In this week’s paper, Jonah Spangenthal-Lee takes a hard look at the “epidemic” of violence in Southeast Seattle…
In the last month alone, there have been at least half a dozen shootings, many of them attributed to rising tensions between rival gangs. As Mayor Greg Nickels trots out his Youth Violence Prevention Initiative—a $9 million program designed to keep kids out of gangs and reduce violence in South and Central Seattle—South Seattle residents like Rachel Risley and Scott Schenk are getting used to the sounds of gunshots and police helicopters outside their home.
… and Dominic Holden talks to one Capitol Hill resident about his vision for the Broadway light-rail station:
Carter Kinnier, a 48-year-old Capitol Hill resident, has an idea. He envisions a new, permanent home for the farmers market, currently a block north of the transit station, which will soon be displaced by an apartment building. Sound Transit expects 14,000 people a day will board light rail at the station—all potential customers.
Meanwhile, on Slog, Dominic dropped in on a group of South Seattle residents who’re unhappy that light rail will mean taller buildings; Jonah got the scoop on a probation officer who accused cops of sexually harassing her and was subsequently charged with assault; I wrote a long-ass analysis of the presidential debate; Eli Sanders polled the Slogerati to find out how much they’d donated to Obama’s campaign; I wrote about the layoffs that are coming at King County; Dominic tells Catholics what they can do with their moralistic laws; and Eli — along with Paul Constant, David Schmader, and Christopher Frizzelle—liveSlogged the presidential debate.
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14,000 potential Farmers Market customers – only if it’s open after 5pm.
Open air drug markets? White people feel threatened? I didn’t know that The Stranger employed STUPID FUCKING CREDULOUS HACKS.
yes make a farmers market pay for it with giving more stories.
rather than raising taxes generally
as to SE Seattle…..welcome to being world class. It’s called a city. It’s striking how much LESS crime there is in Seattle compared to most other cities. This is great. Even a few drive bys doesn’t change this reality.
And what to do about gangs anyway as long as we promote free and easy access to guns, what do you expect?
They have the same problem in every nation with lots of guns everywhere.
Best comment to the article “Death Valley”:
Best comment to the article “Death Valley”:
Well fuck. Sorry for the double.
I think I read in one of these stories how – the nice but too old to be so stupid couple moved from C. Hill to the South End to escape?
Well now, if you asked five people who have lived here 4 months or more about that logic, well, all five would scream in your face -NO,NO WAY!!! DON’T DO IT.
Just sayin’ the truth.
Some neighborhoods are very rough places to live…. in any city.
True in Paris France, Paris Texas and Seattle.
And what is your point, Louis? Should we all just accept that there are places that are bad, throw up our hands, and try and ignore the problems? Do you think all efforts to clean up neighborhoods and put an end to the vicious cycle of gang violence are doomed to failure? Is it okay for the cops to ignore violent crimes in the poor, black neighborhoods because it’s a “socioeconomic issue?”
It’s all gentrification’s fault!!! The White People are ruining all the fun!!! Leave us alone to kill each other in peace!!!
Is it okay to work ourselves up into a tizzy once white people are affected Greg?
You know, once we gentrify the area the light rail runs through, after an initial spike upwards as the cops start doing their jobs, the crime rate will drop.
So, by 2020 it will all be swell there.
Won’t be the same neighborhood, mind you.
I’m sorry Bellevue, but I seem to have missed the spot in my previous post where I said, “As long as it’s just black people killing each other, that’s fine by me.” Gang-related murders in south Seattle have been a problem for years now; there just haven’t been convenient Slog posts to comment on about it.