day : 12/02/2021 9 results

50 weeks have now passed since the Friday night when the first King County case of COVID-19 was announced. Here are tonight’s updates:

KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Some data corrections in tonight’s stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:

*79,681 people have tested positive, 448 more than yesterday’s total

*1,318 people have died, 13 more than yesterday’s total

*4,955 people have been hospitalized, 3 fewer than yesterday’s total

*871,404 people have been tested, 3,882 more than yesterday’s total

Now, our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:

*266,573 people have received one dose

*85,033 people have received both doses

*374,825 doses have been allocated to King County

One week ago, the first four totals were 78,090/1,292/4,865/844,187, and the vaccination totals were 239,821/63,655/296,225.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 108.2 million cases, 2,383,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

VACCINATION UPDATES: In her weekly newsletter, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold lists local care homes that have been visited by the city’s mobile team, as well as other local vaccination-related updates.

IF YOU NEED TESTING SATURDAY: The city says it’s committed to keeping the West Seattle site (2801 SW Thistle) open and accessible.

COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: Dr. Jeff Duchin led his weekly briefing/media Q&A – see it here.

GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE SNOW: What’s in the newest forecast, how the city’s preparing for possible ‘snownami,’ and evening updates

February 12, 2021 6:08 pm

| 37 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(SNOW LINKS: Metro buses on snow routes … traffic cams … map of what’s been plowed … plowing-priority map)

(Fauntleroy Park photo by John Skerratt)

6:08 PM: As Thursday’s half-inch-or-so snowfall lingered throughout the day, city departments continued preparing for what’s to come. The mayor said that some forecasts, if borne out, could amount to a ‘snownami.” So let’s start with the forecast. Light snow is falling now. But the Winter Storm Warning isn’t in effect until 10 pm – the National Weather Service predicts up to eight inches of snow through tomorrow, and a chilly wind from the east. Whatever happens, city leaders say they’re ready:

Mayor Durkan led another media briefing this afternoon. SDOT says it’s had everyone on 12-hour shifts, pre-treating roads since Wednesday, and they’ve also been working on protected bike lanes, trails, pedestrian overpasses, and stairways. Their mechanics are on duty too so vehicle troubles won’t be a setback. Seattle City Light crews are ready. The city’s virtual Emergency Operations Center plans to activate at 8:30 am Saturday, according to new Emergency Management director Curry Mayer. The Human Services Department says three emergency shelters have been opened and none are maxed out yet. (None in West Seattle.) WSDOT plans to keep express lanes open. We asked SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe if low-bridge restrictions would be suspended so that people who absolutely had to cross the river in the snow wouldn’t have to drive a few miles extra. His answer: No. Metro and Sound Transit, meantime, remind you that they have to maintain reduced capacity, and masks are mandatory. One other note for getting around. The city promises to maintain access to COVID testing and vaccination sites as best it can – that includes the one in West Seattle (2801 SW Thistle, on a major plow route – see the citywide plow-routes map here, and the “live” map here). Here’s the full city multidepartmental roundup published after the briefing.

P.S. As always, we’ll start our coverage when the snow starts falling big time, and we’ll continue coverage all weekend. Photos, tips, info – text/voice 206-293-6302, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

7:35 PM: Still snowing. Our side street’s coated. Some snow visible in the traffic cams showing arterials, too:

See all the West Seattle traffic cams here.

8:50 PM: Metro is now running on snow routes. Also: South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) is closing its campus tomorrow – there would normally be a few Saturday classes.

9:15 PM: Traffic report via text: Drivers are already having trouble on the Edmunds hill at 40th. Note that’s NOT a major plow route (see last page of this guide) – use SW Alaska to get from Triangle to Junction. … Also via text, Sam warns that people are getting stuck on Sylvan Way, too. … Also, trouble on SW Genesee east of Avalon, and Bonair above Alki.

9:36 PM: Alki at sea level is plenty snowy too – thanks to David Hutchinson for the photo.

11:29 PM: More photos – first, from SeanO at 36th/Hanford:

And really, stay off the hills. Here’s a contributed photo showing Lincoln Park Way:

It’s windy as well as snowy, and down into the mid-20s.

SATURDAY MORNING NOTE: Our snowstorm coverage continues here.

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From repair planning to West Marginal Way questions @ West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force’s February meeting

February 12, 2021 3:38 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

SDOT says it’s making progress toward high-bridge repairs, though they are still more than half a year away.

The bridge update brought most of the new information at Thursday’s monthly meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, but with so many related projects, the meeting was stuffed so full of presentations that CTF members had little time to discuss anything, and the plan for breaking into groups for opinions of the West Marginal Way bike-lane proposal had to be scrapped.

First, here’s video of the two-hour meeting:

Here’s what caught our attention:

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King County Council may be next to mandate ‘hazard pay’ for grocery workers

February 12, 2021 2:30 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | White Center

First the Seattle City Council did it, then the Burien City Council did it, and now the King County Council is considering also requiring “hazard pay” for grocery workers. The new proposal (read it here) would cover unincorporated King County; that would include White Center and the rest of unincorporated North Highline immediately south of West Seattle. The proposal would mandate $4/hour hazard pay – same as Seattle but $1 less than Burien – at “larger” grocery stores. Here’s the full announcement, which quotes a worker from Roxbury Safeway, Jeanette Randall, as saying, “Every day when I go to work I put myself and my family at risk, King County passing a hazard pay ordinance would make sure workers like me receive the same compensation for the essential work that I do as workers in neighboring Burien and Seattle.” The proposal has just been introduced; we’ll be checking on when it’s likely to come up for a vote.

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SCHOOLS: Should the Class of 2021 get an in-person graduation?

February 12, 2021 11:47 am

| 32 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(WSB photo: WSHS Class of 2020 drive-thru event, May 2020)

Because of the pandemic, the Class of 2020 ended high school with online ceremonies and drive-thru celebrations. With vaccinations under way and case numbers dropping, should the Class of 2021 get a chance to graduate in person? West Seattle High School‘s senior-class leaders say yes, and have just launched a petition drive. Here’s how they make their case, as sent by ASB president Ella Richardson;

As planning is getting underway, the school board has informed the student body that their graduation this year will be held virtually yet again. For the class of 2021, their entire year has been experienced virtually. They have missed out on all of the milestones that high-school seniors often look forward to, which has contributed to the mental-health crisis many students are facing.

Though this has been a year of loss, the Senior class has still held out hope for an in-person graduation. With vaccine rollouts rapidly increasing, and COVID numbers trending down, the likelihood of in-person events happening in June is a possible reality.

All of our schools hold weekly in-person distributions, and contact sports have resumed. Furthermore, many schools across the state have managed to safely return to in-person learning. These steps make it clear that a safe, in-person graduation is possible, and should be pursued by the Seattle Public Schools district.

If you agree the School Board should move beyond simply holding a virtual graduation, and begin planning for a safe in-person graduation, please sign this petition.

Some districts are planning for possible in-person graduations, like Highline (just south of Seattle). SPS’s website, meantime, lists only dates.

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Rejoy: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

February 12, 2021 10:48 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome new WSB sponsor Rejoy, a new home-organizing service launched in 2020 by 15-year West Seattle resident Harmony Hasbrook. Rejoy‘s mission is to help people create new and functional space in their homes without hurting the planet.

(From ReJoy, founder Harmony Hasbrook at right, with Alder HenKu)

Harmony explains, “Born in a year of crisis – 2020 – out of a desire to do meaningful work and build a better world, Rejoy is looking at the problems of clutter and waste from a new perspective. Using our principles of frugality, generosity, and optimism, there is no puzzle we can’t solve. And man, do we love puzzles.”

Also: “Rejoy is a life lift. It radically improves our clients’ daily lives. They seek us out because they are frustrated with clutter and the feeling that they have too much stuff. But they keep coming back because we find solutions for their spaces and their lives that they never would have thought of and can’t get from a cookie-cutter tip on the internet.”

Rejoy clients say she’s a great listener who can address some of the stressful aspects of getting organized. They say Rejoy not only helped them reevaluate the things they have, but also helped them rethink how they use the space in their homes. You can read this page for more inspiration.

Rejoy is an active member of the local Buy Nothing groups and West Seattle Giving Tree. Harmony says she and her team work daily to forge partnerships with local nonprofits to create a virtuous cycle of passing on gently used things to people who need them.

Find out how Rejoy can help you by going here to schedule a free virtual consultation – “no sales pitch, no pressure, no judgement.”

We thank Rejoy for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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TONIGHT: Save The Stone Cottage invites you to the Karaoke Rock Concert & Music Trivia Competition

February 12, 2021 9:31 am

| Comments Off on TONIGHT: Save The Stone Cottage invites you to the Karaoke Rock Concert & Music Trivia Competition

| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle history | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Stone Cottage, circa 1940s)

As moving day nears for the historic Stone Cottage, the volunteers working to save it are inviting you to the last of four “Finding the Story Stones” events – live online tonight, the family-friendly Karaoke Rock Concert & Music Trivia Competition. Some of the singing’s already handled:

In the photo, Save The Stone Cottage committee member Mike Shaughnessy recorded Steve Theile and Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association singing the Steve Miller Band‘s “Rock’n Me” in the middle of Walk All Ways.

They’re among the local business owners and special guests – including Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants) and Blaine Cook (Zippy’s Giant Burgers and rocker) and more! It’s an interactive event that will allow you to join in the fun and compete for prizes; the :winner” of the fourth and final Story Stone will unlock the “Story of the Duwamish.”

It’s happening on Zoom at 7 pm tonight if you want to participate in trivia; if not, you can also just view here.

P.S. Crowdfunding for the Stone Cottage’s move to its new temporary home continues here.

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BIZNOTE: Luna Park Café reopens indoor dining

February 12, 2021 8:59 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | Luna Park | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

West Seattle’s Luna Park Café is reopening indoor dining today, at 25 percent capacity as per state guidelines. Proprietor John Bennett says the restaurant will be open 8 am-9 om seven days a week and will still offer takeout orders (206-935-7250) plus “for the hardy … we have a few tables outside. Join us for Valentine’s weekend ! Boozy raspberry vodka shakes and cranberry mimosas.”