day : 24/09/2020 11 results

That’s the trailer for “From Here,” co-produced by West Seattle filmmaker Amy Benson. Its Seattle premiere starts on-demand tomorrow (Friday) during Northwest Film Forum’s Local Sightings Film Festival. Here’s what it’s about:

… Filmed over the better part of a decade in two of the world’s largest immigration countries – the U.S. and Germany – “From Here” captures an international generation’s fight for belonging in an era of rising nationalism.

Set in Berlin and New York, “From Here” interweaves the stories of Tania, Miman, Sonny, and Akim – artists and activists raised in the Global North to parents from the Global South. The film accompanies them as they move from their 20’s into their 30’s, facing major turning points: fighting for citizenship, creating a family, surviving violence, and finding creative expression. …

We spotlighted Benson’s award-winning film “Drawing the Tiger” five years ago; it was the first of a documentary trilogy that she continues working on. “From Here,” she says, is a “hopeful story … a powerful documentary that says: ‘everyone has the right to belong’.”

“From Here” will be available for viewing on-demand Friday-Sunday; pay-what-you-can tickets are available through the festival website. The film is also part of a lorger educational initiative you can learn about here.

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CORONAVIRUS: Thursday 9/24 roundup

September 24, 2020 9:52 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Pandemic-related news for the first Thursday night of fall:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals – now with the total-tests number restored, too, after a state data adjustment:

*21,803 people have tested positive, up 38 from yesterday’s total

*758 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*2,342 people have been hospitalized, up 2 from yesterday’s total

*421,832 people have been tested, up 4,593 from last released total (our calculation)

One week ago, those totals were 21,196/748/2,310/407,596.

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

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 32.1 million cases worldwide, 6.9 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.

SAFER FLYING: That was the spotlight topic during Gov. Inslee‘s briefing/media Q&A session this afternoon. Airline executives joined him to run through the many policies and precautions in effect on airplanes and in airports. You can watch the video here.

TESTING TOMORROW: Reminder that the weekly testing at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) continues on Fridays (info in the Seattle list here) as well as the six-days a week testing at Southwest Athletic Complex. At SSC, no appointment needed – drive/ride into the north parking lot, 7 am-1 pm.

TESTING MILESTONE: The city says its sites – including SWAC – have now administered more than 200,000 tests.

DONATION DRIVE SUNDAY: Alki UCC‘s twice-monthly outdoor donation dropoff event, 10 am-3 pm Sunday – here’s the announcement:

Alki UCC invites our generous neighbors to bring donations of school supplies and men’s casual/work clothing as well as non-perishable food to our bi-monthly donations drives to benefit our vulnerable neighbors in need.

Food and basic supplies such as toilet paper and diapers are distributed through the White Center Food Bank. We’re accepting school supplies for all grades on behalf of one or more local schools to be distributed when students are back at in-person learning. Suggestions include backpacks, #2 pencils, black and blue ink pens, crayons, lined paper, glue, small scissors, colored pens, writing notebooks, and colored paper.

Donations of clean, new, or used men’s casual/work clothing are distributed through the Westside Interfaith Network’s hot lunch program for people experiencing homelessness, The Welcome Table. There is a constant and growing demand for denim apparel, khaki’s, hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts, clean underwear, socks, shoes, and all kinds of outerwear for the fall and winter. Please … NO dress shirts, sport coats or suits.

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

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POSTPONED AGAIN: Delridge road work won’t close SW Oregon this weekend

September 24, 2020 7:43 pm

| Comments Off on POSTPONED AGAIN: Delridge road work won’t close SW Oregon this weekend

| Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

The rain’s not done yet, so SDOT has again postponed plans for its contractor to close SW Oregon at Delridge (south of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center). We asked late today if the closure – which had been scheduled to start Friday morning – was on or off, and the project team replied, “Our team has just determined that the forecast this weekend is looking too wet to fully complete this work. We will have one crew working this weekend on some other items, but SW Oregon St will remain open during this time.” We’re publishing weekly project updates, so we should know soon about a new date.

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YOU CAN HELP: Senior Center of West Seattle takes ‘Joy Is in the Journey’ online

September 24, 2020 6:03 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

The Senior Center of West Seattle invites you to help its work continue via a pandemic-style event – here’s the announcement:

Joy Is in the Journey is the Senior Center of West Seattle’s biggest annual fundraiser. Instead of attending an in-person event this year, the community is invited to help raise $100,000 by making an online donation. All donations made before Sept. 29 will be matched up to $20,200, thanks to a generous local donor. So far, the event has raised $52,000.

Then join fellow supporters in an interactive, live virtual event on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The event will include entertainment, activity demonstrations and updates live from the Senior Center.

All donations fund the Senior Center, a fun and vibrant social gathering place in the heart of the West Seattle Junction. Gifts also support the essential services the Senior Center has been providing vulnerable seniors during this pandemic, including meals, grocery delivery, social worker outreach and phone counseling.

We are all on this journey together. Join us in supporting our community’s seniors!

Tuesday, Sept. 29
8-8:45 a.m. with virtual doors opening at 7:30 a.m.

To participate in the live event, make a donation at app.mobilecause.com/vf/2020Journey before Sept. 29.

Learn more at: sc-ws.org/events/special-events

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Calming detour traffic isn’t just a side-street issue, HPAC tells SDOT

September 24, 2020 4:23 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Highland Park | West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

SDOT reps voiced surprise by some of what they heard at last night’s conversation with HPAC about Reconnect West Seattle and other bridge-detour traffic issues.

They expected to hear mostly about side streets, but heard a lot about arterials too – including another one that, like Sylvan Way previously, had been overlooked in earlier traffic-mitigation plans: Dumar Way. It’s a busier-than-ever route taking people from Delridge/Orchard to 16th/Austin, just north of SW Holden on the path to the 1st Avenue South Bridge.

HPAC is the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge, so the focus was on that part of the Reconnect West Seattle plan, which already has these prioritized projects:

The SDOT reps noted that another arterial that was asked about, Roxbury, is addressed in the plan, to some degree. But that street and Dumar are not getting enough attention, residents countered. “They’re underrepresented,” noted Donna Burns.

Also discussed, the Home Zone program, SDOT’s relatively new umbrella name for side-street traffic calming, explained here. SDOT hopes to gather small groups of residents to walk some of the cut-through-plagued streets to get up to speed on where this help is needed. They promised two groups – one north of Henderson, one south.

SDOT’s Sara Zora, who is now the mobility manager for the Reconnect West Seattle program, stressed that RWS is not the be-all end-all of mitigation plans, but just a first installment of sorts, as they continue learning about neighborhood priorities.

Kay Kirkpatrick coordinated the HPAC meeting; community participants included two members of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, which met earlier in the day – Colleen Desmond, who represents the area, and Deb Barker from the Morgan Community Association and WS Transportation Coalition. Kirkpatrick also noted the recent announcement of Stay Healthy Blocks and said that if anyone is interested in HPAC support – since the application is limited to community groups and nonprofits for starters – let them know. And if you are interested in one of the Home Zone walks, contact HPAC via its website.

HPAC meets at 7 pm fourth Wednesdays most months – watch hpacws.org for updates.

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REMINDER: 1 week until fares return for Water Taxi, Metro buses

September 24, 2020 2:33 pm

| 20 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

In case you’ve missed the mentions in our daily traffic (etc.) watch, King County Metro wants to be sure you’re aware that they’ll resume collecting fares on Water Taxis and buses one week from today (Thursday, October 1st). The WT reminder is here; Metro’s reminder is here. Both have implemented health/safety measures – the Water Taxi will have shielded fare-collection carts like this:

Both services suspended fares six months ago because of the pandemic.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Headless statue by carless bridge

September 24, 2020 11:57 am

| 39 COMMENTS

| Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news

If you haven’t yet had a chance to go see the newly installed tribute to the “patron saint of the broken bridge” – reported here last weekend – we’re sorry to tell you, you missed your chance. Two people sent us notes this morning, both beginning “This is why we can’t have nice things” … this one (and the photos) came from Lars (who sent us the original announcement too):

The Delridge Maritime Historical Society is saddened to announce that the Rolf Neslund bust lasted less than a week before being vandalized and stolen. Though his time was short, his memory remains strong.

A curse upon the Rolf haters; “a spiritual burning barrel awaits ye!”

Seen in (relatively) happier times:

If you are just catching up, Neslund was the freighter pilot who hit the old West Seattle Bridge in 1978, leading to the chain of events that resulted in the construction of the currently closed bridge.. He gained extra notoriety a few years later as a murder victim.

P.S. This is not the first bridge-side statue theft.

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WEST SEATTLE THURSDAY: Stormy weather, and what’s happening today/tonight

September 24, 2020 10:54 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Northern Flickers in The Arroyos, photographed by Mark MacDonald)

Stormy morning – just had some thunder this past half-hour, and then a bit of sunshine. The forecast says it’ll be showery on and off all day, with more thunderstorms possible “early in the afternoon.” Here’s what else is happening:

TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE, FINAL DAY: Today/tonight, it’s your last chance to get special menu items at food/drink establishments around West Seattle and know that you’re doing something good – besides supporting local businesses, you’re supporting the West Seattle Food Bank‘s work to fight hunger and homelessness. You have dozens of options – see the list of participants (and menu items) here! (WSB is a community co-sponsor of the Taste of West Seattle.)

GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: 2:30 pm, the governor plans a briefing/media Q&A “to discuss the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and new protocols for safe airline travel in Washington state.” It’ll be livestreamed – and available for playback later – here.

DEMONSTRATION: 4-6 pm, Scott‘s twice-weekly sign-waving demonstration in support of Black lives is planned at 16th/Holden, “signs available” if you don’t have your own.

WEST SEATTLE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: As previewed here, WSDW is scheduled to hear from and talk with City Councilmember Lisa Herbold tonight, two days after the council voted to override those mayoral vetoes. The online meeting starts at 6, with Herbold scheduled at 6:30. Public welcome – email wsdwomen@yahoo.com to register and get access info.

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm, online meeting with 3 main topics: bridge-closure traffic mitigation, the scooter-share program, and community scooter-/bike-share concerns. Guests are expected from SDOT and West Seattle Bike Connections. Here’s the link.

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VIDEO: Six months post-closure, West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force awaits decision-shaping data

September 24, 2020 9:22 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Six months ago, the West Seattle Bridge was closed with just a few hours’ notice.

When, or if, it will reopen, remains undetermined.

But one thing’s for sure – the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force is getting close to one of its milestones in the process of helping with the decision about the bridge’s fate.

“Process” is the key word here, as noted by more than one person Wednesday afternoon during the all-volunteer task force’s ninth meeting. Much of the meeting focused on the process of developing the Cost-Benefit Analysis that is expected to be the key to the repair-or-replace decision later this fall.

Here’s how the meeting went:

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UPDATE: Crash at West Marginal/Highland Park Way

September 24, 2020 7:49 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

7:49 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a “rescue extrication” response to West Marginal Way SW/Highland Park Way for a crash that is reported.to involve two vehicles. one on its side. Updates to come.

7:58 AM: SDOT says one southbound lane is blocked. No camera at that intersection yet so we are on the way to look.

8:25 AM: Not there yet – our efforts to approach via Roxbury were slowed because Myers/Olson light is out.

8:41 AM: Finally got there. Intersection is now clear, as is West Marginal’s entire length – aside from a long SB backup.

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ROAD WORK, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Thursday 9/24 notes

September 24, 2020 6:21 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:21 AM: Welcome to Thursday. It’s the 185th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

TRANSIT

Metro – Today is the fourth weekday since the “service change” – check here to see if your route changed. Remember that fare collection resumes one week from today, on Thursday, October 1st.

Water Taxi – Fares for the foot ferry also will resume October 1st. No recent service change; still on weekday-only schedule, until at least next spring.

ROAD WORK

*Delridge project: Weather permitting, the postponed SW Oregon closure will start Friday morning. (We’ll check on that today.) Meanwhile, here’s where crews are working now.

CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

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