West Seattle, Washington

11 Friday

48℉

month : 04/2020 332 results

FOLLOWUP: 2 deaths at Providence Mount St. Vincent, and what second round of coronavirus testing revealed
April 24, 2020 6:02 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | Health | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, last week)

Two Providence Mount St. Vincent residents/patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. The Mount announced that in an update sent today, eight days after announcing that 15 residents/patients and 10 caregivers there had tested positive. At the time, The Mount said a second round of testing was planned, and this update includes news on that:

Thank you to our West Seattle friends, neighbors, and family members of The Mount for continuing to express care and concern for the residents, patients, and caregivers at The Mount. We have been humbled by the outpouring of love we have received in the form of handmade masks, deliveries of flowers and goodies as well as messages of support. We hope you know how much this all means.

Thanks to Providence ExpressCare, we did a second round of COVID-19 rapid testing this week where we tested 732 residents/patients and caregivers. Due to the tremendous work of our team, we are doing an excellent job at controlling the spread of COVID-19 by caring not only for our patients and residents, but also in taking care of each other. The results of our second round of testing show a stabilization of the spread of COVID-19.

One new resident/patient tested positive and two caregivers tested positive. Additionally, several of those patients/residents who previously tested as positive, are now in the process of clearing with first step negative test results. These will be confirmed with a second test. Today there are 8 residents/patients who are positive for COVID 19. Caregivers will be cleared to return to work through caregiver health.

We are deeply saddened that two of our residents/patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. These two individuals were cherished members of The Mount family and our collective hearts are broken. We extend our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones and we are keeping them in our prayers in their time of loss.

The safety and well-being of our residents, patients, their families and our caregivers remains our top priority, especially at this time. Even with signs of improvement, we will not let our guard down as we know how quickly this virus can spread. Our heightened infection control protocols, including the use of appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE), remain in place and we continue daily monitoring of all residents, patients, and caregivers for any signs of illness. COVID-19 has our full attention and we are committed to protecting everyone in our care. We will continue to share updates with the community as needed.

The Mount (4831 35th SW) is West Seattle’s largest long-term-care/assisted-living facility, with other programs on site including the Intergenerational Learning Center day care.

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FOLLOWUP: After West Seattle Chamber of Commerce request, city caps third-party restaurant-delivery fees
April 24, 2020 4:08 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Last night, we reported on the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s letter to the City Council asking for a cap on third-party restaurant delivery fees, noting that other cities have taken similar actions. This afternoon, Mayor Jenny Durkan, City Council President Lorena González, and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold just announced an emergency order to do just that – and more. Here’s the announcement:

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Council President M. Lorena González, and Councilmember Lisa Herbold today announced a new Emergency Order to impose a 15 percent commission cap on third-party delivery services. The necessary statewide ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order has caused restaurants to rely solely on delivery and takeout services for revenue, and many restaurants use third-party delivery services to meet the needs of their customers and keep their staff safe. The 15 percent commission cap will remain in place until restaurants are allowed to offer unrestricted dine-in service in the City of Seattle.

“We know that so many of our small businesses are hurting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that delivery services have been a lifeline for our restaurants during this unprecedented time. Unfortunately, some third-party delivery services are charging exorbitant commission fees, which exacerbates the financial hardship many restaurants are already experiencing,” said Mayor Durkan. “This commission cap will be critical to ensuring that delivery and takeout remain viable options and don’t cause increased financial hardship. At the City, we’re doing everything we can locally to support our small businesses during this unprecedented moment in history. We’ve identified millions of dollars to invest directly in our most vulnerable small businesses and are working with our partners across government and in the private sector to help many who are struggling. With many of our neighborhood restaurants still open, we can support our small businesses by ordering pickup or delivery during this time.”

“Our beloved main street restaurants are reeling from this economic crisis and exorbitant delivery service charges further threaten their ability to weather this storm. Restaurant owners across Seattle have adapted their business models to delivery or takeout only service, resulting in the unemployment of thousands of service industry workers and even thinner margins for these important small businesses. With tight margins, every dollar paid to an app-based delivery service is a dollar taken from our local restaurants, economy and workforce. We know some of these corporations are imposing inflated fees and profiting from this crisis on the backs of our main street. We cannot allow that to happen. This Emergency Order will provide much needed relief and establish a system that is more fair and equitable to our restaurants,” said Council President M. Lorena González.

Councilmember Herbold, representing Seattle’s District 1, thanked the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce for their early advocacy on this issue and recognized that the West Seattle Chamber shared their members’ experiences of these apps unfairly charging local businesses 30 percent on deliveries. The West Seattle Chamber has written that these apps have been “using this opportunity during the COVID-19 challenge to tell consumers that using their services are helping small businesses when the only one benefiting from these programs are these corporations.”

Restricting restaurants to takeout and delivery service disproportionately impacts small, independently-owned or minority-owned businesses that already operate on thin margins, adding to financial pressures in the industry that predate the current public health crisis. Many residents support local restaurants by using third-party, app-based delivery services, and these third-party platforms charge commission to restaurants based on the purchase price. Each service agreement between restaurants and third-party companies varies, but some include commissions that are 30 percent or more of the purchase price. These unregulated charges place an undue burden on small business owners and require some of them to turn over a significant percentage of their badly-needed revenue to a third-party.

To further protect delivery drivers who, as independent contractors, are often shut out of federal unemployment relief, the Emergency Order requires that 100 percent of tips go to the drivers, and it includes provisions to make clear that it is illegal for a third-party platform to reduce driver compensation rates as a result of this order going into effect for the duration of the order.

“Marination and Super Six currently rely on takeout and delivery in order to have an opportunity to survive in this new economic environment. Because so many of these platforms charge such high fees, we have started to handle all takeout and delivery orders in-house. But this commission cap will allow us to transition to a third-party delivery service without facing further financial stressors and allows third-party platforms and restaurants to do what they do best,” said Kamala Saxton, co-owner of Marination and Super Six.

The 15 percent commission cap will take effect immediately and will remain in place until restaurants are allowed to offer unrestricted dine-in service. Violating the 15 percent commission cap is a misdemeanor offense and would be prosecuted by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. Restaurants who wish to report a violation of the commission cap should call the Seattle Police Department’s non-emergency line at 206-625-5011.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Tool theft; two dumped-possibly-stolen bicycles
April 24, 2020 3:06 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

TOOL THEFT: Via text:

This guy stole tools from my work van on SW Orchard St. [in Gatewood] at 9:30 AM. Be on the look out. We did call the SPD and have sent these pictures. Our tools are a large jack hammer in black case and Milwaukee cordless rotohammer with cordless rotohammer Vacuum separate cases. Husky socket set and two Milwaukee parts boxes with miscellaneous parts. All tools and cases have green paint on them. I’d like to thank Jon G, a neighbor, for the pictures.

SPD incident number is 20-136459.

ABANDONED BIKE #1: Scott spotted this next to the future park at 48th/Charlestown:

ABANDONED BIKE #2: No photo, but John spotted a men’s Raleigh bike in the 4700 block of 25th SW.

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OPEN! More updates to our West Seattle restaurant/beverage-biz list
April 24, 2020 1:45 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

After more than five weeks, we’re still updating our list of West Seattle restaurants (and other prepared-food providers) and beverage businesses, as hours change and some reopen (as of today, A La Mode Pies in The Junction joined the latter category). See the list of 140+ businesses by going here. Thanks to everyone who continues to send us updates – both restaurateurs/staffers and customers – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/call 206-293-6302.

P.S. Some other lists have sprung up too; one that’s exclusively local, and locally created, is westseattle.delivery. The West Seattle Junction Association also has a list on its website.

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UPDATE: Governor announces some construction work can resume
April 24, 2020 11:32 am
|      56 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

11:32 AM: Gov. Inslee is having another news-media briefing right now, scheduled to be joined this time by building-industry representatives. Click into the live coverage above; we’ll be adding notes as it goes.

He opens by thanking people for continuing to follow “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” and cites various polls showing support for it, while declaring that it’s “working” by saving lives. He then goes on to say “we’ve found a way (for) low-risk construction that’s under way to resume.” He says a working group came up with recommendations to shape that and expects it to be “a good template” for other industries. But he says he still can’t say “when other businesses could reopen. … The day of reopening our whole economy is not today … it would be way too dangerous.”

11:40 AM: He outlines the safety plan for construction sites, including that “if it can’t be done with social distancing, it can’t be done.” Every jobsite will have to have a safety supervisor.

For other industries, he says, his office and the Department of Commerce “will convene stakeholder groups” to come up with plans.

11:47 AM: After a few statements from building-industry group reps, it’s on to Q&A. First Q: How many projects will be able to resume? Probably most, but the plan addresses “types of tasks” that can be done safely, rather than types of projects, one rep replies. Second Q is about test-kit availability, and the governor says he’s continuing to work on that. Third Q, when will this enable resumption of some construction work? As soon as the governor signs the order, later today.

In response to another question, he repeats that data and science will drive when other industries can reopen, and says that “probably tomorrow” that data will be discussed in detail. On the next followup, he repeats that the aggressive measures were necessary to “bend the curve … We now have bent the curve,” but reopening the rest of the economy has to be “an incremental process.” But “if we push that green button too soon, a lot of people are going to die.”

What will reopen next? As he said earlier in the week, they’re looking at elective surgery and outdoor recreation.

12:06 PM: The briefing/Q&A is over. The video should be available for playback above shortly; we’ll also add any links that become available with details of the governor’s construction-industry order.

3:11 PM: Here’s the governor’s post, with more details.

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FOLLOWUP: More 25-mph speed-limit signs going up in West Seattle
April 24, 2020 11:10 am
|      82 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

Thanks to everyone who has tipped us about SDOT crews installing 25-mph speed-limit signage – including that photo from 35th SW near SW Ida, sent this morning by Jennifer. So much has hapened theee past few months that you might not remember the city announced the change last December (here’s our report), saying it would be making the change “on major streets citywide” because serious-injury crashes were going up. The signage installation has just accelerated here, mentioned in two of this week’s West Seattle Bridge closure-related meetings as an emphasis along streets that are getting more usage because of bridge-related detouring.

(WSB photo: Newly installed sign on EB Thistle east of California – the small flags preceded the installation)

We asked SDOT about the new wave of sign installation and received this reply (which did not acknowledge that installation HAS resumed):

Since the beginning of the year we’ve installed new 25mph speed limit signs on Alki Ave SW and Harbor Ave SW. This work was completed in March.

We were just beginning to get started with sign installations in West Seattle when we temporarily paused this work city-wide due to the COVID-19 emergency response effort and the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. When work resumes, we will finish installing signs throughout West Seattle, prioritizing the corridors with the highest traffic volume increase due to the West Seattle Bridge closure.

This work is especially important to the area right now because about a quarter of the time we spend sitting in traffic is due to crashes. In other parts of the city, we’ve seen as much as a 35% – 45% reduction in crashes after installing 25 mph speed limit signs on comparable streets, so we expect that these 25 mph speed limits will be an essential part of our plan to keep West Seattle moving.

In our followup on the December announcement, SDOT told us the signage would eventually be installed along all arterials citywide, plus: “Over the next two years, the Seattle Police Department will also double the number of red-light cameras and add safety cameras at five new school zones. SPD will provide 1,200 additional hours of enforcement on high-injury streets focused on giving warnings and driver education.”

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HOW TO HELP: Donation drive outside Alki UCC on Sunday
April 24, 2020 10:29 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | How to help | West Seattle news

(Photo courtesy Alki UCC, April 12th)

That’s part of what was donated outside Alki UCC on Easter Sunday two weeks ago, and they’ve sent a reminder that you have another chance this Sunday:

Thanks to our community’s generosity, Alki United Church of Christ (Alki UCC) will once again be accepting donations outside our building for an In-Person, Socially-Distanced Food Drive this Sunday, April 26 from 10:00 am to 4:00 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.

The drive will benefit our vulnerable neighbors in need, those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID 19. The food drives will continue every other Sunday (May 10 and 24) until further notice. Check alkiucc.org for updates.

The church is at 6115 SW Hinds.

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Remembering Tom Kintner, 1946-2020
April 24, 2020 9:04 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Tom Kintner, and sharing this remembrance with the community:

Thomas Charles Kintner
7/9/1946 – 4/6/2020

Thomas C. Kintner passed away at his home in Seattle on April 6, 2020, at the age of 73. He was a loving
husband, father, granddad, brother, uncle, and friend.

He was born on July 9, 1946 in Seattle to Dr. William C. Kintner and Dorothy “Jane” Kintner (Hilton). He was a lifelong resident of Seattle, initially growing up in West Seattle, then moving to Burien. He graduated from Glacier High School in 1965 and joined the US Air Force Reserves. He was a master at building, repairing, restoring, and painting old cars and motorcycles. He worked for various body shops and became a qualified machinist and welder. He switched gears and entered the music industry as a sound man, meeting and working with a few famous musicians, one of them being BB King, who he remembers sitting and talking with for a couple of hours. He was an accomplished finish carpenter, metal refinisher, and worked on projects during the building of Safeco Field. He loved to tinker and was incredible talented at building anything.

Tom made friends everywhere he went and had a lifelong following like a “Pied Piper.” His friends often gathered in his garage to watch him work on his cars, build motorcycles, craft something out of wood, metal, or plastic or just listen to rock or country music that blared as he worked. Tom was a jovial, happy person all his life. He enjoyed family reunions, vacations at Birch Bay and Hawaii (especially his and Carolyn’s 22-mile hike of the Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai), restoring his 1955 Chevy Handyman Station Wagon, 1966 Chevy 300 Deluxe, and remodeling his house. Tom was a member of the International Kart Federation and raced for 10 years, winning many races nationally and internationally, including NW Division Champion in 1979. He loved to race karts and a catamaran sailboat with his friends and brother Peter. Tom also loved to golf.

His generosity to those less fortunate was one of his finest qualities and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife Carolyn; daughters Julie, and Marni; grandchildren Asheley and Evan; and his brother Jim (Marylynn). He is pre-deceased by his parents, Dr. William C and Jane Kintner, and his older brother, Peter.

A memorial will be held at a later date, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For further inquiries, contact
ckintner2020@gmail.com. To share memories of Tom, please visit: www.EmmickFunerals.com/obituary/Thomas-Kintner

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT: Friday watch, 5th week of West Seattle Bridge closure, with weekend work ahead
April 24, 2020 5:53 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

5:53 AM: 32nd 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:

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.

ROAD WORK ALERT: SDOT plans weekend work repaving the 5-way intersection (Chelan/Spokane/Delridge/West Marginal) along with some lane reconfiguration there and on the north end of Delridge Way.

TRANSIT ALERTS: Metro’s third round of service cuts has a further-reduced schedule 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
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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CANCELED: 2020 Delridge Day – but organizers keep its giving going
April 24, 2020 12:28 am
|    Comments Off on CANCELED: 2020 Delridge Day – but organizers keep its giving going
 |   Coronavirus | Delridge | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

One more summer-event cancellation has been announce: Delridge Day. But the community group that makes it happen has found a way to ensure the festival’s gifts are given anyway. From Pete Spalding:

After much discussion, thought and contemplation of options. Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle (VIEWS) has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 edition of the Delridge Day Festival.

One of the things that VIEWS prides itself on is our commitment to giving back to the community that supports us. As you might be aware. we make donations each year after Delridge Day to help support community organizations. We have made the decision to dip into our reserves this year to continue to support vital community organizations that are on the front lines in helping our neighbors during this crisis. So we are making our own stimulus payments to:

$1,200 West Seattle Food Bank
$1,200 White Center Food Bank
$1,200 Southwest Youth & Family services

VIEWS plans at this point include a Gathering of Neighbors event during the first quarter of 2021. A part of this event will be a segment where we plan on recognizing the Heroes of Delridge who are making a difference during this crisis situation that we are going through right now.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to the 2021 edition of the Delridge Day Festival on the second Saturday of August.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash north of Morgan Junction
April 23, 2020 10:34 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Thanks to the texter who sent that photo of a crash that is blocking northbound California near Juneau right now. Apparently no serious injuries – SFD was briefly on scene.

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CORONAVIRUS: Thursday 4/23 roundup
April 23, 2020 9:40 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

The governor’s making an announcement tomorrow morning, and that tops tonight’s roundup:

GOVERNOR’S NEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: It’s set for 11:30 am Friday, and you can guess the subject from the guest list:

The governor will be joined by Greg Lane, executive vice president, Building Industry Association of Washington and Mark Riker, executive secretary of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council.

Gov. Inslee had said earlier this week that a resumption of residential construction was likely soon. You can watch his remarks and media Q&A via livestream here.

BUT WHAT ELSE IS AHEAD? From the state Health Department‘s daily bulletin:

Our epidemiological data suggest that COVID-19 activity peaked in Washington at the end of March. While activity declined during early April, this decline may have slowed during the past week. Data from the past week are always preliminary and difficult to interpret so we will not fully understand these data for another week. The public health system in Washington is currently responding to outbreaks of COVID-19 in long term care settings, homeless shelters, food processing plants and among agricultural workers.

The Department of Health has convened an expert group of modelers to analyze our epidemiologic data. This group predicts with a high degree of confidence that relaxation of social distancing conditions to pre-covid19 levels will result in a sharp increase in the numbers of cases after 2 weeks. The group also believes that current diagnosis counts are still too high to lessen social distancing measures within the next two weeks.

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

*5,569 people have tested positive, up 120 from yesterday

*384 people have died, up 5 from yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 4,809 and 320.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: More than 2 million cases. See how that breaks out, nation by nation, here.

‘KEEP IT MOVING’ = NO SITTING: A new level of restrictions spotted at Alki Beach Park:

(Photo by Victoria Gnatoka)

The park may be open, but the benches are “closed,” with boards across them, as of late today. We have an inquiry out to the city to ask where else this is being done.

ALSO NOT HAPPENING AT ALKI: This year’s Alki Art Fair is the latest big spring/summer West Seattle event to be canceled – but watch for online spotlights next month.

FIRST SERVICE CUTS, NOW CAPACITY CUTS: More changes for those who need to ride Metro buses in these pandemic times.

NEED A MASK? Local family’s making them to raise money for local nonprofits.

NEED FOOD? Here’s the menu for the free meal available via KBM Commissary on Delridge – home to many food-truck and catering chefs – this weekend.

WHY TAKEOUT IS BETTER THAN DELIVERY … for the restaurants fighting to stay afloat.

DIFFERENT DELIVERY: Tomorrow night, SFD and SPD vehicles will be out for a second round of “Friday Night Lights.” If you see them, please send a pic!

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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CANCELED: 2020 Alki Art Fair
April 23, 2020 8:59 pm
|    Comments Off on CANCELED: 2020 Alki Art Fair
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Another major West Seattle summer event will take this summer off amid COVID-19 uncertainty. From Alki Art Fair organizers:

It is with great sadness that we must cancel the 23rd annual Alki Art Fair. This was an incredibly difficult, but, necessary decision to make to minimize the potential spread of the coronavirus and to honor our responsibility to keep our community and families safe.

Although we are disappointed that we are unable to showcase art and music in our usual beautiful beach location, we are excited to announce the launch of Alki Art Fair at Home – a Virtual Art Fair throughout the month of May. Over the next few weeks we will feature some of the artists and performers who would have participated in our fair on our social media platforms, so please follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Let #AlkiArtFairatHome brighten your day by bringing art and music into your homes during this challenging time. We would urge you to support our artists in whatever way you can – purchase their art and their music, and, or, follow them on social media. They need all of our help right now.

And, finally, mark your calendars for the 24th annual Alki Art Fair – July 24-25, 2021. We very much look forward to welcoming you in-person next summer for a celebration of local art and music.

Stay safe, friends!

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Do restaurant delivery services take too big a cut? West Seattle Chamber of Commerce asks City Council for a cap
April 23, 2020 7:33 pm
|      41 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is joining a nationwide movement to seek caps on what third-party delivery services charge restaurants. Here’s the letter they’ve sent the city:

Attention: City of Seattle Council Members

We are urgently requesting that the Council enact a cap on delivery fees for companies such as Postmates, Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and the like. They have an advantage on delivery and are unfairly charging our local businesses 30% on their deliveries in a time of crisis. They have also been using this opportunity during the COVID-19 challenge to tell consumers that using their services are helping small businesses when the only one benefiting from these programs are these corporations. They do not have the restaurant’s interest at heart, this is merely an opportunity to further their growth and outreach to a new consumer base and increase revenues.

Many restaurants lose money on their deliveries during normal market conditions, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board and its members are asking that you follow suit with San Francisco and now New York in limiting the fees that are able to be collected in the interest of our local businesses.

We recommend a cap of 15% to allow these businesses to continue to operate. The Chamber is concerned for our members. We must preserve some profit for restaurants so they can serve the West Seattle residents who rely on restaurants to cook their meals and allow these businesses to retain their employees.

Reducing these fees would encourage more restaurants to get off the sidelines and reopen if they knew they could pay a fair commission rate. Our goal is to Bring back much needed jobs and stability to our service industry workers.

Sadly, these companies have stood firm around not negotiating fees since the start of this crisis, all these businesses are asking for is a fair charge.

We hope that you will help make this right .

Respectfully,

Julia Jordan
CEO, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce

San Francisco ordered a 15 percent cap two weeks ago.

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HELPING: Mask-making to raise money for local nonprofits
April 23, 2020 6:25 pm
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | How to help | West Seattle news

Got your own mask yet? Making them is suddenly a booming business. Some are making and selling them to raise money for nonprofits – like the family members our area’s State Sen. Joe Nguyen emailed to tell us about:

My awesome mother, who is a retired seamstress, has been making masks for the community and using it to raise donations for nonprofits that serve West Seattle and beyond.

In the past 2 weeks we’ve been able to raise over $4,500 and made nearly 1k masks.

Funds have gone to:
– White Center Food bank
– West Seattle Food bank
– El Centro De La Raza COVID relief fund
– Southeast Asian Coalition

The fine folks at Bakery Nouveau ordered masks and not only did they make a generation donation of funds they included baked goods to help keep the operations going!

Here’s the form, should folks want to get a mask and donate to a good cause.

In the photos sent by Sen. Nguyen are his mom Neo Nguyen as well as Lauryn Nguyen, a junior at West Seattle High School, and Alex Nguyen, a WSHS graduate; he says, “their mother Anna Nguyen has been organizing all of this as well.”

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UPDATE: ‘Keep It Moving’ park policy also now apparently includes a ban on sitting; 2ND UPDATE – bench blockers removed
April 23, 2020 4:28 pm
|      127 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

4:28 PM: That photo of a boarded-up bench at Alki came in just as we heard about this new “Keep It Moving” action from reader John, who had emailed Seattle Parks to ask if “Keep It Moving” also meant to keep people from resting on benches – as he and his spouse do while out walking – or to stop parents of little kids from sitting on the beach while their children played. The reply he got from a Parks staffer:

… We don’t have the staff capacity to sift out more and less appropriate activities, so we’re using the “blunt instruments” such as the Keep Moving initiative and partial closures such as at the beach where people tend to congregate and party. These measures are the best we can feasibly do at this time.

Of course parks are not only for the young and fit, but it seems relevant that persons who are older and less fit are at the highest risk from the virus. We’re doing our best, with the tools available to us, to keep people safe during this public health crisis.

John included that im a note to us, cc’d to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, reading in part:

[That is] the answer we finally got from the Parks Dept in reply to our asking if it was okay for my wife and I to rest on a park bench while taking our daily walk.

As I write this, Park Dept staff is bolting boards to park benches to render them unusable. The staffer’s answer also seems to somewhat bluntly suggest that older citizens really shouldn’t be in the parks due to their high risk status.

Young people walk and run to get fit and lose weight. Older people take their daily walk as a prerequisite to staying alive, and with proper social distancing the Parks Dept should have no objection to them doing it.

My wife and I both judged the staffer’s reply to be word salad, and we already hear enough of that on TV. We think this is ridiculous. We live at Alki and watch it all day long. There are no real problems here. The Easter closure was an excellent idea, as was reopening it on the following Monday.

I want to know the official justification for the bench banning. And are all park benches throughout the city going to be boarded up? …

We’ll be asking Parks about that.

ADDED 10:05 AM FRIDAY: Got a city response this morning:

Alki saw significant crowding on Sunday, April 19. We are implementing two additional strategies to deter crowding this coming weekend: 1. Adding additional signage. 2. Deterring congregating in picnic shelters and benches through caution tape and placing boards or signs on seating. We will leave some benches open through the park to serve those with disabilities. These efforts are in hopes that we will not have to close Alki Beach due to persistent crowding.

Our goal is that people would stay home, and when they go out to recreate that they walk in their neighborhood or use neighborhood parks. If folks do want to use Alki we would like them to keep it moving when they are there—walk, run, or bike, and try and visit the park during a less busy hour.

The response included two sheets related to social-distancing observations by Parks personnel – we’ll add those a bit later after converting them to PDF.

9:04 PM FRIDAY: As noted in comments – and seen by us at the park a few hours ago – Parks crews were REMOVING the boards tonight, and the department has just confirmed via Twitter that it’s removed them all.

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NEED FOOD? This week’s free meal from KBM Commissary
April 23, 2020 2:42 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

(WSB photo, last month)

Two weeks ago, we reported on the plan for prepared-food sellers based at KBM Commissary to offer free meals weekly, with a rotating menu. KBM’s Keith Mathewson just sent word of how the first round went, and what’s ahead:

Last week was the first day that the kitchen distributed meals. We produced food for 400 people and ran out. This week Ka Pow Thai and the people in the kitchen are going to produce up to 600 meals. Meals again will be family style and will be distributed this Sunday from 4 PM until 6 PM. The menu will be stirfried chicken with rice and mushrooms. Anyone who is suffering as a result of the shutdown is welcome to come by. We are asking that people remain in their car and meals will be passed through the window on a long pizza board to maintain distance.

KBM is at 5604 Delridge Way SW. Mathewson has been underwriting the project but donations are welcome if you want to help – as mentioned in our first report, there’s a crowdfunding page.

P.S. Some of the KBM-based businesses are also selling from the window, as noted last month, and are part of our ongoing West Seattle list.

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BUSINESS UPDATES: O’Nelll Plumbing discount; PCC online cooking classes
April 23, 2020 1:09 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Two updates from local businesses that are both longtime WSB sponsors:

O’NEILL PLUMBING DISCOUNT: Noticing that plumbing problem more now that you’re working at home? Here’s the Morgan Junction-based plumbing company’s offer:

West Seattle’s own O’Neill Plumbing is currently offering 30% OFF for all West Seattle residents on Service Calls through the end of May.

They know that with layoffs, bridge closures, and everyone staying at home, times are tougher these days. For more than 103 years, O’Neill Plumbing has been calling West Seattle home and they will continue to be here for their neighbors. And with the bridge closed, they most likely can be there faster than anyone else. They appreciate your support and they look forward to seeing you out and about soon. Stay safe, West Seattle. and save 30% by calling O’Neill Plumbing @ 206-932-5283.

PCC ONLINE COOKING CLASSES: From PCC Community Markets:

As spending more time at home becomes a new normal, a lot of us are looking for fun, lighthearted (virtual!) events to take our minds off things. PCC Community Markets is here to help.

The co-op will be holding online cooking demonstrations through Zoom for just $25. With demos like ‘One-Hour Bagels’ and ‘Thai Flavors at Home’, students will have the opportunity take a peek inside PCC instructors’ home kitchens as they share personal stories and tips while they demonstrate flavorful dishes that can be created after class.

Recipes will be shared in advance, so students have the opportunity to gather ingredients and prepare questions for the instructor. A recorded version will be available afterwards to reference at any time!

Upcoming classes include pizza and bagels as well as international cuisines.

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METRO: New temporary ridership limits; West Seattle Transportation Coalition Q&A tonight
April 23, 2020 11:39 am
|      49 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | Transportation | West Seattle news

Two Metro notes:

NEW RIDERSHIP LIMITS: In the comment discussion following our coverage of last night’s West Seattle Bridge town-hall meeting, readers pointed out citywide-media reports about new temporary limits on Metro buses. Sorry we missed this – turns out it was announced in this Metro blog post last night, including this graphic:

If you are currently riding Metro, read the post for all the details. Meantime – this part of the restrictions has drawn some concerns: “The optimal number of passengers in the ADA priority seating area is one, which will be counted as part of the total number. However, if the ADA seating area is empty, a customer needing that space will be allowed to board.” Metro also says, “Customers with disabilities whose essential travel needs are not being met during Reduced Schedule can also use Metro’s Access Paratransit service—even if the customer is not a certified user and would not normally be eligible. Contact the Access Transportation Call Center at 206-205-5000 for assistance.” The post includes reminders that Metro is currently running on a (very) reduced schedule; you can check the canceled-trips list here.

WSTC TONIGHT: Got a question about that or about Metro’s role in getting people on and off the peninsula now that the West Seattle Bridge is closed? Participate in tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm online, with Metro and SDOT reps – access info is in the preview we published Wednesday.

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HOW TO HELP: Seattle Mask Brigade needs you!
April 23, 2020 9:47 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Coronavirus | Health | How to help | West Seattle news

Two months into the COVID-19 outbreak in our region, health-care workers’ need for PPE (personal protective equipment) remains great. The Seattle Mask Brigade – a volunteer effort – asked us to remind you how you can help with what they’re doing = “collecting donated masks from around the greater Seattle area and delivering them to hospitals and nursing homes that are running out”:

Most donations are just a few masks (less than 20) that people have lying around in their emergency kit, but they all add up! So far we have coordinated deliveries of over 25,000 donated masks to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, shelters, food banks, and more. We usually distribute masks within a day of receiving them.

Our small group has helped folks in over a dozen cities around the country launch their own mask brigades, from Los Angeles to New York to Louisville.

Our website is seattlemaskbrigade.org. There’s a form on our website where people can sign up to donate N95 masks, surgical masks, homemade cloth masks, and nitrile gloves (we will accept opened/unsealed boxes of masks). Our volunteers pick them up from donors’ porches within a day or two. We also have a form where health-care workers can request masks.

The need for masks is critical. Even with PPE arriving from the government, we are still receiving urgent requests and we need more donations to be able fulfill them. In the past week donations have been decreasing, but requests for masks have not. Recently we’ve received a lot of requests for homemade cloth masks that can be reused.

Questions? Email seattlemaskbrigade@gmail.com

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT: Thursday watch, 5th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
April 23, 2020 5:44 am
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

5:44 AM: 31st morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge. Tonight, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition discusses the closure with SDOT and Metro.

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.

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.

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

ROAD WORK ALERTS: Striping/marker work continues in the 35th/Avalon/Alaska project zone. … SDOT has released details of the weekend work planned at the 5-way intersection (Chelan/Spokane/Delridge/West Marginal) and on the north end of Delridge Way.

TRANSIT ALERTS:

Metro’s third round of service cuts has a further-reduced schedule in effect – details here. The Water Taxi continues its reduced (and shuttle-less) schedule.

OTHER LINKS

SDOT’s traffic map
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: Wednesday 4/22 roundup
April 22, 2020 9:54 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Sorry for the lateness of tonight’s roundup, but it’s been a very busy night – all about The Other Big Story. So now let’s take a break from the bridge and check the pandemic-related news:

WHAT THE GOV SAID TODAY: Gov. Inslee had another media briefing this afternoon. No big announcements. We listened in on his remarks and the followup Q&A – here’s the video – and it seemed again to be largely a reaction to the spots in the state where some officials are dissing the stay-home order. (He and Attorney General Bob Ferguson released this statement about that.) He did say that after tomorrow’s modeling comes in, he hopes to have news about those possible restriction relaxations he mentioned Tuesday.

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

*5,449 people have tested positive, up 70 from yesterday

*379 people have died, up 7 from yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 4,697 and 312.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: More than 2.6 million cases, almost a third of them in the U.S. See how that breaks out, nation by nation, here.

BE CAREFUL WITH CLEANING PRODUCTS: The Washington Poison Center has a warning for you.

ANOTHER TOWN HALL AHEAD: Mayor Durkan has just launched a series of weekly virtual town halls around the city. First one is tomorrow in the Central District; no date yet, but one focused on West Seattle is promised too. (The focus is supposed to be COVID-19-related resources, but we imagine another topic will come up …)

NO PLUG-PULLING: City Light is pausing “planned outages” for the rest of the stay-home period, we found out when asking about an alert a reader had received.

MORE SIGNS: The city’s announced 1,000 more signs are going up. This time, though, it’s not messaging but instead, art.

SPEAKING OF SIGNS: No rallies or cleanups this Earth Day because of COVID-19, so it was time for creative signage at (or near) home – here’s some of what your neighbors did!

QUARANTINE BEAR: So far this week, we’ve had a dragon and a reindeer. Tonight, a teddy bear with an unusual perch:

The bear is near the dragon in Gatewood, says Kanit Cottrell, who sent the photo.

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: Work this weekend includes 5-way repaving + lane reconfiguration including Delridge Way
April 22, 2020 8:47 pm
|      41 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

This was not discussed in detail during either of tonight’s West Seattle Bridge-focused meetings, but details are in for this weekend’s paving work (first mentioned here last week) on the 5-way intersection east of the low bridge, and it will include some lane reconfiguration too – plus a new bus lane for the north end of Delridge. From SDOT Blog:

… Our traffic engineers are evaluating intersections and arterial roads to determine where improvements are needed to support people and businesses in West Seattle during the bridge closure.

This weekend we will repave and change the lane design at the 5-legged intersection of Delridge Way SW, Chelan Ave SW, and W Marginal Way SW, just west of the Spokane Street/Low Bridge.

Construction and lane design changes are a preemptive step to ensure pavement can withstand increased traffic and to keep transit, freight, and emergency vehicles moving.

The signals at this intersection were upgraded on April 1 to allow us to control the signal remotely from our Traffic Operations Center. We can monitor and make real-time adjustments to the signal operations in response to changing circumstances.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The intersection will remain open during the day on Saturday, however there may be some disruption on Sunday.

We’ll grind the top 2 inches of the existing asphalt, repave, and restripe the intersection. Work is weather dependent. Should construction take longer than anticipated, work will happen on future weekends and notification provided in advance. Our objective is to complete work before Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order is currently scheduled to end, May 5.

Neighbors can expect noise from heavy equipment and activities, including asphalt removal and asphalt placement during the night.

Signed detours and uniformed police officers will be in place to help people navigate the intersection.

If people are biking in the street, they will have to follow vehicles through the detour. If they are on the sidewalk or shared trail, they will be treated like pedestrians at the intersections and crosswalks

WORK SCHEDULE

Intersection construction will occur overnight between the hours of 7 PM, Friday, April 24 and 7 AM, Saturday, April 25 and again from 7 PM, Saturday, April 25 and 7 AM, Sunday, April 26.

The intersection will be open to traffic during the day; however, there may be some disruptions on Sunday, April 26, related to striping and signal outages. If this occurs, signed detours will be in place as well as unformed police officers.

The new Delridge Way SW northbound bus lane will be installed from 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday, April 25.

The Spokane Low Bridge will be intermittently closed from 8 AM-12 PM on Saturday for all vehicles; and from 12 PM-5 PM for people walking and biking for live load testing. Closures will be approximately 10 minutes in length, about the time for a normal opening.

NEW LANE DESIGN

To support bus service, emergency response, and freight movement over the Spokane Street Low Bridge the following changes are happening:

Delridge Way SW will get a bus-only lane northbound from SW Andover St to Chelan Ave SW.

The east leg of the intersection (westbound W Marginal Way SW) is going from 2 through lanes to 1 through lane and 1 left-turn lane.

The west leg of the intersection (Chelan Ave SW) is being converted from 1 shared left and through lane to 1 through lane 1 left-turn lane.

Here’s the construction info sheet (PDF) for this work.

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