November 2016

The West Seattle Community Orchestra will present a series of holiday concerts over next few weeks all at the Chief Sealth High School Auditorium.

DECEMBER 6: WSCO Brass Ensemble and Debut Orchestra: Great Beginnings!

It’s WSCO’s gift to the community, especially for our young folks, featuring orchestral and brass classics, and holiday favorites! 6:00 p.m., Chief Sealth International High School auditorium, 2600 S.W. Thistle. FREE! (donations appreciated, of course!)

DECEMBER 9: WSCO’s Symphony Orchestra: Winter Folk Tales!

Come hear our top orchestra perform classic favorites based on folk tunes, including Ruslan & Ludmilla Overture (Glinka), Peer Gynt Suite (Grieg), Rumanian Folk Dances (Bartok), and Karelia Suite (Sibelius). No need to go off our West Seattle peninsula to hear great music! 7:30 p.m., Chief Sealth International High School auditorium, 2600 S.W. Thistle. FREE! (donations appreciated, of course!)

Sponsored by Sarah Cecil

Now that we are in the heart of the holiday season, you may be thinking about ways you can put your money where your heart is. Specifically, you might be pondering which groups you should support with charitable gifts. And as long as you choose groups that meet the right criteria, your generosity can also be rewarding to you, in the form of tax benefits.

To begin with, you’ll want to make sure you are giving to a reputable charity. That means you’ll need to ask some questions. How does a group measure its effectiveness? Is it devoting as much of its contributions as possible to the actual work of the organization, or is it spending too much money on administrative costs? Generally, a worthwhile charity should spend at least 75% of its income on programs. You may be able to find this type of information on a charitable group’s annual report and its website. You can also go to the website of one of the agencies that evaluates charitable groups. On these sites, you can get a lot of information dealing with a charity’s effectiveness, income, spending and other topics.

West Seattle is unique in many ways and most notably by the high number of locally owned small businesses that keep the community healthy and vibrant. Small businesses need support and that's the idea behind Small Business Saturday, founded in 2010.

The difference you can make is to keep your spending for Christmas gifts in the community as much as you can. Check out the deals in the shops all over West Seattle from the Morgan Junction to the Admiral District.

The West Seattle Junction is making that easier on Small Business Saturday by offering a long list of special discounts.

Sound and Fog 15% all wine bottles and bags of coffee.

Funky Janes 25 % off the entire store and 40% off Holiday items with tickets punched with a heart.

Glow Medispa 10% off all products on Saturday 11/26, including Latisse.

Thunder Road Guitars 15% off select guitars and amplifiers, 15% off most pedals, Pedal giveaway Saturday. Friday – Saturday 10-6, Sun 11-4.

Fleurt Fleurt Shop Small Saturday

Update 12-1-16

All cash donations this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, collected at West Seattle Lights and Maple Valley Lights, will be donated to the family of the fallen Tacoma police officer. The officer was shot in Tacoma on November 30 in a police standoff with a suspect who was killed in the incident.

Original post 11-24-16

By Greg Whittaker

You guys ready for an actual ski report instead of how to gear up for the winter? Well we have snow in the mountains with 1 to 3 feet expected and northwest ski and snowboard areas are opening!

Whistler opens Wednesday (tomorrow) and Crystal is shooting for a Friday opening, however be sure to check their websites for details. Mt. Bachelor is also opening this Friday if you happen to be down visiting family in Oregon, bring your gear. Mt. Baker Ski Area should get enough in this storm and it is anticipated that they will open on Friday as well. Mission Ridge is also observing how the storm hits and may be open as early as Friday as they have setup a great base with their snow-making equipment and Mother Nature is helping out with this weather system big time. Stevens Pass, Summit at Snoqualmie and White Pass won’t be far behind, so it looks like a great start to the year is ramping up.

The Lodge Sports Grille in West Seattle is set to open next week in the Junction 47 Building on Alaska Street but according to a report published in the Seattle Times the company is facing financial issues.

The Times report states that the company has filed bankruptcy paperwork for each of the existing six locations which include Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Kirkland, Downtown, Greenwood, and Stadium. The company, founded in 2007 by contractor Shawn Roten told the Times that the current locations will remain open and that the company still plans to open a Renton location too.

The cause of the financial problems, according to the Times report was a tax bill in excess of 1 million dollars accrued by mounting costs for renovation in existing locations.

Veterinarians are supposed to care for their pet-patients, but one Ballard veterinarian’s care has garnered her the 2016 Washington State Veterinarian of the Year award.

The Washington State Veterinarian Association awarded Dr. Mary Kay Hilmoe of Seattle at the state veterinary convention in Spokane on October 8. Dr. Hilmoe has been caring for animals the last 30 years and currently sees patients at The Family Pet in Ballard.

“I was really surprised and very honored because there are so many credible vets out there, and to be selected is quite an honor,” said Dr. Hilmoe.

This isn’t the first time Dr. Hilmoe has stood apart from her peers. While earning her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University (1985) her graduating class voted her “The Gentle Doctor” award, recognizing her dedication to her studies and passion for her patients.

Gentle, indeed, but along with being gentle, Dr. Hilmoe has a third degree Black Belt in Karate and teaches, judges and competes. She is also a mother of two.

Jazz Night School, Seattle’s only all-ages jazz education institution, is partnering with West 5 Restaurant and Lounge on #GivingTuesday, Nov. 29. Proceeds from restaurant sales on #GivingTuesday will benefit Jazz Night School’s Bring Jazz to Life capital campaign to fund construction of a new facility for the school.

“We are thrilled to partner with West 5 Restaurant for this year’s #GivingTuesday.” said Erik Hanson, founder and Executive Director of Jazz Night School. “Funds raised in support of our Bring Jazz to Life campaign will help us build our new school in Seattle’s Rainier Valley and will greatly increase our capacity for people to learn, study and enjoy jazz.” said Hanson.

By Gwen Davis

It’s on everyone’s mind: “You’re going to cut down 3,000 trees?! That’s crazy!"

The Port of Seattle held an emotional commission meeting on Tuesday afternoon, at the airport’s Central Auditorium. The commission discussed several items related to the airport. However, the conversation and testimony regarding the near 3,000 tree-hacking project was the beef of the meeting.
The room was packed — around 40 citizens showed. In addition to the commission members, over a dozen Port of Seattle employees attended, who both stood throughout the meeting, and were seated, scattered throughout the general audience.

A number of public officials attended the meeting, including state rep. Tina Orwell.

“As a result of fairly extensive outreach to the public, we have incorporated feedback and will notify you about the changes,” said Ted Fick, commission member, at the beginning of the meeting.

Port commissioners then discussed a number of initiatives including new signs, light rail changes and walkway improvements.

The public testimony about the trees was arousing.

By Gwen Davis

It’s on everyone’s mind: “You’re going to cut down 3,000 trees?! That’s crazy!"

The Port of Seattle held an emotional commission meeting on Tuesday afternoon, at the airport’s Central Auditorium. The commission discussed several items related to the airport. However, the conversation and testimony regarding the near 3,000 tree-hacking project was the beef of the meeting.

The room was packed — around 40 citizens showed. In addition to the commission members, over a dozen Port of Seattle employees attended, who both stood throughout the meeting, and were seated, scattered throughout the general audience.

A number of public officials attended the meeting, including state rep. Tina Orwell.

“As a result of fairly extensive outreach to the public, we have incorporated feedback and will notify you about the changes,” said Ted Fick, commission member, at the beginning of the meeting.

Port commissioners then discussed a number of initiatives including new signs, light rail changes and walkway improvements.

The public testimony about the trees was arousing.