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Presidential postscript: West Seattleite met with President Obama
August 18, 2010 9:19 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

So it turns out there was a major West Seattle connection to yesterday’s presidential visit beyond The Big Booms. From the “we’re embarrassed we didn’t know this earlier” department, a longtime WSB’er e-mailed tonight to point out that Gillian Allen-White, the Grand Central Bakery co-owner who hosted President Obama’s mini-business roundtable in Pioneer Square yesterday, is a West Seattleite – co-president of the Sanislo Elementary School PTA, in fact. She is at the president’s left in the WhiteHouse.gov video above, and there’s a photo on SeattleTimes.com (WSB partner) tonight, with a story by food writer Nancy Leson, who followed up with Allen-White to get the lowdown on what the president ordered for lunch while there.

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Open house Thursday for new early-education program
August 18, 2010 7:23 pm
|    Comments Off on Open house Thursday for new early-education program
 |   High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Meet Roxanne Brown. She’ll be teaching a brand-new early-education program in West Seattle starting next month, and you can check it out during an open house tomorrow (Thursday) night. The program’s called Small Scholars Academy and classes will be at High Point Community Center. Roxanne’s been teaching for five years, with two of those years in a Head Start program, and she says Small Scholars is meant to offer child-led experiences where kids can learn based on what they’re interested in – say, the kids want to talk about dinosaurs, and it’s time for language skills, you might bring in alphabet letters associated with dinosaurs. Play, Roxanne explains, can also lead to educational experiences. They’re registering kids 3-5 now for these options – Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays ($230 a month), Tuesdays/Thursdays ($185), or five days a week ($315/month), morning (9:30 am-1 pm) or afternoon (2-5:30 pm), kids must be potty-trained. Tomorrow night’s open house is 5-7 pm at High Point CC (6920 34th SW); classes start September 13th.

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Primary Election 2010: Newest results just published
August 18, 2010 4:33 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   34th District State House 2 | King Co. Council District 8 | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

checkbox.jpgKing County Elections got 95,000 more ballots in the mail today – the highest single-day delivery, which they say is unusual because that usually happens Election Day – and expected to include at least 40,000 in the second run of primary results. Those results were just made public – see them here. The order hasn’t changed in our area’s biggest race, 34th District State Representative Position 2, but Mike Heavey‘s margin over second-place Joe Fitzgibbon narrowed to 21 votes. Complete look at that race, after the jump:Read More

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Update: California reopens after crash involving police car
August 18, 2010 2:11 pm
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WS breaking news

(NOTE: As of just before 5 pm, California SW has reopened)

ORIGINAL 2:11 PM REPORT: Just getting word of this crash near California/Brandon (in front of Papa John’s – here’s a map), involving a police car. We’re told a car was pulling out of a driveway when it collided with a cruiser en route to an incident, apparently with lights and siren. We’re told the officer is hurt. No word yet how badly. (Photo added 2:18 pm) Christopher Boffoli and Patrick Sand are both there for WSB and we’ll add details as we get them.

2:36 PM UPDATE: A few more details – The officer involved in the crash had been heading to a call about a “disturbance” at California and Dakota north of The Junction. Investigators are headed to the crash scene to sort out other details. The driver of the other car was apparently not hurt – looks shaken up as much as anything; officers have been talking with him. California is closed **TFN** from Rite-Aid at the north to Brandon on the south. The injured officer is being checked out.

2:54 PM UPDATE: Buses are being rerouted too. We’ve gotten this e-mail alert about the 22:

Rt 22 is temporarily rerouted on California Ave SW near SW Brandon St, due to a blockage.
Use stops north of Sw Edmunds St or south of SW Morgan St.

Looking up the others. (54, 128, ST 560 affected too) Also, SPD Blotter has published a very short update on the crash:

On August 18th at approximately 1:52 p.m. an officer in a fully-marked police car was responding to an emergency call with lights and siren activated. Just north of SW Brandon Street on California Avenue SW the officer collided with a beige Ford sedan and subsequently struck a tree near the side of the road. The driver and only occupant of the beige Ford sedan, a male in his 70′s, was evaluated at the scene but was not injured and did not require transportation. The officer was transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are responding to the scene. The circumstances surrounding the collision are currently under active investigation.

Scanner traffic indicated that the emergency call involved a parking-enforcement officer who may have been pepper-sprayed by someone – we are checking on that.

3:20 PM: Added that photo from Christopher, which shows the other car that was involved.

4:23 PM: Christopher checked again a few minutes ago – still closed. We’ll continue checking periodically.

4:59 PM: Thanks to Pop from the Thaitan Restaurant, who says the road reopened a few minutes ago. Belinda, via Facebook, says buses are going by too.

ADDED 6:34 PM: Thanks to Garfield High School student Gabriel S. for sharing that photo – again, the officer who was hurt was described as having “non-life-threatening” injuries, but we’re still trying to find out more on how he’s doing.

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West Seattle restaurant news: Junction Wing Dome sign goes up
August 18, 2010 2:09 pm
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks to Brian Presser at TouchTech Systems in The Junction for sharing that photo – the sign’s going up for the new Wing Dome next to CAPERS, almost eleven months after we brought you first word the company was looking at West Seattle. We have a message out to see if an opening date’s been set yet; last time we checked in with the Wing Dome folks, they were hoping it would be this month.

5:04 PM UPDATE: Colleen O’Leary with Wing Dome’s parent company Consolidated Restaurants says they’re just clearing the permit phase and they should have word of an opening date soon.

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Chief Sealth principal awaits move: ‘Champing at the bit’
August 18, 2010 12:57 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

With the Chief Sealth International High School renovations close to completion – and the first day of school just three weeks away – the project-management team at DKA Architecture just sent along a new aerial. (Ever wonder about unmarked choppers/planes in the area from time to time? Keep in mind, some are taking photos like these!) It shows the Chief Sealth campus from the south side along Thistle, looking northward. Note the paved parking areas, among other touches. We talked to Sealth principal John Boyd a short time ago to find out how soon his staff will be moving in; as the quote in our headline indicates, they’re eager. Right now, Boyd says, they’re awaiting the results of fire/safety inspections. If those go well, the contents of administrative offices and classrooms – what Sealth teachers have already boxed up – will be moved over the weekend, with the hopes that administrators can come in Monday and Tuesday to start getting settled, with teachers following on Tuesday and Wednesday. “We’re anxious, we want to get over there, but we want everything to be done (right) – and we’re still operable at Boren” till then, Boyd tells WSB, adding, “The facilities are beautiful.” The upgrades have been under way for two years, and the new Denny International Middle School is being built on the same site, though its completion/move aren’t scheduled till next year. (More project background can be found here.) ADDED 1:12 PM: Also just got a new photo taken at the site today and shared by DKA, described as “the installation of the new water feature in the CS Galleria entrance”:

More new outside/inside photos here.

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3 weeks till school: West Seattle Helpline backpack drive revs up
August 18, 2010 12:06 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

(Photo from last year’s backpack giveaway, courtesy West Seattle Helpline)
Three weeks from today, it’s the first day of the new school year for most Seattle Public Schools campuses – with many private schools starting then (if not sooner) too. And that’s why West Seattle Helpline< is revving up its annual backpack drive right now. They’re collecting not only backpacks to give away to students who need them, but also school-age clothing to give away with the backpacks. To find out how/where to donate clothing, just call the Helpline at 206.932.4357; you can drop off backpacks not only at Helpline HQ but also at CAPERS in The Junction.

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The Andover School: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor
August 18, 2010 10:28 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

We’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor today, and as is customary, new sponsors are invited to share information about their business: The Andover School was established in 2009 after founder Kari Cassidy-Diercks had difficulty finding availability for her children in a West Seattle preschool. With a background in operations and marketing, she teamed with childhood educator and preschool director Kelli Palsha to create a high-quality, unique, artistic and academic curriculum. The Andover School in West Seattle is located between the Alaska and Morgan Junctions. It is a year-round preschool experience for ages 2 through pre-K, which Kelli says is based on the ideals of organic and holistic learning. Kari says they incorporate standard letter education with dramatic play, cooking classes with etiquette, and creativity while offering a strong emphasis on Kindergarten preparedness, especially in the afternoon program. She adds, “The Andover School aspires to help children grow their pre-academic and social skills in play-based learning. Social and emotional learning is emphasized, as this is the foundation for all other learning. Children are encouraged to feel empowered to put their own ideas into action, whether making a rocket ship out of cardboard, inventing a new game, or painting with their toes to learn to count, and The Andover School truly believes in the adage ‘learning through a sense of wonder’.” The dramatic play area is fully decorated in a completely different theme each month to stimulate play and learning.

The Andover School has expanded to a second location on Mercer Island that will open in September. With the graduation of students to Kindergarten, and with the opening of the new Mercer Island location, several AFTERNOON-only positions have just become available. The afternoon program is particularly designed to accommodate the preparation for Kindergarten with an emphasis on letter recognition and writing, math, and advanced cognitive processing. For more information about their half-day programs (9 am – 12:15 pm / 12:45 pm – 4 pm), drop them a line at faculty@theandoverschool.com or phone 425-772-5970.

We thank The Andover School for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.

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West Seattle Wednesday: ‘Upzone’ hearings downtown, and more
August 18, 2010 8:01 am
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   California Ave upzoning | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: Today’s the day for what could be all-day proceedings regarding the proposed zoning change in the 3200 block of California SW, which would allow more height and larger commercial spaces in future buildings. As noted when we covered related proceedings last week, it’s happening in the city Hearing Examiner‘s chambers (40th floor of the Municipal Tower downtown) and will begin with the public hearing on the proposal, which the city Department of Planning and Development has recommended the City Council approve; the day’s schedule also includes the hearing on an appeal filed against the DPD’s ruling of “environmental nonsignificance” for the proposal. … Otherwise, regular weekly Wednesday events are on the calendar, including produce sales at the High Point Market Garden, 32nd/Juneau, 4-7 pm, and trivia at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 6:45 pm, followed by open-mike time at 9 pm.

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Door-to-door alert: Solicitors in Gatewood
August 17, 2010 11:02 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Door-to-door alert | Gatewood | West Seattle news

Couple notes tonight about solicitors in Gatewood – whether legit or not, it’s not clear, but those who e-mailed to share the story thought they seemed suspicious – read on:Read More

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Primary Election 2010: Heavey, Fitzgibbon leading 34th Pos. 2; McDermott, Toledo leading County Council
August 17, 2010 8:19 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   34th District State House 2 | King Co. Council District 8 | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Scroll down for updates – now that numbers are in, we’re off visiting campaign parties)

(King County Elections photo from their HQ, cars lined up to drop off ballots by 8 pm)
The first and only results that King County is making public tonight have just come out. In our area’s two major races – each with four candidates going for an open seat, and the top two advancing to November once ALL the votes are counted and the election is certified:

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE, POSITION 2
(Rep. Sharon Nelson isn’t running for re-election – she’s unopposed for State Senate)
Heavey first 34%, Fitzgibbon second 33%, McElroy third 19%, Stone fourth 14%

Full results here

KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (nonpartisan)
(Councilmember Jan Drago isn’t running for the seat to which she was appointed early this year)
McDermott first 59%, Toledo second 20%, McEvoy third 13%, Fahey fourth 7%

Full results here

All King County results are linked here. We’ll add other highlights of interest shortly, and we’ll be adding candidate reaction as we get it. Meantime, if you still haven’t voted – it’s not too late – you can mail it till midnight at Riverton Heights (near Sea-Tac; see our earlier story).

COVERAGE BEYOND THE NUMBERS

(Tim Fahey being interviewed by Q13’s Parella Lewis, with Mac McElroy looking on outside his pub)
8:41 PM: We were at Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy‘s party at his Triangle Pub in White Center when the results came in – with at least four other members of the media sighted. Now we’ve moved on to Fauntleroy, to Mike Heavey‘s campaign party, a gathering of family and friends (iPhone photo at right, as the candidate posed with varying combinations of people from both those groups). Both locations so far have been full of good cheer, despite the varying results. McElroy’s party also was visited by two other candidates – Ray Carter, the “reluctant Republican” challenging Democratic Rep. Eileen Cody, and Tim Fahey, who is currently fourth of 4 in the King County Council race. We are moving on to other locations shortly. Just interviewed Heavey, who foresees the general-election campaign, apparently against Fitzgibbon, as “a battle for the ages” – with voters being asked to choose “what kind of Democrat” they support. 10:16 PM: We’ve also caught up with Joe Fitzgibbon, whose supporters were celebrating at Heartland Café in the Admiral District:

Video from the frontrunners, coming up. And again, tonight’s vote is nowhere near final – King County Elections will release vote totals daily, until the final results are out on September 1st – two weeks away. ADDED 12:25 AM: Quick comments on video from Heavey, Fitzgibbon and McElroy:

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Primary Election 2010: How/where to get your ballot in on time
August 17, 2010 5:39 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

checkbox.jpgProcrastinating voters, don’t despair – there really is a way to vote **UP TILL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT**. We have just confirmed with the Riverton Heights branch of the U.S. Postal Service – near Sea-Tac Airport – that you can mail something there up until midnight, and it’ll be postmarked today – the King County Elections Department says your ballot DOES count as long as it’s postmarked (by) August 17th. Here’s more on the branch, including a map. Otherwise, the West Seattle USPS branches at Westwood and The Junction are about to close; the county dropboxes downtown and in Tukwila will ONLY accept ballots till 8 straight up. After that, you’re out of luck. Meantime, as for results: The county plans first results tonight around 8:15 pm – we’ll publish/link them here and bring you candidate reaction.

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Update: Sonic booms from military aircraft rock West Seattle
August 17, 2010 1:50 pm
|      88 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(We’re continuing to add info as more is learned about this afternoon’s sonic booms)

ORIGINALLY POSTED SHORT ITEM AT 1:50 PM: (We originally reported “Yes, we heard it too” after the two double sonic booms rocked WSB HQ in Fauntleroy. Then the servers jammed. We were also tweeting – here’s our first one – and FB’ing – first status here.)

UPDATE: KING5 confirms with FAA that military jets caused the sonic booms. Apparently they were scrambled for a possible breach of the no-fly zone. On the scanner, we hear they came here from Portland.

2:12 PM UPDATE: Southwest Precinct says that they have received official confirmation of the military jet cause. There is no word of any damage or injury at this point. Our apologies about the site’s inaccessibility – literally thousands of people slammed it at once and we are dealing with our server management company to be sure that would never be a problem again.

According to the scanner, the aircraft were scrambled because of a no-fly zone breach during the president’s visit. The location of the no-fly zone breach seems to vary depending on which citywide-media source you look at/listen to – anything from Lake Union to Boeing Field. Continuing to look for official verdicts.

2:25 PM UPDATE: We continued updating Facebook and Twitter while the server was inaccessible and as noted there – the 911 calls, according to scanner traffic, had been coming largely from West Seattle. So WS felt the brunt of it.

Our partners at the Seattle Times now have a short article up (and we’re sure it will be updated as they get more) – read it here. And if you are interested in reading what people are saying on Twitter – here’s the ongoing monitor of the phrase “sonic booms.

2:38 PM: Seeing and hearing reports that the seaplane pilot is being questioned on Lake Union.

2:54 PM: There have been different types of aircraft reported by different citywide sources but now the prevailing ID seems to be F-15s, Oregon Air National Guard. Will add citation/link as soon as we find it. Meantime, we have been checking the mailboxes and other incoming sources and it still does not appear anyone’s reported damage – let us know if you have heard/seen otherwise.

3:10 PM: If you’ll pardon the soundtrack – here’s the first video we found on what a sonic boom LOOKS like. Will sub out if we find a better explainer:

Here’s a gallery of photos related to Oregon ANG F-15s.

3:20 PM: Here is the official NORAD statement – from its Facebook page!

SONIC BOOMS over Seattle: NORAD responded to an aircraft violating a VIP Temporary Flight Restricted Area near Seattle at approximately 1:35 PDT. F15s from the 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard in Portland, were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. The aircraft departed the TFR prior to intercept but in the… process of intercepting the aircraft, the F15s went super-sonic near the Seattle Area.

NORAD responded to a question following that status update, regarding why jets weren’t scrambled from McChord in Pierce County instead:

The aircraft on alert at the time were from Portland. Also, McChord does not usually have fighters stationed there. As for going supersonic, the U.S. Air Force has the best trained and equipped force in the world. They fly very safe.

3:56 PM: A Normandy Park woman on the floatplane that caused the fighters to rush this way has told the Associated Press she and the pilot had no idea about the flight restrictions.

4:03 PM: The president has left Seattle – Air Force One has taken off. (4:32 pm – adding photo David DeSiga shared via Facebook, where we’re seeing multiple comments that the jet was visible from West Seattle after takeoff)

NORAD has published its official “news release” – although frankly, the Facebook status we republished above was more informative!

4:52 PM: The Times has continued to update its story. (And has a photo of the floatplane pilot with a Secret Service agent.) This quick excerpt addresses one of our remaining questions:

Officials said it would be a national security risk to say how fast the planes were traveling, but even at sub-supersonic speeds it would take not much longer than 10 minutes to make the trip from Portland.

5:06 PM: Well, maybe we can get back to writing the story we were working on before all this. Now the humor races in: Somebody created a foursquare check-in for “F15 Sonic Booms.” Second, you can put in for an “Obooma!” T-shirt.

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Want to help the city website improve? Study needs you NOW
August 17, 2010 12:48 pm
|    Comments Off on Want to help the city website improve? Study needs you NOW
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Though the City of Seattle’s nationally renowned Chief Technology Officer Bill Schrier is a West Seattleite, it seems WS is not yet well-represented in an independent study to help the city website get better! So says a note we just received, asking if we’d share the request for help – and yes, there’s something in it for you besides the warm fuzzy feeling that maybe you helped guide a vital online resource into its future. They’re running a usability study and need help ASAP – click ahead for the pitch!Read More

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Traffic alert: Presidential visit under way
August 17, 2010 11:26 am
|      61 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle traffic alerts

David DeSiga just shared that photo of Air Force One taxiing at Boeing Field (and spectators – they don’t just turn out for those six blue F/A-18s!) – and we got a phone tip with the reminder that motorcade shutdowns of I-5 can lead to West Seattle Bridge backups too (as is apparently the case right now). Per KING5, President Obama‘s quick visit is scheduled to end some time after 3 pm today.

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Primary Election Day 2010 in West Seattle: The Fauntleroy scene
August 17, 2010 9:56 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   34th District State House 2 | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Polling places may be history but one Election Day tradition lives on … signwaving at busy intersections. We checked out 35th/Fauntleroy and the Fauntleroy overpass to get a Primary Morning overview, and, in addition to State Sen./King County Council candidate Joe McDermott, we found three candidates in the election’s most-watched race, with a sign-waver on behalf of the fourth:

At left, that’s Marcee Stone at 35th/Fauntleroy – while on another corner at the intersection, Mike Heavey had a costumed campaigning companion:

(Why a lion, you ask? It was a little loud for conversation along the bridge entrance, but we’ve got a message out to inquire.) Then to the north, on the Fauntleroy pedestrian overpass, Joe Fitzgibbon swiveled for a smile while maintaining the wave:

The overpass also held a signwaver on behalf of Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy:

If you’re a candidate and plan to sign-wave during the pm commute – let us know – we’ll likely be back out on patrol. Meantime, MAIL YOUR BALLOT (procrastinators that we are, we are heading to the Post Office right now ourselves)! Infolinks, including the online voters’ guide, are here. (Advertising disclosure: The Heavey, McElroy, and Stone campaigns are running paid political ads on WSB.)

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Update: Police suspect driver who hit 10 parked vehicles was drunk
August 17, 2010 8:03 am
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Seems a crash we tweeted about overnight turned out to be a lot worse than it looked at the time, judging by the wreckage visible early this morning (thanks to Denice and Doug for e-mailing): Ten parked cars hit, according to police, in the 3400 block of California SW [map] – but only one person hurt: The 37-year-old man who is suspected of being drunk when his vehicle hit those cars. Authorities got the call about 11 o’clock last night; according to Det. Mark Jamieson, the man was reported to be driving northbound on California in the southbound lanes. He was cited for reckless driving and negligent driving along with being “processed for DUI”; he was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, mostly from glass fragments, and was still being treated when the report was filed, so we don’t know if he subsequently was booked into jail. 8:28 AM: Added photos. The driver of the black car was there when we stopped by, retrieving personal items from it before it was towed; she says police told her that hers was the last one hit, so hard that the impact pushed it onto the sidewalk. Note that, as seen in the photo below, the damaged vehicles include a motorcycle.

(We have pledged to always let you know if we alter an image, so please note, we blurred out the otherwise-clearly-visible plate on the red car in that photo.)

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West Seattle Tuesday: Ramp’s 1st commute; election; Elvis! and …
August 17, 2010 7:31 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Since the new 4th Avenue South offramp from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct didn’t open to traffic until 10:17 am yesterday, this morning’s commute is its first – if getting off The Bridge at 4th works for you, remember you can turn either north OR south at the end of the ramp (or go straight if you happen to be heading to the City Light yard). … Wherever you’re driving this morning, you will likely see signwaving candidates along the way – this is Election Day, which in the vote-by-mail era really just means “Last Chance to Vote Day.” Your ballot has to be postmarked today OR has to get into one of the county’s last two dropboxes by 8 pm tonight (they’re in downtown Seattle and in Tukwila) … If you’ve got a hunka hunka burnin’ love for all things Elvis, the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) is THE place to be tonight – honoring The King one day after the 33rd anniversary of his death with a book-signing AND the Elvis Chapel of Love van (as recently seen at the Luna Park block party):

It all starts at The Feedback at 6:30, with biography Gillian G. Gaar signing “Return of The King: Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback” – she’ll also co-host tonight’s trivia at 8. … Speaking of really famous people, we don’t think President Obama is likely to make a West Seattle side trip, but since he’s scheduled to fly into and out of nearby Boeing Field, and planning a Pioneer Square stop before noon, you will want to be on the lookout for motorcades, etc. – here’s how our partners at the Seattle Times previewed today’s presidential visit. … More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.

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Video: Musical protest inside West Seattle Target store
August 16, 2010 9:48 pm
|      91 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle video

(New info added Tuesday midday – scroll down)

That video is getting West Seattle a bit of national attention tonight in the ongoing controversy over Target‘s donation to a group backing a Minnesota candidate with a history of opposing gay rights (folding in the “corporate personhood” controversy too). The musical protest took place in the Westwood Village Target store on Saturday, apparently around 11 am; we didn’t hear about it till afterward, and weren’t able at the time to confirm it, but you can tell by watching even just a few seconds of that video that it was shot inside the local store. Thanks to Amy for sending the link tonight. (The Target boycott had been discussed a week earlier in the WSB Forums.) ADDED 10:30 PM: Doing a bit more research on this – the credits attribute it in part to Agit-Pop, which bills itself as a “subvertising agency”. Going to try to see if anyone there will reveal why they chose the West Seattle Target, as opposed to the hundreds and hundreds of others in the U.S. 11:13 PM NOTE: As commenters point out, Agit-Pop has a Seattle office and the co-credited organization Backbone Campaign is Vashon-based, so the WS choice isn’t such a mystery.

ADDED 11:50 AM TUESDAY: Just heard back from Bill Moyer at Backbone, who explains, “Performers were participants in our Localize this! Artful Action Camp. This was the final and the location was chosen because of its proximity.” The Backbone website has the schedule for last week’s camp – you’ll see that Saturday’s schedule included “Flashmob Field Trip.”

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Next weekend: Precinct picnic; Junction Bonanza; Arts-in-Nature
August 16, 2010 9:35 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Now that last weekend is in the rear-view mirror, a quick look ahead to some of the big events up next weekend:

PICNIC AT THE PRECINCT: Saturday 1-4 pm, it’s the annual street party on SW Webster alongside the Southwest Precinct. Meet your local crimefighters, and many of your West Seattle neighbors whose community organizations do the hard work to help make WS an even-more-awesome place. There’s usually treats, entertainment, high-tech and low-tech police equipment (from bomb robots to horses) on display.

‘THE BIG BONANZA’ IN THE JUNCTION: It’s the second year for this end-of-summer blowout sale around The Junction, with more than 40 merchants participating – 10 am till 5 pm on Saturday, deals galore, and some bonus fun (high-noon water showdown, giveaway drawing, and more). Participants are listed here – and there’s coupons too (find those here – you’ll also be able to pick up preprinted coupons at the Bonanza Central HQ in front of KeyBank that day).

ARTS-IN-NATURE FESTIVAL: Both Saturday *and* Sunday, Camp Long bursts with sounds, sights, movement, and myriad other displays of raw creative energy and joy during this annual festival presented by the West Seattle-based Nature Consortium. Highlights include a special benefit concert with Chris Ballew performing songs from his renowned band Presidents of the United States of America (separate from his festival performance as the also-fabled kids-music mastermind Caspar Babypants). The full festival schedule starts here.

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South Seattle Community College’s new president now on the job
August 16, 2010 5:53 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Puget Ridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

In his second week officially on the job as South Seattle Community College president, Gary Oertli got to take a quick field trip this afternoon. He visited the Seattle Chinese Garden‘s courtyard-construction project with a crew making a video about an upcoming multi-campus event in the Seattle Community Colleges system. We were there for the tour opportunity offered to media reps today – this is the project for which a contingent of Chinese artisans has come to Seattle:

The garden site is on the far northern edge of the SSCC campus; a followup on this afternoon’s whirlwind hard-hat tour is coming up later.

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Water safety event at Alki Lighthouse on Sunday, August 22
August 16, 2010 4:20 pm
|    Comments Off on Water safety event at Alki Lighthouse on Sunday, August 22
 |   Announcements

Just out of the WSB inbox:

The United States Coast Guard and the USCG Auxiliary present

Water Safety Day
Sunday, August 22, 12-5
Alki Point Light House

It will be a fun day for kids and adults to learn about water safety, boat safety, tour the light house, and visit the gift shop.

Free water safety educational gifts for kids attending the event!
Come and enjoy!

Never toured the lighthouse before? Here’s a sneak peek, in a WSB story from last month.

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Health alert: Wildfire smoke blamed for haze, pollution
August 16, 2010 3:57 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Just noticed something you’ve probably noticed already if you’ve looked to the west or south – despite the bright sunshine, you can’t see the Olympics or Mount Rainier. If you suspected smoke from wildfires including the one that’s been visible at sunset the past two nights – you’re right. This just in from the state Ecology Department:

Smoke from several wildfires burning in Washington and British Columbia is spreading throughout the state.

That trend is expected to continue for a few days. Some clearing of hazy skies is expected later this week, possibly by Wednesday.

“Smoke from a wildfire can travel rapidly, affecting air quality hundreds of miles downwind from the fire’s location,” said Stu Clark, Air Quality Program manager for the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology). “Smoke pollutes the air you breathe and harms your health, especially if you have existing health conditions.”

The announcement, including advice for people sensitive to pollution, continues after the jump:Read More

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