West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
The vaccination situation tops tonight’s pandemic headlines again:
WEST SEATTLE APPOINTMENTS: Earlier this evening, the mayor’s office told us they had hundreds of appointments to fill for the next two days at the new city-run vaccination site that’s alongside the testing site in the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot. We don’t know if they’re filled yet, but read our story and the comments before giving it a try.
NEWEST VACCINE GETS BONUS THUMBS-UP: Every vaccine OK’d by the feds has gotten an extra review/approval from the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup; Gov. Inslee announced today that they’ve authorized use of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
INSLEE BRIEFING TOMORROW: The governor plans a media briefing/Q&A updating the pandemic response at 2:30 pm tomorrow; here’s the livestream link.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Now, from the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*82.507 people have tested positive, 144 more than yesterday’s total
*1,404 people have died, 5 more than yesterday’s total
*5,109 people have been hospitalized, 11 fewer than yesterday’s total (data adjustment)
*910,371 people have been tested, 301 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 81,525/1,365/5,090/896,855.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Our state has passed 5,000 deaths. Find all the numbers, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
HAZARD PAY FOR GROCERY WORKERS: A proposal to expand it in King County won approval by county councilmembers meeting today as the Committee of the Whole; it’s expected to get a full-council vote next week.
RETURNING TO IN-PERSON LEARNING: Waiting for word on what’s next with Seattle Public Schools, which has ordered staff for special-education “intensive pathways” and preschool to return to buildings Monday, without having reached agreement with the Seattle Education Association, which planned a meeting tonight to discuss the situation.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
That giant rainbow bunny is looking for a new home. It will be joining the family of whoever wins a raffle that’s part of the West Seattle Junction Easter Egg Hunt, now exactly one month away, in three sessions on Saturday, April 3rd. To be part of the egg hunt, you need to buy a special tote bag from the West Seattle Junction Association for $30 – 100 have been sold, with about 200 left. The bags come with a variety of goodies including five raffle tickets for the bunny (and other prizes TBA), with the drawing planned for the day after the egg hunt. You can order a tote bag by going here, with options for pickup at a Junction merchant or the WSJA office on April 1 or 2, or delivery on April 2, or egg-hunt-day pickup.
P.S. WSJA is also hunting for individuals or groups to volunteer for the event – you can sign up here.
We’re continuing to feature school-group fundraisers – and tonight we have an unusual one, involving a scavenger hunt (and more)! Here’s how the Genesee Hill Elementary PTA explains it:
We have a cool way to do fundraising for a unique kind of year at Genesee Hill and invite the community to join in!
To state the obvious, school looks very different for everyone this year. What hasn’t changed is the need for the Genesee Hill PTA to partner with the Genesee Hill Administration to ensure the necessary programs are in place for all of our kids to be successful. Fundraising allows us to be flexible and “fill the gaps” on services that are unfortunately not covered by the school district or the State of Washington.
To make it a bit more fun – we have added some fun twists.
YARD SIGNS! With a minimum of a $50 donation, you will receive a yard sign delivered to your doorstep. There is a spot for you to be creative and create something fun for kids to find. Draw, paint, attach something – the sky is the limit! Once done, put the sign out in your yard for the scavenger hunt.
RAFFLE! We are hosting three raffle drawings throughout the campaign. We are incredibly grateful for the strong support we received from so many local businesses and are happy to feature them here.
SCAVENGER HUNT! All of the yard signs are numbered and Genesee Hill kids are invited to find as many as they can then enter their own raffle drawing. Click here for more details.
Join us in helping to support all kids to succeed in our school!
You can donate to the Genesee Hill PTA by going here.
5:30 PM: Just got word of this from the mayor’s office:
Because of a last-minute influx in vaccine, we have around 400 appointments currently available at our West Seattle site for tomorrow, March 4, and Friday, March 5. Here’s the registration link.
Because of the significant percentage of folks 65 and older in the West Seattle area who have yet to be vaccinated, we are focusing on folks 65 and older in ZIP codes in West Seattle, Delridge, and South Park that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
The site is at Southwest Athletic Complex‘s parking lot, 2801 SW Thistle, same place the city’s been offering testing, which continues.
9:27 PM: If you’re 65+ but hit an “ineligible” screen, commenters below have advice.
THURSDAY 8:22 AM: Still appointments, the mayor’s office says, and now open to all WS zip codes.
If you can give blood, Bloodworks Northwest wants you to know that it has extra capacity for upcoming West Seattle donation dates, starting this Friday. Here’s the update:
Bloodworks Northwest has openings for our upcoming March and April West Seattle pop-ups! We will accept blood donations at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St) on: March 5, 6, 12, 13 & Apr 9, 10, 16 & 17.
Please sign up here. As these slots fill, please check back for cancellations and/or our soon-to-be-scheduled May West Seattle pop-up.
Your donation could put you in the driver’s seat! When you donate blood with Bloodworks 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. More info at www.bloodworksnw.org/winacar
Or, be in the running to win one of two Dyson V11 vacuums when you donate blood between March 18 – April 4!
Masks are required at all donation sites. Walk-ins, guests or anyone under 16 years of age are (unfortunately) not permitted. Have questions or need help booking an appointment? Please call 800-398-7888 or e-mail schedule@bloodworksnw.org
Giving blood during the pandemic is a safe and essential action. For more info on how Bloodworks is keeping donors and staff safe, by abiding by all CDC, FDA and WA State Department of Health guidelines please visit: https://www.bloodworksnw.org/about/news/coronavirus
As we’ve been reporting, the southbound side of the state-owned 1st Avenue South Bridge has two overnight closures coming up this weekend, kicking off a week and a half of work. This Friday and Saturday night, that side of that bridge will be closed 9 pm-6 am, which is an hour beyond the usual open-to-all time for the city-owned West Seattle low bridge. So SDOT has just decided to add an extra hour of low-bridge access those nights – so Friday night into Saturday morning (March 5-6) and Saturday night into Sunday morning (March 6-7), the low bridge will be open to all 9 pm-6 am. No access change planned so far during the 1st Avenue South Bridge’s March 10-15 southbound lane closures, but SDOT has planned other support such as extra Seattle Response Team crews around the low bridge on those days.
(WSB file photo)
Between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge in 2022 and the opening of Sound Transit light rail in 2031 (or later), at least one more major West Seattle transportation project looms: Overhauling the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. Washington State Ferries has been talking about it for years, and terminal neighbors have been girding for battle over potential expansion as part of the plan. Now WSF says it’s ready to start the official “community engagement” part of what it says will be a “multi-year planning process, and has announced two online community meetings for later this month – 11 am Wednesday, March 17th, and 6 pm Thursday, March 18th. WSF’s announcement notes:
The Fauntleroy terminal was built in the 1950s and needs substantial work to address deficiencies of the aging and seismically vulnerable structure to maintain safe and reliable service on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth ferry route. The meetings will include information on why the current Fauntleroy terminal needs to be replaced, how project plans will be developed and how the community can expect to be involved.
You’ll have to pre-register to get the meeting links – go here for March 17th; go here for March 18th. (WSF says the presentations at both meetings will be the same.) The project is expected to be built around 2025-2027.
Metro has announced the plan for its March “service change,” which takes effect March 20th. Changes include:
*Adding/restoring some trips “to address travel demand that at times exceeds COVID-19 passenger limits,” including, in West Seattle, Routes 50, 60, and 128.
*Suspension of some trips on certain routes, described as “peak commuter routes where ridership has not yet returned,” including, in West Seattle. Routes 21X, 55, 56, 57,.
Metro also says some suspended routes will continue that way at least until the fall service change “due to lower ridership demand and available financial resources,” including, in West Seattle, Routes 22, 37, 113, and 116.
See the full announcement here. You can get the route-by-route details here.
In case you’ve lost track of the status of the plan to re-start some Seattle Public Schools in-person learning: Though the goal voiced by the district back in December was to return preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, and special-education “intensive pathways” students to campuses on March 1st, the district and the Seattle Education Association are still negotiating. Last Friday, the district announced that it had declared the “intensive pathways” and preschool staff as “essential,” and would expect them back on campus next Monday (March 8th), with those students starting in-person classes (with their families offered the option to remain remote) on Thursday, March 11th. The district’s latest update on this is here. Meantime, SEA’s latest update is here. The union’s board considers the unilateral “essential” declaration illegal and “unionbusting,” and is recommending that those covered by it continue working remotely. SEA is having a 5 pm meeting tonight to consider that and other recommendations, and another meeting tomorrow for the members who the district has declared “essential.” The union’s update from Monday includes both district and SEA links to proposals, counterproposals, and comparisons.
(Photo by Arlene Rubin)
Notes for a sunny Wednesday:
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALES CONTINUES: As we reported earlier this week, Girl Scouts are now selling cookies – including online orders from local Scouts who are offering no-contact delivery. Here’s how to order.
SCHOOL BOARD TALKS BUDGET: School-bus cuts? Price increases for school meals? The Seattle Public Schools board continues talking about ways to narrow a budget gap, with an online “work session” at 4:30 pm. The agenda includes background info and how to watch/listen. (No public-comment period at work sessions.)
KING COUNTY TOWN HALL: At 6 pm, our area’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott is one of four leading an online Town Hall tonight, spotlighting the pandemic response and other key issues. For viewing/call-in info, go here. Got a question? Send it in advance via this page.
DISTRICT 1 COMMUNITY NETWORK: A Port of Seattle update is among the featured topics when this coalition of West Seattle and South Park community advocates meets online at 7 pm. All welcome. Our calendar listing has information on viewing/participating.
Are we missing anything? Please send event info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
If you’re planning on planting this spring – whether in a yard or in containers – here’s a way to help a local school group along the way. From Friends of Roxhill Elementary:
Spring Flower Fundraiser for Friends of Roxhill Elementary
We are partnering with Flower Power Fundraising to sell flower bulbs, kitchen garden herbs, sprouts, seeds and more to bring some joy to your home garden or window sill this spring.
Check out our fundraising website: friendsofroxhill.fpfundraising.com
Order deadline is May 15, 2021
Email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com with any questions
6:12 AM: Good morning! Sunny forecast today, and temperatures that could reach the upper 50s.
ROAD WORK: For the Delridge project, here’s the list of this week’s work zones. … This Friday night brings the start of the southbound 1st Avenue South Bridge work, with that side of the bridge closing 9 pm to 5 am Friday into Saturday and Saturday into Sunday.
TRANSIT: Metro and the Water Taxi are on regular schedules. (The latter, as announced Monday, WILL have a 7-day-a-week schedule this spring/summer, unlike last year.)
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES: 345th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how it’s looking on other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Eighth 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 – with a new left-turn signal for northbound HP Way, turning to westbound Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
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