June 2016

When breakfast goes bad: roommates disturb the peace over breadcrumbs

Seattle Police responded to a dispute between roommates at an apartment complex on the 6000 block of Third Avenue N.W. on May 28.

When police arrived they made contact with the victim-roommate who said that the two men were eating breakfast when they got in an argument about breadcrumbs in the kitchen. The suspect-roommate had made himself some steak for breakfast and accused his roommate of “ruining his breakfast.”

The argument escalated. The suspect removed his shirt and began throwing things in the kitchen. The suspect threw steak at the victim. He raised the knife he was using to cut his steak and approached the victim with the knife over his head. The victim told police he felt “threated.”

Another roommate witnessed the disturbance and corroborated the victim’s story.

By Amanda Knox

Dawndra Budd’s photography is like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. She captures dark, whimsical scenes that are rich with symbolism, and within those scenes, ethereal protagonists: Ophelia drowned in a bird’s nest brimming with milk; Pandora curled up sleeping in a suitcase; a pensive debutante looking out over the sea; the White Lady obliterated by smoke, haunting a farmhouse.

What will Dawndra make of me?

I felt a twinge of nervousness at the prospect of entrusting my physical form to the vision of a stranger. But I also felt a twinge of nostalgia. My friend Madison often used to use me as a model in her photography projects. She also tended to have something elaborate in mind, involving costumes, props and, occasionally, some yoga prowess. Madison photographed me playing musical instruments on the roof of her apartment building, contorted into the crannies of a neighboring apartment undergoing renovation, asleep over a game of Scrabble in a deserted intersection in the middle of the night, to name just a few.

In order to address density and growing need for housing City Councilmen Mike O’Brien has released a proposal for legislation that would change the municipal code to allow more flexibility for building small detached dwelling units.

After hearing feedback from the community about current regulations Councilmember O’Brien says that there are “significant burdens on homeowners” when deciding to build backyard cottages or mother-in-law units.”

According to his office, as of December 2015, 221 backyard cottages have been built or permitted in Seattle since 2009; however, there are approximately 75,000 single-family lots that are eligible to build.

O’Brien believes that backyard cottages, or Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs,) have the potential to provide a significant amount of affordable housing. His office claims that if just five percent of eligible lots in Seattle build DADUs it would generate close to 4,000 housing units.

Mayor Ed Murray announced today he is sending legislation to the Seattle City Council to authorize the sale of Pacific Place Garage to MPH PP Garage LLC, at a purchase price of $87 million.

City ownership of the Pacific Place Garage, built in 1998, was key to the redevelopment of a three-block area of downtown at a time when boarded-up, graffiti-covered buildings were prevalent in Seattle’s commercial core. The redevelopment also included moving Nordstrom to the vacant Frederick & Nelson Building, constructing the Pacific Place retail mall and redeveloping the former Nordstrom properties for additional new retail, office and other commercial uses. These efforts inspired a wave of development that led to the vibrant downtown residents and visitors enjoy today.

“The Pacific Place Garage has contributed to the success of downtown, bringing more people to shop and eat in the city, supporting a vibrant business district and improving public safety,” said Mayor Murray. “We will use the proceeds to support other public priorities, including the new North Precinct building when Council approves the final design, rather than asking residents to pay more taxes.”

A train moving highly volatile Bakken oil derailed Friday June 3 near Mosier, Oreg. in the Columbia River Gorge prompting emergency evacuations and road closures after the material caught fire.

Eleven cars out of the 96-car Union Pacific train derailed, some catching fire after releasing the crude on the railroad tracks running alongside Columbia River.

The train was heading for Tacoma, Wash. from Eastpoint, Idaho. Cars were carrying Bakken oil, which is more flammable material with a lower flashpoint than other crude .

The incident has spurred outcry from environmentalists and politicians across the country, calling for more stringent regulation and even the ban of crude being transported near sensitive areas like rivers and communities.

36th District Washington Senator Reuven Carlyle issued a statement shortly after the accident. He drew attention to a local derailment from July of 2014 when a 102-car train pulling 100 cars carrying crude oil derailed in Interbay. No crude spilled. Carlyle called the recent derailment a “wake up call.’

information from Washington State Patrol

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is seeking witnesses to an incident in which a pedestrian, from a disabled vehicle, fell over a cement barrier, landing on concrete below the freeway.

On June 5, 2016 at approximately 11:17 pm, WSP dispatch received a call from a subject stating that his 30 year old girlfriend had fallen over a barrier, SB I-5 just north of the exit to the West Seattle Freeway. The boyfriend stated that he was called by his girlfriend to assist with her silver 2001 Volkswagen (pictured), which had become disabled along the freeway. When arriving, he noticed her lying unconscious on cement approximately 40 feet below where her vehicle was parked.

Troopers and Seattle Fire Department arrived and transported the female victim to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

The WSP is asking anyone that may have seen anything related to this incident to call or contact Detective Vik Mauro at Victoria.mauro@wsp.wa.gov or 425-401-7746.

CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE - The gears are oiled and the tires are inflated, but there are still a couple things that cyclists need to do to ride in the Fremont Arts Council’s 28th Annual Fremont Solstice Parade on June 18. Riders are asked to RSVP this year at fremontartscouncil.org\painted-cyclists to reserve their spot in the parade. Reserved cyclists will have advance opportunity for next year’s registration, when limits on the number of cyclists will be implemented.

Asking painted cyclists to register, and limiting the number of riders is an effort to improve the quality of the body art and enable people to see it better. The hope is that the event will be safer and that those who do ride represent the most creative body painting.

The parade is entirely run by volunteers who consider themselves stewards of an authentic community icon – the Fremont Solstice Parade and Celebration. They appreciate your help sustaining Seattle’s best party. Donations may be made at fremontartscouncil.org/donate.

By Amanda Knox

Dawndra Budd’s photography is like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. She captures dark, whimsical scenes that are rich with symbolism, and within those scenes, ethereal protagonists: Ophelia drowned in a bird’s nest brimming with milk; Pandora curled up sleeping in a suitcase; a pensive debutante looking out over the sea; the White Lady obliterated by smoke, haunting a farmhouse.

What will Dawndra make of me?

I felt a twinge of nervousness at the prospect of entrusting my physical form to the vision of a stranger. But I also felt a twinge of nostalgia. My friend Madison often used to use me as a model in her photography projects. She also tended to have something elaborate in mind, involving costumes, props and, occasionally, some yoga prowess. Madison photographed me playing musical instruments on the roof of her apartment building, contorted into the crannies of a neighboring apartment undergoing renovation, asleep over a game of Scrabble in a deserted intersection in the middle of the night, to name just a few.

by Pat Cashman
“Get over yourself. Not everyone wants to be you.”

“When the center of the universe is discovered, a lot of people are going to be surprised it’s not them.”

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized that they seldom do.”

Those are just a few of the withering quotes I found regarding self. That last one was from Eleanor Roosevelt. I wonder what she would think about the exponential speed in which a relatively new form of human self-admiration is growing.
In just the time it takes you to finish reading this sentence---approximately a gazillion phone photos will be taken in the Puget Sound. Some of them will be of family gatherings. Some will be of kittens, puppies---and maybe a horned toad or two. Far too many will be of restaurant food---from Canlis to Dick’s.
But most will be taken by a person…of their self.
If so-called selfie photography were an epidemic right now, we would be in the midst of a worldwide black plague. Where did this all start?

                                                                                                                
by Georgie Bright Kunkel
 
        The Hebrew  Bible states that the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates River was promised by God to Abraham
and his descendants. My interest in all this came about after I recently viewed an old film about this time in history. I got to thinking about
the Puget Sound region with its beauty and temperate climate. How fortunate am I to have been born into this wonderful part of the world.
Television brings views of war torn countries with famine and pestilence plaguing the population. But here I am in the best place in the world I
could have chosen to live my life.
        West Seattle is still neighborhood friendly so I still know most of my close neighbors. In fact we will soon gather for a neighborhood meeting.
The one who has taken over planning this neighborhood meeting has young children.  She brought two of her little ones over to visit recently and they