Seattle Public Schools announced the following honors for Garfield High School:

Garfield graduate Aaron Shimeles has been appointed to the Department of Education’s 18-member National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. Shimeles was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the new national committee on higher education accreditation issues. Shimeles underwent a competitive application and interview process prior to his appointment to the committee. Aaron is attending Occidental College, where he was able to gain entry with the assistance of College Access Now, the first generation college entrance program launched at Garfield and now at Franklin and West Seattle High Schools.

Garfield High Math Teacher Kelley Butler was selected as a “hero” in the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program.  The teacher “Heroes” received several prizes, including two tickets to a Seahawks regular season game, classroom supplies and school visits and program sponsor recognition.

The story speaks for itself.  Ted Howard has been doing a fantastic job of leading Garfield High School and deserves the award for outstanding principal.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011353728_p

Ted Howard II, principal at Garfield High, is this year’s winner of the Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence, given to a Seattle secondary school principal for outstanding leadership.

…

Howard has been Garfield’s principal for six years, and is a Garfield graduate. Since he arrived in the fall of 2004, the achievement of black and Latino students has risen in reading, math and writing. In reading, for example, the passage rate for black students on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning has gone from 52 percent to 80 percent.

All the Friday excitement in Seattle’s East Precinct:

Our friends at SeattleCrime.com are reporting that Tyrese Harrison has been arrested in Ohio. Harrison is accused of murdering Central District rapper Max Gasoi in November of last year.

From an SPD statement about the arrest:

Tyrese B. Harrison, 22, a suspect wanted in a November  2009 homicide , was arrested early this morning in Youngstown, Ohio by members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF).  The task force had received information from the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force (PNWFAT) and Seattle homicide detectives that Harrison may be staying in an apartment complex in Youngstown.  Following the arrest of Harrison, a search warrant was served on the apartment and 2 9mm handguns were recovered.  It is unknown at this time whether those guns were used in the Seattle homicide.  Homicide detectives in Seattle will follow up on the investigation once suspect Harrison is returned to Seattle.

In 2013 there will be a new streetcar on First Hill, connecting the Capitol Hill light rail station to the International District light rail station. And it’s looking more and more like that streetcar will be traveling on Broadway, and not on 12th Avenue to the east or further west on the First Hill.

We’ve learned that on Wednesday the mayor held a meeting that included all of the interested parties around the project, such as the hospitals, Seattle U, and community council representatives. In that meeting the mayor revealed that the city Department of Transportation has made a recommendation in support of the Broadway route, and attendees at the meeting report that the mayor indicated that he was leaning towards the Broadway route as well.

We’ve made an inquiry to the mayor’s office to confirm this and get a better read of his position, but so far have not heard back.

As we reported last month, the Broadway route came out with the lowest overall cost and reasonably high ridership. Comparatively, the 12th Avenue route cost a bit more (but still within the project budget) and had a slightly lower range of estimated ridership. The twisting, turning western routes through First Hill exceeded the project budget, but provided slightly higher ridership potential.

The final decision on the route will be decided by the Seattle City Council, and it’s anticipated that their decision could come as soon as April. 

Supporters of the 12th Avenue/Broadway couplet tell us that they’re still pulling for that option and will continue to try and gain the support of city leaders. 

Update: The mayor’s spokesperson Aaron Pickus tells us:

SDOT has recommended a two-way Broadway Ave alignment for the First Hill street car.  Earlier this week, Mayor McGinn hosted a meeting of First Hill and Capitol Hill stakeholders to hear their perspectives on the alignment options.  It was a productive and open conversation.  The Mayor is considering the SDOT recommendations and the input he heard from the community earlier this week and expects to send a proposed alignment to Council for their consideration within two weeks.

Here is the presentation that was given in the meeting earlier this week:

View 1st Hill Streetcar – “Two-way Broadway” in a larger map

Our community calendar is chock full of fun this weekend. Here’s some things to get out and do:

• Central Cinema (a CDNews sponsor) is show Hitchcock’s classics Psycho (7pm) and Vertigo (9:30pm) each night through next Thursday
• The kids at Lake Washington Girls Middle School have two more performances of Wizard of Oz, 7pm Friday and Saturday nights at MOHAI down in Montlake.
• There’s a benefit concert at the Paramount tonight to raise money for Garfield High School’s award-winning music programs.
• Neighborhood preschool King Street Co-op is holding a dinner/auction/concert fundraiser on Saturday evening 
• Want to get back on your bike? Check out The Bikery’s Getting Back in the Saddle class, Sunday at noon
• Interested in urban gardening? Check out The Garden Project sunday night at Hiawatha Lofts.
• Bring your big brain to The BottleNeck Lounge’s Trivia Night this Sunday at 7pm. The real smarties even win prizes

Want to see your event here? Add it for free to our community calendar.

From the sunny streets of Seattle’s East Precinct:

Last week a reader commented on seeing a woman at a table at 23rd & Union, handing our information and cookies. That woman is Laurie Hanowell, program coordinator for the Get Off The Streets or GOTS program, which has been doing weekly outreach to addicts in the Central District since 2006.

As we reported in our story last fall, a study found that they can take drug users off the street, get them stable housing, put them in treatment, and turn their lives around for an average cost $2,845. But yearly budget issues limited the potential of the program and created a long waiting list for people who wanted to get help.

But according to Kay Godefroy, Executive Director of the Seattle Neighborhood Group (SNG) which runs the GOTS program, an additional $70,000 in the 2010 budget and a promise of more budget stability in the future has made a big difference. There are now 39 clients in the program, up from 19 at the end of 2009. Each of them is getting set up with a place to live, drug treatment services, group counseling, and other programs that specific participants may require.

Hanowell says that a key feature of GOTS is its wrap-around nature. Housing and food support give clients a stable foundation where they can concentrate on staying clean and sober. Then they can keep up with ongoing treatment, group support, and mental health services.

Consider this: last year GOTS served 62 people, almost all of whom were daily drug users along the 23rd Avenue corridor. As each one graduates from the program, they start a new life with stability, jobs, and without substance abuse and the crime that goes along with it. 

Godefroy and Hanowell both say that last year’s drug market initiative has made a big difference too. SNG runs the treatment and services side of that program, and the positive experience of the DMI participants has generated multiple referrals among their network of friends and family. DMI also strengthened the relationship between SNG and the East Precinct Crime Prevention Team officers, who deal with street users on a daily basis and often refer them into the GOTS program for treatment.

Interested in helping out? Here’s some easy ways community members can participate:

• The GOTS outreach needs bottled water, healthy snacks, socks, and travel-size toiletries. Pick up some the next time you’re at Costco and drop them off at SNG headquarters.
• SNG’s partner POCAAN needs “gently worn” clothing and beginning household supplies.

Complaining solves nothing! Join the Seattle Youth Commission at the Garfield Teen Life Center today, 3-5 p.m., to discuss issues between Seattle youth and police and start working on good solutions. This meeting is completely planned and run by teen members of the Seattle Youth Commission and includes the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, and the Seattle Police.

Oh, and also: FREE PIZZA.

Thursday, March 18, 3-5 p.m.

Garfield Community Center

2323 East Cherry Street

It’s nice having our city-wide friends at The SunBreak around to satisfy our curiosity about things visible from the neighborhood. They dug into the recent appearance of the big crane on top of the building formerly known as Key Tower:

It’s a 52-ton crane, and it’s there to hoist a “building maintenance unit” to the rooftop of theSeattle Municipal Tower. The BMU, as we’re calling it now, sounds like something you might be able to charge admission to.

It sits in a well on the roof, and gives maintenance workers access to all sides of the tower, from floor 62 to the first floor. Most excitingly, it comes with a crane itself, a telescoping arm with a reach of 112 feet, that holds a personnel basket (16 feet wide, 2-3 people, up to 750 pounds).

I think you can count me out of any rides on a 112 foot arm 60 floors above street level.