West Seattle, Washington
15 Tuesday
Here’s our weekly collection of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest numbers.
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:
*152,282 people have tested positive – 3,329 more than a week ago (5,414 in West Seattle, up 114)
*8,049 people have been hospitalized – 107 more than a week ago (242 from West Seattle, up 2)
*1,895 people have died – 41 more than a week ago (72 in West Seattle, up 2)
VACCINATION RATE
80.4% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .5% in the past week)
By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 81.8%
98116 – 86.2%
98126 – 77.9%
98136 – 87.7%
98146 – 77.5%
(More COVID-related King County stats here)
THE WEEK’S PANDEMIC HEADLINES
Encouraging trends – This week’s briefing by state health officials included the news that infections and hospitalizations statewide are trending downward, while remaining high. Watch the full briefing here:
West Seattle to get a city vax site again – Four months after the city closed its West Seattle vaccination site, it announced plans to open a new one for boosters – no word yet on where.
Seattle Public Schools cases – This week, the dashboard added fewer new cases districtwide than the previous week.
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.
First we heard from Lisa, who sent these photos after seeing a man kicking cars in the Jefferson Square parking lot today:
Lisa says the man went into Bartell Drugs – where she had been shopping – “and was escorted out by an employee.” She called 911.
One of the damaged cars belonged to John, who emailed us later in the afternoon – not the first time he has sent a report for Crime Watch recently, as he noted:
Two weeks ago I sent you a note about my stolen catalytic converter.
Today Sunday Oct 3 2021, 12:30pm at the Safeway store in Jefferson Square. When I parked in the busy parking lot, I noticed a deranged man waving and yelling idiotic non-legible rants. I went in the store, shopped and when I returned to my car (a 2007 Honda Element), I noticed a huge dent in my driver’s side door, and a couple smaller dents on that side of the car.
He says witnesses told him what had happened. We don’t know if police caught up with the man; the incident number is 21-261445.
Remember back when everyone was being urged to participate in the 2020 Census? One of the many reasons why is coming to bear now: Redistricting, because of population changes. The process of redrawing the maps for legislative (state House and state Senate) and U.S. House districts is under way, and this week, you have two chances to speak out about proposed options. The Washington State Redistricting Commission has four voting members – two Democratic appointees, two Republican appointees – and each of them has proposed a legislative map and a U.S. House map.
LEGISLATIVE: The state Legislative map proposals are here – you can comment directly there, and/or participate in an online public-comment meeting at 7 pm Tuesday (October 5th) – info on that is here. For background – West Seattle is currently in the 34th Legislative District, along with Vashon and Maury Islands, White Center, and part of Burien; one proposal, that by Republican appointee Paul Graves, would split West Seattle, putting part in the 43rd District; the proposal by Democratic appointee Brady Piñero Walkinshaw would keep WS in the 34th but move Vashon Island into another district. Those are just a couple of the possible changes – zoom in on all four maps to see proposed borders.
CONGRESSIONAL: The U.S. House map proposals are linked here – you can comment directly there, and/or participate in an online public-comment meeting at 10 am next Saturday (October 9th) – info on that is at the same link. West Seattle would remain in District 7 under the commissioners’ proposals.
If you can’t make it to the meetings, other ways to have a say are here.
Thanks to Jeff for the tip! The Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) – co-located with Fauntleroy Church at 9140 California SW – has reopened. It’s now open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for starters, 9 am to noon each of those days. Here’s the class schedule.
Published on SPD Blotter this afternoon, this report on how a car stolen on Capitol Hill wound up in the southeast West Seattle industrial zone on Saturday:
Police arrested the driver of a stolen vehicle Saturday afternoon in Southwest Seattle after he fled from officers, rammed patrol cars, and caused significant damage to a gas station convenience store.
At 3:39 p.m., a food delivery driver called 911 to report his vehicle had been stolen near 10th Avenue and East Pike Street. He had left his car running when he went into a restaurant to pick up an order, and when he came back out his Toyota sedan was gone. The victim told officers he could track the location of his car and provided updates on its location.
The suspect later became caught in traffic for a Mariners baseball game near Edgar Martinez Drive South and Occidental Avenue South. Police attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver sped away, entering lanes of oncoming traffic and endangering the many pedestrians and other motorists in the area.
Nearly an hour after the car was stolen, the victim reported it had stopped at a gas station in the 7800 block of Detroit Avenue SW [map]. The suspect had backed into a parking spot along a wall of the station’s convenience store. Arriving officers parked their patrol cars in front of the stolen car, boxing it in. When the officers stepped out of their cars and instructed the driver to exit the vehicle, he attempted to flee again, repeatedly driving the car forward and backward, alternately ramming the patrol cars and the building. Officers pulled the suspect out of the vehicle after a struggle and arrested him. Officers also interviewed and a female passenger in the vehicle and released her at the scene.
Police booked the 22-year-old driver into King County Jail for vehicle theft, eluding and property damage. Police also processed the suspect for DUI based on statements he made about recent narcotics use, and requested charges for violation of a protection order, as he was not supposed to be in contact with the female passenger. Lastly, officers notified the Department of Corrections they were booking the man, since he had a warrant for escaping community custody.
National Poetry Series winner Teresa K. Miller, who has deep West Seattle roots, has an online reading coming up Thursday (October 7th) and wants to let the community know. Miller is a graduate of Tilden School and while she now lives in the Portland area, her mother still lives in West Seattle. Miller was chosen last year as a winner of the National Poetry Series for her second full-length collection, “Borderline Fortune,” which will be released by Penguin this Tuesday. She will be launching the book Thursday via a virtual event hosted by Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book Company. The announcement says Miller’s new book “explores the ancestral legacy of the climate crisis,” and that the poet “seeks through these beautifully crafted poems to awaken from the intergenerational trance and bear witness to our current moment with clarity and attention, refusing the mind’s limits.” Thursday’s online event is at 6 pm; you can register here.
West Seattle entrepreneur Jess Selander says her brand of wine, Jøyus, is “the first premium alcohol-removed brand that not only tastes as amazing as alcoholic wine, it’s actually made by a non-drinker.” She says it’s a fulfillment of her dream “to make a non-alcoholic wine that tastes like wine and to change how we think about drinking.” This month is “Sober October,” so she is getting the word out about Jøyus, which has two varieties on the market – sparkling white wine and sparkling rosé, both available at Wildwood Market in Fauntleroy (9214 45th SW) and online at drinkjoyus.com. Selander says she first started pursuing this dream five years ago, but stalled because “the technology and processes were not great.” During the pandemic, she decided to give it another try. Though she and her business are based here, the wine is made in California: “The process starts with alcoholic wine, then the alcohol is gently removed, all while preserving the delicate flavors of the wine.” Jøyus wines are on the dry side, she adds, and that means low-calorie – 90 calories in an entire bottle. She has one more dream: “I’m not setting out to be the only premium non-alcoholic winery whose products actually taste like wine. I’m doing this to normalize non-drinking culturally. I dream of the day I can walk into any grocery store and pick up a couple of different bottles of great tasting non-alcoholic wines. I want to go to a party and find there’s already a bottle of non-alcoholic wine there. And that means people need variety.” (She’s working on getting Jøyus into a variety of additional retail outlets, too.)
From Libby:
In case someone is missing 2 pairs of vintage water skis on good condition, we found them stashed in the bushes of Holy Rosary church (Saturday). Guessing they were stolen?
To claim them, email me at parishoffice@holyrosaryseattle.org with a brief description.
(Side note: If you find something that’s more likely truly lost than stolen, our Community Forums have a board for that.)
(Saturday view of Mount Rainier – photo by Jerry Simmons)
Here’s what’s ahead for your Sunday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, inbox, and archives:
ROAD-WORK ALERTS: Two work zones of note today, as previewed here – the Duwamish Longhouse crossing/signal project on West Marginal Way, 6:30 am-4 pm, plus Roxbury/Olson “fall cleanup” work, 7 am-3:30 pm.
CHURCHES: Most are still streaming, along with offering in-person services. Here are the newest links for 20+ West Seattle churches’ services.
SEATTLE RUN SERIES: Run a 5K or 10K from Alki Beach starting at 9:30 am – info in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm on California between Oregon and Alaska. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (The market is a WSB sponsor.)
ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Join the weekly drop-in game at Walt Hundley Playfield (6920 34th SW), 10 am.
SOUTH PARK HALL CLOSING SALE: 10 am-3 pm, the West Seattleite-owned event venue (1253 S. Cloverdale) is closing and selling what’s left of its furnishings/fixtures, as reported here.
OKTOBERFEST AT OUNCES: 11 am-8 pm, final day of the fall festivities at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) – details here.
SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY ARTISTS SHOWCASE: First day you can check out the artwork on display at the Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) as part of this monthlong, non-juried showcase. The branch is open noon-5 pm today.
CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 2 pm online, all welcome at the monthly meeting to talk about West Seattle’s only city-funded tiny-house encampment – participation/connection info in our calendar listing.
ZOOT ALORS: French café music at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm.
CANDIDATE FORUM: 6 pm online, neighborhood groups from around the city are co-sponsoring a forum with Seattle mayor and council candidates. Viewing information is in our calendar listing.
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 8 pm to 1 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
Got an event for listing in our calendar and previews? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
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