West Seattle, Washington
12 Tuesday
After 25 years, the executive director of the Senior Center of West Seattle, Karen Sisson (WSB file photo at right), is suddenly out. Hearing about this over the weekend, we sought confirmation today from the center’s parent nonprofit, Senior Services of Seattle, and received it from spokesperson Karen Bystrom. She would not discuss the reason, saying it was a personnel matter. But the West Seattle center’s board president David Robertson had more to say, in this statement tonight:
Without knowledge of the Board of Directors of the Senior Center of West Seattle, and without any consultation with Board Members, Karen Sisson was terminated as Executive Director of the Senior Center of West Seattle on Thursday, July 10, 2014.
She was terminated by the CEO of Senior Services of Seattle/King County apparently because Karen sent an email to all staff of Senior Services voicing her concerns regarding points brought to Karen’s attention in the future direction and management of the Senior Center of West Seattle.
I have demanded an explanation by Senior Services of Seattle/King County which I expect by tomorrow evening.
David Robertson
President of the Board of Directors of the Senior Center of West Seattle
Sisson’s achievements as the center’s executive director were detailed in its newsletter earlier this year, including a $3 million capital campaign for renovations and launching popular programs including its Stop ‘n’ Shop store and Rainbow Bingo events. We have not reached her for comment but will be continuing to follow this. Senior Services spokesperson Bystrom told WSB that Lyle Evans is the center’s acting director right now.
Forgot to mention this in the daily-preview list – as announced three weeks ago, the public memorial for Karen Sykes, the West Seattle writer/photographer/hiking expert who died on Mount Rainier last month, is happening tonight. Here’s the most-recent reminder we received:
A public memorial service for outdoors writer Karen Sykes will be held on the evening of July 14 at the Mountaineers Seattle Program Center in Magnuson Park.
As Mountaineers Books Publisher Helen Cherullo reflected, “Washington’s hikers and climbers were Karen’s community. She paid tribute to those who came before her and became a leader in her own right,” adding, “this will be the hiking community’s opportunity to pay tribute to her indomitable strength and joyful spirit.”
Cherullo, who worked with Sykes on the guidebooks Best Wildflower Hikes – Washington and Hidden Hikes in Western Washington, will give remarks at the memorial service. Attendees are invited to share their stories and experiences with each other starting at 6:30 p.m., with the formal program beginning at 7 p.m.
Sykes died from hypothermia while hiking in Mount Rainier National Park in late June. By sharing advice and hidden hikes through her work with Mountaineers Books, The Mountaineers, Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and more, Sykes inspired thousands of people to experience the beauty found in wilderness.
The Seattle Program Center is located at 7700 Sand Point Way NE. The Mountaineers (also) invite those who knew Sykes to share their memories on the Mountaineers website.
Ms. Sykes was 70 years old. She had shared nature photos on WSB, usually via our Flickr group, from time to time, and we published more than three dozen here on the website in the past few years.
(Photo added: WestSide Baby and St. Joseph’s board members)
Days before one of its biggest donation events of the year – the Stuff the Bus diaper drive, coming up next Sunday (July 20th) – WestSide Baby has big news: It’s expanding, merging with a similar Capitol Hill-based agency. Here’s the announcement:
Thousands of children living in King County will benefit from a new collaboration between WestSide Baby and St. Joseph’s Baby Corner, located on Capitol Hill. The Boards of Directors from both agencies unanimously voted to merge the organizations, effective July 11, 2014. This exciting development comes as WestSide Baby is preparing for its largest ever outreach event: the 14th annual Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive July 20th.
(WSB file photo from past WestSide Baby ‘Stuff the Bus’ event)
WestSide Baby will continue to operate from its headquarters in White Center, and St. Joseph’s Baby Corner facility in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood will remain open under the leadership of WestSide Baby. Baby Corner will operate under the WestSide Baby name while continuing to honor the Baby Corner legacy.The merger of St. Joseph’s Baby Corner, established in 1988, and WestSide Baby, established in 2001, capitalizes on the strengths of each organization: the St. Joseph’s Baby Corner community’s longevity and loyalty, and WestSide Baby’s operating systems and deep-rooted support. The organizations have very compatible missions serving local children in need by collecting and distributing diapers, clothing and safety equipment, such as car seats and cribs. Both agencies have operated in partnership with established social service agencies, such as public health and food banks. Combining operations will immediately improve the service delivery to families. More diapers, clothing and safety equipment will reach more local families in need.
The announcement continues ahead, along with more information on how you can help with Sunday’s Stuff the Bus event:
(Photos by Don Brubeck)
While thousands finished the legendary Seattle to Portland (STP) bicycle ride today, dozens of West Seattle riders showed solidarity with their own version. West Seattle Bike Connections president Don Brubeck shares the report:
We had about 30 riders of all ages on the West Seattle STP bike ride today. A beautiful day for a fun ride from SW Seattle Street to SW Portland Street in about an hour, then back to the Junction for West Seattle Summer Fest.
The group included a three-generation family and several “family bikes” or bikes with trail-a-bikes. Ride leader was Stu Hennessey, with help from Al Jackson, Jeff Hallman, and Eric and Michael from Stu’s shop.
See a few more of Don’s photos in the WSB Flickr group pool.
It began with a lap around the West Seattle Stadium track featuring the participants hailed as heroes – cancer survivors and their caregivers. And with that, this year’s West Seattle Relay for Life was underway as of about an hour ago. More than 20 teams are there for the all-night relay-style walkathon/campout.
They’re raising money for the American Cancer Society, with a goal of $50,000. Some teams and participants have been raising money all year, like tonight’s greeters, the mother-and-daughter team of Gerry and Lauri Cunningham:
Again this year, they made and sold spaghetti dinners to go, and told us tonight that they raised more than a thousand dollars. Just before the kickoff lap by survivors and caregivers, participants heard from organizers including Sarah, who identified herself as a survivor – diagnosed with kidney cancer at age 3, now cancer-free 20 years later: “The money you raise is saving someone’s life,” she said. “It saved mine.” As the night goes on, a long list of activities awaits participants – from the reflective luminaria ceremony at 10 pm (you are welcome to go make your own luminaria in honor of someone fighting cancer or someone who has passed) …
… to lighthearted activities like balloon ping-pong, hula-hooping, and midnight bowling, plus music by “DJ Gary.” It’s participants only from 11 pm to 5 am (some will walk, some will sleep, some will even watch movies) but visitors are welcome the rest of the time. At the heart of it is the walking, whether you’re in costume (like team Answers for Cancers, below) or not:
Tomorrow morning’s schedule includes 8 am yoga and stretches, a fire truck visit at 9 am, the kids’ parade at 10 am, and closing ceremony at 11:30 am. It’s not too soon to start thinking about getting involved next year, either by organizing a team or volunteering to help behind the scenes – more info (and donation links) can be found on the official WSR4L page.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPDATE: According to scanner traffic, Vincent has been found in North Delridge, and is with police. *Added*: His mom called us to verify this and also said he was found with an orange bicycle, so if anyone is missing one, let police know.
A public memorial has been announced for West Seattle-based hiking writer/nature photographer Karen Sykes. She was reported missing one week ago while hiking on Mount Rainier; last weekend, her daughter confirmed her death, and authorities subsequently determined she died of hypothermia. Ms. Sykes, 70, was known best for her books and columns about hiking, but we also knew her for the many West Seattle nature photos she shared via WSB in the past few years (see her Flickr gallery here). And now there’s word of a gathering to honor her memory:
Celebrate the life and legacy of Karen Sykes at the Seattle Mountaineers on July 14, 2014. Share stories and experiences with friends at 6:30 PM, with a program beginning at 7:00 PM.
Karen Sykes was an inspiration to many hikers as hiking companion, hike leader, columnist, guidebook author and photographer. Even though she is gone, she lives on in her work and in our hearts.
Please send photos of Karen Sykes for incorporation in a slide show to Heidi Walker at fotogirl.heidi@gmail.com
And don’t forget to share reminiscences of Karen at NW Hikers Trail Talk or at
mountaineers.org/blog/karen-sykes-shared-her-love-for-trails-with-thousands.
The Mountaineers is at 7700 Sand Point Way NE.
At Mount Rainier, the search for West Seattleite Karen Sykes, a prolific hiking writer and nature photographer, is reported to be over. Regional media says it was called off about three hours ago; posts on NWhikers.net pointed to Karen’s daughter Annette Shirey reporting on Facebook that she had been told her mother was found dead. She had commented on WSB last night that she was on her way here after getting word of the search.
No formal confirmation from Mount Rainier yet but KIRO TV’s Chris Legeros tweeted that “the medical examiner is here.” As noted in our first report Friday, Karen was an expert hiker who had written books about hiking and had been an outdoor columnist for multiple publications. We knew her mostly through her photographs – posted to Flickr with the handle “old desolate,” by which she asked to be identified when we published her photos on WSB. She was reported to have been hiking on the east side of Rainier on Wednesday with her partner Bob, with whom she lived in eastern West Seattle, when she went ahead on Wednesday but never returned to rendezvous with him. Search-and-rescue crews have looked on the ground and from the air these past three days. We will add official information when it becomes available.
SUNDAY MORNING: Authorities have reported recovering a body on Rainier and saying the person was female. This morning, Ms. Sykes’s daughter posted this comment on our previous story saying it was her mom.
MONDAY NOTE: The Pierce County Medical Examiner says Ms. Sykes, 70, died of hypothermia.
This makes the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon sound like a walk in the park! From Jake Jaramillo of Seattle Stairway Walks:
West Seattleites Michael Yadrick, Doug Beyerlein, and others are running the stairways of Seattle today! Their route covers 100 km and gains more than 11,000 feet of elevation as it traverses 80 of Seattle’s major, 100+ step stairways. They started at Summer Solstice sunrise, 5:12 am in West Seattle at Brace Point. They hope to finish before 10 tonight in Queen Anne.
That’s Michael at right, leading the pack up the Thistle Street stairs in Gatewood/Upper Fauntleroy. Jake adds, “Andrew Lichtman, a stairway trekker from Los Angeles, has come up to walk the same route in two days, camping out along the way.” There’s a Facebook page about the event – see it here.
After hearing from Jake but before writing this, we also heard from Creighton, a friend of Michael, who he notes is a city ecologist mentioned here this spring for consulting on a Fairmount Ravine cleanup. Creighton adds that Michael is tweeting about this at twitter.com/yadrick and that there’s even GPS tracking, expected to work until 4 pm or so. We’ll keep an eye on it for potential updates here. Good luck!
9:56 PM NOTE: Jake reports in comments that Michael, Doug, and company made it within the past hour or so!
10:27 AM: A photographer and writer from West Seattle is missing on Mount Rainier. If you don’t know Karen Sykes in person or by name, you might know her by her Flickr handle, under which we have run dozens of her photos here on WSB – “old desolate.” Her friend Don Geyer e-mailed to say that today is the second day of a search-and-rescue operation for Karen; he says she “was separated from her hiking partner while hiking to Owyhigh Lakes on Wednesday.” According to Don, King County Search and Rescue, “along with other agencies, had 35 SAR personnel searching for her, with the help of dogs and two helicopters. (More search info is in this Tacoma News-Tribune report.) They resumed the search this morning at 8:00 am.” Karen is an experienced hiker who has written books including “Hidden Hikes of Western Washington” and also wrote a weekly hiking column for the Seattle P-I; this June 2004 column was about the area where she is being sought.
3:55 PM: The News-Tribune reports that searchers are still at work but are under orders to stop for the night by 9:30 pm.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Searchers are out again today, report our partners at The Seattle Times.
Friends and family will gather this Saturday to remember 94-year-old ‘Eilene’ Powelson, and are sharing this remembrance:
Evelyn Eilene Powelson, known to family and friends as “Eilene,” passed away on June 16, 2014 at Providence Mount Saint Vincent Nursing Center.
Eilene was born on December 1, 1919 in Bellingham to David and Anna Larson. Early in her life, along with her parents and two younger sisters, they moved from Bellingham to Everett and eventually settled in Seattle before the breakout of WWII.
She met her husband Corden Powelson at the Lutheran Service Center in downtown Seattle 1944. They married on May 3, 1946 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Seattle) with Dr. Stub officiating. Corden preceded her in death on September 19, 2000 after 54 years of marriage. Eilene was a member of Peace Lutheran Church for over 20 years.
(AMNO & CO in regional competition, sped up 2.8x)
For the third year in a row, we’ve received an update from AMNO & CO, the local trio that competes in underwater robotics, and again this year, they’ve made it to the international level! Team member Alex Miller shares this update as he and his teammates get ready to head to this year’s competition in Michigan:
Last month, the local Seattle team AMNO & CO qualified to compete in the international level of the MATE ROV competition by winning the Pacific Northwest Regional. (For more information on the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center’s Remotely Operated Vehicle competition [go here].)
The MATE competition has teams build robots that can accomplish specified underwater tasks. For the team members – Alex Miller, Nicholas Orndorff, and Clara Orndorff – this will be the third consecutive time they have qualified.
At the end of June, the team will travel to Alpena, Michigan, where this year’s tasks revolve around the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which is home to many shallow-water shipwrecks. Not only must teams design and build high-performance vehicles; they also must create posters, write technical reports, and give engineering presentations about the design of their vehicle.
It’s a big game for a big world … and soccer excitement is happening at Walt Hundley Playfield with the West Seattle Cup, a community/family tournament organized to coincide with the start of the World Cup. We stopped by at midday, just as organizer Terry Kegel was starting the ceremonies scheduled a few hours after play began:
Young players were settling down to take a break, each in a colorful T-shirt for their team representing certain countries.
Earlier in the day, one team got a thrill – Kelly shared the following photo of Team Uganda with a Seattle Sounders player who’s from that nation, Micheal Azira:
Games continue until 6:15 pm, every 45 minutes in each division (8:45-6:15 tomorrow too) – click ahead to our photos of the schedule boards for the K-2 and 3-5 groups today:
Thanks to Debi Yeabsley from the West Seattle Women’s Golf Club for sharing photos from their Derby Day tournament this past week – specifically, the hat competition! Beth Jackson was “Best Hat” winner:
With appreciation for her fellow WSWGC members’ “creativity and enthusiasm,” Debi adds:
It’s an active and interesting group of women. All ages and abilities welcome. For membership info, e-mail Corinne Burr – ceburr@comcast.net
Friends and family of Joe Ceccarelli will gather this Saturday to remember him. They’re sharing this announcement to invite all those who knew him to be there:
Joseph A. Ceccarelli, longtime resident of West Seattle, died unexpectedly of pneumonia on May 7, 2014, at the age of 50. Joe had many friends in the community and will be missed. There will be a memorial service at Arbor Heights Community Church (10213 41st Ave SW) on Saturday, June 14th, at 2 pm.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
After mentioning the Emmy Award won by “Diver Laura” James, we learned another West Seattleite was a winner at Saturday night’s Northwest Emmys event: Double congratulations go to two-Emmy-winner Brian Callanan from Seattle Channel, one for his program-hosting work there, one for Interactivity as part of the team for a SC show about the income-inequality issue (in which he says participants included Jack Miller from Husky Deli). The full list of Saturday night’s winners is here.
West Seattle advocate/activist/photographer/etc. “Diver Laura” James – who often shares amazing undersea views with us here – is now also Emmy Award-winning “Diver Laura”! Saturday night, when the Northwest regional Emmy Awards were presented, she won for her photography in a collaborative report about sea otters and climate change, produced for a consortium including KCTS 9 – the report was honored as best “health/science feature/segment.” (We had mentioned the nomination back in April.) Thanks to Laura for sharing photos, including her REAL reaction, compared to the onstage decorum:
Here’s the full list of winners.
For the sixth year in a row, Lucas Engles-Klann of West Seattle is celebrating his birthday by raising money for animals … and he’s all of 8 years old. You’re invited to the party, this Sunday at Woodland Park Zoo – his mom Jen Engles-Klann shared the announcement:
The 6th annual Auction for Animals will be taking place on Sunday, June 1st at Woodland Park Zoo from 1 pm to 3 pm.
Auction for Animals was started by Lucas Engles-Klann in 2008 amidst plans for his 3rd birthday party. When asked how he wanted to celebrate, his reply was “I want to save all the animals,” and his annual fundraiser was born. The event has taken many different forms over the years, including benefit dinners, raffles, and auctions, and has raised over $15,000 to support the Woodland Park Zoo, the National Audubon Society, and Point Defiance Zoo. Money raised this year will go toward preservation of Woodland Park Zoo’s gorillas, snow leopards, and jaguars.
Special features at this year’s event will include a bake sale, games, a live auction (hosted by Lucas) for kids, and a silent auction for the grown-ups. Items up for grabs this year include unique pieces from local artists and amazing wines.
Now eight years old, Lucas’ passion for animal preservation has grown with him, and he now assumes much of the responsibility for planning and overseeing every aspect of the event. His excitement has not gone unnoticed – more than 150 people attended last year’s event and raised more than $3,200.
This years’ Auction for Animals event is free and open to the public (zoo admission is not required, but may be purchased separately) and will be held in the Education Center at the South (Hippo) Gate, 750 N 50th Street.
(In the photo, that’s Lucas presenting a check for last year’s proceeds to WPZ’s Sarah Valentine.)
Robinson Newspapers has announced the death of publisher Gerald “Jerry” Robinson, 94, of Burien. According to the company’s 1987 history book West Side Story, 
Mr. Robinson’s publishing career began in 1952, when he bought the White Center News; in the early ’70s, he took over the West Seattle Herald, subsequently merging it with the WC News, and then bought the Highline Times. He later acquired the Ballard News-Tribune, and his company last year combined the three print publications to create the Westside Weekly. Our photo at left is from 2009, when Mr. Robinson received the Community Service Award from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce; accepting the award, he told Chamber members that he had tried to retire once, but felt “useless” when not working, because, he explained: “Nothing is as fulfilling” as being of service to others. Mr. Robinson continued to write weekly columns until recently. No memorial service has been announced yet; the online announcement says a detailed obituary is to be published later.
(Trailer for “Find Your Way”)
One week from tonight, West Seattle filmmaker Brian Nunes‘s documentary “Find Your Way” will have its Seattle premiere. It’s about buskers – street musicians, “some just trying their hand at busking for the first time and others who earn a full-time living from it.” Plus, says Nunes, it features “some well-known artists who’ve had experience playing on the street (including West Seattle resident Chris Ballew of The Presidents and world-renowned classical violinist Joshua Bell).” He adds that the film “on its surface is a street documentary about the struggles of making it in a world driven relentlessly by the allure of fame, but at its core is an examination of what it means to be successful - a topic we can all relate to.” Last month, “Find Your Way” won Best Documentary at the Houston International Film Festival. Next Thursday (May 29th), you can see it at 6:30 pm at the Jewelbox Theater, after a short live-music preshow with two performers from the film, and a short discussion post-screening. Nunes himself is a former busker. Admission is free but to make sure there’s room, go here to reserve a spot; the Jewelbox is at 2322 2nd Ave. in Belltown.
(Video by Mark Jaroslaw)
Thanks to Clay Eals from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society for sharing video excerpts from Lou Whittaker‘s West Seattle High School appearance sharing memories from “A Life in the Mountains” (and screening the biographical documentary of the same name). As you’ll hear him observe at one point (or maybe you were there to hear him in person), “It has been a heck of a ride.” And it’s not over yet – he is going strong at 85. More than 100 people came to see and hear him. Read more about it on the SWSHS website.
NEXT UP FOR SWSHS – BRIDGE ANNIVERSARY AND MORE: So much is going on in June, it might take us until then to mention it all here. So instead – check out the right side of the organization’s home page for the latest on the totem-pole unveiling, the next “Words, Writers, West Seattle” author, and … a multi-modal celebration of the 30th anniversary of the high-rise West Seattle Bridge (dedicated July 14, 1984).
(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of The Bridge while it was being built)
According to the SWSHS website, it all starts a month in advance with a special exhibit at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor). Read all about the bridge-i-versary plans here.
A ceremony last night at Alki Masonic Hall in The Junction honored the local students chosen for this year’s School Awards from Lodge #152, the 36th year the lodge has presented awards “in support of our public-school system.” Eight juniors from each of two schools were honored, four girls and four boys:
Above, the West Seattle High School honorees. Accompanied in our photo by principal Ruth Medsker, they are, in alphabetical order:
Megan Duong
Charli Elliott
Maxwell Eronimous
Holly Hinnant
Nathaniel Livingston
Isaac Peck
Edward Sander
Annalisa Ursino
And from Chief Sealth International High School, photographed with counselor Jol Raymond, the honorees are:
Olivia Boyd
Sophia Boyd
Mabel Hernandez Collazo
Kelsey Lawson
Aidan McMurray
Yael Pina
Simon Tweolde
Lincoln Vuong
The lodge also honored four selected students from the previous year’s honoree roster. From those four, Matthew Wo from CSIHS received a $1,000 scholarship:
The “2013 Top Boys and Girls” also included Sealth’s Eileen Lee and WSHS’s Megan Antalan and Michael Lee. Last night’s ceremony was emceed by Martin Monk of Lodge 152; he also is a member of the Education Council that coordinates the awards program, along with Gary Langenbach, John Bozeat, and Elmer Lindseth.
A memorial service and celebration are planned tomorrow (Friday, May 16th) for Robert Edmund Chaney, whose family shares this remembrance:
Mr. Robert Edmund Chaney met his Pilot face to face on May 8th at 88.
Mr. Chaney was best known as a true West Seattle guy! He was the father to Liz Chaney (Trindade) and Carolyn Camille Chaney, both of whom graduated from West Seattle High! Mr. Chaney was a true neighbor and lived in the North Admiral district since 1966.
He worked at Husky Delicatessen for more than 20 years and has been a RE Broker for Century 21 for most of his career. As a Christian minister, award-winning poet & writer, he left a powerful legacy to his other two children, Christopher Chaney of Southern California and & Kimberly Condrin of Renton WA. He has five grandchildren, Cory & Taylor Condrin, Tatiana, Lorenzo & Romeu Trindade. Mr. Chaney was one of 11 children and for the very reason he loved to have a lot of people, friends and family around. Mr. Chaney was a loving husband to Beverly Chaney (former Talent Manager to Jim Caviezel and Brendan Frasier). Mr. Chaney, Bob, was also a host father to hundreds of exchange students for over 15 years. He attended University of Oregon and Stanford with degrees in Business & Political Science.
Memorial service at Tahoma National Cemetery on May 16th, 2:00 pm, 18600 SE 240th St., Kent. Memorial celebration at his home in West Seattle. If you would like to attend, contact his daughter, Liz Chaney Trindade by cell, 917 435 6455; text is OK.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
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