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Daily news blog for Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood |
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Magnolia restaurant reviews...
Questions? Please call the Blaine office at 206-252-1920
NOTE: I took several pictures of the subject matter and deemed them inappropriate at the last minute.
While at the park near Catharine Blaine last Sunday, I was struck by the vast amounts of dog feces. There were more piles than I could count. Now, I know we are supposed to scoop the poop. You know we are supposed to scoop the poop. Here’s why…
The folks at Seattle.gov write
A single gram of pet waste, the size of a pea, contains 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. Left on streets, curb strips and in yards and parks, pet waste can be carried by rainwater to storm drains and into our creeks, lakes and Puget Sound without treatment. It is one of the leading causes of bacterial contamination in our streams and causes other water quality problems just like livestock manure and fertilizer. There are bacteria and micro-organisms in pet waste such as Roundworms, E. coli, and Giardia that can make people sick if they’re ingested. Some can last in your yard for as long as four years if not cleaned up. Children who play outside and adults who garden are at greatest risk of infection. If pet waste is washed into the storm drain it ends up in lakes, streams or marine water, and people can accidentally swallow bacteria and other disease-causing organisms while swimming or playing in the water. These bacteria also end up in shellfish, and can make the people who eat them very sick.
GROSS. If that isn’t enough, there are laws in Seattle to protect our health and our environment which require pet waste to be picked up and disposed of properly.
SMC 9.25.082 (A) Allowing the accumulation of feces (civil infraction, $109.00 fine) (B) Not removing feces from another’s property (civil infraction, $54.00 fine) (C) Not having equipment to remove feces (civil infraction $54.00 fine)
SMC 9.25.081 (G) Keeping an animal in unsanitary conditions (criminal – animal cruelty, maximum $1,000 fine)
SMC 18.12.080 (C) In Parks: Failure to carry equipment for removing feces OR failure to place feces in appropriate receptacle. (civil infraction, maximum $54 fine)
I admit, poop scooping is the worst part of owning our almost 80 pound dog. But I will if you will.
They may not have Magnolia’s most recent bank robber in custody that we know of, but it seems authorities have gotten one of the bad guys. Police blotter author Jonah Spangenthal-Lee writes “Police believe they’ve finally found an elusive bank robber famous for resembling that guy who sang about searching for his lost shaker of salt“
The Safe Streets Task Force has been after the 44-year-old Jimmy Buffett Bandit since September, when he first began his robbery spree. Police believe the man is responsible for at least nine different bank robberies in and around Seattle:
1. 9/7/12 Key Bank at 7307 35th Ave NE in Seattle
2. 10/2/12 Homestreet Bank at 8200 35th Ave NE in Seattle
3. 10/30/12 Peoples Bank at 3300 W. McGraw St. in Seattle
4. 11/5/12 US Bank at 4040 Factoria Blvd SE in Bellevue
5. 11/28/12 US Bank at 8702 35th Ave NE in Seattle
6. 12/13/12 US Bank at 17601 SE 272nd St. in Covington
7. 12/19/12 Wells Fargo at 9750 NE 117th Lane in Kirkland
8. 1/15/13 Wells Fargo at 1419 Marvin Rd NE in Lacey
9. 1/24/13 US Bank at 1019 8th Ave N in Seattle
Spangenthal-Lee writes “Margaritas will be hard to come by where he’s going.”
Police nabbed the robber last Thursday night. Here’s what went down, according to the SPD Blotter:
After receiving a report of a robbery Thursday evening, police walked into a South Lake Union bank and found cash and a gun strwhat happened during the incident ewn across the bank’s floor, and a security guard holding down a masked robber.
Around 5:30 pm Thursday, a 44-year-old man—dressed in a ski mask and armed with a gun—walked into the US Bank near Westlake Avenue and 8th Avenue N., threatened to shoot a bank clerk, and demanded cash.
As the bank clerk was handing money over to the suspect, a bank security guard walked up behind the robber and knocked his gun (which turned out to be fake) out of his hand.
The suspect wrestled with the guard, and both men fell to the floor. The guard was able to overpower the suspect, and hold him down until police arrived and arrested him.
Photo from SPD Blotter
By reporter Steven Smalley
You may have seen the little white Smart cars with blue trim parked throughout the city. They were spotted here in Magnolia too, either on the road or at the curb. Daimler Corporation’s Car2Go automobiles are rented by the minute in nine cities in North America, including Seattle since December. Equipped with GPS, customers park their rental cars when they have concluded their ride, then the cars are located by computer to be assigned to the next driver as demand dictates. That is where our story begins.
One of the benefits of renting a 38-cent-a-minute Car2Go is customers do not pay for parking in Seattle. It is free at meters and residential areas around town. Daimler pays the city $1,330 per vehicle, per year for the privilege, according to published reports. All of this looks good on paper until a car left in a 2-hour zone in the Village overstays its welcome. “We have a Car2Go that’s been parked out front since Monday at 2 o’clock,” says the bar manager at one of the restaurants. At the time of this report it had been there five days with no tickets on the windshield, according to the manager. “It’s Friday afternoon. It’s a big day for restaurants and bars. And we’re missing one parking place,” she points out. When a customer service representative was contacted by Magnolia Voice, they asked if the business had called the phone number on the rear of the car to complain? “We were curious to see how long they would actually let it sit,” came the reply from the restaurant manager. Later, Magnolia Voice spoke with a Car2Go spokesperson who was contrite.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have created, but would certainly encourage any concerned business owners or residents to call us if they do have any questions about a specific car.” She continued, saying they, “Have a system in place for ensuring cars do not sit for long periods of time.” Then added, “They can always call the phone number on the back of the Car2Go if they have a question or would like more information. With cities growing,” she asserts, “There is a great need to look at ways to reduce traffic and parking congestion, reduce emissions, and find ways to help residents and businesses maintain a great quality of life…Car2Go helps to address that.”
According to the Village business, the Car2Go is now gone.
More about Car2Go can be found on their website here.
(This is a sponsored story written by John Madrid, Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate).
What a difference a year makes … sale prices continue their climb and time on market continues to drop. It is definitely turning into a seller’s market.
For the 10th out of the last 12 months the median sale price for single-family homes sold on Magnolia & Queen Anne met or exceeded the sale price for the same period a year prior. Much of this trend can be attributed to a decrease in the supply of new listings in 2012 compared to 2011.
In addition to a shortage of inventory, record low interest rates, continued strong hiring by Amazon, Microsoft and a slew of smaller to midsize companies and a general belief that the market has hit bottom has resulted in strong appreciation for most Seattle home owners and sellers in 2012.
The median sale price for single-family homes sold in 2012 on Magnolia & Queen Anne was $565,000 compared to $527,500 for 2011, an over 7% increase. The average time on market decreased to 51 days for 2012 from 60 days in 2011.
A less than a 3 month supply of homes is generally considered a Seller’s market while 3-6 months in inventory is considered a “balanced” market. The overall supply of Magnolia & Queen Anne homes averaged around 2.7 months of inventory for 2012 versus a 4.2 month supply for 2011.
Expected trends for 2013 include continued low interest rates and inventory as well as multiple offers situations for competitively priced homes in popular neighborhoods including Magnolia & Queen Anne with their great walkability, popular schools and proximity to downtown.
More stats on other Seattle neighborhoods can be found here.
Tip: Even in a strong home Seller’s market amazing photos and professional marketing materials (including a custom website and full color two sided flyers) can result in a quicker sale and the best sale price.
John Madrid is a Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate – University Village and is a 2005-2012 Seattle Magazine “Five Star” Agent. His clients include both home buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 206-498-1880, john@live206.com or www.live206.com.
(Statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed. All information should be verified to the users own satisfaction.)
→ 8 CommentsTags: sponsored
Magnolia Transit Riders Group is meeting tonight to generate ideas for bringing increasing bus service in our neighborhood after recent cuts. Founder James McIntosh says
The whole future of Public Transportation especially in the off-peak is at stake, not just in our neighborhood but in many other neighborhoods throughout the State and the whole country. If people don’t act now, there will be even more severe cuts coming. We in Magnolia want to see restoration of at least 20 hour transit service throughout the 24 hour period.
All are welcome.
Meeting information
There will be a follow-up on Meeting with King County Metro Transit
206 518-0885
From our sister site Queen Anne View
By Laura
The McClure Middle School PTSA is hosting a free screening of the documentary “Race to Nowhere” on Wednesday night. Filmmaker and mother Vicki Abeles’ “Race to Nowhere” premiered at film festivals in 2009 before opening in select theaters in 2010; it highlights the stories of students “who have been pushed to the brink by over-scheduling, over-testing and the relentless pressure to achieve.”
A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the culture of hollow achievement and pressure to perform that has invaded Americaʼs schools. It is destroying our childrenʼs love of learning and feeding an epidemic of unprepared, disengaged, and unhealthy students.
This remarkable new film shines a light on the price our kids pay for this “race to nowhere.” Cheating is commonplace, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and ironically, young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.
Race to Nowhere is a call to families, educators, experts and policy makers to examine current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become the healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens in the 21st century.
You can watch the trailer and read more about Race to Nowhere online. The McClure screening is free and open to all. Advance registration is helpful but not required.
Key Details:
Looking for something to do this afternoon? Head to the Discovery Park Visitor Center to learn about what was here long before we were…
Do you find yourself asking questions about the peninsula that contains Discovery Park? What was there before Discovery, before Fort Lawton? Take a journey from 4,000 years ago to 1900. Experience time travel and a glimpse into a world of mystery and history. Get answers to these questions and much more today from 1:00 – 3:00pm at the Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center. Enjoy an in depth slide presentation with flashes from the past; beautiful old photographs and a glimpse of our first residents
Call (206) 386 – 4237 to register or for more information.
Fabio (of Italian supermodel fame) will be at Metropolitan Market Magnolia from 3-6 pm this afternoon, promoting his new line of high quality whey proteins. Magnolia Voice just learned that the first place he lived when he arrived in the USA at the age of 19, was….Magnolia!
Photo from Healthy Planet Nutrition’s FB page
Healthy Planet Nutrition for Men and Women, Created by Fabio
Come welcome Fabio back to the neighborhood.
Registration is now open for Magnolia Little League baseball and girls fastpitch. Although the weather says otherwise, it won’t be long before it is time to throw out the first pitch of the season. You can click here for the registration link.
In addition to registering, volunteers are needed for the Little League parade, Saturday, March 30th. To help, send an email to info@magnolialittleleague.com and write “PARADE” in the subject line. Include your contact information and availability the morning of March 30th.
UPDATE
We just received this email from Lawton’s Principal
January 17, 2013
Good afternoon Lawton Community,
Yesterday two incidents happened off- campus that raise safety concerns for us. Safety, as always, is a priority for us and I want to communicate the information we know.
The first issue was an armed robbery of US Bank in The Magnolia Village – there was an error made on the part of the police department that initially triggered lockdown at McClure Middle School in Queen Anne instead of Blaine K-8. This rippled over and caused Coe Elementary in Queen Anne to be locked down as well given its proximity to McClure. I spoke with the officer who made that call and he said he was trying to be proactive when he heard it over the radio – bypassing the more usual computer dispatch system that generates notices to schools. Normally given the location of the robbery Lawton, Coe and McClure would not go on lockdown.
The second incident involved a lower-elementary school student from Lawton walking from his bus stop to his home. The boy was approaching his home and was followed by a juvenile male he did not recognize. As the student entered his property he was grabbed on the nape of the neck. The student ran and the assailant did not pursue.
While the details and motivations behind the incident are not fully known, the student did the right things to keep himself safe: Being aware of his surroundings; making a noise; pushing the person away; running to his house. In addition, it is a good idea to work with your children in identifying safe houses on the block of families you know and, whenever possible, having students buddy up when walking.
We are all grateful that the student is not hurt and safe. Police do not report any geographic pattern to be present for incidents like this in Magnolia. This incident happened about halfway between Lawton and Blaine’s campus. As a school we have a strong record of safety and appreciate your partnership in helping maintain that.
Sincerely,
Neil Gerrans
Lawton Principal
EARLIER
I don’t even know how to introduce this blog post. As a parent, this strikes me to the core. Yesterday, there was a suspicious circumstance (edited) on 28th. According to an incident report filed with the Seattle Police Department (as confirmed over the phone by Det. Mark Jamieson):
At approximately 3:30pm, near the corner of 28th W. and W. Fulton, the complainant a 7 y/o child was approached and grabbed from behind around his neck and by his backpack, as he walked up the steps to his front yard and home from the street level, after walking approximately a half block from his school bus stop. The victim yelled “Hey” and hit at the suspect and the suspect released his hold and continued to head south down 28th Ave. W. The suspect is described as a white male of medium build with dark or brown hair and was wearing dark pants and a blue sweatshirt.
The child’s father came out of the house and contacted SPD and filed a report. The suspect is still at large.
Today’s bank robbery rattled our community and had a significant impact on Magnolia’s parents of school-aged kids. Several of our schools were on lock down while police combed the area, looking for the suspect. Here’s what went on at Catharine Blaine Elementary:
Dear Catharine Blaine Parents,
I will begin by letting you know that all of our students and staff are safe and in good care. I am writing to update you on something that occurred in the Magnolia community today. There was yet another bank robbery this morning at US Bank in the Village. Parents called us immediately after they heard about the incident. The office staff quickly and efficiently let me know and security was called right away. We went into lock down mode at the school. Students were safe in their rooms, windows were covered, and the school was silent. Ed Liebl, the head of SPS Safety & Security Office for the District and Ed Luke, Blaine’s Security Officer were out at the school. At 12:30 they let us move from lock down status to shelter in place status. Students were able to move within the building, stayed inside for recess and all exterior doors were kept locked. We stayed in this status until 1:15 PM, after we got the “all clear” from the District. Thank you to those parents who were able to volunteer for cafeteria and recess duty today. We are a strong team!
Since a lock down drill was already on our agenda for this afternoon, the students had been briefed and did not appear to be surprised. However, it can still be startling for children. When your son or daughter gets home from school they may want to talk about our lock down event today. If you need any type of support for you or your child, Mike Anderson and I are here and will make ourselves available to you. We are all here to ensure the safety and security of all children here at Blaine.
Kind regards,
Julie A. Cox
photos from Fishermen’s FB page
In their quest to have children, Stefani and Joe Arya underwent a lifestyle overhaul. They removed all chemicals from their home, switched to an organic diet, and made many other holistic and health choices. What they learned along the way has manifested itself into Fishermen’s Green Market and Deli, part organic, natural food store, part amazing espresso and sandwich shop.
MV reader Shelby writes
I had a chance to visit the new Fishermen’s Green Market & Deli conveniently located in Fishermen’s Terminal last night. I had stopped to pick up some crab cakes from Wild Salmon Fish Market and was looking for some fun snacks for my husband to enjoy later in the evening. I was lucky to find Joe Arya (owner of the market with wife Stefani) working behind the counter. He explained all the cute grocery/deli has to offer including made to order sandwiches, fresh in-season produce, meats, beer & wine, and even natural pet supplies. They seemed to have a good variety of natural/organic foods, staples such as pasta, breads, and crackers, and a nice ice cream selection. We will definitely be back in on a weekend for some organic espresso and Macrina Bakery treats! An added bonus is that if you shop at Wild Salmon Fish Market, you receive 10% off your purchases at Fishermen’s Green Market & Deli. Definitely a great place to check out!
“We wanted to create something for our family and community that would give back- where we could share our knowledge of healthy living,” said Stefani, when we sat down for a visit last week. She went on to say that the market is a place where you can make healthy choices (think organic fruits and veggies, homeopathic remedies, gluten-free items and sunflower butter, a great stand-in for peanut butter for those with nut allergies), and yet, they still carry energy drinks and chips (like Red Bull and Doritos…). Throw in fresh baked goods, house-made sandwiches and Dillanos organic espresso, and I think they have a little something for everyone!
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
1900 West Nickerson #c114
(206) 281-7818 (you can call ahead with your sandwich or deli tray order!)
MV readers- mention this article and get a free Americano or drip coffee
