West Seattle, Washington
29 Monday
Two days until the mask mandate takes effect, and that’s where we start tonight’s roundup:
MASK ORDER: You can now see the full text of Secretary of Health John Wiesman‘s order here. As announced yesterday, it takes effect statewide on Friday – wear a face covering when you’re out in public.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*9,502 people have tested positive, 133 more than yesterday’s total
*583 people have died, 1 below yesterday’s total++
*1,555 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday’s total
*150,096 people have been tested, 2,198 more than yesterday’s total
++The county has ongoing “data corrections”
One week ago, the four totals were 8,893/575/1,531/130,354.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
GOT A COLLEGE STUDENT IN THE HOUSE? You might be interested in Gov. Inslee‘s announcement today “providing specific health guidance for four-year public and private institutions, as well as two-year community and technical colleges, apprenticeships, and private career schools.”
SPEAKING OF COLLEGE … the drive-up/walk-up graduation celebration for South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) is tomorrow!
UNPAID PROPERTY TAXES? If you couldn’t meet the extended June 1st deadline, the county is now offering a payment plan.
PEARL JAM’S #ALLINWA SONG: Tonight’s streamed benefit for the #AllInWA COVID-19 recovery fund included the superstar band with West Seattleites – here’s their song:
You can donate by going here.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Thanks to Jan for the photos from Luna/Anchor Park tonight. Don’t know the story behind the group jump – maybe YOU do?
ADDED THURSDAY: Thanks to Marc – whose son was the one doing the back flip – for sending this video:
He says, “They had so much fun doing this! Great kids too!”
7:53 PM: A bus is reported to have ‘sheared off” a pole in the 2800 block of SW Genesee. Avoid the area. We’re on our way to check it out.
8:11 PM: Genesee is closed at the bottom of the hill east of Avalon. Police tell us it wasn’t the bus driver who hit the pole, it was a car driver. No serious injuries. The bus, a 50 that just happened to be in the area, is backing out of the area.
9:36 PM: No word on whether the road’s clear and we can’t go back, but by now it shold be. Also, added Mark‘s photo (thank you) above, showing, as noted in comments, the car went through the fence and onto the golf course.
10:21 PM: Metro just sent a text alert that Route 50 is still routed off SW Genesee, so apparently the scene is NOT clear.
Two reader reports:
STOLEN ART MERCHANDISE: From Brigida:
I had about $400 worth of art prints, greeting cards and other products I was shipping out to customers stolen today just before 10 am from my front porch. I caught them in the act and briefly gave chase but no luck.
The car was a silver-gray four door sedan with a license plate number of BIS—. Although I didn’t get a good look at the driver, the guy who jumped out and stole the packages was white, probably between 20-30 years old, slim build, medium height wearing a black cap, black mask and dark clothing. They took off westward from the 3500 block of Charlestown towards California.
In case any of these items get dumped somewhere, there are eighteen 11×14 reproductions of watercolor art of PNW nature illustrations, plus some stickers and greeting cards.
They were mostly packaged in flat white rigid mailers, and one priority mail box. As a full-time artist and solo business owner, things have already been pretty tough this year, so this was an extra bummer on top of everything else. Thanks in advance if you find anything!
Police incident number is: 20-195744
HIT-RUN: Early Tuesday, a driver went through the fence at the 1250 Alki Ave. SW construction site:
Matt says neighbors think it was a small white SUV-type car. If you have any info, (206) 247-4136.
(WSB file photo)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The fourth month since the West Seattle Bridge’s closure started with the third meeting of the advisory Community Task Force.
The headline this time around was from the last item on the agenda, changes in the restrictions for use of the low bridge, which since the high bridge’s closure has been limited to transit, freight, emergency vehicles, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, and certain maritime workers. The meeting ended with concurrence on a plan to allow more access, as well as a mention that automated enforcementi is on the way.
First – the slide deck for the entire meeting:
We’ll add meeting video when it’s uploaded. Here’s our video:
Now – our summary:
LOW BRIDGE CHANGES? SDOT’s Adiam Emery opened the discussion by explaining that they’ve been continuing to analyze traffic volumes since implementing restrictions. Even with citywide traffic reductions and low-bridge restrictions, the low bridge is close to its safe capacity at some times, she said. In particular, weekends are “nearing maximum capacity” for the bridge. The 5-way intersection west of the bridge is the “key limiting factor” more than the bridge itself. They have a little more room for vehicles, so here’s the proposal for loosening up access a bit:
At noon this Friday, your phone may go off with a test alert that’ll be related to the West Seattle Bridge Emergency Response Plan. Here’s the announcement:
On June 26 at 12 p.m., the City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management will send a test message through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. The alert will only be sent to those who have opted in to receive local test messages through WEA, and to a small geographic area under and near the West Seattle Bridge. The message will state: “This is a test of Wireless Emergency Alerts by the City of Seattle. No action is required.”
The national WEA system is an essential part of the City’s emergency preparedness and response. This public safety system allows customers who own compatible devices to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area. The most common example of these alerts is the “Amber Alerts” sent by Washington State Patrol that directly ping mobile phones.
Though not predicted, the City has emergency plans in place to use the WEA and AlertSeattle systems among other methods to notify people under or near the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge in the event of an immediate collapse. The City has successfully used the system several times in 2020, though it’s important to test the geographical capabilities of the system to ensure the correct area is targeted. Twenty volunteers from Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management Auxiliary Communication Services will stage in locations on and surrounding Harbor Island during the test to confirm receipt of the message. Results will be collected by Seattle OEM to determine the reach of the system.
Mobile phone users who are in the geographical area and would like to receive the test message must take steps to enable the option on their phone. The capability of a phone to receive local test messages depends on the brand and model, as well as phone carrier. Review the instruction manual for the phone for information on how to enable this feature. Basic information for Apple and Android Phones is below:
Apple iPhone:
· To turn it on: Enter *5005*25371# and tap the green phone icon. You’ll get an alert that says “Test alerts enabled.”
· To turn it off: Enter *5005*25370# and tap the green phone icon. You’ll get an alert that says “Test alerts disabled.”
Androids:
· Go to “Settings” > “Apps and Notifications” > “Advanced” > “Wireless Emergency Alerts” and then switch “State/local test” option to ON.
Members of the public are encouraged to proactively sign-up for AlertSeattle to receive emergency notifications from the City of Seattle: alert.seattle.gov.
Two business-reopening updates today:
CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS: The longtime WSB sponsor at 4540 California SW reopens for in-store shopping tomorrow:
Thursday afternoon we’ll be re-opening for in-store shopping and can’t wait to see your (masked) faces!
99 days ago we temporarily closed the shop in response to the (ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic. And what a 99 days its been. We’ve baked so many cookies, gotten really good at packing up online orders and marched with our community. We filled our website with your favorite items from the store and held a fundraiser that raised over $2,700 for social justice causes. We’re listening, learning and evolving day by day and are so looking forward to reconnecting with you again in person.
All the details on what to expect when we re-open are right here. Our hours for this week are shown in the image below (hours may change week to week).
A million thank yous for your support through this whole thing. See you soon.
While curbside pickup is continuing too, the in-store shopping hours this week will be 3-7 pm Thursday and Friday, 11 am-5 pm Saturday, 10 am-4 pm Sunday.
SKYLARK: The patio out back is open! Matt from Skylark sent a photo:
He says, “We now have our patio open! There are several tables with more to come, all of which have plenty of space between, as do our tables inside. This area is dog friendly, umbrellas are on their way, and we have no-contact ordering and payment options. Now we hope the sun sticks around!” (Overcast as we write this, but pleasant outside anyway. Skylark is at 3803 Delridge Way SW.)
(WSB file photo, future park site at 48th/Charlestown)
With the city getting ready to make budget cuts because of COVID-19 revenue losses- see the big picture here, in the slides from an upcoming City Council presentation – individual departments are announcing their plans today. Among them, Seattle Parks and Recreation, which says West Seattle’s three landbanked park-development projects will be “paused.” Here’s the full news release:
As the City moves to reopening and rebuilding, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) must turn our attention to addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 on both the city’s budget as well as SPR’s budget.
The City is also looking across all city departments and city services to reallocate General Fund resources to support the rebuilding of our communities along with providing essential services.
During this pandemic crisis, SPR has significantly shifted to better serve our communities where it was needed most. Seattle Parks and Recreation has stood up three temporary shelters in community centers, quickly opened and increased service to over 100 restrooms across the city, continued to operate our free shower programs at four sites, operated 9 childcares for essential worker families, and created a new program to support social distancing in our public parks.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic the City is proposing budget adjustments to City Council for consideration and approval on June 23.
In summary the savings from SPR that will help the city’s budget shortfall include:
-Leaving current staff vacancies unfilled, and reducing consultants and training budgets
-Reducing seasonal temporary employees in Park maintenance and facilities
-Pausing several capital projects including:
Battery St. Portal Park Development
Reduction in park acquisition budget
Landbank site development (48th and Charlestown, Ernest Park Addition, Morgan Junction, Wedgewood, West Seattle Junction)
-Greenway connection projects
-Athletic field conversion (Soundview, Ballard, and Queen Anne)
-Municipal energy efficiency program
-Park upgrade work through Seattle Conservation CorpAdditionally, SPR anticipates continuing to capture savings throughout the summer due to the closures of facilities and reduction in summer programming (Teen Summer Musical, wading pools, spray parks, summer pools, and other summer programs).
As a result of unfil;ed vacancies and reducing temporary staffing budgets, park and facility maintenance will have a decreased level of service (reduced mowing and park maintenance, along with slower response to fixing broken park amenities).
These reductions do not include layoffs or furloughs currently, however, SPR is holding approximately 10% of our regular positions vacant.
We are committed to keeping you informed about our operational and budgetary changes as we move through this difficult time
All three of the landbanked West Seattle sites had been moving toward construction years after the city bought them. (If you’re new – the Morgan project is the fenced-off ex-commercial site north of the current park along California north of Fauntleroy, and the Junction project is in the 4700 block of 40th SW across from the Alki Masonic Lodge building). We’ll add more followup info later.
The next two days bring four transportation meetings related to the West Seattle Bridge closure and more, so here’s a quick note about all four:
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: The CTF’s third meeting starts at noon today – our preview has the link for viewing live.
HPAC: The community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge talks traffic mitigation at 7 tonight, with guests including local WSBCTF members. HPAC’s preview includes information on how to participate.
‘IMMERSED TUBE’ TUNNEL: At 10 am Thursday, retired civil engineer Bob Ortblad‘s next presentation is part of a Washington Business Alliance-presented panel discussion; our preview has the link for registering in advance so you can get the link to watch.
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm Thursday, as announced by the WSTC:
We have representatives from several local agencies lined up to join us. Here’s who is scheduled and what we plan to discuss:
Seattle Department Of Transportation – upcoming work on 1st Ave S Bridge, possible changes to low bridge restrictions, freight complaints on West Marginal Way SW, and emerging traffic patterns at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal
Port Of Seattle – impacts of high bridge closure to their operation
King County – What can West Seattle expect in terms of additional transit service and when can we expect it?
On the web:
Via phone: +12532158782,,86245810657#
Meeting ID 862 4581 0657
6:12 AM: Good morning – the 93rd 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. We went by Tuesday afternoon and nothing was happening on the roadway yet, but that’ll eventually change.
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 – This also has some service restored, 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.
(Photo, video courtesy APL)
A West Seattle woman wrapping up a distinguished education career got a surprise parade on Tuesday.Jennifer Annable is retiring after a decade as executive director of the Academy for Precision Learning, which describes itself as “an independent K-12 school with the mission of providing a nurturing and individualized learning experience for students across the autism spectrum alongside their typically developing peers.” Before that, she led the UW’s Experimental Education Unit for a quarter-century. APL is in the University District, and that’s where Annable was surprised with a drive-up/walk-up celebration:
Annable’s achievements include a national award – in 2010 she was honored with the Division of Early Childhood’s Rose C. Engel Award for Excellence in Professional Practice.
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.
Two reader reports:
BRAZEN BIKE THEFT: That bicycle was stolen as its owner watched, reports Robert:
My son’s bike was stolen from Schmitz Park Elementary tonight at around 8:20. He was waiting for some friends and put his bike down. A family (dad, mom and 3-4 kids – all under 10) were at the playground The family walked off and then the dad came back and took the bike. He put in the back of his van. My son tried to stop him but no luck.
He gave chase after the van on foot He was calling me and I happened to be a couple blocks away and saw the van with bike in back. I followed but he must have figured it out and took off. I honked a bit and then he really took off so stopped following.
We got several pictures of the van but it appears he took the license plate off. The vehicle was a later model mini van (didn’t get make). Color was silver-ish. The entire back window was taped so might be obvious if you see it. Hoping there is a chance he dumped it as he knew we following him. He drove toward Seaview neighborhood. Or maybe someone saw them at the school and can give a better description?
The bike was a Cannondale Habit 4. A few years old but a nicer mountain bike. He put his Birthday, lawn–mowing money, pressure-washing money toward it, so a tough lesson to learn.
Thanks in advance if you find the bike or see the vehicle.
The police report # is 2020-194353.
CAR PROWLS: Also tonight, this report from Flavia: “I live in the Arroyos neighborhood and had a car break-in at 2:40 in the morning. I am 1 of 3 houses that was hit in the neighborhood. All were car break-ins.”
The first Monday of Phase 2 is ending, and here’s the nightly roundup:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative totals:
*9,273 people have tested positive, 39 more than yesterday
*584 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*1,547 people have been hospitalized, 6 more than yesterday
*144,631 people have been tested, 3,157 more than yesterday
One week ago, the totals were 8,797/574/1,521/125,323.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: 3 pm tomorrow is Gov. Inslee’s next public/media briefing on the state’s COVID-19 response. From the announcement:
The governor will be joined by:
John Wiesman, secretary of health
Craig Jelinek, president and CEO, Costco Wholesale
Faye Guenther, president, UFCW 21
You’ll be able to watch it live here.
GUIDANCE INFORMATION IN ASL: From the state Health Department:
DOH releases American Sign Language (ASL) re-opening guidance videos: The videos, which can be found on the DOH’s ASL landing page, contain guidance for the Safe Start plan, each separate re-opening phase, and requirements for individuals, businesses, and employers.
DRIVE-UP GRADUATION CELEBRATION: One more coming up this week – South Seattle College on Thursday.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
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