White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Seattle City Light superintendent Jorge Carrasco has just revealed that White Center’s Greenbridge will have all its metal streetlight poles checked within the next two weeks, in the aftermath of a problem detected with a pole in High Point, following publicity about the death of a dog that stepped onto an electrified plate near a light on Queen Anne. The High Point incident involved a resident calling about a problem – no humans or animals were injured – and while it was repaired, and 170 similar poles nearby were checked without any other problems detected, City Light says that they are going to inspect poles in 3 “similar developments” over the next 2 weeks – Greenbridge is one of them. Here’s our full story on partner site West Seattle Blog.

Still got power? Thousands of people don’t, in Shorewood, parts of White Center, and Burien – Seattle City Light has more than 17,000 homes and businesses without power around its system, and the map shows one of the biggest outages, more than 4,200 customers, right in this area. You can check its newly upgraded “system tracker” here. As for the weather – the region’s under a Wind Advisory until at least 1 am, and there have been gusts in the 40s in some areas.

If you get trash pickup from Waste Management, you can stop worrying about what’ll happen if the Teamsters’ strike drags on – it’s over as of late this afternoon, after just a day and a half. The drivers offered to return to work, and the company accepted the offer. They’re due to resume contract talks on Monday. Here’s the latest from our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times. If you’re among those whose pickups were missed, put out up to double the usual amount next week, and you will not be charged extra, according to Seattle Public Utilities.

Waste Management, with a service area including White Center, has just gone on strike. Here’s a report from our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times; more to come.

While Teamsters Local 174 isn’t saying its drivers definitely WILL walk off the job if they don’t have a contract deal with Waste Management – which serves White Center as well as parts of Seattle and other local communities – by tomorrow night, the company is taking no chances: Our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times have just published an update, saying WM is hiring replacement drivers. Talks continue tomorrow.

ORIGINAL 12:53 AM REPORT: Seattle City Light confirms 1,900 “customers” (homes and businesses) are without power in parts of Highland Park and White Center, as of about half an hour ago. (Lights flickered in parts of West Seattle around the same time the power went out to the south.) No word yet on the cause or how soon it’ll be restored. 4:27 AM UPDATE: City Light says everyone’s back on, and says a “cable failure” was to blame.

Thanks to Laura for the tip. Seattle City Light’s hotline lists two outages, one in the general White Center area and one in Burien – the boundaries listed on hotlines are always a bit broad so we hesitate to include them here, but the Burien outage is blamed on a fire, the cause of the one in White Center listed as unknown. 4,000 homes/businesses affected in the White Center-vicinity outage, 3,000 in Burien. More to come.

4:27 PM UPDATE: Here’s the full news release from City Light’s media-relations team:

A fire associated with a power outage in Burien and unincorporated King County has increased the number of customers affected by the outage to about 7,100 homes and businesses.

The fire is burning in a wooded utility right of way south of S 96th Street and west of Des Moines Memorial Drive. Power lines were reported on the ground in the area and at least one utility pole was burning.

Seattle City Light deenergized the power lines to allow firefighters to put out the blaze. City Light crews were dispatched to restore service once the fire was extinguished.

The cause of the outage was not immediately known. City Light expects to restore service to most of the affected customers by 5:30 p.m. by routing power around the damaged area. An estimate for full restoration of service will not be available until crews are able to inspect the damaged equipment.

The general boundaries of the outage are SW Barton Street on the North, SW 167th Street on the South, Glendale Way S on the East and Puget Sound on the West.

Just got this word from Linda Holmes at McLendon Hardware:

McLendon Hardware’s White Center location will be hosting a free water conservation clinic on Saturday August 1st from 10:00-12:00. Learn how to easily and inexpensively conserve water and save over $150 per year on your water bill. Scheduled to attend the event will be Seattle Public Utilities, Saving Water Partnership, plumbing vendors, and others who will be helping McLendon’s spread the word on water conservation.

2:48 PM UPDATE: City Light’s Mike Eagan says the outage is over. Checking on a cause.

ORIGINAL 12:57 PM REPORT: Here’s the news release we just received (12:55 pm):

Power went out for approximately 3,671 City Light customers
in Burien, SeaTac and unincorporated King County at 12:36 p.m. today.

The cause of the outage is currently unknown, but City Light crews are
heading to the area to investigate. An estimated time of restoration is
unknown at this time.

The area affected is bordered on the north by So. 96th St., on the
south by S.W. 175th St, between 24th Ave. S.W. and 33rd Ave S.W.

Stephen Lamphear wanted to share this information:

f you are a customer of Seattle City Light — you do not have to be senior or disabled to get reduced rates.

Low income customers can get a 50% rate reduction. That means what it says — LOW INCOME. Stop struggling to pay utility bills — get help. This is not temporary or one-time help to pay the bill. This is long term rate reduction. Eat better, pay less for electricity.

Discounted Rates for Seniors, Disabled and Low-Income Customers
Qualifying customers can save 50% on electric, water, sewer and garbage bills. Customers living in federally-funded public housing and Section 8 housing are not eligible.

* Seniors and persons with disabilities – If you are a senior citizen or a person with disabilities and your income is at or below 70% of the state median level, call the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens at (206) 684-0268.

Income Guidelines.

* Low-Income – Customers with household income at or below 70% of state’s median income may call the Seattle Human Services Department at (206) 684-0268 to qualify and enroll.

This message brought to you by Stephen Lamphear, former Burien City Councilmember!