West Seattle Blog…

Rotary Club of West Seattle’s new president: Andy Horner

Andy Horner is the new president of the Rotary Club of West Seattle, elected to lead the 75-member club until next July. He is the Senior Supervising Manager of Tukwila-headquartered Leavitt Machinery USA, one of the Northwest’s largest privately owned full service multi-line dealers of materials-handling equipment. The West Seattle Rotary was chartered in 1947 and meets every Tuesday at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor). A news release from the club quotes Horner: “West Seattle has a long-standing tradition of producing great results in the local community as well as developing Rotary leaders for Rotary District 5030. This year’s Rotary International theme is ‘Peace Through Service,’ one of which I am very excited to be a part of. When you bring peace to someone through your service efforts, it returns such a wonderful feeling of self-worth. Rotary has connected me to a great group of individuals and community leaders who care about their neighbors, those less fortunate, and most importantly, making a difference in the world though their commitment to service above self.” His past roles in the club include Community Service Chair, President of the West Seattle Service Foundation, and 2011 Rotarian of the Year. P.S. Special events upcoming for WS Rotary include the Wine and Chocolate Auction, scheduled for September 7th (register here).

West Seattle Grand Parade, report #4: Rotary Kiddie Parade

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Yet another facet of the interwoven events of Saturday, in connection with the West Seattle Grand Parade, was the Rotary Club of West Seattle-presented Kiddie Parade. Once again on Saturday, the proud participants marched down California from SW Genesee to Edmunds. Or rolled:

First, as usual, they mill about, which is almost as much of a spectacle:

Costumes usually abound:

Always lots of kids in the “main parade,” but this is a chance for little ones to enjoy the being-in-the-parade experience, even if they’re not part of a school, group, church, etc. that has an entry.

West Seattle scene: Rotary hears from ‘Diver Laura’ James

While she awaits the results of the Cox Conserves Heroes vote (announcement expected on July 25th, one week from today), diver/environmental advocate Laura James is keeping busy as always. On Tuesday, she was guest speaker for the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly meeting, showing some of her trademark underwater video, and talking about the fight against toxic runoff – “Tox-Ick,” as dubbed in the campaign by Sustainable West Seattle. (Here’s what you can do to NOT feed the Tox-Ick Monster.)

P.S. The Rotary is presenter of the West Seattle Kiddie Parade right before the WS Grand Parade on Saturday – with kids/families invited to walk a short route through The Junction starting at 11 am. You can sign up on their website. (They’re also a beneficiary of the pre-parade Float Dodger 5K – online signups end today!)

Rotary Club of West Seattle: Berry orders; annual breakfast

One big event is in the books, and another one ahead, for the Rotary Club of West Seattle. First, what’s ahead: Advance orders are now being taken for the annual berry sale – deliveries are expected in July, but the sooner you order, the better. As usual, it’s a three-round sale – strawberries first, then raspberries, then blueberries; prices and projected pickup dates are listed here; you can place an order online by going to this page. It’s another of their major fundraisers for activities such as the annual Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree. Earlier this week, they gathered for the annual breakfast – photos ahead: Click to read the rest of Rotary Club of West Seattle: Berry orders; annual breakfast…

Followup: Sanislo book sale meets Rotary book drive!

Two of the events we covered on Saturday had a fortuitous meeting of the minds afterward .. thanks to Martha for the followup photo and report:

After its book sale yesterday, Sanislo Elementary generously donated its leftover books to the West Seattle Rotary Club’s “Books for the World” book drive. Photo is of Sanislo and Rotary volunteers. Both the sale and the book drive were successful thanks to the help of all the donors, shoppers, and volunteers (and WSB coverage)!

Martha Sidlo
West Seattle Rotary

If you haven’t caught up with yesterday – our report on the Rotary book drive was here, and the Sanislo sale here.

Happening now: West Seattle Rotarians collect ‘Books for the World’

Just look for the truck in the 40th/Alaska parking lot – and the banner! Volunteers from the Rotary Club of West Seattle has been out in the morning’s mercurial weather (still slushing when we stopped for our photo), collecting Books for the World. Here are details of what they’re collecting, in our preview from earlier this week. They’re scheduled to be there till 1:30 pm.

Speaking of reading … donate Saturday to ‘Books for the World’

We’ve been celebrating West Seattle students’ accomplishments in the Global Reading Challenge. Now, here’s an opportunity to help give the gift of literacy to youth around the world. Martha Sidlo e-mailed us on behalf of the Rotary Club of West Seattle:

Your donation of new and lightly used books will be gratefully accepted by the West Seattle Rotary Club on Saturday, March 17th, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the empty used car lot on the southeast corner of SW Alaska Street and 40th Avenue SW – just west of the Howden-Kennedy Funeral Home at 3909 SW Alaska Street. Books will be distributed to underserved communities in South Africa, Haiti and Guatemala through Rotary’s Books for the World – 2012 campaign. Cash donations of any amount are welcome to help with the cost of shipping the books overseas. Make checks payable to “5030 Service Fund” and send West Seattle Rotary, c/o Martha Sidlo, 7500 34th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98126.

We asked what kinds of books they’re looking for:

Books for all ages are welcome, for example: Picture/story books (pre-K and up), teen and adult fiction, K-12 textbooks in sets of 10 or more (world history is okay; U.S. history is discouraged), current professional books (medical books, international law, etc.), encyclopedia sets (less than 20 years old), as well as magazines such as National Geographic or Smithsonian (please, no news magazines).

‘First Citizen Award’ for Rotary District 5030, led by West Seattleite

This time yesterday, your editor here was honored to be the monthly speaker at the Rotary Club of West Seattle, talking about covering news in West Seattle. Since then, there’s big news involving club members and more than 3,000 of their fellow regional Rotarians – Rotary International District 5030 is the first organization in 68 years to receive the Seattle-King County First Citizen Award. West Seattle is one of 53 clubs comprising District 5030, and is home to its district governor, Ann Liberato, at right in our July 2011 photo below, with club president Sue Lindblom:

The news release we just received from the First Citizen Award’s sponsoring organization, Seattle-King County Realtors, quotes award-committee chair Roni Strupat: “Rather than single out an individual, we are delighted to honor an organization with remarkable dedication – and results — in meeting the challenges associated with hunger, poverty and illiteracy.” District 5030 will officially receive the award at a Seattle Sheraton banquet on June 13th. Read on for the district’s accomplishments, listed in the announcement: Click to read the rest of ‘First Citizen Award’ for Rotary District 5030, led by West Seattleite…

Leadership-training opportunity for West Seattle teens – free!

Know a teenager who might be interested? The Rotary Club of West Seattle is getting the word out:

The West Seattle Rotary Club is identifying and nominating West Seattle qualified and interested West Seattle high school students (13-18) to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Seminar (at no cost to the student or school). The conference will be held at Pacific Lutheran University March 1-4, 2012.

RYLA is an intensive leadership training conference and workshop. The program has been carefully designed to provide basic leadership training and experience for young people from Western Washington and Canada. The program will include lectures and discussion periods with skilled and prominent leaders, as well as recreation, good food, and fellowship.

It’s a great way to further develop leadership talents and abilities, add to your resume, and broaden your horizons while having fun.

If you are an interested high-school student, please fill out an application by February 15th 2012. Applications may be sent via e-mail to tarambyrne@gmail.com or via fax at 206.932.2326. For more information visit rylanw.org

The application form can be found here.

Video: West Seattle Rotary Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree

We’re in the SODO Sears/Starbucks building right now along with hundreds of people from teens through seniors, all volunteers who are here with one mission: To make this a happier holiday for about 100 kids from local elementary schools. It’s the annual Rotary Club of West Seattle Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree, and as those kids arrive, they’ll be matched with volunteers for a busy morning including breakfast, choosing warm clothing – our top photo shows volunteers, sorting – shopping, talking to Santa, and more. It’s a herculean effort to organize and stage:

ADDED 7 AM: That hallway suddenly filled, as the first kids arrived:

The kids participating today are from Alki, Lafayette, Gatewood, and Roxhill Elementary Schools, Pathfinder K-8, and Concord International School. Volunteers include not only West Seattle Rotarians, but also members of the National Panhellenic Council of Seattle and its associated sororities and fraternities (Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Kappa Alpha Psi) – plus the Loren Miller Bar Association, and youth volunteers (we just met a group from Tukwila’s Foster High School):

ADDED 8:10 AM: More photos – from just part of the crowd of more than 300 volunteers:

… to the actual shopping!

We’re sitting next to a table with two volunteers and a little girl, making a list as they ask her what she’s interested in finding; this is all about practical gifts like warm clothes and shoes, and yet it’s a fun and festive atmosphere too (a table away, other volunteers are decorating the area where Santa will start meeting with the kids a bit later … update, he arrived to cheers and applause at 8:35 am).

ADDED: And even more photos, ahead, including a visitor from the Seahawks! Click to read the rest of Video: West Seattle Rotary Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree…

West Seattleites heading to Nepal for Rotary exchange program

Planning winter travel? The Rotary Club of West Seattle and its fellow area Rotarians send news of a group headed out on a particularly exotic journey:

Only one more week to go before local area delegates from Rotary District 5030 leave the comforts of Seattle for Nepal. As posted over the summer, Rotary’s Group Study Exchange is a vocational exchange program that is sending a team of young professionals to Nepal (December 2011 – January 2012). Three of the five delegates are from West Seattle and two are sponsored by the West Seattle Rotary. Learn more about the program and the team – they could be your neighbors – and follow them along on their Himalayan adventure at gse2011seattle.blogspot.com.

Tomorrow morning, by the way, Rotary members have a big event a lot closer to home: With the help of volunteers and donations, they will be helping 100 local kids have a happier holiday season through the annual Children’s Shopping Spree. If you’d like to chip in, there’s a donation link on their official website, here.

West Seattle holidays: Sponsor a child for Rotary Shopping Spree

(WSB photo from 2010 Rotary Club of West Seattle Children’s Shopping Spree)
Another giving opportunity this holiday season – you can be (a) Santa without the beard, suit and hat! Very early the morning of December 3rd – so early that most years we’ve covered it, the ground and pavement are still frost-covered – the Rotary Club of West Seattle will deploy volunteers for a huge operation that means happier holidays for 100 local kids, the 38th annual Children’s Shopping Spree: They get a bus ride across the bridge to Sears SODO, where they get to choose gifts both practical and fun, including warm coats and clothing, as well as breakfast, lunch, and Santa photos! You don’t have to be a Rotarian – nor do you even have to get up at 6 am! – to be part of this. You can contribute to the shopping-spree fund online by going here, or mail a donation with the form you’ll find here. (Here’s our coverage from last year.)

It’s in the bag! West Seattle Rotary fundraising purse (etc.) sale

From Heidi Horwitz, fundraising chair for the Rotary Club of West Seattle:

One bag, two bag, red bag, GOLF BAG… Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled purses, yearning to be worn; the wretched refuse of your teeming closets and drawers just in time for Christmas shopping! Friday; December 2nd, 12-1:30 pm, West Seattle Golf Club Banquet Room. Luncheon and purse sale with mini-auction of 10 premium items; just in time for Christmas gift-giving!

This fundraiser will consist of sales of donated purses, men’s wallets, and golf bags that are either new, have been pre-owned, or as we like to say: ‘Gently Used.’ Proceeds from this luncheon event will benefit the West Seattle Rotary Service Club. The West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation is a 501 C-3 nonprofit organization.

We hope that you can join us for the fundraiser, but if you cannot attend the event itself, perhaps you will consider making a donation of purses, wallets, or golf-related items.

You can e-mail Heidi at heidihorwitz@comcast.net to find out how to donate. Tickets to the event are available at westseattlerotary.org.

Back-to-school help, thanks to Pencil Me In For Kids

One week till the first day of school for Seattle Public Schools (some independent schools start earlier), and this gathering in Westwood tonight was good news for local students whose families can’t afford school supplies – it was the annual Pencil Me In For Kids sorting party.

Rotary Club of West Seattle president Sue Lindblom, Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) owner and longtime PMIFK ringleader, says “Rotarians and friends who signed up to help us sort out those school supplies” planned a potluck barbecue after the work was done. Tomorrow, the supplies get delivered to a pickup site, and this year, PMIFK got extra help, Sue says: “West Seattle Helpline donated money and 100 extra backpacks they had!” PMIFK also will benefit from raffles at the upcoming West Seattle Junction Car Show on September 18th, organizer Michael Hoffman of Liberty Bell Print and Design has announced.

P.S. One more note from Sue: “There have been many shifts in Family Support Workers over the years and this year we were not able to get responses from two schools that usually receive some of these supplies. We are hoping if they still are in need they will contact us. Those two schools are Alki and Concord.” PMIFK contact info can be found here.

Wine & chocolate! 1 week till West Seattle Rotary event

It’s a first for the Rotary Club of West Seattle – a fun-draiser bringing together premium wine and chocolate – and with one week to go until the August 4th event at Salty’s on Alki, the lineup is set: ‘O’ Wines, DeLille Cellars, Hedges Family Estates, Goedhart Family Estates, La Coye, Two Brothers, Baron’s V, Hestia Cellars, Fat Cork, JM Cellars, Rasa, Theo Chocolates. Plus live jazz/blues music, hors d’oeuvres, and a live/silent auction, all supporting scholarships for local youth, the 38th annual Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree, and other humanitarian work. Major discount for signing up before next Thursday’s 5:30 pm event – you can register online right now. (The official poster/flyer can be seen here.)

West Seattle Grand Parade, report #5: Rotary Kiddie Parade

If you watched Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade from north of Genesee, you missed out on the freeform fun of the WS Rotary Kiddie Parade, which invites any and all local kids to travel the three blocks south of Edmunds, between the motorcycle drill teams and the rest of the parade. Kids walk, bike, ride in wagons and strollers, and even perform – the Denny International Middle School Marching Band is part of it – here’s our video of the Kiddie Parade in its entirety, recorded at California/Alaska:

Leading the parade and carrying the flag was Sue Lindblom, West Seattle Rotary president and owner of longtime WSB sponsor Illusions Hair Design.

West Seattle Rotarians celebrate Gov. Liberato, plan wine event

At this week’s Rotary Club of West Seattle lunch meeting, new president Sue Lindblom (from longtime WSB sponsor Illusions Hair Design) and new District 5030 Governor Ann Liberato paused for a photo-op with the brand-new banner celebrating the club’s status as home to the district governor. Busy times for the Rotarians – with several upcoming events, including a first-ever wine-tasting fundraiser:

*JULY 12 – the Rotary Kiddies’ Parade right before the West Seattle Grand Parade, all kids welcome to march, ride, walk, roll, 10 am, California/Genesee (“>pre-register here)

*JULY 22-23: Next round of the three-round Rotary Berry Sale (WSB sponsor) – raspberries will be ready for pickup. Order in advance, online.

*AUGUST 4 – the club’s 1st annual wine-tasting event/auction, with live music, “heavy hors d’oeuvres,” and of course, the wine! 5:30 pm, full details here. This is a fundraiser for the Rotary’s Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree and other humanitarian projects, locally and worldwide.

West Seattle Rotary Berry Sale: Strawberries today for walk-ups

While you’re in The Junction for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market and/or Summer Fest, drop by the Keller Williams lot on the east side of California just north of Oregon to get stocked up on strawberries. The West Seattle Rotary Berry Sale (WSB sponsor) has a few more buckets left and will sell them to walk-ups, first come first served, 11 am-2 pm today. $25 for 7 1/2 pounds, $40 for 15 pounds. Freezable if you don’t have some massive use for them all immediately. (And you can order the next two rounds, blueberries and/or raspberries, in advance online.)

West Seattle Rotary Berry Sale: Strawberries today & tomorrow

Order berries through the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s Berry Sale (WSB sponsor)? Or – want some berries? Strawberry pickup is today and tomorrow, at a different location (since the old Admiral Safeway back parking lot is now part of a new store opening next month) – 40th/Alaska, on the east side of The Junction. 1-6 pm today, 9 am-3 pm on Saturday. And there’s still time to order the next two rounds of berries – raspberries and blueberries – with online ordering available via the Rotary’s website.

Spend a month in Nepal – without paying the cost of travel!

The Rotary Club of West Seattle is helping get the word out about a month-long Group Study Exchange for “young businesspeople.” They’re taking applications for a team that will spend a month in Nepal next winter. Though Rotary pays all costs, only non-Rotarians, ages 25-40, are eligible; other qualifications and more information can be found here. If you are interested in hearing more about how the Group Study Exchange program works, West Seattle Rotary’s Steve Fuller tells WSB that this coming Tuesday’s West Seattle Rotary lunch meeting (noon, Salty’s on Alki) will include a presentation by this year’s Group Study Exchange team, which went to India.

Happening now: West Seattle Rotary’s polio-fighting fundraiser

It’s been half a century since a vaccine breakthrough led to the near-eradication of polio in the U.S. But as the Rotary Club of West Seattle is explaining today in The Junction – the rest of the world is a different story, particularly isolated areas of Asia and Africa. Till 5 pm today, West Seattle Rotarians are by KeyBank with an iron lung – the device that paralyzed polio victims needed to keep breathing. Contributions will go toward the Rotary International campaign to match a nine-digit grant from the Gates Foundation for worldwide polio vaccination, to wipe out the disease once and for all. (P.S. The WS Rotary’s Berry Sale is under way too, supporting all their charity programs including the Christmas Shopping Spree – you can order online; deliveries are just weeks away.)

Duwamish Alive! at T-107 Park: New launch, new bench, new sign

Cari Simson of the Duwamish RIver Cleanup Coalition estimated 1,100 volunteers have been part of today’s Duwamish Alive! events at 13 spots from Alki south to Tukwila – and more than 75 of them were here at Port of Seattle-owned T-107 Park, for a ceremony that just concluded the day’s work. Top, the Blue Heron Canoe (read about it here) heading out from the new hand-carry launch at the park; (added) here’s video after it launched, with skipper Mike Evans of the Snohomish Tribe asking permission to proceed, while, offcamera, James Rasmussen of DRCC and Duwamish Tribe welcomes the canoe:

Below, the new bench the Rotary Club of West Seattle just dedicated in honor of the late Ken Wise (His son, Tom is at the far right in the photo).

Many more photos, and video – those speaking here included Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin, and Port of Seattle Commissioner Gael Tarleton – to come, including the unveiling of the new interpretive sign here. The followup event that’s getting under way now is an Earth Day Festival at Pathfinder K-8 School on Pigeon Point.

ADDED 8:32 PM: As promised, additional photos ahead: Click to read the rest of Duwamish Alive! at T-107 Park: New launch, new bench, new sign…

Video: West Seattle Rotary celebrates ‘Partners for Work’

The Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly Tuesday lunch meeting at Salty’s on Alki drew about double the usual crowd as Rotarians celebrated the “Partners for Work” service program, which helps developmentally disabled people prepare for and secure employment. It’s not just a West Seattle Rotary program – it’s implemented throughout their regional District (5030), so those who were on hand included visitors from all around King County. And county government was represented too; as seen in our video clip (along with remarks from areawide Rotary leaders), County Executive Dow Constantine – a longtime WS Rotary member – received an award for his support of similar employment programs. A bit of the current political climate sparked in his brief speech; you’ll hear him criticize proposed state cuts that would mean less support for people with developmental disabilities. So far, the Rotary program has created 13 jobs – in a group that they say has up to 80 percent unemployment – but even more important, it was noted, “We have educated hundreds about the dignity of work.” They have set a goal of creating 20 jobs districtwide per year. You can find out more about Partners for Work here.

West Seattle Rotary breakfast: Community help, local/global

The Rotary Club of West Seattle usually meets for lunch on Tuesdays, but today members got up early for the annual Community Breakfast. Guest speakers included Penny LeGate, award-winning veteran broadcaster, and Ezra Teshome, who is assistant governor for Rotary District 5030 (above, from left, Teshome, LeGate, and WS Rotary president Steve Fuller). LeGate talked about the Rotary effort to help eradicate polio, which persists in countries including Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, where it’s difficult to deliver vaccine, and to break through geographic/cultural challenges. The Rotary’s polio-fighting campaign goes back more than a quarter of a century, and gets financial assistance from the Seattle-headquartered Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Teshome talked about his trips taking dozens of Rotarians to Ethiopia each fall to work on the polio-fighting project.

Also highlighted – Arbor Heights Elementary students modeling clothes from last December’s West Seattle Rotary Holiday Shopping Spree, and Molly Ward from the South Seattle Community College-based Career Link, which receives assistance from the Rotary’s education program (which also provides scholarships to local students including West Seattle High School, Chief Sealth International High School, and Seattle Lutheran High School). One more youth note – the Ellis Brothers Jazz Trio entertained:

You can find out more about the Rotary Club of West Seattle, its events and programs at their website – westseattlerotary.org.

Half the Viaduct DOES close next year, project boss points out

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

For all the hubbub this week over Mayor McGinn‘s suggestion to shut down the Alaskan Way Viaduct next year – the people working on The Viaduct’s future point out that half of it is already scheduled to be closed next year.

That’s the southern half – the Holgate-to-King leg of the project that is exempt from the tunnel-or-no-tunnel controversy, since, as Viaduct project boss Ron Paananen told the Rotary Club of West Seattle on Tuesday, it’s designed to fit with whatever winds up replacing the Central Waterfront section.

Paananen was the headliner for the Rotary’s weekly lunch, before a crowd filling one of the downstairs meeting rooms at Salty’s on Alki, with attendees including even King County Executive Dow Constantine, days before The Viaduct closes for its next semiannual inspection (6 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday).

To some degree, you could describe his presentation as part refresher course, part attempted myth-busting.

Click to read the rest of Half the Viaduct DOES close next year, project boss points out…

2 Alaskan Way Viaduct notes, including next weekend’s shutdown

Two Alaskan Way Viaduct notes tonight: First, the man who oversees the entire project – including the controversial tunnel plan – will be the next guest speaker for the Rotary Club of West Seattle; Ron Paananen is scheduled to speak at noon Tuesday at Salty’s on Alki. (Guests are welcome at the lunch meetings; call the club at 206-718-9401 for info, or e-mail with the form on this page.) Second, next weekend is the semiannual maintenance shutdown for The Viaduct – 6 am-6 pm each day, Saturday and Sunday, March 19-20.

@ Rotary Club of West Seattle, Mike Heavey defends Amanda Knox

(The table was only empty for presentation logistics – all the others were full)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

With that quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., longtime West Seattleite Mike Heavey opened his presentation this afternoon to the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly lunch meeting at Salty’s on Alki. The topic: The much-discussed case of Amanda Knox – “a 20-year-old kid, from the University of Washington, from West Seattle” at the time of her arrest in Italy in 2007, which as you almost certainly have heard led to a murder conviction which is now being appealed (with proceedings continuing next Saturday).

Click to read the rest of @ Rotary Club of West Seattle, Mike Heavey defends Amanda Knox…