West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
For tonight’s Christmas-lights spotlight, we visited West Seattle Lights, the music-synched display that’s in its 10th year at 3908 SW Charlestown. Since Jim Winder created West Seattle Lights in 2009, it’s inspire thousands of dollars (and thousands of pounds of food) in donations, plus it has a spinoff in Maple Valley. Since it’s Christmas Eve, the show’s running until midnight tonight (tomorrow too) – here’s the schedule. (To see other lights we’ve spotlighted, scroll through this WSB archive category.)
Three Christmas Eve views:
Barb spotted that at Alki this morning; below, a scene we happened onto in The Junction this afternoon:
Musicians from Vashon busking at Junction Plaza Park. pic.twitter.com/XsjH961hi3
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) December 24, 2018
And if you missed it … it was a glorious sunset. Several sent photos, including Marc:
He watched the sunset from the Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook area on Beach Drive. Thanks as always for sharing photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com or, if texting is easier, 206-293-6302!
Don’t leave anything out — except the milk and cookies for Santa! Mail and package thieves are also busy (minus reindeer) as the holiday season continues, this reader-recorded security video reminds us. The mail thief appears midway through the one-minute clip; this happened just after 4 am Saturday morning near 39th/Dakota. Info? Location: Near the intersection of 39th Ave. S.W. and S.W. Dakota. Info? Refer to SPD incident # 18-479040.
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand unless otherwise credited)
If you are a certain age, you might remember when sewing was taught in schools. (Usually just girls, though.) That time is long past – but this art classroom at White Center Heights Elementary revived the art of sewing, with the help of their teacher and the West Seattle Timebank.
For the past month, Shoshanna Cohen‘s fourth- and fifth-graders have been sewing stuffed animals. Cohen says even she didn’t know how to sew before launching the project. The kids wanted to make the toys as holiday gifts, two each – one to donate, one to take home for someone in their own family.
Basic school funding doesn’t cover much, so Cohen had to be extra-scrappy to make this happen. She got the materials crowdfunded through Donors Choose (a website particularly popular with teachers). And she got the help from Timebank members because she is one herself.
Timebank leader Tamsen Spengler (above) was one of the volunteers there when we visited one of Cohen’s classes at WCH Elementary as they wrapped up the project last Friday, before leaving for winter break. She’s also who told us about it, so we could share the story with you.
This class wants to get their stuffed animals to kids in detention – Cohen is still researching where and how they can do that. Her other class is donating to young patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
They’re giving – and they’re receiving. “These kids are amazing,” Cohen enthused. She also had praise for the Timebank members, saying she wished she could have their help all the time. While we were talking to her, a steady stream of students came up to her, asking for guidance, and/or a bit of validation. We even got a question: “Does this look like pepperoni?” A boy held up circles of felt, about the right color and size.
We said it did. What occurred to us is, it looked a lot like love.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Timebank)
P.S. Signing up for the West Seattle Timebank just might get you the chance to be part of an adventure like this. Here’s how.
Info for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide (which includes events through New Year’s, and we’re still updating, so if you have something to add, westseattleblog@gmail.com):
LIBRARIES: Both Seattle and King County library systems are closed today as well as tomorrow.
RESTAURANTS: Our list of restaurants that told us they would be open today/tonight and/or Christmas Day and/or New Year’s Eve and/or Day – at least one of the four – is here. (Caveat: Sometimes plans change after we make our calls, so if you know of a change or addition, please let us know – 206-293-6302, text or voice, 24/7, thanks!)
SHOPPING: Still not done? Thunder Road Guitars (4736 California SW: WSB sponsor) is open until 1:30 pm. Several other businesses open today are on the list in our Holiday Guide, too.
GROCERY SHOPPING: Metropolitan Market (41st/42nd/Admiral; WSB sponsor) is open until 6 pm; West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor) is open until 9 pm. All local stores’ Christmas Eve/Day schedule is in our guide.
WRAPPING: Let somebody else do it! Furry Faces Foundation‘s Wrap It Up gift-wrapping fundraiser is 2-6 pm at Beveridge Place Pub. (6413 California SW)
CHURCH SERVICES: A dozen local churches have shared their schedules in our guide, including WSB sponsor Tibbetts United Methodist Church (3940 41st SW), which has a family service at 5 pm and candlelight service at 8 pm.
LIGHTS: Also in our guide. The synched-to-music West Seattle Lights display will run 5-midnight tonight. Bring nonperishable food to drop in the bin for the West Seattle Food Bank. (3908 SW Charlestown)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:11 AM: Good morning! No traffic incidents or transit alerts in our area so far. Metro is on “reduced weekday” service.
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