October 2016

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Junction Neighbors Organization (JuNO), Hope Lutheran Church, West Seattle Be Prepared, supporting local businesses and the City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund, a new Seattle Emergency Communications Hub will open at Hope Lutheran Church on Oct. 23.

Please stop by to learn more about how to prepare for emergencies, what the hub will do in the event of a disaster and how you can be a volunteer to help others at the hub.

Grand Opening Seattle Emergency Hub at Alaska Junction / Hope Lutheran Church
Sunday, Oct 23, 12:00 – 3:00 pm
Location: Hope Lutheran Church, 4456 42nd Ave SW, with information tables in the Hope Lutheran Church parking lot, at the corner of 42nd Ave. SW and Oregon Street.

For more information, contact Cindi Barker, cindilbarker@gmail.com, 206-933-6968 or visit the West Seattle Be Prepared website at http://westseattlebeprepared.org/

Due to the severe weather forecast for this coming Saturday, and out of an abundance of caution, the Crown Hill / Whittier Heights Find It, Fix It Community Walk originally scheduled for October 15, 12:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. has been postponed.

This decision was driven by public safety concerns and the need for City staff to be available for potential emergency response efforts.

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods will update the public when a new date for the walk has been determined.

For more information on the Find It, Fix It Community Walks program, contact Lemmis Stephens at 206.386.1907 or lemmis.stephens@seattle.gov or visitwww.seattle.gov/finditfixit.

By Lindsay Peyton

Burien resident Mary E. Diederichs has her sights set on Hollywood – and she has hit her stride, moving toward her dream.

A woman of multiple talents, Diederichs has been steadily establishing herself in Seattle’s performing arts and film scene.

She splits her time between filming television commercials, teaching dance and voice lessons, doing voiceovers, working on movie sets and leading corporate team-building exercises. In her free time, she is writing a script for a television show.

“I get to go all over the place, and I find it fascinating,” she said. “I really love what I do. I have a good time.”

Diederichs remembers watching Cher on television as a kid growing up in Shoreline and thinking, “I want that job.”

“I started out as a dancer, but even as a kid, my vision was to be a general entertainer, like Shirley McLaine, who could dance, sing and act,” she said.

Diederichs vividly remembers seeing her first ballet. The dance was broadcasted on PBS – and her mother was sitting behind her.

“I literally pointed to the TV and said, ‘Mom, I want to do that,’” Diederichs recalled.

The next production from the West Seattle High School Drama Club is the play "Bright Room Called Day"
by Tony Kushner. Kushner is best known as the playwright of 'Angels in America.'

The production will be presented Oct. 27, 28, 29 and Nov. 2, 3, 4 at 7:30pm

Tickets:
$10 with reservation (email tickets@westsidedrama.com)
$15 at the door

About the Show:
In 1930s Berlin, a group of left-leaning friends struggle to understand the world around them as Hitler rises to power.
However, while they claim to have lofty ideals, they do not partake in active resistance against Hitler. The main character, Agnes, is mainly concerned about keeping her rent-controlled apartment. Meanwhile, these events are contrasted with a parallel presentation of events in America in the present day by a modern day activist, Zillah, who insists on taking action to fight repression and authoritarianism.

A free event will be held on Saturday, October 15th for the MS Community at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center in Seattle. Attendees will hear from leading healthcare providers, nurses, patients and care partners about the importance of making treatment decisions and open communications.
· More information can be found on the event website at www.moreaboutmstreatment.com.
· Free parking and lunch will be offered at the event

by Lindsay Peyton
The 12th annual Harvest Dinner and Auction is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 – and organizers are working to make it the best fundraiser yet.

“It’s an awesome community event,” development director Ian Smithgall said. “We get people from all over White Center who come out for it. It’s great to have such a long-standing event - -and have people fill the tables in support.”

Tickets are $99 – and the event is open to the public. There location has changed this year to the Seattle Design Center, 5701 6th Ave S.

“The impact from this event is so direct,” Smithgall said. “It’s a huge part of our budget. This goes straight to our mission – to put food directly on the plates of our hungry neighbors.”

The White Center Food Bank got its start in the mid-1970s as an emergency response program to help families in need in White Center and Highline – and became incorporated as a nonprofit in 1982.

Last year, the organization served 61,083 individuals.

The second design review meeting for a five story mixed use building to be located at 9030 35th Ave SW is set for Nov. 3 at the West Seattle Senior Center. The proposed building would have 40 residential units and parking for 32 vehicles within the structure. 3200 feet of commercial space would be at ground level. It is project 3008455.

The project includes 2,000 cu. yds. of grading. Existing structures (two single family homes) would be demolished.

You can see the full design proposal here.

MEETING

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2016

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: West Seattle Senior Center
4217 SW Oregon St
Hatten Hall

(A recommendation meeting was previously held on May 5, 2016.)
The report from that meeting can be seen here.

October 22 is your chance join the community effort to restore native habitat, within the Duwamish Watershed while celebrating the connection of our urban forests to the Duwamish River and salmon. Starting at 10:00 am volunteers will gear up at multiple Duwamish sites including one of our largest urban forests – the Duwamish Greenbelt to participate in planting and removing invasive weeds in an effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon and the Puget Sound.

Volunteers are still needed at:

• Pigeon Point Park
• Roxhill Bog Park, headwaters of Longfellow Creek
• Delridge Wetlands, tributary of Longfellow Creek
• Longfellow Creek at Greg Davis Park
• Hamm Creek/Duwamish Substation along the river
• Herrings House Park, along the river

To volunteer, visit www.DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and RSVP to the contact for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org

You can also visit them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/DuwamishAlive/?fref=ts

Millennium Health has teamed up with former NBA player Chris Herren to talk to teens, parents and concerned community members about the dangers of youth prescription drug abuse, in hopes of making a difference in the lives of people touched by the issue.

There will be an assembly for students during the day at Ballard High School on Thursday, October 13 but this evening event is open to the community. A reception will start at 6:00 pm with appetizers and free information from local advocacy groups. The feature presentation with former NBA player Chris Herren will begin at 7:00pm at Ballard High School.

For more information visit http://www.millenniumhealth.com/events/evening-chris-herren/.

UPDATE 10/14/16

The National Weather Service has issued a new advisory regarding winds through today Friday 10/14 and tomorrow 10/15.

"Wind Advisory in effect until 6 PM PDT this evening...
... High wind watch remains in effect from Saturday afternoon through
late Saturday night...
... High Wind Warning has ended...

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Wind Advisory...
which is in effect until 6 PM PDT this evening. The High Wind
Warning has ended.

* Timing... southerly winds will rise again midday today and peak
this afternoon or early evening... then ease temporarily
tonight. A stronger storm will arrive Saturday evening with high
winds likely.

* Winds... south winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph
today... strongest midday through afternoon. South winds 20 to 40
mph with gusts to 65 mph are possible Saturday night.

* Impacts... there were scattered power outages overnight... and
more are possible with the winds today. Tree damage is typically
greater this early in the season... so keep in mind that falling
limbs and trees are an occasional cause of injury and fatality
during western Washington windstorms.