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Rainier Valley

Have you seen Mt. Baker jewelry store robbers?

Seattle Police Department (SPD) has released several security camera images of the suspects in Saturday’s jewelry store robbery in Mt. Baker.

Bux 4 Gold – located in the 2300 block of Rainier Avenue South near 23rd Avenue South – was robbed at gunpoint Saturday in a brazen mid-day heist that left the store’s lone employee uninjured, but all of the display cases smashed.

After grabbing cash and jewelry, police say the suspects ran out the north door of the business and fled the area in a gold-colored van.

While an area search revealed the van – previously reported stolen – unoccupied in the 1500 block of Sturgess Avenue South on Beacon Hill, the suspects remain at-large.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mike Magan at 684-5540.

Teens shoot up bus, lead police on multi-city chase (seattlecrime.com):

Police have arrested three teens suspected of wounding a Metro bus in a shooting at Rainier and Henderson [in Rainier Beach] and leading police on a multi-city chase Saturday evening.

Around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, an off-duty officer working at the Rainier Beach Safeway heard three to five gunshots, and saw a blue Mercury Marquis flee the scene.

Other officers responding [to] the shooting spotted the vehicle at Martin Luther King Jr Way S and S Ryan St. More.

Check your RVP’s 911 section for more Rainier Valley crime news.

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A 13-year old boy was shot Wednesday night in a series of incidents near Brighton Elementary School.

According to police, there were multiple reports of shots fired near the 4400 block of South Willow Street shortly after 10 pm. Responding officers found the victim with a gunshot wound through his left ankle and heel, but no other evidence.

Seattle Fire Department transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) with non-life threatening injuries.

From SPD:

Officers were told by the victim and his friends that there was a disturbance between two groups of Asians when one male pulled out a ‘police’ style baton and another male pulled out a handgun. The two groups then split up. A short time later the victim and his friends were by the playfield when a vehicle, described as small, dirty, and boxy pulled around the corner and the passenger, an Asian male leaned out and fired several shots and then fled.

Meanwhile, in response to another assault nearby, other officers were dispatched to Rainier Avenue South and South Graham Street, where they found an Asian man who said that he was walking down the street in an “unknown” location and was struck in the head by an “unknown” man with a baton. According to police, the victim either could not or would not give any description or the location where the assault occurred. He, too, was transported to HMC with non-life threatening injuries.

From SPD:

While at HMC, the 13-yr-old shooting victim saw the second victim (male who was assaulted with baton) and informed officers that this male was one of the people involved in the earlier disturbance between the two groups of Asian males.

The assault victim was contacted again by officers and still would not provide information about the incident. Gang Unit Detectives responded to HMC to interview the second victim. Officers believe the two incidents are related. Officers believed that the 13-yr-old victim was not the intended target of the shooting.

This is an active and on-going investigation.

Check your RVP’s 911 section for more Rainier Valley crime news. Photo/Will Austin Photography

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This Saturday, the City of Seattle continues a new program that provides  citizens with the supplies necessary to paint out graffiti in their neighborhood.

“Summer Paint Out” runs from July through August. From the City:

Whether you are a group or an individual, you can tackle graffiti in your neighborhood. The City of Seattle supports volunteers with FREE paint (white-brown-gray), rollers, brushes, scrapers, and gloves.

Supplies can be picked up at our warehouse at 3633 East Marginal Way South on the following Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. Registration is required first. More.

Remaining Summer Paint Out supply pick-up dates:

  • Sat., Aug. 6
  • Sat., Aug. 20

Graffiti in the Rainier Valley. Photo/do communications

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Neighbors across the Rainier Valley and the country will celebrate Night Out Against Crime on Tues., Aug. 2.

The annual event is designed to bring neighbors together, welcome new neighbors, talk about crime prevention and Block Watch efforts and have fun. Some gatherings are just a few households; others expand into large block parties.

According to South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon, this year’s theme is “Celebrating Crime Free Neighborhoods.”

“If you have a neighborhood that has seen a decrease in crime, it is a time to celebrate your achievements,” he said in an email to community members. “If you have ongoing crime problems you are working on, it is a chance to renew your focus, start a Block Watch if you haven’t already, and take a public stand against crime in your neighborhood. Getting together with your neighbors, recommitting to watch out for each other, and reaffirming you will report suspicious activity to police are ways to show you care about your community.”

Pritchard Beach neighbors in the 8400 block of 55th Ave. S. plan to do just that as they celebrate their hard won efforts to see a longtime drug house shut down – the first drug abatement of a Seattle property in seven years.

“Having Sharon Stone’s house abated and shut down is really making a difference in our quality of life,” said block watch captain Neale Frothingham.

Frothingham and his neighbors are expecting a variety of special guests to join their party, including Mayor Mike McGinn, Councilmemers Tim Burgess, Jean Godden and Nick Licata, City Attorney Pete Holmes and Chief of Police John Diaz.

Last year, more than 1,200 blocks and 50,000 people participated in Night Out events across Seattle, and the numbers are expected to grow this year.

Click here to find a Night Out celebration in your neighborhood.

Top: Longtime Seward Park neighbor and south-end community activist Mariana Quarnstrom (right) with Lt. Eric Sano (center) – formerly of the South Precinct – with Duffy the Clown. Photos/Denise Gloster

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See our Big Dates Page – the only comprehensive calendar of events in all of southeast Seattle – for more information on these and other south-end gatherings, events, meetings, groups, etc. In the meantime, here’s a sampling of what’s happening around the community this week…

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

  • Seward Park Work Party, Seward Park
  • Columbia City Farmers Market, Columbia City
  • Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Brighton

Thursday:

Friday:

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Police have arrested the suspect wanted in last weekend’s brutal murder of 50-year old Rainier Valley neighbor Anthony Matthews.

Matthews was found beaten in his Seward Park-area home early Saturday morning after a known suspect attacked him before fleeing the scene in the 5100 block of South Garden Street near Rainier Avenue South. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and Matthews died at the scene.

According to SPD, the 21-year old male suspect was taken into custody south of Seattle without incident and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Homicide.

The seattlepi.com has additional details:

The suspect, a Seattle man living most recently in Vacaville, Calif., appears to be the brother of Kenneth Harding, a 19-year-old murder suspect killed July 16 during a shootout with San Francisco police.

Kenneth Harding had been identified as a suspect in a July 13 shooting that saw 19-year-old Tanaya Gilbert killed and three others wounded. He’d previously been convicted of attempting to pimp a 13-year-old girl.

San Francisco police believe Kenneth Harding accidentally shot himself as he tried to fire a round at officers, who had wounded him in the leg during a gunfight after police tried to stop him for not paying a subway fare. More.

Photo/Will Austin Photography

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A 50-year old man was found brutally beaten in his Seward Park-area home early Saturday morning after police were called to investigate “suspicious circumstances”.

According to police, the victim suffered severe head trauma when he was struck by a known suspect who then fled the scene in the 5100 block of South Garden Street just east of Rainier Avenue South. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and the victim died at the scene.

Homicide detectives are investigating.

UPDATE (7/25/11 @ 2:55 pm): From The Seattle Times (RVP news partner):

Seattle police are searching for a “person of interest” who may have fled to San Francisco after the weekend beating death of a 50-year-old Southeast Seattle man, a San Francisco police spokeswoman said.

San Francisco police declined to release additional details about the all-points bulletin except to say it involved a person wanted for questioning in a Seattle homicide.

Seattle police spokesman Detective Mark Jamieson declined to comment Sunday evening on whether a bulletin had been issued or if detectives were searching for someone. The case remains under investigation, he said. More.

Photo/Will Austin Photography

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See our Big Dates Page – the only comprehensive calendar of events in all of southeast Seattle – for more information on these and other south-end gatherings, events, meetings, groups, etc. In the meantime, here’s a sampling of what’s happening around the community this week…

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

  • “What the Griot Said”, Mt. Baker
  • Rainier Beach Neighborhood Association meeting, Rainier Beach

Support community engagement in Southeast Seattle: Advertise here!

On Sat., July 23, Rainier Valley drivers should expect lane restrictions between South Charlestown Street and South Adams Street in Mount Baker while the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) works to repair the roadway from 9 am until 5 pm.

During construction, Rainier Avenue South will be reduced to one lane in each direction in the work zone and its approaches. Left-turns will be restricted at certain times during the project. Loading and parking restrictions will be in place near work zones.

According to SDOT, there will be short-term driveway restrictions and some pedestrian detours, access to all businesses will be maintained and uniformed police officers will be on site to keep traffic moving in both directions.

The project is funded by the “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in November 2006.

 

The community is invited to join Lakewood/Seward Park Community Club for a town hall meeting with Mayor Mike McGinn on Sat., July 23, from 11:45 am – 1 pm.

Mayor McGinn was here last month when he delivered his State of the Rainier Valley address (above) at the Rainier Chamber’s annual Presidents Luncheon in New Holly.

The Lakewood/Seward Park Community Club is located at 4916 S. Angeline St.

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Looking to get involved? Our Give Page is the only comprehensive listing of volunteer opportunities in the Rainier Valley. Designed to link neighbors with local volunteer opportunities, this is the place to start if you’ve got time and/or financial resources and a desire to help improve your community.

From the organizers of BeatWalk:

Columbia City BeatWalk continues its 16th season on Fri., Aug. 5, and volunteers are needed! The more volunteers we get, the more we can rotate work shifts, and the more our volunteers can enjoy all of the great music!

BeatWalk has several new venues this season which means more great music, that volunteers enjoy FREE in exchange for collecting cover charges at the doors of the venues from 7 – 9:30 pm.

As if that’s not enough – enjoy free dinner compliments of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria at 6:15 before heading out to stamp hands and hear the wonderful music.

Interested in volunteering? Please contact Meredith@splab.org today!

Photo/Columbia City BeatWalk

Seattle Medium:

After significant budget gaps of more than $30 million in each of the last three consecutive years, the Seattle School Board passed a budget that reflects $45.5 million in cuts for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year.

For the first time ever, the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will be instituting furlough days – two days for management, four days for non-management – for an estimated savings of $188,000. Ninety central office administration jobs, consisting of executive directors, managers, and officer workers, will be cut. These cuts will reduce the central office administration budget to less than 6% of the overall $577.7 million budget. In addition, 30 certificated teaching staff and 40 classified staff members have been cut.

According to the district, $3.35 million has been added to the Weighted Staffing Standards (WSS) for the 2011-2012 school year, in order to ensure an equitable distribution of staff members per student. Instructional materials for high school science and social studies, middle school language arts and elementary school music will not be a part of this year’s school budget, and may be delayed until the 2012-2013 school year , if at all. Elementary, Middle and High schools will also convert to a three-tiered bus system, requiring fewer buses to service more students, which the district estimates will save $4.6 million.

While funding has been cut equally across the board in the Seattle school district, not all schools fare out the same. Schools in the Northend are better financially able to compensate for the deficit in school funding through PTSA and generous alumni of the schools, suggests retired high school teacher, Rev. Phyllis Beaumonte. “But in poor schools, people are unable to invest in the students,” Beaumonte says. According to the President of the Rainier Beach High School Parent Teacher Student Association, Rita Green, Rainier Beach will have to wait until the 2012-2013 school year to secure grants to compensate for what the district is not giving to them. More.

Photo/do communications

Related:

Save the Date: “Represent 98118″ – a Day in the Life of One of America’s Most Diverse Zip Codes

07.19.2011 Arts/Living

What does it mean to live, work, play, learn and worship in one of the most diverse zip codes in the nation? A group of south-end artists are looking to find out with a community arts project designed to help describe the Rainier Valley. On Wed., Oct. 5, Southeast Seattle neighbors are invited to participate [...]

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South-End Scenes: Rainier Valley Teens Get Their Tech on With Geek Squad

07.19.2011 South-End Scenes

Earlier this month, nearly 180 Rainier Valley teens participated in the Geek Squad Summer Academy at Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club. The annual academy is a community-sponsored program designed to fuel passionate teens – regardless of gender – with the means to pursue careers in technology. “What really sets Geek Squad Summer Academy apart [...]

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RVP Exclusive: Rainier Valley Post Happy Hour Guide 2011

07.18.2011 Arts/Living

Welcome to the Rainier Valley Post’s second annual Happy Hour Guide. With even more listings than last year, this is the place to find the happiest hours in Southeast Seattle. ENJOY! Columbia City Ale House – This English-style pub serves a wide array of top-notch beers and yummy food. (723-5123, 4914 Rainier Ave. S.) Columbia [...]

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‘Person of Interest’ in Rainier Valley Woman’s Murder Killed in San Francisco

07.17.2011 911

KOMO: A 19-year-old man shot and killed by police officers in San Francisco Saturday was a “person of interest” in the recent fatal shooting of a pregnant woman in [Rainier Beach], San Francisco police said Sunday. The man was shot by officers when they tried to question him on one of the city’s light rail [...]

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How Sound Transit Could Build Promised Graham Street Station in Rainier Valley

07.17.2011 Business

Eric Scigliano/Crosscut: Sound Transit, the three-county rail and express-bus agency, announced some bad news, good news last month: Arbitrators had ordered it to pay $66 million in the last round of lawsuits by contractors on the South Link light rail line construction through the Rainier Valley, who sued over contaminated soils, ill-drafted design documents, and [...]

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GIVE: City Fruit Needs Volunteers and Fruit Trees for Upcoming Harvest

07.17.2011 Volunteering

Looking to get involved? Our Give Page is the only comprehensive listing of volunteer opportunities in the Rainier Valley. Designed to link neighbors with local volunteer opportunities, this is the place to start if you’ve got time and/or financial resources and a desire to help improve your community. From City Fruit: Every year in August [...]

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GIVE: Volunteers Needed Saturday for John C. Little Reforestation Project in New Holly

07.15.2011 Volunteering

Looking to get involved? Your RVP’s Give Page is the only comprehensive listing of volunteer opportunities in the Rainier Valley. Designed to link neighbors with local volunteer opportunities, this is the place to start if you’ve got time and/or financial resources and a desire to help improve your community. From New Holly neighbor David Sohlstrom: [...]

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Four People Shot, 19-Year Old Pregnant Woman Killed in Rainier Valley; No Arrests

07.14.2011 911

A 19-year old pregnant woman was killed and three others – including two teenagers – were wounded late Wednesday night in a shooting in Rainier Beach. According to police, four young people were sitting in or on two cars parked in the 9600 block of 54th Avenue South shortly before 11 pm when the suspect [...]

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Former Juvenile Detention Officer Tapped to Lead Rainier Beach High Through Troubled Times

07.12.2011 Education

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) recently announced that a new principal has been appointed to lead Rainier Beach High School in the south Rainier Valley. Dwane Chappelle – a former juvenile detention officer in Dallas County, Texas – has been in the education field for seven years, serving most recently as Assistant Principal for the Arlington Independent [...]

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