August 2014

By Gwen Davis

Terminal 5 has been closed for about three weeks, and the terminal has remained empty. Cargo operations have been moved to Terminal 18. It is not uncommon for a pier to shut down for a period of time, and this happens occasionally at ports across the country.

Potential job loss of the employees who work at Terminal 5 is reportedly not expected to be large and neither are labor union disputes. Last Thurs. Union Hall hosted a “Stop Work Meeting” for ports to discuss the negotiations.

Next Tues., the Port Commission will be asked for approval to sell Terminal 5’s six cranes, which were purchased in the 1980s and are appraised at $3.75 million, according to the commission’s memo. The meeting will also debut a timeline for the modernization project.

It is still unclear where the port will acquire the one-quarter-billion dollars the project will cost. According to officials, the money will be accrued as the multi-year project takes place.

Background:

By Tim Clifford

S.A.F.E. (Standing Against Foreclosure & Eviction) has issued a press release condemning the King County Sheriff’s office for yesterday’s arrest and has scheduled a protest demonstration for Monday in the park near the King County Courthouse in downtown. The demonstration, listed as an event on Facebook titled “Sheriff Urquhart- Judge, Jury, and Evictor??!??”, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

The press release goes on to condemn not only Sheriff Urquhart, whom S.A.F.E. organizer Joshua Farris calls a “corporate goon”, but also singles out members of the local media who are seen as skewing their stories to support Triangle Properties.

The press release also outlines the multiple difficulties that came up when trying to find a facility that would admit him.

Compass Construction, in charge of building the 88 unit multi family/retail development at 4730 California Ave. S.W. took their construction crane down on Aug. 16. During the 8 hour process, each component of the crane was separated, detached and lowered to the ground where it was then placed on large extended flat bed truck to be taken away.

During this time the sidewalk in front of the jobsite was closed and the parking restricted on both sides of the street. Uniformed police officers were on site to direct traffic and pedestrians. When the crane was erected last September a large crowd watched on the west side of California Ave SW.

The complete plan for the building includes an extensive amenity package, an exercise room, a common room, rooftop deck with BBQ’s and tables, storage units, bicycle storage, and a modern urban entry lobby. The building is expected to open by the end of 2014 and will have three retail spaces.

The 200 ton, 175 foot tall mobile crane from Ness Cranes was brought in for the removal. A crew of 8 was in charge of the job.

by Rob Clay and Sharon Burkhart

Editor's note: This is part one of a story about historic Ambaum Boulevard, the main road that connects Burien to White Center and West Seattle. Ambaum Boulevard wasn't always a boulevard and certainly not paved but is currently traveled by thousands of vehicles each day. Here is the story: As told from oral histories of Marian Ambaum Deleuw to Sharon Burkhart in 1992.

Disabled Vietnam veteran Byron Barton and his family were evicted Aug. 15 by the King County Sheriff's office but Barton claims in a letter to his attorney Jill J. Smith the the Natural Resource Law Group they his property (an iPad)was taken and not returned, his medications were left behind, and he was denied attorney counsel or a phone call and no charges were filed. King County Sheriff Media Relations officer Sergeant DB Gates responded to to the charges and explained the circumstances.

Here is Byron Barton's letter:

Hi Jill,

I am emailing you from Harborview Medical Center. I do not have access to my iPad (the sheriff took it), so I am emailing through my son.

The Sheriff's department came in this morning with guns drawn and said "King County Sheriff, you're under arrest for trespassing. We have a warrant". My son and wife were told to get on the ground, where they were then hand cuffed. They read each one of us our Miranda rights multiple times, but we were never shown a warrant. No paperwork of any kind was served to us. They just kicked us out.

Dear Editor,

The Barton family has lived in their home in West Seattle for three generations. It is Byron Barton’s childhood home of 62 years. Byron has survived the Vietnam War and a severe stroke. He and his family continue to fight to hold onto their home. He and his wife Jean are hardworking citizens that have gone through so much stress to merely stay in their home.

It began like it does for a lot of us: in the early 2000s, Jean and Byron were responsible for Byron’s mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's. They also needed to repair their home--the chimney had been damaged in a recent earth quake.

This fall marks the start of a new tradition in Seattle: Sweet Week! Autumn Martin, founder of Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery, is thrilled to launch this brand new four-day event that showcases and celebrates the wonderful sweet shops and bakeries around Seattle. From Thursday, September 25, though Sunday, September 28, participating shops will be offering special $5 items and samplers.

“Seattle has a few annual events that celebrate restaurants, like Restaurant Week, but we think it’d be great to give some love to the artisans and shops who make all the sweet treats we love,” says Martin. “We love a good dessert here at Hot Cakes, and we’re grateful to be part of such an amazing group of folks who make up the pastry chefs, bakers, chocolatiers, and confectioners of Seattle!”

Participating shops include: Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery, Cupcake Royale, Sweet Mickey’s, Parfait, The Confectional, Mighty-O Donuts, Hello Robin, High 5 Pie, Theo Chocolate, Flying Apron, Dahlia Bakery, Gelatiamo, Macrina Bakery, Dahlia Bakery, A La Mode Pies, Fresh Flours, Full Tilt, and Chocolopolis.

By Tim Clifford

After being arrested with her husband and son for criminal trespass this morning Jean Barton has been released from the deputy sheriff’s office in Burien and spoke briefly about her arrest.

“I was just starting to wake up and all of a sudden I heard something out the back door, saying something, I wasn’t sure what they said. Then I heard “sheriff” and then they walked in and told my son to get on the floor, on his stomach, that he was under arrest,” she describes.

While the family was arrested this morning and read their Miranda rights no charges have officially been filed against the family at this time. Byron Barton was taken by ambulance to a nearby VA hospital to be treated for his disabilities and declining health.

In a new twist Jean says that she was given a reason by the sheriff’s deputies as to why they needed to vacate the premises immediately.

“We offered them money to rent the place. Now the sheriff has told us that they have renter’s moving in” Barton says.

information from SDOT

Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will pave Southwest Roxbury Street between 25th Avenue Southwest and 27th Avenue Southwest on Tuesday, Aug. 19, if weather permits. The work requires dry weather.

One lane in each direction will remain open. Work hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Police Officers will assist with traffic.

The pavement surface was ground down earlier this week, but laying new asphalt was rescheduled due to an unfavorable weather forecast.

By Tim Clifford

CORRECTION:
In our coverage of the Barton family arrests we listed their son Brandon as being the son who was arrested with Jean and Byron. In actuality it was their other son Bryan who was detained by The King County Sheriff's office. The West Seattle Weekly would like to apologize to Brandon Barton and our readers for the mistake.

Original post

At 8 a.m. this morning the King County Sheriff’s office arrested the Barton family on charges of criminal trespass after serving a search warrant. While Byron, Jean and one of their adult sons has been arrested they have not been booked and the decision to charge them has been passed to the King County Prosecutor’s office.

Byron Barton, a Vietnam veteran who became disabled following complications from a stroke, was taken away by a waiting ambulance to a VA hospital.

In a statement from the King County Sheriff’s office John Urquhart said of the situation “there are no winners in this situation, not the least of which is Mr. Barton, who is gravely disabled and was living in extremely unsanitary and therefore dangerous conditions”.