West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
Here’s what you need to know about the pandemic tonight:
NEWEST NUMBERS: Here’s the latest on King County, from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – today’s cumulative totals:
*95,062 people have tested positive, 448 more than yesterday’s total
*1,500 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,621 people have been hospitalized, 20 more than yesterday’s total
*1,018,555 people have been tested, 779 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 92,599/1,491/5,503/1,002,141.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 144.7 million cases worldwide, 31.9 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
‘FOURTH WAVE’: Gov. Inslee warned at his briefing this afternoon that this is the “beginning of a fourth wave,” especially hitting the 20- to 50-year-old age group. He also tried to reassure people who are “on the fence” about getting vaccinated that the vaccines are “very safe.”
STATEWIDE SITUATION REPORT: The newest report is out. Its toplines:
*Population immunity is helping control transmission, but isn’t enough to counteract risky behavior.
*At the start of April, the best model-based estimate of overall population immunity was 26.8%.
*The estimated percentage of the population with active COVID-19 infections almost doubled between March 1 and April 2.
*Statewide case counts and hospital admissions are increasing.
*Case rates are increasing across all ages, except people 70 and older.
*Cases associated with variants of concern (disease strains that may spread faster, cause more severe illness or affect antibodies’ ability to recognize the virus) are increasing.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE BY PHONE? You can use this hotline – 800-525-0127.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE ONLINE: Try these links:
*For city sites, the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list 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
And if travel time is not a barrier – reader recommendation: Try this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Up for a little late-night bidding? Just 26 hours to go in this online silent auction for two local nonprofit preschools. We just found out about it toaay in this note from Areli Enriquez:
Our annual silent auction is underway, and virtual for the first time due to the pandemic! For the past thirteen years, Refugee and Immigrant Family Center & SouthWest Early Learning Bilingual Preschools have provided high-quality, culturally enriching preschools, serving families in and around our West Seattle/White Center and Burien community.
Many of the children we serve come from lower-income families that do not have the resources to go on field trips, learn a second language, explore hands-on interests, or be provided a high-quality preschool education for free or low cost. The money we raise through this Silent Auction will significantly benefit the children, our classrooms, and teachers alike.
Our goal is $30,000 and with only one day left in the auction. we really need the community support to help reach our goal!! We have plenty of items to bid on and if nothing catches your fancy, donations are also highly welcomed! Our auction website is charityauction.bid/swelrifcauction and to learn more about RIFC, go here: refugeeandimmigrantfamilycenter.org and to learn more about SWEL, go here: southwestearlylearning.org.
RIFC is in Delridge and has had a few mayoral visits in recent years.
(Photo from spl.org)
West Seattle’s northernmost Seattle Public Library branch is finally going to start offering curbside service. Here’s the announcement:
Starting Tuesday, April 27, The Seattle Public Library will offer Curbside Pickup Service at the West Seattle Branch from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Library patrons can pick up holds of physical materials at the West Seattle Branch two days a week and can return materials through the branch book drop seven days a week. They can also use the Library’s Curbside printing service to print (and pick up) up to 10 black-and-white pages a day. The West Seattle Branch is located at 2306 42nd Ave SW.
With the expansion of Curbside service to the West Seattle Branch, The Seattle Public Library now offers Curbside service at 16 locations, and patrons can return materials at 19 locations throughout the city of Seattle. See www.spl.org/Hours for a full list of services and hours at each location.
Curbside Pickup Service locations offer additional services, including free Curbside printing, a selection of Peak Picks that patrons can browse and add to their checkouts, Grab & Go bundles of books sorted by genre, and free child-sized and adult disposable masks available for patron use.
In order to minimize the spread of COVID-19, patrons are required to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of separation from other patrons and staff. The Library follows best practices for the health and safety of our patrons and staff, including social distancing, regular cleaning and sanitation, wearing personal protective equipment, requiring the use of face masks, plexiglass barriers and quarantining of Library materials.
Visit spl.org/Curbside for information on how Curbside Pickup Service works and spl.org/Hours for a schedule of services at each Curbside location. The Library’s Road to Reopening page shares the latest updates on our reopening process.
Next Tuesday is also the day the Southwest Branch opens for some in-building service.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Morgan Community Association meets quarterly, and as a result its meetings are usually packed with information. Here’s what we heard last night, in the online meeting led by MoCA president Deb Barker:
MORGAN MINUTES: These are quick updates aiming for a minute each:
West Seattle Art Walk – Morgan continues with participants on second Thursdays, next one May 13th – wsartwalk.org features participants, and venues have window signs.
Save The Stone Cottage – The historic Harbor Avenue bungalow was raised on April 13th, “14 inches at a time,” still no date set for the move to Port of Seattle land but an auction is planned before that, with opportunities including being the person to press the button to move it off the foundation. It’s going to be a late-night event, as have been previous structural moves. Donations to the crowdfunding account still welcome.
Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal – The replacement project is in planning now, as we’ve reported. Friday is the deadline for applying to be on the Community Advisory Group for the project.
District 1 Community Network – We covered its most-recent meeting here; MoCA vice president Phil Tavel briefed attendees on what happened. D1CN meets on first Wednesdays, 7 pm, online, all welcome. The coalition plans to present online interviews with mayoral and at-large council candidates, and a forum in summertime too.
35th/Graham work – As we previewed on Tuesday, the crossing signal-and-more project linked to the West Seattle Greenway project is starting.
HHO’S NEW IN MORGAN JUNCTION
4:16 PM: A commenter mentioned this morning that there was suspected gunfire in the Luna Park area late last night. At the time, we found no confirmation. But that has changed. A preliminary police report says SPD got a call around mid-morning reporting gunshot damage sometime overnight at the Pet Care Center at Luna Park veterinary clinic (2950 SW Avalon Way). According to the police report, “A spent round was located in the lobby area of the business, and it penetrated a window frame on the east side of the building. There were about five or six locations of new damage.” We have a followup inquiry out to the clinic.
4:43 PM: The clinic confirms that no one was hurt – no pets or people were in the building when it happened. Their services have continued today uninterrupted.
2:31 PM: Seattle Fire crews are investigating a report of a fire aboard what was described over emergency radio as a “700-foot Navy ship” at Vigor Shipyard on Harbor Island. More info when we get it.
2:41 PM: Crews have gone onto the ship to fight the fire.
2:44 PM: The fire is reported “tapped.”
It’s Earth Day! As announced last week, the Care for Creation teams at Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe again invited West Seattleites to display signs in honor of the occasion. Here are photos we’ve received so far – above and below, Terry Blumer and grandson Asher carried on their tradition: “We decided to go big this year! Go big or go home, right?”
That’s at Atlantic and 44th in North Admiral. There are also simple signs in yards, like this one put up by Lucy Johnson:
And Vince Stricherz, who sent us the invitation, recycled (of course!) this sign from last year:
ADDED: Debbie texted this photo, reporting it’s on the west side of Hiawatha Playfield:
ADDED: Texted from Sylvan Way:
Anybody else? We’ll add any photos we get – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text to 206-293-6302 – thank you!
You have until 3 pm to sign up to watch this tonight or tomorrow night:
There is still time to get on the ‘Guest List’ for Alki PTA’s Musical Premiere Online Viewing Parties. RSVP by 3:00 PM today! alkimusical.square.site
Alki PTA’s first Online Musical premieres TONIGHT (Super Cast!) and Friday (Awesome Cast!) at 6:30 PM! If you have already donated, purchased from the Bake Sale, or added your name to the Guest List, your Viewing Party Zoom live stream links are in your inbox! Email info@alkipta.com if you do not see them!
(From SDOT camera, 11:14 am today)
Two weeks after SDOT announced expanded access to the West Seattle low bridge (officially the Spokane Street Swing Bridge), two notes:
HOW THE ACCESS EXPANSION’S GOING: SDOT‘s Meghan Shepard, point person on low-bridge access, was a guest at last night’s Morgan Community Association meeting, She said that 27 people have already had applications approved to use the low bridge for access to life-saving medical treatments, one of the new access categories. You can find the application link here. That’s also where you’ll find the application link(s) next week for the other added access categories:
Shepard stressed that you are not authorized until you get email from SDOT saying so. (Our full report on last night’s MoCA meeting, with this and many other topics, is coming up later today.)
BRIEFING TONIGHT: SDOT is on the agenda to talk about the low bridge at tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm online. All welcome.
Zoom Meeting ID 880 0834 8817
Passcode WSTC
On the web
Via phone: +12532158782,,88008348817#,,,,*477234#
The other major topic at tonight’s meeting will be the Terminal 5 project.
Thanks to Stewart L. for that photo of a US Coast Guard vessel north of Alki. He reports that it “was setting off numerous flares, and at one point a large orange cloud.” We can confirm, via emergency-radio monitoring, that it’s just a drill.
(Added – WSB photo)
8:56 PM: Big police and fire response in the 6900 block of 2nd SW, near the 1st Avenue South Bridge. They’re looking for a man who is reported to have shot two people. The Guardian One helicopter was called out too. No other information yet.
9:07 AM: Police say the shooting is reported to have happened at “an encampment” in the area.
9:36 AM: We’ve talked to SPD spokesperson Det. Patrick Michaud at the scene. He says it happened around 8:30 am; both victims are at Harborview, (updated) a man and a woman, and that “many shots” were fired, The shooter was described as male, Black, short or no hair, possibly associated with a Dodge sedan, maybe a Challenger. K9 and helicopter are still helping search the area. We’ll add video of the briefing when it’s uploaded. (Added – here it is:)
10:01 AM: Update on the victims from SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo – ages approximate – 20-year-old man in critical condition, 28-year-old woman in serious condition.
12:06 PM: Additional information from the preliminary SPD summary:
At approximately 0830, the male and female victims were inside of their vehicle in an encampment located at the 6900 BLK of 2 Ave SW. The (shooter) walked up and fired several rounds inside the vehicle, striking the victims in the arm, abdomen, and torso. The (shooter) left on foot. Officers arrived and set up containment. Guardian 1, K99, Traffic Units, and SWAT, responded to the scene and assisted with the area search. The (shooter) wasn’t located. A witness on scene said that the same suspect was inside of a White newer model Dodge Charger or Challenger prior to the shooting.
1:06 PM: More information from police about the “many shots” that were fired – they found “seven 9mm fired cartridge casings (and) three 9mm rounds” at the scene.
6:12 AM: Good morning! Cloudy forecast after a week of sunshine.
ROAD WORK
35th/Graham – Here’s the construction alert.
Delridge project – Delridge/Orchard work is a key pointo of the work for the next month or so.
TRANSIT
Metro has increased the number of passengers allowed on buses.
Starting today, the West Seattle Water Taxi is on its spring/summer schedule – all day, 7 days a week, plus Friday and Saturday evenings.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
395th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how it’s looking on other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 15th 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 here.)
Here’s a low-bridge view:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
And 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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