month : 02/2021 279 results

The Seattle Public Library, which has four branches in West Seattle, is looking for a new leader – Chief Librarian Marcellus Turner has announced his departure after a decade. Here’s the SPL announcement:

The Seattle Public Library announced that Executive Director and Chief Librarian Marcellus Turner, who has led the Library since 2011, is accepting a new post as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Librarian for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, N.C.

“I am so grateful and proud to have led a passionate and creative team of people at The Seattle Public Library who deliver library services to one of the greatest cities of literature in the world,” said Turner. “I am confident the Library – with its dedicated board, strong leadership, committed staff and community support – will make a smooth transition, and I personally can’t wait to see how that unfolds. Thank you, Seattle, for the opportunity to be a part of your story.”

In a statement, The Seattle Public Library Board of Trustees president Jay Reich praised Turner’s leadership and accomplishments during his nearly 10 years of service, which he says leaves the Library in an ideal position to make the transition.

“While the Library Board of Trustees is very sad to see Chief Librarian Turner leave, his leadership has created a foundation of excellence that I know will sustain us through this transition and beyond,” said Reich. “Under his watch, the Library has earned national recognition and has underscored and reinforced its commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. He leaves the Library well prepared for continued success. We wish him well in his new role.”

Reich said the Library Board will name an interim Chief Librarian very soon and will immediately begin the search for a permanent replacement. View Reich’s complete statement on spl.org.

Turner’s last day at The Seattle Public Library will be Wednesday, March 31. He will begin his new position as CEO and Chief Librarian of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library on Thursday, April 1.

(WSB file photo: Chief Librarian Marcellus Turner during a 2017 visit to High Point Library)

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ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Monday notes

February 8, 2021 6:12 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:12 AM: Welcome to Monday, February 8th, the 322nd morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

ROAD WORK & MORE

Delridge project – The SW Thistle closure continues between Delridge and 20th. Here’s what to expect this week.

Fauntleroy Way work – The sewer repair, on Fauntleroy between Alaska and Edmunds as previewed here, is scheduled to be under way.

CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO

Low Bridge: Fifth week for automated enforcement cameras, while restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily. (Here’s an update on how it’s going.) Here’s a bridge view (note, it’s been experiencing intermittent trouble):

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden – with a new left-turn signal for northbound HP Way, turning to westbound 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 (note, it’s been experiencing intermittent trouble):

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.

TRANSIT

Water Taxi – On its regular schedule but with the lower-capacity Spirit of Kingston for qt least a few more days.

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

Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 2/7/2021 roundup

February 7, 2021 11:59 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Pandemic updates, as February’s first week concludes:

KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: Tonight’s numbers from the King County daily-summary dashboard appear to have balanced out last night’s two-digit case count and five-digit testing count:

*78,686 people have tested positive, 537 more than yesterday’s total

*1,299 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*4,902 people have been hospitalized, 12 more than yesterday’s total

*855,745 people have been tested, 692 more than yesterday’s total

You might recall the county had no update last Sunday – so we’ll just note that two weeks ago, the King County totals were 74,562/1,215/4,725/813,111.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 106.1 million cases and 2,317,000+ deaths, 463,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.

VAX FACTS: Two City County committees will dive into the state of the vaccination situation on Tuesday – the Public Safety and Human Services Committee at 9:30 am, Governance and Education at 2 pm. Find the agendas – which include information on how to watch/comment – here.

NEED FOOD? 3-5 pm Friday (February 12th), Highland Park Elementary (1012 SW Trenton) will be the site of a drive-up event to hand out food “snack packs” – they’ll contain milk, cheese, yogurt, 2 kinds of meat, sour cream, and onions

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

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District 1 Community Network checks in and looks ahead

February 7, 2021 9:18 pm

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| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

What’s up around our area? The District 1 Community Network met this past week to talk about it.

Updates from various community-group and agency reps are at the heart of this West Seattle/South Park coalition’s monthly meetings, as well as discussion of current issues

From the Department of Neighborhoods, Ed Pottharst had these reminders:
*Highland Park Home Zone survey open until February 15th
*West Marginal Way open house set for February 18th, mailers going out
*Neighborhood Matching Fund applications opening – online workshops to help would-be applicants are set for 10 am February 20th and March 4th and 7 pm March 17th

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DELRIDGE ROAD WORK: What’s reopened, what’s still closed, what’s ahead

February 7, 2021 7:37 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

The Delridge/Oregon pedestrian overpass has reopened. That’s part of this week’s update on the Delridge road work that’s paving the way for the RapidRide H Line conversion. The project team notes these key points:

Intermittent side-street restrictions may occur along 22nd Ave SW and SW Trenton St as crews work in the area. These streets will remain open, but drivers may experience short delays as construction activities take place.

Sidewalk and curb ramp upgrades on the west side of Delridge Way SW between SW Oregon St and SW Alaska St to begin this week.

Night work and water service impacts as part of the SW Juneau St watermain upgrades coming soon. SPU will begin notifying impacted properties this week.

Roadway paving nearly complete in Zone B. Once completed, traffic will flip from the east side of the roadway to the west. New reflective road markers will be placed to help designate this shift.

Demolition on the east side of Delridge Way SW for electrical and bus stop upgrades between SW Thistle St and SW Cloverdale St continue. This work will require driveways to be rebuilt. Residents who will be impacted will be notified in advance.

Speaking of Thistle, we asked how much longer that street will be closed east of Delridge. The reply: “While we don’t have a specific completion date scheduled for this work, you can expect this closure to last for several more weeks.” For the entire project zone, here’s the full update for the week ahead.

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WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: 10 super photos

February 7, 2021 5:14 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, here’s a super lineup of contributed bird photos. Above – something to watch for – a hummingbird nest, photographed by Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch. Kersti also shared this photo of a Red-winged Blackbird:

From Jerry Simmons, a Spotted Towhee:

Another orange-and-black bird you might see around, the Varied Thrush, photographed by Mark MacDonald:

Also from Mark, a Golden-crowned Kinglet:

Steve photographed this Great Blue Heron hanging out in a tree:

One more seabird view – WSB’s Patrick Sand saw these while we were checking out the wind and waves at Constellation Park on Sunday:

We don’t have an ID on those, nor on these photographed by Jessica Benson:

Meantime, we end where we began – with hummingbirds. Gentle McGaughey shared the feeder view:

(It’s best to have your feeders out of service right now, though.) And Theresa Arbow-O’Connor got the colorful closeup:

Big thanks, again, to everyone who shares photos, from birds to breaking news – westseattleblog@gmail.com!

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WEST SEATTLE HISTORY: See who and what was at the original Luna Park

February 7, 2021 3:19 pm

| 20 COMMENTS

| Luna Park | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

If you’ve lived in West Seattle for more than a few minutes, you’ve probably heard about the short-lived early-20th-century amusement park Luna Park at the peninsula’s northern tip, likely even seen a few photos. But you probably haven’t heard or seen most of what West Seattle resident Paul Moyes shows you in the video above – Luna Park inside and out. Paul told WSB via email, “It is a detailed breakdown of the layout, location, and attractions of the amusement park. It proved a lot of fun researching where all the buildings and rides were located, and also discovering the names and a bit of backstory on the performers that entertained the throngs there.” Paul is not a historian – he told us he moved here in the ’90s (from Michigan) to study oceanography at UW – but has “enjoyed photography for a while (instagram.com/paulmoyes)” and this is his first video. “I’m considering learning more about videography and doing more vids in the future. I had such a great time on this one I think I caught the bug.”

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Young writer/artist in your household? Be part of a zine!

February 7, 2021 12:59 pm

| Comments Off on Young writer/artist in your household? Be part of a zine!

| West Seattle books | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Here’s an invitation for creative youth, from West Seattle-based nonprofit literary press Pleasure Boat Studio:

A local WS press is putting out a small magazine of kids art, comics, poetry, writing for elementary and middle-school ages.

Honoring and appreciating children’s creativity and expression, with the main impetus behind the project being that I imagine kids would really enjoy seeing each other’s art, comics, stories, and poems… Hence, a little zine, for kids, by kids!

Deadline 2.21.21

Kids can send in anything they’ve done that they like, or make something new. It will be in full color. This may be a one-time thing or I may put one out yearly depending.

Please send high-res JPEGS or PDFs to:
—
Lauren Grosskopf, Publisher/Designer
Lauren@pleasureboatstudio.com

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THE CHAMPS: Denny/Sealth nutrition team scores big – plus a commercial cameo (updated with video)

February 7, 2021 10:48 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

10:48 AM: Congratulations to the school nutrition team at Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School, which have continued feeding students throughout the pandemic! The announcement is from Denny principal Jeff Clark:

Guess how many meals were given out to our community, thanks to all of the efforts being run out the Denny/Sealth kitchen last month.

If you guessed 23,733, you are correct! This number makes us the largest food distribution site in the entire state of Washington!

A very large number of meals go out thanks to our partnership with Amazon and their delivery drivers. A couple of months ago, a production crew came to Denny to film. It is possible that we might see Ms. Doree and our fabulous team during an Amazon Super Bowl commercial (they won’t tell us ahead of time).

Super Bowl commercial or no Super Bowl commercial, our amazing kitchen team and all of our partners deserve a massive shout-out of appreciation on behalf of our staff and entire community! Go Dolphins!

(We checked and so far, the only Amazon commercial previewed is the one for Alexa – but many commercials don’t get previewed, so be on the lookout!)

ADDED 7:11 PM: Legendary “lunch lady” Doree says this is the commercial:

(Note that’s West Seattle’s own Don Armeni Boat Ramp at the end, too.)

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: Here’s what else is happening!

February 7, 2021 6:43 am

| Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: Here’s what else is happening!

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Marc Milrod)

Besides Super Bowl Sunday, here’s what else is happening:

TODAY’S ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Every week we update our list of more than 20 local churches’ Sunday online services (a few also offer in-person options), with the latest links; find them here.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, the market’s open. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska; pickups for online orders are at California/Oregon)

SCHOOL FUNDRAISER @ MISSION CANTINA: Get food/drink from Mission Cantina (WSB sponsor) today, takeout or dine-in (outdoor seating available), 11 am-8 pm, and help the Fairmount Park Elementary PTA. Details in our calendar listing. (2325 California sW)

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)

CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Monthly online meeting at 2 pm for updates on and questions about the tiny-house encampment in southeast West Seattle. All welcome. Video participation link:
us02web.zoom.us/j/85855234269?pwd=aG1yeDkzTWtmS0MyVENLUzRsYXNBQT09 – If needed: Meeting ID: 858 5523 4269, Password: 9701. Same codes apply if you dial in – 253-215-8782

FREE TO-GO DINNER: White Center Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near the Bartell Drugs parking lot in White Center. (9600 15th Ave SW)

Got something for our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 2/6/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check

February 6, 2021 10:58 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Pandemic toplines from the first half of the weekend:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*78,149 people have tested positive, 59 more than yesterday’s total

*1,299 people have died, 7 more than yesterday’s total

*4,890 people have been hospitalized, 25 more than yesterday’s total

*855,053 people have been tested, 10,866 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 76.650/1,264/4,787/827,183.

WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: 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” (HRAs). For the past two weeks, 105 positive test results; 238 in the 2 weeks before that; 262 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week; using the HRAs, since they are the most precise count. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 59, three more than a week ago.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 105.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 2,309,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 462,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, UK, Russia (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

FINDING VACCINE: Again tonight, none of the nearby locations on the state website have availability. St. Anne Hospital in Burien had advised eligible people to check back yesterday for possible appointment availability but now says it did not release any appointment availabilities because of vaccine supply, and its new suggestion is to check that link after 10 am next Friday (February 12th). The two local Safeway pharmacies that are expected to eventually get vaccine aren’t making appointments yet; same goes for the QFC Junction pharmacy.

SIGN OF THE TIMES: Thanks to Marty for the photo from Fauntleroy:

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

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Cooldown ahead

February 6, 2021 9:40 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to James Tilley for the photo of tonight’s sunset – just hours after all those wind-fueled waves. Tonight’s low is expected to be in the normal 40-ish vicinity, but then the forecast warns of cold nights on the way – 30s at night until Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, when 30s are expected in the daytime, 20s at night, maybe a chance of a bit of snow … “most likely our coolest temps of the season so far,” says the National Weather Service.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire in North Delridge

February 6, 2021 7:51 pm

| 17 COMMENTS

| Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news

Police were dispatched to North Delridge after multiple reports of gunfire a short time ago. No victims have turned up, and no damage has been reported so far, but officers just told dispatch that they have found “multiple shell casings” near 26th and Brandon.

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YOU CAN HELP: Cakes for a cause

February 6, 2021 6:38 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news

Two ways to buy locally made cake with good deeds on the side:

QUARANTINE-A-VERSARY CAKE: In the photo above is Hailey, a West Seattle student and entrepreneur whose business Hailey’s Cakes and Bakes is offering cakes for the upcoming anniversary of a day most of us will likely never forget:

March 12th will signify the day Governor Inslee ordered a stay at home order in King County, Seattle Public Schools closed, and toilet paper became sparse due to the onset of a global pandemic. I am bringing back toilet paper cakes for purchase in the Seattle area in hopes of bringing levity and basic supplies to our community. Each cake is the size of a roll of toilet paper, the perfect size for one family to enjoy. With each cake ordered, a pack of toilet paper will be donated to assist those who continue to struggle with basic needs. You can order the cakes including a humorous add-on through my website here.

(Though the full statewide stay-home order wasn’t until March 23rd – same day as the West Seattle Bridge closure – March 12th was a benchmark day because of the school shutdown and other closures.)

1 MORE DAY FOR VALENTINE’S CUPCAKE FUNDRAISER: Tomorrow is your last day to get in on the Valentine’s Day specials from BAKED in The Admiral District.

We first mentioned this two weeks ago – two Valentine’s Day offers, with 10 percent going to Mary’s Place, a nonprofit that works to get families out of homelessness (with a White Center shelter among its locations): A DIY cupcake-decorating kit, or a cupcake/cookie combo (in partnership with Jenn’s Cookie Jar). Order no later than tomorrow, and choose pickup (2604 California SW) on either February 12th or February 13th.

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PLAY BALL! West Seattle Baseball spring dates

February 6, 2021 5:14 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Youth sports are expected to return this spring/summer. Here’s what one local league, West Seattle Baseball, just announced:

The West Seattle Baseball board of directors is excited to announce the first confirmed dates for the 2021 league calendar!

With our area having moved to “phase two” of the “Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery” plan, baseball activities, including league competition, are permitted. As we were taught last year, all plans are necessarily tentative, but the league is cautiously optimistic that we will have practices and games at some point this year, even if adjustments must be made upon changes in our status with regard to the pandemic.

For the time being, there are some important dates for all league families to note.

Registration Deadlines
In order to properly plan for the season, registration will close on February 14.

Parent and Coaches Meetings
These meetings will be conducted virtually this year, which will make it easier than ever for a high turnout! They will again both be held on the same night, in succession, on February 24.

Practices Begin
Practices are set to being on March 13 for the Pinto, Mustang, Bronco, and Pony divisions. Shetland players will begin practices on April 5.

Opening Days
Barring unforeseen delays, league play for Pinto, MuStang, Bronco, and Pony divisions will begin the same day Shetland begins practice, April 5. Shetland will begin on either April 17 or April 24.

The Big Pee-Wee Clean-up Day
Every year, volunteers gather at our baseball venue to help get the fields prepared for the season. There is plenty of work needed to have the fields and surrounding area ready for even the start of practices and tasks available for any and all levels of experience and capabilities. So please, if you are able, be ready to come to the fields on March 20th to help in any way you can!

For more information on all of the above, go here.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Auto-theft arrest after car-on-side crash; plus – prowl loot to look for

February 6, 2021 2:43 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Crime | Delridge | Gatewood | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

(Photo sent by Nate)

STOLEN-CAR-ON-SIDE CRASH: The crash happened in the construction zone at 22nd/Delridge just before noon. According to SPD, the Subaru was stolen from the Arco station qt Delridge/Orchard and the thief “fled northbound on Delridge Way SW at a high rate of speed. The suspect lost control of the vehicle in an active construction zone.” He then fled on foot; officers pursued and arrested him. Police add, “Thankfully no construction workers were hit or injured.” Some were on scene doing Saturday work, as the photos show.

(SPD photo)

The suspect was taken to jail.

CAR PROWL LOOT TO LOOK FOR: Katie says this happened at 37th/Ida in Gatewood:

I left our car unlocked last night and my son’s backpack was taken. It’s pretty bright, so easy to spot. [stock photo] It also had his favorite hat, a black and white Vans beanie with a pom pom, and a blue fleece blanket with snowflakes. Also, bright blue fingerless gloves. If you see any of this, please let me know! Nothing is worth much, I’d just like to recover anything that was dumped!

If you find any of the above, contact us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – and we’ll connect you.

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UPDATE: Water-rescue response off Beach Drive

February 6, 2021 1:14 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

1:14 PM: A Seattle Fire water-rescue response is headed for the 5600 block of Beach Drive [map] after a report of someone possibly in trouble offshore. Updates to come.

1:17 PM: SFD says the report was that a kite-surfer appeared to be in trouble. They’re sending land and water crews to look.

1:27 PM: The search has relocated to the 5000 block of Beach Drive. They’re still not seeing anyone or anything.

1:42 PM: Boats are helping search (including SPD and Coast Guard – texted photo added above) but there is still no sign of anyone in trouble.

1:28 PM: The search is being scaled down, after a report that someone saw a surfer matching the description – with brightly colored gear – getting safely out of the water, but they’re still not certain that was the same surfer.

1:54 PM: Now they’ve talked to someone they do believe was the surfer in question, and they’re safe.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Wind alert; tree trouble; wild waves

February 6, 2021 9:58 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

9:58 AM: Thanks to Lucas for that photo of a tree that fell on Murray Avenue SW near Lowman Beach [map], first reported casualty of today’s wind. (Added: City Light has a 4-customer outage there.) The National Weather Service has a Wind Advisory in effect for our area through 10 pm, warning it’ll be more blustery than previously forecast – “southwest wind 20 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph.” If you have tree, power, or other trouble, please let us know – text or call 206-293-6302 or email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

12:10 PM: We went to Constellation Park shortly after high tide, which wasn’t mega-high today (11.6 feet):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog)

Thanks to Eileen for sending this photo from that same area:

Meantime, further south, the Murray Avenue power is back on, according to the SCL map, but 10 homes are out on Beach Drive.

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WEST SEATTLE SATURDAY: 5 things you can do

February 6, 2021 6:43 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(State ferry M/V Kaleetan, photographed by Jerry Simmons)

Welcome to February’s first weekend!

ALKI COMMUNITY CLEANUP: Start your weekend by volunteering – join Jessica‘s monthly community cleanup at Alki Beach, 10 am. Details are in our calendar listing. (56th/Alki)

HOPE FACTORY OPEN HOUSE: Not in West Seattle, but its roots are – this new tiny-home-building factory started as an all-volunteer operation at Camp Second Chance. You’re invited to visit its new SODO home today, 10 am-4 pm. (5 South Nevada)

SOUTHWEST LITTLE LEAGUE SIGNUPS: Noon-2 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center. You can also register online. (1321 SW 102nd)

VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM: 1-4 pm Saturdays, Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) is opening for tastings, glasses, and/or bottle sales, as previewed here. (5910 California SW)

CIRCA ANNIVERSARY: Circa reopens for indoor dining (at 25% capacity) today and offers specials to celebrate its 23rd anniversary, as previewed here. (2605 California SW)

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CORONAVIRUS: Friday 2/5/2021 roundup

February 5, 2021 11:06 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

49 weeks have now passed 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:

*78,090 people have tested positive, 249 more than yesterday’s total

*1,292 people have died, 13 more than yesterday’s total

*4,865 people have been hospitalized, 19 more than yesterday’s total

*844,187 people have been tested, 2,494 more than yesterday’s total

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

*239,821 people have received one dose

*63,655 people have received both doses

*296,225 doses have been allocated to King County

One week ago, the first four totals were 76,345/1,249/4,771/826,565, and the vaccination totals were 181,108/37,984/232,350.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 105.3 million cases, 2,299,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

SENIOR CENTER OFFERS TO BE VACCINATION SITE: Along with working to help its members navigate the maze of trying to find vaccination appointments, the Senior Center of West Seattle has offered to be a vaccination site. The county says vaccine supplies are too tight to do anything right now but put it on a list.

COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: In his weekly briefing today, Dr. Jeff Duchin said that while decreasing case numbers “are great,” they are not anywhere near a “safe level.” And, given the variants’ ascent, he said he feels “we’re in the eye of a hurricane.” He also ran through other trends as well as the vaccination situation – you can watch the briefing here.

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

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FOLLOWUP: Will Terminal 5 opening delay mean more West Seattle low bridge access?

February 5, 2021 8:51 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| Port of Seattle | Transportation | West Seattle news

(File photo)

Access to the West Seattle low bridge has been limited, in part, to save space for the port truck traffic expected when Terminal 5 goes back into the cargo business, after the first phase of a $340 million modernization project. That was supposed to happen this June. Then suddenly, late Thursday, the Northwest Seaport Alliance announced T-5’s new north berth won’t open until the first quarter of next year. That means the city is saving space for trucks that won’t need it for a year or so – by which time the high bridge should be close to reopening. So as promised, we followed up with SDOT today to ask what that means to low-bridge access policy. In short: They’re working on it. SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson told WSB, “We plan to address this as part of our update to the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force next week. We’re developing a staff recommendation now in response to this new development, and would then still plan to work with the Low Bridge subcommittee to formalize any changes to the access policy.” The Community Task Force meets at 4 pm next Thursday (February 11th). Meantime, we also asked NWSA for elaboration on the “unforeseen circumstances” cited as factoring into the T-5 delay; spokesperson Melanie Stambaugh would not comment except to reiterate that details will be provided at the March 2nd meeting of the NWSA’s managing members (Seattle and Tacoma port commissioners).

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Louisa Boren STEM K-8 PTA’s demonstration for Black Lives Matter at School Week

February 5, 2021 7:24 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle protests | West Seattle schools

Thanks to Alicia from the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 PTA for the photos. As previewed here, the PTA organized a demonstration this afternoon wrapping up Black Lives Matter at School Week.

Alicia reports that more than 50 students, family members, and staff participated. Delridge is torn up in front of their school, so they gathered along Sylvan Way, outside High Point Neighborhood House.

Alicia adds, “We enjoyed the honking horns and waves from passing cars!”

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FOLLOWUP: Smaller vessel staying longer on West Seattle Water Taxi route

February 5, 2021 6:26 pm

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| King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

M/V Spirit of Kingston will be on the West Seattle Water Taxi route at least a few more days, according to King County Metro. We checked today to see if M/V Doc Maynard would return to the run next week, since this was the last day of the announced two-week period for which it shifted to the Vashon run, filling in for M/V Sally Fox. Metro spokesperson Torie Rynning replied, “We are now looking to restore the Doc Maynard to the West Seattle route for the Wednesday afternoon commute at the earliest. It might be longer if the weather does not cooperate, due to some outstanding painting and outdoor projects needing to be completed on Sally Fox before she leaves the shipyard. In the process of installing all new railings on the Sally Fox, the crew found other minor issues to fix, which extended the shipyard period.” M/V Sally Fox and Doc Maynard are close to identical twins – both went into service in 2015.