Miller Park Seattle

UPDATE:  It was discovered the woman had not been shot and called in a false report, according to Seattle Police Department spokesperson Sean Whitcomb.

Original report:
Police and emergency crews responded to an apartment in 2000 block of E. John this morning after a woman called 911 to report she'd been shot in the leg, according to a dispatcher's report broadcast to emergency personnel. Officers were seeking two male suspects involved with the shooting. The woman was transported to Harborview. We do not have information on her condition at this time.

Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn is including a Capitol Hill stop in his last weekend of city barnstorming, according to this announcement from his campaign team. We already gave him the CHS endorsement but you can check in with McGinn on Halloween afternoon at 19th Ave's Miller Community Center. The McGinn campaign announced today it is holding its election night celebration at the War Room.

Mike McGinn to host four town halls this weekend.

"We know a lot of Seattle voters are undecided and want more information before making their choice," said McGinn.  "Seattleites take voting seriously.  We want to give everyone the ability to directly ask questions and this is an opportunity to do just that."

WHEN: 2pm, Saturday, October 31st
WHERE: Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave. E

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WHEN: 10:15am, Saturday, October 31st
WHERE:  West Seattle Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 2306 42nd Ave. SW

WHEN: 12pm, Saturday, October 31st
WHERE: Northgate Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 10548 5th Ave. NE

WHEN:  3:30pm, Sunday, November 1st
WHERE:  Columbia Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 4721 Rainier Ave. S

Hope you'll have time to swing by tonight between 5-7pm to have a drink and say hello. It's a chance to meet some of the people behind the site and let me know what you like and what you don't about CHS. The BottleNeck will also be featuring extra happy hour time.

And, of course, you can get an official CHS crow button. See you there?

Seattle mayoral candidates Michael McGinn and Joe Mallahan squared off on Capitol Hill Tuesday night in a forum sponsored by the Seattle Human Services Coalition by portraying themselves as having the same progressive values as the social services advocates in the room.

In a campaign focused on the future of the viaduct, removing the city’s head tax on employees, and cutting consultants and political appointees from City Hall, the forum at Miller Community Center was an opportunity to challenge the candidates about what they’d do about the poorest in society. The two have been going head to head at a number of debates including one on Monday sponsored by City Club, as reported by the Seattle P-I and Publicola.

At the same time, social services leaders said they have only vague ideas of the candidates and the impression neither are particularly knowledgeable about issues like homelessness.

In a largely tepid forum, the closest the candidates came to fireworks was when they were asked about the role the mayor should play in education.

Mallahan said McGinn would take over the city’s public schools. “I think we should figure out how to clear our streets before we take over city schools.”

McGinn said that misrepresented his position. “I’m guilty of nuance, which is a difficult thing in a political campaign.”

And indeed, he said in an interview with the PostGlobe about his stance on issues unrelated to the viaduct that he’d raise the idea of taking over the schools after working to improve them first.

The candidates, though, may face more detailed questions next week at yet another forum, this one sponsored by the Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness.

Candidates for City Attorney – incumbent Tom Carr and challenger Peter Holmes – faced tougher questioning, however. Both were  asked if they’d support tougher restrictions on panhandling.

Holmes said there already seems to be laws on the books that prevent aggressive handling

Carr, though, said, his office has not prosecuted any cases involving panhandling during his tenure in office and that he does not support criminalizing homelessness.  Carr also noted that he worked out an agreement to allow tent cities to continue operating.

Both Mallahan and McGinn have scored some endorsements from social services leaders. McGinn released a list late Tuesday afternoon. They include, former 37th District State Rep. Kip Tokuda; Timothy Harris executive director of Real Change; Candace Inagi, deputy director of One America; Mark Okazaki, executive director of Neighborhood House; former Dorli Rainey, Women in Black, Veterans for Peace, and ANSWER coalition; Al Sugiyama, executive director of the Center for Career Alternatives; Linh Thai, executive director of Vietnamese Community Activity Center (WA); Michael Neguse, a refugee and African immigrants advocate.

However, most prominent social services advocates say they haven’t yet decided who they will support.

If you heard the sirens very early Sunday morning on the east slope of the Hill, here's the scoop. Fire spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen said that the 4-alarm response to 2421 E. Aloha around 2:45 AM Sunday morning involved a fire in an attached garage with a second story above the garage. Vander Houwen said firefighters put the fire out quickly and the fire did not spread to the second story. There were no injuries.

A reminder of tonight's (rain or shine!) fun at Miller Playfield including:

• A welcome by Councilmember Rasmussen, chair of the Council Parks Committee
• The potluck!
• Ice-Cream, donated by Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream & Tea Room
• a soccer clinic presented by Seattle University Men’s Soccer. You can cheer the SU Redhawks on against Oregon State at 12:30 on Saturday at  SU Championship Field located on the corner of E. Jefferson St and 13th Ave.
•  a lacrosse demonstration presented by Northwest Women’s Lacrosse Association (NWWLA)

Starts at 6:30 PM. Bring your cleats.

• Saturday, September 19th, 6:30 PM we celebrate the inauguration of our new playfield at Miller (330 - 19th Avenue East): here's a poster to share/print.
• The Capitol Hill Times has an article about the event.
• Here's the City Press Release.

The students of NOVA alternative High School, which shares the Meany School building with the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (SBOC) have embraced the event, and are holding a potluck as part of the celebration, and invite you to bring a potluck dish to share (and suggest that it be an ample size, as the SBOC families who have been invited may be unfamiliar with the potluck concept!).

Parks Department translated the invitation into 5 languages for the SBOC familes (Oromo, Chinese, Amheric, Spanish and Vietnamese), and we hope that some of them will be able to attend, and that their tournament-winning soccer team will play on the field.

The evening will include:

• A welcome by Councilmember Rasmussen, chair of the Council Parks Committee
• The potluck!
• Ice-Cream, donated by Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream & Tea Room
• a soccer clinic presented by Seattle University Men’s Soccer. You can cheer the SU Redhawks on against Oregon State at 12:30 on Saturday at  SU Championship Field located on the corner of E. Jefferson St and 13th Ave.
•  a lacrosse demonstration presented by Northwest Women’s Lacrosse Association (NWWLA)

It will be a great chance for the neighborhood to meet the students, staff and parents of both schools, and members of the sports groups who share our playfield.

But wait, there's more!

Later in the evening (about 8:30?):

• NOVA students will demonstrate their unique collaborative sport: Three-Way Soccer. (pictures)
• SBOC teams will (we hope) demonstrate their soccer skills
• The playfield will be available till 10 PM for your pickup soccer games, frisbee or (presumably) lacrosse use!

By the way, a few volunteers would be appreciated to help set-up, serve ice-cream, help tidy up afterwards. Please E-mail Andrew (tayles@jps.net) if interested.

(Project details, history of Miller, Field Scheduling)

A man suspected in this August 2008 home invasion in Capitol Hill's Miller Park neighborhood has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for his part in a string of home invasion robberies and a sexual assault in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Anthony R. Dodd pleaded guilty to charges that included robbery, burglary, and indecent liberties, Central District News reports.

Soon, Bobby Morris won't be the only lovely football pitch in town (Photo: Jeanine Anderson)

In addition to Friday's Park(ing) Day activities and Central Park (now with wi-fi!), there's another event this weekend involving a lot of room to run around and play on Capitol Hill.

Miller Playfield and its beautiful new field turf open Saturday night with a brief ceremony, some athletic exhibitions involving Seattle University soccer, free ice cream from Blue Bird Ice Cream and Tea House and, most importantly, some CHS-motivated pick-up soccer time. The event starts at 6p -- the field will be open for pick-up from 8:30 to 10p.

CHS has been teasing organization of a pick-up squad for Saturday night but now we're getting serious. If you are in, leave a comment. If you left a comment on one of the previous posts about Saturday's night's fun, I'll send you some mail.

Now we just need to find some competition.

Miller had been one of the last sand fields in the city. It was a hard and knee-scraping surface when dry, a sloppy, oatmeal-like slog when it rained. It was not pleasant to play. The new turf, on the other foot, is lovely. Though the field has not yet had its opening ceremony, leagues are already playing scheduled games at Miller and others, including CHS, are finding their ways through the construction fencing to enjoy the new pitch.

The Miller project was requested by some area residents and Seattle sports leagues through the Community Capital Suggestion Process and was part of the city's six-year plan to renovate ballfield lighting and fields throughout the parks system. When the budget was approved for the construction, cost was estimated to be $2.2 million. Worth every penny, of course.

An almost-full moon hangs over the almost-completed FieldTurf playfield at Miller Community Center (and Jupiter is almost visible to the right of the moon).

Save the evening of Saturday September 19th for a little inauguration celebration for our new field, coupled (we hope) with the chance to meet the staff and students of the two new schools at Meany (Nova Alternative High School & the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center).  Details next week.

In a story about the state of Seattle Public Schools' buildings, KUOW reports that Capitol Hill's Meany campus could be next in line for repairs and seismic upgrades:

The next building the district may fix is Meany on Capitol Hill. The new home of NOVA High School, and the bilingual school for 6th–through–12th graders learning English. Parents from NOVA complained that their kids would be moving into a building that needs more expensive repairs than NOVA's old building. Their biggest concern was the need for seismic upgrades. A district employee has called Meany and other buildings from its era seismically deficient. David Tucker points out that Meany withstood the Nisqually Earthquake in 2001.

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Money for seismic renovations could come from voters in the form of levies, or property taxes. The next levy vote is scheduled for February 2010.

In the meantime, a crew of volunteers set about preparing the Meany campus for its new students with a work party last weekend and workers are putting the finishing touches on the adjacent Miller playfield's new synthetic turf.

pierogis!
Originally uploaded by ladyJake

You can buy a lot of pierogis with $80 grand. Capitol Hill's Polish Home Association, champion of Polish culture in the Pacific Northwest and host of the Hill's only annual all-you-can-eat pierogi fest, has been awarded an $80,000 grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Large Project fund:

$80,000 to match for the Polish Home!

Dear Friends of the Polish Home,

We have great news: the Polish Home received an $80,000 grant from the City. However, it is a matching grant and we need to receive new donations before the grant can match them.

The current construction of the Polish Home extension shell variant is almost done. The shell variant includes: the complete building structure under the roof, fully enclosed exterior including doors, windows and siding and a functioning elevator. We expect to obtain the occupancy permit and to open with the new wing and elevator in September, 2009. However, the Polish Home depleted all the reserves and used up a private line of credit for additional financing to speed up the current construction.

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Of course, there is still a lot of work left: interior and exterior finishing at the new wing and also remodeling work at the 1^st & 2^nd floor of the old building. That’s where the grant money will be so helpful to us!

View Larger Map

For more on the Large Project fund process, check out this Department of Neighborhoods site. Your organization needs to have its hat in the ring by February to be considered for 2010 so better start planning now.

The Polish Home was one of 19 organizations presented with awards on Saturday at a ceremony attended by outgoing mayor Greg Nickels. Here's the full list of awards. Note the city mistakenly locating the Polish Home in the CD. Oh well. As long as they spell the name on the check correctly.

• 2009 award recipients pose with Mayor Greg Nickels at Saturday's ceremony (Photo: Lucas Anderson)
  

  $80,000 to the Polish Home Association for an expansion and remodeling project (Central District)
• $71,737 to the Artists Collaborative of Southeast Seattle for dance and instrumental music programs that offer positive alternatives for youth and encourage partnerships between families, schools, and community groups. (Southeast Seattle)
• $63,750 to the Committee for Renovation of the West Woodland Field for creating a green sustainable track and a ga-ga ball court and rain garden on the school playground. (Green Lake/Phinney)
• $67,210 to the Global to Local project to create youth-driven approach to creating and producing programming in Delridge and West Seattle. (Delridge/West Seattle)
• $75,000 to the Southeast Seattle Senior Center for the renovation and upgrading of the facility. (Rainier Valley)
• $77,200 to the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center for the ALL ACCESS partnership to empower local youth through arts-based learning. (Delridge)
• $54,849 to the Homeless Place of Remembrance Committee for the creation of an artistic remembrance to honor homeless people who have died. (Downtown)

• $79,700 to the Friends of International Children’s Park for to contribute to the restoration of the park by adding play equipment and commission a public art installation. (International District)
• $54,849 to the Delridge Neighborhood Trails Committee to create kiosks and wayfinding signs to guide pedestrians to parks, business areas, and community resources. (Delridge)
• $50,000 to the Friends of Northlake Wharf for planning efforts to convert an underused piece of waterfront into an active public site for community use. (Lake Union/Fremont)
• $100,000 to the Seward Park Playground Improvement Foundation for construction of a new nature-themed play area at the entrance of Seward Park. (Seward Park)
• $95,100 to the Vietnamese Friendship Association for a community organizing project that will foster youth leadership, civic engagement, and creation of a model those immigrant communities can use to address social and economic inequities. (Southeast Seattle)
• $28,230 to SouthEast Effective Development for marketing and expanding access and use of the Columbia City Gallery and increase opportunities for diverse artists. (Columbia City)
• $60,000 to Kimball Elementary PTSA to create a global learning community by fostering inclusion and support, leadership development, and providing programs and classes for parents. (Beacon Hill)
• $45,000 to the East African Art and Culture Association to work with youth on enhancing multimedia knowledge and skills and to promote cross-cultural art. (Central District)
• $80,000 to the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club for the creation of a plaza and gathering place for Greenwood neighbors. (Greenwood)
• $88,200 to the Concord Elementary PTSA for the creation of a multi-purpose space for outdoor recreation and education. (South Park)
• $90,000 to the Friends of Waterway #18 to create a new gathering place on Lake Union by restoring the shoreline, planting native habitat, and improving access. (Wallingford)
• $98,761 to the West Seattle Junction Association for the creation of a community plaza and green space in the heart of the West Seattle Junction. (West Seattle)

UPDATE 2:12 PM:
The woman attacked in an alley near 17th and Howell around 3:30 AM had given her assailant a ride to the location, Seattle Police Department spokesperson Sean Whitcomb tells CHS. The 24-year-old woman suffered minor injuries in the assault. Whitcomb said it does not appear the man was armed. Whitcomb said the suspect managed to elude the subsequent helicopter and K-9 unit search. The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s, approximately 5' 8" and wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans and a black beanie at the time of the assault.

UPDATE 1:25 PM:
CHS just talked with area resident Nathan Williams who e-mailed us this explanation for the helicopter search. We'll follow up with SPD to see what else we can learn. Here's Nathan's mail:

I was awakened this morning at 3:30am or so by a woman screaming "help" (alley between 17th, 18th, denny, and howell). I dressed quickly and found her sitting on the ground. She had been beaten pretty badly and said a man had tried to rape and kill her. I asked her if the man was still around, but she said he had driven off. She had already called the police by this point and soon an ambulance came down Denny which I flagged down.

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They started treating her and I went back inside. Soon after cops started arriving and searched the area pretty exhaustively (at least 6 cops, a dog) and the helicopter started circling around that time. I'm guessing it was a police helicopter looking for her assailant, though if he actually drove off I can't imagine it would have done much good. They roped off the area around her car with police tape but it was gone (as was the car) by the time I was up again at 8am.

The woman was in rough shape but none of her injuries seemed life-threatening. I hope she's doing alright.

bits of police tape morning after mystery
helicopter circling in middle of night 2009-08-27
Originally uploaded by pmocek

Here's the picture of the alley where SPD was investigating that Phil links to in the comments on this post.

Original Report:
Back on the CHS mystery helicopter beat. A flurry of reports of a late-night copter buzzing the Hill early this A.M. Looking into the why of it. Know anything? chs@capitolhillseattle.com

any idea why there was a helicopter hovering over my bedroom (16th & e olive st) last night at 3:52am? it was terrifying. i thought we might be under attack, but i guess not. i didn't see anything in the incident log, either. eventually, it circled a little until about 4:03am, when it left the area. i never heard any sirens (thank goodness) so i guess they didn't find the person/people for whom they were searching...

 

just curious (and sleepy.)

thanks,

alison

Thanks for the tip, neighbor Alison. Here are a few more Hill reports of the buzz:

• x03: Awake thanks to the Capitol Hill stealth helicopter special 4am edition. Internet proves useless in helping me get back to sleep...
• RobLaGatta: Anyone know what's up with this helicopter hovering like 20 feet above Capitol Hill with no lights on at 4 in the morning? Weak.

We'll check in with SPD and other powers that be to see what we can find out. A man was shot and killed around this time in the Mt. Baker area -- a subsequent search by helicopter could be an explanation.

View Larger Map

The resurfacing of Miller Playfield with synthetic turf continues. Previous reports are here and here.

I returned from vacation to find that the field had turned green, and that crews were busy installing the assorted colored lines for the assorted sports: soccer, baseball and lacross (the red lines). The lower Miller parking lot, formerly full of rolls of FieldTurf, is now taken up with about 50 enormous (marked 3000 lbs) bags of something! Some have what looks like ground-up tires spilling out of them, but it's more complicated than that.

Surprisingly (to me, at least) the synthetic turf goes down first, then the "infilll" is added on top! Project Manager Ted Holden notes:

FieldTurf crews are making good progress with their installation.  They expect to complete the inlay of the lines and begin to infill by Thursday.  This should take about a week weather depending.  To expedite the process and to reduce a safety concern I've had, I given permission to completely close off the 'bike path" running east/west by the gymnasium so the infill materials can be moved onto the path and the asphalt area between the basketball court and the gymnasium.  This should speed up the process and get the field open sooner than if the fork lifts had to run between the field and the north parking lot where the material is now stored.  By moving the material closer to the field by extra crew now, that will reduce the hurried traffic past the play area and basketball court during the infill process. It is only for a short period and will expedite the project in the long run.

He then notes:

Parks usually does not do opening celebrations for Major Maintenance projects.  However if the community really, really wants something, I'm sure we can arrange a small function.  Please let me know your thoughts on this.

I, in turn, invite you to send me your thoughts (maybe check with your sports-playing friends), and I'll pass them on to Ted. (E-mail Andrew)

The Seattle Times article is interesting for a number of reasons:

• The development is right in our area, at 23rd & John/Thomas
• I first heard about the project a while ago, when contacted by a resident
• I ran it past a small developer (both he and his projects are small) I've know for years and posted a Miller blog article about it.
• Eric Pryne, the author of the Seattle Times article, contacted me for my comment: I put him in touch with the neighbor, and circulated his request for comments on the Miller listserv. I presume that a couple of the comments in the article resulted from those efforts. Media lines blurring yet again!

Ever since the Fargonian Coffeehouse closed, I have felt the lack of a neighborhood coffeehouse in Miller Park (admittedly there's Fuel but I like to have options). About a month ago, Cafe Char opened shop a few doors southwest of where the Fargonian was and the Bottleneck Lounge is. Here is a small description from Charnita Baseden, the proprietress and often the barista:

Cafe Char is family owned and its purpose is to provide a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for the neighborhood to relax, get away, socialize and even entertain with a good cup of coffee or whatever is their choice of drink. Our focus is espresso but we have a variety of beverages such as teas, smoothies, lemonade, italian soda and bottled beverages. We also provide pastries, fresh baked cookies and breakfast quiche. We are also up for comments and suggestions on how to better your neighborhood's coffee shop.

They have just started up (the art was not yet on the wall when I walked in a couple of days ago). I'm excited to have them in the neighborhood - especially since they have free Wi-Fi.

Mayor Nichols & The Sisters
Originally uploaded by faust0matic

Don't make up your mind on these turkeys just yet. We're happy to be part of bringing you a unique opportunity to quiz Seattle's candidates about your Capitol Hill concerns.

The joint Capitol Hill-Central District Election Forum will be held Monday night, July 27 at the Mount Zion Baptist Church at the corner of Madison and 19th Ave E. On the docket are candidates for the school board, city council and the mayor's office. Format will be based on your submitted questions. Every attendee will be given a card for each of the three races. On that card, you are encouraged to write a brief, 12-word or less question (like Twitter!). The cards will be placed in a box and drawn by the moderator at random. Three questions will be asked for each race.

Sound fun? Mark your calendars for July 27.

Being the community minded type, I'm willing to give up my three cards to CHS. What should our three questions be? Here's one I'm thinking about asking the want-to-be mayors: How will you help Broadway survive 7 years of light rail construction? I also might like to ask how they plan to support neighborhood bloggers, an issue near and dear to my heart. But if you've got a zinger, please share.

Download PDF

The conversion of the dustbowl that is Miller Playfield to artificial turf continues. Earthmoving gave way to installation of drains and then layers of rock and gravel. Cycling to work this week and I came across the artificial turf being delivered. Here are a few pictures of what a rolled up ballfield surface looks like. It's FieldTurf, made by a company in Georgia.

I remind you of the other improvements we are campaigning for, and invite you to encourage the Parks Department to make them. The Superintendent's letter, attached below, demonstrates that they are moving in the right direction, but your further encouragement will surely help (contact info).

June 15, 2009

Dear Mr. Taylor,

Thanks very much for writing in with your suggestions.

1) Free time on the field for pickup games

We considered the possibility of setting certain times for drop-in play, but after discussion decided against it. The problem is that organizations would travel to the fields to use the open fields for (free) practice. Field demand always exceeds supply. What is proving to work well at Loyal Heights, and what we can do for Miller, is to post online the scheduled field times. That gives would-be drop-in players some sense of what times are available but is not so standard that organizations can count on it for practice times.

2) Encourage teams to use off-street parking

When we issue field permits, we provide teams with information on parking, and we’ll certainly do that at Miller Playfield.

Also, as part of the playfield renovation project if funds allow, we’ll install two pedestrian lights between the play area and the lower parking lot to make access safer at night.

We will also install a kiosk adjacent to the playfield, and we’ll use that to post a sign encouraging field users to use the lower parking lot instead of street parking or the upper (community center) parking lot. We can supply the map you generously offer to the teams and ask that they encourage use of the lower lot. It was also requested at the public meeting that additional lighting be added in the area of the outdoor accessed restroom. Here again we’ll do that if project funds allow.

Of course enforcement is always a problem. SPD’s Parking Enforcement steps in only when laws are being broken and, then, only when an officer is available.

3) Equip the outdoor bathrooms at Miller Community Center with automatic locks, to allow their use by players after evening games

 If we can install automatic locks on the outdoor accessed restrooms at a reasonable cost that can be absorbed by the field project, we’ll do that. Staff have started researching that option. (The best systems require laptops, software, power.) It will take time for us to research work out a good plan.

In the meantime, starting June 15, we have contracted with Northwest Security to start locking the restrooms at night. Miller Community Center staff will open them weekday mornings, and Grounds Maintenance Crew staff weekend mornings.

 Again, thank you for your good suggestions. We look forward to Miller’s new and improved playfield getting a lot of use when it’s ready for play at the end of August.

Sincerely,

Timothy Gallagher

Superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation

The Ron. K. Bills play fountain at Miller Community Center is a handicap-accessible water play feature. It should be working from 11 AM till 8 PM every day till September. 

This little video shows Pedro, son of a colleague of mine, running around in his little wet-suit. Larger version of video is here.  

A slideshow of the construction of the fountain is here, but if you want to view our documentary about the people who built the fountain, you'll have to ask me for a VHS copy (tayles@jps.net)

Two thoughts:

1) If you're at the fountain and note that the central water jet is very low (or not working) or if the ring of water jets aren't shooting up as much as normal, please pop into the Center and tell the staff. It means that the filters are clogged up and need cleaning.

2) Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the opening of the fountain. Anybody care to help me organize an anniversary celebration? (Hint: we can invite the Mayor, which should be a good way to ensure that all necessary maintenance gets done). The 10 year anniversary party for the Center was fun.  Contact me: tayles@jps.net

Received a tip from a neighbor about these old trees tagged for removal on East John. We're not out to save every tree on Capitol Hill, certainly, but we do like to hear about it when the city decides trees need to go.

For these old oaks, the info comes too late -- the comment period for this removal decision closed in March. The city arborist likely didn't have a hard decision -- there are large holes in parts of the old trunks where wood has rotted away and, you may have noted from the background of the pics, a new set of townhomes under the branches. We've got a few questions out to the city to learn more.

For future reference, the easiest way to, um, speak for the trees is to send mail to seattle.trees@seattle.gov. Though the black marker has a more dramatic effect.

Meany Middle School's final graduation ceremony before it faces budget-related closure was disrupted when two girls attacked an off-duty officer working at the school, according to a Seattle Police Department report.

The disturbance broke out when off-duty officers providing security at the school's event attempted to remove a 16-year-old girl who had been barred from campus. A disturbance broke out and, the Seattle Times reports, the ceremony was delayed for 30 minutes while the arrests were made.

Seattle school officials made the decision to shutter Meany as part of city-wide program cuts. You can read more about the Meany closure in this month's Madison Park Times.

According to the Seattle PI, Meany had about 3x the average student suspension rate than other Seattle schools -- about 24%.

Below is the entire SPD report on the incident:

Officer Assault-suspect arrested

On 06/16/09,  at approximately 5:47 p.m., officers were working off-duty at a Middle School,  in the 300 block of  21^st Ave. E., during the school’s graduation exercise.

These officers observed a female at the school, who had been trespassed. As the  officers began to contact the female suspect, a disturbance broke out with other subjects attempting to interfere with the arrest. Multiple officers responded to assist. A  2^nd suspect,  was subsequently arrested for assaulting one of the officers.

A third female jumped on the back of one of the patrol vehicles as the officer began driving from the scene with an arrestee secured in the back. This female got off the car and fled when ordered off. Officers were not able to detain or identify the individual because of the large crowd continuing to cause a disturbance at the school.

Suspect 1, a 16-year-old female was declined by Youth Service Center.  Officers requested she be charged with Trespass and Disruption of School Activities. She was released into the custody of her parents.

Suspect 2, a 14-year-old female was booked into Youth Service Center for Investigation of Assault.

On-duty officers posted at the school until the conclusion of the event.

CHS assures you this is not a marketing stunt. Those crows are not agents of CHS and do not represent the site. We are not responsible for their conduct.

Caution Swooping Crows Ahead

And that's why you should come to Miller Community Center on Saturday, June 13th, from 12-3 pm and meet wonderful cats and kittens available for adoption from the Seattle Animal Shelter's foster care program.  Looking for a mellow lapcat or a cuddly kitten? The foster parents can help you find your perfect pet match.  Adoption fees are $106 or less and include spay/neuter, microchip, and more!  For more information visit www.seattle.gov/animalshelter or search for Seattle Animal Shelter on Petfinder.com.  

Here are a few more of the great cats that will be there -

Sweetie - http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13838851

Cassie - http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13545996

Francis - http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=136838

Preliminary work on the replacement of the dirt surface at Miller Playfield with artificial grass (SportsTurf) has begun. The field is fenced off and various destructive activities have begun. The hard work, involving lots of trucks taking dirt away, will begin after school is out (and Meany Middle school has ceased to exist). Ted Holden, the project manager, says that work will begin in earnest about June 22nd, be substantially done in 60 working days and be all done in 75 days. The field should be playable by mid-September.

I recently wrote a letter to Tim Gallagher, the Parks Superntendent, suggesting a few small inexpensive improvements that will make the renovated playfield work better for everyone:
 

• Free time on the field for pickup games
   
• Encourage teams to use off-street parking
   
• Equip the outdoor bathrooms at Miller Community Center with automatic locks, to allow their use by players after evening games.

I would be most grateful if you could read my letter to the Parks Superintendent, and send him your thoughts on the proposals (contact information).

The park planned for 16th and Howell is a similar project to the Summit & John effort -- both are planned park/p-patch spaces and both had budget issues. But only one of them is getting a big injection of cash. We reported recently about the park at Summit & John getting $150,000 from the parks levy to complete its design and get on track to begin construction by the end of summer.

So where does that leave the 16th and Howell project that wasn't named in this year's levy projects? We asked parks department project manager Virginia Hassinger about the status of the planned open space. Her e-mail:

Design work is 95% complete. We plan to advertise the construction contract in July 2009! The final budgeted project includes basic park elements such as grading, lawn, pathway, plaza, steps, etc. There is not funding in the project to construct the trellis shown in the schematic design, nor to install all of the site furniture (picnic tables, BBQs, benches, bike racks, etc) and the art feature. We will complete design drawings for all the elements (including the trellis), so that the plans are ready if and when funding is available. We do plan to include the site furniture as contract bid additives which will be included in the upcoming construction contract as budget allows.

 

A Friends of Capitol Hill Park group has formed to support the park and build community. A  group of neighbors is also working with Department of Neighborhoods to develop a community garden on the site.

 

We plan to complete construction by year end.

We checked the Friends of Capitol Hill Park Web site to see what's new with the neighborhood group Virginia mentioned and have dropped them an e-mail to find out how people in the community can get involved in their effort. Given that the park abuts the First Church townhouse project, seems like there should be some well-financed community interest in park and p-patch progress.