West Seattle, Washington
01 Thursday
(Photo courtesy Brad Lovejoy – he believes it’s a bumblebee atop a sea holly bloom – click photo for larger view)
One week till the 4th of July! The holiday has its own WSB page now. That aside, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for today/tonight:
LA LECHE LEAGUE OF WEST SEATTLE: LLL’s monthly meeting at 10:30 am, Westside Unitarian Universalist Church (7141 California SW). All breastfeeding mothers, and mothers-to-be interested in breastfeeding, are welcome, as are babies. We also welcome mom’s partner or support person to join her at the meeting. Park in the parking lot and follow the signs upstairs. Lost? Call 206 353 9334.
PIZZERIA 22 OPENING NIGHT: The wood-fired pizzeria officially opens for business at 4 pm, SW College east of California. Here’s our report from last Friday’s preview party. (P.S. Pizzeria 22 is all ages.)
MOTEL OPEN HOUSE: We’ve been reporting on the renovation plan since it was first announced last December. Now you can see the made-over 36th/Alaska motel, The Grove/West Seattle Inn, for yourself, during an open house 4-7 pm today. Treats by Husky Deli and Pagliacci Pizza. Here’s our sneak-peek story from last week.
DELRIDGE PROJECT MEETING: Information meeting about the DESC proposal for permanently housing 75 homeless people in a new Delridge apartment complex, 6 pm, Delridge Library. Here’s a preview from last night including a link to our original in-depth story 2 weeks ago.
FAMILY STORY TIME: At High Point Library (35th/Raymond) – songs, rhymes, games, stories with the children’s librarian.
KARAOKE: Sing it with Kelli at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 9 pm.
What a way to spend a summer Thursday night … wine, food, forest, and song. The Nature Consortium has some tickets left for this Thursday’s “Wine in the Woods” fundraiser in West Seattle’s own West Duwamish Greenbelt, 7-9 pm, wine from 12th and Olive Wine Company, appetizers from Long Provincial Restaurant, live music from the Boys of Greenwood Glen. Proceeds benefit NC’s programs including forest restoration and the annual Arts in Nature Festival (coming up August 20-21). You can buy your ticket online (minimum $45 donation; must be at least 21) – just go here.
Tomorrow (Monday) night, Downtown Emergency Service Center reps come to Delridge to answer questions about DESC’s proposal for a 75-apartment project housing homeless people dealing with mental illness/substance abuse challenges. (The site, at right, is in the 5400 block of Delridge – note the real-estate shingles; DESC says it’s “under contract.”) The day after North Delridge Neighborhood Council chair Karrie Kohlhaas brought up the proposal at the last NDNC meeting, we spoke with DESC’s executive director for a detailed followup (read it here if you missed it).
DESC has long since expanded outside the “downtown” in its name and runs projects around the city with about 1,000 “supportive-housing” units – 1811 Eastlake, Canaday House, Evans House, Kerner-Scott House, Lyon Building, Rainier House, The Morrison, and The Union Hotel, with Aurora Supportive Housing in its pipeline ahead of the proposed Delridge project. Tomorrow night’s meeting is at Delridge Library (less than a block southwest of the project site) at Delridge/Brandon, 6-7:30 pm (here’s the DESC-circulated letter/flyer).
The Rotary Club of West Seattle is helping get the word out about a month-long Group Study Exchange for “young businesspeople.” They’re taking applications for a team that will spend a month in Nepal next winter. Though Rotary pays all costs, only non-Rotarians, ages 25-40, are eligible; other qualifications and more information can be found here. If you are interested in hearing more about how the Group Study Exchange program works, West Seattle Rotary’s Steve Fuller tells WSB that this coming Tuesday’s West Seattle Rotary lunch meeting (noon, Salty’s on Alki) will include a presentation by this year’s Group Study Exchange team, which went to India.
(WSB photo of Jim Ercolini with then-Mayor Greg Nickels at Ercolini Park dedication, 7/12/08)
A Funeral Mass is planned at 11 am Wednesday at Holy Rosary for Jim Ercolini, who died last week at age 76, three years after his family-homestead site west of The Junction became home to Ercolini Park. As shown in our photo above, Mr. Ercolini participated in the park dedication in July 2008. When the Parks Department agreed in late 2007 to the community request to name the park after the Ercolini family, he had said that he was the last descendant with that surname – so the park now carries it on. The city bought the park site with money from the 2000 Pro Parks Levy, and community volunteers took it from there to muster the money, material, and labors to turn it into a park. The full obituary for Mr. Ercolini, a longtime Boeing engineer and native West Seattleite, was published in today’s Seattle Times. (Thanks to Wendy for the tip.)
While West Seattle Outdoor Movies in The Junction (co-sponsored by WSB) is still four weeks away, another outdoor-movie series has just been announced, and it’s tied to the launch of a new community group. Unique Families of Seattle is hosting a “Movies on the Lawn” series at a home near Fauntleroy Park. Movies are scheduled every other Saturday night, starting next Saturday (July 2nd). Joanna Hall says Unique Families of Seattle is “a brand new non-profit organization that aims to validate each person’s choice to create the family that suits them best even if it means stretching out beyond social and cultural norms. We are currently gaining traction through community events but plan to expand into a much broader organization that covers many factors of urban family living.” The movie schedule is listed on this page of the UFoS site – each link on that page takes you to an Evite you can use to RSVP for that movie if you’re interested in going.
The August 16th primary is seven weeks from Tuesday, but your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive a lot sooner, and candidates are making the rounds to make their pitches. Thursday night, the West Seattle Democratic Women hosted candidates for the two Seattle City Council positions that are on the primary ballot – Position 1 and Position 9. Our video above shows the forum, unedited, while the candidates were speaking and answering questions – the first hour is on the first clip, with the ensuing 12 minutes on the second. (You can watch either in a larger window by clicking the YouTube logo to go to the YT page; please note that YT chooses the freeze frames you see on the video “play” boxes above, we did not.)
WSDW vice chair Lynne Ingalls moderated the forum. All four Position 1 candidates participated – Maurice Classen, Bobby Forch, incumbent Councilmember Jean Godden, and West Seattleite Michael Taylor-Judd; from Position 9, two of the three candidates participated, incumbent Councilmember Sally Clark and Dian Ferguson. WSDW decided on endorsements before the meeting at the West Seattle Golf Course ended; they backed the incumbents, Clark and Godden (note the WSDW’s endorsement rules/qualifications on the left side of their website’s home page). None of the other three council positions up for election this year has more than two contenders, so those candidates all go straight to the November general-election ballot.
A postscript from Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival. While we were tabling there, we found out about a dog a few booths away, visiting with Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation (AARF):
That’s Roxie. She needs a new home. We didn’t get a chance to feature her in our stories during the festival but we have a chance right now, so here goes.
Connie tells us she found Roxie “scavenging for food by the side of the road last December. She had severe skin problems from being fed the worst human food – cereal, bread, and cold cuts as her main diet.” Connie’s vet said Roxie needed about six months to recover from that and “she is almost there.” But now Connie has a problem – her landlord won’t let her keep Roxie. “This will be extremely difficult, since I just spent 6 months bathing her, feeding her healthy clean food and loving her to pieces. So, we are looking for someone who can take her on and love her and take care of her. She loves long walks in Lincoln Park, greeting all people and all dogs. She is super sweet, very happy, very gentle, loves kids, and is completely house trained. She is a very young 9-year-old who is experiencing a lot of things for the first time. She is really, really smart! She loves to learn, thrives on praise and she will make you proud if you take her to any training class! She is very loving, affectionate, sensitive and rather lady like. She will make someone feel very loved and protected!” You can reach Connie at 206-718-0399 to ask about Roxie.
(August 2010 Alki Beach 5K photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
It’s a gorgeous course for a great cause – August 28th is this year’s date for the Alki Beach 5K walk/run benefiting Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients. You can save the online registration fees if you stop by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) to sign up – and in fact, while you’re out and about, they’re having a registration party right now, till 4 pm.
ADDED 2:16 PM: At the store this afternoon, we found Shari Sewell (left) and Camille Boushay (right) from NW Hope and Healing, with WS Runner’s Lori McConnell. Treats for those who stop by to register! The table is right inside the store door, upstairs on the west side of the building.
The Viaduct’s back open today, but citywide, some big events are on tap – here’s that roundup – but as usual, there’s a stellar slate here in West Seattle – from the WSB Events calendar:
NORTHWEST PADDLING FESTIVAL, DAY 2: Pay the admission fee for instruction (including quiet corners like the one we photographed above) and on-the-water demos, or wander around the vendor booths and see the just-opened Jack Block Park shoreline (plus its amazing overlooks). 9 am-5 pm, full festival-events schedule here.
RADIO COMPETITION: If you haven’t seen the ham-radio operators in the southeast field at South Seattle Community College – their round-the-clock competition (details here) wraps up at noon.
WADING POOL! The Lincoln Park wading pool should open for the season since the weather is forecast for 70+ degrees (wading pool schedule here).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Market management sent word last night that they’re expecting live music by Farm Report,, Panzanella (bread salad), and freshness on sale including strawberries, cherries, artichokes, fava beans, fresh salmon, morel & porcini mushrooms, and “almost…apricots!” 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska in The Junction.
BREAST CANCER FUNDRAISER YARD SALE: Check the WSB Forums’ Freebies/Deals/Sales section for yard sales today; one that we know of is at 2644 Walnut SW, 9 am-4 pm, raising money for a local team going to the Susan G. Komen 3Day.
FOOTBALL AND CHEER SIGNUPS: SWAC Cougars (WSB sponsor) have another signup event today, 11 am-2 pm at Roxbury Safeway.
TWO TO VISIT ON ALKI: If you go to the beach, there’s more to do than laze on the sand. Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) is open noon-4 pm; Alki Point Lighthouse is open 1 pm-4 pm.
ATHLETES IN ACTION: Pacific Northwest Track and Field Junior Olympics at Southwest Athletic Complex (details on the organization’s website)
BOOK SIGNING: Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor)’s 40th anniversary celebration continues with a 4-6 pm book signing at the Admiral store today, Amy Pennington with her cookbook “Urban Pantry.”
The journey to 50,000 diapers begins with a single donation (to paraphrase the maxim). The “price” of admission for Saturday’s Recess Monkey show at WestSide Baby‘s White Center donation headquarters was, not surprisingly, diapers, since it was the kickoff to this summer’s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive. WestSide Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland talked about it while introducing the band:
As you heard Nancy say, there are two big differences this year: One is that the actual “Stuff the Bus” day, Sunday, July 24th – four weeks from today – will be at Viking Bank (4022 SW Alaska) instead of the old location alongside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. (But don’t worry, we’re told kids still get to honk the school-bus horn!) Another – the push to have lots of individual diaper drives feeding into the one big day (contact WestSide Baby if you’d like to host one). As explained on the WS Baby site, if they get 50,000 diapers, Huggies will match with 100,000 more. And don’t worry, volunteers are standing by to handle them:
Every package of diapers helps – as the number of kids helped by WestSide Baby continues to grow. WSB is proud to be co-sponsoring “Stuff the Bus” again this year, and we’ll look forward to seeing you in the Viking Bank parking lot 10 am-2 pm on July 24th, diaper donations in tow.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*On Atlas Place, a customer received a delivery of groceries in the early hours of the morning on Thursday. But a security camera shows that an hour later a man stopped by the front porch and walked off with the groceries. Images of the thief have been turned over to police.
Five more summaries ahead:Read More
(Photos and video by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
The upcoming opening of the new Admiral Safeway loomed large at today’s work party for Lafayette Elementary‘s “Play It Forward” playground project, and not just because the store is across the street from the school. Safeway employees (including those above) joined the work party. Among them, the new store’s manager, going public for the first time in that role, though he is someone you might already know – more ahead:Read More
Don’t let your young musician fall out of practice over the summer. Toni Reineke sends word there’s still room in this program (she shared the photo, too):
It’s still not too late to sign up for Summer Music at West Seattle High School! We are nearing our capacity of 60 students, but still have room for a few more.
In its 58th year, it’s taught by Seattle Public Schools music teachers and is for students who just finished 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grades (other grades by permission).
Designed for students grades 4-8 (student must have completed at least one year of instrumental instruction)
Students who attend Seattle Public Schools as well as private schools are welcome!
Band, strings, jazz band, solos, ensembles, improvisation — and more!
Daily field recesses!
Concerts every Friday at 11:00 a.m.
Weekdays, June 27 – July 15 (except July Fourth), 9:00 to noon.For more info, please call the Fine and Performing Arts Department at 206-252-0051 or 252-0050, or contact Toni Reineke, Head Teacher, at 206-243-6955 or tonireineke@comcast.net
(Our earlier festival coverage is here.)
We’re starting a new story for the last few “sunny, finally!” hours of today’s Morgan Junction Community Festival. Above, that’s the 2nd vendor/exhibitor area added this year, next to Washington Federal Savings on the northeast corner of California/Fauntleroy. Among those you’ll find there – Eric Thomas and West Seattle-based Solar Epiphany:
On the west side of California, there’s great music live in the park and alongside Beveridge Place Pub, free, all ages, all the way up till 7 pm. We hear many of the “Bite of Morgan” free food sample participants have run out, and festival organizers hope the participating restaurants will see you here for breakfast/lunch/dinner sometime soon – part of the point of today’s free festival is to showcase Morgan Junction, one of West Seattle’s fun little neighborhoods (not just someplace to drive through on the way to or from the ferry dock). Community groups and businesses (including us) are tabling behind Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor)/Zeeks Pizza and alongside Washington Federal Savings across the street, so come listen to music, meet new friends …
5:04 PM: Speaking of music – one of the midafternoon acts, Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity:
Performing now – Tongan musicians and dancers from nearby Seaview Methodist Church:
5:58 PM: The music continues for another hour – but the vendors have the green light to pack up, since the wandering crowds have dwindled. We’ll be here another 15 minutes or so. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi – great to meet so many people, as well as to see all the community advocates and others who spent their day tabling here. Just two weeks till West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction (July 8-10) – we are looking forward to seeing you there too!
The water and newly opened beach at Jack Block Park are alive with activity as the first day of the first-ever Northwest Paddling Festival continues. Both veteran paddlers and beginners are taking the chance for a closeup look at what’s new:
And if you’re just curious – not sure if you’re ready to try it out – you can wander the booths on the boardwalk:
KING 5 was live at the festival during their newscast this morning, with Alki Kayak Tours/Mountain to Sound Outfitters‘ Greg Whittaker (and others) – here’s one of their reports:
Today’s events continue till 6 pm – and then 9 am to 5 pm again tomorrow; the full schedule is here.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Saturday is a traditional time for people around the community to do volunteer work to help make the community a better place – and the group above was busy doing exactly that this morning in the Recovery Garden at Cottage Grove Park in North Delridge. It’s one of those places where you need to stop and take a closer look – which will be easier because of some of the work done today;
Tasha Mosher showed WSB’s Christopher Boffoli how volunteers were removing weeds that are obscuring some of the messages written on the stones that line the paths. The Recovery Garden began as a demonstration program to “de-stigmatize recovery” – explained on the city page for Cottage Grove Park.
Not a surprise, given the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure (and other traffic effects of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon) – but in case you were hoping for better – sorry! Just got that photo via Twitter from @206sportsfan. The Viaduct is supposed to be fully open again by 4 this afternoon.
The sun’s not here just yet but the people are. C’mon down to Fauntleroy/California for the 2011 edition of the Morgan Junction Community Festival. We’re with the booths behind Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor)/Zeeks Pizza on the northwest corner; we’ll be updating with photos and video Music and performances are under way in the park just north of neighboring Beveridge Place Pub – with The Bubbleman coming up at 11:15. His trademark purple van is already here:
The park is also where to get your “Bite of Morgan” tickets – free but there’s a limited quantity of booklets, first-come, first-served. Look for the info booth with the whiteboard:
Festival’s on till 7 pm.
12:06 PM: The sun is appearing intermittently. It was out for Bubbleman’s tour de force in the park:
Be sure to wander south of the park toward Feedback Lounge – not just because we’re hanging out in the vendor area behind it, along with cool people like Steve Louie and Ed Pottharst, two of this area’s coordinators from the Department of Neighborhoods:
… but also so you can buy raffle tickets to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank – Shannon‘s at the booth right now:
And on the north side of the Feedback, you’ll find a booth with Full Tilt Ice Cream:
(Sorry, they’re not part of the free “bites” – so bring a few dollars. And West Seattle Thriftway across the street is selling barbecue lunch with all proceeds benefiting the festival!) The music/entertainment lineup is here.
2:01 PM: The free live music is at centerstage – literally – as the afternoon goes on (see the lineup link above). There are performances in the park and at a stage alongside Beveridge Place Pub. Steady stream of visitors overall – people are here with their dogs, too, lots of families with kids, and thanks to everyone who has stopped by to say hi! We’ll launch a second report within the hour with some of what else is going on – including the vendors on the other side of the street.
Big day on the peninsula, and we should see some sun! From the WSB West Seattle Events page, the highlights:
MORGAN JUNCTION COMMUNITY FESTIVAL: One day, big fun! Morgan Community Association presents this popular free festival, 10:30 am-7 pm in and around Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW) – here’s our most recent update including the final entertainment lineup (Bubbleman at 11:15!). “Bite of Morgan” free-food-sample booklets (participants here) are first come, first served, at the fair-info booth at the park.
NORTHWEST PADDLING FESTIVAL: First of two days for the first-ever edition of this celebration on the water and on the shore (newly opened as of last night!) at Jack Block Park off Harbor Avenue SW. Today’s full schedule is here, including two races in the early afternoon. For workshops and demos, there’s an admission fee; to walk around and look at vendors, free.
RECOVERY GARDEN CLEANUP PARTY: Volunteer help is welcome at Brandon and 26th Ave SW, 10 am – noon. This small park within North Delridge’s Cottage Grove Park honors those on the path of healing from substance abuse. Join a unique partnership with a Seattle treatment center to restore one of Delridge’s great corners.
SHREDDING AND E-CYCLING: Windermere Fauntleroy (6505 California SW) is not only part of the Morgan Junction Community Festival, it’s also holding a shredding/electronics recycling event in its back parking lot (south of Morgan Junction Starbucks), 10 am-1 pm. (They’re also Bite of Morgan participants if you get a coupon book at the festival – Otter Pops.)
HAM RADIO ENTHUSIASTS IN ACTION: In the southeast field at South Seattle Community College, Seattle ham-radio operators will show off everything from new tech to historic Morse code as they compete in a contest; full details here.
ALKI BIKE TOUR:4th annual Historic Alki Bike Tour, presented by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Meet at the Log House Museum, 61st and Stevens. $7 for non-members, $5 for museum members. Facebook event page here.
ON THE RUN: Pacific Northwest Track and Field Junior Olympics at Southwest Athletic Complex (details on the organization’s website) – remember that the Denny International Middle School move is under way, so street parking west of the stadium is limited.
REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE: By most accounts, things are looking up. Join an expert seminar hosted by Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) at 11 am, including projections on the local real-estate market. Complimentary lunch after the seminar; call (206) 932-5480 to see if there’s room.
HANDS ACROSS THE SAND: 2nd annual demonstration of environmental concern at Alki Beach, noon, east of Bathhouse.
STUFF THE BUS DIAPER DRIVE KICKOFF – WITH RECESS MONKEY: Concert by Recess Monkey at WestSide Baby‘s 14th SW donation facility, 1 pm, bring diapers! It’s the official kickoff to WestSide Baby’s annual Stuff the Bus summertime diaper drive; details here.
DANCE ON THE SAND: If the weather doesn’t go south, there’s Salsa on Alki Beach, 6 – 10 pm.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is just getting under way, and one of the related road closures is a biggie – the Alaskan Way Viaduct, both ways. Here’s the update we published a few days ago, including a clickable map with all the marathon-related closures; the state says the Viaduct will be fully open again by 4 pm. As for other events affecting traffic around the city – here’s the weekly bulletin SDOT sent out on Thursday.
A memorial service is planned this Monday in White Center for longtime area resident Robert (Bob) Edward Erdmann Sr. From his family:
Bob was born to parents August Jr. and Rosa Lena Erdmann on August 29, 1926, in
Brainerd, MN. He followed his stepbrother out to Seattle when he was a teenager. And that is where he fell in love and married his wife of 61 years, Catherine (Kay) Ann Erdmann. Together they had 5 kids: Bobby Jr. (Susan), Larry (Nancy), Tom (Sissy), RoseAnn, and Jeannie (Mike). They were grandparents to 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He loved spending time with his family at the family’s recreational property in Shelton.Bob owned his own company, Bob’s Saw Shop, for 40 years while also working for Highline School District, from which he retired in 1988. After suffering a massive stroke in January of this year, he ended his journey here on Earth and went to be with his late parents and his wife on June 17. He will be forever loved and missed!
Services will be on Monday, June 27, 2011 at Yarington’s Funeral Home. Viewing is from 9 am-1 pm, and the funeral service starts at 1:00. Reception to follow.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available/desired, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Photos and video by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
11:55 PM: We’re on our way to the 6400 block of 48th SW (map), where fire crews have just arrived at the scene of a “heavy rescue” call and are reporting a car has flipped.
12:09 AM: One person was pulled out of the car, a woman described on the scanner as alert and conscious.
12:19 AM: Tow truck just arrived at the scene, so 48th should be clear before too long. The driver was taken by Medic 32 to Harborview Medical Center. The Saturn sedan she was driving had flipped right in front of the bus stop on the west side of 48th, just at the top of the hill down toward Lowman Beach. A lieutenant at the scene tells WSB’s Christopher Boffoli that the driver’s injuries are not life-threatening. Police also say they suspect alcohol might have been involved.
12:44 AM: 48th SW has reopened to traffic.
2:07 AM: Added Christopher’s video of the car being turned right-side-up by the tow crew.
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