West Seattle, Washington
16 Friday
Just got word of a traffic alert for tomorrow: The Infinity Shore Club Residences construction site at 1250 Alki SW will get its crane installed, which means, according to the project team:
Alki Ave will be reduced to a single lane of alternating traffic from 5:00 AM to approximately 4:00 PM.
Police will be providing traffic control throughout the day.
That’ll be West Seattle’s second crane; the other is at the two-building 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW project.
Thanks to Laurence Shaw for this series of photos from Alki during low tide earlier this week.
He says, “I was lucky enough to witness a pair of Great Blue Herons battling over a spot of lunch near the 1300 block of Alki Ave SW.”
“Happy to report that the bird who made the catch ultimately held on to its prize.”
Caps, gowns, signs, and more are now in the hands of Chief Sealth International High School seniors, after a drive-up event at the school today – a chance for staff and seniors to see each other, at a distance, for the first time since campuses closed 2 1/2 months ago:
Along with the caps and gowns, honor cords and other items were picked up, plus the Class of 2020 received cheers:
Among those there to cheer the seniors – Chief Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer and Sammy the Seahawk:
And the “Lunch Ladies” were there too:
Among the surprises for seniors – special cookies:
The well-wishing extended even to four-legged volunteers:
The district is planning “virtual graduations,” and the dates/times are now online – Sealth will be at 8:30 pm June 17th.
Many have wondered how Washington State Ferries might factor into the traffic picture during the West Seattle Bridge closure. Tomorrow, WSF guests at the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s meeting, and you’re invited. Here’s the announcement:
The West Seattle Transportation Coalition May meeting is this Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. We will be meeting online using Zoom (please see details below).
Before Everything Changed, we had representatives from Washington State Ferries lined up to come talk about long-range plans for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route. Now with the West Seattle High Bridge closure, we will also be discussing what the ferry system can do to help take pressure off West Seattle roads.
Officials from Seattle and King County will be joining us as well to talk about West Seattle mobility and bridge closure mitigation.
… We can’t wait to see you online Thursday for what should be a very interesting virtual meeting!
West Seattle Transportation Coalition is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting:
Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Zoom Meeting ID 876 0979 0501
On the web: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87609790501
Via phone: +12532158782,,87609790501#
Our coverage of last month’s WSTC meeting is here.
2:34 PM: Gov. Inslee has just started his first media briefing of the week, announced as “an update on the state’s COVID-19 response,” with four days to go until the current expiration of We’ll add notes as it goes.
He opens by announcing that some “restrictions on religious gatherings” will be “eased,” both for Phase 1 and Phase 2 areas. He introduces religious leaders from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian organization. “For in-person services … Phase 1” will now allow “outdoor religious services” on or adjacent to the organization’s property, up to 100 people if they’re wearing face coverings (and using physical distancing). For Phase 2 areas, indoor services at 25 percent of capacity will be allowed. Choir singing won’t be allowed yet, though, because of science regarding transmissibility.
2:45 PM: The governor turned over the mic, so to speak, first to Aneelah Afzali, the West Seattleite and local Muslim leader, who said that Muslims are yearning to return to mosques but that preserving life was the paramount goal. She’s followed by Olympia rabbi Yosef Schtroks, who makes a similar statement. After him, Lutheran Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee speaks, urging people to follow the governor’s protocols to protect each other.
2:53 PM: Before moving on to Q&A, the governor announces that more counties have moved to Phase 2, now 24 in all. “We remain hard at work determining our next steps as a state come June 1 … we’ll have more to say in the next few days.”
First Q, the current eligibility metrics seem impossible for larger counties, so might they change? And if you’re going to require face coverings for religious services, why not, say, grocery stores? He says he’ll have more to say about the latter “probably Thursday or Friday.” For the former, “we may have more to say in the future” is all he’ll say: “We look at the science on a daily basis … we’re continuing to think about the criteria going forward.”
Next Q, another two-parter: Is he standing by his Employment Security Department director given the fraud situation, and might he let larger counties make their own decisions? To the former, he has words of scorn for the criminals. “I stand against them and we’re doing everything we can to fight them.” To the latter, he notes the counties can maintain their own restrictions if they’re tougher than the state. “The difficult part for us to realize is … we’ve knocked down the fatalities … but the evidence remains clear that this could spring back quickly.” Overall, he declares, “We’re making real progress in our state.”
Then: What’ll be done for people who now are being told they can’t get their unemployment payments at all? He says the department’s doing everything it can. He says the ESD director thinks there’ll be big progress in the next two weeks or so, and “will have more to say about that tomorrow.” Also: Why does the governor have any say over religious gatherings at all? Inslee replies that in emergencies, that authority is established “in American law.”
Might some counties end up moving to Phase 3 while others remain in Phase 1? “It’s possible,” Inslee says. After that, he’s asked why our state is still “stricter” than others. “Because people are dying … we still have a meaningful infection rate in our state,” he replies. In response to another question, he says people seem to be adopting more protection – face covering, social distancing – even as they resume more activities – he says infections haven’t increased at the same rate as mobility. He repeats that they’re “still developing” plans for the counties that remain in Phase 1.
Another question is about Chelan and Douglas counties’ lawsuit. The governor repeats that he is hopeful the infection rate will allow those counties to move to Phase 2. He reminds people that this state was first and hardest hit and has made progress. As for the lawsuit itself, he says they certainly have the right to go to court but “we believe we’re on sound ground making these decisions.” … After that, might he consider graduations for loosening restrictions like will be done for religious gatherings? No – the latter are getting special treatment because of their unique constitutional protection. Then: Is the public-health emergency over? His reply boiled down to “No. … If we give up now, this disease is going to come back big time.”
In closing: “I just want to thank everyone (for their efforts) to defeat this virus,” and he says this is the “hardest phase” …adding that “today the mark of heroism is giving your neighbor some space on the sidewalk, or wearing a mask at the grocery store.” He wraps at 3:30 pm; the full video should be available soon in the same window above, and we’ll link the document about today’s religious-gatherings announcement when it’s available.
4:41 PM: Find that document here.
Reminder – work on the low bridge will close it to all users (including those on bikes or on foot) Friday night, Saturday night, and possibly Sunday night:
As first announced last week, SDOT will …
… be closing the low bridge to vehicle, bike, and pedestrian traffic while we are working at night because we will not be able to open and close the bridge in a normal manner.
As a result, roadway traffic, including freight and buses, will be detoured to the 1st Ave or the South Park bridges. The low bridge will also be closed to bicyclists and pedestrians, and emergency vehicles will have limited access across the bridge. Waterway traffic will be maintained.
These restrictions will only be in place at night while we are working during the following hours:
Friday night: 8 PM to 5 AM
Saturday night: 6 PM to 3 AM
Sunday night: 6 PM to 3 AM (if needed)
During those hours, buses will be re-routed – here’s the Metro advisory:
From Friday evening, May 29, through the end of service on Sunday, May 31, overnight only each night, Metro routes 21 Local, 50, 120 and the RapidRide C Line will be operating a modified reroute via the 1st Av S bridge due to maintenance on the lower-level Spokane St bridge.
…Routes 21 Local, 50, 120 and the RapidRide C Line will travel instead via W Marginal Way SW and the 1st Av S bridge. There are no additional stops missed during this modified reroute. Expect possible service delays. At all other times, these routes will continue using their long-term reroutes via the lower level Spokane St Bridge.
SDOT says the closure is for “necessary maintenance work on the low bridge’s controls and communications systems that are used to operate the bridge.”
1:14 PM: West Seattle-based educator Alice Enevoldsen has a webcast going right now for the “first launch of crew to orbit in a commercial spacecraft,” scheduled just after 1:30 pm – here’s more info, including how to join via Zoom!
1:21 PM: And … the launch has been scrubbed for today. But if you’re interested, register for Alice’s webcast anyway, as she’ll do it whenever Crew Dragon launches.
Today we welcome Rad Power Bikes as a new WSB sponsor. New sponsors get to tell you about their businesses; here’s what Rad Power Bikes would like you to know:
Mike Radenbaugh built his first electric bike in his parents’ garage in 2007 as a way to get to and from high school. For years, Mike worked solo, converting his friends’ traditional bikes into electric bikes and customizing each to fit their riding style. He joined forces with childhood friend and college roommate Ty Collins, and in 2015 they relaunched Rad Power Bikes as a direct-to-consumer company with their flagship model — the legendary RadRover electric fat-tire bike.
What started as a passion project is now the largest e-bike brand in North America, with more than 100,000 owners of all ages riding Rad across 30 countries.
Electric bikes give you all the fun, freedom, and flexibility of traditional bikes with just a little extra oompf when and where you need it. Whether that means crushing hills with pedal assist from the electric motor or freeing yourself from your car commute a day or two a week, e-bikes make getting there easier.
You’ll never have to pick out the right neon-colored spandex for weekend rides, or hang out in a bike shop pretending to know what you’re talking about, or even show up drenched in sweat when you bike to work.
It’s an e-bike revolution — one that makes it easier than ever to ditch your car.
At Rad Power Bikes, we envision a world where transportation is energy-efficient, enjoyable, and accessible to all. Ride with us and you get an unrivaled customer experience with radical electric bikes that are built for everything and priced for everyone.
With flexible financing options, you can start riding for as little as $39 a month — less than a cup of coffee a day (or a twelver a week ;).
Our judgment-free product-support team is available 7 days a week to answer any questions you might have. Seriously. They’ve heard it all.
Most of all, our e-bikes make getting around fun and environmentally friendly. When every trip’s an adventure, you may even start to look forward to your commute.
You can contact Rad Power Bikes through their website.
We thank Rad Power Bikes for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
That’s soprano Ellaina Lewis, performing a surprise show in a West Seattle neighborhood this past weekend. L’Nayim Austin explains:
My husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary this weekend. Since we are social distancing, we couldn’t celebrate in the usual way (dinner and show). So, as a surprise for my husband, I commissioned a West Seattle friend and opera singer, Ellaina Lewis, to perform a short opera outside our home (following social distancing recommendations).
It was a lovely performance enjoyed by my husband, and everyone else in the neighborhood. The weather cooperated, and Ellaina’s beautiful soprano voice was magical. Two neighbors took videos.
Perhaps next time one of your readers needs a bit of celebration, they might consider hiring a local artist for an outdoor serenade. A little art during these times goes a long way to raise the soul.
(In the other clip, she sings an Elvis Presley classic.) P.S. Happy anniversary to L’Nayim and husband!
If you live and/or work in Highland Park, Riverview, or South Delridge, your community council HPAC invites you to the monthly meeting online tonight at 7 pm, featuring guests from SDOT. The main topic: The newly unveiled details of the Highland Park Way/Holden Safety Project. A brief West Seattle Bridge update is planned too. See the agenda, and how to access the meeting via Zoom or phone, by going here.
5:58 AM: Good morning – the 65th morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge. We start again with a road-work reminder – SW Roxbury repaving between 16th and 18th continues today. Here’s our preview; here’s the westbound detour map:
And here’s the nearest traffic camera:
On with our other featured cameras for the 5-way intersection at West Marginal/Delridge/Spokane/Chelan, and the restricted-access low bridge (note: SDOT cameras have been having intermittent outages):
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) – here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map) – this camera shows the SP-side approach:
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Reduced schedule; reduced capacity; check here for next departure
Water Taxi – Reduced schedule continues
Sound Transit reminder – Link light rail and Sounder trains will start charging fares again June 1st (next Monday)
During the stay-home order, we’re not live-monitoring morning traffic, but we’ll update with word of incidents, so please let us know what you’re seeing – comment or text (but not if you’re drivingl!) 206-293-6302.
A suspect is now charged in the May 9th burglary at Morgan Junction restaurant Peel & Press – a repeat offender who was already awaiting trial for a business break-in attempt in South King County. 33 year old Rafael S. Meyers is charged with second-degree burglary in what prosecutors describe as a “brazen and sophisticated” crime, causing thousands of dollars in damage to the restaurant while apparently trying to break into the neighboring Starbucks. The charging documents say police identified Meyers with the help of a nearby resident who had video of someone coming and going in an alley by the businesses north of Fauntleroy, and gave police information on a related vehicle, including its plate number. Police say the man in that video matched the man seen in Peel & Press’s security video (frame grab at right). They got a search warrant for the vehicle and found it last Wednesday in the driveway outside Meyers’ Fauntlee Hills home, with him inside, and took him into custody. The court documents also say police found suspected heroin and paraphernalia on Meyers, and that a GRIZZLY hat like the one shown in the security video was in his car. He was booked into jail, and got out a day later after posting bond in lieu of $15,000 bail.
Online records show Meyers has an extensive record, though much of it is for non-felonies. He’s awaiting trial on a charge of attempted second-degree burglary from last August in Auburn. Charging documents from that case say he was arrested after tripping an alarm while trying to break into a business there. His next hearing in that case is scheduled for June 3rd. He also was arrested in February of last year for allegedly tagging a railroad car in SODO. The charge, a misdemeanor, was dismissed in November because of witness issues. Documents from a car-prowl case in 2011 describe Meyers as a “well-known graffiti suspect” who was at the time also known for downtown car prowls. In the new case, he is due back in court June 8th for arraignment.
Thanks to James Tilley for the photo, taken from Alki, looking south – he identifies those as Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, explained here. Otherwise, the big news about the weather is that the next three days are expected to bring highs at least in the 70s – possibly 80s on Thursday.
Here’s the post-holiday-weekend roundup of local virus-crisis news:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*7,896 people have tested positive, up 17 from yesterday
*544 people have died, up 2 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 7,582 and 529.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
GOVERNOR SPEAKS TOMORROW: All eyes are on Olympia, with five days now left until the stay-home order’s expiration date. Gov. Inslee plans a media briefing at 2:30 pm tomorrow, described only as “an update on the state’s COVID-19 response.” It’ll be streamed here; we’ll carry it live too.
OUTDOOR-RECREATION CLARIFICATION: A memo from the governor today clarified Phase 1 (in which King County remains) and Phase 2 for these types of outdoor recreation:
– Staffed outdoor tennis facilities public and private
– Guided ATV, paddle sports, and horseback riding
– Guided fishing
– Go-cart tracks, ORV/motocross facilities, and participant-only motorsports
– Gondolas
– Zoos
HEALTH AUTHORITIES’ BRIEFING: State and county health officers have been offering regular media briefings by phone; you can listen to the audio for today’s briefing by going here. Topics included breakdowns of yet more newly public data.
PREMIUM PAY FOR GIG WORKERS … during the pandemic? That’s the proposal from City Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Andrew Lewis.
ANTHEMIC IN THE PANDEMIC: The band Alcohol Funnycar released its first new song in 24 years – a music video with some West Seattle and White Center locales, and an anthemic-in-the-pandemic theme:
GOT INFO? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Chief Sealth International High School is the next local high school to celebrate its Class of 2020 in this year of coronavirus-canceled commencement ceremonies. 11 am-2 pm on Wednesday, CSIHS staff and seniors will see each other for the first time in 2 1/2 months during a drive-thru cap-and-gown pickup. CSIHS principal Aida Fraser-Hammer tells WSB, “Along with caps & gowns, the students will get their honor cords, awards and certificates, medallions, class photos, yard signs, and some special surprises.” Logistics are on the school website.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As we first reported last weekend, the mayor has set up a community advisory group for the West Seattle Bridge project, and it’s being formally announced today. So are details of the technical advisory group that was already in the works. We also have a general update on what’s up with the bridge, two months after it was closed.
First, the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force. It’ll be co-chaired by Greg Nickels, the West Seattle-residing former mayor who’s remained active in transportation advocacy, and Paulina Lopez, a longtime South Park community leader/advocate. From the announcement:
… we are launching the Task Force to ensure that the many voices and concerns of the community are not only heard, but consistently advocated for.
The group is comprised of elected officials and representatives from West Seattle businesses, neighborhood groups from the Junction to Georgetown to South Park to Highland Park to SODO, and industrial and maritime businesses and their workers.
Members will help ensure transparency, clear communication, and broad community engagement and understanding around both traffic mitigation efforts and the future path forward for the West Seattle
High-Rise Bridge as we address new data, public input, fiscal challenges, and many other important factors that will inform consideration of repair versus replace scenarios.
Here’s who else is on the Community Task Force:
Thanks to Stewart L. for the photo. That’s USCGC Healy, one of the Coast Guard’ two icebreakers. It’s based in Seattle and currently doing sea trials to get ready for its next mission.
Someone apparently tried to set up a rogue “Stay Healthy Street” near Lincoln Park. A neighbor sent us a photo of that sign at 46th/Thistle and said there’s another one a few blocks north at 45th/Trenton. Since the city hasn’t announced any additions to the program in a few weeks, we asked SDOT, which replied: “This street is not one of our Stay Healthy Streets, and we did not place this sign here. We will send a crew to retrieve these sings and also look out for any missing signs at nearby Stay Healthy Streets.” The only official ones in West Seattle remain the originally announced one in High Point (and a bit south), the Puget Ridge/Highland Park stretch, and Beach Drive/Alki Avenue west of 63rd SW (wrapping around Alki Point).
The SW Roxbury repaving project between 16th and 18th SW has begun. Crews had started with the westbound lanes when we went over to check at midmorning. The work could last up to a week; both directions of Roxbury will be repaved. Westbound traffic is being detoured, as shown on the map in our preview.
(WSB file photo, 3417 Harbor SW project site)
The next phase of public comment is beginning for the last project seen by the Southwest Design Review Board before in-person meetings were suspended in March (WSB coverage here). It’s 3417 Harbor SW (map), currently described as a “5-story, 115-unit apartment building (with offstreet parking) for 68 vehicles,” on a site that currently holds a house that’s been serving as a commercial office. The project’s land-use application has been formally submitted, so that opens a 2-week comment period (through June 8th); the notice explains how to comment. The project also still has to go through the second phase of Design Review – no timeline for that yet; we’ve been tracking the proposal for more than a year.
Our regional blood supplies need a boost now that more health-care services are resuming. If you can donate, this month’s West Seattle pop-up drive has two more days to go this week – Wednesday (10 am-6 pm) and Friday (9 am-5 pm). at Combat Arts Academy (5050 Delridge Way SW). You can book an appointment online by going here, or by phone – call 800-398-7888, Ext 1 – or email, schedule@bloodworksnw.org.
How will the local real-estate market be affected by unexpected factors such as the coronavirus-related economic crunch and bridge closure? Right now, the market’s busier than you might expect, and there’s much to talk about. So at 4 pm today, West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor) hosts an online/phone discussion, all welcome, as previewed last week. Email info@westseattlerealty.com and you’ll get the info you need to participate.
Family and friends have said goodbye to Sue Harris and are sharing this remembrance with the community:
Susan Kay Harris, age 71, died peacefully at home on May 23rd. She is survived by her children Sean (Courtney Harris-Campf), Colleen, Becky (RJ Masters), Marianne (Pat McGah), and CJ (Morgann Harris), six grandchildren, and her siblings Rita Meyers and Chuck Pepka. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Joseph, her parents Ruth and Ray Pepka, and her sister Rose Ann Hallett.
Sue was born in Kokomo, Indiana and moved with her family as an infant to Seattle. Raised in the Rainier Beach neighborhood, Sue attended St. Paul Catholic School, Forest Ridge, and Seattle University. Pepe, as she was known to her camp friends, loved her summers working at CYO camps, and it was there that she met Joe.
After they were married in 1973, Sue and Joe moved to West Seattle to begin their family together. Sue remained a staple in the neighborhood, all the way until the end of her life. Sue loved that her house, “the big blue house,” was a place that everyone was welcomed, where people would gather together, and kids could often be heard playing on the third floor. Sue and her neighbor, long-time friend Teresa Brown, would always comment that between the two of them they collectively raised their nine kids.
Sue worked at Holy Rosary School for over 25 years as the school librarian. Sue loved Holy Rosary. She loved the people at Holy Rosary. She would always rave about the amazing teachers and staff she got to work with and how proud she was of all the school does. Everyone could count on Sue to have a good book recommendation and some M and M’s to share when they visited her in the library.
In the last three years, Sue was an absolute trooper as she dealt with stage 4 breast cancer and the intense pain that came with it. She was always someone who loved life, and she continued to love her life even through the chemo and treatments. During which, she took her whole family to Hawaii, traveled to Portugal for a cruise, continued to coach basketball at Holy Rosary, watched Survivor every week, and maintained a decades-long love of the Mariners (especially Edgar!).
Sue was a constant caregiver and loved to be a host to whomever walked through her door, even in her final days. She was happiest when talking to neighbors, students, life-long and new friends near and far, and above all, spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
The celebration of her life will be held at Holy Rosary Church at a later date once it is safe to do so. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fr. Mallahan Endowment Fund at Holy Rosary School, a fund that Joe and Sue helped to create, or to Camp Gallagher or the Kaplan Cancer Research Fund.
Please share memories of Sue and condolences with her family at www.emmickfunerals.com/obituary/Susan-Harris.
Arrangements entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services of West Seattle
(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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