July 2012

Information from Jonah Spangenthal-Lee, Seattle Police Blotter

"Two city maintenance workers helped officers track down a man who caused thousands of dollars in damage at a Muslim community center Tuesday in West Seattle.

The maintenance workers were parked in the center’s lot—near 35th Avenue SW and SW Holly Street—Tuesday evening when they heard glass shattering, and saw the suspect walking away from the building.

The workers found one of the front windows of the building had been shattered, so one of the workers followed the suspect and called 911.
Police arrived and arrested the suspect several blocks away, behind the High Point Community Center.

He admitted that he smashed the community center’s glass window—causing $3,000 in damage—because he “hates Muslims.”

Officers booked the suspect into the King County Jail for malicious harassment and malicious mischief."

A redacted police report shows the incident occurred around 4:24 p.m on July 17.

Malicious harassment and malicious mischief are hate crime designations under Washington State law.

Q13fox.com is reporting a robbery suspect was shot by a King County Sheriff's Deputy on Thursday morning (July 19) near the intersection at S. 150th St. and 30th Ave S.

Sgt. Cindi West told Q13 the suspect allegedly robbed and stole a vehicle from a man entering a mosque and then drove towards a KCSO deputy, prompting another deputy to open fire. The suspect was hit by an unknown number of shots and crashed the vehicle before being apprehended.

The suspect was taken to Harborview Medical Center with unknown injuries.

This story will be updated as more details come in.

Last month, the debate over whether White Center should embrace the term “Rat City” in marketing the area to potential visitors came to a boil as business owners packed the Salvadorian Bakery to speak their minds on both sides of the issue.

The debate began with the unveiling of an early mock-up of a White Center Chamber of Commerce website set to launch this summer called www.visitwhitecenter.com that currently includes the line, “Kick it in Rat City” and an artistic rendition of a rat.

The website is designed to promote local businesses in White Center with a free directory, pictures and a short biography for the hundreds of shops in the area, including those who are not Chamber members.

Some business owners, including Alan Homestead of Vision Source Eye Care and Optical, said they were not interested in becoming part of a website that celebrated the Rat City name.

When I entered the recently opened restaurant, Benito's Chicago Eatery, Owner and Chef Benjamin Kulikowski was all smiles and gleefully greeted me. He stood beneath lofty ceilings with hanging glass light fixtures and enormous exposed old growth wood beams.

As I sat down, he offered me coffee and cream with such cordiality that I was reminded of my own Midwest roots in Minnesota.

Having over sixteen years in the restaurant business, Kulikowski is originally from up state New York, but grew up in Chicago.

“I want have the kind of place where people sit down face to face and settle in while they drink a good cup of coffee – not cappuccino or espresso, but a good cup of coffee - and socialize with each other while they’re here. That’s why I don’t have wi-fi. I want people to talk to each other rather than type,” Kulikowski said.

Kulikowsk explained that his coffee was from Seven Coffee Roasters, a roaster found right here in Ballard. Like his coffee, Kulikowski derives a lot of his inspiration and products from local producers, like meats from CasCioppo Brothers and bread from Grand Central Bakery.

On Wednesday July 18, Mayor McGinn completed his tour of the North Precinct, the third in a series of visits to each of Seattle Police Department's five precincts.

In visiting the precincts, McGinn’s objectives are to talk to commanders, address challenges in crime prevention and identify “hot spots" -- areas where crime is especially prevelant during the summer months and which have had a concentrated number of 911 calls in the past.

McGinn explained that the North Precinct is large and geographically diverse. He named four areas of the district that have a higher level of criminal activity, including the University district, Fremont nightlife, North Aurora Avenue's “problem hotels” and Ballard’s Golden Gardens.

The mayor explained he got a review of the information the officers see before they go on patrol. They are given a map that shows where crime has occurred in the last two weeks, the last 90 days, and where crimes are trending within their focus patrol areas.

With a flash of color and a cacophony of sound the 2012 White Center Jubilee Days kicked off its 89th annual community celebration.

Jubilee Days is the only Seafair event this year that has a fireworks celebration and the residents of White Center know how special that is.

Jason Denny of White Center donated $1000 to Jubilee Days, and for that generous donation he was given the honor of pushing the plunger to set off this year’s Jubilee Days fireworks show.

White Center residents cheered and whistled to every colorful burst surrounded by the glow of the Davis Shows Family Carnival.

The carnival will run through Sunday and on Saturday the Jubilee Days street fair begins at 10 am and the first acts on the main and family stages kick off at 11am.

For more information visit www.jubileedays.org

The Alki Art Fair returns to the Alki Beach Promenade on Saturday July 28 and Sunday July 29
The event will feature Art, kid's activities, Live music on two stages, food, a silent auction and more.

The Alki Art Fair is sponsored by the Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Camlin in Seattle and the Alki Advisory Council.

It is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award from the City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods.'

For more information visit www.alkiartfair.org

Last month, the debate over whether White Center should embrace the term “Rat City” in marketing the area to potential visitors came to a boil as business owners packed the Salvadorian Bakery to speak their minds on both sides of the issue.

The debate began with the unveiling of an early mock-up of a White Center Chamber of Commerce website set to launch this summer called www.visitwhitecenter.com that currently includes the line, “Kick it in Rat City” and an artistic rendition of a rat.

The website is designed to promote local businesses in White Center with a free directory, pictures and a short biography for the hundreds of shops in the area, including those who are not Chamber members.

Some business owners, including Alan Homestead of Vision Source Eye Care and Optical, said they were not interested in becoming part of a website that celebrated the Rat City name.

At Mac’s Triangle Pub on July 17, Chamber of Commerce members gathered for an update from Mac McElroy, owner of the pub and Chamber member.

Highline Public Schools press release
Arts and Academics Academy Teams Up with SAM to Redesign Their School

Who: Summer school students from the Arts and Academics Academy (AAA), artists Susie Lee and Laura O’Quinn, and the Seattle Arts Museum (SAM).

What: SAM’s RE+VISION: Design Your (neighbor)Hood program challenges teens to design a public space that will enhance their community. Students are transforming the main hallway of their school with paint and seating areas.

When: July 19

Where: AAA on the Evergreen Campus – 830 SW 116th Street, Seattle (White Center)

Detail: Teens have met four times a week for four weeks to explore architecture, design, urban planning, art and social activism while collaborating with each other to re-imagine their school community using art as a vehicle for change.

The project enables teens to interact with professionals and learn from experts about materials, tools, and how to build and use models to approach design challenges.

Update for Oct. 4
After what seemed to many in West Seattle like a never ending wait, Marination Ma Kai opened at Seacrest Park on Harbor Ave. With an expanded menu of 28 new items have been added to what they have offered previously from their mobile operation, they are not quite there yet. "We've opened but we're a little short on B.T.U.'s" said one of the owners Kamala Saxton, referring to some minor equipment issues that have yet to be resolved.

For now they are operating with a more limited menu including Tacos, Sliders, Kimchi Fried Rice and Quesadillas. The bar is open during this soft open phase.

"We're just really excited to get it opened up and we've been anticipating it for a couple of months, we fell behind a little bit but now we're here, said another owner Robin Schumacher, "West Seattle has been some of our most loyal customers so that's why we chose it."

They will be open every day from this point forward, early at 6am and late to 11pm.