Center Studio, in the heart of White Center, is an inclusive space where our community can connect – a one stop shop for holistic fitness for our bodies craving strength, sweat & stretch and our minds seeking balance, focus & peace. We offer all levels of Yoga classes as well as Prenatal, Kids & Family Yoga, private Thai Yoga Therapy, special workshops, and more! Our Pilates classes will ground your body and strengthen your inner core. Our Above the Barre classes combine ballet, yoga, pilates and strength to work your mind and body. To bring your wellness full circle, we have two intuitive and nurturing Massage Therapists who bring 14 years of experience to combine a variety of bodywork specialties including Massage Cupping – an ancient detoxifying healing modality – Swedish, Deep Tissue, Prenatal Massage, Aromatherapy and more.

Founded by West Seattle resident Lonjina Verdugo, a New Mexico transplant and Seattle resident of 15 years, Center Studio encompasses her vision of bringing together mindful movement, art and community. “After spending lots of quality time with my family in White Center I realized – *this* is the place. I launched Center Studio in Spring of 2012 and the response has been great. People always say to me ‘I’m so glad you opened the studio. We need this in White Center!’ It’s been an exciting journey so far and I can’t wait to see what happens next.” Through her own personal journey she has realized that mindful movement and its underlying lessons can change you from the inside-out as well as the outside-in.

Looking to rent a unique venue? When we are not using it for classes, Center Studio can be used for photography/video shoots, workshops, rehearsals, meetings, birthday parties you name it! The open, light-filled space is perfect for inspiration and celebration. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Center Studio is at 9611 16th Ave SW (in the heart of White Center). Please visit us at www.whitecenterstudio.com for more information on classes, massage, special workshops & events, and on Facebook for insights, updates and specials. (And here’s a WSB coupon!) Center Studio is a stop on the White Center Art Walk and welcomes artist inquiries.

We thank Center Studio for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

MORE ROOM AT PROLETARIAT PIZZA: In case you didn’t catch the story on our partner site White Center Now, published late last night – Proletariat Pizza in White Center is taking over space next door (formerly Dzul Tattoo) to make more room. Still a work in progress when we stopped by Wednesday afternoon; you’ll see even more progress if you stop by tonight, when PP is taking part in Dining Out For Life. Full story here.

CASSIS UPDATE: More than four months have elapsed since word that Jef Fike, the proprietor of Cassis, a French restaurant that gained fame during a run on Capitol Hill, planned to bring it back – on Alki. Fike called recently to say it’s still in the works. The still-not-officially-announced location will soon undergo renovation, he said, and he’s hoping to be open by July 4th.

TUESDAY NIGHT NOTE: Update from Miranda – she says Meander’s will host a cabaret benefit for queer youth that night, instead.

(Video from today’s council discussion)
Bottom line to today’s Seattle City Council briefing on possible annexations: While they’re planning to continue to pursue annexing two areas around South Park, now collectively known as “Sliver-Q,” council staffers suggest that even talking about the status of North Highline “Area Y” – including White Center – be put on hold till all that is settled, no sooner than late 2013. Just because Area Y said no to Burien doesn’t mean an automatic “yes” for Seattle, the councilmembers were reminded. Details are on our partner site White Center Now.

That’s one of two maps accompanying the last item on tomorrow morning’s Seattle City Council briefing agenda (9 am, City Hall downtown) – an update on possible annexations, as first reported on partner site White Center Now last week. Seattle leaders have a lot to talk about, since White Center and vicinity (“Area Y” on the map above) voters said no to Burien last November, and the Boundary Review Board rejected a bid for the Duwamish Triangle to be annexed by Tukwila. While it’s expected our city will pursue the Duwamish Triangle and the South Park “sliver by the river,” White Center and vicinity remains a wild card – the city has long had dibs on it but elected officials have repeatedly declared annexation unaffordable, and allowed Burien to pursue it first. There’s still an enticement dangling, but not for long – sales-tax credit to offset the cost of annexation, if it’s in the works by the start of 2015. Will the city pursue big, or small, or not at all? If you can’t be there tomorrow (note that it’s not a vote, just a briefing), you can watch live at 9 am via Seattle Channel (on-air or online).

Just got word that the Discount Smoke and Beverage armed robbery we covered two nights ago is indeed believed to be the work of the White Center serial robber first reported on partner site White Center Now – and that a suspect is now in custody in connection with the robbery spree, including both holdups at the 35th/Roxbury shop, and four in the unincorporated area. That’s the word from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West, who says the 49-year-old man was arrested last night in a trailer in the 11000 block of 18th SW. Here’s the list of robberies in which he’s suspected:

January 11th, the White Center Mini Mart in the 1500 blk of SW Roxbury,

January 13th, the Zip Market in the 10600 blk of 16 Ave SW,

January 30th, the 76 Gas Station in the 2800 blk of SW Roxbury,

February 1st, the Rainbow Mini Mart in the 11400 blk of 16 Ave SW,

the Discount Smoke Shop in Seattle Wednesday night and on January 21st

Sgt. West says search warrants were served this morning at the suspect’s house and “on a relative’s house in the 9700 blk of 32 Ave SW February 1st, and his vehicle.”

Reporting for WCN, we first learned, and reported, January 31st that a serial robber was at work in the area, after KCSO said a holdup the night before at the 76 station/mini-mart on the county side of 30th/Roxbury was at least the third one by what they believed to be the same suspect:

The surveillance photos at the top of this story were released by KCSO last week.

P.S. Sgt. West says the suspect was caught through work done by detectives from south-end Precinct 4 who were determined to crack the case and staked out some area convenience stores, looking for a specific vehicle believed to be linked to the robberies. Once they had a plate, they had a name, and their work on Wednesday night right after the 35th/Roxbury holdup made the connection and led to the arrest.

7:44 PM UPDATE: Looked up some background on the suspect, who we won’t identify until and unless he is charged. He admitted to holdups in August 2005 in the same area – at the same 76 station he allegedly robbed recently, and at the nearby 28th/Roxbury Shell. He was sentenced to 50- and 45-month prison terms, but the documents don’t indicate if they were concurrent. We’ll check Tuesday (Monday’s a holiday) on when he got out of prison.

West Seattle’s Sheila Lengle is one of the artists showing and selling work right now at the “pop-up art gallery” event under way at the Technology Access Foundation’s center in White Center’s Lakewood Park. Last year, Sheila’s work was seen all over West Seattle after she won the WS Garden Tour’s poster contest. Also there, Jave Yoshimoto:

He’s exhibited internationally and is currently a teaching artist at West Seattle-based ArtsCorps.

Second from right in the photo above, that’s Vera Johnson, owner of Village Green Perennial Nursery, who’s showing photographs tonight. The event organized by Menrva Labs continues till 8 at 605 SW 108th.

As first reported here and on partner site White Center Now (plus this update) in the past week, a serial robber has been at work in the White Center area – and further north, with last Wednesday’s holdup at the 30th/Roxbury 76 station. Today, the King County Sheriff’s Office has just released surveillance photos, with this information:

SUSPECT DESCRIPTION:

*Black, 35- 40 years of age, 5’11” – 6’0”, medium build
*Had darker black patch of skin under left eye
*Long, narrow face, Deep voice

The above-pictured suspect robbed four mini marts between January 11 and February 1, 2013.

His MO is to display a black semi-automatic handgun, possibly a Glock, and demand cash from the register. If you have information regarding the possible identity of the suspect, please contact the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311.

We are checking with KCSO to see if the photos are available in any higher resolution/size.

A brand-new shop just opened in downtown White Center – Rat City Records and Relics at 9632 16th SW – and it’s throwing a grand-opening party today/tonight. See our coverage on partner site White Center Now.

(Saturday night photo by WSB editor Tracy Record)
On Saturday night, we showed you the scene outside White Center Taco Time, where what Seattle Police described as a stolen car first spotted in West Seattle had crashed into a pole. No injuries; we saw police making one arrest.

Thanks to Megan’s research, we now know there were four people in the car; one fled, one was released at the scene, and two men were arrested and booked into jail. One, an Auburn resident, is being held in connection with a $5,000 warrant for failing to appear at a court hearing related to a South King County burglary case from 2010 and also, according to the jail register, for investigation of vehicle theft, with bail set at $100,000. The other is an Everett resident who had just gotten out of jail two and a half weeks ago in connection with another case involving a stolen car from Bellevue and a hit-run crash in Kent. This time, his bail is set at $125,000 for investigation of auto theft, and he’s also facing drug charges, after police say they found him in possession of meth on Saturday night. (The prior case has added $45,000 to that suspect’s bail, for a total of $170,000.) The report says the car that crashed Saturday night was stolen from unincorporated King County, but police had caught sight of it near 24th and Roxbury. We will check with the County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tomorrow to see if charges are filed against either or both of these suspects.