West Seattle, Washington
26 Tuesday
Before his sold-out show in Columbia City, SYML – Seattle-area musician Brian Fennell – took the stage this evening at Easy Street Records in The Junction. WSB’s Jason Grotelueschen dropped in for a bit of video. SYML’s first album officially goes on sale in early May; tonight’s Easy Street audience got a preview. (Here’s the story behind the name, among other things.)
That’s the traffic revision on Avalon at Genesee, as we saw it while driving through late this afternoon, on the second day since the year-plus Avalon/35th/Alaska repaving/rechannelization project started gearing up. We’ve also received an update from SDOT‘s project spokesperson Adonis Ducksworth:
After assessing the project corridor today, we will be staging our equipment at 30th Ave NE from SW Avalon Way to the nearest driveway. This location was chosen because it minimizes impacts of people traveling from SW Avalon Way to the Delridge neighborhood. Local Access and Driveway access on 30th Ave SW will be maintained via SW Yancy and SW Genesee streets. Crews will be storing equipment and materials for our work in Zone B at this location. We expect this closure to last up to 3 months.
Additionally, we have a no left turn in place for southbound SW Avalon Way at the SW Genesee St intersection. The no left turn is in place for safety of people driving due to the inability for a left-turn queue during construction as we begin work near the SW Genesee St intersection.
Zone B is the Genesee-to-Yancy section of Avalon where work will be done first; early next month, work will start on 35th between Avalon and Alaska. For more project details, including the rest of the phasing, see the preview we published last Friday.
(WSB photo from March 4, 2017, after WSHS boys took 3rd place at state – Coach Fazio, 2nd from right)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“So many great memories.”
After 10 years at West Seattle High School, that’s what boys-basketball head coach Keffrey Fazio will be leaving with.
He has just announced that after this school year is over, he will be taking a new position, coaching men’s basketball at Seattle Pacific University under head coach Grant Leep.
WSHS athletic director Corey Sorenson is not surprised. “I realized during my first year at West Seattle that Keff should be coaching at the college level.”
Fazio has been head coach of the Wildcats for six years, with a 92-64 record, after four years as an assistant coach. He’s a two-time Metro League Coach of the Year (2017 and 2018); 2017 was the year the WSHS boys finished 3rd place at state – their highest finish ever. The team also went to state this past season, and appeared in the district tournament six times during Fazio’s tenure.
(WSB photo from 2019 state tournament)
“It has been a true honor to coach for the community that I grew up in,” Fazio told WSB. “I have had many family members attend WSHS and I hope we made you all and the community proud. Coaching in the Metro League was an amazing experience, and helped shape the man I am today. I enjoyed competing against all the great players and coaches our league has to offer. Our focus at WSHS during my time was a philosophy on preparation and belief. I think we accomplished that, but you don’t win many games without great players, and I have been fortunate to coach some really good ones.” He adds, “I will always cherish the players and the memories,” especially daily interactions at practice.
AD Sorenson says the search for Fazio’s successor will start immediately. And it’ll be a challenge: “Coach Keffrey has been the heart and soul of our basketball program and an irreplaceable leader within our school. This opportunity could not have gone to a more deserving person. It has been a blessing to have him lead our basketball program these past 6 years. Seattle Pacific University is getting a phenomenal coach. I look forward to following his career for years to come.”
And Coach Fazio’s parting words: “I would like to thank the West Seattle community for your support. So many people helped me get our program to where it is today. West Seattle is truly a unique place. I am forever grateful to you all. To the families, thank you for putting up with me. The players, thank you for believing in me, and my coaches, thank you for supporting me. Last, but certainly not least my family for encouraging me to pursue my dreams and supporting me, and my wife Janelle for being a constant source of support and love through the good and tough times. I would not have been able to give my all to WSHS without her being by my side.
“I would also like to thank the WSHS admin team and teachers for their support.”
He’ll start at SPU in July.
4:17 PM: Haven’t yet heard which side it’s on but a car-fire response might make traffic tricky on 35th SW near Trenton for a while. Seattle Fire and Police are both headed that way.
4:28 PM: Photo added. 35th SW is shut down between Cloverdale and Trenton right now. No injuries.
5:04 PM: SFD has closed the call. We’ll be checking in a few minutes to see if the street has reopened.
5:27 PM: Fully open.
130+ sales are now ready to be mapped for the 15th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, coming up Saturday, May 11th. If you’re planning a sale, here’s your reminder that registration ends next week – Thursday, April 25th, is the cutoff, so we can get busy with the map and listings, which will be available in clickable and downloadable/printable formats one week before WSCGSD as usual. We have sales signed up all over the peninsula, north to south, east to west, probably something in walking distance of wherever you live – every year we hear from people (both sellers and shoppers) who say they most enjoyed meeting neighbors. 9 am-3 pm are the official sale hours on May 11th, but if you plan to start early and/or end late, just be sure that’s part of the “ad” you include when you register, so it’ll be mentioned on the map. Ready to register? Here’s where to start.
(WSB photos)
60 percent of our state’s college students, 40 percent of the funding. That’s one rallying point as educators and students fight for more funding of the state’s Community and Technical Colleges, including South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge, where an all-day awareness/advocacy event continues until about 3 pm at the Clock Tower Plaza. Participants have numerous options for sending messages to Olympia, where a bill to “Reinvest in Our Colleges” got stuck in committee:
Other messages are on display in signage reflecting SSC’s multicultural, multilingual student body:
Among the educators we found at the plaza, SSC president Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap:
Dealing with the budget was a major challenge she listed when we talked with her as her presidency began last fall. Meantime, the background for today’s event and others around the state is here.
For the second time this week, we’ve received a reader report of a car prowler getting away with golf equipment. This report is from Danielle:
I wanted to report that car prowler got into my husband’s car early Sunday morning —sometime between 1a and 7a parked in front of our home in Westwood. The prowler tried to steal our car, but apparently can’t drive a manual… so settled for stealing my husband golf clubs (an amassed collection Ping G30s, some Titleist, a couple of TaylorMade, and an old Karsten from his grandpa – who passed) in a beige Adams golf bag. They’re more sentimental value than anything, but would love and appreciate it if people could be on the lookout for the clubs, maybe abandoned somewhere.
And one more reminder that, as featured in the daily list, you can talk with/hear from local police at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
(“Backyard raptor” photographed by Gary Jones)
Lots going on:
HOLY WEEK CONTINUES: Our list of local churches’ special services/events is here.
SYML AT EASY STREET: Solo performance in-store at 6 pm, signing to follow. Free, all ages. (California/Alaska)
STUDENT ART SHOW: Chief Sealth International High School‘s International Baccalaureate program invites you to come see its students’ visual-arts creations, years in the making. 6:30-8 pm. (2600 SW Thistle)
ZECHARIAH VALETTE: “Professional pianist and vocalist extraordinaire” performs at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), musical selections from the ’50s through the ’70s, and all are invited, 6:30 pm. Free. More info here. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUP: Reading/read the 2019 Seattle Reads book? “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui is the featured title for this month’s High Point Library book group, 6:30 pm. (3411 SW Raymond)
TOASTMASTERS: Local club 832 invites you to visit at 6:30 tonight at Brookdale West Seattle. What’s Toastmasters, you ask? The club is “part of Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organization that teaches speaking and leadership skills. Toastmasters educational program offers self-paced supportive learning environment where you can build your leadership skills, improve speaking skills and gain self-confidence.” Second floor. (4611 35th SW)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Monthly chance to hear from and talk with local police about West Seattle crime/safety concerns, as well as a special guest – this month from the Internet Crimes Against Children unit. 7 pm at Southwest Precinct. (2300 SW Webster)
UNPLUGGED – A MUSICAL GATHERING: Tonight’s acoustic night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. All genres, all ages. Come play! (5612 California SW)
MEET THE CANDIDATE: City Council candidate Phil Tavel‘s drop-in “Tuesdays with Tavel” event is 8-10 pm, upstairs at Ephesus Restaurant this week. “Share comments, suggestions and concerns about issues or opportunities in D1.” (5245 California SW)
AND THERE’S MORE: Here!
All week long, along with non-religious events like egg hunts, our Easter/Passover/More page is where to find special local services and gatherings. Tomorrow night (6:30 pm Wednesday), St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church invites the community to a unique Stations of the Cross observance:
The devotion known as the Stations of the Cross is an adaptation to local usage of a custom widely observed by pilgrims to Jerusalem: the offering of prayer at a series of places in that city traditionally associated with our Lord’s passion and death.
The number of stations-which at first varied widely-finally became fixed at 14. Of these, eight are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels. The remaining six (numbers 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 13) are based on inferences from the Gospel account or from pious legend.
In this innovative and adaptive version of the liturgy; elements of art and music are blended to create a unique experience of Jesus’ passion. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to experience prayer, live-painting, stringed instruments, and candlelight woven together into a blend of story and emotion as we prepare to walk the final days into Jesus’ death and resurrection.
St. John’s is at 3050 California SW. See what else is happening this week by browsing our page here.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! No traffic or transit alerts so far, but two reminders:
AVALON PROJECT: SDOT‘s big project continues.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners are home again at 7:10 pm vs. Cleveland, so there’s extended West Seattle Water Taxi service.
25 girls who’ve been studying design in the Miss Reese Fashion Club showed their creations at VAIN in the West Seattle Junction on Monday night. This year, the inspiration was “Rebel Girls.” Each participant focused on one special “rebel” who inspired her – for Luka, Rosie the Riveter:
For Pilar, Mata Hari:
For Emily, Hatshepsut the Pharaoh:’
For Audrey, Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
In our photo, she’s with Miss Reese herself, who teaches the design class at West Seattle Art Nest. In addition to modeling outfits designed with their inspirations in mind, the girls also created presentations about them:
And of course proud families were at VAIN to cheer them on:
The other girls and their inspirations: Emma, Michelle Obama; Gigi, Nancy Wake (WWII spy); Maria, Ada Lovelace (mathematician); Ilya, Helen Keller; Clare, Jill Tarter (astronomer); Myla, Coco Chanel; Sam, Alek Wek (supermodel); Jada, Beyoncé; Monroe, Madonna; Lola, Marie Callas; Gracie, Audrey Hepburn; Ava, Misty Copland; Gabby L., Simone Biles (gymnast); Dylan, Jessica Long (swimmer); Gabi K., Mary Kom (boxer); Ella, Grace O’Malley (pirate); Bella, Anne Bonny (pirate); Lainey, Jacquotte Delahaye (pirate); Shai, Brenda Chapman (director); Layla, Christina, Queen of Sweden; Marlies, Cleopatra.
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