West Seattle, Washington
16 Tuesday
From December 3rd through 17th – two weeks starting this Friday, continuing till the last day of school before the winter break – West Seattle High School hopes you will join in its Holiday Drive. Science teacher/cheerleading coach Christina Ruzzine says contributions will be accepted at the school office. Full details:
We are asking students and our community to donate all the warm clothes and blankets that they are no longer using. Also, we are taking canned and non-perishable food items.
Our goal is to have a two-week-long donation effort to raise clothing for the Orion Center, and food for the West Seattle Food Bank. We are having a competition between classes for who can raise the most, and want to open up our campus to those members of the community who would be willing to donate.
Our goal is to allow our community and school to work together in efforts to help those in need. We here at West Seattle High School have many families in need, which lead us to believe that there are many more families in West Seattle that could use our help during this cold winter season. We want to give community members a chance to step on to our campus and see what the Wildcats are all about.
Haven’t been there yet? WSHS is at 3000 California SW. The office is reachable from the entrance on the north (Hiawatha-facing) side of the school.
P.S. Got a holiday donation drive that’s not on the WSB West Seattle Holidays page yet? Please let us know so we can help get the word out.
From the West Seattle Holidays page:
HANUKKAH, NIGHT ONE: The eight-night Jewish Festival of Lights starts tonight at sundown. So far, the only public West Seattle event we have listed is a December 6th party co-sponsored by Seattle Kollel and West Seattle Torah Learning Center. Any others to add to the page? Let us know.
CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS: Just got word this morning from Jeff Gilbert at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) of holiday fundraisers including this one starting tonight, involving not just the Feedback:
Jeff explains that Feedback, Skylark Café (also a WSB sponsor), West 5, Shadowland, Maharaja, and JaK’s Grill are all participating:
• Each participating bar came up with a signature holiday cocktail or drink special.
• $1 of each of these beverages sold goes into a pool at the end of the promotion, with the cash proceeds being divided equally to benefit the West Seattle, White Center and South Park food banks.
• The promotion starts December 1st and runs through December 24th. This will help the food banks replenish their stock after the holidays, when they need it the most.
To see the list of drinks (and their ingredients) – go to this page on the Feedback website. Meantime, starting this Friday, the Feedback adds another donation drive: “Tots for Toys.” Yes, you read correctly. Jeff elaborates, “We’re giving away a FREE basket of Tater Tots for every new, unwrapped toy to be donated to the Marines’ toy drive.” That runs from December 4th through December 17th.
(Photo of Queen Latifah is by, and used with permission of, Robin Lindsey)
Seal-pup season is usually over by now, but West Seattle-based Seal Sitters are still seeing pups hanging around local shores – including the one nicknamed “Queen Latifah, who has hauled out now for 50 days straight!” according to Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey. As a result, they’re presenting a training session for volunteers next week, first time they’ve ever done one in winter. The training session will be 6:30-8:30 pm Thursday, December 9th, at Camp Long Lodge; current volunteers are “welcome and encouraged to attend as well,” according to the announcement, which also requests RSVP (you can contact Seal Sitters through their website at www.sealsitters.org).
Back to school tomorrow – but we have three school notes tonight:
CHIEF SEALTH AUCTION TOTAL: The Chief Sealth International High School PTSA announced via e-mail tonight that the November 18th Seahawk Spirit Dinner and Auction “netted nearly $25,000 to support academics, athletics, the arts, and student activities.” (Here’s our story from that night.)
2 SEALTH EVENTS AHEAD – FILM FEST AND MULTICULTURAL NIGHT: Received a note tonight about an event at Sealth this week – a Community Film Fest of Digital Stories, “short environmental videos made by youth in the global leadership class,” at 6 pm this Thursday in the school’s Little Theater (2600 SW Thistle), everyone invited (here’s the official flyer). Meantime, the PTSA is reminding the community about the upcoming Multicultural Night at Sealth, 6:30 pm December 9th, including music, dance, and spoken-word performances by school groups; more details here.
LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY PLAYGROUND PROJECT: The “Play It Forward” committee raising money to match a $100,000 city grant – with January deadline looming – has set a meeting for December 6 to provide a progress report, and is inviting community input on project design. The meeting’s at 6:30 pm in the Lafayette library (2645 California SW). (Here’s our recent story about the project and the quest to match the grant.)
Kenyon Hall is one of West Seattle’s semi-secret magical places, and tonight its doors are open, inviting you inside for a food-and-music (silent auction too!) fundraiser, benefiting former Café Revo proprietor Sofia Goff and her children. It’s continuing till midnight; just before it started, Kenyon Hall’s Lou Magor sent out this final reminder with an overview:
We’ll have lots of entertainment, including Bob White at the organ, singing by Debbie Sweetland, Connie Corrick, Hugh Hastings, Phyllis Stewart, David Parker’s Ragtime piano, Comedy Juggling with Matt Baker, and general silliness at the eighty-eight with yours truly.
All evening we’ll have a silent auction and a raffle. Lots of items have been donated from neighbors, businesses, and community friends.
We’re asking for a $20 donation to Sofia from each person who attends, but will accept other amounts. Everything we take in will go directly to Sofia.
More details at caferevo.com, which also explains the backstory, if you hadn’t heard it before. Kenyon Hall is at 7904 35th SW (map).
Just in from Lou Magor at Kenyon Hall – the benefit originally scheduled for this afternoon/evening is now postponed till Saturday:
The open house fundraiser for Sofia Goff scheduled for today and this evening has been postponed due to hazardous driving conditions.
Please come to Kenyon Hall this Saturday, November 27, anytime from 7 P.M. until midnight, to help Sofia.
We’ll have entertainment, refreshments, a silent auction, and a raffle. When details are sorted out, I’ll send an update.
Thanks to all who have responded with offers to help. I know that Sofia and her family are grateful for your kindness, and I’m thankful to be part of such a caring community.
Details of the originally planned event had been available on the website for Sofia Goff‘s now-closed restaurant Cafe Revo (there’s also a donation link on that website).
Just received this from Audrey at White Center Food Bank (which as we frequently note serves southern West Seattle too):
Because of the weather, we could use a few volunteers for the 9:30-12:30 and 12:30-3:30 shifts handing out food to clients. I don’t know how many clients will brave the weather but I want to make sure we can give them their holiday food if they do.
We have been adding holiday help requests (volunteer and donations) to the West Seattle Holidays page too – scroll past the lists of events.
From Kim at Puget Sound Blood Center – she says the weather’s forced some cancellations and they have two chances for you to give in West Seattle later this week:
Our community’s blood supply needs West Seattle’s help this Thanksgiving! This holiday, patients will be relying on the generosity of strangers and giving thanks for their life-saving gifts. Please help your local blood bank keep a stable supply during the high-usage Thanksgiving holiday by donating this week at West Seattle Jefferson Square:
When: Wednesday November 24th AND Saturday November 27th
Where: Jefferson Square- Bloodmobile on 42nd Ave SW at SW Alaska Intersection
Hours: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed 11:30-12:30)
Appointment: contact Puget Sound Blood Center at 800-398-7888
BE SOMEONE WHO SAVES LIVES. GIVE BLOOD.
It’s the kickoff, or perhaps the roll-off, to the heart of the helping-for-the-holidays season in West Seattle: The Beer Church Turkey Bowl, a festive fundraiser/foodraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank, which had its 12th annual edition tonight. Above, organizers Kendall Jones and Kim Sharpe Jones (also of the Washington Beer Blog), West Seattleites whose brainchild has just kept growing over the years, as have the donations. Tonight, they even introduced the Beer Church’s own Pale Ale (release party next Tuesday), made with the help of White Center’s Big Al Brewing. Local bars/breweries traditionally participate in the Turkey Bowl – including West 5 in The Junction, whose proprietor Dave Montoure is pictured below with West Seattle breast-cancer-fighting activist Tracy Dart:
According to Sarah via Twitter, Montoure’s team and Elliott Bay Brewery took the trophies again this year (here’s our coverage of their wins last year; all of this year’s brewery/pub participants were listed on the Beer Church Facebook page.). But the real winners, of course, are the people who rely on the West Seattle Food Bank – Kim just reported via FB that the donations totaled more than a ton!
Even if you weren’t part of tonight’s event, you can help the WS Food Bank with an online donation (go here), and/or by donating turkeys and/or pies for this week’s distributions (details here).
TURKEY GIVEAWAY THIS MORNING: At 9 am today, Eastridge Christian Assembly starts giving away 1,000 turkeys at each of its two locations – including West Seattle, at 39th/Oregon (map). This is double what the church has given away in recent years, and it’s on the honor system – they don’t require proof you’re in need.
BEER CHURCH TURKEY BOWL TONIGHT: Right across the street at West Seattle Bowl, tonight’s one of the biggest — maybe even the biggest! — local food-drive events of the holiday season, the Beer Church Turkey Bowl. The alleys have been sold out since shortly after they were offered up for sale, but you are invited to stop by and watch, cheer the bowlers, and bring food (and/or money!) donations to add to what’s being amassed for the West Seattle Food Bank. It all starts at 5:30 pm (also 39th/Oregon).
SHOPPING? BUY EXTRA FOR DONATING TO THE FOOD BANKS: There are many places you’ll find dropoff barrels for the food banks that serve this area (West Seattle FB and White Center FB), but for holiday-specific donations, you are invited to stop by each one on Monday. WC is at 10829 8th SW and open 8-5 Monday – they have all the turkeys they need, but would appreciate donations of the fixings that go with holiday dinners; they also would appreciate volunteer help next week at the times listed here, as they are expecting almost 1,000 families for holiday food distribution. WS is at 35th/Morgan and open 9-7 Monday, saying they can use frozen turkeys 12 pounds or less, and store-bought boxed pies. (We’ll publish updates if we find out about any changed or extended donation hours.)
FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER IN FAUNTLEROY – GOING AND/OR GIVING: Once again this year, Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering (WSB sponsor) is presenting a free Thanksgiving feast at The Hall at Fauntleroy, noon-3 pm Thursday. Everyone is welcome. If you would like to help, whether you are sharing in the meal or not, they say they have all the volunteers they need, but can always use pies or cookies for dessert. The Hall is in the old Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, 9131 Fauntleroy SW.
MORE HOLIDAY GIVING INFO – is on the WSB West Seattle Holidays page.
One of The Junction’s newest stores, Suite Arrangements – first previewed here in August – has good news after less than two months in business: It’s already profitable, according to information e-mailed by proprietor Geoffrey Abdian. 
He also shared a photo of the 100th person to consign furniture with his store, Mary Leatherman (right), a volunteer coordinator at across-the-street ArtsWest, quoting her as calling Suite Arrangements “the perfect location to consign items that no longer fit the décor of my home.” With Mary and 99+ others already signed on (there’s even an online catalog), Abdian says, he’s been able to start making good on his commitment (mentioned in our August story) to donate 5 percent of profits to the West Seattle Food Bank, whose executive director Fran Yeatts got the first check on Tuesday. “It’s not much yet,” Abdian said, “and the store hasn’t begun to repay the loans taken to open, but it’s a good start. And, we want to thank West Seattle for embracing the recycling of fine furnishings, and for helping to feed those most in need.” He quotes Yeatts as saying, “I hope other businesses, and individuals, in our community will likewise allocate a portion of their own good fortune to the benefit of those most in need.” (Donation info for the WS Food Bank is online at westseattlefoodbank.org; we’ll have a story later this morning about additional ways to get, and give, food help this weekend.)
When you do your holiday food shopping this weekend, consider buying extra, for food banks. We reported previously on what West Seattle Food Bank needs; today we talked with Audrey at White Center Food Bank, which serves part of WS too. She says they do NOT need more turkeys, but they DO need fixings: Chicken broth, condensed milk, olives, pickles, stuffing mix, fruit cocktail, Jell-O, etc. Audrey says they expect to serve 950 families next week.
You’ve heard a lot about preparedness here, thanks to the amazing group of West Seattle volunteers working on projects like West Seattle Be Prepared, but here’s another way to get involved: West Seattle resident Dave Nichols e-mailed with a call for volunteers to join the Public Health Reserve Corps for Seattle & King County. He explains, “This group of volunteers augments Public Health during a medical emergency or disaster.” And you don’t have to be a health-care professional. Read on to see what they’re looking for and how you can help with this “just in case they’re ever needed” team:Read More
Westwood Village manager Stuart Crandall (right) and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce board president Jerome Cohen cut the ribbon tonight to officially open Santa’s House at WV. It’s not formally open to the public for Santa photos till a week from Saturday, but this is the traditional sneak peek and ribboncutting that happens during an early holiday-season Chamber get-together. The hours are set for noon-4 pm Saturdays and Sundays, November 27-December 19, and remember to bring donations – food for food banks will get you a free photo – White Center Food Bank‘s Audrey Zemke talked about how important that is:
They’re also again collecting diapers (sizes 3-6 preferred!) for WestSide Baby, whose executive director Nancy Woodland talked about how you can help:
WV manager Crandall says they had 5,800 Santa visits last year. Santa’s House is in the breezeway east of Bed Bath Beyond (across from 24-Hour Fitness). The schedule will be added momentarily to our West Seattle Holidays page!
It turned up on Twitter a few nights ago – a curiosity-piquing tweet about a West Seattle 8-year-old raising money to help wildlife. We saw it and followed the link, which led to the tale of Clayton Drennan. His mom Kathleen agreed to share his story – and that photo, which she says was taken last Friday, as he “clos(ed) in on mile 15 … At this point he’d already walked nearly four miles that day.”
About a month ago, Clayton announced to us that he wanted to try to complete the Seattle Children’s Kids Marathon. Since then, much to our surprise, he’s been cheerfully running and walking laps on our block, taking the lead on long walks to the park (including one four-miler that took us on an odyssey around West Seattle), often pushing his little brother Joey in the jogging stroller. Once we saw how serious he was about it, we told him about how lots of people raise money for worthy causes by taking on similar challenges. This piqued his interest.
Considering what an animal lover he is, I immediately thought of the work that Conservation Northwest is doing to protect wildlife habitat in Washington and told him about how I’d seen a slideshow describing their work with the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition. When I described how the proposed and planned bridges and underpasses will save the lives of animals and people, too, he insisted that Conservation Northwest was the charity for him. He didn’t even want to hear about other options.
Clayton typed and dictated most of the blog content himself; his dad and I just edited a bit and added details where they were needed. Readers should go there to find out more about how they can donate and how he’s hoping to triple any donations that come in.
Charity fundraising aside, he is just excited to tackle the challenge of running the last 1.2 miles of the race (which he’ll do with me, his dad, his 9-year-old friend Allison, and a gaggle of other kids on November 27th). He plans to train at 6:30 a.m. every morning for the next week or so with Allison and his Dad until race day.
We hope that folks around West Seattle will visit the blog, leave encouraging comments, maybe even make a donation in Clayton’s honor, and help our eight-year-old learn how one small person can make a big difference.
Again, Clayton’s website is here – with a donation link toward the bottom (you can leave those encouraging comments on his site too).
Got a few hours tomorrow (Thursday) night, 7-9 pm, to help WestSide Baby move 100,000 diapers (from their big Huggies donation) “in addition to other projects”? E-mail sarah@westsidebaby.org!
When Thanksgiving approaches, we usually get questions from people wondering what the local food banks need, so we’re checking in with both of the food banks that serve West Seattle. We’ve already published a volunteer request from the White Center Food Bank; today, we have information from the West Seattle Food Bank:
The West Seattle Food Bank sends sincere thanks to all who are helping neighbors in need by holding food drives and making donations this holiday season
“If you are interested in helping specifically for the Thanksgiving season,” said Executive Director Fran Yeatts, “the best times to drop off food are Friday November 19th between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM and Monday November 22nd between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM. For Thanksgiving the items that are especially appreciated are frozen turkeys less than 12 pounds and desserts like pie. The store-bought pies in the box are the best for storage and distribution by the Food Bank. “
For West Seattleites needing assistance, distribution hours are different during the week of Thanksgiving. The West Seattle Food Bank will be distributing food:
Monday, November 22nd, 9:15 AM – 11:00 AM for seniors only.
Monday, November 22nd, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM for the general public.
Tuesday, November 23rd, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM for the general public“We will also be distributing over 150 home deliveries on Wednesday, November 24th. “ said Yeatts.
The West Seattle Food Bank will close at 3:00 PM on the 24th and will be closed Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th.
With a week and a half till Thanksgiving, it’s time to start thinking how to offer extra help for the holidays. For Thanksgiving, we’re checking with our local food banks regarding their needs for food donations – particularly turkeys – look for that info soon; for starters, we’ve received this volunteer-help request from volunteer/resource coordinator Audrey Zemke at the White Center Food Bank, which serves southern West Seattle as well as WC (and north Burien):
The White Center Food Bank needs volunteers to help hand out holiday food the following shifts
Mon., November 22 – 12:30 to 3:30 and possibly 3:30 to 6:30
Tue., November 23 – 9:00 to 12:30, 12:30 to 3:30, and possibly 3:30 to 6:30
Wed., November 24 – 12:30 to 3:30, 4:30 to 8:30Mon., December 20 – 12:30 to 3:30 and 3:30 to 6:30
Tue., December 21 – 9:00 to 12:30, 12:30 to 3:30, 3:30 to 6:30
Wed., December 22 – 12:30 to 3:30Families, individuals or groups are welcome to contact me at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-762-2848.
That’s the Chief Sealth International High School band’s entry (Jimi!) in a new online Battle of the Bands – the only Seattle contender – and starting right this moment, your vote can help them win. Director Marcus Pimpleton explains:
The Chief Sealth Band is participating in KZOK’s Battle of the Bands competition, in which the winning high school band will receive a $10,000 grand prize. The first round of the judging is based on votes texted in from listeners. We are encouraging everyone to text their vote to help the Chief Sealth Band make it into the finals. Sealth is the only Seattle Public School participating in this year’s contest, so we are encouraging all Seattle residents to rally around this band. Much of the Chief Sealth Band’s inventory is also used by the Seattle All-City Band, so a win for Sealth is a win for All-City.
To support the Sealth Band, text “rock8” to 24300. The system will accept up to 10 votes from the same number per day, so please text ten times a day every day for the next month. Voting begins (this morning) and runs to December 15th. Following the first round of judging, a panel of judges will ultimately judge the video submissions on their musicianship to choose the winning band, but we need texted votes to make it into the final round of judging.
Videos of the high school bands participating [editor’s note, including the one we embedded above] are available online at therockwfp.com/category/botb-2011 and will begin appearing on Comcast on Demand next month.
Out of the WSB inbox: Jo Bader updates us on Girls On The Run of Puget Sound, “a non-profit organization whose mission is to use the power of running to educate and prepare girls in 3rd through 5th grade for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.” Their after-school program has worked with girls at West Seattle sites including, in recent years, Hiawatha – where Jo coached last year – plus Pathfinder and Alki, and a big regional event is coming up in three weeks, Jo says:
On December 4, 2010, Girls on the Run of Puget Sound will host the New Balance Girls on the Run 5K <> at Seward Park in Seattle. This super-fun race is the culmination of the Girls on the Run fall training program and is an opportunity for girls to demonstrate their new “girl power!” This event is open to the public and one-hundred percent of proceeds will benefit Girls on the Run of Puget Sound programs.
Jo says GOTR is looking for “about 40 more volunteers to help out on race day” – and West Seattle help would be welcomed!
To register, volunteers should go to
www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/111234563257211405 and follow the instructions to access the volunteer sign up site. Once in, navigate to December 4th and sign up for a job.
3 work parties to mention tonight – one coming up on Monday, two that happened today. First, from Nancy Whitlock at the Nature Consortium, if you have some time to spare midday Monday:
Habitat Restoration Work Party at the College Street Ravine!
Join Nature Consortium in celebrating Dow Constantine’s birthday by helping us conduct restoration activities in the College Street Ravine (Dow’s favorite greenspace) from 10 am-1 pm on Mon. 11/15. Tools, gloves & snacks provided. Bring a filled water bottle. RSVP to nancy@naturec.org or 206.923.0853 and directions will be sent to you.
Meantime, thanks to a different group of volunteers, one of West Seattle’s most visible greenspaces got a little cleaner:
If your pathway to the West Seattle Bridge is via Fauntleroy, you see “Walking on Logs” every day. The overgrowth and litter stack up pretty quick, and it’s been more than seven months now since Fairmount’s Nancy Driver helped organize a new stewardship effort, since longtime West Seattle community advocate/volunteer Earl Cruzen couldn’t do it singlehandedly any more; they were out today cleaning and trimming. There’s still more work to be done, and we will pass along the word from Nancy when we get it.
Also out today: The Rotary Club of West Seattle was along the Duwamish River, sprucing things up at the Port of Seattle-owned Terminal 105 Viewpoint (which is just east of the Duwamish Longhouse). Just three weeks from today, it’s one of the Rotarians’ biggest service events of the year – the 37th annual Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree (more details on their website).
COOLMOM’S TOY SWAP AND SALE – DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS: Just got word from CoolMom‘s Terri Glaberson that she’s making the rounds of the donation bins one last time by 5 pm today for this Saturday’s Toy Swap and Sale – if you have been meaning to donate items (just put your name in the bag and you get $5 off your purchases on Saturday), hurry! The PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) and smallclothes bins will be the last picked up. Full details, including the dropoff locations and the info on Saturday’s event, are here.
TWILIGHT STARTING TOY DRIVE FOR FOSTER KIDS: Just got word from Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction that tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk also marks the start of their donation drive for Treehouse, which provides new toys and warm clothes for foster kids all around the area. If you don’t get to bring something tonight, no worries, they’ll be collecting all the way up till 5 pm December 19th, and each time you make a donation, your name will go into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate and goodie bag. Twilight is next to Easy Street along SW Alaska west of California SW. Here’s this year’s “wish list” from Treehouse.
(WSB photo from December 2009 by Christopher Boffoli)
Remember that scene from last December? As we and others reported, community generosity saved the day – and the holidays – for local kids in need, when Bishop Deborah Dinkins of Restoration Worship Center – which meets at High Point Community Center – reached out for help. She is hoping you can help again this year:
Greeting from Restoration Worship Center Bishop Dinkins
We are having our annual Toy Drive starting the first Sunday in November and continuing every Sunday in November. We have more than 1,000 names already of children needing toys. We have not gotten any donations yet. We are in desperate need of Toys, Gift Cards, Clothes and Monetary Donations. Donations can be dropped off at the High Point Community Center, 6920 34th Ave SW, West Seattle every Sunday in November between the hours of 12 noon to 2:00 pm outside to collect all donations.
The toys will be given away on Sunday in December 5th from 12 to 2:00 pm @ the High Point Housing Office in West Seattle.
For more information please contact Bishop Deborah Dinkins at 360-440-4428 or Tina Taylor at 206-261-4225
Thank you!
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