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Home My WebLink About2025-06 Hazelnut Newsletter - Volume 45 No. 6JUNE 2025 VOLUME 45, NUMBER 6 Virtual Info & Help Session: Wetlands, Trees, Shoreline, Streams and Slopes Wednesday, June 25 7:00 to 8:30PM Call 206-839-6483 or email Heidi.Watters@TukwilaWA.gov for Teams meeting link Learn about critical area regula- tions, resources available, and stewardship techniques.Tukwila is home to many wetlands, streams, shorelines, springs and steep slopes - come find out more! o. ,.o.: o TukwilaWA.gov Celebrating the brilliance of the Afric JOIN US WEDNES ,tom Live entertainment at last year's Juneteenth celebration The Hazelnut A City of Tukwila publication for our residential and business communities • FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • Small bites by DayoSense Catering, sponsored by Public Health — Seattle and King County The City of Ta!Wila proudly hosts the 5th annual commemoration of Juneteenth Thursday, June 19 11:OOAM to 1:OOPM Sullivan Center at Tukwila Village 14350 Tukwila Internation. vd PROGRAM 11:OOAM WELCOME Mayor Thomas McLeod £t Mr. Joe Duffle 11:15AM BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM Jaleah Larkins 11:30AM CHOIR PERFORMANCE DaNell Daymon Et Greater Works 12:OOAM SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE Will Rideout 12:20PM KEYNOTE SPEAKER — Trish Kinlow Court Administrator, City of Tukwila 12:40PM LINE DANCING — Toni Bailey Boots on the Ground (bring your fan!) Music by Sean Lewis (c,Ttkvvilet Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Tukwila: The City of Opportunity, the Community of Choice Mayor's Message Recognizing and celebrating Tukwila's diversity The City of Tukwila has a tradition of observing several federally recognized heritage months during the year, including Black History Month (February), Women's History Month (March), Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), LGBTQ+ Pride Month (June), Hispanic Heritage Month (September -October), and Native American Heritage Month (November). There are additional observances embraced by communities that promote education and inclusion, such as Assault Awareness Month (April), Mental Health Awareness Month (May), and National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (September). While these observances have a specific focus, the underlying theme of human acceptance, diversity and inclusion runs deep through them all. They call for our collective awareness to the world around us and provide a monthly reminder to a daily commitment reflecting on broader societal values. Tukwila passed Resolution 1970 as an affirmation of our commitment to being diverse, tolerant, and inclusive. "The City of Tukwila is a beautifully diverse community...considers this diversity to be one of its greatest assets and prioritizes the value of inclusiveness...[and]...does not tolerate bias, harassment, or discrimination based on race, religion, ancestry, national origin, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or housing status." That brings me to Pride Month, observed every June as a vibrant and vital celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community. The commemoration isn't just "parades and rainbows." These events and symbols are integral in the ongoing fight for equality, and a powerful call for broader human acceptance. The roots of Pride Month trace back to the Stonewall Riots of June 1969 in New York City, the catalyst for the equal rights movement that followed. The first Pride marches were held a year later, commemorating the Stonewall Uprising and signaling the community's growing visibility. The rainbow flag made its debut as the symbol of pride and inclusivity at a 1978 parade in San Francisco. Since then, Pride Month has evolved into a global phenomenon. At its core, it champions the fundamental principle of human acceptance. It challenges societal norms that marginalize and discriminate against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. It advocates for a world where everyone can live without fear of prejudice. Human acceptance, in its truest form, means acknowledging the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, regardless of their differences. When we embrace the spirit of Pride, we create space to open dialogue, challenge misconceptions, and build bridges of understanding. We seek to understand the experiences of others and recognize that every individual deserves to live with dignity and respect. It is a powerful reminder that the fight for equality and human acceptance is an ongoing endeavor. By embracing the values of inclusivity, respect and understanding that lie at the heart of Pride, we can work towards a world where all individuals are not only tolerated but truly accepted and celebrated for who they are. Happy Pride Month, Mayor, City of Tu wila County provides crisis services CALL OR TEXT 988 If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or drug- and/or alcohol -use related crisis, help is available for EVERYONE in King County, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Did you know? Trained volunteers and mental health professionals from Crisis Connections can help people on the phone, connect people to services, or send mobile crisis teams to respond in -person. Mobile crisis teams are groups of trained crisis workers who go anywhere in King County to help adults, families and children in moments of crisis. Also, King County provides publicly -funded mental health services to low- income people in need. Regional Crisis Line: 206-461-3222 2 The Hazelnut - June 2025 Golf course presents its first Foster Two-day Scramble June 28-29 SNP - A two-day scramble consists of a two -person team combining their efforts to play the best shot on each hole. Team members continue to take turns, accumulating their best shots. It's a fun way to play the course and possibly shoot a really low score! Participants will receive two rounds of golf, a door prize, and a boxed lunch both days for their entry fees, plus a prize fund (Pro Shop credit) for the top finishing teams. Duwamish Hill Preserve Park improvements are coming and your input is needed! Please come to a COMMUNITY MEETING Tuesday, June 24 - 6:00PM at the Tukwila Community Center We will also use USGA handicap system to even out the field and - with enough participation - that will allow for us to have at least two divisions, possibly three. This handicap system allows a wide range of golfers with different skill levels to play as equals within their given handicap range, providing a chance to compete for prizes. Participants must have a active Ghin Handicap to participate (at least for prizes). Participants must register; drop by the Golf Shop or call 206-242-4221, or go online at LiveTourney.com/event/95223. The City of Tukwila is planning improvements to Duwamish Hill Preserve —an ii-acre park site adjacent to the Duwamish River —and wants to hear from you! The improvements will focus on the portion of the park closest to the river. We are analyzing the Park's opportunities and constraints, and looking for your suggestions to help with the planning and design. We look forward to your participation! 1 t • • • • ---- ♦ 14P Future Light Rail Station (Proposed) Duwamish Hill Preserve Duwamish ' Gardens \ Chinook Wind ' •• - 116th and Green River Trail Park (Proposed) 4. ♦ TS 116TH ST a ♦®`` Green River Trail'••Duwamish Park • 4. o ♦ •.r • • (Proposed) BNSF Loading Yard RPM North The Hazelnut - June 2025 3 FREE event for Tukwila residents Recycling drop-off event Paper shredding I Scrap metal I Styrofoam Saturday, June 14 - 10:OOAM to 2:00PM This event is made possible in part by support from the Washington State Department of Ecology and King County Solid Waste Division Free event! WORLD REFUGEE GlDobal 2025 June 28 12-5pm Foster High School Tukwila, WA Refugee artisans, vendors, 4 art Cultural dances 4 performances Culinary dishes by refugee chefs c Free multicultural books for all ages %Fresh produce from IRC's New Roots ...and so much more! R - R -.. R ,_� _�-R re noyomode Presented by IRC WA, KCLS, Wide World for Refugee, & City of Tukwila I fc ,77-".,"'.L."' 411TlakwilA ARCORA Foundation Sign up as Vendor, CuIturaI Table, Volunteer, Sponsor Deadline to ' egister: ' ay 1 t Jylwrd2025signup ueshons: u iddigi@rescue.org • • 184 vehicles came through • • • Over 10,000 pounds of scrap metal, • •Styrofoam, appliances, and electronics* • were dropped off to be recycled • •• •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Tukwila Community Center 12424 - 42nd Avenue South Scrap metal - scrap metal of any kind, ferrous and non-ferrous Styrofoam - Clean and dry foam only, with tape and labels removed. Paper - Limit 4 files boxes or bags per vehicle. Documents are securely shredded on site. Paper only. For more details about this event and the items accepted, please scan this code or visit Tu kwilaWA.gov/GarbageAnd Recycli ng • • • • Some numbers from our last recycling drop-off event: • •• • • • COUNCIL CONFIRMATIONS Congratulations to following community members who were confirmed to City Boards and Commissions. Tukwila thanks you for your volunteer service to our community! Arts Commission: Pinky Estell, Verna Seal, Cynthia Chesak Equity and Social Justice Commission: Trish Kinlow, Kathy Hougardy, Joe Duffie, Kristen Schwabe -Fry Human Services Advisory Board: Alejandra Silva-Avendano, Jan Bolerjack, Ardo Hersi Library Advisory Board: Robin Boland, Steve Miller, Geraldine Ventura, Verna Seal Park Commission: Roby Snow, Gina Bernhardt Nielsen, Greg Hammond 4 The Hazelnut - June 2025 COUNCIL CORNER Hello, Tukwila Community - it is now June and with that comes the end of the school year. I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge all the hard work of the students in the community this past year. As Council President, I had the opportunity to partner with the Mayor on the City of Opportunity Scholarship, which is money that the City provides to Tukwila high school seniors who are moving on to college or trade schools. One of the application requirements is a personal essay. Once again I was impressed with the experience and ambitions of those who applied. It was important to me to recognize these achievements and so the City Council agreed to contribute a small amount of additional funding this year. Congratulations to Alex Brewster, Jeremiah Burrows, Mikaela Calimlim, Khrystalline Camacho, Ellyssa Castillo, Aisha Hassan, Rochelle Jeffries, and Joshua Manaois. I know these students are going on to have continued great success throughout their lives. In other student -related news, the City's biennial budget included funding for the Tukwila Promise, a collaborative partnership that provides financial resources for students transitioning from Foster High School to Highline College. This exciting opportunity was implemented for those starting college in Fall 2025. This program exists with the support of the State Legislature via House Bill 1587, which was signed by Governor Ferguson on May 13. I thank Councilmembers Martinez, Papyan, Hedrick and Seal for attending the signing in Olympia and representing us well. RECENT COUNCIL ACTIONS ■ Updated shelter, transitional, emergency, and permanent supportive (STEP) Housing Development Regulations in compliance with state law (Ord. 2756) ■ Accepted Washington State Department of Ecology grant funding for South 131st Street/Southgate Creek Drainage Improvements Project As always, your City Council is busy by Tosh Sharp, 2025 Council President We are very busy on the City Council with all of the work that comes before us in our committees, work sessions, Committee of the Whole and Regular meet- ings, not to mention the various regional boards and committees on which we serve. Looking ahead to this summer, we will be discussing the Transportation Improvement Program, Tukwila Community Center Recreation Programming Plan, Debt & Investment Policies, B&O Tax and Business Licensing, Park & Fire Impact Fees, and more. I highly encourage you to subscribe to our meeting agendas, which you can do by visiting TukwilaWA.gov/city-clerk The City Council would like to hear from you as we discuss and deliberate these issues, big and small. We work on your behalf and your voice is important. You can give public comment at meetings, or write or call us at the contact information on the back page. Please reach out anytime. ■ Accepted Washington State Patrol grant funding for a Disposition Research Specialist in Police Department ■ Accepted 4Culture grant funding for arts sustained sup- port ■ Adopted 2025 Local Road Safety Plan and committed to Vision Zero transportation safety goals (Res. 2114) ■ Conducted a Work Session on the Tukwila South Development Agreement City Council meeting minutes and the complete text of all legislative items are available online in the Digital Records Center at TukwilaWA.gov. For additional information about the work of the City Council, please call 206-433-8993. The Hazelnut - June 2025 5 COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR As we reflect on the 2024-2025 school year, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for all that we have accomplished together in support of Tukwila's scholars. Our community continues to demonstrate what is possible when we come together with a shared vision for our children's futures. This year, we proudly partnered with Tukwila Police Department to launch School Resource Officers in our middle and high schools, enhancing the safety and support systems available to our scholars. In partnership with the Tukwila City Council, the Honorable Mayor, Representative Berquist and Highline College, we celebrated a major milestone with the approval of Tukwila Promise, a commitment to Foster High School scholars that opens more doors to college and career success. We also honor the generosity of our community — residents, businesses, and organizations —who have raised funds to support and recognize the incredible dedication of our staff. Your investment fuels our collective success and reflects our shared values. Among our proudest academic achievements, Thorndyke Elementary has been recognized by the State of Washington for being in the top 16% statewide for academic growth. Our other schools continue to show strong academic progress, affirming our commitment to excellence in education. Foster High School's graduation rate remains one of the highest in the state, a reflection of the hard work and determination of our scholars and staff. Our scholars continue to shine in and out of the classroom. Foster High School teams earned honors in cheer, basketball, football and wrestling. Across the This mass notification system allows the City of Tukwila to alert you of emergencies in our community. Sign-up is free and easy by going to TukwilaWA.gov/AlertKC or by calling King County Emergency Management at 206-296-3830. Questions about this program? Email Tukwila Emergency Management at EmergencyPrep@TukwilaWA.gov. district, our scholars have collectively secured millions in scholarships, paving the way for higher education and career opportunities. Through our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, scholars are earning dual credits, preparing them for both college and meaningful careers. This year, we also proudly introduced Unified Athletics through a Special Olympics grant —creating inclusive sports teams with scholars of all abilities, modeling the power of unity and respect. Tukwila School District is also recognized as a leader in fiscal re -stabilization across the state. This is thanks to the tireless efforts of our School Board, leadership team, and staff, who have ensured we remain financially healthy while staying focused on our mission: scholar learning and success. We have so much to celebrate and so much to be grateful for. I am deeply thankful to be part of such an amazing community —one that believes in its schools, supports levies, volunteers generously, and values partnerships with the City of Tukwila. Our scholars' successes are all of our successes. Thank you for being our partners in this important work. Dr. Concie Pedroza Superintendent, Tukwila School District Download the ShakeAlert MyShake App! The USGS ShakeAlertTM Earthquake Early Warning System is available on all mobile phones in Washington. It may provide seconds of warning to protect you and your family before earthquake shaking arrives. The MyShake App is available in the Apple App store or Google Play Store. Go to mil.wa.gov/alerts#shakealert. 6 The Hazelnut - June 2025 BOW LAKE RECYCLING & TRANSFER STATION Recycling at Bow Lake The Bow Lake Recycling and Transfer station, which opened in July 2012, provides recycling services and garbage disposal. Located on 20 acres in Tukwila, it is the busiest transfer station in the King County system, processing almost 40% of the total tonnage! King County employees transport the waste in trailers from Bow Lake to Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, about 17 miles away in Maple Valley. Recyclables are separated by type and distributed to local, national or international markets for processing into recycle -content products. Within the recycling area, you can recycle your normal curbside items (paper, cans, glass, plastic bottles) and more for free! Services offered in the recycling area include: • Appliances (if containing refrigerants, they will charge $30 per appliance) • Mercury -containing light bulbs and tubes • Sharps • Plastic bags • Scrap metal • Styrofoam • Textiles Customers must live or do business within King County's service area to use this facility.. Location: 18800 Orillia Rd S, Tukwila, WA 98188 Tukwila students display creativity in Recycling Art contest Winners of the 2025 City of Tukwila and Recology's Recycle Right Earth Day art contest were presented with their awards at the April 21 City Council meeting. Participants were asked to share on how to reduce waste, reuse items, and/or recycled correctly with a drawing, photo, photo of an art piece, or short video. There were so many great entries, the judges had a difficult time choosing the winners! Elementary 1st place: Dimitry K., 3rd grade 2nd place: Gabriela Hernandez S., 2nd grade 3rd place: Alivia Lilly T., 4th grade Honorable mention: Heleine T., 2nd grade Honorable mention: Zahra A., 2nd grade Middle school 1st place: Katerina K., 8th grade 2nd place: IndyA., 6th grade High school 1st place: Sofia K., llth grade Teacher winner with the most entries Ms. Serey's class with 22 entries! RE CYCLE PLASTIC! The Hazelnut - June 2025 7 THE HAZELNUT City of Tukwila 6200 Southcenter Blvd. Tukwila, WA 98188 PRESORT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 12698 The People's Project — Your Idea. Your Voice. Your Tukwila. $50,000 is on the table —and you help decide how it's spent. The People's Project is Tukwila's first -ever Participatory Budgeting (PB) initiative. We've set aside $50,000 to fund small, resident -driven projects - think benches, water fountains, public art, or safety improvements. We want your ideas —and your voice. Sign up for email updates to be notified when it's time to submit ideas, vote, and see what gets funded. Join the Steering Committee - help design a fair and inclusive process, and receive compensation with a gift card stipend for your service. Learn more, get involved, or apply ci for the steering committee at TukwilaWA.gov/ThePeoplesProject TUKWILA CITY HALL 6200 Southcenter Boulevard City Hall campus in -person hours: Monday —Thursday, 8:30AM-4:00PM Phone: 206-433-1800 Fax: 206-433-1833 Email: Tukwila@TukwilaWA.gov Website: TukwilaWA.gov MAYOR Thomas McLeod 206-433-1850 Mayor's Office Administration Offices 206-433-1850 Marty Wine, CityAdministrator206-433-1851 Brandon Miles, Dir,Stratlnit/GovRe1206-431-3684 City Clerk's Office 206-433-1800 Community Engagement206-454-7564 Econom ic Development 206-433-1832 Human Resources - Personnel206-433-1831 Human Services 206-433-7181 Emergency Management206-971-8750 Technology Services 206-454-7575 Community Development Dept. Nora Gierloff, Director 206-431-3670 Code Enforcement 206-431-3682 Finance Department Aaron BeMiller, Director 206-433-1835 Parks/Recreation Department Kris Kelly, Interim Director206-767-2342 Police Department Eric Dreyer, Chief 206-433-7175 Public Works Department Pete Mayer, IntDir/Dep CityAdm206-433-0179 Emergency- Fire, Police 911 MUNICIPAL COURT 15005Tukwila International Blvd206-433-1840 TUKWILA COMMUNITY CENTER 12424 - 42nd Avenue South Recreation Division 206-768-2822 Senior Center/Services 206-767-2321 Facility Rentals 206-767-2323 FOSTER GOLF LINKS 13500 Interurban Avenue South Pro Shop 206-242-4221 PUGET SOUND REGIONAL FIRE AUTHORITY All fire -related services 253-856-4300 PugetSoundFire.org 2025 TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL Tosh Sharp, Council President 206 507-6440 Tosh.Sharp@TukwilaWAgov Mohamed Abdi 206-798-4872 Mohamed.Abdi@TukwilaWA.gov Armen Papyan 206-888-3380 Armen.Papyan@TukwilaWA.gov Jovita McConnell 206-600-3533 Jovita.Mcconnell@TukwilaWA.gov Dennis Martinez 206-960-1607 Dennis.Martinez@TukwilaWA.gov Hannah Hedrick 206-580-8123 Hannah.Hedrick@TukwilaWA.gov Verna Seal. 206-724-4548 Vema.Seal@TukwilaWA.gov To email the entire Council at once: CityCouncil@TukwilaWA.gov Laurel Humphrey,Analyst206-433-8993 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS 7:00PM in Council Chambers Regular Meetings lst/3rd Mondays Committee of the Whole2nd/4th Mondays