Newcastle Community Conversation - RAW DATA 4/28/15

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Question
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Comments
dedicated city staf
involved community members
great family place
people like each other
interested in who you are
parents take pride in community
parks - stated by 3 attendees
clean
being able to walk
feel safe
family-oriented
involved community members
value healthy lifestyle
very friendly
sense of community
feeling of safety -- clean, beautiful neighborhoods
city and YMCA bring teens together
good schools -- continuity with all grades and teachers etc

2
2
2

1
1
1

good trails and meeting people

Newcastle is "family" -- feeling welcomed
sense of family and community - we have a head start on
this issue

being a small city you know people and business owners

2
2
2
2

1
1
1
1

Lots of great parks and maintaining the trails

Lots of volunteers and community support
Businesses are in one area
Serves two diferent school districts (want to unite the two
together into one community)

safe community

Key to Questions
1. What aspects of th
you most value?
2. What activities ha
(no second-hand stor
worrisome? Where d
When? How often?
How old were they?
3. Do you have any c
root causes or priorit
issues?
4. What are you (per
doing to address the
Newcastle?
5. Do you have sugg
worrisome activities?
community more eng
resolving our challen

3
3
3

1
1
1

small-town feel
great public schools
visibility; everyone knows what's going on since it's a
small town

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
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3
3
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3
3
3

1
1
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Beautiful environment
strong economy
lots of opportunities through large employers
location -- centrally located, location is everything
growing population
diverse population; diferent ethnicities
socio-economic diversity
small businesses that serve residents; longevity
family-oriented
golf club
interesting history
low crime
perceived well
Community events -- Newcastle Days, 4th of July,
Community Activity Commission

Right after marijuana legalized I talked with a group of

teens at Lakeborn Park; they're attitude was "it's legal, our
parents do it; it's no big deal"

I was in contact with a foster child and had concerns about

marijuana being used in the home.

My worry in this area, we're very residential and I think a

lot of use goes on in private homes

Newcastle Days, you get a lot of outsiders and you notice

it a lot more.

The City Council has decided NOT to do things based on

what we've observed

I haven't really seen these things

I'm more concerned about youth disregarding property,

such as climbing on the school roof, destruction around
public places

Kids seems to have less pride and recognition of their

place in the community.

Since marijuana has been legalized I've seen a change in

attitude -- "It can't be all that bad if it's legal." But I don't
know if it's validated use

55% of people In Newcastle voted in favor of legalizing

marijuana but no one wants an outlet in this community.
Behind closed doors people have a diferent attitude than
their public attitude

1
1

2
2

"You can't solve a secret."

What's going on behind closed doors is worrisome.

At the bank -- corner of Newcastle Way and 129th -people sleeping in front of the bank; panhandling

Heroin (started with Oxycotin abuse) can be seen south

from the police office; we've had house burglaries we
suspect are drug related

2
2

2
2

Homelessness and drug abuse can go together

At China Creek, people coming and going, finding used
condoms on the ground

There are two drug houses on the outskirts of Newcastle -May Valley/Renton

2
2
3
3
3
3

2
2
2
2
2
2

We find empty beer cans on the trails

Library -- good report
Early years, more observations; less so now
Speeding
Convenience of freeway for property crime
south-end of city; observed an SUV drive up aggressively
and chase a car

3
3
3
3

2
2
2
2

No economic barriers
Number of concerned parents
Data says kids are using but can't pinpoint it
See more prescription drug abuse vs. meth/cocaine
because of insured residents

3
1
1
1

2
3
3
3

Seeing heroin use among youth

Self-medication
Increase in anxiety and depression
Availability, especially of prescription drugs and marijuana

I grew up in New York City where you could drink at 18

and it was no big deal. I went to college in Pennsylvania
where the drinking age as 21 and they were always
getting drunk. You need to control the exposure.

How much was early exposure and how much was early
communications? We need to talk to our kids. We have a
culture here of not talking about taboo subjects.

1
1

3
3

Lack of communications and guidance from adults

Hearing from the kids [in my program] there's no
conversation about it at all [in the home]. They ask me
why adults need alcohol for "fun."

Parents will supply alcohol and the kids' response is "why

do I need that?"

1
1

3
3

What do dinners [at home] look like these days?

There's been a culture shift. How many of these kids
address adults as "Mr." or "Mrs."? Parents want to be
friends with their kids, so they ofer them alcohol.

It's diferent today. There is a shift in how our kids behave

and think. The biggest shift occurs between 8th grade
and high school.

Parents are doing it. You can smell alcohol on parents at

school functions. They are giving their own kids drinks.
How do I have an honest conversation with people who
I've known through elementary school and are now
supplying kids with drinks?

There's also a conversation between kids. My son is

seeing more and more of it as he gets older (now a 9th
grader). He knows people who smoke marijuana to calm
down.

Kids with ADHD are taking prescription drugs in

elementary school. I wonder if they switch to marijuana in
middle school to avoid the stigma of being on those
drugs?

We're in a transitional stage as a society. There's so much

access to information. We can either guide the discussion
with kids or accept the consequences.

Where are we heading? We have moved away from

alcohol and marijuana as being taboo. We're also not very
mature about it. We expose without guiding.

In Europe kids see alcohol being used appropriately.

Parents help kids avoid stupid mistakes.

It tends to be the case in more affluent areas; use occurs

behind doors in houses. Adults use prescription drugs
more frequently. You don't see it outside in parks and
streets; it's happening inside.

It's the values and culture of this area -- being buddies

with your kids and supplying them with alcohol and
pot . . .

We need to remember that this is not a monolithic culture.

We have so many diferent cultures. In some cultures it's
okay to binge drink. In others, they are completely
alcohol-free. Our kids are exposed to this entire range of
attitudes and we need to help them understand it.

Underage drinking at houses without adult or parent

supervision

We need to work together as parents to communicate and

do the right thing

2
2

3
3

Reduce labeling of good or bad kids

Questions on HIPPA laws -- if someone has prescription
drugs can we ask for their ID? Or is that information
protected?

3
3
3
3
3

3
3
3
3
3

Parents working, more freedom for kids

Tie between drug use and social media
Accessibility -- open liquor cabinets; older siblings
Parent supervised parties
Mental health issues including self-medication, bullying,
cyberbullying

3
3
3
1

3
3
3
4

Risk
Boredom
Lack of transportation to activities
Bellevue College Counseling -- seeing an increase in drug,
alcohol, marijuana use. We're thinking about how to better
serve those students.

Relatively complex issue. Substance abuse can be both a

cause and a result.

We are asking ourselves what is the environment these

kids grow up with?

We have BC students and Running Start students so we

have a mix of teens and young adults

There are many family issues

We do not see a lot of public use on campus -- our public

safety officers would escort them of campus

At Newcastle Elementary we don't directly address drug

and alcohol issues. We do address social-emotional
concerns. In the past five years we've seen a big increase
in mental health issues around stress, anxiety, depression

Our school is encouraging kids to look at real life issues as

critical thinkers. Our 5th graders are thinking deeply
about their community, country, world. That practice will
be helpful in the future.

As a mom, I'm looking at the pressure on my kids to fit in,

to be popular. It's much more intense for girls than boys,
but boys feel it too

How can parents get in and work with kids? Can we form
an after-school group that supports parents and kids?

1
1

4
4

Social media is a big thing.

Students start carrying cellphones in third through fifth
grade. It's just the way it is now

I'm concerned about the lack of confidence on the part of

young girls

I think there's a cause and efect between social media

and social thinking -- kids are very aware of how they're
being perceived

1
1

4
4

Stress looks like ADD but it's really anxiety

Parents are more into [oral] communications and kids are
more into visual communications. Need to tailor our
messages to two diferent groups

For outdoor events, how do we use today's technology?

Kids will put down their screens for relationships. We have

to create those times. The VOICE program is one of our
best programs, because of the one-on-one time between
adults and kids.

Our kids are over-scheduled. We have first graders with

two and three activities per night. Kids need time to just
hang out.

Pressure to be at the top of the heap. That's very much

Newcastle.

Our kids are from high-achieving families and they are

expected to be high-achieving.

Newcastle is similar to other affluent communities with

regard to high expectations

In the past decade at Bellevue College we've seen kids

coming in much more stressed out.

There are now twice as many people in the US as when I

was a kid. Were a changing, dynamic country and that
has its own stresses.

1
1

4
4

Kids are not being kids long enough

We need to start trusting our kids. When I grew up my
mom let us out the door and trusted us to do the right
thing. Kids have no opportunity to earn trust today, and
that's a big component of growing up strong.

Block watch - it's open to all and has a focus on safety

Our community members call in when they see suspicious

behavior; we have a lot fewer burglaries compared to
surrounding cities because of it

I want to compliment the Issaquah School District for

providing mental health counselors, and also for being on
Twitter with breaking news

We are getting our children involved with the community

Currently, volunteering is only required of honor students;

I'd like to see us get all students involved with
volunteering

We have lots of ways for youth to get involved -- Y, library,

youth advisory

We formed NYCE -- Newcastle Youth Community

Engagement. It is student-formed, provides youth with a
voice, and can put on occasional events

3
3
1
1

4
4
5
5

Library activities
Engagement of citizens
Courageous conversations
Two-way conversations - we need to listen to young
people and what they're feeling and seeing

We need to provide healthy options, recreation and

transportation so students can actually access the
activities

2
2
2
2
2

5
5
5
5
5

Becoming more aware of vacant houses

Education around marijuana laws and edibles
Limiting access to alcohol by store doorways
Parents talking to parents
Parents learning what's happening at their schools Healthy Youth Survey results

Consequences for students for their behaviors -- but help

them learn from it

Education for parents around stress and what's causing

these behaviors

2
3
3

5
5
5

Parents setting a good example themselves

Provide inner community transportation options
Talk about not wanting a marijuana shop in Newcastle

Key to Questions
1. What aspects of the Newcastle community do
you most value?
2. What activities have you personally observed
(no second-hand stories please!) that are
worrisome? Where does this activity happen?
When? How often? Who were the participants?
How old were they?
3. Do you have any comments or thoughts about
root causes or priorities when addressing these
issues?
4. What are you (personally) or your organization
doing to address the challenges facing youth In
Newcastle?
5. Do you have suggestions for preventing
worrisome activities? How can we get the
community more engaged in facing and
resolving our challenges?

Newcastle Community Conversation - Question 1 Responses - 4/28/2015

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munity Conversation - Question 1 Responses - 4/28/2015

Comments
Beautiful environment
being a small city you know people and business owners
being able to walk
Businesses are in one area
city and YMCA bring teens together
clean
Community events -- Newcastle Days, 4th of July, Community
Activity Commission
dedicated city staf
diverse population; diferent ethnicities
family-oriented
family-oriented
feel safe
feeling of safety -- clean, beautiful neighborhoods
golf club
good schools -- continuity with all grades and teachers etc
good trails and meeting people
great family place
great public schools
growing population
interested in who you are
interesting history
involved community members
involved community members
location -- centrally located, location is everything
Lots of great parks and maintaining the trails
lots of opportunities through large employers
Lots of volunteers and community support
low crime
Newcastle is "family" -- feeling welcomed
parents take pride in community
parks -- stated by three attendees
people like each other
perceived well
safe community
sense of community
sense of family and community - we have a head start on this
issue
Serves two diferent school districts (want to unite the two
together into one community)
small businesses that serve residents; longevity
small-town feel
socio-economic diversity
strong economy

Key to Questions
Question 1
What aspects of the Ne
value?

value healthy lifestyle

very friendly
visibility; everyone knows what's going on since it's a small
town

Key to Questions
Question 1
What aspects of the Newcastle community do you most
value?

Newcastle Community Conversation - Question 2 - 4/28/2015

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rsation - Question 2 - 4/28/2015

Comments
"You can't solve a secret."
55% of people In Newcastle voted in favor of legalizing
marijuana but no one wants an outlet in this
community. Behind closed doors people have a
diferent attitude than their public attitude
At China Creek, people coming and going, finding used
condoms on the ground
At the bank -- corner of Newcastle Way and 129th -people sleeping in front of the bank; panhandling
Convenience of freeway for property crime
Data says kids are using but can't pinpoint it
Early years, more observations; less so now
Heroin (started with Oxycotin abuse) can be seen south
from the police office; we've had house burglaries we
suspect are drug related
Homelessness and drug abuse can go together
I haven't really seen these things
I was in contact with a foster child and had concerns
about marijuana being used in the home.
I'm more concerned about youth disregarding property,
such as climbing on the school roof, destruction around
public places
Kids seems to have less pride and recognition of their
place in the community.
Library -- good report
My worry in this area, we're very residential and I think
a lot of use goes on in private homes
Newcastle Days, you get a lot of outsiders and you
notice it a lot more.
No economic barriers
Number of concerned parents
Right after marijuana legalized I talked with a group of
teens at Lakeborn Park; they're attitude was "it's legal,
our parents do it; it's no big deal"
See more prescription drug abuse vs. meth/cocaine
because of insured residents
Seeing heroin use among youth
Since marijuana has been legalized I've seen a change
in attitude -- "It can't be all that bad if it's legal." But I
don't know if it's validated use
south-end of city; observed an SUV drive up
aggressively and chase a car

Key to Questions
Question Two
What activities have you pers
hand stories please!) that are
activity happen? When? How
participants? How old were th

Speeding
The City Council has decided NOT to do things based
on what we've observed
There are two drug houses on the outskirts of
Newcastle -- May Valley/Renton
We find empty beer cans on the trails
What's going on behind closed doors is worrisome.

uestions
Two
vities have you personally observed (no secondes please!) that are worrisome? Where does this
ppen? When? How often? Who were the
ts? How old were they?

Newcastle Community Conversation - Question 3 - 4/28/15

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ersation - Question 3 - 4/28/15

Comments
Accessibility -- open liquor cabinets; older siblings
Availability, especially of prescription drugs and
marijuana
Boredom
Hearing from the kids [in my program] there's no
conversation about it at all [in the home]. They ask me
why adults need alcohol for "fun."
How much was early exposure and how much was early
communications? We need to talk to our kids. We have
a culture here of not talking about taboo subjects.
I grew up in New York City where you could drink at 18
and it was no big deal. I went to college in Pennsylvania
where the drinking age as 21 and they were always
getting drunk. You need to control the exposure.
In Europe kids see alcohol being used appropriately.
Parents help kids avoid stupid mistakes.
Increase in anxiety and depression
It tends to be the case in more affluent areas; use
occurs behind doors in houses. Adults use prescription
drugs more frequently. You don't see it outside in parks
and streets; it's happening inside.
It's diferent today. There is a shift in how our kids
behave and think. The biggest shift occurs between
8th grade and high school.
It's the values and culture of this area -- being buddies
with your kids and supplying them with alcohol
Kids with ADHD are taking prescription drugs in
elementary school. I wonder if they switch to marijuana
in middle school to avoid the stigma of being on those
drugs?
Lack of communications and guidance from adults
Lack of transportation to activities
Mental health issues including self-medication, bullying,
cyberbullying
Parent supervised parties

Key to Questions
Question 3
Do you have any comments or t
priorities when addressing these

Parents are doing it. You can smell alcohol on parents

at school functions. They are giving their own kids
drinks. How do I have an honest conversation with
people who I've known through elementary school and
are now supplying kids with drinks?
Parents will supply alcohol and the kids' response is
"why do I need that?"
Parents working, more freedom for kids
Questions on HIPPA laws -- if someone has prescription
drugs can we ask for their ID? Or is that information
protected?
Reduce labeling of good or bad kids
Risk
Self-medication
There's also a conversation between kids. My son is
seeing more and more of it as he gets older (now a 9th
grader). He knows people who smoke marijuana to
calm down.
There's been a culture shift. How many of these kids
address adults as "Mr." or "Mrs."? Parents want to be
friends with their kids, so they ofer them alcohol or pot
Tie between drug use and social media
Underage drinking at houses without adult or parent
supervision
We need to remember that this is not a monolithic
culture. We have so many diferent cultures. In some
cultures it's okay to binge drink. In others, they are
completely alcohol-free. Our kids are exposed to this
entire range of attitudes and we need to help them
understand it.

We need to work together as parents to communicate

and do the right thing
We're in a transitional stage as a society. There's so
much access to information. We can either guide the
discussion with kids or accept the consequences.
What do dinners [at home] look like these days?
Where are we heading? We have moved away from
alcohol and marijuana as being taboo. We're also not
very mature about it. We expose without guiding.

stions

any comments or thoughts about root causes or

en addressing these issues?

Newcastle Community Conversation - Question 4 - 4/28/15

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rsation - Question 4 - 4/28/15

Comments
As a mom, I'm looking at the pressure on my kids to fit in, to be
popular. It's much more intense for girls than boys, but boys feel
it too
At Newcastle Elementary we don't directly address drug and
alcohol issues. We do address social-emotional concerns. In the
past five years we've seen a big increase in mental health issues
around stress, anxiety, depression
Bellevue College Counseling -- seeing an increase in drug, alcohol,
marijuana use. We're thinking about how to better serve those
students.
Block watch - it's open to all and has a focus on safety
Currently, volunteering is only required of honor students; I'd like
to see us get all students involved with volunteering
Engagement of citizens
For outdoor events, how do we use today's technology?
How can parents get in and work with kids? Can we form an afterschool group that supports parents and kids?
I think there's a cause and efect between social media and social
thinking -- kids are very aware of how they're being perceived
I want to compliment the Issaquah School District for providing
mental health counselors, and also for being on Twitter with
breaking news
I'm concerned about the lack of confidence on the part of young
girls
In the past decade at Bellevue College we've seen kids coming in
much more stressed out.
Kids are not being kids long enough
Kids will put down their screens for relationships. We have to
create those times. The VOICE program is one of our best
programs, because of the one-on-one time between adults and
kids.
Library activities
Newcastle is similar to other affluent communities with regard to
high expectations
Our community members call in when they see suspicious
behavior; we have a lot fewer burglaries compared to surrounding
cities because of it
Our kids are from high-achieving families and they are expected
to be high-achieving.
Our kids are over-scheduled. We have first graders with two and
three activities per night. Kids need time to just hang out.

Key to Questions
Question Four
What are you (pers
address the challen

Our school is encouraging kids to look at real life issues as critical

thinkers. Our 5th graders are thinking deeply about their
community, country, world. That practice will be helpful in the
future.
Parents are more into [oral] communications and kids are more
into visual communications. Need to tailor our messages to two
diferent groups
Pressure to be at the top of the heap. That's very much
Newcastle.
Relatively complex issue. Substance abuse can be both a cause
and a result.
Social media is a big thing.
Stress looks like ADD but it's really anxiety
Students start carrying cellphones in third through fifth grade. It's
just the way it is now
There are many family issues
There are now twice as many people in the US as when I was a
kid. Were a changing, dynamic country and that has its own
stresses.
We are asking ourselves what is the environment these kids grow
up with?
We are getting our children involved with the community
We do not see a lot of public use on campus -- our public safety
officers would escort them of campus
We formed NYCE -- Newcastle Youth Community Engagement. It is
student-formed, provides youth with a voice, and can put on
occasional events
We have BC students and Running Start students so we have a
mix of teens and young adults
We have lots of ways for youth to get involved -- Y, library, youth
advisory
We need to start trusting our kids. When I grew up my mom let us
out the door and trusted us to do the right thing. Kids have no
opportunity to earn trust today, and that's a big component of
growing up strong.

Key to Questions
Question Four
What are you (personally) or your organization doing to
address the challenges facing youth In Newcastle?

Newcastle Community Conversation - Question 5 - 4/28/15

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ersation - Question 5 - 4/28/15

Comments
Becoming more aware of vacant houses
Consequences for students for their behaviors -- but help them
learn from it
Courageous conversations
Education around marijuana laws and edibles
Education for parents around stress and what's causing these
behaviors
focus on issues
Go to parent education classes when they are young so you are
prepared for the teen years
How about homeowners' associations? It depends on the
neighborhood.
IDEA Club (Peer Place)
Kids know it's wrong but don't have anyone to go to
kids need connection to their parents
Limiting access to alcohol by store doorways
Night Out for Crime is a great event. Gets all the neighborhoods
involved. Chief visits all of the events. Real sense of community.
Parents learning what's happening at their schools - Healthy Youth
Survey results
Parents setting a good example themselves
Parents talking to parents
Provide inner community transportation options
Relationships between education and building
role modeling
Share hopes and dreams
Store Place - Drop Basket
Support systems at schools
Talk about not wanting a marijuana shop in Newcastle
Traffic -- can we figure out a way to get people home earlier?
Two-way conversations - we need to listen to young people and
what they're feeling and seeing
Use everything we have
Walk-about program
We can solve crimes not addressed by Seattle. Police could send
out neighborhood alerts and officers can visit neighborhoods more
often
We need to provide healthy options, recreation and transportation
so students can actually access the activities

Key to Questions
Question Five
Do you have suggest
How can we get the c
resolving our challen

ey to Questions
uestion Five
o you have suggestions for preventing worrisome activities?
ow can we get the community more engaged in facing and
solving our challenges?