West Seattle, Washington
25 Wednesday
(WSB photo from 10/1, by Kathy Mulady)
The folks at High Point Market Garden (32nd and Juneau; map) had said that their Tuesday farm stand might be open a little later into the fall than first planned – and indeed, Wendy Hughes-Jelen e-mailed to share the news that the farmers told her the stand will be open today, 3-7 pm.
(EPA’s Ann Carroll, red coat, and Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett, crouching, check out the garden)
The U.S. Conference of Mayors‘ Leadership Committee is in town – and more than 20 of them came to High Point for a visit this afternoon (before it started to rain!). WSB contributing journalist Kathy Mulady was there – she says the High Point Market Garden (32nd/Juneau; map) was one stop on a tour Mayor Nickels (who is the Conference of Mayors’ president) was leading while the visitors were here. He posed with some of the gardeners:
Hien Nguyen is the Market Garden Master at High Point:
He told Kathy that neighborhood residents are welcome to stop at the garden any day (bring cash) to purchase whatever vegetables are ready to harvest. The farm stand has been open Tuesdays from 3 to 7 pm; Julie Bryan from the city’s P-Patch program, which manages the market gardens, tells WSB that next Tuesday is scheduled to be its last official day. (The market garden also offers produce subscriptions with weekly pickups – find out more here.)
Full house Thursday night at High Point Library for Gatewood author Lyanda Lynn Haupt as she discussed and read from her buzzed-about new book “Crow Planet.” From two nights earlier — we forgot to share one of the photos we got during the “Faces of High Point” mural shoot at Commons Park Amphitheater:
With more than an hour to go during the shoot, they’d already had 50 people show up, and more were in line. The photos of High Point residents will be incorporated into a mural at the new Neighborhood Center, scheduled to open November 14th.
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The High Point Neighborhood Association (HNPA) held its quarterly meeting tonight at the High Point Commons Park Amphitheater under clear skies and with a higher-than-usual turnout – including young attendee Elena, who rode her new bike to the meeting, with dad Jeff (above photo).
Andrew Mead (left), immediate past president of the HNPA (who will be stepping into the role of Vice President) introduced new Board Trustees and the new executive members of the Board. New Trustees are: Eleanor Hall, Chris Smithco and Ayan Jama. The new executive committee is: Jennifer Cobb, President; Andrew Mead, Vice President; Miranda Taylor, Secretary; and Chris Smithco, Treasurer. Trustees are representatives elected by their neighbors in one of four “voting groups” that High Point is divided into. These Trustees serve two-year terms.
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: Tonight, 6-9 pm, all around West Seattle. We previewed some of the featured venues/artists on Wednesday (like The Paint Ball at Feedback Lounge [WSB sponsor]); more to mention today – The Kenney is excited about belly dancer Nadira, resident photographer Phil Gelpi, guest artist Josh Miller, jewelry by Penguina Designs’ Johanna Lindsay, and food; at Capers in The Junction, Banana Blossom Press is donating proceeds from sales of its cards (more here) to 2 breast-cancer-related causes, including Northwest Hope and Healing (WSB sponsor) and its upcoming Alki Beach 5K Run/Walk (Sept. 27 – registered yet?). Get your Art Walk map and more previews at the official Art Walk site.
HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Come to Commons Park Amphitheater at 6 pm for HPNA’s quarterly meeting – topic, how to be a good neighbor, and a good neighborhood. Refreshments!
SOUTHWEST SEATTLE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN: They meet in Burien, but West Seattleites are part of the group and you’re invited to join them too. Tonight, 5:30 pm at Yo’s Bistro (205 SW 152nd; map), $10 cash/check at the door, RSVP to Jan at 206-244-7016 or Kay, kbk.bpw@hotmail.com
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
We checked this week on the progress of the new High Point Neighborhood Center, the community facility that Neighborhood House is building at 34th/Morgan (our previous reports include the groundbreaking a year ago, the Nucor-side sign about its big solar array, and a construction tour in May). NH’s Ray Li tells WSB it’s “about 85% of the way there” and that the grand opening is currently scheduled for Saturday, November 14th – invitations are in the works now. Here’s a closer look at part of the roof, with the solar panels:
In addition to the solar component, the $13 million project has a multitude of other “green-built” components (detailed during the May construction tour), with a LEED Gold certification hoped for. In addition to community-gathering space, it also will be headquarters for social-service workers and Head Start education; here’s more info from the Neighborhood House website.
With the new school year less than 2 weeks away for most local students, it’s also time for a lot of volunteering to rev up again – and some organizations are looking for new help, like this tutoring program that asked us to help get the word out again this year – here’s the announcement:
Become a volunteer tutor with the Youth Tutoring Program! A great volunteer opportunity in West Seattle!
Catholic Community Services’ Youth Tutoring Program (YTP) is an after-school educational enrichment program for at-risk students in first through twelfth grade. These students live in low and mixed-income public housing communities in Seattle. Begun in 1991 as a partnership with the Seattle Housing Authority, YTP provides youth with a safe, positive, and stimulating environment to explore learning and experience academic and personal success.
Students attend the centers voluntarily and enjoy working with volunteer tutors-the heart of the program. Tutors work with an individual student for the one-hour tutoring session. In addition to offering academic support, volunteers serve as positive role models to the students and help strengthen their sense of self-esteem and self-respect.
During the tutoring session, tutors spend time helping the students with reading, homework (all subjects), and building math and language arts skills. No specific background is necessary, and there are a variety of resources at the tutoring center if you’ve forgotten the formula for the slope of a line or the difference between a gerund, participle, and infinitive! Volunteers must be currently enrolled in high school or have obtained a high school diploma (or equivalent).
Tutoring Centers are open 4:20-7:40 on Monday and Wednesday; 5:30-7:40 Tuesday and Thursday.
Volunteers tutor 1-3 hours per week on the same night every week.
Ideally, tutors work with the same student(s) every week.
There is a tutoring center close to you-in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle!
Please visit our website to learn more about our program, how you can get involved and APPLY ONLINE TODAY! http://www.ccsww.org/ytp
Or call (206) 328-5659 or email volunteerytp@ccsww.org to request an application.
Many West Seattle neighborhood/community groups skip August meetings because it’s such a busy time for vacations, back-to-school prep, you name it, but now they’re about to rev up again. Here’s some of what’s coming up:
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Tomorrow night, 7 pm, HPAC meets at the Highland Park Improvement Club building (address/map – Google Street View above). On the agenda, from the preview sent out by HPAC chair Dan Mullins today, “a presentation from a local youth group that has been cleaning up Westcrest Park and the greenbelt, AND, former HPAC Chair and Seattle City Council candidate, Dorsol Plants will tell us about his election campaign experience and answer your questions …” This is also the only regular neighborhood-group meeting with a business spotlight (Cafe Rozella this month) AND a raffle.
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: This Thursday is the grand finale in its first-ever series of six Summer Concerts at Hiawatha – and they’re meant to be a neighborhood-building opportunity as well as good old-fashioned outdoor fun. Come enjoy the West Seattle Big Band, free, at 6:30 pm Thursday, east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center, meet the ANA reps who’ll be on hand (and then join them at the regular September meeting, 7 pm 9/9 in the basement meeting room at Admiral Church).
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Next regular meeting is Wednesday 9/2 (6:30 pm, Delridge Library) but we’re reminding you again about the Ice Cream Social THIS Thursday, all neighbors invited, with games as well as treats (here’s the invite). 6:30 pm Thursday, Cottage Grove Park (address/map).
SOUTH DELRIDGE/WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY SAFETY COALITION: Crime and safety news for southeastern West Seattle and beyond, St. James Place, 9421 18th SW (map), 6 pm Thursday (free dinner).
Looking a couple weeks into the future, this meeting was just announced today:
HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION’S QUARTERLY MEETING: 6 pm September 10th, Commons Park Amphitheater. Topic, according to Jennifer Cobb – how to be a good neighbor(hood), by getting involved, pitching in, etc. Refreshments! RSVP via Facebook.
On this day when Seattle Police are asking for help in solving a West Seattle bicycle crash that has left a woman fighting for her life — there’s news of a court decision related to the West Seattle bicycle crash that killed 27-year-old Susanne Scaringi almost three years ago.
The crash happened at 35th and Graham (map) on September 27, 2006; we took the photo at left on the first anniversary. Scaringi died after hitting the side of a van that made a left turn in front of her. Months later, the driver was charged with, and convicted of assault, under a city law that made certain traffic violations crimes if they resulted in death or serious injury. But in a ruling made public yesterday, rooted in an appeal of that conviction, the state’s 1st Court of Appeals agreed with an earlier ruling that the law in question is invalid; see the ruling here; read more at seattletimes.com. (Thanks to Todd for e-mailing to let us know about this.)
That dragon “guards” the new MacArthur Lane Community Garden/P-Patch in High Point, where volunteers have recently finished assembling its beds and decorating its framework, culminating in a neighborhood party tonight:
Julie Bryan told us the plots will be assigned soon – as will P-Patch plots at High Point Commons Park (scheduled for the 20th), a long-awaited event. Here’s a closer look at the dragon:
The park’s outer fence is festive too:
(ADDED 10:35 PM – Joni’s sharing many more photos via Whrrl – she’s been working on the project all along, and her photos include the ribbon-cutting celebration and check presentation that happened tonight after our brief visit:)
Meantime, a couple miles north, early-evening sunshine graced the second of four Summer Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor) at Providence Mount St. Vincent:
Maia Santell and House Blend headlined – these are free concerts, but if you bring a few dollars, you can buy food/bevs – we took a closer look at the dinner options this time around – check out this Philly sandwich:
A special feature tonight, Jeanne H. Nordquist was doing caricatures.
Next Friday night’s Concert at The Mount: Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana, 6 pm. (And the night before that, it’s another Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented Summer Concerts at Hiawatha presentation, the Brian Waite Band, 6:30 pm Thursday.)
Thanks to Tony for sharing the news of a big event happening at High Point’s Commons Park right now – hundreds of people gathered for a resource fair and family fun (note the bouncy house!), to be followed at 6 pm by a community barbecue and Night Out celebration – beautiful afternoon to be out in the not-too-hot-now sunshine. (And remember the High Point Market Garden opens shortly, 4:30-7 pm at 32nd/Juneau.)
(iPhone photo taken during final Blue Angels flyby Sunday, north of Boeing Field control tower)
BLUE ANGELS’ DEPARTURE: Finally found some ballpark time info, for anyone else interested in seeing them leave: Len Anderson IV — aka @lead_solo on Twitter, a former Blue Angels pilot traveling with the group and providing behind-the-scenes info, came through again: He says Blues 1-7 are scheduled to leave Boeing Field around noon today; check his Twitter page for the latest. Their next stop: The California International Airshow in Salinas (near Monterey/Carmel).
NIGHT OUT: Neighborhoods all around West Seattle will close their streets and get together for block parties during tonight’s annual Night Out celebration, in the name of building bonds and fighting crime. We’ll be reporting “live” as it happens, thanks to the dozens of WSB’ers who answered our second annual call for locations we can visit. If you’re not participating – since arterials aren’t eligible for block-party shutdowns, you shouldn’t find any major traffic effects, though your favorite side-street route might be off-limits for a few hours.
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN: Lots of rave reviews since this once-a-week produce stand opened last month. 4:30-7 pm today, 32nd/Juneau (map), fresh and reasonably priced produce grown in the gorgeous “market garden” right by the stand.
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN’S WEEKLY SALE DAY: Every Tuesday through the summer, 4:30-7 pm, fresh produce is on sale at 32nd/Juneau (map), grown in the big beautiful “market garden” tended right there. Here’s our story from opening day two weeks ago.
MUSIC AT ALKI PLAYFIELD: Can’t wait until Thursday night for the next installment of the Admiral Summer Concerts at Hiawatha (6:30 pm, Tom Colwell and the Southbound Odyssey)? Get an early fix of outdoor music tonight, 6 pm, Alki Community Center Playfield.
PLAN WEST SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOODS’ FUTURE: We’ve been talking about this for weeks (here’s last night’s preview) and tonight’s the night. After talking to local neighborhood advocates, we can tell you we are not exaggerating when we say it’s the most important meeting you’ll attend all year. 10 years after the oft-referred “neighborhood plans” for five West Seattle neighborhoods (and Georgetown) were created, are they working? What’s the best course for those neighborhoods’ future? Even if you’re not sure you have anything to say, come to listen, to understand, to support (or even oppose). 6 pm, Delridge Community Center NEW LOCATION: YOUNGSTOWN ARTS CENTER – air-conditioned! (updated 3:23 pm)
BLUE ANGELS’ ARRIVAL: For our fellow fans of the Navy aerial demonstration team that’ll be performing during Seafair (practicing Thursday, shows Friday-Sunday, remember the I-90 bridge closures), #7 arrived Monday (here’s KIRO video) and the other 6 are scheduled to land at Boeing Field this afternoon (2 pm estimate but could be earlier or later) *3:55 pm update, they’re running late, sometime in the next hour to hour and a half…
PASSING WEST SEATTLE’S NORTHERN SHORES TODAY: Another Seafair sight you may see – the U.S. Coast Guard’s first Homeland Security cutter, USCGC Bertholf, is scheduled to arrive today to be part of Fleet Week. (We’re checking with USCG District 13 to see if there’s an approximate time.)
After a cloudy day, the sun broke through just in time for several notable events tonight, including this one: The celebration of a new van for Providence Elizabeth House in High Point, donated by King County after it was “retired” from the van pool. That’s State Rep. Sharon Nelson smiling at left with the big ceremonial key to the van, which will be operated with money that Providence employees and Elizabeth House residents have raised over the past two years. (Elizabeth House has 74 one-bedroom units and is one of a dozen apartment buildings that Providence operates to offer independent living to elders and disabled people.)
WSB’er “Datamuse” sends along this solicitor sighting:Read More
Just back from the Seattle Market Gardens farm stand at 32nd/Juneau in High Point, open till 7 pm (and every Tuesday 4:30-7 pm through Oct. 6). Brought home peas-in-pod for $3/pound, also noticed carrots, baby bok choy, onions, potatoes, lettuce, salad greens and beautiful flowers including fiery crocosmia. Everything harvested this morning, we were told; the growers were a bit shy but we did manage to snag this photo:
Looking east from the southwest end, over the actual garden (mini-farm), the stand is under the white tent:
Here’s a map to 32nd/Juneau. This is one of two Seattle Market Gardens, both in Seattle Housing Authority communities, and their farm stands are new this year – read more here. (They also offer weekly subscriptions.)
Starting today, every Tuesday from 4:30 pm-7 pm through October 6th, the Seattle Market Gardens Program will present a weekly farm stand at the Juneau Market Garden in High Point, 32nd SW and SW Juneau, selling fresh produce and flowers, grown locally! Here’s a map.
Marco and Tony both e-mailed to report an overnight car break-in at 32nd/Raymond (map) overnight and sent photos; the one above is from Tony, who notes that broken glass and a card from an investigating officer is not what you want to wake up to find in your car. Tony explains that he “called 911 @ 2 am, for shirtless man wandering the traffic circle yelling at apparently no one. … Police arrived, cuffed the individual, and investigated a car break-in. Not sure if both are connected but, car was 20′ from where they caught him … And the kicker – the car has Army plates. Way to support Vets on The 4th.”
Alex from Neighborhood House, the organization that’s building the new Neighborhood Center at High Point, shared that photo – the first solar panels are going up. NH says the HPNC will have the largest solar array in the state, and it’ll be the largest solar array atop a social-services building anywhere in the U.S. (They’ve got a sponsorship drive under way, as we reported last month.)
Wendy Hughes-Jelen from High Point forwards word that Steve Barham of the High Point Neighborhood Association announced via mailing list that another of the city’s much-buzzed street-food vendors, Marination Mobile – described here – is coming to HP on Saturdays, starting on the Fourth of July:
Marination will be stationed at the empty lot on 35th and Graham on Saturdays from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, starting this Saturday, July 4. That means you can [leave your car at home], walk down, get cheap food and hang out street-food-style, before going to the Diversity Festival (which will also have food but not until 3:00 PM when it starts). Hmm…if you want to get real-time updates on this like they do in LA, follow @curb_cuisine or marinationmobile.com.
Steve’s note also includes a reminder about the festival, which includes free food: “Yes, there will be tons of free food, barbecue, Somali food, and of course marinated kalbi tacos, ginger chicken tacos, and tofu tacos …” The Diversity Festival on Saturday is 3-8 pm, Commons Park in High Point. As for Marination confirmation, we’re working on that – nothing on their various sites yet but we’d read previously they were looking for a chance to visit West Seattle. 5:03 PM UPDATE: The Marination Mobile website now confirms the Saturday plan at 35th/Graham.
Jennifer Cobb from the High Point Neighborhood Association wanted to share this letter – anyone who lives in the High Point area is eligible:
Many new families and individuals have moved into the neighborhood during the past few years. However, many neighbors haven’t had the opportunity to get to know and support one another. The High Point Neighborhood Association, the Neighborhood House Family Center and the Seattle Housing Authority recognize this and are working together to support the creation of a community leader program at High Point.
The community leader program is aimed at increasing opportunities for neighbors to get to know one another, strengthen communication and to learn about the cultural diversity in the neighborhood. Community leaders throughout High Point would take the lead in hosting small gatherings so that neighbors can get to know one another. Community Leaders will receive support and assistance to host local gatherings in the neighborhood and will be invited to regular gatherings to receive resources and training on an ongoing basis.
… In order for the program to be successful and representative of the entire community we need your participation. We invite you to join us for dinner at the High Point Community Center on Thursday, June 25 at 6 pm, to get to know your neighbors and begin planning activities. If you have any questions before then please feel free to contact Genevieve Aguilar, High Point Community Builder, at gaguilar@seattlehousing.org or 206.696.3148
That sign went up, on building-side space donated by Nucor, a month ago – and now the accompanying donation drive has begun: Today, Neighborhood House launches the Solar Panel Challenge to bring in $100,000 for a “second array of solar panels” atop its under-construction (here’s our recent hard-hat-tour story) Neighborhood Center in High Point, which will be both a community gathering place and a headquarters for social services as well as environmental education. The second array will make the building “energy-neutral” and will pay for itself within a few years, saving up to $30,000 a year. Read on for the official news release about the Solar Panel Challenge:Read More
So asked Beth, leading into this report via e-mail:
In High Point tonight while sitting in the yard and enjoying the company of a neighbor, a woman we didn’t know/recognize pulled up to the curb. I said hello to her. At the same time, our neighbors husband pulled up to the curb. In front of all of us, the woman we didn’t know proceeded to take a hubcap off a vehicle owned by the neighbors we were talking with! The woman threw it in her trunk, refused to talk with any of us (who were by now asking her why she was stealing hubcaps!). The worst part? She did this with her kids in the car.
The Caucasian woman was about 5’3″, weighed about 175lbs, wore medical scrubs, and drove a bright blue Toyota Corolla with a dent in the front passenger door that was missing (wait for it!) a hubcap.
We know we’ve mentioned this multiple times already today – but once again, whatever West Seattle neighborhood you’re in, the WS Crime Prevention Council is the place to come share your concerns, ask police questions, and hear about crime trends, 7 pm tomorrow, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster – the entrance to the building is off the parking lot on Webster west of Delridge). ADDED 11 AM TUESDAY: David just e-mailed this “sequel” (we are not publishing the entire plate because our policy is not to publish full identifying information — plates included — on people not charged with a crime, unless there is an immediate risk to public safety or law enforcers ask for assistance):
A car with this description parked in front of our neighbor’s house (32nd & Trenton) last night, around 8:40-8:45pm, and soon the driver was hammering something on their car (looked like a hubcap) then roared off down Trenton St eastbound. I got the license #: WA plate, 454-**D, a bright blue late model four-door Toyota Corolla. Didn’t see any dents on passenger side but it was traveling fast when it passed me.
This is not a 100% ID. I didn’t see the race/gender of driver; didn’t see the dent, or see any passengers in the car.
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