West Seattle, Washington
11 Monday
Thanks to Donna for e-mailing to let us know about the Denny International Middle School Play-A-Thon, with student musicians on campus for a 24-hour marathon of playing and listening to music, with breaks, of course. It was open to the public for a while tonight, so we dropped in to hear the Denny Jazz Band, directed by Marcus Pimpleton – in the clip, that’s the Glenn Miller big-band classic, “In the Mood.” This is a music-program fundraiser, by the way, with the student musicians getting pledges. We’re told you are welcome to drop by tomorrow, with a full slate of bands set from 8 am to 2 pm (maybe take a musical break while out shopping during West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day?).
This summer, high-school girls from Yokohama, Japan, are coming to visit from July 21st-August 10th, and Amy Policarpio is looking for host families – until she finds them, their travel plans are in limbo. She explains:
They will be participating in classes & field trips most weekdays. They are here to experience American culture firsthand by living with an American family. They do not require a room of their own, would be willing to share a room with a child of the same gender. I am still in need of 7 families + 2 backup families.
Can you help? Or, interested in finding out more? More details and contact info can be found here.
That’s video from the kickoff of a big event this afternoon – Chief Sealth International High School vs. the SBOC Internationals in the soccer match known as the Carne Asada Bowl. That title also has to do with the community barbecue afterward. Sealth won, 2-0 (SBOC won in a shootout last year, says Sealth athletic director Sam Reed, center left in the photo below) – and a tasty time was had by all afterward:
At the grill, Sealth staffers Jim Diobilda and Dave Rosario:
This was the 4th annual Carne Asada Bowl.
Tomorrow’s the day – West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day all over the peninsula, 9 am-3 pm Saturday. Links to the maps are here, along with the newest information about changes (we’ve had one more cancellation because of a family emergency, so PLEASE check this link if you are using the printable map, which we couldn’t update, though the Google Map is up to date). As we mentioned earlier in the week, many local nonprofits are having sales – and some individual sellers are donating their proceeds. But there are three organizations looking for very particular help:
*West Seattle Tool Library: Taking donations at four locations (including Alki Bike and Board‘s sale site, #19 on the map), and also sending scavenger teams out to find tools – this new lending library will open soon. Full location information here.
*WestSide Baby: This organization that helps families around our area has just sent this request:
WestSide Baby is hoping a few good bargain hunters might try to “Shop to Give” tomorrow at the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day sales. Stop by C&P Coffee’s Diaper Drive and receive a free latte with a donation of diapers!!
If you are shopping and want to know what we REALLY need, please check out the list below. If you are having a sale and want to donate your gently used, clean and wonderful left-overs, we’ll be here Saturday 10- 4pm (address below).
While we generally take all children’s items, we must decline toys, furniture items like rocking chairs and changing tables due to space restrictions. Unfortunately, the massive crib recalls of the last year, also mean we cannot accept any cribs without written verification from the owner that the crib has been “recall” cleared.
However, we will take all other children’s clothes, shoes and reusable equipment, including carseats less than 6 years old as long as the owner attaches a note indicating it’s not been in a carseat or washed with harsh chemicals. We especially need the following items if you are shopping:
Clothes by Gender & Size:
Boy/Girl 0-9 mos
Boys 3T – 10 BoysOther items
Boppy Pillows
Small infant toys/rattles/teethers
Board Books
Carseats < 6 years old Strollers Highchairs Address in White Center: 10032 15th Ave. SW We are just south of the Dollar Store on the back side of White Center Chiropractic.
*Northwest Center: This organization has partnered with West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day even before we started sponsoring it with the 4th annual sale in 2008. If you have leftovers and would like to have them picked up, you can arrange it online through bigbluetruck.org – but better yet, their donation dropoff spot in The Junction will have backup trucks ready if their trucks keep filling up – Edmunds just east of 44th, across from Uptown Espresso, alongside the Chase drive-thru, where you’ll find them every weekend.
More previews ahead – check out the WSCGSD page on Facebook, where more sellers are previewing their sales, and more shoppers are posting about what they’re looking for.
We can say with confidence there are HUNDREDS of events this weekend – starting with the ~200 sales signed up for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, all over the peninsula on Saturday, 9 am-3 pm. Many more great events too – Chief Sealth‘s Carne Asada Bowl game/barbecue this afternoon, a Seattle Animal Shelter cat adopt-a-thon at Alki Community Center tomorrow, Family Game Night at Youngstown Arts Center tonight, Mother’s Day photos at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor)… All that and tons more on the list, sponsored by Skylark Cafe and Club, where you’ll find FREE live music, bodacious brunches, plus lunch ‘n’ dinner, and 2 special events this Mother’s Day:Read More
Perfect day to dance, shout, jump for joy outside – just ask the students of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School, who kicked off their annual Jog-A-Thon fundraiser with a choreographed routine to the Black-Eyed Peas‘ song “I Gotta Feeling.” (That’s Jill Pagano of the Nia Divas, leading the dance.) Afterward, K-3 students took the first hour-plus, 4th-8th graders followed; the official Jog-A-Thon page on the OLG website explained not only the event but featured video links to the routine, so everyone could learn it! (P.S. Q13 FOX TV news carried it live during their morning newscast.)
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share this morning – first, a stolen car (with a photo); second, stolen mail, and where part of it turned up – read on for both:Read More
Just one day till the 6th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, our third year to coordinate/present it – the Google Map you see above is the most up-to-date map, with three sales deleted due to emergency last-minute cancellations and one addition because we mistakenly left it off. (If you print out the PDF version, be sure to make the changes – listed here.) Remember that the sales are 9 am-3 pm (except for a handful that stipulated otherwise in their “ad” listings), no earlybirds, please! Today and tonight we’ll publish a few updates with highlights; right now, we wanted to mention the participating schools. Schmitz Park Elementary (sale #43) is participating for the first time – you’ll find their sale on the playground; they’re still accepting donated items to sell, 4-6 pm today and 8-9 am tomorrow at the school’s covered play area. Chief Sealth High School PTSA (sale #128) is participating – proceeds will be split between the PTSA and several student clubs at the school. West Seattle High School Grad Night (sale #34) is raising money with a 10 am-2 pm car wash along with their sale. Lincoln Park Co-Op Preschool (sale #131) has a sale at Seaview Methodist Church, where it has classes. Alki Co-Op Preschool (sale #38) is having a sale too, at Alki UCC Church, its class site. More previews later – and if you’re selling, share yours on the WSCGSD Facebook page! – but most importantly, be sure to browse the map!
(Editor’s note: This story is updated with new information from Hi-Yu President Tim Winston, in comments.)
“Dreams Do Come True,” as the 2010 West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival theme promises, and floats do get built … with a lot of hard work by volunteers, usually toiling up to the last moment. Five months after our first report of the winning theme, the float is in the final stages of assembly – scheduled to appear in its first parade tomorrow next week; we got a sneak peek last night:
The Sequim Irrigation Festival is was scheduled to be the first stop on this year’s tour of parades … it takes water for flowers to grownow they’re looking to next week’s Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival, so flowery Hi-Yu float decorations will be right in place:
Those flowers will be arranged on the float by the time the Hi-Yu delegation heads north. (You can see the official float-design sketch in this report from February.) If you don’t happen to see the float in another parade sooner, Saturday, July 24 is the day you will see it glide down California SW in West Seattle’s own American Legion Post 160-presented Grand Parade. As we are fond of pointing out, West Seattle is the ONLY community in the city that still has its own traveling parade float … powered by volunteers and donations … you’ll have a chance to chip in when you see Hi-Yu reps selling this year’s button at events; next one is the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club-presented Kids’ Fishing Derby at Seacrest Pier, 8 am May 15th.)
On Thursday, we published news that the West Seattle High School fastpitch softball team is headed for the playoffs after winning the division championship (remember their Walking Taco Night event tonight) … this morning, we have news of the WSHS varsity baseball team also taking its division and preparing for the playoffs. Here’s the report from Assistant Coach Scott Meaker:
West Seattle High School Varsity Baseball has concluded their regular season by sweeping West Seattle rival Chief Sealth H.S. 10-0 on Monday May 3rd, and 13-3 on Wednesday May 5th. West Seattle finished the season in first place in the Metro League, Sound Division with a 13 – 4 record. This marks the 12th time in 13 years that West Seattle has won the Sound Division title under long-time head coach Velko Vitalich, a West Seattle Alum from the class of ’73.
West Seattle opens the Metro League Tournament by hosting Seattle Prep Monday at Hiawatha Sports Complex at 3:30 PM. The Metro League Tournament runs through the week ending on Friday at Southwest Athletic Complex (SWAC) on the campus of Denny Middle School. The first and second place teams earn an automatic berth into the state tournament of 16. The 3rd place team will play the 2nd place team from Kingco 3A for another berth in the 16 team state tournament. That tournament begins Saturday May 22nd in four venues around the state. The final 4 teams will play in Safeco Field May 28th & 29th.
Brenda shares that photo “on behalf of The West Seattle Runners,” along with this report telling the story behind it:
Members of the West Seattle Runners celebrated a bachelor/bachelorette run for members Dave and Melissa (last night) at Alki. Dave is a founding member and current president of the West Seattle Runners. (Thursday) marked a special day for the couple, who met through the running club 15 years ago today during a club run at Alki. The couple is shown in this photo in their Bride/Groom outfits (note veil and funky glasses) that the group gave them for this special run. The couple is getting married this Saturday.
Thanks to everyone who sent photos of last night’s unusual sunset cloud formation over the Olympics. These four photos show how it evolved – above and immediately below are photos from Bruce; third photo from Brian P; fourth photo from Brian H.
Tried to look up the technical name for this kind of cloud – failed to find it. Anyone?
If you happen to see this VERY early Friday: The West Seattle Earlybirds Toastmasters Club invites you to come hear their VIP guest speaker, Bread of Life Mission executive director Willie Parish, talking about the “Each Person Counts” campaign and other ways his organization serves homeless people in Seattle. Toastmasters members will speak too – since that’s what the club (where your editor here was honored to be a guest speaker a few months back) specializes in – and you’re welcome to attend; the program begins at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction at 7:45 am, back door opens 7:15 (and a pre-meeting social starts at Bakery Nouveau at 6).
We’ve had this in the calendar for a few weeks, but now there’s an update, and in case you’re looking for something special to do this weekend (besides of course West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day!), here’s the full updated announcement sent by Erik:
Wild Alaskan Salmon Dinner: 5 pm & 7 pm Saturday (5/8):
West Seattle Boy Scout Troop 284, one of the oldest continuously running troops in the nation, is hosting its 5th annual salmon dinner this Saturday in the Parish Hall of St John’s Episcopal Church – 3050 California Ave SW (park in the West Seattle High School parking lot). The sit-down dinner features wild Alaskan King Salmon and a well-stocked silent auction in two seatings – 5 pm and 7 pm.
This is the perfect opportunity to take Mom out for a great meal, make a deal at the auction and support your local Boy Scouts. Tickets are all-inclusive and are $15/adult and $10/children 10 & under. You can purchase tickets at the door or reserve your spot by buying in advance – call Rich DeVore at 206-550-3969.
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