White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Yes, we’re in the heart of summer, but the new school year isn’t THAT far away. So Highline Public Schools wants to be sure you know some start times are changing:

Based on input from families, students and staff, high schools students in Highline Public Schools will be getting 30 extra minutes of sleep starting in fall 2018 when high schools move to a later start time. This change will have a domino effect, causing small adjustments in start and dismissal times districtwide.

Most high schools will start 30 minutes later at 8:00 a.m. School will end at 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On early release Friday, school will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m.

Most middle schools will start five minutes earlier at 8:05 a.m. School will end at 2:35 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On early release Friday, school will be dismissed at 1:05 p.m.

Elementary schools will start five minutes later at 8:45 a.m. or 9:15 a.m., depending on service area. School will end at 3:15 or 3:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On early release Friday, school will dismiss at 1:45 or 2:15 p.m.

The following schools will not have a change in start and dismissal times: CHOICE Academy, Puget Sound Skills Center, New Start High School, Raisbeck Aviation High School and Waskowitz Educational Leadership Service.

Start and dismissal times are changing at both Big Picture Middle School and Big Picture High School. Big Picture Middle School will start at 9:00 a.m. and dismiss at 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On early release Friday, school will be dismissed at 2:00 p.m. Big Picture High School will start at 8:55 a.m. and dismiss at 3:30 p.m., Monday and Wednesday and dismiss at 3:00 Tuesday and Thursday. On early release Friday, school will be dismissed at 2:30 p.m.

A detailed list of start and dismissal time changes is below.

Bus times are also changing. New bus stops and pick up times can be found using Highline’s bus and address lookup system, called Edulog. (http://portal.hsd401.org/eduweb/webquery).

Middle and high school students will begin riding the bus together starting in fall 2018. High school students will be dropped off first, followed by middle school students. Student safety is a top priority for Highline. Middle school students will be directed to sit in the front of the bus, and high school students will sit in the back of the bus. Bus drivers have received training to support positive behavior on buses.

New Start & Dismissal Times

(first set of times for each school) Regular Day
(second set of times for each school) Early Release

Evergreen
8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
30 minutes later

Cascade
8:05 a.m. – 2:35 p.m.
8:05 a.m. – 1:05 p.m.
5 minutes earlier

Mount View
9:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
9:15 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
5 minutes later

White Center Heights
9:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
9:15 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
5 minutes later

Deputies are at 5th SW and SW 112th investigating a collision that is reported to have left a child injured. The 10-year-old’s injuries are reported to be minor.

Thanks again to Gill Loring for another look at the Steve Cox Memorial Park work zone – closer, this time:

Project details are here (PDF).

From the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:

Please note that the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council will not be holding meetings in July and August. Regular monthly meetings will resume on Thursday, Sept 6 @ 7 pm. Hope to see then.

In the meantime, stop by the NHUAC booth at Jubilee Days, Saturday, July 21st.

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council
Meetings: First Thursday of the month, 7 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station
1243 SW 112th Street

Thanks to Gill for the photo! Work continues at Steve Cox Memorial Park, a $3 million upgrade described by King County Parks as follows:

The project will construct a multi-use synthetic turf athletic field with LED lights and a ten-foot-wide paved walking path around the field perimeter. The field in-fill will be a rubber turf material coated with a colorant and encapsulated with a polyurethane coating. This material was selected to help reduce on-field temperatures and the overall environmental impact of the in-fill.

As mentioned previously, this project is why the Jubilee Days carnival has a new location this year (White Center Heights Elementary) and the fireworks show is on hiatus.

That’s a photo from last year’s WestSide Baby Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive Bash at WS Baby’s White Center hub. The party’s happening again this year and you’re invited! Noon-3 pm Sunday, July 22nd, at 10002 14th SW. Bring diapers and/or cash donations! Here’s the current list of most-needed items:

-Diapers sizes 4,5,6
-Pull-ups sizes 3T-4T and 4T-5T
-Wipes, baby shampoo, baby wash, powder, lotion, diaper cream

P.S. It’s OK to bring packages of diapers that have been opened.

Thursday, fireworks stands open in unincorporated King County, though it’s only legal to use them on the 4th of July. There will be extra patrols to ensure safety, two county councilmembers have announced:

King County’s unincorporated communities will get assistance in keeping the Fourth of July holiday safe, with a $25,000 boost in sheriff funding for increased patrols. Metropolitan King County Council Chair Joe McDermott and Councilmember Reagan Dunn announced the funds for the King County Sheriff’s Office were prioritized in the King County Budget.

“I’ve worked to secure these extra funds for increased patrols to help ensure neighborhoods in unincorporated King County can safely celebrate the Fourth of July holiday this year,” said Dunn.

“We want everyone to have a fun, and most importantly safe, celebration for Independence Day,” said McDermott.

$25,000 was prioritized to cover 300 hours of extra emphasis which will be split between the three sheriff precincts; Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest King County. The intent of this action is to ensure deputies can better respond to 911 calls made in response to illegal fireworks.

“These funds will help our office better address and respond to 911 calls that happen around the Fourth of July,” said Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht. “I appreciate the support of Councilmembers McDermott and Dunn in helping us get the financial resources needed to better serve unincorporated communities.”

In unincorporated King County fireworks may only be discharged on July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight. Residents are encouraged to act responsibly when using fireworks. Examples of legal fireworks include cone fountains, smoke devices, mines/shells/cakes, wheels, parachutes, roman candles, ground spinners, cylindrical fountains, sparklers, and poppers.

There are a number of free firework shows located around King County. The cities of Bellevue, Auburn, Carnation, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Kenmore, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Mountlake Terrace, Renton, Sammamish, Seattle, and Tukwila are all hosting public fireworks displays on July 4th. See each city’s website or social media for more information.

For more information about how to use fireworks safely and legally go to: kingcounty.gov/depts/permitting-environmental-review/fire-marshal/fireworks.aspx.

P.S. Reminder that, as previously announced, no Jubilee Days fireworks show this year (because of Steve Cox Memorial Park construction), so if you want to see a professional display, the 4th is your best opportunity.

Announced today – the plan for this year’s White Center Jubilee Days. That includes some changes, such as the carnival moving to White Center Heights Elementary because of the work that will be under way at Steve Cox Memorial Park (and no fireworks this year as a result):

2018’s White Center Jubilee Days brings some changes to the Jubilee Days format. This year’s Jubilee Days will kick off with a block party on Friday evening from 7-11pm. While the crew works hard to get things set up for Saturday’s fun, 16th Ave SW will be closed between SW Roxbury and SW 100th Streets for the community to get out and enjoy themselves. Local bars and restaurants will have outdoor service areas, there will be live music at several local venues, and we’ll elect the Unofficial Official Mayor of White Center!

On Saturday, the Eazy Duz It Car Club will roll onto 17th Ave SW to host the Jubilee Days car show and show off some incredible works of car art, 16th Ave SW will have the Main Stage and Beer Garden, Community Stage, and Street Fair, the Wide World of Kids and Detective Cookie’s Chess Program will be ready to entertain, there will be a Scavenger Hunt with prizes, and more!

On Sunday, and annual parade will march down 16th Ave SW, culminating in parade awards and a post-parade party at Viva Mexico!

PROGRAMMING DETAILS

Jubilee Days Carnival presented by Davis Shows Northwest – new location!*
Wed, July 18-Sun, July 22 | Wed-Fri, 3 pm-11 pm; Sat-Sun, 11 am-11 pm
White Center Heights Elementary School – 10015 6th Ave SW
Free shuttle to/from carnival and the downtown White Center area will be provided Saturday and Sunday (July 21-22).
*Steve Cox Park is installing a new artificial turf field with construction beginning on July 1. The carnival will not be able to use the park as a location moving forward because they can’t set up on the artificial turf. There will not be fireworks this year due to the construction, as well. Big thanks to the Highline School District for helping us find a new location for the carnival!

Friday Night Block Party & Unofficial Official Mayor of White Center Election
Fri, July 20; 7-11 pm | 16th Ave SW between SW 100th St & SW Roxbury
Street closes at 5 pm, activities start at 7 pm. The Mayoral Election will get underway at 8 pm; look for nomination info on the jubileedays.org site.

Jubilee Days Car Show presented by Eazy Duz It Car Club
Sat, July 21; Roll In 7-10:45 am, Showtime 11 am-5 pm | 17th Ave SW at SW 100th St
Awards at 4 pm, after hop at 6:30 pm

Street Fair, Main Stage, Beer Garden, Community Stage, Kids Area, etc.
16th Ave SW between SW 100th St & SW Roxbury
Sat, July 21; 11 am-11 pm (hours for specific elements will vary, see website for more info)

Jubilee Days Parade
Sun July, 22; 11 am | 16th Ave SW, starting at SW 116th St and ending at SW 100th St
Parade registration is free, join the fun! Post-parade party at Viva Mexico (10601 16th Ave SW) immediately following!

More details about all things Jubilee Days can be found at www.jubileedays.org, including Main Stage lineup, applications for vendors, parade participants, car show registration, and more. We’re looking forward to a super fun Jubilee Days with our friends, family, and community in White Center!

From King County Parks:

King County Parks and the King County Sheriff’s Office are joining forces to ensure the continued safety of all visitors to the County’s vast network of parks, trails, and open space.

Sheriff’s deputies are now patrolling parks, including those with natural surface trail networks like Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park, as well as regional trails like the Sammamish River Trail, to emphasize compliance with leash laws.

Per King County Code 7.12.410, dogs must be on-leash in all park and trail facilities, unless in a designated off-leash area. Deputies will issue citations to violators.

Especially during these busy summertime months, it is important for dogs to be on leash when visiting parks and trails. Not only does it reduce potential injury to your best four-legged friend from unexpected encounters with wildlife or other dogs, but it also decreases the likelihood that your dog will ingest plants or berries that could make it sick.

Dog owners are encouraged to visit King County’s Marymoor Park, which features a 40-acre off-leash dog area that consistently ranks as one of the region’s best, and additional off-leash areas can be found in parks throughout Seattle and surrounding cities.

By following this simple rule, all park and trail visitors can have enjoyable experiences, whether they have two legs or four.

Just a quick note – today is the last day of classes for Highline Public Schools. Pending ratification, September 5th is set for the start of classes next school year, except for kindergarteners, who will start September 10th.

(WCN photo)

Announced by CTO (“Chinese Takeout”), which was co-housed with Lil’ Woody’s and Beer Star at 16th/98th:

Cue the sad violin music because CTO is now officially closed. Now put on the party jams because our crew isn’t going anywhere! Beginning on Monday, June 25th, we will be opening Southside Pizza, featuring whole pies, slices, and pizza joint classics that will have something for the whole family. Chef Manny is bringing his years of working with pizza to the Beer Star building and we’re excited about this new beginning. … Thank you to those that have supported CTO over the last ten months! Stay tuned for a rebirth elsewhere in the future and enjoy the new Beer, Burgers, and Pizza combo soon to exist at the Beer Star Building!

Southside Pizza already has menu items (minus pricing) online (scroll down past the “under construction” part).

Outdoors and indoors, it was designed by kids, and enjoyed by kids, as White Center Heights Elementary put on a STEAM carnival to remember on Monday. The “A” is of course for Art, like this recycled-material octopus – which also embodied the “S,” teaching an anatomy lesson:

Across the gym …

And back outside …

A little adult support, too, like Charlie from Squirrel Butter:

And the North Highline Fire District:

Just two more days left in the school year – Wednesday’s the last day!

Show support for local students – and have fun! Tomorrow, you’re invited to the student-planned-and-presented carnival at White Center Heights Elementary. From teacher Shoshanna Cohen:

Our fifth and sixth graders at White Center Heights Elementary are embarking on a fantastic project to design, plan, and implement the school carnival through S.T.E.A.M. (Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).

The carnival will be held on June 18th, 2018 at

White Center Heights Elementary, located at: 10015 6th Ave SW

4:30 pm-6:30 pm

This carnival will be open to our 750 students and the surrounding community. Please come, play, and support our incredible scholars! The students have designed games such as an Angry Birds Launcher, a Life-size Plinko Board, a Strongman Leapfrog Game, and many, many more! We will also have a fire truck, an inflatable maze, live music, bbq, snacks, and wonderful raffle prizes donated by community businesses. Hope to see you there!

When we covered the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council earlier this month, Highline Bears president Russ Pritchard talked about some of the promotions coming up, including Buntly the Bear bobblehead tonight. That’s tonight! Gates open 6:05 pm at Mel Olson Stadium (1321 SW 102nd), game time vs. the Redmond Dudes is 7:05 pm. More info here.

(Full Tilt’s co-founders, photographed for West Seattle Blog in 2008)

(UPDATED: Party’s been moved to 5-10 pm June 23rd)

Not long before WCN was launched in summer 2008, a White Center business that’s since expanded in a big way got its start. Next week, you are invited to the original location of Full Tilt Ice Cream (9629 16th SW) to help celebrate its 10th anniversary:

A milestone is fast approaching for Full Tilt Ice Cream, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary on June 20th, 2018.

A celebration is planned for at the Rat City location. Live music by Rats in the Grass at 8 pm. A portion of the day’s proceeds will be going to the White Center Food Bank

On June 19th, they will be celebrating the newest store with a day of free ice cream at the Capitol Hill location. From noon on, the first 200 people will receive a free kids scoop.

We have had a lot of amazing memories from the past 10 years. We have hosted some great bands, some had their first show at Full Tilt. Other nights we hosted bands and artists that we are grateful that they decided to actually play. Mudhoney, Spencer Moody, Damien Jurado, and Kimya Dawson come to mind.

There have been countless birthdays and celebrations hosted inside our walls, and we are overjoyed every day to see the faces of our community members that have supported us for an entire decade. Our first day we had no idea who would show up. We figured our friends would come see us, and maybe a few people in the neighborhood. We sold out of everything in a few hours, and the next day was even busier. White Center has changed so much in the past 10 years. Some of it good, and some of it a little sad, but we are happy to be a member of the community.

Full Tilt Ice Cream, established in June 20th, 2008, in Rat City, was founded by Ann Magyar and Justin Cline and originally had one location, no employees, and no idea what they were doing. Now, with over 30 employees and 5 locations, over 200 wholesale clients and plans for massive future expansions, it seems the next 10 years will be even more fun.

See you at the party!

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council is now on summer semi-hiatus after another information-packed meeting at North Highline Fire District HQ in White Center:

NEW BOARD MEMBER: Wendell Davis, a local USPS worker and dad of 4, long active in the community including sports coaching, has joined the NHUAC board.

WESTSIDE BABY: This organization helping local families “to provide the essential items that every child needs to be safe, warm, and dry” has long been headquartered in White Center, but this was executive director Nancy Woodland‘s first appearance.

She stood beneath a photo long displayed in the fire station that happens to show her husband – a North Highline FD firefighter – and child. In 2017, WestSide Baby served more than 40,000 kids in western King County. She explained how WS Baby works, with two locations now – besides the WC HQ, there’s also a location opened earlier this year in South Lake Union, and drop-off sites for strollers, car seats, diapers, etc., all over the county. They partner with more than 110 social-service agencies. They don’t provide housing; they don’t provide money. “We are experts at just providing the material items” that families need as they get back on their feet again. She told the story of helping a single dad raising his baby who couldn’t afford items beyond a “bucket car seat” in which the child was spending all waking and sleeping hours. It’s not just about feeling good, Woodland said, there’s science and research behind why this matters – Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. “Something as small as a diaper can change the world.” Another analogy: It’s like helping somebody push a boulder uphill.

Ways you can help – Stuff the Bus month is July, the Bus Bash is July 22nd, during Jubilee Days (the WS Baby school bus will be in the parade again this year), and clients will be invited to WS Baby for the event for the first time – the community’s invited too. They run on volunteer power and tomorrow are moving their distribution area to get more room, because their distribution numbers have doubled in just the past year and a half. “Every single child deserves love, and deserves joy, and deserves to know that they matter,” she concluded.

MARY’S PLACE UPDATE: More than a year after Mary’s Place opened a shelter in the former King County Public Health building next to the White Center Food Bank, a rep came to talk about the property they’ve just bought in Burien. “This does not mean we’re leaving White Center,” said Liz McDaniel, to cheers. She explained they have changed their staffing structure so “one person will be in charge of one building.” Meantime, they hope to open the new Burien location – a former rehab center – the first week of August. They hope community volunteers will help them get the Burien site ready as they did before WC opened. It will have a capacity of 218 people – “about 60 families.” Among the work they are doing are painting bright colors and expanding the dining room – the building’s been vacant a year so it needs cleaning, refreshing, setting up the rooms. Their work days will likely be in late July. This will be their furthest-south location so they will be working with the Highline school district as well as likely some to the south. It will also be their fifth 24-hour facility. Asked how many families are exiting into housing, McDaniel said it averages one a week.

KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM: Angie Benedetti, who manages “the six libraries surrounding the airport,” came to talk about the imminent remodeling of the Boulevard Park branch –

KCLS has just announced that the branch will close for up to nine months starting June 24th. She said that just this past month, they have eked out a little money from the 1 Percent for Art program and the branch will get some original work by Barbara Earl Thomas. It’ll be incorporated into the meeting-room glass. (A few windows will be added to the branch in the remodel, by the way.) The contractor who is handling the job might get it done faster – KCLS has worked with them elsewhere and “had a really great experience,” she said. They aren’t yet planning to add any hours at other branches to make up for the closure. What will the library’s staff be doing during the closure? They’ll move to other branches temporarily – some to Burien, some to White Center, some to Tukwila. P.S. The branch’s beloved “donut table” will be staying, restored and refinished.

KING COUNTY COMMUNITY AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT: Mark Ellerbrook spoke about affordable housing in the North Highline/WC area, distributing paper copies of a map with approximate locations of sites where he says it is available. NHUAC president Liz Giba said she had wanted a list of the properties and how many bedrooms their units had, to compare with an inventory she had taken a year or so ago. She is concerned about an overconcentration in this area. Ellerbrook said he believes the county Housing Authority owns about eight properties. Fair housing “is a really important question,” he acknowledged, saying they are talking with various neighborhoods about “what is the fair share” and what responsibilities communities have. Ellerbrook also said that more housing is ultimately the solution for getting people out of shelters, such as the families that Mary’s Place is helping in White Center and, soon, in Burien, as mentioned earlier in the meeting. “The way that they get people out of their shelter is that they have a place to move to.”

Giba also brought up the under-construction Southside complex in Top Hat, which she says she’s been told will potentially house up to 1,500 people.

Accused by one attendee of concentrating low-income residents with “slums” resulting, Ellerbrook said, “That’s certainly not our intention.” Another attendee asked if the county is campaigning for higher wages so that there are fewer low-income residents; Ellerbrook said that’s outside the housing bailiwick but the county does have multiple employment-related programs. A discussion of earnings and low-income housing qualification ensued, as well as a point often made in similar discussions – that publicly owned projects don’t result in property-tax revenue to support community infrastructure. “So what’s really happening is that our local taxpayers are supplementing and making up the difference,” Giba observed.

KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE: New Southwest Precinct commander Maj. Bryan Howard said he started his career in the precinct in 1991, and has moved around since then, but has always considered this “his home precinct. … I have returned to this precinct at every rank.”

He said they are focused on three things:

-Crimefighting, so everyone feels safe doing “whatever they want to do.”
-Community engagement. “If you don’t know at least one officer by name, then we’ve failed … we need to be out and about in the community.”
-Taking care of our officers – being sure they know they are appreciated and supported, among other things.

Maj. Howard also brought up an issue that’s often arisen at NHUAC meetings – what’s done with tax revenue from marijuana? He said they’re requesting that one full-time DUI-handling officer be funded with that money.

He was followed by storefront deputy Bill Kennamer, who handed out the latest crime stats – K-1 is White Center, K-11 is Seola and vicinity, K-7 is Boulevard Park and unincorporated South Park and vicinity – and while auto theft is up year to year in all three areas, it’s down from Kennamer’s last NHUAC briefing two months ago.

MARIJUANA SURVEY: NHUAC vice president Barbara Dobkin urged everyone to answer the online survey that was announced during the recent Unincorporated Area Town Hall – ” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>here’s the link.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS: The White Center Food Bank‘s “block party” is coming up Saturday; the WC Community Development Association‘s Refresh (formerly Spring Clean) is coming up too … The Highline Bears‘ season has begun at Steve Cox Memorial Park, and president Russ Pritchard said tomorrow is Jelly Donut Day, which means the first 200 in attendance get a coupon for a free jelly donut at the concession stand … among other promotions, Bring Back the Sonics night (with former Sonics players expected to be on hand) … July 20th is ice-cream night, July 21st will be Food Truck night with eight food trucks due, and they even have a bobblehead night coming up. Here’s the promo schedule. The team has signed a five-year lease with the county. Tickets by the way are $8 adults, under 12 free.

NEXT MEETING: NHUAC won’t meet in July or August, but you’ll see them at Jubilee Days. So at this point, first-Thursday meetings will resume in September – watch northhighlineuac.org for updates.

P.S. Before adjourning, NHUAC board members also agreed to send a joint letter with the Highland Park Action Committee, expressing disappointment in the city of Seattle decision – announced earlier in the day – to give a one-year extension to Camp Second Chance to stay on the Myers Way Parcels. See it here.

A neighbor is hoping you can help solve a prowling case:

We live in front of a vacant house on the 107th block of 18th Ave SW, owned by an elderly man who uses the home for storage. (Monday) we noticed people that looked like they shouldn’t be in the alley off of 107th Ave SW between 18th Ave SW and 19th Ave SW heading to his house, so called the homeowner, who verified he was not expecting visitors. He came out to find items from his home missing and the glass removed from his bathroom window (they climbed in through the window and opened the doors to get in). He called the police and the King County Sheriff came out to make the report. Attached are images from the game camera set-up … If you recognize any of these people, please call the King County Sheriff’s office at sheriff@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-4155 and reference case #C18024998. Deputy Richtmeyer is assigned to the case.

The photos show the three people trespassing in the victim’s yard:

It happened today at the Technology Access Foundation‘s Bethaday Community Space in White Center. Here’s the King County announcement:

King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced that former Gov. Gary Locke will be the honorary chair of a community-led effort to ensure a complete, accurate Census count in 2020. Locke oversaw the 2010 Census while serving as Commerce Secretary during the Obama administration.

Executive Constantine announced Gov. Locke’s role at a strategy session King County organized to coordinate efforts by community organizations and philanthropies. King County is convening the effort sooner than it has in the past after the Trump administration announced it will add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, which could cause a substantial undercount that would result in a loss of federal and state funding and other impacts.

“While the Trump administration is trying to push people and families into the shadows, we are mobilizing a community-led alliance to ensure that everyone who lives in King County has a voice in the next Census,” said Executive Constantine. “I appreciate Governor Locke offering to help guide this important work that will shape the future of our region, state, and country.”

The results of the decennial Census will have a lasting impact on the region and state. It will determine how many representatives Washington state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, how county and legislative districts will be drawn, and the amount of federal funding local jurisdictions and the state will receive.

The Complete Count Committee will align the work of nonprofit organizations, philanthropies, and county government to connect with communities that have historically been underserved and undercounted, including people of color and people who earn a lower income. The Trump administration’s plan to ask residents to answer questions about their citizenship status creates an even greater need for action.

The committee will apply the same approach that King County used to make the region one of the best Affordable Care Act success stories in the nation. King County created a network of community-based organizations that helped nearly 200,000 people sign up for affordable healthcare during the initial enrollment period, and eventually cut the uninsured rate in King County by more than half. Public Health – Seattle & King County mobilized the same community network to help passengers sign up for ORCA LIFT, the nation’s leading reduced-fare program for passengers who earn a lower income.

The committee convened today will apply the same principles, having outreach teams in communities that are harder to reach by helping people complete the Census during evenings and weekends at different locations, such as cafes, libraries, restaurants, and community centers.

We confirmed this afternoon with the DEA that three White Center-area locations were part of a regional “drug-trafficking ring takedown” by multiple agencies, announced today: They were in the 9700 block of 9th Place SW, 10600 block of 4th Avenue SW, and 1400 block of SW 116th. Here’s the full news release about the regional operation:

In the fourth major drug trafficking ring takedown in as many months, federal, state and local law enforcement officers fanned out across King, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit and Thurston Counties to execute search warrants and arrest more than 35 members of a drug trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Today’s arrests are the fourth takedown in a series of cases aimed at reducing drug and gang violence in Seattle, South King and North Pierce Counties. Those taken into custody today (appeared this afternoon) in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

“Over the last four months, more than 80 drug dealing conspirators moving meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl have been taken off our streets where they preyed on destructive addictions and used gun crime to further their trade,” said U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes. “For more than a year, local police worked with federal partners to build these cases, with the goal of addressing the shifting crime problems in South Sound communities.”

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has directed U.S. Attorneys to deploy their resources to identify and address ‘hot spots’ of violent crime. Working with local law enforcement across the South Sound, federal law enforcement identified Seattle, the Rainier and Kent Valleys, and North Pierce County as an area of concern for drug and gun crime. Today’s takedown comes on the heels of three other law enforcement efforts involving wire-taps and surveillance to dismantle sophisticated drug trafficking rings linked to violence in those areas. The first takedown involved five defendants trafficking crack cocaine in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood; the second, in March resulted in twenty arrests of heroin and meth traffickers operating primarily in South King County and the Tacoma area; and in May, a third takedown dismantled two criminal groups trafficking methamphetamine in south King County.

“DEA is in a race to save lives,” said Keith Weis, the Special Agent in Charge for the Pacific Northwest. “These strategic operations have stopped some of the most violent criminal groups operating throughout the Puget Sound Region from pushing dangerous drugs onto our communities most vulnerable members facing life or death struggles against addiction.”

“The FBI is committed to holding violent gang members accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb Jr., of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “The level of violence committed by these individuals has been detrimental to the South Sound community for years. Today’s arrests mark a major step toward addressing this problem.”

According to records filed in the case, conspirators trafficked cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, illegal marijuana and fentanyl. Associates of some of the traffickers arrested today were shot and some killed in various shooting incidents in both Seattle and south King County. On the wiretap law enforcement heard conspirators talk about various shootings after they occurred, including the September 4, 2017 shooting outside a Renton hookah lounge. Among other things, conspirators discussed getting firearms after being shot at by rival gangs.

Taken together, these four operations resulted in the seizure of 75 guns, more than 95 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 32 pounds of heroin, more than 7 pounds of cocaine (both crack and powder) as well as ecstasy and fentanyl. More than $327,000 in cash and 22 vehicles also were seized.

In addition, today alone law enforcement seized 12 pounds of heroin, more than 2 kilos of cocaine, a pound of methamphetamine, 124 pounds of marijuana, 41 firearms and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

“Today, hundreds of law enforcement professionals came together to make our neighborhoods safer, taking criminals and drugs off the street and possibly saving lives,” said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. “As a former Narcotics commander, I recognize the tireless work that goes into these investigations. Together with our federal and local partners, we have orchestrated one of the largest investigations in recent memory. A special thanks to the FBI, DEA and the US Attorney’s Office. This level of collaboration is unprecedented.”

“The U.S. Marshals have always believed in the power of collaboration, and the effectiveness of combining the resources and expertise of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for the common good. Today, that tradition of collaboration continues and we are proud to be a part of it”, said Acting U.S. Marshal Jacob Green.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The defendants in these cases face a variety of drug and gun charges. The penalties range from five years in prison to a maximum of life in prison depending on the pertinent charge.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. This investigation was led by the Seattle Police Department Gang and Narcotics Units, FBI Seattle Safe Streets Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies providing investigative assistance include ATF, USMS, and the U.S Bureau of Prisons.

Today’s searches and arrests involved agents and officers from: DEA, FBI, ATF, HSI, USMS, SPD, Auburn Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, Bothell Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, Everett Police Department, Fife Police Department, Kent Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), Kirkland Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Marysville Police Department, Monroe Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Mukilteo Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), Renton Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish County Drug and Gang Task Force, Tacoma Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, Tukwila Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Department of Corrections, Washington State Patrol, and the Yakima Police Department, and the following regional SWAT teams, SPD SWAT, Valley SWAT, North Sound Metro SWAT, Region 1 SWAT, Pierce County Metro SWAT, King County Sheriff’s Office TAC-30, Washington State Patrol SWAT, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office SWAT, and Bellevue SWAT.

In addition, the operations were conducted with the support of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) and SWAT teams from the FBI’s Salt Lake City, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Denver field offices. DEA’s Special Response Team’s (SRT) from Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, and San Diego assisted in today’s operations. This investigation was supported by Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the Special Operations Division (SOD).

The DEA also told us warrants were served at one West Seattle location, near 20th SW and SW Holden.

Signed up yet for the White Center Community Development Association‘s big event? Less than three weeks to go!

Formerly the Spring Clean, The Refresh is now a two-day neighborhood cleaning and restoration event on Friday, June 22nd, and Saturday, June 23rd. For 14 years, this has been one of the CDA’s signature events. Previous projects have included garbage pickup in the business core of White Center, painting new and touching up existing murals, building garden boxes, and sprucing up the parks through partnership with King County Parks.

The CDA has decided to extend this community event to two days for more intensive projects such as the White Center Food Bank’s remodel to a grocery store layout, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity to do landscaping work. We will be capping at 100 participants for this event. This is a great opportunity for lovers of the White Center Community to come together and refresh out neighborhood! For more information and to register for this hands=on community event, go to the CDA’s website, or contact Theari@wccda.org. Registration is open now!