A year ago, we reported on the South Park commercial buildings bought and being renovated by West Seattleite John Bennett and business partners. One of the renovated spaces – South Park Hall – was leased and opened by West Seattle entrepreneurs. And today is opening day for another new business with West Seattle proprietors. It’s Uncle Eddie’s, and Michael Goldsmith tells us about it:
Uncle Eddie’s is an all-ages public house located in South Park at the corner of 14th Ave South and Cloverdale. It’s an independent, local family-owned business. My partner Keasa and I live in Highland Park. Keasa is a full-time architect here in Seattle (she did the plans and design) and I have worked for Elliott Bay Brewing Company for the past 17 years, most recently as their Operations Manager.
Uncle Eddie’s isn’t just about beverages – its website notes, “We have partnered up with the uber-talented Chef Jed Lutge to create an excellent menu of drool-worthy appetizers, hearty grilled sandwiches, house-made soups, and salads available for lunch and dinner.” Hours at 8601 14th Ave. S. are 11 am-midnight Sunday-Thursday, 11 am-1 am Friday/Saturday, kitchen open until 10 pm.
If you have, or know, kids/youth at risk of hunger, Seattle Public Library wants to remind you about Kids’ Café – free afterschool meals at High Point (3411 SW Raymond) and South Park (8604 8th Ave. S.) branches every weekday during the school year:
The Seattle Public Library has partnered with Food Lifeline, Boeing and the USDA to bring healthy and kid-friendly foods to three Library locations. Free after school meals will be available for all youth ages 18 and under for the remainder of the school year, through June 22, 2018.
All kids are welcome — no proof of income, address or citizenship is ever required. Kids Café meals are specifically selected to appeal to kids’ notoriously picky palates and to meet their special nutritional guidelines.
Library programs are free and everyone is welcome. Free parking is available at all three locations. No meals during the Library’s holiday closures.
Visit the High Point branch 2:45-3:30 pm weekdays, the South Park branch 3:45-4:15 pm weekdays.
If you went to Camp Second Chance‘s community party on Saturday afternoon (one of the events on our daily-highlights list), and had a slice of pie – here’s who to thank: The South Park Senior Center. Diane Radischat, a member of the center’s board of directors, shared the photo and explained:
South Park Senior Center donated and delivered 36 pies for (the camp’s) holiday party today, enough pie for 300 people. We wanted to give back to a community we knew was deserving of a treat at this special time of the year.
Diane is second from right in the photo, with, from left, a camp resident, SPSC executive director Patricia Barker, and, also from the center’s board, Sharon Schaffer. CSC is the city-sanctioned encampment on Myers Way, home to more than 45 people as of the report given to its community advisory committee earlier this month.
Dance for education! A tango charity gala is in the works for programs including the Concord International Elementary PTA and the Heritage Spanish program at Kennedy CHS, “A Milonga for a Cause,” with live music featuring the Chicharra Tango Orchestra, a pre-milonga lesson, dance performances, a DJ, and more. It’s set for 8:30 pm Friday, December 15th, at Eden Seattle Event Place and Nightclub (1950 1st Ave. S.) Tickets are $40 in advance – buy yours now – and after advance sales cut off (or at the door), $50. Tickets include two drinks and a bite.
As residents of West Seattle, we are heartened by the power of the South Park community in action reported to us earlier today. This morning, U.S. I.C.E. agents were said to have requested access to a residential building to serve a warrant. The owner of this building rightly turned to a trusted advocate in the neighborhood for assistance about responding first. As luck would have it, this advocate was meeting with a City of Seattle employee, and Seattle as a welcoming city took swift action.
The three individuals – armed with knowledge from a Know Your Rights training – checked for key things that make a warrant legal and actionable. The administrative warrant held by the I.C.E. agents did not meet the legal threshold that would allow them to legally enter the building. Denied entry, the I.C.E. agents stated they would wait in their cars. The three were soon joined by members of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s Rapid Response Team, who helped monitor the situation and photographed the agents’ unmarked cars. The agents soon dispersed. To the knowledge of those on the scene, no one was detained by agents at or near the apartment building today.
What happened this morning is a terrifying reminder that knowing your rights also means knowing what to do if I.C.E. shows up. Knowing what to look for or whom to turn to in the moment is vital to ensuring that legal processes are followed and, thus, preventing a catastrophic outcome.
Unequivocally verifying that an enforcement action is taking place before posting it on social media, is crucial to preventing the unnecessary spreading of fear or panic within our immigrant neighbors and communities. If you believe you are seeing an enforcement action taking place, report it to the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network hotline at 844-RAID-REP (844-724-3737). Resources, in multiple languages, to Know Your Rights can be found at: OneAmerica, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, or with civil-rights organizations like ACLU.
The instinct and care to look out for one another and your neighbors is what makes Seattle a welcoming city. We applaud the bravery and quick thinking of our three community members and Rapid Responders from Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network to help at least one family stay together today.
“We ARE the opportunity gap,” Robin Schwartz from the Concord International Elementary School PTA told the Seattle School Board at its meeting this past week. (When you click “play” on the video clip below, it should advance to her remarks.)
We first reported three weeks ago on the concerns of Schwartz and other parents at Concord, which is in South Park but also draws some West Seattle families, especially because of its dual-language program, the subject of some of the changes they’re worried about.
They organized a forum to bring some of those concerns to school and district officials (WSB coverage here), and have another one planned.
And now they’re gathering signatures of support after circulating this letter:
In her remarks to the school board last Wednesday, a comment period that has strict time limits, Schwartz focused on the kindergarten class size, adding that besides being a non-optimal experience for students, “Our teachers are overwhelmed and overburdened.”
At the forum earlier this month, the district promised a committee would look at the parents’ concerns. A November 9th followup meeting is planned to see what progress has been made. But the PTA doesn’t want to just wait for that, so is seeking signatures of support – if you would like to add yours, here’s where to sign on (scroll to the end of the document after the summary of concerns and requests).
(Before and after photos of South Park Hall, courtesy of its new proprietors)
Back in January, we told you about West Seattleite John Bennett‘s purchase, with business partners, of neglected commercial spaces in the heart of South Park. Perhaps the crown jewel of those spaces was the 1920s-era South Park Hall, a large second-floor space including a stage, a kitchen, and lots of room. Bennett told us at the time that they hoped to keep it an event venue – and that’s exactly what transpired. We heard this week from the two other West Seattle entrepreneurs who have made that happen, Heidi Herr and Corina Luckenbach, who you might know from Admiral Bird – and now, as proprietors of South Park Hall. They are offering a $100/hour introductory rental rate through November; the space holds 175 people and has A/V capability as well as the aforementioned kitchen and small stage, plus a bar and renovated restrooms. Luckenbach says, “We are super proud of what we were able to do and to keep it looking as original as possible.” The newly renovated venue (1253 S. Cloverdale) has a website with lots of info at southparkhall.com.
(Concord International School PTA members at meeting they organized regarding dual-language-program concerns)
Story and photos by Marika Lee
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
One parent said he didn’t learn of changes at his son’s school, Concord International Elementary, from the school or the district, but by asking his son what he did at school in Spanish that day. His son’s reply: “Nothing.”
That was just one of the experiences shared at Tuesday night’s community meeting in South Park to voice concerns about the changes to the Spanish/English dual-language program at Concord.
Another Concord parent, Paulina Lopez, said at the meeting organized by the Concord PTA, “I have always been very strong on bilingualism. That is why I chose Concord. It came to my surprise that there were changes. One reason was because I wasn’t aware of the changes when the year started.”
Participatory “human murmuration” was to follow, and then what Leah Mann promised would be a big dance party. We’re not sure what’ll be happening if you head over when you see this, but the sculpture itself is a sight to see. According to the Kickstarter page with which money was raised for the project, Lelavision hopes it will eventually find a permanent public home.
We took that photo in the parking lot on the southwest corner of 17th and Roxbury at midday today after tips about a big law-enforcement presence – primarily Seattle PD, though the lot is south of the city/county line. Police at the scene told us they were arresting at least one suspect for whom they had a warrant. Now, the details are in via SPD Blotter:
Seattle Police and King County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men at a gang member’s funeral in White Center on Wednesday as part of an ongoing anti-violence emphasis effort in the Southwest Precinct.
Police and deputies were on hand at the funeral Wednesday following a shooting one night earlier outside a home on 12th Avenue and Donovan Street in South Park.
On Tuesday, associates of the deceased gang member had gathered at a home near 12th Avenue and Donovan Street for a viewing.
During the event, several attendees were targeted in a shooting outside the home, leaving a 20-year-old man with serious gunshot injuries.
In an effort to prevent any further violence, SPD officers and King County Sheriff’s Deputies maintained a presence outside the funeral in White Center on Wednesday. Following the services, officers recognized one man, who had a warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm and a department of corrections violation.
Deputies also arrested a second man, a convicted felon, who was found in possession of a pistol.
Detectives continue to investigate Tuesday’s shooting, and patrol officers are conducting emphasis patrols in the area.
9:50 PM: We’ve received a few questions about all the sirens audible to the east a short time ago (we heard them from here, too). Per scanner, a man has been shot in South Park (in the 1000 block of S. Donovan), which as you probably know, is part of the Southwest Precinct too, so many officers rushed to SP from West Seattle. We don’t know anything more about the circumstances or the victim – who’s being taken to Harborview – but police are looking for suspects, possibly in a black car.
Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand unless otherwise credited
The annual Fiestas Patrias parade in South Park celebrates not only Latin American cultures but their importance in the U.S., and that was more poignant and urgent than ever this year.
Underscoring the issue of justice, King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Alicea-Galván was this year’s Grand Marshal:
More than 60 entries, with hundreds of participants, paraded and performed down the route.
Horses and riders from Charros of Washington concluded the parade, and we have some video too:
(2016 Fiestas Patrias photo by Leda Costa for WSB)
3:18 PM: As we continue previews for some of this weekend’s big events – here’s a quick reminder about the Fiestas Patrias parade and festival tomorrow in South Park. The parade starts at 11 am Saturday at Sea Mar Community Care Center (1040 S. Henderson) and ends at South Park Community Center (8319 8th Ave. S.) – route details are in our calendar listing. Fiestas Patrias “commemorates the independence of Latin American countries, many of which celebrate their national independence day in the month of September,” festival organizers explain. The festival is at the community center post-parade, with food, music, games, and performances until 6 pm. Everyone’s invited!
ADDED 3:53 PM: Thanks to Huy Hoang at Sea Mar for the list of parade participants – more than 60! – see it here.
Story by Tracy Record
Photos and video by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Anger flared at times as a standing-room-only crowd filled the South Park Neighborhood Center last night to hear from, and talk with, city reps who declared themselves committed to community safety.
The meeting was requested by community members weary of dealing with issues from gunfire to garbage to squatters, and suggesting a “disconnect” between city words and community reality.
We recorded it all on video, which you can watch, unedited, below:
“I understand your issues well,” said Kathy Nyland, Department of Neighborhoods director – and Georgetown resident – opening and facilitating the meeting.
She thanked the crowd for its patience while the city got the meeting organized.
City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, whose district includes South Park, said its issues have been at the forefront since she took office but it’s clear “I need to do more. … It takes a lot of vigilance to address issues in this community and other communities that are difficult and complex.”
Never mind Mayweather vs. McGregor. Last night’s big local battles were in the ring at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park, as Lucha Libre Volcánica‘s luchadores put on a show following the Duwamish River Festival.
Above, the purple-costumed luchador is The Joker, who lost to the crowd favorite Peligro.
Below, El Dragon Dorado took on Milky Burrado (in beige):
El Dragon was the victor. Bonus photo if you missed it in comments on our Saturday daily preview – this one posted by Steve shows just how high-flying lucha libre can be:
Another big Saturday event we’re previewing – the 11th annual Duwamish River Festival! The Duwamish runs along much of West Seattle’s eastern border, and this annual event presented by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition celebrates not only efforts to improve the waterway, but also the cultures of those who live along it. The festival is headquartered at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park, with free boat and kayak tours of the river, free food and entertainment, community environmental and health resources, and more. It runs noon-6 pm on Saturday (August 26th) and will be followed by an annual favorite – masked Mexican-style wrestling with Lucha Libre Volcánica at 6 pm in the park.
DRCC’s latest update says the festival’s entertainment lineup includes:
Amigos de Seattle, Guatemala
Madcap Pusher Band of Georgetown
Bopha Lokei Cambodian Dance
Meshika Dancers,Danza Kalpulli Tlaloktekuhtli
Angeles de Mexico
Thai Classical Music and Dance
Northside Drill and Step Team
Chaotic Noise Marching Band
And the Duwamish Tribe opening the day!
Less than three weeks until school starts. Here’s a way to help local students succeed this school year:
The Seattle Public Library is seeking Homework Help volunteers who have a passion for helping elementary, middle, and high school students learn and succeed in school.
Homework Help volunteers support students’ academic success by helping them develop literacy and mathematics skills, understand homework assignments, and prepare for college. Volunteers coach students in all academic subjects and may also specialize in college-prep subjects.
Most of the students are first-generation Americans who speak a language other than English at home. Volunteers will interact with children and teens in small groups and individually. A volunteer commitment throughout the school year is requested. Those volunteers who have variable job and/or school schedules can be scheduled as substitute Homework Helpers at least twice a month.
Eleven branches – including, in our area, High Point and South Park – will offer homework tutoring, reading support, and educational games September 11th through June 14th. South Park is particularly in need of bilingual volunteers who speak Spanish. Find out more about the program here; if you’re interested in an application packet, contact SPL volunteer-services coordinator Anne Vedella at volunteer@spl.org by August 25th.
(Map from agenda for January 18th City Council committee meeting)
When last the City Council was briefed on the status of the city’s two potential annexation areas, back in January, there was talk that the smaller one – the Duwamish Annexation Area in the South Park vicinity – might go to the area’s 87 voters this summer.
That didn’t happen. And now we’re learning that the proposed Duwamish Annexation is on hold because of a costly issue the city wants the county to address first. That’s according to new information procured by, and provided to WSB by, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s staff.
According to a memo to City Councilmembers from city staff, here’s what the mayor’s office wants to see happen before going any further:
With potential sewer-related costs in the range of $14–$50 million, the Executive has taken a position that the County must address and fund the installation of a sewer system prior to the City pursuing annexation.
According to another memo, this time from the longtime mayoral point person on annexation issues, Kenny Pittman, those issues are primarily in the “Sliver” section of the potential annexation area, where some have septic systems instead of sewer access. Pittman also wrote that King County was told of this two months ago and has not responded. (We’re following up with King County to ask about that.) But Pittman told the council that, independent of the sewer issue, the city was prepared to address public-safety needs in the “Sliver” with SFD responses and SPD patrols, as part of the departments’ work “in the overall South Park neighborhood.”
All this led Councilmember Herbold also to ask about the status of the much-larger proposed annexation of White Center and vicinity (the North Highline area on the map at the top of this story). Her staff was told that whether it moves forward at all will depend on “the position of the new administration” – whoever is elected mayor to succeed Ed Murray. We asked the 14 candidates who were at last Saturday’s Sustainable West Seattle forum at Summer Fest whether they supported annexation; the prevailing answer was, if the residents want to be annexed. That still would require sending a proposal to the area’s 8,600+ voters; the city memo lays out a possible timeline in which City Councilmembers could decide in August 2018 whether to take annexation to North Highline voters in November 2018.
It’s our area’s only river, and it remains a heavily industrialized waterway. It’s also where the Duwamish Rowing Club is continuing to grow. Part of that growth – its second annual regatta this past Saturday.
That brought supporters and rowers to the shore at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park and the river’s waters beyond.
While we were there, Ria Delora and Molly McDonald(above and below) rowed for DRC in a youth race against Lake Stevens. Read More
Last year the Duwamish Rowing Club made history with its first regatta on the Duwamish River, and this Saturday the club’s doing it again – the second annual Dieter Hotz Cup Regatta, 8 am-noon, from Duwamish Waterway Park [map] in South Park. Free community breakfast, too! We’re mentioning it today in case you hadn’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar. The Duwamish Rowing Club is the only rowing club in this area (SP, West Seattle, White Center, vicinity) and all are welcome to come watch as well as to find out more about the all-ages Learn to Row program that’s starting next month.
Six months ago, we covered a walking tour in South Park led by neighbor Jeff Hayes, showing ongoing trouble spots to a city delegation including Councilmember Lisa Herbold and representatives of various departments. It was illustrative not just for people in or interested in South Park, but anywhere in the city, West Seattle included, where there are trouble spots for which neighbors are trying to get city help. In Hayes’ neighborhood, some situations have improved – we reported in January about the new ownership for vacant commercial spaces – and some are still problems, like the one the city “abated” again today.
This house is next to Hayes, at 1037 South Cloverdale, and he says this is the third time in six months that crews have been sent in to clean up. Much of the work had been done before we got there this afternoon, but they were impounding a vehicle (top photo) and a pickup truck bed that had been turned into a trailer (photo above this paragraph) – Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Todd Wiebke told us at the scene that it had stolen tabs. He also told us two more houses in the area have abatement set for later this week.
We asked one of the agencies involved in the cleanup today, the city Department of Construction and Inspections, for details, and spokesperson Wendy Shark replied, before the cleanup: “We have an abatement order to remove outdoor junk and other miscellaneous items from this property … The conservation corps will be assisting us with the clean-up, Bio-Clean will assist us with the removal of any hazardous waste on the property and SPD will be there as well.” The line item on the SDCI website traces back to a complaint originally made in January, one of many involving this address over the years. (The backstory of the house and its owner was told in this radio report last year.)
11:28 AM: Thanks for the tips – we heard from two people in Highland Park/Riverview before this big power outage even appeared on the Seattle City Light map. More than 2,000 customers (homes/businesses) are out.
11:37 AM: As the map shows, the outage also stretches into parts of White Center and South Park. The SCL map now has a restoration-time “guesstimate” of 2:31 pm – but keep in mind, could be sooner, could be later. We haven’t yet heard what caused it – if you’re seeing SCL trucks, please let us know, since that’s usually a clue. // And remember that dark traffic signals = all-way stops. Someone just messaged us to say there’s already been a crash at 8th/Roxbury.
12:07 PM: West Marginal/Highland Park Way is another major intersection with the lights out, and people “driving recklessly” as a dispatcher relayed a little while ago (monitored via scanner). SCL says a crash is what caused this and they’re still hopeful of having the power back on by 2:30ish.
12:38 PM: Added two photos from 8th/Roxbury – above, SPD is helping with traffic there (there’s a crash and a stalled vehicle); below, SDOT working with the signal box (and a generator).
12:43 PM: At least part of the area has the power back, per comment and texts, after about an hour and a half.
12:54 PM: The SCL map has updated and says the outage is about two-thirds of its original size – now 1,300+ customers, mostly south/east of West Seattle.
Our neighbors at the South Park Senior Center have Rainbow Bingo fundraisers, as does the West Seattle Senior Center, and SP has a special search under way – they want to make sure West Seattleites hear about it too:
If you can’t read the flyer – in short, they’re looking for a couple who would be interested in having their wedding as part of South Park Rainbow Bingo on June 10th: “There will be guests and dinner and drinks, a beautiful wedding cake just for you … all legally officiated by Aunt Betty Malone.” In less than 100 words, explain why you and your fiancé/fiancee are THE couple for this wedding – e-mail to dlr98116@gmail.com and auntbettymalone@gmail.com by May 20th.
A year ago, 
Dance for education! A tango charity gala is in the works for programs including the 
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