month : 11/2012 344 results

West Seattle Thanksgiving: Free feasts; restaurants/stores; more

Two days till Thanksgiving! From the WSB West Seattle Holidays page, and updates we’ve received, some reminders today:

DONATE DESSERTS FOR HALL AT FAUNTLEROY’S FREE DINNER: West Seattle’s most famous free holiday meal is at The Hall at Fauntleroy on Thursday afternoon, noon-3 pm. They have the volunteer help and the main/side dishes – but what they REALLY need, we’re reminded by Carol from Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering, is donated desserts, whether you’re going to the dinner or not. You can drop off a dessert donation tomorrow (Wednesday) between 10 am and 3 pm, or after 9 am on Thanksgiving Day. The Hall is on the south side of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse at 9131 California SW.

ANOTHER FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER: If you’re planning to dine a little later but would like to take advantage of a free feast just the same, join the West Seattle Eagles, whose annual “Thanksgiving to Remember” is 2-5 pm at their HQ next to the post office in The Junction.

LOOKING FOR A RESTAURANT OPEN THANKSGIVING? Here’s our list so far – we’ve made dozens of calls, but please let us know if something’s missing, or changed – editor@westseattleblog.com

WONDERING WHICH WEST SEATTLE GROCERY STORES ARE OPEN THANKSGIVING DAY? Here’s our list with that info.

FOOD BANK HELP BEFORE THE HOLIDAY: Here again are our updates on the West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank, both of whom are accepting donations through tomorrow (or, follow those links to their websites and give cash, which goes even further):
–WS Food Bank here – they tell WSB today that they need “canned hams for distribution to homeless communities”
–WC Food Bank here – they tell WSB today that the big need is “turkeys, turkeys, turkeys”

Again, all of this and MUCH more (including Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s info) is on the WSB Holidays page – which you can find any time from its red-type tab atop the page.

Video: West Seattle Lights start Friday – see a preview run!

Good news for West Seattle Lights-lovers … Monday’s mini-windstorm didn’t wreak too much havoc with designer Jim Winder‘s setup at the Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular HQ on SW Charlestown, across from the water tower. Just one star was damaged, Jim told us last night. In fact, despite the resurgent rain, he kept an early-evening appointment with WSB to run through one lights-synched song, which you can see in our clip above. (The audio’s somewhat muddied by the rain and wind, but the lights are big and bright!)

Some things you’ll want to know, especially if you missed our November 1st preview report:
-The lights launch Friday night; the schedule is on the official website – note the “special shows” for Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve (which is the final night of the season).
-The official lighting ceremony is Saturday night, with the free Judy Pancoast concert, at 7 pm. DIFFERENT THIS YEAR: Charlestown will be blocked off, that night only, for that block only – so come enjoy the block-party atmosphere! And bring donations for the West Seattle Food Bank; you can also make cash donations, which will be split between WS Food Bank and NW Parkinson’s Foundation (as explained on this webpage – where you also can donate $ any time).

How many lights? Jim is STILL adding them. You’ll find plenty of numbers on the website’s “Fun Facts” page, but there might not be a final tally till showtime! This is the fourth year we’ve covered this extravaganza, which keeps getting literally bigger and brighter.

West Seattle Tuesday: What’s up on Thanksgiving Eve-Eve

(Monday photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
Two days till Thanksgiving, and the full holiday lineup (open restaurants/coffee shops, grocery-store hours, free dinners, other events) is on the WSB West Seattle Holidays page. But for Thanksgiving Eve-Eve, here are some of the regular calendar’s highlights for today/tonight:

BENEFIT DANCE CLASS: Gildenfire‘s class is at 10:45 am at Highland Park Improvement Club (12th and Holden) for 2-4-year-olds, free with 2 cans of food, to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. More info in our calendar listing.

CO-WORK MEETUP: The WS Office Junction team is continuing to organize “co-work meetups” as it works on a permanent location. You’re welcome to join them noon-1:30 pm today at Uptown Espresso in The Junction: “This week we would hope to steer the conversation to what everyone is working on in their businesses to see if we can get some collaborative networking started.”

DESSERT WITH TRANSITIONAL RESOURCES: TR is having Thanksgiving dinner today – and inviting the community to drop in for potluck dessert – bring one and come share, 1-4:30 pm. Details and map in calendar listing.

TALKING TRANSIT AT CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Safety and other issues raised by West Seattle transit changes, including the expansion of the Westwood transit hub, are at the heart of the agenda – with guests from Metro, Sound Transit, and SDOT – tonight at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster). Also bring your neighborhood crime concerns.

BELLY DANCING: It’s the monthly Alauda showcase at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW), 7 pm.

More nightlife and other listings on the year-round WSB West Seattle Events Calendar here; full holiday listings, Thanksgiving through New Year’s, in the WSB West Seattle Holidays guide here!

Two quick ways to help local schools in the running for $

MOUNT VIEW ELEMENTARY NEEDS BOOKS: West Seattleite Shoshanna Cohen, the ELL Interventionist at Mount View Elementary in White Center, asks for your help as they vie for a $5,000 grant to buy books. Many of the kids at MV Elementary speak Spanish as their first language, and the school has few books in Spanish – Cohen explains, “There is so much research showing that by promoting the student’s first language, their growth in their second language (English) is astronomical.” Just contribute a vote by going to this webpage and clicking the lower-right link that says VOTAR/VOTE. You’ll go to a page with the entries – look for the student in the Cat in the Hat-striped hat, and that’s for Mount View. Just click the “vote” link you’ll find with that specific photo, and that’s it, no strings attached. The contest runs through this weekend.

WEST SEATTLE STEM NEEDS TECH: And while we’re talking about online votes for school grants – West Seattle STEM Elementary (aka K-5 STEM) has a month left in their bid for a $50,000 tech grant – here’s our original story, which explains how to vote.

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Post-storm Tuesday

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
No rain this morning – though more is on the way later today – so the morning commute might not be so bad. Please let us know if you encounter any holdover standing-water trouble spots – and thank you for the many updates and photos shared during yesterday’s storminess (text or voice, 206-293-6302 any time, or all the other ways listed here).

Car flips into yard near Westwood Village, no injuries reported

Thanks to Becky for the tip and Chris for the photo – just southeast of Westwood Village, that car missed a curve and wound up upside down in a yard. No injuries reported – there wasn’t even a medic dispatch for the crash. We’re checking with police for any more information about the circumstances.

‘It’s a wrap!’ Fauntleroy salmon watch over; biggest ever

(Photo courtesy Dave McCoy)
At Fauntleroy Creek, Salmon Watch 2012 is over. Five late spawners showed up Saturday, then none on Sunday, reports Judy Pickens, with the overview of the record-setting season:

Eighteen salmon watchers documented 274 coho spawners in Fauntleroy Creek between Oct. 24 and Nov. 17. Our previous high was 167, in 2001. We had an estimated 290 visitors, including five school groups. Watchers were able to see that nearly all the fish were hatchery-released (not fish that started life here or came through Salmon in the Schools). All, however, are now providing valuable nutrients to the habitat and we’ll be checking for “home hatch” starting late February.

As noted in our close-up look at Salmon Watch two weeks ago, last year brought only 11 coho to the creek – but that was still better than the completely spawner-less year in 2010.

West Seattle storm scenes: The water, then the wind

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Our stormy day had two distinct phases – in the morning, it was all about the water, including the mini-lake in WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams‘ image from SW Barton Street. In the afternoon, it was all about the wind:

The tree-buried SUV was in Sunrise Heights, in the 7100 block of 32nd SW; head-on, it was almost completely out of sight.

Other toppled trees were featured in our afternoon coverage.

Tomorrow’s forecast: Rain at times, but mostly in the afternoon, so the morning commute, at least, shouldn’t resemble anything like today.

West Seattle storm scenes: Navigating Nickelsville

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
As we first showed you during afternoon storm coverage, getting around the West Seattle encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville” was like hopscotch this afternoon – and that was even after residents built a walkway.

(From left, Matthew and JS using pallets for a walkway over the water and mud)
WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams went to Nickelsville this afternoon after we learned from a volunteer that the camp was in need of fuel to power generators to provide power to pumps, to deal with the floodwater brought by today’s two-inch deluge.

That’s Nickelsville head of security Steve Westfall, surveying the scene.

A year and a half has now passed since the encampment returned to the triangle of public land at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW – a site for which they have neither been officially organized nor told to get out, unlike the encampment’s original stay at the same site in September 2008, which lasted less than a week before police were ordered to go in and evict the campers. Nor, still, do they have running water or other basic services. There has been some talk of moving to another site – if somebody helps find one.

RapidRide C Line, 7 weeks in: Metro’s questionnaire for you

Every weekday (and some weekend days) since Metro debuted RapidRide C Line, riders have had discussions here on WSB about how it’s going. Metro’s made some tweaks. And now they want to know how it’s working for you. They’ve answered some frequently-asked questions, and launched a questionnaire to ask YOU some questions, with this online update (it includes the questionnaire link). Meantime, we’re continuing the daily discussions here too – every day, we launch a TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TRACKER story in the morning, and it’s the place to bring up any issues (as well as traffic reports); you’ll find it linked atop the WSB sidebar by 6:45 or so in the morning. (Today’s format was a little different because of the crazy weather.)

West Seattle Weather Watch, afternoon/evening update: Wind, rain, downed trees, more

(Our morning storm coverage is here)

(Added 2:30 pm: Tree down in Junction; photo courtesy Marty Sweetman)
1:25 PM: We’re launching afternoon storm coverage now, with widespread reports of power flickers – we were in a Junction business where it flickered twice a few minutes ago, and the wind is gusty out of the south here too. More to come.

(Added 2:40 pm: Nickelsville resident JS, building a walkway; WSB photo by Nick Adams)
1:32 PM UPDATE: We’ve received a request for help from Nickelsville via intermediaries – they need gasoline to power generators to pump out floodwaters at the camp (West Marginal and Highland Park Way). If you can help, just take some down.

1:36 PM UPDATE: Serious wave action south of Alki Point, as is usual with wind out of the southwest. We checked on the flickers – there is NO larger outage anywhere, so far. Just widespread flickers. Just in case it does go out later, be sure you have what you need nearby – charge your phone, have batteries for whatever needs batteries, keep a flashlight handy, etc.

1:52 PM UPDATE: Just got back to WSB HQ in Upper Fauntleroy for the first time in an hour or so – we’re out of power here. City Light map says about 150 customers (homes/businesses).

(Added 2:30 pm: Tree down on 18th near Sanislo Elementary; photo courtesy Cary Swain Seely)
2:25 PM UPDATE: There is some good news – the rain stopped. For now. But there are scattered reports of trees down – saw one along Fauntleroy in Fairmount Springs; Kevin sent word of one in Endolyne; no major road blockages reported, though. (Update – see the photo added above from 18th SW – that may be causing trouble.) City Light, meantime, says it doesn’t know yet what’s to blame for the outage in Upper Fauntleroy/Gatewood.

(Added 2:40 pm: Tree down at 45th and Wildwood in Fauntleroy)
2:49 PM: Scott reports via Twitter that Admiral is closed between 58th and 59th because of a power pole that looks to be in danger of falling.

3:04 PM UPDATE: Cami says it’s actually closed at 57th. We’ll have a crew in the area shortly. Also via comments, Cait says Webster is closed in the Delridge vicinity. THANK YOU to everyone continuing to share information and photos.

3:14 PM UPDATE: Photojournalist Nick Adams, out on storm coverage for WSB today, is at 58th/Admiral with the power-pole problem and says traffic is now open again, one lane each way.

(added later) This photo courtesy of Don Brubeck shows the pole while it was leaning:

NEW traffic problem that might affect some people headed toward West Seattle – southbound Battery Street Tunnel is closed, apparently because of a crash, per SDOT.

3:37 PM UPDATE: City Light map shows the Gatewood/Upper Fauntleroy outage over – we’re working away from HQ right now so can’t verify. Couple other scattered, very small outages in spots around West Seattle. (Few minutes later) Battery Street Tunnel southbound now OPEN again, per WSDOT. Meantime, some bus reroutes out there – just got one from Metro re: Route 128 routed off 16th between Henderson and Cambridge.

4:23 PM UPDATE: No new problems reported lately. But still give yourself extra time to get home. Any break in the weather is just temporary, the forecasters say. And take note this is already the rainiest November 19th on record.

5:27 PM UPDATE: Got e-mail saying that the Admiral exit from the West Seattle Bridge has a major puddle/pond, so avoid if you can. Meantime, the rain comes and goes – raining hard again about 20 minutes ago, not so bad right now, but still lots of water everywhere. P.S. If you’re on a bus and have some time, here’s a new West Seattle-specific survey from Metro, explained and linked here.

West Seattle restaurants: Beachside Café to be Bada Asian Grill

Change is in the works for Beachside Café, in the space long previously known as Alki Bakery (which closed almost exactly two years ago). Beachside Café/Alki Café co-owner Sharon Bang says the Beachside space on the southwest corner of 61st and Alki is going to become Bada Asian Grill:

We will be closing Beachside Café for remodeling. We will open on Thanksgiving Day and the weekend following. We plan to close our business from Monday November 26th for about 2 months.

When Alki Bakery closed their doors, John and I thought the community was looking for the space to be as close to Alki Bakery as possible. John and I are not bakers by nature, and we found it hard to keep the business as a coffee shop next to Starbucks.

Our restaurant career started in downtown Seattle serving breakfast, however, we found great success in building Asian fusion restaurants unitil we got back in the breakfast restaurant with Alki Cafe. We have decided to change our concept and open up Bada Asian Grill. “Bada” means ocean in Korean. We want to open a restaurant serving families delicious and healthy Asian BBQ and teriyaki along with appetizing side dishes. Our location is an ideal spot for what we want to bring together. We will have open kitchen with char broil grill at the front and have a full bar serving variety of Asian wine, beer, cocktail and sake.

We will continue to have Caffe Vita espresso in the morning hours. Lunch, Happy Hour and Dinner will follow. Construction will start in last week of November, and we plan to open Bada Asian Grill mid to late January.

We believe Bada Asian Grill will be a great addition to Alki and residence living in West Seattle. We want to thank you and so many loyal customers who frequently visited Beachside Café. John and I are excited to bring this new change. We will bring you more details including hours of operation and whole menu in near future.

As for Alki Cafe, we will be open from 8am to 3pm daily. We will open for dinner again in spring time.

New school at Genesee Hill: Offer your ideas @ meeting tonight

From tonight’s calendar: Reminder from the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council – a community conversation is scheduled tonight with the Design Team for the new school at the closed Genesee Hill site, 6:30-8 pm tonight at Schmitz Park Elementary. Read on for some examples of what they’re looking at, to help inspire your suggestions (and see how to comment even if you can’t go to the meeting):

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WEATHER/TRAFFIC UPDATES: Soggy Monday; water woes everywhere

(SCROLL DOWN for newest updates – we’re out checking on trouble spots too)

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:33 AM: Rain is the big challenge this morning – and deep water is causing trouble on at least two ramps, according to Twitter reports – Delridge to the bridge, and bridge to 99. Lots of water on the roads everywhere we’ve driven. We’re monitoring trouble spots as always.

6:54 AM: A commenter says the ramp from the bridge to I-5 is developing deep-water trouble too. And even if you’re just walking outside your home, beware – our crew just back from an early-morning fire scene found a parking strip with ankle-deep, shoe-filling water. An urban/small-stream flood advisory is in effect all day – into the evening commute – for the entire county, with the possibility of up to 2 inches of rain.

7:33 AM: More reports in comments about water woes around the peninsula – including Fauntleroy and Raymond, a perennial trouble spot, and 35th/Avalon. Our friends at KING 5, who have had crews roving, mentioned a 35th/Barton puddle too.

7:55 AM: From onboard a bus:

8:24 AM: Out roving now. Delridge has many spots with serious puddling, including at Myrtle and just south of Webster. Mary just sent us a photo of someone working to clear out the ramp “lake” by the bridge:

8:39 AM: Another sign of a serious storm: The combined-sewer overflow at Barton (north of the Fauntleroy ferry) is discharging. You can check the CSO status in ‘real time’ on this county webpage. Around the area, efforts continue to reduce the need for those overflows by catching stormwater in other ways. We were reminded of that while just passing the stretch of 26th SW in North Delridge that is getting bioswales – not ready in time for this storm, but some of the holes are dug.

(Minutes later …) We’re checking Longfellow Creek by the Allstar Fitness lot, where water is spouting up from one manhole on the south side.

9:18 AM: Along Alki, some curbside overflow, and downtown is hard to see from Seacrest:

Along Alki and along Delridge (where the next photo was taken), we’re continuing to see people braving the rain to clear the storm drains and reduce puddling:

Seattle Public Utilities is responsible for the storm drains but can’t do it all, so citizen help is appreciated if you can do it safely. If not, or if you see a big road problem that only the city could address, here’s the number to call: (206) 386-1800.

10:46 AM: Beach Drive has a huge “pond” in the 4800 block, alongside the historic Satterlee House’s big front lawn, and a few blocks south, Lisa Dawson tweeted this mini-geyser photo from the 5400 block:

Keep us posted on what you’re seeking – we’ll be watching it all day long, and today we will likely open a separate story for the PM commute around mid-afternoon, rather than keeping this one running.

10:58 AM UPDATE: There’s now a power outage reported in the heart of the White Center business district – 65 “customers” (one customer = one business or home) affected so far. Meander’s sent word they’re affected; we’ll be checking on the range. (Added) Here’s how it’s shown on the City Light map:

11:53 AM UPDATE: Brian sends word that if you’re going to Westwood Village, “Bring your life raft… or at the very least rubber rain boots. The parking lot isn’t draining in Westwood”:

He took that photo in the lot by Starbucks and Big 5. Meantime, after a few other quick news updates, we’ll be launching afternoon coverage shortly.

Update: Early-morning house fire in the 9000 block of 16th SW

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
6:31 AM: We’re checking on a house-fire call in the 9000 block of 16th SW. It appears to have been fairly short-lived, with an investigator called just a few minutes after the original call at 5:09 am, but we’ve gone to the scene to find out.

6:41 AM: According to the investigator on scene, this was another case – like Saturday night’s fire on 14th SW – of an “illegally occupied” house, across the street from the Salvation Army center. Neighbors told fire crews that transients are frequently seen at the site. The front of the building shows significant fire damage; nobody was hurt. Official word of the cause isn’t expected until later.

8:03 AM: Also like the Saturday night fire scene, this house has a record of city-code complaints, including a case listed as “not resolved,” with problems including “vacant, open to entry, overgrown, outdoor storage of junk.”

9:33 AM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB this was an accidental fire: “Transients inhabited the house and created a cooking fire in the living room which resulted in the fire to the vacant home. The estimated dollar loss is $151,000.”

Has Lincoln Park gone to the dogs? Fauntleroy Community Association tackling topic

The subject of off-leash dogs in Lincoln Park – a violation of city/park rules – was the hottest topic on the agenda for this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting. A bigger discussion is on the horizon, and you’ll be invited. But in the meantime, violators are on notice:

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Holiday hunger-fighting: Beer Church Turkey Bowl; White Center Food Bank on the road

On the holiday hunger-fighting front … first, a few scenes from the Beer Church Turkey Bowl:

That’s West Seattle Food Bank‘s Charlie Workman during last night’s benefit at WS Bowl, as he rolled what turned out to be a strike:

According to the Beer Church Facebook page, Mission won the trophy … and the WS Food Bank is the big winner. Congrats again to tireless organizers Kendall and Kim Jones:

Their update says the final tally’s not in yet, but expects it to amount to “thousands and thousands” of donated dollars and pounds (of food).

This morning, we checked in on the White Center Food Bank‘s turkey collection, which hit the road for a pre-Thanksgiving dropoff stop outside Fauntleroy Church:

WC Food Bank executive director Rick Jump was there loading donated turkeys into the refrigerated van. He told us they’d seen a good turnout of donors during the dropoff window. You can also drop off food the next few days – and just as important, volunteer some hours to get it distributed – here are the specifics.

Luna Girls on Alki: Artist Lezlie Jane crowdfunds for final stretch

November 18, 2012 5:34 pm
|    Comments Off on Luna Girls on Alki: Artist Lezlie Jane crowdfunds for final stretch
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Will the Alki boardwalk east of the Bathhouse be graced with the “Luna Girls” (explained here back in July)? West Seattle artist Lezlie Jane is renowned for work including Weather Watch Park, Cormorant Cove, and Constellation Park on Beach Drive, as well as Whale Tail Park and Dakota Place Park. Now, she explains in the video clip you can watch above, she is turning to crowdfunding to get “Luna Girls on Alki” finished. She’s launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking $3,000, and is already almost a third of the way there – you can chip in by going here.

The WSBeat: Pot ignites fight; scrapper semantics; apt apology

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”:

*In Highland Park, the recent election caused some friction between a father and son: Thirty-nine-year-old dad said that no matter how legal marijuana was going to be, it was not to be smoked in his house. He also laid down the law: Sonny would have to start working to help support the household. The discussion ended up getting slightly physical, and someone called 911. Son (19 years old) told officers that his dad is very wrong to force him to work. According to the report, “The son says that it is cold and raining outside and that he prefers to stay inside where he is warm and has food to eat. He also feels it’s his dad’s responsibility to provide for him.” Officers told the son to go spend the night at his brother’s in order to cool off.

*On Thursday the 8th, an employee of Nucor Steel was driving along Harbor Avenue when he noticed three men stealing scrap metal from the company’s property. He called company security and the security team called 911 to describe the thieves and their car. Officers pulled the vehicle over on Highland Park Way. It was full of scrap metal, but the three denied they had climbed or gone over any fences to get it. (Indeed: The report says they had cut *through* a fence to access the material.) All three were booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary.

Six more summaries, including new information on a police-guns-drawn incident at a local gas station last weekend:

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Celebration of life next Saturday for Tyler Vance, 1982-2012

Next Saturday (November 24th) at Alki UCC, family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Tyler Michael Vance, who died recently at just 30 years old. Here’s the remembrance shared by his family:

Our beautiful Son, Grandson, Brother, Daddy, Boyfriend, Nephew, Cousin, and Friend, Tyler Michael Vance, born March 27th, 1982, passed away on November 3rd, 2012, in his sleep.

Voted as most “Undeniably Unique” in his class of 2000 West Seattle High School Yearbook, Tyler lived his life as exactly that. Afraid of seemingly nothing, Tyler stood out with a style that could put a smile on your face, a zest for thrill seeking, an indisputable passion for his interests, and a love inside of him that was non discriminatory, earning him at times even the most unlikely of friends.

Tyler also attended Lafayette Elementary School, Madison Middle School and spent some time pursuing an Associate’s Degree at South Seattle Community College. Most recently he worked for the City of Seattle roads crew and has been father to his two beautiful girls whom he loved deeply.

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Happening now: Knitting, sewing to help Sandy storm survivors

That’s Virginia Bowen, owner of Seattle Yarn, with some of the hats/scarves/gloves made/donated so far on behalf of Superstorm Sandy survivors, as the knit-in/sew-in at Seattle Yarn and nearby Stitch & Sew Studio continues this afternoon. The photo is courtesy of Jen Boyer, who shared first word of the plan a week ago. Virginia is offering a dollar-off coupon for any item donated, handmade or not, through tomorrow. Other keep-warm items like blankets are welcome too. Seattle Yarn is at 5633 California SW; Stitch & Sew is at 5910 California SW.

West Seattle Sunday: Shop, sip, knit, donate, rock out, and more

November 18, 2012 10:08 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Sunday: Shop, sip, knit, donate, rock out, and more
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Ready to go into all-out holiday mode? The WSB West Seattle Holiday Events and Info page is now live – the one-stop guide to what’s happening now through New Year’s in our area, everything from free Thanksgiving dinners to Santa photos, tree lightings, bazaars, tree lots, the Christmas Ship’s stops, and MUCH more. We will continue to update it daily (if not more often) throughout the season, as we have always done, and we in fact have a few more things to add this morning. Meantime, the following is a quick roundup of today’s calendar highlights, including several ways to provide holiday help (you can always get the FIRST look by checking in now and then on our regular calendar):

WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK TURKEY DROPOFF IN WEST SEATTLE: They’ll have a refrigerated van at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) at 11 am. Details, and other ways to help WC Food Bank, in our roundup from earlier this week.

Also today:

(From the OLG bake sale – thanks to Toddy for the photo!)
FAIR TRADE SALE, ADVENT BAZAAR, BAKE SALE: Happening now till 1 pm in the new gym at Our Lady of Guadalupe, 35th and Myrtle – details on the calendar

BUY PANCAKE BREAKFAST TICKETS AT FARMERS’ MARKET: 13 days till the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle‘s annual pancake breakfast December 1st at Alki Masonic Hall (40th/Edmunds), as explained in our preview story – while you’re at the Farmers’ Market today, look for their booth and buy your tickets in advance (adult tickets are $1 cheaper in advance).

J.F. HENRY OPEN HOUSE CONTINUES: The houseware/kitchenware/gift store in The Junction (WSB sponsor) is continuing its open house today, 10 am-5 pm, with cookies, cocoa, discounts, and surprises – just stop in.

Even if you’re not ready to buy holiday gifts, maybe you need something new to cook Thanksgiving dinner – they have pans, utensils, a big array of cookware. Holiday decorations too. More details here – and don’t miss getting a free coupon for knife sharpening!

KNIT FOR A CAUSE – HELP SANDY SURVIVORS: Today’s the day you can drop in at Seattle Yarn or Stitch & Sew Studio to join a knit-in/sew-in/create-in to make hats, gloves, scarves for the East Coast residents who survived Superstorm Sandy, 10 am-5 pm. Or, if you have already made – or bought! – them, just drop the items off. Here’s our original story.

FAUNTLEROY FINE ART AND GIFT FAIR CONCLUDES: 11 am-2 pm, you have one more chance to shop at Fauntleroy Church‘s holiday sale/show of local artists’ work.

WINE AND CHEESE EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH FARMERS’ MARKET: 11:30 am-2 pm, Mountain Lodge Farm and Bin 41 are doing a wine/cheese tasting promoted by the West Seattle Farmers Market, at Bin 41 (next to KeyBank on southwest side of California/Alaska). Details here.

WEST SEATTLE ROTARY’S HANDBAG LUNCH: Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s purses/wallets/handbags champagne brunch, noon at Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor; 2326 California SW), details here – if you haven’t pre-registered, drop by to see if there’s still room.

WEST SEATTLEITE LEADS ‘WOODSTICK’: Once again this year, West Seattleite Donn Bennett is organizing “Woodstick Big Beat” as part of a world-record attempt for drumming, 2-4 pm at the Juanita Fieldhouse. Details in the calendar listing.

TWO BROTHERS WINERY RELEASE EVENT: 3-5 pm, 3902 California SW, the first release of Two Brothers Winery‘s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The 2009 Cabernet and Merlot come from the prestigious Red Mountain AVA in the Columbia Valley.

SHIPWRECK TAVERN FAREWELL: As reported here earlier this week, Shipwreck Tavern is closing after tonight. They’re going out with a show tonight including two hot local acts, Daughters of the Dead Sea and Hobosexual, 9 pm.

West Seattle holiday help: A gift given 500 times in 1 morning

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
They waited, under the gray Saturday morning sky, down the sidewalk past what last Thanksgiving season was a construction site and this year is a shiny new grocery store. Waiting for them at the head of the line, a free turkey:

And a bag of groceries:

This is the tenth year that Eastridge Church has offered the turkey giveaway, no questions asked. The event in West Seattle is duplicated at their Issaquah campus. And it’s always a bustle of activity:

(Lisa Dela Cruz guides 6-year-old daughter Stephanie in where to place a bag)
Those who come are helped by volunteers of all ages.

(10-year-old volunteer Ryan Shelver)
Even 500 turkeys only go so far. And then, they were gone, as announced by the sign Paul Emmett held:

…gone until next year. Others are helping the hungry in our community too, of course, also with volunteer time and money/food donations; today the White Center Food Bank has a turkey dropoff in Fauntleroy, 11 am.