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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-19 Seattle Times - Tukwila TrendingEXPERIENCE IS THE DIFFERENCE !PI®Il ISLAND MASTERPIECE ?5 Forest Ave SE. Gated >ic views. Proudly infused esign, this home delivers ice on a trophy lot. Yachts Kirsten Paulsen 425-466- Lister 425-450-5206. DERN BELLEVUE TOWERS )0 106th Ave NE #3515. ?signed for function and rchitectural details that lines with artistry and Benchmark! Wendy Lister 'Kirsten Paulsen 425-466- /00 PRIVATE RETREAT 4 78th Place NE. Stunning ad for casual entertaining iving. Generous master on :eilings, den, office, chef's and gated. Mary Norris MLS# 466656. $1,720,000 STATES OF CAMDEN PARK 4850 NE 20th St. 3+ baths, den, plus bonus ne has everything from a 'r to a chef's kitchen to hot gazebo. Carol Carr 425- i# 479599. $1,340,000 International TASTE Nancy Leson tastes a bit of Italy L'heSeattleaues MAY 19, 2013 FITNESS Kickboxing is a kick NATURAL GARDENER The beauty of simple �nud1 kr,bin ... THIS LITTLE CITY HAS A BIG HEART FOR NEWCOMERS IP Gish - �oCn . MEET ME IN THE VILLAGE Washington Park's 1929 Georgian Colonial. Applauded for responsibility to its celebrated era. Revealing a buoyant evolution. Palladian Influences, Dentil Moldings, Portals. Wendy Lister 425- 450-5206/Terry Allen 425-417-6161. $3,580,000 LAKEMONT ZEN I LAKE VIEWS Extraordinary custom by Curtis Gelotte and Design Guild. Natural light, timber detailing and indoor waterfall fuse interiors with landscape. 6,055 sf, 4 BR, dedicated theater and walls of windows to enjoy views. Pics lisawhittaker.com. Lisa Whittaker 425-990-0166. $1,848,000 CLYDE HILL Open 1-4. 2310 91st PI NE. Gorgeous Lk Washington & Olympic Mountain views! Situated on a spectacular 20,000+ sf level lot. Charming remodeled 4 BR traditional. Gourmet kitchen, cherry cabinetry & slab granite. christi-clark.com. Christi Clark 425-450-5257. $1,595,000 MT BAKER VIEW TRADITIONAL Stunning 1913 Ellsworth Storey located on one of Mt Baker's best blocks overlooking the Park & Lake Washington. Architectural masterpiece. Great outdoor space; view deck, hot tub and gorgeous yard. Lisa Turnure 206-919-6605. MLS# 480959. $1,175, 000 NORMANDY PARK WATERFRONT Open 1-4. 20477 10th Place SW. A privileged series of chic vignettes - textiles - color against intricate shapes of wood, marble -rich concrete. Romance on stage in sunsets across 225' saltwater. Terry Allen 425-417-6161. $3,278,800 UNDERSTATEDLY CLYDE HILL The beautifully landscaped 20,100 sf property boasts of an elegance & warmth. 4 BR / 3.25 BA with attitude of expanse. Vaulted ceilings, large windows, decks, patios & pool. Terrific. Richard Lentz 206- 650-4363. MLS# 458027. $1,750,000 YARROW POINT VIEW HOME Enjoy views of Lake Washington from this updated daylight rambler accented with vaulted ceilings and picture windows. Sun - drenched kitchen overlooks entertainment deck. bethbillington.com. Beth Billington 425-450-5208. $1,575,000 WEST BELLEVUE Beautifully maintained 3 BR / 2.5 BA home. Excellent floorplan with sumptuous main floor master. Cook's kitchen with center island & gas cooktop, open to family room with vaulted ceilings & gas fireplace. christi-clark.com. Christi Clark 425-450- 5257. $1,150, 000 cbbain.com MERCER ISLAND'S GOLD COAST Clean lines and walls of windows set the stage for this 5 BR/2.75 BA home. 60' of prime Lake Washington waterfront, 183' dock, sandy beach and mature gardens. www.PeggyWatkins6208.com Peggy Watkins 206-230-5444. MLS# 471980. $3,125, 000 CAPE COD CLASSIC IN MEDINA A showcase of extensive millwork, box beam ceilings, crown moldings, espresso hardwoods. Commercial grade kitchen, grand entertaining with 5 fireplaces. 4 BR / 3.5 BA, 4,080 sf of refinement. Maureen Khan 206-769-4989. MLS# 474332. $1,728,000 STUNNING CASTLE ON 20± ACRES Warm & inviting modern day stone castle nestled in a private sanctuary with a bridge across your natural moat by Wiseman Creek which drops by waterfall into a swimming pond. www.TheCastlelnSkagitCounty. com. Jean Groesbeck 360-941-3734. MLS# 463152. $1,395,000 PENTHOUSE VIEW LOFT Open 1-4. 2914 E Madison St #207. True two -level 1 BR / 1.75 BA corner unit loft with 1,000'+ private deck, protected views into Arboretum. Main floor office, 2 parking spaces (tandem), 2 storage units. Enrico Pozzo 206-790-7874. MLS# 469245. $765,000 V! Welcoming the World: In Tukwila, diversity is lived, and celebrated. BY SUSAN KELLEHER I PHOTOS BY ERIKA SCHULTZ 15 Taste: At farmers markets, a husband -wife team brings us the taste of Italy. BY NANCY LESON PHOTO BY MIKE SIEGEL 16 Northwest Living: Paths, plants and dynamic focal points replace a languid lawn. BY VALERIE EASTON PHOTOS BY MIKE SIEGEL exceptional offers ori;Atl-:n furniture collections SEATTLE - 1015 Western Avenue - Tel. (206) 332-9744 ON THE COVER Kindergartners, including Christian Fong, center in blue, wait in line for lunch at Tukwila Elementary School. Students speak about 40 languages, representing 20 countries around the world. NEXT WEEI( In the working world, lunch has transformed from the sandwich in a sack to many splendored things. 4 Natural Gardener I BY VALERIE EASTON 5 Fit for Life I BY NICOLE TSONG 6 Domestic Goddess I BY REBECCA TEAGARDEN 19 Now Er Then I BY PAUL DORPAT STAFF MAGAZINE PORTFOLIO EDITOR Kathy Andrisevic kandrisevic@ seattletimes.com EDITOR Kathleen Triesch Saul ktriesch@ seattletimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rebecca Teagarden bteagarden@ seattletimes.com ART DIRECTOR Carol Nakagawa cnakagawa@ seattletimes.com PHOTOGRAPHER Benjamin Benschneider bbenschneider@ seattletimes.com WRITERS Tyrone Beason tbeason@ seattletimes.com Ron Judd rjudd@ seattletimes.com Nancy Leson nleson@ seattletimes.com Susan Kelleher skelleher@ seattletimes.com ■ Visit Pacific NW magazine online at www.seattletimes. com/pacificnw • Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ PNWMag LAST WEEKEND P A R T S www.roche-bobois.com 44 NOW 84 THEN • by Paul Dorpat Sturdy pioneers were built to last FOR THOSE who pay attention to credits and have been fol- lowing this feature for a few years, Lawton Gowey is a famil- iar name. This is another of the probably hundreds of historical subjects that he has shared with Pacific NW magazine readers, because he shared them with me. Here we look northeast through the intersection of Crockett Street and Seventh Avenue West on Queen Anne Hill. The photo was recorded sometime before 1912, when these streets were paved, and after 1905-06, the years the houses were built facing Seventh. Archivist Phil Stairs at the Puget Sound Regional Archive checked their tax cards for remodels and concluded, "You could say that there was an enterprising asbestos salesman in the neigh- borhood in 1957." That year, two of the four were wrapped in that baleful blanket. By then, Gowey was in his third year as both organist and director of the senior choir at Bethany Presbyterian Church on top of the hill. Gowey, an accountant for the Seattle Water Department, lived all his life on Queen Anne, and he knew its history, especially that side of it having to do with, "From here to there — land transportation." That's the title he used for a lecture on Seattle's trolleys he gave in 1962 at the Museum of History & Industry. I met Gowey in 1981, but our friendship was a regrettably brief one. On a late Sunday morning in the winter of 1983 while preparing for church, the 61-year-old organist's heart stopped. He left Jean, his wife, daughters Linda and Marcia, his father, Clarence, scores of rail fans and his collection of trolley photos and ephemera, which Jean directed to the University of Washington Library's Special Collections. L Check out Paul Dorpat and Jean Sher rard's blog at wwwpauldorpat.com. THEN: These homes, right to left, from 2104 to 2110 Seventh Ave. W., were built in 1905-06. They are wel for Queen Anne Hill pioneers. JEA NOW: Only the small home directly on the northeast corner of Seventh Avenue West and Crockett Street I grown with impressive changes. THE SEATTLE TIMES City Councilman Joe Duffle gives out stickers as part of his weekly running program for students at Tukwila Elementary. Duffle, a former National Guardsman, shipyard employee and custodian, started the program in 1991. Kids run a quarter -mile during recess, working to improve fitness and earn awards such as pencils and notebooks. 8 PACIFIC67w -�...rim !!:�!■ TUKWILA: A CITY AT THE CROSSROADS Tukwila was a tiny slip of surrounding landowners back the Port of Seattle's Duwamish Valley. The city, now home to about 19,500 people, is often mistaken for Southcenter, the shopping mall that occupies its southern end. The city is home to the Museum of Flight, the Sounders, Fort Dent Park and the Family Fun Center Amusement Park. Seattle A N Source: ESRI, TeleAtlas a place until the 1950s, when began an annexation drive to beat plans for industrializing the Boeing t. Field 0_9_2) •a S. 144T171 ST. SEATAC 518 Seattlr~-Ta oma lnternotidnal Airport Angle 9 Lake A N MILE fl 4 TUKWILA Westfield Southcenter mall S. 160TH ST. KENT THE SEATTLE TIMES One of the merchants, Lul, a mother of eight, says she's been running her 10-by-10-foot shop for about a year. She works seven days a week, selling clothing to a mostly Muslim clientele. When one of her children calls, she tucks her cellphone in her hijab, free- ing her hands to tidy the store. "We have a safe home in Tukwila. We have community here," she says, smil- ing. In the afternoons, she and some of the neighboring merchants gather on rugs to sip African coffee and talk. Warsame, a refugee from Somalia, says he'd like to keep the restaurant open until midnight. But that depends on plans to reduce crime. TUKWILA'S POLICE chief, Michael Villa, might be the most important man in the city right now. People attending meetings as part of the city's strategic -planning process repeatedly cited the city's high crime rate as one of the most pressing problems. Although fewer than 20,000 people call Tukwila home, as many as 170,000 visit the city daily to work or shop or make trouble: More than 82 Zaynaba Gobana of Minnea left, visits her childhood f Halimo Galgalo, owner of Fashion store in the Juba ping Mall in Tukwila. percent of people arrested ii last year were from outside Villa, 45, grew up in Tukw; been a police officer here sin( He became chief almost two and last year persuaded the C to add $1.3 million to his bud more officers and target prob The big focus, he says, is t wila International Boulevarc between South 135th and S streets. The Abu-bakr Islami mosque, which stands in the of that stretch, has helped cl the area. The six acres schec mixed -use redevelopment, 1 includes senior housing, is ji the north. Seven other come properties north of South 1z also may be redeveloped. TI Council recently voted unan to condemn and possibly ao hotels, a smoke shop and a that police say are associate high numbers of crimes. The unique population "c unique policing challenges f Villa says. The police have worked to THE SEATTLE TIMES Asman holds his son, Luqman Mohamed, after Friday prayers at Abu-Bakr Islamic Center in Tukwila. Abu-Bakr, which houses a mosque, school, and youth programs, and counseling services, hopes to expand to meet the needs of its growing community. Ten days after we arrived, a guy was killed in F the coffee shop for 20 bucks." 4arkovic'-Paponjak and her husband both got ie kids thrived at school, and the other Bosnians omplex formed a tight bond, watching after her's children and holding pool parties. r, I don't have a speck of fear in me," says ic'-Paponjak, who these days owns a home d helps other refugees at the IRC. "Tukwila is nicer, willing to help," she says. year, about 500 refugees are placed in Tuk- :ice on their feet, many move on, and their isappear from the Trading Post's shelves. ame commit for the long haul. Bosnians still call the city home; Somali s who joined the wave of East Africans arriving ite 1990s also have staked a claim. They've small shops and restaurants, and built a on the site of a former casino that city officials once a magnet for crime. r Warsame is in his second year as co-owner of 1 East African restaurant attached to a series of tops that line a narrow hallway in a shopping Iff Tukwila Intemational Boulevard. ladies run the place," Warsame says of the immigrants who own most of the small shops iba Shopping Mall. • 1 . , Leydi Diaz, 9, gives 2-year-old Alejandra Cuellar a kiss while shopping at Tukwila Trading Company. The store, located just north of the Link light -rail station, offers products from around the world to meet the needs of its diverse clientele. Barsha, 11, left, and Bandana San- .graula, 9, play around their apart- ment complex in Tukwila. The girls, whose family is from Nepal, .say their school friends speak a variety of languages including - Spanish, Nepali and Somali. welcomin 1HEIVORL by Susan Kelleher photos by Erika Schultz IN TUKWILA, DIVERSITY MEANS OPPORTUNITY In the shadow of Seattle, a man crosses Tukwila International Boulevard to attend Friday prayers at the Abu-Bakr Islamic Center. Many residents believe the center has had a positive influence in the commu- nity. "They are good neighbors," says Mike Murphy, Tukwila Police public information officer. CITY COUNCILMAN Joe Duffle has driven his creaky brown pickup to Tukwila Elementary School so often that it could probably drive there by itself. The truck, with its "God Bless America" bumper sticker, is a working man's vehicle. Call Duffle on his cellphone during the day and he's likely to answer breathless, having taken a break from mowing lawns and tidy- ing flower beds to answer. His business card for The Duffles — a home -maintenance company he runs with his wife, Jacquelyn — captures his work ethic: "No job is too small!" At 69, Duffie has retired from more jobs than most people have worked: The Nation- al Guard, ship building, a paint company, construction supplies. He's been on the council 31 years and has lived in Tukwila since 1967, when his was one of only three black families in the city. Last year, he retired after 21 years as head custodian at Tukwila Elementary. "I didn't think they'd hire me," he recalls. "A black guy at an elementary school? Are you kidding me?" But here he is, doffing his baseball cap with the U.S. Army insignia and walking through the school doors like he owns the place. A line of third -graders spots him instantly. They wave excitedly as they file into the cafeteria, calling his name. Duffie beams and waves back. The lunch room fills and, suddenly, it feels like we've wandered into the United Nations. White, black and every shade in between is elbow -to -elbow, eating lunch. Somali. Kenyan. Eritrean. Bosnian. Turkish. Korean. Vietnamese. Mexican. Russian. Burmese. Nepali. You need a world map to keep track. The cultural mash -up is one of the more obvious signs of the global migration that has transformed this once sleepy Seattle suburb into an international city of the future. Largely ignored, sometimes mocked, and often mistaken as "Southcenter" after the shopping mall that occupies the city's south end, Tukwila has quietly taken its place beside New York and San Francisco as one of the most diverse cities in the country. Minorities are expected to outnumber whites in the United States by 2043. For peo- ple under 18, the pace of change is expected to move even more quickly: Minorities will be ► ■w THE SEATTLE TIMES • MAY 19, 2013 Members of the Bhutanese Nepali Christian Community sing during a Saturday worship service at their pastor's apartment in Tukwila. The Bhutanese (some of whom are Hindu and Buddhist) began to arrive in 2008 after living in refugee camps in Nepal. the majority by 2018. By those measures, Tukwila — 19,500 resi- dents strong — is way ahead of the curve. In Tukwila, 62 percent of the population is minority and more than 49 percent speak a language other than English at home, according to the 2010 census. The New York Times named its school district the single most diverse in the country, with 71 percent minority students. Tukwila's diversity is a source of pride here. It's also a source of challenges for the police, the growing school district and residents facing larger problems: nearly a quarter of the population lives in poverty, compared to 12 percent in Seattle, and Tukwila's crime rate is the highest in King County. The city is beefing up its police force, and hopes a new, six -acre development along a troublesome stretch of Tukwila International Boulevard will bring in more residents and businesses. The city has its work cut out, but the optimism is palpable, and not just at City Hall. People here think they've got something special going on, even if others are dismissive. And they do. But it's easily missed by most people, whose only experience with the city is driv- ing through it on the freeway at 60 miles an hour. ALONG, SKINNY city tucked alongside the roaring tangle of Interstates 5 and 405 south of Boeing Field, Tukwila is the sort of place most of us just blast by. Its neighborhoods, some dating back to the 1800s, are largely invisible from the freeway. Yet the area has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age. Tukwila takes its name from the Duwamish people who have lived here for at least 10,000 years. The city was less than a mile square when an eccentric newspaperman named Joel Shomaker led a successful drive to incorpo- rate it in 1908. Shomaker didn't stick around to see the city grow, though. A fortuneteller told him he would soon die, and he decamped to the wilderness, according to Kay Reinartz' book, "Tukwila, Community at the Crossroads." By that time, waves of immigrants, many of them staking land claims or pursuing gold, had settled in the area. The 1910 census showed that in River- ton, now part of Tukwila, immigrants from Italy, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Denmark accounted for 63 percent of the population. Tukwila remained a tiny slip of a place until the 1950s, when the Port of Seattle tried to turn the fertile Duwamish Valley into a vast parking lot for heavy industry, according to Reinartz' book. Valley landowners threw in with Tukwila, which began annexing land to the north and south and rezoning it for commercial and light industrial uses. The cobbled -together city eventu- ally triumphed over the Port in court. Construction of the two interstate highways in the 1960s, and what is now the Westfield Southcenter mall, ultimately destroyed the city's rural quality. Still, you can come upon scenes that catch your breath: stretches of the Duwamish River as it wends through the city or hilltop views of the Cascade Mountains. But what really fascinates about Tukwila is the way it has embraced waves of immigrants. For evidence, look no farther than Tukwila Trading Company, a grocery just north of the Link light - rail station on Tukwila International Boulevard. Almir Adjemovic, 29, is the grocery buyer. He knew little English when he arrived here with his parents and brother 13 years ago as a refugee from Bosnia. He graduated from Foster High School, where, by his count, his friends hailed from 15 or 20 countries. Today, Adjemovic is an unofficial 111111.1101111111111111111111111110011.11.111110111111111111111111111 Nepalese products are sold at the Tukwila Trading Company. Verica Kasumovic kisses daughter Jasmina Kasumovic's belly during her baby shower at the San Apartments in Tukwila. Many Bosnian refugees were resettled in the complex. ambassador for new arrivals, the go -to guy for immigrants looking for a piece of home. "Usually, when a new group comes in, they start learning English — especially the kids — and they'll come and start asking for things," Adjemovic explains. He points to a section of shelving on aisle 11B stocked with products from Nepal. The goods include akabare peppers in vinegar, spices with paintings of Hindu deities, and rock -hard cheese cubes made from yak's milk. Adjemovic says his Nepali customers don't eat beef — "sacred cow" — but they do eat goat, as long as it's been castrated first. "You learn these things over time," he says matter-of-factly, and then chuckles as he recalls some of the more interesting customer encounters. Working at the Trading Post requires a desire to communicate and an unwavering belief in people's good intentions. How else could Adje- movic determine that the Nepali man In a finger in Adjemovic's face while repec uttering the word "bitch," was asking fi The city's current ethnic makeup is d large part, to the efforts of refugee-rese agencies, especially the International R Committee, a nonprofit agency that he] fleeing persecution and war. The IRC's Seattle office used to place of its clients in Seattle. But about 10 ye Seattle became too expensive and too c ous, says the agency's executive directo Seattle, Bob Johnson. A case worker, IN in Tukwila and knew an apat anent ma. there, suggested they look south. Borka Markovic'-Paponjak was living gee camp when the IRC relocated her a family from Bosnia to Tukwila in April "Tukwila was a scary place then," s "There was prostitution, drug dealing 10 PACIFIC•A'i THE SEATTLE TIMES of the Bhutanese Nepali Christian Community sing during a Saturday worship service at their pastor's apartment in Tukwila. The Bhutanese Nhom are Hindu and Buddhist) began to arrive in 2008 after living in refugee camps in Nepal. ity by 2018. measures, Tukwila — 19,500 resi- rig — is way ahead of the curve. rila, 62 percent of the population is and more than 49 percent speak a Dther than English at home, according 0 census. N York Times named its school district most diverse in the country, with 71 inority students. 's diversity is a source of pride here. ource of challenges for the police, the :pool district and residents facing larger nearly a quarter of the population lives compared to 12 percent in Seattle, and :rime rate is the highest in King County. is beefing up its police force, and hopes acre development along a troublesome Cukwila International Boulevard will ore residents and businesses. The city has its work cut out, but the optimism is palpable, and not just at City Hall. People here think they've got something special going on, even if others are dismissive. And they do. But it's easily missed by most people, whose only experience with the city is driv- ing through it on the freeway at 60 miles an hour. ALONG, SKINNY city tucked alongside the roaring tangle of Interstates 5 and 405 south of Boeing Field, Tukwila is the sort of place most of us just blast by. Its neighborhoods, some dating back to the 1800s, are largely invisible from the freeway. Yet the area has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age. Tukwila takes its name from the Duwamish people who have lived here for at least 10,000 years. The city was less than a mile square when an eccentric newspaperman named Joel Shomaker led a successful drive to incorpo- rate it in 1908. Shomaker didn't stick around to see the city grow, though. A fortuneteller told him he would soon die, and he decamped to the wilderness, according to Kay Reinartz' book, "Tukwila, Community at the Crossroads." By that time, waves of immigrants, many of them staking land claims or pursuing gold, had settled in the area. The 1910 census showed that in River- ton, now part of Tukwila, immigrants from Italy, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Denmark accounted for 63 percent of the population. Tukwila remained a tiny slip of a place until the 1950s, when the Port of Seattle tried to turn the fertile Duwamish Valley into a vast parking lot for heavy industry, according to Reinartz' book. Valley landowners threw in with Tukwila, which began annexing land to the north and south and rezoning it for commercial and light industrial uses. The cobbled -together city eventu- ally triumphed over the Port in court. Construction of the two interstate highways in the 1960s, and what is now the Westfield Southcenter mall, ultimately destroyed the city's rural quality. Still, you can come upon scenes that catch your breath: stretches of the Duwamish River as it wends through the city or hilltop views of the Cascade Mountains. But what really fascinates about Tukwila is the way it has embraced waves of immigrants. For evidence, look no farther than Tukwila Trading Company, a grocery just north of the Link light - rail station on Tukwila International Boulevard. Almir Adjemovic, 29, is the grocery buyer. He knew little English when he arrived here with his parents and brother 13 years ago as a refugee from Bosnia. He graduated from Foster High School, where, by his count, his friends hailed from 15 or 20 countries. Today, Adjemovic is an unofficial Nepalese products are sold at the Tukwila Trading Company. Verica Kasumovic kisses daughter Jasmina Kasumovic's belly during her baby shower at the Samara Apartments in Tukwila. Many Bosnian refugees were resettled in the complex. ambassador for new arrivals, the go -to guy for immigrants looking for a piece of home. "Usually, when a new group comes in, they start learning English — especially the kids — and they'll come and start asking for things," Adjemovic explains. He points to a section of shelving on aisle 11B stocked with products from Nepal. The goods include akabare peppers in vinegar, spices with paintings of Hindu deities, and rock -hard cheese cubes made from yak's milk. Adjemovic says his Nepali customers don't eat beef — "sacred cow" — but they do eat goat, as long as it's been castrated first. "You learn these things over time," he says matter-of-factly, and then chuckles as he recalls some of the more interesting customer encounters. Working at the Trading Post requires a desire to communicate and an unwavering belief in people's good intentions. How else could Adje- movic determine that the Nepali man who stuck a finger in Adjemovic's face while repeatedly uttering the word "bitch," was asking for bleach? The city's current ethnic makeup is due, in large part, to the efforts of refugee -resettlement agencies, especially the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit agency that helps people fleeing persecution and war. The IRC's Seattle office used to place most of its clients in Seattle. But about 10 years ago, Seattle became too expensive and too danger- ous, says the agency's executive director in Seattle, Bob Johnson. A case worker, who lived in Tukwila and knew an apar tiuent manager there, suggested they look south. Borka Markovic'-Paponjak was living in a refu- gee camp when the IRC relocated her and her family from Bosnia to Tukwila in April 2007. "Tukwila was a scary place then," she says. "There was prostitution, drug dealing, gang ► THE SEATTLE TIMES • MAY 19, 2013 11 Mahad Asman holds his son, Luqman Mohamed, after Friday prayers at Abu-Bakr Islamic Center in Tukwila. Abu-Bakr, which houses a mosque, school, senior and youth programs, and counseling services, hopes to expand to meet the needs of its growing community. fights. Ten days after we arrived, a guy was killed in front of the coffee shop for 20 bucks." But Markovic'-Paponjak and her husband both got jobs. The kids thrived at school, and the other Bosnians in the complex formed a tight bond, watching after each other's children and holding pool parties. "Now, I don't have a speck of fear in me," says Markovic'-Paponjak, who these days owns a home here and helps other refugees at the IRC. "Tukwila is warmer, nicer, willing to help," she says. Each year, about 500 refugees are placed in Tuk- wila. Once on their feet, many move on, and their foods disappear from the Trading Post's shelves. But some commit for the long haul. Many Bosnians still call the city home; Somali refugees who joined the wave of East Africans arriving in the late 1990s also have staked a claim. They've opened small shops and restaurants, and built a mosque on the site of a former casino that city officials say was once a magnet for crime. Abshir Warsame is in his second year as co-owner of Juba, an East African restaurant attached to a series of small shops that line a narrow hallway in a shopping center off Tukwila International Boulevard. "The ladies run the place," Warsame says of the African immigrants who own most of the small shops in the Juba Shopping Mall. ,'.- _' • Leydi Diaz, 9, gives 2-year-old Alejandra Cuellar a kiss while shopping at Tukwila Trading Company. The store, located just north of the Link light -rail station, offers products from around the world to meet the needs of its diverse clientele. Barsha, 11, left, and Bandana San- graula, 9, play around their apart- ment complex in Tukwila. The girls, whose family is from Nepal, .say their school friends speak a variety of languages including - Spanish, Nepali and Somali. welcomin THEIVORL by Susan Kelleher photos by Erika Schultz IN TUKWILA, DIVERSITY MEANS OPPORTUNI CENTER tLLAA\N E ONLY In the shadow of Seattle, a man crosses Tukwila International Boulevard to attend Friday prayers e Abu-Bakr Islamic Center. Many residents believe the center has had a positive influence in the com nity. "They are good neighbors," says Mike Murphy, Tukwila Police public information officer. CITY COUNCILMAN Joe Duffie has driven his creaky brown pickup to Tukwila Elementary School so often that it could probably drive there by itself. The truck, with its "God Bless America" bumper sticker, is a working man's vehicle. Call Duffie on his cellphone during the day and he's likely to answer breathless, having taken a break from mowing lawns and tidy- ing flower beds to answer. His business card for The Duffles — a home -maintenance company he runs with his wife, Jacquelyn — captures his work ethic: "No job is too small!" At 69, Duffie has retired from more jobs than most people have worked: The Nation- al Guard, ship building, a paint company, construction supplies. He's been on the council 31 years and has lived in Tukwila since 1967, when his was one of only three black families in the city. Last year, he retired after 21 years as head custodian at Tukwila Elementary. "I didn't think they'd hire me," he recalls. "A black guy at an elementary school? Are you kidding me?" But here he is, doffing his baseball cap with the U.S. Army insignia and walking through the school doors like he owns the place. A line of third -graders spots him instantly. They wave excitedly as they file into the cafeteria, calling his name. Duffie beams and waves back. The lunch room fills and, suddenly, it feels like we've wandered into the United Nations. White, black and every shade in between is elbow -to -elbow, eating lunch. Soma] Kenyan. Eritrean. Bosnian. Turkish. Ko Vietnamese. Mexican. Russian. Burme Nepali. You need a world map to keep The cultural mash -up is one of the m obvious signs of the global migration tl transformed this once sleepy Seattle su into an international city of the future. Largely ignored, sometimes mocked often mistaken as "Southcenter" after t shopping mall that occupies the city's s end, Tukwila has quietly taken its plat( beside New York and San Francisco as the most diverse cities in the country. Minorities are expected to outnumb( whites in the United States by 2043. Fc ple under 18, the pace of change is exp to move even more quickly: Minorities v 2 PACIFIC■VA THE SEATTLE TIMES • ti :ouncilman Joe Duffie gives stickers as part of his weekly _inning program for students t Tukwila Elementary. Duffie, former National Guardsman, ird employee and custodian, 3d the program in 1991. Kids 9 quarter -mile during recess, irking to improve fitness and awards such as pencils and notebooks. TUKWILA: A CITY AT THE CROSSROADS Tukwila was a tiny slip of a place until the 1950s, when surrounding landowners began an annexation drive to beat back the Port of Seattle's plans for industrializing the Duwamish Valley. The city, now home Boeing to about 19,500 Field people, is often mistaken for Southcenter, the shopping mall that occupies its southern end. The city is home to the Museum of Flight, the Sounders, Fort Dent Park and the Family Fun Center Amusement Park. Seattle C7 A N Source: ESRI, TeleAtlas CD •/ l� •1 ` l,;• FGP 99 ��• e92 S. 144TH ST. SEATAC TUKWILA (ID Re Seattle -Tacoma International Airport Angle 99 Lake Ilb' d A N MILE 9G yvestfield Southcenteri mall S. 180TH ST. KENT THE SEATTLE TIMES One of the merchants, Lul, a mother of eight, says she's been running her 10-by-10-foot shop for about a year. She works seven days a week, selling clothing to a mostly Muslim clientele. When one of her children calls, she tucks her cellphone in her hijab, free- ing her hands to tidy the store. "We have a safe home in Tukwila. We have community here," she says, smil- ing. In the afternoons, she and some of the neighboring merchants gather on rugs to sip African coffee and talk. Warsame, a refugee from Somalia, says he'd like to keep the restaurant open until midnight. But that depends on plans to reduce crime. TUKWILA'S POLICE chief, Michael Villa, might be the most important man in the city right now. People attending meetings as part of the city's strategic -planning process repeatedly cited the city's high crime rate as one of the most pressing problems. Although fewer than 20,000 people call Tukwila home, as many as 170,000 visit the city daily to work or shop or make trouble: More than 82 Zaynaba Gobana of Minneapolis, left, visits her childhood friend Halimo Galgalo, owner of the Top Fashion store in the Juba Shop- ping Mall in Tukwila. percent of people arrested in Tukwila last year were from outside the city. Villa, 45, grew up in Tukwila and has been a police officer here since 1990. He became chief almost two years ago, and last year persuaded the City Council to add $1.3 million to his budget to hire more officers and target problem areas. The big focus, he says, is the Tuk- wila International Boulevard corridor between South 135th and South 160th streets. The Abu-bakr Islamic Center mosque, which stands in the middle of that stretch, has helped clean up the area. The six acres scheduled for mixed -use redevelopment, which includes senior housing, is just to the north. Seven other commercial properties north of South 146th Street also may be redeveloped. The City Council recently voted unanimously to condemn and possibly acquire five hotels, a smoke shop and a pawnshop that police say are associated with high numbers of crimes. The unique population "creates unique policing challenges for us," Villa says. The police have worked to strengthen ► THE SEATTLE TIMES • MAY 19, 2013 13 Fresh Copper River Salmon Arrives in May. Enjoy it from the Best! Anthony's Executive Chef Pat Donahue Anthony's has won the Alaska Airlines Copper Chef Cook Off for three consecutive years. Make Anthony's your destination for the finest preparations of this seasonal delicacy at locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Visit anthonys.com for updates on the Copper River season opening and arrival at your favorite Anthony's. welcoming T H E I their relationship with ethnic communities, visiting schools and apartment complexes, meet- ing with community leaders, and running an annual toy and food drive. The department also is hiring more officers who speak the community's languages. "Most of the folks that live here, they're hardworking people," Villa says. "They want a safe community. We want a safe community." Km ATRINA DOHN, a math coach at Cascade View Elementary, is standing curbside, wav- • g to students as their buses rumble away. A wave of taxis paid for by the district follows to transport homeless students. More than 89 percent of Cascade's kids are so poor they qualify for free or reduced lunch. Cultural references must be con- sistently challenged: things like fire drills, underwear, curtains, even baseball, may have no parallel in the student's culture. Parental involvement is limited outside of teacher conferences. Those who are involved often require translators, no small feat when more than 34 languages are spoken in the school. But the school takes it one child at a time. Dohn said the school has made significant progress in math scores by adopting teaching plans for each student, and was recognized by the state this year for math improvement. It's a monumental effort supported by the students and the community. Local busi- 10111.1] nesses donate shoes and clothes and meals, while groups such as the Tukwila Children's Founda- tion fill in the gaps, such as buy- ing a new suit for a student to wear at a national competition. A few weeks earlier, several new Somali students arrived, including a fifth -grader who was just learning to count. "You'd think they'd make fun, but they're all fighting over how to help," Dohn says. "I think our kids become much more compas- sionate. They realize that kids come from tough situations." Especially the refugees, who have seen things most of us can't imagine: war, famine, torture. At the start of each year, the school holds a Care Night, load- ing up the cafeteria with clothing donated from the community. Each child fills up a bag. "You can't take anything for granted," says Mellody Matthes, the Tukwila district's interim superintendent. "It's a gift to be able to have these people in our community, and learn and grow from them." People like the petite Nepali elder who began bringing groceries to the school every day after learning that one of the Nepali students was homeless. Matthes acknowledges that not everyone's on board. "White flight happened," she says. "But the people who are here embrace (diversity). It's incredible the things that go on in support of the kids.11 Susan Kelleher is a Pacific NW magazine staff writer. Erika Schultz is a Seattle Times staff photographer. 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