West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
Here are tonight’s virus-crisis updates:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*16,601 people have tested positive, up 129 from yesterday’s total
*674 people have died, down 1 from yesterday’s total*
*2,028 people have been hospitalized, up 3 from yesterday’s total
*332,460 people have been tested, up 10,048 from yesterday’s total*
One week ago, the totals were 15.510/649/1,963/300,529.
COUNTY DATA NOTE: The county says “data corrections” may lead to negative “since yesterday” stats such as the one above; also, test-results data was bad last night, so the big total tonight includes a catch-up.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 19.8 million cases and more than 731,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
REOPENING: West Seattle’s three biggest fitness facilities open to general use Monday for the first time since their pandemic shutdowns.
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ PLAN: The School Board meets 1 pm Wednesday to talk about the new school year – here’s the agenda.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
9:07 PM: The Everyday March activist group’s Evening March is back in West Seattle tonight, sixth time in a little more than two weeks. On July 24th and August 3rd, they went to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s home in Highland Park; July 27th, to Council President Lorena GonzĆ”lez‘s home in The Junction; July 30th, to County Executive Dow Constantine‘s home in west Admiral; August 2nd, to City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s home in North Delridge. Each of those nights, the elected officials came outside and spent up to an hour talking with the march’s leaders, mostly about police “defunding.” Tonight is the eve of the City Council’s final vote on initial cuts to the SPD budget (nowhere near the 50 percent this group and others want). We don’t yet know tonight’s destination, but the Evening March asked participants – including the car and bike brigade that block traffic as they march – to meet at West Seattle High School, which they just left. Updates to come; if livestreamers are with them tonight, a stream is likely t turn up here.
9:17 PM: Chanting and drumming, the marchers and their car/bike escorts are southbound on California, inviting spectators ‘march with us.’
(Video courtesy John Bennett)
9:45 PM: Still southbound, approaching The Junction.
10 PM: They’re arriving in CM Gonzalez’s neighborhood now. (And yes, there’s a stream – follow the link above.)
10:08 PM: She has come out to speak with them, while cautioning that she’s feeling “a little under the weather.”
10:46 PM: They’re still talking, with the group seated on the ground and GonzĆ”lez on the stairs (for audio, you’ll have to switch over to the Evening March’s Instagram live feed), but it’s focused more on technicalities, from “out-of-order” layoffs to the consent decree to future SPD contract negotiators. …. A few minutes, it grows emotional as they berate her for not listening years earlier.
11:14 PM: After more than an hour, and other topics including education funding, the conversation has concluded. Organizers have told marchers they’ll caravan back in cars, rather than walking back to WSHS. (Added: One of tonight’s streamers, PCOMG, has the march video archived here – the conversation begins 1 hour in.)
Tomorrow, in two meetings, the City Council is set to finalize changes to the pandemic-battered 2020 budget, including proposed cuts to the Seattle Police Department. First they meet as the Select Budget Committee at 10 am; here’s that agenda. Then the final vote is set for the afternoon council meeting at 2 pm; that agenda is here. Both agendas have information on how to watch as well as how to comment, via email as well as “live” during the meeting (signups for those comment periods start two hours before the meetings – so, at 8 am and noon).
Just went by to check – SW Genesee west of Delridge, which was supposed to be closed until 5 am tomorrow, has reopened early. SDOT plans to close the same stretch, between Delridge and 25th, again next weekend, starting at 9 am Friday.
Thanks for the tips! Three large West Seattle fitness centers have announced they’re reopening tomorrow (Monday, August 10th) – West Seattle Health Club (2429 SW Andover), 24 Hour Fitness (Westwood Village), and LA Fitness (3900 SW Alaska).
Reopening comes with a long list of new rules at each center – WS Health Club, for example, has posted its new rules online, including “Masks Required – unless you are exercising vigorously”; the protocols for 24 Hour Fitness say, “Wear a mask in the club at all times”; LA Fitness (whose rules are in a message to members, sent to us by a reader) says, “Members are required to wear face coverings while in the club, except when they are exercising and are able to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others.” WSHC locker rooms will remain closed, as will those at LA Fitness.
The reopenings follow new state-issued guidance for fitness operations; you can read it here. Many smaller fitness businesses were able to reopen weeks ago.
Last time the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council met, it was mid-February, pre-pandemic (WSB coverage here). But this group is ready to get going again, online – as we first noted in last week’s District 1 Community Network report – and will do so one week from Tuesday, at 7 pm
August 18th. The WSCPC has always been a chance for community members to hear from, and bring concerns to, local police. At this meeting, you’ll get to “meet” the Southwest Precinct’s new commander Capt. Kevin Grossman and operations Lt. Sina Ebinger. It’ll be conducted via Microsoft Teams. at this link (we’ll be checking on a call-in option).
That billboard just north of the South Delridge 7-11 [map] features art by Madison O’Neal, who was a Denny International Middle School 8th-grader when her work was chosen as a winner of the Champions Together Hope & Resilience contest. The contest was citywide, asking youth to create art or poetry with a message of hope and resilience to get through the pandemic. The Southwest Seattle Youth Alliance provided the photo; Denny principal Jeff Clark tells WSB, “We are very proud of her and the many other Denny scholars who are stepping up to lead for positive change in many different ways! Go Dolphins!”
We begin with road-work reminders:
(Saturday work on Delridge Way, photographed by Jonathan Vogel)
CLOSURES & MORE: SW Genesee between 25th and Delridge is scheduled to remain closed all day … so is westbound SW Alaska between California and 44th … you might encounter crews elsewhere per this SDOT alert (thanks to the texter who sent word of the Saturday work at 16th/Holden) … Tonight, 10 pm-5 am, deck-replacement work is again scheduled to close the 1st Avenue South Bridge’s northbound side. (The West Seattle low bridge is open to all 9 pm-5 am, so that’s your alternative.)
Now, our weekly list of online church services:
ADMIRAL UCC: Today’s worship video is viewable here.
ALKI UCC: 10 am online service via Zoom – info and link on church’s home page.
ALL SOULS SEATTLE (WSB sponsor): Online worship will be viewable here.
BETHANY COMMUNITY CHURCH: Livestreaming for West Seattle here at 9:30 am.
CALVARY CHAPEL: Today’s service is here, plus 6 pm all-church prayer and 7 pm evening worship (info on home page, as well as word that in-person services have resumed too).
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: Service at 10 am 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.
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. (In-person services too.)
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.
WESTWOOD CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: Online worship at 6 pm; info here.
Any other churches to add? Please email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Also today/tonight:
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)
DONATION DRIVE: 10 am-3 pm, food and more will be collected outside Alki UCC. The announcement:
Collections will be taken outside our building at 6115 SW Hinds; social distancing observed
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, noodles and pasta sauce.
Toilet paper, diapers (all sizes), Similac formula, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and baby wipes are always welcome.
Donations are distributed through the White Center Food Bank.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)
FREE TO-GO DINNER: 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)
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