day : 01/11/2021 11 results

This week’s update of COVID-19 cases in Seattle Public Schools shows an increase similar to a week earlier – 65 newly reported cases among the district’s 90+. schools, down a bit from the 68 new cases reported a week earlier. Here are the school-by-school breakouts for our area, with the changes compared to what was on the dashboard last week – again, the numbers are cumulative for the entire school year so far:

Denny International Middle School – 19, up 1
Chief Sealth International High School – 19, up 1
Roxhill Elementary – 11, up 1
Genesee Hill Elementary – 10, up 2
Highland Park Elementary – 10, unchanged
Madison Middle School – 9, up 1
Arbor Heights Elementary – 8, up 2
Lafayette Elementary – 8, up 1
Gatewood Elementary – 6, up 1
Concord International (Elementary) – 6, up 1
West Seattle Elementary – 5, unchanged
West Seattle High School – 4, up 1
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – 3, up 1
Fairmount Park Elementary – 3, up 1
Sanislo Elementary – 3, unchanged
Pathfinder K-8 – 3, unchanged
Alki Elementary – 2, unchanged
BRIDGES @ Roxhill – 1, unchanged

Statewide, most school outbreaks have been relatively small, according to this new report.

Share This

VIDEO: Skeleton Theatre 2021’s encore night

November 1, 2021 6:56 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The rain has stopped, good news for watching Skeleton Theatre in person during its second and final 2021 night. The animatronic-skeleton show in an east Admiral front yard (36th/Hanford) is just six minutes long this year, and it’s goofy, not scary. If you don’t want to go watch in person, you can watch it online instead.

The show’s been a labor of love for 15 years now, created and staged by a team of family and friends led by Chris;

The show’s running continuously – with a few minutes between runs, for a reset – until 9 pm.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen F-250 pickup truck

November 1, 2021 6:42 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

The photo and report are from Derek:

Once again I have to report another stolen vehicle. On Thursday or Friday our gray 2003 Ford F-250 diesel was stolen from our shop on West Marginal Way SW. WA license plate B70024X. Police report 21-290159.

Call 911 if you see it. (Derek’s previous stolen-vehicle report was this, in August.)

Share This

VIDEO: Salmon sighting in Longfellow Creek

November 1, 2021 5:54 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle news | Wildlife

MONDAY NIGHT: Thanks to Jacquelyn Crumpler for sending the video! Jacquelyn wrote, “Look what I found trying to figure out the dam by Dragonfly Park! This seemed to be the only one, but I only watched for 5 or so minutes.” A short guide to Longfellow Creek salmon-watching (including a map) is here; this creek has been less hospitable to salmon survival than Fauntleroy Creek because of factors including toxic urban runoff.

ADDED TUESDAY: John McIntyre also sends word of a salmon sighting and suggests the footbridge at Yancy Street (east of 28th) as a viewing spot.

Share This

SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: Cruise ship heads out, purse-seine fishing boats head in

November 1, 2021 4:44 pm

| 22 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Gary Jones for sending the photo from Alki Point this murky afternoon. The cruise ship Ovation of the Seas is headed out again (but as we reported over the weekend, it’ll be back). The fishing boats, meantime, are purse seiners making their almost-annual appearance – this area is open to this kind of salmon fishing until 6 pm today. Jim Borrow says it’s been a busy day, sending this photo from the same area:

Jim wrote, “Mid-morning I counted 7 to 9 fishing boats off Bainbridge Is. and Alki, including the one very close to the shore in the near foreground and the one in the distance in this photo.”

Share This

Why Harbor Avenue was closed near the bridge

November 1, 2021 3:04 pm

| Comments Off on Why Harbor Avenue was closed near the bridge

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Thanks for the tips. Harbor Avenue SW is reopening after a situation involving police. SPD tells us they were dealing with a “person in crisis” who jumped out of an ambulance and ran into traffic. The person is back in custody now and will be taken to the hospital, and the road is reopening.

Share This

ELECTION 2021: Don’t let that low-turnout prediction come true

November 1, 2021 1:55 pm

| 61 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Junction dropbox, in Saturday sunshine)

As of noon today, King County Elections had received ballots from just under 25 percent of voters in West Seattle and South Park. That beats the citywide percentage of 23.7%, but it means a lot of ballots are still unmarked. If yours is still sitting on a desk or counter waiting to be filled out, time’s ticking, but it’s not too late to help beat the predictions of low turnout. Your ballot has 17 local/state races and issues. If you plan to use USPS mail, it needs to be postmarked by tomorrow, so you’ll want to get it out as soon as possible. If you’re going to use an official dropbox – there are three in West Seattle, one in White Center, and one in South Park (map/addresses here) – 8 pm Tuesday is your deadline. Lost your ballot? Here’s what to do. Want to check that yours has been received? Go here. As usual, there will be one results announcement daily, with the first one around 8:15 pm tomorrow

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: 2 store robberies; fire-station damage

November 1, 2021 12:16 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Three incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:

7-11 ROBBED: Thanks for the tip on an early-morning Sunday robbery at the 35th/Avalon 7-11; we weren’t able to get details until today. The police summary says the robber walked into the store around 4 am Sunday, “possibly grabbed food and masks … waited for all the customers to leave, and walked up to the victim and demanded money.” The victim said no; the robber “implied that he had a gun and became verbally aggressive,” then took $100 in cash, cigarettes, and the previously suspected stolen items, before leaving on foot. Officers searched the area with a K-9 team but didn’t find him.

ARMED ROBBERY WITH BLOW TORCH: Around 10:30 am Sunday at the Westwood Village Bed Bath and Beyond store, according to a police summary, this shoplift-turned-robbery happened: Two people walked into the store; one went into the kitchenware section “and grabbed a pasta roller machine (valued at $199.99),” then “pulled out a yellow blow torch and burned the security tag. An employee smelled the burning and confronted the (thief),” who then “concealed the pasta roller and walked toward the employee with the blow torch. The employee feared for her safety, so she left the area.” The thief-turned-robber left the store with the stolen item. The second person was questioned by police.

FIRE STATION DAMAGED: Just before 1 am today, police were called to a report of two people ‘damaging” Fire Station 29 in North Admiral. We heard the dispatch but not how it turned out, so we requested the report this morning. After hearing footsteps on the roof, a firefighter found four people up there. Two jumped into a tree, climbed down it, and ran away. The other two stayed there with station crew until police arrived. The report says the station’s fuel meter was damaged because that’s what the four climbed on to get access to the roof. The report says one of the two suspects that officers talked to “wanted to climb something, and the fire station appeared to be climbable.” Police found a backpack with a case of beer, which apparently belonged to one of the two who ran away; the suspects who did not run had beer cans in their backpacks, though they were under 21. The two were not booked but will be investigated for property dsestruction and unlawful possession/consumption of alcohol, the report says, We’re checking with SFD regarding the cost/extent of damage to the fuel meter. (Added) SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley says the damage was minor and the station is operating normally.

Share This

What’s up for your West Seattle Monday

November 1, 2021 10:25 am

| Comments Off on What’s up for your West Seattle Monday

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by James Riley)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: Visit the South Park Library website for an online video by Amaranta Sandys showing how to make a craft for Day of the Dead; you can also go to the library in person for a free kit while supplies last. The branch is open 1 pm-8 pm today at 8604 8th Ave. S.

SKELETON THEATRE: One more night to see this year’s live animatronic show, 6 pm-9 pm at 36th/Hanford, or watch it online at skeletontheatre.com.

TRIVIA X 3: Three locations for Monday night trivia – 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm at Best of Hands (35th/Webster), 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW).

LAST DAY TO APPLY: Interested in being on the Community Advisory Group for West Seattle (and Ballard) light rail? 5 pm today is the (extended) deadline to apply – our previous story explains how.

Share This

UPDATE: Phone outage reported at local Seattle Public Schools

November 1, 2021 9:01 am

| Comments Off on UPDATE: Phone outage reported at local Seattle Public Schools

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

9:01 AM: Thanks for the tip. If you’ve been trying to call a Seattle Public Schools number in West Seattle/South Park but can’t get through, there’s apparently a phone-system outage. That’s the word from one local school. We’re checking with district headquarters to try to find out more.

11:35 AM: District spokesperson Tim Robinson tells WSB that the problem is a “network outage” affecting “some south-end schools” and that it’s being worked on.

Share This

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: New-month Monday

November 1, 2021 6:07 am

| 10 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

7:11 AM; Per commenter and texter, 8th/Roxbury light is flashing.

11:35 AM: The light is repaired (we just verified by driving through the intersection). SDOT tells WSB it was fixed yesterday but broke again – “Our signal crews visited the site yesterday to fix the signal, but it returned to flashing again after the crew left. So we returned to the site this morning to replace some of the equipment and get it working again.”

Earlier:

6:07 AM: Good morning and welcome to November!

WEATHER

Today’s forecast suggests rain might return by tonight.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

590th 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.)

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

South Park Bridge:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

Are movable bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed is working again as of early this morning; 1st Ave. South Bridge openings are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.

ROAD WORK

26th SW – Ongoing closure between Roxbury and Barton for RapidRide H Line prep work. Also, new work at 26th/Roxbury could start as soon as today. This flyer has full details.

BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES

Regular Metro schedule, except for the rerouting in RapidRide H Line work zones – on 26th and 15th SW in particular. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.

For ferries and Water Taxi: WSF continues a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates. The Water Taxi continurs on its new schedule (no weekend or off-peak shuttle buses).

Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

Share This