month : 09/2021 297 results

VACCINATION: Flu, COVID shots available at local school clinics starting this weekend

Just got word of this:

Seattle Public Schools is offering 20 fall community Flu vaccine clinics (through Seattle Visiting Nurse Association) and 6 Moderna/Pfizer COVID vaccine clinics (through Safeway Albertsons) from September 18-October 21. All community members are welcome to sign up. Insurance information is required for flu shots (most insurance accepted). COVID vaccinations are free for ages 12 and up.

LOCAL CLINICS:

Madison Middle School – 3429 45th Ave SW
Sunday, September 19, 2021 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – 5950 Delridge Way SW
Sunday, September 26, 2021 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Chief Sealth International High School – 2600 SW Thistle St,
Saturday, October 2, 2021 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. & COVID-19 vaccines 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Go here to make an appointment.

(Added note from the Visiting Nurses’ Association: These are indoor clinics.)

Bridge meeting and more for your West Seattle Wednesday

(Tuesday night photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor @ Lincoln Park)

from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:

PANDEMIC BRIEFING: If you see this close to when it’s published, you can go here to watch a briefing by state health officials that was scheduled to start at 9:30 am (it’ll be available archived later at that same link).

WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: The monthly meeting is at noon online, The agenda and viewing link are both available via our preview.

MIZUNO GROUP RUN: 6:15 pm, join the weekly group run at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) and try out Mizunos, as explained in our calendar listing.

OPEN MIC: Weekly open mic night at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), starting with signups at 7:30 pm.

Southwest Artist Showcase returns – entries welcome!

September 15, 2021 9:09 am
|    Comments Off on Southwest Artist Showcase returns – entries welcome!
 |   West Seattle libraries | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Collage of photos featuring artists who participated in 2018)

It’s an art show open to everyone – no judging, just showing. The Southwest Artist Showcase returns to the Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) this year, and you have two weeks until it’s time to take your creations to the library for the monthlong show. Here’s the announcement:

Calling all West Seattle artists! It’s time for the Southwest Library‘s 29th annual Artist Showcase. Artists may submit up to two unique works of art for this non-juried exhibition to celebrate West Seattle’s creative talent. Entries may be submitted at the Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) from Thursday, September 30th through Saturday, October 2nd. Art will be on display at the library through the month of October starting on Sunday, October 3rd. Please call 206-684-7455 for more details.

ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Wednesday notes

6:05 AM: Good morning! Even cooler today – might not even get to 60 degrees. And remember, serious rain is predicted for Friday.

ROAD WORK

26th SW & beyond – The northbound 26th SW closure continues between Roxbury and Barton.

Delridge projectSignals and signs are major tasks this week.

TRANSIT

Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRise H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips.

For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

540th 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 – The camera’s back, now pointed west:

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.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Another catalytic converter taken; anyone missing a lockbox?

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER: This theft happened late last night in the 1300 block of Alki Avenue SW. The victim saw the thieves, as posted in the WSB Community Forums.

LOCKBOX FOUND: Katherine sent the photo and report:

I heard loud crashing noises coming from the alley behind my condo (alley west of Avalon, between Genessee and Andover—at Genessee end). Looked out to see a young (late teens to early 20s), white male picking up pieces of something he has clearly just broken open. Later when I went out to walk the dog, I find what appeared to be a broken realtor lockbox. Figured it may be worthwhile for folks in the area to know it was successfully broken open, so they can have locks changed ASAP if their key box was stolen.

FOLLOWUP: Delridge pathway project wraps up

(SDOT photo)

One month ago, we reported on the pedestrian-pathway project at the north end of Delridge Way, after a reader inquiry about its status. Today, SDOT says the work is complete – here’s the wrapup:

When the West Seattle Bridge closed to traffic in March 2020, pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the Delridge Trail increased significantly. This is the most used route for people walking between West Seattle and the east side of the bridge. After completing a stairway upgrade at SW Charlestown St and Delridge Way, the crews started working on improving the Delridge Pedestrian Trail.

The goal was to provide more protection for people walking and to increase the width of the pathway. The project required roadway structural mechanics to build a custom railing nearly 330 feet long. To install the rail, they cut fifty-two holes in the concrete which were each 12-inches deep and 12-inches in diameter. The crews then removed the remaining rubble and soil using a hydro-excavating truck, leaving holes three feet deep. With the additional height of the curb, the railing is set into 3.5 feet of concrete, giving the railing added strength to withstand possible collisions.

To create the pathway, crews excavated the area alongside the path, removing overgrown vegetation and taking the surface down low enough to place an additional 18 inches of asphalt increasing the width of the pathway to around 9 feet.

DEVELOPMENT: What will the future of The Junction’s parking lots look like? Your opinion sought

(WSB photo from 42nd/Oregon lot, January)

The four West Seattle Junction Association-leased parking lots will eventually be redeveloped. The question isn’t if, but when – and, into what? The Junction and Community Roots Housing, which has made a $14 million city-backed offer for the lots, want to hear your thoughts. They’re planning an online community open house next month. Here’s the announcement:

What could be the vision for the West Seattle Junction’s four paid parking lots? Find out and provide your valuable input and insight during the Virtual Open House on Thursday, October 21, 6:30 PM on Zoom.

See the initial architectural drawings from Ankrom Moisan (the same firm that designed the new Husky Deli building). Hear from Community Roots Housing, a local leader in affordable housing. Learn about the vision to build and sustain small businesses via the Small Business Incubator program from the director of the Junction.

We’ve got to a point where input from the community will be a guiding factor as we begin to craft the vision for the Junction parking parcels. Being within an Urban Village, the critical development decisions that will provide future generations of West Seattleites is here and now. The value of early community voices is important to build and sustain a downtown that will have vision, history, heart and soul. Without the power of your voices, the parcels could eventually befall to more canyon development overshadowing the long-standing hometown feeling of the Junction.

The meeting participation information – videoconferencing or by phone – is here. The lots are owned by West Seattle Trusteed Properties, a group of more than three dozen organizations, businesses, and individuals who own shares of the organization and its holdings, the lots; Community Roots Housing will make a presentation to their board in late October.

WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Updates tomorrow

(WSB photo from July: West Seattle Bridge seen from Harbor Avenue rooftop)

The next major public updates on the West Seattle Bridge are expected tomorrow, when the Community Task Force meets online. We just obtained the agenda – see it here. SDOT has said previously that a repair-schedule update was expected this month as consultant WSP approached completion of the repair design and contractor Kraemer NA started gearing up for the work. Along with high-bridge updates, the agenda also includes a briefing on how low-bridge-access policy is expected to change when Terminal 5‘s first modernized berth opens early next year, and a discussion of West Seattle transit service. You can watch live (or archived afterward) at noon tomorrow (Wednesday, September 15th) at this YouTube link.

UPDATE: 1 to hospital after Alki Avenue crash

2:29 PM: Avoid the 1400 block of Alki Avenue [map] for a while – SFD and SPD are responding to a crash. It was dispatched as “car vs. parked car.”

8:43 PM: The photo is from Dave, who commented below that his son’s parked truck is the vehicle hit by the driver. SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley tells us, “We transported an approximately 79-year-old man via medics to Harborview. He was the driver of the vehicle and in stable condition at time of transport.”

COUNTDOWN: Here’s who’s in for Taste of West Seattle next week!

September 14, 2021 1:33 pm
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: Here’s who’s in for Taste of West Seattle next week!
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | WS beverages

We’re now less than a week away from the Taste of West Seattle, which again this year is happening as a weeklong dine-out benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank‘s work in fighting hunger and preventing homelessness. Here’s the list, so far, of local food/drink businesses planning to be part of it:

Bakery Nouveau
Best of Hands Barrelhouse
Box Bar
Coastline Burgers
Copper Coin
Harry’s Beach House
Itto’s Tapas
Lady Jaye
Locust Cider
No Name Diner Alki
Nos Nos Coffee House
Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que
Pot Pie Factory, Inc.
Talarico’s Pizzeria
The Bridge
The Good Society Brewery & Public House
The Westy
West 5
West Seattle Cellars
West Seattle Grounds

During the Taste of West Seattle week – Monday, September 20th through Sunday, September 26th – participating establishments will either “donate a percent of sales from a special ‘Taste Menu’ created by the restaurant, or a percentage of sales.” More venue-by-venue info as we get closer! Also, the WSFB notes:

â— Stamp card: All participating restaurants will be listed on a restaurant “passportâ€. The more stamps/ signatures someone gets on their card by ordering from participating restaurants, the more times they are entered into the drawing. Each stamp = 1 drawing entry.

We will select 3 winners for a $100 gift card to a West Seattle Restaurant.

Customers will need to mail/drop off their passport to the WSFB by October 1st to be entered into the drawing.

Pick up your “Taste Passport” at a participating restaurant, at the West Seattle Food Bank, or email your address to breanna.bushaw@westseattlefoodbank.org to have one mailed to you.

Again, this all starts next Monday. (WSB is a Taste of West Seattle community co-sponsor.)

Personal training with Caitlin Live LLC: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

September 14, 2021 11:51 am
|    Comments Off on Personal training with Caitlin Live LLC: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
 |   Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Caitlin Live LLC. New sponsors have the opportunity to explain what they offer to the community – here’s what Caitlin wants you to know:

Caitlin Live LLC helps you discover how to work out with a Personal Trainer from home so you can finally have an exercise routine that works for your life. Look forward to being guided through one-on-one live personal-training workouts wherever you have WIFI, with no commute and no gym membership fees.

You’ll meet live on Zoom with Personal Trainer Caitlin, who will listen to what your needs are and get you moving toward them. Caitlin has been using her Sports Medicine degree from Pepperdine University and numerous fitness certifications since 2012 to help her clients get back to fitness after periods of injury or inactivity.

“With her help I equipped a great home gym and have been armed with great short and efficient workout routines to use at home and when I get back out on the road. She has been a champion seeing my transformation.” – Alex, age 44

“Caitlin is an exceptionally great trainer! Caitlin understands my physical limits, capacities, and goals. She structures great custom-tailored workouts and long term plans that maximize my time and effort. She has helped me with nutrition, injury prevention and rehab, and introduced me to great aerobic exercise-oriented apps. Caitlin also is a terrific, understanding, flexible, and lovely person with an impeccable professional demeanor.” – Kevin, age 43

“I’ve been able to halve the dose of my blood pressure medicine and my balance has markedly improved. Your gentle coaching style and encouragement has led me to accomplish fitness goals I never thought possible.” – Kathryn, age 60+

You’ll find Caitlin of Caitlin Live LLC running and biking in West Seattle and taking part in the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Find out more about online personal training with Caitlin Live LLC and book a FREE Hour Consultation Today at caitlinlive.com. Mention code WSBLOCAL during your Free Consultation and get a Bonus $60 off when you sign up for your first month of online personal training sessions.

We thank Caitlin Live LLC for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

WEST SEATTLE TUESDAY: Dancing, meeting, music, trivia, bingo, more

>(WSB photo – seen in a Gatewood planting strip)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

DEMONSTRATION: Join Scott‘s weekly streetcorner signwaving for racial justice, 4:30 pm-6 pm at 16th/Holden – signs available if you don’t have your own.

IRISH DANCE CLASS: The Comerford School of Irish Dance starts a new season at 4:30 pm – if your child might be interested, you’re invited to check it out, at the West Seattle VFW Hall (3601 SW Alaska).

LIVE MUSIC: 6:30 pm, Sid Law @ The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way).

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm online – here’s the agenda. All welcome to attend; go here to register to get the link.

TRIVIA & TACOS: 7 pm Tuesdays at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor).

BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: 8 pm Tuesdays at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), play bingo free with Cookie Couture.

Got something for our calendar? Best way to get us the info is westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

YOU CAN HELP! Forest restoration with Friends of Lincoln Park

September 14, 2021 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP! Forest restoration with Friends of Lincoln Park
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

On Sunday (September 19th), Friends of Lincoln Park would be happy to have your help. From forest steward Lisa McGinty:

Urban forest restoration volunteer opportunity at Lincoln Park! Registration and event details can be found here. .

When: September 19, 2021, 9 am-11 am

Please be sure ALL volunteers are pre-registered (including youth). If event is full, you can find other event dates here: greenseattle.org/get-involved/volunteer. Search for Lincoln Park or any of your favorite Seattle green spaces! Large group or other questions? Please reach out to flip98136@gmail.com.

ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Tuesday notes

September 14, 2021 6:07 am
|    Comments Off on ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Tuesday notes
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: Good morning! Sunny and 70ish is the outlook for today.

ROAD WORK

26th SW & beyond – Northbound 26th SW work continues between Roxbury and Barton.

Delridge projectSignals and signs are part of the plan this week.

TRANSIT

Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRise H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips.

For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

540th 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 – The camera’s back, now pointed west:

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.

UPDATE: Water outage in Luna Park area

12:43 AM: Though it’s not on the Seattle Public Utilities map yet, there’s a water outage in the Luna Park area. That’s according to multiple readers who’ve texted. 206-386-1800 is the number to call when you’re having water woes, and one texter reports they said there’d watr break on Avalon.

5:06 PM: Thanks for the updates in comments. We asked SPU about the outage and got this response from spokesperson Shanna Christie:

Last night around 11 pm, SPU crews responded to a water main break near the 3000 BLK of SW ANDOVER ST. Water was shutoff to 43 service lines to make the emergency repair. The break was fixed and water was back on around 2 am for some customers. A section of about 25 customers remained out of water due to a broken valve. Around 8 am today, a second SPU crew began work to repair the broken valve. This required a second emergency water shutdown impacting the same group of 43 customers, including the approximately 25 customers whose water was already off. The second repair was complete and water was back on for all customers by 12:30 pm today.

ORCAS: 3 pregnant whales in J-Pod

Less than a week after Southern Resident Killer Whales in J-Pod came far enough south to be seen from West Seattle, there’s word the pod has three pregnancies in progress. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a news release today saying the evidence is in health-monitoring drone photography by SR3. As a result, WDFW has ordered boaters to stay at least half a nautical mile away from the three pregnant orcas and any group with which they’re believed to be traveling. The three are J36 (21 years old), J37 (20 years old), and J19 (42 years old). The SRKWs have a high rate of pregnancy loss, the emergency rule points out. So it’s hoped this order will help increase the odds of successful births.

FOLLOWUP: Alki Beach Park back to regular hours

While the days are getting shorter, at Alki, they’ve also just gotten longer. Tonight is the first night that Alki Beach Park‘s closing time is back to 11:30 pm, after two months of closing at 10 pm. The early closing time was ordered in early July – first as a holiday-weekend experiment, then as a two-month trial run – days after the shooting that killed 22-year-old Tilorae Shepherd. We confirmed with Seattle Parks this afternoon that there had been no last-minute decision to extend the early closing time. One note: Though the beach is open later now, the fire pits are supposed to be closed for the season as of tonight.

FOLLOWUP: Here’s how Seattle City Light explains Sunday’s power outages

As promised, we asked Seattle City Light today for details on what caused Sunday’s outages affecting more than 3,200 homes and businesses in West Seattle, from North Delridge to Harbor Avenue. First, to recap, as reported here yesterday afternoon/evening – 107 customers went out at 11:30 am, another 3,100 at 2 pm. Most of the second group had power back about an hour later, while for the rest, it took later. Here’s how SCL spokesperson Julie Moore explains it:

We saw a few pole fires yesterday, including the two that caused the outages in West Seattle. After a dry period, when there is a mist as opposed to a sustained rain, it is not uncommon for insulators to track (leak electrical current), which can cause a fire. The first one was a pole at 2833 SW Yancy St. This was on a lateral line that only impacted those customers fed from that line. The second one was a pole at 3022 SW Bradford St. For this one, we needed to shut down the feeder that feeds the lateral, which is why it initially impacted a greater number of customers. We were able to restore the bulk of the customers (all but 455 of the 3,000+) pretty quickly through switching. The rest were restored once we completed repairs.

The two pole-fire locations are just a few blocks apart.

CORONAVIRUS: Seattle Public Schools reports 117 cases, adds school-by-school numbers

Monday is when Seattle Public Schools updates its new COVID-19 dashboard (although last week included additional midweek updates). The cumulative districtwide case total is now 117 – 32 of those in the Southwest Region (West Seattle/South Park) – and the district has added school-by-school numbers and a map:

In our area, Chief Sealth International High School and Lafayette Elementary report 6 each, Denny International Middle School and Highland Park Elementary report 4 each, Gatewood and Roxhill Elementaries report 3 each, Pathfinder K-8 reports 2, and there’s 1 each at West Seattle High School, Louisa Boren STEM K-8, and Genesee Hill and Sanislo Elementaries. (The numbers are not broken out between students and staff, just by school.) None are reported at Madison Middle School, Alki Elementary, Arbor Heights Elementary, Concord International (Elementary), Fairmount Park Elementary, or West Seattle Elementary. The 32 total cases in this area is 20 more than were listed when the dashboard launched a week ago.

BIZNOTE: Owner of 35th North to open shop in West Seattle Junction

The former Verizon store on the ground floor of the Senior Center of West Seattle building has a new tenant. The owner of the Capitol Hill skate shop 35th North is taking over the space. Tony Croghan tells WSB that this shop will have a different name, TBA, as he wants each of his shops to have its own identity. It’s smaller than the Capitol Hill space but will carry much of the same merchandise – skating equipment, apparel, shoes, etc. He also hopes to include an “art wall” and will participate in the monthly West Seattle Art Walk. Expanding here wasn’t a long-held goal, but when he heard about the space opening, Croghan said, it just made sense. He is a former West Seattle resident, now living in Burien, but often visits because his family still lives on the peninsula. He’s hoping to open the West Seattle shop by December. (P.S. For more on what 35th North is like, here’s a story from our friends at Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.)

Online memorial planned next week for Howard Martin, 1944-2021

Howard Martin will be remembered with a virtual memorial on September 22nd. Here’s the remembrance his family is sharing with his community:

Howard Martin, 77, died on August 10, 2021 with his wife and daughter by his side, after living with the aftereffects of a stroke, including dementia, for 8 years.

Born in New York City, Howard moved many times before settling in Seattle, where he lived for the past 36 years. He studied Political Science at UCLA and received a MSW from USC. His work spanned teaching, counseling, acting, cab-driving, nonprofit management, political organizing, and retail until his retirement in 2013.

Howard moved to West Seattle in 1992, and embraced this community — especially his neighborhood, Blockwatch32 in the Luna Park/Avalon area. He served on the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association Board, worked for Neighborhood House in White Center, met up regularly with dog-park friends at Westcrest, and was among the first hires at the Home Depot on Delridge, where he worked preceding his stroke and eventual retirement. He participated in Providence Mt. St. Vincent’s Eldercare Program and enjoyed the attention and excellent care he received.

He is preceded in death by his parents Ruth and Peter, daughter Naomi, and stepfather Earl (longtime West Seattleite Earl Robinson). He is survived by wife Marcia, daughter Kata, brother Michael, and many family members and friends.

He will be remembered for his perennial wit, humor, and warmth, and by his online alias, HowieInSeattle. A virtual memorial will be held on 9/22 @ 3 pm — email howmartin@msn.com for details.

Remembrances may be made to Delridge Neighborhood Development Association.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

UPDATE: 3-alarm fire in downtown White Center

(Added: Video by @houndoomer on Twitter. Language caution)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:44 AM: Another big fire callout in downtown White Center, and Seattle Fire units from West Seattle are being sent to help. 16th SW is being blocked south of Roxbury. We’re on our way to find out more.

(WSB/WCN photos/video)

5:58 AM: As our first photo shows, the logged address is correct – the old Locker Room Tavern at 9633 16th SW, damaged by fire back in April.

6:10 AM: No word yet if anyone was injured, or if the adjacent businesses are damaged.

(Video added)
This is the third major commercial-building fire in White Center in a little over two months, after the July 5th fire that gutted seven businesses a bit further north on 16th SW (ruled arson) and the fire at the old Atlas Electric building on September 1st (still under investigation).

6:18 AM: The fire’s not out yet – still visible flames and smoke inside the building.

6:34 AM: Public-information officers on scene say this is a 3-alarm fire – they’ve called in the extra help because of the proximity of other businesses. (video added, briefing by PIO Pat Pawlak:)

They’re working to try to keep it from spreading to the adjacent businesses (Bizzarro Italian Café to the south, Huong Xua Deli to the north). No injuries reported.

8:07 AM: After a break to return to HQ to upload video, our crew is back at the fire scene. Some of the responding units have been dismissed. We talked to a Bizzarro Italian Café rep, who says they’re closed Mondays anyway so they’ll be evaluating any effects. Same goes for Full Tilt Ice Cream two doors down – owner Justin Cline tells us there’s some water damage but they’re also usually closed Mondays, so they have time to deal with it. 16th, meantime, is likely to stay closed another two hours or so.

9:04 AM: Lot of cleanup to be done inside Huong Xua (above). Meantime, more than three hours after the fire started, firefighters are still on scene:

12:08 PM: 16th SW has reopened.

12:35 PM: We just checked back with Fire District spokesperson Shauna Sheppard: No cause determined yet.

1:31 PM: Another update from Sheppard: Early indications are that the fire was NOT deliberately set, but the investigation continues.

8:56 PM: We went by tonight; Bizzarro (whose website says they’ll be closed “a few weeks”) and Huong Xua are both boarded up, and the Locker Room is simply rubble. A commenter posted this link to a crowdfunding page for the Locker Room’s proprietors, saying they were about to start rebuilding from the April fire damage.

PANDEMIC UPDATES: Weekly check-in #10, 9/12/2021

Here’s our weekly roundup of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest local numbers.

KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:

*141,770 people have tested positive – 3,985 more than a week ago (5,088 in West Seattle, up 142)
*7,671 people have been hospitalized – 208 more than a week ago (233 from West Seattle, up 3)
*1,812 people have died – 36 more than a week ago (71 in West Seattle, up 2)

VACCINATION RATE:

78.5% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .6% in the past week)

By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 80.8%
98116 – 86.2%
98126 – 76%
98136 – 87.4%
98146 – 75.2%

(More COVID-related King County stats here)

PANDEMIC NEWS

Mask order goes statewide – As of tomorrow, the same outdoor-mask rule that’s in effect now in King County, mandatory at outdoor events with 500+ people, takes effect statewide.

Vaccine verification – King County’s working on a system.

Mandatory vaccination for more peoplePresident Biden‘s newest orders require vaccination for federal employees and vaccination or regular testing for people whose private employers have 100+ employers.

COVID at Camp Second Chance – As reported here earlier today, the city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment in southeast West Seattle has had its first cases.

NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?

The UW Medicine testing service at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.

NOT VACCINATED YET?

Go here to see where you can change that.