West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(Tuesday photo from @ZONE3PIOs)
You’ve probably heard about that deadly fire Tuesday at a Tukwila apartment complex. Three people, including a small chlld, were killed, and dozens more lost their homes and belongings. West Seattleites are among those helping with relief efforts, and Maggie forwarded us this announcement from the church coordinating it all, in case you want to help too:
Riverton Park United Methodist Church today announced it is expanding its relief efforts in response to the tremendous needs of the 31 families displaced in this week’s Maple Crest Apartments fire. The majority of families were forced to flee the 5:00am fire, which claimed three lives, with only the clothes on their backs and the entirety of their belongings were a total loss. RPUMC
volunteers continue to gather donations from the community daily from 9:00 am-6:00 pm, including Saturdays at the church, 3118 S. 140th St., in Tukwila [map]. The majority of families are now living in hotels and have identified the following items as high-priority needs:
• Gift cards for restaurants, gas, groceries and general retails stores.
• New or gently used laptops, cell phones and cell phone chargers.
• Gently used or new luggage with wheels.
• New linens or “Bed in a Bag” kits (inclusive of sheets, comforters, etc.).
• Small kitchen appliances including rice cookers, hot pads, microwaves.
• Sets of boxed drinking glasses.
• Shelf-stable, nutritious foods that can be microwaved or eaten cold, including vegetarian options. These include soups, pasta, peanut butter, tuna, coffee, etc.
• Coats for men, women and children. No other clothes needed at this time.
• New or gently used shoes for men, women and children.Donations of cash for fire victims are being accepted at all BECU locations.
RPUMCC Tent Village Members and Community Organizations Partner in Relief Effort
This relief effort is largely run by community volunteers, including members of the RPUMC Tent Village. These individuals are taking an active role in supporting key aspects of the relief operation including receiving and sorting donations with other members of the community. They also play a similar role in supporting RPUMC’s weekly food bank, which continues to serve local families.
RPUMC would like to give a special thank you to Pine Lake Middle School Leadership Class and to Rotary Clubs across the region who have been generous partners in this relief effort.
6:05 PM: SFD is sending a water-rescue response to Alki/Marine. Possibly 2 people in trouble in the water. Updates to come.
6:11 PM: Sounds like everyone is OK & response is being downsized. We just arrived at Alki to check.
(Added: Photo by David Hutchinson)
6:16 PM: SFD tells us at the scene that paddleboarders brought in a person who is being checked out by medics.
(WSB photo)
6:57 PM: SFD says the woman who was rescued is being taken to the hospital. (See comments below for added details on the rescue.)
The return of Loop the ‘Lupe is now only nine days away. You can sign up tonight and get a $5 discount using the code SUMMER5. Loop the ‘Lupe, on Sunday, August 29th at Walt Hundley Playfield, offers four events: Seattle’s only obstacle-course event, a 5K fun run, a Senior Saunter, and a Kids’ Dash. It’s a fun way to celebrate the almost-end of summer and support what coordinator Brian Callanan describes as “the social outreach work at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which operates a safe parking lot for homeless neighbors, coordinates voter registration and racial justice education, holds an annual Day of Service benefitting various organizations in the region, and much more.” Along with the aforementioned four events, Loop the ‘Lupe will feature live music, food, drinks, and a beer garden. To register, go here – and remember the SUMMER5 code if you sign up tonight! (WSB is a Loop the ‘Lupe community co-sponsor.)
3:56 PM: A two-vehicle crash has blocked westbound Roxbury at 14th SW – so avoid that area for a while.
4:03 PM: Added SDOT traffic-camera image. Live camera now shows some westbound traffic is being routed around but that means slow going both ways. One SFD engine was dispatched for possible injuries.
4:55 PM: Scene is clear.
3:05 PM: Police are investigating a robbery at the Lucky 5 gas station/mini-mart at 35th/Henderson, and that’s why the Guardian 1 helicopter has just arrived in the area. We’ve talked to police at the scene and they tell us one person, armed, held up the store, and got away with cash, only description so far “African-American, male, gray clothing,” last seen heading northbound.
3:16 PM: No luck from the air, so the helicopter has moved on, but the ground-level investigation continues. Lucky 5 has been held up before – most recently just last month.
Since we had already spotlighted this here on the news page in addition to listing it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, we want to be sure you know in advance that Flutes in the Forest #3 has been canceled. We got word from the musicians that they have to cancel the plans for tomorrow’s performance at Schmitz Park because of illness, but they add, “Thank you for your interest; we do love our fans! We hope to reschedule soon.”
12:25 PM: Seattle Fire is arriving at a report of a garage fire at 24th/Webster [map]. Updates to come.
12:27 PM: They’re telling dispatch that the fire is confined to a garage, so they’re downsizing the response.
12:36 PM: The photo is from our crew at the scene – the dumpster is what caught fire inside a garage; out now, and ventilation is the primary job that remains. No one hurt.
(WSB photo, earlier this week)
Just in from SDOT, the weekly update on what’s ahead for the road/sidewalk/utility project paving the way for the RapidRide H Line launch next year. First, the key points:
Final channelization and overnight lane striping will continue throughout the corridor, we are currently working to complete striping in Zone C and along the 26th Ave SW neighborhood greenway
-Crews will be working overnight from 6 PM to 6 AM. We have obtained a noise variance to complete this work.
-Landscaping continues throughout Zone A
-Construction in Zone B is nearly complete, but we will continue to make minor updates throughout the duration of construction
-Sidewalk upgrades near SW Barton St and SW Henderson St will continue into next week. We will be installing new curb bulbs in this area to enhance crossings for people walking
-King County Metro construction continues in White Center – Metro crews will close 15th Ave SW between 106th and 107th to all general traffic. (Details here.)
The full preview is here. It also briefly mentions the new proposal to remove the Delridge/Oregon pedestrian bridge – if you missed our coverage earlier this week, with opportunities for feedback, here’s that story.
(WSB photo, 2019 Alki Beach Sunset Run)
A new late-summer waterfront 5K debuted in West Seattle in 2019, the Alki Beach Sunset Run. Months later, the pandemic began, so there was no second annual Alki Beach Sunset Run in 2020 – but it’s happening this year, 6 pm tomorrow (Saturday, August 21st). As with the first one, this will start near the Alki Bathhouse, with the route on a combination of street and trail space, but the race organizers tell us there will be no road closures. They’re offering three levels of participation – with swag, without swag, or virtual (you run or walk a 5K of your choice and log your results). The 5K will start in “waves” again this year as it did in 2019 – first one at 6 pm, last one at 7 pm.
(WSB photo)
Walking on the Lincoln Park waterfront path Thursday evening, we spotted the tape and signage that Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network puts up when they’re guarding a visitor on the shore. They explained a harbor-seal pup – first one they’ve seen on a West Seattle beach this pupping season – was resting among the driftwood. We couldn’t see the pup from the path, but SSMMSN’s David Hutchinson got a long-lens photo and sent it to us early today:
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
He says it’s a “very young harbor seal pup, nicknamed ‘Xico’ by one of our new volunteers – pronounced Chico.” Reminder that if you see a marine mammal on shore – or one offshore that seems in distress – please notify SSMMSN at 206-905-SEAL.
6:07 AM: Good morning. Cloudy, cooler forecast for today.
ROAD WORK
(Metro photo, 26th south of Barton)
26th SW– Northbound closure continues between Roxbury and Barton. (P.S. The King County-led portion of the RapidRide H Line preparations will also bring some major work to White Center starting next week – details here.)
Delridge project – Pending the weekly update later today, here’s the current plan.
WEEKEND ALERTS
Highland Park Way/West Marginal intersection – This project continues with Saturday and Sunday work scheduled for 3 am-1 pm both days.
SW Alaska – Work this weekend and next week, announced by SDOT:
As part of Reconnect West Seattle and following our recent paving work on SW Alaska St, crews will be applying new pavement markings, including red lanes and “bus only” markings on the existing bus lanes. Red bus lanes help to improve compliance with bus-only restrictions and keep buses moving. Here is what is planned:
This weekend, August 21 and 22, SDOT crews will be updating the bus lane signs and remarking lane striping.The red bus lane material and the green cross bike markings will be installed starting the evening of the 24th and will last approximately 2-3 nights. Efforts will be in place to minimize traffic disruption. Most work will be happening at night. Drivers might be asked to hold for a short time while staging equipment or directed to shift lanes around the work area.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules – except for the 26th rerouting. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations.
For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule. Watch @wsferries for updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
515th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden – No camera for a few weeks (explained here)
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
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? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (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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