West Seattle, Washington
09 Monday
At left is Cheryl Crazy Bull, special guest at the West Seattle Rotary meeting today at The Kenney. She’s president of Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, but on an even wider scale, she’s in her fourth term as board chair of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Her appearance brought special student guests to the Rotary lunch — representatives of the Native American student clubs at West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth High School. Other Rotary news included the dates for their upcoming berry sales — strawberries starting June 27, raspberries starting July 11, blueberries starting July 25. More info on that (and other upcoming events) on the West Seattle Rotary website.
#1: Delridge Library is a “homework help” hotspot all school year long. 5:30 tonight, you’re invited to go thank the volunteers who’ve provided that help, and celebrate the impending end of the school year.
#2: Westwood Neighborhood Council gets a Denny/Sealth project update tonight, 7 pm, Southwest Community Center, and also plans to take up the issue of those two city-jail sites proposed for southeast West Seattle.
#3: Admiral Neighborhood Association gets updates on projects including a potential playground proposal, 7 pm, Admiral UCC.
#4: Fauntleroy Community Association — monthly meeting night for FCA too, 7 pm, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse.
Many more West Seattle events, stretching from tonight well into next year, are on our frequently updated Events page.
L to R in this photo from Seattle Public Schools‘ “School Beat”: Zenaida Lopez and Nita Tino (West Seattle Elementary); Cynthia Linder (Cooper Elementary); Pauline Hance (Highland Park Elementary); Carmen Maymi O’Reilly, Family Support Worker and parent leader trainer; and Ayaan Aden (Cooper).
We often get – and share – info from Seattle Public Schools celebrating achievements by students and teachers. SPS’ latest newsletter also includes this bit of news about what a group of parents — most with ties to West Seattle schools — is doing:
Ten parent leaders at five elementary schools coordinated and implemented more than 22 family engagement events this school year which impacted more than 2,360 family members. Seattle Public Schools’ Readiness To Learn (RTL) project began training parent leaders in 2006 and will have trained 24 by June 2009. Parent leaders are identified by principals and staff, and have natural skills in connecting with others. They receive training in cross-cultural communication, effective leadership, how to help others navigate schools and the critical things parents and families can do to support their children’s school success. Schools with active parent leader programs are: Cooper, Dearborn Park, Highland Park, T.T. Minor, and West Seattle elementary schools. The RTL program is exploring ways to expand to additional schools next year.
From the WSB inbox (an update on a program we first reported 2 1/2 months ago):
Since late March, nearly fifty meals have been provided by community members for the 20 men staying at the SHARE shelter at the West Seattle Church of the Nazarene! Thank you to all those who have participated. The meal schedule is looking pretty empty these days, though. Please consider providing a breakfast or dinner this summer. Once, once in awhile, or a regular commitment—all offers are gratefully appreciated. Please see westseattlemeals.airset.com for more information and for open dates on the calendar. Folks who have questions or want to provide a meal should contact Donna Pierce with:
· the date(s) you’d like to provide a meal
· plans for delivery
· your phone number and e-mail addressThank you for your generosity and willingness to help others at a difficult time in their lives.
We’ve brought you a few chapters (here, here, and here) in the story of Addie Killam, the college student soon to be returning home to West Seattle to continue her rehabilitation after a bizarre surfing injury left her with a physical disability. The outpouring of help brings this message from Carrie Rasmussen, who e-mailed it to people including us, and gave us permission to share it here:
*As many of you know a few months ago we had a good family friend who is only 20 years old become paralyzed in a spring break surfing accident. At this point her prognosis is permanent paralysis from the ribs down. If there were ever a young woman that I would want my daughter to aspire to be like it would be our friend Addie. She posses many amazing qualities; kindness, dedication and through this all has maintained a positive attitude that God has a different plan in mind for her.
Over the past few weekends there have been several people; family friends, schoolmates from Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Names Academy, fellow Girl Scouts, her brothers friends from Boy Scouts, her parents co-workers etc. who have been working on a home in West Seattle, getting it wheel chair accessible for when she comes home. It is inspiration enough to see all these people who know and love her and her family working countless hours to get things ready.
We as well have spent some time over the past few weekends helping out and Hanna sold lemonade for donations to put into Addie’s account. There have been so many people it is hard to know who is who and how they are connected. This past weekend I saw a gentleman who, when he wasn’t helping build the back deck, was taking some pictures. I had seen him there the previous weekends working but not known who he was, but then again, there were several people I didn’t know. I asked him if he would mind emailing them (the pictures) to me so I could add them to the work party blog (http://addiespeeps.blogspot.com) I am maintaining.
As I was getting ready to update the blog I referenced back to one of the original postings done on Addie and her story on the West Seattle Blog. I noticed that there were new comments and had seen aside from emailing me the pictures the gentleman, whom I now know as “Steve”, had posted a link with the photos to his personal blog.
I realize my story is getting long but bear with me because here is the really inspiring part. I went to Steve’s personal blog and read that he *did not know* our friend Addie, he had *never* met her or her family. He had simply seen her story on the WS Blog and he along with several other friends (6 adults and 1 baby) from his church group decided to spend their Memorial Day weekend at her home pitching in. They then came back this past weekend (with 2 new volunteers) and with the help of some donations from their church, planted a beautiful garden outside of Addie’s new bedroom window so she will always have something beautiful to look at. Amazing!
I must say when I discovered that total strangers rallied together and have spent not just one, but multiple weekends to help someone they do not know and are not connected to is some way, I was inspired. How incredibly full their hearts must feel to purposely make time for others………they do not know……….just because. How cool is that!
That group has given me a gift, one that I hope I can pass along. We all have been given the same amount of time in a day, how you spend it is what matters. That group of people will be my inspiration to seek out doing good for others, just because.
(photo by Akemi Hart)
That’s Princess-Nyosha McWilliams, a Pathfinder K-8 eighth grader (and future Chief Sealth High School student) wearing a special city-provided jacket that’s part of a big honor she just won – here’s the full story, sent by Eric Baer, co-president of the Pathfinder PTSA:Read More
A spokesperson for the Seattle Parks Department confirms to WSB that the longtime director of Alki Community Center, Ken Davis (shown at left in WSB-reader-provided photo), is being moved to South Park Community Center. We checked after receiving several e-mails expressing concern about the change; one of those e-mails, plus more from the Parks spokesperson, just ahead:Read More
That’s the subject line on the forum post of the week, just up within the past few hours. So sweetly written, you might want to read it even if you don’t usually check the WSB Forums.
Out front at that Highland Park house, you see the start of a wheelchair ramp. This weekend, volunteers hope to finish renovating the house inside and out for the person who needs it, Addie Killam, a West Seattle native who is on a long road to recovery after a freak surfing injury (original WSB coverage here). They are asking for help with what they call “the big push” — in particular, anybody with hardwood-floor-refinishing experience. Full details on what’s needed, where, and when can be found on this site detailing the ongoing project.
AWARD: Congratulations to Clay Eals, honored in the IPPY (Independent Publisher) Awards with a “silver” award for the biography category (see #28 in the list here) on the first anniversary of his acclaimed book “Steve Goodman: Facing the Music.” The awards will be presented tomorrow in Los Angeles.
READING: Longtime South Seattle Community College instructor Arleen Williams has published “The Thirty-Ninth Victim: A Memoir,” about what her family went through in connection with her sister having been one of the Green River serial-murder victims. She will read from the book during an event June 6th at SSCC’s Cascade Courtyard and Wine Tasting Room. The event runs 4-6 pm and includes a preview of two SSCC wines to be released in the fall; Williams’ reading will start at 4:30 pm.
Thanks to Fiona Preedy for that photo and word that the two teachers pictured, Carolyn Kunihiro (left) and Sharon Glockner, are retiring from Schmitz Park Elementary this year and will be feted at a reception on Friday, June 6th (along with SP principal Richard Mellish, who’s departing). Fiona adds, “I’d like to invite former students, families, and staff to the reception, to bring these teachers their well wishes and as a reunion. If folks are unable to attend, pictures, stories, memories, are being gratefully received at schmitzparkelementary@gmail.com.” That’s a big potential pool of participants — Fiona says Mrs. Kunihiro has been teaching for 35 years (27 at SP) and Mrs. Glockner for 38 years (28 at SP).
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
That’s Pastor Ron Marshall, longtime leader of First Lutheran Church of West Seattle, getting ready for the next session of his Koran course (starting in early June). He’s been teaching a course about the Koran for several years, but a recent note from him is the first time it’s come to our attention since we started WSB, so we thought it would be interesting to talk with him about the admittedly unusual circumstance of a Christian leader teaching about the Muslims’ holy book:Read More
As noted on our Events page, Forest Lawn (east of High Point) will hold its annual Memorial Day service at 2 pm Monday. What we almost missed (until a note from Creighton, who mentioned it on his site) was the preparatory work that local Scouts do, marking the graves with crosses and flags each Memorial Day weekend. At Forest Lawn a few hours ago, we caught up with this group — including 8 Boy Scouts from Troop 284, 1 Boy Scout from Troop 398, and I Cub Scout from Pack 381:
They had hours of work left when we stopped by. But the results will all be in view if you attend Monday’s service, which one WSB’er noted last year is presented by American Legion Post 160, and is one of the city’s longest-running Memorial Day services. If you haven’t been to Forest Lawn before, here’s where to find it.
A side note from the folks at Forest Lawn: They told us today that after the Monday service, the Senior Center of West Seattle‘s Ukulele Band will perform.
That’s the sign in Ron Richardson‘s yard along Fauntleroy across from Lincoln Park, which he updates with the
death and injury toll in the Iraq war. We’ve told you about it before; our most recent post, and comments on it, led to coverage in the citywide media. Richardson introduced himself to us at our table at the recent Sustainable West Seattle Festival in The Junction, and told us he’d added a new number to his sign, in honor of an area resident killed in the war in 2005, Christopher Dickison (photo right). Here’s his story of how that happened — timely as Memorial Day approaches:
The most important response [to the sign], by far, came three weeks ago when a woman and several of her family knocked at my door. The woman, Leanna Dickison, wanted to thank me for having the sign. She told me that her son, Christopher Wayne Dickison, was fatality number 1754. Christopher’s twin sister Rhonda Herrera was part of the group. Chris’ mother had made a blanket as a gift for me. I thanked her and suggested she take the blanket to the VA Hospital and present it to one of the Iraq vets at the VA.
I have since visited Leanna and learned more about Christopher. The family lives in White Center. Christopher was a graduate of Evergreen High. He joined the military in 2002. He was in Iraq for a year when his tour of duty was extended. It was during this extension that Chris was killed. I looked up Chris’s name on the internet and found articles and memory pages by those who knew him as a friend, a relative and as a comrade in arms. This reminded me that the internet can be a rallying place for folks to share their respect and love.
I have attached a current photo of the sign, a photo of Chris and a list of some of the websites that memorialize Chris. I have added the number 1754 on the sign and it will stay there. Each time I change the other numbers I will remember Chris and his family. They are our neighbors and part of our community. As folks spot my sign I hope they remember Chris and all of the others killed and wounded in Iraq. I also think about this war and why we are fighting it. I hope your readers think upon this as well.
Here are the links that Ron provided: a page featuring citywide media coverage from Christopher’s death in 2005, a guestbook that he has signed and you can too, and a video tribute posted online.
Side note: Richardson also is involved with another issue right now — voter-owned elections — and told us he’ll be speaking about that at tonight’s Delridge District Council meeting (7 pm, Southwest Precinct).
From the 34th District Democrats‘ site: The 7th Congressional District caucus over the weekend led to two Obama delegates from the 34th being chosen to go to the national convention in Denver in late August — Chris Porter from West Seattle and Nick Bordner from Vashon (a high-school senior). Read more here.
If you live in the Fairmount area – should disaster strike, that spot by the flagpole in the southeast Providence Mount St. Vincent parking lot is your neighborhood gathering spot for information. Sunday afternoon, Fairmount Community representatives (led by Sharonn Meeks, center in shades) set up this table there …
… for the latest West Seattle drop-in event to get out the word about neighborhood gathering places and disaster-readiness info. (Read more here, and see the map of other neighborhood spots that have been designated so far.)
Meantime, the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival crew coped this weekend with the semi-disastrous float woes, by riding instead in convertibles so they could represent West Seattle in the Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival parade:
That’s Carol Winston driving Queen Danica and Queen Sivona. A few more photos shared by Hi-Yu president Tim Winston, including a young court member showing off a tiny friend, ahead:Read More
At Anchor (Luna) Park on Alki Avenue, that video shows the scene as an enthusiastic woman (who told us she does this every year) and two kids greeted Walk with Us to Cure Lupus participants at the first turnaround point (for a shorter loop than the 5K walkers). While hundreds of people joined in that awareness- and money-raising event this morning, a trio of triathloners spent the afternoon under a tent in The Junction to fight leukemia and lymphoma — more on both events ahead:Read More
We caught those young women and their penguin pal staking out The Junction to promote the nearby Hope Lutheran rummage sale, raising money for a summertime mission to Mexico. (They’re going till about 2 pm; another rummage sale at nearby West Seattle Christian Church [WSB sponsor] has a similar goal, and it’s continuing till 5 pm; you can hit both in the span of about a block.)
Thanks to John Smersh from Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in the Admiral District for that photo from nearby Admiralty House Antiques, which he says is open today for the first time in a long time, selling tools at 50% off on outdoor tables (you’ll recall it “closed for remodeling” in January; WSB coverage here). Now, to the other side of West Seattle, and the High Point Community Center:
The women in the blue shirts are nursing students from Seattle University standing by to help you get healthier at their High Point Health Fair, under way till 4 pm at High Point CC. Door prizes and refreshments, too, all free – plus some educational exhibits:
That exhibit about indoor air quality was manned by Abby Suplizio, who we introduced you to here in our recent feature about the West Seattle chapter of CoolMom.org, which she leads. She teaches a twice-yearly course about indoor air quality and other safety concerns through the American Lung Association of Washington (more online here). We’ve been out covering many of the day’s other events too, including JP Patches at the Admiral Theater; more coverage coming up later.
WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli sent us that photo recently from the megaproject construction site at Alaska/41st/42nd – just one of dozens he’s contributed to WSB in the past year-plus. His contributions have been invaluable, a word that barely begins to describe it – not only has he shared lovely shots like those of a heart-melting baby seal, he also is incredible with breaking news (remember the Fauntleroy car-on-cable?) — often the first word we’ll get about a major breaking story is a text from Christopher, 
who’s already there. (Charlestown Cafe fire and the recent Delridge-area SWAT incident, just two cases in point, as well as the “wire fire” south of The Junction.) Right now, Christopher’s getting a national showcase in the current issue of Everywhere Magazine (the magazine, shown at right, is sold in West Seattle at Barnes and Noble). In this edition, you’ll find photographs he took in Copenhagen, plus his article about Japanese electronic toilets. This is the May-June issue of Everywhere; you won’t find its content on its website, so you’ll have to check the newsstands. Here’s a shot from Christopher’s spread (click it to see a larger image):
Shane Valentine, baby daughter Alina, and some West Seattle stores and scenery are all featured in this cooking video the Valentines entered in a Food Network contest – viewer ratings might snag them a spot on TV.
We are always thrilled to get contributions — stories, photos, tips, suggestions — that help WSB become a place where together we all tell and share even more of the ongoing story of West Seattle and its people. Tonight, Camp Long‘s Sheila Brown wanted to share an article and photos (including the one above) about a new grant that will help Camp Long and other Seattle city park/recreation facilities provide more outdoor opportunities for young people (such as climbing) — read on:Read More
E-mailed to WSB by Ruthie Winter, who explains:
We called our event: Sixty@Salty’s!
In the attached picture are 57 women classmates from the West Seattle High School graduating class of 1966, born in 1948 and celebrating their 60th birthday together. It was a girls-only event … sorry guys!
Most of these classmates had not seen each other in over 40 years, so it was a joyous celebration of old friendships. Classmates came from far away as Texas, Montana, Alaska, Arizona, California, Oregon etc etc. A joyous time was had by all.
The STAR 101.5 “Teacher of the Week” promotion had another West Seattle winner today — congrats to Arbor Heights Elementary second-grade teacher Sally Shavey. This comes six weeks after Lafayette Elementary fifth-grade teacher Catherine Bloom won the same honor.
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