West Seattle, Washington
09 Sunday
(File photo)
It’s been a long journey for The Kenney (WSB sponsor) over the past six years, including starting and canceling a major overhaul plan. Today, a big announcement – The Kenney is affiliating with New York-based Heritage Ministries and reducing its debt. Here’s the announcement:
The Kenney senior living community of West Seattle has signed a letter of intent to affiliate with Heritage Ministries, a nonprofit, faith-based organization. Through this planned affiliation, The Kenney has also signed a purchase agreement with its current lender to purchase its outstanding debt at a 50% discount.
Heritage Ministries has roots in the Free Methodist Church with sister organizations, such as Seattle Pacific University, in the Seattle area. Heritage Ministries and The Kenney intend to affiliate and to maintain the mission of serving seniors in West Seattle. The Kenney will remain a nonprofit organization and will continue to have a board of volunteer directors. Resident agreements will be honored and the benevolent care fund for residents will continue.
The level of debt incurred by The Kenney was the result of construction of a new assisted living and community space in the 2000s. The construction and loans had occurred prior to the economic downturn and current operations could not sustain that level of debt. The Kenney worked with its lender, Sovereign Bank, for several years to maintain operations and to continue to service the needs of The Kenney’s residents. Ontrac Management Services was brought in to work with The Kenney in summer 2012 after the organization had defaulted on its loan.
In Spring 2014, Sovereign Bank sold The Kenney’s loan to a private lender who agreed to honor the resident contracts and allowed the organization to continue its nonprofit status. In October 2014, the same lender notified The Kenney that it needed to sell the debt before the end of the year. Ontrac Management Services was asked by The Kenney board of directors to find a lender and/or other nonprofit organization to assist with the debt purchase.
With the affiliation plan for Heritage Ministries and The Kenney moving ahead, Ontrac Management will step out of its interim role in December. Larry Foss is being named Executive Director of The Kenney. Mr. Foss joined The Kenney in the finance department and as the licensed nursing home administrator in June 2014. He has more than a decade of experience working in senior living communities as a chief financial officer, executive director and as a nursing home administrator. Mr. Foss is also the current Chair of LeadingAge Washington, which is the nonprofit trade association for senior living and healthcare organizations.
“It has been a privilege to support The Kenney as interim management during the last two years. Our role is now coming to an end. We see that the future is bright for The Kenney in its affiliation with Heritage Ministries,” said Moraine Byrne, President of Ontrac Management Services.
In an October news release, The Kenney said the 50 percent debt reduction would bring its debt down to $10.5 million. It pursued a $150 million redevelopment project between 2008 to 2011, in the end settling on smaller changes such as creation of a Memory Unit. We asked Byrne for a little more elaboration on what “affiliation” means; she replied, “The Kenney will continue to be a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Affiliation means that the corporate member in the bylaws is Heritage Ministries and that The Kenney will continue to be governed by a volunteer board of directors. Heritage Ministries will provide management oversight too.”
That’s a recent photo of the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One; today, KCSO sends an alert that you might spot it flying along the West Seattle coastline next Tuesday, and that’ll be part of a drill:
Notice of Joint Maritime Training Exercise
On Tuesday November 25th the King County Sheriff’s Office TAC 30 team (our department’s tactical unit) will be hosting a multi-agency maritime operations exercise in the area of the Des Moines waterfront. Citizens may see our helicopter flying from the Alki Point area south to Dumas Bay. Hours of the exercise will be from approximately 8 AM until 5 PM.
The main landing zone for the helicopter will be the Des Moines Marina. Agencies participating in the exercise include the Washington State Patrol, Seattle Police, Bainbridge Island Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and King County Medic One.
There will be numerous law enforcement boats involved in the exercise, along with one boat from Argosy Cruises. The main landing zone for the helicopter will be the Des Moines Marina. During the exercise there will be no public access to the pier.
We’ll remind you again when it gets closer, but for now, just so you know; the law-enforcement boats might be noticed as they head that way, too.
1:40 PM: Following up on the incident that first came to light as an alert sent by e-mail and robo-call to Arbor Heights Elementary parents late yesterday, reported here last night along with additional information we sought from police last night, here’s what SPD Blotter has just published:
Detectives are investigating a possible luring incident Monday in West Seattle.
A 12-year-old boy was walking to school around 9 AM when a black Ford pickup truck pulled alongside him in the 1600 block of 23rd Ave SW. The driver in the truck then spoke to the boy, who kept walking. The truck then sped away.
The boy’s father was driving just ahead of the boy—to keep an eye on him as he walked to school—and witnessed the brief encounter. After seeing the truck drive off, the father picked up his son, who reported the man has asked him to help with an errand.
The boy’s father then drove through the neighborhood and caught up to the truck, and jotted down the license plate number. The father then dropped his child off at school and contacted police about the incident.
Officers went to the home where the they believed the truck’s driver was living, but residents at the house said he had not been there in more than a month.
Detectives in SPD’s Sexual Assault Unit are investigating and have identified a level-one sex offender—who is connected with the truck—as a person of interest in the case.
ADDED 3:06 PM: And now Seattle Public Schools has sent the following message to “West Seattle school families” (thanks to the Arbor Heights parent who was first to forward it to us:
Dear West Seattle schools families,
I want to share with you information on a recent event that was reported in our community. Earlier this week, Seattle Police received information regarding a male stranger driving up to a Denny International Middle School youth as he walked to school, asking him to get in the vehicle. The student refused and fled. The student’s parent was nearby and called Seattle Police with the stranger’s vehicle description and license number. That same afternoon, the parent reported to Seattle Police that the same stranger and vehicle were outside Denny after school, though there was no report to police or school administration that any students were approached by the man. Seattle Police have investigated and determined the owner of the vehicle is listed as a registered sex offender.
The Denny student did everything right, immediately getting away from the stranger and reporting the incident to his parent, and the parent was very proactive gathering vehicle information and license number.
The safety of our students is a top priority for Seattle Public Schools. You can help your children stay safe by talking to them about personal safety. As a reminder, please talk to your child(ren) about walking in pairs or groups and being aware of their surroundings at all times, as well as not talking to strangers or getting into their vehicles. Having these conversations, especially with younger children, can be difficult. We encourage you to be sensitive to your child. This link to the Seattle Police website offers some valuable information which may help you with your discussions: http://www.seattle.gov/police/prevention/child/default.htm
Sincerely,
Seattle Public Schools
THURSDAY UPDATE: Police added a few lines to the blotter post, saying they have found and talked to the man:
SPD detectives have contacted and interviewed the person of interest in this case. The man was very forthcoming with information about the incident. Investigators are currently checking out details he provided to rule out any criminal activity on his part.
As of noon, a Stage 2 burn ban is in effect in King County, and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency expects to keep it in effect until 6 am tomorrow. It cites “continued weather conditions and air-pollution levels. Here’s what this level of burn ban means:
During a Stage 2 burn ban:
* No burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplaces, certified or uncertified wood stoves or fireplace inserts. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
* The only exception is if the homeowner has a previously approved ‘No Other Adequate Source of Heat’ designation from the Clean Air Agency
* No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
* Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
It is OK to use natural gas and propane stoves or inserts during a Stage 2 burn ban.
Rain is expected to return early tomorrow.
(Remember the sunshine? Winter beach volleyball photographed last weekend by Don Brubeck)
Not far from that sandy scene, we start today’s list of highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
MARINATION’S ‘FREE TACO’ FOOD DRIVE: Bring a nonperishable food item to Marination ma kai (WSB sponsor) at Seacrest today for the Food Lifeline drive, and you’ll get a free taco, as previewed here. MMK is open now, and doesn’t close until 8 pm. The food drive continues beyond today, but this is the ONE day for this tasty incentive. (1660 Harbor SW)
TURKEY DRIVE: 4-7 pm today, donate a turkey (or money for one) to the West Seattle Food Bank at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – as previewed here. (California/Fauntleroy)
AFFORDABLE, LIVABLE HOUSING IN SEATTLE: How do you think the city can help make sure there IS some, maybe even more? Your chance to have a say and get involved is tonight – not IN West Seattle, but it’s as close as this round of meetings will get – 6 to 8:30 pm at the Ethiopian Community Center. Lots of details here. (8323 Rainier Ave. S. – map)
PALEO DESSERT PARTY: 6-8 pm at X Gym Alki (WSB sponsor), as explained in our calendar listing. Chocolate! Among other things. (3213 Harbor SW)
GORE-TEX GROUP RUN: Try new stuff out and get your (3- or 6-mile) run on! 6:30 pm, meet at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), details here. (3727 California SW)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with the agenda including guest Israel Vela, executive director of Southwest-region schools for Seattle Public Schools, and a followup discussion on the proposed Neighborhood Matching Fund changes. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
WORDS WEST LITERARY SERIES: 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), featuring Kate Lebo and Molly Wizenberg, with Delridge Grocery reading the “favorite poem.” Details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
LAUGH IT OFF: Midweek and you need a reason to laugh. You’ll find many reasons tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), with West Seattle’s own Mona Concepcion hosting Comedy Night featuring Mitch Burrow, Evelyn Jensen, Matt Eriksen, Mike Coletta, Nick Decktor, 8 pm. (6451 California SW)
MORE … on the calendar!
This Friday afternoon at Forest Lawn, family and friends will gather to say goodbye to Don Knodel. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing with the community:
In Loving Memory of Don Knodel
It is with great sadness that on 11/11/14 our father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and friend, passed away. He was the anchor of the Knodel family and will be missed.
Donald Clayton Knodel was born in Chasely, ND and raised in Hurdsfield, ND. He was one of 8 children and lived there until he joined the Navy, where he served in World War II on the USS Howard W. Gilmore. He came home and married Audrey Jean Kelm, his wife of 64 years. Together they took a leap of faith and with their two young children moved from ND, to West Seattle where they lived out the rest of their lives.
Don owned and operated Don’s Barber Shop on California Ave. for 45 years. He was an avid sportsman his whole life, playing baseball and basketball in school, then in the men’s league in ND. Moving to WS he became a regular bowler at the W.S. Bowl, poker player, and was involved with W.S. Little League Baseball as a coach and umpire. He and Audrey were Totems hockey season ticket holders and original Seahawks season ticket holders. Fishing was his true passion with trips to Canada and up at Timberlakes. Don loved having family and friends around him, whether it was playing cards, dancing or just sitting around telling stories and laughing. Lots of laughing….
Preceded in death by his wife Audrey; 3 brothers – Durward, Al, Andy; 2 sisters – Doris and Joyce. He is survived by his children Dwight (Nik), Kath (Kelly), Pam (Tom); grandchildren Erin, Damon, Tyler, Ian, Kaley; 6 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters Opal, Irene; and countless friends and family who will miss, but never forget, him.
Service: 11/21/2014, 2 pm, Forest Lawn Funeral Home (6701 30th SW). Please join us in the celebration of his life at the Knodel residence following the service (4122 41st SW). If you wish, donations to the Alzheimer’s Foundation would be greatly appreciated.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
Another chance to support a West Seattle school is two days away. From the Roxhill Elementary PTSA:
This Friday, November 21st, the West Seattle (and beyond!) Community has an opportunity to support Roxhill Elementary School.
From Open to Close (as well as online), a percentage of purchases made at Barnes and Noble will go towards the school.
Mr. Robert – along with Teachers and Parents – will be live-reading in the Children’s section [at the Westwood Village store] from 5 pm – 8 pm. Put on your pajamas and join us! Thank you so much!
The voucher number to use that day (in person or online) is on this PDF – 11509577.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: Again today, the early commute’s proceeding without problems.
7:57 AM: If you happen to be heading *back* this way on SOUTHBOUND 99 from north of downtown, that’s a mess for two reasons, a lane closure near Mercer and a car fire at Aurora/59th.
8:15 AM: Update, as pointed out in comments – the lane closure near Mercer is actually one lane in each direction on 99 at that point. It’s for an emergency sewer repair. Here’s the advisory published by Seattle Public Utilities – round-the-clock from yesterday morning through Friday.
8:49 AM: A bit of backup at northbound I-5 from the bridge because of a crash – the vehicle(s) involved have been moved to the shoulder/gore point.
10:14 AM: Texter reports a “crash/disabled vehicle on eastbound West Seattle Bridge right before gore point” and says traffic’s backing up.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
Culinary students at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) were working on this gingerbread house well into Tuesday evening – after having already put more than 100 hours of work into it – with instructors including Christopher Harris (left). This morning, college spokesperson Kevin Maloney says, it’s scheduled to be picked up for delivery to Costco‘s corporate offices, where it will be on display in the travel area.
ADDED: Here’s the SSC report with full details on the gingerbread project.
9:31 PM: This might not last too long but in case you got stuck in the backup or have seen it – a crash on the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct is requiring a debris cleanup, and traffic is temporarily stopped because of it (live cam here). That includes police blocking the ramp to northbound 99 from the West Seattle Bridge. So if you have to head toward downtown – take note.
9:41 PM: Just got info from Seattle Police via Twitter:
The viaduct is closed NB between WSB and Seneca St due to collision. Road is estimated to be closed for an hour.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) November 19, 2014
We’re adding the live camera as an image atop this report, so you can see firsthand when it clears.
10 PM: Per scanner, police were trying to figure out how to get cars off 99. In the meantime, they also say a street sweeper will arrive in 10 minutes or so.
10:45 PM: Now open again.
6:10 PM: Thanks to the Arbor Heights Elementary and K-5 STEM parents who forwarded this, which they said they’ve received from school staff via e-mail and robo-call this past hour or so:
There has been a report of an attempted child luring in the vicinity of our school. The vehicle is a black F-150 Ford pickup, driven by a heavy-set, older black male. The license of the truck is B060—. The police were notified, and the subject is a registered sex offender. The suspect has not been apprehended. Please be aware and talk with your children about keeping safe. More information to follow tomorrow.
That’s the entirety of the notice, at least in the version forwarded to us. STEM and AH are currently sharing the Boren Building at 5950 Delridge Way SW. We are checking with police, who will be at tonight’s Crime Prevention Council meeting (7 pm at the precinct, Delridge/Webster) if we don’t reach them sooner.
7:06 PM UPDATE: Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske has been looking into this for us. He finally found the incident report and says it happened yesterday – it was originally called in as a different type of incident, and while investigating that, they say, a child told them of being approached by the person described in the alert, so they are now looking for that person. (We only had a quick comment to speak with him before the WSCPC meeting – if we’re able to get any more info afterward, we’ll add.)
8:49 PM UPDATE: So far what we’ve found out, from covering the Crime Prevention Council meeting, is that this was reported yesterday afternoon and the report is categorized missing child/suspicious vehicle (again, the child is safe, and was not abducted or otherwise harmed, we’re told). The registered sex offender who is believed to be the suspect does not live in the West Seattle area. The report carries the address 26xx SW Kenyon, which is the Denny IMS vicinity, but short bits of info on police reports can carry the address from which an incident is reported instead of where it happened, so we’re still awaiting confirmation of where exactly the child was approached. (Added: 6900 block Delridge, per police)
WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: We’re continuing to follow up with police and Seattle Public Schools. In comments, two STEM parents have shared this text of a followup message from their principal:
I received several inquiries about a school messenger sent out by Arbor Heights yesterday concerning an alleged child luring incident. The information contained in the message was shared by a parent, and we were not able to confirm several details after conferring with SPS security or the police, and so we were advised not to send an alert. Because of the questions, I am sending out an update of information we were able to confirm.
.
On Monday, November 17 the driver of a black Ford 150 truck with a roof rack was acting suspiciously while talking with a 7th grade Denny Scholar on his walk to school. The driver was reported as being a heavy set older African American male. The incident was reported to the police.
.
As always, communicate with your children regarding good safety practices.
9:09 AM: We’ve been talking with SPS spokesperson Stacy Howard over the past hour. She confirms that a local parent saw the suspicious vehicle, reported it to police, and then directly contacted schools. Howard says there is supposed to be a protocol for what steps are gone through to send a school-wide alert, and they are sending a reminder to school administrators about that today.
Emerald Water Anglers is about a lot more than fishing. The new West Seattle Junction shop has just joined the WSB sponsor team, which means EWA gets a chance to tell you what it’s about:
(L-R, Reid, Jon, Dave in the Emerald Water Anglers shop)
Proprietor Dave McCoy‘s company has been in business a long time – and now it’s taken the next step, a retail storefront. His emphasis is on having a high-quality sporting-goods store in and for West Seattle, there to help you experience the outdoors in any way you choose. Along with fishing gear, you’ll find hiking gear, ski wear, and lots of merchandise from Patagonia.
Fly fishing, though, is how Emerald Water Anglers gained its fame, and the shop offers fly-fishing classes, with a particularly popular class geared toward women. You can also check into one- or two-day immersion classes taught up in Snoqualmie, and you can even learn to fly-fish from a paddleboard. This winter, fly-tying classes will be offered (check in at the store and/or online for dates/times and availability).
Emerald Water Anglers offers a busy slate of other events, and next month will include two of special note – Patagonia ambassadors will be there on December 10th to talk about winter wear (watch the EWA website for how to RSVP) and Santa Claus will be there December 20th for DIY photos.
Dave says a shop in West Seattle makes perfect sense for a variety of reasons – most of his staff also lives here, and the neighborhood is full of water and green spaces, a perfect fit for everyone who loves the outdoors and wants to take care of it as well as enjoy it. Speaking of sustainability, Dave’s also proud of having one of the first all-LED-lit businesses in the city.
You can also find out about Emerald Water Anglers‘ guide services at the shop, which is on the southeast corner of 42nd and Oregon, on the ground floor of Oregon 42, and online at emeraldwateranglers.com – by phone, 206-708-7250.
We thank Emerald Water Anglers for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
As mentioned earlier, it’s food-drive season, with Thanksgiving approaching. Another chance tomorrow for you to give – and to get something in return. From Shawn Findley, general manager of Marination ma kai (WSB sponsor) at Seacrest:
Marination is currently holding a canned food drive for Food Lifeline. We are accepting donations through November 24th. In an effort to bolster donations, we will be giving out a free taco to anybody who brings in a donation to Marination ma kai tomorrow (Wednesday), November 19th.
Non-perishable, shelf stable food items that are high in protein; canned fruits or vegetables; infant formula and baby food are some of the items of greatest need.
Ma kai’s hours tomorrow are 9 am-8 pm.
The last house on the west side of California between Dakota and Andover is 96 years old but isn’t likely to reach the century mark. Now in the city files for that site at 4031 California SW – a lot-boundary adjustment proposal (involving two lot numbers, though county files say this is on the books as a 3-lot site) and an early-stage plan to replace the house with a 4-unit rowhouse building. Neither has appeared in the Land Use Information Bulletin yet, so the clock hasn’t started running on the comment period.
Two more chances for you to put the giving in Thanksgiving:
WS FOOD BANK NEEDS 400 *MORE* TURKEYS: Tomorrow, 4-7 pm at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), it’s the West Seattle Food Bank’s 2nd Turkey Drive of the season. Says WSFB’s Judi Yazzolino, “Thriftway has plenty of 10-12 lb. turkeys for you to purchase and donate. Too busy to shop? We’ll be set up outside the store for you to just drive through, hand us your turkey or $15 and we’ll buy the turkey for you! Our goal is to collect 500 turkeys to provide to our families for their holidays and we’ve collected the equivalent of 109 turkeys so far.” Any individual or business that would like to match what we collect at Thriftway tomorrow night, please call Judi, 206-932-9023.
BOWL WITH THE BEER CHURCH ON SATURDAY: It’s the 16th annual Beer Church Turkey Bowl, and founder Kendall Jones is amazed at that number. So are we. But you’ll be even more impressed by at least one of the numbers in the official reminder:
On Saturday, November 22 at 5:30 pm at West Seattle Bowl, Beer Church hosts the 16th annual Turkey Bowl. The event is a fundraiser and food drive benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. In the past, the event has raised as much as $6,000 and gathered over 3,000 pounds of food. Organizers hope to meet or exceed those totals this year.
There are still a limited number of lanes available for groups interested in bowling. To reserve a lane, email Kendall Jones (beerchurch@gmail.com). The cost is $180 per lane in the form of a donation to West Seattle Food Bank. Each lane can handle up to eight bowlers.
Whether you bowl or not, everyone is welcome to stop by the bowling alley and support the cause by dropping off food donations, participating in the raffle, and having a tasty beer.
“We take over West Seattle Bowl – all 32 lanes – for three hours of bowling fun,” says Kendall Jones, who has organized all 16 events. “Also, there is a target raffle, which is kind of like a silent auction without all the stress: you buy raffle tickets for $1 and decide which prizes you’re interested in winning.”
Within the larger event, local breweries bring teams and compete in the Battle of the Brewers. Local pubs and bars bring teams and compete in the Beer Church Bar Brawl. There are trophies involved and the competition is fierce. Well, not really. It’s really just about creating a fun way for people to support the Food Bank.
Beer Church is the charitable arm of the Washington Beer Blog (washingtonbeerblog.com), which Kendall and Kim Jones operate out of their West Seattle home. The blog is a leading source for news and information related to the Pacific Northwest craft beer scene.
“A decade ago, I regularly volunteered at West Seattle Food Bank,” says Kendall Jones. “Back when they were in the old location, I helped unload the truck and stock the shelves on Tuesdays. Every week we would pack that building full of food, and then within a couple of days it would all be gone. That’s when I realized how important West Seattle Food Bank is to my community. Anything Beer Church does to support the Food Bank pales in comparison to the massive, ongoing efforts of the staff and volunteers.”
Thanks to Mark Wangerin (of benefit calendar fame!) for that photo of a surf scoter in local waters! Wading into our calendar highlights for tonight:
WEST SEATTLE HACK NIGHT: 6:30 pm at WS Office Junction (WSB sponsor), as previewed here on Monday. Register if you’re thinking of going – our calendar listing shows how – so they know who to expect! (6040 California SW)
JUNCTION NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION: 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. “Let’s ring in the season with a lively discussion of what JuNO has accomplished to date and what we can accomplish in the coming year. This would be a good meeting to invite a neighbor that has not yet been to a JuNO meeting,” suggests director René Commons, also asking attendees to bring a treat to share and a donation for the West Seattle Food Bank. (Oregon/California)
HOPE LUTHERAN SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8 pm, all-school open house for Hope Lutheran, which serves preschool-8th grade. (42nd/Oregon)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: No special guests on the agenda tonight – bring your concerns and ideas, and hear about crime trends in Q/A with local police leadership. 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct. (Webster/Delridge)
ALAUDA BELLY-DANCE SHOWCASE: 7:30 pm, free, all ages, Skylark Café. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
BLUES TO DO: Vicki Stevens and Sonny Hess headline the weekly blues showcase at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm. (6451 California SW)
OR, IF YOU WANT TO DO THE SINGING … two venues with karaoke are on our nightlife slate for tonight; see them (and more) by going directly to our calendar!
Saturday night at Highland Park Improvement Club, you can enjoy food, beverages, and music while supporting student music programs via the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ fifth annual “Fall for Music” fundraiser. Tickets are on sale online, and WSCO has sent an update:
The weather may be getting colder, but our planning committee has designed a fun and family-friendly evening to bring out the warmth of the season. Doors open at 6 pm
Guests will walk in to a fall-themed scenery infusing the gathering, to celebrate and harvest the music education for our student musicians. The soiree will also include a silent and live auction, along with a 50/50 Raffle; new this year, our Wine Cellar Raffle.
Our attendees will enjoy a wide variety of scrumptious and flavorful fare such as Indian samosas with cilantro chutney, Thai chicken skewers, grilled veggie platter, pesto pasta salad, assorted local cheeses with grapes & crackers, olive oil poached shrimp cocktail platter, and much more. A dessert buffet with chocolate truffles, pies, cake, and cookies will also be offered.
Our bar will present delicious beverage concoctions like Veuve Clicquot champagne, and top liquor like Grey Goose Vodka, Makers Mark Bourbon, and local microbrew selection, just to name a few. Children are welcome to attend the event and we will supply non-alcoholic beverages.
Several WSCO musicians will showcase their love of music through small ensembles, featuring a flute ensemble and a performance led by student violinist playing fiddle tunes. After the auction, there will be an open jam session performing jazz standards. We invite all levels of musicians to bring their instruments and participate and have fun!
The West Seattle Community Orchestra continues to fill a much-needed role in the community for all ages. New this season WSCO has opened two music programs: Wind Symphony for musicians with experience of 6 years and a Student Beginning Strings Class. The goal is to provide more opportunities to explore their music abilities and become more familiar with classic repertoire.
Advance tickets are on sale now!! Adults $25/each; Students (K-12) $10/each; Seniors (65 & over) $10/each, 5 and under FREE. Purchase your ticket at www.WSCOrchestras.org. For more information about The West Seattle Community Orchestras, please email info@WSCOrchestras.org
HPIC is at 12th/Holden.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:07 AM: So far, nothing out of the ordinary on the routes through/from West Seattle as the sun rises on our Tuesday.
7:39 AM: Even around the rest of the region (we monitor the regional traffic reports as well as local emergency-service logs, etc.), nothing much so far.
7:56 AM: If you missed the big bright sunrise about an hour ago, here’s Brian‘s view from High Point:
Sunrise, sunset, breaking news, traffic IF you’re not the driver … photos welcome at editor@westseattleblog.com.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
12:25 AM: Seattle Fire is en route to a possible house fire in the 6300 block of 36th SW (map). The first units on scene say they’re seeing smoke from the attic.
12:31 AM: Our crew will be there shortly. Firefighters say they’re seeing flames from the attic. They also say a resident of the house told them everyone has gotten out OK.
12:35 AM: Firefighters report having searched both floors of the house to make extra-sure no one’s inside, and “all clear” so far.
12:41 AM: Just heard from our crew on scene. Small house, just north of the 35th/Morgan U-Haul’s west side. Lots of smoke. Bit of flame visible. Via scanner, we’ve heard firefighters declare it under control.
12:59 AM: They’re calling for the Red Cross to assist the home’s residents. Our crew says the fire marshal (investigator) is just arriving, so it’s too soon to say how this started. SFD confirms that no one was hurt and says they’re expecting to have a “fire watch” at the scene all night in case of flare-ups.
1:26 AM: Some of the SFD units have been dismissed from the scene. Meantime, our crew is back and we are adding several photos, as well as substituting one for the previously published cameraphone photo that had been atop this story.
10:35 AM UPDATE: SFD’s Lt. Harold Webb says the fire’s cause was determined to be “accidental/electrical.” (Radio discussion during the firefight had included a mention of knob-and-tubing wiring in the 96-year-old house.) No dollar estimate for the damage so far.
Just a month after Seattle Farm School founder Katie Stemp went public with a request for community members to teach classes in the “home arts,” it’s officially launched with its first class tonight. Katie sent photos and
I’m so excited to share these pictures with you of our very first class with Seattle Farm School that is taking place at C&P Coffee right now!!
In a little over 2 months we have gone from concept to live classes right here in West Seattle! We are thrilled to teach sustainable living skills to our community! This is a sold-out Beginning Crochet Class with Kelli Thomas.
Katie says two Beginning Sewing classes are ahead this week (“Comfy Lounge Pants” and “Pillowcases”) as well as a class in soapmaking. More info at seattlefarmschool.com.
On New Year’s Day, the new city rules about food-waste composting kick in. To keep that top-of-mind, Seattle Public Utilities just launched a mini-survey with an incentive – asking what food you’re most likely to compost this holiday season. 14 options (or write in your own) on one page, with a chance to win a kitchen compost bin if you choose to include your e-mail address. Friday’s the deadline.
We’re continuing to collect holiday-giving opportunity information for both our ongoing calendar and the forthcoming WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – some drives are already under way, and hoping for your help, like “Soap for Hope” at AAA West Seattle (WSB sponsor):
Want to be a part of something BIG? AAA Washington is kicking off the 7th annual Soap for Hope toiletries-donation drive, and we need your help!
The annual campaign provides basic necessities and personal care items for those in need, reaching more than 27 local charities throughout Washington and northern Idaho. By partnering with our members, the community and local organizations, AAA Washington has collected nearly 500,000 toiletry items for local charities the past six years, and distributed more than 8,700 pounds of donations last year alone.
While donations are accepted at our store all year, we invite you to participate in our holiday campaign by donating through December 31 to help those in need this winter. All donations will remain in our local community, benefitting Sojourner Place in Seattle. We will be collecting sample, or regular-size items including deodorant, toothpaste, shaving cream, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, soaps and other new and unopened toiletry items.
Items can be dropped off at our office in Jefferson Square at 4734 42nd Ave SW, or you may contact us to arrange a pickup of your donation. For more information about Soap for Hope, please visit our website at www.aaa.com/SoapforHope.
Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity and know that your contribution is more than just a bar of soap, it’s about providing an opportunity for those in need to have a fresh start to their day and maybe even a personal boost to their self-image.
Ongoing holiday donation/collection drive that could use community help? Send us info as soon as you can – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
(File photo courtesy Laura James)
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James, who long has worked on the sea-star die-off mystery as a “citizen scientist,” for the tip on this: New scientific research says a virus is the likely culprit in the deaths of so many of what are commonly known as starfish. The Seattle Times (WSB partner) published a report this afternoon, pointing to the research paper itself (read it here), which concludes, “Based on our observations, the densovirus, SSaDV, is the most likely virus involved in this disease.” However, the researchers note, this isn’t a new virus, so they still don’t have the big picture of what’s happening and what it might lead to.
P.S. It’s been a year since Diver Laura first pointed out die-off evidence on West Seattle shores/in West Seattle waters, and she’s continuing to follow up on what’s happening now.
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