July 2012

A man and woman were shot in a Ballard apartment this morning by who is suspected to be the woman's ex-boyfriend, reports the SPD Blotter.

Police officers responded at approximately 1:30 a.m. When they showed up at the apartment, the woman's daughter told the officers that her mother and her mother's "male friend" were shot multiple times. The suspect had already fled. She provided officers with the suspect's name and vehicle information.

The victims sustained critical injuries and were taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Police officers found and arrested the suspect. His vehicle was impounded and a Homicide Unit is investigating further. "We believe this incident is domestic violence in nature," wrote Detective Renee Witt.

Reports of Normandy Park’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, according to city officials.

Normandy Park officials, responding to reports in other media outlets, that the city may disband or seek annexation to Burien or Des Moines, issued a statement on the city’s website Thursday.

The statement emphasized, “Disincorporation is not an option under consideration by the City Council or City management as reported recently by media sources.”

The statement said Normandy Park’s financial problems had first been identified in 1998 by a consulting firm. The consultant recommended about 40 ideas and solutions to address the city’s structural financial problems.

But the City Council, at that time, only implemented a few of the recommendations, “kicking the can down the road for a few years,” according to the statement. A good economy between 2000 and 2007 helped mask some of the structural problems.

But with an economic downturn the solutions have become more difficult.
Officials said city staffers have been working closely with the current City Council members to identify both short and long-term solutions.

By Karen Law

If you saw Tony Grant mowing lawns around Ballard in the early 80s, you might have given him a wide berth. Back then, he had a face that showed the ravages of drink and disappointment – a face grizzled before its time, looking out with the eyes of a man who knew he was missing part of himself.

You would never have guessed that underneath his hard-bitten exterior was the soul of a first-rate music-making artist. Today he sports a cleaned-up image and three CDs in his name,. He performs gigs from Seattle to Monroe wherever the doors are open.

For the time being, he still mows lawns for a fair price, minus the lost expression and tough-as-nails appearance. If you’re lucky, you have already hired him and got the chance to hear one of his CDs, a collection of blues, folk rock, funk and soul that is spare and clean in arrangement and stirringly reflective in lyrics. Tony Grant today is a songwriter/composer reborn, a prodigy of several instruments who is in the process of leaving the grass and lawnmower behind and returning full time to the roots of his musical past.

Washington State Republican gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Rob McKenna shared some thoughts with Robinson Newspapers on his campaign run. Last week we featured his opponent, Democrat Jay Inslee, former 1st District Congressman. Each wants to replace Governor Chris Gregoire, who retires at year's end.

McKenna, 49, was born in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, the son of Robert, a career Army soldier and a schoolteacher, and Bonnie Jean (Olson). Rob served as student body president at the University of Washington where he graduated and then earned his law degree at the University of Chicago. He and his wife Marilyn then moved to Bellevue. They have four children.

McKenna was a three-term King County Council member beginning in 1995, and won his first of two terms as Attorney General in 2004. He was re-elected in '08 with 59.5 percent of the vote. His counterparts elected him President of the National Association of Attorneys General.

Believes he appeals to both parties

I have a friend who gives me a ride to yoga but almost always leave me to walk home from downtown Ballard. MJ’s Basic Yoga class ends at about 10:15 but it can take hours for me to find my way home.

I have been out of town the last two weeks, the last of which was spent driving on state roads through desiccated fields of corn in the Midwest, during one of the worst prolonged heat waves on record. I was in a black rental car with my mother, making drive-by visits to cousins who have children older than they were the last time that we met. Almost 2,000 miles logged and not a single espresso stand. Never have so many relatives or strangers expressed as much desire to visit or relocate to Seattle as during their 100 degree heat.

Update for July 20
Press release from King County Sheriff's Office
White Center Bank Robbery Suspect Identified

King County Sheriff’s Detectives have identified and arrested a 21 year Seattle man for attempting to rob the Key Bank in White Center on July 13th.

On July 18th detectives sent a bulletin to the media with a photo of the suspect taken during the robbery asking for the public’s help indentifying him. Detectives said they received numerous tips from citizens in the White Center area who said they recognized the suspect after seeing his picture on local media sites.

Detectives located and arrested the suspect late Wednesday evening near S177 and 1st Ave S. The suspect was booked into the King County Jail.

Update for July 18

Press release from King County Sheriff's Office

Can You Identify This Bank Robber?

The King County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help identifying a man who robbed a bank last Friday afternoon in the White Center area.

The NOAA forecast calls for "hazardous weather conditions tonight July 13 with thunderstorms and showers expected.

Here's their forecast:

"THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL CASCADES LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE WEST...REACHING THE SOUTH SOUND REGION AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR OF WASHINGTON BY 7 PM. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING...INTENSE BURSTS
OF RAINFALL...AND SMALL HAIL. IF YOU HEAR THUNDER...HEAD INDOORS.

Press release from Master Steve Elmore

On Monday July 9th, 2012, the Martial Arts world lost one its most prominent and respected leaders, Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin.

Grandmaster Shin passed away on Monday after battling cancer. He was the founder, president, and Grandmaster of the World Tang Soo Do Association which has over 100,000 members in over 38 countries worldwide making it one of the largest Martial Arts organizations in the world today.

The two member schools in Washington, located in West Seattle, will be having a memorial in his honor at 1pm on Saturday July 14th in Hiawatha Park. Students from these two schools, Evergreen Tang Soo Do Academy and Puget Sound Tang Soo Do, will be sharing memories and stories of this great leader, teacher, and mentor.

Many high ranking students and instructors will also be traveling to North Carolina to attend a service in his honor on July 22nd.

The two schools will also be making a donation to the American Cancer Society in Grandmaster Shin’s name and will accept donations from anyone in the community.

The artist group FICTILIS, which is temporarily working out of Ballard, is hosting a series of movies at their studio/work space at 5608 Seaview Ave NW, along the Burke-Gilman Trail.

The "bike-in" movies are free and open to the public. A bicycle is not actually needed to get in, but it is convenient. Art from FICTILIS will also be on display. Outside of special events such as the bike-in series, the studio is not open to the public.

If you can't make it, you can view their work online at www.fictilis.com.

There are a few screenings left to catch. Movies start at 9 p.m.

Schedule (from the website)

July 14: The Room
July 21: [no screening this
July 28: Zardoz

August 4: My Dinner With “My Dinner With Andre”: a full meal and wine served alongside the longest dinner scene in film history, with a menu inspired by the film* (21+, limited seating, $15 suggested donation, reservations only: email mydinner@fictilis.com)

Update for July 17
The Burien City Council unanimously selected on July 16 the members of the committees that will write the pro and con statements on North Highline annexation that will appear in the voters pamphlet.

The vote on annexation of the White Center and North Highline area into Burien will be on the November ballot. Only voters in the areas to be annexed will vote on the measure. Burien voters will not have a say.

Writing the statement supporting annexation will be Ed Dacy, Barbara Dobkin and Liz Giba.

On the anti-annexation committee are Peter Levine, Don Malo and Debi Wagner.

In other annexation developments,the King County Council unanimously approved last week Burien's request to place the annexation vote on the November ballot.

Dobkin, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president, and ex-Burien City Council candidate Joey Martinez spoke in favor of annexation at a public hearing before the vote.

Here is our previous coverage: