day : 16/01/2011 11 results

10:26 PM SUNDAY: Though the official on-air announcement isn’t due till 7 am tomorrow (Monday) morning on 103.7 The Mountain radio, Nicole Brodeur at the Seattle Times (WSB partner) is the latest to report that West Seattleite Marty Riemer is definitely returning to the station that axed him 16 months ago. (We noted the video hints here on Friday; Seattle Weekly confirmed his return later that day.) He’ll be on the shift that was his original claim to fame, afternoons. And that means he gets to keep doing his morning podcast. (Which apparently is taking the day off tomorrow.) Photo: May 2010, WSB photo of Marty Riemer before he emceed the West Seattle 5K.

7:04 AM MONDAY: They’ve just officially announced on-air that he’s returning to the station, on the afternoon shift. “I’m ba-a-ck,” Riemer said, appearing on-air with John Fisher (who’s on mornings from here on out) and Shawn Stewart (middays). “It was like a bad soap-opera cliffhanger,” he added, of his time away. “We keep saying,” Stewart noted, “that Marty is truly back due to popular demand,” referring to the uproar after his September 2009 firing. (His then-co-host Jodi Brothers also has a new job; she’ll be part of the Bob Rivers Show when it hits the air at 95.7 FM this spring.) [added] At quarter past 7, Governor Gregoire called in on the air, and laughed when Riemer told her she was no longer responsible for paying him unemployment benefits. He starts on the afternoon shift next Monday.

Denny students’ music: Concert Thursday; Disney help needed

January 16, 2011 9:26 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(April 2010 photo courtesy Denny IMS, from one of 4 marching-band performances in a single day)
Two announcements tonight from the music department at Denny International Middle School in West Seattle — first, an invitation to their next concert; second, a request for help with a chance to get to a big gig on the road:

The Denny International Middle School Music Department will be having their Winter Concert on Thursday, January 20th at 7:00 PM in the Chief Sealth International High School auditorium.

Please join us for a fabulous array of performances by the Jazz Band, Concert Bands (beginning, junior and senior), Orchestras (junior and senior), World Music Choir, and Steel Drum Ensemble. It is sure to be a night filled with delightful music created by many talented and enthusiastic students. We are very excited to be able to perform in the newly renovated Chief Sealth Auditorium — a big step up for these students from their previous performance venue.

The Denny Marching Band has been invited to give a performance down Main Street Disney which will be quite a thrill for them. If there are people out there able to help contribute to a scholarship fund, we would gladly accept donations to enable more students to take advantage of this special opportunity. Donations can be made to the Denny Music Department via department head Marcus Pimpleton. For additional information, please contact Marcus Pimpleton at mjpimpleton@seattleschools.org.

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West Seattle Running Club hopes to help you stay on track

January 16, 2011 7:48 pm

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| Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(Photo courtesy Dave Howard/West Seattle Running Club)
Halfway into the first month of the new year, how’s your fitness resolution going? Need a little support? Dave Howard says he’s got just the group:

Did you make a fitness resolution for the new year? Do you want help keeping
it? Come run with the West Seattle Running Club. You may be thinking, “A running club? I might not be fast enough. These people are probably too hard core.” Not so. We are a social running group with nearly 60 members and all running levels. We welcome all paces including walk/runners. We have no rules and no expectations other than supporting each other and having fun.

Join us at the Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. and on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. The runs are relatively informal; we all start out together and run with whoever is at our pace, and then make sure that everyone comes in safely. We usually run three to five miles during the week and maybe a longer run on Sundays. Our members run many events each year and we support each other with group training runs and schedules that are event specific.

We have been told we are a social group with a running problem. Maybe because we do pizza one night each week after the run and have coffee together following the Sunday morning runs. We do lots of cross-training activities including cycling and skiing. We sometimes put together relay teams for the events around the Northwest.

Not associated with any businesses or other local organizations, we are just your West Seattle neighbors, together for more than 16 years, to create opportunities for runners of all levels to meet and run with others, to provide support and encouragement to members in achieving their personal goals, and to have a lot of fun.

So keep that resolution, and let us help. Come on down to the beach and run with us. Just show up and we will introduce ourselves. For more information visit us at www.westseattlerunningclub.org or contact me at wsrdave@comcast.net or 206-938-2416. We look forward to running with you soon.

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Holiday tomorrow: Metro changes; no Water Taxi; other notes

January 16, 2011 6:51 pm

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| Holidays | West Seattle news

A reminder tonight about schedule changes tomorrow for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday: There’s no King County Water Taxi service, West Seattle or Vashon (no shuttle buses, either). Metro buses are on a “reduced weekday” schedule – check here to see if your route is affected. Though most government offices and services are closed (including Seattle libraries and Parks facilities), recycling/trash/yard-waste services are on regular schedule, if you have Monday pickup. It’s a “free parking” day for other parts of the city with pay stations/meters. Most state liquor stores are open. Last but not least – schools and banks are closed.

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Candlelight vigil planned next weekend for Jeremy Peck

January 16, 2011 5:14 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Family and friends searching for West Seattleite Jeremy Peck have set the date and time for a candlelight vigil: 4:30-7:30 pm next Sunday, January 23rd, outside the Admiral Pub. That’s where they say Jeremy was last seen, early Christmas Eve morning. The newly circulated Facebook invite for the vigil is here. (An anonymous tipline has been set up at 206-478-4905; here’s our original story on his disappearance.)

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West Seattle Seahawks-watching: Better luck next year!

January 16, 2011 2:56 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

That’s the followup to the photo we published last night from Bob in North Admiral – the house that previously flew Bears and Seahawks flags side by side now has taken down the ‘Hawks flag. Though today’s 35-24 loss is disappointing (unless you’re a Bears fan!), remember that they made history by winning a playoff game despite a regular-season losing record. A few photos shared with us during the game – Shannon shared this one of a young cheerleader:

And Kelly at Muttley Crew Cuts in Admiral noted that the dogs there had the chance to watch the game too:

With the Seahawks’ season over – you could look ahead to the Mariners‘ season, opening at Oakland on April 1st (with spring training games starting 2/27) … and for an even more-local hook, the Rat City Rollergirls just skated their first 2011 bout yesterday and have the next one on February 19.

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Alki Homestead fire anniversary: ‘Somebody has to speak for the building’

January 16, 2011 10:55 am

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| Alki Homestead | West Seattle news

10:55 AM: We are at the Log House Museum, steps away from the Alki Homestead (above), where 4 groups are announcing their updates on the Homestead’s status, on the 2nd anniversary of the fire that closed it. Historic Seattle says it still hopes to find a way to buy it. The 3 other groups say they have asked the city to step in to prevent further damage to the building. More to come after the media briefing.

(video unavailable due to blip.tv shutdown)

12:58 PM: Our video clip contains the complete, unedited 17-minute briefing (including Q/A). It was led by Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s Clay Eals, who, toward the briefing’s end, summarized the event’s purpose: “We are speaking for the building … somebody has to speak for the building.” Full story to come; here’s an updated link to the official news release.

ADDED 1:50 PM: The snug first-floor central space of the Log House Museum was filled with media (including citywide TV crews), historic-preservation advocates, and SWSHS volunteers for the occasion. Speaking, from left, at a table facing cameras were Chris Moore from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, Flo Lentz from 4Culture, Rick Sever from Historic Seattle, and Eals.

Notably absent was the building’s owner, Tom Lin, who says expert studies he’s paid for show that the building is too far gone for restoration, and would need “reconstruction.” The groups participating today said Lin had been notified of the event by e-mail and was invited to be there – as an observer, however, not as a speaker. Last summer, he had announced he would put the building up for sale, and extended an exclusive monthlong window for these same 4 groups to purchase it. Historic Seattle’s Sever would not comment during today’s briefing on the status of any negotiations and whether any talks had occurred recently, repeatedly saying “due diligence” prevented specific commenting. He also would not identify the “private investors” that were mentioned.

Regarding the request to the city regarding protection of the structure, we were told that came in the form of a letter to the Department of Planning and Development, which enforces code compliance; specific concerns were described as including being open to the elements, accessible to potential vandals, and having “waste” left around the site. Whatever complaint was filed, it’s not showing yet on the official DPD page for the Homestead/Fir Lodge site (2717 61st SW), which does note previous complaints (from unknown complainants), all listed as “case closed.”

The third major initiative announced today was creation of a new poster featuring the “This Place Matters” photo taken outside the Homestead/Fir Lodge last July 4th. Volunteers are going around putting up copies – we followed former Log House Museum director Andrea Mercado, her daughter Ruby and other young volunteers immediately after the media briefing, as they put up the first one at Sunfish Seafood a few blocks away:

So now what? As Sever repeated before the briefing ended, “In real estate, the door’s always open.” Whatever happens next, the Homestead, for now, remains closed.

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PCC wraps up, showcases West Seattle remodeling

January 16, 2011 10:06 am

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Five months after first word of the remodeling project at PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor), the store celebrated its completion this week. We stopped by for a quick tour with PCC’s Diana Crane, who showed us the results – some of which are so subtle you might not notice till someone points it out. In the top photo, of course, what you see in the background can’t be missed – new deli offerings, including pizza and gelato. Closer to the foreground – the cheese case, like refrigeration/freezer cases all over the store, now has LED lighting, which is cooler and more energy-efficient. Ahead, some of what else is new:Read More

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West Seattle Sunday: The game, and beyond

January 16, 2011 9:23 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(From WSB Flickr group pool: Fireboat Leschi, photographed Friday by Danny McMillin)
Lots of early openings around the peninsula this morning to invite people in for The Big Game; the ones we’ve seen/heard mentioned are added here. Also happening today: Sustainable West Seattle/WS Tool Library promises a home-brewing demonstration at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm … The weekly “adult/big kid pickup soccer game” is still happening Sundays at 10:30 am … Just got word of a free organ-music concert by Linda Knebel, 2 pm at Hope Lutheran Church, public welcome … Dogs/handlers “positive training” flash mob at Westlake Plaza downtown, 3 pm, co-organized by West Seattle-based Service Dog Academy (details here).

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Musicians invited to West Seattle Community Orchestras’ 1st ’11 session

January 16, 2011 2:34 am

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

“We keep getting bigger and better, but would like to fill in some of our smaller sections,” says Toni Reineke of West Seattle Community Orchestras, with days to go till their first rehearsal of the year (last week was “snowed out”). She elaborates:

We especially need cellos, string basses, trumpets, and percussion—and oboe and bassoon, of course!

If you are a beginner or haven’t played for a while, don’t be shy! We have three orchestras spanning beginning to advanced levels.

Pre-register online at wscorchestras.org, then be ready to rehearse on Tuesday night at Chief Sealth International High School. E-mail Toni with questions, tonireineke@comcast.net.

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High-school basketball: Seattle Lutheran vs. Tacoma Baptist

January 16, 2011 2:06 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Seattle Lutheran High School‘s boys-varsity basketball team used its deep bench to wear down Tacoma Baptist in West Seattle on Saturday night, cruising to a 55-27 win. Details ahead:Read More

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