Burglary There were no signs of forced entry to the complex, and police figure a gap in a chained door was used overnight Feb. 23 to get into a business in the 1500 block of W. Armory Way. But an interior door was smashed open with a sledgehammer, and a display case was destroyed in the place.The perp made off with $100 from a cash box during what appeared to be burglary interruptus after a staffer showed up around 7:45 in the morning and found garbage cans and duffel bags loaded with merchandise and tools lined up in a hallway.The staffer also told police he may have seen the burglar. It was some sweaty guy standing by a fence line, according to the report, which notes the guy ran off when he realized the staffer was associated with the business.
Cub Scout Pack 70/72 announces its Pinewood Derby racing winners by den. Best in Show for the Pack for Car Design: 1st place, Adam Paganelli (Wolf); 2nd, Denver Turner (Wolf); 3rd (tie), Ben Asher (Webelo 1) and Luke Anderson (Tiger)
An interfaith conference in North Seattle will help people who are facing death to build a caring community - that includes their loved ones - to prepare for the journey.Leaders from diverse faiths - including Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Native American spirituality - will gather at Nalanda West, 3902 Woodland Park Ave. N., this weekend, Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9."It brings together people from different traditions and backgrounds and gives an opportunity for an exchange of ideas on preparing for the journey," said Lynn Conrad-Marvet, co-director of Nalanda West.
DEPARTURESThe Seattle School District is requesting a waiver (departure) be granted from the required on-site parking (29 stalls) because of the expansion of the cafeteria at Nathan Hale High School, 10750 30th Ave. N.E. Because of the increase of assembly area to the cafeteria (student commons) of approximately 2,500 square feet, the Seattle Land Use Code requires additional on-site parking. As part of the overall redevelopment of Nathan Hale High School, eight additional parking spaces will be added; therefore, the waiver request is for 21 spaces.Additional redevelopment plans for Nathan Hale, besides the increase to the cafeteria, are to demolish the existing library and replace it with a new one; seismic upgrades, as well as mechanical and electrical; reconfiguration of interior spaces; and landscaping. There will be approximately 14,700 square feet of new space, 15,700 square feet of demolition and 208,000 square feet of modernization.The DPD will have a meeting on this requested departure on Thursday, March 13, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the school's library. For more information, contact Cliff Louie, at 684-0209 or cliff.louie@seattle.gov.
(This story was updated March 13.)Seattle Police have arrested the man they suspect is responsible for numerous thefts of businesses throughout North Seattle, Queen Anne, Magnolia and Madison Park. The suspect would present the money order to cashiers, saying it was for $200 when it was actually written for $2, and exit with the change. Using the victims' description of the suspect - in his 30s, weighing 190 pounds at 5 feet, 11 inches, with brown hair, blue eyes and a scarred right ear - police identified the suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on Feb. 25 after police found him at a motel near North 122nd Street and Aurora Avenue North.The suspect, Randall Scott Bingham, was charged with two counts of theft in the third degree and one count of forgery on Feb. 28, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office, and two counts of ID theft in the second degree were added on March 6. Additional charges are pending.
The following are selected reports from the Seattle Police Department's North Precinct. They represent the officers' accounts of the events described.PRIVATE NIGHTCLUB?Police responded to the 3900 block of Aurora Avenue North at 2:15 a.m. on March 2 to investigate a strong-arm robbery assault that involved people entering and leaving a residence. While there, they also checked the home because of numerous complaints they received recently.The resident met the officers and told them he throws parties every week, though he denied it was an after-hours club. He claimed to have bed and furniture inside, but he refused to let the police inside.As the police spoke with him, about 100 party-goers arrived and went inside. With the door open, the officers saw no furniture. The residence was painted with "fluorescent" blue and black paint, and a sign was posted asking for "donations" for the parties.The officers could only cite the man for violating the noise ordinance and released him.The man's landlord said the suspect had rented the home as a private residence, but he hadn't seen any furniture in it during his visits.
At Roosevelt High School last week, students had the chance of a lifetime. As their winter production debuted on Wednesday, Feb. 27, the cast of six shared the stage with the very subject of their drama: Anne Frank's childhood friend and stepsister, Eva Schloss.
Pop and lock it. Then freeze it. Now spin on your head. These moves are just part of Anna Beth Nagy's arsenal. Breakdancing is a way of life, and she has made a serious commitment to the art form.On March 17, Nagy will compete in a breakdancing contest in Melbourne, Australia. The competition, She Got Game, is only for the ladies and will feature women from all over the globe. It is currently the largest in the world for female participants. To raise money for her trip, Nagy will perform on Saturday, March 8, at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Seattle, 4142 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., in the University District. The show will begin at 3:30 p.m. and end around 5 p.m.
Step, step, triple-step, step, step, triple-step.Charleston. Lindy. East Coast.Brass instruments blast out an upbeat, bouncy tempo. Dancers zoom around the floor. There is enough energy in the movements that you can sense the rhythm even without the music.
The Lowell Elementary School student council's projects committee is accustomed to taking on a variety of worthy projects. But this year's project ended up being something well out of the ordinary. Rather than taking on a proposed recycling project, the committee focused on something far from home, choosing instead to raise money for a variety of school and recreational supplies for children in the West African country of Sierra Leone.
Kay Bullitt offers a warm and welcoming smile as she answers the door. "Well, if you'd like to talk with me, I'm happy to do so," she said with polite modesty.Who would refuse such an opportunity? Bullitt, now in her 80s, has lived in the same Harvard Avenue East home for more than 50 years. With its expansive lawn and sweeping vistas, it's one of the more impressive parcels of land in the entire city. The home has served as a base for Bullitt's five decades as a civic and community activist, years that have seen her focus on a dizzying number of issues.
For years, Bono has been promising to "wipe your tears away." Now he can - virtually. It may not yet be the last word in concert films, but "U2 3D" certainly jump-starts a credible conversation: can 21-century technology present a concert experience even better than the real thing? The concert junkie inside me cried blasphemy at the thought, referencing the music fan's mantra that no entertainment is greater than a live show. Since its debut this year, however, this seminal film has chipped small cracks in that philosophy, coming as close as possible to overthrowing the real deal. Hailed as "the first ever live-action digital 3-D film," the content of U2 3D is nothing new. Any fan who has seen previous concerts (live or filmed) will recognize the structure of the show, as well as the antics of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. And yet - as with U2's music - the soul of the movie may be familiar, but the presentation is utterly unique.
Jessica Dally had always wanted to teach. When she learned of the Olympia Free School, she was inspired.The idea sprung up last November when Dally and Dani Scar, each independently contacted the Free School. Coincidentally, the two strangers had e-mailed the school on the same day, and the school suggested they collaborate on starting the school in Seattle. Dally, who works for the nonprofit Community Voice Mail, and Scar joined forces with "Slow is Beautiful" author Cecile Andrews to form Seattle Free School.NOT A TRADITIONAL SCHOOLThe Seattle Free School is not the traditional educational institute where there are classrooms and professionally trained teachers. It is a place where anybody from any background can join together to share their knowledge and interests with the community. One of its fliers reads: "A truly free education is a right, not a privilege. The Free School is an opportunity to learn and teach in an inclusive, non-hierarchical, anti-oppressive forum that is based on collaboration, reciprocity, empowerment and openness.""It's the idea of sharing knowledge of what you have and giving back by doing the same for others," Dally said.
Seattle needs about 400 miles of sidewalks. Greenwood alone has about 187 streets without them, said Kate Martin, a leading member of Greenwood Sidewalks.The start-up, nonprofit group recently returned a $10,000 Small and Simple grant to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods in hopes of winning a $100,000 Large Projects grant later this year."We were thinking small at the time," Martin said. "We just grew it into a much more comprehensive project."Greenwood Sidewalks focuses on educating neighborhoods about ways to get sidewalks, which the Seattle Department of Transportation hasn't allotted much money to, Martin said.The organization was started by a group of homeowners who tried getting sidewalks on their block. Liz Sullivan, another Greenwood Sidewalks leader, said the city's process of getting sidewalks was disheartening: "It's just not very user-friendly." The organization's goal is to enable blocks to get sidewalks on their own, whether through navigating the city's system or paying for them on their own."The whole point is the sidewalk isn't very effective if it's just one block, because it can't go anywhere," Sullivan said.Martin said there has been a strong demand for accessibility on the part of those with disabilities, but accessibility needs aren't just limited to less-able bodies. She explained, "Say you want to get to the bus stop or the park or the senior center.... You really don't actually have an option to walk or have a wheelchair because there is no place to be." Sullivan said it's also a sustainability issue. "It's not only safety; it's environmental impact," Sullivan said. "It's absurd [that I have to drive] when I live so close to the grocery story and the post office."Martin said safety within neighborhoods isn't a big issue because most injuries happen on main arterials, but it's a quality-of-life issue.
And we mean that in the best sense By Starla Smith As health care heats up the 2008 presidential campaign, a 17th-century farce offers relief, skewering the medical profession with a comedic celebration of the bowels. Commedia dell'arte meets "House," Christopher Guest and "Saturday Night Live" (when it was actually funny), courtesy of Molière's "The Imaginary Invalid," a silly send-up of hypochondriacs, medical charlatans and upper-crust half-wits. A totally mindless romp, Molière's final play unfolds in a marvelous new adaptation by Constance Congdon, who packs it with witty pop-culture slang and sound bites. Then add flatulence, ludicrous malapropisms and double-entendres delivered by a cast of hilarious characters who bounce off the wall like lunatics.