Concert at Two Dog Yoga tonight, December 30th

Two Dog Yoga is hosting a concert tonight, December 30th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The concert features David Stocker, a longtime musician and performer in the midwest. He will play an acoustic set from "About Time," his new CD featuring songs for dancing, meditation and sing along.

Bring a non perishable food donation for the North Helpline food bank for entry. More info here at the Two Dog website.

Mail thief arrested on 22nd Avenue NE

An admitted mail thief was arrested this week after an officer training with a K-9 unit watched occupants of a car stealing mail from street side boxes. In the car police found a number of credit cards. Similar incidents where people have been seen stealing mail from a car have been reported in other north Seattle neighborhoods recently. From the SPD Blotter:

On December 28th, just after midnight, a K-9 officer was setting up a “training track” for another K-9 officer in the 13300 Block of 20th Avenue NE.  While the officer was waiting for the K9 to “find” him, he observed a vehicle swerving from one side of the street to the other, stopping at mail boxes.  It was apparent that the individuals in the car were stealing mail from the boxes.  The officer notified Dispatch of the crime in progress, and several marked patrol cars responded  and the suspect vehicle was stopped in the 14300 Block of 22nd Avenue NE.  While officers were speaking with the driver and passenger in the car, a large bag of mail was observed on the floor of the car as well as a number of credit cards on the dashboard and floor.  The pieces of mail all had various names and addresses visible.  When asked if they knew anything about the mail, the male driver admitted that the mail was stolen. 

 Read more at the SPD Blotter here.

Four days, three armed robberies in Lake City

Over the last four days, three Lake City businesses have been robbed. Starbucks near 145th was robbed on Christmas Eve, Jack in the Box was robbed early Monday morning, and Radio Shack was robbed Monday night about 8:50 p.m.

In the Radio Shack robbery the robber was described as wearing a mask, a backpack, a hoodie and blue jeans.

In the Jack in the Box robbery he was described as 6 feet, 2 inches tall with a slim build and wore a motorcycle helmet with a dark shield, a dark leather jacket, dark backpack, blue sweatshirt and blue jeans.

And in the Starbucks robbery he carried a backpack and escaped on a blue and white motorcycle.

In each case the robber was described as a white male.

Police are unsure if all three robberies are connected.

A suspect was arrested early Tuesday morning during a traffic stop on NE 130th Street near 8th Avenue NE. Police say the arrested man may be related to some of the robberies.

Read more in this Seattle P-I story.

Weekly walk report, December 19

Graffiti near the intersection of 28th Ave NE and NE 130th Street.

Our Monday weekly walk included 11 community members —our largest group yet. Some took the opportunity to bring their kids out for a walk, others to enjoy the company of their neighbors. The added treat this week was seeing homes in our neighborhood decorated with holiday lights.

Pile of litter gathered by UGM residents

Last Thursday residents of the Union Gospel Mission participated in a neighborhood trash pickup, dramatically decreasing the amount of litter collected by Douglas Park Cooperative members during our weekly walk. During our Monday walk we stopped by the Union Gospel Mission and thanked residents of the neighborhood homeless shelter for their efforts in helping maintain the neighborhood we share. The impressive pile of trash they collected during their walk was waiting for pickup by the City of Seattle directly across from the shelter.

During the Monday walk we noted graffiti on a leaning 'Street End" sign near 28th Ave NE and NE 130th Street. The graffiti on the signs was reported to Seattle Public Utilities.

An abandoned vehicle was also noted and reported.

A downed "Adopt a Street" sign and a tree branch reported weeks ago were still on the SE corner of NE 125th Street and 25th Avenue NE.

You can see all reported items and their status in our issue tracking spreadsheet. It is available in the tab above or at this link.

Our weekly walks build community, offer free exercise and allows us to note things in our neighborhood that we can report to proper authorities.

We meet Monday's at 7 p.m. at Virgil Flaim Park, SE corner of 26th Avenue NE and NE 125th Street.

We also walk on Thursdays, meeting at 6:45 at NE 130th Street and 25th Avenue NE.

The walks also help us to better understand the issues that affect our community and lessen the fear that can build when you don't really understand your own neighborhood. Join us!

Neighborhood photo, then and now

The old Fire Station 39 has gone through many changes over the years. An unremarkable building, it was built in the 1950s to serve the outer reaches of a city that was fast spreading north. The Lake City fire station was a utilitarian building that provided a home for Engine 39, a reserve engine and the firefighters that manned the rigs, keeping lives and property safe.

The station was recently replaced with the more modern Station 39 next door. And the older building has now been converted to use as a temporary winter shelter run by the Union Gospel Mission.

This is part of an occasional series that features old photos from our community. If you have an old photo you would like to share send it to us and we will post it!

A photo of Seattle Fire Station 39 from 1953. (Seattle Municipal Archives)

The former Station 39, currently the Union Gospel Mission winter shelter shown earlier this week.

Neighborhood walk tonight, Thursday

We are starting another weekly walk on Thursday evenings. The first one will be tonight at 6:45 p.m. We will meet at 130th and 25th for our usual walk. They last about 30 minutes and are a good way to get some free exercise and this time of year enjoy holiday lights on your neighbor's homes.

We will note issues in our neighborhood and report them as usual. Some of us will collect litter, but you don't have to. It is mostly a brief walk with a chance to talk with neighbors.

Hope to see you there!  ( And sorry about the late notice. )

North Helpline donations down, need for assistance up

Iloya Martchyan, right, is given produce at the North Helpline Food Bank.

In these turbulent economic times of high unemployment and stagnant wages many are turning to food banks for assistance. However, Seattle-area food banks are reporting a dramatic drop in food and cash donations as the negative economic ripple pushes deeper into households that normally would help.

Donations are down by 31 percent, while need has increased 30 percent in the last four years, according to a recent U.S. Conference of Mayors study.

To highlight the need, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn came to our neighborhood and visited the North Helpline Emergency Services and Food Bank on Wednesday.

The food bank provides basic essentials to people that are having a challenge covering their daily living expenses. North Helpline assists about 850 households per week, nearly double what they did two years ago.

You can donate to the North Helpline Food Bank here or drop off food items Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 to 4, 12736 33rd Avenue NE.

Some of the items currently needed are: Protein (canned tuna, chicken, peanut butter), canned fruits and vegetables, 100% fruit juices, grains (pasta, rice, macaroni), condiments (ketchup, mustard, light salad dressings), meals in a can (canned stews, chili), soups (beef stew, chili, chicken noodle), multigrain Cereal (Cheerios, Cornflakes, Grapenuts, Raisin Bran)

Canned tomatoes

Canned food ready to be distributed

Linda and Howard Tomisser gather food supplies

Food ready to be distributed

Kate Murphy and David Ortiz give a cooking demonstration

Mayor Mike McGinn meets with volunteers

Bread

Television crews conduct an interview during the mayor's vist

PHOTOS: Holidays in the Park

Wednesday night dozens of neighbors came out to the annual Holidays in the Park tree lighting at the Lake City mini-park. The annual event is organized by the Lake City Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club.

People enjoyed cookies and cider as they listened to music from the Ingraham High School Band.

And of course, Jolly Old St. Nick made an appearance at the event.

Here are some photos of Wednesday night's festivities.

Santa arrives in style

Art Carts collected food donations

Two Dog Yoga's Art Cart

Santa exits his convertible

Neighbors watch the festivities

Santa walks through the crowd

That hat is awesome!

Ingraham High Band performs

Santa can be a bit scary for some

Kaffeeklatsch Art Cart entry

Decorations on an Art Cart

Reminder: Holidays in the Park Wednesday night

Come out tonight to the Lake City Mini Park on the corner of 125th and Lake City Way for the annual Holidays in the Park community event.

Ingraham High School students will perform music, there will be cider and cookies and a community Christmas tree will be illuminated. And rumor is that a jolly ol' elf will be there too.

Event is tonight, Wednesday, beginning at 7 p.m.

Weekly Walk Report 04: December 5th

This week's walk went well. It was very quiet on the streets.

We picked up litter as we traveled the usual path. One of the two memorials ( the one in front of the future Elliott Bay Brew Pub ) was gone. At that location, there were a few plastic shopping bags tied to the hurricane fence with empty cans in them -  a makeshift trash container. They were filled, so we took them down and put them in our trash bag. The other memorial at the NE corner of 127th and 30th is still there.

By the 99 cent store, we heard kids singing Christmas songs as a family walked through the space between Cedar Park and the Panos building.

Comcast Internet outages?

A resident of 25th Avenue NE has been having intermittent Internet issues with Comcast for a few months. There have been nearly a dozen repair of service calls by the Comcast customer.

Twice a Comcast technician has been called out and at the last minute the service call cancelled because Comcast says there is an outage in the area.

We are curious if any other residents of our neighborhood are having Comcast connectivity issues lately? (Specifically last night, Sunday from 7p.m. to 12 a.m. Monday)

If there is an outage in our area we assume it affects other customers.

Traffic sign typo

 

A resident of our neighborhood, who just happens to teach English and has an eagle's eye for errors, noticed a mistake on one of our neighborhood signs.

"It bothers me every time I drive past," she said of the sign on NE 125th Street.

Have you noticed this?

Neighborhood photo, then and now

We have heard all likely heard stories about what kind of agricultural operations were in our neighborhood before it was developed into residential housing. There has been talk of horses in the neighborhood —evidenced by horse shoes regularly dug up in people's yards, the old polo club, a mink raising operation, a mushroom farm and chicken farm.

The photos below are of the intersection of 26th Avenue NE and NE 127th Street, part of the Kenwood land plat. The site is the modern home of the Seattle Gymnastics Academy and Daily Racing Form printing press.

This is part of an occasional series that features old photos from our community. If you have an old photo you would like to share send it to us and we will post it!

Also, if you have any more information on what kind of agriculture was in our neighborhood please leave info in the comments field below, comment on our Facebook Page, or email us at douglasparkcooperative@gmail.com

The intersection of NE 127th Street and 26th Avenue NE. Part of an agricultural and farm operation.The photo is from King County property records and apparently is from 1955.

That same intersection today, home of Daily Racing Form printing press and Seattle Gymnastics Academy. Photo from Google Street View.

Lake City Community Center wall repaired after fatal accident

A Seattle Parks and Recreation crew was repairing the east wall of the Lake City Community Center Thursday afternoon after a recent accident punched a large hole in the side of the building.

In late October a woman directing a car into a parking space at an early-morning event was pinned between the building and a car. The driver of the vehicle she was guiding accidentally hit the gas in the accident. The woman later died at the hospital.

Neighbors meet with police, city officials to discuss crime

Lake City neighbors listen to Terrie Johnston of the Seattle Police Department

Wednesday night concerned Lake City neighbors and block watch groups met with Terrie Johnston, crime prevention liaison with the Seattle Police Department.

Johnston presented some of the latest crime data and discussed ways we can work to prevent crime in our community. She also listened to concerns from area residents, some who have been victims of recent crimes.

Johnston said that residential burglaries have made a substantial leap in northeast Seattle this quarter, although not as significant as some other neighborhoods. So far for this quarter there have been 37 reported residential burglaries. Of those 14 were non-forced-entry burglaries, meaning a burglar entered through and unlocked door or window.

She also said that during the month of December residential burglaries tend to increase as thieves know that homes hold more loot —in the form of holiday gifts— and that often residents are out of town.

Johnston said that Seattle Police have made some significant arrests of burglary teams in recent weeks. In both instances the team consisted of two male burgulars and a female lookout. Often the female would pace the street, talking or texting on her cellphone, acting as a lookout. In one case an alert neighbor noticed the nervous-looking woman pacing near a home and then saw two unfamiliar men come out of the home. The female lookout likely texted the men in the home when she realized the neighbor was watching her. They were later arrested because of the alert neighbor.

Johnston said that 90% of residentail burgularies occur between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Our own neighborhood includes a number of residents that work out of a home office and she said that their watchful eyes during the daytime are one of our best defenses against home burglaries.

Some other tips she offered to help prevent home burglary are

• Always make your house look occupied.
• Have a trustworthy neighbor gather your newspapers and mail while you are gone. She said that alerting the newspaper carriers that you are away just lets more people know that your home is unoccupied.
• Have those same neighbors move trash cans and recycle bins from the curb. Unmoved trash and recycle bins are one of the clues that thieves use when looking for a victim.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting. Criminals like darkness and do not want to be identified.
• If someone unfamiliar knocks on your door answer it but do not open it. Burglars are often checking to see if someone is home. Also teach children to answer the door but not open it.
• Keep inventory lists and serial numbers of possessions to help recover stolen property 
• Call 911 if you suspect suspicious activity. She said that calling police gives officers a reason to speak to suspicious people
• Do not rely on burglar alarms. Johnston said that 97% of burglar alarm calls in Seattle are false and that most systems are usually not a good investment. She said if you want an alarm that you should have one that makes lots of noise instead of a silent alarm.
• Probably most importantly she said, get to know your neighbors. She said that statistically people are much more likely to call 911 and report suspicious activity if they know their neighbors' names. And often people living in our neighborhood do not know one another.

She said that she is available to come out and to a do a security assessment of your home. Her email is terrie.johnston@seattle.gov

Meeting with Terrie Johnston tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 30

Terrie Johnston
(206) 684-7711
terrie.johnston@seattle.gov

Members of the Douglas Park Cooperative have been invited to a meeting with Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police Department's North Precinct crime prevention coordinator.

Earlier this year Johnston replaced Diane Horswill as a contact for setting up a Block Watch meetings or discussing problems with neighborhood crime.

During the meeting Johnston and officials from the city and block watches will discuss public safety in our neighborhood, current criminal activity, and the role residents can play in reducing crime and increasing quality of life.
 
Here are the details:

WHEN:  Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 7:00 p.m.

WHERE:  Lake City Presbyterian Church, 40th Avenue NE and NE 123rd St



View Larger Map

Movie Night at the Lake City Community Center

Friday, December 2 at 6:30 the big screen comes to our own Lake City Community Center.

A free screening of the hit Disney/Pixar movie Cars 2 will be shown. Snacks for moviegoers will be provided.

So come on down with your family, bring some pillows and enjoy the big screen with some of your neighbors.

The next movie to be shown will be Avatar on January 6th.

Here is our neighborhood calendar of events. If you know of anything that should be added to the calendar please email us: douglasparkcooperative@gmail.com

Weekly Walk Report 03: November 28th

Our weekly walk on November 28th was one of our best yet.

Eight neighbors walked for almost an hour, picking up litter and talking about ways to improve our neighborhood.

The litter gathering walkers filled at least a couple bags with trash such as an empty bottle of 'Mad Dog,' a hypodermic needle, small pieces of aluminum foil and dozens of wrappers, bags and cups from Dick's Drive-In.

The majority of trash collected was behind the Panos Property building, home of the 99 Cent Etc. Store, Papa Murphy's Pizza, Hairmasters and Teriyaki Time -across from the new Union Gospel Mission homeless shelter.

A pair of suspicious-looking men were seen loitering behind the Panos Property brick walls, a popular hangout for people drinking and using drugs. 

One of two memorials seen during the walk.

Also discovered during the walk were two apparent memorials near the intersection of 30th Ave NE and NE 127th Street. City of Seattle data suggests there have been recent drug overdose deaths in the area and the memorials may be for the overdose victims.

People standing near one of the memorials said the the small shrine, adjacent to the parking lot for Elliott Bay Brewing Co., was for their friend Leonard who died recently.

Our weekly walks build community, offer free exercise and allows us to note things in our neighborhood that we can report to proper authorities. The walks also help us to better understand the issues that affect our community and lessen the fear that can build when you don't really understand your own neighborhood. Join us!

Weekly walk tonight, Monday

Get your walking shoes and reflective vests out. We will meet tonight at the Southeast corner of 125th Street and and 26th Avenue at 7 p.m for our weekly walk.

Hope to see you there!

Union Gospel Mission shelter moves in

Shelter resident Martha Weiss plays her violin after eating dinner at the new Union Gospel Mission winter shelter. Photo used with permission.

On Thanksgiving day dozens of homeless people moved into the new Union Gospel Mission shelter at the old Fire Station 39.

The new residents were served an early afternoon Thanksgiving dinner by about 15 volunteers at the shelter.

When asked what kind of things the shelter needs, UGM staff member Paul LaRose said now the need is for women's clothing of various sizes.

The shelter provides a hot breakfast, an onsite sack lunch and a hot dinner for residents. They also provide a day room so people do not have to loiter outside during the day.

Here is more from the Seattle P-I.

Garbage pickup on Saturday, other Thanksgiving tips from SPU

Seattle Public Utilities offers the following reminders and tips for a safe and green Thanksgiving weekend.

• Friday's garbage and food/yard waste collections for our neighborhood will be on Saturday this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Unwanted Thanksgiving leftovers go in the food and yard waste cart. Even giblets.

• Prevent sewer backups- keep fat, oil and grease out of the sink drain.

• Prevent flooding by keeping leaves out of the storm drains.

• Seattle uses approximately 292 million plastic bags annually. Bring your own reusable bag if you go out shopping this weekend, or recycle the ones you receive.

Weekly Walk Report 02: November 21st

A group of neighbors walked the streets of our community Monday night for our weekly walk. The event builds community, offers free exercise and allows us to note things in our neighborhood that we can report to proper authorities.

The following are some of the notes made by the weekly walkers:

• At 125th and 25th on the SW corner the Adopt a Street sign broke at the base and is laying on the ground. Status: Reported this to the Adopt a Street program

• At Hiram and 25th there is a fallen branch from the madrone tree that needs to be removed. Status: Reported this to the Adopt a Street program

• At 125th and 26th on the SW corner along the sidewalk in front of the 2527 property, there is an overgrowth of ivy that goes roughly 2 feet over the sidewalk. Status: Reported this to DPD.

• At 125th and 26th on the SW corner along the sidewalk in front of the 2527 property, there is the remnants of a fallen tree in the ledger strip that needs to be stumped so that the grass can be mowed. Status: Reported this to SDOT.

• At the SW corner of 127th and 30th there is an ongoing drainage issue. The area floods during rain. If you walk along the south side of the street you are forced out into traffic. This is an ongoing issue that has been brought to the city's attention in the past. It one of many drainage issues in our neighborhood. This will require a letter from the community and some long term tracking to resolve. Could be a meeting topic and maybe a letter writing campaign to the City to fix this drainage issue.

Evidence of heavy drinking

• The southern section of the east block face of 30th, north of 127th. There was evidence of heavy drinking in the stairwells behind the Panos property. Dozens of empty malt liquor cans and Irish Rose bottles found there. This is an ongoing issue that has been brought to the attention of the city and Panos Properies in the past. Two primary factors seem to contribute to this: the 99 cent store selling the product and the multiple areas behind the building where the products are consumed. The 99 cent store is also known to sell "roses" that are contained in glass tubes that are used for smoking crack. Letter writing campaign to the City and the property owner to get the walls removed.

Block Watch meeting with Terrie Johnston, crime prevention coordinator

Terrie Johnston
(206) 684-7711
terrie.johnston@seattle.gov

Members of the Douglas Park Cooperative have been invited to a meeting with Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police Department's North Precinct crime prevention coordinator.

Earlier this year Johnston replaced Diane Horswill as a contact for setting up a Block Watch meetings or discussing problems with neighborhood crime.

During the meeting Johnston and officials from the city and block watches will discuss public safety in our neighborhood, current criminal activity, and the role residents can play in reducing crime and increasing quality of life.
 
Here are the details:

WHEN:  Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 7:00 p.m.

WHERE:  Lake City Presbyterian Church, 40th Avenue NE and NE 123rd St



View Larger Map

Douglas Park Cooperative calendar

Have you noticed our calendar page?

We will post messages about meetings and other events relevant to our neighborhood on our calendar page.

You can visit it here or by clicking on calendar on the navigation bar above.

Neighborhood walk tonight, Monday

Come out for our weekly neighbor walk tonight, Monday, November 21. We will walk to get to know one another, get some free exercise and record and report issues in our community.

Since we often have to walk in the street due to lack of sidewalks, please wear brightly-colored or reflective clothing. A flashlight helps too. Pets on a leash are welcome.

We will meet at the Lake City Playground, 2750 NE 125th St (map below), at 7 p.m.

Hope to see you there!


View Larger Map

Detail of new homeless shelter to be discussed at meeting

Details of the Seattle Union Gospel Mission shelter coming to the old Fire Station 39 will be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, November 22 at 2 p.m. at the Lake City Library.

Representatives from Union Gospel Mission and the Mayor's office will be present.

The shelter is scheduled to open Thanksgiving Day. In 2010 the Nickelsville homeless camp moved into the old fire station with little notice to the neighborhood. Earlier this week Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn apologized to residents of our neighborhood for not notifying them.

P-I: Rick's strip club to reopen Friday

The Seattle P-I has this story about Dreamgirls at Rick's grand re-opening today on Lake City Way. From the P-I:

The iconic neon sign will again illuminate the street outside the notorious strip joint at 11332 Lake City Way N.E. But Rick's now belongs to the Déjà Vu chain, and is officially renamed "Dreamgirls at Rick's." The new owners say it's been remodeled, and that they "intend to operate the most beautiful club in the area, attracting the most beautiful women."

 The club, which unfortunately for many years has helped define our corner of Seattle, was seized by the federal government as part of racketeering charges against former owner Frank Colacurcio, his son Frank Jr., and their associates in 2010.

Lake City is also home to Pandora's Adult Cabaret and the Deja Vu chain's other club north of 145th.

A two-alarm fire on July 28th at the club delayed the remodel and reopening of the club.

Elliott Bay Brewing Co. interview with Lake City Live

Our friends over at Lake City Live had a tour of the site that will be home of the new Elliott Bay Brewing Co. Link to their story here.

Owner Brent Norton showed them around the construction site and said the pub is on track to open some time in January.

During the interview Norton revealed that the main enterance to the neighborhood pub will be from the rear parking lot side of the business. The building will have a northwest industrial look, he said.

He said the construction schedule is two months behind because the permitting process took longer than planned and the builiding required seismic retrofitting.

In the Lake City Live story Norton said that when the pub opened their West Seattle location some people "thought we were crazy." He said people thought it was also strange that they chose Burien for their second pub. But the pubs were great locations for them and for the community.

"We’re hoping that our commitment to community will also have an impact on Lake City," he said.

Read the entire story here: LakeCityLive.net

Temporary homeless shelter returning to old Lake City firestation 39

As a neighborhood meeting with Union Gospel Mission about a proposal to open a homeless shelter at the old Fire Station 39 was winding down Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn's office was crafting a statement announcing that the shelter would open on Thanksgiving Day.

From the Mayor's statement:

Because there is the need for more winter shelter, the City of Seattle has signed an agreement with the Seattle Union Gospel Mission (SUGM) for SUGM to operate an emergency winter shelter during the winter of 2011 – 2012 at Fire Station 39. On November 8, the City Council unanimously adopted a Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI), that says, in part, “A proposal to allow FS 39 to be used as a winter only shelter with day services has been developed by the Seattle Union Gospel Mission,… The SUGM proposal incorporates a number of the suggestions made by the community in an effort to respond to concerns raised by neighboring residents and businesses.” The winter shelter at Fire Station 39 will open on November 24, 2011 and close on April 1, 2012, and will serve single women and men.

The shelter has been a point of concern for some in the neighborhood after the Nickelsville encampment moved into the building in 2010, without informing the neighborhood until residents began to arrive. The Mayor acknowledged in his statement that efforts to inform residents of Lake City were "inadequate."

"I apologize for not providing the Lake City community with appropriate notice," the Mayor said.

One concern from people in the area has been the possibility of increased crime and drug use with a shelter bringing more homeless people to the neighborhood. Earlier in the day Wednesday, a Seattle Police SWAT team raided a home blocks from the proposed shelter that police suspect was a haven for criminal activity.

The Mayor said he has heard from people who support the idea of a shelter and from those who oppose it. "There is no consensus in the community about a shelter, and I know that this decision will be met with disapproval from those who do not want it there," he said.

The Lake City Shelter will temporarily sleep up to 100 men and women during the winter months. It will offer services to help them out of homelessness. They include: 

·         Emergency assist: clothing, food, showers, laundry and locker access

·         Dental Clinic and Legal Clinic

·         Substance-use treatment programs

·         Case management, including employment referral

·         Learning center with an emphasis on GED completion and vocational readiness

House on 25th Avenue NE raided by police

About 3 a.m. Wednesday a house on 25th Avenue NE was visited by a Seattle Police Department SWAT team.

Residents blocks away were woken by what sounded like an explosion and police giving orders over a bullhorn to occupants of the house.

Police ordered people out of the house with their hands on their heads. They said they had a search warrant for the property.

Seattle Police have long suspected that illegal activity was being conducted from the house.

Found dog

A male, chihuahua-terrier was found Tuesday on 25th Avenue NE, on the south side of 125th. He is described as blonde with white markings, clearly someone's pet, very cute and affectionate.

The people that found the dog kept him last night --he had no collar or i.d.-- and plan to take him to the shelter Wednesday.

If this is your dog or you know the owner please leave contact info in the comments section and we will get a hold of you. (We will deleted your contact info from the site once contacted.)

Meeting Regarding the Old 39

The Cedar Park Apartments on 30th is having a meeting with the Seattle Union Gospel Mission regarding their operation of a winter shelter at the Old 39 Fire Station. This intended use has not been made "official" by the city yet, but it is now a working plan on the part of the city and SUGM to operate a shelter there from Thanksgiving to April 1st.

The meeting is closed to those outside of the Cedar Park Apartements. However, they did agree to allow members of the Douglas Park Cooperative to attend. 

The meeting is tomorrow ( Wednesday, November 16th ) at 3:00pm. If you attend, please be polite and allow the Cedar Park residents to lead the meeting as we will be guests. 

Weekly Walk Report 01: November 14

Tonight members of the Douglas Park Cooperative participated in the first weekly neighborhood walk.

Seven neighbors walked various streets between 30th Avenue NE and 25th Avenue NE for almost an hour. Participants included residents that earlier Monday came home to find a burglar in their home. The thief made off with electronics and other valuables.

During the walk we noted that Virgil Flaim Park (also known as Lake City Playground) could use some lighting, especially along the park's eastern edge, a perfect hiding area for suspicious people that frequent the area.

We noted one damaged light at the park and will make a report.

Rain and brief hail seemed to keep most people indoors Monday night. The area behind the cinder block walls on 30th Avenue NE, usually a popular homeless, drinking and drugging hangout, were uninhabited Monday evening.

Two suspicious people were seen walking in the direction of a house known to Seattle Police for its drug activity.

We will again do our weekly walk on Monday, November 21st at 7 p.m. We will meet at the Lake City Playground.

Graffiti on new Elliot Bay Brewing Co.

The owner of the new Elliot Bay brewing company got a rude welcome to the neighborhood on Sunday when workers discovered the building had been tagged with spray paint.

Monday afternoon, owner Todd Carden was at the construction site painting over the damage.

He said Sunday was ruined for him with the discovery of the damage, some of it on a wall just painted. But he said his Monday was better after he was told that members of our neighborhood plan to become regulars at his well-known pub and restaurant.

Burglary interrupted on 25th Ave NE

Residents on 25th Ave NE came home Monday find a burglar in their home about 2:30 p.m.

He fled eastbound on NE 125th toward Lake City Way.

Seattle Police have set up containment in the neighborhood with about a half dozen patrol cars looking for the suspect at sitting at key intersections.

A few neighbors are also drove around Lake City looking for a person matching the description.

If you see a suspect matching the description DO NOT MAKE CONTACT. Call 911.

Description: Young black male. Black knit cap. Red jacket with white stripes. Carrying a blue backpack.

Neighborhood walk, Monday, 7 p.m.

Monday, November 14, we will have our first neighborhood walk to record and report issues in our community. It is also a great time to meet your neighbors and get some free exercise.

As we all know, our lack of sidewalks can make navigating our neighborhood on foot a treacherous experience. So please wear brightly-colored or reflective clothing. A flashlight helps too. Pets on a leash are welcome.

We will meet at the Lake City Playground, 2750 NE 125th St (map below), at 7 p.m.

Hope to see you there!


View Larger Map

Moonrise

Did anyone else happen to see the spectacular moonrise we had tonight?

Here is a photo of the moon peeking over Lake City Way.

Free burgers for active military and veterans on Friday

Did you serve your country in the U.S. military?

Well, tomorrow our neighborhood Dick's Drive-In will honor you with free burgers from 10:30 a.m. until closing.

The tradition goes back to co-founder Dick Spady's own days in the military.

You will need a military or Veterans ID, or be in uniform to receive your tasty burger.

Which grocery stores in our neighborhood will carry liquor?

With the passage of Initiative 1183, where will residents of our neighborhood get that key ingredient for their holiday cheer?

And perhaps more concerning for some, where will the folks that hang out in front of the post office or lurk in hiding spots —and usually sip from a tall boy— get their now more accessible warming drink?

The apparent passage of 1183 has ended Washington State's near 80-year liquor monopoly. The results of the vote will likely shutter our own state-run liquor store on 15th Ave NE.

Liquor sales will shift to stores with more than 10,000 square feet. And as we know from the large number of shopping carts ditched regularly in our neighborhood, one does not have to go too far to find a large chain grocery store.

One thing that cannot be debated is that it can be difficult to purchase liquor at a state-run store.

The store on 15^th Avenue NE closes at 7 p.m., and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and major holidays.

Safeway is open 24 hours.

Also, state-run stores have a 94 percent compliance rate for selling to minors. The private sector, which can now only sell wine and beer, has a 77 percent compliance rate.

So where can we expect to see a new liquor aisle on June 1, 2012?

Grocery Outlet —3020 Northeast 127th Street— said they are over 10,000 square feet and meet the requirements but will not carry liquor. They currently carry a selection of wine and beer.

Safeway —12318 15th Ave. NE— said they will carry liquor in all of their stores in Washington State. They also helped bankroll Initiative 1183.

QFC —1531 Northeast 145th Street— said they have not received official word from their Kroger corporate offices yet but assume they will carry liquor

Fred Meyer —13000 Lake City Way Northeast— also part of the Kroger chain, contacted Thursday, also said no decision has been announced.

But considering the significant profit margins a grocer can make from liquor sales it is likely we will go from one liquor store in our corner of Seattle to at least three in our immediate area.

20 years in the neighborhood for Two Dog Yoga

This Saturday, November 12th, stop by Two Dog Yoga and enjoy a family-friendly event, celebrating the studio's 20th anniversary. There will be dancing, crafts, a raffle and of course yummy food. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

After Work Walks

Meet up with fellow walkers on Monday at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake City Playfield. We plan to take a few laps around the track after dinner. Bring your owners too. They need exercise.

See more neighborhood events on our Calendar page.