The Friends of Jimi Hendrix Park have selected a design team for the park at 24th Ave S and S Massachusetts St. During the spring and summer, the team will conduct a series of public meetings. The first meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 17 at the Northwest African American Museum.

From the Seattle Medium:

The Friends of Jimi Hendrix Park recently announced the selection of a design team to distill ideas from the community and the legacy of rock legend Jimi Hendrix into a vision for development of the Central District Park that bears his name.

Murase Associates was chosen from among 11 applicants to lead a public engagement process and envision landscape and structural elements that will transform a swath of turf adjacent to the Northwest African American Museum into a living tribute to the musical genius of Seattle native Jimi Hendrix.

“I was most impressed with the passion for this project expressed in Murase’s application and presentation, as well as their commitment to creativity, innovation and community involvement,” said Janie Hendrix, the CEO/President of Experience Hendrix L.L.C., the family owned and operated company and founder of the Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation.

The park has already secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, including $500,000 from the Parks and Green Space 2008 Levy Opportunity Fund, $70,000 from a Neighborhood Matching Fund and a $20,000 donation from Janie L. Hendrix. The estimated cost for the project is $2 million, according to their website.

Two years after an SPD budget snafu led to the department laying off East Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Michael Yasutake, budget issues have forced a shakeup of the city’s coordinators. The city cut three CPC positions this year, and the remaining four have shifted and expanded their reaches.

Fran Tello

The city’s CPCs are civilian liaisons between the community and SPD who can dedicate time and resources to block-level issues in a neighborhood. CPCs help organize block watches, organize the yearly Night Out event, and are available to discuss ongoing crime and work toward solutions.

Mark Solomon, who has been the crime prevention coordinator for the South and East Precincts since 2009, is now in charge of the South and Southwest Precincts. Solomon will not longer be at East Precinct Crime Prevention Council meetings, he told the group last week.

Replacing him will be Fran Tello, who had been the West Precinct’s business crime prevention coordinator will now be the CPC for both the West and East Precincts. You can contact him at (206) 684-4730 or [email protected].

Seattle Crime reported in the fall that SPD was considering cutting the CPCs entirely, but the departments ended up trimming the program’s budget instead. Here’s a map of the city’s new CPC areas:

It’s “not a ‘keep out’ unfriendly fence,” assures the press release. Rather, it’s just a fence to keep Green Plate Special‘s new garden plot safe. As we reported in January, GPS is a gardening and healthy eating organization designed for at-risk or underserved youth. The group aims to teach youth how to plant, grow, harvest and even cook their own food.

The group, founded by Laura Dewell and Libby Sinclair, has leased the property from the Madrona Company for three years. The company has plans for a large residential building on the site, but they have stalled. Nothing has existed at the site since the area was regraded.

Union is becoming quite the vacant lot urban farming hotspot, as GPS starts to plant just a few blocks from the 22nd and Union Alleycat Acres farm. However, there are still a few vacant lots on Union that don’t have farms…yet.

From GPS:

On May 7 from 10am-5pm, Green Plate Special (GPS) founders invite Central District residents and friends to help build a working fence on property at MLK Jr. and East Union.  Friend and neighbor Jeff McHegg will lead the project. After completion, the fence will support climbing vegetables and fruits planted by middle school youth. Eventually the fence will be decorated with recycled and found objects as well.  This work day is another step toward fulfilling Green Plate Special’s vision to develop a garden-to-table program for low income middle school youth—better to promote middle school students’ understanding and appreciation for food sources and enhance skills to grow and cook now and throughout life.  

Volunteers of all ages are welcome; strong adults are needed especially to dig post holes and erect the fence.  Ideally, this will be a one-day event culminating in a completed fence.  On Friday, May 6, GPS personnel will be at the site to receive materials, mark post-hole locations, and meet community members.  So stop by to lend your support or satisfy your interests on Friday (9-4) if you cannot make it on Saturday the 7th.

First AME is holding a public meeting and forum Friday, April 29 beginning at 6 p.m. at the site of the old MLK Elementary building, which the organization purchased from the Seattle School District late last year for $2.4 million.

The public is invited to the Martin Luther King Family Arts Mentoring Enrichment Community Center at 32nd and Republican in Madison Valley to “discuss projects in your neighborhood, identified community center characteristics and interests, and your ideas,” according to the event flier. Attendees will have a chance to meet the executive director and FAME Community Center Board.

“We’re going to talk briefly to the community about what we had submitted and get from them what they would like to see in terms of the community center,” said Norward Brooks from First AME, who described the event as a meet-and-greet. “I hope that we can get more of the community involved in having the center operate because it is a center for the people in that community.”

The First AME bid for the school was the lowest of the three competing offers the school board received for the school, but the district determined that the organization’s planned programs and low space rental rates offered the highest value to the community.

The Seattle School District financial scandal that broke earlier this year put the MLK Elementary deal back in the news after allegations arose that FAME member Fred Stephens — who supervised Silas Potter, the man accused of wasting $1.8 million in district funds — helped his church win the bid. School Board Member Michael DeBell told Seattle Weekly that Stephens’ connection to the church was disclosed and that he did not play a role in board’s decision.

FAME has posted a “Statement of Facts” regarding the sale of the school property on their website.

Steven Holt of the Port Shy Collective has made it to the top five in a Facebook promotion by Dockers called the “Wear the Pants Project” that could net them a $100,000 grant. Originally there were 4,000 entires, so that’s not too shabby.

Port Shy is already refurbishing furniture with reused materials, but they are looking to open up a workshop and gallery space in the CD. From Holt:

My name is Steven – I’m 29 years old and live in Seattle.  My partner and I re-purpose old furniture, wares, and household objects with the intent of extending the life of manufactured items.  We make old new again.  

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I’m one of 5 finalists in the Dockers Wear the Pants Project and to put it simply – I’m looking for votes.  The contest winner will receive $100K to pursue their passion and essentially “wear the pants” in their life.  My plan is to open a workshop and gallery space in the Central District called the Port Shy Collective. This will be a place where local like-minded artists and craftsmen can come together, display and sell their work, and make some more.  I already have the space and this contest would provide me with the cash to build out the workshop and make it happen.

Please take a minute or two to check out my contest page.  If you like what I’m up to and think its a good cause I’d greatly appreciate a vote.  I’d be especially thankful if you passed this along to whoever else might appreciate my plan.  If you want to post it to your facebook or website – gold star! Either way, your support means a lot to me.

Go here to vote. You have to install a Dockers Facebook application and “like” their Facebook page. However, you can always unlike them immediately after voting and delete the app. And if you really want to help Port Shy out, you can vote every day through May 1. As of April 28, Port Shy has quite a few votes to make up, so help out.

Here’s Holt’s application video for the contest:

Sally Homann had her son Brendan taking music lessons at an early age. First it was violin. Then in grade school, he took up the trumpet. But when he found the guitar, he was hooked for life.

Now, years later, Brendan Bosworth has opened up a music school at 21st and Union called Meter Music School. The school is holding an open house Friday, April 29 from 5-9 p.m. to show off their newly-renovated space and give people a chance to meet the school’s teachers.

One of those teachers is his mother Sally, who is teaching a Kindermusik class for children ages 0-7. Bosworth teaches guitar, and the school’s roster of teachers cover just about anything from drums to piano to brass. The biggest gap in their faculty currently is woodwinds (so if you play a woodwind instrument, such as the saxophone, and are interested in teaching, contact the school or show up to the open house and introduce yourself).

Brendan Bosworth and his mother Sally Homann

“I’ve been teaching guitar out of my house since about 2005,” said Bosworth, who lives in the Central District not far from the school. Originally from Southern California, he moved to the neighborhood ten years ago after attending school in Pittsburgh. He taught at various music schools in the region on a freelance basis in addition to teaching from his home. He started looking for a space in the neighborhood for a school about a year ago, he said, before deciding to go with the building at 2110 E Union St a few months ago.

“It’s a great place to live, and there’s a great core of businesses here,” he said of the neighborhood. The house ended up being a good fit, largely because it is freestanding and they would not have to worry about disturbing other building tenants.

Aside from teaching youth, the school has received a fair amount of interest from adults in the neighborhood looking to take up an instrument, he said. If students are interested in giving an instrument a try, the school has a number of loaner instruments to lend out until one can be acquired.

“If I have an overarching philosophy, it’s to have lessons be a really positive experience,” said Bosworth. Instead of tedious drilling, he wants students to have fun with their instruments and want to continue playing.

The school has completed the first part of renovations to the building and has been teaching classes for a few weeks. The main floor of the building, which was formerly a house, has been changed into a bunch of separate teaching spaces so several lessons can occur at the same time. Bosworth said their next big plan is to transform the garage below the main space into a larger group teaching space. Work on that should begin soon and they hope to have it finished in time to run some summer programs in the space.

The school offers group and private lessons, and soon they will have some one-time clinics and community classes.

Plans to construct a three-story building next to Casa Latina’s current building at 17th and Jackson are moving forward, and construction could begin by early fall with anticipated completion a year later. The deadline to file an appeal to the hearing examiner regarding the building’s design review ended April 21 without issues, and the organization is near their fundraising goal.

“We’re coming along,” said Jill Rose, Development Director for Casa Latina. “We’re really close to finishing out fundraising for the capital campaign.” The organization is within $60,000 of their $4.3 capital campaign, and they are selling bricks for $150-500 that will go into the entryway of the new building once it is completed.

“The bricks give people the opportunity to put their name in a permanent place and be a part of the new facility,” said Rose. So far, they have sold about 125 of the bricks, which come with a custom inscription.

Just two years after moving to the neighborhood, the organization has already far outgrown its space. With to goal of empowering Latino immigrants through education and job opportunities, Casa Latina needs more space for day-to-day work center operations and education offerings, such as English classes. The expansion will also make it easier for people with children to access the organization’s services. Currently, there is no space for any kind of day care for parents who want to attend workshops and trainings, but they hope to be able to provide that once the building is completed.

“That will be a big help in terms of family support for the folks who are coming,” said Rose.

There will also be a portable computer lab to help workers look for jobs and keep up on the news, and the building will have a kitchen that can be used by people using the meeting space and to provide a training space so workers can get some experience in a commercial kitchen.

For more information about accessing the organization’s services, hiring workers, donating or volunteering, visit the Casa Latina website.

The Jackson Place Alliance for Equity has filed an appeal to King County Superior Court challenging building permits for the Downtown Emergency Services Center’s planned Crisis Solutions Center at 16th Ave S and S Lane St. The Department of Planning and Development granted the permits earlier this month, concluding that the proposed facility is most similar to a hospital and is, therefore, a permitted use for the proposed location.

However, the JPAE has argued that the facility is more like a jail than a hospital, which would not be permitted at the site without a lengthy public process. The group also alleges that the facility’s wide political support biased the DPD’s decision to issue the permits.

The planned facility, which is unlike any other in King County, is intended as a way to bypass sending people in the midst of a mental crisis to either jail or the emergency room, both of which are extremely expensive to the city and county and do not meet the needs of the person having a crisis. Instead, a person without a violent history could be referred to the Crisis Solutions Center where mental health professionals can help them through the issue. Participation in the Crisis Solutions Center would be voluntary, according to the DESC. However, patients would not simply be let out into the neighborhood without accompaniment by DESC staff.

For more background on the facility, see our previous story.

From the JPAE’s press release:

In Nov 2010, the JPAE submitted a Request for Interpretation with DPD concerning DESC’s proposed development of the crisis solutions center in the Jackson Place community. Since filing the Request for Interpretation, JPAE obtained public records that indicate the crisis facility has been endorsed by several City and County elected officials and agency heads, including the City Executive, Council members, and the City Attorney. Public records also reveal emails sent by City elected officials and the DESC enlisting the DPD in facilitating quick approval and construction without public review.

On April 6th JPAE received a decision from DPD regarding the Request for Interpretation stating the crisis diversion facility is considered a permissible use under the Land Use Code. Permits were issued to DESC the same day.

JPAE maintains that the Request for Interpretation and the process under which permits were issued to DESC was not given a full, transparent, public review process. As a result, JPAE has filed legal action in Superior Court seeking an impartial, unbiased review of the siting of the crisis solutions center on South Lane Street.

Carlylyly asked the evening of April 24 via Twitter:

An SPD patrol car was involved in a collision at 12th Ave and Yesler while pursing a stolen vehicle the evening of April 24, according to police. Nobody was seriously injured in the wreck, but the suspect was able to escape.

An officer spotted a suspicious vehicle driving recklessly around 9:30 p.m. near Union and 12th and attempted to make a traffic stop. The suspect failed to pull over, and the officer engaged in a pursuit southbound on 12th.

A vehicle unrelated to the initial incident was traveling on Yesler and struck the patrol car as it went through the intersection with its lights on. The incident is under investigation, and no details were available regarding the direction the unrelated vehicle was traveling or which travel directions had a green signal at the time.

There were minor injuries, which were treated on the scene by the fire department. A check showed that the escaped suspect’s vehicle had been stolen.

Do you have an idea for a small neighborhood project? Maybe the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund is the way to make your idea happen. From art projects to pedestrian safety improvements, the NMF rewards volunteers for their donated time and resources by matching contributions with city money. There is a workshop at 6 p.m. tonight (April 25) at the Garfield High School computer lab to learn more about the NMF’s new online application system.

The small and simple projects could provide up to $20,000 for community building projects. From the Department of Neighborhoods website:

The Small and Simple Projects Fund provides awards up to $20,000 to support community members in building community relationships around a project. Small and Simple Projects Fund activities may be physical projects as well as less tangible but equally significant educational, cultural, and relationship-strengthening activities. All projects must demonstrate its capacity to build a stronger and healthier community, and must:

• Provide a public benefit and be free and open to all members of the public.
• Emphasize self-help, with project ideas initiated, planned and implemented by the neighbors and community members who will themselves be impacted by the project.
• Demonstrate community match.
• Occur within the Seattle city limits.

One example of a NMF project in the area right now is the CD Public Art Project, which is developing ideas for community art projects through a series of interactive public meetings. The group’s second public meeting will be April 28 at the Central Area Senior Center (500 30th Ave S). See our coverage of the group’s first meeting.

From the Department of Neighborhoods:

Join us for the first of two Neighborhood Matching Fund workshops being offered to learn about  the new on-line application system.  The workshop starts at 6 p.m. and will be held in the computer lab at Garfield High School, 2323 E Cherry St.  Contact Danielle Calloway at 733-9916 for more information.  The next Small and Simple deadline is Monday, May 9.