West Seattle, Washington
12 Monday
(WSB photos)
If you didn’t get to High Point Library on Sunday afternoon for the first-ever edition of SouthWest Stories, with Rob Ketcherside telling the tale of the Morgan Street Drive-Up Market, stand by for video – we weren’t able to record it but as always, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society did, and will publish it when ready (that’s their camera in our photo). The library’s meeting room had a full house for the event, in which Ketcherside explained the Morgan Street Market’s place in the short-lived trend of California-style “drive-in markets” in Seattle.
It was at 4201 SW Morgan, exactly where you will find West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) now. Ketcherside wrote an in-depth story about these types of markets, built in the late 1920s and early 1930s – read it here.
The second SouthWest Stories presentation (co-sponsored by SWSHS and the Seattle Public Library) will be at 2 pm April 17th, Delridge Library, featuring vibraphonist and West Seattle High Hall-of-Famer Tom Collier, on “Across the Bridge: West Seattle Heritage in Jazz.” Free!
In case you heard what sounded like possible gunshots just after 8 pm – police have been investigating but so far, no victim and no word of any gunfire evidence found. We’ve heard from people in North Delridge and Puget Ridge who called 911 to report what they heard (police have said again at recent community meetings, that’s what they want you to do, even if you’re not sure what you heard or which direction you’ve heard it from). Just mentioning it in case you heard it and were wondering.
(WSB photo: Milwaukee in green, Denver in white)
This weekend’s National Wheelchair Basketball Association women’s championship tournament at West Seattle High School ended with new champions – the Milwaukee Lady Bucks! In the finals at midday today, they beat last year’s champs, the Denver Lady Rolling Nuggets, 66-36. The game was streamed live; you can watch the playback on YouTube here.
As we reported on Friday and Saturday, eight teams competed, including the local Seattle Storm; Seattle Adaptive Sports co-hosted the tournament.
(UPDATED 7:36 PM with video and more photos; earlier 5:53 pm update with revised total: $600,000+)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“These kids are our kids.”
Interconnection was at the heart of what brought more than 600 people together this afternoon – not just theirs, but their interconnection with the people they were there to help via WestSide Baby, which now serves families in need all over King County.
The White Center-headquartered nonprofit got a sizable show of support this afternoon – (5:53 pm update) $600,000+ is the revised total – during its 15th annual CommuniTea, held once again at the Hilton conference center by Sea-Tac Airport, following what was hailed as a “record-setting year.”
The fundraising total grew (from $315,000 last year), as did the number of children served by WS Baby this year – 31,325, up from 331 in its first year – said executive director Nancy Woodland, who also noted other numbers:
For example, tea attendance was more than 600, almost 8 times the first benefit tea not long after Donna Pierce founded WS Baby in 2001. The organization has “stayed true to its mission,” Woodland said, of providing diapers, car seats, and other vital items to children in need.
With the tea reaching the 15-year milestone, a special spotlight shone on people who had long been involved with WS Baby; they reminisced about the milestones it hit over the years.
Madison Jumpin’ Jive Swing Dance & Auction 2016 from Captive Eye Media on Vimeo.
What’s cool at school? That seems to be our theme this afternoon – and we’re glad to be able to share this too: Highlights from Friday night’s Madison Middle School Jumpin’ Jive Swing Dance and Auction. Enjoy the music of Madison musicians (who shared the bill with the West Seattle Big Band), thanks to Edgar Riebe of West Seattle-headquartered Captive Eye Media.
FIRST REPORT, 1:42 PM: Though it’s not a school day, hundreds of students are busy at the Denny International MS/Chief Sealth International HS campus today. It’s the scene of the fourth annual Washington State Chinese Language and Talent Competition, explained here. The categories in which students are competing include:
Group Poetry Recitation 團體詩詞朗誦
Individual Poetry Recitation 個人詩詞朗誦
Group Talent Show 團體才藝競賽
Individual Talent Show 個人才藝競賽
Group Chinese Singing 團體歌唱比賽
Individual Chinese Singing 個人歌唱比賽
Language Art 口语才艺竟赛
Story Telling 說故事
Public Speaking 演講
Drawing 繪畫比賽
Chinese Chess 象棋
China Knowledge Bowl 中國常識競答
When we dropped by, the performances and competitions were in a break, but organizations were holding court in the Sealth hallway.
And art was on display:
The event concludes with a 2 pm awards ceremony.
ADDED 6:58 PM: Thanks to Denny principal Jeff Clark for an added report with photos:
At Denny and Chief Sealth, we are proud to have hundreds of scholars learning the Chinese language. Today, 32 of them used their Chinese language skills at the 2016 Washington Chinese Language and Talent Competition held here on our campus. Thanks to the dedication of our four Chinese teachers, Ms. Lin, Mr. Teddy, Ms. Wang, and Ms. Gong, and the hard work of our scholars, they won many awards, competing against schools from all over the Puget Sound area. Congratulations to all of them and to all of the scholars learning Chinese!
Ms. Fraser-Hammer presented awards to middle school students, including Denny scholar Aaron Burnham!
Chief Sealth 9th grader Khaim Vasser Fontenot demonstrated his Chinese proficiency as an emcee at the award ceremony:
OSPI Deputy Superintendent for K-12 Education Gil Mendoza celebrated with elementary school-age award winners:
All of us at Denny and Chief Sealth would also like to recognize and thank our partners, Wenqiu Wang from the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington, and Michele Aoki, International Education Administrator from Seattle Public Schools, for all of their support. Thank you! Go, Dolphins and Seahawks!
Students in the resurgent mariachi program at Chief Sealth International High School have new inspiration after a big festival trip. The story and photos are shared by Sealth teacher Noah Zeichner:
On Friday, 12 students from Chief Sealth’s mariachi program participated in the 18th annual Mariachi Northwest Festival in Wenatchee.
They spent the day in workshops, learning from members of Mariachi Divas, a Grammy-winning all-female mariachi group from Los Angeles.
In the evening, they attended a gala concert. Mariachi Huenachi, Wenatchee High School’s award-winning mariachi group, performed with Mariachi Divas, Bailadores de Bronce (Seattle’s premier Mexican folkloric dance group), and trick ropers Los Hermanos Escamilla. The trip was supported by El Centro de la Raza, who provided transportation to Wenatchee and meals during the festival.
Chief Sealth’s mariachi program began nearly 20 years ago and was incorporated into the music department in the early 2000s. The mariachi class disappeared from 2011-2014 due to budget cuts, but as a result of student organizing and community support, it returned last year. There are currently about 20 students in the mariachi class.
Mariachi serves as a cultural bridge to school for many Latino students, but the group welcomes students from all backgrounds. Mariachi is also an academic intervention and leadership development program. Wenatchee High School has documented the success of their mariachi program, celebrating a 100% graduation rate (only 40% of the students in the program graduated ten years ago). To learn more about Wenatchee’s program, watch this recent 25-minute TVW documentary.
In the coming weeks, with the support of the Creative Advantage fund, after-school mariachi programs will start at both Denny IMS and Chief Sealth IHS. The program also hopes to expand in future years to feeder elementary schools with the goal of exposing students to mariachi music at a younger age.
More than 450 musicians from around the region were part of the festival.
(2014 WSB photo)
After a year off, a “car-free day” street party is in the works for West Seattle again this year.
SDOT now calls the program “Seattle Summer Parkways,” a change from “Seattle Summer Streets.” For six years, they scheduled the local event to start right after the West Seattle 5K, which is actually in spring (May 22nd this year), and the weather tended to be less than summery. This year, SDOT says, they’re steering in the other direction, and they’re working on a “Summer Parkways” event for Alki that’s likely to be in early fall.
The Summer Parkways website has dates set for two other events around the city already – August 13th in Rainier Valley and August 27th in Ballard – and according to this exchange is looking at a possible date of September 25th for Alki. September was the month that warm sunshine graced the very first “car-free day,” back in 2008 (WSB coverage here). Again, nothing’s finalized yet, but we thought you might want to know it’s in the works.
(Bald eagle, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Welcome to the first full day of spring! Highlights for the day and night ahead:
FERRY-SCHEDULE CHANGE: As of today, the Washington State Ferries system is on its spring schedule – go here to see it.
PALM SUNDAY SERVICES: Holy Week services are part of our special “Easter, Etc.” page, along with seasonal activities like egg hunts.
LAST DAY FOR GIRL SCOUT COOKIES: If you don’t already know where and when to find them, use the lookup box on the Girl Scouts of Western Washington website.
WEST SEATTLE BEE GARDEN WORK PARTY: Help get the garden ready for spring (and the next WS Bee Festival, coming up in May) – 10 am-2 pm, they can use all the help they can get! Details here. It’s on the north side of High Point Commons Park. (Graham/Lanham)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Among the highlights for today’s WSFM, 10 am-2 pm, is the return of Cascadia Edible Landscapes, per market managers. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: The National Wheelchair Basketball Association Women’s Championship Tournament wraps up with consolation-round games at 9 am and the championship battle at 11 am, the defending champion Denver Lady Nuggets vs. the Milwaukee Lady Bucks, in the gym at West Seattle High School. Admission free. If you just can’t be there, you can check out the live stream here. (3000 California SW)
LABYRINTH WALK: Come walk and meditate at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), noon-3 pm and 6-9 pm. See the full Holy Week schedule on our special page. (3940 41st SW)
JAMTIME: Bluegrass and old-time music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm. (5612 California SW)
WESTSIDE BABY COMMUNITEA: 2 pm at the Hilton Seattle Airport Conference Center, help the organization that helps thousands of families every year; it’s WestSide Baby‘s 15th annual benefit tea – info here. (17620 International Blvd.)
SOUTHWEST STORIES: 2 pm at High Point Library, the new Southwest Seattle Historical Society series “SouthWest Stories” begins with Rob Ketcherside talking about the Morgan Street Drive-In Market, which used to be where West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) is now. Here’s Rob’s video invitation:
Get there early, since space is limited. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE COMMUNITY CHOIR: 2 pm at Olympic Hall on the south end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, “Songs of Spring and Rebirth.” Free admission. (6000 16th SW)
SILENT MOVIE SUNDAY @ KENYON HALL: 7:30 pm, hear Kenyon Hall‘s Mighty Wurlitzer accompanying the work of Buster Keaton. Details here. (7904 35th SW)
OF COURSE … there’s more! See the complete calendar here.
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