First WSB “Top 7 of ’07”: Video highlights

It’s just not late December without a slew of reviews of the year that’s about to end. So we’ll join the parade again this year — in three daily installments, starting today with our picks for Top 7 West Seattle video moments of ’07. Since the WSB video era only began on 9/11/07 (thanks to the generosity of Pledge Day donors), we only have 3 1/2 months of video clips from which to choose, but it’s been a busy fall, so this is a decent list. The links in the headline/date go to the WSB posts containing the video clips, not straight to the clips themselves, so you’ll get the full context if you missed any of these original reports. Now the countdown:

#7 — WINDSTORM WINDSURFER, 10/18/07: A windstorm that caused trouble for many gave this adventurer a chance for thrills.

#6 — WEST WATER SPOTLIGHTS, 11/14/07: West Seattle’s most hyper-marketed condo conversion didn’t stop at billboards, bus boards, sandwich boards, or broadcast commercials — it even sent spotlights into the WS sky for a few noteworthy nights.

#5 — BABY SEAL MANIA AT ALKI, 9/17/07: Throughout late summer and fall, the Seal Sitters kept watch as baby harbor seals hauled out along the West Seattle shore. Their watch spanned both joy and tragedy. WSB videotaped one of the crowd-pleasing pups.

#4 — MARS HILL IMMERSION BAPTISMS AT ALKI, 9/14/07: Hallelujahpalooza, we and others dubbed it. The only megachurch with a West Seattle branch brought a band as well as members from around the city to cheer (and pray for) those baptized in the chilly water of Puget Sound.

And now the top 3 (we feel like Casey Kasem):

#3 — GIVING NEW MEANING TO THE TERM “CABLE CAR,” 12/22/07: Not a huge incident, but an amazing sight. (And WSB contributing photographer Christopher Boffoli‘s still photos in that same report are even more amazing than our video clip of the car being pulled down off the cable it was straddling in Fauntleroy.)

#2 — CHARLESTOWN/CALIFORNIA EX-SCHUCK’S DEMOLITION, 12/13/07: Truly the end of an eyesore. Some teardowns sadden us, but not this one.

#1 — RECAST STATUE OF LIBERTY UNVEILED AT ALKI, 9/11/07: This tops our list not just because this was the first-ever WSB video clip — it was truly a joy for so many people to see this West Seattle icon finally back after its pedestal sat glaringly empty for many long months.

Again, these are the top 7 highlights from the events we videotaped since our camera arrived that September day. Many other major events and stories from earlier in the year shaped ’07 in West Seattle too, and those will be reflected in our next two roundups, tomorrow and Monday.

Jo December 29, 2007 (7:07 pm)

Wow, our recast statue installed once again on her pedestal is #1.
After being repeatedly told by the new plaza committee and the architects that she COULDN’T be re-installed on the old pedestal, ‘be patient, it’s only another year before she’s back,” a few of us in the community started a campaign to see if we could get her back ASAP.
I emailed, blogged, called, talked with everyone I knew on the beach and bus, posted flyers, was in constant contact with Parks Dept representatives, the mayor’s office, etc. etc. West Seattle resident, Rep. Joe McDermott, asked that I write up a history of the statue, why it was so important that we get her back, and to state what we wanted. The Mayor was interested, he said. I researched that email for two weeks, got it sent off to Joe, he got it to the Mayor as promised. And the next thing I knew I got a call at work telling me that the statue was going up on her existing base. And 9/11 was the perfect day to do it.
That whole exercise showed me that the ‘little’ person can make a difference, if you stick with it, believe in it, and work your butt off. West Seattle Blog played a huge, huge part in our effort, providing the forum for discussion. Thanks WSB, for being here.

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