day : 19/06/2012 10 results

From partner site White Center Now: A woman who’s been regularly patroling for litter and graffiti near her home in WC – where she moved two years ago, after seven years in North Delridge – is now turning her passion into a business. Lea Kuchan is launching her startup Neat Street, signing up business and property owners interested in having someone make regular visits to take care of problems from tagging to trash to window-washing. Read her story here!

Watch the Summer Solstice sunset with an expert guide at Solstice Park

June 19, 2012 7:37 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | WS miscellaneous

We can’t guarantee the sunset will look like this (though the forecast is promising, if chilly) …

(Jim in Fauntleroy shared the photo this week but says it’s from about 3 weeks ago)
… but tomorrow night, you can celebrate the summer-solstice sunset at West Seattle’s own Solstice Park, during the 13th seasonal sunset watch with NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen. Sunset as seen from the park over the north end of Lincoln Park (location info here) is usually about 10 minutes before the “official” time, which, she says, means you’d want to be there by 8:45 pm for the 9:01-or-so sunset. Read more about it on her website, Alice’s Astro Info.

P.S. The actual solstice moment is 4:09 pm our time Wednesday.

P.P.S. Alice is looking for suggestions for where to host a Mars Landing Watch event on August 5th around 10:30 pm – Internet required. Any ideas?

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West Seattle High School cheerleaders’ Mini Cheer Camp: Big win!

June 19, 2012 6:39 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two dozen West Seattle High School 2012-2013 cheerleaders spent the day mentoring almost four dozen younger students during their Mini Cheer Camp a week and a half ago – and Bev Corey is sharing photos and a recap:

A great time was had by all the 47 campers from Holy Rosary, Lafayette, Schmitz Park, Alki, Gatewood, Sanislo, Arbor Heights, Hope Lutheran, Westside, and Our Lady of Guadalupe (schools), as they spent an afternoon with 24 WSHS cheerleaders learning cheers, stunts, and dances, making crafts, and enjoying getting to know each other.

The campers will perform as honorary cheerleaders at an upcoming home football game this fall. The West Seattle Cheerleaders want to thank all the campers who attended and can’t wait to see you all again at the Mini Cheer Camp Reunion later this summer.

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Followup: More Beach Drive safety enhancements planned

June 19, 2012 4:47 pm

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| Safety | West Seattle news

In addition to the new lighting quietly installed at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint last week (first reported by Beach Drive Blog), more safety-enhancing measures are on the way to the viewpoint and Me-Kwa-Mooks across the street. So says Seattle Parks, in its promised response to our inquiry last week for more information on the lighting and anything else that’s planned in the wake of the June 1st “safety walk” with Parks managers and Seattle Police leadership:

(WSB photo from June 1st)
Here’s the response, in its entirety:

Seattle Parks and Recreation response to West Seattle parks June 1, 2012 walk-through: What we have done and will do at Me-Kwa-Mooks Park and Emma Schmitz Viewpoint in the summer of 2012.

Pruning: Parks did most of the requested pruning in March.

• Parks removed a hedge on the east side of the street, opening up visibility into Me Kwa Mooks park and removing a barrier someone could hide behind.

• The crew lowered the hedge on the west side (Emma Schmitz Viewpoint) and did pruning to improve sight lines on the pines.

• Additional pruning called for in the following two items will be done by the end of June:

➢ A little more pruning was requested during the 6/1/2012 walk on one of the pines next to the bus stop. The pruning on this pine was done fairly recently. It was not clear if the requester realized this work had been done but we will look and see if any more work would make a difference.

➢ People pointed out the entrance to the trail that leads up the hill into Me Kwa Mooks Park. It is difficult to see the start of the trail and a tree planted there blocks visibility. We will try to improve visibility but the tree is healthy and should not be damaged or removed.

• Several people pointed out a corner as one goes down the south-most stairs. There is a weed (common names include American Bamboo and Knotweed) growing there. Unfortunately, if we cut it down now we will not be able to do management measures that were planned later in the summer or early fall (the best time to remove it effectively). The only effective way to deal with this problem is to wait. It is a very tough weed to control, and the management program will take years. It has been around for more than 20 years.

Lighting
• City Light suggested two lights that will increase lighting on the southernmost stairs. It appears they have already installed lighting on an existing pole. Thank you City Light!

Park Hours
• Parks will add a sign where people go down the first stairs on the south and will place another at the north end of the park. Need to confirm parks hours signs match the official hours.

Other
• There is a storytelling area built by a partner school about a block in from where the trail starts. The area has been used as an unofficial fire pit for many years. The crew will pull the blocks and post a temporary no fires sign. This will be done by end of June.

• Finally, Parks did not replace the screen around the sanican when it was destroyed last summer. There have been no complaints, and the visibility around the sanican is better without the screen for people walking down the street or using the sanican.

The “unofficial fire pit” was shown in our coverage of the June 1st safety walk, after a concerned neighbor led the way to point it out to us and interested participants after the walk.

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From The South Park News: Million-dollar fire

June 19, 2012 3:04 pm

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| South Park | West Seattle news

Ladder 13 (pictured) from Highland Park’s Station 11 was one of the West Seattle units that helped fight a fire at a business in South Park this morning. Nobody was hurt, but SFD has just announced that damage is estimated at a million dollars. More info’s on our partner site The South Park News.

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What the speeders are up to: West Seattle’s latest roundup results

June 19, 2012 12:33 pm

| 45 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

We haven’t heard much about them in a while, but the Seattle Police Aggressive Driver Response Team is still out there, patroling for speeders and other violators. Their latest weekly roundup includes a multitude of West Seattle results, from school zones to Admiral Way to the “high bridge” and beyond, including a 70-mph ticket along the way – read on!Read More

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Video: Schmitz Park Elementary’s Alki ‘Shakespeare flash mob’

June 19, 2012 12:05 pm

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| Alki Statue of Liberty | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

ORIGINAL 12:05 PM NOTE: Sorry for the late notice, but we just got word of this – Craig Parsley‘s 5th-grade Shakespeare production from Schmitz Park Elementary is planning a “flash mob”-style performance at Alki by the Statue of Liberty around 12:30 pm. Spectators encouraged!

ADDED 4:00 PM: Photos and video – the troupe did a great job in a tough setting! Here’s the teacher/director with a few of his students just before the (invisible) curtain rose on “Midsummer Night’s Dream”:

We didn’t fire up the video camera fast enough to hear him shout the announcement of the “flash mob,” but here’s some video from the first few moments (as he explained to them on the sideline, lots of “ambient” noise):

No costumes or set – but a few props:

Well, OK, there was ONE bit of costumery:

The play was performed recently at school – one performance for their fellow students, one in the evening for parents/community.

Shakespeare has been a tradition in Mr. Parsley’s classes at Schmitz Park; he’s moving to K-5 STEM at Boren next year and told us recently he was hoping to take the tradition along.

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Holiday countdown: 2 weeks till 4th of July Kids’ Parade! And coordinator still needed for next year

June 19, 2012 11:24 am

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| Holidays | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from 2011 4th of July Kids’ Parade)
OK, to be precise, it’s two weeks **plus one day** till the 4th of July – and yes, the parade is on. The 4th of July Kids’ Parade in Admiral is West Seattle’s *only* 4th of July parade, and it gets bigger every year (here’s our report from last year) – though after 5 years of running it, Sherri Chun says next year is in jeopardy if someone doesn’t step up to take over. Here’s her official announcement of this year’s plan:

Start decorating your scooters, strollers, and trikes right now! The Admiral Kids 4th of July Parade starts at 10:00 am on the corner of 44th and Sunset. Walk the parade route, then enjoy traditional games and treats at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. Rain will cancel the games. Concessions will be provided by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. Joe McDermott, King County Councilmember, will be there to kick things off. This year we welcome back Roger Scholten, the singing pediatrician, for the national anthem. We also hope to have the Hi-Yu princess court.

This would not be possible without generous contributions from many. A big thank you to Dave Weitzel of Weitzel Construction for the porta-potties at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. Thank you also to Verity Credit Union and Kayle Shulenberger, licenced speech-language pathologist. Holy Rosary Parish makes this all possible through their generous underwriting of our liability insurance, which is required for park and parade permits. Then of course there is you, the parade participant. You ARE the parade, and this is what makes our parade the best! Please support the parade with a $1 contribution per child. Look for the red boxes at the parade start and finish.

This is my last year coordinating the parade, and I want to thank you for making it the fantastic event that it is. I have not yet found a replacement. If you or someone you know is interested, please send me an e-mail. Believe it or not, it is not a lot of work. I am confident this great tradition will continue. Thank you.

Sherri Chun
admiralkidsparade@gmail.com

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West Seattle Tuesday: Tonight’s bridge closure, and more

June 19, 2012 10:20 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Raindrops on a cobweb over driftwood – by “old desolate“ via the WSB Flickr pool)
From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

TRAFFIC ALERTS: Same list as Monday – Spokane Street Viaduct eastbound lanes and one westbound lane are scheduled to be closed 10 pm-5 am, along with additional surface-street closures overnight in SODO (detailed here). Daytime bike-trail work near the “low bridge” continues for the 2nd of 3 scheduled days – explained here. Closures/changes for the rest of the week (through Saturday’s northbound Viaduct/99 closure for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon) are listed here.

SOUTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S COMMENCEMENT: 2:30 pm, Benaroya Hall downtown; details here.

YOGA AND LABYRINTH WALK: Benefit doubleheader on the new labyrinth at The Hall at Fauntleroy – yoga at 5:45 pm, labyrinth walk at 7 – details here.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Got a neighborhood concern? Want to hear firsthand about the latest crime trends? Be at the Southwest Precinct meeting room (Webster/Delridge) at 7 pm.

DEMENTIA-CARE WORKSHOP: Educator Teepa Snow is at Providence Mount St. Vincent tonight, 7-9 pm, no pre-registration required. Details here.

NIGHTLIFE: Tonight’s highlights include the Alauda belly-dancing showcase at 7:30 pm and Baby Ketten Karaoke at 9 at Skylark Café and Club … Trivia That Rocks, hosted by Chachi Beck, at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm … the Starlite singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm.

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West Seattle schools: Roxhill gets big levy grant, too

June 19, 2012 9:28 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Back on June 8th, we reported West Seattle High School would receive a six-figure annual grant from the city Families and Education Levy – and now we know another West Seattle school will, too: Roxhill Elementary. Principal Carmela Dellino shared an announcement this morning with details of what they’ll be able to do with $2.1 million over the next 7 years – read on:Read More

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