West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Best-selling West Seattle author Terry Brooks, a big name in the fantasy-fiction literature world, drew a crowd of more than 60 fans for his annual appearance to read and sign books at Barnes and Noble in Westwood Village today.
Brooks is promoting his latest book, Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff. From his website:
Terry has finished writing both books in the Legends of Shannara duology, which take place five hundred years after the events in The Gypsy Morph. Bearers of the Black Staff, Book One, will be published August 24, 2010!
The book follows on the success of his previous novel, A Princess of Landover (which was “a continuation of the Landover series after the events in Witches’ Brew,” according to his website).
Brooks’ appearance at B&N is an annual tradition that his fans clearly appreciate, and is one of the few local events that we’ve covered five consecutive years since WSB’s launch in 2005. (Read our coverage of his 2009 appearance here). According to B&N assistant manager Sonja, who has also organized Brooks’ readings in recent years, today’s crowd is “one of the biggest we’ve had” for the author, who is “one of the few authors we do these events for. He’s local, and shops here all the time!”
Brooks read excerpts of his work, shared stories, and treated his fans to a free bookmark with a list of his suggested reading order for his various books, which he joked have been “written out of order and confusing to everyone — but this should help.”
In addition to working on some continuations of his previous books, he promised fans “something new” in the next few years — “I’m getting burned out on Shannara and need to put some time into something different.”
When asked about the possibility of film adaptations of his work in the future, Brooks lamented the stop-and-go nature of past negotiations he’s been through. “Everyone talks a good game, but nothing happens,” he sighed. He joked that “my kids always say ‘look what happened to Tolkien!'” in reference to the famous Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, whose works made theatrical millions long after his passing in 1973.
Brooks thanked those in attendance for their dedication, and sat down afterward to sign books and meet with his fans.
(Photos and Video by Christopher Boffoli)
The Providence Mount St. Vincent outdoor-concert series is a wrap for this year – after The Haggis Brothers‘ performance at The Mount tonight. A few people in the audience were bundled up against the breezy late-summer evening. But the band’s Bluegrass and Western Swing music (and a barbecue dinner) definitely warmed up the crowd.
This is one of two major outdoor-music series in West Seattle – the other, the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha (co-sponsored by WSB), concludes next Thursday, with the hometown favorite West Seattle Big Band playing on the east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center at 6:30 pm. (In the meantime, there’s a bonus concert – The Board of Education, half of a crowd-delighting Hiawatha double bill Tuesday before last, will perform at Alki Playfield Tuesday night at 6.)
As summer sails closer to its sunset, it’s the return of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, topped by the West Seattle Outdoor Movies finale showing of rainout-rescheduled “Star Trek,” at dusk Saturday night in the Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) courtyard … There’s a summer finale tonight too, the last of the Outdoor Concerts at The Mount, with The Haggis Brothers, (optional) dinner at 5, (free) concert at 6 … But the weekend’s biggest event is Sunday morning on Alki, with Northwest Hope and Healing benefiting from the Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run (online signup deadline 11 am today!) … Even more going on – like Seattle Parks’ “Big Day of Play” on Saturday, with free shuttles from West Seattle – just click ahead for this week’s West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Café and Club (with weekend delights including brunch both days, live music both nights)!Read More
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
If you drove through The Junction tonight and spotted the huge crowd spilling into the street from Easy Street Records – big night for music fans. The store hosted – free! – the public debut of Fistful of Mercy, a new group with three names you might recognize: Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur, and Dhani Harrison. Hundreds showed up for a glimpse and a listen:
Fistful of Mercy is based in Venice, California. They’ve got a website – but it looks like you’ll find out about them right now on the band’s Facebook page. ADDED 10:17 PM: From comments, here’s video shot and uploaded to YouTube by “k”:
And Christopher’s clip from the crowd-in-the-street perspective:
A onetime Junction eyesore is getting a big dose of beautification. We told you two weeks ago about the High Point Community Center-supervised mural-creation project, making paintings that would be put up in the passageway on the west side of California SW in The Junction, near Northwest Art & Frame and Puerto Vallarta – now, they’re up, after some hard work by volunteers on Wednesday.
Among those putting up the murals were Marc Patnode, daughter Annie, Liz Schroeder from the West Seattle Junction Association staff, and High Point CC’s new Small Scholars Academy early-education program teacher Roxanne Brown.
A dedication plaque will go up soon, and the walkway path itself will be repainted too, to complete the facelift, which should be done sometime next month.
With 13 Seattle communities having regular art walks, including West Seattle, even devoted art lovers might have trouble keeping track. That’s why City Councilmember Nick Licata‘s office just launched a new website spotlighting them all – click the neighborhood name and you’ll get more information on its art walk. See the new site here. (The next West Seattle Art Walk, by the way, is just two weeks from tonight, on Sept. 9th.)
(Photo courtesy Toni Reineke, Westside Symphonette)
Westside Symphonette “welcomes all musicians – beginning to advanced, young to antique.” So writes its founder/co-conductor Toni Reineke in her announcement of its new season, which starts September 14th. If you’re interested in being part of this community orchestra, it’s registering musicians now. Read on for the full announcement:Read More
If you saw our “tour new Fire Station 37” story in the first few hours after we published it, you haven’t seen the postscript – one day after our tour, artist Pete Beeman – commissioned three years ago to create a sculpture for the site, under the city’s 1% for Art program – installed his work outside the station, along 35th SW. (Thanks yet again to Michael Oxman for sending a photo last night – we went back for our own a little while ago.) There’s little information about the sculpture online, so we e-mailed Beeman today to ask about its name, its inspiration, and even – as asked by a commenter – whether it has moving parts. He replied:
It is called “Lifter.” It has a crank at the bottom, which raises and lowers the polished arms.
There are a few concrete references to fire fighting equipment in the piece. The tower borrows its form from the “jaws of life” tool FFs use to open crunched car doors; the 5-sided nut shape around each shaft is borrowed from the 5-sided nut on fire hydrants.
Below is something I wrote about it when I was proposing the project. It is an abstract project, and I hope that people will bring their own visual vocabulary to it, project their own references onto it, but below are a few of the images that it kicks up for me.
“At times the sculpture looks a bit like a tree or an umbrella, metaphors for the sheltering, protective role the Fire Fighters play in a community. Other times it seems to be a bird form, a metaphor for the rising soaring hope that Fire Fighters provide a community in a crisis, whether it is helping maintain fire and health safety in daily life, or dealing with health and fire crises. It is heavy and mechanical, like much of the equipment standard to fire fighting, the moving tubes similar to a (unreachable) ladder at one point in their cycle. Finally, the image of the phoenix rising from the ashes of a fire comes to mind in its rising form, as its tubes are cranked all the way up. This is a perfect image or metaphor for the firefighters work, it is their work that breaks the crisis and allows people to recover, to move on.”
Closer look:
You can see more of Pete Beeman’s work here.
Once again this year, the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival plans screenings in West Seattle – Oct. 21-22 (updated dates from organizers) at Admiral Theater, during the final days of the Oct. 15-24 festival. This’ll be the festival’s third year with WS dates. We got first word from the festival’s volunteer coordinator Kevin Fansler, who also sent word they’re looking for volunteer help, with an orientation coming up Sept. 26 – read on for more on what kind of help they need:Read More
11 days after the first word of the many ways you – and/or your kid(s) – can participate in Alki Family Fun Day on Sunday, September 12, a whimsical new video has just been made as another way to get the word out that they’ve still got spots for youth talent-show participants (as well as sponsors, vendors, and community groups). Early signup is especially vital for the talent show because they’re planning on one or two rehearsals. (Antonio Fernandez, who stars in the video with Izzy Krainick, is the talent show’s emcee and director.) The talent show will be part of a day also including a dog parade and concert. If you are interested in participating, e-mail Libby ASAP at libby@carrbiz.com – or call her at 206-938-8721.
SO much going on! In order of start time, some of the highlights:
BIG BONANZA: Just look for the red bandanas and balloons at dozens of stores in The Junction to see who’s part of today’s Big Bonanza end-of-summer sale organized by the West Seattle Junction Association (WSB sponsor) – and check this list before you go. Stop by Big Bonanza HQ in front of KeyBank at Walk-All-Ways to pick up coupons (like these) you can use at many of the participating businesses – or to be part of the water showdown at high noon! Sale starts at 10 am and runs till 5 pm.
ART FAIR AT LIFE CARE CENTER: Visitors of all ages are welcome 10 am-2 pm at Life Care Center (4700 SW Admiral) for art displays, a free barbecue lunch, kids’ activities, and more, all detailed on the official flyer.
REGISTRATION EVENT FOR ALKI BEACH 5K: With the walk/run benefiting Northwest Hope and Healing coming up a week from tomorrow, West Seattle Runner (California/Charlestown) is hosting a registration party today, 10 am-2 pm – come sign up for the Alki Beach 5K and enjoy refreshments, a raffle, plus a discount if you’re buying something from WSR while you’re there signing up for the 5K.
ARTS IN NATURE FESTIVAL: The Nature Consortium‘s annual Camp Long extravaganza (5200 35th SW) runs 11 am-9 pm today and 11 am-6 pm Sunday. You will find interactive art in the woods, music in the (newly renovated) lodge, aerial dance by The Cabiri (shown in Catherine Anstett‘s photo at left) in the meadow, among many other things. Find the schedule here.
PICNIC AT THE PRECINCT: It’s really more like a street festival, with SW Webster closed west of Delridge (map) for booths and displays that also fill the Southwest Precinct‘s parking lot in a celebration/information event put on by West Seattle’s own police HQ. 1-4 pm today, come meet not only local police, but also community volunteers from a variety of local organizations. And you never know what you’ll see – SPD usually brings out everything from Mounted Patrol horses to a remote-controlled robot.
HAMS AT THE LIGHTHOUSE: A couple weeks ago, the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club shared the story of “activating” Alki Lighthouse as part of a worldwide event – but they had to do it from a tent at Alki Beach Park. Today, they will actually be set up AT the lighthouse, and are inviting everyone to come by and get a firsthand look and listen. 1-4 pm (also one of your last chances to tour the lighthouse this summer).
FUNDRAISER FOR SAILOR’S FAMILY: 5-10 pm tonight at Alki Crab and Fish (Seacrest Pier), proceeds from beer/wine sales and raffles go to the family of Petty Officer Jarod Newlove, the West Seattle sailor killed recently in Afghanistan.
‘UP’ AT WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES: Second-to-last WSOM show of the summer! Come get carried away with the animated hit – AND enjoy a free barbecue courtesy of West Seattle Christian Church/Preschool (6:30 pm till the food runs out). Movie’s free, at dusk. Bring your own chair/blanket – and also consider money for tonight’s raffle to benefit Family Promise of Seattle (which helps homeless families but, as first reported here, has had to shut down because of $ shortage).
WALK ON, JAYME! The amazing story of Jayme Miller‘s sudden paralysis and fight to walk again has made news all over Western Washington, because of her friends’ decision to plan a fundraiser to help with her massive medical bills. That event is tonight at Rocksport in The Junction, starting at 7:30 pm – centered on a silent auction for which they’ve collected some terrific donations. Here’s the Facebook event page.
Even more on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!
(P.S. And just outside of West Seattle – South Park is throwing a party at Duwamish Waterway Park 11 am-3 pm, community garage sale and free barbecue, to raise money for Wi-Fi – details on FB.)
Earlier this week, Elvis Presley fans remembered “The King” on the 33rd anniversary of his death – and tonight, Danny Vernon is re-creating “The Illusion of Elvis” for Providence Mount St. Vincent‘s summer outdoor-concert series.
Missed him? Here’s his calendar of future performances. The Mount’s series wraps up next Friday with the bluegrass/Western swing/Celtic sounds of The Haggis Brothers.
In addition to tonight’s outdoor concert at The Mount (previewed at the end of this story), three more big events on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
YOUNGSTOWN SHOWCASE: Young artists’ work is showcased during “Youth Out Loud” 6-8 pm tonight at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – free! The preview promises film, music, photography, and more.
Meantime, young actors will be on stage in The Junction all weekend:
(Photo courtesy Edgar Riebe of Captive Eye Media)
‘THE BIRDS’ AT ARTSWEST: Young actors who’ve spent much of the summer in classes and rehearsals at ArtsWest are now performing Aristophanes’ “The Birds,” the contemporary adaptation of a 2,400-year-old story rife with social and political commentary as well as comedy, with shows scheduled tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3 pm.
(Photo courtesy Twelfth Night Productions)
‘HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING,’ FINAL WEEKEND: Catch this one yet? Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) performers tell the musical tale of climbing the corporate ladder, with three more performances at West Seattle High School Theater – 7:30 pm tonight and tomorrow, 3 pm Sunday.
Wide-eyed wonder and all-out jumping for joy were alternating behaviors for the hundreds of young showgoers in Thursday night’s record-breaking crowd for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series. This time it was a double-bill of kids-music specialists, beginning with West Seattle’s own Caspar Babypants, who as usual mixed storytelling with song – and audience participation, as you’ll see and hear in our video clip:
After watching all that jumping and bouncing from the stage, Caspar Babypants’ Chris Ballew took a leap himself:
Afterward – the rock-star-turned-kids’-music-icon sold CDs and granted autograph requests at one of the lawn-ringing tables:
By the way, if you enjoy Ballew’s other work – with the Presidents of the United States of America – you can watch him sing a selection of POTUSA songs at a benefit concert at Camp Long at 5 pm Sunday, during this weekend’s Arts-in-Nature Festival at Camp Long ($25 concert tickets available here) – and earlier Sunday, as part of the festival, it’s a Caspar Babypants performance at Camp Long Lodge. Meantime, we spotted another local luminary offstage at Thursday night’s concert:
Radio-to-web personality Marty Riemer was there with his entire family entourage. Back toward the stage, the intermission between acts featured ballroom-dancing lessons for elegant young dancers:
Then back to the rock ‘n’ roll. You gotta love a band that sings “when 8 takes a nap it’s infinity”:
That’s the Board of Education with at least one West Seattleite in their ranks. One more note about the night – WestSide Baby was there, collecting diapers:
ANA provided free face painters and popsicles as special treats. Next Thursday night, it’s Camille Bloom – same time (6:30 pm), same price (free). And there’s more outdoor music in West Seattle tomorrow night – the third of this summer’s four Outdoor Concerts at The Mount at Providence Mount St. Vincent – Danny Vernon’s Illusion of Elvis. Concert’s at 6, and free; come early and buy dinner starting at 5, if you want – fried chicken, burgers, hot dogs will be available. (And for kids – a clown and face-painter.)
Thanks to Pamela from Nico and Zoe Toys and Machel from Spence Photography for sharing photos from the arts/crafts fair under way right now at C & P Coffee – it’s on till 3 pm, another great place to get out of the heat! (It’s an indoor/outdoor event.)
5612 California SW, by the way.
An additional place to stay cool tonight, with that “heat advisory” kicking in a few hours from now – air-conditioned West Seattle High School Theater, where “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” is onstage at 7:30 tonight and 3 pm tomorrow (plus next Friday/Saturday/Sunday). Anna from Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) shared the photo of Kyla Phillips and Clementine proprietor Linda Walsh, who have cameos in tonight’s performance. Tickets are available online (or at the door pre-show).
Everyone’s familiar with West Seattle’s famous murals of historic scenes, mostly in The Junction (including the recently removed-and-replaced “Press Day“). Soon, new art will join the connection, courtesy of local youths. We caught up with the young artists for these photos during a recent work period at High Point’s Commons Park.
High Point Community Center‘s Rebecca Hall explains the project:
High Point staff is overseeing a mural project at Commons Park. The theme is past, present, and future. It was teen led, designed, and executed. It incorporates soccer, different ethnicities (including a hajib on one of the girls), local industries such as Boeing, and local attractions such as the Space Needle. There were a total of 46 different youth who worked on the mural project over the past three weeks. Youth ranged in age from 8 to 18 with the majority falling between the ages of 9 and 14. The mural will be complete after the youth add in writing what they want to be when they grow up on the panels. The mural will then be sealed and with the assistance of the Junction Association it will be installed in the walkway between California Avenue and the parking lot behind merchants in the Alaska Junction.
We hope to get an installation date firmed up soon. The Junction Association is having the hallway painted before the new murals are installed.
That’s the walkway in the block between Edmunds and Alaska, near Northwest Art and Frame.
Today we’re welcoming one of our newest sponsors, Dick Cady, who offers piano lessons in West Seattle to both beginners and advanced students. 
It’s a WSB tradition for new sponsors to get the chance to let you know about their business; Dick says he tries to create the right environment to help students learn: “One of the things I hear from my students often is, ‘This is exactly what I wanted to know.’ I’ve been teaching for some time, and knowing when to teach something is as important as knowing what to teach. Also, my students often say how much fun they are having. I like to have fun and laugh in the lesson too. Whether it’s the parent of a beginning child or an older transfer student, an adult who has been playing a long time or one who is just starting, most people seek me out because they have heard from a friend how much they’ve learned. I’m always honored to get a recommendation from a student. I think they keep coming because there is always more to learn in music – and this goes for me too – and because of the supportive atmosphere.” Dick also has experience working with students who have performed in national and regional competitions. Just this part spring, two of his students who are part of the Garfield High School Jazz Band received Outstanding Soloist awards at the Essentially Ellington competition in New York. Over the past 10 years he has sent several students to that festival, while some of his middle schoolers have received awards at festivals and competitions closer to home. Piano teacher Dick Cady is online at dickcady.com; by phone, he’s at 206-762-8679.
We thank piano teacher Dick Cady for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
By one count, more than 500 people sprawled out across the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center tonight for the season’s third installment of “Summer Concerts at Hiawatha,” presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, whose president Katy Walum‘s shoulders you’re looking over in the top photo. On stage, Pearl Django:
As usual, lots of families – check out the stroller lineup:
As mentioned in our preview earlier, the “cooler on wheels” featuring Full Tilt Ice Cream was there, and next week will feature the Buns on Wheels burger truck. Tonight, there was some unofficial neighborhood awareness-raising going on – we spotted opponents of the 3200 block of California rezoning proposal – with its pivotal public hearing coming up next Wednesday downtown (here’s our coverage archive topped by the newest stories)
We’re told, however, that this was not an authorized table – tabling at the series has been reserved for sponsors (which include WSB, though tonight because so much was going on, we just dropped by for photos/video.) Meantime, as big as tonight’s crowd was, next week just might beat it – a double bill of family music by Caspar Babypants and The Board of Education. (6:30 pm Thursday as usual) – admission free as always, but donations will be collected for WestSide Baby: Bring diapers, kids’ essentials, or even $ to donate.
P.S. More West Seattle free outdoor music tomorrow night – the second of four Outdoor Concerts at The Mount, south side of Providence Mount St. Vincent, dinner offerings go on sale at 5 pm, music starts at 6 with Maia Santell and House Blend.
(October 2009 YouTube clip of Pearl Django)
Tonight at 6:30, east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center, bring your chair(s)/blanket(s) for the next free Summer Concerts at Hiawatha presentation – the jazz/swing of Pearl Django with guest vocalist Greta Matassa. The series is presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, whose president Katy Walum has been working on fulfilling a frequent request for food vendors – and one debuts tonight, she tells WSB: “Icecycle will be there (a ‘cooler on wheels’) selling Full Tilt ice cream bars, Otter Pops, and water bottles.” Then next Thursday, a full-fledged food truck – the new Buns On Wheels truck with organic/grass-fed/free-range-beef burgers, which has been spending weekends on Alki, will come to Hiawatha on concert nights. Meantime, the PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) Kid Picks truck with samples is back tonight (PCC’s a major sponsor of the series; all sponsors, including WSB, are listed here). The concert series continues Thursday nights through Sept. 2; the full lineup’s here.
Tonight through Sunday, you have five more chances to see young performers sing and act their hearts out with vigorous verbosity, as part of the ArtsWest Musical Theater Academy, as they present “Seussical Jr.” Get a quick preview in the video created by Edgar Riebe from West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media. Check out the cast list and info here; showtimes are 7:30 pm tonight through Saturday, 3 pm Saturday and Sunday. (Tickets are on sale online.)
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
After a mostly cloudy day, the golden evening sunshine was a perfect complement to the first of four Outdoor Concerts at The Mount last night. The concertgoers’ soundtrack for The Macarena, above, was courtesy of featured musicians Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana, below:
Taking a elevated view of Providence Mount St. Vincent‘s south-side courtyard, you can see the sizable turnout:
Next Friday night, it’s Maia Santell & House Blend on stage (free), with jambalaya, burgers, and hot dogs available for dinner (purchase). And for kids – a bouncy house, face painter, and caricature artist. Gates open 5 pm, music at 6. Full 4-week lineup here. (Before Friday arrives, of course, it’ll be the third edition of Summer Concerts at Hiawatha next Thursday night, with Pearl Django and guest vocalist Greta Matassa, 6:30 pm, more info here.)
Thanks to Dave G for the tip – we’re just back from confirming, and photographing, the fact that the “Press Day” mural is going back up on the north side of the Terry Gangon Insurance Agency building in The Junction right now. We’ve reported on its “disappearance” the past two days – Ken Beres sent us a note wondering what happened; the agency told us it was removed so work could be done on their building, but promised it would be back – and this is even sooner than they’d said! The photo is also proof of something we’d heard but hadn’t been previously aware of – some of the two-decades-old West Seattle murals are on removable panels. The crew here says they’ll be done within a few hours. (Thanks again to Ken and Dave for sharing the news – here’s how to reach WSB any time.)
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