month : 11/2012 344 results

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

This is a big week for Firefly Café and Creperie proprietor Charell Estby:

Construction is done for her soon-to-open restaurant on the northeast corner of California/Genesee on the north edge of THe Junction.

She’s awaiting plumbing and electrical inspections.

And as soon as those are passed, she can get ready for the final hurdle: The health inspection.

Otherwise, Firefly is ready to take flight. The menu’s even up (top photo) – sweet, savory, build-your-own, and a sizable portion of vegan/gluten-free offerings – but it’s more than crepes:

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Followup: Work crews digging into Pigeon Point sinkhole

| Comments Off on Followup: Work crews digging into Pigeon Point sinkhole

| Pigeon Point | Transportation | West Seattle news

A followup today from Jeanne Turner, who along with husband Mark shared first word of the Pigeon Point sinkhole last weekend:

SDOT arrived at 19th SW and Charleston on Pigeon Point this morning with a crew and equipment to fix a sinkhole that opened up Sunday afternoon. Dan Doyle of SDOT (a fellow West Seattleite) said the hole appears to be 18 inches to 2 feet deep. Today they will knock out the concrete and fill the hole with rock and gravel to stabilize the area. This will be covered with asphalt for a temporary fix until they can pour concrete. Because the area is relatively large, affecting four concrete slabs, SDOT will probably wait until spring to make the permanent fix.

Thanks for the update and photo!

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Frequently asked question, answered: When will the new South Transfer Station open?

| South Park | Utilities | West Seattle news

(May 2012 photo courtesy Hal Tangen)
Today, an answer to a question we’re asked increasingly often: When is the new South Transfer Station between West Seattle and South Park going to officially open?

The question is understandable, given that it’s now been almost half a year since the dedication ceremony for the $50 million state-of-the-art facility. Though there was a sizable media turnout for the ceremony, little coverage resulted, because starting literally minutes after the event on May 30th, the city was gripped by a crime rampage with ongoing reports filling newscasts, newspapers, and web pages (including ours): The murders of five people at Café Racer and a parking lot, a story that stretched from North Seattle to Downtown Seattle, then to West Seattle, where the killer committed suicide.

But ultimately, that had nothing to do with what has happened at the station, and not happened, in the months since. And even the official webpage for the project projected a summer opening – as in, weeks after the event. Since we’ve been getting questions about it, we just talked with Seattle Public Utilities for the latest update.

The short explanation, according to SPU spokesperson Andy Ryan: “We’re still working through the punch list.” Seems like a long time for a punch list, we suggested. Ryan elaborates, “A lot of little things just aren’t working perfectly, like the scales” – the automated chip readers that will be used with trucks are still not working reliably, and another issue is the sprinklers in the transfer station’s tunnel. “We’re behind schedule,” Ryan acknowledges, “but it’s more important that we get it right before we move into the next phase.”

That phase is scheduled to include a “shakedown” in January, when the city starts letting trucks in “to see how they do – there’ll be problems; we’ll fix them.” Then in early February, Ryan says, “we’ll let regular customers in, for limited hours” – that too will be more of a shakedown.

So when do they think it’ll be fully open for business? Ryan won’t get more specific than “first quarter” – sometime by the end of March, which will be 10 months after the dedication.

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West Seattle Wednesday: Delridge Greenway; 34th District Democrats; book signing; concert…

November 14, 2012 9:14 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

After a gray day, a sunbreak at sunset last night – and a double rainbow photographed by Annika Bowden. Looking ahead to tonight, highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

BEER-TASTING EVENT: Sam Smith tasting event at The Cask (2350 California SW), 6-9 pm – more info here.

DELRIDGE GREENWAY OPEN HOUSE: What’s the best way to create a route that’s safe for biking and walking in North Delridge – an alternative to braving Delridge Way itself? Come to Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) tonight to talk about what you’d like to see, and find out what’s in the city’s plan so far. (More info on the city website, here.)

AUTHOR MIKE HICKEY READS @ FEEDBACK LOUNGE: 7 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW), meet West Seattle author Mike Hickey, as he signs and sells his novel “Counterclockwise.” (Mike’s also a South Seattle Community College [WSB sponsor] faculty member and has served as Seattle Poet Populist, among other distinctions.)

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS CELEBRATE: Election debriefing and Legislature preview are on the 34th DDs’ agenda, 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).

DENNY/SEALTH/UW BANDS SHARE A STAGE: 7 pm tonight at the Chief Sealth International High School auditorium, a joint concert by the bands from CSIHS, Denny International Middle School, and the University of Washington Symphonic Band – free! The concert is preceded by a reception in the Sealth commons.

THANKSGIVING-COOKING CLASS: Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) head chef Jeremy McLachlan leads his popular class tonight and tomorrow night, 7 pm – but call to see if there’s any room left; the number and more info, in our listing.

Music and more on our calendar!

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: What’s happening Wednesday

November 14, 2012 6:37 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:37 AM: Watching Twitter, TV, and other streams, we’re not seeing anything of note in our area so far. No rain, either.

8:32 AM: SDOT reports via Twitter that the Battery Street Tunnel is closed southbound. (Fixing a Jersey-barrier problem, according to a passerby’s Twitter report to our friends at KING 5.)

8:42 AM: Reopened.

NOTE: The road work that was supposed to start today in Westwood, related to Metro improvements, is now postponed till after Thanksgiving. Here’s the county announcement we published last night.

4:32 PM UPDATE: If you use the RapidRide station at Morgan Junction (California/Fauntleroy) and have noticed the “refer to schedule” sign – Metro says it’s been working on fixing it (see the comment section on this story), and just updated one local rider via e-mail that “the sign should be fixed shortly” – it was a “wireless communication problem.”

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Auction season: West Seattle Community Orchestras’ success; WSHS tomorrow, Arbor Heights Friday

November 14, 2012 6:30 am

| Comments Off on Auction season: West Seattle Community Orchestras’ success; WSHS tomorrow, Arbor Heights Friday

| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Before the holidays take centerstage, fundraising-auction season holds the spotlight:

(Photos courtesy Trileigh Tucker)
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS’ SUCCESS: If you haven’t yet been to a WSCO benefit – keep in mind that they are full of music, given the talent and creativity in the organization. The woodwind quintet above was just one of multiple performing acts last Saturday night at Highland Park Improvement Club – from left, Margaret Shields-Belisle, Kristin Delaney, Carole Smith, Dean Odenthal, Brenda Sullivan. The dinner, Trileigh reports, was “amazing”:

Though WSCO doesn’t have the official tally yet, orchestra manager Mariane Hermanson reports they expect to net the highest total ever – and that will help them continue to offer participation in the youth orchestras to any students who want to play.

THURSDAY NIGHT – WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL: The Fall Harvest Auction for WSHS is tomorrow at 5:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. The ticket deadline has passed but you can still help out by contributing a dessert and/or volunteering to help with setup 11 am-3 pm tomorrow. See the Westside Weekly online newsletter for details.

FRIDAY NIGHT – ARBOR HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY: Last-minute tickets are still available if you’d like to go to Arbor Heights’ dinner/auction, according to auction chair Lucy Weber. It’s also at The Hall at Fauntleroy, with doors open at 5:30 pm Friday, bidding starting at 6.. More details are on the auction’s Facebook page here, and on this event page. Tickets are $55 and you can contact Lucy at lucyweb2@yahoo.com to get yours.

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FAA/Port air-traffic meeting on Beacon Hill: Concerns, no solutions

November 13, 2012 11:56 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

ORIGINAL TUESDAY NIGHT REPORT: While tonight’s early-evening breaking news kept us from getting to Beacon Hill for the air-traffic-concerns meeting, our partners at The Seattle Times had a reporter there: Alexa Vaughn reports that about 100 people attended. Her story does not mention any West Seattle-specific concerns, but summarizes that South Seattle residents were upset about the meeting being a chance only to vent, rather than to hear possible solutions. For potential next steps, you can watch the Facebook page of Quieter Skies Task Force, a citizens’ group active on this issue.

ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: Beacon Hill Blog has a meeting summary too.

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New schedule for next round of Metro-related work in Westwood

November 13, 2012 9:15 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

An update late today from the county, regarding what’s next for bus-related road and sidewalk work in the Westwood Village area. Instead of starting today, the next phase of the project is pushed back till after Thanksgiving:

King County Metro Transit is adjusting the schedule for the next round of construction in West Seattle, starting bus zone and sidewalk improvements Nov. 26 and focusing work on the south side of Southwest Barton Street.

The project builds improvements that will help pedestrians and bus riders for Route 120 – one of Metro’s top 10 busiest routes. Three to four weeks of construction are expected on the south side of the intersection of Southwest Barton Street and 26th Avenue Southwest just south of Westwood Village. Work on pedestrian improvements on the north side of the intersection is scheduled to begin after Jan. 1.

The updated construction timeline works around the contractor’s schedule, as well as traffic expected during the upcoming holiday season. Once work begins, a flagger and uniformed police officer will ensure traffic flows reliably around the work zone.

Crews plan to build a “bus bulb” – sidewalk extensions that allow buses to serve passengers without pulling out of traffic – on the southeast corner of the intersection.

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Update: Woman dead in White Center stabbing

November 13, 2012 5:54 pm

| 29 COMMENTS

| Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | White Center

ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:54 PM: A helicopter’s been seen over south West Seattle, and we believe it’s linked to a stabbing reported at 13th/100th in White Center. According to King County Sheriff’s Office via Twitter, the suspect is the victim’s son. Headed that way.

6:24 PM UPDATE: The 69-year-old victim has died, and her 42-year-old son is in custody, KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says. We’re continuing to cover this on our partner site White Center Now (where our coverage includes video of Sgt. West explaining what they know so far).

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Update: 2 officers hurt, 1 arrest after 42nd/Charlestown incident

November 13, 2012 5:14 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

5:14 PM: Thanks to everyone who has messaged us about the big police response – we saw several of the lights/siren cars heading north ourselves. We’re at the scene of an incident involving a car at 42nd and Charlestown (we’ve counted eight SPD cars so far). Someone is believed to be hurt – there’s just been a Seattle Fire Department car to come help. Still sorting out details, and will add as we find out more.

5:20 PM UPDATE: We’ve learned this started as a “help the officer” call – and it appears medics are checking out an officer. This is all unfolding just east of the old Charlestown Café. (added) Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen confirms an officer was assaulted by a suspect after a traffic stop. He says the suspect is under arrest.

6:04 PM UPDATE: New information from Capt. Paulsen – two officers were hurt; he says, “the suspect was under arrest and tried to drive off as the officer was trying to bring him out of the car. The suspect was also in possession of suspected controlled substances.” The injured officers, he says, are at Harborview Medical Center.

8:47 PM UPDATE: More details from SPD Blotter – including word that a citizen who tried to help got hurt. Read on for the narrative:

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West Seattle restaurants: Pizzeria Credo coming to The Junction

November 13, 2012 4:21 pm

| 30 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks to Aimee Pellegrini from La Romanza Bistro Italiano (WSB sponsor) for the tip that led us to this story: Something is finally moving forward in the former Garlic Jim’s spot in The Junction (4520 California SW; file photo at right), vacant more than a year. Briefly, it was slated to be a Round Table – we reported in March on a liquor-license filing, which usually means plans are fairly far down the road – but that went nowhere, and the space remained posted as “for lease.” Then today, Aimee mentioned the windows were papered over, and we started sleuthing. The trail finally led to Pizzeria Credo. WSB researcher/editorial assistant Katie Meyer talked this afternoon with proprietor Jacques Nawar, who says his new establishment will serve wood-fired pizza, some other entrees, and appetizers. He says he is extensively remodeling the space, expanding the dining area and adding a full bar in the back. He told Katie he wants to make it a “beautiful” place for West Seattle. If all goes well, he hopes to have Pizzeria Credo open by February.

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From Seattle City Light: Do this before the NEXT power outage

November 13, 2012 4:01 pm

| Comments Off on From Seattle City Light: Do this before the NEXT power outage

| Utilities | West Seattle news

One followup to our coverage of the Sunday morning power outage that at its peak affected 11,000 homes and businesses across the south half of West Seattle: Commenter “Zephyr” described a challenge with the automated outage-reporting phone system. In response, Seattle City Light‘s Scott Thomsen explains how it works and one step you should take NOW in case you have to report an outage, big or small:

It is important for us to know that someone reporting an outage is an actual customer, so the automated system we use when the call center is not staffed tries to identify callers by their telephone number. If you’re calling from a different phone, you can enter the phone number that is associated with your account.

If we don’t have a customer’s current phone numbers, the system will bounce the call. That’s one of the many reasons why its so important for people to make sure their information is current. We keep this information secure. We never share it with any other organization.

Customers can update their contact information online at seattle.gov/light/Accounts/cust_info.asp

Sunday’s outage was blamed on underground equipment failure; we still have an inquiry out for more specifics, including what’s been done in terms of repairs, and will report that information when we get it.

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Followup: Denny, Sealth students among victims in South Park crash

November 13, 2012 1:56 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| South Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Tribute to Lucie Hernandez; photo courtesy Denny International Middle School)
The two teenagers killed in Sunday night’s South Park crash were current and former Denny International Middle School students, confirms principal Jeff Clark, who also identifies one of the survivors as a student at adjacent Chief Sealth International High School. He is publicly sharing this letter sent home to Denny families today:

On Sunday evening there was a car crash in South Park. Tragically, the driver, Mario Luis Martinez Herrera, a former Denny student, was killed; four other teens were transported to Harborview Medical Center. One additional person died from injuries sustained in the accident at Harborview shortly after arriving.

We were deeply saddened to learn that the teen who passed away at Harborview was a Denny eighth-grader, Luciana “Lucie” Hernandez. Lucie’s older sister, Karla, a ninth-grader at Chief Sealth International High School, was also in the accident and is being treated for very serious injuries at Harborview. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to the family and friends of all three students.

Today at school we had a moment of silence, an eighth-grade class meeting, individual and group grief counseling, and a place for interested students to come together at lunchtime. Additionally, students had an opportunity to begin to create a tribute which will be displayed at school and then taken to the service to be given to Lucie’s family.

While we are working to support students at school, you know your child better than anyone. You can help your child simply by talking and listening to her or him. If there is anything in particular we can do to support your child, please contact Assistant Principal, Ms. Rangel, at 252-9006 or pjrangel@seattleschools.org.

As a community, we will be developing plans to support the impacted families. Current ideas will be discussed at our Family PTSA meeting tonight at 7:00 pm in the Denny library.

Police are continuing to investigate the crash, which we covered in more detail on our South Park site, The South Park News.

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Holiday giving: Here’s how you can help the West Seattle Food Bank

November 13, 2012 12:48 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

Earlier today, we shared the holiday-help request sent by the White Center Food Bank, and sent the West Seattle Food Bank an inquiry to see what it needs before Thanksgiving. Together, both serve thousands of families in this area. We’ve now heard back from West Seattle FB executive director Fran Yeatts:

The West Seattle Food Bank will be open to accept donations this Saturday, November 17th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Perishable and non-perishable items will be gratefully accepted during this time. We will also offer tours of the facility and additional information on Food Bank operations for those interested.

Frozen turkeys and desserts like store-bought pies or pie shells and fixings are especially needed.

Non-perishable donations can also be accepted at the Turkey Bowl this Saturday from 5:30 PM– 8:00 PM at the West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave. SW. West Seattle Food Bank will also be open during our regular donation hours this week. During the week of November 19th, we will be open to accept donation Monday the 19th from 9:00 AM – 7 PM, Tuesday, November 20th from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, and Wednesday, November 21st from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Our address: 3419 SW Morgan. When delivering donations, pull into our parking garage off Morgan St. just east of 35th Ave. SW. Contact us at 206-932-9023 for additional information.

For West Seattle residents needing assistance with food over the holidays, the West Seattle Food Bank will be distributing Thanksgiving food during the following hours:
Monday, November 19th 9:15 AM – 11:00 AM for seniors only.
Monday, November 19th 4:00 PM – 7 PM for the general public.
Tuesday, November 20th 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM for the general public.

We will be closed on November 22nd and 23rd for the Thanksgiving holidays. Thank you.

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Holiday giving time: How you can help the White Center Food Bank

November 13, 2012 11:34 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news | White Center

Nine days till Thanksgiving, and even fewer days till local food banks’ holiday food pickups – so now’s the time to figure out how to help. The White Center Food Bank, which also serves southern West Seattle, is looking for volunteer helpers as well as food and money – plus, note that there is a turkey-dropoff opportunity in West Seattle this weekend, if you can’t get to White Center:

Do you have time next week to pass out food to clients at the White Center Food Bank at .10829 8th Ave SW. We need volunteers on the following shifts:

Monday, November 19 (9:30 to 12:30)
Tuesday, November 20 (9:30-12:30, 12:30-3:30 & 3:30-6:30)
Wednesday, November 21 (12:30-3:30 & 4:00 to 8:00)
If you can help, contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-762-2848. Families and kids welcome.

The Food Bank also needs donations of the following foods or money to buy them.

Turkeys
Canned Pumpkin
Canned Sweet Potatoes or Yams
Pickles
Cake Mixes
Crackers

Donations are accepted Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 to 5:00 at 10829 8th Ave SW [map].

WEST SEATTLE DROPOFF: Turkeys can be dropped off on Sunday, November 18, at Fauntleroy UCC [9140 California SW], starting at 11 am. We will be onsite with our refrigerated van to accept donations.

We are checking with the West Seattle Food Bank regarding their holiday needs, and will publish that when we get the info.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Aircraft noise; crime trends; more…

November 13, 2012 11:05 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Autumn-leaf carpet at 36th/Hanford; photo shared by Myrtle)
Before Tuesday gets much further along – calendar highlights for today/tonight:

SENIOR CENTER ‘SALUTE TO VETS’ LUNCH: Not too late to call to see if there’s still room – 11:45, lunch that’s free to veterans, reasonably priced for others. Info here.

AIRCRAFT NOISE/FLIGHT PATTERN CONCERNS? The rescheduled meeting for Seattle’s southern neighborhoods, with the FAA and Port of Seattle, is at 6:30 tonight at Cleveland High School on Beacon Hill – info and map here.

TUESDAY TUNE-UP, BENEFITING WESTSIDE BABY: Tonight’s “good time for a good cause” is the Tuesday Tune-Up at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), benefiting WestSide Baby. Cocktails, appetizers, live music, 6:30-8:30 pm.

NEW BLOCK WATCH: The California/Myrtle vicinity of southern Morgan Junction/western Gatewood is forming a Block Watch, and if you’re anywhere in that area, you’re invited to the organizational meeting at 7 tonight, lower-level meeting room at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation‘s church, 7141 California SW.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Neighborhood crime trends are part of the agenda tonight at 7 pm, lower-level meeting room at Admiral Congregational Church (California/Hill), everyone welcome.

DEADLINE NEAR FOR ORDERING HOLIDAY TREES, WREATHS: Just a few more days to get in on this:

The Parent Association of Seattle Lutheran High School is offering Christmas trees, wreaths and other holiday greenery for sale, until Saturday, Nov. 17. Preorder a Noble Fir tree of up to 8 feet for just $45, and wreaths are available in 22-, 24-, and 30-inch sizes. A perennial best-seller is the 25-foot garland for $28. Wrap up your decorating by ordering the $100 special, which includes a wreath, garland, tree and centerpiece.

Pickup will be on Friday, Nov. 30, at Hope Lutheran School; delivery in West Seattle is available for $10. See seattlelutheran.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Christmas-Greens-2012.pdf

Music and more for tonight and beyond, on the calendar!

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Reader reports from Alki to Seaview

November 13, 2012 9:28 am

| 17 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

~~Five~~Six reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch – car prowls and vandalism, package and other theft, plus a bicycle sighting – (11:18 am update) and brazen break-in attempts – read on:Read More

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: What’s up for the rest of Tuesday

November 13, 2012 8:28 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(No Bridge camera working right now, so here’s the Viaduct! See other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Apologies for the delayed appearance of the daily traffic/transit tracker – no major trouble so far this morning; we’ll keep watch for the rest of the day. For bus riders, note that today is the scheduled start of more evening changes – additional RapidRide runs, and changed “schedule instructions,” as announced last week – so we’ll be interested to hear how the commute home goes.

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Road work to raingardens @ North Delridge Neighborhood Council

November 13, 2012 2:17 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Delridge | West Seattle news

(UPDATE: The bid just awarded will include Delridge all the way to Roxbury, but not 16th)
Roads, raingardens, greenways, beautification, and elections comprised the topics tackled at Monday night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting – starting with an update on the big paving project in the works for the south half of Delridge Way:

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Video: Soundgarden album party at Feedback Lounge

November 12, 2012 9:03 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Featured at tonight’s Soundgarden “King Animal” album-release party at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), co-presented by Easy Street Records, that’s the tribute band Bleed Together (named after a Soundgarden song). Party’s on right now; no, Soundgarden’s not there – they’re in New York to guest on the Late Show With David Letterman. But you can hear and buy the new album:

And raffle tickets for a guitar autographed by Soundgarden, donated to raise money for the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival:

Still time to get to the Feedback – 6451 California SW. P.S. Soundgarden has two Seattle gigs on its tour schedule – February 7-8 at the Paramount downtown.

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Followup: Design Review doubleheader details, project #1: 4724 California

November 12, 2012 6:39 pm

| 34 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of two detailed reports from the Southwest Design Review Board’s two-project meeting last Thursday night.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

4724 California – the 7-story mixed-use building planned for what used to be the Junction’s Petco store (among other things) – could start construction as soon as April 1st.

That is, if the rest of the planning/permitting process goes as smoothly as the project’s second and final session before the Southwest Design Review Board.

We reported the result shortly after the meeting last Thursday night at the Senior Center of West Seattle. Our report ahead, for those interested, runs through the details of what was shown, discussed, and recommended, from the board and the public:

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Designing the new school on Genesee Hill: GSNC’s early hopes

November 12, 2012 5:27 pm

| 26 COMMENTS

| Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Though the BEX IV school-building levy won’t go to voters till next February, the process of designing its first potential projects is starting now – including the creation of a community/district Design Team for the new school that’s currently described as Schmitz Park Elementary at Genesee Hill. That school will be built on the site where the closed ex-GH Elementary now stands. The Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council is announcing its hopes for the site – looking ahead to a community conversation next week:

GSNC is pleased to announce that Kerrie Schurr, the group’s Communications Chair, has been selected to represent the council on the Seattle School District’s Design Advisory Team for the new Genesee Hill school building (future location of the Schmitz Park program, if the capital levy passes in February). This is a great opportunity for the community to have input into the design considerations, either via the council or directly to the district at the Community Conversation for this project.

The Community Conversation will be held on Monday, November 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Schmitz Park Elementary School. A second Community Conversation will be held during the week of January 21 (details forthcoming).

At the short (1-hr.) GSNC meeting last Thursday evening, those in attendance came up with the initial list below of desired features for the new Genesee Hill school. Additional ideas may be submitted to gsncouncil@gmail.com by 5 p.m. Sunday, November 18.

The GSNC requests, after the jump:Read More

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West Seattle BMX rider going for #1 ranking – at 5 years old!

November 12, 2012 3:52 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(Photo courtesy Gil White)
This Thanksgiving weekend, instead of going over the hills and through the woods to Grandma’s house, a West Seattle five-year-old will be going over the hills … and other challenges … of a Bicycle Motocross (BMX) race course in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And Hudson White won’t “just” be racing – he’ll be going for the #1 plate at the Grand Nationals.

Hudson’s already pretty close, with the #4 plate, according to his dad Gil White, who shared this video of Hudson from the Canadian Grand Nationals last month – Hudson is on the white bike:

We asked Hudson’s dad how his son got involved. Dad says he too was a BMX racer in his childhood days. So that led to a little interest after he himself became a dad:

We happened by the North SeaTac track on a race day in October 2011 and stopped to watch. While watching the other kids race, Hudson said, ‘I can do that,’ and he’s been doing it ever since.

Hudson joined Sonic BMX, a local developmental BMX team under the tutelage of Carmel Schimmel (a West Seattlelite) and Jamie Stenson, and he competed well enough on the National circuit to be currently ranked #4 in the 5 & Under age group. The trip to the Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the granddaddy of all nationals – if you’re in contention for a national plate, you attend. In Hudson’s age proficiency, he anticipates competing against approximately 25 racers. Numerically, Hudson is still in the hunt for the #1 plate since points awarded are worth double.

Hudson is a pretty active kid; between attending school, Mandarin classes, baseball (he played on the West Seattle T-ball Menashe team) and riding his bike, he finds time for his other passion – Legos. He’ll tell you he wants to build things when he grows up. Probably the Lego influence. His favorite activity at school is recess – go figure.

The sport of BMX has been a great life lesson for Hudson – he’s been able to comprehend that some days he may not have it and finish last, or he may have it and finish first – either way, we drive home and follow the same routine – stop for ice cream. As he prepares for the Grand Nationals and a run at the #1 plate – the question is, will he have it? – I guess we’ll have to wait and see. However, you can bet we’ll have ice cream in Tulsa.

Good luck to Hudson! By the way, Gil notes that BMX “is an Olympic sport and a really fun activity for people of all ages – locally, 41-45 years (of age) tends to be some of the more competitive races. The Pacific Northwest has a tradition of really good riders and well-run tracks nearby.”

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