West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
If you are one of the few who can answer that question “Yes, we are as prepared as we possibly could be” – congratulations! If not, join West Seattle Be Prepared and the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network for another special FREE training session tomorrow (Monday) night, this time at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), 6-7:30 pm. If you were among the 50 or so who attended the first one earlier this month (here’s our coverage, including video of the entire presentation), note that this one is different – with more of a focus on earthquake safety, among other things (here’s an explanation of how the two sessions are differentiated). Disaster Preparedness Month is only half over but this week is the big spotlight for quake survival – Wednesday is the statewide drop/cover/hold drill. Meantime, the perennial preparedness advice – be sure you know your Emergency Communication Hub!
With one month to go till the bigger-every-year West Seattle Helpline benefit, the Taste of West Seattle, the lineup of food and beverage providers is now finalized – more than three dozen this year! WSB sponsors Hotwire Coffee, Metropolitan Market, Skylark Café and Club, and Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering are participating, as are Angelina’s, Avalon, Bakery Nouveau, Bamboo Grill, Beveridge Place Pub, Bin 41, Blackboard Bistro, Blue Willow Catering and Luncheonette, The Bridge, Chaco Canyon Organic Café, Circa, Cupcake Royale, Duke’s Chowder House, Eats Market Café, Elliott Bay Brewery, Fresh Bistro/Herban Feast, Freshy’s, Full Tilt Ice Cream, Great Harvest Bread Company, Husky Deli, Kokoras Greek Grill, Locol, Phoenecia at Alki, Porterhouse, Prost! West Seattle, Salty’s on Alki, Schooner Exact, Slices on Alki, Spring Hill, Sugar Rush Baking Company, West 5, West Seattle Cellars, and Wing Dome. It’s at The Hall at Fauntleroy again this year, and tickets are on sale now at tasteofwestseattle.org – $40 in advance (it’ll be $45 at the door, 6-9 pm May 19th).
(Photos by Katie Meyer for WSB)
So what constitutes a “Green Home“? WSB contributor Katie Meyer checked out another stop on the West Seattle leg of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild‘s Green Home Tour during its second and final day today (here’s the stop we made on Day 1).
This one was Mighty House Construction‘s project in Sunrise Heights, a few blocks east of the mini-business district with West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor), Café Osita, John’s Corner Deli (with the cow on the roof), etc. Speaking of the roof – top photo is a “scalable” solar-panel system designed and installed by West Seattle’s own Solar Epiphany. Katie reports it’s a grid designed to hold several frames of four panels each; one panel is in place now, but Mighty House’s Laura Elfline says more are planned over the next six-plus months. Also a work in progress, the back yard, with an ongoing conversion away from the old-fashioned water-guzzling, chemical-tempting lawn mode:
More ahead:Read More
It was a big, but short-lived, Seattle Fire Department response in the 5900 block of High Point Drive SW (map) about an hour and a half ago – the last unit was rolling away barely 20 minutes after arrival – and that’s because it turned out to be not just a “food on the stove” call, but one without “extension” (meaning, the fire did not spread beyond the stovetop problem). Thanks to Mike Daigle for the photo!
Meet the newly elected commander of West Seattle’s VFW Post #2713, Morgan Junction resident Ron Zuber, who served 20 years in the U.S. Army. In the photo, he’s at left, receiving the gavel from past Commander Steve Strand. Ron says the VFW (whose hall is at 3601 SW Alaska in The Triangle) would like to be even more of “an active partner in the community” than it’s been, adding, “We welcome an opportunity to host your event for a modest fee. … Please let us know how we can help!” The VFW, in fact, is going to be a group site for the upcoming 7th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 14th) – 15 tables available at $10 donation (that goes to the VFW) per table; call them at 206-935-4352. Ron also notes that the VFW welcomes new members, including “all returning veterans that served in Iraq and Afghanistan. All it takes is a copy of their DD-214 paperwork.”
From Sanislo Elementary mom Lisa, a photo at the end of Saturday’s Ultimate Frisbee match between Sanislo and Daniel Bagley Elementary. Lisa says the Sanislo All-Stars (fourth- and fifth-graders coached by third-grade teacher Ellen O’Connor, who also coaches Denny International Middle School‘s UF players) came out victorious. (Reminder note, Seattle Public Schools are on spring break all week long, returning to class Monday 4/25.)
And from Tim, a postscript of sorts to our Friday night story about “Scottie Joe,” who’s been installing the facing outside the future A Terrible Beauty at California/Edmunds:
Tim shared that photo of his 5-year-old daughter Akela, saying “Scottie Joe” let her “install one of the stones and told her that whenever she came by she will remember that she put that one rock in.”
From one of the wonderful photographers who has been kind enough to share their work here: Danny McMillin spotted this otter near Cormorant Cove along Beach Drive Friday night. Gives us another occasion to note that the otters we see here in West Seattle are not sea otters – those are the furry, more compact creatures that live out in the open ocean; these are river otters.
They do spend time out of the water as well as in it, so when you’re driving along Alki Avenue, Harbor Avenue, or Beach Drive, among other close-to-the-water streets, they’re another reason to be extra-watchful.
We’ve received two reports of incidents that don’t clearly qualify for West Seattle Crime Watch classification, but are both of potential interest – one as a warning, one as a mystery. One involves a frightening encounter early today, the other a mysterious discovery last night, and both – apparently coincidentally – happened along the Genesee Hill stretch of SW Genesee west of California (map) – read on for both:Read More
With one week to go till Easter, we have published, and added to the site navigation (the tabs under the sunset photo in the header), the new WSB Easter page, with three groups of listings: Egg hunts (most are next Saturday, but not all!), church services (including Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday), and a few Easter brunch notes from local restaurants. Still a work in progress, so if you are involved with, or know of, any activities/services/brunches that are NOT on the page yet, please send us the info so we can add it! editor@westseattleblog.com – which also is where you are welcome to send word of Passover activities in West Seattle, since that holiday starts at sunset Monday; we are including Passover events in the regular Events calendar.
So much going on Saturday, we made it to only one stop on the West Seattle leg of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild‘s Green Home Tour before it wrapped up for the day. But the good news is, if you had that problem too, it’s continuing today (Sunday), 10 am-4 pm! Above, architect Sheri Newbold of live-work-play and contractor Anne Higuera of Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), in front of tile work inside the “Kitchen Art House” tour stop at 2651 47th SW in the Admiral District. That’s one of four sites to stop at in West Seattle, and two of the others offer more workshops during the Green Home Tour today – from the list that’s been on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, courtesy of Laura Elfline from tour co-sponsor Mighty House Construction – at her company’s stop on the tour, #19 (3108 SW Webster):
* Luke Marcum w/Markham Home Performance, thermal imaging camera on his side and a blower door too! 10 am-4 pm
* Eric Thomas w/Solar Epiphany highlighting the expandable solar systems | 11 am-2 pm
* Josh Brinkco w/International Studio – “making green look good!”
* Sandy Peterson w/Urban Land Army mobilized w/ her bucket brigade and all things about edible gardening | Noon -3 pm
* Make your own green cleaning supplies courtesy of CoolMom (while materials last!)
And at the Envision Homes stop on the tour, #16 (2216 Walnut SW):
11 am…Rainwater Harvesting and Indoor re-use
Noon…Recycled and Reclaimed
1 pm…IAQ…Low-toxic living
2 pm…Solar Thermal Assisted Heating
3 pm…High-Efficiency Building Envelopes
Though we’re just mentioning the West Seattle offerings, the self-guided Green Home Tour is regional – full details start here.
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