West Seattle, Washington

05 Tuesday

40℉

month : 02/2012 311 results

West Seattle Thursday: Chinese Corner; WSHS Zumba; Alki council
February 16, 2012 8:41 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Aerial of Alki – note the Bathhouse – by Long B. Nguyen)
Alki’s got two events on the calendar for tonight – a school open house and neighborhood-council meeting. Here’s what else, and where else, are on the list from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

BRIDGE CLOSURES AND OTHER ROAD WORK, AGAIN TODAY/TONIGHT: Same reminders as the past three days: In the Morgan Junction/Lincoln Park area on Fauntleroy Way SW and part of California SW north of M-Junction, Day 4 of work on the “transit corridor” project to facilitate this fall’s launch of RapidRide bus service. Details in our on-scene report from Monday. … Avalon Way again is scheduled for restrictions/detours today, 9 am-4 pm, explained here … Two overnight West Seattle Bridge closures: Eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct, east of the 1st Avenue South offramp, 9 pm-5 am (details here); the Fauntleroy Expressway (southwest end of the bridge) has an overnight closure those same hours, detailed here. Reminder, THIS SUNDAY is the all-day Fauntleroy Expressway closure, 9 pm Saturday till as late as midnight Sunday night).

LIBRARY STORY TIMES: There’s Toddler Story Time at Southwest Library at 11 am and at High Point Library at 11:30 am, and Delridge Library has Preschool Story Time at 11:15 am. More info on the Seattle Public Library Calendar of Events.

COLMAN DOCK’S FUTURE – WITHOUT A PASSENGER DOCK? As reported here on Tuesday, Washington State Ferries is having a downtown hearing (Sound Transit board room, 401 S. Jackson, 3:30-6 pm) to talk about Colman Dock’s future, which might not include a passenger-ferry dock, though it’s where the King County Water Taxi and other foot-ferry services dock now. Public testimony welcome.

CHINESE LANGUAGE/CULTURE INTRODUCTION – FREE! We previewed it here yesterday; today’s the debut of Chinese Corner at the Seattle Chinese Garden, 6000 16Th AVE SW. 4-6 pm. Eight sessions every other Thursday; learn basic Mandarin Chinese conversation words, learn about Chinese culture, join easy all-ages games and activities.

ZUMBA FUNDRAISER AT WSHS and other dates: West Seattle High School ASB is raising money for the Class of 2012 with a 5 pm Zumba class in the WSHS gym, today, Feb. 28, and March 1st. $7 each class or 2 for $10, public welcome.

METRO ROUTE-RESTRUCTURING OPEN HOUSE: 6-8 pm at Chief Sealth International High School, open-house format (no presentation), ask questions and offer comments about the latest version of the Metro route-restructuring proposal scheduled to take effect this September.

WSHS INFORMATION NIGHT: At West Seattle High School: Information Night, 6:30-8 pm

ROXHILL OPEN HOUSE: Roxhill Elementary open house, 6:30 pm

ALKI ELEMENTARY TOUR: Alki Elementary tour, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

ARBOR HEIGHTS PTA MEETING AND CHARTER-SCHOOLS FORUM: Arbor Heights Elementary PTA meeting at 6:30 pm, followed by a forum on charter schools at 6:45 pm.

WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS WITH BABIES: “Good Eater 4 Life,” 6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, south classroom, from the announcement: “Good Eater 4 Life is a workshop for parents of babies who are about to begin eating solid food. All the basics will be covered regarding how and when to start feeding baby solids, but special emphasis will be put on how to raise a baby and then toddler to become a good eater. Appropriate not only for first-time parents, but also for those with older fussy eaters and a new baby.”

ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Alki Community Council, 7 pm, Alki UCC.

Share This

West Seattle schools: Crowded 1st meeting for K-5 STEM at Boren
February 15, 2012 8:56 pm
|      83 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

That’s only about 2/3 of the overflow crowd that filled the Schmitz Park Elementary cafetorium – and the hallway outside, and even the stage and its stairs – for tonight’s first meeting about K-5 STEM at Boren, the new “option” elementary that Seattle Public Schools plans to open in West Seattle this fall. The district officials who led the meeting, executive director of West Seattle schools Aurora Lora and head of planning and enrollment Dr. Tracy Libros, repeatedly expressed surprise at the turnout. Many questions were asked, many suggestions offered, and additional details emerged. We are heading to HQ, where we will write the full story and also upload video of the entire hour-and-a-half meeting. Lora promised that there will be another meeting soon, “someplace bigger.”

ADDED 11:31 PM: Here’s our video of the entire hour and a half meeting, which began with a short PowerPoint, followed by Q/A:

ADDED 2:57 AM: Now, the key points:

First, one more mention of the crowd. Every seat was full, and more chairs were brought in. People stood against the walls, sat on the stairs to the cafetorium stage, even sat on the floor. From the reactions of Lora and Libros, you might have thought they expected to see about 50; instead, our rough estimate would surpass 300.

Read More

Share This

Update: Metro ‘restructuring’ open house @ Madison MS
February 15, 2012 6:05 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

6:05 PM: The first of three Metro meetings/presentations in West Seattle this week, to provide information/answer questions/accept comments about the revised September route-restructuring plan, is under way. It’s at Madison Middle School (45th/Spokane), and our understanding is that it’s open-house format, so drop by any time, no presentation scheduled. We’ll be there shortly and will doublecheck.

6:40 PM UPDATE: At Madison now. Metro reps confirm it’s open-house format, so just drop in. You have the opportunity to ask questions at a variety of “stations” in the commons area (parking in the south lot, walking into the south entrance and walking down the stairs is how we generally get in), have your comments written on butcher paper = just a handful of comments so far, but two of them are about the concern that South Seattle Community College will be left without direct service to downtown on weekends – or write them on a sheet of paper you can leave behind as you go. They’ll be here till about 8. If you miss this – there’s another one tomorrow, also 6-8 pm and also open-house format, at Chief Sealth International High School (in the Galleria).

Share This

Monday trash pickup at your house? Robo-call on the way!
February 15, 2012 5:59 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Seattle Public Utilities sent this late today:

Nearly 4300 single-family West Seattle residences – whose garbage, yard waste or recycling collection day is Monday, February 20 – will receive a recorded phone message on Thursday afternoon, February 16, reminding them that collections are on a normal schedule for the President’s Day holiday on Monday, February 20.

The automatic phone message is an opportunity for Seattle Public Utilities to use its outdialer system during a non-emergency event while still conveying valuable information to its customers. From information gathered from using the system, Seattle Public Utilities will be better prepared to convey critical information to members of the public during emergency events.

We think this is a first, but we’re checking.

ADDED 9:49 PM: SPU’s Ingrid Goodwin confirms to WSB that this is a test of sorts:

Yes, this will be the first time SPU is using its new outdialer system. At this point, we haven’t determined if it will be used for regular outreach messages, like holiday garbage pick-up, or if it will be used primarily for emergency communications. That’s something we’ll be evaluating from feedback we receive from our customers and other sources

Share This

Spokane Street Viaduct project: Ramp girders finally arrive
February 15, 2012 4:30 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Spokane St. Viaduct project | West Seattle news

One week after our in-depth update on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – which has been closing the east end of the West Seattle Bridge most weeknights lately – there’s a milestone of sorts: Crews are starting to install long-delayed steel girders that SDOT said had been holding up the new 1st Avenue South on/offramp. Brad tipped us off via Twitter:

Before stopping nearby for the photo you see above, we sent an inquiry to SDOT, asking if the resumption of work meant those girders were finally arriving. Spokesperson Rick Sheridan‘s reply:

You are correct. The installation of the steel girders for the First Avenue S on- and off-ramp is now underway.

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project began this week installing the steel girders necessary for constructing the First Avenue S on- and off-ramp. The installation is taking place during the night.

After much delay, half of the girders required for the ramp arrived from their source in Montana and the contractor expects it will take several weeks to install these. The other half of the girders has not yet arrived. With the full installation of these girders, the remaining construction of the ramp can proceed.

The ramp is expected to be available as an offramp sometime this spring – but not as an onramp from 1st until the project is virtually complete, probably late July. Meantime, construction closures continue – the newest update is here – and keep in mind, this is SEPARATE from the project at the WEST end of the WS Bridge, which is the Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit Project, responsible for closures of its own (including all day this coming Sunday). That project too should be complete this summer.

Share This

Want to learn Chinese? Hang out ‘on the Corner’
February 15, 2012 3:08 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Puget Ridge | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Using a concept that originated in China, where people would gather in park corners or on street corners to practice their English, the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north side of the South Seattle Community College campus is hosting a series of “corner” gatherings to teach Chinese language and culture.

The first one is tomorrow.

According to Julia Freimund, program director of the Seattle Chinese Garden, this series is a collaboration between the garden, Chinese Language Teachers of Washington, The Confucius Institute of Washington and Chief Sealth International High School. Instructors from each organization (Freimund, Chunman Gissing, Donna Tang, in photo at right, and Pollyanna Wang, who took the photo) have been creating a curriculum meant to teach Chinese culture and language in a fun, hands-on way.

Read More

Share This

Followup: Conversation with K-5 STEM at Boren principal-to-be
February 15, 2012 11:45 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The newly announced principal of K-5 STEM at Boren, the new “option” elementary that Seattle Public Schools intends to open in Delridge this fall, won’t be at tonight’s informational meeting.

But we learned more about Dr. Shannon McKinney‘s background, hopes, and plans, by interviewing her hours after the district announced she had been hired.

While she hasn’t led a STEM-focused school, she feels this is the culmination of much of the work she has done in her career, including a decade as a teacher of mathematics – “Not a math teacher,” she corrects. “I taught students mathematics.”

More from our conversation, ahead:Read More

Share This

West Seattle schools: Chief Sealth announces new football coach
February 15, 2012 11:36 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

A former college football coach will take over Chief Sealth International High School‘s football program. Three months after announcing the school was looking for a new head coach, Sealth athletic director Sam Reed just sent this news release:

Chief Sealth International High School has selected Luther Carr III to be the Seahawks newest head football coach. Carr comes to Chief Sealth with over 18 years of coaching experience, the last 10 in Division I college football.

Most recently, Carr held the position of Wide Receiver Coach at the University of Idaho, and before that served on coaching staffs at both University of Montana and University of Washington. During his time in the college ranks, he has coached and recruited numerous all-league and academic all-American players.

Read More

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Hit-run damages ‘very loved’ van
February 15, 2012 11:07 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, from Brittney:

Someone hit our parked camper van last night at the top of Erskine Way by the 7-Eleven (in the Junction). It was a pretty bad hit, with the entire front driver’s side being dented from the fender up and the driver’s side mirror being torn off. There must be significant damage to the car/truck that hit our vehicle. The van is an old 1987 GMC camper van, old but low mileage, very nice and very loved/used by our family. We do not insure it in the winter because we don’t drive it, so this damage hits hard. We would very much appreciate someone coming forward and taking responsibility, not necessarily to fix it to new but to at least make it driveable again.

Share This

West Seattle Helpline needs new home for its Clothesline – fast!
February 15, 2012 9:33 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

(West Seattle Helpline photo from a 2009 WSB story)
A local nonprofit that helps people in crisis is now in urgent need of some help – so it can keep providing one of its signature services. West Seattle Helpline executive director Tara Byrne says the Clothesline needs a new place to hang its hat (and coats, and so on), ASAP:

The West Seattle Helpline is looking for a new home for our clothing bank. The building we are currently in is being sold therefore, we must find a new location by the end of February in order to continue serving West Seattle families with clothing during financial hardships. People visiting the Clothesline get 3 outfits, a coat, and a pair of shoes at no cost to them. This free service has been provided by the Helpline for many years and we need help with finding a new location. Ideally, it would be donated or low-cost rental space that is around 800 square feet, on or near a bus line, and located within the West Seattle community. Please contact Tara Byrne at wshelpline@gmail.com with any opportunities.

Read more about Clothesline (and other WS Helpline services) here.

Share This

West Seattle Wednesday: Metro x 2; K-5 STEM; Admiral; more
February 15, 2012 8:59 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Thanks to Teresa for sharing that photo on the WSB Facebook wall, where meteorologist Patrick then explained: “Post-frontal shower activity, Virga visible in this pic and cold air aloft streaming in behind the front”)
Something to say – and/or ask – about the latest route revision proposal from Metro? Tonight you have TWO chances. That’s part of what’s on the list, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

BRIDGE CLOSURES AND OTHER ROAD WORK, AGAIN TODAY/TONIGHT: Same reminders as the past two days: In the Morgan Junction/Lincoln Park area on Fauntleroy Way SW and part of California SW north of M-Junction, it’s the third day of work on the “transit corridor” project to facilitate this fall’s launch of RapidRide bus service. Here’s our on-scene report from Monday, with more details. … Avalon Way again will have restrictions/detours today, 9 am-4 pm, explained here … Two West Seattle Bridge closures overnight again tonight: The eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct, east of the 1st Avenue South offramp, 9 pm-5 am (details here); the Fauntleroy Expressway (southwest end of the bridge) has an overnight closure those same hours, detailed here (and don’t forget that this coming Sunday, THE FAUNTLEROY EXPRESSWAY WILL BE CLOSED ALL DAY, 9 pm Saturday till as late as midnight Sunday night).

JAPANESE-AMERICAN DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: A special event with author Mary Matsuda Gruenewald is scheduled at South Seattle Community College, 11 am-1 pm today (as previewed here), as part of a week of remembrance leading up to this Sunday’s 70th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066. (Read more about the guest speaker in this story from our partners at the Seattle Times.)

METRO’S 1ST WEST SEATTLE OPEN HOUSE: Open-house format meeting about the newest version of the Metro restructuring proposal, 6-8 pm at Madison Middle School (details here)

SWAT TRAINING: If you haven’t yet seen the alert we published earlier this morning – SPD’s SWAT team will train inside the vacant Genesee Hill School, 6 pm-3 am.

K-5 STEM AT BOREN, 1ST INFORMATIONAL MEETING: One day after Seattle Public Schools announced a principal for this new public school opening this fall in West Seattle, the first informational meeting about it is set for 7 pm at Schmitz Park Elementary. (Our followup interview with principal appointee Dr. Shannon McKinney will be published later this morning.)

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, ONE NIGHT LATER THAN USUAL: Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, 7 pm, Admiral Congregational Church.

METRO BRIEFING AND MORE AT NDNC: Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 7 pm, agenda includes presentation by Metro planner Jack Lattemann as well as a discussion of the Seattle Public Library‘s future and city reps talking about the Seattle Comprehensive Plan and Community Technology.

Share This

Genesee Hill alert: Seattle Police SWAT training tonight
February 15, 2012 7:50 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Neighbors have received a flyer (see it here) about this, we’re told, but just in case it’s noticed by passersby, here’s advance notice: The Seattle Police SWAT team will be training inside the closed Genesee Hill school tonight, from 6 pm till 3 am. SPD trains from time to time on the campus, which was home to Pathfinder K-8 before that school moved to Cooper on Pigeon Point two-plus years ago, and may be the site of a new school within a few years, depending on what the district proposes in the forthcoming BEX IV levy.

Share This

Followup: Andrew Borracchini’s bid for bagging glory
February 15, 2012 7:35 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(Photos courtesy National Grocers Association)
Though he didn’t make the top 5 at the national championship, Washington State’s “Best Bagger,” Andrew Borracchini from Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) in Admiral, is a winner just the same. The national bag-offs were Monday in Las Vegas, during the National Grocers Association convention, and a 30-year-old woman who works at a Piggly-Wiggly in Wisconsin brought in the bacon (the $10,000 grand prize). Andrew had quite the cheering section (as noted in our preview before his departure), T-shirts and all!

And MM spokesperson Torie McIntyre says that “out of 24 contestants, (Andrew) made it until the Top 5 were chosen. He competed well and represented Metropolitan Market and West Seattle (and Washington!) well.” (Here’s coverage from the Las Vegas Sun and from the Las Vegas Review-Journal – Andrew’s in one of their pix.)

Share This

@ North Delridge Neighborhood Council: DNDA dilemma; Brandon Node visioning event; more
February 14, 2012 11:00 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news

The biggest news at last night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting came from guests: Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association reps told the council they may have to sell the three DNDA-owned units in Brandon Court because they won’t be able to make the next mortgage payment. (They’re already listed.) One of those units is empty – DNDA itself vacated last year, consolidating its offices in Youngstown Cultural Arts Center a mile away – and the other one is about to be vacated by the City of Seattle, moving its Neighborhood Service Center to the former Southwest Community Center (as finalized in last month’s budget vote). DNDA’s Patty Grossman and board chair Willard Brown told NDNC – meeting in the Delridge Library, near the units under discussion – that they were hoping to convince the city to change its mind, and that they believed they were getting at least a few months reprieve.

However, our followup conversation with the city today indicates otherwise. More on this, and other topics from the NDNC meeting, ahead:Read More

Share This

Election 2012: Governor candidate Inslee coming to West Seattle
February 14, 2012 9:24 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

As far as we can tell, it’ll be this year’s earliest campaign forum in West Seattle: Democratic candidate for governor Rep. Jay Inslee is coming to High Point for a community Q/A session next month. The High Point Neighborhood Association says they also invited Republican candidate state Attorney General Rob McKenna but he “is unavailable.” The forum will be 5:30-8 pm March 15th at High Point Community Center, with refreshments, interpretation, and child care available. (If you’re interested in either or both of the latter two, Shukri Olow would love advance notice at solow@seattlehousing.org or 206-696-3148.)

Share This

West Seattle schools: Lafayette principal won’t stay for 2nd year
February 14, 2012 5:24 pm
|      46 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Just shared with us by a Lafayette Elementary parent – a letter today to the school community from first-year principal Jo Lute-Ervin, saying she will not return for a second year next year. Text after this:Read More

Share This

West Seattle restaurants: Athena’s taking over ex-Zippy’s space
February 14, 2012 4:38 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

By Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The foreclosure more than a year ago of the Seamart building in Highland Park had neighborhood folks wondering whether this “food desert” area would ever again see the life-giving sustenance and high-voltage energy of the previous tenants Zippy’s Giant Burgers (WSB sponsor) – since owners Blaine and Rahel Cook ended up moving to a larger space in White Center.

A bank took over the property at 16th/Holden, and for the year-plus since, anxious eyes have kept watch, wondering, hoping, waiting. Then, last weekend, eagle-eyed tipsters scrambled to let WSB know that apparent tenants were actively on site, so, we were asked, WHAT did we know? We dashed over and were lucky to meet one of two future tenants who will split a three-way triple-net on the property: Athena’s owner Nick Parisi.

Nick, his wife, and their two kids are Highland Park residents, and are stepping up to bat at the charmed former Zippy’s location to bring his road-proven, Greek-themed venture home to the people of West Seattle and beyond – and you will be able to get food there sooner than you think.

Read More

Share This

No downtown Water Taxi dock? Councilmember sounds alarm
February 14, 2012 2:34 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

Could the King County Water Taxi – for both West Seattle and Vashon – wind up with no place to land downtown? Right now it’s using a dock that the state originally built when it offered passenger-only service (including the Seattle-Vashon run that the county took over). But County Councilmember Joe McDermott says the downtown dock’s future may not include a replacement for Pier 50, and he says the time to speak out about that is now:

I started Valentine’s Day by showing some love for the Water Taxi! At 6:30 this morning I started meeting Passenger Only (PO) Ferries arriving in Downtown Seattle to pass out fliers encouraging people to offer comment on the Washington State Ferries plan to replace the aging Colman Dock. While the project is very much needed, the current plans for the project do not include passenger-only facilities.

With 31,981 riders using the water taxi each month in 2011, the current PO dock at Colman Dock, not including the Port of Kingston service or the service Kitsap Transit is about to begin from Bremerton, a well-located and viable passenger only dock is essential to strong transit options. Express your opinion at a public meeting sponsored by Washington State Ferries:

Thursday, February 16, 2012
3:30 – 6:00 PM
Puget Sound Regional Council
Board Room
1011 Western Ave., Suite 500, Seattle

If people can’t attend the meeting on Thursday, they should provide their comment online at:

www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/ferries/colmanmultimodalterminal

or via US Mail:

Washington State Ferries
Attn: Marsha Tolon, WSF Project Environmental Manager
2901 3rd Avenue, Suite 500
Seattle, WA 98121

I thank everyone for sharing their love with the Water Taxi and taking the time to provide their comments to WSF! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Share This

Seen in North Delridge: ‘Eyesore’ coming down; Youngstown Flats crane going up
February 14, 2012 1:46 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Development | West Seattle news

That rusty industrial building at 28th and Yancy often pronounced an “eyesore” is about to come down, we’ve learned, after noticing a demolition permit was granted Monday for the building, and silo, just south of Allstar Fitness. A few years back, it was supposed to come down as part of a development project that was shelved; there’s no active development plan now, so we went over to find out more in person. A worker at the site told us the building and silo will be razed – probably within days – for a “parking lot.” (Whose parking lot, we’re still checking – certainly parking can be a crunch in the area, with Allstar, Nucor, and Longfellow Creek in the area.) A crew is doing prep work at the site right now.

While in the area, we followed up on a story from earlier today:

The big construction crane is indeed going up right now at the 193-unit Youngstown Flats project. 26th SW will be blocked between SW Yancy and Dakota till the work is done at some point this afternoon. We talked with developer Maria Barrientos at the site; she said it’s scheduled to be done by day’s end (only one piece remained when we left around noon, in fact). The crane is expected to be on site for four months.

Share This

West Seattle Valentine’s Day scenes: Nurture & nature
February 14, 2012 1:08 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Valentine’s Day scenes: Nurture & nature
 |   Delridge | Holidays | West Seattle news

We’ve received some love-ly photos so far this Valentine’s Day, to share with you. First two are from Betsy Hoffmeister in Delridge, who writes of the photographed “yarnbombing,” “Some lovely neighbors did a good deed to cheer up a person very close to me who wishes to remain anonymous.”

That second photo – a little yarn creation springing up in the garden like a fungus – is the perfect segue to the photo Machel Spence shares:

Machel writes, “Slugs have been munching on the stipe and have managed to leave the shape of a heart…my kind of Valentine’s Day!” (The photo was taken in Machel’s favorite image-hunting grounds – Lincoln Park.)

Share This

Door-to-door alert: School says it’s NOT soliciting
February 14, 2012 12:25 pm
|    Comments Off on Door-to-door alert: School says it’s NOT soliciting
 |   Arbor Heights | Door-to-door alert | West Seattle news

Got a call today from an Arbor Heights resident – near 44th SW and SW 102nd – who wanted to get the word out about someone who came to her door around 5 pm Monday. She told us he claimed to be raising money for Chief Sealth International High School – but she checked with the school today, and it does NOT have anyone doing door-to-door selling. She also called the police, explaining that after she told the solicitor she wasn’t interested, she watched him for a while, and when he noticed her watching, he started running, catching up with a car that was driving up and down the block. (Sorry, no descriptive info, she mainly wanted everyone to know that any such Sealth soliciting claim was bogus.)

Share This

Peekaboo Cupcakery: New WSB sponsor, with a special deal
February 14, 2012 11:20 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

On this day full of sweetness, we welcome Peekaboo Cupcakery as a new West Seattle Blog sponsor. Here’s what Peekaboo Cupcakery would like you to know about their business:

Peekaboo Cupcakery is a delivery cupcakery in West Seattle. Baker and owner Julia Lee noticed back in 2009 that there weren’t any bakeries in Seattle that offered cupcakes with truly exotic or different flavors. “Most cupcakes I’ve seen and tried are either just chocolate or vanilla with the flavoring being only in frostings.” Julia knew that not only did she have to have the flavors in her cakes, but it had to be in the frostings as well. Her cupcakes’ flavors are influenced by her Chinese and Latina background. To make it extra special, Julia specializes in filled cupcakes with fruit preserves and creamy spreads. Hence, the name Peekaboo Cupcakery.

Julia launched her website in September 2011 and is excited to embark on this new journey in her life. “I love the feeling when someone is experimenting with new flavors,” she says, adding: “I hope my cupcakes will make people happy and open their minds to something new.” Please visit Peekaboo Cupcakery at www.peekaboocupcakery.com, or call 206-388-3690. Mention this article and receive $3.00 off your dozen cupcakes!

We thank Peekaboo Cupcakery for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Share This

West Seattle schools: Principal chosen for K-5 STEM at Boren
February 14, 2012 10:21 am
|      34 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

On the day before an informational meeting for West Seattle’s new public school, opening this fall, Seattle Public Schools interim superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield has announced a principal has been chosen for K-5 STEM at Boren. She’s moving here from Tucson. Here’s the announcement:

I am delighted to announce that I have appointed Dr. Shannon McKinney as principal for the new K-5 STEM at Boren, which will be opening in September 2012 in West Seattle

Dr. McKinney comes to Seattle Public Schools from Tucson, Arizona, where she spent the last three years as Turnaround Principal for Hohokam Middle School, an ethnically diverse middle school in the Tucson Unified School District.

She will oversee our new school focused on STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Starting in September 2012, the Louisa Boren Building in West Seattle will be reopened as a STEM Option School for grades K-5. Any interested student in Seattle who will be in kindergarten through 5th grade in September 2012 can apply to attend. School bus transportation will be available for students who live in West Seattle. Open enrollment is from Feb. 27-March 9.

With more than 22 years of educational experience, Dr. McKinney has a decade of classroom teaching, service as an Assistant Principal and Principal in two Tucson-area school districts, and impeccable credentials, including a doctorate in education from the University of Arizona. She is also deeply knowledgeable about STEM subjects, as she served as her district’s Mathematics Coordinator, and was responsible for facilitating the vertical articulation and subsequent curriculum development of K-12 Mathematics for the district.

I selected Dr. McKinney not only for her STEM expertise and her demonstrated record of improved student achievement at the schools where she has been a leader, but also for her enthusiasm for our new STEM school. She describes the opportunity to work collaboratively with families and staff to build a new school from the ground up as “a dream come true.”

Dr. McKinney will be starting at Seattle Public Schools on April 2. She will spend the spring and summer working with families and colleagues to develop a mission and vision for K-5 STEM at Boren, hiring staff, and coordinating the planning and logistics needed to ensure a smooth start to the 2012-2013 school year.

Dr. McKinney stood out as an excellent candidate for this position. I am thrilled she has agreed to accept it, and I am looking forward to introducing her to you once she moves to Seattle.

A reminder: Interested families are invited to attend a K-5 STEM at Boren Family Information and Input Night, 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15 at Schmitz Park Elementary (5000 S.W. Spokane St).

If you have any questions about our new K-5 STEM school, please visit http://bit.ly/K5STEM

ADDED 10:45 AM: We asked district spokesperson Lesley Rogers whether Dr. McKinney would be flying in for tomorrow night’s meeting. Her reply: “She is not able to attend tomorrow, but Aurora Lora [executive director of SPS’s West Seattle schools] will run the meeting and communicate with Dr. McKinney on what transpired at the meeting and next steps.”

Share This