed or other trouble on the peninsula – but someone just texted the photo above to report that a sailboat appears to be on its way to grounding on Lincoln Park’s north shore. Just in case it’s yours – or you know whose it is – we’re sharing the photo. They say the one in the background doesn’t seem to be dragging its anchor, just the one in the foreground.
9 PM UPDATE: The original texter says no one’s come for the boat yet and it’s headed for the rocks.
(WSB photo from fall equinox sunset watch in 2014)
Doesn’t quite feel like it today but – it’s the last weekend of summer. Fall arrives at 7:21 am our time on Thursday and about 10 hours later, you’re invited to celebrate it with West Seattle’s own NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen – her 30th seasonal (both solstices and both equinoxes, every year) sunset watch! She suggests you arrive at Solstice Park around 6:35 pm – the sun will be dropping behind the Olympic Mountains around 6:55, whether it’s visible or not, and as Alice says, “I’ll be there even if it is cloudy because sometimes the Sun peeks through just as it begins to set, but if it is driving rain or a thunderstorm I’m staying home with some tea!” All ages welcome – Alice and husband Jason Gift Enevoldsen have two young children, including a one-month-old baby, and her interactive solar-system lessons tend to hold the attention of all. (Here’s the full listing in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar; as for the forecast, doesn’t look like rain.)
(WSB file photo: Stack of donated car seats from past WS Baby drive)
Tomorrow is the first day of Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week. Even if you don’t have a young child in your family – it’s important because of how you can help someone who does. Local nonprofit WestSide Baby, which helps families in need with essentials such as car seats and diapers, explains how:
To mark Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week (September 18-24), local nonprofit WestSide Baby is asking the public to help keep more kids safe by helping to purchase child car seats for families who cannot afford them.
The leading cause of death for children aged 0-13 is car accidents, and many car injuries and even death can be prevented with a correctly sized and fitted car seat for a child. Car seats, however, can cost upward of $100 and be yet another unmanageable amount for low-income families. Last year WestSide Baby was only able to fill 47% of requests for car seats received from families in need.
There are several actions that you can take in order to help raise funds or collect car seats which WestSide Baby will distribute via more than 120 social service partners and agencies to families who need them.
First, you can attend the WestSide Baby Cocktail Benefit: Fall Masquerade, on September 23rd (next Friday) at Emerald City Trapeze. This fundraiser is shaping up to be a fun filled night with cocktail from local bars The Bridge, The Point, and West 5, music from DJ Kevin Olsen, magic, entertainment, and philanthropic inspiration. Tickets are available online – $45 for an individual. The event is 21+.
If cocktails aren’t your thing, then how about hosting a “virtual car-seat drive”? WestSide Baby are providing template posts and graphics for anyone who would like to spend the week gathering their online networks to purchase car seats through WestSide Baby’s Amazon wishlist. More information is available here.
It is also possible to donate lightly used car seats directly. Seats must be less than 6 years old and not have been previously recalled. For more information and donation sites, please go here.
One more thing you can do – if you do have one or more kids under 12 in your family, make sure you’re following the safety recommendations.
(California [Western] Scrub Jay – photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Good morning and welcome to a (so far) rainy Saturday. Much (but not all) of what’s up today/tonight is happening indoors, so don’t let the rain keep you home! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
PANCAKE BREAKFAST: All-you-can-eat pancakes at the West Seattle Lions Club‘s annual benefit to help people with vision and hearing challenges. At the Senior Center of West Seattle, 8-11 am; more info in our calendar listing. (SW Oregon/California SW)
SECOND-TIME SALE: Big selection, big bargains at Fauntleroy Church‘s big annual sale, 9 am-4 pm. (9140 California SW)
INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP DAY: Put on your rain gear and help clean up West Seattle’s shoreline. The organized cleanup has three starting points at 9:30 am – even if you didn’t pre-register, just show up and help. (Seacrest Park, Alki Bathhouse, Constellation Park)
DEMYSTIFYING MENTAL ILLNESS: Two informational sessions at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s Walmesley Center – you’re welcome to participate in one or both, 10 am and 12:30 pm. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)
PARK(ing) DAY CONTINUES: 10 am-6 pm, this year’s PARK(ing) Day around the city has a bonus day. West Seattle’s one and only temporary parklet is outside Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village. (Photo added 1:03 pm – Rocky and Wyatt’s co-proprietor Kirk enjoying the park despite the weather – go play some Ladderball!)
(2800 SW Barton)
FIESTAS PATRIAS PARADE AND FIESTA: South Park’s annual celebration includes an awesome parade that starts near 10th S. and S. Henderson, heads east on S. Henderson to 14th Ave. S., and on north along 14th S. to Cloverdale and to the SP Community Center, where the parade ends and the fiesta begins. More in our calendar listing.
TALK WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE: Leslie Harris, who represents West Seattle and South Park on the Seattle School Board, has her next community-conversation meeting 3-4:30 pm at High Point Library – drop in when you can. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
LAMPLIGHTERS PIZZA PARTY: Music, food, art to raise money for organizations that help people experiencing homelessness. 4-11 pm at American Legion Post 160 Hall – see our calendar listing for music lineup and other info. All ages. (3618 SW Alaska)
RAT CITY RECON: Music festival in White Center, 6 pm-2 am, this year at Southgate Roller Rink. Lineup and other details in our calendar listing. 21+. (9646 17th SW)
SUNRISE HEIGHTS STREET DANCE: 6-10 pm on 29th SW – details in our calendar listing.
BILL DAVIE: Alternative-folk musician at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
THREE BANDS IN ADMIRAL: At Parliament Tavern, 9 pm, Jim Marcotte & The Breakthrough, Wynne C Blue, Clay Snyder. $5 cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
THREE BANDS IN NORTH DELRIDGE: At The Skylark, 9 pm, Chris Mess, Dogstrum, Los Morries. $7 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
(WSB photos. Above, West Seattle’s #8 Rico Saeturn and #18 Gabe Gagnon)
The Friday night lights shone a little brighter at Southwest Athletic Complex this time around – besides a media swarm for the anthem protest, the game had been voted KING5’s Big Game of the Week – but West Seattle High School would have preferred a different outcome: The Wildcats were defeated for the first time this year, as the visiting Garfield Bulldogs went home with a 52-9 win.
Nate Pryor scored West Seattle’s only touchdown, on a pass from Gabe Gagnon, with a little over three minutes left in the first half. With it, the Wildcats went into halftime behind 24-9, and didn’t score in the second half.
As the crowd departed post-game, rain started to fall. Next Friday at 7:45, West Seattle, now 2-1, is at Memorial Stadium downtown, against Ballard.
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