West Seattle, Washington
19 Monday
6:21 AM: Welcome to Monday – the 210th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK, ETC.
*Delridge project: Here’s the plan for this week.
*Tunnel closure: This Friday night-Saturday morning (October 23-24), the Highway 99 tunnel closes both ways for maintenance, 10 pm-6 am.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here are two cameras:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s the nearest camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Fare collection has resumed.
Water Taxi – Also no longer free.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
The Southern Resident Killer Whales have come home because the salmon are returning. And if Fauntleroy Creek advocates and neighbors are lucky, they’ll see some of those fish any day now. That’s the reason for the annual drum circle to call the salmon home, organized by Judy Pickens steps from the creek on Sunday afternoon:
Judy told the all-ages attendees that the annual volunteer salmon watch was on, and there’d been a good sign – a female salmon spotted near the mouth of the creek, though she didn’t make it up the creek and her fate is unknown. Jamie Schilling led a bit of singing and drumming, as she does every year, but then – something new:
Visitors were invited to take a stone from a plate of river rocks longtime volunteer Dennis Hinton had brought back from a trip to Yakima, and to write a word or two with a wish for the salmon:
Before taking their rock-borne messages over to the creek banks, everyone was invited to share what they wrote – Messages of welcome, like “you are welcome here”; messages of encouragement, like “Go for it” and “Keep swimming”; and messages of hope, like “glory,” “love,” “peace,” “healing.”
If spawners show up in the creek, watch for word of an “open creek” chance to visit on an upcoming weekend.
19 showed up last year – we’ll know soon how this year turns out. As Jamie observed, despite the pandemic, “life goes on.”
Steve emailed to report, “A few coyotes near 23rd and Andover (Pigeon Point) I heard 2, maybe 3, I think. Please give a warning for people to keep their pets indoors.” (We used to get coyote reports often, but haven’t for quite some time – not sure if that means they’re more scarce, or if people are just used to them.)
Wrapping up our weekend, here are tonight’s pandemic notes:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*25,097 people have tested positive, up 105 from yesterday’s total
*785 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*2,480 people have been hospitalized, up 2 from yesterday’s total
*485,294 people have been tested, down 16,417 from yesterday’s total (attributed to “data corrections”)
One week ago, the King County totals were 24,053/776/2,434/480,195.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 39.8 million cases and 1,112,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
PANDEMIC-STYLE HALLOWEEN: We’re getting more announcements of pandemic-style distanced events, like this one: Drive-up trick-or-treating at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse on Halloween afternoon.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT? OR? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Kendall Jones, West Seattle-based publisher of the Washington Beer Blog, calls the Great American Beer Festival “the most important beer-judging competition on earth.” 
His explanation comes with the news in this WBB post that West Seattle’s own The Good Society Brewery and Public House won two big awards at the GABF – Small Brewpub/Brewer of the Year, as well as a gold medal for one of their ales. Nick Berger and Phil Cammarano opened TGS in The Admiral District just eight months ago – two weeks before the first King County case of COVID-19. Reacting to the awards via Instagram, TGS says of Year 1, “It’s been a ride and the only thing I’d trade it for is no COVID.” You can see the full list of winners here.
(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of what’s described as the Highland Park-Burien line’s Hillside Station – possibly in Riverview – 1915)
What is currently a busy bridge-detour route now, with thousands of cars passing each day, held trolley tracks a century ago, and Highland Park Improvement Club is honoring that with its newest streetside sandwich-board art. The four boards, installed this afternoon along SW Holden east of 12th SW, say this to westbound drivers/riders/passersby:
Those traveling eastbound will see H-P-I-C.
And yes, the boards are secured:
The artists also put together the display we showed you back in August.
The streetcars that traveled nearby were part of the Highland Park-Lake Burien Railroad, in service from 1912-1929.
(Reader photo: Teacher Michael Franzen getting his flu shot during September CSIHS clinic)
More drive-through flu-shot clinics are coming up starting this week at two local schools, with the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association and Seattle Public Schools nurses teaming up to offer the service. The dates/times:
MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL (45th and Spokane)
Wednesday, October 21 – 9 am-5 pm
Wednesday, October 28 – 10 am-5:30 pm
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (2600 SW Thistle)
Thursday, October 22 – 10 am-5:30 pm
Monday, October 26 – 10 am-5:30 pm
Wednesday, October 28 – 9 am-5 pm
Make an appointment in advance for everybody in your household (ages 4 and up) who’ll be coming along for a vaccination – go here to pick the date, time, and location. Bring your insurance card; if you’re uninsured, shots are available at no cost.
3:43 PM: Thanks to Gunner for the tip, which we just verified with an in-person look: The Westwood Village USPS drive-up/ride-up mailbox is full. No Sunday pickup time listed, so if you have something to mail, try another box or wait until tomorrow.
4:50 PM: Thanks to everyone in comments who said the box has since been emptied.
Thanks again to tipster Mike – first, he reported the south Lincoln Park parking lot’s reopening back on Thursday; today, he sent the photo above with news that the north Lincoln Park lot is open again as well. (We had checked just yesterday afternoon, and at that time it was still closed.) As we noted on Thursday, while tomorrow is the official reopening date for lots like these (as we first reported two weeks ago), Parks crews have actually been reopening them over the past week, since the work that’s involved – like removing those big blocks from the south LP lot – couldn’t all be done in one day. The lots and others at “destination parks” citywide were closed seven months ago as “an effort to encourage social distancing and reduce the number of congregating crowds”; then in May, the south lot opened some accessible spaces for disabled park visitors.
11:40 AM: Just got a call from Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch – orcas are heading for West Seattle waters again, currently southbound in the Bainbridge Island ferry lanes. Let us know if you see them!
12:05 PM: Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales says they’re visible off Alki Point.
12:17 PM: Saw them! From north Emma Schmitz Overlook, with binoculars.
1:51 PN: Just seen off The Arroyos, per commenter Desertdweller, still southbound.
Angelina sent the photo, explaining: “I found a walker with a wonky wheel on 31st Ave SW. I put it in my yard, but it seems like a weird thing to lose. So if someone’s walker was stolen, I might have it.” If it might be yours, let us know and we’ll connect you.
SIDE NOTE: For items that are more likely to be simply lost/found and not stolen, we have a West Seattle Lost/Found (Non-Pets) section here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For the second time this month, the Southwest Design Review Board met to consider a South Delridge mixed-use project.
This time, though, they told the project team to go back and try again.
The project is a 5-story building proposed for 9218 18th SW (map), with ~59 apartments, some retail, and ~25 offstreet-parking spaces. The online meeting Thursday night was for Early Design Guidance, the first phase of the city’s Design Review process,
The meeting was chaired by Matt Hutchins; ongoing chair Crystal Loya and the three other members, John Cheng, Alan Grainger, and Scott Rosenstock, were all there too. The meeting proceeded in the usual four-part format:
ARCHITECTS’ PRESENTATION: Here’s the design packet by Caron Architecture. I 5-story, 1 floor of parking below grade, accessed from the alley, 59 units and 21 parking spots. Many site constraints have to be dealt with, including a close-by power line, and a property line set back 26′ from Delridge Way. Here are the “massing” (size/shape) concepts they offered:
(Thursday sunset at Cormorant Cove, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
What’s ahead for your Sunday:
ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES: Updated listings and links for 23 West Seattle churches – find them here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. Scroll down the page at this link to find the vendor list and map for this week. (Enter at California/Alaska; pickups for online orders are at California/Oregon)
(WSB photo from last Sunday, Denis Shapiro of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle)
TOYS FOR TOTS COLLECTION: 10 am-1:30 pm near the market’s entrance/exit, look for the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. (California/Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE SKI SWAP DAY 2: 10 am-4 pm, shop for skis, snowboards, and gear at the VFW Hall in The Triangle. (3601 SW Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 11 am-4 pm – need a tool to fix or improve something? (4408 Delridge Way SW)
DRUMMING TO CALL THE SALMON HOME: 4 pm, gather – masked and distanced – near Fauntleroy Creek for this annual autumn tradition. All ages welcome. Bring any kind of drum you have handy – makeshift is welcome too. (4539 SW Director Place)
FREE TO-GO DINNER: White Center Community Dinner Church will serve to-go meals at 5 pm, outside, near the Bartell Drugs parking lot in White Center, SW Roxbury St. & 15th Ave. SW (9600 15th Ave SW)
Anything else happening? Let us know – text 206-293-6302 – thank you!
9:54 PM: That’s reader video sent before emergency responders arrived at Delridge/Trenton, currently blocked to through traffic because of a 2-vehicle collision. So far no medic unit sent, indicating injuries are likely not major. The reader who sent the video says the collision happened as one vehicle was headed north on Delridge and turning west on Trenton while the other was headed south on Delridge.
10;17 PM: Thanks to SB for the photo, added above. SFD has since cleared from the call but SPD is still there.
Here’s our nightly check-in with news and notes related to the virus crisis:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*24,992 people have tested positive, 219 more than yesterday’s total
*785 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*2,478 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday’s total
*501,711 people have been tested, 3,428 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 23,879/776/2,433/475,507.
WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers accessible in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” In the past 2 weeks, 48 positive test results were reported; 61 in the 2 weeks before that; 33 in the two weeks before that – so we have a downward trend going, after being on the upswing when we did the same check the last two Saturday nights.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 39.5 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,108,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 219,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, Argentina (which passed Colombia this week to become #5). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
TOY DRIVE: The pandemic is going to make it a tough holiday season for many, so donation drives have started early. The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is at California/Alaska every Sunday, by the Farmers’ Market entrance, continuing tomorrow, 10 am-1:30 pm, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Halloween is two weeks from tonight. The Duwamish Tribe Longhouse has just announced that it’ll welcome trick-or-treaters in pandemic-era style, with drive-up trick-or-treating. 2-5 pm on Halloween (Saturday, October 31st), you’re welcome to drive/ride into the Longhouse’s parking lot at 4705 West Marginal Way SW to get a “Halloween goodie bag.” Just one thing the Longhouse asks in return: “It’s critical that we keep our communities safe this holiday season, so please wear a mask in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.”
P.S. We’re still collecting decoration locations – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Speaking of voting – here’s an upcoming local event aimed at supporting it:
Support voter empowerment while enjoying an evening of music.
The Pigeon Point Antiracism Project presents
Music to Power Democracy
A virtual concert and fundraiser for the Black Voters Matter Fund
Thursday, October 22, 2020, 8 pm
With soprano Ellaina Lewis (known for her roles in such productions as Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha), Erika Lundahl (singer-songwriter featuring poetic lyrics for “resilient hearts and resonant bodies”), and Brian Cutler (veteran songwriter drawing on an electic mix of genres).
To attend, please make a donation to the Black Voters Matter Fund. Then send an electronic receipt from your donation to ppantiracismteam@gmail.com, and we will provide details for attending the event on Zoom.
The Black Voters Matter Fund fights voter suppression and supports civic engagement and political power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. They’ve been working tirelessly to get out the vote and also donating food, helping people fill out the census, distributing masks, and offering relief to hurricane survivors. Recently, they’ve been organizing voter drives by bus tour through swing states.
The Pigeon Point Antiracism Project is a grassroots group based in West Seattle’s Pigeon Point neighborhood and organizing actions to support equality.
We invite you to imagine your donation in hypothetical bus miles from destinations BVM is visiting.
A $10 minimum suggested donation gets you an evening of music (and could power a get-out-the-vote bus across, for instance, Houston).
$25, music, and a bus from Pensacola halfway to Panama City, Florida.
$50, music, Gainesville all the way to Tallahassee.
$100, music, Jacksonville, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia.
You can find out more about the Black Voters Matter Fund by going here.
(Reader photo, via text)
1:33 PM: We went over for a look at the West Seattle Junction ballot drop box (SW Alaska between 44th and California) just before 1 pm after a text that it was full. While we were there, more voters showed up, and said you could still get a ballot in – carefully – but since our visit, a line has developed, as shown above. Meantime, we heard back from King County Elections via Twitter that they have pickup teams out right now and one was due to arrive in The Junction at any minute, so this drop box should be cleared out soon. Remember we have three – High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond) and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW) – plus there are also boxes outside South Park and White Center Libraries. KC Elections says each of the half-ton boxes should hold 5,000 ballots, so fullness might mean “the ballots stacked up a little funky and that makes it hard to get more in there. But we are expecting to break records this weekend.”
1:36 PM: Just got another text – the pickup team has arrived. Reader photo added – thanks to everyone for the tips and photos!
P.S. Also via Twitter, KC Elections subsequently showed what an empty drop box looks like inside:
The explanation: “Bin to collect ballots, flooring to protect against water buildup or flooding, and the little ramp that we use to get the bin in and out placed so the bin stays put against the side with the slot.”
6:44 PM: Bizarre incident this evening – as noted in comments, and by someone who called us, there was an attempt to get some kind of poo into the Junction box. KC Elections doesn’t seem to answer after-hours (we’re asking them about a hotline), so the person who called has reported it to police.
Meantime, we should mention that you can check your ballot’s status online – once KC Elections receives it, it’ll show up on the ballot tracker (give it a few days after mailing or putting it in a drop box).
8:47 PM: KC Elections reports by Twitter that “ballots are fine, box is good to go. Still watch your step as the team didn’t have materials with them to clean up the sidewalk – also, it’s a good night to thank an election worker!”
Two running notes:
SALTY HALF: Found out belatedly that this small half-marathon happened this morning in West Seattle, so if you saw runners on a shore route (between Don Armeni and Lincoln Park) and were wondering – as was the case for one WSB commenter – that’s what was up.
WEST SEATTLE RAGNAR: Athena Frederick of We Sweat-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) sent the photos and note:
We Sweat is hosting a virtual ragnar relay today at Alki and Lincoln Park. 12 west seattle mom’s, we have run 10 Ragnar’s together and missed this year due to COVID. We planned a socially distanced event with 12 ladies running over 120 miles!
We are calling it the West Seattle Island Ragnar with tanks from Alair. If you see ladies in pink and blue running today, that’s us!
10:05 AM: For a second day, orcas are in view off West Seattle. Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail just sent word that they’re southbound off Alki Point. Let us know if you see them!
10:20 AM: Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales just called with an update – they’re now off Emma Schmitz Overlook, still southbound.
11:52 AM: Kersti Muul from Salish Wildlife Watch says in comments that they’ve turned around and are now northbound.
(WSB photo)
Last Monday night, we reported on City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s unofficial survey asking whether you support repairing the West Seattle Bridge or replacing it. She announced results in her newest weekly update:
On October 12 at approximately 7 p.m., I conducted an online survey asking whether people support a repair or a replacement of the West Seattle Bridge.
It’s not a scientific survey, and geographic responses aren’t representative of District 1 overall. That said, it is useful for receiving feedback from constituents at this point in time. Thank you to all who engaged.
As of 7 p.m. on October 14, approximately 7,000 people had participated and of them, 59.8% favored repair, 36% supported replacement, and 4.2% supported other.
39% of replies were from 98116, the zip code furthest north in West Seattle. Other zip codes, such as 98106 and 98126, stretch from north to south, 98126 is in the central portion, 98106 in the eastern portion. 98136 is the SW portion of West Seattle, and 98108 includes South Park. 98146 includes the very southwest portions of the city.
Zip Repair Replace % of Total Replies
98116 66.8% 29.6% 39% of total
98126 64.7% 31.39% 24% of total
98136 58.6% 37.1% 16% of total
98106 41.7% 54.6% 16% of total
98146 37.3% 60% 4% of total
98108 34% 66% 1% of total
Her weekly update also recapped the major headlines from last week’s extra meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, which we covered Wednesday afternoon – that the Cost-Benefit Analysis won’t be out until next week, so the timeline for the mayor’s decision is pushed back, and that a new “rapid replacement” option had surfaced. Both the CBA and the new option will be discussed at the next CTF meeting, noon Wednesday (October 21st) online.
(Photo by Robin Sinner)
Welcome to Saturday!
TRAFFIC ALERT: The SW Oregon closure east of Delridge is scheduled to continue today.
VOTING REMINDER: Ballots continue arriving, and early voting is encouraged; here’s how to get your ballot into an official local drop box.
HELP OTHERS STAY WARM: 9 am-1 pm at Hope Lutheran, it’s a drive-up/ride-up/walk-up donation drive, collecting coats – new ones for kids, used ones for men – more details here. (4456 42nd SW – enter lot off 41st)
EXPLORE EXPLORER WEST MS: 10 am this morning, online, Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) has the first “remote school preview” of the year – you need to pre-register; details are here.
WEST SEATTLE SKI SWAP: Skis, snowboards, gear, all await you at this year’s swap, 10 am-5 pm today and 10 am-4 pm tomorrow at the West Seattle VFW Hall (3601 SW Alaska), presented by Mountain to Sound Outfitters
BOOK LAUNCH: Sean Petrie is scheduled to be at Paper Boat Booksellers at noon to sign his book of West Seattle poems, “Listen to the Trees,” as previewed here. (6040 California SW)
33 weeks ago tonight, King County announced its first case of COVID-19. Here’s where we are now:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:
*24,773 people have tested positive, 124 more than yesterday’s total
*784 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*2,475 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday’s total
*498,283 people have been tested, 4,502 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 23,736/776/2,429/471,588.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 39.3 million cases, 1.1 million deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
NEED TESTING? Our weekly reminder – the city-operated testing site in West Seattle – south side of the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) – is open Saturdays (as well as weekdays). Go here to choose an appointment time before you go.
HELPING: With so many more people in need this year because of the COVID crunch on our economy, if you can donate, every drive gains new importance. Tomorrow (Saturday), new kids’ coats and used men’s coats are being accepted at Hope Lutheran in The Junction.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
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