day : 13/03/2021 9 results

Last pandemic update before Daylight Saving Time arrives:

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

*84,031 people have tested positive, 225 more than yesterday’s total

*1,437 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total

*5,175 people have been hospitalized, 9 more than yesterday’s total

*927,326 people have been tested, 398 more than yesterday’s total

ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 82,941/1,415/5,137/914,177.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 119.5 million people have tested positive, and more than 2,648,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 534,000. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, India, Russia, UK (Brazil and India have traded places since last Saturday). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

MASS VACCINATION SITE OPENS The mayor returned to the Lumen Field Event Center today as it went into service as a mass vaccination site:

The Seattle Times reports ~2,160 shots were given today. The city says that’s just a fraction of what the site could handle if and when enough vaccine is available.

ELIGIBLE BUT NOT VACCINATED YET? Here’s our list of where to look for an appointment:

*For the Lumen Field site as well as the city-run West Seattle and Rainier Beach sites – get on the notification list here; check for West Seattle appointments available in the next few days by going here
*Your health-care provider (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine, CHI Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator)
*Pharmacy chains big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics

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

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire leads to arrest; car prowlers hit 1 car 3 times

March 13, 2021 8:14 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

SOUTH DELRIDGE GUNFIRE: We just got some police info on this late-afternoon incident. It started with 911 calls about possible gunfire around 4:40 pm (the police report mentions 16th/Barton; we heard scanner mentions at the time of 18th/Cambridge/Roxbury). One person told police they saw the shooter, and provided information that helped police find and arrest a suspect. They also found in the suspect’s possession, according to the initial summary, “a firearm (with an obliterated serial number) … as well as a magazine and shell casings).” The report adds, “Two spent shell casings were recovered at the scene as well. We did not locate a victim. The suspect was booked into KCJ as he is a convicted felon.”

One reader report:

ONE CAR PROWLED THREE TIMES: From Derek:

We live on 38th Ave SW, between Edmunds and Hudson. Since last August, we’ve had at least 3 attempted break-ins on our car, a 1999 Audi A4. Break-ins are by a common method for these vehicles; the perp pries a portion of the door handle off and attempts break/force the door to unlock. In the least it results in a broken door handle, dented and gouged door, broken lock cylinder, and a hefty repair bill. Worst case it leads to a stolen car. Attached picture shows the damage.

First attempt was in August, second early December, and third last night. In August we only figured it out after the damage was noted, in December through lucky timing I caught the person in action and was able to follow them until they got in their car and drove off. The third time was last night when we heard the car alarm go off at 9:30 or so. By the time we got outside the perp was gone.

In December when I saw the perp, they drove away in a silver 1995-2001 model year A4. I tried getting a picture of the license plate but came away with a low-light video but was able to remember the first letters of the license plate as BR. Third letter may have been B. Low light gave a pretty bad video but after putting freeze frame of the video through a couple of filters the last two numbers appeared to be 74.

P.S. The third Tuesday of the month is usually the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting a chance to hear from, and ask questions of, local police – no announcement yet but we will publish it if and when we get it.

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BIZNOTE: New location for Our Secret Garden

March 13, 2021 7:06 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

West Seattle Junction flower shop Our Secret Garden has moved, and is celebrating its new location’s grand opening tomorrow. Formerly at 4730 California SW, Our Secret Garden has moved south to another of the area’s newer mixed-use buildings, The Blake, at 5020 California SW. It’s a bigger space, as you’ll see if you drop by during tomorrow’s celebration, 10 am-5 pm.

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FERRY ALERT: Trouble on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route

March 13, 2021 4:35 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

4:35 PM: Thanks to Ethan for the tip via Twitter – M/V Kittitas on the Triangle Route is out of service for a while. Email alert from WSF says at least its next four runs are canceled due to a crew shortage – “the 4:30 pm from Southworth to Vashon, the 4:50 pm from Vashon to Fauntleroy, the 5:20 pm from Fauntleroy to Vashon, and the 5:45 pm from Vashon to Southworth.” Ethan says people on board Kittitas now are being dropped off at Southworth to await the arrival of M/V Cathlamet in half an hour.

6:50 PM: WSF’s latest email alert says Kittitas is back in service but still short on crew and “will sail at reduced capacity for the remainder of the service day. This may limit a customer’s ability to sail on the sailing they prefer. Customers are encouraged to arrive early.” Vessel Watch shows it is still at Southworth, while Cathlamet has just left Vashon for Southworth, 30+ minutes late.

7:51 PM: The latest email update from WSF:

Both vessels are an estimated 35-45 minutes behind schedule due to an earlier service disruption. This delays the following sailings:

7:05 p.m., 7:25 p.m., 8:25 p.m. and the 8:40 p.m. from Vashon to Fauntleroy
7:35 p.m., 7:55 p.m., 8:50 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. from Fauntleroy to Vashon
8:00 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. from Vashon to Southworth
8:20 p.m. from Southworth to Vashon

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WORDS FOR WHALES: Here’s who won The Whale Trail’s Welcome the Orcas poetry contest!

March 13, 2021 2:16 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales | WS culture/arts

(J58 and her family, by Mark Sears, NOAA Research Permit 21348. L-R, J51, J22, J41, J58, J19, J37 – thanks to Maya Sears for IDs!)

Like so many things, The Whale Trail‘s annual “Welcome the Orcas” celebration went virtual this year. The announcement we published in December included an invitation to enter a writing contest. Today – news of the winners!

The Whale Trail announces the winners of its first Welcome the Orcas Writing Contest, held in December 2020 to celebrate the seasonal return of the endangered southern resident orcas to central Puget Sound. Writers Andy Havens and Hannah Lindell-Smith, both West Seattleites, took top honors in their age groups.

“We are grateful to everyone who participated, and helped us welcome the southern residents with heart, and art!” said Whale Trail director Donna Sandstrom. “With the recent additions of J57, J58 and L125, there are three new calves to welcome! The southern resident community has grown to 75 individuals — here’s to a new season of hope for the orcas, and the world.”

First Prize
The Librarian, by Andy Havens (Adult Category)
J57, by Hannah Lindell-Smith (9th to 12 grade)

Second Prize
Love Them, Protect Them, by Lucy Larkin (Adult Category)
Orca Song, by Hannah Lindell-Smith (9th to 12 grade)

Honorable Mention
Welcome Home, Orcas, by Bobbi Fabbelano (Adult Category)

Read all the prize-winning poems on The Whale Trail’s website here; the first-prize winners are below:

The Librarian
by Andy Havens

The orca’s tongue is tattooed in crowblack ink
with the whole history of the Hoh
and the names of Nisqually who breathed the air
in the sacred space between hawk and bear –
hung to cure in a frozen smoke.

In the blackfish grin, written on salmon skin,
lives the library of the Lummi
and the forgotten words to S’Klallam songs
sung in the fog from which they’re drawn –
then gone like a dream’s unblooming.

But the orca speaks, too, the newer words
of submarine and ferry boat
and the sharp dialect of high skylines
that replace the flesh with the crystalline –
concrete terms being asked to float.

A blackfin ripple loops like cursive in the bay
as the orca pens the Pacific tome
and writes Sound verses beneath the surface
in a Salish hand whose arc is perfect –
the scrimshaw line of tooth and bone.

*Andy Havens is husband, a father of two, and a US Army veteran living on the ersatz island of West Seattle. He is currently writing poetry focused on Pacific Northwest geography, nature, and history. His poetry has appeared in Fragments Literary Magazine and the online journal Whatever Keeps the Lights On.

(Backlit blows of J pod in Puget Sound. Photo by Mark Sears, NOAA Permit 21348)

J57
by Hannah Lindell-Smith

You are the wind.

You are the Sun and Moon that light the way.
You are the stars in the darkest of nights.
You are the rainbow after the storm.

You are the waves you swim through,
the child of the life-giving water and your family’s tears.
You are the blood of a dying universe.

You are the fighter and survivor.
You are the salmon that travel hundreds of miles
to give their lives to you.

You are the stories your family will tell you.
You are all that they will give to you,
and the love you will give to all.

You are everything that has come before.
You are the one we have been waiting for.

*Hannah Lindell-Smith is a 14-year-old from Seattle. She is a student, activist, writer, and change-maker, future and present. Watch out, world!

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COUNTDOWN: 1 week to go! Free drop-off recycling, shredding at West Seattle event

March 13, 2021 12:42 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

Another reminder so you can get ready this weekend – next weekend starts with the FREE recycling/shredding event presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and WS Chamber of Commerce, 9 am-noon Saturday, March 20th. Different location this year so there’s lots of room to distance – the expansive north parking lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). Guidelines for what the event will and won’t take:

ACCEPTED ITEMS INCLUDE:
Styrofoam
Household batteries
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs
Small electronics
Paper for shredding (limit 4 boxes) – you CAN bring confidential documents

NOT-ACCEPTED ITEMS INCLUDE:
Automotive waste
Furniture
Broken household goods
Construction waste
Latex paint
Large appliances
Garbage or yard waste
Hazardous waste
Car seats
Non-recyclable or non-reusable items
Commercial loads
NO clothing/linens (due to capacity)
NO household goods (due to capacity)

Masking/distancing protocol and other info is on the WSJA’s preview page.

P.S. The sponsoring nonprofits run on volunteer power, and a couple spots remain for peoplr to help the event go smoothly. Sign up here!

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BIZNOTE: Mantis Madness time for Tiny Science

March 13, 2021 11:03 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news

A West Seattle woman is in the bug business this time of year. Tiny Science proprietor Jen the Entomologist says it’s time for Mantis Madness – science lessons you and your kid(s) can explore at home:

Tiny Science started 5 years ago when Jen brought a praying mantis tank to her kids’ preschool. Visiting to care for the tank, those preschoolers asked some awesome questions. Jen started planning weekly visits to discuss insects with preschoolers and Tiny Science was born. Jen has taught around West Seattle (including WorldKids School, Senior Center of West Seattle, The Tilden School, Gatewood and Arbor Heights Elementaries, Westside, and more).

The praying mantis hatching kit from Tiny Science comes with everything you need for a summer full of fascinating praying mantis encounters. Purchase your hatching kit online at tinyscience.org/mantis-madness

This simple and memorable project includes observing newly hatched mantises, releasing them into your outside space, and encountering them all summer long. Mantises are completely self-sufficient from hatching and require no care. This is an excellent educational experience for all ages, especially wonderful for multi-generational relationships. Kids and grownups spend the summer outside searching for (and finding!) these charismatic arthropod ambassadors of nature as they hunt and grow in your natural space.

Some FAQ include “Is it responsible to release these here?” and “Are they safe to hold?” These are Chinese mantids, a naturalized generalist predator with no direct native competitors. They contribute to their ecology as a prey item for many birds and arthropods and rarely generate offspring in our mild, wet climate. They are safe and fascinating to hold. Find more answers to frequently asked questions on the Tiny Science website.

High-quality ootheca (egg cases) are treated with expert care by Jen the Entomologist, West Seattle mom and small-business owner. We expect high viability from this robust bunch. Tiny Science’s mission is to improve science literacy and learner confidence in science. Contact Jen to learn more about awesome online science “Field Trips” for your class or school. Tiny Science teaches entomology to all ages and groups.

*Purchase your kit online

*Porch pick-up in West Seattle (Seaview, near the Junction) beginning mid-March. Hatching is expected to begin sometime in April with kits available through that month.

Mantis Madness is an annual springtime educational science experience from Tiny Science. Jen the Entomologist is a West Seattle mom and business owner of Tiny Science, a community resource for science education. Tiny Science online classes for early elementary boost learner confidence.

Jen says Tiny Science offers classes, parties, and badges too.

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WEST SEATTLE SATURDAY: Traffic alerts (updated), Destination Delridge, more!

March 13, 2021 6:43 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(View from Westcrest Park, photographed by Gill Loring)

Welcome to the last weekend of winter – by this time next Saturday, spring will have officially begun, Here’s what you should know about the rest of today:

TRAFFIC ALERTS: Two for today – lane closures on the southbound 1st Avenue South Bridge continue around the clock all weekend, and work is planned all day today at the Delridge/Genesee intersection – but it’s NOT part of the ongoing SDOT/Metro work; SDOT says it’s utility work related to residential development at that corner. ADDED 1:52 PM: Genesee is blocked at Delridge while this work continues. Also – thanks for the tips – the 35th/Roxbury signal is in flashing-red mode.

(Sunny weather also often brings unannounced road work, so if you see anything else major, please let us know – text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!)

BEIGNETS & COFFEE: 8 am-1 pm, Jet City Beignet (WSB sponsor) will be selling their creations at Realfine Coffee in The Triangle (4480 Fauntleroy Way SW).

VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM: 1-5 pm, stop by the tasting room (5910 California SW) to sip, and/or buy, Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) wine – you can even pre-order.

DESTINATION DELRIDGE – LIVE FROM THE HEART: Celebrate and support DNDA with an online gala full of art, music, and community, 7 pm online. Our preview includes ticket info.

LIVE FROM HPIC: First livestreamed music presented from Highland Park Improvement Club – Hot Rod, here at 8 pm.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES: On sale online this year! Go here for links, including local scouts offering contact-free local delivery.

SPRING FORWARD TO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME: Tonight’s the night we “spring forward” one hour – 2 am Sunday instantly becomes 3 am Sunday.

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SPORTS: Chief Sealth IHS over West Seattle HS in pandemic-season Huling Bowl

March 13, 2021 2:33 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(WSB photos)

Friday night brought the fourth consecutive Huling Bowl win for Chief Sealth International High School. The cross-peninsula football faceoff between Sealth and West Seattle High School happens every season – we can’t say “every year” because the pandemic cut 2020 out of the picture. Besides the change of seasons, something else was very different at Southwest Athletic Complex:

Spectators won’t be allowed in the stands until next week. But on the field – a full complement of players and coaches (Daron Camacho for the Seahawks, Jeff Scott for the Wildcats), as Sealth piled up the points for a 40-17 victory. Sealth #4 Quinn Killham scored the first TD, but then #3 Zack Cunningham racked up the TD’s:

#41 Ethan Heathershaw forced a WS fumble, recovered it, and ran it in for Sealth’s last touchdown:

Both of West Seattle’s two touchdowns were by #6 Jimmy Fomby:

The Wildcats’ JP Dufour kicked a field goal:

Without fans, the game was short on the usual celebration and ceremony. We did photograph athletic directors Ernest Policarpio (Sealth) and Corey Sorenson (WSHS) with the trophy pre-game:

The Huling Bowl tradition goes back almost 20 years – here’s the backstory. As for what’s next in this one-of-a-kind season, Sealth (1-1) plays at Ingraham at 7 pm next Friday, same time/day that WSHS (1-1) hosts Lincoln at SWAC

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