West Seattle, Washington
21 Saturday
Which of those design features would you want to see in the new West Seattle Junction park? As mentioned in our coverage of last Tuesday’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting, they’re now part of a survey on the city website – and project manager Karimah Edwards tells WSB that the survey is closing tomorrow (Monday, September 25th), so this is your last chance to offer opinions at this stage of the project. It’s a simple survey, asking you to choose 10 of those 36 features, and asking your zip code – that’s it. Take it here. (If you stopped by the “open house” at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market two weeks ago, these are the same 36 features you were asked about there.)
So what’s next? Edwards says a meeting will be scheduled to go over “concept designs” resulting from this input: “The community will have the opportunity to select their preferred concept design during the second meeting. We anticipate mid-November.” Seattle Park District levy money – almost $2 million – is set aside for developing the park site in the 4700 block of 40th SW in 2019.
Enjoy playing cards? Make plans to be at Meeples Games (3727 California SW) on Thursday night to play a new card game with the local dad and daughter who created it. Their announcement:
West Seattle father and daughter team, Chad and Lillian Gray, invite you to come and play their new card game, Goatfish, at Meeples Games on Thursday, September 28, starting at 6:30 PM.
A love of playing tabletop games with friends and family evolved into a project to create their own game to share. They set out with three important goals: provide simple rules for players of all skill levels, have enough strategy to appeal to more serious gamers, and encourage people to laugh and have fun. Together, they created Goatfish, a silly, goat-themed card game that blends ideas from classic games like Go Fish and Uno with added strategy and humor.
They are launching their game on Kickstarter, September 26th, and in celebration are hosting a family game night at Meeples Games. There will be tables to play Goatfish with the creators and drawings for board-game giveaways selected from the extensive inventory at Meeples Games.
Thursday night’s event will run until 9 pm.
More about the game is here – you’ll see they’ve been testing it at local game-related gatherings including the recent PAX West.
(Photos courtesy Jonathan Rundle)
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride finally did make a West Seattle stop today – at Jack Block Park!
As mentioned here earlier, the fundraising motorcycle riders had to change their planned WS stop from Hamilton Viewpoint Park – where it turned out to be West Seattle Soccer Club Photo Day; that in turn was a change from Don Armeni Boat Ramp, which was home today to the Orca Half Marathon finish line). After West Seattle, it was on toward the Alaskan Way Viaduct and beyond:
The photos are courtesy of Jonathan Rundle, who was kind enough to let us know that West Seattle was on the route, says 358 riders participated in the Seattle edition of this international fundraiser for men’s-health concerns, bringing in more than $25,000. (Jon keeps a travel website at jontheroadagain.com.)
Two weeks from today, family, friends, and others who knew and loved Janet Osborn will gather at Pathfinder K-8 School, where she taught, to celebrate her life. Today, her life story, written by Zachary Desmond, is shared in remembrance:
Janet Leigh Osborn was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 1st, 1956. In deference to Janet’s penchant for non-linear thinking, compassionate inclusivity, and radical love of learning and discovery, the remainder of this life account is organized not by chronology, but by beginnings.
It begins in a hospital room. “When they brought her in to me, she weighed nine pounds, four ounces, and she was so cute,” Jane, Janet’s mother, tells me over the phone. “The nurses had put a ribbon in her hair and the lady next to me said, ‘Well, why didn’t they put a ribbon in my daughter’s hair?’ And I thought, ‘Well, because your daughter isn’t as cute!'” Sixty-one years later, Janet’s husband, Mike Oliver, upholds the opinion.
It begins in a classroom at the EEU on the University of Washington campus. “It was 1986, and we had a mutual friend, Jennifer Annable, our principal, she got me the job and she and our other friend Debbie Sherwood were trying to matchmake,” he tells me. “We were definitely interested in each other.” He would watch her interact with her students and have “so much fun with her coworkers,” and, “just enjoy being a teacher.”
It begins at home. “It was Matthew who turned her to teaching,” says Jane. When Janet was seventeen, her brother Matthew was born with Down Syndrome. Betty Schwieterman, Janet’s best friend since high school, tells me, “When Matthew was born, a whole group of our friends started learning about babies with Down Syndrome, and what special education is and a few of us were like, ‘Wow, this is cool,’ and we realized that we could actually have this as a career.” That impulse to learn and facilitate learning led Janet across the country and eventually to the school in Seattle, where she met Mike.
It begins with a road trip. “One day out of the clear blue sky, they packed up and went on their way to California.” So the great adventure begins, according to Jane. Betty assures me that it wasn’t quite so spontaneous. “We were planners. We planned the trip, planned the route, but there was a lot we didn’t know.” They’d talked about leaving for awhile, but 1980 was a particularly miserable summer in Kansas City, so they did their research, saved their money, sought out a place with “a pleasant climate, a pleasant political climate, a good graduate school, and good neighborhoods,” and set off on their grand adventure.
Janet had her misgivings, especially about leaving Matthew behind, “but something was drawing us here,” says Betty. “We didn’t know what it was, but we gave each other the confidence to do it.” This is a characteristic Janet later helped cultivate in her children, according to Maggie, Janet’s daughter.
Four reports in this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:
CAR BREAK-IN: It can happen even in a busy parking lot, like the one at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) early this afternoon. Chad reports that while his daughter ran into the store, without locking the car, someone entered it and stole a wallet left inside, with cards and cash. It’s been reported to police.
TRUCK BREAK-IN: A texter reports their truck was broken into last night while parked in their driveway near SW Edmunds and 50th SW. Stolen were a checkbook, Samsung tablet, cell phone, and sunglasses.
CAR VANDALIZED: The photo and report are from Charlie:
My wife’s rear windshield got busted sometime late last night in our carport, while my car sitting right next to it was fine. It doesn’t look like they even tried to steal anything, as the hole is too small to reach through and the instant we touched it more pieces dropped off. Our neighborhood has seen a few similar vandalisms the past few weeks. We live just up the hill from Luna Park Café, across from the large construction lot.
And one report narrative from the past week is now available on the Seattle Police website – our summary:
STORE BURGLARY: The gas-station mini-mart north of Lincoln Park was broken into around 4 am last Monday. Someone had broken a window and stolen cigarettes and lottery scratch tickets. Surveillance video recorded the break-in but the burglar – described as white, male, in a dark gray hooded jacket, carrying a dark backpack – had covered his face. He did leave behind a lug wrench and left-handed black glove, which police took in as evidence.
P.S. Next crime-and-safety community meeting is Tuesday night, when the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network resumes monthly meetings – 6:30 pm (September 26th) at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). All welcome. Here’s a preview.
So we went to Hamilton Viewpoint Park at midday looking for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride motorcycles – and found West Seattle Soccer Club players instead, on the second of two Picture Days.
Great backdrop, and perfect weather. It’s a reminder that fall season is under way for WSSC at fields all over the peninsula.
P.S. As for the motorcycles – we learned at Hamilton Viewpoint that an advance scout showed up, discovered the photo event, and said they’d go somewhere else TBD. (A commenter on this morning’s lineup did catch a photo as some passed Weather Watch Park.)
The fridge and bed frame are just some of the items dropped off in the early going at the fall 2017 edition of Fauntleroy Church‘s twice-yearly Recycle Roundup. Until 3 pm, you can drive up, ride up, or walk up to drop off your recyclables, free – as long as they’re on the list – in the church parking lot at 9140 California SW. The crew from 1 Green Planet is again filling truckloads, fast – they’ll get you through in mere moments.
9:10 AM: Hundreds of runners have been leaving in waves over the past hour-plus for this year’s Orca Half Marathon, using a new course this year (as linked in our West Seattle Sunday lineup), starting near Colman Pool in Lincoln Park, looping through the park, then on toward the finish line at Don Armeni Boat Ramp. The run is benefiting The Whale Trail.
2 PM: Adding two more photos. Above, finishers at Don Armeni received medals. And they got a reminder of the reason for the run, courtesy of Mike, the inflatable orca, inspired by a Southern Resident Killer Whale of the same name (J-26):
Congratulations to the more than 700 runners, including longtime WSB readers Steph and Paul, who sent this selfie from the starting line:
(Great Blue Heron takeoff, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Sunday! Here are highlights of what’s happening in West Seattle:
ORCA HALF MARATHON: Today marks the Orca Half‘s second year in West Seattle. The course is being run differently this year – runners will gather at Don Armeni Boat Ramp starting at 6:30 am to be shuttled to Lincoln Park, from which they will start – near Colman Pool – in waves between 8 am and 9 am, running a course inside the park before heading north and east toward the finish line at Don Armeni – here’s the map. They’ll be running on trails, sidewalks, and in the parking lane. Beneficiary is The Whale Trail. You can sign up right before the race, at the shuttle pickup point/finish-line location at Don Armeni. (1222 Harbor SW)
RECYCLE ROUNDUP: 9 am-3 pm in the lot outside Fauntleroy Church, free dropoff for the items on the official list of what’s being accepted during the fall Recycle Roundup. Go early to avoid waiting in line. (9140 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Year-round, 10 am-2 pm Sunday, go browse the booths in the street in the heart of The Junction to see what’s fresh. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
SECOND GEAR SPORTS’ ANNIVERSARY SALE, WITH GUESTS: 11 am-5 pm, it’s the second day of the 4th anniversary sale at Second Gear Sports (WSB sponsor), with two special guests 11 am-1 pm to talk about bicycling and skiing – details in our calendar listing. (6529 California SW)
300+ MOTORCYCLES: The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, Seattle edition, raising money for men’s health challenges, is planning a West Seattle stop today, around 11:45 am, at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. So if you see a big group of riders (more than 370 are registered) – you’ll know why. Or maybe you’re planning to be among them! (1120 California SW)
AWARENESS MARCH: The Salvation Army in South Delridge invites you to join a march to raise awareness of trafficking/enslavement around the globe. Starts at 1:15 pm. More info in our preview. (9050 16th SW)
GET ON STAGE, GET INVOLVED! Monthly open mic presented by Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) next door at The Skylark, 3 pm signups, 4 pm performances. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
‘THE WHO AND THE WHAT’: 3 pm matinee for ArtsWest‘s current production. (4711 California SW)
MONTY BANKS: 7-10 pm at Parliament Tavern, jazz, swing, and R&B. 21+. No cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
LOOK BEYOND TODAY/TONIGHT … via our complete-calendar page.
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