In 1851, when the first European-Americans arrived at Alki Point, the Dkhw’Duw’Absh occupied at least 17 villages, living in over 90 longhouses, and 6 Potlatch Houses (centers of spiritual and social gathering), along Elliott Bay, the Duwamish River, the Cedar River, the Black River (which no longer exists), Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Lake Sammamish. By 1910, nearly all of the Dkhw’Duw’Absh longhouses were destroyed by Non-Native arson.

–From “The Life of Si’ahl, ‘Chief Seattle’,” by Thomas Speer (read the story online here)

Nearly a century later, a historic event in West Seattle today, as our area’s First People opened their new longhouse to visitors:

That two-minute video clip follows singers, drummers, and other community members into the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center immediately after today’s ribbon-cutting. Earlier, we published a quick update, with a few photos and a brief clip of the ribbon-cutting itself. But as we wrote then, there is so much more to show and tell you, if you were not able to be there. Click ahead for more video, and other highlights:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Another catalytic-converter theft

January 3, 2009 5:52 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| Crime | Seaview | West Seattle news

Another crime report just in – these types tend to happen in waves, so listen/watch extra-closely for anything suspicious around the cars in your neighborhood, even alarms you might consider ignoring:

Sadly more thefts to report: The catalytic converter was stolen (cut off) from beneath our 15 year old SUV in the Seaview neighborhood overnight. Beware since the thief can get them in just a couple of minutes if they know what they’re doing, and they really like the SUV’s due to their higher clearance.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Criminals targeting cars

January 3, 2009 3:27 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reports to share – first, from Dave:

Just a heads up for other West Seattleites that someone smashed in the passenger side window on our car last night/early this morning. We’re in the Westwood neighborhood on 34th Ave SW near Barton [map]. The perp was either bored or not very bright, as nothing appears to be stolen. He/she also clearly knows nothing about music, as our Pearl Jam Live at the Gorge CD set was moved, but not taken. Total pain on our time and budget to get this fixed, but it’s a good reminder not to leave anything of value in our cars overnight.

Second, from CCW:

31st and City View (the funky little neighborhood just east of Admiral on your way up the hill) [map]: On the night of 1/1/09, someone got into our Honda CRV, which was parked in our driveway, and ripped the brand new TomTom GPS off the windshield. The doors weren’t locked, and nothing else was taken (the stereo and 10-15 CDs were untouched). This was clearly a crime of opportunity. The only reason it’s even worth reporting is that our driveway is quite private. You don’t go past our house randomly. This was either a local kid or a drunken hoodlum who wandered off the beaten path.

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Duwamish dedication, report #1: Longhouse open, fight not over

January 3, 2009 12:57 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS culture/arts

Back from a two-hour event with many amazing moments, as the Duwamish Tribe opened its new Longhouse and Cultural Center, on the eastern edge of West Seattle (4700 block of West Marginal Way; here’s a map), to the public – Duwamish chair Cecile Hansen and major donors Arlene and George Wade cut the ribbon, as this brief video clip shows:

(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)

It is open until 4 pm today, so you are welcome to go visit for yourself. Much of the building is the high-ceilinged longhouse meeting space, but the Cultural Center displays are in a cozier space that opens from the door (which is on the west side of the building):

There’s a gift shop too:

The ceremony and presentations included so many emotional moments – reconciliation of the Natives with descendants of Seattle’s first white settlers – but also included news, with word of a performance series for which season tickets are now on sale at the gift shop, and a lawyer’s somber warning that the fight for formal federal recognition of the Duwamish Tribe remains an uphill battle, to say the least. Many more details to come in our later report, and more video of those moments.

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Trash pickup catch-up: What’s SUPPOSED to happen today

January 3, 2009 9:28 am

| 36 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Just a reminder, since some people apparently missed previous word about this: If you have Friday trash pickup, it’s supposed to happen TODAY — this was the plan long before Snowmare ’08; originally Thursday was a holiday for trash/recycling crews so the plan for a while has been for Thursday pickups around the city were to be made Friday and Friday to be made Saturday. (Some worked on Thursday anyway, catching up on missed Monday-Wednesday homes; if you are Mon-Wed pickup and were missed this week, call the city ASAP; if you are Friday pickup, you’re not supposed to call unless it gets to be late in the day today and you’re still waiting.) One twist – we’ve received a couple reports of Friday homes that DID get picked up yesterday. The graphic above is the one that was handed out at the mayoral briefing we covered at City Hall on Wednesday (click the graphic to see a larger version). No details yet about the “rebates” he mentioned for those who missed two trash pickups during the weather woes.

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Belated update: West Seattle soccer teams finish 2nd in state

January 3, 2009 6:03 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people | WS & Sports

There’s a chilly memory from mid-December – that’s Sami MacKenzie of the West Seattle Cheetahs soccer team scoring a penalty shot during their state-championship game in Tukwila on December 14. Before the snow and ice forced almost everything else onto the back burner, we had brought you a few updates on the Cheetahs and two other West Seattle-based soccer teams playing in the championships that weekend (archived here, below this post). The evening of 12/13 was when the first wave of snow rolled in, but it didn’t stop these intrepid athletes. Though none of the three teams (the GU13 Cheetahs, the BU17 Xtreme, and the BU18 Eagles) won their title games, that still means they’re each in the state’s top two in their class, reason to celebrate. Here’s the photo and story that Cheetahs coach John MacKenzie sent after their big game 12/14, unpublished here at the time because of Snowmare ’08:

Frozen Coaches left to right: Eric Klapperich, John MacKenzie, and Cori Roed. Frozen Back Row, left to right: Julia Denison, Kelsey Klapperich, Charli Elliott, Sam Tanzer, Maddy Winter, Annalisa Ursino, Abby Tuthill, Sami MacKenzie. Frozen front row, left to right: Tatum Dahl, Anne Jorgenson, Julia Nark, Laura Jetland, Ali Campagnaro, Danielle Nielsen, Nicole Roed, and Gabby Rivera

Braving the snow and cold with the wind chill in the teens, the West Seattle Cheetahs fought to a 1-1 tie through regulation and 2 overtimes, only to lose a heartbreaker 3-2 in a shootout.

The field was frozen and covered with a layer of snow, the ball was frozen and the feet were frozen, but the competition was hot! The Cheetahs scored early in the first half on an excellent cross and tap in, but the Tornadoes came back with a great shot to tie the game just before the half. The second half saw many attempts, some missed opportunities, and some great goalkeeping to end regulation time tied 1-1. The 2 ten-minute overtimes saw much of the same, so a shootout was needed to determine the winner.

Both teams made their first 2 shots, then both teams missed their next 2, but the Tornadoes made their 5th shot to win the game 3-2 and take the title as #1 GU-12 recreational soccer team in Washington. It was the most incredible game we have ever been involved in. With the weather, the overtimes, and the shootout, it was an emotional roller coaster. “I was so drained, I slept for 16 hours afterward,” said Coach MacKenzie. “I am very proud of the girls and how hard they have played all year, and rightfully so – we are 1 of the 2 best teams in the state.”

“The Tornadoes were a worthy opponent and gracious winners, and you could hardly ask for a more exciting finish to the tournament,” said Coach Roed. The Cheetahs promise, “Wait till next year!”

The Cheetahs players and coaches would like to thank all the supportive West Seattle soccer fans who braved the below-freezing temperatures to come and cheer for us in the finals of the President Cup. You mean the world to us!

Congratulations again to the Cheetahs, the Xtreme, and the Eagles. They all are part of the West Seattle Soccer Club, which has spring leagues as well as fall; find out more about WSSC at its website.

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