West Seattle, Washington
05 Saturday
#1, second Thursday of the month means Junction Art Walk night. Haven’t received the full lineup from the fine folks at Divina yet, but got a heads-up from participating WS artist Kelly Rae Cunningham, who says she’ll have collage work @ Clementine.
#2, wondering what’s up with Fauntleroy Place? Will Schuck’s/Hancock ever come down, so Whole Foods etc. can go up? Next stage in the process is the Southwest Design Review Board meeting Thursday, 6:30 pm @ the Southwest Precinct. (We can’t go but would love postable notes — we’ll give you a byline if you want — from anyone who can.)
If you have time to do more than sit around plotting a party for the early start of Daylight-Saving Time next weekend (or St. P’s Day, beyond), here’s what you can do THIS weekend (after the jump):Read More
One month after our last post on the controversy over the city’s proposed crackdown on “nightlife” businesses — the so-called “nightlife premises legislation” — opponents and supporters are about to get their day before a City Council committee. Opponents, including West Seattle restaurateurs whom you would never consider to be “nightclub” operators, contend this law will hurt their businesses and your/our right to patronize them — so they’re pleading for backup at the meeting (9:30 am Thursday, City Hall downtown) to make sure they’re not outnumbered by community groups (reportedly mostly from other parts of the city) who have rallied in support of the law. If you can’t be there in person, here’s how to contact council members to let them know what you think. If you want to read the whole ordinance for yourself, here it is.
So much going on this weekend (and slightly beyond), we couldn’t resist. Full list ‘n’ links on the next click.Read More
On the heels of yesterday’s biodiesel-mania, this seems to fit into a bit of a theme. Tonight at Camp Long, you can check out a free screening (donations welcome) of “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, with guests on hand from FlexCar, GreenCar, and the Seattle EV Association.
We’ve been slacking lately on our previously reliable Friday roundups of weekend events. Luckily, today, Alki’s contributor to Metroblogging Seattle, C Ro, did it for us — although with a lot more drinking opportunities!
Can’t go out Wednesday night? This Friday, Alki Community Center offers another “Parents’ Night Out” opportunity — they’ll watch 5- to 10-year-olds from 6:30-9 pm, $10/child, but you have to register by this Wednesday. And if you’re thinking, “Great, but what’s there to do Friday night?” we just heard about a splendid, affordable music/dining opportunity — a Chief Sealth HS band benefit at the school, 6-9 pm Friday, featuring music, dinner, and not only the Sealth jazz band, but also the fabulous West Seattle Big Band, $10 per person (under 12 welcome too, $5 each) — no web link on this but 938-3531 is the number for tickets.
Mentioned earlier that Junction Art Walk organizers were hoping to finally get a break from bad weather. Tonight’s the night; forecast’s fine; get out ‘n’ show ’em some love!
The proprietress of Divina writes, “I think that if we have any kind of storm this Thursday, I will cry.” See, the 2nd Thursday is Junction Art Walk night, and the past two “second Thursdays” both were beset with cataclysmic weather (Dec. 14 rain/wind, Jan. 11 snow). But TOMORROW, February’s 2nd Thursday, sounds tame. Which is good, because this Art Walk celebrates young artists. Here’s the list of venues and artists:Read More
Yet another grand-opening date to mention. Thanks to the folks at Friends of Southwest Branch Library for writing to say the branch’s reopening celebration is set for Saturday, March 10. This is the library branch on 35th in the Westwood area; hard to believe construction’s been under way more than a year!
Probably not as sunny as last weekend, but hey, who needed another long walk along the water (sigh) … Today and tomorrow, check out the classes @ PCC West Seattle … This afternoon, the High Point Library screens a documentary about Cambodian refugees in Seattle … Tonight, roll into Friday Night Family Skating @ Alki Community Center … All weekend, “How I Got That Story” continues @ ArtsWest … Saturday night, Camp Long’s offering a winter pottery class for almost all ages (brochure page 12) … Sunday, go to The Junction to look for surprises at the Winter Farmers’ Market (10 am-1 pm, don’t miss the Fuji apples); after that, if you want to avoid everything connected with That Allegedly Big Football Game, it’s the TV-free Anti-Super Bowl Party @ West 5, promising “happy hour pricing” from the moment they open, till 6 pm. (Anything else worth mentioning this weekend? Let us know.)
Every time we see folks tapping away on their laptops at local coffee places, we wonder … student? blogger? or perhaps, author? You might have more reason to suspect the latter at Uptown Espresso in The Junction these days. First, WS radio host/author/blogger John Moe revealed he wrote a lot of “Conservatize Me” there. Now Maritime History Network blogger (and journalist/author) Joe Follansbee is planning a reading/signing there in a few weeks for his new book about the Wawona. (Personally, if we had to choose an out-of-the-house spot to write that surefire bestseller someday, we like the view at Alki Tully’s …)
As computer-glued homebodies, we haven’t followed the simmering fight over the Seattle “nightlife premises ordinance.” But perhaps we should. One WSB reader forwarded us an urgent e-mail from a club in another part of town and suggests several WS establishments have a lot at stake in this too; check the e-mail out (after the jump), take action if you are interested, and please let us know if there’s another point of view on this to spotlight as well:Read More
If you tend to hang around the homefront in the evenings, as we do, you may not be aware that West Seattle’s nightlife goes far beyond, oh, say, “which band’s playing Poggie’s tonight.” For example — after discovering that C and P Coffee, south of The Junction, has just applied for a beer/wine license, we went to the C and P website and realized that makes sense, since the coffeehouse offers live music several nights a week (here’s the calendar).
A brief item at BoingBoing tipped us to the fact that West Seattle author/radio guy John Moe (who snagged the national spotlight last fall with his book “Conservatize Me”) is moving from KUOW to National Public Radio. (The move is confirmed on John’s blog, which is one of the growing list of links on our Other Blogs in WS page.)
A WSB reader at the Seattle Symphony wants everyone to know that not only is the orchestra appearing for free at West Seattle HS Thursday night (as we’ve been mentioning on our WS Events page), you can also catch a free concert tonight in South Park (not that far east of WS). Here’s the scoop on both.
The ice-driving-crash-course forced by Winterfest ’07 delayed this roundup a bit, but we also wanted to mention, we’ve morphed the former Holiday Stuff page into a new WS Events page, and that’s where we’re stacking up calendars and links so you can bookmark the page and check what’s up any ol’ time. (Please e-mail us if you’ve got anything coming up!) Meantime, a few of this weekend’s highlights: Kenyon Hall starts a new “Rainy Day Film Series” (how about dubbing it “Icy Day Film Series” for starters) on Saturdays with one movie this afternoon and one tonight … the 8th annual MLK Hip Hop Show, tonight (Saturday) @ Youngstown Arts Center … The second Winter Farmers’ Market in The Junction, 10 am-1 pm Sunday (even if you’re watching the game, drop by at halftime!) …. just a few of many things happening as we all come out of the post-holiday haze.
The folks @ Divina say they’ve got to call off tonight’s Junction Art Walk, even though they were hoping weather wouldn’t get in its way again (last month, the Art Walk coincided with the 2-inch deluge that preceded The Windstorm To Be Named Later). Not only is the icy weather a problem, today’s power outage got in the way of hors d’oeuvre-making. But, with determined optimism, they’re working on a Youth Art Walk for next month. Dare we hope for calmer weather by then?
Once the wind stops and the (allegedly looming) snow melts … here are 2 things to look ahead to, maybe even look forward to, this coming Thursday: First and foremost, the folks at Divina confirm the monthly Junction Art Walk is indeed on for Thursday night; starts at Divina at 6 pm – maps of participating businesses and artists will be provided – wraps at West 5 with complimentary champagne. Also on Thursday night, if you’re not in the artsy mood, how about the Design Review Board meeting on the project proposed for the burned-out Schuck’s site at California/Charlestown? (6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct, just south of Home Depot)
Power outages and holiday events got in the way, for a while, of our regular Friday morning routine — posting what’s happening around West Seattle in the coming weekend. Today, the roundup’s back. Let’s start with tonight, when High Point Community Center resumes Fabulous Family Fridays with a “toy swap” … also tonight, Twelfth Night Productions’ three-day run of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” begins @ Youngstown Arts Center (tickets here) … tonight, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon, Kenyon Hall’s the spot for the Fox Movietone Follies of ’07 … live music Fri & Sat nites at Skylark Club as usual … Saturday night, the monthly “Rocky Horror” screening takes over the Admiral at midnight … Sunday, the Farmers’ Market is due back for the first “winter market” (hours will be a bit shorter, 10 am-1 pm) … also on Sunday, the monthly meeting of the determined folks you see at and near the FM each week, West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice … What did we leave out? Click the “comment” link on this post, or e-mail us.
Old news to some, since apparently this has been out there for a few weeks, but we just happened onto it while making a periodic check of the site for the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, the organization behind a variety of community improvements including most famously in the past year the Youngstown Arts Center transformation: DNDA’s longtime executive director Paul Fischburg is leaving, and they’re looking for somebody new. (We wrote to ask what he’s moving on to; he forwarded us a copy of his announcement memo, which mentioned that he’s leaving after 10 years with no particular plans, but will enjoy some down time while mulling the future.)
Now that we are finally able to get online (albeit in the dead o’ night), a few more things:
-Time’s running out for a cool way to make your mark on one of the biggest projects in WS right now: pledge $ by New Year’s Eve for a tile at the new West Seattle Food Bank.
-One week left to tell the National Weather Service what to name The Storm.
-If you missed it in comments below, The Cow/Bull/Steer is back (does it have an official name?) atop John’s Corner Deli, after its Dorothy-esque windblown journey during the As Yet Unnamed Storm. Here’s proof:

A dozen places in The Junction are participating in tonight’s Art Walk, 6-8 pm, starting at Divina, with beverages and hors d’oeuvres. We’ve got the complete list of participants and artists, thanks to Divina.Read More
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