White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Announced today by the King County Sheriff’s Office – a Drug Take-Back Day event in White Center on Saturday:

The community is invited to bring prescription drugs (and any other drug) to this event to dispose of safely. The program is designed to protect the identity of anyone bringing material to the event. No questions are asked and no information is obtained. The Youth of the White Center PAL Boxing Club will be there to assist the public in placing the drugs into a secure bin for proper disposal.

Who may attend: Open to the public

What: Free drug disposal

Where: Steve Cox Building (White Center), 1327 SW 102nd St.

When: Saturday, October 28th, 2017, 10 am-2 pm

Announced by the North Highline Fire District:

NORTH HIGHLINE FIRE DISTRICT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the North Highline Fire District Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing to:

Review revenue sources for the District’s 2018 expense budget including property taxes and possible increases in property tax revenues per RCW 84.55.120,

and

Review and establish the Fire District’s benefit charge to be imposed in 2018, per RCW 52.18.060(2).

Fire Station 18
1243 SW 112th Street

November 6, 2017 at 7 pm

Here’s backstory on the benefit charge.

6:18 PM: More than 3,800 homes and businesses are without electricity as a result of the storm – starting in southeast White Center and vicinity, as shown on the map above, and heading south into Top Hat and part of Burien. Any other storm effects in WC/North Highline? Let us know, text/voice 206-293-6302.

7:21 PM: Most have their power back, according to the City Light outage map – which has only about 200 customers still out of electricity.

(Photo by Gill Loring, added 4:41 pm)

FIRST REPORT, 3:39 PM: Thanks for the tips. Guardian One has been out over North Shorewood in what a deputy tells us is a search for at least one suspect – another may already be in custody – related to a stolen car.

4:41 PM UPDATE: Guardian One’s crew reported via Twitter that one person was in custody, two others being sought. And we’ve added a photo courtesy of Gill Loring – the stolen car, which had gone into a yard at 20th SW/SW 102nd.

(NHUAC meeting video by David Krause)

By Marika Lee
Reporting for White Center Now

Despite miscommunication and accusations early on, Myers Way residents, King County officials, and Seattle’s director of homelessness agreed that there is no quick solution to the problems on Myers Way.

“We just can’t keep up with (the amount of homelessness). We have got to be more aggressive. We have got to figure out ways to do that,” Senior Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett said at last week’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, focused on the homelessness problem along Myers Way.

Concerns focus on two different situations: Camp Second Chance is the City of Seattle-sanctioned camp on the city-owned Myers Way Parcels, and unsanctioned camping in the woods on the other side of the street, along with long-running vehicle camping that has recently been swept.

Myers Way includes the border between the city of Seattle and King County. King County Sheriff John Urquhart, part of the panel at the NHUAC meeting, called it a “jurisdiction issue.”

“If they are living in the woods, there is not a lot that we can do about that. They are not trespassing if we do not have a victim to prosecute,” Urquhart said. The wooded area includes both city and state land.

Numerous residents of Myers Way and the surrounding neighborhood voiced their concerns about the two areas. One resident described the danger of driving down the street because of people wandering into traffic.

“I have heard that Camp Second Chance is in a state of implosion, that they are falling apart. That their structure is disintegrating. That they no longer have 24/7 guards in front of the gate. They are calling the police department regularly for response. We are hearing reports of violence. We are hearing reports of drug use,” a Myers Way resident said. (Recent trouble as the camp’s management changed was detailed in our report on the recent meeting of its Community Advisory Committee.)

Others described seeing people driving RVs into the woods, moving into a vacant house, and participating in drug use and prostitution.

Seattle’s Director of Homelessness George Scarola said he would look into the traffic issue, blocking off unofficial roads into the unsanctioned camp and doing a recount of people living in both camps. “We will work on the things that we can. I’ll get back involved with management,” Scarola said. The Low Income Housing Institute has taken over management. Arthur Warmoth, from LIHI, said the goal is to find housing for everyone in the camp and to reduce the amount of time people stay at the camp to three months. Residents and officials agreed that there is a lack of affordable housing for people to move into.

“We need to stem the tide of homelessness and people coming into homelessness as well. We don’t have enough resources to solve it,” said King County Council Chair Joe McDermott, who represents District 8 on the council, which includes White Center, West Seattle, and vicinity.

Multiple large-scale solutions were suggested throughout the meeting, such as creating an income tax or doing away with the 1 percent cap on property tax in addition to building more affordable housing.

“We have to figure out the subsidies for people to afford housing. It is a difficult problem. We are learning and trying new things,” Jarrett said.

In the short term, Urquhart encouraged people to call 9-1-1 if they see something and to know when they call what jurisdiction they are in so they are not transferred between his office, Seattle Police Department and State Patrol, which is a problem with mobile phone users.

“Call 9-1-1 if there is a problem. We are the government. We operate on statistics,” Urquhart said.

From Lina Rose with King County Parks:

I wanted to share the before and after of my event at Steve Cox.

We had such an awesome group of teen center staff and teens, and a community member. The site is now a beautiful and functional (mini natural area) part of the park.

Thanks to the White Center Community Development Association for sending the info:

Friday, October 6th Evergreen High School is celebrating its 58th homecoming. Please join us for an evening of reminiscing as we support Evergreen HS Athletics! Alumni and community members are invited to participate in the following events:

HOMECOMING ASSEMBLY:
Friday, October 6 – 11:00am
Evergreen High School
(830 SW 116th St, Seattle, WA 98146)

EHS HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME
Tickets sold at the Gate- $6.00 Cash for adults
Friday, October 6 – 7:00 PM
Highline Memorial Stadium
400 S 156th St, Burien, WA 98148

5TH QUARTER – EVERGREEN WOLVERINE BOOSTER CLUB
Friday, October 6 – After the Homecoming Football Game*9:30PM
Azteca Mexican Restaurant
Address: 153 SW 157th St, Burien, WA 98166
There will be an opportunity to win amazing prizes like Evergreen SWAG and “White Center Night Out” date night package.

As announced by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting

When: Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 7 pm

Where: North Highline Fire Station at 1243 SW 112th Street in White Center 
 (Parking and Entrance are in the Back of the Station)

The Opportunity to Be Informed, Be Involved and Be Heard!

Please join NHUAC, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, Sheriff John Urquhart, Senior Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett, and Seattle’s Director of Homelessness, George Scarola, in what is sure to be an important conversation about homelessness on Myers Way.

The Committee to End Homelessness was supposed to complete its mission by 2015. It didn’t. Homelessness continues to increase. Some of the reasons are economic inequality, skyrocketing rents, and the elimination of affordable housing, especially in Seattle. Research shows that every $100 rent increase leads to a 15 percent increase in the number of people pushed into homelessness.

Many found Myers Way. Camp Second Chance was eventually sanctioned by Seattle. However, there are an unknown number of campers living in the woods surrounding Camp Second Chance. Residents of North Highline and Seattle have been frustrated with the changes along Myers Way. It is time to have a conversation!

Good of the Order: Do you have something of community import on your mind? Join us and share!

See you Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 7 pm – Because Knowledge Is Power!

P.S. The community advisory committee for Camp Second Chance met today, and we’ll have that report sometime in the next 24 hours.

Volunteers needed on Saturday, October 7th! Here’s the announcement:

Join King County Parks in beautifying the front of Steve Cox Memorial Park home of the historic Log Cabin. Volunteers are needed to help plant shrubs and groundcover to the front of the park and the area in front of the White Center Sheriff’s storefront. Event is from 10 am-2 pm. All tools are provided and no experience is needed! Please contact Lina Rose for more information on the project and to sign up – 206.491.5014, lina.rose@kingcounty.gov. Everyone is welcome!

For the first time since the Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI) has taken over as the operator of Seattle-sanctioned Camp Second Chance on Myers Way, the camp’s Community Advisory Committee will meet this Sunday. The public is welcome at the meeting, 2 pm at Arrowhead Gardens; we confirmed the time/date today with LIHI rep Josh Castle. Conditions on Myers Way outside the camp also tend to come up at the committee meetings, and Seattle Police have swept both sides of the street recently – on the west side, to create a walkway to and from transit facilities at AG, on the east side, to enforce parking regulations, according to what SPD Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith told the Highland Park Action Committee this past Wednesday night.

Just announced by Seattle City Light:

Thanks to the generous contributions of Seattle City Light customers, seven local organizations will receive Green Up grants totaling nearly $1 million to support renewable energy projects and education. The seven organizations will use the grants to help install solar panels at 14 public school, affordable housing, and community-based locations.

“Over 13,000 generous community members are investing in a clean, sustainable energy future by sending a few dollars each month to purchase renewable energy credits through our Green Up program,” said City Light Customer Energy Solutions Director Craig Smith. “City Light is proud to be the steward of this grant and part of the community partnership that will benefit our schools, affordable housing, parks, and hospitals.”

Grant recipients are:

· Seattle Public Schools – $150,000 for solar installations at Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Ballard High School, Denny International Middle School, South Shore K-8 School, Hazel Wolf K-8 ESTEM School and Arbor Heights Elementary
· King County Parks — $119,014 for a solar installation at the Steve Cox Community Center
· Seattle Parks — $50,000 for a solar installation at the Brig at Magnuson Park
· Seattle Colleges — $200,000 for a solar installation at Seattle Central College
· Harborview Medical Center — $50,000 for a solar installation at the hospital
· Capitol Hill Housing – three grants totaling $225,000 for solar installations at three affordable housing complexes – the Elizabeth James House, Ponderosa Apartments and El Nor Apartments
· Pacific Science Center — $164,851 for a solar installation at the center

“We will soon be able to power the White Center community center and the adjacent basketball court using only clean, renewable energy,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said. “Our partnership with Seattle City Light will accelerate the work we are doing to transform Steve Cox Memorial Park into a model for sustainable operations.”

Have an idea that needs $? The county might be able to help. This week’s announcement:

CSA Unincorporated Areas Grant Program

Purpose: The purpose of the Community Engagement Grants is to fund community projects that offer unincorporated area residents in the Community Service Areas an opportunity to participate and be more connected in their communities. Funded projects must demonstrate how activities are accessible to all residents regardless of race, income, or language spoken.

DUE: Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 17, 2017.

Funds Available: A total of $90,000 will be reimbursed for projects in 2018. The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Community Service Areas Program will provide funds to selected projects through a letter of award and Memorandum of Agreement. Amounts will be limited to less than $5,000 per project.

Please use the King County Community Service Areas Grant Program Application Template for your application.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on November 17, 2017 via the following:

Electronically: Marissa.alegria@kingcounty.gov

Physically at the following location:

Dept. of Natural Resources and Parks, Director’s Office ATTN: Marissa Alegria
201 South Jackson Street, Suite 700
Seattle, WA 98104

The application packet is available (here).

Marissa Alegria, CSA Grant staff lead will be available to respond to questions by phone at 206-477-4523 or e-mail at Marissa.alegria@kingcounty.gov or by setting up an appointment to meet at a more convenient location.

(Highline Public Schools photo from June)

Organizers tell us “the whole community” is invited – so that means you, if you can be there! At 11 am tomorrow – Tuesday (September 26th) – a new playground will be dedicated for the Head Start program at White Center Heights Elementary (10015 6th SW). Seattle Seahawks player Tyler Lockett is scheduled to be there, along with leaders from UnitedHealthcare, Highline Public Schools, and the Puget Sound Educational Service District. UnitedHealthcare provided a $15,000 grant to Lockett’s Dreambuilders program to pay for the new playground and equipment.

The Salvation Army invites you to join an awareness-raising march this afternoon (September 24th). From Capt. Lisa Barnes:

The Salvation Army is hosting a march down 16th Ave this Sunday. We will be walking just 4 blocks each way as we raise awareness for those currently enslaved around the world. We will start at The Salvation Army at 1:15 and be finished by 3:00 at the latest. This is a free event and we will be providing materials for signs.

Organizers add, “This will be the kickoff event for a group of people who are justice minded, and ready to make a difference for trafficked people in our neighborhoods. … This is not a political march. This is a march for freedom, for unity, for awareness, and for community.” The Salvation Army is at 9050 16th SW; the march will be on sidewalks, not the street.

(Reader photo, added 12:35 pm)

From Seattle Pacific University:

Before classes begin at Seattle Pacific University, more than 700 students, faculty, and staff, will spend Saturday, September 23, cleaning up parks, removing invasive plants in local creeks, and working in homeless shelters as part of SPU’s commitment to community engagement.

SPU students will be in White Center (24th Ave SW and SW 102nd Street) on Saturday, September 23, from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Their tasks will include removing weeds such as English ivy and Himalayan blackberry from an area in the park.

The annual event known as “CityQuest” is a way to introduce new students to the many community service organizations throughout the area. Students will work at more than 25 locations throughout Seattle.

ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: We stopped by toward the end of the event and caught the volunteers in action:

The photo and announcement are from the White Center-based Highline Bears:

On Wednesday, September 13, Highline Bears Manager Josh Evans signed a new contract through the 2018 summer season. Evans will be the Bears’ first two-year manager since the team’s inception in 2014.

“We’re excited to bring back Josh Evans for another season and I’m excited to see what he can do with a full off season to build his team. Last year we were late on getting a manager signed but now we’re hitting the ground running,” explained General Manager Justin Moser. The Bears have already started the recruiting process, attending fall practices for local colleges and reaching out to programs in hopes of finding top talent for their 2018 summer season.

The Bears got off to a rocky start, struggling to put up runs against opponents in early June. But in the second half of the season under the leadership of Evans the Bears came out fighting in big games, taking 3 wins from the West Coast League, the premier summer college league on the west coast, and taking down the league champion Seattle Studs, as well as the Everett Merchants. “We start off slow every year, it was expected. We are a home for a lot of freshmen and red shirts who have very few at bats and innings pitched coming into the season. Our job as a summer collegiate team is to give these guys an opportunity to get better, and go back to their school in the fall ready to win a starting job. Most of the teams we play are older and much more experienced, which is great for our guys to compete against. The teams we are playing now are much more competitive than ever before. We played four or five guys who were drafted or signed to pro contracts this year,” said Moser.

“I’m excited to be resigning with the Bears for another season, and even more excited to have a full off season to recruit players. I’m just pumped!” exclaimed Evans, who is currently looking to sign two additional coaches for next year. “We’re looking for a first base coach and bullpen coach. Guys who can help with throwing B.P. (batting practice) and hit fungos. I’m just really excited to be a part of building this organization, and can’t wait to see what we can do.”

“It’s going to be a great season for us next year, we’re starting at the right time and getting things rolling on and off the field. Steven Finch is going to move full time into a front office role, helping me with marketing and running the business, and we’re going to let Evans run the baseball side of things.” Moser explained that the team will be adding more home games to their schedule in hopes of having 25 games, along with promotional nights and lots of fun and exciting events for kids.

The Bears are currently looking for businesses to partner with for the 2018 season and anyone interested in partnering can contact General Manager Justin Moser at Info@HighlineBears.com. Anyone interested in playing for the Bears can contact Manager Josh Evans at Josh@HighlineBears.com.