West Seattle, Washington
10 Saturday
The state of economic relief starts tonight’s roundup:
PRESIDENT SIGNS BILL, GOVERNOR ORDERS STOPGAP: After a delay, tonight President Trump signed the bill passed by Congress – but that was too late to avoid a lapse in benefits for some, so Governor Inslee ordered a bridge payment for about 100,000 people in our state who get Pandemic Unemployment Assistance because they’re not eligible for regular unemployment. Here’s the announcement.
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – again, remember that testing availability is limited during holidays, so we won’t get a full picture of the current situation for at least a few more days:
*60,182 people have tested positive, up 182 from yesterday’s total
*1,043 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*4,042 people have been hospitalized, up 23 from yesterday’s total
*732,257 people have been tested, up 1,488 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, the King County totals were 57,630/993/3,885/715,472.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 80.7 million cases and 1,764,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
FOOD FOR STUDENTS: Though Seattle Public Schools is on break again this week, the district is offering food boxes available with a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch items. They’ll be available Tuesday (Dec. 29), 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m, at two West Seattle locations: Denny International Middle School (2601 SW Kenyon) and Madison Middle School (3429 45th SW).
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT? OR? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Thanks to more tips/photos, we’re continuing the holiday-lights spotlights through New Year’s.
Tonight, cheers for everyone who has lit up windows or balconies. The photo is from Richard, who says, “Here’s a shot of our 2nd-floor Christmas lights at 9159 45th Ave SW [map]. They will be up a few more days, at least.”
Regarding how much longer lights will be up, Sarah sent this suggestion:
We don’t have a fancy light display, but we’re planning to keep our lights up until around Valentine’s Day & hope others do, too. In this really hard year, and especially with our climate and short days, walks among the lights has brought us so much joy. In fact, I think lights should be winter lights from November-Feb, rather than Christmas lights :) all the Santas and Christmas-themed decor can come down, but the lights? I think they should stay :)
Feel free to share this idea if you think it has any merit.
The idea reminds us of the “quarantine lights” that some put up during the stay-home-order months.
Meantime, scroll through this WSB archive to see all the lights shown here this season; they are also linked in our Holiday Guide, which will be up through January 1st.
Georgetown-founded Fogue Gallery is expanding to its proprietor’s home neighborhood, West Seattle. Patti Curtis says the new space on the north edge of The Junction, 4130 California SW, makes sense: “I have lived in the West Seattle community for 25 years, I raised my daughter on the very block the gallery is located, I am at home here.”
The two-story Fogue Gallery space features original fine art and jewelry by 15 artists, all over the age of 50: “I’m gonna make old cool!” Curtis promises. She exolains that she lost a job at age 53 – “a lot of people at my company got let go because we ‘aged out'” – and so she decided to put her energy into creating an enterprise for people 50+ to “feel relevant.” The gallery’s name is a play on “(old) fogey.”
Fogue also offers interior design and art consultations by appointment via teleconferencing – you can shop for art that way, too. Fogue’s West Seattle location will have a grand-opening celebration on Saturday, January 2nd, starting at noon – stop by and find out why Curtis and her artists vow they’re “inspiring … not retiring!”
One West Seattle Crime Watch reader report so far today:
Sarah sent the video and photos, reporting this Christmas Eve theft:
Our car trailer/dolly was stolen from our house near Madison Middle School at 7 am on Christmas Eve. The trailer was next to our garage, near the alley. We used the trailer to pull a car behind an RV and it is worth ~$1000. The police report number is 2020-353004, and additional details on the trailer ,,, are below. We would greatly appreciate any tips to locate the trailer or the perpetrators!
Carson heavy duty 3500 lb. axel capacity tow dolly in excellent condition with spare tire (not shown) and LED lights. Includes 7 way connector to be used with the electric breaks and 5 pin (w/o electric breaks) to be used when the towing car does not have a 7 way connection.
Seahawks Sunday often means WSB bird-gallery day … so here we go!
Feathered formation! James Tilley photographed that trio of Harlequin Ducks on Christmas Day in the Alki vicinity. Also in that area, here’s a Bald Eagle, from Gary Jones:
Vince Marx shares an uncommon sighting – a Rock Sandpiper, photographed at Seacrest:
This weekend’s rain slicked back the usually spiky crown on this Steller’s Jay, photographed by Jerry Simmons:
Robin Sinner caught a Red-breasted Nuthatch just hanging out:
A splash of color from Mark Wangerin‘s view of a Townsend’s Warbler:
Here’s a Brown Creeper at Lincoln Park, spotted by Mark MacDonald:
And from Mike Burns, a hummingbird:
Big thanks to everyone who sends photos, whether it’s birds, breaking news, Christmas lights, other sightings … westseattleblog@gmail.com (or text 206-293-6302 if it’s urgent).
Thanks to Lori Vonderhorst for the photo – looking north from the Lincoln Park shore on Saturday afternoon – saying in her email, “Something to brighten this dark rainy morning.” The forecast is bright, too, predicting a partly sunny afternoon and more sunshine tomorrow. Looking ahead toward the change of years at the end of the week, New Year’s Eve is expected to be cloudy with a chance of rain. (No fireworks – again – this year, though, so no need to venture outside that night anyway.) Data point: So far, the calendar year has seen three inches more rain than the average year (last year was three inches below average).
Winter break continues this week for Seattle Public Schools, but a second food-distribution event is planned on Tuesday, with two West Seattle sites included. The food boxes that will be available have a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch items. Pickup times are 11:15 am-1:15 pm Tuesday (December 29th); locations are Denny International Middle School (2601 SW Kenyon) and Madison Middle School (3429 45th SW). Regular weekday meal availability resumes Monday, January 4th,
(Christmas Eve sunset, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
From our West Seattle Holiday Guide and Event Calendar, a fairly quiet between-holidays Sunday:
TODAY’S ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Our updated-every-Sunday list of more than 20.local churches’ online services (with a few also offering in-person options) is here.
NO WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Just for today, no WSFM, but it’ll be back next weekend.
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm, if you need a tool to fix or improve something. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
EMERALD WATER ANGLERS (WSB sponsor): Reopening post-holiday break, 11 am-5 pm today. (4502 42nd SW)
NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church will serve free to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near the Bartell Drugs parking lot in White Center. (9600 15th Ave SW)
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