March 2013

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL Community Safety Meeting,
TUESDAY, Mar 19, 2013
@ Southwest Police Precinct,
2300 SW Webster, 7 – 8:30pm

Most people don't know that the Seattle Police Department has a detective solely devoted to graffiti crimes. Detective Christopher Young will discuss all aspects of graffiti crimes including the reporting of graffiti, how to identify gang graffiti, the prosecution of graffiti crimes, ways to deter graffiti, and how graffiti is often correlated with more serious crimes.

Lt. Davis will be on hand to report on crime trends in the SW Precinct and take questions from the audience.

THE MEETING IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
For more information contact WSCPC at westseattleCPC@gmail.com

NEXT MEETING APRIL 16, 2013

By Brian LeBlanc

In February 2013, the first residents started to move into the AVA Ballard complex on NW Market St and 14th Ave NW where Sunset Bowl once stood. Back in 2008, there was hope that the Sunset could be saved and moved to a new location in Ballard or that a new bowling alley would open in the new building. What happened to those ideas? How are we going to create similar communities in the Ballard of the future?

In early 2008, the owners of Sunset Bowl sold the property to AvalonBay for $13.2 million and the bowling alley closed later that spring. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is a publicly traded corporation that, according to their website, “is in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing high-quality apartment communities in the high barrier-to-entry markets of the United States.”

By Kyra-lin Hom

If you've ever been around children, you've probably noticed that they can watch the same movie or read the same book or play the same game again and again pretty much indefinitely. As of this week, my niece's favorite movie is Dumbo. Her favorite game involves pretending she's the mommy and I'm the baby, tucking me into 'bed' and turning out the lights only to turn them back on for 'morning' moments later. Over and over again. And she's also discovered a love for putting VHS tapes and DVD's into their respective players then taking them out. Ad infinitum.

While this does make for some easy babysitting for me, I'd rather pass a volleyball back and forth or shoot baskets with her mini hoop. Instead I'm tucked under a makeshift blanket, riding the precarious line between pretending to be tired and actually falling asleep. She was very put out the one time I did fake unconsciousness. Her 'wake up' techniques were vigorously effective.

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

When I wrote about falling and hurting my ankles I never visualized having it all turn into six weeks in a cast. How I wish I could turn back the clock to the time before I fell. Well, I did turn back the clock but that was for daylight savings time. Believe me I have done a lot of soul searching and revising my daily routine to accommodate elevating my right leg every time I sit and finding ways to remain productive through it all.

My goal is to downsize my file cabinets and boxes of “stuff” which I had always said I would downsize but never did. So I crossed off all my calendar appointments through the middle of March. The first few days I sat in my bathrobe feeling sorry for myself. Then I said, “Georgie, get off your duff.” I must have listened to myself because since that time I have filled a paper dumpster with discarded memorabilia, answered numerous emails and called people that I hadn’t contacted for years.

Stop ‘N Shop
4504 California Ave. S.W.
Volunteers Needed:
Weekend volunteers needed to cashier at the Stop “N Shop thrift store. You will meet new people, gain a sense of achievement and give back to your community. Shifts on Saturday and Sunday are from 10-1 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.

Volunteer consultant, computer lab assistant needed. Network experience needed (Microsoft server), maintain eleven lab computers and security system. Hours can vary.
Contact Margie at 206-932-4044 x8 or margiew@seniorservices.org.

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. S.W.
206-937-7169

By Ryan Hueter, UW News Lab

While some view marijuana as nothing more than an illicit drug, others have found its medicinal elements very beneficial in reducing stress and pain. And now some of those converts are turning that belief in the healing abilities of marijuana into a storefront and delivery service in Ballard.

Green Ambrosia (7730 15th Ave NW) offers marijuana in a wide array of products, including cookies, gummy candies, tinctures, creams, dried buds, clones that are ready to be grown into plants, even cannabis-infused peanut butter and jellies.

Founder Dante Jones also works with vendors from the Ballard area, selling medicated honey sticks from a Ballard resident who implores users to “Bee Happy,” and pens that quickly vaporize buds for a puff on the go.

Jones previously worked in the video game industry, where he said he worked 20 hours a day in completely blacked-out buildings. As a result he now suffers from fibromyalgia, hypermobility of his joints, and other ailments. But he has found relief in marijuana.

Misguided anger?
A business owner on the 4000 block of California Ave. S.W. was surprised in the early morning hours of March 12 when he heard a noise at the front door while preparing to open for the day. He saw someone in dark clothes crouched by the door, and when the suspect saw him he popped up and ran to a waiting vehicle that sped away. The business owner called 911 and “was very abusive” to operators, according to the police report, “and would not answer basic questions that are routinely asked for officer safety.” Once officers arrived they were met with yet more “abuse and hostile” behavior from the distraught man. Investigating the source of the noise, police found a small section of molding around the door had been jarred loose, but was easily popped back into place by hand.

Pistol whipped for $21

I admit I am lazy. So lazy that I need some goading to get me to exercise. When my friendly housekeeper, Dorothy, reminded me that I had not done my 20 minutes on the "dreadmill" I tried to make up some excuse like the agony of de feet or that it is "save electricity week" and I want to do my part! She would have none of that. She's so smart. She could see through me like plastic wrap. I use a wheeled cart now to move about the house on my aging legs. I don't like it but I know the exercise will help me discard my wheels. I use a mental trick to get me through the ordeal each morning. I time myself walking through town hunting for an ice cream store and ordering a triple-decker cone of vanilla.

Dorothy is a dreamer. She does not have any red slippers and the dreadmill is not exactly the yellow brick road but she has high hopes for me. If I try my best I can avoid going to the land of Oz too soon. Since only one of us can use the dreadmill at a time, Dorothy uses a recumbent bicycle right next to me. She has put enough miles on that bike to get as far as Spokane.

By David Rosen

During the evening of March 16-17 just north of Lowman Beach on Beach Dr SW, a partial landslide, complete with trees came crashing down and landed on top of a mini van, causing substantial damage.

The Seattle Police Department was called to the scene to investigate and later Sunday morning, people from the Seattle Parks Department came down to clean up the debris on the roadway so cars could pass.

The tree was still laying on the mini van Sunday afternoon.

By Patrick Robinson and David Rosen

Gill McLynne and his family knew the end was coming for the Alki Tavern and planned a party over the St. Patrick's Day weekend. They wanted it to be just like the tavern itself. Unpretentious, friendly and a gathering of bikers, rockers, drinkers and people they cherished.

It began with an auction on the Wednesday before the weekend. Beer signs, mirrors, and other fixtures were bid on by people who had coveted them like rarities from a museum. Then the final Taco Thursday. A time honored tradition of one dollar tacos attended for many years by an army of Harley riders. McLynne posted the notice on the Downtown Harley website and the faithful responded in dozens with more than thirty motorcycles in a row out front.

As Sunday drew closer people began to write their farewells on the wall outside. "Thanks for the memories, Love, The Whittakers," and "Tom Kintner + Carolyn McCainloridge met here 1981, still together," and , "Thank u Alki Tav, Tacos & Harleys. Love you, Len."

The beer flowed freely and the McLynne's had laid in extra knowing it would be a tidal wave of love.