Episodes — All Ways West Seattle

Going for the Gold

In this episode we check in with the Senior Center of West Seattle as it celebrates its 50th anniversary! We hear from the people working to keep the Center running and evolving, including Executive Director Amy Lee Derenthal and Development and Communications Manager Nathan Box. And we stop by the monthly birthday lunch to chat with volunteers and members who make the Center their home away from home for engaging and essential connections.

The Senior Center of West Seattle kicks off it’s 50th anniversary celebration with a virtual fundraising breakfast on Tuesday September 28th, featuring world-renowned magician Nash Fung along with a look back at the Center’s history and a glimpse of what’s in store for the future. For more information visit https://sc-ws.org

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Keith BaconSeptember 24, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, west seattle life, ice cream, seniors, senior center

The Art of Music

In this episode we hear about the Art of Music, a free series of live music performances created and curated to accompany the monthly West Seattle Art Walk. We’ll also hear some poetry about music composed in West Seattle by typewriter poet Sean Petrie, and look ahead to event highlights for September brought to you by West Seattle Blog.

www.westseattleblog.com

www.wsartwalk.org

www.seanpetrie.com

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Keith BaconSeptember 9, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, west seattle life, ice cream

All About Ice Cream

This episode is all about ice cream, as we get the scoop on two very different styles of desert deliciousness in the neighborhood.

First we chat with MOTO chef-owner Lee Kindell for a Tastemaker deep dive on the unique soft serve he’s paired with some of the most sought-after pizza in Seattle. And how does one get the chance to create their very own ice cream flavor for Husky Deli, one of West Seattle’s oldest and most iconic businesses? Find out firsthand from the most recent flavor creators, Marcy Johnsen and Joey Richesson, and how this unique opportunity supports (and traces back to) the Southwest Seattle Historical Society's Log House Museum.

https://huntingbigfootfilm.com/

https://farawayentertainment.com/historic-admiral/

https://www.pegasusbookshop.com

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Keith BaconAugust 25, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, west seattle life, food, ice cream

Bigfoot is here... for a movie premiere!

In this episode, the legendary Bigfoot comes to town for the premiere of HUNTING BIGFOOT, a new locally-produced movie opening August 20 at the Historic Admiral Theatre. Are there Bigfoot believers in West Seattle? We find out by hitting the streets to hear firsthand from The People of the Junction. And you can’t miss our exclusive interview between Bigfoot and West Seattle’s own most elusive famous figure! We’ll also get some suggestions for your end-of-summer reading list from Eric Ogriseck at Pegasus Book Exchange.

https://huntingbigfootfilm.com/

https://farawayentertainment.com/historic-admiral/

https://www.pegasusbookshop.com

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Keith BaconAugust 12, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, west seattle life, events, bigfoot, movie, books, reading

Ain't No Cure For the Summertime Woo

Peak summer returns to West Seattle, but in this particular post(?)-pandemic season, nothing's the same as it ever was. We meet the new manager of the West Seattle Farmers Market for a taste of what's fresh and new, and check in with Kisha Vaughan for the Hot Dish on reconnecting with family and getting back in the groove at Easy Street Cafe.

https://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/

https://www.dopegirlmovement.com/

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Loop the 'Lupe and Record Store Day

Get the rundown on Loop the 'Lupe 5k fun run with a twist from race organizer Brian Callanan, including a special offer for our listeners!

And, ahead of the second Record Store Day event of the year happening July 17 at Easy Street Records, we discuss some top picks from this latest batch of must-have limited releases with our own in-house musical tastemaker, Corianton Hale.

www.loopthelupe.com

www.easystreetonline.com

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Keith BaconJuly 15, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, west seattle life, music, shopping, fun run, sports, events

Summer Fest Flashes Back

The second weekend of July is when we’d typically be gathering in the Junction to mix it up with neighbors and friends, catch some live music, and enjoy a rare opportunity to eat and drink al fresco. But while Summer Fest as we’ve come to know it is taking another pandemic-induced break, there’s still plenty happening in connection to this annual event that celebrates community.

In this episode, we’ll get the complete rundown on what's happening for Summer Fest this year from organizer Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association. We’ll also talk with the expert-level suds squad assembling from Elliott Bay Brewing Co., Georgetown Brewing Co., and The Beer Junction to create a Summer Fest beer tasting event you can join in online. And we hop into the Jeanette Williams Memorial Time Machine with historian Clay Eals to explore the roots that Summer Fest is returning to this year.

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

How We See Ourselves

Get to know Wes Olsen, a longtime West Seattle-ite who’s discovered a new way of viewing and valuing his community through his passion for street photography.

One of the things I love about street photography is the way that people are captured in very candid moments, not posing for pictures or framing themselves in a particular way. In the age of the selfie, it’s definitely a refreshing take. And sometimes the results can be pretty surprising, including to the subjects of the photos themselves, because street photography creates opportunities for people to see themselves in a very different light.

It’s a thought I took with me to the Junction recently, when I asked people I met on the street if they thought other people ever saw them differently than they see themselves. Hear the revealing things people of the Junction had to say.

How we see ourselves as individuals and as a community is something I find myself thinking about whenever I’m scrolling through the latest photos from Wes Olsen, a local budding talent who recently returned to sharing his work on Instagram under the handle westseattlestreets. We talked recently about what led him down this path, and how he’s capturing our everyday history through his camera lens.

Stay up to date with the street photography of Wes Olsen on Instagram through his handle @westseattlestreets, and check out more of his work at www.wesolsenphotography.com

Get in touch with All Ways West Seattle via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Matthew Lee Johnston: The Mind Behind PMA Magazine

Ever since this podcast began, I’ve been talking to people in West Seattle about the various pandemic-related pivots they’ve made in their personal and professional lives. In this episode, I get to know more about a member of our community who made a big bold move well before the whole world changed, motivated by his own internal thinking, his desire to try something different, and the drive to connect people in a positive way.

His name is Matt Johnston, and what he created back in 2018 to deliver on these ideals is called PMA Magazine. It’s focused on people doing good things for their community or the world, and finding out how they make it possible. We caught up with Matt to learn more about the magazine, the movement, and the man behind it.

PMA Magazine issue number six was recently released, you can find it at Easy Street Records or online at gethatpma.com.

Get in touch via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Jet City Laboratory Takes Off

As we begin to emerge from our protective pandemic bubbles, opportunities for in-person community connection of all kinds are starting to appear. One such happening is brand new: it’s called Jet City Labratory, a cultural incubator and collaborative space taking shape in the former 8 Limbs Yoga studio that sits just above the heart of the Alaska Junction. While the business is brand new, the enterprising mind behind it is someone you’ve probably seen or heard around the neighborhood plenty of times: it’s local DJ Derek Moon, who we caught up with to learn more about his latest creative endeavor, along with updates on his work promoting Seattle DJs and musicians through Worldwide FM, and the Soul Focus podcast that sprang from his popular nights spinning tunes at Supreme pizza bar.

Get in touch via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Open Wide!

This episode is a real mouthful!

First we hear from local dental hygienist Lynn Imel about navigating her job at Kae Dental through the pandemic. Find out what it's been like working at COVID ground zero, and if West Seattle could qualify as a certified "fresh breath zone."

We’ll also learn more about the new local baking operation known as Patch Pocket Productions, owned and operated by pandemic-inspired entrepreneur Wendy Scherer. Hear the origin story of her thriving new business, recently recognized in The Seattle Times as one of the top new pop-ups in town. Find out what makes her enormous English Muffins so special, and how to get in on her latest and greatest home-delivered baked goods!

Get in touch via our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Best Books: Spring Edition

In this Spring edition of our seasonal West Seattle book report, we hear from people in the Junction about their latest and greatest reads, from classic science fiction to modern-day politicians. If you've got a book you want the world to know about (starting with West Seattle), share it on our social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all under the handle @allwayspodcast

Next we check in with Eric Ogriseck from Pegasus Book Exchange to discuss his three picks:

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Massod

Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine by Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han

Rosewater: The Wormwood Trilogy #1 by Tade Thompson

Eric also discusses local foraging and his own homemade health products made from locally-sourced natural ingredients.

Getting Over It

Now that we’ve passed a full year without the West Seattle Bridge, how are people dealing with the loss of our primary connector to the rest of the city? We find out if anyone’s been able to find a bright side to the bridge closure. And as local parents prepare to send their kids back to school, we check in with Kisha Vaughan for her Hot Dish on the homeschooling experiment, and her own new ventures in bringing connection to the digital realm.

Back in Action

That spring feeling hits the Junction with the post-pandemic resurrection of neighborhood mainstay, the Poggie Tavern. We find out what’s in store for this legendary watering hole from one of the new owners, Joel Stedman. Plus, the West Seattle Farmer’s Market expands its offerings to welcome back old favorites and new vendors.

Keith BaconMarch 24, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, local history, west seattle life, entrepreneur

Fish Tales

Food & Wine Magazine recently decreed that the best sandwich in the state of Washington is made right here in West Seattle, at neighborhood mainstay Seattle Fish Company. Go for a deep dive into the story behind this famous fish sandwich and more with Seattle Fish Company owner Jon Daniels. Plus, the Jeanette Williams Memorial Time Machine goes back to another great moment in West Seattle seafood history: the opening of Alki Spud Fish & Chips.

Voices of Experience

The podcast hits its one-year anniversary with a look back at how far we’ve come and gratitude for all the support that got us this far. We talk with Paul Casey about his KKNW radio show, Voices of Experience, and what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur, then replay the interview segment on his show that first introduced us.

Words on the Street

Get to know “typewriter guy” Sean Petrie who discusses his on-the-spot approach to creating poetry, including West Seattle-focused works collected in his book, “Listen to the Trees,” created with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and published in 2020 by West Seattle-based publisher Documentary Media. And in part two of our interview with West Seattle Blog editor/co-publisher Tracy Record, we talk about commenters and what it takes to maintain a community forum, plus the allure of our area’s natural wonders, publishing highlights, one thing West Seattle could use more of and another that hopefully won’t change much.

Everyday Icons

When you think about who or what has played a pivotal role in defining our community, do West Seattle Blog, Rolf Neslund, and the West 5 Mai Tai come to mind? They will once you hear the fascinating backstories of these everyday icons.

Dakota Street Divas

Dakota Street sits on the top end of the Junction, just above where a new beginning is underway for artists over 50 led by Fogue Gallery and its inspiring owner/founder, Patti Curtis. Right across California Avenue, local singer Cheryl Serio is spreading joy with impromptu performances from her apartment balcony. Plus, the Jeanette Williams Memorial Time Machine explores the history of Dakota Street for its inaugural run.

Keith BaconJanuary 12, 2021west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, books, music, breakfast, 2020

More Good Stuff: Bonus End-Of-2020 Episode!

In this follow-up to our last full episode of 2020, Eric Ogriseck from Pegasus Book Exchange shares thoughtful insights on his personal picks for Top 5 books of the year.

Keith BaconDecember 31, 2020west seattle, community, alaska junction, podcast, books, music, breakfast, 2020