West Seattle, Washington
17 Saturday
Before the night ends, our nightly virus-crisis update:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*20,264 people have tested positive, up 99 from yesterday’s total
*734 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*2,260 people have been hospitalized, up 1 from yesterday’s total
*380.454 people have been tested, up 661 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 19,554/720/2,225/360.776.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 27.1 million cases and more than 883,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
TESTING SITE CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY: No testing at the city’s new Southwest Athletic Complex site on Monday, but you can make an appointment here for Tuesday or beyond.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Thanks for the tips. The West Seattle Junction QFC is cleaning up a mess after a man went on a rampage, breaking windows with rocks, neighbors say.
(This photo and next two by Jason Hubbard)
Police were gone by the time we got there but neighbors say a man was taken into custody. The damage was clearly visible from outside the store.
So were at least two rocks.
The store was closed for the cleanup; a staff member would only comment that the rock-thrower was “upset.” No injuries as far as we know – there was no medical dispatch.
ADDED MONDAY: Thanks to Jay for the aftermath photo:
(Photo: Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 / WhaleResearch.com)
If we see the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales sometime soon here in central Puget Sound, look – from shore – for that new little one, J57. The Center for Whale Research has published its announcement about seeing the new calf (first reported by Lynda Mapes in The Seattle Times), accompanied by researchers’ photos (which we are republishing with permission).
(Photo: Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 / WhaleResearch.com)
CWR believes Friday is the day J35 – at right, above, with the new baby and J47 – gave birth. Their researchers saw the newborn on Saturday in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. J35 is also known as Tahlequah, who broke hearts around the world two years ago by carrying her dead calf on her head for 1,000 miles before finally letting it go. Researchers knew she was pregnant again – orca gestation is 18 months – but she had not yet given birth as of researchers’ sightings in Haro Strait last Tuesday and Thursday, when they also saw the other expectant J-Pod orca, J41. In the Saturday sighting, CWR reports, the “new calf appeared healthy and precocious, swimming vigorously alongside its mother in its second day of free-swimming life.”
(Photo: Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 / WhaleResearch.com)
CWR’s announcement adds, “We hope this calf is a success story. Regrettably, with the whales having so much nutritional stress in recent years, a large percentage of pregnancies fail, and there is about a 40% mortality for young calves.” For now, though, the SRKWs number 73, and advocates are hoping for a reduction in other stresses such as boat noise (we reported earlier this week on the request that U.S. whale-watching boats pledge to join their Canadian counterparts in not following the SRKWs).​
From Denise:
My 1997 silver Honda CR-V, license BCX 9989, was parked on the street [45th/Dawson] and stolen Saturday night. Seattle Police case 2020-259728.
Call 911 if you see it.
Family and friends are remembering Jon D. Rickey, and sharing this with the community:
On a ‘hot August night’ in 1966, (at 7:11 no less!) Jon David Rickey was born in Seattle to Ann Riedasch and Dave Rickey. On another August day, August 28, 2020, Jon passed away far too soon. His short life was packed full of his energy and enthusiasm and humor that was typical of how he rolled.
Seattle, Maltby, Monroe, Yakima, and Billings, Montana, Ellensburg, and Wenatchee are among the places he left his imprint. He graduated from Monroe High School, where he played football for the Bearcats. But that was the just the beginning. With a football scholarship in hand, he left the area to play ball at Yakima Valley College. Soon he was sought out by Rocky Mountain College in Billings to continue college and football. Central Washington is where Jon graduated in Construction Management and met his wife to be, Karen (Harker) Rickey.
Jon had many talents including being part of the marching and jazz bands in high school. In fact, his saxophone skills improved greatly, from being asked by his first teacher to use the ‘sound-proof’ room to practice, to playing a solo at his graduation. Family trips to Disneyland were as frequent as possible and always memorable. He was as excited as the kids, ready to go when it opened and staying until it closed. You can almost hear him cheering for the Seahawks and Huskies. He was probably the best ‘couch-coach’ they ever had! And whether with good friends or family, a round of golf always left Jon with lots of stories to tell as only he could!
His career in construction focused on site development working for others and then\ opening his own business in Wenatchee. After the birth of his two daughters (Megan and Kristin), he returned to the West side and settled in Mukilteo. Jon jumped in with both feet to be part of the the girls’ school activities; coaching and volunteering in their music efforts, sports and theater.
Hitting his stride, Jon gravitated toward Real Estate and opened his own Agency. It was a perfect blending of his construction knowledge, his people skills and his enthusiastic and positive approach to life.
Jon is preceded in death by the brother Erick, sister Laurel, daughter Megan, his grandparents, and stepfather Dan Freemon. He leaves the rest of his grieving family, daughter Kristin Nicole Rickey, his mom Ann Riedasch (Ron), and dad Dave Rickey (Jeanne), his former wife Karen (Harker) Rickey, stepbrothers Dean (Lynn) and Brian Knox and Chris Freemon (Debbie), stepsister Pam Methner (Brad), and more aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews and cousins than we can list. And his best friend Chet Buchanan (Amy) of Las Vegas was as close as a brother. Jon loved his family as he loved life.
Due to COVID-19, there will be no service at this time. Jon was in the process of creating a Foundation to honor his deceased daughter Megan, The Megan Rickey Bright Light Foundation. After all the paperwork has been filed and it’s up and running, when you think of Jon, that might be a good place to leave a remembrance.
For now, grab your favorite beverage, raise it high, and toast Jon!
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
A week and a half after a sizable sinkhole opened in the middle of Admiral Way, SDOT has set the date for permanent repairs. Just got word from SDOT’s Kari Tupper that “we are going to be working on the road repairs on Admiral Way and also working on two nearby Seattle Public Utilities water cut repairs on Tuesday and Wednesday (9/8-9/9), right after the holiday … the crews are expecting to maintain one lane of traffic in each direction throughout the days of work.” Pending those repairs, the sinkhole’s been covered by a steel plate.
An incident in West Seattle today serves as a reminder that thieves will take things on spec. Katherine reports her car window was broken at Westcrest Park, north lot, and the culprit(s) made off with … a diaper bag.
For the third time in a week, a reader is reporting a too-close-for-comfort owl encounter while out in a forested West Seattle park in the evening. This one was sent last night by Zak:
Just wanted to let you know of an animal encounter I just had on the Schmitz Park trail. I was jogging around sunset when I noticed an owl swoop past me. The owl made a couple more passes as I continued down the trail, and then, in what appeared to be a good-natured act of mischief, grabbed my hat off of my head and dropped it in front of me.
This happened two more times. I wasn’t sure if the owl was just messing with me or trying to attack (I suspect an owl’s talons could do some damage to my bare head), so I just ran away, waving my hat over my head hoping to scare it off, until I got down to Alki playfield.
The other two recent reports are here (also Schmitz Park) and here. Learn more about co-existing with owls here.
The Fauntleroy Community Association is, so far as we know, the last West Seattle neighborhood group to regularly publish and distribute a printed newsletter. “Neighbors,” sent to FCA members, is edited by Judy Pickens and published quarterly. It’s always newsy: The newest edition, which you can also read online, includes updates on ferry traffic, the planned culvert replacement project, and the Fauntleroy Fall Festival‘s pandemic postponement. Other stories include two looks into history – how Seattle’s “redlining” is still reflected in current demographics, and the soggy saga of the development of the Fauntlee Hills subdivision. Interested in more history? Editions going back to 2003 are archived here.
P.S. As also noted in “Neighbors,” the FCA’s business meetings are on second Tuesdays, which means the next one is two days away (7 pm September 8th) – if interested in attending, you can register here.
(Saturday sunset – photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
After another smoky sunset, today’s major weather feature will be a breezy afternoon. Our preview of what’s up today starts with our weekly list of online church services:
ADMIRAL UCC: The worship service for today will be here.
ALKI UCC: 10 am online service via Zoom – info and link on church’s home page.
ALL SOULS SEATTLE: Updated worship info is 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.)
Parking-lot services start next week.
TIBBETTS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (WSB sponsor): The video service for today is 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!
(Saturday sunset – photo by Dan Ciske)
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)
ART SALE: Three local artists – Terri Goodwin, Katy Lareau, and Diane Culhane – who usually sell their work at the art fairs that didn’t happen this year are having an outdoor sale today:
Terri’s website is here.
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)
(Saturday sunset – photo by Marc Milrod)
SUNDAY SUNSET: 7:38 pm.
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