CD residents who are concerned about some the proposed changes should consider attending this meeting.  There are intrinsic relationships between First Hill and the CD transit routes.  Decisions regarding one area will affect the other.

First Hill Improvement Association:

Volney Richmond auditorium is in the Lindeman Pavilion on Level 1.  The street address is 1201 Terry Avenue.  You enter the building on the second floor, due to the hill, and take the elevator or stairs down to the first floor.  There is parking in the garage in this building also. (Unfortunately, it is not free.) Here is a link to the campus map and instructions:

https://www.virginiamason.org/body.cfm?id=226&fr=true

The Common Language Project and the CD-based film studio The Last Quest are working to finish a documentary about an Iraqi immigrant living in a Seattle suburb who got caught up in the war on terror and was deported.

To finish the film, they have Kickstarter campaign running that they hope will raise the $8,400 they need for post-production and animation.

The Last Quest were profiled in CDNews in September. They are housed in the 2522 E Cherry building, which joined the Second Saturday Art Walk on Cherry Street last year. They screened some short films and even held scratch-film animation workshops.

From the filmmakers:

Sam “Barzan” Malkandi, an Iraqi immigrant to the US and beloved family man, was working toward his piece of the American Dream in a Seattle suburb. But a footnote in the 9/11 Commission Report, connecting him to a high-level Al-Qaeda operative through his childhood nickname, changed everything. Five years of detention and multiple appeals later, Malkandi was deported back to Iraq–leaving behind a wife and two children.

Seattle-based journalists and filmmakers have teamed up to tell Malkandi’s story in a feature film titled Barzan. The team has turned to Kickstarter.com to help raise the post-production funds needed to complete their film.

Last year Barzan Director Alex Stonehill and Producer Sarah Stuteville traveled to Iraq and conducted a series of interviews with Malkandi. About his time in Iraq Stonehill says, “We met [Malkandi’s] family and roamed the city of his childhood. But there were so many questions that went unanswered, with each day that passed the story got deeper.”

Upon returning to Seattle, Stuteville and Stonehill, co-founders of the multimedia journalism nonprofit the Common Language Project, joined forces with the Last Quest, a local production company, to turn their reporting into a feature length documentary.

Barzan explores the controversial issues of immigration, xenophobia and the price of security in the 21st century.  This film is an epic geopolitical journey from the front lines of the Iran-Iraq War to the refugee camps of Pakistan and finally into the opaque government agencies charged with keeping us safe, even at the cost of freedom.

Haven’t seen her since yesterday afternoon.  No collar – she just finds a way to take it off.  Micro-chipped.  Anybody seen her today?  She lives on 22nd Ave between Union and Marion.

update:  she had snuck into the shed yesterday… which was locked.  Crisis averted.  Thank you.

Goodwill will break ground on their new building at Rainier and Dearborn Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. The three-story building will house education programs as well as administrative offices for the Seattle Goodwill Headquarters.

Plans for the new building developed after plans for a large, mixed-use redevelopment of the Goodwill site on Dearborn fell through for financial reasons three years ago, prolonging the company’s search for a way to house their training program and administrative staff. Leaving the door open for future redevelopment of the space, Seattle Goodwill tore down three vacant buildings on the lot to make room for the new 49,562 square-foot.

From Seattle Goodwill:

WHAT:  Celebrate the ground breaking of Goodwill’s new Job Training & Education Center and Administrative Support Building. 

WHEN:  Wednesday, February 15 at 9:30 a.m.

 

WHERE:  1400 South Lane Street in Seattle

WHO:  Speakers will include Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle Goodwill CEO Ken Colling  and Seattle Goodwill Board Chair Wayne Lau. Community partners and staff will attend.

 

DETAILS:

This 3 story 49,562 square foot building will house a new Job Training and Education Center and our Administrative Support Services.

Job Training and Education (JTE) classroom space will increase by 20% and JTE staff capacity will double.  Together, these improvements will allow us to serve more individuals with our free job training & education programs.   Last year, the Seattle location served over 900 people.

The building is designed by Mithun and Foushée & Associates Inc.  is the general contractor for the project

Goodwill’s existing training center, store and donation center will remain open during construction of this project.

Occupancy is scheduled for April 2013.

When a thief stole a bicycle from one Judkins Park home, it’s doubtful he knew he was caught on camera. The couple had previously installed a security camera after too many car break-ins, and they posted images of the thief right here on Central District News.

Well, a few days later, they spotted the bike on Craigslist and told the police. They arranged to meet the seller (obviously not a CDNews reader) at 12th and Jackson, where the 17-year-old suspect was arrested. The bike was returned.

From SPD:

On February 5th, a victim reported that  his expensive bicycle had been stolen from his residence in the 1100 Block of 21 Avenue South.  The victim informed the officer that images of the suspect were captured on the victim’s security camera and those images were turned over to the officer. 

On February 11th, the victim contacted officers again after seeing an online post offering to sell his stolen bicycle.  The victim knew it was his bike because the post included photos of the bike.  The victim replied to the ad and arranged to meet the seller at 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street.  Officers coordinated with the victim in an attempt to recover his stolen property and arrest the suspect.

The suspect arrived with the stolen bicycle and was taken into custody by officers without incident.  The suspect is 17 years old.  The bicylce was recovered and returned to the owner after it was verified that it was the stolen bicycle.  East Precinct detectives will handle the follow up investigation.

Ran into some people moving stuff into the former Philly Cheese Steak spot Thursday evening.  They said that Mediterranean Mix, the Greek place in Pioneer Square is coming.  Didn’t get an opening date, but it looked like some of the stuff they were moving was food, so it may not be long.

Haven’t heard anything recent about “The Neighbor Lady” cafe that is supposed to be coming to the former Thompson’s Point of View.  Would be nice to see some vitality returning.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sports/quanitta-underwood-

EDITOR’S UPDATE: The NYTimes published a heart-wrenching feature on Queen Underwood, delving into her history as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. With the US Olympic boxing trials beginning today in Spokane, Underwood is largely considered the nation’s best chance to win gold in women’s boxing. The story shows Queen evolve from an abuse survivor to a dominant force in the ring.

From the New York Times:

THE TWO SISTERS shared a bed, and each night, with their hearts hammering, they would listen for the turn of the knob and the push of the door.

Quanitta Underwood was 10, her sister Hazzauna, 12. The walls of the house were thin, and the girls could hear every move their father made. Hear him sit up, hear him get out of bed, hear him walking their way.

Quanitta pinched her eyes shut when her father entered the room, but she could imagine the presence of his familiar silhouette. She felt his weight sink into the bed while his hands traveled beneath the covers. As Quanitta feigned sleep, her father groped her sister and often rolled on top.

Azzad Underwood was a forceful man, not so much in size as in manner. He was a welder by trade but gave way to few men in self-importance. He could be charming. He had been president of the parents association at the girls’ school and was among the most active members at a local Church of God in Christ.

Both girls loved him and trusted him, but young as they were, they realized their father was doing something on the wrong side of normal, far from Jesus.

Read more…

Anyone else hear the loud rumble noises tonight around 5:15  (Fri. Feb 10th) ?? My husband heard them tonight & I have heard them a couple of times in the last month. It was so loud my dog was scared out of her mind.  I have tried to find out some info about their construction route:

  http://projects.soundtransit.org/Projects-Home/University-Li  

but if anyone knows more I’d love to hear about it!   

Treneicia Gardner. Photo: MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES. Used with permission.

A growing number of studies are showing a link between teacher diversity and minority student performance. Yet the demographics of teachers at Seattle Public Schools is lagging far behind the demographics of the student bodies. Though only 43 percent of students at SPS are white, 79 percent of teachers are white.

To illustrate the story, the Seattle Times’ Brian Rosenthal observes a classroom at Leschi Elementary. The class’s teacher, Treneicia Gardner, was helped by a scholarship from the [Edgar] Martinez Foundation, which is focused on increasing teacher diversity:

Treneicia Gardner is counting down from five, signaling her kindergarten and first-grade students to hurry to the classroom rug for a math lesson.

Most have no problem making it. The only holdup is a line of kids hoping to grab a quick hug before bounding to their spots.

It’s a blend of control and connection even the most experienced educator might envy, and Gardner is a first-year teacher at a diverse, high-poverty school.

---

To be sure, her effectiveness stems from contagious energy, creative lesson planning and superhuman patience. But the 28-year-old says she has an extra advantage: Gardner, like many of her students, is African American.

“Absolutely, I feel like it makes a difference,” she said, reflecting at lunchtime on a recent school day at Seattle’s Leschi Elementary. “As a minority woman, things that I have experienced in my life are the same things they’re dealing with. It brings our relationship closer … It increases their comfort level and their confidence.”

Read more…

http://metro.kingcounty.gov/have-a-say/projects/restructuring-system.html

At the Metro site you will find a drop down menu at the right provides a narrative  on each of the current revisions to the revisions that were presented in November 2011.

Remember if you commented in the first phase and have not yet taken the online survey or emailed during February and  have concerns, you must comment again.  The period for comment period on the second phase began in February  will continue throughout February and will end February 29.  Metro will then prepare a recommendation for King County Council to consider in the spring probably April. drop down menu at the right provides a narrative  on each of the current revisions to the revisions that were presented in November 2011.

A number of methods to comment on the proposal are presented.

• Survey: http://www.surveymk.com/s/Sept2012TransitRestructuringP2
• Attend a meeting and see updates to meetings; http://metro.kingcounty.gov/have-a-say/calendar.html
• Email with your contact information; [email protected]
• Call the message line: 206-263-9768 (Remember to leave your name and a contact.)

Meetings and open houses in or near or related to the Central District

• February 14, 6pm – 7pm First Hill Improvement Association, Swedish First Hill Campus, B Level Conf. Room, 747 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122

• Feb 21 12-2pm – Union Station, 401 S Jackson St, Seattle
• Feb 23 6-8pm – QA Community Center, 1901 1st Ave W, Seattle 
• Feb 27 6-8pm – Washington Middle School, 2101 S Jackson St, Seattle

Other meetings where you can comment:

• Feb. 13 – Ballard (Ballard High School, 1418 NW 65th St, Seattle, 6-8 pm) 
• Feb. 15 – West Seattle (Madison Middle School, 3429 45th Ave SW, Seattle, 6-8 pm)
• Feb. 16 – Delridge/White Center (Chief Sealth High School, 2600 SW Thistle St, Seattle, 6-8 pm)

The highlights to this for the  Central District are:

• The #27 will be restored to serve Leschi and Coleman Park during the day.  Frequency would decrease on weekends to once every hour. And it  it will be E Yesler Way until  Boren Avenue where it will be rerouted to Spring Street, Seneca Street, and Third Avenue rather than continuing along E Yesler Way to downtown Seattle.  Then it will continue as the #33 on Third Avenue  and vise versa on return trips.
• The proposals to delete all of the #2 except the portion from Lake Washington to 12th Avenue with a reroute on Madison to the ferries where it  would turn around to the Lake again remains in this proposal.  This would be staggered with the #12 along new Madison portion.  Saturday service for the #2 along E. Union will decrease from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes on Saturday.
• The deletion of the #4 remains.
• Proposed frequency increase in the #11 is no longer proposed.
• Proposals for the #14 remain to delete service between 31st Avenue S/S McClellan Street and Mount Rainier Drive S. at all times and on Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle after 7 p.m. and to separate the north and south parts of the route. Take it off Third Avenue on the north and link it with the #1 on south on Third.  (map please)

Some recent CD News Stories:

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2011/10/25/metro-shows-significant-changes-to-the-2-3-4-11-12-14

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2011/12/15/bus-chick-petition-save-the-27

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/01/26/bus2ridersgmailcom-announces-more-local-metro-meetings-and-action-plan

And links to others:

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/01/18/improving-route-2-in-the-central-district-and-first-hill

http://seattletransitblog.com/2012/02/02/metro-waters-down-fall-changes/#more-33422

 From Ashley at Metro : A media release is going out to neighborhood blogs and citywide media outlets momentarily and we will be sending out a series of other notifications tomorrow. You may also see us in the neighborhood putting up laminated posters in the bus shelters. Please stop by and say hi if you spot me struggling with a tape gun.From