We’re into the quieter heart of summer now – past most of the big festivals – a time to just enjoy the weather and the sights. Sunrise is still early enough that many of us miss it, but West Seattle photographer Danny McMillin – whose images you’ve seen here before – put together a video look during Saturday’s early morning “golden hour.” He says it’s for a contest on the video-hosting service he used, Vimeo, but wanted to share it more widely here, too (thanks!)

Several proud members of the West Seattle Community Orchestras e-mailed to share the news that WSCO is featured in a current show on Seattle Channel – and we just got the code for the specific story, so you don’t have to watch the entire program to get to their spotlight. Check it out above (or, here’s a direct link to the entire show). As noted here a few days ago, WSCO’s new season starts next Tuesday – but we just received word of a few changes to the schedule/locations, so if you are a new or returning member, or planning on checking it out for prospective membership, PLEASE click ahead for the new information:

Due to minor construction changes at Chief Sealth International High School, there will be several changes to the start-up weeks for the West Seattle Community Orchestras. We expect these changes to be very short term and we appreciate everyone’s flexibility. Interested in joining the orchestra or haven’t completed your online registration yet? Go to www.wscorchestras.org as soon as possible so we can keep you up-to-date. Registration is also available on-site, though online helps us to stay in touch with coming changes. Schedule for the next two weeks is as follows; we are hopeful schedules will revert to regularly planned times by October rehearsals.

The Debut Orchestra will rehearse as originally planned September 20, 5:30PM to 6:45PM in the Chief Sealth High School Choir room, (#206), no changes for this group. The Intermediate Orchestra (Symphonette) on September 20th and 27th will rehearse 7PM to 8:15PM in the Chief Sealth High School Choir room, (#206). The Symphony Orchestra is cancelled for September 20th; will rehearse on September 27th, 7PM-8:45 PM with location to be determined. However, Symphony members may come in to Chief Sealth to register on September 20, though music may not be available until September 27.

Questions? Please contact our Orchestra Manager, Mariane Hermanson at wscorchestras@gmail.com.

Video, photos, and reporting by Christopher Boffoli
For West Seattle Blog

Brenda Scallon is a little more than one week away from the first show for her mobile Airstream-trailer art gallery.

Scallon is a 26-year resident of West Seattle who formerly co-owned the Black Lab and Parlour gallery in Ballard.

She’s also a musician with the band Daughters of Joy. Brenda, her husband and children, live at 3815 46th Ave SW, and in this case, the specific address matters, since that’s where her trailer/gallery’s first show will be.

First, the backstory: A couple years ago she got the idea to do a mobile gallery in an Airstream trailer. She started looking around and ultimately found a 1974 Airstream in Lake Stevens for $5,000. She has been renovating bit by bit since she brought it home.

Airstream trailers, first produced in the 1930s, continue to have something of a cult following in the US. They’re desired for their classic retro, riveted aluminum design.

Scallon’s Airstream has required quite a bit of work.

She has had to seal up leaks, replace flooring and paint some of the interior surfaces. There were also a few dents to bang out, some of which occurred in her driveway when a neighbor’s tree fell on the trailer in a windstorm. Scallon has added some modern electrical components but has kept the ’70s-era sound system, which includes an 8-track tape player.

Unlike most art galleries, the trailer is not exactly spacious. So Scallon plans to put up various tents around the trailer to expand the gallery space. She is planning to do quarterly shows in various locations. The first show and open house, featuring artists Michael O’Driscoll (), E. Grace Dager, Band of Toy, and Scallon’s own art, will be on Friday, July 15th, 7-10 pm, at 3815 46th Ave SW.

Scallon is inviting local artists to contact her if they want to participate in future shows. She can be contacted at: brenda@acaravan.com

Union organizers and other activists came to West Seattle on Tuesday afternoon for a media briefing organized by UFCW 21 to spotlight their concerns about “the global supply chain for clothing” and working conditions for the people who work as part of that chain.They chose Jack Block Park in hopes of a scenic backdrop showing container-laden ships bringing in imports. Unfortunately, the rain moved in just as they were starting; also unfortunately for their hopes of a citywide spotlight, we were the only media who showed up.

Their main target of concern is Wal-Mart, which doesn’t have a nearby store – but, the organizers insisted, the corporation wants to open stores here. We rolled video on the entire 16-minute briefing, and have published it above. Speakers included Kalpona Akter, an organizer from Bangladesh, who said she had been jailed and otherwise persecuted for her campaign to improve working conditions. She went to the Wal-Mart shareholders’ meeting recently to pressure the corporation to make changes; here’s more on that – including Wal-Mart’s side of the story – from the New York Times.

That video is getting West Seattle a bit of national attention tonight in the ongoing controversy over Target‘s donation to a group backing a Minnesota candidate with a history of opposing gay rights (folding in the “corporate personhood” controversy too). The musical protest took place in the Westwood Village Target store on Saturday, apparently around 11 am; we didn’t hear about it till afterward, and weren’t able at the time to confirm it, but you can tell by watching even just a few seconds of that video that it was shot inside the local store. Thanks to Amy for sending the link tonight. (The Target boycott had been discussed a week earlier in the WSB Forums.) ADDED 10:30 PM: Doing a bit more research on this – the credits attribute it in part to Agit-Pop, which bills itself as a “subvertising agency”. Going to try to see if anyone there will reveal why they chose the West Seattle Target, as opposed to the hundreds and hundreds of others in the U.S. 11:13 PM NOTE: As commenters point out, Agit-Pop has a Seattle office and the co-credited organization Backbone Campaign is Vashon-based, so the WS choice isn’t such a mystery.

ADDED 11:50 AM TUESDAY: Just heard back from Bill Moyer at Backbone, who explains, “Performers were participants in our Localize this! Artful Action Camp. This was the final and the location was chosen because of its proximity.” The Backbone website has the schedule for last week’s camp – you’ll see that Saturday’s schedule included “Flashmob Field Trip.”

Tonight through Sunday, you have five more chances to see young performers sing and act their hearts out with vigorous verbosity, as part of the ArtsWest Musical Theater Academy, as they present “Seussical Jr.” Get a quick preview in the video created by Edgar Riebe from West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media. Check out the cast list and info here; showtimes are 7:30 pm tonight through Saturday, 3 pm Saturday and Sunday. (Tickets are on sale online.)

Thanks to Josh Rogers for sharing his video of a startling scene right next to The Hole on Tuesday night – big flames from a short-lived incident that was on the 911 log as a “brush fire.” We headed that way from Alki after getting a text about it, but it was long out when we arrived – the location was obvious, though since even in the dark, the blackened street sign and burned plants were clearly visible. This is the “mini-park” recently unfenced as part of some work around The Hole, the long-stalled 39th/Fauntleroy development site once known as Fauntleroy Place. We’ll be checking with Seattle Fire Department later this morning to ask about the cause. 2:38 PM: According to SFD’s Helen Fitzpatrick, the firefighting crew didn’t detect anything suspicious about the fire, so a marshal wasn’t called out, and the report only boils down to, brush fire, quickly extinguished. Here’s what the site looked like this morning:

Two popular bands’ shows overlapped a bit tonight on the two stages at West Seattle Summer Fest – Satchel on the Alaska stage (which is right outside KeyBank at Alaska/California) and Hell’s Belles on the California stage between Oregon and Genesee, across from the West Seattle Eagles‘ HQ:

(Ever-rockin’ Jeff Gilbert from Feedback Lounge [WSB sponsor] was scheduled to intro Hell’s Belles – we missed him, as the show started a bit before the billed time of 9 pm.) As for the Saturday slate – it starts early, with Caspar Babypants (starring West Seattleite Chris Ballew) on the Alaska stage, next to our Summer Fest home in the info booth, at 11 am, while up at the California stage, Rat City Brass kicks things off at 11:15 am. And tomorrow night is Street Dance night at the California stage, with All Mixed Up and Cherry Cherry (Cars and Neil Diamond tribute bands, respectively). For our Summer Fest coverage from earlier today, scroll through our West Seattle Festivals coverage archive.

This year’s Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade was bigger than last year. How do we know? We usually roll video on the entirety of the parade – this year, it was so long, we had to break it into two clips! The first seven-plus minutes – starting with Seattle Fire Department Engine 29 coming around the corner (we staked out the second block of the parade) – is above; the ensuing six-plus minutes are next:

Before the parade, a few words from West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival junior royalty (Princesses Isabella and Kaitlin and Queen Kailin Jo), followed by King County Executive Dow Constantine (with parade organizer Sherri Chun emceeing):

The ceremonial whistle officially started the parade:

One more thing – our Flickr slideshow:

All West Seattle kids are also invited to be in a parade that’s just a few weeks away – the Rotary Club of West Seattle Kiddies’ Parade, which precedes the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade – the Kiddies’ Parade sign-in is at 10 am, and the parading begins at 11, on Saturday, July 24 – more info on the Rotary website (scroll down).

Just before the school year ended, Madison Middle School reading teacher Stacia Bell e-mailed to say she was so proud of the 6th-grade reading students who had been writing and performing monologues for novels they’ve been reading as “a challenge project” for her class, she had been videotaping them and wanted to share – with families’ permission, of course. So she put together the video with a sampling of some of the monologues – a slice of life from a special project at a local school. We look forward to sharing more stories about what’s happening in West Seattle’s schools when they are back in session this fall – here’s how to reach us.

One more video look at Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival, presented by the Morgan Community Association – on a day we might all look back on as the first “real” day of West Seattle’s 2010 summer. Edgar Riebe of Captive Eye Media captured festival scenes in the final few hours, including the legendary Bubbleman, and the last musical act, the Burley Mountain Band. (For photos and more video, check out our as-it-happened coverage, report #1 and report #2.)

(Post 160 retiring the colors as the 40-minute service concluded)
Just an hour and a half after a ferocious rainshower, the sun finally made its West Seattle Memorial Day Weekend 2010 debut in time for the annual service at Dignity Memorial-Forest Lawn Cemetery and Funeral Home (WSB sponsor) honoring those who have served.

Seattle Opera mezzo-soprano Melissa Plagemann sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America” (with attendees joining in the latter, as you can hear in our clip):

American Legion Post 160 Commander Chris Shea, a Navy veteran, reflected on the USA’s long history of fighting for our, and others’, rights: “We must remember, we are Americans. We do not give up – we value our freedom.” The dozens in attendance knew that firsthand – they included veterans as well as relatives of those who had served and are buried at Forest Lawn, crosses and flags marking their graves this weekend, like every Memorial Day. Shea acknowledged these are challenging times, but no challenge is insurmountable:

This was his fifth time speaking at the annual service. ADDED 6:39 PM: Kristen Rasmussen from the West Seattle Big Band (which you can see at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse celebration next Thursday) played Taps:

That photo is courtesy of Jim Edwards (who has played it in previous years) and whose Life son Kyle Edwards from Scout Troop 284 was photographed by WSB as he walked up the knoll to place the wreath at the Forest Lawn Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:

(Almost 400 of the 1,300+ crosses that are up at Forest Lawn this weekend are brand-new, thanks to Kyle’s Eagle Scout project, his dad tells us.)

Once again this year, Seattle’s Walk With Us to Cure Lupus event at Alki was graced with sunshine. Hundreds walked the 5K route, to and from the bathhouse, starting just after 10 this morning. The event raises money to research lupus, an auto-immune disorder which doesn’t get much attention, despite the fact more than 1 million Americans have it. Another repeat performance this year: Massage therapists from West Seattle’s M3 Bodyworks (longtime WSB sponsor) were on hand to help support the walkers:

We are awaiting word from organizers regarding how many people participated and how much they raised – everything was still being tallied when we checked in at the registration table (though the website indicates pledges were close to the $30,000 goal).

Thanks to Donna for e-mailing to let us know about the Denny International Middle School Play-A-Thon, with student musicians on campus for a 24-hour marathon of playing and listening to music, with breaks, of course. It was open to the public for a while tonight, so we dropped in to hear the Denny Jazz Band, directed by Marcus Pimpleton – in the clip, that’s the Glenn Miller big-band classic, “In the Mood.” This is a music-program fundraiser, by the way, with the student musicians getting pledges. We’re told you are welcome to drop by tomorrow, with a full slate of bands set from 8 am to 2 pm (maybe take a musical break while out shopping during West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day?).

Take three minutes to watch our coverage of last night’s Northwest Hope and Healing “Style ’10″ fashion-show fundraiser, shot and edited for WSB by Edgar Riebe from West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media, and you’ll get the exuberant spirit of those who watched and participated at Showbox SODO – including West Seattleites involved with NWHH as well as West Seattle boutiques (Carmilia’s, Coastal, Sweetie) and Ola salon, as well as the new store West Seattle Runner. NWHH helps women get through the shattering experience of having just been diagnosed with breast cancer. NWHH executive director Shari Sewell told Edgar that about 350 people attended “Style ’10,” and that it raised at least $60,000 for Northwest Hope and Healing. He describes the crowd as “lively and dressed to the nines.” You’ve got another chance to be part of a major event to help NWHH later this year, right here in West Seattle – August 29 is the date set for the annual Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run.