White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(WCN photo by Patrick Sand)
6:36 PM: Westbound Roxbury is closed between 15th and 16th SW (map) while Seattle Police investigate a hit-run crash that sent a woman to the hospital. Police told us at the scene that she was in the crosswalk when hit by what witnesses described as a blue SUV. We don’t yet know her condition. The road will be closed for a while; SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad has been called in. If you have any information about this crash, please call 911.

MONDAY MORNING, 10:48 AM: No word yet from Seattle Police on whether they have found the hit-run driver. We asked Seattle Fire for more information on the victim; they say she is 35 years old and was in stable condition when taken to the hospital, where she was expected to be checked for possible internal injuries.

(Update – FOUND!)

BURN BAN: As of 1 pm today (Sunday), a Stage 1 Burn Ban will be in effect for all of King County. That means no fireplace/woodstove use unless you are certified as having no other “adequate source of heat,” and no outdoor fires. This will be in effect, says the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, until further notice.

SNOW VIEW: Belated thanks to Gill for sharing this view of snowy White Center on Saturday:

No more snow in the forecast – but below-freezing temps are hanging around!

Two White Center coffee shops have announced they’re open this morning – Caffe Delia downtown, and Dubsea Coffee in Greenbridge. 8 am-noon for both, so wherever you are, you can get local coffee to go with your Thanksgiving breakfast.

One week from tomorrow, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s December meeting will feature Sheriff John Urquhart (raincheck from last meeting) and Deputies Julian Chivington (new storefront deputy) and Joe Winters (who patrols parks). Here’s the official agenda, from president Barbara Dobkin:

7:00 pm Call to Order – Flag Salute – Roll Call – Approval of Agenda – Approval of Minutes

7:05 pm Public Announcements
7:10 pm Public Comment

King County Sheriff’s Office
7:20 pm Sheriff John Urquhart
7:50 pm Deputy Julian Chivington – White Center Storefront Deputy
8:00 pm Deputy Joe Winters – South End Park Patrol

8:10pm Pat Price and Liz Giba – Discussion regarding Lakewood Park

8:20 pm Bong StoDomingo – King County Community Service Area Liaison – Update on Graffiti in North Highline

8:30 pm Committee Reports

The meeting will be at 7 pm Thursday, December 4th, at the North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 SW 112th.

Zippy’s Giant Burgers in White Center had to close early Monday, according to its Facebook page, after a key part in its hood broke – and it’s still scrambling for a replacement. So they’re not sure when they’ll reopen. We’ll keep an eye out for an update.

Two notes today – first, King County Sheriff’s Office is circulating surveillance photos of a burglar:

Also this afternoon – a reader report: Veronica hopes you can help her find her stolen car, and what was inside it:

It was stolen this past Saturday November 22 from Coronado Springs Apartments in White Center around 6-7pm. It is a dark green 1996 Honda Accord, 4 door, plate # AOE7527. It has chipped paint and a Seahawks logo on the back window. Please, I am so stressed over this. It had my daughter’s seat, stroller, personal portraits and just so much sentimental value.

Call 911 if you see it.

Can you spare a turkey or two? Maybe some stuffing too? The White Center Food Bank needs that (and more) and is open special hours today for pre-holiday donations, 11 am-2 pm, 10829 8th SW. Our partner site West Seattle Blog has more on how to help WCFB (which has a regional client base beyond WC).

7:47 AM: If you just can’t wait to get your tree up for the holidays – even with Thanksgiving still a week away – McLendon Hardware tells us they’re expecting their first delivery today. According to manager Matt, “We will be carrying Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, Noble Fir, and Nordmann Firs all of various sizes ranging from 2 ft. to as tall as 9 ft. New additions to our selection this year include a 5-6 ft. sheared Douglas Fir, and a 5-7 ft. Natural (un-sheared) Noble Fir.” The store’s at 10210 16th SW.

11 AM UPDATE: Matt now tells us they’ve had a delay and the trees are expected on November 24th – next Monday.

Until 6 am tomorrow, no fireplace or woodstove use unless it’s your main source of heat – a Stage 2 Burn Ban just took effect at noon. Details here.

As reported here last week, this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting included some graphic descriptions of what county workers have found, and cleaned up, at illegal encampment sites in White Center’s “bog” area. We followed up with senior engineer Ken Gresset, who spoke at the NHUAC meeting, to ask if he had photos illustrating what he had described, and he did. Above, the entrance to the one-person underground “bunker” they found. Next, two more general photos from campsites:

Gresset explained at the NHUAC meeting that safety concerns require King County Sheriff’s Office assistance for most work in these areas – not because of the campers, but because of criminals who tend to hide in the same areas:

He also mentioned addicts’ use of these areas and the discovery of piles of used hypodermic needles and syringes. No photos available of those, though.

(also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

The King County Sheriff’s Office has just announced that it’s arrested “a juvenile male … for burglary and possession of stolen property” and that he “may be related to other burglaries since November 2nd.” KCSO spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates elaborates that the teen is in custody in connection with the White Center Heights Elementary break-in.

As reported here earlier this week, those hit by a recent string of burglaries include Dubsea Coffee, broken into at least three times. After a two-day closure, Dubsea reopened this morning, with supporters crowding inside:

WCH Elementary teachers were among them – one teacher was our original source for news of the repeated burglaries. Dubsea staff confirms a security system is being installed there today.

Have you seen Sarah? She was last seen on Route 120, and since that passes through White Center, we’re sharing the flyer. Added info from friends: “Sarah Calflooking has been missing since November 6th – her husband, children, and extended family are desperate for information about her whereabouts and safety. Please, if you see Sarah Calflooking or have any information, contact Seattle Police Department #5876 Detective Boggs at (206) 386-1850 regarding Missing Person Incident # 14.378377 and her husband Hiram Calflooking Jr. at (206) 851-1840. Sarah was last seen heading to downtown Seattle on the 120 bus, wearing a green Old Navy hoodie, black stretch pants, green shoes, and a red/black backpack.”

Following up on Wednesday’s story about repeat burglaries at Dubsea Coffee in Greenbridge, the shop was closed again today, so we inquired to see when it’ll reopen. The answer:

Dubsea will re-open tomorrow (Friday Nov 14), with slightly shortened hours from 7 am-5 pm. We will resume regular hours once things normalize.

Tomorrow is also Dubsea’s 5th birthday. We truly look forward to spending it in the company of our guests.

We appreciate … all the care, kind words, and support from our neighbors. We love this community. We are here to stay.

(Crossposted to partner site West Seattle Blog)

That’s the sign you’ll find today on the door of Dubsea Coffee in Greenbridge (9910 8th SW). A teacher at nearby White Center Heights Elementary School messaged us to say the area’s been hit with a series of burglaries, and that Dubsea has been broken into three times in the past week and a half. We reported the first one here on November 3rd but hadn’t heard of the others; we’re checking with the King County Sheriff’s Office regarding the teacher’s report of other break-ins in the area.

The teacher wrote us because this, she says, is more than a matter of crime concern – she writes, “This coffee shop is the hub of the neighborhood and it is ALWAYS busy with people having meetings, enjoying coffee and sandwiches, children having playdates while frazzled moms drink their coffee, etc.” They are working on plans to show their support and want to encourage you to patronize the shop to help it recover. We’ll be following up.

ADDED 4:26 PM: KCSO spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates confirms a series of recent break-ins in the vicinity, “with a similar MO”:

Dubsea was one victim, with the nearby library/YMCA hit next, followed by the Dollar Tree, and then an elementary school burglarized on the 7th. The MO has been to break a window and steal cash. We have no suspect info other than believing in at least one of the burglaries there were two suspects. They have all happened in the late evening/early morning hours when no persons were present. The four cases have not been conclusively linked as being committed by the same suspects.

We encourage citizens to call when they see something out of the ordinary. It’s also a good time to remember to keep areas around homes and businesses well-lit as thieves love the cover of darkness, and to keep vegetation trimmed so that neighbors and passersby can see if something is amiss at a business (or home).

That’s our video of last Thursday’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, with two major topics, plus some other updates:

KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE UPDATE: Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (explained here) is coming to White Center, announced Major Jerrell Wills, who says this is “a perfect location for it … another tool to help us help you … to address some of the homelessness, afflicted, mentally ill in our communities.” The state Department of Corrections has arrested some felons in WC, including “registered sex offenders that were not in compliance,” he said.

But the big attraction in the KCSO appearance (the sheriff himself, by the way, couldn’t be there after all) was the introduction of new Storefront Deputy Julian Chivington. “I’ve never had a job where I’ve had to do public speaking,” he warned. He talked about his background – born and raised in Ohio, served in the Army including “a couple tours in Iraq,” member of the KCSO SWAT team, six years in the Sheriff’s Office but new to this precinct.

He’s working “2 to 10 pm on a rotating schedule,” he noted. That’s a change from the four/10s that his predecessor Deputy BJ Myers worked. It’s a flexible schedule, Maj. Wills noted, so it can be adjusted for special events. But he’ll also be away at times for training and other duties related to the SWAT (Tactical) Team (including callouts). He *will* be at NHUAC meetings, as were his predecessors, he confirmed to NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin.

The discussion with KCSO reps also included safety concerns, one of which had taken up the first part of the meeting:

WHITE CENTER BOG ENCAMPMENT PROBLEMS: Wesley Chin from King County provided the first part of the update, including details of cleanup efforts – removing 6 truckloads of brush and debris, in hopes of discouraging encampments from returning. Assistance was also offered to those who had been illegally camping. It wasn’t just a matter of public safety, he said, but also a matter of protecting water quality. Ken Gresset also spoke, with more details about how they hope to “open up” the site in the next round of work, because, he said, it’s not the homeless people there who are the major problem, but criminals including sex offenders and drug addicts. So many hypodermic needles, in fact, that some volunteers can’t work there any more, he said – piles of them. They might try to get a grant to help pay for more cleanup.

In Q/A with NHUAC members, Gresset explained the problem isn’t just going to go away entirely – the area has so much accessibility and is convenient to services, such as the two drug stores just up Roxbury. Some of what he’s seen there, he said, was downright scary – even a “one-man underground bunker.”

OTHER NOTES: North Highline Fire District‘s board has a special meeting this Thursday, November 13th, at 5 pm, to talk about the implementation of the benefit charge approved earlier this year by voters.

King County Elections announced another round of results this evening, but it didn’t change the fact that the Highline Public Schools bond hasn’t hit the 60 percent approval needed, and isn’t at this point expected to. Here’s where it stands after the Saturday night results release:

On Friday, the district sent this news release:

It appears that the Highline capital improvement bond — now at 58.03 percent approval — will not reach the 60 percent needed for passage. Though yes votes have been trending upward, it is unlikely the ballots yet to be counted will push the final count above the 60 percent threshold.

School Board President Michael Spear acknowledged that a majority of voters did vote to approve the measure. “We are grateful for the support of the many, many citizens in our community who expressed their support for our schools by voting yes,” said Spear.

With failure of the bond, the district has limited options for meeting the challenges of overcrowding and aging, deteriorating schools.

This fall enrollment is up 400 students over last year, causing crowding in elementary schools. Enrollment is expected to grow by over 2,000 in the next eight to ten years.

Bond failure also means replacement and major repairs to the district’s aging and outdated schools will have to wait.

“We will do our best to serve our students, knowing there are physical and financial limitations to what we can do to improve the learning environment in our oldest buildings,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield. “We will work with our community to determine a plan for moving forward.”

No, it is NOT too soon to think “holidays.” White Center Library Guild is having its popular annual bazaar and book sale the next two days – Friday and Saturday – and hopes you will come celebrate – all the details are above.

The first round of results from the election are in – the only round we will see tonight; next count will be out Wednesday afternoon.

HIGHLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOND MEASURE
60 percent approval is required for passage; so far, it’s falling short of that:

57 percent approve (9502 votes)
43 percent reject (7263 votes)

Did you notice the boarded-up window at Dubsea Coffee today? Somebody smashed a window to break into the Greenbridge coffee shop, staff confirmed. We heard about it via Twitter:

@westseattleblog did you hear about what happened at Dubsea? Ugh! pic.twitter.com/ImK7FXX5x5

— Marcia Ventura (@marciaventura) November 3, 2014

Marcia, who tweeted the photo, said the broken window was right over the kids’ area. Some items were stolen, according to staff. (added) WCN reader Carrie says the burglar(s) even turned on the grill and cooked/ate some food, besides breaking into the office. She adds, “Dubsea is a small, local business that promotes a strong sense of community and it’s sad that some jerks would do this to them.”

P.S. If you have concerns/questions about North Highline crime, be at the NH Unincorporated Area Council meeting Thursday night, 7 pm at NH Fire District HQ, with guests from the King County Sheriff’s Office including new White Center Storefront Deputy Julian Chivington.