West Seattle, Washington
29 Monday
7-year-old Sophia Thompson is fighting a rare form of soft-tissue cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma – so rare that only 350 cases are diagnosed each year. That means big medical bills, as little Sophia goes through chemo and deals with a feeding tube to help keep her from losing too much weight. Her classmates at West Seattle Montessori School (WSB sponsor) are hoping you will help them help Sophia and her family – by buying lemonade from them at their fundraising stand outside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market this Sunday, 10 am-2 pm. You can find out more about Sophia – and make a donation now – at gofundme.com/sophia. There’s also a benefit at 7 pm August 25th at Bison Creek Pizza in Burien, 630 SW 153rd, with raffles and music, plus of course pizza. But first – lemonade this Sunday!
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
Somewhere on a West Seattle beach in the next few days, someone may again encounter Casey the pup, who was guarded by Seal Sitters volunteers today, and if you see Casey – or another pup – they want to be sure you call their hotline, 206-905-SEAL. Robin Lindsey tells Casey’s story:
Seal Sitters watched over a too-thin pup at Lincoln Park today, the pup returning to the water about 12:30 with the incoming tide. We anticipate that the pup will show up today or tomorrow on another beach or possibly again at the Park. This is an extremely challenging time for seal pups, either newly weaned and struggling or, occasionally, still nursing. The pup we had just a few weeks ago, Georgie, was definitely a nursing age pup and only perhaps a day or so old. We were not able to determine approximate age on today’s pup, nicknamed Casey, because we never got a look at the teeth via a yawn. The number of erupted teeth would let us know at least for sure if the pup was weaned.
We can’t thank Betsy and Judy enough for calling the hotline and keeping the pup safe until we arrived. Apparently there were a couple of off leash dogs near the pup when he was discovered. I know we say it over and over again, but dogs are a tremendous danger to weak and vulnerable seal pups – just within the past couple of weeks an off leash dog killed a pup on one of the area’s islands.
This is the beginning of the high season when pups will visit the shores of South Puget Sound beaches. September and October are typically our busiest months with weaned pups seeking sanctuary on shore. Our motto is “Share the Shore” – we hope West Seattle people will do so and give these little pups a slightly better chance of survival than the 50 percent norm. Seal Sitters MMSN so appreciates the support of our community!
You can find Casey’s story, and much more, on the Seal Sitters’ blubberblog.
ADDED: One more thing Seal Sitters hope you will keep in mind – There are spots around the sound where the pups are being born, and they too need to be respected and protected; boats and other watercraft can wreak a lot of havoc in these spots (which aren’t in West Seattle, but you or someone you know may use those waters). Read about that here.
If you’re taking a bicycle to PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) before 3 pm for the donation drive collecting bikes and parts for Togo, West Africa, say hello to Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder and managing director of Alaffia Sustainable Skin Care. His company works with two cooperatives in Togo, generating fair-trade shea butter and coconut oil for their Thurston County-produced products. Alaffia has been collecting bikes since 2004 to help kids in Togo who otherwise have no way to get to school aside from hours of walking.
Two quick previews for Sunday – both special events at local grocery stores – from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
BICYCLE DONATIONS: Have a bicycle and/or bicycle parts you don’t need? PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is collecting them on Sunday, 10 am-3 pm, for people in Togo. More info here.
CITYDOG MAGAZINE COVER-DOG SEARCH: West Seattle-founded CityDog Magazine is once again looking for a cover dog via a series of photo shoots around Seattle, and Sunday is the annual visit to West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), noon-3 pm. $10 fee goes to the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic.
Just as another fun-filled weekend is beginning – take a minute to check your schedule for next weekend, to and see if you can spare a few hours 
to help make the sixth annual Delridge Day festival happen one week from today at Delridge Community Center/Park. Organizers are circulating one last call for volunteers; they’re all volunteers too – including members of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, which took over the festival last year when previous organizers were unable to keep it going. Next Saturday’s fun, 11 am-3 pm, includes the Alki Bike and Board (WSB sponsor) skate contest, live music, food trucks, and a kids’ zone (co-sponsored by WSB), and dozens of vendors. All they need now is some more help for setup and cleanup – 8:30-10:30 am and/or 3-4:30 pm – if you can help with either, please e-mail Tanya ASAP, ocean_bee@hotmail.com. See you there!
One hour, once a week. If you can spare that small amount of time, you can make a big difference for students at schools including West Seattle’s Roxhill Elementary! Mona Delgado e-mailed to let us know about this request:
Here’s your opportunity to give back. For one hour, just once a week on your way home from work, you can go into a nearby Seattle grade school and tutor a child who needs a little extra help with his or her studies. Invest in Youth is looking for additional tutors for the 2012-2013 school year.
Participating in Invest in Youth requires a tutoring commitment of one hour per week (with several holidays) for the duration of the school year. Upon joining the program, you will be paired with an elementary school student in 3rd, 4th or 5th grade and work with that same student for the entire year, getting to know their strengths and weaknesses while tracking their progress from week to week. It is an extremely rewarding experience for both students and their tutors!
In 2012 we will be working with the following schools:
· Tuesdays, Beacon Hill International School (2025 14th Ave S.), 3:15-4:15pm
· NEW! Tuesdays, Roxhill Elementary School (9430 30th Ave SW), 3:45-4:45pm
· Wednesdays, Daniel Bagley Elementary School (7821 Stone Ave. N.), 3:45-4:45pm
· Thursdays, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School (2401 S. Irving), 3:50-4:50pmOrientation sessions for new tutors will take place the week of September 24th with tutoring beginning the week of October 1st and lasting through June 2013.
To find more and to register, please visit www.investinyouth.org/get-involved/become-a-tutor/
Admiral/California is one of five West Seattle intersections where firefighters were scheduled to start this year’s round of “Fill the Boot” collections for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, till 6 pm today, and again 2-6 pm tomorrow. There with Engine 29, we found Mike Bastrom (above) and John Cizin (below):
Engine 29 is based at North Admiral’s Station 29, one of the city’s five West Seattle fire stations Also look for “Fill the Boot” firefighters at California/Alaska, California/Fauntleroy, Delridge/Orchard, Harbor/Spokane, and if you’re in South Park, at 14th/Cloverdale (but keep in mind that the schedule is subject to last-minute change).
Before the season’s over, we wanted to remind you again that City Fruit is harvesting fruit from trees in West Seattle this summer – like the one in the Arbor Heights backyard whose owner shared the picture of Dusty‘s recent visit. As noted here a month ago, City Fruit will harvest extra fruit for donation to local food banks and meal programs; if you’re willing to share unsprayed, healthy fruit from your tree(s), contact them at westseattle@cityfruit.org.
Don’t be chicken! You too can make friends with the fabulous fowls of the White Center Food Bank. Both named Henrietta. That’s Linda, in our photo, with one of the Henriettas. They’re both meeting visitors right now during the WC Food Bank’s summer open house – and they’re the inspiration for a program that you can be part of, to provide fresh eggs to more of WCFB’s clients (who are in West Seattle as well as WC). Till 2 pm, you can meet the H’s, tour the demonstration gardens, and get to know some cool people, at 10829 8th SW.
(WSB photo of SFD Lt. Sue Stangl with Engine 29 during July 2011 “Fill the Boot”)
The annual firefighters’ fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association starts with teams at intersections around the city 2-6 pm next Tuesday-Wednesday (and again during two days in September). The planned intersections in West Seattle are:
*Delridge Way SW/ SW Orchard St
*California/Admiral
*California/Alaska
*Harbor/Spokane
*California/Fauntleroy
More background info from today’s announcement, ahead:Read More
(Photo of 2011 ‘Wine in the Woods’ participants, courtesy Nature Consortium)
You can still join the Nature Consortium for fun at Camp Long this month, even though – as first announced at their annual brunch – the Arts in Nature Festival is skipping this year. At 7 pm August 10th – one week from tomorrow – you’re invited to “Wine in the Woods,” a fundraiser for future editions of the festival. The NC’s announcement explains:
In addition to wine tasting, Wine in the Woods will feature performances and installations by previous Arts in Nature Festival artists. There will also be an opportunity to donate directly to the Arts in Nature Festival and other NatureC programs. After sunset, follow luminaria on a trail through the forest to a campfire and desserts.
The full lineup for the night – including the musical acts and appetizers to accompany the wine – is described here. You can buy your $45 ticket online.
With four days left, you can still bring dog or cat food to Alki Mail and Dispatch for their July pet-food drive. The staff tells WSB they’ve collected more than 150 pounds of pet food so far (some of it is shown above in the photo they shared), but are hoping for more. As we mentioned at the beginning of the drive, they are accepting dry or canned food and treats. All cat food will go to Kitty Harbor and all dog food to Dogs Deserve Better, an organization raising awareness for dogs who live chained or tethered outdoors.
The drive goes through Tuesday (July 31st). Check Alki Mail’s hours and location here. And by the way, they’re already thinking about doing it again next year!
While we’ve been covering the ongoing departures and closures of businesses on the future Equity Residential development site in The Junction, we just got word of another effect: Nonprofit theater/gallery ArtsWest is losing affordable storage space and needs to replace it ASAP. From Heather:
With the imminent tear-down of the stores across the street from us in the Alaska Junction, ArtsWest will soon lose its storage space (located under the Super Supplements store). We’ve been very fortunate to have storage for our large props, furniture, and sets all of these years for free, and are now looking for 1000 feet of storage space in the West Seattle area!
Heather notes that the current storage space used to be a morgue (and you probably already know that the street-level site was once part of West Seattle Hospital). You can contact Heather at 206-938-0963, extension 107, or heatherp@artswest.org.
West Seattle’s most prolific breast-cancer-fighting fundraiser, Tracy Dart – who as you probably know also is a 3-time survivor – just accepted a big donation from the West Seattle Eagles Auxiliary, as her Team Tracy gets ready for this year’s strong>Breast Cancer 3-Day – the sixth one for her. The Eagles’ Madame Trustee Kristina Todd shared the news, with the photos we’re publishing here: Tracy got a check for $500, she says, explaining: “As part of their charity fundraising efforts, the ladies’ auxiliary had raised the money through benefit dinners and various fundraising activities over the past year. This is a perfect example of the Eagle motto of ‘people helping people’ – in particular, within our neighborhood of West Seattle.”
The Seattle-area 3-Day is less than two months away, September 14-16. If you’d like to donate to it via Team Tracy, just go here.)
One more hour to take a diaper donation to WestSide Baby‘s “Stuff the Bus” headquarters in the AmericanWest Bank lot at 41st and Alaska – lots of cheerful volunteers are there to greet you and cheer, from the moment you turn in. By 11 am, they already had 17,000 diapers – one-third of the way to today’s goal. If you bring some, you can honk the bus’s horn – Lucas did:
1:17 PM UPDATE: Nancy Woodland from WS Baby sends word that they were up to 33,000 as of 10 past 1 but need 17,000 MORE by 2 pm – drop everything and go get some if you can!
2:40 PM UPDATE: From Nancy, 43,106 diapers today, but …
215,000 diapers total so far from Stuff the Bus (diapers plus money turned into diapers). plus 100,000 in the match from National Diaper Bank Network.
ADDED: Here’s how the bus looked toward the end of today’s drive:
And at WestSide Baby HQ in White Center, volunteers working hard to sort them:
You can donate any time – here’s how – and smaller drives continue, such as the one at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), where you’ll get a free drink for bringing in a package of diapers before the end of this month!
It’s a West Seattle tradition – the day after WestSide Baby rolls a big yellow school bus in the West Seattle Grand Parade, you’ll find that bus pressed into service as a diaper-drive center! Again this year, the WS Baby “Stuff the Bus” drive is happening in the lot at AmericanWest Bank on the east side of The Junction, 4022 SW Alaska, 10 am-2 pm TODAY. Your donations count for even more than the face value, because WestSide Baby has worked hard to get “matching” donations … between today and a variety of smaller drives hosted this summer, they’re aiming to get 50,000 donated diapers matched with 100,000 more from partners. (P.S. If you missed WS Baby’s Nancy Woodland as Grand Marshal in Saturday’s parade, there’s video in our first parade report.)
Before this Saturday’s parade, hundreds of runners/walkers will make history in the first-ever West Seattle Float Dodger 5K.
Online registration has just been extended – go here before midnight tonight! The race starts from California/Charlestown by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), whose Tim McConnell just shared the brand-new FAQ:
Q – Will I miss the parade if I run?
A – No! The race is before the parade; you will have plenty of time to finish and watch the parade. We have even secured a parade-viewing area for runners and their families near the finish line.Q – Can kids run too?
A – Sure! We even have kid-sized shirts for those participating. Strollers, pets, etc. are all welcome to be a part of the inaugural race.Q – I want to do it but I’m afraid of getting run over by a float.
A – The floats on the course will not be moving! We will be running around them on the first turn. The race is 75 minutes before the parade, not during. The name Float Dodger was meant to be catchy; it does not mean you have to run around, behind or away from moving vehicles!Q – Where does my entry fee go?
A- Funds from the Float Dodger 5K go to help a number of organizations. Part of the money goes to the American Legion Post 160. They are the group that organizes and puts on the parade. That money will be used to help pay for the road closure, which continues to get more expensive. Your entry fee will help keep the parade a part of West Seattle’s summer events. The remaining money goes to the West Seattle Rotary and the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society. It is a not-for-profit event.Q – Sounds fun but I don’t run.
A – A 5K is 3.1 miles. That really isn’t very far. The winner of the race will probably finish in less then 15 minutes. The average walker can do it in less than 45 minutes. Think of walking from Admiral Safeway to Uptown Espresso and back, plus there will be around 1,000 people cheering you on. Fun, easy, healthy, and a good way to give charity. Plus you get a shirt that says you did it.
The 5K starts at 9:45 am Saturday from California/Charlestown. See you there!
Sarah Syvertsen of Arbor Heights e-mailed WSB to share the news about her brand-new business, Rylee’s Pocket. She and her aunt are “making tank tops for kids and adults with type 1 diabetes that have a special pocket to hold their insulin pumps. … We just … in the past week have started a partnership with the American Diabetes Association.”
Rylee, the shirt’s namesake, is Sarah’s 8-year-old cousin. She was diagnosed in March of 2011. Since then, Rylee’s mom writes:
Almost a year later to the date, Rylee started using the pump, which has been a suprisingly smooth transition for all of us. With all the things going on with her body, the most important thing to me was that she felt comfortable and confident. She has become so courageous and we can’t help but notice the amount of overwhelming support from family, friends, and most especially her two older sisters.
Obviously with having two older sisters, fashion has become a big deal to Rylee. At this crucial time in her life finding a way for her to fit in not only at school but also with her sisters was a semi big priority. We mulled over some ideas together and have come to find out that a tight fitting cami tank top with a button hole and a pocket with a zipper is the best idea. The zipper is the key piece missing with most “insulin pump wear” because it gives the option to still be active and not worry about the pump ever falling out when bending over (or jumping, skipping, cartwheeling, playing soccer, etc.). And making sure that the tank top was as fashion forward as possible was a bonus.
Seeing the confidence and pride that she has developed since starting on the pump and getting to wear these tank tops, we immediately realized that this was something worth sharing. Rylee is absolutely obsessed with her tank tops; her sisters even wear them to school on their own sometimes, and because of this we solidified our thought to share and have come to a place where we are now able to.
So that’s why they are trying to raise $1,000 to give a Rylee’s Pocket tank top to every one of the 60 kids with Type 1 diabetes who will be attending an ADA camp at Camp Sealth. Sarah says they have to raise the money by July 26th, and didn’t find out that deadline till last night; they may have a fundraising event in the meantime but the efforts are focused right now on getting donations via ChipIn – you can donate by going here. And if you want to buy a Rylee’s Pocket shirt for someone you know – check the links on their website.
After many expressions of love for Lincoln Park emerged among those concerned about the commercial zipline attraction proposal first reported here on June 28th and withdrawn by the Parks Department last Wednesday after an emotional meeting the night before, it was suggested that love be shown by participation in a volunteer work party. This weekend, some did just that. Volunteer forest steward Lisa McGinty says Sunday’s Friends of Lincoln Park (FLIP) work party was a success: “We had a good turnout of volunteers and lots of friendly acknowledgment from park visitors.” FLIP usually has two volunteer events each month – watch the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for word of upcoming chances for you to get involved too.
In discussion the past two weeks related to the now-scrapped proposal for a commercial zipline/tree-swing/etc. attraction in Lincoln Park (WSB coverage archived here), many said they would happily offer what they could, time and/or money, to help the park. So here’s your chance to volunteer some time – the next work party:
Get your green workout and help make West Seattle an even healthier place! Join Friends of Lincoln Park for a forest restoration and maintenance work party.
Sunday, July 15, 9 am to noon
Meet at the kiosk in the north parking lot (Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Rose St)Long sleeves and pants, sturdy shoes or boots highly recommended. Bring your favorite work gloves or we have extras to share.
We’ve done an amazing amount of invasive plant removal in the park, so maintaining our gains by going back to areas we’ve worked previously is vital! And we get the satisfaction of seeing what great work we’ve done.
Please contact Lisa McGinty, Volunteer Forest Steward, with any questions: 248.506.7155 or lmcginty206@gmail.com.
(WSB photo from 2010 Alki Art Fair)
The big summer celebrations coming up in West Seattle wouldn’t happen without LOTS of help. In the case of the Alki Art Fair, it’s all-volunteer, ever since the budget cuts that removed official city help last year … and volunteer coordinator Susan Madrid says they need some more people to pitch in:
The Alki Art Fair is two and a half weeks away, July 28 and 29, and we need volunteers. Volunteers can work a couple of hours on each day or can commit to half-day shifts at the silent auction or information booth. For example, we need people to break down chairs on Saturday night after the music performances end at 9 pm and set them up on Sunday morning before the performances start again at 10 am. We also need a couple of people who love music to staff the musicians’ sales table and serve as announcers for the acts throughout each day. If you would like to join the Alki Art Fair volunteers or have any questions, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at sjmadrid@comcast.net.
At West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) today, barbecuer extraordinaire Michele cooked up barbecue lunches to raise money for WestSide Baby, whose board member Amy Daly-Donovan was there, sporting the traditional yellow T-shirt in honor of WS Baby’s big “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive, now just two weeks away – Sunday, July 22nd (10 am-2 pm, AmericanWest Bank parking lot at 40th/Alaska in The Junction).
Even if you missed the barbecue, there are other ways to help WS Baby assist local families in need. For one – you can have a diaper drive to collect diapers that’ll count toward the “Stuff the Bus” goal. Here’s how. Or, you can participate in someone else’s diaper drive – for example, Center Studio in downtown White Center is offering a diaper-drive yoga class at 8 am on Saturday, July 21: “Bring a package of diapers and enjoy 90 minutes of pure yoga bliss,” says proprietor Lonjina Verdugo. Her studio also is collecting diapers through the 21st, if you just want to drop some off sooner.
Thriftway is having another WestSide Baby-benefiting barbeque on the 21st, too, by the way – 11 am-2 pm. It all goes toward a goal of 50,000 diapers – which will be matched two-for-one by the National Diaper Bank Network. (You can also buy diapers for WS Baby online via its Amazon Wish List.)
Got one or more fruit trees but unable to pick/use this summer’s crop? City Fruit would love to hear from you, so they can come harvest it and get it to people in need. This year, they’re expanding to West Seattle, as well as serving South Seattle and Phinney Ridge, and they’re looking not only for trees, but also volunteers. From Betsy at CF:
City Fruit promotes the cultivation of urban fruit in order to nourish people, build community and protect the climate. We help tree owners grow healthy fruit, provide assistance in harvesting and preserving fruit, promote the sharing of extra fruit and work to protect urban fruit trees. City Fruit works neighborhood by neighborhood to harvest extra fruit and distribute it to food banks, meals programs, senior centers, schools and others who can use it. In the past three years we have harvested nearly 30,000 lbs of fruit. If you have extra, please join us in this effort.
To donate fruit … If you have unsprayed, healthy fruit to donate, contact City Fruit at westseattle@cityfruit.org. Give us your name, address, type of tree and a way to reach you. We will contact you about scheduling a harvest.
…If you have a fruit tree that has a problem (disease, bad fruit, etc.) and you would like to be on our list of fruit trees needing help, email westseattle@cityfruit.org with the details of your tree.
Lots more information on their website at cityfruit.org – including how to support City Fruit by becoming a member (Betsy says there are perks, including a thank-you discount offered by West Seattle Nursery). Betsy says their local beneficiaries include both area food banks. (Photo courtesy City Fruit)
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