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Spotlight Stories

UPDATE: Gov. Inslee announces new rules for restaurants, bars, fitness businesses, more
July 23, 2020 2:58 pm
|      42 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

In his first media briefing of the week, Gov. Inslee has just announced new rules to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 – including limiting indoor dining to table-sharing only with members of your own household, and banning all indoor service for bars.

He also announced that indoor fitness businesses would be limited to 5 people.

And the state Secretary of Health is announcing new face-covering rules too – they must be worn in “common areas” like elevators, lobbies, dorms. You can watch the ongoing briefing here.

3:01 PM: The governor also announced the statewide eviction moratorium will be extended until October 15th. … Plus, new restrictions for weddings and funerals. We’ll add full details when they’re out. The briefing is continuing with media Q&A.

3:52 PM: Briefing’s over. In Q&A the governor said he expects to extend the statewide pause on phase-advancing, which otherwise was to expire next week.

ADDED 9:18 PM: Here’s the governor’s post about today’s announcements.

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FOLLOWUP: SDOT explains why motorcycles aren’t allowed on West Seattle low-bridge at all times
July 23, 2020 2:00 pm
|      54 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

During Wednesday’s meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force (WSB coverage here), a member asked why motorcycles aren’t allowed to use the low bridge at all times. SDOT’s Heather Marx said traffic engineers had recommended against it, calling it a safety issue, and promised to provide the inquiring member with the detailed explanation. We subsequently requested it, since many WSB readers have asked, and received it today:

While a motorcycle is physically smaller than a car, they still require roughly the same amount of room on all sides to travel safely. This is because a large truck or bus needs just as much room to stop safely when they are following a motorcycle as they do for any other kind of vehicle. While two motorcycles could theoretically travel side by side, most motorcycles would likely be travelling on their own and occupy and entire lane.

This means that from a traffic engineering perspective, motorcycles take up essentially the same amount of room as a car. This is especially true at traffic signals or in stop-and-go conditions where congestion is created by the cumulative reaction time of every individual driver waiting to go forward after the vehicle in front of them moves ahead. In this situation, the number of vehicles in a line of traffic is just as important as the size of each individual vehicle, and so motorcycles could be expected to add to congestion at the Chelan 5-way intersection just like cars do.

We also have safety concerns about motorcycles travelling next to large trucks and buses in stop-and-go conditions, especially because congestion would likely increase considerably if more motorcycles took this route.

If you have a question about that – or any other bridge issue – note that SDOT will be part of both community meetings we’ve previewed for tonight, the Town Hall at 6 pm and West Seattle Transportation Coalition at 6:30 pm.

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ALKI BEACH: Fire rings removed after months of misuse
July 23, 2020 11:46 am
|      72 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

Thanks for the tips. A Seattle Parks crew has been out on Alki Beach this morning, removing the fire rings and cleaning up the debris/trash left behind. The fire rings have technically been “closed” for months but Seattle Fire crews have been called out many nights because people have set fires on or near them anyway.

And indeed, Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin confirmed to WSB after we photographed the ring removal this morning: “Fire rings have been locked all summer to prevent the crowding and congregating that happens with beach fires. Folks were lighting fires on top of the pits, so we are removing them for now.”

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WEST SEATTLE THURSDAY: Town Hall, Transportation Coalition, demonstration, retirement ‘parade’
July 23, 2020 10:53 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Anjanette Nelson-Wally)

Four quick notes about the hours ahead:

DEMONSTRATION: 4-6 pm at 16th/Holden, Scott from Puget Ridge Cohousing leads another streetcorner sogn-waving event in support of justice for Black lives.

RETIREMENT PARADE: If you’ve been involved with Fauntleroy Children’s Center, you know Gerry Cunningham – and you should know she’s retiring! A car parade in her honor will be held in the nearby Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) parking lot 4:30-6:30 pm today. Drive/ride/walk/run through and wish her well!

WEST SEATTLE ‘TOWN HALL’: As first previewed Monday, the mayor, police chief, SOOT director, and otheer city department heads plan an online “Town Hall” for West Seattleites starting at 5 pm. Here’s how to attend.

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm online, Sound Transit is in the spotlight, plus a West Seattle Bridge update – here’s our preview, including info on how to attend.

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Remembering Dean Barney, 1946-2020
July 23, 2020 8:55 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Dean Barney, and sharing this with the community:

Dean was a man of quiet strength with an unwavering moral compass who loved to explore throughout his career and life. Whether delighting in well-planned excursions with family to explore nature’s vast treasures, carefully stewarding the financial strength of many diverse organizations, or being there to build puzzles with his daughter, share sports tips with his son, or share a laugh with his wife, Dean was a pillar of strength who faced life with good humor and a commitment to supporting others.

On July 12, 2020 at the age of 73, Dean died peacefully surrounded by family and a lifelong friend after a two-and-a-half-year valiant battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Birdsong, sunshine, and a gentle breeze accompanied Dean on his final journey. He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years Ginny Barney, daughter Beth, and son John.

Born a twin in Portland, Oregon in 1946 to USAF Colonel Russell Barney and Mrs. Helen Barney (née Funderburgh), Dean was an 8th generation descendant of Ian Robbins, a pioneer on the Oregon Trail. Dean and his three sisters – Myrna Barney, Gini Corvi, and his twin Connie Gill – were raised in many places in the US and abroad during their father’s military service. After high-school graduation from Highland HS in Albuquerque, NM in 1964, Dean attended the University of Colorado in Boulder on an ROTC scholarship for two years, followed by two years of service in the Navy. He worked several jobs to fund his education, completing his degree at UCB in business in 1970 before attending the University of Washington, where he completed his MBA in 1971.

Dean’s professional career as a financial executive began in public accounting and spanned many diverse areas from cable television to mineral water to the performing arts. Later in his career he devoted his many talents to bolstering the financial capabilities and stability of many notable Seattle arts organizations including the Intiman, Seattle Children’s, and ACT Theatres, where his financial acumen and dedication to sharing his knowledge across organizations helped support vibrant theatre in the region for years.

Throughout life, Dean enjoyed exploring nature’s bounty with Ginny, family, and friends – camping, hiking, and cycling through the diverse natural treasures of the American West and around the world. From paddling the rivers of the Pacific NW to exploring the red rock canyons and rich cultural history of the desert Southwest, Dean loved adventure.

As four-decade residents of West Seattle, the Barneys welcomed many friends into their home near Lincoln Park to appreciate the beauty of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains along with their hospitality and playful presence.

Dean’s family and friends will miss his quiet, strong presence, meticulous planning, love of nature, dry wit, and unwavering banter about the perils of pets.

The Barney family extends their deep thanks to the dedicated nurses and doctors of Kaiser Permanente, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and UW Medicine for their encouragement and extraordinary care throughout Dean’s hard-fought battle with cancer.

Friends wishing to honor Dean’s life are encouraged to support the Leukemia Lymphoma Society through his daughter’s dedicated website and local organizations dedicated to the beautiful trails of the region: the Washington Trails Association and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.

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

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TRAFFIC & TRANSIT: Thursday notes, 18th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
July 23, 2020 6:07 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:07 AM: It’s Thursday; four months ago today, the city closed the West Seattle Bridge.

SPEAKING OF CLOSURES

Tonight ends the first week of overnight closures for the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge, as deck work continues. 10 pm-5 am. After tonight, the next scheduled closure is Sunday night.

ROAD WORK

Major work continues on Delridge Way, with lane reductions and side-street closures, as road-rebuilding and utility work continue for the RapidRide H Line conversion project – here’s what crews are working on this week.

TRAFFIC

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’s that camera:

The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). The camera is back:

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 – Still reduced service and distancing – details here.

Water Taxi – Back to its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles – see the schedule here.

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

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CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 7/22 roundup
July 22, 2020 10:58 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

A day of decision for Seattle Public Schools – that’s where we start tonight’s virus-crisis roundup:

SCHOOL STARTS OFF-CAMPUS: Seattle Public Schools announced today that 2020-2021 will start without in-person classes after all. And it’s not the only district – others making the same announcement today include Highline Public Schools, immediately south. This Seattle Times report mentions others in King County.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*13,659 people have tested positive, 173 more than yesterday

*635 people have died, unchanged since Monday

*1,826 people have been hospitalized, 8 more than yesterday

*255,956 people have been tested, 3,866 more than yesterday

One week ago, the four totals were 12,353/620/1,731/221,754.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.

STATE BRIEFING: Some cause for optimism, and some for concern, when state health officials briefed journalists today. See the video here.

PANDEMIC PROPERTY-TAX EFFECTS: Announced by the King County Assessor:

The King County Assessor’s office has begun the annual process of mailing out re-valuation notices to taxpayers. Notices will begin arriving to commercial property taxpayers soon. Concurrent with these mailings, Wilson is launching an online portal allowing commercial property taxpayers to report impacts to their businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to assist the Assessor’s office in setting accurate property valuations.

Commercial taxpayers should go here www.kingcounty.gov/COVID-value-review to report these COVID impacts. The Assessor has been monitoring the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While residential housing values have remained relatively steady so far, some commercial sectors have had their values significantly impacted. These changes in value caused by COVID will be reflected in the 2021 assessed value for taxes payable in 2022.

CLOSE THE STREETS TO HELP BUSINESSES STAY OPEN? The city’s offering new permits to restaurants and other businesses that might want to use street space to keep staff and customers safer.

STAY HEALTHY STREETS SURVEY, LAST CALL: On another closure-related subject, tonight’s your last chance to tell the city what you tnink about those no-through-traffic, social-distancing-friendly streets. The survey‘s one-week extension is scheduled to end after tonight.

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Can you help find these stolen items? Plus, trailer taken
July 22, 2020 8:57 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

FIRST ITEM, 8:57 PM: From Linda:

My SUV was broken into last night (I accidentally left the door unlocked) in the Fauntleroy neighborhood near the ferry. There was nothing of value to the thieves, but they took my work crate full of financial brochures and notes. This won’t be of value to anyone, but me. I’m expecting the papers to be dumped somewhere and have walked the neighborhood looking for them. I’m hoping if someone finds them, I can retrieve them. They also took my kiddo’s epi-pens, which they probably won’t realize until they open the case. It’s a small black case with two generic epinephrine injectors, some Benadryl and Pepcid for allergies. I can replace them, but if found, would love them back.

Let us know if you think you’ve seen any of that, and we’ll connect you.

ADDED 10:24 PM: Just received from Katherine, a rude “welcome” for her new neighbors:

On Tuesday morning around 4 AM, a man in a white pick up truck stole a trailer off of my new neighbor’s Penske moving truck that was parked on Admiral way facing uphill, just before the Schmitz Park bridge.

My security footage is a little grainy, so we couldn’t get a license plate. Any tips would be greatly appreciated as they are on the hook for the costs.

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OUTDOOR DINING/SHOPPING: City says it’ll offer new street-closure permits
July 22, 2020 7:18 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

The city says it’ll make street space available to restaurants and other businesses – if their neighbors are OK with it. From the announcement:

Building on the City’s free permits for sidewalk cafes and curb spaces, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today an expansion of street closure permit options for one or more blocks as part of the City of Seattle’s efforts to support businesses during the ongoing public health crisis. These new permits will give restaurants and retail stores more space to operate while providing their patrons and passersby more space to move following Governor Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan. The City will begin accepting applications for these street closures on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. …

Last month, the City announced free sidewalk café and curb space permits, which allow restaurants, retail stores, vending trucks and carts to operate in the sidewalk or curb space in front of their business. These new, temporary permit options help a business owner successfully and safety reopen by expanding their footprint outside. The permits are available for up to six months, and SDOT is expediting permit review to ensure eligible businesses can quickly access this new resource. To date, SDOT has received 92 sidewalk café and curb space permit applications. Business owners interested in applying for this type of permit should visit SDOT’s website for more information. ..

As part of the permitting process, permit applicants will need to notify and demonstrate support from neighboring businesses and residents of proposed street closures. While typical SDOT permit costs are waived, applicants are responsible for any expenses related to the street closure proposal – such as barricades, temporary no parking signs, and tables and chairs. Applicants will be required to conform to all relevant state and local public health guidance. Permit review times vary based on the complexity and the preparedness of the applicant, so we encourage you to use our coaching resources. Stay tuned for more information regarding the eligibility criteria for these new street closure requests.

For more information or to schedule an applicant coaching session about these new temporary permit types, please visit our website or e-mail publicspace@seattle.gov.

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New decision timeline, scenario sketches, low-bridge changes, and more at West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting #5
July 22, 2020 3:53 pm
|      70 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(UPDATED 6:03 PM with meeting video, added to end of report)

(One of the roughed-out replacement options that will be analyzed in forthcoming cost-benefit analysis)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

SDOT has a new timeline for the big decision on repairing or replacing the four-months-closed West Seattle Bridge.

Previously, they’d been saying “late summer.” This afternoon, they told the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force that the decision is now expected in October, once a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is complete. Explaining the CBA process was a big part of the advisory group’s 5th meeting, which spanned a wide agenda. But before we get to that:

LOW-BRIDGE ACCESS CHANGES: A new plan is in the works, unveiled by SDOT’s Heather Marx:

Read More

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UPDATE: Seattle Public Schools now wants to start school year remotely
July 22, 2020 12:08 pm
|      123 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

12:08 PM: Just forwarded to us by a Seattle Public Schools employee, this letter to district-wide staff:

At Seattle Public Schools, science and data continue to ground our response to COVID-19. We have been monitoring reports of increased COVID-19 cases in our community and are in close communication with Public Health Seattle & King County, OSPI, the Governor’s office, and neighboring school districts. We can’t imagine a way to open schools without the risk of significant transmission of COVID-19 based on the current trajectory of infections in King County. Superintendent Juneau is recommending to the School Board that Seattle Public Schools start the 2020-21 school year remotely.

We will follow the remote instruction model until the risk of significant transmission of COVID-19 has decreased enough to resume in-person instruction. The School Board will vote on the Superintendent’s recommendation and an associated plan for fall 2020 on August 12.

We know this will be a disappointment to our passionate educators who have devoted their careers to supporting students in-person, and for many of our students and families who rely on the relationships with adults in their school.

It is our responsibility as a school district to ensure that all students succeed in their education, no matter the circumstances. Thank you for your hard work laying the groundwork for high-quality remote learning and for thoughtfully engaging, planning, and refining our remote learning practices with over 15,000 students this summer. We have distributed over 2,000 internet hot spots and 25,000 devices to students to support learning, and we will continue to assess and fill technology gaps around the district to support student access to remote instruction. Students should not and cannot be left behind due to lack of access to a reliable internet connection and technology. Thank you to our staff who continue to work tirelessly to support students.

Additionally, all educators will be provided with training to ensure live, high-quality remote instruction with a predictable and consistent schedule on common platforms, as well as racial equity training. Families have shared that students’ mental health and wellness is a top concern, and these supports will be prioritized as we reopen school online in partnership with licensed community mental health providers. Additionally, SPS will make sure our students receiving special education services are provided instruction in alignment with students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans – which may include small group instruction if it is determined that services can be provided safely in-person and services cannot be accessed successfully through remote learning.

We understand that this decision for remote learning may cause frustration and hardships for many families and staff. We will be working with the Seattle Council PTSA, the City, and other community partners to develop community-generated solutions for childcare and learning at home. We will also continue to provide childcare in our buildings for essential staff in partnership with the City, as well as provide meals for students at our meal sites across the city.

More information, including specifics around school schedules, will be shared as soon as possible. As the environment and information around COVID-19 continues to shift and change, we will adapt and respond as quickly as possible. In the meantime, please check our website for the most up-to-date information, including a FAQ that will be published this Friday, July 24: www.seattleschools.org/fall-planning.

Followups to come.

12:28 PM: SPS also has sent a news release about this – see it here.

ADDED 1:50 PM: The Seattle Council PTSA sent this statement about the announcement:

Seattle Council PTSA recognizes the complexity of the decision of recommending remote learning for Fall 2020. As the largest parent advocacy organization in the largest school district in the State of Washington, we stand with our families and center the health, safety, and well being of our students as our highest priority.

We demand from the District (SPS), the School Board, the educators union (SEA), the City of Seattle, King County, and Governor’s office the following:

-Robust, reliable, equitable remote learning to all students, with a specif focus on students furthest from educational justice, students receiving special education services, students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness and English Language Learning students;

-High-quality child care solutions for all families in need through authentic collaboration and partnership with community based organizations;

-Collaboration between the above-mentioned entities to pursue solutions for those that cannot access education online to find safe spaces for students and teachers to come together. Outdoor education is a very important topic to discuss and collaborate;

-Appropriate budget to offer robust mental health support to our communities;

-Mandatory anti-bias, anti-racist training to all educators, building administrators, staff, and childcare providers serving Seattle Public Schools students;

-Authentic Family Engagement with clear and transparent communication to families and community partners who support learning and care for our children.

We are committed to supporting our communities and holding the District, Union, City, County, and State leadership accountable on behalf of the more than 54,000 students in Seattle Public Schools.

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REMINDER: West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force today, WS ‘town hall’ tomorrow
July 22, 2020 11:12 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

A quick reminder about two major city-convened events today and tomorrow:

TODAY – WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: Noon-2:30 pm, it’s the 5th meeting of this advisory group with more than three dozen members, from community-group reps to elected officials. Details for watching are in the preview we published yesterday. Just in – here’s the agenda.

THURSDAY – MAYOR’S ‘TOWN HALL’ FOR WEST SEATTLE: 5 pm tomorrow, the mayor, police chief, and other city officials will lead an online “town hall” with Q&A – our announcement from Monday has details.

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WATER WOES? Now Seattle Public Utilities has an outage map too
July 22, 2020 9:38 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Seattle City Light has long had a power-outage map, but if your water was out, you had no way to check on the extent of it aside from checking with neighbors. Now, that’s changed: Seattle Public Utilities has launched a water-outage map. This one also shows planned outages. (The only event shown for West Seattle right now is a planned-then-canceled August outage on Harbor SW.) You can see the map by going here (note it has a tab displaying the information in list format too). The page is also a convenient place to find SPU’s emergency hotline, 206-386-1800.

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ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Wednesday notes, 18th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
July 22, 2020 6:16 am
|    Comments Off on ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC, TRANSIT: Wednesday notes, 18th week of West Seattle Bridge closure
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:16 AM: It’s Wednesday, the 121st morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge.

CLOSURE

Tonight, it’s the fourth of 14 overnight closures scheduled for the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge, for deck work. 10 pm-5 am..

ROAD WORK

Major work continues on Delridge Way, with lane reductions, as road-rebuilding and utility work lead off the RapidRide H Line conversion project – here’s what crews are working on this week. Note that the 24th/Graham trench work is expected to start today.

TRAFFIC

Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Sppkane/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’s that camera:

The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). The camera is back:

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 – Still reduced service and distancing – details here.

Water Taxi – Back to its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles – see the schedule here.

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

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CORONAVIRUS: Tuesday 7/21 roundup
July 21, 2020 10:03 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Sports and food are part of tonight’s virus-crisis roundup. But first:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s the daily summary from Public Health, with cumulative totals:

*13,486 people have tested positive, up 147 from yesterday’s total

*635 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*1,818 people have been hospitalized, up 12 from yesterday’s total

*252,090 people have been tested, up 4,401 from yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 12,244/606/1,706/217,633.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.

PANDEMIC-ERA SPORTS: The Washingon Interscholastic Athletics Association has come up with a plan for next school year’s sports. Among other things – spring football. Here’s tonight’s announcement.

RESTAURANT REOPENING: Grillbird Teriyaki, which closed almost two weeks ago after reporting an employee tested positive for COVID-19, says it will reopen this Friday (July 24th).

FREE FOOD: Food Lifeline is distributing emergency food boxes this week – sites and times are listed here, including tomorrow and Friday afternoons at FL HQ in South Park.

ALSO TOMORROW: The governor hasn’t given a briefing yet this week but his office and other state officials will present an update on the state’s COVID-19 response at 2 pm tomorrow. Livestream will be here.

GOT INFO? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!

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SCHOOLS: Feedback time for West Seattle Elementary addition
July 21, 2020 8:39 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another major Seattle Public Schools project is in the feedback phase for its environmental checklist – the levy-funded West Seattle Elementary School addition in High Point.

July 27 – next Monday – is the deadline or public comment on the project’s Draft SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) checklist. Documents like these are far more comprehensive than the term “checklist” would suggest. This is 218 pages long, as you can see here or below:

The document includes many project details, including that it’s planned for a site east of the current WSES building, and that if it stays on schedule, WSES would move to the former Schmitz Park Elementary for 2021-2022 (as we reported last January), while construction proceeds. The document says WSES’s existing capacity is 320 students, but enrollment this past year was 100+ more. The addition would create room for up to 130 students. The $22 million project’s funding includes a state grant as well as the SPS BEX V levy. The document adds, “As part of the project, existing recreation space on the campus would be expanded and renovated, including an expanded and renovated hard surface play area, new play structures, a new student garden area, and a renovated grass field area. The project also includes an option for an approximately 3,000 sq. ft. covered play area in the southwest corner of the campus.”

If you’re interested in commenting, this page on the SPS website explains how, via either email or postal mail.

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FOLLOWUP: Voted in West Seattle Bridge T-shirt contest yet? Here are the frontrunners
July 21, 2020 6:30 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

It’s been almost two weeks since voting began in the West Seattle Bridge T-shirt contest. You have 10 more days to vote. As of Monday, West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Radford tells WSB, almost 5,000 people have voted. Here are the top 10 (from among the 70+ contenders):

Read More

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Tree on the road
July 21, 2020 5:35 pm
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT: Tree on the road
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

From the scanner: A tree has fallen at 45th/Stevens, damaging at least one vehicle and blocking the road.

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WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: Here’s how to watch Wednesday’s Community Task Force meeting
July 21, 2020 3:10 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

(Reader photo, Monday)

Want to watch live as the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meets tomorrow (Wednesday, July 22nd), noon-2:30 pm? We just obtained the info from SDOT. Note that, like last meeting, this one will have “breakouts” – and that means connecting to a different stream when that part of the meeting happens.

Below is the attendee information for the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force Meeting tomorrow from 12:00 – 2:00 PM. There will be break-out sessions from 2 – 2:30 PM. If attendees want to attend the breakout sessions they will need to close out of the main meeting completely before trying to join the new meeting. Also when joining WebEx meetings the attendee either uses the link below OR the call in, not both.

MAIN LINK: Here

BY PHONE: 408-418-9388, access code: 146 969 2178

LINK FOR BREAKOUT SESSION A: Here

BY PHONE: 408-418-9388, access code 146 993 5565

LINK FOR BREAKOUT SESSION B: Here

BY PHONE: 408-418-9388, access code 146 502 3787

We don’t have the agenda yet but topics are expected to include Reconnect West Seattle, low-bridge access, and Metro. This is the CTF’s fifth meeting; here’s our coverage of the fourth one two weeks ago.

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WHALE-WATCHING: Orcas passing West Seattle again
July 21, 2020 1:58 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Whales

Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip! She says transient orcas are off West Seattle again, this time headed northeast, between here and mid-Blake Island. Let us know if you see them!

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WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Sound Transit spotlight @ WS Transportation Coalition on Thursday
July 21, 2020 1:50 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Sound Transit spotlight @ WS Transportation Coalition on Thursday
 |   Sound Transit | Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

Another big meeting Thursday- here’s the announcement from the West Seattle Transportation Coalition about their plans for 6:30 pm that night (July 23rd):

We have a great lineup of guests on tap this month:

King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council Vice Chair Joe McDermott, Seattle Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan, and representatives from Sound Transit will be joining us to discuss the current state of Sound Transit 3 to West Seattle.

Heather Marx from Seattle Department Of Transportation will also be on hand with a West Seattle Bridge update.

Zoom Meeting ID 831 5795 4582
On the web: us02web.zoom.us/j/83157954582
Via phone: +12532158782,,83157954582#

You can check out the past few meetings via the WSTC YouTube channel. You’re also invited to save the date for their August 27th meeting, with our area’s U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal scheduled to talk about federal funding for the West Seattle Bridge.

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Jet City Beignet: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
July 21, 2020 12:01 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Jet City Beignet, part of the West Seattle Local Foods group that’s located near the YMCA.

JCB serves fresh-made beignets available for pickup on Saturdays and Sundays. Here’s what owners Tiffany and Greg would like you to know:

Jet City Beignet is Seattle’s exclusive beignet company, offering a refreshing take on the classic New Orleans favorite. We offer them by the half-dozen or dozen, and each order comes smothered in powdered sugar and with chocolate dipping sauce. Our signature beignets are made from scratch and always served hot and fresh. We collaborate with other local small businesses such as small-batch coffee roasters and West Seattle food artists to bring you a truly unique product you can’t get anywhere else. We are a two-person (married couple) operation, and we do every step of the process ourselves, which means the people who serve your beignets developed the recipe, went shopping for the ingredients, mixed up the dough, and fried ’em up personally. We take a lot of pride in being hands-on and we are extremely customer-oriented.

We initially started Jet City Beignet with the intention of running our beignet booth at markets and festivals this spring and summer, but when COVID-19 hit, all of our bookings were canceled and we had to get creative and adapt. We are operating in an unconventional way, but it seems to be working at the moment, and we hope to get a food truck or trailer in the not-so-distant future so that we can be open more regularly and more often.

We are so proud to be a part of the West Seattle community – we met here, we live here, and we operate here. We are also excited to be a part of West Seattle Local Foods, a group of small companies that produce and manufacture products in our shared commissary kitchen.

To order, go to the Jet City Beignet website for selections and pickup times.

We thank Jet City Beignet 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.

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WEST SEATTLE ART: New signal-box mural in The Junction
July 21, 2020 11:11 am
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Thanks to the West Seattle Junction Association for the photo of the newest signal-box mural by West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen – this one is a sort of dual tribute, for women in trades as well as the West Seattle Bridge. WSJA also sent the photo that inspired it:

WSJA executive director Lora Radford was looking into the history; via an online image search, we note that it was featured at her former business Hotwire Online Coffeehouse in a collaboration with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society in 2014, the year the now-closed bridge marked its 30th anniversary.

P.S. The signal box is Hansen’s third in The Junction this summer, after Black Lives Matter at 42nd and Alaska and the Progress Flag at California/Oregon.

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