West Seattle, Washington
23 Monday
One of our newest sponsors is throwing a party this weekend, and as we welcome them to WSB sponsorship, they’re welcoming you to a party: Sunday marks the grand-opening celebration for Bridge Park, the new retirement community offering “gracious retirement living” in High Point, at 3204 SW Morgan (map). Here’s what Bridge Park‘s management wants you to know: Bridge Park is a new 156-unit independent living retirement community managed by Holiday Retirement of Salem, OR, the nation’s leading provider of independent senior housing. “We are very excited about providing outstanding senior housing in West Seattle’s newly redeveloped High Point community,” says Ray Harris; he and wife Kathy make up one of two on-site management teams. “Bridge Park will be a major part of the senior community by providing a vast array of social events and activities for all seniors to enjoy.” One of Bridge Park‘s special features is that it’s pet-friendly — pets are very much welcome, and NO deposits are required for residents who have pets. We talked on video with one of Bridge Park‘s first residents, Claudia Enlow, who has two dogs and a cat:
Bridge Park says its other community amenities — besides pet-friendliness — include live-in management teams, three meals chef-prepared for scratch daily, weekly housecleaning and linen service, scheduled local transportation and diverse activities, special events, and volunteer opportunities. One more note: Suites are available on a month-to-month rental basis, with no long-term leases involved. You can get an up-close look during the grand-opening event on Sunday — guided tours will be offered, along with door-prize drawings, refreshments, and live entertainment; festivities are scheduled to run from 11 am to 5 pm Sunday, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 pm. Bridge Park‘s phone number is 206/938-6394. You can see the full lineup of current WSB sponsors here, along with information on how to join them!
When we broke the news last week about Zeeks Pizza moving into the ex-Corner Inn, somebody asked about the ex-Beveridge Place Pub next door (vacated when BPP moved a few steps north to the ex-Video Vault); we published this blurb about that three months ago, but we didn’t include anywhere near the amount of info about co-proprietor Jeff Gilbert that you’ll find in the P-I profile published this afternoon. (Not too much in there about the Feedback Lounge, though, save Gilbert’s description of it as a “rock ‘n’ roll bar.”
That’s the subject line on this note just out of the WSB inbox, from Marco:
Just got off the 21 bus in Downtown. In West Seattle a youth thought he had to entertain the back of the bus with loud music from his speakers. Of course, he turned it down every time the bus stopped, so the driver wouldn’t hear.
After we crossed the bridge a lady doing crosswords finally had enough and asked him to use headphones instead. But she was ignored, so a male passenger tapped the guy’s shoulder and ask him to turn it down.
Now the ‘musician’ was ready to pick a fight, because somebody touched him and two of his friends were quick to show support, shouting obscenities and threats, while other passengers announces solidarity with the ‘tapper’.
Eventually, the bus driver heard the commotion at the end of the bus and announced with good humor that he would stay at the bus stop and call somebody to mediate. Faced with a delay and a possible run-in with the authorities the ‘music-gang’ left the bus, under cheerful good-byes from the rest of the passengers.
I just want to say thank you to everybody that kept cool and a bus driver that skillfully defused the situation. I really appreciate having no violence on my Monday morning commute ;)
We’ll explain the photo in a minute (you probably recognize the guy on the left). We took it this morning at Hotwire Coffee (WSB’s very first sponsor), which is celebrating its 6th anniversary in West Seattle this month. As part of the festivities, Hotwire’s having a weekly “Barista Balderdash Smackdown” with brain-teaser quiz questions – guess the meaning of a specific uncommon word, for example. A new Smackdown starts tomorrow; tomorrow Hotwire’s also offering a few other deals – including a chair massage/latte deal, 20-minute massage plus 12-ounce latte for $15, 9 am-3 pm tomorrow as well as the next two Saturdays (9/13 and 9/20). Oh, as for the photo? Baristas Blayne (of “Project Runway” fame) and Mary are shown with Mr. Manatee, loaned to Hotwire by WSB when we heard one of the Barista Smackdown topics had something to do with manatees’ genetic makeup. Just go see for yourself (if somehow you’ve never been to Hotwire – just past the Junction Post Office, on the east side of California just south of Genesee).
(photos courtesy Chris Porter)
As the Republican National Convention heads into its final night, we’ve just received a firsthand report from one of three West Seattleites who were delegates to the Democratic National Convention. It occurred to us way too late that we should have arranged with local delegates to send back in-progress reports … Chris Porter of Fauntleroy must have been reading our minds, as his story and photos just landed in the WSB inbox even without us having asked. (Haven’t seen any evidence of West Seattle Republicans in Minnesota – but if you know of one, have ’em give us a shout.) Here’s what he has to say, and show:Read More
That’s the group of zombie wannabes who turned out for the first practice of the West Seattle “Thrill the World” group, tonight at Ginomai right before the weekly “Project Runway” viewing party. It’s not too late to get involved — you can show up next Wednesday at 8 pm; that’s the weekly rehearsal time, leading up to the October 25 performance as part of the world-record attempt. Now, as for “Project Runway,” we’re still in no-home-page-spoilers mode, so click ahead to see how tonight’s episode went for Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) barista Blayne, and what Blayne’s boss had to say about it afterward:Read More
TODAY: First day of school for Seattle Public Schools (and some private schools too). Two big headlines: Chief Sealth High School starts the first of two years relocated to the Boren campus (5950 Delridge) because of renovation/construction work at its permanent campus; Denny Middle School will host Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson and Mayor Nickels at the district’s biggest media event du jour, a 10 am back-to-school news conference. (One more note: The old Hughes school on 34th SW is empty again this year; South Lake High School moved to its new building in the Rainier Valley.)
TONIGHT: The latest information on the transportation projects about to affect West Seattle in a big way are part of the agenda at the Southwest/Delridge District Councils‘ joint meeting, 7 pm at Youngstown Arts Center, everyone invited.
TONIGHT: The first rehearsal for West Seattleites who want to help “Thrill the World” next month is at 8 pm at Ginomai (SW corner of 42nd/Genesee; here’s the story behind the team, which you’re welcome to join; here’s the official blog, with links to what they’ll be practicing tonight).
TONIGHT: Right after that, same place, it’s the next viewing party for “Project Runway,” in which Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) barista Blayne is still alive and kicking, er, designing. Show’s on the big screen at 9 pm.
More events for today/tonight/beyond are on the WSB Events Calendar. (Is yours missing? Please e-mail us!)
The photos and report come from proud dad Edgar Riebe:
West Seattle was the site of a young boy’s dream of starting a restaurant. It was a huge success, the food was well-received, and a good time was had by all the “patrons,” including friends and neighbors! The event was today, Sept. 1 @ 10 am.
The Chef
Eston Riebe
6 years old, Lafayette Elementary first-grader
He has loved cooking since he was very little. He really wanted to start a restaurant so the rest of the family jumped in to help.
He designed the menu, and helped cook all of the food. He even took all of the orders and served the food!The Restaurant
The restaurant was a benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank, and served breakfast to about 30 hungry people.
Our guests filled a barrel with donations — according to the West Seattle Food Bank, 40% of those who benefit from the food bank are children under the age of 18.
C & P Coffee on California Avenue donated coffee beans, cups and lids for the “food-raiser.” Thanks, C & P!
Click here to see the menu offered to guests; and here’s one more photo, where you see the young restaurateur waiting on guests:
From the Times: Moses “Moe” Beerman, who helped in the creation of West Seattle’s wonderful murals, has died. His memorial is set for Fauntleroy Church on September 29th — which would have been his 88th birthday. The Times story notes that not only did he work on the murals, he also designed the fabled Hi-Yu float featured in the Junction Post Office mural shown above. ADDED 2:47 PM: From Judy Pickens:
As a tribute to Moe Beerman’s artistic talent and humor, Fauntleroy Church is putting together a collection of his cartoons to display at his memorial service and keep up for awhile afterward. Anyone who has a particularly cherished example of his work (card, poster, or ?) and would be willing to have it scanned and reproduced for the show should call the church office at 932-5600 or email info@fauntleroyucc.org by Sept. 19. One or two sentences about the cartoon (occasion, year) would be great, as well.
(The Michael Jackson original is unembeddable, so we’re showing the Star Wars version instead)
The summer may be over but a thrilling new round of fun has begun, per Lora Lewis from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), who just announced … she’s putting together a dance team to “join the Thrill the World Guinness Book of World Records event!” — thousands (millions?) of people doing the “Thriller” dance in groups, worldwide. The team’s already got a blog (check it out here; looks like Blayne of “Project Runway” fame is involved too) – plus the date for the first rehearsal: This Wednesday, 8-9 pm, Ginomai (southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee; that’s conveniently right before this week’s PR viewing party) — you’re invited — just RSVP by sending Lora a note at lora@hotwirecoffee.com. Subsequent rehearsals will be the same day/time each week; the Seattle event for Thrill the World, at which time this team will strut its stuff, is 11 am October 25. Lora’s already registered the team so as she puts it — “all you need to do is show up and dance!” (and she has a step-by-step video, so don’t worry if you’ve never done it before). More at the team’s blog (thrilltheworldws.blogspot.com), and the official worldwide website is thrilltheworld.com.
Spotted quite the lineup along California SW between Alaska and Morgan Junctions this morning, so we stopped for pix: The Westenders Scooter Club (mentioned here during the Sustainable West Seattle Festival in May) stopped at C&P Coffee during their weekend-long “Tour di Mari” rally — as the Westenders’ website explains it, this is “… the famous Water Ride … perfected during Amerivespa 2007.” (You might recall multiple scooter-group sightings during that mega-gathering.) Members told WSB they were heading toward Des Moines after the coffee-shop stop.
You can find out lots more about the club online at westenders.org.
That’s Addie Killam of Highland Park, getting ready to ride her new hand-operated bike along Alki this morning. If Addie’s name sounds familiar but you just can’t quite place it – we first told you about her in this April report, when news came that she had become paralyzed after a freak surfing injury. Later, friends, family, neighbors, and WSB’ers worked to help fix up a house so she could come home to West Seattle this past June after weeks of rehab in a Colorado hospital. Now, Addie’s in training for a special Mike Utley Foundation fundraising ride coming up in about a month. Along the Alki bike path, we talked to her for a moment before her training ride this morning:
The Mike Utley Foundation raises money “to find a cure for paralysis”; Utley’s story is detailed here — he is a Seattle native who was a football star at Burien’s John F. Kennedy High School and then at WSU, followed by two years in the NFL, till the injury that paralyzed him in 1991. He underwent rehab at the same place in Craig, Colorado, where Addie spent time earlier this year. Now he lives in Wenatchee, where she’ll be riding her new bike in the 50-mile Dam2Dam on September 27:
Addie’s looking for sponsors for next month’s ride; to find out how to help, check out this post on the blog about her ongoing recovery – it’s got full details on what to do (you can also go directly to this page on the Mike Utley Foundation website – just make sure you fill in Addie Killam’s name).
That’s what West Seattle-residing mega-best-selling author Terry Brooks told a standing-room-only audience last night at Westwood Village Barnes and Noble: While he’s on tour to promote the newly released third book in his “Genesis of Shannara” series, the book he just finished writing – yesterday! – is the first addition in a decade-plus to his “Magic Kingdom” books (catalogued on his website as “Landover”). Last night’s event marked the third consecutive year he brought his book tour to “his neighborhood store,” as B&N-WV community-relations manager Robin Ennis-Cantwell called it. Ahead, listen to Brooks talk about what else he sees ahead, and about a book his playwright sister has just published:Read More
How’d he do in a crazy fashion challenge about car parts? Read on:Read More
Two events of note: Best-selling author Terry Brooks, who lives in West Seattle, is making his annual appearance at Barnes and Noble in Westwood Village tonight (here’s our preview; here’s our coverage of his appearances last year and the year before). 6:30 pm; he’s promoting the third book in his “Genesis of Shannara” series, “The Gypsy Morph.” Also tonight, it’s the weekly viewing party to root for Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) barista Blayne in “Project Runway”; you’re welcome at Ginomai (42nd/Genesee), doors open 8 pm, show’s on the big screen at 9. And one more note from the WSB Events calendar: Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle offers a free canning class, all ages welcome, at the Senior Center, 6:30 pm.
Three people were murdered in West Seattle in 2007. Two of the three people arrested in those three cases are still awaiting trial — but if a hearing downtown tomorrow goes as expected, one will enter a plea rather than facing a jury. The suspect is 45-year-old Brian Sheridan Walsh; the victim was 44-year-old Harold Benjamin (“Benny”) Reside, a West Seattle native, developmentally disabled and using a wheelchair, viciously beaten to death in his Cal-Mor Circle apartment in April 2007. His sister and brother-in-law have been involved with the case against Benny’s alleged killer every step of the way since – and today, on the eve of the expected plea hearing, they sat down with WSB to tell their story:Read More
First, from Sharon:
About a week and a half ago I lost my drivers license and credit card while walking with a friend on Thistle. I thought it was lost for good. On top of losing my things, I knew my old address was listed on my driver’s license so it was unlikely I would get it back.
A very kind neighbor took the time to figure out my new address and knocked on my door the next morning and returned it to me. He told me his wife had found it jogging. I just wanted to say thanks to this couple!! They were so honest and truly went out of their way to help another person. THANKS so much, NEIGHBOR! It is good neighbors like you who can truly make this a great community in which to live.
Next one’s from Gillian – but first, you should know the backstory on this one, because it played out on the WSB Pets page, which is mostly seen only by those who lose and find pets. Gillian’s dog was one of more than a few West Seattle pets that bolted during the big storm yesterday; we got several notes about sightings, this morning and this afternoon, and posted them to the Pets page, as well as calling Gillian at one point to make sure she got the word — now Mandy is home, and Gillian sent this home:
Thanks so much to everyone for all of their help and concern. Without the great tips from each one of you, we would have been looking miles off course. West Seattle Bloggers are the best!
You are, indeed.
The storm lifted just in time to make sure this group didn’t need boats to navigate West Seattle streets on their way to a get-together tonight in Westwood where they sorted school supplies as part of Pencil Me in For Kids, for delivery later this week – with the start of school just days away! Left to right: In front, Jeanne Arvidson, and Sue Lindblom from Illusions Hair Design [WSB sponsor]; second row, Cathy Rouyer, Josh Sutton from West Seattle Family YMCA [WSB sponsor], Al Rouyer, Guthrie Sutton, Chris Rouyer; according to the PMiFK website, Sue brought the program to the Rotary Club of West Seattle eight years ago, and now it’s one of their major annual beneficiaries.
As the Democratic National Convention starts today in Denver, here’s the West Seattle lineup as we know it: For one, we know Mayor Nickels is there, because County Executive Ron Sims tweeted (posted to his Twitter feed) about it. Also, the 34th District Democrats had previously mentioned Chris Porter and Kimber McCreery were going (more on the 34th DDs’ home page), as well as a 34th DD’er who’s from Vashon, 18-year-old Nick Bordner. This is the culmination of a long process that started way back with those well-attended caucuses on February 9 and then the 34th District caucuses on April 5 (our in-person coverage stopped there); we’ll let you know if we find online diaries or blogs from any of the local attendees.
We told you about the big event the other night, but never did get around to asking for an electronic copy of the full recipient list. The P-I has put one up tonight, along with capsule descriptions of everyone’s achievements, and it’s pretty cool to read; check it out here. (Also includes one West Seattle recipient we missed in our report: Carol Madaio, who found a lost child on a busy WS street.) The event’s organizer, Cathy Wenderoth (who is a West Seattleite too!), kindly sent our official photo too; it’s now on our About page.
Still adhering to the “no spoilers on the home page” rule. Still going to the weekly “Project Runway” viewing parties at Ginomai, just around the corner from Blayne’s place-o-employment, Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). So read on for a few lines on how Blayne did tonight and what his Hotwire boss Lora Lewis had to say about it:Read More
In case you lost track of this somewhere along the way — Blayne the barista from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) is still in the running as the latest season of “Project Runway” arrives at its sixth episode tonight; after designing for Brooke Shields last week and Olympic athletes the week before that, tonight’s challenge involves creating something for drag queens. Must-see TV, on the big screen at Ginomai (bring a dessert to share and see what other sweet treats turn up) on the southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee, doors open @ 8 pm, show’s on at 9.
That short video clip shows Cindi Barker, of Morgan Community Association and so many other endeavors, accepting a Seattle Police Department Citizen Appreciation Award from Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske tonight at City Hall (and toward the end of the clip, you see Mark Howard from the Emergency Preparedness Bureau). Cindi was honored for her tireless emergency-preparedness work, from the West Seattle-wide preparedness meeting in summer 2007, to the neighborhood-meeting-place events this spring/summer). Cindi was one of six West Seattleites (by our count) receiving the annual awards tonight, including your WSB co-publishers, and there were dozens more from around the city, including some with amazing stories:Read More
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