West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
We’re into the 80s and likely headed into the 90s – we can report there’s still room at Alki for you as of our reconnaissance mission a short time ago – surreys like the one above (Space Needle WHICH way?) are out in force, and the snow-cone stand in the background looked to be doing brisk business. Around Alki Point, the shoreline’s also fairly uncrowded, though geese are patroling the water in sizable numbers:
By the way, we thought this might be the right time to remind you about the ice-cream map we posted here earlier this summer. Find it here (along with additional reader comments about cool treats). Speaking of maps, click right here to get one for the West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk, with more than 30 venues participating all around West Seattle, from The Junction to Admiral to Delridge – 6-9 pm, a great excuse to get out of the house during the hottest time of the evening (especially if your home is like ours and holds the heat well!).
SUMMER FEST STREET CLOSURES START TONIGHT: 6 pm tonight, California closes between Genesee and Edmunds, and Alaska closes between 42nd and 44th (thanks to Sue for pointing out in comments that involves bus changes too). And those street closures mean …
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK BONUS! You can stroll carless streets while visiting The Junction for the Second Thursday Art Walk tonight, 6 pm-9 pm. Of course, the Art Walk has stretched far beyond The Junction now; see the list of venues at the Art Walk website. Some have artist receptions tonight, including ArtsWest.
ALSO TONIGHT IN THE JUNCTION: Marcus from “Last Comic Standing” is at Rocksport @ 8 pm (more on this later today), looking ahead to an Admiral Theater show tomorrow.
WHILE YOU’RE IN THE JUNCTION: Seattle Tilth says Next to Nature is now selling maps for this Saturday’s City Chickens tour, including coops at West Seattle homes (more here, and at the Tilth website here.)
AND MIDDAY TODAY IN THE JUNCTION: We’ve mentioned that all three West Seattle Little League All-Star teams have won their district championships – first time ever! – and are going to state tournaments. One of those teams, the 9-10s, has travel expenses because they’re going to Vancouver (WA), and players will be fundraising in The Junction today starting at 11 am (look for the red jerseys), as well as having a car wash/bake sale in the PCC parking lot Saturday, 11 am-2 pm.
SPEAKING OF SPORTS TEAMS: Don’t forget that when it’s time to nosh at Summer Fest, the West Seattle High School football team will be serving up chicken sandwiches and chicken Caesar salads to raise money for badly needed new uniforms (as first reported here last month). What else is at Summer Fest, you ask? Come say hi to Team WSB at the Information Booth all three days, and get info ahead of time at the SF website.
Recovering today from the 4th (WSB coverage highlights: fireworks barge, Admiral parade, Ercolini parade, evening action on Alki, and sky sights) and the Seafair Pirates‘ Landing (WSB coverage: pix here, video and a few more pix here)? Still a few things going on today – like the Furry Faces Foundation “blowout plant sale” – see the West Seattle Weekend Lineup. But it’s also a good time to look ahead to the Big Events on the horizon (event photos in this post are WSB 2007 pix unless otherwise noted):
THIS THURSDAY: WEST SEATTLE SECOND THURSDAY ART WALK
Art Walk organizers are experimenting with new logos like the one above that you’ll see for the next quarter; the lineup continues to grow and you can find the map and highlights for Thursday (6-9 pm) at the Art Walk website.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY: WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST IN THE JUNCTION
Hours after the Art Walk, it’s Summer Fest time. As we’ve mentioned here and here, even more excitement this year – here’s the program; here’s the website. Live music, the Art Dive, vendors, food, fun for all ages. We’ll be on site all three days, for live coverage and hopefully a chance to say hi to you. Hours are 10 am-8 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am-7 pm Sunday.
TUESDAY, JULY 15: HI-YU CONCERT IN THE PARK
One of our favorite Hi-Yu events – settle down onto the east lawn at Hiawatha and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band at 7 pm.
SATURDAY, JULY 19: WEST SEATTLE KIDDIE PARADE AND GRAND PARADE
All kids are welcome to join in the Kiddie Parade presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle; sign in at 9:45 am at California/Genesee (here’s a map; here’s more info, on parade flyer). Shortly after the kids start down California at 10:30, it’s the Grand Parade, presented by American Legion Post 160 – stake your spot out early! (or maybe you can join us in the parade; here’s how).
SATURDAY, JULY 19: “MOVIES ON THE WALL” SERIES BEGINS
You helped choose ’em; now it’s time to watch ’em! Sidewalk Cinema “Movies on the Wall” are playing on that screen shown above (spring ’08 WSB photo), next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) at the north end of The Junction, for six consecutive Saturday nights — see the lineup here (we’re sponsoring “Who Framed Roger Rabbit“ on August 2nd) — the movies are free; West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) sells concessions; hats are passed at intermission for a chance to donate to various WS charities.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JULY 26-27: ALKI ART FAIR
Art at the beach! Here’s the official website.
OTHER BIGGIES:
JULY 19-20: MEDITERRANEAN FANTASY FEST @ Hiawatha, 10 am-9 pm both days
JULY 20: WEST SEATTLE GARDEN TOUR (tickets on sale now)
JULY 21: MISS WEST SEATTLE HI-YU CORONATION, Grace Church
AUGUST 1: “SUMMER CONCERTS AT THE MOUNT” SERIES STARTS @ Providence Mount St. Vincent
AUGUST 5: NIGHT OUT, in your neighborhood! (here’s how to sign up; deadline 8/2)
AUGUST 16: PICNIC AT THE PRECINCT, Southwest Precinct (2007 WSB coverage here)
AUGUST 23-24: “ARTS IN NATURE” FESTIVAL @ Camp Long
Outside West Seattle, the biggest Seafair highlights include the Torchlight Parade downtown on July 26 and Blue Angels/hydros weekend August 1-3 (full Seafair schedule here). For everything coming up in West Seattle – lots more is going on in addition to the major events mentioned above — check our WSB West Seattle Events calendar page any time to see everything that’s coming up – it already features listings stretching all the way into next spring! To send us items for the calendar: editor@westseattleblog.com — thanks!
First, the remodeling — WSB’er The House sent that photo of a sign spotted at Westwood Village QFC. Now, the move: Marilyn at Murphy’s Furniture has confirmed her new location in Pioneer Square (as first reported in January, she’s leaving Avalon; as first reported last weekend, Cafe Revo‘s taking the space): 314 1st Ave. S., next to Elliott Bay Books, hoping for an early-June opening. This is her last weekend on Avalon and she’s having a sale. Next, the opening — Last night’s West Seattle Art Walk participants included a new business on the north edge of The Junction, The Body Bar, and we stopped in to find out more – even came away with another prize for the Garage Sale Day contests – read on:Read More
6-9 pm tonight, the next monthly West Seattle Art Walk, with (as noted earlier this week) a record number of participants – and more of West Seattle involved than ever, from Admiral to Delridge (Bubbles!) to businesses south of The Junction. See the map here; list of venues (and special events you’ll encounter along the way) here. Speaking of maps, the Art Walk venues include two places you can pick up a copy of the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day map if you can’t print out your own — Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) and Capers — but please do print it yourself if you can (the link’s here), to save preprinted copies for those without printers/computer access; thanks!
ALSO WHILE YOU’RE ARTWALKING – HAVE YOU SUGGESTED A MOVIE YET? Six ballot boxes are now up at West Seattle shopsif you want to suggest a film for Movies on the Wall this summer but don’t want to do it online (see this special WSB page; we’re a co-sponsor this year). Read on to see not only where the boxes are up, but also how the movie-deciding is going so far:Read More
ART WALK THIS THURSDAY: Another record number of participants — 29, from Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in the north, where you’ll find a reception Thursday night for the Jewels in May show — to Bubbles on Delridge in the east, to West Seattle Nursery in the south. Here’s the official map; more info on the Art Walk blog. 6-9 pm Thursday, lots going on as the Art Walk expands.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE THIS SATURDAY: The official map of all 140-plus locations (still doublechecking to make sure we haven’t missed anyone, before we get an accurate count) is just about ready to print and will be available Thursday as promised – online (and clickable!) at westseattlegaragesale.com, where we are posting ongoing updates as preparations continue, or preprinted and available for pickup at 11 West Seattle locations: Alki Community Center, Admiral Library, Cafe Rozella, Capers, Delridge Library, Fauntleroy YMCA, Hotwire Coffee, Senior Center of West Seattle, Southwest Library, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, West Seattle Family YMCA. Sale sites are literally all over the map, from Alki to Arbor Heights, from Fauntleroy to Pigeon Point to Westwood, and every place inbetween; more than a few fundraisers, too, including the Log House Museum, Community School of West Seattle, Kiwanis of West Seattle, Pigeon Point Neighborhood raising money for Cooper School, North Delridge Neighborhood raising money for tot play equipment at Cottage Grove Park, Homeward Pet, Breast Cancer 3-Day, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Alki UCC … You’ll see it all on The Map. And tomorrow, a special Garage Sale Day pitch from local neighborhood leaders working on disaster preparedness
BE A MASTER OF DISASTER: As mentioned previously, we’re working with community leaders between now and mid-May to nudge you to take a few simple steps to be ready for the unthinkable, just in case. Next step: Go to West Seattle Library (aka the Admiral branch) for tonight’s SNAP (Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare) event, 6:30 pm. And get ready to find out more about your official neighborhood gathering place – where you would go for information and help if something major happened; the location list is almost done and dates are being set for you to drop by, get familiar, and get info, within the next few weeks.
HAVE A SAY IN TWO MAJOR JUNCTION-AREA DEVELOPMENTS: The Conner Homes proposal for California/Alaska/42nd (most recent WSB coverage here) and the Harbor Properties proposal for 38th/Alaska (most recent WSB coverage here) both come before the Southwest Design Review Board tonight for “early design guidance.” If you want to speak your mind about how these developments should look, this is the time and place. Both meetings are at Chief Sealth High School, with Conner on the agenda at 6:30 and Harbor at 8 pm. (If you frequently attend these meetings, as we do, you will be interested to note the SWDRB has two new members — just noticed on the webpage — including West Seattle architect Brandon Nicholson.)
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK – MORE ADMIRAL PARTICIPANTS! It’s the second Thursday of the month, which means West Seattle Art Walk time, and as we reported last weekend, the Art Walk just keeps expanding — with five Admiral participants tonight (see the full list of participants in all locations here) as well as more than a dozen others in and around The Junction. You’ll find special events at many locations; 6-9 pm tonight. (And while you’re out on the Art Walk, look for registration forms for 2008 West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day — available starting tonight, at these locations and online — more on that a little later this morning.)
GOVERNOR’S CAMPAIGN KICKOFF AT THE “OTHER” SSCC CAMPUS: Governor Gregoire is officially running for re-election, and West Seattle’s State Senator Joe McDermott is inviting WS supporters to her next event — 3:45 pm today at South Seattle Community CollegeĆ¢ā¬ā¢s Duwamish Apprenticeship and Education Center, 6770 E. Marginal Way S., at the Safety Lab in Building A (just inside the entrance.) Sen. McDermott also sent us this photo he took at a Gregoire event the other day in Auburn:
Just five nights till the April edition of the West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk, and the full lineup’s out. (See it here.) Every Art Walk for the past few months has made history with something new — a first-ever feature, biggest-ever participant list, etc. — and this one’s no exception: This time, the Art Walk continues to grow beyond The Junction — with five Admiral participants this time! — and the listings on the official flyer/map now geographically group the venues. More on its growth, plus a closer look at a non-business Art Walk regular, ahead:Read More
We told you all about it ahead of time – so of course we had to go see for ourselves. Here are two clips – short and long – raw video, as we used to call it in teevee – of the West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk fashion show at Twilight Art in The Junction last night, featuring creations from Clementine, Sweetie, and Carmilia’s boutiques:
The fashion showcase was part of the biggest West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk yet — 23 participants from Admiral to south of The Junction and beyond!
ART WALK: The West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk hits new heights again tonight – with a record 23 participants, stretching from Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in Admiral, to artist Steve Klinkel on Beach Drive (4150 Beach Dr #202, “stairs around back” per Steve, here’s his website), to venues south of The Junction including C and P Coffee and West Seattle Nursery. A major centerpiece tonight is the Clementine/Sweetie/Carmilia’s fashion show at Twilight Art (just west of Easy Street) — among what you’ll see there are new I (Heart) West Seattle T-shirts by designer Todd Karam (photo left courtesy design:toddkaram.com; as you’ll see on his site, there’s a black version too). Art Walk, 6-9 tonight, list of participants here, map here.
THEATER: “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball” is in its final week at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) — with shows tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday night (here’s a full list of showtimes). Read more about it here; shown below in a scene from “Sweetest Swing,” Dana (Heather Hawkins, far right) defends her art to Karen Nelsen and Kelly Kitchens (ArtsWest photo by WSB contributor Matt Durham):
HIGH POINT SAFETY: If you live or work in the High Point vicinity and want to get involved with your neighborhood, you’ll want to be at the High Point Neighborhood Association meeting tonight, 6-7:30 pm @ High Point Library (that still leaves time for Art Walk-ing afterward!). The agenda includes Block Watch info – a vital way to help your neighborhood stay safe.
FASHION: Four days to go till what one organizer dubbed “The Catwalk Meets The Art Walk” — wearable art from Clementine, Sweetie, and Carmilia’s, modeled at Twilight Art in The Junction as part of the next monthly West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk. This month’s list of participants hits another new record high — 23, stretching from Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) to the north, to West Seattle Nursery in the south! See the map here.
PASSION: One of the city’s most passionate musical and humanitarian leaders will spend four nights in West Seattle during a unique showcase starting a week from tonight at Kenyon Hall. Total Experience Gospel Choir leader Pat Wright (TEGC photo right) will be there March 16-19, getting ready to open a new chapter in her post-Katrina humanitarian efforts. Each night includes a choir performance and more; this page on the KH website has full details including an “open rehearsal” March 18 with the choir joined by Pearl Jam (and ex-Soundgarden) drummer Matt Cameron. Just a few days after the KH events, Wright and the choir will travel to Mississippi; the Kenyon Hall events are free of charge, with donations accepted for the relief effort.
LASHIN’: OK, so we’re stretching for the rhyme, but you could take that a couple of different ways with regards to “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” That wild classic, with the Vicarious Theater Company, usually screens at the Admiral Theater the first Saturday night of each month, but there will be midmonth madness April 18-20 as NW Rockypalooza — the Northwest regional convention of “RHPS”ers — time-warps over to West Seattle for two screenings/shows. (The rest of the convention will be HQ’d at the Quality Inn on Aurora. Not like we really have a hotel over here anyway.)
TONIGHT: Four restaurants in West Seattle participate in the Dine for Darfur fundraiser (more info here).
TONIGHT: Family Night at Chief Sealth High School is tonight, 6-8:30 pm, potluck dinner plus speakers with info on helping your kids stay safe and healthy in a challenging world. Here’s the official flyer.
NEXT WEEK: Just announced by West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk organizers — three of West Seattle’s hot boutiques will join with the relatively new Junction branch of Twilight Art Collective to present “wearable art,” models and all, during the March edition. 6-9 pm Thursday 3/13; more info on the Art Walk blog. If you’ve been waiting for the winter chill to pass before checking out the Art Walk, no excuse left now! (Plus, with Daylight-Saving Time starting this weekend, it’ll still be light for the first hour or so.) ADDED 10:24 AM: Here’s the full list of participants (23 – new record!), plus the official map, just e-mailed by Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) proprietor Lora Lewis:Read More
Tonight’s West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk made history – with 20 venues, including the first time out for the northernmost participant, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in the Admiral District. In The Junction, we checked out West Seattle High School students’ self-portraits on display at Georgia Blu (next to KeyBank on California just south of Alaska) – and two of the artists happened to stop in while we were there. We asked Nichole Mustello how long hers took to create:
We also talked with CJ Abe about his self-portrait:
Nichole and CJ are both seniors @ WSHS. Next art walk: March 13.
First: Two notes about art. There’s an artists’ reception and sale this Thursday night at the Alki Bathhouse 5-8 pm; then, next Thursday night (Valentine’s Day), the West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction makes history with a record 20 venues participating. We just received the flyer; check it out here. (Or read more on the official Art Walk blog.)
Now, the beauty of nature. First photo is by Eilene Hutchinson (thank you!), who spotted this bird – believed to be a Cooper’s Hawk – on a wire over Spud’s:
And this is a shot we caught from Constellation Park at sunset tonight:
That’s watercolor artist Chris Kopet, one of four artists (with Nancy Bogni, Graham Fracha, and Inge Roberts) who have just opened “Fragmented Moments” at ArtsWest, where their reception happened during tonight’s Art Walk. You can see their work during regular gallery hours through February 9th. Below, paintings by Sarah Browning, whose work you can see at C and P Coffee all month long:
WEST SEATTLE MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT: We’ve been talking here about the fact this is the “school decision” time of year for many families, particularly those whose children are entering school or moving between elementary and middle, or middle and high school. We’ve been listing school tours and open houses on the WSB Events page, and tonight is one unique night of particular value to parents of 4th and 5th graders: Representatives from the public and private middle schools of West Seattle will be at Gatewood Elementary, 6:30-8 pm. According to the info page on the Gatewood website, it’ll work like this: “At 6:30 pm each school representative will give a brief overview of their schoolĆ¢ā¬ā¢s programs, philosophies and activities. You will then have the opportunity to ask questions and speak further with the various representatives.”
WEST SEATTLE SECOND THURSDAY ART WALK: 6-9 pm, you can wander The Junction (and a bit beyond — from Ginomai – with its free parking lot – in the north, to C and P Coffee in the south) to see art, meet artists, and enjoy a closer look at some of West Seattle’s unique businesses and venues. Here’s the list of participating locations and artists.
No midwinter hibernation going on in The Junction — the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (tulips from last Sunday @ left) and West Seattle Art Walk are both going strong. Next Farmers’ Market is this Sunday, with the later start now in effect through February (11 am-2 pm); next Art Walk is Thursday (6-10 pm) — click here for the list of participating locations and artists, just sent by Lora from WSB sponsor Hotwire Coffee (note this will be the second WS Art Walk for the new Twilight Art Collective location in the ex-Bikes & Brew space west of Easy Street). Meantime, for a list of more events coming up even sooner, our weekly West Seattle Weekend Lineup will be published here in a few hours.
We traveled from Admiral to The Junction tonight to check out the late-night shopping and West Seattle Art Walk happenings; above you see the biggest crowd we encountered, jammed into the new Twilight Art Collective space in the former Bikes ‘n’ Brew storefront west of Easy Street. Classic dance rock (example: Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”) thumped through the cheerful conversation din. We’ll go back soon for a more leisurely look at the art (such as a Kafka portrait that caught our eye). Twilight looks like a great addition to the funky side of Junction life. Though we didn’t get to The Junction till after 8 pm, we noticed good turnouts elsewhere, including a hive of shoppers buzzing around a sale table outside Clementine.
Got holiday shopping left to do? Tonight you can shop throughout The Junction, and even get your presents wrapped, as part of “Wrap It Up” — More than a dozen businesses are open late (including the participants listed on the official flyer, which you can see here (linked from the Clementine blog). While you’re in The Junction, the monthly West Seattle Art Walk will deck the halls — be sure not to miss Divina, Ginomai, and Hotwire on the north end. (Participating artists and venues are listed here.) And in the heart of The Junction, Twilight Art Collective is welcoming visitors into its new space (ex-Bikes and Brew, west of Easy Street; here’s our original report on them from last month). And this isn’t even all that’s happening in WS tonight – more on that as the day goes by.
Busy night – WSB team members have been to the High Point Neighborhood Association pedestrian safety tour (video on that later) and a couple stops along the monthly West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction. Participation is especially strong on the north end, where we dropped in on Ginomai at the SW corner of 42nd/Genesee, which opens artists’ working studios during the Art Walk, and Divina (California/Genesee), where student art from several schools around West Seattle is on display – if you missed it during the Art Walk, you can check it out at Divina any time till the day before Thanksgiving – here are just a few samples (the wire sculptures at the bottom of the photo, and more hanging from the shop ceiling, are particularly cool):
While in The Junction, we also noticed Shadowland‘s sign is up – we’ve discussed its quirky exterior here before, and will check back in daylight for a wider, brighter perspective:
-A citywide challenge to gather 6 tons of toys for Toys for Tots by next Monday is under way now. Organizers tell us there are four dropoff locations in West Seattle: Curious Kidstuff, Seattle Lutheran High School, and the two Radio Shack stores, and the drive is being organized by a West Seattle-based PR firm (Janet Wainwright Public Relations, which, data point, otherwise focuses on Northwest publicity campaigns for 13 major movie studios).
-Several major events happening tonight in WS; they’re all on the WSB Events page but we wanted to give them one more shoutout: The monthly West Seattle Art Walk; the rescheduled International Baccalaureate informational night at Chief Sealth HS; opening night for “The Crucible” at West Seattle HS; and for development-watchers, the Southwest Design Review Board is back in action tonight, 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, taking a look at this Junction project.
-Mini-update on Westcrest Park concerns: Reader e-mail says two squad cars and one uniformed officer, patroling on foot, were spotted at the park, so it may be getting some of the attention concerned citizens asked for.
-If you see this post after 2 pm today, you should be able to watch the King County Ferry District public hearing live via KCTV (here’s the link). P.S. Ferry District board members (aka KC Councilmembers) are just listening/discussing today; they vote next Tuesday morning.
First: Word comes from Divina that the shop @ California/Genesee will feature student artists, K-12, from around West Seattle, during tomorrow night’s monthly West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction (more participants are listed on the Art Walk blog). A separate e-mail, from Amy, alerts us to the fact that this year’s Poetry on Buses poets include two Gatewood Elementary students — 6-year-old Sharon Zumwalt (read her poem here) and 6-year-old Giovanni Paredes (read his poem here); this year’s winning poets are being celebrated at a launch party tonight.
Great news – looks like decent weather to stroll The Junction during tomorrow night’s monthly West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk. The official Art Walk blog lists participating artists, with a reminder that you can get a free glass of bubbly at West 5 if you mention you’re Art Walk-ing; we’ve also heard from Dan at Ginomai on the north end of the route (Genesee/42nd) and he says, “We have a number of studio open houses as well as an additional 3 West Seattle artists showing in our community room. Free off-street parking lot to begin your walk from!” 6-9 pm tomorrow.
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