West Seattle, Washington

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day : 03/04/2021 10 results

CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 4/3/2021 roundup
April 3, 2021 11:59 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

A quick look at tonight’s pandemic notes:

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

*89,039 people have tested positive, 253 more than yesterday’s total

*1,472 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total

*5,366 people have been hospitalized, 12 more than yesterday’s total

*976,357 people have been tested, 388 more than yesterday’s total

ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 87,112/1,461/5,256/959,118.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 130.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 2,846,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 554,000. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, India, France, Russia (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

LOOKING FOR VACCINE? If you’re eligible now, here are links to try:

*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies 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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UPDATE: ‘Major rescue’ response for 2-car crash at Sylvan/Delridge
April 3, 2021 9:48 pm
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

9:48 PM: A two-vehicle crash at Delridge/Sylvan has drawn a “rescue extrication” response, with people reported trapped in the vehicles. At least two people are reported to be seriously injured. At least part of that intersection is blocked.

10 PM: Added photo sent by Lori. The response was upsized to a “major rescue” because people needed to be extricated from both vehicles. As you can see from Lori’s photo above, firefighters had to remove the roof from one vehicle.

10:14 PM: Another photo above from Lori. Meantime, the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is arriving. Sylvan is blocked up the hill and this will be closed for several hours while they investigate. Two people have been taken to the hospital.

10:35 PM: Above is our photo of the wrecked cars. That’s the north side of Home Depot in the background. Waiting for SFD info on the conditions of the two people taken to the hospital.

19:49 PM: SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley says a man in his mid-20s was transported in serious condition, and a man in his early 20s was transported in stable condition.

11:00 PM: Police now say the two were the vehicles’ drivers and no one else was in either car and that one driver is being investigated for DUI. Sylvaan Way remains closed between High Point Drive and Delridge.

12:24 AM: Still closed.

9:13 AM: Additional information from police this morning – they now say the male driver of the red Chevrolet was westbound and “crossed the center line in the 7200 block of Sylvan Way and struck a blue Hyundai, driven by an adult female, which was coming down the hill.” The male driver is under investigation for suspected DUI.

ADDED MONDAY: In this comment, a family member says the blue Hyundai’s driver is actually a man in his mid-30s and is in stable condition.

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UPDATE: 2-alarm fire at 3295 SW Avalon Way damages roof and apartments, with black smoke visible for miles
April 3, 2021 6:27 pm
|      40 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

6:27 PM: Big Seattle Fire response heading for 3295 SW Avalon Way. That’s a mixed-use building on the southeast corner of 35th/Avalon. SFD says the fire’s on the roof. Updates to come.

6:34 PM: Kevin Freitas shares this image:

6:39 PM: Firefighters report the fire is under control. No word yet if anyone’s hurt. The smoke’s visible for miles around – we have reports from Beacon Hill to Bainbridge. This photo is from Hollie:

Video from Tomasz:

This photo is from a texter, in case you can’t place which building it is – it’s the one with the unoccupied commercial space (formerly a dental office) at ground level.

6:47 PM: The smoke has dissipated now, according to our crew at the scene, as firefighters continue working to finish putting it out. SFD meantime called a second alarm to help. (added) Cindy Gammon recorded what it sounded like as reinforcements rushed in:

Kevin Freitas has a time-lapse of the smoke dissipating:

7:02 PM: While the fire is all but out, firefighters still have a lot to deal with – such as sprinklers. Here’s a closer view *from earlier* emailed by Finnegan Liddell:

Thanks again to everyone who has texted, emailed, and tweeted photos. Here’s an aerial (drone) view from Eddie:

=

An SFD public-information officer has arrived at the scene so we should have some additional information soon.

7:22 PM: SFD’s Kristin Tinsley confirms no one was hurt. The fire was confined to the roof and top (6th) floor. Fighting it was complicated by the fact the standpipe they would normally tap into was right in the fire area. No indication of the cause yet. Only “hot spots” remain. We have her briefing on video and will upload that when our crew’s back at HQ (update: here it is:)

7:35 PM: Firefighters just told dispatch that 10 units are “uninhabitable.”

(WSB photo)

8:41 PM: 10+ units are still on scene dealing with the aftermath.

(Another aerial view from Eddie)

ADDED 9:33 AM: From SFD spokesperson Tinsley via email: “Fire investigators have ruled the cause of the West Seattle 2-alarm fire ‘undetermined’ due to multiple possible ignition sources. Total estimated loss is $500,000 from fire damage to the roof and heavy water damage on roof and top floor.”

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EASTER WEEKEND: West Seattle egg hunts
April 3, 2021 5:31 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | Holidays | West Seattle news

Those are some of the Easter Bunny’s helpers in The Junction this afternoon, at the check-in table for today’s sold-out, socially distanced egg hunts. Volunteers scattered eggs around Junction businesses between sessions, trying to place them where little participants would spot them.

The West Seattle Junction Association hasn’t done egg hunts in the past – usually this pre-Easter weekend would bring the more traditional free-for-alls at venues including local community centers. But this year, WSJA has created seasonal offerings to try to make up for that while generating more income for independent local retailers, who contributed items for special spring tote bags, as they did for Hometown Holidays and Harvest Fest boxes.

This isn’t the only egg-hunting opportunity this weekend, though. A few local churches are offering them to kids in attendance for Easter Sunday services – including Eastridge Church (39th/Oregon; WSB sponsor), indoors during the 9:15 and 11 services, and St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW), 10 am. And WSJA says some “low-key” egg hunting might be happening during tomorrow’s Farmers Market

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New life for old flour mill: TV/movie production at King County Harbor Island Studios
April 3, 2021 3:33 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(King County Executive’s Office photo)

Call it Hollywood on Harbor Island. Part of the former Fisher Flour Mill – now county-owned – has become a TV/movie-production facility, and King County Executive Dow Constantine showed it off today. From the county announcement:

The 117,000 square-foot sound stage is King County’s first major public investment to bring back a once-thriving film industry and hundreds of family wage, creative economy jobs as the region rebounds post-pandemic.

King County crews and contractors re-wired and built interior sound-proof walls in the former Fisher Flour Mill, purchased by King County 18 years ago to potentially ship solid waste. The work, which cost about $1.5 million, has already attracted a creative economy tenant.

A Hollywood episodic production is preparing to use the space as a sound stage, hiring hundreds of local crew members with family-wage jobs.

As part of his 2019 Creative Economy Initiative, Executive Constantine called for supporting the regional film industry by reducing film permit fees and timelines on King County property, and seeking new ways to promote regional productions. Executive Constantine convened his Film Advisory Board to work with industry veterans to craft the best strategies. The Advisory board quickly identified the need for a regional sound stage to compete with Portland, Vancouver, B.C., and other cities and states.

Attention turned to the former Fisher Flour Mill on Harbor Island.

Film production is classified light industrial for zoning, and a production facility is best suited to be in a commercial or industrial area. Harbor Island’s location is ideal – close to the urban center, but relatively isolated.

The condition of the Fisher Flour Mill warehouse, the height of the ceilings, and the integrity of the structure all make it perfect for long-term film production use. The production currently using the sound stage wishes to remain anonymous. The film industry typically seeks to downplay its presence in a community for a variety of reasons, including security and marketing.

The goal of King County Harbor Island Studios is to create the infrastructure needed to land a wide variety of projects – from feature films to commercials – which pay union wages to carpenters, electricians, prop masters, costume designers, and other trades.

The announcement also notes that the “last major episodic television production in Washington was ‘Northern Exposure.’ (which) set up shop in a warehouse in Redmond and produced six seasons starting in 1990.” King County bought the ex-mill site in 2003.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash on 35th SW
April 3, 2021 3:00 pm
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash on 35th SW
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Thanks for the tip. SFD and SPD have responded to a 2-vehicle crash on 35th SW near SW Southern. Texter says it’s a rear-end crash involving a van and a Prius. Avoid the area for a while.

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FOLLOWUP: West Seattle recycling results – and your next local opportunities to recycle and shred
April 3, 2021 1:45 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, March 20)

Two weeks after the latest West Seattle drop-off recycling/shredding event, we have the results! Forwarded by the West Seattle Junction Association, which organized the event in partnership with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce:

Still have stuff to recycle beyond the regular curbside items? Fauntleroy Church is bringing back the Recycle Roundup, 9 am-3 pm Sunday, April 25th – this flyer lists what will and will not be accepted at that event. And if you need to shred – Daystar Retirement Village (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) is offering free drive-up shredding Saturday, April 17th, 10 am-1 pm – bring up to three boxes.

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UPDATE: Orcas passing West Seattle, southbound
April 3, 2021 11:49 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Whales | Wildlife

11:49 AM: Just in from Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch: Transient orcas are southbound, just north of Discovery Park, headed this way.

12:35 PM: Still headed this way, Kersti reports in a comment.

1:14 PM: Another update from Kersti – passing Alki Point.

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Remembering Ruth DeGabriele, 1920-2021
April 3, 2021 10:03 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Ruth DeGabriele, whose 100th birthday was noted here last year. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing now:

Ruth DeGabriele
June 13, 1920 – February 21, 2021

Ruth was born on a farm near Frankfort, Kansas, on June 13th, 1920. She grew up in a family of two sisters and 4 brothers. She was 17 years old when the “Dust Bowl” hit the plains and forced the family to sell the farm. They loaded up their truck with all of their belongings and headed west, first to California, where they worked the fields picking beets, cherries, and hops, and then apricots in Oregon, where they eventually settled.

After graduating from Woodburn High School in 1938, Ruth went to Portland to participate in a New Deal government program offering young women the chance to learn marketable skills, a dormitory in which to live, and help in job placements. She taught volleyball for a few months at a recreation center before being recommended for a position as a live-in nanny and housekeeper for a family with two young girls.

At age 20, she moved to Portland, living in the Washington Hotel, becoming the first woman bellhop of the city.

“They couldn’t get any boys, because of the war,” she recalled. “They were looking for boys, and I said, ‘I can do it.’ It was a fun job.” A year later, she moved to Seattle to work at Boeing’s Protection Plant Department, fingerprinting for the FBI and processing photo badges for the next 10 years. Occasionally, she was also asked to be a photo model for some of Boeing’s advertising and promotional pieces.

Al entered her life in 1946, when she lived in an apartment above the West Seattle grocery store he started with his twin brother. It was the IGA store located in N. Admiral, “Ray & Al’s Fine Foods.” They remained as West Seattleites for years and are survived by four children, 5 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Ruth found life-long friends at her church, Seattle First United Methodist Church, and remained a member for 74 years; she was the Wedding Hostess/Food Service Director. She orchestrated many large weekly dinners and coordinated over 500 weddings. She also directed the food services at Camp Indianola and later served on its Site Council Board.

She volunteered for many organizations, including Children’s Orthopedic Hospital, Chief Seattle Scouting Council, and Seattle’s Juvenile Court Diversion Program, counseling many young struggling teens. She also was a champion of voting rights and continually advocated for our civic duty. She said, “It’s a privilege to be in this country and be able to vote. So many people aren’t registered that really should be.”

She will be remembered for her smile, sense of style, and love of color – especially turquoise.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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What you should know as your West Seattle Saturday begins
April 3, 2021 6:43 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(West Seattle tulip, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Welcome to the weekend! Here’s what’s happening, starting with traffic alerts:

WEEKEND ROAD WORK: More pavement replacement at 9th and Henderson in Highland Park, and speed-hump installation in South Park – here are details on both.

Also:

PASSOVER … continues.

HOLY SATURDAY: Here’s our list of Holy Week services, in person and online.

FOOD AND SUPPLY DRIVE: 9 am-noon, drop off donations at West Seattle High School; here’s what they’re collecting.

EASTER EGG EXTRAVAGANZA: At Brookdale West Seattle (4611 35th SW):

Drop by our Front Patio this Saturday with the kids and grandkids, and collect a dinosaur egg! Have your picture taken with our very special and cute-as-can-be East-Rawr guest. 11 am – 2 pm on the Front Patio of Brookdale West Seattle.

COMMUNITY CLEANUP: Join West Seattle neighbors cleaning up around the bridge 1-3 pm. RSVP and get info here.

VACCINATION REGISTRATION HELP: 2-4:30 pm, the Greater Seattle Filipino-American SDA Church (2620 SW Kenyon) invites you to stop by if you need in-person assistance registering for a vaccination appointment.

Are we missing something happening today? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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