West Seattle Blog…

Happening now: Sustainable West Seattle and friends build ‘Presto Garden’ to help White Center Food Bank

(First two photos courtesy SWS)
Thanks to Kate Kaemerle from Sustainable West Seattle for sharing updates from the “Presto Garden” project that’s now moved on to the planting stage at Westcrest Park P-Patch in Highland Park. It was just a couple of hours ago that volunteers were putting down compost, as shown in an earlier photo from Kate:

And a few hours before that, we caught up with Kate and Bill Reiswig getting ready at the West Seattle Tool Library:

(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Food grown organically and sustainably in the garden will be donated to the White Center Food Bank. Read more about the project on the SWS website; if you haven’t been by yet, head for 8th/Henderson; they’re scheduled to continue till 5, and the more help they have, the more they can get done.

ADDED: We went back around 4:40 pm to see something close to the “after” photo:

Now – it’s time to grow!

Sustainable West Seattle to debut new garden next weekend, growing food to feed those in need

A day before the West Seattle Bee Garden debuts with a celebration in High Point next Sunday, another new local community garden will debut in Highland Park on Saturday – a section of the new Westcrest Park P-Patch dedicated to growing food for the White Center Food Bank. The “Presto Garden” project is being led by Sustainable West Seattle, incorporating donations from local businesses and organizations listed in this update on the SWS website. Here’s where you come in: Many hands, light work. Be there on Saturday (May 18th) 1-5 pm for the planting party that will help make it happen. Westcrest is at 9000 8th SW (for those not familiar with the park, we’re tracking down specific directions to the planting site, and will add them here).

Sustainable West Seattle explores ‘Designing a Perfect Garden’

Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Sustainable West Seattle continued its “Successful Gardening with Nature” series Monday night with the second of three installments: “Designing the Perfect Garden.”

A walk-through of the Community Orchard of West Seattle included adding topsoil around existing fruit trees and planting seedlings that have been grown in South Seattle Community College’s greenhouse.

To demonstrate “companion planting” (placing plants that provide beneficial qualities within close proximity of each other) Stu Hennessey and Narcissa Nelson led forum attendees in a planting exercise.

Click to read the rest of Sustainable West Seattle explores ‘Designing a Perfect Garden’…

Sustainable West Seattle digs into natural gardening

Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Sustainable West Seattle is taking a new approach to its monthly member meetings by focusing on a particular theme each quarter. Last night kicked off this quarter’s “gardening with nature” theme with a focus on soils.

Due to our region’s glaciated geological history, our soils can be challenging to work in, and often take time, energy and amendments to create an environment where plants can thrive. Stu Hennessey (right) demonstrated the work that has been done at the Community Orchard of West Seattle – site of part of the meeting – to improve the soil, taking it from a compacted lawn to a healthy, nutrient-rich soil supporting edible plants and fruit trees. Much of the resulting produce will be shared with the Delridge Grocery, announced last night as one of three SWS Green Grant Recipients (we reported on the grant recipients here, before last night’s meeting was over).

The healthy soil was created using a method called “layering” which is also known as “lasagna gardening.”

Click to read the rest of Sustainable West Seattle digs into natural gardening…

Sustainable West Seattle awards grant money to 3 projects

From WSB contributing reporter Keri DeTore at tonight’s Sustainable West Seattle community forum: SWS has just announced not just one winner from its new grant program, but three. Keri says the newly renamed Delridge Grocery group received $1,000 – you can congratulate them at their membership “launch/lunch” event next Saturday – and another $1,000 was split by the Time Bank of West Seattle and DIY Bikes applicants, after SWS announced it had extra money to give. The three were among six applicants for the new program; in addition to making their pitches to the group, they also were rated in an online survey open to community participation. Main topic of tonight’s event is “gardening with nature”; we’ll have Keri’s report on that later – the forum continues at the SSCC Horticulture Center and Community Orchard of West Seattle until 9.

You be the judge! Who merits Sustainable West Seattle’s $1K grant?

Sustainable West Seattle has a $1,000 Green Incubator Grant to award, with six potential recipients in the running. SWS is now inviting you to help judge – rating the proposals for those six West Seattle/White Center projects. Even if you haven’t heard about them before, you can help by going to this online survey page, reading the thumbnail description of each proposal, and rating each one on how it relates to five criteria: Feasibility, Sustainability, Social and Economic Justice, Community Building, Educational Elements. SWS will use your feedback and choose the recipient in time for an announcement at its March 18 Community Forum at the South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) Horticulture Center/Community Orchard of West Seattle site.

Also on Tuesday: Sustainable West Seattle’s annual meeting

In honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s birthday, today is the MLK Day of Service – but tomorrow (Tuesday) you have multiple opportunities to carry on that spirit of service, by participating in community meetings. Here’s one more from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar that we’re making sure you see ahead of time:

Sustainable West Seattle‘s annual membership meeting is Tuesday, January 22nd from 7 – 9 pm at the West Seattle Senior Center.

You’ll hear about SWS programs for 2013 and ways that you can get involved as a volunteer. We’ll be introducing our new and returning board members plus appreciating our outgoing board colleagues.

You will also learn about the kick-off of our 2013 SWS Green Project Incubator Grant with $1000 generously donated from the CoHo Team of Windermere Agents. SWS will offer this grant to a West Seattle resident who applies with an idea to foster sustainability in our neighborhood. Come to the meeting for more details.

1,000th-member milestone approaches for West Seattle Tool Library

Almost two and a half years ago, the West Seattle Tool Library opened its doors (WSB first-day coverage here) – and this week they’ve announced they’re on the brink of signing up their 1,000th member. They’re looking for ideas on how to mark the milestone, and also inviting you to share your Tool Library story – this update on the Sustainable West Seattle website has the details. Looking for Tool Library hours and other info? Go here.

Metro apologizes, promises Arbor Heights changes @ Sustainable West Seattle transportation forum

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:46 PM MONDAY: While we upload video and put together the full story, we did want to share a few toplines from tonight’s well-attended Sustainable West Seattle Community Forum, focused on transportation.

We estimate around 60 people filled the upstairs hall at the Senior Center of West Seattle, surprising one panelist, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who had brought only 20 copies of a handout he wanted to circulate. Though the panel was prepared to discuss a wide range of transportation topics, the Metro changes/RapidRide C Line debut dominated, and when one attendee asked everyone from Arbor Heights to stand up, that covered about half the room. Metro planner Victor Obeso acknowledged the transition had been rocky and when asked by one attendee to apologize, did so. Later he also confirmed they expect to make some changes to address problems like Arbor Heights’ dramatic reduction in service, and that they are trying to get the RapidRide service to the promised 10-minute spacing, rather than multiple buses in a row after longer gaps. The forum ran the full two hours, and we have it all on video:

ADDED 6:57 AM TUESDAY: Video added. Text to come later this morning today.

ADDED 6:40 PM: Our full story, after the jump:

Click to read the rest of Metro apologizes, promises Arbor Heights changes @ Sustainable West Seattle transportation forum…

Sustainable West Seattle honors a hero, celebrates a milestone

When the campaign to stop the Tox-Ick Monster burst onto the local scene last year, the unsung hero behind it was Cate White, leading Sustainable West Seattle‘s education and outreach efforts to get people to take action, little by little, to make a big difference in Puget Sound’s water quality. Cate is unsung no longer – tonight, during SWS’s annual summertime picnic at Lincoln Park, president Christina Hahs announced her as the group’s 2012 Sustainable Hero:

In case you couldn’t watch the video – Cate is leaving West Seattle soon, headed for the Bay Area, but the fight against Tox-Ick will live on – Cate has helped secure several major grants, and was there to celebrate the $10,000 the campaign is getting for Laura James‘ recent win as a Cox Conserves Hero.

Another celebration at tonight’s picnic: SWS is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. We went back into the WSB archives and found our first mention, a quick announcement of its first meeting in spring of 2007. Christina brought homemade green-iced cake tonight to mark the milestone:

And if you did see/hear the video – the dogs who were “cheering” for Cate were Christina’s Corgis, Sedona and Piper:

The picnic took the place of this month’s regular membership meeting, so there were announcements, too, including Saturday’s Duwamish River Festival in South Park and tomorrow’s weekly Health and Harvest event at the Community Orchard of West Seattle, 5-7 pm on the northeast side of the South Seattle Community College campus. SSCC is also where SWS plans its September meeting, which will focus on winter gardening – watch for details and lots more on its frequently and thoroughly updated website, sustainablewestseattle.org.

Congratulations! Laura James wins Cox Conserves Heroes award, gets $ for Sustainable West Seattle

Just got the news, and that photo, from a proud Laura James – best known here as “Diver Laura,” who has often shared video of amazing underwater sights as well as news of cleanups on sea and shore: She won the Cox Conserves Heroes award, which means a total of $10,000 for Sustainable West Seattle, her chosen nonprofit! We first told you in June that she was a finalist in this year’s contest. Then, voting ensued – till one week ago – and today, Laura was announced as the winner. (She was the only West Seattleite among the finalists, who are all shown here; the other two will each earn a $2,500 grant for their chosen nonprofit.)

(Laura with Cate White, Sustainable WS Tox-Ick fighter)
ADDED 9:49 PM: We asked Laura for a comment. Her reply:

A huge thank you to KIRO 7, Cox Enterprises and the Trust for Public Land for helping fight the Tox-Ick Monster! Many many thanks to my Friends and Family – Facebook or otherwise – who voted, My dive buddies who make the dives possible; a special thank you to Kelle Fitzpatrick for nominating me; and West Seattle Blog for your relentless support! I could not have done it without all of you!

“Tox-Ick,” you might recall, is the “face” of the Sustainable WS toxic-runoff-fighting campaign (read about the “monster” here and about simple actions YOU can take to fight it).

ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: Here’s the official announcement, now published on the Cox Conserves Heroes website.

West Seattle Tool Library goes mobile! Delivery/pickup trailer debuts

(Photo courtesy West Seattle Tool Library)
As its third year of operation gets under way, the nationally renowned West Seattle Tool Library is adding mobile service – and you can take a peek firsthand during tomorrow night’s “Ask an Expert” event at the WSTL. Here’s the Tool Library’s official announcement:

The West Seattle Tool Library is pleased to announce that we are going mobile. Thanks to a few generous sponsorships and the ongoing support of our growing 700-plus member community, the tool library has purchased a trailer and refurbished it to serve as a mobile extension of our well-loved collection of tools.

The new mobile unit, sized seven- by 14-feet, will be stocked with a variety of the most popular tools. The trailer will allow for members who do not have a vehicle, who need a tool that doesn’t fit in their vehicle or simply want the convenience of having it delivered, to do so for a fee of $10 each way. The mobile tool library will also be available to community groups who are working on a project and need a large number of tools on site.

Members will be able to request a pickup or delivery by contacting the library by e-mail at library@wstools.org or by phone at (206) 317-4671.

“This mobile unit will dramatically increase accessibility to the West Seattle Tool Library for a number of our neighbors who, for one reason or another, can’t always make it down to the tool library itself during open hours,” said Patrick Dunn, tool library founder. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to reach out to the community and ensure that everyone has access to the tools they need to take on projects of all sorts.”

The bright red unit, which resembles a horse trailer and was purchased in used condition and refurbished to a pristine state by Tool Library Director Micah Summers, will be officially rolled out to the public Thursday night, July 12, at the Tool Library’s regular DIY community meetup and “Ask an Expert” night. It will then be on display at the GreenLife exposition (part of West Seattle Summer Fest ) this weekend in the West Seattle Junction.

Held at the tool library’s permanent location in the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way, the “Ask an Expert” event runs from 6-8 p.m. and offers area residents an opportunity to bounce project ideas off fellow DIYers and receive advice from experts in a variety of home improvement and sustainability fields.

The mobile unit was made possible by grants from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the West Seattle Garden Tour and other donors.

The West Seattle Tool Library officially opened its doors in June of 2010, offering free community access to a variety of more than 100 tools out of a small storage closet. Just two years later, that modest collection has grown to over 1,500 mostly-donated tools, serving a membership of around 700 people from a renovated workshop space at Youngstown.

The tool library also hosts a wide range of educational classes and workshops, a fixer’s collective and social events geared toward the Do-It-Yourself community. Besides Summers, an intern and a number of volunteers help keep the library open and humming on weekends and Thursday nights.

You can check out the WSTL inventory via its website – wstoollibrary.org.
ADDED: Another reason to go!

Also visiting the Tool Library this Thursday evening are the folks from ‘Spark Truck.’ Out of Stanford Design School, they’ve created a mobile unit filled with 3d printers, laser cutters, and other tools to help promote hands-on making and design to youth. They’re currently on a nationwide roadtrip.

Vote for ‘Diver Laura’; help Sustainable West Seattle win $

Congratulations to Laura James, also known as “Diver Laura,” whose underwater adventures and sea/land volunteer work – like “The Great Battery Roundup of 2012” – are often featured here on WSB. She is one of the finalists for this year’s “Cox Conserves Heroes” award, and online voting is open now. Here’s what’s at stake, from the Cox/KIRO TV announcement:

A total of $15,000 will be donated to local environmental nonprofits on behalf of the finalists. By being a finalist, each individual has secured a $2,500 donation for his or her nonprofit of choice. The finalists are now competing for an additional $7,500 – bringing the total donation on behalf of the winner to $10,000. The winner will be chosen through an online public vote.

Laura’s chosen nonprofit is Sustainable West Seattle. To vote (and to see who she’s up against!), go to kirotv.com/heroes.

(West Seattle has had a finalist once before – Fauntleroy Creek steward Judy Pickens in 2008.)

Sustainable West Seattle: Energy Fair; tea fundraiser with CoolMom

A busy few days for Sustainable West Seattle – with two events in three days. Monday night, the group brought a powerful lineup of energy education and experts to the monthly SWS Community Forum at the Senior Center of West Seattle. Above, Craig Jones from Sustainable Works, which specializes in energy audits and retrofits. Energy audits are also big for Community Power Works, whose Greta Hutchinson was on hand:

Now that winter’s finally past – just might be the right time to evaluate how to make your home more energy-efficient for next year. Or even do something more dramatic – go solar!

Eric Thomas from West Seattle-based Solar Epiphany was there to talk sun power in the form of the EcoLEAP program – with multiple options for going solar either big or small.

Ahead, our photos from the SWS/CoolMom tea party on Saturday: Click to read the rest of Sustainable West Seattle: Energy Fair; tea fundraiser with CoolMom…

Cupboard runneth over? Sustainable WS collecting mugs, glasses

Spring cleaning? Sorting through things in preparation for WSCGSD? Maybe you have mugs and/or glasses you never use, just cluttering the cupboard. Sustainable West Seattle would be happy to put them into service:

Sustainable West Seattle is excited to announce that we are creating a reusable dish collection. Our goal is to create a large collection that can be used for events, like parties, so that disposables will not need to be used. We are currently accepting donations of mugs, drinking glasses and wine glasses. Donations must be in good condition and not have any chips or sharp edges. Our current goal is to collect 100 mugs, drinking glasses, and wine glasses.

Donations can be left at the following locations:

*West Seattle Tool Library – 4408 Delridge Way SW – Thursdays from 6-9 pm, Saturdays from 9 am-2 pm and Sundays from 1-5 pm
*Think Outside the Car event on Saturday, April 28th, from 10 am-2 pm at Westside School playground – 34th and Holden Street
*Sustainable West Seattle table at the West Seattle Farmers Market on May 6th

After the collection has been established, we hope to lend it out to other groups in West Seattle to reduce the amount of disposables used in West Seattle.

Protecting Puget Sound: 1 more chance to find out how

One more time, tomorrow night at West Seattle High School, you can find out how to fight the Tox-Ick Monster – a mythical creature born of toxic runoff – and do a double good deed. If at least 50 people show up for the presentation, Sustainable West Seattle will contribute $1,000 toward a rain-garden project at WSHS. Cate White explains, “The school’s student-led Earth Service Corps is coordinating the rain garden project with other local nonprofits including Stewardship Partners and Sustainable Seattle. Rain gardens are an excellent first line of defense against the polluted runoff that threatens the health of Puget Sound and its most emblematic wildlife: salmon and killer whales. The students’ aim is to turn the rain garden into a permanent feature that can be used for science education for years to come. Please help them attain their vision.” Just show up at WSHS at 7 pm Thursday (March 22) – free pizza, too.

Followup: Tox-Ick Monster finds new foes at Sanislo

Our photos are courtesy of diver/photographer Laura James, who was there as Sustainable West Seattle‘s toxic-runoff-fighting Tox-Ick Monster presentation brought in a big crowd at Sanislo Elementary on Thursday night – beating, Laura says, the 50-person goal, which means that an environmental project at Sanislo gets a $1,000 donation. Everybody who came was a winner – free pizza, free native plants:

And you can join the fight too – next chance, 7 pm March 22nd at West Seattle High School, which also gets a $1,000 grant if at least 50 adult community members turn out for the presentation!

West Seattle Tool Library: 2 workshops this week

Free time this week? 2 workshops at the nonprofit West Seattle Tool Library both have room: “Power Tools 101: Lose Your Fear, Not Your Fingers” at 6 pm Tuesday – register online here – and “Introduction to Indoor Winter Gardening,” 7 pm Wednesday (promising a kickstart on your spring gardening too), with online registration here. The Tool Library is on the east side of >Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

Do-it-yourselfers: Expert advice at West Seattle Tool Library tomorrow

(Photo courtesy Laura Elfline)
On the second Thursday every month, the West Seattle Tool Library invites do-it-yourselfers to not just come check out tools, but come get free expert advice on projects/ideas you might be pursuing or considering – now or in the future. And tomorrow’s the January edition. From the announcement:

Our coaches have expertise in a variety of areas, including solar power, water harvesting, green architecture & building, permaculture, and urban gardening. This month’s lineup includes experts from: Mighty House Construction, Urban Land Army, Solar Epiphany, LD Arch Design, Alki Bike and Board, as well as members of our community at large

These open and informal community meetups offer an opportunity to bounce project ideas off fellow DIYers and maybe receive some advice in the process, if you like. It’s also a great time to show off what you’ve been working on. You bring your inspiration and your inquiring minds. We’ll bring the experts and the pizza! See you there!

The Tool Library is on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.

Update: West Seattle Junction scenes – lights-recycling plus Hometown Holidays

As of a little more than an hour ago, Sustainable West Seattle was already on its fifth box of Christmas lights brought in for recycling at its West Seattle Farmers’ Market booth. Till 2 pm, you’ll find them there – along with the meters comparing LED lights to incandescent:

Just around the corner from the Farmers’ Market, the Hometown Holidays (co-sponsored by WSB) Belgian-mule-drawn carriage rides (free!) – we caught up with them as they headed north on 44th before turning onto Alaska by the market:

The carriage rides continue till 3, as do take-it-yourself Santa photos at City Mouse. One Farmers’ Market reminder – NO market the next two Sundays, since it’s Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, BUT there’s a special nighttime edition at Junction Plaza Park this Thursday (December 22), 5-8 pm. (Sustainable WS plans to roast chestnuts, providing leader Christina Hahs’ test run tonight goes well!)

4:23 PM UPDATE: Got the final tally from the Christmas-lights-recycling collection:

That photo’s courtesy of Chas Redmond, who staffed the SWS booth today with Hahs (in the photo) and Patrick Dunn (best known as award-winning manager of the WS Tool Library). By 2 pm, he says, they had filled the pickup-truck bed with boxes of ready-to-recycle lights, and they had finished the old-vs.-new lights comparison: “The results of our demo showing the electricity draw of conventional, incandescent mini’s and the LEDs – with a string of 100 LED lights and another string of 75 incandescent mini lights running for three hours, the LED lights drew 3 watts and the incandescents (even though there were fewer) drew 300 watts – roughly 1 watt/hour for the LED string and 100 watts/hour for the incandescent string.” One more sustainability P.S. – for Christmas-giving/stocking-stuffing, the Tool Library is suggesting gift memberships (raffle ticket included!).

Sustainable West Seattle wants your recyclable lights tomorrow

Twice a month, you’ll find Sustainable West Seattle at the WS Farmers’ Market. Tomorrow, they’ve got a special seasonal mission – accepting your no-longer-needed (or no-longer-usable) holiday lights for recycling. We’re filling a bag to turn in …

As explained on the SWS website, you should be able to find their booth fairly easily, since they’re also promising a demonstration comparing the power-usage difference between LED lights and the old-fashioned type. As always, the Farmers’ Market is 10 am-2 pm Sunday, 44th/Alaska. And remember the special nighttime Farmers’ Market coming up this Thursday, 5-8 pm; after that, no market for a few weeks, since the following two Sundays (12/25 and 1/1) will be holidays.

West Seattle Tool Library wins Sustainable Seattle award

(WSB photo by Tracy Record)
It’s been almost two years since our first report that Sustainable West Seattle was starting a tool library. It’s been going strong for a year and a half now, drawing users, generating buzz (Popular Mechanics!), and tonight, winning a big award. Sustainable Seattle, celebrating its annual fundraising gala and awards dinner at the Duwamish Longhouse, honored the West Seattle Tool Library for Sustainability in Innovation in a Social Environment. Accepting the award were (from left) Micah Summers and Patrick Dunn. Haven’t been to the tool library ever – or, lately? It’s open Thursday nights, so you can drop by tomorrow, 6-9 pm (it’ll be another session of Ask the Expert, too, till 8). It’s on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.

P.S. Here’s who else was nominated for the Sustainable Seattle awards.

THURSDAY P.P.S. Click ahead for full list of winners, just received: Click to read the rest of West Seattle Tool Library wins Sustainable Seattle award…

Happening now: West Seattle Barter Fair @ Camp Long Lodge

The first offerings on display when we dropped by the Sustainable West Seattle-presented WS Barter Fair in the early going included these two tables abounding with art:

Your chance for a “money-free shopping spree” continues till 8 at Camp Long Lodge (5200 35th SW, right inside the gates); how it works is explained on the SWS website.

West Seattle holidays: Make gifts @ Tool Library workshops

Santa’s not the only one with a workshop this time of year. In fact, the West Seattle Tool Library has four planned for the holiday season, teaching you skills that can result in homemade gifts:

Introduction to Holiday Canning
Nov. 29th, 7-9 PM

Learn how to preserve your harvest. We’ll cover all the basics of using a hot water bath canner. Each participant will get to take home a few jars of what we can in class.
Instructor: Christina Hahs
Cost: $20 plus $5 for materials

Introduction to Backyard Booze
Dec. 6th, 7-9 PM

Learn to use fruit and simple ingredients to make homemade specialty liqueurs such as Fig Bourbon, Rumtopf, Cranberry Spice Vodka, or Pineapple Rum.
Instructor: Vanessa Primer
Cost: $20

Introduction to Jewelry Making
Dec. 13th, 7-9 PM

Learn the basics of beading and wirework. Techniques learned include crafting clasps, wire wrapping and beading to begin creating a bracelet or necklace to complete at home.
Instructor: Jill Sundberg
Cost: $20 plus $5 for materials

Introduction to Soapmaking
Dec. 20th 7-9 PM

Homemade soaps make great gifts! Join us as we demonstrate the basics of traditional soap making using all-natural herbs and essential oils. These are tried and true, simple methods you will be able to use at home. If there’s enough time, this class will also cover the basics of making bath salts, scrubs, teas, and oils.
Instructor: Vanessa Primer
Cost: $20 plus $5 for materials

The West Seattle Tool Library and Community Workshop are in the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 4408 Delridge Way on the east side of the building. (Its regular hours are Thursdays: 6 pm till 9 pm; Saturdays: 9 am till 2 pm; Sundays: 1 pm till 5 pm.) For more information, contact Kate Kaemerle at 206.743.4468.

P.S. Speaking of handmade gifts – you’ll be able to trade for some at tonight’s Sustainable West Seattle Barter Fair, 4-8 pm at Camp Long Lodge. Read more about it here (and comment on the SWS site if you’re planning to participate!).

West Seattle holidays: 2 ways to do ‘green’ gift shopping

DONATION DEADLINE COMING UP FOR TOY SWAP & SALE: We’ve mentioned before that CoolMom‘s Toy Swap ‘n’ Sale is coming up November 12th (Fauntleroy Church, 9 am-2 pm) … and if you’d like to get a credit to apply toward whatever you buy, the deadline for donations is this Tuesday. Donation locations, and more info about the Toy Swap ‘n’ Sale, can be found on the CoolMom website.

WEST SEATTLE BARTER FAIR: A unique way to find gifts – and share potential gifts – right after Thanksgiving. The date is set, 4-8 pmNovember 26th. From the Sustainable West Seattle website:

Join us for a fun and unique “money free shopping spree” geared toward the holiday shopping season on ‘Green Saturday’, the day after “Black Friday”. We’ll be enjoying a potluck at the same time, so bring a gift to share!

This unique event will be held in an equally unique setting — The Lodge at Camp Long. The object of the Barter Fair is to promote more meaningful gifting of products through exchanging services, or items made from raw materials

The “Money Free Shopping Spree” is gift trading. Categories include: Services, Art Crafts, Home Crafts, Food Crafts and Salvaged/Refurbished Items.

If you know what you will bring to trade, they would love to hear from you in the comment section on the SWS site.

Tasty way to avoid Monday commute home: Eat Local Now!

(Photo of 2009 event, courtesy Eat Local Now!)
If you still haven’t bought a ticket to Eat Local Now! – the annual local-food dinner celebration that also serves as a fundraiser for local groups including Sustainable West Seattle and CoolMom – here’s one more reason: Getting home from West Seattle tomorrow, the first Viaduct-less weekday, is likely to be more of a challenge than actually getting out of WS in the morning. But if you attend Eat Local Now! at Sodo Park at 6 pm tomorrow (Monday), you should have a much easier time finding your way home in the mid-evening without traffic-jam entanglements (it’s on 1st Avenue South, so you can either head to the “low bridge” afterward or to the 1st Av. S. Bridge). We’re told tickets remain (buy online here) – read on for some highlights!

Click to read the rest of Tasty way to avoid Monday commute home: Eat Local Now!…

One week till Eat Local Now! fundraiser for West Seattle groups

This time next Monday night, hundreds of people will be abuzz about another fabulous edition of the annual local-food celebration, Eat Local Now! It’s happening that night, October 24th, at Sodo Park, which is owned by West Seattle-founded Herban Feast, and there are organizers/beneficiaries from this side of the bay, too, including Sustainable West Seattle and CoolMom. Chef/author Greg Atkinson – acclaimed for his work at Canlis and IslandWood – will speak, and will sign his new book “At the Kitchen Table: The Craft of Cooking at Home.” The cuisine for Eat Local Now! will be prepared by Herban Feast’s award-winning Chef Dalis Chea. There’s lots more to do than just chow down – a cash bar will offer locally/sustainably produced wine, beer, and fresh cider; a silent auction will tempt you with fun things to bid on; and informational displays will share new knowledge about the local-food scene. Buy your ticket on the official Eat Local Now! website, or call 800-838-3006.