Squire Park Seattle
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A second suspect has been charged in the robbery of the Union Market at 21st & Union last Sunday.
Prosecutors say that Bobby Joe Credit teamed up with David William Groce in the gun-involved hold-up, keeping watch at the front door while Groce went in and stole cash from the store clerk. After the robbery, Credit is alleged to have entered the store and tried to keep the victim from being able to call 911 to report the robbery.
According to charging documents, store security cameras caught the two walking westbound on Union in front of the store. They stopped briefly across the street, and then walked back to the store entrance:
Credit actively kept watch from outside the front door, walking in front of the door and looking around. While he did so, Groce robbed the store by pulling a black pistol from his waistband and jumping onto and over the counter and grabbing [the victim], the female store owner, who was near the cash register. Groce held the pisol to [the victim's] head and demanded that she open the cash register. Groce removed the $1 bills and $bills from the till. He told [the victim] that he needed more money and to move the cash tray. [The victim] moved the tray and Groce removed the $20 bills. According to the victim, Groce took between $120 and $150 from the register. Groce jumped back over the counter and ran from the store. He ran to the right as he left, which is where Credit was seen to have last walked.
Credit walked into the store from the right of the door and looked behind the counter. He walked over and met [the victim] as she was walking from behind the counter. He interfered with her making a call to 911 by asking her questions and talking loudly as if to distract her. She repeatedly told him to be quiet and leave her along, but he stayed near her and continued to ask her questions. She went back inside and Credit followed her continuing to talk to her, apparently in an effort to hamper her efforts to make phone calls. He tried to buy something. She told him to leave the store. He eventually left.
Police say that the video proves that the two were working together. They showed to the video to gang detectives who "immediately positively identified" Credit, and he was arrested Wednesday in the parking lot of the AM/PM at 23rd & Cherry.
Charging documents also state that Credit admitted that he had talked with Groce about robbing the store, and that Groce had asked him to serve as lookout. However, Credit claims that he did not serve as lookout, even as he admitted to entering the store after the robbery.
Bobby Joe Credit is a familiar name to CDNews, as it's one that we've often heard on the scanner in relation to burglary activity. He has a previous arrest in February of this year for trespassing and residential burglary. In addition, at this week's EPCPC meeting, Captain Jim Dermody said that Credit was on the departments "top 10" list of burglary suspects, and that his previous convictions should get him serious time if he is convicted.
Credit's rap sheet includes convictions for Attempted Burglary, Theft, Escape, Drugs, vehicle theft, Trespassing, and several assault charges.
Previous
The weather was sunny, the neighbors were numerous, and the marimba band was fantastic. Here's some snapshots from yesterday's Squire Park Community BBQ:
The Squire Park Community Council is holding their annual community BBQ on Saturday at noon, featuring free food, kids activities, and live music from the Shumba Youth Marimba Ensemble.
It runs from noon to 2pm outside the CAMP firehouse at 722 18th Ave.
The BBQ will follow the quarterly meeting of the Squire Park community council, which starts at 10am. On the agenda:
- Morning refreshments
- Discussion about Seattle Housing Authority expansion plans in the neighborhood
- Neighbor concerns and ideas
Wondering where Squire Park is? It runs from Union to Jackson, and 23rd to 12th Avenue. Stop by and meet your neighbors if you live anywhere around there.
I guess we're a few days late on this one, but we can't pass up any seasonal change to these statues on Marion:
Previously:
On our walk last night we saw that new spray paint is marking the spot where new bike lanes and sharrows will soon be added to East Jefferson, adjacent to the hospital.
According to SDOT, the improvements will stretch from 9th Avenue in front of Harborview, eastward up to 19th Avenue.
If you're looking for the least hilly east/west route, Jefferson is probably one of the best options (certainly better than nearby Cherry).
Sofie was not at her usual spot on the porch this morning and has also missed breakfast. She would be somewhere in the vicinity of 21st Ave between Union and Marion. She is a 13 year old bulldog, white with brown spots and a large skin tag on her left hind leg. She is very friendly and loves to be scratched on her backside as well as any friendly attention. Please let us know if you see her at 328-3230 or kevin@central-cinema.com.
Thanks, Kevin, Kate & Aubin
UPDATE - Kate found her on the porch this morning about 5am. She was not here at 2:30am when I was coming home from the theater. She was clean, fed and rested with no sign of trauma or rugged survival. We still can't figure out where she went but she was obviously taken care of. Maybe it was time travel and she just skipped ahead three days in the space-time continuum? Three days on a flying saucer? A little break from a dog's life to go to the spa? We have no idea but we are so happy and relieved that she is OK and didn't have to live through three days of trauma and stress. Thank you all for looking for her. She is back in her spot as queen of the 21st ave sidewalk.
The big decision we've been waiting on for almost two years has come to a conclusion, with the city deeming Swedish's expansion project a "minor amendment" to the hospital's sixteen year old development plan.
Neighborhood groups had strongly pushed for the city to designate it a "major amendment" due to the very different uses in the proposed project compared to the original institutional plans. Neighbors felt that the original uses, such as a daycare center, would be low-impact on the surrounding single family neighborhood, and that the switch to offices would not be compatible with that original vision.
However, the city disagreed, deciding that while the uses on that block were different, the proposed uses were envisioned within the broader scope of the institutional plan, and than the relocation of those services did not meet the threshold for a major amendment. The full details of the city's decision is included in the pdf file attached at left.
The Swedish expansion project will add 128,780 square feet of new medical and office space and 359 new parking spaces to the entire block on the east side of 18th Avenue, stretching from Cherry to Jefferson.
It's sometimes amazing to see how many stories we covered in 2008 require periodic follow-ups in 2010 to see where things stand. One of those is the proposed expansion of Swedish Cherry Hill (formerly Providence) across 18th Avenue, into the block east of the main bulk of the existing hospital.
We were told last fall that a key city decision was delayed due to the possible landmark status of an old house on that block. That was considered by the landmark board back in February, and landmark status was denied. Now things are back in the hands of the city Department of Planning and Development, and DPD's Bryan Stevens tells us that "The question of whether to consider the proposed development as either a minor or major amendment is still under review, but we’re likely to have a determination published in the next two weeks."
The long-pending decision is highly technical, turning on whether the expansion will be considered a minor or major amendment to the property's almost 20-year-old institutional development plan. If the city says a minor amendment is sufficient, the developer (the Sabey corporation) will be able to proceed with a minimum amount of further process. A decision that is qualifies as "major" would put additional hurdles ahead of Swedish and Sabey, and potentially give neighbors a bigger say in how the new development fits into the surrounding neighborhood.
The expansion would add two new office buildings that would together span the whole length of the block of 18th between Jefferson and Cherry. The buildings would provide space for doctors, administrators, and researchers, and would directly border the line of single-family homes to the east along 17th.
Stay tuned to see if we get some resolution to this by the end of the month.
Found on 15th near Jefferson Wednesday morning 5-12-10.
Please call 240-5001.
The art deco building at 14th & Columbia has been designated by the city council as an historic landmark, providing new controls over major alterations to the building's exterior shell.
The original nomination for the building noted that:
- It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or of a method of construction
- Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, or scale it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the City and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of such neighborhood or the City.
Originally built as a Coca Cola bottling plant, the property was used as a service warehouse by PacBell and Qwest before being bought by Seattle University back in 2007.
The building is currently used as a temporary library for the university while their main campus library goes through a major expansion and renovation. That work is scheduled to be complete in the fall, at which time all of the books will be packed up and moved back to the main campus, and the 14th & Columbia building will transition into offices for school staff.
The staff in the city's Historic Preservation office will tell you that historic designations are about managing change, not eliminating it. In fact, historic landmarks can even be torn down. But the designation adds a new layer of process, permits, and approvals whenever changes are proposed to any of the protected features of a property.
We're at the scene of a bad vehicle vs. pedestrian accident at 16th & Jefferson, across from the Jefferson Tower medical building.
The victim was just taken away by ambulance in unknown condition. It appeared to a be a female, and could be serious given the size of the response and police investigation.
The vehicle involved is a 4-door Prius with a visible dent in the front.
It appears that it occurred about 20 feet east of the crosswalk. Cones there mark where the victim was struck.
The #3 and #4 bus routes are blocked, and will likely stay blocked for some tome while the investigation continues.
Update: According to Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vanderhouen, the victim was an 88 44 year old female. She was taken to Harborview with life-threatening injuries.
Update x2: The full story from the SPD blotter:
On May 3rd, at approximately 1:42 PM, a Toyota Prius was travelling southbound on 16th Avenue approaching East Jefferson Street. At the same time, a 51 year old female pedestrian started to cross East Jefferson Street from north to south. The driver of the Prius made a left turn onto East Jefferson to head eastbound. The Prius struck the pedestrian. The Seattle Fire Department responded and transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center with serious head injuries and possible internal injuries.
A DUI/DRE (drug recognition expert) officer responded as well and evaluated the driver for any signs of impairment or intoxication. There were no signs of any impairment on the part of the driver. She was interviewed and released from the scene.
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded and processed the scene. This is an on-going investigation.
Medics examining the victim's personal effects
The cones mark where the victim was laying when police and medics arrived
A dent was clearly visible in the front of the involved vehicle
HonkFest is this Saturday, and it's looking like it's going to be one of the most fun and interesting events to hit the Central District in a very long time. You can see the full line-up of bands at venues around the neighborhood at on the updated schedule that was posted by Bill Clifford last night.
One of those bands is Bakra Bata, the band of Leschi resident Crisceda Clemmons. They'll be playing at the old CAMP firehouse at 722 18th at 9:45 am, as an intro to the quarterly Squire Park Community Council meeting.
The Clemmons' home was nearly destroyed in November of last year after she tipped off police that her wanted nephew was on his way there as he ran from authorities following the murder of four police officers in Lakewood. They've been working out a settlement with the city to detoxify and rebuild their home, and when we went by a few weeks ago there were signs that the remediation process has begun.
We've heard rave reviews of Bakra Bata's performances from other community members, so this will be a good chance to hear them for yourselves and support some talented neighbors. Staying and meeting your Squire Park neighbors will be the icing on the cake.
Introducing Matt, the new guy in town.
Former Bellingham man, Matt, just moved to the Central District (near Squire Park) a few days ago and is anxious to become a positive asset to the community. Matt enjoys frequenting local bars and clubs such as the Twilight Exit, to name one.
In an interview with his brother, a long-time resident of CD, Matt said, "I like beer"
So if you happen to see Matt in the area feel free to say "hi" and you are sure to get a friendly greeting in return with a true hearty smile.
On March 29th there was a power outage in the area of Fir and 20th. The power outage started around 5:30 pm, there were city work crews seen working on the corner of Alder and 19th and electricity was heroically restored at approx. 8:30 pm. Many local residents were effected and presumably either ate dinner in the darkness or went somewhere else for supper.
King County prosecutors have charged Samuel Pietro Evans, an Everett resident with the murder of Jackson Schley and the rape of his wife, Daisy Schley on January 9, 1972. Here is the account of what happened from the probable cause charging document (attached to this post at left):
In the late evening of January 9, 1972, Jackson Schley (dob 10/12/13) was found shot to death in his home at 975 20th Avenue, Seattle WA. At the same time, Jackson's wife, Daisy Schley, was found in the woods a few miles away, bleeding and disoriented. Daisy Schley reported she had been abducted and raped by the man who had shot her husband.
Earlier that night, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Jackson and Daisy Schley returned to their home after purchasing ice cream at a nearby store. As they entered through the front door of their home, Daisy Schley heard a noise and suspected someone was in the apartment. At that time, a black male, approximately 30 years old, emerged from the dining room. The male pointed a gun at the Schleys and ordered them to their knees. Daisy Schley reported hearing two gunshots. The suspect then took a wallet from Jackson Schley's back pocket.
The suspect then ordered Daisy Schley to go with hi and he pushed her out through the back door of the apartment and forced her to his car, parked a short distance away. The suspect then drove Daisy to a wooded area where he parked. He ordered Daisy to remove her clothes and he then raped her.
Police were able to take a DNA sample from Daisy Schely's underwear but the case remained unsolved at the time of her death in 2007. In 2009, the DNA profile obtained from Daisy Schley's underwear was run against profiles in the DNA database and "hit" upon the DNA profile of Samuel Evans (dob 5/18/38): "The chances of finding another profile matching that is 1 in 820 quadrillion". Evans' profile existed in the DNA database because of the current practice of collecting DNA from select incarcerated individuals. Evans had served a 20 year sentence for a sexual assault conviction in Las Vegas and had been released in 2007.
Evans' profile has also matched the DNA evidence (cigarette butts) taken from the 1968 murder of James Keuler at 3500 East Schubert Place. Evans is being held in King County Jail on $1M bail.
An early spring has many of our neighborhood streets busting out in color, at a level much higher than I remember in previous years.
Earlier in the week I though that this street in Madrona would be the best one around. This is looking north on 32nd from Howell:
Based on a reader recommendation, I made it over to 15th Ave yesterday and found four solid blocks of flowering trees that stretches between Yesler and Jefferson. Here's some examples:
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Our friends at Capitol Hill Seattle are doing some great reporting on a weekend assault and robbery that occurred at 15th & Madison, and they've uncovered two other incidents in the CD that may be tied to the same suspects:
In that attack, a woman was hit in the head with an unknown object. UPDATE: SPD says the woman was jumped as she got out of her car and was about to go inside her home. One of the men ran at her shouting "Here I come" and struck her in the head with a broomstick. She was taken to the hospital and treated for a 1-inch cut on her head.
There was also a report of an incident that caused damage to a car at 21st and Jefferson possibly involving the same group. UPDATE: SPD confirms that this was likely the work of the same group. A woman reported that a group of males busted out the windshield and back window of a car with a heavy rock or brick.
Call SPD at (206) 625-5011 if you've had a run-in with this group or any other information on them and their crimes.
You know how it is with townhouses: the structure is usually nearly complete before the city requires the land-use notice about the subdivision of the property they sit on. Here's two that have popped up this month:
165 16th Ave - The developer has applied to divide the property there into 4 individual lots to allow the new units to be sold or leased. There's one building in front and one in back, each three stories, and each with two units of about 1200 square feet per unit.
1841 S. King - This one is a bit more interesting, as a single-family home is sprouting a skinny three story townhouse in its backyard. Want one to take root in your garden? Permits list the construction cost of this one as $234,557.
Anyway - weird night so far.
Update by scott: We had a chance to do some research on this one this morning, and found that it was an armed robbery of a pedestrian. Two males produced a handgun and stole unspecified property from the victim.
Suspects described as two hispanic males, one 19-25 years old, 5'8", 150-160#, black hair, with acne scars on his face, teal zip-up athletic jacket, armed with a silver handgun. Second only described as wearing all dark clothing. They were last seen northbound on 15th from Fir.
K9 was brought in and briefly followed a track north and west from the scene. Several males were stopped in the area. The victim was taken to identify one at 19th & Jefferson, but it was a negative match.
The Carmack House at 16th & Jefferson has been slowly making its way through the city's landmark process. Last week the estate which owns the house was given another 3-month extension as they work to come up with a plan to preserve the house that was built by the prospector who set off the Klondike Gold Rush 114 years ago.
Historic Seattle is involved in the project as well, working with the estate on a solution to save it. Kji Kelly, Director of Property and Asset Management at Historic Seattle, tells us that they're looking at two different possibilities: save and restore it on site, or move it elsewhere and restore it there.
Either option would be expensive. The estate which owns the property had it listed for around $1 million last year. And as we saw last summer, moving houses is a complicated and expensive process too. The Carmack house is surrounded by Metro trolley wires, fiber optic lines, and city light feeders that would cost a lot to take down and put back up for a house move.
Last year we reported that much of the interior finishes of the house were torn out. Kji told us that it was very unusual to have such as well-preserved interior. "Rarely do you come into a house where everything is there. Everything original, everything intact. It was very exciting that the original fabric of the house was all there." He told us that the removal of it was disappointing but not insurmountable. They documented a lot of the original woodwork and other features in photos before it was ripped out, and that could allow it to be restored.
The house currently sits empty, with a leaky roof and at risk of further vandalism. Kji says "It needs someone to take care of it. Time is of the essence, but we want to got through this in a very thoughtful way. It's going to take a lot of money, good neighborhood interaction, and good community interaction to make it happen."
Like any good neighborhood blogger would, we rushed to the scene of the big fire response at the old Immaculate Conception church. But it was clearing out by the time we arrived, and jseattle says that it was just a smoky candle in the chapel.
But I did take some photos, so you win by getting to see how they accurately capture the total lack of excitement:
Back in October we told you about the old red house that stands in the way of Swedish hospital's eastward expansion across 18th Avenue. We got in touch with Sarah Sodt at in the city's historic preservation program, who told us that the landmark designation process is moving forward.
The Sabey Corporation (Swedish's real-estate development partner) has submitted the nomination paperwork to the city, kicking off a four-step process that could result in the naming of the structure as a landmark, with a corresponding agreement that defines what can and can not be done to it:
- Public meeting on nomination (ETA: About 1-2 months)
- Public meeting on designation as landmark
- Negotiation on controls and incentives for the property
- Designation forwarded to city council for approval
The house could fail out of the process at any of those four steps, opening the way for approval of Swedish's permits on the large and controversial medical complex they have planned for that block.
The development could proceed even if the historic designation is approved, as the house could still be moved or possibly even demolished. As Sarah Sodt told us, the historic preservation process is "about managing change, not about stopping change."
| The Buy Local and the Release of the 19th Edition of the African American Business Directory (AABD) Reception is an event you do not want to miss this year. We have Expanded the directory to include all ethnic small businesses. The guest speaker is City Council Member Bruce Harrell. We have 15 spaces for vendors and a Fantastic dinner. If you like Gospel singing at 6:00 PM We will be celebrating Black Histroy Month With a Gospel Concert featuring Crystal Aikin, the 2008 winner of TV BET Sunday's Best . You can get the complete evening of events for $50.00. Reception only 15.00. Reception and Vendor space 35.00. For More information please call Lottie 206-324-3114. Please join us to make this a grand event. See attached flyer. Tickets are sold at Joy Unlimited Book Store located in the Promenade, BDDTF Office 116-21st Ave. Seattle and Life Enrichment Book Store, 5023 Rainier Ave S. Seattle. |
At the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP) Firehouse on Saturday morning Central District neighbors took part in the quarterly Squire Park Community Council meeting --- talking, listening, and hearing music. Andre Helmstetter, SPCC board member led the group in a conversation on how all can work to build community in the neighborhood. Andre noted that the dictionary.com definition of "community" includes the idea that members of a community often share a "common cultural and historical heritage" --- something that may be less the case in a dynamic neighborhood such as the Central District. On the other hand, the assembled group, in listing characteristics of their community, highlighted the features of interdependence and shared goals and interests.
The group discussed strategies for uncovering and nurturing the shared goals and interests, starting with the simple step of speaking to strangers on the street. Ways of increasing interaction ranged from simply walking around the neighborhood more often, working in the yard, or organizing neighborhood projects to clean up litter or improve traffic circles. Patronizing local businesses as a way to meet neighbors and to encourage more local businesses was frequently mentioned.
Community Council meetings and projects were identified as one way of meeting new people and working on efforts towards shared goals. The Squire Park Community Council meets quarterly at 10:00 A.M. on the second Saturday of January, April, July, and October, and the SPCC board meets monthly on the first Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. at 824 12th Avenue.
Four new SPCC board members were elected on Saturday --- Howary McCay, Amanda House, Elliott Smith, and Brian Burpee --- joining the existing eleven members of the board.
The neighborhood-based Oaxacan-influenced "honk band" Banda Gozona stirred the community-building pot with several lively numbers. The honk band idea is to use community music (anyone can play something) to unite a community. The Central District will be the center of the honk band universe on the second weekend of April when more than twenty such musical groups from Boston to California to Seattle will converge --- honking for peace, social justice, and empowered communities. Ideas for performance sites (and home stays for out-of-town musicians) are needed: contact Bill Clifford, see www.HarmonicDissidents.com
Some at the Saturday meeting came to talk with Kay Smith Blum, the newly elected School Board member representing our area. However Smith Blum was a no-show, calling near the end of the meeting to apologize and say that she had been detained by an unexpectedly busy morning requiring her presence at her downtown apparel store.
Despite Smith Blum's absence, the strong consensus of the group emphasized the importance of community schools, and the serious negative impact on our neighborhood of losing T.T. Minor and Nova Schools.
anyone know whats goin on?
Update by scott: Apologies for missing this - bad neighborhood blogger went to bed too early.
This started at Renton & Cloverdale as an armed car-jacking of a 2002 Silver Mercedes, and the victim was held in the vehicle for part of the event. South Precinct officers pursued the vehicle up into the Central District and lost sight of it.
One occupant bailed out of the car at Rainier & S. Massachusetts. Dogs were brought in to track him and recovered three handguns, but no suspect was found.
The vehicle was eventually found sitting empty at 20th & Cherry, with a gun inside. Dogs were brought to that location too, and followed a track into the alley between 20th & 21st south of Cherry, but the suspect was not located. The driver was described as a black male, mid-20s, dark skin, defined cheekbones, and a black do-rag.
Police were also looking for a white Mustang convertible that was also car-jacked and thought to be related to the first car-jacking, but the connection between the two wasn't clear.
Update x2: Here's the full story from the SPD blotter:
On Friday, January 8th at 10:43 p.m. officers responded to a 911 call of a carjacking at MLK Jr. Way South and South Graham Street. They located a victim who told officers that two male suspects stole his white Ford Mustang convertible after holding guns to his head. The suspects fled northbound on MLK Jr. Way South along with a silver Mercedes 500 occupied by at least one male suspect.At 11:46 p.m. a victim called 911 to report his car being stolen at gun point by male suspects near Renton Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street. His car was a silver Mercedes 500.While officers were searching the area Gang Unit detectives who were on patrol noticed the silver Mercedes traveling north on Rainier Avenue South. A passenger was released from the Mercedes at Rainier Avenue South and South Massachusetts Street. The vehicle then continued northbound and officers lost sight of the vehicle.Guardian 1 was dispatched to assist in the search for the suspects, but had to return to base due to inclement weather. Officers later located the silver Mercedes at 20th Avenue and Cherry Street, unoccupied. Officers recovered a firearm from the vehicle.The K-9 Unit responded to both locations to conduct a track, however no suspects were located. The K-9 did locate a duffel bag that had been thrown over a fence near where the car had let the passenger out. The bag contained three firearms. The Mercedes was impounded and taken to the processing room and all evidence recovered was submitted for testing.The suspects remain at large. Gang Unit detectives are leading this active and on-going investigation.