West Seattle, Washington
30 Thursday
From Sanislo Elementary mom Lisa, a photo at the end of Saturday’s Ultimate Frisbee match between Sanislo and Daniel Bagley Elementary. Lisa says the Sanislo All-Stars (fourth- and fifth-graders coached by third-grade teacher Ellen O’Connor, who also coaches Denny International Middle School‘s UF players) came out victorious. (Reminder note, Seattle Public Schools are on spring break all week long, returning to class Monday 4/25.)
And from Tim, a postscript of sorts to our Friday night story about “Scottie Joe,” who’s been installing the facing outside the future A Terrible Beauty at California/Edmunds:
Tim shared that photo of his 5-year-old daughter Akela, saying “Scottie Joe” let her “install one of the stones and told her that whenever she came by she will remember that she put that one rock in.”
From West Seattle High School girls’ basketball coach Sonya Elliott, news about one of her top players:
West Seattle girls basketball player Anna Hobby (has signed a) Letter of Intent to play basketball at Bellevue College. The 6’1” senior finished her final season averaging 8.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game, and was the team’s Co-MVP with teammate Ja’Narah McRae.
“I’m very excited for Anna,” said Sonya Elliott, the new head girls’ basketball coach at West Seattle, “It’s a great opportunity for her to continue her education and to grow as an athlete and as a person, which is what the athletic department emphasizes here at West Seattle High School.”
(Photo courtesy WS YMCA sports director Matt Schlede)
Tomorrow’s the last day to sign up for West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) Youth T-Ball/Baseball’s next season. The program is for kids ages 3-10, with one practice during the week and one game on Saturdays (except for the 3-year-olds, who don’t play games). Practices start the week of April 25; games, the week of May 7th, with the season running through June 25th. There are four leagues: 3-year-old T-ball, 4/5 T-ball, 6/7 coach pitch, 8-10 coach pitch. They play at fields all over the area. You can register at the Triangle or Fauntleroy Y locations, or, here’s the link to register online (Y sports summer-camp info can be found there too).
Next weekend, the West Seattle Women’s Golf Club opens its 2011 season at WS Golf Course – and Pat asked us to share this invitation:
Women have been golfing since the 16th century, when Mary Queen of Scots first coined the term “caddy” and played the famous St. Andrews course shortly after the death of her husband, Lord Darnley. Yes, they say well-behaved women rarely make history.
Women have been golfing with the West Seattle Women’s Golf Club (WSWGC) since the 1940s, and many lasting friendships have been formed over the years as a result of the camaraderie of golf. Several social events occur during the year, but the main objective of the WSWGC is to provide a friendly atmosphere in which to learn about golf, to play golf, and the chance for some fun competition.
Annual dues are $70.00 plus a $5.00 initiation fee for new members. Dues pay for your GHIN number and handicap, reserved tee-times on Tuesdays and Saturdays, weekly competition fees, most WSWGC tournament fees and operating expenses, as well as providing a great opportunity to meet and play golf with other women golfers.
Please join us for our Season Opening “Swing into Spring” Social on Sunday, April 17th, 2 PM at the West Seattle Golf Course. An $8 entry fee will provide you with yummy appetizers, a collector logo golf ball and information about the Club as well as a chance to win some fun prizes including a free weekday round of golf at West Seattle Golf Course! RSVP by 4/13 to Kay Whelan at mkwhelan@comcast.net – Interested in membership? Send inquiry to Ruthi Winter at 68gator@comcast.net.
Hope to meet you on the first tee at West Seattle Golf Course!
Another event happening tonight in West Seattle: Organizers confirm the next in a series of rallies around the city to show support for the Seattle Police Department is planned tonight outside the Southwest Precinct. They hope to line Delridge and Webster outside the precinct, starting around 6:30, and the public is welcome to join in. It’s not an official SPD event; coverage of rallies at other precincts has noted that organizers and participants have included members of officers’ families.
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for West Seattle Blog/White Center Now)
‘AS-IT-HAPPENED’ REPORT AT 9:22 PM THURSDAY: Shortly after the renovated Southgate Roller Rink opened its doors to general-public skating for the first time in more than five years (here’s our original February story about the reopening plan), this line snaked out the door and out along the walkway to the front door. Inside, the skate is on. More coverage to come.
ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: Photos and video from Opening Night, by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB/WCN. First, the Derby Girls took the floor in early evening before the official opening session, to work on fundamentals:
Then at 8:30 – the first public session:
The old saying “a good time was had by all” seemed to be in order. Even for Ronda Stapleton, who Ellen says may have been the first to take a tumble, but was still smiling, bravely showing off her bruised arm:
Southgate has a skate shop, too, in case you want to buy your own skates and gear (rental skates are included in the admission fee if you need them):
The Southgate schedule is online – see it here.
As we’ve been reporting, tomorrow night is grand-opening night for the renovated Southgate Roller Rink in White Center – but tonight, some lucky skaters got a test run, and Deanie Schwarz – who was first to report the renovation plan back in February – was there for WSB and partner site White Center Now. Here’s a clip for starters; more coverage to come.
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
In case you haven’t seen it yet on our partner site White Center Now – WSB/WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz has checked back inside Southgate Roller Rink as it gets ready to open to the public tomorrow night. Here’s the story, with more photos. The rink officially opens at 8:30 tomorrow night for an adult (18+) session; here’s the full schedule.
West Seattle Soccer Club reps have spent much of the day lining the fields where their spring season opens tomorrow: Madison, Roxhill South, Boren, Fairmount, Alki, E.C. Hughes, Sealth (SWAC), and Denny. So says WSSC’s Tim McMonigle, who adds: “Our season theme this year is Champion’s League, modeled after the popular European tournament, with all the famous names like Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona. We are playing for six weeks (except Easter) and only on Sunday afternoons.” So if you see fields full of kids just about everywhere you go tomorrow – it’s just WSSC spring games, first round.
(COURTESY LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: White Center Mardi Gras Parade 1947 passes Southgate rink)
Here’s an update you just might want to throw a parade for: As first reported here and on partner site White Center Now last weekend, Thursday night is grand-opening night for the newly renovated Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. Southgate’s been publishing updates on Facebook (check out the photo of the 300 newly arrived rental skates!) but now also has updated its website with full details on the skating-session schedule and prices (which include skate rental if needed) – you can see it here (including a beginners’ class on Sundays). Here’s how to find the rink. (And if you missed it – here’s our original February story breaking the news of the rink reopening.)
Just in from Seattle Lutheran High School principal Mark Henderson: A new football coach is on board for SLHS. Jim Wright most recently was on the coaching staff at Eastside Catholic High School. Read on for Seattle Lutheran’s full announcement:Read More
First it was set for last Saturday … then, because of soggy weather, this Saturday … and now West Seattle Little League president Mark Terao just sent word that the WSLL Jamboree is off again, with the league’s focus turning to trying “to get the fields ready for the first game of the regular season on Monday, April 4th.” He adds, “We will redesign the Jamboree and give all of the kids an opportunity to be announced and run out on the field during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new concession and storage building. Once that day is determined, we will make the announcement.”
Last month, for West Seattle Blog/White Center Now, Deanie Schwarz broke the story of White Center’s historic rollerskating rink – turned “event center” – getting new management and a new life with its old identity, as Southgate Roller Rink. Tonight, she has an update from rink managers, just published on WCN – they’ve set the opening date, April 7th.
Thanks to the Arbor Heights Elementary School parent who shared a photo of a special visit by reps from the WNBA champion Seattle Storm – including Doppler! – and reports, “The students went wild over the visit, which included talking about good nutrition and being active.” We are told that parent volunteer Meri Patton arranged for the visit. The team gets back into action in May (here’s their schedule).
Spring may have officially arrived, but that doesn’t magically dry out the fields, so another announcement has come in from West Seattle Little League president Mark Terao:
Due to the record-setting rain in Seattle, the fields are not ready at Bar-S Playground, which has forced West Seattle Little League to push the season-starting Jamboree back to April 2, 2011.
Last Friday, WSLL announced the postponement, with weather also a factor, of the ribboncutting festivities for its Bar-S improvements – no new date is set for that yet.
West Seattle Little League‘s Opening Day Jamboree is still on schedule for March 26, but WSLL president Mark Terao sends word that the ribboncutting ceremony for their Bar-S Playfield improvements will not happen that same day. “Mother Nature, along with other holdups and delays, put up too many obstacles for us to overcome,” he explained via e-mail. “We will re-evaluate what is needed for completion along with establishing the new timeline for completion so that we can set up a new ribbon cutting date. It is my hope to complete the project within a few weeks.”
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Family YMCA)
Got a 3- to 10-year-old who would like to play T-ball or baseball? Registration is open now for the West Seattle Famliy YMCA (WSB sponsor) programs, all co-ed and designed to teach the basic skills – batting, catching, and throwing – while promising “equal chances (for all children) to bat, run bases, and play in the field.” There’s one practice during the week and one game (on Saturdays, for all but the 3-year-olds); practices start the week of April 25, and the season runs May 7-June 25. You can register in person at the Triangle or Fauntleroy locations of the Y – or online, by going here. (P.S. The Y also needs volunteer coaches. If you are interested, call sports director Matt Schlede at 206-937-1000 or e-mail him at mschlede@seattleymca.org)
Two and a half years ago, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – then the chair of the council’s Parks Committee – stood next to then-dusty Delridge Playfield, holding a sign campaigning for the Parks and Green Spaces Levy that has now paid for the field’s all-new turf. (Here’s the story we published that day.) Less than an hour ago, he joined acting Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams in dedicating the $3 million-plus levy-funded project – Williams threw out a ceremonial disc, while Rasmussen tossed out a ceremonial ball. The field has been happily welcomed by local athletic organizations involved with sports including disc, softball, baseball, lacrosse, and of course, soccer:
That’s West Seattle Soccer Club president Bill Fry (center) with Jack Chilcott and dad Howard Chilcott – WSSC co-sponsored today’s dedication celebration along with DiscNW. (added) Local organizations were there with info tables – North Delridge Neighborhood Council (whose next meeting is at 6:30 Monday night in the Delridge Library) and Southwest Youth and Family Services, whose headquarters is next to the field:
Student musicians from the acclaimed Chief Sealth International High School drum line played (video to come), but of course the star of the show was the field itself:
Before the year’s out, another dedication is likely nearby – groundbreaking is expected later this month for Delridge Skatepark, just a block north.
ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Click ahead for two video clips from the Saturday dedication:Read More
(Photos by Cliff DesPeaux for WSB)
Families, friends, and staff gathered last night to celebrate Chief Sealth International High School‘s winter sports season. Along with our photos, the story is best told by the season recap shared with the Sealth community the night before by Athletic Director Sam Reed:
On November 15 of this Fall, 153 Chief Sealth International student-athletes turned out for the first day of the Winter sports season, ready to represent our community in gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, and both boys and girls basketball. (Thursday night) we will gather to celebrate their accomplishments, along with those of both cheer and mock trial, at our annual Winter sports banquet. … All participating student-athletes, parents and supporters are invited to attend, eat dinner and hear from our coaches.
The recap continues, with more photos, after the jump:Read More
(WSY Dolphins cheering other swimmers; March 5th photo by Jacqueline Nokeo Muongchanh)
One week from tomorrow, four swimmers from the Dolphins swim team based at West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) will compete in the last regional meet of the fall/spring season. Just last weekend, more than 50 WSY Dolphins swam in the last big competition – and we have a report tonight from their head coach, Kyle Homad:
The West Seattle Y Dolphins swim team took 12th place at the Pacific Region North YMCA Swimming Championships last weekend in Federal Way. Twenty-five teams from across five states, including Alaska, Oregon, Wyoming and Idaho, competed in the meet.
The WSY Dolphins 12-Under girls relay team of Brynn Snodgrass, Maya DeGasperi, Angelica Gil, and Julia Olson raced to a 9th place finish in the 200 medley (2:24.49) and 8th place in the 200 Free (2:05.07).
The 12-U boys Dolphins relay team – Oliver Starkweather, Carlos Morales, Ricardo Martinez and Tyler Barker – finished 5th in the 200 medley (2:22.56) and 7th in the 200 freestyle relay (2:06.66).
The 14-U WSY Dolphins relay team of Darla Long, Karen Woodworth, Rose Morgan and Haley Kormanik came in 7th in the 200 medley (2:10.66) and 6th in the 200 freestyle (156.74).
An almost-last-minute addition to the lineup for Saturday’s gala celebration of the Delridge Playfield renovations – Seattle Parks confirmed late today that six drummers from the acclaimed Chief Sealth International High School Drum Line will perform as part of the festivities, right before the speeches. That means they’ll be on between 1 and 1:15 pm. (Our video above shows the drum line performing at the Tacoma Dome last week while the Sealth boys were in the state tournament.) The West Seattle Soccer Club is co-sponsoring the celebration with DiscNW; there’ll be disc games as it starts at 12:30, and soccer games after acting Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen lead the formal dedication around 1:15. As planned during the design meetings we covered back in xxx, the field now has playing zones for soccer, baseball, softball, disc sports, and lacrosse (which was added to the plan by request during the community meetings we covered a year and a half ago). Its new lights use a third less electricity than the old ones, according to the city. The $3 million-plus project was paid for by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, approved by voters in 2008.
(Photos by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
When WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz broke the news two weeks ago about reopening plans for the once-and-future Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, excitement ensued. So she has been checking back on what’s happening there. When she dropped by Wednesday, she discovered two updates – one including the sports stars who got their start at Southgate, the Rat City Rollergirls!
First, the renovation work is beginning: The photo above shows the 10,000-square-foot original maple floor under many coats of paint. A contractor with a stripping/sanding “tractor” will soon begin work; refinishing will then involve a unique urethane finish “which reacts specifically with the materials the skate wheels are made of,” Deanie reports, adding that the finishing touch will be a three-foot wall around the perimeter. Meantime, electrical work briefly exposed a bit of the old high ceiling (top right, in the photo):
That’s why it was “the Rollerdrome” in the ’30s. But its new managers do not have immediate plans to remove the newer dropped ceilings to expose the original beams; this was just a glimpse.
Now, on to the Rollergirls:
In Deanie’s photo, from left, RCRG chief operating officer Alyssa Hoppe, Jessica Ivey from the Grave Danger team, Josh Rhoads of new Southgate management, and “MaxMillion” from the Throttle Rockets team.
They told Deanie this was their first meeting to explore bringing RCRG back to the Southgate rink for special events offered to season-ticket holders (“The Rat Pack“). The discussions are in far too preliminary a stage for any details, even dates, but more talks will follow.
Ivey added: “There’s a possibility you’re going to be seeing us around [White Center] a lot more. We’re just really excited about the possibility to bring the season-ticket holders this opportunity. They’ve been asking to come to some of our events and they haven’t been able to attend because of the location at a private facility; we might be able to bring the ticket holders here to Southgate. “
She shone some light on derby’s roots at Southgate, too: “Back in the 20’s and 30’s, to ease the Great Depression, they had to be creative and were looking for new activities that were inexpensive. They would have dance-a-thons at the then-Southgate Rollerdrome, and eventually roller-skating marathons. As was the case in the dance marathons, whoever could endure and was the last skater on the floor would be declared the winner of the contest. As they extended the hours of these marathons, from 24 to 36 hours, participants would become tired and the competitors would start deliberately knocking down the other skaters to get an advantage to win the marathon contest. It was out of those physical and uber-competitive marathon skating events that derby skating arose into a spectator sport of co-ed teams.” Then came the TV heyday of roller derby, as stations tried to fill time with everything they could find in the ’50s.
A little more history, from RCRG COO Hoppe – She told Deanie that her grandmother was the Queen of the Rollerball at Southgate before WWII – forbidden by her family to attend events lest she become a “rink rat,” undesirable for a “proper young Christian woman of that era,” so she made up alibis and sneaked away with a friend to travel from Green Lake all the way to Southgate to roller-skate far from the watchful eyes of anyone they knew from the north end!
P.S. Southgate Roller Rink has launched a Facebook page with ongoing updates – you can “like” it here. More updates as the pre-reopening renovations continue in the weeks ahead.
(WSB photo from October 2010 Halloween Ski [etc.] Swap)
Another winter-gear-swap event is in the works, organized by the folks at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle. Dropping by the store today, we heard from M2SO staff about the plans for a followup to the first-ever Halloween Ski Swap last year: The swap event will be at the VFW Hall (3601 SW Alaska, across the street from M2SO), Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27 – with dropoff on Friday the 25th, 4-7 pm; the swap 10 am-6 pm on Saturday and 11 am-5 pm on Sunday (retrieve the leftovers 4-6 pm). M2SO tells us 20 percent of the proceeds will benefit nonprofits. Details are being finalized, so more info is yet to come, but go ahead and mark your calendar if you’ve got gear to swap! P.S. M2SO’s winter-clearance sale is in its final week – including 50% discounts.
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