West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
The White Center Food Bank, which also serves West Seattle south of SW Myrtle, just launched a “blog” section on its website. To kick it off in style, they’re looking for name suggestions – send one in and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $25 Farmers’ Market gift certificate. Read all about it here.
Driving through White Center this afternoon, we noticed fireworks stands like that one set up in a few spots. In unincorporated King County and the few other places where personal fireworks are still legal, they go on sale at noon Sunday, but you’re only allowed to use them 9 am-midnight on July 4th (except for Normandy Park, where the use period is the same as the sales period). Here’s the full King County list of fireworks rules – note they are banned in Seattle and in Burien, which is relevant to part of White Center, since that means a change if the “North Highline South Annexation” proposal passes in the August 18th election. And if somehow you haven’t heard, reminder, NO Elliott Bay fireworks on the Fourth, since Ivar’s canceled them; if you’re still trying to decide where to go instead, here’s the full statewide list of fireworks shows.
Just published at White Center Now, our roundup from Thursday night’s South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition meeting. The headlines: Crime’s not the same on both sides of the line; White Center’s getting a walking map; and the group bids one of its leaders goodbye. Story and photos here.
First, the NOT HAPPENING NOW – this was tentatively scheduled as the first day for Lincoln Park‘s wading pool to be open, but since it’s not warm, sunny weather, that’ll have to wait at least another day. (We went down to check in person just to be sure, as we’ve seen the occasional digression from the “warm, sunny” requirement/s.) Remember – the wading-pool schedule citywide is different this year because of mandatory safety improvements (our coverage, with dates, is here). Now, as for what IS happening now —
That’s Full Tilt Ice Cream proprietor Justin Cline, photographed emerging from the prep room in the back, where he had been working on mint-chocolate-chip peletas. Full Tilt (9629 16th SW, White Center) opened at noon today and will be open late tonight because two bands are playing; the shop’s celebrating its first birthday by donating a cone or pint to the White Center Food Bank for every cone or print purchased today. (Another good reason to go to White Center tonight – the monthly White Center for the Arts open house, starting at 5 pm, enter from the 16th SW entrance to the old skate rink, a few doors south of Full Tilt.)
From the WSB Forums: 
The acclaimed White Center ice cream-n-pinball (and more) shop Full Tilt is marking its first birthday this Saturday with a plan to give gifts instead of receiving. For every cone or pint sold in their shop this Saturday, they will donate the equivalent to the White Center Food Bank – coupons for cones, to be given to WCFB clients, and pints to be packed up and delivered to WCFB. The FT team’s been involved in a lot of community work since its opening, so you can support that through the Full Tilt First Birthday celebration. (And if you haven’t heard, they’re expanding to a location in Columbia City soon, too.)
Beautiful night for dancing, indoors and outdoors … that first video is from The Kenney, which had a “Senior-Senior Prom” tonight, with high-school seniors mingling with Kenney residents. The Las Vegas sign in front of the band is in honor of the “Rat Pack” theme. (Note in the video, that’s Kenney CEO Kevin McFeely taking a turn on the dance floor, off to the left at one point.) Completely different dance style a few miles southeast, for the Devil’s Dance Parade in White Center — an Afro-Peruvian costumed dance troupe started at 15th/Roxbury, wound its way through the business district, south, then west, then north, and wrapped up at Cafe Rozella:
We’ve got another clip on partner site White Center Now as the dancers paused to perform by the taco truck south of White Center Plaza. A concert followed at the coffeehouse.
The party is still going on at a long-vacant lot on 15th SW in White Center (map), where a blessing and a barbecue were part of the groundbreaking ceremony for White Center Square, a new shopping center that will be anchored by Vong’s Market. In addition to members of the Vong family, the ceremony included the contracting and architecture firms, the head of King County Economic Development (which helped procure a big loan for the project), a member of the family that owned the site for a century before the Vongs, and King County Council Chair Dow Constantine (whose district includes White Center). Co-owner Rika Vong told us that although construction won’t officially begin just yet – by the end of next month, if all goes well with the rest of the permitting — today was chosen for the ceremony because it has good feng shui for a groundbreaking. Tenants for the project haven’t all been announced yet, but a restaurant will be part of it too. We’ll have an expanded story shortly on our partner site White Center Now.
MORE PIZZA: At partner site White Center Now, one of our fellow contributors, Ricardo from Cafe Rozella, breaks the news of more pizza heading this way: Proletariat Pizza, moving in across the street from Full Tilt Ice Cream, barely a block over the line from West Seattle. (P.S. More late-breaking White Center news: A groundbreaking ceremony is planned tomorrow for the White Center Square shopping-center development.)
REUSIES ON TV: You may have heard about ReUsies, cloth sandwich bags invented by West Seattle moms, now making a splash nationwide. KING5 has a story about them today – and the story notes that ReUsies are selling so well, they’ve “hired a manufacturer in Tukwila to help them keep up with demand.”
LOW-TIDE SIGHTS: Though the tide wasn’t as low today as yesterday, there were still sights to be seen, as evidenced by the Flickr gallery that Carrie e-mailed to share – check it out here. (She took her photos near the Alki Point lighthouse.)
If you don’t already shop there – ever drive past one of White Center’s non-chain supermarkets and feel a tinge of curiosity? This just might convince you to stop someday and go inside: A close-up look at one of the “Great Markets of White Center,” at WSB’s partner site White Center Now.
(Sen. Joe McDermott at left, Rep. Eileen Cody at right)
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
After a particularly brutal legislative session, lawmakers meeting with a friendly and appreciative audience at Jim Wiley Community Center in White Center said this morning they were really happy to be home from Olympia.
Lawmakers from the 34th District — Sen. Joe McDermott (D-West Seattle), Rep. Eileen Cody (D-West Seattle) and Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island) — invited their constituents to a Town Hall meeting to review the wins and losses of the session, some of which they had also discussed at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting last Wednesday (WSB coverage here).
While budget cuts were the theme for most of the session, there were some wins, including $1.4 million for the Greenbridge Early Learning Center project, and $2 million for the High Point Neighborhood Center.
That’s one of the photos White Center Now‘s Ricardo Guarnero (of Cafe Rozella fame) posted today – following up on sightings of a raccoon and two alley-dwelling ducks. A WSB’er in fact e-mailed us today about a horse-and-officer sighting (not far from Westcrest, where, as Ricardo points out on WCN, SPD’s horses are based) so we thought you might want to see the pix.
The King County Council has officially put the proposed annexation on the August 18th ballot. The official announcement is online at our partner site White Center Now. Even if approved, this would still leave most of White Center as an unincorporated area; an agreement worked out with Burien and Seattle executive branches’ participation was supposed to give Seattle dibs, but the Seattle City Council voted against that deal.
(WSB photo from December 2008 – from left, Rep. Sharon Nelson, Sen. Joe McDermott, Rep. Eileen Cody)
The two state representatives and one state senator who represent West Seattle, White Center, Vashon and vicinity in the State Legislature are inviting you to a town-hall meeting a week from Saturday – here’s the announcement we just received:
All three lawmakers from the 34th District will host a town hall meeting to talk about the 2009 session and what future steps our state should take.
“This wasn’t an easy session,” said Sen. Joe McDermott, D-West Seattle. “The budget cuts will be hard on everyone, and I know people were already worried about losing their job or their home. But this won’t last forever. It will take all of us, working together, to bring our state back to prosperity.”
The meeting is set for 10 a.m. May 16 at the Jim Wiley Community Center, 9800 Eighth Avenue SW (White Center).
“There’s nothing more important than hearing from the citizens we represent,” said Rep. Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle. “It’s nice to be back home and talking to real people at the grocery store or the coffee shop.”
The lawmakers returned home after the end of the Legislature’s 105-day session. The Legislature passed a balanced budget, but left a handful of bills uncompleted that might require a short special session.
“While the budget got all the attention, we did pass some tough reforms,” said Rep. Sharon Nelson, D-Vashon Island. “I am happy to report that the payday lending law that I sponsored passed and is heading to the governor’s desk. As a former banker, I cared about this issue because far too many young people and working families fall into an endless trap of debt when they start taking out payday loans. This law will help.”
Here’s a map to the town-hall meeting’s location.
Just posted at partner site White Center Now, the latest on the church cat that survived a vicious attack.
It’s been a busy few days, so you might not have seen this on partner site White Center Now yet: If you live in south West Seattle, you’ll be interested in the crime updates — which included some good news! — plus Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg‘s remarks, as reported in our coverage of the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition meeting Thursday night. See the story here. (Also of interest to south West Seattle: The Highland Park Action Committee‘s monthly meeting is tomorrow, 7 pm, 11th/Holden.)
(photo from Pasado’s Safe Haven website)
One day after first word of the attack that left Scatt the Cross Church cat in the hospital, and put his alleged attacker in jail, there’s an online update from Pasado’s Safe Haven, the local animal-advocacy group that has offered to foot Scatt‘s medical bills. Scatt’s gone through surgery and is now being evaluated for possible peritonitis. Read the latest here. 6 PM UPDATE: First-degree animal-cruelty charges are now filed in this case.
Just published at our partner site White Center Now: The King County Sheriff’s Office just sent word that a man’s been arrested after allegedly attacking a White Center church’s cat – which may not survive the resulting injuries. Read the story here. 6:30 PM UPDATE: This case is getting TV coverage too – here’s the channel 4 link, for starters.
WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is back from the disaster-training exercise at the Joint Training Facility on the southeast edge of West Seattle — the one with Seattle Fire Department crews and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department (which contributed the helicopter) working together, as mentioned in advance yesterday just in case the chopper alarmed anyone.
ADDED 7:55 PM: Here’s Christopher’s video:
(WSB photo from December visit to WestSide Baby)
Can you spare two hours this Thursday night? WestSide Baby needs your help to sort donated items (like the ones above) that are needed by hundreds of local families:
WestSide Baby is opening on Thursday, April 16th from 7-9, for our monthly “After Hours” sorting frenzy. Grab a friend and join us for an evening of sorting donations, socializing and making a difference in the community.
It is very helpful for us to know if you are coming though so we can prepare with staff and projects. Please RSVP to Sarah@westsidebaby.org. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult and it is especially important for us to know if minors are coming so we can prepare appropriate jobs for them.
We also have an ongoing need for larger size diapers (Sizes 4-6) and Pull-ups (Sizes 3t and 4t).
WestSide Baby HQ is at 10032 15th SW (map).
We’ve mentioned it before, it’s on the WSB Events calendar, and now it’s just two days away, so it’s reminder time – this Wednesday night, local Kiwanians will be at the White Center Food Bank to receive your donations. Not only does the WCFB help fight hunger in WC, it’s also accountable for assisting everyone in West Seattle south of SW Myrtle who needs food-bank help:
Members of the Division 26 Kiwanis in Seattle would like to invite you to bring non-perishable foods to the White Center Food Bank on Wednesday evening, April 8, 2009 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. Members of the Kiwanis will be stationed outside the food bank at 10829 8th Avenue SW [map] under a canopy to collect your donations.
Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.
The White Center Food Bank says the most needed foods are Hamburger Helper and Rice-a-Roni type products as well as canned meat (not tuna), canned fruit, cereal, and jelly. The White Center Food Bank serves a diverse ethnic population so ethnic foods are always welcome. The food bank also accepts $5 and $10 gift cards from Safeway, QFC or Albertsons. Cash donations can be sent to the White Center Food Bank at 10829 8th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98146. To donate online, go to www.whitecenterfoodbank.org.
Kiwanis Club of West Seattle president Michael LaFranchi stopped by our table at the Gathering of Neighbors on Saturday and mentioned that club members also were at two local grocery stores that day, collecting food. Donations to the WCFB and West Seattle Food Bank count extra through the end of this month because of the Feinstein Challenge, so everything you give includes a built-in bonus.
Two links of interest to share from our partner site White Center Now:
ANNEXATION: Burien’s proposal to annex part of the White Center/North Highline area is one step closer to reality tonight after a preliminary approval recommendation from the King County Boundary Review Board, following a public hearing in Tukwila. Burien’s city manager noted during the hearing that Seattle, which might annex the rest of the area – or might not – didn’t send a representative to comment. Read detailed notes from the hearing, as it happened, here.
AMANDA KNOX: Some people are so interested in the case of the young woman from West Seattle who’s on trial for murder in Italy, they could tell you the entire story in intricate detail. If you, on the other hand, feel like you came into the story in the middle, you might be interested in this WCN analysis/opinion piece retracing the case.
Got a few notes very early Sunday about the area’s law-enforcement helicopter, Guardian One, spending some time over the Delridge Triangle area. WSB Forum members launched a discussion and we have added a little more information this morning – the call started with King County Sheriff’s Deputies who say it involved a report of a “fight in progress” – here’s the entire WSBF thread, in case you haven’t already read it there.
The White Center Food Bank, which also serves West Seattle south of SW Myrtle, is opening its doors one Saturday a month, as its clientele continues to grow. Full details at our partner site WhiteCenterNow.com.
| Comments Off on New online feature for White Center Food Bank – with a contest