West Seattle, Washington

19 Friday

66℉

month : 06/2021 339 results

CORONAVIRUS: Monday 6/28/2021 roundup
June 28, 2021 11:59 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Two days until The Grand Reopening – a quick look at tonight’s pandemic toplines:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:

*112,480 people have tested positive, 39 more than yesterday

*1,657 people have died, unchanged since Saturday

*6,496 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday

ONE WEEK AGO: Last Monday, the three totals we track were 111,706/1,616/6,317.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Check the state dashboard.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 181.4 million cases, 3,930,000+ deaths – 604,000+ in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.

VAX STATS: In King County, 78.2 percent of people 12+ have had at least one dose; 71.8 percent are fully vaccinated. In West Seattle, the most-vaccinated zip code is still 98136 – 89.2 percent of people 12+ have had at least one dose. (Maps and stats are here.)

RETIRING THE ROUNDUP: We’d been thinking about retiring our daily pandemic roundup after Reopening Day. An announcement by Public Health today cements that decision – they’re going to cut back on dashboard updates, weekdays only. We will likely launch a weekly local update, probably on Friday nights.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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FOLLOWUP: Why part of Westwood Village lost power for 24+ hours
June 28, 2021 10:46 pm
|    Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Why part of Westwood Village lost power for 24+ hours
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | Westwood

Before the heat wave arrived, we got some questions from former residents of frequently overheated cities, wondering what Seattle City Light was doing to try to hold off brownouts/blackouts once the power demand surged. We haven’t historically had much heat-related trouble here; SCL explained its preparations in this post. That said, the utility is currently dealing with 22 scattered outages affecting 2,600+ customers around its service area. In West Seattle, the most notable outage involved more than two dozen customers at Westwood Village, in an outage that started Friday evening and wasn’t fully resolved until Saturday night (WSB coverage here). Some stores closed. We followed up today with SCL spokesperson Julie Moore, who told us this was one of several weekend outages around the system caused by heat-related underground equipment failure. As for why it took so long to fix, she said that underground outages pose challenges in finding exactly what failed and why, and then they have to be careful with the crews going into the vaults to fix the problem – dealing with temperatures higher than the air outside.

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WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Heat-wave effects? Plus, followup on new federal funding
June 28, 2021 7:05 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Bridge notes this evening:

HEAT WAVE EFFECTS? Since we heard a lot about watching how the stabilized bridge handled last winter’s cold weather – including a foot of snow – we wondered how it was handling the extreme heat. No problems as of this afternoon, SDOT told us via email, while explaining why the WS Bridge didn’t get the same treatment as some others:

Heat stress issues are a concern specifically for our movable steel bridges which is why we are monitoring their performance closely and cooling them with water during this current high temperature period. The West Seattle High-Rise Bridge (WSHB) is primarily constructed from reinforced concrete and is not effected by extreme heat in the same way that our steel movable bridges are. Also of note is that the WSHB is currently in a stabilized condition as a result of last years’ inspection, design and construction efforts. As such we don’t anticipate any damage to the WSHB from the extreme heat and therefore don’t see a need for cooling; however, out of an abundance of caution we still have active instrumentation throughout the WSHB to monitor performance and our readiness posture is still maintained with our Monitoring, Operation and Response Plan (MORP) in effect should something unexpected happen.

We’ll check again tomorrow.

NEW FEDERAL GRANT: Over the weekend, West Seattle-residing U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal announced that an $11 million federal grant was on the way to help fund the West Seattle Bridge repairs. At the City Council’s morning briefing today, Transportation Committee chair Councilmember Alex Pedersen noted that while the grant was good news, it was less than the city had requested. We went back into the archives to find out how much the request was for, and found this slide from the March 17th bridge briefing before his committee, when the grant application was about to be submitted:

So the city was hoping for up to $21 million but got $11 million. As for the new federal infrastructure package, the council was told by staff this morning that it’s not clear yet what the city stands to receive. Previously received federal funding for the bridge, meantime, has included a $14 million grant routed through the Puget Sound Regional Council. The total cost of repairs plus other projects – low-bridge work, traffic calming along detour routes, trying to encourage people to shift modes, etc. – is estimated at $175 million.

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HEAT WAVE: Notes from another record-setting afternoon
June 28, 2021 4:22 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

4:22 PM: This is it – the next couple hours should bring the peak of the heat, so if you are thinking about going to a cooling center or other air-conditioned venue/establishment, now’s the time to go. We’ve continued updating our list through the day; latest addition is the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) at 36th/Snoqualmie in The Triangle, open as a cooling center until 7 pm. Meanwhile, note that in addition to the heat, it’s a little hazy out there (air quality is “moderate”):

That’s the view from Upper Fauntleroy, looking toward north Vashon and beyond to Kitsap. As for the numbers … Sea-Tac hit 106 at 2:45 pm, says the National Weather Service, breaking the all-time record of 104, set just yesterday. So much for the old joke that summer starts in Seattle on July 5th … still a week away.

P.S. As we publish this, just heard a dispatch for a possible heat-related road problem – “buckled road” reported at 36th/Morgan 36th/Oregon.

4:29 PM: Thanks to the reader who texted photos right after we published that!

5:36 PM: Sea-Tac has since hit 107. (Added: The official high – 108.) And we’ve received another reader report/photo of what could be a weather-related road problem:

That’s at 40th/Holly in Gatewooc.

8:49 PM: The 36th/Oregon sinkhole has now closed a section of street – that’s it at right below.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Hit-run driver injures pedestrian; neighbor interrupts catalytic-converter theft; more…
June 28, 2021 2:15 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes so far today:

PEDESTRIAN HURT BY HIT-RUN DRIVER: The preliminary police summary says this happened at 42nd/Alaska in The Junction just before 7 am today. A woman in her early 50s, walking in a marked crosswalk, was hit by a driver who took off. She suffered a broken ankle and was taken to the hospital. A witness later called police with more information about the suspect vehicle, believed to be a black Kia Amanti with a license plate that begins with BYM. If you have any information, the incident number is 21-161387.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT INTERRUPTED: From Aaron:

Someone was about 30 seconds from getting our catalytic converter from our Honda Element this morning just before 5 am. We live between Henderson and Barton on 34th. Our lovely neighbor was going to ask me what I was doing that was so loud, so early, and scared them off. SPD was interested in our videos, which I provided them.

At about 1:50 in, you’ll hear what the cutting tool sounds like. Police report # is 21-161330.

FOLLOWED: We heard a little about this via emergency radio just after midnight, and now have the police summary. A 911 caller said she was heading for the Southwest Precinct because someone was following her. That driver followed her into the precinct parking lot. Officers made contact with him and he claimed a man he had just met in a North Seattle bar asked him to follow her home. But, the report continues:

“… (his) story continued to change, and after finding out (he) had a suspended license and ignition interlock requirement (with no ignition interlock), officers asked (him) to exit his vehicle. Officers then observed a kitchen knife on the front driver’s seat, previously concealed under the suspect’s legs. (He) claimed to have been following the (victim) from the bar, but (she) stated she had been driving to her home in West Seattle from Burien. (The suspect) advised (police) he was a convicted felon, stemming from a stabbing murder. A wallet (with Washington driver license) not belonging to (the suspect) was seen inside the car, and later recovered with the (suspect’s) permission. (He was) arrested for DOL Suspended 1st Degree and Ignition Interlock Violation.”

We are still researching this one; the suspect is 43 and the murder case apparently dates back to when he was a juvenile.

GUNFIRE: If you thought you heard gunfire in southeast West Seattle around 5:40 am, this might be related. Police got a call about that time from someone in the 9400 block of 9th SW who heard suspected shots to the east. They found no evidence of gunfire in that area, but less than an hour later heard from someone near 7th and Trenton in South Park who had video of someone shooting out a car window. Officers found casings; no reported injuries.

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No more ‘single-family’ zoning? Name change proposed by West Seattle-residing Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda
June 28, 2021 12:52 pm
|      76 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle housing | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

We reported briefly via Twitter this morning that citywide Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, a North Delridge resident, is proposing what could be seen as a step toward getting rid of single-family zoning, which she has long opposed – changing its name. From the news release we just received:

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide) announced legislation today that will change the name of single-family only zones, a recognition that the term “single family” as used in Seattle’s zoning code is a misnomer, inaccurately describes current uses, and has roots in exclusionary practices.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6, Northwest Seattle), is in response to the Seattle Planning Commission’s repeated request since 2018 to change the name of single-family only to “Neighborhood Residential,” as laid out in their Neighborhoods for All report. The Planning Commission has reiterated this call in their recommendations for 2019/2020 Comprehensive Plan amendments and in their recommendations for analysis for the 2020/2021 Comprehensive Plan update.

“Seattle’s neighborhoods have always been more diverse than the single family only designation would have us believe—from some of the longest-standing and beloved neighborhood businesses, to brownstone apartment buildings built before tightening zoning restrictions, connected housing with shared courtyards, that all allow for residents to live near schools, parks, and services our communities rely on. Changing the zoning title can help reflect the diverse housing we need across our city to support community well-being, walkability and affordability in Seattle, and create a more equitable and inclusive Seattle to accurately reflect our diverse neighborhoods,” said Mosqueda.

“Language matters. ‘Single family’ zoning may seem to some as merely a planning term, but we know historically it has been used to further exclusionary practices and discriminatory policies of the past. If Seattle is going to be an equitable and just city, then we must also apply that same lens to our zoning code. After years of discussion, we are acting on what we know is right to undo the legacy of exclusion that exists within our planning documents — starting with how we talk about our neighborhoods,” Mosqueda concluded. …

The City Council requested this zoning name change be studied by the Executive every year since 2018 in the Comprehensive Plan Annual Docketing Resolution. This proposal would finally implement that recommendation by first amending the City’s Comprehensive Plan to make the change, and then follow with changes to the land use code.

This change will touch many elements of the Comprehensive Plan, including: (1) the Future Land Use Map; (2) the Land Use, Housing, and Parks and Open Space elements; (3) seventeen neighborhood plans; and (4) the Housing appendix.

These proposed changes can be seen on the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee website at: seattle.gov/council/committees/land-use-and-neighborhoods. The City Council’s Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee will hold a public hearing to receive input on the preliminary proposal on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:30 AM. Councilmember Mosqueda intends to formally introduce legislation in August as part of the annual Comprehensive Plan update.

See the proposed legislation here. The announcement also notes this would change official neighborhood plans around the city, including, in West Seattle, those for Admiral, Morgan Junction, West Seattle Junction, and Westwood Highland Park.

While this is a proposal to change the zoning type’s name, not the zoning itself yet, it’s been a hot topic in this year’s mayoral and council races, with most candidates voicing support so far for ending “exclusionary zoning.” Mosqueda said during this morning’s council briefing meeting that potential future zoning changes could come in 2023 and 2024.

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ORCAS: Off West Seattle
June 28, 2021 12:04 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Whales

If you’re out by the water in west-facing southwest West Seattle, you might get a view of transient killer whales Orcas are headed southbound, off Fauntleroy, reports Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch. If you miss them now, you might see them later on the northbound swing!

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WEST SEATTLE MONDAY: Info for what might be our area’s hottest day ever
June 28, 2021 10:48 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Good day to seek refuge under a tree. Photo by Mark Jaroslaw)
Here’s what you need to know today, heading for what’s forecast to be another record-setting high temperature:

WHERE TO STAY COOL: Our ongoing list is here – including libraries (even those not usually open Mondays) and other places opening as cooling centers around West Seattle, plus restaurants/bars with air conditioning, and wading pool/spraypark info. We’re continuing to update the list as the info comes in.

RESTAURANTS/BARS CLOSING OR CHANGING HOURS: We started this list (which we’re also continuing to update) over the weekend and are continuing to update it too – for some establishments, it’s just too hot for safety. .

OTHER BUSINESSES CLOSING: Monday is a regular closure day for some retailers anyway, but some that are regularly open are closing – Northwest Art and Frame, Floors Plus Northwest. We’ll add any others we hear of.

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS MEAL SITES CLOSED: The district announced this morning that its meal-distribution sites will not open today because of the weather.

SEATTLE PARKS MEAL SITES CLOSED TOO … for today.

REDUCED SOLID-WASTE PICKUP: As first noted over the weekend, crews are starting pickup today and tomorrow one hour earlier than usual. Monday pickup customers will not have food/yard waste pickup (you can put out double next week). Full details here.

GOT A SPARE FAN OR A/C UNIT? The Mount could use more.

We’ll continue updating through the day – if you have something to add, including closures/changes, please email westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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CAN YOU HELP? Providence Mount St. Vincent needs air conditioners, fans
June 28, 2021 10:22 am
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Our area’s largest senior/rehab center, Providence Mount St. Vincent, needs some immediate help to keep its vulnerable residents and workers cool. Here’s the announcement:

Help Residents and Caregivers at The Mount beat the heat.

While the team at The Mount is working diligently to keep 300 residents cool, safe and comfortable — living and working in an almost 100-year-old building without central air-conditioning during this heat wave has increased the need for help. Donations of large (14,000 BTU) free-standing air conditioning units, commercial-grade Move and Cool units and both small and large fans would be greatly appreciated.

We are extremely grateful for the initial community response with 7 small AC units and two fans donated over the weekend.

However, with nearly 100,000 square feet of resident living spaces to cool, more donations are urgently needed given the lack of inventory in stores. New units or used in excellent condition may be dropped off at The Mount’s east entrance at 4831 35th Ave SW. If transportation is an issue, please call 206-937-3701, extension 28035 and pick up may be arranged.

The Providence Mount St. Vincent Foundation is also seeking cash donations to support the purchase of air conditioning units as any become available and in preparation for the remainder of the summer as temperatures more typically reach the upper 80’s and into the 90’s.

Cash donations can be made here.

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SUMMER: Mode offering music lessons, summer camps
June 28, 2021 9:43 am
|    Comments Off on SUMMER: Mode offering music lessons, summer camps
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Planning the rest of your family’s summer? West Seattle’s Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and its nonprofit arm Mode Music and Performing Arts are offering opportunities, including music lessons and summer camps. Here’s the announcement:

Mode Music Studios In-Person and Online Private Lessons enrolling now!

Mode Music Studios just celebrated their 7th year in the West Seattle community and is back in-person! During COVID, Mode’s teachers continued to teach online and educate our youth all the way to adults returning to or continuing their musical studies and are ready to serve the community face to face.

As a female-owned business, Mode emphasises hiring femme, BIPOC, and LGBTQ professional musicians in the Seattle area as teachers in the building. All teachers returning to in-person lessons are fully vaccinated and proper distancing and PPE is required following the CDC and governor’s guidelines.

Mode offers online and in-person voice, piano, drum, guitar, ukulele, bass, woodwind, brass, violin lessons and more!

For more information on private lessons, visit modemusicstudios.com or call 206-659-4018.

———————–
Mode Music and Performing Arts In-Person and Online Summer Camps still enrolling!

Mode Music and Performing Arts (MMPA), the nonprofit arm of Mode Music Studios, is offering both online and in-person camps all summer long! MMPA has served local and Seattle Public Schools since December of 2017 and will continue to work with the schools to enhance arts programming and reach all students by eliminating financial barriers.

MMPA has partial and full scholarships upon signup for music, theatre, and dance camps enrolling ages 6-15.

For more information on our summer camps, visit modemusicandperformingarts.org/camps or sign up HERE!

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WEATHER, TRAFFIC, ROAD WORK: Monday info
June 28, 2021 6:03 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! First a reminder – if you have Monday trash/recycling pickup, be sure it’s out – crews started at 6 this morning instead of the usual 7 because of the expected heat. No yard/food waste pickup today. As for the weather itself, this is forecast to be the third consecutive day of triple-digit heat. Here’s a cooling Sunday sunset view from Lynn Hall:

ROAD WORK

Delridge project – Station work as well as road work starting this week.

FERRIES/BUSES

Regular schedule for buses and ferries. (We’ll talk about the upcoming holiday weekend when it gets closer.(

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

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

462nd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: 25th 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.

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CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 6/27/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check
June 27, 2021 11:58 pm
|    Comments Off on CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 6/27/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Tonight’s pandemic notes, with 3 days until The Grand Reopening:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page:

*112,441 people have tested positive, up 63 from yesterday

*1,657 people have died, unchanged from yesterday

*6,491 people have been hospitalized, up 1 from yesterday

One week ago, those three totals were 111,646/1,616/6,314.

WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Sunday roundups have featured our check of these numbers, shown in two-week increments on the “geography over time” tab of the countywide daily-summary dashboard. For WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 54 positive test results; 52 in the 2 weeks before that; 75 in the two weeks before that. … We also have been noting two other West Seattle stats each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 68, unchanged from last week’s total. And a look at hospitalizations: 198 total have been attributed to people in the two peninsula HRAs since the start of the pandemic, adding one this week.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 181 million cases and 3,923,000+ deaths, almost 604,000 of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here

SUMMER MEALS FOR STUDENTS: Second week begins for Seattle Public Schools summer-meal sites, 11 am-1 pm daily – details and locations are here. (MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: The meal sites are closed today because of the weather.)

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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DELRIDGE PROJECT: Now the RapidRide H Line bus-station work begins
June 27, 2021 9:59 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(25th/Barton RapidRide station rendering)

As the repaving/utility work along Delridge Way gets closer to concluding, a new phase of RapidRide H Line preparation begins – bus-station construction. The first two West Seattle/White Center work locations are about to get started, with this work ahead in next three to four weeks:

SW Barton St (SW Barton St and 25th Ave SW intersection, and the crossing between 26th Ave SW and 29th Ave SW)
-Demolition
-Storm, sewer, and utilities work
-Sidewalk and curb ramp installation
-Demolition and electrical work on northbound and westbound stations at SW Barton St and 26th Ave SW

SW Roxbury St and 15th Ave SW
-Demolition
-Storm, sewer, and utilities work
-Sidewalk and curb ramp installation
-Traffic signal modifications
-Demolition and electrical work on northbound and southbound stations at SW Roxbury St and 15th Ave SW

Crews also will be working at station locations further south in White Center and Burien. See more info on the Metro website. The H Line’s multiple-times-delayed launch is currently set for fall 2022.

As for the ongoing Delridge work, here are the highlights for the week ahead:

-We are continuing to work at SW Findlay St. We have recently completed some sidewalk upgrades in the area, but will remain near the intersection to install a new RapidRide bus station on the east side of the street.

-SW Willow St will be closed at Delridge Way SW for upgrades to the street

-The stairs near SW Holden St between Delridge Way SW and 20th Ave SW remain closed while we continue to upgrade lighting

-Intersection upgrades at SW Henderson St will continue for several weeks as we rebuild the street. We are also upgrading sidewalks as part of this work, which will take place in July.

-In the coming weeks, we will return to SW Barton Pl to upgrade the sidewalks on the west side of Delridge Way SW

This week’s full preview can be seen here.

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UPDATE: Small Alki power outage
June 27, 2021 8:12 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

a href=”https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-27-at-7.37.39-PM-e1624849793130.png”>

8:12 PM: Thanks for the tip. Small power outage in Alki – five customers lost power about an hour ago, per the Seattle City Light map – but notable because of the weather. Our tipster reports hearing what may have been a fuse blowing; the map does not yet note a cause.

9:27 PM: “Equipment failure” is listed as the cause.

12:25 AM: As noted in comments, there was also a 4-customer outage around 50th/Hudson. That has already ended but the Alki outage is in its sixth hour.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: What you need to know, now that the ‘Excessive Heat Warning’ has been extended
June 27, 2021 5:07 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

5:07 PM: The bird photographed by Jerry Simmons had the right idea – a quick dunk to cool off. You’re going to have to keep the stay-cool tactics going – though temperatures will drop a bit after tomorrow, not that much, so the National Weather Service has just extended the Excessive Heat Warning alert an extra day, until 11 pm Tuesday. 90s are expected for the high that day, not 100+ like yesterday/today/tomorrow, but it might feel that way: “Temperatures lingering in the upper 90s on Tuesday with potentially dangerously hot heat index values up to 111.” Here again are our key links (with updated information:

Places to cool off, including air-conditioned libraries and restaurants/bars, plus “cooling centers” and wading pools

Restaurants changing their hours or closing because of heat danger

The city’s status update says, “Water and electricity usage remain within normal operations for utilities.” But if you are a Monday solid-waste customer, the plan for Monday has changed again: Trash/recycling crews will be out an hour earlier, as previously announced, so have those carts out at 6 am, but food/yard waste will NOT be picked up Monday (no word yet on the makeup plan – we’ll update when that info is available).

6:10 PM: SPU has now announced its Tuesday pickups will start an hour early, too – details here, and below:

P.S. Today’s high was 104 at Sea-Tac – the new all-time highest temperature on record in Seattle – but that’s a record that forecasters say is certain to fall tomorrow.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen blue Jamis bicycle
June 27, 2021 3:35 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Gatewood | West Seattle news

The report and photo are from Jonathan:

Seeking the help of our West Seattle neighbors to locate my daughter’s powder blue bike. Her Jamis Coda Sport, size 18”, was stolen from the back yard of a friend in the 3600 block of Othello, late night Saturday (June 26) or early morning Sunday (June 27). The bike had a gel-style white front LED headlamp and red LED rear light.

Here’s a stock photo of a similar bicycle. We’ll add the police-report number when it’s available.

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UPDATE: Water rescue callout near Seacrest
June 27, 2021 2:12 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

2:12 PM: SFD has sent a water-rescue response to the Seacrest area: “Crews are investigating reports of 3 kayakers in distress with reportedly 2 kayaks taking on water.”

2:19 PM: Update from SFD: “Bainbridge PD and our rescue boat made contact with the kayakers. We are assisting them aboard our rescue boat to return them to shore. No injuries.”

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BOOKS: West Seattle author Cara Maxwell publishes romance novel #3
June 27, 2021 1:36 pm
|    Comments Off on BOOKS: West Seattle author Cara Maxwell publishes romance novel #3
 |   West Seattle books | West Seattle news

Back in April we told you about a book release from a Morgan Junction author who publishes romance novels under the pseudonym Cara Maxwell. If you’re thinking about riding out the heat wave sitting under a tree reading, her next one is out – “A Love Match for the Marquess,” continuing her “Hesitant Husbands” series. Maxwell says, “If you enjoy romances in the style of Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, or Christi Caldwell, then you will enjoy this series.” This is her third book, and she says she’s moving into full-time writing now after a decade in education. Find out more about her and her books at caramaxwellromance.com. Her new novel is available there as an e-book or in paperback.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: ‘National Lora Appreciation Day’
June 27, 2021 11:09 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(Photo courtesy John Bennett)

If you happened to be in The Junction around 7:30 last night, you might have seen those two ladies riding in a classic Cadillac, doing parade waves. That was part of a surprise party thrown for Lora Radford (above right), executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association, which she has led through the pandemic as local businesses’ chief cheerleader, beacon of hope, informational clearinghouse, lobbyist and red-tape fighter, and more. Friends lured her to the courtyard by Hotwire Coffee – which she owned for more than a decade before the WSJA gig – and showered her with appreciation, from a proclamation to pizza:

(WSB photos, here and below)

The “National Lora Appreciation Day” presentation was emceed by Lora’s chaperone for the Cadillac ride, entertainer Sylvia O’Stayformore:

Lora offered words of gratitude and said simply, “We got through the pandemic together.”

P.S. Next big Junction event is getting closer – the Sidewalk Sale on July 8-10!

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: Notes for what might be a historically hot day
June 27, 2021 6:30 am
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Saturday’s sunrise, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Saturday’s high temperature was 102, one degree below Seattle’s all-time high. Today and tomorrow could set new records. So we’re starting with links you might find helpful, both with information that’s been updated since they were originally published:

Places to cool off, including air-conditioned libraries and restaurants/bars, plus “cooling centers” and wading pools

Restaurants changing their hours or closing because of heat danger

(And remember to: Water the birds; protect your pets)

Now on to what else is going on:

RIDE FOR MAJOR TAYLOR: As previewed here (with maps), 500 bicycle riders will be traveling through West Seattle (and beyond!) during this big ride today. They’re starting from White Center between 6:30 and 8 am.

TODAY’S ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Most local churches still offer online Sunday services (some offer in-person options too), so each week we compile the newest links for 20+ churches’ services, both streamed and recorded (and in one case, written).

WS FARMERS’ MARKET, CLOSING EARLY: Vegetables, fruit, flowers, cheese, meat, beverages, bread, more – something new each week at the Farmers’ Market, which is closing an hour early today because of the weather – it’s open 10 am-1 pm in The Junction. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska; pickups for online orders are at California/Oregon)

DELRIDGE GROCERY COOPERATIVE: Today’s the fourth Sunday you can shop for staples at the DGC store (5444 Delridge Way SW), 11 am-3 pm, as previewed here.

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)

PRIDE ART EXHIBIT: Last day to see it! As previewed here, “The Divine: Beyond the Bounds of Queerness”= is at Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery (9414 Delridge Way SW), open noon-6 pm.

(Saturday low-low tide montage from Constellation Park, sent by SF)

LOW-LOW TIDE: One final extra-low low tide, -3.0 feet at 1:28 pm, with Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists at Constellation and Lincoln Parks, 11:30 am-3 pm.

LIVE MUSIC: Sid Law and Alan Sobel, outdoors at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), (change) 11 am-1 pm.

PRIDE KARAOKE PARTY: Admiral Pub (2306 California SW) presents karaoke host Christopher Mychal, 7 pm to close. (Air conditioning!)

Got something for our event calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 6/26/2021 roundup
June 26, 2021 11:59 pm
|    Comments Off on CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 6/26/2021 roundup
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Tonight’s pandemic info, with four days to go until The Grand Reopening:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*112,378 people have tested positive, 87 more than yesterday’s total

*1,657 people have died, 1 fewer than yesterday’s total (data correction)

*6,490 people have been hospitalized, 2 more than yesterday’s total

ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 111,584/1,616/6,312.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 180.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,917,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 603,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Turkey (unchanged again this week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

MORE CAPACITY FOR COOLING CENTERS: Pandemic-related capacity limits on cooling centers were lifted by the governor so more people can seek refuge during the heat wave.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Shoplifting arrest; porch theft; abandoned bike; car prowls
June 26, 2021 11:01 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

SHOPLIFTING ARREST: Another big-ticket shoplift thwarted tonight at Ulta Beauty in Westwood Village, according to the preliminary police summary. It says officers answered a 911 call around 6 pm; with description information from the caller, they found the suspect “sitting at a nearby bus stop.” Nearby, a backpack that turned out to have 22 items inside, valued at almost $2,000. Police say the suspect confessed to the theft and gave consent for them to search the backpack, The stolen items were returned to the store; the suspect was booked into jail. SIDE NOTE: This is the second four-figure shoplifting case arrest involving that store this month. We checked online records to see what has happened to the suspect arrested in the early June case, 31-year-old Jake Erickson. He was charged with felony theft and awaits trial on other unrelated cases we mentioned in our previous story; he was released from jail last Wednesday after 19 days, required to live with his mother under electronic home monitoring.

PORCH THEFT: Emailed video and report:

We live in Gatewood and recently had someone come onto our porch and steal a leaf blower we had left out.

ABANDONED BICYCLE: Texted photo and report:

Abandoned bike on 16th Ave SW and Myrtle. 7000 block. Looks like a well-maintained bike. It was on its side.

CAR PROWLS: Two in Upper Fauntleroy early this morning, both at WSB HQ. We apparently left the cars unlocked. Nothing taken; the glove boxes were emptied, worthless contents (pen and paper for story notes, half-used bottles of hand sanitizer) strewn on the front seats. As we’ve done following previous prowls, we’re filing an online report.

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UPDATE: Tree topples onto Seaview street
June 26, 2021 9:51 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Seaview | West Seattle news

9:51 PM: Thanks to everybody who messaged us about that downed tree across 48th SW in Seaview, just before the stretch that leads to/from Lowman Beach. When we went over a little while ago to check it out, police were moving it aside:

One person wondered about the best way to report something like that. If it’s a road hazard, you can always call 911.

ADDED EARLY SUNDAY: Two people have mentioned another tree problem further north on 48th – near Brandon/Findlay – earlier in the evening.

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