West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
Story and photos by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
As guests streamed through the doors of Showbox SODO last night, a school bus full of cheering, waving models — all breast-cancer survivors — pulled up to the venue. STYLE ’11, the 9th annual fashion -how benefit for Northwest Hope & Healing, had just begun.
Inside, the SoDo space was elegantly decorated, dimly lit and accented with pink. Guests greeted friends while waiting in line for a drink. The catwalk was illuminated with bold pink lighting, framed by candlelit VIP tables. The screen behind the runway flashed candid images of smiling women and past fashion show shots intermixed with sponsors’ logos. The women’s larger-than-life faces were proof that bald is beautiful, just as beautiful as a stage filled with more than three dozen breast cancer survivors.
The annual benefit is the brainchild of Carmilia’s Linda Sabee (shown above with NWHH executive director Shari Sewell) and Ola Salon & Spa. Sabee told us the original intent was just to have some fun, and then it quickly evolved into a fundraiser for Northwest Hope & Healing. For the first few years the event was held at Ola, but once it began to grow they moved the event to Showbox SODO. The event is a chance to honor and celebrate breast cancer survivors and fashion in the Seattle area.
(Story continues, with more photos, ahead)Read More
From the Alki Community Council – a chance to lend a hand (or two) this Monday, 9 am-noon:
With the coming of warmer weather, litter seems to sprout from our beaches and parks. This is going to be a particularly bad year, due to the impact of Seattle Parks & Recreation’s recent budget cutbacks on park maintenance. Working together as a community, we can all make a contribution in the effort to keep our parks litter free.
In cooperation with AmeriCorps volunteers, the Alki Community Council and Seal Sitters are co-sponsoring a cleanup of Alki Beach. If you have some free time on Monday morning, you are invited to participate. The litter on our beaches makes its way into Puget Sound and has a negative impact on marine life. Beginning at 9:00 am, Kristin Wilkinson, NOAA NW Stranding Expert, will be briefing us on the hazards that our misplaced trash creates.
Be sure and check the Seal Sitters Blubberblog for more details and a photo of the stomach contents of the Gray Whale that stranded and died on a West Seattle Beach in April of 2010.
We want to thank Pioneer Coffee, Tully’s, and Starbucks for providing coffee. Seattle Parks & Recreation will be supplying the necessary tools and trash bags.
The Alki Community Council has an ongoing volunteer program with Seattle Parks & Recreation. The ACC “Friends of Alki Beach” are responsible for picking up litter in Alki Park between 59th Ave SW and 63rd Ave SW. If you would like more information on this program or the cleanup event on Monday, please contact Larry Carpenter at 206-938-0887.
Tomorrow’s the day: 256 sales are on the list and ready to go for the 7th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (coordinated/presented by WSB since year four). So far as we can tell, this is the region’s biggest Community Garage Sale Day, so get your friends/co-workers/relatives to come on over and shop.
You can browse the sale locations and listings through two versions of the official map, both available here — the online map works just like a Google Map, with panning/zooming; click on any individual sale marker, or line on the list at right, to see the exact address and a few sale details. Also linked atop that page, the printable (12-page PDF) sale list/map. (From the online map, you can also print an individual sale’s address/description via the icon on the info-bubble that opens if you click the marker or listing.)
There are sales in just about every neighborhood on the peninsula – check the map to see who’s having a sale near you. And if you’re looking for something in particular (or if you’re a seller looking to spotlight something extra), head on over to the WSCGSD Facebook page NOW for pre-sale chat that’s been under way for a few days (scroll through to see what’s already there). Then on sale day, SHARE PHOTOS! We’ll be out and about but no matter how fast we move, we won’t get to them all. However you want to send ’em – e-mail, Facebook (including the WSCGSD wall), Twitter – thanks in advance!
P.S. The group seller sites – with lots of individual tables – are Hotwire Coffee, C & P Coffee (both WSB sponsors, 4410 and 5612 California SW respectively), VFW Hall (which expects to have room for sellers to just show up tomorrow, 3601 SW Alaska), and Cycle U – which is having a bike swap too (4550 Fauntleroy Way).
That’s a new video by My Goodness, a local rock duo playing Easy Street Records in The Junction at 9 tonight (all ages, $5 cover). A few other highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
PIRATE PARTY AT ‘SHIPWRECKED’: It’s not just a play, it’s a Pirate Party tonight at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) for the last special event of the year. Be ye Jack Sparrow or Blackbeard, ye’re welcome to partake in the festivities! Tickets are $50 and that includes food, drink, and entertainment before Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (As Told By Himself). Call the ArtsWest box office for details: (206) 938-0339.
OKLAHOMA! CONTINUES: West Seattle High School Drama Club and Music Department present “Oklahoma!” (Rodgers and Hammerstein) at the WSHS Theater (3000 California Ave SW) at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $7 in advance or $12 at the door. Tonight before the show, by donation, you can get your photo taken with Jeb, the Admiral District’s miniature horse.
AT KENYON HALL: Hearth Music presents acoustic bluegrass songwriters Kevin Brown & The Beloved Country and Jim Faddis and Friends. Kenyon Hall (7904 35th Ave SW), 7 pm. Tickets are $12 general admission.
HIP-HOP CELEBRATION: West Seattle Youth Arts Charity Unified Outreach 2011 “Seattle City Breaker’s Reunion” and 30 year anniversary celebration featuring the return of the 1980’s premier break dancer “Ziggy Zig Zag”. Three decades of break dancers will celebrate 30 years of hip hop in Seattle. This special ALL AGES and FREE event takes place 6 – 9 pm at West Seattle Christian Church Performance Hall (4400 42nd Ave SW). Doors open at 6 pm. General information is available at the Facebook Event page here where you can RSVP and talk about the upcoming event.
ST. JOHN’S RUMMAGE SALE and other dates: 9 am-3 pm today, you can practice up for tomorrow’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day by checking out the first day of the church’s multi-day rummage sale, 3050 California Ave SW.
The new Triangle building Link (WSB sponsor) was celebrated as the development that beat the odds – and bucked a trend – at an invitation-only reception on its sweeping-view rooftop last night. In our photo above, you’ll note West Seattle’s highest-ranking elected officials – King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. Neighborhood leaders and local businesspeople were there too, admiring the view and the rooftop herb/vegetable gardens, pausing briefly to hear speeches. West Seattle Chamber of Commerce board chair and West 5 owner Dave Montoure (below left) hailed the 60 jobs the new development is estimated to have created; after the jubilant opening remarks from Harbor executive vice president Denny Onslow (below right):
Barely a year and a half earlier, a short distance to the east, Onslow had stood at a meeting of the Fairmount Community Association and announced that Harbor had secured financing for Link – at a time when almost nothing else of its kind was being built in the city, since the commercial-market dive was so fresh. Seattle Department of Planning and Development director Diane Sugimura spoke too, describing Harbor as “bold” for moving ahead at the time.
And now, less than 2 months after its first move-ins, Onslow said 85 of its 200 units are leased. And as of yesterday, all three of its ground-floor businesses are open, with Breathe Hot Yoga‘s first classes, next door to one-month-open Chaco Canyon Organic Café, and recently opened Bright Horizons. If you’re interested in a first-hand look at Link, its next public open house is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st (one week from tomorrow).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
At the heart of a meeting tonight in Fairmount Springs was not a victim, but a person – a neighbor in the hospital, for reasons not yet understood, fighting to recover from serious injuries she suffered in some kind of attack.
She’s in stable condition, reported neighbors at the meeting’s start. Then at the meeting’s end, a prayer for her physical and emotional recovery was offered, by the pastor of the church where about 50 neighbors gathered.
And the neighbors’ condition was a source of concern too. Don’t be frightened, exhorted police. “It’s not the one who did this that’s the powerful one – you are,” asserted Mark Solomon, the Southwest Precinct‘s Crime Prevention Coordinator.
He spoke along with the top two Seattle Police leaders from the precinct, its commander, Capt. Steve Paulsen, and operations Lt. Pierre Davis. Before the meeting was out, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen had offered a few words too.
The gathering at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene was the first major neighborhood meeting since another one sparked by crime concerns a year and a half ago (here’s our report from that night). And as it concluded, neighbors agreed they would like to meet more often – maybe quarterly – though they already are bound by strong Block Watches and a much-used mailing list. But first: What police said tonight about the Sunday morning attack, reported in the 5900 block of 41st SW – ahead:Read More
The county says the Rachel Marie has been repaired and will be back on its regular West Seattle-Downtown Seattle Water Taxi schedule tomorrow. They also say the delay in getting an alert out about this morning’s sudden problem was because it took a while for the crew to figure out what was wrong and how serious it was, and they’ll try to be faster in the future.
We’ll substitute a clearer photo a bit later but for now, that’s a cameraphoto of the latest YarnCore “yarn bomb” in West Seattle – appearing around a tree near Radio Shack in The Junction, during tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk. According to the YarnCore website, the group is part of West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – #204 – one of the benefit sales. (Sale day is this Saturday, 9 am-3 pm, find the online map and a link to the printable map here. And more on Art Walk, coming up separately.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost four full years ago, the principals of what were then Chief Sealth High School and Denny Middle School stood before a concerned crowd at Southwest Community Center and apologized for not enough community outreach about the plan for their schools to share a campus.
Flash forward to last night. The principals are the same – Sealth’s John Boyd, Denny’s Jeff Clark. The schools are both now “international” schools. And the shared campus is almost complete; a new Denny has arisen next to the remodeled Sealth, which reopened last fall after two years of work, and is scheduled to open this summer.
Last night, not far from SWCC — where they had faced concerned community members in 2007 — they stood together before a group to again talk about the shared campus – this time, about the practicalities, the procedures, the reality of what it should be like next fall, when the middle schoolers and high schoolers are on the same campus, the first co-located campuses in the district.
The meeting yielded new information, such as the schools’ start/end times for next year and expected enrollment.
A beautiful day for some spring cleaning – and that’s what Keller Williams Realty staffers helped with at West Seattle’s Log House Museum today, as part of a nationwide day of service for the real-estate company. We caught up with them in their last hour of six hours of work – dressed in their company-colors white-on-red – during which they handled tasks including cleaning donor bricks, oiling logs, and refreshing garden beds.
(County map showing where the “green stormwater infrastructure” is proposed for the area feeding the Murray pump station; go here for larger version)
King County says its environmental review is complete for the “green stormwater infrastructure” proposal to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) from the Barton pump station – which is actually a few miles downhill from where the “infrastructure” would be built to hold water. The result: A “determination of nonsignificance.” That’s another hurdle cleared for the proposal. You can see the actual “determination of nonsignificance” here (PDF); comments will be taken through May 31st, and the county wants them postal-mailed to:
Wesley Sprague, Supervisor Community Services and Environmental Planning
King County Wastewater Treatment Division
201 South Jackson Street, MS: KSC‐NR‐0505
Seattle, WA 98104‐3855
The proposal would create “bioswales” to hold rainwater, mostly in planting-strip areas, so it can go into the ground instead of into the sewer system. Dozens of them would be installed at various locations in the Sunrise Heights/Westwood neighborhoods shown in the map above. The proposal was discussed again at a community meeting last month (WSB coverage here).
Just in from King County Department of Transportation:
West Seattle-Downtown Seattle Water Taxi service has been canceled for the remainder of the day due to a mechanical problem. Metro DART shuttles 773 and 775 are operating on their regular schedules.
An update about tomorrow’s Water Taxi service will be provided this evening. Please monitor service alerts, check the Water Taxi web site, kingcounty.gov/watertaxi, or call the Water Taxi information line at 206-684-1551.
Metro Route 37 provides service between downtown Seattle and Alki during commute hours. Visit www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call the Metro Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000 for trip planning information.
And of course we’ll have an update here once the outlook for tomorrow is made public. We first reported the problems with the Water Taxi shortly after 8 this morning, thanks to WSB’ers who called/texted/e-mailed, and that was more than an hour before official alerts were issued. If you have news to share, 206-293-6302 any time (other ways to contact us are listed here).
Campaign season is under way. Two Seattle City Council candidates were at Tuesday night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting – Position 1 candidate Michael Taylor-Judd and Position 9 candidate Dian Ferguson – and last night, one dozen candidates appeared before our area’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats.
Our video shows the entire forum, unedited, with these candidates (two more were on the agenda but didn’t show): For Position 1, Councilmember Jean Godden, Michael Taylor-Judd, Bobby Forch, Maurice Classen, David Schraer; for Position 3, Councilmember Bruce Harrell, Brad Meachum; for Position 5, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, Sandy Cioffi; for Position 7, Councilmember Tim Burgess (whose lone declared opponent Darryl Carter Metcalf was a no-show); for Position 9, Councilmember Sally Clark, Dian Ferguson (the other declared candidate Fathi Karshie was a no-show). August 16th is the primary, which will narrow to the top two candidates any race that has three or more.
Police have released more information about the case we reported here on Monday, a woman who is in the hospital and told police she was attacked by someone in her Fairmount Springs home. Seattle Police media-unit Det. Mark Jamieson says there is no question the woman was seriously injured – but police do not believe it happened in her home; there is no sign of a struggle or other evidence there indicating an attack. According to the police-report narrative in the case, the original call did not come from the woman’s home; the victim showed up at a neighbor’s house early Sunday morning saying she was “hurt and needed to sleep.” Then the neighbor noticed the woman was clearly injured, and called 911. The victim told police she woke up to find a man in her room; he said nothing but restrained her, then sat on her, and tried to strangle her. She said she fought back, and that she lost consciousness and awoke later to find him gone, at which time she said she managed to get herself free and walked over to her neighbor’s house. Police also confirm they questioned someone yesterday in connection with the case but that no one is currently under arrest. The victim remains at Harborview Medical Center, and because of her condition, Det. Jamieson says, police have been unable to talk more with her yet about what happened and where it happened.
(Final wayfinding kiosk of project’s 1st phase now in place, near Seacrest – Wednesday afternoon photo courtesy Chas Redmond)
Delayed by breaking news, a quick look at tonight’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: Monthly event – every second Thursday – at dozens of venues all over West Seattle. Many have the artists on hand and offer free refreshments, too – every venue handles Art Walk night a bit differently, and that’s part of the fun. Here’s the map/list for tonight’s venues. Get the artist highlights by going to the official Art Walk site at wsartwalk.com. 6-9 pm.
STYLE ’11: The annual fundraiser spring fashion show for Northwest Hope and Healing‘s work helping breast-cancer patients, involving West Seattle boutiques and other WS participants, is tonight at Showbox SODO, 7 pm. Tickets available at the door. Lots of info here.
OPENING NIGHT FOR ‘OKLAHOMA!’ West Seattle High School‘s spring musical opens tonight in the school theater, 7:30 pm. Full details in our preview from last night, including special events during the run.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TALARICO’S: Talarico Pizza’s 5-year anniversary party (4718 California Ave SW). Happy hour food and drink specials open till close. Also video DJ that will be mixing music and music videos in real time from 9:30 til close. Party is Mafioso themed so suggested attire is “roaring 20’s.” No cover & food will be served until 1 am.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ll add updates to this story as the morning goes on when new info is available)
8:18 AM: We haven’t officially confirmed it, and no alert has come from the county, but we’ve received two reports now that something is going on with the West Seattle Water Taxi. More to come as soon as we get something confirmed.
8:34 AM UPDATE: Tracy sent a note saying she’s been told it’s out of service for at least two hours. Jim sent the photo we’ve added above, saying it’s in the water south of Seacrest with what he believes is a police boat, lights on, nearby.
9 AM UPDATE: Another photo, from Al, which clearly shows a boat labeled police; SPD isn’t showing anything in the area. A county spokesperson is handling our inquiry but still no official info on what’s going on.
9:07 AM UPDATE: Mechanical problem, Rochelle Ogershok with King County Department of Transportation now confirms. She says they haven’t figured out yet how the schedule will be affected. We’re also asking why the alert system didn’t kick in, since this has been going on for at least an hour and there’s been no text alert for riders to warn them of a problem.
9:42 AM UPDATE: The official text alert has now arrived, saying the boat will be out of service TFN.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
1:42 AM: Right now fire crews are at the scene of a house-fire call in the 7300 block of 35th SW. Scanner traffic indicates it’s fairly small; it appears to be between an exterior deck and a wall, and most of the units that responded have been dismissed. 35th is closed at Webster, though.
2:05 AM: Christopher Boffoli is there for WSB. (A couple of TV crews have come over from downtown to check it out too; it’s been a quiet night citywide till this.) He reports a man and woman were inside when the fire broke out but got out OK; nobody is injured. They also brought out a pet bird but are trying to find their cat. Christopher reports the fire started in a “back corner of the house,” though the actual cause is still being determined.
We’ll check back with SFD later this morning to see what they found out about how it started.
11:16 AM: Lt. Sue Stangl in the SFD communications office says they haven’t received a report yet on the cause.
(Oklahoma! dress rehearsal photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Tomorrow (Thursday) night is opening night for “Oklahoma!” – the spring musical at West Seattle High School. It’s running May 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 20th at 7:30 pm, and the 19th at 8 pm. This is no ordinary run – special events are planned, according to WSHS Drama. For example: On Friday night, “for a small donation, have your photo taken with members of the ‘Oklahoma!’ cast and a very sweet miniature horse” – that would be the famous Jeb – 6:45 to 7:15 pm, before the show. On Thursday 5/19, it’s a special benefit performance, to raise money for the drama program, which is not financially supported by the school district. The fundraiser is a “fun, intimate pre-show event” described as:
Where: Foyer at St. John’s Episcopal Church, right next to the school
Timing: 6:00 pm-7:45 pm – chat with other WSHS Drama supporters and “Oklahoma!” cast
members in an intimate gathering including heavy appetizers and beer, wine & soda. As a special treat, we’ll even have a live miniature horse with costumed cast members for a free photo op!8:00 pm – special reserved VIP seating for the performance of “Oklahoma!”
Cost: just $20! (A no-frills ticket costs $7 with a reservation, $12 without. For just $13 more you get heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer or wine, a chance to chat with cast members, and a picture with a miniature horse! Best of all, you know that you helped support the arts at WSHS!) Yes, it’s a work/school night but there’s a miniature horse photo op AND it’s for a really good cause!! ;-)
Guarantee your spot and make your reservation by Tuesday, May 17th! E-mail PR@westsidedrama.com with your name, phone number, and the number of benefit tickets you want to reserve.
And if you can’t see Oklahoma! but want to donate to WSHS Drama (tax-deductible!), they’re offering an address for that too:
Checks payable to WSHS Drama and mailed to:
West Seattle High School
Attn: Andrew Finley
3000 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
“Oklahoma!” ticket info is here.
Thanks to Monica for sharing the news that the Chief Sealth International High School Jazz Band 1 scored a big win at a regional festival this past weekend – returning from Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, with the first-place trophy from the Northwest Jazz Band Festival. Senior Eric Wolken also won an Outstanding Music Award for his work on lead trumpet. Your next chance to see the award-winning Sealth jazz musicians in action: Jazz Night, May 27th.
(Alki, 1916, from Seattle Municipal Archives)
From the Alki Art Fair committee:
Alki Art Fair T-Shirt design submissions wanted
The Alki Art Fair Organizing Committee is requesting local artists to submit a design for this year’s Alki Art Fair T-Shirt. The theme for this year’s design is the Alki Bathhouse (1911-2011) centennial. Please incorporate the theme in your design. If your design is chosen, besides being emblazoned on this year’s t-shirt, the design is intended to be used on all marketing posters and announcements for this year’s fair. Submissions must be made on or before June 5, 2011. For additional information, please see the art fair website at: alkiartfair.org. Please include your name, phone number, and email address with your submission. The dates for this year’s Alki Art Fair are July 23rd and 24th.
You can mail or drop off your submission to: Alki Community Center, c/o Frances, 5817 SW Stevens St., Seattle, WA 98116 or e-mail to Frances at: alkiartfair@hotmail.com
Their mission is to help those in dire need of emergency assistance – and right now, they’re sending up a flare on their own behalf. Expenses have gone up for West Seattle Helpline, and in order to keep helping the number of families for whom they’ve been able to offer assistance, they have to raise $3,500 by month’s end. Board vice president Brooks Riendl explains:
I am issuing a challenge to our Board, Advisory Board and the West Seattle community to raise $3000 and I will match $500. Our Board President, Katie Plett has offered $250 in matching funds as well. … We have secured a total of $1850 in donations for this challenge to date and need help with the remaining $1650. Donations can be made through our website or by contacting Anna Fern at: (206) 932-2746.
Helpline programs also include Clothesline, which helps match families in need with donated clothing. While this is a cash-donation request from Helpline right now, you can also help by attending their annual fundraiser, the Taste of West Seattle, with dozens of local restaurants donating tasty treats – that’s coming up a week from tomorrow, Thursday 5/19, and you can buy your tickets online right now by going here.
Despite the downpour, about 20 people are out along 35th SW near Juneau – site of a recent deadly motorcycle-car collision – for a rally urging drivers to slow down. As you probably know, the propensity for speeding on the straightaway has given the road the nickname “I-35.” Denise Sharify of Neighborhood House, who led the crusade that resulted in a similar rally almost three years ago, organized this one too.
Also out: Seattle Police, with Community Police Team Officer Kevin McDaniel on hand, and Traffic Unit vehicles in evidence too (our crew saw one chase down a speeder). Plus TV crews in abundance.
Sharify (talking with KIRO’s Graham Johnson in the photo above) says they’ll be out there as long as people concerned about safety are willing to join them – scheduled end time 6 pm.
She also says they may plan another rally, so this doesn’t fall too far off the front burner. (Additional photos added 5:31 pm.)
Going to the Sounders game on Saturday night (after West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day)? Just got word that the West Seattle Water Taxi is adding a late run to accommodate fans afterward – an 11 pm departure from Pier 50 to Seacrest.
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