West Seattle, Washington
07 Saturday
Tonight’s pandemic points, with 5 days until reopening:
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the daily stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*112,291 people have tested positive, 43 more than yesterday’s total
*1,658 people have died, 10 more than yesterday’s total
*6,488 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday’s total
Now our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*1,520,955 people have received one dose (77.9% of everyone 12+)
*1,387,171 people have received both doses (71% of everyone 12+)
One week ago, the first three totals were 111,509/1,612/6,304, and the vaccination totals were 1,504,658/1,361,806.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 180.4 million cases, 3,909,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
AFTER REOPENING, DON’T THROW YOUR MASKS AWAY: There might be reasons to wear one sometimes, even if you’re vaccinated, says King County Public Health.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Police investigated a report of gunfire on Alki around 6:15 tonight. The preliminary report says witnesses reporting the shooter walking past Pepperdock Restaurant in the 2600 block of Alki Avenue SW, then facing southbound on Marine Avenue [map] and firing a round south, toward Alki Playfield/Whale Tail Park, before running away westbound. No one was hurt and no property damage was found; when we talked with police at the scene, they hadn’t found any evidence, but later they turned up “an unspent .40-caliber bullet” back in the 2600 block of Alki. Officers called in the Gun Violence Reduction Unit. The report does not include a description of the shooter other than “male” but mentions that he “was possibly with two other males during the incident.”
Thanks for the photos! Today just before noon, the minus-four-feet low tide was the lowest we’ll see this summer. Kathy Olson sent the photo above from Constellation Park south of Alki Point; the photo below is from Lisa Li:
(added) Michelle Green Arnson photographed this Gull-Crow faceoff during the low tide:
And Theresa Arbow-O’Connor was on Duwamish Head during Thursday’s almost-as-low low tide:
Tomorrow’s low tide is -3,7 feet at 12:41 pm, and Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will be available 10:45 am-2:45 pm at Constellation and Lincoln Parks. Kathy photographed one of them in action today:
Wherever you explore, tread lightly and mindfully – these extra-low tides reveal near-shore creatures that usually aren’t out of the water. P.S. Next June’s low-low tides will be even lower than this year; -4.3 feet, the chart says.
8:22 PM: Thanks for the tip. A 26-customer power outage in Westwood is having some effects at the shopping center. A texter tells us there’s restricted access to cold/frozen food at QFC. Seattle City Light‘s map says the outage started just after 6:30 pm but doesn’t yet identify the cause.
1:19 AM: Still out. Added screenshot of outage map, for the record.
10:40 AM: Not fixed yet, after 16 hours. Reader says the Westwood QFC is closed. The SCL map now attributes the outage to “equipment failure.”
12:08 PM: The supermarket is NOT closed – we just went there to check. However, this big loud generator truck is running by the north door:
8:08 PM: The outage is about a third of its size – eight customers now. The generator truck is gone from QFC but they are still sorting out the refrigerated-item situation. Meantime, we’ve confirmed at least one store that did close because of the outage – Marshall’s.
9:43 PM: Map shows it’s been fully restored, more than 24 hours after the outage started. We’ll be asking SCL about the cause on Monday.
The photo is from Trileigh Tucker, who is among the West Seattleites wanting to ensure you remember our feathered (and furry) friends in the mega-hot weather ahead. She points out it’s not just about bird baths and water bowls:
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE put plenty of water out for the birds and your own animals, in the shade, under shelter so they don’t have to risk emerging from their protection. It’s going to be hard on them as well as us.
In addition, try spraying any shrubs in your yard with a hose — the little birds love taking a bath in the leaves. In less than 2 minutes after I did this (twice) this morning, chickadees and bushtits were bathing, so sweet to watch.
WATER THE BIRDS!!
Thanks to those who sent questions and photos (the one above is from Mike Munson) wondering why the renovated Lincoln Park beach restrooms aren’t open yet, though the construction fence is down. The question came up after we reported earlier this week on the pause in work on the new Alki restroom building (same contractor, JEM). Our contact for this project also is Seattle Parks’ Kelly Goold; he says, “Parks crews wanted time to clean up the landscape that was behind the construction fence and get the building ready to open. I believe the goal is to open it up before the holiday weekend.” The work started last fall and was primarily aimed at improving the restroom building’s accessibility.
We are now officially under the National Weather Service‘s Excessive Heat Warning alert. Last night we asked for help building a list of places to stay cool. This will be the ongoing list – so here’s what we have to start with – please comment or email/text with additions!
PUBLIC/SEMI-PUBLIC FACILITIES AND OTHER CENTERS
Delridge Branch Library (5423 Delridge Way SW)
(updated) Open from noon to 6 pm Sunday, 10 am-6 pm Monday
High Point Branch Library (3411 SW Raymond)
Open noon to 6 pm Sunday  (ADDED: SPL says this branch will open this Monday, 10 am-6 pm, too)
Salvation Army in South Delridge – day center for people experiencing homelessness (9050 16th Ave. SW)
11 am-7 pm Saturday-Tuesday
(added) Morgan Junction community space next to and run by HeartBeet Café and Youngstown Coffee, 6030 California SW
Our new seating space next to HeartBeet Cafe and Youngstown has AC, iced water, and a bathroom. Open 8 am to 8 pm. We will keep the doors open to this space but our cafe and coffee shop may be closed. Trained chill dogs are welcome in our space as well.
Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon)
Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mondays – Fridays
(added) West Seattle YMCA (36th/Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor)
Open as a cooling center only, 7 am-7 pm Monday
West Seattle Christian Church Gym (4400 42nd SW)
Open Sunday and Monday (June 27-28) for the hottest days, 12:30 pm-5 pm. WSCC’s Worth Wheeler says:
We will have socially distanced seating set up and a limited supply of bottled water available as well. We will ask that everyone wear masks for the sake of unvaccinated kids and youth, and those at higher risk. We will also be following the guidance for larger gatherings. Sanitizer and disposable masked will be available, 2 people in bathroom at a time, etc. Neighbors are welcome to bring activities, games, crafts, etc to keep themselves entertained. They can also bring their own lunch/picnic/snacks as well. Any other local restaurants/businesses that might want to donate kid-friendly drinks, snacks, treats, or crafts are welcome!
White Center Cooling Center (206 SW 112th)
Available for those who need overnight shelter from the heat – details on our partner site White Center Now
—-RESTAURANTS/BARS WITH AIR CONDITIONING—-
BIZZARRO ITALIAN CAFE (White Center)
CORNER POCKET (4302 SW Alaska) – 3 pm-midnight – underground AND air-conditioned
MOD PIZZA (both West Seattle locations)
strong>PEEL & PRESS
—-OTHER BUSINESSES WITH AIR CONDITIONING—-
ADMIRAL THEATER (2343 California SW), cool treats as well as cool seats – afternoon/evening showtimes daily
FOGUE GALLERY (4130 California SW), open noon-5 pm Friday/Saturday/Sunday
WEST SEATTLE COWORKING (6040 California SW), open this weekend with day passes available – email manager@westseattlecoworking.com
—-CITY-RUN POOLS/SPRAYPARKS—-
Colman Pool (at Lincoln Park, 8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
Daily noon-7 pm
Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) – Open 7 days a week (started 6/26), 11 am-8 pm, as planned
Delridge wading pool (4501 Delridge Way SW) – Open 11 am-5:30 pm Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays
Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) – Open noon-7 pm Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAINS
Seattle Public Utilities says two are open in West Seattle business districts:
4598 California SW
6501 California SW
Bookmark this page or use our Share This feature below to send yourself the link – we’ll continue adding/updating throughout this heat wave! And once again – additions welcome, email westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302
Another theft-linked car to look for – as well as the motorcycle taken in the theft. From Melody at Nucor:
At approximately 12:20 pm, a red Honda Civic drove into the employee parking lot of Nucor Steel Seattle. They parked by the motorcycle, where the driver got out and stole a teammate’s motorcycle. The motorcycle and the car both quickly left the parking lot and were gone by 12:26 pm. Here are photos of the car, suspect and stolen motorcycle.
Please call 911 to report any sightings of either vehicle – SPD incident # 21-157556
Just yesterday, we reported on a daylight catalytic converter theft in a West Seattle Junction parking lot – with a passerby’s photo of a black Mercedes that the thieves had pulled up alongside the targeted Element. Today, a WSB reader spotted that Mercedes at 39th/Juneau and called it in (the dispatcher told officers the caller had read about it here). Officers responded and called for a tow truck to impound the car so the Major Crimes Unit can investigate it. They told us they hadn’t yet verified whether the car was stolen, but they called it “suspicious,” noting that potential theft tools including a jack were in plain view inside.
What a way to celebrate turning 70! At right in our photo is Lou Cutler, the retired PE teacher who is also a longtime Make-A-Wish volunteer raising money for MAW every year with a walkathon at his old school, Pathfinder K-8. Two weeks ago, Lou spent two days walking laps there with students in a pandemic-modified version of his annual fundraiser; the laps totaled a half-marathon, 13+ miles, and today he’s replicating that, with a 13+-mile walk around West Seattle with friends, family, and supporters. We photographed them leaving the Pathfinder campus on Pigeon Point just after 10 am; Lou said the plan was to head northwest to Alki, then south to Beach Drive and Lincoln Park, looping back northeast to finish back at Pathfinder. He says he’s not worried about the heat – “We’ve got water!” He’s also hoping to return to his classic “Laps With Lou” format next year – one day of lapping the school track with one lap for every year of his age, so that’s 71 laps next year. P.S. You can support the Make-A-Wish kids that Lou’s long supported by donating here.
ADDED: Afterward, Lou told us via email, “It took us a little longer than I planned, but we finally made it back to Pathfinder about 7 hours after we left, though we had lots of fun stops along the way and were not in a rush to finish.” His fundraising for this year is getting closer to the goal, too, and he’s still welcoming more donations, to make more kids’ wishes come true.
Thanks to Kathy Weitz for the photos from an early morning orca sighting – they were southbound then but northbound now, off Blake Island per Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch.
These again are transient orcas (also known as Bigg’s Killer Whales) – which are seen in our area more often than the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.
(Today’s sunrise, photographed by Stewart L.)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, archives, and inbox:
MAKE-A-WISH BIRTHDAY WALK: Lou Cutler is following up his recent Make-A-Wish fundraising laps at Pathfinder K-8 with one big walk around West Seattle starting from the school on Pigeon Point at 10 am, in celebration of his 70th birthday. Here’s his donation link.
GO TIME ATHLETICS OPEN HOUSES: The new sports/play facility at 4835 West Marginal Way has two open houses today, as previewed here – 10 am-1 pm for drop-in toddler play, 6-9 pm for open volleyball play.
LOWEST TIDE OF THE YEAR: Out to -4.0 feet just before noon. As previewed here, you’ll also find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists at Lincoln and Constellation Parks, 10 am-2 pm.
OUTDOOR MOVIE: Tonight’s the night Rec’N The Streets is presenting a free outdoor movie (drive-in or walk-in, BYO chairs) at the Southwest Teen Life Center parking lot, “Karate Kid” at 7:30 pm, free.
Are we missing anything? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:16 AM: Good morning! 80s and sunny today – though the Excessive Heat Warning alert is in effect as of 2 pm, the serious heat is expected to hold off until Saturday. Here’s a cooling view of last night’s sunset, photographed by Hana Alishio:
ROAD WORK
Junction paving – As announced Thursday, the westbound lanes of SW Alaska between California and 44th will be closed 9 am-3 pm today for repaving – that means bus rerouting, too.
Delridge project – Median and intersection work continues; next week’s preview is due out later today..
Southbound I-5 – 7 pm tonight until 5 am Monday, the mainline lanes of Southbound I-5 will close from Freeway Park to Spokane Street. The EB & WB I-90 ramps to SB I-5 will be closed. All southbound through traffic will be detoured onto the collector-distributor lanes.
FERRIES/BUSES
Regular schedule for buses and ferries (except for the Junction detour off WB Alaska – see above)
(Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations, @wsferries for major WSF changes.)
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
459th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 24th 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.)
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. (1st Ave. South 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.
1:37 AM: Big Seattle Fire callout to the 1100 block of SW Holden. Avoid the area. Updates to come.
1:41 AM: The fire is reported (corrected) under control, but not out.
1:52 AM: Firefighters say there’s still fire in the attic. The address SFD has logged for the incident is Highland Park Improvement Club. Our photographer is on the way there to verify.
(Added: WSB photos from here down)
2:13 AM: A commenter confirms that the fire is at HPIC, a century-old community-owned-and-operated facility. … They’re down to a few hot spots.
2:26 AM: Our crew is back (after communications challenges at the scene) and also confirms it’s HPIC. SFD’s investigator was on the way to try to figure out how this started. The building had been undergoing renovations – just last month, we reported both on that donation/grant-funded work and the community services that HPIC has provided during the pandemic.
2:46 AM: More units are being dismissed from the scene, but about half a dozen remain. We’ll be seeking out HPIC leadership later this morning to follow up on the extent of the damage.
10:56 AM: The cleanup has begun. Here are photos from Highland Park photographer/artist Dina Johnson – first, the stage area, that’s seen many performances and presentations:
More of the interior:
And the exterior:
Badly needed roofing work had just been completed, HPIC board members told us this morning. They’re still dealing with the shock of the fire so no details yet on the best way you can help; SFD was still investigating the cause at last report. We’ll continue following up.
2:29 PM: SFD says its investigator has ruled the fire’s cause “undetermined.”
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