King County Sheriff's deputies and Burien Police officers were involved in a bust in White Center on July 8. Several people were arrested. No comment was available from the officers on the scene as to the nature of the arrests.
At approximately 11:20 Thursday evening Sheriffs Deputies were called to White Center Heights Park because of a reported fight between several individuals. It was also reported that one or more individuals may be armed. When police arrived a number of people ran into the park and were pursued by Sheriffs deputies. Some of the suspected individuals evaded capture, but police did detain an unknown number of people in the park as well as several people from a house at the end of the street. One individual was arrested for drug possession, however no gun has found.
Local resident John G. said “The house in question has been a problem since we moved into the neighborhood a couple of years ago”. Excessive drinking and suspected gang activity were some of his concerns.
The park is better than some say
Despite some of the nefarious behavior that occurs in the park, it’s still a haven for families and children to come and enjoy the open grassy area, BBQ pits, picnic tables, the wetlands pond with it’s abundance of wildlife, and the Pea Patch gardens. The next morning I found Fred Bower, staff member for Educare, a local preschool, taking a group of kids to the park for some sun and fun.
Educare is part of the White Center Early Learning Initiative which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is located at 625 100th St. S. W. in White Center. Educare has 6 classes for preschool age kids and 4 classes for infants and toddlers.
For more information about Educare and the WCELI go to www.wecli.org
