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Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run 2009, report #2: Results, video
September 27, 2009 5:53 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video

Shari Sewell of Northwest Hope and Healing told us 1,298 had signed up by race time for this morning’s Alki Beach 5K – and our first clip shows everyone leaving the starting line, from the first runners to the last walkers. The results are now posted online, too – find them all here – and here are our clips of the first male and female finishers – Brett Kapels (Hope Lutheran School athletic director) in 16:41:

And Regina Joyce in 19:21:

Our first report from this morning, with photos, is here. Northwest Hope and Healing was founded in West Seattle, with the mission of helping newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients.

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Tonight’s high-school football: All three West Seattle schools win
September 25, 2009 10:12 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS & Sports

After scoring its first win in two years last week, Chief Sealth High School (2-2) has now won two games in a row, winning at Ingraham tonight, 21-14. West Seattle High School (3-1) won big over Nathan Hale at Southwest Athletic Complex, 40-7, and Seattle Lutheran (2-2) beat Concrete on the road, 25-12. We’ll add details, and video from the in-town games, shortly.

ADDED 11:35 PM: First, the Wildcats (covered by Patrick): West Seattle shook off last week’s loss to O’Dea and defeated Nathan Hale 40-7 on a night that saw lots of big plays. The Wildcats had an explosive second quarter, running up 28 points before the half. In that quarter, running back Nikko Emm had 78 of the 97 yards he’d finish the night with. Hale’s only drive before halftime was disrupted by Markeem Adams, who came up out of his defensive back position to intercept Hale quarterback Travis Wilson and take it down to the 12-yard line, which led to Danny Phan scoring on the next play. It was not Adams’ only big play of the night — here, just after the start of the third quarter, he scores on a 52 yard pass play.

After the game, West Seattle coach Davis Lura talked about how his team came together tonight.

On the night, WSHS had 178 yards rushing on 20 carries, with 221 yards passing. Markeem Adams finished the night with 122 yards and two touchdowns, while Nikko Emm had nine carried for 97 yards and one touchdown.

From the Sealth game (covered in part by Tracy): We hadn’t originally planned to go up to Ingraham but changed our mind and headed north to see how the Seahawks were doing in the followup to last week’s win over Cleveland. When we arrived in the second quarter, the score was 14-13 Ingraham, but it wasn’t long before Sealth took the lead with a touchdown followed by a 2-point conversion – we caught the TD on Flip video, from a distance:

With that, the score was 21-14 Sealth, and that’s how it remained for the duration of the game. Stat highlight: Senior quarterback Daniel Davis had 1 TD passing, 1 TD rushing. As for the SLHS game – here are some game stats from our partners at the Seattle Times.

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High school football tonight: Sealth, WSHS, Seattle Lutheran
September 25, 2009 11:41 am
|    Comments Off on High school football tonight: Sealth, WSHS, Seattle Lutheran
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS & Sports

All three of West Seattle’s high schools play football tonight, and all three games are at 7 pm: Seattle Lutheran (1-2) is at Concrete (2-1); West Seattle High School (2-1) is at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) against Nathan Hale (1-2); Chief Sealth (1-2) is playing Ingraham (1-1) at the Northwest Athletic Complex (map). Sealth is coming off its win against Cleveland last week; we went to the school this morning to talk with defensive coordinator Ernest Policarpio about tonight’s game:

We’ll have the results of all three games here tonight – our WS Sports coverage archive is the place to check any time for the latest; we’re also planning to tweet the WSHS-Nathan Hale game (check out our “live events” Twitter channel after 7 pm, @wsblive). For even more about high-school sports, check out our collaborative partners at the Seattle Times, with a huge database of info on schedules, scores, rosters and more (this is the starting page).

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High-school football: Northwest Christian 28, Seattle Lutheran 22
September 19, 2009 11:44 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS & Sports

Before tonight’s Seattle Lutheran High School–Northwest Christian game at West Seattle Stadium, Saints fans tailgated in the parking lot. An action-packed game followed: Despite losing starting quarterback Gabe Wadsworth to an injury in the first quarter, NW Christian managed to put together a ground game that beat Seattle Lutheran 28-22. Filling in for Wadsworth was wide receiver Zach Thomas, who managed to split the running game between the other backup quarterback, Ben Conner, and fullback Steven Dunn for a total of 399 yards. But SLHS scored the first touchdown of the game, on a Jake Lovely run:

Seattle Lutheran also made a strong comeback in the fourth quarter and scored to bring the game close. The drive was highlighted by Conner Mullen, who made a single catch for 37 yards. On the night. Lutheran managed 170 total yards of offense — 49 came from Mullen, along with 44 from Jake Lovely. Lutheran’s standout for the night was running back Fred Lisko who had 58 yards rushing, 12 yards passing, and two touchdowns.

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Video: Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza time-capsule ceremony
September 19, 2009 6:08 pm
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 |   Alki Statue of Liberty | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

Just before the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza time capsule was covered in one last layer of sand, it was topped with cement and a few inscriptions – Loren and Clara are the 11- and 8-year-old Alki Elementary students who helped fill and seal it hours earlier at the Log House Museum. The burial process involved two wheelbarrows full of broken glass – you’ll see that after the capsule is placed in the ground, along the sidewalk just above the plaza (sorry for the jostling, everybody started crowding in closely):

The actual time-capsule burial came during a break in the celebration ceremony under a tent next to the statue itself. Keynote speaker, former West Seattleite astronaut Capt. Gregory Johnson, who was introduced by deputy mayor (and West Seattleite) Tim Ceis, who had the best line of the afternoon right after finishing his proclamation:

With humor and charisma, Johnson — after a few West Seattle reminiscences, including his time at Schmitz Park Elementary — told the story of how he became an astronaut:

We’ve got lots more to add (and we’re still adding to our earlier report on the filling/sealing of the capsule), but those were the highlights. Those in attendance also included leaders and members of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, City Council president Richard Conlin and West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, as well as Alki Community Council president Jule Sugarman. The bricks atop the capsule are sand-set for drainage, Parks project manager Patrick Donohue explained; the capsule is scheduled to be removed and opened in 2059.

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Arrowhead Gardens grand opening: Open house today, tomorrow
September 19, 2009 6:07 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video

That’s entrepreneur Stuart Anderson demonstrating his trademark pitch for Senior Housing Assistance Group, at a Friday celebration marking the grand opening of its new Arrowhead Gardens (WSB sponsor) senior-living development in southern Highland Park (map). They’re throwing open the doors for an open house 11 am-5 pm today and noon-5 pm tomorrow, with refreshments and live music. Anderson, who founded his famous Black Angus restaurant chain in Seattle, just made a special visit Friday, recounting how he became the organization’s spokesperson:

Arrowhead Gardens’ name reflects not site history, but site shape, in case you were wondering; its website lists some of the features of the newly built complex, which will rent out more than 400 units (more details here).

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Junction QFC opening side notes: The T-shirt, the owner, the door
September 17, 2009 1:43 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video

(Our main story about the QFC opening, with a store tour and the ribbon-cutting ceremony, is here)

Just before the ribbon-cutting on Wednesday morning, that video shows a little side moment regarding the new West Seattle Junction QFC store and the building it’s in: You see QFC’s Kristin Maas acknowledging a woman showing off her “Ask Me About The New QFC” T-shirt. We thought she was one of the many employees gathered outside for the ribboncutting — until later, when she introduced herself via Facebook chat as nearby resident Adree-Rose, saying, “I’m the QFC T-shirt girl … just happy that all the construction is gonna be gone.” She had the T-shirt made about a month ago. A few minutes after her cameo during the ceremony, store manager Jeff Brown acknowledged the long-suffering neighbors in his remarks:

As for that “long time coming” — nobody knows that like Leon Capelouto, the longtime Junction entrepreneur who owns and developed the building for which the new QFC is the “anchor tenant.” He was acknowledged by QFC president Donna Giordano in her brief remarks at the ceremony:

Then he joined the crowd streaming into the store, pausing for a few words with her and others along the way (you’ll also see Adree-Rose “the T-shirt girl” in the video again):

We caught up with him just inside the store’s entrance, by the Starbucks kiosk. How does it feel to see the store – the building – finally open? “Unbelievably good,” he grinned.

We weren’t covering West Seattle news when this project began. The first serious mentions in WSB archives are from early 2007, just before demolition began at the site (which housed buildings including a Hollywood Video store – this item includes a demolition photo). Then there was a Design Review meeting in summer of 2007 (read it here, and see what you think about how it turned out, compared to the concerns voiced back then). As you see in that story, the project’s design was in part shaped by the fact that the once-planned monorail was going to whiz right by on Alaska. As for one of the concerns at that meeting, about an entrance on Alaska – here, photographed inside the store during our pre-opening preview tour, is the result:

As for the Office Depot that’s also supposed to be going into this building, Capelouto told us in our most recent sit-down interview that it’s still in the works (though the space does not appear to have progressed much); we have been leaving messages at company HQ for their perspective and have yet to receive a reply. The only other tenant Capelouto has announced is Desert Sun Tanning. Meantime, the Altamira Apartments over the store plan to start move-ins the first week of October, according to this tweet.

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West Seattle scene: Closing night for the last indie drugstore
September 15, 2009 10:33 pm
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 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

It wasn’t a quiet closing night for West Seattle’s last free-standing drugstore: When we got to Westside Pharmacy just before its posted shutdown time of 6:30 pm, the little shop at California/Brandon bustled with workers taking inventory – they’re supposed to be up and running in the new Junction QFC store’s pharmacy less than a mile away by morning. As reported in our feature story last week, owner Michael Ng – who’s had Westside for 32 years – said his decision to make the move was in part because red tape is making it tougher for independent pharmacies to run efficiently. (We’ll look for the pharmacy when we’re touring the QFC pre-opening early tomorrow morning.)

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West Seattle Junction Car Show: Meet a proud participant
September 15, 2009 10:03 am
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 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

In a weekend of big events this Saturday and Sunday, one of the biggest is the 2nd annual West Seattle Junction Car Show (with WSB among the sponsors), for which California SW in The Junction will be shut down all day Sunday. Coordinator Michael Hoffman from Liberty Bell Printing had more than 100 cars pre-register – and some of their proud owners don’t have to go far to participate in the show – like Bakery Nouveau proprietor William Leaman, who showed us his 1964 Ford Falcon Club Wagon the other day:

And he told us the van’s story:

The van will be in front of Bakery Nouveau during the Junction Car Show (the street closure is going to be a lot like West Seattle Summer Fest, only extending another half-block north to Genesee). After Leaman talked with us about his cool wheels, it was off for a ride:

Car owners are also welcome to register on show day – space available, first-come, first-served. The car show website explains where to be, and when, to participate. Coordinator Hoffman says, “We have two of the best car show people in Seattle, Dean Olson and Scott McMahill, handling the day of logistics. Steve and Dean also head the Roadster Show that take place yearly at the Convention Center.” And while the show is free, he suggests bringing a few dollars to get in on some great prizes for a great cause: “We are also having a raffle, with all proceeds going to the West Seattle Helpline. There will be over 30 items donated by local merchants. The main prize is a $350 gas BBQ grill donated by Junction True Value. And TILA Mortgage has donated two round trips on the Victoria Clipper and one night’s lodging, worth $250.”

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Video: 1st assembly as “Denny International Middle School”
September 14, 2009 9:52 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | West Seattle video

Leading his school’s first assembly as Denny International Middle School – that second word is brand-new this year – principal Jeff Clark offered a well-received explanation for his bright outfit. He spoke within the past hour to a cafeteria filled with the 700-strong student body that speaks more than 22 languages, according to a fact sheet Seattle Public Schools media liaisons handed out. Clark also pointed out the visual representation of that – these flags hanging overhead:

Part of the new “international school” program includes Spanish/English immersion – Denny teacher Leticia Clausen is teaching a humanities block in Spanish, and is shown in our next video introducing costumed students who performed a dance from the Mexican state of Oaxaca:

(A sign of Denny’s new focus – as Clausen left the stage, the teacher next to whom we were standing thanked her in Spanish; she replied, “De nada.” The language focus at Denny also includes Mandarin Chinese.) Other performers this morning: Denny’s marching band and steel drummers; toward the middle of this clip, you’ll see Marcus Pimpleton, who is leading music programs at Chief Sealth High School this year as well as his duties at Denny:

The students (and teachers, who lined both sides of the cafeteria) also heard from SPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, who will appear a few miles east at Concord Elementary School tomorrow morning as part of a similar celebration – Concord, which is in South Park but considered part of SPS’s West Seattle region, is also an international school as of this year (here’s the original announcement), which the district says sets up a pathway from Concord to Denny. They are two of five international schools in the SPS system, along with Stanford, Hamilton and Beacon Hill. ADDED 1:08 PM: One more clip – the actual Oaxacan dance:

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Archbishop visits West Seattle to bless new housing units
September 9, 2009 10:16 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle religion | West Seattle video

Seattle Archbishop Alex Brunett – the region’s top Catholic leader – was in West Seattle this afternoon to bless and dedicate a new project of the Archdiocesan Housing Authority, which has 1,900 units around the region: Santa Teresita del Nino Jesus, described as “permanent housing for families transitioning from homelessness”; it’s in the 2400 block of SW Holden (map), with 26 two- and three-bedroom units in four buildings, all already rented. The archbishop spoke in English and Spanish about the saint for whom the complex is named:

Also at the ceremony: reps from the city’s Office of Housing, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Homestead Capital, along with Holy Family’s Rev. Horacio Yanez, and a resident of the new housing, Evelyn Gomez-Ortiz.

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Back-to-school day for thousands of West Seattle students
September 9, 2009 6:03 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | West Seattle video

As Seattle Public Schools start classes today, Pathfinder K-8 principal David Dockendorf and his student body – now grown to almost 500 – begin in the Cooper building on Pigeon Point. As you heard him say during those remarks at the “opening ceremony” last night, Pathfinder is finally under one roof, after years on the former Genesee Hill Elementary (now closed) campus with some classes in portables. He also acknowledged the difficulty of the changes for those who were displaced by the district’s closure process, including the hundreds who were in the Cooper Elementary “program” when it closed. Also speaking at last night’s Pathfinder ceremony, Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen:

This morning at Pathfinder, principal Dockendorf and PTSA president Akemi Hart will welcome parents with a reception after their children have gone off to class.

Start times are big news at many West Seattle public schools this year – Pathfinder will start classes at 8:20, not long after the start times at the public middle and high schools here, but many elementaries are starting later – as late as 9:25 am, at Sanislo and Schmitz Park. (Start/end times districtwide, school by school, are listed here.) The district says the new transportation policies that led to start/end time changes will save $2.2 million.

Other SPS notes for West Seattle – Several local schools start the new year with upgrade work completed over the summer (Alki and Lafayette among them); this is the second and final year that Chief Sealth High School will be in the Boren building, as renovations and upgrades are completed at its permanent campus, where a new Denny Middle School is being built (scheduled for occupancy in 2011). Aside from Boren, other shuttered schools in West Seattle – Hughes, Fairmount Park and most recently Genesee Hill – are scheduled to remain idle this year.

Today of course also is the first day of school for most of the West Seattle private schools that haven’t already started: among them, West Seattle Montessori (WSB sponsor) opens its new campus in White Center; Tilden School starts with a half-day today, and a Back-to-School picnic tonight. (Got school news? Let us know!)

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September sunbreak brightens rockin’ Alki Playfield picnic
September 2, 2009 3:02 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | West Seattle video

After a rainy morning and early afternoon, the sun showed up full force for Tuesday night’s community picnic on the playfield next to Alki Community Center. Rain or shine, they promised – in the end, it was even nice enough for the planned burger barbecue to be all sizzle, no fizzle:

Activities and entertainment included free live music: Presidents of the United States of America rocker Chris Ballew, now a West Seattleite, performed in his kids-music guise, Caspar Babypants. In our clip, you’ll see how he somewhat startled the youngest audience members toward the start of a tune about dust bunnies:

After CB, The Not-Its finished out the bill – they posted video of their own to YouTube (we got the link via Twitter):

Lots more going on at Alki Community Center as the fall proceeds – you can find the full program listing in the areawide “combined brochure” for fall programs and classes; see it here.

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Head over wheels: Ride and Glide at West Seattle Christian
August 30, 2009 9:05 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS & Sports

On a perfect summer night in The Junction, the Ride and Glide bicycle-stunt team did head-over-wheels 360s last night at their West Seattle Christian parking-lot performance, as well as full upright turns – and more. We snapped them in mid-air; from the ground, Mike contributed video he uploaded to YouTube:

That’s the air show – here’s Mike’s video of the ground show:

And we got them to sit still for a moment for this closer look:

They of course spent some time urging young riders not to imitate their stunts – and to always wear helmets, among other healthy choices to be made in life. Ride and Glide is based here in the Puget Sound area; more info online at rideandglide.com.

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Video: Critical Mass bicyclists on the West Seattle Bridge
August 29, 2009 2:45 am
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 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

North Admiral resident Jerry from JetCityOrange got that video on the West Seattle Bridge Friday night as the monthly Critical Mass group bicycle ride rolled into West Seattle (if you want to “fast-forward” through the clip, the first bicyclists appear around :24, the first major group around 1:40), with two Seattle Police cars alongside the front of the group, as you can see toward the end of the clip. (Independent journalist Johnathon Fitzpatrick reported via Twitter that one officer told him before the ride “I’m gonna be making sure nobody does anything ignorant” – in reference to cars around the riders; he also published a TwitPic from The Bridge.) We also got a tip about the bicyclists from Rhonda @ The Mortgage Porter (WSB sponsor) and got down to Alki in time for a photo:

Critical Mass happens every fourth Friday, leaving downtown at 5:30, via different routes that aren’t mass-publicized ahead of time. More info here. There was an online suggestion that World Naked Bike Ride participants might be along for the ride, but if you look closely at Jerry’s video – everybody seems to be dressed.

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Video: West Seattle Big Band’s Hiawatha encore
August 28, 2009 11:12 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS culture/arts

Every year, the West Seattle Big Band plays at the Hi-Yu Festival Concert in the Park on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, usually in July. This year, they got a Hiawatha encore, as last night’s closing act for the first-ever Summer Concerts at Hiawatha presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. We published a report early today about the great turnout and the series’ success, but we didn’t have this video at the time, and wanted to share it with you now. Whether or not you’ve ever seen/heard West Seattle’s one and only Big Band, WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli‘s video from last night’s concert is worth a look and listen. (You can find out more about the group at westseattlebigband.com.)

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Video: Warm “homecoming” for Dorsol Plants, post-Council run
August 27, 2009 1:26 am
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 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | West Seattle video

Nine months after Dorsol Plants stood before the Highland Park Action Committee – which he chaired at the time — to say he was launching a run for Seattle City Council (here’s our 11/24/08 report), he stood before HPAC again last night to post-mortem his run. The clip above shows Dina Johnson presenting Plants with a certificate of appreciation; in the next one, you’ll see him spend about five minutes recalling what the campaign was like, and revealing who he’s supporting now:

With most of the votes counted, the most recent results show Plants finishing with 14% of the vote in the District 4 race – far behind leader Sally Bagshaw at 51%, but not that far behind second-place David Bloom at 18%, who (with Bagshaw) advances to the general (and who, as you heard if you watched the second video clip, Plants is endorsing). Plants, a U.S. Army veteran who currently works for a human-services agency, hasn’t announced his next political plan, but says there will definitely be one – “I’m not done yet.” (In the very short term, by the way, he’ll be celebrating his 25th birthday this weekend.)

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Video: The Great Cross-Sound Race, round-trip from Alki
August 22, 2009 9:25 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS & Sports

WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli covered today’s Great Cross-Sound Race from Alki to Blakely Rock and back — an annual tradition for Sound Rowers — with video and photos. Here’s his shot of the nautical chart of the course:

And a still shot of the winners, in #4, Rainer Storb and Todd Silver, who finished in 52:24:

In second, 16 seconds behind (according to the published results), the rower who’s finished first as a solo the past two years, Evan Jacobs; third place, 29 seconds behind 1st place, Tyler Peterson; fourth, at 54:36, race directors Jeff and Theresa Knakal. The competitors spanned a wide age range; here’s Jack Fleming emerging from Elliott Bay:

Also, a diverse range of watercraft:

In addition to Christopher’s video, photos and reporting above — Greg Wright e-mailed photos to share – here’s the always-impressive crowd shot, looking out from shore:

For Sound Rowers’ full-season race schedule, go here. (Added early Sunday – link to full results from Saturday’s race.)

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Video: Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana @ Summer Concerts at The Mount
August 21, 2009 11:57 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS culture/arts

(WSB photos and video by Christopher Boffoli)
South of The Triangle, Providence Mount St. Vincent took on a “South of the Border” flavor tonight during Summer Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor), with Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana performing, and Mexican food on sale for concertgoers. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli reports a grande turnout:

In case you missed it – or if you did, but want to re-savor it – here’s video:

Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana is a Seattle-based group founded more than 20 years ago.

Next Friday night, it’s the season finale for Summer Concerts at The Mount, with Cheryl Serio and Rat Pack Jazz (6 pm, free).

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Video: 100+ volunteers clean up Alki Beach
August 17, 2009 2:52 am
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 |   Environment | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

(Photo by Robert Sorbo)
Thanks to Barefoot Wine‘s PR folks for sharing that photo from Saturday’s Alki Beach cleanup. They say more than 100 volunteers showed up for the “Beach Rescue Project” held as part of Barefoot’s partnership with the Surfrider Foundation. We found their video highlights on the Barefoot website, too (ending with a group photo at the Statue of Liberty):

Looking for another chance to help clean up Alki? The Alki Volleyball Association has a cleanup scheduled for September 12th – here’s the event’s page on Facebook (where we hope you’ve already “friended” WSB, at facebook.com/westseattleblog).

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Today: Team Tracy, Farmers’ Market, “Dog Days,” “Music Man”
August 16, 2009 8:26 am
|    Comments Off on Today: Team Tracy, Farmers’ Market, “Dog Days,” “Music Man”
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle Farmers' Market | West Seattle news | West Seattle video | WS culture/arts

TEAM TRACY: West Seattleite Tracy Dart and the legion of friends known as Team Tracy are fundraising again today to fight breast cancer, which she’s been dealing with for more than a year (and reports she’s now been cancer-free for two months!): They’re walking in the local Breast Cancer 3Day again next month — Tracy is being joined by 11 women, and with a fundraising minimum of $2300 each, they need to raise $27,000, which goes to the kind of research and care that Tracy says saved her life. Today they’ll be raising $ in a tent outside West 5, 11 am-5 pm, as a prelude to a fundraising concert at Easy Street tonight at 8, with local bands Stevedore and Bend (21+, cash only, $7 cover, proceeds from sales of beer donated by Georgetown Brewery and West 5 also benefit Team Tracy).

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Also in The Junction, it’s market day – 10 am-2 pm; here’s the link to the latest list of what’s fresh.

“DOG DAYS OF SUMMER”: In Morgan Junction, West Seattle Thriftway is the place to go today for three things: 1st, think your dog should/could be a star? West Seattle-headquartered CityDog Magazine is back at WST for its Cover Dog Search, noon-3 pm. (Full details here; last year’s WST winner, Cohen, went on to become the Cover Dog!) Bring — or buy at the store — pet food to donate to West Seattle Food Bank, whose clients have hungry pets, too. And from 11 am-3 pm, the Humane Society’s big bright-yellow Maxmobile will be on site with adoptable pets.

“THE MUSIC MAN”: It’s not really blowing the plot of this classic musical if we show you how the Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) version ended last night at West Seattle High School:

Even in a darkened theater, there’s no mistaking the Seattle Schools All-City Band, directed by Marcus Pimpleton, who’s led the music program at Denny Middle School and is adding Chief Sealth High School duties this fall. They, and the “Music Man” cast of 50-plus (with a live orchestra), brought the sold-out house to its feet (as the video shows), and you have four more chances to see the show: 3 pm today and next Sunday, 7:30 pm next Friday and Saturday. Advance tickets are available online.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Summer WILL be back
August 13, 2009 5:48 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video | West Seattle weather

That’s a snippet of video of rainwater running downhill on a nearby side street. Nothing big, but a sight we haven’t seen in a while. Just in case you’re in a windowless room. In which case you’ve missed the lightning flashes and thunder rumbles this past hour, too. But the forecast says more typical summer weather WILL return soon – by the weekend, in fact. The National Weather Service is even calling for 80s starting Monday (PLUS we just saw a forecast by our favorite meteorologist, Q13’s Walter Kelley, who thinks it’ll be more like 90s next week). 6:40 PM UPDATE: We’re in the Hiawatha gym now, where the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha performance by the Elizabeth Carpenter Trio is starting a bit late to give people time to get here – there are a few dozen here despite the rain, it’s warm and cozy and bound to be fun. But be careful driving: Noticed some serious puddling on Fauntleroy Way, in the paving-project stretch, at least the northbound lanes. ADDED 10:12 PM: Got a photo, pre-dusk, of a truck splashing through one of those puddles:

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Video: 34th District Democrats talk health care, endorse Yes on 71
August 13, 2009 11:43 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | West Seattle video

That short clip pans around to look at the overflow crowd inside The Hall at Fauntleroy last night, where West Seattle’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, opened their monthly meeting with the hottest national topic of the moment, health-care reform, featuring U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, who not only is Seattle’s longtime House of Representatives rep, but also a physician. (Here’s our first report, published last night as the meeting unfolded.) Before it began, sign-holders had lined the street outside the hall as well, with more conversation than confrontation:

McDermott’s appearance was arranged and introduced by Dr. Lisa Plymate of the 34th DDs, who is active with the reform-advocacy group Doctors For America (she’s at the center of this photo with McDermott and, at left, the 34th DDs’ newly elected secretary Michael Taylor-Judd):

(Photo by Dina Johnson)
The group set out its rules for last night from the start (and on its website even before the meeting) – this wasn’t a town hall, so if you weren’t a member, you were welcome to watch but not to speak. As the meeting began, chair Tim Nuse also asked those with signs to lower them once the meeting began. And the only real interruption came toward the end of this clip, after McDermott’s harshest words for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries that he claims are keeping health-care reform from passing:

The man who you hear yelling “THAT’S A LIE!” at the very end of the clip was escorted from the room. (Note: From comments after this story was published, here’s another account of what happened after the shouting.) But that was one brief moment; the meeting was raucous at times with applause and shouts of assent, but otherwise peaceful. As you heard in the clip, McDermott advocates so-called “single-payer” health coverage (explained here), as – suggested by volume and frequency of applause – do many who were in the room last night. Read on for more video and more details of the entire meeting – which also included an endorsement vote on a measure that isn’t even officially on the ballot yet:Read More

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