day : 09/06/2013 13 results

That little video clip made mostly on Alki this weekend is part of a local show of support for families caught up in a bureaucratic crisis in Bosnia. We heard about it from Boris Popovic, who describes himself as a longtime Seattle resident previously from Bosnia, and shared the clip. In a nutshell, there’s a Bosnian government impasse over new rules for issuing official ID numbers – JMBG (the acronym you see in the clip) – and babies born in the months since this impasse began can’t get ID documents, which even kept one family from taking their baby out of Bosnia for an urgently needed operation.

This all reached a head with a blockade of the parliament building in Sarajevo – this New York Times story explains it all. So around the world, Bosnian expatriates and others who support them are making videos and photos, like Boris and his friends, usually featuring that acronym JMBG. We asked Boris how people could show support, and he replied: “Pictures of non-Bosnians with the initials would be priceless, as people don’t expect it (“Another American for JMBG” could be the caption they make). They could post them at one of the many FB pages being born as we speak. Here is one I think that has done a very nice job growing and keeping folks together and keeping what they do practical:
https://www.facebook.com/Ja.BiH.JMBG“

Update: AC Seattle women’s soccer wins 1st game @ Delridge

June 9, 2013 9:35 pm

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| Delridge | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

West Seattle’s newest soccer team is playing its first game of the season right now at Delridge Playfield. AC Seattle is part of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), with many of its players visiting from Italy (we put out the call last spring for home-stay families to host them). They’re playing the Spokane Shine tonight, and “shine” was the word for the early-evening sunshine as spectators took their “seats” on the slope over the field:

AC Seattle got off to a lead fast.

They’re doing play-by-play on Twitter, and as we get ready to hit “publish” on this story, AC-Seattle is leading Spokane 4-0. We’ll update when the game’s over; your next chance to see the team play is 7 pm Thursday (June 13) at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), vs. Emerald City FC.

10:08 PM UPDATE: And that was the final score – AC Seattle 4, Spokane Shine 0.

P.S. The goalWA.net website has been covering AC Seattle as they got ready for the season, and published this sweet story Friday about some help from a young West Seattleite.

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Election 2013: City-council-district supporters say they have enough signatures to make November ballot

June 9, 2013 8:42 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Seattle Districts Now, the group backing an initiative to have most Seattle City Councilmembers elected by district, say they have enough signatures to make the ballot. They just issued a media alert saying they’ll be at the City Clerk’s Office on Tuesday with more than 45,000 signatures, 50 percent above the 30,000 required. If that meets the verification test, the proposal would be on the November ballot. As explained on the SDN website, they want seven councilmembers elected by district – West Seattle would be one of those districts (here’s the map) – and two at-large; right now all nine are elected at large. An elect-by-district proposal that went to voters as a city-charter amendment 10 years ago was rejected, 54 percent no, 46 percent yes.

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Congratulations to West Seattle Little League division champs: Orioles take majors, Dodgers win minors

June 9, 2013 5:50 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(Click image for larger view)
Meet the West Seattle Little League‘s champion teams, who received their trophies at the end-of-season barbecue celebration at Bar-S Playfield today: At left, the players and coaches from the Majors Division champion Orioles; at right, players and coaches from the Minors Division champion Dodgers. Thanks to Porter Hammer and Laurie Rasmussen for the photo; they also have shared information about and photos from the two teams’ respective big wins:

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How does SPD’s 911 Call Center work? West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network calls on its leaders

June 9, 2013 3:48 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

We’ve heard it before – yet people appreciate hearing it again:

What happens when you call 911? What can you do to make your call most effective?

The West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network devoted its most recent meeting to the topic – with answers to those questions and many more, as well as other insights.

Special guests from the Seattle Police Department 911 Call Center (WSB file photo at right) were Communications Section Operations Lieutenant Dave Proudfoot, and 911 Center training coordinator Rob Montague.

Lt. Proudfoot acknowledged, “We’re customer-service-oriented but it’s not the same as in the restaurant business.” He said he’s aware that sometimes operators are terse, almost too efficient, and that’s by design:

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West Seattle power outage affecting dozens in The Arroyos

June 9, 2013 2:31 pm

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| Utilities | West Seattle news

2:31 PM: Seattle City Light is still trying to find out what caused a power outage affecting more than three dozen homes along Arroyo Beach Drive right now. The SCL outage map shows 40 “customers” affected; one customer usually equals a home or business, but that’s an all-residential area. While the map estimates restoration time as midnight, keep in mind that until they know what caused it, that’s just a guess and it could be fixed much sooner.

4:57 PM: City Light map says the number of homes affected is down to a dozen.

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Also tonight: Women’s soccer in Delridge with AC Seattle

June 9, 2013 2:02 pm

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| Delridge | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Back in March, we wrote about AC Seattle, a new women’s soccer team including athletes visiting for the summer from Italy. Somehow time got away from us – and their first game is almost here, we are reminded by e-mail that arrived a short time ago. 7:45 tonight, AC Seattle makes its WPSL debut against the Spokane Shine. (Read more about AC Seattle here.) Coached by Antonio Cincotta, AC Seattle invites fans to the game at Delridge Playfield (Delridge/Alaska); the team also plays Thursday night, vs. Emerald City FC at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). P.S. We’re checking on ticket info – prices, etc. – and will add it when we get a reply.

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West Seattle weekend scene: Breakfast with the mayor

June 9, 2013 1:54 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Mayor McGinn breakfasted at West Seattle’s Chelan Café today with a small group of community activists, including Pete Spalding, who shares the photo. Spalding, whose current involvement includes the Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, Delridge Neighborhoods District Council, and citywide Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee, explaining that he and Chas Redmond (in the top photo) initiated the invitation. Redmond’s current involvement includes the City Neighborhood Council and Morgan Community Association. Also at the table were Mat McBride, chair of the DNDC; Dorsol Plants and Michael Taylor-Judd, both currently involved with the North Delridge Neighborhood Council (and both former candidates for City Council), while Plants is with Spalding on the levy Oversight Committee; and Marty Westerman from the Fauntleroy Community Association. (The participants may well be involved with other groups – this is just what we know from our recent community coverage.) Spalding says, “We discussed a wide range of West Seattle issues during the two hours.” Any specific announcements or revelations? we asked him via followup e-mail. “We spent a lot of time talking about peninsula-wide transportation issues, a number of issues around the Department of Neighborhoods, and our desire to see the city spend more time, effort, and money on West Seattle issues.”

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Longtime West Seattleite Gevin Booth producing film ‘The Servant’

June 9, 2013 11:31 am

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(From left: Ian Bell, Gevin Wood, Nathan Williams)
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Ever wonder what a film producer actually does?

Longtime West Seattle resident and filmmaker Gevin Booth would be happy to tell you. He is producing the movie “The Servant” here in Seattle and in Eastern Washington. And his work got under way long before the actual filming begins.

Among other duties, Booth explains, the producer is in charge of “getting the money, putting the pieces together so the director’s creative vision can happen, finding the cast, crew, locations, catering and looking at costume design. I’m creating an environment where the director can focus on the actors, cameras, and scene, and doesn’t have to worry about lunch arriving at noon.”

Booth adds that he and co-producer Ian Bell are “juggling 12 plates constantly, making sure nothing breaks.” All this juggling is for “The Servant,” a feature film written by local filmmaker Nathan Williams, described by Booth as “thought-provoking cinema. It’s interesting, entertaining and contemplative with philosophical implications.” And, he says, with “political, religious, and supernatural themes, but is actually none of those things.”

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In the mood for a campfire? Cook up s’mores @ Hotwire Coffee

June 9, 2013 9:41 am

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| West Seattle news | WS beverages

It’s a cloudy Sunday morning, and though it’s June, summer warmth seems far away. So Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) proprietor Lora Swift has cooked up an idea: Instead of a scone or muffin accompanying your latté, how about … fresh s’mores? Not just a pre-assembled treat that resembles one, but a real, honest-to-goodness, roasted-over-the-campfire s’more. Hotwire is offering you 4 s’mores “for your roasting pleasure, served up with your personal fire pit,” $5.50. Check ’em out and cook ’em up at 4410 California SW (just south of SW Genesee).

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Ten possibilities for your West Seattle Sunday

June 9, 2013 9:07 am

| Comments Off on Ten possibilities for your West Seattle Sunday

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Fauntleroy ferry dock, photographed by Flickr member alextutu1981, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Happy Sunday! Today’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm today and every Sunday in The Junction. (44th and Alaska)

LAST DAY FOR JUNCTION BAKERY AND CAFE: As reported here yesterday, they announced via signboard that they’re closing after today, and would love to say goodbye in person, till 5 pm. (4541 California SW)

TIDEWALKING: Today’s low tide isn’t super-low-low, but low enough for Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists to be out answering questions and otherwise assisting visitors, 11 am-1:30 pm at Constellation and Lincoln Parks.

COLMAN POOL: The saltwater outdoor pool on the shore at Lincoln Park is open for its final pre-season weekend, noon-7 pm – broken up into these sessions. The full 7-day-a-week summer season begins next Saturday.

BENEFIT CAR WASH: Seattle Lutheran High School‘s cheerleaders are raising money by washing cars this afternoon at West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor), starting at noon (35th/Webster)

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Noon-4 pm Thursdays-Sundays, you can stop by the museum to learn about and enjoy West Seattle history. (61st/Stevens)

OPEN HOUSE AT ‘THE TRIPLETS’: Shopping for a new home? Tour three in the same block, at the first open house for the remodeled “Triplets,” as previewed here. (8800 block of 24th SW)

ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: 1-4 pm Saturdays and Sundays, through the end of August, you are welcome to tour this century-old West Seattle treasure. (just north of Beach Drive/Alki SW)

WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: Today’s ingredient is rice – make something with it and bring it to the meeting at Beveridge Place Pub, 3 pm. (6413 California SW)

HANDBELL CONCERT: “Spring Ring” at 4 pm, handbell choirs in concert at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing. (3940 41st SW)

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Everyone’s on camera as West Seattle’s Terminal 5 hosts 1,300 people for first-ever VloggerFair

June 9, 2013 8:21 am

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

This morning, the first-ever VloggerFair – a gathering of v(ideo bl)oggers, not a conference! insisted organizers including Chris Pirillo (above right, with vloggers Judy and Benji) – wraps up at West Seattle’s Terminal 5. Yes, at the port, not at a convention center somewhere. Terminal 5’s that big building you see from the westbound bridge, parallel with Nucor, lined with numbered truck bays. All day Saturday, it was full of camera-wielding vloggers and vlogging fans, instead of freight. If you were there, even just to observe, you probably wound up in somebody’s clip. See for yourself on this overview video (we spotted ourselves way in the background at about 1:30) by Kirsten Collison:

The vlogging world has its own celebrities, and some are in attendance:

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Followup: Remodeled, energy-efficient ‘Triplets’ now on sale

June 9, 2013 12:26 am

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| Environment | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

Six months ago, we reported on a first-of-its-kind plan for remodeling and reselling three vintage West Seattle homes instead of tearing them down. Now, the Westwood Village-vicinity homes dubbed “The Triplets” are done and listed for sale, with their first public open house today (Sunday). We stopped by for a sneak preview Saturday. Here are two of them:

All three are in the 8800 block of 24th SW – from north to south along the east side of the block, Clara, Zelda, and Louise, as named by Green Canopy Homes, which “re-envisioned” them with financing from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission‘s Sustainable Energy Trust Lending Program. It’s all about energy efficiency – but “The Triplets” have been updated in far more than that aspect, from the entries…

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