West Seattle, Washington

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day : 09/06/2021 11 results

CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 6/9/2021 roundup
June 9, 2021 11:58 pm
|    Comments Off on CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 6/9/2021 roundup
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Tonight’s local/state pandemic updates:

MAYOR ANNOUNCES MILESTONE: Visiting the West Seattle vaccination hub on its last day, Mayor Durkan announced that Seattle is the first big city to see 70 percent of people 12+ fully vaccinated. The city provided this chart:

The mayor thanked West Seattleites for their part in reaching the milestone.

VAX HUB BREAKDOWN: We went back at day’s end to see the hub start getting taken apart.

The crew there told us 245 people got shots on the last day.

GOVERNOR’S UPDATE: A few hours after the mayor’s West Seattle visit, Gov. Inslee mentioned the city’s achievement in his briefing (here’s the video). He also said that federal vaccinations – Defense and VA – have now been added to the state’s total, so that’s 150,000 more people, and the official tally is up to 66.4% with at least one shot, so the 70% threshold for reopening might be reachable before June 30th after all.

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

*110,717 people have tested positive, 152 more than yesterday’s total

*1,609 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total

*6,256 people have been hospitalized, 17 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 109,857/1,590/6,173.

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

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

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

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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: Submarine at sunset
June 9, 2021 9:29 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Duncan Dorris for the photos – just before sunset, a submarine was in view off west-facing West Seattle, northbound in Puget Sound.

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SUMMER: Two wading pools, one spraypark will be open in West Seattle this year
June 9, 2021 7:33 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB file photo, Lincoln Park wading pool)

The city has finally announced this year’s plan for wading pools and sprayparks. Here’s which ones in West Seattle will be open, and when. From the citywide announcement:

Seattle Parks and Recreation is opening wading pools and sprayparks this summer from Saturday, June 26 to Monday, September 6. In all, 15 locations around Seattle will be available seven days a week to provide fun, activity and relief for kids, parents, and guardians this year.

Wading pools operate when there is no rain in the day’s forecast and the air temperature is expected to be 70 degrees or higher. If unsure, you can call the Wading Pool Hotline for same-day updates at 206-684-7796. The recording is updated by mid to late morning each day.

Here’s a link to a map to see which wading pools or sprayparks are near you.

WADING POOLS that will be open from noon to 7 pm each day of the week:

Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

Open from noon to 5:30 pm each day of the week:

Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW)

SPRAYPARKS that will be open from 11 am to 8 pm each day of the week:

Highland Park (1100 SW Cloverdale)

For the rules – and the list of wading pools/sprayparks that will be open off-peninsula – see the full announcement.

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COUNTDOWN: Two days to Pride mini-parade in Morgan Junction
June 9, 2021 5:57 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(Photo by Jerry Simmons)

Two days until Friday’s Pride mini-parade in Morgan Junction, organized by the proprietors of Youngstown Coffee Company and HeartBeet Organic Superfoods Café, with the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 PTA. Here’s what’s happening on Friday (June 11th): Meet up at Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW) by 5 pm. The organizers say all ages are welcome: “Wear your festive Pride gear and bring supportive signs for our transgender youth.” This is happening rain or shine, with “skates, bikes, strollers, and dogs welcome.” Not a street-closing event; participants will proceed up the sidewalk on California to Findlay, cross the street, and loop back to Youngstown and HeartBeet, where they’ll have Pride specials with proceeds benefiting Lambert House.

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ROAD-CLOSURE FOLLOWUPS: Yancy, Thistle updates
June 9, 2021 4:20 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

New info on two long-term east-west road closures – the results of separate, unrelated projects – that we’ve been tracking:

SW YANCY CLOSURE WEST OF 28TH: This closure is part of the Rise at Yancy Street supportive-housing project for local nonprofit Transitional Resources. TR CEO Darcell Slovek-Walker has just sent word that the contractor says the street is now scheduled to reopen June 19th – one week from Saturday.

SW THISTLE CLOSURE ON EAST SIDE OF DELRIDGE: This closure is part of the SDOT repaving/utilities project preparing for Metro Route 120 to become the RapidRide H Line in fall 2022. The SDOT project team says it is still closed because “we are currently evaluating a slight design change to the southeast corner which will require us to keep SW Thistle St closed to through traffic. This evaluation may result in some additional work in this area. If a design change is needed, we will follow up with more specific details on this work and the schedule.”

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VIDEO: As city celebrates COVID-19 vaccination milestone, mayor thanks West Seattle on hub’s closing day
June 9, 2021 2:37 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

(WSB photos, video)

2:37 PM: With hours to go until the city’s West Seattle vaccination hub at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex closes, firefighters and others working there had a celebratory barbecue lunch.

They also got a visit from Mayor Jenny Durkan, who said Seattle has become the first city in the U.S. to have 70 percent of its eligible population fully vaccinated, and thanked West Seattleites for their part in it:

The Seattle Fire acting captain who’s been heading the testing and vaccination program, Brian Wallace, was there too:

He told us the site has given 51,000 shots and done 80.000 tests (it began, you might recall, as a test site). It’s open until 5:30 pm (2801 SW Thistle) if you suddenly decide it’s finally time to get vaccinated. The city’s closing its Rainier Beach and Lumen Field vaccination hubs too but continuing with the drive-thru site in SODO as well as Mobile Vaccination Team pop-ups (including one coming up soon in Delridge – stand by for details).

6:30 PM: We went back just before official closing time at 5:30 pm. They told us 245 vaccinations had been given on this last day. And then, it was time for breakdown:

Somebody played farewell-themed songs on a speaker as the work went on.

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FOLLOWUP: Terminal 5’s big new cranes expected to arrive Sunday
June 9, 2021 12:31 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

(Added: Photo of cranes being loaded for departure, courtesy Port of Seattle)

Want to watch the four big new cranes for Terminal 5 arrive off West Seattle? The Port of Seattle says they are expected here this Sunday, three weeks after leaving China. They are super-post-Panamax cranes, 316 feet tall with 240-foot outreach booms, so – like the four cranes shipped to Tacoma two years ago – it’ll be quite a sight. Port spokesperson Peter McGraw tells WSB that the arrival of Zhen Hua 36, carrying the cranes, is expected by noon Sunday. The Northwest Seaport Alliance – the joint Seattle-Tacoma port authority that’s overseeing the T-5 project – says the first “modernized” berth at T-5 will open early next year; the cranes will belong to the berth’s tenant, SSA Marine.

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About the 4 am jet noise over West Seattle
June 9, 2021 11:35 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Skies Over West Seattle | West Seattle news

11:35 AM: We received a few questions this morning about unusual jet noise over West Seattle around 4 am. After some phone calls, we got this information from the FAA’s Elizabeth Isham Cory:

The crew of a Boeing 767-300 cargo jet reported a blue laser illuminated their aircraft at 4:10 a.m. Wednesday while they were on approach to Boeing Field – King County International Airport. The aircraft, which had departed from Rockford, Ill., landed without incident. The FAA alerted the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department about the laser strike.

The Federal Aviation Administration remains vigilant in raising awareness about misuse of lasers when they are pointed towards aircraft. Intentionally aiming lasers at an aircraft poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law.

The FAA works closely with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to pursue civil and criminal penalties against people who purposely aim a laser at an aircraft. The agency takes enforcement action against people who violate Federal Aviation Regulations by shining lasers at aircraft and can impose civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. You can learn more here.

Tracker archives show the flight was UPS flight 988. Here’s their track on the way in, from FlightRadar24:

The statement left us with a few questions, so we are continuing to follow up, but wanted to let you know what we had found so far.

ADDED 10:30 PM: We never did hear back on our followup questions for the FAA. So we asked King County spokesperson Cameron Satterfield if Boeing Field itself had had to handle the arrival in a different way. Satterfield’s reply: “Neither our Airport Ops or ARFF folks got any kind of alert or notice of a problem for this flight.” But Satterfield checked three recent arrivals of the same flight on the same runway via a tracker and noted that today’s flight “spent a slightly longer time at lower altitude than the same flight did when it landed on Runway 14R on May 28, June 4, and June 8. Also, instead of crossing over Shoreline, Magnolia, and downtown, it came in over Burien, White Center and West Seattle before turning over Puget Sound on final approach.” Also a reminder: “As we always like to remind folks, if they have a concern or question about aircraft noise for flights arriving or departing Boeing Field, they can make a report on our website at kingcounty.gov/services/airport/noise.aspx or by calling 206-316-2515.”

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SCHOOLS: 2 Lafayette Elementary notes
June 9, 2021 11:03 am
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 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(WSB file photo)

A little more than a week left in the school year, and we have two notes about Lafayette Elementary:

DONUT FUNDRAISER: The PTA is again selling Krispy Kreme “Digital Dozens,” this week only, redeemable for a dozen original glazed donuts. The fundraising sale is all online, except the part where you pick up the donuts. Orders are being taken here through 5 pm next Tuesday (June 15th). The nearest Krispy Kreme is in SODO, but you also can get a Digital Dozen certificate for family/friends in other areas who might be fans.

SUMMERTIME PLAYDATES: Also from the Lafayette PTA:

WELCOME, KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES! Kindergarten Play Dates are a great way for families and their little lafayette leopards to-be to meet other little leopards joining our school community – come make new friends or re-connect with old ones. Mark your calendars, if you are around, join us for these PTA hosted play dates at the Hiawatha Community Center playground:

Saturday, August 14 at 10 AM – RSVP, it helps us to plan accordingly
Saturday, August 21 at 10 AM – RSVP, it helps us to plan accordingly

If you know a new incoming family, welcome them to our community and pass this information on!

(Got news from YOUR school? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)

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Remembering Gloria M. Langen, 1929-2021
June 9, 2021 9:31 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Gloria M. Langen, and sharing this remembrance with her community:

Gloria Mary (Strattman) Langen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away peacefully in the presence of her children on May 19, 2021.

Gloria was born in St Louis, Missouri on August 7, 1929 to George and Mary Strattman. In the early years of World War II, the family moved to Bremerton, WA when her father took a job as a machinist at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. Gloria completed her grade school education at Our Lady Star of the Sea and then attended Bremerton High School where she met the love of her life, John “Harry” Langen. She graduated in 1948 and they were married at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church on September 9th, 1950. In 1953 Harry and Glo moved to West Seattle where they made their home, raising 6 children.

Marriage, family, and the Catholic Church were central to her life. As founding members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Gloria and Harry were active in the parish throughout their many years and were recognized for their legacy with a seat of honor on the OLG 50th anniversary show car in the West Seattle Hi-Yu parade. As her children grew up and grandbabies began to arrive, Gloria embraced her role as a grandmother, always ready to play a game, work a puzzle, or read to the kids.

Gloria and Harry often spent their annual vacations camping with their extended family and friends. As members of the Westside Wheelers Square Dance Club, they traveled to square dance events throughout the Northwest and California. But her true passion was reading and it was a common sight to see her in her favorite chair, coffee cup at her side and a book in her hand. She shared that love of reading with her family and through her many years as the librarian at Guadalupe School. In 2001, her 30 years of service was commemorated with the naming of the school library “The Langen Library.”

In 2012 Gloria and Harry sold their longtime family home and moved to the Bridge Park Retirement Community in West Seattle, where she became a familiar face around the Activity Room, playing dominoes, bingo and her favorite card games.

Gloria was preceded in death by her grandson Joshua Waleryszak. She is survived by her husband John “Harry” Langen and children, Judy Waleryszak (Tom (d)), Mike (Alyson), Cathy Olson (Frank), Teresa Langen Earle (Ken), Margaret “Peggy” and James (Andrea), six grandchildren, Amanda, Elisa, Alexandra, Loretta, John, and Henry, and five great grandchildren.

Remembrances may be made to Our Lady of Guadalupe School Langen Library, 3401 SW Myrtle Street, Seattle, WA 98126. Or donate online at www.guadalupe-school.org

(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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WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC: Wednesday notes
June 9, 2021 6:07 am
|    Comments Off on WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC: Wednesday notes
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Good morning! Today’s forecast looks a lot like yesterday – mostly sunny but maybe some clouds/rain later, with a high in the 60s. Thanks to Lynn Hall for the photo of last night’s sunset:

ROAD WORK

Delridge project – Major work this week includes overnight striping/lane configuration work near Delridge/Dakota. Also, work on the west side of the Delridge/Barton/Henderson intersection, and utility work continues along Delridge between Holden and Thistle, among other work zones – here’s the full weekly update.

SW Yancy – Still closed west of 28th SW; no new estimate for reopening.

FERRIES/BUSES

Regular schedules today.(Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations, @wsferries for major WSF changes.)

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

443rd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 22nd 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:

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:

Are bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed is working again. The 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)

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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