This post is part of a series of profiles of Central District residents, part of the “People of the Central Area” project developed and written by Madeline Crowley.

Photo by Madeline Crowley

About Fordie Ross:
Even at nearly 100 years old, Fordie’s life revolves around service to others. It gets him up and out to Y’s Men’s meetings, to church and out on his 2-mile walks. He is a living example of how a life focused on giving keeps you alert, active and fully alive.

Where did you and Thelma live in the Central Area?

On 32nd Avenue, north of the Madrona Presbyterian Church. In the early 1950s, we lived in a house that had a dirt basement. Every week I would go and get concrete. I finished that floor. I have to ask what you have heard of me?

You’re spoken of very fondly as a very smart, very kind man. Mr. Zimmerly told me you’re a good man with a long history with the church. I also saw an article on your walking program in the Seattle Times.

I have a long history of service both in Seattle and the Church. Also, I do walk every day. One day a reporter from the Seattle Times asked to walk the two miles with me. When we arrived back home, he said, ‘Hey, let me get inside because I have to sit down.’ He was tired.

Can you begin with the Grace Church?

The Grace Church (formerly on Cherry & 22nd, building still extant) would be about the same size as the living room of my house. Before that though, my wife and daughter were born in Oklahoma City, OK.  I lived there and worked at a Baptist Church. One day, I met a Seattle Minister who found out I was well versed in Sales. He told me about a newspaper in Seattle. Then, the owner of the paper called and asked me to come to Seattle to take a test to become the Editor of the paper. His name was Noodles Smith, the richest black man ever to come to Seattle.

I came to Seattle, as did five other black men from around the country. We were all given a test, which I won. Two weeks after I moved here, Noodles Smith dropped dead. I didn’t have the money to keep the newspaper going and his family couldn’t agree on what to do, so the newspaper was closed. That meant that I was out of a job. (long pause) I pause because if I tell you what happened immediately, I would kill the magnificence of the whole story. I won’t tell you right at this minute.So, let me tell you that my wife, child and I had come to Seattle and we arrived on a Sunday. On that same Sunday we found Grace Presbyterian Church. I was born a Presbyterian, my father was a Presbyterian Minister. We not only joined the Church, we pledged and we never missed a pledge from 1952 until today.

To read the rest of the story, click here.

Cuba Johnson stands proudly on her porch with Rebuilding Together volunteers. (photo courtesy of Rebuilding Together)

Some six million low-income families nationwide live in substandard housing, with broken heating and plumbing, holes in walls and windows, roach and rodent infestation, falling plaster, crumbling foundations, insufficient fire prevention, and leaking roofs.

Today, thanks to the nonprofit Rebuilding Together Seattle, that statistic has one fewer person.

Rebuilding Together Seattle volunteers at Cuba Johnson’s home (photo courtesy of Rebuilding Together Seattle).

Rebuilding Together recently worked on the home of Cuba Johnson, a Central District resident and 74-year-old widow of a veteran living alone. Her home is frequented by her children and grandchildren.

But Johnson has trouble moving around because of an arthritic knee, and her home was in need of several repairs. Last Saturday, November 23, volunteers from Madrona Ridge Residential and Security Properties spent a day at her home and rebuilt her back steps, removed clutter and broken appliances, replaced roofing and siding, and repaired gutters.

The project was part of Rebuilding Together’s inaugural Safe at Home Impact Day, which included 10 projects around Seattle with 100 volunteers from 65 local businesses providing free home restoration to low-income families. Johnson’s home was also the 1,000th house restoration project since Rebuilding Together Seattle’s founding in 1989.

Rebuilding Together is a national nonprofit that performs home rehabilitations for low-income residents at no cost to the homeowners.

A resident checks out the Jackson site (Image: Nickelsville Works)

Central District residents around 22nd and Cherry will get some new neighbors today as a third Nickelsville encampment moves to the Central District. Neighbors in the area received notices at their doors this weekend informing them of the relocation of the Skyway Nickelsville Neighborhood Encampment to 612 22nd Avenue.

In August we reported that the West Marginal Way Nickelsville encampment was moving after five years at that location. The group split into three, with two encampments settling in the CD. A third moved to Skyway.

The Skyway encampment will be hosted by the Cherry Hill Baptist Church, located across East Cherry Street from the lot where the group will now camp. The notice says that the encampment will have about 35 residents, with the potential for up to 70 people to stay on site. The notice also says that the residents “will be moving to other property within three months.”

Nickelsville residents must obey strict rules to live at one of the encampments. Residents agree to nonviolence, treating property respectfully, foregoing the use of alcohol, and generally acting as good neighbors. The notice encourages neighbors to stop by for a visit and take a tour with a Security Worker.

Seattle Police responding to reports of an armed man in an apartment window near 23rd and John early Friday morning shot and killed the suspect as he opened fire on officers with a rifle, SPD says.

The area around 23rd an John remained blocked as the investigation of the incident that began unfolding around 4 AM continued.

The incident began around 4:10 AM when 911 callers said there was “a male up in the window” hanging out the 22nd Ave side of the building with a gun in his hand “looking for somebody.” Police arrived moments later and set up outside the building. A “shots fired” report was broadcast by SPD radio around 4:20 AM. The suspect was reported down by police seconds later.

The initial response was reported at 109 23rd Ave E in the Elizabeth James House, a Capitol Hill Housing building. Continue reading →

See full size map below

The Liquor Control Board has released a roster of the first wave of applicants in a 30-day window for entrepreneurs to sign up for the privilege of producing, processing or retailing legal marijuana in the liberty-blessed State of Washington.

In all, CDN counts 88 line items in the database for applicants within Seattle’s city limits — though there are a few players dealing in with multiple hands. A map of the initial Seattle applicants is below.

We predicted a possible “Little Amsterdam” to emerge at 23rd and Union; the first applicants fulfilled the prediction with two entities filling the area with a handful of applications. One of those entities — Uncle Ike’s — is backed by 23rd/Union landowner and business owner Ian Eisenberg. How the board’s lottery for areas with multiple applicants will work isn’t entirely clear nor is how the board will vet the applications for elements like leases and rental agreements. A “letter of intent” requirement was relaxed during the process, one applicant told CDN.

Applications will be accepted through mid-December with the first licenses scheduled to be issued in February. The first stores are expected to be open by the start of summer.

The full map of the initial Seattle applicants is below.