Danger Pushes Family Out

Bidding farewell to East Sprague

There’s an ache in his chest every time Don Kaufmann thinks about his former neighborhood.

For 13 years, Kaufmann planted trees in his yard, sipped coffee with neighbors, cooked dinner in his house at East First and Magnolia.

Two months ago, he put his house up for sale and moved his family away.

Fearing the empty house will be vandalized, Kaufmann drops his dogs off in the yard each morning. He also sleeps in the dining room on some nights.

Kaufmann is having trouble letting go of his old home, but when he thinks about the safety of his wife and son, he has no choice.

“Up until about six months ago, we thought we were going to be here probably for life,” the 47-year-old security guard said. “But last year was one of the worst years I can remember.”

The questioning began last spring. Were they safe in their East Sprague neighborhood? How could they protect themselves?

Summer hit hard. Kaufmann ran drug dealers from street corners. Strangers propositioned his wife Ulrike, a public health nurse.

A few months ago, another family moved out, saying their children had been molested by someone in the neighborhood.

The Kaufmanns suddenly were afraid for their 6-year-old son, Joshua.

“We couldn’t have that happening to him,” Kaufmann said. “We couldn’t.”

The family moved to northwest Spokane near Nine Mile Road.

“We make a good living,” the father said. “It didn’t make sense to be in the poorer neighborhood and have to deal with the drug dealers when you can afford a better place.

“I know (moving) was probably the best thing for us,” he said. “But sometimes I feel like I’m abandoning the people around here.”

Kaufmann has always lived in the East Sprague area. He met Ulrike there. They bought their butter-yellow, two-story house in 1985.

It was a rough place to live, but that didn’t matter to them. They made improvements to the house, became watchful neighbors for other families. St. Ann’s Catholic Church relied on Kaufmann’s volunteer work.

But when Joshua was born, the worry grew.

“My son wanted to Rollerblade around the block,” Kaufmann said. “It was getting harder and harder to keep an eye on him. With kids you have to be so vigilant.”

That vigilance finally meant walking away from the neighborhood.

“I’m really attached to this place,” said Kaufmann, who has decided to accept an offer on the house. “But you have to be smart.

“We did what we think is best. That doesn’t mean we won’t miss this place.”

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