The Sleeping Bulldog Bed and Breakfast in the Jackson Place neighborhood at 816 19th Ave. S along with other members of the Seattle Bed and Breakfast Association, just donated a truck load of gently used bed sheets, towels and unipened toiletries to two shelters: the Union Gospel Mission in the Sodo and Hospitality House in Burien. The SBBA said it decided to collect supplies from members so that it could help make a difference in their community.
The newly-renovated Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center at 17th and Yesler is holding a gala June 30 to support their educational programs. Seattle’s Harlem Renaissance Gala includes dinner and performances. Tickets start at $100.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
6:00-9:00 pm
Honorary Co-Chairs: Ernestine Anderson & Julian Priester
Celebrate our 40th year and the grand opening of the newly renovated Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
104 17th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98144
206.684.4758
DINNER, DESSERT AUCTION, PERFORMANCE, FUND A PROGRAM
Proceeds benefit Langston Hughes Educational Programming, Summer Teen Musical & Langston Hughes Youth Performing Arts Academy
Meet local performing artists presenting as Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Cab Calloway, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Mom’s Mabley
Tickets: $100 per person
VIP $250 per person
Table Sponsors $1,000
Register at Brown Paper Tickets
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/246738
104 17th Avenue S. 5:15 pm VIP Reception
Seattle, WA 98144 6:00 pm Social Hour
206.684.4758 6:45 pm Dinner
8:15 pm Performance
KIRO TV’s Chris Halsne is getting some serious pushback against a series of reports that more or less accused Leschi Elementary janitor of physically assaulting students, a claim the district, the janitor, his union and some parents of Leschi Elementary students deny.
The Washington News Council, a media watchdog group without any actual punitive power, conducted a mock trial of Halsne’s reporting and determined that he and the station owe Chester Harris an apology. The proceedings were recorded by TVW:
The Stranger has been all over KIRO about the report, even digging into Halsne’s legal history (in one of Halsne’s reports, he lists all the crimes for which Harris has been charged but not convicted).
KIRO’s report was based on interviews with some concerned parents and grandparents of students who say Harris has pushed and otherwise bullied their kids.
Are you part of the Leschi Elementary community? Do you think KIRO owes Harris an apology?
Mayor McGinn held a town hall meeting Tuesday evening, but it didn’t last long. He left in the middle of the meeting after residents, many angry about police violence, continued to interrupt him.
“I’m sorry guys, I’m done. No, this is not a productive meeting,” the mayor told attendees of the discussion at the Northwest African American Museum. KIRO TV has video of the meeting.
The mayor has held 60 town hall meetings since taking office, but this is the first time he has left one before it was over. He said he would reschedule.
Some residents interrupted a community forum on violence at the Garfield Community Center May 30, but moderators gave them time to have their say even if it was out of turn.
Were you at the Tuesday meeting? What is your take on what happened?
Facing low enrollment, the Islamic School of Seattle at 25th and Cherry is closing. Now the school must reflect on the community it has created since its founding in 1980 and explore options for what will happen to the school’s historic building.
“It’ a sad time, but it’s also been amazing to get the word out and hear back from people who have been involved in the school,” said Board Member Natasha Merchant. The school is hosting a farewell celebration at the school June 26 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. They urge anyone who has felt connected to the ISS community over the past 32 years to attend and help in “closing this very large chapter in the community,” she said.
The ISS was not your standard private Islamic school. “Since the very beginning, it’s had a way of looking at Islamic education in a very holistic model,” said Merchant. “Islam is not something separate from the rest of your life,” so the school taught school lessons together with Islamic teaching.
They also adopted a Montessori model of education, with students of multiple grades learning in the same classroom. “This method of teaching is appealing to a lot of people, but it’s also not traditional.”
Students at the school mostly live in or near the Central District. Many are African American Muslims and East African refugees. But the demographics of the neighborhood are changing.
“I think generally, the area seems to be gentrifying in the Central District,” said Merchant.
In past years when the school faced troubles, the community rallied around it to keep it going. However, mounting building maintenance needs and continually low enrollment numbers made it unfeasible for the school to continue.
So the question now facing the ISS community is: What next?
“Whatever we do, we want to make sure the community really benefits from it,” said Merchant. From an Islamic point of view, the Board Members don’t own the building, rather the whole community owns it. “The Board has a few members on it, but we can’t just decide that for ourselves.”
The Board met with Islamic leaders in the Seattle region to discuss options for the historic school building and the 32 years worth of curriculum materials inside. They determined the building should be used for some kind of Islamic educational purpose, but they are still exploring possibilities.
The school will host a neighborhood-wide meeting July 10 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. to discuss the future of the building and give neighbors a chance to have a say in what happens next.
The Queen is headed to London, England to claim what is rightfully hers.
The Olympic Tripartite Committee has picked Garfield grad Queen Underwood for a spot to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games. The five-time national champion came from behind to lose by one point in a key Olympic qualifier bout one month ago, putting her chances at making the Games in peril.
But the Committee decided that they wanted to send the best fighters in the world to London to battle for the first ever Women’s Boxing medals. And the Queen has certainly proven her abilities over the past half decade. From NBC:
Since only one Olympic spot was available for the Americas continental group and fellow Americas fighter Adriana Araujo of Brazil advanced into the quarterfinals, Underwood’s lone hope to qualify for the Games came at the hands of the Tripartite Commission.
In the past, Tripartite Commission selections went to male boxers from countries that were not represented in other weight classes. With 30% of the women’s tournament – which makes it’s debut at the London Games – set to be picked by a committee, AIBA decided to chose the most talented fighters, regardless of country.
The decision ends a difficult month of waiting for the Cappy’s Boxing Gym-trained boxer. From King 5:
Police responded to reports of gun shots in three locations around the Central District early Saturday morning.
Madronamom posted to CDNews Saturday saying she heard shots, and many commenters responded saying they also heard shots. According to police, there were several different incidents that are likely related, though the connection is not certain.
2:35 a.m. — Threat with gun near 22nd and Cherry
A man called police to report a group of juveniles wearing Houston Astros jerseys walking down 22nd with handguns. The caller told police he was talking with a neighbor across the street when the group walked by and started yelling “74 Hoover” at him and ask if he had “a beef.”
The man denied having any gang affiliations and said he has only lived at the residence for two months.
3:19 a.m. — Shots fired near 32nd and Terrace
Police responded to reports of shots fired in the area, but did not find any suspects or signs of the incident.
3:52 a.m. — Drive-by aimed at house near 25th and Spring
Police responded to a house that was the target of a drive-by. The woman living in the house said she and four of her friends were playing dominoes in the living room when the shots rang out.
Police found a bullet hole in the 2nd floor window and one in a first floor window. The resident told police one of the bullet holes was new, but the other was from a previous incident.
She told police she did not know why her house was targeted. However, officers noted in the report that a known gang member lives in the residence, but was not home.
A witness told police a red four-door sedan fled the scene after the shooting
4:23 a.m. — Shots fired at 18th and Howell
Shots were reported in the area, and a caller told police a red or maroon 2007 Chrysler 300 fled the scene. It is unclear if this is the same red vehicle from the 25th and Spring shooting, police say.
Town Hall hosts community conversation about gun violence Monday
First Hill’s Town Hall Seattle, sited adjacent to the parking lot where Gloria Leonidas was killed following the Cafe Racer shootings, is hosting a community conversation about gun violence Monday (today) starting at 7:30 p.m.
Details:
Public Safety: A Community Conversation
Monday, June 18, 2012, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Great Hall, enter on 8th Avenue. Free with reservation.
Town Hall Seattle staff, members, and board are deeply shaken and disturbed by the events that took place so close to our offices on May 30th. The other shooting the same day, previous incidents in May, and earlier in the year have caused us great concern. Like all of Seattle, we are trying to process the situation and wonder what we as a community can do to address it. As an institution whose purpose is to create a safe place for the expression of ideas, and which has hosted community conversations on topics including education, Occupy Seattle, artist space, the environment, and more, we can think of no more appropriate response than to gather as a community for a constructive conversation about these events which affect us all. A group of city leaders and citizens–including Mayor Mike McGinn, Councilmember Bruce Harrell and others–will discuss issues of public safety, gun control, mental illness, gangs, and how a community not only stays safe, but heals itself after such tragedies. Presented by Town Hall Seattle.
Timothy Dampier, who has been active in several Central District churches, is now facing 22 charges of sexual misconduct against children. The charges range from possessing child pornography to child molestation, all over a period from 1996 to his May 2011 arrest.
Dampier has so far pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Police put out a call in May urging any other victims to come forward:
Tim Dampier was arrested in May 2011 by Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit detectives for sex crimes against children. He is a well-known church musician tied to several African-American churches in the greater Seattle area and had worked at the group home Samuel House (Kent) and the Union Gospel Mission. At the time of his arrest he was working at the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club.
Dampier’s trial date is currently scheduled for September 18th, 2012 (he has been in custody since May of 2011).
The on-going investigation has continued and at this point the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed 22 charges resulting from sexual offenses against at least 10 victims identified thus far. The charges include Rape of a Child, Child Molestation, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes (18 of the 22 charges are felonies).
Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit detectives have developed information during the course of their investigation that indicates there may be additional persons out there who have not reported their victimization by the suspect to police.
We want to ensure that any and all victims receive not only the assistance they need, but justice.
Just because the suspect is in custody is not a reason to not come forward with information about additional crimes that may have been committed. We are very interested in identifying and interviewing any additional victims who remain unknown at this time.
Anyone who was victimized by the suspect, had interactions with the suspect that they suspect were criminal in nature, or who knows anyone that may be a victim is asked to call the Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit at (206) 684-5575. Anonymous tips are welcome.
Below is the most recent charging document:
Construction could begin this fall on five new townhouse units at MLK and Norman. The three-story townhouses will be built on the lot of a home that was damaged in a fire and demolished.
The project at 918 MLK Jr Way S has been floating around for several years, often held up by financing issues. But now builder Mark Huber and architects at the Novion Group are ready to move forward. If all goes according to plan, developers hope to get the permits squared way soon and could begin construction as early as September. Construction will likely last six months.
Description from the design review documents:
The proposed project at 918 M.L.K. Jr Way South is to construct one new residential structures, one fiveplex, for a total of 5 new townhouse units with four new parking stalls. Each structure will be less than 40’ tall and will be built on the property, currently vacant except for the vandalized, overgrown and deteriorating partial remains of a fire damaged multifamily structures concrete foundation.
…
The parcel is bounded by Martin Luther King Jr Way S to the west, a three unit apartment building to the north, a 5 unit multifamily structure to the south and a duplex residential structure to the east. Martin Luther King Jr Way S is classified as a minor arterial street with regular transit service and on-street parking. The topography of the site is sloped, with an 18’ drop in height from the east property line to the west on MLK Jr Way S.
The neighborhood is made up of a mix of old and new single family residences , apartment buildings, condominium buildings, townhouse structures, churches commercial office building and a nursing home w/ mini day care. There are three lots directly across from the subject property that are currently constructing 6 townhouse structures (duplexes and triplexes) for a total of 14 new units. A building permit for a new single family residence was just issued on 3/14/2012 for the lot to the north of the three being developed as townhouses.
Here is a recent design review document with more details:
Hidmo and Hollow Earth Radio are bringing Cuban revolutionary hip hop group Krudas Cubensi to the station’s 21st and Union studio Thursday.
The doors open at 8 p.m., and the show costs $7-$12 (sliding scale) at the door. And, of course, you can listen to the show live online.
More details, from the Facebook event:
Uzuri Productions presents
the Founders of many things hiphop, feminist, queer people of color, vegan, collective, & revolutionary in Cuba…..
KRUDAS CUBENSI (formerly of Las Krudas)
w/ Gabriel Teodros
& Chocolate Chuck on the 1s & 2s
Hosted by Stephany Koch HazelriggJune 14th, Thursday
@ Hollow Earth Radio Station
2018 A E. Union St.
Seattle, WA 98122Broadcast Live on internet radio. Tune in at www.hollowearth.org
Doors 8pm & Show 8:30pm-11pm$7-15 cash only at door
buy in advance at brownpapertickets;
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/254668Sponsored by Hidmo Entertainment & Hollow Earth
* show in Spanish & English
* Accessibility 1-2 steps when entering the spaceFor more information:
Luzviminda Uzuri “Lulu” Carpenter
lulucar at gmail dot com=========================
MORE INFORMATION ON KRUDA CUBENSIContact Information: [email protected]
Odaymara Cuesta and Olivia Prendes are Cuban Hip Hop MCs, Autonomous Musicians, Poets, Theater Performers representing Womyn, Immigrants, Queer and People of Color Action as a Central Part of World Change. They choose the art as a weapon to fight for rights, for balance, for justice, against oppression. They both born, raised in Cuba and began in the ”Artivism” early in their lives.
HISTORY:
-1996: They founded the first vegan and queer activist Art Group in Habana Cuba called Agrupacion de Creacion Alternativa Cubensi, with Llane Alexis Dominguez.
-1999: They form the Hip Hop group Krudas Cubensi in Habana with Odalys Cuesta aka Wanda.
-2000: They founded the Theatre Collectives Giganteria and Tropazancos Cubensi. CH. Cuba.
-2004: They start working as a Hip Hop Duo.
-2005: They form Omegas Kilay, a Womyn Hip Hop Theatre Collective in Havana Cuba with eight more cuban female Hip Hop artists, Dj Leydis, Dj Yary, Danay Suarez, Yanelis aka Nono, Magyory and Eyastefraxis.
-2006 : They migrated to United Statesand now based in Austin Tx International Live Music Capitol.
-2006-2012: They have performing, recording, giving workshops, educating and touring in The Caribbean, North, Central and South America. They bring Cubensi Hip Hop, Funk, Dance Hall, Cumbia, Old School, Mixtapes and New Strongly Beautiful Beats from all around the World with their Amazing Afro Caribbean Rebel Lyrics & Voices to empower the community.
Below is the music video for Krudas Cubensi’s “La Gorda”
