West Seattle, Washington
06 Wednesday
For the second consecutive Saturday, valiant volunteers are helping the Walking On Logs Landscape Restoration Group literally dig in at one of West Seattle’s “gateway” spots – around the “Walking on Logs” sculptures on the slope west of the Fauntleroy Way SW end of the WS Bridge. There’s still time to go join them – they are working till about 4 and would appreciate even an hour or two of your time; today they’re planting, as part of a project to re-landscape the often-overgrown area. Access is via the frontage stretch of Fauntleroy upslope from the work zone, which you can reach from the eastward turn on 35th, just north of the bridge exit/entrance. (Thanks for sending the photo!)
4:28 PM UPDATE: Stopped by just before 4 – volunteers had wrapped up, but check out the empty planting containers in the foreground, showing how much they planted!
You can see the landscaping plan – funded in part by a city grant – in this story from earlier this month.
9:09 PM UPDATE: One of the Landscape Restoration Group volunteers, Sharonn Meeks, tells WSB the group planted 75 trees and 500 shrubs and indigenous plants, and volunteers “worked their hearts out.” Also from the group, Nancy Driver sent another photo:
Nancy promises an update later this week on today’s accomplishments and what’s next.
(First 3 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Music, fun, and food right now in the north lot at Westside School (WSB sponsor), 34th just south of SW Holden, where CoolMom‘s “Think Outside the Car” kickoff celebration continues till 2 pm. BottleRockit is playing, and the Lumpia World and Athena’s food trucks are selling lunch:
There’s another kids’ bike parade planned at 1:30 pm, and in the meantime, don’t be chicken about getting an “Undriving License”:
(added) Here are Hannah and Elliot Goldstein with theirs:
(Photo by Undriving’s Julia Field)
“Think Outside the Car” is a campaign not to get you entirely out of your car, but to encourage walking and biking when possible, and also to reduce driving impacts – asking people not to idle their engine while waiting at school, for example. Watch for more info and events to come.
ADDED 5:40 PM: One more photo – this one from Don Brubeck, who was there volunteering with Cascade Bicycle Club:
The Cascade mention reminds us – Bike To Work Day is coming up on May 18th.
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
That’s Officer Mike Hope, who’s at the front desk in the Southwest Precinct, where you can drop off unneeded/expired medication (liquid too, for those who have asked) till 2 pm, as part of Drug Take-Back Day. The lobby entrance is off the parking lot, which you enter from SW Webster, just west of Delridge, south side of the building, and the front-desk window where you’ll find him is right inside.
Two notes this morning – first, from Brandon:
I guess I can add myself to the list of car-burglary victims.
My red Jeep was broken into last night on the 3000 block of Alki. They cut the soft top to steal a large item out of the back.
If anyone saw an individual carrying a large box (2’x2’x3′) between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. last night on Alki, the incident number with the Seattle Police Department is 12-129616.
Second note is a warning from us. Might have just been an accident – something falling – but also might have been thrown, so we reported it to police and wanted to mention it to you too: Within the past hour, as we drove eastbound on Sylvan Way, east of High Point, through the greenbelt area between the cemetery and the Delridge/Orchard commercial area, something large and heavy suddenly hit the right side of our windshield – sitting on that side of the car, looked to your editor here as if it fell straight down It left a semicircular crack in the glass and also scratched the hood before apparently sliding to the road. In case it had been thrown, we decided not to go back to look, and called 911 instead – they said they’d send an officer to “check the area.” (Not likely a case of something from an “unsecured load,” since there were no vehicles near ours.)
It’s the kids who are supposed to be having all of the fun … but you’re never too old to be a kid, we guess, like the West Seattle Y‘s Josh Sutton in the dunk tank in the early going at the Y’s Healthy Kids Day funfest, till 1 pm at their 36th/Snoqualmie HQ in The Triangle. The inflatable obstacle course is up and running too:
Though this year’s theme is Western – and we did hear a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ – we also bumped into … Space Ghost?
West Seattle is one of 10 area Y’s celebrating Healthy Kids Day today, and as part of it, joining fees are waived all weekend – if you’re thinking about joining the Y (which we should note is a longtime WSB sponsor), keep in mind that they’re offering facility tours during HKD too (and other indoor activities, so what you see outside the Y today is just part of what’s happening).
If you’ve headed eastbound on the high-rise West Seattle Bridge in the past hour-plus, you probably drove right by the Pigeon Point Spring Clean volunteers, hard at work in the little 22nd SW street-end park that’s something of a well-kept secret (“hidden jewel” is how Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding describes it). It’s an annual tradition and they’ll be at it till about noon.
(Don Brubeck photographed Alki sand work on Friday – discussed at the last Alki Community Council meeting)
Another mega-busy Saturday! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
PIGEON POINT SPRING CLEAN: 9 am-noon today in West Seattle’s northeasternmost neighborhood – details here.
(Thanks to Sharonn for the photo – the plants have arrived!)
WEST SEATTLE’S GATEWAY NEEDS YOU FOR JUST 2 HOURS: Give two hours between 10 am and 4 pm today and make a big difference as volunteers transform the landscape around a key element of West Seattle’s “gateway” – here’s how to pitch in and make a BIG difference. Today’s big focus is planting!
HEALTHY KIDS DAY: The West Seattle Y (WSB sponsor) hosts the annual celebration with an inflatable obstacle course, arts/crafts, dunk tank, face-painting, and more, Western-themed this year, plus the chance to become a member with joining fees waived. 10 am-1 pm, 36th/Snoqualmie.
FIRST FUNDRAISING CAR WASH OF THE SEASON: The Seattle Lutheran High School Booster Club and student athletes are hosting a car wash 10 am-2 pm at West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor), 35th/Webster.
SPEAKING OF HEALTH … DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY: 10 am-2 pm, drop off your unneeded/expired prescription drugs at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), no questions asked. (Here’s our preview from Friday.)
‘THINK OUTSIDE THE CAR’ KICKOFF: Kids’ bike rodeo, live music, food trucks, more at CoolMom‘s kickoff event for “Think Outside the Car” – all outside Westside School (WSB sponsor), 10 am-2 pm – and you can bike there if you join a ride from Lincoln Park (by SW Kenyon) at 9:30 am!
INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR A ‘LARGE PROJECTS FUND’ CITY GRANT? Then you need to be at the special workshop at 10 am, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
FIGHT IVY AT THE SANISLO WETLAND: 10 am-1 pm, as previewed here on Friday (1812 SW Myrtle).
FREE YOGA! SoundYoga (WSB sponsor) offers a free class periodically, and today’s the day – 10:30 am-11:45 am.
CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR IN WHITE CENTER: The Cambodian community’s annual festival is full of music, entertainment, food, and more, 10:30 am-5 pm on SW 98th between 15th/16th in downtown White Center – here’s the Facebook event page.
THE KENNEY’S ANNUAL BRUNCH: Hopefully you’ve RSVP’d already – here’s your reminder, the fundraising brunch starts at 10:30 am today; details here (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW).
PUGET RIDGE GARDEN CENTER, SPECIAL ‘OPEN’! It’s the garden center you can only visit once or twice a week, and it’s open 11 am -3 pm today on the north end of South Seattle Community College‘s campus (6000 16th SW).
‘CASH MOB’ AT VILLAGE GREEN PERENNIAL NURSERY: The “cash mob” concept is to show up at a small independent local business and “mob” it with money to show your support. A local social entrepreneur announced a few weeks back that he wanted to organize one for Village Green Perennial Nursery (WSB sponsor), and today’s the day, be there at 2 pm (10223 26th SW). In the “cash mob” tradition, there’s also an afterparty – at Company in downtown White Center. And VG entrepreneur Vera Johnson is “paying it forward” by organizing one for next weekend (details here).
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FUNDRAISER: Dinner, Zumba, education, and support for a local family, all happening at Peace Lutheran Church starting at 5 pm – details in the calendar listing (39th/Thistle).
Even more, for today and beyond, on the calendar!
As part of its weeklong 3rd-anniversary celebration, Morgan Junction’s rock-n-roll Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) welcomed a band tonight that, well, wasn’t just another band – it’s led by The Feedback’s general manager, Bradi Jones. Just after 9 tonight, she and her fellow Black Bangs took the stage by storm:
Tomorrow (Saturday) night at 9, you’re invited to more live music at The Feedback – a daylong video shoot by Van Eps wraps with a live performance for which they’d love to have a live audience on camera, per the FL website. But live music is only a small part of what they’re about – they’re renowned for co-owner Matt Johnson‘s cocktail creations:
See the menu here (and join the Cocktail Club here). And then there’s the food … Just stop reading and go. Happy birthday week, Feedback!
A bit delayed because we didn’t find the district-posted video clip till tonight, here’s the third of three Seattle Public Schools superintendent candidates who visited this week, Dr. Sandra Husk from Salem, Oregon. The video is from one of her three sessions with small groups of reporters. Here’s the Seattle Times (WSB partner) report on her interviews; here’s how Seattle Schools Community Forum covered her appearance. Our previous reports with the same three sources: José Banda here, Steven Enoch here. Send your thoughts to schoolboard@seattleschools.org. Also note that West Seattle’s board rep Marty McLaren has a community-conversation meeting this Sunday, 1:15-3 pm, at the West Seattle (Admiral) library branch.
From this week’s monthly meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee: Mark your calendar for May 19th – the annual Spring Clean, at the HP Improvement Club and surrounding area. That was one of the major announcements, but much of the night’s discussion was dedicated to an update from Seattle Police, and concerns about illegal motorcycle-riding in the West Duwamish Greenbelt:Read More
(WSB video of the game’s first half, starting with player introductions; clip #2 here, conclusion here)
As noted here in recent weeks, the Chief Sealth International High School boys-varsity soccer team is having an outstanding year, currently ranked #4 in the state. Tonight, the #2 team, Bainbridge Island, crossed the Sound to visit Sealth, and the result was the Seahawks’ first loss of the year, 6-2. Sizable crowd for the evening game at Southwest Athletic Complex, and somebody even brought a vuvuzela!
Next week, Denny International Middle School students have a round of testing called the Measurement of Student Progress. To spur them to success – besides all the traditional methods – the Denny faculty, with the help of volunteer filmmaker Will Braden, has made another in their series of what principal Jeff Clark calls “inspirational videos.” This one is “MSP in the Morning,” a take-off on T-Pain‘s “5 O’Clock.” The original Denny video hit was “Teach Me How to Study” (51,700+ views on YouTube!), featured on WSB (and even on KING 5!) back in winter 2011, followed in May 2011 by “The Test Goes On” (which like the new video preceded the MSP). Denny’s principal explains about “MSP in the Morning,” “We know our scholars are brilliant and college-bound—staff made this video to motivate, entertain, and connect with them. A special thank you to Denny teacher Gary Lai, and Will Braden, our volunteer producer!”
Today we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Omsho Crysalis, whose co-owner Kate Reust says, “I’ve had the honor of treating clients from around the world. I’ve had them ask me to move closer to their homes – and always joke they should move to our corner of heaven instead. 
Welcome to our corner of heaven! It’s got to be about finding the right fit for your body’s needs and someone that you ‘mesh’ with. Finding the care providers that can truly listen to what your body is saying – and then provide you with the best course of care. Our team of care providers work to help you experience excellence. If we don’t provide something you need we’ll work to make a referral to a skilled practitioner that fits your needs. Being able to ‘listen’ is a learned, practiced and perfected skill – one that has to be experienced. My skills and years as a medical and body empath deepen my abilities to educate clients through every service that we provide.”
Also about her work at Omsho Crysalis, Kate (pictured at right with co-owner Al Reust) adds, “Often when working with a client – either with bodywork, the Biometric Surveys, or through homeopathic and nutritional intervention – I find that we’re able to ‘connect the dots’ that were being treated as separate issues by their other health-care practitioners. We believe that our job is to educate. When our clients have knowledge, they are able to make the best informed decision on their care and life changes that they need. … With 20 years as a massage practitioner in Washington, I’ve developed deep therapy techniques that allow me to facilitate deep therapeutic work, without the pain often experienced with deep tissue work. I’m also endorsed and experienced in Cranial IntraOral – working to identify and resolve such issues as TMJ, Migraine, concussion, complex whiplash and other traumas of the face, head and neck.” Omsho Crysalis is a member of the new Admiral District Business Association, located in West Seattle at 4222 SW Walker, #5 (also with a location in the Municipal Tower downtown), and online at OmshoCrysalis.com.
We thank Omsho Crysalis 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.
Three notes this afternoon for those interested (or already enrolled!) in Seattle Public Schools‘ new K-5 STEM at Boren, opening in West Seattle this fall:
PLAYDATE THIS SUNDAY: Families of some of the 229 students already assigned to the new school are gathering this Sunday, and those who haven’t made up their minds are invited too. Here’s the announcement we received:
If you have a child attending the new K-5 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) School, or are on the fence, please join the new STEM community for the first playdate this Sunday at noon! It’s a great opportunity for the kids and parents to get to know each other. We are taking the first steps towards organizing a PTA/PTO and need active participation to making the important initial decisions!
We will meet at the Fauntleroy Children’s Center‘s playground behind the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (thank you FCC for supporting our new school!).
Also, join the online discussions and share information through the community Yahoo! group:
groups.yahoo.com/group/K5STEM/It’s not too late to apply! The district has indicated that they will add classes if they have enough additional applicants to fill them – Be the change you want to see in public education and take advantage of this unique opportunity to create the dream! (Here’s the link.)
DESIGN TEAM UPDATE: The district continues to post notes from the ongoing K-5 STEM at Boren Design Team meetings, and the report on this past Wednesday’s meeting is here; the report mentions “handouts,” regarding the curriculum discussion the team is having, and those can be seen here. The Design Team’s next meeting is at 6:15 pm May 10th at Madison Middle School.
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT LEAVING: While not directly about the K-5 STEM at Boren school, it’s the project in which West Seattleites had seen the most of assistant superintendent for teaching and learning Dr. Cathy Thompson lately, so we’re mentioning here that she announced today she’s leaving the district. Dr. Thompson is a West Seattleite, with her district background including time as principal at Roxhill Elementary, and she had been a very visible figure at early public meetings regarding the new K-5 STEM school, as well as ongoing involvement. Click ahead to read Dr. Thompson’s announcement:Read More
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents of note that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block (whenever)?”:
*Around noon on Saturday, a male driver pursued and harassed a female driver from Avalon and 35th all the way to downtown. He employed a variety of methods: tailgating, honking, flipping her off, and swerving through traffic to first pass and then pull into her lane before slamming on the brakes. He followed her off the 4th Avenue off-ramp, toward downtown, continuing the honking, flipping, and tailgating until she was able to lose him on some side streets. He was described as a white male with brown hair. He drove a four-door black Lexus that is registered to an address in the Admiral area.
*Wednesday afternoon at Me-Kwa-Mooks Park, a Highland Park resident noticed that another park-goer’s “very large dogs” were off-leash. She asked that he leash them, especially because her own three (leashed) dogs could be aggressive. The 66-year-old responded to this request by raising his hand to her and saying “You need to be punched.” He later told an officer that the woman was a “busybody” who liked to tell people what to do. He agreed that his use of words had been threatening and was sorry about the incident. The report does not state whether the Beach Drive-area resident was cited for having his dogs off leash.
*Monday afternoon, an allegedly intoxicated man and his friend fled the scene of a Alaska Junction apartment building after arguing with (and head-butting) a woman for being too slow in getting off an elevator.
Five more summaries ahead, including a “Facebook flirtation” gone wrong:Read More
(WSB photo from 2011 West Seattle 5K)
Run with your dog! Run with your kids! Your parents! (You can walk too, of course …) Three weeks from Sunday, the West Seattle 5K steps up to the starting line in Alki as the first half of an always-fun day, followed by car-free Seattle Summer Streets along a few blocks of beachfront Alki Avenue SW. WSB is proud to have co-sponsored the West Seattle 5K since its very first year, and it’s always cool to cover, too, especially if YOU are there. If you haven’t already registered, the earlybird rate expires next Thursday, so you might as well sign up now – then join the fun at 9 am Sunday, May 20th.
If you’ve noticed trucks like these around the Admiral District – including around Hiawatha Community Center – no, it’s NOT a movie crew; it’s World Famous Inc., shooting a corporate video for Microsoft. Thanks to Forest for the heads-up about an alert posted at Hiawatha in advance of the shoot, which caught lots of attention this morning (thanks also to those who texted and e-mailed!). The crew told us they’ll be around till noon or so, and that they chose West Seattle for their backdrop just because it’s scenic! (P.S. According to the Seattle Office of Film and Music‘s website, corporate/commercial production like this comprises a third of the “permitted filmwork” in our city.)
ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: The crew was also at an Admiral-area home – Ted Johnson shared this photo via the WSB Facebook page:
Two notes about local restaurants joining in dine-out fundraisers:
‘DINING OUT FOR LIFE’ POSTSCRIPT: Last night we stopped by Skylark Café and Club, one of four West Seattle/White Center venues that joined in Lifelong AIDS Alliance‘s annual dine-out fundraiser, to say hi to the on-site DO4L ambassadors: Bill Wiesenbach and Lorraine Fournier.
‘DINE OUT FOR HUNGER’ NEXT WEDNESDAY: We’re seeing lots of incoming e-mail reminders about Give Big, the one-day event next Wednesday (May 2nd) to encourage people to donate to participating nonprofits via the Seattle Foundation, which promises a “stretch pool” to provide some matching funds to those nonprofits. One local participant, White Center Food Bank, is going all-out, as noted on partner site White Center Now – including an event Wednesday night called “Dine Out for Hunger”: Proletariat Pizza and Zippy’s Giant Burgers are both donating a cut of dinner proceeds that night to WC Food Bank.
(“Surfing” West Seattle! Photo by J. Patzer Photography, from the WSB Flickr group pool)
A few highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
COLLEGE AND CAREER INFO FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES: You’re invited to an event – including dinner! – at High Point Neighborhood Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW), 4:30-7 pm, to help students and families look ahead to college and careers. Details here.
GOING FOR #12: Chief Sealth International High School‘s undefeated boys-varsity soccer team (now ranked #4 in the state!) goes for hosting Bainbridge tonight at 6. Here’s how athletic director Sam Reed described the matchup via all-school e-mail (republished here with permission):
The Seahawks will host Metro Mountain division leaders and the #2 ranked team in state, the Bainbridge Spartans. Bainbridge played in the WIAA State Championship game last Spring and is currently 8-1-3 on the season. The varsity game will start at 6:00 pm (JV starts at 4:00 pm) and will be played across the street at the Southwest Athletic Complex. Admission is free.
(P.S. Sports schedules for both CSIHS and West Seattle High School are available daily via our calendar.)
SANISLO BENEFIT BASH: As previewed here earlier this week – tonight’s the Sanislo Elementary PTA‘s Annual Fund fun(draiser) at Highland Park Improvement Club, live music and more. 6:30-9 pm. Admission by donation; details here.
‘ELVIS’ AT THE SENIOR CENTER: The West Seattleite who won this year’s Elvis Invitationals (video above), Bret Wiggins, plays the Senior Center of West Seattle tonight, 7:30 pm – details here.
‘EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR’: Playwright Lauren Gunderson describes it as “part I Love Lucy, part Jacobean revenge tragedy, part feminist manifesto, part beautiful ballet, part nature special, and part 80′s power ballad,” according to the website for ArtsWest in The Junction, where its run continues with a 7:30 pm performance tonight (buy tickets online, here).
BLACK BANGS @ FEEDBACK LOUNGE: The Feedback (WSB sponsor) continues its 3rd-birthday festivities with a performance of the Black Bangs – fronted by Feedback GM Bradi Jones – at 9 tonight.
More on the calendar!
(2011 Delridge Day photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Saturday, August 18th, is the date set for this year’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council-presented Delridge Day, and though that’s almost four months away, organizers – who put it together at the last minute as something of a rescue operation last year! – are signing up sponsors and vendors NOW, as well as musicians. Here’s an update from Holli Margell:
Last year’s 5th Annual Delridge Day was a true community success. North Delridge Neighborhood Council’s Co-Secretary, Amanda Leonard, stepped up when the previous organizing group’s lack of funds threatened to cancel the festival. The result? A community-wide celebration that included the Delridge Skatepark Grand Opening, over 40 vendors and more than 2,000 attendees. Plans for an even bigger 2012 Delridge Day Festival are currently under way.
The 2012 Delridge Day Festival is planned for August 18th from 11 AM-3 PM at the Delridge [Community Center] Park. This year’s festival will feature two new activities: the first Alki Bike and Board Skate Contest and a music stage. Interested musicians can e-mail Chas Redmond at credmond@mac.com and provide links to their music.
The planning committee is working on securing sponsors and vendors to make this year’s event happen. The sponsorship and vendor fees not only support the festival, but also give back to the community as 15% of all fees are donated to the ARC (Associated Recreational Council), which provides scholarships for Community Center classes at the Delridge Community Center.
Vendor and Sponsor packets are available online at www.ndnc.org/delridgeday – which is also where to keep up with festival plans – or by emailing the planning committee at delridgeday@ndnc.org.
You’ve probably heard that ivy, while it may look lovely and rustic climbing on old brick buildings, for example, is an enemy to trees. Steve Richmond explains why, and invites you to a removal project tomorrow:
Did you know English ivy changes leaf shape and goes to seed when it climbs vertically? And while it’s strangling our trees, that birds eat the seed and spread it throughout our forests? Ivy plus blackberry (or any food source: bird feeders, unpicked fruit) also attracts rats – not what we want for a healthy city.
What can you do? Join us this Saturday at Sanislo School wetland to remove ivy. We’re also mulching bare soil to avoid erosion and prevent polluted runoff.
When: Saturday, April 28, 2012 (every 4th Saturday)
Time: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (Join for an hour or all day)
Where: Sanislo School Wetland; 1812 SW Myrtle, Seattle, WA 98106. Meet at front of school.
What to bring: Gloves, hand tiller (we’ll have extra, but write your name on your tools), weather-appropriate gear (rain or cold), hat/eye/sun protection, food/water/bottle, sturdy shoes/boots. Snacks and water provided.For info: pugetcreekwatershedalliance.org; Steve Richmond (206) 650-9807
No need to have expired and/or unneeded prescription drugs around the house … they can be dangerous for a variety of reasons – theft, abuse, poisoning, even water pollution if someone mistakenly thinks it’s OK to flush them or throw them down the drain … Whatever you have on hand, there’s an easy way to get rid of it tomorrow via Drug Take-Back Day – drop them off at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), 10 am-2 pm. Seattle Police precincts around the city are participating, and this update from their SPD Blotter website explains.
You’ve heard the basic crime-prevention advice and probably follow it – standard advice such as lock your doors, close your windows, don’t leave anything in your car. But crime prevention goes beyond that. There are other steps you can take to make your property less attractive to criminals, and there’s an entire school of thought/advice called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn is trained in it, and this week, for the third time in 13 months, he gave a CPTED presentation to the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network. Seems like advice you just can’t hear TOO often, so we covered the meeting and his presentation, in case you couldn’t be there.Read More
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