West Seattle, Washington
01 Tuesday
Mask up! The governor has added that to his trademark “wash your hands” signoff at briefings, and now there’s extra oomph behind it – that’s where we start tonight’s roundup:
MANDATORY MASKS: As reported here moments after the annouuncement, a statewide mask mandate goes into effect Friday:
Beginning June 26, every Washingtonian in an indoor public space, or in an outside public space when unable to physically distance from others, will be legally required to wear a face covering.
Read the details here; if you want to read the fine print, we should get the actual health order tomorrow, when it’ll be signed.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s the daily summary from Public Health, with cumulative totals:
*9,369 people have tested positive, up 96 from yesterday
*584 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*1,550 people have been hospitalized, up 3 from yesterday
*147,898 people have been tested, up 3,267 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 8,855/576/1,532/127,616.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
‘STAY HEALTHY STREETS’: The city has spent almost $200,000 on them, according to a new budget document. Love ’em? Hate ’em? Ambivalent? Or? Your official chance to tell the city is finally here, via the long-promised survey.
MORE CITY GRANT RECIPIENTS: The city has announced 143 more recipients of $10,000 grants from its Small Business Stabilization Fund. We note a few West Seattle names on the list.
MORE OUTDOOR BUSINESS SPACE? The King County Council passed a bill today that could make room for it in unincorporated areas like White Center and Vashon.
GOT INFO? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
(WSB photo from 2018 Laps With Lou)
It’s one of our favorite stories to cover every June … but COVID-19 has changed it this year! Instead of running a school day’s worth of birthday laps at Pathfinder K-8, with members of the school community exuberantly joining in, retired PE teacher Lou Cutler has found another way to support Make-A-Wish this year, as he turns 69 years old. He explains:
The 69-lap Make-A-Wish run was scheduled for June 1st and was sadly, but rightly cancelled, as there was no way to do the event safely.
Over the years I was always asked if the day of the run was my birthday. I answered no and explained that if we ran the race on my actual birthday of June 25th, I would be running all by myself and the whole spirit of the magnificent event would be immensely diminished without the energy and enthusiasm of the students and the rest of the Pathfinder Community.
Not wanting to let the year pass by without paying tribute to Make-A-Wish and the spectacular wishes that are provided to the wish kids and families, I decided that I will throw myself a fabulous birthday party and walk 11.5 miles, the equivalent of 69 laps, on June 25th.
Not wanting to attract a big crowd and get MAW in trouble, I am not notifying the students of the time or route of the walk, but rather will be joined by a few Make-A-Wish Volunteers and staff for all or part of the walk and I will do it as a MAW fundraiser.
In honor of Lou’s dedication, and the kids whose wishes come true (Lou has volunteered with that for many years too), you can go here to donate – and to see a video showing some of the joy of Laps with Lou over more than a decade and a half.
(WSB photo, Beach Drive “Stay Healthy Street,” last month)
More than a month after a community survey about “Stay Healthy Streets” was first promised, it’s finally launched. First, a refresher – over the spring, the city designated more than 20 miles of streets as “Stay Healthy Streets,” banning vehicular through traffic except for delivery and emergency vehicles. Most are part of Neighborhood Greenways, with exceptions including the stretch of Alki Avenue and Beach Drive that was added to the program. That and another park-adjacent “Stay Healthy Street” in North Seattle were rebranded “Keep Moving Streets,” and the city said they were temporary, while the other 20 “Stay Healthy” miles citywide (including two areas of east West Seattle) will be permanent. The survey’s questions include whether you use any of the “Stay Healthy” or “Keep Moving” streets and what you like and/or dislike about them. It’ll be open until July 15th – you can take it here.
3:19 PM: Gov. Inslee is speaking right now (watch it live) and just announced that masks will be mandatory statewide as of Friday. Even though the worst outbreak right now is in Eastern Washington, infection rates are concerning on this side of the Cascades too, he says. They’ll be required in most indoor (public) circumstances as well as many outdoor circumstances in which social distancing isn’t always possible. “Until a vaccine is developed, this is going to be our best defense,” he says. There will be exceptions, he adds – children younger than 5, people with hearing challenges, people with certain health problems.
3:32 PM: Secretary of Health John Wiesman says he’s issuing the official order and that it’s how “life will be different” for a while. He’s followed by a doctor who declares, “Masks can save lives.” They protect the wearer and those around them. “We know that this appears to work for lots of respiratory-tract infections.”
3:44 PM: Asked about enforcement, Gov. Inslee says that’s not the point – he expects there will be lots of voluntary compliance because people want to stay healthy and care for their neighbors. He says Yakima – which is dealing with a major outbreak – is already up to about 60 percent mask use. — Violating the rule would be a misdemeanor, Inslee says in response to another question, but it’s “not our desire to see hara-working officers (become the mask police) – they have other things to do.”
4:09 PM: This is about to wrap up; the governor and secretary were joined by Craig Jelinek, president and CEO of Costco, and Faye Guenther, president of UFCW 21. Inslee stressed that this isn’t about your personal choice if you want to risk getting sick or not – it’s about protecting others, such as essential workers (like store clerks) who don’t have a choice – they have to be at work “to feed their families.”
5:47 PM: Here’s the governor’s full announcement.
We just obtained the link for tomorrow’s third meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force. It’s at noon Wednesday, and you can see it here. A preview from SDOT:
This week’s meeting will include a brief update on the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge, an introduction to the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) co-chairs and the questions they are currently exploring, discussion around the Reconnect West Seattle and Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Proposals that were introduced during the last Community Task Force meeting, and a presentation and discussion around West Seattle Low Bridge access. However, the meeting agenda is subject to change.
Our coverage of the first two meeting is here (#1) and here (#2).
SIDE NOTE: Today marks exactly three months since the bridge’s sudden closure.
(WSB photo, March)
What’s ahead for Washington State Ferries and the communities (like ours) they serve? WSF has just announced your chance to find out, one week from tonight:
Washington State Ferries is hosting an online public meeting to share the latest information about ferry service and to engage people in ferry-served communities from Tacoma to the San Juan Islands. Instead of its usual spring outreach meetings, WSF has moved its community outreach online due to restrictions on large group gatherings and the spread of COVID-19.
On Tuesday, June 30, at 6 p.m., WSF staff will discuss the response to COVID-19, and how it may affect the agency’s finances and service plan. Online participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments during the meeting.
“We are in a difficult time. Not only are our frontline employees working hard for the safety of our passengers, we face many challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Amy Scarton, head of Washington State Ferries. “We want to hear from the communities we serve, because they are an essential part of our decision making process.”
Members of the public can participate in the meeting from a laptop, desktop or mobile device, but advance registration is required to participate.
June 30 online meeting registration information
· Register online for the 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, meeting at: bit.ly/WSFJuneMeeting2020
· Participants must provide a name and valid email address and have access to a computer or mobile device with an internet connection.
· Once registered, participants will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to log in to the webinar.
The day after the meeting, a recording will be available online for anyone unable to participate.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After five years, West Seattle and South Park police are about to get a new boss.
As reported here Friday, Capt. Pierre Davis is leaving.
“Big shoes to fill,” says the Southwest Precinct‘s next commander, Capt. Kevin Grossman. We talked with him by phone on Monday.
This won’t be his first time running a precinct. – he was South Precinct commander 2017-2019, and is currently commander of the Special Victims section, which handles cases including sexual assault. His department bio notes that he’s also served as liaison officer to the Seattle Housing Authority, supervisor in the Audit, Policy, and Research section, aide in the Chief’s Office, supervisor in the Office of Police Accountability, watch commander in two precincts, operations lieutenant in the North Precinct, and seven years as a hostage negotiator for.
Highland Park Way SW – particularly the hill between SW Holden and West Marginal Way SW – is a lot busier since the West Seattle Bridge closed (three months ago today). Part of the hill is a bit more usable, thanks to volunteers. Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bike Connections sent the video, with this explanation:
While we’ve been waiting for SDOT and SDON to reveal a glimpse of their neighborhood traffic plans and engage us in discussions about biking and walking improvements for the neighborhoods most affected by the West Seattle Bridge closure, several people from Highland Park Action Committee, West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group and West Seattle Bike Connections have being doing DIY improvements on Highland Park Way. We uncovered a long-buried and forgotten sidewalk that links the West Duwamish Trail to the trails in the greenbelt that go up to South Seattle College and other trailheads.
P.S. As previewed here Monday, HPAC is talking about detour traffic tomorrow night.
Those interested in retired civil engineer Bob Ortblad‘s proposal to replace the West Seattle Bridge with an underwater tube tunnel have a chance to see him talk about it this week – but it’s a different day, time, and format from what was previously announced. As noted by commenters, Ortblad’s presentation last week was disrupted. So his Wednesday night event this week is canceled and instead you can see him on a Washington Business Alliance panel Thursday morning:
Future Fit Transportation: West Seattle Duwamish Crossing
Thursday, June 25, 10:00 AMTransportation infrastructure projects that the state embarks on now will need to be cost efficient, more resilient, lower carbon, and take into account a more complex set of challenges including air and water quality.
Join news-making retired civil engineer Bob Ortblad and Former CEO of INCA Engineers Shiv Batra for a discussion on the concept of an Immersed Tube Tunnel as an innovative approach to replacing the West Seattle bridge.
Showcasing innovation and unique ideas is part of the entrepreneurial spirit which guides the Washington Business Alliance. Join us for this webinar and stay connected as we bring you more exciting ideas for the state’s transportation future.
Panelists
David Giuliani: Co-founder: Low Carbon Prosperity Institute and Washington Business Alliance
Bob Ortblad: Civil Engineer, Retired
Shiv Batra: Former CEO of INCA Engineers
Asked if they’d consider this idea, SDOT has said repeatedly that nothing’s been ruled out.
6:03 AM: Good morning – the 92nd morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK
*Demolition is under way on the Delridge Way repaving-and-more project – here’s what’s happening this week.’
*If you travel on Beach Drive, be aware that staging has begun for the Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook seawall project.
TRAFFIC
Heading off-peninsula? First, the cameras for the 5-way intersection, and the restricted-access low bridge just east of it:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) – which has up to 14 overnight closures planned next month. Meanwhile, 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 – Some service has been added back – details here.
Water Taxi – Also restored some service, plus the 773 and 775 shuttles – see the schedule here.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
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