Music: More Than a Sum of Its Notes
Seattlest Pix 30Dec11
Friday Morning Headlines
Can't Miss It: The Weekend and Forever Forward
Closing Words from Your Resident Beer-Nerd
One of those gypsies wasn't born until 1987 and was only 20 when she got to Italy. From what we've learned, she would have walked along the cobbled streets (in Perugia, rather than Florence) with that same pert, flirtatious confidence, and (from what we assume of male psychology and Italian culture) been met with the same lascivious interest.
The good news:
- Seattle Department of Transportation Director Grace Crunican has announced her resignation. Did Mike McGinn show her the door? Crunican says, "This was all on me."
- A Seattle man charged with two counts of aggravated first-degree murder in the slayings of his girlfriend and 13-week-old daughter has been arrested in California.
- Local housing prices are up.
If the first couple days of this week were any indication, this won't be a bad week for Seattle-area businesses to take a long weekend and spend some time licking their wounds in the company of their nearest and dearest.
Members of the Child Evangelism Fellowship are determined to get white bearded, capital-G Christian God back where he belongs--in Seattle's public schools.
Seattle Opera's Perry Lorenzo is Dead
Perry Lorenzo, a former Burien high school teacher whose ability to convey to his students not just his love for opera but why it mattered, has passed away. The cause, according to a spokesperson for Seattle Opera, was lung cancer. Lorenzo was 51. His "Prelude to the Opera" lectures were a popular highlight, but his influence extended beyond the opera house into the national community. From the time that he joined the staff, in 1992, he concluded his talks by promising his listeners "one swell night of theater." Memorials will be held at St. James Cathedral and McCaw Hall early in January.
Staff from Hooters attended South Park's Winterfest this weekend, handing out donations of toys (we hope not from Hooters) and meals (again, we hope not from Hooters) to families in need of a helping hand this holiday season.
During the holiday season, we at Seattlest find ourselves with one Christmas wish: we wish that grown-ups still believed in Santa Claus, because it would occasionally stop people from being total jackasses.
"We recognize that, you know, like alcohol, it's something that should be regulated, not treated as a criminal activity. And I think that's where the citizens of Seattle want us to go."
For bonus points, imagine McGinn saying that in a super-stoned laconic surfer voice.
A bouncer and a homeless dude dueled using a boxcutter and a wooden sword outside a Seattle club.
The egion may be more susceptible to an eventual megathrust earthquake, which is...well, pretty much exactly what it sounds like--the John Holmes of tectonic events.
The were four stabbings in Seattle last night. Not quite a rash and not yet an epidemic, but that's still a lot of knifin'.
What do you think of when you imagine drunk drivers in Seattle? Football fans spilling out of Irish-themed Pioneer Square bars, their livers heavy with whiskey and their judgment clouded by game-day enthusiasm? Or strip club fans barreling down Aurora after leaving with one too many Budweisers?
Since the shooting, the Jewish Federation has rebuilt its facilities, hired new staff ,and raised over $24 million for human services and education. They've also set up a Victims' Fund to help with medical assistance for the five survivors of the 2006 shooting. To contribute, send checks to:
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco
Seattle Victims Assistance Fund
121 Steuart Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Time has this goofy, vaguely touching detail:
Some locals speculate that Harris-Moore burgles not for the money but to experience the fantasy of the happy home life he never had as a child. According to local sheriffs, he often slips into a house just to soak in a hot bath or steal mint-chip ice cream from the fridge—a "Goldilocks thing," one investigator says.
After years plagued by strikes, parts that don't work, and what often seemed like some sort of gypsy curse hanging over the project, the Dreamliner on which Boeing has pinned, oh, just its future, will finally hit the skies.
Maybe he wanted to cement his skills with another year under coach Sark. Maybe it was the possibility of a whole season full of games like this season’s final, glorious triumph over Cal, after which we prayed for this miracle. Maybe on November 6, 2010, he wants to march into Autzen Stadium, tear apart the Oregon Ducks and pee on the giant O at midfield. (Well, at least we want him to do that last part).
If you were too hungover from an office holiday party to catch any sports this weekend, consider yourself lucky. Sure, you might’ve been poised headfirst over the commode, regretting the previous night’s Merlot-fueled karaoke rendition of Meredith Brooks’ "Bitch." Or worse, you were trying to get Rachel from HR out of your shirt and your apartment because, no, you don’t want to grab some brunch, but yes, you’d like to keep your job.
The world’s most advanced meteorological scrying machines and guesswork technology all agree there’s a fighting chance that this weekend will see Seattle’s first snow showers.
But this is not the time for panicked flashbacks to last year’s citywide shut down, for this year, we are prepared!
Huckabee is now doing damage control, as evidenced by a syndicated op-ed that went out earlier this week. In "Why I Commuted Maurice Clemmons' Sentence" the former governor admits the sad truth that Clemmons' original sentence was pretty draconian.
We'd like to find whoever said "What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas" and punch them in the face. Apparently the Cascades were not enough to shield us from this plague.
Shouldn't This Sort Of Thing Be Settled At High Noon?
The ancient story of Cain and Abel was writ modern in Arlington this weekend. Well, as modern as most John Wayne movies, anyway.
Mark Hillis of Arlington is being held in Snohomish County Jail in connection with the shooting death of his older brother, John Hillis. The two brothers had recently been engaged in what the Seattle Times somewhat cryptically terms "a dispute over cattle."
Now, Seattlest has never fought with anyone regarding cattle before, but we are willing to assume that things can get very heated when debating the fate of livestock. This argument in particular must have been a doozy, following years of acrimony between the two siblings, who had filed a variety of charges against one another in court. The rivalry appears to have come to a head when John Hillis was found near the house that Mark Hillis shares with their mother, dead of a gunshot wound to the back.
Get the full details on this sordid affair torn from the pages of your American History textbook from the Seattle Times here.
Knox's parents have accused the court of "character assassination" and have expressed absolute confidence that their daughter is innocent. It's hard to argue with the accusations of character assassination--the prosecution referred to her as a "Luciferina" and "a dirty-minded she-devil" in its closing arguments, terms that seem a little loaded for the pursuit of facts. (Not that the defense is rosy-cheeked and innocent, though: Knox's parents were investigated for defamation of Italian police in 2008.
Ever since Thanksgiving, it’s been a nice couple of weekends in sports. Unless you’re the world’s #1 golfer/douchebag.
- A Port Angeles man called in a fake report of police officers being shot. Classy.
- Amazon's opening brick-and-mortar stores where visitors can pick up online purchases...in Britain. No hometown rollouts? We feel a bit, well, slighted.
- The Seattle Times has an extensive story about Maurice Clemmons. The Clemmons family left the Pacific Northwest for Arkansas to escape racial violence. The details are just heartbreaking.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been found guilty all charges except theft in the murder of Meredith Kercher, CNN reports. Knox has been sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollecito has been sentenced to 25 years. In addition, Knox and Sollecito must together pay a fine of 5 million euros to the victim’s family, and Knox has been ordered to pay 40,000 euros to Patrick Diya Lumumba, whom she implicated in the murder early in the investigation.
Verdict Expected Soon in Amanda Knox Murder Trial
Lawyers associated with the Meredith Kercher murder case say to expect a verdict this evening--around 6 p.m. EST--in the trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. Knox and Sollecito have been charged with murder and sexual violence. Rudy Guede, who was convicted of the murder in an earlier, fast-track trial, filed an appeal last month, with a verdict not expected to be reached until 2010.
As history is happening, suddenly everyone has access to this story AS it plays out. Anyone can contribute, notify, alert, and report, constantly broadening the pool of information we all collectively consume to better understand a situation.
Ruskell's self-sacrifice relieves the organization of the pressure to fire him, which was coming from pretty much every football-watching soul in the Pacific Northwest.
Jury Deliberations to Begin Soon on Amanda Knox Case
The trial of Amanda Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito is nearing its end in the Italian courts, with day one of closing arguments wrapping up yesterday. The trial, which began in January, will hopefully conclude with a ruling on the November 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, with prosecutors asserting that Kercher died as a result of a sexual assault initiated by Knox, Sollecito, and acquaintance Rudy Guede. Jury deliberations expect to begin tomorrow. If found guilty, Knox and Sollecito may be looking at life in an Italian prison cell (Italy has no death penalty). Stay tuned.
Is Someone Celebrating the Lakewood Killings?
According to local blogger Sable Verity, an extremist group called "The Seattle Black Foot Soldiers" claimed to have held a rally in support of Maurice Clemmons' actions outside the very coffee shop where he killed four police officers. A website associated with the extremist group is calling the slain shooting suspect a "martyr" and referring to the slain police officers as "terrorists."
We stress that this is all unconfirmed--even Sable Verity indicates disbelief that any rally happened. There have been no rallies in support of accused cop killers reported in any of the Seattle news outlets, and such an event would certainly hit the news blogs as soon as it occurred. So what's going on? Is someone trying to fan the racial-tension flames? Or is this just a really bad joke?
Maurice Clemmons News Round-Up (with a Little Amanda Knox Thrown In)
- Maurice Clemmons was turned in by his aunt. She accuses police of trashing her home in their search for her nephew.
- Meanwhile, those friends and family of Clemmons who didn't do the right thing are paying for it in court.
- Clemmons' "getaway driver" denies any knowledge that Clemmons planned to kill police, despite threats the killer had made to friends and family prior to Sunday's shooting.
- As the Amanda Knox murder trial nears its conclusion, Knox's lawyers are ramping up the arguments, begging the judge and jury to acquit Knox. Knox's defense lawyer broke down in tears in court yesterday, accusing police of "having it in" for Knox.
- Knox's defense lawyer is also questioning the evidence in the case.
- He was assisted before and after the shooting: Six are custody for aiding Clemmons, including one man who drove a getaway car right after the shooting. KIRO has court documents (PDF) for the accomplices.
- Let the buck-passing commence: An Arkansas warrant that would have kept Clemmons behind bars never made it to Washington State police.
- Their name's "Jail Sucks," what did you expect? At the Weekly, the skills of the bail bond company whom Clemmons used is being called into question.
A touching makeshift memorial in has been erected in front of Lakewood Police Headquarters, and a memorial service to honor the fallen officers has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 8 at 1 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome. Anyone with questions about donating or volunteering for the service can send an email to lakewoodmemorialservice@gmail.com. As of this morning, the Brenton Family has requested that the Brenton Family Assistance Fund be closed, but donations to the victims’ families can still be made through the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, online or mailed to:
Please Don't Hit Me with that Shoe
In better crime news,a robbery victim foiled the theft of his cell phone using only a soccer cleat, driving the would-be robber into the more welcoming arms of the police. From the SPD Blotter:
On November 28th at around 1:20 a.m., a 16-year-old male suspect and a 22-year-old male victim were at a Metro bus stop near Rainier Avenue S and S Henderson Street. The suspect grabbed the victim’s cell phone and began running. The victim gave chase, armed with a soccer shoe. The victim was faster than the suspect and began liberally applying his shoe to the would-be robber. The suspect, deciding that arrest was a better option, ran to a passing patrol car for assistance. The suspect was subsequently arrested and booked into into the Youth Service Center for Investigation of Robbery.
Maurice Clemmons Shot and Killed
A lone police officer shot and killed suspected cop killer Maurice Clemmons at about 2:40 a.m. this morning. The officer detected movement near an unoccupied vehicle which had been reported stolen Monday. He got out to investigate, and recognized Clemmons. Clemmons ignored his orders to put his hands up and ran. The officer fired several rounds. Clemmons was pronounced dead by emergency personnel. Clemmons had a gunshot wound in his torso which police believe was from a round fired by one of the officers he shot Sunday morning.
Clemmons, who did not return fire before he was killed, had a gun belonging to one of the slain officers. He also told acquaintances that he planned to kill police on Sunday.
Police say that Clemmons was being aided by friends and family. Police have already taken in several people, including his sister, whom police believe aided Clemmons in his flight from the law. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department expects to take in a total of seven or eight individuals for assisting him. While Maurice Clemmons' part of the story is over, the story of the his partners in crime is really only beginning. We can expect law enforcement to throw everything they've got at anyone who assisted him.
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