A passenger in a car pulled a gun on the driver while they were stopped at the 23rd and Cherry gas station in the early morning of February 25. He then stole the car and drove away, according to the police.

Police tracked the car to a house near 25th and Pike, where the gun was also recovered. However, the driver refused to help identify the suspect.

From SPD:

On February 25th, just past midnight, two males inside a gold 2001 Chevy Impala had just picked up a third male.  The driver then stopped at a gas station at 23rd Avenue and Cherry Street where the passenger male went inside the store.  The third male then produced a revolver and ordered the driver out of the car, then drove away.

At about 1:30 am, the stolen Chevy Impala was located.  A K9 team responded to the scene and was able to track to a residence in the 1500 Block of 25th Avenue, where a revolver was recovered from under the porch.  After placing calls inside the residence, the occupants came out to be identified.  The passenger witness was unable to positively identify any of the occupants of the house as the suspect, and the driver/victim refused to participate in the identification.

Also in the area, a man was robbed while exiting his car near 12th and King February 24:

On February 24th at approximately 1:14 p.m the male victim was exiting his parked vehicle in a private lot in the 1200 block of South King Street.  An adult male suspect approached and pushed him back into his car.  The suspect then attempted to rip the Rolex watch and gold bracelet from the victim’s arm.  The victim was able to push the suspect away. 

The suspect then produced a handgun and pointed it at the victim.  An unknown bystander walked by and the suspect pointed the gun at him as well, then fled on foot.  The suspect was last seen southbound on 10th Avenue South from South Weller Street.

Responding officers conducted an area check however, the suspect remains at large.  The victim sustained minor scratches to his arm but was able to retain his property.

The suspect is described as a black male, 18 to 20 years of age, 5’6” tall with a thin build and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident.  Anonymous tips are welcome.

He hit up my housemates for the usual cash for sob story.

Wonder where he’s been since this:

<http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2011/08/24/patrick-the-scammer-back-at-it>

I know other neighborhood blogs (Phinney?) have had chatter about him…

A woman told police she was threatened with a gun while driving northbound on MLK near S Judkins St February 22.

She said she the man in front of her was driving erratically, braking excessively and looking in his mirrors around 8:15 p.m. 10:15 a.m. He then reached out his window and pointed a small black handgun at her. He then pulled over and followed her to 17th and Yesler. She called the police and was not hurt.

From the police report:

The Central District Public Art Coalition (CDPAC) is pleased to release the Central District Public Art Plan by Kistler/Higbee Cahoot. The Central District Public Art Plan is a template for communities within the Central District (CD) to use. It lays out a vision for neighborhoods to create public art that speaks to residents by incorporating neighbors’ ideas and involving neighbors in the creative process. It is a community driven plan that was born of the desire of CD neighbors to create a series of community gathering places and to revitalize underused spaces.

The Central District Public Art Plan is an effort to engage the entire Central District community including residents, businesses, schools, and service and religious organizations in order to showcase the unique character of the area.

The main funding source for the CDPAC are funds raised by the Central District Garden Tour (GT) and volunteer labor. There are a variety of activities involved in making this a reality. We are very hopeful that these activities include as many neighbors as possible along the way. If you are interested in volunteering with us, we can use your help with a variety of activities including the day of the 2012 GT, June 9th. Setup and take down at the main plaza, soliciting sponsorships, soliciting food trucks, contacting potential partners for the CDPAC’s projects, web design/support and other possibilities too endless to enumerate here. If you’re interested in joining us, please contact us.

Download the plan at www.cdpac.org.

A repeat shoplifter shoved a Grocery Outlet employee shortly before 8:30 p.m. February 17 after the employee asked the man to remove the stolen items from his backpack.

The employee told police the man had stolen from the MLK and Union store in the past. Employees tracked him through the store with security cameras and saw him stuff items into his bag. When he walked past the cashiers without paying, the employee confronted him. After shoving the employee, he fled on foot.

From the police report:

The city plans to build 11 miles of family-friend walking and biking routes every year, and Central Seattle Greenways (CSG) wants to make sure the central neighborhoods are not left behind.

About 40 people squished into Central Cinema February 9 for the first CSG meeting. Residents from Capitol Hill and the greater Central District neighborhoods put their heads together to come up with some potential family-friendly walking and biking route ideas and discussed ways to promote them.

Neighborhood greenways are basically low-traffic neighborhood streets that are designed to prioritize walking and biking as a way to connect homes and important neighborhood destinations. They include traffic calming to slow motor vehicle traffic and safe crossings at busy streets so that walking and biking is easy, safe and efficient.

The Seattle Times created an interactive map showing bicycle-involved collisions between 2007 and 2011. Though bicycling has increased significantly since 2007, the number of collisions has stayed constant. This could mean that the more people bicycling, the safer it becomes. The map shows that the Central District streets with the most collisions are 12th Ave, Union, Cherry, Jefferson and Jackson.

360 image of February 6 meeting by Adam Parast

Central Seattle Greenways (which, full disclosure, I am part of) has the goal of providing routes for walking and biking that are further away from heavy car traffic. The group is now working to apply for a small Neighborhood Matching Fund grant, which can provide up to $20,000 to selected projects. Grant applications are due March 12, so a lot of work needs to get done before then.

To keep updated on those meetings and participate in other planning discussions, you can join the Google Group email list. Central Seattle Greenways also has a website, Facebook and Twitter.

To get an idea of what routes might work as neighborhood greenways, people split into three groups. Each group had a big map on the table, and people highlighted important neighborhood destinations — such as schools, big transit stops (present and future), parks, churches and commercial centers. They then drew on the maps to highlight neighborhood streets that could connect these destinations (see below).

Several CD route needs became clear. There was strong support for a route on Columbia Street connecting the First Hill Streetcar stop at Swedish First Hill to Madrona — stopping by Seattle U, Swedish Cherry Hill, Garfield and the Cherry Street commercial areas along the way. There were several good options for a long north-south route connecting Volunteer and Judkins Parks. People also supported routes parallel to 34th Ave in Madrona and routes to help connect Montlake with Capitol Hill and Madison Valley, to name a few.

From the Melrose Promenade Facebook page

The group is not starting completely from scratch on Capitol Hill. Mike Kent of the Capitol Hill Community Council presented planning work already under way for Melrose Ave. The Melrose Promenade would redesign the road, particularly north of Denny, so that it is more comfortable for walking and enjoying the excellent views. CSG embraced the plans, and general consensus was that the group should do whatever it can to move the plan forward.

On Capitol Hill, there are several good options for an east-west route somewhere between Madison and Volunteer Park. All groups agreed that all of Federal Ave would be a good option, though it needs to be repaved (which could be costly).

The next step is to decide the best grant ideas. $20,000 is not really enough money to build a route (which cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $150,000/mile). However, it could be enough for design planning (a requirement for the Melrose Green Street project, for example).

Or it could be an opportunity to bring more people in the community together. One idea discussed would be a big cross-neighborhood street party, where a loop of neighborhood streets is turned into a big park for a few hours one weekend day. Organizations and individuals can host parties, music, exercise classes, food, etc along the way. Car traffic is limited, and police or volunteers are on hand to help people cross busy streets. Similar ciclovia-style events have been increasingly popular around the world (and, in fact, the idea has origins right here in Seattle with Lake Washington’s Bicycle Sundays).

The next two meetings will be about grant planning (6:30 p.m. February 27, location TBA) and a route-scouting neighborhood bike ride (2 p.m. March 4, meet at the Judkins Park Tennis Courts).

81242224 Central Seattle Greenways Compressed)

Those old white dudes at the Academy (94 percent white and 77 percent male? Seriously?) might be working to decide the best films and actors of the past year, but the folks behind the 20/20 Awards are doing much more important work: Deciding the best films of 1992.

The third annual two-decades-delayed award show will announce the big winners during a show at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Central Cinema. Tickets are nearly sold out, so buy now if you want to go. (UPDATE: If you don’t get tickets, Central Sounds is hosting an interesting crew from Women Who Rock tonight at Hollow Earth Radio, just around the corner from Central Cinema. See bottom of this post for details)

From the 20/20 Awards:

In 1992, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS swept the Academy Awards, taking 7 nominations and winning the “Big Five” including Best Picture, Best Actress (Foster), Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Director (Demme) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally). This is the first year the 20/20 Awards is poised for a repeat, with an exciting opportunity for multiple coveted “Odd Couples”, when a nominee wins both an Oscar, and 20 years later wins a Felix. However, BARTON FINK is a heavy contender weighing in with 10 nominations.

The 20/20 Awards www.2020awards.org offer a unique alternative to award shows, emphasizing the test of time as the key criterion by which films and filmmakers should be honored. Looking back twenty years affords voters an insight free from industry insiderism and the contemporary zeitgeist.

Here’s the list of nominees (Oscar winners marked with an *):

BEST PICTURE

BARTON FINK

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

THE FISHER KING

THELMA & LOUISE

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*

BEST DIRECTOR

Joel Coen – BARTON FINK

Jonathan Demme – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*

Terry GIlliam – THE FISHER KING

Barry Levinson – BUGSY

Ridley Scott – THELMA & LOUISE

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges – THE FISHER KING

Robert DeNiro – CAPE FEAR

Anthony Hopkins – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*

John Turturro – BARTON FINK

Robin Williams – THE FISHER KING

BEST ACTRESS

Annette Bening – BUGSY

Judy Davis – NAKED LUNCH

Jodie Foster – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*

Susan Sarandon – THELMA & LOUISE

Lily Taylor – DOGFIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

John Goodman – BARTON FINK

Ian Holm – NAKED LUNCH

Ted Levine – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Gary Oldman – JFK

Jack Palance – CITY SLICKERS*

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Geena Davis – THELMA & LOUISE

Juliette Lewis – CAPE FEAR

Christina Ricci – THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Brooke Smith – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Jessica Tandy – FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Albert Brooks – DEFENDING YOUR LIFE

Joel and Ethan Coen – BARTON FINK

Richard LaGravanese – THE FISHER KING

Callie Khouri – THELMA & LOUISE*

Steve Martin – L.A. STORY

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

David Cronenberg – NAKED LUNCH

Roddy Doyle, Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais – THE COMMITMENTS

Fannie Flagg, Carol Sobieski – FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar – JFK

Ted Tally – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*

BEST FOREIGN FILM

DELICATESSEN

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE MADAME BOVARY

RAISE THE RED LANTERN

ZENTROPA

BEST DOCUMENTARY

35 UP

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME

DOING TIME: LIFE INSIDE THE BIG HOUSE

HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER’S APOCALYPSE

MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE

BEST SCORE

George Fenton – THE FISHER KING

Alan Menken – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST*

Ennio Morricone – BUGSY

Wilson Pickett – THE COMMITMENTS

Howard Shore – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

BEST SONG

Beauty And The Beast – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST*

Be Our Guest – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Everything I Do, I Do For You – ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THEIVES

Until The End Of The World – UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD

BEST EDITING

Conrad Buff, Mark Goldblatt, Richard A. Harris – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*

Joe Hutsching, Pietro Scalia – JFK

Roderick Jaynes – BARTON FINK

Craig McKay – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Hervé Schneid – DELICATESSEN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Roger Deakins – BARTON FINK

Tak Fujimoto – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Darius Khondji – DELICATESSEN

Edvard Klosinsky, Jean-Paul Meurisse, Joakim Holbek – ZENTROPA

Lun Yang – RAISE THE RED LANTERN

BEST ART DIRECTION

Mel Bourne – THE FISHER KING

Marc Caro – DELICATESSEN

Dennis Gassner – BARTON FINK

Richard MacDonald – THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Carol Spier – NAKED LUNCH

BEST COSTUME

Richard Hornung – BARTON FINK

Ellen Lens – PROSPERO’S BOOKS

Ruth Myers – THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Valérj]ie Pozzo di Borgo – DELICATESSEN

Albert Wolsky – BUGSY*

BEST MAKEUP

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

HOOK

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*

BEST VISUAL FX

BACKDRAFT

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*

ZENTROPA

BEST SOUND DESIGN

BACKDRAFT

BARTON FINK

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*

UPDATE: Also tonight in the same block: Hollow Earth Radio’s Central Sounds will be talking to some of the folks behind the upcoming Women Who Rock UnConference and Film Festival at Washington Hall March 2-3. Listen online:

WEDS NIGHT 9PM! @LadiesFirst206 will be representing @centralsounds on @hollowearth and discussing @WomenWhoRock206 Conference Wednesday!

— CENTRAL SOUNDS (@centralsounds) February 21, 2012

The students of Thurgood Marshall Elementary were rewarded for their exceptional attendance record with a February 16 visit from Blenda Rodriguez of the Harlem Globetrotters. The visit was part of the Be Here Get There program as reward for the school’s January attendance rates.

From the Mayor’s office:

Harlem Globetrotter Blenda Rodriguez performed at Thurgood Marshall Elementary on February 16 in partnership with the city of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools’ citywide attendance campaign, Be Here Get There, to congratulate Thurgood Marshall Elementary for having the best elementary school attendance in Seattle for the month of January.

“We are very excited to be able to welcome the Harlem Globetrotters to our school,” said Thurgood Marshall Elementary Principal Julie Breindenbach. “We’re extremely proud of our faculty, students and parents for making attendance a priority.”

“Improving attendance rates must be addressed in ways that engage students,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with the Harlem Globetrotters and congratulate Thurgood Marshall Elementary on their successful attendance.”

Mayor McGinn was also at the school for the visit, and he mentioned the program in Tuesday’s State of the City speech:

Seattle is a town that cares whether or not our kids succeed. How do we do that? Make sure every one is in school.

Our citywide Be Here Get There attendance campaign has been delivering results. Preliminary data shows that the rate of students attending school is at its highest level in five years. I want to thank all of our community partners, especially the students, parents, teachers and administrators who are making this effort possible.

Video of the mayor’s speech: