January 2013

Seattle Police are investigating two robberies of groups of middle school students in or near Roxhill Park in the last week. The students were identified by Denny International Middle School Principal Jeff Clark in a statement released today. (See below)

Here are the details from SPD's Blotter:

Police are looking for a pair of armed gunman, who have held up two groups of middle schoolers in Roxhill Park in West Seattle

The first robbery happened around 6:30 pm on January 20th, when two suspects pulled a shotgun on a group of four middle schoolers, near 27th Avenue S.W. and S.W. Cambridge Street, and told the victims to hand over their wallets and cell phones.

The suspect carrying the shotgun then struck two of the victims in the head with the butt of the gun, leaving the victims with cuts and bruises.

After taking the victims’ cellphones and cash, the suspects fled through Roxhill Park.

Press release:

Your next trip to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just got upgraded with the sweet, warm voice of legendary Seattle musician Quincy Jones.

In Quincy’s unique soulful style, he will be welcoming travelers to the airport, telling them about the local music playing overhead, giving security advice and even talking about the Airport’s progressive environmental stewardship programs.

Jones is the latest addition to the highly successful Sea-Tac Airport City of Music that showcases the northwest region’s music culture. 
 
"Seattle’s rich musical history -- from Clark Terry and Ernestine Anderson, to Bumps Blackwell, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, Heart and Nirvana, to name a few -- is rooted in the city’s cultural diversity.

It is where my wonderful musical journey began and I can’t imagine a better place to have honed my craft,” said Quincy. “In doing these voice over announcements, I hope that everyone traveling through the airport will be encouraged to experience the great music, musicians and cultural vibrancy that the city of Seattle embodies.”

From Rudy Garza with Navos, a co-sponsor of Drug and Alcohol Awareness Night:

Drug and Alcohol Awareness night for parents in our community at Cascade Middle School . This event is Wednesday, Jan 23rd 2013, from 6:00-7:30 pm at Cascade Middle School, room 309.

A light dinner will be provided as well as free child care. Our goal is to help parents prevent drug use among our youth as well as keep our community safe.

This event is part of the recently launched Coalition for Drug Free Youth.

Nature Consortium press release:

Deep Roots, a benefit bash for Nature Consortium
Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 6pm
Sodo Park, 3200 1st Ave S. Seattle, WA

Fifteen years ago, Nancy Whitlock threw a block party on her West Seattle street to help bring her community together. Today, that effort has grown into a thriving nonprofit called Nature Consortium, connecting people, arts, and nature in Seattle and King County. To celebrate their 15th anniversary, Nature Consortium will host Deep Roots, a benefit bash on Thursday, March 21 at SODO Park.

Deep Roots will be a night of music, local food, and a rousing program emceed by Andrew McMasters of Jet City Improv. Proceeds from the event will go towards Nature Consortium's youth engagement and environmental restoration programs. The organization works year round to provide free art classes to low-income youth and restore habitat in Seattle's largest forest, the West Duwamish Greenbelt. 

Terri Glaberson, the Educational Director of CoolMom, the West Seattle environmental awareness organization has left and turned over her responsibilities to Sonja Nash. She's leaving she said for, "More time with family, first, and time to pursue some other passions."

She made the announcement in an emailed letter to the member and others and got numerous replies of gratitude and congratulations.

Here is Glaberson's letter:

Today is my last day with CoolMom. It has been almost 4 years, Wow! It seems like yesterday when I joined the West Seattle CoolMom group and began my role as ED of CoolMom. I sure have learned a great deal about climate change and thank you all for helping me along my journey.

Years ago I saw changes in Ballard in black-and-white terms. Development = bad. Original single-family residences = good. I was young. I was foolish. I was short-sighted.

Over the last few years I have watched William Parks, better known as Bill, take his slow, sweet time in developing projects on two sites in Ballard. I have been to all the different meetings and have seen him in coffee shops chatting with anyone in each neighborhood who wanted to meet him. He’s rented the Sunset Hill Community Club in order to host informational meetings that he was under no requirement to have. I’ve watched him listen to audiences and answer questions, sharing what he’s thinking and admitting what he doesn’t know.

By Mwiza Kalisa, Schools First campaign

This week, voters will receive ballots in the mail for the renewal of two property tax-levies. The levies are the only measure on the ballot and will bridge state funding gaps and support facility improvements for Seattle Public Schools.

As part of Seattle Public School’s overall plan, the levy measures will support Fort-nine thousand students in Seattle’s public schools. Proposition 1: a $551.9 million operations levy will provide funding for approximately 26 percent of Seattle Public School’s operating budget over the next three years. The school levy will help fund textbooks, teacher’s salaries, transportation, security and special-education programs, among other day-to-day costs not fully funded by the State.

The $649.9 million Capitol Levy (BEX IV) will provide funding to maintain, improve and expand school buildings.

Revenge can be sweet, especially when it doesn’t take overtime to do so in the second season matchup between Chief Sealth and West Seattle.

In their first encounter the Seahawks fell in overtime to the Wildcats 59-51 in a disappointing loss after controlling the ball for most of the game.

This time was different. The Seahawks came onto the court with a more aggressive style of play at both ends of the court. The sense of determination by Sealth could be felt by the home crowd at the Hawks Nest and by West Seattle.

The physical play by Sealth began to ware on the Wildcats who were harassed every time they tried to drive into the paint or fight for a rebound. The frustration felt by the Wildcats came to a head early in the fourth period when West Seattle’s DiAndre Jackson and Sealth’s Aaron Knox shared unkind words with each other after an unsuccessful rebound attempt by Jackson. There were no technical fouls assessed to either player because no foul language was used and no contact was made, but it was evident that the Wildcat’s frustration levels were rising.

Brynne Flidais got her dog Ginger Anne as a rescue from Barks Are Us which is a foster care organization for pets, may of whom come from the Yakima area. Going through Petfinder.com Flidais found the perfect dog. "She was taken from a kill shelter in California and brought up here to live with a foster family for a little while."

Ginger Anne is now a year and a half old. Flidais got her last April.

She was seeking a "road dog" because she travels up and down the coast and her mother advised her to get a dog. Ginger Anne is a great companion, said Flidais, "She comes with me wherever I go."

Ginger Anne is a "mix of a couple of different terriers and a Brussels-Griffin," said Flidais, "they're the dogs that look like Yoda's. She's a Jedi warrior."

The dog food of choice is, "really good quality dog food that doesn't have any corn. It's dry food but sometimes I mix some vegetables in or some raw nutrients. Sweet potatoes are really good for dogs."

Treats are not on the menu much.