West Seattle, Washington
13 Monday
It’s now been 45 weeks since the Friday night announcement of the first King County case of COVID-19. Here are tonight’s updates:
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*67,068 people have tested positive, 582 more than yesterday’s total
*1,138 people have died, 6 more than yesterday’s total
*4,375 people have been hospitalized, 2 fewer than yesterday’s total (state says, “Hospitalization data are incomplete today due to a data processing interruption”)
*767,530 people have been tested, 1,984 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 63,299/1,091/4,194/750,194.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 88.8 million cases, 1.9 million deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
PHASE 1 FOR WEEK 1: The first “Roadmap to Recovery” report since the governor’s announcement of a new reopening plan is out. It shows every region in the state will start out in Phase 1. The next review will be next Friday.
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION: Two developments today, both reported here – Seattle Public Schools superintendent Denise Juneau wants the state to move more district personnel higher up the prioritization list, given that a fifth of the district’s students will be eligible to return to in-person learning March 1st; the county, meantime, plans to launch high-volume vaccination sites and mobile teams.
EXTRA TESTING TOMORROW: COVID testing is part of a health-services event in the parking lots at Highland Park Elementary tomorrow – 10 am-2 pm, all welcome, 1012 SW Trenton. Here’s our preview.
NEW TEST SITE: In her weekly newsletter, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold announced that a mobile testing van is now visiting Holy Family Church (20th/Roxbury) 9 am-3 pm Tuesdays and Fridays.
TASTY GIFT: Two West Seattle mental-health-care providers just gave health-care workers and a local restaurant a two-in-one boost.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
(WSB photo)
A truly special delivery this afternoon at Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle gave a boost to both health-care workers and local restaurateurs. At left in our photo are Suzanne Roberts and Lisa Riebe, West Seattle mental-health-care providers. They paid Admiral District restaurant Circa – whose co-proprietor Gretchen Evans is at center – to cook up 85 dinners for front-line workers at The Mount. The staff doesn’t dine on site, so the dinners were foil-wrapped and ready for them to take home after work. There to accept the special delivery were, at right, Colleen Farrell and Molly Swain from The Mount. Evans tells WSB that Roberts did this last spring, too, buying meals from Circa to deliver to Harborview Medical Center employees. She added that it’s hoped “this may inspire those who want to support restaurants and frontline workers by going to their favorite restaurant and offering to buy meals for those working on the front lines in some regard. It’s a double dose of donating. It’s been amazing!”
P.S. The Mount team told us their recent outbreak is under control, with no new cqses in their most recent testing, and vaccination for caregivers and residents has begun.
Two notices about road work happening tomorrow (Saturday, January 9th):
35TH SW & SW TRENTON: From SDOT‘s weekly West Seattle Bridge email, this announcement of Saturday work:
This Saturday, Jan. 9, from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., crews will be working at the intersection of 35th Ave SW and SW Trenton St to add signal loop detectors. What are signal loop detectors, you ask? They are a traffic detection device that is cut into the road near a signal. Loops are what notify the traffic signal that a vehicle is waiting at the intersection for a green light. So, in this case, after Saturday’s work, when drivers along SW Trenton St pull up to 35th Ave SW, the traffic signal will be able to change such that those drivers can continue on their way a little more quickly.
TWO AREAS OF DELRIDGE: From the weekly Delridge project update:
Weekend roadway paving in Zones B and C on Saturday, January 9
In Zone B, we are planning to pour concrete between Croft Pl SW and SW Myrtle St. Concrete pouring will continue for approximately 1-2 weeks.
In Zone C, we are planning to pour concrete between SW Trenton St and SW Henderson St. Work in this area is expected to be completed next week.
(Tomorrow’s forecast looks good for winter road work.)
Two developments today as the COVID-19 vaccination rollout continues:
SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTER: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau sent a letter to the governor and state/local health officials, asking them to move teachers and other school personnel higher up in the queue, as the district prepares to bring back 10,000 students March 1st. From the news release about her letter (which contains its full text):
The superintendent is urging prioritization of vaccinations for the following personnel who will be providing in-person instruction and services:
• Preschool educators
• Kindergarten educators
• First-grade educators
• Special-education educators*
• Principals
• Assistant principals
• Safety & Security personnel
• Nutrition Services personnel
• Custodial personnel* For students receiving moderate to intensive in-person special education services and students who require in-person services to meet goals outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Her letter says limiting early prioritization to educators over 50 “does not make sense.’ She also offers the use of SPS facilities for vaccination clinics.
KING COUNTY PLAN: In a midday media briefing, King County Executive Dow Constantine and others announced plans for “high-volume county vaccination sites” starting around February 1st, and mobile teams ASAP, in hopes of stepping up the pace of vaccination administration. No specific locations yet, but South King County is the most likely general area. Constantine said the county will allot $7 million for this, hoping for eventual state/federal reimbursement but not waiting for it. One stat cited during the briefing: Only about 2,000 people are getting vaccinated in King County right now, a pace that would mean it would take close to 2 years before all of the county’s adults get it. Here’s more info on today’s announcement.
3:03 PM: Thanks to Collin for the photo and tip: SPD and SFD are just arriving at that crash scene at Olson/3rd, east end of the Roxbury corridor. Big traffic backup, he reports. Avoid the area for a while. Police have just radioed that they will have one NB and one SB lane blocked.
3:21 PM: Both northbound lanes are now blocked, per police radio.
3:39 PM: No medic unit sent, so apparently no major injuries; we’ll follow up with SFD.
If you can donate blood, Bloodworks Northwest invites you to make an appointment at its upcoming pop-ups in West Seattle. Here’s the announcement, along with an update on the most recent pop-up here:
Bloodworks Northwest is so grateful to everyone who attended our pop-up @ The Sanctuary at the end of December. 166 units of blood were collected over 4 days. Since one unit of blood can potentially help up to 3 patients, this means almost 500 local patients will benefit!
If you missed the Sanctuary pop-up but are still interested in donating blood, we have another West Seattle pop-up happening January 26 & 27 and February 2 & 3 at Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor Ave SW) in the lower-level Alki Room. And January is National Blood Donor Month, so what better time to make a donation and impact someone’s life!
Please use this link to sign up: schedule.bloodworksnw.org/DonorPortal/GroupLanding.aspx?s=437B
Your donation could put you in the driver’s seat! When you donate blood between now and March 17, you will automatically be entered for a chance to win a car! The lucky winner will have their choice among 9 pre-selected new vehicles from Haselwood Auto Group. There’s a Jeep for the adventurer, not one but TWO hybrids for the ecologically minded, a Mazda for the sportier types, and more! More info at www.bloodworksnw.org/winacar
All donations are by appointment only. The one-hour donation appointment is a safe and essential action to support local hospitals and patients. The pop-up centers are being conducted in accordance with social distancing guidelines. No walk-ins, guests, or people under age 16 are permitted onsite. All donors are required to wear masks during their appointment. Bloodworks has posted information addressing questions and concerns for blood donors at bloodworksnw.org/coronavirus. For questions about eligibility and to make your appointment, call 800-398-7888 or e-mail schedule@Bloodworksnw.org
Another utility project is set to start, affecting a local street. This time it’s 34th SW in Arbor Heights, near Westside School (WSB sponsor), between SW 104th and 106th. That’s where Puget Sound Energy will be “replacing a portion of the underground natural-gas main and select service lines.” 34th SW will be reduced to one lane in the work area. The work is expected to last about two weeks and may involve some service interruptions. Full details, and a map, are on a flyer (here and here) sent to neighbors, who have been told the work is expected to start Monday. (Thanks to Jodean for the tip!)
Another local youth-baseball league is registering players, to be ready for the possibility of playing this spring – here’s the announcement:
Registration is officially open for the West Seattle Baseball Spring Season! Be a part of the 60-year tradition in West Seattle. We welcome boys and girls ages 4-18. Please visit westseattlebaseball.com to reserve your child’s spot!
West Seattle Baseball, the largest youth recreational baseball league in the area, has opened registration for the coming 2021 Spring Season on its website westseattlebaseball.com. Parents of children between the ages of 4 to 18 are invited to secure their spots in what is certain to be a memorable season.
West Seattle Baseball has a 60-year tradition of serving the youth of West Seattle and its neighboring communities. As an affiliate of PONY Baseball, West Seattle Baseball does not have residency requirements for participation, so your child can play their spring baseball with friends from different parts of the area.
As was the case for so many, our volunteer-run organization was presented with many challenges in 2020 and is looking forward to giving the children of our community the best baseball season possible this year! In order to be prepared to start as soon as we are allowed, we have changed how parents will register their players this year.
Due to lingering uncertainty with regard to state-mandated restrictions:
-All registrants will be “waitlisted” until we have the go-ahead from local officials to play. Your registration is a reservation.
-NO MONEY will be collected until we know with certainty that we will be playing.
-The league will publish and follow a comprehensive safety plan based on state and local guidelines.
Family and friends are remembering Ann K. Dirks, and sharing this remembrance with her community:
Longtime West Seattle resident Ann Kimberly Dirks died peacefully at a local senior care facility on January 3. She was 82.
The mother of five boys, Ann was known for her spirited, outgoing personality and quick humor that helped her develop deep and lasting connections with neighbors, co-workers, friends, and within her large extended family.
Born in Bellingham, Ann moved with her parents, Clair and Alta Smith, to West Seattle as a child. Ann was a 1956 graduate of West Seattle High School and went on to attend Washington State College in Pullman for two years. She married Martin (Marty) Dirks at the West Seattle Baptist Church on October 16, 1959. Marty took an engineering job in New Jersey, where their identical twin sons Greg and Brian were born, but the couple missed their family and friends in Washington so much that they made the cross-country trip back home several months later in their compact sedan.
Ann and Marty had three more sons: John, Stephen, and Tom. Ann’s life became a hubbub of cross-neighborhood gatherings, Scouts, household duties and shepherding her boys to their various activities. In the 1960s, Ann and Marty built a two-bedroom cabin on Camano Island where the family spent most summer weekends and vacation time, even living there for a year. Ann also enjoyed numerous family camping and boating trips, along with family travels throughout the West Coast.
As her sons grew older, Ann took a job with the West Seattle Herald, where she typed up community news items and classified advertisements and greeted customers. While at the Herald, she served as volunteer coordinator for the West Side Story, the definitive book about West Seattle published in 1987, supervising a cadre of people who helped with its production and distribution.
Ann and Marty also became active volunteers in the Southwest Seattle chapter of Ryther, an organization that provides mental health and substance use services to youth. In their retirement years, Ann and Marty split time between homes in West Seattle and Camano Island. They also took numerous cruises, traveled around the world, and looked forward to their annual ski trip with family and friends to McCall, Idaho. Ann was an avid reader, loved taking long walks on the beach and telling stories to her grandchildren.
In addition to Marty and their five sons, all of whom live in the greater Seattle area, Ann is survived by nine grandchildren, a step-grandson, and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister Jane. Her brother, Stuart Smith, lives in Gresham, Oregon.
An online memorial service is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 – please contact RememberingAnn@utsservices.net to be included. Ann will be interred near her parents and other family at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Ferndale. The family suggests remembrances in her name to Ryther or to the West Seattle Food Bank.
You may share memories of Ann and visit the full obituary page and online guestbook at emmickfunerals.com.
The family would like to acknowledge the caregivers and staff at Aegis Living of West Seattle for their tremendous care and support of Ann during her final months.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
MAIL/PACKAGE THEFT ARREST: Southwest Precinct police report this happened Thursday:
A witness in the area of 26th Ave SW and SW Findlay Street observed a male taking packages from the porches and mailboxes. Officers responded to the area very quickly and located the male. The male was found in possession of approximately 40 pieces of mail and three packages that did not belong to him. Officers arrested the male for Felony Mail Theft and then delivered the packages back to the rightful houses.
MORE MAIL STOLEN: We don’t know if there’s any connection with what was found in that arrest, but we also got this report from Deanna on Thursday: “Several mailboxes were looted sometime during the night of 1/6 or early morning 1/7 on the 9000 block of 14th Ave SW. Some mailboxes were left open after being (emptied) of their contents, including one locked mailbox that was wrenched open by the perpetrator. An incident has been opened with USPS.”
GARAGE BURGLARY: From Guy:
I wanted to report a break-in to my place (sometime on the night between 1/5-1/6). My garage (close to the intersection of Delridge & Thistle) was broken into and lots of my hiking & camping gear was stolen. I realize it’s a long shot, but perhaps anyone will spot any of these items for sale somewhere? Or maybe someone on the block has a street-facing security camera and caught anything on tape? The big-ticket items that were stolen include (photos linked):
Osprey Volt 60L, blue
Osprey Manta 34L, black
Patagonia Petrolia 28L, red
Northface Stormbreak 3-person tent, yellow
Exped Megamat 10, green
REI camping table
Ski Helmet & Goggles, light blue
These are the items that I figured might be easy to spot; the rest are all smaller hiking items such as gloves, hats, boots, etc.
6:12 AM: It’s Friday, January 8th, the 291st morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD (ETC.) WORK
Delridge project – Here are the toplines for this week.
California and Myrtle – Lane closures and a big middle-of-street tank are part of a sewer-repair project.
TRANSIT
Metro – On regular schedule
Water Taxi – On regular schedule
CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
West Marginal Way (substitute camera since the one at Highland Park Way has been out of alignment):
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am, with camera enforcement starting 1/11/21) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River, the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here are two cameras:
The other major bridge across the river – 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.)
To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
You can view all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
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