HOLIDAY GIVING: Nucor’s 2-tons-and-more gift for the West Seattle Food Bank
It’s been a holiday tradition at West Seattle’s Nucor Steel mill for many years – collecting food and money to make it a happier season for the people helped by the West Seattle Food Bank. And today was delivery day!
Judi Yazzolino from the WS Food Bank shares the update and photos:
Employees of Nucor Steel collected food and funds over the past month for the WSFB in their annual Holiday Food/Funds Drive. The food donated by employees totaled 4,180 pounds and employees contributed $2306. Nucor matches $2 for every employee donation (pound or $1), for a grand total of $16,150. Thank you to Nucor and all of its employees for helping our clients have a very happy holiday!
As a result of all these years of partnership, WS Food Bank honored Nucor last May with its first “Instrument of Change” award.
FOLLOWUP: What caused Saturday’s vault fire, outage in West Seattle
(Saturday photo, by Matt)
As promised, we followed up with Seattle City Light today about Saturday’s underground-electrical-vault problem that took out power for almost 4,000 homes and businesses. It happened right outside Spruce/LA Fitness at 39th SW/Fauntleroy Way/SW Alaska shortly after 1 pm; people reported hearing explosions, and then – as shown in the top photo – smoke began pouring out of the vault covers in the street. Some WSB commenters noted that there had been a “planned” outage in the area the night before, and in his response to our inquiry, City Light spokesperson Scott Thomsen confirmed a connection:
The underlying cause of the vault fire and outage was the failure of a piece of equipment called a j-box, which is essentially a high-voltage power strip.
The planned outage [Friday night] allowed our crews to install new equipment, including cable, which was spliced into an old cable. After it was energized, the j-box connected to the section of old cable is what failed. The crew isolated the damage and made repairs.
Seattle Fire’s time on scene was relatively short – all but one unit was cleared within less than an hour; we checked today with SFD spokesperson Lt. Harold Webb, who explained, “City Light was on scene when we arrived and quickly secured the vault and did not require further SFD standby.” But effects of the outage kept them busy, he added: “We had numerous elevator removals [in the area] due to widespread power outages.” No one was hurt. The last 130+ customers without power didn’t get it back, as noted in our updates, for almost eight hours.
PHOTOS: Denny International Middle School’s Posada Navideña
Photos by Leda Costa for West Seattle Blog
How often do you get to take a swing at a piñata with the help of a school principal? At Denny International Middle School – at least once a year. That’s Denny principal Jeff Clark in his legendary “Denny Dolphins blue” suit at last Friday night’s Posada Navideña holiday celebration on campus. Along with games and food, music and dance filled the night:
Some of the performers were students, including the Folklorico Club from Chief Sealth International High School next door:
And the Denny/Sealth Mariachi Band, with alumni joining students.
Denny’s Mariachi Club, by the way, starts up again in January, for any interested students. Meantime, the crowd was again delighted by guest stars Banda Vagos:
They’re a popular Seattle group performing the brass-based “banda” style of music:
And once they got going, some Posada-goers just had to dance:
It was a night for memories – Andrea LaVare snapped the Folklorico Club::
Thanks to Denny PTSA co-president Manuela Slye for the lineup on this year’s event, which also included activities including writing thank-you notes for teachers and, for any interested families, a chance to get clothing and supplies courtesy of Communities in Schools:
The Posada is now a longtime Denny holiday tradition – the first one was back in 2010
Unanimous approval for West Seattle-residing City Councilmembers’ historic anti-hate resolution
Do you know how the city’s hate-crime law works, and doesn’t work? Awareness-raising is part of what the city hopes to accomplish with councilmembers unanimously passing Seattle’s first anti-hate resolution today. It was sponsored by the two West Seattle-residing councilmembers – District 1’s Lisa Herbold and at-large (citywide) Lorena González. You can read the text here. The news release announcing the passage quotes Herbold as saying that it’s “our duty as a city to be explicit in our support and protection for our friends, our family members, our caregivers, activists, educators, social workers, and service industry employees and other members of vulnerable constituencies who are threatened by malicious acts.” González also is quoted: ““With today’s vote we unequivocally state that we will not capitulate to fear. Together, we will make it easier for people to report incidents of bias-motivated threats, harassment, and violence.” Herbold explained the inspiration for the resolution in this post last week.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen CR-V; package theft on video; more…
Four reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN CAR: From Mark:
I want to report a stolen vehicle and ask folks to watch for it. We’ve already made a police report. My wife’s teal green 1997 Honda CR-V was stolen from in front of our house on Gatewood Hill sometime between 9 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. (December 11-12). The license plate number is ASL1972 and the VIN number is JHLRD1854VCO37773. Although I don’t have a photo of the car itself, the attached photo is of the same make/model/year vehicle and color.
PACKAGE THIEF: This one struck in Sylvan Ridge on Friday – Joey sent the clip:
UPPER MORGAN PROWLER: Jeff sent the clip:
It accompanied his message to neighbors: “We had another unwelcome visitor last night at 1:35 AM. He walked in off of the alley between 38th SW and 39th SW until enough lights went on to discourage him. If you had anything disturbed this could be the guy.”
MISSING A BIKE? No photo, but Vivian says, “Last night and again this am there are two bikes, not locked up, on the SE corner of Holden and 24th. One on the ground, the other next standing next to a tree.”
Thanks again to everyone sharing Crime Watch reports so your neighbors all around the peninsula know more about what’s happening – hope crime does NOT happen to you, but if it does, once you’ve reported it to police (911 if it’s happening now or just happened), let us know … 206-293-6302 if breaking, editor@westseattleblog.com if not — thank you.
HOLIDAY GIVING: Southwest Pool food drive = discount swimming!
From Anthony at Southwest Pool:
Southwest Pool is collecting nonperishable food and snacks for the West Seattle Food Bank. Last year we brought in 300 pounds of donations. The food drive is now through Friday (December 16th).
To give back for community support, today through Friday, the Southwest Pool will also have specific discounted swims for persons who donate 3 or more nonperishables to the activity.
Here’s the schedule for that:
Southwest Pool is at 2801 SW Thistle.
Help fix the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route: Volunteer for the task force
(Live WSF webcam photo from Fauntleroy dock)
As part of the process of fixing problems plaguing the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth (aka “Triangle”) ferry route, Washington State Ferries promised last month that it would put together a task force. Today, WSF has taken the next step – calling for volunteers:
WSF is now seeking volunteers for the Triangle Improvement Task Force. The task force is the citizen advisory group that will be charged with:
· examining the situation on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth ferry route
· recommending “quick wins” to improve service by summer 2017
· coming up with recommendations for the long term
The task force will begin meeting in January and will consist of nine volunteers, three each from the Fauntleroy, Vashon and Southworth communities. For more information on the process and to apply to be a task force member, please visit our volunteer application page. Applications for volunteers are due Dec. 27, 2016.
FOLLOWUP: Generosity decks the hall @ first West Seattle Alternative Giving Fair
(Saturday photo by Clay Eals: At left, Pat Gedney talks with Southwest Seattle Historical Society volunteer Bobbie Meehan while contemplating the purchase of a blue, etched Alki Lighthouse during the Alternative Giving Fair)
Were you part of local holiday history last weekend? Judy Pickens tells WSB that many people opened their hearts and wallets during a first-of-its-kind holiday-giving event:
On Saturday, West Seattle residents dipped their toes into a different way of giving to family and friends by donating $6,895 to nonprofits during this area’s first Alternative Giving Fair. Hosted by Fauntleroy Church, the fair featured 15 local and international organizations that support elders, care for the natural world, feed the hungry, and promote healthy communities. Thanks, West Seattle, for bypassing more stuff, to give from the heart!
Still looking for holiday-giving opportunities? See the WSB Holiday Guide.
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