White Center Now: The blog about White Center

EDITOR’S NOTE: We reported the big news that broke during this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting as soon as it happened – word that the King County Executive was committing to proposing continued funding for the White Center storefront deputy – but that’s not all that happened; here are the other highlights.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

The NHUAC meeting began with an ending – Ron Johnson retired from civic involvement. He had been on NHUAC since 1996, he said, retiring once before – in 2003, “for a whole year” – before jumping back in. James Bush gave him a certificate on behalf of King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Johnson said, “I’ll be out there.”

OFFICER ELECTIONS: Barbara Dobkin was re-elected unanimously as president. Liz Giba was elected unanimously as vice president. Pat Price won unanimous election as secretary, and Christine Waldman as treasurer.

KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM UPDATES: Angie Benedetti was announced as the new King County Library System regional manager, now in her second month in that role. Bill Ptacek called her a “legend” in the system – someone responsible for “buying almost all the books in the system.” As for the new White Center Library to be built on 107th between 14th and 16th, he said the property purchase is almost complete, with what amounts to a 60-year loan with zero interest. He reiterated that the library won’t use the entire site, so KCLS is looking for “another partner” to share the site. They are casting a wide net to find that partner – preferably another nonprofit, he indicated. When will construction start? Depends on where the library will go on the site – and a “public process” is required before that is settled, he said. “The beauty of the site is that along with being right across the street from a school, it’s right at the head of 15th, and could be a beacon to the start of the business district.” He said ideally they’d like some visibility from 16th but if they move it too far west, it might not be visible from 15th. They can’t pick a partner until they decide where on the site the building will be sited. Meantime, they’ve chosen NBBJ as the architect, from a field of about a dozen. He noted that the principal architect of the Burien Library is now with that firm. The first meeting between KCLS and NBBJ happened today; the first public meeting about siting is likely to be in mid-July, date and location to be set. Nothing’s happening with Boulevard Park right now – there’s no formal date for the 2004 bond money to be used on it, Ptacek said, though they’d like to have the project under way by next year.

Giba wondered what would happen if Seattle annexed White Center, including the new library site. “(The annexation issue is) going to be up in the air for a while,” Ptacek observed, but, as that line of discussion proceeded, he noted that members of the community were the ones who evangelized this site, “which just seemed like the right site for the library.”

A bit later, White Center business owner Elizabeth Gordon asked Ptacek why this location is better than the current one. The reasons he cited were its proximity to a school, its position at the “head end of the commercial district,” the fact the current library will be able to stay open until the new one is up and running, and that it was a “really good deal.”

Postcards will be sent out as part of the notification of upcoming meetings on this project.

Rachael Levine of the White Center Library Guild pursued the line of questioning about why the current library site is being scrapped – many “felt it had served well,” she said. NHUAC president Dobkin pointed out that the meeting in which the site was chosen was a 5 pm meeting in Issaquah. Ptacek was taken to task by the next person to speak from the audience who suggested the community still doesn’t fully trust the library system management and its board. “I’m hearing it and I hope you’re hearing it – I don’t think this has been a straight-up process so far, and I think it needs to be from now on.” Some applause followed that.

Now-former councilmember Johnson said, “We paid (taxes) for a King County Library – if annexation (to Seattle) happens we still want it to be a King County library,” though he acknowledged he’s not sure how that could happen.

Without comment on the last two points, Ptacek’s part of the meeting ended.

METRO: DeAnna Johnson was on hand, talking about the possible financial crisis faced by the transit service. Asked why fares couldn’t be raised to cover the potential gap, she said it would take $4-$4.50 each way to cover it.

Why did so much service move from White Center to Westwood in last fall’s service change? Dobkin asked Martin. Westwood is “a great hub … with more connections to more places,” she replied. “It’s a transit hub with no park-n-ride,” Dobkin countered. “We’ve heard that request from a lot of people,” Martin acknowledged, then saying “there’s nothing planned at this point … with the current financial situation, it’s hard to invest” in that sort of thing.

KING COUNTY TRANSIT RESOURCE OFFICER: Bill, who’s been with Transit Police for many years, is involved with a new program – Transit Resource Officers, and he’s hoping there’ll be five of them. His area ranges from the West Seattle Bridge and miles south, as a liaison with police regarding bus stops with trouble. “I have a lot of resources .. it’s against the law to do anything but sit there politely on a bus and ride the bus. … Our biggest teeth is the suspension program.”

Late-night drinking, any kind of a bus-stop issue – he can look into it. He works 10-6, Monday-Friday. There are 69 Metro Traffic officers if they’re fully staffed, which currently they’re not, he says. “The bulk of our business happens between 1 pm and 11 pm,” with a sharp dip around 7:30-8 pm, people going home, or going to shelters. 239 bus routes, 9,000 bus stops, 1280 buses on the road, only about 400 have cameras. He said he spends the “vast majority of (his) time” in front of Bartell at 15th/Roxbury. He says in his view, and that of other police, the “high-octane fortified beer and wine” is White Center’s #1 problem – “people get drunk and want to fight.”

What if you see graffiti? He suggested reporting it to 911. (Wilson suggested contacting Metro customer service.)

STOREFRONT DEPUTY PETITION: P.S. to the previously mentioned commitment for Constantine’s budget to propose continued funding – NHUAC points out it’s not a sure thing till the budget is finalized later this year, so more signatures on their online petition would be welcome.

TO TABLE AT JUBILEE DAYS OR NOT TO TABLE? NHUAC will, its members decided. And that’s where you can see them in July – their meetings, otherwise, are on hiatus till September 5th.

We mentioned here recently that Cu Van Truong‘s trial had begun for the murder of Jason Saechao at Seattle Roll Bakery in White Center in the final days of 2011. Today, a jury returned a verdict, according to this update on the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office website:

Deputy Prosecutors Alex Voorhees and Jennifer Worley have secured a conviction against Cu Van Truong, who was accused in the shooting death of Jason Saechao after an argument in White Center on December 28, 2011. Truong, 27, was convicted by a jury of Murder in the First Degree with a Firearm Enhancement. The trial was before Judge Catherine Shaffer. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Truong is facing a possible sentence of 40 to 50 years in prison.

They asked for short films – they got ’em – and tonight, you can see them! The RatCity ArtCity Film Festival is happening, 6-9 pm, at Herban Legends (9619 16th SW) – full lineup on their website.

Two events of note this week – first, the two-part White Center Chamber/WCCDA get-together on Tuesday. From the invitation:

One agenda. Two locations.

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

June’s discussion will include:
-Health care for Chamber members
-Chamber business

Times & Locations:

12 p.m. @ Young’s – 9413 16th Ave SW
6 p.m. @ Mac’s Triangle Pub – 9454 Delridge Way SW

And at 7 pm Friday, the WC BOSS happy hour:

Come join us for BOSS Happy Hour!!

Meet other business owners, mingle with the neighborhood, and stay for Salsa dancing! Lessons and music start at 9 p.m.

(no host bar)

Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Chemo’s – 10230 16th Ave SW

King County’s fire investigator is working to find out what caused a house fire in the 10600 block of 17th SW; thanks to the readers who messaged us about it. It’s out now. Nobody home when it happened, and no injuries were reported, the North Highline Fire District incident commander told us.

Lesley recorded video while smoke was pouring from the house:

From Mark Ufkes:

Union Gospel Mission is assisting in coordinating Tacos in the Park for our White Center homeless population this summer, to continue their important outreach work to the White Center homeless population who they have been serving on Saturday evenings for over two years.

Tacos are scheduled for every second Friday of the month at noon. In June, tacos are planned for Friday, June 14 (Flag Day), again on Friday July 12, and again on Friday August, 9, 2013. Taco Time Northwest continues to support our lunch effort as we reach out to homeless folks and let them know that we care for them and want them to be healthy.

A second church group from a Burien church has expanded its lunch outreach to our homeless population on two Saturdays each month, and Holy Family (from Seattle) continues their outreach and free lunch on one Saturday each month. Our Second Friday of the Month effort continues to average over 40 participants, and we serve over 100 tacos during the 90 minute event. White Center business owners are encouraged to send the homeless from their block to the free lunch next Friday.

As they say, “There but by the grace of God, go I”

Breaking news from the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting under way right now – president Barbara Dobkin has read a letter just received from King County Executive Dow Constantine, committing to keep funding for the King County Sheriff’s Office White Center storefront deputy position in the 2014 budget. There had been concern the funding was in jeopardy, and Sheriff John Urquhart had asked the council to help with a show of support, so they launched an online petition, as first reported here last month. After Dobkin read the letter, the 20-plus people in the room applauded. More from the meeting a bit later.

You’re invited tonight – 7 pm, North Highline Fire District HQ at 1243 SW 112th, as the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council takes on this busy agenda:

7:00 pm Call to Order – Flag Salute – Roll Call –
Approval of Agenda – Approval of Minutes
7:05 pm Public Announcements
7:10 pm Public Comment
3minutes for Individuals
5 minutes for Groups

7:15 pm Election of Officers

7:20 pm Bill Ptacek, King County Library System Director

7:40 pm Deanna Martin, Community Relations Planner
King County Department of Transportation

8:00 pm Deputy William Kennamer, King County Sheriff’s Office
Special Operations Section

8:10 pm Committee Reports

8:15 pm Unfinished Business/Old Business
• Jubilee Days
• Storefront Deputy Petition

8:20 pm New Business
• Napa Building – 16th Avenue

Thanks to those who tipped us about the big law-enforcement response in downtown White Center tonight, in the alley between 15th and 16th SW. A King County Sheriff’s Office sergeant on the scene told us it basically came down to a fight between two suspected drug users; one suffered a head injury and had to be taken to the hospital.

12:22 PM: If you’re seeing King County Sheriff’s Deputies out in the 10400 block of 3rd SW and vicinity, they’re following up on a reported kidnapping attempt last night. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says a family was outside their home around 6 o’clock last night, having a barbecue, children playing, and the mom was running around keeping track of them when she felt someone brush by her – and suddenly saw a stranger with her 3-year-old son in his arms. She thought for a moment maybe it was a relative, and then realized something was wrong, and chased the man, who eventually fell down, at which time she struggled with him and eventually wound up lying on top of her child to keep the man from resuming the kidnap attempt. He kicked her repeatedly, Sgt. West says, but then just fled. The family in turn went indoors, locked up, closed the windows, and called 911.

Deputies brought out a K-9 but could not find the would-be kidnapper. KCSO is back in the area today trying again to pick up any track, since, Sgt. West said, this kind of brazen kidnap attempt from private property is so unusual. The only description she has is tall, lanky, dressed in black with a black ski mask over his face.

ADDED 2:25 PM: Sgt. West has just issued a news release about this. It’s all the same information we’ve reported above, with one addition: “If you have information about this crime you are asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311.”

We’ve been tracking two White Center murder cases for some months now, and have updates on both:

DECEMBER 2011 BAKERY MURDER: Trial is now under way in King County Superior Court for Cu Van Truong, the man charged on December 30, 2011, with murdering Jason Saechao days earlier at Seattle Roll Bakery in downtown White Center. Prosecutors allege Truong shot Saechao to death in a spat involving a necklace and a woman. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe told WCN the case could go to closing arguments within the next week or so.

NOVEMBER 2012 STABBING: Brodie Lamb, charged last November with stabbing his 69-year-old mother Margaret Ryan to death at her White Center apartment, is at Western State Hospital, according to court records. After being found incompetent to stand trial, he was committed to Western State in early April for a 90-day attempt to restore competency through treatment. A hearing is scheduled in early July to see where the case stands.

Something new is on its way to White Center – the “Mini Swap Meet,” starting tomorrow (Saturday, June 1st). That link takes you to a bare-bones Facebook page for starters, but we asked for more details, and received this from manager Lynch:

IWe are located at 9800 14th Ave SW Seattle (corner of 14th Ave SW and SW 98th St). We strive to be “Seattle’s Affordable Urban Marketplace.”

Our opening was planned to be later (we just got access to the property) but the weather is nice this weekend, so we are doing a soft opening,

This is not your traditional swap meet. Designed for anyone and everyone to sell their goods and foods (stands/trucks) any and every day.

We have daily rates starting at $15 with weekly, and monthly rates available. We came up with a strategy to manage low overhead in order to keep our rates affordable.

Benefits for those considering garage sales:
– less advertising and signs
– traffic from other sellers
– people don’t come to your house
– convenient in-city location

Craigslisters and Ebayers:
– get it all done in a day in one place

We combine technology with a physical presence:
– Encourage sellers to post items to Craigslist (they can search “Mini Swap Meet”) and our Facebook page.

We hope they follow our suggestion of posting some items for free. If you don’t want to donate and no time to sell? Want some pizza or beer money? Sell your load of stuff to one of our vendors.

Community support:

– We have spaces available at no charge for non-profits, schools, and churches/temples. We understand how hard it is to organize an event.

For example, Mrs. Teacher’s 5th grade class can have a camp fundraiser. Instead of asking for donations (aka pulling teeth) or child labor (car washes), students can ask “hey got any stuff in your house you don’t need?”.

Lynch says you can call 206-905-9828 if you want to know more – or check it out in person starting tomorrow: “We’re looking for vendors!”

Next Thursday, two big topics are on the agenda for the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s meeting. From NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin:

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council – Monthly meeting
Thursday, June 6, 7 pm – North Highline Fire Station, 1243 SW 112th

Please join us on Thursday, June 6 when we will be hosting Bill Ptacek, Director of the King County Library System (KCLS), who will provide updates and answer questions regarding the status of the White Center and Boulevard Park Libraries.

In 2004 the voters of North Highline, along with all voters in King County served by the King County Library System, passed a Capital Bond Levy to rebuild, expand, and improve aging libraries. We have been paying on this bond levy since its passage and work has been completed on most of the libraries throughout the county, but the promises made to the voters of North Highline and North Burien, which included a new 10,000 square foot White Center Library at its current location, and capital improvements to the Boulevard Park Library, have yet to be fulfilled. There are many questions surrounding the most recent decisions by the KCLS Board regarding moving and building a new White Center Library on 107th. We also have not heard any plans for the promised improvements to the Boulevard Park Library. This is a good time to find out how and when our precious tax dollars will be used and invested in OUR community.

We are also pleased to have DeAnna Martin, King County Dept of Transportation, Community Relations Planner who will provide information about proposed drastic cuts to Metro Service, many of which will impact North Highline.

“Without additional revenue, Metro will have to reduce up to 17 percent of bus service. A reduction of this magnitude would be felt by all riders, employers, and drivers in the region. An estimated seven out of 10 riders would lose some or all service and might have to go farther to get to the bus, take a longer trip, or transfer more. Riders throughout the system might have to crowd onto packed buses or wait at the curb while full buses pass by. A reduction of this size would add 23,000 trips every day to our freeways and arterials – or the equivalent of one lane of traffic on the I-90 Bridge during an average weekday.”

Please join us for this important community discussion – See you there! NHUAC will not be holding July and August meetings – Meetings will resume September 5.

Our apologies for tech trouble that took a while to fix – first the site was offline entirely, and then it came back – but we needed to get some more tinkering done before we could add anything new (that’s why it was stuck on Memorial Day information until now). All’s well thanks to some expert assistance; stand by for news, and thanks also to everyone who contacted us to be sure we knew there was a problem – website woes don’t always trigger alarms, and might strike when the site owner isn’t looking.

Some notes for the holiday:

TRANSPORTATION: Metro is on a Sunday schedule, as are Sound Transit buses.

SCHOOLS: Highline Public Schools are closed.

LIBRARIES: The King County Library System is closed.

GOVERNMENT OFFICES are closed.

NO MAIL, NO BANKS … though on occasion we hear of a bank branch open on a holiday, so if you find one, let us know!

EVERGREEN AQUATIC CENTER is closed this morning, but open for a special public swim noon-2 pm and then for lessons at 4:30 pm.

Highline Public Schools superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield decided she wasn’t going to wait for the state to fund all-day kindergarten for all – the district was just going to go ahead and do it, no matter what. Here’s the announcement, on the HPS website.

9:46 AM: Traffic alert: A car hit a tree in the 15th/Roxbury vicinity and eastbound Roxbury is blocked for a while. Two people were taken to the hospital, according to deputies on the scene. Buses are being routed off Roxbury in the area.

10:31 AM: Metro says buses have returned to their regular routes, which indicates the scene has been cleared.

Tuesday morning, a WCN reader who just wants to be identified as a “concerned citizen, White Center/Top Hat area” spotted a suspected case of casing:

I believe I caught someone casing my home (Tuesday) morning. I backed out of my driveway around 7 am and saw a clean but older white Chevrolet 2 door pickup truck creeping slow with his lights off behind me a few houses. Ours is not a through street so the truck should have been coming up behind me. Turned the corner but the guy never showed so I went around the block and saw him walking down my front door steps back to his truck. I pulled up next to his driver side window and rolled down my passenger window, he avoided eye contact until I honked my horn. I asked what he was doing and he said his “job,” so I asked what his job was and he said he worked for “the city.” I asked why he wasn’t driving a city truck and he said it was one. I backed up and took a pic of his license plate B89—H. Then he started driving, so I followed him out of the neighborhood and he didn’t stop at a single other house. I confirmed with the non-emergency report operator that this is not a city vehicle and she put me in touch with the sheriff.

Just a reminder, if you leave your house in the morning and someone suspicious also sees you leaving it doesn’t hurt to go around the block and double check that they have continued on down the road.

Police say time and time again, alert citizens are their best weapon against crime.

An update from King County on the Hicklin Lake floating-islands project – which now is described as including two “floating islands” to be installed within the next few months. The big news in this update is that the contract has been awarded:

King County is moving forward with its innovative plan supported by the local community for cleaning up Hicklin Lake by using vegetated floating islands to improve water quality.

Seattle-based Herrera Environmental, representing the international firm Biomatrix Water, will design and install two 600-square-foot floating islands early this summer in Hicklin Lake, which is located in Lakewood Park in the White Center community.

Covered with native wetland vegetation, the islands are designed so that the plants’ roots extend below the waterline. The roots and accompanying biofilm take up excess nutrients from the water column – one of the main causes of the ongoing algae blooms that bedevil the small lake’s water quality.

The project is being managed by the Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, and was made possible through a combination of surface water funds and a $50,000 grant from the Washington Department of Ecology.

Hicklin Lake water quality has been a concern for years, with a history of harmful algae blooms that have posed potential health threats to people, pets and wildlife.

The plan for installing the floating islands isn’t the only step King County has taken to improve water quality in Hicklin Lake. Staff from WLRD have been tracking down and eliminating illegal and inadvertent sewer connections that discharge pollutants into the stormwater system that flows into the small lake, as well as updating and improving the stormwater infrastructure that serves the area.

The county says installation is likely to happen in July.

Thanks to Gill Loring for photos and news about a weekend event to beautify North Shorewood Park – organized by King County Parks and featuring Seattle Works volunteers as well as Friends of NSP:

We had a great time. The weather was perfect for working. Cleaned out around trees planted last year, added a few more and barked them to help keep down the weeds.

Cleared out along the trails and picked up trash. Several kids from the neighborhood showed up to use the basketball hoop and found it “busy” with a truck parked under it.

A wonderful thing happened – they volunteered to help, pulled on some Seattle Works tees and dug right in. According to Mark from KC Parks, they wanted to know if they could come back (Sunday) and help some more! Nope, just a one-day event.