White Center Now: The blog about White Center

11:09 AM: Of note for those continuing to wonder if Seattle will pursue White Center (and vicinity) annexation in the wake of the Burien rejection – we have just learned that a Seattle City Council committee is going to pursue an annexation vote for the two unincorporated sections of South Park, the “Sliver by the River” and “Duwamish Triangle.” Details are on our partner site The South Park News.

ADDED 11:18 AM: We didn’t catch it on first readthrough but the resolution DOES include a brief mention of North Highline’s “Area Y” – seventh paragraph:

WHEREAS, the City Council and Mayor intend to continue discussions with King County regarding the City’s potential future annexation by election of the North Highline Potential Annexation Area, known as Area Y…

That is mostly mentioned in support of why Seattle believes it should annex the Duwamish areas. But stay tuned!

If you have something to say in person about the proposed ballot measure to raise money to hold off Metro cuts and help roads, with a car-tab fee and sales-tax increase, be at Union Station (401 S. Jackson) in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, February 4th, for the only night hearing – 5:30 pm sign-in, 6 pm testimony. The County Council expects to decide February 10th whether to send a proposal to voters in April.

You’re invited to register now to be part of this year’s White Center Community Summit. Just received from WCCDA:

The 2014 White Center Community Summit will take place on Saturday, March 1st from 10am-2pm at Mt. View Elementary School. Registration and breakfast begins at 9 am. Organized by the White Center Community Development Association (CDA), this is a family event with workshops for youths and adults as well as free child care.

The theme for this year’s summit is “White Center: Past, Present and Future,” where we will explore and hear stories about how great things formed in White Center, what new things we have here now and plan with us how to keep White Center a growing place for the future. All attendees that register will receive a free I Heart White Center t-shirt, lunch, and an opportunity to have family pictures taken by a professional photographer.

“The event this year will be especially special because we will have community members come and share stories about how some of the great things we have here in White Center came to fruition. We will also take on some of the more challenging topics, in workshop form, that we are faced with here in White Center like: to annexation, transportation and education,” says White Center CDA Community Builder Marquise Roberson. “In addition to community coming together and providing context and voice behind various topics, it is going to be a great picture of community coming together and working together to gain mutual understanding and problem solve.”

In addition to the adult focused workshops, there will be youth focused workshops dealing with personal finance, career exploration and how they view the community. For the younger children there will also be free child care. Registered event attendees will also receive lunch from local community businesses. As in years past there will be a resource center along with onsite interpreters and translated materials. Registration information can be found at http://wccda.org/home

The mission of the White Center Community Development Association is to promote a high quality of life for White Center residents and stakeholders through the development of authentic leadership opportunities and community based neighborhood initiatives. This is accomplished through three lines of business: neighborhood revitalization, family development, and community building.

For more information please contact Marquise Roberson, Community Builder, at (206) 694-1082 or Marquise@wccda.org.

We’ve already mentioned that this year’s White Center 5K is on the way – but tonight, the official announcement has arrived, including word that you’re invited to dress up like a superhero!

The White Center Community Development Association (CDA) is partnering with the YES Foundation of White Center and the White Center Food Bank to host the second annual White Center 5K Walk & Run. This community event will take place on March 22, 2014 from 9:00am to 11:00am at White Center Heights Park. The theme of this year’s 5K is a Superhero Run, all participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superheroes.

The 5K has an official start time of 9:00 am, with registration beginning at 8:00 am. Following the completion of the race there will be an award ceremony to recognize the fastest runners. The cost of participation is $25 for people aged 11 through 18, $30 for people between the ages of 11 and 54, $25 for those aged 55 and up, and free for children 10 years of age and younger. All proceeds from the event will benefit the White Center CDA, the YES Foundation of White Center, and the White Center Food Bank.

Almost 400 people participated in 2013 and similar numbers of participants are expected to walk and run at this year’s event. “I can’t wait for this year’s race,” says Tony Vo of the WC5K planning committee. “It was amazing seeing how everyone came together last year and our second 5K will connect this community even more with the addition of the White Center Food Bank.”

In addition to a free White Center 5K T-shirt, this event will provide attendees with free DubSea drip Coffee and a light breakfast. Also on site there will be music and informational booths from local organizations including Hope Heart Institute, Child Care Resources, United Health Care, and the three partnering organizations. Following the race, 5K attendees can receive discounts at participating local businesses if they wear their White Center 5K T-shirt.

Those interested in attending can sign up by visiting the White Center 5K registration page at whitecenter5k.brownpapertickets.com or visit facebook.com/WhiteCenter5kWalkRun for more information.

The mission of the White Center Community Development Association is to promote a vibrant neighborhood and high quality of life for White Center residents and stakeholders through the development of authentic leadership opportunities and community-led, neighborhood initiatives. This is accomplished through three lines of business: neighborhood revitalization, family development, and community building.

The YES Foundation of White Center exists to address the social, economic, educational, physical, and spiritual needs of youth in the White Center area. By developing programs and partnering with other organizations, they provide kids with positive role models and powerful life experiences to encourage their hope and vision for the future.

The White Center Food Bank (WCFB) began in the mid-1970’s as an emergency response to assist struggling families and individuals in the greater White Center and Highline areas during a major economic downturn. The Mission of the White Center Food Bank is to minimize hunger, while nourishing community, nurturing self-reliance and embracing our rich cultural diversity.

For more information please contact Tony Vo at Whitecenter5k@gmail.com

Though voters in our state approved the creation of charter schools more than a year ago, none have opened yet – would-be operators are going through a vetting process. Public forums are part of that, and one is happening tomorrow (Thursday) night in White Center. Three charter schools proposed for the South Seattle/Highline area will be pitched in a forum at the Tech Access Foundation‘s Bethaday Community Learning Space – Rainier Prep (middle school) at 5 pm, Summit Public School: Sierra (high school) at 6 pm, and First Place Charter School at 7 pm. The forums are explained in this Seattle Times (WCN partner) story. The state Charter School Commission is hosting the forums – here’s the full schedule, including another forum Friday night in Tukwila – and is expected to decide by month’s end whether to approve any or all of the applications.

We’ve reported on the financial crisis faced by White Center’s Evergreen Pool, saved by the community once and in need of rescue again – now, it’s been saved, supporters just announced:

The non-profit Evergreen Pool, which serves the greater Highline area, which had been threatened with closure, will remain open thanks to a combination of community and government support.

During December the volunteer community group that manages the pool successfully raised over $15,000 from the public, obtained a grant for reducing energy costs from King County Parks, and entered into a contract with the City of Burien to provide services to low-income residents there.

“We are so grateful to the community and our leaders who recognize the need for an aquatic facility in White Center and for coming together to help us continue our mission of teaching swimming and promoting fitness in the Highline area,” said Evergreen Community Aquatics Center Board President, Bryan Hastings.

“In particular we would like to thank King County Executive Dow Constantine and Burien’s newly elected Mayor Lucy Krakowiak for sharing our vision,” said Hastings. In addition there were many private donors, mostly giving less than $100, who helped reach the fundraising goal.

More than 3,800 children – and adults – have learned to swim at the Evergreen Pool since it reopened under new management three years ago. The pool is home to several swim teams – Whitewater Aquatics, Highline High School, Evergreen High School and Blue Wave Masters, as well as dozens of community groups.

To celebrate the continued operation of the pool, a free family swim pass is being offered with each lesson program sign up. More information can be found at www.EvergreenPool.org.

The application period is over, and the state is narrowing the field of those who have applied to produce, process, and/or sell recreational marijuana. We took a look at the newest version of the spreadsheet listing retail applications, and found multiple applicants for certain locations. Here are all the retail applicants for White Center (and reminder, in our reporting, White Center means strictly the nonincorporated area – nothing in the Seattle city limits) – 19 applications for 8 locations:

*7 applications to sell at 9819 16th SW: Greensmart Northwest, Marijuana Mercantile, Northwest THC Outlet, Sound THC, THCInSource, THC Supermarket, Total Access THC

*6 applications to sell at 9640 16th SW (current home of NW Cannabis Market): Washington Total THC, Greensmart Northwest, Northwest THC Outlet, Simple Choice THC, Sound THC, THCInSource.

*1 application to sell at 9809 16th SW: Magic Herbal Market

*1 application to sell at 9802 18th SW: Chameleon Enterprises

*1 application to sell at 9823 15th SW: Kronic LLC

*1 application to sell at 9831 16th SW, Stuart Thomas Holding

*1 application to sell at 9835 16th SW, NLM Lucky LLC

*1 application to sell at 11030 19th SW, Just Hemp LLC

A few of those might already be out of the running; our partners at The Seattle Times report that applicants with residential addresses or other disqualifying factors, such as the buffer from places frequented by youth, are already being disqualified. And even if a location qualifies according to the rules, the applicant will have to show that they actually have an agreement with the building’s landlord, if they don’t own the location themselves. So when will licenses be issued? No timeline so far.

By Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
White Center Now co-publishers

With no money solution in sight yet, the first round of Metro service cuts is rolling forward, and it was the centerpiece topic at Thursday night’s meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council.

These are the changes that would take effect in June, when the county runs out of money from the state meant to mitigate effects of Highway 99 construction – even though that construction is far from over, and county leaders suggest that transportation in this area will be affected through at least 2019, between the tunnel, the Viaduct demolition, surface Alaskan Way construction, seawall work, and more.

The King County Council’s Transportation Committee will look at the proposed cuts Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm, and will also be briefed on proposed creation of a “transportation benefit district” to raise money locally to make up for some of what is expiring.

The June service-change proposal (eliminated and reduced routes) for this area, still pending council approval, includes total elimination of Route 113, whose service area includes White Center:

As noted by Metro’s Doug Johnson and DeAnna Martin at the meeting, other effects in this area would include service reductions for routes 60, 120, 121, 122, 123, 131, and 132.

Also at the meeting, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who said the “transportation benefit district” – authorizing a car-tab fee and sales-tax increase – could go to voters as soon as April, and isn’t just for Metro money, but would also raise $50 million for roads. There’s been no good news from Olympia regarding a transportation deal, and that’s why this all is moving forward.

In addition to the County Council committee meeting this week, there’s also a big event with the West Seattle Transportation Coalition which, as WSTC board member Amanda Kay Helmick told NHUAC on Thursday night, considers North Highline to be an integral part of the area too. At 6:30 pm Tuesday at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), representatives from city, county, and state government will comprise a panel with Q/A about local transportation issues, and as WSTC has been noting, a big turnout will underscore local concerns.

Also during Thursday’s NHUAC meeting, the monthly crime/safety briefing with King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy BJ Myers. He mentioned an uptick in car thefts/prowls and auto-parts thefts around the Top Hat area in the past month, and said KCSO is targeting that with a special emphasis. But the heart of White Center itself does not have anything out of the ordinary going on, and December 2013 stats, Deputy Myers said, look a lot like December 2012. Several attendees asked him to check on graffiti-vandalism concerns.

For more information about NHUAC, check out its website at northhighlineuac.org.

Parts of White Center and elsewhere in North Highline are reported to be part of a Seattle City Light outage affecting almost 9,000 homes/businesses/etc. from West Seattle southward. (Parts of their coverage area to the north of Elliott Bay are out too.) It happened during a ferocious wind gust around 4:30 am. City Light is guesstimating repairs by 8:30 am. We’re continuing to cover on West Seattle Blog but you are also welcome to comment here if you’re out.

7 pm next Thursday (January 16) at the Evergreen campus cafeteria (830 SW 116th), it’s your chance to tell Highline Public Schools what you think should be done to deal with its growing crisis – old schools, overflowing. Here’s today’s announcement:

Facing serious challenges with school facilities, leaders from Highline Public Schools are asking citizens to weigh in on potential solutions.

“Last year the community came together to set bold goals for students,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield. “In order to meet those goals, we must provide a learning environment that allows students to experience excellent instruction and today’s learning technology.”

Highline’s student population is growing for the first time in over a decade, and the district is projected to see an additional 2,100 students over the next 8 to 10 years. Elementary schools are currently full, and there is no room for growth. In addition, there are a number of aging buildings that must be replaced or undergo major renovations. A few facts:

· Elementary schools have no room to reduce class sizes, even though the state is offering additional funding for smaller classes in grades K-3 starting next fall. If the district is unable to create more classroom space, it will have to turn away up to $2.2 million in state funding.

· All but one of the middle and high schools are over 50 years old and in need of replacement or major repairs. As the buildings age, repairs and maintenance are becoming more and more expensive, draining money away from the classroom. Aging infrastructure prevents the installation of educational technology.

District leaders are working to come up with a responsible solution to both issues. Highline Public Schools is seeking community input on how to accommodate enrollment growth and address conditions in aging school buildings. There are a number of opportunities for the public to get more information, take a closer look at potential solutions and provide feedback, including:

An online survey covering key issues and potential solutions, available mid-January on the district’s website. This tool is easy to access and is a convenient way to learn more about the issues ahead and share input and ideas. The survey will be posted at www.highlineschools.org/yourvoice.

Citizens are invited to three community meetings being held to gather input from community members. These meetings are an opportunity for citizens to hear details about the challenges ahead, give input on the proposed solutions and join with district leaders in shaping a meaningful and lasting solution.

A few months ago, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council joined community groups on the Seattle side of the line in pushing for a safety study of SW Roxbury. This week, the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council provided an update. From WWRHAH secretary Joe Szilagyi‘s online summary of the group’s Tuesday meeting:

All the studies are done. SDOT has met with both King County Metro and their King County DOT peers several times now. They came up with an extensive list of minor to moderate modifications along the length of Roxbury from 35th all the way east to Olson & 4th that they believe can improve the flow of traffic, bring speeders in line with the posted legal speed limits, and significantly improve the safety of the arterial corridor. SDOT has not heavily detailed the solutions to us, but they emphasized that compared to other arterials, the work on Roxbury shouldn’t be particularly difficult or invasive, and would utilize simpler solutions.

SDOT will run outreach programs to White Center, Arbor Heights, Westwood, Roxhill, North Highline, Highland Park, including at least two public feedback meetings, one in the day and one in the evening, and will run outreach booths at the Roxbury Safeway. The public meetings will be coming in the February to March time frame, at locations and times to be determined.

Additional good news to come out of this: the missing link of the Roxbury sidewalk across the street from Roxhill Elementary School, on the south side of Roxbury between 30th and 27th, is in the process of being funded via a grant with the County. For the first time in as far as most people seem to be able to remember, Roxbury will have continuous sidewalks.

At this point, WWRHAH, HPAC, and NHUAC aside from providing additional feedback are done, and this is fully an SDOT operation now.

NHUAC meets tonight, if you missed our earlier reminder – North Highline Fire District HQ as always, with the agenda including Metro talking about the status of its potential cuts in the White Center/West Seattle area (and beyond) – that means the meeting starts early, with Metro having a mini-open house of sorts to answer questions and provide information.

Charmaine hopes you will be on the lookout for her stolen car, taken from outside her home near 4th SW and SW 106th:

My ’93 Honda Accord, beige in color, with license plate AGX7274 was stolen from my driveway in front of my house sometime between 12:30 AM and 3 PM (Tuesday).

Call 911 if you see it.

New year, new month, new list of fun and educational programs ahead at the White Center Library – here’s the flyer they shared:

White Center Library programs for January 2014

Beautiful Saturday night sunset – first weekend of 2014. Thanks to Gill for sharing the photo. Might even have another good one on Sunday, since the forecast suggests we’ll see another sunny day.

Thanks to the person who called our 24-hour hotline (shared with partner site West Seattle Blog – 206-293-6302) with a tip about a big King County Sheriff’s Office response at a building at 16th/110th. We headed that way to find out what was happening; our crew talked at the scene with KCSO’s Deputy BJ Myers, who says a man was arrested after becoming combative and assaultive. Everything’s under control now and winding down.

Still no solution to the Metro money mess – with some White Center/West Seattle cuts looming even sooner than the rest of the region – so the centerpiece item on next month’s NHUAC agenda is all the more important. From president Barbara Dobkin:

Just a reminder – The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) will be holding their January meeting on Thursday, January 9. We are pleased to be hosting representatives from King County Metro, who will provide information on potential service cuts. A total of 600,000 annual service hours, or 17% of the current Metro system could be eliminated. The impact from these cuts will be devastating to both drivers and Metro riders. It is important to let your voice be heard – so please join us for this important discussion.

Metro Representatives will be on hand starting at 6:30 – our regular meeting will begin at 7.

Stay tuned for more details.

NHUAC Meeting
When: Thursday, January 9, 6:30 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station (1243 SW 112th)

From Kami, who is helping with the campaign to keep Evergreen Pool open:

PLEASE SAVE EVERGREEN BY TAKING SWIM LESSONS!

Evergreen could close if the community doesn’t start using it. This local nonprofit indoor aquatic center offers great swim lessons at competitive prices, lap swimming, and public swim. Please check out the website at www.evergreenpool.org for more information.

Current Promotion:
If you sign up for swim lessons starting January 6th, the registered swimmer and one adult may attend any of our public swim sessions in January for FREE! Please check our website or swing on by.

Let’s come together to save this valuable community resource. TOGETHER LET’S SAVE EVERGREEN!

Starting today, and running through only the first week of the New Year, you can sign up for the second annual White Center 5K – set for March 22 – and get a discount! Details and signups at the official website. The 5K benefits the White Center Community Development Association and the YES Foundation of White Center.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has cancelled the burn ban, as of 11 am today, after just 18 hours, explaining that conditions change quickly this time of year.

Christmas Eve fires are OK, but that changes on Christmas night. Just announced by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency:

Due to increasingly stagnant weather conditions, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is issuing a Stage 1 burn ban for King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, effective at 5 pm on December 25, 2013. This ban remains in effect until further notice.

During a Stage 1 burn ban:

No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled. The only exception is if a wood stove is a home’s only adequate source of heat.
No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA-certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.