Photos by artist Adam Kuby

A 14-foot-tall stormwater tank near the Washington Park Playfield could have been a pretty grim presence in Madison Valley. But the city got Portland-based artist Adam Kuby to turn the face of the tank into a work of art.

The Madison Valley Stormwater Project celebrated its completion this week. More details on Hydro-Bio-Geo, from the Office of Arts & Culture:

A companion piece to his multi-part artwork Incrementally at a nearby stormwater detention facility, Kuby designed Hydro-Bio-Geo to be compatible with the character of Washington Park. The artwork animates the exposed facade of the 14-foot-tall stormwater holding tank. Three pairs of downspouts and weep holes send water down the wall to a rain garden below. These wet zones will soon become lush and green as they become colonized with moss and ferns. In between, faux-bark facades lead to 29 cavity nesting birdhouses embedded in the wall. As the landscape matures, the bird houses will become more attractive nest sites. Continue reading →

Hamann, pictured here during an October 2012 bout at Garfield Community Center, brings home National gold this week. Photo by Truman Buffett

Two women boxers with CD ties have continued their dominance in the ring. Jenn Hamann and Queen Underwood have both brought home gold medals from the Women’s Continental Championships.

From East Side Boxing:

International newcomer Jennifer Hamann (Seattle, Wash.) duplicated the efforts of her much more experienced teammates in the featherweight finale against Argentina’s Karen Carvajal. Hamann wasted no time in winning her first international gold, taking an 18-15 decision over Carvajal to add a Women’s Continental Championships title to her resume.

2012 Olympian Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) boasted the longest road in the tournament to her gold medal at the 2013 Women’s Continental Championships. Competing in the deepest weight class in the event, Underwood boxed every day of the event en route to a lightweight final round match-up with Argentina’s Dayana Sanchez. Underwood earned a 19-11 decision over Sanchez to win Continental Championships gold after falling short of the medal stand in the 2012 event.

The scene at MLK and Jackson shortly after the April 29 shooting

Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Donald “Mess” Massey, Jr. for allegedly shooting and injuring two men in the parking lot of the Quick Pack Food Mart at MLK and Jackson last month.

Massey has been charged with two counts of first degree assault and one count of domestic violence for an apparently unrelated incident four days before the shooting.

Police located him in a car at 20th and Cherry May 14 and arrested him for the domestic assault. While he was in jail, they figured out he is also the suspect in the April 29 shooting.

In court documents filed late last week, King County Prosecutors and SPD investigators say the shooting stemmed from a gang dispute between the Valley Hood Piru and the East Union Street Hustlers. Both gangs lay claim to the Central District and have had violent clashes in the past. Continue reading →

After nearly two and a half years at the helm of Central District News, it’s time for me to step aside to make room for a new editor.

As many of you know, CDNews is a part-time job for me, sharing my attention with Seattle Bike Blog. Since I founded the bike blog in 2010 (shortly before taking the reigns of CDNews), it has grown dramatically. I am now making the leap from part-time to full-time on that site, and that unfortunately means leaving CDNews.

I have been honored to be the editor of this innovative, popular and collaborative community news site. Started in 2007 by CD resident and software developer Scott Durham, the site was uniquely built around tips and contributions directly from readers like you. I will miss helping all you active CD residents get out the word about your own innovative projects, moderating vibrant community conversations and helping to keep my neighbors connected and informed about what’s happening down the street and across the neighborhood.

I will not be completely absent. Aside from helping the new editor get settled, I am still hoping to develop the Central District Journalism School. And, of course, I can’t wait to join all of my neighbors as a regular commenter :-)

There will be some changes to the site, including one you will notice very soon: Advertising placements on CDNews and our sister site Capitol Hill Seattle will be combined, expanding the reach for advertisers in both neighborhoods.

Stay tuned, because the site will need you all more than ever during the transition to a new editor.

Speaking of which: We are now seeking someone to take over as Editor at Central District News. It’s a big responsibility but a good opportunity for anybody interested in being a big part of the community. Pay is part-time equivalent.

Requirements:

• Experience in professional or student journalism (experience in an editorial role is a plus) or related field.
• Desire to grow both the journalistic and business elements of the site.
• Flexible schedule. Community news sometimes happens at strange hours.
• Ability and motivation to work with lots of independence.
• Residence in, ties to or great love for the Central District neighborhood.

Responsibilities:

• Report and produce regularly-scheduled and current content for CDNews website.
• Report breaking news, including reporting from the scene if applicable.
• Moderate website discussions (comments) and user-submitted content (stories and event listings)
• Maintain social media for CDNews, including active Twitter and Facebook accounts.
• Maintain and expand relationships with advertisers. Editor will still have full editorial independence.

Compensation:

• Part-time pay to start.
• Pay will grow as the business grows.

Central District News was started in 2007 by resident and software developer Scott Durham who handed over the reins of the site to his business partner Justin Carder. Justin is also publisher of CapitolHillSeattle.com and continues to manage both sites. CDNews has grown to be read by more than 1,000 visitors every day.

To apply, send résumé, a one-page cover letter and up to three published writing examples to [email protected]. We will accept applications through June 3.

To all incoming Garfield High School 9th graders, class of 2017 Bulldogs

Garfield invites you to our no-cost Bulldog Summer Bridge Program. Join us to get to know your way around school and learn what to expect in your first year as a freshman!

You’ll take classes taught by Garfield teachers to help you prepare for high school Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Math and Advisory. University of Washington’s Teacher Education students will join you for a variety of fun activities, including a college visit! And, you’ll learn how to handle your six rigorous course load, set academic goals and meet Garfield juniors and seniors who will share tips about academic and social life to help you get comfortable in your first year as a Bulldog!

Get a jump start on high school and meet other incoming 9th graders. Join us at Garfield High School:

July 1 through July 31, Monday through Friday , 8:30 am to 1:30am (July 4 & 5 are off)

The link to the Bulldog Summer Bridge Program Registration is listed below. Mail it or drop it off at Garfield HS by June 1.

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101657017879-43/Bulldog+Summer+Bridge+Flyer++Registration+2013+(2).pdf

One woman was injured and a suspect arrested following a late-night shootout at MLK and S Norman Street.

The woman was struck in the leg, and police found her in a nearby construction site with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police arrested a suspect they say was with one other person firing east across MLK at another group. No suspects in the other group were located. (UPDATE: A second suspect turned himself in. See below for more details)

Details from the SPD Blotter:

Officers have one suspect in custody and continue to look for others in what appears to be an exchange of gunfire across MLK.

On May 19th at approximately 11:53 p.m. officers responded to 911 calls of multiple shots fired in the 2800 block of South Norman Street.  A witness saw two suspects hiding in a driveway shooting eastbound across MLK Jr. Way South.  Both suspects then fled westbound on foot.  Additional calls of shots fired then came in to police dispatch.   Continue reading →

How does the development of Micro-housing impact you and your neighborhood?

There has been a lot of concern about this increasingly upward trend of Micro-Housing, also known as “APODments”, small, single occupancy units sometimes with shared kitchens. The Capitol Hill Community Council has been addressing this issue for some time, and the City Council has hosted forums to explore citizen concerns.

The micro-housing movement has been expanding beyond Capitol Hill into the Central District, First Hill and other East Precinct neighborhoods. With a rising demand for affordable housing, these units provide a way for young singles, professionals and retired folks to actually be able to live in Seattle, close to work, restaurants and entertainment venues, and also bring rich diversity to neighborhoods. These small units are not only affordable, but provide updated amenities such as free internet.

It seems like a simple solution. Or is it? What are the concerns of some citizens who reside in the neighborhoods near these developments?  Zoning loopholes, shortage of parking, transitional, short term residents?  What are the benefits to folks living in the units?

We hope to answer some of these and other questions at our Thursday, May 23^rd East Precinct Advisory Board (EastPAC) Community Meeting. This is our effort to address a quality of life issues and proactively develop mutually beneficial solutions. Continue reading →