April 2012

Judge Sharon Armstrong agreed with the recommendations of the King County Prosecutor and and handed down a 116 month (9.6 years) sentence to Duane E. Starkenburg for attacking women joggers in Lincoln Park in 2010 and 2011.

Starkenburg, 47, who remained essentially silent throughout the proceedings declined to make a statement to the court. He pleaded guilty last month to two counts of Assault Second Degree and one count of Assault Third Degree with Sexual Motivation for the the attacks in which he would grab a female jogger and force his face into the victim's buttocks.

He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of Child Molestation Second Degree for sexually assaulting a girl who was 9 or 10 years old, an incident that occurred approximately ten years ago and was recently reported.

The total sentence range was 103 to 130 months. Prosecutors recommended 116 months.

by David Rosen

South Seattle Community College hosted 60 high school students from around the state on Friday, April 13, 2012, as they demonstrated their knowledge and compete for top honors in the SkillsUSA Washington state championships. Competitors will be on the college campus from 8 am to 1 pm, putting their knowledge and skills to the test in four hands-on competitions:

• Automotive maintenance technology,
• Automotive refinishing technology,
• Automotive service technology, and
• Collision repair.

CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE

The competitions are part of the SkillsUSA Washington State Leadership and Skills Conference taking place April 12-14 in Renton. Nearly 1,000 Washington state students will be competing for state championships in over 60 technical and leadership contests at a dozen locations.

Competitors are members of SkillsUSA, a national leadership organization of over 325,000 members. These students are among the top 2% of skilled and technical students throughout our state and the US.

press release:
The Road Map Project, which is aimed at driving major improvements in education results in South Seattle and South King County, is releasing individual school district data collected by the Higher Education Coordinating Board on the Road Map goal to get 100 percent of all eligible 8th graders in the project region signed up for the College Bound Scholarship by June 30 of this year. (Click here to view.)

For the second year in a row, the Road Map region’s school districts are working collaboratively to increase the number of eligible students signed up for the scholarship which covers the cost of tuition (at public institution rates) at eligible Washington’s public colleges and universities. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, low-income 8th grade students must apply by June 30 and sign a pledge to: graduate high school with a 2.0 GPA or higher, demonstrate good citizenship, and seek admission to a Washington state college or university. Income verification also occurs in their senior year before the scholarship is awarded.

press release:
The community is invited to the Southwest Pool, Teen Life Center and Neighborhood Service Center dedication on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 2801 SW Thistle St.

This is an opportunity to come and explore all the services and programs offered at this joint facility, ranging from the Women of the World Swim program to the Teen Late Night Recreation Program to a location to get your passport or connect with the Department of Neighborhoods District Coordinators.

The official ribbon cutting starts at 11:30 a.m. with a welcome from EuropaKids International Preschool, followed by a Zumba demonstration in the Teen Life Center, tours of the building and information about all the services and programs offered at this facility. During this day the pool is offering a free adult swim from 12 -1:30 p.m., an opportunity to watch a water fitness class in progress from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. and free public and teen swim from 3 – 4 p.m.

Trader Joe's grocery store at 4545 Fauntleroy Way opened with the official "Lei Cutting" at 8 am on Friday April 13 with a crowd of more the 50 people waiting in the chilly morning air to be among the first to enter.

Store captain Sean Greutert talking to the crowd just before opening said, "This is probably the best Friday the 13th I've had in....I can't remember! Thank you all so much. We're so excited to be here and we really appreciate all your support and hope we have a long, long prosperous friendship together. I'm Captain Sean and if you ever have any questions or concerns I'm right here!"

Shopper Dale Sellin, who lives in Anchorage Alaska and hoping to live in West Seattle was there early and said, "I love it. I used to live in West Seattle and have lived in Anchorage for almost 30 years and I'm down here proving up on a homesteading condo. We're gratified because this is walking distance."

Diane Rose Vincent was crying as she walked in out of sheer happiness. "I just love Trader Joe's," Venti said, "I've been a fan for thirty years. I've been begging for this for over ten years and I can't believe it's finally happening."

The new release of the controversial, award-winning documentary "Bully", which explores our attitudes toward violence associated with kids getting bullied by peers, places the issue of gay and "questioning" teens on the front burner. In some communities things may be boiling over for youth who feel out of the mainstream with their sexual identity and vulnerable to attack and confrontation.

Through West Seattle-based Navos Mental Health Solutions, a new organization in Burien assists 13 to 21 year-olds who may identify with being gay or lesbian called "POW!", or Proud Out And Wonderful. The organization states it welcomes "all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allies". According to Intersex Society of North America, " Intersex is a socially constructed category that reflects real biological variation.

By Sarah Wyatt

Give me some peanuts and Cracker Jack…and grass-fed BBQ brisket.
This Friday, hungry Mariners fans will enjoy their favorite baseball staples, many with new twists. Wednesday, the Seattle Mariners displayed their new concessions menu, a progressive selection of comfort foods crafted by Ballard resident and chef Ethan Stowell.

Centerplate, the Mariners’ hospitality partner, worked with Stowell to develop a Northwest culinary experience with a nod to traditional baseball culture. Along with the contemporary versions of the old favorites, several new offerings will bring the fans out to the ballgame.

Centerplate will also debut the Lookout Landing Bar, a lounge located down the left field line behind Section 347. In addition to a full-service cocktail bar, Lookout will offer hot snacks, including waffle fries with beer cheddar sauce and corndogs.

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

10:00 p.m. on April 6th. 75th block of NW 27th St.

A woman returned home on the night of April 6th to find that her home had been burglarized. The suspect stole several items from the victim’s jewelry box and moved several items in the house. The responding officer found a window with obvious pry marks and a damaged lock. The window was clean on the interior and exterior, and there were no fingerprints. No fingerprints were found on any objects in the house.

5:30 p.m. on April 6th. 15th block of NW 57th St.

A man called police after he returned to his apartment to find that it smelled like cigarette smoke and his wallet was missing. The victim said that he thought he had locked his door, but may not have closed it all the way. He said that he had let an unknown male into his apartment around the time his wallet was taken. The man had said that he was an employee of the Seattle Housing Authority.

4:40 p.m. on April 6th. 75th block of 15th Ave NW

The Ballard Bascule Bridge is scheduled to be closed overnight for three weekends in a row beginning April 14 so that crews can paint the areas of the bridge that are not accessible when the spans are in the down position.

Closures will be from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturdays, April 14, 21 and 28 and from midnight on the same Saturdays through 6 a.m. Sunday morning, April 15, 22, and 29. Work on the bridge is dependent on weather, and will be rescheduled in the event of rain.

The Seattle Department of Transportation expects the project to be finished by the end of May. By the end of April, the contractor expects to have the west side of the bridge completed, ending the southbound lane and west sidewalk closures. Additional northbound lane and east sidewalk closures will be seen in May, but they will open for the afternoon commute between 3 and 8 p.m.

It should be noted that the timing of sidewalk closures does not correspond to lane closures and the contractor may close the sidewalks at any time except during the peak commutes for that side of the bridge.

The passing of Pacific Institute founder, Lou Tice came as a shock to many not only here in West Seattle but worldwide where his work had reached to include thousands of people in many nations. In preparation for the memorial service set for Friday April 13, at 10 am Barbie Siefert the Director of Global Operations for the company and company President Jack Fitterer shared letters with those who knew, or worked with or who were touched and changed by Tice's message of self empowerment.

Friends ~
This week I have had the honor of coordinating the Celebration of Life service for Lou Tice, who passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 1.

With all my heart I can tell you that it has been a labor of love ~