White Center Now: The blog about White Center

The area’s annual One Night Count of unsheltered homeless people will again include White Center, according to the announcement we received today:

Countywide One Night Count of unsheltered homeless people next week

Nearly 1,000 volunteers across King County will participate in next week’s One Night Count of unsheltered homeless people. The annual One Night Count, scheduled for the pre-dawn hours of Friday, January 25, will attempt to make a specific tally of unsheltered people throughout King County. The effort is organized by the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH) with support from the Committee to End Homelessness in King County (CEH) and dozens of local and state nonprofit and government partners.

Teams of volunteers will return to historical and new count areas in Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Federal Way, Kent, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, Shoreline, White Center and Woodinville. The 2013 One Night Count will also collect information from select hospitals about emergency room usage, and from Metro night owl buses operating throughout the county.

That’s from a media alert which says the count will happen during a period of approximately three hours – 2 am to 5 am, Friday morning 1/25.

Get ready to admire art all around White Center this Saturday night – January 19th is White Center Art Walk night. One participant, Company Bar, has sent word that Mark O’Connell‘s exhibit will open on Art Walk night, with tunes by DJ Transport, starting at 6 pm. If you want to make sure not to forget – join the Facebook event page here.

(Any other venues with announcements, let us know – in comments here, or whitecenternow@gmail.com)

Scary sight on 30th SW, south of Roxbury, on Wednesday evening – this Lexus caught fire. We heard about it from Harmony via Facebook, and she shared this photo of the aftermath, saying the firefighters who were still on scene told her no one was hurt.

With dry weather and stagnating air, a Stage 2 burn ban is now in effect King County – and that means no woodburning unless you have no other source of heat. Here’s the announcement:

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is issuing a Stage 2 burn ban in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties to protect residents from worsening air quality. The bans are effective at noon, Sunday, January 13, 2013 and remain in effect until further notice.

Overnight, many areas around the Puget Sound reached air pollution levels of “UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS”, especially in areas where wood burning is common. Agency forecasters expect the current cold, dry, and stagnant weather conditions to extend well into the week. The Clean Air Agency will continue to closely monitor the air quality and weather situation.

During a Stage 2 burn ban:

No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet 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 and propane stoves or inserts during a Stage 2 burn ban.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).

You might recall the recent controversy over Highline Public Schools‘ security plan – the district said regional-media reports were inaccurate. But the district is consulting law enforcers to talk about security – here’s a news release sent out today:

Superintendent Susan Enfield and members of her leadership team met (Thursday) with the top law enforcement officials of the five municipalities in Highline to discuss recommendations for strengthening school safety.

At the meeting, Burien Chief Scott Kimerer, Des Moines Chief George Delgado, Normandy Park Chief Chris Gaddis, SeaTac Chief James Graddon, and King County Sheriff’s Captain Patrick Butschli all agreed to assist Highline with recommendations.

“We are grateful for the partnership and expertise of our local police officials as we develop security standards that will provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff,” said Dr. Enfield. “We look forward to working with our police chiefs throughout the process of evaluating and updating our security program.”

Since last spring, the district has been in the process of evaluating its current school security program and studying state-of-the-art practices and standards. District staff is currently drafting recommendations for updating the security program. Draft recommendations are expected to go to the school board in the coming weeks. Parents, students, staff, and the public will have opportunities to provide feedback on the recommendations before the school board takes action.

The most recent round of bids to take unincorporated areas off King County’s hands have now gone 0-3: In last November’s election, White Center and vicinity said no to Burien and the West Hill area said no to Renton; tonight, King County’s Boundary Review Board said no to Tukwila’s proposed annexation of the Duwamish Triangle – aka North Highline Area Q – on the south side of South Park. More details on our partner site The South Park News.

(34th District Democrats’ leadership, photographed tonight by Patrick Sand for WCN/WSB)
Meeting tonight at West Seattle’s Hall at Fauntleroy, this area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, elected new leadership slate during their annual reorganization meeting. The candidates listed, with bios, on this page of the 34th DDs’ website all ran unopposed and were elected:

Chair – Marcee Stone-Vekich
1st Vice Chair – Ted Barker
2nd Vice Chair – Tamsen Spengler
Treasurer – Karen Chilcutt
Secretary – Marlene Allbright
State Committeeman – Chris Porter
State Committeewoman – Lisa Plymate
King County Committeewoman – Maria Ramirez
King County Committeeman – Michael Arnold
KC Committeewoman Alternate – Layne Batista
KC Committeeman Alternate – Jimmy Haun

Our photo above includes those newly elected leaders as well as committee chairs and other group leaders – including White Center’s Aileen Sison, Diversity Committee chair. The 34th Legislative District encompasses White Center and vicinity as well as part of Burien, West Seattle, and Vashon/Maury Islands. The 34th DDs meet regularly on the second Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW in West Seattle).

Meantime, the 34th DDs are co-hosting an Inauguration Day bash, and you’re invited:

2013 Inaugural Party

Hosted by
West Seattle Democratic Women and the 34th District Democrats

Monday January 21, 5-9 PM
at the West Seattle Golf Course
Music By
The West Seattle Big Band

Tickets: $40 ($75 Couple) Cocktail Attire (must buy tickets online by 1/16/2013)
https://www.completecampaigns.com/public.asp?name=34thDem&page=7

Buffet Dancing No-Host Bar

Co-Sponsored By

The West Seattle Democratic Women
and The 34th District Democrats
For more information go to www.34dems.org/2013
Or call (206) 935-4693 or email martintam@gmail.com

Bring your tree and a bag – leave without tree, with hot chocolate and/or compost! From Boy Scout Troop 375 Scoutmaster Mark Ufkes:

Boy Scout Troop 375 will host its annual Christmas Tree Recycle (today and tomorrow), January 5 and 6 from 9 am to 4 pm at SW 160th and 1st SW (the Herr lumber site) We ask for a $5 donation per tree. Funds go to our scout camp and other troop activities so that all our 28 boys can go to summer camp regardless of their family economic situation.

Free hot chocolate will be served. And our polite boys will remove your tree from your car and share a smile.

Free bags of our “Good Karma Christmas Tree Compost” are available for the asking. Bring a bag!

Tonight at Bison Creek Pizza in Burien, friends and family are gathering to raise money for Joshua Watler, a community organizer who has worked around the region but is now in his biggest fight yet – for his life, battling a second round of leukemia (ALL).

White Center’s Full Tilt, Company, Proletariat Pizza, and 3.14 Bakery are among those who have donated to the silent auction and raffle tonight, 5-10:30 pm at Bison Creek. (Here’s the Facebook event.)

If you haven’t met Joshua – here’s what event organizers write about him:

First diagnosed in 2009, Joshua has not only survived surgery to remove a tumor, intensive chemo, and years of maintenance chemo, but while he was doing all that the first time, he started a unique community union (OUR Washington) for regular people – often the most disenfranchised and ignored people in our society.

He then started a second nonprofit (WA Prosperity Center) to connect the members of his community union and the members of the larger community with available services. He did all this, again, while undergoing cancer treatment. Joshua achieved his first remission last spring. Unfortunately, just 6 months later, the leukemia returned. This time, his only option for survival is a bone marrow transplant. Joshua has been approved and found a match and the dates are set, but now he needs your help; we need to raise $10,000 in just a few weeks to cover his portion of the bone marrow transplant. After the transplant, Joshua will be disabled for several months (up to a year), and he will need further help with funds. Please help us keep Joshua alive, for his sake, for the sake of those of us who love him, and for the sake of the community he serves.

To find out more – go to tonight’s event! And check out these links – Joshua’s Trust Fund and Joshua’s public Facebook page.

There’s been an arrest in the November Top Hat home invasion/rape case, thanks to a DNA match. From the King County Sheriff’s Office:

DNA evidence led detectives to a 17-year-old man who was arrested this morning in connection with a Home Invasion Robbery and Rape that occurred (in the Top Hat area) in November.

Detectives recovered DNA at the scene of the rape/robbery and entered the information into a DNA database (CODA). The DNA from the scene matched that of a known subject.

King County Sheriff’s Detectives and TAC 30 (Swat) served a warrant early this morning at the man’s residence in the 6800 block of S123rd St in the Skyway area. The man was arrested for rape and robbery and booked into the Youth Service Center.

The rape/robbery occurred on November 12th around 8:40 pm in the 10800 block of 6 Ave S. The victims, a man and his girlfriend, were home with their 18 month old child when two armed men entered the apartment and pistol whipped the man and sexually assaulted his girlfriend.

Detectives said the second suspect is still unidentified.

The suspect’s name will be withheld pending charges. The case has been forwarded to the prosecutor for review.

King County Sheriff’s Office says a man was shot in the leg in White Center this morning – but nobody is sure yet how he got shot:

On 1/3/12 around 445 in the morning we responded to a call of a shooting in the area of the 9800 block of 15 ave SW. When we arrived we found a 42 year old Burien man with an apparent shotgun wound to the leg.

A witness said he saw the victim and another man talking and then heard a loud bang. One of the males left the area and the other was on the ground with an injured leg from the shotgun. The injured man was unable to tell deputies what happened. The shotgun was recovered nearby.

Unknown at this time how the man was shot.

Thanks to Gill for sharing that photo from about noon today, as the White Center Neighborhood Pond gleamed in the winter sunshine. This might be the end of the afternoon sunshine, though – forecast says clouds and rain are headed back this way.

We know of at least two in the downtown White Center vicinity – who else?

*Company Bar – Special dinner menu, plus dancing with DJ at 9 pm, midnight champagne toast too.

*Mac’s Triangle Pub – New Year’s Eve Karaoke, “Puttin’ on the Glitz,” 9 pm-close, no cover, midnight champagne toast and party favors, presented by PCM Musiq Productions.

If you can give – consider stopping by 10 am-4 pm (except for the noon-1 pm break time) – this time of year has a higher demand and lower donation rate, so Puget Sound Blood Center is at Holy Family‘s Tice Hall (20th/Roxbury).

Though the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One – used by law-enforcement agencies besides KCSO, including Seattle Police – is in the shop, the department still has one to use if it needs to. So replied KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West when we followed up on this announcement (which included the photo above):

Earlier today, our Guardian One helicopter was preparing to respond to a burglary in progress and was damaged during the warmup phase. The pilot was preparing the helicopter for lift off. Due to an unknown cause, the helicopter became unstable on a dolly and was damaged. No injuries were reported. The FAA responded to conduct an investigation and has released the helicopter to the Sheriff’s Office for repairs. The Sheriff’s Office will also be conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident and amount (of) damage sustained.

But no, they’re not grounded, Sgt. West reassured WCN: “We do have a backup helicopter and we are still fully functional.”

A new medical-marijuana dispensary has just opened in downtown White Center – on the lower level of the White Center building that once housed a short-lived medical-marijuana “lounge.” The lower rear entry of the building on the southwest corner of 16th/98th is the doorway for USC 2. (“USC” also was the name of the dispensary that was briefly open in the southernmost block of Delridge, just a few blocks away from this location, and now – according to one online directory – is in South Seattle.) USC 2 has yet to respond to our note with a few followup questions; with its opening in the building that previously was home to The Wall, The Hang Around, and GAME Lounge, there are now three marijuana businesses within about a block of each other on 16th in downtown WC – Herban Legends, the Northwest Cannabis Market, and this one. Their status has not been affected by the passage of Initiative 502, which requires the state to come up with rules for growers and sellers by next November, at which time it’ll take applications for people interested in entering the cannabis business.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council usually meets on the first Thursday of the month, but not this month. From president Barbara Dobkin:

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council will not be holding a meeting in January. Please stay tuned for information regarding the February 7, 2013 meeting. See you all then.

NHUAC is online at northhighlineuac.org.

Thanks to Chris for the original tip – and it’s confirmed on the Southgate Roller Rink Facebook page: The rink is featured in tonight’s edition of “Top Chef” on Bravo. The Rat City Rollergirls are featured too. The show’s official webpage says it’s on at 10 pm.

If you’re taking Metro today, remember that it’s on “reduced weekday schedule” – that’s today, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, while on Tuesday (Christmas Day) Metro will follow the Sunday schedule.

Back on Tuesday, we reported on a drug investigation with search warrants served at locations including one in White Center, and King County Sheriff’s Office said more details would be forthcoming. Today, a news release and photos bring those details:

An 8-month investigation conducted by the King County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the seizure of narcotics, guns, money and the arrest of 8 people for trafficking narcotics.

The investigation started in April when detectives learned that about a narcotics dealer that had the reputation of selling high-quality cocaine and heroin in the Burien area. Detectives learned that the suspect had been sought by investigators before for dealing narcotics but would shut down his operation when he suspected police were closing in.

Detectives spent months conducting surveillance on the suspect’s residence and other locations they learned were connected to the operation. On Wednesday the King County Sheriff’s Office served search warrants on six locations including a residence in the 1600 blk of SW116 St. in Burien and a residence in the 1200 blk of SW107th St. The other locations included a residence and storage unit in Renton, and a house in Federal Way.

8 adults, 7 of them family members were arrested in the raids and 6 children were placed in CPS custody.

In total, items seized were:

1.25 pound of cocaine with a street value of $22,000

6 ounces of heroin with a street value of $2,000

$65,371 in US Currency

5 firearms all of which appeared to be packaged for transport into Mexico

5 vehicles valued at $60,000