West Seattle, Washington
15 Sunday
(WSB video of the entire 4-plus-minute Pioneer Square dance, added 1:33 pm)
The “Thriller” zombies have finished their invasion of Pioneer Square, and now it’s on to West Seattle: You can see their encore at Easy Street at 2 pm this afternoon (during Junction trick-or-treating); their official group dance as part of the worldwide record attempt is in the books. Or the coffins. Now atop the post, video from the Thrill the World/West Seattle crew joining the rest of the Seattle Thrillers — 166 total dancers — at Occidental Park this morning. (They’re also dancing at 9 pm at The Admiral tonight, while the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival [WSB sponsor] showings there have moved on to the “horror” theme including a special late night “Rocky Horror” screening.) Couple pre-dance pix:
The West Seattle contingent spent weeks rehearsing, and they also collected donations for local nonprofits including West Seattle Food Bank and WestSide Baby. ADDED 9:50 PM: According to this site, Seattle had the third-biggest group of participants.
We’re welcoming new WSB sponsors this afternoon — local realtors with an open house this weekend they’d like to let you know about (see the photo above): Here’s what Bunny Parker (Campbell) and Karen Hoffbuhr want you to know about themselves and their real-estate business: “They began working together in 2003 when they joined Keller Williams Real Estate. They have dubbed themselves team2use.com and truly enjoy working as a team. They believe they can deliver more to their customers and have grown their business primarily based on referrals. They know and love the Puget Sound area and enjoy helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. West Seattle is home to both; Bunny has twin daughters and Karen has a daughter and a son. They can truly call themselves lifelong West Seattle residents. For Bunny and Karen, their connection began a long time ago in West Seattle. They attended Genesee Hill Elementary (Pathfinder), Madison Middle School and West Seattle High School. They have been great friends for 30 years. Previous to real estate Bunny managed many restaurants in the area, including Angelina’s in the Admiral Junction. She then moved into food sales. Real estate has been an excellent fit for of taking care of the customer, sales and of course working in a community she loves. Karen graduated from SPU and worked at Boeing and Teledesic. She spent a great deal of time doing Boeing Tours, conducting orientation for new employees, human resources and customer service. Karen enjoys the challenge of helping people achieve their goals and working to bring a real estate transaction together. Bunny and Karen feel a strong connection to Seattle Schools. With each closed transaction they will donate $500 to the school PTA of your choice. We believe Real Estate should be fun and we love what we do! Come by for a treat, not a trick, on this Sunday from 1:00 –4:00 P.M. at this open house, 4535 51st PL SW (here’s a map). It is a beautiful 5-bedroom Craftsman with spectacular views. We look forward to seeing you around West Seattle because it will be where we will always be.” Thanks to Bunny and Karen, team2use.com, for joining the WSB sponsor team, and thanks to YOU for supporting the sponsors that make it possible for us to provide 24/7 West Seattle news, information, and discussion; see the current sponsor lineup here, along with information on how to join it!
We told you last week about a vanpool open house that a West Seattle woman is organizing, coming up this Sunday. Just got word that its scope is now expanded – she started off with a plan to look for other vanpoolers interested in getting to Bellevue, but now, all would-be West Seattle vanpoolers are invited to come and find out about this commuting alternative and potentially make some commuting connections, whatever your destination happens to be. The open house is 4:30-5:30 pm at Uptown Espresso in The Junction. It’s not an official Metro event,, but you’ll meet some current vanpoolers there too, in case you have questions on how it really works. (If you can’t make it on Sunday but are interested in finding out more, e-mail the get-together’s organizer, Lisa: l.rough@comcast.net.)
They’ve been practicing for weeks (see video of their latest dress rehearsal here) – and now it’s almost showtime for the Thrill the World/West Seattle crew, joining forces with the citywide group in the collective attempt to help set a world record this Saturday for dancing to the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller.” Tonight they have one last rehearsal, and then organizer Lora Lewis from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) says they’ve gotten final approval for the official on-the-record-for-the-record dance to be in Pioneer Square’s Occidental Park at 11 am Saturday – then you have two chances to see them in West Seattle: 2 pm at Easy Street in The Junction, 9 pm at the Admiral Theater. (This is all in the Halloween section of the WSB Holidays page, too.)
Not long before tonight’s High Point stabbing, we happened to have been downtown in a big room with hundreds of police officers — all the way up to Chief Gil Kerlikowske. The occasion: The annual Seattle Police Foundation awards banquet, and SPD invited us (among others – we found ourselves sitting next to Casey McNerthney, a major contributor to the P-I‘s “911” blog). Glad we were there so we could report back about some of the West Seattle-linked winners — like the ones from multiple precincts, shown above (via cameraphone) as they accepted their awards, collectively as the “West Seattle Bank Robbery Response,” for their work during the wild crosstown incident July 1st that started with a robbery at the Admiral Wells Fargo and continued to a downtown standoff which ended with the shooting of a suspect (who survived). Read on for the names of those honored for this effort, and other West Seattle-linked honorees tonight:Read More
It is almost unimaginable to think of having to stand just feet away from a murderer – let alone a murderer who took someone precious away from you and your family forever. But that is what West Seattleites Pam Reside Leach (first photo, left), her husband Jeff Leach (second photo, left), and their teenage son Joey Leach did, with quiet but firm bravery, as they spoke during an emotional hearing before King County Superior Court Judge Michael Fox a short time ago. 
This was the first part of the sentencing hearing for Brian Walsh (at right in both photos above), who pleaded guilty in August (WSB coverage here) to second-degree murder in the beating/stabbing death of Pam’s developmentally and physically disabled brother “Benny” Reside (photo right) in April 2007 at Cal-Mor Circle in Morgan Junction. The hearing had to be split into two sessions because of a medical emergency for a member of the defense team; Pam and her family asked that today’s date be kept, rather than entirely postponed till later, because other family and friends had flown in to be present. We will add details from this afternoon’s testimony to this story a bit later; the second half of the hearing is set for December 5th, and it was reiterated today that the prosecution is asking for the longest sentence possible, 18 years and 4 months, while the defense is seeking the low end of the scale, 14 years and 2 months. ADDED SATURDAY MORNING: Excerpts from what Jeff, Joey, and Pam Leach told the judge – and the killer – in court, and what the judge wanted them to know as the day’s proceedings concluded:Read More
Just announced by the mayor’s office: A new van using photo radar to crack down on school-zone speeders will be introduced by Mayor Nickels, Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, and City Councilmember Nick Licata at Gatewood Elementary on Monday. That’ll be the fourth WS mayoral event in less than four weeks (click these links for coverage of the previous three: Alki Elementary walk, the Sanislo Elementary sidewalk, the Orchard Street Ravine dedication). P.S. Next week’s a big one for Gatewood – on Friday, the school hosts Seattle Green Schools‘ Earth Summit.
Congratulations to Redmond’s Mike Town, who won the webpoll portion of the “Cox Conserves Heroes” competition in which Fauntleroy’s Judy Pickens was also among five people in Western Washington honored for their work to lend nature a helping hand. Thanks to everybody who voted for Judy, not just because she does great work, but also in hopes her chosen nonprofit, EarthCorps, would get the $5K donation in the winner’s name; you can still help EarthCorps right this second with an online donation. And you can help Judy and the Fauntleroy Creek coho by being at the creek overlook (across from the ferry dock) later this month for a special event – here’s her latest update:
The annual drumming to call the salmon home to Fauntleroy Creek needs a lead drummer or two. The event will be Sunday, Oct. 26, 5-6 p.m. at the fish-ladder viewpoint (SW Director and upper Fauntleroy Way SW) and typically draws 40-60 people of all ages to sing, act out salmon stories, and enjoy spirited drumming. If you’d like to set the beat, e-mail Judy_Pickens@msn.com. In case of rain, instruments will have canopy cover.
Just out of the WSB inbox, a request for discussion. We’re looking up the law – meantime, what do you think?
As I stood at the deli counter in the Jefferson Square Safeway today, waiting my turn to get lunch, a woman wheeled one of the store’s little shopping carts up to the counter with her pet dog standing in the top basket, nose sniffing at all the food smells. The dog wasn’t tucked under an arm or sitting in a purse, he was standing up with front paws on the rim of the cart with all his boy doggy parts hanging out. It was disgusting. I told the checker on the way out that I was disgusted Management allowed pets in the store and in the carts we all use. I asked her to please tell the store manager about my comment.
Earlier in the week it was QFC in Westwood Village where I stopped to get the last minute ingredients for dinner when I saw a woman with her little pug on a leash wandering through the store. Why do these neighbors of ours think it is ok to bring their pets into the place where we purchase food? There is no good reason to do this.
On both occasions I thought about confronting the shoppers with the dogs, but worried about their reactions. Instead I chose to tell store personnel how I felt about the dogs being allowed in the store. I would love to hear from other neighbors on this topic. If more people feel as I do, that only service animals need to be allowed in areas where food is purchased or consumed, then maybe we can get the Management of these stores to do something.
Dogs are not accessories that complete an outfit. Being a dog owner/lover myself I would never consider taking my dog into a grocery store. Are there City Ordinances about this, and what about liability issues for the stores?
Interested in my neighbors’ view,
Linda Thomson
(Other similar issues have been discussed here, and in the WSB Forums, before, but we still can’t find the exact rule/statute; summaries boil it down to, pets aren’t supposed to be in grocery stores, unless they’re service animals, and proprietors generally are advised not to push for proof.)
The folks running the “Cox Conserves Heroes” competition say voting ends at 8 o’clock this morning our time – so this is the last chance to get out the vote for Fauntleroy’s Judy Pickens, who’s being honored in the contest (along with four other regional conservation volunteers) for her work at and for Fauntleroy Creek. Note that the results page was misbehaving for much of last night, so don’t assume anything – just vote if you haven’t already. What’s at stake: The winner gets $5,000 to donate to her/his chosen nonprofit – and Judy has chosen the restoration heroes of EarthCorps.
Six chances ahead for you to dine while helping, and/or finding out about, more of the people who make West Seattle a better place – and there’s a deadline TODAY to sign up for one:
RESERVATION DEADLINE IS 5 PM TODAY, EVENT IS SATURDAY: The White Center Food Bank‘s Harvest Dinner and Auction is Saturday night – starting with the silent auction @ 5:30 pm, SSCC’s Brockey Center. Full details here; $60/person, 206/762-2848, or rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org. We just talked with Audrey at WCFB and she says they need reservations by 5 PM TODAY so they can get the catering order in. (Remember, as we often mention, WCFB serves a sizable chunk of West Seattle too.)
THURSDAY: Got an hour to spare before you go to work? Safe Futures invites you to a free breakfast to find out more about how they help local kids. It’s at their HQ, 6337 35th SW (map), 8 am. RSVP: 206/235-8892.
NOVEMBER 1: Hope Lutheran School Dinner and Auction, 5:30 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy. $50/person for early-bird bookings through tomorrow; full details here.
NOVEMBER 4: Endolyne Joe’s is donating part of today’s proceeds to Arbor Heights Elementary‘s fundraising efforts for replacing basketball hoops that had to be removed because of lead levels.
NOVEMBER 7: Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association‘s annual “Links to the Community” fundraising dinner, starts with 6 pm happy hour, SSCC’s Brockey Center. By donation, suggested $100/person.
NOVEMBER 22: Log House Museum: Preserving Heritage Gala and Silent Auction, SSCC’s Brockey Center, 5-9 pm: Live jazz trio with wine, appetizers, jewelry appraising, gourmet dinner, $75/person, call 206/938-5293 or e-mail loghousemuseum@comcast.net
And browse the WSB Events calendar to see what else is coming up – all the way through next spring; if you have something to add, please e-mail us!
It’s not entirely clear how many days remain for voting in the Cox Conserves Heroes competition so we’re operating as if it could close at any time — just checked the results; Fauntleroy’s Judy Pickens is a VERY close second! If you or anyone you know hasn’t voted yet, vote now! Not just because of all the work Judy has done for helping bring Fauntleroy Creek back to life, but also because if she wins, EarthCorps gets $5K. Vote here. 9:02 PM UPDATE: Watch the comments – now a tie for first – keep it up! TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Just received word that the voting ends tomorrow (Wednesday 10/15) morning, 8 am.
If you’ve ever walked to or from Lincoln Park via the south end of Beach Drive, you’ve probably seen a festively decorated garden featuring rubber ducks. Its owner contacted WSB some time back to let us know his legendary decorations were taking wing into a business. Sounded like a fun story rather than just a business blurb – so we asked the University of Washington News Lab, which offers help to small news organizations such as ours, whether one of its student journalists might be interested. Read on to see the results – the story behind the ducks, plus a message you can probably appreciate in these nerve-jangling times:Read More
Have you voted yet in the “Cox Conserves Heroes” competition? Fauntleroy’s Judy Pickens is now in second, and there are just a few days left to vote — if she wins, EarthCorps (which works on greenspace restoration in West Seattle and elsewhere) gets a $5,000 donation. Judy is shown at left in the photo above with some of the many visitors young and old who come to Fauntleroy Creek, for which she has worked tirelessly (we won’t soon forget spending some time with her by the creek in March, when a few tiny salmon fry were clearly visible, fighting the current). Take a minute – go here to vote – tell your friends. Two weeks from today, by the way, you can join Judy and other friends of Fauntleroy Creek, drumming to call the salmon home, 5 pm 10/26 at the overlook across from the ferry dock. P.S. There’s a new creek update on fauntleroy.net – a grant application to restore “the last degraded reach of the creek” – read about it here.
Every little detail of the development process may not be your cup of tea; we chronicle it so the information’s there when you do want to find it (you never know when one of those big city signs might go up in your ‘hood). As you may know, for big projects in our city, the Design Review stage of the process is often the only time there’s a public meeting about a project (usually at least two) where you can show up and have a say. Each area of the city has its own board; the Southwest Design Review Board looks at West Seattle projects, usually the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, if there are projects requiring review (no meeting if there aren’t; this is usually decided several weeks in advance, and you can watch this page for word of upcoming meetings). Next SWDRB meeting is October 23rd at Madison Middle School, with 4106 Delridge reviewed at 6:30 pm, The Kenney‘s “reinvention” project (previous WSB coverage here and here) reviewed at 8 pm. Following up on the SWDRB’s last meeting this past Thursday, we have two things to report: first, details on a prominent board member’s hiatus; second, details on what led up to the decision to advance the 35th/Graham High Point project on to the next stage. Read on!Read More
It’s been in the citywide-media digest on the More page, but we wanted to add a home-page shoutout: Seattle Police Officer Adrian Diaz, who also has ties to the Chief Sealth High School community including serving as assistant wrestling coach, is being honored tonight with the city’s Latino Heritage Award. Here’s a Times story with photo; the award’s being presented tonight at the Seattle Aquarium.
One week from tonight, at Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College, you can multitask in the best of ways: Have fun, and help a West Seattle/White Center nonprofit that’s busier than ever these days: 
The White Center Food Bank. Despite its name, it’s important to note, the White Center Food Bank serves a big chunk of West Seattle as well – food banks have service boundaries; if somebody shows up at a food bank but lives outside its service area, they’ll get some one-time emergency help and directions to the appropriate location. So to help fight hunger in West Seattle, it’s important to help the White Center Food Bank as well as the West Seattle Food Bank. Earlier this year, WSFB had great success with its “Instruments of Change” event, and now it’s the WCFB’s turn — the fourth annual Harvest Dinner and Auction starts with a silent auction at 5:30 pm next Saturday (10/18) and dinner at 7:15 pm. WCFB has taken out space on WSB this week to thank its major sponsors and remind you about the event. See the invitation here; for $60/person, you can enjoy a steak/salmon entree or pasta option; call or e-mail for reservations ASAP since the event is only a week away — 206/762-2848, or rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org.
After a bit of a hiatus, we’re starting to adding new chapters to the West Seattle 101 (note the “tab” link on our header) section here on WSB. WS 101 
is the all-things-West-Seattle book written by Lori Hinton, who’s been sharing selected chapters here on WSB since this past spring. Today, we add Lori’s story about Take Back Your Time Day, a national movement with strong West Seattle support, and the official observance is less than two weeks away – though the philosophy is something you can start applying immediately. The full WS 101 on WSB archive is here. Watch for more additions.
Two more notes about tonight (besides these): First, word that “Alki Idol” has extended auditions for one more week – even if you didn’t try out either of the last two Thursday nights, you are welcome to do so tonight at Bamboo, 9:30 pm (prizes and past winners shown here; the folks behind “Alki Idol” also are starting up “Downtown Idol”; more info here). Meantime, some WSB Forum members who knit have started up a group and they’re inviting any and all West Seattle knitters to join them tonight – 7 pm, Uptown Espresso in The Junction; read more in this WSBF thread, and see yet more today/tonight (and way beyond) events here.
That’s a photo by Karen Derby – who you met in this story we published 2 weeks ago about her recovery from serious injuries in a June crash in Westwood, when her motorcycle collided with a minivan. We got word late today from John Smersh at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) that Click! will show Karen’s photographs during the West Seattle Art Walk this Thursday (6-9 pm). Click! is waiving all commission, so that Karen can apply all the proceeds of photography sales toward her medical expenses. John also tells us Karen’s expected to be at Click! sometime after 6:30 pm on Art Walk night, so drop by, say hello, and check out her photographs.
Thanks to much to Mike for finding this: Two weeks after 92-year-old Rosemary MacCorkindale was hit by a car and killed while crossing California at Dawson (9/22 photo above), we finally know more about her, thanks to this online obituary running today. It describes her as “very athletic,” born in Rainier, OR, and having outlived her husband Robert MacCorkindale. The obituary doesn’t mention any children of theirs but does say she is survived by a sister who lives in Idaho, and that Ms. MacCorkindale loved to spend time at the library, so memorial donations to the Seattle Public Library Foundation are suggested. Police are still investigating the crash; three days after it happened, we reported that detectives wanted to hear from anyone who saw it happen. She was the fourth pedestrian hit and killed in West Seattle in less than a year (after Gregory Hampel near Camp Long in August, Teri Soike near Westwood Village in February, and Oswald Clement at 35th/Othello last October); the rally planned by neighborhood activists hoping to improve pedestrian safety is at 3 pm tomorrow at 35th/Juneau, where a 15-year-old High Point girl was hit and injured by a car last month.
At Thriftway in Morgan Junction, that’s (from left) Jake Webley, Gini Johnson, and Greg Ross, collecting food and money for local food banks as part of a drive presented by local Prudential realtors. They have the north door covered; another team has the south door; and you’ll also find Prudential folks at West Seattle PCC. This is happening till 2 pm today – and not only can you help by giving food items and/or money, Gini told us that if you present them with your receipt, they’re doing a one percent match. If you don’t see this till after 2, you can also drop off food bank donations at Prudential’s West Seattle offices through the end of the year. Meantime, at another grocery store — QFC in Westwood Village — these folks are “shopping for help” too:
The smiling folks you see in that photo include local fire cadets, currently based at the Joint Training Facility on the southeast edge of West Seattle, and today they’re asking you to help “Give Burns the Boot” by collecting $ on behalf of the Northwest Burn Foundation. You’ll find them at QFC — and others at Metropolitan Market in Admiral — till 4 pm today. (If you miss this event, you can donate to NW Burn Foundation online by going here.)
“COMMUNITY BUILDER” HONORED: He’s another one of West Seattle’s semi-unsung heroes — North Delridge Neighborhood Council co-chair Mike Dady, who works tirelessly on behalf of an area that’s been fighting its way to a better future. Now, we’ve got word the Seattle Neighborhood Group is honoring him with a “Community Builder Award” at an upcoming event; here’s the flyer. Congratulations, Mike!
CHIEF SEALTH HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER HONORED: The Seattle Public Schools “School Beat” e-mail newsletter brings word that CSHS teacher Gary Thomsen is the first Seattle teacher to win the “Service to Community Award” from the University of Puget Sound, given for his “tireless work in the local community” (read more here).
CONSERVATION “HERO” FINALIST – AND YOU CAN VOTE: Also today, we just got word that Fauntleroy’s Judy Pickens is one of the five finalists in the “Cox Conserves Heroes” program – you can watch her story (and that of the other four finalists) here. Among many other projects with which she is involved, Judy has worked long and hard to help restore and protect Fauntleroy Creek as a rare, urban salmon stream. Whoever wins gets $5,000 to donate to a charity – and Judy has chosen EarthCorps. Vote for Judy by going to this page and using the form in the left sidebar.
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