July 2015

By Tim Clifford

As reported by numerous local news outlets this week a 37-year-old SeaTac man was arrested and is expected to soon be charged following two groping incidents at Wild Waves Theme Park in Federal Way. The incidents occurred in the wave pool area of the theme park.

According to victims, they were in the wave pool at around 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 when the suspect swam up and touched each of them inappropriately. One of the victims said the suspect actually reached under the top of her bathing suit and then swam off. The other reported inappropriate touching in a very similar fashion.

Wild Waves security was alerted to the incidents by one victim’s mother and by the other victim herself. The security staff then alerted off-duty police officers from the Federal Way Police Department who were on the premises. These officers moved in and arrested the suspect.

"Deciduous Sky" is the title of Burien Arts Gallery’s August exhibit featuring landscape artist Julie Devine.
The show runs Aug. 5-Aug. 30. Meet Julie at the Artist’s Reception, Friday, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. at the Gallery, 826 S.W. 152nd St.

Julie was born and raised in California, and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1991. She paints from the landscape, combining gestural brushwork and knifework into a distinctive, semi-abstract style.
Her work communicates a spirited appreciation for the outdoors and for the painting traditions of impressionist, post-impressionist, and abstract expressionist works she has loved since a child.

Her paintings reside in private collections and have been exhibited in the Pacific Northwest, New York, New Mexico, and Italy.

According to Julie, “My work is about spiritual experience in the landscape -- those moments when the soul merges with the sky, the land, and light.

By Tim Clifford

Per the SPD Blotter a 35-year-old Burien man was arrested and booked into the King County Jail on Tuesday, July 21, after succumbing to a serious case of road rage while he was taking his son to a firing range.

The incident began around 1 p.m. at a stop light on 1st Ave. S. and S. Lander St. in the SODO district while the suspect with his family in a black Ford Expedition was waiting for a red light next to the victim in the other lane. Once the light turned green the two vehicles were simultaneously cut off by a car that sped through the intersection and ran its red light. The victim honked at this car as it passed.

Moments later the victim was shocked to look over and see the suspect in the Ford Expedition had a gun out and was pointing it at him. The victim slowed down, pulled behind the Expedition and followed it until it stopped in the Krispy Kreme parking lot on 1st Ave.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in gathering information surrounding a disturbing discovery this morning in SeaTac; a decomposing body inside a duffle bag.

At about 8:30 a.m. the SeaTac police were called to the Abbey Ridge Apartments complex located at S. 204 St. and 30 Ave. S. by a maintenance worker. The worker led the officers over to a dumpster where they retrieved a duffle bag containing a decomposing body.

The remains were immediately turned over to the medical examiner’s office to determine the identity of the body and the cause of death. At this point in time the body was so far along in decomposition that officers at the scene could not make a determination on the gender of the victim.

It is also unknown at this time how long the remains were at the scene. Given trash pick-up schedules and the amount of decomposition the time could vary from almost a week to a few days.

The KCSO was immediately asked if they believed there was any connection between this crime and a body that was discovered in a suitcase in Kent a few months back.

In a press release from the City of Seattle they announced that projects initiated in neighborhoods across the city were being awarded $467.562 in matching funds to support neighborhood-initiated projects around the city.

The release said:
“These projects are the result of neighbors working together to better their community,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “The entire city benefits from their volunteerism and talent as they create, plan and implement these projects. The Neighborhood Matching Fund is there to support their efforts, whether it is an exhibit, a documentary or a playground.”

These awards are part of the Small and Simple Projects Fund, one of three funds offered by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. It provides cash awards of up to $25,000 in matching funds to community organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2015 June awards range from $4,000 to $25,000, and the organizations pledge to match the City’s $467,562 investment with $600,132 of locally raised money, donated materials and volunteer labor.

27th Season ‘Shakespeare in The Park’
Camp Long
5200 35th Ave. S.W.
Fri., July 31, 7 p.m.: Much Ado About Nothing
Sat., Aug. 1, 7 p.m.: The Two Noble Kinsmen
Presented by Green Stage. www.greenstage.org

Elvis Rockin’ the House
Senior Center of West Seattle
4217 S.W. Oregon St.
206-932-4044
Fri., July 31st. Happy Hour begins 5:30 p.m. with no host bar all evening; Complimentary Photos with Elvis Impersonator, Bret Wiggins 5:30-6 p.m.; Delicious Dinner 6 p.m.(oven-fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, collard green, cornbread, and banana cake with peanut butter, bacon, coconut frosting); Elvis Show 6:30 p.m. Fundraiser Tickets sell out fast: $15/member in advance; $20/non-member in advance; $25/person at the door if available. Must be 21+ to attend this event. All proceeds benefit the Senior Center of West Seattle. For tickets, call 206.932.4044 x1 or online www.sc-ws.org

Rat City Brass Seafair Christmas!
Kenyon Hall
7904 35th Ave. S.W.
www.kenyonhall.org / 206.937.3613

By Pat Cashman

With baseball season now half over---and the Mariners seemingly headed to the cellar to join the root vegetables and water heater---three annual debates begin anew for Mariners fans:
1) Is it true that one of Safeco’s top peanut-throwing vendors was once mistakenly assigned to toss hot coffee during a tragic home stand years ago?

2) Based on casual anatomical scrutiny, is the Mariner Moose actually the Mariner Cow?
3) Who’s the most famous name in Mariner history?

I have no input regarding the first two questions---but the third one is always intriguing. Is it Griffey? Martinez? Garlic fries?

Some say that Edgar Martinez is the best choice, given that he played his entire career in a Seattle uniform---actually several of them. One unfortunate uniform design featured boot-cut, fur-lined bell-bottoms---along with shoes featuring little bells on the tips. Edgar, and all the other Mariners, refused to come out of the dugout until that one was replaced.

Sunday night, July 26, true crime author Ann Rule passed away in a Seattle area hospital. Following a fall in 2013 the author’s health had been steadily declining over the last few years and according to correspondence between the Seattle P.I. and daughter Leslie Rule she ultimately died of pneumonia and congestive heart failure.

On July 19 Rule was admitted to Highline Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit with pneumonia.

Rule began her writing career after working as a Seattle Police officer in the late 1960’s. For years she was regularly published in True Detective Magazine and was their Northwest correspondent. It was during these years that she wrote under the pseudonym “Andy Stack” to give the impression she was a male author. She covered over 800 cases between Seattle and northern California for the magazine throughout the 70’s.