West Seattle, Washington
02 Saturday
(Sound Transit graphic from October 2019 board meeting)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Eight months after the Sound Transit Board decided to add the “Yancy/Andover Elevated” route to the list of possibilities, some of the West Seattleites who might be in its path are just learning about it.
A group of neighbors in the area west of Avalon Way, including 32nd SW, is meeting weekly to talk about it, and more than 50 of them had an online meeting with Sound Transit reps this past Monday night. We were invited to cover it.
They’re not trying to derail light rail – but they want to understand this potential alignment, how it would affect their neighborhood, and how best to get involved in the review process.
18 weeks ago tonight, King County’s first coronavirus case was announced. Most nights since then, we’ve updated virus-crisis local news in our nightly roundup:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:
*10,719 people have tested positive, 123 more than yesterday
*590 people have died, 1 more than yesterday
*1,610 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday
*179,644 people have been tested, 3,651 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 9,695/586/1,564/155,859.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 11 million cases, 524,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
CAN YOU GIVE BLOOD? If so, your help is urgently needed (note – looks like most of tomorrow’s slots are taken, but other days are available).
PICKUP MARKET: If you don’t feel comfortable shopping multiple booths at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, the new online-ordering system for one pickup point is up and running. Midnight tonight is the deadline for pickups this Sunday.
QUESTIONS FOR YOU: The COVID-19-forced changes in higher education have South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) asking questions in a community survey.
HAVE A SAFE HOLIDAY! Here’s how.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
It’s not even dark, and people are illegally setting off fireworks, scaring those you can’t calm with an explanation – particularly pets. 
The Seattle Animal Shelter‘s advice for helping your pets this time of year (published last year, but unfortunately perennially relevant) is here, with advice such as “Leave pets at home and inside,” “Create a home sanctuary,” and “Identification is essential.” No matter what you do, your pet might still bolt if s/he gets the chance; if you lose or find a pet, remember that we have had a Lost/Found Pets page on WSB for 12 years – send us info (westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302) and a photo, if available. But no matter how much care you take with pets, there are still animals affected because their “home sanctuaries” are those same outdoor spaces where people are setting off explosives – our beautiful birds, for example. Thanks in advance for your consideration. (WSB shop cat Miles, 20 and declining, thanks you too.)
Summertime = reading time! If you have a Madison Middle School student in the household, here’s an announcement from Madison librarian Stacia Bell:
Mark your calendars for July 29th and August 20th — Madison Middle School’s next two CURBSIDE BOOK PICK-UP days!
Ms. Bell and the Madison Library will be checking out books to Madison students from 3-5 pm on those two upcoming summer days. In order to reserve books for pickup, students need to place books on hold (you can check out up to 10 books at a time this summer) through our Madison Online Library Catalog at least one day in advance of a scheduled pick-up day.
To learn more about CURBSIDE BOOK PICK-UP and how to place books on hold, please watch this video. If you are an incoming Madison 6th grader, you cannot yet place books on hold yourself in our Madison Catalog. Instead, please check the catalog for availability and then send your specific book requests to Ms. Bell at smbell@seattleschools.org so that she can add the holds for you. Feel free to contact Ms. Bell with any questions or if you are not able to make it to school to pick up your reserved books. Happy reading!
Three notes this afternoon:
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: From M: “Parked in street at 32nd/Kenyon, stolen sometime last night, early today. 2014 dark gray Toyota Tacoma pickup, long bed with canopy. Has a dragon boat sticker in back canopy window, and a Hawaiian sticker.” We’ll add the plate when we get it. Call 911 if you see this pickup.
STOLEN E-BIKE: From Patricia:
Last night someone got into our garage and took our e-bike, near 35th SW and Thistle. The battery was charging, so it was not with the bike. Similar detail to the post on 2 July Gatewood car prowl with glove box contents scattered on passenger seat. Opened garage with the remote in the car, then took the ebike.
DUMPED TOTE BAG/GROCERIES: Also along Thistle, just east of California, we discovered this on the south-side-of-street planting strip, and are wondering if it was taken in a car prowl: A spilled bag of groceries – unopened cans of soup, a bag of pasta, bottles of sauces. There were drink cans when we first noticed this two days ago, but those are gone now. While using a grabber to pick up the remaining cans, we noticed a name written on the grocery bag, in childlike printing, first name starting with E and last name Baff— (we tried looking online for a match, no luck), and this striped mini-tote bag:
We’re leaving the items on the planting strip in case someone recognizes them. If we wind up having to dispose of the food (which is now in an otherwise-clean black bag), we’ll make an equivalent cash donation to the food bank that serves this area, hate to see it wasted.
Bloodworks Northwest sent this “urgent alert” for a donation event on the 4th of July:
Blood Donations Needed Over 4th of July Weekend!
Bloodworks NW has partnered with Seattle Seahawks and Seafair to host a Pop-up Blood Donor Center at CenturyLink Field. Tomorrow, July 4th, there are still 35 donor appointments available. Our state is in a blood crisis and your blood is needed to service our local hospitals and patients. Please make your blood donation for tomorrow at www.BloodworksNW.org and use code SEAF – All donors who sign up by the 11th receive a $20 grocery gift card and will be entered into win a Seahawks Swag Bag that includes a full-sized authentic helmet autographed by Tyler Lockett and a 12 Flag autographed by Bobby Wagner.
Two sweet notes that arrived in the WSB inbox almost simultaneously this afternoon:
BENEFIT JAM SALE: The photo and announcement are from local students Sasha and Annika:
Hello West Seattle Neighbors,
My friend and I will be selling homemade strawberry jam – that we made from homegrown strawberries from our yard – this afternoon starting at 2:00. We have 60 jars of super-sweet strawberry goodness. We will be at the corner of Genesee and 51st on the sidewalk at the back of the Genesee Hill Elem school. All money will be donated to Black Lives Matter, Seattle-King County. We will set up so we can safely distance from each other – though please wear a mask. If you are out on an afternoon walk or running afternoon errands, swing by!
NEW FROZEN TREATS: From Evan at Lady Jaye (4523 California SW):
We have an awesome soft serve machine and we are creating our own magic shells and toppings. Stop by if you have a sweet tooth!
A group of students, led by two sisters, is working in two ways to do good deeds this summer. Along with tutoring, they also are organizing. Etienne Reche-Ley explains via email:
My name is Etienne and I am a rising sophomore at Stanford. This spring, my sister Noemi (she is a rising junior in high school) and I started a free online tutoring program to help WA State public school students from falling through the cracks during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have brought together 150 tutors who are high school and college students at schools around the world (many of them are West Seattle High School grads – Mikki Dysart and Sam Niederberger are part of our leadership team) who speak a total of 10 different languages. We are tutoring more than 70 students consistently.
Our goal is to reach a diverse crowd of students, focusing on those who are suffering most from the pandemic, students of color, low-income students, students who speak a language other than english, and students who face other disadvantages.
Right now, we are hosting a food, baby product, and book drive that will benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. The books will be distributed to local families through drop-off locations and we are encouraging people to donate multicultural books.
Meantime, if you know someone who could benefit from the tutoring offer:
We offer free online tutoring for WA State public school students. Our tutors are high school and college students who speak 10 different languages and who are eager to help. This summer, we are here to help students catch up on schoolwork, spend their free time in a productive way, prepare for a challenging new school year and give parents a break! Click this link to have your student paired with a tutor.
Questions about tutoring, and/or donations for the drive? Email togethertutoringprogram@gmail.com. The project also has a website and Instagram page.
West Seattle’s only major institution has a few questions for you, even if you’ve never studied there. From Puget Ridge-based South Seattle College (WSB sponsor):
South Seattle College is inviting community members from our service area to fill out a brief survey about your current and future educational needs and interests, and to hear your ideas on how higher education can best serve our community in this time.
The survey will be open through July 17. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your perspective!
Survey Link: bit.ly/38jFKST
Just one page, and no personally identifying/demographic info is requested (just your zip code).
(Thursday night sunset, photographed by Jan Pendergrass)
Since the Fourth of July is on Saturday, today is the “observed” holiday, so it’s a three-day weekend for many. First, the transit/transportation notes:
TRANSIT: Metro‘s on a Sunday schedule; the Water Taxi‘s not running.
TRAFFIC CAMERAS: See them here.
BRIDGES OPEN? Check here.
Now – what’s happening (or not) today/tonight:
MOST GOVERNMENT OFFICES CLOSED: Though many offices/facilities are still closed anyway because of the pandemic, take note that services generally won’t be available today.
YES, THERE’S MAIL: USPS observes the holiday on Saturday.
LOW-LOW TIDE: Way out, to -2.6 feet, at 10:12 am. Tread lightly!
#SAYTHEIRNAMES VIGIL: Announced by North Delridge neighbor Nancy:
Please join us to show support for our Black friends, family, and neighbors, and to #SayTheirNames
What: #SayTheirNames
When: Friday, July 3rd, 5:30-6:30 pm
Where: Pedestrian overpass on Delridge at the Delridge Community Center/Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.Please remember to wear your masks!
CORNER BAR: Highland Park Improvement Club‘s doing it virtually, 7 pm, with a livestreamed performance by KO Electric – you’ll be able to watch/listen here.
PARK LIGHTS: On until 11 pm at four local Seattle Parks fields, to dissuade fireworks use.
Thanks to David Hutchinson for sending photos from orcas’ visit to Elliott Bay on Thursday evening.
These were transient orcas, not the Southern Residents.
Unlike the resident whales, transients’ food sources include other mammals – seals, sea lions, even other whales.
David’s photos were taken from Duwamish Head and the Alki promenade.
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