Today’s biggest Spring Clean event was in White Center, with hundreds of volunteers – many of whom gathered at the plaza in Greenbridge to celebrate afterward. We have more photos on our partner site White Center Now. Just a few miles north, in Highland Park, this was Spring Clean day too, with multiple locations – we photographed volunteer Craig at the SW Kenyon street end slope near 14th SW:

And north from there, on Puget Ridge, Tasha Mosher shares a photo, explaining, “Puget Ridge volunteers rocked the clean up today! Here is a picture from the clean up at the Myrtle Stairs. Ilah Mosher joined approximately 15 other volunteers to pick up garbage, clear storm drains, and prune back weeds and shrubs. Fun was had by all!”

Congratulations to everybody who joined forces today – and so many other days – to brighten up their neighborhoods.

The U.S. Supreme Court will uphold President Obama’s health-care plan, 6-3. That prediction today from U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott during a “Coffee with Your Congressman” Q/A session attended by more than 50 people at Dubsea Coffee in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood. Rep. McDermott wore a White Center Spring Clean T-shirt in honor of the big event that’s keeping hundreds of volunteers busy in WC right now, including some at Greenbridge Plaza right outside Dubsea. Other topics included the foreclosure crisis, the upcoming presidential election – the president “should be stronger,” Rep. McDermott said, while adding that he has in many aspects been “a very good president.” The congressmember is up for re-election this fall too. We’ll add more toplines plus video of the entire hourlong event later; he had a similar event at West Seattle’s C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) a year ago.

3:25 PM: Video added. Audio quality fluctuates since this event was in a busy working coffeehouse and Rep. McDermott roved a bit.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION HUBS’ DRILL: Two of West Seattle’s “hubs” are activated this morning for a drill in which volunteers are running through a scenario of dealing with the aftermath of a terrorism attack. We just took that photo as the Fauntleroy hub volunteers were gathering for their briefing. The drill, which includes amateur-radio operators as well as volunteers elsewhere in the city, is scheduled to continue till noon.

SPRING CLEAN! Puget Ridge, Highland Park, and White Center have Spring Clean events under way now through early afternoon. If you’re not volunteering – still time to get involved on Puget Ridge! – at least give ‘em a thumbs-up as you pass by.

FURRY FACES FOUNDATION PLANT SALE: Buy plants, help animals! 3809 46th SW, 10 am-4 pm (continues tomorrow too, if you don’t make it to the sale today).

TIBBETTS CHURCH BOOK SALE: 10 am-1 pm at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) – go get your summer reading lined up!

COFFEE WITH YOUR CONGRESSMAN: One year ago, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott came to C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) in West Seattle for an hour-long Q/A session with constituents. This morning he’s at Dubsea Coffee in White Center (8th about a block south of Roxbury), 10 am.

STUDENTS’ TOMATO-PLANT PROJECT: Remember that Arbor Heights classroom, growing tomato plants to give away and sell? Today’s their day at Roxbury Safeway, till about 1:30.

EUROPAKIDS OPEN HOUSE: EuropaKids International Preschool (WSB sponsor) is adding a new location this fall, but today’s open house, 10:30-noon, is at their current location, Southwest Teen Life Center/Neighborhood Service Center, 2801 SW Thistle.

REGISTER FOR TOMORROW’S WEST SEATTLE 5K: 1-4 pm today, you can sign up at West Seattle High School, whose PTSA organizes the walk/run.

WHAT ARE THE LINCOLN PARK OWLS UP TO THESE DAYS? Maybe in the mood for love, says naturalist Stewart Wechsler, who’s leading an owling walk through the park starting at 6:30 tonight.

SHOWCASE OF NEW PLAYS: Second of three nights at ArtsWest features works by five playwrights, 7 pm.

NORTHWEST CHORALE’S FOOD-BANK BENEFIT: 7:30 pm at Holy Rosary – enjoy classical vocal music, free, with free-will offering as a food-bank benefit.

Much more on the calendar!

WHITE CENTER JUBILEE DAYS GALA AND AUCTION: The folks working hard to make this year’s WC Jubilee Days the liveliest ever are coming to West Seattle on Saturday night to celebrate and round up some $ toward their cause. Small plates, cash bar, music, and bidding! You are invited – 6:30 pm May 5th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center; you can buy tickets online here.

WESTSIDE BABY BENEFIT – THE ‘SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL’ COCKTAIL PARTY: Just two weeks till The Hall at Fauntleroy rocks for WestSide Baby, 7 pm May 18th – Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) sends award-winning cocktail creator Matt Johnson to do the drinks, The Mountain’s Marty Riemer is emcee, Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering provides the appetizers, Not Dead Yet plays the music, and the auction items include a Walla Walla wine getaway and a Palm Desert spring break getaway. You have to buy tickets in advance – click TICKETS near the top of this page.

LAST CHANCE FOR WEST SEATTLE 5K EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT: Tonight’s your last chance to save $5 on signing up for the 4th annual West Seattle 5K, which is just two weeks away – Sunday, May 20th, along Alki, the kickoff to “car-free” Seattle Summer Streets as usual. The walk/run is a benefit for the West Seattle High School PTSA (and again this year, WSB is among the co-sponsors). Register online here.

If you haven’t given yet, you still have time. This one-day donate-a-thon with participating organizations having a potential chance at some matching funds through the Seattle Foundation goes till midnight. You have to donate through a link on their site, but the money all goes to the nonprofit – we made a list early this morning of the West Seattle, White Center, and South Park participants, with their special donation links – see (and use) the list here. Speaking of WC:

‘DINE OUT FOR HUNGER’: In connection with this big day/night of giving, Proletariat Pizza and Zippy’s Giant Burgers are giving a share of tonight’s dinner proceeds to the White Center Food Bank. We found WCFB executive director Rick Jump at Zippy’s:

His organization went all-out today; Jump and others were at WC coffee shops 7 am-10 am to facilitate donations via laptops. By the way, Proletariat Pizza and Zippy’s are members of the new WSB sponsor we just welcomed this afternoon – the Rat City Business Association (meet the RCBA businesses here).

“We are Rat City.

Some people call us White Center, but it doesn’t really matter since we don’t have a post office. Call us whatever you want. Annex us, even. It won’t change who we are: Rat City.

Where are we? South of West Seattle. North of Burien. West of South Park and Georgetown. East of West Seattle. Wait! East and South? How’d we do that? That’s just how we do it. Look at a map.

That’s Ratty over there (on the right). He’d tell you what’s going on around Rat City, but he can’t speak. He’s a rat. And really, what can we tell you that you don’t already know? If it’s good for you, we got it. If it’s not good for you, we probably have that too.

We are the R.C.B.A., or if you are feeling alert, the Rat City Business Association. Ratty, the Supreme Ruler of the R.C.B.A., founded the organization one morning when he realized he wasn’t getting anyone to attend the R.C.M.S., or Rat City Meditation Sangha. All he wanted was some devoted followers and website. And now he has both. First a pizza place joined up, then a bar, an ice-cream maker, an espresso joint, a burger shop, a yoga studio. Then more and more. One by one, thrown off guard by Ratty’s charismatic charm, the denizens of Rat City submitted to Ratty, the Supreme Ruler. You, dear website skimmer, will also come to understand what we already see directly with our hearts. Ratty is our Leader. 10,000 Years to Chairman Ratty.

We are the R.C.B.A.

We are Rat City.”

We thank Ratty and the members of the Rat City Business Association 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.

7:43 PM UPDATE: No deputies were at the shop, so we went in to ask about the robbery report. Store staffers say it happened closer to 7 pm; nobody was hurt.

We are at the King County Courthouse for two sentencings this afternoon. The first one has just been announced, in last year’s White Center murder of Sweetheart Failautusi: King County Superior Court Judge Mary Yu sentenced Anthony Haroldlee Smith to 15 years, 4 months, as recommended after he agreed to plead guilty. More on partner site White Center Now (including video of the hearing to be added; the clip above is a short placeholder in which you see Smith being taken past the victim’s friends/family in the courtroom right after the sentencing).

We had just been covering this on our partner site White Center Now, but have also received a few notes from West Seattleites who used to shop at the old WC Albertsons on 16th, so in case you are interested: The ownership change happened this week, and the signs have just gone up – the store is now Super Saver Foods, and it’s open during remodeling. More details on WCN.

NAME THE NEXT WEST SEATTLE/WHITE CENTER CHARITY BEER A COMMUNITY-WIDE CONTEST MARCH 1, 2012 – MARCH 18, 2012

~ brought to you by ~ Big Al Brewing, The Feedback Lounge, West 5, Shadowland, Mission, The Bridge, Locöl, Beveridge Place Pub and Company Bar

It’s that time again and we’re about to premiere the third of three West Seattle/White Center charity beers crafted by BIG AL BREWING – and we’re inviting YOU to give it a name!

Last year we debuted LÖWMAN BRÄU (named after West Seattle’s Lowman Beach) and WHALE TAIL ALE (in homage to the famous whale tale sculpture on the Alki Elementary playground). This year the naming rights are given over to the West Seattle/White Center communities and all the prestige that comes with it!

Come up with a name that is West Seattle/White Center-centric and e-mail it to us. The author/authorette of the winning name will receive a $25 gift certificate from THE FEEDBACK LOUNGE, WEST 5, MISSION, SHADOWLAND, LOCÖL, BIG AL BREWING, THE BRIDGE, BEVERIDGE PUB PLACE and COMPANY BAR ($225 value), along with a T-shirt from each of these fine establishments ($150 value).

That’s not all:

… you and three guests will be invited to the advance tasting party, and you’ll get to pick the West Seattle/White Center charity of your choice to benefit from a percentage of the sales of YOUR BEER, and get your picture/bio on YOUR BEER’S website, plus all bragging rights and international neighborhood fame are yours exclusively.

“The West Seattle and White Center communities have been extraordinarily supportive with our first two charity beers,” says Feedback Lounge co-owner, Jeff Gilbert. “So we thought it’d be a fun idea to let the communities name the next one. And just so we’re clear, this contest is only open to West Seattle and White Center residents; it just wouldn’t do to have a Ballardite name our beer.”

This is on the poster at right, but not big enough to see, so: E-mail entries to feedbacklounge@gmail.com. Full rules etc. can be seen here.

We’re taking a leap of faith and will be trying out delivery tonight. Monday through Wednesday only, rough boundaries are 35th to the west, 4th to the east, Trenton Thistle to the north and 112th to the south (Arbor Heights, just call first, we’ll likely make an exception if you’re just outside the boundaries.) $2 delivery fee. Whole pizzas only (no halves), drinks, salad and dessert, but sadly, no beer and wine delivery. And all this is subject to change as we get it all figured out, which will likely take some time.

The FB version from Proletariat co-proprietor Stefanie mentioned a slightly-further-north border (Thistle), so we have a followup question back out to clarify.

2:55 PM UPDATE: Thistle it is.

So many eagle sightings – and yet, each sighting, each photo, brings something new to notice. From photographer/writer Trileigh Tucker, the photo above – taken this morning – and her explanation:

Lots of eagle activity in Lincoln Park these days: calling back and forth, challenging to and by juvenile eagles, the husband eagle bringing food to impress his wife. Pretty exciting times as the courtship season ramps up!

Trileigh keeps a website with more pictures/words about some of her wildlife sightings, and says it includes a new update on the snowy owls that have been delighting birdwatchers in Western Washington (West Seattle included – remember this November photo?).

Burien’s bid to annex White Center and most of the rest of what remains of unincorporated North Highline (the green “Area Y” in the map above) is fairly far down the road, as we’ve been reporting on partner site White Center Now, but in case it somehow stalls, Seattle is retaining its potential interest. That’s the bottom line of a brief discussion today by the Seattle City Council‘s Economic Resiliency and Government Relations Committee.

Last year, Seattle councilmembers promised to decide by this month whether they would continue supporting the status of White Center (etc.) as a “potential annexation area,” despite having said that they didn’t think they could afford to pursue it and so wouldn’t get in Burien’s way; today’s discussion fulfills that promise. City staff said there wasn’t much to lose in keeping it designated as a “potential annexation area” – right now, Burien is waiting to see if the Legislature will preserve or cut a tax-related funding source that is vital to keeping the annexation affordable for them (or any other city). Even if they do, Burien then needs to take the matter to voters in the area, before annexation would be final.

Meantime, Seattle is expected to move forward on annexing some unincorporated turf that isn’t part of what Burien is pursuing, the so-called “Sliver by the River” in the South Park area and the “Duwamish Triangle,” with a council discussion planned March 5th.