Tonight’s pandemic toplines:

ONE VACCINE PAUSED: Today’s biggest pandemic news – one of the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is being “paused” nationwide because of a report that six women who received it suffered from an “extremely rare” blood-clotting problem. The vaccine has been given to 6+ million people in the U.S. so far. City-run vaccination hubs had some scheduled to get it this week but have switched those appointments to other vaccines. Meantime, FDA and CDC scientists are studying whether the problem is definitively linked to the vaccine, and federal regulators say the “pause” might just last a few days. Go here to listen to the FDA/CDC briefing about the decision.

WHAT IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVED THE J&J SHOT? That’s addressed in this local post.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Checking today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – here are the cumulative totals:

*91,802 people have tested positive, 87 more than yesterday’s total

*1,485 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total

*5,458 people have been hospitalized, 9 more than yesterday’s total

*992,402 people have been tested, 396 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the totals were 89,743/1,475/5,398/986,092.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 137.4 million cases worldwide, 31.3 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.

PANDEMIC BRIEFING: At 8:30 am tomorrow online, state health officials will present their weekly briefing and media Q&A. Watch the livestream here.

LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Thursday’s the day everyone is eligible; here’s our ongoing list:

*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that they canceled appointments they claim were posted on unspecified “social media” without authorization. The official advice is to 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, Neighborcare, 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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WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: Pelicans over Alki

April 13, 2021 10:07 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Another unusual flyby reported over Alki tonight. Last night, military helicopters – tonight, Pelicans! Brittany sent the photo taken by her husband Jeffrey; we believe these are American White Pelicans.

The last sighting for which we received photos/reports was in November 2013.

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West Seattle’s outdoor Colman Pool will open this summer, city says

April 13, 2021 8:12 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB file photo)

West Seattle’s only city-run outdoor swimming facility, Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore, will open this summer. That’s according to a preliminary Seattle Parks list of “summer fun” plans. No schedule announced yet, neither days nor hours; Colman Pool did not open at all last summer. No word yet on when/whether indoor Southwest Pool will reopen, and Parks is still deciding what to do about wading pools, but it looks like Highland Park Spraypark will reopen – the announcement says Parks is “planning to operate 11 unstaffed sprayparks this summer,” with the same hours as in the past, 11 am-8 pm. More info on summer plans when it’s available!

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FOLLOWUP: Old communications tower at Myrtle Reservoir Park about to come down

April 13, 2021 6:00 pm

| Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Old communications tower at Myrtle Reservoir Park about to come down

| Gatewood | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tip! Almost.a year and a half after a new communications tower went up at Myrtle Reservoir Park, the old one it’s replacing is finally coming down. The crane on the right side of our photo will be used to take down the old tower (above right) by Friday, according to the Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network. As explained in our November 2019 coverage;

PSERN will primarily be used by law enforcement, fire fighters, and other emergency personnel to communicate with each other during E-911 activities – from small incident responses to major emergencies like earthquakes. The PSERN system is comprised of 61 radio towers engineered to provide the best coverage available using direct, line-of-sight technology between towers to communicate with each other, in combination with other technologies.

The cost of the new West Seattle tower – at the city’s highest elevation – was estimated at $800,000, a fraction of the PSERN’s nearly $300 million cost. Voters approved the creation of PSERN by passing a ballot measure in April 2015; this slide deck from a 2014 discussion has more of the backstory. We’ll be checking back on the demolition as the week goes on.

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West Seattle Summer Fest 2021: Here’s what will and won’t happen

April 13, 2021 4:00 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

Just announced by the West Seattle Junction Association: The Summer Fest plan for this year. It’ll be another year without the traditional mega-street party. But other fun is planned – here’s the announcement:

For 39 years, the biggest festival in West Seattle has continued to evolve, starting out as the Sidewalk Sale, then the Street Fair, and now Summer Fest – it’s been a three-day celebration in the West Seattle streets and a tradition for many families. The festival has been a July tradition in West Seattle since 1982, the same year Seattle became the Emerald City. Even prior to the West Seattle bridge being built (but that’s another story…).

After much discussion, the Junction has made the safest decision for the community for the second year in a row, to cancel the in-person 2021 Summer Fest – July 9-11th. Bringing 35,000 of our favorite community members together isn’t safe, but that doesn’t mean the heart of Summer Fest and the Sidewalk Sale will be forgotten. We are planning (and hopeful) we will rise like a vaccinated Westside phoenix to bring back Summer Fest stronger than ever July 15th – 17th, 2022 (this being the 40-year anniversary!).

We’ll continue to monitor all health regulations, and sincerely hope the Junction merchants can show appreciation of the outpouring of community support by bringing you a combination of the good ol’ fashioned roots of the festival – The Sidewalk Sale – along with the popular boxes and tote bags full of Summer Fest feelings. There’s going to be plenty of ways to celebrate all the West Seattle goodness we’ve stored up through this pandemic.

Summer Fest Events 2021

July 8th: Paint and Sip Art Walk night – virtual

July 9th and 10th: sidewalk sale (no street closure) 11 AM to 6 PM

July 9th: Music Trivia Night w/Pegasus Books (with a band set) 7 PM

July 10th: Mayoral Virtual Town Hall – moderated by West Seattle Blog

July 10th: Beer Tasting (w/kettle corn, meat, cheese) – virtual (with a band set)

Kids: Summer Fest craft and summer box

All boxes and tote bags, along with trivia night spots, will go on sale May 11th.

Watch wsjunction.org – and WSB – for that news when it happens.

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VIDEO: Stone Cottage – up, up, but not yet away

April 13, 2021 1:51 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle history | West Seattle news

TUESDAY: Thanks to Mike Shaughnessy of Save The Stone Cottage for the photo! As previewed here Sunday night, the structural-moving firm Nickel Bros has been at the historic stone-studded bungalow for two days, jacking it up to get ready to take it to its interim site. The date for the move isn’t set yet – it will have to happen in the middle of the night, since the process tends to involve some road-blocking. Save The Stone Cottage volunteers, meantime, continues crowdfunding for the next phase of saving the quirky piece of Alki Beach housing history – finding a permanent site, relocating it there, and restoring it. (Its current site at 1123 Harbor SW will soon be redeveloped.)

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike just sent the link to this video showing how the process proceeded:

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PARKING: Another West Seattle Junction change

April 13, 2021 12:01 pm

| 57 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Early in the pandemic, West Seattle Junction businesses helped pioneer 5-minute on-street parking spaces for quick stops to pick up takeout food/beverages and other merchandise. After months of continuing to work with the city, The Junction has secured final approval for converting some of those spaces to 15-minute spots – for business visits when 5 minutes is not enough but an hour is overkill. Signs have been going up – the one you see above is along westbound SW Oregon west of California SW, by Brunette Mix (WSB sponsor), Café Mia, Dumplings of Fury, and Mystery Made. You’ll also find the 15-minute signage at several spots along California, Alaska, 42nd, and 40th, as the result of a business survey; 5-minute spaces remain in some areas too.

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VACCINE: How the city’s dealing with Johnson & Johnson ‘pause’

April 13, 2021 10:30 am

| 31 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo – sign at entrance to SWAC vaccination/testing site)

10:30 AM: As you might already have seen in national coverage, the FDA and CDC are recommending a pause in use of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine while investigating reports of blood clots. One WSB reader reports he had an appointment for J&J at the city-run Southwest Athletic Complex vaccination hub today but has already received notification it’ll be Pfizer instead. We checked with mayor’s office spokesperson Kelsey Nyland to see if they’re expecting to cancel any appointments here or at other city sites because of the J&J pause. Short answer: No. Longer answer; “In terms of the operational impact, we are switching from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the Pfizer vaccine for today’s appointments at the Community Vaccination Hub in West Seattle. We have also been using a small number of Johnson & Johnson for people living in permanent supportive housing. Those appointments will switch to either Moderna or Pfizer. All other clinics have been using either Moderna or Pfizer. At this time, we don’t have any plans to cancel appointments.”

11:54 AM: The state Health Department has a statement too.- see it here.

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Admiral, Fauntleroy community involvement and other options for your West Seattle Tuesday

April 13, 2021 10:03 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Darwin’s Barberry in bloom at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, photographed by Lynn Hall)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:

ARTIST AS STORYTELLER: Haruko Crow Nishimura is the featured artist this time – be there for this online conversation at 1 pm, talking about “how art can create deep connections and awakenings through the excavation of darkness. We will explore how telling stories strives to reveal hidden beauty, confront demons, and ultimately find healing.” The link is in our calendar listing.

CITY COUNCIL: How’s the Seattle Promise program – offering “free” college at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) and its sibling campuses – going? The City Council’s Governance and Education Committee gets a briefing during its 2 pm meeting. The agenda includes viewing information.

DEMONSTRATION: From organizer Scott:

Black Lives Matter sign-waving

Tuesday, April 13, 4 to 6 pm, corner of 16th SW and SW Holden

Thursday, April 15, 4 to 6 pm, corner of 16th SW and SW Holden

Come build awareness & stimulate actions to tear down the systems that have oppressed Black lives for over 400 years on this continent. Hold signs, meet neighbors and stand for racial justice. Scott at Puget Ridge Cohousing, endorsed by Hate-Free Delridge. Signs available.

(UPDATE: CANCELED) SOCCER: The Chief Sealth International High School and West Seattle High School girls’ teams play at 4 pm at Walt Hundley (34th/Myrtle).

FOOD FUNDRAISER: 5-8:45 pm, order from the Thai-U-Up food truck at 30th/Roxbury, and 10 percent of the proceeds benefit Friends of Roxhill Elementary.

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm, the annual FCA meeting, and then at 7:30 pm, you’re welcome to stay for the monthly board meeting – it’s all online, with registration info in our preview.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Here’s the announcement from ANA president Drew Sowa:

The Admiral Neighborhood Association would like to invite residents and local businesses to carry on with the topics at our last meeting in helping promote local businesses.

Our next Virtual ANA meeting is April 13th at 7 pm (virtually).

Since our last meeting in February, I have met with as many business owners in Admiral as possible to find out what they need to stay in business so you can continue to enjoy your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, bars, boutiques, and other commerce. As many of you know, local businesses are struggling due to capacity limitations and government shutdowns. We are dedicated to helping the businesses in the Admiral Junction stay strong.

Join us at our next meeting where will will discuss in an open format how we can help our Admiral Junction stay strong, vibrant, and remain the beloved neighborhood in which we work and reside.

We welcome input from businesses and residents to hear how we can best utilize any funds raised from crowdfunding efforts. We also want to encourage businesses to get involved with our Summer Concert Series and local Art Walk as well.

meet.google.com/afd-hjgt-cmm

Or call: 937-815-1933‬
PIN: ‪480 343 075#‬

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YOU CAN HELP: WestSide Baby needs car seats

April 13, 2021 9:04 am

| Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP: WestSide Baby needs car seats

| How to help | Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo: Stack of donated car seats from past WS Baby drive)

With community help, local nonprofit WestSide Baby works to help families keep babies safe, warm, clean, and dry. One important component of that: Car/booster seats for wee ones to ride in. This Saturday, WestSide Baby’s collecting them – and you can help even if you don’t have one to donate:

Donate your new or used car seat

Saturday, April 17, from 11 am-2 pm
White Center Hub & South Lake Union Branch
(or)
Purchase car seats to ship to us directly through our Amazon Wishlist

Car Seat Details
Donated seats MUST meet the following requirements:

For Infant Car Seats: Donated items must be at least 6 months from the expiration date. Expiration dates are typically 6 years after the manufacture date. This date is often located on either side or under the car seat on a sticker.

For Convertible/Combination/ Booster Car Seats: Donated items must be at least 1 year from the expiration date. Expiration dates are typically 6 years after the manufacture date. This date is often located on either side or under the car seat on a sticker.

Have not been in an accident. You will be asked to sign a waiver stating that this car seat has not been involved in a vehicle accident.

Have not been washed with harsh chemicals, like bleach. Although we love to receive clean items, bleaching the straps impacts the webbing, as it easily frays, allowing children to come out of the seat in a crash.

In addition, whenever possible, please visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov to quickly review whether your seat has been recalled. You may be surprised. Many issues can be addressed by ordering a part (usually free of charge from the manufacturer). This individual effort on your part allows us to move items safely and quickly.

Other info about donating to WestSide Baby is here.

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WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC: Spring-break Tuesday watch

April 13, 2021 6:07 am

| Comments Off on WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC: Spring-break Tuesday watch

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Good morning! A sunny, breezy forecast, with a 60-ish high.

SPRING BREAK

School’s out all week for Seattle Public Schools (and independent schools on the same calendar), as well as Highline Public Schools to the south.

ROAD WORK .

Delridge project – Here’s the latest set of alerts.

TRANSIT

Metro is on its regular schedule; on Saturday, it will increase the number of passengers allowed on buses.

The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular schedule; starting next Monday, the spring/summer all-day, 7-days-a-week schedule begins.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

386th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how it’s looking on other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 14th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends, when the bridge is now open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Read about other changes ahead, here.)

Here’s a low-bridge view: