West Seattle, Washington
23 Saturday
Here’s what’s new as the virus crisis continues:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*19,554 people have tested positive, up 74 from yesterday’s total
*720 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*2,225 people have been hospitalized, up 1 from yesterday’s total
*360.776 people have been tested, up 5,342 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 18,678/708/2,155/339,194.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 25.2 million cases and more than 846,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
FIRST FULL WEEK FOR NEW LOCAL TESTING SITE: Need to get tested? The city’s new site at Southwest Athletic Complex is now open 6 days a week, Mondays-Saturdays. Go here to make an appointment.
SCHOOL STARTS FRIDAY … for Seattle Public Schools, remotely. (This week we’ll be checking to see what independent schools are doing.)
2 1/2 MONTHS: That’s how long King County has been in Phase 2 – since June 19th. The state is not currently accepting any applications for advancing to the next phase.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
That’s the parking lot shared by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church and West Seattle High School. While students won’t be parking there again any time soon, the lot might be crowded two weeks from today, when St. John’s launches what, as far as we know, will be West Seattle’s first drive-in church service.
Along with more than 20 other local faith institutions (as shown on the list we publish Sunday mornings), St. John’s (3050 California SW) has been doing online video services for months. Parking-lot services have been allowable since Gov. Jay Inslee‘s guidance in May, but most churches don’t have access to a big-enough lot; St. John’s does, so it’s ready to try, 9 am Sundays starting September 13th. Everyone will stay in their cars, and listen to the service via a low-power radio broadcast – though part of the attraction is that you’ll be able to hear the church bells firsthand. They’re even recruiting volunteers for a “safety team” – parking-lot ushers, if you will.
St. John’s is not abandoning the online format, though. In fact, during that first parking-lot service on September 13th, Rev. Kate Wesch plans to include a “Blessing of the Devices” – inviting churchgoers to bring the phones, tablets, laptops, etc., that have become a lifeline more than ever in these pandemic times. One week later, on September 20, they’ll launch a new livestreamed service at 11:15 am Sundays, in addition to the 9 am parking-lot service.
Family and friends are remembering Elizabeth Jane Spry, and sharing this with her community:
Elizabeth (Bette) Spry passed away on August 16, 2020, at the age of 93 at her home in West Seattle with family by her side.
Bette was born on September 28, 1926, in Omaha, NE to Frank and Margaret Swinarski. Bette’s father emigrated from Poland, and her mother was born in Ashton, NE. One of six children growing up during the Great Depression, Bette enjoyed ice skating on cold Nebraska days and spending time with her family. After graduating from high school, Bette went to work to support the war effort. During World War II, she worked for the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant as a timekeeper. Bette loved dancing and she met her future husband, Al, while dancing in one of Omaha’s lively ballrooms in the 1950s.
On July 16, 1955 they were married at Immaculate Conception Church in Omaha, NE. Shortly thereafter, they moved to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where they settled in West Seattle and raised four children.
Bette was a member of the Highland Park Improvement Club in West Seattle, where she and Al regularly participated in monthly dances, and she served terms as Vice President and Secretary. Bette, with Al, knew how to “cut the rug” when it was time to dance. Bette was a devout Catholic and a founding member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, where she helped it grow from its humble beginnings in the school basement to the current church it is today. An active volunteer, she was a member of the church guild, participating in many Parish activities and charitable events.
Bette enjoyed traveling. She and her family made many road trips back to Omaha with the family dog, Cricket, in tow, taking detours to National Parks and other destinations along the way. An international trip with dear friends took her through many of the great cities of Europe, with the highlight for Bette being attending the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany.
Bette was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother and will be greatly missed. She had a sharp mind and kind heart and never forgot a birthday or anniversary. She was also a loyal friend throughout her lifetime and enjoyed organizing dinner parties and having coffee with friends. Bette is survived by her husband, Al, of 65 years, her children Paula Buty (Kim), Sandra Scatena (Brian), Stephen Spry (Brandy) and Michael Spry (Mary Kay), grandchildren (Mitchel Spry, David Spry, Rocco Buty, and Katherine Spry) and many nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in West Seattle. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance will be limited. A private interment will follow at Tahoma National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to St. Martin de Porres or St. Vincent de Paul.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
Though this is likely to be a relatively quiet week, leading up to Labor Day weekend, at least one community meeting is scheduled: The District 1 Community Network, a coalition of West Seattle and South Park organizations, groups, and advocates, meets online at 7 pm Wednesday (September 2nd). The final agenda’s not out yet, but expected topics include the biggest issues everyone’s dealing with right now – the pandemic and the bridge. All are welcome; here’s the connection information:
ZOOM 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
Meeting ID: 222 985 415#
We should have the agenda by the time we publish a reminder in Wednesday’s daily preview.
Password: 625318#
Back in July, we told you about City Fruit‘s “Fruit for All” pop-ups, offering free homegrown fruit to anyone who wants it. Two more are coming up in West Seattle – this Wednesday (September 2nd) and two weeks later (September 16th), both at the 32nd/Juneau community garden in High Point, 4 pm-6 pm. Free fruit is first-come, first-served (unless you are a City Fruit member, in which case you can reserve some!). Two High Point pop-ups have happened already, and City Fruit’s Lisa Miyashita tells WSB, “We are usually joined by the P-Patch gardeners (pending the availability of their produce) who offer FREE veggies from the community garden. Together, we are making sure people in our community have access to fresh, nutritious food.”
In this seventh month of the pandemic, neighborhood cheer continues, and we’re always happy to hear about it. Thanks to Judith for sending this video of a neighborhood serenade last night near 41st and Charlestown – klezmer music! Judith ID’d the band as “Samson and the Katz” (anyone with more info on the front-yard concert, please let us know!).
ORIGINAL SUNDAY MORNING REPORT: Just got word from SDOT Traffic Operations that the south Delridge Way closure is now NOT expected to end tonight as planned. The closure between 18th and Barton is now expected to last through Monday, reopening by 5 am Tuesday. The utility work, involving installing a catch basin, has proven to be more complicated than expected, so they need extra time. The map above shows the detour; in addition to the work zone with the full road closure, Delridge is “local access only” between Roxbury and Henderson.
7:53 AM MONDAY: SDOT spokesperson Adonis Ducksworth tells WSB the crew worked late into the night and was able to reopen Delridge early today after all.
(Thursday morning photo by Sandra Obuck)
We start today’s preview with road-work reminders:
DELRIDGE WAY: The closure between 18th and Barton is scheduled to continue today, as is work at Delridge/Orchard. We’ll be checking to see if either wraps up early.
44TH SW: Pavement repair continues this weekend north of SW Edmunds.
Next, our weekly list of online church services:
ADMIRAL UCC: The worship service for today is 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 will be 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 will be streamed 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.
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH: Streaming Mass at 10:30 am here.
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 are held in person – registration required.)
PEACE LUTHERAN: Livestreaming at 10:30 am on YouTube.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Viewable on YouTube: Sunday School and Sunday Services at the times below or anytime thereafter.
9:15 a.m. Kids Club — note new time!
10:00 a.m. Spiritual Formation for All Ages
10:15 a.m. Sunday Service. Click on this link for the bulletin
12:00 p.m. Sunday Grief and Gratitude Circle – In person. Meet in the Churchyard. (Final one of the season.)
TIBBETTS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (WSB sponsor): The video service for today will be here.
TRINITY CHURCH: Livestreaming here, 10 am. (In-person services too; registration required.)
WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: The video service for today is viewable here.
WEST SEATTLE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE: Livestreaming here, 11 am.
WEST SIDE PRESBYTERIAN Livestreaming at 10 am on the church’s YouTube channel.
WESTSIDE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION: Livestreaming at 10:30 am – information on today’s service is here.
WESTWOOD CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: Online (and in-person) worship at 11 am; 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 outside Alki UCC, accepting food and more – see our preview. (6115 SW Hinds)
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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