West Seattle, Washington

24 Wednesday

66℉

Spotlight Stories

West Seattle Friday: Free jazz; Tupperware party; Click! anniversary; free movie; costume contest; more…
October 18, 2013 10:39 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Friday: Free jazz; Tupperware party; Click! anniversary; free movie; costume contest; more…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

We’re feeling the need for MORE sunshine imagery to make it through this foggy morning, so here’s a photo that Jeff Pond shared via Facebook, taken earlier this week – a Washington State Ferry on the Fauntleroy run, majestic Mount Rainier in the background. While awaiting the sun’s return, we present highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SCHMITZ PARK MOVE-A-THON: Happening until 2:30 pm – did you see the teachers’ music video showcased here last night? Schmitz Park Elementary School is celebrating fitness, and raising funds, all day. (50th/Spokane)

DROPOFFS FOR WINTER GEAR SWAP: Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle is having its annual gear swap, and you can drop off items to sell, all day today, until 7 pm. Drop it off at M2SO – more info (including swap location/times) in our calendar listing. (3602 SW Alaska)

HAPPY NINTH ANNIVERSARY, CLICK! In The Junction, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) is celebrating its ninth anniversary tonight. Come by for treats and sips (and of course shopping!), and offer your congratulations. 5-9 pm; here’s the Facebook event page. (4540 California SW)

PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT: Check to see if there are still openings in this benefit for the West Seattle High School sophomore class, a babysitting event 5:30-10 pm, details here. (3000 California SW)

RESTORATIVE YOGA: Unwind with this special workshop at SoundYoga (WSB sponsor), 6:30 pm, details here.

HALLOWED HUNT AND COSTUME CONTEST: Tweens and teens are invited to Hiawatha Community Center, 6:30-8:30 pm – go here to see what’s in store. (2700 California SW)

FREE MOVIE: It’s Movie Night at Highland Park Improvement Club – doors open 6:30 pm, movie at 7. Free admission; bring $ for concessions. Details including the movie hint are in our calendar listing. (12th/Holden)

MEGA-TUPPERWARE PARTY: As previewed here earlier this week, it’s Tupperware time, with Sylvia O’Stayformore and LaTrina Bidet – free to attend, but a big chunk of proceeds from sales will benefit seniors via the Senior Center of West Seattle, which is where the party is happening tonight at 7.

FULL MOON TREK IN LINCOLN PARK: Ages 8 and up, get out into the night air with nature’s own nightlight – the full moon – during a guided hike. Pre-registration requested – as explained in our calendar listing.

SCARY DUWAMISH STORIES: Get an early start on Halloween with scary Duwamish stories told by Johnny Moses at the Duwamish Longhouse, 7 pm. (Warning: “Scary and gory”!) Details in our calendar listing.

NELSON WRIGHT: Americana-style singer/songwriter Nelson Wright is live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

DENNY/SEALTH JAZZ CONCERT: As previewed here on Thursday, visiting jazz educator/musician Ron Carter is performing with the jazz bands from Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School, 7:30 pm at the Sealth Auditorium. Admission is free; donations benefit the schools’ music programs. (2600 SW Thistle)

Share This

Hotwire Online Coffeehouse plans Seattle’s first ‘light bar’
October 18, 2013 9:31 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS beverages

(WSB photo by Nick Adams, September 2012 at Lowman Beach)
We’ve been lucky enough to see a fair amount of sunshine lately – but winter is creeping ever closer, and even now, foggy mornings are the price we’re paying. So, going into the season when we just can’t rely on sunshine, West Seattle’s Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) is getting ready to install what’s believed to be Seattle’s first “light bar,” with full-spectrum lights that mimic natural sunlight. Proprietor Lora Swift says she’ll call it the Helio Bar: “Basically, a place to get phototherapy during the dark days of winter.” The lights will be installed on November 3rd, after which time, Lora says, “You’ll be able to get your coffee and a 15-minute dose of vitamin D at Hotwire.”

Share This

Dance West Seattle readies for Sunday’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival
October 18, 2013 9:09 am
|    Comments Off on Dance West Seattle readies for Sunday’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

Just two days until the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, 2-5:30 pm Sunday (weather looks good!). We’ve already previewed some of the activities, as well as the music lineup (see it here), and here’s another preview, from Kim Dinsmoor at Dance! West Seattle:

It’s here! Costumes are out, kids are ready! Fauntleroy Fall Festival is our annual kickoff of our “Mini Maker” schedule.

See Dance! West Seattle students perform at 4:30 pm in the fellowship hall at Fauntleroy Church this Sunday, October 20th!

Each year we prepare a mini version of our Christmas story “The Magical Doll Maker” to bring to our community! Other dates are:

Sunday, November 17th, 2 pm, at Providence Mt. St. Vincent
Sunday, December 1st, 11:30 am, Winterfest at Seattle Center
Sunday, December 8th, 2 pm, at The Kenney

You can purchase tickets for the full-length performance starting Saturday, November 2nd, at $22 each. For questions, call 206-938-3062.

Dance! West Seattle is headquartered at historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, one of the neighboring venues for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, along with the church (where, as mentioned above, you’ll see the dancers on Sunday) and Y – here’s a map.

Share This

Memorial tomorrow for Charles E. Brown, 1940-2013
October 18, 2013 9:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Family and friends will gather tomorrow in memory of Charles E. Brown, and are sharing this remembrance today:

Charles Edward Brown peacefully passed away early on the morning of Sunday October 6th 2013, surrounded by two of his grandsons, at the age of 73.

Charles was the oldest of six boys, born to Ed and Ellen Brown, on January 12 1940 in Billings, Montana. Hey joined the US Army in 1957 and served in Europe for 4 years. After serving in the military, he moved to Seattle along with his family. He began his long career working for Boeing in their Renton plant. He retired from Boeing in 1998 after 35 years of hard work and dedication.

Throughout his life Charles traveled all over the world to places such as New Zealand, Germany, Panama, and many other locations. He was very supportive to the plight of Native Americans, and donated generously to causes that supported better health and higher education for them. He was an avid mystery-novel reader and loved spaghetti western movies. He is survived by his two step-children Gregg & Gina Springer; his 4 grand-children Acacia, Aaron, Cameron, and Ethan Springer; and two great-grand-children Ayden and Addison; his brothers Bob, Pat, Gene, and Joe Brown. His memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 19th, at 10:00 am, Evergreen Washelli Memorial. He will be extremely missed.

(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge, all archived here. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Foggy Friday
October 18, 2013 7:44 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Foggy Friday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(East-facing camera on the West Seattle Bridge; see other cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Hoping for another relatively quiet day on the roads – so far, so good.

One reminder for the weekend: The two right lanes of the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge will close tomorrow (Saturday) morning, 7:30 am-1 pm, for inspection.

Share This

PACK YOUR BAG! Day 16: Anyone shake it up in the Shake-Out?
October 17, 2013 9:43 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Preparedness | West Seattle news

At 10:17 this morning, our state marked Disaster Preparedness Month with the Great Washington Shake-Out earthquake drill. Were you part of it, at work, home, or school? If you were, consider writing a comment below to share how it went and why you did it (required to? wanted to? curious? etc.). Now, on to the next installment of our ongoing “pack your ‘Go Bag’ one day at a time” series – here’s what West Seattle Be Prepared advises this time:

Specialty items this time to mark the special Great Shakeout drill: Put either baby food and diapers or pet food and litter in your kit, enough for 3 days. If you are helping pack for a senior member, think about something unique they must have if evacuated. Women, think about sanitary supplies to add. If nothing above applies to you, you get to skip this turn!

It’s never too late to start getting the “Go Bag” together as a VERY basic step in preparedness. Our previous installments are all archived in reverse-chronological order here.

Share This

West Seattle development: City OKs Alki rowhouse project
October 17, 2013 7:56 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, April 2013)
Three months after dozens of Alki neighbors voiced their concerns about a rowhouse project, they have received word that the city has approved it. That’s the word from Marie McKinsey, who along with her neighbors on 55th SW sought and received a public meeting at which they spoke out. We first wrote in April about their petition for a hearing on the proposal for 11 units in three “rowhouse” buildings on the parcels currently known as 2414, 2418, and 2424 55th SW (map). In response, the city scheduled a July hearing at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge, and more than 25 people attended it, with about half of them speaking. They stressed that they weren’t opposed to development, but to the density of this particular proposal, and its potential effects on wildlife, stormwater runoff, traffic, and parking, all concerns voiced under the auspices of the State Environmental Policy Act review of the project. Here’s the decision (embedded below or read it here), dated October 10th, though the neighbors did not receive written notification until October 15th. As McKinsey points out, the approval includes a few conditions:


She hasn’t heard of any neighbor prepared to appeal the decision; the deadline for that would be October 24th. The city pages for the project are here.

8:17 PM: The project is getting some discussion at the Alki Community Council meeting that’s under way right now, including a mention of McKinsey’s website and its extensive documentation on the project, as well as a suggestion that ACC members might be able to assist with a possible challenge or a longer-term look at whether zoning could be re-examined in the general area.

Share This

Video: Schmitz Park Elementary teachers get fox-y for Friday’s Move-A-Thon
October 17, 2013 6:12 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

On the eve of Schmitz Park Elementary‘s annual Move-A-Thon fitness celebration, the school staff shows their students what moving is all about – via a music video shared by principal Gerrit Kischner. The song, “What Does the Fox Say?”, is by Norway’s Ylvis – here’s the original video. The fox is the school mascot, and the principal adds:

… We are proud that we were able to capture the great community spirit that keeps Schmitz Park learning and moving. The Schmitz Park Foxes are excited about celebrating the great start we have had at our annual Move-a-thon!

By the way, I have seen questions posted on the WSB about where our beautiful fox logo came from. It is the great work of West Seattle graphic artist (and former Schmitz Park parent) Eric Bell, and we are looking forward to it transferring with us to the new building at Genesee Hill.

Here’s one of the WSB photos in which you can see the logo – taken in 2009, when astronaut Greg Johnson visited his elementary alma mater.

Share This

Chili competition added to West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival: Restaurants invited to stir things up!
October 17, 2013 3:51 pm
|    Comments Off on Chili competition added to West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival: Restaurants invited to stir things up!
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from 2012 West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival)
Along with trick-or-treating, activities and games, and an in-the-street edition of the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, the second annual Junction Harvest Festival also will include a chili competition, as a fundraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank! And the announcement just shared by the WS Junction Association invites restaurants to join in – with the signup deadline less than a week away:

Our neighborhood restaurants will bring their best pot of chili and compete for bragging rights of Best Chili at Harvest Festival – 2013. It’s free for restaurants to enter. The West Seattle public will vote by buying a flight of chili and choosing their favorite! 100% of the donations collected will go to the West Seattle Food Bank to help our community.

Some logistics and rules to enter. Participants must:

* Be a West Seattle business.
* Bring two gallons of hot chili made in commercial kitchen, and an electric warmer. Maintain chili’s temperature to meet health standards.
* Provide a chili server who has a current Food Handlers Card.
* Be ready to serve at 11am! With 2 gallons of chili, we’ll be able to serve about 100 flights and the competition will probably be done by 1pm.
* Space is limited to 8 competitors and a minimum of 4 competitors are needed.

We’ll provide everything else. To register, please email susan@wsjunction.org with your business name, contact person, and agreement that rules will be followed. October 23rd is the deadline!

The Harvest Festival happens 10 am-2 pm on Sunday, October 27th, with a costume parade at 11:30 am and trick-or-treating at noon. Lots of local businesses and organizations are offering free activities again this year (come bowl in the booth we’re sharing with WestSide Baby and West Seattle Bowl, aka “WSB x 3”). See you there!

Share This

West Seattle traffic alert: 1st Ave. S. Bridge inspection Saturday
October 17, 2013 3:33 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle traffic alert: 1st Ave. S. Bridge inspection Saturday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

From the weekly SDOT road-work/closure “lookahead”:

The two right lanes of northbound SR99 over the 1st Ave. S. Bridge will be closed Saturday (October 19) 7:30 am-1 pm for bridge inspection.

Share This

Roxhill Park/Westwood Village safety on WWRHAH’s next agenda
October 17, 2013 2:51 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | Westwood

(WSB photo from Monday night: Medic unit just outside Roxhill Park)
So you can plan early – the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council has just gone public with the agenda for its next meeting on November 5th, including safety at Roxhill Park and Westwood Village, following recent incidents such as the Monday night assault and ongoing concerns. Read on for the agenda:

Read More

Share This

Tutors needed in West Seattle! Training today – and beyond
October 17, 2013 1:28 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two notes about tutoring, a simple way to help kids:

First, the Sound Partners beginning-readers tutoring program is offering free training TODAY, 4-7 pm, in the library at K-5 STEM at Boren (5950 Delridge Way SW); this is training for tutoring at ALL schools that need help. If you can give as little as a half-hour a week, you are needed. If you have questions or can attend, contact school librarian Ms. Hare at 206-252-8474 or dlhare@seattleschools.org.

Separately, Invest in Youth needs a few more tutors at Roxhill Elementary – after school on Mondays:

For one hour, just once a week on your way home from work, you can go into a nearby Seattle grade school and tutor a child who needs a little extra help with his or her studies. Invest in Youth is looking for 6 more additional tutors to reach our goal of 20 tutors for the 2013 – 2014 school year. Participating in Invest in Youth requires a tutoring commitment of one hour per week (with several holidays) for the duration of the school year. Upon joining the program, you will be paired with an elementary school student in 3rd, 4th or 5th grade and work with that same student for the entire year, getting to know their strengths and weaknesses while tracking their progress from week to week. It is an extremely rewarding experience for both students and their tutors! To find more and to register, please visit www.investinyouth.org/become-a-tutor/ or contact Alison Allen, Program Director at 206-316-6356 or aallen@investinyouth.org

Share This

West Seattle Crime Prevention Council: Drug Diversion Court spotlighted; holiday crimefighting plans
October 17, 2013 11:20 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Seattle Police plan a crackdown on holiday crime, with the help of an extra overtime allotment.

So reported Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis during his briefing at the start of this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.

In addition to Q/A with Lt. Davis, the meeting included an SPD narcotics detective and King County Drug Diversion Court manager explaining how that program works to try to stop the cycle of crime by addicts who are in and out of court and jail as they just keep stealing to pay for their habit.

Read More

Share This

West Seattle Thursday: Alki Community Council; LGBT 50+ piano-bar social; college-application help; more…
October 17, 2013 10:03 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Thursday: Alki Community Council; LGBT 50+ piano-bar social; college-application help; more…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Machel Spence, who reports that mushroom season is in full bloom at Lincoln Park, sharing her photo of a beautiful Amanita, while noting that it should be left “in the forest to do its job.” (And not just because most Amanitas are poisonous!) On to our Thursday calendar highlights:

TODDLER STORY TIME: 11:30 am at High Point Branch Library, bring the 1- and 2-year-olds for story time! Free. (35th/Raymond)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LAVIDA MASSAGE: Today marks the second anniversary for LaVida Massage (WSB sponsor) at Jefferson Square in The Junction. And as so many businesses do on their anniversaries, this one is giving the gift – along with the $39.95 one-hour special for new clients, they’re offering free aromatherapy to new and ongoing clients – just ask about the anniversary aromatherapy special, valid through Halloween. (42nd/Alaska)

HEALTH-CARE CONFUSION? Experts help you untangle it, from a businessperson’s perspective, at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting, 11:30 am at The Kenney (WSB sponsor). Reservations preferred but you can also pay at the door. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)

COLLEGE APPLICATION EVENT: It’s at West Seattle High School but open to ALL twelfth-graders. After school, starting at 2:30 pm, come get help with college applications – details in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)

PIANO BAR/CAFE! LGBT SOCIAL FOR 50+: Fun, informal get-together for LGBT adults 50+ at the Senior Center of West Seattle at 6 pm, with live piano music, food, and no-host beer and wine. Questions? Call Dave at 206-243-3053. (California/Oregon)

ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Monthly meeting at 7 pm, parlor at Alki UCC. Agenda items include the West Seattle Water Taxi, WS Transportation Coalition, development, and the new site for the Luna Girls on Alki sculpture. (6115 SW Hinds)

‘THE TAMING’: Onstage at ArtsWest in The Junction, the first production of the new season continues, with a 7:30 pm performance of Lauren Gunderson‘s “The Taming.” (4711 California SW)

Share This

Friday jazz concert with Denny, Sealth bands, and visiting musician/educator Ron Carter
October 17, 2013 9:13 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

Visiting jazz musician and educator Ron Carter, spotlighted in that video clip, will be on stage in West Seattle tomorrow night (Friday, October 18th), for a special concert with student musicians – and you’re invited! Here’s the announcement:

Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School are delighted to welcome jazz artist, clinician and educator Ron Carter (right) for a special evening in the Sealth Auditorium Friday night at 7:30 pm. Ron Carter is a professor of jazz studies at Northern Illinois University, faculty member with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Band Director Academy and will be performing with the Denny and Sealth Jazz Bands, under the direction of Marcus Pimpleton. The concert is free; donations will be accepted to support the Denny and Sealth performing arts programs.

The auditorium is on the west side of the Sealth/Denny campus, at 2600 SW Thistle.

Share This

Memorial Friday for longtime West Seattleite Marie Carlson, 93
October 17, 2013 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on Memorial Friday for longtime West Seattleite Marie Carlson, 93
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather tomorrow at Forest Lawn (WSB sponsor) in memory of 93-year-old Marie Carlson. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing with the community:

Marie L Carlson passed away peacefully on October 9th, 2013, surrounded by her loving family.

Marie was born in Raymond, WA, on February 1, 1920 to Milton and Sebilla Hilliard. She was raised on a farm in Napavine, WA and attended Western Washington University. She married Harry Carlson on June 12, 1942, and settled in West Seattle to raise their family. Marie retired from the JC Penney Company in 1983 after 20 years of service. After her retirement, she loved to garden, and took great pride in flower arranging and tending to her beautiful yard.

Marie was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Her family was the most important thing in her life.

She was preceded in death by Harry in 2006 after 64 years of marriage and is survived by her three daughters
Janet, June, and Joanne, seven grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services and celebration of her life will be held at Forest Lawn Chapel, 6701 30th Ave SW, on Friday (October 18th) at 1 pm. A reception and graveside service will follow.

(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge, all archived here. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates
October 17, 2013 7:53 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(East-facing camera on the West Seattle Bridge; see other cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing out of the ordinary reported so far as the morning commute heads for its peak. Remember that during the day and into the afternoon, we do add updates to this daily report if non-major-but-affecting-traffic incidents happen.

Share This

Reader reports: Burglary attempt; stolen bike; stroller seen
October 16, 2013 11:00 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Seen around town | West Seattle news

Three reader reports to share tonight – starting with this one from a West Seattleite who doesn’t want to be identified:

I’d like to let people know about an attempted break-in (last) night near 34th SW and SW Henderson (by the Southwest branch of the library). The miscreant(s) removed an outdoor light that illuminated the area, slashed the screen in a back door, and then apparently used a baseball bat or crowbar to break the kitchen window. No one got in the house but it’s very unsettling to hear glass breaking when you’re sound asleep. I think it’s good for people in the area to be aware of these incidents so they can stay alert.

Second – be on the lookout for a little kid’s bike, spraypainted gold, stolen from a Highland Park home where its 4-year-old owner is heartbroken. More details and a photo are in this WSB Forums post.

And thanks to the tipster who spotted and photographed this abandoned – stolen? lost? -stroller:

It was spotted by the end of the Rite-Aid drive-thru in Westwood Village this afternoon.

Share This

New service club for local youth: West Seattle Rotary’s Interact
October 16, 2013 10:12 pm
|    Comments Off on New service club for local youth: West Seattle Rotary’s Interact
 |   Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

**Rescheduled to November 5th, same time/place**

Parents and teens/tweens are invited to an organizational/informational meeting planned in two weeks for a new youth service club that the Rotary Club of West Seattle is organizing. The announcement:

West Seattle Rotary Club is excited to announce our new Interact club. It is for youth ages 12-18 who want to connect with others in their community or school. Interact club members have fun while carrying out service projects and learning about the world. Interact clubs organize at least two service projects a year: one that benefits their community and one that encourages international understanding. While Interact clubs receive guidance from individual Rotary clubs, they govern and support themselves.

Read More

Share This

West Seattle development: 3 Morgan Junction houses proposed to make way for apartments, rowhouses, more
October 16, 2013 6:48 pm
|      103 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

South of Morgan Junction, development plans are on file for the sites of three houses on the west side of the 6900 block of California SW. For starters, the three lots themselves are part of a “lot-boundary adjustment” proposal.

The largest proposed structure is a 3-story, 30-unit apartment building with no parking, proposed for the southernmost site, 6917 California SW, which now holds the 102-year-old house in the photo above. Meantime, 6911 California SW, the 99-year-old house in our next photo, is proposed as the address of a 4-unit rowhouse townhouse building.

And 2 single-family homes are proposed along the alley on the west side of the sites, at the address 6915 California, currently holding this 99-year-old house:

The lots are zoned LR-2, which according to the city guide says homes can be up to 25 feet, rowhouses and apartments up to 35 feet (that’s the maximum with bonus height for a roof of a certain pitch). The developer for the rowhouses/houses sites is listed on city webpages as DL Builders, currently about to build two houses on teardown sites a few blocks uphill, in the 7300 block of California SW.

Share This

PACK YOUR BAG! Day 15: Get ready to patch things up
October 16, 2013 5:27 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Preparedness | West Seattle news

Tomorrow’s the day for the big statewide quake drill, the Great Washington Shake-Out – 10:17 am on 10/17. Timely – as the Pacific Plate continues to be very active, with large aftershocks in the Philippines, and two quakes in Papua, New Guinea (6.8, followed by 5.3).

Tonight, we’re continuing to build a “Go Bag” in honor of Washington State Disaster Preparedness Month, with the help of West Seattle Be Prepared, whose announcement for this round is:

First-aid supplies go into your bag today. A pre-purchased kit is easiest, but if you have these things around your home, put them in a ziplock or small toiletry bag: scissors, tweezers, thermometer, disposable hand wipes, non-latex gloves, Band-Aids, gauze, ACE or roller bandage, adhesive cloth tape, space blanket, antibiotic ointment packets, antiseptic wipe packets, aspirin, and a First Aid instruction book. A very complete list with suggested quantities can be seen here.

STILL haven’t started building your “Go Bag” yet? No problem – start with this, then backtrack, and when you’re caught up, move forward to rejoin us somewhere in the second half of the month. Our previous installments are all archived in reverse-chronological order here.

Share This

The Gatewood Bed & Breakfast: New West Seattle Blog sponsor
October 16, 2013 4:09 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Gatewood | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, The Gatewood Bed and Breakfast. Here’s what its proprietors want you to know about this beautiful century-old West Seattle home, now open as guest lodging:

(The Gatewood‘s main room, with proprietors Margaret and Mary)
In 1910, British-born Francis Harper built The Gatewood for his wife Pontine and six children. The home holds more than 100 years of stories and history of the families who have lived here and after whom our guestrooms are named: the Harpers, Clarks, Frosts, and Odekirks.

Although only a short drive to downtown or the airport, the home is tucked away in a peaceful greenbelt with beautiful grounds and picturesque views. It is also a very walkable distance to Lincoln Park. To Margaret, Lincoln Park is an integral part of the experience of The Gatewood.

The Hayes family purchased the house in 1987 to raise their children and provide a place for her large, extended family to gather and bond. With the intent to restore the property with consideration of its era, they feel very fortunate to be the latest keepers of this wonderful place in West Seattle. The Hayes’s, as well as lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, created many fond memories at this extraordinary place. At Thanksgiving it became a tradition for everyone to take a leisurely walk together down to Lincoln Park and back to walk off the large meal … and avoid the dishes.

Margaret Hayes (current owner) and her daughter Mary are also in contact with the four previous owners’ families in order to capture their stories and extend the welcome back to their family home. The response has been remarkable. Some have even stayed at the house since its conversion to a B&B and expressed their deep appreciation for the loving care taken in the restoration.

In the desire to share this gem of a house, Margaret converted the residence into a Bed & Breakfast. We are confident that the environment will provide a restful, calming experience for everyone who visits. West Seattle is a unique place – the residents here genuinely care about their neighbors, local businesses, and the community as a whole. We feel we can be that home-away-from-home for those who are visiting West Seattle and extend that community and connection to them. Whether it’s the interaction with the hosts, the grounds, or the home itself, we provide guests an intimate experience. We are proud to be here in West Seattle and value greatly the support provided by the community.

We do provide recommendations to West Seattle restaurants and services for our guests. We also have partnered with several local Seattle artists to display their works throughout the house.

The Gatewood Bed and Breakfast is at 7446 Gatewood Road SW; you can see photos and book a reservation online at gatewoodwestseattle.com. Or, call 206-938-3482.

We thank The Gatewood Bed & Breakfast 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.

Share This

West Seattle Junction losing trees today; replacements will follow
October 16, 2013 2:21 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

When the crew we photographed at work on SW Oregon west of California SW today is done, The Junction will have seven fewer trees. But West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose tells WSB they will all be replaced. We had seen the tree-removal notices on two SW Oregon trees last week, noting “poor health” and “poor form”:

Then came a tip today from Eddie, who noticed the removal work in progress. There’s also a tree in front of West 5 that’s being taken out, and pear trees that – as mentioned in our coverage of September’s Southwest District Council meeting, which was attended by Seattle’s city arborist – weren’t thriving either. Melrose says the crew will grind down the stumps both for these trees and others that have fallen down recently, and will mulch the tree wells; replacements will arrive next spring, though the species hasn’t been finalized yet.

Share This