November 2012

Mind Unwind Gallery and Art Studio, 2206 California Av. SW, in West Seattle will host a photography exhibit, “A Day in the Life; Photographs by Homeless Youth of their Animals”, Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 1 & 2, noon until 6:00 p.m. Proceeds of framed photo sales, and holiday pet portrait sittings ($30 per sitting) to take place during the exhibit, will benefit anti animal abuse education workshops directed at homeless youth.

The local homeless exhibition intends to articulates empathy for animals through photography, and was organized by West Seattle resident and dog lover, David Walega, and his organization, Art For Animals' Sake, or AFAS. He is affiliated with Shunpike, a 501(C) 3 organization which sponsors art projects to individual entrepreneurs and numerous groups, including dance and theater.

While the primary structures are up at Roxhill Park, (as the Herald reported Nov. 6) there is work remaining according organizers Mat and Whitney McBride who are seeking volunteers for the finishing and detail phase of the project.
What's left? On Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 9am till 4:30pm Whitney needs people to, "drive in screws, router sharp edges, sand sharp edges. I need some skilled carpenters to take care of some gaps in the castle."

But beyond the work Tuesday, she's seeking people who would like to learn (and help) cut tiles for a special decorative top going on the main castle turret. That part was mortared on Friday but it must cure for several weeks before the tile goes on. So, people who can cut tiles are needed. The design, a mosaic dragon that will wrap around the turret top is being done by artist Michael Henderson. They plan on using ceramic and glass tile for the project.

Asa Buehler, and his friend Kyle Jensen, two nine-year old West Seattle kids, have been working for the past six months on an international robotics competition called "MoonBots." The competition is about future robotic missions to the moon. The boys submitted a proposal, including the video for Moonbots in June.

About 300 teams submitted proposals from all around the world. Thirty teams made the first cut, including Kyle and and Asa's team, The Penguin Men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qAnCRMiyvWs

The boys received a Lego Mindstorms robotic kit from which they have designed a robot that can carry out several missions on a lunar landscape that they also designed and built (with a little parental help). Matt Jensen, Kyle's dad, has been an amazing teacher and coach for the boys.

The Penguin Men will be doing a public presentation of their MoonBot at the Museum of Flight next Sunday, November 11, at 2 pm, PST.

The presentation will also be web-cast live at the following website:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-penguin-men

Silhouette artist Karl Johnson returns to West Seattle to make paper silhouettes of your children this Tuesday, Nov. 13, at Curious Kidstuff, 4740 California Ave SW. 206-937-8788.

"Silhouettes take only 90 seconds and squirmy children are welcome," said Johnson in our feature on him last April. "Most parents think it will take a lot longer, and fear that their kid won't sit still long enough to do it."

Johnson is known in the celebrity playground of Los Angeles as the guy to hire to capture the profiles of high-profile stars with his black paper tiles and oval frames. He appeared last year at the wedding of Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth. He said he did not exactly learn the art from his father, who did what he does. However, his father gave him his scissors at age 10, which he continues to use. His father once did the silhouette of jimmy Durante, nose and all,. He even uses his father's "medical scissors" as his lone tool for snipping which he carefully carries in a pouch on a strap around his neck.

Boeing Press Release:

Northwest salmon are closer to getting a much needed resting area for their annual migration down the industrial Duwamish Waterway now that Boeing (NYSE: BA) has begun the initial rough grading that will start the construction for a new wildlife habitat.

Approximately 2.3 acres (0.9 hectares) of uplands at the north end of Plant 2 in Seattle now is being transformed into a fish and wildlife habitat. The habitat will offer a resting place for juvenile salmon, where they adapt to living in salt water before continuing their migration to the Pacific Ocean.

Next year, Boeing plans to transform more than 3,000 additional feet, or more than half a mile, of former World War II-era industrial waterfront into a natural shoreline. The two projects combined will provide a total of 5 acres (1.95 hectares) of fish and wildlife habitat as well as a restored shoreline.
"This is an important step in our efforts to restore and protect the waterway," said Kim Smith, Boeing vice president of Environment, Health and Safety. "When it's completed, it will be the largest habitat restoration on the Duwamish to date."

A Honda driven by an older man jumped the curb and smashed into the northeast door and window of the McDonald's restaurant at Westwood Village Saturday Nov. 10. According to witnesses the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle which came over the curb and impacted the restaurant.

Chris Kallin posted on Facebook and said that, "I happened upon the scene seconds after it occurred. Everyone was more or less okay, with a couple particularly shaken, including the old man who had the accident. I feel very badly for him. You could tell he was in shock thinking about what could have happened and the reality that his independence may have come to an end. He looked broken, sitting there win his WWII vet hat. I was among several that consoled him in his grief.

Could not believe the A-holes visibly annoyed that the commotion was impeding them from the drive-thru. One guy in particular was ballistic in his pick-up. Who freakin; like McD's that much anyway. Unreal."

One person inside the restaurant suffered some minor injuries and he was treated at the scene.

Fire Station 11, built and dedicated in 1970 is a, "stout structure," according to architect Hank Weaver but is due for some seismic upgrades and other notable changes over the course of the next year or so. The station held an open house on Saturday, Nov. 10 to highlight and explain those changes and upgrades to area neighbors. The cost of the upgrades will be approximately $600,000 and construction will start next summer. It's set to be completed by the end of 2013.

The seismic upgrades will include, "strengthening the roof diaphragms and tying the roof to the exterior walls. It's just a matter of connecting a lot of the different elements," said Weaver.

They are adding some "emergency program elements" meaning that in the apparatus bay they will add Bunker Gear Storage, a new decontamination and bunker gear cleaning area and new EMS storage (water an emergency gear). A generator is also being added.

Outside a new shear wall will be added to the southwest corner of the building.

UPDATE Nov. 28
Well not so fast! The Firefly Cafe & Creperie at the corner of California Avenue SW and SW Genesee Street has to delay one more day, said owner Charell Estby via Facebook. " Had a dry run with our staff and families tonight - and we clearly need one more day to get ready. FRIDAY is the soft opening - PINKY SWEAR!" Look for them to be open in a "true soft opening" "before noon" FRIDAY.

UPDATE Nov. 27
Unless the food truck doesn't arrive (and that's not likely) Firefly Cafe & Creperie will open at 6am on Nov. 29. The art is on the wall, and the windows are clear of the paper (in case you want to look inside) and owner Charell Estby is anxious to get going. "A year and a half ago I would drive by this spot and imagine what this would look like and now here it is," she said. It's a family affair with daughters Hannah and Shay both working there plus a few other employees.

Original Post

On behalf of the Schmitz family of West Seattle, we want to thank the West Seattle Herald and reporter Ty Swenson for the outstanding coverage given by your newspaper to the possible closure of Schmitz Park School by the Seattle School District in 2015. We believe your newspaper coverage is largely responsible for saving the Schmitz Park School site from being closed or sold off by the school district.

Your weekly newspaper played an instrumental role in drawing attention to the plans of the Seattle School District regarding its BEX IV construction levy and the fight the Schmitz family was waging. We were waging a battle to remind the school district that the Schmitz family deeded seven acres of land to the school district for $1.00 fifty years ago in order to build Schmitz Park School. It seems the school district had forgotten about this........and they were planning to abandon Schmitz Park, lease it out, or sell it off.

12th Night Production is bringing a holiday classic to life when they recreate the 1948 radio broadcast of Miracle on 34th Street, presented at Kenyon Hall (which of course is on 35th). The play will use "Foley artists" sound effects and the atmosphere of radio studio including the mighty 1929 Wurlitzer pipe organ played by the well known Lou Magor.

The play tells the story of a young girl and her belief in Santa Claus. When an old man named Kris Kringle is hired as the Macy's store Santa, the white bearded gentleman claims to be the real Santa Claus bringing about a genuine miracle with his determination to spread the spirit of Christmas. When the issue winds up in court, a young child's belief could make all the difference.

"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. Don't you see? It's not just Kris on trial, it's everything he stands for. It's kindness and joy and love all the other intangibles." Charlie Halloran.

The play will be presented Dec. 7,8, 14, 15 and 7:30pm and Dec. 9 and 16 at 3pm

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.