day : 17/10/2020 9 results

9:54 PM: That’s reader video sent before emergency responders arrived at Delridge/Trenton, currently blocked to through traffic because of a 2-vehicle collision. So far no medic unit sent, indicating injuries are likely not major. The reader who sent the video says the collision happened as one vehicle was headed north on Delridge and turning west on Trenton while the other was headed south on Delridge.

10;17 PM: Thanks to SB for the photo, added above. SFD has since cleared from the call but SPD is still there.

CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 10/17 roundup

October 17, 2020 8:46 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Here’s our nightly check-in with news and notes related to the virus crisis:

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

*24,992 people have tested positive, 219 more than yesterday’s total

*785 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total

*2,478 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday’s total

*501,711 people have been tested, 3,428 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 23,879/776/2,433/475,507.

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, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” In the past 2 weeks, 48 positive test results were reported; 61 in the 2 weeks before that; 33 in the two weeks before that – so we have a downward trend going, after being on the upswing when we did the same check the last two Saturday nights.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 39.5 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,108,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 219,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, Argentina (which passed Colombia this week to become #5). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

TOY DRIVE: The pandemic is going to make it a tough holiday season for many, so donation drives have started early. The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is at California/Alaska every Sunday, by the Farmers’ Market entrance, continuing tomorrow, 10 am-1:30 pm, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.

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

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HALLOWEEN: Duwamish Longhouse plans drive-up trick-or-treating

October 17, 2020 7:18 pm

| Comments Off on HALLOWEEN: Duwamish Longhouse plans drive-up trick-or-treating

| Duwamish Tribe | Holidays | West Seattle news

Halloween is two weeks from tonight. The Duwamish Tribe Longhouse has just announced that it’ll welcome trick-or-treaters in pandemic-era style, with drive-up trick-or-treating. 2-5 pm on Halloween (Saturday, October 31st), you’re welcome to drive/ride into the Longhouse’s parking lot at 4705 West Marginal Way SW to get a “Halloween goodie bag.” Just one thing the Longhouse asks in return: “It’s critical that we keep our communities safe this holiday season, so please wear a mask in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.”

P.S. We’re still collecting decoration locations – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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VOTING: Local group invites you to online fundraising concert to support voter empowerment

October 17, 2020 4:43 pm

| Comments Off on VOTING: Local group invites you to online fundraising concert to support voter empowerment

| How to help | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Speaking of voting – here’s an upcoming local event aimed at supporting it:

Support voter empowerment while enjoying an evening of music.

The Pigeon Point Antiracism Project presents
Music to Power Democracy
A virtual concert and fundraiser for the Black Voters Matter Fund
Thursday, October 22, 2020, 8 pm

With soprano Ellaina Lewis (known for her roles in such productions as Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha), Erika Lundahl (singer-songwriter featuring poetic lyrics for “resilient hearts and resonant bodies”), and Brian Cutler (veteran songwriter drawing on an electic mix of genres).

To attend, please make a donation to the Black Voters Matter Fund. Then send an electronic receipt from your donation to ppantiracismteam@gmail.com, and we will provide details for attending the event on Zoom.

The Black Voters Matter Fund fights voter suppression and supports civic engagement and political power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. They’ve been working tirelessly to get out the vote and also donating food, helping people fill out the census, distributing masks, and offering relief to hurricane survivors. Recently, they’ve been organizing voter drives by bus tour through swing states.

The Pigeon Point Antiracism Project is a grassroots group based in West Seattle’s Pigeon Point neighborhood and organizing actions to support equality.

We invite you to imagine your donation in hypothetical bus miles from destinations BVM is visiting.

A $10 minimum suggested donation gets you an evening of music (and could power a get-out-the-vote bus across, for instance, Houston).

$25, music, and a bus from Pensacola halfway to Panama City, Florida.

$50, music, Gainesville all the way to Tallahassee.

$100, music, Jacksonville, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia.

You can find out more about the Black Voters Matter Fund by going here.

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VOTING: Big day for West Seattle Junction ballot drop box (updates, including a bizarre incident)

October 17, 2020 1:33 pm

| 53 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Reader photo, via text)

1:33 PM: We went over for a look at the West Seattle Junction ballot drop box (SW Alaska between 44th and California) just before 1 pm after a text that it was full. While we were there, more voters showed up, and said you could still get a ballot in – carefully – but since our visit, a line has developed, as shown above. Meantime, we heard back from King County Elections via Twitter that they have pickup teams out right now and one was due to arrive in The Junction at any minute, so this drop box should be cleared out soon. Remember we have three – High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond) and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW) – plus there are also boxes outside South Park and White Center Libraries. KC Elections says each of the half-ton boxes should hold 5,000 ballots, so fullness might mean “the ballots stacked up a little funky and that makes it hard to get more in there. But we are expecting to break records this weekend.”

1:36 PM: Just got another text – the pickup team has arrived. Reader photo added – thanks to everyone for the tips and photos!

P.S. Also via Twitter, KC Elections subsequently showed what an empty drop box looks like inside:

The explanation: “Bin to collect ballots, flooring to protect against water buildup or flooding, and the little ramp that we use to get the bin in and out placed so the bin stays put against the side with the slot.”

6:44 PM: Bizarre incident this evening – as noted in comments, and by someone who called us, there was an attempt to get some kind of poo into the Junction box. KC Elections doesn’t seem to answer after-hours (we’re asking them about a hotline), so the person who called has reported it to police.

Meantime, we should mention that you can check your ballot’s status online – once KC Elections receives it, it’ll show up on the ballot tracker (give it a few days after mailing or putting it in a drop box).

8:47 PM: KC Elections reports by Twitter that “ballots are fine, box is good to go. Still watch your step as the team didn’t have materials with them to clean up the sidewalk – also, it’s a good night to thank an election worker!”

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West Seattle’s 2 reasons to run today

October 17, 2020 12:07 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Two running notes:

SALTY HALF: Found out belatedly that this small half-marathon happened this morning in West Seattle, so if you saw runners on a shore route (between Don Armeni and Lincoln Park) and were wondering – as was the case for one WSB commenter – that’s what was up.

WEST SEATTLE RAGNAR: Athena Frederick of We Sweat-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) sent the photos and note:

We Sweat is hosting a virtual ragnar relay today at Alki and Lincoln Park. 12 west seattle mom’s, we have run 10 Ragnar’s together and missed this year due to COVID. We planned a socially distanced event with 12 ladies running over 120 miles!

We are calling it the West Seattle Island Ragnar with tanks from Alair. If you see ladies in pink and blue running today, that’s us!

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ORCAS: Whales off West Seattle again

October 17, 2020 10:05 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Whales

10:05 AM: For a second day, orcas are in view off West Seattle. Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail just sent word that they’re southbound off Alki Point. Let us know if you see them!

10:20 AM: Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales just called with an update – they’re now off Emma Schmitz Overlook, still southbound.

11:52 AM: Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch says in comments that they’ve turned around and are now northbound.

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FOLLOWUP: Here’s how that West Seattle Bridge survey turned out

October 17, 2020 9:31 am

| 46 COMMENTS

| West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

Last Monday night, we reported on City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s unofficial survey asking whether you support repairing the West Seattle Bridge or replacing it. She announced results in her newest weekly update:

On October 12 at approximately 7 p.m., I conducted an online survey asking whether people support a repair or a replacement of the West Seattle Bridge.

It’s not a scientific survey, and geographic responses aren’t representative of District 1 overall. That said, it is useful for receiving feedback from constituents at this point in time. Thank you to all who engaged.

As of 7 p.m. on October 14, approximately 7,000 people had participated and of them, 59.8% favored repair, 36% supported replacement, and 4.2% supported other.

39% of replies were from 98116, the zip code furthest north in West Seattle. Other zip codes, such as 98106 and 98126, stretch from north to south, 98126 is in the central portion, 98106 in the eastern portion. 98136 is the SW portion of West Seattle, and 98108 includes South Park. 98146 includes the very southwest portions of the city.

Zip Repair Replace % of Total Replies
98116 66.8% 29.6% 39% of total
98126 64.7% 31.39% 24% of total
98136 58.6% 37.1% 16% of total
98106 41.7% 54.6% 16% of total
98146 37.3% 60% 4% of total
98108 34% 66% 1% of total

Her weekly update also recapped the major headlines from last week’s extra meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, which we covered Wednesday afternoon – that the Cost-Benefit Analysis won’t be out until next week, so the timeline for the mayor’s decision is pushed back, and that a new “rapid replacement” option had surfaced. Both the CBA and the new option will be discussed at the next CTF meeting, noon Wednesday (October 21st) online.

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WEST SEATTLE SATURDAY: What you need to know today

October 17, 2020 6:25 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Robin Sinner)

Welcome to Saturday!

TRAFFIC ALERT: The SW Oregon closure east of Delridge is scheduled to continue today.

VOTING REMINDER: Ballots continue arriving, and early voting is encouraged; here’s how to get your ballot into an official local drop box.

HELP OTHERS STAY WARM: 9 am-1 pm at Hope Lutheran, it’s a drive-up/ride-up/walk-up donation drive, collecting coats – new ones for kids, used ones for men – more details here. (4456 42nd SW – enter lot off 41st)

EXPLORE EXPLORER WEST MS: 10 am this morning, online, Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) has the first “remote school preview” of the year – you need to pre-register; details are here.

WEST SEATTLE SKI SWAP: Skis, snowboards, gear, all await you at this year’s swap, 10 am-5 pm today and 10 am-4 pm tomorrow at the West Seattle VFW Hall (3601 SW Alaska), presented by Mountain to Sound Outfitters

BOOK LAUNCH: Sean Petrie is scheduled to be at Paper Boat Booksellers at noon to sign his book of West Seattle poems, “Listen to the Trees,” as previewed here. (6040 California SW)

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