West Seattle, Washington
10 Tuesday
Orcas are visible off West Seattle again – heading northbound along the east side of Blake Island at last report. Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip!
2:16 PM: Delridge Way is being shut down at Oregon because of a gas leak – second one on Delridge in less than a week. Updates to come.
2:26 PM: They’re closing traffic at Genesee on the north.
2:37 PM: Per radio exchange, the Community Center has been evacuated while firefighters continue taking air readings. This is several blocks south of last Friday’s problem.
2:46 PM: The gas leak is reported to have been “secured,” and Delridge will reopen shortly.
4:18 PM: Was SDOT’s contractor to blame? We asked. Reply: “The City and PSE are still investigating what caused today’s leak and will determine if there are any connections to a similar one in the area last week.”
Back on Friday night/Saturday morning, clear skies meant Comet NEOWISE was visible to those who were up VERY late/early. (These photos were among the results.) Now the clear weather’s back and the comet is expected to be visible at a more reasonable (for most) hour – your West Seattle neighbor Kevin Freitas tweeted the invitation:
#Seattle: Here's tonight/tomorrow morning's charts for #cometNEOWISE
Join me tonight for some socially distant comet-gazing! (BYO binoculars — highly recommend — and masks) I'll setup 9:30pm on Alki Beach seawall just across from Cactus.#C2020F3 #c2020f3neowise #wawx pic.twitter.com/C92fzF70OX
— Kevin Freitas (@kevinfreitas) July 13, 2020
West Seattle sky-watching expert/educator Alice Enevoldsen has detailed comet-viewing info on her website.
10:36 PM: Last Friday night, we reported on Police Chief Carmen Best‘s letter to Mayor Jenny Durkan, saying that closing the Southwest Precinct would be a likely effect if the SPD budget were halved. The letter followed news of a majority of City Councilmembers voicing support for cutting this year’s SPD budget, though no specific legislation is out yet.
(Added: Seattle Channel video)
This morning, the mayor and chief have just wrapped up a media briefing with their counterproposals: They say they can cut $76 million from the department’s $400 mlllion budget – next year. The mayor decried the council’s voiced support for an immediate 50 percent cut as “irresponsible.” She also criticized councilmembers for taking the stand without talking to the chief or to constituents. Durkan said next year’s cuts could be accomplished via moving the 911 call center out of SPD, moving parking enforcement from SPD to SDOT, and moving the Office of Emergency Management and Office of Professional Accountability out of SPD. Those, she said, would save $56 million, while another $20 million could be cut via a hiring freeze and overtime reductions. In followup Q&A, the mayor said her intention for OPA would be to make it a standalone independent agency. The mayor also voiced hope that some councilmembers will relent.
Meantime, the Southwest Precinct’s new commander, Capt. Kevin Grossman, posted an introductory message to social media today, including this:
I also want to address the initiative making its way through City Council to defund the Seattle Police Department by 50%. Last week, Chief Best communicated to the Council–and to the public–the reality of what those cuts would look like, including the elimination of half of our workforce and the Southwest Precinct itself. When I started with SPD, my training included rotations through three different precincts, including the South Precinct. At that time, officers from that facility had to commute across the Duwamish to respond to calls for service in West Seattle. Just the drive alone resulted in long response times–sometimes exacerbated by boat or train traffic. I can only imagine what response times would be today from the Rainier Valley with the West Seattle Bridge closed. Further, in my humble opinion, it is simply unconscionable for a city of over 700,000 people to be staffed by a police department with only 630 employees.
There was no further discussion in this morning’s mayor/chief briefing, by the way, of the chief’s suggestions such as possibly closing the precinct. And again, from the council’s side, there’s no formal proposal yet, but the council meets again on Wednesday as the Select Budget Committee (the basic agenda has just appeared online) and that’s one place a proposal might emerge. We have had a request for comment out since Friday to District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold; as of now, still no reply.
3:51 PM: Just watched the Seattle Channel recording of the council’s “morning briefing” meeting, which overlapped with the mayor/chief briefing. Most councilmembers repeated their support for dramatic change in the SPD, including Herbold, whose turn comes at 1 hour, 17 minutes in, with her turning to the SPD topic after four minutes.
She noted that action is not imminent, saying the council is “in the beginning stages of developing proposals.” She also took issue with a couple points of what the chief’s letter to the mayor said would likely be necessary if a 50 percent cut were to be implemented immediately. For one, she contended that the chief would have an option other than to lay off newer officers first, via the “out of order” process (though the chief said earlier that it’s “complicated”). Regarding the chief’s suggestion that the Southwest Precinct could be closed, Herbold noted only that the city charter requires “adequate police protection for all areas.”
That’s the trailer for the hourlong documentary “Black Girls in Suburbia,” which is being screened outdoors at Admiral Church tonight, 8 pm. It’s part of the “Tell the Truth About Race” series, co-presented by the church and West Seattle Meanngful Movies. No admission charge; masks and distancing required. The church is at 4320 SW Hill.
6:03 AM: It’s Monday, the 112th morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK
Major work continues on Delridge Way, with lane reductions, as the RapidRide H Line conversion project continues – here’s what crews are working on this week;.
TRAFFIC
The 5-way intersection camera is back (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) – which has up to 14 overnight closures planned to start mid-July. Meanwhile, here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). The camera was down as of early this morning. 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, 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.
Four months ago today, a slew of closure announcements – from schools to libraries. And the virus crisis isn’t over yet. Tonight’s toplines:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*11,945 people have tested positive, up 174 from yesterday
*604 people have died, up 1 from yesterday
*1,693 people have been hospitalized, up 6 from yesterday
*207,497 people have been tested, up 4,595 from yesterday
One week ago, the totals were 11,014/590/1,616/187,647.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 12.8 million cases and more than 568,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT APOLOGY: This announcement was sent to the DOH media list today:
On Friday, July 10, the Washington State Department of Health became aware that we may have sent COVID-19-related text messages and emails in error.
While training staff on a new data-sharing platform for case investigations and contact tracing, we neglected to disable the ability for texts and emails to leave the test environment. The result is that randomly created phone numbers and emails, with no connection to public health data, may have received messages between late May and early July. The number of texts and emails sent in error is less than 50.
Once we discovered this error, we identified which of the random emails and phone numbers could have actually received a message. This afternoon, we sent a follow-up message about the errors, asking people to disregard any text or email they received. We also provided a webpage with more information and an email address for any follow-up questions they might have. We deeply regret any inconvenience or worry we may have caused.
CAMP SECOND CHANCE: West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment remains COVID-19-free, its site coordinator said at today’s Community Advisory Committee meeting.
PARKING-ENFORCEMENT REMINDER: Tomorrow’s the day that the city plans to reinstate some parking rules that were suspended because of the pandemic – including most time limits, and charging at pay-station spaces.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
The Morgan Community Association skipped April’s quarterly meeting because of COVID-19 but is joining the online-convening world for its meeting this Wednesday (7 pm July 15th). Here’s the agenda and how to attend:
Welcome and Introductions
· Meet Alex Hagenah, new MoCA Secretary
Passages: Eldon Olson
Morgan Minute Updates
· MJ members affirm ‘Black Lives Matter’ in the WS June 5 march
· Community Problem Solvers – District 1 Community Network (D1CN)
· West Seattle ArtWalk – Virtually in Morgan Junction
· Morgan Junction Festival – Save the date for 2021
· Welcoming…New Business
· WS Bridge Closure & Reconnect West Seattle – SDOT
· WS Bridge Now
· Showing Morgan Some Love
· West Seattle Covid-19 SupportSurprise Guests
Old Business
· MoCA Non-Profit update
· Emergency Preparedness during COVID
· Morgan Junction Parks & ProjectsHere’s the July 15, 2020 MoCA meeting link.
Meeting ID: 222 985 415
Password: 625318 (only needed if you manually enter the meeting number)Call-in only info:
Phone number: 669-900-6833
Same meeting ID and password for phone as for video.
Before we get back to the news … a break for online birding.
First, two from Mark Wangerin – above, a Barred Owlet; below, a Black-headed Grosbeak:
Next, a Wilson’s Warbler, photographed by Mark MacDonald:
Robin Sinn sent the next two photos – a Great Blue Heron …
And a White-crowned Sparrow:
Finally, two backyard sightings – Alex has made friends with Fluffy the Steller’s Jay:
And Lise Thivierge spotted a Brown-headed Cowbird – which has a distinctive gurgling call:
All the bird-species names above link to BirdWeb pages where you can hear as well as see the birds!
Next Saturday will mark exactly 4 years since Camp Second Chance arrived on Myers Way, originally an unauthorized tent camp, eventually a city-sanctioned tiny-house village. The anniversary was mentioned briefly during this afternoon’s meeting of the CSC Community Advisory Committee. The committee usually meets on the first Sunday of the month, but pushed the date back a week because of the holiday.
CAMP UPDATE: Camp co-founder and site coordinator Eric Pattin said the camp currently has 55 residents – 37 men and 18 women; 2 people have exited to housing, and 6 new residents have moved in. Camp operator LIHI and Operation Sack Lunch is bringng hot food to the camp. … Josh Castle from LIHI said the new business tax approved by the City Council will help fund affordable housing and services. They’re advocating for budget measures next Wednesday to cover tiny-house encampments as well as permanent affordable housing. There are public-comment opportunities (online) next Monday and Wednesday. … We asked if there had been any COVID-19 cases at the camp; no, said Pattin. Everyone was tested “a month or two” back. Do new arrivals get tested before being referred? No one was certain whether that was part of the Navigation Team’s referral process; camp co-founder Eric Davis said it should be. … LIHI and Fauntleroy UCC are still talking about the official role the church will have with the camp, Castle said, since the recent change in city law means the original plan for partnership is no longer necessary to keep the camp from having to move,
CAC MEMBERS’ UPDATES: Chair Willow Fulton, who lives near the camp, reports “some activity on Myers Way” near the camp that appears to be city equipment storage on a site the size of the camp. No city rep was in attendance so no one was available to clarify; LIHI’s Castle will investigate. Meantime, she along with dumping on the east side of that street, noise, and racing problems. …Member Cinda Stenger thanked the camp for donating an oveerflow of donated men’s clothing, which she says has been given to the King County Drug Court‘s rehab program … Member Grace Stiller says the Myers Way weed-removal project is under way and “going terrifically well,” removing mostly blackberry and tansy after an online training session. The project, funded by a grant, is likely to continue through Saturdays in August.
COMMUNITY QUESTIONS/CONCERNS: In addition to the aforementioned COVID-testing discussion, there was a question about how LIHI is preparing for a possible surge in homelessness when the eviction moratorium expires. Advocating for the city to extend the moratorium, and to spend more on affordable housing, is something community members can do, Castle said. The King County Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon is another policy-advocacy opportunity, he said.
NEXT MEETING: The CAC will meet again at 2 pm Sunday, August 2nd.
Thanks for the tips. The Seattle City Light map shows 26 customers without electricity because of an outage in the Westwood Village vicinity. No word yet on the cause; though the map suggests a late-night restoration estimate, remember that those estimates are just guesses – could be a lot sooner or a lot later.
We’ve been updating the saga of Rebellyous Foods, makers of vegetarian “chicken” nuggets, since they moved to the West Seattle Triangle last year. Newest update: Another local place to buy them – West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor). That makes 14 retail outlets around the city (all listed here, and also including Wildwood Market in Fauntleroy). When we first reported on Rebellyous Foods, they were only making nuggets for commercial food-service clients, but earlier this year they branched out into retail.
Congratulations to University of Washington student and Chief Sealth International High School alum Anna Nguyen! Here’s the announcement:
For a second year, the Seattle Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has awarded a college scholarship of more than $5,000 to Anna Nguyen, a West Seattle resident and 2019 South Seattle College graduate. Ms. Nguyen is working toward a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health-Global Health and Sociology at UW-Seattle and plans on a career in health administration.
The mission of AAUW is to advance gender equity and economic security for women and their families, through education, advocacy and research. Find out more about the organization at seattle-wa.aauw.net.
(Saturday photo by Carolyn Newman)
Here’s our list of what’s happening today, starting with updated links for West Seattle churches’ online services – most livestreamed, some not:
ADMIRAL UCC: Find today’s worship video here.
ALKI UCC: 10 am online service via Zoom – info and link on church’s home page.
ALL SOULS SEATTLE (WSB sponsor): Online worship is viewable here.
BETHANY COMMUNITY CHURCH: Livestreaming for West Seattle here at 9:30 am.
CALVARY CHAPEL: Service will be viewable here, plus 11 am fellowship via Zoom, 6 pm all-church prayer and 7 pm evening worship (info on home page).
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS: West Seattle Ward has Sunday services via Zoom at 10 am, one hour long, all welcome. They last an hour. Here’s the link.
EASTRIDGE CHURCH: Livestreaming here at 9 am and 11 am.
FAUNTLEROY UCC: (updated) Service available later today on the church’s YouTube channel.
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF WEST SEATTLE: Today’s online liturgy is here.
GRACE CHURCH: Livestreaming here, 10:30 am.
HALLOWS CHURCH: Streaming at 10 am via the church’s YouTube channel.
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH: Livestreaming in English at 8:30 am, en Español at 10 am, all here. (Also holding some in-person Masses – registration required.)
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH: Livestreaming at (updated) 8:30 am and 10:30 am here. (In-person Masses have resumed, registration required.)
HOPE LUTHERAN: Today’s worship service and children’s story are viewable here.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Livestreaming at 10 am, here. (In-person Saturday Masses have been added – registration required.)
PEACE LUTHERAN: Livestreaming at 10:30 am on YouTube.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Viewable on YouTube: All Ages Sunday School at 10 am, Morning Prayer at 10:15 am (here’s today’s bulletin), Kids’ Club at 11:30 am.
TIBBETTS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (WSB sponsor): The video service for today is here.
TRINITY CHURCH: Livestreaming here, 10 am.
WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: The video service for today is viewable here.
WEST SEATTLE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE: Livestreaming here, 9 am.
WEST SIDE PRESBYTERIAN Livestreaming at 10 am on the church’s YouTube channel.
WESTSIDE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION: Livestreaming at 10:30 am – information’s here, 10:30 am.
WESTWOOD CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: Online worship at 11 am; info here.
Any other churches to add? Please email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Also today:
(Saturday photo by Keith Enevoldsen, who explains, “Rainbow with supernumerary arcs”)
ROAD-WORK REMINDER: The closure of S. Michigan between E. Marginal and 4th Ave. S. – just off the 1st Ave. S. Bridge – is scheduled to continue today. You can check the status via this “live” camera.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska)
FOOD DRIVE & OUTDOOR MUSIC: Alki UCC has an invitation for you today:
Summer Outdoor Concert from Noon to 1:00 pm
Alki UCC Patio and Lawn at 6115 SW HindsBring a brown bag lunch or just stop by to enjoy some sweet Sunday tunes … music from the church with Betsy Stelzer. Face masks are required and social distancing observed; free-will donations welcome. Bring your own lawn chair or ground covering. Sunday’s concert coincides with our ongoing outdoor Summer Food Donations Drives.
10:00 am to 3:00 pm: Feeding hungry kids is our focus this summer. In addition to regular contributions of non-perishable food and other items, special requests include Fruit Cups and Rollups, Gogurt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Protein Bars, Mac and Cheese, Cereal, Ramen Noodles and Pasta/Sauce. Toilet Paper, Diapers (all sizes), Similac Formula, Cleaning Supplies, Hand Sanitizer and Baby Wipes are always welcome.
A huge shout-out to our generous community, who has donated more than $10,000 worth of food and other supplies to the White Center Food Bank through our ongoing in-person Food Drives. Your contributions benefit our vulnerable neighbors in need, those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID 19.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)
CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 2 pm, monthly meeting for updates about the tiny-house encampment in southeast West Seattle. It’s an online meeting; our announcement from last week includes info on how to monitor/participate.
FREE TO-GO DINNER – NEW LOCATION: White Center Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near the Bartell Drugs parking lot in White Center, SW Roxbury St. & 15th Ave. SW (9600 15th Ave SW)
12:16 AM: A reported “fire between two houses” has Seattle Fire sending a “full response” to the 6500 block of 16th SW (map). First crews report a “working fire.” Updates to come.
12:20 AM: Firefighters confirm that the fire is between two houses but has not spread to either.
12:23 AM: SFD says the fire’s out.
On what would have been the biggest night of West Seattle’s biggest annual party – Summer Fest – we are instead still chronicling a pandemic. Here’s tonight’s roundup:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*11,771 people have tested positive, 139 more than yesterday
*603 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*1,687 people have been hospitalized, up 13 from yesterday
*202,902 people have been tested, 1,157 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 10,784/590/1,610/181,536.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 12.6 million people have tested positive, and more than 564,000 have died. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, Russia, India, Peru (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
NEED TO GET TESTED? If you can’t get tested through your health-care provider, here are the free sites around King County, including multiple locations in West Seattle/White Center/South Park. (One note – though the list says the weekly Friday testing at SSC starts at 10 am, as a commenter discovered yesterday, it actually starts at 9:30 am.)
FOOD DRIVE AND OUTDOOR MUSIC: Tomorrow, Alki UCC has another outdoor dropoff food drive, 10 am-3 pm – and during the food drive, noon-1 pm, the church is presenting live outdoor music by Betsy Stelzer. You’re welcome to hang out on the patio or lawn – distanced and masked – at 6115 SW Hinds.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westsettleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Thanks to Stewart L. for that photo of a yacht passing West Seattle this afternoon, headed into the Duwamish River, the 217-foot Hodor. According to this link Stewart found, and other info we subsequently turned up, Hodor is no mere superyacht – it’s a European-built SUPPORT yacht, meant to support another superyacht … with features from a helipad to an ROV. This SuperYacht Times story from a year ago has more details and photos; a related website says the Hodor and the yacht it supports are owned by billionaire Lorenzo Fertitta. The Hodor s currently anchored off Magnolia, according to MarineTraffic.com, as is its “mothership” Lonian; Puget Sound Business Journal writer Patti Payne explains why.
Sent by Alki resident April:
My husband’s car was stolen last night. Blue Honda CR-V, damaged driver side door. License plate AWL8452. If you happen to see the car anywhere, please let me know or call the police. This is more of a huge inconvenience than anything. Luckily we did not really have anything valuable in the car and it wasn’t exactly in great shape, but my husband was laid off due to COVID back in March so it’s just a huge hassle and financial burden. Car was stolen yesterday, July 10th on his 40th birthday!
Call 911 if you see it.
(Texted photo)
3:30 PM: Thanks to everybody who let us know about this – Worldwide Rollout Day, human-powered anti-hate demonstrations around the globe. Among them – a Seattle group on wheels that headed from the Seacrest vicinity to Alki Statue of Liberty this past hour. More photos to come.
ADDED 5:27 PM: From our photographer:
And thanks to Carolyn Newman for this view from above:
Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip! Orcas are in the area again, just seen southbound off Blakely Rock, across the Sound from Alki. Let us know if you see them!
12:27 PM: Thanks to everybody who sent photos of Comet NEOWISE, which – as noted here Friday – is viewable in the early-early-early morning sky right now (and soon, after sunset). Above, that’s from James Tilley; below, from Greg Snyder:
From Nick Newhall:
And from John Hinkey:
John notes his was; “Taken from Hamilton Viewpoint this morning between 3:30 and 4am. There were something like a dozen people there with maybe half taking images.”
ADDED 2:15 PM: Via Twitter:
The beautiful #cometNEOWISE over the Emerald City.#C2020F3 #NEOWISE #cometc2020f3 #EyesOnNEOWISE #Seattle pic.twitter.com/8C41zwgMdr
— Kevin Freitas (@kevinfreitas) July 11, 2020
Wear your face covering and be ready for a (distanced) line as free shredding presented by John L. Scott Real Estate-Westwood (WSB sponsor) continues until noon. If you can donate, the White Center Food Bank is also there to accept nonperishable food as well as cash or card donations:
This is in the Westwood Village parking lot west of Bed Bath Beyond – fairly equidistant from the center’s Trenton or Barton entrances.
(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
What’s up for your Saturday:
SHREDDING: John L. Scott Real Estate-Westwood (WSB sponsor) offers free shredding today, 10 am-noon, NW lot at Westwood Village. Bring food/money to donate to White Center Food Bank if you can.
FREE LUNCH: West Side Presbyterian Church (3601 California SW) is serving a free bag lunch (turkey, ham or beef sandwiches plus other goodies) noon-1 pm. All are welcome.
DROP-OFF FOOD DRIVE: Admiral Church has a no-contact setup so you can bring nonperishable food to donate (4320 SW Hill), 1-4 pm.
PAINT WITH HPIC – ONLINE! Highland Park Improvement Club invites you to a 2 pm online painting event. Free. Register ASAP here.
NEW WINE RELEASES: Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) has three of them, and you can stop by to buy, 5910 California SW, 2-5 pm.
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