Faith and sports are both in the mix at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s new building – which is why you see a soccer ball, basketball, and volleyball in that photo, as retired Seattle Archbishop Alex Brunett blessed OLG’s new gym, which is named after him, and Parish Center, both formally dedicated as part of an expanded 11 am Mass today.
Parishioners walked across SW Myrtle to the new 10,000-square-foot complex, led by OLG’s pastor, Father Jack Walmesley:
There, Archbishop Brunett gave a blessing at the doors:
Inside, the celebration continued:
This comes two weeks shy of a year after the groundbreaking, during which the pastor didn’t just wield a ceremonial shovel, but actually operated the construction equipment to dig right in (WSB coverage, with video, here).
Thanks to Gay for sharing the photo of Shirley, taken today outside West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction. Gay explains that Shirley “has been making/selling poppies for The American Legion since she was a little girl in the 1940’s.” The American Legion Auxiliary Poppy Program, collecting donations for disabled/hospitalized veterans, dates back to 1921 and is explained here.
P.S. For a traditional way to commemorate Memorial Day, be at Forest Lawn Cemetery (6701 30th SW; WSB sponsor) at 2 pm tomorrow. It’s usually not long – 35 minutes last year – but it’s presented by West Seattle’s American Legion Post 160, and always stirring.
If it’s doing its job, your heart is out of sight and (mostly) out of mind – but that can change in an instant, as West Seattle resident Kayla Burt learned almost a decade ago. She was a UW basketball starter, hanging out with friends, when sudden cardiac arrest almost ended her life way too soon. As amply covered at the time and afterward, she survived – in no small part thanks to her friends, whose actions included calling 911, performing CPR, and making way for emergency personnel to get to Kayla. She visited West Seattle High School health classes this past week with a message that could save others’ lives – about heart-health awareness, about learning CPR, and more. Her host was health teacher Sarah Orton:
Kayla’s post-college achievements have included working as a coach at the University of Portland, serving as an EMT and a hospital staffer, and, now, as outreach coordinator for the Bellevue-based Hope Heart Institute, which her online bio explains she joined “after realizing her passion for heart disease awareness and prevention of cardiac arrest, especially in athletes, overcame her desire to do anything else.” Kayla, by the way, says that while experts never figured out why she went into cardiac arrest, she now lives “a completely normal life that involves daily exercise, basketball, biking, running, and anything else I set my mind to do!”
Just a few notes from the calendar as the holiday weekend continues:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: No holiday here! 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska as always. Market managers are touting tomatoes as among the new arrivals this week.
VEGETABLE STAND: Organic gardener Marguerite Lynch and family are selling some of their harvest at 44th/Hill, 10:30 am-1 pm, with half the proceeds to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank.
BENEFIT BEERFEST: West Seattle Nursery is selling beer and hot dogs starting at 1 pm today to benefit team member Ingrid Nokes as she fights breast cancer.
MUSIC IN THE GARDEN: Village Green Perennial Nursery (WSB sponsor) is hosting Sawesome, live music including banjo, autoharp, and saws, 1 pm, 10223 26th SW.
WS COOKING CLUB, SUNDAY SESSION: Been meaning to check out the West Seattle Cooking Club, but unable to make their usual Monday afternoon meeting times? Here’s your chance. Today, they’re meeting 1-3 pm at Beveridge Place Pub, with the theme “Picnic Food”; you bring yours, and try theirs.
1:13 AM: Very busy night for police in West Seattle, and they’re investigating another incident now – a rollover crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge. According to scanner traffic, police have found the crashed vehicle – but no one inside; two people may have taken off.
(Scene where victims were found, 23rd/Andover, photo via Twitter from @salishseagirl) 1:15 AM UPDATE: One “patient” is said to have been found near the bridge, in Pigeon Point.
1:24 AM UPDATE: One of the fire engines on this call is now asking for ambulances for TWO patients.
1:43 AM UPDATE: Via Twitter, Cheryl reports both patients on stretchers and going into the ambulances.
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