West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
The stats are back, and that’s where we start tonight’s pandemic-related toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals (keep in mind, these are the first since Monday):
*20,440 people have tested positive, 120 more than 2 days ago
*741 people have died, 7 more than 2 days ago
*2,283 people have been hospitalized, 19 more than 2 days ago
*386,938 people have been tested, 1,786 more than 2 days ago
One week ago, those four totals were 19,819/729/2,239/367,481.
ANOTHER LOCAL DEATH: In today’s updates, 98136 reported its fourth death. Here are the current counts for the other four zip codes that are entirely or partly within West Seattle:
98106 – 4
98116 – 6
98146 – 13
98126 – 15
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
VACCINE? The state Department of Health has published an update on planning for what happens when a vaccine is available and who will be the first to have access to it – read the update here.
FUNDED: The city has announced $11 million more funding for organizations that help people experiencing homelessness – including four that serve people in our area: Transitional Resources, DESC, LIHI, and the Salvation Army.
NEED FOOD? Reminder – Friday is the deadline to apply for this if your family needs it:
More than 30,000 King County students who are eligible for a one-time, $399 food benefit have until Sept. 11 to apply for Pandemic EBT, an emergency federal program that provides families cash assistance to buy food while schools are closed due to COVID-19.
Pandemic EBT is available to all children in public schools in Washington who receive free or reduced-price school meals. Across the state, over 150,000 eligible students can still apply.
Many low-income families rely on the free and reduced-price meals students get at school. With school closures, those families are struggling to feed their children. Pandemic EBT aims to fill that gap and ease the food insecurity many in our community are experiencing.
Pandemic EBT is not subject to public charge and does not affect or require proof of immigration status.
Families can apply online on the Washington Connection website. People who need help with the application process can call 2-1-1 and ask for assistance.
Applicants should ensure their children’s names match the spelling they used when they registered them for school. While the application includes a field for a Social Security number, it is not required.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The “repair now, replace later” vs. “replace now” decision for the West Seattle Bridge is now as little as a month away.
Today’s West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting explored how the in-progress Cost-Benefit Analysis will “shape” that decision.
But the CTF briefings/discussion also spent significant time on the advisory group’s other focus – how people are supposed to get to and from the peninsula until that connection is restored. And when the “Reconnect West Seattle” plan hit the spotlight, one previously undiscussed element did too. Here’s our video of (all but the last few minutes of) the meeting:
Ahead, the highlights, including some of the slides (see the full deck here):
Read More
8:37 PM: Seattle Fire has a “full response” headed for the 2800 block of Alki SW. Updates to come.
8:41 PM: It’s a residential kitchen fire and it’s out, firefighters radioed to dispatch.
(Photo by Gene Pavola)
Wondering when the smoke will finally go away? The air-quality alert that’s in effect because of wildfire smoke is currently set to expire at 11 am tomorrow, but the National Weather Service’s latest “forecast discussion” suggests it might be extended:
Currently, air quality is considered moderate for much of the forecast area, with the exception of the Greater Seattle area, as well as near Olympia, where it is Unhealthy for sensitive groups. These levels are expected to stay in place, and possibly to get worsen if fires continue to spread. Because of all this, an Air Quality Alert will remain in place until tomorrow and will likely be extended into Friday. Additionally, we will also be monitoring the smoke from the CA and OR fires that is off the coast, and will eventually be pushed back eastward.
Also of note – tomorrow is expected to be the warmest day of the week, with the high likely reaching the upper 80s.
(Photo by James Bratsanos)
If you’re weary of the dry weather – we might get some rain Monday.
(WSB photo)
That flipped-car crash is under investigation right now at Admiral Way Viewpoint. Police believe the driver was headed east/southbound on Admiral when he lost control, veered across the north/westbound lanes, and flipped the car, coming to an upside-down stop at the viewpoint. Nobody else was hurt; the driver is being taken to a hospital.
Thanks to Tory for the tip. Last night we noticed several portable messageboards like that one parked in a line near the Westwood Village post office; today, they’re deployed around the shopping center with news of “parking changes” and “paving projects” starting September 13th. The center has long had a permit application in for parking-lot repaving, first filed in 2018, when it was described as “pavement maintenance for the entire 50,000-square-yard asphalt surface parking lot at Westwood Village Shopping Center in West Seattle. Anticipated maintenance activities include: 50,000 square yards of asphalt overlay, edge grinding, 1,800 square feet of existing asphalt replacement down to subgrade, crack sealing, restriping, and select replacement of curbs and landscaping.” We’ll check with center management tomorrow about scope and timeline; one of the signboards indicates work is expected to last into late October.
Thanks to the Lincoln Park neighbor who sent the photo and report. If you usually walk/ride into the park via the north entrance at the south end of Beach Drive, you’ll find that tree blocking the way. No one was hurt, the neighbor says, but a car was damaged.
Since Seattle City Light started its Arroyo Conduit Installation Project in southwest West Seattle more than two years ago, it’s sent monthly project updates. Up until this past March, the updates listed the project timeline as “18-20 months” (though by then it was in month 22). Then the timeline mentions stopped – until today’s update:
Seattle City Light received several inquiries about the status of the Arroyo Conduit Installation Project. We acknowledge that construction delays have resulted in an extended project timeline and we recognize the inconvenience this has caused for neighbors and community.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated multiple changes to our operations staffing model and at this time, we continue to operate with approximately 75% of our typical staff. The Arroyo Conduit Installation Project remains a high priority for City Light and the City.
Construction on 42nd Avenue SW will continue through October 2020; however, timing for follow-up work by the Seattle Department of Transportation is unclear.
The entire project is now estimated for completion in the 3rd quarter of 2021. We recognize that the timing is not what we’ve previously communicated and understand that the delay is frustrating. Our goal is to meet our customer commitments and it’s disappointing when we aren’t able to do so.
Please be aware that due to the nature of our work maintaining the electrical system, some essential tasks require crew members to work closely together for their safety. We ask that residents continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines when walking near a construction site. The safety of our customers and crews is our number one priority. This work is in accordance with protocols in place to meet all COVID-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington State Department of Health, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Again, we apologize for the delay.
Tomorrow, a benefit tournament at the West Seattle Golf Course will pay tribute to a longtime West Seattleite, and you can participate without golfing or even going to the course. Sally Hardwick explains:
We are having a charity golf tournament to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank this Thursday, September 10th, in honor of Don Bereiter, who recently passed away from cancer. Don was well-known and loved in the West Seattle community, where he was the managing broker at Prudential NW Real Estate (later Berkshire Hathaway) and most recently our branch manager at Windermere in the West Seattle Junction.
Don will be remembered for his sense of humor and eagerness to help others. Golf was one of his passions, and he was a big part of this tournament in years past—it will be a wonderful way to celebrate a truly great man!
Michael Mallagh (Windermere) and Stephanie Quam (Old Republic Home Protection) are the driving forces (pardon the pun) in getting this put together at the last minute. We were all in shock after Don’s passing in July and almost couldn’t get this on the books but I think it will be a big success despite it being hastily organized! We already have all 18 holes sponsored, and nearly a full course of golfers.
Raffle tickets are still available! 100% of the proceeds from the Golf Tournament and Raffle will be presented to the West Seattle Food Bank and our friends at Pepsi will match all contributions made! Raffle Tickets can be purchased and are $10 each … and you do not have to be present to win; you will be notified if you have one of the lucky tickets drawn on the 10th!
Raffle Tickets & Donations: @Michael-Mallagh (Venmo) or michaelmallagh@gmail.com (PayPal)…personal / company check is fine too (made out to Michael Mallagh) – donation receipt will be sent. Contact event organizers Michael Mallagh (mallagh@windermere.com 206-501-5600), Stephanie Quam (stephanieq@orhp.com 425-691-8768) or Sally Hardwick (sally@windermere.com 206-795-9097).
Support your local small independent businesses! If you are dreaming of a sweet treat. Jet City Beignet (WSB sponsor) invites you to look ahead to the weekend:
We are excited to be partnering with several WS coffee shops, and our beignets are now available in orders of 2 on Saturdays and Sundays at Nos Nos Coffee House (35th/Graham), on Saturdays at Hotwire Coffee (California/Genesee), and on Sundays at The Birdhouse (35th/Henderson).
We are also taking walk-ups (orders of 3) at our beignet booth located in the USI kitchen parking lot @ 4611 36th Ave SW from 9 am-2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays (while supplies last).
For orders of 6 or 12, and to get the gourmet-sauce trios from Green City Kitchens, pre-ordering from our website is the way to go … blog readers can use the code WSB at checkout for 10% off their order this weekend!
We also offer 2 coffee options from Middle Fork Roasters – cold brew coffee at our booth and whole bean coffee on the website.
Notes for the hours ahead:
(Wednesday dawn photo by Marc Milrod)
Still smoky, so the air-quality alert has been extended until 11 am Thursday. That’s led to one postponement:
ICE CREAM FUNDRAISER POSTPONED: Just got word from the Genesee Hill Elementary PTA that this afternoon’s ice-cream-truck fundraiser has been postponed because of the air-quality alert. We’ll let you know when we get word of a new date.
Two online events that ARE happening today/tonight:
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: Noon-2:30 pm, public welcome to watch/listen. Here’s the agenda. To watch/listen (no breakout groups this time, so the same link/number will cover the entire 2-hour-plus meeting): Here’s the link, or use access code 146 544 1172 after calling 408-418-9388.
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: The bridge is one of the topics when our area’s biggest political group meets online at 7 pm. See the full agenda here – that’s also where you’ll find a link to register to attend the meeting (they’ll send you connection information after you sign up).
We’ll leave you with an inspirational photo for the day:
(Photo by Mark MacDonald)
Two West Seattle incident reports just sent by the Southwest Precinct:
CAR ARSON: The Seattle Fire log shows a car fire at 3:30 am today. According to the precinct, this is an arson investigation, and the car turned out to have been stolen from Bellevue. “A male suspect was seen running away from the vehicle,” the precinct reports.
STOLEN GUN FOUND: An officer assigned to patrol Alki on Labor Day “noticed two vehicles illegally parked in a trailer-only parking stall of the Don Armeni Boat Ramp.” The first, with four people, was told to leave, and did. The second had no one inside; when an officer looked through its open windows, he “observed a handgun with an extended magazine on the driver side floorboard.” The report says he “discovered the serial number of the firearm, which returned stolen out of Utah. The SW Precinct Sergeant instructed the Officer to photograph the vehicle and location of the handgun.” The vehicle subsequently was impounded and remains under investigation.
9:07 AM: Just got two reports of an unannounced water outage near Delridge/Hudson. If you’re affected, be sure to notify Seattle Public Utilities at 206-386-1800; we’re checking with SPU too.
9:17 AM: Remember that the city now has a water-outage map, similar to its long-running power-outage map, as reported here in July. The map says 82 customers are affected.
4:11 PM: From SPU: “Our crews were able to get water restored for customers about 12:30 today after working to repair an 8-inch water main that was damaged this morning at a construction site.”
6:12 AM: It’s Wedmesday, the 170th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK
*Permanent repairs on the Admiral Way sinkhole are supposed to continue today (we’ll be checking on that, as we went through the area Tuesday evening and didn’t see any signs of change at the sinkhole site).
*Here’s the newest Delridge project info about where work is focused this week, and beyond.
*1st Avenue S. Bridge: 2 more NB overnight closures are planned tonight and Thursday night, so if you are heading off-peninsula late at night/early in the morning, use the West Seattle low bridge or South Park Bridge.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s that camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Still reduced service and distancing, with some changes starting September 19th, and the potential return of fares on/around October 1st.
Water Taxi – Still on its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles running – see the schedule here.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
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