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“Stuff the Bus” final hour: 20,000 diapers and room for more!
July 27, 2008 1:07 pm
|    Comments Off on “Stuff the Bus” final hour: 20,000 diapers and room for more!
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

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We’re back in The Junction, where we revisited the WestSide Baby “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive for an update as it goes into its final hour – they were just about to pass 20,000 diapers (way to go, West Seattle!!!!), and there’s still room for more – even if you’ve been by once, maybe you have time to make another run? Look for this big yellow bus on 44th south of Alaska, alongside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, where lots of friendly WestSide Baby volunteers are there to greet you and take your diaper donation till 2 pm:

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Stil time to get a free car-seat check in the nearby Wells Fargo parking lot, too, courtesy of SafeKids-South King County. WestSide Baby is expecting to help local families in need with THREE-HUNDRED THOUSAND DIAPERS in all, before the year’s out – so even if you don’t see this till Monday (or later), check the WestSide Baby website to find out how you can help them help local families (with lots of other essentials too) any time of year.

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2nd “Stuff the Bus” update
July 27, 2008 12:25 pm
|    Comments Off on 2nd “Stuff the Bus” update
 |   How to help

We’re heading back to get a look at how things are going in the second half of today’s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive … but in the meantime, WestSide Baby‘s executive director Nancy Woodland called with an update: More than 16,000 diapers as of noon! STILL room for lots more. Get down to 44th just south of Alaska (next to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market) before 2 pm.

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1st “Stuff the Bus” progress report: Almost 10,000 diapers!
July 27, 2008 11:07 am
|    Comments Off on 1st “Stuff the Bus” progress report: Almost 10,000 diapers!
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

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We’re in The Junction, where we just dropped by WestSide Baby‘s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive to see how things were going after the first hour – they had just passed 9,500 diapers! But that’s just enough to cover the back of the bus (photo above) — LOTS of room for more – lots of “westside babies” (and toddlers) are counting on you! Any kind of disposable diapers will do – go buy a package or two (or more) and get ’em to the big yellow bus (with lots of happy volunteers swarming around it) at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market by 2 pm. And remember, just to the north, the Wells Fargo parking lot (enter from 44th northbound, sign shown below) is where you can get a free car-seat check during the diaper drive:

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New in West Seattle? Need a map to 44th/Alaska? Here you go. And if you can’t quite get to the Farmers’ Market, there are five other dropoff spots, including Red Cup Espresso (hand ’em over at the drive-thru window!) on the west side of California just north of Oregon, and Eats Market Cafe in Westwood Village (full list here).

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Farmers’ Market today: Fresh sheet, plus “Stuff the Bus”
July 27, 2008 6:43 am
|    Comments Off on Farmers’ Market today: Fresh sheet, plus “Stuff the Bus”
 |   How to help | West Seattle Farmers' Market

As always, here’s the Sunday morning link to what’s fresh at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (and others citywide). And another reminder: Today’s the WestSide Baby “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive at the big yellow bus next to the market on 44th – take one or more packages of diapers; Costco’s matching the first 14,000. We’ll be updating as it progresses, 10 am-2 pm (additional dropoff sites listed here).

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“Stuff the Bus” countdown: Parked and ready
July 26, 2008 5:50 pm
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 |   How to help

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The bus WestSide Baby hopes you’ll help stuff with diapers is now in place on 44th south of Alaska, where you’ll find it tomorrow, 10 am-2 pm, right alongside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. Three things we’ve mentioned before that are worth mentioning again: First, Costco is matching donations diaper-for-diaper, up to the first 14,000, so your donation’s likely to count double. Second, during “Stuff the Bus,” WestSide Baby is offering free carseat checks at the Junction Wells Fargo parking lot across the street. Third, if you can’t make it to the Farmers’ Market, there are a few other dropoff locations during the “Stuff the Bus” drive — five of them, all listed here. This year they’re expecting to supply needy local families with THREE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND diapers – and hoping to bring in at least 20,000 tomorrow. See you there!

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“Stuff the Bus” diaper drive on Sunday: 2 bonuses
July 25, 2008 9:24 pm
|    Comments Off on “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive on Sunday: 2 bonuses
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

We’re counting down to Sunday’s annual “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive for WestSide Baby, diaperbus.jpgwhich helps thousands of local families every year — buy 1 or more packages of disposable diapers, drop ’em off at the big school bus you’ll see parked by the West Seattle Farmers’ Market 10 am-2 pm Sunday (or a few satellite locations listed on the WestSide Baby home page). And as we mentioned yesterday – Costco is matching the first 14,000 diapers donated, diaper for diaper! Two other bonuses – first, ever wanted to honk a school-bus horn? You can do it when you drop off your donation on Sunday. Second, across Alaska at the Junction Wells Fargo branch, free car-seat inspections are being offered during “Stuff the Bus,” thanks to SafeKids-King County South (more info on this page). We’re planning in-progress reports on Sunday; see you there!

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Double-stuffed: Thanks to Costco, your diaper donation’s matched
July 24, 2008 5:24 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

diaperbus.jpgWord just in from Nancy Woodland of WestSide Baby (WSB sponsor this week in honor of the annual “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive): Costco has just agreed to match all the diapers donated in this Sunday’s drive, up to 14,000! So your contribution will count double. Bring diapers to the big school bus (photo at left from last Saturday’s Grand Parade) that’ll be parked by the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm Sunday, 44th at Alaska.

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Tonight: 2 movies, outdoor concert, crimefighting meeting
July 24, 2008 1:29 pm
|    Comments Off on Tonight: 2 movies, outdoor concert, crimefighting meeting
 |   Environment | Fun stuff to do | How to help

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.

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West Seattle scenes, Thursday morning edition: 3 followups
July 24, 2008 10:44 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Development | How to help | Transportation

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At 35th/Raymond, this is one of two SDOT crews onscene right now to work on the signal upgrade – as we reported last month, the city is turning this into a full-service traffic signal. Now, on to the Junction/Triangle area:

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Here’s what the Fauntleroy Place (future Whole Foods, ex-Schuck’s/Hancock) demolition site looks like as of moments ago. On this third day of teardown work, the building itself is still standing while crews continue clearing debris out of its interior (note the huge piles), much of it to be recycled; also note the orange-vested woman in the left-hand foreground – a city worker putting up signs about the revised permit application that’s just been filed (here’s the notice) Design Review Board hearing on the newest FP design (see it in this WSB story) coming up August 14th (8 pm, High Point Community Center). Side note, a small group of little kids and their adult chaperone (day-care, perhaps) have been strolling the perimeter, excitedly watching all the heavy equipment in action. Speaking of little kids, that brings us to what’s happening less than a block away at a future development site:

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As promised, the bus that First Student is loaning WestSide Baby (WSB sponsor) for this Sunday’s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive is in place at the old Huling Buick showroom site (which the same developer that’s handling Fauntleroy Place, BlueStar, plans to turn into Gateway Center). The bus is just there till Saturday as a billboard of sorts – the bus will be at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (44th at Alaska) on Sunday, 10 am-2 pm, ready for “stuffing” with disposable diapers for local families in need – WestSide Baby hands out hundreds of thousands a year (they’re not covered by food stamps) — go get some and bring ’em down that day.

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Good people needed for good work: West Seattle Food Bank board
July 24, 2008 10:03 am
|    Comments Off on Good people needed for good work: West Seattle Food Bank board
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Tough economic times mean more people to serve at the West Seattle Food Bank – and now there’s word the WSFB needs some behind-the-scenes help itself: Board president Pete Spalding says, “We have lost a couple of board members recently and are now trying to fill a couple of slots on the West Seattle Food Bank Board with some really committed West Seattleites.” He says the food bank’s mission is as follows:

The West Seattle Food Bank is committed to eliminating hunger in our area. We do this by:
– Securing and distributing quality nutritious food to clients
– Educating clients about good nutrition
– Increasing public awareness of hunger in our community
– Coordinating community services for clients
– Assuring continuity of services to clients through a convenient, accessible location

You can call or e-mail WSFB to find out how to get an application to join the board; contact info is here.

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Admiral mini-park project update: “Play space,” not “playground”
July 24, 2008 2:40 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   California Place Park | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

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Our previous reports on the Admiral group proposing a kids’ play area for the tiny park shown above — California Place, at California/Hill next to Admiral UCC church (map) — have been greeted by some comments suggesting the space might be better left undeveloped. Nobody showed up at the group’s first community meeting last night to express that opinion in person, but those who feel that way will likely be interested to hear that the proposal isn’t what you might suspect — they’re not seeking to turn it into a playground, but rather, per a phrase offered by a Parks Department staffer who attended the meeting to observe, a “play space.” Here’s the explanation:Read More

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“Stuff the Bus” countdown: What WestSide Baby needs most
July 24, 2008 12:51 am
|    Comments Off on “Stuff the Bus” countdown: What WestSide Baby needs most
 |   How to help

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They marched in The Parade, they’re parking a bus in the Junction/Triangle area today, and Sunday’s the day you’ll find WestSide Baby hoping you will help them stuff that bus during the annual diaper drive to help local families. We asked WestSide Baby (sponsoring WSB this week to help promote Stuff the Bus) executive director Nancy Woodland if there’s any particular size(s) they need most — Nancy’s reply: “Everything is needed but we do have some that seem to go out more than others. Newborns, Size 5, Size 6 and Size 4t-5t Pull-Ups.” So get out and buy some diapers, in those sizes and/or others, to bring to the big bus that’ll be parked next to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (44th at Alaska) 10 am-2 pm on Sunday.

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Wednesday afternoon links and notes
July 23, 2008 2:07 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle people

MERCURY FROM CEMENT PLANTS: They’re not in West Seattle but they (and other Duwamish-area industrial operations) affect the air quality here (and come up in discussions such as this recent WSB comment thread about a “mystery smell”). Today the Times reports an environmental group says the emissions from Lafarge and Ash Grove cement plants include up to 91 pounds of mercury a year. The Times story (at this moment, anyway) doesn’t link to the group’s report, but we found it here.

SHE’S A CHAMP: Think people tend to get weaker with age? 48-year-old Tamela Thomas of West Seattle is among those who can disabuse you of that notion. The Weekly writes about her historic martial-arts win.

MORE TIME TO ORDER ROTARY BLUEBERRIES: Another harvest delay is changing the Rotary Club of West Seattle blueberry pickup date – which means more time to order if you haven’t done so already – now pickups are projected for August 8-9. Raspberries will be here this weekend as scheduled, however. You can order blueberries from the Rotary website till August 5th; notes Rotary member Josh Sutton of the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor), “These sales support our annual Holiday Kids Shopping Spree, where we take about 100 kids to Sears and buy them new clothes, shoes and winter coats each December. And the berries are yummy.”

INTERESTED IN GOING TO INDIA OR FRANCE? This too comes from the Rotarians, but it’s a citywide announcement – “young businesspeople” who are NOT Rotary Club members are invited to apply for an exchange program to spend a month in India or France. Find out all about it here.

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Happening today/tonight: Demolition; playground; party
July 23, 2008 5:58 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle video

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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:

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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.

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“Stuff the Bus” countdown – and free car-seat inspections!
July 22, 2008 4:30 pm
|    Comments Off on “Stuff the Bus” countdown – and free car-seat inspections!
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

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We first showed you that bus in our coverage of Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade – First Student agreed during West Seattle Summer Fest to loan it to WestSide Baby for promotion of, and use during, the annual Stuff the Bus diaper drive this Sunday. You’ll see the bus again starting Thursday — Nancy Woodland from WestSide Baby, which is sponsoring WSB this week to give Stuff the Bus an extra promotional push, says it’ll be parked at the old Huling Buick showroom site as a reminder (with permission from BlueStar, which is developing Gateway Center at the site), till it moves on Saturday to the site where you’ll find it Sunday: Alongside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm. The diaper drive is vital for WestSide Baby because, as is scrawled on the promotional bus above, “food stamps don’t buy diapers” — and this year, WestSide Baby is expecting to donate 300,000 diapers to families in need — but they need your help first. More on this as the week goes on – but here’s first word of a new addition that might be of interest to your family: This year, WestSide Baby is partnering with the King County South chapter of the national SafeKids Coalition to offer diaper-drive donors FREE car-seat inspections at the Junction Wells Fargo Bank parking lot (right across from the bus you’ll be stuffing); note that the last car will be admitted at 1:30 pm. Find out more about WestSide Baby by going here.

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Yet more West Seattle (and vicinity) weekend scenes
July 20, 2008 11:21 pm
|    Comments Off on Yet more West Seattle (and vicinity) weekend scenes
 |   How to help | West Seattle jail sites | WS culture/arts

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They’re known more for washing (and styling) hair than for washing cars, but today the staff of Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) became volunteer vehicle-scrubbers to raise money for Pencil Me In For Kids. When we dropped by the car-wash site outside the West Seattle Eagles‘ HQ in The Junction during the car wash’s final hour, they were already closing in on 30 cars. Speaking of volunteer power, we got an “after” photo from Saturday’s last round of portable-painting at Pathfinder K-8:

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Eric Baer reports almost 50 volunteers were on hand, including two teams from Seattle Works (which had declared this a “hot project”). Now on to volunteer neighborhood-issue activism:

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Those three are from the Highland Park Action Committee (from left, Jessie, Dina Johnson, Blair Johnson), which maintained a presence at White Center Jubilee Days all weekend as part of its campaign against the two potential city jail sites in southeast West Seattle. (Wondering about the costumes? Blair’s is obvious; Jessie and Dina were going with the WCJD “Pirates” theme.) HPAC’s next meeting is 7 pm tomorrow (Monday) night, Highland Park Improvement Club @ 11th/Holden, where they’ll plot strategy for Saturday morning’s city-organized jail-sites forum @ South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center (9 am-noon). Dina also sent photos from an entirely unrelated event – the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival this weekend at Hiawatha:

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That’s Habib, dancing solo. Dina shared a few more Medfest photos, which (if you’re viewing this from the home page) are a click away:Read More

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Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle celebrates first harvest
July 20, 2008 12:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | How to help | West Seattle news

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harvest1.jpgThat’s part of the haul from this year’s first fruit-tree harvest by Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle. If you have a fruit tree whose yield could go to help make sure everyone in our community has good healthy food, yours could be next – harvesting help is needed too. Here’s the latest update from Aviva of Community Harvest (who also sent the photos – thanks!):

Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle, the group that harvests surplus fruit from residential trees, had its first harvest on Friday. Six volunteers met for a few hours in the backyard of a house near Westwood Village. The result: 113 pounds of beautiful ripe cherries to be distributed at the White Center Food Bank on Monday. If you are interested in joining this effort or know of a tree to donate, have a look at their website: www.gleanit.org.

Community Harvest has also published the map for the 1st Annual Edible Garden Tour of West Seattle. It is a very diverse group of gardens, including a condo food jungle, a parking strip farm, permaculture gardens, community gardens, as well as more traditional backyard vegetable patches. Read more and get the addresses on www.gleanit.org/tour.html. Come get inspired August 2, 10 am-2 pm.

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Parade report #4: Kids, and the people who help them
July 19, 2008 8:05 pm
|    Comments Off on Parade report #4: Kids, and the people who help them
 |   How to help | West Seattle Grand Parade | West Seattle video

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The kids in that video clip were among the participants in the Kiddies’ Parade presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle right before the Grand Parade — it’s open to all who show up, on a shorter route. There also were many young participants in the bigger parade, as well as entries promoting events coming up to help local kids:

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On the hood of the Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) VW Bug, you’ll see a logo for Pencil Me In For Kids — the pink sign on the car’s sign was a reminder about a car wash tomorrow, 10 am-2 pm at the West Seattle Eagles parking lot, with Illusions staffers scrubbing vehicles to raise money for PMIFK, which buys school supplies for kids in need. And a week from tomorrow, it’s the annual WestSide Baby “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive:

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WestSide Baby‘s Nancy Woodland broke the news to WSB during Summer Fest last weekend, right after First Student offered her organization space on that bus (which took second place in the Community Floats category!) to promote “Stuff the Bus” during the parade (right after the WestSide Baby marching unit) as well as a bus for the diaper collection on July 27. All you have to do is show up at the bus that day – it’ll be parked right next to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on 44th south of Alaska – with one or more packages of disposable diapers, to help “Stuff the Bus.” Meantime – yet more parade coverage later tonight!

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Pathfinder portable-painting: The final chapter
July 19, 2008 8:05 am
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 |   Genesee Hill | How to help | West Seattle schools

The portables at Pathfinder K-8 on Genesee Hill used to look like this:

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Then after a big painting party a few months ago, most of them had a more colorful facade, as you can see in the background of this photo:

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But there’s still work to do, and Eric Baer sends work that volunteers including a corps from Seattle Works will be getting the job done at Pathfinder 10 am-2 pm today. Since we’re walking in the parade to pay tribute to local volunteers, hats off to them and everybody else who makes West Seattle a spectacular place to live.

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Another parade – and movie – note: Hot dogs outside Hotwire
July 19, 2008 12:21 am
|    Comments Off on Another parade – and movie – note: Hot dogs outside Hotwire
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | Pets

Just fished this out of the WSB inbox, from Teri Ensley at the animal-rescue group Furry Faces Foundation – not only will F-Cubed be in the parade, they’ll be raising $ with a concession on the route (and again tonight):

Dogs 4 Cats is back at it during the Grand Parade …this time with ‘Hebrew National Dogs’, states Wiener Specialist Scott Lewis, ‘We Dogs just want to have more cats spayed and neutered, because ‘FRANKly’, there are too many kittens being born! Our ‘All Beef Dogs come in Natural Regular, Light Dog and Fat Free, plus we have Veggie Dogs too. All are available—with the trimmings–for just $4.00 during the Grand Parade on Saturday, July 19th, from 10 am – 2pm AND 7 pm to 8 pm during the Sidewalk Cinema showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, located at 4410 Calif. Ave. Help us Dogs help ourselves [and the cats].’

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3 more reasons to see West Seattle Movies on the Wall tonight
July 19, 2008 12:14 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | WS culture/arts

#1, the killer bunny:

That’s from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” showing tonight at dusk in the courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), the first of six West Seattle Movies on the Wall over the next month and a half of Saturday nights (full list here – in part the result of YOUR suggestions, via WSB and Junction ballot boxes!). Reason #2: Sidewalk Cinema, which makes the movie magic happen, promises a preshow feature – a youth-made film from NFFTY! Reason #3, help the West Seattle Food Bank – bring a nonperishable food donation (admission is free), and buy something from the concession stand set up by West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) — proceeds go to WSFB. See you there!

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Thursday night notes: More weekend events; PR followup
July 17, 2008 9:05 pm
|    Comments Off on Thursday night notes: More weekend events; PR followup
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle video

Dizzying array of fun things to do this weekend here on the peninsula – never mind those big events elsewhere (Bite of Seattle, etc.) — and a few more have come to our attention in recent days, so besides putting them on the Events calendar page (and in tomorrow’s West Seattle Weekend Lineup), here are quick highlights, followed by a final word on West Seattle’s “Project Runway” contestant (and plans for more viewing parties). First, a fundraiser:

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That’s the Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) car in last year’s West Seattle Grand Parade – they’ll be in this Saturday’s parade too (more parade updates here later today) to promote a fundraiser they’re putting on the very next day for one of their favorite nonprofits, Pencil Me In For Kids: A car wash on Sunday, 10 am-2 pm, West Seattle Eagles’ parking lot (by the Junction post office).

Sunday is also West Seattle Garden Tour day; we reminded you about that the other day, but then just heard from the WSGT folks that they are still “looking for a few good volunteers to assist in guiding attendees in the gardens this Sunday. Morning and afternoon shifts are available. (3-hour shifts) Please contact Lee Kramer, Volunteer Coordinator at (206)932-8662 if you are interested in helping out.”

Saturday, a couple of interesting sales have just been added to the calendar: First – the Ocean View Community Beach Club is inviting you to its quiet corner of southwest West Seattle:

The Ocean View Community Beach Club is having its periodic neighborhood garage sale this Saturday, July 19th from 8-5. The address is 11408 Marine View Dr SW. [map] West Seattleites are invited to drop by and have a chat with friendly neighbors.

Also having a sale Saturday – one of West Seattle’s many one-of-a-kind businesses, Casual Industrees. 6205 SW Admiral, 10 am “till dark,” they promise.

Last but not least, speaking of fun, a couple addendums on the “West Seattle barista Blayne on Project Runway” front. First, we made it back to Blayne’s workplace, Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, today for a brief debrief with proprietor Lora Lewis on how she thinks Blayne did in the season premiere last night:

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Lora also confirmed that the viewing parties at Ginomai @ 42nd/Genesee (here’s our coverage of the first one last night) will continue for as long as Blayne remains a contender. So you’re invited again next Wednesday, show at 9 pm/doors open at 8 pm, bring a non-alcoholic beverage to share and a “small dessert.” (We’re told that fun was had at Shadow Land last night as well, for those who preferred adult beverages to accompany their viewing.)

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Grand Parade countdown: 2 more chances to be part of the fun
July 15, 2008 5:51 pm
|    Comments Off on Grand Parade countdown: 2 more chances to be part of the fun
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle people

FIRST CHANCE: If you’re not in the parade already, and you do any amount of volunteer work – you (and any family members who want to join you!) are invited to be in the first-ever “Volunteers of West Seattle Grand Parade Marching Unit” (more like walking the 2-mile route) WSB is helping organize for Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade. Here’s all you have to do: Show up at California/Lander (here’s a map) around 10 am. Look for the “Volunteers of West Seattle Grand Parade Marching Unit” sign (if you can’t find us, call the WSB business number, which your editor here will be carrying, 206/293-6302; program it into your phone, might come in handy someday for something else!). Bonus reward if you wear some costume element related to your volunteer work (T-shirt for a school where you volunteer? sprig of ivy if you pull weeds at parks? or? as for me, maybe I’ll make a hat out of an old keyboard): You get a FREE BEER OR SODA at West 5 afterward. We’re not planning fancy maneuvers – just celebrating the volunteers who keep West Seattle’s engines running (speaking of which, we have a Mini-Cooper to lead the unit!). We’ll have signs, but you’re also welcome to carry a handheld sign for the group you volunteer with, if you’d like.

SECOND CHANCE: Furry Faces Foundation just put out an urgent bulletin – they need a flatbed for their parade entry – the one they usually use is suddenly out of commission. Last year, you may recall, this was their festive parade entry:

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This year, the theme is “Cat-sino,” and if you can not only lend ’em a flatbed but bring it to Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction this Thursday around 5:30 pm (or afterward), you can help decorate, and you can join F-Cubed in The Parade. Got a question about exactly what Furry Faces needs? E-mail Teri Ensley: furryfaces@hotmail.com — meantime, watch for more parade-countdown updates as Saturday gets closer!

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