The people who work directly with our neighborhood in preventing crime could soon be out of a job. The six civilian crime prevention coordinators for the Seattle Police Department, including West Precinct and Queen Anne coordinator Terrie Johnston, have been told they’ll lose their jobs next spring when grant money runs out.
The crime prevention coordinators work directly with residents doing everything from setting up block watches to going door to door to warn about recent crimes. They’ve been part of the police budget up until last October, when the positions then became paid for with federal grant money. That ends on March 31 of next year.
“We are the link between the community and the police department,” Terrie Johnston (pictured right) told us. “Patrol officers are often promoted or transfer out. We’re the ones in people’s living rooms and churches.”
Johnston and her fellow coordinators have logged hundreds of community meetings over the past year. She worries that officers and precinct bosses won’t be able to give residents one on one attention if the crime prevention coordinators are let go.
“When we’re gone, who will take the time?”
Councilmember Tim Burgess, who chairs the Public Safety and Education committee, tells us his office is closely tracking the issue as it heads toward the mayor and council. If you’d like to voice your opinions, here’s a link to the mayor and City Council.
Earlier this week we reported that the paperwork for fall sports at Ballard High School would be accepted until today, June 30th. Today’s deadline has been extended. According to the Beaver Athletics website:
Athletic paperwork will be accepted in the main office Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon during the month of July (with the exception of July 5 as the office will be closed for the Independence Day holiday.) Paperwork only (not payments) will be accepted; this will greatly reduce your wait time in August when you or your student comes in to pay fees.
In August, football players must turn in their paperwork and pay fees on August 11th between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. All other fall athletes must turn in their paperwork on August 17th between 9 a.m. and noon or August 18th between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
As part of an ongoing effort to make crime reports more readily available to the public, the city and the Seattle Police Department have created an interactive map that displays all manner of crimes, including robberies, homicides, to theft and graffiti.
This screenshot shows incidents recorded in Queen Anne and Magnolia from Tuesday, June 22 to Tuesday, June 29, and almost all fall under the category of property crime/theft.
Different crimes are represented by color-coded icons. And according to the city, crimes should be visible on the map within 12 hours of being first reported to police. (For up to the minute updates, see SeattleCrime.com’s interactive crime map). Along with the map of a particular incident location, a pop-up dialogue box also offers a brief description of the crime and a police report number that can be used to look up the report on the SPD crime report website unveiled last month.Q
Queen Anne View reports on most crimes in the neighborhood, including car prowls, vandalism and break-ins. However, we don’t always find out about everything. If you know of a crime in our neighborhood, please email us at tips@queenanneview.com
To avoid the lines in August, Ballard High School is accepting fall sports paperwork until June 30th (that’s tomorrow.) If you have a student hoping to play a fall sport at BHS, paperwork is due during the summer break. If you miss the June 30th cutoff, the paperwork won’t be accepted until August when the lines can be pretty long. Here are the August dates to turn in paperwork, pay the sport fees and buy the ASB card:
Football players:
August 11 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
All other fall sports:
August 17 between 9 a.m. and noon
August 18 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Here is the packet (.pdf) that needs to be filled out completely and the parent release form (.pdf) that also needs to be filled out. Forms that aren’t completed will be given back to the student.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact athletic secretary Sharon Davis at 252-1000. Sharon is in the office from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through June 30. More information on Beaver athletics can be found here.
For anyone who was in downtown Seattle this weekend, you probably caught some of the Pride Parade, which poured into Seattle Center mid-day Sunday, where thousands celebrated Pride Fest under the Needle.
For those of you who couldn’t make it to Pride this year, we’ve captured some of the festivities through photos.
Crowds enjoyed the International Fountain on the cloudy, but still quite warm summer day.
It’s hard to imagine Aurora sans cars during daylight hours, much less what it would look like inhabited only by runners, which is exactly what happened on Saturday when Highway 99 was closed off for the Rock’n'Roll Marathon.
Reader Bruce Wilson sent in this photo, taken Saturday morning. I think it’s kind of surreal looking, don’t you?
We snapped a few photos of Queen Anne from a ferry this weekend.
It was a beautiful trip, so we thought we’d share a few photos from an angle you may not see very often. Click through the link below to see a few more…
West Queen Anne, behind the Magnolia ferry terminal (Pier 91).
The businesses lining the water on Elliott.
The cruise ship parked on Pier 66.
It’s a big boat.
Ok, it’s not anywhere near Queen Anne, but a beautiful shot of Rainier.
The BAT lanes on 15th Ave have generated lots of controversy since they were implemented in early 2009. This morning reader Bruce Carter wrote in to our sister site, Magnolia Voice, and sent these pictures of the commute coming into the city. He noted that the BAT lanes are often empty while cars are backed up.
He writes: Are these photos typical of our morning commutes? Are these commuters happy? Is this the best way to move people and commerce? Do Mayor McGinn,City Council Transportation Chair Tom Rasmussen, Vice Chair Jean Godden, and Committee Members Tim Burgess and Nick Licata know how much commuters enjoy McGridlock?
How much have the 15th NW/ Elliott commute trip times and greenhouse gas emissions changed since introduction of these glorious BAT lanes? There are occasional scheduled Metro buses and bicyclists who inhabit the BAT lane, though bicyclists who are not training for the Tour De France seem to prefer the waterfront trail past the grain terminal.
Do you agree with Bruce? Tell us what you think in comments below.
Mayor Mike McGinn announced his selection of current interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz to take on the permanent post Thursday, June 24. Seattle Channel recorded the mayor’s announcement, which you can watch below.
Diaz stepped in as interim chief when former Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske left to take up a new position as the nation’s Drug Control Policy Director. The mayor had narrowed the selection pool down the three finalists last month, including Diaz, Sacramento police chief Rick Braziel and East Palo Alto, California police chief Ron Davis, when Braziel withdrew from the race. For more information on Diaz and what’s in store for the Seattle Police Department, read this piece by our news partner, The Seattle Times.
Fifteen French students are coming to our area this summer through an organization called Mondes Nouveaux, and most have been placed with local families in Wallingford, Green Lake, Phinney Ridge, Ballard and Roosevelt.. Their chaperone, a 29-year-old woman, still needs a host family for July 29 to August 18. The organization also needs back-up families willing to host a student at the last minute, just in case another host family has some kind of emergency.
If you can help, email Jill Zawatski at jillzawatski@gmail.com.
A lot of those big holes and vacant project sites around Seattle are about to get a facelift. The Seattle Design Commission has just announced the finalists for Holding Patterns, an initiative to temporarily improve the look of stalled construction projects until work is ready to start again. One proposal for Queen Anne made the final cut.
A group called ViDea, a collective of live visual performers using real-time animation and live video mixing techniques, is proposing to turn the old Mountaineers site (above) at West Thomas and 3rd Ave W into a live video performance space. Buildings would be used as digital projection surfaces. As we reported a few days ago, that site is about to become a new apartment complex which could complicate any proposal at this location. You can read the full proposal here.
There’s another proposal that suggests turning graffiti into art including a site at 15th and West Blaine (below) in Interbay.
The idea is to use the vacant lot to experiment with public art by mounting large metal panels as canvases, providing paint, and letting people go at it. The panels would eventually be taken down, cut up and turned into new art for parks, civic buildings, art galleries or private collections.
The next step is to bring the finalists together with vacant property owners, developers, and City officials.
The Seattle Department of Transportation has proposed improvements to the stretch of Dexter Ave N between Mercer and Nickerson that it says are “designed to benefit everyone who uses the street, including commuters, truck drivers, bus passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.”
The project would include:
Repaving Dexter Ave N
Installing bike lanes on both sides of the street that are separated from vehicle traffic by a parking lane
Removing the two-way left turn lane
Providing dedicated left-turn lanes at busy intersections
Providing dedicated load zones for businesses that need them
Providing in-lane bus stops to improve transit speed and reliability
Installing dedicated bus islands
SDOT will be holding an open house regarding the plan from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29 in Conference Room A at the Seattle Center’s Center House.
If you can’t make it to the meeting, public comments may be submitted via e-mail to walkandbike@seattle.gov, or by calling 206-684-7583.
The project, if approved, would be funding Seattle’s Bridging the Gap Levy.
The 3rd Annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk is happening this Saturday, June 26 at Seattle Center’s Mural Amphitheatre from 7 t0 10:30 a.m., where organizers, volunteers and family and friends of those affected by brain cancer will walk to build awareness, raise money and advance the search for a cure.
Walkers will get to choose between making two loops around the longer course, 1.1 miles, or the shorter course, .3 miles. The entire event will take place on the Seattle Center campus.
The Seattle Brain Cancer Walk was founded in 2008 by a group of committed volunteers and families, and has since raised over $400,000 for research, comprehensive care and clinical trials for brain cancer patients in the Pacific Northwest.
This year the Brain Cancer Walk has already raised $331,043.08. Online registration for the event will close at 5 p.m. today, Thursday, June 24. To register click here. For more information on walk-day, click here.
For those diehard World Cup fans out there, we’ve just discovered another neighborhood spot to watch the games: Blue Water Taco Grill in Lower Queen Anne.
Blue Water says they’ll be showing all the games at the Uptown location, and offering special lunchtime World Cup specials.
We’ve got two TV’s, including one big flat screen, so you won’t miss any of the 2010 World Cup action. If there’s a game on, we’ll be tuned in.
World Cup Lunch Specials:
$7.95 – Grilled Tilapia Asada Plate served with grilled veggies and rice and beans, salsa, Blue Water fish sauce.
$6.95 Mexican Style Taquitos (Steak or Chorizo) served with rice and beans OR chips & salsa OR tortilla soup.
$7.50 Enchilada plate (ground beef or chicken) served with rice and beans, pico de gallo, and Mexican cheese.
For the fourth year in a row, Ballard High School students have walked away with a golden statue at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards. Congratulations to two teams of video production students at Ballard High School for each winning an Emmy earlier this month. “Loose Change,” which was produced for Real Change by Emma Hutchison, Georgia Peck and Alex Scheller, won in the Public Service Announcement category, and “The Crumb” by Emily Deering, Karli Lafferty, Sarah Maloney and Taylor Rubright won in the Dramatic Presentation category. Four other productions were nominated and received honorable mentions. The regional Emmy Awards honor outstanding productions from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
There will soon be one less empty space at the top of the hill, and one more place to bring the family for some good food and creative fun. Queen Anne resident and first-time mom Rebecca Pelletier will be opening Twirl Cafe–a half kids play space, half coffee shop/community gathering spot–later this summer at 2111 Queen Anne Ave N (in the Sweetbrier building).
Pelletier, a Queen Anne-er for a little over three years, has wanted to be a business owner for some time. When scoping out locations for her new play cafe, she was inspired by the Queen Anne’s community feel and walkability, despite the steep slopes. It wasn’t hard for her to get cozy with the idea of opening a community-based small business right here in her home neighborhood.
“I love Queen Anne because it is the perfect mix of urban and residential. Coming from Capitol Hill, we wanted a “walkable” neighborhood that was safe and quiet for raising a family. We love it up here,” she wrote. “I had always felt there was a lack of family-focused establishments on the hill, and in Seattle in general. The ones that I had been to, I always left feeling like there was something missing, or it wasn’t quite right. I wanted a place I could take my child where she would be happy, and I would be happy.”
From this the concept for Twirl was born. According to Pelletier, the space will go beyond being a cafe (which will a health-oriented menu, she adds) and open creative space. She also plans to offer unique and fun classes for children and adults, and has already committed to providing childcare while parents attend workshops throughout the year. Pelletier describes Twirl as an “environment that is relaxing, comfortable, hip for the adults yet entertaining for the kids.”
In in addition to building a space that is creative, comfy and filled with good snacks, Pelletier says that part of Twirl’s mission as a community-oriented small business will be supporting other organizations within the community.
“This means partnering with other small, local business to provide unique products and services. Our menu is full of healthy, natural, organic, and sustainable menu choices. The classes we will offer provide a learning opportunity for both parent and child. The play area will be clean, contained and will include an imaginative tree-house structure, and many other toys and activities,” she wrote.
Pelletier says she plans to charge a flat rate fee for the play area, which “will not be your average box of toys.” The classroom space will also double as an open gym for tumble/active play.
“I want Twirl to be a place new parents can come meet other new parents, meet other friends with kids, or maybe have some one-on-one play time with their child(ren). It’s a chance to take play outside of the house, and have a good cup of coffee or sandwich (or both!) while you are at it. I can think of many rainy Seattle days with my toddler when this kind of place would have been great,” she wrote.
No word yet on a definite opening date (we’ll keep you posted), but look for Twirl at the top of the hill as it prepares to open later this summer! For more information, check out Twirl’s website and blog.
We’re diving into the heart of the Queen Anne Farmers Market season! Now all we need is for this summery weather to stick around… Check out the lineup for this week’s market on Thursday, June 24:
3 to 5 p.m. – Musical performance by pedal steel guitarist Hal Merrill
6 p.m. – Cooking Demo with Herschell Taghap from All Things Chill
The featured sponsor this week is Metropolitan Market, and the featured nonprofits are the Queen Anne Helpline and new option school Queen Anne Elementary. As always, the market will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on W Crockett St. at Queen Anne Ave N.
More than 25,000 runners are expected to hit the streets during Saturday’s Rock’n’Roll Marathon. The race will have a major impact on drivers from Tukwila to north Seattle.
Both directions of Highway 99 will be closed at 39th Street to the north and Diagonal Ave. S. to the south starting at 5:30 a.m. All southbound lanes are expected to open at 1:15 and the northbound lanes of the viaduct at 4 p.m. with the stretch from the viaduct to 39th St. opening at 2 p.m. One northbound lane will be open for local traffic only, between Roy St and Queen Anne Drive.
The course map of the marathon can be found here (.pdf). A list of the road closures available here (.pdf).
The Seattle Public Library is increasing the number of downloadable books and media that you can place on hold and check out. You can now place holds on 25 items (up from 10) and check out 25 items (up from 20) at a time.
The Library’s digital OverDrive collection has grown from 1,878 items to over 43,000 digital, downloadable e-book, audiobook, music and video titles. Items can be downloaded to a PC or Mac, and transferred to portable listening, viewing and reading devices. Checked-out items are returned automatically after 21 days, so no due dates or late fees to worry about!
To browse and download digital e-books, audiobooks, music and videos available via OverDrive, go to www.spl.org and click on “Library Collection,” then select “Digital Books & Media.” A Library card and PIN number are required to download items.
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“We are the link between the community and the police department,” Terrie Johnston (pictured right) told us. “Patrol officers are often promoted or transfer out. We’re the ones in people’s living rooms and churches.”
