It’s the time again to stuff your freezers with delicious homemade soup. We’re trying something new and hosting in a local cafe!

Judkins Street Cafe
Wednesday, Feb 22nd

It is a great opportunity to meet neighbors here in the CD. To attend, we’re going to ask only this: you have to live in the Central District. We’re going to broadly define the CD so that if you live north of Atlantic, south of Madison, east of 14th and west of 30th, you are invited!

Soup Swaps are a very easy way to add some variety to your meals. You bring six one-quart containers of frozen soup, and you leave with six-one quart containers of frozen soup, but now they’ll be in a wonderful mix instead of just eating from that same big pot of soup for days and days. 

We won’t be specifying it vegan, vegetarian or meat qualities: just bring what you like to cook. It’s only important to make sure that you’ve got quart size containers and that you have six. You can read about Soup Swap (it’s a craze that started right here in Seattle) at www.soupswap.com. 

We’ll start gathering around 6:00 pm for mingling, with the Soup Swap to being promptly at 7:00. If you’re in a hurry, there shouldn’t be a reason you can’t be out the door by 8:00 pm or even 7:30, but of course, we’re looking forward to having a chance to meet folks from other sections of the CD.

If you haven’t been down to the south end of the CD in a while, Judkins Street Cafe offers some good burgers, daily specials, beer on tap and wine. We’re super excited they’re hosting us this year! 

If you want to swap soup, but can’t make that evening, please contact Knox and we can figure out a way for you to drop it off and pick up a mixed bag later.

Finally, we’d ask that everyone bring a few cans of food or some pasta for the St. Mary’s food bank in Jackson Place.

Voices Rising presents Vancouver, BC artist Berend McKenzie, performing an excerpt from his one-person show “nggrfg” at Washington Hall Friday (for more on the show, check out an interview with McKenzie in This Magazine).

Voices Rising is a series of performances by LGTBQ performers of color. The show is $10-25 sliding scale. Queer youth get in free.

From Voices Rising:

Date: Friday, February 10, 2012
Time: 8 pm, doors at 7 pm
Location: Main Hall – Washington Hall
Description:
Acclaimed actor/playwright/producer Berend McKenzie brings excerpts of his award winning one man show “nggrfgt” to Voices Rising!

(nggrfg: Bravery and Heart, Uniting Us One Audience At a Time.)

Hosted by the fabulous artist/writer/performer/activist Stephany Koch-Hazelrigg.

Tix:$10-25. sliding scale.

Free Admission for Queer Youth!

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Casa Latina breaks ground today on a new building that will greatly expand their current space at 17th and Jackson. Mayor McGinn will be at the 11 a.m. ceremony to say a few words to mark the beginning of work on the three-story, 6,000 square foot building.

The building will help house the organization’s growing programs, focused on training and finding work for Latino day laborers. It will have retail and a kitchen on the ground level, and the organization plans to house a new labor hall, classrooms and offices in the rest of the space.

From Casa Latina:

Casa Latina will break ground on a new 6,000 sq ft building that will complete its existing campus on South Jackson St. on Thursday, February 9, 2012.  The community is invited to attend the celebration, which begins at 11 am. 

Casa Latina, a Seattle-based non-profit organization that works to educate and assist Latino day laborers,  is expanding its campus to meet the growing needs of the workers who receive job skills and safety training and job dispatch services.  Phase I was completed in 2009, when Casa Latina’s programs moved from its trailer and temporary shelters to its current facility.  Since that time, Casa Latina has added additional programs, become more visible in the community and grown in efficiency. This second Phase of the project will maximize flexibility for programming and establish a community gathering space that reflects Latino culture.

 

“We envision a lively cultural center where Latinos and other community members will come together to celebrate and strengthen social networks,” says Hilary Stern, Founding Executive Director of Casa Latina.  “Creating a sense of home and belonging is the foundation of Casa Latina.”

 

The new three story structure will have offices, classrooms, a new labor hall, and retail space and a kitchen in the lower level. The exterior will feature a space for artwork, a small plaza and a stairclimb. It is envisioned as a welcoming new home for Casa Latina and a great addition to the neighborhood.  The design includes many sustainable features including natural ventilation, raingardens and extensive use of recycled and reclaimed materials.  The building was designed by Johnston Architects and Anderson Construction Company is the general contractor.

 

“We are amazed and grateful for the outpouring of community support that has brought us to this moment,” says Stern. “With the investment of our current and future supporters, we are weathering the economic storm and moving forward on this very necessary project that will benefit not only Casa Latina’s workers, but the entire community.”

  

Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012

Time: 11:00 am

Location: Casa Latina, 317 17th Ave. S. Seattle, 98144

Queen Underwood hasn’t graced the front page of CDNews since the Cappy’s-based Queen Team training team called it quits in July citing a lack of funds. But she has not been simply sitting on the couch eating potato chips. The Garfield High grad has been training and fighting, working hard to stay on track to be the first ever women’s boxing Olympic Gold Medalist this summer.

From Seattle Met:

ON AUGUST 13, 2009, QUEEN UNDERWOOD was working as a sprinkler fitter in Seattle when she got the news that women’s boxing would be a medal sport at the 2012 Olympics. She called everyone in her cellphone, and work went out the window. Underwood has been training as an amateur fighter for 10 years, and this summer the 27-year-old Seattle native is the odds-on favorite to bring home gold for the U.S. in the 132-pound weight class. First she’ll have to fight through the Olympic trials in Spokane this February, but no one, including Underwood, is worried about that. This is, after all, a fighter whose motto is “Can’t stop, won’t stop.”

Read more…

A robber allegedly followed a woman into her apartment building near 14th and Yesler February 3 and attacked her, according to the police report.

After sneaking in the door before it could latch, the suspect allegedly knocked her over the head, then kicked her on the ground. When she ran and tried to get attention, he attempted to stab her, but missed. The knife wedged between her arm and her rib cage instead.

He then grabbed her wallet off the floor and ran.

A patrolling officer spotted the suspect and followed him to his home. The suspect was placed under arrest.

From the police report:

In a letter to the state Liquor Control Board signed by all nine City Councilmembers, Mayor McGinn and City Attorney Pete Holmes, city leaders ask the Board to reconsider a 2010 rule that could jeopardize Central Cinema’s family-friendly business model.

The letter says that Central Cinema (a CDNews sponsor) has been a “tremendous asset” in the city’s Safer Union project by creating a family-friendly destination in an area that has seen lots of drug and crime activity in recent decades. Seeing Central Cinema close “would be a terrible outcome,” they said.

The new rules were created without consulting or even notifying Central Cinema, which renewed its license twice since the rule changed without the Board mentioning it until recent months. While Central Cinema is not likely the target of the new rule, they could be caught up in it anyway.

“Their fear of Cinemas is based on their fear of a typical mall multi-plex installing beer taps next to the popcorn machine at the concession stand,” Central Cinema’s Kevin Spitzer told CDNews a few weeks ago. “I believe they just didn’t think the rule all of the way through.”

City leadership doesn’t think so either. They note Central Cinema’s six years of operation without incident and list several steps the theater takes to make sure servers can appropriately monitor alcohol consumption.

The city asks the Liquor Board to make changes to the rule that allow establishments like Central Cinema to continue operating, an outcome Spitzer prefers to the creation of a new state law as proposed by two Vancouver legislators. They also asked the Board not to enforce the rule until changes can be made. Budget cuts have slowed the Liquor Board’s rule change process significantly.

Below is the city’s letter to the Liquor Board. Let’s get a show of support. Comment below if you would sign this letter, too.

262012 Ltr to Wslcb

In light of the recent BJA report regarding to the Seattle Police Department, we have invited City Council Member Tim Burgess, who will speak about his recently published policy essay entitled “A New Philosophy of Policing”. Recently chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, Tim was able to identify Best Practices in crime prevention and policing strategies.  The entire essay can  be found within Tim’s website- http://www.seattle.gov/council/burgess/ – in the current issues column.  

 Our new Precinct Liaison Attorney, Matt York, will also be present and give a brief introduction of what he will be focusing on to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in our community. 

In other news:

OPARB COMMUNITY MEETING!

Tuesday, February 7th, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 

Location: Campion Ballroom, Seattle University

http://www.seattleu.edu/maps/

From OPARB, “Please join us for an open discussion about whether a community collaborative process can help ease tensions between the Seattle Police Department and Seattle’s varied communities, particularly communities of color.  Set against the backdrop of the recent Department of Justice findings, experienced facilitator, Jay Rothman, will present a report and recommendations about ways to empower the community, open constructive lines of communication and implement a concrete plan using such a process in Seattle.”

Attempted Car-Jacking

You may already know about the recent attempted car-jacking incident in the Madrona neighborhood. Please see CDN news: http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/01/30/attempted-carjacking-at-32nd-and-cherry

 It is important to know what to do if this ever happens to you.  Please see the attached document from Fran Tello, our East Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator.

The monthly EastPAc meeting is open to all- I hope to see everyone on February 23rd!

Be Safe, and enjoy our early spring weather!

Stephanie Tschida, Chair

East Precinct Advisory Council (EastPAC)

Vehicle Safety Tips Bump and Rob

A thief hit our house in the early hours of Sunday morning and made off with my husbands bike. It was a matte black 2006 Cannondale Bad Boy with disk brakes, larger padded seat with lights attached. 18 or 27 speeds – we can’t remember  now. We do have the serial number and original purchase receipt from Montlake Bicycles.

We have filed a police report, but are looking for your help in apprehending the guy who did it. After having our car broken into two previous times, we installed video cameras and have some decent shots of the man who did this. He’s young, probably late teens or early 20s, and appears Asian or Filipino. He’s wearing dark blue jeans, hanging low in the rear, with stitching on the pockets; a bright blue windbreaker jacket with a hood; and a knit cap that’s either dark blue or black with light colored writing on the front. Chances are he’s local or friends with a neighbor around Judkins Park.

Please take a look at the still shots we pulled from the video cameras to see if you recognize this young man. If you do, please contact Officer George at the East Precinct. THANK YOU!!

More photos can be found here:  https://picasaweb.google.com/111666965584815228871/BikeTheft

Join us on Tuesday, February 7, at 7:15 at the Madrona Playfield Shelterhouse for the Madrona Community Council meeting where you can visit with neighbors, share your ideas and concerns, and find out more about the goings-on in the neighborhood.

The meeting’s agenda includes a discussion about tree removal and developing a streetscape plan for 34th Ave, with SDOT attending; a discussion with King County Metro about the proposed #2 bus route changes; and planning for this year’s neighborhood appreciation day.

See you there!