West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
9:58 PM: Hours after last night’s announcement of King County’s first coronavirus (COVID-19) case, today brought news of three more, including the nation’s first death from the new virus. Here are the toplines of what’s emerged since:
KING COUNTY CASES: None reported in Seattle so far, though no location has been given for the one reported last night, a woman in her 50s with a “mild” case. The three additional ones reported today include the person who died, described by Seattle-King County Public Health as “a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions … a patient at EvergreenHealth Hospital [in Kirkland] but not a resident of the long-term care facility..” The other two “are associated with LifeCare nursing facility in Kirkland,” a health care worker in her 40s, currently in satisfactory condition at Overlake Hospital, and a woman in her 70s, a resident at LifeCar, now in serious condition at EvergreenHealth Hospital. Health authorities say they’re expecting more cases because “over 50 individuals associated with LifeCare are reportedly ill with respiratory symptoms or hospitalized with pneumonia or other respiratory conditions of unknown cause and are being tested for COVID-19.”
WHAT’S BEING DONE – KING COUNTY: King County Executive Dow Constantine activated the King County Emergency Operations Center “to coordinate the work of cities across the region.” His news release also announced, “King County Metro has also established an Incident Management Team to develop policy recommendations, operational strategies, and protocols for sustaining Metro operations in all contingencies.” At a media briefing downtown this afternoon, he said buses are being cleaned/vacuumed daily, and that any bus found to have “unsanitary conditions” will be taken out of service to be cleaned again.
WHAT’S BEING DONE – SEATTLE: Mayor Jenny Durkan said her Emergency Executive Board already has been working on the coronavirus response since January, and her news release said “the City will be activating its Emergency Operating Center to ensure continued coordination with our city, local, and state partners.”
WHAT’S BEING DONE – STATE: Gov. Jay Inslee said the state’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated since January; today he issued an emergency proclamation (PDF) “that directs state agencies and departments to utilize state resources and do everything reasonably possible to assist affected communities responding to and recovering from COVID-19 cases.”
WATCH TODAY’S MEDIA BRIEFING: Best archived unedited version we could find:
NATIONAL OVERVIEW: Here’s updated info from the Centers for Disease Control, including recommendations for what you can/should do.
WHICH IS WORSE, CORONAVIRUS OR FLU? The New York Times takes on that question here.
ADDED SUNDAY MORNNG: 2 more King County cases just announced, including one at a downtown Seattle hospital.
ADDED 6 PM SUNDAY: Another update – now 10 cases total, including 2 deaths, in King County. We’ll publish a wrapup of the Sunday developments later this evening. (Note: URL corrected)
Sound Transit and city reps are making the rounds of community meetings with updates on where the light-rail-planning process stands. We’ve covered a few of them already; this past Thursday, the Junction Neighborhood Organization hosted one, so we recorded it on video. Here’s the slide deck that was used by Sound Transit’s Leda Chahim and Jason Hampton:
(Or, see it here in PDF.) While ST reps recapped where the process stands – with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement due out early next year – city reps talked about station development and criteria through which planning will be run, including race and social equity. Questions included how the I-976 situation is affecting planning; so far, it’s proceeding unchanged, while the court action continues to play out.
P.S. If you’re hoping to catch one of these updates/briefings in person, ST is expected to be at the next West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting (March 26th, more details to come).
5:49 PM: Thanks for all the reports! Hail just hit many areas of West Seattle (though it seems to have bypassed us in Upper Fauntleroy – maybe not for long, since we just heard thunder). The photo above is from Rosalie in Admiral Below, some of the reports tweeted at us:
sizable hail here in admiral @westseattleblog pic.twitter.com/UGkx6IRRlH
— liz murdock (@mizmurdock) March 1, 2020
Umm…this is quite a hailstorm. #Seattle #PigeonPoint @WestSeaWx @westseattleblog pic.twitter.com/zVsFXxxp3l
— Dirty Ginger (@wickym) March 1, 2020
Hail in West Seattle @westseattleblog @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/IHn2yuVImE
— KellyD (@kdbokay) March 1, 2020
Thunderstorms were in the forecast we published last night – though NOT in the latest update.
6:03 PM: Must be north-to-south-moving hail – NOW it’s here (got a text from Gatewood, too).
ADDED: Two photos from David Hutchinson showing the skies right after the first wave of hail:
The photo and report are from Holly in Seaview:
Someone vandalized our car, slashing all four tires while it was parked at the corner of Findlay and 47th sometime between 1 pm on the 27th and 11 am on the 29th. No other cars in the vicinity were vandalized. We’ve reported the incident to the police, and it would be great if anyone in the neighborhood could provide information in the comments if they noticed anything.
(WSB photos)
The sun’s out! (For now …) Celebrate with ice cream at the Delridge Grocery Co-op‘s House Party, continuing until 4 pm.
You can see the future store space – where architect Parie Hines of LD Arch Design (WSB sponsor) tells us construction is now 80 percent complete. The “house party” theme today even includes furniture:
Some of the store’s future fixtures are in place – this will be the coffee/water station:
The party’s at 5444 Delridge Way SW. As the store works toward opening, the co-op is continuing to welcome new members – more on that here – and can help you have your own “house party” to get neighbors, family, and friends involved too.
(WSB photos)
Huge event continuing all day at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – the state championships for VEX IQ Robotics! Hundreds of people are filling the gym for the competition:
More than 30 elementary teams (listed here) and a similar number of middle-school teams (listed here) have students participating.
The winners qualify for the national championships in Louisville!
You’re welcome to stop by the STEM K-8 gym and watch – finals are at 3 pm, awards at 3:45 (here’s the schedule).
The school is at 5950 Delridge Way SW; the gym’s on the south side of the building.
Need tools? Get over to the West Seattle Tool Library‘s big almost-spring garage sale! The WSTL’s Christina sent the photo and tells WSB, “We had a big rush this morning, but there are still so many tools looking for new homes! We’re going till 3 or so.” The nonprofit Tool Library – celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! – is on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.
(WSB photos)
12:04 PM: Got a bike, parts, and/or accessories you don’t need any more? Bring them to the lot behind Hope Lutheran (42nd/Oregon in The Junction) by 1 pm for the Bike Works drive that Spencer Mueller is hosting!
40+ bikes so far.
12:29 PM: Added photos. Spencer attends school and church at Hope Lutheran and explained that a service project is required as part of confirmation – he’s “always been passionate about bicycling” and thought about trail-building but decided to do this instead, so Bike Works could fix up donated bicycles and get them to people in need. And thanks to generous WSB readers – Spencer’s dad told us he’s been asking donors how they heard about it, and most cited WSB.
Thanks for the tip. If you’re in the High Point area and without water service, that’s why – a break near the library. A Seattle Public Utilities crew is now on scene but has no estimate on how long repairs will take.
(Hooded Merganser, photographed at High Point Pond by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Leap Day! Here are the highlights:
STATEWIDE ROBOTICS TOURNAMENT: 8:30 am-4 pm (updated end time), Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is hosting the Washington State VEX IQ Robotics Tournament, with more than 40 schools competing. Spectators are welcome. (5950 Delridge Way SW)
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALES CONTINUE: First weekend! Find your nearest cookie sellers here.
TOOL LIBRARY GARAGE SALE: 9 am-3 pm (updated end time), visit the West Seattle Tool Library on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center for some great deals. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
BIKE DONATION DRIVE: 8th grader Spencer Mueller is hosting a donation drive for Bike Works. Donate bikes, parts, accessories. 10 am-1 pm in the lot behind Hope Lutheran.(4456 42nd SW)
CROFT FOREST RESTORATION: 10 am-2 pm, join DNDA in the forest outside Croft Place Townhomes. Help the Longfellow Creek watershed! (Delridge & Holly)
3010-3014 AVALON PROJECT MEETING: 11 am at Delridge Community Center, your chance for early design feedback on a planned eight-story, 87-apartment building. Informal meeting, with coffee and cookies. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
WYATT’S JEWELERS OPEN HOUSE: Noon-3 pm at the locally owned jewelry shop (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village, meet the new owners and the pugs! (2600 SW Barton)
ICE-CREAM PARTY: 2-4 pm, hang out with Delridge Grocery Cooperative in the under-construction store space, enjoy ice cream, find out what’s up with the store and how to help get it open. (5444 Delridge Way SW)
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT: Enjoy a night out and leave the kid(s) in the care of West Seattle High School students who are doing this as a fundraiser. Details in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)
AUTHOR EVENT: At Paper Boat Booksellers, 6 pm, Matt Kracht, author of “The Field Guide To Dumb Birds Of North America.” (6040 California SW)
WEST END GIRLS: 7 pm drag spectacular at The Skylark. $13 admission. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
‘BOOGIE WOOGIE WIZARD’: That’s what they call Arthur Migliazza, who’s at the Kenyon Hall Steinway tonight, 7:30 pm. Ticket info’s in our listing. (7904 35th SW)
‘THE BOOK CLUB PLAY’: Second night for Twelfth Night Productions‘ play: “Loads of laughter and literature collide in this smart hit comedy about books and the people who love them.” 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Tickets here or at the box office. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
BRAZILIAN CARNIVAL: 8 pm-midnight at Pacific Room on Alki:
Come party with us Brazilian style! En Canto is throwing a Brazilian Carnival featuring the irresistible dance rhythms of Northeast Brazil: Forró, Baião, Xote, and yes, even some Samba! Live music with En Canto, Seattle’s own Brazilian orchestra, and guest artist Felipe Hostins Accordion- a brilliant New York-based musician known for his tour-de-force performances. Daniel Santos of Bahia In-Motion will bring the spirit of carnival to the dance floor, leading everyone in fun moves. Joe Ferreira, “the Rio dancer” of Portland will perform a playful samba de malandro, and Lara Diniz of Forró in Seattle will give a lesson in forró dancing, and will also lead a carnival dance line! During band breaks, Lara as DJ will treat us to her top picks for dance songs. (Oh, and did we mention caipirinhas?!)
Get your ticket here. (2808 Alki SW)
(WSB photo)
12:21 AM: A Seattle Fire response is on the way to a house near 47th and Graham in Seaview. Updates to come.
12:24 AM: Units arriving confirm it’s a “working fire.”
12:28 AM: One person brought out of the house is being evaluated.
12:30 AM: The fire is reported to be under control.
12:42 AM: One person is being taken to the hospital by private ambulance (which indicates non-life-threatening injuries).
12:54 AM: The scene commander tells us that what caught fire in the house was “rubbish” and damage wasn’t major – lots of smoke, and smoke inhalation is why a man who was inside is being taken to Harborview to be checked out.
10:55 PM: Lots of questions about the big emergency response in that area, with Admiral Way blocked at the bridge over Fairmount Ravine. Please avoid the area. Police are dealing with a person in crisis.
11:31 PM: The person is reported to be safe now. The scene isn’t clear yet, though, so continue avoiding that section of Admiral Way.
12:30 AM: The scene is clear and the road fully reopened.
A reminder: 24-hour crisis help is available via Crisis Connections, 866-427-4747
10:07 PM: Tonight health authorities announced two new presumed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our state, including the first one in King County. So it’s time for us to start reporting on it. First, here’s what’s new. From the Public Health/Seattle-King County announcement:
Today the Washington State Department of Health announced a positive test result for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in a King County resident. The individual, a woman in her fifties, had recent travel to Daegu, South Korea. The resident is in home isolation and has mild illness.
Public Health – Seattle & King County is working to identify and contact those who may have come in contact with the confirmed case.
This is the first known case of novel coronavirus in King County.
Authorities did not say where in King County the patient lives. Also announced at tonight’s briefing, a new presumed case in Snohomish County, described as a juvenile patient whose school, Jackson High School in Everett, is closing for three days for cleaning. They don’t know how the teen was exposed to the virus.
The two cases announced tonight are the second and third in our state.
QUESTIONS? The state Health Department has set up “a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, please call 800-525-0127 and press #.
The state’s news release includes this advice:
How can you prevent the spread of COVID-19? Prevention starts with practicing good personal health habits:
-Wash your hands often with soap and water,
-Stay home when you’re sick,
-Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue,
-Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
-Getting plenty of rest, drinking fluids, eating healthy foods, and managing your stress can help you prevent getting COVID-19 and recover from it if you do.
Authorities stress that so far, risk is low, and – as with the aforementioned King County case – most cases are mild. Common questions are answered hee; The main Public Health-Seattle/King County infopage about the coronavirus situation is here. Lots of info from the state Health Department can be found here.
P.S. We’re creating a new coverage category, so any coronavirus (COVID-19)-related story we publish will be findable here.
11:25 AM: More King County cases are being announced today, including a death (on the Eastside, according to The Times).
1:25 PM: From today’s news release (we’ll likely publish a daily update later):
Public Health – Seattle & King County, Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reporting today four presumptive positive cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), including one person who died.
Two of the confirmed cases are associated with LifeCare nursing facility in Kirkland, King County, Washington:
– One is a health care worker from LifeCare. She is a woman in her 40s, is currently in satisfactory condition at Overlake Hospital, and she has no known travel outside the United States.– The second case, a woman in her 70’s, is a resident at LifeCare and is in serious condition at EvergreenHealth Hospital.
In addition, over 50 individuals associated with LifeCare are reportedly ill with respiratory symptoms or hospitalized with pneumonia or other respiratory conditions of unknown cause and are being tested for COVID-19. Additional positive cases are expected.
The death occurred in a patient at EvergreenHealth Hospital but was not a resident of the long-term care facility.Public Health – Seattle & King County is current working with LifeCare to provide care for ill patients while protecting uninfected patients. The CDC is sending a team of epidemiologists to King County to support our efforts to identify, isolate and test all of those who may be at risk because of these new cases.
That’s Nathan Tavel, an 8-year-old second-grader at Arbor Heights Elementary School, who tore up Lane 10 at West Seattle Bowl tonight with pretty much two nonstop hours of bowling to raise money for the West Seattle Food Bank. His proud dad and mom Phil and Gina were among those cheering him on:
Phll told us Nathan’s been bowling since he was four years old. He’s been known to bowl at such a lightning pace, he can pack 32 games into an hour. Tonight, as previewed, he challenged teams to bowl against him for one or both hours – if his pin total beat theirs, they promised to donate at least $100 to WSFB. No word yet on the results but three lanes were competing with him while we were there!
James Bratsanos caught tonight’s sunset sunbreak in the view above; below, @WestSeaWx explained it via Twitter:
Back edge of cold front across the sound w/some ragged mammatus filling closely behind.@NWSSeattle @westseattleblog pic.twitter.com/A2UZISq3ki
— WestSeattleWx (@WestSeaWx) February 29, 2020
As for the weekend ahead, the forecast suggests a varied menu – breezy overnight, more rain off and on, maybe even some thunderstorms tomorrow.
As noted in our daily highlights, this is Day One of this year’s Girl Scout Cookie sales. And the return of the rain is NOT getting in the way:
Thanks to @patrickgerding for tweeting that photo from Seacrest, where Troop 44428 is selling cookies right now. Meantime, while out on errands, we found Troop 41196 at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – Mira and Margaret were by the south door:
Many other locations – use the lookup to find locations and times. New cookie this year, if you haven’t heard – Lemon-Ups have joined the lineup. This year’s cookie sales continue through March 15th.
Marked on those map are West Seattle’s Emergency Communication Hubs, designated sites where volunteers would coordinate communication in case of a catastrophe that disrupted normal methods. On this 19th anniversary of the 6.8-magnitude Nisqually Earthquake, memorizing your nearest Hub location – and ensuring your family knows it too – is one quick preparatory step you can take to prepare in case of The Really Big One. Not seeing one near where you live? Here’s how to change that.
That’s the design packet (PDF) by JW Architects now posted for the mixed-use project planned at 9037 35th SW [map]. It’s going through Administrative Design Review, so no public meeting, but it is open for public comment.The project is described in the packet as:
The project team is proposing to demolish an existing single family residence, in order
to construct (1) 13,919 sf apartment building with (25) SEDU units and 839.24 sf of commercial space on the ground level. Vehicle Parking provided in on-grade garage, with bike parking provided in centrally located secure bike room.Height: 55’
Parking: (6) Vehicle Stalls
(25) Bike Stalls – Long Term
(2) Bike Stalls – Short Term
SEDU means Small Efficiency Dwelling Unit, the city’s term for microapartment. Wayne Farrens is the assigned city planner, so if you have feedback, send it to wayne.farrens@seattle.gov. We noted the project’s previous phase of Design Review in June 2018; HALA MHA has upzoned the site from 40′ to 55′ in the meantime.
March 16th is when family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Morgan Herzog, The Beer Junction‘s founder, whose passing was reported here last month. Here’s the remembrance his family is sharing with the community:
Morgan Herzog died peacefully at his West Seattle home on January 30, 2020 from Multiple Myeloma.
Born on May 29, 1981, Morgan was the youngest son of Rick and Diane Herzog. He attended King’s Elementary, Lake Forest Park Elementary, Kellogg Middle School, and graduated from Shorecrest High School in 2000. In high school, Morgan worked as a landscaper and saved to buy a truck to start his own landscaping business, which he continued while he attended college at the University of Washington.
Morgan graduated from UW with a BA in Business in 2004 and a Masters of Accounting in 2005. After graduating college, he moved to West Seattle, where his father and his aunt had been raised and where he had fond memories of visiting as a child. He began his career working at the accounting firm KPMG and earned his CPA license in 2009. At KPMG, Morgan would meet some of his closest friends and fall in love with his future wife, Allison. He was known for his sense of fun and the parties that he would throw on his deck near Alki. His time at the firm furthered his analytical thinking and patient leadership style, and he had deep respect for the partners and managers who mentored him.
After five years at KPMG, he continued to think back at the fulfillment he had running his own landscaping business. After a January day sampling beer at the Porterhouse in West Seattle with Allison, he thought about how there wasn’t a place to buy packaged craft beer in his neighborhood. By the end of March, he had signed a lease for a storefront, and on July 3, 2010, he opened The Beer Junction at its original location. For the first year, he ran the store largely by himself. He worked long hours and took a risk, combining his love for beer with his desire to run his own business, and he made his dream come true. Morgan would continue to grow The Beer Junction, moving to a larger location and adding draft beer in 2012. He treasured the friendships he developed in the Seattle beer community and the West Seattle community as a whole.
Morgan was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2017. He underwent treatments on and off since his diagnosis, but he wanted to continue his life as normal as possible. In late January, Morgan’s prognosis suddenly became grave. He took great comfort in the company of his loving family, and in being able to return to the home which he loved one final time. Allison and his brother, Nate, were there by his side at the moment he left us.
Morgan will be remembered for his sense of humor and endless knowledge of Seinfeld trivia, his laugh, his work ethic, and his kindness. He loved tennis, traveling, camping, grilling, his deck, 80’s movies, sandwiches and beer. He is loved and missed.
Morgan is preceded in death by his parents, Rick and Diane Herzog, and uncle, Dennis Drain. He is survived by his wife, Allison; brother, Nathan; and aunts and uncles Deborah & Steven Bessette, Dave Drain, Marsha Drain, and Dale & Tina Drain; as well as many cousins.
A celebration of Morgan’s life will be held at West Seattle Christian Church on Monday, March 16 at 4:30 p.m. Remembrances may be given to Fred Hutch for Multiple Myeloma research or Southwest Youth & Family Services.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Red-necked Grebe, photographed by Matthew Olson)
Here’s what’s happening for the rest of today/tonight – highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you can always see even more):
WEST SEATTLE GARDEN CLUB: Today’s meeting at Daystar (WSB sponsor) is just starting, 10:30 am-2 pm, but you are invited to stop by for any part of it, including the featured discussion about carnivorous plants. (2615 SW Barton)
COUNCILMEMBER’S OFFICE HOURS 2-7 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, you can drop in to talk with City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. (4217 SW Oregon)
CIDER SALES: 4-5:30 pm near the Fauntleroy ferry line/south end of Lincoln Park, look for Taproot School students selling cider to raise money for Immigrant Families Together. (Fauntleroy Way SW/SW Cloverdale)
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALES BEGIN: This afternoon! Find your nearest cookie sellers here.
2ND GRADER BOWLS TO FIGHT HUNGER: As previewed here, tonight at West Seattle Bowl, 6-8 pm, it’s 8-year-old Nathan Tavel‘s bowling challenge to help the West Seattle Food Bank. (39th SW/SW Oregon)
OPEN MIC LAUNCH PARTY: Tonight you can be part of the first-ever edition of Highland Park Improvement Club‘s new Open Mic, doors open 6:30 pm, performances 7-8:30 pm, with your host Dina Lydia. (1116 SW Holden)
GARY BENSON: 7-9 pm, live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), all ages, no cover. (5612 California SW)
‘THE BOOK CLUB PLAY’: Opening night for Twelfth Night Productions, promising: “Loads of laughter and literature collide in this smart hit comedy about books and the people who love them.” 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Tickets here or at the box office. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
NICOLE WALTERS: Live music at the Pacific Room on Alki, 8-10 pm. Show and cover info here. (2808 Alki SW)
*NEW DATE: MAY 1ST*
Got plans for Saturday night next weekend? Go back in time and help local students get ahead! Here’s the invitation:
Madison Middle School’s Roaring ’20s Gala
Come Join Us For an Evening of Fun, Food, and Fundraising!
Saturday, March 7th from 5:30-11:00 PM at the beautiful The Sanctuary at Admiral- we’d love to have you participate!
Visit our website for tickets, to make a donation, and learn more about our mission.
Thank you for supporting our group and our goals!
for questions, email: fundraising@madisonptsa.com
Fun fact– Madison Middle School & The Sanctuary both opened in the 1920s!!
(The venue is a former church, designated a city landmark in 2009.)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:10 AM: Good morning! No alerts or incidents to report.
TUNNEL REMINDER: The SB Highway 99 tunnel is scheduled to close 10 pm-8 am tonight into Saturday morning for repair work.
Toplines from last night’s meeting of HPAC, the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge:
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS OVERVIEW: Osbaldo Hernandez Sahagun is the South Region community-engagement coordinator for this city department (one of 4, where years ago there were 14). He presented overviews of key DoN initiatives such as the department’s funding opportunities – Your Voice, Your Choice (more on that later); the Healthy Food Fund (funded by the Sweetened Beverage Tax), Small Sparks Fund (for small community-building projects up to $5,000), Community Partnership Fund (up to $50,000, three application deadlines a year). Leadership training, too:
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