West Seattle, Washington

11 Friday

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month : 04/2020 332 results

UPDATE: Governor’s next media briefing set for 2:30 today; Western States Pact expands
April 27, 2020 9:03 am
|    Comments Off on UPDATE: Governor’s next media briefing set for 2:30 today; Western States Pact expands
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

9:03 AM: With one week left in the stay-home order, Gov. Inslee has announced a media briefing/Q&A for 2:30 pm today. Looks like the topic will be outdoor recreation, part of what he has said would be likely to reopen soon – the announcement includes this:

The governor will be joined by Hilary Franz, commissioner of public lands; Kelly Susewind, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; and Don Hoch, director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

The live video stream will be here; we’ll carry it too.

9:16 AM: Meantime, an announcement just in from the governor’s office – Colorado and Nevada are joining Washington, Oregon, and California in the Western States Pact, “a working group of Western state governors with a shared vision for modifying stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19,” originally announced two weeks ago.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch, 6th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
April 27, 2020 5:44 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

5:44 AM: 35th morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge. Here are the cameras for the restricted-access low bridge and the 5-way intersection west of it (which was repaved over the weekend):

For general traffic, the main route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) – that’s also the main way to get to I-5, exiting at Michigan. Here are cameras for the bridge and Michigan east of it:

The other option is the South Park Bridge (map), which drops you onto East Marginal Way one mile south of the north end of the 1st Ave. South Bridge. Here’s the South Park camera:

Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed to see if a bridge is opening for marine traffic.

TRANSIT ALERTS: Metro’s reduced schedule is in effect – details here. Also, bus capacity is now restricted … The Water Taxi continues its reduced (and shuttle-less) schedule.

OTHER LINKS

SDOT’s traffic map, with cameras
Our traffic-cams page

Let us know what you’re seeing – comment, or text (not if you’re at the wheel!) 206-293-6302.

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CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 4/26 roundup
April 26, 2020 9:27 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Another day without big headlines in the virus crisis – here’s our nightly roundup:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: The daily update from the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:

*5,912 people have tested positive, up 101 from yesterday

*407 people have died, up 8 from yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 5,172 and 346.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.

MORE COVID-19 SYMPTOMS: From the daily bulletin sent by the state Health Department:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its official list of symptoms that people experience when they get sick from the coronavirus. The symptoms added are: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell. This is in addition to the previous official symptoms: fever, cough, and shortness or breath. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

WILL STAY-HOME ORDER BE EXTENDED? Governor Inslee‘s statewide stay-home order is currently set to expire May 4th, one week from tomorrow. No word yet if he’s planning any announcement or media briefing tomorrow, but if he does, we’ll carry the livestream.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM REOPENS: The Small Business Administration will resume taking applications for these loans at 7:30 am our time tomorrow.

THOUGHT THE ALKI CROWDING WAS BAD? Southern California is having a heat wave, and many of their beaches are supposed to be closed, but (updated) at one that wasn’t …

(Here are the Orange County stats, by the way.)

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Worried about how kids are doing without being able to go to school? Meet a West Seattle second-grader who’s spending some of her time doing something we can appreciate … reporting neighborhood news.

SIGN SIGHTING: For the second consecutive Sunday night, we wrap up the roundup with an Upper Morgan sighting sent by Tamsen Spengler (thank you!)

GOT A PHOTO? INFO? TIP? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice our hotline, 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car break-ins; package theft
April 26, 2020 8:26 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two reader reports for Crime Watch:

CAR BREAK-INS: From Block Watch captain Karen in Hansen View (south of The Mount):

This afternoon (Sunday, 4/26), our neighbor next door told us that her car was prowled last night.

“My car was broken into last night. They opened every compartment, threw stuff everywhere and made a total mess.. I don’t keep anything of value in my car and it was locked. My window is not broken, but they must have used some different tool to get in that bypassed my alarm. Creepy and not cool.”

A few days earlier (Thursday 4/23), another neighbor in the next block reported the following:

“Around 3 am today, one of my neighbors (not part of our block watch) had the window broken in his vehicle and had stuff not of high value stolen. They used an under $5 spring loaded punch available on Amazon and elsewhere that shatters the window with one click. Blow out the window, reach in to avoid opening the door and setting off the car alarm.”

Because the people involved in the Thursday incident were caught on camera, we now know that they spent about an hour prowling our neighborhood. Our neighbor wrote that they “seemed well aware that they were on camera and not the least bit concerned.”

PACKAGE THEFT: The video and report are from Andrew in North Delridge:

We were victims of a package thief. Happened Wednesday afternoon off of 25th Ave SW and Genesee. Unfortunately a common occurrence especially with more people working from home and ordering things online. Not much we can do but thought I’d report it. Took seconds and he was probably scoping the whole neighborhood.

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FOLLOWUP: 5-way intersection repaving done
April 26, 2020 7:18 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

Thanks to Jim Edwards for the photo – that’s how the 5-way intersection (Spokane/Chelan/West Marginal/Delridge) west of the low bridge looked this morning after the second night of repaving. It’s since been striped, and here’s the SDOT cam view of how it looks now:

Lane reconfiguration and signal work was part of the projet too – here’s the SDOT one-sheet (PDF) explainng.

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SPEAK UP! West Seattle Earlybirds’ invitation
April 26, 2020 5:39 pm
|    Comments Off on SPEAK UP! West Seattle Earlybirds’ invitation
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online

The West Seattle Earlybirds chapter of Toastmasters invite you to check out their weekly online meetings! Here’s the announcement:

If you ever wanted to hone your public-speaking skills but never had the time, you can now join the Earlybirds Chapter of Toastmasters. Our normal Friday morning meetings at ArtsWest are now a Zoom event. No participation is required – just check us out for what a fun-loving and inspired group of West Seattleites are doing to increase their speaking skills. We are live each Friday morning at 7:45 – 9:00 am. For information on how to watch a meeting, email westseattleearlybirds650@gmail.com

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NEIGHBORHOODS: Second-grader launches ‘The Daily Excitement’
April 26, 2020 2:49 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

That’s Gwendolyn, editor-in-chief of West Seattle’s newest neighborhood-news publication, with “this week’s issue, hot off the presses,” explains Laurel, who sent the photo and report:

We wanted to let you know about a news publication that has been created in response to the coronavirus shutdown. Gwendolyn, a Gatewood second-grader, has started her own newspaper called The Daily Excitement. It’s a weekly! She has gotten the whole family involved and we also have guest reporters from around West Seattle and as far away as Arizona and Portland. We’ve published 5 issues so far and we are going strong. You can find it at thedailyexcitement.com. and readers can write to us with feedback or submissions at thedailyexcitement@gmail.com. All are welcome.

Five issues are already online! We just browsed the first one; topics include gardening, birding, and cooking, with the last category featuring the headline “Salted Caramel Sauce: Dangerous, or Delicious?”

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BUSINESS UPDATE: Emerald Water Anglers
April 26, 2020 12:57 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

The governor has said that “outdoor recreation” might get clearance to reopen soon. A unique West Seattle business – and longtime WSB sponsor – is ready to help people get ready for some of that. From Emerald Water Anglers:

These are tough times, and we breathe the same breath of uncertainty as everyone else. As we move forward in this new normal, us at Emerald Water Anglers and our growing community want to reach out open arms of encouragement. We will get through this and be better because of it. Please stay safe, healthy, and positive. We are looking forward to being able to fish and continue business as usual soon.

Social Media
Instagram | @ewaflyshop_seattle @emeraldwateranglerswa
Vimeo Video Profile – EWA Vimeo

We are staying very active on our social platforms these days. Answering questions, doing daily events like livestream conversations, contests, and more. We can also offer you a virtual shopping experience. DM us or email us your phone number and we will set up a time to FaceTime with you, walk through the store and ship your new gear to you.

EWA Coffee

We are excited to announce our own private label roast of coffee which can be bought as whole bean or ground to your liking upon purchase. (Click here to purchase)

EWA’s shop is at 42nd/Oregon in The Junction.

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HOW TO HELP: Dozens of local volunteers need your assistance to keep neighbors housed and fed
April 26, 2020 11:18 am
|    Comments Off on HOW TO HELP: Dozens of local volunteers need your assistance to keep neighbors housed and fed
 |   Coronavirus | How to help | West Seattle news

We’ve learned a lot about local nonprofits and their scope during the coronavirus crisis. If you are fortunate enough to be able to assist, rather than needing assistance, here’s another way to do that. From Vicki Quinn, president of St Vincent de Paul‘s Holy Rosary Conference, and Bob Bucci, president of SVdP’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Conference:

During these weeks of enforced isolation, have you wanted to help the thousands of our neighbors here in West Seattle who have been laid off, face an uncertain future and are unable to pay the rent, utilities or even put enough food on the table for their kids?

The St. Vincent de Paul Society has been helping our neighbors here in West Seattle, from the Admiral District down to White Center, for the last 60 years. We reach out to our neighbors through our 65 dedicated local volunteers; pre-pandemic we would always visit with our neighbors in need in their homes to make sure we did not overlook any need that they might have forgotten in their anxiety and stress. These days we try to deliver the same message of compassion and care by phone.

Even before the Covid-19 crisis, the priority for St Vincent de Paul in West Seattle was to keep our neighbors in their homes, to stop evictions and do this by helping pay their rent.

In March 2020, the SVdP Helpline received a staggering 1.079 requests for rent help – 40% more than in February 2020, and a 47% increase over March of last year. Many callers in West Seattle have never called any organization for help before. When we talk to them, our responsibility is to let them feel the compassion and love of our entire community – to let them know that they are not alone and that their community cares deeply about their situation.

At the same time as we have been hit by this wave of need, our income has been hit because church services can no longer be held and therefore donations are down sharply. So, we ask you to please help your neighbor by following this link to make an online donation. Please be sure to select the “Where needed most” box and where you’re asked for the name of the specific conference or program please type in “West Seattle.”

Alternatively, please send a check payable to St. Vincent de Paul Society, write West Seattle in the Memo line and mail it to St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle/King County, 5950 Fourth Avenue South | Seattle WA 98108.

To learn more about SVdP after receiving this, we asked about referrals from 211, the phone number people can call for help and resources. The reply: “St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle | King County has been the largest 2-1-1 referral source for many years, receiving 12,000 to 25,000 referrals annually, more than any of the 1,700 social service agencies in the county. Of course, today those numbers are off the charts.”

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: Online church services, free dinners, donation drive, more…
April 26, 2020 6:34 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle religion

(Miss downtown? Monica Zaborac photographed the Space Needle from Alki with a zoom lens)

Welcome to Sunday! Again this week, we have events to tell you about, starting with West Seattle churches’ online services

ADMIRAL UCC: The video service is here. Also – coffee hour via Zoom at 11:30 am.

ALKI UCC: 10 am online service, via Zoom – info and link on church’s home page.

ALL SOULS SEATTLE (WSB sponsor): Online worship will be posted here

ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CHURCH: Livestreaming here at 10 am.

BETHANY COMMUNITY CHURCH: Livestreaming here, 8 am, 9:30 am, 11 am, 7 pm.

CALVARY CHAPEL: Service will be available via the church’s website, as well as sermon audio, plus 11 am fellowship via Zoom, 6 pm all-church prayer and 7 pm evening worship (info on home page).

EASTRIDGE CHURCH: Livestreaming here at 9 am and 11 am.

FAUNTLEROY UCC: Livestreaming on the church’s YouTube channel at 10 am.

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF WEST SEATTLE: Today’s online liturgy is here.

GRACE CHURCH: Livestreaming here, 10:30 am.

HALLOWS CHURCH: Streaming at 10 am via the church’s YouTube channel.

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH: Livestreaming in English at 8:30 am, en Español at 10 am, all here.

HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH: Livestreaming at 9:30 am here.

HOPE LUTHERAN: Today’s worship service and children’s video are viewable here.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Livestreaming at 10 am, both here.

PEACE LUTHERAN: Livestreaming at 10:30 am on YouTube.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Viewable on YouTube: All Ages Sunday School at 10 am, Morning Prayer at 10:15 am (here’s the bulletin), Kids’ Club at 11:30 am.

TIBBETTS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (WSB sponsor): The video service for today is viewable here.

TRINITY CHURCH: Livestreaming here, 10 am.

WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: The video service is viewable here.

WEST SEATTLE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE: Livestreaming here, 11 am.

WEST SIDE PRESBYTERIAN Livestreaming at 10 am on the church’s YouTube channel.

WESTSIDE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION: Livestreaming via Zoom, 10:30 am.

WESTWOOD CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: Online worship at 11 am; info here.

Any other churches to add? Please email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Also today:

DONATION DRIVE: You’re invited to this dropoff donation drive outside Alki UCC, 10 am-4 pm:

Contributions of non-perishable food and other items will be distributed via the White Center Food Bank; top requests include Canned Meat/Soup/Fruit (pop‐top cans preferred), Rice, Noodles, Peanut Butter, Oats, Toilet Paper, Diapers, Similac Formula, Cleaning Supplies, Hand Sanitizer, and Baby Wipes.

(6115 SW Hinds)

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)

FREE TO-GO DINNER #1: You’re welcome at the KBM Commissary window 4-6 pm for a free family-style meal, as previewed here. (5604 Delridge Way)

FREE TO-GO DINNER #2: High Point Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near High Point Community Center. (6920 34th SW)

Reminder:

NO FARMERS’ MARKET: Though the city gave approval for two other markets to open “modified” versions again this weekend, West Seattle remains closed.

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MAKING MUSIC: 2 West Seattle scenes
April 25, 2020 11:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Two scenes shared by WSB readers, as joy resounds through our neighborhoods, even in these stay-home days and nights:

The photo is from Laura Wood, who explains, “Trombone practice in the sunshine: Henry and Patrick Wood, 15 year old twins from West Seattle High School who really miss playing in their music groups!!”

Below, fiddler Dawn Hepburn joined neighbors on the east side of The Junction in “making a joyful noise” on Friday night:

She was in the Alki Masonic Lodge parking lot, with The Whittaker to the north and east, Broadstone Sky to the west, the 4801 Fauntleroy Apartments and Origins Cannabis (both WSB sponsors) to the south.

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CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 4/25 roundup
April 25, 2020 9:31 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Here’s a short nightly roundup following a quiet Saturday – :

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:

*5,811 people have tested positive, up 122 from yesterday

*399 people have died, up 12 from yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 5,063 and 340.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.

NO WS FARMERS’ MARKET TOMORROW: Though the U-District and Ballard markets opened for a second weekend, the West Seattle market remains closed. No explanation so far.

FREE FOOD TOMORROW: Reminder,the KBM Commissary weekly free meal will be available 4-6 pm Sunday – details here.

FOOD DELIVERY – FOR STUDENTS: In Seattle Public Schools‘ latest message to families, the district says meal distribution will be done along 38 special school-bus routes, in addition to ongoing availability at certain campuses.

IN CASE YOU DIDN”T SEE THE SUNSET … thanks to James Bratsanos for the photo:

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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About those surveillance-video trailers at Westwood Village
April 25, 2020 7:02 pm
|      34 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | Westwood

We’ve gotten lots of questions about the new solar-powered surveillance-video trailers at Westwood Village.

Five are in place around the center. The company that makes them, Utah-based LiveView Technologies, says 3,500 are in use at a variety of sites – construction, energy, retail, government. According to the company’s website and a promotional video, the trailers send streaming video, and have the potential for features from thermal detection to “vehicle recognition.” You might also have noticed they have speakers, so warnings can be delivered (as in this marketing video).

They’ve drawn media attention in other places where they’ve been used or considered – Walmart stores use them under the name Lot Cops, for example. In Eugene, Oregon, the police are considering using them; a cost of $20,000 to $85,000 each was cited in coverage there.

So you’re being watched. But who’s watching? We took that question to Westwood Village management. The center’s managers aren’t allowed to talk with the media, so they sent our inquiry to the communications team at their company, Madison Marquette. The resulting response was basically “no comment”:

Thank you for your inquiry. Because the safety and security of our shoppers, employees, restaurants and retailers is of the utmost importance, we do not share the specifics of our security programs or procedures since doing so could comprise our security efforts.

Right now, many WWV storefronts are vacant or closed by government order, so the security need is different than pre-COVID-19. But it was just a year ago that you might recall police had planned to deploy a monitoring tower at the center and elsewhere; that ultimately never happened.

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SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS: 2 videos to see
April 25, 2020 5:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Your local, independent businesses need you more than ever, whether they’re open, partly open, or entirely closed. Here are two videos about supporting them:

FCA SUPPORTING ENDOLYNE JOE’S: This time of year, Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW) usually has a dine-out fundraiser to support the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. This year, Joe’s needs the support instead – since like other restaurants it’s only allowed to be partly open – so the Fauntleroy Community Association urges you to order lunch and/or dinner there on Tuesday (April 28th), and made this video to explain:

‘SMALL BUSINESS IS FAMILY’: The proprietor of Flourish Beauty, Juniper Nails, and Spruce Apothecary, Tiann Hadeed, made this video not just about her businesses, but “to help educate our clients and community on the importance of supporting small business.”:

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FOUND BICYCLE: Kid-sized
April 25, 2020 4:22 pm
|    Comments Off on FOUND BICYCLE: Kid-sized
 |   West Seattle news

The photo and report are from David:

found a very nice, practically new, white Strider bike in alley behind 3200 block of Avalon Way. I doubt a child would park it by dumpsters. I would like to return it to the owner.

Let us know if it is yours so we can connect you.

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WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: More views of our winged neighbors
April 25, 2020 1:27 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

It’s a bit blustery out today so you might not be going out on that neighborhood-nature walk. No worries – photos we’ve received will bring the wildlife to you! The photos above and below are from Mark MacDonald -above, a Bushtit; below, a Towhee:

Next, the local Golden Pheasant made an appearance in Matt S‘s Charlestown Hill yard:

Kyle Riley in Seaview sent this view he identified as a Red-Tailed Hawk:

Lura Ercolano photographed this Great Blue Heron:

From Brian Michel – you’ll recognize this species:

And Barry J. White shared this video of hummingbirds in a white pine near their home:

(Yes, we asked, and Barry assures us the drone was only used for views of the tree AFTER the nesting babies were gone.)

Thanks to everyone who’s sharing what they’re seeing!

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AVALON/35TH: ‘Substantial completion’
April 25, 2020 11:32 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

As a huge new unplanned project looms, SDOT has announced that another is almost done:

This week we reached substantial completion of the SW Seattle Paving: 35th/ Avalon project! We will not be working next week. We will be returning to the corridor as early as the week of May 4. You will see crews onsite through the month of May as they make final improvements and complete restoration along the corridor. We will be wrapping up construction by making safety improvements to the northbound bus stop at SW Genesee St, completing remaining striping, and finishing any additional minor work.

We will take down our no-parking signs where they are no longer needed. Some no parking signs will be set up as soon as May 4 to begin work at the northbound SW Genesee St bus stop on SW Avalon Way.

Just before work began a year ago, SDOT told us it was expected to last 14 months. The project was announced three years ago, first as a repaving project; a month later, lane reconfiguration was revealed as part of the plan too.

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ROAD-WORK REMINDER: Weekend alerts for 5-way, low bridge, Delridge
April 25, 2020 8:32 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Note the crew at the lower left of that screengrab from the city camera at the 5-way (Spokane/West Marginal/Chelan/Delridge) intersection very early this morning – repaving work got under way overnight, scheduled to continue tonight. That’s part of a variety of work scheduled in that area all weekend – including installation all day today of a new bus lane along the north end of Delridge, between Andover and the low bridge. That bridge itself will have crews working all day as load testing continues. If you’re expecting to travel in any of these areas this weekend, read the full alert so you’ll know what to expect.

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GROCERY STORES: What’s up at West Seattle supermarkets
April 25, 2020 6:30 am
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Time to start Saturday with grocery-shopping updates. The only major change this past week is that Westwood Village QFC has launched curbside pickup; Christine from the store’s e-commerce team told us it’s being rolled out at most QFCs, and that the usual service fee is being waived during the coronavirus crisis. … Hours at local standalone stores, including senior/at-risk shopping hours, stayed unchanged (here’s our standing list). We’re only shopping once a week, so we can’t scout all the stores for you, but readers have reported in each week, and it sounds like the safety measures are getting to be almost universal: Plexiglas, masks, floor spacing, etc. The main variable: Your fellow shoppers. They’re not all masking up, or paying attention to the one-way-aisle markers. (So don’t be THAT shopper!) Looking to avoid crowds? Shop in the first or last hour that your chosen store’s open. And let us know if you discover something new/changed! (Example: West Seattle Thriftway [WSB sponsor] says it has a new supply of garden seeds!)

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West Seattle Transportation Coalition talks bridge-closure ‘mitigation’ with SDOT and Metro
April 24, 2020 11:17 pm
|      54 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Exactly one month after the West Seattle Bridge‘s sudden closure, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition hosted this week’s third community meeting about its effects.

Guests at Thursday night’s online WSTC meeting included Heather Marx and Adiam Emery from SDOT and Chris Arkills and Bill Bryant from Metro. As WSTC chair Michael Taylor-Judd reiterated at the meeting’s start, the focus was on “transportation mitigation” – how is everyone who drove across the high bridge going to get around now?

Marx opened by acknowledging that as a West Seattleite who was also surprised to hear about the bridge, “whatever you’re feeling, I’m feeling too.” She explained that she’s heading the project group – engineering, communications, etc., so if you’re looking for a point person, “I’m the one.” She went through the same slide deck as Wednesday night’s meetings (which in turn was mostly the same as Monday’s City Council briefing and last week’s “might not be fixable” media briefing), including a pitch for signing up for Alert Seattle “because the worst COULD happen.” (Not just bridge-wise.) She also acknowledged the letter SDOT had received from WSTC, and had new slides pointing out actions taken – or planned -from WSTC suggestions. They included:

Read More

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CORONAVIRUS: Friday 4/24 roundup
April 24, 2020 9:45 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

As expected, the governor has given one industry a partial clearance to get back to work, and that tops tonight’s roundup, exactly eight weeks after the first King County COVID-19 case was announced:

GOVERNOR SAYS SOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS CAN RESUME: Gov. Inslee was joined at midday by industry and union reps with whom he said a safety plan had been worked out, in a process that he called a potential template for restarting other industries (no timeframe, though). Our coverage includes the video; here’s the announcement on the governor’s website, including the full list of rules.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:

*5,689 people have tested positive, up 120 from yesterday

*387 people have died, up 3 from yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 4,902 and 331.

2 DEATHS AT THE MOUNT: West Seattle long-term care/assisted-living center Providence Mount St. Vincent announced late today that two residents/patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 have died. (It’s in the zip code with the most deaths of any West Seattle zip code, per the data dashboard – 98126, with 5.)

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.

BENCH BACKTRACK: We reported Thursday that Seattle Parks had installed boards to thwart use of benches along Alki. This morning’s reply to our request for comment said they would leave some open for use by those who needed them. Then this evening, after tips, we went to Alki and confirmed that Parks crews were removing what looked like more than “some” bench barriers:

We were going to go back in the morning to check if they all were being removed, but Parks has just saved us the trouble, tweeting as we wrote this: “Earlier this week the parks department placed barriers at benches to help encourage visitors to keep moving and avoid congregating. Understanding that our seniors and those who are differently abled use benches to temporarily rest, we’ve decided to replace barriers with signs.”

ALSO SEEN ON ALKI: The SPD Mounted Patrol was back today:

Thanks to GT for the photo.

SPEAKING OF THE CITY … they’re capping the percentage that third-party restaurant-delivery services can charge, after the request from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. (At least one local restaurant that’s been totally closed may be able to reopen as a result, we’re told.)

SPEAKING OF FOOD: If you can donate some, Sunday will bring a local donation drive.

NEIGHBORHOOD SIGHTING: Thanks to the texter who sent this:

GOT INFO? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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SCHOOLS: You’re invited to Holy Rosary’s auction – right now!
April 24, 2020 8:22 pm
|    Comments Off on SCHOOLS: You’re invited to Holy Rosary’s auction – right now!
 |   Coronavirus | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another fundraising auction that had to go online because of the coronavirus crisis is happening right now – here’s the announcement from Holy Rosary School:

Due to COVID-19, Holy Rosary School’s annual auction has moved ONLINE. The great news is you don’t need a ticket to participate. EVERYONE IS INVITED! Over 125 items will be up for bid between today and Saturday evening. Closings are staggered, starting at 6:30 pm on Saturday.

In addition to merchandise, getaways and services, Holy Rosary School has two funds available for straight donations. The Holy Rosary Fund A Need will go towards providing scholarships for those students in our community whose families are facing financial hardships due to COVID-19. The Fund A School will assist Holy Family Bilingual School, located only 4 miles from Holy Rosary. Holy Family has been awarded a $1,000,000 building grant from Shea Homes Charities, but they need to raise 5% of these funds in order to secure the grant. More than ever, we need to come together as a community and support each other.

Please consider bidding on items or donating to one of the school funds. If bidding, please read all restrictions thoroughly. Winning bidders will be notified to pick up their items when the Stay at Home has been lifted or shipping is available at the winning bidder’s cost. Thank you in advance for your support.

For additional information, visit the Holy Rosary School website.

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Friday Night Lights, week 2
April 24, 2020 8:02 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news

Thanks to Shannon for the photos from Seaview! f you saw fire trucks/engines and police cars in your neighborhood tonight, flashing their lights and sounding their sirens/horns, that was just the second week of “Friday Night Lights” (explained here).

Also from Seaview, Josie tweeted photos:

We’ll find out next week if they’ll do it again on May 1st.

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