Bruce Harrell will be on home turf tonight as he joins six other mayoral candidates for the Juneteenth Mayoral Candidates Forum. Recent polls put Harrell in a four-way race with incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn, Peter Steinbrueck, and Sen. Ed Murray.

CDN sat down with Harrell this week at his 23rd and Union corner office to talk about the Central District and his candidacy to unseat McGinn in November.

First, the basics. Harrell’s background is the sort a novelist would conjure for a homegrown Seattle politician. He was born and raised three blocks from his campaign office. As a child he walked to the now-closed T.T. Minor Elementary and Meany Middle schools. He was valedictorian at Garfield High School, and then went on to win a Rose Bowl as a leading defensive player for the University of Washington.

After a decade in corporate law with telecommunication company US WEST, now Qwest, Harrell went into private practice. In 2007 Harrell was elected to the Seattle city council, where public safety has been his number one issue.

“I grew up in a city where you can walk during the evening as a young person and feel safe,” he said. “Now I walk in many areas and I don’t feel safe. That’s unacceptable.”

Inevitably a discussion of public safety in the Central District turns towards Justin Ferrari, the 42-year-old father shot and killed in the crossfire of two teens at the intersection of East Cherry Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Harrell said Ferrari’s death last year is Seattle’s worst nightmare, but that the city has failed to address the underlying causes of the tragedy. Harrell has criticized McGinn for not including more civic and religious groups in the fight against street violence, and vows to do more on that front.

Harrell’s most concrete public safety initiative is to equip police officers with body cameras.

He also wants Seattle to “set the precedent of what strong gun control should look like.” First, the state legislature would have to allow cities to set their own gun control ordinances. Harrell said once that happens, he wants police to have the authority to confiscate weapons if they suspect someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He would also mandate all firearms are stored in a lock-box and require background checks on every firearm transaction.

While the debate over the size and pace of neighborhood density continues on Capitol Hill, Harrell said he wants to see more density in the CD. He’s mostly in favor of apodments – the small, dorm-style apartments – and getting aggressive on allowing for higher buildings.

What he doesn’t want is big-box retail, which he said would lead to gentrification.

“You want small businesses here, you want home based businesses here. That’s how you avoid a completely gentrified area.”

The Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct honored Steven Anderson on Tuesday night for his actions during January’s shooting at the Twilight Exit.

Anderson assisted bouncer Gregg McCormick after he had been shot by the suspect during the January 27 incident. The EMTs on the scene said Anderson’s quick thinking

saved McCormick’s life.

(From left to right) Capt. Wilson, Gregg McCormick, and Steven Anderson. Photo courtesy of SPD.

Anderson was parking his scooter when the suspect shot McCormick. Anderson ran down the alley, where he saw McCormick lying on the ground. Anderson called 911 and then administered First Aid to McCormick, applying pressure to the wound while waiting for first responders.

The incident started when the gunman argued with his ex-girlfriend inside the bar. The gunman shot the woman after shooting McCormick, who had tried to intervene. When the gunman exited the bar, police contacted him and told him to drop his gun. He lifted the gun and fired one shot at officers, police said. Officers then returned fire, striking him.

Medics declared the suspect dead on arrival. The two victims were transported to the hospital, and both have recovered from their injuries.

Though most news surrounding King County Metro bus lines has to do with cuts to service, the City of Seattle is now planning service increases for nine routes.

The city put $750,000 towards expanding night and weekend bus rides on these routes, which include the 48 that runs in part through the Central District.

“The City of Seattle is buying more than 5,000 hours of added service per year through early 2016 on nine high ridership bus routes in Seattle,” city officials announced June 16. The route increases are being funded through the Bridging the Gap levy that has purchased “45,000 hours of transit service each year” since 2008 according to a City of Seattle release.

Funds from the voter-approved levy will go towards increasing night and weekend service on routes: 5, 10, 21, 40, 41, 48, 49, and 120. In February 2014, funds will also go toward the Aurora RapidRide.

The monetary booster shot comes during trying times for King County Metro, and will ideally reduce the wait time – and frustration – for some bus commuters.

“It’s great to be able to add this service at a time of ridership growth,” King County Metro general manager Kevin Desmond said in a statement. The City of Seattle release claims the added funds will “increase evening and weekend frequency on high-ridership routes from 30 to 15 minutes or from 60 to 30 minutes.” Serving as a relatively small fix, officials say there is still more work to be done to create long term solutions.

From the City:

Since 2008 the City of Seattle has used Bridging the Gap funds to purchase up to 45,000 hours of transit service each year. Using $750,000 in savings from Levy-funded projects, the City of Seattle is buying 5,000 additional hours of service on priority bus routes identified in the Transit Master Plan that serve SR 99, Interstate 5, and major arterial streets, including:

Route 5 (Greenwood to Downtown)

Route 10 (North Capitol Hill to Downtown)

Route 21 (West Seattle to Downtown)

Route 40 (Northgate-Crown Hill-Ballard-Fremont-South Lake Union-Downtown)

Route 41 (Lake City-Northgate-Downtown via Interstate 5)

Route 48 (University District to Mt. Baker Light Rail Station)

Route 49 (University District to Pike/Pine and Downtown)

Route 120 (West Seattle to Downtown)

 

Additionally, the pre-existing Metro Transit Now commitment providing 5,000 hours of 100 percent Metro-funded service would go into effect in February 2014 and fund more trips on the Aurora RapidRide E Line.

As reported today on the Capitol Hill Seattle blog, King County Metro Transit will be replacing its fleet of trolley buses.

CHS has reported on the long, winding road to replacing Metro’s fleet of aging trolley buses. This week, King County has announced it is done shopping:

King County Metro Transit announced today it will replace its aging trolley fleet with new all-electric New Flyer coaches that will take about one-third less energy to power. Metro is second only to San Francisco in having the largest electric trolley fleet in the nation.

 

Metro plans to initially purchase up to 141 trolley buses – about 10 percent of its entire fleet – under a contract with New Flyer totaling up to $164 million. Future bus purchases will be dependent on fleet needs and whether Metro is able to avoid service reductions in the coming years.

 

“Electric trolleys have a lot of fans, and I’m one of them,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “They’re quiet, they run clean, they’re part of our transit heritage, and studies confirm they’re the best for moving riders in our very hilly and dense urban environment.”

 

Federal and Metro capital funds will be used to purchase the buses, with the first prototype expected to arrive in 2014. Riders can expect to see new coaches hit the streets in 2015.

The announcement includes some data on buses that operate throughout the Central District and Capitol Hill:

The New Flyer electric trolley buses will use an estimated 25-30 percent less energy than the current electric trolley buses, and use regenerative braking that puts power back into the energy system.

 

The trolleys also will be able to operate off-wire on battery power for short distances – a feature that will allow the bus to reliably reroute around collisions without calling for a Metro push truck. It also will reduce the need to substitute diesel buses when construction affects routes along electric bus corridors.

 

The new buses will have low floors for easier and faster boarding and exiting. They include an updated system to secure wheelchairs, and the 60 foot buses will have three doors, air conditioning and the ability to kneel the full length of the bus.

When I noticed the post a few weeks ago announcing Tom Fucoloro’s departure, I had two thoughts: Those are some big shoes to fill. And, I think I can do that.

I’m pleased to announce I’ll have a shot at filling those shoes. I’m stepping in as your new Central District News editor, and I’m excited to be here.

I’m a Central District resident and a freelance writer. You may have seen my name in Edible Seattle or Seattle Weekly; I contribute to both regularly. Though most of my writing as a professional has been feature stories, I’m a trained journalist and I’m looking forward to getting back into hard news and reporting.

And I’m looking forward to putting my own spin on this site. To that end, I hope you’ll be patient with me as I get my sea legs. I hope in time I can create a site that you find reliable and enjoyable.

I also want to hear from you: What are you expectations? What do you like about the site, and what would you like to see change? Your ideas will be a big help moving forward.

Thanks, and let’s make this site a great one.

Seattle Police and Fire departments responded to a car crash at 400 23rd Ave Monday afternoon.

According to Seattle Fire Department tweets, a car collided with a pole on 23rd Ave, next to Garfield High School.

Medics transported a female child to Harbor Medical Center to be treated for trauma. Medics evaluated the driver, who declined treatment, and a male child in the back seat, who suffered minor injuries and is not being transported.

Update: SPD called a “drug recognition expert”officer to the scene during the crash investigation, according to police radio dispatches.

UPDATE x2: Details from SPD:

Detectives are investigating a one-vehicle collision that resulted in two children being transported to the hospital with injuries. At approximately 4:09 p.m. officers responded to 911 reports of a vehicle that collided into a pole just south of the intersection of 23rd Avenue and East Jefferson Street.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the adult female driver was traveling northbound on 23rd Avenue approaching East Jefferson Street in a blue Honda. For reasons yet to be determined she lost control of the Honda, drove up on the sidewalk and collided into a light pole. The driver was not injured as a result of the collision.

There were two young children on board, both of whom were injured. Fire department medics responded to the scene and transported a 7-year-old female child to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of her life-threatening injuries. Another child was transported by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries (this second child was in a child safety seat).

Drug Recognition Expert officers responded to the scene to assist with the investigation of the driver, which remains on-going.

The northbound lanes of 23rd Avenue have been completely shut down while officers and detectives conduct their on-scene investigation.

The road is estimated to be back open to all traffic at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives responded to the scene and continue to actively investigate.

EDITOR’S UPDATE: Six candidates have confirmed they will be there. Missing are Charlie Staadecker and Peter Steinbrueck. See below for updated details.

Mayoral Candidates to meet in Central District on Juneteenth to address issues regarding future of community.

Young Voters League presents

Africatown-Central District 

JUNETEENTH MAYORAL CANDIDATES FORUM 2013

Wednesday, June 19th, 6pm-9pm

Horace Mann Building (24th & Cherry)

**Open House for Africatown Center summer programming at Horace Mann, 4pm-6pm**

The flyer is below and attached for duplication and digital distribution.

Please RSVP and invite people to the Facebook Event page here

Twitter/Instagram hashtag – #JuneteenthForum

Thank you all and we are looking forward to the best Candidate Forum of the primary season!

EDITOR’S UPDATE: Six candidates have confirmed they will be there. Missing are Charlie Staadecker and Peter Steinbrueck. Details from the Young Voters League:

The Young Voters League will sponsor a Mayoral Candidate Forum on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 from 6:00-9:00 pm.

The Forum, to be held at the historic Horace Mann School located at 2410 E. Cherry St., honors Juneteenth and will double as an Open House exhibition of youth and community programs at the Horace Mann Building. Pre-Forum events begin at 4:00 pm.

Of the eight candidates currently running for the post of Seattle Mayor, six have confirmed their intention to participate in the Forum including Mayor Mike McGinn, Bruce Harrell, Ed Murray, Kate Martin, Joey Gray, and Mary Martin. Charlie Staadecker’s campaign did not respond to the invitation while Peter Steinbrueck reported a schedule conflict.

Issues to be raised at the forum include future economic and cultural development in the Central District, social justice, education and youth issues.

“Juneteenth marks the end of chattel slavery in America and a historical step towards recognizing and respecting the human rights of all people,” says event co-host and former Mayoral candidate K. Wyking Garrett. “There is still much work to do here in Seattle and the mayor plays a significant role in the process.”

In addition to the Forum and Open House exhibition, the event will feature music, food, spoken word performances, resource tables and vendors, and educational presentation on the history of “Juneteenth” holiday.

Celebrated nationally by African Americans, Juneteenth started as a commemoration of the belated emancipation of the last known American chattel slaves, in Texas, every June 19th.

The event is co-sponsored and and supported by More 4 Mann Coalition, Umoja PEACE Center, Good Hair Salon, La Amistad School, Partners for Black Parent Empowerment, Freshest Roots, Natural Child Agency, Africatown-CD Preservation & Development Alliance, West Africoast Media, Washington State Moroccan Association, Uovement Clothing, Reperations Law, Ijo Arts, Seattle Capoeira Center, Brothas Buildin, Mothers Outreach Movement, Seattle Hip-Hop Youth Council, OutsideThinc Agency, Fresh Coast Society, Mint Factory Clothing, Al-Noor Academy of Arts and Sciences and other community groups, businesses and residents.
About the Young Voters League

The Young Voters League exists to encourage political participation from younger voters, to facilitate dialogue between young voters and political candidates, and to assist young people in registering to vote and availing themselves of the political process. The Young Voters League advises all candidates to pay particular attention to young voters who continue to engage and activated in record numbers, proving that young people are an essential electoral component of any successful campaign.

Schedule at a glance:

4:00 – Open House
6:00pm – Juneteenth Program
6:30 – Candidate Forum

Image: Central Cinema

It’s a familiar situation for independent movie theaters that have stubbornly fought to remain free of Hollywood constraints but don’t want to be left behind by technology. 21st and Union’s Central Cinema plans to launch a Kickstarter this Saturday, and is looking to crowdsource $60,000 to catch up with the big studios, and ultimately, survive.

“The switch to DCP [high-tech projectors] is something that the movie studios are starting to force onto theaters,” Central Cinema owner Kevin Spitzer tells us. The theater operating on one 35mm camera now needs $60,000 to upgrade to a DCP projector that Spitzer says in a year will become a necessity.

“Last year 20th Century Fox and Disney sent out letters stating that they were discontinuing 35mm film by the end of 2013… We have not been able to show any 20th Century Fox or Disney/BuenaVista/Touchstone/Pixar since last fall…The word coming down is that within a year almost all movie distribution will be for DCP systems.” Spitzer said they won’t phase out indie, and archival films, but that in order to stay a viable they need to change with the times.

Spitzer hopes to officially launch the Kickstarter campaign this Saturday – pending site approval – unveiling it at their ‘Totally 80’s Sing Along’. The Kickstarter will end on July 18 at a closing party Spitzer said. Though the $60,000 may seem like a high price tag, it’s actually more reasonable then it used to be.

“This is way down from $250k+ only eight years ago. Still $60K is a chunk to bite off all at once which is why we are looking for help from our fans,” Spitzer said of the DCP projector they hope to grab. The Central District theater also plans to put in $10,000 of their own money towards the project, as well as the physical labor needed to get it set up. Other costs will include fixtures and supporting equipment. The alternative to a DCP projector will put moviegoers on the edge of their seats.

Spitzer says if the Kickstarter fails to meet the goal the indie theater may turn to loans that may come with a financial hit. “Even with interest rates as low as they are the banks just aren’t interested in extending loans without putting up your house. We could probably scratch around and put several different personal loans together, but it would be a pretty scrappy way to make it happen.”

CHS recently reported on a similar — and ultimately successful — drive at 12th Ave’s Northwest Film Forum.

Despite the costs, Spitzer says the new film tech will increase the overall viewer experience.

“We think it will be a worthwhile thing for people to spend some of the money that they would already spend on movies and put it up front. We get help with the projector and they get to see a big improvement in the shows.”

You can contribute to the campaign starting Saturday, here, or stop by the cinema then for their 80’s Sing Along. An excuse to channel your inner David Bowie, or wear some leg warmers. Who could miss that?

Central Cinema 1411 21st Ave. Seattle, WA 98122

THE TOTALLY 80′S SING ALONG

You demanded it and we heard your cries of “MORE 80′s! MORE 80′s!” By special arrangement, curator and host, Jason Miller is delivering an evening of 80′s TO THE MAXXX!!! On a Saturday Night! Now you can party all night long and not have to go to work the next day a totally 80′s hot mess!

Featuring 80′s titans like Prince, Madonna, MJ, Cyndi Lauper, this is one sing along that will have you out of your seat and dancing in the aisles! So BEAT IT down to Central Cinema and hopefully your PAPA DON”T PREACH at you when you roll in after the midnight hour WALKING ON SUNSHINE!

Tickets on sale now!
$10 in advance/ $12 day of show

Concept image from the 19th and Madison park’s blog

So the Parks Department is now looking for community ideas for a name. You can submit your idea and explain why in an online survey. Deadline to submit is June 22.

From the park organizers:

It’s time to name the park! (New park at 19th and Madison is getting to be kind of a mouthful after all). So come on- give the Parks Department your best suggestions!

Please submit suggestions for a park name by June 22.

Criteria the committee consider in naming parks include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. A park may be named for a person no longer living (deceased a minimum of three years) who made a significant contribution to parks and/or recreation.

We will collect all names and then put selected names up to a vote to garner community support. We do not have the final say on the name of the park.

Seattle Police arrested four including at least one known gang member and seized three vehicles tracked down on 34th Ave after a man was found lying naked and semi-conscious in the street behind Garage Billiards on Capitol Hill early Thursday morning.

According to the SPD report on the incident, police were called to the Garage after receiving a report of two men in an altercation on Broadway CT near the IHOP.

When they arrived just before 1 AM, police found the victim lying down and dazed in the street with dilated eyes. And he was also completely naked. The victim was taken to Harborview for further treatment.

Police found a black Camaro spotted at the scene later that night in the 900 block of 34th Ave. Police approached the group and their parked vehicles and identified a man matching the description of the Broadway Ct. suspect.

Inside the vehicles, police found “several small white colored rocks wrapped together in a clear plastic baggy” believed to be drugs, the victim’s wallet and a pile of clothes believed to belong to the victim. Police arrested one man for the drugs, one woman on a warrant, one woman who had the victim’s wallet and the man suspected of assaulting the victim and stealing his clothing.

Neighbors in the area reported that police also searched area yards during the arrest incident on 34th Ave.