Arbor Heights Community Church, less than a block away from the home destroyed by fire Saturday evening, is organizing efforts to help the family who lived there. They were out of town when the 2-alarm fire, blamed on “spontaneous combustion,” happened. Church volunteer Jerri Anne Forehand tells WSB they returned to West Seattle today and are “trying to sort everything out,” dealing with the fact they “lost everything.” First, the Red Cross found them a place to stay tonight, but for the longer run, they are looking for a house to rent, preferably in the Arbor Heights area, because their kids start school next week. Second, the church is collecting monetary donations for them. Jerri Anne says you can drop a check off at the church or mail it in – make the check out to the church, designated for the fire victims’ fund, and they “will cut one big check for them” later this week, she says. Arbor Heights Community Church is on the corner of SW 102nd/41st SW (mailing address is 4113 SW 102nd, zip 98146), 206-935-5714; if you want to stop in or call with a check and/or information on a potential rental, someone will be there 10 am-2 pm Monday-Thursday this week.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“Just a man and a van.”
That’s the tagline from the website ILiveInMyVan.com, published by writer and “motivational speaker” Jay Pfaffman, who is in West Seattle this weekend as the guest of Seaview resident Alison Keith (both are pictured above).
Pfaffman departed Knoxville, Tennessee, in early May, and has been driving westward ever since. Keith had never met Pfaffman prior to this weekend but was an early fan of his site — “he’s a great writer, and the blog is really fun,” she says — and she invited him to come to West Seattle during his journey, which he did. Keith and about 20 of her neighbors threw a party for Pfaffman tonight, and we stopped by to chat and to get a look at “Walden,” his trusty Volkswagen Westfalia van.
Westwood Village Barnes & Noble says it’s the only author appearance they have each year – and it’s a biggie: Saturday afternoon brought the annual visit of multi-million-selling West Seattle-based author Terry Brooks, and another standing-room-only crowd, more than 50 fans. As has been the case with his past visits, Brooks touted his newest book – in this case, “Legends of Shannara: The Measure of the Magic” – and read from a work in progress. But this time, he revealed, he’s breaking with tradition. Instead of just releasing one book next year, as is his usual pace, he’s publishing three in the span of a year, in honor of his 35th anniversary as an author. Brooks says they will be released in August 2012, March 2012, and August 2013, and will deal with “the future of Shannara.” “If you don’t buy these books, I’ll never do it again,” joked Brooks, who is 67, but said later he hopes to write for another 35 years: “I always thought I’d live forever.”
Next year also might bring some other big news for Brooks fans: He says a “new (movie) studio has taken an option” on his Magic Kingdom series, and there should be word in about a year if that, unlike some past movie options on his work, will really result in a film. Meantime, there are more photos from Brooks’ hometown appearance in this update on his website.
Now that Mobile Chowdown is confirmed for The Junction on October 2nd – two dozen food trucks in the street on California SW between Oregon and Edmunds – one of the organizers, Michi Suzuki, has shared a partial list of who’s participating: Marination Mobile (which of course is a West Seattle fave each Saturday at 35th/Graham), Where Ya at Matt, Skillet, Maximus Minimus, Veraci Pizza, Parfait Ice Cream, Lumpia World (a West Seattle regular for a while), Andrae’s Kitchen (Walla Walla), Raney Brothers BBQ, Street Donuts, Big Food Mobile, Pretzelwagen, Snout & Co., A Lunch in Hand. Unlike some past “gated” Mobile Chowdowns, organizers say this one will be open to all ages, no admission fee. More details are promised as it gets closer; you can also watch the official website.
(one more added)Four Five photos taken before this morning’s fog burned off show the beauty the low clouds can bring. Above, Joan O says that view of the the clouds looked like “big fluffy waves”; other photographers’ views, from the forest to the ferries to the Needle, ahead:Read More
*Around 3 pm Monday, a rude patron kept bothering other customers at a Junction bar and was asked to leave. He declined, threw a glass, and then launched a chair through a $2,000 flat-screen TV. He was taken to the ground, held for officers and was later booked into King County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault.
The files were a little threadbare (up until the past few days, too late for this roundup), so just three more summaries are ahead:Read More
(Photo courtesy Aaron Bocchetti)
A “portable fire pit” in the garage is blamed for the fire that destroyed an Arbor Heights home on Saturday (WSB as-it-happened coverage here). That’s just in from the Seattle Fire Department, which also says the injured firefighter is out of the hospital. SFD says “old charcoal or wood in the fire pit spontaneously combusted” and sparked the fire, with damage estimated at $430,000. Today’s update says SFD and Seattle Public Utilities will investigate the hydrant problem that kept crews from having the necessary water supply for immediate firefighting. Meantime, for those who have asked if the family – which was out of town when this happened – needs help, we’re told that efforts are being organized right now; as soon as details are available, we’ll publish an update.
We’re on Alki, still socked in with fog, but spirits are bright as runners and walkers finish the 2011 edition of the Alki Beach 5K, raising money for Northwest Hope and Healing. NWHH executive director Shari Sewell estimates almost 1,200 came to the beach for this year’s fundraiser. The first finishers, by gender, were identified as (male) Brett Winegar and (female) Kelsey Lenzie:
(Photo courtesy Cami MacNamara)
Kelsey is 10 years old, according to race emcee Eric Radovich; she finished in 20:48! Pre-5K warmups were courtesy of Lori and Tim McConnell of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor):
Pep talk was courtesy of “Warrior Marathon Runner” and breast-cancer survivor Carolyn Dellinger :
And Spud Fish and Chips is handing out clam chowder.
ADDED 11:07 AM: A dynamic duo we met before the 5K:
Elizabeth Crouch and Kim Schaaf are with CheckYourBoobies.org – a nonprofit that will send a breast-health educator if you organize a party – it can be a party just for breast-health education, or, says their brochure, an event coupled with some other kind of gathering you’re already having.
P.S. Alki has a few more 5K (and similar events) coming up in the next few months – on September 17th, the Walk and Roll for ataxia awareness, and a new event, Beat the Burn, on October 16th.
Two traffic alerts for today: Alki SW, from the Bathhouse to Anchor/Luna Park, will be closed until about 11 am for the Alki Beach 5K, which starts at 9 am, raising money for Northwest Hope and Healing to help breast-cancer patients (last-minute signups just started by Alki Bathhouse). And SDOT is doing paving work on the eastbound side of the 2600 block of SW Spokane – the detours are explained here.
(Lafayette photos by Luckie)
Volunteers spent much of Saturday working on playground projects at two West Seattle schools – as the first day of school gets ever-closer. Top photo is the mountain of wood chips that volunteers at Lafayette Elementary took on; next, the play structure that volunteers at Our Lady of Guadalupe worked on:
(OLG photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
More on both, ahead – as well as indoor improvements at both schools:Read More
(Photo courtesy Restita DeJesus)
Third from left, that’s Restita DeJesus from the Seattle Wushu Center north of Morgan Junction, inducted into the martial-arts Masters Hall of Fame in Southern California on Saturday night. DeJesus says she has explored martial arts for more than 30 years, including Tai Chi, Wushu, Karate, Kajukenbo-Wun Hop Kuen Do, Eskrima, Spanish knife fighting, Japanese archery, and Japanese swordsmanship, and is a two-time National Champion and 2001 International Tai Chi champion. That’s not all – she also is an aficionado of bullwhip artistry, sport target blowgunning, and slingshots, and she offers free lessons in these activities.
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