day : 21/11/2020 10 results

Here’s our nightly update on the pandemic:

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

*38,012 people have tested positive, 577 more than yesterday’s total

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

*2,931 people have been hospitalized, 17 more than yesterday’s total

*615,038 people have been tested, 2,848 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 33,995/828/2,798/592,199.

WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers shown 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.” As with the county in general, we’re continuing on a big upswing – in the past 2 weeks, 359 positive test results were reported; 216 in the 2 weeks before that; 49 in the two weeks before that.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 58.1 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,380,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 255,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Russia (same top three as last week, while #4 and #5 traded places). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

STATE TEST RESULTS BACKLOG: You’ve heard – maybe even seen – that testing sites are jammed. So, it turns out, is the state results-processing system, according to this news release:

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is asking the state’s laboratories that conduct the largest volume of tests to temporarily stop sending individual negative COVID-19 test results, and instead send us the aggregate number of negative test results per day. During this time, our dashboards will report positive cases each day, but not the total number of daily tests or percent positive.

Our disease reporting system can receive and process approximately 33,000 total results per day. We are currently receiving 30-50 thousand records per day, leading to a backlog. As of Saturday, there are 53,000 backlogged results which accumulated over the past two to three days. They are a mix of negative and positive COVID-19 tests, and test results for other notifiable conditions such as tuberculosis. Testing volumes are expected to increase further in the coming weeks because both disease and demand for testing are increasing, and more testing sites and types of testing are coming online across our state. We have been working to expand the system’s capacity to receive additional results in anticipation of a surge, but recent disease growth and the associated testing volumes have outpaced our efforts. Without this pause, we will fall further behind.

We need to take this temporary step to ensure state and local public health officials receive positive results for all reportable conditions in a timely enough manner to carry out effective case investigations and contact tracing and to have real time visibility of the incidence and trajectory of COVID-19 cases (positive results) as well as other reportable disease cases.

The backlog of results means that the number of new COVID-19 cases reported the last two days is an undercount and likely does not reflect disease trends. Our temporary action will ensure we receive positive COVID-19 results and the DOH dashboard of the epidemiologic curve and the Governor’s Risk Assessment dashboard of the rate per 100,000 newly diagnosed cases reflect disease trends.

This is likely to affect the King County numbers we publish nightly, as the top of the county’s “daily summary” page explains the state is the source of the stats.

DONATION DRIVE TOMORROW: The weekly reminder – the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is at California/Alaska every Sunday, by the Farmers’ Market entrance, 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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EXPLORING: Take the Green-Duwamish Journey!

November 21, 2020 8:57 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news

(Photo courtesy DRCC)

Bundle up and get out! Looking for somewhere to explore that’s not far, but isn’t your same old familiar neighborhood path/park? The Duwamish Alive! Coalition and Green River Coalition have an invitation for you:

This fall, Duwamish Alive! is encouraging community members to take the self-guided Green-Duwamish Journey of discovery. The Green-Duwamish Watershed is one of the most interesting places to explore, especially now with the river alive with salmon and wildlife. Take the journey, visiting interesting locations that tell the unique story of this area, its geology, history, ecology, and its peoples over time. Many are nearby in West Seattle and Tukwila.

*Walk on land that held a 3,000 year old Duwamish Village
*Visit an active Duwamish Longhouse, gaining a deeper understanding of the Duwamish peoples
*Experience salmon returning to their home to spawn at the end of their life’s journey
*Visit innovative projects addressing our environmental challenges,
*Stand on a rock outcropping older than Mt. Rainier, left by the last glacial age
*Understand the area that made Seattle and this region what it is today

Download your free guidebook and student packets at DuwamishAlive.org for journey information on locations, fun activities, and an eco-pledge raffle, to experience our river in a new and deeper way. Journeys are planned individually, to accommodate schedules, interests, and Covid safety protocols. Locations are all easily accessed, offering easy walking; most are ADA-accessible and marked with signage.

This is a great activity for families and complement classroom learning with free downloadable student learning packets from NATURE VISION covering Ecological Impacts, Water Quality, Human Systems, Invasive Plants, Ecosystems, Watersheds, and Humans and Water for grades K-12. Each packet includes both a teacher and parent/caregiver overview and daily student science lessons which connect to our watershed’s and community’s health.

Questions? Email info@duwamishalive.org.

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WEST SEATTLE GROCERY SHOPPING: Holiday hours & more

November 21, 2020 6:52 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

We haven’t published a grocery-shopping update in a while – but a note from Suzanne inspired this one, since it’s time to check on holiday hours, anyway.

METROPOLITAN MARKET EXTENDED HOURS: This is the tip Suzanne sent – Metropolitan Market-Admiral (WSB sponsor) has extended its closing time to 1 am. She points out that late night is a good time to go if you want to avoid crowds. Hours are 5 am-1 am daily. On Thanksgiving Day, the store will close at 2 pm. (2320 42nd SW)

WEST SEATTLE THRIFTWAY: Note for curbside customers at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – in the week ahead, that service is only offered Monday-Tuesday (November 23-24) and Friday (November 27) . The store’s regular hours are 5 am-midnight and it’s open until 7 pm Thanksgiving Day. (4201 SW Morgan)

PCC WEST SEATTLE: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Regular hours are 7 am-11 pm. (2749 California SW)

TRADER JOE’S: No senior hour on the day before Thanksgiving – store open to all, 8 am-9 pm, that day. Closed Thanksgiving Day. (4545 Fauntleroy Way SW)

WHOLE FOODS WEST SEATTLE: Open 7 am-11 pm the day before Thanksgiving, and 7 am-5 pm on the holiday. (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW)

QFC: All stores are closing at 6 pm on Thanksgiving Day; regular hours are 6 am-11 pm. (4550 42nd SW; Westwood Village)

SAFEWAY: All 3 in West Seattle are listed as open regular hours (5 am-1 am) on Thanksgiving Day. (2622 California SW; Jefferson Square; 28th/Roxbury)

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The show must go on(line): ArtsWest presents ‘A Very Merry Kraken Tea Party’ for the holidays

November 21, 2020 5:00 pm

| Comments Off on The show must go on(line): ArtsWest presents ‘A Very Merry Kraken Tea Party’ for the holidays

| Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The pandemic won’t stop ArtsWest Playhouse from presenting a holiday show. It’s happening online, starting in less than a week. Here’s the announcement:

In its World Premiere, Justin Huertas’s new holiday mini-musical A VERY MERRY KRAKEN TEA PARTY will be available for digital access beginning November 27, and is on sale now at www.artswest.org.

Featuring five new songs from powerhouse playwright/composer/lyricist Justin Huertas, A VERY MERRY KRAKEN TEA PARTY follows the characters of Justin’s 2019 ArtsWest hit THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION. As winter hits, the octopus Nia and Lee formed together has mysteriously separated and both have come ashore just as Todd and David are getting ready to celebrate their first Christmas together. With a new problem to solve, and with Grace away on tour in Thailand, all try to figure out how to celebrate holiday love with each other while they remain apart.

“One of the beautiful things about the way Justin writes is that, even though he writes stories that have extraordinary given circumstances, he writes deeply human stories within that context,” said Artistic Director and THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION director Mathew Wright. “I’m so excited that Justin has chosen to revisit the world and characters he created in OCTOPUS and find out what happens to them during the holidays – and amidst a global pandemic!”

“We learn from so many stories that love is the bow wrapped around the neatly wrapped Christmas gift, but what I’ve learned over the years is that love is also the wrapping and the box—the very act of tearing the present open in anticipation of the unknown is also love,” said creator Justin Huertas. “I was excited to bring these characters that I love so well back to the page and imagine what happens after their Happily Ever After. Setting it in present day 2020 also allowed me to explore what it means to connect at a time when connection is at its most challenging.”

The cast features the return of the original cast of THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION – Rachel Guyer-Mafune (M. BUTTERFLY, ArtsWest), Christian Quinto (OFFICE HOUR, ArtsWest), Tyler Rogers (HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, Book-It Repertory Theatre), and Porscha Shaw (NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN, Seattle Repertory Theatre; SAINT JOAN, ArtsWest).

The Creative Team features creator Justin Huertas (LIZARD BOY), musical arrangements and musical direction by Steven Tran (HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, Book-It Repertory Theatre), and production design and editing by Cameron Lee (FOUND AMONG THE PAPERS OF THE LATE ICHABOD CRANE.)

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire; smashed-glass theft/vandalism

November 21, 2020 2:34 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

PUGET RIDGE GUNFIRE: This summary is from the SPD Significant Incident Reports file – it happened in the 6500 block of 21st SW early Friday:

On 11-20-2020 at 0027 hours, a male was sitting in his vehicle when a suspect drove by and shot at him four times. The victim’s vehicle was hit all four times, with the front passenger door being hit three times and a tire once. The victim was not injured. The victim said that he believes the suspect tried to kill him because he was there to testify in a court case.

JUNCTION VANDALISM/THEFT: Back on Wednesday, we reported someone broke a window at the Senior Center of West Seattle. There’ve been at least three other broken-glass incidents, two involving theft, according to the West Seattle Junction Association: “At West Seattle Optix, a window was smashed and handfuls of glasses were stolen; at Emerald Water Anglers, a window was smashed. In the 42nd Ave parking lot, a van window was smashed, with $2,500 of speakers stolen.”

(added at 2:44 pm) MORE VANDALISM: Just after we published what’s above, this arrived, from Gay: “Our [Vespa] scooter was pushed over and damaged while parked in the lot behind Key Bank in Alaska Junction about 1pm today. A man behaving erratically and swearing at people came up to the Scooter and slammed it on its side. Thanks to the father and son who noticed and helped get it back upright.”

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WHALES: Two groups of orcas, two directions

November 21, 2020 11:13 am

| 22 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Whales | Wildlife

11:13 AM: Two groups of orcas are heading in our direction, from opposite directions, according to Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch: Transient orcas are northbound, passing Three Tree Point a little while ago, while Southern Resident Killer Whales from J-Pod are reported to be southbound, off mid-Bainbridge Island at last report. Let us know if you see any of them.

12:15 PM: See comments for updates – thanks to everyone providing them!

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UPDATE: West Seattle Food Bank’s special pre-Thanksgiving food distribution at South Seattle College

November 21, 2020 11:10 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Holidays | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

11:10 AM: Second major pre-holiday food-distribution event of the day in West Seattle, and it’s going fast. The West Seattle Food Bank has staffers and volunteers in the north parking lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) with turkeys and other food for those who need it. This too is a drive-up event – approach the entrance from northbound 16th.

Within the first 40 minutes, they told us, they had already given out half the 500 turkeys (and boxes of fresh produce and dairy) that they brought.

But if you missed it, you’re not out of luck – the Food Bank also has pre-holiday distributions at its High Point HQ (35th/Morgan): Monday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Tuesday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, and Wednesday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, with available food including turkeys and chickens.

11:32 AM UPDATE: The Food Bank was down to the last 25 turkeys but is getting a few more – Eastridge is bringing over its 40 remaining turkeys since its event in The Junction has ended.

P.S. If you are fortunate enough not to need help this holiday season, you might consider helping the WSFB continue to do this work – it’s handling more need than ever, especially after merging with the Helpline, helping people with emergency aid to prevent homelessness – here’s how to donate.

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UPDATE: Eastridge Church’s pre-Thanksgiving turkey-giving

November 21, 2020 9:58 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Holidays | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

9:58 AM: Every year, Eastridge Church offers free turkeys and groceries on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This morning, the annual event is happening pandemic-style – drive-up.

The church is giving out 500 turkeys and bags of other food here (and 1,000 more at its Issaquah campus), plus gloves while they last.

About 30 volunteers are here to help. The line of cars is northbound on 39th (where the church’s entrance is just south of Oregon), approaching from westbound Fauntleroy, and backing up onto SB 38th within 15 minutes. This is the first of three food-distribution events in West Seattle today, as listed in our daily preview.

11:32 AM: Eastridge just wrapped up and had 40 turkeys left, so they’re taking those over to the West Seattle Food Bank distribution at SSC, which had almost run out.

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Remembering John J. Jackson, 1928-2020

November 21, 2020 9:13 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering John J. Jackson, and sharing his story with the community:

John was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 29, 1928 to George and Elizabeth Jackson. He was third oldest of 15 siblings.

In 1943, at the age of 15, he enlisted in the United States Navy. John saw action in the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. When the USS Baxter sailed into Bremerton to be decommissioned, he thought Seattle would be a good town in which to settle. He went back to Chicago, and took a job selling magazines, where he met Alma Guthrie. They married and in 1954 their daughter, Colleen, was born. They moved to West Seattle six months later and made Alki Beach their home. He became known as the “Cool Dad” because he cooked dinners for Colleen and her friends, drove then to sports activities, movies, and concerts. He even helped them sell Girl Scout cookies.

John was truly one of a kind, and lived his life with flair and ambition, always wearing fine suits and a fedora. He was a creative businessman with unique ideas and enjoyed helping others find ways to help their business’ prosper. He defended those who needed protection and was incredibly generous. John always had a warm greeting for old friends, had a joke at the ready, and was able to make everyone feel special. He always left an impression on those he met.

He worked in the marketing and promotion business. He promoted many different products ranging from perfume to pudding to kitty litter. He then founded the North American Dinner Club for which he traveled all over the United States and Canada. He could recite all the highways one would use to drive into any area of this country or southern Canada. He was a very creative man and always had a new idea. He loved deeply and had friends all over the US and Canada.

In September of 2007 John married his longtime companion, and love of his life, Patsy Bechtold. They moved to Bonney Lake to live with Patsy’s daughter and son-in-law, Angie and Ryan, where he loved to spoil his two granddaughters. He was a good man, a kind man, and he enjoyed his life.

John peacefully passed on November 5, 2020, with Patsy at his side. He is survived by his daughter, Colleen, his wife Patsy, her daughter Angie (Ryan), two granddaughters (Savannah, Saveya), and six siblings (Patsy, Muffet, Gregory, Francis, Lewis, and Tim). He will be missed by all who knew him.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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6 notes for your West Seattle Saturday

November 21, 2020 6:30 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by David Hutchinson)

Welcome to the weekend! We start with three events offering free holiday food to whoever needs it:

EASTRIDGE CHURCH’S TURKEYS-AND-GROCERIES EVENT: Starting at 9 am, outside the church at 39th/Oregon, Eastridge’s annual distribution of turkeys and groceries, but this time, drive up instead of lining up. Approach NB on 39th, and they ask that you NOT be there early – they have hundreds.

WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK AT SSC: Special distribution:

The West Seattle Food Bank, partnering with South Seattle College, will have a drive-thru distribution at 10 am at South Seattle College, North Lot #1, 6000 16th Ave SW. Each family can receive a turkey along with a box of fresh produce and dairy. Everyone must wear masks and remain in their car.

GREATER SEATTLE FIL-AM SDA CHURCH’S HOLIDAY MEAL BOXES: The church at 2620 SW Kenyon will, starting at 2 pm, have 50 boxes to give out, with turkey, potatoes, stuffing, brownie mix, and fruit. This also is drive-up/no-contact.

Also happening:

DRIVEWAY ROCK AND GEM SHOW: 10 am-4 pm, you’re invited to take a look. (2009 SW Dakota)

LOCAL WINE: The governor’s new restrictions mean no tasting, but you can still stop by Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) 1-5 pm today to buy wine. 10 percent off 6 or more bottles. (5910 California SW)

VIRTUAL FAUNTLEROY FINE ART & HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW: Not happening in person this year, but you can see/shop online, here, for another week-plus.

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