We have begun the sixth calendar month of the pandemic. Here are tonight’s virus-crisis toplines:

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

*15,399 people have tested positive, 202 more than yesterday

*649 people have died, 2 more than yesterday

*1,957 people have been hospitalized, 9 more than yesterday

*298,173 people have been tested, 3,350 more than yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 14,255/640/1,877/270,739.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

…BUT REMEMBER THE DATA DELAY: In last night’s roundup, we mentioned a state data delay. Here’s the latest update from the state Health Department:

Our data experts continue to work on the data processing issue reported yesterday which resulted in duplicate records in our COVID-19 database. We were unable to update the dashboard yesterday, however we anticipate updating the DOH dashboard this evening with data from yesterday and today.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 17.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 684,000 have died. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa – same as the past 2 weeks. See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

ANOTHER COVID CLOSURE: For the second consecutive day, a local restaurant has announced a temporary closure after an employee’s positive COVID-19 test. This time, Mioposto Admiral.

MAYOR VS. COUNCIL: It’s not just “the other Washington” where politicians are fighting over pandemic relief. This morning, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced she had vetoed a City Council-approved bill that would have spent much of the so-called “rainy-day fund” (to be paid back next year from proceeds of the new “high-earners” business tax) on economic relief for people, busnesses, and nonprofits. Here’s her letter announcing the veto, arguing the city already has faced multiple emergencies this year (including the West Seattle Bridge closure) and needs to be ready for more; here’s the text of the bill. The council’s budget chair, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, said the bill “provided $86 million to support Seattle small businesses and families through rental assistance, food assistance, support for child care, and flexible funding to support small businesses.” It was passed unanimously, which means the council is likely to override the veto, but they have to wait five days before bringing it up again.

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

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Mioposto Admiral closed after staff member tests positive for COVID-19

August 1, 2020 7:32 pm

| 17 COMMENTS

| Earthquake | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks for the tip: Mioposto‘s Admiral restaurant has announced online, and via a note on its door, that it’s temporarily closed:

Our Admiral location is temporarily closed as one of our employees has tested positive for the coronavirus. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be closing the restaurant for a few days while our entire staff gets tested and awaits results. We are having a professional cleaning crew completely disinfect all surfaces later today to ensure a safe reopening. While aiming for a Tuesday reopening, the safety and health of our staff and our community is our top priority and we continue to closely monitor the situation. Thank you for trusting us, we do not take it lightly, and we will see you soon. Take care of yourselves and each other!

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BIZNOTES: Beveridge Place’s new ‘garden’; Il Nido’s summer break

August 1, 2020 5:38 pm

| Comments Off on BIZNOTES: Beveridge Place’s new ‘garden’; Il Nido’s summer break

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

Two beverage/food biznotes:

BEVERIDGE PLACE PUB: The Morgan Junction pub sent the photo and announcement;

Our new Beer Garden is open for you, with 20 well-spaced tables (no seating indoors)!
NEW HOURS (in-house & to-go): Mon-Thu 3-10 pm; Fri-Sun 1-10 pm;

FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND OTHER GUESTS: MASKS MUST BE WORN WHENEVER YOU LEAVE YOUR TABLE. NO TABLE-HOPPING/MINGLING – STAY WITH YOUR TABLE
.
ORDER HERE (in-house & to-go): Beveridge Place Online Store. We still have our TO-GO on-line store where you can order and pay for growlers, cans, wine bottles, cider bottles, mead bottles, & snacks!
TO-GO Orders: Pick-up at the front door or at our dedicated curbside spot. Please have your ID ready so we can make sure we have the right order…and that you’re 21 or over. CHEERS!

BPP is at 6413 California SW.

IL NIDO: The Alki Homestead restaurant-turned-market is taking the month of August off. They’ve been selling take-home-to-cook pasta as well as salads, bread, desserts, and more, and promise to return in September.

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LANDER STREET BRIDGE: Long-in-the-works SODO overpass close to completion

August 1, 2020 3:43 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

(SDOT photo)

With the West Seattle Bridge closed, more people are using 1st and 4th to get into downtown, and that means the Lander Street Bridge – to get people over the tracks inbetween – will be even more useful than envisioned, once it opens. That’s finally in view – this fall, says SDOT in a new update. (Pre-construction, it was estimated for early 2020, and that was after it had been on hold for a decade, until the city committed to build it as part of the Move Seattle levy.) Here’s what SDOT sent as a “mid-summer update”:

Update on pedestrian path

We shifted the pedestrian path onto the Lander St Bridge in late July. Now that the pedestrian path is on the bridge, people walking and riding bikes will no longer be able to cross over the railroad tracks at “ground level”. As we work to install features of the mixed-use path, we ask that all pedestrians pay close attention to active work zones, fenced-off areas, and minor shifts to the pedestrian path and pedestrian signage. We also ask people riding bikes to dismount and walk their bikes over the bridge.

Note to pedestrians with accessibility needs

The new bridge is sloped to get over the railroad tracks. We advise those that usually experience difficulties with similar slopes elsewhere in Seattle to plan ahead and consider other options that may be available. Those who experience difficulties with slopes could use the next parallel streets – S Holgate or S Horton St – or employ resources made available through King County’s Access Transportation or ADA Paratransit services. You can learn more about these services by calling (206) 263-3113 or by visiting (this link).

Cycling through SODO

With our project wrapping up in the next couple months, we want to preview how the Lander St Bridge integrates into the surrounding bicycle network. Check out the map below to see how the bridge connects people riding bikes to the broader Seattle bicycle network.

Schedule update

We are on pace to reach substantial completion of the Lander St Bridge this fall. At that point, we will have completed bridge work and intersection connections, opened the S Lander St Bridge to vehicle traffic, and crews will be working on a few remaining items on our punch list.

Upcoming work:

We are currently working on the signal configurations and road connections at 1st Ave S and S Lander St. This work will last several weeks. Please pay attention to temporary lane shifts as you navigate the area. We will continue pouring concrete for walls and sidewalks in the coming weeks. This work is weather dependent.

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LISTEN: Podcast West Seattle tackles the bridge; East Coast podcast touches on the suitcase-murders case

August 1, 2020 1:53 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Interested in audio stories? Two podcast episodes of note:

ABOUT THE BRIDGE: Local historian/journalist Clay Eals points out this recent episode of Podcast West Seattle, “When the Ship Hit the Span,” in which he was one of the notable interviewees:

Andrew Stuckey has been producing Podcast WS for two and a half years – all archived here.

THE CASE OF THE SUITCASE MURDERS, AND BEYOND: Boston public-radio station WBUR produces a podcast called “Endless Thread,” riffing off things found on Reddit. A recent episode looks at Randonautica, the Reddit-born app that factored into why a group of teens went to Luna/Anchor Park, where they found a suitcase containing the remains of two murder victims. The case plays a significant role in the podcast, whose hosts interviewed your editor along the way. (No new info about the murders, though; the latest public comment from SPD was when Chief Carmen Best noted during the city’s recent West Seattle “town hall” that it wasn’t considered a West Seattle murder case because the victims were killed somewhere else.) The “Endless Thread” episode is here.

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WATCH: Skeleton Theatre creators’ new online series T,O.S.T.

August 1, 2020 11:49 am

| 8 COMMENTS

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

The sun’s not fully out (yet), so maybe you’re inside, looking for entertainment. Here’s a West Seattle creation: The team behind the annual Halloween animatronic extravaganza Skeleton Theatre has something new – online. Team spokesperson Maia Low explains, “We finally launched the side project we teased at the last Skeleton Theatre. It’s a YouTube web series called ‘Two Old Skeletons Talking’ (or T. O. S. T.). Two of our skeletons drive around Seattle talking about various subjects.” Above is the trailer for the first episode; you’ll find the series – episodes and trailers – here.

BACKSTORY: In case you’re new around here – while Skeleton Theatre, staged in an Admiral-area yard each year for more than a decade, happens at Halloween, it’s not spooky – it’s geared for laughs, not shrieks.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: West Seattle Junction road work

August 1, 2020 10:51 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

10:51 AM: Thanks for the tip: SW Alaska is closed between 44th and California right now for road repair work. No advance announcement, so we don’t know exactly what they’re doing or how long it’ll take, but we’re headed over to check.

11:05 AM: This work is closing the westbound side of SW Alaska in that block but NOT the eastbound side. The crew, from SDOT, says it’s scheduled road-repair work and will take much of today, with plans to continue next Saturday (we’ll check with SDOT Monday to narrow that down).

7:41 PM: We went by a little while ago. That section of westbound SW Alaska is still closed off – so the concrete can dry.

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HISTORY: Explore Seattle’s oldest home without leaving yours

August 1, 2020 7:20 am

| 1 COMMENT

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

Two weeks from today, the oldest house in West Seattle – and the entire city – opens up, virtually, for you to see. Here’s the announcement:

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s annual “If These Walls Could Talk” historic-home tour has gone digital! Join us online to support SWSHS and explore the history of the oldest house still standing in Seattle –the Maynard House on Alki. Lovingly restored in 2018, you will get to experience the updated interior of the home and learn how the house has changed in its 100+ year history.

This tour will be a YouTube 360 experience, so you can explore the interior of the home while learning about the lives of Doc and Catherine Maynard. A recent donation of personal letters from the Maynards will illuminate new insights into one of Seattle’s most interesting figures. After registering, you will receive a link to the video to explore at your leisure. This will be sent to you on the morning of August 15th. The video will be about 15 minutes of recorded content about the Maynards with the ability to pause and move around the 360 space. The experience is available for a suggested donation of $10-20.

For a deeper experience, register for our live VIP session where local historians will discuss the Maynards in greater depth. You will get a chance to hear some letters read, including never-before-seen firsthand accounts of the Battle of Seattle! This VIP panel session will be held on August 15th at 11 am PST. The price for access to this exclusive conversation is $50. Our panelists include:

Ken Workman, the Great-Great-Great-Great Grandson of Chief Seattle. He is a retired Systems and Data Analyst from Boeing’s Flight Operations Engineering Department, a former Duwamish Tribal Council member as well as a former Duwamish Tribal Services 501(c)(3) President. Ken is a member of the Duwamish Tribe, the first people of Seattle. Today Ken enjoys retired life on a river, in the mountains, east of Seattle and he serves as a member of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s Board of Trustees.

Phil Hoffman, a graduate of Georgia State (Atlanta) and Wayne State (Detroit) Universities holding a Masters of Urban Planning degree. He resides in Seattle’s Alki neighborhood. Mr. Hoffman is the retired director of the University of Washington Office of Institutional Studies. Upon his retirement, he established the Alki History Project. The Project’s mission is to document, explore, and interpret the history of Seattle’s founding neighborhood. Current research includes investigation of proposed and failed transportation improvements which would have forever changed Alki’s landscape and land use and an effort to identify ‘Watson,’ the suspected 1893 Herring House arsonist.

Greg Lange, a life-long Seattle resident and King County Archivist. He became interested in local history while selling northwest history books at used, antiquarian, and new bookstores. Greg is one of the original staff members of Historylink.org. He is a former member of the Pioneer Square Preservation Board and the Washington State Board of Geographic Names. He conducted a survey of houses built prior to 1905 for the city of Seattle and he has given many presentations on how to complete a history of a house. Greg has extensive experience researching early EuroAmerican settlement of Seattle and King County.

Registration is due by August 14th at this link.