West Seattle, Washington
13 Tuesday
First, from Bil Hood at Seattle Lutheran High School:
Congratulations to the Seattle Lutheran Saints boys and girls varsity basketball teams. They are both coming home tomorrow with the first place trophies from the Portland Lutheran Basketball Tournament. After winning blow-outs against the Portland Lutheran High teams yesterday the Saints both matched up against Mt. Rainier Lutheran High today. The girls won a close one 35-34 and the boys walked away with a 65-55 win.
Second, from proud grandma Ginger Brewer, reporting on the Short Course National Championships for swimmers, being held at Federal Way:
The grandson of Ginger & Glenn of Alki, Nicholas Thoman, won two gold medals at last night’s meet. The 100 back stroke 52.07 ( the meet record timing) and the 200 relay 1:26:02 with swimmers Westby, Jones & Skuba. There are seven of the elete swimmers group Club SwimMac Carolina here to compete. The Brewer fan club are on board every night to cheer them on. Tonight he will swim the 200 back stroke. More excitement in store.
Ginger sent that report this morning, so it looks like we have an update since then — if we’re interpreting the online results correctly, it appears Ginger and Glenn’s grandson came in second in that competition tonight.
8:39 PM: First flakes of the year reported. Got ’em where you are?
10:30 PM UPDATE: As noted in the comments, looks like it’s over for now. We just drove back from downtown – there’d been some snow reported on the other side of the bay – nary a flake. Newest forecast update says there’s still a chance of “snow showers” overnight – breezy too (we felt the wind starting to pick up) – and cold for pretty much the entire week (though mostly dry) – some nights going below 20. By the way, did you catch tonight’s sunset? Got this photo from Colby – showing a bit of the amazing pink that swept across the sky.
The Farmers’ Market parking lot was wall-to-wall with people tonight for the 2009 edition of The Junction’s Hometown Holidays Tree Lighting (co-sponsored by WSB) — the switch was thrown a little more than an hour ago. This year, they just lit the “big tree” right at the southeast corner of 44th/Alaska – and everything happened right on cue – here’s our quick handheld clip with the final seconds of the countdown (that’s emcee Marty Riemer, West Seattle-residing radio personality, whose voice you hear; he was assisted by Jordan, chosen from the kids sitting in front of the stage):
Other young participants in the 50-minute event included West Seattle’s own Endolyne Children’s Choir (whose “Winter Fantasy” concert is coming up 12/12):
Full report coming up later with lots more highlights (including the Volunteer Recognition honorees previously announced here) – you’ll likely see a tree-lighting clip on KING5 tonight too; they had a photojournalist there, as did the Seattle Channel (and West Seattle’s Captive Eye Media was there to provide full pro video coverage for us beyond our quick clips – you’ll see it in report #2). This is just the start of the Hometown Holidays fun (co-sponsored by WSB) – tomorrow from noon-4 pm, it’s the first Sunday for Santa photos, carriage rides, gift wrapping and all-around holiday hoopla in “Downtown West Seattle.”
The volunteers of Scholastic Journey await you at C&P Coffee till 7 pm – ornaments on that tree are for sale, as are baked goods and other crafts, to raise money for their work, which helps educate Third World kids. (Some of the ornaments were made in a drop-in workshop just a few days ago!) Right now they’re helping kids in Bali. You can find out more about their work by stopping in, as well as taking the opportunity to support it. Meantime, about half a mile north of C&P … the bonfires are going and the stage is set …
The Junction Tree Lighting is coming up within the hour. That’s the tree at left, and the tent with the stage, which this year is on the north side of the Farmers’ Market lot, instead of the west side. If you don’t see this before 5:20 or so you can probably still get there in time for the actual lighting – if you can’t make it, check our Twitter feed at twitter.com/westseattleblog for photos as it happens.
Maybe it’s the cold weather. Crime reports have quieted down somewhat. We do have one to share this afternoon that’s small, but might be something you’d come across, discarded along a road or sidewalk: Hallie says a black ERGObaby carrier was taken from a basket of dry cleaning unintentionally left near Eastridge Christian Assembly (38th/Oregon) – when she and her husband went out looking for it, they found the basket and the clothes, but someone had taken the carrier. On a side note, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council won’t be meeting this month – next meeting in January.
Just a few hours till Hometown Holidays in The Junction (co-sponsored by WSB) begins with a burst of light – the Tree Lighting at 44th/Alaska. The lineup includes: Marty Riemer (who just announced a new radio adventure) emcees, the Endolyne Children’s Choir sings, the West Seattle Volunteer Recognition honorees will be presented, the first of the $6,500 Junction Holiday Giveaway (entered yet?) prizes will be drawn – and a crowd singalong’s planned too. It all starts at 5 pm. (At left, a photo of the 2008 tree, contributed last year by Marybeth Coghill. But don’t worry about snow during tonight’s event – if those potential flurries do happen, forecasters insist, it would be later.) Holiday events continue afterward, as noted on the West Seattle Holidays page – including, also in The Junction, the West Seattle Eagles‘ fundraising dinner for holiday toys/warm clothing for the United Tribes of All Indians Head Start program, 5:30-7 pm at the Aerie (next to the post office), and in Morgan Junction, the release party for local artists’ “We Are The Junction” holiday CD, benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank, 8 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor).
They’re smiling despite being incredibly busy – the kitchen crew at the Kiwanis of West Seattle‘s big pancake breakfast at the Masonic Hall (40th/Edmunds). Santa Claus has magically managed to make an appearance there too, as well as at the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s Christmas Shopping Spree – he’s in the background, but look who’s in the foreground:
Clowning around for Christmas! The Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast continues till 11 am.
We’re at SODO Sears – where that video shows the bustling scene in just one room where the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s Christmas Shopping Spree is in full swing right now. It’s an annual holiday tradition for the Rotarians, who gather dozens of volunteers – today, including students from Mercer Island High School and the University of Washington — to share a fun morning with kids from local schools. As Rotary’s Josh Sutton explained, they rotate the participating schools year to year – this morning, kids are here from Alki, Concord, Gatewood and Roxhill Elementary Schools, plus Pathfinder K-8 (whose principal David Dockendorf was here to help greet them). Kids are matched with volunteers; their shopping spree is bookended by breakfast and lunch in the store’s cafe. First they get coats, jackets and socks, in the room shown in our first clip – then it’s off to shop in the store, up to $100/child (and Sears provides a discount). Santa and a singalong will be part of the fun too. (added 9:26 am, Santa with a student and volunteer)
Even if you’re not here – LOTS of ways you can make this a merrier Christmas for others – the West Seattle Holidays page has a long list of giving trees and donation drives. ADDED 8:50 AM: We talked with the leader of the MI student group about the goodie bags they made, filled and donated:
(Photo by Stephen Hughes-Jelen – “frost flowers” on a High Point pickup hood just after midnight)
Just drove from West Seattle to SODO, where we are covering the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s annual “Christmas Shopping Spree” event. Cars along the street are seriously iced (and were by midnight last night), but the roads are not too bad – at least the main arterials and The Bridge, which looked glazed, but LG – who drove before 6 am – has an opinion on that:
Back from airport drop-off and I-5 (south), 509 (north) completely bare and dry! The bridge does seem to be treated because it looks wet and if it weren’t, we would have been slipping all over the place.
Sidewalks and parking lots are another matter – be extra careful there – today’s temps are projected to stay fairly low, so melt-off may be a while. If you’re going to the Eastside, beware – one volunteer here who came from Redmond says, “We saw spinouts all over the place.” As for the forecast – the overnight update begins with a big bold warning, COLD THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. All should be well for tonight’s tree lighting in The Junction – just bundle up. 8:47 AM UPDATE: Just came back to West Seattle via The Bridge – the outside lane is coned off over the high rise in both directions – city crews are working right now on the eastbound lanes.
We told you about the vote last month – this morning the winner’s been announced: Admiral Theater will show “Elf” (trailer above) as its free Christmas movie (with a donated item, as listed on that page) at noon December 19th. Also announced by The Admiral: A New Year’s Eve party – with the singalong version of “West Side Story” and a champagne toast at midnight, $20. More here. (Tonight at The Admiral, it’s the Christmas Jug Band, 8 pm.)
Another Saturday and Sunday edition this time around – almost everything is already on the WSB West Seattle Holidays page – but here’s an extra shoutout. The weekend’s biggest event is the kickoff of Hometown Holidays in The Junction (co-sponsored by WSB) – tree lighting Saturday night, Santa photos and more on Sunday. Looks like wintry weather, too. And the day begins and ends with special fundraising dining events in The Junction – starting with the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle Pancake Breakfast this morning (7-11 am) and ending with the West Seattle Eagles‘ dinner 5:30 pm-7 pm (convenient after the tree lighting, before the We Are The Junction CD release party at Feedback Lounge [WSB sponsor[). Plus – LOTS of chances to shop local – not just the fabulous West Seattle merchants in The Junction, Admiral District (WSB sponsor) and elsewhere, but also a HUGE number of bazaars and sales around West Seattle. More than 50 events/activities in all, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More
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