Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight: Two reports of multiple burglaries in individual neighborhoods, and one report of vandalism along a block of businesses in Morgan Junction – read on:Read More

New after-school program launching at Alki Community Center

October 1, 2011 9:20 pm

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| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Registration starts this week for a new program called “Enrichment on Alki,” for kindergarteners through fifth graders, at Alki Community Center. ACC’s Angelica Boyden explains, “Currently for the Fall quarter we have between 40 and 45 after-school enrichment classes that will be available to the youth from Alki Elementary as well as the greater West Seattle community. Some of these programs include, but are not limited to: Drama, Dance, Art, Creative Writing, Origami, Chess, Legos, Zumba, Yoga, and Academics. The program for the fall quarter is set to start the week of October 17th and run for 8 weeks through the week of December 16th, with no classes being held Thanksgiving week, Nov 21st-25th. The program also consists of a winter and spring quarter as well.” Here’s the flyer with more information.

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Another West Seattle 1st anniversary: All Souls Church

October 1, 2011 5:44 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Tomorrow, All Souls Church of Seattle (WSB sponsor) celebrates one year of weekly public worship in West Seattle, and Pastor Andy Pelander (at left in the church-provided photo above) has an invitation, and status report.

All are invited to participate in our service, which will include ‘community stories’ from folks who’ve been part of this exciting, growing new worshipping community over the past year. Of course, we’ll also have birthday cake! Join us Sundays at 10 a.m. at Madison Middle School.

All Souls began humbly in autumn 2009 with a handful of families in a living room in Admiral, dreaming and praying about what a brand new church would be like in our neighborhood, for our neighborhood. We imagined a community where we could worship, love one another in authentic relationship, and seek the welfare of our city. A year later, on Oct. 3, 2010, having gathered many more local families, we began meeting weekly for public worship.

To get a church off the ground this past year has been more hardworking than anyone involved could have imagined(!) and, yet, so much more rewarding than we could have hoped. Plenty of blood and sweat, and our share of tears…

And we’ve seen a dynamic, multi-generational community take shape that wasn’t here before we began–in our beloved West Seattle neighborhood. All Souls is now a church family into which folks are welcomed no matter what, are becoming known and being served, are encountering the character of God and his gospel of grace, and are being changed by it. We’ve celebrated faith at All Souls, both new and renewed!

A thousand thank you’s to all who’ve given of themselves so greatly to this remarkable project. We’re seeing buds on our little tree.

Every Sunday is a good Sunday to visit All Souls for the first time.

They’re online at allsoulsseattle.org, and you can check out their Facebook page for some of their outside-the-service activities.

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Meet the sequel to West Seattle’s own Löwman Bräu: Whale Tail Ale

October 1, 2011 3:49 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS beverages

Back when the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) and partners announced Löwman Bräu last spring, launching not only a taste-sensation, charity-fundraising beer but also a fashion trend, they promised there would be more to come. And so today there is word of Whale Tail Ale – a “delicious, mouth-pleasing” Belgian ale, launching at 6 pm November 9th, simultaneously at the following West Seattle and White Center venues:

FEEDBACK LOUNGE • 6451 California Ave. SW
WEST 5 • 4539 California Ave. SW
MISSION • 2325 California Ave. SW
SHADOWLAND • 4458 California Ave. SW
BIG AL BREWING • 9832 14th Ave. SW
LOCÖL • 7902 35th Ave. SW
THE BRIDGE • 4439 35th Ave. SW
BEVERIDGE PLACE PUB • 6413 California Ave. SW
COMPANY • 9608 16th Ave SW
FULL-TILT ICE CREAM • 9629 16th Ave SW
AVALON • 2940 SW Avalon Way

Says the official news release (which you can read in its entirety here), “If the rest of Seattle wants to taste it, they have to come across the bridge to get it. (Note to downtowners, bring lots of tourist cash.)” Like Löwman Bräu, Whale Tail Ale is crafted by Big Al Brewing, and its logo et al is the work of The Feedback’s creative genius Jeff Gilbert.

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West Seattle Autoworks celebrates Year 1, looks ahead

October 1, 2011 3:21 pm

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| Sunrise Heights | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) at 35th/Webster isn’t usually open on Saturdays, but Todd Ainsworth and Chris Christensen threw open the doors today to celebrate their first anniversary. Throughout their first year, they’ve continued to evolve the services they offer – including the “green oil change” – and they’re continuing to look ahead. We asked what’s on the horizon, and they mentioned they’ll be studying electric-car conversion, hoping that “down the road” they’ll be able to offer that type of service as well as repair and maintenance work. Whether you’re a customer already or you’d just like to meet them and say “Congratulations on making it through the first year,” they’ve got snacks and smiles till 5 pm today.

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Traffic alert: Crash closes eastbound Sylvan Way

October 1, 2011 1:51 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

A car has flipped on the greenbelt shoulder of eastbound Sylvan Way just uphill from Home Depot. No serious injuries but eastbound traffic is being turned back several blocks uphill. Westbound is getting through.

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Happening now: Prudential NW food drive at local supermarkets

October 1, 2011 12:36 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news

Maybe you’ve seen them if you’ve already been out grocery shopping this morning – Prudential Northwest Realty team members collecting food and donations for local food banks. Above, we photographed Nicole Rea, Chariti McIndoe, and Aaron Rysemus at Albertsons in White Center; below, Alice Kuder (who wrote about the food drive on her website) shared the photo of Bruce Butterfield manning one of the collection carts at West Seattle Thriftway:

They’ll take monetary donations – food banks have special deals to really stretch dollars – as well as food donations at those stores and others including PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) and Jefferson Square Safeway, till 2 pm today.

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‘Now is the time’: West Seattle retirement communities’ town hall

October 1, 2011 12:03 pm

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| West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

At Fauntleroy Church this morning, representatives of seven West Seattle (and vicinity) retirement communities teamed up for a Town Hall-style event to answer questions – both about their individual properties, and about big-picture issues such as “When is the time to sell your house and move to a retirement community?” That one was answered during our short stop at the event, and the reply was a strong “Now” – the economy may be down, but affordability is up. A related question was “what if you can’t sell your home?”; turns out, there are special programs, as well as agents who specialize in helping – talk to your retirement community of choice. The Q/A was moderated by Karen Sisson from the Senior Center of West Seattle; participating communities included WSB sponsors Merrill Gardens at Admiral Heights, Merrill Gardens at West Seattle, The Kenney, and Daystar Retirement Village, as well as Providence Mount St. Vincent, Arrowhead Gardens, and Boulevard Park Place.

P.S. The Kenney is having a meeting of its own next Wednesday night (October 5th), 6:30 pm, with an update on the Memory Support Unit that it’s adding. All welcome.

P.P.S. Helping out at the door for this morning’s event was a rep from Friend to Friend‘s West Seattle chapter. They appreciate volunteers and donations, to make sure nobody’s lonely in a retirement/assisted-living center. Call 206-246-5150 to find out how to help.

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West Seattle Saturday: Welcome to October 2011!

October 1, 2011 8:43 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Anniversary celebrations – where you get the gifts! – are part of our highlights today from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, as are opportunities to pitch in around the peninsula:

TRAFFIC ALERT: Westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled to remain closed all day, till 10 am Sunday (no access to West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Beacon Hill).

REMINDER FOR BUS RIDERS: Metro‘s service change starts today.

HELP LINCOLN PARK: Fall is the perfect time for urban forest restoration! Join the Friends of Lincoln Park as we remove invasive plant species from the beautiful mature forests of this urban gem. Get some healthy green exercise today from 9 am to noon! Meet in the north parking lot (Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Rose St). Bring garden gloves and hand clippers, or we’ll have extras.

WORKING ON A FALL PROJECT? West Seattle Tool Library open at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center space (east side of main building), 9 am – 2 pm.

WEST SEATTLE AUTOWORKS’ 1ST ANNIVERSARY: West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) invites you to its 9 am-5 pm open house celebration today with Red Star Pizza, Cafe Osita coffee and other refreshments. They’ll also be giving out raffle tickets to everyone and giving away some door prizes. They will also be giving out special discounts throughout the first week of October – good for the entire month. (35th/Webster)

CLICK! TURNS 7: Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) kicks off its 7th anniversary (first year in The Junction) celebration. Details here. Click! is open 11 am-5 pm today (4540 California SW).

MOUNTAIN TO SOUND OUTFITTERS EXPANDS: Grand reopening/expansion festivities at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor), find full details here including 2-6 pm barbecue. Open 10 am-6 pm (3602 SW Alaska).

BARTON STREET P-PATCH NEEDS YOU! 10 am-3 pm, volunteers needed as West Seattle’s newest P-Patch (34th/Barton) continues taking shape.

LEARN ABOUT WEST SEATTLE’S RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES: Eight retirement and assisted living communities of West Seattle are coming together for a Town Hall Meeting. Free event, from 10 am to 12:30 pm at Fauntleroy Church. SHAG Arrowhead Gardens, Boulevard Park Place, BridgePark, Daystar, The Kenney, Merrill Gardens at Admiral Heights, Merrill Gardens at West Seattle and Providence Mount St. Vincent will all be present. Free “breakfast bites” and a chance to hear presentations as well as dropping by each organization’s table/booth for Q/A.

DONATE FOOD: Food drive for Prudential Northwest Realty “Global Volunteer Day,” at stores including PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor), West Seattle Thriftway, Jefferson Square Safeway, White Center Albertsons, 10 am-2 pm, donate food and/or money, more details here

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: Blessing of the Animals, Providence Mount St. Vincent lobby, 10:30 am, all pets (and their people) welcome

MEET THE AUTHOR: Book signing by West Seattle author Charles Philipp Martin for his new Hong Kong thriller “Neon Panic,” at Seattle Mystery Bookshop, noon to 1:30 pm, 117 Cherry Street.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: Delridge Library branch event for kids, 1-2:3 pm today.

WINE AND TUNES: Vine and Cheese at Village Green Perennial Nursery: 3 pm – 5 pm,10223 26th Ave SW. Sodovino winery will be hosting a wine tasting at Village Green. Live music by harpist Johanna.

CLOSING NIGHT: “Amy’s View” final performance at ArtsWest Playhouse in The Junction, 7:30 pm

LIVE MUSIC, #1 From Kenyon Hall – Casey MacGill and Orville Johnson in concert at 7:30. Reserved table seats are $14. Row seating is $12 general and $10 seniors. With a reservation row seating is only $10 general and $8 seniors. Elementary, middle, and high school students are $5. Pre-school children are free. To make a reservation, please e-mail kenyonhall@earthlink.net. You’ll receive an e-mail confirming your reservation.

LIVE MUSIC, #2: Memphis Radio Kings reunion as a benefit for the Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation, Feedback Lounge, 9 pm, full details on this Facebook event page.

HOW ABOUT A FREE TRAIN TICKET? Amtrak companion fare giveaway launches at PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor), more info here

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Teacher’s disturbing discovery in West Seattle park: Hazing

October 1, 2011 2:47 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Jennifer Hall knows a lot about teenagers. She teaches them. And she parents one. On Friday night, she happened onto a group of teens in West Seattle’s Solstice Park, engaged in behavior troubling enough to cause her eventually to call 911. Here’s her story:

I was walking my dogs up from the pea patches into Solstice Park at 6 PM. There were around 15-20 young people there, laughing raucously, squealing. Young men were yelling at the young girls to “Come hither, ladies!” After being at the park for about a minute, I realized that they were high school students.

There were beer cans, white powder, and plastic containers littering the grass. One of my dogs was especially interested in a large fleshy thing that they were batting around on the grass. I walked into the group to look at it. It was a large animal heart — a pig’s or a cow’s. The young people were not hostile to me, but I could smell alcohol, and I could tell by the way that some of the boys were slurring their speech that they were drunk. I told them I was a high-school teacher myself, and I asked what high school they were from. One of the boys said, “Roosevelt.” I said, “You’ve got beer cans all over the place, and you’ve obviously been drinking. You’ve driven here from Roosevelt, and you’re planning on driving back impaired? How old are you?” “Eighteen!”, one very young-looking girl replied. I said, “Well, that’s a lie. You drove here from Roosevelt, a bunch of you are drunk and you’re planning on driving back?” There was a chorus of, “We’re OK!” and other protests.

I asked the girls, who appeared younger than the boys, “Do your parents know where you are, and who you’re with?” Again, there was a chorus of, “We’re OK! We’re just having fun!”

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