NEXT WEEKEND: Annual holiday bazaar at White Center Eagles

October 13th, 2024 at 10:22 pm Posted in Holidays, White Center Eagles, White Center news | No Comments »

(WCN photo from 2021 holiday bazaar at White Center Eagles)

Yes, already! First bazaar of the year. Here’s the announcement:

Annual Holiday Bazaar at the White Center Eagles

Saturday, October 19th, 10 am to 4 pm

10452 15th Ave. SW

Handmade items – Art, Jewelry, Accessories, Pottery, and Lunch

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About the helicopter over White Center

October 12th, 2024 at 1:11 am Posted in Helicopter, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news | No Comments »

We wrote about this initially on our partner site West Seattle Blog because the Guardian One helicopter started its west-side visit over West Seattle, but are making a note here too because of what it then did over White Center: The helicopter crew picked up a Lojack signal around 11 pm Friday, indicating a stolen Jeep Wrangler was somewhere on the ground in north WC. They found it near Holy Family, and circled while deputies approached on the ground. They determined the car was empty, and the helicopter moved on

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In-person discussion with new Local Services director @ North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s October meeting

October 10th, 2024 at 8:14 pm Posted in North Highline UAC, White Center news | 1 Comment »

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for White Center Now

For the first time since pre-COVID, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) met in-person last week for their monthly meeting. This meetup of neighbors was made possible because planned renovations have been completed at North Highline Fire District HQ, which had been the NHUAC group’s long-time meeting venue. 

The meeting was facilitated by NHUAC vice president Barbara Dobkin (at center, below), because president Liz Giba wasn’t able to attend. Dobkin was joined by board members Pat Price, Christine Waldman, Brigitte Vaughn and Amelia Cullinan.

The meeting was highlighted by a presentation and Q&A with Leon Richardson, who was recently appointed as the Director of King County’s Department of Local Services. Richardson (at left, in the photo below) was joined at the meeting by fellow county staff Jesse Reynolds (Economic Development Program Manager, at center below) and Bong Santo Domingo (Community Liaison, at right below):

Sto. Domingo has been a fixture at NHUAC meetings and White Center gatherings in the past, and talked about the ongoing importance of civic engagement:

Reynolds encouraged attendees to participate in the team’s “What should downtown White Center look like?” online survey, which is open until the end of October. The survey is part of the White Center Fire Impact Zone (WCFIZ) Community Vision effort, kicked off largely in response to the various 2021 fires in downtown White Center. The goal of the beautification project is to “celebrate diversity and enhance public spaces to create a vibrant, attractive and welcoming area for residents, local businesses, and visitors that reflects White Center’s distinct character.” Reynolds said the results of the survey will help inform county leaders and community designers as options are explored for downtown White Center. 

Richardson, who has held leadership roles for King County since 2019, was appointed to the Local Services director position in July 2024 by King County Executive Dow Constantine. He said that he lives in Federal Way and has been staying busy traveling throughout the county, “from Fall City to Vashon and everywhere else,” meeting with community members and “showing up” to support citizens. Local Services began in 2019 with a mission of providing new and better ways to serve unincorporated King County (which includes North Highline), and the department became responsible for essential services such as zoning, permitting, code enforcement and road services.

Richardson added that earlier that day he had spent time in White Center talking with business leaders such as the owners of Tim’s Tavern (more on Tim’s below), as well as various community members and stakeholders.

Dobkin and the NHUAC board had submitted some questions to Richardson in advance, and Dobkin went through them as Richardson provided summary responses (and said he’d follow-up with the group with more details later), and attendees also asked additional questions throughout:

  • Q: Does Local Services advise regarding zoning and codes?
    • A: Yes, Richardson said you can reach out us (206-477-3800 or AskLocalServices@kingcounty.gov), and if we don’t know, we’ll try to figure out the answer.  Our goal is to be partners with the community, we are here to help, and can work with you to get the answer.
  • Q: How do you work with permitting?
    • A: The director of the permitting division reports to Richardson (who said he also receives a lot of direct calls about permitting). 
  • Q: We are very concerned about Tim’s Tavern (the volume of the outdoor music), which has been an ongoing source of frustration since they opened in White Center in April 2023. (editor’s note: see WCN coverage from NHUAC’s June meeting which was attended by county’s permitting director Jim Chan and external-affairs director David Daw). Our viewpoint is that the volume and hours of the music have not changed, and it is our understanding is that Tim’s is now working on a non-conforming permit. We know that our deputies are busy and we don’t want to bother them with noise complaints, but we also don’t want to have to move because of this. It’s negatively impacting our quality of life.  Staff from Tim’s Tavern don’t seem interested in truly fixing the issue. 
    • A. Richardson said he does not know all of the answers or the latest information, but he committed to look into it very closely with his staff, and to get back to the NHUAC group in November with a timeline for getting answers and next-steps for working toward a resolution. He apologized for any misinformation shared by prior staff, and said “we will strive to do better; hearing all of this from you is helpful to me as the ‘new guy.'”  He added that he met with staff at Tim’s Tavern earlier in the day to discuss some of the things he’s heard, and he said that Tim’s acknowledges that they had previously said they’d make some changes that haven’t been done yet, because they’re waiting to see what’s happening with permitting to see if they can keep their music and business going before they make large infrastructure investments.  He said that typical processes are always followed unless a situation “represents a life safety or environmental impact” (upon saying that, several meeting attendees were quick to say that the situation certainly qualifies as a major disruption to life in the neighborhood). 
    • Meeting attendee Erick Thomas, a state liquor inspector, said that he had some familiarity with Tim’s Tavern, and location’s prior business Drunky Two Shoes (WCN coverage here), which also had live music. Thomas said that Tim’s holds essentially the same type of license, but with a different business model — having a band in the outside service area 5-6 nights per week, rather than a couple of nights per month at Drunky Two Shoes. Thomas said their 2024 license was just renewed, and next year will be up for renewal in September 2025 (someone can contest that, no later than 90 days prior for renewal). The state Department of Revenue will typically list the old business as well as the new business.  (one meeting attendee noted that the online parcel viewer still says Drunkys).
    • Attendee: My impression is that the people who run Tim’s don’t want to engage with us, and want to wait things out. At what point would a more forceful legal action be taken?  A: Richardson said his understanding is that Tim’s has been cited twice for noise complaints, they went to court and prevailed in each case (that’s what he has been told, anyway, he said he would take a closer look). He said Tim’s is going through the county’s code enforcement process right now, which involves two aspects: use of the facility, and the structure(s) itself.
    • Dobkin mentioned a potentially related situation with two bars in Covington that had similar issues (over the noise limit with indoor music), but mitigation steps were taken and they aren’t doing it anymore. She added that “I’ve never in 20 years called in a noise complaint. It’s not that we don’t like music. We don’t want to shut them down, we just want them to do the right thing.”
    • Jesse Reynolds (from King Co) said it’s his understanding that Tim’s is currently working on the non-conforming permit, which is based on the structures built by the prior owner (Drunkys), and that per standard process. this is a private hearing.
    • Richardson stressed that it will take him some time to get up to speed on the issue, and he said “in November we will follow-up with information for you.”
  • Q: What can we do about dogs barking in the neighborhood in the middle of the night?  A: Richardson said this falls in same realm as noise complaints.   It’s not for Local Services, it’s for the King County Sheriff’s Office. We do partner with that office, though, and if you let us know the issue then we will work with them.
  • Q: What about the quality of roads? Several attendees gave example of trouble spots (rough road 107th on the south side by Taco Bell side, a large divot 116th crossing 4th Ave northbound, standing water on 4th Ave SW just south of 108th on the east side).   A: Richardson and his staff wrote down notes and said they’d look into it. 
  • Q: Is there any way you could help get air conditioning in Greenbridge where the Boys and Girls Club meets? Answer from Sto Domingo: They are their own entity, which reports to the national Boys and Girls Club group, we encouraged them to apply for an “Alan Painter grant” but to my knowledge they haven’t yet.  That’s the best way for them to proceed.
  • Q: Dobkin said “there’s a loophole” that has allowed properties in the community to be divided into 2500 sq ft lots, as people leave or pass away, which is “destroying the neighborhood” because many large areas are being paved and developed, with no trees or greenspaces. She said that Jim Chan had previously said he’d look into it.  A: Richardson said he appreciates the feedback and that his team will look into it.  
  • Q: Dobkin said “we’re losing walkability in our neighborhood” with a lack of sidewalks, people driving way too fast, etc. Another attendee noted that they’ve repeatedly asked for roundabouts at 17th Ave SW and 100th St as well as speed bumps on other streets, but have not had much luck, and said that the county had done some traffic studies indicating that there hasn’t been an increase in traffic “but I can tell you there is.” Other attendees noted that they fear that traffic mitigations in some areas are simply diverting speeders to adjacent streets without really fixing the issue.  Someone commented that “we need actual roundabouts; not like the fake one in front of Arbor Heights Elementary.”  A:  Richardson said some funds had been received from the state for road projects, and that they’d continue to work on things — he and his team made note of the items brought up by attendees. 
    Another attendee said that from a traffic perspective in White Center, “I feel like my head is on a swivel” because “people know that there’s very little enforcement in White Center, so it’s a free for all – I call it ’16th Ave Raceway.'”  Another attendee said he works as a mailman and has seen traffic issues and speeding first-hand, and that it’s a frequent topic of concern in the postal workers’ meetings at the Westwood post office. 
  • Q: Dobkin asked about the new Rapid Ride “H line,” noting that officials had said it would make White Center a better transit hub, but because one of the main stops is next to the now-closed Bartell Drugs store, “it’s dangerous, it’s an open drug market, it’s not safe for anyone to use.” A: Jesse Reynolds confirmed that there have definitely been complaints, that there was a tent city but it’s gone now, and the alley has been an issue (they have a service doing litter pickup).  He put in a plug for the team’s “What should downtown White Center look like?” online survey (open until Oct. 31st) and said his group will also have a booth at the White Center Artwalk on Oct 17th.  Richardson noted that, in general, having police officers available to speak at meetings like NHUAC is beneficial for discussions like this, and he’d do his best to help with that (no officers were able to attend for this night’s meeting). 
  • Q: Dobkin asked about graffiti issues. A: Richardson said that his team had been talking to local businesses earlier that day, and that the consensus seems to be that if a business has a mural painted on it then there’s much less likely to be graffiti painted on top of it, but acknowledged that not every business has the resources to commission their own mural (and many businesses don’t own the building in which they operate). An attendee asked about the feasibility of an ordinance saying that any graffiti needs to be removed within a specific amount of time; but some businesses said it would be very burdensome. Alan Painter grants and community needs grants could help, and one attendee mentioned the 4Culture arts organization as a possible source for artists. Some of the graffiti is suspected to be gang-related, claiming territory, which brings unique problems. 
  • One attendee said there have been numerous complaints about the new traffic revision on 1st Ave SW south of 108th St., near the church and Axe Kickers, saying that although the changes were meant to help traffic, “it has caused so many near-accidents and constant horn-honking; they should erase and put it back the way it was.”  Richardson’s team made note of the issue. 
  • An attendee said that their neighbors are facing a serious challenge in which an elderly person had lived there but recently moved into assisted living, someone else moved in to help, but there has been “questionable activity going on 24/7 for over a year,” and they’ve talked to the county sheriff’s office about it, but don’t have a resolution, although there was recently a very serious issue in which authorities were called to the scene. What can be done as people in our neighborhood are aging and need to leave, and their properties are taken over by others?  Richardson said his team would look into it, and said there is an existing program (he thought it may be associated with the county prosecutor’s office) that he will try to look up and share information about.  Another attendee noted that similar issues happen when houses become completely unoccupied, and overrun with pets and (in some cases) squatters.  Because there are only 5-6 code enforcement officers for all of unincorporated King County, dealing with these issues can often take a while. 
  • There was a question from attendees about the status of the “floating islands” which were installed in 2013 in Hicklin Lake (formerly known locally as Hicks Lake) with the intent of helping water quality. County staff said that although the county “went all in” with volunteers on the floating islands, “sadly the water quality hasn’t improved” enough, so they’ll be taking the islands out, but that WALPA (WA State Lake Protection Association) does want to communicate with the community about what’s next. Ideas include a pathway around lake, and other means of improving water quality and keeping the lake clean. 

Richardson noted that he would do his best to continue ramping up quickly on the job, and answering community concerns, but noted that he had some upcoming time off because he also serves in the Army Reserves, and needed to fly back to Washington DC for a commitment. 

Darlene Sellers from King County Parks shared details about events at the White Center Teen Program (open at the “Log Cabin” at Steve Cox Memorial Park every day Tuesday-Saturday. She said they had a successful free soccer tournament recently for 72 kids, a glow-in-the-dark volleyball tournament coming up, and will soon be able to host cooking classes again because they were approved for needed facility renovations. Their big upcoming event is the “Halloween Bash” on Saturday Oct 26th, which will be a free event with separate haunted houses for younger kids and older kids, and White Center Food Bank donations happening.  She said there are more than 100 teens volunteering for various events, across 40 different programs, with great engagement. 

Scott Davis from the Kiwanis Club of White Center also promoted the club’s annual pancake breakfast and silent auction, which will be Saturday Oct. 12th from 8 am-noon at White Center Eagles (10452 15th SW).  Ticket details here, $10/person and free for kids under 5. 

NHUAC meets monthly on the first Thursday of the month, and plans to continue meeting in-person at the North Highline Fire Station in White Center (1243 SW 112th St.)

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WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Taboo Video robbed

October 9th, 2024 at 5:22 pm Posted in Crime, Helicopter, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news | No Comments »

5:22 PM: Lots of questions earlier about the Guardian One helicopter over White Center/south West Seattle. Most of the ground response was gone by the time we were able to get to WC but archived King County Sheriff’s Office dispatch audio indicates Taboo Video on 16th south of 98th was robbed. Two robbers were described – descriptions broadcast over the air were partial, a Black man about 30, black clothing except for some “bluish” pants, and a white woman about 25, also in black clothing, with unspecified tattoos. They were reported to have escaped with some merchandise but no cash.

7 PM: A little more info from KCSO – the robbers did have a weapon, believed to be a Taser, but apparently did not use it, as investigators report no one was hurt. If you have any inforation, the case # is C24034078.

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WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Domino’s Pizza robbers on video

October 8th, 2024 at 4:21 pm Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news | 2 Comments »

King County Sheriff’s Office detectives continue investigating last Friday’s holdup at the Domino’s Pizza location at 17th/Roxbury. We received two video clips, showing the robbers arriving and leaving, from a reader whose dashcam recorded this video while they were visiting a neighboring business at the time. It happened around 1:30 pm Friday (October 4). The three robbers are shown arriving and leaving in the blue Hyundai; the passerby also seen in the video was not involved.

KCSO says deputies responded but the robbers had already fled. If you have any information on the holdup, please contact KCSO.

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Participatory budgeting returns: Vote how to spend $ in White Center / North Highline!

October 7th, 2024 at 4:45 pm Posted in King County, White Center news | No Comments »

“Participatory budgeting” is back, and your chance to vote is happening right now. Here’s the announcement we received from King County:

Residents and other community members in East Federal Way, East Renton, Fairwood, North Highline/White Center, and Skyway/West Hill are casting their votes this month to choose proposals for King County to fund and/or carry out in their traditionally underserved communities.

This is the county’s second round of Participatory Budgeting, a two-year, community-led process in which residents gather ideas from their neighbors, create proposals from those ideas, and hold a vote to decide which proposals to pay for with county funds. Each community vote takes place both online and in person at pop-up voting events.

Ballots are available in English and several other languages, and multi-lingual community members will be on hand at voting events to help explain the process.

The King County Council has made available a total of $11.8 million to be divided among the urban areas. This includes revenues from the marijuana tax, which benefit White Center and Skyway—so those areas receive larger shares of the funding.

From now through Oct. 31, anyone who lives, works, owns a business, receives services, goes to school, or worships in one of these five areas is encouraged to cast their vote to choose projects to benefit their community.

How to vote

Residents and other community members can vote in-person or online. Get more information about how to vote in your community.

More on Participatory Budgeting

In 2021, the King County Council approved Executive Constantine’s proposal to try this new approach to community investment, which is centered on racial equity. It gives people who live, work, play, or worship in the county’s five urban unincorporated areas the chance to directly choose how more than $11 million is spent in their communities. 

Participatory budgeting allows communities to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending. Residents help decide how to spend money on capital projects (physical things that are bought, built, installed, or fixed up) or programs and services. 

The Community Investment Budget Committee, a group of appointed residents from King County’s urban unincorporated areas, met virtually to create the framework for the new participatory budgeting process. 

Where does the money come from?

The funds for the capital projects are backed by bonds. The funds for programs and services in North Highline/White Center and Skyway-West Hill come from King County’s general fund and are supported by marijuana retail sales tax revenue.  

Learn more by visiting publicinput.com/yourvoiceyourchoice

As you’ll find when you click through to learn how to vote, you can do it in-person at pop-up events as well as online. Be sure to vote on BOTH WC/NH ballots – capital projects AND services. Here’s the list of the in-person events coming up:

*(Tue) October 8, 6 PM – 8 PM |Southwest Boys & Girls Club* (Kick-off Event) – 9800 8th Ave SW #105
*(Thu) October 17, 2 PM – 3 PM | White Center Library – CSA Office Hours* – 1409 SW 107th St
*(Thu) October 17, 5 PM – 8 PM | Art Walk Parade – Puffy Pandy to Roxbury St*
*(Sat) October 19, 6 PM -9 PM | Evergreen Aquatic Center – 606 SW 116th St
*(Thu) October 24, 2 PM – 6 PM | White Center Library* – 1409 SW 107th St
*(Wed) October 31, 6 PM – 8 PM | White Center Halloween Event (Block Party)

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North Highline Unincorporated Area Council to resume in-person meetings, starting Thursday

September 28th, 2024 at 9:45 pm Posted in North Highline UAC, White Center news | 1 Comment »

For the first time since pre-pandemic, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council will hold an in-person meeting this Thursday (October 3). It’s not that NHUAC didn’t want to get back to face-to-face meetings sooner, but they lacked a venue, since the North Highline Fire District HQ was undergoing renovations. Finally the building’s available again and NHUAC hopes to see you Thursday – here’s the announcement we received:

You are Invited to Experience

The Opportunity to Be Informed, Be Involved and Be Heard

At the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) Meeting!

When: Thursday, October 3. 2024, at 7 pm

Where: North Highline Fire Station in White Center at 1243 SW 112th Street
(Parking and Entrance are in the Back of the Station)

Please join us for NHUAC’s first in person meeting since 2020! It’s been a long time since we met in person, but it’s finally here. The meeting will take place in the newly remodeled North Highline Fire Station at 1243 SW 112th Street in White Center.

This long-awaited opportunity to reconnect with our neighbors and make new friends will include a presentation by Leon Richardson, the recently appointed Director of King County’s Department of Local Services.

In 2019, the Department of Local Services began with the goal of developing “new and better ways to serve” unincorporated King County. It became responsible for providing essential services such as permitting, zoning, code enforcement and road services to North Highline and the other unincorporated areas of King County. We look forward to meeting Director Richardson and learning how he thinks his department can support the North Highline community.

See you Thursday at 7 pm!

Knowledge is power. Learn, share and help make our community a better place.

October 3, 2024 at 7 pm

Bring a Neighbor!

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WHITE CENTER FOOD: Burger Planet to celebrate 1st anniversary Saturday

September 26th, 2024 at 9:08 pm Posted in Restaurants, White Center news | No Comments »

(WCN photo, September 2023)

Congratulations to Burger Planet on completing its first full year of orbiting White Center’s food scene. You can help celebrate on Saturday – here’s the announcement:

Dress up in your best Star Wars costume & join us Saturday, 9/28, at Burger Planet (9614 14th Ave SW) for an epic Art Market/Costume Contest/Smash Brothers Tournament/Anniversary Party mash-up!

Art Market: From 3-7 pm, your favorite local artisans are on hand with their latest creations. Kick off your holiday shopping by supporting local artists!

Star Wars Costume Contest: Find your kids, find your dogs, it’s an all-ages, all-pets Star Wars Costume Contest!

✅ One winner per category, per species across 3 categories
✅ Categories: Most Accurate, Most Original, & Best Costume
✅ PRIZES!!!

Smash Brothers Tournament: Think you’re King Rat at Smash Brothers? Prove it at our Smash Brothers Tournament!

✅ All ages!
✅ Free play on our consoles from 3-5 pm
✅ Arcade, now with THREE Star Wars Pinball machines!
✅ Tournament starts at 5 pm
✅ $5 entry fee or free entry with burger purchase
✅ PRIZES!!!

Not enough excitement for ya? Dreamsicle Family Stylez Ice Cream Truck will be on hand with tasty treats! Oh, did we mention the piñatas? The incomparable DJ Kaioti spinnin’ jams? The dog friendly patio? The food specials? You get the picture. Come celebrate White Center’s newest (greatest? You decide!) all ages burger joint with us on Saturday, September 28th. Can’t wait to see you there!

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SIGN UP EARLY! North Shorewood Park fall ‘planting fun,’ focused on youth volunteers

September 25th, 2024 at 3:08 pm Posted in How to Help, Parks, White Center news | No Comments »

Out of the WCN inbox:

Join King County Parks Volunteer Program in partnership with Washington Trails Association (WTA) at North Shorewood Park on Saturday, November 2nd from 9 am-12 pm for some planting fun! This is a special event focused on younger volunteers! We will be working at North Shorewood Park in White Center and we will be planting native species along the trail that WTA has been restoring, and in the lower forested areas that King County Parks Volunteer Program has been stewarding. Youth ages 7 and up are encouraged to join this unique work party for a fun day of restoration and planting along the North Shorewood trail system. King County will be on site to help direct the projects while your favorite WTA crew leaders will lead the charge on trail.

Adult volunteers must be accompanying a youth, solo adults will be asked to leave. Youth participants 14-18 may attend on their own. Ages 7-13 must be accompanied by an adult. All registrations are through the WTA website.

Grab a spot today!

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You can help White Center Food Bank ‘Bring It Home’

September 23rd, 2024 at 12:50 pm Posted in How to Help, White Center Food Bank, White Center news | Comments Off on You can help White Center Food Bank ‘Bring It Home’

Fundraiser season continues! Next month you can enjoy a night out while helping the White Center Food Bank finish the fundraising needed to cover costs as they settle into their new home – WCFB’s announcement explains how:

Join us for this year’s fall event, the Bring It Home Dinner and Auction on Friday, October 18th at the Sea Mar Community Center! Come together with the White Center Food Bank community for dinner & drinks, live music, and a “fireside chat”. We will also share a short video presentation showcasing our wonderful new facility and the people who make up this amazing organization.

We have raised roughly 75% of our $8.6 million goal and this event will gather community members, donors, customers, staff, board members and volunteers to raise awareness and financial support to complete our Capital Campaign. So far White Center Food Bank has received widespread support from Washington State, King County, many foundations, businesses, private donors and others. Our goal is to raise $1,000,000 more in private funds, through this event and additional donor engagement. With the completion of this campaign, we can return 100% of our focus to raising funds to keep the community fed. Together, we can Bring It Home!

The fireside chat will include local Senator Joe Nguyen, Executive Director Carmen Smith, Board Chair Gabbi Gonzales, and experienced volunteer Ashley Northup, who will illustrate the importance of our new facility to the community and our organization. The event will be MC’d by the inspiring White Center community king and food bank partner, Kimnang Seng. Delightful music from the virtuoso pianist Marina Albero and her quartet will create a celebratory ambiance for this special event. Each ticket includes dinner provided by El Catrín, dessert by Patrick’s Cafe and Bakery, plus a drink ticket.

Date: Friday, October 18
Time: 6 pm-9 pm
Event Location: 9635 Des Moines Memorial Dr S

“We’ve accomplished so much together as a community in the last two years since launching our capital campaign: started & completed construction on our new site; moved into our new site and started distribution; and raised 75% of our capital campaign goal. Now that our project is nearly complete, it is time to bring our capital campaign home and move onto the next chapter of supporting our neighbors beyond food resources,” says Carmen Smith.

Get your ticket(s) here before they’re gone!

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WestSide Baby invites you to ‘Beyond the Basics’

September 13th, 2024 at 11:29 am Posted in How to Help, WestSide Baby, White Center news | Comments Off on WestSide Baby invites you to ‘Beyond the Basics’

Less than two weeks until White Center-headquartered WestSide Baby welcomes you to their annual fundraiser, Beyond the Basics,” to help local families care for their kids. It’s at 6 pm Wednesday, September 25, at WS Baby’s Hub (10002 14th SW):

Meeting the basic needs of children is more than just the diaper or car seat that we distribute. These items represent dignity, freedom, and joy for the child, and their entire family. For over 20 years, you have partnered with WestSide Baby in support of the belief that every child deserves to have their most basic needs met.

Diapers are a universal need, and yet they are out of reach for so many families. We see the ripple effect that basic needs insecurity has on parents, caregivers, children, and our whole community. We believe that when families have what they need to thrive, they can go Beyond the Basics.

WestSide Baby is thrilled to host our community where the magic happens at WestSide Baby: our warehouse! While the warehouse will be partly transformed for this event, we want you to have an opportunity to see the space in which we serve over 100 community organizations and their clients.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

You are invited to gather with a common goal – ensuring children have their most basic needs met. You will be treated to delicious food, refreshing beverages and inspiring connections.

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FOLLOWUP: Highline Public Schools will stay closed for a third day Wednesday, expected to reopen Thursday

September 10th, 2024 at 3:33 pm Posted in Highline School District, White Center news | Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Highline Public Schools will stay closed for a third day Wednesday, expected to reopen Thursday

FIRST REPORT, 3:33 PM: No school again Wednesday for Highline Public Schools students, as the district struggles to recover from technology trouble still described only as “unauthorized activity”:

All Schools Closed Wednesday, September 11

All schools will remain closed on Wednesday, September 11. All school activities, athletics and meetings are canceled. Central office is open. …

Our investigation into unauthorized activity on certain systems on our network is ongoing. As a precaution, we have taken certain systems offline which are important for the safe operation of our schools.

We know this is difficult for students, families, staff and our district as a whole. However, we are actively working around the clock to bring the relevant systems back online quickly and securely so that we can open schools again. We will keep you informed with updates as soon as they become available.

Student safety and well-being remains a top priority. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

The full announcement is here.

7:48 PM: Tonight, the district announced it expects to be able to reopen schools Thursday. Here’s the plan for that day:

Family & Staff Information for Re-opening
We have taken steps to allow us to restore certain segments of our digital network in a secure manner.

Grades K-12: All schools will be open on Thursday, September 12 for students for grades K-12.
Preschool: The first day of school for preschool students will be Monday, September 16.
No School: As shared previously, schools are closed tomorrow, Wednesday, September 11.

Athletics & Activities Information
Athletics will resume on September 12. School clubs and activities will resume on a case-by-case basis, determined by school leaders. We’re working with our before- and after-school providers—please look for communication from your provider about programming.

Internet Access
Internet access in our schools will not be available when we return to school. We are working on identifying a plan for Highline Virtual Academy and the Highline Virtual Elementary program, whose educational programming relies on virtual learning.

Questions & Answers
Schools will look different when we return. We know you may have questions. We are working on a list of frequently asked questions and answers to post on our website. We will share a link with you tomorrow.

Incident Update
The investigation is still ongoing. We want to be clear, this incident involved our digital network, and not the physical safety of our facilities. Student safety measures remain in place. We will provide updates related to the incident as they become available.

Staff Instructions for September 11 & More
To prepare for the re-opening, certificated staff have the option to work for two hours on an extra service contract on Wednesday, September 11 to plan for revised instruction. Please communicate to your supervisor if you plan to work. PCT time on Friday will be dedicated to team planning.

School and department administrators will follow up with school-specific and department-specific information, including instructional guidance, regarding the reopening. If you cannot access this information via email, call your school or department after 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

We are asking staff to continue not using their district-issued computer and laptop until further notice.

Thank You!
We know the school closures this week have been difficult for students, families, staff and our district as a whole. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

We are excited to welcome all students and staff back to school on Thursday.

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FOLLOWUP: Tech crisis not yet resolved, so Highline Public Schools closure will continue Tuesday

September 9th, 2024 at 2:20 pm Posted in Highline School District, White Center news | Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Tech crisis not yet resolved, so Highline Public Schools closure will continue Tuesday

Highline Public Schools has announced its schools will remain closed for a second day tomorrow:

All schools will remain closed on Tuesday, September 10. All school activities, athletics and meetings are canceled. Central office will be open.

Our investigation into unauthorized activity on our technology systems is ongoing, and critical systems are still offline.

The message sent to Highline staffers, as forwarded to us, also says “We have not seen evidence of staff, family, or student information compromised.” The district so far is not commenting on the nature of the “unauthorized activity,” first disclosed on Sunday afternoon.

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Highline Public Schools closed Monday, citing technology-related crisis

September 8th, 2024 at 3:21 pm Posted in Highline School District, White Center news | 1 Comment »

Thanks for the tips. Highline Public Schools has announced that a technology problem will close all its schools tomorrow (Monday, September 9) though some staffers are still expected to come to work. Here’s the full announcement from the district’s website:

All schools are closed on Monday, September 9. All school activities, athletics and meetings are canceled, including the vaccine clinic. Central office is open.

We have detected unauthorized activity on our technology systems and have taken immediate action to isolate critical systems. We are working closely with third-party, state and federal partners to safely restore and test our systems.

We understand this comes as an unexpected disruption, particularly on the eve of the first day of kindergarten for many of our families. We recognize the burden this decision places on both families and staff, but student safety is our top priority, and we cannot have school without these critical systems in place. …

School and central office administrators are expected to report to work. Central office administrators may be deployed to schools if needed.

The investigation is ongoing. We will notify staff and families by 2:00 p.m. on Monday if this disruption impacts schools on Tuesday.

Highline just started its 2024-2025 year this past week.

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FOUND DOG: Steve Cox Memorial Park

September 7th, 2024 at 12:36 pm Posted in Pets, White Center news | Comments Off on FOUND DOG: Steve Cox Memorial Park

From a reader:

We found a dog at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center this morning around 10:15-30am. Seems to still be a puppy, looks like a lab mix of some sort and had a green harness on. No collar, no chip. I will be taking him to RASKC in Kent. My contact number is 2549314047.

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GOT BOOKS? The White Center Library Guild needs more!

September 5th, 2024 at 10:52 am Posted in How to Help, White Center Library, White Center news | Comments Off on GOT BOOKS? The White Center Library Guild needs more!

(WCN photo, August)

Before their next fundraising sale, the White Center Library Guild needs more books! Here’s how you can help:

Time to make room for more books? The White Center Library Guild accepts donations of books for our sale shelf.

If you need more space for your books or have left over books from your yard sale, please donate them to the White Center Library Guild. We accept old books, new books and everything in between.

Just take your donations to the library‘s front desk.

Contributions help fund children and adult programs at the White Center Library!

Thank you!

The library is at 1409 SW 107th – check here to see when it’s open.

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Highline Public Schools’ 2024-2025 year starts today

September 4th, 2024 at 1:38 am Posted in Highline School District, Schools, White Center news | Comments Off on BACK TO SCHOOL: Highline Public Schools’ 2024-2025 year starts today

Good luck to all the families with kids entering/returning to Highline Public Schools this year! It’s the first day of classes for 1st through 12th graders in the district. Here’s the district’s start-of-school message to families.

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CRIME WATCH: Attempted carjacking

September 1st, 2024 at 10:39 pm Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news | Comments Off on CRIME WATCH: Attempted carjacking

According to a bulletin shared on Seattle Police radio, King County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a carjacking attempt tonight at 15th/Roxbury. We don’t know the exact time, but in the 9 pm-10 pm vicinity. Circumstances weren’t described but the suspect, who was reported to be armed, left on a “blue motorcycle.” He was reportedly possibly seen at the Coronado Springs apartment complex afterward, but gone by the time KCSO deputies arrived.

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White Center KFC/A&W suddenly shuts down

August 27th, 2024 at 1:56 pm Posted in Restaurants, White Center news | 4 Comments »

The White Center KFC and A&W location at 10050 16th SW has suddenly shuttered, and that big banner explains why. The signage is all gone too.

A reader had told us Saturday that they’d seen indications the A&W had closed; we went over to look but saw no overt signs of that, and the KFC was definitely still in business, but today they’re both gone.

This is White Center’s second fried-chicken closure this month, after Bok a Bok. Online records show nothing of recent note for the now-ex-KFC site – no permits, no sales.

ADDED: The day after we published this, the building was repainted beige. We’re continuing to watch for signs of what happens there next.

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TODAY: Art Market and Smash Bros. Tournament at Burger Planet in White Center

August 24th, 2024 at 12:21 am Posted in Businesses, Food, Fun, White Center news | Comments Off on TODAY: Art Market and Smash Bros. Tournament at Burger Planet in White Center

Shop and play at Burger Planet (9614 14th SW) starting at 3 pm today (Saturday, August 24):

Burger Planet adds, “Free entry into the Tournament with purchase of a burger. We’ll have a DJ and local artists selling their wares from 3-7. Nintendo Switches will be available for folks to play from 3-5 and the Tournament will start at 5p. The top player wins a sweet package of prizes, including a Burger Planet gift certificate and a mystery Nintendo Switch game!”

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