West Seattle, Washington
15 Saturday
Not too late to jump in and sign up – we’re happy to be co-sponsoring the first Alki edition of Polar Plunge for Special Olympics of Washington and the Law Enforcement Torch Run, this Sunday at Alki – plungers include police, local students, and more! – Sunday is also Dine Out Seattle for Haiti, with five West Seattle restaurants participating last time we looked, including WSB sponsors Feedback Lounge and Skylark Cafe and Club. Saturday – it’s the West Seattleite-organized karaoke benefit at Goldie’s to benefit WS Officer Jason McKissack‘s medical fund (more here) – earlier in the day, school open-house season continues, with the doors swung open at West Seattle Montessori School (WSB sponsor) and Cometa Playschool … Saturday afternoon’s also when you’ll find puppet theater at Alki Bathhouse! From tonight through Sunday night, FIFTY events/activities in all, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club, where you’ll find FREE live music and rockin’ food (and don’t forget the Sunday benefit):Read More
Fundraisers for Haiti earthquake relief are high on the weekend list this time around, including cash/check donations accepted at tonight’s free Seattle Symphony concert presented by the West Seattle Kiwanis, a car wash (rain or shine) at Keller Williams in The Junction on Saturday, WSUU soup lunch and “Dogs for Docs” at Beveridge Place Pub on Sunday (silent auction/raffle items needed), ongoing checkstand donations at West Seattle Thriftway, and more. As the weekend goes on, there are also music, dance, art and nature events – just the start of what’s up tonight through Sunday night – more than 40 events/activities in all, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club, where you’ll find FREE live music and rockin’ food:Read More
3:30 tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon, it’s orientation day for the winter semester of All-Access arts (and more!) classes at Youngstown Arts Center – all listed on the Youngstown home page. The classes are all free for teens 13-18, and some of them are also open to 10-12 year olds. As explained by Alberto Mejia:
Outreach days are intended to be community-building events where youth can meet and interact (with) the teaching artists and one another face to face prior to starting their respective arts classes. The orientation will end with a F.E.E.S.T. dinner. At the weekly F.E.E.S.T program, youth plan and prepare organic dinners and present a discussion around healthier food options and more safe, active communities.
The All-Access classes themselves begin on Thursday. Again, the calendar is here, along with descriptions of the classes (scroll past the calendar).
That’s our video clip from rehearsals for the Westside Symphonette holiday concert last month – Symphonette director Toni Reineke says the concert itself was a smash, with 400 people in the audience, up 60% from the year before. With that success fresh in their minds, they’re starting a new season of West Seattle’s community orchestra, with the first rehearsals tonight, and they’re inviting more musicians to join — even if you can’t make it tonight because of the short notice. Says Toni:
We could use a bassoon or two (even a beginner!), a couple trumpets, a French horn or two, several violas, and a couple string basses. Musicians who play other orchestral instruments are welcome too, of course. … We now have three thriving orchestras: a beginning string ensemble, an intermediate full orchestra, and a more advanced full orchestra. Musicians of any age are welcome, but they must be able to read music in at least a rudimentary manner.
We rehearse at Chief Sealth/Boren, 5900 Delridge SW, juniors and strings 5:30-6:30, senior orchestra 6:45-8:15. Registration fee is $60 for this spring session, but we have scholarships available for those in need, especially the young people.
Interested folks should contact Toni Reineke, tonireineke@comcast.net, 206-243-6955.
This season’s first Westside Symphonette concert is scheduled for late March.
Thanks to Creighton for sharing an interesting link: For tomorrow’s edition (dated 1/10 but it’s online today), the New York Times took Netflix data and turned it into a mouseover map showing who’s renting what in a dozen cities, including Seattle. Click on Seattle at the right side of the page (direct link’s not possible since it’s all Flash) and mouse over to see each zip code’s top 10 list, including West Seattle zip codes. Here’s the start page.
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It’s Charles Smith’s 35th birthday; he’s an artist, his friends are artists and he wants to do something big. So , he and 350 of his closest friends will be gathering at Elysian Fields in Pioneer Square tonight to celebrate his birthday while viewing the work of eleven different artists — four of whom, including Charles, are from West Seattle – and listening to music (also including WS performers)
Charles has studied art and design internationally and currently works for Starbucks’ Technical Design Division. The bags you buy your coffee beans in are his designs—including the latest red Christmas Blend bags. The art he does in his personal life however, is very different.
It’s not happening in West Seattle – but that’s a West Seattleite, Bret Wiggins, channeling Elvis again this year (the video’s from last year) in the Seattle Invitationals competition for Elvis stylists – happening tonight in SODO, on The King’s birthday (he would have been 75). 8 pm at Club Motor, 1950 First Avenue South. (Advance-ticket discount – go here.) Comedy as well as 20+ “Elvis artists.” Now, segueing to something sort of related to Elvis’s hometown …
That’s a 2008 YouTube clip of Memphis Radio Kings in Ballard — you can see them in West Seattle tomorrow night at Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB’s Weekend Lineup sponsor). Also tonight, tomorrow night AND two weekend matinees, it’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” (COUPON! for 20% off adult admission) – Sunday there’s free yoga from SoundYoga (WSB sponsor) – tonight a luau at Redline Music and Sports; tomorrow, new Junction restaurant Table 35 opens. Note that Marination Mobile will NOT be in High Point tomorrow. And this weekend is your last chance to recycle your Christmas tree for free through the city. More than 40 events/activities in all:Read More
Friday-Sunday, it’s the annual run of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” presented by Twelfth Night Productions at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – four chances to see the show. 
And this year’s run is a special anniversary for brothers Jeffrey and Michael Thoreson first appeared in Amahl and the Night Visitors 40 years ago this month. It was a production at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle at the time – then in the late ’80s, most of the cast reunited to do the show again, and the brothers have done it every year since – part of the Twelfth Night presentation for the past 13 years. It’s been a family affair in even more ways – early in their stint with Twelfth Night, their dad David played the third king; many other Thoresons have been onstage or in the orchestra over the past 20 years; and this year Jeffrey’s son Hans plays Amahl for the second year – though it’s his fifth year with the production, debuting as a shepherd at age 5. We asked about memorable moments for the brothers; they said, working with their dad, who really took to singing and to playing to the audience but retired from performing after a few years. He’s returned to see his sons over the years, and the brothers say he’ll be there this weekend. “Amahl and the Night Visitors” will be presented at 7:30 Friday and Saturday, 3 pm Saturday and Sunday, and there’s a special deal – go to the WSB Coupons page to print out the coupon for 20 percent off any adult admission at the box office.
It wasn’t quite a downpour, but certainly a drenching mist, but that didn’t get in the way of a good time as Highland Park kicked off one of West Seattle’s two-dozen-plus New Year’s Eve extravaganzas tonight. Above, a two-minute spectacle outside Highland Park Improvement Club before the Highland Park House Party that’s just getting under way inside (you’re welcome to go join – details here) and after the HP neighborhood parade (video of that, to be added shortly). It was billed as the “Sage Comet” performance (watch the clip and you’ll get the “comet” reference) — but one of the performers explained afterward, sage is tough to get this time of year, so what burned was “rosemary from local farms”! ADDED 8:28 PM: Just before the “Rosemary Comet,” the first-ever HP parade returned to the luminaria-ringed HPIC, after about half an hour doing a mile-or-so loop through neighborhoods to the south:
As you can see in the video, most of the balloon lanterns had trouble staying lit – smaller fires don’t win the battle with rain – but paraders young and old whooped and cheered, drummed and thumped, all along the way; we trailed them for the first few blocks, and saw neighbors along the way coming to the door or the window, often returning the shouts of “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Indeed.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
He’s West Seattle through and through: Schmitz Park Elementary, Madison Middle School, West Seattle High School, Seattle Lutheran High School, West Side Presbyterian Church. 
His mom and dad live in the same house they owned when he was born almost 26 years ago. He has grandparents living at The Kenney.
But instead of the neighborhood once dubbed New York Alki (by-and-by), home for Adam Cozens these days is the other New York – his home base for an intensive push to make a living by being funny, through standup comedy.
This isn’t a story about “local boy becomes famous” – not yet. But he’s working hard to try to get as far as he can. Right now, he’s on a holiday visit, home in West Seattle – not strictly a vacation, since he and friend Dartanion London are producing a show tomorrow (Wednesday) night at Comedy Underground in Pioneer Square – with other West Seattleites on the bill, including emcee Marty Riemer and fellow comedian Alex Meyer.
On one hand, this is one of more than 200 performances Adam’s doing this year, seeking out every opportunity imaginable to hone his humor.
It’s an annual tradition — the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is again hosting a free community concert with the Seattle Symphony, but this year, it’s in a new venue at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor). The concert is set for 8 pm January 15, featuring conductor Thomas Hong and violist Amber Archibald. On the program:
Mendelssohn: The Hebrides (“Fingal’s Cave”), Op. 26
Jones: Benediction
Stamitz: Viola Concerto in D major, Op. 1
Tchaikovsky: Selections from Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Little Russian”
The orchestra’s free concert will be in SSCC’s Brockey Center.; here’s the official flyer. As Kiwanian Shari Sewell tells WSB, “It is a great opportunity to hear the symphony and introduce kids to this genre of music. The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is proud to host this annual concert!”
ol’ time banjo – colabs – David Miles Huber / Allen Hart from 51bpm on Vimeo.
AWAITING GRAMMY NEWS, #1: Thanks to Mercedes for e-mailing WSB a to share the news that West Seattleite David Miles Huber received a Grammy Award nomination this month – the announcement happened in early December, but it’s news to us, so maybe it is to you too. His collaborative project Colabs is nominated for Best Surround Sound Album. See the nomination on the official Grammy Awards site (including a list of his collaborators, and the competition); You can find out more about his work at 51bpm.com.
AWAITING GRAMMY NEWS, #2: Looking for related links, we also learned (via Gene Stout‘s report from earlier this month) that another West Seattle-based musician is nominated too – one who happens to be among Huber’s collaborators on Colabs – Henta. Her “Laserium for the Soul” is up for the Best New Age Album Grammy. The awards are to be announced January 31st; along with Huber and Henta, one more West Seattle musician is in the mix as well, Eddie Vedder — Pearl Jam‘s “The Fixer” is nominated for Best Rock Song.
OUT OF THIS WORLD: West Seattle astro-expert Alice Enevoldsen announced it on Twitter late last night – she just got word she’s been chosen as a NASA Solar System Ambassador for the coming year. This webpage from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which sponsors the program, describes the ambassadors as 
“space enthusiasts from various walks of life who are interested in providing greater service and inspiration to the community at large” – that’s what Alice has been doing already (with events like the winter solstice and autumn equinox sunset watches/stargazes). And we have to mention it again before the snowiversary is completely past – Alice was a star volunteer during Snowmare ’08, taking WSBers’ road reports and mashing them up with official accounts to create invaluable maps during our coverage (then offering a Google Map-making seminar after the Big Melt – that’s where the photo you see above was from).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: No holiday break for West Seattle’s favorite outdoor buy-local eat-local weekly adventure. 10 am-2 pm as always, 44th/Alaska. Here’s what’s on the fresh sheet; one more market note, the Thanksgiving dinner-cooking contest winners have been announced (a vegetarian feast for 7 took top honors).
“TEAM TRACY” FUNDRAISER @ SKYLARK: West Seattle’s most-famous Breast Cancer 3-Day team, Tracy Dart’s Team Tracy, gets 20% of the proceeds from food sales during brunch today at Skylark Cafe (WSB sponsor), from 10 am to 1 pm – chow down and help save lives. (The next Seattle 3-Day is set for Sept. 24-26.)
LANTERN WORKSHOP TO PREP FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE PARADE: Help put together lanterns for the Highland Park Improvement Club-led neighborhood parade on New Year’s Eve – drop by HPIC (1116 SW Holden) between noon-6 pm today for artist-coached lantern-making. Full details are here, including the materials you need to bring, to supplement what’ll be provided.
“PLAID TIDINGS” FINALE: Today, the (plaid) curtain falls on the holiday extravaganza at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) – as of late Saturday night, a couple dozen tickets remained (according to this AW tweet) – buy yours ASAP here; showtime’s 3 pm.
(“Plaid Tidings” photo by Matt Durham from mattdurhamphotography.com)
No need for the between-holiday blahs. Still lots going on this weekend, including your last 3 chances to see “Plaid Tidings” at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) – and while you’re there, you can chip in to help them recover from that costly pre-Christmas break-in. Several other ways to keep the post-Christmas giving going are among the more than 2 dozen events in the holiday-abbreviated-but-still-lively edition of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club (home of tonight’s End of the Decade Party) – all ahead:Read More
(artist Leo Schmidt during the White Center Art Walk)
Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
West Seattle has a monthly Art Walk tradition, every second Thursday – and White Center is working on one too, every third Saturday.
Saturday night during this month’s White Center Art Walk, Damien Jurado played live at Full Tilt Ice Cream, Dubsea Coffee featured the art of Joerael Elliot along with a spoken word and open mic performance by youth from Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, student photos from New Start High School graced the walls of Big Al Brewing – these are by Kat Cabrera:
And student paintings were on display at the Salvadorean Bakery.
Shelli Park, chair of the White Center for the Arts board of directors, admits that the rain and holiday week reduced Art Walk attendance somewhat, but she has high hopes for future events, which take place the third Saturday of the month year-round.
“Our goal is to have more local businesses participating to be representative of the entire community,” Park says. “What they will provide will be poetry, music, whatever resonates with their community.” (We photographed her with her daughter at Proletariat Pizza, which also participated, with photos by Alexander King.)
Park says that the goal of the White Center Art Walk is twofold: “To help local artists and to help the businesses. We don’t want the people who are already here to be shut out because of the inevitable gentrification. We want them to be part of it: the diversity, the food, the color, and the culture.”
Learn more about future programs, including art programs and upcoming film workshops for local students – and watch for a preview of next month’s White Center Art Walk! – at the White Center for the Arts website.
1 week to go and holiday happenings abound – as do other events, including the West Seattle Garden Club meeting this morning/afternoon and the Nature Consortium‘s free eco-hike this afternoon … which is also when winter vacation starts for most West Seattle students. Then as we get into the weekend – bundle up your donations to bring (a food-bank item at the very least) to the free Christmas movie “Elf” at Admiral Theater tomorrow … the final Hometown Holidays Sunday (co-sponsored by WSB) will brighten The Junction (with Santa, mule rides, gift wrap, and deals, including six merchants’ “free stocking stuffers” all weekend – before Sunday, by the way, it’s your last chance to get in on the $6,500 Junction Giveaway) … “Plaid Tidings” (WSB sponsor) has two matinees this weekend … Fauntleroy Church (also a WSB sponsor) has its Christmas concert on Sunday … more than 50 West Seattle events/activities in all, holiday and non-holiday, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More
That totem pole is back in its place outside the Redmond Library, where a Seattle company called Artech reinstalled it – along with another large work of native-inspired carved-wood art – on Tuesday. We were there that day to talk with Artech, after the Seattle Parks Department told us the company had expressed potential interest in doing some work on the West Seattle Rotary Viewpoint Park totem pole before it’s put back in place. First, a recap of where the stolen-then-found totem pole saga stands: Still awaiting word of charges against the suspect, a 69-year-old West Seattle man arrested eight days ago. The pole, found in Oregon a week ago after, police say, he told them where to find it, remains at a Seattle Parks facility (as we showed you Monday):
The pole found with it in Oregon has been identified as one stolen from outside the Renton Fred Meyer (as we reported Tuesday). Now the question is how long till the West Seattle pole can be returned to its home at the viewpoint alongside 35th at Alaska. The Rotary Club of West Seattle, which donated the park and the pole – carved by Native American artist Robin Young – in 1976, is taking a major role in sorting that all out, and has created a task force that will start meeting after the holidays, while raising money now for restoration/reinstallation. The Parks Department says it’s connecting Artech with the Rotarians. We got in touch with Artech to find out more about their interest, and what they’re all about – read on:Read More
Yes, at long last it’s another video from the creators of one of West Seattle’s most-talked-about Christmas-lights displays this season, the synchronized-to-music Helmstetler Family show across from the Charlestown water tower. (Here’s our original report, with the first video from the show.) Jim Winder has actually published three more videos in all – they’re all linked here. And that’s just one option for your Tuesday night (and beyond) – here’s our West Seattle Holidays page with tons more, including live holiday music tonight at The Mount (and planning ahead, check out the West Seattle Big Band plan for a Thursday night holiday concert at Grace Church.) Back to tonight, a non-holiday highlight: The monthly “Alauda” belly-dance showcase at Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm.
Tonight, the Our Lady of Guadalupe tree lighting … tomorrow and Sunday nights, the Christmas Ship makes four West Seattle stops … and there’s so much more going on, including Hometown Holidays (co-sponsored by WSB) Sunday #2 with Santa and gift wrap in The Junction – plus the Highland Park Improvement Club holiday bash tomorrow night, Admiral Sings Christmas on Sunday, an extra Plaid Tidings (WSB sponsor) matinee on Saturday … bazaars, sales, concerts, more than SIXTY events/activities in all, holiday and non-holiday, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More
Don’t let the continued chill keep you from wandering West Seattle for tonight’s monthly Art Walk, 6-9 pm. This is the super-special late edition, including myriad chances for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts, all over the peninsula. Click ahead for a few of the MANY highlights:Read More
That’s a short behind-the-scenes peek at the Westside Symphonette, as one of the West Seattle community orchestra’s newest co-conductors, Rob Duisberg, showed the musicians how he’d like them to handle a Beethoven piece that’s on the program for their holiday concert. We caught up with them at last week’s rehearsal, and now it’s almost concert time – this Tuesday night at West Seattle High School Theater – strings and junior orchestra at 6:30, senior orchestra at 7:30. In addition to classics by Beethoven, Bizet, Holst, Schubert and Ravel, there’ll also be a traditional holiday singalong, from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to “Hallelujah Chorus.” – Admission is just $1 (though they’ll be thrilled to accept donations above and beyond that). (Yet more West Seattle holiday highlights – music, plays, bazaars, trees, etc. – here.)
Another Saturday and Sunday edition this time around – almost everything is already on the WSB West Seattle Holidays page – but here’s an extra shoutout. The weekend’s biggest event is the kickoff of Hometown Holidays in The Junction (co-sponsored by WSB) – tree lighting Saturday night, Santa photos and more on Sunday. Looks like wintry weather, too. And the day begins and ends with special fundraising dining events in The Junction – starting with the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle Pancake Breakfast this morning (7-11 am) and ending with the West Seattle Eagles‘ dinner 5:30 pm-7 pm (convenient after the tree lighting, before the We Are The Junction CD release party at Feedback Lounge [WSB sponsor[). Plus – LOTS of chances to shop local – not just the fabulous West Seattle merchants in The Junction, Admiral District (WSB sponsor) and elsewhere, but also a HUGE number of bazaars and sales around West Seattle. More than 50 events/activities in all, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More
Not sure if it’s a first but certainly it’s a rarity – Easy Street Cafe, better known for live music (and breakfast/lunch), is the venue where a play will be performed the next two weekends. Dylan Ward (left) shares the announcement:
I am producing my new play “Closing” at the Easy Street Cafe, on Dec 4th, 5th, 11th, and 12th, which are Fridays and Saturdays respectively. The show starts at 9:30pm. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door or in advance at Easy Street Records. Tickets include Coffee and Pie. All of the cast and crew either live in, work in, or are from West Seattle.
“Closing” is about Rowan, who is working at the Catharsis Cafe on its last day of business. Catharsis is a failed art space/coffee shop, and all Rowan wants to do is leave his failures, co-workers, and old lovers behind him. He and the owner are ready to lock up and ship out, but a particularly strange woman appears and asks to tell her story about seals. Despite his impatience, Rowan must reconcile his feelings and allow her to speak.
Dylan says the closing night of “Closing” is already almost sold out – so this weekend’s your best chance to see it. We asked, why Easy Street? Dylan’s reply – “because the play takes place at a cafe. I figured that rather than building or mimicking a set for a cafe, I would just use one. The audience members will be sat at seats in the cafe, and the play will happen in the aisles, at a table, on the stage, and behind the bar.” We also couldn’t resist asking whose pie they’ll serve: The pie is by Janiel’s Alki Pie Company, baked here in West Seattle.
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