West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(WSB photo: Police after the robbery, about a block north of the dispensary)
Two days after an armed robbery at a medical-marijuana dispensary in the 5400 block of California SW (original Saturday night WSB coverage here), the three suspects made initial court appearances this afternoon. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the adult suspect, 24, has bail set at $500,000; the 15- and 16-year-old boys who also were arrested have been ordered to “remain in secure detention.” The KCPAO has until Wednesday to file charges or set the suspects free. We’ll add to this story shortly with details from the court documents accompanying word of today’s hearing.
ADDED 5:31 PM UPDATE: We’re transcribing the court document (minus any suspect/witness names), after the jump:Read More
Are food trucks a threat to fixed-location restaurants? Lumpia World, which has set up at Rite Aid south of The Junction on Saturdays and Mondays for the past month or so, says its permission to be there just got pulled – after what its co-owner says was a confrontation on Saturday with someone making that argument. We just talked with co-owner Derrick – but first, here’s the backstory: Today, via their Facebook page, they announced they won’t be there tonight, claiming that an “unidentified man” approached the truck on Saturday, saying something about health rules, and “was/is upset about the rise in mobile food vendors & the fact that our overhead/taxes are not what his is based on him having a physical location.” As a result, Lumpia World said in its second FB post, the man caused “a very large scene at our trailer as well as in Rite Aid. With this said, Rite Aid has asked us to halt our operations temporarily until they hear back from their legal team.” And in a third and final FB post:
… We hope this matter will be resolved in a quick manner so we can get back to doing what we are passionate about & love in West Seattle. It is not our mission or goal to take business away from any one, we just want to bring & make available our cuisine that we are so passionate about.
We just talked by phone with Lumpia World’s co-owner Derrick, who confirms that Rite Aid has withdrawn their permission for Lumpia World TFN (he says at least one other area business with a sizable lot has invited him to contact them, though). He reiterates that the man did not identify himself or his restaurant but demanded to see food handler cards and claimed one was invalid because it’s from a different county (Derrick says that’s not true – we’re researching the rules) and then became irate, going on about taxes and overhead that he has to pay compared to a mobile operation, after which, Derrick says, the man went into the store and complained there. He’s waiting for final word from Rite Aid; in the meantime, LW tried White Center last weekend, by Big Al Brewing, and Derrick says they’ll return there 5-8 pm Friday.
Meantime, we have a message out to Rite-Aid media relations to ask about the reported permission withdrawal. But the one person we don’t have a message out to, because we have no idea who he is, is the “unidentified” person who complained – we issue an open call, if that’s you, we’d love to publish your side of the story too – or that of ANY local restaurateur who feels that street-food trucks are hurting their business. It would be an important viewpoint to hear.
Just in from SDOT:
Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews will start work this week on two pedestrian safety projects on California Avenue SW.
The first project will be at the intersection of California Avenue and SW Frontenac Street [map], where they will install new curb ramps on three corners of the intersection. When the first job is finished, the crews will install a new curb bulb on the southbound side of California Avenue SW at SW Othello Street [map].
The crews will work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking will be restricted in the work area. The crew chief hopes to complete both projects by the end of the month.
These are the two remaining projects out of three on California SW whose Neighborhood Street Fund money was announced last year; we had a progress report on the third one, at SW Findlay, earlier this month.
Congratulations to Bill Schrier of West Seattle, an acclaimed tech visionary just reconfirmed as Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Department of Information Technology for the City of Seattle, a department he has led for eight years (and now will lead for at least another four). The announcement from the council, after the jump:Read More
WSB’ers have answered similar calls in the past – so if you can help with this, West Seattle High School teacher Michelle Sloan and her students will be grateful! Please contact her ASAP via the e-mail address and/or phone number below if you’re available:
West Seattle High School Marketing Class needs marketing/business judges for Friday, April 1st. We have 7 marketing teams that will be presenting their Entrepreneurship projects and need judges to decide which team presented their project the best.
Date: Friday, April 1st
Time: 11am-12pm
Where: West Seattle High School- Marketing Classroom, #131 (Near the main office)
Parking: Visitor parking available in the main parking lot in front of the school.Contact: Ms. Sloan, masloan@seattleschools.org, 206-252-8861
Your job: To watch 7 West Seattle High School Marketing teams present their Entrepreneurship projects and score them based on a scoring rubric given to you by the teacher.
Thank you for supporting your students and community.
In January 2010, a Metro bus driver who lives on Alki survived a vicious attack while on the job in Tukwila. She recovered well enough to be at the hearings for her teenage attacker (here’s our final report from last April), but wasn’t sure if she would ever return to work. We learned the other day that she had decided to return; today is her first day. She shared some of her thoughts via e-mail:
Yes, it’s true. I am “attempting” to go back. I will be on a limited schedule at first. I was pleasantly surprised that my driving skills were 100% intact so less pressure there. As far as the rest, well, here’s my thoughts:
January 22, 2010 changed me and my family’s life forever. It has been a rough journey. Physically I recovered quite well, except for a small scar. I didn’t really know what post-traumatic-stress disorder was until this. Boy, I do now! I will always carry that night with me, and I have accepted that. The day of the sentencing I forgave the boys and that is when the healing began, and to this day I cannot harbor hate or anger. I needed to gain enough confidence that I could safely drive the bus without “freaking out” while there were passengers on board. I believe I have now reached that point. I am able to work my way through the “rough spots,” whereas a year ago I wouldn’t have even considered going back.
I believe that my mission is now to turn what has happened to me into something positive. In the coming months, and perhaps years, my focus will be on doing my job, creating some sort of program to reach out to our youth, loving my family and hugging my Shiba Inu. When I look into her eyes, as strange as it sounds, I see the big picture. And the big picture is Japan. I am just a speck in the universe compared to this tragedy. I will survive. I will move on. I want to thank the much love and encouragement from literally everyone who has helped me get through this, including King County Metro. My future looks bright. Thank you, and prayer for Japan.
The forgiveness she mentions above was also reflected in the statement she gave in court last April – part of this WSB story. The then-14-year-old was the only one charged with attacking her; two other teens were charged with vandalism as part of the incident.
Spring may have officially arrived, but that doesn’t magically dry out the fields, so another announcement has come in from West Seattle Little League president Mark Terao:
Due to the record-setting rain in Seattle, the fields are not ready at Bar-S Playground, which has forced West Seattle Little League to push the season-starting Jamboree back to April 2, 2011.
Last Friday, WSLL announced the postponement, with weather also a factor, of the ribboncutting festivities for its Bar-S improvements – no new date is set for that yet.
Think global, act local. You’ve heard it a million times. That’s what the students of Chief Sealth International High School are setting out to do this week – with some of their local action potentially having global benefits. Their five-day World Water Week “local ideas festival” is finally here, and they need YOU to help kick it off in a big way.
The main event: 7 pm tonight, “Unquenchable” author Robert Glennon speaks in the Sealth auditorium (west side of campus), talking about America’s water crisis — not to alarm you, but to explain what’s happening and what to do about it. Glennon will be introduced by Congressmember Jay Inslee (whose father was a coach at Sealth). And there’ll be a special video message from Alexandra Cousteau (granddaughter of the legendary Jacques Cousteau – read about her here).
Come early to see what the students have arranged, through months of hard work, for a resource fair, starting at 6:15 pm (refreshments too). And get a preview of the big night earlier this morning – at 10 am, Glennon will be interviewed live on KUOW Radio (94.9 FM, or live online) along with Molly Freed, the Sealth senior who’s leading the World Water Week project with social-studies teacher Noah Zeichner (pictured with her recently along one of West Seattle’s fragile waterways, Longfellow Creek):
(Photo by Camille Burke)
Lots more information about World Water Week @ Sealth is perusable here.
ADDED 1:43 PM: You can listen to the radio show from this morning by going here. And a photo of Molly and Glennon, courtesy of teacher Zeichner, is here:
“We’re 8 for 8!” was the cheery declaration at 7:22 pm last night, as, for the eighth consecutive equinox-or-solstice-sunset-viewing event at West Seattle’s Solstice Park (uphill from the Lincoln Park tennis courts and P-Patch), the sun failed to appear . That didn’t faze Alice Enevoldsen (photo center, just past blue scarf), an official NASA Solar System Ambassador, jovially checking the time till the first (technical) sunset of spring, while explaining equinoxes/solstices to the crowd (with the help of a young assistant):
Sun or no sun, Alice hopes to be back at Solstice Park for summer solstice in three months, toting the daughter she’s expecting in a few weeks; the solstice/equinox crowds just keep getting bigger – we counted more than 50 people this time! Long after the actual moment the sun set somewhere behind all those clouds, Alice stayed, answering questions, including one about the previous night’s so-called “supermoon.” No, it wasn’t really that big a deal, she explained, it was only a little closer that night than on previous nights (that was a relief to the people who asked the question, since apparently they hadn’t been able to join the “supermoon”-gazers the night before).
(If you missed the “supermoon,” by the way, here’s a video that WSB’er Coleman shared, including the subsequent moonset:)
We shared local photographers’ “supermoon” photos late Saturday night, too – see them here.
Following the first round of weekend-cleanup updates on Saturday, we received a report and photos tonight from the Fairmount Ravine annual-cleanup team:
The nice weather encouraged more to attend and the event was very successful. Twenty people joined up last Saturday for the Fairmount Ravine’s 19th annual cleanup and reforestation. It is quite apparent that pedestrian users of the ravine regularly help keep the ravine clean (thank you) as there was little trash alongside the road from top to bottom by Salty’s. As usual, most of the trash is located under and alongside the bridge itself, as well as considerable graffiti, which means discarded spray-paint cans.
We found two homeless young men living under the west side of the bridge and Seattle Police stopped by to ensure we did not have another pit bull incident like last year. One young man departed but the other chipped in and helped clean up the hillside. We still find one or two “pop top” cans amongst the undergrowth but the most unusual item was a perfectly good king size mattress set……(see photo). Several people removed ivy growing on trees as it eventually kills the mature trees within the ravine and they topple over.
This year, we also chose to clean the top of the ravine, namely sidewalk along the north side of the bridge. Since no one could even remember the last time it was cleaned by the city, years of dirt, decayed leaves and even three foot tall weeds were growing on the sidewalk. A special thanks to Kevin and Marie for tackling this major undertaking. It looks terrific. We also want to thank Tully’s Coffee for again supplying coffee and supporting this neighborhood effort.
The results:
(Singing Marcello the painter: Jason Fowler; entering, as Rodolfo the poet: Gino Lucchetti)
On the lower level of The Kenney, the strains of “La Bohéme” have been resounding for months – as Lyric Opera Northwest prepares to perform Puccini‘s “crowd-pleaser” opera at The Moore downtown next Sunday afternoon. With the company’s founders based in West Seattle, Kim Cooney explains, The Kenney became its “secret rehearsal site” … she adds, “Sometimes at night you can hear a soprano soloist singing in the dark on the way to her car.” The rehearsing’s almost about to make way for showtime. Lyric Opera NW co-founder Pamela Casella is directing the production; co-founder Craig Heath Nim sings the role of Colline.
One of the reasons they chose “La Bohéme” for their next production: The cast includes more than a few children (as you’ll see in the background in our video clip); they have a children’s workshop on Queen Anne and this enables some of their proteges to return to the stage (some of them were in an earlier LONW production of “Oliver“). We dropped in on their rehearsal Friday night; they practiced at The Kenney again tonight, and now move to The Moore for dress rehearsals and a preview, before the Sunday 4 pm show (March 27 – ticket info here, including an online-purchase option).
Every other Sunday, you’ll find Sustainable West Seattle at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market – always with a different demonstration, something sustainable you can work into your life if you’re not doing it already. Today, it was worm composting – worms and all, as well as an example of six-months-in-the-making compost. (Here’s composting how-to’s from Seattle Tilth.) Tomorrow night, SWS hopes to see you at the Admiral Theater for an evening focusing on sustainable fishing – including a talk with Mashiko proprietor Hajime Sato, and a screening of the film “The End of the Line“:
For more details about the evening ($5 suggested donation), here’s an update on the Sustainable WS website. At the booth today, we also talked with SWS’s Patrick Dunn, Christina Hahs and Chas Redmond about the upcoming West Seattle Tool Library move. Before they get to the April 9th grand reopening in the new location at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, April 3rd will be the last day at the old location, followed by the tool “migration.”
(Photos and video by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
As this weekend began, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge was the place to be for a high-energy free talent showcase – the latest for the youth of Youngstown All-Access classes, available free to local teens (and a few for tweens). When the session ends, there’s a special showcase, and the latest one was on Friday night, including breakdancing faceoffs – one for high schools, one for middle schools. After the jump, video and photo highlights:Read More
ORIGINAL 3:04 PM REPORT: In the Admiral storefront at 2604 California SW, Bird on a Wire Espresso is suddenly closed – just 4 months after the popular Westwood shop expanded there, first to serve coffee in tandem with Heavenly Pastry (which was baking in the back of the same space), then going it alone when Heavenly completely pulled out in January. We received two messages about the closure this afternoon, and here’s what we can tell you: We went to Bird on a Wire’s original (and still open) SW Henderson location, where owner Heidi Herr told us she wasn’t ready to comment yet. Then we went to the Admiral storefront, where we found only the empty windows seen in the photo above. A reader who e-mailed us about this said there had been a note on the door this morning saying the closure was as of 5 pm yesterday and mentioning something about a lease; however, when we checked about an hour ago, there was no note in sight. So far we do NOT know if this is a permanent or temporary closure; if we get additional information, we’ll add it here. (Again, Bird on a Wire remains OPEN at its Westwood location at 3509 SW Henderson.)
ADDED 4:18 PM: Just e-mailed by Bird on a Wire’s owner:
Essentially, due to the original intent for the Bird/Heavenly venture obviously changing (their decision to shut down completely), and then given the impact of the Safeway development, I was concerned and did not want to risk the health and vitality of the Original Bird (at SW Henderson St). I saw no improvements on the horizon, so I made the decision to fly back South.
We will miss the new friends we made in the Admiral ‘hood and hope to see our new “peeps” at our other shop when life or business takes them in that Southernly direction.
And YES the Bird is alive and well at 3509 SW Henderson St! We will even be extending our hours soon-stay tuned!
Regards,
Heidi Herr
www.birdonawireespresso.com
West Seattleites continue reaching out in many ways to help the earthquake/tsunami survivors in Japan. On Thursday, we reported efforts including the “flash mob” planned by West Seattle Montessori (WSB sponsor); Friday, we reported on West 5 proprietor Dave Montoure‘s plan – a multi-venue benefit one week from tonight (update – he now says 14 businesses are in, with room for more); last night, there was a vigil on Alki; and this morning, we have word of a block-sale benefit in two weeks – and you are invited to donate! From Shelley Lebert:
The Garage Sale will be held Saturday April 2nd and Sunday, April 3rd, 2011, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The address for dropping off donations and of the garage sale itself is: 3014 45th Ave SW.
People must write their suggested asking price on the item and we will have the discretion to lower the price if need be to sell the item. There will be several homes on this block hosting this event, and Admiral Starbucks will provide coffee carafes and we will have Rachel’s home-baked cookies! All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross for the people affected by the earthquake/tsunami and checks will be made out to them. …
More from Shelley after the jump, including plans to pick up donations if you can’t bring them over, plus a suggestion for kids:Read More
(This morning’s high tide met high winds! Photo by David Rosen, SlickPix Photography)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, as we say farewell to winter:
FIRST SPRING SUNSET: Spring equinox arrives at 4:21 pm our time – watch at Solstice Park with Alice Enevoldsen!
REMEMBER, THE VIADUCT’S CLOSED AGAIN: Alaskan Way Viaduct shutdown scheduled till 6 pm; the closure often ends earlier on Sunday, so watch here (and our new Facebook page – “liked” it yet? – plus Twitter) for updates if it does reopen sooner.
FLOWERS AND FOOD AT THE MARKET: West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm, The Junction (44th/Alaska),
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RUMMAGE SALE: Garage Rock rummage sale at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 11:30 am-6 pm.
BOWLING BENEFIT FOR AMANDA KNOX DEFENSE FUND: 2-4:30 pm at West Seattle Bowl, a community fundraiser for the costs her family continues to incur. (Official flyer here). Questions? Al or Julie at tootdelafruit@gmail.com or almco@aol.com
ZUMBA FOR WEST SEATTLE YMCA PARTNERS WITH YOUTH: Spend up to two hours Zumba’ing 5-7 pm tonight (or any portion thereof) to raise money for the Y initiative that supports so many programs in the community – details in our preview.
LIVE MUSIC TODAY/TONIGHT: Jamtime at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm … Locöl hosts the Jacob Lakatua Quartet, 8 -11 pm (here’s the Facebook invite) … Note that Skylark Café and Club is NOT presenting live music tonight – instead it’s closing after brunch for floor repair (open till 3 pm).
(Photo by David Rosen from SlickPix Photography)
Thanks to the photographers who shared their views of tonight’s “supermoon” moonrise (explained here – the closest-to-Earth point in its orbit). We were out watching it too, but these photos are all better than ours.
((Photo by Mike Scharer)
Though the moon was first visible coming up from behind the Cascades if you were looking east from the southern half of West Seattle, it eventually was visible from further north:
(Photo by R.C. Eng)
This is the crowd on Hamilton Viewpoint. We spotted gatherings like this in many places, especially along east Alki.
(Photo by R.C. Eng)
Next natural phenomenon: Very high tide, early tomorrow morning (12.3 feet at 5:45 am, highest tide of the month).
ADDED 11:38 PM: More just came in (thank you!):
(Photo by Patrick McCaffrey)
As that one demonstrates – as the moon rose, it took on something resembling its normal coloration (an hour after we watched the moonrise from Sunrise Heights, with reddish hue like most of these photos show, we saw it again over the hill that’s southeast of central Alki, and by then, it was a more normal silvery-white) –
(Photo by Jim Clark)
But the early view remains the most striking:
(Photo by Kai McNichols)
Even if you weren’t close enough to the beach to see the luminarias, if you traveled along Alki tonight, you probably saw the TV trucks there to cover a vigil for the survivors and victims of the Japan earthquake/tsunami: “Our Hearts Send Hope.” Dozens of people gathered along a stretch of the beach east of the Bathhouse; the three-hour event, announced via Facebook, is scheduled to wrap up shortly. (added) Our video is more notable for the sound than the sights – a lone drumbeat; the steady waves:
Here is the text of one handout from a vigil participant, one of several on a piece of paper headed HOPE, with the “O” replaced by the red circle (sun) of the Japanese flag:
Thay’s Prayer for Japan
Sending love and compassion to the people of JapanDear friends in Japan,
As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died.
The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body.
An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what’s most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best we can do for those who have died; we can live in such a way that they continue, beautifully, in us.
Here in Seattle and at our (faith) centers all over the world, our brothers and sisters will continue to chant (pray) for you, sending you the energy of peace, healing and protection. Our prayers are with you.
Thich Nhat Hanh
ADDED 12:50 AM: Two photos by David Rosen of SlickPix Photography:
(SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: Police have just posted their account – we’ve added it)
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
7:49 PM: We finally have a bit of information about the big police response that’s drawn tips and questions the past hour and a half. The first tipster thought they were seeing something “undercover” around California/Juneau, so we headed out and saw police at two scenes, the tense “guns-drawn” situation in the photo above (which we photographed with a zoom lens), just north of California-Brandon, where someone was ordered out of a car and then cuffed:
Further south, there were multiple cars outside the building that is home to a medical-marijuana dispensary, and while you can’t see it from this angle, police were inside – the door is set back from the street (the building is not in our angle either, it’s immediately south) – talking with people:
Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams tells WSB that since officers are still out, full details aren’t available yet but it is reported to have been a robbery or attempted robbery; three people are in custody (according to later scanner traffic, two are juveniles, one is an adult), and up to two more suspects may still be at large. Lt. Williams says robbery and CSI detectives are responding to investigate now. There is no indication anyone is hurt, and no information yet about whether anything was taken.
10:28 PM UPDATE: More information from Lt. Williams, now confirming it was a robbery: “The suspects’ did take some property of the dispensary and personal property of at least one person inside. At least some of the property taken was recovered by officers. The detectives are continuing their investigation.” (We just drove past the scene, on our way back from two other stories, and saw two police cars still parked outside the building on California.)
SUNDAY MORNING, 9:17 AM: SPD Blotter has just posted a summary of what they say happened:
On March 19th, shortly after 6:00 PM, three suspects entered a licensed medical marijuana dispensary located in the 5400 Block of California Avenue SW. Also inside the business were three employees and two customers. The three suspects were asked by employees to leave, as they were not there to purchase anything. At that point, the suspects pulled out handguns and proceeded to restrain everyone in the store and rob them. The suspects then fled the store on foot. The employees of the business were able to free themselves and gave chase. They managed to catch two of the suspects a few blocks away. In his haste to get away, one of the suspects dropped his handgun and some stolen items in the alley. Responding officers arrested the two suspects and then located and arrested the third suspect a short distance away. In all, two handguns, the victim’s wallets and money and stolen marijuana were all recovered. Robbery and CSI detectives responded to the location to process the scene. All of the suspects were interviewed by detectives. The 24 year old male was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery. The other suspects, ages 16 and 17, were booked into the Youth Services Center for Investigation of Robbery. Robbery detectives will have the responsibility for the continuing investigation.
After a day of closure for inspection, maintenance, and testing those new in-case-of-quake gates, the Alaskan Way Viaduct reopened at 5:30 pm, WSDOT just announced. It’s scheduled for 6 am-6 pm closure again tomorrow (if it reopens early as usual on Sundays during these weekends, we’ll publish an update) – remember that traffic out of West Seattle can be brutal, as it was at times today (here’s one pic from Twitter), so allow yourself extra time.
The West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) is working right now to raise money for its Partners With Youth program – which supports an amazing array of youth-geared offerings around the community. Tomorrow night, you can pitch in by Zumba’ing with the Y – here are the details just shared by Tish:
Zumbathon event to benefit West Seattle & Fauntleroy Y Partners with Youth – 5 pm – 7 pm Sunday
________________________________
West Seattle Family YMCA (GYM)
4515 36th Ave. SW$20 minimum donation. All money raised goes to seving youth in the West Seattle community.
Everyone is invited to JOIN THE PARTY – dance, sweat, laugh, move and help our community’s families live healthy and well lives… Stay for as little or as long as you like (you are not required to move for 2 solid hours! ha!)
It’s been said, You are never so Tall as when you stoop to help a child. Let’s see what happens when you dance to help a child?!
Midway through the first “Keep Seattle Beautiful” cleanup – offshoot of the campaign whose founder Mike Merta wrote an open letter, published here – we caught up with King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who was with other volunteers along the Olson Place/1st Avenue South hill between Highway 509 and the West Seattle/White Center line (cleanup participants fanned out after meeting up at Waste Management, a short distance north).
McDermott later noted on his Facebook page that the cleanup had netted “six yards of trash” even before it officially ended at 2 pm.
Meantime, Admiral Neighborhood Association president Katy Walum reported that one of the biggest Adopt-A-Street turnouts in some time, 21 people, showed up to join ANA’s cleanup this morning – we’ll update this with any more aftermath information we find.
And we’re also waiting to hear from the Fairmount Ravine cleanup team, who were scheduled to head out for their annual event this morning, not just cleaning up the much-traveled canyon, but also helping save its forest by removing ivy and other invasives. Congratulations to everyone who’s out there making our area a cleaner and better place! Keep an eye on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for news of future cleanups (we usually announce them here on the main page too, along with one last reminder on the morning of an event).
Not that they don’t have a tough-enough leader in Marcus Pimpleton already, but … imagine the pressure of hitting the right notes when Darth Vader is wielding the baton! The Chief Sealth International High School Band had a surprise guest conductor for a few minutes during their mini-concert this morning at the Pacific Science Center grand opening of “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.” We reported on Thursday about the band’s downtown gig to celebrate the Science Center opening the doors for the first ticketholders to the new exhibit; after they played a medley of key themes from the entire “Star Wars” movie series, an entourage of familiar characters made their entrance, including Lord Vader. (They’re from the 501st Legion – explained here; right after the opening event with the Sealth band, they paraded over to the new exhibit, posing for photos – which their leader had explained is part of the deal in exchange for the costuming help they get from Lucasfilm!)
ADDED 2:04 PM: The band’s performance of the “Star Wars” medley, WITHOUT Darth Vader. That’s above; click ahead, and after the jump you will find the section of the encore that featured the Dark Lord of the Sith, plus a few more photos from this morning’s event:Read More
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