day : 16/06/2021 11 results

2021 roundup

June 16, 2021 11:59 pm

| Comments Off on CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 6/16/2021 roundup

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

With two weeks – at most – to full reopening, here are tonight’s local/state pandemic updates:

ANY CHANCE OF REOPENING EARLIER? During state health officials’ weekly briefing today, Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said the state is now up to 67.2 percent of those 16+ having received at least one dose of vaccine; if 70 percent is reached before June 30th – requiring 140,000 more people to get a shot – the state could reopen early.

GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: 10:30 am Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee gives his next media briefing on the pandemic. You can watch here.

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

*111,353 people have tested positive, 111 more than yesterday’s total

*1,610 people have died, 6 fewer than yesterday’s total (PHSKC cites “data corrections”)

*6,292 people have been hospitalized, 7 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 110,717/1,609/6,256.

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

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

POP-UP IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: Thursday afternoon, 2-5 pm, all are welcome at Summit Atlas (9631 35th SW) for a first or second dose of Pfizer vaccine.

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

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COUNTDOWN: 3 days until Colman Pool reopens

June 16, 2021 10:50 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Thanks to Brian Hawksford for the photo. That’s a sneak peek through a gate at Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore as its reopening approaches – this Saturday at noon. If you’re new, Colman Pool is West Seattle’s only city-owned outdoor pool, and its sole saltwater pool – water is pumped in from Puget Sound, which is steps away. After staying closed last summer, it’s reopening this Saturday, June 19th, and will be open daily through September 6th. The schedule will be the same every day – one-hour public sessions with part of the pool open for lap swimming, part for family swim, with sessions starting at noon, 1:30 pm, 3 pm, 4:30 pm, and 6 pm – more info here.

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BIZNOTE: AT&T store moves out of future Ezell’s Famous Chicken location

June 16, 2021 8:14 pm

| 33 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Five months after we broke the news that permit filings showed Ezell’s Famous Chicken planned to take over the AT&T space in Morgan Junction, that store has closed for a northward move. Driving through Morgan Junction this evening, we spotted “This location permanently closed” notices on the doors at 4205 SW Morgan, across the parking lot from West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). The notice says the AT&T store is expected to reopen in Jefferson Square around August 1st. As for Ezell’s, the regional fried-chicken chain has yet to formally announce the West Seattle plan, but the construction permit – which, like other documents in the file, names Ezell’s as the new tenant – was granted four weeks ago.

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UPDATE: Gatewood Elementary intruder report investigated

June 16, 2021 5:55 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

5:55 PM: An investigation is under way after a Gatewood Elementary student reportedly encountered an intruder in a school bathroom. The child was not harmed, their parent tells us. Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Tim Robinson says the intruder, described as a man, was gone by the time school-security and police officers arrived. There’s no further information yet about how he got into the school.

ADDED 9:28 AM THURSDAY: Thanks to the parents who have just forwarded the letter sent to families this morning by principal Kyna Hogg:

I want to make you all aware of a situation that happened yesterday at Gatewood’s campus.

Yesterday, a person who is not a part of the Gatewood school community came onto our campus. Our Custodial Engineer saw the person in the bathroom, asked them to leave, and they complied. I reported the incident to Seattle Public Schools Safety and Security and – out of an abundance of caution – also to the Police, both of whom came to campus to ensure the area was cleared and safe. Seattle Public Schools’ Safety and Security will be on campus for our last two days of school (today and tomorrow) as an added safety precaution.

You might have seen in the West Seattle Blog a report that a child encountered this person; I want to clarify that this information is not correct. Gatewood Elementary School does not currently serve any students in-person on Wednesday, and none of the students that are a part of the privately run childcare on campus encountered the person, either.

10 AM: The district has since forwarded us this letter as well. We have a message out to the original person who contacted us yesterday as mentioned above, but have not received a reply.

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UPDATE: Death investigation at Camp Long

June 16, 2021 3:33 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

3:33 PM: We’ve received multiple questions about police, fire, and the Medical Examiner’s Office at Camp Long this afternoon. We talked with police at the park; they tell us a person was found dead, and it’s believed to be the missing West Seattle man mentioned here last night. Since his car was found at Camp Long, searchers went in with K-9 assistance today, and that’s how the body was found. The cause of death will be determined by the ME, but police say so far they do not suspect foul play.

4:15 PM: Further SPD confirmation is here.

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WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: New timeline for next planning milestone

June 16, 2021 2:29 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| Sound Transit | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Out of a 43-page slide deck, that’s the one slide that caught our attention when Sound Transit briefed the Seattle City Council Transportation and Utilities Committee this morning. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the West Seattle to Ballard extension is now not expected to be released before fall. Last estimated release timeline (see this December 2020 WSB report) was “mid-(year),” and that already was a slide past the originally projected release this year. When the DEIS comes out, it will trigger a new round of public comment, and will provide an avalanche of new information about the potential paths that could be taken to get light rail across the Duwamish River and to stations at Delridge, Avalon, and The Junction. The topic of the briefing was the “realignment” process, which we’ve been covering – the pursuit of a new plan/timeline for system expansion projects to address what’s currently estimated as a $7.9 billion “affordability gap” (currently mostly because on new cost estimates, rather than revenue shortfalls). The briefing started an hour and 30 minutes into the meeting (recorded by Seattle Channel):

During the briefing, councilmembers repeatedly asked a question that several ST board members also have asked – isn’t it too soon to make a new plan when the post-pandemic revenue picture isn’t clear? ST in response said it has to make decisions soon about $2 billion worth of projects (not including West Seattle-Ballard), but also insisted that a realignment plan would be a “flexible framework” that could be revisited. West Seattle light rail, originally planned to launch in 2030, already has been delayed a year beyond that, even before further delays that might be part of realignment.

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DEVELOPMENT: 39 townhouses proposed for 2051 SW Orchard

June 16, 2021 12:15 pm

| 36 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

While a long-in-the-works development plan proceeds for the north side of SW Orchard just east of Delridge Way, there’s now a new one for the south side of the street.

An early-stage site plan has just been filed with the city for 2051 SW Orchard (the site highlighted yellow in the screengrab above from King County Parcel Viewer). The site plan shows 39 townhouses, with offstreet parking in “shared underground garages.” The prospective development team is currently the most prolific in West Seattle – an entity of STS Construction (WSB sponsor) is listed as the owner (though not yet in county records), with architect Atelier Drome. Since this is an early-stage plan, there’s no timetable yet for feedback, reviews, and public comment.

As for the proposal on the north side of the street – city files indicate the 18-townhouse project, which hasn’t yet finished Design Review, is still being actively pursued. That project has a different owner/architect team.

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SUMMER FEST: Paint, play, taste … Got your kits from The Junction yet?

June 16, 2021 10:22 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Even as reopening gets going big time in a few weeks, some summer fun will continue online or hybrid in-person/online as we ease out of pandemic precautions.. This includes some of the activities for West Seattle Junction Summer Fest 2021. Kits and boxes – with proceeds benefiting local businesses – are on sale now; here’s a recap:

Paint and Sip on Thursday, July 8

Join artist Anjl Rodee, owner of BrushCapades, for a virtually guided art lesson using West Seattle as your inspiration point. The 5 pm session will explore Abstract West Seattle while the 7pm session celebrates West Seattle Nature. If you’re feeling extra creative, you can do both! Limited in-person spots available, or follow along online via a private YouTube broadcast. All for only $70 per person, per session. Paint with a friend for the discounted price of $130 for two people in one session.

The Paint and Sip Kit includes:
Reusable Tote Bag
5x good quality brushes
12x tubes paints
1x wooden palette
1x wooden easel
3x 8 x 10 canvas
1x bottle of wine
1x 9oz keepsake wine glass
Exciting surprise
Treats from the Junction
Virtual on in-person instruction from BrushCapades

Music Trivia contest on Friday, July 9 at 7:30 pm
Hosted by Pegasus Books with trivia MC Rachel Ask Me Questions, this live Zoom event will keep the beat going strong until concerts are back on the agenda! Gather your teams of up to 6 members (multiple households is ok) for a rockin’ good time and a shot at amazing prizes from around the Junction. Plus, special prizes for Best Team Name and Best Zoom Background. Only $25 to enter!

Virtual Beer Tasting on Saturday, July 10 at 7 pm
The beer garden gets an upgrade with this online guided tasting of carefully curated beers selected by the fine folks at Elliott Bay Brewing, The Beer Junction and Georgetown Brewing. Your tasting kit also comes with a selection of cheeses, cured meats, and caramel corn from Husky Deli. Plus, keepsake taster glasses and fun surprises! Only $55.

Kits for all experiences can be delivered to select zip codes or picked up in the Junction. Don’t miss out on your chance to get in on the fun – order yours now while supplies last!

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE SMALL BUSINESSES OF THE JUNCTION

There’s a kids’ craft tote, too. You can order any or all of the above via The Junction’s website – just scroll down this page.

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Remembering Phyllis Harriage, 1939-2021

June 16, 2021 9:30 am

| Comments Off on Remembering Phyllis Harriage, 1939-2021

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Phyllis Harriage and sharing this with her community:

The family of Phyllis Joyce Harriage (Clark) is deeply saddened to announce her death at 81 years old from complications of Parkinson’s disease on June 14, 2021.

Phyllis was born to Leonard and Margaret Clark in West Seattle on September 15, 1939 and graduated from West Seattle High School in 1957. She raised three children with William R. Harriage during their eighteen-year marriage. Phyllis worked as a waitress at the SeaTac Marriott for nearly two decades. Kind, funny, and thoughtful, Phyllis lived her retirement years in the constant company of her beloved family and dogs. She lived in West Seattle until declining health prompted her to move in with family in Tacoma.

Phyllis was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is survived by her daughter Holly (Kevin) and her children, Emelia, Audrey, Christina, and Gabrielle; her daughter Hayley (Steffan) and her children Crystal, Kaitlyn, and Allison; her son Kurt (Paulette) and his children Lauren, Sierra, Priscilla, Jesse, Laticia, and Lorenzo; six great-grandchildren; and her sister Patricia Schaber and her children, Steven and Richard (and his children and grandchildren).

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Tacoma Humane Society.

(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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ORCAS: Whales in the area

June 16, 2021 8:22 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales

Transient orcas are in view, north of Blake Island, southbound, “lots of breaching,” per Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch.

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WEATHER, TRAFFIC, ROAD WORK: Wednesday notes

June 16, 2021 6:05 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:05 AM: Good morning! Sunshine in the forecast, so this Tuesday photo by Jerry Simmons might be the last we see of the clouds for a while:

ROAD WORK

Delridge project – The Delridge/Barton/Henderson work has now moved to the east side of the intersection; here’s the rest of this week’s plan.

SW Yancy – The SW Yancy closure west of 28th is supposed to end this week.

FERRIES/BUSES

Regular schedule for buses. For ferries, the Southworth dock has maintenance work and so some late night/early am Triangle Route runs are canceled again tonight.

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

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

450th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 23rd 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 draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. The 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also 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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