day : 11/10/2009 10 results

Orchard Street Ravine spruce-up – and 2 BIG events ahead

October 11, 2009 11:22 pm

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| Environment | Gatewood | West Seattle news

Yes, cleaning up and restoring West Seattle’s greenspaces can be fun, even if they call it a “work party.” We got the photo from a participant in Saturday’s work party at Orchard Street Ravine in Gatewood, where 8 people showed up, including new volunteer Cassandra. According to our contributor, the biggest job of the day was creation of “tree life saver rings” around a madrona and native bitter cherry to keep them from being strangled by clematis and “blackberries on steroids.” One more native cherry needs work next time, and 100 creeping dogwoods will be planted then – “next time” means November 7th, which is Green Seattle Day, with Friends of Orchard Street Ravine partnering with the Green Seattle Partnership. Find out more about Green Seattle Day here; this also gives us an excuse to remind you that, to the east, Duwamish Alive! work party/cleanup day is next Saturday – find out more about that (and how to be part of it) here.

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Video/photos: Eat Local Now! gala in The Junction

October 11, 2009 6:08 pm

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| Sustainable West Seattle | West Seattle news

We’re at the Alki Masonic Hall in The Junction (with sponsors including Sustainable West Seattle) with more than 250 people for the sold-out Eat Local Now! celebration.

Exhibitors (including us) line the walls, beautiful herb plants decorate the tables, and attendees are milling about enjoying appetizers and beverages. We’ve checked in on the kitchen, where some of West Seattle’s best-known chefs are working, and we have the menu too, which we’ll be adding to this report so that if you’re not here, you’ll see some of the local food that’s being celebrated – more to come! 6:22 PM: Added video of chefs in the kitchen dishing up Roasted Winter Squash and Carrot Soup, a recipe by Chef Bill Taylor of Talaris Conference Center. Green salad and warm salad by Chef Brad Glaberson of Cucina Fresca are coming out too.

The Jeff Fairhall Local Food Hero Award (for which nominations were sought here last month) will go to Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin, during the “spoken presentation” part of the program in about an hour. 7:03 PM UPDATE: Among the speakers, Mashiko proprietor Hajime Sato, who made headlines recently for vowing to serve only “sustainable sushi” – he talked about the reality of farmed fish:

Being aware of where your food comes from – how it’s raised, how it’s grown – is a central theme of this event. The Eat Local Now! menu lists lots of information about each item – here’s part of the main course, Miso-Glazed Salmon from the Wild Salmon Fish Market with Granny Smith apples from New Roots Farm (whose Jason Salvo is among the speakers, talking about the hard but rewarding work of being a farmer) and celery-root salad from Boistfort Farm, prepared by Chef Dalis Chea of Fresh Bistro, and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.

Among the forthcoming desserts: Chocolate Bread Pudding with Mint Creme (chocolate from Theo’s) by Chef Toby Matasar from Eats Market Cafe in Westwood Village.

8:32 PM: Added the dessert photo. Speeches are over, and it’s on to music/dancing. As one speaker put it, you can’t just accept what you get, you have to demand more – more locally grown food, more knowledge about where your food comes from, more support for local growers. The kitchen staff here got a big round of supportive applause, by the way:

We’ve got more info/visuals to add when we get back to HQ, including video of Council President Conlin, as he accepted his award, talking about local-food efforts on Delridge. (10:50 pm – here it is)

This is a citywide event, held in West Seattle for the first time, presented by – in addition to SWS – CoolMom, BALLE Seattle, and Sustainable Cascadia.

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Time capsule opened during Holy Rosary centennial celebration

October 11, 2009 5:27 pm

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| West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

From WSB contributing journalist Kathy Mulady: Holy Rosary capped its Centennial Celebration today, with celebrations that included removing the 1937 time capsule (above) from the cornerstone of the church:

The contents were on display a few minutes later across the street in Lanigan Hall, where church members and friends celebrated.

The time capsule included a 1937 newspaper, letters that had yellowed and crumpled with age, coins and other a little envelope of powder that left many wondering what it was … or what it once was:

Holy Rosary’s Father John Madigan thanked everyone for many volunteer hours that were put into the year-long celebration.

Seattle Archbishop Alexander Brunett celebrated Mass and attended the afternoon events afterward.

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West Seattle Whale Watch video: Orcas! Seen from Beach Drive

October 11, 2009 2:32 pm

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

ORIGINAL 2:32 PM REPORT: Just got a message from Jeff Hogan – orcas headed northbound, spotted near Southworth (on the ferry run with Fauntleroy). Get those binoculars out! 3:47 PM UPDATE: Just back from Beach Drive, where we caught sight of them from Constellation Park (as did others nearby with binoculars and/or hands-shielding eyes)- they were closer to the Bainbridge side than the West Seattle side. Checking to see if our video came out! 4:09 PM: It did – and we have just added it to this report. A bit shaky/blurry but we were zooming all the way to almost-Bainbridge, and it’s just a standard-issue small handheld. More whales than we thought we were seeing, squinting at the camera in the sunshine! 8:20 PM UPDATE: For a closer look – here are two photos just shared by Terry Wittman, taken from Southworth:

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Election 2009: Referendum 71 faceoff at Farmers’ Market today

October 11, 2009 2:14 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Thanks to Sandi and Dave for sending that photo from the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, noting the counterprotesters with handwritten signs reading “Meet the Bigot.” Referendum 71 is one of two statewide measures on next month’s ballot (the other is I-1033). Your ballot may arrive in the mail as soon as the end of the week, as mailing is scheduled to start Wednesday. R-71 is a referendum on the domestic-partnership-rights bill approved by the State Legislature and signed by the governor to make sure that registered same-sex domestic partners (and opposite-sex partners 62 and up) will not be denied rights such as hospital visitation, death benefits and taking leave to care for an ailing partner. Voting to approve Referendum 71 — the positiion WSB endorses (a departure from our general current no-endorsement policy) — affirms the Legislature’s vote and guarantees those rights. Here is the “ballot title” language you will see on your ballot:

The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill.

This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.

The state’s Online Voters’ Guide with information on R-71 (as well as arguments for and against) can be seen here.

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2 boards need you: Fauntleroy Schoolhouse; SW Historical Society

October 11, 2009 1:25 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

Looking for a way to get more involved with your community? Here are two!

FAUNTLEROY SCHOOLHOUSE BUILDING ADVISORY BOARD: As the Fauntleroy Community Service Agency gets closer to closing the deal to buy the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (here’s our most recent update), it’s forming a Building and Site Development Advisory Board “to oversee the building development and operations within the context of this mission,” according to the official announcement. They’re hoping its members will include (but not be limited to) people with expertise in areas such as real-estate development, building renovation and construction, property management, real-estate negotiations, public/private financing options, familiarity with city/state/school district, connections to local community groups. Interested? Call FCSA president Kevin Wooley, (corrected) 206-933-6410.

SOUTHWEST HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD: SWSHS, which operates The Log House Museum, says it’s “looking for board members who have the skills and enthusiasm to bring to our organization for three-year terms beginning in 2010. Participation in our board will be challenging and rewarding, stretching your skills and abilities. You will also gain experience in the meaningful work of preserving West Seattle history, making new friends in the community and the pride of knowing you’ve contributed to a vital organization.” Interested in helping with historic preservation and running a small museum? E-mail a letter of interest to board member Joey Richesson at EuniceSnit@aol.com, or call her at 206-909-9016, before the end of the month.

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West Seattle business news: Seen in The Junction

October 11, 2009 12:26 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Got that photo from Brian at TouchTech Systems in The Junction – he spotted those signs in the window of the storefront in The Junction formerly inhabited by Funky Jane’s. “Heavenly Wholesale,” we’ve seen on A-boards all around WS. “Leslie’s, A Country Store” brings back memories of the similarly named business that preceded The Bohemian at 3405 California SW (though at the time, two and a half years ago, that closure was described as “retirement”). Nothing in the city’s business-license database to yield a clue at this point but we’ll be checking tomorrow!

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2 Senior Center events not just for seniors: Festival & Bingo

October 11, 2009 9:22 am

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| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Two reminders from Carol Johnston at the Senior Center of West Seattle (SE corner of California/Oregon):

HARVEST FESTIVAL: This Tuesday, 10 am-2 pm, free admission. Check out bazaar crafts with new items and collectibles, a bake sale, flu shots by Safeway pharmacists (free with Medicare Part B and $30 for everyone else), and $3-$7 lunch.

LAST RAINBOW BINGO OF THE YEAR: Friday 10/23, with a Halloween theme – costumes encouraged, and there will be a parade! Doors open at 5, bingo starts at 7 with caller Sylvia O’Stayformore assisted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. $15 in advance, $20 at the door, call Margie for reservations/info at 206-932-4044.

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Today: Benefit Nia class; WS Farmers’ Market; board games!

October 11, 2009 6:21 am

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| Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle Farmers' Market

3RD ANNUAL NIA CLASS TO BENEFIT NORTHWEST HOPE AND HEALING: Be at Youngstown Arts Center (4408 Delridge) at 10 am to join the NiaDivas in raising $ for NWHH, a West Seattle-founded organization that helps newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients. Find out more about Nia here, and about the NiaDivas here.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, as always. Here’s today’s Ripe and Ready fresh list; watch @NFMASeattle on Twitter for pics and sightings.

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BOARD GAMES! Today’s the day for the first Board Game Afternoon presented by Friends of Southwest Branch Library — all ages, all skill levels, just come to the meeting room upstairs at the branch (9010 35th SW; Google Street View above) between 1 pm and 4:30 pm. Members of the Friends will bring some games and will teach any you don’t know; you’re welcome to bring your favorite board game(s), too.

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Shipwreck, car washes, pancakes

October 11, 2009 3:22 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

The photo’s from Kendall, sent “live” a few hours ago from opening night at Shipwreck Tavern – he reported a capacity crowd — and wrote more about it at Washington Beer Blog. Hours earlier, Saturday morning, we stopped by all three high-school-fundraising car washes – all reporting a brisk business in the early going! – top to bottom in the next three photos, it’s Chief Sealth (check the fall colors in the background) at Boren, Seattle Lutheran at Swedish Automotive (WSB sponsor), and West Seattle High School at WSHS: