Words take wing at “West Seattle Reads” liftoff tonight
Sanislo Elementary – tucked into a wooded corner along Myrtle a few blocks east of Delridge – bills itself as “the small school with big ideas.” Tonight was the night their librarian Maryann Horsley‘s big idea for “West Seattle Reads” (previous coverage here) took flight as kids picked up free books – with a kite theme – and watched a kite expert show them some fun creations:
The goal is to get as many West Seattle kids as possible reading these two books (“The Emperor and the Kite†by Jane Yolen and Ed Young for younger kids, “The Kite Fighters†by Linda Sue Park and Eung Won Park for older kids) and then joining in two discussions at local libraries in a few weeks:
The discussions are April 14 at Delridge Library and April 15 at Southwest Library. Then “West Seattle Reads” wraps up with a kite celebration at Sanislo on April 27. And if you couldn’t go last night – you can still get the free books and join in “West Seattle Reads” — e-mail Maryann Horsley (click here).
About that radio commercial …
When we mentioned The Tap Project the other day, a few commenters mentioned they were offended by a particular radio commercial they had heard. They’ve received a response from someone local who worked on a different part of the Tap Project publicity campaign, and since the item’s a few days old, we wanted to spotlight that new comment here:
I work at the ad agency Publicis West in Seattle. I am the Creative director and copywriter of the local public service campaign for the Tap Project Seattle. I did indeed write a radio spot which is airing, but it doesn’t mention anything about a waitress. I am not sure where the radio spot you’re talking about came from.
Please know that the Seattle restaurant community are our best friends in this project and we have been working hand-in-hand with restaurants to support this great cause. I was a waitress myself all through college and would NEVER suggest that a food server not be tipped. In fact, I had lunch today at Le Pichet and we gave both a big tip to the waitress and a $75 donation to TAP!
Perhaps the radio spot is part of the national public service campaign. If so, they are definitely utilizing a tongue and cheek tone and probably didn’t have the intention of offending the very people who are supporting the TAP Project.
Below is the script for the radio spot currently airing in Seattle:
ANNC: This morning when you woke up there was a 65% chance it was falling from the sky. You turned on a tap and bathed in it. You turned on another tap and brushed your teeth in it. You put on clothes that were washed in it. You flushed a gallon and a half of it down the toilet. You got in your car and crossed large bodies of it. You drank a latte steamed with it. You gossiped next to a cooler of it. And you haven’t given it a second thought. You haven’t had to. Because in Seattle we’ve got plenty of water. But not everyone in the world is so lucky. The fact is, 5000 children die every day from a lack of safe water. During world water week, we can help change that. Dine out March 16th through the 22nd and donate a dollar for a glass of tap water. That dollar will provide 40 children with safe drinking water for one day. And because you thought about water for a change, someone else won’t have to. For participating restaurants or to donate online, go to tapproject.org/Seattle
Doesn’t solve the mystery of that other commercial, but just wanted to share this with anyone concerned there was some local snarking going on.
Satterlee House development dispute: The final witness
As of 1 o’clock this afternoon, the testimony’s over, and paperwork is what’s next in the fight over what can be built on the big front lawn of the landmark Satterlee House (the “Painted Lady” at 4866 Beach Drive, photo above). The city called one last “rebuttal witness” this afternoon — someone who almost wasn’t called to testify, as the city legal team explained while closing hearing-room proceedings with an official protest following the testimony:Read More
West Seattle Easter events, installment 1
Just finished our first cut at a comprehensive list of West Seattle churches and their Sunday service times. You can find it here – including two sunrise services (Forest Lawn and on the beach @ Alki). As we noted on that page, PLEASE let us know if you see an error or omission – we compiled this as best we could with web searches and phone calls. Also note that some churches are planning Easter-egg hunts on Sunday — plus, you can find Saturday egg hunts at the city-run community centers around West Seattle, as well as Morgan Junction Thriftway (find the scoop on that on our Events page).
Happening today/tonight: Semi-celebrity, free books, more …
Lots going on today/tonight in West Seattle; the Events page has the full list – here are a few highlights:
LIBRARY GAMES: Libraries aren’t just for books any more. It’s game time for ages 8-18 @ Delridge Library this afternoon, 3-5 pm — particularly the kind that actually involve body parts beyond the thumbs – Wii and DDR. (P.S. Did you know the Delridge branch is an official Homework Help Center?)
WE ALL SCREAM FOR … IDOL ICE CREAM? Yes, today’s the big day (previous coverage here). One of last year’s “American Idol” finalists, Chris Richardson, is touring the U.S. hawking “Idol” ice cream, and his only Seattle stop is (sort of) in West Seattle – Roxbury Safeway (map), 3:30-5:30 pm
FREE BOOKS! Sanislo Elementary (map) is throwing open its doors tonight for the “West Seattle Reads” kickoff; read all about it here, and don’t miss the free books and kite-making kits, 6:30-7:30 pm tonight.
LAST NIGHT FOR TEGC @ KENYON HALL: We went on night 1 (video-enhanced coverage here); tonight’s the final night of Pat Wright and Total Experience Gospel Choir at Kenyon Hall (map) before their return to the South to continue helping with Katrina relief.
P.S. – APOLOGY: An unintended WSB event happening today — server trouble at our hosting company. If you have trouble getting into the site, please accept our apology; we have reported the trouble, and they are planning some sort of major upgrade later this week that we’re hoping might fix the latest problems.
This just in from detectives at the 
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