At approximately 2:25pm Tuesday afternoon (1/6/09), our intrepid “on-the-street” Reporters Mark Neuman and Bart Bryan witnessed the immediate aftermath of a hit and run accident at the intersection of SW 104th and 16th Ave SW in White Center.

The BMW on its side above was headed northbound on 16th when it was t-boned on the driver’s side, knocking it onto its side, by a black Hyundai Accent, Washington license plate #735 VJT, which left the scene, classifying it as a definite hit and run.

Below are more photos taken at the scene, including the license plate, which fell off the suspect’s vehicle and was discovered by Neuman and Bryan.

If you have any information on this car or its owner, you are encouraged to call the King County Sheriff’s office immediately at (206) 296-3333 or 296-3323.

Not to cause confusion or anything, but there’s a second, very important public meeting coming up Thursday, Jan. 8th regarding Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway (another residents meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10th):

The Highline Forum will discuss the use of Sea-Tac Airport’s new third runway since its opening, with emphasis on public complaints that the runway is not being used as promised on Thursday, Jan. 8th, from 2pm to 4pm. This public meeting will take place at the Sea-Tac Airport Conference Center, Mezzanine Level.

Everyone is invited to attend, especially residents who might have comments or complaints on the third runway.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Final Highline Forum and Port of Seattle Public Comment Period

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 8th; 2-3pm: Highline Forum; 3-4pm: Port of Seattle Public Comment Period

WHERE: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Conference Center, Mezzanine Level

AGENDA: 2pm Welcome & Introduction of Topic Co-chairs

Meeting Topic: The Highline Forum will discuss the use of the third runway since its opening. In particular, the Highline Forum will address public complaints that the runway is not being used as promised.

• Data depicting how the runway has operated to date Mark Reis, POS
• EIS assumptions for predicting use and impacts Mark Reis, POS
• Current usage of runway Mark Reis, POS
• 2:30 pm Questions & Answers Highline Forum
• 3:00 pm Forum Adjourns & Opening of Port Public Comment Period
• 4:00 pm Port Public Comment Period Ends

DIRECTIONS: Directions to the Airport Conference Center:

• Park in daily parking (floors 5-8) at the south end of the Airport Garage near the yellow or green elevators (rows N-U).
• Take the elevator to the fourth floor and walk across the skybridge #1, between the yellow elevator bank and the green elevator bank, to the Main Terminal.
• Take the escalator or elevator up to the ticketing level.
• The stairs and elevator to the Mezzanine Level are directly behind the international and Hawaiian Airlines ticket counters.
• Enter the reception area though the double glass doors for the Aviation Division Offices.
• The receptionist will direct you to the right conference room. Ask for parking validation (you never know).

Despite the fading away of the recent snowstorm and hectic holiday season, one thing is not fading away from the psyche of thousands of area residents in 2009:

THIRD RUNWAY NOISE

According to neighborhood activist Miriam Bearse, the next “Third Runway Complainers” (our moniker, not hers) meeting will be:

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 10th, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm

WHERE: SeaTac Community Center Banquet Room, located at 13735 24th Ave. South in SeaTac (see map below)

WHAT: For residents in the area affected by the increased noise caused by the newly-opened third runway. Goals of the meeting include discussing legal options against the Port of Seattle with lawyers, who will be present.

The last residents’ meeting was Friday, Dec. 19th, and here’s what’s went down that night:

• Despite the snow, 35-40 neighbors attended, which was held at a resident’s house just under the flightpath of the new runway.
• Resident activist Miriam Bearse led the meeting, encouraging everyone to introduce themselves and talk about their issues with both the increased noise and dealing with the Port of Seattle.
• Three lawyers were present to discuss the issue. These three have extensive experience in several major class action lawsuits, and all think that residents have a strong legal case. These lawyers will be present at this meeting as well.
• Everyone left knowing that this was only the first meeting and that many more would ensue.

Bearse recently moved into her new home, directly under the third runway flight path, and here’s a quote from a recent email she sent us:

We finally moved all our belongings in on Sunday, and have been enjoying the full experience of living under the third runway flight path, including diminished sleep, increased stress and inability to carry on a conversation of any length in the home.

I’ve been waking up every 45 minutes to an hour during the night…makes everything much more difficult.

You can read our previous coverage here and here, and here’s the scoop on the next meeting directly from Bearse:

If you are receiving this message, you either attended the meeting on the 19th to talk with neighbors about the impact of the third runway on our community, or you emailed me or others on this list to express your concern or interest in this issue.

At the meeting on the 19th, three lawyers attended who discussed possible legal options to address the impact of the flight path. They have scheduled a follow-up meeting on Saturday January 10th at the Seatac community center - located at 13735 24th Ave. S, SeaTac Washington 98168, in the banquet room, from 3:30 to 6:30pm.

This meeting is for all homeowners/renters who live in any community (including but not limited to S. Seattle, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Des Moines), who are concerned about the current and future potential impact of the third runway flight path on their families and communities.

This meeting is not for officials, the press, or other interested parties.

Please RSVP via email to miriambearse@yahoo.com

Also, as an FYI - if you’re affected by noise from the third runway, the best thing you can do is to call the Port of Seattle’s “Noise Hotline” whenever you feel that noise is too high.

The Port monitors the complaints it gets on these hotlines, so it is a vital tool to getting their attention:

View Larger Map

Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009 for everyone in/near the White Center area and beyond!

Thanks for your support in 2008, and please don’t hesitate to email us your suggestions as to how we can improve this website!

Here’s a list of some New Year’s Eve parties and events going on in the White Center area tonight (if you think we missed something, please email us ASAP and we’ll add it!):

TRIANGLE TAVERN: 9454 Delridge Way SW, White Center • (206) 763-0714‎:

• Potluck dinner around 6pm
• Karaoke starts at 9pm
• No cover

BREWSKY’S BAR & GRILL: 9635 16th Ave SW White Center • (206) 764-3946‎:

• Live Band 9pm+
• No cover

WAYNE’S WORLD: 1832 S 120th Street Boulevard Park • (206) 433-8658‎:

• Band “Sister Ray” starts at 9pm
• No cover
• Drink specials
• Midnight toast

MCMURPHY’S: 11069 16th Ave SW, White Center • (206) 431-1916‎:

• Karaoke starts at 9pm
• No cover charge
• Drink specials
• Jello shots
• Free appetizers

BENZ RESTAURANT & SPORTS LOUNGE: 12004 14th Ave South • (206) 444-0720‎:

• Party 8pm+
• No cover
• “Might have Karaoke” starting at 9pm
• Midnight toast
• Free appetizers

Have fun, drive safely (or better yet, don’t drive at all), and Happy New Year from the original White Center Blog!

The City of Burien will be holding its first in a series of informational open houses on Tuesday, Jan. 6th from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at Shorewood Elementary School, located at 2725 116th Street in Burien (map below).

Here’s what the city says about the meeting: “Informational open house will provide information about what annexation will mean for the people within the proposed annexation area.”

Format:

• There will be a presentation followed by a Question and Answer session.
• Refreshments will be provided.
• Interpreter services can be arranged if requested 72 hours in advance.

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 6th, from 6:30pm - 8:00pm

WHERE: Shorewood Elementary School, located at 2725 116th Street in Burien (map below).

INFO: Annexation Info Line: (206) 436-5555; Email: annexation@burienwa.gov

View Larger Map

Here’s the announcement, direct from their website:

Guys! We are so excited about this next year — we just couldn’t wait until 2009 officially arrives to announce our dates for the season. AND OH MY GOD WE HAVE A NEW VENUE. Guess where? You’ll never guess. KeyArena! I know, right? It is pretty awesome and we are stoked about it. Tickets are on sale now for the entire season, as well as SEASON TICKETS. Woo!

Season dates:
2.07.2009
Grave Danger vs. Sockit Wenches
Derby Liberation Front vs. Throttle Rockets

3.07.2009
Throttle Rockets vs. Grave Danger
Sockit Wenches vs. Derby Liberation Front

4.18.2009
Sockit Wenches vs. Throttle Rockets
Grave Danger vs. Derby Liberation Front

5.30.2009
Championship Game
3rd Place vs. 4th Place (TBD)
1st Place vs. 2nd Place (TBD)

7.18.2009
Rat City Rollergirls All-Star Games (TBD)

All dates are on sale now, so plan ahead and purchase early!

Hey, who needs the Sonics when you’ve got the Rat City Roller Girls?

Be sure to buy your tickets now!

Here’s previous coverage of an exclusive joint cleanup effort your White Center Blog did with the infamous Rat City Roller Girls.

Holiday Greetings to all my new Readers from your White Center Library Empress of Information™!

While I truly enjoyed the recent snowfall, and the subsequent studying to determine if indeed any two snowflakes are exactly alike (alas, they are not…but I vow to keep looking!), it’s nice to be able to see the gray cement again.

And welcome to my first column for the White Center Blog, the first local blog for this community, which first burst onto the scene Aug. 11, 2008!

Onward…

SCHEDULE UPDATE:

• On New Year’s Eve, all Libraries will close early at 5pm (Wednesday, December 31st).
• All Libraries will be CLOSED on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1st).

DID YOU KNOW?
You can access lots of business and investing information including the ‘Valueline’ & ‘Morningstar’ databases through the KCLS databases page, which is located here – all you need is a current KCLS library card and a current pin number (usually the last four digits of your phone number).

UPCOMING PROGRAMS:

WHITE CENTER LIBRARY:

• Game ON! Teen Program: Wednesdays beginning at 2:30pm, January 7th; also Jan. 14th, 21st, & 28th - Play your favorite multi-player video game on GameCube, Xbox 360, and the Wii! We’re turning the meeting room into an arcade so don’t miss the fun! Check out our webpage for more program details!
• Family Story Time: Stories, songs and finger play fun, Thursdays beginning at 11:30am, January 8th, 15th, 22nd, & 29th.
• Study Zone (K-12): Tuesdays in January beginning at 5pm, AND Wednesdays beginning at 6pm in January-Drop in and Get Help with your Home Work from our volunteer tutors! More information here.

GREENBRIDGE LIBRARY:

• Family Story Time: Thursdays January 15, 22, & 29th beginning at 7pm.

BOULEVARD PARK LIBRARY:

• Preschool Story Time: Tuesdays at 10:30am beginning January 13th.
• Family Story Time: Wednesdays at 6:30pm beginning January 14th.
• Spanish Story Time: Cuentos en Espanol para Ninos – Thursdays at 4pm, Los Jueves a las 4pm.
• Study Zone (K-12): Mondays & Wednesdays in January 6-8pm. Drop in and Get Help with your Home Work from our volunteer tutors! More information here.

BULLET POINT BOOK REVIEW:
‘Touchstone’ by Laurie R. King

• A suspenseful tale set in the English countryside circa 1926.
• Politics, old families, class struggle, and love set the stage for this compelling drama.
• The story opens as FBI agent Harris Stuyvesant arrives in England to ‘informally’ follow the trail of a possible bomb-making union organizer, whose latest work in America has rendered Stuyvesant’s younger brother incompetent.
• Stuyvesant gets no help from the British government and is about to give up when he is inadvertently put in touch with Aldous Carstairs, a very shadowy British operative whose motives for helping Stuyvesant are at the very least questionable.
• The touchstone in ‘Touchstone’ is a British veteran of WWI by the name of Bennett Grey.
• Carstairs has worked with (and exploited) Grey in the past and knows of his uncanny abilities- now Carstairs is looking for ways to control and use him again.
• To Carstairs, Stuyvesant looks like the perfect patsy to help him reclaim his leverage over Grey.
• The story is further complicated by Grey’s sister Sarah, who Stuyvesant seems to be falling for.
• This is a page turner with a surprise ending that will leave you wanting more.
• Highly recommended!
• Also available in large print and on CD.
• For a list of the Best Books of 2008, visit this website.

Marilee A. Cogswell is the Manager of the White Center Library.

Apparently the jury’s decision was delayed five days due to the recent snowstorms.

Deputy Brian Bonnar was accused of kneeing a woman in the head after pursuing her car in White Center.

Read the full story here, then share your thoughts below - did this cop get off?

Or was justice served?

Which also means: STREET CLOSURES due to snow and ice.

Here are two in the White Center area that we know of, courtesy King County Road Services:

1. CLOSED: The entrance to SR509 at 5th Ave South @ 11248 North in Boulevard Park due to ICE HAZARD
2. OPEN BUT ICE HAZARD: SW 108th St. between 4th Ave. SW & 12th Ave. SW in White Center