One of Seattle Parks‘ best-known leaders in West Seattle has died. Sheila Brown was 59. Here’s the remembrance sent to us this afternoon:

Sheila Brown
1962-2021

Sheila Brown, longtime West Seattle environmental activist and Education Program Supervisor at Camp Long for the past 17 years, has died. Sheila was responsible for initiating the partnership with 4H that resulted in the building of the Challenge course at Camp Long. She was active in race and social justice issues at the City, and committed to getting kids of all backgrounds to appreciate and experience the natural world. She helped create the Leaders in Environment, Equity, and Facilitation (LEEF) program for developing BIPOC youth leadership in environmental education. The program has recently been expanded so that youth leaders will be employed to lead environmental programming for the Parks Department.

Sheila’s career in environmental education and youth recreation included managing education programs for EarthCorps. She was known as a great mentor and courageous leader of teams. She was a Board member for the Common Acre, a nonprofit involved in community agriculture habitat restoration and bee keeping projects. Prior to working for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, Sheila was a volunteer in the development of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail, and in open space preservation in Delridge.

Her personal hobbies often involved music. She sang with the Northwest Chamber Chorus, and went to Eastern Europe on a tour with that group. She was a staff person at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop for many summers, and is remembered as the lively host of many open mikes that went into the wee hours. She was a longtime fan of the Vancouver Folk Festival, even when it involved sitting in the rain wrapped up in a tarp.

She was a seeker of spiritual truth and community all her life. She was active in a successful effort to save Camp Gallagher, a Catholic Youth Organization camp at which she worked in her 20s, which was transferred to a new nonprofit owner and reopened recently. She was also very involved in the Non-Violent Communication (NVC) community. NVC is a theory and practice of communication based in Buddhist principles and seeking to resolve conflicts in ways where everyone gets their needs met. She dreamt of promoting NVC and Awareness Through the Body (ATB) principles to help youth enhance self-knowledge and to facilitate reconciliation between people disconnected by vastly different perspectives.

Sheila lived in Rio de Janeiro during high school, and stayed in touch with many former students from the Escola Americana there throughout her life. She planned to attend the 40th reunion for her class of 1980 in Rio last summer that was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID.

Sheila received the news that her third bout with cancer was terminal late last year. She decided to leave a legacy by raising funds for the construction of a gateway at the eastern entrance of Camp Long, designed to match the main entrance on Dawson Street. Nearly 80 donors contributed over $22,000, and the new gateway will be installed later this year. Remembrances for Sheila can be made to the Gateway Project c/o Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. Donations will support trail and habitat restoration in Camp Long and the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Sheila’s memorial website is here.

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

UPDATE: Gas-line break near Delridge/Kenyon

| Utilities | West Seattle news

(Texted photo)

2:11 PM: Avoid Delridge Way SW near SW Kenyon – a big Seattle Fire response is on the way for a reported break in a 2″ gas line. Updates to come.

2:14 PM: Firefighters are telling dispatch they’re evacuating adjacent residences as a precaution.

2:25 PM: They’re calling for medical help for one person.

2:30 PM: That’s now been canceled. Puget Sound Energy has arrived and firefighters say the leak “has been shut down.”

2:39 PM: Some of the SFD responding units have been dismissed. Now the crews on scene are testing the air in nearby buildings to be sure it’s safe for people to go back inside (including construction workers).

2:43 PM: Firefighters told dispatch it’ll be “at least 10 more minutes” before they can resume letting buses (and presumably other traffic) through.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen Accord

June 22, 2021 1:43 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news

Amanda hopes you will be on the lookout for her stolen car:

My 1993 Honda Accord LX was stolen from North Admiral.

1993 Honda Accord LX 4 door
Purplish-brown color with red pinstriping
License plate: ABE8926

Call 911 if you see it.

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From White Center Now: Take a swing at renaming a baseball team!

June 22, 2021 12:28 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | White Center | WS & Sports

(WCN/WSB photo from June 2019)

If you’ve gone to a Highline Bears baseball game at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center, you know it’s a fun time, more up-close-and-personal (and affordable) than a major-league matchup. The Bears have to play mostly on the road this year because of the pandemic but they’re taking the opportunity in the meantime to get ready for a re-branding: They’re looking for a new name, and accepting suggestions through the Fourth of July. The full story’s on our partner site White Center Now.

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Fogue Gallery: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

June 22, 2021 11:11 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Today we’re welcoming Fogue Gallery as a new WSB sponsor. When businesses join our sponsor team, they get the opportunity to tell you about themselves, so here’s what Fogue Gallery would like you to know:

Longtime West Seattle resident Patti Curtis has opened a new Fogue Gallery location at 4130 California Ave SW in West Seattle, just a couple blocks north of the Alaska Junction. Her desire to support the community led Curtis to open Fogue Gallery. The Gallery sponsors and participates in the West Seattle Art Walk, an event on the second Thursday of every month where artists and art-lovers gather from 5-8 pm to share work with their community.

Fogue Gallery has set out to phase out the age-out with a collaborative and supportive group of fifteen local Seattle artists, all over the age of 50. Life may not start at 50 years of age, but it sure doesn’t have to end there either. Curtis decided to embrace her age by calling it Fogue, a take on being an “old fogey.” Her idea was to give each artist, musician, or writer a voice and to have gatherings so the artists could share their art.

The artists display and sell their original fine art and jewelry in a 2-story storefront. “Whether they are emerging, established or reemerging artists, all the work is professionally executed, original, and affordable. Art should be accessible and not intimidating,” says Curtis. “It’s about connection and what speaks to the individual. You can’t go wrong with any of our selections.”

Fogue Gallery also offers interior design and art consultations as an additional service. Receive personalized recommendations for art, décor, and lighting for your home and/or home office. Book an appointment online as well as shop for art in the comfort of your own home at foguegallery.com.

At the gallery, hours are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 12:00 pm-5:00 pm, AND second Thursday of the month 5:00 pm-8:00 pm for West Seattle Art Walk.

We thank Fogue Gallery for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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Notes for the rest of your West Seattle Tuesday

June 22, 2021 10:03 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to local artist/photographer Machel Spence for the photo – and happy birthday; she sent it with news that to celebrate her 50th birthday, she’s having a sale 12 pm-2 pm in her online shop. Here’s what else is happening today:

SCHOOL MEAL SITES: School is out for the summer but meals are available 11 am-1 pm today and every weekday (except July 2 and 5) at these four schools:

Arbor Heights Elementary – 3701 SW 104th St.
Denny International Middle School – 2601 SW Kenyon St.
Highland Park Elementary – 1012 SW Trenton St.
Roxhill Elementary – 7740 34th Ave. SW

LOW-LOW TIDE: As previewed last night, a week of low-low tides starts today. Low tide was at 9:37 am, -2.1 feet, but it still should be an interesting sight if you head out shortly after this is published.

ROTARY CLUB VISITORS DAY: 11:30 am-1 pm, the Rotary Club of West Seattle welcomes visitors to find out what they’re all about. Our preview explains how to be part of it.

DEMONSTRATION: Organizer Scott welcomes you to join streetcorner sign-waving for racial justice, 4-6 pm at 16th/Holden. Signs available if you don’t have one of your own.

POSITION 9 CITY COUNCIL FORUM: The MASS Coalition (Move All Seattle Sustainably) is hosting an online forum for candidates in this no-incumbent citywide City Council race at 5 pm. Register here for viewing info.

Something else for today – or beyond? Please email info – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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YOU CAN HELP: Many ways to volunteer with the White Center Food Bank – kids, too!

June 22, 2021 9:00 am

| Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP: Many ways to volunteer with the White Center Food Bank – kids, too!

| How to help | West Seattle news

The White Center Food Bank, which serves part of West Seattle too, will soon lose the National Guard members who’ve been assisting during the pandemic, so its volunteer need is greater than ever. At a reader’s suggestion, we asked WCFB for more info about volunteering – here’s what they sent:

Interested in food justice? Volunteers know what goes on behind the scenes at the White Center Food Bank, and are critical to ensuring that our community is able to access the food they need. We are currently seeking volunteers for a variety of roles, and our need is high.

All volunteer shifts are during our business hours: Monday 9am-5pm and Tuesday- Friday 8 am-4 pm. If you can only help out once a month, or sporadically, please reach out, we’d still love to find a way to help you serve our WCFB community!

Volunteers 15 and older can volunteer alone, with a parent or guardian’s permission. Volunteers 8-14 are welcome to volunteer with a trusted adult in their life. Call or email Heather Crandall at 206-717-2527 or heather@whitecenterfoodbank.org to learn more, or you can apply to be a volunteer on our website at: www.whitecenterfoodbank.org/volunteer-application.

Volunteer Needs
Tent and Shelving Wranglers
Spend a few hours each week creating a friendly, organized grocery store by setting up for tearing down our farmer’s market style distribution. Hours are Monday 10 am-12 pm or 3:45-5 pm, or Wednesday through Friday 8-10 am or 1:45-3 pm.

Grocery Rescue
Rescue food from grocery stores to provide diverse food options for customers as they shop at the food bank. Hours are Monday through Friday 9-11:30 am

Grocery Store Clerks
Come for a regular shift and get to know our regular customers! Volunteers will welcome and chat with customers face to face as they shop for groceries, help customers find what they’re looking for, and will ensure our grocery store is well stocked throughout the day. Shifts available Mondays 12-4 (highest need!), or Weds-Friday 10 am-2 pm.

Arms of Steel Team (Warehouse Support)
Volunteers who want to be more active and build/use some muscle can help us keep our warehouse organized, and assist with large donations of bulk items (either receiving or going out!). Shifts available Monday 12-4 pm, Tuesday 10 am-3 pm, or Weds-Friday 10 am-2 pm.

Also:

Ride your bike with a purpose in your community by delivering groceries by bike for the White Center Food Bank: Every Thursday starting from 9:30 am to 11 am – 30 minute to 1 hour ride depending on route. The White Center Food Bank is looking for 7 volunteer riders to deliver bags and boxes of groceries to neighbors in and around the White Center and Southwest Seattle neighborhoods. The White Center Food Bank uses bags to package their groceries, so each volunteer rider will need to be able to carry at least two 20-pound bags of groceries on their bike. Having a cargo bike or bike trailer is prefered. If you don’t have a cargo bike or bike trailer, let us know – we have a whole fleet of bike trailers that we are more than happy to lend out! We’ll bring them to the food bank for them and you can drop them back off at the food bank after your delivery ride!

Interested in volunteering for this weekly grocery delivery and produce rescue ride?
Just follow these 2 steps!
Step #1 – Click here to fill out our simple volunteer sign-up form for this opportunity
Step #2 – After signing up a link to the route selection tool will be sent to you the Monday before the Thursday delivery rider that you sign up for!

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WEATHER, TRAFFIC, ROAD WORK: Tuesday notes

June 22, 2021 6:12 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:12 AM: Good morning! A few degrees cooler today after Monday’s high (89) tied the (1992) record for that date.

ROAD WORK

SW Yancy – Open again between 28th and Avalon, after almost three months.

Delridge project – Here’s this week’s plan, with the Delridge/Henderson/Barton intersection remaining closed on the east side, and several other closures continuing including SW Thistle east of Delridge..

FERRIES/BUSES

Regular schedule for buses and ferries.

(Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations, @wsferries for major WSF changes.)

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

456th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 24th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends, when the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available for some categories of drivers.)

Here’s a low-bridge view:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:

Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. The 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.

Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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