Madison Valley
Storiesin Madison Valley |
View by List | Grid |
The new Seattle School Board has drafted a new ethics policy to prevent that should, among other things, prevent conflicts of interest in school decisions.
Earlier this year, state auditors investigated whether former Seattle School District Director of Facilities Fred Stevens had used his influence to help his church, First AME, win the bid for the MLK Elementary building (now the MLK FAME Community Center). The audit determined he was not involved in the decision, but it also recommended that the district "establish a process by which its employees can document an official recusal for themselves whenever the possibility of a conflict of interest arises, whether that conflict is in-fact or appearance."
The proposed policy, drafted by new district ethics officer Wayne Barnett, would replace a decade-old policy that officials classified as vague and noncomprehensive. In particular, the new policy would strongly enhance provisions barring conflicts of interest and retaliation for making ethics complaints.
And, for the first time, the policy would apply to School Board members and all district employees.
The policy would be modeled on the city of Seattle's ethics policy.
Barnett, executive director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, pointed to the conflict-of-interest provision as the most important change in the proposed policy.
"(The old policy) did bar you from misusing your position, but it didn't bar you from participating in a matter in which you had a conflict of interest," he said. "This does."
The MLK FAME Community Center gym and auditorium are available to rent for free for youth activities. For more information, see the online list of tenants and space rental options.
Previous
When two juvenile burglars broke into a Madison Valley resident's home at 11:30 a.m. December 7, the resident locked herself and her baby in a bathroom and called 911, according to SPD. Police were able to arrive in time to catch the suspects, ages 14 and 15. They were booked into the Youth Services Center.
From SPD:
On December 7th, at approximately 11:30 am, East Precinct officers responded to a 911 call from a resident in the 200 Block of 29th Avenue East stating that someone had broken a window and was inside her home. The victim locked herself and her baby in a bathroom while remaining on the line with 911 operators. Officers arrived within minutes and located two juvenile males on the property. They were quickly taken into custody. The victim was able to positively identify one of the suspects as the one she saw crouched next to a broken basement window.
East Precinct Burglary detectives interviewed the two suspects, ages, 14 and 15, before they were booked into the Youth Services Center for Investigation of Residential Burglary.
While the story is not pretty, no charges of unlawful actions are made. I have little to add beyond the story and discussions offered on the Save Seattle School Blog. It is their scoop. Many who represent us in Olympia play a role in the story.
http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2011/10/scoop-state-a
EDITOR'S UPDATE: The decision does make a recommendation that the district "establish a process by which its employees can document an official recusal for themselves whenever the possibility of a conflict of interest arises, whether that conflict is in-fact or appearance."
The audit found no evidence that Fred Stephens was involved in the decision-making process (see our previous post for background). Stephens, a member of First AME, had been accused of having a conflict of interest in the sale, but the auditor found he had recused himself from the deal. He did receive some emails about it, but only because he was on a larger email list, according to the audit report.
There was resistance to selling within the district and from some state legislators to the Bush School. In the end, it appeared that Ron English, the district's Property Manager at the time, wanted to sell to the highest bidder. However, Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, the superintendent at the time, said she wanted to sell to First AME. The Board then voted 5-2 to approve the sale.
Below is the full document if you want to get into all the gory details.
ar1006619
Countywide Community Forums is holding a public forum and barbeque at the new MLK FAME Community Center at 32nd and Republican. The event goes from 1 to 3 p.m. October 2.
CCF says it will take "your opinions on issues like the budget, law enforcement, the environment and transportation, and delivers them to elected officials."
From the event poster:
The MLK FAME Community Center is now a partner of Countywide Community Forums Partner Program for Round 8.They are inviting the community down for a BBQ/Forum and the opportunity to engage in dialogue on the budget and to complete a survey that helps get the voice of citizens heard by our public officials.
Your participation is welcomed! Surveys may also be completed on line at http://ccfkc.communityforums.org/en/index/survey/
Be ready for a complete closure of E Madison St near MLK/28th Ave E next week as Seattle Public Utilities repaves the road. Work is expected to start the morning of September 26 and last all week. MLK and 28th Ave E will also be closed for one block on either side of Madison.
The work is part of the Madison Valley Stormwater Project, which passed the 75 percent completion mark earlier this month. The project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.
From SDOT:
Seattle Public Utilities plans to replace temporary pavement on East Madison Street at 28
th Avenue East next week, September 26-30, following work on the local drainage system for the Madison Valley Stormwater Project. Also, Martin Luther King, Jr. Way East and 28th Avenue East will be closed for one block on each side of East Madison Street. A detour around the work area for this final, permanent paving will be in place 24-hours-a day from September 26 to September 30.The crews plan to work from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and expect to reopen the street by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 30. On-street parking will be restricted in the work area and along the detour route.
For more information: 206.455.5345, info@madisonvalleystormwater.com, www.seattle.gov/util/MadisonValley.
UPDATE: Businesses will be open during the road closure. Here's the detour map (thanks, Irenae206):
The Greater Seattle Community is cordially invited to attend and join Reverend Dr. Carey Anderson , Officers and Members of First AME Church for the Ribbon Cutting and dedication Ceremony for The Martin Luther King Family, Arts, Mentoring, & Enrichment Community Center.
Saturday August 27, 2011 from 2:00 to 3:00 P.M.
In an attempt to clarify some of the misconceptions printed in the Seattle Times about the MLK Community center, The printed flyers will give more definitive instructions. We urge you to visit your Madison Valley MLK Neighborhood Community Center. The Center has free space, Half price space for youth centered programs, and of course rental space available for businesses and the Community. Friends, Parents, Neighbors, Youngsters, Seniors,and Businesses are encouraged to visit the Community Center, Your comments and recommendations are welcome.
A man just came to my door saying he was gay and that he and his boyfriend had just moved in across the street. He said he worked at the Bailey Boushay House and he had locked himself out of his house and that the locksmith wanted $45 and he only had $42 and did I have $3. I had only $1 which I gave him, his face fell and he took off. He had been quite chatty up until he saw I only had $1.
I Googled around looking for similar stories as there have been break-ins in the area recently and there were two police officers outside my neighbors' house this morning, discussing the fact that one of their windows was open. I assume the neighbors had been burgled recently.
Here's a link to a post on the Roosevelt Neighborhood Blog about this man: http://www.roosiehood.com/2011/04/door-to-door-alert-locksmi
He was about 5'8", black, skinny (maybe 150 lbs), was missing a number of front teeth, and looked to be about 50.
The State Auditor will release a report later this month looking into possible conflicts of interest behind the decision to sell the MLK Elementary school campus to the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Seattle Times reports:
When an affluent private school in Madison Valley offered to pay as much as $9.7 million for an empty public school in 2009, the choice for the cash-strapped Seattle school district seemed obvious: Sign the papers.
But what could have been a straightforward real-estate deal turned into an elaborate chess game that ended with a well-connected church buying the closed Martin Luther King Elementary School with $2.4 million in taxpayer dollars. more...
Issues around the deal have been surfaced on the Save Seattle Schools Community blog and in CDN comments since it was approved 5-2 in an October school board vote.
While the $9.7 million figure represents the calculated valued from a long-term lease the Bush School proposed in its bid for the property, the private school did make the largest cash bid in the process at $3.75 million, CDN reported when it documented the four competing projects for the campus back in fall 2009. But dollars weren't the only factor in making the decision as community use of the space was also weighed. Now, the Times says, state investigators are looking at the transaction to see if these other factors represented violations of the law.
The Times also casts a skeptical eye on the AME's efforts to date to put the campus to use:
Today, seven months after the School Board's vote, First AME has one tenant lined up for the building — the church's Head Start administrative offices — and no firm plans for its promised youth services beyond a two-month summer day-care program run by another agency. A church leader also said groups can book the gym as long as they provide supervision.
Church leaders recently hedged on making the playground accessible to neighborhood children — a requirement from the city when it changed the property's use permit. The church said it has liability concerns about someone getting hurt there.
AME held a public meeting at the end for April to "discuss projects in your neighborhood, identified community center characteristics and interests, and your ideas," according to the event flier.
"We're going to talk briefly to the community about what we had submitted and get from them what they would like to see in terms of the community center," said Norward Brooks from First AME, who described the event as a meet-and-greet. "I hope that we can get more of the community involved in having the center operate because it is a center for the people in that community."
First AME is holding a public meeting and forum Friday, April 29 beginning at 6 p.m. at the site of the old MLK Elementary building, which the organization purchased from the Seattle School District late last year for $2.4 million.
The public is invited to the Martin Luther King Family Arts Mentoring Enrichment Community Center at 32nd and Republican in Madison Valley to "discuss projects in your neighborhood, identified community center characteristics and interests, and your ideas," according to the event flier. Attendees will have a chance to meet the executive director and FAME Community Center Board.
"We're going to talk briefly to the community about what we had submitted and get from them what they would like to see in terms of the community center," said Norward Brooks from First AME, who described the event as a meet-and-greet. "I hope that we can get more of the community involved in having the center operate because it is a center for the people in that community."
The First AME bid for the school was the lowest of the three competing offers the school board received for the school, but the district determined that the organization's planned programs and low space rental rates offered the highest value to the community.
The Seattle School District financial scandal that broke earlier this year put the MLK Elementary deal back in the news after allegations arose that FAME member Fred Stephens — who supervised Silas Potter, the man accused of wasting $1.8 million in district funds — helped his church win the bid. School Board Member Michael DeBell told Seattle Weekly that Stephens' connection to the church was disclosed and that he did not play a role in board's decision.
FAME has posted a "Statement of Facts" regarding the sale of the school property on their website.
As work on the Madison Valley Stormwater Project moves onto E Madison St, expect weeks of lane closures, no parking zones and noise. Seattle Public Utilities updated residents on the project's work plan March 26 at Luc, near the future work site.
If all goes according to schedule, work on·E Madison St near 29th Ave E should take three weeks, including two weeks of night work Monday-Thursday. SPU needs to tear up part of the road on the north side in order to install the new stormwater pipe, catch basins and other components of the project. They then have to repave.
The loudest work will be between 8 and 10 p.m. The contractor will use quiet generators with barriers around them in order to minimize the noise, according to a handout by SPU (for more, see the project web page). There will also be a 24-hour hotline (206-455-5345) if the noise becomes intolerable. After speaking with hotline staff, they will talk to the night work supervisor, who will investigate the problem and determine if workers can resolve the issue. The caller will then be called back to relay the planned resolution.
The construction is part of the second phase of a large stormwater project that is estimated to cost $24-33 million when it is finished. Once the new system is in place, SPU hopes to prevent flooding in Madison Valley, which has been a chronic problem for many residents. The city settled a lawsuit by a group of Madison Valley homeowners for $2.5 million in November. As part of the settlement, the city did not admit fault in the chronic flooding the plaintiffs experienced. In 2008, the city also paid $2.8 million to the life partner of Kate Fleming, who drowned in her Madison Valley basement during a flash flood.
Homes in Madison Valley have been flooding for 40 years since the city installed a system to drain stormwater from Capitol Hill in the early 1970s. Plans to complete a pipe to Lake Washington were never completed, so stormwater gathered in Madison Valley and flooded the basements of homes after heavy rainfall. The city agreed in November to pay $2.5 million to homeowners affected by the chronic flooding. The city also paid a $2.8 million settlement in 2008 after the drowning death of Madison Valley resident Kate Fleming two years earlier. As part of the settlements, the city is not admitting blame for the floods.
The recent agreement, which was signed in November, was first reported by The Valley View, a semimonthly Madison Valley newsletter:
Plaintiffs' attorney, A. Richard Maloney, said his clients ended up receiving roughly $170,000 to $190,000 per home, depending mainly on whether the Plaintiff owned a home and had lived in it. That's four to five times what the city had originally offered residents for their diminished home values and for the mental anguish they suffered during years of chronic flooding. Seattle had already paid most, though not all, of the damage done to their personal property during some of the previous floods.
The chronic flooding can be traced back to the Forward Thrust bond projects from the 1970s. The city build a drainage pipe to channel excess stormwater from Capitol Hill into Madison Valley, but lakeside residents lobbied to block a plan to tunnel stormwater to Lake Washington. Opponents cited fear of pollution and litter flowing into the lake.
During heavy rains, stormwater overwhelmed the valley's sewer and stormwater system, causing rainwater and raw sewage to back-up into homes. Seattle Times reports that the back-up was at times toxic:
The backed-up sewage contained heavy metals including arsenic and mercury as well as fecal-coliform bacteria the residents were exposed to when they cleaned up after an intense rain, said A. Richard Maloney, attorney for the plaintiffs.
While both the 2008 and 2010 settlements concern flooding in Madison Valley, the city said the two incidents have different causes. Fleming's death in 2006 occurred after surging stormwater flowed through a hole in a fence, knocked over a retaining wall and quickly filled Fleming's basement, trapping her inside. Fleming, a voice actor with a production company, was apparently trying to save some equipment from the basement when the water surged in. Her life partner Charlene Strong, the Plaintiff in the 2008 settlement, became a leader in the fight for Washington's domestic partnership law after she was refused admittance to see Fleming on her death bed because Stone and Fleming were not legally married.
A large stormwater project is currently under construction that should prevent flooding in the Valley. Seattle Public Utilities is holding a meeting March 26 to update interested community members on the project's progress. From SPU:
Join us on March 26 and hear about the updated work plan for E Madison St stormwater infrastructure improvements.
After a series of meetings over the last two weeks, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) would like to share an updated work plan with residents, merchants, and commuters in the project area. SPU has illustrated the differences between night work and daytime work. Comments were received about both plans, and a new plan has been put together. Come to the meeting to learn more:
Saturday, March 26 - 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Luc (Restaurant)
2800 E Madison StStop by to hear more about:
- Anticipated schedule
- Work hours
- Potential impacts
- Key contacts
The installation of substantially improved stormwater infrastructure on E Madison St will greatly reduce the potential for flooding near 29th Ave E and E Madison St, as well as substantially reduce the risk of stormwater flowing from E Madison St down the hill and flooding E Mercer St below.
Seattle Crime reports a second cab driver attack in the area in recent weeks. The first incident occurred at Seattle University. University campus security sent an alert to staff and faculty about an alleged sexual assault by a cab driver in a university parking garage. After driving a female student to the garage January 29, the driver allegedly locked the cab doors and began to assault her. She was able to scream and escape the cab. Police are investigating the incident.
Today, Seattle Crime reports that a cab driver allegedly attacked a woman who was unable to pay the fare. The woman hailed a Yellow Cab in Georgetown around 10 a.m. February 13. When the cab arrived at 23rd and Madison, she realized she did not have money to pay the fare, and the driver got angry.
From Seattle Crime:
The woman told police the cab driver's actions frightened her, ad she tried to get out of the back seat of the cab.
The driver then reached in the back seat and grabbed at a growler of beer the woman was carrying.
The woman struggled with the driver, who wrestled the growler away from her.
The woman then tried to get out of the cab, but the driver grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the vehicle, the report says.
A bystander apparently saw the fracas and paid the woman's fare.
The bystander and victim were able to get the cab number and contacted the police and cab company about the incident.
Reader Ryan Boe sent us this sad note and photo. Island Video at Madison and Lake Washington Blvd. has closed, and Kent Smith, the shop's owner, has posted this sign in the door. The sign claims that after 30 years of business, the Madison Valley shop was the oldest continually-operating video store in the city.
The sign says declining business has made it impossible for the store to continue operating in the Madison Valley/Park area.
A very friendly but scared and skinny cat showed up on my back deck near 32nd and Howell tonight. She's pretty young - maybe 9 months old - and mostly white with grey cow-spots. No collar or identifying info. She's staying in the spare bedroom tonight, so she's safe and warm for now.
If you are missing a cat or know someone who is, please drop me a line at kerry.hammil@gmail.com.
-- K
We had a breakin at our home near MLK and Olive this morning between 9:30am and noon.
We are safe, and the police have been here, but we would appreciate any information if someone saw anything. Stolen were an HP Envy laptop, Macbook Pro, and 50" Panasonic TV, as well as a small digital video recorder. The laptops contained personal information and family photos that we would like to recover.
The thief entered by breaking a window in the back, and exited through a rear sliding door.
Lila Yoga studio is celebrating 2011 with a grand opening this weekend in their new home on East Madison.
We are busy here at Lila Yoga getting everything ready for our official Grand Opening on January 1-2, 2011.
Kick off your 2011 in health and happiness and help us celebrate Lila Yoga’s opening!
Stop by on the weekend, take a free class, get free bodywork, stay for the free entertainment and receive 10% discounts on all packages and memberships.
You can see a schedule of classes and learn more at http://lilayogaseattle.com/
Lila Yoga is located at 2812 East Madison.
East Madison Street, 1959, originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives.
This photo from the Seattle Municipal Archives shows that Central District News isn't the first advertising supported business to operate in the area. The picture was recently added to the Central District Flickr pool. Thanks for sharing! Note that one of the billboards in this 1959 view down East Madison is for cigarettes -- a level we have not fallen to. Yet. A current-day view, below. We get the approximate location right?
CDNews reader MT sends us this report of an attempted break-in at his house while he was home Saturday:
My partner and I own a home in Mad Valley, and I just wanted to give you a heads up that we had an attempted break-in yesterday, at 12:15pm in the 200 block of 32nd avenue E. The perp smashed through our rear sliding glass door- I was home, but downstairs. I came running up at the sound, and scared him away. Apparently the EXACT same thing happened to our neighbor down the street the day before and she was home too. (That info was from the police, I have not had a chance to talk to her yet) The guy was young, 5'8"-5'10"ish, average build, light skinned (white/hispanic/asian?) wearing a faded black hoodie with the hood up.
We'll keep an eye out for the police report on the other nearby house and will let you know the details there too.
Remember that big rock blocking Madison Valley's big dig? It's a huge pain -- so it's coming out, Sunday night. Note that the work storm pipeline work crew will also step up the tunnel boring schedule with nighttime work to get back on schedule.
When we last discussed the problem with the Shaft 5 project manager, SPU said the rock could be up to 60 inches wide. It lies in the dirt beneath the pavement in front of Bailey-Boushay House.
Remember that rock hampering the Madison Valley project we wrote about before the Thanksgiving week snowstorm made slush and ice the main underfoot worry? It's still there -- and it's still has further tunneling on hold while Seattle Public Utilities tries to figure out how to remove the stone from the path of its future storm drain.
We'll talk with SPU for an update but when we last discussed the problem with the Shaft 5 project manager, the crew still wasn't sure just how big this nuisance of a rock is. SPU said it could be up to 60 inches wide when we talked last week. It lies in the dirt beneath the pavement in front of Bailey-Boushay House. It doesn't yet have a nickname. SPU just calls it "the rock."
In the meantime, drivers in the area should be ready for delays as work to deal with the rock continues:
Drivers near the intersection of E Madison Street and 28th Avenue E should be prepared for intermittent detours and brief lane restrictions as crews perform minor drilling and potholing necessary to locate and remove the obstruction without impacting adjacent utilities
Though boring is on hold while the rock problem persists, excavation in Washington Park to prepare for tank construction has continued.
The crews working on the Madison Valley Stormwater Project have put further tunneling on hold this week as they work to remove a large rock that is blocking their progress. You may have noticed traffic delays and more equipment in the area as they deal with the rock. We'll check in to update more fully if it sounds like this is going to more seriously impact the project.
As you know, the Madison Valley Stormwater Project is well underway. This week pipeline tunnel boring continued between Shaft 5, located at 28th Avenue E just north of E Madison Street, and Shaft 4, located at Martin Luther King Jr Way E and E Arthur Place.
During boring on Monday afternoon, crews encountered a rock in this area. SPU expected to encounter varying soil conditions and possible obstructions during construction, and during the project design stages we identified several ways of handling this type of situation. Crews should be able to remove the obstruction over the next several days without the need for any major excavation.
Drivers near the intersection of E Madison Street and 28th Avenue E should be prepared for intermittent detours and brief lane restrictions as crews perform minor drilling and potholing necessary to locate and remove the obstruction without impacting adjacent utilities. New equipment may be visible in this area as well. Please adhere to signage and follow the direction of flaggers when traveling through the construction area.
Your continued patience and support of this project is greatly appreciated. Please stay tuned for further email updates should details change.
Thanks to a tip from a neighbor, Mona Lisa is safe at home! The tip I received from my neighbor is that he saw Mona going into a house on Arthur across from the Village Mart. I went and knocked on the door of the house he thought it was, but when nobody answered I walked next door, and there was Mona Lisa in the yard! I knocked on their door and nobody was home there either, so I took Mona home and left to pick up the kiddos from school. On the way home I picked up some flowers and a thank you card to bring by the house, and it turns out that the woman who lives there had no idea that Mona had even been in her yard! I still gave her the flowers and thanks since her fenced yard was responsible for keeping Mona safe, but I sure would love to be able to thank whoever so kindly put Mona in a safe place.
Wow, what an awesome neighborhood we have! Many sorries to all of you who may have seen or heard me, the crazy lady yelling “Mona” and wearing two different colored shoes, all throughout the neighborhood! What a day! I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck from all the crying and walking I did, but I am elated that Mona Lisa is home. She is just a social butterfly who loves to flit around the hood visiting her admirers. I just wish she’d learn how to RSVP to me before she ventures out!
Thanks so much to everyone who sent such kind notes and for all your support and well wishes!
Janelle
Please help!
Our Bulldog, Mona Lisa, has been missing for over two hours. We are having work done on the house, and she snuck out a door that was being painted. I’ve checked all her usual haunts and I can’t find her anywhere. I am beyond crushed and cannot stop crying. She was stolen before and I just can’t bare going through this again. Please call me if you’ve seen her or picked her up.
Mona is on the small side for a Bulldog and is white/brown/brindle in color. She is four years old, super friendly, and wiggly. Mona will probably start breathing heavily once she gets scared. She is always with me and must be so scared by now. We are in Madison Valley off Madison near Cafe Flora.
Janelle
Home: 328.6276
Cell: 719.1085
Police streamed into the area around 25th Ave East and East John Monday morning after a man reported being held up at gunpoint by a man wearing a black ski mask.
The 911 call came in just after 7 AM Monday morning. The victim reported that he had been robbed of his backpack by a masked man carrying a long barrel type gun that police believed might have been an air gun, according to East Precinct radio transmissions. The victim described his attacker as a black male wearing a black, white and red hoodie, black pants and a black ski mask at the time of the hold-up.
This morning's robbery happened a few blocks from a home robbery CapitolHillSeattle.com reported two weeks ago in which a man was robbed at gunpoint after two men who were breaking into his home found him inside. We are not aware of any arrests related to the October 7 incident.
Thanks to CDNews member Truman who sent us the details on last night's school board vote on the fate of the old MLK school property in Madison Valley.
The board voted 5-2 to approve the sale to First AME church, which will use it to run a new series of social services to help children, veterans, and others.
Directors Martin-Morris and Smith-Blum voted against the measure after their amendments were voted down by the rest of the board. Smith-Blum was in favor of further studies to determine whether the district should keep the property, and Martin-Morris was in favor of selling the property to CCC@MLK, a group of Madison Valley residents who wanted to use the property for a community center.
Adrienne Bailey, President of CCC@MLK issued a brief statement following the vote. “Obviously we wanted a different outcome, with a decision ensuring a community center of, by and for the community. The property covenant ensures some community use of the property, but we want to make sure the community has input into the programming at the space.”
First AME now has 60 days to prepare title paperwork, inspect the building, and gather the $2.4 million in funds to purchase the building. The majority of that amount will be provided by the State of Washington, which has set aside capital funds to allow community groups to purchase abandoned school buildings.
