West Seattle, Washington
29 Tuesday
The eye-catching posters are all over town – ERIC RICE BENEFIT. If you haven’t read the fine print (full-size version here), it’s about an event this Sunday night at Brickyard BBQ in the Admiral District, to raise money for the motorcyclist hurt in a collision with a car in the Luna Park business district on April 30th. We covered the crash that night (the driver was cited). A benefit organizer, Michelle, tells WSB that Eric “is healing but will be in recovery and therapy for many months ahead. He is with us (thanks) to those from the Luna Park Cafe who witnessed the incident and saved his life before medical help could arrive.” She says five local bands will play at the benefit between 1 and 9 pm, and Eric is expected to attend in the afternoon; they’ve amassed many donated items for the raffle/auction: “Everyone is invited and welcome to join in the benefit, all donations go to Eric.” 2310 California SW. (You can also donate online via Facebook.)
(WSB video: Walking along the line of luminarias at 2010 West Seattle Relay for Life)
One week from tonight, it’s the summer’s only all-night fundraiser in West Seattle – Relay for Life. Though some teams have been planning and raising money for months, it’s also not too late to form one and sign up now to be part of the cancer-fighting walkathon at West Seattle Stadium. WSB is proud to be among the West Seattle Relay for Life co-sponsors this year; here’s the latest update from Rebecca Polivy:
The West Seattle Relay for Life is right around the corner! Join us by creating a team or just coming out and seeing what it is all about. Festivities kick off at 6 pm on Friday June 10th with fun for the whole family – walk the track for American Cancer Society or just come to check out an awesome performance by the Seattle Civic Dance Theater, practice your marshmallow launching skills, or compete in the first annual Minute-to-Win-it competition!
We are also looking for lots of day-of volunteers – if you could come and help us out any time between 1pm on June 10th through noon on Saturday we would love to have you. E-mail Rebecca (bec@busstop.org) to learn more about how you can help! Between setting up, helping set up for the luminaria ceremony, or manning our information tent – we could use volunteers of all ages!
Hope to see you there – westseattlerelay.com
You can also donate online right now to any of dozens of participants – the links are here.
If you don’t frequent the WSB Forums, you’ve missed members’ updates on the “Nickelsville” homeless camp that is now in its third week at the same city-owned West Seattle site where it was founded three years ago. 
Though the city administration then led by its namesake booted the camp in 2008, leading to a series of moves, Mayor McGinn is not planning to try to evict it, as reported here two weeks ago.
Shortly after that report, two Forum members told the story of a third who became homeless and is now living at the camp, and that led to questions about how to help. Several discussions have followed, including updates from new Nickelsville resident Mike, and now a bigger event is being organized: A June 18th potluck dinner. The plan is taking shape here; to feed the estimated 100 residents, plus visitors, is a big order, but with many participants, each contributor won’t have to add much. If you can provide food but can’t take it to the camp yourself, arrangements are also being made to help with that. As for other ways in which people are helping out – check out this Forums thread; the water supply is even receiving assistance (and another update is here). More updates to come, including a two-part report on Nickelsville security by Joanne Brayden and Kevin McClintic (who took the 5/16 photo reused here), who previously told the story of Mike’s move.
An Army corporal killed in Iraq this past March had family with longtime ties to West Seattle – and a benefit show has been organized for this Saturday night. The announcement includes a request to RSVP by Thursday:
Saturday, June 4 · 7:00pm – 11:00pm
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VFW Post 2713 at 3601 SW Alaska
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In honor of US Army Sgt. Brandon S. Hocking, who lost his life on March 21st 2011 while serving in Iraq. Come join the event that brings together musicians who grew up and went to school with Brandon’s Mom Chris (Pitts) Dansereau, Stepdad Calvin (Dempsey) Dansereau, and Aunt Jodi (Pitts) Lascoumes, here in West Seattle.“The Band of Brothers” will put two groups on stage for the evening, as part of a fundraiser for Brandon’s children. This is an all-ages show, with a $10 per person suggested donation at the door. This event is by invitation only, and space is limited, so please respond by June 2nd to secure your name on the invite list. Food and drinks will be extra and some items to be raffled off too. If you would like to donate items such as gift certificates, goods or services to be raffled, please contact me. [ Richard at rpmotorsports@yahoo.com, 206-225-0153 ]
The list of those musicians who have graciously offered their support, as well as the VFW Post 2713, are some of the best in Seattle, and they are our guys from right here, showing their true West Seattle support.
Rod Moody
Pat Tunison
Joe Bauer
John Bradley
Bill Reid
Monty Smith
Shel Van Taylor
Jon Sleight
Michael Wolfe
Mike Winston
Doug Marrapodi
Jay Marrapodi
According to this Seattle Times (WSB partner) story about Corporal Hocking’s death, he was 24, and survived by his wife and two preschool-age children.
One more to put on your radar for next Saturday: The West Seattle High School Girls’ Volleyball Team will be at the West Seattle Produce lot (10:30 am-2 pm) to wash your car. They need to raise money for new gear and fees for next season, and your donation in exchange for car-washing will be more than welcome. WSP is on Fauntleroy just south of Alaska (map); the WSHS volleyball coaches point out you can shop for produce or dine at the Beloved Mexico truck while you wait for your (shiny) car.
Get out and play golf this Friday – and help make sure that hundreds of local students can keep having fun, staying healthy, and representing our area by playing sports. With days to go till next Friday’s first-ever Chief Sealth International High School Athletics-benefiting Golf Tournament, and you can still get a spot – for a full day/night of golfing and dining, including an awards dinner with some hot items on the auction block. Here’s a news release just in with the newest details:
This Friday, June 3, 2011 is the date for the first Chief Sealth Athletics Golf Tournament at Rainier Golf and Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the student-athletes at Chief Sealth International High School. There are still limited spaces available for both individuals and foursomes to participate in the fun and fundraising. Reservations can be purchased here.
Individual participation is $150, while foursomes can still be reserved for $500. The tournament will be a scramble with a shotgun start beginning at 10:00 a.m. The afternoon will conclude with a full dinner and auction featuring exclusive sport memorabilia and unique athletic experiences.
Auction items and prizes include:
• Signed balls from Hall-of-Famers Lenny Wilkens and Warren Moon.
• Autographed balls from Seattle legends Edgar Martinez and Kasey Keller.
• Signed 100th Anniversary University of Washington football and basketball posters.
• Autographed prints featuring Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor members drawn by acclaimed artist Michael Reagan.
• Oil painting by local artist Sanford Holien featuring Kasey Keller and other Seattle Sounders.
• Box seats to select Seattle Mariners games.
• Rounds of golf at area courses.
• Gift certificates and prizes from local West Seattle establishments including Husky’s Deli, Menashe & Sons, and the Brickyard BBQ.
• A custom-made Musty Putters featuring the Chief Sealth Athletics logo.
• Season tickets to Chief Sealth boys and girls basketball games.
• The opportunity to design and call the first play of a Chief Sealth football game.Proceeds from the event will help fund a variety of departmental items, including “c-team” participation, transportation, new uniforms, equipment, off-season camps and leagues, and continuing education for coaches.
“I believe that high school sports play a very important part in developing success in the classroom and success in life. Responsibility, teamwork, and perseverance are traits that can serve one for many years to come. I ask you to support those traits and the growth of Chief Sealth athletics by considering participating in this event,” says Athletic Director Sam Reed.
To reserve a spot in the tournament: https://csptsa.ejoinme.org/?tabid=287424
For additional questions, contact Sam Reed, Athletic Director at 206-252-8603
(Photo by Mark Sears, one of the experts leading the June 11th Orca Steward training session)
Can you imagine Puget Sound without that amazing sight? We can’t. So, in case you haven’t already seen this on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, here’s a reminder: Two weeks from today, if you can spare a few hours to help make sure our area’s threatened orcas (fewer than 100 left!) get a better chance of survival, you can join an Orca Steward training session. 10 am-2:30 pm on Saturday, June 11th, at Alki Community Center, as announced by Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail:
Topics/presenters include:
Orca ABCs – Cindy Hansen, Whale Museum
Killer Whale Management and Recovery – Lynne Barre, NOAA Fisheries
West Seattle Orca Sightings – Mark Sears, Orca Researcher
What We Can Do To Help the Orcas – Franziska McKay, People for Puget Sound.The event is free, and open to all ages. … Lunch will be provided.
Though there’s no charge – thanks in part to a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods matching-fund grant – you need to SIGN UP NOW – since space is limited. And you can do it online, right this very moment – just go here. Need to know more first? Check out The Whale Trail’s website and/or Facebook page. Or – e-mail info@thewhaletrail.org.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Donna sends word the session is now full! But e-mail that same address to get on the waiting list for the next one (date etc. TBA).
Those volunteer-created murals are destined for display on the vacant Delridge site that’s been interim home to many local schools – the former Louisa May Boren Middle School – in hopes that’ll cut down on repeated graffiti/tagging vandalism. Community advocate Pete Spalding is leading the project and invites you to be part of the next step:
Many Delridge area residents were disappointed and frustrated when the Seattle Public Schools district chose to board up the Louisa Boren School this year due to inactivity of the site. A number of community members pointed out to the school district that this would lead to tagging and potential vandalism to the site. As many of you have noted, this has in fact been the case.
After many discussions with School Board President Steve Sundquist and others within the school district, an idea came up to deal with the problem.
On a recent Saturday, 900 Starbucks volunteers showed up to do projects in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. At Franklin and Muir they had over 200 of these volunteers doing painting, grounds cleanup, and playground projects. One of the painting projects was to paint 40 plywood murals for the Boren building.
Now we need volunteers from our Delridge community to help finish the project. These 40 murals still need to have the back and sides painted to help increase the longevity of the murals. On Saturday, June 4th from 9 – 11 am there will be a work party at the Louisa Boren School site. Please come out and help your community in this project to attempt to curtail the tagging and vandalism at this location. All of the materials and tools to do this project will be provided.
If you are interested in helping, contact Pete at bayouwonder@comcast.net or call him at 206.579.4373. (Boren’s status, in case you wondered, is that it’s remaining in the SPS inventory for possible emergency use.)
We caught up with World MS Day Seattle organizer William Khazaal and family as they arrived at Spring Hill in The Junction a short time ago. You still have the rest of the night to get out and dine/nosh at dozens of participating restaurants/lounges to raise money to help kids with multiple sclerosis, including more than 30 in West Seattle (Spring Hill, of course, among tem). The map page (with the sites listed on its left side) is here. Here’s the backstory on what the event is all about.
Tomorrow, you have 70 options for dining or shopping to be part of the multiple-sclerosis-fighting fundraiser put together by West Seattleite William Khazaal. As first reported here earlier this month, William was inspired by West Seattle for Japan, the multi-business fundraiser organized by West 5‘s Dave Montoure to help quake/tsunami victims. William is an MS patient himself, as well as a dad and a graduate student; he explained in our original story that multiple sclerosis remains an incurable mystery that hits harder in the Northwest than other regions, so we all have a stake in raising money to help researchers figure it out. The full list of participants is in the “info” area of the World MS Day Seattle page on Facebook, and it’s truly citywide, with about half the participants in West Seattle and half elsewhere (mostly restaurants, but a few retailers too – even a car dealer!); we’ll also list the West Seattle participants here tomorrow, with links.
1:25 AM WEDNESDAY: There’s now a map of participants citywide, which means a list on its left sidebar – find it here.
Among those with booths/tables at today’s Summer Streets event on Alki (WSB coverage here): West Seattle-headquartered Family Promise of Seattle. You might recall, this is the family-sheltering program that decided last August to go on hiatus because of a funding crisis, and has been working ever since to get enough money to restart its program, which shelters homeless families with the help of community partners (usually churches). Back in March, we reported that the FPS board had tentatively decided fundraising was going well enough, they could plan to reopen in June. Today, board members Cierra Moore and Lynne Downs confirmed to WSB that they’re still on track; June 6th is the date they plan to start serving homeless families again. Just days later, they have a fundraising event planned, with tickets on sale now – a “sock hop”-style dinner/dance/auction event in West Seattle on June 11th, with tickets available by calling 206-937-2703. Here’s a flyer with full details. (Auction items already lined up, Lynne says, include an 18-seat suite of Sounders FC tickets, and a weekend at Rosario Inn on Orcas Island in the San Juans.)
As listed in our “West Seattle Sunday” daily preview, lots going on today in addition 
to the events on Alki; we stopped by one inbetween events at the beach. Furry Faces Foundation is in the second day of the first weekend of its annual series of fundraising plant sales at 3809 46th SW (just south of Charlestown), and today, you can also go home with Ed the dog, shown above with Rebecca from King County Animal Services. She also brought along a nameless 3-week-old stray kitten, shown at right – not to adopt (yet) but to remind everyone of the importance of volunteers who foster abandoned kittens and other pets that shelters may not be able to care for. Oops, almost forgot about the plants – there are some available for as little as 50 cents; there are veggies, flowers, natives, herbs, sun, shade, hundreds available:
Sale is on till 4 pm.
It’ll be a sea of orange along Alki on Sunday morning – at left, it’s this year’s official T-shirt for the West Seattle 5K, organized by and benefiting the West Seattle High School PTSA, coming up Sunday morning. Denise Lathrop e-mailed to remind you that, “You can still register for the 5K and pick up your bib, shirt and timing chip in person on Saturday [tomorrow] between 1 PM and 4 PM at West Seattle Runner, 3727 California Ave SW, Suite 2A (map). Packet pick-up and registration is also available on the day of the event, starting at 8:00 AM.” You’ll find that registration form here. Questions? E-mail Denise at delathrop@comcast.net or Andy at pandrewnorton@comcast.net. (And yet another reminder – the race closes Alki Avenue from 63rd SW to Don Armeni from 9-11 am Sunday, and then it’s closed only from 56th SW to 63rd SW, a change from past years, 11 am-5 pm for the Seattle Summer Streets party.)
2 notes this morning with more evidence of West Seattleites’ generosity, plus a chance to help out with an upcoming event:
NUCOR ‘TOUR FOR THE CURE’ FULLY BOOKED: As announced here yesterday, Nucor’s Relay for Life-West Seattle team is raising money by offering three plant tours on June 4th. This morning, Nucor’s Tricia Sweat sends word they have already booked all the spaces! (The cancer-fighting Relay, with WSB among the co-sponsors this year, is June 10-11.)
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER UPDATE: Tuesday night’s Endolyne Joe’s dinner/raffle fundraiser brought in more than $2,000 (a third of the festival’s budget), according to Judy Pickens – $1,189 from restaurant proceeds, and $975 for four raffle baskets – $975. She adds, “Many thanks to everyone at Endolyne Joe’s, all donors to the raffle baskets, and the community volunteers who invested many hours for the love of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival (Oct. 16)!”
ATTENTION, WEST SEATTLE BUSINESSES – ALKI ART FAIR NEEDS SPONSORS: As we’ve reported, the fair is on, even though Alki Community Center‘s staff and operations have been curtailed by city budget cuts – the Advisory Council and the fair’s Organizing Committee are moving forward, and the fair is set for July 23 and 24. However, community support is needed in a BIG way, and they are calling now for sponsors. Read on for the full announcement:Read More
You have probably passed its huge North Delridge facility myriad times, but unless you work at Nucor, chances are you’ve never been inside. Want a firsthand look? Here’s a chance to go behind the scenes while contributing to a cause:
For the past 3 years Nucor Seattle has participated in the West Seattle Relay for Life, raising funds for cancer research in the quest to find a cure. Last year Nucor donated $7,500 to this worthwhile cause and is currently fundraising with hopes of beating that donation.
Team Nucor would like to host a “Tour for the Cure” event on Saturday, June 4th. Nucor employees will be available to take up to 50 people on a tour of the Seattle Steel Plant in return for a suggested monetary donation of $10 (although we will happily accept larger donations). All donations received will be matched by Nucor in hopes of meeting our overall fundraising goal of $10,000. We will have 3 tours – 10 am, 10:30 am, and 1 pm.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Tricia Sweat at 206-933-2316 or tricia.sweat@nucor.com. Again, the tour is limited to the first 50 responses and will be available on a first contact, first signed up basis. Please keep in mind you must be at least 18 years of age, be capable of climbing stairs, and wear long pants and closed-toe shoes with socks.
The Relay for Life-West Seattle event is taking place on June 10th – 11th at the West Seattle Stadium. Please see its website for more information.
(WSB has joined the R4LWS sponsor lineup this year for the first time. If you would like to participate in the overnight relay itself, it’s not too late – find out more here.)
From left, Fauntleroy Church pastor Rev. David Kratz, Kim Petram, and Phil Sweetland are among the Fauntleroy community supporters we found at Endolyne Joe’s in the early going of tonight’s dine-out fundraiser: Eat at Joe’s (as its famous sign exhorts) before midnight, and half the proceeds go to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival (set for October 16th this year). This is a major fundraiser for the festival, which has grown each year but is still free – and FFF organizers want to keep it that way. The pastor’s in shades and holding a mike because he’s emceeing tonight, by the way – and the basket? Part of a raffle (2 tickets for $5). Endolyne Joe’s is at 9261 45th SW, a few blocks southeast of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal.
Word tonight from West Seattle Helpline board vice president Brooks Riendl that this Thursday’s Taste of West Seattle fundraiser has sold so many advance tickets, they’re cutting off sales at 10 tomorrow morning – if you don’t have yours yet, get ’em while you still can! Brooks says they’re reserving a few for sales at the door Thursday night (6-9 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy, dozens of local food and beverage places participating).
TOMORROW NIGHT: From 5 till midnight tomorrow (Tuesday), dine at Endolyne Joe’s and half the proceeds go to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival (set this year for October 16th). You’ll also be able to enter drawings for gift baskets to raise extra money – two tickets for $5. The FFF has been a fun free event every year (here’s our coverage from last year) thanks to fundraisers like this one. (Endolyne Joe’s is at 9261 45th SW – menu’s online here.)
WORLD MS DAY SEATTLE UPDATE: We reported last Tuesday on the citywide event West Seattleite William Khazaal is organizing for a week from this Wednesday, a chance to dine out and shop to help raise money for kids with multiple sclerosis, a disease William himself is battling. Tonight a quick update – more than 50 businesses are now signed up (30 from West Seattle or White Center); you can see the latest list on Facebook. And there’s still room for more! Got a business? Be part of it by e-mailing william@mschildrensbook.com.
While checking back in on the Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) courtyard sale during West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, we spotted this work under way next door at the Junction Post Office – with bins of donations for the Stamp Out Hunger one-day door-to-door food drive. Haven’t heard any local totals yet but we’ll be checking. And if you missed it, no worries, both food banks that serve West Seattle will be happy to take your donation another time (or even an online $ donation right now) – West Seattle Food Bank information is here, and White Center Food Bank (which also serves WS south of Myrtle) is here.
There’s a fence around the big birch tree to protect it as work is about to begin to turn the big lot at 34th/Barton into West Seattle’s next P-Patch community-gardening area. After months of planning and preparation, the official “groundbreaking” is tomorrow – albeit a low-key one; the landscaping consultant will install “the official web marking post” at 9:30 am. That’s a reference to the final design chosen for the site after 3 community meetings – WSB coverage here – which resembles a web.
(Courtesy Barker Landscape Architects)
You’re invited to come celebrate and to sign up for work parties; sign-up sheets are available 9 am-11 am, and garden plots will be assigned “based on volunteer hours,” so if you want a garden, you’ll have to work for it! The city’s webpage for the project is here; on Facebook, there’s a Barton Street P-Patch group here. The project is funded through the Parks and Green Spaces Levy.
In addition to West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, among many other events, tomorrow is also the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Leave a bag of nonperishable food by your mailbox or front door (if you get mail through a slot) in the morning, and your letter carrier will pick it up – what could be easier than a door-to-door food drive? If it’s not convenient to leave the bag outside, or if you want to save your letter carrier a little work, owner Andrea at Café Osita in Sunrise Heights (northwest side of 35th/Webster) says her coffee shop is now an official dropoff spot: 8 am-2 pm tomorrow, take your bag of food there, and she’ll give you free flavoring (or a free extra shot) if you order a drink while you’re there.
One day last week in the rain, we caught up with Kerrie, Janet and Karen at the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Garden. It’s in its first season growing on the grounds of the shuttered Genesee Hill Elementary School, where there were gardens when Pathfinder K-8 used the campus.
It’s part of an ongoing effort by the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council to make sure the vacant school doesn’t fall into disrepair; they’ve also arranged for art on the side of some of the buildings, to discourage vandalism. Individual gardeners have signed up for plots but they still need overall volunteer help for the first gardening event of the season – not just in the beds, but also in other areas. So just show up on the north side of the playground at 51st and Dakota, 9 am-1 pm tomorrow. Help tend the beds, distribute wood chips, and pull ivy. Seattle Public Schools (which continues to hold the property for potential future use) is providing tools, gloves, and a “weed wrench.” (GSNC acknowledges donations including wood chips from Seattle Tree Preservation, Zoo-Doo from Woodland Park Zoo, and art murals from Van Asselt Elementary.)
Story and photos by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
As guests streamed through the doors of Showbox SODO last night, a school bus full of cheering, waving models — all breast-cancer survivors — pulled up to the venue. STYLE ’11, the 9th annual fashion -how benefit for Northwest Hope & Healing, had just begun.
Inside, the SoDo space was elegantly decorated, dimly lit and accented with pink. Guests greeted friends while waiting in line for a drink. The catwalk was illuminated with bold pink lighting, framed by candlelit VIP tables. The screen behind the runway flashed candid images of smiling women and past fashion show shots intermixed with sponsors’ logos. The women’s larger-than-life faces were proof that bald is beautiful, just as beautiful as a stage filled with more than three dozen breast cancer survivors.
The annual benefit is the brainchild of Carmilia’s Linda Sabee (shown above with NWHH executive director Shari Sewell) and Ola Salon & Spa. Sabee told us the original intent was just to have some fun, and then it quickly evolved into a fundraiser for Northwest Hope & Healing. For the first few years the event was held at Ola, but once it began to grow they moved the event to Showbox SODO. The event is a chance to honor and celebrate breast cancer survivors and fashion in the Seattle area.
(Story continues, with more photos, ahead)Read More
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