White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Two weeks from tonight, it’ll be the first Fourth of July in North Highline since the fireworks ban took effect in unincorporated King County. As county officials have said previously, the first year is educational – violators will get warnings rather than citations. So here’s what you need to know:

With this year being the first that fireworks aren’t permitted, King County is emphasizing community education about the new rules and is deferring issuing citations for a year. However, that doesn’t mean folks will be able to light fireworks without repercussion. As of June 14th, residents have been able to report violators to the King County Permitting Division:

-Online by visiting kingcounty.gov/reportfireworks (Users will have to sign up for our system)

-Phone: 206-848-0800

King County will issue a warning to violators and include them in our records. If the behavior continues, these violators will likely be the first to eventually receive citations.

Local Services is finalizing the details of how violators will be cited beginning in 2023.

That’s the 2021 White Center Christmas tree in all its splendor, in the mini-park outside Mac’s Triangle Pub at Delridge/16th/Roxbury. Mr. and Ms. Claus were there for the occasion:

So were some excited kids:

The actual lighting – before dark – had a few stops and starts, but good cheer all around:

For the icing on the cake, the pub was showing the Seahawks game, and they were on the bring of their 30-23 win over the FortyNiners.

P.S. The tree is sponsored by not only Mac’s but also Center Tool Rental and Meat The Live Butcher.

That’s the White Center Christmas Tree in 2019. What will it look like this year? Be the first to see by attending the tree lighting this Sunday (December 5th), 4:20 pm outside Mac’s Triangle Pub (9454 Delridge Way SW).

Your local firefighters want to bring holiday joy to 25 families around their coverage area again this year. All they need is some help from you – starting today:

It’s been a tough year for White Center businesses but they aren’t letting that get them down – look how many plan to participate in this year’s White Center trick-or-treating! Get your costume on and get ready to show it off as you make the rounds on Sunday, starting at 3 pm.

Best way to avoid the supply-chain snarls – shop local, handmade! You can do that right now at the first holiday bazaar of the season, at the White Center Eagles‘ HQ (10452 15th SW) until 6 pm.

They’re selling lunch, too – grilled-cheese sandwiches and soup. P.S. With road-work closures at 15th/Roxbury and 15th/107th, you’ll want to access 15th by taking a nearby cross-street like 102nd or 106th.

We know, Halloween isn’t even here yet. But the first holiday bazaar of the season is just days away. Here’s the announcement:

Holiday Bazaar

October 23rd, 2021
10 am-6 pm

White Center Eagles
10452 15th Ave SW

Open to the public! Free Parking!

The last season of legal fireworks-selling in unincorporated King County has begun. That stand by Roxbury Lanes is one of multiple fireworks stands that opened today. The rules allow sales 9 am-11 pm daily through the 4th of July (Sunday), and the 4th is the only day you can legally set them off (9 am to midnight). Starting next year, fireworks will be completely banned in unincorporated King County, as they are in jurisdictions neighboring White Center – Burien, Seattle, and Tukwila.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree … time to take you out before you dry out. If you have curbside service from Waste Management, you can put yours out with your yard waste – just be sure it’s cut into sections no longer than four feet. Or if you just want to drop off the entire tree, here’s an option the next two days:

Annual Scout Troop Christmas Tree Recycling will be Jan. 2 & 3

January 2, 2021 – January 3, 2021

Burien Eagles, 920 SW 150th Street

9 am-4 pm both days

Local Scout Troop 375/8375 will be holding their annual Christmas Tree Recycle the weekend of Jan. 2 & 3, 2021. Bring your tree to their recycling station at the FOE Burien Eagles Lodge parking lot, located behind the Countryside Cafe. No flocked trees please. Suggested Donation $5.

If you can help – local firefighters who serve North Highline and Burien are looking for assistance in this year’s donation drive:

Whatever you can give, District 2 will use to buy food to donate to the 25 families it’s helping this season.

Hope you’re having a safe Halloween! Many residents found creative ways to facilitate no-contact trick-or-treating. Tom sent this candy-chute photo from his White Center porch.

From the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:

As in our prior years, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) will not be holding July and August meetings. We will resume meetings on Thursday, September 3rd. Wishing everyone a safe, happy, warm, summer –

In the meantime, please see the info below regarding mask and hand sanitizer distribution that the North Highline Fire District in partnership with NHUAC and King County, will be handing out on July 4th.

The North Highline Fire District is Pleased to Announce

We will be distributing face masks (2 per person) and hand sanitizer (1 bottle per household) on July 4th in partnership with the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council and King County.

Your firefighters work hard to ensure the safety of North Highline.

We look forward to seeing you in our community on July 4th and making sure you have the protective gear you need to stay healthy!

If you need a mask or hand sanitizer before the 4th of July, please e-mail your contact information to: office@northhighlinefd.org

White Center’s 2019 community Christmas tree is now twinkling over the intersection of 16th/Roxbury/Delridge, after a lighting ceremony tonight. Please accept our apology for publishing what turned out to be the wrong date for the event – the first announcement we received about the tree lighting and Night Market said December 15th, but when we received a second announcement saying “Saturday,” we failed to catch the discrepancy.

P.S. Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the return of White Center community Christmas tree lightings – here’s our coverage of the first one back in 2010.

(WCN photo from 2018 Tree Lighting)

We told you last week about the White Center Christmas Tree Lighting event coming up Sunday (December 15th). Tonight, we have more information: It’ll start at 5 pm and will include a tribute to Tommy Martin, the local enterpreneur and community advocate who died suddenly earlier this year. The White Center Eagles‘ Christmas carolers will sing, local businesses will provide refreshments, and Santa Claus is expected to make an appearance. And they’ll be collecting food for the White Center Food Bank, so please bring a donation if you can. This will all happen at the mini-park by Mac’s Triangle Pub at Delridge/16th/Roxbury.

SATURDAY NIGHT NOTE: Just discovered that we had wrong info and this happened tonight. Our apologies, and we are sorry to have missed it … off to photograph the tree soon as we can.

(WCN photo from 2018 Tree Lighting)

The date is set for this year’s White Center Tree Lighting – and a Holiday Market is happening that evening too, for the first time. Here’s the announcement we received today:

White Center is hosting its first annual Holiday Market, on December 15th at 4 pm, in tandem with the Tree Lighting! It will take place in the business district with holiday marketplaces in two locations (at Miss Sheryl’s Ballet & Drunky Two Shoes BBQ). there will be featured local performers, and specials all up and down the heart of White Center!

Local artists of handmade items (please no MLM) wishing to participate in the market are encouraged to contact Sheryl at onpointmom@gmail.com for more information.

The Tree Lighting in the mini-park outside Mac’s Triangle Pub will happen that night at 6 pm.

Whatever you’re looking for, you just might find it at the White Center Library Guild‘s bazaar and book sale, on until 3 pm at the library (1409 SW 107th).

Proceeds benefit library programs.

Saturday (November 16th) from 10 am to 3 pm at the library, 1409 SW 107th: “Used books, non-English language books/CDs/ DVDs, white-elephant gifts and holiday items for sale. All proceeds benefit the programs for the White Center Library. A free all-ages craft activity will be offered during the bazaar.”

From the King County Sheriff’s Office:

King County’s unincorporated communities will get assistance in keeping the Fourth of July holiday safe, with a $25,000 boost in Sheriff funding for increased patrols. Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Joe McDermott, Larry Gossett, and Reagan Dunn announced that funds for the King County Sheriff’s Office were prioritized in the King County Budget. These patrols will be on the lookout for illegal fireworks usage during the Fourth of July holiday.

“With growing concerns over public safety, these funds for the Sheriff are intended to ensure a safe 4th of July celebration for everyone,” said McDermott.

“It is important that residents of our unincorporated areas can celebrate our Independence Day, but do it in a safe and legal manner,” said Gossett. “These increased patrols will go a long way to ensure that.”

$25,000 was prioritized to cover 300 hours of extra emphasis which will be split between the three sheriff precincts; Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest King County. The intent of this action is to ensure deputies can better respond to 911 calls made in response to illegal fireworks.

“My first priority as folks celebrate Independence Day is to help ensure the safety of unincorporated residents,” said Dunn. “I worked hard with my colleagues to get the additional funding that the Sheriff’s Office needed in order to provide a heavier police presence leading up to and on the Fourth.”

“The additional funding that we received from the King County Council is being used to proactively respond to illegal firework calls,” said Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht. “We want everyone to have a safe 4th of July.”

In unincorporated King County, fireworks may only be discharged on July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight. Residents are encouraged to act responsibly when using fireworks. Examples of legal fireworks include cone fountains, smoke devices, mines/shells/cakes, wheels, parachutes, roman candles, ground spinners, cylindrical fountains, sparklers, and poppers.

There are a number of free fireworks shows located around King County. The cities of Bellevue, Auburn, Carnation, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Kenmore, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Mountlake Terrace, Renton, Sammamish, Seattle, and Tukwila are all hosting public fireworks displays on July 4th. (Here’s a list.)

For more information about how to use fireworks safely and legally, go here.

(Photos by Patrick Sand for White Center Now and West Seattle Blog)

Fixing up gently used car seats to help keep kids safe is part of what dozens of volunteers did at WestSide Baby in White Center today, for an MLK Day of Service project organized by United Way of King County. WS Baby has a mountain of car seats to move:

Volunteers were from businesses and organizations including Starbucks and Nordstrom.

They also helped process and package donated clothes and diapers for some of the thousands of families WS Baby serves in a growing area of King County.

Many brought their own kids to help out. WS Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland reminds us volunteer help is needed and welcome year-round.

Here’s how you can help!

Just announced by the county:

For the second year, King County Metro will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. Rides will be free from 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, to 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, including DART and Access service. In addition, Metro will add buses to its night routes. The Seattle Streetcar also will be free on New Year’s Eve, and Sound Transit will extend the operating hours of Link light rail service between Angle Lake and the University of Washington.

“As we ring in another new year together, we are glad to again offer free rides on Metro to help keep the celebration safe for everyone,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We appreciate all our customers, and hope folks who give transit a try during the holiday season will join the half-million daily Metro riders who depend on our safe, friendly, and reliable service all year ’round.”

“Access to safe and reliable transportation is a cornerstone of Metro’s mission and New Years Eve is no exception. We hope existing and future riders will utilize Metro to help them celebrate the New Year this year,” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, who proposed the idea in 2017.

King County Metro will operate reduced weekday schedules on New Year’s Eve on some routes, with extra buses on several routes serving destinations such as Seattle Center, Capitol Hill and downtown. New Year’s revelers can take advantage of Metro’s recently expanded Night Owl network, with added service on major routes between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Sound Transit will operate extended Link light rail service with trains running until 2 a.m. pm New Year’s Eve. The last trains to leave Westlake Station depart at 2 a.m.

The Seattle Streetcar will operate until 1 a.m.

Metro routes with added trips as needed will include 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 24, 32, 36, 40, 41, 62, 65, 70, 101, 106, 120, 124, 150, 255, RapidRide A, B, C, D and E lines, and ST 550 and ST 554. The fareboxes and ORCA card readers on Metro buses will be covered to remind customers not to pay. A regular valid fare will be required on Sound Transit Express buses.