Summer vacation’s not even half over and West Seattle High School parents and students are already looking ahead to the end of next school year and another successful Grad Night event. Last weekend, they washed cars to kick off the fundraising campaign, and Carol Viger shares this update and the accompanying photos:
Thanks to our loyal community, and our fabulous sponsor Hotwire Online Coffeehouse [WSB sponsor], WSHS students washed more than 40 cars Saturday 7-18 at our kick-off fundraiser for Grad Night 2010.
What is Grad Night at West Seattle High School?
Grad Night is a celebration on graduation night that is safe for seniors, and the location and activities are mysteries. All attendees are searched, no cell phones are allowed, and the venues remain a mystery until arrival. Grad Night was started by a young man who as a high school junior himself, lost his best friend (a then senior) on graduation night due to an alcohol involved accident. The next year, the student as a senior organized a safe and secret celebration for his classmates. It was so successful that it grew to his company.
Why support Grad Night?
Because everyone makes mistakes – even the smartest, most athletic kids. Accidents happen. (We heard stories of grad-night accidents from some patrons at our most recent car wash fundraiser.)
…and West Seattle High has the largest Alumni Association in the United States at 17,000 members. Grad Night is a good segue to that end. We want to keep our kids connected to our community, and coming back to give back and keep West Side the Best Side…and we have great kids. Last year’s graduating class had the highest attendance of any Seattle Public School, and 48% of the graduates were on the honor roll or above.
You as a parent of a senior will be glad you did support Grad Night. When your student comes home (and you have slept well, knowing they were safe all night) and grins that it was “so fun, I’m glad I went” even though they are exhausted, you will be glad. As a community member, maybe even one without kids, know that you may have saved a life, or at least given memories to last a lifetime in the community called “home” to these kids.
How much support is needed?
As a public high school, our goal is to raise $50 for every student who attends in order to keep the cost as low as possible at about $100 per student. We offer as many scholarships as we can. Additional funds at the end of the year will go to the next year’s class Grad Night. The kids get so much – security, camaraderie, food and beverage, entertainment, myriad activities, transportation, even some prizes! The last Big Yellow School Bus Ride ever!
How can I support Grad Night? Thank you for your consideration!
Cash of course is our greatest need. Donations can be sent to WSHS PTSA, attn: David Broadstoane, 2600 California Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98116, “for Grad Night 2010”; you will be sent a tax-deductible receipt. We are a 501(3)c. You can specify your desire (for scholarship, for general fund). Fund raising ideas, support: cviger@comcast.net, cathasue@comcast.net, Carol Viger 938-4204, Catha Elder 937-6119.
Here’s the car-wash team shot:
(Top row, left to right: Catha Elder, Cindy McComish, Joe Lam, Mark Viger, Christopher Tyler, Carl Swenson, TJ McComish. Bottom row, left to right: Helene Viger, Anna Rosen, Kaitlin Elder, Lori Tyler, Carol Viger, Kam Leng Lam.)
The White Center Food Bank, which also serves West Seattle south of SW Myrtle, just launched a “blog” section on its website. To kick it off in style, they’re looking for name suggestions – send one in and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $25 Farmers’ Market gift certificate. Read all about it here.
That’s WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland announcing the results of today’s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive (with WSB among this year’s co-sponsors) just moments ago at West Seattle Farmers’ Market – she’d spent the first half of the four-hour event at the newly added Burien Chevrolet location (which brought in more than 10,000 of those nearly 30,000 diapers). You can still donate to WestSide Baby any time – diapers and/or money – see westsidebaby.org for info. ADDED 3:33 PM: The total beats last year, which had about 25,000 by 2 pm (WSB 2008 coverage here). And here’s a photo we took inside the West Seattle bus right as today’s drive ended at 2 pm:
The work’s not over for WestSide Baby volunteers – now they get to sort through all those diapers! ADDED 10:12 PM: KC passes along one more tidbit regarding ongoing donations to WestSide Baby:
Did you know that you can drop off partial packs of diapers/training pants to WestSide Baby? It’s true! So go through your closets, the old diaper bag, the car, and get the spares that your kids no longer need. Check at grandma’s house and even in your purse/backpack, too– you can find old spares all over! WestSide Baby will happily take the leftover diapers/training pants.
PMIFK gets school supplies for kids whose families have trouble affording them – and even though it’s the heat of mid-July, back-to-school time in September is practically right around the corner. By 12:30 pm, they’d already washed 15 cars! (1:27 pm note – they’re also updating via Twitter, with pix – 21 cars as of about 1:10 pm!) Also this afternoon: Furry Faces Foundation‘s end-of-summer plant sale to raise money for animal rescue – 3809 46th SW (map) – see this WSB Forums item for full details – it’s continuing till 5 pm, blowout prices.
Just revisited the “Stuff the Bus” HQ at West Seattle Farmers’ Market. That’s WestSide Baby board member Sandra with young volunteer Sabrina, in the bus around 11:30 am. LOTS of room for more diapers. They’re also collecting, as mentioned earlier, at local grocery stores – Jefferson Square, Roxbury, Admiral Safeways and West Seattle Thriftway, and those will all count into the total – one of those store locations had brought over 800 diapers just before we got to The Bus. There’s also a bake sale at The Bus (gorgeous little cupcakes):
And if you donate, you get to honk the bus’s horn – which appeals to the young helpers in particular. This continues till 2 pm. (Just heard from WestSide Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland, who’s in Burien for the first-ever Stuff the Bus site there, at Burien Chevrolet, where she says almost 5,000 diapers had arrived by 11:45.)
That’s Luke and he was the very first person to donate diapers to the annual “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive that officially began moments ago at the big bus parked alongside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. WestSide Baby is hoping to collect tens of thousands of diapers today to help families all around the area. We’ll be publishing updates along the way. “Stuff the Bus” continues till 2 pm. Here’s the “before” shot from just before Luke’s donation:
10:21 AM UPDATE: Just got a note from WestSide Baby’s Nancy Woodland – they’re also doing this in Burien today and got 2,500 diapers in the first 15 minutes. If you have friends/relatives in Burien, tell them to get down to Burien Chevrolet and bring diapers! Here’s full “Stuff the Bus” info for both locations.
10:46 AM UPDATE: We’re reminded that other locations in West Seattle also are collecting donations as part of “Stuff the Bus.” You can take diapers to C and P Coffee and get a free coffee drink in exchange. And we’ve heard diapers are being collected outside at least one Safeway (working to verify which one).
10:57 AM UPDATE: It’s Jefferson Square Safeway. And another reminder from a Facebook friend (find us on FB at facebook.com/westseattleblog) – You can donate money to WestSide Baby online at any time so they can buy diapers and other items. One donation that’ll be made today is $128 raised at the raffle during last night’s well-attended Outdoor Movies on the Wall, according to Lora from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) – any time you go to Movies on the Wall this summer, please bring a few $ (though the movies are free) because there’s always a great raffle, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits. More on “Stuff the Bus” shortly – we’re on our way back to the Farmers’ Market to see how Hour 1 has gone. (Updates on Twitter too – twitter.com/westseattleblog)
11:03 AM UPDATE: Clarification on the sizes most needed – 4, 5, 6 and 4T, as per the Stuff the Bus ad we’ve been running as a co-sponsor of today’s drive.
If you were at today’s West Seattle Grand Parade, you couldn’t miss the bright yellow banner, or the school bus:
The WestSide Baby contingent rolled, strolled and walked down California not only for the fun of it, but also to remind everyone about the organization’s biggest event of the year, coming up TOMORROW: Stuff the Bus. Buy disposable diapers (smaller sizes are most in demand) and take them to the bus at West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm tomorrow, and help WestSide Baby help thousands of West Seattle and White Center-area families in need (a bigger demand this summer than ever before). WSB is proud to be one of this year’s co-sponsors, and we’ll be publishing “live” updates during the event. See you there! (P.S. Still more parade-photo collections to come later tonight – meantime, scroll down the main page to see the ones we’ve already published.)
From the principals of Chief Sealth High School and Denny Middle School – they’re looking for a West Seattle-area family who can host the Chinese Guest Teacher who’ll be working at both schools this fall:
This is a great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and pick up some Mandarin Chinese, while doing a great service for our schools. Hosting the Guest Teacher is much like hosting an exchange student, families are responsible for providing the teachers with a room of their own, including the teachers in family meals, and providing them access to things like a washer and dryer. The teacher will receive a modest salary through the Chinese Ministry of Education, and will be provided a car from the schools as transportation.
This year, our Guest Teacher is Mr. Yang Dawei. He will be arriving in early August. If you are interested in serving as a host family, or know of someone in West Seattle who would be interested, please have them contact the Chief Sealth Main Office at 252-8850.
That’s the Rev. Pat Wright, leader of the Total Experience Gospel Choir, at West Seattle’s Kenyon Hall (March 2008). Tomorrow night, you can see and hear Rev. Wright and her choir as part of Westsidewalk, three performances in three venues right across the street from each other in Fauntleroy, presented by the folks behind Kenyon Hall, Seattle Artists, who are sponsoring WSB this week to get the word out. Westsidewalk proceeds benefit that venue and its programs (including Kindermusik with Lou Magor, who works regularly at Kenyon with Total Experience and accompanies Rev. Wright in the video clip above). The performances at Fauntleroy Church and Fauntleroy Schoolhouse also include Sambatuque and the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band. 7 pm tomorrow, ticket info at kenyonhall.org. Also tomorrow night:
That crocheted “fiber river” has been months in the making — artist Mandy Greer has installed it in the trees near Polliwog Pond at Camp Long (where we photographed it yesterday), and tomorrow night her city-funded “temporary public art” project Mater Matrix Mother and Medium culminates with a free art/music performance in the park. 6:30 pm tomorrow, more details here.
One more unique performance ahead: Saturday night at C & P Coffee, a benefit concert to support Real Change, which isn’t just a newspaper, but also, as concert organizer and performer Mike Buchman describes it, “an aggressive community organizing agency helping to create a more humane world.” He and Real Change director Tim Harris will perform; it’s free but donations will be accepted, and they have a match for the first $500 received. They’re performing 6-8 pm – early enough that you could drop in and still make it up the street a mile to the first Outdoor Movies on the Wall (“The Princess Bride,” dusk Saturday).
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
We ran that photo a week ago with the announcement of Seal Sitters‘ first volunteer-training session of the season – and now that the meeting’s a few hours away, hard to resist running it again.Alki UCC, tonight at 7. Puget Sound’s baby seals need YOU to protect them when they’re on the beach taking a break while their moms are off finding food. Read more about them at sealsitters.org.
(note that’s a 2008 parade photo – this year’s drive is THIS SUNDAY, JULY 19)
You’ll see them again in Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade – and then the very next day, this Sunday, you are going to want to show up at the bus at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market with an armload of diaper packages, to help “Stuff the Bus” on behalf of the hundreds of local families who get help from WestSide Baby every week. WSB is proud to be among the co-sponsors of this year’s diaper drive, and we just got the official news release – read on for the full details of this Sunday’s event, plus a note about a way you can participate right now (with a freebie attached!):Read More
Just in from Betsy Hoffmeister, as North Delridge residents – with hundreds of volunteers helping – get ready to build their new playground at Delridge Community Center later this week – they’ve got most of what they need lined up for the build-a-thon but now need what she calls “a minor miracle”:
Life has gotten a little extra complicated for the Delridge Community Center playground. We have an amazing, thrilling number of volunteers lined up for Friday’s event, food is in place, and we’re good to go, except for one exciting detail. When the hole was excavated, more and more concrete was found. The hole is now much, much deeper than anticipated. We are getting 30 cubic yards of gravel delivered Wednesday afternoon, and we need to move it into the hole and spread it evenly. We do not currently have heavy equipment or a heavy equipment operator lined up to do this task for us. We know that if we had a skid steer, it could be done in a few hours. If humans need to do this, it is a monumental task. So, we are looking for a skid steer and skilled operator, or a contingent of Marines. Or neighbors with shovels and rakes. Please, neighbors, when we have asked for food, you’ve provided food. When we’ve asked for cash, you’ve given cash. When we’ve asked for time, you’ve given time. A mere skid steer and operator seems like a minor miracle to us – but you may have the answer sitting in your back yard. Please, friends, contact helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com or call Betsy at 206 353 9334. Thank you!!
(scroll down for the latest photos and ongoing updates)
(Summer Fest organizing gurus with West Seattle Farmers’ Market flowers West Seattle Summer Fest is scheduled till 7 pm today – and while it’s off to a showery start, you know how fast the weather can change around here. One big reason to come today: Support the organizations and businesses that make West Seattle a great place to be. Dozens of groups are having raffles, selling T-shirts and providing other offers to entice you to help them get the $ to do what they need to do. And some are there to get the word out about big events ahead – like WestSide Baby‘s Stuff the Bus diaper drive (which WSB is proud to co-sponsor this year), just one week from today! Bring an umbrella – or wait a while till things change (we see a break in the clouds to the southwest) – see you there.
12:35 PM UPDATE: The sun has JUST come out! Lt. Ron Smith from the Southwest Precinct is supervising police here again today and just told us a great story – Somebody lost their spine at the Street Fair and has just been reunited with it. It started late last night when security guards spotted someone on the run with one of those plastic spines that chiropractors set up in their booths. The guy dropped the spine and kept running. The folks at West 5 took the spine under their wing, so to speak, and kept it till someone came looking for it today. And now – the lost spine and its owner are reunited. More common for police to be reuniting lost kids with parents here – although last night a service dog and its owner got separated, and you’ve never seen someone so happy as the owner on the way to the reunion. A West 5 side note – out front, you’ll find a booth selling items including these popular “West Seattle … More Cowbell” T-shirts:
12:51 PM UPDATE: We were asked on Facebook (find us there as WS Blog) if the bouncy toys in the kid zone are open despite the rain. Short answer – yes. They’ll be closed in case of MASSIVE downpour, or lightning, or high wind, but right now, open, and lots of kids are sporting rain gear. We wanted to add a thanks here – to the folks who’ve kept us hydrated during three days of tabling – including the Fresh Bistro team, which has been selling KILLER strawberry lavender lemonade at the booth just south of us, where they’re co-housed with Mural Apartments (WSB sponsor) — and Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). Lots more candidate sightings already today, by the way – including Mike McGinn, the Seattle mayoral candidate co-endorsed by the 34th District Democrats this past week (along with Mayor Nickels, who we haven’t seen yet, though that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been here):
Supporter Christi Stapleton says they’re planning to set up a silk-screening station here shortly for people to bring their own T-shirts and get McGinn logos added to them. Also spotted, City Council candidate David Bloom:
He’s running for the same council position for which the 34th District Democrats co-endorsed Sally Bagshaw, who’s here today for the second consecutive day, and Dorsol Plants, who was also here yesterday.
1:51 PM: The crowd has REALLY picked up. West Seattle Farmers’ Market is wrapping up for the day shortly but we had some interesting sightings there too – like Kimberly Johnsen with live crabs from Quil Bay Seafood:
And your food options continue to be plentiful. Melody shares a photo of Isabella Sarkies with a giant slice of pizza from Talarico’s:
3 PM: As mentioned even before Summer Fest began, this is a big weekend for Junction Plaza Park – it’s getting a share of the proceeds from the beer garden at the park site (which we’re told did especially well on Friday night in connection with the nearby Mudhoney concert) and donations in several collection boxes – including one here at the center tent (California). One very young donor collected up all her spare change and decided to give it to the park – her name is Sophia and she got a boost up to the donation slot courtesy of Erica Karlovits, president of Junction Neighborhood Organization, who’s here as a volunteer for Friends of Junction Plaza Park:
When it comes to youth in action, some may be a little too young to volunteer – so they’re just having fun. Here’s video of Nathan (who incidentally is the son of Seattle’s Poet Populist Mike Hickey and his humor writer/photographer wife Mona), puddle-jumping around noon, just a few feet from our side of the big central JUNCTION/PARK/INFORMATION/SURVEY tent:
3:48 PM: Some kids are here with candidates – who happen to be their parents – like Sydney, who’s campaigning with dad Marty Kaplan, who’s in the City Council race with Nick Licata and Jessie Israel (who are the 34th District Democrats’ co-endorsees):
4:11 PM: We mentioned this on Facebook and Twitter but didn’t get a chance to add it here till now – West Seattle High School cheerleaders were raffling off a barbecue over at TrueValue – they were only there till 4, though:
4:21 PM: Just started raining again. Hope it’ll be shortlived. Folks are fleeing for cover and/or umbrellas at the moment.
4:35 PM: However, it’s not dampening spirits. Big crowd watching a dance troupe between us and the Alaska Stage. We’ll be adding video of that and of the downpour. The rain’s lightened now and more people have resumed walking around. (added 5 pm – here’s that video)
(added 6:43 pm – the downpour from two hours ago, looking toward Easy Street)
4:52 PM: Green Pajamas has started its set on the Alaska Stage, as scheduled.
(here’s video, added 9:14 pm)
Summer Fest continues till 7. Right by our tent, Easy Street Records just announced low-low-low prices on its sidewalk/tent sale, some items as low as $1.
5:31 PM: More candidate sightings – Norman Sigler, who’s running for mayor:
David Miller, City Council candidate co-endorsed by the 34th District Democrats along with Robert Rosencrantz:
6:24 PM: 35 minutes left in Summer Fest – definitely quieter but the music’s still going. Overall, even though the crowd was bigger (particularly during the Friday-Saturday sunshine), police tell us things have been relatively quiet. The booths are technically open till 7 (we’re here till then) but the packing-up process has definitely begun at some we just walked past. Time to start looking ahead to some of next week’s big events – starting with the West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park next Tuesday (7 pm, Hiawatha, with the West Seattle Big Band, free, bring a blanket and/or chairs, and help us celebrate the West Seattle Volunteer Recognition recipients!) — and more along the way, with next weekend’s highlights including the West Seattle Grand Parade presented by American Legion Post 160 at 11 am Saturday (preceded by the Kiddies Parade – presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle – at 10:30 am, all kids welcome to participate, gather at Genesee and California), the Alki Car Show all day Saturday, and the West Seattle Garden Tour all day Sunday ($15/person with kids 12 and under free, find out at westseattlegardentour.com where to get your tickets).
6:49 PM: Junior Member of the Team got a few closing shots – a booth wrapping up, and a young climber who wasn’t going to pass up one last chance to head for the top:
6:55 PM: With five minutes to go, the biggest question: How soon till cars are allowed through The Junction right now? We’re getting the answer from Lt. Smith and his team right this moment … Answer: Technically the streets are posted closed till midnight, but Lt. Smith says, “They’ll open sooner if they’re ready to.”
ADDED LATE SUNDAY NIGHT: Video of the last announcement of the festival – the guy outside Easy Street with a megaphone (and a siren):
(photo added 3:56 pm, adoptable kittens at Summer Fest) King County Animal Services sponsored WSB this past week to help promote the Super Pet Adopt-A-Thon yesterday – held in Kent but with available pets from all over the state. They’ve announced that 88 dogs and cats found new “forever homes” during the six-hour event, which drew 700 visitors, up almost 50 percent from last year. They still have home-seeking pets in their Kent and Bellevue facilities, and if you’ll take in an adult cat (1+ year old), they’re waiving the adoption fee, and you’ll only have to pay the $30 license cost – nothing extra for a pet who’s been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and chipped. More info here. Also: From the WSB Forums, local volunteers who work with feral cats will have adoptable kittens at West Seattle Summer Fest today, by Forsythe Studio (east side of California, north of Oregon).
Jeannette e-mailed us about this a few days ago but at the time, the date was later in the month, so it’s not in this weekend’s calendar – now we know it’s happening TOMORROW (Sunday) and we want to help get the word out. Her 9-year-old son will have “Connor’s Lemonade Stand” set up at 40th/Oregon 11 am-1 pm. Proceeds will benefit the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Here’s a map; go buy some lemonade from Connor – that’s just a couple blocks east of the north end of West Seattle Summer Fest.
(Balloon artist Miriam FitzPatrick, who’s set up outside Petco) West Seattle Summer Fest has begun for its second day. Official hours today are 10 am-8 pm, but music continues after that, with the Street Dance at both stages kicking off around 8:15 pm. One note: The video arcade in the former northern half of Capers WILL be open today, according to Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association. More to come! (But if you have friends heading this way soon, please remember, there’s still traffic trouble on the WESTBOUND West Seattle Bridge because of the rollover crash we’ve been covering – here’s our updated report.)
11:16 AM UPDATE: Adding the first photos of the day. We’re told the video arcade should be open around noon or shortly afterward:
11:50 AM UPDATE: First candidate sighting of the day – City Council candidate Sally Bagshaw, who just got the dual endorsement of the 34th District Democrats last Wednesday night for Position 4 along with West Seattle’s Dorsol Plants. She and supporters are here with signs and flyers.
Also happening right now – Westside Dermatology, right around the corner from Summer Fest on 44th north of Edmunds, is having its Skin Care Fair today – lots of freebies (you’ll need sunscreen here today – they’re giving it away!) – and advice on keeping your skin healthy. Jon and Jennifer from Westside Dermatology (which is a WSB sponsor) stopped by our HQ at the Information/Junction/Park/Survey tent at Alaska/California (we’re facing KeyBank) to spread the word:
The Skin Care Fair continues till 4 pm. Live music also is about to start – earlier today since it’s now officially the weekend – as noted earlier this morning, Caspar Babypants (the children’s-music sideline of Chris Ballew from the Presidents of the United States of America) plays at 3:30 pm; tonight at 8:15, it’s the Street Dance, both stages.
12:16 PM: Just got a report from co-publisher Patrick at Alki Beach – TONS of traffic for theSeafair Pirates’ Landing (hard to believe because so many people are here at Summer Fest, but hey, it’s a big peninsula). Look for photos/video later (the Pirates hadn’t yet materialized as of a few minutes ago). Speaking of Alki, Shari Sewell from West Seattle-based Northwest Hope and Healing is here to get the word out about the second annual Alki Beach Run, coming up in September:
12:39 PM: We have word that the crash on the bridge we covered earlier is finally clear, so that opens up traffic to everybody heading this way (Summer Fest continues till 8, and beyond with the Street Dance starting right about then). Speaking of traffic – while you’re here, if you have a question about the Viaduct/Tunnel project and other components of what’s changing in the “corridor,” stop by the official booth, just a bit north of Petco on the east side of the street – we found Katie and Lara there this morning:
Tons of info online, by the way, atalaskanwayviaduct.org. Second candidate sighting of the day – now standing alongside our booth before working the crowd, City Council candidate Dorsol Plants, who chaired the Highland Park Action Committee during the first intensive wave of the jail-sites fight. Also here to work the crowd with him, Dina Lydia Johnson and her husband, previous HPAC chair Blair Johnson. Here’s Dina with Dorsol:
One question we’ve fielded several times – when will the Delridge Playground volunteers be in the Community Tent (which is on Alaska just past the stage) – the schedule shows them here 2-8 pm today, so you can get a raffle ticket, buy a (Heart) Delridge T-shirt.
1:07 PM UPDATE: Dave Montoure from West 5 just came by en route to deliver veggie dogs for the “dog-eating contest” coming up at 1:30. Lots of little fun moments like that throughout the day/evening. If you don’t get a festival guide somewhere else, stop by our table at California/Alaska, facing KeyBank/food court/Easy Street (we’ve got the first-ever WSB T-shirts on sale, $15, with $6 of that – past our $9 cost – going to local nonprofits). P.S. We have word now the Seafair Pirates landed after 1 pm. Co-publisher Patrick will be back with photos and video for a separate story.
1:32 PM UPDATE: Lots of other neighborhoods representing – besides Erica Karlovits from Junction Neighborhood Organization (whose next meeting is this Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 pm, Ginomai), Chas Redmond from Morgan Community Association (whose Cindi Barker was last seen heading for the Community Tent near the Alaska Stage), Mark Wainwright and Jim Del Ciello from the Admiral Neighborhood Association, Sharonn Meeks from the Fairmount Community Association; yesterday we talked with Bruce Butterfield of the Fauntleroy Community Association … there’s a list of all West Seattle community groups with websites. We also have information here about some of the upcoming events we’re co-sponsoring – Outdoor Movies on the Wall, starting a week from tonight with “The Princess Bride” (courtyard between Hotwire Coffee [WSB sponsor] and Dr. Wolff, at dusk) and ANA’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, which start a week from Thursday (July 23) with Alma Villegas. Here at Summer Fest, the entertainment’s happening everywhere, and demonstrations too, like the Evergreen Tae-Kwon-Do Academy right by our tent a bit earlier:
3:32 PM: Caspar Babypants is under way at the Alaska Stage, right behind us and by Junction Plaza Park and its park-construction-benefiting beer garden – whimsical music, geared for kids but fun for grownups too.
No, the concerts aren’t starting yet, but the promotion is: The Admiral Neighborhood Association invites anybody who can spare some time tonight to meet up at 6 pm at the Admiral Theater to fan out and put up posters for the concert series (which WSB is co-sponsoring) – first concert is two weeks from tonight, July 23rd! (Here’s the full lineup.) You can check out Art Walk stops along the way, too (map and more here).
Till 10 pm, you can drop by West 5 in The Junction and have “A Drink for the Kids“ – with proceeds from certain cocktails/beer going to The Vera Project, the all-ages arts center based at Seattle Center. This is the third night for the weeklong traveling fundraiser, which is stopping in a different Seattle venue each night till a closing concert Saturday – West 5 is its only West Seattle stop. At left, Megan Jasper of Sub Pop Records(a West Seattleite) is tonight’s host, stopping to pose with West 5’s “DJ Deanzig” when we visited in the early going.
That’s the back of Jane Taylor‘s car this past Sunday, after the summer’s first collection for Lettuce Pray, which so far has 10 area congregations participating in collection/distribution of nonperishable food and fresh produce. Jane reports, “Between the eight of the ten member churches who had food to collect, we collected 176 pounds of canned goods and 26 pounds of fresh produce. As the summer and the harvest season moves forward, we anticipate that that percentage will shift and we’ll be gathering more fresh produce than canned goods.” Here’s just one of the participating groups – at Grace Church, from left, Jane (who’s coordinating Lettuce Pray area-wide) with Grace’s LP coordinator Ali Kerr and donor Martha Heuschele:
Jane adds, “Our goal for the 12 week collection period is 2000 pounds of fresh produce and an equal amount of canned goods. We are well on our way!!” So far, participants are:
Jane says that if you would like to donate produce from your garden, “you can take it to any of (those locations) on Sunday morning and we will pick it up between 10:45 and 12:30 and deliver it into cold storage at the West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank. If other churches would like to be on the collection list and mobilize their congregations to donate their spare homegrown produce, they can e-mail (me) at janeatay@msn.com.” Jane also added a special thanks “to Kristen Parsons-Rosen for helping with collections and documenting our great day in these photographs” – this last one’s from Our Lady of Guadalupe, as Lisa Keith shared a tomato plant with home gardener Flora Cantos, for future Lettuce Pray collections:
Groundbreaking this year forJunction Plaza Park (NW corner of 42nd/Alaska) looks more likely than ever, now that the money amassed for the long-in-the-works project has passed $300K: $303,554, to be precise, as announced at last night’s Friends of Junction Plaza Park meeting. “We’re really close,” said Junction Neighborhood Organizationpresident Erica Karlovits. The total so far includes the $98,000 city matching-funds grant announced recently; Karlovits and West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose said last night they’re still waiting for word on a few more grants. One big boost for the park will come this Friday-Saturday-Sunday, from West Seattle Summer Fest, with 25% of the proceeds from a beer garden by the park site going to the project, plus donation boxes for you to make a contribution. You’ll be able to find out more about the park by stopping at the central (California/Alaska) tent at Summer Fest – Friends of Junction Plaza Park will be next to our spot, on the west side of the tent, facing KeyBank (we’ll be across from Easy Street, next in turn to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce-staffed Information area facing Cupcake Royale on the north/east side). The park project also will be on the agenda for the Junction Neighborhood Organization‘s next meeting, 6:30 pm July 14 at Ginomai (SW corner of 42nd/Genesee) – it’ll be an abbreviated meeting so everyone can adjourn to the free West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Concert in the Park with the West Seattle Big Band at Hiawatha Community Center at 7:30 that night.
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
It’s that time of year again: The local volunteer group Seal Sitters is ready to train new volunteers to help keep watch when seal pups come out of the water and start turning up on local shores. The Seal Sitters’ first volunteer training session is one week from tonight at Alki UCC – read on for the full official announcement:Read More
Spring and fall may be the perfect planting seasons, but it’s not too late to get something new in your garden – and we have word today of two opportunities, plant sales that also happen to be fundraisers: First, Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle is selling vegetable starts at SSCC this Wednesday afternoon/evening:
Plants raised with care and donated by South Seattle Community College Dept of Horticulture
Community Harvest of SW Seattle is a local non-profit helping to share the abundance of our local harvests as well as inspiring and educating on the joys of growing food. We sponsor the Edible Garden Fair and Tour, canning classes, gardening classes, as well as coordinating the fruit harvest in West Seattle. More info – 206-762-0604 info@gleanit.org
The other plant sale is continuous all month long at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), in the courtyard, benefiting the Hip to Be Snipped program by Furry Faces Foundation — flowers and grape vines among other items — drop by whenever Hotwire’s open and check ’em out.
Till 10 pm, you can drop by 
$303,554, to be precise, as announced at last night’s 
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