West Seattle, Washington

19 Friday

43℉

day : 25/06/2017 9 results

WEST SEATTLE SUNSET: So ends the first weekend of summer
June 25, 2017 10:12 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE SUNSET: So ends the first weekend of summer
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather


(Photo by Kevin Callahan, from Seaview)

Thanks for the sunset photos! Not only is the first weekend of summer 2017 concluding, so is the record-setting heat – hottest June 25th on record at Sea-Tac, 96 degrees (old record 92 in 2006).


(Photo by Don Brubeck, from Upper Alki)

The “heat advisory” has expired, and the high tomorrow is expected to be in the 70s. And if that’s still too warm for you, take solace in the fact we are now just six months from Christmas.

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VIDEO: First Lutheran Church of West Seattle Pastor Ron Marshall’s Quran class still going strong
June 25, 2017 8:50 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

In our first year of reporting West Seattle news full time via WSB, we received a calendar announcement from First Lutheran Church of West Seattle Pastor Ron Marshall, about a class he had been teaching for years:

Not a class about the Bible, nor anything related to his denomination. It’s a class about Islam’s holy book, the Quran (or Koran).

As far as Rev. Marshall knows – and, he says, others have researched to verify this – he’s the only Christian minister in the U.S. regularly teaching a course on the Quran.

So we interviewed him about it in 2008, and since then, we’ve included the quarterly announcements in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar. With nine years having passed – and Islam remaining much-discussed – we decided to talk with him again before the next four-session class begins July 6th (one week from next Thursday). First, here’s the entirety of our half-hour interview, recorded on video, unedited:

As Rev. Marshall explains, this is a class he’s taught for 14 years now, in this format – he first took an interest in Islam in the ’80s, but getting people interested in a class didn’t happen until after 9/11, and since 2003, he has taught it quarterly. It’s now a four-Thursday format, usually taught four times a year, 7-9 pm each session, this time starting July 6th, $50 for the course, which includes a book and handouts.

He clarifies that he doesn’t promote the Quran’s message – “I’m a Christian minister” – but neither does he “bash the Quran.” The point of the class is to “compare and contrast between the Bible and the Quran … we’re on a fact-finding mission.” Questions explored include whether one part of the Quran means that it is intended to replace the Bible – scholars disagree, and it leads to “spirited discussions” in his classes, says Rev. Marshall. The class uses one of three authorized English translations of the Quran. The class is not “what (he) thinks about the Quran” – he points to “this is what the best Muslim teachers say the Quran is saying.”

He summarizes, “I want to try to provide a way to appreciatively, kindly, rationally approach a book that you may not like. Is there a way to do that? … I don’t think we have many models for this today.”

MORE INFO … is on his church’s website. He says the class has been taken by people aged 12 to 90+, and the students teach him as well as vice versa. “I have never taught the class without learning something.”

P.S. For groups interested in an abbreviated version, you can contact him about setting up an all-in-one-day course, as long as you have at least 20 people (who will be charged $20 each) – he’s done this all around Puget Sound.

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TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE MOVIES! NY Dog Film Festival coming to Admiral Theater
June 25, 2017 6:46 pm
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 |   Admiral Theater | Pets | West Seattle news


(Photo courtesy New York Dog Film Festival)

Another special movie event to look forward to this summer: The second annual New York Dog Film Festival will stop at West Seattle’s Admiral Theater on Sunday, August 6th. And part of the proceeds will benefit West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation. Here’s the announcement F3 shared today:

Following its overwhelming success last year in Seattle, and its national tour to 10 cities in 2016, the NY Dog Film Festival will be traveling to 48 cities this year. The 2nd Annual NY Dog Film Festival™ is returning to Seattle on August 6, 2017, at the Historic Admiral Theater, with two programs of completely new films at 3 PM and 5 PM. Dogs will be welcome in the theater, once again delighting the avid dog lovers of Seattle and proving the Festival’s own mission of showing how remarkable the bond is between dogs and their people.

Perfect for dog lovers of all ages, the NY Dog Film Festival™ will feature two programs, each of which features a different medley of documentary, animated and live-action short canine-themed films from around the world. The films illuminate human-canine love and are uplifting, with happy outcomes. Each program runs approximately 70 minutes.

3:00 PM – “Outdoor Adventure with Dogs” (77 minutes)
5:00 PM – “Who Rescued Whom?” (74 minutes)

NY Dog Film Festival™ Founder/ Director Tracie Hotchner, a well-known pet wellness advocate and author of The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know, will bring local dog aficionados together with their dogs as “their movie dates” to share a communal experience of watching short films that celebrate the remarkable bond between people and dogs.

Tickets are $12 for humans and $5 for dogs (service dogs are free). A portion of every ticket will go to Furry Faces Foundation. Purchase advance tickets online by going here.

The Admiral is at 2343 California SW.

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Brown water today? Hydrant testing continues
June 25, 2017 5:43 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Arbor Heights | Utilities | West Seattle news

That’s the photo an Arbor Heights resident sent earlier today, wondering why their tap water was discolored. First thing to do if this happens to you: Call the Seattle Public Utilities hotline at 206-386-1800. We suspected it might have been related to hydrant testing, since Seattle Fire had tweeted this back on Friday:

And that indeed is what the resident was told. But there could be other causes, so they want to hear from you any time there’s something unusual with your water supply.

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West Seattle Garden Tour 2017, report #2: From the P-Patch to the sea
June 25, 2017 2:02 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news

The West Seattle Garden Tour continues until 5 pm – a self-guided tour of 11 very different gardens – and we’ve just visited three (after first publishing a contributed report about Garden I in Arbor Heights). Above (sea holly) and below (lettuce), the Solstice P-Patch across from the north end of Lincoln Park is Garden H.

The P-Patch is also where we found Willard Brown from Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and Yeggy Michael from Nature Consortium, talking to people about the ongoing Delridge Wetlands Project and upcoming Arts in Nature Festival (August 26-27).

Six of this year’s gardens are in the greater Beach Drive area; we stopped by waterfront garden E shortly before this afternoon’s low-low tide:

Complementing the blue sea were purple seas of ground cover, including thyme.

Inland, garden A is at a corner house between Admiral and The Junction, with pockets of both in-ground and in-planter color:

Three more hours to tour – check West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon) for last-minute ticket-book sales. The WSGT is a nonprofit that raises money for other nonprofits – here are this year’s beneficiaries. Besides ticket sales, money is also raised by raffle-ticket sales at stops on the tour, so don’t miss those!

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TRAFFIC ALERT: WB West Seattle Bridge incident
June 25, 2017 12:43 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(“Live” look at the crash scene. Refresh page for newest view)

12:43 PM: Thanks for the tip! SDOT verifies a crash midspan on the westbound West Seattle Bridge is blocking two lanes. Apparently no injuries, as there’s no SFD dispatch so far.

1:04 PM: SDOT just corrected its report to say, “Disabled vehicle on the West Seattle Bridge is blocking two right WB lanes on the mid span. Car lost a tire over the side.”

2:15 PM: It’s cleared, SDOT says, but beware of residual backup.

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HAPPENING NOW: Kim O’Donnel cooking @ West Seattle Farmers Market
June 25, 2017 11:28 am
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 |   West Seattle news


(WSB photo)

11:28 AM: The West Seattle Farmers Market is overflowing with fresh produce. But what to do with it? Cookbook author Kim O’Donnel is demonstrating that right now at the south end of the market, until 12:30 pm, presented by the Seattle Public Library. When we stopped by a few minutes ago, she was making a potato salad with ingredients you’ll find at the market today – including sorrel! Her new cookbook, PNW Veg, is available at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), steps away at 4540 California SW.

P.S. Kim is also the chef in residence at the West Seattle YMCA (36th/Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor), where you can see her improvise with produce from the weekly CSA farm boxes that people are picking up there after 4 pm on Thursdays.

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West Seattle Garden Tour 2017, report #1: ‘Accessibility and beauty’ at stop #I
June 25, 2017 9:50 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news

The photo and report are from Greg Olsen, owner of an Arbor Heights home that’s one of 11 sites comprising today’s West Seattle Garden Tour – on now, until 5 pm – and father of the gardener:

Designing and enjoying your garden when suffering from a disability can be challenging.

Avery Armstrong, age 42, has accomplished that goal.

See today during the West Seattle Garden Tour … [Garden #I in the ticket book]

Due to a near-fatal blood clot in her leg at age 35, while studying Landscape Architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, Ms. Armstrong is now partially disabled, forced to walk with a cane.

Being a garden lover and being on her feet is a challenge. Her four-year-young, sustainable garden features accessibility and beauty.

Greg advises visiting before 3 pm – “before it gets too hot!” – though the tour continues until 5. We’ll be stopping by several gardens later today. If you didn’t pre-purchase a ticket book, which is required for admission (and includes addresses and maps), go to West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon), or, until 11, Metropolitan Market (41st/42nd/Admiral; WSB sponsor).

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Cool ways to enjoy your West Seattle Sunday
June 25, 2017 7:55 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Blood star, photographed by Peter Commons during Saturday’s low-low tide)

The hottest temperatures so far this year are expected today – lots of ways to get outdoors, but bring hats, water, etc.! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

AMATEUR RADIO FIELD DAY: Continues until about 11 am on the south field at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), and you’re welcome to stop by until then. Here’s our Saturday coverage. (6000 16th SW)

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Final day of the Pacific Northwest Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships at Southwest Athletic Complex. 8:30 am-3 pm; see the schedule here. (2801 SW Thistle)

WEST SEATTLE GARDEN TOUR: Today’s the day! 9 am-5 pm, tour a dozen gardens. Self-guided but you need the $25 ticket book to get the map, locations, and admission to any and all gardens. If you haven’t bought one in advance, they’re available 8-11 am at Metropolitan Market (41st/42nd/Admiral Way; WSB sponsor) and starting at 9 am at West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon).

HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: The West Seattle Summer Showdown wraps up at the WSHS Gym with 9 am games. (3000 California SW)

KIM O’DONNEL COOKS @ WSFM: 11 am-12:30 pm, best-selling cookbook author (and West Seattleite) Kim O’Donnel cooks at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market – recipes are from her newest book PNW Veg, which you can buy nearby at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor). More info here. (California between Alaska and Oregon)

WADING POOL & SPRAYPARK: Keep the little ones cool at Lincoln Park Wading Pool (8011 Fauntleroy SW) and/or Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale), both open today 11 am- 8 pm.

LOW-LOW TIDE: Again today, the tide will be all the way out to -3.6 feet (at 12:25 pm). Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists are back at Constellation and Lincoln Parks, too, 10:30 am-2:30 pm.

FREE BOOK SWAP: 1 pm-3 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club, free book swap – drop off books for any ages, after noon. Part of the campaign to save Reading Partners tutoring at Highland Park Elementary. (1116 SW Holden)

ALKI LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: 1 pm-4 pm (last group at 3:40 pm), tour the historic Alki Point Lighthouse, free, with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. (3201 Alki SW)

HAPPY HOUR(S) AT HEIDI FISH SWIMWEAR: 1-4 pm at the new storefront of award-winning Heidi Fish Swimwear, stop by for specials. Here’s our recent story about her move. (4141 California SW)

BYSTANDER TRAINING: 2 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, as previewed here. If there’s no room left today, see our story for two more upcoming sessions. (3050 California SW)

MODE MUSIC STUDIOS OPEN-MIC FUNDRAISER @ SKYLARK: It’s the fifth month of the Get On Stage/Get Involved open-microphone session/fundraiser presented by Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) next door at The Skylark, starting with signups at 3 pm, performances at 4 pm. This month’s beneficiary is Mary’s Place, which helps families experiencing homelessness. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

SILVER LINING BAND: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)

MONTY BANKS WITH THE DRIFTWOOD TRIO: “A mix of Rat Pack swing, traditional jazz and New Orleans R&B” at Parliament Tavern, starting at 7 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

And if you’re headed off-peninsula …

PRIDE PARADE & MORE: Here’s the SDOT roundup of what’s happening elsewhere in the city, including hundreds of thousands of people gathering downtown for the 11 am Pride Parade.

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