West Seattle, Washington
15 Saturday
We start today by reminding you about two road closures:
44TH SW IN THE JUNCTION: As we first reported Wednesday, 44th between SW Alaska and SW Edmunds will be closed most of the weekend – and the next two weekends – for replacement of concrete road panels damaged by heavy bus traffic.
From SDOT‘s notice:
Sidewalk access will not be impacted.
Please use detour route.
All lanes will be closed to general traffic and Metro traffic on 44th Ave SW between SW Edmunds St and SW Alaska Street on:
o Saturday Aug. 15th from 8 AM through Sunday Aug 16th at 6 PM
o Saturday Aug. 22nd at 12:01 AM through Sunday Aug. 23rd at 11:59 PM
o Saturday Aug. 29th at 12:01 AM through Sunday Aug. 30th at 11:59 PM
Metro Transit’s C-Line will not use the bus stops on SW Alaska St at Calif. Ave SW (at Easy St Records & at Key Bank.) C-Line passengers can use bus stops on SW Alaska St east of 42nd Ave SW and east of 41st Ave SW.
SW GENESEE IN NORTH DELRIDGE: As part of the project preparing for the RapidRide H Line, SW Genesee is closed again this weekend between Delridge and 25th, with local-only access east of Genesee. Delridge Way itself IS open, though.
SDOT says, “Drivers will need to detour at SW Andover St or SW Alaska St to get to and from Delridge Way SW.” Also note that Metro Route 50 is rerouted (details here). The closure could last until 5 am Monday, although last weekend’s closure was over by early Sunday evening, so we’ll be checking on it.
Tonight marks 24 weeks since King County announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Here’s the latest:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:
*17,340 people have tested positive, 136 more than yesterday
*686 people have died, 1 more than yesterday
*2,081 people have been hospitalized, 8 more than yesterday
*311,981 people have been tested, 4,859 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 16,272/670/2,018/321,806.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 21 million cases, 763,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
STATEWIDE SITUATION: The pandemic is plateauing in most Washington counties, according to the state’s newest “situation report.” If you don’t have time to read the full report, here are the highlights.
EVICTION MORATORIUM: The city moratorium on evicting residential, nonprofit, and small-business tenants is now extended through the end of the year.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
(Photo courtesy Lime)
8:06 PM: A year after first word that e-scooters would likely arrive in White Center before they showed up in the city, word came tonight that the North Highline pilot program starts Monday. Details are on our partner site White Center Now.
9:51 PM: Meantime, SDOT posted on its site tonight that it’s hoping the city’s pilot program will launch this fall. The post notes, “We also will require scooter share companies to pay special attention to West Seattle, South Park, Delridge, and Georgetown so that scooters can become part of the solution to the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure.”
Just announced by Lou Magor of Kenyon Hall, the historic venue at 7904 35th SW:
Beginning this Saturday, we’ll produce online concerts featuring your favorite Kenyon Hall performers. Some of the concerts will be on YouTube, and some will be on Zoom. I’ll introduce each concert from the Mighty Wurlitzer, which is thankfully finally fully operational.
All concerts are free, and at each performance you’ll have the opportunity to donate if you’re able. All donations will be split between our artists and Kenyon Hall. We’ve temporarily halted fundraising for our bathroom upgrade, and are now asking for help to keep the lights on. If you’d prefer to donate via post, please send a check made payable to Seattle Artists, 7904 35th Avenue SW, Seattle 98126. Seattle Artists is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-deductible corporation.
Here’s the schedule:
This Saturday, August 15, at 7:30 – Casey MacGill on YouTube
Saturday, August 22, at 7:30 – Jack Williams on Zoom
Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 – Tom Collier on YouTube
(You can also donate online any time by going here.)
4:21 PM: From SPD Blotter:
Officers arrested a 46-year-old man in West Seattle this morning after he called police about his missing wallet, which he had left behind during an earlier burglary.
On Friday, August 14th, just after 3:00 AM, officers were called to the 6600 block of SW Admiral Way to investigate a burglary. The complainant told officers that an unknown male had entered her apartment and that she had awoken to find a man standing next to her bed.
The woman and her boyfriend told the suspect to leave, which he did. The couple then called 911.
The couple provided police with a description of the man, including the fact that he might have had a dog with him. Officers searched the area but did not locate the suspect. However, a backpack the suspect had left behind was found at the scene.Officers examined the contents of the backpack and located identification of the possible suspect. The physical description on the ID matched the description of the suspect provided by the victims.
At approximately 8:30 AM, the 46-year-old male suspect called 911 to report that an unknown person had stolen his wallet within the past 10 minutes. The man identified himself by the same name that was on the identification left at the burglary scene. When police contacted the man, he declined to file a report, but officers noticed he was wearing similar clothing as described by the victims, and he was in possession of a dog.
The original burglary victims were brought to the scene where they positively identified the suspect.
The suspect was arrested and later booked into the King County Jail.
Animal Control officers responded to take custody of the suspect’s dog, and may be opening an investigation into possible criminal animal abuse, as there was evidence of recent injuries to the dog.
Detectives will handle the follow up investigation.
5:40 PM: The suspect remains in jail tonight. He does not have any felonies on record in this state, nor any recent arrests.
As the COVID-19 economic crunch continues, the city has just announced a mayoral order extending the moratorium on residential, nonprofit, and small business evictions through year’s end. From the announcement:
… While the moratorium is in place in Seattle, property owners may not issue notices of termination or otherwise initiate an eviction action with the courts unless there is an imminent threat to the health and safety of the community. The order also prohibits late fees, and when paired with Governor Inslee’s proclamation, increases to rent and security deposits are prohibited through October 15. Tenants who receive any eviction notice during the moratorium should contact the Renting in Seattle hotline at 206‐684‐5700 or go online to submit a complaint.
The moratorium on nonprofit and small business evictions impacts independently-owned businesses with 50 employees or fewer per establishment, state nonprofits, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Along with halting evictions, the order also prevents eligible small businesses and nonprofits from incurring late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment during the moratorium.
Residential, nonprofit, and small business tenants who must appear in court should use the moratorium as a defense. If a tenant does not appear in court, the court may grant a continuance to allow the matter to be heard at a later date after the moratorium has lifted. …
The full announcement is here.
(WSB photo from May)
If you’re going to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on Sundays anyway – the nonprofit that operates it is calling again for volunteers:
Volunteer opportunity to support local farms and food access!
The West Seattle Farmers Market is looking for volunteers to help on market days with social distancing protocols and logistics, helping to keep our beloved farmers market running smoothly and safely for all. If you’d like to be a friendly, knowledgeable (masked) face inside the market, please fill out our volunteer application form! Of course, we’ll make sure you have time to shop too!
If you’re new – the market is open 10 am-2 pm Sundays in The Junction, on California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska.
11:17 AM: Got room in your heart and home for a furry friend? The announcement is from Friends of the Animals Foundation – note the pre-application requirement:
Friends of the Animals Foundation will have rescued kittens ready for adoption at our West Seattle outdoor garden adoption event August 22nd (4-7 pm) and 23rd (10 am-1 pm). Kittens have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and treated for parasites.
In order to help keep our volunteers and adopters safe, the event is by invitation only with applications approved in advance. Please email us at info@fafseattle.org for an application and more information.
7:30 PM: FAF says they’ve received a big response so if you don’t get a chance to adopt this time, stand by, because they’re hoping to have more kittens available in September.
THe pandemic means no picnic this summer to celebrate Alki Beach Pride, but the group is presenting two “rollouts” next weekend instead, and you’re invited: 10:30 am Saturday, August 22nd, meet up at Jack Block Park (2130 Harbor SW) for an 11 am car parade to Alki; 1 pm Sunday, August 23rd, meet up at Statue of Liberty Plaza for a skate/bike “rollout” (masked and socially distanced). More details on the ABP website, along with a list of local businesses with which they’ve partnered for specials, plus a map for the August 22nd car parade.
6:12 AM: It’s Friday, the 144th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK/CLOSURES
*Starting at 9 am today – as part of the major Delridge road work to get ready for the RapidRide H Line – SW Genesee is scheduled to close between 25th and Delridge again through the weekend. Here’s the Metro Route 50 reroute plan.
*Also this weekend – more pavement repair in The Junction will close 44th SW between Alaska and Edmunds, Saturday and much of Sunday. Check here for bus reroutes.
*Next 1st Ave. S. Bridge northbound closure is Sunday night – 10 pm-5 am. (Here’s our update on the project.)
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s that camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Still reduced service and distancing – details here.
Water Taxi – Remaining on its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles – see the schedule here.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
New art in progress in The Admiral District! Mission Cantina (2325 California SW; WSB sponsor) has West Seattle muralist Desmond Hansen creating two murals, described by co-proprietor Shawn Padilla:
The artwork includes Día de Los Muertos, a map of Mexico with specific regions where tequila and mezcal come from, a flowering agave plant which includes endangered bottle-nose bats (the agave pollinators), etc. The artwork supports our brand and tells stories about the rich history of the country, culture, food, and spirits.
We’ll be checking back on the progress. P.S. Mission Cantina is open 4-10 pm weekdays, 10 am-10 pm weekends, and has outdoor seating – you can reserve in advance online.
Tonight’s virus-crisis toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*17,204 people have tested positive, up 225 from yesterday
*685 people have died, up 5 from yesterday
*2,073 people have been hospitalized, up 5 from yesterday
*307,132 people have been tested, down 38,191 from yesterday* (see next item)
One week ago, those totals were 16,138/663/2,006/318,926.
TEST-RESULTS-TOTAL DROP EXPLAINED: From the county:
On Aug. 13, the state Department of Health provided an updated negative test total which is part of our daily outbreak summary. In this update, the negative test total for King County was reduced by 38,191. The current number of tests reflects the number of unique individuals tested. We hope to update our counts to also include the number of tests performed by the week of 8/17. Please note that this issue primarily affects negative lab results over the last several weeks, but does not impact the total number of positive tests.
ANOTHER LOCAL DEATH: 98106, which is partly in West Seattle, just recorded its 4th death.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 20.8 million cases worldwide, and the U.S. is a fourth of that, at 5.2 million. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: No big news but he was joined by health officials today. As summarized in a state digest, “Dr. Kathy Lofy from DOH and Dr. Francis Riedo of Evergreen Health in Kirkland (provided) an overview of some of the emerging findings about the longer-term impacts of COVID-19. Dr. Riedo said the sustained effects of COVID-19, including fatigue or loss of taste and smell, make it very different from a common flu when people often feel fully recovered in a relatively short amount of time. Researchers are still learning about the lasting effects.” You can watch the briefing video here.
WEST SEATTLE TESTING TOMORROW: Reminder – the weekly South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) COVID-19 testing now starts and ends earlier than before – 7 am to 1 pm Fridays.
NEED FOOD? Don’t hesitate to accept help if you need it. 2-5 pm Friday, free boxes of food are available at Food Lifeline (815 S. 96th).
GOT PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
The August West Seattle Art Walk is happening now! Above is the YouTube playlist showing you artists and their work. You can also see highlights in this post on the Art Walk website – which also has the list of businesses you can visit to see art until 8 pm (including WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits, 4540 California SW). Second Thursday, every month!
4:17 PM: It’s not mapped yet but that’s where we’ve heard from so far. Anywhere else?
4:20 PM: Mapped now, 3,639 customers out.
4:28 PM: Some traffic signals are out on Roxbury – remember that a dark signal = 4-way stop.
4:33 PM: No official cause yet from SCL but multiple commenters report hearing booms just before losing power.
5:20 PM: A texter tells us Westwood Village is affected. We’ll head over to look soon.
6:04 PM: SCL says 2,200 customers have their power back, while 1,500 are still out.
6:12 PM: The map shows everyone else is back on too. (If you’re not, be sure to let City Light know!)
6:20 PM: Here’s what SCL tells us caused it: “It was caused by a compromised stem cable leading down into an underground feeder. Crews were able to isolate it and restore power.”
(Recent sunset, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
You’ve probably heard another mini-heat wave is on the way. The National Weather Service has confirmed it by issuing an “Excessive Heat Watch” alert for Sunday. The alert warns, “Very hot conditions with afternoon temperatures in the 90s.” Just one extra-hot day, though – the forecast projects a drop into the 80s on Monday.
2:33 PM: Thanks to Barbara for the report: “Police have blocked off Marine View Dr. just north of where SW 100th merges. Power pole is leaning over Marine View Drive.”
3:27 PM: We just went over for an update. Marine View is closed from Roxbury to 106tb. Police say the pole is cleared but downed wires haven’t been, yet.
Thanks for all the tips. We’ve had multiple recent reports of paint vandalism – from tags to specific messages – so it’s time for not only a report but also to revisit what you can do. (Note: We have photos of everything mentioned but WSB policy is to not show graffiti, with few exceptions, such as an investigation when more evidence of a specific vandal’s work were being sought.)
FAUNTLEROY: On the sidewalks around the Endolyne business district’s main intersection – 45th/Wildwood – over the past two nights, someone has stenciled COPS LIVES MATTER in more than 15 spots. In that same area, a resident’s new handmade A-board sign reading BIDEN 2020 had the Democratic candidate’s name painted over and replaced with Trump in blue paint. That sign’s owner says similar vandalism was done to a sign he made for his sister in Seaview.
ALKI: Several spots along the promenade were hit last Thursday night with scrawled messages, mostly in support of “defunding” police. The vandalized spots included the concrete walls atop and alongside stairways, and the brick restroom building near 63rd/Alki.
BEACH DRIVE: A resident who often walks along the north end of Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook – north of the area that’s closed for the seawall project – sent a photo this morning of new tags and other paint vandalism on the concrete wall by the water. Far from the first time, but clearly the work of multiple vandals.
DELRIDGE: Recent paint vandalism at Delridge Skatepark is also not the first time, but a neighbor was particularly angry about the profanity the vandal(s) included, given the park is used by very young skaters as well as teens and adults.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT PAINT VANDALISM: Except for the A-board signs, everything mentioned above is/was on city property. This page explains what can be done – report it online, via the Find It Fix It app, or call the hotline, 206-684-7587. Various city crews are assigned to clean graffiti on city property. On private property, it’s the property owner’s responsibility.
Close call at a West Seattle home: Last night just before 11 pm, we heard the dispatch for suspected gunfire near 9th/Henderson, but didn’t hear whether police found anything, so today we requested the report narrative:
911 received multiple calls reporting possible shots being heard in the area of 9 Ave SW / SW Henderson St. Officers arrived in the area and located spent shell casings in the street. A nearby house had been struck several times, with some of the bullets passing through the home. The occupants of the home were contacted and cooperated with the investigation … SW Patrol processed the scene, took photos and collected evidence. A standby was conducted at the request of the victims to allow them time to pack belongings and leave the area for the night. The Gang Unit was notified.
No one was hit/injured. That’s not the first time for gunfire in the area; our archives include this report from last December.
From Chief Sealth International High School assistant principal Christa Ernst:
Chief Sealth International High School would like to congratulate three seniors from the class of 2020 on winning the Allied Arts Foundation’s prestigious Robert J. Block Awards for Artistic Excellence. The award recognizes Seattle high school students in the areas of visual, theatrical, music or literary arts. Tierra Shaw was awarded for excellence in Visual Arts, Jason Ahmed was awarded for excellence in Music, and Riley Delora was awarded for excellence in Literary Arts. The staff at Chief Sealth is proud of these students for their hard work and dedication to their dedication to their craft.
Find out more about the awards program here; that page also lists winners at the city’s 14 other public high schools, including Caitlin Ward, Thea Pulido, and Ashly Brown from West Seattle High School.
(Osprey, photographed in Arbor Heights by Mark MacDonald)
Lots going on for this Thursday:
DEMONSTRATION: 4-6 pm at 16th/Holden, the twice-weekly streetcorner demonstration organized by Scott from Puget Ridge Cohousing: “Hold signs, meet neighbors, and stand for racial justice.”
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: This month it’s indoor/outdoor AND online. Businesses from Alki to Arbor Heights invite you to visit, starting at 5 pm, and/or you can see work on the WSAW website and YouTube. Your guide to all of it is here.
RECONNECT WEST SEATTLE: Tonight is the “neighborhood check-in” for Highland Park, South Delridge, Riverview, and Roxhill, before project recommendations from the neighborhood-prioritization process go to the Community Task Force next week. It’s happening online, 6-7:30 pm, at this link (Meeting ID: 837 7517 5288)
STREETCAR TALK: Tonight’s the night you can learn about West Seattle’s streetcar past via Words, Writers, and Southwest Stories, as previewed here, 6 pm online. Free; go here ASAP to register.
6:07 AM: It’s Thursday, the 143rd morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK/CLOSURES
*Ongoing – major Delridge road work to get ready for the RapidRide H Line – here’s where they are focused this week. Remember that SW Genesee is scheduled to close between 25th and Delridge again this weekend, starting at 9 am Friday.
*Another 1st Ave. S. Bridge northbound closure tonight – 10 pm-5 am. (Here’s our update on the project.)
*This weekend – more pavement repair in The Junction will close 44th SW between Alaska and Edmunds, Saturday and much of Sunday.
*Southbound Highway 99 tunnel is scheduled to close for maintenance 10:30 pm Thursday-4 am Friday.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s that camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Still reduced service and distancing – details here.
Water Taxi – Remaining on its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles – see the schedule here.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Here’s what’s new in the virus crisis:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*16,979 people have tested positive, 149 more than yesterday
*680 people have died, 1 more than yesterday
*2,068 people have been hospitalized, 15 more than yesterday
*345,323 people have been tested, 5,173 more than yesterday
One week ago, the four totals were 15,946/657/1,992/312,168.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
CHANGE IN STATE DATA REPORTING: From the state Department of Health:
Today the Washington State Department of Health announced COVID-19 testing data will soon be reported using the total number of tests completed. This is a change from the current reporting, which reflects the total number of unique individuals ever tested.
For example, someone who has a negative COVID-19 test result in May then another negative result in July would only be counted once in the current reporting approach. The most recent test would not be included. That means testing data does not fully reflect the actual testing volume or the current test positive rate, since only the first negative result for each person is included.
“This new approach will give us the most complete and current picture of the actual amount of COVID-19 testing happening in our state,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “This also becomes important when comparing Washington state to other states.”
During this transition, the COVID-19 testing dashboards will not be updated and will show preliminary data through August 10 using the old methodology. We estimate this will take at least one week.
FREE TESTING TOMORROW: 8 am-3 pm Thursday, anyone who wants to be tested for COVID-19 is invited to the basketball courts behind Neighborhood House-High Point (6400 Sylvan Way) for free walk-up testing with Neighborcare Health‘s mobile assessment team.
WEST SEATTLE YMCA REOPENING: Announced for next Tuesday.
HOPE LUTHERAN SCHOOL’S PLAN: Some in-person, some online.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Since the state has not issued a universal directive for what schools should do this fall, the plans vary. In addition to Seattle Public Schools – which finalized more details in a meeting this afternoon (followup to come) – other local schools are making their plans official too. So far this week, we’ve heard from Hope Lutheran School in The Junction, which “plans to begin the school year on September 2nd with an in-class learning model for grades preschool through fourth grade, and a hybrid model for fifth grade through eighth grade. … In addition, any K-8 student may choose to enroll instead in the virtual learning model.” Also from the webpage with full details about Hope’s plan is this explanation:
While we considered opening up with the in-class learning model in all grades, the reason for the difference in models is due to three factors: the ability of older students to manage their work with more independence, parent confidence in leaving older students home without supervision at times, and Hope’s overall higher class sizes in the upper grades. While we have the ability to move upper classrooms around to larger spaces, we feel the current class sizes in upper grades are higher than are safe to be together at one time. On the other hand, educational research tells us again and again of the importance of in-class learning for most students, particularly in younger grades where students’ reading skills are less developed and where students are not able to be as proficient in independent learning.
Hope is asking families who want to opt for the all-remote model to do so by next Monday.
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