West Seattle, Washington
11 Friday
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The journey into homelessness is one that most of us can’t imagine taking. Insecurity, no basic services, no resources, no food, no promises — homelessness is comprised of a laundry list of what there isn’t enough of.
West Seattleites have become even more acutely aware of this since the homeless encampment that calls itself Nickelsville moved back to this area. Through West Seattleites working with Nickelsville – including many volunteers who know each other through the WSB Forums – this group of homeless individuals now has faces and names; they are our neighbors.
One person who has been living at Nickelsville has been our neighbor for years, even before he moved into the encampment. Mike Stahl has been a West Seattle resident his entire life: many locals know him from his work as a cashier at McLendon Hardware and from his WSB comments and Forum posts using the screen name “miws.”
Mike was a Morgan Junction resident until May of 2011, when he became a Nickelsville resident. WSB readers have been following Mike’s journey into homelessness beginning with Mike’s move into Nickelsville, chronicled in a story here last May.
Now, we’re re-visiting Mike to get more of his story, and to share his progress through this phase of his life – with help from friends, and more on the way.
One more photo from this morning’s snow – Mike Gerber shares what he describes as “a photo of snow falling on the last remains of the oldest fruit orchard in Seattle. The building in the foreground is the original farmhouse, built in the 1880s, and stands as a reminder of the thousands of Eastern European immigrants that tended these vast orchards that once stretched from Pigeon Point all the way past Burien.
The site is on Puget Ridge, as described on a website Mike has for a house he’s selling nearby.
It’s a West Seattle kind of weekend for Miss Seafair 2011, Veronica Quintero. This morning, we photographed her at West Seattle Bowl with (from left) Paul Davis, Bruce Bentley, and Kathryn Bohot, during the Seattle Seafair Commodores‘ 20th annual Bowl-a-Thon. Tomorrow, she will crown the new West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Senior Court Queen, Kayli Schulz, during the Hi-Yu Spring Tea and Auction 2-4:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Hi-Yu president James Kline notes: “We are planning a great event … catered by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes. With over 150 items to choose from, auction items range from manicures to a Mexican condo vacation. It will be the perfect opportunity for you and your friends and daughters to enjoy the spectacle of a royal event.” To see if tickets are still available, e-mail info@westseattlehiyu.com.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes today – burglars spotted by a neighbor, a possible case of casing, a stolen car that’s been found, and the latest Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention advice (focused on burglary trends and prevention). Read on:Read More
The Community Orchard of West Seattle continues to grow – in more ways than one – on the northeast side of the South Seattle Community College campus (6000 16th SW). And SSCC’s horticulture zone is where you’ll find the COWS seed sale till 3 pm today – with more than seeds:
Strawberry and chive plants were on sale too, just $1 each. Look for the canopy and the signs leading you into one of the Landscaping/Horticulture buildings, where you’ll find the sale, just north of the north parking lot. For a closer look at the orchard site itself, they’re offering Health and Harvest Tours every Tuesday afternoon, 2-4 pm.
That’s barely the half of it – literally – at the Sanislo Elementary book sale and bake sale, happening till 2 pm at 1812 SW Myrtle, raising money for the 4th graders’ annual overnight camping trip. Hardbacks and paperbacks for kids and adults – we even found some vintage-1940s hardbacks about topics including American history and the news business. Browse the hallway, and don’t miss the bake sale:
Before our whirlwind visit ended, we also got a pitch for a special drawing they’re having – $5/ticket for a homemade New Mexican dinner for six, delivered to your home. Never been to Sanislo? Lovely forested campus, and don’t miss the portrait of its namesake inside the entrance.
Just look for the truck in the 40th/Alaska parking lot – and the banner! Volunteers from the Rotary Club of West Seattle has been out in the morning’s mercurial weather (still slushing when we stopped for our photo), collecting Books for the World. Here are details of what they’re collecting, in our preview from earlier this week. They’re scheduled to be there till 1:30 pm.
We were greeted by a Lincoln Park P-Patch volunteer who sighed, “I’m afraid we picked the wrong weekend.” But suddenly – the snow has stopped, and the sky is brightening. Go celebrate daffodils, admire the P-Patch, drop off a food donation, just uphill from the Lincoln Park tennis courts (the ones right on Fauntleroy Way SW across from the gas station, and next to the newly accessorized RapidRide stop). Till 1 pm.
(Added 9:58 am, our snow-shower clip with a different background for once …)
A few highlights, just as a snow shower hits (not SUPPOSED to last long …):
BOWL-A-THON: Seattle Seafair Commodores’ 20th Annual Bowl-A-Thon, 9:30 am-11:30 am, West Seattle Bowl (Facebook event here)
LINCOLN PARK P-PATCH DAFFODIL FESTIVAL/FOOD DRIVE: 10 am-1 pm, at the P-Patch just past the Solstice Park tennis courts, daffodils for sale, food donations being collected, more – full details here.
SANISLO BOOK SALE: At Sanislo Elementary – Annual book sale to benefit our 4th grade overnight camp trip.Very low prices 50 cents- $2. Cash and check only, 10 am-2 pm, 1812 SW Myrtle.
RECESS MONKEY AT HIGH POINT: Recess Monkey performs for Fabulous Family Fun series at High Point Community Center, 10:30 am (see winter brochure)
BOOKS FOR THE WORLD DONATION COLLECTION: 11 am-1:30 pm, the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s book-collection drive, at 40th/Alaska. Full details here.
SEED SALE: The Community Orchard of West Seattle Vegetable Seed Sale is at South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave SW, LHO Building-Rm.2, 11 am-3 pm:
Large variety of Small Seed packets.
Perfect size for the urban gardener!
All seeds are organic or sustainably grown. $1.00 / packet.
We also have ever bearing strawberry plants. $1.00 ea in pots.
We will have experienced gardeners on hand to answer your gardening questions.
Free Seed Exchange!! Bring your out- of- date seeds to share with others and take home some free seeds!
OCCUPY WEST SEATTLE: General Assembly at 3 pm at Alki UCC.
LAFAYETTE AUCTION: Lafayette Elementary “Raisin’ the Green” auction, The Hall at Fauntleroy, 5:30 pm (full details here).
WSUU FUNDRAISING DINNER: The annual fund-raising gala for the Partner Church Ministry of West Seattle’s Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation and Bellevue’s East Shore Unitarian Church starts at 6 pm at WSUU, 7141 California SW, Seattle. A four-course traditional Hungarian dinner will be served, and we’ll enjoy entertainment from the brightly costumed Kisbetyárok Family Dancers, a local group sponsored by the Hungarian American Association of Washington. Proceeds benefit the groups’ partner villages in Romania and India. Check to see if reservations are still available – call Barbara at 206-330-7358.
TERESA TUDURY PERFORMS: At Kenyon Hall, at 7:30 – Teresa Tudury. From the Hall: “Our favorite comedy singer/songwriter returns to the hall for another evening of songs and stories. She’s sultry, sexy, and very funny. Press reviews liken her to Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Tracey Ullman, Sophie Tucker, and Willie Nelson!”
ST. PATRICK’S DAY: Special menu items at West 5 in The Junction, detailed here … Special dinner at Senior Center of West Seattle … Special St. Patrick’s Day menu offerings at Luna Park Café …
Again this year, “Scouting for Food” might bring Boy Scouts to your neighborhood the next two Saturdays. We got the alert from Troop 282; they are dropping off door tags this morning till about 10:30 am, and then will return 9 am-1:30 pm a week from today (March 24) to collect what you donate for the West Seattle Food Bank. If you would like to donate and don’t get a visit, call 206-890-2237.
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