New Year’s giving: Wednesday food drive, Thursday benefit drink @ Hotwire Online Coffeehouse in The Junction
So much giving spirit in the weeks leading up to Christmas – businesses, schools, organizations, individuals – but it doesn’t stop there. We’re spotlighting New Year’s giving this week too. Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) has a two-part plan: Food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank on Wednesday, benefit drink raising money for WestSide Baby on Thursday:
Hotwire is at 4410 California SW.
P.S. If your business/organization/etc. has some sort of New Year’s giving going on too, and the community can participate, let us know so we can help get the word out! One other drive we know is still going on is this one – warm clothes for West Seattle Helpline, being collected through Wednesday at Dave Newman‘s State Farm Insurance office (WSB sponsor), 3435 California SW, regular hours 9 am-5 pm weekdays.
Where do the orcas go when they’re not here? One just got tagged
The orcas seen off West Seattle on Saturday weren’t the “transients” who spent so much time recently in the South Sound. Instead, expert whale-watchers identified them as members of J Pod, one of the three groups of endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. Federal researchers hoping to help save the SRKW from extinction are trying to find out more about where J-Pod orcas, in particular, goes when they are not here at “home,” so once again this year, they have tagged a member of the pod. According to this report on the Northwest Fisheries Science Center website, researchers tagged J27 yesterday, while J Pod was northbound through north Puget Sound. What little they know from previous tries suggests that, more than the other two SRKW pods, this one stays closer to home. Finding out more, they say, can help them identify “critical habitat” among other things. They promise to update the page from which we got the map you see above – follow it here.
Before you celebrate – a good deed! Help needed, New Year’s Eve
Get the last day of the year started off right:
Volunteers able to lift between 20 and 50 pounds are needed at 9:00 am Wednesday, December 31 to help the White Center Food Bank do inventory. The inventory will take place at 10829 8th Ave SW. Volunteers should dress for a warehouse and wear closed-toe shoes. Available? Contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-762-2848.
Followup: Crash-damaged footbridge to be closed for weeks
The SW Yancy footbridge over Longfellow Creek in North Delridge is expected to remain closed for weeks. That’s the latest from Seattle Parks, ten days after an allegedly drunk driver crashed through the bridge’s wooden railing and into the creek. As we reported the night of the crash, neither the driver nor his passenger were seriously hurt. But the bridge was left with major damage. Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad tells WSB that there’s no firm date for repairs yet, but it’ll likely be a matter of weeks – well into January. “Until then we will keep an eye on this to make sure the barricades stay up, and would appreciate the cooperation from the public to stay off the bridge.” Meantime, we’re trying to find out the status of the case against the 40-year-old man arrested at the scene.
ADDED 3:24 PM: We’ve finally obtained the aforementioned information. According to Seattle Municipal Court online records, 40-year-old Rossindo Ramos of Highland Park is charged with DUI and reckless endangerment, and also was cited for a license violation and driving without insurance. He is not shown as having been jailed after this incident, but he is out on bail with stipulations including electronic home monitoring. He did spend four days in jail less than three weeks earlier, after an incident that resulted in a charge of property destruction, related to alleged domestic violence.
West Seattle Monday: Coastline ‘soft opening’ tonight; ‘Get Fit, West Seattle’ info night; more
(Photo by Lynn Hall)
Clear weather is forecast all the way to New Year’s Day, and the Olympic Mountains are making an all-out appearance for the first time in a while. Along with gawking at our gorgeous surroundings, here are a few other options for the day/night ahead:
DROP-IN FAMILY GAMES: Week 2 of winter break. Home with the kid(s)? Looking for something new to do? 2:30-4 pm, you’re welcome to play games at the Southwest Branch Library, as explained here. (35th/Henderson)
COASTLINE ‘SOFT OPENING’: As noted in our most-recent update, the new burger joint in The Junction was hoping to be open by month’s end. Looks like it will achieve that goal – tonight’s the night, according to this announcement we received:
We are very excited to announce the official opening of Coastline! Coastline will serve organic, grass-fed burgers on buns that are freshly baked in our house oven. Come enjoy real food made entirely from scratch with the freshest ingredients, and pair it with a delicious locally brewed draft beer. We would like to extend an invite to our community to join family and friends for our “soft opening” practice run on Monday, December 29 at 5 pm. (Some menu items may be limited.) We will open again at 5 pm on the 30th and 31st, and celebrate our Grand Opening at 11 am on January 1st with full menu availability.
Coastline is in the ex-Shoofly space (4444 California SW).
‘GET FIT, WEST SEATTLE’ INFO NIGHT: As previewed here on Sunday, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) is presenting another edition of its free “couch-to-half-marathon” training program, and tonight’s the night for anyone and everyone potentially interested to come find out more. 6:30 pm. (3727 California SW)
WORKOUT FOR YOUR MIND: Trivia/pub quiz night at three local venues – all listed on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.
West Seattle music: Alki artist’s New Year-season video
On Christmas Eve last year, we featured a locally shot music video by Simone Bruyere Fraser, a former professional ballet dancer whose “Nutskracker” rap was about getting some respect for those who practice that art. This holiday season, she’s back with the spoken-and-sung video above, also shot in West Seattle, “Lost at Sea,” with a theme she says is intended for the New Year’s season. She explains:
It is the new year, a time of renewal, a time of rebirth, and with that there is sometimes a letting go of the old and a bringing in of the new, or in a more metaphorical version, losing the old self and a bringing-in of the new self, and that’s what this piece is about for us.
“Lost at Sea” was shot here locally off West Seattle (in Puget Sound), and as an Alki resident I have wanted to try to capitalize on our gorgeous natural surroundings and create art with it since I moved here two years ago. I am the writer and spoken-word artist on the piece, Esy Casey was our director/dp, the original music was done by Carl Clark, and it features singing vocals by Melanie Granger. It was recorded and mixed locally at Jack Straw Productions. This is the same team that worked on our first local piece “Nutskracker,” which was released last Christmas and shot at Salty’s on Alki.
This is a more soulful piece as I wanted to try to stretch our team into new territories and express what I felt about Seattle and Alki specifically when I first moved here and how rejuvenating it was to get lost in the beauty of the ocean and find my next step in that pondering. In our next videos, I’d love be to able to get some local kids involved. I wish everyone the most blessed and wonderful new year; may you be reborn as your truest self!!
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