West Seattle, Washington
17 Wednesday
(WSB photo from October 2010 Halloween Ski [etc.] Swap)
Another winter-gear-swap event is in the works, organized by the folks at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle. Dropping by the store today, we heard from M2SO staff about the plans for a followup to the first-ever Halloween Ski Swap last year: The swap event will be at the VFW Hall (3601 SW Alaska, across the street from M2SO), Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27 – with dropoff on Friday the 25th, 4-7 pm; the swap 10 am-6 pm on Saturday and 11 am-5 pm on Sunday (retrieve the leftovers 4-6 pm). M2SO tells us 20 percent of the proceeds will benefit nonprofits. Details are being finalized, so more info is yet to come, but go ahead and mark your calendar if you’ve got gear to swap! P.S. M2SO’s winter-clearance sale is in its final week – including 50% discounts.
Today, we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Always Best Care Senior Services of Seattle, specializing in non-medical in-home care and senior living referrals, and owned and operated by Brian and Maureen Englund. New sponsors are offered the chance to let you know more about their business: With more than 30 years of experience in senior living, care and services, the Englunds have a sincere concern for enhancing the quality of life that goes beyond doing what is required and doing more for those entrusted to their care.
Always Best Care Seattle is licensed to provide non-medical in-home care needed for seniors and adults of any age to continue living safely and comfortably at home. Care providers are directly employed, licensed, insured and bonded, and receive comprehensive orientation and ongoing training. Home care services are available 1 to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. With Always Best Care, seniors and their families have the important and empowering option of remaining at home with in-home care or receiving assistance with the selection and move to a senior living community. You will receive guidance in making a well informed and sound decision. Either way, you will receive exceptional service and peace of mind.
Always Best Care is also pleased to offer their services as certified leaders of the American Red Cross Family Caregiving program as a complimentary public service. The program consists of eight one-hour classes, and each is a self-contained module allowing you to attend any or all of the classes. The program has just begun at the Senior Center of West Seattle, every Wednesday, continuing this week (March 9). The next seven classes are:
General Caregiving Skills – March 9
Positioning and Helping Your Loved One Move – March 16
Assisting with Personal Care – March 23
Healthy Eating – March 30
Caring for the Caregiver – April 6
Legal and Financial Issues – April 13
Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease – April 20
To register online, go to www.abc-seattle.com/red-cross.
We thank Always Best Care Senior Services of Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Craig Young has been keeping an eye on the emergency sewer-main repair at Fairmount/Forest in the Admiral District – which started with a once-small sinkhole – and sent us a new photo this morning: Repair workers almost 30 feet under the street! So we called Seattle Public Utilities to get more details about this “big dig” – and a conversation with Frank McDonald revealed a lot about what goes on underground, here and elsewhere:
McDonald says the collapsed main that’s being replaced is a century-old, one-foot-wide clay “sanitary sewer” pipe. He says clay is actually a “resilient” material for pipes like this, so the age and material aren’t necessarily the cause of failure. Though the pipe is almost 30 feet – which means a contractor is doing the repairs, as SPU workers stop at about 18 feet – McDonald says it was only five feet under when it was installed in 1910, and most pipes are only about 10 feet down. This street has been graded and straightened over the years, and so the pipes just kept going further down.
We say “pipes” because McDonald says there’s another one under there that may have something to do with this one’s failure – an 18-inch-wide storm-drain pipe installed in 1974, when the “combined” sewer system was split in this area as part of the Forward Thrust program. That pipe crosses over the sewer main in a few spots, he says, and the interplay between the pipes and groundwater may have led to the settlement that revealed the growing problem underground. It was confirmed with use of a special camera, McDonald explains, equipment that’s carried by five SPU trucks. They don’t just respond to problems – they also use data analysis to figure out what types and ages of pipes around the city might be most at risk of trouble, so they are out proactively checking on pipelines too. (With 43,000 pipelines around the city, McDonald notes dryly, they have to prioritize.)
In this case, he says, after they dug down to the “original problem,” the crews started checking further down the line – literally – and “are finding some other potential problem areas,” so they’re going to keep going until they get to a section that seems to be OK. He still expects the work will be done by the end of this week – unless they find some major additional problem.
The digging has included the removal of the intersection’s traffic circle – here’s our photo from February 18th, before the repair work began:
McDonald says it’ll be up to SDOT to come in and replace the road surface, as well as features like the traffic circle. (And then, he points out, SPU will get an interdepartmental bill.)
This year’s version of “Catsino” – a growing-every-year benefit for local animal advocates – has just been announced for 2-6 pm April 3rd at Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction. As you’ll note on the official poster above, BPP is one of four places where you can buy advance tickets – and there’s a discount if you buy yours by March 31st. Here’s more info in the official news release:
What do Hotwire Hot Mess Roulette, Pig Craps, BlackCat 21 and K9 Blackjack all have in common? “These are just a few of the twelve crazy Las Vegas style games we’ll be playing at Catsino,” says Lora Swift of Furry Faces Foundation, “Local businesses and animal rescue groups are adopting” the gaming tables, dealing out the cards and rolling the dice. Rumor has it that some of the tables will be shelling out extra prizes!
Tickets are just $25 at the door or save $5.00 by purchasing your ticket early at one of our four ticket outlets by March 31st. Each Catsino guest will receive $1,000 in Catsino bucks, three raffle tickets, one free drink ticket, gaming instructions, hors d’oeuvres and a chance to win over 30+ raffle prizes. ‘Use your ‘Vaccination Record Passport’ as a guide to visit and play at each table,’ says F-Cuber Teri Ensley, ‘every time you play for at least five minutes at a table you have not visited before, you will receive a stamp. Play at six different tables, you’ll win an extra Grand Raffle ticket; play at nine different tables—another Grand Raffle Ticket; play at all twelve and earn your third grand raffle ticket!
‘This is a chance for our community to meet our local business owners in a fun, personal setting and learn more about animal rescue groups’, says Tammy Lyle, Furry Faces VP, ‘and, if you like what you hear and see, perhaps deal a few dollars into their donation bucket or sign up to volunteer with them! We know that A.A.R.F., Purrfect Pals, Regional Animal Services of King County and Furry Faces Foundation folks are looking forward to meeting all of you!’
For more information, please visit www.furryfaces.org
Pre-Sale Ticket Outlets-Save $5 By Purchasing Your Ticket Early!
• Beveridge Place Pubm: 6413 California Ave SW, 932-9906 (Morgan Junction)
• Hotwire Coffeehouse: 4410 California Ave SW, 935-1510 (Alaska Junction)
• Muttley Crew Cuts: 4200 Southwest Admiral Way, 932-6888 (Admiral District)
• Pet Elements: 6701 California Ave SW, 206-932-0457 (Morgan Junction)
(January 2011 photo shared by Lisa)
Just about everyone loves walking our beautiful beaches at low tide. Are you ready to help beach visitors learn more about what they’re seeing – as well as how to make sure they don’t cause unintended harm? The Seattle Aquarium‘s volunteer Beach Naturalist program – which stations volunteers on area beaches (including two in West Seattle) during summertime low tides – is looking for help. Here’s the official announcement just out of the WSB inbox:
Care about beaches? Good with people? Sign up to be a volunteer beach naturalist at a Seattle-area beach this summer. Naturalists will attend a program orientation on Tuesday April 12, and receive training from marine and interpretative experts on four weekday evenings (April 19, May 3, 10 and 17) and three weekend days (April 23, May 7 and 21). Once trained, volunteers spend three summer days educating visitors about beach ecology and beach etiquette at Carkeek Park, Constellation Park (South Alki), Des Moines Beach Park, Golden Gardens, Lincoln Park, Olympic Sculpture Park Beach, Redondo Beach, Richmond Beach or Seahurst Park. To sign up or get more information, please email beachnaturalist@seattleaquarium.org or call (206) 386.4365.
(Photos and video by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
As West Seattle Elementary School fifth-grader Allamagan Anod returns to school today, he has an extra reason to be proud.
He wrote an essay that won a school contest!
West Seattle Elementary, you might recall, is in the first year of an intensive improvement plan. One year after landing on a list no school wants to be on, the school is “soaring,” as new principal Vicki Sacco recently told WSB. That’s not the result of her work alone – her staff is generating innovative ideas as well as emphasizing stepped-up academics.
This is where WSES school counselor Laura Bermes comes in. She suggested an essay contest to help inspire better attendance – fewer absences, fewer tardies. After all, the more you are at school, the more you will get out of school.
The theme: Attendance Matters. It’s not just an emphasis for high schools, as they work intensely to keep students from dropping out. It’s a value that elementary schools work to instill as well.
Laura asked if WSB would be interested in publishing the winning essay. (Of course!) So the essay’s appearance here is part of the prize package, along with a pizza party for the winner’s whole family. The winner (and two runners-up) received certificates too.
Participation wasn’t mandatory, but Laura reports it was sizable. Essays were evaluated for criteria including thoughtfulness and – most important – what life could be like with an education. We were there as Allamagan read his essay to classmates Friday afternoon:
Here’s what he wrote:
“When I first came to America, I lived in San Diego for about two years. I went to a school called Porter Elementary School. I was nervous about the first day of school because it was my first time going to school in my life. I never went to school when I was in Africa. When the teacher was talking, I didn’t understand what she was talking about. Then, when I wanted to use the restroom, I didn’t even know how to say it. But now, I am starting to learn how to speak English, because I never gave up. Now, I see myself driving a beautiful car, coming from my important job as a lawyer, and donating money to build a park for children to enjoy. To keep that dream, I must go to school every day and never be late!”
Laura also is tackling attendance problems by working with parents/guardians. When a student has an unexcused absence, a letter is sent home requesting “a meeting mandated by the school,” she explains. At that meeting, the importance of regular attendance is explained, and a school magnet is given , with information including how to contact the school. The family is also offered the chance to discuss any issues affecting attendance, and how they might be resolved. Laura says these meetings are working well, with a dramatic reduction in the number of second-time unexcused absences.
She’s optimistic that, once everyone is clear about the necessity for good attendance, it will improve exponentially. If the students’ enthusiasm regarding the essay contest is any indication, she is on the right track.
P.S. Here’s a look at Allamagan’s essay, with the drawing that accompanied it:
P.P.S. A “best picture” winner was chosen too – here it is, by Ashley:
Congratulations to the students and staff of West Seattle Elementary!
Near Lowman Beach Park early today, R noticed and reported a trio of suspected car prowlers – read on for details:Read More
(Photo by Kenna Klosterman, from last week’s storminess; rain is forecast to return tonight)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: New Block Watch captains are invited to the last multi-neighborhood training session before longtime Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow retires this month – it’s at 6 pm tonight, Southwest Precinct meeting room, RSVP information on the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network site … The Little Pilgrim School at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) starts accepting registration forms for next school year today, with morning/afternoon classes for 2-5-year-olds (206-932-5600) … Local business owners are invited to check out Happy Hour at the new restaurant/lounge Avalon while networking with the Westside Professionals (WSB sponsor), 5-7 pm (2940 Avalon Way) … With construction of the new South Park Bridge starting soon, a community celebration is planned tonight, 6-8 pm at the Machinists Union Hall, 9135 15th Place S. (flyer here) … Monday night Karaoke with Kelli debuts at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor) tonight, 9 pm … More on the calendar!
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB)
PORTSIDE COFFEE COMPANY MARKS FIRST ANNIVERSARY: Amid all the hubbub over Highland Park business changes at 16th/Holden, we almost lost sight of the fact that even with JoJo’s closed, HP still has coffee – Portside Coffee Company, in the big metallic ship-shape building, is down the Highland Park Way hill at 6720 West Marginal Way. Owners Sarah and Justin Awes told WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz that business in Year 1 exceeded their projections and continues to grow, as people continue to discover them: “I hear this all the time from people – they’ll tell me ‘I’ve driven by here a hundred times and never saw you,’” Sarah says. Her father built the custom “ship’s hull” coffee stand. She says they were the first espresso stand in Seattle to use coffee from Lynnwood-based Silver Cup; they’ve built business with “Two-Dollar Tuesdays,” charging that sum for a 16-ounce coffee drink (single or double) or 12-ounce fruit smoothie. Portside is open 5 am-5 pm weekdays, 7 am-noon Saturdays, closed Sundays.
LOCAL MARTIAL-ARTS ENTREPRENEUR LEADS NATIONAL ORGANIZATION: Lisa Skvarla, who owns LMA Martial Arts in West Seattle, is now the chair of the Association for Women’s Self-Defense Advancement, a national nonprofit organization. From the online announcement (which you can read in full here):
Skvarla has attended numerous AWSDA conferences over the years, in Toronto, Phoenix, Greenville, South Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina. “Those conferences were so beneficial and many of them changed my life,” she says. “Every time I came home I was pumped about the information I had received. Teachers and members from all over the world, including Germany, South Africa, England, Denmark, come to the AWSDA conferences.
AWSDA welcomes anyone who supports the growth and improvement of a woman’s ability to defend themselves. Membership and involvement is relevant to everyone – (including) housewives, teenage girls, self-defense instructors, law enforcement professionals, and rape-crisis counselors. All male teacher applicants are required to submit a brief resume plus a letter of intent explaining their reasons for applying for AWSDA. In conclusion, Skvarla advises: “I would encourage all women to get involved, empower themselves and improve their personal safety. It is a great honor to serve and to be a part of this organization.”
As you might recall, Skvarla is also an actor/stuntperson, recently featured in a cable-TV movie.
WEST SEATTLE AUTHOR WINS AWARD: Alki-based author Robyn M Fritz was honored recently by the Dog Writers Association of America with their 2010 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award. It’s a national award, sponsored by Merial, for “the work that best highlights the unique relationship between a dog and its owner and best brings to life the concept of the human-animal bond.” In this case, the work the award honors is Fritz’s book (cover at left), “Bridging Species: Thoughts and Tales About Our Lives with Dogs.” The award came with a $500 cash grant and a $250 travel stipend to attend the banquet. More information at www.alchemywestinc.com. Robyn is co-hosting “Crystals as Art” at Alki Arts next Saturday, 2-7 pm (more info here).
The din of reminders probably won’t start up before tomorrow or Tuesday, so we’ll mention it tonight, since things are quiet: Daylight Saving Time begins next Sunday morning (already!). At 2 am March 13, you set the clock forward an hour. Then on November 6th, you’ll turn it back (“spring forward/fall back”). Some history, from NASA.
Warm up for Fat Tuesday with a Happy Hour Monday! If you’re a local business owner, no matter how small (or large!) your business, the Westside Professionals (WSB sponsor) would love to see you at Avalon tomorrow night, 5-7 pm. It’s a chance to network, mingle, and meet other local entrepreneurs while checking out one of West Seattle’s most acclaimed new lounge/restaurants; here’s the event page on Facebook.
One of the topics that didn’t come up for extensive discussion at this afternoon’s mayoral visit, though an expert was on hand in case it did: The county’s ongoing projects to reduce “combined-sewer overflows” at two West Seattle waterfront pump stations. The county announced its “preferred alternatives” in December, and now there are two new developments.
First, a community meeting is planned to get into more details of the “green stormwater infrastructure” plan for part of the area feeding the Barton pump station next to the Fauntleroy ferry dock. The “infrastructure” means streetfront rain gardens and other ways to catch stormwater, and it’s being planned for the neighborhoods within the yellow boundaries on the map above. The meeting is 6:30 pm April 6th at Westside School (WSB sponsor), adjacent to the site on the map labeled as EC Hughes Playground; here’s the official flyer. People in the area also will be seeing some testing work in the next few weeks – that’s explained by this flyer.
Second, a big new document for both the Barton plan and the Murray (Lowman Beach) basin plan is now available on the county website – see it here. It’s explained on that page (from which its many sections are linked) as:
The Barton and Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Facilities Plan describes the reasons for these projects, the processes used to develop and evaluate alternatives, and the selection of proposed alternatives to advance for further environmental review.
The Murray plan that the county is pursuing would involve buying a block of residential properties across from Lowman Beach Park and burying a million-gallon underground storage tank for use in situations where previously the combined sewage and stormwater would have flowed, untreated, into Puget Sound. Both basins’ “preferred alternatives” are currently under environmental review.
(Mayor at 34th/Barton P-Patch site, last stop before walking to SW Library)
1:36 PM: Just wrapped up the mini-walking tour of Westwood, and Mayor McGinn is speaking at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson) – though it was billed as an event till 2 pm, he says he’s got till 2:30 pm, so if you’re interested, you have time to get here. The walking tour coordinated by soon-to-retire Delridge District Coordinator Ron Angeles went through Roxhill Park, including the bog (photo added, with neighborhood volunteer Mary Quackenbush explaining its history):
Then on to Barton, where SDOT‘s Jim Curtin and Christine Alar briefed the mayor on pedestrian improvements and the future RapidRide stop across from Westwood Village (photo added):
Then it was on to the 34th/Barton P-Patch site (where the tree controversy even came up, as you’ll hear in this clip):
(Our coverage of the P-Patch design meetings is here and here.)
1:48 PM: In his opening remarks, the mayor has a lot to say about the forthcoming Families and Education Levy – not just what it does, but stressing that the money doesn’t go to Seattle Public Schools, but to the city, which contracts with various providers (the district among them), since there has been concern that the SPS financial-mismanagement scandal might affect the levy’s chances of passing: “I’m saying all that because with all this news about the school district, I’d be concerned too … This money comes to the city … and we’re very transparent and open about it.”
2:05 PM: More tough issues have come up – a woman saying she’s the daughter of a police officer killed in the line of duty says she was offended by “John T. Williams Day” being declared in memory of the woodcarver shot by an officer; then the tunnel comes up, with the first questioner/commenter supporting McGinn’s position, and critiquing media as “biased.” We are recording video of the entire Q/A presentation, by the way, and will post it as part of the story after we’re back at HQ.
2:28 PM: The issue of White Center (etc.) annexation has come up, too, in response to a question from Delridge District Council chair Mat McBride. McGinn’s answer: “I’m torn”; he went on to say he is still leaning toward the sentiment that it’s just too expensive for the city. [The event ended a few minutes later and we’re putting together more information/photos/video to add to this story.]
VIDEO: First, unedited half-hour of the Q/A, which eventually amassed an audience of 40-plus:
The rest of it (37 minutes long), picking up exactly where the preceding clip left off:
ADDED 7:02 PM: A couple more interesting notes from the walking tour that preceded the library Q&A: While the group walked the paths in Roxhill Park, West Seattle Crime Prevention Council president Richard Miller talked with the mayor about safety concerns there, including last year’s murder (the suspect in that, by the way, has another court hearing coming up later this month). Here’s our photo of Miller with deputy mayor Darryl Smith (and in the background, longtime Westwood activist Pablo Lambinicio):
On the north edge of the park, along Barton, while discussing some of the improvements including the parking restrictions that eliminated the “used-car lot,” SDOT’s Jim Curtin told the mayor that the city’s Bicycle Master Plan eventually calls for bike lanes on both sides of Barton; the mayor, having just heard about safety concerns on that stretch of the road, suggested those lanes’ presence alone will have a traffic-calming effect.
About this time of year, we start getting notes asking if anyone is having a fundraising car wash on a particular day – so they can do a good deed while getting their vehicle good and clean. When one such question came in yesterday, we were able to reply, “In fact, the Chief Sealth Honor Choir will be washing cars Sunday at Alki Auto Repair to raise money for their upcoming trip to Carnegie Hall.” And there we found the fundraising car-scrubbers this morning – with choir members Tiffany and Hayley pausing for a photo. Just look for the sign at 57th and Alki (that’s the Shoremont in the background).
They’re planning to be there till 4 pm, suggested donation $10. And a WSB’er checked – yes, the water goes into a separate treatment system and doesn’t drain into Puget Sound.
(P.S. If you have a car wash or other fundraiser planned, we’d be happy to put it on the WSB Events calendar as soon as you schedule it – just send the info to editor@westseattleblog.com.)
(P.P.S. A comment reminds us, we need to add that if you missed this today, they’ll do it again same place, same time, in three weeks, March 27th, as mentioned in our preview.)
After the mayor’s visit this afternoon, you have at least two more chances to catch up with top elected officials in the week ahead, without leaving West Seattle. On Wednesday night, City Council President Richard Conlin is scheduled to be at the regular monthly meeting of our area’s largest political group, the 34th District Democrats (7 pm Wednesday, The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California SW). Next Saturday morning (March 12), all three of our area’s state legislators – Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon – have a “town hall” scheduled to discuss this year’s legislative session (10-11:30 am, High Point Community Center, 6920 34th SW). Sure, you can send ’em e-mail, but in-person questions/concerns/compliments tend to be high-impact, so be there if you can!
(Just 2 weeks to the spring equinox! Photo by Lisa Stencel)
Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
MAYOR VISITS WEST SEATTLE: Got something to ask/say to Mayor McGinn? Q&A at Southwest Library at 1:30 pm will conclude his Sunday afternoon West Seattle visit, which starts at Roxhill Park at 12:30 pm. (Here’s our preview from Friday.)
GET YOUR CAR WASHED, HELP SEND STUDENT SINGERS TO CARNEGIE HALL: 9 am-4 pm, rain or shine, Chief Sealth International High School Honor Choir members and friends are washing cars for donations to help fund their upcoming trip to sing at Carnegie Hall this Easter – you’ll find them at Alki Auto Repair (2504 Alki SW), $10 suggested donation.
RIDE YOUR BICYCLE WITH SPOKESPEOPLE WEST SEATTLE: Meet at Alki Bike and Board (2606 California SW) for the Spokespeople WS 11 am ride through West Seattle’s main business districts along California SW, including a stop at the WS Farmers’ Market. Details here.
SPEAKING OF THE FARMERS’ MARKET: Violinist Pasquale Santos is scheduled to serenade marketgoers today. There’s also a new farmer, Olsen Meat and Potatoes, per the West Seattle Farmers’ Market page on Facebook. The market’s at 44th/Alaska, 10 am-2 pm.
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE TRYOUTS: Minors and Majors both try out today at Hiawatha Playfield – details in our preview and on the West Seattle Little League website.
SOCCER PICKUP GAME: The weekly adult/”big kid” soccer game, 10:30 am Sundays, is now on renovated Delridge Playfield – and it’s on Facebook, too.
VOLUNTEER AT THE SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN! There’s an orientation for volunteers today, 1 to 4 pm, including a 2-hour tour & presentation on Chinese gardens and 1 hour of volunteer training. Go to the Garden office at north end of South Seattle Community College (6000 16th SW). To RSVP for the training and to learn about different opportunities, please visit this area of the garden website.
‘HARRY POTTER’ EVENT @ THE ADMIRAL: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” showing at Admiral Theater, 3:40 pm, with prizes for costumed moviegoers and a special Harry Potter-themed Mini Cooper on display (it’s for sale too) – details here
More on the calendar!
Quick West Seattle Crime Watch note tonight: Mark sent word that his home at 18th/Brandon (map) was broken into just after 3 pm today. He says, “Fortunately we had an alarm which scared the burglars off but they still made off with my laptop.”
(Checking the city’s police-call map and police-report map – both of which lag several hours and don’t reflect all reports – the only other West Seattle residential burglary we see reported since yesterday morning, so far, is a break-in reported Friday evening in the 4800 block of Delridge.)
Thanks to everyone who continues to share wonderful photographs – particularly of our wildlife, plant life, and other scenery, as well as news events big and small, breaking and not (here’s how to share something, any time) – Top photo, Danny McMillin caught one of West Seattle’s eagles lifting off from a madrona snag on Alki Point today. Next, the sunny scene at Alki this afternoon, photographed by JayDee, who observes that warmth-deprived West Seattleites seemed like crocuses, popping out once the sun appeared:
And from Trileigh, tonight’s golden sunset, viewed from the Lincoln Park bluff:
More in queue for tomorrow already … more photos and more nice weather (at least by afternoon, says the forecast).
Its critical look at pressures faced by U.S. students has had a lot of people talking since its release more than a year ago – and they’re still talking. This Thursday night is your next chance to see “Race to Nowhere” with a West Seattle group. The Holy Rosary School Parents’ Club is sponsoring a screening at 6:30 pm Thursday at the Admiral Theater. As the promotional page explains – and as you might guess from watching the trailer above – the movie is “a call to action for families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.” Tickets cost $5 less if you buy in advance – you can do that online by going here.
On March 13th, Sunday brunch goes green – not because St. Patrick’s Day is ahead – it’s all about the greenspaces around us, the heart of the Nature Consortium‘s work. One week from tomorrow, it’s the West Seattle-based nonprofit’s annual fundraising/awareness-raising brunch, noon-1:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. It’s free to register (donations will be requested during the event). Just go here to get your name on the list.
10:59 AM: Thanks to Jake Jaramillo for the photo of the in-progress cleanup of the Thistle Street Stairs near Lincoln Park (stretching from 46th/Thistle up to Northrop/Thistle). Jake says there’s still time to go pitch in – “It’s very well-organized. They can put to work anyone who cares to join!”
3:23 PM: Added that clip produced by Wes Sauer of Cider Press Media, narrated by P.J. Glassey. We checked out the cleanup toward the end and indeed, it seemed all involved had a great time (and cleared away multiple bags of overgrowth, including some that was clogging a small drainage ditch alongside the stairs).
(Added Saturday night – our photo from the Madison/Aki Kurose booth, with Lilien and Joseph)
Peruse the list of exhibitors for the Emerald City Comic Convention, continuing all weekend at the Washington State Convention Center downtown, and you’ll find a distinctly West Seattle name – Madison Middle School. Teacher Greg Hatcher is there with his afterschool cartooning class again this year. Last year, they collected donations to help make sure their program could continue; this year, they’re raising money by selling a book – “Doodle Inc.: The Cartooning Class Reunion Special,” with work by cartooning-class alums. You can see the cover and some of the art here, in a story Hatcher wrote about the project and how it came together. Seattle’s Child magazine featured them too. At the event, look for them in booth 511; if they haven’t sold out yet, the book’s going for just $5, with that entire price supporting the student cartooning program. Emerald City ComiCon is open 10 am-7 pm today, 10 am-5 pm tomorrow, ticket info here (and here’s this year’s celebrity lineup – headlined by William Shatner).
(Pileated woodpecker, photographed in Lincoln Park by Machel Spence)
Ready to be as industrious today as that woodpecker? Today’s the day for the Thistle Street Stairs community-organized cleanup on West Seattle’s longest stairway (meet at 10 am, 46th and Thistle) … if you’re in the early-learning field, the White Center Providers Group is presenting an all-day Early Learning Fair and Conference at WC Heights Elementary (first speaker at 9:15 am, details here) … Play Scrabble and help local nonprofits – new day! Charity Scrabble at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor) moves to 3:30 pm Saturdays starting today … Looking to liven up your cooking repertoire? West Seattle-based, nationally acclaimed food writer Kim O’Donnel is at the 4th Avenue Costco today with her “Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook,” 4:30-6 pm … Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) has its 2011 Chili Cookoff tonight, starting at 5:30 (votes by donation), followed by monthly Movie Night (“The Life of Brian” this time), suggested donations $5 person/$12 family, community welcome as well as congregation members … Our Lady of Guadalupe School has its annual fundraising auction tonight (this year’s theme: Beach Party), details here … Today is one of the periodic Free Women’s Health Exam days at West Seattle Community Clinic for women 40-65 who are uninsured or underinsured (call 206-937-9722 to see if any appointments remain, or to get information about next time) … The memorial for longtime West Seattleite Andrew Fife is today; details here. … Check the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for more listings.
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