White Center Now: The blog about White Center

A news release this afternoon from the King County Council:

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Jan Drago today introduced the staff that will assist her in meeting constituent needs in Council District 8. The five-member staff brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from both public and private sector positions throughout the region.

“With such depth and diversity in their backgrounds and experience with big issues like transportation, budgeting, and the environment, I am confident that the team will serve the citizens of District 8 and the entire county very well,” said Drago. “I consider myself quite lucky to have found an amazing team ready to take on this one-year tour of duty with me on the Council.”

· Marsha Holbrook will serve as Drago’s Chief of Staff. Holbrook brings 30 years of experience in the government sector to Drago’s team, with expertise in local government relations, marketing and logistics. Holbrook is responsible for overall office operations and coordination, as well as focusing on disaster preparedness, public health, youth violence prevention, and regional policy issues.

· Jodie Vice is Drago’s Policy Director. Vice was a member of Drago’s Seattle City Council staff, serving as her lead staffer on regional and local transportation policy. Vice will direct analysis of issues related to transportation, including the Ferry District, the budget and fiscal management, and environmental issues.

· Linda Robson is Drago’s Communications Director. Robson has over a decade of experience in public sector communications work in the region, including positions with Sound Transit, the Regional Transportation Commission, and as an aide to former Seattle City Councilmember Jim Compton. Robson will be responsible for media relations, writing and event planning, and concentrate on regional water and utilities issues.

· Mike Heavey will be Drago’s Community Relations Director. Heavey’s interest in government and politics began at the age of 13 while serving as a page for the Washington State Legislature. His most recent position was as the Eastside field organizer for Dow Constantine’s King County Executive campaign. Heavey will assist Drago with planning and coordinating community events and citizen relations, as well as analysis of law, criminal justice and public safety issues.

· Holly Krejci is Drago’s Executive Assistant and will be responsible for the daily operation of the office and constituent service . Krejci has over a decade of customer service, event planning, and administrative support experience, and is an active member of the Georgetown community in District 8.

Drago was unanimously appointed by the Council last month to fill the vacancy created in District 8 when Dow Constantine was sworn in as County Executive. She is Chair of the Regional Water Quality Committee and the King County Ferry District.

Dropping by Cafe Rozella on Saturday, we learned from proprietor Leticia that a new neighbor was moving into their building in the Delridge Triangle. And we’ve just gotten confirmation – the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sean Salazar says they’re indeed opening an office next to Cafe Rozella, probably within the next two weeks. Debra Churchill added in e-mail, “Our campaign is all about reaching out to communities in the inner cities. This is a campaign office for us to stay connected with ‘The People’.” Salazar is a Mountlake Terrace chiropractor, running for the seat held by Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray, who’s finishing her third 6-year term.

(Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog)

WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland had reason to smile. WestSide Baby’s 9th annual Benefit Tea in Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge was sold out long before the doors opened – check out the crowd:

Volunteers young and old made it a success – including ambassadors Sonja and Kelsey (wearing, and handing out, tiaras):

Nancy Woodland says the final guest count was 470 – and they raised more than $100,000. “Unbelievable and amazing and we are so very thankful!” she adds. ADDED: Courtesy of Donna Ryan Photography, Rinku Wheaton speaking at the event, including her thoughts on being part of WestSide Baby’s “Giving Circle” (read more about it here):

From Sarah Airhart at the Community School of West Seattle, which as you may know is right on the WS-White Center boundary along Roxbury, word of the 3rd annual Early Learning Fair and Conference, coming up March 6 at White Center Heights Elementary, presented by the White Center Providers’ Group, “for anyone who takes care of young children or is interested in doing so.” You need to register by February 12 – so you have just a week to go. Here’s the official flyer with all the information you need.

From a comment on our earlier report about last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting – NHUAC president Greg Duff says new County Councilmember Jan Drago has accepted the invitation to be at the next NHUAC meeting, 7 pm March 4, North Highline Fire District HQ. (Also to be attended, as we mentioned earlier, by Kenny Pittman, who’s the current point person for Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn on the proposal for the north section of North Highline to vote on Seattle annexation this November.)

From Thursday night’s meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, held as usual in the North Highline Fire District headquarters on SW 112th – The meeting included discussions of both the impending Burien annexation of North Highline South (NHS), and the possible Seattle-annexation vote in what we suppose we can call North Highline North (NHN).

BURIEN ANNEXATION UPDATE: Burien City Manager Mike Martin took centerstage to provide updates to NHUAC – first, what’ll be happening before the scheduled April 1st date for NHS. During “the last three weeks of March,” Martin said, there’ll be a survey in the area, including door-to-door canvassing, to make sure residents know what’s ahead. City finance managers will be presenting an “annexation budget” soon. Burien leaders plan to “sit down with the community and talk zoning” soon, since obviously moving into a new jurisdiction means different standards and different jurisdictions. Martin also said Burien is pursuing money in the “second round of (federal) stimulus” to repave “most of the streets in the annexation area”; that could cost up to $5 million, he said, but it’s a “shovel-ready” project, so they are hopeful they’ll get the grant: “It would radically change many of the roads up here almost instantly.”

He also said the King County Sheriff’s Office is “doing some reorganization to meet the needs of the annexation,” but overall vowed to keep a promise made during the public forums that preceded the annexation vote – “This is going to be seamless … the level of service up here will be equal to or better than it was before,” with policing services likely featuring “the same people driving the same vehicles, just with new decals on them.”

Not so seamless, he said, is the transition for the parks, following the kerfuffle over Puget Sound Park, plus some transition issues, he said, involving the new county administration. And he noted that for the first time in years, Burien is hiring a fulltime city attorney. (Side note, Martin was not the only Burien leader present at the NHUAC meeting; City Councilmember Kathy Keene was there too.)

SEATTLE ANNEXATION? Martin spoke to this a bit before finishing his NHUAC briefing: “Just buckle up … this is going to be one of those times when rumors fly.” He alluded to being a bit mystified as to how this suddenly emerged on a Seattle front burner, with a move under way to have an election in the north section of North Highline as soon as this November, since his perception from previous conversations was that it “wasn’t really high on Mayor McGinn’s agenda. … But I think the (Seattle) council for whatever reason wants to take a shot at it, and we’ll see where it goes.”

Later in the meeting, NHUAC members discussed the new twist during the “new business” section — a more formal briefing/discussion is planned at the March 4 meeting, when the point person for the Seattle mayor’s office, Kenny Pittman, will attend the North Highline meeting. A considerable amount of semi-heated discussion centered over what NHUAC could officially say/do to remind the Seattle government that it’s on record as recommending the entire North Highline area become part of Burien; the contents of a letter reportedly sent to Seattle a few years back was the topic of intense discussion between members Russell Pritchard and Heidi Johnson, until some research could be finalized, and it was determined that it wouldn’t be a violation of NHUAC’s contract for them to remind Seattle that after community surveying and research, they had recommended the Burien alignment, so a letter to that effect will go out. (While Pritchard wanted to be sure the message was sent in the strongest possible terms, Johnson reminded her fellow councilmembers that they are required to stay away from whatever could be construed as political advocacy.)

ELECTIONS: It was noted along the way that the day the annexation is to take effect, April 1st, is a meeting day for NHUAC; part of its membership, including president Greg Duff, lives in the area to be annexed. The public vote for councilmembers will be coming up in the third week of May, and an official announcement will go out soon.

HICKS LAKE NAME CHANGE? Dick Thurnau from Friends of Hicks Lake briefed NHUAC about efforts to change the lake’s name back to its original name, Hicklins Lake, in honor of Leonard Hicklin and family, who settled in the area in the 1880s. They have a hearing before the Washington State Board on Geographic Names in Olympia on May 21st and Thurnau would like to receive e-mails supporting the name change – you can write to him at:

hdthurnau@juno.com

The sooner the better!

*A few more items were on last night’s agenda – we’ll write about those a bit later.

Update this morning from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart on yesterday’s crash at 1st South/SW 112th:

The driver of the Kia died at Harborview. He was a 49 year-old Burien man. His identity will be released by the Medical Examiner’s Office. The accident is still under investigation and there have been no arrests.

7 pm, North Highline Fire District headquarters. We published the agenda a few days ago; you also can see it on the NHUAC website. This’ll be the group’s first meeting since the news that Seattle plans to pursue an annexation vote this fall, and that’s part of tonight’s agenda, though the Seattle city rep working on the plan isn’t scheduled to appear before the council till next month.

At last report, buses and other traffic are still being rerouted at 1st/112th because of a multicar crash this morning – here’s a KIRO report on what happened. AFTERNOON UPDATE: We checked with King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. John Urquhart who could confirm only that one person had potentially life-threatening injuries. (Those were apparently TV choppers over the scene at noontime, by the way; here’s KING’s latest report.)

Heard about this via Twitter (where you can follow WCN at @whitecenternow) and got the details in e-mail from Hang Around Bar and Grill (formerly The Wall, as reported here recently) owner Joe (who says he’s retired NYPD):

My place was burglarized on Sunday after closing by possible known suspects who entered by the front dorr with a key and exited through the back door, taking the POS system, took 15 bottles of closed liquor (top shelf), opened the safe knowing the combination and removed over $4000.00 in cash that was to be deposited on Monday.

The machines (games) were never touched and the DJ equipment still intact.They knew exactly where the DVR1 video camera recorder was and took that as well. Detectives are now handling this from the King County Sheriff. Street Cops are also doing their job on locating these criminals. We lost over $14,000.00 in equipment, merchandise and cash.

The rent $$$ was in that deposit as well. we are trying to recover but as you might know, we just opened and is struggling as it is. We wanted the neighbors to come in and play darts, pool, play music, Dance, drink and just have a great time on Friday as we would call it a recovery party. I figure i can try to get cash to recover from this somehow. I can provide food if need be. This really hurt us mentally, physically and emotionally. We all know in White Center who is the culprit. The police WILL take care of this forthwith! … ~Joe & Glennis

A White Center family is looking for that dog – here’s the story:

On feb 1, 2010 I arrived home from work and found my back door kicked open,nothing missing but my dog! She is part chow chow, part pit bull. She has very light brown eyes and black spots on her tongue. Her name is BB and she is very well cared for and loved. We live behind Holy Family in White Center.
If found please contact 206-436-9015

(1:56 pm note – will continue to add more as the day goes on – just now adding the PPT from today’s briefing)

11:35 AM: Lots of information in the briefing that just wrapped up before the Seattle City Council – first formal briefing since it was revealed last week (we broke the story at WSB) that Seattle’s new Mayor Mike McGinn wants White Center annexation to go to a vote this fall.

Despite what information was presented, it wasn’t enough for councilmembers including Council President Richard Conlin, who concluded by saying – “We need to have a LOT more information,” particularly regarding what the annexation would really cost Seattle. And concern also was voiced regarding whether enough information is getting to the White Center residents who would vote – mayoral adviser Kenny Pittman acknowledged he had not spoken to the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council yet, but had received “e-mail over the weekend” and was going to be on their agenda in March (though their February meeting hasn’t happened yet). The timeline is a fast one – it was explained that the Seattle council needs to vote by early March on expressing an interest in putting annexation to White Center voters, even though a final vote on asking the county to put it on the ballot would not happen until August. Between now and that March 8 vote, Council President Conlin’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee will discuss the issue on February 19, then vote March 2nd on indicating an interest in a vote – again, no strings attached. The big gap between March and August, it was explained, is to pursue the rest of the process, including going before the Boundary Review Board.

ADDED 11:53 AM: A lot of data points from the meeting: Seattle leaders say White Center would get a higher level of police and fire services if annexed, and say that any existing King County Sheriff’s and North Highline Fire District employees who would stand to lose their jobs because of annexation would be first in line, depending on seniority and qualifications, for jobs with Seattle Police and Fire. As for sidewalks – that’s one big question, the capital needs of the potential annexation area.

Interesting note relating to a discussion that’s been ongoing in comments here: Seattle says they’ve been told by Burien that though the Memorandum of Understanding wasn’t officially finalized by Seattle council members, Burien intends to honor it, and not pursue annexation of White Center – if Seattle hasn’t done it by then – until after 2011, per the terms of the agreement. Also, existing card rooms in the area to be annexed would be allowed to continue to operate, though no new ones would be approved, and the revenues Seattle is counting on the area generating, it was noted, depend on those businesses, among others.

The annexation area would NOT include the South Park Bridge – that would remain an unincorporated small sliver under terms of a different city-county agreement sometime back that apparently says that once the SP Bridge is replaced, then the city would consider annexing the area.

And White Center schools would remain in the Highline Public Schools district, until and unless Highline and Seattle decided otherwise (with approval required by the Puget Sound Educational Service District).

The ideal scenario that Pittman described would include the annexation – if approved by White Center voters this fall – NOT taking effect till early 2012, so that the city budget process could proceed with detailed information on how to handle the transition.

ADDED 1:56 PM: After the briefing, we asked for a copy of the PowerPoint that Christa Valles from Council Central Staff had shown – just received it and converted it to PDF; you can see it here. During today’s briefing, Valles repeatedly said she was recommending that the mayor’s office commit more resources to the process – both to get information to the council, and to the people directly affected by the potential annexation.

When we broke the news Wednesday on partner site West Seattle Blog that Seattle’s new mayor wants White Center to vote on annexation this November, we got word that the Seattle City Council would get briefed during its morning meeting tomorrow (Monday 2/1). We now know from the online agenda that the discussion is set for 10:30 am. If you can’t be there, you can watch live online via the Seattle Channel.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council has its regular monthly meeting this Thursday – 7 pm, North Highline Fire District HQ – first meeting since the announcement that Seattle’s new Mayor Mike McGinn wants White Center to vote on annexation this November. (We’ll learn more about that during a Seattle City Council briefing tomorrow morning.) Here’s the agenda, provided by NHUAC president Greg Duff:

AGENDA

February 4, 2010

7:00 p.m. Call to order

Flag salute
Roll call
Approval of agenda
Approval of minutes

7:10 p.m. Public announcements

7:15 p.m. Public comment – 3 minutes for individuals
5 minutes for groups

7:25 p.m. Update from Deputy Jeff Hancock, KCSO

7:35 p.m. Update from Mike Martin, Burien City Manager

7:45 p.m. Code Enforcement Al Tijerina Q and A

8:15 p.m. Treasurers Report

8:20 p.m. Committee Reports

1. Governance
2. Arts and Parks
3. Public Safety
4. Housing and Human Services
5. Public Outreach
6. Transportation
7. Steve Cox Memorial

8:35 p.m. Old business

8:45p.m. New Business
1. Discussion on White Center/Boulevard Park Libraries
2. Discussion on Feb. 10 meeting with Dow Constantine
3. Discussion on Seattle’s annexation announcement

Sunday morning, 9 am-noon, White Center Eagles, 10452 15th Ave SW, as noted here earlier this week – breakfast proceeds today go to relief efforts in Haiti; prices $2 to $9.

From King County Department of Transportation:

The King County Road Service Division is advising motorists that the previously scheduled closure of the South Park Bridge has been postponed due to a delay in obtaining a permit for the work. The bridge had originally been scheduled to close for a four-day period for testing beginning Sat. Jan 30. The testing will be rescheduled for a later date.

Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officers Adonis Topacio and Jill Vanskike were both at the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting Thursday night to pass the baton, in a way. She’s taking over the CPT work in the precinct’s southeastern turf; he’s moving to the west. With them, but not pictured, was Lt. Norm James, who also is in a new role at the precinct, that of Operations Lieutenant, since Lt. Steve Paulsen is transitioning to the West Precinct downtown. As we’ve reported on partner site West Seattle Blog, Lt. James has been with the precinct for several years, so he knows the area and the issues. He also introduced John McGoodwin, who’s taking over as SW Precinct city attorney liaison since Beth Gappert has moved to Vice.

All those introductions took up most of the discussion involving the Seattle side of the Community Safety Coalition’s turf, aside from a few items that also came up last night when Officer Topacio was at the Highland Park Action Committee meeting – including graffiti in Highland Park (last night’s questions involved 12th SW between 8200 and 8400).

Officer Topacio was asked about an e-mail going around from a West Seattle burglary victim claiming police were trying to catch a gang of teen burglars that was striking multiple times each day; he pointed the inquirer to our WSB story debunking that part of the tale.

On the King County Sheriff’s Office side of the line, Deputy Jeff Hancock was late to the meeting – said he’d been in a foot chase with someone wanted by the state Department of Corrections; the suspect was caught after running into Brewsky’s in downtown White Center. The only other update he offered was that “person-to-person” robberies are way up over this time last year, and no one yet knows why.

The rest of the meeting focused on a presentation about the Strength of Place Village affordable-housing project, 30 units planned for 13th SW/SW 100th (right behind Big Al Brewing). Architects Roger Tucker and Vlad Oustimovitch, with Kate Stineback from project overseers Capitol Hill Housing, gave a presentation and answered questions. We first reported plans for the project on WSB more than two years ago; according to a handout circulated at last night’s meeting, they’re hoping to break ground on the 30-apartment project this June, wiht the first families moving in a year later.

White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meets at 6 pm the fourth Thursday of the month, now at DSHS offices, 9650 15th SW.

It was The Wall, but it is now called The Hang Around, and it is owned by a New York cop Joe Diageranimo, who has spent the past three weeks cleaning up the place. “Personally I have cuffed and taken down to the King County jail five guys. I am not going to put up with it any more.”

His efforts have made a real change in the place. I went there tonight and it is a completely different bar. Locals were hanging out playing pool, and a Dj was playing old school hip hop and soul. Couples were hanging out playing pool, and there was a distinct lack of “thug” vibe about the entire place.

The entire bar felt safe. The new owner has brought in a doorman, and has made a real commitment to keep the place clean and safe. We have all heard stories about The Wall. This is a different place. It is family run and operated. Just a nice and clean place for the neighborhood to hang around in. About time.

Out of the WCN inbox:

EVENT: Benefit Breakfast for Haiti
WHEN: Sunday, January 31, 2010 9am-12pm
WHERE: White Center Eagles, 10452 15th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98146, (206)248-1400

White Center Eagles, Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 2568, serves a hearty breakfast every Sunday, 9am to 12pm at very affordable prices ($2-$9). This Sunday, January 31, 2010, all proceeds will be donated to the relief efforts in Haiti. The Eagles are “People Helping People”, please join us for breakfast this Sunday to help those in need in Haiti.

Thank you,
Joby Boles
Worthy President
White Center Eagles, FOE Aerie #2568

(Photo by Dina Johnson)
Only one guest was truly two-dimensional at last night’s lively wake for local activist/advocate Cherisse Luxa: The life-size cardboard version of Howard Dean, for whom Ms. Luxa had served as a delegate during his presidential run (above, that’s Liz Giba with “Flat Howard”). A month and a half after her death from cancer at age 62, she was feted tonight by a standing-room-only crowd at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub in Burien, with friends from West Seattle to White Center to Burien and beyond (in both directions) crowding the pub, like the 34th District Democrats‘ King County Committeeman Ivan Weiss:

(Photo by Dina Johnson)
Dina Johnson took that photo while, as she says, he was “speaking about his admiration and respect for Cherisse as an ally, and occasionally adversary. (He) said the only time she was wrong is when she asserted she could get Dave Reichert to flip parties and become a Dem.” Also in that photo, State Sen. Joe McDermott at right, Liz Giba at left.

(Photo by Dina Johnson)
Dina also made and photographed that collage of scenes from Ms. Luxa’s life (given to her family). We took a photo of one of the snapshots you see in that collage – one from her years with the King County Sheriff’s Office:

(WCN/WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
Reminiscences of Ms. Luxa’s law-enforcement work were shared, too, says Dina: “… we found out she loved ‘bones and bugs’ forensics that date the death of a corpse.” And an emotional moment: “A short video was shown of her testimony about annexation at a public hearing, from just a week before she was hospitalized. I felt, being familiar with her normal voice, that she spoke with some difficulty, but it was not obvious. That made me tear up.” Last night’s wake took the place of the monthly Drinking Liberally event, at which Ms. Luxa had long been a fixture.