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You’re invited: Farewell party for ‘old’ Arbor Heights Elementary
May 26, 2014 2:20 pm
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 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

In two weeks – 6-8 pm Tuesday, June 10th – alumni, staff and students past and present, neighbors, everyone’s invited to celebrate Arbor Heights Elementary before the demolition and reconstruction. Scroll through the official invitation:

(If you can’t read it in the window, see it as a PDF here.)

P.S. Before then, if you’re interested in an update on the plan for the new school, here’s our previously published announcement for the district’s June 2nd meeting.

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Video: See what’s in the sea off West Seattle’s shores
May 26, 2014 10:35 am
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Puget Sound in the Spring… from Laura James on Vimeo.

On this holiday morning, take a peek beneath the surface of Puget Sound, just off West Seattle, in this video shared by “Diver Laura” James (thanks!). Unlike some underwater videos, this one identifies most of what/who you’ll see – unobtrusively; if you want to find out more about any individual creature, you then can look it up via a site like this.

P.S. Laura says they wouldn’t have been able to do this if the noctiluca bloom hadn’t begun to let up (that’s the orangish-red water that seems to show up every year – here’s the photo we published a week ago).

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West Seattle Memorial Day 2014: Helpful holiday info
May 26, 2014 6:25 am
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 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(Bald eagle in madrone, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
No traffic report today since there’s not likely to be much of it, but the holiday transit changes top our info list for this Memorial Day:

TRANSPORTATION: Metro is on a Sunday schedule … The West Seattle Water Taxi also is on a Sunday schedule (no Vashon WT service) … Sound Transit buses are on a Sunday schedule … The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry route is on a regular Monday schedule.

TRASH/RECYCLING/ETC.: If you have Monday pickup, you can expect normal service today, according to Seattle Public Utilities; the South Transfer Station is open normal Monday hours, too.

SCHOOLS: Seattle Public Schools and Highline Public Schools are closed, as is South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) and most if not all independent schools.

LIBRARIES: Seattle branches are closed, as are King County branches.

FREE CITY-STREET PARKING: No charge to park today in Seattle neighborhoods that have city-operated pay stations/meters.

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE HOLIDAY … as listed here.

CITY-RUN COMMUNITY CENTERS AND SOUTHWEST POOL … closed today.

COLMAN POOL IS OPEN! The outdoor pool on the Lincoln Park shore is open today, noon-7 pm, as its first pre-season weekend concludes.

CEREMONY AT FOREST LAWN: 2 pm, come to Forest Lawn Cemetery (WSB sponsor) just east of High Point for the traditional Memorial Day commemoration with American Legion Post 160 and VFW Post 2713. (6701 30th SW)

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West Seattle restaurant notes: Marination ma kai goes 7 days a week; Fresh Bistro goes retro; Admiral mystery; more
May 25, 2014 9:22 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

West Seattle restaurant updates to share tonight:

MARINATION MA KAI’S SUMMER SCHEDULE: Starting tomorrow, Marination ma kai (1660 Harbor Ave. SW; WSB sponsor) will be open seven days a week for summer. GM Shawn Findley says that comes along with expanded summer hours – 9 am-9 pm Sundays-Thursdays, 9 am-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays – and the new patio bar is open throughout the holiday weekend. If you’re free for lunch on Wednesday, a TV crew will be there, and Marination is offering an extra treat with all purchases – details in this tweet.

FRESH BISTRO’S ANNIVERSARY MENU: Fresh Bistro (4725 42nd SW) just returned to the WSB sponsor team to help get the word out about its 5th-anniversary celebration, including a special menu with some of the favorites from its early days.

The special anniversary menu is available through June 5th, with dishes including pan-fried garlic-chive cakes, Ahi Tuna Avocado Mango, Kalbi-Marinated Grilled Wagyu Flank Steak for shared plates, Cedar Seared Wild King Salmon, Fennel-Crusted Halibut (photo above), and Kurabuta Pork New York for entrées, plus a special dessert treat – see the anniversary menu here, and other menus here. Fresh Bistro is open for dinner Mondays-Saturdays, 5 pm-10 pm, and for brunch Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am-3 pm; you can book a reservation online by going here.

ROYAL INDIA GRILL MYSTERY: We’re trying to find out the status of Royal India Grill in The Admiral District, after John tipped us that the space appeared vacant – we’ve gone by twice in three days and as of the second look today, the dining area is indeed empty, no furniture, no signs, nobody there, no information on whether it’s a closure or possibly something else like an impending remodel, nobody answers the phone, no hints on website or Facebook page. The restaurant changed hands in early 2013. Any info, please e-mail us!

HOLIDAY CLOSURES: Per social-media announcements, Zippy’s Giant Burgers will be closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday; Mashiko in The Junction will be closed Monday through Wednesday.

UPDATING THE WSB RESTAURANT GUIDE: We’re in the process of checking with local restaurants to see if any information has changed since last time we updated the WSB West Seattle Restaurant Guide. (Restaurants are also welcome to contact us any time with updates.)

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West Seattle Bridge traffic-alert update: Now, 2 more crashes
May 25, 2014 7:19 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

7:19 PM: Avoid the high bridge right now, either direction – as shown on the 911 log, there are crashes both ways, westbound near Admiral, eastbound near Delridge. (Thanks to Anne for the tip!)

7:29 PM UPDATE: We just happened to be coming back from downtown when we got this report, so we’ve passed both scenes. On the eastbound side, the right lane is blocked just past the Delridge onramp; on the westbound side, the right lane is blocked right at Walking on Logs. Traffic is moving OK in both directions.

8:04 PM UPDATE: SFD has cleared both of those scenes – but now there’s a third crash, described as eastbound West Seattle Bridge to northbound I-5. It’s being described on the scanner as “a rollover that landed back on its wheels.” And before we could finish typing this, we’re hearing ANOTHER dispatch for a spinout on the westbound side by Walking On Logs. No injuries.

8:38 PM: Those calls have closed too.

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New symphony to premiere at West Seattle Community Orchestras’ concert Friday
May 25, 2014 5:04 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Any concert by the West Seattle Community Orchestras is special – WSCO is our area’s only multi-age musical organization of its type, nurturing and providing a creative outlet for musicians of many age ranges and skill levels. But next Friday’s concert (7:30 pm May 30th, Chief Sealth IHS auditorium) includes something extra-special – the premiere of a new symphony by WSCO’s Rob Duisberg, who explains:

At this concert I will be conducting the premiere of the newly completed symphony in three movements, “A Magyar Szimfónia,” which I have composed expressly for this orchestra. It has been a work in progress for a number of years, with parts of the work heard in earlier seasons. So the writing interestingly tracks the development of the ensemble over the last few years, which has grown tremendously in membership and musicianship in that time, building on the dedicated work of its founder, Dr. Toni Reineke, and more recently with the talented direction of Kimberly Roy.

For instance, the new finale is rather more challenging and showcases the group’s abilities dramatically. I feel this piece to be a tribute to the growth and development of an increasingly fine performing arts educational resource in our West Seattle community.

In addition, this symphony tracks a progression of discovery of ethnic roots. The whole work has developed as a paean to my mother, Agnes Adámy, a Hungarian immigrant and refugee who was unable ever to return home. She came to America as a student of English literature just before the outbreak of World War II. After a year of study, her parents sent a telegram that she should “wait until this all blows over,” but as they were killed upon the Russian “liberation” of Hungary, she remained a war refugee here and kept her heritage tucked away inside for the rest of her life. I have learned more about this heritage recently through the remarkably large and active Hungarian American Association of Washington, and the annual week-long summer Hungarian folk music and dance camp, Ti Ti Tábor, which attracts hundreds of participants from the entire region. My involvement in these communities has infused this new symphony with a rich abundance of Magyar motifs and melodies.

— Robert Adámy Duisberg, PhD, DMA
Composer in residence, conductor and president
West Seattle Community Orchestras

(The portrait of Agnes Adámy, above right, is by Trileigh Tucker.) If you would like to preview the concert’s program notes for the symphony, Duisberg shared those too; read on!

Read More

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Fire and rain: Barton Street Community Garden/P-Patch wood-fired pizza party
May 25, 2014 4:09 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news

Rain makes a garden grow, and it didn’t stop the gardeners of the Barton Street P-Patch from throwing a community pizza (and more) party today as promised.

We stopped by this afternoon for a quick look, and found Brad making the wood-fired-oven magic happen.

The season kickoff started with bagel-baking this morning and continues with pizza until 5 pm; as for future open-to-the-public dates, we’re told that’s still under discussion. The community-created garden is in its third full season at 34th and Barton.

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New phase for Murray overflow-tank project at Lowman Beach: Underground wall-building
May 25, 2014 2:52 pm
|    Comments Off on New phase for Murray overflow-tank project at Lowman Beach: Underground wall-building
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)
Even more heavy equipment is on site now at the combined-sewer overflow (CSO) control project across from Lowman Beach Park, officially known as the Murray CSO Project. As announced by the King County Wastewater Treatment District, crews are starting to build the outer wall of the facility’s million-gallon underground storage tank:

Crews will drill holes 80 feet into the ground and replace the soil with four-foot wide concrete cylinders. The cylinders are called secant piles.

The secant piles lock together to create a watertight ring. The ring will be nearly 100 feet wide. It will keep water out of the tank area while it is being dug and protect nearby utilities, roadways and private property from settlement. Installing the secant piles is expected to take four months.

Along with the tank site on the east side of Beach Drive SW, portable office trailers and other equipment and components are taking up a lot of space at Lowman, as the project-site map shows:

We took the top photo on Saturday, with no crews on site, which meant parking was OK on the east side of Beach, but it’s a different situation during the official work hours of 7 am-6 pm weekdays, so keep that in mind as we move toward the summer season – for example, if you are accustomed to getting to Colman Pool by parking at or near Lowman and walking along Lincoln Park’s south shore, you might need a different strategy on weekdays. Work on the tank facility and the pump station across the street is projected to last at least until mid-2016.

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Longfellow Creek P-Patch gets TLC from Troop 282 & friends
May 25, 2014 11:56 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news

A community garden badly in need of TLC got it thanks to West Seattle Boy Scouts; now, it’s your turn to show some love. Julie Nugent-Carney shares the photos and this report:

(Last) weekend, Troop 282 restored the Longfellow Creek Community Garden/P-Patch, which had been vandalized and fallen into disrepair. This was organized and led by my son (Jacob Carney) as part of his Eagle Project.

There were more than 40 volunteers, and 800 pounds of garbage was hauled away. They spread a dump truck’s worth of new bark on all the paths and installed a new sign. We’re hoping people will take notice and start using the P-Patch again to discourage the vandals.

The garden is at 2500 SW Thistle, just east of where the creek borders the Chief Sealth International High School parking lot.

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Denny International MS musicians in B.C. for parade, festival
May 25, 2014 8:01 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

(Photos by Doug Branch)
Congratulations to the musicians from Denny International Middle School who are wrapping up a successful and busy visit north of the border. Music director Marcus Pimpleton reports:

It has been a wonderful two days in Vancouver, B.C., with the Denny Senior Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, and String Orchestra. The students have been doing a wonderful job and are all set to return to Seattle (this) afternoon.

Friday featured adjudicated student performances by the jazz ensemble, concert band, and string orchestras and some down time at the hotel. Saturday morning the marching band participated in the Hyack International Parade in New Westminster, B.C. All of the performances were in conjunction with the Worldstrides Heritage Festival which provided the adjudications and clinics for all of the performing groups. The event concluded with an afternoon at Grouse Mountain, and an awards ceremony at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver.

Denny ensembles and students earned multiple recognitions including:

Emmett Medaris – Maestro Award for Outstanding Individual Student Performance
Denny Jazz Ensemble – Gold Rating
Denny Marching Band – Silver Rating
Denny Senior Concert Band – Silver Rating (2nd Place)
Denny Senior String Orchestra – Silver Rating (2nd Place)

The marching band was led in the parade by Chief Sealth International High School drum majors Zach Baisch and Alvin Calhoun II, who were recognized with the Best Drum Major Award. (It was funny to see the expressions on the faces of the other student participants when they saw these very tall high school seniors accepting an award for leading a middle school band.)

West Seattle High School’s orchestra also participated and earned a bronze rating for their string orchestra.

According to the Denny/Sealth music calendar, you’ll be able to enjoy the student musicians’ work in concerts on June 4th (orchestra) and June 5th (band), along with their Sealth counterparts, in the Sealth auditorium, 6:30 pm both nights.

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Six from the calendar for your West Seattle Sunday
May 25, 2014 6:30 am
|    Comments Off on Six from the calendar for your West Seattle Sunday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Lincoln Park photo by wsLaura, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Highlights for day 2 of your Memorial Day weekend, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FIRE IT UP! The wood-fired oven at Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch is getting fired up for the season today and you’re invited to stop by for bread-baking and pizza-making, 10 am-5 pm. What to bring? Where to go? That’s all answered in our original preview. (34th/Barton)

FARMERS’ MARKET: Strawberries and basil are some of what will debut today at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm, according to previews on its Facebook page. Share the news with a comment here if YOU find something cool. (44th/Alaska)

GOT YOUR POPPY YET?: Second chance to “honor the dead and help the living” by getting your poppy from American Legion Post 160/Auxiliary Unit 160, 10 am-3 pm at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), as explained here. (Fauntleroy/California/Morgan)

COLMAN POOL’S SECOND DAY OF 2014: The first “pre-season weekend” continues at Lincoln Park‘s outdoor pool. Swimming starts at noon – see the schedule here.

SUMMER OF LOVE, +47: It’s 1967 in 2014 at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) as “Hair” continues, with a 3 pm matinee today. (4711 California SW)

IZZY WATER, LIVE: Solo singer-songwriter from California will serenade you at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) 3-5 pm today. (5612 California SW)

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West Seattle schools: Diving into science at Madison MS
May 25, 2014 3:01 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another West Seattle school celebrated science in hands-on style this past week – “Diver Laura” James shares photos from Madison Middle School, where she participated in Super Science Night.

Laura explains that she was invited by Mr. Thomas, who works with students building mini ROV’s – underwater robots.

According to info from an online fundraising project earlier this year, the ROV work is part of a “unit of undersea exploration, looking at Cousteau, the local aquarium, and recent work by our local university that has a deep-sea-vent research program.”

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West Seattle Memorial Day weekend scene: Poppy providers
May 24, 2014 9:42 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

Following up on the American Legion Post 160/Auxiliary Unit 160 announcement of Memorial Day weekend poppy availability, we stopped by West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) at noontime. There we found, above, two veterans who just wanted to be identified as Mac and Bob offering poppies and accepting donations. Mac served in the U.S. Coast Guard and Marine Corps; Bob, in the Army. The poppies, each labeled as “handmade by veterans,” both “honor the dead and help the living,” as explained here. Volunteers will be back outside Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy/Morgan) 10 am-3 pm tomorrow. You can also honor a Memorial Day tradition by attending the 2 pm Monday ceremony at Forest Lawn (WSB sponsor) – details here; Mac and Bob promise you’ll see them there.

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SCAM ALERT: Fake ‘City Light’ disconnection-threat calls, again
May 24, 2014 8:01 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Utilities | West Seattle news

Don’t be fooled if you get a call from someone claiming to be from Seattle City Light and that you need to pay money NOW to avoid power-service disconnection. Last November, we wrote about this scam hitting local businesses. And tonight, West Seattle’s Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) says somebody just tried it on them today – they weren’t fooled.

A guy calling himself James from Seattle City Light called the Feedback and got our manager. “James” said we were due to be disconnected for non-payment. He said there was a technician in the area and would arrive within about 30 minutes so we needed to act quickly. He wanted her to go to Rite Aid and get a Money Pack for $260 then call back (to a different number than he was calling on) to process the payment. Fortunately (the manager) was sharp enough to call me and we determined it was a scam. Here were the clues:

*We had just paid our bill and had reference numbers to prove it. James said the payments didn’t show on our account. When I asked what account number he was looking at, he wouldn’t tell me.

*James called from a number that didn’t have a city-type prefix (usually 684).

*The number at Feedback is not the contact number we have on file at City Light. When (the manager) tried the number James gave her to make the payment, James answered. When he recognized her voice he hung up.

*The amount ($260) bore no relation to any of our bills. Anyone who has dealt with disconnection knows that balances have to be paid in full to stop the disconnect.

*Anyone from City Light that calls about a disconnection has the ability to take a payment. There is no need to call another number.

*Most telling, there is no way City Light is paying anyone on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to go out and do power disconnects.

*I called police and reported this and they told me it is a currently running scam around town.

Also of note – when this scam went around exactly a year ago, City Light explained on its website that it does NOT cut off power for one late payment – you would get at least two written notifications. This kind of scam is a crime, so if someone tries it on you, call police, as the Feedback crew did.

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Baseball playoffs: West Seattle High School’s season ends in extra-innings state-tournament game
May 24, 2014 7:38 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(Pitcher Ben Wexler gave up only 2 runs, throwing all 11 innings)
At Mount Vernon this morning, the West Seattle High School Wildcats played what became their last game of the season, losing 2-1 to Shelton HS in 11 innings. The photos and summary are by Greg Slader (thank you!):

(Jimmy Mai‘s 7th-inning single brought in the Wildcats’ lone run)

The Wildcats fell behind early 0-1 in round one of Regionals against Shelton. Their pitching and defense kept the game at 0-1 until the seventh inning, when returning WSHS player Jimmy Mai produced a pinch-hit single and came around to score on a sac fly. Game tied 1-1 and would stay that way thru 10 innings before Shelton won with a sac fly of their own in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Congratulations to head coach Velko Vitalich, assistant coaches Scott Meaker, Bryan Tupper, and Kerry Tupper, and all the players, families, and other supporters on another season of making it to state.

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From Seal Sitters: Alki cleanup ahead; downtown benefit
May 24, 2014 4:09 pm
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 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Two ways you can help West Seattle wildlife via Seal Sitters:

(WSB file photo from one of the previous Seal Sitters-co-sponsored cleanups)
JUNE 14 CLEANUP: Get trash off Alki Beach, before it gets into the water and into/onto seals and other marine life. Join Seal Sitters and co-sponsors for a beach cleanup 9:30 am-12:30 pm three weeks from today, Saturday, June 14th. One of the co-sponsors, PAWS Wildlife Center, will talk about the threat wildlife faces from beach debris, and the difficulty of rehab for rescued wildlife. This cleanup is in honor of Sandy the seal pup, rescued and rehabbed by PAWS and then found dead in abandoned netting, and of the gray whale that died in The Arroyos, then was found to have a stomach full of plastic debris. Bring your own gloves if you can, and meet at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki Ave SW) at 9:30 am June 14th – RSVP via the link in this announcement on Seal Sitters’ Blubberblog.

HOIST A MUG WITH A HELPING HAND: Seal Sitters has also announced that Rock Bottom Brewery downtown (1333 5th Avenue) has offered to raise money via donating all proceeds from $2 pints of a specific ale fold next Tuesday night (May 27th), 5-8 pm – if you’re downtown, stop by! Details on Blubberblog.

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First day of second year for West Seattle’s only spraypark
May 24, 2014 1:50 pm
|    Comments Off on First day of second year for West Seattle’s only spraypark
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Cloudy and 60s when we stopped by, but that wasn’t going to keep these two from being among the first to visit the Highland Park Spraypark this morning when it opened for the first day of its second year in operation. (They weren’t the only early visitors, either – the grownup keeping an eye on them told us that youth baseball players came over to run through the water after a morning game nearby!) The spraypark is scheduled to be open daily 11 am-8 pm through September 1st; it’s at 1100 SW Cloverdale. (As noted here earlier this spring, wading pools don’t start opening for another four weeks.)

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West Seattle scene: Former ferry Annabelle, on Elliott Bay
May 24, 2014 11:52 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Trina for the photo of the Annabelle, which she reported seeing near Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor). An info search reminds us that we’ve shown the Tacoma-based former Herron Island ferry here before, in 2010, at which time commenters surfaced lots of info about both its history and its rebirth as a floating home.

SIDE NOTE FOR SEA-WATCHERS: Checking the Coast Guard’s latest Local Notice for Mariners, looks like west-facing water watchers will see a yacht race one week from today – the annual Blake Island Race (see the course map on page 23, here) on May 31st.

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Followup: Seen a damaged ‘light metallic blue’ vehicle? Possible clue in low-bridge hit-run
May 24, 2014 9:53 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Thursday night WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
New information from Seattle Police might help solve the Thursday night hit-run that injured a bicycle rider at the east end of the “low bridge.” It was added to the original SPD Blotter post last night; we added it to our original story but in case you didn’t go back looking for an update, here are the new details:

Detectives have reason to believe the suspect vehicle is light metallic blue and is missing the right-side mirror. The vehicle should have damage to the front bumper as well as heavy damage to the windshield. The suspect’s vehicle had been traveling westbound at the time of the collision and likely continued over the lower bridge and into West Seattle. Detectives are asking anyone with information to please call TCIS Detective Andrew Norton at (206) 684-8934.

Please do call that number with ANY information – don’t post it in comments; thanks. (In case it helps with time frame, the original SFD dispatch to the incident scene was at 9:17 pm Thursday night.)

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West Seattle Saturday: The holiday weekend begins!
May 24, 2014 6:34 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Saturday: The holiday weekend begins!
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Michael for sharing that photo from Friday via the WSB Facebook page. Highlights for the first day of the holiday weekend, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE HS BASEBALL TEAM @ STATE: 10 am in Mount Vernon, the West Seattle High School Wildcats face Shelton HS as state-tournament play begins. It’ll be tweeted live at @wseattlestate. (Winner faces the winner of Bonney Lake-Glacier Peak later in the day; here’s the bracket.)

SEATTLE LUTHERAN HS BASEBALL TEAM @ STATE: Also at 10 am, state-tournament play begins for Seattle Lutheran High School. The preview is from Joe Puckett:

On Saturday, Seattle Lutheran will continue the quest for its third 2B state baseball championship in the last 5 years. The first game is at 10 AM in Adna against Toutle Lake. If Sealu prevails, they will face the winner of the game between Napavine and Tri-Cities Prep later in the afternoon. A win in the second game would mean that the Saints would move on to the 4-team finale on May 31. Here is a link to the entire bracket for the 16 teams remaining in the hunt for the championship.

GET YOUR POPPY: “Honor the dead and help the living” by getting your poppy from American Legion Post 160/Auxiliary Unit 160 this weekend, starting 10 am-3 pm today at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), as previewed here. (Fauntleroy/California/Morgan)

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK’S FIRST DAY OF 2014: Today’s temperature is likely to break 70, so that means there’s a good chance the Highland Park Spraypark will open for its second season, 11 am-8 pm today, as scheduled. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

COLMAN POOL’S FIRST DAY OF 2014: The outdoor pool on the shore at Lincoln Park opens for the season – well, the first pre-season weekend – today at noon. Details here.

(added) PICNIC FOR ‘LOLITA’: 4 pm at Alki Beach, supporters of the campaign to free the last Puget Sound orca surviving in captivity, Lolita/Tokitae, are gathering in solidarity with events elsewhere in the country. Vegetarian potluck. Specific location (and other) details in this Facebook event page.

‘HAIR’: 7:30 pm, let it all hang out with the classic musical at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. More info in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)

PIANO & ‘SILENT MOVIES’: Pianist Donald Sosin accompanies silent-movie shorts at Kenyon Hall, 7:30 pm. (7904 35th SW)

KAZOKU! IMPROVISED GAME SHOW: 8 pm tonight is the final night for the first run of “Kazoku!” at Pershing Hall in The Triangle – details in our calendar listing. (3618 SW Alaska)

LIVE MUSIC AND MORE … in all the other listings you’ll see on our calendar.

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Video: Seattle Park District campaign, pro and con, previewed at Delridge Neighborhoods District Council
May 23, 2014 10:46 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

On the August 5th ballot, you’ll be asked to vote for or against creating the Seattle Park District to raise more money for city parks, as the most recent park levy – the approved-in-2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy – is expiring. We reported last month on the council vote placing the proposal on the ballot. This past Wednesday, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council got a preview of the campaign, hearing from three guests over the span of an hour and a half – City Councilmember Jean Godden, who chairs the council committee that deals with parks; Terry Holme, a longtime Parks Board member representing the pro-Park District group Seattle Parks for All; and Carol Fisher, representing the anti-Park District group Our Parks Forever. Except for a moment toward the end when we had to change cameras, the entirety of the statements, and ensuing Q/A, can be seen/heard in the two video clips above. So if you get some time this long weekend, listen in – it’s a big decision to make.

BACKGROUND INFO: This was the result of the Parks Legacy Plan process; the ordinance setting up the ballot measure creating the Park District is here; here’s how the first six years of money would be spent; here are even more details about the individual parts of that spending plan.

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West Seattle Memorial Day 2014: Where to get your poppy
May 23, 2014 9:31 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

Tomorrow and Sunday, you can honor the meaning of Memorial Day by accepting a poppy from representatives of American Legion Post 160 and Auxiliary Unit 160, who will be distributing them at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). Post 160’s Kyle Geraghty explains:

The traditional poppy distributed Memorial Day weekend signifies “honor the dead and help the living.”

The poppy as the memorial flower for the American war dead is a tradition which began in the years following World War I. Veterans remembered the bright red, wild poppies which grew and bloomed on the battle fields and graves of those men buried in the sacred plots of French soil, which was Flanders’ Field. Soldiers of all nations came to look upon this flower as a living symbol of their dead comrades’ sacrifice and a sign of hope and renewal for those who lived to remember.

Today, the poppies distributed Memorial Day weekend are made by hospitalized veterans in V.A. hospitals or nursing homes and thousands are ready for a big distribution in May.

West Seattle American Legion Post 160 and the Unit 160 Auxiliary will be continuing the annual tradition of offering poppies this Memorial Day weekend. All money received during the distribution of these poppies is returned to the veterans through service programs of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary.

When you see someone offering a poppy, know that your donation helps veterans and wearing the poppy shows your support for those veterans.

Read more here.

Post 160 and Unit 160 plan to be at Thriftway 10 am-3 pm both days.

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Never mind the grill: Outdoor bread, pizza baking Sunday at Barton Street Community Garden
May 23, 2014 6:03 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | Gardening | West Seattle news

Barbecue grills might be the official outdoor-cooking appliances of summer, but you can break the mold by joining in wood-fired baking with the Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch, which invites you to drop by sometime this Sunday:

The 2014 gardening season is underway! To mark the start of summer, the Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch will fire up its wood-fired masonry bread and pizza oven. Architect and designer/builder Chris Luthi, who led the project construction, will host. He’ll introduce the use of traditional community ovens as well as masonry oven cooking techniques. Neighbors are invited to join the event, which will feature baking bread and bagel in the morning and pizzas in the afternoon. Participants are encouraged to bring cheese, sauce and toppings for pizzas, and a limited amount of dough for bagels and pizzas will be provided. This informational and fundraising event is open to all.

WHO: Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch

WHAT: Fire It Up! Bread and Pizza Oven Season Opener

WHERE: Barton St. Community Garden and P-Patch, SW Corner of SW Barton Street and 34th St. SW

WHEN: Sunday, May 25, 2014, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

WHAT TO BRING: Cheese, sauce, pizza toppings, drinks, chairs

Donations are warmly welcome!

This is the garden/P-patch’s third full growing year.

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