West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
(Photo by Carolyn Oleary)
We are now officially under the National Weather Service‘s Excessive Heat Warning alert. Last night we asked for help building a list of places to stay cool. This will be the ongoing list – so here’s what we have to start with – please comment or email/text with additions!
PUBLIC/SEMI-PUBLIC FACILITIES AND OTHER CENTERS
Delridge Branch Library (5423 Delridge Way SW)
(updated) Open from noon to 6 pm Sunday, 10 am-6 pm Monday
High Point Branch Library (3411 SW Raymond)
Open noon to 6 pm Sunday (ADDED: SPL says this branch will open this Monday, 10 am-6 pm, too)
Salvation Army in South Delridge – day center for people experiencing homelessness (9050 16th Ave. SW)
11 am-7 pm Saturday-Tuesday
(added) Morgan Junction community space next to and run by HeartBeet Café and Youngstown Coffee, 6030 California SW
Our new seating space next to HeartBeet Cafe and Youngstown has AC, iced water, and a bathroom. Open 8 am to 8 pm. We will keep the doors open to this space but our cafe and coffee shop may be closed. Trained chill dogs are welcome in our space as well.
Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon)
Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mondays – Fridays
(added) West Seattle YMCA (36th/Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor)
Open as a cooling center only, 7 am-7 pm Monday
West Seattle Christian Church Gym (4400 42nd SW)
Open Sunday and Monday (June 27-28) for the hottest days, 12:30 pm-5 pm. WSCC’s Worth Wheeler says:
We will have socially distanced seating set up and a limited supply of bottled water available as well. We will ask that everyone wear masks for the sake of unvaccinated kids and youth, and those at higher risk. We will also be following the guidance for larger gatherings. Sanitizer and disposable masked will be available, 2 people in bathroom at a time, etc. Neighbors are welcome to bring activities, games, crafts, etc to keep themselves entertained. They can also bring their own lunch/picnic/snacks as well. Any other local restaurants/businesses that might want to donate kid-friendly drinks, snacks, treats, or crafts are welcome!
White Center Cooling Center (206 SW 112th)
Available for those who need overnight shelter from the heat – details on our partner site White Center Now
—-RESTAURANTS/BARS WITH AIR CONDITIONING—-
BIZZARRO ITALIAN CAFE (White Center)
CORNER POCKET (4302 SW Alaska) – 3 pm-midnight – underground AND air-conditioned
MOD PIZZA (both West Seattle locations)
strong>PEEL & PRESS
—-OTHER BUSINESSES WITH AIR CONDITIONING—-
ADMIRAL THEATER (2343 California SW), cool treats as well as cool seats – afternoon/evening showtimes daily
FOGUE GALLERY (4130 California SW), open noon-5 pm Friday/Saturday/Sunday
WEST SEATTLE COWORKING (6040 California SW), open this weekend with day passes available – email manager@westseattlecoworking.com
—-CITY-RUN POOLS/SPRAYPARKS—-
Colman Pool (at Lincoln Park, 8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
Daily noon-7 pm
Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) – Open 7 days a week (started 6/26), 11 am-8 pm, as planned
Delridge wading pool (4501 Delridge Way SW) – Open 11 am-5:30 pm Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays
Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) – Open noon-7 pm Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAINS
Seattle Public Utilities says two are open in West Seattle business districts:
4598 California SW
6501 California SW
Bookmark this page or use our Share This feature below to send yourself the link – we’ll continue adding/updating throughout this heat wave! And once again – additions welcome, email westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302
Another theft-linked car to look for – as well as the motorcycle taken in the theft. From Melody at Nucor:
At approximately 12:20 pm, a red Honda Civic drove into the employee parking lot of Nucor Steel Seattle. They parked by the motorcycle, where the driver got out and stole a teammate’s motorcycle. The motorcycle and the car both quickly left the parking lot and were gone by 12:26 pm. Here are photos of the car, suspect and stolen motorcycle.
Please call 911 to report any sightings of either vehicle – SPD incident # 21-157556
Just yesterday, we reported on a daylight catalytic converter theft in a West Seattle Junction parking lot – with a passerby’s photo of a black Mercedes that the thieves had pulled up alongside the targeted Element. Today, a WSB reader spotted that Mercedes at 39th/Juneau and called it in (the dispatcher told officers the caller had read about it here). Officers responded and called for a tow truck to impound the car so the Major Crimes Unit can investigate it. They told us they hadn’t yet verified whether the car was stolen, but they called it “suspicious,” noting that potential theft tools including a jack were in plain view inside.
What a way to celebrate turning 70! At right in our photo is Lou Cutler, the retired PE teacher who is also a longtime Make-A-Wish volunteer raising money for MAW every year with a walkathon at his old school, Pathfinder K-8. Two weeks ago, Lou spent two days walking laps there with students in a pandemic-modified version of his annual fundraiser; the laps totaled a half-marathon, 13+ miles, and today he’s replicating that, with a 13+-mile walk around West Seattle with friends, family, and supporters. We photographed them leaving the Pathfinder campus on Pigeon Point just after 10 am; Lou said the plan was to head northwest to Alki, then south to Beach Drive and Lincoln Park, looping back northeast to finish back at Pathfinder. He says he’s not worried about the heat – “We’ve got water!” He’s also hoping to return to his classic “Laps With Lou” format next year – one day of lapping the school track with one lap for every year of his age, so that’s 71 laps next year. P.S. You can support the Make-A-Wish kids that Lou’s long supported by donating here.
ADDED: Afterward, Lou told us via email, “It took us a little longer than I planned, but we finally made it back to Pathfinder about 7 hours after we left, though we had lots of fun stops along the way and were not in a rush to finish.” His fundraising for this year is getting closer to the goal, too, and he’s still welcoming more donations, to make more kids’ wishes come true.
Thanks to Kathy Weitz for the photos from an early morning orca sighting – they were southbound then but northbound now, off Blake Island per Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch.
These again are transient orcas (also known as Bigg’s Killer Whales) – which are seen in our area more often than the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.
(Today’s sunrise, photographed by Stewart L.)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, archives, and inbox:
MAKE-A-WISH BIRTHDAY WALK: Lou Cutler is following up his recent Make-A-Wish fundraising laps at Pathfinder K-8 with one big walk around West Seattle starting from the school on Pigeon Point at 10 am, in celebration of his 70th birthday. Here’s his donation link.
GO TIME ATHLETICS OPEN HOUSES: The new sports/play facility at 4835 West Marginal Way has two open houses today, as previewed here – 10 am-1 pm for drop-in toddler play, 6-9 pm for open volleyball play.
LOWEST TIDE OF THE YEAR: Out to -4.0 feet just before noon. As previewed here, you’ll also find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists at Lincoln and Constellation Parks, 10 am-2 pm.
OUTDOOR MOVIE: Tonight’s the night Rec’N The Streets is presenting a free outdoor movie (drive-in or walk-in, BYO chairs) at the Southwest Teen Life Center parking lot, “Karate Kid” at 7:30 pm, free.
Are we missing anything? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:16 AM: Good morning! 80s and sunny today – though the Excessive Heat Warning alert is in effect as of 2 pm, the serious heat is expected to hold off until Saturday. Here’s a cooling view of last night’s sunset, photographed by Hana Alishio:
ROAD WORK
Junction paving – As announced Thursday, the westbound lanes of SW Alaska between California and 44th will be closed 9 am-3 pm today for repaving – that means bus rerouting, too.
Delridge project – Median and intersection work continues; next week’s preview is due out later today..
Southbound I-5 – 7 pm tonight until 5 am Monday, the mainline lanes of Southbound I-5 will close from Freeway Park to Spokane Street. The EB & WB I-90 ramps to SB I-5 will be closed. All southbound through traffic will be detoured onto the collector-distributor lanes.
FERRIES/BUSES
Regular schedule for buses and ferries (except for the Junction detour off WB Alaska – see above)
(Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations, @wsferries for major WSF changes.)
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
459th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 24th 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.
(Photo from commenter Bayuh)
1:37 AM: Big Seattle Fire callout to the 1100 block of SW Holden. Avoid the area. Updates to come.
1:41 AM: The fire is reported (corrected) under control, but not out.
1:52 AM: Firefighters say there’s still fire in the attic. The address SFD has logged for the incident is Highland Park Improvement Club. Our photographer is on the way there to verify.
(Added: WSB photos from here down)
2:13 AM: A commenter confirms that the fire is at HPIC, a century-old community-owned-and-operated facility. … They’re down to a few hot spots.
2:26 AM: Our crew is back (after communications challenges at the scene) and also confirms it’s HPIC. SFD’s investigator was on the way to try to figure out how this started. The building had been undergoing renovations – just last month, we reported both on that donation/grant-funded work and the community services that HPIC has provided during the pandemic.
2:46 AM: More units are being dismissed from the scene, but about half a dozen remain. We’ll be seeking out HPIC leadership later this morning to follow up on the extent of the damage.
10:56 AM: The cleanup has begun. Here are photos from Highland Park photographer/artist Dina Johnson – first, the stage area, that’s seen many performances and presentations:
More of the interior:
And the exterior:
Badly needed roofing work had just been completed, HPIC board members told us this morning. They’re still dealing with the shock of the fire so no details yet on the best way you can help; SFD was still investigating the cause at last report. We’ll continue following up.
2:29 PM: SFD says its investigator has ruled the fire’s cause “undetermined.”
Now less than a week until reopening – here’s the pandemic news:
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: No major announcements emerged when Gov. Jay Inslee briefed and took questions from reporters this morning. He announced what he called a “bridge” between the end of the state’s eviction moratorium and the start of relief programs. He also introduced a pre-nursing student from Eastern Washington as the latest $250,000 winner in the “Shot of a Lifetime” lottery. And he decried as “baloney and malarkey” vaccination misinformation on social media Watch the briefing here.
CONFUSED ABOUT REOPENING? The state’s launched a webpage to collect info on what it means.
NEWEST NUMBERS: Here’s the update from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*112,248 people have tested positive, 84 more than yesterday’s total
*1,648 people have died, 30 more than yesterday’s total**
*6,483 people have been hospitalized, 164 more than yesterday’s total**
**The big jumps are explained on the county dashboard as the state Health Department adding “a large backlog” of 156 hospitalizations and 29 deaths, from November 2020 to June 2021.**
One week ago, the three totals we are now tracking were 111,425/1,611/6,300.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health dashboard.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 180 million cases worldwide, 33.5 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Rather than one big wrapup, we’re breaking cpverage tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting into separate topics. First – two milestones on the way to West Seattle Bridge repair work. SDOT’s Sara Zora said the repair design has reached the 60 percent stage, and that plan is being “circulated” now for review. For months, SDOT has said that once it gets to the 60 percent design mark, it will be able to hone in on a better estimate for bridge reopening than the “mid-2022” that’s been cited for a long time. Also, Zora said, they’ve officially issued a Notice to Proceed for repair contractor Kraemer North America, which means the contract has been finalized. She said they’re running a little bit ahead of schedule, because that wasn’t expected until the end of the month (as noted when the contractor choice was announced). We’ll be checking tomorrow with SDOT to see what additional information is available, since the next scheduled update isn’t until the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meets July 14th. Meantime, SDOT also brought West Marginal Way speed and collision information to tonight’s WSTC meeting, as the group had requested; we’ll report on that separately.
8:37 PM: The west lot at Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor) was transformed into a temporary food-truck corral this afternoon for a reality show. As previewed here last night, Seattle favorite Where Ya At Matt went up against Los Angeles-based Billionaire Burger Boyz, who were on camera when we stopped by;
The crew told us this is for a new show currently titled “Burger Brawl,” and it’ll be part of Discovery Plus. Signage attributed the production to Lander Entertainment, LLC. The winner was whoever sold the most – haven’t heard yet how that shook out.
According to Laurel at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), these two trucks will be there for a rematch tomorrow, noon-7 pm.
ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: Just got word from Ounces that the show is going somewhere else (not in WS) today instead. (Though we should note that Ounces spotlights many of the area’s best food trucks regularly anyway – see their calendar here.)
(Photo by Jerry Simmons)
You’ve been hearing about it for days, and now that the heat wave is closer, the National Weather Service has upgraded its alert to an Excessive Heat Warning, in effect 2 pm Friday through 9 pm Monday. And the Sunday/Monday forecasts have added a few more degrees – here are the next four days, daypart by daypart:
FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the 80s. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
FRIDAY NIGHT…Clear. Lows in the mid to upper 60s. North wind 10 to 15 mph decreasing to 10 mph or less after midnight.
SATURDAY…Sunny. Highs in the 90s. North wind to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
SATURDAY NIGHT…Clear. Lows near 70. North wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
SUNDAY…Sunny. Highs 98 to 104.
SUNDAY NIGHT…Clear. Lows in the lower to mid 70s.
MONDAY…Sunny. Highs 100 to 106.
Seattle’s all-time record high was 103 degrees on July 29, 2009 – here’s what happened on that day (including a house fire and an overcome-by-the-heat boater).
Since many Seattle houses/apartments don’t have air conditioning, it’s always a hot question when the weather gets mega-hot: Where can you go to cool off? We’re asking for your help in building a definitive list of where to go, considering that not all venues have reopened (yet). The city has started it off with this roundup – including:
Delridge Branch Library (5423 Delridge Way SW)
Open from 10 am to 6 pm Mondays and Wednesdays
High Point Branch Library (3411 SW Raymond)
Open from 10 am to 6 pm Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays
Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon)
Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mondays – Fridays
If you have a suggestion – please comment below or email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
P.S. Two more city notes from the roundup – Seattle Public Utilities will close the transfer stations (including South) at 2 pm Sunday and Monday. Also, solid-waste pickup on Monday will be an hour earlier – so have your carts out at 6 am.
The Sound Transit Board won’t vote before next month on a potential “realignment” scenario – reconfiguring future plans to address estimated revenue drops and cost jumps. Today, calling it a “starting point,” board chair Kent Keel (from the University Place City Council in Pierce County) unveiled a proposed scenario. As shown above in a slide from the meeting presentation (see the full deck here), his proposal would delay West Seattle light rail until 2032 – one year later than the currently planned 2031, which in turn is one year past what was outlined in the ST3 ballot measure. Board members didn’t spend much time talking about it; some have contended that it’s too soon to realign, since revenue estimates keep improving, and in fact CEO Peter Rogoff started the meeting with a quick mention of rosier revenue projections at multiple government levels. One board member, King County Council chair Claudia Balducci from Bellevue, has been the loudest voice arguing against realigning now; she has contended that changes should focus more on cost cuts than schedule delays. She said today that her own proposal isn’t ready to present yet but will be soon. In a parallel process, the board is still working through the reasons for the sudden, dramatic rise in cost estimates, and got another in a series of reports from a consultant during today’s meeting. Board members’ next realignment discussion is expected when their Executive Committee meets July 1st; the full board meeting at which a vote might be taken is July 22nd.
(WSB file photo)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Somewhere between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge and the construction of Sound Transit light rail lies another big local transportation project: Replacement of the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal.
As part of the planning process, Washington State Ferries is convening three advisory groups. One of them, the Community Advisory Group, met last night for the first time, online.
The CAG is launching with 24 members, chosen from among 64 applicants (we published the recruiting announcement back in April). Last night’s meeting was mostly a get-acquainted session, which is why WSF says it did not publicly announce the meeting in advance (we found out from a tip late in the day and have since watched a recording of the two-hour meeting, which WSF says will be available online “by early next week”).
In their self-introductions, many members described affiliations and experiences that give them many-faceted perspectives on the projects – for example, living in West Seattle with children going to school on Vashon Island, or living on Vashon but owning a business in West Seattle. The western end of the Triangle Route was represented too, with Southworth and Manchester residents. Here’s the full roster as provided by WSF:
Ana White | Southworth resident
Angus Macnab | King County resident/Vashon commuter student parent
Anne Higuera |West Seattle business owner/Vashon resident
Daniel Lewis | Southworth area community member
David McDaniel | Fauntleroy and Vashon community member
Devin Branson | Vashon resident and West Seattle commuter
DB Gates | West Seattle resident
Emily Scott | Vashon Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) Member, Vashon Island Foodbank Executive Director
Fletcher Sandbeck | Kitsap resident
Frank Immel | Fauntleroy Community Association, Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) member, neighbor
Gary English | Vashon community member
Greg McKinnon | Manchester resident, daily ferry commuter
Helen Westphal | King County resident
Jon Wright | West Seattle Transportation Coalition
Josh Gwynn | Southworth area community member
Judy Pickens | Fauntleroy Watershed Council
Larry Harala | Port Orchard/Manchester area resident, Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) member
Mardi Clements | Fauntleroy Community Association, West Seattle resident near ferry
Michelle McCormick | West Seattle and Vashon resident
Noelani Hatton | West Seattle resident
Richard Thorp | Southworth area community member
Scott Harvey | Vashon resident, irregular ferry traveler
Susan Fritch | Vashon resident/former West Seattle resident
Victoria Nelson | West Seattle Transportation Coalition Board Member, Fauntleroy resident
In addition to introductions, last night’s meeting included a brief recap of the rationale for replacing the terminal/dock – earthquake vulnerability, susceptibility to being swamped by rising sea levels, limited vehicle-holding capacity (room for 80 cars, though the regular vessels on the route hold 124, and WSF has said its system standards call for holding areas with room for about 1 1/2 vessels worth).
A major task early in the planning process, one for which the CAG members’ input will be sought, is a Planning and Environmental Linkages study, which WSF says will be done in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, since federal funding is expected to be part of the project. The group’s advisory role in the study, WSF says, will help define the “purpose and need” for the project and ways to filter alternatives. The alternatives they’ll consider, they were told later in the meeting, will be numerous – “many different configurations.” None have been shown, yet. Here’s the full slide deck from the meeting, with more on the key discussion points:
In open discussion, CAG members also asked for clarification on the roles of the other two advisory groups – Executive (mostly elected officials, as listed in this document provided by WSF at our request) and Technical (staffers from agencies listed in that same document).
WHAT’S NEXT: WSF will talk about the Fauntleroy terminal project (with construction not expected before 2025) during tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm online (see our calendar listing for information on participating/viewing/listening). The next CAG meeting is set for 6 pm July 28th.
(WSB file photo, Delridge wading pool)
Seattle Parks is still opening some of its wading pools and sprayparks this Saturday (June 26th), but the schedules will be more limited than first announced, at least for a while. That’s because of the chlorine shortage, according to Parks’ announcement:
Due to a regional shortage of chlorine that is just coming to the fore, SPR must make temporary adjustments to this summer’s wading pool schedules. Spraypark schedules remain unaffected at this time.
For wading pools, the new schedule allows all previously-announced pools to open, but on an alternating schedule. This will enable equitable distribution of our current supply of chlorine until we can obtain more. When that occurs, our plan is to open each wading pool 7 days per week. Some pools will operate from Saturday to Tuesday, and some from Thursday to Sunday. For now, all wading pools will be closed on Wednesdays.
We understand how frustrating this situation is, and share in your disappointment. Rest assured that staff is working diligently to solve the matter, and know that we will update you as soon as we know more.
So here’s the West Seattle plan:
Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) – Open 7 days a week, 11 am-8 pm, as planned
Delridge wading pool (4501 Delridge Way SW) – Open (updated) noon-5:30 pm Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays
Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) – Open noon-7 pm Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
(As previously announced, Parks does NOT plan to open the EC Hughes or Hiawatha wading pools this year.)
Just got word of this from SDOT (as well as an accompanying Metro alert for this weekend):
PAVING NOTICE
The westbound lanes of SW Alaska St \between California Ave SW & 44th Ave SW
(The two westbound lanes adjacent to Wells Fargo Bank and Easy Street Records)
Friday, June 25th 9 AM – 3 PM
Saturday, July 10th at 8 AM – Monday July 12th at 6 AM
Saturday, July 17th at 8 AM – Monday July 19th at 6 AM
*Weather permittingAt the location and hours listed above:
-SDOT will replace several concrete panels.
-All westbound traffic will be detoured.
-The detour route will be marked.
-Westbound bus stops (Route 50, 55, 128, and C-Line) will be impacted.
-Eastbound traffic will not be impacted.Outside the hours listed above, the westbound lanes will be open to all traffic. Some parking in this area will be restricted. 72 hours before the work starts and parking restrictions begin, “NO PARKING” signs will be placed on the street. Sidewalk access will not be impacted. Construction impacts include noise and dust. SDOT crews will complete each workday by 7PM.
For this weekend’s Metro reroutes, see this page.
That photo came in from a reader on Wednesday, with this report about what he saw after 7 am that morning:
I was strolling north in the alley between 44th & California, in the block south of Oregon. I heard the unmistakable sound of a reciprocating saw against steel for just a brief moment. I looked in the direction of the sound & spotted a black Mercedes parked very close to a Honda Element. They must have seen me and stopped. In the time it took to pull out my phone and take a photo, the Honda came down off a jack, and something, probably just the jack, was loaded into the back seat area.
Unfortunately, that apparently was the catalytic converter from Gayle‘s car. She later emailed us:
6/23, at approximately 7-7:15, the catalytic converter was stolen from my 2007 Honda Element. My car was parked in a Diamond parking lot close to the sidewalk on 44th Avenue near Oregon Street. I saw a black Mercedes pull in next to mine and later learned they were the thieves. A police report (21-156316) has been filed. … The thieves were driving a black Mercedes 5500 (sedan). The driver was a white male and the passenger is believed to be a white female. If anyone else was walking by or coming through the parking lot and has any information, please contact the police and/or reply on the blog. This is happening far too often and in the light of day next to a busy road.
Here is another photo with a closer look at the front of the car.
It did have a rear plate, which began with ASL.
(Today’s sunrise, photographed by Stewart L.)
Busy day/night! Here’s just some of what’s on our calendar and in our previews:
GOVERNOR’S PANDEMIC BRIEFING: You can watch here at 10:30 am.
LOW-LOW TIDE: It’s way out, to -3.9 feet, at 11:07 am. Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out at Constellation and Lincoln Parks 9:30 am-1:30 pm, and you can join the free Rec’N The Streets beach walk at Constellation at 10:30 (info in our preview)
SOUND TRANSIT BOARD: 1:30 pm online, the realignment process that could further delay West Seattle light rail (among other parts of ST3) is on the agenda, which explains how to watch/comment.
ROBERT IRVING III MASTERS CLASSES: 1 pm for the public (info here), 2:30 pm for musicians (info here) at J&J Public House (2808 Alki SW).
FOOD TRUCK BATTLE: 3-6 pm, Where Ya At Matt and visiting-from-L.A. Billionaire Burger Boyz “battle” at Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor)
DEMONSTRATION: 4-6 pm at 16th/Holden, join organizer Scott in his second year of twice-weekly sign-waving for racial justice. Signs available if you don’t have one.
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm online – see the agenda, and how to participate, in our calendar listing.
PRIDE BINGO: Special edition of every-other-week Thursday night Bingo at Admiral Pub, 7 pm. Prize for best Pride outfit! (2306 California SW)
(Wednesday night photo by Doug Eglington)
FULL MOON KAYAKING: Special tour with Alki Kayak Tours (1660 Harbor SW), 8:15 pm. Info’s in our calendar listing.
Something for our calendar? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:10 AM: Good morning! Warm today but not hot – that weather still isn’t expected to arrive until the weekend.
ROAD WORK
Delridge project – As noted in this week’s plan, work includes the medians and the east side of Delridge/Henderson/Barton and Delridge/Thistle.
FERRIES/BUSES
Regular schedule for buses and ferries.
(Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations, @wsferries for major WSF changes.)
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
458th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 24th 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.
With one week at most until full reopening, here are tonight’s local/state pandemic updates:
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS’ BRIEFING During state health officials’ weekly briefing today, Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said 68 percent of our state’s 16+ residents have received at least a first dose of vaccine. That’s only up .8 of a percentage point from a week earlier, so it seems unlikely we’ll hit 70 percent and reopen before June 30th.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: 10:30 am Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee will give his next media briefing on the pandemic. You can watch here.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*112,164 people have tested positive, 407 more than yesterday’s total (explanation: the state “released 314 delayed positive results”)
*1,618 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*6,319 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 111,353/1,610/6,292.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find all the numbers, county by county, on the state Department of Health dashboard.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PLAYGROUNDS REOPEN: The district had said it would decide at year’s end whether to reopen the playgrounds to the public – and it has announced they’re indeed open again.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
A big bike ride in and near West Seattle, White Center, and beyond is set for Sunday (June 27th), and Cascade Bicycle Club spokesperson Paul Tolmé emailed us to be sure you know:
Cascade Bicycle Club’s Ride for Major Taylor will take place this Sunday in West Seattle. We would like to alert residents that there will be bicycles on the roads (and many youth bicyclists) and we ask for drivers to be alert and aware of our youth bicyclists. Cascade and its Major Taylor Project would also like to thank West Seattle residents for being courteous to our riders.
And due to the forecast heat, we’d also like to let residents know that we encourage them to come out and cheer on our riders — and maybe offer willing riders a spray from the garden hose to cool off :)
Above is the 26-mile route map (see the route’s turn-by-turn description on the second page here); below, the 65-mile route (or here, with turn-by-turn on the second page).
Both start from the bicycle playground at White Center’s Dick Thurnau Park. Registration is closed, as they maxed out at 500 riders. P.S. The ride is a benefit for the Major Taylor Project; read about its namesake, a superstar runner and rider in the 19th/20th centuries, here.
Two food notes:
PEEL & PRESS: Proprietor Dan Austin says his Morgan Junction restaurant has just reopened for indoor dining:
Well, it has been a challenging 15 months. We have stayed carryout only to give West Seattle an option for all of those who wanted to avoid the crowds. Because of all of your support, we were able to survive this pandemic and take our time in reopening the dining room. We have been 100% vaccinated for a while now and are ready to see your faces (still masked for a few more days) again!
Starting Wednesday and going until the Governor announces the full reopening, we will be offering limited table seating. We will not have a ton of capacity but we need to get the staff back in the swing of plating food and serving tables. We ask that you pack your grace and understanding for the next week or two (not just here but at all restaurants) as we get our in=person and soon, full-capacity muscle memory established again. We are so excited to welcome you back!
Peel & Press is at 6503 California SW; hours are 4-9 pm this week, then after that, expanding to 4-10 pm Sundays-Thursdays and 4- 11 pm Fridays-Saturdays.
FOOD-TRUCK FIGHT: We’re told the well-known Seattle truck Where Ya At Matt will be in the Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor) vicinity 3-6:30 pm tomorrow (Thursday, June 24) “for a food truck competition” along with touring Los Angeles-based truck Billionaire Burger Boyz. WYAM says other details are under wraps “but it’s going to be a lot of fun, and would love to see Seattle come represent!”
ADDED THURSDAY: The food-truck fight continues Friday, and it’s for reality TV, we’re told in this note from Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) proprietor Laurel Trujillo:
there is a food truck battle reality show shooting in West Seattle at Ounces tomorrow Friday, 6/25 from 12-7pm. We will be open at 12 pm as will the food trucks (they will be selling food, we will be serving drinks like normal). Cameras will be rolling!
Basically the premise of the show is that local truck Where Ya At Matt? will be battling against a burger truck from LA. Whoever sells more food wins! So we’d love to invite the West Seattle community out to buy grub, drink beer and support Where Ya At Matt? so they can win!
(2012 Lowman Beach aerial photo – pre-Murray CSO Project – by Long Bach Nguyen
Last weekend we published the announcement of a third public meeting about what might happen at Lowman Beach Park once the crumbling seawall and neighboring tennis court are removed. The announcement said only that “two concepts” would be discussed. Today Seattle Parks revealed those two concepts are: Pickleball court, or no replacement. But Parks also says more tennis courts in the area will be opened to the public. From the announcement:
Two public meetings have been held and three concepts were reviewed. After reviewing the work from the community and the design team, SPR recommends either adding a pickleball court (and saving the swings) or allowing for no additional change than the beach restoration project. SPR does not support the tennis-court concept.
SPR’s recommendation takes into account the park location, its unique characteristics, proximity to other tennis courts, and future maintenance impacts. In addition, SPR reviewed the images from the public meetings, phone calls, emails, and the extensive community outreach to inform this decision. The decision also supports SPR’s Strategic Plan, as the Healthy Environment section calls out preserving a healthy ocean and marine environment that contribute to the health of the Seattle and Pacific ecosystem and a balance between active and passive recreation.
SPR did hear from the community about the importance of racket courts and has worked out an agreement with Seattle Public Schools to open the six courts at the Southwest Athletic Complex [WSB photo above]. The courts are free for drop-in unless reserved … Information about court reservations can be found here.
(We don’t see the SWAC courts listed there yet; we’ll check with Parks tomorrow.) Back to Lowman Beach – the meeting is online at 6:30 pm next Tuesday (June 29th); register here to participate. If the pickleball concept is pursued, funds have to be raised to build it, as Parks has no funding allocated beyond the beach restoration following the seawall/tennis-court removal.
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