day : 05/09/2020 8 results

In the midst of the end-of-summer holiday weekend, here are tonight’s virus-crisis notes:

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

*20,165 people have tested positive, 92 more than yesterday

*734 people have died, 2 more than yesterday

*2,259 people have been hospitalized, 10 more than yesterday

*379,793 people have been tested, 3,151 more than yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 19,480/720/2,224/355,434.

ANOTHER LOCAL DEATH: In today’s updates, 98126 reported its 15th death. The other four zip codes that are entirely or partly within West Seattle:

98136 – 3
98106 – 4
98116 – 6
98146 – 13

WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers accessible in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, checking the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” In the past 2 weeks, 44 positive test results were reported; same number in the 2 weeks before that; 89 in the two weeks before that. (Side note: The dashboard changes we mentioned last night include this page as well – you can also check by zip code, among other additions.)

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 26.8 million people have tested positive, and more than 879,000 have died. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, India, Russia, Peru (same top five as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

PARKS CLOSING EARLIER: Seattle Parks just changed closing time for “major parks” – including 3 in West Seattle – to 8 pm.

NEIGHBORHOOD INSPIRATION: Thanks again to everyone who sends stories of neighborhood cheer, more important than ever as so many of us continue staying close to home. Angela reports, “Some neighbors on 49th and hinds were passing out free ice cream and fruit bars just to celebrate Labor Day weekend. It was very nice and refreshing!”

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

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MISSING: Have you seen Luke? – UPDATE: FOUND

September 5, 2020 8:30 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news

11:34 PM UPDATE: Found, as noted in comments.

Earlier:

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WEST SEATTLE WILDLIFE: On-and-offshore otters

September 5, 2020 6:55 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to Stewart L. (above) and Theresa Arbow-O’Connor (below) for sharing photos of otters from the Alki shoreline today!

Just a reminder if you’re new here – these are river otters, not sea otters, even though they’re hanging out in saltwater. And be careful while driving – you’ll see them crossing the shoreside street on occasion. (Sometimes they’ll go even farther inland!)

P.S. And another reader asked us to remind you to give wildlife their space, wherever you see them.

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PARKS: Earlier closing time for 3 in West Seattle

September 5, 2020 4:26 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Seattle Parks has just changed the closing time for “major parks” again. Now those parks – including Alki Beach Park, Lincoln Park, and West Seattle Stadium – are supposed to close at 8 pm. The full citywide list is here.

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Next ‘Words, Writers, SouthWest Stories’ features ‘After the Blast’ author

September 5, 2020 2:45 pm

| Comments Off on Next ‘Words, Writers, SouthWest Stories’ features ‘After the Blast’ author

| West Seattle books | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Earlier this year, the 40th anniversary of Mount St. Helens’ eruption got a lot of attention. But here’s a story you might not have heard yet: The area’s ecological recovery. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society invites you to hear about it next week:

‘Words, Writers & SouthWest Stories,’ a historically-based speaker series of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is excited to announce that it is hosting Eric Wagner for a live Zoom presentation on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00 PM. Wagner will deliver a presentation titled “After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens.” Registration is required [scroll down this page].

On May 18, 1980, people all over the world watched with awe and horror as Mount St. Helens erupted. Fifty-seven people were killed and hundreds of square miles of what had been lush forests and wild rivers were to all appearances destroyed.

Ecologists thought they would have to wait years, or even decades, for life to return to the mountain, but when forest scientist Jerry Franklin helicoptered into the blast area a couple of weeks after the eruption, he found small plants bursting through the ash and animals skittering over the ground. Stunned, he realized he and his colleagues had been thinking of the volcano in completely the wrong way. Rather than being a dead zone, the mountain was very much alive.

Mount St. Helens has been surprising ecologists ever since and in After the Blast Eric Wagner takes readers on a fascinating journey through the blast area and beyond. From fireweed to elk, the plants and animals Franklin saw would not just change how ecologists approached the eruption and its landscape, but also prompt them to think in new ways about how life responds in the face of seemingly total devastation.

Wagner is a freelance writer and journalist from Seattle. He earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Washington for work he did on Magellanic Penguins in Argentina. His essays and journalism have also appeared in Audubon, Smithsonian, and Earth Island Journal, among other places. He is the author of Penguins in the Desert and Reclaiming the Duwamish, both of which have been subjects of previous WW&SWS presentations.

Past Words, Writers, SouthWest Stories presentations, and other SWSHS videos, are here.

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BIZNOTE: You can now shop Kid-Friendly Footwear @ Again & Again online OR in-person

September 5, 2020 12:26 pm

| Comments Off on BIZNOTE: You can now shop Kid-Friendly Footwear @ Again & Again online OR in-person

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Small independent businesses need your support now more than ever.

While there was a big push to help them relatively soon after pandemic-related restrictions kicked in, some of that has ebbed, and the short-term assistance available to some has, too. So this is prime time to shop, dine, get services, etc., with West Seattle businesses. Today we have an update, and invitation/request for support, from a shop that’s been at the south edge of The Junction for a quarter-century – Kid-Friendly Footwear @ Again & Again. Proprietor Sarah Stegner‘s message:

Kid-Friendly Footwear @ Again & Again is well-stocked now with slippers, shoes, & boots for all kinds of back-to-school season adventures, be they indoors or out. Check out our kicky collection of waterproof styles for toddlers to teens (up to youth size 7). We’re happy to lend a socially distant hand with expert fitting in person or can walk you through it over the phone – 206-933-2060.

Open this Labor Day holiday weekend – Saturday, Sunday & Monday from 10 am-5 pm; by appointment other days/times; closed Tuesdays.

For COVID safety, we can only accommodate up to 30% of our usual capacity, require masks except for children under 2, and limit visits to 30 minutes or less. It has been a difficult half-year for our small business; we need support and hope our new website www.kidfriendlyfootwear.com helps to browse & shop online. Please contact us for a fitting consultation, to make an appointment, and arrange curbside pick-up or free local delivery!

The shop is at 4832 California SW.

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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: 2 more Terminal 5 cranes on the move

September 5, 2020 9:21 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Port of Seattle | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(Photo by Stewart L.)

Thanks to all the early risers who sent photos! Two more Terminal 5 cranes were moved out early this morning, on a Tacoma-bound barge.

(Photo by Jim Borrow)

When one of the cranes was moved on August 26th, the Northwest Seaport Alliance/Port of Seattle said two more would be moved this past week. However, when we followed up several days ago about the schedule, in hopes we could share advance news of when to watch, the port told us the move was rescheduled for the week of September 14th. So this is a bit of a surprise.

(Photo by James Bratsanos)

The three cranes’ Tacoma move follows Matson relocating its weekly Hawaii service there after a year at T-5.

(Photo by Chris Frankovich)

The port says the three cranes that aren’t moving will be dismantled before new, bigger cranes arrive at T-5 next year.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: What to expect, after that smoky sunset

September 5, 2020 7:11 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather | WS Weekend Lineup

(Photo by David Hutchinson)

Good morning and welcome to the holiday weekend! Thanks to everyone who sent photos from last night’s sunset, seen through the wildfire smoke that arrived from California.

(Photo by Chris Frankovich)

Nothing like what we’ve seen in some recent years, though. And as for the temperatures, the first two days of the weekend are forecast to be seasonable – in the 70s.

(Photo by James Tilley)