April 2020

SCCInsight: West Seattle Bridge inspection reports shed light on issues and response

Editors Note: This article originally appeared on SCCInsight.com on April 9. Its analysis and examination of the causes of the cracks that led to the closure of the West Seattle Bridge are comprehensive and based on a careful reading of inspection reports filed by SDOT. It is reproduced here with permission.

By Kevin Schofield 

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Initial 250 grantees of the Small Business Stabilization Fund announced

Nearly 9,000 applications to the fund recieved

information from the City of Seattle

 Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced the initial 250 grantees of the City's $2.5 million Small Business Stabilization Fund. The fund provides $10,000 grants to small businesses financially impacted by COVID-19. Nearly 9,000 small businesses applied for the first round of the City's Small Business Stabilization Fund, demonstrating that the need goes far beyond what the City can provide without further support from the private sector, philanthropic partners and economic relief from the federal government. With loans and grants available at the state and federal level, OED has also created a comprehensive resource page for workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and is providing technical assistance to support our small businesses.

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Westside School expansion given go ahead on takeover of New Apostolic Church site

Westside School at 10404 34TH AVE SW has been given the go ahead with their takeover of the former New Apostolic Church which will involve the transfer of 30 students, and the hiring of 8 new teachers.The project would add 69 parking spaces.

The site plan can be downloaded here.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTION

Land Use Application to allow the expansion of an institution and change the use of an existing religious facility to classrooms (Westside School). Parking for 69 vehicles proposed.

The following approvals are required:

Administrative Conditional Use – to allow expansion of an institution in a Single Family 7200 (SF 7200) zone.  (Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 23.45.116 and 122)

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Ken's View: It was hard to stay positive with Coronavirus

By Ken Robinson

Managing Editor

When we were 17 and out of high school, two buddies and I rented an apartment on 65th Avenue near Alki Beach and spent the summer goofing around.

One of the trio later moved to Bellingham and began a career in business and lives there still.

His story is, like many of us,  a checkered one, marked by marriage and divorce, loss of family members and the ups and down of life.

A few years go, he got to know a neighbor lady who was also single. In March, they decided to marry and planned a trip to Palm Springs to celebrate.

They knew they could go to Palm Springs and get a license fast and tie the knot.  His name is Mike. He is 75 years old. His new bride is Beth.

Mike got the flu in January and into February. But by mid-March he was feeling good.

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They say: Never waste a crisis

By Jean Godden

Washington state, which started out with the first U.S. cases of Covid-19 and the first deaths, has slipped way down the list of impacted states. For that we can thank quick action by Gov. Jay Inslee and our other elected leaders. With closed schools, social distancing and shelter in place orders, we've been flattening the curve and may have passed the outbreak's peak.

A great many of us, those who are not front-line troops, are now housebound, working and learning from home. We're social distancing and learning how to cope with the need to shelter in place for an indeterminate amount of time. Even if we're working from home, many of us have found that social isolation is not without some unexpected benefits.

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