day : 17/07/2020 11 results

20 weeks ago tonight, King County announced its first confirmed coronavirus case. We start tonight’s roundup with the numbers:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:

*12,807 people have tested positive, 215 more than yesterday

*624 people have died, 3 more than yesterday

*1,790 people have been hospitalized, 40 more than yesterday

*231,848 people have been tested, 4.656 more than yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 11,632/603/1,674/201,745.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 14 million cases, 601,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

‘EXPLOSIVE SITUATION’: That’s where things stand if you look at our state as a whole, according to the latest “situation report” (see it here). The report also warns, ” If current trends continue, we expect that schools will not be able to reopen safely in the fall.”

POSITIVE TEST AT THE KENNEY: The senior-living center announced tonight that a staff member has tested positive for COVID-19.

ENFORCEMENT: The city has a new plan to step up enforcement of health rules for non-food businesses.

GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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UPDATE: Employee at The Kenney tests positive for COVID-19

July 17, 2020 8:54 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | The Kenney | West Seattle news

The parent company of The Kenney has announced an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. Here’s what we received:

Heritage President and CEO Lisa Haglund confirmed today that The Kenney, a Heritage senior living community in West Seattle, has a staff member who has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in their senior living community.

Haglund stated, “The staff member who tested positive is currently in quarantine, and will not return to work at The Kenney until further notice. All of our families have been notified. Out of an abundance of caution, all residents in Lincoln Vista at The Kenney will be quarantined for the next 14 days. All outside visits with families are cancelled during this time of quarantine. In accordance with HIPAA requirements, no further details will be released.”

Haglund shared, “At Heritage, the health and safety of both our residents and staff is of the utmost importance, and we are taking action to reduce the risk of exposure for all. The steps we are implementing are directly tied to the recommendations and guidelines of the CDC, and state, local, and federal regulations, and we will adjust these steps if those recommendations change. To date, we consider ourselves lucky to have limited our exposure as a result of the pro-active efforts of our staff working in conjunction with our COVID-19 task force.

Heritage has taken multiple steps to help prevent exposure for residents including restricting all visitors, daily employee and resident health screenings in accordance with CDC guidelines, and no group activities.

She continued, “Our COVID-19 task force has been preparing for this possibility, and we believe our incredible team of caregivers is well trained and ready to support our residents.”

ADDED 11:43 AM SATURDAY: In a followup exchange, Heritage offered to have Chief Clinical Officer Jeremy Rutter talk with us by phone this morning. Here’s what else we learned:

-This is actually the third positive test associated with The Kenney. A resident recently tested positive after becoming ill and being admitted to a hospital; before that, a staff member had tested positive in a test administered by their personal health-care provider. This new result is the first one from testing done by medical staff at The Kenney.

-Rutter says they’ve done three recent rounds of testing among residents and staff, and will be re-testing everyone “in about a week.”

-Because of the new case, all staff are wearing “head to toe” PPE, masks, eye shields, bonnets, gloves, gowns, booties.

They’re also working with Public Health Seattle-King County, he said, to be sure they’re doing everything they can to protect residents and staff.

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REOPENED, NEW NAME: J&J Public House

July 17, 2020 8:22 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

The former Pacific Room on Alki has reopened with a new name – but not the previously planned one. Now the establishment at 2808 Alki Avenue SW is J&J Public House. They emailed us an update:”We are only open for takeout and patio service from 11:30 am-9 pm, Wednesday-Sunday. We plan on continuing the live music (when we can, of course), and our cuisine is now considered ‘international gastropub’ with a more casually priced menu. Currently, we have a limited takeout menu that gives people just a glimpse of what’s to come. We are doing to-go cocktails and growlers, we also have bottles of beer to go. Our most notable item is our to-go flavored margaritas made fresh daily (with rotating flavors).” You can order takeout here or by calling 206-829-9695.

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2 West Seattle ‘swap’ events Saturday – books and boats

July 17, 2020 5:38 pm

| Comments Off on 2 West Seattle ‘swap’ events Saturday – books and boats

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

The sun’s out and expected to stay that way through the weekend. Two “swaps” tomorrow might be of interest:

BOOK SWAP: 10 am-2 pm Saturday, Admiral Church presents “the Great Pandemic Book Swap. 4320 SW Hill St. Bring books, take books, on the lawn, masks and distancing required.”

BOAT SWAP: Saturday at Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle:

The Third Annual Boat Swap and Scratch & Dent Sale Is Approaching!

This community event is a great opportunity to buy and sell human powered watercraft (Kayaks, SUPs, Canoes) and accessories! We will have used Kayaks and SUPs from Alki Kayak Tour’s rental operation, as well as scratched and dented SUPs and Kayaks from Mountain to Sound for sale at amazing summer steal prices! Please view the information below to familiarize yourself with the organization of the event.

When: Saturday, July 18th | 10 am – 4 pm

Where: Mountain to Sound Outfitters, 3602 SW Alaska

Drop Off Date For Sellers: Saturday, July 18th | 9 am – 11 am

Sellers Pick Up Unsold Items: Saturday, July 18th | 4 pm – 5 pm

How To Sell at Boat Swap: Use (the form here) to register to sell your equipment. You’ll receive an email confirmation with more details.

Questions? Email gearswap@m2soutfitters.com

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YOU CAN HELP! West Seattle Farmers Market seeks volunteers

July 17, 2020 4:27 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle Farmers' Market | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from May)

From the nonprofit that operates farmers’ markets including ours:

Volunteer opportunity to support local farms and food access!

The West Seattle Farmers Market is looking for volunteers to help on market days with social distancing protocols and logistics, helping to keep our beloved farmers market running smoothly and safely for all. If you’d like to be a friendly, knowledgeable (masked) face inside the market, please fill out our volunteer application form! Of course, we’ll make sure you have time to shop too!

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Three Tree Montessori School: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor

July 17, 2020 2:59 pm

| Comments Off on Three Tree Montessori School: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Today we welcome Three Tree Montessori School as a new WSB sponsor. When sponsors join the team, they get a chance to tell you about what they offer:

Three Tree Montessori School is a nonprofit, Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)-recognized school for children aged 15 months to 12 years old. We are guided by the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori and are dedicated to helping all children develop into confident, self-motivated, and responsible global citizens.

We offer three different programming levels: Toddler, Primary, and Elementary. Our toddler classrooms provide a peaceful space where young children develop skills and learn how to care for themselves and their environment. Every piece of furniture and material is specially designed and sized to allow even the youngest children the maximum amount of independence. Our Primary classroom builds on the values and principles learned in the toddler environment, expanding the fields of study from the individual to the entire world. As a child moves into the Elementary classroom, fields of inquiry expand from the world to the entire universe. The elementary curriculum is founded in the integration of language and literature, mathematics, science, geography, environmental studies, art, music, and drama.

Parents at Three Tree Montessori School often start their journey with us because they are looking for quality, affordable childcare for their toddlers. During their observation of our classrooms, they are constantly shocked at how calm and quiet a room full of 14 toddlers is; they are impressed by the gracious manner by which they are invited into a primary classroom; and they are baffled to learn that our elementary students don’t sit at standard desks. Once they join our community, they are impressed by how quickly their child learns basic responsibilities and executes those responsibilities with a grace and courtesy not generally found in their peers. Children who graduate from our elementary program go on to be incredibly successful in middle and high school and eventually grow to become life-long learners and responsible citizens.

Three Tree Montessori School is at 220 SW 160th in Burien, reachable by phone at 206-242-1500, or by email at admissions@threetree.org.

We thank Three Tree Montessori School 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.

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SUPPORT FOR BLACK LIVES: Overpass vigil tonight, West Seattle Junction mural work Sunday

July 17, 2020 2:15 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle protests | WS culture/arts

Two previews in the ongoing community support for Black lives:

(Last Friday)(June photo)

OVERPASS VIGIL: It’s Friday, and organizers again invtte you to be part of this:

Please join us to show support for our Black friends, family, and neighbors, to #SayTheirNames, and remind each other that people are still suffering injustice.

What: #SayTheirNames
When: Friday, July 17th, from 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!

JUNCTION MURAL WORK: Last month, we wrote about the plan for on-street Black Lives Matter mural art in The Junction. This Sunday, while the street is closed to vehicles for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, the work begins at California/Alaska, with stenciling 10 am-2 pm. The project is led by West Seattle Artists for Social Justice; this update on the WS Art Walk website has more details, including how you can support the project.

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New city rule ‘to help enforce state-mandated business requirements’ aimed at COVID-19 prevention

July 17, 2020 12:01 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

With Public Health Seattle-King County stepping up its enforcement of health rules for restaurants, the city announced today that “the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) has issued a new public health and safety measure to help enforce state-mandated business requirements, including protective face coverings, social distancing and capacity limitations. For customers, residents or employees who have concerns about non-compliance, FAS will conduct outreach, provide education, and help to enforce Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan in non-food business establishments across the city.” Here’s how the announcement expands on that:

… Effective immediately, FAS will begin implementing the new measure through the use of a Director’s Rule. Understanding the complexities of navigating the COVID-19 environment, the City’s focus is primarily to conduct outreach and education to help businesses comply with the new rule. With repeated and/or egregious offenses, businesses may have their City of Seattle business license suspended and may be charged with a crime that carries a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Individuals or employees who are concerned that businesses are not enforcing the face coverings mandate, practicing social distancing or adhering to occupancy limits, and other measures identified in the statewide order can use the Find It, Fix It app or online form or call 206-684-2489 (CITY) to report their concerns. Businesses can also learn more by visiting the FAS website.

Read the new emergency rule here or below:

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READER REPORT: Children followed

July 17, 2020 10:59 am

| 22 COMMENTS

| Gatewood | West Seattle news

Shared by a father who wanted to alert others:

(Thursday) evening around 730 pm, my 12 yo daughter and 5 yo son walked from our home a couple blocks heading north to the water tower on 35th Ave near Our Lady of Guadelupe church.

They were testing the safety watch I just bought for my 5 yo son (Wednesday).

They were stalked by a man, 6 foot to 6 foot 6 inches, in 50s or 60s, thin build, gray straight shoulder length hair and a bald patch on the back of his head. He wore a blue gray tee shirt and blue jeans.

My daughter described seeing him arguing with someone across the street. He then noticed my children and walked past them heading opposite their direction of travel and on the opposite side of the street. My daughter’s instincts kicked in and she noticed once out of sight behind them he had turned around and crossed the street now following behind them.

He followed them when they crossed the street two separate times and changed pace to keep up with them. At the water tower play structure park, a neighbor noticed the man following my kids. She overheard my daughter tell her brother she was concerned about the man. Our neighbor stepped in to offer help. My daughter and son went straight home while (the neighbor) observed the man. He knew he was being watched, spit on the ground in her direction, making eye contact with her, and then left.

During this stalking he went so far as to follow my kids several blocks, keep pace with them, cross the street following them while my daughter attempted to ditch him, then tried to make himself appear as if he was taking photos on his phone at the park. This person is dangerous. The neighbor was thankfully in the right place to help and my daughter was savvy.

This incident is reported to Seattle Police as of the writing of this email. Please share this story to help protect our community and our children.

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Remembering Dorothy K. Wicklund, 1926-2020

July 17, 2020 8:55 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Dorothy K. Wicklund, and sharing this with the community:

Dorothy Katherine (Webb) Wicklund

Lifelong Seattleite Dorothy Wicklund passed away peacefully at home on July 14 at the age of 93. She was born at Seattle’s Providence Hospital to Harry and Amalia Webb, the first of three children. In 1944 she graduated from West Seattle High School. She married Carl Wicklund in 1950 and they raised three children, Don, Janis, and Ken. The family spent summers camping and enjoying the family beach cabin on Vashon/Maury Island.

Dorothy had lifelong friends (“Sewing Circle”) and was active in her community. She led large Girl Scout troops in the 60s, was a leader for Local 609, and served on the finance committee of Hope Lutheran Church for many years. She was involved in the Swedish Club, was a strong advocate of voting, was a member of the 34th District Democrats, and had a prolific garden in her backyard with vegetables & dahlias every summer. She will be remembered for her quick wit, intelligence, outstanding organization, fierce pursuit of fairness, intense loyalty, and her memory – “which was like a steel trap.”

As a kitchen manager for the Seattle School District, Dorothy “was a legend,” says her granddaughter, Hailey. In retirement she and Carl traveled to Sweden, Russia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Mexico, Morocco, and, her favorite – the Canary Islands. She felt most grounded, though, at home. She enjoyed watching the squirrels out the window with a cup of coffee or an occasional martini. She collected Steinbach nutcrackers and always read the newspaper cover to cover. Most of all she loved having her family around, especially when they were all together.

The absolute matriarch of her family, Dorothy was immensely proud of her children Don (& Jeanne) Wicklund, Janis Smith (& Doug Bacon) and Ken (& Connie) Wicklund, her four grandchildren (Erin, Patrick, Hailey, & Heather & their spouses), and her five great-grandchildren (Chloe, Ryker, Sawyer, Sylvie, & Kinley). Dorothy was preceded in death by her brother Harry in 1942, and by her husband Carl in 2001. She is survived by her sister, Maxine Martin of Olympia.

A memorial will be held with immediate family. Donations in Dorothy’s memory can be made to the Hope Lutheran Foundation.

(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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CLOSURES, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Friday notes, 17th week of West Seattle Bridge closure

July 17, 2020 6:16 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:16 AM: It’s Friday, the 121st morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge.

CLOSURES

Tonight, the northbound Highway 99 tunnel closes for maintenance, 10 pm-8 am.

Sunday night, it’s the first of 14 overnight closures of the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge, for deck work.

ROAD WORK

Major work continues on Delridge Way, with lane reductions, as road-rebuilding and utility work lead off the RapidRide H Line conversion project – here’s what crews are working on this week. (Watch for next week’s preview later today.)

TRAFFIC

Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Sppkane/Chelan):