White Center Now: The blog about White Center

A big bike ride in and near White Center, West Seattle, and beyond is set for Sunday (June 27th), and Cascade Bicycle Club spokesperson Paul Tolmé emailed the announcement to be sure you know:

Cascade Bicycle Club’s Ride for Major Taylor will take place this Sunday. We would like to alert residents that there will be bicycles on the roads (and many youth bicyclists) and we ask for drivers to be alert and aware of our youth bicyclists. Cascade and its Major Taylor Project would also like to thank residents for being courteous to our riders.

And due to the forecast heat, we’d also like to let residents know that we encourage them to come out and cheer on our riders — and maybe offer willing riders a spray from the garden hose to cool off :)

Above is the 26-mile route map (see the route’s turn-by-turn description on the second page here); below, the 65-mile route (or here, with turn-by-turn on the second page).

Both start from the bicycle playground at Dick Thurnau Park. Registration is closed, as they maxed out at 500 riders. P.S. The ride is a benefit for the Major Taylor Project; read about its namesake, a superstar runner and rider in the 19th/20th centuries, here.

We mentioned three months ago that this was in the works – and now the first public meeting about it will bring out lots of information. Tomorrow (Thursday) night, you’re invited to come hear about the “traffic garden” planned at Dick Thurnau Memorial Park. From the King County Parks website:

In collaboration with King County Parks, White Center CDA, the YES Foundation and other community partners, Cascade Bicycle Club is building the state’s first traffic garden in Dick Thurnau Memorial Park. The park already has a happenin’ disk golf course but an often forgotten tennis court which allows for the perfect space to build a traffic garden. Come to the meeting to see the proposals and give your feedback We would love to hear your input!

Hold up, what’s a traffic garden? It’s a miniature streetscape for youth and adults to learn to practice bike handling and traffic safety. Although the concept is relatively new in the United States, traffic gardens have been in use in other countries for many years (see video above). They are particularly helpful in learning appropriate bike etiquette. Bikes are becoming much more common in King County and with new confusing systems such as bike boxes (those giant green squares) it’s so important for cyclists to understand the rules of the road. Once the facility is built, Cascade will offer youth and adult bicycling programs at the traffic garden.

The meeting is tomorrow night, 5:30-7:30 pm at Dick Thurnau Park in the TAF Bethaday Community Learning Space (605 SW 108th).

Lakewood Park in White Center is now officially Dick Thurnau Memorial Park. Thanks to Gill Loring for photos from the recent celebration in the Bethaday Community Space that TAF maintains at the park.

Those who attended got to see and hear local student musicians perform:

Mr. Thurnau died in May of last year; you can read about his life in this remembrance we published. Last month, the County Council passed the ordinance renaming the park in his honor; it was sponsored by local Councilmember Joe McDermott.

As mentioned here over the summer, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott has been championing the request to rename Lakewood Park in honor of the man who fought so hard for it and its little lake, Dick Thurnau. Today, he and his colleagues made it official:

Dick Thurnau was an activist, amateur historian and a recognizable face in the White Center community. He used his love of history to help in the restoration of the name of the lake near his home. Today, the Metropolitan King County Council gave its unanimous support to rename King County’s Lakewood Park to Dick Thurnau Memorial Park in recognition of his life of service to the White Center Community and this park in particular.

“The legacy that Dick left for White Center is in the vibrancy of this park, a welcoming and invaluable neighborhood resource,” said Council Vice Chair Joe McDermott, the sponsor of the legislation. “I am glad to work with the community to honor Dick’s dedication to the community.”

In 1948, newlywed Dick Thurnau and wife Helen purchased their home in the White Center community, next to Lakewood Park. Even though Thurnau moved from the neighborhood to work for Mack Trucks, he kept his home near the Park.

When he retired from Mack Trucks, Thurnau returned to his home and became a strong advocate for the neighborhoods that make up White Center. He led efforts to reduce storm water runoff into Lake Hicks, the lake within Lakewood Park, and the restoration of the park, which had become the home of a disc golf course.

In his efforts to help keep Lake Hicks clean, Thurnau discovered that the lake was originally named after Leonard Hicklin, one of the early settlers of the area that is today White Center. Thurnau worked to have the Hicklin name restored and was rewarded for his effort in 2011 when he received a letter from the United States Board on Geographic Names stating that they had approved his proposal in renaming Lake Hicks to Lake Hicklin.

In recognition to his devotion to the White Center Community, a number of neighborhood groups recommended the renaming of the Lakewood Park in memory of Thurnau.

Mr. Thurnau died in May 2014 at age 89.

From the Cascade Bicycle Club‘s newsletter, word of something new on the way to Lakewood Park:

The Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation is honored to be the recipient of a 2016 Youth Sports Facilities grant from King County Parks. This grant will provide $75,000 for the creation of a new traffic garden in White Center in Lakewood Park.

The White Center traffic garden will be a bicycle skills park where learners of all ages and abilities can practice bicycling in a safe, car-free environment. With on-site bicycle storage, traffic signs and real-world infrastructure elements, the Traffic Garden will be the perfect place to come and learn about bicycle safety.

The newsletter says groundbreaking is expected early next year, “with programming beginning in the spring.” We’ll be checking with Cascade later today to find out more.

Following up on County Councilmember Joe McDermott‘s announcement last month, he’s sent word that you are welcome to come tell a Council committee next Tuesday (September 29th) what you think about renaming Lakewood Park in honor of its longtime champion, Dick Thurnau:

At the request of many in the community, I have introduced legislation renaming Lakewood Park in honor of Dick Thurnau, a longtime neighbor and advocate for the park. The legislation will be considered by the Council’s Transportation, Environment, and Economy (TrEE) Committee on Tuesday, September 29th. This meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am.

I invite all interested individuals to attend the upcoming meeting to share your thoughts about this proposal to rename Lakewood Park to Dick Thurnau Park:

What: Transportation, Environment and Economy meeting
Where: Council Chambers, King County Courthouse, 10th floor
Time: 9:30 am

Directions to the Courthouse can be found here; just scroll to the bottom of the page. A meeting agenda will be posted later this week.

Further comment would be welcome when the legislation is before the full Council sometime following committee action.

If you’re not able to make the committee meeting, please consider emailing your comments to me at Joe.McDermott@kingcounty.gov. You can also watch the meeting on KCTV’s Live Stream on the day of the meeting.

(WCN photo of Dick Thurnau from 2008)
More than a year after the death of longtime community advocate Dick Thurnau, the King County Council will soon consider an ordinance renaming Lakewood Park in his honor. Councilmember Joe McDermott just sent a copy of the ordinance that he put together “with a number of White Center community groups … They see this as an opportunity to create a legacy for someone who worked so hard to improve a struggling aspect of the community into something that could be widely enjoyed by many.” Mr. Thurnau lived steps from the park and worked tirelessly to both tend it personally and advocate for it and its little lake, plagued by water-quality problems that have been lessened via remedies for which he fought. Councilmember McDermott says the park-name proposal “will likely go before the King County Council not long after our summer recess, which concluded this week.” We’ll keep an eye on the council calendar to watch for a meeting date and comment opportunities. Meantime, read the proposed ordinance here, or below:

One week ago tonight, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council heard from King County Sheriff John Urquhart. Above, you can watch our video of his almost-40-minute appearance. His topics included staffing – hopes of increasing it in unincorporated North Highline, for example – and working on diversity. “I have a white male police department right now,” he declared. “I cannot have a successful police department unless I mirror the community … but it’s difficult, it’s difficult recruitment.” Among other things, he talked about changing county policies so that candidates who speak a second language, for example, get more civil-service points.

He talked about the beat cop being the ultimate model of law enforcement, and joined NHUAC in paying tribute to the late Deputy Steve Cox, who was killed eight years ago. Deputy Cox had exemplified the ideal model of law enforcement, the “beat cop,” noted Sheriff Urquhart.

Two members of his force who focus on specific beats spoke next – Joe Winters, who is lead deputy on park patrol, and new White Center storefront Deputy Julian Chivington, who talked about crime stats, including an increase in residential burglary:

One more note – NHUAC members are working on getting a memorial in Lakewood Park in honor of Dick Thurnau, who lived nearby and devoted so many years to advocating for the park’s beleaguered Hicklin Lake. They are even talking to local legislators to see if there’s a chance the park could be renamed in his honor.

Watch the NHUAC website for word of the council’s next meeting and other information between meetings.

Here’s one coming up in Lakewood Park, presented by a group of local churches:

Zoo-Mazing VBS Daycamp

July 28-31, 1-4:30 pm

Lakewood Park (11050 10th Ave SW)

Kids entering grades 1-6

FREE

Register or more info at: www.westsidefoursquare.org
Sponsored by a team of 7 local churches

(WCN photo of Dick Thurnau from 2008)
A special honor today for a man who’s worked hard, well into what should have been his sit-back-and-rest years, to improve his neighborhood: Today is “Dick Thurnau Day” in King County, by special proclamation, it was announced at last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting. NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin shared the image of the official proclamation document:

As the proclamation acknowledges, Dick, now 89, has lived near Lakewood Park for decades and has been particularly devoted to protecting, improving, and advocating for its small lake, now known as Hicklin Lake. Just last year (WCN coverage here), “floating islands” were put in place to help improve its water quality, after a long campaign by his group Friends of Hicklin Lake to get something done. He also tended to the land side of Lakewood Park, organizing volunteer cleanups, community barbecues, and much more.

We’re told Dick is in a new fight now, having recently been diagnosed with cancer. If you would like to send well-wishes, his address is 1031 SW 112th, zip code 98146.

Recently, we were among those CC’d on a letter from Friends of Hicklin Lake to the King County Parks Department. The letter voiced numerous concerns about the park, particularly regarding its use for disc golf. Christie True, who leads Natural Resources and Parks, has responded to the same mailing list with inline answers to concerns voiced by the citizens’ group (which are in bold, inbetween her answers):

Thank you for your e-mail sharing your concerns about the use of King County’s Lakewood Park and Hicklin Lake by the disc golf community. As you mention, Lakewood Park is a public park and is open to all users for both passive and active recreational activities.

As a general overview of Lakewood Parks and its may features and uses, you may know that it is unique in that it is the home of the only disc golf course (established in 1989) in the King County park system. In addition to the public disc golf course, Lakewood Park has three picnic shelters, a playground area, restrooms, walking path around Hicklin Lake and is the new home of the Technology Access Foundation Learning Center (TAF).

Lakewood Park is used by the local community on a daily basis, as well as the site of community picnics and events, church groups, family picnics and reunions. Many of the community events are not charged for the use of the park. The new concession at Lakewood Park sells disc golf equipment as well as snacks and beverages and is open to the public. The Parks and Recreation Division (Parks) receives revenue each month from the new concessionaire and also receives revenue from user fees for picnics and other activities.

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to each of your concerns which I have provided below:

Is politics controlling reality in our local park? That seems to be evident, where one group of players is allowed to take over a public park for their benefit. Their web site notes “every nook and cranny of the park” has been utilized.

From our observations we find the following:

This King County public park is Lakewood Park/Hicklin Lake, located in the heart of White Center, and has been turned into a single sport arena, remaining a “park” in name only.

Lakewood Park is used by the local community on a daily basis, as well as the site of community picnics and events, church groups, family picnics and reunions throughout the year.

The disc golf community has given countless hours to volunteer projects over the years. In addition, they work with the local school district offering disc golf classes to the middle and high school students.

King County personnel defend, with lame embarrassing excuses, both of the illegal activities which occur in connection with this sport and the environmental damage to the park landscape.

Many of the illegal activities that occur at the park cannot be resolved by Parks alone as we do not have legal enforcement authority and must rely on other King County agencies, such as the King County Sheriff and Animal Control, to enforce King County regulations.

The exchange continues ahead – again, what’s in bold is what was voiced by Friends of Hicklin Lake: Read the rest of this entry »

The citizens who have long fought to get some water-quality help for White Center’s Hicklin Lake share word of progress at the county level. Dick Thurnau and Marcia Wollam from Friends of Hicklin Lake received this update from Kevin Brown of King County Parks:

Earlier this year we spoke with many of you about a proposal to make improvements to Lake Hicklin within Lakewood Park. With your support, enthusiasm and a tremendous amount of volunteer assistance we are going to be starting our efforts to restore Lake Hicklin to a more natural functioning wetland. As part of this process we will be working with volunteers on two occasions this coming winter to install new and more appropriate vegetation along the shores of Lake Hicklin. The first event which will take place the last week in November will result in willow stakes being planted along the shore. A second effort will be scheduled in February in which we will again work with volunteers to plant additional plant species via potted stock. These efforts will be led by Tina Miller, a wetland biologist and volunteer coordinator with the Parks Division – and we have AmeriCorps assistance as well.

An additional project aimed at improving water quality in the lake will install floating islands planted with native wetland vegetation in several areas around the lake during the spring and summer of 2013. Although new to this area, such islands have been used throughout the world to control algae blooms and to reduce pollutants. Two to four islands will be installed, depending on the success of a grant proposal to the Washington Department of Ecology. The island project will be managed by Sally Abella, a senior engineer with the Water and Land Resources Division.

We look forward to implementing this community project with your support and we would greatly appreciate your letting others within your organization know about the upcoming work being done. Should you have additional questions or want to see how your organization can get involved please contact Tina, Sally or myself.

Some finishing touches are still in progress at the Technology Access Foundation (TAF)’s new headquarters in White Center – the Bethaday Community Learning Space. But it’s swinging its doors open to the public, with an open house this past Wednesday night allowing a look inside, as the second of three grand-opening events that are scheduled.

The new building in Lakewood Park is not only the headquarters of a vibrant education organization – it also has space to be made available to the public for rentals. And of course, it’s wired to the max:

Read more about it – and the organization’s programs – on the TAF website.

Happening tonight! From TAF, as shared by White Center Community Development Association:

June is just around the corner, don’t forget to mark your calendar for this family-friendly preview event at Technology Access Foundation’s new home in White Center – the Bethaday Community Learning Space. BBQ, games, tours and fun for the whole family. Come and help spread the word – it’s time to celebrate and warm up our new home together!

Date: Friday, June 1st

Time: 5-8 pm

Location: Lakewood Park, White Center

10916 10th Avenue SW

From North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin, looking ahead to NHUAC’s Thursday night meeting (7 pm, North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 112th SW):

NHUAC is pleased to have Sherry Williams, Deputy Director of TAF (Technology Access Foundation), provide updates on the soon to be operational Community Learning Center at Lakewood Park. Please join us to hear the exciting news and updates of this new addition to White Center.

Here’s the agenda:

7:00 pm Call to Order – Flag Salute – Roll Call –
Approval of Agenda – Approval of Minutes
7:05 pm Public Announcements
7:10 pm Public Comment
3minutes for Individuals
5 minutes for Groups

7:15 pm Mike Martin, Burien City Manager
7:20 pm Deputy BJ Myers

7:30 pm Sherry Williams, Deputy Director
Technology Access Foundation

7:50 pm Treasurer’s Report
8:00 pm Committee Reports
1. Governance
2. Arts and Parks
3. Public Safety
4. Housing and Human Services
5. Public Outreach
6. Transportation

8:05 pm Unfinished Business/Old Business
• Flower Bed Planting (100 ST & 16th Ave, SW)
• Flag Pole and Flag at SCMP
• Bylaws
• Jubilee Days

8:10 pm New Business
• May Agenda
• May 10 Public Safety Forum

(Rendering of new center)
Announced today via news release (read it in its entirety here): A financing deal that’s part of the package for the TAF center in Lakewood Park has closed. Here’s how the $ shakes out:

Financing for the facility was supplied by multiple public and private partners. Enterprise Community Investment, one of the largest allocatees of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), provided $12.5 million in NMTC allocation. A $2.9 million bridge loan was financed by Enterprise Community Loan Fund, which used proceeds from the sale of its Enterprise Community Impact Note to fund part of the loan. The Seattle Foundation made a $1 million investment in the Note last April as part of its commitment to support development of projects that promote the health of local communities. Impact Capital participated in the bridge loan by providing $1.46 million of the $2.9 million in bridge financing. Other financing included $2 million from King County, $1.5 million from the State of Washington; $1 million from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; a $500,000 federal appropriation arranged by Senator Patty Murray; and $300,000 from Microsoft Corporate Community Affairs.

The three-story facility is expected to be open before year’s end.

(From left: Dow Constantine, King County Executive; Miya McClain, TAF Alum; Biruk Araya, TechStart Student; Trish Millines Dziko, TAF Executive Director; Ken Birdwell, Valve Philanthropist; Joe McDermott, 8th District King County Councilmember; Alan Spicciati, Highline Interim Superintendent)
Story, photos, and video by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

The Technology Access Foundation‘s long-awaited White Center facility has just celebrated its ceremonial groundbreaking.

Dignitaries gathered for the event celebrating the now officially named “Bethaday Community Learning Space” in White Center’s Lakewood Park A large gathering of neighbors and dignitaries gathered on a rise of gently sloping green space, a building site chosen with the environmental goal of minimal disturbance to and inclusion within the existing natural surroundings.

Nearby groves of trees will be preserved for cooling the building, as well as a number of other innovations in design and materials for the energy and water efficient building.

TAF executive director Trish Millines Dziko explained to the gathering that the new official name of the facility is a consolidation of two inspired individuals in education and science, Mary McLeod Bethune and Michael Faraday. Dziko also noted that 92% of the fundraising has been completed and encouraged the participants to support the final efforts to secure the remaining funds as the construction begins.

The 24,000 sq. ft. Bethaday Community Learning Space will create opportunities for White Center community members to participate in computing, financial-planning, job training and other classes, according to TAF; groups will also be able to rent spaces in the building at a low cost so programs can be operated which benefit the community, including out-of-school options.

Ken Birdwell, founder of Valve, and a philanthropist supportive of TAF, told WCN that he is looking forward to coming back to Bethaday in ten years to hire the future engineers he will need in his own computer game industry who will have been inspired to pursue science and technology careers within the Bethaday Learning Community.

Friday’s festivities also included performances – here’s the WC-based Tanoa Polynesian Dance Group:

For more about the project, check out this webpage.

It’s been a long time in the making, but Dick Thurnau of Friends of Hicks Lake tells WCN Technology Access Foundation has announced August 26th as the groundbreaking date for the long-long-awaited learning center in Lakewood Park (home of Hicks Lake). They have raised 92 percent of the $13 million needed for the three-story, 25,000 square-foot building, where students will have access to science, technology, engineering, and math (often shortened to STEM) coaching and learning. The building will be south of Lakewood Park’s upper parking lot; enter from SW 108th; the August 26th event is set for 10:30 am-noon, all welcome.

Thanks to Jim Clark for sharing photos of today’s cyclocross race at Lakewood Park, scheduled at the last minute after the permit was revoked in West Seattle. His gallery is here.

Our partner site West Seattle Blog covered a controversy yesterday afternoon regarding a cyclocross bicycle race that was scheduled to be held in Lincoln Park this Saturday, till the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department abruptly pulled the permit, saying it had committed to the community years ago that the park would no longer host such races and that it shouldn’t have granted the permit in the first place. Promoters at MFG Cyclocross started working to find an alternate site – and they have just announced that Lakewood Park is the alternate site. We’ve also found additional details on the King County Parks news website.