West Seattle, Washington
03 Friday
On the holiday hunger-fighting front … first, a few scenes from the Beer Church Turkey Bowl:
That’s West Seattle Food Bank‘s Charlie Workman during last night’s benefit at WS Bowl, as he rolled what turned out to be a strike:
According to the Beer Church Facebook page, Mission won the trophy … and the WS Food Bank is the big winner. Congrats again to tireless organizers Kendall and Kim Jones:
Their update says the final tally’s not in yet, but expects it to amount to “thousands and thousands” of donated dollars and pounds (of food).
This morning, we checked in on the White Center Food Bank‘s turkey collection, which hit the road for a pre-Thanksgiving dropoff stop outside Fauntleroy Church:
WC Food Bank executive director Rick Jump was there loading donated turkeys into the refrigerated van. He told us they’d seen a good turnout of donors during the dropoff window. You can also drop off food the next few days – and just as important, volunteer some hours to get it distributed – here are the specifics.
Will the Alki boardwalk east of the Bathhouse be graced with the “Luna Girls” (explained here back in July)? West Seattle artist Lezlie Jane is renowned for work including Weather Watch Park, Cormorant Cove, and Constellation Park on Beach Drive, as well as Whale Tail Park and Dakota Place Park. Now, she explains in the video clip you can watch above, she is turning to crowdfunding to get “Luna Girls on Alki” finished. She’s launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking $3,000, and is already almost a third of the way there – you can chip in by going here.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”:
*In Highland Park, the recent election caused some friction between a father and son: Thirty-nine-year-old dad said that no matter how legal marijuana was going to be, it was not to be smoked in his house. He also laid down the law: Sonny would have to start working to help support the household. The discussion ended up getting slightly physical, and someone called 911. Son (19 years old) told officers that his dad is very wrong to force him to work. According to the report, “The son says that it is cold and raining outside and that he prefers to stay inside where he is warm and has food to eat. He also feels it’s his dad’s responsibility to provide for him.” Officers told the son to go spend the night at his brother’s in order to cool off.
*On Thursday the 8th, an employee of Nucor Steel was driving along Harbor Avenue when he noticed three men stealing scrap metal from the company’s property. He called company security and the security team called 911 to describe the thieves and their car. Officers pulled the vehicle over on Highland Park Way. It was full of scrap metal, but the three denied they had climbed or gone over any fences to get it. (Indeed: The report says they had cut *through* a fence to access the material.) All three were booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary.
Six more summaries, including new information on a police-guns-drawn incident at a local gas station last weekend:
Next Saturday (November 24th) at Alki UCC, family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Tyler Michael Vance, who died recently at just 30 years old. Here’s the remembrance shared by his family:
Our beautiful Son, Grandson, Brother, Daddy, Boyfriend, Nephew, Cousin, and Friend, Tyler Michael Vance, born March 27th, 1982, passed away on November 3rd, 2012, in his sleep.
Voted as most “Undeniably Unique” in his class of 2000 West Seattle High School Yearbook, Tyler lived his life as exactly that. Afraid of seemingly nothing, Tyler stood out with a style that could put a smile on your face, a zest for thrill seeking, an indisputable passion for his interests, and a love inside of him that was non discriminatory, earning him at times even the most unlikely of friends.
Tyler also attended Lafayette Elementary School, Madison Middle School and spent some time pursuing an Associate’s Degree at South Seattle Community College. Most recently he worked for the City of Seattle roads crew and has been father to his two beautiful girls whom he loved deeply.
That’s Virginia Bowen, owner of Seattle Yarn, with some of the hats/scarves/gloves made/donated so far on behalf of Superstorm Sandy survivors, as the knit-in/sew-in at Seattle Yarn and nearby Stitch & Sew Studio continues this afternoon. The photo is courtesy of Jen Boyer, who shared first word of the plan a week ago. Virginia is offering a dollar-off coupon for any item donated, handmade or not, through tomorrow. Other keep-warm items like blankets are welcome too. Seattle Yarn is at 5633 California SW; Stitch & Sew is at 5910 California SW.
Ready to go into all-out holiday mode? The WSB West Seattle Holiday Events and Info page is now live – the one-stop guide to what’s happening now through New Year’s in our area, everything from free Thanksgiving dinners to Santa photos, tree lightings, bazaars, tree lots, the Christmas Ship’s stops, and MUCH more. We will continue to update it daily (if not more often) throughout the season, as we have always done, and we in fact have a few more things to add this morning. Meantime, the following is a quick roundup of today’s calendar highlights, including several ways to provide holiday help (you can always get the FIRST look by checking in now and then on our regular calendar):
WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK TURKEY DROPOFF IN WEST SEATTLE: They’ll have a refrigerated van at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) at 11 am. Details, and other ways to help WC Food Bank, in our roundup from earlier this week.
Also today:
(From the OLG bake sale – thanks to Toddy for the photo!)
FAIR TRADE SALE, ADVENT BAZAAR, BAKE SALE: Happening now till 1 pm in the new gym at Our Lady of Guadalupe, 35th and Myrtle – details on the calendar
BUY PANCAKE BREAKFAST TICKETS AT FARMERS’ MARKET: 13 days till the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle‘s annual pancake breakfast December 1st at Alki Masonic Hall (40th/Edmunds), as explained in our preview story – while you’re at the Farmers’ Market today, look for their booth and buy your tickets in advance (adult tickets are $1 cheaper in advance).
J.F. HENRY OPEN HOUSE CONTINUES: The houseware/kitchenware/gift store in The Junction (WSB sponsor) is continuing its open house today, 10 am-5 pm, with cookies, cocoa, discounts, and surprises – just stop in.
Even if you’re not ready to buy holiday gifts, maybe you need something new to cook Thanksgiving dinner – they have pans, utensils, a big array of cookware. Holiday decorations too. More details here – and don’t miss getting a free coupon for knife sharpening!
KNIT FOR A CAUSE – HELP SANDY SURVIVORS: Today’s the day you can drop in at Seattle Yarn or Stitch & Sew Studio to join a knit-in/sew-in/create-in to make hats, gloves, scarves for the East Coast residents who survived Superstorm Sandy, 10 am-5 pm. Or, if you have already made – or bought! – them, just drop the items off. Here’s our original story.
FAUNTLEROY FINE ART AND GIFT FAIR CONCLUDES: 11 am-2 pm, you have one more chance to shop at Fauntleroy Church‘s holiday sale/show of local artists’ work.
WINE AND CHEESE EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH FARMERS’ MARKET: 11:30 am-2 pm, Mountain Lodge Farm and Bin 41 are doing a wine/cheese tasting promoted by the West Seattle Farmers Market, at Bin 41 (next to KeyBank on southwest side of California/Alaska). Details here.
WEST SEATTLE ROTARY’S HANDBAG LUNCH: Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s purses/wallets/handbags champagne brunch, noon at Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor; 2326 California SW), details here – if you haven’t pre-registered, drop by to see if there’s still room.
WEST SEATTLEITE LEADS ‘WOODSTICK’: Once again this year, West Seattleite Donn Bennett is organizing “Woodstick Big Beat” as part of a world-record attempt for drumming, 2-4 pm at the Juanita Fieldhouse. Details in the calendar listing.
TWO BROTHERS WINERY RELEASE EVENT: 3-5 pm, 3902 California SW, the first release of Two Brothers Winery‘s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The 2009 Cabernet and Merlot come from the prestigious Red Mountain AVA in the Columbia Valley.
SHIPWRECK TAVERN FAREWELL: As reported here earlier this week, Shipwreck Tavern is closing after tonight. They’re going out with a show tonight including two hot local acts, Daughters of the Dead Sea and Hobosexual, 9 pm.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
They waited, under the gray Saturday morning sky, down the sidewalk past what last Thanksgiving season was a construction site and this year is a shiny new grocery store. Waiting for them at the head of the line, a free turkey:
And a bag of groceries:
This is the tenth year that Eastridge Church has offered the turkey giveaway, no questions asked. The event in West Seattle is duplicated at their Issaquah campus. And it’s always a bustle of activity:
(Lisa Dela Cruz guides 6-year-old daughter Stephanie in where to place a bag)
Those who come are helped by volunteers of all ages.
(10-year-old volunteer Ryan Shelver)
Even 500 turkeys only go so far. And then, they were gone, as announced by the sign Paul Emmett held:
…gone until next year. Others are helping the hungry in our community too, of course, also with volunteer time and money/food donations; today the White Center Food Bank has a turkey dropoff in Fauntleroy, 11 am.
11:02 PM: Crews are rushing to a house-fire report in the 8500 block of 14th SW. We are on the way.
11:21 PM UPDATE: Not a major incident – no smoke or flames visible, no report of injuries. Firefighters arr starting to pack up. Our crew is waiting to talk with the incident commander.
11:50 PM UPDATE: SFD tells us that the house was “illegally occupied” – the fire is believed to have started in a hibachi and spread to the porch. They had to cut into the structure for some ventilation. They also confirm, nobody hurt. An investigator is on scene to make the official determination of the fire’s cause.
11:59 PM UPDATE: Via the scanner, SFD just updated the address for the fire scene – not the same address originally on the 911 log. The address has a 10-year history of repeated citations for alleged city-code violations such as junk storage.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says this was an accidental fire: “Transients had been occupying the vacant home. One individual removed burning ashes from a second floor fireplace and placed them in a cardboard box on the front porch which lit the porch and the void space below. The fire then traveled up into the wall. The estimated dollar loss is $5,000.”
Another West Seattle sports first is in the books:
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Wrapped in the West Seattle Soccer Club scarf – since that’s who organized this – the trophy awaited the winner of the inaugural Battle of West Seattle, a girls-soccer match between Denny International Middle School and Madison Middle School, who didn’t play during the season since they’re in different divisions.
Both had excellent seasons, as noted by WSSC – Denny (in blue) took its division; Madison was third in its division. On Friday afternoon, they played on despite a then-driving rain which sent the teams to respective tents at halftime:
Eventually, Madison emerged victorious.
Final score, 2 to 1. There’s a victory photo on the West Seattle Soccer Club Facebook page.
8:55 PM: Over the past week or so, we’ve received scattered reports of unexplained booms in the Lincoln Park vicinity. No fire/crime/injury reports resulted, so they’ve remained a mystery. We’re uphill from south Lincoln Park and just finally heard one for ourselves. We’re monitoring the scanner/911 log and if anything results, we’ll update. Nothing so far, and it’s been five-plus minutes. We also launched a discussion on the WSB Facebook page and there are several reports of people seeing a flash in the ferry-dock area at the time.
9:54 PM: An hour’s gone by, with no report of injury/fire/damage/power outage etc. (not even a 911 dispatch) So, a mystery, for now.
(Editor’s note – the women’s lineups are now added at the end of the story)
ORIGINAL 11/17 REPORT: The field is taking shape for a first-ever event next weekend – the Chief Sealth International High School alumni basketball games! This weekend, Sealth athletic director Sam Reed is announcing the men’s roster (there’s still a spot or two on the women’s side – anyone interested should e-mail kevkat8@yahoo.com ASAP). Friday (November 23rd) is the day, and here’s the rundown so far for the first-ever Nels Enquist Alumni Basketball Game, starting with the lineups:
We visited the West Seattle Food Bank just before their special donation-dropoff time wrapped up this afternoon, and operations director Steve Curry said thanks for everyone’s generosity – it had been “raining turkeys” during the three-hour window (but, he added, gesturing to what you see in the cooler in the photo, “it’ll all be gone by Wednesday”). Tonight, they would be happy to take your non-perishable food donations during the Beer Church‘s annual Turkey Bowl benefit at West Seattle Bowl; it’s just begun, and there’ll be someone there to accept your donation till 8 or so. If you can’t make it tonight, the food bank’s hours at its 35th/Morgan HQ are part of this “how to help” update we published a few days ago.
P.S. The White Center Food Bank serves part of West Seattle and its team will be at Fauntleroy Church tomorrow at 11 am with a refrigerated van to accept turkey donations – their overall holiday-help list is here.
Nothing says Christmas like … robotics. No, the robot’s not for sale, but many other handmade items are, at Seattle Lutheran High School‘s first-ever Holiday Bazaar, continuing till 5 pm. And robotics-team members are on hand as an added attraction – in our photo are SLHS junior Carina Andrews and senior Tyler Andrews. The bazaar has filled the gym:
Even if you’re not ready to shop for gifts yet, maybe decorations?
The bazaar and accompanying raffle and bake sale – complete with holiday-music soundtrack! – are scheduled to continue until 5. The gym entrance is on SW Genesee at 40th.
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Out in the rain in their yellow safety vests, moms and kids from West Seattle-founded CoolMom are at the Fauntleroy ferry dock this afternoon, with a message for drivers as part of CM’s “Think Outside the Car” campaign. They’re distributing educational reminders including:
*10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it
*An idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling 32 mph
*Idling 5 minutes daily emits 30 pounds of toxic pollutants and 300 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year
Idling, of course, is not just a ferry-line problem – drive-throughs are another place you can shut your engine off and help clear the air. You can get involved in the No-Idle Campaign with the info you’ll find here.
Karen‘s house was hit by burglars – and she is sharing not only the report, but also prevention advice from police:
Our home was broken into (Friday) afternoon around 1:30pm. We are on 31st between Elmgrove and Thistle.
They pried open a locked kitchen window. Our neighbor, on Elmgrove, about this time, saw a black, fairly new sports car with tinted windows parked on the block. Saw a 20-30ish white male with scruffy unshaven face, black hair, 6 feet, 170 pounds, get out of the car and walk down our block. A female, red hair, late 20’s, average size, remained in the car until she saw the neighbor looking her way, jumped into the driver’s seat and then drove away down our block. They took a computer, jewelry and cash. A few moments later, a silver BMW with 4 doors and tinted windows pulled up on Elmgrove parked outside of the neighbor’s house. She called the police and reported the vehicles because it seemed odd. Please report anything odd you see in your neighborhood! Our neighbor had great instincts. Also, don’t assume that locks on your windows will deter a thief. The police recommended we add wood blocks to every window track.
Find more burglary-prevention advice from SPD by going here.
(Refresh for newest image from WSDOT’s camera @ Fauntleroy ferry dock, a fixture on the WSB Traffic page)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:16 AM: On a busy pre-holiday weekend, this might have even more impact than it would otherwise, so please note that Washington State Ferries just announced that the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is down to two boats because the Sealth needs repairs. No estimate yet for how long that’ll take. P.S. If you’re at or near the terminal, a reminder that, as noted in our daily preview, the organization CoolMom is distributing information there later today about reducing emissions by keeping vehicle engines off while waiting.
5:49 PM UPDATE: The run is back to 3 boats as of late this afternoon.
(Coprinus at Lincoln Park, photographed by Machel Spence)
Good morning! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar – including chances to fight hunger via giving (or receiving) food donations:
TURKEY GIVEAWAY: 500 turkeys and bags of groceries are to be given away in West Seattle by Eastridge Church starting at 9 am – no prerequisites, no questions asked. They’re at 39th and Oregon, across from West Seattle Bowl.
OPEN HOUSE AT J.F. HENRY: This weekend is the big open-house weekend at houseware/tableware specialists J.F. Henry Kitchen, Tableware & Gifts (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. Homemade cookies, hot cocoa, special demonstrations and savings, all weekend long – 10 am-6 pm today, 10 am-5 pm Sunday.(4445 California SW)
FAUNTLEROY ART/CRAFT FAIR: Today’s day 2, 10 am-4 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), with artists and crafters selling and showing their work. Here’s our Friday report.
FIRST-EVER BAZAAR AT SLHS: 10 am-5 pm, Seattle Lutheran High School invites you to its first-ever holiday bazaar in the gym (40th/Genesee), including food/beverages and the school robotics team showing its stuff.
HOLIDAY BAZAAR AT MASONIC HALL: 10 am-4 pm, 40th and Edmunds, the Alki Masonic Hall has a holiday bazaar today too.
NORTHWEST ART AND FRAME OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-5:30 pm, with demonstrations, prize drawings, and more. Full details here – and the Facebook event page has info too.
TAKING ON FERRY IDLING: CoolMom is scheduled to spend the day raising awareness about the pollution caused by idling while you’re awaiting the ferry in Fauntleroy, 11:30 am-4:30 pm.
FAMILY FUN WITH THE HARMONICA POCKET! They’re playing High Point Community Center this morning, 10:30 am. If you didn’t buy an advance discount ticket, it’s $5/person, $20/max per family. Here’s the description from Seattle Parks:
“SINGING THANKSGIVING”: This interactive 50-minute set gets young and old alike singing American Folk tunes including Over the River and Through the Woods, Turkey in the Straw, and She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain. Audience members are invited to co-create and improvise lyrics on a Harmonica Pocket original song. Give Thanks and sing names of harvest fruits and vegetables on Apple Apple. Dance, fingerplays, a waltz with a pumpkin, and zany skits tie this program up into a thoughtful, playful package.
SPECIAL DONATION DROPOFF AT WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK: 2-5 pm today, bring turkeys and other food donations directly to the WS Food Bank via its garage off SW Morgan east of 35th – more details here.
SKILLS & DRILLS BASKETBALL CLINIC: Three hours of basketball tune-up as kids get ready for the winter sports season, 2-5 pm at West Seattle High School, with guests including WSHS head coach Donald Watts and Sonics legend Slick Watts – here’s our original story with details.
LOCAL YOUTH AT YOUNGSTOWN – 2 CHANCES TO SEE THEM! Freehold’s Engaged Theater presents “Aloud,” with the cast including local youth. And it’s free! Get the details here. 4 and 7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
DONATE FOOD TONIGHT DURING THE TURKEY BOWL! The bowling lanes are sold out last time we checked, but the Beer Church Turkey Bowl at West Seattle Bowl (39th/Oregon) tonight is still a fun event to watch, and the perfect chance for you to drop by with nonperishable food donations to add to the tally benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. It all starts at 5:30 pm.
GARY BENSON’S CD RELEASE PARTY: He performs and celebrates his new CD at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) tonight, 6-8 pm.
BLACK SABBATH TRIBUTE AT ZIPPY’S: In White Center, it’s Art Walk night (third Saturdays), and this is the second time that Zippy’s Giant Burgers (WSB sponsor) is presenting live music – this time, a Black Sabbath tribute band, starting at 9 pm (9614 14th SW).
NIGHTTIME BEACH WALK: 10 pm-midnight at Me-Kwa-Mooks – details here.
Even more is happening today/tonight – these are just a few highlights; check the calendar for more!
“The crowd had a lot of energy,” marveled West Seattle Helpline executive director Tara Luckie, reflecting on last weekend’s fall fundraiser at the Duwamish Longhouse. She shared photos along with words of gratitude, “thanking West Seattle neighbors and businesses for making the night a success.”
All that enthusiasm, and accompanying generosity, means, Tara says, “We raised enough in donations to assist 80 West Seattle families with staying in their homes and keeping their lights and heat on this winter.” Featured speaker was State House Rep. Eileen Cody, who won another term in this month’s election.
Lots of other ways to help Helpline with its mission this holiday season – keep an eye on its website at wshelpline.org.
One of the two teenagers killed in last Sunday night’s South Park crash has been laid to rest: After her viewing in White Center and funeral Mass at Holy Family, 13-year-old Lucie Hernandez was to be buried at a cemetery in Tukwila this afternoon. A funeral Mass is planned Monday at St. Mary’s in the Central District for 16-year-old Luis Martinez, who was a student at TEC High School on the Evergreen campus in White Center.
The two boys who survived the crash are also Evergreen campus students, according to Highline Public Schools, at TEC and at the Arts and Academics Academy, while the third survivor has been identified as Lucie’s sister Karla, a ninth-grader at Chief Sealth International High School.
We had previously reported an account to help Luis’s family with expenses, accessible via any BECU branch, in the name of Victor Herrera, account number 3579847581. Donations were accepted at this past Wednesday’s Denny/Sealth concert (WSB coverage here). And tonight, we have the announcement of a benefit next Monday night (November 19th) to assist both Luis and Lucie’s families:
The event will be at Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant in Renton from 5 pm-9 pm. There will be a $10 buffet fee and a chance to drop off additional donations. Radio Variedades radio host Mercedes Garcia will be hosting the event live on the radio and encouraging the community to come and support. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to spread the word.
The restaurant is at 540 Rainier Avenue South (map).
(WSB photo from Tuesday night)
One more court case to report as the week comes to an end: A charge of third-degree assault is filed against Skyler Gronholz, the 28-year-old man accused in the Tuesday night incident that left a Seattle Police sergeant and officer injured, as well as a citizen who tried to help. As we reported in followups, police say they pulled Gronholz over for running a red light at California and Charlestown; he gave the officer a false name, then tried to drive away while she was arresting him and trying to get him out of the car – that was the start of the struggle that led to injuries. According to the documents arguing to keep his bail at $30,000 (in addition to $15,000 for an arrest warrant that was out for him):
At the time of the defendant’s arrest in this case, he was on warrant status on a case in King County Superior Court Drug Court for multiple counts of burglary and trafficking in stolen property. … The defendant has had 21 warrants issued for his arrest since 2005 in King County. In addition to the defendant’s Drug Court matter, where he was found guilty of four counts of burglary in the second degree and four counts of trafficking stolen property in the first degree, the defendant has known convictions for theft in the third degree (2002, 2006) and criminal solicitation (2010).
The charging documents also include a few more details of the circumstances: The officer’s body was “inside the doorframe of the driver’s door” when Gronholz allegedly started the car. In addition to cuts and bruises on her elbows and knees, she also had a tooth knocked loose during the scuffle. The sergeant is described as having torn muscles in the chest, arm, and shoulder, with possible nerve damage. While, as we reported Wednesday, police suspected Gronholz was in possession of drugs, the assault charge is all that prosecutors filed against him. He’s still in jail at last check, and scheduled for arraignment November 29th.
You have three chances to check out the Fauntleroy Fine Art and Holiday Gift Fair at Fauntleroy Church this weekend for early holiday shopping — and the first one is under way right now, till 8 pm. We stopped by just before things got under way this evening, and photographed three of the participating crafters/artists. Above, Fauntleroy’s own Ann Dawson is there with her handmade hats. Next, Holli from Holli with an I Photography:
You’ll find woodcarver James Grantham there too:
Fauntleroy Church is at 9140 California SW and the show is on till 8 tonight, 10-4 tomorrow, 11-2 on Sunday.
In case you or someone you know is in need this Thanksgiving … we wanted to mention once more that the annual Eastridge Church 500-turkey giveaway is tomorrow morning, starting at 9 am, at the church (39th and Oregon, across from West Seattle Bowl). They don’t require any proof of need or ID – just show up and they’ll give you a turkey and bag of groceries, as long as the supply lasts.
Criminal mistreatment is the charge filed in relation to the case of an 86 year-old Alki man who died after being found in such bad condition, he died days later. This happened in 2010; two of his sons have just been charged this month. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB they are due in court the day before Thanksgiving to answer charges. 57-year-old Kenneth Shaw and 54-year-old Keith Shaw are charged with second-degree criminal mistreatment because of what happened to their father Kyle Shaw Jr.
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