Coming Soon (and here now): Just Food

Just learn of an intriguing sounding little restaurant ( Just Food Eatery) that will be opening soon in the little row of stores across the road from TT Minor Elementary school.

The same people also will deliver home-cooked food to you (Just Food To Go).

St. Patrick's Day at the Bottleneck Lounge

(the owner of the Bottleneck Lounge, whose name hints at her heritage, sent this note)
Hi Andrew,

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner and sure we’ll be serving up pints of Guinness and rounds of Jamesons all week long but this year we’re also offering St. Patty’s Day revelers the opportunity to make a political statement while quaffing a few rounds.

We’re the only bar in Seattle (it’s a fact) selling this T-shirt ($20/American Apparel) and we think everyone will enjoy it just as much as we do. Shirts go on sale Tuesday and we’ll have them around through St. Patty’s Day – which, incidentally falls on Monday. We’ll be open anyway (of course) serving up traditional cornbeef and cabbage as well as Guinness stew and the not-so-traditional but ever popular hummus plate.

The shirt was created by a local guy named Paul Porte and we love it so much we wanted to help give his stuff a push.

Thanks,

Erin
PS. Sale of the shirt in no way reflects the views of the staff and/ or owners of The BottleNeck Lounge although we do collectively yearn for a Democrat to save the damn day.

Community Center 10 Year Celebration

(click to enlarge & read)

The Mayor will visit from 11:30 to 12:30, and will officially turn on the Ron K. Bills Fountain for the 2008 season. Ron Bills was a longtime Miller neighbor and Community Center volunteer, who would have been 54 on April 5th. Assorted demonstrations, information tables, fun for kids of all ages, lunch, cake and friends will await you. Details to follow. See you there.

Spring Clean

Spring Clean, April 5 – May 31, is Seattle's premier clean up event and part of Mayor Greg Nickels' Clean and Green Seattle Initiative. Now in its 22nd year, Spring Clean provides opportunities for citizens to clean up Seattle's public open spaces of their choice with city support.

More details from the City website, or just download the registration form, and away you go. Project ideas on the website: you're welcome to use this blog to recruit others, publicize your ideas, etc.

The State of the Central District: A Community Forum

(click image for larger version)

The 2nd Annual The State of the Central District: A Community Forum, will take place on Tuesday, March 11, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., in Schafer Auditorium (Lemieux Library) at Seattle University.

This is an annual event that began in March 2007 as part of a service-learning class project where students were charged with the task of collecting data on the impact of gentrification in Seattle's Central District. This year, students will present their findings and a panel of key community leaders will address the findings and the current political, economic and social climate of the Central District.

The panelists are: James Bible (President, Seattle-King County NAACP), Garry Owens (Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle), Lynn Domingo (Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing), Andrew Miller (Miller Park Neighborhood Association), Jim Mueller (JC Mueller LLC), Professor Henry McGee (School of Law, Seattle University) and Professor Flora Wilson Bridges (School of Theology & Ministry, Seattle University).

The findings of the first report, The State of the Central District Report (2007), will be unveiled, which we hope will continue an ongoing dialogue and call to action within the community about this issue. This event is sponsored by the Departments of Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, Social Work and Global African Studies, Washington Educators for Social Justice, the Seattle University Center for Service and Community Engagement and Professor Le Xuan Hy, the Pigott-McCone Endowed Chair.

[Notes from Andrew Taylor:

1) I believe I am the Andrew Miller mentioned above: they did invite me.

2) John Perry from Squire Park pointed out this 2003 U-DUB thesis on the same topic, which provides useful background

3) The format of the event is as follows:

6:00 – 6:10 – Welcome and introduction of our panelists
6:10 – 6:40 – Student Presentations
6:40 – 7:30 – Panel Discussion
7:30 – 8:00 – Q&A and Open Discussion with the Community

4) Notes from the organizers:

In preparation for tomorrow’s community forum, here are the questions that we will engage you all with during the panel discussion. Some of the questions will be asked of certain panelists, given your various positions in the community. We envision that panelists will respond to questions and to one another in an open, fluid exchange of ideas and experiences. In addition, panelists will field questions from the audience during Q&A.

Describe the changes to the Central District from your vantage point as a leader community.

• How have these changes affected the populations that you work with?
• What are some of the challenges that gentrified communities face with respect to civic engagement and neighborhood relations?
• What does equitable urban development look like? How have different entities in the community worked toward equitable development?
• What are some recommendations that you can make that will help foster more collaborative community relations, dispel stereotypes of different populations and ensure that all residents (regardless of socioeconomic background) benefit from urban development?

There may be one or two questions that come specifically out of the student presentations that we may ask the panel to respond to. Since the panel discussion is less than an hour long, 5-6 questions should be enough to spark conversation.

Possible development of 23rd Avenue

A Central District News article reports on plans to redevelop 23rd Avenue, perhaps by narrowing it to 2 lanes and 2 bike lanes. Lots of comments, thoughts and links from readers.

Repeat Felon Convicted for Selling Crack at Club Chocolate City

U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Western District of Washington

700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220 Tel: (206) 553-7970
Seattle, Washington 98101-1271 Fax: (206) 553-0882

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2008

SEATTLE MAN CONVICTED FOR SELLING CRACK AT NOTORIOUS SEATTLE NIGHTCLUB
Repeat Felon Convicted of Selling Crack at Club Chocolate City – formerly Deano’s

REIORDAN JONES, 34, of Seattle, Washington, was convicted in U.S. District Court in Seattle of five counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine. The jury deliberated about two hours following a two and a half day jury trial. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on June 2, 2008, JONES faces up to 40 years in prison.

According to records filed in the case, on five separate occasions JONES sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). JONES met his customers in Club Chocolate City, a now-defunct Seattle nightclub that was a notorious hangout for drug dealers. Club Chocolate City, which was known for years as Deano’s, closed in February 2007. The location was well known to law enforcement as a place where drug dealers congregated and sold to customers. Acting on complaints from the community, DEA and the Seattle Police targeted the club for the undercover investigation.

At trial prosecutors played video and audio tapes of JONES making the drug sales to the informant. At trial JONES attempted to claim that he was not the person depicted in the video. However, at the time of his arrest JONES was shown still photos made from the video and he exclaimed "That’s me!" In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Mike Dion said, "Surely Mr. Jones can say when it is Mr. Jones." Dion asked the jury to consider the "simple and powerful" evidence of JONES' drug dealing caught on video tape.

Two other defendants have already been sentenced in connection with dealing cocaine at Club Chocolate City. KNUTE GOLIDY, 32, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced January 7, 2008, to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release. DEBBIE ANN WILSON of Seattle, pleaded guilty in August 2007, and was sentenced January 14, 2008 to five years in prison and five years of supervised release for three counts of Distributing Crack Cocaine.

The cases were investigated by the DEA and the Seattle Police Department, with assistance from the King County Prosecutor’s Office. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Kelly Harris.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.

Happy Birthday, Bottleneck Lounge!

Lt. Hayes to leave East Precinct

A Seattle PI article about Police reorganization notes:

The department also created a new position of director of community relations, which will oversee media relations, community outreach and the community police teams that tackle specific problems in neighborhoods, and report directly to Kerlikowske. Taking that new position is Lt. John Hayes, an officer well regarded by the community in the East Precinct, the chief said.

Many thanks to CD News for pointing out the PI article, and for its report on Lt. Hayes' departure.

A Central District neighbor commented:
The last paragraphs of the story from Saturday's P-I speak of changes in the responsibilities of the East Precinct's highly respected Lt. John Hayes. I'm sure he is the perfect person for his new job as director of community relations, but we will miss him sorely. It is not clear to me who will replace Lt. Hayes as Captain McDonagh's Operations Chief.

I hope you will all join me in thanking John Hayes for all his hard work in our neighborhood, and in wishing him all the best in his new position.

Join us behind the Prince of Wales apartments (big brick building, 20th & Denny) about 9:45 AM this coming Saturday for our monthly MaDCAP neighborhood cleanup: Lt. Hayes may be able to stop by to bid farewell. From there you could go on to 23rd & Union to help with the Central Neighborhood Association's cleanup of the "cop shop" (10 till noon) and then on to the grand opening of the African-American Museum ( 11 AM to 4 PM). And after all that excitement you'd better go home for a rest, or perhaps get a drink at the Bottleneck Lounge, which opens at 4 PM. But don't expect a quiet time there, because they're celebrating their first birthday on Saturday (complimentary appetizers and champagne from 8-9PM, and other specials: see website). If you don't find John Hayes at one of those events, you'll just have to zip on to the next one to catch him there.

Happy Anniversary

Club Chocolate City closed a year ago today.

Anything new to add to the comments made at the time?

And no, I don't know anything new about the possible fate of the empty buildings where the bar and grocery store used to be. I saw Jim Mueller (developer of projects at 2203 E. Union and at 2051 E. Madison, and eager to develop Dean Falls' property) at the neighborhood planning forum today. He had no news, other than that Mr. Falls had sent him a joke by E-mail (which, I guess, counts as staying in touch).