White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Announced today by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council – a big topic at the next NHUAC meeting, in two weeks:

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council is pleased to be hosting representatives from Public Health at the Thursday, September 5 meeting. Information will be presented regarding the outreach and enrollment campaign, “Coverage is Here King County”. This is a county wide effort to enroll 180,000 newly eligible King County residents in Medicaid and the Health Benefit Exchange (WashingtonHealthPlanFinder) once enrollment starts on October 1, 2013. Coverage begins January 1, 2013.

All are welcome to this important presentation.

When: Thursday, Sept 5, 7 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station (1243 112th Street, SW)

Seattle City Light is getting ready to switch to a new type of “two-way meter” involving wireless communication – no more human meter readers. It’s set up three community forums around its service area as well as a website for info and comments – the first forum is tomorrow; the third one, in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood on September 26th, is the closest SCL will get to White Center/West Seattle and vicinity. Here’s the utility’s official announcement:

Seattle City Light will host the first of three community forums Wednesday, Aug. 21, regarding the utility’s plans to replace its aging electrical meters with advanced meters that will provide two-way communication.

The forums will be one of the ways customers can share their thoughts and ask questions about the new meters during this early phase of the initiative.

Forums will be held:

North
Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Northgate Community Center – Multipurpose Room
10510 5th Ave NE

Downtown
Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Seattle Center – Shaw Room
305 Harrison St.
*Shaw Room is located on the corner of 1st Ave N and Republican St. (North of Key Arena)

South
Thursday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Seattle Housing Authority NewHolly – Gathering Hall
7054 32nd Ave S

Additionally, a website has been created where visitors can get information about the project and provide comments.

Seattle City Light has been converting streetlights to LEDs around its service area for a while, but the focus has been on non-arterial streets because of concerns about how the new lights would handle the needs of major streets.

Now, City Light is getting ready to start swapping out arterial lights too. We talked with SCL’s Scott Thomsen after we spotted a published notice about the call for bids. And he says the White Center business district will be one of the first places to get the new lights, by request of the WC Chamber of Commerce, starting sometime this fall, when 88 lights will be replaced there, as well as almost two-thousand elsewhere in SCL’s service area. Advantages of LEDs include that they last three times as long, use less electricity, waste less light on non-targeted areas (which means less “light pollution”), have a better “depth of field” so that more objects are illuminated, and show colors more truly.

Just announced by the White Center Chamber of Commerce and White Center Community Development Association – these are both happening tomorrow (Tuesday, August 13th):

Two agendas. One location.

Join us for lunch or dinner to discuss issues concerning the White Center business community.

August Luncheon guest speaker: King County Executive Dow Constantine

Evening Mixer topic: Changing marijuana laws and their potential local impact in White Center

Got something to discuss or share for the next meeting?
E-mail us!
chamber@visitwhitecenter.com
vy@wccda.org

Times & Locations:

12 p.m. @ White Center Chamber of Commerce Cabin at Steve Cox Memorial Park

6 p.m. at 3.14 Bakery

Can’t make it Tuesday? Join us for happy hour on Friday!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/176949039133518/

Thanks to Dina Lydia for the video! She recorded two tribal bellydancers you might recognize from West Seattle’s legendary Troupe Hipnotica, dancing outside Aaron’s Bicycle Repair during last Thursday’s August 2013 edition of RatCity ArtCity. This month’s theme was again live performance/art, and the dancers were a lively example.

The longest of the routes involved in the inaugural Obliteride fundraising bicycle rides is going through White Center and West Seattle this morning, as riders make their way to the finish line. They rode all day Saturday, stopped in Tacoma for the night, and are finishing the ride this morning. Here’s the turn-by-turn description of the route; note that they will be in White Center around mile 36, then heading through West Seattle. They’re starting from Tacoma at 7:30 am – and the finish-line festivities at Magnuson Park in North Seattle start around 10 am – so keep an eye out for riders somewhere after 8:15, we would guesstimate.

Want to have a say on how marijuana-related businesses should be handled in unincorporated King County? Tonight’s your chance. As reported here last week, one of four county-convened meetings is happening tonight at the Technology Access Foundation’s facility at Lakewood Park, 605 SW 108th, starting with a 6 pm open house, then moving to public comment at 7.

Just announced:

It’s Taco Friday again! Tacos in the park will be offered to the White Center Community for a final time, this Friday, August 9, 2013 at Noon, with a focus on reaching those who are experiencing homelessness or struggling to make ends meet.

Taco Time Northwest continues to generously provide delicious tacos for the meal, while the outreach is supported by The White Center Homeless Summit community group, The Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, a group of local churches, businesses, and the White Center Chamber of Commerce.

Our Second Friday of the Month effort continues to average well over 40 participants, serving over 100 tacos during the 90 minute event. White Center business owners are encouraged to send people our way and let them know about the free lunch this Friday. Free lunch will be provided across the street from Steve Cox Park (1327 SW 102nd) in front of the Body of Christ Church on Friday August 9th, from 12pm – 1:30pm.

The King County Parks levy that was on yesterday’s ballot is passing with 67 percent approval and is expected to retain a victory margin throughout the vote count. So County Executive Dow Constantine has issued an official thank-you to voters:

“Thank you to the voters of King County for supporting our parks.

“King County voters have spoken clearly: We value our incredible system of 200 parks, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, thousands of acres of open space, and such regional gems as Marymoor Park and the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.

“That’s why this levy is so important. It provides more than 70 percent of the funding to keep these parks open and accessible to all.

“And what better way to celebrate the 75th anniversary of King County Parks, which operates, maintains, and enhances this legacy of fields, trails, and green spaces for the two million people of King County.

“I want to thank all the members of the Parks Levy Task Force, who volunteered countless hours of their time to protect our high quality of life here in King County. And a special thanks to all those who work for King County Parks – you do a tremendous job keeping our parks green and vibrant.

“This is a great day for our parks, for the people of King County, and for the future of this region. Thank you.”

(Jasiah, enjoying the downtown WC party)
Night Out is here – and two big events are under way in White Center – one at Steve Cox Memorial Park, and one in the downtown business district, featuring the $2 food walk – here’s the map:

Have a great time!

ADDED: While visiting the downtown party, we also spotted King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy BJ Myers:

KCSO also had a presence at the North Highline party attended by residents including Barbara Dobkin, who shared this photo featuring KCSO Sgt. Cindi West:

Beautiful night!

We are checking with the King County Sheriff’s Office to find out more, but for starters: Our partners at The Seattle Times report a man was shot outside White Center Taco Time this afternoon. There apparently was a significant police presence there at one time – but we drove by about 40 minutes ago, unaware of the incident, and noticed just one police car in the area. The Times says a man was shot in the leg, and that investigators were trying to find out who did it and why. We’ll add anything more we find out.

3:37 PM UPDATE: Just heard back from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West. She says, “We received a call of a man shot in the area of 10000 blk of 16 Ave Sw. We arrived at the Taco Time and found a male who had been shot in the ankle area. We do not have a lot of information right now. We are not getting a lot of information from the victim.”

Just a reminder that the new-this-election ballot-dropoff van is at Greenbridge Library (9720 8th SW) today until 5 pm and again tomorrow – Election Day – from 10 am until 8 pm (which is the very last moment you can vote). You also can send your ballot in via postal mail, but if you do that, you need to make sure it has proper postage (dropping it off at the van, or any one of the county’s other dropoff spots, including a van in West Seattle and fixed locations including Burien City Hall, is free).

Another Night Out event in White Center – and this one is early, so you can still go to the downtown block party, too! Here’s the official announcement:

The Annual King County Parks Night Out Against Crime Picnic is coming up on Tuesday, August 6th from 5-7pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd 98146.) The White Center Teen Program has participated in the National Night Out event for over a decade and is thrilled to invite families back to the park in 2013. In addition to the traditional Night Out crafts, games and hotdogs, the Teen Program will also be offering tours of their new demonstration garden at the Southeast corner of the park. The garden tours are especially fitting for Night Out, as the new garden was installed in the Spring of 2013 in an attempt to replace an ongoing safety concern in the park with a new, improved amenity.

In recent times, the original picnic shelter at Steve Cox Memorial Park has posed challenges for public safety and ongoing maintenance. The remote location of the shelter provided privacy for picnic goers, but it also allowed for general misuse and mistreatment of the space. King County Parks just completed construction on a more centrally located picnic shelter next to the children’s playland, and the question was raised as to what to do with the existing structure. In lieu of tearing down a beloved amenity made possible by local community groups like the WC Lions , The White Center Teen Program proposed upcycling the space and structure into a demonstration garden and greenhouse. The original shelter was converted by the County Crafts Crew in the spring of 2013, and the teens have been volunteering to build the beds, plant the crops, and maintain the garden ever since.

This year’s picnic is once again sponsored by the teens and staff of the White Center Teen Program. The WCTP offers free recreational, educational and social enrichment programming to over 800 culturally diverse participants ages 12-19 each year. The program operates five days a week, forty-eight weeks a year and provides structured recreational classes and programs, homework assistance, educational and computer resources, leadership training, volunteer opportunities, special events, field trips, and drop-in activities. Teens and staff will be providing garden themed crafts, games and snacks along with garden tours between 5-7pm on the evening of the 6th.

For additional Information, please contact Darlene Sellers, Recreation Coordinator at 206.296.2952

From the Seattle Police SPD Blotter website, an arrest this week in an indecent-exposure case that happened aboard a Metro bus traveling from White Center to West Seattle almost two months ago:

It all started on June 3rd at approximately 7:15 p.m. when the 15-year-old female victim and the 26-year-old male suspect boarded a Metro bus in the area of 15th Avenue SW and SW 102nd Street.

The suspect sat down next to the victim across the aisle. The victim heard some strange noises coming from the suspect and she turned and looked in the suspect’s direction. The suspect exposed his genitals to the victim and began masturbating. The suspect then tried to solicit a date from the victim. The victim was able to photograph the suspect before he exited the bus in the 6000 block of 16th Avenue SW.

Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit detectives initiated an investigation, positively identified the suspect and disseminated a “be on the lookout” bulletin for officers.

On July 31st at approximately 5:18 p.m. two King County Sheriff’s Office detectives spotted the suspect in the area of 15th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury. They detained the suspect and called Seattle Police.

Seattle Police patrol officers responded to the scene, took custody of the suspect and booked him into the King County Jail for Indecent Exposure.

Where should marijuana-related businesses be allowed in the unincorporated areas? King County is having four public meetings on the topic – including one in White Center one week from tomorrow. Here’s the full KC announcement:

Following the voter initiative creating a state licensing system for production and sales of recreational marijuana, a King County agency has developed proposed standards for the zoning of marijuana-related businesses that would be regulated by the state and located in unincorporated King County, outside of cities.

“The voters have mandated that marijuana-related businesses are allowed uses, so we have worked to identify appropriate zoning districts for them,” said John Starbard, director of the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review. “As a next step we now seek public input on this proposed zoning, which will define where these uses will be permitted in the unincorporated areas outside cities.”

The agency will hold four public meetings in August on the proposed legislation. All meetings will be held from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, with an open house the first hour with King County staff available to answer questions. The public comment period will begin at 7:00 pm.

Wednesday, August 7
Snoqualmie Valley area
Fall City Library
33415 SE 42nd Pl., Fall City

Thursday, August 8
North Highline area
Technology Access Foundation
605 SW 108th Street

Monday, August 12
Southeast King County
Maple Valley Library
21844 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley

Tuesday, August 13
Vashon/Maury Island
Courthouse Square
19021 Vashon Highway SW, Vashon

Among the elements of the proposed ordinance that will be discussed:

* Indoor growing and processing of marijuana would be allowed in areas zoned as Community Business, Regional Business, and Industrial.

* Outdoor growing would be limited to the Agriculture and Rural Area zones.

* Retail sales would be allowed in the Neighborhood Business, Community Business, and Regional Business Zones.

All recreational marijuana businesses operating under the system created by voters through Initiative 502 would require a valid license from the State of Washington. The initiative prohibits the siting of those businesses within 1000 feet of youth-oriented facilities such as parks, libraries, schools, child care centers, and game arcades. Proposed rules under consideration by the state would require fencing and other security measures for all licensed facilities, including outdoor growing.

The proposed King County ordinance would also codify standards existing in state statute for medical marijuana uses, by allowing individual growing and collective gardens authorized for qualifying patients under that state law. The proposed ordinance would prohibit collective gardens within 1000 feet of youth-oriented uses, the same as with recreational marijuana facilities.

Voters enacted I-502 in November to establish a regulatory system for the growing, processing, sale of marijuana for recreational purposes. The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) was charged with responsibility for implementing the regulatory system of recreational marijuana, and is expected to adopt final rules in September for the licensing of recreational marijuana businesses. Once the state rules are adopted, the WSLCB will begin accepting applications for licenses. Licensees will be required to identify the location of the business and the WSLCB will issue licenses for a specific location.

With input from the four public meetings, the County Executive is expected to submit a final proposed ordinance to the Metropolitan King County Council by the end of August.

Copies of the proposed ordinance should be ready for download by the end of the day at www.kingcounty.gov/permitting.

Ride your bike over to dine tonight at White Center’s Proletariat Pizza, and you’ll benefit a bicycling nonprofit – PP is the local participant in this year’s Spoke and Food. Here’s the full flyer for everybody participating around the metro area:

Beneficiary is Bike Works.

It’s a beautiful day, perfect for beautiful photos. White Center resident Sarah Beard kindly shared hers (thank you!) from the recent Village Green Tour of Gardens, presented by Village Green Perennial Nursery, and this seems like the right time to admire the peaking-at-midsummer scenes:

Just out of the WCN inbox:

As hot and dry weather conditions continue, the outdoor fire danger has increased. In response King County is issuing a fire safety burn ban in unincorporated areas of the County effective July 29, 2013.
 
This is a Phase 1 burn ban and applies to all outdoor burning except for small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved camp grounds or private property with the owner’s permission.  Recreational fires must:

·         Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds; and not be used as debris disposal;
·         Grow no larger than three feet in diameter;
·         Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including at least 25 feet away from any structure and allow 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches; and
·         Be attended at all times by an alert individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire.
 
For properties located within cities, please contact your local jurisdiction for requirements. This ban remains in effect until further notice.
 
For more information, visit the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review Fire Marshal website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/property/FireMarshal/BurnBanInfo.aspx
 

Happening tonight at Greenbridge Plaza! Here’s the announcement:

This Friday, July 26th, Cultivate will be hosting our 3rd annual Outdoor White Center Open Mic.

The open mic will be a joint effort by Cultivate, The White Center CDA, The YES Foundation and Dub Sea Coffee and other community members. It’s an open mic but more of a concert feel with established local artist showcasing their talents for the White Center Community.

It’s a fun free event for families to enjoy in our wonderful community of White Center. It’s also a great opportunity to showcase local talent and celebrate the community of White Center.

The event will be on July 26th at 7 pm, Greenbridge Plaza – 9010 8th Ave SW.

For more info, here’s the Facebook event page.

1:05 PM: Thanks to Audrey for the tip about helicopter activity over the area. King Co. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says deputies have detained suspects in a burglary near 4th and 107th. They were found to the south, in North Burien.

1:45 PM UPDATE: Just checked back with Sgt. West. She says the arrests were off 4th S. and S. 116th.

2:38 PM UPDATE: Sgt. West says the story gets even better: This all started when an alert neighbor called 911 after noticing something suspicious at a house at 4th S. and S. 107th. Multiple burglars kicked in the back door while the resident was at work; there were lookouts in another car, and that’s what the neighbor noticed. Just so happened a plainclothes detective in an unmarked car was in the area. He observed for a while, saw the burglars coming out of the house with “a pillowcase full of loot,” Sgt. West says, and followed them, radioing for backup. When the burglars realized they’d been spotted, four of them jumped out of the moving car. The one who was driving was caught fairly quickly; two others were arrested shortly thereafter, and two are still at large. Sgt. West says the loot included at least 10 guns and a safe that either hadn’t been locked or was somehow opened by the burglars.