From Seattle’s East Precinct, Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ (DoN) Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) is currently accepting applications for this year’s Tree Fund. All it takes is organizing a group of your neighbors to plant street trees in your neighborhood together. You put in the volunteer time; DoN provides the trees!

Wait, there’s more! To increase local food security and expand the tree canopy on private properties, we are testing a pilot expansion this year. All NMF Tree Fund participants who plant street trees with their neighbors have the bonus option of selecting one free cherry or apple tree to plant on their private properties. You can help bring more trees to Seattle’s streets and private yards!

For more information on the Tree Fund and to download an application, visit the city’s website at: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/treefund.htm. But act soon! DoN is accepting applications through August 21.

From the Seattle PI:

Debra Sullivan, a black woman, questioned why the picture of her son’s killer, a white teen from Leschi, hasn’t been shown on local television news. Friends questioned if the case had been downplayed — by the media and authorities — because of the race issue, as opposed to the recent South Park case, in which a black man killed a white woman.

She worries people will rush to judge her son. “No one’s going to say my son’s half-white,” she said. “He’ll just be that black kid. People need to know my son.”
…
FUNERAL AT ST. THERESE; VIGIL WEDNESDAY

A funeral for Aaron Sullivan has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 1 at St. Therese Parish. A vigil is planned from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Rainier Community Center.

Thanks to the six or so of Seattle’s finest who went to great lengths to restore a stolen car to it’s owner last night at 3AM near 24th and Spring. People broke into a truck parked on Spring, took keys for another car, and drove it to Jackson and 28th where Seattle PD stopped them and discovered the car wasn’t theirs. They tracked down the owner, and although the owner was a little shaken up to see cops at 3am, they were nonetheless GRATEFUL for their work and dedication. POLICE are ALWAYS WELCOME at 24th and SPRING!!! Thank you Seattle PD.

We’ll be starting the election forum at 6pm at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. You can follow it live here or on Twitter:

CDNLive : Forum getting started – school board district 5 up first http://yfrog.com/0ojcrj

CHSLive : School Board pos 5 up first Cullen wisely opting to read her into statement

CHSLive : apparently tonight there is a wickedly irritating end of time buzzer

CDNLive : Joanna Cullen – motivated to run by recent school closures. Andre Helmstetter -daught went to tt minor, wants stronger school leaders

CHSLive : 1st quest: how would you help schools get fed money?

CHSLive : Helmstetter: need to get schools into compliance

CHSLive : Bass : We’re going after all funds already

CDNLive : Mary Bass:we’re already going after all of the federal funds. Have to make sure it reaches the right students, provide accountability

CHSLive : Smith-Blum keyword ‘fail’ District is failing

CHSLive : Q2: how to make sure kids can attend walking distance schools?

CHSLive : Helmstetter: key is to make sure all schools are high quality

CDNLive : Andre: some schools have more money and better programs than others. Have to make sure everyones school is one they want to attend

CHSLive : Bass: have to be concerned about equality in this

CHSLive : Smith-Blum: believer in neighborhood scools but need to reallocate resources to create insanely great schools

CHSLive : Cullen: I wouldn’t close TT Minor. High quality in every neighborhood

CHSLive : q3 what’s biggest barrier to quality? Bass: private vs public interest

CDNLive : Q: what is the biggest hurdle to great schools?

CHSLive : Cullen: the lack of community engagement. Private and public partnerships are 1 key to success

CDNLive : Andre: need common sense decisions, like controversial math curriculum. Need to communicate better with community about what works

CHSLive : kaplan: holding Seattle Econ back? Missed opportunities lost to suburbs

CHSLive : Licata: strong school system attracts strong businesses. Transit. Quality of life = strong Seattle econ

CHSLive : Bagshaw wearing power teal, Plants a biz casual suit, Bloom khaki and polo, Tobin looks like my boss if I had a boss

CDNLive : Tobin: more lighting, more youth activity,……. Plants: police aren’t the only answer. More funding for youth programs.

CDNLive : Bloom: need better realtionships with police and citizens, less punative, after school programs, not new jail

CDNLive : Q: what is your biggest strength? Worked with lots of groups, unions, helped first housing levy

CHSLive : biggest strength? Plants says his millitary experience, Tobin has organized ‘tons’ Off stage, Israel sez 1st time she’s seen Tobin

CHSLive : Bagshaw: I keep my mouth shut and I listen. Neighborhood plans should be built from ground, not top down

CDNLive : Q: what is the best way to unite people to solve problems? Bagshaw: listen. Tobin: bring people together … Plants: honesty is key

CHSLive : Tobin just punted on answer midsentence. Having a bit of a panic. “I’m having tough time here”

CHSLive : q about alcohol impact area program. Bagshaw sez she was told before forum that the AIA is working. Tobin sez to expand to city

CHSLive : Plants says AIA isn’t enough. Need better treatment programs

CHSLive : Bloom; AIA doesn’t address the problem. Underlying social issues need solutions

CDNLive : Plants- need to give people someplace to stay. Expand capacity of drunk tank. Bloom: doesN’t work, only moves the problem.

CDNLive : Q: plastic bag tax? Tobin, plants, bloom: yes. Bagshaw: no

CHSLive : position 8 gets ready for their session http://twitpic.com/bw0v5

CHSLive : Rusty Williams is madly in love w Seattle

CDNLive : Next up: council position 8 – mike obrien, rusty Williams, Bobby forch, David miller, Jordan royer, Robert rosen-crantz

CHSLive : Forch lives at 26 and Cherry. Home turf!

CDNLive : Position 8 photo http://yfrog.com/6wgl4j

CHSLive : Royer touts his part in creating AIA

CHSLive : Rosencrantz: wants to be the ‘iron will’ on the council

CDNLive : Royer: focus on the basic services: safety, paving, etc

CDNLive : Forch: jobs is biggest focus. Brought office of Econ development to city

CHSLive : Forch: holds up his SDOT program as a model for efficiency. Hmmmm

CDNLive : Obrien: have city govmt make good investments in transportation, affordable housing. No downtown tunnel! Be smart with money

CHSLive : O’Brien makes first tunnel ref of the night. 2points!

CHSLive : Williams: Seattle is already the most beautiful city in the world. We need to preserve that environment

CHSLive : miller wants Seattle to be the epicenter of the next economic revolution – green jobs

CDNLive : Royer: environment crucial. Storm water runoff needs to be handled. Save Puget sound.

CDNLive : Obrien: want to lead in quality of life, where people can lead meaningful lives

CDNLive : Q: support council districts?

CHSLive : Forch: in favor of a hybrid district solution for city council

CDNLive : Miller: hybrid: 5 districts, plus 4 at-large seats, need some responsive to neighborhoods. Also: important to suck up to moderators

CDNLive : Rosencrantz: likes at-large, bug jobs. Also: grew up in cd

CDNLive : Rusty the R: “good argument either way”

CDNLive : Q: permanent locations for tent city? Y y y y n n . Q: cd/chs geography? All fail. Miller worst, forch (resident!) 2nd worst

CHSLive : Mayor time. Candidates being gathered http://twitpic.com/bw435

CDNLive : Next up: mayoral candidates. Proving hard to wrangle them to the stage

CDNLive : An enthusiastic nickels supporter just handed him a contribution envelope on stage

CHSLive : mayoral candidates take their sweet time

CDNLive : Candidates: Mike McGinn, James Donaldson, Greg Nickels, Joe Mallahan, Wyking Garrett, Jan Drago

CHSLive : fashion: McGinn relaxed bike rumpled collared shirt per usual, Donaldson looking tiki biz casual, Nickels sporting red tie, tennies

CDNLive : Wyking: from the cd, wants to change the status quo. Wants to invest in community-based institutions to solve youth violence

CHSLive : Mallahan sports slacks and tie, Garrett goes biz cas sans tie but w prominent belt clipped comm device, Drago in casino carpet jacket

CHSLive : Sigler in power pink

CDNLive : Norman Zigler just joined too –

CDNLive : Q: what about townhouses?

CHSLive : McGinn on loss of neighborhood character. Need affordable housing but need to build great neighborhoods too

CDNLive : Donaldson: need to give communities a say in development. Need to continue o grow, must still house them

CHSLive : Nickels: key is good design. Growth can’t overwhelm a neighborhood

CDNLive : Mallahan: density should be well-planned, transit-based. Too much in southlake. Regulatios cause bad designs

CHSLive : Donaldson speaks, McGinn, Nickels look on http://twitpic.com/bw5in

CDNLive : Wyking: need development to reflect community values, not displace. Choice, not force. Don’t let developers drive it

CHSLive : applause o meter: Nickels, Garrett going head to head

CDNLive : Drago: focus density along arterials and in downtown. Single family neighorhoods should have veto on their areas.

CDNLive : Sigler: density should be everywhere. Focus on aesthetics, services, building communities

CHSLive : Sigler says towhomes r ugly. Add services to build community and improve design

CDNLive : Q: ideal approach to gang viol? Sigler: proved services to help families, reading, think of gangs as people, let gangs be reg biz

CDNLive : Drago: wants pilot program for ceasefire & intervention. Wyking: exp with positive youth development. Should be at old colman school.

CDNLive : Mallahan: agrees with wyking. Mayor cut outreach, missed youth that aren’t in school. End self-hatred. Increase police.

CHSLive : Nickels: Seattle is a safe city. But we haven’t seen reduction in youth violence

CDNLive : Nickels: target youth violence. Give kids hope. Intervene in their lives. Recent deaths “just wrong”. Overall safe city though.

CHSLive : donaldson: just about every day this summer there has been a murder, shooting, stabbing, etc

CDNLive : Donaldson: the city is getting less safe. Need more role models, reading. Mcginn: education essential. Increase job opportunities

CDNLive : Q: Tunnel? Donaldson: Will work with it, but concerned about capacity, design. Not sure people will walk or take bus in rain.

CDNLive : Nickels: need to replace viaduct, reconnect city to the bay.

CDNLive : Mallahan : money is there, make sure it comes on time and under budget.

CDNLive : Wyking: not most cost effective. Make sure infrastructure supports other problems like youth violence via jobs.

CHSLive : shot of the crowd during mayoral Q&A http://twitpic.com/bw77v

CDNLive : Sigler: not going to stand in way. Viaduct has to come down. More trains and transit too.

CDNLive : Mcginn: ineffective, too expensive. $930 million from city is too much.

CDNLive : Q: how will you help schools? Nickels: likes superintendent.

CHSLive : Drago during gang violence discussion http://twitpic.com/bw7op

CDNLive : mallahan: more community based schooling.Doesn’t want mayor to take over.Wyking: peace academies to solve youth violence. No closings

CDNLive : Drago: bring whole community into the solution. Leverage fed money for headstart. Sigler: need higher expectations, creativity.

CHSLive : McGinn looking into mayoral resposibility for school district performance

CDNLive : Mcginn: would like to look at mayor taking over, drive accountability. Priorities wrong via a via tunnel.

CDNLive : Donaldson: city out of touch with schools. Need to promote literacy via libraries.

CDNLive : Q: new jail? N n maybe n n n

CDNLive : Forum over! Thumbs worn out!

CHSLive : that’s a wrap btw thanks for tuning in. Next up for mayorz, music cmty mtg Tuesday night

Today we received documents from the King County Prosecutor’s Office that shed new light on the shooting that took the life of Aaron Sullivan in Leschi last week.

The suspect, Tristan N. Appleberry, is charged with 2nd degree homicide. First degree homicide requires proof of premeditation, which was apparently not a factor in this crime. That charge also precludes the death penalty from being an option for punishment.

We had previously heard that the shooting was due to a minor argument about a girl. But it now appears that it was even more minor than that: neither the victim nor the suspect were the primary parties to that disagreement.

Police spoke to multiple witnesses to the event, including the two friends of the victim who were in the car with him at the time of the shooting. They say that the root of the argument was between two men “K”, a friend of the victim, and “M”, a friend of the suspect, who had an ongoing dispute over a girl. The victim and his friends were hanging out at the dock next to Blue Water Bistro in Leschi earlier on the day of the shooting when Appleberry and M arrived. K was called and notified of M’s appearance there, but M and Appleberry left the scene once K arrived. 

A group of the victim’s friends later drove to Appleberry’s house and parked a few houses to the south. Sometime later, an occupant of the victim’s car saw Appleberry approaching with an assault rifle, described as an AK-47. At first they thought it was a fake, but then heard him rack a bullet into the chamber. They were then momentarily distracted when an unidentified black male ran past the victim’s vehicle and pounded on the passenger side window, and as the victim began to drive away, a single shot was fired through the back window of the vehicle, striking Aaron Sullivan in the back of the head. 

Both the other two occupants of the victim’s vehicle and a neighbor who heard the shot reported seeing Appleberry walk back towards his house, holding an assault rifle.

One of the witnesses also alleges to have seen Appleberry’s mother on the deck of their home, watching as the entire incident unfolded. She exited the house as police arrived and reportedly told police that her son was out with his girlfriend and not at home. Police statements have previously characterized her as uncooperative, and a contributing factor to the lengthy stand-off around the home that ended up with only an empty house and no sign of the suspect.

Crime-scene investigators found a single 7.62 caliber shell casing in the street behind where the victim’s vehicle was parked. They also recovered a fully loaded SKS 7.62 caliber rifle in Appleberry’s home matching the witness descriptions of the weapon used in the shooting.

Appleberry was apprehended due to a call from his girlfriend’s mother, who notified police when he showed up outside their West Seattle home. 

That girlfriend was also interviewed by detectives, telling them that Appleberry had told her that the gun had “misfired” and that he did not intend to shoot the victim.

Tristan Appleberry is listed on the Seattle Times as once being a member of the football team at Nathan Hale.

The following is a story from the PI. Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer released a man from jail – one charged with murder for drowning his three year old step-daughter and theft for defrauding the state of workers’ comp – into the custody of his father, so he could see his dentist for a bad tooth. This man, whose bail is set at $5M, had already seen the Jail’s dentist and been told the tooth should be removed. The Judge allowed him to be released with no supervision.(!!!!) I hope this doesn’t send the wrong message to inmates about how to get a half day pass from jail.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/408464_court27.html

This weekend the Seattle Police Department, FBI, and US Attorney’s office worked together to arrest 18 suspected gang members from the Central District & South Seattle. The agencies executed search warrants and raids that netted four guns, drugs, two vehicles, and a “sizeable amount” of cash.

The goal of the operation was to disrupt the local gangs and try to suppress the recent spike in violence between gang-involved youth, and was the most recent and visible result of an operation that has been underway since at least last fall.

Two of the suspects arrested are now facing federal charges on conspiracy to distribute BZP, which is a drug similar to ecstasy. According to Vincent Lombardi of the US Attorney’s Office, these suspects are alleged to be large-scale distributors of that drug, and suspected of distributing other narcotics such as esctasy, crack cocaine, and marijuana.

The first suspect, Dimitrius Tinsley, is alleged to be a member of the East Union Street Hustlers gang that often hangs out around 21st & Union. According to charging documents, he first caught the FBI’s attention last December when an FBI agent observed him visiting Donnie Cheatam in the hospital following Cheatam’s wounding in a shooting outside Garfield Community Center. FBI agents then used confidential informants, wired for audio recording, to make controlled buys of drugs and guns from Tinsley on multiple occasions. Court documents allege that Tinsley was known to sell drugs at locations that included 32nd & Union, 27th & Spring, and 20th & Marion.

Tinsley’s last known address was in the 900 block of 23rd Ave, and FBI agents were able to tie a cellphone used to coordinate drug purchases back to a woman who once shared that address with him. Using this information, the FBI got court approval for a wire tap on that cell phone and agents used the information from the tap to track Tinsley’s movements and to coordinate large drug buys of up to 5,000 pills at a time. 

The second suspect facing federal charges is Avery Scharer, who once answered Tinsley’s cell phone when a controlled buy was being set up. The FBI informant was later allegedly able to purchase 500 pills from Scharer. He is also alleged to be a Central District gang member, possibly in the Valley Hood Pirus.

Two other suspects wanted by authorities couldn’t be located in the initial set of raids, but authorities found out that they were in Las Vegas and arrested them late last night as they arrived at SeaTac. We’re waiting for charges to be filed on them, and will follow up with more details once that occurs.

Our regular collector lady is on vacation, so we have our remaining coffee grounds sitting around at MezzaLuna. A whole bucket! Come and get ’em! Use them for your garden! Call Lauren at (312) 730-4968 and leave a message.

From Seattle’s East Precinct, Monday, July 27, 2009