West Seattle, Washington
26 Friday
Three biznotes tonight:
FAMOUS SALMON ARRIVES: Thanks to Sacha for the photo! Copper River salmon has arrived at Seattle Fish Company in The Junction (4435 California SW) – that’s proprietor Jon holding the Alaskan arrival. ($49/pound filleted, per the SFC website – 12:49 pm update – we’re told that’s the “shippers” price, but the “in-store market price” currently is $5 less, $44.99/pound.)
REBELLYOUS FOODS GOES RETAIL: Back in November, we reported on Rebellyous Foods – a start-up that makes, and improves manufacturing technology for, plant-based “nuggets” moving into The Triangle. But its products were only available to food-service companies, like corporate cafeterias. Now – they’re going retail!
First two outlets – Leschi Market and Vegan Haven – are not in or near West Seattle, but Rebellyous tells us, “We’re hoping to be with some West Seattle retailers soon.”
PACIFIC ROOM CLOSES: Business closures and reopenings have been a little tougher to track during the coronavirus crisis, but the sign that went up outside the Pacific Room (2808 Alki SW) this week was rather emphatic:
We went there after getting tips that it appeared furniture was being moved out. The restaurant/music venue opened last June, then changed owners in February, and the new owners told us they planned to rebrand – then just a few weeks later, the pandemic struck. They had been open for takeout until recently, though.
12:48 PM UPDATE: We just got a call from Jisun Jackson, one of the new owners we interviewed in February, who says the “permanently closed” sign was put up by a business partner without authorization of the others, and they DO intend to reopen at a not-yet-determined date.
Midway through May, we present tonight’s roundup of virus-crisis info:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*7,360 people have tested positive, up 53 from yesterday
*516 people have died, up 2 from Wednesday (remember, no additional deaths yesterday)
One week ago, those totals were 6,940 and 485.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
REQUESTED, NOT REQUIRED; When restaurants start reopening for in-person dining in Phase 2 (our area is not there yet), customers will be ASKED – not REQUIRED – to provide contact info, according to an update from Gov. Inslee today.
MORE PHASE 2 INFO: This time, for photography, construction, and golf. (Today’s announcement about the latter also includes some Phase 1 clarifications –
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE: A state Health Department update provides the latest reason not to get complacent with your distancing:
A new statewide report shows COVID-19 transmission is persisting in western Washington and slowly increasing in eastern Washington. The measure of how many new infections a single COVID-19 case will produce – known as the effective reproductive number – has not changed significantly in either region since the last statewide report, and continues to be higher than ideal.
WANT TO HELP? Maybe you’ll consider giving a home to a Little Free Pantry.
WHOLE LOTTA LOVE: Another sweet neighborhood sighting, just emailed by Emily:
GOT INFO? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
This week’s update from Keith Mathewson of KBM Seattle Commissary, whose resident chefs have been rotating in preparing weekly free meals for whoever shows up:
We will be giving away meals this week on Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm. Last week saw a low turnout with Mother’s Day. As a result we had extra food, therefore this week the menu will remain the same. We presently have meals planned for 500 people.
The aforementioned menu, from last week’s announcement, is “baked vegetarian Ziti with rosemary focaccia … made by West Of Chicago Pizza and Los Panes Bakery with the help of the staff at KBM,” which is at 5604 Delridge Way SW.
This week’s West Seattle Bridge closure update in Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s weekly newsletter includes 4 new updates related to traffic – first, the latest volumes at key points around the area:
Traffic levels continue to be high in the most recent counts on West Marginal, and are up slightly on the South Park Bridge, Roxbury and 15th, 35th and Raymond, and on East Marginal Way and 1st Avenue South. Citywide traffic levels are around 50% of normal volume.
Second, Herbold’s newsletter also says travel times for West Marginal Way SW are now available via the message boards at Admiral Way/34th SW, Fauntleroy Way/38th SW, and 35th SW/SW Snoqualmie.
Third, something related to the traffic-management planning mentioned in last night’s “Town Hall”:
SDOT is working on neighborhood-based traffic management plans to prepare for the significantly higher levels we can expect. Draft plans for the neighborhoods that will see increased traffic off the peninsula (e.g. South Park, Highland Park/South Delridge/Riverview/Roxhill, as well as SODO and Georgetown) will be released for public comment and further work with the community in early June; SDOT has met with a number of community groups and committed to further meetings to discussing the draft plans. SDOT is considering public suggestions. You can send ideas to SDOT directly at 684-ROAD@seattle.gov. I’m happy to pass on suggestions as well.
And fourth, regarding the oft-suggested idea of moving some ferry traffic from the Fauntleroy dock:
Washington State Ferries replied to my letter requesting they consider re-directing some of the ferry traffic from Vashon and/or Southworth, that usually travels to the Fauntleroy ferry dock, to Downtown Seattle instead; and that they consider trips from Fauntleroy to Downtown. Numerous constituents have written to suggest this.
Ferries replied they are “working with transportation agencies and stakeholders from across the city of Seattle and King County to better understand this dynamic situation, and together we are analyzing a variety of options to address this challenge.”
I appreciate Ferries’ reply, and commitment to work with the City, and analyze options.
Ferries also noted challenges related to their terminals include the limited capacity at Fauntleroy; the reconstruction of Colman Dock through 2023, reducing the number of operating slips from 3 to 2; potential impact to Seattle/Bremerton and Seattle/Bainbridge routes and those communities; the number of ferries they have available; and public input requirements for any schedule changes.
Ferries also notes that their most recent origin-destination study showed 60% of passengers aren’t heading downtown or points north (which is why my request was to “directing some of the traffic between Vashon and/or Southworth to Downtown Seattle”).
If you don’t already get Herbold’s weekly updates, you can find them – usually published Fridays – at herbold.seattle.gov.
(WSB photo, June 2019)
Though the pandemic has pre-empted the Pride parade and parties this summer, the West Seattle Junction is still planning to display rainbow flags for a second year, and you’re invited to adopt one (or more!). 60 rainbow flags will line the heart of The Junction the weekend of June 27-28, available for adoption at $85 each, which gets you a 3′ x 5′ that you can choose to keep (or not) with “a commemorative 8 inch x 6 inch rainbow flag with a desk stand. Your commemorative flag will include your name and message. Each commemorative flag will be affixed to the pole of the large 3 ft x 5 ft flag …” Interested? Go here.
(WSB photos)
That’s Dan Austin in the kitchen at his Morgan Junction restaurant Peel & Press. If you notice police vehicles outside the restaurant today/tonight, it’s not bad news this time – he’s serving free food to law-enforcement officers today, as National Police Week continues. That includes slices (not usually on the P&P menu) for officers on the go. His partner in giving to the law-enforcement community today is the Seattle Police Officers Guild:
On the left is Mike Solan, SPOG president, who visited Peel & Press this morning. SPOG is covering the cost of today’s free meals for officers (available until 10 tonight), which are in addition to the free meals P&P routinely provides to people in need. Austin tells WSB that today’s SPOG donation will help keep that program going, as well as helping cover the cost of repairs from the recent burglary at the restaurant.
P.S. SPOG also had another West Seattle stop today to help out – for the second Friday in a row, they hauled food to the West Seattle Food Bank, a half-ton from West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor).
(WSB photo, May 3rd West Seattle Farmers’ Market)
For a third week after the mayor-mandated pandemic-related closure, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market will be back again on Sunday (May 17th). Hours remain 10 am-2 pm; the sole entrance is at California/Alaska, with the line (if necessary) stretching eastward on Alaska, but once you’re in the market, it’s no longer one-way shopping (that was dropped after the first week). Here’s the vendor list – check links for individual vendors to see who’s offering pre-orders/pre-payment.
Last night, we reported on the major West Seattle-specific topic from Thursday’s city-presented “Virtual Town Hall,” the bridge closure. The rest of the 2-hour-long event featured lots of information about city services and other aspects of the COVID-19 response, from utility bills to small-business support to artist assistance; you can see it in its entirety above (via SeattleChannel.org, whose recording is cleaner than the one we made as a backup). It was hosted/moderated by Andrés Mantilla, director of the Department of Neighborhoods and West Seattle resident. Mayor Jenny Durkan and Councilmember Lisa Herbold spoke and answered questions for the first 45 minutes, and then the event continued with city department heads presenting a “webinar.” (Among them, SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe, whose 10-minute presentation about the West Seattle Bridge was featured in our story last night.) The city’s resources are all linked here.
Another school fundraiser has gone virtual. Westside School (WSB sponsor) has a silent auction online, plus a virtual live auction tonight. The announcement:
Due to COVID-19, Westside School’s annual fundraiser has gone virtual! The Wolves Stick Together Spring Fundraising Campaign (through tonight) features a virtual silent auction with many great items to bid on and the chance to support Westside School. Need some retail therapy? Check out Westside’s virtual silent auction here!
TONIGHT – 7:00-7:30 p.m.
The Wolves Stick Together Campaign will conclude with a virtual live auction, hosted by Fred Northup Jr., which will feature some great “live” items to bid on, and a chance to raise your paddle for Tuition Assistance! Grab a cocktail and join us at 7:00 p.m. Check out the event on YouTube.
Tuition Assistance Program
Westside’s Tuition Assistance Program is the biggest fundraising priority of the year and your support impacts the quality of education for every student at Westside School. This year, one in seven Westside families received tuition assistance. NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) projects that the request for tuition assistance will increase 20% over the next three years. With uncertain times ahead, supporting the Tuition Assistance program is more important than ever to Westside’s educational program and to Westside families.
(Also published on our partner site White Center Now)
That’s a Little Free Pantry. In the spirit of Little Free Libraries, LFPs are a new neighborhood-based way to help address hunger – which has long existed in all neighborhoods, but is now worsened by the virus-crisis economic crunch. The project started in southeast Seattle and founder Molly Harmon says they are expanding west, looking for hosts:
A small movement has taken hold in SE Seattle and we are spreading the energy to West Seattle, White Center, and Burien – the building and installing of Little Free Pantries (LFP).
This project began with a micro-grant & six Little Free Pantries, and within a month we’ve raised over $3,000 and distributed nearly 44 Little Free Pantries. Little Free Pantries help neighbors feed neighbors. They aren’t intended to replace food security agencies nor eliminate the need to support them; rather they work alongside each other to draw awareness to food insecurity issues and create community through collective action in a neighborhood. We’ve begun working alongside Northwest Harvest & will work to reach out to area food banks, finding ways to utilize each other’s efforts in addressing food security.
The intention is to inform people on food insecurity and bring an issue, which hides in our society, to the surface. Millions of housed Americans are facing food insecurity on a daily basis and with our unemployment rate soaring due to COVID-19, food banks are struggling to access enough food to support those in need. It is imperative to educate the public on this growing need for food and LFPs bring this issue front and center to our neighborhoods, but in a supportive and caring way. Micro-communities form around this pillar (Little Free Pantry) and in turn, connect neighbors who otherwise would not have met. By neighbors stocking their neighborhood Little Free Pantry with non-perishable foods, it keeps the pantry full and helps those needing a meal. Whether a need for food or a need to give, Little Free Pantries help neighbors feed neighbors, nourishing neighborhoods.
We have hit our recent goal of $1150, which will enable us to build 18 pantries. We will distribute these pantries for free throughout Southwest Seattle. This is a grassroots, crowd-sourced solution to address immediate and local needs as a viable way to build community and support those facing food insecurity.
More information can be found at www.thelittlefreepantries.org. Additionally, if you feel a Little Free Pantry would work well in your neighborhood, please apply through the website.
Food insecurity is prevalent, whether you have seen it firsthand or not. And COVID-19 is intensifying the food insecurity that many of our neighbors are vulnerable to. With schools closed and layoffs rampant, many in our community are potentially going to bed hungry A quote from an owner of anewly installed Little Free Pantry in the Seward Park neighborhood, “Since it went up a little over two weeks ago, our LFP (located on Seward Park Ave, between Willow and Brighton) has been used daily, confirming that hunger is often hiding in plain sight, even in neighborhoods you might not think it would exist in.”
Questions? Ask here.
Nine weeks have now passed since schools closed. These past two weeks, we’ve been featuring videos and events that have reconnected schools’ staff with their students and community members. This one is from Fairmount Park Elementary; Althea sent the link, explaining “here is the video message from FP staff to our school community … including any Falcons who have already flown from ‘the nest’! (Former students, families, and staff members!)”
5;58 AM: Good morning – the 53rd morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge. Headed out? Here are the cameras for the 5-way intersection and the restricted-access low bridge (where SPD enforcement continues):
Since the main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map), that’s the next camera view, along with the Michigan exit that takes you through Georgetown to I-5:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map) – this camera shows the approach:
Both bridges open for marine traffic; check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about openings.
NEW CAMERAS: SDOT has added 6 more cameras, along 35th and Roxbury. Here are two:
16th/Roxbury:
35th/Morgan:
You can see all local traffic cams, including the new ones in West Seattle, here.
TRANSIT
Metro – Reduced schedule; reduced capacity; check here for next departure
Water Taxi – Reduced schedule continues
During the stay-home order, we’re not live-monitoring morning traffic, so please let us know what you’re seeing – comment or text (but not if you’re drivingl!) 206-293-6302.
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