West Seattle, Washington

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year : 2017 3764 results

West Seattle Monday: From ‘Peace’ to park art…
October 2, 2017 9:49 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Pileated woodpecker, photographed in Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for the rest of your Monday:

HOMEWORK HELP: 4-7:30 pm, drop-in homework help at High Point Library. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

‘TEMPORARY ART IN PARKS’ WORKSHOP: Artists – if you’re interested in applying for a Temporary Art in Parks grant, you’re encouraged to attend this workshop first. 5:30-7 pm at Southwest Library. (9010 35th SW)

MONDAY NIGHT MEDITATION: Five-week series starts at 7 pm tonight at Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor) – taught by Linda Fane, themed “Understanding the Mind.” Full details in our calendar listing. (5639 California SW)

‘ROOTED IN PEACE’: Special documentary screening at the Admiral Theater, 7 pm: “Award-winning filmmaker and environmental activist Greg Reitman shares his journey of self-analysis with audiences seeking inner peace in a world full of people dominated by war, affected by global warming or haunted by inner conflict.” More info in our calendar listing. (2343 California SW)

PUGET RIDGE COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 7 pm at Puget Ridge Cohousing. (7020 18th SW)

MONDAY QUIZ: 7:30 pm at The Skylark, all ages, no cover, prizes! (3803 Delridge Way SW)

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … see what else is happening this week by checking our complete-calendar page, which is updated multiple times daily.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates, Viaduct trouble, West Seattle Bridge crash…
October 2, 2017 6:35 am
|      34 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:35 AM: Thanks for the texts – the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct is blocked, all lanes, by an incident near Seneca. More to come.

6:44 AM: The incident has been described both as a collision and as a vehicle fire. It already has NB 99 backed up all the way past the West Seattle Bridge.

7 AM: SDOT says one northbound lane is now open. Backups stretch to the 1st Avenue S. Bridge, though. Though Metro has not issued an official alert, some buses have rerouted, we’re hearing via comments and Twitter.

7:14 AM: Commenter and texter say the vehicle involved was labeled as being from Cupcake Royale. We haven’t heard whether anyone was hurt.

7:21 AM: If you’re on Delridge, note that two Seattle Fire units are headed to Louisa Boren STEM K-8 school for an automatic fire alarm. **No** word of an actual fire, but just in case you see the response while stuck in bridge/Viaduct-bound traffic and wonder.

7:30 AM: Back on the NB Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle Fire has cleared the scene, and no medic unit was involved, so if anyone was hurt, it wasn’t major. But the lane closures remain.

7:41 AM: The aforementioned fire-alarm call at STEM K-8 has closed, no fire, SFD units back in service. Meantime, on NB I-5 on the north side of downtown, an SFD aid response has blocked a lane, so I-5 as an alternative to 99 has one more challenge right now.

7:44 AM: Metro has now sent an alert about the reroutes that readers have been mentioning:

7:50 AM: The NB I-5 incident has cleared.

8:12 AM: NB 99 has NOT cleared. Here’s the camera we’re watching.

8:20 AM: Looks like a tow truck has shown up at the 99 scene. (Added a few minutes later, screengrab from the SDOT webcam):

8:29 AM: Tow truck’s taken it away. Waiting for word of reopening.

8:32 AM: And that word has just come – all lanes open again – with the caveat about “residual delays.”

8:39 AM: Now that the incident is closed – a reminder that the Viaduct will be *deliberately* closed this weekend for its twice-yearly inspection closure as well as some other work – northbound all weekend (late Friday night to early Monday morning), southbound 5 am-6 pm Saturday and again Sunday (if needed).

9:18 AM: No further incidents. Thanks again to the first person who tipped us to the trouble in the early going – our breaking news hotline, text or voice, 24/7, is 206-293-6302.

9:30 AM: And now … word of a crash on the eastbound bridge, no injuries. Waiting for word on exactly where.

9:36 AM: Looks to be somewhere on the high-rise, per where SDOT is turning one of the bridge cameras.

9:41 AM: From SDOT:

9:49 AM: SDOT says the bridge crash has cleared.

10:14 AM: We’re working on a Viaduct followup but in the meantime, via Twitter, we shared a photo by Brian, who was on scene right after the van fire erupted, and also, Cupcake Royale says its driver is OK.

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@ West Seattle Transportation Coalition: SDOT progress report on ‘bridge corridor’ projects
October 1, 2017 11:25 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Two years after the unveiling of a “white paper” and project list with recommendations for easing traffic in the West Seattle Bridge Corridor, an SDOT rep came to the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s monthly meeting with a progress report.

Bill LaBorde began by saying that the list started with 27 projects but has fewer now – primarily because some weren’t SDOT projects (Sound Transit 3 light rail, for example, which had a significant West Seattle-related update earlier that day).

Chas Redmond from the WSTC Board said that the “disintegration of the integration” of the projects was troubling – LaBorde said that taking projects off the list wasn’t intended to signify dis-integration. Redmond said list-shrinking still didn’t make sense since the agencies are working together on some of these projects anyway. After that, LaBorde ticked through the list, including:

Read More

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Seattle Latino Film Festival coming to Admiral Theater for closing-night screening, party
October 1, 2017 8:30 pm
|    Comments Off on Seattle Latino Film Festival coming to Admiral Theater for closing-night screening, party
 |   Admiral Theater | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

That’s the trailer for “The Duel of Wine (El Camino del Vino),” which will have its Pacific Northwest premiere at West Seattle’s Admiral Theater as part of the closing-night celebration for this year’s Seattle Latino Film Festival.

The 9th annual festival showcasing Latin American films starts next Friday night (October 6th) downtown and continues for the following week, at venues around the area, from downtown to Federal Way (see the full list of screenings here) – concluding with the film and closing-night party at The Admiral on Saturday, October 14th. Betty Santiago from SLFF tells WSB that the star and producer of “Duel of Wine,” Charlie Arturaola and Lino Pujia, will be in attendance. We’re mentioning this early so you can get tickets if you want to be there – the film and party are included in your $25, and you can get your tickets online, here.

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CONGRATULATIONS! National Merit Scholarship honors for Chief Sealth IHS student Amad Ross
October 1, 2017 7:41 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people | West Seattle schools

From Chief Sealth International High School principal Aida Fraser-Hammer:

Chief Sealth International High School announced that Amad Ross has been named a Commended Student in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. A letter of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, was presented to this scholastically talented senior on Friday.

Commended students placed among the top 50,000 of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2018 Competition by taking the 2016 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSATNMSQT). “The young men and women being named Commended Students have been demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue in their pursuit of academic success.”

Amad is a part-time Running Start student and a strong leader at Chief Sealth, having been co-organizer of a Walk-Out against the Trump Travel Ban and a Rally against Anti-Islamism. Chief Sealth is very proud of him and we look forward to sharing more about his accomplishments as he graduates and enters college.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: 20+ ways to deter property crime
October 1, 2017 6:15 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

As reported in our most-recent coverage of police briefings at community meetings – like the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network and Highland Park Action Committee last week – car prowling in our area has dropped significantly, but property crime overall remains the major problem. So this month’s newsletter from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Burbridge offers more than 20 specific suggestions of ways to deter it:

As mentioned toward the end of the newsletter, and as already previewed here, your next chance to talk face-to-face with local police – outside an emergency response! – is Wednesday afternoon at Alki Starbucks (2742 Alki Ave. SW), 2-4 pm, for the next Coffee With A Cop.

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PHOTOS: Children’s Moonlight Festival @ Vietnamese Cultural Center
October 1, 2017 4:13 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

4:13 PM: Looking for something to do with the rest of your Sunday afternoon? The Children’s Moonlight Festival is happening until 6 pm at the Vietnamese Cultural Center. Above, lion dancers performed toward the start of the event; treats, entertainment, and a lantern parade are still to come.

This is a traditional lunar-calendar end-of-summer celebration; more photos to come. The Cultural Center is at 2234 SW Orchard, just north of Home Depot.

8:39 PM: As promised, more photos from the festival, which was so picture-perfect, an afternoon shower stopped just in time for the lion dance. Center director Lee Bui offered the lions a good-luck gift:

Joining the festivities at the center were Boy Scouts from Troop 286:

Two people dressed as characters from a Vietnamese legend offered backpacks to kids:

(This photo and next two by Lynda Bui)

There was rubber-duck fishing:

And a lantern parade:

A group photo to commemorate the event:

In addition to special events like this, the Vietnamese Cultural Center is open to visitors on Saturdays, noon-3 pm.

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ART BY YOUR NEIGHBORS: 2017 community art show begins at Southwest Library
October 1, 2017 3:30 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | Westwood | WS culture/arts

Friends of the Southwest Branch Library are your hosts during the Community Art Showcase‘s opening reception, continuing at the library until about 4 pm. Among the artists there, Steve and Lori Douglas:

Other art on display includes this guitar by Amanda Musclerat:

And Vera Sterling‘s “Best of Seattle”:

You have time to see the art show if you can’t get there by 4 – it’s on display at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) for most of the rest of this month.

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WEST SEATTLE WHALE-WATCHING: Orcas in the area
October 1, 2017 1:16 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(PHOTOS ADDED Sunday evening)

1:16 PM: Via text from Kersti Muul – orcas are back in the area, transients this time, seen southbound from north Bainbridge Island before 1 pm, “large male T87 and others with calf.” Please let us know if you see them (comment, and/or text our 24/7 hotline, 206-293-6302) – thank you!

1:32 PM: Update from Kersti – they’re now “outside Elliott Bay” so should be in view (now or soon) – be sure to bring binoculars.

4:34 PM: Thanks to the commenters who have provided updates – we had to cover (inland) events and weren’t able to go look!

SUNDAY EVENING: Thanks to Greg Snyder for e-mailing the two photos we have added above, and thanks to Kersti for adding photos in comments below!

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Celebration of life October 21st for Lewis Brancati, 1996-2017
October 1, 2017 11:29 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather October 21st in West Seattle to celebrate the life of Lewis S. Brancati. Here’s the remembrance that’s being shared with the community:

Lewis S. Brancati

Age 21. Born March 27, 1996. Passed away September 20, 2017 in Kirkland, surrounded by family and friends.

Lewis grew up and thrived in Burien. He attended Highline schools, and graduated from Raisbeck Aviation High School.

Lewis was sweet and funny growing up, and a kind, generous, and very loving young man who had a great impact on the lives of his friends, classmates, and family. While he had plans to pursue more schooling, he was most recently a proud employee of the US Postal Service.

Lewis is and will be terribly missed, and held in our hearts forever. He is survived by his parents Amelia Hance-Brancati and Gregory Brancati, grandmother Judith Hance, and numerous aunts, uncles, other extended family, friends, and loving communities.

Celebration of Life will be held at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Saturday, October 21st at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to organizations Lewis grew up a part of: Westside UU Congregation (wsuu.org), Eliot Institute (http://www.eliotinstitute.org), and Seabeck Conference Center (seabeck.org).

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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TRAFFIC ALERT: 35th/Alaska signal out; planned power outage in area
October 1, 2017 7:54 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT: 35th/Alaska signal out; planned power outage in area
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

7:54 AM: Thanks for the text – the traffic signal at 35th and Alaska is out. It’s because of a planned power outage in the area, which Kevin had messaged us about minutes earlier. The Seattle City Light map says 134 homes/businesses in the area are without power for “planned work” and expect they’ll have power restored by about 10:30 am. While the signal’s out, meantime, remember that it’s an all-way stop.

11:04 AM: Kevin’s power was back on as of an hour ago but the map still shows the 134-customer outage. We’re headed over to check on the signal.

12:10 PM It’s working.

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What’s up for your West Seattle Sunday
October 1, 2017 6:21 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

“Not every often that we see a Great Blue Heron on a skateboard!” was the understatement from Sandy Rottler, who shared the photo, taken on the Beach Drive waterfront. Who knows what YOU might see this Sunday? Here are the highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street in the heart of The Junction – vegetables, fruit, flowers, bread, cheese, cider, much more. And go say hi to the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, scheduled to be back today at the market’s south end. (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)

SPIDERS OF THE DUWAMISH: Talk at Duwamish Longhouse, followed by nature walk. 1 pm. More info in our calendar listing. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)

CROP WALK: The West Seattle Crop Walk leaves Alki UCC at 1 pm, on a journey to help end hunger. More info in our calendar listing. (6115 SW Hinds)

CAMP SECOND CHANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: As previewed here, the community advisory committee for the city-sanctioned encampment on Myers Way meets this afternoon, 2 pm, at Arrowhead Gardens. All are welcome. (9200 2nd SW)

SOUTHWEST LIBRARY ART SHOWCASE, OPENING RECEPTION: The 26th annual Artists’ Showcase at Southwest Library starts today with a 2-4 pm reception and continues through October 28th. Come meet the artists at this low-key, friendly event and enjoy free coffee and dessert. (9010 35th SW)

‘BARBER OF SEVILLE’ PREVIEW LECTURE: 2 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, enjoy Seattle Opera‘s preview lecture, with recorded music excerpts. (2306 42nd SW)

CHILDREN’S MOONLIGHT FESTIVAL: 3-6 pm at the Vietnamese Cultural Center in West Seattle, lanterns, balloons, treats, a Lion Dance, and more. (2234 SW Orchard)

CORREO AEREO: The Latin American sounds of Correo Aereo will fill C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)

AT KENYON HALL: Big musical bill – Del Rey, Adam Franklin, The Quiet American, and Matt Weiner. 7:30 pm. Ticket info is in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)

Transportation notes:

WATER TAXI ON EXTENDED SCHEDULE: Since the Seahawks are playing a night game at home, the West Seattle Water Taxi will run into the evening, with the last sailing from Pier 52 downtown at 10:45 pm.

WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES SCHEDULE, FARE CHANGES: The fall schedule takes effect, as do some fare changes – details on the WSF website.

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YOU CAN HELP: Crowdfunding for Green Acres apartment-fire victims
September 30, 2017 9:45 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from early Friday)

For those asking how to help residents of the units burned in the Green Acres apartment complex fire (WSB coverage here) early Friday – a crowdfunding campaign has just launched. Jilyan Perry, who works less than a block away at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), has organized fundraisers before – two years ago, for Nepal earthquake relief, and she’s in our archives before that as a leader of the cancer-fighting annual Relay for Life. Jilyan tells WSB she’s working on planning a benefit event but wanted “to get the ball rolling” by setting up a GoFundMe page. As reported in our Friday coverage, SFD investigators ruled the fire of “undetermined cause” and estimated damage to units and their contents at half a million dollars.

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BIZNOTES: What’s coming to 2 spaces at Westwood Village
September 30, 2017 9:23 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

Catching up on some of the new businesses that are on the way … we start with two Westwood Village notes tonight. The space next to Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor), from which NK Nails moved to take the former Jamba Juice space on the east side of the center, will become a haircut shop called SportClips, according to notices posted on the door. It’s a chain geared toward men – in particular, men who like watching sports on TV, which SportClips promises will be “everywhere” in its shops. The notice on the door says they’re hoping “to open around end of October, beginning of November.” … And on the south side of the center, along Barton, another nationwide company is setting up shop – the long-vacant space that back in 2013 had a Panda Express penciled in is now becoming a branch of ATI Physical Therapy.

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HAPPY 13th! Anniversary party at Click! Design That Fits in the West Seattle Junction
September 30, 2017 6:30 pm
|    Comments Off on HAPPY 13th! Anniversary party at Click! Design That Fits in the West Seattle Junction
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Tonight’s the night you can congratulate Frances and John Smersh on 13 years in business with Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) – originally opened in Admiral, then moved to 4540 California SW in The Junction seven years ago. Tonight’s centerpiece – a pop-up in the Click! loft with creations by Click! team members, including this work by Chayse:

Adia, Elyssa, and Michelle are part of the pop-up, too.

You’ll also find some of Frances’s 2-D work (she’s branched out from jewelry) – look for even more during the next West Seattle Art Walk on October 12th. Tonight’s party is on until 8 pm, with treats and in-store specials as the Smershes celebrate another year of selling cool stuff from furnishings to accessories and beyond (including locally themed items you won’t find anywhere else) as well as art and wearables.

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VIDEO: From ‘Burning Man’ to South Park, see kinetic sculpture ‘Interspecies Communication’
September 30, 2017 4:40 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   South Park | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The rain stopped in time for the welcoming ceremony and performances at Duwamish Waterway Park (7900 10th Ave. S.) in South Park, where you have until 9 tonight to see the Seattle debut of Lelavision‘s kinetic/musical sculpture Interspecies Communication, also seen at Black Rock City (aka the annual “Burning Man” festival in Nevada – video here).

The welcoming featured Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen

Then those gathered at the park saw Vashon-based Lelavision‘s duo ascend the sculpture, and then descend to continue the event.

Participatory “human murmuration” was to follow, and then what Leah Mann promised would be a big dance party. We’re not sure what’ll be happening if you head over when you see this, but the sculpture itself is a sight to see. According to the Kickstarter page with which money was raised for the project, Lelavision hopes it will eventually find a permanent public home.

P.S. Thanks to Tom, who tipped us off to this!

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DELRIDGE DONATIONS: 3 community organizations get support from VIEWS
September 30, 2017 12:59 pm
|    Comments Off on DELRIDGE DONATIONS: 3 community organizations get support from VIEWS
 |   Delridge | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

That photo shows one of three donation presentations made this week by VIEWS (Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle), whose Pete Spalding – sending photos and news of the donations – describes it as “a non-partisan community organization comprised of local citizens creating programming to educate, engage & mobilize West Seattle citizens to sustain & improve the quality of life & services available across the peninsula.” At center above, accepting a $250 check from VIEWS, are David Bestock and Nafasi Ferrell of the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, with, from left, Chas Redmond, Ron Angeles, Pete Spalding, and Larry Winkler from VIEWS. “This donation of $250 will be used to help support youth and cultural programming that this organization presents to our Delridge Community,” Pete explained. “It was also given in recognition of the untiring efforts of Nafasi Ferrell, who has assisted VIEWS at Delridge Day the last two years in arranging our entertainment.” The other two recipients:

The Associated Recreation Council (ARC) based at the Delridge Community Center. This donation of $2,000 will be used to support the preschool and teen programs offered at the Delridge Community Center.

Wendy Westover (below left) accepted the check.

And on behalf of the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs, Cindi Barker (above right) accepted a $250 donation to help pay for new communication equipment. The VIEWS announcement adds:

Due to scheduling conflicts, VIEWS mainstays Michael Taylor-Judd and Ann Martin were not available for the presentation ceremonies held at the Delridge Community Center.

VIEWS has a history of making donations like these over its history to organizations that are striving to improve and build a better Delridge community. VIEWS organizes the Gathering of Neighbors and Delridge Day festival annually. In addition VIEWS also has hosted city council candidate forums and other community building efforts. If you are interested in the work that VIEWS does and would like to engage with VIEWS, please contact us at wsgathering.org.

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10 ways to spend the rest of your West Seattle Saturday
September 30, 2017 10:10 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Goldfinches visiting photographer Trileigh Tucker’s feeder near Lincoln Park)

Sorry that our list is much later than usual today – we lost some production time to our overnight maintenance work, which is now over and appears to have succeeded (but please let us know if you see anything unusual!). Highlights for the rest of today/tonight:

LAST DAY TO DROP OFF ART FOR SOUTHWEST LIBRARY SHOWCASE: Tomorrow, the show begins – and anyone who has created visual art (up to 3 pieces) to display can be part of it! Full details here. The library’s open until 6 pm tonight. (9010 35th SW)

FOOTBALL: 1 pm at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), Seattle Lutheran High School hosts Muckleshoot … 5 pm at Memorial Stadium downtown, West Seattle High School plays Ballard.

FALL BEER SHOWCASE: 2-7 pm at Ounces in North Delridge – details in our calendar listing. (3809 Delridge Way SW)

FROM THE PLAYA TO SOUTH PARK: Happening 3-9 pm at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park, featuring art that appeared at Burning Man:

This Seattle premiere of Lelavision’s new performance work featuring Ela Lamblin’s large scale kinetic and musical sculpture, Interspecies Communication, and Leah Mann’s choreography is a performative ritual that brings together diverse local dance and music groups, as well as, audience participants for a “human murmuration” or group behavior game.

Members of the Duwamish Tribe will welcome people to start the event at 3 pm. (7900 10th Ave. S.)

LANTERN FESTIVAL: 4:30-8:30 pm in the Galleria at Chief Sealth International High School, as previewed here. Schedule includes:

Arts & Crafts (learn how to make a paper lantern), Moon cake sample 4:30-5:30 pm
Lion Dance & Cultural performances 5:30-8:00 pm
Free lantern handout and night walk with the lanterns 8:00-8:15 pm

(2600 SW Thistle)

CLICK! TURNS 13: 5-8 pm, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) invites you to a party to celebrate 13 years in business. Snacks, drinks, in-store specials! (4540 California SW)

DON’T ASK: Acoustic-electric mix of original music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

JACK WILLIAMS: Historic Kenyon Hall hosts the legendary singer-songwriter and master guitarist, 7:30 pm. Check to see if tickets remain! (7904 35th SW)

WEST END GIRLS – A DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA: 9 pm at The Skylark, the latest showcase curated by Cookie Couture features this all-star cast:

Performances by:
✪ Betty Wetter
✪ Butylene O’Kipple
✪ Cookie Couture
✪ Fraya Love
✪ Honey Bucket
✪ Londyn Bradshaw
✪ Old Witch
✪ & the debut of Dion Dior Black!

Ticket info here. Seating is first-come first-served. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

PARLIAMENT PARTY CONTINUES: 2nd anniversary celebration at Parliament Tavern continues with Afrocop w/Bill Horist tonight, 9 pm-midnight: “An instrumental based groove quartet that explores otherworldly sound states.” $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

AND MORE … on our complete-calendar page!

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PHOTOS: Grand fun found at West Seattle Food Bank’s ‘Grand Affair’
September 30, 2017 1:33 am
|    Comments Off on PHOTOS: Grand fun found at West Seattle Food Bank’s ‘Grand Affair’
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand, unless otherwise credited)

Fighting hunger is serious business – but that can be facilitated by fun, like the West Seattle Food Bank‘s games-drinks-and-auction fundraising party “A Grand Affair” in SODO Friday night. The folks who make the Food Bank run were among those mingling (and wrangling) at Westland Distillery – during our stop, we spotted WSFB executive director Fran Yeatts:

Development director Judi Yazzolino (below right) paused for the briefest of instants for a photo with Lora Swift, who by day is West Seattle Junction Association executive director but at “A Grand Affair” was volunteering:

If you haven’t figured it out already, the party was Roaring ’20s-themed, including a “speakeasy”-type entry at the door – below are WSFB’s operations manager Lester Yuh, operations/development assistant Karla Marifjeren, and operations director Steven Curry:

(Photo by Whit Carter)

We also found WSFB board president Ben Viscon (who you likely know as winemaker for Viscon Cellars [WSB sponsor]):

Casino-style games enhanced the fun, with Vegas-style winning shrieks around the tables:

Those who preferred cards might have found themselves with a celebrity dealer, radio personality Jodi Brothers from 95.7 The Jet:

Others you might have recognized included Peel and Press (WSB sponsor) proprietor Dan Austin, pouring special cocktails:

Husky Deli‘s Jack Miller was there too, creating floats with his famous ice cream. And all around the venue, easels carried reminders of how and who the WSFB helps.

It’s not just about food – the Food Bank provides clients of all ages with more than 14,000 books a year, for example. So events like the second annual “Grand Affair” help WSFB nourish minds as well as bodies. Within a few days, we’ll know how much tonight’s event raised and we’ll update this story.

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FOOTBALL: Chief Sealth hosts Franklin @ SWAC
September 29, 2017 11:51 pm
|    Comments Off on FOOTBALL: Chief Sealth hosts Franklin @ SWAC
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

Big win for Chief Sealth International High School tonight at Southwest Athletic Complex, over visiting Franklin HS.

We got to the game at the start of the second quarter, by which time the Seahawks were ahead 19-8. The scoring for the rest of the game was all Sealth.

(Sealth #8, Dontae McMillan)

They had added 10 more points by halftime, 29-8. By the end of the third quarter, Sealth was up 44-8. And the fourth quarter went by without any change, so the final score was 44-8. That put the Seahawks’ record up to 3-2 under first-year head coach Ted Rodriguez.

The Quakers – with far fewer players on their roster – went home still looking for their first win.

Next week, Chief Sealth is on the road, playing Ingraham at NW Athletic Complex, 7 pm Friday (October 6th).

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car prowl with unique item taken; porch prowler
September 29, 2017 11:06 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:

CAR PROWL WITH PASSPORT TAKEN: If you find an Ethiopian passport discarded somewhere in our area, it might belong to the victim of a car prowl near California/Harbor today. A cell phone was taken, too.

PORCH PROWLER: Very early this morning in Gatewood, Elizabeth spotted “a male – probably around 5’9″ or so, but too dark to further identify – in a light colored minivan stop in the middle of the 4100 block of Monroe and run to several front porches checking for mail. Appeared to be unaccompanied.”

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SUNDAY: First advisory committee meeting since operator change @ Camp Second Chance
September 29, 2017 9:18 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Myers Way | West Seattle news

City-sanctioned Camp Second Chance on Myers Way has a new operator, LIHI, and for the first time since the change, the encampment’s Community Advisory Committee will meet this Sunday (2 pm, Arrowhead Gardens, 9200 2nd SW, open to the public). While what happens on Myers Way outside the camp is outside the scope of its operator and the committee, it is often a topic of public comment at these meetings, so this week’s developments will be of interest:

That was the scene along Myers Way north of the camp on Thursday morning, when we went there to check out what Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith had told the Highland Park Action Committee the night before, that police had cleared the roadside on the east side, a few weeks after doing the same thing on the west side, where fencing followed to set up a walkway, something requested at the previous advisory-committee meeting.

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TUESDAY: Concord International School PTA to air concerns that dual-language program is eroding
September 29, 2017 7:08 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

In the West Seattle/South Park area, Concord International School is the only Seattle Public Schools elementary with a dual-language immersion program.

Some parents are concerned that changes this year are eroding the immersive aspect of the English/Spanish program. And they plan a meeting next Tuesday at South Park Neighborhood Center (6 pm October 3rd, 8201 10th Ave. S., South Park) to explain their concerns.

Among those concerns: Reading and writing are being taught primarily in English. And Concord’s kindergarten has only one dual-language classroom this year.

At a briefing for families last week at Concord, longtime principal Dr. Norma Zavala explained the program’s status but didn’t take Q&A, saying that would be at a later meeting.

She noted overall changes including that Concord has a STEAM curriculum now – science, technology, engineering, art, math, and that while the school’s students were 93 percent qualified for free/reduced-price lunch when she started almost a decade ago, that is down to 75 percent.

Kindergarten enrollment for Concord wasn’t enough for two dual-language classrooms, the principal said, so they have one dual and one “traditional” as the result of a decision that had to be made around kindergarten “jump start” time in August.

There are concerns that the school is not as involved with nearby Marra Farm this year as it has been in the past, but the principal says it’s continuing to partner with Concord teachers.

Regarding the dual-language instruction, she said both Concord and Beacon Hill, another of the district’s five elementaries with dual-language immersion, have a “shift” happening:

Students (native/heritage Spanish and English speakers) will learn to read and write in both English and Spanish from kindergarten. Formal, balanced literacy instruction will happen in English. Literacy in Spanish will be taught through small group instruction and through the content areas (e.g. math, social studies, science). The plan, she said, “supports increasing bilingualism of incoming students” – that’s another change, that students who used to start as native Spanish speakers “are now coming in bilingual.”

The principal said the benefits of concurrent literacy development are expected to include:

*Native Spanish and English speakers learn with and from each other all day

*Literacy skills are taught through content in both languages

*Increased time in Spanish for English native speakers

*Less segregation by language group

She also said the changes are expected to increase support for and collaboration between teachers, better leverage district resources, and increase centralized support for the dual-language program.

Among specific subjects, math for the dual-language students is being taught in Spanish for K through 2nd, both languages for 3rd, and in English for 4th and 5th, though Dr. Zavala said that’s not a change. Writing is being taught in English for all grades, though English Language Learners will continue to get support from bilingual staff, and it will also “be taught through social studies and science in Spanish in dual-language classrooms.”

Reading has a new district-adopted curriculum – for the first time in many years, pointed out School Board director Leslie Harris, who was also in attendance.

Science, with new standards, is being taught in Spanish for the dual-language K-5 classrooms.

Music for all students is being taught in Spanish.

Overall, many areas in K-3rd are “50/50 Spanish-English,” while in 4th and 5th, there’s more English. Dr. Zavala said that in visiting classrooms previously, 4th and 5th graders “were not engaged … were not talking in Spanish.” But they will still be eligible for middle-school Spanish studies and “the Seal of Biliteracy” in high school.

PTA co-president Robin Schwartz says parents are concerned about what they’re hearing from their kids, and have myriad concerns and want answers from the district. That’s what they are hoping will happen at next Tuesday’s meeting, to which they invite not only their fellow Concord parents but anyone else interested in the dual-language program. The elementary level has been the most immersive in our area; it feeds to Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School in West Seattle, whose program points are explained here.

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