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month : 11/2020 294 results

YOU CAN HELP: 2 easy ways to give our area’s food banks a boost
November 10, 2020 8:59 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

If you can help, here’s two ways to assist the food banks serving our area:

GOT FOOD? John L. Scott Real Estate – Westwood (WSB sponsor) invites you to stop by the office and donate non-perishable food for their Thanksgiving-season drive to help the White Center Food Bank (which also serves part of West Seattle):

JLS is in the Westwood breezeway east of Bed Bath & Beyond. The office is open 10 am-5 pm weekdays, 10 am-4 pm Saturdays.

GOT BAGS? Here’s a request from the West Seattle Food Bank:

We are in need of clean, unripped paper grocery bags with handles!

Please, no gift bags, cloth bags, plastic bags, etc.

Donations accepted Monday – Friday between 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – 3419 SW Morgan St.

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ROAD WORK, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Tuesday 11/10 watch (updated)
November 10, 2020 6:16 am
|    Comments Off on ROAD WORK, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Tuesday 11/10 watch (updated)
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

8:46 AM TRAFFIC UPDATE: Two-car crash at Olson/Myers.
==================

6:16 AM: Welcome to Tuesday, the 232nd morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

ROAD WORK

Delridge project: 23rd SW remains closed at Delridge. This week’s other major work zones are outlined here. No work on Wednesday, because of Veterans Day.

CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

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 are two cameras:

The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s the nearest camera:

Going through South Park? Don’t speed. (Same goes for the other detour-route neighborhoods, like Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge.)

*Note – SDOT has fixed the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed, so you can check it for bridge openings.

You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page (we’ve added the new Highland Park Way cameras).

TRANSIT

Metro – Fare collection has resumed. Wednesday service will be on the regular weekday schedule, despite the holiday.

Water Taxi – No service on Wednesday because of the holiday.

Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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CORONAVIRUS: Monday 11/9 roundup
November 9, 2020 10:17 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

State and local health authorities are getting ready to sound the alarm, and that’s where we start tonight’s pandemic roundup:

‘URGENT’ BRIEFING TUESDAY: Every week, state and local leaders have media briefings about the pandemic. But we can’t recall the last one announced as “urgent” like this one was:

Urgent COVID-19 Response Media Briefing

Accelerated COVID-19 transmission is occurring across the state and time is running out to reverse course and flatten the curve. Join us for this important update on Tuesday afternoon and help us get the message out that people must act now to stop the spread from getting worse.

Top health authorities from the state, Seattle/King County, and Tacoma/Pierce County health departments are among the participants. This is set for 2:30 pm tomorrow and will be streamed here.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: On to today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:

*31,244 people have tested positive, 378 more than yesterday’s total

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

*2,643 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total

*573,962 people have been tested, 5,126 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the totals were 28,262/806/2,594/545,651.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.

HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: The city plans to award additional $10,000 grants from its Small Business Stabilization Fund. You have until November 30th to apply.

NEED FOOD? Again this week, Food Lifeline will distribute free emergency boxes of food to anyone who shows up, 2-5 pm Friday (November 13th) at its South Park HQ, 815 S. 96th.

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

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‘Washington on Wheels’ @ next Words, Writers, & SouthWest Stories
November 9, 2020 9:03 pm
|    Comments Off on ‘Washington on Wheels’ @ next Words, Writers, & SouthWest Stories
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

We talk so much about transportation, you might be getting bored of bridges, tired of tunnels, weary of water taxis … So on Thursday, travel a different road by watching the live presentation “Washington on Wheels: Odd and Innovative Transportation Ideas from the Pacific Northwest” – and participating! Here’s the announcement from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:

‘Words, Writers, & SouthWest Stories,’ a historically based speaker series, is excited to announce that it is hosting Harriet Baskas for a live Zoom presentation on Thursday, November 12 at 6:00 PM. Baskas will deliver a presentation titled “Washington on Wheels: Odd and Innovative Transportation Ideas from the Pacific Northwest.”

Though Boeing is the best-known innovator in travel to have emerged from Washington State, there are many others. From canoe journeys to flying cars (that actually worked!), explore the history and culture of travel in Washington State. Author and broadcaster Harriet Baskas will take the audience on a tour of notable highlights of state transportation history, examining not just how we get around, but why we travel and where we might be going next.

The audience will be invited to share family stories of migration, memories of first flights and unforgettable car trips, and consider a future of autonomous cars and vacations in space.

Harriet Baskas has a MA in communications from the University of Washington, has served as the general manager for three Pacific Northwest radio stations, and has created award-winning radio for NPR. Her books include Hidden Treasures: What Museums Can’t or Won’t Show You. She currently writes about airports, air travel, and museums for outlets that include NBC News, CNBC, and USA Today. Baskas lives in Seattle.

Registration is required; registered participants will be emailed a link to the presentation on the date of the event. You can register here.

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WEST MARGINAL WAY: Speed-enforcement alert
November 9, 2020 6:51 pm
|      79 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT cam framegrab)

West Marginal Way SW, three times as busy as ever because of the West Seattle Bridge closure, is frequently the subject of seemingly dueling complaints – too much traffic, and too much speeding. SPD is taking action on the latter, according to an alert sent today by the Northwest Seaport Alliance, aimed at port truckers: “The Seattle Police Department is adding speed patrols to West Marginal Way SW between Highland Park Way SW and the Lower Spokane St bridge. Patrols are reporting unsafe speeds occurring in the area. Please slow down.” A search of Tweets by Beat suggests this has already started, with four violations listed today lone.

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PANDEMIC HELP: New round of city grants for small businesses
November 9, 2020 4:18 pm
|    Comments Off on PANDEMIC HELP: New round of city grants for small businesses
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

As the pandemic’s economic crunch continues, the city is offering a new round of $10,000 grants for small businesses. Previous grants went to 469 businesses – out of 9,000 that applied – and now the Small Business Stabilization Fund has money for 240 more. The application process started today and will continue through the end of the month. From the announcement:

To be eligible for a grant, a small business or non-profit must have 25 or fewer employees, be located within Seattle city limits, and have an annual net revenue at or below $2 million. Non-profits must explicitly provide economic opportunity supports through education programs and/or job training. In an attempt to prioritize funding to businesses that are more likely to have experienced the greatest economic impacts, OED will ensure that at least two-thirds of grant recipients will be selected from applications from businesses with five or fewer employees and from areas that are identified as high risk of displacement or highly disadvantaged. Those areas are determined by several socioeconomic factors to identify areas of the city that have been historically underserved and more likely to be disproportionally impacted by economic shocks. This fund also aims to better support creative industry small businesses and workers and will specifically allocate 10 percent of all grants—or 24 grants—to creative industry small businesses. All businesses and non-profit organizations that receive a grant must commit to not reducing wages and benefits provided prior to the COVID-19 emergency.

Application information is here, and two online events are coming up to help would-be applicants – noon-1 pm Thursday (November 12) and November 18. Go here to register to attend one.

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ONLINE TONIGHT: Greater West Seattle Middle School Information Night
November 9, 2020 2:39 pm
|    Comments Off on ONLINE TONIGHT: Greater West Seattle Middle School Information Night
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle schools

Future middle-schooler in the house? This reminder might be of interest:

Greater West Seattle Middle School Information Night Is Tonight!

Looking forward to sharing information about West Seattle’s middle-school options MONDAY, 11/9/20 from 6 pm-7:15 pm:

Check in here to attend the general session from 6:00 pm-6:15 pm. Next: You choose which group’s school session to attend by using the Zoom links provided. There will be three breakout sessions, each 20 minutes long, so you can check out any of the 11 middle schools participating from the independent, private, public, and charter sectors.

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WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Council’s consultant suggests closer look at repair option, briefing discussion reveals
November 9, 2020 12:42 pm
|      48 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(SDOT photo, September)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Some new information today as the City Council got its first comprehensive West Seattle Bridge briefing since August.

The council’s independent consultant suggests a closer exploration of the repair option, it was revealed when City Councilmember Lisa Herbold asked council staffer Calvin Chow to talk about a memo the consultant sent councilmembers Friday. Here’s the memo (also embedded below):

More on that shortly.

Also, Transportation Committee chair Councilmember Alex Pedersen said Mayor Jenny Durkan has invited councilmembers to send her their individual repair-vs.-replace thoughts by week’s end.

And when Budget chair Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda pressed SDOT reps on the timeline for that key decision, director Sam Zimbabwe said that since they’re continuing to plan for both options, a final decision could theoretically wait as long as spring before they started losing time – though the need to seek federal/state funding would require action sooner.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Mailbox break-ins; personal-safety classes
November 9, 2020 10:06 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:

MAILBOX BREAK-INS: From Jonathan:

Just wanted to have everyone aware that our mailboxes were pried open November 7th PM and November 8th AM. 5948 Fauntleroy Way SW.

PERSONAL-SAFETY CLASSES: From Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, word of two upcoming personal-safety classes for women:

Learn proactive tips and steps you can take to enhance your personal safety taught by female Seattle police officers and female employees.

Our class goals:
-Know the important role your instincts and gut reactions play
-Discover potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them
-Learn how to make a safety plan
-Decrease the odds of becoming a victim

About the class:
-This is a facilitated discussion and lecture about crime prevention and safety.
-This is not a self-defense class.
-This class is open to women of all ages and most appropriate for young women who are at least 14 yearx of age or older. For that reason, children should not attend.

To register for the 3 pm Thursday (November 12th) class, go here and register for class #40869; to register for the 3 pm November 23rd class, go here.

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UPDATE: 3 taken to hospital after RV fire at 23rd/Myrtle
November 9, 2020 7:33 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(WSB photos)

7:33 AM: Thanks for the tips – there’s a major emergency response at 23rd/Myrtle. So far we’re hearing it’s a fire with at least three people hurt. We’re on our way to find out more.

7:37 AM: SFD says it’s an RV fire. Nearby residents saw and heard what they describe as “explosions” for a while but that’s stopped now. Address has been updated to 24th/Myrtle [map].

7:50 AM: Our crew has arrived; photo above. This is directly west of the vacant site where the Lam-Bow Apartments were demolished after one building was destroyed by fire, with a rebuild in the works.

8 AM: The original 23rd/Myrtle address was correct, though SFD still has this logged as 24th/Myrtle. Their investigator has been dispatched, as has a public-information officer, so more information should be available at the scene soon.

8:05 AM: Just talked to the incident commander. The explosions some nearby residents heard/felt during the fire were propane tanks. The incident commander also tells us 4 people were in the RV when this happened; 3 are being taken to Harborview.

8:56 AM: Police have reopened Myrtle west of Delridge. SFD still has an engine and investigator at the scene.

9:03 AM: SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo tells WSB two people were in critical condition when taken to the hospital, a 38-year-old woman and 26-year-old man, while a 41-year-old man was in serious condition, The fourth person was unhurt.

5:04 PM: Just went back to the scene. Seattle Public Utilities and USecology are there for storm-drain cleanup, The gutted RV is still there too.

5:54 PM: SPU spokesperson Sabrina Register adds a few details: “After learning of the fire this morning, Seattle Public Utilities dispatched a team to survey areas including Longfellow Creek. SPU Spill Response staff did not observe any pollutants in the creek but out of an abundance of caution, contacted US Ecology (contractor) to clean the road surface and one impacted catch basin (storm drain). That clean-up work is taking place this evening.”

11 PM: Investigators say the fire was accidental, started by a heater.

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ROAD WORK, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Monday 11/9 watch
November 9, 2020 6:07 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Welcome to Monday, the 231st morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

ROAD WORK

Delridge project: 23rd SW remains closed at Delridge. This week’s other major work zones are previewed here. Note that there’ll be no work on Wednesday, for Veterans Day.

CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

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 are two cameras:

The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s the nearest camera:

Going through South Park? Don’t speed. (Same goes for the other detour-route neighborhoods, like Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge.)

*Note – SDOT has fixed the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed, so you can check it for bridge openings.

You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page (we’ve added the new Highland Park Way cameras).

TRANSIT

Metro – Fare collection has resumed.

Water Taxi – No service on Wednesday because of the holiday.

Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 11/8 roundup
November 8, 2020 11:42 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Here are tonight’s pandemic notes:

KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: As with most nights, we start with the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:

*30,866 people have tested positive, up 451 from yesterday’s total

*811 people have died, unchanged since Friday

*2,639 people have been hospitalized, up 4 from yesterday’s total

*568,836 people have been tested, up 1,178 from yesterday’s total

One week ago, the King County totals were 27,967/804/2,582/545,102.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 50.4 million cases and 1,256.000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.

(added 12:35 am) RESTAURANT CLOSURE: Talarico’s in The Junction announced via social media Sunday that the restaurant is closed because “a family member of Talarico’s staff has tested positive for COVID-19. Talarico’s will be closed until all staff tests negative and the entire establishment has been sanitized.”

SURVEY – COVID-19 & TECHNOLOGY: A reminder from the state Health Department:

The University of Washington’s anonymous COVID-19 and Technology Survey closes Nov. 10. Information from the survey will be used to inform the launch of a technology designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19. It asks questions about technology, privacy, your activities at this time, and some demographic information, such as your employment and the number of people who live in your household. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

TELL YOUR PANDEMIC STORY: Another reminder – the Southwest Seattle Historical Society still wants your pandemic diary entry, to help tell the story for future generations, of what life is like right now.

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

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: That cold north wind’s finally on its way out
November 8, 2020 9:05 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: That cold north wind’s finally on its way out
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Photo by Kersti Muul)

Another day of waves and spray at Alki – as a fierce north wind continued to blow. But fans of calmer weather will be happy to hear it’s on the way out.

(Photo by Kersti Muul)

Tonight, the forecast says, the wind is expected to shift and slow, to 10 mph from the east. Then tomorrow and for the next few days, it’ll be out of the south/southwest.

(Photo by Gabriella Jeakle)

While the wind speed is falling, so is the temperature – might be below freezing tonight.

(Mt. Baker from West Seattle – photo by Lynn Hall)

The views like these are on their way out too – with clouds due to return tomorrow afternoon.

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From public safety to the pandemic @ District 1 Community Network
November 8, 2020 7:25 pm
|    Comments Off on From public safety to the pandemic @ District 1 Community Network
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Eight months after the pandemic halted in-person meetings, many West Seattle community groups are still going strong online.

Among them, our area’s “supergroup” of West Seattle and South Park organizations’ representatives, the District 1 Community Network.

Even through the summer, when some groups took their customary breaks, this one soldiered on with monthly meetings. One unique aspect of D1CN: Rather than having ongoing leadership, the group rotates volunteer facilitators for each meeting. When D1CN met this past Wednesday, Randy Wiger from South Park served as facilitator. The group serves as a forum to discuss and circulate issues and ideas of area-wide interest. Here’s what was discussed this time around:

Read More

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MONDAY: City Council gets West Seattle Bridge briefing
November 8, 2020 5:37 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

Reminder – if you’re interested in hearing the latest on the West Seattle Bridge firsthand, you’ll want to watch as the City Council gets briefed tomorrow (Monday) morning (as announced last Monday). Though the bridge has been discussed by the council in various meetings, mostly related to funding, this is the council’s first full bridge briefing since a Transportation Committee meeting in August. It’s scheduled for 9:30 am; the agenda includes the planned slide deck and the recently released Cost-Benefit Analysis. You’ll be able to watch live via the Seattle Channel, online or cable.

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Outdoor flu-shot clinic set for Seattle Public Schools students
November 8, 2020 3:10 pm
|    Comments Off on Outdoor flu-shot clinic set for Seattle Public Schools students
 |   Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another outdoor flu-shot clinic is coming up at a local school. This one is just for Seattle Public Schools students – but they can be students from any school in the district, not just Roxhill Elementary, where the clinic will be held, Between 11 am and 4 pm on Thursday, November 19th, in the Roxhill parking lot , vaccinations will be available both by appointment and for walk-ups. The shots are being offered “at no cost to families, regardless of health-insurance status,” according to Roxhill’s health-center coordinator Josie Allen. To register in advance, you can call 206-452-2660 or scan the QR code on this flyer.

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DELRIDGE PROJECT: 4 toplines for the week ahead
November 8, 2020 1:57 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

Work continues this week on the project rebuilding Delridge Way SW and upgrading utilities, getting ready for next year’s RapidRide H Line launch. Here are four toplines from SDOT for its contractor’s work in the coming week:

*Demolition and paving has started in Zone B between SW Graham St and 22nd Ave SW. 23rd Ave SW remains closed during this work, and residents are encouraged to detour to SW Willow St. When this stretch is completed, work will move between 22nd Ave SW and SW Holly St.

*Sidewalk, ramp, and curb demolition and paving will start between SW Andover St and SW Alaska St as early as Monday.

*Demolition and paving between SW Hudson St and Puget Blvd SW is scheduled to begin as early as Monday. SW Hudson St is currently closed on the east side of Delridge Way SW for this work.

*Duct bank work near SW Kenyon St will continue to move south towards SW Thistle St. This work will continue through the end of November.

Here are full details for the coming week, including a note that they will not be working Wednesday (November 11th) in observance of Veterans Day.

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WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: Six to see
November 8, 2020 11:38 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

On recent Sundays, while some watch that bird-inspired football team on TV, we’ve been featuring birds here on WSB. We start this gallery with two from Mark MacDonald – above, a Bonaparte’s Gull; below, a Golden-crowned Kinglet:

Two from Jerry Simmons – a Steller’s Jay coping with the rain earlier this week:

And a Bald Eagle onshore:

An Anna’s Hummingbird, from Mark Wangerin:

One of our area’s ever-photogenic Great Blue Herons, photographed by Stewart L.:

As always, the linked species names go to Seattle Audubon BirdWeb pages where you can learn more about that bird and even listen to its call/song. Thanks again to everyone sharing photos, from birds to breaking news – westseattleblog@gmail.com any time.

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Remembering Christine Horner, 1947-2020
November 8, 2020 10:21 am
|    Comments Off on Remembering Christine Horner, 1947-2020
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

An online memorial service is planned next Saturday for Christine Horner, who grew up in West Seattle. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:

On Monday, November 2, 2020, Christine Horner, loving wife and mother passed away at the age of 72. She was at home with her husband, Bill, and beloved daughters.

Chris was born December 22, 1947 in San Francisco. Her father was a former WWII pilot and her mother was a beautician. Her father’s roots were from Wichita, Kansas, and her mother’s family was from Seattle. Her father (Chuck) was working as a pilot in a commercial air (medical) service when he learned of an opening at Boeing. Chuck took the job and Chris was headed to West Seattle at age 4. Chris’s mother (Marian) had strong ties to West Seattle, so Marian and family were headed home.

Chris went all through public school in West Seattle: Jefferson Elementary, Madison Jr. High, and started her sophomore year at West Seattle High School. Chuck’s career was advancing well at Boeing, and after many years of saving, their dream home in Shorewood on the Sound was completed. Chris transferred from West Seattle to Evergreen High School near the end of her Sophomore year. She left many longtime friends behind in West Seattle but at the same time started to make new friends at Evergreen. She became involved in school activities and was editor of the Evergreen High yearbook her senior year.

High School graduation led to Western Washington State College (now WWU) in the fall of 1966. Initially interested in Chemistry, Chris found her calling in teaching and switched to the Education Department. Chris graduated with a degree in Education in Spring of 1970 and received a teaching contract to teach 2nd Grade in the Edmonds School District.

Chris met Bill in the final quarter of her Senior year at Western. Bill was also an Education Major. Chris loves to point out they met in a class called the “Sociology of Deviant Behavior” – well, what do you expect, it was the early ’70s. Both went two separate professional directions, as Bill took a job with the Aberdeen School District. A few months of separation proved to be too much. Bill and Chris were engaged during Spring Vacation of 1971 and married on June 19, 1971.

Thus began 50 years of marriage. Chris was able to take a teaching job in the McCleary School District for the 1971 – 1972 school year. Unfortunately, McCleary Schools suffered a levy failure and Chris was released. She went into the bank in Aberdeen, inquired and began a 15-year full-time, and later, a part-time career with Seattle First National Bank (SEAFIRST). In 1974, the family of three moved to Burien, as Bill had taken a job with the Renton School District. In 1977, Bill decided to leave teaching and went to work for Boeing.

Bill and Chris have three daughters: Rachele (born 1973 in Aberdeen), Katy (born 1976 in Seattle), and Annie (born 1983 in Seattle). The girls started to enter school and Chris decided she wanted to be a Mom meeting the girls as they arrived home from school. The SEAFIRST work dropped to one day a week with a very few days added in on rare occasions. Chris decided to get back to teaching in the late 1980s. She worked for two years running a preschool center for immigrant families. This program was operated through South Seattle Community College. After this assignment, she decided that she wanted to get back to the Public Schools and was hired as a substitute teacher with Seattle Schools. One sub assignment took her to Maple Elementary School on Beacon Hill. The following year, she had a continuing contract at Maple School, where she remained until her retirement in June of 2008. Her career at Maple School started in the Bilingual Orientation Center (BOC). This was a special classroom designed to receive recently arrived immigrant children. Her job was to prepare them to “mainstream” into a regular classroom. Chris had access to multiple language interpreters. She had no need to speak another language since she would have 5 or more languages represented in the classroom at any one time. Whenever asked how she managed, she simply would say, “My job is to teach them English.” After three years in the BOC, Chris transitioned into a regular classroom, where she taught 1st and 2nd grade for the next 14 years. Bill and Chris both retired in 2008, spending time with daughters and grandchildren as well as pursuing their favorite past time -Travel. Many great International and Domestic trips were taken between 2000 and 2019.

In 2016, the decision was made to leave the 1910 home in West Seattle (a home with many stairs) for a house with very few or even zero stairs. The hunt was started for a “rambler.” The primary area of focus was Bellingham. It appears, however, that the house they were searching for found them. That house was in Anacortes, a town that they have learned to love very much, and the house was perfect.

Chris has had three battles with breast cancer: stage one in 1990, stage 3 in 2014, taking us to stage 4 in late 2019 to the present. She was a fighter.

Christine was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Bill Horner; daughters (spouses): Rachele (Chris Jacobson), Kathryn (Zach Russell), and Anne (Josh Stilts); grandchildren: Alyssa, Emily Balogh, Lewis, Natalie, Charles Russell, Emmeline Stilts, Kaylee Jacobson; great-grandson Arlo Forville; and brother Jeff Cunningham.

A Virtual Online Celebration of Life for Christine will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 14, 2020 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Anacortes. There will not be an in-person service. The link to attend the Virtual Celebration: here or here. To share memories of Chris, please sign the online guestbook here.

(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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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: Today’s list
November 8, 2020 6:34 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Fall colors in Seaview, photographed by Robin Sinner)

Here’s what’s ahead for today in West Seattle and vicinity:

ROAD-WORK ALERTS; Again today, as previewed here Thursday, two road projects are under way this weekend – repaving work on the southbound side of 16th SW by the north entrance of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), and tree work in the 6000 block of West Marginal Way SW [map].

TODAY’S ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: The list of more than 20.churches’ Sunday online services (with a few also offering in-person options), with updated links, is here.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska; pickups for online orders are at California/Oregon)

TOYS FOR TOTS COLLECTION: 10 am-1:30 pm near the market’s entrance/exit, look for the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. (California/Alaska)

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. (9600 15th Ave SW)

(Saturday sunset, photographed by Lynn Hall)

SUNSET: We’re now one week into Standard Time – the sun will set at 4:40 pm.

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UPDATE: Car-on-side crash on California SW
November 7, 2020 11:53 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

11:53 PM: That car-on-side crash has California SW blocked south of Edmunds right now. Only buses are being allowed through. The driver appears to have hit a parked car. Apparently no major injuries – a medic unit was dispatched but them quickly canceled.

12:54 AM: Officers have just told dispatch that the street is open again, both ways.

9:54 AM: The case is classified as a DUI investigation.

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CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 11/7 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check
November 7, 2020 11:23 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

One week into November, here’s the latest on the pandemic:

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

*30,415 people have tested positive, 418 more than yesterday’s total (97 in Seattle)

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

*2,635 people have been hospitalized, 2 more than yesterday’s total

*567,658 people have been tested, 3,576 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 27,757/804/2,577/537,516.

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.” As with the county in general, we’re on a big upswing – in the past 2 weeks, 217 positive test results were reported; 50 in the 2 weeks before that; 63 in the two weeks before that.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 46 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,250,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 237,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, France (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S WARNING: The King County numbers are just part of a trend noted here. An excerpt:

These numbers reflect an overall surge that started in mid-September and are very troubling as we head into darker, colder months, the holidays and respiratory virus season. The fall surge, which is showing no signs of stopping, has erased the progress that we made this summer. Western Washington, specifically King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, are hot zones for disease transmission, and they’re following a troubling nationwide trend. This week, the United States broke two records in as many days: more than 100,000 cases reported on Wednesday, and more than 116,000 on Thursday.

The state acknowledges people are tired of precautions and lonely because of separation from friends and relatives, but says this is no time to pull back.

TOY DRIVE TOMORROW: Our 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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WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Election boosts mayor’s federal-funding hopes
November 7, 2020 8:05 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, last month)

The election of Joe Biden as America’s next president means “we have a federal partner,” said a relieved Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan at a noontime media briefing today. We attended since we’re continuing to cover the biggest project looming in need of federal dollars as well as other third-party money – the West Seattle Bridge. Durkan said she was “ecstatic” to hear this morning that Biden had won. A continued Trump Administration would mean, among other things, a threat to federal funding for local projects – particularly because of the review ordered by the so-called “anarchist jurisdiction” declaration.

We asked the mayor how soon she would start pushing the new administration to help fund the bridge project; she said “as soon as possible” and said she would continue working with the local/state congressional delegation as well. As we reported in July, there’s already a bit of federal money involved; plus, federal funding covered 40 percent of the cost of the original bridge project. As part of the justification for major federal funding, she said, a “chart” is being developed to show the nationwide impact of commerce facilitated by the port and the mobility enabled by the bridge. We also asked if she has a new date yet for announcing the repair-or-replace decision; “soon” was her only reply. (A member of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force says the mayor has promised they’ll be the first to know; their next scheduled meeting is November 18th.)

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