Here’s a quick look at some of the reported crimes in the neighborhood in early July.

Man fights off robber near Youth Services Center, 7 p.m. July 15

From SPD:

Seattle police are looking for a suspect who pulled a gun on a man in a botched robbery near Seattle University Sunday night.

Police responded to a report of an attempted armed robbery just before 7pm on July 15th near the intersection of 12th Avenue and East Remington Court.

According to the victim, he was in his car near the intersection when a man armed with a handgun ran up to him, and demanded money.

When the victim told the suspect that he didn’t have any cash, the suspect tried to grab the man’s wallet.

The victim and the suspect then got into a struggle over the wallet, and the victim sustained a small cut on his hand.

Two witnesses happened to walk by at that moment, and the suspect pointed his gun at them.  The suspect then fled on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male, 25-28 year old, 6′ tall, with a medium build, short black hair, wearing a red polo style shirt with a black stripe and armed with a handgun.

Witnesses said the suspect fled eastbound, and then jumped in a car and fled the area.  Officers searched the neighborhood for the suspect, but were unable to find him.

Safeway tequila thieves assault security guards, 1:41 p.m. July 12

From the police report:

A second victim came to aid the first victim and was punched in the face. After a short scuffle, the female suspect tried to get her purse, but abandoned it when customers came to the victims’ aid. The purse contained a City Light bill with a name and address on it as well as a urine analysis form with the same name.

Man punched and robbed in Yesler Terrace, 3:08 a.m. July 8

From the police report:

Punched and robbed at 23rd and Columbia, 5 a.m. June 30

From the police report:

Protestors angry over a July 10 police raid of a 29th and Judkins apartment rented by some people active in Occupy Seattle took to the streets <strike>Saturday</strike> Friday.

The march started at Westlake Park downtown and headed to Capitol Hill before heading through the CD for a rally at Douglass-Truth Library.

According to a post at the Puget Sound Anarchists website, marchers handed out stacks of fliers to passers by to spread the word about their opposition to the raid.

In contrast to other recent marches in Seattle, which seemed to aim mostly for a spectacular effect, this demonstration focused specifically on the dissemination of information about the raid. Demonstrators distributed thousands of copies of at least four different flyers to curious passersby. People left leaflets on cars, gave them to those dining in restaurants, and briefly explained what was happening to people who emerged from their homes along the march route.

Police say the raid “resulted in evidence that will be useful in the investigation” of property damage and alleged assault during the May 1 protests. Nobody was arrested in the search of the apartment, but the residents were detained while officers executed a search warrant. Flash grenades and a battering ram were used in the early morning action, though police note that residents were cooperative.

If you were at the protest and have photos or a take on how it went, post them in the comments below.

When budget cuts closed Garfield High School’s Global Academy of Technology, Benjamin Huppe and some other students, parents and teachers banded together in 2008 to start the nonprofit Technology Services Corp. In 2009, Huppe started traveling the world with the organization, installing computer labs in underserved areas of the world.

Huppe, a member of the Garfield Class of 2010, died the morning of July 14 when his car veered off the road near the Southworth Ferry Dock.

From the Seattle Times:

When Benjamin Huppe was still a sophomore at Seattle’s Garfield High School, he already believed that innovative technologies could save the world. Before his graduation in 2010, he was repairing old computers and setting up computer labs in developing nations.

“He was one of those students every teacher wants to have — curious, patient with himself and with others,” said his former Garfield computer-science teacher, Helene Martin. “He was always looking for opportunities to contribute, even to peers he didn’t know very well.”

Mr. Huppe died Saturday morning when his car veered off Southeast Sedgwick Road near the Southworth ferry dock in Kitsap County. He was 20.

Read more…

Statement from Technology Services Corp.:

Ben Huppe (1992-2012) was a founding student board member of Technology Services Corps, helping to bring the organization into existence in 2008 and, since then, playing an instrumental role in its evolution. Ben served in a leadership role on three TSC trips – Guatemala (2009), Ecuador (2009), and India (2010) – preparing computers in the US, installing them in school labs in underserved areas, befriending students overseas, and serving as a mentor to countless Garfield High School students also engaged in these and other service technology trips.

Separate from his ‘hands-on’ work with students and computers on these trips, Ben played a huge role in guiding and challenging the TSC board. With both patience and firmness, he set high standards for himself, others, and the organization. He tended to the mission of the organization and tirelessly created opportunities for other Garfield students to participate in and be forever changed, as he had been, by the experience of engaging in international service work.

TSC would not be what it is today without the focus, optimism, diligence and passion of Ben. He will be sorely missed by all and will forever serve as a beacon to those continuing the work of the organization.

The community at 24th and Spruce’s Debre Genet Kidisti Sellassie Eritrean Orthodox Church is holding a celebration of the Holy Trinity Saturday. After services, there will be food, music and dancing, and everyone is invited.

Details:

Debre Genet Kidisti Sellassie Eritrean Orthodox Church has a big celebration once a year celebrating the Holy Trinity. This year it is going to be held this Saturday the 14th. The Coptic Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Trinity: The Father, The Son, and  The Holy Spirit, are equal to each other in one unity; and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world. Saturday will start off with a church service from about 5am until 12pm after the church services we sit back and enjoy each other’s company until about 8pm or 9pm. There will be lots of food and activities also Debre Genet Kidisti Sellassie’s Choir will also be singing gospel songs and cultural dancing. We are also currently fundraising to raise money to build our new church in Skyway. Anyone is welcome to come and experience the Eritrean culture and heritage.

You are invited to the Squire Park Community Council quarterly meeting and annual B.B.Q.this Saturday, July 14, at the CAMP Firehouse, 722 18th Avenue. 

The meeting, starting at 10 A.M., features Pamela Banks, the recently-named head of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.  Banks will talk about the Urban League and her plans for “rebuilding this amazing organization.”  SPCC hopes that Central District neighbors will take this opportunity to meet the executive director of this organization important to the community. 

Also, Andrea Brenneke and Compassionate Seattle will facilitate a discussion around productive ways for community members to communicate.  Compassionate Seattle “empowers communities to transform problems, conflicts, and differences into opportunities for meaningful connection and action.”  All are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to talk to neighbors in person.

The meeting will be immediately followed by a B.B.Q. in the plaza and park adjacent to the CAMP Firehouse.  Burgers, hot dogs, salads, and beverages will be there — for you.  Don’t miss it.

The Squire Park Community Council is the community council for that part of the Central District bounded by 12th Avenue, U. Union Street, 23rd Avenue, and S. Jackson Street.  For more information on the upcoming meeting and bbq, and for news about major institution parking around the Swedish/Sabey campus, the proposed Seattle University Major Institution Master Plan, the Seattle School District Levy, an important show at the Hedreen Galleery of James Washington Jr. Foundation artists, and more, see the current SPCC newsletter at www.squireparkseattle.com 

Justin Ferrari

Justin Ferrari was one of 10,000 people registered to bike from Seattle to Portland this weekend before he was killed in the crossfire of a May shooting at MLK and Cherry. Now, a few of his friends plan to ride the 202 miles in his honor.

The Seattle to Portland Classic is Cascade Bicycle Club’s biggest annual ride, and it has become legendary across the country. People from 40 states and four countries will depart from a parking lot near Husky Stadium starting at 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning.

The ride will leave town via Lake Washington Boulevard, traveling alongside Madrona where Ferrari, his wife and two children made their home.

According to Cascade, his friends are “riding in his honor, celebrating Justin’s life and friendship.”

Did Ezell’s Fried Chicken change your life? Because it apparently changed the lives of a lot of online readers of Esquire Magazine, who picked it over any other fried chicken joint in the country.

But then again, according to the transitive property of unscientific fried chicken polls, that means Ezell Stephen’s new Heaven Sent restaurant in Rainier Valley is actually the “most life-changing,” according to the Seattle Weekly’s Hanna Raskin. And with the fried chicken at 23rd and Union’s Med Mix quietly gaining a loyal following, Ezell’s might want to keep an eye on the Seattle fried chicken crown it has held for so long.

Obviously, the CD needs to host a fried chicken battle. I’ll bring the napkins.

From Esquire:

As with most great culinary institutions, Ezell’s recipe for success is actually no secret: They’re all about fresh ingredients and homemade preparation, though it does involve a slight assist from their friends in the South. “In the beginning, we always chose to use the best product, the best ingredients. Even before trans fat-free was the law, we used trans fat-free oils. We use 100-percent vegetable oils,” says Lewis. “The gravy is made from scratch — we make everything from scratch on the premises. Each one of our seven locations marinate their own chicken. We use a creole seasoning out of New Orleans that we marinate the product in, and we put a little cayenne pepper in the breading to give a little ting for the tongue. That marinating process helps give it that flavor down to the last bite.”

Ezell’s has been serving up its birds for over twenty years, when Lewis and boyhood friend Ezell Stephens set up shop in Seattle’s Central District. “We care a lot about our customers,” Lewis says. One of those customers, Toney Montgomery, left this comment during the voting: “I ran the 2001 Portland Marathon alongside Ezell for about 20 miles. We talked as we ran, and I was impressed with this svelte man running a marathon who also sold fried chicken. I asked him to reconcile this, and he said that he fried his chicken to be the best fried chicken… He also talked fondly about being able to provide living-wage incomes to his employees. That was a memorable marathon.” Pardon the sentimentality, but that sounds pretty nice.

UPDATE: Seattle Met reports that Ezell’s is looking to open new locations around the region. Nothing is final yet, but they want it to happen within the year:

Three or four more restaurants are in the pipeline. According to a rep, seven areas are in consideration: Mill Creek, Lynnwood, Redmond, Rainier Valley, Factoria, Federal Way, and Puyallup. Details are few at the moment—no leases have been signed—but owner Lewis Rudd hopes this all will happen within a year.

Did anybody else hear it?  Lots of police in the area afterwards.

EDITOR’S UPDATE: The SWAT team raided an apartment near 29th and Judkins early this morning, executing a search warrant. Nobody was arrested in the search, but people were detained and flash grenades were used.

The apartment has been a key organizing space for the upcoming Everything for Everyone festival, and some occupants are active in Occupy Seattle and the Red Spark Collective, a communist group.

Police were apparently searching for evidence connected to the May Day actions that caused property damage and some allegations of assault against police officers.

Details on the raid, from a post on the Kasama Project website (Red Spark is a Kasama member):

Early morning, July 10, SWAT police forced their way into the Seattle apartment of organizers from the Occupy movement. The sleeping residents scrambled to put on clothes as they were confronted automatic weapons.

The neighbor Natalio Perez heard the attack from downstairs: “Suddenly we heard the bang of their grenade, and the crashing as police entered the apartment. The crashing and stomping continued for a long time as they tore the place apart.”

After the raid, the residents pored over the papers handed them by a detective. One explained: “This warrant says that they were specifically looking for ‘anarchist materials’ — which lays out the political police state nature of this right there. In addition they were looking for specific pieces of clothing supposedly connected with a May First incident.

UPDATE X2: Some people are holding a rally at Westlake Park tonight (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. to protest the raid.

Some of the apartment’s residents are also involved with the Food for Everyone BBQs every Sunday at 2 p.m. near the old Horace Mann school.

Here’s SPD’s statement:

Early this morning,  SWAT and detectives served a search warrant to a residence  as part of the ongoing May Day investigation.  Just before 6:00 am,  detectives contacted four individuals inside the residence in the 1100 Block of 29th Avenue South.  The search resulted in evidence that will be useful in the investigation.  The detectives are continuing to work toward identifying suspects in the May Day riot.  There may be more search warrants in the future.  The four individuals contacted inside the residence this morning were cooperative with  investigators and after being interviewed, were released from the scene.  The May Day investigation continues.  Anyone with information is asked to contact SPD’s May Day tip line at (206) 233-2666 or [email protected].

Here’s the press release on the incident from Occupy Seattle:

Early morning, June 10, SWAT police forced their way into the Seattle apartment of several organizers from the Occupy movement. The sleeping individuals, two residents and two visitors, scrambled to put on clothes as they were confronted by officers holding drawn tactical rifles.

The neighbor, Natalio Perez heard the attack from downstairs: “Suddenly we heard a loud crash which was, I guess, them breaking down the door, and then right after I heard what must have been the flash bang grenade and a lot of yelling over a loudspeaker. I heard them go up the stairs and then there was just a lot of crashing and stomping as they tore the place apart.”

After the raid, the residents examined the papers handed them by a detective. One explained: “This warrant notes that they were specifically looking for ‘anarchist materials’—this says to me that it’s an explicitly political thing. That we are not being raided for connection to any crime, but to some political ideology that the police think we have. I was just doing research on the old Pinkerton strikebreaking paramilitaries, so it’s kind of funny, you know, to have that old red scare history burst through my front door at six AM.”

This action targets well known activists from Occupy Seattle who have recently been involved with anti-police brutality organizing, actions against the juvenile detention center and the weekly Food for Everyone free barbecue in the Central District.

“They took basic stuff,” another resident said. “A zip-up sweater, one glove, a blue beanie, a pink scarf. They took a few flyers we had, one from a book release party for a book on Occupy.

This is stuff that would be in the house of any activist or even people who just come to events now and then.”

Madison Valley businesses want the neighborhood to be the number one spot in town to celebrate La Fête Nationale. The neighborhood’s Bastille Bash will be Saturday from 3–8 p.m. on Madison Street between 27th and 29th.

There will be food, wine, shopping and stuff for kids. What better way is there to show your disdain for the French monarchy?

Details from Bastille Bash:

The neighborhood of Madison Valley will host their first “Bastille Bash” on Saturday, July 14, on East Madison Street from 27th to 29th Avenue. From 3–8 p.m. guests will enjoy Bastille Day celebrations and indulge in Seattle’s self-proclaimed European village with French inspired food from some of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, as well as wine tastings, live music, complimentary spa services, one-day sidewalk sales, giveaways and a variety of other special offerings hosted by Madison Valley boutiques and businesses.

Tickets for food and wine will be sold at the event along East Madison Street. Small plates will be available for purchase for $2-6. A wine passport will be available for a $10 donation and will allow guests to taste wine at participating retail shops. Entertainment will include Vuelta La Luna, and French band Rouge playing from 5-8 p.m., troubadours, jugglers and kids activities in front of Sugarlump.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Children’s Response Center, a local nonprofit that provides unduplicated, essential legal and counseling services to children under 18 in east and north King County, who have experienced severe abuse, trauma and child crimes. For more information please visit www.childrensresponsecenter.org.

Bastille Bash Participating Businesses:

Restaurants

Belle Epicurean

Bill the Butcher

Cafe Flora

Harvest Vine

New York Cupcake

Voila Bistrot

La Cote

Luc

Kid’s Activities

Birth and Beyond

Baby Genius

Sugarlump

Retailers

Bailey Boushay House

Bass Fine Art

City Peoples Design 10301

Fast Frame

Fury Clothing

Lavender Heart

Missi Lu

River Song

Veritables

Vian Hunter

Health & Wellness

Eyeware Gallery

Functional Health

Honey Skin Spa

Lila Yoga

Saturday’s Jackson Street Park Jam and Sunday’s Oaxacan Festival Guelaguetza lured many people to the Lavizzo Park amphitheater over the weekend.

It’s always good to see such a unique and underutilized park full of people. Maybe it’s because the performance space cannot be seen from any major roadway that few people think to hold events there, but that’s also what makes it such a cool spot. You feel far away from everything, even though you’re not.

Did you go to either or both of the festivals? Post your photos and thoughts below.