While WSB contributing reporter Megan Sheppard was going through police reports for the (forthcoming) weekly “from the police files” roundup, she happened onto a report that led us to this disturbing case involving a West Seattle 8-year-old hospitalized after being beaten and jumped on. The suspect: His father, now in jail, charged with assault, bail set at $250,000. The attack happened in Renton but we can’t find evidence it’s been reported anywhere else. Details ahead:Read More
This Sunday October 24, 2010 at 11 am, come enjoy Ratatouille the movie at the Admiral Theater to help Sofia and her children.
Friends of Sofia Goff along with West Seattle’s own Admiral Theater are putting on this fundraising event. Sofia Zadra Goff, owner of Cafe Revo Ristorante, had to close her doors a week ago. She and her children are in a devastating finacial situation and may lose their home. After numerous medical bills from her husbands sudden illness and death and after putting everything they had on the line to open Cafe Revo, Sofia is now left with numerous amounts of debt and 2 children to take care of as a single parent. She did not earn any money while working 7 days a week at Revo and every penny she could find she put back into Revo to try and keep her staff in jobs and keep the doors open. Recently Sofia got notice her electricity will be shut off at home. Let’s come together as a community to help one of our own who helped numerous West Seattle charities and families while Cafe Revo was open with her generosity.
We hope you can come this Sunday. All proceeds will go directly to Sofia and her children. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children. Cash and Checks only. Can’t make it? See below how you can help by sending donations to US Bank or to our PO Box. Watch for an evening with Revo coming soon. This will be an additional fundraiser with live music and silent auction. The Admiral Theater is located at 2343 California Ave SW
The information referred to above is here:
The Friends of Sofia Goff are hoping to help the family get back on their feet. Monetary donations may be made at any US Bank Branch, to the “Friends of Sofia Goff Fund.” (They may not be made on line.) While these donations will not be deductible for tax purposes they will certainly go to a good cause. Cards and donations may also be sent to Sofia Goff, 4742 – 42nd Ave SW #363, Seattle WA 98116. The Friends of Sofia Goff thank you for your support.
West Seattle artist Oleana Perry shared this photo and explained what the bags are all about:
Yesterday I spent the day making decorative harvest-leaf bags out of burlap coffee bags. My leaves are out of control in my yard and I don’t like the big plastic pumpkin bags (plastic is forever), so I solved the problem. The decorative burlap bag will break down and compost the leaves over the winter season. Then I will mix the leaves in my garden soil and use the bag as weed block or for my garden path. The West Seattle Nursery liked them as well, so I had to make about 25 of them in my front yard yesterday. People walking by kept buying them as I was making them, it was pretty hilarious. It amazes me that all of these burlap coffee bags come from all over the world and a huge majority of them go into landfills. I think this is a resource we should all be thinking about.
It’s an annual crosstown-rivalry football tradition, and it’s coming up Friday night – Chief Sealth athletic director Sam Reed just sent full details of this year’s Huling Bowl:
Chief Sealth International High School vs. West Seattle High School
Friday, October 22, 2010
Southwest Athletic Complex (SWAC)
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Festivities start: 5:00pm
Join both schools, alumni and the entire West Seattle community in this annual contest between friendly rivals. Festivities include a free pre-game barbecue provided by long-time supporters, Steve and Tom Huling. Everyone is invited to start the day with a guided tour of the newly finished Chief Sealth International High School.
Half-time entertainment includes an exciting joint performances from the two bands as well a light-hearted competition between the two schools’ student leaders. The Chief Sealth cheerleaders will also perform.
Following the conclusion of the game Chief Sealth senior football players will be recognized as part of their “Senior Night.”
Pre-game:
· 5:00: Early ticket sales open at SWAC main entrance
· 5:00: Nels Enquist will lead a tour of the new Sealth facilities for all interested
· 5:30: Pre-game BBQ starts (provided by Steve and Tom Huling)
· 6:00: Stadium gates open
· 6:55: Sealth Band performs National Anthem
· 7:00: Kickoff
Half-time (20 minutes):
· 10 minutes: Sealth and West Seattle band in joint field show
· 3 minutes: Sealth Cheer performs
· 5 minutes: Sealth vs. West Seattle student government “punt, pass & kick” competition
Post-game:
· Sealth’s “Senior Night” presentations
The Southwest Athletic Complex is at 2801 SW Thistle, right across the street from the Chief Sealth campus.
(WSB photo from October 2009) By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The timing was perfect.
On the day that a key document went public, a first draft of the next phase of trying to heal the polluted Duwamish River, Sustainable West Seattle convened a Community Forum with experts who explained why it matters and why your opinion matters.
The forum, with more than 40 people on hand inside Camp Long Lodge last night, wasn’t only about the Feasibility Study that went public hours earlier (links are atop the right sidebar of this site). But since the topic – the Duwamish River’s past, present and future – is intertwined with the issue of how to handle its pollution, that’s where the discussion tended to focus.
With Sustainable West Seattle vice president Gary Lichtenstein as moderator, they spoke for two hours, including Q/A. Before we jump into the highlights – we recorded the entirety of the forum on video – with a fixed camera, so it may be more useful as audio than video – it’s in three chunks, left to right (you can watch any clip fullscreen by clicking once to bring up its title, then clicking on the title itself to go to its page at blip.tv):
You might remember that video from last year’s amazing music-synced Christmas lights display on a house by the Charlestown water towers. This is our first update from Jim Winder since May – he’s the mastermind, but the house with the display belongs to a friend. He sent this photo:
That’s from some work done over the weekend, and Jim explains: “I set up some of the new elements this past weekend just to make sure it was all going to work as planned. Hopefully in the next week or so, I will also have our website up. Looks like our ‘Lighting Ceremony’ will be on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 27th), though there will probably be some shows on that Friday.” Last year had about 10,000 lights, but this year, they’re going for more than 50,000, according to the update we published from Jim in May.
Two weeks till the voting ends and the vote-counting begins. Maybe you knew who and what you’re voting for before your ballot even arrived; if not, one more advance alert about the last major candidates’ forum in this area before Election Day: Thursday night, the four candidates in the two major open races on local ballots are scheduled to be at the forum organized by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, which is the resident-elected community council for White Center, among other not-yet-annexed areas between West Seattle and Burien. The forum’s being held barely a block south of West Seattle, at the Greenbridge YWCA (9720 8th SW; here’s a map), doors open at 6 pm Thursday, forum begins at 6:30. From the NHUAC website:
The following candidates have confirmed their participation.
The King County Council race is for the 8th District, the seat held by Dow Constantine before he was elected as County Executive a year ago (Jan Drago, appointed to serve until this election, chose not to run for the job); the 34th District race is for the State House, Position 2, seat that Sharon Nelson is leaving to run (unopposed) for the State Senate seat that McDermott is leaving to seek the County Council spot. (Researching? Voters’-guide links here.)
It could have been the opening line of a joke: “So a gorilla walks into a bar …” Last night, multiple gorillas, accompanied by multiple bananas, stormed the Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction. West Seattle-based Washington Beer Blog recorded and published the video clip catching the moment(s) for posterity. As WBB’s Kendall Jones writes, it’s related to the final phase of an ongoing contest at BP Pub; one finalist called for a Guerrilla Brewers’ Night, so another plotted the seen-above counterstrike. Go to Washington Beer Blog to tap into the full story.
(Kelly Lyles, center, photo by Dina Lydia Johnson)
When we photographed Highland Park artist Kelly Lyles at theTwilight Artist Collective show during West Seattle Art Walk last Thursday, little did we know she had been feted the night before, receiving a grant as lively as her work: The Conductive Garboil Grant. Another Highland Park artist (and dancer, and photographer), Dina Lydia Johnson, shares the news, plus the photo of Kelly and this video of her lightheartedly accepting the award:
The Conductive Garboil (that last word is a very old term for a disrupter) is a $3,000 grant given by organizations including 4Culture. Dina says Kelly declared, “”I’m thrilled to be the grantee; it means a lot, the peer recognition as much as the financial reward.” Dina has more photos on Flickr here, including the splashy outfit she wore to honor Kelly. She and her work – including her well-known “art car” – are online at kellyspot.com.
Two coyote sightings to share – first one was a close call late Monday night toward the Fauntleroy end of The Bridge, and Kerry thought you should know:
We just almost hit a coyote as we were coming home from downtown at the top of the West Seattle bridge. He was trying to cross west to east but was flummoxed by traffic and the divider. This was right by the people statues. [Walking On Logs] Poor little guy ran back to where he came from. Neighbors in that area should be aware.
Earlier, Crista saw one in the Myrtle Reservoir vicinity:
There was a coyote in our yard early this morning. We are on 36th and Willow [map] close to the water towers and new park.
ADDED 12:44 PM TUESDAY: For the coyote record, got one more note, this one from Tim:
I saw two coyotes this morning on my way to catch the bus. They were running down SW Lander Street by 38th Ave SW. It was about 6 am and they were running fast!
The Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (WSB sponsor) is back at West Seattle’s historic Admiral Theater this Thursday and Friday – the full Admiral schedule is here – and organizers are providing tickets for giveaways – so we’re starting right now. First person to e-mail us at westseattleblog@yahoo.com gets two tickets to “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.” It’s an award-winning documentary coming back to Seattle after its previous appearance at SIFF, and it’s described as “the must-see yodeling lesbian twins movie of the year.” After the 7:30 pm Thursday screening, there’s a reception at SLGFF sponsor Heartland Café just steps from The Admiral. Make sure your e-mail has TOPP TWINS GIVEAWAY in the subject line, and includes the name in which you would want the tickets held at the box office. As soon as they’re given away (which could be a while given the hour!), we’ll add a note here. We’ll have giveaways tomorrow and Wednesday night too (earlier!) and then Thursday and Friday, the festival’s on. 12:47 AM UPDATE: Tonight’s tickets are gone.
P.S. Not in West Seattle, but part of the festival, and free: SLGFF is joining with Safe Schools Coalition to screen the documentary “Bullied” at 6 pm Wednesday, Broadway Performance Hall, with a panel discussion afterward, including three youth speakers.
From tonight’s Sustainable West Seattle Community Forum: Before the night’s main feature – a panel on the Duwamish River (still under way – full coverage later) – some news about city-landmark ex-Fire Station 37 at 35th/Othello (map). SWS president Brian Allen announced that the group is “exploring the possibility” of buying the station with a “large coalition” of partners and donors, to turn it into “Sustainability Station 37.” As we reported here in July, the city has already started the process of figuring out what to do with the historic station; firefighters moved out earlier this month and are now in the brand-new station a few blocks south, at 35th/Holden (map). As for the potential purchase, Allen promised an “initial organizing meeting” in the next two weeks – watch the Sustainable West Seattle website for more info (you can find his contact info there too).
9:18 PM UPDATE: Now that the meeting’s over, we talked to him to find out more: The concept is still fluid – “come to the meeting!” he smiled – but it could be a permanent HQ for Sustainable WS, for offshoots like the West Seattle Tool Library (currently ensconced at South Seattle Community College), and for services that support sustainability – very much a work in progress, and finding the funding, he acknowledged, won’t be simple, but they’re hopeful.
That video will give you a taste of what “Woodstick Big Beat” is all about. It’s happening on the Eastside – but it’s the brainchild of a West Seattle musician, Donn Bennett of Fauntleroy, and he says, “We need all the drummers we can get” in hopes of setting a record. This is the 8th annual Woodstick, Donn explains, saying, “Every year we attempt to set a new world record for drummers playing drumsets simultaneously. Our largest even ever had 533 drummers at Qwest Field in 2005. In 2008, a group in England broke our record with 588. We will attempt to break that record on November 7th.” This year’s event is at theJuanita Field House in Kirkland – but it’s linked simultaneously to 15 other cities in North America, all playing under one director who’s here in this area. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, Donn adds, “One of the featured drummers is Steve Moore. He became an Internet sensation when his Crazy Drummer video went viral on YouTube with more than 7 million hits.” Drumming is Donn’s business, by the way – with Donn Bennett Drum Studio in Bellevue. You can sign up through his website, by going here; proceeds benefit two charities, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and Camp Korey,as explained here. (By the way, even if this isn’t something you can play in, you’ll be welcome to come watch, 2-4 pm on November 7th, with doors opening at 10 am – Donn says there’s a band onstage with the hundreds of drummers playing in synch – this year, the band is Spike and the Impalers from the recently canceled Bob Rivers Show.)
36-year-old Nikki Mackey hopes you will watch that video of her recent haircut at Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor). Five weeks ago, Nikki was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. She explains why watching the video can make a difference:
Knowing that I will lose my hair to chemo, I decided to donate it to Locks of Love (my hair was very long and very pretty….)
I went last Wednesday to Illusions Salon in West Seattle and had them cut the hair for the donation – one of the stylists videotaped it for me since I have been trying to fully document this new and painful journey. I put the video up on YouTube to share with my friends and family (I’m from the East Coast so many of them are not here physically but want to share this experience with me in any way they can…)
The video generated a great many views very quickly and I received a notice from YouTube regarding ad-revenue sharing. Illusions gave their permission for me to
apply for the ad-revenue sharing and I contacted Locks of Love to let them know that I want all proceeds earned from the video to go to them. I just really want to get the video out there so we can perhaps earn some money to help this fantastic organization. Immediately following my surgery, one of the surgical attendants came to see me to make sure I was doing OK. She told me she had worked at St. Jude’s and was present when one of the Locks of Love wigs was presented to a 15 year old girl. She told me she never forgot how happy the girl was and how emotional it was to see this child get a wig which would allow her to feel like a normal 15 year old – at least as normal as she could possibly feel under the circumstances.
… I want to raise awareness for this awesome organization, as well as for breast cancer awareness. As I said, I’m 36 years old – I have no family history of this disease – I exercise regularly and eat organically, yet here I am. I just want to get the word out that body awareness is the key to survival. It certainly was for me.
The official Election Day – with vote-by-mail, it’s more like Voting-Ends Day – is two weeks from tomorrow. You should have received your ballot by now; if you have already mailed it back in or dropped it off, King County’s online ballot tracker will start reporting today on whether it’s been received (here’s where to check). And if you’re still researching who and what to vote for – remember there are two voter guides this year – online, you can find the King County guide here (or a custom version by entering your info on the right side of this page), while the state guide is here. Your ballot has to be either in a dropbox by 8 pm Tuesday, Nov. 2, or postmarked by that date (we’ll check when it gets closer, but last election there was one post office in the city that was postmarking up till midnight). One more voting note: For those with disabilities, the county’s accessible voting center at Elections HQ in Tukwila is now open, weekdays through Election Day – full details, hours, and location here.
The city has proclaimed this the Week Without Violence, and Seattle Parks and Recreation has announced a lineup of events including this one in the West Seattle/White Center area:
On Wednesday, Oct. 20, teens can enjoy “Bowling for Peace” at Roxbury Lanes, 2823 SW Roxbury, from 4 – 6 p.m. Participating teens will have the opportunity to compete in several special prize-winning bowling frames, contribute to a non-violence art project, and meet new teen communities from other centers. Teens who need a ride should contact Matthew Roberson at
matthew.roberson@seattle.gov or call him at (206) 684-7451.
The week’s full citywide lineup of events is here.
… is this Thursday. Bordeaux, Bites, and Boogie is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, which advocates for the health of our peninsula’s economy, while connecting local businesspeople with each other, and also making sure that key concerns such as sustainability are addressed as part of economic growth. The Chamber has a lot of big projects in the year ahead, and has had a busy year, but this one night is a time to celebrate and mingle, and you’re invited. The event is at Sodo Park, the events venue in SODO that’s owned by West Seattle-founded Herban Feast (which is also the parent of Fresh Bistro). It starts at 5 pm this Thursday night, and as the title suggests, there’s food, drink, and dancing, among other parts of the festivities – plus a raffle. You can get tickets online through Brown Paper Tickets (here’s the direct link), $50/person. (Disclosure note: WSB, like many local businesses, is a Chamber member and is honored to be its current Business of the Year.)
Some speed bumps lately for a few West Seattle park projects – as reported last week, Delridge Skatepark now won’t be built till after rebidding next year, and grading/utility challenges are pushing Myrtle Reservoir Park into next month – but this one is really on the home stretch: We just checked in with Fairmount Playground project manager Kelly Davidson, after noting that the hoped-for reopening date of October 15th had come and gone (our photo was taken last night). Here’s her update: “I just scheduled our punch-list inspection for Wednesday afternoon, 10/20. The contractor installing rubber surfacing took a bit longer than expected. The fence should come down after this inspection.” The project, designed with two community meetings last winter, is funded by about $170,000 in Parks and Green Spaces Levy money.
Just under two weeks till Halloween, but the celebrations are already beginning – so we’ve pulled the information about everything even remotely related (including “fall festival” events) onto one WSB page again this year, grouped by type of activity, and added it to the lineup of tabs atop every WSB page. Some of what you’ll find: The official Admiral Treats and Treasures (one of 4 local business-district trick-or-treating events) map is linked to its listing; The Sanctuary at Admiral is offering a new event, a silent movie with live organist; local Toastmasters will tell spooky tales at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) tomorrow night, and that’s the earliest event on the list. See it all here – and let us know if something’s missing, so it can be added – thanks! (Jack-o-lanterns photo from Heidi & Daniel, Halloween 2007)
(August 2008 photo by John LaSpina)
What do you need to know, and what can you do, about the state of the Duwamish River, the West Seattle-bordering waterway on which so much depends, from wildlife to industry? Tonight – Sustainable West Seattle convenes a Community Forum with leaders representing many facets of the complex situation, from the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition to the Duwamish Tribe to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. You’re invited to listen, learn, question, and discuss (just as a key document on cleanup alternatives is going public) 7 pm @ Camp Long Lodge (here’s our original preview; the SWS website has an updated list of panelists). 5200 35th SW … Also tonight: Family Story Time at High Point Library, 7 pm … This afternoon, flu shots are offered at Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsor), 4611 35th SW, 1-3 pm, followed by free Mega-Bingo; call 206-932-5480 for an appointment … Monday night also means weekly bingo at Alki UCC (6112 SW Hinds), doors open 5:30, first game at 6:30 … More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
Starting today, King County Water Taxi riders can use credit/debit cards to pay their fare – by buying tickets from the machines now installed at Seacrest, Pier 50 downtown, and Vashon. The one in West Seattle, shown in our photo, is alongside the southeast side of the main building at the pier, close to where shuttle riders get on/off buses. The machines sell one-way tickets; more info here. Meantime, if you drive along Fauntleroy or 35th SW to get to the West Seattle Bridge, as of about 6 am this morning, the electronic signs along those routes are supposed to start showing travel times, as announced by the city on Friday. If you just want to check online before you leave home, this map is supposed to show times for even more areas.
They heard a lot, the investigators informed us, but they won’t be able to interpret what, or who, it was, till getting back to headquarters and analyzing it all. Somebody certainly sensed a presence, we were told, and they dealt with it by asking questions, which they believe were answered by something/someone “friendly.” The “dish” in the photo above is one of the main listening devices. They also recorded their visit in more conventional ways that, museum director Andrea Mercado told us, will result in a video documenting it all; SWSHS has a few photos online too. And the topic of otherworldly presence at the Log House Museum will certainly be on the menu at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s fundraising Halloween brunch at Salty’s on Alki, 11:30 am October 30th (ticket info here). SWSHS has another event coming up:
This new book was created with help from WSB’ers who answered the call we published back in February, after hearing Andrea talk about the project at a meeting of the Southwest District Council. A book-release party is set for 6:30 pm November 2nd at Zeeks Pizza in Morgan Junction; if you pre-order the book through the Log House Museum, you get 10 percent off (20% if you’re a SWSHS member).
Two weeks till the voting ends and the vote-counting begins. Maybe you knew who and what you’re voting for before 
… is this Thursday. Bordeaux, Bites, and Boogie is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the 
Just under two weeks till Halloween, but the celebrations are already beginning – so we’ve pulled the information about everything even remotely related (including “fall festival” events) onto 
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