West Seattle, Washington
02 Saturday
Dozens of local students are waiting for tutors to help them improve their reading skills. Maybe you can help? From Reading Partners:
Reading Partners is a nonprofit literacy organization that recruits and trains community volunteers to work one-on-one with elementary students who are behind grade level benchmarks in reading. At each of our school sites we have a dedicated reading center where all tutoring takes place. Volunteers are asked to commit to as little as one-hour of tutoring each week. We ask that each volunteer commits to the same one-hour to work with the same student weekly. During every session tutors follow a structured, research-based curriculum with the support of a full-time AmeriCorps Site Coordinator. Additionally, we offer initial and on-going training and support for every volunteer.
Anyone interested in getting involved can follow this link to sign up or contact Reading Partners at volunteerSEA@readingpartners.org. Below is scheduling and location information for our highest need schools:
Highland Park Elementary, 1012 SW Trenton St
*21 students waiting for a tutor
*Tutoring runs from 8:45 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. Monday through ThursdaySanislo Elementary, 1812 SW Myrtle St
*13 students waiting for a tutor
*Tutoring runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Monday through Thursday
While on an errand in The Junction this afternoon, we happened onto Port of Seattle firefighters fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on behalf of a big event that’s coming up: The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, March 6th at Columbia Center downtown. They’re done for today but told us they planned to be back 9 am-1 pm next Saturday (January 23rd).
(Everett Fire Department photo)
We’ve just learned today from Seattle Public Schools that the woman killed in an Everett espresso-stand fire was the mother of a student at West Seattle’s Lafayette Elementary School.
SPS says Lafayette’s principal Robert Gallagher and acting assistant principal Kathy Jolly are sending a note to the school community:
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the tragic news that a Lafayette parent died yesterday after a recent and sudden accident.
As a community, we will come together to support the student and family. We will continue to have counselors and mental health support available for students, staff and families, as needed.
When someone dies, it is normal for children to have different kinds of feelings and reactions. Parents and guardians have important roles in helping students understand these tragedies. We understand that each culture has its own way of dealing with death, and we encourage children to talk with their families about their ideas, thoughts and beliefs. We recognize that even if your student may not have known or been close to this family, he/she may still feel a strong reaction. We also realize this may be your child’s first experience with death or it may trigger feelings about other deaths your child may have experienced.
The family will be in our thoughts as they grieve their loss. As we learn of more ways to support them, we will let the school community know. Please note that we are honoring the family’s request for privacy at this time.
The victim has been identified in regional media, including The Seattle Times, as Courtney Campbell. She was badly burned when her Everett espresso stand went up in flames – complicated by a propane-tank explosion – on Thursday, and then came news yesterday that she had died. She was mother of two daughters, including the Lafayette student, and her family has set up a GoFundMe account.
THURSDAY UPDATE: Organizers say the concert is canceled and they’re refunding advance ticket sales – CB is ill.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Just got word of a concert that will liven up this Saturday morning for hundreds of local families – Caspar Babypants is performing at the Brockey Center on the south side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. It’s a fundraiser for the SSC Cooperative Preschools’ Mary E. Philips Scholarship Fund – organizers say, “It’s a super-fun time for a great cause. Come dance with your kids and help keep co-op preschool available and affordable for all families.” 10:30 am Saturday (January 16th), 45-minute show, admission $7 (kids under 1 year old are free). WSB photo, 2014
P.S. Tickets will be sold at the door – or you can get yours online now, here.
Tuesday night, the Admiral Neighborhood Association meets for the first time this year – and it’s a big one, as ANA president David Whiting reminded the ANA mailing list in his announcement: “Your attendance would be really helpful as we need to accept nominations and elect new officers for ANA and a voting quorum is required. We certainly welcome anyone to step forward to be nominated as president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.” The organization’s bylaws limit terms, and so Whiting and the others currently on ANA’s executive committee must step aside for new leadership. Here’s more information about what it entails; here’s more information about the group’s 2015 accomplishments; and here’s the full preview of Tuesday’s meeting (7 pm, The Sanctuary at Admiral, 42nd SW and SW Lander), also including an update on what’s next for the former site of interim Fire Station 29.
From Sustainable West Seattle‘s Stu Hennessey:
Sustainable West Seattle has board of director positions open for 2016. The board members meet once a month to plan the activities and events, like the Green Life Festival that Sustainable West Seattle is known for. The board members also take part in the management of the various projects they partner with such as the West Seattle Tool Library and the Community Orchard of West Seattle.
Being involved with Sustainable West Seattle can be great for experiencing the building of community and hope. Please join us!
The annual membership meeting for Sustainable West Seattle will be held on MLK Day of Service, January 18th at the Admiral Bird Café, located at the corner of California Ave. SW and SW Admiral Way. The meet and greet starts at 6:30 pm and the meeting starts at 7 pm.
From the Chief Sealth International High School PTSA: Sunday night is your deadline to get early-bird tickets for the 7th annual Seahawk Spirit Auction fundraiser:
WE WANT YOU TO COME MINGLE! EAT! DRINK! ENJOY! AND BID!
David Kelly is this year’s auctioneer!
The Chief Sealth Jazz Band will be performing. Come enjoy the fantastic entertainment of our talented student musicians directed by Brian Goetz.
More hot stuff to bid on:
• Take a ride with the Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol
• Pagliacci Pizza gift card
• Reisling Wine Basket
• Woodland Park Zoo passesSomething for everyone and every budget!
The auction’s on February 20th in the Brockey Center at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). Get your ticket(s) online here.
A unique, and much-needed, donation drive is under way this month at VAIN (WSB sponsor) in The Junction.
They’re one of six dropoff locations in the city collecting “pads, tampons, wet wipes, and underwear of various sizes and styles” for All Cycles, which provides menstrual products for homeless and income-insecure people in need. Chelsea from VAIN explains that it’s a “grassroots effort” started in the community; you can drop off unopened boxes/packages of the requested items at their West Seattle boutique/salon, 4513 California SW. The drive continues through February 20th.
ORIGINAL: Thanks to Marianne for sharing the photo of what she saw near the Westwood Village Staples. While the winter-holiday donation drives are over, the need for warm clothing is not (and if you know of ways/places people can keep donating, please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!).
ADDED MONDAY: Judy Pickens replies to our request above:
The Homelessness Task Force at Fauntleroy Church is collecting new athletic socks through January for distribution to homeless men by Operation Nightwatch. Collection boxes are in the church lobby and narthex (9140 California Ave. SW). Those not able to buy socks may leave a check in the church office.
Another chance to clear the decks for the new year by wrapping up the old one with a gift – a potentially life-saving blood donation, at a time of the year when it matters more than ever. Local student Dennise Lopez is co-hosting it at Holy Family tomorrow. Here’s her announcement, if you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
What a wonderful gift – please help save lives by donating blood. During the holiday season, your donation is more important than ever. When schools, Boeing, and Microsoft are closed for the holidays and donors are just plain busy, the Blood Center sees a 15 percent decrease in donations, yet they need to collect even more blood (1,000 units a day) to maintain supplies through the holidays. The Bloodworks Northwest (formerly Puget Sound Blood Center) bloodmobile will be at Holy Family Parish, 9622 20th Ave. SW, on Tuesday, December 29th, from 10:00 am to noon, and 1:00 until 4:00 pm. Walk-ins are always welcome, but reservations are preferred. Anyone who is in good health, is at least 18 years old (persons 16 or 17 years old may donate with a Blood Program consent form signed by a legal guardian), and weighs at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days. To help ensure success of the blood drive, please make a reservation by contacting Dennise Lopez at 206-414-8402 or by email at lopez.dennise15@gmail.com.
P.S. You’re giving another gift by participating – Bloodworks offers college-scholarship money to students who organize successful drives. Dennise is a Chief Sealth International High School graduate currently attending UW Bothell.
We published a question earlier today, on behalf of a reader who asked, and anyone else who might be wondering: Who’s still accepting toys for Christmas gift donations in our area? Alice Braverman replied:
Navos, a nonprofit organization located in West Seattle and Burien, serves the most vulnerable children and youth in our community. Our clients include school-age children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect and abuse as well as older youth with serious mental health issues. We also serve all ages of low income children and youth with outpatient services in their homes and in over 40 schools. We would be pleased to accept donations of toys to distribute to our clients. We can arrange to pick them up tomorrow morning before noon if anyone in our community would like to donate to Navos and the children we help. Contact us at development@navos.org. Community support is vital to sustaining our programs and services so thank you for your consideration.
If you know of anyone else also still accepting toy donations (or other gift items) tomorrow, please e-mail us and/or comment.
Most of the gift drives we had featured in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide are over now, so that the recipient organizations have time to get everything wrapped and delivered for Christmas. So after getting a reader note asking what to do with unwrapped, unopened toys, we’re asking you: Anyone still in need of donated items for Christmas gifts, toys or otherwise? If so, please let us know what/who and when/where dropoffs can be made. You can e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com – we’ll add to the story – or, you can comment below. Thanks!
Many holiday-season giving drives have wrapped up by now, so that donations can get to their recipients by Christmas. But not this one, which stretches into the New Year: Straight Blast Gym of Seattle (WSB sponsor) is challenging us all to help build a ton-and-a-half mountain of donated food, and it continues through mid-January, as you can see in the Instagram caption above. The timing will be especially helpful as nonprofits often hit a valley after all the pre-holiday drives are done. SBG is at 5050 Delridge Way SW – can’t miss the brightly painted building! – if you’re too busy to get there before Christmas, make a plan to stop by during the quiet time before New Year’s.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A 67-year-old West Seattle woman is recovering from being attacked and robbed while walking back to her house after visiting her ailing husband.
We hadn’t heard about last Friday’s attack until a friend of the victim e-mailed us last night:
She was walking the few blocks home after visiting her husband at a care facility and she was attacked by a random perpetrator. He punched her in the face and knocked her to the ground. She suffered a black eye and had two teeth knocked out, as well as suffering other damage to her teeth. They caught the suspect, but she is now looking at a $3,000 dental bill, and she is retired on a fixed income. We wanted to get the word out and make sure everyone stays safe and is aware of their surroundings.
We’ve since obtained the report that includes details of the incident. Here’s what an officer reported finding after responding to the 911 call from 16th SW and SW Sullivan around 6 pm Friday:
(The victim) was holding her face and blood was coming out of her mouth. She stated that she thought her teeth were broken. (She) stated that she was walking down 16th Ave SW when she noticed a male following behind her. She stated that the unknown male charged at her and punched her in the face with a closed fist. (She) fell to the ground on her right knee and screamed for help. She stated that she had had a full knee replacement in her right knee.
She was now experiencing significant pain in her right knee. (She) stated that after she fell, the male came back at her and punched her a second time in the face. The male then ran northbound down the alley on the west side of 16 Ave SW. (The victim) advised that she was missing a pair of prescription glasses.
When the suspect was found nearby, he had her glasses – worth $500 – in his possession, according to the case paperwork, and that raised the crime level from assault to robbery.
Turned out that officers had found him even before they learned of the attack, because of a burglary attempt nearby – a resident in the 8400 block of 17th SW reported a man “banging and kicking at the back door,” according to the police report, which added that the man was reported to have appeared “extremely intoxicated.” The resident yelled at him to leave, which he did, briefly, returning to kick open the door to a shed behind the house, police say. Officers found the suspect at 17th and Cloverdale a short time later; they happened to be nearby, checking out a report of a hit-run crash that damaged a parked car.
The suspect is 19 years old. His record shows that he last spent time in jail this past March; documents in that case indicate that he was arrested for allegedly stealing a hotel van in SeaTac. He was charged with auto theft and DUI – with tests finding .20 blood alcohol – and then struck a plea bargain, pleading guilty to car prowl and DUI. In June, Judge Roger Rogoff sentenced him to two days in jail plus a one-year suspended sentence. While paperwork in this case doesn’t include a current address for him, he was living on Beacon Hill at the time of his arrest in March. Right now, he’s in the King County Jail, in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Meanwhile, the donation account set up by friends of the victim to pay for her estimated $3,000 in dental work is on this GoFundMe page.
8:08 PM NOTE: After reaching the goal, the donation page has been closed, we just noticed.
One way to start the New Year off fresh – end the old year by doing a good deed. The White Center Food Bank is asking for help on New Year’s Eve:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR INVENTORY HELP DECEMBER 31!
Are you available to help weigh and count the inventory of the White Center Food Bank? We start at 9 am and go until it’s done (usually before 2 pm). We will need 5-10 people who can lift 40 pounds. Other tasks that morning include counting and recording. If you can help with this important yearly task, contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-762-2848.
The WCFB is headquartered at 10829 8th SW.
Junction Santa is in the house! It’s a festively decked tent – lots of holiday greenery – on the southwest corner of California and Alaska. Above, Elizabeth was visiting Santa when we stopped by. DIY photos are free but bring a diaper donation if you can for WestSide Baby – right outside the tent, helpful elves are waiting to collect what you bring.
This is all happening as part of Hometown Holidays, until 2 pm today.
P.S. If you miss Junction Santa and are looking for last-minute Santa photo ops in the next few days, keep an eye on the ongoing list in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.
(From this month’s WS Art Walk, Mark Wangerin with the fundraiser calendars featuring his photos)
One more chance to buy the West Seattle Wildlife Calendar, with wonderful photos by Mark Wangerin (who’s shared many here on WSB in recent years) – tomorrow, 8 am-noon, at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). Laura Robb from Mark House Publishing just sent word that students from Chief Sealth International High School (whose environmental-education programs benefit from calendar proceeds, and where Mark used to teach) will be there. Or – order online!
With one week until Christmas, if you’re still thinking about helping nonprofits before the holidays, the sooner the better. This morning we have word from WestSide Baby that its holiday closure is coming up fast:
Please note – WestSide Baby is closing for the holidays, including donation dropoff.
In order to perform an inventory and to give staff and volunteers a much deserved break, WestSide Baby will be closing its sites in \ White Center and the Central District for the holidays from December 20th, reopening January 5th.
This means that they will not be accepting donations during this time. Please do not leave donations outside as there are no guarantees they will remain before the sites reopen. If you are interested in donating to WestSide Baby, feel free to bring any items on or after January 5th.
If you’re wondering what WS Baby needs before then – its holiday donation drive info is in the GIVING OPPORTUNITIES section of the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.
Can you spare some time – and your voice – for some special holiday cheer? At 4:30 pm Wednesday, carolers are gathering in the 3600 block of 48th Ave. SW – just west of Madison Middle School – to surprise a neighborhood resident who we are told is very ill and receiving home-based hospice care. We’re also told he’s a retired police officer who “loves Christmas.” His friend Marcia is organizing this and says, “It would just take a few minutes and would be a chance to give back to someone willing to give all.”
This is one of the West Seattle Food Bank‘s most-heartwarming and belly-filling days of the year – the day they welcome a big gift from Nucor Steel and its employees.
This year, employees collected 5,200 pounds of food – more than 2 1/2 tons! We stopped by as they were unloading. They also donated cash and checks that with additional/matching donations from the company brought WSFB a check totaling $21,708.
Your help is appreciated too – for example, if you’d like to donate a turkey or two for Christmas, the food bank tells us next Monday is the optimal dropoff day. They’re on the southeast corner of 35th and Morgan, with donors welcome to use the garage entry off Morgan south of 35th. More info about donating can be found here.
This morning’s chilly wind is a reminder of why the donations you see in the wagon above – and more to come, we’re sure – matter so much. A coat, or blanket, or hat you don’t need can help warm up someone who does. Bring your donation(s) to the Hometown Holidays tent at the south end of the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, where volunteers from the West Seattle High School Key Club are assisting Kiwanis Club members with the collection, and with offering hot cocoa, as well as keeping the tent from sailing away on gusts!
You can also enjoy caroling by the Endolyne Children’s Choir:
It’s all on until 2 pm, as is the Farmers’ Market itself. If you miss this but still have items to donate, we have a list of giving opportunities in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide!
(WSB photos, updated 9 pm: Above, Santa & Menashe granddaughters Makenna and Angelica)
What could be more Christmasy than Santa photos at West Seattle’s brightest light show? Until 10 pm, “Santa Al” is making his annual stop at the Menashe Family Christmas Lights – bring a nonperishable food item for the West Seattle Food Bank and take a photo that’ll be bursting with holiday festiveness. Yes, the weather’s a little wild, but there’s a canopy for photo protection!
5605 Beach Drive SW.
The Senior Center of West Seattle‘s end-of-year pitch for donations isn’t your everyday end-of-year pitch.
This year, the center is trying to make up for $60,000 it’s not getting from United Way of King County.
That was the West Seattle center’s share of $700,000 that UWKC gave Senior Services last year.
Next year, SS isn’t getting that at all, because UWKC has decided not to fund general-purpose organizations – instead, a spokesperson told us, they’re focusing on a new strategic plan with missions such as helping end homelessness and raise graduation rates.
General funding of services for senior citizens, for example, just doesn’t fit, explained United Way of King County spokesperson Jared Erlandson when we called to ask the reason for the cuts. He said the organization is focusing on spending that can have a direct effect on problems and challenges, rather than spreading the dollars thinly. But Senior Services points out that the elder population is swelling, and, SS spokesperson Karen Bystrom points out, seniors are also a vulnerable population. (SS is not the only organization affected – in all, $1.7 million in funding that goes to 30 organizations is being redirected by UWKC, and they’re not all senior-focused organizations.)
In the meantime, the West Seattle center is trying to raise $25,000 for starters by year’s end. The theme is “keeping the Senior Center thriving.” Center executive director Lyle Evans says WSSC is “responsible for raising 75 percent of the nearly $800,000 annual budget. This loss hits hard since we have counted on this stable income.”
The center is a 501(c)3 organization, so contributions are tax-deductible. Its programs include feeding dozens of local seniors every day in the center’s “Junction Diner.” The center also offers programs that help seniors deal with challenges such as finding affordable housing. And they offer fun, too, from dances to bingo to movies. Right now, they’re just hoping to rustle up the funds to keep all that going.
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