day : 03/09/2020 11 results

In the 360-degree videos above and below, “Diver Laura” James takes you into the kelp forest off Lincoln Park.

Laura has been doing some informal research on the kelp, which was reported to be far denser along Puget Sound shores decades ago, before various man-made/-caused changes to the shoreline. If you’ve been observing the area – walking, boating, even diving – over the past 20 to 30 years, she would love to hear from you – info@diverlaura.me is the email address.

CORONAVIRUS: Thursday 9/3 roundup

September 3, 2020 9:31 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

As we wish you a safe long holiday weekend, we present tonight’s toplines:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*19,915 people have tested positive, up 96 from yesterday

*730 people have died, up 1 from yesterday

*2,242 people have been hospitalized, up 3 from yesterday

*373,284 people have been tested, up 5,803 from yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 19,177/717/2,222/349,291.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 26.2 million cases worldwide, 6.1 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.

KING COUNTY DEATHS ANALYZED: The county has just released a report analyzing all the local COVID-19 deaths so far. Just part of its findings:

The analysis did not find an increase that would suggest unrecognized COVID-19 deaths in the weeks leading up to identification of the first COVID-19 case in King County in late February.

Also, based on an analysis of the total number of deaths this year, Public Health did not find evidence suggesting that large numbers of COVID-19 deaths are going unrecognized in the official death counts.

The full 16-page report is here.

CELEBRATING: Daystar Retirement Village (WSB sponsor) celebrated after everybody tested negative.

SAFE GATHERINGS: A reminder from the state Department of Health:

Here is a short list of things to remember when it comes to gathering together in the time of COVID-19:

Outside is safer than inside.
Small groups are safer than large groups.
Less time together is safer than more time together.
Within six feet, face coverings are better than no face coverings.

So, while a Zoom happy hour might be your safest choice, an outdoor barbecue with one other family, with the chairs set up six feet apart, where the hand sanitizer flows freely, and everyone goes home early, is a less risky option, as far as these things go.

NEED FOOD? Tomorrow, 2-5 pm, free boxes of food are available at Food Lifeline (815 S. 96th).

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

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Our Lady of Guadalupe’s plan

September 3, 2020 8:17 pm

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| Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Before we get to the end of the week, we have a few more West Seattle schools’ plans to report. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in High Point started preschool/prekindergarten in person this past Tuesday, while K-8 will start remotely, after in-person orientation conferences, which wrap up tomorrow. Teaching/learning for K-8 starts next Tuesday (September 8th).

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Holiday weekend update (+ photos!)

September 3, 2020 6:45 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Photo by James Bratsanos, this morning)

The sun, moon, and sky continue their late-summer showing off, so we’re featuring more reader photos along with this holiday-weekend weather update.

(Texted photo, moon & osprey nest)

Still no hint of rain any time soon – the sky will be clear (aside from that wildfire smoke that appears to have arrived) at least into next week.

(Photo by David Hutchinson, Wednesday’s sunset)

After the holiday, the newest “forecast discussion” observes, we might even see record highs.

(Photo by Jim Borrow, Wednesday’s sunset)

But until then, the forecast looks more or less seasonably warm, as it was this time last year. (But unlike, say, the Southwest U.S., with a heat wave that could go 20+ degrees above normal.)

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CELEBRATION: Daystar Retirement Village’s ‘COVID-free’ party

September 3, 2020 5:40 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news | Westwood

The photos and report are from Eva Thomas at Daystar Retirement Village (WSB sponsor) in Westwood:

Daystar Retirement Village is having a “crazy hat” party today, to recognize that all residents and staff have tested negative for COVID-19. This is a huge accomplishment. We could not have done it without the support of every single staff member, resident, and residents’ family members. These have been very trying times and every single individual involved with Daystar Retirement Village have gone above and beyond to keep our residents safe. We want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone for keeping our residents safe.

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BIZNOTE: Bikram Yoga West Seattle saying goodbye

September 3, 2020 4:37 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

For almost 20 years, the West Seattle Junction storefront at 4747 California SW has been a hot-yoga studio. But that’s about to come to an end. Nally Berg bought Bikram Yoga West Seattle two years ago and just announced it will permanently close. Not because of the redevelopment project that will be built in that spot eventually (more on that in a moment), but because of other factors: “The bridge, COVID, and mandated restrictions have made it impossible to continue, unfortunately,” she tells WSB. Bikram Yoga WS will be open through the end of this month; Berg does not currently have plans to open a new studio elsewhere, but promises to let us know if that changes.

Before it was a yoga studio, the building held Junction Feed & Seed for almost 80 years; the site will eventually be part of the new home of Husky Deli. With news of the closure, we checked on the status of the site’s future redevelopment, inquiring with Ed Hewson, who is working with Husky owner Jack Miller on the project. Hewson tells WSB, “COVID has clearly slowed down the permitting with the City (and the bridge closure certainly doesn’t help), but we are still slowly proceeding because it is such a special project. The New Husky will be a labor of love for all of us. We don’t have a definitive start date we can give you, but we are very much still working diligently with our architects and consultants and moving forward.”

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FOLLOWUP: Contest-winning West Seattle Bridge T-shirts have arrived!

September 3, 2020 2:48 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

In The Junction today, volunteers are working – at a safe distance – to package the new contest-winning West Seattle Bridge T-shirts for mailing to everybody who ordered one! The orders followed the announcement four weeks ago of the three designs that won the community vote, “Accidental Island,” “Mind the Gap,” and “So Close Yet So Far.”

Above, Junction Association executive director Lora Radford is among those helping. So if you ordered one, watch the mail! And if you didn’t …

… no need to worry about a “gap” in being stylish – as originally announced, some Junction stores will be selling them, too, starting tomorrow. See the list on this page – or go there to order one (deadline September 21st for an October mailing).

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FOLLOWUP: West Seattle’s police commander on staffing and more

September 3, 2020 1:27 pm

| 17 COMMENTS

| Kiwanis Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Hours after interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz‘s media briefing about staffing changes, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman spoke with the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, online. He said he has no further details, yet, about how the 100 “redeployments” will affect his staffing levels, but of course he’s hopeful it means more officers headed this way. Right now, Capt. Grossman said, the precinct staff is 10 percent below what it was when he started, due to attrition – retirements, officers moving to other parts of the city, or moving to other cities’ departments. In addition, this precinct and the others all have to contribute to the “task forces” that deal with some of the ongoing protests on Capitol Hill. On another note, he and operations Lt. Sina Ebinger, who also was at the meeting (as was Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner), will not be regularly attending community meetings as they have since taking over two months ago. Grossman says he wants patrol officers to attend the meetings in the areas they cover, so they can build relationships. (That was part of the reason Chief Diaz cited on Wednesday for moving more officers into patrol.) A special focus of the Kiwanis’s community work is mentoring youth, particularly via Key Clubs, so some Q&A last night focused on that; Danner will be working to set up meetings where she and officers can talk with high-school and middle-school students and hear their concerns.

P.S. Another Kiwanis note – they’re expecting this year’s Pancake Breakfast, usually the first Saturday of December, to be a “virtual” event, so stand by for more on that.

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BOOKS: ‘High Point: The Inside Story of Seattle’s First Green Mixed-Income Neighborhood’

September 3, 2020 11:40 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| High Point | West Seattle books | West Seattle news

Just published – a book about West Seattle’s biggest redevelopment project, the years-long makeover of High Point. The author spent almost a decade working there and sent us the announcement:

How did a rundown public-housing project become an award-winning poster child for a green, mixed-income neighborhood? A new book, “High Point: The Inside Story of Seattle’s First Mixed-Income Green Neighborhood” answers that question.

Author Tom J. Phillips spent nine years directing the redevelopment of one of Seattle’s largest public housing projects, the 120-acre High Point neighborhood. The book chronicles the undertaking of what was a visionary and highly risky experiment and the strong leadership, grit, and determination that was required along the way to make the vision a reality.

A federal grant of $35 million kickstarted this $550 million master-planned community. High Point debuted several ground-breaking healthy and green features, including the country’s largest natural drainage system and 60 “Breathe Easy” homes for children with asthma, capturing the attention of forward-thinking local governments and developers across the country. …

Ron Sims, former King County Executive and Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, provided the foreword of the book, in which he noted, “This\ book will inspire others to act upon their dreams.”

You can read more about the book and author here, or take a video tour of some High Point highlights – produced by local journalist/historian Clay Eals – here.

P.S. Phillips tells WSB that Paper Boat Booksellers in Morgan Junction (6040 California SW) will have autographed copies later today.

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Ice-cream truck fundraiser next week

September 3, 2020 9:58 am

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| Genesee Hill | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Even with school starting remotely for most local students, supplies are still needed, and as we’ve noted before, that means fundraisers are too. The Genesee Hill Elementary PTA invites the community to be part of a tasty fundraiser it’s planning next Wednesday (September 9th):

Join us to eat ice cream at a distance!

Buy an ice cream cone from the Full Tilt Truck while it’s across the street from Genesee Hill. $6 per cone, with part of each sale going to the GHE PTA Supply Drive. All are welcome!

Check out the new GHE swag samples when you stop by!

Wear a mask. Social distancing guidelines will be followed. Vegan option available.

The truck will be at 50th & Dakota, 3-6 pm that day. Looks like ice-cream weather – could be in the 90s!

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TRAFFIC WATCH: Thursday 9/3 notes – UPDATES

September 3, 2020 6:07 am

| 21 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

10:45 AM: Reader texted to say a protest march was blocking SB 99 by the stadiums. WSDOT says it’s cleared but – be aware.

11:10 AM: Reader tweeted to say police are blocking SB 16th at Holden and “it’s getting messy.”
============

Original:

6:07 AM: It’s Thursday, the 164th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

ROAD WORK

*Along much of Delridge Way, the project that’s paving the way for RapidRide H Line continues. Here’s the newest bulletin detailing where work is focused this week.

CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

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