February 2013

A panel selected by the Des Moines Arts Commission has chosen four sculptors, plus a Highline High School welding class, to each display a piece outdoors near the marina and downtown. This public art initiative, "ART on POVERTY BAY" invited professional and emerging sculptors and artists to submit their work for one year on loan to the city. The artists can then sell their piece to the public. The arts commission will receive a 20-percent commission on art sold, to go toward the purchase of sculptures for a city sculpture garden. Then new sculptors will be chosen in a rotation.

The first four locations are: MVD (Marine View Drive) & 216th at the SE corner, MVD & 223rd SW in front of All Star Sports Bar, MVD & 227th NW by Jack in the Box, and 227th at the SW corner of the South Marina Park.

While the city is loaned the artwork, the Des Moines Arts Commission needs to raise money to help pay for the stands on which the art will be placed. Each costs $3,000. The commission is seeking grants, donations from local businesses, and also asks the public to help. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com, then in the search window type "Des Moines, Wa." and the fundraising site will appear.

Details from Detective Jeff Kappel with SPD:

A woman’s vehicle window was shot out as she pulled into her apartment complex tonight in West Seattle.

At approximately 6:50 p.m. officers responded to a 911 call of shots fired in the alley behind the 8400 block of Delridge Way SW. A woman who was pulling into her apartment complex had her vehicle’s window shot out but was not injured.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the woman’s vehicle was struck by stray rounds and that she was not targeted by the gunfire.

The suspect(s) remain at large.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the involved suspect(s) is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident. Anonymous tips are welcome.

This remains an active and on-going investigation.

Press release:

The City of SeaTac announces Joe Scorcio as Director of Community and Economic Development.

“We’re excited to have Joe join our team as the new Community and Economic Development Director,” said Todd Cutts, city manager. “He brings with him a wealth of experience that we believe will translate into solid leadership in the department and great customer service in the business community for years to come.”

Scorcio has 29 years of experience in public service positions for Pierce County including leadership of the award-winning 930-acre Chambers Creek Property Master Site Plan with Chambers Bay Golf Course as its centerpiece.

He has served on a variety of regional boards and commissions including the Puget Sound Air Quality Authority and the Tacoma - Pierce County Chamber of Commerce.

In 2010, the Tacoma Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau awarded Scorcio the Community Unity Award. He is a member of the American Institute for Certified Planners and he is active in the community supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs, Humane Society and the Chambers Creek Foundation.

Info from the West Seattle Block Watch Captains' Network

Our February meeting of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network is next Tuesday, 2/26, 6:30-8 PM, SW Police Precinct Meeting Room (2300 SW Webster Street). Come early, stay late.

Had enough of mail theft?? Let's get educated and tackle this subject head on! At our meeting this month we will have the US Postal inspectors for our area, Inspector Matt Rintoul and Inspector Sumyra Duy, as well as Officer Jon Kiehn from the Community Police Team (Frank sector) on hand to help educate us on this subject. We’ll also get a firsthand perspective from a block watch group that has been personally hit hard and took steps to combat it. Come learn and discuss what to do if it happens to you and how your block watch can help catch the perpetrators.

We will also have our new Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores, who has replaced Ken Mazzuca in the William sector, there to introduce himself and get acquainted with all of you.

Meeting schedule
Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 6:30-8 PM

A Des Moines couple whose dog, Rosie, was Tasered, then shot four times and killed by Des Moines police in 2010, was offered $51,000 by the department. Legal and other costs will be additional.

Charles and Dierdre Wright had filed a federal lawsuit against Des Moines police, claiming their civil rights were violated when officers shot Rosie, a 3 year-old Newfoundland, November 7, 2010.

This offer of judgement was reached last month according to the Wrights' Bellingham-based attorney, Adam Karp.

The couple is still seeking some $90,000 in investigative and attorney fees from the city.

Karp, who received his law and graduate degrees at UW, told the Highline TImes he wanted to clarify some points in the case that he said some media got wrong or did not include in their stories about Rosie. He also discussed his love for animals.

"The city submitted an offer of judgement," Karp said. "It wasn't really a 'settlement'. Typically, settlement agreements don't result in judgements. The offer of judgement was for $51,000 plus reasonable attorney fees and costs, and that would be decided by the court.

Press release:

The City of Des Moines is pleased to announce that permit applications have now been received from Yareton Investment Fund for the luxury Artemis Hotel project to be built on Pacific Highway South.

The development is the result of a trip by former Mayor Bob Sheckler, who met investor contacts while on an outreach effort to China.

The project was slowed during this last year due to additional processing time taken by the federal agency USCIS to approve the Chinese investors’ application for EB-5 foreign investor visa designation.

The investor group has decided to move forward with the permitting process in anticipation of approval. The building will be almost 300,000 square feet and have 235 hotel rooms.

Plans include an authentic four-star Chinese restaurant of a quality and authenticity currently unavailable in the Puget Sound region, as well as an upscale spa and other high-end amenities.

Further details and renderings are available at the Artemis Hotel website http://www.yareton.com/.

Gabe Morales, a national gang expert will give a pep talk and PowerPoint presentation to local youth from 5-7PM tonight.

High Point Neighborhood House has a Youth Empowered with Leadership Strengths (YELS) program aimed at helping youth overcome their problems and create future community leaders.

Gabe will be joined by Fred McKinney who also grew up in High Point.

Neighborhood House, High Point Center

6400 Sylvan Way SW, Seattle, WA 98126

You can learn more about Gabe Morales and Gang Prevention Services here:

http://www.gangpreventionservices.org/biography.asp

From Mayor McGinn's office:

The City of Seattle and Gigabit Squared signed an agreement in December for Gigabit Squared to provide high-speed internet to 12 demonstration neighborhoods in Seattle. As Mayor McGinn mentioned today, this has been increased to 14 demonstration neighborhoods, to include Ballard and West Seattle. In addition, Gigabit squared has secured the necessary funding to begin detailed engineering in these neighborhoods which they plan to complete over the next six weeks or so.

Below is an excerpt from the Mayor’s remarks:

“We're working hard to build out the next generation of our internet infrastructure and provide people with better choices. Last year Council approved our plan to leverage our unused "dark fiber" to companies who would use it to give people better internet services.

By Holly Brown

On February 24, 2013 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rolls out the red carpet for the 85th Oscar Awards. It’s a black tie evening overflowing with celebs, bling, and elegant parties. This year’s best picture nominations cover themes from war to romance; adventure to relationships. If you’re planning an Oscar party, we have some star-studded party tips to add to the fun.

Like other big “viewing parties,” the Oscars are about gathering friends around a big screen TV and watching the show. Whether you’re throwing a black tie event or creating a jeans and jewels studded evening, try these tips for an award worthy Oscar party.

These activities that make everyone feel like a super star from the moment they arrive.

When guests arrive, take their “red carpet photo.“ After the party post your photos in an Oscar Party album on Facebook for friends to see and share.

Chef Jason Stoneburner of Bastille Cafe and Bar has done Ballard proud.

Eater.com recently held a competition for "Hottest Chef," which, as the name suggests, is all about who the hottest chef is. As in, looks.

Stoneburner was an obvious choice for an otherwise silly contest. With his steamy gaze, nicely trimmed hair and boyish cheeks -- not to mention primo cooking skills -- it's hard for restaurant-goers not to get lost staring at him dreamily.

All that aside, Stoneburner won hottest chef in Seattle, but, alas, lost in the Nationals to open-shirted, PBR-wielding Portland Chef Pascal Sauton.

But, Stoneburner has some consolation. He will be running a new restaurant named after him, "Stoneburner," which will sit on the bottom of the new Hotel Ballard.

No real prizes were at stake other than a nice self-esteem boost, but Ballardites can rest assured that they have Seattle's hottest chef.

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