May 2012

The Seattle Fire Department reports that at 1:59 a.m., May 31st, firefighters were called to a home in the 6500 block of 3rd Avenue N.W.

Smoke was coming from a three-story multi-family residence when firefighters arrived and all occupants had safely evacuated.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a wall in the basement of the building. And within 11 minutes of first putting water on the fire, fire crews extinguished the flames.

The Red Cross was called out to assist the evacuated residents.

A Seattle Fire Investigator determined that the fire was accidental, resulting from the overheating of an electrical service wire.

The Fire investigators estimate the dollar loss at $5,000.

Seattle Gymnastics Academy is relocating its Ballard location from Shilshole Avenue N.W. to 1415 N.W. 52nd Street.

The Department of Planning and Development has given a green light to the Academy to change the current 19,169-square-feet warehouse into an 18,559-square-feet gym with surface parking for 28 vehicles located off-site.

According to the Academy, the new location will offer room for expansion, plenty of parking, and easy access from 15th Avenue N.W.

The environmental review has been completed and the project has been conditioned as applicable. Any appeals of this decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than June 14, 2012.

The Pacific Middle School Wind Ensemble, 7th & 8th graders, flew into San Francisco and enjoyed a four-day Memorial Day weekend where they competed, and won, in their division in the WorldStrides Heritage Performance program. The competition took place at Foothills College, the venue of the Heritage festival. Band Director Jeffrey Steen's 37-member ensemble played a Chorale by Bach, a short march, “El Capitan” and the “Jackson Lake Overture” by Spokane-area composer and teacher, the late Mark Williams.

Steen's bands have won six of the last seven annual competitions. One other Seattle-area band competed, Lake Washington High School from Kirkland, but in a different division.

Normandy Park artist and gardener Dana Lasswell is looking forward to a busy two weekends. This coming Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., she will host her second annual "Art in the Garden" sale. Her property, a half-acre, park-like setting will be decorated with her handmade sculpture pottery created in her home studio, at 1621 SW 168th St. She will be joined by five other artists and all items will be for sale.

Customers and browsers will also be rewarded with an advanced viewing of her garden, which is featured on the Highline Historical Society's Garden Tour to take place the following Saturday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We featured her and the garden tour here.

Lasswell is a resident artist at the Moshier Community Art Center in Burien where she has volunteered since 2003. You can see her variety of work on her website here.

By Patrick Robinson, and Ty Swenson

A man identified by Seattle Police as Ian Stawicki entered Cafe Racer 58th NE and Roosevelt Way today around 11:00am and shot five people, killing three of them then fled. Shortly before noon an argument between a man and a woman at 8th & Seneca at Town Hall resulted in a shooting of the female driver. She was later pronounced dead. The Mercedes SUV was driven to West Seattle and abandoned in the 4100 block of Delridge Way SW. Police had originally called this incident a car jacking. The SUV was towed away for further investigation.

A weapon was found inside the SUV based on SPD scanner traffic.

Then later the incidents came together as police attempted to stop a suspect in West Seattle near 37th and Raymond Street s.w. According to reports the suspect stopped, knelt and shot himself in the temple. He did not die from this and was transported to Harborview.
Sealth, Denny, Hope lutheran, Seattle Lutheran, Tilden schools were sheltered in place/locked down as precaution but were opened and released on time.

http://www.wabiburien.org/national-trails-day-saturday-june-2/

One of Burien’s little gems is the “Indian Trail”. This wandering, varied trail winds high above the shoreline strip of SW 172nd St. – the “Sunrise Trail” – and then, from Three Tree Point northward, parallels Maplewild Ave. SW – the “Sunset Trail”. It is said to be the remnant of a trail used long ago by the local Native American tribes as they traveled from the south end of Puget Sound to the north.

On Sunday, June 3, our monthly Walk-n-Talk will be led by local artist/writer/historian, Pam Harper, recent co-author of a book about the history of Three Tree Point. Pam will lead the group, offering historic commentary, as the trail starts cliff-high, winds down to the Point, then back up near Maplewild. At one point along the way, there is a 180 degree view of Normandy Park, Des Moines, Redondo, Mt. Rainier, Tacoma, the islands of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
This Indian Trail walk was just registered as a National Trails Day Event! Come join the walk and enjoy the view, the company and the conversation.

By Dusty Henry and Anne-Marije Rook

UPDATE:
Seattle Police reports that the suspect, responsible for both the Cafe Racer and First Hill shootings, was pronounced dead at Harborview last night.
A fifth victim, a man shot at Café Racer this morning, is also not expected to survive.
The Seattle Times meanwhile reports that the gunman was 40-year-old Ian Stawicki.

On May 30 at 11 a.m. at Café Racer Espresso in the University District, a man shot and killed three people and injured two, according to the Seattle Police.

It appears that two of those killed were members of local Seattle folk band, God’s Favorite Beefcake, a favorite at Ballard venues.

Drew “Shmootzi The Clod” Keriakedes and Joseph "Mashuguna Joe" Albanese were regulars at Café Racer, where the band frequently performed.

As part of the band, Keriakedes and Albanese released two albums: 2009’s “A Beautiful Trainwreck” and 2011’s “Witches Bones ‘n’ Whale Skin.”

Paving crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation plan to repair pavement in the intersection of 15th Avenue N.W. and N.W. 85th Street on Saturday, June 2, if weather permits.

Northbound traffic on 15th Avenue N.W. will be reduced to one through lane at the intersection from 7 a.m. on Saturday until 9 a.m. on Sunday. Southbound traffic on 15th will not be affected.

N.W. 85th Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction at the intersection.

Police will be on site on Saturday to assist traffic.

The repairs are needed to repair a temporary patch made following repair of an underground water main.

This letter was written in response to "Ride of Silence: dozens come out to ride in memory of those killed or injured on the road".

I drive for a living. My vehicle is 40 feet long. I have observed cyclists getting in between my vehicle and the curb (about 3 feet of clearance) when they should be (according to traffic rules) behind me. I cross parts of the Burke Gilman Bike Trail and other bike trails several times each day. These trails will have yield or stop signs FOR THE BICYCLE TRAFFIC where the trails cross a road. The number of cyclists who pay attention to these signs is negligible.

Where I work, one of the biggest complaints my co-workers have is bicyclists who pay no attention to road rules. Many do not stop at stop signs, even when hauling small children in carriers. Cyclists are notorious for going against traffic rules for cyclists and riding recklessly in busy areas.

Andreea Niculescu and her partner Rachel Johnson got their dog Annabelle in September of 2003, "so she's almost ten," Johnson said. They describe her as, "a terrier mix but we went to the VCA Animal Hospital and got a check up and the doctor was thinking she might be part Cocker Spaniel because of her square face and the speckles on her legs."

Johnson got her at Three Rivers Rescue in Snoqualmie though she was found in Yakima. She spotted her first on PetFinder.com (which now runs Three Rivers Rescue) and then went to the rescue shelter to get her.

Johnson picked her out, "because she just looked really cute and we drove all the way out there and I saw her. You could tell she'd had a hard go of it. For some reason there was just a sweetness to her and I thought, 'OK this could work.' "

Johnson had three standard poodles growing up but for Niculescu owning a dog was an entirely new experience. She is from Romania and said that pet ownership is just not part of the culture there. "This is my first pet love."