West Seattle, Washington
15 Sunday
Reminder that the West Seattle Water Taxi starts its spring/summer/fall schedule tomorrow, which means not only 7-day-a-week operation, but also the return of midday runs, since the winter schedule only handles the morning and afternoon commutes. You can see the new schedule here. But don’t expect to see the newly acquired vessel Spirit of Kingston tomorrow; county reps told WSB earlier this week that crew members are training and other work is under way before they put it into service to replace Rachel Marie (shown above in a WSB file photo).
More than 70 sales are now on the list for the ninth annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, just under five weeks away, Saturday, May 11th. Thanks to everyone who’s registered so far to help make sure it’s a big, fun day of selling and shopping, finding new treasures and meeting neighbors you never knew you had – sales all over the peninsula, usually more than 200, from Admiral to The Arroyos, Pigeon Point to Highland Park, and sometimes beyond! If you have signed up, please be sure you have a receipt from PayPal as well as the confirmation from us – our records so far show a few people have made it through the first part of the process but not the rest of the way – e-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com if you’re not sure. Ready to sign up? Here’s the link!
If you want to participate but don’t have room for a sale or just don’t have that much stuff, the two traditional group sites (both WSB sponsors) are doing it again. The courtyard/parking lot area between Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW) and Ginomai art center is open for registration, reports Hotwire’s Lora Swift – e-mail her at info@hotwirecoffee.com to reserve a free space! Lora will then follow up as the date gets closer with a PDF map of the courtyard/lot showing where you’ll be. Meantime, C & P Coffee Company also is participating again – we don’t have details of their signup process yet, but we’d suggest inquiring at the shop. Whether you’ll be selling or shopping (or both), watch for updates on the official website and the official Facebook page., as well as here on WSB.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
With the Jumbo Fairpartner finally docking on Saturday – four days after its much-watched arrival in Elliott Bay – its cargo, the Highway 99 tunnel machine dubbed “Bertha,” is now coming ashore in its 41 pieces. Today, the most recognizable one – its “face,” aka cutterhead – was offloaded. WSDOT invited media onto the site for a quick look, and WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there.
The media opportunity ended before the machine’s 886-ton cutterhead was moved off the dock – but there were interesting views of the launch pit too, ahead:
Silent auctions are a bit like shopping at sales – though you’re never sure if you’re going to have the winning bid – with a bonus payoff: You know your money’s going to do good work. In the case of “Catsino,” under way at Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction until 6 pm, it’s going to help those who can’t speak or fight for themselves – animals. There are so many circumstances in which the organizations behind the event – presented by Furry Faces Foundation – step in. If furry friends like Nora could say thanks, we’re sure they would:
In addition to the beneficiaries, Catsino also involves local businesses and groups who are sponsoring – and staffing! – the just-for-fun game tables, like Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), whose Anne Higuera is at right in our next photo:
Ventana’s offering a “Carpenter for a Day” item in the silent auction, we noticed, so go bid! The fun’s not even half over. The pub’s at 6413 California SW.
Though their playing season is still a ways off, Chief Sealth International High School‘s football team is keeping busy. They’re joining in Seattle’s Walk MS next weekend and asking you to support the cause on their behalf. Here’s the message Sealth head football coach Luther Carr asked us to share:
A few days left: Chief Sealth Football is participating in WALK MS this year April 14, 2013. Please donate to MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society on behalf of CSI FB Seahawks (Chief Sealth International Football).
This annual walk is a community service event organized throughout the country to increase awareness and fundraise for the research of Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). This condition affects millions worldwide. Some of the symptoms of those with this condition experience periods of numbness, loss of sensitivity, muscle spasms, loss of speech, fatigue, and blindness. Episodes can occur without warning and without any inciting factors lasting days, weeks or months. I personally decided to get involved because a friend lost his sight in one eye as a result of MS. Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for many people with Multiple Sclerosis. To learn more about MS go to nationalmssociety.org. To learn more about WALK MS Seattle 2013, go (here).
Walk MS 2013 is a great opportunity for Chief Sealth High School football players. They are fundraising for a worldwide condition that affects millions, and has no cure. They are also learning the act of service! As an added benefit, each player will also earn community service credit hours needed to graduate from Seattle Public Schools.
No donation is too small or too large, says Coach Carr – you can donate through the CSI team page by going here.
10:56 AM: California Way is blocked by a downed tree. We are here checking it out. Police are on scene turning traffic back. SDOT is here cutting up the tree.
11:26 AM: Please comment or otherwise let us know if you go through the area and it’s clear – there are no official updates on things like this and we won’t be going back to check for a while. Thanks!
3:10 PM: Commenters say it’s still closed and might not open for hours to come.
7:51 PM: Thanks to everyone who has reported the road has reopened.
10:25 AM: Rain or shine, the games must go on! Thanks to Tim McMonigle for the reminder that today is the start of West Seattle Soccer Club‘s spring Champions League – and it’s a record-setting season even at the start, with more than 1,400 players and 260+ coaches participating. As Tim explains, the league is so named because the U6-U13 players are organized into “teams representing the current participants in the UEFA Champions League over in Europe.” It’s an eight-game season of Sunday afternoon matches, through June 9th (no games on Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekends).
3:42 PM: Added photos after stopping by High Point’s Walt Hundley Playfield – one of many fields where play kicked off today.
(Black-capped chickadee with big-leaf-maple bud, by Trileigh Tucker)
Another drizzly day – but no need to stay home for the entirety of it! (Although, if you are heading south, remember the I-5 lane closures when you head back this way.) From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
MASTER GARDENERS AT WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: You know it’s growing season when the Master Gardeners return to the Farmers’ Market to answer your questions! 10 am-1:45 pm most Sundays till fall – details here. (44th/Alaska)
BACKYARD COTTAGE OPEN HOUSE: Not in WS, but not too far – West Seattle’s Ncompass Cottage Company (WSB sponsor) is showing off its newest project in Seward Park, and that’s potentially of interest to anyone looking at building a backyard cottage. 1-4 pm open house. (6335 Wilson Avenue S.)
BENEFIT WOMEN’S SELF-DEFENSE CLASS: 1:30 pm at Seattle Integrated Martial Arts – details here. (4159 Fauntleroy Way SW)
CATSINO: A silent auction and just-for-fun casino-style games are the hallmarks of this annual fun(draiser) for animal advocacy organizations – 2-6 pm at Beveridge Place Pub; details here. (6451 California SW)
MUSIC AT C & P COFFEE: Singer-songwriter Alan Ehrlich performs 3-5 pm – details here. (5612 California SW)
CANCER’S A DRAG: 5-7 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), Booze, Balls & Bingo presents a drag-bingo benefit for cancer-fighting Team Tracy – details here. (6413 California SW)
8:53 AM: We missed it, but at least a few people in West Seattle didn’t, judging by the morning inbox: There was a 3.5 earthquake in the South Sound (centered west of Key Center) just before 2 am. Here’s its infopage. Not major by any measure, but also, on the stronger side of “small” earthquakes. No reports of damage (that we can find). Those who e-mailed us about feeling it here described it as a short, sharp shake.
3:06 PM: As the day goes on, people are talking about preparedness, since a quake is always a jolting reminder – here’s a great place to start: westseattlebeprepared.org.
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