West Seattle, Washington
18 Wednesday
In our daily/nightly countdown to the November 2nd general election, a reminder that your ballot likely will show up in the mail before the week’s over. You have till November 2nd to get it postmarked/mailed, or dropped off, but in case you’re an early-bird type: For the former, just remember, you need 1 first-class stamp. For the latter, while the county added more drop boxes for this election – after cutting way back for the primary, to only two, there are now 11 for the general election (listed here). None in West Seattle or White Center, however (before the cutbacks earlier this year, there had been one at Delridge Neighborhood Service Center and one at White Center Library); we asked the county why our area doesn’t merit one, and to date have not received a clear answer, just an explanation of the criteria in general:
– Voter use at previous location
– Population densities and distribution (existing and future)
– Proximity to transit services
– Access and safety
– Public facility available to host box
– Designated urban center per adopted regional land use and transportation plan
Without one in WS or WC, the nearest ones will be at the King County Administration Building downtown and county Elections HQ on East Marginal in Tukwila (here’s the map with all drop-box locations – they’re all scheduled to be open 24/7 until 8 pm November 2nd).
That’s Jett, a Gatewood Elementary School student you might have seen in this story on the Seattle Times (WSB sponsor) website. The medal he’s holding is the one he got from Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua after the Seattle club won the U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night – explained at the start of an earlier Times story. Jett’s mom Stephanie e-mailed tonight with more on the story and how Jett’s handling his prize:
When he is not carrying it around, it is hanging from the wall with a picture of Nate Jaqua next to it. He was so excited. The kids were standing there getting autographs and my daughter was holding a replica trophy that we made. He asked Nate for his medal and I said, laughing, no, Jett, you can’t have his medal, he just earned that. But then he finished his autographs and took it off his neck and handed it to Jett. Jett just keeps saying, I can’t believe it. Nate Jaqua is such a good guy to do that. I brought the replica trophy and real medal to Gatewood the next day for Jett to show his 1st-grade class and Jordan to show her 3rd-grade class. I am so happy for him.
Here’s Jett’s sister Jordan with the aforementioned replica trophy:
They are quite the sports fans – we thought we recalled a photo here sometime back, involving a different team, and indeed, here’s one from the WSB archives, almost 3 years ago!
The request comes from Karin, who shared photos of some of her fellow volunteers at today’s 350.org tree-planting party at Schmitz Park – adding new growth to the existing old growth:
I had a great time with this group, and we planted mega amount of trees. The trees all have bright ribbons to mark them, and we ask the community to be watchful where you walk along that area by the stream to ensure survival of the plants. Thanks to Dylan, who was our organizer and leader.
This was one of many work parties for this year’s “10/10/10 Global Work Party” – here’s our coverage from the “350 Day of Action” last year. P.S. The significance of “350” is explained here.
Two months after CityDog Magazine‘s latest “cover dog search” photo session in West Seattle (here’s our August report), CityDog has announced all five finalists from this year’s five search sessions around the city – and the voting has begun. This year’s West Seattle winner is Spencer, and you can cast your vote (for any of the five) by clicking on your favorite finalist’s photo on this CityDog webpage – that’ll open an e-mail window; just type the name of your fave into the subject line, and send your vote. The West Seattle finalists won the last two years – you have till October 31st to vote and see if it’ll be three in a row. (Thanks to Amanda for the tip. We’re contacting CityDog to see if we can get permission to use Spencer’s photo here.) MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Thanks to Spencer’s person Bob for sharing the photo at left this morning. He explains that Spencer is a 3-year-old Italian Spinone and “would be honored to represent West Seattle in this fiercely competitive contest as the New Cover Dog of CityDog Mag.” (He promises a few more biographical details later.)
(Photo courtesy Laura Bermes)
If you just happened into Roxbury Lanes Friday night – it might have looked like another busy night bowling – but something special was going on: Pins for Pennies, a fundraiser for West Seattle-based Family Promise of Seattle, the area’s only shelter program helping homeless families, on hiatus right now (as first reported here in August) while trying to raise enough money to reopen. Laura Bermes from the Family Promise of Seattle board reports last night’s event raised more than 200,000 pennies!
Over 50 people bowled and even more showed up to support bowlers. A great time was had by all. Thanks to Roxbury Lanes for their support and to Full Tilt Ice Cream as well! We raised over $2,000 and still have pledged donations coming in! We have another fundraiser planned for November – West Seattle’s first ever Comfort Food Throw Down. The community will have a chance to eat delicious food, purchase homemade items, and will get to vote for the first-ever Comfort Food Champion of Seattle!
More details to come. You can also donate to Family Promise of Seattle any time, by going here.
With Halloween just three weeks away, we’ve got two more big event announcements: First, Skeleton Theatre (an animatronic, narrated, sound-effect-enhanced production in a South Admiral front yard) will be back October 31st-November 1st, this time with an all-new show after two years of the pirate-themed presentation. It’s rock ‘n’ roll this time – make no bones about it. There’s some info about the new show at skeletontheatre.com. Also in Admiral – the first big doggie-costume contest we’ve heard about so far:
That’s from the flyer (see the full version here) just shared by Muttley Crew Cuts for this year’s Muttster Mash, a chance for people to party along with their pooches – beer and wine too – 7 pm-11 pm on October 30th. To see more of what’s in store as Halloween approaches (and other local events/meetings/workshops/etc.), check out the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this afternoon. First one is from JR:
We were alerted today, by VISA, of unauthorized charges on our credit card and the card was shut down. I am wondering if others in West Seattle had the same thing happen to them in the last few days? If so I would love to compare purchases and payment locations directly with respondents in order to help the police in their their investigation. I will not specify the business specifically, but we used this card at the following West Seattle locations:
Two different fruit and vegetable stands
One restaurant at the Junction
The above charges were made on Friday.On Saturday we bought coffee at a coffee shop in West Seattle and then went to Queen Anne lower hill where:
*We paid by card for parking at a parking lot west of Seattle Center
*We purchased stage theater tickets from a theater
*We bought sports merchandise at Seattle Center.The fraudulent charges started after 4 PM Saturday. Don’t know if they occurred in West Seattle or Queen Anne.
I do not want to name any specific businesses, but if you have had your card number stolen and incurred fraudulent charges after using your credit card at any of the types of places meeting these descriptions, contact police and Visa Fraud division, 1-800-383-0618.
We also received a recent report of a credit-card number apparently stolen after being used at an area gas station; the person who e-mailed suspected a card skimmer, but we have not yet seen a police report verifying that. It all is a good reminder to check your credit-card account online as often as feasible – daily if you can – to catch something like this.
Meantime, we also received a car-theft report from Lee (39th and Hanford), who is puzzled:
Just noticed my car was stolen overnight. White ’88 Acura Legend. Real beater. Why anyone would steal the worst car on the block (and probably the entire neighborhood) is beyond me, but there you go. Irony is that I recently bought a newer, much nicer truck that was parked right behind it. And I’d already donated the Acura to charity and was just waiting for them to come pick it up.
Next Saturday, the first season for the Delridge Night Market wraps up with one more chance to meet your neighbors, buy fresh fruits and vegetables, enjoy entertainment, and more – like screenprinting with North Delridge Neighborhood Council (see their new website yet?) volunteers, who shared the photo from last month’s Night Market; they’re selling their famous I (Heart) Delridge shirts too. And there’s room for more vendors, too – arts, crafts, other goodies – tables and chairs are available; if you want/need a tent, it’s BYO. Interested vendors/artists can e-mail Phillippia Goldsmith at DNDA, PhilippiaG@dnda.org. And if you just want to browse, explore and enjoy, stop by Delridge/Brandon (next to Super 24; here’s a map) between 3-7 pm next Saturday (October 16).
Today, there’s a little more information to add to the story published here Friday about the big changes Metro plans next year for the downtown portions of several West Seattle runs. As we reported, the biggest changes include switching the 21, 22 and 56 (among others) from 1st to (mostly) 3rd Avenue, starting with the next “service change” on February 5th. Now, Metro has added a webpage with the full list of affected routes systemwide, and more background info – see it here.
In the final few days of last year, we brought you the story of 34-year-old West Seattleite John Wallace III‘s then-latest milestone: Running at least a mile a day, every day, for 20 years. One of his other achievements included running across the USA in 2004, and reporter Keri DeTore noted in the story that Wallace planned to do it again, hoping to set a world record this time, starting October 10, 2010. That day is here – and Wallace’s plan is on, all out. He’s scheduled to leave Los Angeles City Hall this morning, to start a 2,900-mile route to New York City Hall:
If Wallace keeps the pace of 64.5 miles a day, he can break the old across-the-US record of 46 days, and get to New York in 45 (or fewer), arriving a few days before Thanksgiving (here’s the planned schedule). He’s also hoping to raise money for three charities (all on this page). He is scheduled to start running at, of course, 10 am (10-10-10 @ 10). We’ll check in along his journey, and his website has a variety of links you can use to do the same – he’s also on Facebook, where you can find Run USA 2010 here.
(2008 photo courtesy Nancy, partly blocked drain in North Delridge)
We start today’s preview with a public-service reminder suggested by Katie – go check (and clear, if necessary) your storm drains. With all this rain – right as autumn leaves start to fall – there could be big trouble, fast. Here’s some info from Seattle Public Utilities, specifically focused on its “Adopt-A-Drain” program … Another day of work parties: 10-10-10 events are catalogued by 350.org here – they include a tree-planting event in Schmitz Park starting at 10 am … As previewed here on Saturday, the TEDxRainier event will be streamed live at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 10 am-6 pm … Also in The Junction, the Sunday tradition – West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm.
In our nightly/daily spotlight on the impending election – November 2nd is technically Election Day, but voting starts just days from now, since King County is scheduled to mail ballots at midweek – a quick look at one of the statewide ballot measures you’re not hearing so much about. Seems there are ads all over the place for the liquor and tax initiatives – but then there are a few others you’re being asked to vote on, including Engrossed Substitute House Joint Resolution 4220, which requires voter approval/rejection since it’s a proposed amendment to the state constitution. From the ballot:
This amendment would authorize courts to deny bail for offenses punishable by the possibility of life in prison, on clear and convincing evidence of a propensity for violence that would likely endanger persons.
You can read the full text of the proposed constitutional amendment here. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. 4220 is a result of last year’s Lakewood Police massacre, as this Tacoma News-Tribune editorial reminds us – the killer had gotten out on bail days before killing the four officers. You can read the arguments/rebuttals for and against, by choosing 4220 in the left-side list on the state Voters’ Guide page.
One more high-school-sports shoutout this weekend (in addition to Friday coverage of cross-country and football): We talked with a local coach who is looking back at how he began, as he celebrates his 200th win!
That’s Jeff Norton, longtime Seattle Lutheran High School girls’ soccer coach (and former principal, and current science teacher). He got his 200th win this past Monday when the Lady Saints beat Tacoma Baptist at Fort Steilacoom, 2-1. His team is 5-1-1 in their league so far this year and placed third in the state the last two years. He played college soccer at Concordia University in Portland; coaching SLHS was his first post-college job. He also coached the SLHS boys’ team that won the state championship in 1991.
Just got the photo from Christopher D – it’s from a crash that originally was dispatched as a “heavy rescue” but turned out not to need that kind of attention – He wrote, “I live on Holden St by the new fire station and around 11:00 this evening heard some loud banging noises … (went out) to witness a flipped car that was still running, a fire truck and police.” He says the car hit two parked cars, and that Holden is still blocked west of 35th SW (map) as of a few minutes ago. This is one of many incidents on local roads and highways today, including the crashes that closed the West Seattle Bridge for a while earlier, as reported here; please take extra care in this rain, which has been very heavy at times.
Richard Dusatko from Alki Lodge 152 says, “We’re trying something new” – and if this turns out to be popular, they’ll do more of it:
Training and testing for food and alcohol permits will be available in West Seattle Junction on Sunday, October 24, 2010 and Sunday, November 28, 2010, at Alki Masonic Hall, 4736 40th Ave. SW. Food permits at 10 am with the alcohol permits at 11 am. Cost $15 each. No reservation needed. Tell your friends.
Questions? Call Rick at 206-935-6818 or e-mail vinajane@hotmail.com. (He also points out the lodge will serve breakfast on those days at 9 am, $5.)
**note, e-mail address updated 10/25/2010**
Two more Halloween-season events just sent in for the WSB West Seattle Events calendar … Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) in Admiral is having a costume contest October 29th, 3-6 pm. (That happens to coincide with the Admiral Treats and Treasures trick-or-treating event.) Meantime, a new twist on West Seattle’s artsiest pumpkins:
That photo is courtesy Shannon Felix at Avalon Glassworks, who shares this announcement:
Design your own glass pumpkin and watch it being made at Avalon Glassworks on Sunday, October 17, 2010. You choose the color, shape, and stem type and see your unique piece being created. A limited number of time slots are available for purchase on our web site, www.avalonglassworks.com/designyourown.aspx at $60 (plus tax) each. We will also accommodate as many drop-ins as possible, first-come, first-served.
Our Halloween page is almost ready to go so if you have a Halloween/harvest-themed festival ahead in the next few weeks, please let us know!
(Promotional video for TEDxRainier – nothing about the speakers, but lots of scenery!)
Heard of the TED talks? Tomorrow, there’s an independently organized Seattle version called TEDxRainier, described by organizers as featuring “Seattle’s guiding lights in global health, environmentalism, high tech, literary arts, and culture, delivering brief lectures about their remarkable work.” TEDxRainier is happening in Benaroya Hall downtown, 10 am-6 pm, but because that only holds about 500 people (admission: $50), organizers arranged for a few locations around the region to stream the conference live. One of them is Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), 4410 California SW, specifically sought out by TEDxRainier organizers. You’re welcome to drop by, according to Hotwire’s Lora Lewis – she’ll have it set up on one of the Hotwire computers. You can see the schedule of speakers (though it’s not broken down minute-by-minute) in the official program here.
Thanks to Jonathan for the tip on this (via one of his neighbors): The pharmacy at Bartell Drugs in Jefferson Square was robbed this morning and was closed for a few hours afterward. When we went over late this morning to check in person, the pharmacy was closed, but the store wouldn’t comment, referring us to corporate HQ, where spokesperson Rebecca Siegmund has just confirmed via e-mail:
There was a robbery at our store this morning at approximately 9:00 am. Everyone is fine and the pharmacy re-opened before noon. Due to the ongoing investigation we have no additional information to share.
We have an inquiry out to police to see if there’s any further information on circumstances or suspect descriptions.
ADDED 10:08 AM SUNDAY: A few more details from Southwest Precinct Lt. Von Levandowski – The robber “implied a gun, obtained assorted narcotics, and fled westbound on foot.” Description: White man, late 20s-early 30s, tan beanie, dark blue jacket, blue jeans, black New Balance tennis shoes.
(June 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
It only happens once a quarter – and today we have the date for the next opening of West Seattle’s Art Lending Library at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center: Tuesday (corrected), October 19th, one night only, 6-9 pm. Read on for the details (including how it works), just shared by Seth Damm:Read More
Second Saturday in a row with a crash on The Bridge right about this time of the afternoon. Police are currently diverting people who are trying to get to the high-rise West Seattle Bridge from 35th/Fauntleroy, pointing them down Avalon, because of a crash (possibly two multiple-car crashes). In this case, though, it appears the Avalon/Admiral and Delridge entrances ARE open. Does not appear anyone was seriously injured, according to the scanner. They’re trying right now to figure out how to get tow trucks to the scene, since multiple vehicles are involved, so it’s not clear how long the 35th/Fauntleroy entrance will be closed. 2:08 PM UPDATE: According to the scanner, they’re now reopening the 35th/Fauntleroy entrance, after the crashed cars were cleared away.
Thanks to Brian Presser from local Mac dealer TouchTech Systems in The Junction for sharing the photo – First Mutual Bank has been part of Washington Federal for a while (as noted on its website), but the new sign has just arrived.
The fall round of Duwamish Alive! cleanups are 10 am-2 pm today; click any tree icon on the Google Map above to see a spot that could use your help too … Cove Park in Fauntleroy (the little beach north of the ferry dock) has a work party too, 10 am-1 pm, followed by community members’ chance to talk about the park’s future after the Barton Pump Station expansion (preview here) … West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen has a community-chat opportunity 11 am-1 pm at Southwest Library … Same type of meeting for School Board rep Steve Sundquist, 11 am-12:30 pm at High Point Library … The fall Rummage Sale at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) continues 9 am-3 pm (here’s our Friday story) … Foster cats are at Hiawatha Community Center, awaiting new “forever homes,” noon-3 pm … Noon is also when the party starts at Full Tilt Ice Cream in White Center to support the Northwest Folklife Festival – The Not-Its perform, and a new ice-cream flavor debuts … As previewed last night, the memorial procession for GT Towing driver “Tony” Padilla leaves the Eastgate Park and Ride at 2 pm … Preview Seattle Opera’s “Lucia” tonight at The Kenney, 6:45 pm, free, with opera chorus maestro Beth Kirchhoff and two singers … Solar Epiphany‘s new solar showroom at 6016 California SW celebrates its grand opening 10 am-4 pm … more on the calendar!
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
The South Seattle Community College Arboretum‘s Coenosium (“plant community”) Rock Garden is five years old – but it has a new designation as of this weekend. On Friday afternoon, garden volunteers and other supporters gathered for its dedication as a Garden of Peace. There to help lead the celebration, Dr. Laura Dorsey, founder of Atlanta-based Gardens for Peace, whose mission is “to identify and link gardens throughout the world, to foster respect for the environment and a climate of peace among all peoples” :
In our photo, Dr. Dorsey is dedicating the garden while its co-founders Bob and Dianne Fincham (who run a dwarf-conifer farm in Pierce County) and SSCC Arboretum Volunteer Coordinator Claire Hendrickson (seated, in black) look on. Applying to have the garden included in the international network was Hendrickson’s idea. The garden’s story is told here.
The garden runs heavily on volunteer power; Friday’s event was a chance for some of them to take a break and mingle. But more help is needed, Hendrickson says, every second Saturday at the garden between 9 am and noon. She can be reached at arboretum@sccd.ctc.edu or by calling 206-764-5323.
| 1 COMMENT