West Seattle, Washington
01 Sunday
One of the reasons that Vera Johnson‘s foreclosure fight has made news is that it goes beyond the story of someone trying to save their home and business – her Village Green Perennial Nursery is also a community gathering place, home of myriad events, like an ice-cream social this afternoon. The ice cream was from Full Tilt, whose Justin Cline is shown above with Vera. Those in attendance had other palate pleasers to try – courtesy of a cooking demonstration by Cinnamon Berg ((herbed polenta bites with grilled tomato salsa or fresh figs; sweet onion and fig jam on grilled bread with chevre):
Her Cinnful Creations also has been offering cooking classes at West Seattle Produce. This afternoon’s music, meantime, was courtesy of Squirrel Butter:
Coming up in 2 weeks at Village Green – a house concert by Del Rey (2 pm August 28).
Two quick updates in the ongoing saga of Village Green Perennial Nursery owner Vera Johnson‘s fight against foreclosure, after what she says has been months of getting the runaround from Bank of America: First, WSB commenters had suggested this story deserves national attention – and it looks like some is on the way: Vera tells WSB she has been asked to do a national cable-network interview, tomorrow morning around 8 am with MSNBC, from a downtown Seattle studio. We don’t have an exact time yet when this is likely to air, but we’re working to find out. Second, the date for a community benefit/rally on Vera’s behalf has just changed to August 31st, still at 5 pm at Big Al Brewing in White Center. (If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s our Tuesday story about her trip downtown to get a face-to-face meeting with B of A.)
Village Green Perennial Nursery owner Vera Johnson is now awaiting her official answer from Bank of America, regarding a “loan modification” to prevent foreclosure, after a face-to-face meeting downtown today that she says took some twists and turns. Besides insisting on being told to her face where her case stands – after months of the runaround, as chronicled in our original story last month – she brought along more than 10,000 online petition signatures gathered through Change.org (now up past 11,000). And, a plant, as she explains in our video:
Inside the bank – where media wasn’t allowed into her meeting – Vera tells us tonight that first, she discovered the bank manager she met with last week, Michael Kuehner, suddenly doesn’t work for B of A any more, “no explanation, gone.” Instead, she found vice president/regional manager Dennis Day. “They reacted quite quickly to the camera that Joe from Change.org had with him, visibly annoyed, I gave Dennis the signatures, he barely looked at them, completely devoid from emotion, then telling me I cannot record the meeting, as it is against policy.” As for her case: “They expect to have an answer next week, and it’s entirely up to the servicer of the loan-FannieMae. No promises. They could not give me a date, they said the foreclosure is stopped as of now, and in the event that I get turned down, apparently there are other possible outcomes, and we will pursue them then…” And once the meeting was over, she says, “The security guards removed us from the building, then off the plaza, and to the sidewalk.” They even trailed her and a friend – also going through a similar process – to the restrooms, she says, “waiting outside and asking if we needed help finding something. We apparently were a threat, because they were all on high alert, it was creepy.” Also there downtown when Vera talked to the media before going in: KING 5 – their story’s here.
Just a week and a half after a kitchen fire forced them to close for repairs, Uncle Mike’s Superlicious BBQ at 9640 16th SW in White Center just sent word they’re open again. Via e-mail: “We have passed our fire inspection & we are back in business! Come on for some of that Smoked Goodness you’ve been craving!”
Just published at our partner site White Center Now: Seattle filmmaker Megan Griffiths‘ next movie “Eden” is set to film in WC later this month. Details here.
If you haven’t seen the announcement in the WSB Forums – the Zippy’s Giant Burgers crew are giving advance warning that they’re going on vacation starting August 13th, reopening August 22nd. And they’ll be back to opening on Sundays too as of August 28th. (Got another favorite local burger to suggest people try while they’re gone? Add a comment!)
The date and location are set for the benefit being organized on behalf of Vera Johnson‘s foreclosure fight to save Village Green Perennial Nursery (as first reported here), and the lineup’s in progress too. Organizer Justin Czapiewski says it’ll be 6-9 pm Tuesday, August 30th, at Big Al Brewing in White Center (9832 14th SW). They’re lining up music – Justin says local faves Rats In The Grass is signed up, for starters. They’ll also show “The American Dream,” and are planning to highlight what Justin describes as “special guest speakers addressing foreclosure prevention techniques and providing resources for home owners to take with them.” And another organizer, Aileen Sison of White Center Business Owners of Sustainable Support, adds that Full Tilt Ice Cream will be there. You can RSVP through Aileen’s Evite, here. P.S. You can contact her with items to donate for a silent auction, or if you’re a musician/singer interested in performing – aileentsison@gmail.com or 206-387-8145.
Nobody was hurt, and there was no damage outside a section of the kitchen, but a fire today in the smoker at Uncle Mike’s Superlicious BBQ in White Center has left the restaurant temporarily closed. The story’s on our partner site White Center Now.
(7/29/2011 Twitpic from @ElliottBay_Beer)
ELLIOTT BAY: Back in May, we reported on the early stages of the Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub facade facelift in The Junction – as owner Todd Carden uncovered history out front, including this name:
(WSB photo from May 2011)
WSB commenters sleuthed it out in a big way, and figured out fast who GJ Vayhinger was! Now, the project is done, said EBB as it tweeted the top photo on Friday.
And from White Center:
BIG AL’S BIRTHDAY: Three years since Big Al Brewing opened on 14th SW as part of the White Center renaissance – and this weekend, they’re celebrating, both days, including a “Family Fun Day” tomorrow with popular kindie rockers The Not-Its performing at 2 pm. Full details from the West Seattle-headquartered Washington Beer Blog.
Just three days after the hugely successful 2011 edition of WestSide Baby‘s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive this past Sunday (WSB coverage here), the double-match donation from Huggies is arriving – since WS Baby got 50,000 (and then some) diaper donations, Huggies is donating 100,000. The unloading operation is under way right now at WS Baby’s White Center donation processing/storage center; we’ll add more to this story later.
ADDED 12:48 PM: WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland wanted to share words of thanks:
Below, Nancy’s with Amani Gomez from Kimberly-Clark (left) and WS Baby’s Jolyn Mason.
The forklift they used this morning, by the way, was provided by La Mexicana Foods next door. And as Nancy said in our video clip, they still need diaper donations to keep hundreds of local babies dry, healthy, and happy – here’s how you can help.
3:11 PM UPDATE: WS Baby has updated its final official Sunday total to 55,000 diapers.
(Jubilee Days carnival setup on Tuesday; photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB & White Center Now)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, with a couple biggies in White Center today too:
LOW TIDE: Good beachwalking day if you can get out to the shore – it’s down to -2.4 just before 11 am.
JUBILEE DAYS – CARNIVAL AND FIREWORKS IN WHITE CENTER: White Center Jubilee Days Carnival opens today at 3 pm, and the Jubilee Days fireworks are at dusk, both at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd St). More info here.
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND OPENS Season’s opening of the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, 4-7 pm, 32nd Ave SW and SW Juneau. This is a weekly Farm Stand selling seasonal fresh organically grown produce right in the garden where the produce is grown. Accepts Basic Food EBT cards. Farm stand is open until sometime in September. More details here.
TOUR NEW DEVELOPMENT: Community Tour of the new low-income-housing Strength of Place Village in White Center at 14th Avenue SW & SW 100th Street, a project of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and Capitol Hill Housing. 4 pm-6 pm.
AVALON PLACE DEDICATION: Grand opening and ribboncutting for Avalon Place, 2988 Avalon Way, 5-7 pm. The 16-unit apartment building will serve men and women who are chronically homeless and living with mental illness. Speakers scheduled to include King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
BACKYARD COTTAGE WORKSHOP: Free one-hour workshop on building a backyard cottage or “accessory dwelling unit” (ADU) put on by Ncompass Cottage Company (WSB sponsor). Held at the Community School of West Seattle (9450 22nd SW) at 7 pm. RSVP (or get questions answered) by contacting Stefan at 206-933-5961 or stefan@ncompass-llc.com.
MEET THE CANDIDATES: Greater Seattle Business Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce present a candidates’ mixer at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. ($10 members/$15 nonmembers)
‘ROCKY HORROR’ OPENS AT ARTSWEST: The summer apprenticeship program at ArtsWest is putting on “The Rocky Horror Show Live,” starting tonight, 7:30 pm. Full details and ticket info here.
TRAFFIC ALERT ON BEACH DRIVE: Paving scheduled on Beach Drive (details here) – if the weather changes SDOT’s plans, we’ll add an update here.
Two local businesses with new features:
That’s the back patio at Locöl (7902 35th SW), where Kyle Duce asked if we’d help get the word out about it, now that the sun is back. He says it’s open 7 days a week with full service, closing at 11 pm Fridays/Saturdays, 10 pm other nights. And while Locöl will be closed on the Fourth of July, Kyle says its new summer hours kick in Tuesday: 4 pm-2 am weekdays, noon-2 am Saturdays/Sundays, kitchen open till midnight 7 days a week, live music around 7:30 pm Sundays and Mondays. Data point: We believe Locöl is the southernmost bar-with-patio in West Seattle. Runner-up, Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor, 6451 California SW), with lots of sunshine on its west-facing deck out back.
Now, heading farther south, into White Center:
WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz snapped the photo during a recent visit to Zippy’s Giant Burgers (9614 14th SW), now the newest biz with a photo booth … something they certainly couldn’t have fit into their original, mega-cozy quarters in Highland Park.
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@wsb.blackfin.biz)
Next Tuesday is this year’s Spoke and Food benefit event – to encourage people to bicycle to local restaurants. In West Seattle, Chaco Canyon Organic Café is participating, and in neighboring White Center, Proletariat Pizza is participating. 20 percent of that night’s proceeds from all participants go to the Seattle Tilth Children’s Garden. Both restaurants have bicycle racks, of course! It’s 5-10 pm next Tuesday (June 28).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog/White Center Now editor
Three is a big number for White Center-founded Full Tilt Ice Cream.
It’s how many years they’ve been in business, as of tomorrow (Monday, June 20th).
It’s how many locations they have open – though that number will rise soon.
And it’s how many members there are in Full Tilt founders Justin Cline and Ann Magyar‘s household, as of baby Moss‘s arrival 4 months ago – which made today Justin’s first Father’s Day as a dad.
On Monday, Full Tilt celebrates its anniversary by matching all the ice cream you buy that day with an equivalent donation to the White Center Food Bank (which also serves West Seattle, from Gatewood south). It also marks the start of 7-day-a-week operation, since till now, they haven’t been open on Mondays.
But before moving ahead, a look back: June 20, 2008, White Center and block-away West Seattle didn’t really realize an ice-cream phenomenon had just launched in their midst.
Certainly Justin didn’t realize what was going to happen.
WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz, who broke the story that B & D Aquarium in WC had to find a new home fast, reports it’s official – the store has a place to go. It’s a site owned by the White Center Eagles; she first reported the possibility last Saturday. Deanie’s working on more details for a longer followup on WCN later today.
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
Not only is it the brewery behind the West Seattle-centric Löwman Bräu, launching tonight at venues around the area (here’s our Tuesday update), Big Al Brewing in White Center is also about to make a big change – activating a solar hot-water-heating system that will not only change its carbon footprint, but will also enable it to boost production. Get the full story on our partner site White Center Now.
Two-scoop announcement from White Center’s Full Tilt Ice Cream this afternoon – they’re celebrating their third birthday next Monday by (a) being open – and subsequent Mondays too (founder Justin Cline says that was in the works anyway) – and (b) making a “matching gift” to the White Center Food Bank – however much ice cream they sell next Monday (June 20th), they’ll give that amount to the food bank. (What? Never been to Full Tilt? Barely a block south of West Seattle, 9629 16th SW. They open at 2 pm on weekdays.)
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WCN/WSB)
If you haven’t already seen this on our partner site White Center Now: An aquarium store in WC is under orders to move, fast, because its landlord says the building is being foreclosed on. They have thousands of fish – and nowhere to go. Read the story here.
Thanks to a text, we’ve found out Zippy’s Giant Burgers is closed today. According to the recording that answers the Zippy’s phone, it’s because they’re out of food after selling a “crazy, crazy amount of burgers” their first five days in the new White Center location, but they expect to reopen tomorrow. ADDED 2:20 PM: It’s been pointed out to us (via Krista on Facebook) that, also in WC, Proletariat Pizza is now open Sundays, as of today.
Just in from WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz – More than 20 law-enforcement vehicles, including several from Seattle Police, rushed to help a King County transit deputy after an attack attempt this past hour in WC. A Sheriff’s Office supervisor told Deanie that the deputy tried to make a routine traffic stop, pulling over the vehicle in a business parking lot at 106th/16th. As the deputy approached the vehicle, the driver threw it into reverse, gunned it, and tried to run over the deputy, according to the KCSO supervisor. Deanie says the call for backup brought cars from Seattle, Burien, and Sound Transit as well as the Sheriff’s Office. The deputy wasn’t hurt; one arrest is reported, and three more people were detained for questioning.
For the “won’t believe it till we see it” contingent – this photo is proof, Zippy’s Giant Burgers is indeed open for business in White Center (9614 14th SW).
ADDED 12:25 PM: More scenes from (re)opening day:
The photo is by WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz, who caught Steve Vodopich and Kenan Cetincelik, lifelong West Seattle buddies, working on the first Big Mouth orders of the day. Three patties! But it isn’t the biggest burger at Zippy’s; that would be the King Lou Lou (added ahead – see somebody try one of those!).
That photo of Zippy’s Giant Burgers co-proprietor Blaine Cook (left) in the kitchen of the new Zippy’s location – 9614 14th SW in White Center – reminds us a bit of one we took three years ago, with Blaine in the kitchen of his original location in Highland Park. (It’s in this 5/1/2008 WSB story and on the ZIppy’s home page.) The location isn’t the only thing changing between their 1st opening day, and tomorrow’s grand reopening. Among other changes: They’ll have beer and wine, and they’ll take plastic. And – as this next photo (with Zippy’s co-proprietor Rahel Cook at left) reminds us – they’ll have more space:
As announced last Thursday, the doors are scheduled to swing open at 10:30 tomorrow morning, six and a half weeks after the final burgers were served at Highland Park, and almost four months after we broke the news about the new location. (When we stopped by the new digs this afternoon, the Zippy’s crew was getting ready for a test run; while some marked Memorial Day with a cookout, they were having a cook-in.)
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