West Seattle, Washington

18 Thursday

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day : 21/07/2020 13 results

CORONAVIRUS: Tuesday 7/21 roundup
July 21, 2020 10:03 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Sports and food are part of tonight’s virus-crisis roundup. But first:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s the daily summary from Public Health, with cumulative totals:

*13,486 people have tested positive, up 147 from yesterday’s total

*635 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*1,818 people have been hospitalized, up 12 from yesterday’s total

*252,090 people have been tested, up 4,401 from yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 12,244/606/1,706/217,633.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.

PANDEMIC-ERA SPORTS: The Washingon Interscholastic Athletics Association has come up with a plan for next school year’s sports. Among other things – spring football. Here’s tonight’s announcement.

RESTAURANT REOPENING: Grillbird Teriyaki, which closed almost two weeks ago after reporting an employee tested positive for COVID-19, says it will reopen this Friday (July 24th).

FREE FOOD: Food Lifeline is distributing emergency food boxes this week – sites and times are listed here, including tomorrow and Friday afternoons at FL HQ in South Park.

ALSO TOMORROW: The governor hasn’t given a briefing yet this week but his office and other state officials will present an update on the state’s COVID-19 response at 2 pm tomorrow. Livestream will be here.

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

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SCHOOLS: Feedback time for West Seattle Elementary addition
July 21, 2020 8:39 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another major Seattle Public Schools project is in the feedback phase for its environmental checklist – the levy-funded West Seattle Elementary School addition in High Point.

July 27 – next Monday – is the deadline or public comment on the project’s Draft SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) checklist. Documents like these are far more comprehensive than the term “checklist” would suggest. This is 218 pages long, as you can see here or below:

The document includes many project details, including that it’s planned for a site east of the current WSES building, and that if it stays on schedule, WSES would move to the former Schmitz Park Elementary for 2021-2022 (as we reported last January), while construction proceeds. The document says WSES’s existing capacity is 320 students, but enrollment this past year was 100+ more. The addition would create room for up to 130 students. The $22 million project’s funding includes a state grant as well as the SPS BEX V levy. The document adds, “As part of the project, existing recreation space on the campus would be expanded and renovated, including an expanded and renovated hard surface play area, new play structures, a new student garden area, and a renovated grass field area. The project also includes an option for an approximately 3,000 sq. ft. covered play area in the southwest corner of the campus.”

If you’re interested in commenting, this page on the SPS website explains how, via either email or postal mail.

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FOLLOWUP: Voted in West Seattle Bridge T-shirt contest yet? Here are the frontrunners
July 21, 2020 6:30 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

It’s been almost two weeks since voting began in the West Seattle Bridge T-shirt contest. You have 10 more days to vote. As of Monday, West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Radford tells WSB, almost 5,000 people have voted. Here are the top 10 (from among the 70+ contenders):

Read More

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Tree on the road
July 21, 2020 5:35 pm
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT: Tree on the road
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

From the scanner: A tree has fallen at 45th/Stevens, damaging at least one vehicle and blocking the road.

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WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: Here’s how to watch Wednesday’s Community Task Force meeting
July 21, 2020 3:10 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(Reader photo, Monday)

Want to watch live as the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meets tomorrow (Wednesday, July 22nd), noon-2:30 pm? We just obtained the info from SDOT. Note that, like last meeting, this one will have “breakouts” – and that means connecting to a different stream when that part of the meeting happens.

Below is the attendee information for the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force Meeting tomorrow from 12:00 – 2:00 PM. There will be break-out sessions from 2 – 2:30 PM. If attendees want to attend the breakout sessions they will need to close out of the main meeting completely before trying to join the new meeting. Also when joining WebEx meetings the attendee either uses the link below OR the call in, not both.

MAIN LINK: Here

BY PHONE: 408-418-9388, access code: 146 969 2178

LINK FOR BREAKOUT SESSION A: Here

BY PHONE: 408-418-9388, access code 146 993 5565

LINK FOR BREAKOUT SESSION B: Here

BY PHONE: 408-418-9388, access code 146 502 3787

We don’t have the agenda yet but topics are expected to include Reconnect West Seattle, low-bridge access, and Metro. This is the CTF’s fifth meeting; here’s our coverage of the fourth one two weeks ago.

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WHALE-WATCHING: Orcas passing West Seattle again
July 21, 2020 1:58 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Whales

Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip! She says transient orcas are off West Seattle again, this time headed northeast, between here and mid-Blake Island. Let us know if you see them!

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WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Sound Transit spotlight @ WS Transportation Coalition on Thursday
July 21, 2020 1:50 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Sound Transit spotlight @ WS Transportation Coalition on Thursday
 |   Sound Transit | Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Another big meeting Thursday- here’s the announcement from the West Seattle Transportation Coalition about their plans for 6:30 pm that night (July 23rd):

We have a great lineup of guests on tap this month:

King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council Vice Chair Joe McDermott, Seattle Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan, and representatives from Sound Transit will be joining us to discuss the current state of Sound Transit 3 to West Seattle.

Heather Marx from Seattle Department Of Transportation will also be on hand with a West Seattle Bridge update.

Zoom Meeting ID 831 5795 4582
On the web: us02web.zoom.us/j/83157954582
Via phone: +12532158782,,83157954582#

You can check out the past few meetings via the WSTC YouTube channel. You’re also invited to save the date for their August 27th meeting, with our area’s U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal scheduled to talk about federal funding for the West Seattle Bridge.

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Jet City Beignet: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
July 21, 2020 12:01 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Jet City Beignet, part of the West Seattle Local Foods group that’s located near the YMCA.

JCB serves fresh-made beignets available for pickup on Saturdays and Sundays. Here’s what owners Tiffany and Greg would like you to know:

Jet City Beignet is Seattle’s exclusive beignet company, offering a refreshing take on the classic New Orleans favorite. We offer them by the half-dozen or dozen, and each order comes smothered in powdered sugar and with chocolate dipping sauce. Our signature beignets are made from scratch and always served hot and fresh. We collaborate with other local small businesses such as small-batch coffee roasters and West Seattle food artists to bring you a truly unique product you can’t get anywhere else. We are a two-person (married couple) operation, and we do every step of the process ourselves, which means the people who serve your beignets developed the recipe, went shopping for the ingredients, mixed up the dough, and fried ’em up personally. We take a lot of pride in being hands-on and we are extremely customer-oriented.

We initially started Jet City Beignet with the intention of running our beignet booth at markets and festivals this spring and summer, but when COVID-19 hit, all of our bookings were canceled and we had to get creative and adapt. We are operating in an unconventional way, but it seems to be working at the moment, and we hope to get a food truck or trailer in the not-so-distant future so that we can be open more regularly and more often.

We are so proud to be a part of the West Seattle community – we met here, we live here, and we operate here. We are also excited to be a part of West Seattle Local Foods, a group of small companies that produce and manufacture products in our shared commissary kitchen.

To order, go to the Jet City Beignet website for selections and pickup times.

We thank Jet City Beignet 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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WEST SEATTLE ART: New signal-box mural in The Junction
July 21, 2020 11:11 am
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Thanks to the West Seattle Junction Association for the photo of the newest signal-box mural by West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen – this one is a sort of dual tribute, for women in trades as well as the West Seattle Bridge. WSJA also sent the photo that inspired it:

WSJA executive director Lora Radford was looking into the history; via an online image search, we note that it was featured at her former business Hotwire Online Coffeehouse in a collaboration with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society in 2014, the year the now-closed bridge marked its 30th anniversary.

P.S. The signal box is Hansen’s third in The Junction this summer, after Black Lives Matter at 42nd and Alaska and the Progress Flag at California/Oregon.

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FOLLOWUP: Transitional Resources about to start building Yancy Street Supportive Housing
July 21, 2020 10:03 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

Those old houses in the 2800 block of SW Yancy are about to be demolished so construction can start on Yancy Street Permanent Supportive Housing. We first told you about West Seattle nonprofit Transitional Resources‘ plan almost two and a half years ago. Now the project near TR’s headquarters and other buildings is ready to start.

(Rendering by SMR Architects)

As summarized by TR:

The project will provide 44 independent studio units on three levels for adults living with mental illness who are either coming from homelessness or institutional settings.

Transitional Resources will provide 24/7 staffing to enable residents to live independently in a supportive community. The site is within a block of TR’s main offices and other housing developments, where residents can access additional mental health and other supportive services. Onsite amenities include a secure access, a community room and outdoor recreation areas, a common laundry, covered bike parking, and an office for onsite supportive services.

Public and private sources are covering the project’s $16 million cost. The project team includes SMR Architects and Buchanan General Contracting. Construction is expected to take about a year, TR tells us; demolition will start as soon as their street-use permits are approved..

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Remembering Daniel M. DeSantis, 1945-2020
July 21, 2020 9:13 am
|      42 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Dan DeSantis, and sharing this with the community:

Daniel Michael DeSantis passed away unexpectedly on July 14, 2020 at his favorite place, Hood Canal.

Dan was born on 1/23/45 in Seattle and kept his home here until recently; he currently resided in Palm Desert, California. He is survived by his wife of 19 years Jan DeSantis, his daughter Gina DeSantis Coats (son-in-law John, grandsons Alex and Anthony), son Dan (daughter-in-law Teresa), and former spouse and mother of his children, Ruth DeSantis.

He was raised in Seattle and had an extensive career in sales and 45+ years in Seattle Real Estate. Dan was a force of nature with an infectious laugh, big smile, sense of humor, and an unmatched love of life. It was essential for him to stay active every day, cycling, working out, and even walking lately (his “forced marches”). Everything was, of course, a social event.

Family and friends were his priority! He was so proud of his Italian heritage, children, and grandchildren. He idolized his grandsons and would do anything to be in their company — camping, white-water rafting, golfing, cheering at their sporting events, even dancing in nightclubs. He spoiled them whenever possible. He was their biggest fan!

It was important for him to stay connected to his friends, many of whom he had reconnected with recently. He lived life with gusto and wanted to continue traveling extensively. Dan would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need, not asking for anything in return. Everyone who knew him well loved him. In lieu of flowers, please donate to St.Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the American Cancer Society.

(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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UPDATE: 5-hour West Seattle Junction power outage
July 21, 2020 8:21 am
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

8:21 AM: Thanks for the tip! Seattle City Light’s map shows power out since 5:30 am to 425 customers in The Junction. No cause listed yet; we are checking with SCL.

8:32 AM: Just drove through the area: One sign of outage, 42nd/Alaska signal is dark.

9:31 AM: The Senior Center of West Seattle is partially out.

10:44 AM: As noted by commenters and confirmed by the map, power’s back. Julie Moore of SCL tells WSB a crow apparently caused it.

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ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Tuesday notes, 18th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
July 21, 2020 6:12 am
|    Comments Off on ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Tuesday notes, 18th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:12 AM: It’s Tuesday, the 120th morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge.

CLOSURE

Tonight, it’s the third of 14 overnight closures of the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge, for deck work. 10 pm-5 am..

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.

TRAFFIC

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

Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:

The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here’s that camera:

The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). The camera is back:

P.S. Going through South Park? Don’t speed.

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 – Still reduced service and distancing – details here.

Water Taxi – Back to its “winter” schedule, with 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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