West Seattle, Washington
21 Thursday
One more art note before the night’s out: Though the West Seattle Art Walk (tomorrow, 6-9 pm) is definitely the bigger of the two, the White Center Art Walk is livening up our southern neighbor each month too … and tonight, WSB’er Amanda is putting out the call for more participants:
Calling all West Seattle Blog and White Center Now-reading artists! The White Center Art Walk happens every 3rd Saturday of the month from 6pm – 9pm. Proletariat Pizza, Full Tilt, Big Al’s, Dzul Tattoo, Dubsea, Company, Salvadorean Bakery, and Rozella’s are some of the participants. With all the new places moving into White Center, it’s becoming a great place to see local art!
We are looking for artists to participate. There are no commissions or hanging fees either! We are in need of two artists for this month (the 19th) at Full Tilt and Big Al’s. Looking for family friendly art, but are open to all kinds of art. Please contact Amanda Kay Helmick for submission information. smyliegrl at gmail dot com
(Photo of Jean Lovejoy, courtesy Stephanie Hargrave)
Tomorrow night, all around West Seattle, it’s the February Art Walk, 6-9 pm, with a stop or two off the official map. One that’s come to our attention is Jean Lovejoy‘s retrospective, presented by Stephanie Hargrave in South Admiral (3234 California SW). Stephanie notes that Jean is 91 years old and still going strong. She hopes you’ll come by to meet her and enjoy her art. Here’s what Stephanie has to say about Jean:
I met Jean Lovejoy a year ago at an art sale/fundraising event I was having at my studio. She came with one of her daughters, Madeline, who mentioned she was an artist. I was immediately intrigued. She embodied something. As it turned out, that ‘something’ was a lifetime of art making – the type of dedicated, focused art making that can keep a person curious, creating and constantly learning for years. I just adored her. To me, she was a presence not unlike what Georgia O’Keefe must have been – petite, solid, bright and imaginative.
Madeline mentioned that Jean was looking for a gallery to show her work, and that she wanted to do a retrospective show. I told her she was welcome to have a show at my studio if she liked, and to my delight, she accepted.
We spoke the other day over tea, and I asked some questions about her life and art. At the age of 30, she told her husband she’d really like to take some art classes, and began with printmaking. She absolutely loved it and was good at it. Her teachers noticed her, often commenting on how talented she was. She continued taking classes and workshops – drawing and design classes at the UW, three years at The Factory of Visual Arts, three years of collagraph classes with Barbara Bruch, three years of painting under Jacob Elshin, six years of painting under Allen Wolf, more drawing and printmaking workshops and classes at Pratt Fine Arts Center as well as the Seattle Parks Department. She has also taught art to seniors over the years.
Three coyote sightings to share tonight – two in the same spot, so may well have been the same coyote – read on!Read More
Family, friends, and history buffs are among those mourning Fauntleroy resident Ron Richardson, who has died after a year-plus fight with cancer. He is known well for his involvement with so many parts of the West Seattle community, particularly the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.
We first met Ron in 2008 after running a story about the ever-changing war-toll sign in front of his home across from Lincoln Park – he himself then provided a followup. Later that year, Ron and wife Sherry Richardson were featured here again for their campaign to get signs reminding people not to idle while in the ferry lines.
Despite the public nature of some of what he was involved with, Ron, who was 75, had always been a private, humble person, and dealt with his health challenge with quiet dignity as well. We spoke with Sherry Richardson this afternoon; she says Ron’s memorial is set for 2 pm Tuesday, February 22nd, at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
We asked Sherry what she wanted people to know about her husband, if they didn’t know him well and know all this already: She talked about his community involvement, particularly with Fauntleroy, which was central to his study of local history. Instead of just looking to historical events, she says, Ron believed that everyone had a story to tell – not just regarding their history, but a story that existed on several levels. A sincere interest in people is what drew him into the study of history. We were lucky to have benefited from some of his contributions here (like this story about a historic Fauntleroy estate) and on our partner site White Center Now (he studied WC history too, with one example this HistoryLink.org article about the old roller rink).
SWSHS past president Judy Bentley (added Thursday) adds, “Ron was a member of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Board until the end of 2010, when he could no longer participate in board meetings but kept coming to events at the Log House Museum. Ron loved local history and was known for his walking tours of the Fauntleroy and White Center neighborhoods. A tour led by Ron always held delightful surprises — front-porch interviews with long-time residents, little known paths along the waterfront, new bakeries that brought neighborhood history and culture alive. He was a passionate and dogged advocate for historic preservation, most recently for the Seaview building at The Kenney.”
Instead of flowers, memorial donations are invited for any or all of three causes: The SWSHS (which you can reach through the Log House Museum); the University of Washington Brain Tumor Research Fund (donations will be accepted in Ron’s name through the Neurology Department); and the school-building Central Asia Institute, known through the book “Three Cups of Tea.”
4:12 PM: Local whale experts have spotted the orcas off West Seattle again – Fauntleroy and heading north within the past hour – so if you’re by the water, keep an eye out.
4:28 PM: A caller just mentioned that there’s a NOAA research boat in the area of the whales – so if you’re looking for them, look for that boat.
(WSB photo from December 2010)
Two months after that retired mid-’70s-vintage Oregon fire truck turned up on a front lawn along 44th SW in The Junction (here’s our original story), its owner says he is under orders to move it. Gary Elliott e-mailed WSB to say:
I am the owner of the tribute to firemen/women (the fire truck in the Junction). The City of Seattle has notified to “discontinue the outdoor storage of the fire truck in the front yard.” The housing and zoning Inspector Maggie Dang would not grant me the time I needed to explore other options, I am left with scrapping the fire truck for metal unless the WS Blog has other options?
Online city records confirm that there was a complaint about the fire truck a month ago, the city investigated, and decided it’s in violation, with the compliance deadline just extended to March 15th. Since the owner asked if we have “other options,” we’re asking you – any ideas?
A film crew is coming to Fauntleroy, starting this Saturday. As a few WSB’ers have mentioned in e-mail, notices have been distributed to nearby homes, and “No Parking” signs are up; we also have spoken with location manager Dave Drummond, who shares this information:
The independent feature film “After the Ghost” will be filming scenes at a residence in Fauntleroy, a short distance north of the ferry terminal. Filming will occur on February 12-16 and Feb 19-21, both during the day and sometimes at night. The production is coordinating with the Fauntleroy Community Association and all nearby residents regarding parking, noise, and other potential impact to the area. Traffic on Fauntleroy Way should not be significantly impacted during daytime and peak hours. Minor traffic delays may be experienced late at night in that area, as Seattle Police will be conducting intermittent traffic holds for some scenes.
“After the Ghost” will be directed by Seattle’s Skip Moody and is being produced and shot entirely in Western Washington. For more information about the production or the impact to the Fauntleroy area, please contact Location Manager Dave Drummond at dave@drummondmedia.com
“After the Ghost” is described online as a “present-day supernatural drama”; you can find out more about it here.
(Starkenburg at left)
Here at the King County Courthouse, 46-year-old Duane Starkenburg has just appeared for arraignment on the charges he’s facing in connection with three attacks on women in Lincoln Park. 
He has been out of jail since two days after his January 25th arrest; he arrived at court in a suit and tie. With King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler presiding, Starkenburg pleaded not guilty to the two indecent-liberties charges and one attempted-indecent-liberties charge against him. Prosecutors asked not only that he continue to be prohibited from being in Lincoln Park, but also that he be prohibited from being in any public park or “marked walking or jogging trail” in King County, “for the safety of the community.” The judge agreed. Starkenburg’s bail status has not changed; he remains free on $175,000 bond. Next up in the case: A hearing on March 28th. (Photo credits: Top, Tracy Record/WSB; right, Mike Siegel/Seattle Times, republished with permission)
(Photo by Pye42 from the WSB Flickr group pool)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: A presentation about the Port of Seattle is part of the agenda for the 34th District Democrats tonight, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy … Westside School (WSB sponsor) open house for its new Middle School program, 6-7 pm, details here … There’s also an open house at West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) open house, 6:30-8 pm … Final performances of “The Real Inspector Hound” presented by the Chief Sealth International High School Drama Club are in the campus Little Theater at 3 pm and 7 pm (free) … Chat with School Board member Steve Sundquist, Delridge Library, 11 am … West Seattle Garden Tour Committee Meeting and Potluck at 6:30 pm: Help plan this year’s 17th Annual West Seattle Garden Tour – RSVP to info@westseattlegardentour.com … South Seattle Community College‘s WorkSource Center has a free job search workshop, 4:30 – 6 pm in the WorkSource office located in RSB 79 … Glee Club practice at the ActivSpace building from 7:30 until 9:30 PM. Their message: “We are not professional singers, just a group of people who enjoy singing. There is no audition, and no previous experience necessary.” … More on the calendar!
Getting multiple reports of a helicopter over Arbor Heights/Roxbury – checking to see what it’s looking for. (And a moment after we published this – the chopper headed northward, away from the area. But we’ll still see if we can find out what it WAS here for. If we don’t get that info soon, we’ll check again with police later this morning.)
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