City cash for two WS projects
The folks working on Ercolini Park on SW Alaska just west of The Junction are in line for a $90,000 Neighborhood Matching Fund Award from the city — this isn’t a giveaway, but a hard-fought win that’s only possible when community members commit time and money to projects, enough to impress city leaders to chip in. Ercolini Park organizer Bill Barna says they have a little more fundraising to do — $6K worth — you can go to the Ercolini Park website to find out how to contact them to chip in $ (or anything else the project needs). Congratulations also are in order to Gatewood Elementary School; the next phase of its playground project also is in line for a $90K matching-fund grant. (Full list of matching-fund projects citywide, including a South Park skatepark, is readable here.)
Still looking for something to do tonight?
As mentioned in our weekend-events list, tonight is the fundraising dinner and auction for, and at (map), the Community School of West Seattle (photo right). As we reported 6 weeks ago, they are trying to raise enough money to buy their building, which otherwise will go to a developer, and they only have another month and a half. Here’s what one organizer writes about the event (6:30 pm tonight):
This will be a spectacular evening, with live entertainment by local performers and delicious food from local eateries. Some of the items available for auction include: a cruise to the Galapagos Islands, a week at Whistler, Botox cosmetic treatment, art from local artists, and exquisite jewelry.
If you can’t go but you still would like to help CSWS, donation information is on its website.
A good omen
Congratulations to Lafayette Elementary on the launch of its long-awaited playground renovation, with this morning’s groundbreaking ceremony. On a school day that wouldn’t have existed if not for one of this past winter’s snow days, early overcast gave way to brilliant sunshine by the time the festivities started. We’ve got a few pix. First — the reason a new playground is needed (the entire 2-acre blacktop looks like this, or worse):
Here’s the groundbreaking lineup (note they couldn’t really smash shovels through the tough old blacktop, so look close and you’ll see a ceremonial pile of sand to be overturned) — participants included parent volunteers and student councilmembers as well as King County Councilmember Dow Constantine (center) and Lafayette Principal Virginia Turner (right):
And one more photo of Dow C for good measure – he drew goodnatured boos by admitting he had attended Schmitz Park Elementary, not Lafayette. He got to read the long list of major project contributors — and there are many; more help still needed — info on how to do that is in our previous post on the topic.
Good luck, ’07 grads!
Congrats to the grads from Seattle Lutheran HS who got their diplomas last night — to the grads from Chief Sealth HS, who will celebrate at SW Athletic Complex @ 1 pm tomorrow — and to the grads from West Seattle HS, whose ceremony is 8 pm Monday @ Benaroya Hall.
Bye-bye, blacktop
If your familiarity with Lafayette Elementary goes no further than having seen its brick exterior along the busy block of Cali (photo below) just south of Admiral, across from Safeway — you probably don’t know about the sad shape of its playground — cracked old blacktop, no grass except for the weedy kind poking through those cracks.
All that’s about to change; the city’s just issued a permit for replacing some of that blacktop with grass, part of a playground renovation project that’s been years in the making, and the groundbreaking celebration is set for one week from Thursday — the Lafayette PTA wrote us to say everyone’s invited (9:30 am June 21). They’re still collecting $ for future phases of the playground; click this e-mail link to contact someone for more on that; click ahead to see the official invitation for next week’s event:Read More
Off to the races
As the Times points out this morning, election season is about to begin. You’ve probably already noticed 
that one candidate has gotten a jump on things by blanketing West Seattle with yard signs (photo at right) even before officially filing to run. Steve Sundquist is the first declared candidate for the WS (District 6) school board seat that Irene Stewart is giving up. We don’t know much about him yet (here’s his site if you want to peruse for yourself), but we’ll miss Stewart, who we thought was doing a decent job in a difficult (to say the least) situation. As for when we’ll start voting – the primary is now earlier than ever – August 21.
Working to save their school
Parents from the nonprofit Community School of West Seattle, which offers preschool through 2nd grade, say their little school is in danger of losing its building at 22nd/Roxbury (photo below). CSWS has been renting there since 2004 and has been raising money to try to buy the building since, according to one parent, the owner indicated last year it could be theirs for a reasonable price. Now, suddenly, events have accelerated — a developer has reportedly made an offer, and parents say that’s pushed the owner to set a deadline for the school to come up with the $. They have till August 31st to raise $88,000 more. They’re planning an intensive slate of summer fundraising events, including an auction, but also are hoping community donations (which are tax-deductible) will help save the day.
Be true to your schools
Two big events of note for our neighborhood high schools:
-Tomorrow night is the annual West Seattle High School Foundation spring dinner/play event, starting with a 5:15 reception at the church next door, dinner in the WSHS Commons @ 6:30, and the WSHS performance of “Carousel” @ 8. Click here to RSVP, get more info, or find out how to donate to WSHSF even if you can’t go tomorrow.
-Further out, Chief Sealth HS is planning a party @ Camp Long Lodge, 7 pm June 5, to celebrate the school’s International Baccalaureate accreditation. All welcome for tunes & treats, organizers say.
Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson (official district photo at right) has started work as Seattle Public Schools 
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