Editor's Note 2026

 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_2w0UlpvjY 

Are Girls' Sports Really Safe in Washington State? And Will Voters' Voices Even Matter?

 Washington voters have once again been asked to make their voices heard through the initiative process. This time, the issue is the future of girls' sports and whether female athletes should have the right to compete in athletic programs designated for them.

Initiative 638 has brought an important question to the forefront: Are girls' sports in Washington being protected, and what happens if the will of the voters is once again challenged, changed, or overturned?

The early election results suggest that a majority of Washington voters support Initiative 638. That should mean something. It represents thousands upon thousands of Washingtonians who took the time to sign petitions, consider the issue, and cast their ballots.

But there is another question Washington residents have reason to ask: How much confidence should voters have that their decisions will actually stand?

The Reality of Seattle's Debt and Deficit

 When you strip away the programs and political jargon, Seattle’s core financial architecture is in a high-stakes balancing act. The city is simultaneously trying to claw its way out of an immediate budget deficit while managing a multi-billion dollar long-term mountain of debt.

The actual, current balance sheet for the city breaks down into two distinct financial categories:

Before Blaming Trump, Look in the Mirror: Seattle, King County and Washington State Must Answer for Its Own Problems

There is a curious contradiction in Washington State politics. For years, many of the loudest political voices in Seattle, King County, and across Washington have blamed Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington, D.C., for nearly every problem facing the country. Yet when it comes to the problems in their own communities, there seems to be considerably less enthusiasm for holding local leadership accountable.

Perhaps it's time for a little political honesty.

Seattle has not had a Republican mayor since J.D. (Dorm) Braman left office in 1969. King County's last Republican County Executive, John Spellman, left office in 1981. Washington State's last Republican governor, John Spellman, left office in 1985.

For decades, Democrats have held the dominant position in Washington's state government and in the political leadership of the Seattle and King County region.

That is a substantial record of political responsibility.

If residents are frustrated with homelessness, public safety, housing affordability, transportation problems, taxes, deteriorating public spaces, or the cost of living, they deserve to ask some basic questions:

• What have our local elected officials done to address these problems?
• Which policies have worked, and which have failed?
• How much taxpayer money has been spent, and what measurable results have residents received?
• Why should voters continue accepting the same explanations when the same political leadership has had years, sometimes decades, to produce better outcomes?

These are fair questions regardless of political affiliation.

 

Seattle Faces Business Revolt As Nearly Half Weigh Exit

 Nearly half of Seattle businesses surveyed by the Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce have seriously considered moving operations, jobs, or investment out of the city, putting pressure on socialist Mayor Katie Wilson in her first year in office.

 

To add to the downturn, some of the highrises in Seattle have seen 80%+ price drops since 2019. The city's political leaders were given an incredible tech boom and they squandered it. 

 Recently, Starbucks Old Navy The Loft And many more businesses are GONE. They left because of crime and homelessness & now most of downtown Seattle looks VACANT.  

My Story: Why Aren’t There Flock Cameras on North Aurora Avenue to Help Record Shootings?

 When shootings happen along North Aurora Avenue in Seattle, one question deserves to be asked: Why aren't more measures being taken to help document these incidents, identify those responsible, and protect the people who live, work, and travel along this corridor?

For residents, business owners, commuters, and families, gun violence is not simply a headline in the news. It is a concern about personal safety, the safety of loved ones, and whether the community is doing enough to prevent the next incident.

   Could a system like this stop the shootings?

 

Flock cameras have become part of the conversation about public safety in many communities. These automated license plate reader systems can capture vehicle information and help law enforcement investigate certain crimes. Depending on the system and camera configuration, however, they generally do not record a shooting itself in the way a conventional video surveillance camera might. That distinction matters when discussing what North Aurora Avenue actually needs.

Is Seattle Public Schools Worth the Risk to Our Children, Teachers, and Taxpayers?

 When the safety of students, the well-being of teachers, and the responsible use of public money are in question, the community deserves more than promises. It deserves answers.

Every morning, parents across Seattle send their children to school believing they are making the right decision. They trust that their children will be safe, that teachers will be prepared to teach, and that school administrators will respond when something goes wrong. Teachers arrive with their own expectations: to educate, encourage, and prepare the next generation for the future. Taxpayers contribute billions of dollars to support a public education system they expect to serve the community.

But what happens when that trust begins to weaken?

What happens when teachers feel overwhelmed by escalating classroom behaviors, when students struggle to learn in disrupted environments, and when families question whether school administrators are responding effectively to their concerns? At what point should the public stop accepting explanations and start demanding measurable results?

These are difficult questions, but they are questions worth asking about Seattle Public Schools.

Teachers Are Reaching Their Breaking Point: The Growing Crisis in Today’s Classrooms

 Teaching has always been a challenging profession, requiring patience, compassion, creativity, and dedication. However, many teachers today feel that the challenges of the classroom have reached an entirely different level. Increasingly disruptive behavior, limited disciplinary consequences, and the growing responsibility of addressing students’ mental health and social-emotional needs have left educators feeling overwhelmed, unsupported, and emotionally exhausted. While education should be a place where every student has the opportunity to succeed, we must also recognize that teachers deserve safe, respectful, and supportive working environments.

One of the most pressing concerns facing teachers is the escalation of classroom behavior problems. Educators are expected to manage frequent interruptions, defiance, verbal aggression, physical altercations, and other disruptive behaviors while continuing to deliver meaningful instruction to an entire class. These incidents do more than interrupt a lesson. They take time away from learning, affect the emotional well-being of students and staff, and make it increasingly difficult to maintain a productive classroom environment. When a teacher must spend more time managing behavior than teaching, everyone loses.

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

Can We Trust Our Judges to Keep Us Safe?

When a judge releases someone accused of violent crime, and that person later commits—or is accused of committing—another violent crime, the public is left with a question that is difficult to avoid:

Can we trust our judges to keep us safe?

That question has returned to the forefront following the latest arrest of Allen Hollingsworth.

Hollingsworth was just 18 when he opened fire in downtown Seattle in 2016, wounding five people. He was eventually convicted of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon.

In 2019, prosecutors pushed for a substantially longer prison sentence. Judge Averil Rothrock instead imposed nine years, explaining that a lower sentence would give Hollingsworth an opportunity to improve himself.

Hollingsworth was ultimately released from prison in February 2026.

Less than seven months later, Bellevue police arrested him following a confrontation in which officers say they found him in possession of a loaded, stolen handgun.

That does not prove Rothrock's sentence caused Hollingsworth's subsequent conduct. It does, however, raise a fundamental question about judicial discretion: When someone has already demonstrated a willingness to use a gun against innocent people, how much weight should rehabilitation receive compared with the obligation to protect the public?

And Hollingsworth's case is not occurring in a vacuum.

Police Chief Andre Sayles, Who Used the Term "Known Trigger Pullers"

 "Gang  Violence"  becomes "Gun Violence" and "Shooter" becomes "Trigger Puller"

"Six people were shot in Seattle during a 24-hour period and Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles made clear police are looking for the ‘trigger pullers’ who opened fire.”

The article, published by reporter AWR Hawkins, details three separate violent incidents over a single weekend in Seattle: 

Street Takeover Incident: A fight broke out at an illegal street takeover early Sunday morning, leaving one person dead and multiple others injured.
Belltown Homicide: A woman was discovered in her vehicle with fatal gunshot wounds to her head and torso.
Monday Shooting: An additional shooting left a 17-year-old boy dead and a 21-year-old man in critical condition. 

Local Leadership Response

The phrase originated during local press updates where Chief Sayles emphasized that the department is actively hunting down known shooters within the community. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson also released a statement calling the three fatalities "incredibly tragic" and confirming that the Seattle Police Department is actively investigating the active crime scenes. 

Shooting on Aurora Avenue Leaves 20-year-old Woman Critically Injured

 When an Altercation Turns Into Gun Violence

A 20-year-old woman is fighting for her life after what police say began as an altercation at a North Seattle hotel and ended with her being shot on Aurora Avenue North.

That transition—from an argument to gunfire—is disturbing not only because of the severity of this particular incident, but because it happened in an area that has seen repeated shootings over the past several years.

According to Seattle police, the woman and a man became involved in an altercation at a nearby hotel Thursday night. The two separated and left the location. But police say the confrontation didn't end there. The man later pulled up to the woman in a black SUV while she was in the 12500 block of Aurora Avenue North and shot her before fleeing west on North 127th Street.

The woman was found critically injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center. The suspect remains at large.

The tragedy is made even more troubling by the history of gun violence along this stretch of Aurora Avenue.

When Gun Crime Has No Consequences, Everyone Pays the Price

The tragedy at the Bite of Seattle should force Seattle and Washington state to confront an uncomfortable question: What happens when young people repeatedly encounter a criminal justice system that is unwilling or unable to impose meaningful consequences for illegal gun possession?

On July 26, gunfire erupted at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle festival. Three people were killed and at least four others were wounded, including a two-year-old child. Police say the shooting involved multiple firearms and at least three shooters. A 15-year-old was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.

This was not simply a story about one teenager making one terrible decision. The circumstances raise much larger questions about how our justice system handles people who repeatedly demonstrate a willingness to possess illegal firearms and participate in violence.

Still No Arrest in the String of North Aurora Shootings

May 23, 2026 — Aurora Ave N & N 98th St.: Police reported more than 30 shots, found roughly 40 shell casings, and recovered video evidence. SPD said the Gun Violence Reduction Unit was investigating, but its public report does not announce an arrest.

June 23, 2026 — near N 93rd/Aurora: A 15-year-old boy was seriously wounded. SPD initially received conflicting accounts and later determined the shooting may have occurred inside a vehicle. The public SPD report says detectives were investigating; it does not report an arrest.

January 3, 2026 — N 128th St & Aurora: A woman was shot in the leg after gunfire near Aurora. SPD explicitly stated that no arrests had been made at the time of its report.

Early August 2026 — 14100 block of Aurora: SPD reported another shooting in which a person was shot in the leg. As of the August 4 report, detectives were still investigating, and the report does not identify an arrest.

A Run Around Green Lake Doesn't Make the Storm Controversy Go Away

There is nothing wrong with Seattle Storm players getting out into the community.

Running around Green Lake, meeting fans and promoting fitness is exactly the kind of positive community activity professional athletes should be doing.

But timing matters.

Just weeks after a Seattle Storm co-owner was accused of verbally berating two teenage girls at a home game, Storm players were back in the spotlight at Green Lake, participating in a community run that attracted hundreds of people.

It was a feel-good story.

And perhaps that is exactly what the Storm needed.

Because the team's image had taken a serious hit.

During the Storm's July 28 game against the Indiana Fever, two teenage fans were holding signs supporting Fever player Sophie Cunningham and her position on protecting women's sports. According to reporting on the incident, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted the girls and used profanity toward them. The Storm subsequently apologized, and the WNBA suspended Keaton from attending the team's next five home games and fined her.

One of the teenagers said the confrontation left her in tears.

Think about that for a moment.

Seattle’s Crime Problems Didn’t Start With the New Mayor

 There is a growing debate at Seattle City Hall over public safety, and residents have every right to demand answers. But before city leaders point fingers at Mayor Katie Wilson, we should take a step back and look at the timeline.

Seattle’s public-safety problems did not begin when Wilson took office in January 2026. Many of the problems now being discussed — particularly in North Seattle and along Aurora Avenue — existed under previous administrations and previous City Councils.

That matters when we talk about accountability.

District 5 is a particularly important example. Today, District 5 is represented by Councilmember Debora Juarez, who was appointed in July 2025 to fill the vacancy created by Cathy Moore’s resignation. Juarez’s term runs through November 2026, when voters will choose who completes the remainder of the term. Juarez previously served from 2015 to 2023. In Q1 of 2019 alone District 5 had the following 93 aggravated assaults, 336 simple assaults, 4 murders, 19 forcible rapes, and 151 burglaries. North Aurora's drug trade, sex trafficking and fencing of stolen Home depot goods were all unopposed and the standard during Juarez's tenor. 

ANOTHER PIMPOUT ON AURORA AVE

 According to Seattle police, multiple callers reported hearing a volley of more than 30 gunshots. Officers arrived minutes later and saw a crowd dispersing from a nearby club.  CLUB?

The only club is a strip joint that seems to be the showroom for the merchandise these pimps are fighting over. 

 

Investigators found shell casings on both sides of Aurora Avenue.

Police recovered about 20 shell casings on the west side of the roadway and another 20 on the east side. Officers also found a nearby vehicle and multiple buildings that had been struck by gunfire.

This is a repeat of the same type of incidents that happened last year and so far SPD has made ZERO arrest in those.  

https://saveseattleschool.blogspot.com/2025/04/over-100-rounds-fired-during-weekend.html 

BLACKHAWK DOWN SEATTLE

 Figure it out!

Steal, Fraud, Spend and come back for more.....really?