day : 04/07/2020 7 results

10:35 PM: Many Fourth of July late nights, we keep an incident log, so we’re starting one now. Above is the SPD Mobile Precinct, seen at Alki around 7 pm. Around 9 pm, police radioed that they would be assisting Seattle Parks in closing the beach. Then came a call for police to help SFD with numerous illegal beach fires. And right now, police are handling a crash in the (corrected) 1200 block of Alki SW – the whole block is closed, per the scanner. This was originally dispatched as a rollover but we’re not sure if that’s what it turned out to be; more than half the originally dispatched SFD units have been dismissed. … Update: Erin just sent this photo. Definitely a flipped car.

One person is reported to be getting evaluated for possible injuries.

11:02 PM: Another Alki crash dispatch, 56th about half a block south of Alki SW. Also, a car fire at 6th SW/SW Cloverdale, which is close to a “brush fire” call last hour. The previous call was answered by Squad 40, a unit we don’t usually hear mentioned routinely. SFD explains that it’s “our brush truck used for wildland firefighting deployments. We have it staffed and in-service today for responding to extinguish spot/brush fires.”

11:28 PM: Alki SW is still closed at the flipped-car crash scene, which, as shown in the photo below sent by Michael, is outside the Infinity project site – took out the fencing:

11:35 PM: Now a “brush fire” call at Gatewood Elementary – which is barely half a block west of this evening’s apartment fire. Dispatcher says a tree is on fire. … And a minute later, a “rubbish fire” dispatch at Lowman Beach.

12:33 AM: Things have quieted down somewhat since that burst.

1:12 AM: What’s it been like on Alki? Two photos from David Hutchinson:

Up here east of Lincoln Park, we’re still hearing scattered booms.

2:28 AM: Finally quiet, at least here.

3:15 AM: Well, it was, till now. P.S. If you are among the kind souls who go out on the morning of the 5th to clean up … consider sending us a photo of what you find.

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CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 7/4 roundup

July 4, 2020 9:31 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

As public-health authorities warned, viruses don’t take holidays. So even on this Independence Day night, we have a roundup, though it’s short:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative numbers from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*10,784 people have tested positive, 65 more than yesterday

*590 people have died, unchanged from yesterday

*1,610 people have been hospitalized, unchanged from yesterday

*181,536 people have been tested, 1,892 more than yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 9,819/586/1,574/157,623.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 11.2 million people have tested positive, and more than 530,000 have died. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, Russia, India, Peru (last week’s #5, the UK, is down to #7). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

NEED PET FOOD? King County’s mobile pet-food bank has announced it’ll be at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center (1321 SW 102nd) noon-3 pm next Friday (July 10th).

FARMERS’ MARKET NOTES FOR SUNDAY: The market remains modified because of the pandemic, but it’s open tomorrow as usual, 10 am–2 pm. If you’ve ordered from the new online system, you can go directly to the north side of the market for pickup – California/Oregon. If you’re shopping the regular market, management wants you to know:

People needing ADA accessibility, those with mobility issues, and older folks are welcome to walk to the front of the market line [California/Alaska] for quicker entry. (This is a rule we’ve had in place verbally and through signage at market for months, but it seems more important than ever with the heat and longer lines.)

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westsettleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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UPDATE: Fireworks blamed for apartment-building fire at California/Myrtle

July 4, 2020 6:04 pm

| 66 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)

6:04 PM: We just happened onto this and SFD has just arrived.

The fire was burning in shrubbery in front of the building and spread to balconies.

(Photo by Julianne Davidson)

(Texted photo)

Passersby were hollering for people to get out. More…

More firefighters have arrived. The flames were roaring up the side of the building before their arrival. No word of injuries so far.

6:19 PM: Under control, damage mostly exterior, says SFD. Cause under investigation.

6:34 PM: They’re evaluating the interior to see if it’s safe for residents to go back inside.

7:15 PM: California’s still blocked at the scene by SFD units.

7:30 PM: SFD says it was started by fireworks. $100,000 damage estimate.

8:49 PM: Added two short video clips we recorded just before and just after the first engine arrived. Meantime, the incident log shows only 3 units still on scene, so California is likely passable again.

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Leadership change for Rotary Club of West Seattle

July 4, 2020 5:39 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

From the Rotary Club of West Seattle:

Another Rotary Year Passes:

The West Seattle Rotary just had its New Year’s (July 1) change of Leadership. We would like to welcome our new President Dawn Schaper, who is also the Executive Director of Brookdale Admiral Heights.

This has been a busy year for outgoing President Dave Nichols; with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he took the weekly club meetings online in Zoom. As a club, we raised and donated almost $10,000 to three of our local nonprofits – West Seattle Food Bank, Senior Center of West Seattle, and WestSide Baby, who are supporting our community in this time of need. If you would like to help us, you may donate here.

One of the annual events presented by the Rotary, the West Seattle Grand Parade, is among the summer events that have to skip this year.

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WEST SEATTLE WILDLIFE: Seen ‘surfing’

July 4, 2020 2:18 pm

| 31 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Somebody texted a while ago to report a beaver at Don Armeni. We suspect it’s the same critter Sharon Wada photographed earlier today, sending the pics and noting, “This guy looks like he’s surfing! So many people I talked to said this was the first time they’ve seen a beaver walking and swimming in the tideoools before swimming along the edge towards Elliott Bay. Feel free to post these pictures of what looks to be a beaver; however, some have asked if it was a nutria.”

11 years ago, a similar sighting in a Junction yard resulted in a commenter consensus of “marmot.” Here are infopages for beavers, nutria, and marmot (seems unlikely). Thoughts?

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‘War on the Homefront’: Southwest Seattle Historical Society presents ‘mini-exhibit’ online

July 4, 2020 11:49 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Right about now every Fourth of July, Southwest Seattle Historical Society members and friends gather at the Log House Museum on Alki for their annual picnic. Not this year. But the SWSHS is offering you the chance to celebrate by learning more about a chapter in American history – here’s the announcement:

Over the past year, staff at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society have conducted a series of oral histories with the West Seattle High School classes of 1944 and 1945. The purpose was to document the impact of WWII on the youth of West Seattle.

We had hoped to have a pop-up exhibit at the all-school reunion at WSHS (last month). However, the reunion was canceled due to the pandemic. So, we are bringing you a mini-online exhibit of War on the Homefront. Head over to our website for a glimpse of the rich stories our wonderful participants shared with us. We look forward to creating a more robust exhibit at the museum in the future.

(To explore the “mini-exhibit,” mouse over the bottom of the window that’ll come up on the SWSHS website, and you’ll see the arrows.)

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WEST SEATTLE FOURTH OF JULY: What you need to know

July 4, 2020 7:06 am

| 12 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | Holidays | West Seattle news

(Photo by Brittany Philbin)

Good morning and happy Independence Day! Because of the pandemic, all the usual local events are taking this year off. So we have a few notes (interspersed with local photos of our national bird, the Bald Eagle):

TRANSIT: Metro is on the usual Saturday schedule.

PARKS: Here’s the city list of what’s closed/open.

ALKI CLEANUP: As previewed here, you’re invited to join in, 10 am-2 pm.

LOW-LOW TIDE: Way out to -3.0 feet at 10:56 am.

(Photo by Sharon Wada)

FIREWORKS: Not here (illegal, and city/port parks are trying to dissuade them), no shows visible from here (Lake Union show is canceled, Three Tree Point show is canceled, Bainbridge show is canceled, Vashon show is canceled).

LUNAR ECLIPSE, SORT OF: One will be happening tonight after 8 pm but even if the sky’s clear, you won’t see anything but the full moon, Space.com explains.

(Photo by Lynn Hall)

We’re working as always, so if you have a photo, tip, lost/found pet, westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you and stay safe!

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