2 weeks till Easter: An invitation to churches, restaurants
With two weeks to go till Easter, here at WSB we’re doing what we do for all major holidays – making a 
special page so you can find West Seattle-specific information all in one place. We’re gathering information from websites and phone calls but also wanted to issue an invitation: If you’re associated with a church and you have its Easter service information, please let us know so we can make sure it gets onto that page; if you’re associated 
with a restaurant and you’re having Easter brunch, same invitation applies. Best way to reach us is e-mail: editor@westseattleblog.com – and if all the info is already on a page on your own website, just sending us that link is fine, you don’t have to retype it or cut-and-paste it. We hope to get the first version of this page up within the next 24 hours, but if you don’t see this till Monday afternoon or later — that’s OK, we’ll just keep adding info, as always. (Other Easter-related activities welcome too – we’ve already got various egg hunts listed on our Events page but let us know if you know of one that’s not there.) Thanks!!!! (Photo credits: Peeps from kimberlyfaye‘s Flickr page; beach group, WSB photo from local UCC churches’ 2008 sunrise service on Alki)
Video: Groundbreaking ceremony for ARK Park in Arbor Heights
That’s the future site of ARK Memorial Park, just west and a little south of Arbor Heights Community Church, which owns the 8,000-square-foot parcel. Under and around that gazebo, a small but hardy group gathered Saturday afternoon for the ceremonial groundbreaking:
The young assistants are Isabella and Elliana Kimball, sisters of the park’s namesake, Alexandra Ramona Kimball, stillborn on the same day – March 28th – one year earlier. As Hal Kimball noted goodnaturedly during the downpour-graced groundbreaking, baby Alexandra’s initials are part of the double meaning in the park’s name:
AHCC says the park/playground will be for the entire community, not just for church families. As noted in our first story about the ARK Park plan last summer (see it here), this is a private project, not seeking city funding. So far they have raised more than $5,000, enough to begin the project’s first phase, but that’s just a start; next fundraising event is a spaghetti dinner at the church Fellowship Hall on April 18th (more info here). The timetable for construction depends on how the fundraising effort goes, but
Hope Lutheran and Seattle Lutheran schools’ new plan
From Bil Hood:
For the past 30 years Hope Lutheran School and Seattle Lutheran High School have operated as separate entities. This fall the schools will begin operating as Seattle Lutheran Schools.
As the first phase in pursuing a Joint Operating Agreement between Hope Lutheran School and Seattle Lutheran High School, the Administrative teams from both schools have worked to evaluate the resources and roles that can be shared between the two schools to further enhance the educational offering to the community and families, as well as better utilize staff strengths. The immediate benefit will be increased academic opportunities at both schools. … Listed below are some upcoming events that we will be holding to invite the community to (learn more).
School Tours will be held on April 15, 16, 17 (Wed.-Fri) from 8:30-10:00 in Hope’s lobby.
Tentative Schedule for the Tours:
8:30-8:45 Welcome
8:45-9:10 Joint schools presentation
9:10-9:20 Question and Answer time with administrators
9:20-9:45 Walking tours lead by parent volunteers
9:45-10:00 Drop in time for classrooms
April 19th, Hope Lutheran Church will be celebrating its 90th anniversary at the morning services (8 and 10:30) as well as a reception following the last service at Seattle Lutheran High School.
We are having a community Open House for Hope Church and School after 10:30 service on Sunday, April 26th. This is a good opportunity for people to see the campus and all we offer as a church and school.
Hope and Seattle Lutheran are in The Junction; more info can be found on the Hope website and the SLHS website. (Added 12:05 pm – We asked whether this would mean a name change for Hope; Bil says that’s not expected, at this point.)
Friday afternoon notes from all around West Seattle
SEATTLE STYLE SALON: After a move from North Delridge up to 7350 35th SW (map), Seattle Style Salon has just opened in the former Carosello Coffee (among other names; it closed a year and a half ago) space in Olympic Heights. Owner Denise showed off her salon’s unique furnishings (photo left) when we dropped by the other day, and also noted that she’s hiring more staff (here’s her CL listing).
COFFEE AT THE HEIGHTS UPDATE: Across the street from Seattle Style Salon, work on this new coffee shop continues, slower than its owners originally hoped (as unfortunately seems to be the case for so many hard-working entrepreneurs). Co-owner Paul tells us the flooring’s going in this weekend, and the counters will follow, so they’re getting closer.
WESTSIDE DERMATOLOGY RE-WELCOMES AMY NELSON: This week, Westside Dermatology rejoined us as a sponsor, and wanted to share the news that certified physician assistant Amy Nelson (photo right) is coming back on Monday, after a few months of maternity leave following the arrival of her twins, Dylan (6 lbs, 13 ounces) and Sasha (6 pounds even), who join 2-year-old big brother Elijah.
CHURCH’S NEW WEBSITE: Pastor Erik Kindem from Peace Lutheran in Gatewood shares the news that his church’s previous website has been upgraded to this brand-new look.
Our Lady of Guadalupe students’ Inauguration Day tribute to MLK
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
That “unity wreath” — cutouts of hundreds of handprints — is one of the ways students at West Seattle’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School paid tribute this afternoon to Dr. King, one day after his official holiday, on the day a dream came true in D.C. The entire OLG student body, preschool through 8th grade, gathered in the church sanctuary at 35th/Myrtle (map) to read, sing, and pray, and the spirit of their words and music, on this historic day, could not help but move even the most hard-hearted onlooker. Third-graders read short tributes to people in their lives who they believe exemplified some of Dr. King’s values; one student honored her mom — “In my family, she is the peacekeeper”; another, his big brother — “He stands up for me”; and another student, President Obama, saying he and Dr. King “both want peace.” After reinforcing that by praying a Litany of Peace, students went out to the campus’s north grounds to release dozens of doves:
OLG school staff told us the doves are more like homing pigeons — after releases like this, they fly back to their keeper’s home. Side note: The school has an open house this Sunday – 9:30 am-1 pm.
More non-weather news: West Seattle real estate/land-use notes
Mostly land use and real estate notes that we want to share now that storm-related news is ebbing:
EASTRIDGE CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY BUILDING FOR SALE/LEASE: This is a recent appearance on the list of major West Seattle commercial properties on the market: Eastside is offering its Triangle location (39th/Oregon, across from West Seattle Bowl) for $2.6 million, or a $10,000/month lease. Here’s the listing; here’s the flyer.
LOCATION SET FOR KENNEY/4502 42ND DESIGN REVIEW MEETING: In one of our earlier non-snow news items, we mentioned that the Design Review Board meeting for The Kenney‘s redevelopment project and 4502 42nd SW, first set for 12/18 but canceled by snow, has been rescheduled for January 8th. The location’s been set now too — the city couldn’t book any of its usual West Seattle venues and asked if we had suggestions; West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor), barely a block from one of the projects on the agenda, has come through and will be the venue. As mentioned in our earlier coverage, you can preview the presentations that will be given about those projects on 1/8, since they’re both on the city website: The newest proposal for 4502 42nd, which will be reviewed at 6:30 pm, can be seen here; the one for The Kenney, which follows at 8 pm, is here.
ANOTHER DESIGN REVIEW MEETING SET: Also from the city’s “Design Review/Upcoming” page, the next meeting for 2743 California SW (a medical/office building on the narrow site immediately north of PCC) has been set for 8 pm January 22. Here’s our report on the previous review last April; here’s the official project page on the city website.
Holiday help: Another turkey giveaway planned
We took that photo on November 22, as a block-long line waited for the 500-turkey giveaway at Eastridge Christian Assembly (across from West Seattle Bowl). Just got word from Eastridge that they’re doing it again on December 20th, another 500 turkeys (and groceries) to be given away, no questions asked, 9 am-noon (although Eastridge’s Lori Zwick points out that the turkeys were gone in less than two hours last time). Side note as always – if you’d like to extend holiday help to local families in need, you can do it any time through online $ donations to the West Seattle (click here) and White Center (click here) Food Banks.
Happening now: Eastridge turkey giveaway
That’s barely half the line as of about 20 minutes ago stretching southward on 39th toward Fauntleroy Way from Eastridge Christian Assembly, which is again this year giving away hundreds of turkeys (along with other groceries). As Eastridge’s website puts it, they’re doing this “to bless families who need a little extra help for Thanksgiving.” They are giving away 500 each at their West Seattle and Issaquah campuses, till noon or till they run out. (If you’d like to extend holiday help to local families in need, you can do it any time through online $ donations to the West Seattle [click here] and White Center [click here] Food Banks.)
Hope Lutheran School celebrates expansion milestone
Thanks to Bil Hood for that photo and this update:
Hope Lutheran Church and School celebrated a milestone today. The day after the church celebrated its 90th year of ministry, ribbon-cutting ceremonies took place, opening up the new wing of the grade school. The 8th grade, kindergarten and preschool classes all moved into their new rooms, and for the first time, all of the school’s classes are housed in the same building. The final phase of the construction will be completed at the end of the year, with the addition of a new computer classroom, music room, Discovery Program rooms, elevator, much larger church lobby and much more. To follow the progress, visit HopeSeattle.org.
We covered the Hope Lutheran project groundbreaking ceremonies back in June (here’s that report, with video); it’s one of three church-construction projects in the same area on The Junction’s northeast edge.
Who in West Seattle helps homeless families? Meet Family Promise
That unassuming 65-year-old fourplex in the 3600 block of California SW (map) probably doesn’t catch your eye when you drive by. From the outside, it looks a lot like countless similar-vintage West Seattle multiplexes that have been torn down and replaced with townhouses or taller apartment buildings. But inside, it’s bright and comfortable – partly renovated to serve as the day center for Family Promise of Seattle, a project that started as an idea involving several West Seattle churches, and grew from there, as a way to help newly homeless families. Back during the “Nickelsville” hubbub last month, many asked “who in West Seattle is helping the homeless?”; this is one of the answers. You can get a closer look this Thursday, when Family Promise invites you to an open house to come see the day center and find out more about what the program and its volunteers are up to. We stopped by for a sneak peek – and to see if there was any help they needed from you right now (the answer: yes!) – read on:Read More
One more chance to get your pet(s) blessed
Last weekend, we covered two Blessing of the Animals events, presented Saturday by The Mount and presented Sunday by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (photo left). Today, we just got word of another one – 10 am this Sunday at Alki Congregational United Church of Christ, whose announcement follows: In honor of St. Francis, Patron Saint of Animals, bring your pets and human friends to this very special service. We all worship together — children, adults, cats, dogs, goldfish, birds, and last year we even had a jar of bees (who put a jar of honey in the offering plate!). Dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, please. For information, e-mail alkiucc@attglobal.net.
Fellow neighborhood-news site 
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