West Seattle, Washington
05 Friday
Good thing they’re not gathering at the school — since as we first reported last week, the renovations are ramping up, and the campus is closed for two years. But they’re partying just the same – all former Chief Sealth High School students from the ’60s and ’70s are invited to a gathering at West Seattle Golf Course tonight. The Class of ’73 is sponsoring it in honor of its 35th anniversary, but they want to share memories with those who came before and after. They describe it as “a free, casual event with a no-host bar and food available from the Cafe. Get-together starts at 5 pm, with music of the era until 10:30. Bring any Sealth yearbooks and memories along. No RSVP needed!”
Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle, the folks behind last weekend’s first-ever Edible Gardens Tour of West Seattle (WSB coverage here) and volunteer tree-harvesting to collect food for those in need, is offering free canning classes this month, plus a Community Canning Kitchen, focusing on plums. The classes are at 10 am August 23rd at PCC and 6:30 pm August 27th at the Senior Center (Community Harvest says that one’s open to all ages). Here’s more info on the CHoSS website.
Idyllic setting for the free Blue 55 concert east of the Alki Bathhouse this evening … the lawn right in front of the band was sparsely occupied but outside the photo frame, many more people were enjoying the music from the seawall and the sand. More outdoor music Friday – the second of four summertime Friday night concerts at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor), this time with Maia Santell – dinner and beer/wine available for purchase at 5 pm, music starts at 6. Back to tonight: Another outdoor party, this time in White Center:
JenV sent that photo tonight from Big Al Brewing, whose grand opening we mentioned earlier in the day. And another followup – after we posted the $4.01 gas-price sighting from California/Andover this afternoon, we got two reports of $3.99 gas elsewhere, and photographed this one (California/Charlestown) tonight while heading to Alki:
In the background, you see Charlestown Center – today was the day the leasing company had told us it would be “turned over” to its first tenants (a fitness center and hair salon, as reported here last week). No sign of them yet but we’ll keep an eye out. Speaking of fitness centers, we see Snap Fitness – coming to Jefferson Square – has posted job openings in the WSB Forum “West Seattle Jobs Offered” area (free to any business hiring for a job actually located IN West Seattle!); speaking of salons, Salon 08 on Genesee south of California has its grand-opening celebration Friday night.
Cynthia sends a reminder that today’s the day Dairy Queen donates the proceeds from Blizzards to the Children’s Miracle Network. (Nearest Dairy Queen is in White Center, 10256 16th SW; here’s a map.) And that provides the segue to a note we received earlier this week: The West Seattle coordinators of the annual “Cones for Kids” fundraiser for the EJ Guild, which supports Children’s Hospital patients’ families, are dealing with a potential dilemma — months ago, they set their event for September 7th at the Alki Bathhouse; then the city chose that same day as Car-Free Day on Alki. So they want to start getting the word out that they’ll be offering cones and sundaes of Husky ice cream at the Bathhouse that day, in hopes the folks who come to the beach to play in the street (etc.) will be sure to walk over their way. 1-4 pm Sept. 7th; we’ll of course remind you again when it gets closer. Here’s the flyer for their event.
Team WSB watched tonight’s “Project Runway“ episode with a spirited crowd – biggest since the premiere night – at Ginomai, where the air conditioning was heavenly and so was the potluck dessert selection – read on to see how Blayne did and what his Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) boss Lora Lewis says about it:Read More
Hot off the presses (and out of the pixels), the poster for Picnic at the Precinct, 1-4 pm Saturday 8/16 – if you’re having a block party tonight, make sure everybody knows this is coming up!
We got some fun pix at last year’s Picnic at the Precinct (kids and robots!); see them here.
Tonight, as previously mentioned, Night Out is the biggie, and we’ll be covering it all over West Seattle. From the WSB Events calendar, others to single out:
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Some local neighborhood councils/associations go on hiatus in August, but not the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, which meets at 6:30 pm, Delridge Library. In The Junction, it’s the next “Project Runway” viewing party to cheer barista Blayne (Ginomai, 42nd/Genesee, doors open 8 pm, show at 9 pm).
THURSDAY NIGHT: Another outdoor concert on Alki – this time, Blue 55 plays by the Bathhouse; at SSCC’s Brockey Center, a Town Hall meeting about a substance-abuse problem that too often goes unnoticed till it’s too late, medicine abuse, 5 pm.
FRIDAY: Volunteers of all ages are invited to join in the next Delridge-area grocery audit as part of the King County Food and Fitness Initiative, then enjoy a barbecue party – full scoop here; the Rotary Club of West Seattle fundraising berry sale starts blueberry pickups (today’s the order deadline, by the way); then it’s the summer’ second outdoor concert at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor), featuring Maia Santell; and fun will be sprouting more raucously than usual at West Seattle Nursery that night during the 34th District Democrats‘ biggest fundraiser of the year, the Garden Party (full details here, including catered Cajun dinner).
SATURDAY: The “Water and Spirit” fundraising bike ride will take participants from St. John the Baptist and other area churches on a 40-mile trek ending with a barbecue at Alki. That night, the next episode of West Seattle Movies on the Wall brings an animated fave, “Finding Nemo,” dusk in the courtyard by Hotwire.
One more note – West Seattle’s library branches have several special events this week (including raptors and games – libraries are about a lot more than books!) – check here.
As reported here last Wednesday, eastern West Seattle now have a city-run wading pool to use on remaining sunny summer Sundays — almost a month after Delridge residents first pointed out that the only wading pools in the area open on Sundays were on the west side of the peninsula (original WSB report, with map, here), the city agreed to change the schedule for the pool north of Delridge Community Center (shown above). The hours are noon-6 pm, and this means that, weather permitting, the Delridge wading pool will be open 7 days a week through the end of the month. Here’s where to find info on all city-run wading pools.
Yet another good turnout for week 3 of this summer’s West Seattle Movies on the Wall — above you see part of the crowd that filled the courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) last night for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” presented by WSB and co-sponsored by Click! Design That Fits (also a WSB sponsor). If you haven’t made it to Movies on the Wall yet this summer (3 more to go!), it’s powered by Sidewalk Cinema, on this very wall:
The full slate – which was chosen with your help (you may recall the nomination/”voting” process last spring) — is listed on this page. Next week it’s “Finding Nemo”; after that, “Ghostbusters” and “Galaxy Quest.” The movies are free but you’re encouraged to bring a few $ because of several fun ways to spend it for a good cause 
– every week there’s a raffle on behalf of a nonprofit suggested by the sponsor(s) – at left, from WSB, that’s Junior Member of the Team and Patrick the Sales Guy showing off the items we raffled last night to benefit the Nature Consortium (which restores the West Duwamish Greenbelt and is presenting the Arts in Nature Festival later this month) — a “big bag of West Seattle,” with the bright bag contributed by Click! Design That Fits, a $20 coffee card contributed by Hotwire, a T-shirt from West Seattle Bowl (WSB sponsor) along with an hour of bowling for up to six people, a copy of “West Seattle 101” (select chapters from which can be found in this special WSB section), and some West Seattle decorations (including the “Murals of West Seattle” poster JMoT is holding) courtesy of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Besides the raffle tickets, you can buy concessions at Movies on the Wall too, presented by West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) with proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank, and you’re encouraged to bring a nonperishable food donation for WSFB too. Movies start at dusk; tonight, that was about 9 pm, but we always suggest arriving early enough to stake out a good spot. See you there next Saturday!
That represents the “new” … the photo was sent by Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle (photo credit: Jason of “The Shibaguyz”) to entice you to today’s first-ever Edible Garden Tour of West Seattle. This garden tour is free – go here to get the map – tour any and/or all of the 10 spotlighted gardens between 10 am-2 pm today (including the one that produce came from). Now, something “old” …
That’s another scene from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” the 1988 pioneering live-action/animation hybrid classic that we at WSB are presenting tonight (in conjunction with Click! Design That Fits [WSB sponsor]) at West Seattle Movies on the Wall, dusk (8:45-ish) in the courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) on the north edge of The Junction. Free, but in the spirit of Jessica Rabbit’s “Why Doncha Do Right” song in that clip – you can “do right” by bringing nonperishable food to donate to West Seattle Food Bank and $ for the West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor)-presented concessions benefiting WSFB, plus a fundraising raffle (with the help of Hotwire boss Lora Lewis and some other fine folks we’ll tell you about at the movie, we’ve collected a bag of completely cool West Seattleness). Last but by no means least, something Blue …
As described in our “Seafair secrets” post, we always watch the Blue Angels at Lake Washington on Seafair Friday. But now, the weekend is here. You can watch them from the lake – or you can catch glimpses from West Seattle (WSB’er “Hopey” reports a great flyby at Westcrest on Friday) – and then there is our preferred method of viewing, at the Museum of Flight, their HQ while visiting Seattle. It’s a sort of “behind-the-scenes” view, when you stake out a spot on the fence that faces the area where the jets are parked (read our “On the Fence” post from last year, with pix), and spend the hour and a half or so before showtime watching first the maintenance crew’s arrival and activities, then the pilots themselves, leading up to the “walkdown” as they go to their planes – this 2007 photo is from their lineup pre-walkdown:
Once they’re in the jets, the sights and sounds include the whine of the cockpits closing, the engines roaring awake, then the groundshaking takeoff; the show is just over a ridge to the east, so you can see the high maneuvers from the MoF, and there are flybys – followed by the landing, and the walkdown in reverse, and your chance to applaud the pilots once they’re out of their planes. The practice show yesterday started around 1:45 pm, later than usual; wherever you’re going to watch from, you’ll want to be in place no later than 12:45 pm which is when the I-90 bridge closes. Full Seafair info on the official site; here’s our Blue Angels coverage archive.
One of the programs Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor) is known for, in addition to its residential care, is its Intergenerational Learning Center, which brings the very young together with the, well, young at heart. In that context, seemed fitting to see kids having a blast with the Duwamish Dixieland Band at the season’s first Summer Concert at The Mount Friday night – along with not only some of The Mount’s residents, but also community members of all ages. We stopped by to check out the crowd on the way to our downtown destination mentioned in the previous post; snapped a couple pix but the ones we just got (above and below) from Karen are much better:
Looks like so much fun, next week we’re going for the duration. There are three more concerts, on the next three Friday nights; the show’s free, but you’re invited to bring some $ for the food and beverages (including beer/wine) that are on sale. Next Friday, Maia Santell performs; Friday 8/15, it’s the West Seattle Big Band (recently seen at the Hi-Yu Concert in the Park), and Friday 8/22 it’s Steve Rice and Big Squeezy. For all shows, “doors open” at 5, music starts at 6.
Those musicians are from the Duwamish Dixieland Band, recorded after the West Seattle Memorial Day event two months ago. Tonight, you can see them in a more festive setting, again absolutely free, as Providence Mount St. Vincent kicks off its monthlong series of Friday night outdoor concerts (and “The Mount” is joining WSB as a sponsor to make sure you know about it) … the first-ever Edible Garden Tour (free!) … a major beach-volleyball event … and the next West Seattle Movies on the Wall presentation, with WSB presenting this week’s movie … and the Delridge wading pool will start opening on Sunday (as first reported here) … more than 40 events ahead:Read More
That’s a scene (featuring Bob Hoskins, with Kathleen Turner voicing “Jessica Rabbit”) from the pioneering live-action/animation comedy “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” — celebrating its TWENTIETH anniversary (where did the time go?) this year. You can watch it on a big screen this Saturday night as West Seattle Movies on the Wall continues its summer series – this week, West Seattle’s only 24/7 news source (that’s us!) is the official presenter, in tandem with one of our sponsors, Click! Design That Fits. Come to the Hotwire Coffee (also a WSB sponsor) courtyard sometime before dusk to stake out your spot – the movie’s free, bring a nonperishable-food donation for the West Seattle Food Bank, which also is the beneficiary of nicely priced concessions offered by West Seattle Christian Church (yet another WSB sponsor). Also bring a few dollars for raffle tickets – co-publisher Patrick has been out lining up some COMPLETELY COOL West Seattle stuff (it’ll be a surprise!!!!) to raffle off; the nonprofit beneficiary will be the Nature Consortium, which with volunteer help works tirelessly to restore West Seattle’s amazing West Duwamish Greenbelt (and they’re sponsoring the Arts in Nature festival next month). California/Genesee, see you there Saturday night.
It may look gray outside, but at the second day of the Alki Art Fair (stretching along the promenade from both sides of the Bathhouse), sunbreaks are happening and so is everything from live music (above, the Forget-Me-Nots, one of the acts playing this morning) to a silent auction (note the banner fluttering in the photo background at right) to kids’ activities like an art tent and a bouncy house. If you can’t quite shake the autumn-ish mood brought on by the clouds, we found at least one booth with handmade sweaters on sale:
Suzanne de la Torre (headquartered on lower Queen Anne) is selling her handmade creations – one of many artists whose wares you can admire, and if you are so moved, purchase. Other apparel for sale at the event includes Alki Art Fair T-shirts, past and present:
T-shirts and tank tops will run you $15 (look for the tent on the water side of the Bathhouse). The Alki Art Fair continues till 5 pm today.
That’s the view Team WSB’s resident parade nut currently has – staked out on the Seafair Torchlight Parade route, across from the stately old Rainier Club at 4th and Columbia, which is about three blocks farther down the route than where we found curbside room at the same arrival time last year. Pet peeve: People who block off sections of sidewalk with ropes or tape, put their chairs out, and leave. Our code of parade stakeouts: Once you stake your spot, at least one person stays there (rotate out if you have to). The Rainier Club, by the way, has quite a party going – there’s a kid bouncy zone way off to the right side of the photo, and on the lawn at left, its entire lawn is planted with plastic pirate flags. (And they have blocked off what looks like 100 seats along the sidewalk.) Stakeout’s fun – you get to see the participants go by ahead of time – so far, a huge posse of bicycling Seattle Police officers, and a school bus with the Chinese Community Girls’ Drill Team. Anyway, we’ll be watching out for West Seattle parade moments – you can count on the Hi-Yu Festival float and West Seattle’s Most Famous Politician, plus Denny Middle School music director Marcus Pimpleton leading the All-City Band; other parade highlights will include the grand marshal, “Deadliest Catch” captain Sig Hansen, and the crowning of Miss Seafair at the start of the parade (contenders include 2006-2007 Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Tricia Thompson). The parade starts at the Seattle Center end of 4th Avenue around 7:30 pm, but downtown will be tough to get through starting about an hour from now, since the Torchlight Run precedes the parade (and will close the northbound side of The Viaduct for a while). No worries, we’re still in position to cover West Seattle news tonight too, but here’s hoping for a quiet fun night on both sides of the bay.
First thing this morning, vendors were getting ready for the Alki Beach Art Fair, today and tomorrow 10 am-5 pm, rain or shine, and the Statue of Liberty Plaza construction isn’t getting in the way – as the photo above shows, there are booths to the west, and also lots of booths to the right, on both sides of the bathhouse. Let’s hope things stay dry because tonight is parade night:
That’s the West Seattle Hi-Yu float, royalty, and volunteers in last Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade – towed because of ongoing trouble. They have received a “very special exemption” from Seafair to be towed the entire length of tonight’s Torchlight Parade route downtown. (If you’re not going to the parade, remember many downtown streets will be completely or partly blocked off – the main parade route goes down 4th, from Seattle Center to the International District, and it’s preceded by the Torchlight Run, which puts the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct out of commission approximately 5:30-8 pm.)Meantime, back on our side of the bay, it’s Movies on the Wall night again next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor):
That’s the trailer from the ’80s classic “The Goonies,” tonight’s movie, starting at dusk (9 pm-ish); free admission, but bring a nonperishable food donation for the West Seattle Food Bank, which also is the beneficiary of concession sales presented by West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor). One more outdoor movie note: There’s an outdoor showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” in Fremont tonight – $5 donation suggested – and the proceeds will be split by Sustainable West Seattle and Sustainable Ballard. (North 35th/Phinney Ave. North, map; “doors” open 7:30 pm.) And on the indoor-activities front, Fauntleroy Church (WSB sponsor) continues its centennial celebration:
That’s the crowd that turned out for last night’s Bean Feed and Talent Show, paying tribute to a long-ago church tradition; this afternoon, Fauntleroy Church has an open house, 1-4 pm — if you’ve never been there, it’s worth checking out the steepled sanctuary in its beautiful wooded sanctuary across the street from the old schoolhouse (9140 California SW; map). What else is up, you ask? Check the West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
Lots of outdoor fun this weekend. Let’s hope the weather cooperates. 58 events ahead:Read More
The bell-ringing countdown to the centennial celebration of Fauntleroy Church (WSB sponsor) is almost over, and the big events start tomorrow. Judy Pickens details what’s happening tomorrow night (and you’re invited), and the historical events it celebrates:
The community bean feed in Fauntleroy tomorrow will reprise a popular event, especially with neighborhood children, that had its heyday in the 1930s and 40s. The original bean feed was a celebration for the entire community when most households there were involved in the Fauntleroy Church and YMCA. The idea came from the fact that, in the earliest days of the church (observing its centennial this year), women cooked beans in a big kettle over an outdoor fire to serve at church dinners.
The menu was always baked beans, some sort of meat (ham in fat years, wieners in lean). Jello, coleslaw, and cake from home kitchens rounded out the meal. Upward of 250 youngsters would crowd tables set up in the gymnasium and were known to pound their forks impatiently, shouting “Beans! Beans! Beans!” When the meal was over, the tables were pushed aside and the entertainment began. Timed for the end of the Y’s program year, the event featured an act from every age group, from the Friendly Indians on up. Dancing, skits, recitations – whatever the kids could think of to strut their stuff – were appreciated by all.
The July 25 bean feed promises much the same menu and much the same enthusiasm for the talent show that follows. For ease of serving, the event will be in Fellowship Hall at the church, starting at 6 pm. It will be by-donation but, if you plan to attend, call the church office (932-5600) so that they’ll be sure to have enough beans. The talent show will end in time for folks to walk or take a shuttle to Fauntleroy Cove for 8:30 vespers on the beach (Brace Point SW and Fauntleroy Way SW; map) to reprise the early gatherings that led to founding of the church. Sing old hymns, say a prayer or two, and (a modern addition) make ‘smores around the bonfire. Bring a flashlight or lantern and dress for the weather.
Saturday is the 100th anniversary of the first service at Fauntleroy Church; that day, Fauntleroy historian Ron Richardson will lead an area walking tour (10 am; call 938-5293 to RSVP; tour starts from the south parking lot at Lincoln Park).
MOVIE #1: “Peter Pan” outdoors @ High Point Community Center, as part of 6-9 pm “family night” event.
MOVIE #2: Northwest Environmental Education Council presents “Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash” (see the trailer here) @ Camp Long, 7 pm.
OUTDOOR CONCERT: The American Night (Doors tribute; here’s a clip of the group) at Alki Playfield, 6-8 pm.
CRIMEFIGHTING MEETING: The monthly White Center/South Delridge Community Safety meeting is 6-8 pm tonight, St. James Place (9421 18th SW), dinner provided. Among the agenda items, a name for the group (you’ll recall the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership changed its name last month to West Seattle Crime Prevention Council).
All of the above – free! Many more West Seattle events for tonight and way beyond, listed here.
Out for a walk tonight, we passed the west edge of the Gatewood Elementary playground along Fauntleroy, saw kids on the new play structure (recent photo above), and wondered if we were late to discover that it was finally unfenced and ready for use. Turns out, not so — moments later, we got e-mail from Steve White, announcing … the construction fence just came down today and the play structure is open! This is the culmination of a long process of planning, fundraising, and volunteer work (remember the goats?); a formal dedication/celebration isn’t expected, Steve says, till after the new school year starts.
Today is Blayne‘s second day back on the job at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) since his return from taping “Project Runway 5” (don’t even ask him about the show, totally off-limits per all sorts of paperwork) so we had to go say hi and grab a photo, looking ahead to the viewing party his boss Lora Lewis is organizing again tonight at nearby Ginomai. Blayne says it’s a relief to be back – the taping schedule was hectic and intense – but he did get to see some of the New York sights. Direct quote: “I tanned in Central Park.” (His skin hue has been a major topic of media discussion.) He told us he’s got a conflict that’ll keep him from the viewing party tonight, but if he makes it to episode 3 (and of course he can’t even hint), he’ll be there. Ginomai is on the southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee, with a (free!) parking lot you can access from 42nd on the south side of the building; doors open at 8 pm, bring a nonalcoholic beverage to share, and a small dessert.
Walking the southern side of the ex-Schuck’s/Hancock Fabrics building, future Fauntleroy Place, at Fauntleroy/Alaska/39th, we caught that little slice of demolition life toward the end of the Tuesday workday — note the shopping carts on the lower right. Demolition work is scheduled to continue today, starting around 8 am. (More background in WSB coverage from Tuesday morning.) Meantime, a milestone happens tonight in the life of another project:
6:30 tonight, Admiral library branch, you are invited to the first community meeting about a proposal for a playground at that mini-park (California Place, next to Admiral UCC church; backstory in previous WSB coverage here).
Last but by no means least on the list of tonight’s highlights — Viewing Party #2 for West Seattle’s own contender on “Project Runway” season 5 — barista Blayne from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). Again tonight, bring a non-alcoholic beverage to share, and a small dessert, to Ginomai (southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee), doors open at 8 pm, show’s on the big screen at 9, free offstreet parking lot.
In addition to the next edition of West Seattle Movies on the Wall in the courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) — “The Goonies,” this Saturday night @ dusk (last Saturday the showing started around 9:20 pm, so definitely don’t be any later than 9, full info and entire season lineup here) — High Point Community Center has an outdoor movie this week too: “Peter Pan,” part of the next Thursday Night Family Fun event at HPCC (6-9 pm; if you want to check on an exact movie start time, call the center at 684-7422).
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