April 2013

Same house targeted by gunfire three times
In less than one month, the same house on the 2000 block of S.W. Cloverdale St. has been shot at on three separate occasions by unknown suspects. The latest shooting occurred on April 2 around 10:15 p.m. when neighbors reported seeing a gold Ford Taurus circle around the block, and then park near the home. Two men stepped out, pulled out handguns, and fired at the home. No one has been injured and the victims told detectives they have no idea why they are being targeted.

Predictive policing at work

I once asked some kindergarten children that question and out of the mouths of babes came some very interesting solutions. One little one said, “Send up a surrender flag and you stop and they stop.” Another idea was, “Send up a balloon and drop a man dressed up scary and they will stop.” Oh, to return to the simplistic view of humanity such as a five year old maintains. Just think, a preschool child develops empathy but as society exercises more restrictions, empathy sometimes goes underground. Maintaining empathy might change the world and be what might solve our tendency to wage wars.

Another five year old solution is, “All the men could throw their guns away and never use them again.” You have probably read about an earlier war when both sides threw down their weapons at Christmas and celebrated together. Too bad Christmas was finally over and they dutifully picked up their weapons and dived into their respective trenches. Conditioning males to be warriors who kill on command and conditioning females to put childbearing as their principal role in society is not working.

Yes, it happened again. Seattle was invaded by the freaky, the geeky, the nerdy – in other words the coolest of all people. Easter weekend the Seattle Convention Center played host to Seattle's 16th annual anime convention otherwise known as Sakura-Con. First starting out as Baka!-Con in 1998 at Tukwila's Double Tree Hotel, this geeky gathering has grown into one of the anime conventions in the U.S.

So what goes on during these three days of crazy? Well, for one thing, it's a celebration of all things anime. Anime refers specifically to Japanese animation (cartoons) but generally refers to both the cartoons and graphic novels (comics) of any asian origins. Commonly included among the Japanese products are now also Korean and Chinese. I've even seen a few European contributions on the rare occasion. And while US comics such as those published by Marvel and DC (The Avengers and Batman for respective examples) are found in the mix, do not mistake the differences – the serious fans of each will not forgive you.

Update, April 8, 10 a.m.

At 4:38 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department received multiple calls from neighbors saying flames were shooting out the windows and front door of the Ballard multiplex, said Kyle Moore, spokesman for the Seattle Fire Department. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in 20 minutes and had it out within no more than 30 minutes, Moore said.

Moore said the woman who went to the hospital received 2nd Degree burns on her head. He said the burns were serious, but not life threatening.

He doesn't know how she received the burns, but explained that she had woke up in the middle of the fire, ran out the door, and then ran back in to save her dog.

In addition to the $200,000 worth of damage to structure and contents we detailed below, there was an additional $10,000 worth of damage due to exposure, which includes damage to the victim's van and a neighbor's window.

No other units were damaged from the fire and the one that was damaged due to exposure is still livable.

Original, April 8

Approximately 4:30 a.m., Firefighters responded to a fire at a multiplex in Ballard at 2302 NW 62nd St.

By Elizabeth Wang

If you’re wondering why there is a massive hole about eight feet deep on your block, you don’t need to be alarmed. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has begun phase two of the Ballard Natural Drainage System 2015 project, testing for pollutants in the runoff water collected underneath the soil from rain and other natural sources.

Between the blocks of NW 65th and NW 85th streets and 15th NW and 32nd NW avenues, the combined pipe, which collectively gathers the runoff water for the entire area has caused much of the neighborhood’s storm water overflow. The pollutants that are collected from the roads and sidewalks by the overflow eventually will drain into the Puget Sound.

Currently, Ballard is one of the biggest offenders of combined sewage overflow, creating approximately one third of the overflow problem in the city, according to Shanti Colwell, project manager of the natural drainage system.

In 2009, SPU came up with a concept to prevent the overflow from draining into the Sound through the use of roadside rain gardens built into the parking strips along residential sidewalks within these 20 blocks.

Update, April 8, 8:10 a.m.

While police are still on the search for Key Bank's latest robber, the suspects for a previous robbing of the same Key Bank were recently found guilty, as of March 27.

The two men, 66-year-old Jack P. Sexton and 65-year-old Ronald C. Kettels, were convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, three armed bank robberies, and using a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the FBI. They are sentenced to a mandatory minimum 57 years in prison.

The Holman Rd Key Bank was their first target on August 8, 2011. In that robbery, the men disguised their faces with a bandanna and a t-shirt and pointed their guns at the tellers and threatened to kill them if they did not lie down on the floor.

They also robbed the Wells Fargo Branch on Greenwood Ave in Shoreline and a Washington Federal Bank in West Seattle. In these two cases, they used masks of an elderly man, Hillary Clinton and Richard Nixon.

By Rev. Judith Laxer

It’s taken me a while to get the hang of composting. I was afraid of it, afraid I wouldn’t get it right, that I’d only make putrefied muck that would stink and draw vermin to my back yard. Of course I knew not to throw any animal protein or dairy products in the compost pile, but I’d read about how, done properly, one would have fresh, nutrient dense compost for their garden within a few weeks. Friends would tell me there was nothing to it. Toss the kitchen scraps in a pile, add a few handfuls of dry leaves and let it do its thing. I soon realized that I was missing something. Eventually that pile of vegetation would break down, just as everything on Earth does. But in a few weeks? Or even in a season?

The future of the Nickelsville homeless encampment in the Highland Park area of West Seattle continues to hang in limbo, with tenants of the camp claiming productive meetings with Seattle police and the removal of trouble tenants while a neighborhood group asks the Mayor to move the camp out of the area by June 13.

First, the Nickelsville Central Committee (NCC) sent out an update at the end of March claiming, “Without police support it wasn’t easy, but the meth dealer and co. are gone for good from Nickelsville.”

Our report from last week highlighted the reason police are unable to help Nickelsville, located at 7116 W. Marginal Way S.W., due to the fact that it is an unofficial homeless encampment located on public city land. “This is public property … (and) there is no legal ability for anyone staying there … nor my officers … to evict somebody from public property,” Seattle Police Southwest Precinct Captain Joe Kessler said after the NCC claimed they were not getting support from SPD.

From Kevin Brown, owner and vintner at Siren Song Wines:

Hi, Siren Song Fans. I want to let you know that Siren Song Wines has partnered with La Romanza Bistro Italiano in West Seattle to create a "wine tasting room in a restaurant" concept. We will be open for wine tasting and small bites from 2 to 6PM every Saturday and Sunday starting this Sunday, April, 7.

Our Tasting Room is located inside:
La Romanza Bistro Italiano
4521 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 906-9914

By Tim Clinton

With the arrival of April came the opening of the West Seattle Baseball programs' regular season games, with everything leading up to tournaments this summer.

West Seattle Baseball is different from the West Seattle Little League program, featuring the age 13-14 and under Pony League along with other horse-related age group names -- Mustang, Shetland, Pinto and Bronco. Each level has its own league.

The West Seattle Baseball teams can draw players from anywhere, but mostly centers around the West Seattle, White Center and Burien areas. Vashon Island sends teams over as well.

Some games are played on the island, while most of the games against West Seattle teams take place by the ferry dock at Lincoln Park.

Most of the West Seattle Baseball games are played at the Pee Wee four field complex in West Seattle. Other locations include nearby Riverview Park as well as the field at Delridge Southwest.

West Seattle will host outside teams in four major tournaments this summer.