White Center Now: The blog about White Center

As we end the holiday weekend – a few splashes of color, photographed by Gill Loring:

Been to the renovated Boulevard Park Library yet? If you missed the grand reopening celebration Saturday – Gill Loring shares photos. He was impressed by its “abundance of light, a great children’s area, and computers for everyone.”

The ceremony was well-attended, in perfect weather:

KCLS noted in its announcement of Saturday’s celebration, “The Boulevard Park Library was the first to be incorporated into the System in 1943, and the $2.2 million interior renovation is the final project to be completed under the 2004 Capital Bond measure, making the Boulevard Park Library Grand Reopening a full-circle celebration.”

$200,000 for new field lighting at Evergreen High School and $6,500 for improvements at Evergreen Pool are among grants announced by the county today. Here’s the news release:

Grant funding announced today by King County Executive Dow Constantine will provide opportunities for improving the health of youth sports groups throughout the county who lack access to recreational activities and programs.

Recipients of the 2019 King County Youth and Amateur Sports Grants will share $2.4 million in funding that can mean the critical difference between whether financially disadvantaged residents can participate in organized sports and other recreational activities.

“A big part of making King County a place where every person can thrive is providing access to opportunities – and that includes the chance to play on teams, join programs, or participate in outdoor fun,” Executive Constantine said. “With the grant funding I am announcing today, we are helping youth and adults overcome financial, transportation, and other barriers so that more King County residents can participate in activities and programs that improve quality of life across our county.”

King County Parks administers the Youth and Amateur Sports program and offers new grants each year. The next round of grants is expected to open January 2020.

The full list of grant awardees can be found on the King County Youth and Amateur Sports Grants website.

The program is funded and sustained through a 1 percent car-rental tax authorized by the Legislature in 1993. Funds can only be used for programs or capital projects that increase access to health-enhancing physical activities.

Get your Pride on without leaving White Center! The first-ever WC Pride celebration is set for June 5-9. Here’s the announcement just out of the WCN inbox:

What began as an idea between 2 friends having a drink at The Lumber Yard Bar, has turned into a full-blown Pride celebration in White Center. Recently, White Center has become a popular destination for the Seattle-area LGBT+ community.

“There has been a lot of talk that White Center is becoming the new Capitol Hill. But we’re not looking to be the new Capitol Hill. We want White Center to be White Center. We just want more people to be able to experience it.” a spokesperson said.

The 5-day event incorporates long time established businesses with newer bars and restaurants.

Official Kickoff

The festivities will kick-off on June 5 at 7 pm with a Pride Flag raising at Triangle Park in the heart of White Center. Christine Spencer, from Mac’s Triangle Pub, will raise the flag. Spencer, a well-known and respected figure in White Center, was the obvious choice to lead the ceremony. The Triangle Pub has long been known as a place that is welcoming to LGBTQ+ community. Following the flag raising, Southgate Roller Rink will host Pride Skate Night. Southgate has offered a monthly Pride Skate Night for several years. What started as a small event has created a cult following that draws a higher number of skaters each month.

Continued Celebrations

The remainder of the celebrations will occur at various bars and restaurants.

There will be a BBQ & Drag event at Drunky Two Shows BBQ on Thursday, June 6. The show will feature the Rat City Queens.

Friday night will include The Swallow Bar, the newest gay bar in the neighborhood, and a swimwear-themed party at the Lumber Yard Bar. The Lumber Yard opened in January of 2018 and has been extremely popular, known for its friendly staff and creative event nights.

The weekend will round out with karaoke at Mac’s Triangle Pub and a main event party at The Lumber Yard on Saturday night; and a Sunday Funday Gay Pride Fair at Future Primitive Brewery which will feature local vendors. The celebration will wrap up with a Sunday afternoon tea dance at The Lumber Yard.

The goal is to grow Pride over the next few years to offer a street fair and include more of the local businesses. There has been a large amount of positive feedback from the neighborhood and interest in future involvement. Volunteers and businesses can still get involved by emailing info@whitecenterpride.org.

See the newest schedule by going here.

Enjoy garage/yard/rummage sales? Today’s the 15th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, which we coordinate via our site West Seattle Blog, and everyone’s invited to come shop the hundreds of sales happening all over the peninsula. We have mapped them two ways – interactive/clickable/zoomable and downloadable/printable. Each sale has a number and is matched with a classified-ad-style description. Three are in fact in North Highline:

Sale 5: 11622 23rd Ave SW
Sale 120: 9810 28th Ave SW
Sale 278: 9810 26th Ave SW

Official sale hours are 9 am-3 pm, though some are starting earlier and some ending later. Happy shopping!

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

A long-hot topic was discussed relatively calmly at this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, held May 2nd at NH Fire District HQ.

MARIJUANA: Jim Chan and Warren Clauss from the county came to talk about the new report (which you can see here or embedded below).

New sub-area planner Jay Hill was in the audience as were planner David Goodman and external-relations manager David Dow – a White Center resident – from the Department of Local Services. The staffer who put together the report now works for the county council, which Chan said declined the request for his attendance.

To date, the council hasn’t taken any action on the report, Chan said. The report said that no further zone areas need to be added for marijuana activity. But it acknowledged the inequitable distribution of marijuana businesses and recommended a cap. The subarea plan for West Hill recommends an even lower cap – two. Existing businesses would be grandfathered, though.

However, NHUAC president Liz Giba wondered, isn’t it unlikely that any of the existing stores – six in unincorpoated NH -are going to close? Clauss acknowledged, that’s true, their sales are all doing well. He thinks more favorable conditions elsewhere might ultimately pull them away. Chan said the Legislature likely didn’t expect that some communities would ban marijuana, and that has led to some of the inequitable distribution. But wouldn’t limiting sales in this area add to the marginalization of disadvantaged communities who had been disproportionately prosecuted pre-legalization? asked Aaron Garcia from the White Center Community Development Association. Good question, said Chan. Garcia also wondered about marijuana businesses seeking to expand the types of merchandise they offer. There are strict limits, he was told.

The report addressed a variety of types of data, but some of the sample sizes were too small to “make accurate conclusions,” Clauss noted.

As for where the tax dollars go, there is an inequity but it’s a state issue, the county reps noted – the county only gets back $2 million. That is split fairly evenly between public health and public safety. Giba wondered if some of the money could be funneled back to “keeping things clean” – the streets, for example.

The marijuana businesses aren’t any more of a crime magnet than other types of businesses, KCSO Deputy Bill Kennamer noted when the talk turned to that issue. The report looks at those stats, added Clauss.

Would grandfathering allow for example one family member to pass to another? Chan didn’t know, but another rep present didn’t think so.

So the bottom line is that to change things would require putting pressure on state legislators? Yes, was the reply. But in terms of the county, watch for announcements of sub-area-plan meetings.

Want to see the report? If you can’t download it, you can request it from asklocalservices@kingcounty.gov

SIDE NOTE: Before the county reps left, an attendee brought up a loud party along 17th SW last weekend. Deputy Kennamer said noise complaints are becoming more common and he’s still figuring out how to address it.

CRIME UPDATE: The deputy had his own spotlight shortly thereafter. In crime trends – burglaries are down, auto thefts are up. “We’re getting a lot of cars stolen that are then used in crimes of violence.” One-third of the 100 Part I crimes – auto thefts. All the violent crimes have been solved quickly.

Do we know why the burglar who was shot and killed by a White Center resident chose that house? Kennamer said, no, but it’s worth noting that there’s a “problem house” on the other side of the street. They’re still not 100 percent certain about whether someone else was involved; that’s pending blood analysis.

Regarding marijuana businesses, as discussed earlier in the meeting, “none are any worse” – Nimbin’s had a few drive-through burglaries, Star had a shooting, but otherwise he said they were no more of a draw for crime than liquor stores.

A few other notes: One of the recent gunfire incidents in downtown WC had 45 rounds fired.

Got a nuisance house? Work with code enforcement.

One attendee pointed out that the businesses on the west side of 17th near 98th had suffered burglaries and theft. It might not have been reported to KCSO yet; Deputy Kennamer was asked to stop by and check on them.

Asked about emphasis patrols, he mentioned WC and Burien are having ongoing Thursday-Friday-Saturday overtime-funded patrols along the 16th/Ambaum corridor.

Despite the trouble spots, WC is far better than it was, say, 20 years ago, Kennamer reiterated.

WATER DISTRICT MERGER: Water District 45 is merging into WD 20 as a result of the recent election, commissioner Russ Pritchard reminded everyone. This means lower bills for District 45’s former customers. Involved are 10,415 service connections and 1,500 hydrants serving about 45,000 residents, he said. The old District 45 HQ will be sold; an appraiser just came out. So it’s not vacant pre-sale, the Highline Bears baseball team is temporarily headquartered there.

14th/120th has a “secret” underground reservoir, holding about 8 million gallons, he also noted, and now it’s part of District 20, which is headquartered at 1st S. and 126th.

HIGHLINE BEARS: GM Justin Moser spoke to NHUAC, opening by recalling baseball’s heyday in the community, and saying they want to bring “entertainment and fun” to the community. Ticket prices are no higher than $8. Opening night is June 1st, 7 pm, and County Councilmember Joe McDermott will throw out the first pitch. The team has 27 home games and will even have a “Christmas in July” night in which the players will wear ugly sweaters and throw out a first snowball instead of a first pitch. Their players, who come from college baseball, will be giving back to local communities via street cleanups and other volunteer activities.

COALITION FOR DRUG-FREE YOUTH: Rudy Garza spoke about the event coming up tonight (May 9th) – here’s the official invitation. Speakers will include Burien Mayor Jimmy Matta and State Senator Joe Nguyen.

LIBRARY UPDATE: KCLS’s Angie Benedetti said, “There’s nothing I like better than opening a meeeting with good news.” That news – Boulevard Park Library is reopening May 18th, with a 9:30 am ribbon-cutting ceremony. She shared the branch’s history going back more than three quarters of a century, when it was one room with a little over 500 books. She said it retains its classic architectural charms but has new rooms and a piece of art by Barbara Earl Thomas, glass walls telling the story “The Secret Reader.” Benedetti also shared some recent anecdotes including a “Box Drive-In” a week ago in which 100 little kids made cars out of boxes and got to watch a movie. NHUAC president Giba recalled that there was a time when the community was in danger of losing the library.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Wendell Davis noted that the White Center Warriors wrestling team, which meets at Chief Sealth IHS, has a world champion – 17-year-old Dustin Camacho. ….On May 24th, New Start High School Key Club wll have a car wash at the school, and at a TBA date in June, the Evergreen High School Key Club will have one too, said Aaron Garcia … 6/15, an Art Walk will coincide with the first-ever White Center Pride event.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meets 7 pm first Thursdays most months at the NH Fire District HQ.

(Also posted on partner site West Seattle Blog)

When Chef Case Justham announced the closure of Brass Knuckle Bistro (9602 16th SW) – as reported here last month – he added, “We’ve got a great buyer taking over, an iconic local spot that will be a perfect fit for the neighborhood, that I’m sure everyone will be extremely excited about.”

Post-closure, a handwritten note on the door named that “iconic local spot” as Biscuit Bitch, a sassy spot for breakfast/brunch, with three downtown locations – Pike Place, Pioneer Square, and Belltown. We’ve finally confirmed the White Center expansion plan, after reaching BB by phone today. No estimate yet for when they’ll open, yet. Never been to Biscuit Bitch? Here’s the menu.

Reminder: If you have comments, questions, or concerns about the Seattle-sanctioned encampment on Myers Way, Camp Second Chance, you’ll want to be at the Community Advisory Committee meeting Sunday, 2 pm at Arrowhead Gardens (9200 2nd SW, a few blocks north of C2C).

You’re invited to this big event in White Center one week from tonight:

(See the invitation in full-size PDF here.)

A new month is almost here and so is the announcement of what’s on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council agenda this Thursday:

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting

When: Thursday, May 2, 2019 at 7 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station at 1243 SW 112th Street in White Center
(Parking and Entrance are in the Back of the Station)

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

Last month, Doug Baxter-Jenkins of CHI Franciscan/Highline Hospital shared important and disturbing information about the state of North Highline’s health. The data begs the question: Why?

This month’s NHUAC meeting will focus on where we’ve been and how we got here since the legalization of marijuana. In a 2013 neighborhood meeting, King County publicly presented its proposal to limit marijuana businesses in North Highline. However, that proposal never became reality. By July of 2016, there were 15 legal marijuana stores in unincorporated King County; 13 of them were in either North Highline or Skyway.

On July 25, 2016, the King County Council passed Ordinance 18326 which, according to King Council Members Joe McDermott and Larry Gossett, “would further concentrate retail marijuana stores in low-income and working-class neighborhoods and, more often than not, minority neighborhoods.” The King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (now Permitting) was tasked with preparing a report on the marijuana industry in unincorporated King County. After 2-1/2 years, the King County Marijuana Report is complete and filed with the council. To learn about and discuss the Marijuana Report, we will be joined by Jim Chan, Director of King County’s Permitting Division, Warren Clauss, Permitting’s expert on marijuana, and John Taylor, Director of King County’s Local Services Department. To read the King County Marijuana Report before our discussion, you can find it here.

Angelina Benedetti of the King County Library System, Commissioner Russ Pritchard of Water District 20, and our own Storefront Deputy Bill Kennamer will also join us to share important happenings in North Highline. Then… the floor will be yours!

Knowledge is power.

Learn, share and help make North Highline a better place.

May 2, 2019 at 7 pm – Bring a Neighbor!

Thanks to White Center Library Guild president Astha Tada for the report and member Gill Loring for the photos – here’s how the guild’s Plant Sale went this past Friday:

Thanks to the wonderful support and team effort of many individuals, the White Center Library will have money to support their programming efforts, especially targeting our youth. In 4 hours, $589 was earned selling outdoor and indoor plants, garden tools, garden books, and children’s books, etc. A number of community members gave a little extra to support our much-beloved library.

It was a fun time with lots of conversations as individuals came to peruse, buy and ask
plant questions. Some mystery plants we were not able to identify were sold to adventuresome buyers.

The White Center Library Guild hopes to continue this fun event next year. We are a small group of
dedicated individuals and can always use more members. Join us! Make a difference!

(WCN photos, added early afternoon)

ORIGINAL EARLY AM POST: First street festival of the season, 10:30 am-5 pm at 15th/98th, the annual Cambodian New Year Street Festival in White Center, presented by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington! Here’s the published schedule:

10:30 AM
Monk’s Blessings – The Beacon Hill temple, Kent temple,South Park temple and Tacoma Old Temple will lead blessings

11:00 AM
MCs: Samphy C. and Srey R., DJ Jenny C., Poem written by Robert M., Guest Speakers: Dagmar C., S. Park Senior, Sili S.

11:20 AM
Chhay-Yum Performed by the Kent Temple

11:30 AM
Robam Choun Por (Blessing Dance) by Khmer King County

11:40 AM
Teavy Propey (Flower of the Universe) by Khmer Language Arts Culture and Academy (KLACA)

11:45 AM
Robam Bopha Lokei (Flower of the World Dance) by Khmer King County

11:50 AM
Khmer Classical Musical Instruments by Rasmey Propey Niey Khmer from Tacoma

12:05 PM
Robam Neary Chea Chour (Girls in a Line Dance) by Khmer King County

12:10 PM
Robam Kous Angrae by Khmer Language Arts Culture and Academy (KLACA)

12:15 PM
Robam Kuos Trolok (Coconut Dance) by Khmer King County

12:25 PM
Cambodian Dessert Demonstration- Nom Plae Ai

12:45 PM
Robam Apsara by Cambodian Classical and Folk Dance of Tacoma

12:55 PM
Robam Oiy Sat Mohouri by Cambodian Classical and Folk Dance of Tacoma

1:00 PM
Chhay-Yum by Kent Temple

1:10 PM
Traditional Game: Banana Eating Contest

1:40 PM
Local Talent Show: Community talent and Special Guest: Davey Tsunami

2:10 PM
Children’s Game: Passing Ping-Pong Balls w/Spoons

2:30 PM
Traditional Game: Tresey (Hacky-sack)

3:00 PM
Live Band by Brother Band & OPEN DANCE FLOOR!!

4:55 PM
Closing Remarks by CCAW Member

The postponed 4th Avenue SW closure south of Roxbury, for work related to the King County Housing Authority, now has a new start date. From KCHA:

We have resolved the complex utility conflicts that delayed our road closure and are ready to proceed with the full road closure. We have received final road closure permission from King County Road Services Division, King County Department of Local Services. 4th Avenue SW will be totally closed from SW 100th Street to SW Roxbury Street starting Monday, April 29th. This closure will continue from April 29th to Monday June 3rd with the following work hours:

• Monday – Friday 7 AM to 5 PM

• Saturday – 9AM to 5PM

There will be additional brief road/lane closures following the initial closure to complete additional work.

We have coordinated with local residents, emergency services, schools, and area service providers.

Gardeners – happening tomorrow!

North Highline Fire District commissioner Dominic Barrera, also a former NH Unincorporated Area Council board member, says he’s running for the countywide Port of Seattle Commission seat that Courtney Gregoire is leaving. Two other candidates have registered campaigns but he is the first to send an announcement:

South King County may soon have representation on the Seattle Port Commission again, as Fire Commissioner, airport union leader, and environmental advocate, Dominic Barrera announced his intention to run for the open position being vacated by Courtney Gregoire.

Barrera has served as an elected Fire Commissioner for the North Highline Fire District since 2015, where he represents about 10,000 constituents in the communities of White Center and Boulevard Park. There, he was the driving force behind station improvements that increased workplace safety, helped craft an innovative joint-operation plan with a neighboring district to improve service and increase efficiency, and has twice amended and passed state legislation to protect low-income tax payers in his district.

“I’ve worked to balance budgets and restore the District’s economic stability without compromising the well-being of our employees or the communities we serve,” Barrera said. “I bring unparalleled experience, not only leading a public agency, but also working on the frontlines of a major Port facility, fighting for worker protections, and advocating for our environment. The Port of Seattle needs this kind of strong, well-balanced leadership in this critical time of growth.”

Barrera’s father, born in Tokyo to Mexican and Japanese parents, was an aircraft mechanic at Sea-Tac. Barrera himself has worked for Alaska Airlines for seven years, both in airport operations and accounting. Throughout his tenure, he has been a proud member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local 2202 and currently serves as a union shop steward to his peers at Sea-Tac.

Barrera was part of a successful grassroots campaign in 2015 to save the Myers Parcels, an environmentally critical wetland that feeds into the Duwamish River, from industrial development. He was later selected to lead PlantAmnesty, an environmental nonprofit that works to protect Seattle’s greenspace, as their Executive Director.

He and his fiancé, Andrea, live in the Highline-area, directly under Sea-Tac’s northern flight path and within earshot of seaport operations.

“I would bring a voice for people living in the areas most impacted by Port activities,” Barrera said. “I know firsthand how crucial it is for the Port of Seattle to be a good neighbor.”

The other two candidates who have registered Position 2 campaigns with the Public Disclosure Commission so far are Ali Scego and Preeti Shridhar, but we haven’t yet received an announcement from either. Position 5 is also up for election this year; so far incumbent Fred Felleman is the only registered candidate. The formal filing period is in mid-May; the primary election is August 6th.

Deputies are investigating drive-by gunfire for the second time in 3 days on 16th SW in White Center. This time, it happened closer to SW 100th; investigators are parked further north in our photo because they were checking cameras on businesses further north, as the vehicle from which the shots were fired – believed to be a “black car” – was northbound. No injuries reported, and no damage found as of when we talked to investigators, who said they had no indication whether it was or was not related to the gunfire on Saturday.

11:18 AM: We’re awaiting a King County Sheriff’s Office news release about the deadly shooting widely covered by regional media very early this morning. Early information indicated that a man woke up before 3 am in the 9800 block of 13th Avenue SW and discovered an intruder; he shot and killed the persoo. Deputies used a K9 team to search for another possible suspect but didn’t find anyone. We’ll add the KCSO news release once it’s in.

3:57 PM: The news release from KCSO has just arrived:

Early this morning, 04/22/2019 about 2:40 AM near the 9800 block of 13th Ave. SW, White Center, a homeowner who was home alone woke to the sound of a sound of a window shattering in the kitchen area of his house and a short time later footsteps inside his house. The 35 year old homeowner immediately called 911 and armed himself with a handgun. The homeowner hid in his closet while waiting for Deputies to arrive. Prior to Deputies arriving on-scene, the 29 year old suspect opened the bedroom door and was shot by the homeowner. The suspect died at the scene. There may have been a second suspect, but so far the investigation has not uncovered any evidence of the second suspect.

King County Major Crimes Detectives continue to investigate.

ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: The man who was killed is identified as Joseph Anderson, cause of death described as “multiple gunshot wounds.”

We weren’t able to cover this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting but NHUAC has shared with us, so we can share with you, a slide deck with some important but troubling information:

(You can also see it here in PDF.) You can read more about the CHNA process at the CHI Franciscan website.

P.S. NHUAC has a new website – same address – where there’s a link to video of part of April’s meeting. The next meeting will be first Thursday in May – May 2nd – 7 pm at North Highline Fire District HQ (1243 SW 112th).

(WCN photos)

3:12 PM: Thanks for the tips about gunfire in downtown White Center along 16th SW south of SW 98th. We went over to check and found deputies investigating what they said was bullet damage to that vehicle. No injuries reported. The gunfire is reported to have come from another vehicle but they didn’t have a description to share, so we have a followup inquiry out seeking more info when available.

3:27 PM: KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott says “multiple” casings were found and that what happened here was a case of “two vehicles fired at each other, missing. A minivan traveling northbound unrelated was hit; thankfully none of the occupants were hit or injured.”

The White Center Bicycle Playground is the start and finish tomorrow for the annual Ride for Major Taylor benefit bike ride. From Cascade Bicycle Club:

The riding event is the biggest annual fundraiser designed specifically to benefit the Major Taylor Project, an after school youth development program for middle and high school students in Seattle and Tacoma. The program is designed to introduce youth from diverse communities to the recreation of cycling while fostering an inclusive culture of bicycling.

More than 300 riders are expected, with the route including White Center, Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, Federal Way, Tacoma, and Vashon Island, starting around 8 am. Find out more here.