White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Think the term “participatory budgeting” sounds boringly bureaucratic? Hundreds of people involved in King County arts and culture organizations and service providers would vigorously disagree, in the wake of a celebratory gathering tonight in White Center, for the organizations around urban unincorporated King County who won a share of $11 million. Here are two of them:

(WCN video)

Young poetry performers Chellsea Vales (a 6th grader from Dimmitt Middle School) and Amiracle Hayes (a 5th grader from Campbell Hill Elementary School) were there for Speak with Purpose, “the only public-speaking program directly offered in classrooms throughout King County.” Speak with Purpose is receiving $96,000 from this year’s participatory-budgeting allocations.

Though the announcement of the celebration said County Executive Dow Constantine was expected to join Local Services Director Leon Richardson, Constantine’s deputy executive Shannon Braddock was there with Richardson instead. They and PB program manager Gloria Briggs had warm words for the program, as did others who were involved in the process that started with community nominations and continued into community voting:

Many of the recipients were there to officially accept their awards, which came from two pots of money, including cannabis-related dollars that went specifically to North Highline and Skyline. Briggs announced some of the NH winners:

And there were more performances – including Evergreen High School’s own Mariachi Ocote, led by Gabriela Olivarez.

They’re part of a Highline Public Schools program that stands to get a $120,000 PB grant if the school board approves acceptance. And White Center-based Acts on Stage presented a youth performer, too, Kaia Houston, who wrote the song she sang:

Acts on Stage won two grants for two programs, $82,000 and $180,000. One of the largest contingents there to accept their grant was the Khmer Community Center group:

They’re receiving $600,000 to “finish the transformation” of their under-construction building. Other major grants for unincorporated North Highline include $750,000 for Evergreen Aquatic Center, $700,000 for the White Center Heights Elementary (where this event was held) playground, $700,000 to more brightly illuminate downtown WC, and $200,000 for the White Center Food Bank. Community voting for potential grants was held this past October.

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