Posted on March 1, 2014 by communityofafricatown

Community supporters and customers rallied to support Waid Sainvil whose lounge faced a threat of closure.

You can view a majority of that EastPAC meeting here

A meeting was held on Thursday February 27 at Seattle U’s Chardin Hall Room 145 to hear comments regarding an attempt to close “Waid’s” Haitian Cuisine Bar & Lounge, owned by Waid Sainvil.

The EastPAC meeting was being held due to what the City of Seattle claims are various club ‘violations’, and the nightclub has since been threatened with closure.

Waid said “It’s a black thing,” and that “this is the only place in Seattle where black people from all over hang out.”

In attendance along with the lounge owner, were friends and community leaders and supporters of Waids, EastPAC,Officer David Stitt, the Washington State Liquor Control Enforcement representative, Bill Reddy, who coordinates the City of Seattle Nightlife Premises Regulatory Enforcement Unit. Also present to brief you on the City’s activity relating to this matter will be the East Precinct City Attorney Liaison, Matt York.

View EastPAC meeting

Garfield HS is holding a raffle for a Tesla Model S, an all electric car, for the second year in a row. The net proceeds from the raffle go to fund things like 9th-grade science, a volunteer coordinator for classroom support and tutoring, library, art & photography materials, band uniforms, student planners and so much more. Last year the raffle alone raised over $75,000 and the majority of ticket holders did not even have a student at the school!

The Tesla Team are selling raffle tickets at two locations this weekend. Tickets are $100 each and can be purchased with cash, check or credit card. Look for our friendly sellers and display posters!! And remember, all net proceeds go to Garfield High School!
WHERE: Outside Uwajimaya, 600 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, March 1 & 2, 1:00-3:30 PM

WHERE: Outside Starbucks, 2135 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle
WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 9:0) AM-12:00 PM

Notes: If you would like to purchase tickets and can’t make this sale – please contact [email protected] or call 206-293-0653.

A Capitol Hill activist recently sent around this useful information:

Recently I attempted to help a neighbor fight an eviction. We are hopeful that we will be successful.

Given the rapid displacement of our neighbors, especially those with limited resources, perhaps you might soon find yourself with a neighbor who needs some help. If you know attorneys who might be willing to do pro bono work in this area, it would be nice to have some neighborhood referral resources for this.

I have compiled the below action steps and resources. This is not legal advice. I am not an attorney. And perhaps someone else knows a better process. But this is what I found to be most helpful and what I learned through my research and meetings with my neighbor and our meetings with advocates.

1. Ask if the resident is willing to share their eviction papers, lease, and any other correspondence / notices. Make extra copies for the resident (and for yourself, with permission) so that as you both meet with folks, you can share / mark them up. Scan clean copies so that they are email-able to attorneys who want to review the documents in order to decide if they are willing to take the case.
2. Read the relevant sections of the “tenant rights handbook” and the “eviction response packet” together (see below).The most important thing to do is meet any deadlines with the appropriate legal forms.
3. Assess wether there are options for private legal representation (perhaps the resident’s friends or family might help)
4. Explore public options. My first stop would be the Northwest Justice Project at the courthouse downtown: 3rd floor. Arrive at 7:45 and put your name on the clipboard for a consultation. The link below tells what paperwork to bring to this meeting. The person being evicted must be present and willing to sign paperwork about income level in order to receive legal advice on the case.
5. Help the resident decide whether they will respond to the eviction with attorney representation (private or public) or “pro se” if neither are possible. If pro se, use the legal documents in the  “eviction response packet” as your guide. READ CAREFULLY AND MEET ALL DEADLINES WITH THE OPPOSING PARTY’S ATTORNEY AND WITH THE COURT CLERK’S OFFICE

That is as far as I got with this neighbor, since an attorney has now taken her case. Hooray! Resources…

Housing Justice Project — free attorney consultation / representation www.kcba.org/pbs/HJP.aspx

Tenant rights handbook eviction on pages 15-19

http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/files/C9D2EA3F-0350-D9AF-ACAE-BF37E9BC9FFA/attachments/B6683A5E-C507-4E9B-8A22-02055EC445C5/6300en.pdf

Eviction response packet   http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/files/C9D2EA3F-0350-D9AF-ACAE-BF37E9BC9FFA/attachments/819A0BA1-F856-49A6-8782-E316D85F834B/6310en.pdf

Attorney General resource list  for complaints about discrimination, low income housing, senior issues

http://www.atg.wa.gov/ResidentialLT/default.aspx#.UwO3tGRDu0w

Tenant rights  http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/issues/housing/tenants-rights

Just Cause Eviction in Seattle–Tenant Information https://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/dpdd016420.pdf

Self-representation Pro Se  http://www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/pos_bja/ptc/documents/SuperiorCourtProSeLitigantInformation.pdf

 Solid Ground (Fremont)  Homelessness prevention programs and tenant services

http://www.solid-ground.org/Programs/Housing/Counseling/Pages/default.aspx

Found – Plucky White Chicken 26th and Madison

2/24 I observed a chicken in my apartment building’s exterior stairwell, perhaps blown in during strong winds and rain. I fed it a few slices of gluten free bread and let my landlord know. Without being an expert, I’d say the bird was scared, but healthy and friendly as far as chickens go, in my experience.

2/25 The chicken is now in my front yard, which has a wide spaced fence, but I am concerned the bird may wander into traffic. I fed it again and called Seattle Animal Control at 206-386-7387.

I hope this post helps reunite bird and owner.

The learning and fun continue all year round at Lake Washington Girls Middle School!

LWGMS STEAM Summer Camps for girls ages 8–11

STEAM Summer Camp is an exciting and hands-on learning opportunity for girls, with a special emphasis on the STEAM curriculum areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). LWGMS embraces an educational model that integrates the arts into STEM: STEAM. STEAM design classes incorporate problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, presentation, prototyping, and response to critique (resilience). Here at LWGMS, in summer camps and the school classroom, we are celebrating the STEM to STEAM initiative! LWGMS STEAM CAMPS

July 28-August 1
August 4-8

Lake Washington Girls Middle School summer camps are a great way for elementary girls to get an introduction to all things STEAM. Our summer curriculum fosters fluency in creative thinking skills and collaboration, which can then be used to solve 21st century problems. Problem-solving, risk-taking, and mistake-making are necessary skills to practice, especially at the middle school level and especially for girls. All of our STEAM summer programs emphasize the use of Design Thinking, which is the core of problem solving. The girls will work on a variety of projects, including stop-motion claymation filmmaking, model building, and Scratch coding. The girls can expect a dynamic experience working with hand tools, modeling clay, recycled materials, iPads, cameras, 3D printers, state of the art computer software, and more!

Open to rising 3rd through 6th grade students.
9am-4pm
$395 per session.
Sign Up for STEAM/Design Thinking today!

Please join the students of Lake Washington Girls Middle School as they present…

MULAN
music and lyrics by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel,
Stephen Schwartz, Jeanine Tesori, and Alexa Junge
book adapted and additional lyrics by Patricia Cotter
based on the 1998 Disney film Mulan and the story Fa Mulan
by Robert D. San Souci
directed by Jenny Zavatsky

location & time
Broadway Performance Hall
1625 Broadway, Seattle, WA
March 7 at 7p
March 8 at 2p
Tickets $10
Reserve your seats today!

Now Hiring: Bicycle Ambassadors

Interested in making a positive impact on your community? Do you bike to work or ride with your family? Have you just rediscovered your love of bicycling? Join Cascade Bicycle Club as a Bicycle Ambassador! You’ll be working to increase the public awareness of the Club, bicycling programs and safety issues.

As an Ambassador, you’ll:

• Attend city and county events on bicycles to educate and to spread information about safe bicycling and bicycle commuting.

• Distribute bicycling information to city residents by bike.

• Help staff summer bicycle events (bike safety rodeos for kids, fairs, community events, helmet sales), set up “Bike to Market” information tables and facilitate “Energizer Stations” to support, encourage and engage bicyclists.

• Pass feedback and knowledge gained in the field back to office staff so we can meet the community’s needs.

• Recruit new Cascade Members and volunteers.

• Lead bike rides for beginners around town.

You must have an outgoing personality, bicycling experience and willingness to initiate conversations with all kinds of people regarding safety and getting started with bicycling.

Knowledge of safe bicycling and cycling in Seattle is desirable. Training and some equipment provided. See http://www.cascade.org/bike-ambassadors for more information about our program.

DETAILS: 10 to 15 hours/weekly, must be able to work at least one weekend day and two days per week through summer. Dates: Training in March; position runs mid-April through Aug. 30. These are paid positions.

Email resume and cover letter by March 7 to

Serena Lehman

Email: [email protected]

The landmarks preservation board meeting was held at the Seattle Municipal Tower on Wednesday February 5 to decide on a nomination as to whether or not the former Liberty Bank site at 2320 East Union Street, should be declared a Historic Preservation.

Here is a portion on the nomination proceedings here.

It was reported in the Central District News back on January 16, 2013 that Capitol Hill Housing had entered into an agreement with Key Bank, who had owned the building, and that CHH had planned to purchase the property and convert it into affordable housing.

The Africatown community then submitted information to the City of Seattle landmarks preservation board to consider a nomination for Liberty Bank.

The landmarks preservation board members heard comments and viewed slide shows presented by Africatown representatives and Capitol Hill Housing representatives.

Liberty Bank was founded by James Purnell, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 84. Purnell was once president of the National Bankers Association and was an influential advocate for fairer banking services to minorities.

The building’s architect, Mel Streeter, was a well respected architect in Seattle and among the most prominent African-American architects in city’s history. His work can be seen at the African American Academy and John Muir Elementary School, among other places.

Members of Seattle’s Africatown attended the meeting to continue to advocate and preserve the cultural and historic fabric of the african american central district community, now known as ‘Africatown”.