NEWS GLEAMS | City Council Considers New Street Racing Legislation; Scarecrow Video Seeks $1.8M to Stay Open

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle.

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Seattle City Council Considers New Street Racing Legislation

On Tuesday, June 25, the Seattle City Council's Public Safety Committee considered new legislation from Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison to address illegal street racing. The legislation, if passed, would potentially establish a $500 civil infraction against the vehicle owners — or drivers of participating vehicles — used in drifting or "street takeover" events. During street takeover events, vehicle owners do donuts or burnouts within intersections. It would also make street racing a gross misdemeanor, which could be punished by up to a year in jail or penalized with a $5,000 fine.

"This legislation responds to the recent rise in large street racing takeover events that pose a safety hazard to the public — pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers," Davison said via press release. "The new civil infraction will give police a tool to hold vehicle owners accountable when their cars are used at these events."

A new State law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, designed to deter street racing through an expansion of the existing law. It forbade racing on highways and allowed for vehicles to be impounded or towed when the vehicle drivers were arrested or taken into custody. The vehicle impoundments would last up to 72 hours for first-time offenders or possibly longer for repeat offenders.

Legislation was also passed in 2023 by the then-Seattle City Council, which attempted to curb street racing by designating 10 zones throughout the city they considered high-risk for street racing. They also installed speed enforcement cameras in those areas, which included West Marginal Way, Sand Point Way, NE 65th St. near Magnuson Park, Seaview Avenue, 3rd Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Rainier Avenue South, and two locations on Alki Avenue.

Street racing has increased in Seattle within the past few years, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD). SPD associates street racing events with violence, including homicides and serious traffic collisions. A street racing event that occurred last year near the Capitol Hill Block Party led to the death of 20-year-old Essence Greene, whose family is suing the festival producers for failing to disperse crowds so showgoers could leave the event.

"This past weekend, the Seattle police said there were four different street racing events in the city," reported KING 5 News. "At least two of those events had more than 100 people. Seattle police said a pedestrian walking across a crosswalk was hit by an involved car near one of the events and was critically injured."

One of the Country's Largest Video Collections, Scarecrow Video, Seeks $1.8M to Stay Open

Scarecrow Video, founded in 1988 and one of the largest video collections in the United States, has launched an emergency "Save Our Scarecrow" campaign to raise $1.8 million by the end of the year. The funds would help it remain in its current University District space "for as long as possible" and address operational issues, such as providing its staff a living wage and hiring permanent leadership that would help stabilize the organization.

Many factors have contributed to Scarecrow Video's current budgetary shortfalls, including declining donations — especially larger ones — and increasing expenses. In an interview with The Seattle Times, Scarecrow Video Executive Director Kate Barr estimated that "Scarecrow lost about $115,000 on a budget of roughly $923,000 in 2022, and lost about $267,000 on a budget of about $1.07 million in 2023."

Scarecrow Video turned into a nonprofit organization in 2014, and its collection boasts more than 148,000 titles. The organization currently pays below-market rate on its 8,600-square-foot space and has received support from its landlord, Roll & Move LLC, which is working with Scarecrow to negotiate a short-term lease through the end of the year. If Scarecrow Video cannot raise the necessary funds by the end of the year, it risks closure.

Scarecrow Video can be visited in its space at 5030 Roosevelt Way NE, or donations can be made through its website.

Teen Health Hub Offers Reliable Public Health Information for Teens

Through a collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), the Teen Health Hub WA has created an online resource that offers "credible, compassionate health information for teens and young adults." The site was created by a group of youth, teens, and YAC members from across the state.

Resources currently on the website can be sorted by topics such as Dating, Relationships, and Safety; Healthcare Rights and Access; Mental and Behavioral Health; Sexual and Reproductive Health; and Whole Body Health. Each resource listed on the site has already been vetted or verified by DOH and diverse constituency members, presented in a way that is intended to be welcoming, accurate, and easy to navigate.

"Our goal was to help the adults in the room understand the importance of health information communicated in fun, easy, and understandable ways," says Nede Ovbiebo, one of the YAC youth who helped design the site.

The YAC is a group of 40 young people from throughout Washington State who help the DOH use public health to help make communities better.

Visit the Washington State Department of Health resource on the DOH website. Email AdolescentHealthUnit@DOH.WA.gov for more information or to schedule a demonstration of the site.

📸 Featured Image: Seattle Police Assistant Chief telling the City Council's Public Safety Committee about the need for more tools to deal with street racing. (Screenshot from Seattle Channel video)

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