month : 01/2021 310 results

Thanks to Camille Morgan for the photos and report:

Asher Morgan, member of Troop 282 and Hope Preschool alum, worked with 14 fellow Scouts to construct a new playhouse for the Hope Lutheran Preschool this month for his Eagle Scout project. The 4×6 covered structure is a fun addition to the garden area that kids will enjoy for years to come.

Special thanks to Alki Lumber and Hope Lutheran School for their support of the project!

Hope Lutheran is at 42nd/Oregon in The Junction.

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ROAD WORK, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Wednesday watch

| West Seattle news

6:07 AM: Welcome to Wednesday, January 27th, the 310th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

TRANSIT

Water Taxi – On its regular schedule but this week and next week, they’re using the lower-capacity Spirit of Kingston

Metro – On regular weekday schedule. If you’re not subscribed to alerts, watch @kcmetrobus on Twitter for updates

ROAD (ETC.) WORK

Delridge project – The SW Thistle closure continues between Delridge and 20th. Here’s what else is happening this week.

California and Myrtle – The sewer-repair project continues – if driving/riding on California, watch out for the bumps on the northbound side.

CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

Low Bridge: Third week for automated enforcement cameras, while restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily. (No stats yet.) Here’s a bridge view:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

The main detour route across the Duwamish River, the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

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 all the other detour-route neighborhoods, both the arterials and neighborhood streets!)

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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CORONAVIRUS: Tuesday 1/26/2021 roundup

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Vaccination acceleration is again tonight’s pandemic headline:

VACCINE UPDATE: While cautioning “we still have a long way to go,” Gov. Inslee said the vaccination pace is speeding up. 39,000 shots on Sunday, 39,000 on Monday – getting closer to the 45,000-a-daqy goal he recently announced. The feds will increase our state’s allotment by 16 percent, at least in the short term, he also announced. You can watch his briefing here.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s what’s in today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – the cumulative totals:

*74,901 people have tested positive, 174 more than yesterday’s total

*1,240 people have died, 13 more than yesterday’s total

*4,736 people have been hospitalized, 19 more than yesterday’s total

*817,432 people have been tested, 1,447 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the totals were 72,600/1,185/4,617/801,551.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 100.2 million cases worldwide, 25.4 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.

VACCINE-INFO LINKS: The PhaseFinder is here – to determine whether you’re eligible yet – and known vaccination locations are here – but there are still NONE listed in West Seattle. The nearest ones – Sea Mar clinics in White Center and South Park – have run out of vaccine, according to online updates.

PANDEMIC PEOPLE: Health-care workers and volunteers have been called on as never before in the past year. Scroll through the Seattle-King County Public Health gallery.

NEED FOOD? Food Lifeline‘s South Park HQ offers emergency food boxes 2-5 pm Friday (January 29th), at 815 S. 96th.

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

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Got Washington State Ferries questions? 2 community meetings ahead, with system’s new leader

January 26, 2021 9:33 pm

| Comments Off on Got Washington State Ferries questions? 2 community meetings ahead, with system’s new leader

| Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

In the wake of a change at the top, Washington State Ferries has scheduled two online community meetings “to provide updates and answer questions.” New WSF head Patty Rubstello will lead the meetings with her predecessor Amy Scarton (now WSDOT deputy secretary), at 11 am Tuesday, February 9th, and 6 pm Wednesday, February 10th. WSF’s announcement says, “Both meetings will cover the same material and are designed to give participants the option to join the meeting that best fits their schedule. Meeting participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments.” Pre-register by going here for the February 9th meeting, here for the February 10th meeting, You can also attend a meeting for Ferry Advisory Committees at 6 pm Thursday, February 4th “to discuss issues related to their role in advising WSF on customer service and schedules”; preregister here.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Robbery arrest (updated)

January 26, 2021 8:02 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

8:02 PM: Police are converging on The Junction after a report of an armed robbery outside The Whittaker. They’ve detained a possible suspect near the Bank of America just west of there, and officers told dispatchers they found a “very realistic looking air pistol” in the man’s possession. No other details so far, such as where the robbery happened – it was first dispatched as Whole Foods, then MOD Pizza, then a specific victim who had left the area.

8:37 PM: The suspect was arrested. Police have been talking to witnesses. We’ll add additional details when the report’s available.

9:32 AM: Here’s the initial SPD summary, obtained this morning, including a photo of the gun:

Officers with Community Response Group and Southwest Patrol responded to the area of Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Alaska St. Multiple callers and victims around the Whole Foods at SW Alaska St and Fauntleroy Way SW were calling 911 to report a series of in-progress incidents. The calls began when the suspect robbed at gunpoint two pedestrians on foot and threatened to kill them if they called 911. He then walked to a car parked nearby and pointed the gun at occupants of the vehicle and proceeded to demand money from 2 of the 4 occupants. The suspect then continues to a victim at a nearby BECU ATM and points the gun at the victim’s head demanding money. The victims wife sees this happening and the suspect addresses her, telling her to “go back to your country, I’m going to kill your husband.” SW CRG was first on scene, located the suspect and immediately addressed this extremely dangerous armed suspect and took him into custody safely. The gun was recovered from the suspect’s pocket during the arrest.

The suspect was booked into KCJ for Felony Harassment and Investigation of Robbery x2.

The CRG is explained here.

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SCHOOLS: More online tours and informational events for West Seattle families

January 26, 2021 7:20 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle schools

We’ve heard from more local schools with upcoming tours/open houses, as enrollment season continues:

DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL: Denny is having online open houses tomorrow (Wednesday, January 27th) at 5:30 pm and Thursday, February 4th, at 7 pm. You’ll find the links, and more information, on this Denny webpage.

LOUISA BOREN STEM K-8: Coming up – a middle-school tour 9 am Thursday (January 28th), elementary open house 6 pm Thursday, middle-school open house 6 pm February 4th. Both of the open houses include teachers. Find the viewing links for all three events on this page of the STEM K-8 PTA website.

HIGHLAND PARK ELENENTARY: A kindergarten information night is happening Thursday (January 28th), 5:30 pm. A short presentation is planned along with Q&A; teachers will be there. Here’s the link.

ROXHILL ELEMENTARY: Principal Katherine Torres tells WSB that Roxhill is having kindergarten tours: “We are having virtual tours with staff available to share what students will be experiencing and learning about in the fall.” 5:30 pm February 4th; click here or call 206-800-4125 (Meeting ID: 652144902#). 3:30 pm February 10th, click here or call that same number (Meeting ID: 966067499#).

HOPE LUTHERAN/SEATTLE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL: They’ll schedule a visit by request:

Hope Lutheran and Seattle Lutheran Schools are accepting applications for Fall 2021. Although we aren’t able to invite you into our facility, we are happy to give you a virtual tour of each campus and provide more information on our preschool, elementary , middle and high school programs. Please contact Admissions Director Sally Heit at sheit@hopeseattle.org or sheit@seattlelutheran.org to arrange a tour.

We published Arbor Heights Elementary‘s announcement Monday. Any others with tours/open houses? Let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Still seeking snowflakes

January 26, 2021 5:45 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Jerry Simmons for that view of this morning’s sunrise … a colorful start to what ended as a gray day. Still a chance we might see a few snowflakes, but our neighbors across Puget Sound – Bremerton, Hood Canal vicinity – have the highest probability. Nonetheless, the forecast discussion says we have a chance, especially on the highest hills – the Myrtle Reservoir Park vicinity holds the highest elevation in the city. The forecast summaries note a chance of rain and snow tonight and tomorrow morning. (Just in case of snow, SDOT says its crews are ready.)

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FOLLOWUP: Repair work on southbound 1st Avenue South Bridge pushed back again

January 26, 2021 2:47 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSDOT photo)

If you’ve been dreading those upcoming lane closures for repair work on the southbound 1st Avenue South Bridge – you can put your dread on hold for a while again. Two weeks ago, WSDOT told us that the work originally expected to happen in January wouldn’t start until February. Today, WSDOT spokesperson Tom Pearce told WSB that the schedule has been pushed back again, and now it’s not expected to begin before early March. Pearce says they’re expecting “a firm schedule in the next couple of weeks.” We first reported the need for repairs back in October (that story explains the bearing-replacement work that needs to be done). Once the work starts, contractor Massana Construction will close two of the bridge’s southbound lanes around the clock for about three weeks, bookended by two overnight closures of the entire southbound bridge.

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BIZNOTE: La Rustica’s quiet change

January 26, 2021 1:30 pm

| 19 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

(Photo courtesy La Rustica)

Thanks for the tip: A longtime family-owned West Seattle restaurant has changed families. The Pellegrinis have retired and sold La Rustica, the Italian bistro at 4100 Beach Drive SW, to the Hoffmans. Co-proprietor Kat Hoffman explained via email, when we asked, that she and her husband have owned La Rustica since November, but have loved it far longer:

My husband and I have been going to La Rustica since 2002, when my sister-in-law told us about the cutest place in West Seattle with the best cannelloni ever, garlic bread that we would eat baskets of, and the most amazing tiramisu. We have been going there ever since. I can’t tell you how many of our dates started out walking along Beach Dr while waiting for a table.

I don’t know if you believe in fate, but I do. I think things happen or don’t, when they are supposed to. We had been looking for a new business to buy since the summer of 2019, had even made some offers but deals fell through for one reason or another. So one morning in January of 2020, I was looking at a business-for-sale site and saw a listing that caught my eye. It said 25-year-old West Seattle Italian Restaurant. I told my husband, “I bet you this is La Rustica.” He lost the bet, and we bought the restaurant. It took almost 10 months to go through because of Covid.

The main thing people ask or are afraid of is, what is going to change. Really, most of the changes that have happened are more because of Covid than the ownership change. I have really only changed 4 things since taking over. I switched from paper gift certificates to plastic gift cards, made some labels for the to-go boxes and bread, started making the chocolate mousse cake instead of it being store-bought, and just introduced homemade panna cotta to the menu.

Other than that, the food/recipes, the chefs and wait staff, and everything else that makes La Rustica La Rustica has stayed the same because that is we fell in love with so long ago.

I know some people think we were crazy, buying a restaurant during a pandemic, especially with so many restaurants closing. But it’s La Rustica. The neighbors and community have been so supportive and welcoming. We haven’t made a big announcement not because we are hiding it, but because we want our guests to see nothing has really changed and that the food is still amazing. The Pellegrinis said they are planning to come back for a week this summer when things are hopefully back to normal to see everyone and to say goodbye.

La Rustica, open since 1996, is the only restaurant on Beach Drive and is across the street from Weather Watch Park.

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WEDNESDAY: Police and SDOT at HPAC

January 26, 2021 12:28 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Highland Park | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

If you’ve seen our recent coverage of Southwest Precinct police at community meetings (here and here) and have questions, another chance to ask them is coming up – SPD reps are on the agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting of HPAC, the neighborhood council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge. The announcement also promises “a comprehensive presentation and conversation with SDOT Home Zone planners, to help them prioritize the traffic mitigation proposed for” the area. All are welcome at the 7 pm Wednesday online meeting; viewing/participating/calling-in info is on the HPAC website.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Grocery-store robbery

January 26, 2021 11:07 am

| 22 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

When shoplifting turns violent, it legally becomes robbery – and police say that’s what happened this morning at Admiral Safeway. Here’s their initial summary:

At approximately 0730, the suspect was inside the Safeway with a basket full of store items. The suspect walked past all points of sale. A store employee confronted the suspect by the front doors, and the suspect brandished a bladed instrument (box cutter) from an unknown pocket to threaten him. The suspect swung the box cutter at the victim twice, and he backed off for his safety and fear of being cut. The suspect left the area in a Honda Accord.

No further description, and no arrest reported so far.

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For Duwamish Tribe, 2 words in proposed State Senate bill could ‘erase us from the history books’

January 26, 2021 10:30 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| Duwamish Tribe | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Duwamish Tribe Longhouse, WSB file photo)

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

A proposed State Legislature bill encouraging students in our state to learn more about Native history contains 2 words that could spell trouble for the Duwamish Tribe.

The bill SB-5161 (“Teaching Washington’s tribal history, culture, and government”) is scheduled to be reviewed tomorrow (Wednesday, January 27th) in executive session of the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education.

At issue, according to Duwamish Longhouse director Jolene Haas (also the daughter of tribal chair Cecile Hansen) is the phrase “federally recognized,” which describes the tribes that are included in the scope of the bill.

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What’s happening on your West Seattle Tuesday

January 26, 2021 9:13 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Kevin the squirrel, photographed by Machel Spence)

REALFINE COFFEE’S EXPANSION OPENING DAY: As we reported last week, it’s the first day for Realfine Coffee‘s new West Seattle expansion location at 35th and Kenyon, until 3 pm.

SPORTS PHYSICAL CLINIC: Second of five days for a clinic at Denny International Middle School at which any Seattle Public Schools student planning to play sports can get the required physical exam. More details here.

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE: 9:30 am meeting of the City Council committee chaired by West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold. The agenda includes briefings on the Seattle Community Safety Initiative and a proposed Seattle Police budget cut, as well as information on viewing/commenting.

SUSTAINABILITY & RENTERS’ RIGHTS COMMITTEE: 2 pm City Council committee meeting, with the agenda including discussions of potentially extending the eviction moratorium until “at least the end of the year,” and giving renters facing eviction the right to legal counsel.

(added) GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: Announced at midday, Gov. Inslee is having a pandemic-and-legislative briefing at 2:15 pm. The livestream will be here.

CLASS FOR HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS: 3 pm online, presented by Brookdale-Admiral Heights, “a real-life examination of the difference between caregiving and care partnering” – open to the general public too. Registration info and other details are in our calendar listing.

DEMONSTRATE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE: Organizer Scott‘s weekly announcement:

Black Lives Matter sign waving

Tuesday, January 26, 4 to 6 pm, corner of 16th SW and SW Holden

Thursday, January 28, 4 to 6 pm, corner of 16th SW and SW Holden

Come show support for BLM and ending systemic racism. Hold signs, meet neighbors, and stand for racial justice. Scott at PR Cohousing, endorsed by Hate-Free Delridge. Signs available.

(Are we missing anything? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)

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ROAD WORK, TRANSIT, TRAFFIC: Tuesday watch

January 26, 2021 6:07 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Welcome to Tuesday, January 26th, the 309th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

TRANSIT

Water Taxi – On its regular schedule but this week and next week will be handled by the lower-capacity Spirit of Kingston

Metro – On regular weekday schedule. If you’re not subscribed to alerts, watch @kcmetrobus on Twitter for them

ROAD (ETC.) WORK

Delridge project – The SW Thistle closure continues between Delridge and 20th. Here’s what else is planned this week.

California and Myrtle – The sewer-repair project continues – if driving/riding on California, watch out for the bumps on the northbound side (though the grade has been improved).

CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

Low Bridge: Third week for automated enforcement cameras, while restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily. Here’s a bridge view:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

The main detour route across the Duwamish River, the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

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 all the other detour-route neighborhoods, both the arterials and neighborhood streets!)

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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Police-staffing shortfall spotlighted at Alki Community Council

January 26, 2021 1:03 am

| 39 COMMENTS

| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

For the second time in a week, police staffing was a topic of discussion at a West Seattle neighborhood meeting. First one was the Crime Prevention Council meeting last Tuesday (WSB coverage here). Two nights later, the Alki Community Council board spent a large portion of its meeting on the state of policing. Here’s what was said, plus some followup information we obtained:

SEATTLE POLICE: Third watch (6:30 pm-3:30 am) Lt. Chris Johnson attended on behalf of SPD. He said “our street racer problem is still ongoing … we do not have the bodies to put any emphasis toward that.” But he’s hopeful that now that the inauguration is past, some of the officers assigned to the protest-handling Community Response Group might return to patrol. “Almost every night I’m running at or below” minimum staffing levels. “We’re losing bodies to outside agencies at a rate I’ve never seen. … We’re treading water.” He asked about community concerns; one person mentioned fireworks and beach fires – which are continuing year-round; here’s video we received just the night before:

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CORONAVIRUS: Monday 1/25/2021 roundup

January 25, 2021 9:56 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Vaccination acceleration tops tonight’s pandemic roundup:

HALF A MILLION DOSES DELIVERED: Gov. Inslee says more people are getting vaccinated more quickly, and as of today, half a million doses had been given and reported. The 7-day rolling total is 23,000+ – just over halfway to the 45,000-a-day goal – but today they got close, with 40,000 reported in a 24-hour period. Read more about the progress here.

CITY READY TO VACCINATE MORE: Vaccination was one of the topics during this morning’s City Council briefing meeting. West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold said she’s been told the city can “turn on a dime” in converting one of its current COVID testing sites to a mass vaccination site, when the city gets enough vaccine to do it.

BUT – WHERE TO GET YOUR SHOT? Still no general-availability (for those currently eligible) locations in West Seattle. None on this website’s list, either. We’re continuing to keep watch.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the key points of the daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health:

74.727 people have tested positive, 165 more than yesterday’s total

1,227 people have died, 12 more than yesterday’s total

4,726 people have been hospitalized, 1 more than yesterday’s total

815,985 people have been tested, 2,874 more than yesterday’s total

No one-week-ago numbers, as King County did not publish an update last Monday.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 99.7 million cases, 2,139,000+ deaths. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.

HAZARD PAY FOR GROCERY WORKERS: Most will get $4/hour extra as the pandemic continues, as a result of City Council action today.

NEED FOOD? This week’s nearest Food Lifeline distribution is 2-5 pm Friday (January 29th) at 815 S. 96th.

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

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Arrests in store robbery and home break-in; businesses targeted

January 25, 2021 8:15 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

HOME DEPOT ROBBERY ARREST: Police report that they got a call just after 4:30 pm about a robbery at the Delridge Home Depot. Police arrested a suspect about a block away and recovered the unspecified stolen items. They also found “narcotics on the suspect’s person.” He was booked into jail for investigation of robbery and VUCSA (Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act).

BURGLARY ARRESTS: Also this afternoon, we got a couple questions about a big police response on Ferry SW in North Admiral. It was clear when we finally got to the area but we now have the SPD summary. This happened just after 2 pm:

Officers responded to a burglary-in-progress call in the 2100 block of Ferry Ave SW. The caller reported his cameras on site were being activated by a male suspect crawling into a busted-out window of the residence. Upon arrival, officers located a female outside who later told officers she was the lookout. Officers also located the male as he was exiting the front door of the residence and attempted to flee. The female asked officers if they would retrieve her jacket from a vehicle that was parked in front of the residence. Upon further investigation, officers determined the vehicle was stolen. Both suspects were booked into KCJ for Investigation of Burglary and Possession of Stolen Property. The vehicle was recovered and returned to the registered owner. The male suspect was also booked on a Felony Warrant for Possession of Stolen Vehicle and Attempting to Elude a pursuing Police Vehicle.

ADMIRAL BUSINESS BREAK-INS: Thanks to Bill for sending a photo of a flyer taped to some Admiral business windows, saying there had been multiple break-ins/attempts. We subsequently confirmed that over the weekend, multiple Admiral businesses were hit – Mission Cantina (WSB sponsor) says someone tried to break in through their door, a door at Yen Wor Village was broken, and a burglar got into Pizzeria 22. There’s no clear image but Mission says this person spent 9 minutes in their entryway. If you have any informqtion, refer to police report #21-019592.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Milestone sunset

January 25, 2021 6:36 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

While the sun was setting with a golden flourish in the southwest, we caught that cloud putting on a show in the northwest. And for all those who, like us, have been observing the passage of time more closely than ever during this pandemic year, we wanted to note a milestone: Tonight was the first 5 pm sunset of the winter. (That’s 42 minutes later than the earliest sunset of winter, 4:17 pm December 7th through 13th.)

P.S. “Slight chance of rain and snow after midnight,” says the forecast.

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FOLLOWUP: City Council approves hazard pay for most grocery-store workers

January 25, 2021 4:36 pm

| 41 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

If a grocery-store worker has a job in Seattle with a company that employs at least 500 people worldwide, they could be in line for a temporary $4/hour raise. This afternoon, the City Council approved the $4/hour hazard-pay proposal – mentioned briefly here last week. Here’s the slide deck with key points:

You can read the full bill here. The bill was sponsored by West Seattle-residing at-large Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and co-sponsored by six others including District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold. In a news release announcing the vote, Mosqueda is quoted as explaining, ““Hazard pay for grocery workers is the least we can do to recognize the dangers they face when going to work, including unmasked customers, customers who are coughing and not respecting social distancing rules, and cleaning of commonly used surfaces. Many grocery stores were paying their workers hazard pay early on in the pandemic, but that recognition quickly went away last summer, despite grocery store workers still facing serious risk of contracting COVID-19 at their workplace.”

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DEVELOPMENT: New mixed-use building proposed in West Seattle Junction (updated, corrected)

January 25, 2021 2:35 pm

| 34 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL 2:35 PM: Just discovered in city files: Another redevelopment proposal for The Junction. This one would be a 7-story mixed-use building with almost 100 apartments, proposed to replace 4448-4456 California SW – the California/Oregon buildings that formerly held a real-estate office ~~and currently hold The Salon at The Junction and Shadowland, plus a small office building (which includes the West Seattle Junction Association headquarters).~~

(King County Assessor’s Office photos)

(7 stories is what the site is zoned for – 75 feet.) This is a very early-stage proposal, meaning actual construction would be years away; this roughed-out site plan was filed Friday by the architecture firm Atelier Drome County Assessor’s Office records show the north part of the site is owned by an LLC headed up by Craig Haveson of STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor), who has been busy in South Delridge redevelopment lately. ~~and the south part is owned by an LLC including Shadowland founders.~~ We have followup questions out to a project spokesperson and will add whatever else we find out.

7:02 PM: Michelle Linden from Atelier Drome has answered some of our questions and provided a key correction: “There is a typo that we are working to correct with the City. The addresses are 4448 and 4452. The Shadowland building is not part of this project.” So Shadowland fans can stand down. She adds, in response to two other questions we asked: “We are planning for regular apartments (not micros) with commercial at the ground floor. Parking is tbd.”

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SCHOOLS: Online-tour time to help families plan for next year

January 25, 2021 12:43 pm

| Comments Off on SCHOOLS: Online-tour time to help families plan for next year

| West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle schools

It’s school-application season, and even though Seattle Public Schools aren’t yet having in-person classes, some are offering online tours to prospective families. First announcement we’ve received is from Arbor Heights Elementary. Elise Olson sent the invitation to tours they’re hosting on February 1st (next Monday) and February 10th. The RSVP links and other details are here. If your school in West Seattle is having a tour or info event, please let us know so we can add it to the calendar too!

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ELECTION 2021: Colleen Echohawk running for Seattle mayor

January 25, 2021 11:41 am

| 21 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

The first high-profile candidate for Seattle Mayor has announced her campaign. Colleen Echohawk leads the nonprofit Chief Seattle Club, which provides services to urban Natives experiencing homelessness. Her announcement says she is “running on a people-first platform to achieve an equitable renewal from the COVID-19 pandemic” and quotes her as saying that “we have a once-in-a-generation chance to rethink how [the city] works, and who it works for.” The announcement describes Echohawk’s priorities as including “an investment in community-based organizations and businesses” as well as “the establishment of a Public Safety Department, with community-based mental health workers and neighborhood liaisons.” Echohawk is a North Seattle resident. In addition to her nonprofit work, she has been involved in a wide variety of advisory groups on major regional issues – our archives note that she was on the Stakeholder Advisory Group for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle to Ballard light-rail plan. Three other candidates have registered campaigns for mayor; this is the first announcement we’ve received. (Campaign website photo)

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ROAD WORK ALERT: Another sewer-repair project ahead for a major West Seattle street

January 25, 2021 9:46 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Heads-up from Seattle Public Utilities – another sewer-repair project will affect traffic and pedestrians along a West Seattle arterial. This is described as emergency work:

A contractor for Seattle Public Utilities will begin emergency work to repair a damaged sewer main line in Fauntleroy Way SW between SW Alaska St and SW Edmunds St.

Work is scheduled to begin Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Anticipated hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am to 6 pm. Work is anticipated to take 10 – 14 days. See yellow outline on map for approximate work areas. All work will be completed in the right of way.

During the work you can expect:
• Equipment and work will take place in the center lanes Fauntleroy Way SW and in the southern sidewalk of SW Alaska St near the Fauntleroy Way SW intersection.
• Two-way traffic will be maintained on both sides of the work area in Fauntleroy Way SW and the bike lane will remain open.
• The southern sidewalk of SW Alaska St near the Fauntleroy Way SW intersection to be closed.
• Equipment and materials staged in the right of way.
• Sidewalks and traffic lanes will be re-opened outside of working hours.
• Typical construction noise, dust, and vibrations during working hours.
• Metro service will continue as usual, with stops open. Traffic Flaggers may assist in accessing the bus stops if necessary.

See the official flyer here.

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