White Center Now: The blog about White Center

7:47 AM: If you just can’t wait to get your tree up for the holidays – even with Thanksgiving still a week away – McLendon Hardware tells us they’re expecting their first delivery today. According to manager Matt, “We will be carrying Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, Noble Fir, and Nordmann Firs all of various sizes ranging from 2 ft. to as tall as 9 ft. New additions to our selection this year include a 5-6 ft. sheared Douglas Fir, and a 5-7 ft. Natural (un-sheared) Noble Fir.” The store’s at 10210 16th SW.

11 AM UPDATE: Matt now tells us they’ve had a delay and the trees are expected on November 24th – next Monday.

No, it is NOT too soon to think “holidays.” White Center Library Guild is having its popular annual bazaar and book sale the next two days – Friday and Saturday – and hopes you will come celebrate – all the details are above.

From the state Fire Marshal’s Office:

Consumer firework sales across the state will begin at noon on Saturday, June 28 and continue until 9:00 p.m. on July 5. State Fire Marshal Chuck Duffy reminds residents to “know the laws before purchasing and discharging fireworks,” and “only purchase legal fireworks.” This year 937 retail fireworks stand licenses were issued.

Statewide sales and discharge period allowed by RCW 70.77.395

Sales Period/Discharge Period
June 28
12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

June 29 – July 3
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

July 4
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

July 5
9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Just got confirmation from Vy Nguyen at the White Center Community Development Association that this year’s Christmas tree lighting at Triangle Park is set – 5 pm December 7th. Keep track with this Facebook event page!

At least two places in White Center are already selling holiday trees – McLendon Hardware is one. Store manager Tony Barnes e-mailed to say they have received their first shipment of almost 500 trees and are selling them now:

We (are) carrying four varieties and trees as tall as 10’. Our selection will include Noble Firs, Nordman Fir ( replaces Frazier Firs), Douglas Firs, and lastly Grand Firs, all from local suppliers.

“The Seasonal Help” at Village Green Perennial Nursery has cut and live trees on sale now too – more on them later today! From Thanksgiving events to Christmas tree lots to New Year’s celebrations, if you have holiday-season information to announce, please send it to us at whitecenternow@gmail.com. Thanks!

We’re continuing to collect holiday information – e-mail us at whitecenternow@gmail.com! – for reporting here as well as inclusion in the Holiday Guide published through our partner site West Seattle Blog (with WS, WC, and South Park info, updated daily as new additions come in). The latest announcement from White Center is from Holy Family Bilingual School, where Christmas trees will be sold again this year to benefit the school. First scheduled day is November 30th – the Saturday after Thanksgiving, starting at 10 am – and sales will continue through Christmas Eve, December 24th. Holy Family is at 18th/Roxbury.

As announced – happening today and tomorrow at White Center Library:

Friday, Nov. 15th & Saturday, Nov. 16th!

Friday, November 15, 11 am-4 pm
Saturday, November 16, 11 am-4 pm

Free Activities

Friday
Beginning Crochet,starts at Noon
Beginning Knitting, starts at 3 pm

Saturday
Holiday Gift Towels Crochet Craft, starts at Noon
Beginning Knitting, starts at 2 pm
Holiday Crafts for Kids, starts at Noon in the meeting room

The White Center Library Guild uses the money raised to help fund programs at the library throughout the year. Most of these funds are used to support children/teen activities that can be life changing for those living in our great community. Come and support this community, find some great Holiday bargains, learn new skills and help your kids learn new craft making.

The library is at 11220 16th SW.

Monday evening at Center Studio in downtown White Center, veterans are invited to enjoy a free yoga class.

White Center’s Southgate Roller Rink e-mailed to let us know they are hosting two Halloween events today/tonight – starting with FREE skating this afternoon:

FREE HALLOWEEN FAMILY SKATE: Southgate and Full Tilt Ice Cream present a FREE Halloween Family Skate from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm at the rink. Costume contest, candy giveaways, a guest DJ, more.

ZOMBIE HOMECOMING: 18+ event hosted tonight by Southgate and the Rainier Roller Girls! 9 pm-midnight, $12 @ the door. Costume contest, raffle, 21+ bar, more.

Other White Center Halloween events we’re missing? Post ’em in the comments!

Why wait until Thursday for candy? 2-5 pm, get those costumes on and get down to participating businesses for trick-or-treating! The Facebook event page includes a list of who’s participating.

Just announced – the Rat City Business Association‘s Trick-or-Treat Festival, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 27th. Be there!

Just in case you’d started to wonder, with the 4th of July just a week from Thursday: Fireworks sales are still legal in unincorporated King County, and they start at noon Friday (June 28th) this year. And fireworks are still banned in the cities around White Center – Seattle, Tukwila, and Burien.

Some notes for the holiday:

TRANSPORTATION: Metro is on a Sunday schedule, as are Sound Transit buses.

SCHOOLS: Highline Public Schools are closed.

LIBRARIES: The King County Library System is closed.

GOVERNMENT OFFICES are closed.

NO MAIL, NO BANKS … though on occasion we hear of a bank branch open on a holiday, so if you find one, let us know!

EVERGREEN AQUATIC CENTER is closed this morning, but open for a special public swim noon-2 pm and then for lessons at 4:30 pm.

(January 2012 video by Deanie Schwarz for WCN)
Lunar New Year is a little more than two weeks away, and Au Lac Vovinam Lion Dance Team plans to be dancing again – so, adviser Doan Dinh tells WCN, if any business owners are interested in bringing the team in for Lunar New Year, contact them at aulacvvn@gmail.com ASAP! Dinh adds, “This year, we are planning on donating 25% of our profits to Ky Quang temple in Vietnam, which is also an orphanage for children with disabilities and physical defects.” You can find out more about the team via its website.

We know of at least two in the downtown White Center vicinity – who else?

*Company Bar – Special dinner menu, plus dancing with DJ at 9 pm, midnight champagne toast too.

*Mac’s Triangle Pub – New Year’s Eve Karaoke, “Puttin’ on the Glitz,” 9 pm-close, no cover, midnight champagne toast and party favors, presented by PCM Musiq Productions.

It’s a full house at Center Studio, with arts/crafts vendors from White Center and West Seattle during the studio’s first Blithe Bazaar, continuing till 8 pm. Most of the participating arts/crafts vendors are listed here.

But we didn’t see the listing for proprietor Lonjina Verdugo’s son Adrian:

His duct-tape wallets are just one of many items you’ll find at 9611 16th SW in downtown White Center till 8 pm.

(Photos by Katie Meyer for WCN)
If you haven’t already noticed: White Center has a new Christmas-tree lot this season – at Holy Family, benefiting HF’s Parish School. It’s being run by HF parishioners the Calderons: Carlos, Tracy, and kids Andres and Tahlia, who are in our photo, and Marco (who was off at a sports practice when we stopped by).

Carlos says the idea came up at a Holy Family School board meeting – fundraising ideas were being brainstormed, and Carlos suggested a Christmas tree lot, recalling one run by an acquaintance in South King County. The idea was enthusiastically approved. Carlos was put in charge. He and his family bought the tree inventory, added fencing to the lot at 18th and Roxbury, built the wooden framework for the trees, and opened within days.

The Calderons are helping tree-shoppers in Spanish as well as English, and they’re open long hours – 9 am till 10 pm. P.S. Delivery’s available.

Two days till a chance to shop for gifts while supporting the community group that supports your White Center Library: 11 am-3 pm this Saturday (December 8th), the White Center Library Guild Holiday Bazaar will include “cookies, breads, and gently used items” – plus creations by the Burien Knitters group (for the first time!) and entertainment by magician Jeff Evans at 2 pm. Find it in the meeting room at the library, 11220 16th SW.

White Center’s Christmas tree, in Veterans’ Triangle Park on the north side of 16th/Roxbury, is lit! The ceremony followed the gathering to honor Margaret Ryan (see separate story). On hand … someone who you might call “Santa Mac”:

(We suspect this “Santa” parks his sleigh regularly at Mac’s Triangle Pub right next to the tree. Even a pet was in the holiday spirit:

Just announced by White Center Chamber of Commerce president Mark Ufkes:

The Annual White Center Chamber of Commerce Hero Awards and Luncheon is planned for next Tuesday, December 4, at the Salvation Army from 12-1:30 pm. We will recognize three White Center Heroes for 2012, for their contributions to White Center. We encourage folks to bring an unwrapped new toy for our Chamber Toys for Tots collection. The address is: White Center Salvation Army, 9050 16th SW