34th District Democrats jump into the jail-sites issue

That’s longtime Highland Park resident Monica Cavagnaro, talking to the 34th District Democrats last night about how her neighborhood has evolved, and why HP is fighting the inclusion of two nearby sites (map) on the city’s list of four finalists for a potential new city misdemeanor-offender jail. The jail-sites fight was the big item on the 34th Dems’ monthly meeting agenda; more ahead on that, and other items:

Also speaking last night, new Highland Park Action Committee chair Dorsol Plants, who explains in this next clip that he and new vice chair Rory Denovan have gotten the city to agree to give them information on the criteria used to narrow the list of sites down to these four, so they will be going downtown soon to get that information:

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Plants says his understanding is that 1 in 5 of those misdemeanors will have been a violence-related crime; 34th Dems’ chair Ivan Weiss also pointed out that any of the inmates may have had a background of more serious criminal activity. HPAC’s next meeting on the jail-sites issue is scheduled for 7 pm June 23rd at Highland Park Improvement Club; the city’s two public meetings to focus on the sites in southeast West Seattle are June 26 in South Park and July 26 at South Seattle Community College (full list of meetings here).

Other news from the 34th Dems’ meeting: Governor Gregoire’s campaign coordinator for this legislative district will be the governor’s daughter Michelle Gregoire; Washington Public Campaigns‘ 2nd annual awards banquet (more info at washclean.org) will be 6 pm June 21 in Brockey Center at SSCC (just added that to our comprehensive, frequently updated West Seattle-wide Events list).

Another speaker last night was West Seattle’s school-board rep Steve Sundquist, who talked about the district’s new Strategic Plan (he will also brief the West Seattle Kiwanis Club about the plan at its meeting July 2nd, 7 am, Be’s Restaurant in The Junction, visitors welcome). The 34th Dems have a comprehensive website with frequently updated events, info, and more at 34dems.org.