King County Prosecutor and local resident Dan Satterberg at the Oct. 21 press conference on the 'Operation Center of Attention' crime bust in White Center.

by Mark Neuman

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg stopped by the B-Town Blog office in Olde Burien for an interview recently, at our invitation.

In Part One, which we ran yesterday (read it here), we covered the future of capital punishment, the drop in violent crime over the recent three decades in Washington state, and the tough decisions a prosecutor must make.

In Part Two of our two-part interview, we discuss Operation Center of Attention, what Satterberg considers his most controversial decision, and even George Harrison and the Beatles.

Williams and Birk
“Probably the most controversial decision that I had to make had to do with the shooting of (woodcarver) John T. Williams by Seattle police officer Ian Birk” on a downtown Seattle street in the summer of 2010.

“And I knew that wasn’t going to be satisfactory to many members of the community because the facts of that case were so bad.

“Such a short time, I think the officer completely misread the situation when he saw Mr. Williams crossing the street. Nobody else was concerned, but the officer got out of his car and had a gun in his hand and closed that distance and then made the determination that that distance posed a risk to the officer.

“There were options that everybody wishes that he had taken and didn’t. Instead he fired his weapon,” killing Williams.

“We had to look at the state law about police use of force, and it’s different than what you and I get to use as citizens, and it says that no criminal liability shall attach to an officer who is using deadly force in good faith without malice,” Satterberg explained.

“And so the officer didn’t have anything like that. He made a professional judgment that many people disagreed with, that I disagreed with, but he said he thought he was at risk.”

Officer Birk “didn’t know this individual. He wasn’t acting with malice. It was a professional judgment,” Satterberg said. “I had to follow the law knowing that a lot of people would not be happy and it was really the peak of a symbol of a number of cases that revealed the Great Divide between the Seattle Police Department and the community that they serve.

“So I got a lot of emails about that, a lot of people with opinions about that. But I was following the law as the Legislature wrote it and that’s my job. I never go into a tough decision thinking ‘will this be popular’?

“You just have to do the right thing. Most of the time it’s great to have a job where you get up every day and go to the office and you just do the right thing. That’s the best job in the world. But sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions.”

Some of the guns and drugs confiscated during 'Operation Center of Attention' in White Center.

White Center: Operation Center of Attention
“Operation Center of Attention refers to a recent three-month long program where a great assembly of federal and state law enforcement agencies came together and said ‘We’ve got some great resources,’” Satterberg said.

“Particularly, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms had some informants who were exceptionally good at blending in with the rough street crowd. These were professional, civilian informants who can go into a neighborhood and quickly figure out who’s selling drugs and who’s selling guns.

“Around the table we decided that White Center was an area that deserved to have this kind of attention,” Satterberg said. “And there was a particular hot spot around 16th Avenue where people would assemble and we knew that a lot of crime was going on in some businesses and on the street.

“Long story short, we brought these informants in and they were able to work their way fairly quickly along the street and buy drugs and guns.

“The largest amount of drugs we bought was a ten kilo buy of methamphetamine. And we also bought small amounts of crack and marijuana and heroin and other drugs as well. At the same time they were looking to trade what they claimed was stolen merchandise for guns.

“People (on the street) were very helpful and led them down the trail to people who were selling guns. Most of those people had prior felony convictions which makes selling guns a federal offense as well.

“We were able to take 68 guns off the street, and many kilos of drugs. And we identified about 57 offenders.”

The flow of prosecution continues with about half of those arrested making their way through the federal system and half  through the state system.

“The idea of Operation Center of Attention was to come in and say ‘We do know that this is going on and we are going to come in and make the statement that this is not okay in this community’ and help the community defend itself as well,” Satterberg said.

“Nobody thinks we can just go do this once. There is a commitment by all who were involved to continue operations in the White Center area designed to make sure that the people who are selling guns and drugs on the street know that there is a cost to being in that business.”

The Treehouse Dreamers is Dan's second band.

Dan Satterberg’s two bands
Satterberg for many years has played in a band comprised, in part, of buddies from high school days. His wife sings in the band and other members’ spouses participate.

“We play for charities and for good causes. We just play for fun because it’s a great way to keep friendships alive,” he said.

“We are called The Approximations, because we play the cover song approximately like the original. If we wanted to play the song exactly like the original we’d call ourselves The Exactamundos.

“We are all about rock ‘n’ roll, danceable rock ‘n’ roll. We’ve tested hundreds of songs with our ‘focus group’, the audience, and if it gets them up and dancing, that song gets to stay on the list, and if it doesn’t it’s gone.

“We do a lot Beatles and Stevie Wonder and Rolling Stones, stuff that you’ve heard of, but you haven’t heard a lot of other bands do that might get you up and dancing a little bit.

“We play a lot of gigs down at The Cove (in Normandy Park) which is fun for me because it’s a place as a kid always wanted to play. I saw bands playing there and I thought how cool that would be to play at The Cove. We play at Mick Kelly’s in Burien and in Kent.

“I play the bass guitar, do a little singing. And (I’m) really kind of the guy who’s crackin’ the whip on the band, make sure that we’re working and getting good gigs and practicing enough.

“We have another band call the The Treehouse Dreamers which is an all original group and we cut a CD a couple years ago, titled ‘Leave It Behind’.”

Since high school days “we always liked writing our own songs. It was fun to sit around the basement over at Gregory Heights where we played and start out the night with a few ideas and by the end of the night have a song and that was really exciting.

“The quickest way to clear the dance floor at a party is to say ‘Here’s a song I wrote.’ The Treehouse Dreamers stuff doesn’t get into The Approximations set list for that very reason.”

George Harrison
By coincidence of timing, our interview with Satterberg occurred on the day marking 10 years since the passing of George Harrison. We asked Satterberg if he’d like to comment.

“You know, the Beatles were Number One for me, and still are,” he said. “I’ve always been drawn to songwriters over shredders. Watching virtuoso musicians gets boring for me, but I love a good song that will last a long time.

“You imagine for George how tough it was being in a band with Lennon and McCartney who were cranking out these amazing classic hits, for him to have the courage to say ‘Boys, I’ve got a song over here.’

“But the songs that he left with the band ‘Here Comes The Sun’, ‘Something’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, those stand out as being some of the timeless classics. They sound so good next to Lennon and McCartney, and then here’s a George song, and you can tell. They’re very different, they are very spiritual kinds of songs. He was a special guy.

“His licks were perfect and they fit and he wasn’t trying to overplay, he wasn’t trying to show off. He was just trying to be tasteful and that’s the kind of player I like.

by Scott Schaefer

Dr. Leslie Kasper served as the first Director of the new Burien Animal Care & Control (BACC), which was created in 2010 after the city declined to renew its $250,000 contract with King County’s Animal Control program.

Instead, Burien developed its own program, which involved contracting out animal field and sheltering services and bringing licensing services in-house at a cost of $120,000 a year. Kasper, a local veterinarian, was hired as Director. Her original contract was set to expire Wednesday, July 27, 2011, but she abruptly “resigned” on Jan. 27, 2011 (download a PDF of her resignation letter here).

Many of our Readers have questioned why an experienced Vet would suddenly “resign” from an important new job some six months after it started. Kasper told us that she not only had problems “getting things done” with the city, but that she was restricted by a budget that couldn’t meet the growing demands of the new program.

“There were many promises that were told to me which never happened,” Kasper told us. “I was told from day one they would be there to support me and this program … annual numbers were exceeded in just a couple months blowing our ‘budget’ out of the water. The program was upside down for nearly six months to the point where I did not take any income.”

Kasper also claims that she was told she’d “save a lot of money if I just euthanized animals after three days as the City would not pay for services after that.”

“As a veterinarian, it was against my ethics to kill animals for convenience and (I) explained that was not an option,” she added. “I was told that was my problem.”

Currently, the city’s animal control is managed by the non-profit Burien CARES group, which is paid $10,000 per month and is managed by Debra George. This group has struggled a bit out of the gate, and, far as we know, does not yet have a shelter for found animals.

As we’ve previously reported:

When King County pulled out of animal control services last year, Burien opted out of a new regional cooperative program.

Participation in the county’s regional cooperative would have cost the city almost $250,000 this year – while sharing a single animal control officer eight hours a day, five days a week, with several other cities and unincorporated areas.

Instead, Burien developed its own program, which involved contracting out animal field and sheltering services and bringing licensing services in-house at a cost of $120,000 a year.

Kasper, who at that time owned Companion Animal Medical Center in Normandy Park, became director of Burien Animal Care and Control on July 1, 2010.

However, the economic downturn combined with delays in rebuilding 1st Ave. S. through Normandy Park combined to force the closure of her veterinary clinic later last year.

Primary services for Burien Animal Care and Control are expected to remain the same: round-the-clock emergency response for vicious animals, animals with life-threatening injuries, and cases of hardship or law enforcement assistance, and maintenance of an animal shelter with 24/7 emergency access.

Here’s our full interview with Dr. Kasper:

Q: Please tell us how your experience was as Director of Burien’s first Animal Control Program.
A: I really enjoyed developing and directing the BACC program. Overall the experience was very positive from the community. Being a veterinarian I of course am constantly striving to better the lives of our pet population and this position allowed me to help hundreds more animals then I ever would have in a clinic situation.

Q: Was it easy?
A: Oh this was not easy! Developing a new program – discovering all the in’s and out’s and ironing wrinkles often after the fact came with the territory.  There are many people in the community who were opposed to the City going its own way versus paying the County. There were several people in City Hall who refused to provide any services other than the bare minimum by state law. But, the majority of the community embraced what we were trying to do, and were very happy to see our program. That made the hard work worth it most days!

Q: Why did you resign? What happened?
A: There were many promises that were told to me which never happened. I was told from day one they would be there to support me and this program. I was told they would develop a non-profit auxiliary to assist us in pursuing funding and programs which were not allowed due to my “independent contractor” status. We based the program and its funding on the information provided to us by the County reports from previous years. It turns out once we had a local program, those annual numbers were exceeded in just a couple months blowing our “budget” out of the water. The program was upside down for nearly six months to the point where I did not take any income from the budget. When it was available, I took the scraps, usually less then $1,500 a month for the duties of full time shelter operator, 24-7 on-call animal control officer, and adoption programs!

When I brought these concerns to the City, I was told we would review at six months as contracted. I was told I could save a lot of money if I just euthanized animals after three days as the City would not pay for services after that. As a veterinarian, it was against my ethics to kill animals for convenience and explained that was not an option. I was told that was my problem. So I waited for my review. Nearly three weeks after my contracted review deadline I was contacted by a City official who told me there would be no negotiations or changes in the budget. I explained that it would be impossible to continue this program at the current budget and if they wouldn’t hold up to their end of the bargain then what were my options? I had none. I was told if I gave them three months for a transition that would be good. I started the process to find new employment and encouraged the City to move quickly as the State Animal Control Officer Academy was arriving quickly and a perfect training opportunity. Two weeks later, I was informed the transition would be six months as contracted and a letter of resignation was required, making the whole experience drag out that much longer. I hoped the letter would encourage the City to re-evaluate the budget, but it seems it was easier for them to find a new contractor instead.

Q: You actually closed your Vet Clinic at one point – why?
A: Oh, I wish I could have continued that to this day.  That was a separate issue from BACC.  Despite our continued growth and financial obligations, Bank of America, who held my business loan, decided they were “no longer interested in our continued relationship” and sold the practice out from under me!  They refused to negotiate any terms or allowing another company to refinance the loan. So much for supporting Small Businesses! It was an extremely sad situation.

Q: Do you think a city like Burien can manage its own animal control?
A: Yes! Across the state and country small municipal programs flourish.  I think the biggest problem with the program as it currently sits is that the budget does not allow for a shelter and ACO salary. The City will always aim for the minimum costs and so the “3-day and out” program.  The community needs to decide if that is what they want. If they want a shelter and adoption program then they need to rally for it. If all we want is a simple pick-up person then that’s all Burien will ever have.

Q: Did you ever have problems working with the city?
A: Yes. There are too many examples to list. I touched on several above, but the City was good at promising, but most were not in writing so they never felt the need to follow through. There were several occasions where it was alluded by our City Manager that I was taking up too much of his time and even told once to “stop being a child and grow up.”

Q: Do you have any thoughts on ‘CARES,’ the new Animal Control group?
A: As a citizen of this community, like so many others, am very concerned as to the reality of the situation compared to the statements made for their intentions.  Where is the shelter? Where are the animals?  As the former “single woman show” I reached out to several of the local and state rescue groups and was told they were too full to assist in placing animal from us.  A few of my former volunteers have told me they have tried to contact CARES about animals simply to be told there weren’t any.  That is shocking to me as we always had animals coming in or on stray-hold.  I realize they are not contractually obligated to have an adoption program, but I would like to see their monthly reports on where all the animals are going.

Q: Do you have any advice for the City of Burien about Animal Control?
A: I hope this program works.  The community deserves it.  The animals deserve it.  I do think the community is better served locally then through the County as we can focus our resources.  I am concerned with the continued talks of annexation when it comes to animal control though.  We currently have the same budget for animal services as Des Moines – a community only 2/3 our size with a full time accredited ACO/police officer.   Not only do we have 15,000 more citizens but we have twice the number of animal impounds annually.  Now they are discussing adding even more to that obligation!

Q: What are you doing now?
A: I have returned to private veterinary practice.  I am leasing a new practice in Mountlake Terrace – Whiskers & Wags Veterinary Hospital. Starting over is never easy but I know the hard work is worth it. It’s a bit of a drive, but I encourage any of my previous veterinary or adoption clients to come and visit any time!

Q: Tell us some of the more interesting anecdotes about animal control in Burien – any unusual stories?
A: Well my favorite was Donatello!  I received a call from a frantic driver about a giant turtle in the road. She was worried sick that it would be run over.  I rushed right out to help only to find a huge 60lb tortoise on a walk-about!  He had wandered out of his back yard in search of adventure when his owners were out to the store!  Luckily they came home and helped me lure him back in with strawberries!

Then there was Olive. She was a very sweet cat someone had dropped off as a stray to the shelter in July 2010.  Although she was a great cat, she was a simple tabby and nothing fancy. She stayed with us for over seven months finally being adopted earlier this year!  I had the pleasure of seeing her recently when her owner went out of town. He was so appreciative of our patience with her stay at the shelter since he felt she was the most perfect addition to their family!

And finally, Roscoe, a rat terrier who was reunited with his family from Oklahoma nearly a year after he was lost when they saw him listed on PetFinder.com with us for adoption. He was a special little dog who somehow knew his owners were coming for him even before they did!??

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with our Readers?
A: Thank you Burien citizens for allowing me to provide a much needed service to our community. I enjoyed my time with you.

Welcome to another innovative new feature of The B-Town Blog, named ‘Best Hyperlocal Website‘ in the Northwest by the Society of Professional Journalists – our first-ever Podcast, entitled ‘Burien By Ear’!

For our premiere Podcast, we’re featuring an exclusive interview with legendary Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez, conducted by our own Mark Neuman during a recent visit to Burien by Edgar.

We’d like to also thank local musician Ryan Burns of the Burien School of Music & Arts, who let us use his music for the opening and closing in the Podcast!

This is the first in a series of Podcasts we’ll be producing regularly, so be sure to check back often or search for ‘Burien By Ear’ on iTunes:

Former Mayor Sally Nelson in a 2009 photo.

by Scott Schaefer

On Monday morning (July 11), we had a chance to speak with former Burien Mayor and founding councilmember Sally Nelson, one of two victims of a pit bull attack last Thursday (read our extensive previous coverage here) in the 15800 block of Maplewild SW.

Sally lives next door to the dogs’ owners, and she was bitten on the back of her right leg around 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 7th. She told us that she has “eight bite marks” on the back side of her leg, just behind the knee.

In our interview, Sally shares what it was like being attacked by “two terrifying dogs” she knew from next door, as well as how a cloth bag full of mail may have prevented more serious injuries.

While the future of the now-found second pit bull “Bella” (recovered Sunday night and now in quarantine – read our previous coverage here) hinges on whether or not Sally presses charges (she told us she’s not planning to), Sally said “I don’t want any more pit bulls in my neighborhood.”

Sally also shares her concerns about Burien’s new CARES Animal Control – specifically about their lack of response to numerous phone calls, as well as recordings saying their voice mailbox was full.

“A neighbor told me he tried to call animal control about the loose put bulls all morning (Thursday July 7),” she said. “And he couldn’t reach anyone.” Burien CARES “is not giving adequate animal control and safety to the public in Burien,” she added.

Below is a full transcript of our interview:

Q: Tell us in detail what happened?
A: I had been downtown (Seattle) on Thursday, and when I came home at about 12:45pm and as I drove down Maplewild I saw police in front of my house and across the street and I wondered what had happened. So I pulled into my garage, came out and a guy from across the street told me what was going on – that “a woman with a child in a stroller had been attacked by two pit bulls that live next door to you.” He and another neighbor had come out after hearing screaming, and had driven the dogs off and called 911. So I wondered where the dogs were. Burien Police Officer Galusha came over and gave me an update, and told me what was going on. I knew the dogs, they had escaped before and I thought of them as very frightening dogs. The front door of the dog owner’s house was open. So I then decided to walk back up to my house. There are steps and a very dense hedge on the north side. When I got up to that area on my walkway, I could see the dogs, so I started walking more quickly. They ran over at me like 100 miles per hour, barking and nipping at me and I was terrified and I screamed and they bit me on the leg. The officer came up and I got in the house and looked at my wounds and my leg, and shortly after that he shot and killed one dog. I heard just one shot. The whole thing was just awful and terrifying. And what’s interesting about what happened to me is that I had a cloth bag with my mail in it when I walked up to my house, and I dropped it when the dogs started attacking me. A detective found that bag with blood on it and teeth marks from the dogs. And that bag probably saved me from bigger wounds. So that turned out to be a safeguard from a more serious injury. Medics came and looked at my wound, wrapped it up and told me to get a tetanus shot from my doctor. My Doctor looked at it, told me to keep it clean, and it’s now black and blue but it’s healing. There are eight teeth marks on the back of my right leg behind my knee. I’m not sure which dog bit me, or if it was both – it was like it was all in slow motion, it was really terrifying – these dogs are big and powerful, like hunters.

Another neighbor called Animal Control and never got any response – he told me he called them five times, because these dogs had been out for a while by the time I got home.

Q: What was going through your mind when it happened?
A: It was like everything was in slow-motion – it was terrifying.

Q: Have you ever been bitten by a pit bull or other dog before?
A: Never, and I’m a dog lover. I’ve had dogs all my life.

Q: Were these dogs known to you?
A: They were known to me because they belong to my neighbors, and I can see the back door of the house that they rent. I had seen them before, pawing at the doors trying to get out. That’s when I first called, but I never got a call back. Renters have lived there since April or maybe longer. They have two little kids. They came over and apologized to me this weekend, and told me the pit bull was a rescue dog. I said “a pit bull that’s a rescue dog should be put down.”

Q: The future of the found pit bull hinges on whether you plan on pressing charges. Are you planning on doing that?
A: No, I am not going to press charges. But I’ll tell you, if I hadn’t had been carrying that cloth bag full of mail, I would definitely press charges. My leg is recovering fine so I’m not going to do anything.

But I’ll tell you this – I don’t want any more pit bulls in my neighborhood.

According to one of my neighbors, the dogs have escaped before by ripping the back door down. I wasn’t here at the time though so I’m not sure. I called the landlord and told him it was unacceptable to have dogs running in the neighborhood. He basically said “see ya, bye…we’ll take care of it.”

I would hope that the landlords would decide to have “no more animals in that house.” It makes me feel bad, because these were pets to their kids, but with the history of pit bulls being mistreated something should be done.

I don’t know if the city has a policy of putting animals down. And what’s their policy on animal control, what’s their policy? Who’s really manning the store? It’s got to be that someone’s answering the phones, because when citizens call and get a recording that the voice mailbox is full that’s unacceptable.

Q: What’s your stand on pit bulls – should they be banned in Burien?
I don’t know. From my own personal experience I’d say ‘Yes’ because you’re totally vulnerable, it’s terrifying to be attacked. But what we need is responsible pet owners. People should understand that their dog may be dangerous and they need to be educated about their dog’s potential viciousness.

Q: What are you thoughts on CARES, Burien’s new Animal Control Group?
A: I have concerns about their ability to be reached, as well as their ability to respond. A neighbor had trouble finding their phone number, and was told by someone to call Five Corners Veterinary Clinic. Five Corners then told her to call the new animal control; she called, left a message and never heard back from them. I called city hall about this and a woman there said that they were still “in training.” Then I heard someone else tried to call and got a “this mailbox is full” recording. This is not giving adequate animal control and safety to the public in Burien. The city opted out of King County Animal Control because of costs, and decided to create its own animal control unit. Far as I know, Burien was the only city that opted out of an opportunity to negotiate a new contract with the county like other cities did. Other cities made new deals with the county, but not Burien.

CARES, Burien’s new Animal Control, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. They can be found online here, or reached via telephone here: (206) 81-CARES (206-812-2737).

And if you haven’t taken it yet, please vote in our Poll below (NOTE: this survey is our own; far as we know, the City of Burien is NOT considering banning pit bulls):

by Scott Schaefer

Through our own detective work, along with a little bit of journalistic elbow grease, we were able to track down the woman who was shot at the intersection of SW 136th and Ambaum Blvd. SW last Wednesday, June 1st, for an exclusive B-Town Blog interview.

The woman has identified herself as Cassaundra Jonasson, and in our interview she paints a detailed picture of how the dramatic incident unfolded, how and where she got shot, how she ended up driving herself to the 7-11, what is was like being hit, and much much more.

Here’s a recap of the news as we reported that afternoon with numerous updates (read the entire post, with photos and audio interview here):

• The female victim was shot while sitting in her car with a passenger at the intersection of SW 136th and Ambaum Blvd. SW round 12:15 p.m.
• Seriously injured, she managed to drive herself to the recently re-opened 7-11/Shell gas station at SW 146th and First Ave South. Medics took her from there to Harborview Medical Center, where she was listed in serious condition. She has since been released.
• Ambaum was closed off for a while between SW 142nd and SW 136th as police scoured the area searching for the shooter.
• Mark Neuman spoke with Burien Police Sgt. Henry McLauchlan at the scene, who told him that the suspect, a male, fired into the woman’s car, then fled. Some people may have caught ‘fleeting glimpses’ of the man as he left, according to McLauchlan.
• Police on the scene repeatedly told us they thought the shooting “was not random.” We still don’t know the motive for the shooting.
• Neuman conducted an audio interview with An Banh, who owns an auto repair shop located kitty-corner from where the shooting took place, who heard the shots, saw the shooter and provides his own description of him (listen to it here).
  
• Far as we know, as of Wed., June 8th, police have not released a description of the suspect, and the shooter still remains at large.

This exclusive interview was conducted via email, and we present it below in its raw form:

Q: Please tell us, in detail, what exactly happened?
A: In the process of helping a family friend move out of the heights in burien. I myself had been in those apartments for about two weeks, the last day moving we loaded the car started driving out of the heights stopped at arco to get gas was there for about ten minutes. pulled out of Arco on the Ambaum blvd side turned right onto Ambaum sitting at the red light in front of the Arco on Ambaum and 136th. before the light turned green the passenger and i heard the first shot that went straight through the passengers window through his jacket coming less than an inch from hitting him and into my chest because i had my right arm on the steering wheel otherwise i would have probably been hit in the arm instead. my first instinct was to just step on the gas then rapidly four more shots came from behind us but you could tell he was running after the car. besides the first bullet one went through the passenger side right above the rear wheel through and through the car one went into the back in between of the rear window and the car where that bullet was lodged. another bullet into the passenger side rear tire and the last one ricocheted off the roof of the car. I had no clue at first i had been hit i continued to drive down Ambaum blvd somewhere between getting shot and 146th st the passenger in my car pointed out i had been shot i made a left on 146th convinced i was going to find Highline (hospital) myself but once we got up to first ave the burning and the pain was so bad i had to pull over the passenger had already been on the phone with 911 by that time.

Cassaundra Jonasson was shot on June 1st at the intersection of Ambaum Blvd. SW & SW 136th.

Q: Did you know the shooter?
A: No, I’ve never met the man that shot before in my life.

Q: Do you know why he shot you?
A: We still are not 100% sure on that one but we have a few things that are being worked on.

Q: How many shots were fired? (we counted 5 evidence markers on the street)
A: Five is correct. he hesitated after the first one the last four were extremely rapid though.

Q: Did you know that you were hit right away?
A: Not at all. i felt something different about my body. It was HOT and then everything just started to burn really bad. All the adrenaline just from being shot at had me completely shook up i just couldn’t think of anything else.

Q: Did your passenger know the Shooter? Does he have any idea why you guys were shot at?
A: No the passenger is a GREAT person through and through. He has never had any type of trouble like that. That’s why when it first happened and we first pulled off we were so confused as to what even happened in the first place it was extremely shocking to the both of us. still to this day.

Q: The Passenger wasn’t hit, correct? Was he the target or were you?
A: No the passenger wasn’t hit. the first bullet that was shot came through his window went straight across his chest through and through both parts of his open jacket coming not even an inch of missing him. It was a very scary experience that neither of us ever wanted to go through. We both got extremely lucky in SO many ways. Its shocking because of how much it didn’t make scene. Its definitely one of the things that keep me up at night wondering. And as for the target that part hasn’t been figured out. as you can see in the pictures of the crime scene my car had 5% tint on it there was absolutely no way for anyone to know who was in my car or even who was driving it at that point.

Q: Did you drive the car yourself or was there another driver?
A: I did drive myself even though komo 4 reported that a man drove me to the gas station but yes i was the driver the whole time from 136th and Ambaum to 146th and first avenue.

Q: What was your condition initially?
A: At first i was fine. i knew to keep pressure on it until the aid car got there. and i knew since i wasn’t coughing up blood that most likely it hadn’t pierced my lungs. but by the time we got to 146th and first ave my body felt to weak. by the time the aid car had showed up i was sitting on the floor outside of my car.

Q: Did you suffer much?
A: The pain from the ambulance ride and the hospital was unbearable. They had to put breathing tubes down my throat and i was awake for the whole thing. There was such a large amount of blood lost i could feel my body getting weak. They said the bullet came an inch from my lung and five inches from my heart and the bullet went in pinky deep.

Q: How long were you in Harborview?
A: They took me to Harborview because i was in such critical condition. but i got shot on the first (of June) and the let me out late on the second so i wasn’t in there for long at all.

Q: What are your injuries/where were you hit? Will you fully recover?
A: I have a bullet hole wound right below the arm pit. It’s not all that big but since they wouldn’t give me stitches or anything it has to heal its self. for the most part i am fully recovered. Mentally/emotionally i will always have some scars but physically i am just as fine as i was before this all happened just with a wound to talk about.

Q: How are you doing now?
A: Now, i’m doing okay. still kind of worried with this guy out on the streets i still don’t understand with ALL the witnesses how this man hasn’t been caught. Especially knowing he ran into the heights after the shooting and i was staying there for the 2 weeks prior im sure that’s where they could be looking but the king county sheriffs department are putting there all into this and i do appreciate it. I just hope that if it was anyone else that happened to run into him they wouldn’t be scared to say something. Everyone has to tell at least one person their secret so there is someone out there that knows exactly who did this just to be able to think that is what bothers me i guess.

Q: Weren’t there several witnesses? Why hasn’t the shooter been caught yet?
A: I know there was several people at the bus stop right across the street. and when i pumped gas at arco all the pumps were full so i know there were witnesses there too. It just happens that since the area it all happened in a lot of people don’t talk to much. But hopefully with fingers crossed he will be caught.

Q: Do you live in Burien? Has this affected your perception of the city?
A: no i don’t live in burien i grew up there from the age of 2 – 13. Funny thing is i always told myself that Burien was the place i wanted to go back to and live. i still think burien is great it just happens to have its bad areas just like Tacoma or Seattle.

Q: If you could (safely) speak to the Shooter now, what would you say to him?
A: honestly i don’t really know what i would say. I mainly would just want to figure everything out and ask why but other than that im not much of a person to have words for anyone who would do something like that to anybody. I have a 2 year old that could have easily been in the back seat of the car (which got shot into) im just thankful i didn’t.

Q: Has this incident changed your perception of guns, gun laws, etc.?
A: My perception of guns has always been the same. I believe people have the right to bare arms for SAFETY reasons. Changing the laws isn’t going to stop the “bad” people from buying illegal guns from the street and using them for crime.

Here are some photos taken at both scenes that day by Mark Neuman:

Evidence markers indicate where five bullets were found.

Shot and bleeding, Cassaundra Jonasson managed to drive her car from where she was hit to the 7-11 on First Ave South and SW 146th.

That day police had two crime scenes to investigate, causing road closures throughout Burien.

An Banh witnessed Wednesday afternoon's shooting of a woman in Burien.

UPDATE 6/1/11 5 p.m.: BTB Reporter Mark Neuman was able to track down and interview an eye (or ‘ear’) witness to Wednesday’s shooting of a woman in her 20s who was shot by a man at the intersection of SW 136th and Ambaum Blvd. SW.

Local businessman An Banh heard the shooting just outside of his business, An’s Auto Care, located kitty-corner from where the shooting took place. He heard “about five shots” then ran to look, and saw a “skinny African American man” in his mid-20s to mid-30s running south on Ambaum for about a block. The man then cut to his right and ran westbound near an apartment complex and out of sight. An said the man wore light gray “sweats and jogging pants.”

Here’s Mark’s exclusive audio interview with An:

Mark Neuman interviews shooting witness An Banh 6/1/11.

As we reported earlier, the victim was shot while sitting in her car at that intersection. Seriously injured, she managed to drive herself to the recently re-opened 7-11/Shell gas station at SW 146th and First Ave South. Medics took her from there to Harborview Medical Center, where she was listed in serious condition.

Ambaum was closed off for a while between SW 142nd and SW 136th as police scoured the area searching for the shooter, according to Neuman. It re-opened in both directions as of 2:30 p.m. No word yet on an official description, or if the suspect has been found.

Neuman spoke with Burien Police Sgt. Henry McLauchlan at the scene, who told him that the suspect, a male, fired into the woman’s car, then fled. Some people may have caught ‘fleeting glimpses’ of the man as he left, according to McLauchlan.

It appears also that this is not a random shooting event.

Here are some new photos taken by Neuman at the crime scene:

PREVIOUSLY:

UPDATE 2;20 p.m. 6/1/11: A woman in her 20s, apparently driving a gray Ford car, was shot in the chest near the intersection of SW 136th and Ambaum Blvd. SW in Burien Wednesday afternoon at around 12:20 p.m.

Seriously injured, the victim managed to drive herself to the recently re-opened 7-11/Shell gas station at SW 146th and First Ave South. Medics took her from there to Harborview Medical Center.

Ambaum was closed off for a while between SW 142nd and SW 136th as police scoured the area searching for the shooter, according to BTB Reporter Mark Neuman. It apparently re-opened in both directions as of 2:30 p.m. No word yet on a description, or if the suspect has been found.

Neuman spoke with Burien Police Sgt. Henry McLauchlan at the scene, who told him that the suspect, a male, fired into the woman’s car, then fled. Some people may have caught ‘fleeting glimpses’ of the man as he left, according to McLauchlan.

It appears also that this is not a random shooting event.

Deputies and Burien Police are apparently still searching for the suspect in the area where the shooting occurred.

Neuman also took the following photos at the scene around 1:30 p.m. as police investigated:

The recently remodeled 7-11 on First Ave South at SW 146th is now taped off as a crime scene.

This late 1990s Ford is apparently the vehicle in which the woman, already shot in the chest, drove herself to the 7-11 Wednesday around 12:20 p.m.

PREVIOUSLY:

The King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that a woman has been found, shot in the chest, in Burien Wednesday afternoon (June 1) at the Shell gas station on First Ave South and SW 146th.

Reports are that the victim was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Her condition is unknown at this time.

The shooting occurred around 12:15 p.m., near the intersection of SW 136th and Ambaum Bvld. SW, according to police.

Choppers are hovering over the area, police have been seen with big rifles and K-9s, and it’s not yet known if there is a shooter at large, or the circumstances behind the shooting.

Mark Neuman called from the scene, and told us that Ambaum is closed northbound from around 142nd Ave SW.

As we get more information, we’ll update this post, so stay tuned.

Just like she did when he started in Nov., 2009, The B-Town Blog's Janet Grella sat down to interview Discover Burien Executive Director Steve Gilbert.

Story by Janet Grella
Photos by Scott Schaefer

In Nov., 2009 when Steve Gilbert, then the newly-appointed Executive Director of Discover Burien (DB) started, The B-Town Blog had an ‘Entrance Interview’ with him (read that story here).

Flash forward to Feb., 2011, where we find Steve on his way out of town, so we found it appropriate to have an ‘Exit Interview’ with him.

We sat down with Steve earlier this week at the Burien Community Center after he finished his talk to Discover Burien members on “How to Get Your Sales Mojo Back.” We doubt Steve has ever lost his mojo and if he ever does, I hope I find it. To this day, he is as much a cheerleader for Burien and Discover Burien as he was the day he started.

“Burien is an incredible community. It’s small town feel is genuine. People are looking out for one another. They are not only proud of their community, they are proud of their generational roots in Burien,” Steve said. “Unlike other communities, the business owners work and live here,” he continued.

Steve used Sal’s Deli as an example of hometown pride and business.

“I’ve never been in Sal’s when Jim (Hughes, the owner) didn’t come from behind his deli counter and take time to talk to me. No matter whether it’s Sal’s or any number of other locally-owned businesses, people are always friendly.”

He likened the rural America hometown feeling of Burien in the 21st Century to Andy Griffith’s popular TV show of the ’50s: “Mayberry, RFD.” Now that’s friendly!

“Burien is a community with a heart and a soul. I mean there’s some really cool and funky things here,” he added. “As an example, there’s a wide variety of artisans that are so important to the fabric of every community.”

And no exit interview with Steve would be complete without him talking about the volunteer board of Discover Burien.

“The board are all so amazing. They are not only passionate for Discover Burien, but for the community of Burien. And Lori Alden (President, Discover Burien and Managing Broker of Prudential Northwest Realty) really gives back to the community by stepping up in so many ways when asked.”

He also wanted to point out the value of the relationship that Discover Burien has with the city.

“It’s been a great relationship that the two organizations have. DB has played a very important role for the city in the economic development initiatives.”

Steve said he’ll miss the people most of all.

“It’s been an absolute blast getting to know the people. People that are passionate about Burien both in business and government.”

What he is most proud of in his 15 months at the helm is the growth of the membership. He’s been an integral part of growing the membership to an all-time high of 175, a 25% growth from the 142 members that were on board when he started in November ’09.

Steve Gilbert with 'volunteer extraordinaire' Jane Matz.

Steve’s last day with DB is Monday, Feb. 28th. He’ll be working in the office from 10am – 3pm. And yes, he’ll be working as usual to insure a smooth transition to the next incarnation of Discover Burien, but will be available to say goodbye to anyone who wants to stop by. Sadly, you can also say goodbye to “volunteer extraordinaire” Jane Matz, who is retiring to travel. You can bid farewell at 620 SW 150th on Monday.

Always a Burien cheerleader, Steve wanted as one of his final public interviews to make sure our readers know that the next BEST: Burien Education Seminar Talks will feature Cox Financial’s Brian Frederick (and DB Vice President) speaking about “Financial Strategies for the New Economy” at Cox’s offices (112 SW 157th in Burien) from 9:30am – 10:30am on March 4th.

What’s next for Steve? He’s off to be an Account Manager for Haakenson Group, a manufactur’s rep for Knoll Furniture office furniture systems in Tukwila. When asked about selling furniture and what he knew about office furniture, Steve replied:

“My experience with office furniture is that I use it all the time.”

We know he’ll bring his Mojo with him, and that he’ll do just fine selling rather than sitting on office furniture systems.

Dane Johnson & Kathy Justin accepting the city of Burien's Community Leader Award in 2009.

As we first reported last week, a waterfront home belonging to prolific Burien artists Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin was severely damaged on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 23rd, after a horrendous overnight storm battered the house so hard it got dislodged from its foundation.

Numerous neighbors, friends and even strangers who saw our urgent, online call for help responded quickly, helping the couple rescue and move belongings from the condemned house up steep, slick stairs to safety.

Dane and Kathy were not injured, but they lost their house, which now sits broken and vacant on the north beach of Three Tree Point, tipping towards the water and ready for demolition, or, perhaps…recovery? No one really knows for sure yet, but the city’s dreaded red tag of doom anoints the upper staircase.

Several other bulkheads in the area were damaged as well by the storm, which had gusts up to 40mph as well as a possible storm surge. Some reports are that up to six feet of beach was eroded overnight by the high waves, which relentlessly battered everything they hit.

A Dane and Kathy Disaster Fund has been set up, with a Facebook Page that has info on how to donate.

We managed to get a hold of the couple between their hectic new (and hopefully temporary) lifestyle of trying to find a new place to live, track their belongings and just get through typical day-to-day life after living through a major, personal disaster.

Here’s our exclusive Question and Answer with them about surviving their “personal Katrina”:

How long had you lived at that house?

A little over a decade.

Did you ever feel endangered in it prior to this storm?

No, most wind storms have come in from the south and have never been anywhere close to this big.

What was it like the night of the storm?

We lost power about 5pm the previous day (Monday, Nov. 22nd) and we were camping out in the living room trying to keep warm. The wind storm got progressively worse throughout the evening. At about 5:30am in the morning the breakwater broke and the house shifted and broke the gas line. From that point on it was our focus to get the gas off and to remove as many personally functional and sentimental items as we could.

Did you ever feel in danger during the storm?

We have been through many big storms in the past and did not really feel in danger, but the increased winds and direction of this one really made this one different.

After you knew something was seriously wrong, what did you do?

We called 911 for the fire department and tried to put out the fire in the fireplace because I was unable to turn the gas off.

Do you have insurance? Will it cover this?

We are insured, as of this moment our insurer has not let us know if they will be covering this incident. We have been told it could take a few weeks before they make a judgment, until then we are on our own.

A lot of friends and neighbors showed up to help move stuff – did you get everything out?

We got most items out that had personal and sentimental value, the larger easily replaced items were left for last and most of those did not make it. The house was deemed too unsafe at that point.

What do you think of the people who showed up to help?

The support of the Burien community, our friends and those who responded to the various media stories was overwhelming. At one point there was a fire line from the house all the way to the street moving our stuff out which is about a 15 story climb. Other people arranged a storage facility (the only one that was open) and arranged to transport most of our salvaged items to that 10×30 locker.

We are still in shock and awestruck over the amount of support we received Tuesday.

Have you ever been through anything like this before?

I’ve been in an earthquake in another location where we had several days to evacuate but never in a situation where we had just a couple of hours to gather our wits and belongings.  We are very thankful to everyone who helped us.

A fund has been created (Facebook Page here) – what do you guys need?=

We appreciate all of the support we have received already and are coming to realize how long and expensive this process will be, espescially since we are still unsure of our insurance claim status. The fund that was set up for us by friends (see the Facebook Page here) was a surprise but we are now very thankful it is there considering what is ahead of us.

Where are you staying now?

We were in a hotel that the Red Cross organized for us but are currently in a neighbors guest apartment. It is very nice and makes us feel alot more human. We are working on a longer term solution. A challenge when you still have to pay your mortgage, but we are hopefull that something very positive will workout.

What’s going to happen to the house?

We do not know nor can we speculate. We are currently in limbo waiting for insurance as I know several other homeowners on the beach are too.  We are not the only casualty of the storm and many of our neighbors are also dealing with the outcome of the wind storm.

What kinds of things have people done to help you? (I might do another story on people donating/helping you out if there’s enough for one).

Number one , help us get most of our stuff out, organized a location for it to go to and got it there. So much was going on that day and we were/are both in shock, there is no way we could have lead that evacuation so efficiently.

People have been making calls on our behalf to try and give us directions to concentrate on, the Army Corp of engineers, and the City of Burien while we try to make progress with Allstate. Others have helped us find a clean, dry and pleasant place to stay for a few days while we get our feet back under us and others have brought us warm home cooked food.

We still do not have a total grasp on how many people and who all helped us, Kathy and I are both suffering from mild colds and shock.  We think and seem to have an never ending list of must-do’s but we are healthy and together and just flat out amazed at our community. We feel we can not express our thanks enough. Thank You to everyone who helped us.

Any other thoughts?

We just want to thank everyone again for the tremendous amount of help on Tuesday and for their ongoing support including the Burien businesses like Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub, Burien Press, The Mark and Elliott Bay Brewery who have helped us with our sanity by keeping us fed while we were in shock.

The effect of this event has many sides but witnessing the community come out and support not only us but our neighbors has been incredible.

It made us realize over this holiday weekend all that we can be thankful for.

Following is a Sound Slideshow Produced by Scott Schaefer of damage done to the house, using photos shot by Todd Gardiner (© 2010, used with permission), and one of the house in its normal state courtesy Guy Harper, set to the melodramatic 1906 public domain song “Home Sweet Home” by Irving Gillette (be sure your speakers are turned up):

Click to Play Sound Slideshow

by Mark Neuman

“Running for office is the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” said Geoffrey (Mac) McElroy, Navy veteran and proprietor of the Triangle Tavern and candidate for State Representative from the 34th District earlier this campaign season.

“It was great meeting people and getting a sense of what the community is feeling in terms of the issues of the day,” McElroy said. “The experience was wonderful.”

McElroy, running as an independent against three Democrats, finished third in the August primary, behind Joe Fitzgibbon and Mike Heavey, but ahead of Marcee Stone who had earned the endorsement of the 34th District Democrats.

The 34th District covers, essentially, Burien, White Center, West Seattle, Vashon Island and Maury Island. The Triangle Tavern, which McElroy purchased, refurbished and shot back to life in the recent years, sits just a few keg lengths inside the Seattle city limits, where West Seattle meets White Center.

McElroy readily agreed to an interview with The B-Town Blog, following a busy lunch rush the afternoon of Election Day, a few hours before the first batch of election results were released. Subsequently, Joe Fitzgibbon emerged with a solid lead over his opponent, Mike Heavey.

'Mac' McElroy listens to eventual election winner Joe Fitzgibbon at a B-Town Blog Candidates Forum.

“Owning a bar I can listen to an unsolicited cross section of people’s opinions pretty much all the time,” McElroy said. “I believe that the number one issue we are all facing in this district, this county, this state and the nation is the fiscal crisis.”

When asked to comment on “the two gentlemen I ran against (Fitzgibbon and Heavey),” McElroy said “They are both very idealistic. They are well grounded in their party, but I don’t think they bring a wealth of experience to the table. I am very much hopeful that whoever comes out on top will have the integrity to vote their conscience and not the party line.”

Whoever does win, McElroy said “I will be looking very closely at their voting record in the legislature.”

“There is a very solid possibility I will be running (for office) in the future, though not necessarily for the legislature,” McElroy said. “There is always the (Seattle) city council and the King County council.

“It is important to me that I find a way that I can give service to my community. Whatever that is will point to the course that I follow.”

While McElroy was not willing to prognosticate yesterday on who might emerge as the new representative, he did say that he was gratified that many people in the recent three weeks have told him they wrote in “Geoffrey (Mac) McElroy” on their ballots.

“I appreciate all the support I have been given across party lines in the community,” he said.

McElroy turned 47 years old on Wednesday, Nov. 3. How was he going to spend the day?

“I’ll be enjoying the day, out of the spotlight, taking a look and seeing what happens. We are not, as a society, in bad enough straits that people will change their behavior. The status quo will remain for the time being.”

by Jack Mayne

Diana Toledo says no matter what happens in her race for King County Council against retiring State Senator Joe McDermott, she will be on the ballot next year when the position is up for a full four-year term.

“I will either be running for reelection or I will be running for election, you heard it here first,” says the feisty 38-year-old political neophyte.

Her 15 years on the King County payroll included working in the regulatory licensing department and later with county taxicab licensing and elections, then was brought in to assist with problems in the county animal regulation division, she says.

During a period of turmoil in the general area of licensing and permits, Toledo says her county licensing regulation division was largely ignored by her superiors, leaving her in effective charge. When she was brought into the animal welfare division, she again says her superiors downplayed the problems she was intent in getting fixed.

Then Toledo went on maternity leave, but as she was about to return to work, she says she was told not to come back in an e-mail from superiors. She maintains the county would not even allow her to come into the office to get her personal belongings, which were sent to her several weeks later.

She says she decided to take the “high road” and to run for the King County Council rather than bring a lawsuit in Superior Court seeking her job back.

“I could have left (for other jobs) and made a lot of money, but I love King County and I knew I made a difference every day on the job,” Toledo says.

“When I lost my job, people asked me if I was angry,” she says. “The truth is I am not angry, I am not bitter about it, because the truth is I could have kept my job (but) I was raising concerns brought to me by our front-line staff.” She believes she could have kept her job by not pushing those complaints and problems up to her bosses.

She also says she did not file for the County Council job because of Joe McDermott, the other candidate for the job.

“I did not follow politics, I was too busy raising a family and working full-time,” she says. “I am running to raise awareness for the reforms that were needed in King County government. It is a broken system, it is grossly mismanaged and we need to eliminate the waste and inefficiency that exists.”

“When Dow (Constantine) was running on those platforms, I was for him 100 percent because I knew that what was needed.”

She says her opponent, McDermott, has been in the Legislature for 10 years “and when has he shown any real leadership? What has he championed? He has voted party line. And he is (running) because it will triple his salary (from that of a part-time state senator).”

She says she would foster more togetherness on the Council, which she notes still meets in political party caucuses, even though voters made the council nonpartisan a few years ago.

Diana Toledo speaks at the Sept. 29 B-Town Blog Candidates Forum.

“I know it will be difficult and I may be a caucus of one for a while, but things will change over time,” she maintains.

The Seattle Times reported her campaign has reported about $15,000 in contributions, compared with McDermott’s $100,000, which comes from labor unions, businesses, a gay-rights committee and other sources.

The primary in August ended with McDermott getting 60 percent of the vote to Toledo’s 19 percent as she overcame two other candidates. Those candidates, Normandy Park City Councilmember Shawn McEvoy and political newcomer Tim Fahey, have endorsed Toledo.

She says the county council “must engage employers with business friendly laws that encourage job creation, growth, and retention,” and that she will “work hard to create business tax incentives encouraging job growth and a stronger economy. I will fight to remove the bureaucratic red-tape and eliminate hurdles that limit our local business’s chances for success.”

Diana Toledo is her maiden name, her husband is Jerry Palmer and he owns a small Website design business in West Seattle.

Palmer sold his earlier business a few years ago so they could buy a house and start a family, she says, and he now works from home designing Web sites.

The couple has three daughters.

She says she was the primary breadwinner until earlier this year when she was let go by King County government, a move she says happened because she was a whistle-blower as a mid-level county official.

She says her husband has been trying to increase his business to make up for her loss of income and health insurance, but the struggling economy has not helped his efforts.

Toledo grew up in Seattle, graduated in 1990 from Nathan Hale High School, and then graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis on finance from the University of Washington in 1994.

Her father, Lauriston Robello Toledo, immigrated to the United States from the Philippine province of Cavite. He earned his U.S. citizenship by serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He currently works as a delivery truck driver and lives in Burien.

She says parents had a difficult marriage that ended in divorce. Her mother subsequently remarried.

“It was a difficult time for a mixed race couple (her mother is Scotch-Irish) in the 1970s in Seattle,” she says, resulting in half brothers that did not look like her because of different fathers. She says the family problems have stabilized and she has good relations with both her parents.

For years, she says, it was a tough existence with her family on welfare. But she says it caused her to work harder, get better grades and later was the first in her family to go to university.