Ema Morgan, 13-weeks

Jennifer Morgan, 28

Columbia City is reeling.

Renee Morgan came home yesterday morning, three days before Christmas, and found her family shot dead. Her daughter, Jennifer Morgan, was 28. Her granddaughter, Ema Morgan, was only 13-weeks old. The family lived together on Beacon Hill, a short walk from McPherson’s Fruit & Produce. Renee is well-known in Columbia City neighborhood from her work at Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizza since 2004, when the restaurant opened.

Ema’s dad, Daniel Thomas Hicks, is considered armed and dangerous.

Here are two things that neighbors can do to help.

The community is gathering at a candlelight vigil in support of Renee Morgan. It’ll start at 5:30 p.m., Christmas Eve, at the 1300 Block of S Ferdinand ST.

The family has also set up a memorial fund for Ema and Jennifer. Times are tight, but the contribution you make will make a difference. Here is the address:

Jennifer and Ema Morgan Memorial Fund
Washington Federal Savings Bank
4800 Rainier Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98118

No family deserves this.

UPDATE: Daniel Hicks was arrested December 28 in Northern California. (h/t Seattle Times’ The Blotter)

more coverage:

• Shootings near 13th & Ferdinand | Beacon Hill Blog
• Manhunt in slaying of mother, child on Beacon Hill | Seattle Times
• Mom, baby killed in Beacon Hill identified | Kiro TV
• Victims in Seattle killings identified | KOMO News

Share/Save

No related posts.

Share/Save

No related posts.

Tomorrow is Link Light Rail’s inaugural weekend. Everyone expects huge, happy throngs to converge. Columbia City is ready. Bring it on.

(Photo by rutlo, available under an Attribution-NonCommercial Creative Commons license)

Share/Save

No related posts.

Here’s a shot looking north from near the bank (across from the movie theater). It was just starting to snow again. As you can see, there aren’t many cars on the road, let alone parked.

Still, it was a weekend day, so quite a few people were out trying to enjoy the snow. That said, I don’t think this woman was having much fun trying to push that stroller through the snow.

The lucky Number 7 was faring better than she was. As of today, however, bus service is still running less than half its normal routes (in fact, number 14 isn’t running at all). Make sure you call for information, (206)553‑3000 before you head out, or check transit.metrokc.gov.

In fact, you’ll probably do better with the 7 than these bikes!

Share/Save

No related posts.

As Andrew Sullivan says, “Know Hope.”

I see Lee’s photographs and wish that I’d been able to be there. Did you and your friends go? Tell us, what did you see, do, feel?

(Photos by Lee LeFever, available under an Attribution-NonCommercial Creative Commons license)

Share/Save

No related posts.

The Rainier Valley Historical Society hosts a rare Open House this Friday evening, November 7th between 6:00–9:00 p.m., during Columbia City's monthly BeatWalk event. Check out the RVHS's new window display honoring politicians with Rainier Valley roots.

From Director Mikala Woodward's article, "The Rainier Valley's diverse political roots run deep":

The 37th District has produced many firsts—the first African American in the State House (Charles Stokes), State Senate (George Fleming), and Seattle City Council (Sam Smith). Albert Rosellini was the first Italian American governor west of the Mississippi, breaking through the Catholic barrier four years before John F. Kennedy was elected President. Gary Locke was the first Asian governor on the mainland, and the only Chinese American governor the United States has seen so far.

Don't miss the opportunity! I'd never visited the RVHS because it typically is open for visitors only every Wednesday—Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., or by appointment.

[Update: Apparently, when you create a display of pioneering Rainier Valley politicians, Rainier Valley dignitaries drop by to see it! Plus remarkable video of a self-waving flag. You read that right. Mikala tells all in Feeling Patriotic Yet?]

The Rainier Valley Historical Society collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets the history and heritage of Rainier Valley and its people, and promotes public involvement in and appreciation of its history and culture.

The Historical Society maintains an extensive archival collection of over 1,500 photographs of historic Rainier Valley, as well as newspaper clippings, maps, letters, artifacts, and documents depicting the Valley's development since 1853. The Historical Society is a wonderful resource for educators, historians, students, and anyone interested in the heritage of the Rainier Valley.

Rainier Valley Historical Society | 3710 S Ferdinand St 98118, (206) 722-2838, rvhsoffice

[geomashupmap]

(Photos by Columbia City Blog, available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license)

Share/Save

Related posts:

• Rainier Valley Heritage Festival 2009 ...

These kids spilling out of the school killed me. They said they’d held a Kids Vote at the New School. Let’s see, Barack Obama got 338 votes to John McCain’s 35. Rough day for John! Bob Barr (I know!) got 5 votes. Each of the “girls” got 4 votes apiece, I’m told. These kids have a pretty impressive head for numbers. Better than mine, anyway.

These residents had just cast their votes:

Arthur Pressley has lived in the Columbia City area for 40 years. He has voted in every election. He is 74 years old.

I also got some election literature which had a Chinese translation on the back. Is Chinese really the dominant second language in Columbia City? Makes no sense to me.

Mernie Zahnow is a King County poll worker who is a Columbia City resident. She is 82 years old. She wanted a copy of her portrait but did not have an email address. I took her street address instead.

I filled out an absentee ballot on November 3rd at home with the aid of endorsement grids that I found on the internet. I almost could not imagine myself standing for as long as many of these voters did — without internet access — to fill out a ballot.

King and Pierce Counties are the only ones left this year to offer polling stations like these. They will soon join the rest of Washington State in having an all-mail voting system. Like the stickers said, “Farewell to polls.”

Katie L. Wilson is a King County poll worker who lives in the Central Area. She’s been a poll worker for at least 26 years and is 79 years old.

Teachers at the Columbia School led their classes through the gymnasium intermittently to show their students an historic, real-life civics lesson.

Trish Emory and Jill Tonge-Seymour (joined by a Columbia City resident who had just voted) were smiling and waving Obama-Biden signs at the corner of S Ferdinand St and Rainier Ave S. They were getting lots of happy honks. They don’t live in the neighborhood but today wanted to stand at a corner where they felt a strong connection.

[UPDATE: Victory! The 37th District Democrats celebrated at Columbia City Theater. Will Austin’s photos show how it went down.]

(Photos by Columbia City Blog, available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license)

No related posts.

Yesterday was me and the little tyke’s first time out.

She was made to go trick-or-treating in her civvies because she had peed in her bumblebee costume earlier.

At first she was shy saying “Trick or treat” to strangers, but was soon roaring out a full-throated version. Still, “Happy Halloween” was sometimes rendered as “Happy jack-o’-lantern!”

We had fun.

Update: see 174 more photos at Halloween at Gather.

(Photos by Columbia City Blog, available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license)

No related posts.

From The Adventures of the Kidde Woodward Family, “Our House is a Disaster (But We Don’t Mind a Bit)”:

Several hundred people overflowed our house yesterday, breaking all previous attendance records for the Pumpkin Carving Party.

(Photos by tqn69, available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license)

No related posts.

Columbia City Blog must now admit to a intensely-felt, long-held blog crush on Mid Beacon Hill Blog. (This is so bl*gging public.)

It’s even stronger today because, on this perfect Autumn day, the fair JvA visited our Columbia City and poked in at a few of my favorite haunts: Lottie’s Lounge, Gather Gallery and the very last Farmer’s Market of the season.

She has photos, of course.

I doubt there will be a day this nice again for the rest of the year.

(PHOTOS: © Mid Beacon Hill)

No related posts.

No related posts.