Editor's Note

The following posts are on subjects I think worthy of consideration. I would hope this information is relevant for your consideration. That being said, nothing posted should be construed as to what I believe. It is my hope to open up the dialogue about various aspects of education.

Birth of this blog and the Melissa Westbrook connection 

USS Liberty incident

 Click here to get the latest seattle public school's FOIA request log      New June 2023 file

BOX OF SHAME   <<<<<< take a peek !

View OSPI's SPS citizen's complaints here     Full list of SPS parents complaints here

Seattle School Board Elections    More local stories     H1B impacts Parr-Franconia warehou

Gunfire Erupts Near North 107th Street and Stone Avenue in Seattle; Police Find 80 Shell Casings

 SEATTLE, Wash. — October 24, 2026 — Seattle police are investigating a shooting reported Saturday morning near North 107th Street and Stone Avenue North in the Haller Lake neighborhood after dozens of shots were fired, leaving a nearby resident narrowly avoiding injury when bullets entered her apartment.

According to reporting by KIRO 7, officers received reports of gunfire shortly after 8:15 a.m. Police recovered approximately 80 shell casings at the scene, believed to be from five different firearms, including handguns and rifles.

Authorities said bullets entered a nearby apartment through a window. One bullet reportedly came close to striking a woman inside, but she was not injured.

Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage with assistance from Seattle's Real Time Crime Center. Police observed a black sedan traveling northbound that appeared to have significant bullet damage. Officers were unable to locate the vehicle.

Detectives with the Seattle Police Department's Gun Violence Reduction Unit responded to process the scene and assist with the ongoing investigation.

As of Saturday morning, police reported that no suspects were in custody. Investigators have not publicly established a motive or released additional details about those involved.

The shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information or relevant video footage is encouraged to contact the Seattle Police Department.

92 Ballots Found in Seattle Dumpster as Election Nears, Prompting Postal Investigation

 SEATTLE, Washington — October 24, 2026 — The discovery of 92 undelivered election ballots in a dumpster at Seattle’s Golden Gardens Park has raised questions about the handling of election mail just days before Election Day.

King County Elections confirmed that two bins containing mail, including 92 ballots intended for voters, were discovered in a dumpster this week at the popular Ballard-area park. Officials say all 92 affected voters have been issued replacement ballots, while the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigates how the ballots ended up discarded.

The discovery was reported by local news outlets on October 22 and has drawn renewed attention to the security and delivery of mail-in ballots in Washington state. Source: KIRO 7 News.

Police Search Additional Trash Bins

Following the discovery, Seattle police checked 26 trash bins across two parking lots in an effort to determine whether additional ballots had been discarded. According to police, no further ballots were found during those searches.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service was notified and is investigating the incident. Authorities have not publicly established who placed the mail in the dumpster or the circumstances that led to the ballots being abandoned.

The investigation will be important in determining whether the incident involved mail theft, mishandling, or another cause.

Nearly 120 Shell Casings Found After Seattle Shooting Just 1,500 Feet From North Precinct

 SEATTLE, WA — Nearly 120 shell casings were discovered in a North Seattle parking lot after a shooting late Thursday night, October 22, raising serious concerns about public safety in an area just approximately 1,500 feet from the Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct.

According to reporting by MyNorthwest, officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire at approximately 11 p.m. near Aurora Avenue North and North 100th Street. When officers arrived, they found nearly 120 shell casings scattered across a parking lot, including ammunition from both handguns and rifles. Several nearby businesses had also sustained gunfire damage. No victims were found at the scene, and the suspects had fled before police arrived.

A Troubling Distance From Police Headquarters

One of the most concerning aspects of this incident is the reported proximity of the shooting location to the North Precinct. At approximately 1,500 feet away — less than a third of a mile — the scene was remarkably close to a Seattle police station.

The discovery of so many shell casings in such close proximity to a police facility raises important questions about gun violence, public safety, and the security of surrounding businesses and neighborhoods.

Residents and business owners have reason to be concerned when gunfire damages nearby properties and those responsible leave before officers arrive. The incident also underscores the importance of understanding how quickly violent situations can unfold, even in areas close to law enforcement facilities.

However, the proximity alone does not establish whether officers heard the gunfire, could have intervened sooner, or had any prior warning that a shooting was about to occur.

Probable Cause and Prior Weapons Arrests Raise Serious Questions About Juvenile Release After Bite of Seattle Shooting

 SEATTLE, Washington — The reported involvement of a 15-year-old in a shooting connected to the Bite of Seattle has raised serious questions about how the justice system weighs probable cause, prior weapons-related arrests, and the risk to public safety when deciding whether a juvenile should remain in detention.

For residents concerned about violent crime, the central issue is straightforward: when authorities have probable cause to believe a teenager was involved in a shooting, and that teenager has a history of weapons-related arrests, shouldn't the court take every reasonable precaution before allowing a release?

A shooting is not an ordinary juvenile offense. It can leave victims injured, families traumatized, and an entire community questioning whether enough was done to prevent violence. When prior encounters with law enforcement reportedly involved weapons, those circumstances deserve careful scrutiny during a detention decision.

Probable Cause Should Carry Weight

Probable cause is the legal threshold for believing that a crime may have been committed by a particular person. It is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt, nor does it establish guilt. However, when the alleged offense involves a shooting, the seriousness of the accusation cannot be dismissed simply because the suspect is 15 years old.

Courts must balance the presumption of innocence with legitimate public-safety concerns. Where the evidence supports probable cause for a serious violent offense, judges should carefully examine the circumstances, the potential danger to others, and whether effective conditions of release can adequately address the risks.

Another Morning of Gunfire on Aurora — How Many Warnings Does North Seattle Need?

 

SEATTLE — At 4:48 Tuesday morning, Oct. 6, police were called to the 10500 block of Aurora Avenue North after reports of gunfire. By the time officers arrived, the shooting was over.

A 44-year-old delivery driver who had just pulled into the gas-station parking lot was struck by glass fragments and suffered scratches to his head. He was treated and released. Police say he was not the target. Instead, investigators believe a gold Chevrolet SUV was targeted; that vehicle was later found abandoned near North 105th Street and Fremont Avenue North. Shell casings were recovered, and no suspect was in custody as of the latest police account.

That distinction — the driver was apparently not the intended victim — should not obscure the larger problem. Gunfire in a commercial parking lot before dawn is not an isolated nuisance when residents have spent years hearing the same thing along the same stretch of Aurora.

And the history is difficult to dismiss.

The documented record

Judges Political Strategy 'Resign-and-Appoint' Model

 After looking into the history of many of our local judges and their questionable decisions I did some digging. Here is what I came across.

The scenario you are describing is a widely recognized political maneuver known as strategic retirement (or the "resign-and-appoint" model). When judges utilize this method to pass their seat to a preferred successor, it is often called judicial succession planning. [1, 2, 3, 4]

While the general term "clearing the field" applies here, the mechanics of how this works in the judiciary are unique and create massive advantages for the incoming judge. [5]

Seattle Public Schools Face a Shrinking Enrollment Problem — and a Growing Empty-Space Problem

SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools is getting smaller.

After years of declining enrollment, the district entered the 2025-26 school year with 48,957 students, according to district figures. That is down from 50,187 students in 2021-22 and represents a loss of more than 1,200 students in just four years.

The decline has not stopped.

District officials say enrollment is expected to continue falling over the next several years, creating a difficult financial and logistical problem: Seattle Public Schools is maintaining a school system built for substantially more children than it now serves.

The mismatch is particularly visible in the district's buildings.

Two North Seattle Shootings Put Focus on 143rd Street and Aurora Avenue Corridor

 

SEATTLE — Two separate shooting incidents involving North 143rd Street this month have renewed attention on public-safety concerns in North Seattle, including the longstanding problems surrounding the Aurora Avenue corridor.

The most recent incident occurred Thursday, Sept. 24, near N 143rd Street and Greenwood Avenue North. Multiple residents reported hearing a large number of gunshots around midday, followed by a heavy police response and a vehicle pursuit northbound.

Preliminary reports indicated that at least one person had been shot and that officers pursued a vehicle toward Shoreline. Residents reported seeing numerous police vehicles traveling through the Greenwood area. Reports also described a dark-colored Mazda and a pursuit that continued toward the 160th Street area, although those details have not been independently confirmed.

The Sept. 24 incident came just over two weeks after another shooting near North 143rd Street.

A Police Station That Never Came: Seattle Fences Off Long-Vacant Aurora Property

  

 

SEATTLE — More than a decade after Seattle purchased property at North 130th Street and Aurora Avenue North for a new police station, the planned precinct has yet to be built. Now, the city-owned property is once again drawing attention as fencing is being installed around the site.

The property was acquired by the City of Seattle beginning in 2013 specifically for the construction of a new North Precinct police station. On Dec. 16, 2013, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation authorizing the city to acquire parcels at 12800 Aurora Ave. N. and 1155 N. 130th St. for municipal purposes, including construction of a new North Precinct station