day : 26/05/2021 11 results

Tonight’s local/state pandemic updates:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*108,945 people have tested positive, 256 more than yesterday’s total

*1,578 people have died, 3 more than yesterday’s total

*6,120 people have been hospitalized, 9 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 107,659/1,565/6,069. (We’ve excised the “people tested” count, as that number is incomplete again.)

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find all the numbers, county by county, on the state Department of Health dashboard.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.

STATE BRIEFING: Vaccination was the main topic – not much discussion of case trends. The state also released its latest vaccination-situation report. You can watch the briefing video here.

CITY CLOSING MORE HUBS: The city’s closing the Lumen Field Event Center, Rainier Beach, and North Seattle vaccination hubs next month as well as the West Seattle hub.

SCHOOL CLINICS TOMORROW: Tomorrow’s local school clinics are at Denny International Middle School and at Summit Atlas.

LOOKING FOR VACCINE? If your health-care provider isn’t offering it, use this lookup.

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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Sanislo caps salmon-release season as smolts leave Fauntleroy Creek

| Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photos by Pete Draughon. Above, students and siblings from Westside Wonderspace preschool got to release coho fry last week with Dennis Hinton in the lower creek)

By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog

Kindergarten students, parents, and staff from Sanislo Elementary had the honor of releasing the last of this spring’s Salmon in the Schools fry into upper Fauntleroy Creek.

Despite the pandemic’s many extra demands on teachers, seven West Seattle schools (half the usual number) managed to rear coho this year. In addition, two preschools released fry reared by volunteer Jack Lawless for the Fauntleroy Watershed Council to supplement what schools were able to produce.

Most teachers scheduled their releases in Fauntleroy Park by family groups. All told, 130 students, plus 190 adults and siblings, put 1,044 fish in the water.

(This Sanislo student added a bit of glamour to the last salmon release of the season on Fauntleroy Creek)

An additional 30 park users who happened by the release site on Saturday let the last of the supplemental fish go for their year in freshwater.

About the same time that fry were going into the creek, 49 smolts were heading out for their two years in saltwater. Between mid-March and late May, volunteers Dennis Hinton and Pete Draughon documented 15 smolts leaving from the upper creek and 34 from middle and lower reaches of the mile-long system. This number is about average for the past five years of this 19-year study.

Next up will be spawning season, starting in mid-October.

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FOLLOWUP: Latest round of Terminal 5 pile-driving over, says port

May 26, 2021 8:11 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

A quick end-of-day note from Port of Seattle spokesperson Peter McGraw: “Uplands pile driving is complete on Terminal 5. We were supposed to go through the summer, but we finished early.” The next full progress report for the modernization project on West Seattle’s eastern waterfront is expected at the Northwest Seaport Alliance managing members’ meeting in early July. Before then, four giant new cranes for T-5 are expected to arrive in June; their cross-Pacific journey began last weekend.

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CAN YOU HELP? Photos, memories, well-wishes sought for recently retired teacher

May 26, 2021 5:53 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

If you or someone in your family attended Genesee Hill or Schmitz Park Elementary, you may know Marilyn Mears, who retired recently. And you may be able to help with this effort to celebrate her years of work – here’s the announcement:

One of our beloved West Seattle elementary school teachers, Marilyn Mears, has recently retired and we would love to complete a book of pictures, memories and well wishes to celebrate this milestone. We are looking for submissions from current and previous students and families of Genesee Hill and Schmitz Park Elementary. She has served such an important part of many students’ lives in the West Seattle community and we want to acknowledge her dedication and accomplishments in education by providing a memento book for her to cherish. If you would like to contribute to the book and have any pictures or thoughts you would like to share, please email submissions to: mearsretirement@gmail.com

***We are hoping to have submissions by June 4th***

Letters and pictures for the book can also be dropped off at the front of Genesee Hill Elementary in the vestibule area between the first and second set of doors during school hours. These items can be digitized for submission into the memory book.

If you have any questions, please use the mearsretirement@gmail.com email.

Thank you! We look forward to your contributions!

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CRIME WATCH: Park car break-ins; catalytic-converter theft on video; prevention advice

May 26, 2021 4:00 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reader reports to start:

WESTCREST PARK CAR BREAK-INS: The photo is from a reader who happened onto at least four cars with broken windows at Westcrest Park this afternoon. No word what if anything was taken.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT ON VIDEO: Ed in South Park sent the link to video he uploaded after a theft on S. Henderson a week ago:

This happened May 18th on South Henderson Street. Police report number: 2021-908911.

PREVENTION ADVICE – GARAGE BREAK-INS: We have been reporting on an increasing number of garage break-ins. Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner sends this bulletin with prevention advice:

If you cannot read it above, see it here.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Low-low tide at Alki

May 26, 2021 3:01 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Thanks to Marc Milrod for the photos from Alki Beach. As we’ve been mentioning in previews, this week’s full moon has brought some of summer’s lowest low tides. Just before 11:30 this morning, it was out to -3.3 feet, and the next three days, the morning low tide will be even lower.

On Thursday and Friday – at 12:11 pm and 12:58 pm – the tide will be out to -3.9 feet, and on Saturday at 1:46 pm, it’ll be out to -3.4 feet.

Tread lightly because sea/shore creatures that aren’t usually exposed might be in your path.

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THURSDAY: Your next chance for Q&A with our area’s state legislators

May 26, 2021 1:29 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Got a question for your state legislators after the just-completed session that resulted in monumental legislation, from the capital-gains tax to climate action? Your next chance to hear from/talk with them is Thursday night, when the West Seattle Democratic Women host Sen. Joe Nguyen, Rep. Eileen Cody, and Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon at their monthly meeting. It starts at 6 pm online, and if you’re interested in attending, RSVP by tonight to WSDW chair Mary Fisher at maryfisher1@comcast.net to get the attendance info.

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VACCINATION: City closing other sites too

May 26, 2021 12:01 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Last week, we reported on the city’s plan to close its COVID-19 vaccination hub at West Seattle’s Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex after June 9th, though a testing trailer will be there indefinitely. Today, the city announced it’s also closing its vaccination hubs at Lumen Field Event Center, Rainier Beach, and North Seattle next month, to focus on mobile-team efforts and pop-ups. Stats including demographic breakouts are in this slide deck from this morning’s announcement:

(You can also see the slide deck here.) The city says more than 76 percent of Seattle residents 12+ have begun the vaccination process, and that 60 eprcent are fully vaccinated. It’s keeping one fixed site, though – as announced yesterday, the drive-thru testing site in SODO is also now offering vaccinations. If you’re looking for other places to get vaccinated, this site can help.

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WEST SEATTLE WEDNESDAY: Dine-out fundraiser; HPAC shakes things up; low-low tide; more…

May 26, 2021 10:35 am

| Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE WEDNESDAY: Dine-out fundraiser; HPAC shakes things up; low-low tide; more…

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Black-Headed Grosbeak, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Here’s what’s happening in the hours ahead:

DINE-OUT FUNDRAISER: At Srivilai Thai (3247 California SW, 206-257-5171):

Today is the day is the day of the Admiral Co-op Preschool fundraiser at Srivilai Thai Cuisine restaurant in West Seattle! The fundraiser goes from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. so you could even have lunch AND dinner! The fundraiser is available for dine in or take out. For maximum convenience, you can order online. Please write “Admiral Co-op” on your receipt and Srivilai will donate 11% to our school.

LOW-LOW TIDE: 11:27 am today, the tide is out to -3.3. If you have questions about what you’re seeing, Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists are at Constellation Park (3400 Beach Drive SW) and Lincoln Park (by Colman Pool) now through 1:30 pm.

WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES: Missed the systemwide online community meeting Tuesday (WSB coverage here)? 6 pm tonight, it’s an encore with the same presentation but a new chance for Q&A with WSF officials. Register here to get the link.

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS AT HPAC: As previewed here, tonight’s spotlight topic at the monthly meeting for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge’s community council is about being ready for an earthquake. The meeting’s at 7 pm online, and all are welcome – participation info is here.

MORE … in the WSB West Seattle (and online) Event Calendar!

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WHALES; 2 morning sightings

May 26, 2021 9:43 am

| 12 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales

9:43 AM: You can watch for whales off either west-facing or northeast-facing West Seattle this morning. Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch says transient killer whales are northbound, emerging from Colvos Passage on the west side of Vashon Island, toward the west end of the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route. Also, she reports there’s a humpback whale in Elliott Bay, off the mid-downtown waterfront. Let us know if you see any of these!

2:46 PM: See comments for updates, including Kersti’s note that the Elliott Bay sighting turned out to be a gray whale.

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ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, WEATHER: Wednesday notes

May 26, 2021 6:07 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Good morning. Sunshine expected today, and the holiday weekend forecast still looks summerish!

ROAD WORK UPDATES

Admiral Way/39th – Utility project is bringing some lane restrictions.

Delridge project – Here’s this week’s plan, with work closing the west side of the intersection closure at Delridge/Barton/Henderson, and paving having started last night on the north end of Delridge.

SW Yancy – This drainage/utility work east of Avalon has about two more weeks to go.

FERRIES/BUSES

Regular schedules today. (Watch @kcmetrobus for word of any bus cancellations, @wsferries for any major WSF changes.) The West Seattle Water Taxi will run on a reduced schedule Memorial Day – see it here.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

430th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 20th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends, when the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available for some categories of drivers.)

Here’s a low-bridge view: