White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Cannabis shops around the metro area have been targeted by armed robbers, and North Highline was hit again at least twice this week. We confirmed with the King County Sheriff’s Office that NimBin Pot Shop (10861 1st Avenue South) was hit Wednesday night around 11:30 pm. KCSO would confirm only that the three robbers left on foot and then may have gotten into a red vehicle. Scanner traffic at the time described it as possibly a Dodge Challenger type vehicle, saying that the three robbers were armed with four guns, and that they escaped with cash. Then tonight another robbery was reported; thanks to Gill for the tip that KING 5 TV reported the nearby West Seattle Marijuana Store (which is not actually in West Seattle) on Myers Way was robbed around 5:30 tonight. KING’s report says “two or three” armed robbers hit the shop and got away.

The state and county indoor-masking requirements end for most establishments and venues after tomorrow. So here’s what the Highline Public Schools policy will be, as announced today:

On Tuesday, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) issued updated guidance for COVID safety in schools. These changes reflect declining COVID case rates and hospitalizations in King County and Washington state.

As we have since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to follow DOH guidance. Here are some key points in the updated guidance, effective Monday, March 14:

-Masks: Masks are no longer required for staff, students and visitors in schools in most circumstances. Some staff and students may choose to continue to wear masks. Masks provide an additional layer of protection and are especially important for those who are or who live with someone at higher risk for severe COVID disease.
-Quarantine: Students and staff who are exposed to COVID are encouraged to get tested and monitor for symptoms. They are not required to quarantine unless they show symptoms.
-Positive COVID cases: If you test positive, you must stay at home (isolate) for at least 5 days. You can return to school if you test negative on or after day 5, are fever-free for 24 hours, and have resolving symptoms. Masking is strongly recommended upon return through day 10. If you do not test, you must isolate for a full 10 days.

Keeping our staff and students safe and healthy is our priority. Highline will continue to follow all DOH requirements and maintain current safety practices, including:

-Stay home when sick: If you have symptoms, stay home and get tested.
-Care rooms: Schools will continue to isolate students with symptoms in a care room until they can be picked up. PPE is required in care rooms and nurse clinics.
-Positive case notification: We will continue sending notifications of positive COVID cases.
-COVID testing: We will continue to provide access to COVID testing.
-Staff vaccination: Staff must be vaccinated for COVID unless they have an exemption. Boosters are not required.
-Student vaccination: We strongly encourage all students over age 5 to be vaccinated. We will continue to host vaccination clinics for students. Please visit our vaccination web page for vaccination opportunities.
-Ventilation: We continue to maintain upgraded ventilation systems.
-Physical distancing: We will maintain distancing to the extent possible.
-PPE: We will continue to provide appropriate PPE to staff and students

We recognize that while other safety measures remain in place, going to optional masks is a significant shift. We will respect each individual’s decision on masks. A mask or lack thereof will not limit a student’s participation in school, although masks may be required in some specific situations like athletics and instrumental music.

Please remember that if you want your student to wear a mask, they will be responsible for keeping their mask on. Staff will not be expected to remind students to put on or pull up their masks.

We know students will have a range of questions and reactions, from excitement to worry. We have developed class lessons to help students navigate this change.

We also encourage you to talk with your student. Here are some key points to discuss:

There are many reasons why someone may choose to wear or not wear a mask. We should not judge or question another person’s choice. We are still in this pandemic together. It is important to show concern and kindness to one another. Schools will not tolerate harassment of any student over masks or anything else. Encourage your student to tell an adult if they witness or experience mistreatment or bullying.

As we have learned over the past two years, circumstances can change unexpectedly. Public health leaders may reinstate masking or other measures if cases or hospitalizations increase. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your principal.

To the north, Seattle Public Schools also will make masks optional as of Monday.

Up for a bar/pub crawl? Set your calendar for Saturday, March 19th. White Center establishments are participating in a benefit for this summer’s White Center Block Party. From the ticketing page:

COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY ON MARCH 19!

The WC Block Party planning committee is rounding up the bars in White Center for an evening of drinks and deals over St. Paddy’s day weekend right in the heart of White Center. All proceeds from bracelet sales will go toward planning the White Center Block Party this summer.

PRE-ORDER NOW AND GET A FREE JELLO SHOT AT PICK UP! OR, PURCHASE DAY-OF FOR 20.00.

Participating bars:

Buho

Drunky’s Two Shoe BBQ

CanBar

Mac’s Triangle Pub

Lariat

Roller Rink Bar

Boombox

Future Primitive

Beer Star

Special Shops Participating:

Macadons – Free Cream Puff for Pub Crawl Attendees

Cartwheel Vintage & Consign – 20% off from 4-8 PM for Attendees

It all starts at 4 pm March 19th; buy your advance ticket here.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Two projects proposing White Center changes large and small were in the spotlight at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council monthly meeting, held online last Thursday night.

16TH SW PLAN: Last month, NHUAC got a short presentation about this, and word of a survey. This month brought the full presentation, as the survey continues until March 18th.

To recap, the county plans to trim 16th SW between 100th and 107th to one vehicle-travel lane each way – the question is what that will look like, and how the rest of the road will be apportioned. “The goal is to reduce speeding and to make it safer for people to cross the street,” said Broch Bender from King County Road Services. That section of 16th, Bender said, saw 217 collisions between 2011 and 2020, 19 involving pedestrians.

It’s a $1.6 million project, with construction expected in summer/fall 2024.

After the county decides which option to build, other aspects will be discussed. Bender had details of the planned improvements at intersections:

The road currently has two travel lines each way, one center turn lane, and 34 on-street parking spaces in the project zone.

Option 1 would add a buffered bike lane on each side of the street, reduce vehicle travel lanes to one each way, and add 19 parking spaces.

Option 2 would have a parking lane on each side, would reduce vehicle travel lanes to one each way. 39 parking spaces would be added.

Here’s a comparison of components:

In Q&A/comments, one attendee worried about traffic diverting through neighborhoods, which they said has increased during the West Seattle Bridge closure – could roundabouts be added to discourage that? Bender said they’ve heard that suggestion from others. They’re still evaluating data to address traffic diversion, Bender replied.

Another attendee wondered why parking would be added, since there doesn’t seem to be a need for it; yet another was concerned about the bicycle lane placement between other lanes. Fire Chief Mike Marrs wondered about the impact on public safety, with the loss of lanes. Generally, the emergency vehicles use the center lane, was the reply. Will this connect to a bike lane on Ambaum, so it’s not just a few orphaned blocks? asked another attendee. It will connect to a new dedicated bus lane south of 107th, and, the county team said, and there are thoughts that bicyclists might be able to use that – they’re interested in comments on that. “The combined bus/bike lane is trash,” replied the attendee. “I don’t even know how that occurred to someone, to put the largest vehicle on the road in the same lane with bikes.” Bender stressed to everyone, including those commenting at this meeting, to please use the survey to ensure their comments are “documented – that’s how we’re going to go about this, what we hear from the community will make it into this design.”

Speaking of which, they had some early results (we published the survey link here and on partner site West Seattle Blog after last month’s NHUAC meeting) – here’s how they’ve distributed the survey:

So far, the bike-lane option is leading:

That includes with respondents who said they live nearby:

The King County team expects to return to NHUAC later this year with an update. Meantime, take the survey!

There’s a survey for the next topic, too:

NORTH HIGHLINE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS: Jesse Reynolds led this presentation. He stressed that the design standards do not involve zoning:

“If zoning was a cake, this would be the icing on the cake” – how the building, street, landscaping look, “what your eye sees as you walk down the street.” They’re taking comments/ideas through March 28th (here’s the survey). Then June 30th they will send a proposal to the County Council. After an array of initial outreach, here’s what he said they’ve heard:

The standards, once developed, will apply to future development. One person thought there should be standards for marijuana businesses; Reynolds said the standards won’t affect the use of buildings, only how they look. (In side discussion, Deputy Bill Kennamer noted that there was an application for another shop in the old Rat City Records space on 16th, and it was being challenged.)

Back to the design standards – here’s how they’ll break down:

“We’re trying to set this up so you all have more stake in how development (plays out) in your community,” he said, explaining the public process in which this would result, and showing examples of what’s in the draft document, like these renderings of multifamily/commercial development:

Reynolds also noted a concept called GreenCenter, as a “checklist that requires (a certain percentage of) landscaping.” And he said there’ll be standards for new buildings so they fit in with the current neighborhood character. Safety concepts, too.

There would also be a Local Business Support Fund into which developers would pay in exchange for increased commercial density.

In Q&A, clarification was sought for how prospective developers would be expected to determine the context; that’s all spelled out, Reynolds said. NHUAC’s Barbara Dobkin asked who’s on the committee that’s been working on this, as it’s the first this group has heard. This is the first “public meeting,” said Reynolds. The draft standards will be on the agenda for the upcoming North Highline Town Hall on March 22nd. Meantime, take the survey!

CRIME/SAFETY: Deputy Kennamer said the shooting at the 76 station (it wasn’t at the library, as some had reported) was one of the biggest issues of the past month – the 13-year-old victim and another man got involved in a gunfight. One of the guns has been recovered. There was a robbery on 16th. This past month saw a big increase in aggravated assaults, for reasons unknown. Larcenies are down; vehicle thefts are up – “all over the place, not just White Center and Burien,” he said. He thinks it’s because auto thieves “know that cops can’t stop them any more, they can just drive away.” Commercial burglaries are down – a prolific suspected burglar remains in jail. Here are the stats:

In discussions of traffic trouble, Kennamer noted, “As soon as the West Seattle Bridge gets fixed, 90 percent of our problems will be solved.” An attendee brought up an early-morning drive-by shooting at 18th/100th on February 5th and wondered what’s going on with the repeat shootings in the area. “Usually they’re early in the morning, and nobody saw anything,” so there’s no evidence to follow.

One attendee said they’re glad to hear about the King County catalytic-converter task force and wondered what steps to do to protect a vehicle. Deputy Kennamer said there’s aftermarket protection you can install, but it would be better if there were tougher laws about selling catalytic converters. Other topics included loud music in west White Center – the Liquor and Cannabis Board agent in attendance suggested it’s a rental venue that has had some really loud events.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Darlene Sellers from the Teen Program said the fifth season of Log Cabin’s Got Talent is coming up, They’re accepting videos in all kinds of talent – Saturday, March 19th, is the deadline; March 25th is the show. They’ll have a touring arts-and-ice-cream truck stopping at several parks. … Jerry Pionk from Local Services reminded everyone about the aforementioned March 22nd North Highline Town Hall “one last time by Zoom” … Michael Morales introduced himself; he’s working on the displaced businesses from the big fires last year, to “help plan out what they want to do next,” navigate the permit process, find financing resources. “This block will be rebuilt,” he declared.

NEXT NHUAC MEETING: 7 pm first Thursday in April – that’s April 7th.

An early-morning house fire in White Center on Sunday took a life. Firefighters responded to a house in the 400 block of SW 108th [map] around 3:45 am on Sunday (March 6th). They quickly pulled a man out of the house, says Fire Chief Mike Marrs, but it was too late to save him – the King County Medical Examiner identifies the victim as 37-year-old Steadman Mathis and says he died of smoke inhalation. Two children in the house were rescued as well and they survived. Marrs says the fire was ruled accidental. (added) Mr. Mathis was an educator who also served as tennis coach for Chief Sealth International High School, whose athletic director Ernest Policarpio describes him as “a good man.”

Your local government – King County – is presenting online town halls for unincorporated “community-service areas,” and North Highline gets its turn at 6 pm March 22nd. Here’s the announcement:

King County Local Services is again bringing local government directly to unincorporated areas with the return of its popular Town Hall series.

As the local government in unincorporated areas, King County will hold 11 virtual events in March. Residents will be asked to prioritize the community needs submitted to Local Services in 2021. These priorities will help inform King County department budgets.

The series will kick off on Wednesday, March 9, with a meeting for residents and businesses in the unincorporated Bear Creek/Sammamish area. Here’s the full schedule of events:

March 9: Bear Creek/Sammamish
March 10: Skyway/West Hill
March 14: East Renton
March 15: SE King County
March 17: Vashon Island
March 21: Greater Maple Valley/Cedar River
March 22: North Highline (White Center)
March 24: Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County
March 28: Four Creeks/Tiger Mountain
March 29: East Federal Way
March 30: Fairwood

Each event will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Find information about how to join in the Town Halls section of the Local Services website. Questions? email AskLocalServices@kingcounty.gov

Deputies have just arrested a man after a relatively short standoff that closed the intersection of 16th and Roxbury as well as streets around it. They say he had threatened them with a knife. He stood at the northeast corner of the intersection with the knife, but eventually moved close enough to deputies with shields that they were able to deploy a Taser and now have him in custody. We’re told the streets should reopen within half an hour (by 10:15-ish).

Housing and transportation were the main topics on Tuesday night when local King County Councilmember Joe McDermott‘s online Town Hall got to Q&A.

McDermott, the council’s vice chair, started with a recap of changes and accomplishments. In the former category, his district is changing with the recent redistricting, including adding “the south half of Burien.” In the latter, he recounted the pandemic response – including more “supplemental budgets’ than usual – as well as the unincorporated-area fireworks ban and the bicycle-helmet law repeal.

Before he wrapped up introductory remarks, he reminded attendees about the Subarea Plan process.

The first question was about Sound Transit, which is currently taking comments on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the West Seattle and Ballard extensions. (McDermott is on the ST Board.) The attendee was concerned about issues including cost and displacement. Regarding the former, McDermott acknowledged that the ‘cost delta” between the “preferred alternative” and some other options had shrunk, and the community might be able to get a desirable outcome without third-party funding. Another attendee said the Andover station option in North Delridge had a better chance of “preserving neighborhood character.” McDermptt did not commit to support for that option but said he’d welcome taking his board colleagues on a tour of the area.

What’s the county doing about homelessness? McDermott mentioned the launch of the Regional Homelessness Authority and initiatives such as Health Through Housing. Another question about homelessness – what can be done to make more resources available on Vashon Island? McDermott promised to work with islanders. Yet another attendee wanted to see something done to make it easier to build low-income housing – maybe lower costs and fees. Will the county change zoning to support more “middle” housing? McDermott agreed that more density was needed.

What can be done about trash along Highway 509? McDermott said it’s a tangled web of jurisdictions, along a state highway.

Someone else brought up air-traffic noise; McDermott directed them to the FAA.

Another attendee pitched for McDermott to support the National Infrastructure Bank.

As the hour wrapped up, McDermott promised another Town Hall in the future. Meantime, if you have questions/comments/issues, here’s how to contact him: joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov

-Tracy Record, WCN editor

(King County Assessor website photo)

More than three years after we first reported that the White Center Bartell Drugs building was for sale, it has a new owner. County Assessor records show the half-acre site at 9600 15th SW was sold one week ago for $5.1 million, which was the asking price when it was put on the market in late 2018. Also according to online records, the new owner is a California-based company owned by the head of an electrical-construction company. When we checked in with Bartell Drugs at the time the site was listed, they reiterated that despite the landlord’s plans, they intended to stay; since three years have passed until the sale, we’ll check again.

What’s changing in our area and how can you have a say? Several big topics are on the agenda for the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s March meeting, online this Thursday night. Here’s the announcement we just received:

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

Where? North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting
When? Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 7 pm

Join Zoom Meeting:
us02web.zoom.us/j/4554402206?pwd=VTBjU2huaXZ0YkNSMmQ3V1BMckFCUT09

Meeting ID: 455 440 2206
Passcode (case sensitive): NHUAC2022

Unable to join via Zoom?
Please Call: 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 455 440 2206
Passcode: 590112761

Thanks to all who participated in NHUAC’s February meeting! The discussion about the Subarea Plan for North Highline was an intense and important one and it is not over. Jacqueline Reid of King County’s Department of Local Services (DLS) will join us again in April to discuss the recommendations Executive Dow Constantine makes to the Subarea Plan. His proposal is expected to go to the King County Council by March 31st for deliberation. We are hoping Councilmember Joe McDermott will also be able to join us. Mark your calendar for April 7th!

The Subarea Plan is not the only tool DLS is working on to enable increased density in North Highline/White Center. Jesse Reynolds will be joining NHUAC this coming Thursday (March 3rd) to discuss the North Highline Urban Design Standards project. Jesse is manager of the project, which is charged with creating an urban design framework for new commercial, multi-family, and mixed-use developments. The proposed standards include formalized public input in the development review process. Thursday’s meeting will give you an opportunity to weigh in on what is being proposed for that process as well as the county’s ideas for designing a safe and welcoming neighborhood with a distinctive identity. Please join us to learn about the proposed design standards, share your opinions, and welcome Jesse who recently moved to Arbor Heights.

Another big change we heard just a little about at the February meeting was King County’s 16th Ave SW Pedestrian Safety and Traffic Calming Project in White Center, which aims to add safer street crossings at all intersections, streamline travel lanes, increase on-street parking, and possibly add bike lanes. Broch Bender, Road Services’ communications manager, will join us for a more in-depth presentation and to listen to ideas and comments from community members.

Last, but certainly not least, come learn what has been happening in our community our from Community Deputy Bill Kennamer!

Knowledge is power.

Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.

March 3, 2022 at 7 pm – Invite Your Neighbors!

Here’s our coverage of February’s NHUAC meeting, which includes a link to the still-open survey about the 16th SW plan.

Got something to ask/say about your local government? King County Councilmember Joe McDermott is hosting a “virtual town hall” next Tuesday, March 1st. From his announcement:

I write today to invite you to a virtual town hall I am hosting on Tuesday, March 1st from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. This will be a great opportunity to make your voice heard and get your questions answered about the Council’s work in 2022.

With new Council districts, rapidly changing guidance around masks and vaccination requirements for businesses, and the upcoming supplemental budget, your input is more important than ever. You’ll have the opportunity to ask me questions directly. If you’re unable to join, feel free to send questions directly to me and I will work to get them addressed.

How to join:

– Join online at this Zoom link: kingcounty.zoom.us/s/85806395111
– Call into 253-215-8782

The details are also posted on my Council website.

The most prestigious awards in the restaurant business have a White Center establishment on their semifinalist list this year. Tomo, opened at 9811 16th SW last September by chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, is a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program. That award is explained as for a “restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in wine service through a carefully considered wine list and a well-informed approach to helping customers choose and drink wine (and that m)akes efforts to create and foster a diverse portfolio of wines and wine team members.” Williams, formerly with Canlis, is already a James Beard winner, honored as 2019 Best Chef in the Northwest.

10:22 AM: If you’re having trouble getting to a kingcounty.gov website, no, it’s not just you – the county says technical trouble has taken down its site.

2:39 PM: County’s website is now working again.

Pizza and ice cream will be cohabiting in downtown White Center starting this week – Full Tilt Ice Cream‘s founder is adding vegan pizza under the same roof (9629 16th SW). Here’s the announcement we just received:

Full Tilt Ice Cream today announced Elder Gods Pizza, a new vegan pizza place inside Full Tilt. Elder Gods Pizza offers the only all-vegan pizza in the area.

“The only vegan pizza we liked was way up in the U District.,” says Justin Cline, owner at Full Tilt and Elder Gods. “Also, we wanted to bring Detroit-style pizza to White Center.”

Features and benefits of Elder Gods Pizza include.

-All-vegan pizza kitchen. No chance for cross contamination.

-A unique pizza style for White Center. This is a rectangle pizza, cut into squares with the sauce on top.

-Once the pandemic quiets down a bit, we will offer in-store dining.

Elder Gods Pizza pre-order will be available starting 02/23/2022. For more information visit eldergodspizza.com.

Announced today by the King County Library System:

Starting Sunday, February 27, the King County Library System (KCLS) will increase hours of operation by 18% System-wide. Hours of operation will vary by location. Find updated hours on library location pages with KCLS’ location finder map.

Nearly all libraries will add a day of service to their schedules, including Sundays and Mondays. This will ensure that patrons have access to a community library seven days a week in each region. In addition, all KCLS libraries will be open later into the evenings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and earlier on other days of the week to serve as many King County residents as possible.

“KCLS is excited to expand in-building services and hours again as we work to get back to pre-pandemic levels,” stated KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum. “We will continue to address our patrons’ evolving needs and increase in-building access when and where it is needed most.”

Following state and public health mandates and guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, KCLS has been operating on modified hours. KCLS has continued to serve King County communities in a variety of ways throughout the pandemic. The System acted swiftly to add new contactless services such as external library lockers, Curbside to Go pickup and virtual programming in the early stages of the pandemic, while steadily expanding in-building services. All 50 libraries opened to the public again in July 2021.

For the White Center Library, KCLS says, this means two added days a week – it will be open Sundays through Fridays (hours TBA). For the Boulevard Park Library, one day will be added – it’ll be open Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Since it isn’t enforced equitably, the King County helmet law is being scrapped. That’s how the county health board, chaired by local County Councilmember Joe McDermott, voted today. Here’s the announcement:

The King County Board of Health on Thursday voted 11-2 to repeal the County’s helmet law after research had shown racist and discriminatory enforcement of this law that disproportionately targeted people of color and people experiencing homelessness. The Board also approved a resolution emphasizing the importance of helmet use for bikes, scooters and other similar vehicles.

“Everyone should wear a helmet while riding. But enforcement of the helmet law has harmed BIPOC riders and riders experiencing homelessness who are bearing the brunt of disproportionate enforcement, citations, and fees,” said Board Chair Joe McDermott. “We can and will improve safety and eliminate disparate enforcement of this law at the same time by making helmets easier to get, through public education on their use, and encouraging other safe practices without relying on law enforcement. This work responds directly to our declaration in 2020 that racism is a public health crisis and commitment to support policies that address racism.”

The Board began looking into the issue after media reports in 2020 indicated that a disproportionate number of citations were being issued to people of color and people experiencing homelessness. Further research confirmed this data. For instance, Black cyclists were 3.8 times more likely to be issued a helmet citation and, since 2019, 60% of citations for helmets have gone to people experiencing homelessness.

In January, the Seattle Police Department de-prioritized enforcement of bicycle helmet laws along with several other traffic infractions.

“Our priority as a Board is to promote health and safety for everyone – and that includes promoting the importance of wearing helmets as a proven public health intervention,” said Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. “We can promote and facilitate the use of helmets – and remove helmet laws from statute that bring discriminatory enforcement. In fact, we are compelled to repeal this law given the statistics that show clear discriminatory enforcement which harms Black and brown communities and perpetuates racism. Helmet laws that bring discriminatory enforcement clearly demonstrate that a law is not the right approach. Funding helmet distribution programs, bicycle safety programs, and community education efforts are more effective forms of ensuring the safety of all cyclists.”

The Board will work to ensure helmets are accessible for all riders throughout the county and continue to promote their use to reduce the risk of injury. The King County Council allocated $221,000 in the supplemental budget passed in November 2021 to distribute helmets, focused on providing them to unhoused individuals and individuals who historically have been disproportionately impacted by inequities and discrimination.

“As a cyclist, I know the many health, social and environmental benefits of biking,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “As a former ER doctor who has treated people with preventable head injuries, I also know the importance of wearing a bike helmet. And as Health Officer, I appreciate that community partners have highlighted the negative impacts of discriminatory enforcement of the helmet law. The bottom line is that Public Health continues to strongly recommend and encourage helmet use, especially by children.”

The bicycle helmet law was first passed in 1993, and led to extensive public education about safe cycling, which reduced the number of injuries due to bicycle crashes. Thursday’s vote will remove the helmet use requirement from King County’s Board of Health code, ending citations for failure to wear a helmet.

This does NOT repeal the motorcycle-helmet law, which is a state law.

(WCN photos unless otherwise credited)

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

If you look at the signage for Zeeks Pizza, opening soon at 9809 16th SW in White Center, and think “oh, just a chain moving in,” think again.

Proprietor Amber Reese is a franchisee. That means she’s a small-business owner, she wants you to know. She’s also a single mom whose 9-year-old son is as excited as she is about the soon-to-open restaurant.

(Photo by Emma Lee Photography)

Opening her own restaurant has been a longtime dream for Reese. She worked for Zeeks for 9 years – in Belltown, Lynnwood, and West Seattle, where she lives – and she’s been working on securing this franchise for more than half that time. (She also has the rights to open Zeeks in Burien, but that’s further down the road – it’s all about White Center right now.) She has had a career of almost 20 years in the industry, since graduating from the culinary program at South Seattle College, which is actually in West Seattle, at 6000 16th SW – “same street where I’m opening my own restaurant,” Reese exults. She originally planned a career path in cooking, but turned out to have a talent for restaurant management, so that steered her toward “front of the house work,” and now ownership.

She says she’s lucky to have been able to take over a space that was already set up as a pizza restaurant (previously Southside), and hasn’t made too many changes. To get a liquor license (for beer and wine), they had to wall off the space from neighboring Li’l Woody’s, which means there are now separate entrances, and new booths along the new wall, too.

Some of the final touches yet to come include new ovens that are on the way – what’s in the space now is a 21-year-old oven, Reese notes. The menu will be classic Zeeks – pizza, salads, breadsticks. They’ll be delivering as well as being open for dine-in and take-out, 11 am-9 pm daily.

But the special flavor Reese wants to infuse is community involvement, in keeping with White Center’s legendary identity as a close-knit community. “Once we’re open, I really want to give back to the community,” particularly organizations that work with women and children. She says she’s already been supporting other White Center businesses, even popular Proletariat Pizza just down the block.

So how soon will she be serving up her own pizza? By mid-March, if all goes well the rest of the way.

Who will lead Highline Public Schools when Dr. Susan Enfield leaves as superintendent? The district has announced three finalists, and town halls next week during which you’ll hear from them, one finalist at a time. Here’s the announcement:

The Highline Public Schools Board of Directors named three finalists for the position of superintendent of Highline Public Schools, following a community engagement process.

The finalists are:

Dr. Concie Pedroza
Dr. Keisha Scarlett
Dr. Ivan Duran

“Through our community process, Highline Public Schools community members laid out high expectations for our next superintendent,” said School Board President Aaron Garcia. “These highly qualified candidates are a result of that community process and each of them reflects the qualifications and characteristics our constituents told us they value.”

Dr. Concie Pedroza began her career as a classroom teacher and later served as an elementary, K-8 and high school principal. She currently serves as the associate superintendent in Seattle Public Schools, the largest district in Washington state, overseeing schools, academics, student services and African American male achievement.

Dr. Keisha Scarlett is chief academic officer for Seattle Public Schools and formerly served as chief of equity, partnerships, and engagement. Dr. Scarlett has dedicated her career to advocating for academic opportunities and environments that tap into students’ inherent brilliance, particularly those furthest from educational justice.

Dr. Ivan Duran is a proud product of public education. An early passion for reading and learning sparked his interest in being an educator. He has served more than 30 years in public education and is currently chief of acceleration and recovery for the Renton School District. From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Duran was superintendent of the Bellevue School District.

To read more about the finalists, visit the Highline website at: highlineschools.org/finalists

Next week, the finalists will each spend a day in Highline where they will tour schools and meet with students, a few stakeholder groups and school board members. Each day will end in a virtual town hall. At the end of each town hall, the community will immediately have an opportunity to provide feedback on the finalists through an online form.

Town Hall with Dr. Concie Pedroza
Monday, February 14
6:15-7:00 p.m.

Town Hall with Dr. Keisha Scarlett
Tuesday, February 15
6:15-7:00 p.m.

Town Hall with Dr. Ivan Duran
Thursday, February 17
6:15-7:00 p.m.

The questions to be asked of the candidates at the town halls are pre-selected. Some of the questions were generated through a community-wide ThoughtExchange. Student moderators will emcee the town halls and ask the questions.

To watch the town hall, visit the Highline website at: highlineschools.org/townhalls

To provide feedback on the finalists, visit the Highline website at: highlineschools.org/feedback

The School Board anticipates appointing a superintendent following the finalists visits. The new superintendent will begin on July 1, 2022.

$3.6 million is waiting to be spent in North Highline – depending on how you think it should be spent! Here’s the announcement:

King County’s participatory budgeting process is coming to the community — and it needs your involvement.

After spending the last six months creating the framework for how this new process will work, the Community Investment Budget Committee is now helping educate people about how they can help guide $10 million in investments in five urban unincorporated areas of King County.

During the month of February, committee members are holding online Info Sessions to help residents understand this process, which they named “The People’s Budget: Your Voice, Your Choice.” These sessions are open to anyone who lives, works, plays, goes to school, or worships in these communities:

East Federal Way
East Renton
Fairwood
North Highline/White Center
Skyway/West Hill

Participatory Budgeting Program Coordinator Gloria Briggs says she’s excited because the committee’s work to date has produced a unique process that’s now in the hands of the larger community.

“Now we’re coming to the exciting part,” Briggs said. “The committee members can’t wait to share participatory budgeting with their neighbors. Ultimately, residents will nominate projects that they’re passionate about, and the community will vote on which projects receive funding.”

“The committee has already held several virtual Info Sessions, appeared on podcasts, and spoken at community meetings, and that’s just the start! There will be more Info Sessions this month.”

(Listen to Gloria Briggs discuss participatory budgeting on a recent episode of the Inside White Center podcast here)

More on Participatory Budgeting

Participatory budgeting allows communities to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects. Residents can help decide how to spend money on capital projects (physical things that are bought, built, installed, and/or fixed up), programs and services.

Historically, King County’s five urban unincorporated communities have received inequitable and limited investments. About 100,000 people live in these areas, which have the county’s highest percentages of people of color and its highest poverty rates.

To help address these inequities, King County’s approved 2021-2022 budget includes funds specifically for these communities. That includes $10 million for capital projects for the five urban unincorporated communities and $1.35 million for programs, services, or capital projects in Skyway/West Hill and North Highline/White Center:

East Federal Way: $1.96 million for capital projects
East Renton: $301,000 for capital projects
Fairwood: $720,000 for capital projects
North Highline/White Center: $3.1 million for capital projects, $540,000 for services and programs
Skyway/West Hill: $3.9 million for capital projects, $810,000 for services and programs

The 21-member Community Investment Budget Committee developed the participatory budgeting process in urban unincorporated King County. This marks the first time King County has used this community-driven approach.

The process has five phases: developing the rules, brainstorming ideas (February), developing ideas into project proposals (March-April), voting (May), and funding winning projects (June and onward).

Who can participate? Anyone at least 12 years old who lives, works, owns a business, receives services, goes to school, or worships in any of the areas above.

Where does the money come from? The funds for the capital projects will be backed by bonds. The funds for services and programs in North Highline/White Center and Skyway/West Hill come from King County’s general fund and are supported by marijuana retail sales tax revenue.

How can I learn more? Are there any upcoming Info Sessions for my neighborhood? The best way to get information about participatory budgeting is to visit publicinput.com/YourVoiceYourChoice. Residents can find information on upcoming sessions, get information on the participatory budgeting process, enter ideas for their specific areas, and more.

Submit an idea

Online: publicinput.com/YourVoiceYourChoice
Submit your ideas in a video: flipgrid.com/7e157141
Paper Form: Look for Idea Submission boxes in your area
Email or phone: Contact gloria.briggs@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-5546 to leave a message

The deadline to submit ideas is March 5.

That stretch of unfinished work on 15th SW south of SW Roxbury in White Center was the backdrop as King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a plan to seek an alternate concrete supply as the local drivers’ strike drags on. The site is part of work to prepare for converting Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line, set for this September but in danger of delay if work can’t resume soon. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was at the event too, announcing that the West Seattle Bridge’s midyear reopening will be pushed back if concrete isn’t available by February 20th.

Here’s the King County news release:

Ongoing labor disputes have frozen numerous private and public construction projects around the region, and King County is soliciting one or more concrete suppliers to ensure its construction projects can continue without disruptions and delays.

With ongoing labor disputes jeopardizing construction projects around the region, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the county is seeking one or more suppliers of concrete building materials to ensure projects can resume without further delays and disruptions. County projects like the RapidRide H expansion and the Georgetown stormwater facility have been delayed, along with numerous other public and private construction projects.

King County published a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) this week [read it here], seeking to guarantee a supply of concrete to meet the needs of County construction projects over the next three to six years. This RFQ is the first time the County is requesting proposals directly from construction material suppliers, and winning bidders will have the opportunity to lock in a contract with the County that’s worth $28M to $35M for the first three to four years. One of the qualifications to obtain the contract is to have an agreement in place that prevents work stoppages and employer lockouts to prevent future impacts to construction. Other public entities will be able to mirror the King County proposal and use similar qualifications.

“With transit improvements stalled and construction sites gone quiet, the impact of the labor dispute is leaving people out of work and taxpayers suffering delays in the critical infrastructure that the region needs built now,” said Executive Constantine. “Our proposal today seeks to protect the public’s interest by providing economic certainty to suppliers who treat workers fairly and keep our infrastructure projects moving forward.”

Other government entities, public agencies, and private companies have also been adversely impacted by the recent concrete strike. Construction delays or stoppages have happened on Sound Transit’s light rail expansion, WSDOT’s 520 Bridge Montlake interchange and 405 expansion, the City of Seattle’s West Seattle Bridge project, and the Washington State Convention Center expansion project. Private projects such as Microsoft’s campus modernization project, affordable housing, and market rate housing projects have also seen delays.

“Repair of the West Seattle Bridge remains one of the city’s highest priorities. While the Seattle Department of Transportation, contractors, and community partners have worked tirelessly to keep the West Seattle Bridge reopening on track for mid-2022, this continued strike threatens to delay that schedule, as well as impact many other major City of Seattle projects. For an on-time opening, concrete companies and workers must return to mediation and reach a fair agreement – further delay and uncertainty is untenable for hundreds of thousands of neighbors across West Seattle, our city, and the entire region,” said Mayor of Seattle Bruce Harrell.

“The inability to get concrete to Sound Transit job sites is causing serious delays to needed transit expansions and pushing construction workers into unemployment” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “On Sound Transit’s projects alone, we’ve missed more than 2,200 deliveries, equivalent to a line of concrete trucks more than 14.5 miles long. Our contractors have laid off more than 200 workers, and another 165 jobs are threatened. It’s critical that the parties to this dispute work together to negotiate a resolution. If that doesn’t happen quickly enough, this procurement that King County is leading will provide us with a potential tool to help us get our projects back on track and our workers back on the job.”

“On the Washington State Convention Center, the lack of concrete has already delayed the opening more than a month,” said Matt Griffin of the Pine Street Group who is the developer of the project’s addition. “This has caused the contractor to reduce the workforce by about 150 jobs. It’s sad to see these people out of work, as the community is trying to rebound from the pandemic.”

In addition to those mentioned earlier, there are two King County projects that are also currently impacted by the ongoing labor dispute including segments of the East Lake Sammamish Trail and the Loop Vehicle Maintenance Facility. There are a handful of other projects that, while they have not been directly affected yet, could be impacted soon, such as the Lower Russell Levee, improvements and repairs at West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Cedar Hills Landfill. All nine King County projects total roughly 850 yards of concrete needs presently or in the near future.

“Concrete is quite literally the foundation of our region’s infrastructure, and it’s clear the impacts of this labor dispute are far reaching. Without these construction projects, our region will fall behind at a time when we need to push further and faster,” added Executive Constantine. “All parties need to get back to the negotiating table quickly and resolve the dispute so everyone in King County can get back to work building our future.”

We were there for the briefing on 15th and recorded it on video: