April 2012

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is asking all neighbors and interested parties to attend a meeting Mar. 3 to participate in creating the new P-Patch community garden in Westcrest Park, 9000 8th Ave. s.w. in West Seattle’s Highland Park neighborhood. The final designs for the P-Patch will be revealed.

Interpretation & children activities will be provided.

The Westcrest Park P-Patch Community Garden presentation boards can be seen by clicking the link above.

You are asked to bring light snacks and drinks to share.

April 7th Saturday 10:00AM – 12:00PM Jim Wiley Center - Joe Thomas Room at Greenbridge, 9800 8th Ave. s.w.

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

9:00 p.m. on April 2nd. 11th block of NW Market St

This is an update on the restaurant robbery first reported on April 3rd. The two suspects entered the restaurant through an unlocked door and one suspect, who was armed with a pistol, kept two victims in the kitchen. The pistol was described as a small black semiautomatic. The suspect asked the victims if they spoke English, and when they said no, he spoke to them in Spanish. The armed suspect kept the pistol pointed at the suspects while the other suspect ordered one of the victims to open the safe. The victim said that she couldn’t, and the suspect asked her for money from the office, but she told him that there wasn’t any. The unarmed suspect swore at the victim and took the money, totaling $429, from the till. Then both suspects became concerned that there was another employee in the restaurant and ran out the back door.

Betrayal, Satan, a dash of slapstick humor, and a mixed media stage arrangement mark the opening performance of Ghost Light Theatricals' rendition of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Ballard Underground.

Directed by Rob Raas-Bergquist, the play depicts a skewed reality in a courtroom drama that balances divine mercy and human free will, arranged to determine the fate of Judas Iscariot after his betrayal from Christ.

Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, the play was originally produced by the LAByrinth Theater Company, staged off-Broadway at The Public Theater in New York, and directed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot features many of the Bible’s most known characters, such as Satan, Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate, Jesus Christ, and of course, Judas. Historical figures like Mother Teresa and Sigmund Freud make courtroom appearances as well.

“ It’s a wonderful script and I was really drawn to the nature of forgiveness and human free will and taking characters that everybody recognizes and kind of bending and twisting them to examine a larger truth,” said Raas-Bergquist.

UPDATE: 8:30am
Des Moines Police now say that a boy missing since Thursday afternoon has been found and is safe and sound. No further information was provided on where or how he was found.

Original Post:
Julian Curran, 14, is missing and being sought by Des Moines Police. He was last seen at Sylvester Middle School in Burien at approximately 4:30 p.m on Thursday April 5.

Information provided by the Des Moines Police Department said that Curran suffers from mental health issues and may be endangered.

Curran is described as having blonde, shoulder-length hair, blue eyes and is close to five feet, one inch tall. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket, jeans, a stocking cap and blue shoes with red shoe laces.

If you have any information please call police at 206-878-3301.

On Earth Day more than one billion people around the globe will participate and voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. That, according to www.earthday.org.

Earth Day officially falls on Sunday, April 22. But youngsters in our area will get a head start and gather at Saltwater State Park Friday, April 20, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the fourth annual "Earth Day Extravaganza 2012 Environmental Fair".

The event is presented by King County Housing Authority AmeriCorps, Federal Way School AmeriCorps teams, and Washington Parks & Recreation.

Participating are elementary and middle school students from Highline, Kent, Federal Way schools, the local Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) classrooms, local private school and day cares, and local homeschool networks. The public is welcome and the event is free.

Starbucks shared the details of their White Center area plan to provide some cleanup efforts as part of their Global Month of Service campaign.

Throughout April, Starbucks is hosting its second annual Global Month of Service – mobilizing its partners (employees) and customers to help address local community needs around the world

WHAT: On Saturday, April 28, Starbucks is hosting a service project as part of its second annual Global Month of Service. The project in Seattle will be revitalizing the Mount View Elementary School and two nearby parks (White Center Park and Lakewood Park) to create a positive environment for the students and community.

This project is one of many projects taking place throughout the month of April as part of the company’s Global Month of Service. The month is a celebration of Starbucks commitment to helping communities thrive. As with last year, thousands of partners, customers and community organizations around the world are coming together to participate in service projects that address their local community needs.

By Maida Sulevic, UW News Lab

A single-file line of eager 20-somethings stretched outside the entrance of the Sonic Boom record store in Ballard on Tuesday evening for a free, all-ages concert by The Lumineers.

With Wesley Schultz on lead vocals and guitar, Jeremiah Fraites on drums and Neyla Pekarek on the cello, the Lumineers played songs off their album to what quickly became a packed room.

The Lumineers recently added two new members to their band: Stelth Ulvang on bass and Ben Wahamaki on the piano. The two joined the band on stage at the show.

It didn’t take long before the crowd livened up, clapping their hands and stomping their feet while Schultz’s rough and folksy voice boomed across the room. Audience members joined the band in a sing-along, chanting the lyrics to the band’s upbeat first single “Ho Hey.”

As the band transitioned into the album’s slower ballads such as “Dead Sea,” couples held each other close as they swayed to the sounds.

The Ballard District Council is convening for its monthly meeting tonight and topics on the agenda for the evening include a chat with Seattle City Council President Sally Clark, Ballard's Maritime Academy. and North Seattle Community College.

As usual, the meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Ballard Library 5614 22nd N.W.

AGENDA:

7 p.m. Introductions & Short Announcements - please hold announcements to not more than one minute.
 
7:15 p.m. A Chat with Seattle City Council President Sally Clark
 
7:40 p.m. “Ballard’s Maritime Academy” - Jeff Watts & Carl Ellis

Seattle Central Community College administers the Seattle Maritime Academy located in Ballard on the north shore of Salmon Bay, below the Ballard Bridge.   SCC plans a major expansion of its SMA campus which will dramatically enhance programs and services and create a more inviting, efficient educational facility on Ballard’s waterfront.  
 
8:00 p.m. “Ballard’s Community College” – Mark Mitsui & Steve Miller

Evan Clifthorne joins an already-crowded pool of candidates by announcing his bid for the open seat in the State House that is being vacated by the longtime Democratic incumbent Mary Lou Dickerson.

"For the past two years I have lived in this district while working as a legislative aide in Olympia.  I’ve seen firsthand the impact that lawmakers have on the everyday lives of Washingtonians, and understand the challenges we face as we work to build a stronger future for our state," said Clifthorne in his announcement.

Clifthorne is running on a platform of equity, education, and environment.

"Washington is at a crossroads.  For years we have addressed our state’s ongoing financial crisis through service cuts and layoffs; through a narrow, one-sided approach to our budget," states Clifthorne. "This vision begins with equity: Washington State has the most regressive tax structure in the country. Minimum-wage workers in our state pay nearly 1 out of every 5 dollars they earn in state & local taxes. The top one percent pays only 1 out of every 33 dollars. This is wrong."

Mayor Mike McGinn, Police Chief John Diaz and Assistant Chief of Operations Mike Sanford today announced a package of new reform initiatives for the Seattle Police Department, with the goal of supporting a just and effective police force.

"As mayor of Seattle I am committed to a police force that protects public safety, fights crime, and treats every individual fairly. High profile incidents and the Department of Justice investigation highlighted longstanding community concerns about police practices. At the same time, there are deep public concerns about safety in our neighborhoods. We must respond to both. I have made it my job to reach out and listen to all perspectives," stated McGinn.

The reforms go far beyond a response to the Department of Justice report, said McGinn. And are to be completed in the next 20 months.

The reforms fall under five major categories:

• Protecting Constitutional Rights
• Training for Seattle’s Values
• Earning Public Trust
• Using Data-Driven Practices
• Partnering with the Public

The 20 initiatives, as announced by Mayor McGinn, are:

Protecting Constitutional Rights