West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Midway through the weekend before Christmas, here are the local pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*57,129 people have tested positive, 436 more than yesterday’s total
*993 people have died, 15 more than yesterday’s total
*3,825 people have been hospitalized, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*711,497 people have been tested, 2,856 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 53,346/935/3,617/684,615.
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.” For the past two weeks, 385 positive test results; 377 in the 2 weeks before that; 382 in the two weeks before that.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 76.2 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,685,000 million people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 316,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, France (third week with no change). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
SEATTLE PARKS’ ONLINE PROGRAMS: The department is continuing to offer virtual programming, and now has an online brochure detailing what it’s offering in January.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
8:06 PM: Thanks for the photos! Despite the downpour, luminarias were lit tonight in the first-ever “Spirit of West Seattle” event, organized by the West Seattle Junction Association as part of Hometown Holidays. And we’ve received a few photos – above, from Brandy near Lincoln Park; below, from a texter:
And this one’s from Julie:
Every bit of extra light is appreciated, with the shortest day of the year coming up Monday – but at least that’ll mean we’re only three months from spring!
10:08 PM: Added above and below, photos from Cindy at 46th/Stevens.
Tonight’s lights are all in Admiral:
You might best know that house as “Meeds Manor,” home to spooky Halloween decorations, but they’ve decked the house and yard for Christmas too! Characters seen when we stopped by included a merry Minion:
Meeds Manor is at 45th and Stevens [map]; thanks to Chris for sending word. Not far away …
These two creatively illuminated yards are in the 2700 block of (corrected) 44th [vicinity map].
Everyplace we’ve showcased is listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and viewable by scrolling through this archive; still time for tips, with or without photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
STOLEN CAMRY: Keep watch for Mary Jane‘s silver 4-door 1987 Toyota Camry, stolen late last night or early this morning near Fauntleroy/Monroe, across from Lincoln Park. License plate BSG2643. Call 911 if you see it.
UNDER-THE-CAR THEFT #1: From Laura:
Heads up to folks in North Delridge:
Sometime between 2 am and 4 am on 12/19/2020, someone in a dark colored SUV was pulled up close to my Prius in front of my residence near the Dragonfly Pavilion. A friend woke up to the sound of some sort of pneumatic tool and yelled at them out the window. They crouched down, got back in their car and took off. Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t able to see anything identifiable about the person or vehicle. By the sound of my car when I turn it on, I assume they got away with my catalytic converter and/or muffler but I have to have it looked at to know for sure.
UNDER-THE-CAR THEFT #2: This summary is from SPD’s Significant Incident Reports file:
On 12-18-2020 at 0355 hours, a male was inside his house sleeping located at the 9000 BLK of 3 Ave SW. The victim heard a loud noise outside his window. The victim saw that a male was under his truck cutting something, and there was a second male standing up being the lookout. The victim saw the suspects get in a green small van, and one of the suspects shot a round in the air. The suspects drove away Southbound on 3 Ave SW. The suspects took the muffler from the victim’s vehicle. Officers checked the area for the suspects and evidence, but nothing was located. King County was notified about the suspect’s vehicle.
INTRUDER ARRESTED: Also from the Significant Incident Reports:
On 12-17-2020 at 1723 hours, officers responded to a burglary in the 6300 block of 34 AV SW. The suspect, who does not live at this apartment building, made entry via the south stairwell door and then proceeded to the 2nd floor. Once on the 2nd floor, the suspect forcibly kicked in the victim’s front door after she refused to let him in and then entered the apartment. Suspect was still inside the victim’s apartment when officers arrived on scene. Suspect was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Burglary without incident.
All season long, we’ve had a list of West Seattle Christmas-tree sellers in our Holiday Guide – but things can get a little sparse if you wait until the last pre-holiday weekend to shop for one. So here are a few updates: Trees by the Sea (2538 Alki SW) is closing after tomorrow; they emailed to say that the lot is open until 6 pm today, 9 am-6 pm tomorrow. We noticed that trees are still available at Tony’s Market (35th/Barton) and West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon), too. The nursery notes that its trees are now 25 percent off; they are open until 7.
Earlier this month, West Seattle realtor and preparedness coach Alice Kuder sponsored the Winter Wander multi-day scavenger hunt as a fun way to boost local independent businesses, among other things – and we have word of the winner! From Alice:
Congratulations to Terri C. of West Seattle! She, her husband and daughter did a great job of solving 13 Winter Wander clues and won the drawing for $200 in gift cards from local merchants. The businesses they chose are Northwest Art and Frame, Paper Boat Booksellers, Coastal Surf Boutique.
We had 12 groups submit a total of 193 selfies for the contest, and countless other groups who played just for fun! Many thanks to the 15 neighborhood businesses and institutions who agreed to participate as solutions to our clues. We hope you will pay each of them a visit and express your gratitude as well. They are:
Wildwood Market
The Birdhouse
Seattle Fish Company
Cherry Consignment
A la Mode Pies
Curious Kidstuff
Capers
Wing Stop
Indu!ge
Vatsana’s Thai
Leaps and Bounds
Paper Boat Books
Peel and Press
Bed Head Coffee
Seattle Fire Station #11
Highland Park Improvement Club
Desmond Hansen ArtworkMark your calendar now for the SECOND annual Winter Wander, which will take place Dec. 4-12, 2021.
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
Still shopping? Spend local – whether online (see the local list in our Holiday Guide) or in-person! Shopping is part of what’s happening today/tonight:
JET CITY BEIGNET: Get your beignets today at the JCB (WSB sponsor) Realfine Coffee pop-up, 8 am-1 pm. (4480 Fauntleroy Way SW)
GET YOUR ‘SPIRIT OF WEST SEATTLE’ LUMINARIA: These West Seattle businesses have your free luminaria for lighting tonight, while supplies last:
City Mouse – 10 AM – 4 PM
CAPERS – 10 AM – 6 PM
Fleurt – 10 AM – 5 PM
Carmilia’s – 11 AM – 6 PM
Curious Kidstuff 10 AM – 6 PM
‘RESTORATION IN A CHANGING CLIMATE’: 10:30 am online, presented by Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. Register ASAP if you’re interested! The info’s in our calendar listing.
CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS: Open 11 am-7 pm, and you can still get local delivery from Click! (WSB sponsor) before Christmas. (4540 California SW)
VISCON CELLARS: Last chance to get Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) wines before Christmas – drop by the tasting room 1-4 pm today. (5910 California SW)
CRAFT BEER & CRAFTS: Best of Hands Barrelhouse (WSB sponsor) is selling its newest release and hosting Perch Paper Goods‘ pop-up at 1 pm. (35th/Webster)
SHUG’S POP-UP: 2-7 pm, holiday shop at Shug’s Mini in West Seattle. (3800 California SW)
LIGHT YOUR ‘SPIRIT OF WEST SEATTLE’ LUMINARIA: Whether you got a free one (see above) or made your own, light it at 7 pm and share a photo hashtagged #spiritofwestseattle (send us one too!).
‘MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET’: As featured in our Holiday Guide, 7:30 pm tonight is your first of two chances to see Twelfth Night Productions‘ online presentation of the radio-play version of the beloved holiday movie. Go here to donate what you can, and you’ll get the link to watch.
(Photo by David Hutchinson, from January visit of Southern Resident Killer Whales)
It’s not the only threat to endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, but vessel noise is a danger that can be reduced, and it will be, after a vote Friday by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission. Limits on commercial whale-watching are the culmination of work that Gov. Inslee‘s Southern Resident Orca Task Force started more than two years ago. Among the members of that task force was Donna Sandstrom, the West Seattleite who is executive director of The Whale Trail, a nonprofit that evangelizes and facilitates land-based whale watching. She tells WSB, “It’s not the year-round suspension the whales need, but it is a huge step forward and a significant reduction in noise and disturbance compared to the status quo. A big win for the orcas.” Just before the pandemic stopped in-person gatherings, in fact, The Whale Trail’s midwinter gathering last February (WSB coverage here) focused on the noise issue and the task force’s recommendation of restrictions on vessels watching the Southern Residents. The problem is that noise disrupts their ability to use echolocation to find the salmon they subsist on – salmon that themselves are already scarce. Work to increase the salmon supply and reduce water pollution is vital too, but neither of those can be implemented quickly, while noise reduction can. Here’s the slide deck from the meeting, including the restrictions (“Option A”) approved by the commission (with one “no” vote from a commissioner who wanted tougher rules):
As pointed out in the slides, thousands of comments were received, the majority in support of strong restrictions. The commission was tasked with making a decision on rules by year’s end, as required by the Legislature; Sandstrom notes that the bill setting the stage for that was sponsored by 34th District State House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon of West Seattle. This is unlikely to be the last word on the vessel-noise issue; some commissioners expressed concern that private vessels, not covered by the new rules, will rush into the void, for example. And they acknowledged that more stringent rules may be needed in the future, but this is “a starting point.” The rules will not apply to any other whale-watching done by the commercial vessels, only the endangered resident orcas, who number 74, perilously close to their historic low.
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