Just days left to go in the school year for Seattle Public Schools. That means year-ending events abound – including one-of-a-kind events like the closure celebration Saturday at the Genesee Hill building that’s been the longtime “temporary” home to Pathfinder K-8, which is moving to the Cooper School building on Pigeon Point. As the photos above and below show – memory-sharing was a big part of the Genesee Hill event:
Also on Saturday,Arbor Heights Elementary drew crowds for its carnival – thanks to teacher Mark Ahlness for sharing photos:
Mark noted, “The streets were jammed with cars and the school and playground with happy families enjoying a beautiful day! The Carnival is an annual fundraiser sponsored by our PTSA (arborheights.wikispaces.com/AHPTSA).”
Thanks to JMB for sharing that photo of a submarine passing Alki Point this morning, with a Coast Guard vessel and a Seattle-Bremerton state ferry in view as well. Northwest Navigatorhad a story a few days ago about the USS Ohio getting ready to leave Bangor to head back out to sea – so perhaps that’s what JMB caught on camera (we trust expert sub-watchers will correct us if you can tell from the photo it’s a different class of sub).
Althea and Ryancalled and e-mailed to say this happened within the past hour:
I’d like to report a hit and run that occurred just before 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th on SW Andover St. between 44th and 45th. Our vehicle is a dark blue 2008 Mazda5 and was side-swiped on the driver side while parked. The drivers’ side taillight was crushed and side view mirror was knocked off. Judging from the placement of damage to our car, the vehicle to be on the lookout for may be a white pick-up perhaps with some light blue detailing (a faint light blue line can be seen on our car, but the damage is mostly a white or tan color). There will be damage to the right side of their vehicle, most likely with significant traces of dark blue picked up from our car when they hit it. Neigbors said that they could hear the car screeching arond the corner, so if anybody has seen a light-colored pick-up truck driving around crazily with damage to the right side, please let us know!
ADDED EARLY SUNDAY: They wanted to add this to their story:
Perhaps I should not have stated that it may be a “pick-up truck” because I don’t want to narrow the search too much. It could be a large SUV – something that was tall enough to crush our back taillight (which is actually at the top driver’s side of the Mazda 5, rather than down low) with their side view mirror, most likely. We would like to offer a $250 reward for information leading to the location of the vehicle that hit ours. Thanks for your help!
The West Seattle Teeter Tots (with kids born in – or “around” – 2007) are among the dozens of groups and businesses we’ve spent the day with here at the Morgan Junction Community Festival. Still an hour left before everybody packs up from the park and the booth area behind Zeeks/Feedback, where it’s been a perfect day – brilliant sunshine but not too hot, lots of people but not too crowded. Also here – the Lazy Locavores – edible-garden consultants (also known as the Shibaguyz) — that’s Shannon in the background:
We’ll be adding a few more pics and some video to one last report here; this is the first time in about two years that the Morgan Community Association has presented this festival, and it’s been a smash hit – particularly the “Bite of Morgan” food sampling, with 400 coupon books handed out (the entire stock) by midway through the festival – and the slate of local musicians, spanning a wide variety of genres, assembled by MoCA’s Chas Redmond. Here’s video of Soul Machinery:
(next clip added 7:54 pm) And here, a minute of The Slags:
(next clip added 8:30 pm) Last but not least, the cover band 4 outta 5, with the disco classic “I Will Survive”:
Special thanks to everybody who dropped by the WSB table to say hi – those we’d met before, those we knew only through e-mail, and those we hadn’t met yet either way but have been out there in WSB-land … thank YOU for being part of WSB. (Including MargL, who sent us this pic from Engine 37’s visit to the festival — Engine 29 was here earlier too – and apologies if we’re omitting any other fire teams who visited, but they were over by the park area and we’ve spent most of the day in the booth area.)
If we didn’t see you today, we’ll see you at the Westwood Village street festival in two weeks, and West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction July 10-11-12.
All three major West Seattle high schools have now sent their 2009 graduates out into the world, after Chief Sealth High School‘s commencement ceremony earlier this afternoon at Seattle Center’s Memorial Stadium. (Our video shows some of the grads acknowledging family and friends as they enter the stadium.) [photo added 8:36 pm]
This is the first of two classes finishing their high-school years at Sealth’s temporary location at Boren; the school is scheduled to be there one more year while renovation work is completed and a new Denny Middle School is constructed on the campus. (West Seattle HS and Seattle Lutheran HS graduated Thursday night; here’s our coverage.)
That’s Sheila Brown from Camp Long, wearing coffee-filter art as a hat – in the newly dedicated Morgan Junction Park itself, you’ll find the Parks Department booth where you can make some too – and the park is also where the legendary Bubbleman put on a show as the festival began – here’s a snippet of video:
(Note: The Bubbleman will be in The Junction the night before West Seattle Summer Fest – Thursday 7/9, 7 pm, after the streets close for festival prep, right in front of Elliott Bay Brewery.) But MJ Park’s not the only place you’ll find things to do and people to meet (like us!) – right behind the Feedback Lounge/Zeeks building is where more than two dozen booths are set up. Just walk southwest from the back of the park, behind Beveridge Place. Good turnout so far, and we’ve had some great conversations – chatted with Larry Carpenter and Ron Richardson from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum – just finished talking to the first campaigning candidate sighted today, City Council hopeful Jessie Israel (who is running against incumbent Councilmember Nick Licata) — the primary election is just a little more than two months away. Remember to stop by the Morgan Community Association booth in front of the park to get your coupons for the “Bite of Morgan” freebies – and if you want even more, you can cross California SW to West Seattle Thriftway, with $7 for a barbecue lunch till 4 pm (proceeds going to MoCA for future festivals):
You can enter the festival from the park on California north of Fauntleroy, or through the booth area on Fauntleroy just west of California – it continues till 6 pm.
2:56 PM UPDATE: Adding a few more photos. And candidate sighting #2 – David Ginsberg, High Point resident running for City Council. And by all indications, the festival’s a smash hit – 400 coupon books gone already, with three hours left to go … right now we’re talking with Jeff Gilbert from Feedback Lounge about those pulled-pork sliders that folks have mentioned in comments on this post – he says lots of folks who’ve never been in FL before have stopped by because of the “Bite.” A couple quick photos from the booths closest to us:
That’s where you can find out about the Communication Hubs around West Seattle – the places you can go just in case of disaster, to get information. (More info at westseattle.bepreparedseattle.info) Right next to the Hubs, more info about Orchard Street Ravine, a natural area just about half a mile southeast of here:
And next to that, the Friends of Lincoln Park P-Patch are having a fundraising bake sale:
Within the past hour, the ribbon was cut, speeches were made, and the $480,000 Morgan Junction Park is now a full-fledged member of the Seattle Parks system. It’s also the site today of some of the events in the Morgan Junction Community Festival – but be sure to make your way behind Beveridge Place Pub, Feedback Lounge and Zeeks Pizza to see the community group and business booths, including ours. Now back to the park dedication: Morgan Community Association president Deb Barker made note of this park’s origins as a site for the Seattle monorail-that-wasn’t:
In addition to the plaza-like park itself, there’s also a sidewalk art project fronting California SW alongside the park – it went in along with new sidewalks funded by SDOT – and two of its creators, from SuttonBeresCuller, accepted thank-you art from Steve Sindiong of MoCA:
Others who received similar honors from Sindiong and Deb Barker on MoCA’s behalf included Parks project manager Virginia Hassinger, who led many a public meeting on the park design (in addition to the considerable behind-the-scenes work):
And Gary Sink, owner of the nearby Beveridge Place Pub, which helped make the park happen as part of a purchase of the entire monorail-property site, where he moved his popular pub to the former Video Vault building that’s just south of the park (it used to be where the Feedback Lounge is now):
Q13 FOX sent a photojournalist, so you might see a bit of the dedication on their 9 and 10 pm newscasts. Now, for the rest of the day, it’s the festival in and around the park, and we’ll be reporting as it happens (the occasional Twitter update at @westseattleblog as well – where you’ll find links to photos we “tweeted” before the event, including City Council President Richard Conlin in his “I Love West Seattle T-shirt” – he and Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher were the two top dignitaries on hand for the event). [added 8:55 pm – video of Gallagher discussing the park’s relationship to BPP]
The park is on the west side of California SW, a block north of Fauntleroy (map).
Cami MacNamara e-mailed to make sure everybody involved with West Seattle Little League knows about this event this afternoon:
All current West Seattle Little League families are invited to attend our end of season Annual Picnic today. 3pm at Bar-S Fields. Hotdogs and burgers, plates and cutlery are provided by the league, the rest is potluck by division. To see what your division is assigned:
We will also have a dunk tank this year! Please bring your child’s uniform to return to your team manager. A trophy presentation for the players will also occur.
Just hopped down the hill to Morgan Junction Park and vicinity to check on setup for the Morgan Junction Community Festival, 11 am-6 pm today (that’s MoCA’s Cindi Barker in pink, checking on things in the booth area, right behind Zeeks/Feedback/Beveridge). It kicks off (after the park dedication) with the legendary Bubbleman 11-11:30 am, a family fave. And there will be music – lots of music, coordinated by MoCA’s Chas Redmond – here’s a look at this morning’s stage setup:
And here’s the full music slate, from a preview we published earlier this week:
11:30 am-12:15 pm Seattle’s Own High Country
4-piece band playing Up-tempo Classic Country and Country-inspired originals
Here are the food/beverage outlets participating in the Bite of Morgan – free samples, just pick up a coupon book first at the Morgan Community Association booth:
Kokoras Greek Grill
Feedback Lounge
Zeeks Pizza
Tully’s Coffee
Abbondanza Pizzeria (after 4:30pm) Domino’s
Caffe Ladro (handing out coupons at the park opening)
And even more festival information is here. Among the dozens of businesses and community groups you’ll find there (including WSB!) you’ll find the West Seattle Teeter Tots with a bake sale to raise money “to keep the group free to join” – organizers asked if we’d share a little info about them:
Our group is for parents and their children born in 2007(or close to it) and their younger siblings. We are a group that likes to have a good time, enjoys getting out and about with our kids to enjoy all that Seattle has to offer. We often meet at each other’s houses, play at parks, take field trips, and go out once a month for a much deserved Mom’s Night Out. We are an open-minded, casual group with not a lot of rules that is free to join. If you are looking to get out of the house, meet other local moms and kids to socialize and have fun, come join us!
We’ll report live all day – so check back for a look at what’s going on – and no matter what part of West Seattle you’re in, come on over to check out Morgan Junction — just head about a mile south of The (Alaska) Junction on California and you’re there.
MORGAN JUNCTION PARK DEDICATION: 10 am today, right before the Morgan Junction Community Festival, which is happening in and around the park 11 am-6 pm. The park’s been open a couple months just north of Beveridge Place Pub, on the former Fauntleroy Auto Works site once tabbed for a monorail station. (More on the festival shortly – we’ll be there all day, reporting “live.”)
GOODBYE, GENESEE HILL: The elementary school building atop the hill had already been closed once when it was reopened to serve as “temporary” home to West Seattle’s only public alternative school, Pathfinder K-8. More than a decade later, the district is closing it again and moving Pathfinder to the Cooper building in Pigeon Point. The Pathfinder community is leading a closure ceremony/commemoration 10 am-2 pm today.
CHIEF SEALTH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION: Members of the Chief Sealth Class of 2009 end their high-school years with a commencement ceremony at 1 pm. This year, it’s at Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center, same place West Seattle HS had its graduation two days ago.
In celebration of our “One Year Anniversary” we are hosting an Open House June 24 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Alki Kid’s Place is “West Seattle’s Solution” for summer camp and afterschool activities specially designed for children ages 4 – 14. Our unique and affordable program provides a safe, caring environment with individualized care and flexible scheduling. The program includes crafts, games, exercise, music, movies, baking and beach time.
Please come and experience our program and enjoy Pizza “donated by our new local Zeeks”, refreshments, activities for your children and a Free Gift for stopping in. We are located at 6115 SW Hinds Street. For more information, call Cheryl at 938-0145.
Amy e-mailed to ask what we’d heard about a power outage on Gatewood Hill. Nothing — till her note. Checked with Seattle City Light; the boundaries (seldom precise) are listed as Fauntleroy Way north, SW Orchard south, 37th SW east, Parshall Place west. It’s affecting about 80 homes. No word on the cause; they’re estimating it’ll be fixed by 1:30 am.
Looking for work? Three events coming up at Delridge Community Center might help – and we were asked to help spread the word about them – all free! Read on for details:Read More
(2008 photo by David Hutchinson)
It’s been anticipated for quite a while that the next round of brick installation, and time-capsule placement, would be happening soon at the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza. Now there’s word from Libby Carr that it’ll start next week:
Seattle Parks & Recreation has informed us that the Phase II construction work on the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza will begin on Tuesday, June 16th. The immediate area of the Plaza will be fenced for approximately 2 weeks while the 850 new engraved bricks and 7 Tribute Plaques are installed. Preliminary work will be done for the installation of the Time Capsule which has been prepared by the Log House Museum. The Capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2059. Some additional maintenance work will also be done at this time.
Funds raised in Phase II (by selling these bricks and plaques) are dedicated, through the Parks Department, to the future maintenance of this plaza, after paying for the cost of materials and labor.
We are anticipating a Celebration event for the completion of Phase II will be held in late September.
(From left, Charita Dumas, Joy Anderson, Shelly Williams, pursuing legal action against the school district; photo by Christopher Boffoli)
We’re back from the hearing at King County Superior Court on the challenge to the Seattle Public Schools closure of the Cooper Elementary “program” (the building will remain open as the new home to Pathfinder K-8, whose longtime “temporary” home at Genesee Hill will be closed). Topline: Judge Greg Canova said he would not issue a ruling today. Lawyers for both sides argued the points they’ve been making – for the closure opponents, that Cooper is a school, not a “program,” and should have received its own closure hearing; for the district, that it followed proper procedure and that this was the School Board’s decision to make, so anyone who doesn’t agree with it should vote against them in the next election rather than going to court. More details, plus photos/video, to come. 2:55 PM UPDATE: Adding some additional photos and video:Read More
As the court hearing for the Cooper Elementary School(Google Street View above) closure challenge is about to get under way at King County Superior Court (we’re there and will update you when it’s over), we have word from closure opponent Joy Anderson of another action under way in connection with the entire Seattle Public Schools closure process last fall/winter: A federal “compliance review” by the U.S. Department of Education, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Anderson explains that Shelley Williams, who is one of the other two people pursuing the court challenge that’s being heard today, “organized and helped people file about 200 civil rights complaints to the Department of Education. Since they had so many, and it would have been really time consuming to act on each one, the DOE dismissed the individual complaints and has initiated one BIG COMPLIANCE review.” We have asked Seattle Public Schools for comment. Meantime, the letter to Williams that explains the review can be seen after the jump (as provided by Anderson) – we have cut off only the letterhead which has the Education Department logo and Williams’ personal address:Read More
(2008 photo by Jerry from JetCityOrange)
No, not a news release – just one line on Twitter: the big green trucks of Amazon Fresh are now delivering to zip code 98146. It’s been a year and a half since AF’s first West Seattle service, at which time (WSB report here) they told us they weren’t sure how soon 98146 would be added. (They added 98106 in March of last year.)
We mentioned Thursday that after several Sundays in the Seattle Lutheran High School parking lot, and then no West Seattle service last Sunday, Skilletjust announced a new WS spot starting this Sunday – in the same block of 44th SW as the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. Now we’ve gotten details (and the photo above) from Jon Davis at Westside Dermatology (WSB sponsor):
Skillet Street Food has found a new location at 4740 44th Ave SW in the Junction in front of the Olympic Court Building parking lot. The building is home to Westside Dermatology and is on the same block as the West Seattle Farmer’s Market… just a half block south. Olympic Court and Westside Dermatology hope Skillet can finally find a permanent home in West Seattle and encourage everyone in the neighborhood who hasn’t had a chance to try their delicious food this Sunday.
Just thought we’d confirm with you that Skillet WILL be in our parking lot this Sunday. Our agreement with them is for them to stay as many Sundays as they’d like. We’ve heard such great things about them and are so happy to have the opportunity to host them. I’ve enclosed a photo of our building in case people are wondering which parking lot on 44th it will be in.
That’s the Fraternal Order of Eagles Band performing at The Kenney last night during the monthly West Seattle Art Walk. Other sights from along the route:
And in the Admiral District, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) featured Mixed Greens Blog and celebrated 10 years of the West Seattle Farmers’ Market with rosemary/lavender lemonade, homemade crackers with rhubarb and Beecher’s cheese (second photo), and co-proprietor Frances Smersh‘s cork jewelry:
COOPER ELEMENTARY CLOSURE COURT HEARING: 10:30 this morning in King County Superior Court; closure opponents are offering bus rides to supporters who want to be there (as reported here).
TV SWITCH: This is the date TV’s all supposed to go digital. If you still need help making sure you’re ready, there’s a drop-in help center at Youngstown Arts Center (as reported here).
WINE RELEASE: 3-6 pm, the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle Community College hosts a free event for you to taste and purchase its summer wine releases (tomorrow too; more info here).
END-OF-YEAR SKATING PARTY: The popular Friday night roller-skating events at Alki Community Center wrap up the season with a party tonight, 6:45-8:45 pm, free admission – including hot dogs and a bouncy toy for younger kids.
More to come – for today, tomorrow and Sunday – in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup later this morning.
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
After both the West Seattle High School and Seattle Lutheran High School commencement ceremonies on Thursday night, we published photos here – now we’re adding video. Above, it’s the WSHS Class of 2009 — 265 grads — on the field at Memorial Stadium (here’s our earlier coverage on their Awards Night); below, members of the SLHS Class of 2009 (45 grads) doing the wave while waiting to enter the gym for their ceremony:
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
Since our photographer got a little closer to the SLHS grads, he noticed special detail work on some of their caps, like this:
(Gabriel Claycamp demonstrating pork-butchering in Port Orchard; 2008 photo by Christopher Boffoli) One month ago, we shared the report that The Swinery — Culinary Communion founder Gabriel Claycamp‘s cured-meat business, closed on Beacon Hill – was planning to take over space in West Seattle. Now, a multitude of WSBers have shared e-mail from Claycamp that not only has more details about the originally reported West Seattle space, but also about plans to sell their products retail in The Junction – here’s the excerpt:
The Swinery Deli (The Swine Shop?)
The rumors are true. The Swinery is about to open an official retail establishment in West Seattle. This will be a full-service delicatessen (in the style of DeLaurenti’s, but smaller). We will carry cured meats from our friends around the sound and include a FULL butcher shop, as well as truly incredible cheeses that you don’t see anywhere else. We will have some dry goods, plus plenty of the hard to find deli items. This will be a delicatessen for foodies—for CC type foodies, who would everyday ask us where to buy veal bones, or salt cod, or bocarones. We hope to open this summer. Culinary Communion will have a little play here too: The Swinery Deli will feature a computer and printer running the complete CC database of recipes and curriculum. Now, when you ask about oxtails or mahi mahi, you can choose from a selection of real recipes, tested and proven. This has never been done before, truly turning a retail store into an educational cooking experience.
Where is it?
For 7 years people asked the Chefs at CC where their favorite fish store was. Without a doubt, our first response was always: Seattle Fish Company in West Seattle (California Ave, just north of the Junction). Owner Hobey Grote carries, we believe, the most amazing fish in Seattle at the best price. Only one little oddity, Seattle Fish has a huge amount of empty space in the front of its store… perfect to house an amazing deli/butcher. The deal isn’t finalized yet, but Hobey has told us to go ahead and tell people. Please, if you are in the area, come down, say hi to Hobey and crew, and buy some fish to show your support for this incredible opportunity for all of us!! The combination of amazing seafood, incredible meats and cheeses, and great wine will be a treasure for West Seattle and the whole Puget Sound.
If you haven’t been to Seattle Fish Company, it’s on the west side of California SW, north of SW Oregon.
(photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Claycamp and his family, meantime, have moved to Vashon Island. They originally started in West Seattle, then moved to Beacon Hill, but lost their lease there shortly after a permit controversy and – according to their e-mail – are currently in a legal fight over how that ended. Their other new endeavor, which has been reported elsewhere – teaming with Skillet Street Food‘s Josh Henderson to come up with a “street food fair” starting later this year.
on the challenge to the 
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