West Seattle, Washington
07 Monday
All three community councils meeting this week have announced their agenda highlights:
TUESDAY – WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: This meeting’s scheduled guest is Benjamin Kinlow, Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Southwest Precinct, which means he also helps coordinate the Block Watch program. The newly formed West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network – which you can join on Facebook – is urging members to be there. This meeting also routinely includes a crime-stats update from local police leadership, and time to discuss your neighborhood concerns. 7 pm Tuesday, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster; map).
WEDNESDAY – DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Scheduled guests include City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Nathan Torgelson from Seattle Parks (to discuss the Camp Long Lodge renovations), and Mark Ufkes and Peggy Weiss from the pro-Seattle-annexation White Center Homeowners’ Association. DNDC members also will discuss their recent retreat, as they meet at 7 pm Wednesday, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way; map).
THURSDAY – ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist is a scheduled guest, along with Seattle Parks staff. ACC meets at 7 pm Thursday, 6115 SW Hinds (map); get the latest info at alkinews.com.
ONE MORE BIG MEETING NEXT WEEK: Monday night, 7 pm at Denny International Middle School, it’s the next in a series of meetings around the cities to talk about Mayor McGinn’s Youth and Families Initiative (explained here). Previous meetings in other neighborhoods have drawn hundreds of people. This initiative involves almost every issue you can imagine – safety, education, health, environment – so whatever you care most deeply about, be ready to advocate for it.
Story, photos and video by Randall G. Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
While some people spent the morning in line for the Safeco Field box office or on their computer in an attempt to get tickets for Seattle Mariners games that are at least a month away, others chose to take advantage of the rare March sunshine and the offer of free food at the Southwest Athletic Complex while watching the Chief Sealth High School Seahawks baseball program scrimmage with the Cleveland High School Eagles.
In his second year as the head coach of the Seahawks, Ernest Policarpio says the event was imagined as a way to bring the community closer to the school’s growing baseball program, hopefully stimulating more popularity of the game among parents and students.
Today’s event also featured a barbecue as a chance for community mingling.
This year, Chief Sealth will have enough athletes to field three teams for the first time in recent memory. Growing interest in the sport is not, however, the only positive momentum working in the Seahawks’ favor. The results on the field are also showing improvement.
While today’s game will not count in the standings, Sealth managed 17 runs in just two innings of play today, albeit against a very short-handed Cleveland squad. However, combined with yesterday’s jamboree in which Sealth outscored Foster 5-1 and Franklin 7-1 in a pair of three-inning sessions, there is reason for optimism.
“We wanted to play good baseball,” said Policarpio (photo) about the team’s mission for the day. “When they had the chance, the kids were hitting the ball.”
Policarpio will need those hits to continue next week when his Seahawks officially open their season by hosting the defending 3A champions, O’Dea High School, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Friday at SWAC.
ALSO NEXT WEEK: West Seattle High School boys’ varsity baseball team plays Blanchet at Lower Woodland, also 3:30 Friday … Seattle Lutheran High School‘s winter-athletics awards night is Monday at 6:30 pm (the SLHS baseball team is leading a clinic at the school this weekend for younger players).
That photo e-mailed to us shows part of the crew getting ready for tomorrow’s 4th Grade Used Book Sale at Sanislo Elementary, raising money for their annual educational overnight trip. Coffee, tea and treats, too! 10 am-2 pm, 1812 SW Myrtle (map). That’s one of four benefit sales tomorrow in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup – TONS going on – review the list here.
We dropped by the Denny International Middle School cafeteria just before lunch today – to visit the fabled Lunch Ladies who had let us know earlier this week (as reported here) about their plan to try to break a record for most school lunches served in a day. The old record was 599 – and Doree Fazio-Young sent word late today that they did it, serving 604! We talked to her moments before they started serving – and she explained the day’s OTHER big events:
Doree and Sue have worked together for 20 years. Congrats on the record!
What a day for Colin Slingsby, boys’ basketball coach at Chief Sealth High School. Not only did the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce announce he’d been chosen as Westsider of the Year, he also got to celebrate his team’s successful season during the Sealth winter-sports banquet tonight. Also on hand, athletic director Sam Reed:
His wrap-up of the winter-sports season, e-mailed last weekend, was printed out and handed out at tonight’s banquet. Here’s what he wrote:
Nearly four months after the season started, the last of the Chief Sealth Winter sports teams concluded their season last week, when the boys basketball team was defeated in a winner-to-state, loser-out game versus Franklin High School. While the 68-65 loss wasn’t the desired result, it doesn’t dampen the amount of ‘Sealth Pride’ that was built throughout the season.
All of our Winter Sports have things to be proud of. Foremost, it was a season marked by excellent coaching. Long-standing coaches Dave Rosario (wrestling) and Colin Slingsby (boys basketball) each took home Metro League Coach of the Year honors and added regional awards as well. Tony Trahan, in his first year at the helm of the girls basketball team, and Katie Hathaway, also new to the school as head swim coach, helped craft hard-working teams that competed well throughout the season. Gymnastics was led in conjunction with West Seattle High School and coached by Echo Balliett-Legge.
#1 – HEALTH FAIR SEEKS BUSINESS PARTICIPANTS: Here’s the announcement:
What does being healthy mean to you? Pathfinder K-8 wants to know! Can you share your healthy living ideas with our community? If you are a business that promotes healthy food, fitness, environmental practices- we would love to hear from you. Pathfinder K-8 is looking for local business to share their scoop on healthy living in Seattle. April 29th the PTSA is sponsoring a health fair and we are looking for people to set up a spot in our cafeteria and share knowledge and/ or demos. For more information, please contact Lashanna Williams at lashannaw@gmail.com
#2 – EARTH DAY WORK PARTY AND FESTIVAL: On the next Duwamish Alive! day, this one on April 17th in honor of Earth Day, there’ll be a huge work party at and adjacent to Pathfinder K-8 grounds (map), 9:30 am-2 pm. Last year hundreds of volunteers worked at the site. After the work party, Pathfinder will host an Earth Day Festival 2-4 pm. If you can help with the work party, RSVP by e-mailing marisa@naturec.org or call 206-932-0853 (if you get voice mail, leave your name, phone number, and e-mail address).
#3, UPCOMING SCHOOL VISITS: Pathfinder is an option school and therefore among those that must specifically be chosen. The open enrollment period continues three more weeks, till the end of the month, and the school asked us to remind you of these chances to visit Pathfinder if you’re considering applying to go there:
K through 5th Grade Visits
8:45 am to 10:00 am
March 15th, 18th and 22nd6th through 8th Grade Visits
8:45 am to 10:00 am
March 11th and 25thPlease call the school office if you need an alternate date/time to visit Pathfinder, (206) 252-9710
During a recent visit to Denny International Middle School, we spotted that poster in the hallway. Took the photo with the intent to follow up – and before we got around to doing that, we got a note from “lunch lady” Doree Fazio-Young, who told us all about it: This Friday, she and her manager Sue Trainer – who’ve worked together as Denny “lunch ladies” for 20 years! – are hoping EVERY student at Denny will eat lunch at school. If they do, Doree and Sue could break what Doree says is a Seattle Public Schools record, and Denny record, “for feeding everyone in attendance at school that day.” Not only will they be working hard to serve hundreds of lunches, they’ll also be celebrating two special occasions: Doree turns 50, and Sue marks 30 years at Denny (10 years before Doree got there!). By the way, lunch at Denny isn’t just your average school lunch – it’s the regionally renowned Denny Diner (as explained here), which is why you see that phrase in the poster. Lunch at Denny starts at 10:45 am, but of course Doree and Sue start working on it hours ahead of time.
When the Chief Sealth High School boys’ varsity basketball players attend next week’s sports banquet, they’re bound to be holding their heads high. Their season’s over, but it was down to the wire. Last night against Franklin at Bellevue College, in a “winner to state, loser out” situation, Sealth spent the last five minutes of the first half going from seven points down to four points up, but that run and a subsequent one in the third quarter were not enough, as Franklin beat them 68-65 in the last minute. The loss ended the Seahawks’ season and moved Franklin into a seeding round this weekend to determine their place in the state tournament next week. Sealth’s gut-check run at the end of the first half made up for a very flat game up until that point. They managed to keep the streak going at the start of the third and went up on Franklin by as much as 12 points. During that run, the Seahawks controlled the rebound and managed to keep control of the ball.
By the fourth quarter Franklin pulled up and tied Sealth on a series of three-point shots. Most of the last five minutes saw the game turn into a one-point affair, and with less than a minute to go, Sealth went up, thanks to this three-pointer from Keon Lewis.
Lewis was the high scorer for the Seahawks with 28 points, the bulk of those coming on free throws. Congratulations to Chief Sealth for an exciting season!
Dina Johnson was among the Highland Park Action Committee volunteers who visited HP Elementary today to help the students celebrate Dr. Seuss – whose work of course everyone knows is best read aloud. HPAC chair Dan Mullins issued a blanket invite to his group to join him in reading to the students during Dr. Seuss’s birthday (3/2) week, and drew a good turnout, posing here with a school staffer or two:
Thanks to Dina and Monica Cavagnero for sharing the photos!
From Chief Sealth High School (at Boren) – The Seahawks boys’ varsity team won tonight’s district-tournament game against Seattle Prep, 57-50. They play again Thursday – if we’re reading the chart correctly, the opponent will be Franklin. .
9:36 PM UPDATE: Confirmed – Sealth plays Franklin at Bellevue College, 6:30 pm Thursday. Winner goes to the state tournament.
ADDED 10 PM: Here’s our video of how the game ended – listen for the countdown:
Our summary: Most of the elements that had been missing from Sealth’s last two games managed to make a return tonight as the Seahawks beat Seattle Prep 57-50 to move on to play in the next round of the Sea-King 3A District Tournament. The game was a tight one, tied at halftime. Sealth only pulled away from Prep in the fourth quarter by controlling the rebounding. Big games for Sealth: Keon Lewis with 18 points, repeatedly powering his way through Prep’s defense under the basket; Tomas Ogbaslassie with 15 points, including a couple of 3-pointers and a perfect night at the free-throw line. Side note: Congratulations to Sealth coach Colin Slingsby for being honored as the 2010 Star Times boys’ basketball coach.
Just published by our citywide-news partners at the Seattle Times – an update on the state’s list of “lowest-performing” schools. Three Seattle Public Schools are on the list, and the only one in our area is West Seattle Elementary. According to the Times, Seattle Public Schools plans to send letters home to parents. And WS Elementary will get a new principal, because of the district’s plans for dealing with “lowest-performing” schools – if a principal at any such school has been there longer than two years, as has Gayle Everly, the district will replace them. The designation also means that the school may be eligible for a federal grant; the district has until the end of this week to apply. (Two months ago, we covered an at-times-contentious meeting in High Point at which local parents faced district leaders with their concerns, mostly about WS Elementary.) 2:39 PM UPDATE: We’ve now received the district’s news release about all this – focused on the grant possibilities – read on:Read More
That’s the Seattle All-City Band, performing at the first-ever Band Jam at Southwest Athletic Complex in West Seattle last summer. The student musicians are from all over the city, but they’re led by Marcus Pimpleton, the renowned music man from Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth High School. Last night, band members rehearsed at Denny to get ready for a road trip today: They’re headed to Portland to try out for the “America’s Got Talent” TV show. We got the tip from Carrie Hewitt, who says someone from the show saw an online video of the ACB and invited them to come try out – this is the second day of a two-day round of tryouts in Portland. Good luck!
The new Student Assignment Plan for Seattle Public Schools means that starting next school year, thousands of students get default assignments to what the district has designated as their “neighborhood schools.” However, you can still request a different school – and the official period for doing that starts tomorrow. Here’s the info on the SPS site. ADDED 9:58 PM: The district is having several outreach events at which you can get help with the application process; in West Seattle, there’s a session planned 5:30-7 pm March 8 at Delridge Library.
We’ve got photos from unique events involving two West Seattle elementary schools: First, Saturday night was Prom Night at Kenyon Hall, for Alki Elementary parents (and friends) who wanted to party like it was the ’80s all over again. Thanks to Kristina for the tip; she explained it’s an Alki fundraiser, with tickets sold at the recent benefit auction. We went over for a couple photos, intrigued by the promise of “big hair, some crazy ’80s music … satin, tuxes with shiny cummerbunds, and the like … a great time with a lot of laughter, and it’s all in the name of helping our kids!” Four promgoers paused to pose – from left, Laurie, Susan, Doreen and Linda:
Also this morning, photos from a special assembly at Lafayette Elementary on Friday – courtesy of Luckie:
She says Boxtales Theatre Company from Santa Barbara, California, enchanted the students (and others!) with stories from afar, including Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The photo above is from the Mexican story “La Calavera” (Lady Death). The performers also showed some of their masks to Lafayette students:
Luckie adds, “The Lafayette PTA budgets each year for arts assemblies, and this is the first one of the 2009-10 school year. Next, we will have the Grail Theatre of Britain, in June. Yay PTA!”
At Bellevue College in the Sea-King 3A district tournament, the Chief Sealth High School boys’ varsity basketball team played a tight first half, but their inability to hold onto the ball in the second half let the Sammamish Totems overtake them for a 46-39 win tonight – our clip is representative of how things went:
Throughout the first half, the game was tight, and the score was tied 22-all at halftime. But the second half saw the Seahawks score only nine points until late in the fourth quarter. Sammamish took advantage of Sealth’s spotty passing and rebounding to go on a 9-point run. High scorer for Sealth was Tomas Ogbaslassie with 14 points. Sealth gets one more chance, with a Tuesday game against whomever loses the game that followed theirs – Bellevue vs. Seattle Prep (it’s still in the 1st half; periodic updates at @seatimespreps).
After school today at Lafayette Elementary, students got to jump not only for joy, but also to help others – it was the annual Jump Rope for Heart event, which happens around the country as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Not just jumping – a little careful balancing, too:
Thanks to Edgar from Captive Eye Media for the photos!
A high-school gym looking more like a carnival? In the middle of a weekday? That was the scene we found at Seattle Lutheran High School north of The Junction late this morning – as the students romped during CHAD (Crazy, Happy, Awesome Day). Always a surprise – they didn’t know they wouldn’t have classes today until it was announced over the P/A system in the 9 o’clock hour. From there, it was off to the gym for inflatable games including an obstacle course and surfboard ride; Bil Hood tells us Wii and XBOX rooms were planned too. Red Star Pizza was delivered for lunch, and once the inflatables came down, the gym was turning into a movie theater.
Tomorrow, it’s back to school for Seattle Public Schools students (among others) after a week of midwinter break. About 100 students spent four days of the no-classes week at Denny International Middle School in West Seattle, which offered a music camp for 4th through 8th graders again this year. Our video clips are from the week-ending recital at Denny on Friday afternoon. Music director Marcus Pimpleton told the audience that a hallmark of the camp was having the young musicians – who numbered more than 70 – mentored by high-school volunteers (more than 30!). You can see a few of the mentors in this clip of the steel drummers:
The high-school volunteers were from Chief Sealth and Roosevelt High Schools. Click ahead for two more clips from the Friday afternoon recital, including one student group with a ’70s classic:Read More
STUDENTS HELPING HAITI: From left, Lafayette Elementary student council representatives Anna Goldberg, Alyx Hastings and Quinn Gerberding. Proud Lafayette principal Virginia Turner says they “conceived of, publicized and organized the fundraising effort” that brought in $1,460 for Haiti relief — the council sponsored the collection. Lafayette teacher Kent Ferris worked with the students to help them make it happen. Another big announcement:
ARTISTS HELPING HAITI: Last weekend, we brought you a progress report during West Seattle artist/entrepreneur Stephanie Hargrave‘s art sale to raise money to help Haiti. She now has the final numbers: $17,031 raised during the one-day sale! It’s going to Partners in Health, Doctors Without Borders, and Mercy Corps. Stephanie took the above photo of all the art in her studio during the sale, and adds: “My two friends who were instrumental in the effort and worked tirelessly are West Seattleites Anne-Marie Meredith and Bronwyn McNutt.” She also included a full list of the artists who participated by donating work – see that list (with information on how to contact the artists – web links or phone/e-mail) here.
NEW WEST SEATTLE HELP FOR HAITI: Kari Robins e-mailed to say:
I am a West Seattle resident and a high school teacher. I am going to be traveling to Haiti this summer with Global Volunteer Network. I will be working with orphaned children and homeless women. I want to raise money to help offset the cost of travel and participating in the program.
I will be working with children, youth and women within two camps; Pinchinat and Kay Wolf. These camps have more than 3,000 people who became homeless after the quake. I will be helping to run education classes for children as the schools have been closed down until September.
I am looking for community support to help offset the expense and to maximize my time down in Haiti.
Read more about the type of work she’ll be doing, by going here; to e-mail her with questions and/or help, kari.robins@hotmail.com.
From Seattle Pacific University, where we covered the game via Twitter (@wsblive), the boys’ varsity basketball Metro League title game final score: Rainier Beach 51, Chief Sealth 34. But the Seahawks are still in the district playoffs, which start next week. We’ll add the recap and video here soon.
SUMMARY AND VIDEO ADDED 8:55 PM: Friday night, Chief Sealth found out that it’s not easy to hang onto the ball when you play Rainier Beach. Beach pulled away from Sealth early on in the second quarter and never looked back as the Vikings beat Sealth 51-34 to take the Metro League championship.
While the Seahawks managed to rebound the ball fairly well in the first half, they had a great deal of trouble shooting throughout the game. None of their players managed to make it into double digits on the night. The only player who got close was Tomas Ogbaslassie, with nine points. Also the teams’ foul-shooting percentage, which had been a strong point for them against Prep last Wednesday, fell off dramatically against Rainier Beach. Sealth converted fewer than half their free throws.
One of the high points for Sealth came in the second Quarter when senior Daniel Davis put up a three-point shot.
We’re checking for word on Sealth’s first game in the district playoffs. SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Sealth athletic director Sam Reed says that since the Seahawks have a first-round bye at districts, they’re scheduled to play at 4:45 pm next Friday at Bellevue Community College – vs. either Sammamish, Bainbridge, or O’Dea (depending on the outcome of two games between now and then).
Tonight at 6, Chief Sealth High School‘s boys’ varsity basketball team plays Rainier Beach for the Metro League title. After Sealth’s Thursday afternoon practice, we talked with coach Colin Slingsby:
Sealth has a challenge tonight – they lost to Rainier Beach twice this year, once by 9 points, once by 10, and RB is undefeated in the Metro League, #2 statewide in 3A. No matter what happens tonight though, Sealth still moves on to the district playoffs next week. You can cheer them on tonight at 6 at Seattle Pacific University (map); we’ll tweet live from the game on our “live events” Twitter account (which you can check on the Web even if you are not a Twitter member), @wsblive (twitter.com/wsblive).
ORIGINAL 8:52 PM REPORT: We’ve been covering it via Twitter at our live-events account, @wsblive – and now the game’s over. The Chief Sealth High School boys’ varsity basketball team beat Seattle Prep – 66-61, the scoreboard read, when the buzzer sounded. Friday night, they’ll play Rainier Beach, which beat Franklin in the other Metro League semifinal game, 73-63.
DETAILS/VIDEO ADDED 10:47 PM: Seattle Prep made a game of it in the last 90 seconds, but Chief Sealth’s big night at the free-throw line helped them to pull out a 66-61 win. Prep pulled within three points with less than a minute to go, but this foul by Prep’s Julian Mason sent junior Keon Lewis to the free-throw line, where he converted both shots to put the Seahawks up by five with less than 20 seconds to go:
Lewis was roughed up three times on the night, leaving the game in the third quarter after he went down clutching his knee just after the second half started. He returned a few minutes later and managed to put up 14 points. He was only outscored on the night by teammate Tomas Ogbaslassie, who had 18 points, 10 of those from foul shots.
Sealth managed to keep Prep from moving the ball inside for the better part of the night while controlling the rebound for all but the last quarter. The Seahawks two big scoring runs came when they forced Prep into playing a game of run and shoot which made Prep routinely lose control of the ball. It was Sealth’s own foul trouble in the fourth that managed to get Prep within striking distance of a win. Prep’s top scorer was sophomore Mitch Brewe, who had 21 points. Sealth moves on to play Rainier Beach on Friday night at 6 pm at SPU.
Some tales of student success to share tonight: First, Mike Jensen‘s been reporting from Portland via Twitter on the Hope Lutheran School participants in the Lutheran Elementary Schools Tournament. Above is a tweeted photo of 20 Hope students’ curtain call after “Romeo and Juliet“; this afternoon, he tweeted live as the awards were announced. For Hope (excerpts from tweets at @hopeseattle):
Hope’s blue ribbon instrumental from Aaron Abeyta (clarinet) and Garth Ball (sax)
Hope’s blue ribbon piano performances from; Taylor Kuhn, Kasandra Kruhn, Cooper Honeyman and Grant Doerr
Hope’s blue ribbon vocal performances by; Carina Andrews, Devon Fox, Samantha Hood and Kelly Walsh
Hope’s Faith Pressor places 3rd in the 6th grade math competition at LEST
The Hope cheer team places 2nd in the AAA cheer competition.
5/6th grade drill/dance team gets 3rd place in the 7/8th grade competition!
Last, but certainly not least, 8th grader Kayla Searle wins the Champion of Character award
We covered their sendoff rally (including video of cheer and drill performances) on Wednesday. Meantime, sister school Seattle Lutheran High School has some basketball results to report, thanks to Bil Hood:
Saints girls take fourth in league today. Will play at LaConner Thursday in the first game of district tournament. … The Saints boys beat Rainier Christian today 71-65, advancing the Saints to the district tournament. Drew Burza led the Saints with 28 points.
Then, we have a followup from last weekend – right about this time last Saturday, Chief Sealth High School music supporters, student musicians, and special guests like the West Seattle Big Band were sharing a gala dinner/performance experience. Monica Kenny just shared two photos and a recap:
If last Saturday you thought you heard some beautiful night music in the West Seattle air, you weren’t imagining it! February 6th was the Chief Sealth Jazz Band’s Big Band Dinner Dance held at the temporary Boren site. The Jazz Band students spent all day decorating the band stage, dance floor and dinner tables then put on their tuxedos and hit the stage. The event included a spaghetti dinner and free swing dance lessons so there was no excuse not to hit the dance floor. Once the Sealth Jazz Band’s set was compete the ever-popular West Seattle Big Band took the stage, allowing the student musicians the chance to join in on the swing dancing. This popular event is held every February and is lots of fun so mark your calendars for February 2011!
Thanks to everyone who shares school news – from event listings (got a fundraiser or show coming up?) to achievement reports, and more – lots of ways to share the news!
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