After recent assaults on women in South Seattle, West Seattle and, most recently, an assault of a female jogger in Fremont, SPD has released information about an attack early last Monday on Capitol Hill that was thwarted when the 19-year-old woman yelled and said she was calling 911.

Suspect arrested after assaulting 19-year-old woman

On January 24th at approximately 3:28 a.m. a 19-year-old female victim was walking in the 800 block of East Pine Street when an unknown adult male suspect walked up behind her.  The suspect grabbed her and placed his hand over her eyes and mouth and told her to keep quiet.  The victim yelled that she was calling 911 at which point the suspect struck her on the face above her right eye, causing injury.  The suspect then ran off westbound.

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Responding officers contacted the victim, who provided them with a suspect description.  As officers searched the area the suspect was spotted and subsequently ran off and jumped several fences.

Containment was set up around Cal Anderson Park based on the officers’ belief that the suspect ran into the park.  The suspect was located hiding in some thick bushes behind a barbed-wire fence.  Due to the extraordinary effort on the part of the canine unit the 25-year-old male suspect was subsequently taken into custody without further incident and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.

CHS was aware of the arrest which caused a commotion in the Pike/Pine neighborhood as the suspect was finally apprehended but we had not yet gathered details of the incident that led to the chase. We will update when we know more about the suspect.

A man who robbed the Madison Rite Aid pharmacy was busted shortly after he fled Saturday afternoon when he was spotted by Swedish First Hill security’s surveillance cameras in the area.

According to the SPD report on the incident, the man approached the counter of the Madison Rite Aid around 4 PM and demanded drugs. He told the pharmacist on duty that he had a gun and threatened to shoot, according to the report. The pharmacist handed over two bottles — one methadone, one Xanax — and the man fled the store.

Responding SPD officers searched the area and told nearby Swedish First Hill’s security team about the robbery. Here’s a note with details on what happened next in the incident shared with us by East Precinct commander Captain James Dermody. The Swedish security team sounds like it’s proud of lending a hand.

Captain Dermody.

I want to commend your officers. On Saturday, 1/29, at approximately 1600 hours there was a robbery at the Rite Aide on Madison and Summit across from our campus. In the true spirit of cooperation the responding police officers contacted my security officers advising them to be on the lookout for the suspect. Within seconds of the announcement my officers were able access our camera system and visually locate the suspect as he made his way through the main hospital from Madison out onto Broadway and Cherry where he made acquaintance with arriving SPD units and was taken into custody.

I know these types of incidents are probably common, day to day activities for the Seattle Police but it sure put a feather in our cap being able to our part in assisting to capture the suspect.

Martin Kimsey
Manager, Security Services
First Hill & Cherry Hill Campus

The man was arrested without incident but was sent to Harborview for medical treatment after he told officers he had already ingested some of the stolen drugs. No gun was found.

The man’s modus operandi and general description — older white male — match the description in another area pharmacy robbery at the Harvard Market Bartell’s in November.

Harmony Arts offers new Saturday morning classes started February 5th!

 Inclusive program is based on principles of empowerment, peace, and respect for self and others. Classes combine movement and philosophy of self-defense, kung fu, and yoga, with the influence of dance, tumbling and healing arts to create an eclectic and holistic approach to training mind, body and spirit.

Each student is met where they are at, and encouraged to reach their greatest potential and happiness. Through training, students learn diligence, focus, body-awareness, self-expression, compassion, global awareness, peace-keeping skills, celebration of differences, self-esteem, and physical competence. Physical training includes strengthening, stretching and agility exercises,  and students progress through a belt ranking system.

9-9:40am Kids 5-9yrs all levels     9:45-10:40am Pre-teens Teens  10-17yrs  all levels 

$90 for 9 week session. Some scholarships may be available.  Free trial for new students. Must pre-register

For more info contact Harmony Arts:  (206) 229-7582  [email protected]     www.harmonyarts.us

Michael Sandel’s Justice is a phenomenon — and not just because it has brought thoughtful discussion of our society to the mainstream. Shaped as a course at Harvard, extended to the Internet and packaged as a bestselling book, Sandel has created a global conversation about the conventional wisdoms that underpin society — and often hold it back. The philosopher will be on the edge of Capitol Hill Monday night for a free lecture at 16th and Union’s Temple De Hirsch Sinai. Here are the details from Elliott Bay Book Company:

Thanks tipper Tom for the note. 

MICHAEL J. SANDEL at Temple De Hirsch Sinai
Start: 01/31/2011 7:00 pm

Presented by FRANCES & HOWARD KELLER, the KELLER FAMILY LECTURE SERIES, and TEMPLE DE HIRSCH SINAI. What can the current financial crisis teach about the morals and values of society? Harvard professor Michael Sandel, author of the acclaimed, bestselling Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), challenges us to examine the moral and ethical assumptions that underlie the hotly debated economic, political, and social issues of the day. His previous books include Democracy’s Discontent, The Case Against Perfection, and Public Philosophy. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Republic, and The New York Times, and her served from 2002 to 2005 on the President’s Council on Bioethics. Free admission, no tickets needed. Temple de Hirsch Sinai is at 1441 Sixteenth Avenue, at 16th and Union.

This week’s food and drink notes focus on what’s coming soon on the Hill plus a few random bits and pieces of news. Have something for us to look forward to? Send a mail to [email protected] or let us know in the comments.

• Maybe the biggest “coming soon” on the Hill continues to be Terra Plata. We documented the legal battle that delayed — and almost killed — the project. Tamara Murphy came out of the dust-up on top. We checked in with Murphy to find out how long we’ll have to wait for Terra Plata to take its place in the Melrose Market:

Our target date is early summer (provided a spaceship doesn’t land in our back kitchen;-) We have been waiting on the landlords “permission” to build.

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Hopefully that is on its way. Once we have been given permission to hammer a nail….we have a 4 -5 month build out.

I am so looking forward to opening  Terra Plata and to begin cooking again.

• Here’s one you don’t have to wait for. Cafe Kanape has opened in the 700 Broadway building. Here’s their Facebook page. They’re serving everything from lunch through lounge time with a menu of global salads, sweet and savory crepes and, of course, canapes. You missed their opening night music of “new age flamenco.” So did we.

A glimpse of Kanape’s menu

• Also on Broadway, the news that Samurai Noodle is destined for part of the old Bailey Coy space stirred up Hill noodle lovers. A Samurai rep was not eager to pin down a target date but would say they are hoping to open the restaurant in May. “From our experience, construction never goes in time as we plan.” Too true.
• Construction is still underway at Analog Coffee, the Summit Ave coffee bar that is seeking to keep things a little more pure and simple when it comes to supplying your caffeine experiences. Co-owner Danny Hanlon tells us that while the buildout continues, Analog has begun serving coffee from the front door of the shop at Summit and Thomas. Hanlon said you can stop by Monday through Saturday from 7 to 11 AM for a cup and to meet the Analog folks.
• The Sun Liquor Distillery? We told you early 2011. Current target of February 26th still counts, no?

Coming soon bonus round (names are linked to our latest coverage):

• Pho Le: any day now
• Tacos Chukis: “early February”
• Gyro Cafe: February. Was January.
• CC Attle’s: “early to mid March”
• Bleu Grotto: March target
• Yogurtland: “first quarter 2011”
• Cure: early April
• The Confectional: “spring”
• Tommy Gun: “spring”
• Oola Distillery: “early spring”
• New Dulces project: Uknown but could be attached to Oola
• Unnamed Eric Banh 12th Ave project: “early spring”
• Mod Pizza and Saizen Sushi (Joule building): spring
• Spinasse and Artussi bar expansion: May
• The Shop Agora: Unknown. Was December.
• Indochine Kitchen: Unknown
• Cafe Vita and Pizza Vita 15th Ave E: Unknown
• Q: Unknown
• Tokyo Sweets: Delayed

Truffles, originally uploaded by LookatLao.

Now back to your regularly scheduled notes:

• Elysian announced plans to build its new brewery in Georgetown.
• Rumors of hard times at a longtime Broadway favorite. We’re doing what we can to find out more but this wouldn’t be a bad week to head out and support any of your local watering holes.
• Ballet vs. Boom Noodle
• We reported on some Capitol Hill community backlash to Dave Meinert’s 2011 Capitol Hill Block Party plan. He’s also facing some issues with neighbors down in Belltown who are fighting his effort to add outdoor seating to the 5 Point.
• “I was at an Indian food restaurant called Poppy in Seattle and I got a little hysterical over it. They made pre-made selected plates. I think the highlight for me was an eggplant French fry with lavender honey.” — Jewel tells CNN about the last meal that made her cry.
• “In Portland, the happy hour at Bluehour and breakfast at Tin Shed are both fantastic. In Seattle we always get breakfast at Glo’s on Capitol Hill. Jo Bar [sic] in Seattle is our favorite coffee spot but of course Stumptown coffee in the PNW is hard to top!” — Balmorhea’s Michael Muller
• Osteria La Spiga is holding a party on February 9th to celebrate its stuzzicchini menu.
• Capitol Hill’s Baguette Box makes this list of the best new sandwiches in America. Le Box is a CHS advertiser. Think we’ll also need to make a trip to Portland to examine this “The Maple” sandwich up close and personal.
• Patty Pan Breakfast with CHS: This Friday, February 4th from 8 to 10 AM, we’ll be hanging out at 23rd and Madison’s Patty Pan. Stop by for some breakfast and to say hi. Coffee is on CHS. RSVP via Facebook here or just show up and surprise.

(Images: Murray Franklyn)

The work is beginning on the Pine real estate parcel that transformed into the People’s Parking Lot over the last few years as the land sat empty and the developers waited out weak economic conditions. Those economic conditions are shifting, the construction trailer is in place, after four years of waiting, the Pine and Belmont project is underway. Here’s what they’re going to build.

The description processed back in 2007 by the Department of Planning and Development describes yet another six-story, mixed-use apartment building with below ground parking:

Land Use Application to allow a six story, 108 unit apartment building with 12,602 sq. ft. of ground floor retail. Parking for 108 vehicles will be located in below grade garage. Review includes demolition of existing structures. Project includes 17,784 cu. yds. of grading.

It was one of the first in the wave of similar plans to hit the Hill and the backlash was enormous. You can read about how the project fell off the tracks in the middle of the financial meltdown and a legal assault from neighborhood activist Dennis Saxman in this Stranger article: How a Crusade to Save the Pike-Pine Neighborhood Is Turning an Active Block Into a Gravel Lot—For at Least a Year. Buildings housing bars Cha Cha, Manray and the Kincora and retailer Winner’s Circle were razed to make way for the planned development. And then nothing happened. Except for an urban planning enthusiast turning the lot into a community activation experiment. A garage sale or two. And other various shenanigans. Then there were rumors. And then, activity.

And, now, even the developer — mostly silent through the years while the project sat on ice waiting for the market to heat back up — is talking. A little bit.

According to a representative from Eastside developer Murray Franklyn, while we’ve seen other developers dusting off old projects and making changes like shifting from steel-frame to wood-frame construction or cutting parking to cut costs, the company isn’t planning any changes from its early plans for Pine and Belmont mixed-use building.

The rep also sent us these artist renderings to share. It’s the only time we’re aware of that they’ve been published as the original project went through the design process before it was standard procedure to put all the material on the Web.

According to CHS commenter Seajake, the building is planned to be completed in mid-2012:

As a neighbor of the People’s Parking lot, we were told that the construction is to begin on or around 1/31, beginning in the NE corner of the lot and moving clockwise. We were also told that the construction is likely to take 18 months. Let the good times roll!

Below, we’ve embedded the project approval document from DPD that captures much of the details — and the criticism of the project leveled by community members and even members of the design board at the time. Now, four years on, they’re finally going to build it.

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February will bring a bevy of bus changes for Capitol Hill area riders — including a brand new route 309 serving as an express between Lake City Way and North Seattle and First Hill’s Boren Ave — as Metro transitions service across its entire system with longterm construction in downtown Seattle and preparations for the start of tolling on the 520 bridge this spring. Here is Metro’s explanation for the adjustments:

Metro is making some scheduling changes to reduce costs, preserve bus service, and operate more efficiently. You may notice some differences in the schedule for your route, along with longer wait times for transfers or different spacing between bus trips. Unfortunately, due to reduced sales-tax revenue for transit, Metro also had to delete some trips on some routes. These reductions were chosen to minimize the disruption to service.

Some of the changes for Capitol Hill routes are part of these efforts to reduce service and are relatively minor — though, of course, for somebody who is a regular rider of, for example, route 10 at a specific time, any change is significant. Metro changes for routes 10 and 14 are noted below in the announcement from King County. Details say 10 is losing one early morning and one late night run while the 14 is also losing one run a day and has some schedule adjustments.

These cuts are likely only a sign of things to come over the next two years as Metro faces a budget situation that some are saying will require cutting the equivalent of 15 routes from the system. We last wrote about the shortfall in November.

Also starting February 5th, the new route 309 will carry commuters traveling between northeast Seattle and First Hill. You can learn about it and changes for all routes affected by this round of Metro updates on this Service Changes page.

Later in February, Metro will also increase the service of route 255 across the 520 bridge in preparation for the start of electronic tolling later this year. Seattle Transit Blog has reported studies that show transit demand is expected to rise between 15 and 35% when 520 tolling starts.

Here’s the announcement from Metro. More at http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/scvchange.html

Metro updating bus service starting Feb. 5

New Route 309 provides new connections to First Hill

Starting Saturday, Feb. 5, King County Metro Transit is updating its bus service. This includes routing and bus stop changes for approximately two dozen bus routes from various areas of the county that pass through downtown Seattle. The downtown changes are designed to keep people moving during the long-term construction along the Seattle waterfront and SODO area.

That’s not the only change coming up in February. Bus riders across Metro’s service area should check winter schedules for the routes they use most often to see what’s new. They can prepare by picking up a new blue timetable and the Special Rider Alert brochure, which is also posted on Metro Online. Or, use the online Trip Planner for some advance research. Be sure to input a date of Feb. 5 or later, when using the Trip Planner.

Here are the highlights of the February changes for bus service in the Capitol Hill area:

•    New Route 309 will connect Kenmore with First Hill via Lake City and South Lake Union with commute-time express service;

•    Select trips will be deleted on routes 10 and 14, and there are schedule changes for the Route 14. Check the blue timetables or online Trip Planner for details;

•    In downtown Seattle, there are other bus routes shifting from First Avenue to Third Avenue; from Third Avenue to Second/Fourth avenues; and new bus stop locations on Third Avenue for several routes. This affects several local routes traveling into downtown; and

•    Route 99 will loop to travel north on First Avenue and south on Alaskan Way in Seattle, and buses will no longer be “wrapped” to look like the old waterfront streetcars.

Metro updates its routes and scheduling three times a year to improve service and keep up with the changing needs of transit customers.

Beyond bus service, Metro’s Rideshare Services provides resources for carpooling, vanpooling or vansharing. Carpooling and vanpooling match people traveling to common destinations. VanShare helps those who need to make a connection to or from bus service. You can VanShare from home and connect to your bus, or use VanShare from the bus stop or park-and-ride lot to complete a trip to work.

For information about all the services Metro provides, visit Metro Online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or call Metro Customer Information at (206) 553-3000.

Capitol Hill’s newest boutique spa has been up and running for over a month now, and Saturday marked the official grand opening celebration.  Armed with party favors, colorful cupcakes, and bottles of champagne, owner Irene Parkhill and her staff hosted a festive afternoon of socializing, raffle prizes, and free hand massages for their friends and family. Parkhill’s parents and immediate family were in attendance, as well as many dentistry friends, as she is also a full-time dentist.  A percentage of the celebration’s proceeds also went to One Day’s Wages, a movement set out to alleviate global poverty.

Polished took over the old space previously inhabited by Swoon, and is offering not only upgraded aesthetics, but a host of beauty treatments with an emphasis on using clean, sterile equipment.  One of their newer promotions is perfect for runners:  if you’ve recently ran a race, bring in your proof of completion within 30 days for a $5 discount off a pedicure service! 

You can learn more on the Polished website.

Meanwhile, Barre3 also has been celebrating this weekend. We wrote about the 12th Ave exercise studio here. You can learn more at http://www.barre3.com/seattle/capitolhill.php

A stolen Volkswagen Jetta came to a screeching halt in Montlake early Sunday morning when it struck a light pole as the driver fled the scene of a collision back up the hill at 23rd and Aloha. The hit and run was one of two 911 dispatches at the Aloha intersection last night — earlier in the evening, a pedestrian was struck by an automobile but did not suffer serious injuries.

The driver in the hit and run took off on foot after crashing the car near East Roanoke and East Montlake leaving a Seattle City Light pole was badly damaged just before 2 AM Sunday. The heavyset male was captured after a short chase through yards in the area.

The suspect was examined for signs of impairment and injuries in his crash into the light pole. There were no injuries in the initial collision at 23rd and Aloha.

Montlake near Roanoke was closed while City Light responded to the damaged pole.

Earlier Saturday night, police and fire responded to 23rd and Aloha to a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. An officer at the scene told CHS that the pedestrian’s injuries were not serious.