June 2009

As a thank you to volunteers who have dedicated their time to creating a "playscape" at California Place Park, project organizers will host a celebration on June 20.

Community members will gather at California Place Park, on California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Hill Street for entertainment by kids musician and poet, Eric Ode. Refreshments will also be served.

A final design for the California Place Park is being completed by Karen Kiest since the project's last community design meeting.

The park includes a small triangle of land on California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Hill Street, just outside the Admiral Church.

Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral (FANNA), a group of local park supporters, applied for a city Small and Simple Matching Funds grant of $15,000, which they received in November 2008 and have used to fund the park's design.

Some community members have objected to any change on the property. Jan Bailey, a resident in the park neighborhood, has lead a "No Change to the Park" campaign and collected nearly 700 signatures on a petition.

For more information please visit http://californiaplacepark.wordpress.com.

Approximately 50 Ballard business owners came together June 2 to listen to the pitch for Tuesdays in Ballard and share ideas about how to boost business in the neighborhood.

The Tuesdays in Ballard Task Force is planning a summer-long campaign designed to entice people from around Seattle to come to the neighborhood to "eat, drink, shop and play" on Tuesdays.

"We need to create a new identity for ourselves," said Inez Gray, task force member and owner of Habitude. "We have to rebrand ourselves. We have to reinvent what Ballard is."

A show of hands by the business owners showed a majority were interested in getting involved with Tuesdays in Ballard.

The task force plans to have maps, posters and a concentrated advertising effort as part of the campaign. Businesses can get involved at three different levels, depending on how much money they are willing to put into the campaign.

Angela Rae, owner of Kick It Boutique and member of the task force, said she wants Tuesdays in Ballard to stand out from the rest of the week through creative events, not just a handful of discounts.

In March 2008 the FBI estimated that 10,000 gang members and associates were operating in King County. Their presence has been easily noticed in West Seattle, especially since the May 1 shooting on Alki Beach.

In response to the local problem, on June 2 community members from across the city gathered at Seattle's Town Hall for the symposium "Gang Violence: Real Problems and Real Solutions for Puget Sound."

A panel of experts from across the country were brought together, but some local residents seemed dissatisfied, asking why young people had not been invited to speak.

Panelist Eleuthera Lisch, director of YMCA's Alive and Free program, was the first to ask where Seattle's youth were in the conversation.

"Young people are not bad, they are infected," said Lisch. "We as a community have a responsibility to them. Together, we can eradicate the disease of violence."

But one voice on the panel did offer some first-hand insight into local gangs. Dennis Turner is a former gang member and founder of Building the Bridges, a local organization working with young people to prevent gang violence.

The Crown Hill Business Association is inviting neighbors and local business owners for a crime prevention and community safety meeting on Monday, June 15 at the Journey Church, 9204 11th Ave. N.W.

The objective of the community meeting is to be better prepared, to have a better understanding of what is going on in the area, and to be empowered to make positive changes in the community.

It starts at 7 p.m. and the agenda includes:

- Find out what residents and businesses can do to best protect themselves and their property

- Review of what official reports/statistics Seattle Police are receiving regarding our Crown Hill, Ballard, and city wide

- Overview of some Ballard wide efforts and initiatives

- What are we in the community seeing in Crown Hill?  

- Breakout discussion sessions focused on areas of input brought forward in the meeting

- Wrap up/Action items

- -Adjourn at 8:30 p.m.

On Friday, June 5, the Admiral Theater will kick of the venue's showing of Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) films with an opening gala.

Before showing the first SIFF film, the theater will serve snacks provided by Metropolitan Market and a cake styled in the shape of a ship by Leanne Winslow of Vertu Cakes.

Christening the theater will be SIFF Director and West Seattle resident, Carl Spence. Seafair pirates are also rumored to be attending.

At 7 p.m. the first film "The Admiral," a Russian epic in the style of Dr. Zhivago, will be shown.

Tickets for the show are handled by SIFF through Brown Paper Tickets or at the box office.

The opening gala will take place on June 5, 5:30 p.m., at the Admiral Theater, 2343 California Ave. S.W.

On Tuesday, June 2 at 1126 p.m., the suspect and victim met in the McDonalds' parking lot at Westwood Village located at 2600 S.W. Barton St.

The suspect, a 23-year-old male, was angry about a vehicle he had purchased from the victim, a 24-year-old male, because the victim could not come up with the vehicle’s title. After a heated argument the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the leg.

The suspect got into a Silver Honda Accord and drove away from the scene. The victim was treated at the scene by Seattle Fire Department and transported to Highline Medical Center with serious (but not life-threatening injuries). The suspect is still outstanding.

The children of Delridge can look forward to a fun, new playground this summer thanks to the efforts of local residents who met Monday evening, June 1, at the Delridge Community Center. Under a warm, evening sky they decided on a new playground design for the park at Delridge Way and Southwest Genesse Street.

The meeting attendees had three designs to choose from. All featured playful elements such as slides, climbing walls, and swing sets. Votes have been tallied over the past few weeks via an on-line voting system and during the community event Delridge Day.

Community members were nearly unanimous in their decision for the third design. It includes a large play structure, a set of swings and a separate play area for smaller children. Members of the community and Bank of America employees plan to build the structure in a single day this summer on July 17.

“The community of North Delridge has been asking for a new playground for years, and years, and years,” said Betsy Hoffmeister, vice president of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council (NDNC).

She explained how the original plan was to add toddler friendly playground equipment to Cottage Grove Park.

June 6, Nikki McClure, "All in A Day" at the library, 2 p.m.

"All in a Day" is a picture book and has been popular at Secret Garden Books.

With text by Cynthia Rylant, and illustrations by paper artist Nikki McClure, the book is destined to delight read-alouders for years to come.

June 16, Carol Cassella, "Oxygen" at the library, 6:30 p.m.

During the fragile moments of surgery, Seattle anesthesiologist and writer Carol Cassella is not only aware of the scientific intricacies of the human body, but more importantly, understands the emotional complexities patients and doctors face when entering an operating room. This intimate and professional perspective was reflected in her exquisite and critically acclaimed debut, "Oxygen."

June 17, Jennifer Hahn, "Spirited Waters" at the library, 6:30 p.m.

Award-winning writer, naturalist, illustrator, avid wildharvester, and solo kayaker Jennifer Hahn will share slides and stories from her new book.

The public is invited to an evening of focused conversation with national and local experts, community leaders and involved citizens about the growing problem of gang violence in the Puget Sound region.

The event continues the tradition of The Thomas C. Wales Foundation in convening symposia to engage the community in discussing important public issues.

This event is free of charge.

Questions to be discussed include:

How big is the gang problem in Puget Sound? Is this a local, regional or national problem?

How are local, state and federal law enforcement organizations addressing the gang problem?

What approaches to prevention and intervention have been attempted? What works, what doesn’t?

What are schools and community organizations doing to prevent youth involvement in gangs?

City Council member Tim Burgess will introduce the distinguished speakers, including the keynote speaker, The Hon. Richard A. Jones, United States District Court. Enrique Cerna of KCTS 9 Connects will then guide a conversation among distinguished and knowledgeable panelists about how our community can come together to best address this important problem.

The Cooper Elementary School program is ending, and school administrators have decided to have a party to say good-bye.

Cooper school is inviting all students, families, staff and supportive community members to join in the closing celebration Sunday, June 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the school, 1901 S.W. Genesee St.

The public is invited to share memories and visit with friends and staff.

The Seattle School Board voted to close the school program in January as part of the district's Capacity Management Plan. Pathfinder K-8 Alternative program will move from its current location at 5012 S.W. Genesee St. into the Cooper building.

For more information, contact the office at 206-252-8170.