West Seattle, Washington
26 Saturday
Voting is open today in the latest online contest for school grants – and there’s a West Seattle entry in this one. K-5 STEM at Boren – aka West Seattle STEM Elementary – is in the running for a $50,000 prize in the “Power a Bright Future” contest. WS STEM is partnering with Arbor Heights Elementary and Schmitz Park Elementary in hopes of getting the money for projects such as a tablet-computer lending library. Voting will continue till December 19th, and you can vote by text and online once (each way) per day – as explained on the STEM PTA website. You can vote online (but note, you will have to register) by going here; easiest way to vote is via text message – just text 2646pbf to 95248.
(2010 WSB photo: Busy in the kitchen before the Fauntleroy Thanksgiving feast)
If you’ve been wondering – yes, The Hall at Fauntleroy is opening the doors again this year for its free Thanksgiving dinner. We just received the official announcement:
Join us for a free Community Thanksgiving meal at the Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22th from 12 noon to 3:00 PM. All are welcome for a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings prepared by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering Executive Chef Michael Chase.
This is the 14th year that Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes owners Meg and David Haggerty and David Meckstroth have hosted this wonderful dinner. They are joined by a wonderful group of volunteers who help greet our welcome guests and serve dinner.
We will gladly accept donations for desserts. They can be dropped off at the Hall the day before Thanksgiving between 10 and 4 or on Thanksgiving Day after 10 am.
We are located at 9131 California Ave SW in the Fauntleroy Community Schoolhouse, across the street from the Fauntleroy YMCA. Call us at 206-932-1059 if you have any questions.
Lots of traditions are returning to West Seattle this holiday season – and this year, there’s a chance for at least one new tradition too – “Santa’s First Magical Ride,” a new locally written/produced holiday musical that will premiere at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Here’s the announcement, now that tickets are available:
“Santa’s First Magical Ride: The Musical” is a new tale about why Santa took that first magical ride and his life with the North Pole Elves.
It features original music, songs and lively dance numbers, and was written by Ricky Gene Powell and Paul S. Carr III. The new musical is being performed at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in Seattle the three weekends just before Christmas.
The musical is based on the book, “Santa’s First Magical Ride,” written by Paul S. Carr III and first published in December 2011. The book, written entirely in rhyme, tells the story of Santa’s birth and adoption by the North Pole Elves, his magical upbringing, and the story of his first magical sleigh ride. Ricky Gene Powell and Paul S. Carr III are both professional singers and musicians who combined Paul’s story with Ricky’s expertise as a playwright and director to create a charming new musical story with original bluegrass, celtic, and folk music that will make you want to dance along with the Elves. Bring cameras, since children can visit with Santa afterward and parents can take a free picture.
Tickets are $15 and are available through Brown Paper Tickets by calling 1-800-838-3006 or at brownpapertickets.com. Interview arrangements and other information is available at www.yulestory.com, or by contacting Libby Carr, Executive Producer, at libby@yulestory.com; 206-938-8721.
‘Santa’s First Magical Ride’ has a Facebook page if you’d like to follow the progress toward the premiere.
With Veterans Day officially observed today, here are the major holiday-related changes/notes:
*Transit changes: Metro “reduced weekday service”; no Water Taxi
*Schools are closed
*Banks are closed
*Most government facilities are closed – with one notable exception:
*Seattle Public Library branches are OPEN (they observed the holiday yesterday)
*Free on-street-parking day for city neighborhoods with pay stations/meters
*Trash/recycling/yard-waste service is normal if you have Monday pickup
*No USPS delivery; post offices closed
FREEBIES FOR VETERANS TODAY: Writer David Nelson e-mailed to let us know that West Seattle businesses are included in his roundup of places offering something free for veterans, today only. See the full regional list here. We also heard directly from Celtic Swell (61st and Alki), which is offering free appetizers today for veterans AND active-duty military. And WSB sponsor C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW) is offering free coffee for veterans today.
Other calendar highlights for today:
WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: The theme this time is vegan – so bring a vegan dish to Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) at 3 pm.
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Monthly meeting tonight at 6:30 pm, Delridge Library (Delridge/Brandon). Here’s the agenda.
RELAY FOR LIFE 2013 VOLUNTEER MEETING: Get involved now, to help out with the cancer-fighting overnight event next June. Volunteers and potential volunteers meet at 6:45 tonight, Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor; 2326 California SW).
SOUNDGARDEN ALBUM RELEASE PARTY: Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) and Easy Street Records co-sponsor the big event tonight at The Feedback (6451 California SW). Starts at 7 pm and includes not only the chance to hear and buy “King Animal,” but also live music by Soundgarden tribute band Bleed Together, Soundgarden videos on the big screen, and the raffle of the Hi-Yu-benefiting autographed guitar (see this WSB story) – you can still buy $5 raffle tickets at tonight’s event before the drawing.
More on our calendar!
Cindy Craig was on a ferry from Southworth to Fauntleroy on Sunday when she met the three veterans shown in her photo, which was taken as they walked off the boat at Vashon, carrying flags. She explains:
They were invited by the Vashon Island VFW to come for dinner in honor of Veterans Day. They started walking (Sunday) morning from the base at Bremerton and will be walking from Vashon to Joint Base Lewis/McChord (today, Monday). They are all veterans (one young man removed his sunglasses to speak with us and he is missing his right eye from a combat injury) and their goal is to raise awareness of and support for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among veterans and others affected by major trauma.
Cindy didn’t get their names, but we found a Vashon Beachcomber story about their visit online. Chess Johnson, Andy Britt, and Will Carroll are the trio. Johnson’s story was told in a documentary called “Exit Wound” – you’ll see and hear from him in this trailer:
Cindy last saw them as they continued walking onto Vashon.
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She said the men hoped to spend time today talking to people they meet while walking south on Vashon, where another ferry will take them across to Tacoma.
(WSB photo from last Wednesday)
After the five days of intensive volunteer work that built the Roxhill Castle play area, volunteer organizer Mat McBride mentioned that a work party would be scheduled for finishing touches. Tonight we just got word of the date – Denise Nelsen writes they are looking for “anyone wanting to help out with the final steps,” particularly “experienced craftspeople and volunteers,” this Tuesday (November 13th), 10 am till dark. “Just show up in warm clothing….they have tools, and gear. It is a great opportunity to help the community and do something different. The kids will love it for years and years!” Scroll through this archive to see previous WSB coverage, including the announcement that the grand opening is expected to be on December 22nd.
10:17 PM: If you’re in eastern West Seattle, you might have noticed the big emergency response headed toward South Park earlier tonight. A car carrying five people crashed into a pole there, killing the driver, sending the survivors to the hospital, and closing a stretch of 8th Avenue South for an investigation likely to take a few more hours. The full story’s on our partner site The South Park News.
10:49 PM UPDATE: SPD has tweeted that one of the survivors died at the hospital.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE, 7:46 AM: Everyone in the car was a teenager, according to an update on SPD Blotter this morning which says the driver was a 16-year-old boy; the passenger who died at the hospital is described as a girl, no age listed.
Even dessert had a patriotic theme tonight in The Triangle at American Legion Post 160‘s free spaghetti dinner for veterans. We stopped in to see how it was going (answer: nicely!), and talked with Post and Auxiliary leaders:
From left – Post 160 Chaplain Mike Daversa, Vice Commander Joe Connery, Auxiliary Unit 160 President Shannon Connery, and Commander Kyle Geraghty. Joe is a U.S. Army veteran, two deployments to Afghanistan; Kyle, a U.S. Marines veteran, including a deployment to Iraq. Both served in the military 2001-2007. (Post-photo, Mike had to step away, so we didn’t get to ask about his service.) The Post also had a donation drive for deployed soldiers; if you missed the chance to donate, you can e-mail ALAUnit160@gmail.com to find out how you can still help.
P.S. Post 160 is now on Facebook (here), as is Auxiliary Unit 160 (here).
Since the Veterans Day observance doesn’t mean a day off for everyone, here’s a reminder about tomorrow’s transit schedules:
*Metro – “Reduced weekday” schedule (explained here, route by route)
*Water Taxi – Not running
*Sound Transit – Buses are on a regular weekday schedule
*Washington State Ferries – No schedule change, but note the capacity reduction
(WSB photo: Stephanie Halcomb and Patricia Tempinski @ Kiwanis booth today)
Today and for the next two Sundays, while you’re buying fresh food at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, you can buy something else that represents both a good deed and a good breakfast: The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is boothing at the WSFM, selling tickets to their 66th annual Community Pancake Breakfast on December 1st (at the Masonic Hall, 40th/Edmunds). Only $6 adults, $3 kids – including a free photo with Santa! – and if you just can’t get to the Farmers’ Market, you can buy your tickets online at kiwaniswestseattle.org. Or call 206-938-8032. The adult price is a discount from what you’ll pay that morning at the door ($7). For the story behind the pancake breakfast – including what you get besides pancakes! – read on:Read More
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?”:
*A Highland Park family’s car has been damaged for the second time recently. Previously someone cut the brake lines; this time, someone entered the fenced yard, disconnected the rear brake line, punched a hole in the oil filter, and poured oil into the gas tank. A member of the family is on kidney dialysis and needs the car for regular transportation to treatment.
*Thursday evening, in the 5200 block of 37th SW, a couple left their home to walk the dog. Twenty minutes later they returned to discover that someone had stolen computers, assorted electrical items and a wallet from inside.
Ahead, more details on an early-morning break-in earlier this week, plus five other summaries:Read More
Thanks to Mark and Jeanne for sending the photo and raising the flag about a sinkhole on Pigeon Point. They explain:
On the 3800 block of 19th Ave SW, there has been an existing crack/depression in the street for some time. It worsened recently, and yesterday it broke through to expose a void between the street and the ground. A truck traveling down the street sustained damage to tire and axle and required a tow. Seattle Police and SDOT responded late yesterday and put up barriers. I spoke with the SDOT responder and was told SDOT would return to fully diagnose and address the issue.
Note (that) 19th Ave SW has been used starting this school year by school buses traveling to and from Pathfinder K-8 … school buses will have a very difficult time turning around on the corner of 19th Ave SW and SW Charlestown.
Here’s a Google Map aerial grab they also shared to show where this is (19th just south of Charlestown – top of the image is north, bottom is south):
The concern might be moot if the sinkhole is fixed by Tuesday morning (no school tomorrow because of Veterans Day), but they fear that’s unlikely, so they’re sounding the alarm. Sometimes – as was the case in Admiral last year – these problems run a lot deeper than you’d think.
Today is the traditional Veterans Day, though many observations await the federal holiday tomorrow. THANK YOU to everyone who has served, and to all the loved ones who support/ed them. Here’s one big event today – donation drive at the American Legion Hall (37th and Alaska), and free spaghetti dinner for veterans:
As for the rest of the day/night: Forecast says rain will return later today. Here’s what’s up:
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY CLOSURE: One exception to “holiday observed tomorrow” – SPL branches are all closed today.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Year-round! 10 am-2 pm today and every Sunday, 44th and Alaska; the newest Ripe ‘n’ Ready list is here.
BUY KIWANIS PANCAKE BREAKFAST TICKETS: At the Farmers’ Market today, you can visit the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle booth and buy tickets to the club’s 66th annual Pancake Breakfast, coming up on December 1st, just three weeks away.
GO FOR A RIDE WITH WEST SEATTLE SPOKESPEOPLE: 2-(or 3-)wheeled shopping trip! Details on our calendar page; meet up at Alki Bike and Board (proprietor Stu Hennessey is leading the ride) at 11 am, 2606 California SW in The Admiral District.
(rained out) GO THROW! West Seattle Ultimate Family Frisbee is now at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point for the winter (34th/Myrtle). 11 am.
BOARD-GAMING EVENT: At Uptown Espresso in The Junction (California/Edmunds/Erskine), 1 pm. Details in the calendar listing.
‘I CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING’: 2 pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church, a production of Arthur Miller‘s play about getting older.
MOONBOTS PRESENTATION AT MUSEUM OF FLIGHT: As featured here on WSB yesterday, two West Seattle 9-year-olds are in the second round of the MoonBots competition – and presenting their robot at the Museum of Flight today, for a live webcast that’ll be part of the judging. Go cheer them on! 2 pm.
DUBSEA BIKES: Need repairs? The community repair event happens 2-4 pm today at White Center Food Bank, 8th and 108th.
STEFANIE ROBBINS & THE STRAIGHT SHOOTERS, AND CYNTHIA MARIE, AT C&P: Live music 3-5 pm today at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW).
SUNDAY RIBS AT THE FEEDBACK: 5 pm “till they’re gone,” Sunday ribs are back for fall at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 6451 California SW.
More music and other Sunday options are on our calendar!
(Screengrab from City Light outage map when outage was at its peak, 5:50-ish am)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:37 AM: Power’s out at WSB HQ in Upper Fauntleroy and elsewhere in Gatewood and near Lincoln Park, per texts we’ve gotten. Investigating further.
4:44 AM: Not on City Light’s outage map, which only means they haven’t had time to post it yet. We’re getting messages from High Point, too, as well as north Morgan Junction, but WSB’ers in Admiral and Alki say they’re still powered.
4:50 AM: City Light map is updated now. 3265 “customers,” which means homes/businesses.
5:04 AM: The City Light map shows this outage isn’t one contiguous area, and that’s what our spotter crew is finding. Heading north, it’s on in part of Gatewood. On at California/Fauntleroy. But we’ve had reports further north of there.
5:18 AM: City Light has now issued an official news release but does not have an estimated restoration time. Meantime, our crew on the road says the outage zone seems to be shifting – he went past one area in the High Point vicinity that was OK a few minutes ago and now is out.
5:31 AM: Some just got power back – the lights on 35th through Gatewood/High Point are back on but in “flashing” mode.
6 AM: The City Light map just dramatically increased the number of homes/businesses affected to almost 11,000.
6:07 AM: Just got our power back (California/Thistle vicinity). Who’s still out?
6:20 AM: City Light spokesperson Mark Van Oss tells WSB that “underground equipment” caused this. If anybody IS still out, it might be as late as 11 am before it’s back.
6:43 AM: City Light map now shows 1,700+ homes/businesses still out.
7:15 AM: Down to about 700, and City Light says everyone should be back on within a half-hour or so.
8:38 AM: And they are – at least according to the map. P.S. Though the official news releases earlier capped the outage at the original 3,200+ number, SCL’s Van Oss confirms it was indeed up to almost 11,000 for a while: “In attempting to reroute power to restore a portion of customers with another feeder (major power line), that second feeder relayed out. So, a second block of customers was out for about 20 minutes. This would have included Westwood. Your numbers are correct.”
8:53 AM: That’s reflected in the final news release, which specifies a failed underground cable as the cause:Read More
West Seattle filmmaker Amy Benson is finishing a documentary focusing on an epidemic affecting girls and women half a world away – and inviting you to two rough-cut screenings here at home. The clip above is a trailer for her film, “The Girl Who Knew Too Much,” which began as the story of a teenage girl in Nepal poised to break free of a generations-old cycle of poverty, with a chance at a real education, and then took a different turn when the film’s subject fell victim to the suicide epidemic affecting childbearing-age women in her country. Benson’s screenings are both at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – one week from today (November 18th) at 5 pm and on November 29th at 6 pm. Admission is free. Benson will engage in Q/A after next weekend’s screening, and there’s a panel discussion afterward on 11/29 (scheduled panelists are listed in the news release). Benson says, “This is a film about the big forces of globalization, and how they play out in the lives of the most vulnerable people … I am making this film because I think it can inform how we in the West try to help fight poverty in the developing world.”
(November 2nd photo by Scott Painter)
That photo was taken at Camp Long about 400 feet north of the lodge, by the photographer’s estimate. But as you’ll see in this roundup of recent reports received from WSB readers, they don’t by any means limit themselves to parks and greenbelts. The photographs we receive tend to show them in those settings, but here’s one spotted on a neighborhood sidewalk:
Katina, who shared that photo, explained:
My family and I encountered this coyote at the intersection of Walnut Ave SW and SW Hinds (October 28th) at 10:30 am. It was clearly injured about the neck area. It was originally sitting in the middle to the street, but began to run as our car approached. It then slowed down and just stared at us before taking off down 40th Ave SW.
Seven more recent reports are ahead, starting with a pet owner who saw two coyotes make off with her cat:Read More
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
A two-hour open house at Fire Station 11 (16th/Holden in Highland Park) had two purposes today: Welcome the neighbors, and share information about upcoming upgrades. The neighbors most delighted to be there, as usual, were the youngest ones, who got an up-close look at Engine 11.
(Battalion Chief Mike Walsh with an open-house visitor)
Here’s how the city describes the upgrades:
Station 11 requires additional seismic bracing to meet current codes. The other improvements include a modest remodel to provide capacity for apparatus bay support functions, including decontamination, crew preparation, and vehicle maintenance areas. In addition, the station office and lobby will be remodeled for greater operational efficiency and security.
It’s in the “schematic design” phase right now, and according to the newest SFD update on projects funded by the Fire Levy, construction should start about this time next year. Upgrades also are in the works for West Seattle’s Fire Station 36, where Delridge meets the bridge, and that work will likely start next summer.
Next Thursday, if you can spare a few midday hours, you’re invited to a party of sorts – a work party and birthday commemoration in honor of West Seattle’s highest-ranking elected official. Monica Thomas from the WS-headquartered Nature Consortium explains:
Nature Consortium will once again celebrate (County Executive) Dow Constantine’s birthday by restoring his favorite park. Join us on Thursday, November 15, 10 am-2 pm, at College Street Ravine in West Seattle for a Nature Consortium-style birthday party complete with live music by Dan Pearson.
Dow Constantine is a West Seattle local who got involved in politics through his environmental work with the Friends of the College Street Ravine many years ago. Before becoming King County Executive, Dow worked with his local community to save the 5 acre green space from threats of development. It’s a story that we at Nature Consortium can relate to. (Check out the full story here.)
So to celebrate Dow’s environmental leadership, we’re throwing a party NatureC-style. There will be music, the outdoors, great community, and maybe a few party hats. Rather than giving gifts, we’re giving back. Sometimes that’s the best gift of all.
When Dow took office as County Exec, he asked Nature Consortium to continue the work he started at College Street Ravine. We’re calling on the West Seattle community, especially our neighbors in North Admiral and Alki, to help us fulfill his wish. With enough volunteers, we can clear invasive plants that have encroached on the park and start replanting the next generation of trees and shrubs.
Since 2010, we’ve been celebrating Dow’s birthday, and sometimes half-birthday, this way – with music and community service. In addition to Dow’s birthday, join us at College Street Ravine on the first Tuesday of every month. To sign up to volunteer, visit www.naturec.org.
Want to have your birthday party with Nature Consortium? We’ll provide the eco-volunteering fun and live music, you bring the cake. Contact Lili@NatureC.org to learn more.
Here’s our coverage of last year’s November 15th party.
Big weekend at the Museum of Flight, and not just because of the Space Shuttle Trainer grand opening today. We just heard from Beverly Harding Buehler, who shares the video above, and this news:
My son, Asa Buehler, and his friend Kyle Jensen, two 9-year-old West Seattle kids, have been working for the past six months on an international robotics competition called “MoonBots.” The competition is about future robotic missions to the moon. The boys submitted a proposal, including the video (above), to MoonBots in June. About 300 teams submitted proposals from all around the world. Thirty teams made the first cut, including Kyle and Asa’s team, The Penguin Men.
The boys received a Lego Mindstorms robotic kit from which they have designed a robot that can carry out several missions on a lunar landscape that they also designed and built (with a little parental help). Matt Jensen, Kyle’s dad, has been an amazing teacher and coach for the boys. The Penguin Men will be doing a public presentation of their MoonBot at the Museum of Flight (tomorrow), Sunday, November 11, at 2 pm. The presentation will also be webcast live at the following website:
ustream.tv/channel/the-penguin-men
If you have a chance, tune in or come by to cheer Asa and Kyle on.
We just watched Asa and Kyle’s video – take four minutes and check it out! It’s history, humor, and more. They also have been updating a blog-format website about their project; tomorrow’s presentation is part of the judging. Congratulations to them and good luck in the next round of MoonBots!
You still have till 3 pm to get to one of the first holiday open houses of the season – the always-popular event at West Seattle Nursery (California and Brandon). Though it’s a spectacularly sunny day, the biggest draw, during our stop, was the wide array of holiday decor inside:
Along with free espresso and snacks, WSN also has had a slate of presentations – including cider-making with Matt Pope from CityFruit.
Once again this year, Eastridge Church – 39th and Oregon, across from West Seattle Bowl – is giving away turkeys and groceries. Lori from Eastridge sent the announcement; it’s happening at 9 am next Saturday (November 17th):
It is our 10th year of giving away 500 turkeys and bags of groceries (potatoes, vegetables, gravy packet & stuffing) to families that are in need for Thanksgiving, for FREE. We don’t ask that they show us anything or fill out anything; they just need to come.
Thanks to Wendy Hughes-Jelen for the photo from Adams Hall at West Seattle’s Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), where she is there as part of an apple-pie-making marathon: “184 apple pies for Thanksgiving dinner at Union Gospel Mission, and about 400 more for supporters of the premier handbell ringing group Bells of the Sound, whose holiday Christmas concerts start in December.”
Know any first-through-eighth-grade boys and/or girls who are interested in basketball? One week from today, they are invited to a pre-season Skills and Drills Clinic presented by the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team – here’s the announcement:
Now is the time to get a tune-up on your HOOP skills before the upcoming basketball season!! Drop your kids off for THREE HOURS of HOOPS and have them bring a friend!
Special guests: WSHS Head Coach Donald Watts, and SEATTLE SONICS LEGEND “SLICK” WATTS
Who: Boys and Girls, Grades 1st-8th
When: Saturday, November 17th, 2 pm-5 pm
Where: West Seattle High School Gymnasium: 3000 California Ave SW
Cost: $45 – register at: wsbasketballboosters.comPlease contact our WSHS Basketball Booster President Pierre Newsome at 206-227-5386, e-mail jpnewsome@comcast.net, for any questions!
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