Two doormen at a Rainier Beach motorcycle club were shot yesterday by a man who arrived with several women and refused to allow the doormen to pat him down before he entered the club. According to SPD:
This lead to a verbal confrontation and shots being fired from the suspect at the doormen. Seattle Fire responded and treated both victims on the scene. They were later transported to Harborview Medical Center with non life threatening injuries. Both victims had never seen the suspect before and gave only vague physical descriptions of the shooter. One other Club member was outside and he gave a video statement to Officers.
The Gang Unit responded and processed the scene. Two guns were recovered from Club members at the scene and one was found on a victim. They were placed into evidence pending the investigation.
Photo/Will Austin Photography
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Organizers estimate that as many as 35,000 people came to see the Jade Buddha at Co-Lam Temple on Graham Street last month:
We would like to emphasize that the purpose of our program of meditation and prayer before this solemn symbol, the Jade Buddha of Universal Peace, is for each one of us to practice the Buddha’s teaching that, if only we transform our minds to be truly peaceful and aware, we can transform our world in the same way.
Photo/David Mullarkey Images
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The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace – the largest Buddha carved from gemstone quality jade in the world – is due to arrive at Co Lam Temple (3503 S. Graham St.) this Sat., Aug. 21.
The four-ton sculpture will be on display through Sun., Aug. 29, as part of its several year-long tour throughout major cities in Asia and Australia before finding a permanent home at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.
From the web site:
The purpose of exhibiting the Jade Buddha around the world is for everyone, irrespective of their religion, to take a moment to reflect upon peace; peace for the world; peace in their relationships; peace for their families and friends; peace at work; peace in their mind. We hope that such positive inspiration will bring joy and motivation in the lives of those who are able to see the Jade Buddha.
The tour began in Vietnam in March 2009, where – over a three month period – an estimated 4 million people paid homage to the Buddha.
So far this year, it’s been to Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Virginia and Canada. When it leaves Seattle, the Jade Buddha will travel to Oregon, California, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Hawaii before moving on to Germany and the United Kingdom.
Top/bottom right: Jade Buddha in Vietnam. Photo/Jade Buddha for Universal Peace
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Three people were shot early this morning during a street melee at a community center in the 5600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way South near South Orcas Street.
Officers responding to multiple reports of shots fired as well as a large disturbance shortly after 3 am found three victims with non life-threatening wounds that were later determined to be caused by a BB or pellet gun.
Two of the victims were treated and released at the scene while the third victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center with a round lodged in his leg.
The suspect, described as a black male wearing a white t-shirt fled in an unknown direction. An area check was unsuccessful.

Photo/Will Austin Photography
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By Sarah Valenta
Formed two years ago to organize and promote businesses along the corridor, the MLK Business Association (MLK BA) envisions a “strong, vibrant, and culturally diverse business community that is a destination, second to none, in the Pacific Northwest.”
In an effort to realize that goal, the BA has teamed up with HomeSight, a local community development corporation (CDC), to organize tours of the incredible array of shops and services available—from the “chicken lady” to Cajun Crawfish to Sunlight Salon.
The purpose of the tours is twofold; they introduce the MLK businesses to potential new customers in a fun and interactive way, and also get the businesses thinking on their own about how to broaden their customer base with the community. Two successful tours took place last year, with a total of 4 planned in 2010.
Last month, on a surprisingly sunny Saturday, upwards of 25 people gathered to tour five businesses in the Othello Business District led by MLK BA Board Chair Julie Pham. The group sampled dim sum at Venus, toured salons and gift shops, found perfectly pulled espresso and Halal meat at Halin Café and Grocery, and saw where live chickens are sold on Saturdays, among other highlights.
Thrilled by the experience, one upper Rainier Beach resident said, “I take the light rail in to work every day and I have been interested in checking out many of the businesses/restaurants that I see from the light rail. I think tours like this are a great way to expose people to neighborhoods they may otherwise not know.”
There is another opportunity to join your neighbors at the FREE Graham Business District Guided Tour this Sat. July 17, starting at 10:30 am in front of Viet Wah at Empire Plaza. Julie Pham, Managing Editor of Northwest Vietnamese News, will lead the tour, with highlights to include a brief history of the area, amazing stories from immigrant entrepreneurs, and samples.
It will be like vacationing abroad without the hassle of having to update your passport!
RSVP: Sarah Valenta at 206-760-4213 or sarah@homesightwa.org.
MLK at Graham Street. Photo/do communications
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By Jeff Lawshe:

The Othello Station Community Advisory Team in partnership with New Holly Neighbors, Traffic-Parks-Safety Committee is hosting a meeting for community members to discuss continuing development around the Othello Link Light Rail Station on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, S.E. and S. Othello St.
The meeting, which will take place 6:30–8:30 p.m. Tues., July 13, at the New Holly Gathering Hall (7054 32nd Ave. S.), seeks to bring together business owners and developers, residents and other community members to address new economic realities that could present challenges to existing plans.
Mona Lee, an Othello-area resident who has been organizing in the neighborhood for 13 years, will present a history of the Othello Town Center Concept, which was officially codified when the City of Seattle accepted the community’s Neighborhood Design Guidelines in 2005.
Mike Pedowski, a senior planner with the Seattle Planning Department, has been invited to attend, along with property owners or representatives of each of Othello’s four corners:
- Seattle Housing Authority Development Department, (SW & SE corners)
- Safeway (NW corner)
- Othello Partners, Citadel (NE corner)
- Dr. David Silver (grassy vacant lot near NE corner)
Stakeholders will discuss short-term plans for Othello’s commercial properties and long-term plans for the Othello Town Center.
Please plan to attend, and bring your questions and comments for the panel and the larger community to discuss. Your voice is critical to the future of this burgeoning Seattle neighborhood.
The word on the street is that the Othello Safeway remodel is due to begin later this month. Photo/do communications
CORRECTION: According to SHA spokesperson Virginia Felton, SHA has no plans to establish a long term (or short term) parking lot on the southwest corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Othello St.:
We are interested in hearing what alternative uses the community might want. However, the City Council has not yet passed legislation that would allow for a parking lot on this site, and likely legislation might not favor new parking lots.
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Seattle police say a man was speeding northbound on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South shortly after 2 am Saturday when he lost control, crossed the light rail tracks and smashed into a light rail power pole.
Officers responding to the single vehicle collision on the light rail tracks in the 9200 Block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South (just south of Henderson) found one person – whom they later determined to be the driver – slumped against the vehicle.
He was transported to the hospital for treatment of a possible broken leg, and was also processed for driving under the influence (DUI).
Photo/Will Austin Photography
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Last week, Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development published legislation that would allow property owners throughout the light rail corridor to temporarily allow all-day parking within a quarter-mile of a station. Each lot could have up to 40 spaces.
The city had initially imposed four-hour parking limits near Link stations, to encourage mixed-use development, while discouraging cars and commuter crowds in the neighborhoods, but many Rainier Valley property owners – like Othello Partners CEO Steve Rauf – pushed back in the hopes of being able to generate some revenue with all-day commuter parking.
Many New Holly neighbors oppose the idea of allowing more parking, but others say that light rail will ultimately fail without parking available to commuters who don’t live within walking-distance of a station.
According to the City, the following is a summary of the proposal:
- The legislation would allow light rail parking as an interim use on existing lots in station areas in Southeast Seattle (North Beacon Hill, Mt. Baker, Columbia City, Othello and Rainier Beach Station Areas) where principal use (commuter) parking is not currently allowed.
- Owners would be able to make parking available to rail commuters, employees and patrons of nearby businesses.
- Light rail commuter and business support parking would further be allowed on lots owned by institutions within walking distance of these light rail stations.
- The proposal would not allow principal structures to be demolished in order to establish a parking use.
- The proposal would limit the number of non-accessory parking spaces that may be established on a lot to 40.
- The interim use parking allowance would be permitted for a maximum term of three years, and the ability to apply for a permit would expire at the end of 2012.
What do you think? Will you ride Light Rail more often now that parking is available at stations along the Rainier Valley corridor?
The Citadel lot – owned by Othello Partners – sits just steps away from the Othello light rail station. When the economy tanked, formerly interested developers fled, and as many as 60 Rainier Valley lots now sit empty as owners and developers wait for the recession to really end. Photo/do communications
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Larry Lange/seattlepi.com:
Puget Sound’s year-old light-rail system, expected to provide economic and social benefits along with train rides to the airport, is doing so slower than some had predicted in Seattle’s Rainier Valley.
A few new apartment buildings are beginning to rise, promising more riders for the 15.6-mile system opened last summer. Some travelers have discovered new bars, restaurants and sights a few blocks off the line, and more building is promised. The soured economy, however, still has its boot on Seattle’s neck as well as the country’s, limiting housing and business growth along the rail corridor until a better time. It may take years for rail’s benefits to reach the neighborhood that endured years of its construction.
Things are happening “but everything is just happening a little slower than we wanted it to be,” said Susan Davis, executive director of the Rainier Chamber of Commerce, the valley’s major business group. Read more.
Last month, your RVP ran a poll asking readers, “How would you characterize light rail’s impact on the Rainier Valley?” 54 respondents said “mostly positive”, 13 said “mostly negative”, 17 said “little bit of both” and 6 said “not sure yet”. What do you think? Photo/David Mullarkey Images
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Comment of the Week Goes To…
August 7, 2010
in Opinion,Transportation
Mich on Train vs. Truck in Columbia City; No Injuries:
The dialogue that occurs here between friends, neighbors and engaged citizens is one of the features that makes your RVP such a valuable community resource. Your RVP does not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed in the Comment of the Week.
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