White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From a morning stroll on 16th:

The new restaurant TT’s Soul Kitchen, at the site of the former Pho Lynna (southeast corner of 16th/Roxbury), plans its grand opening tomorrow (Tuesday, November 27th), according to handwritten signs put up on both sides of its corner location. We’re checking on hours.

And right across Roxbury, the banner’s up for this Saturday night’s tree lighting:

Veterans’ Triangle Park, right in front of Mac’s Triangle Pub, is the place to be at 5 pm this Saturday (December 1st).

Tomorrow night brings the second-annual White Center Pumpkin-Carving Contest – bring your pre-carved pumpkin to Mac’s Triangle Pub (Delridge Triangle, just north of Roxbury) as early as 5 pm for dropoff; the official contest hours are 6-8 pm, and you don’t have to be present to win. More info on the contest’s official Facebook page.

Sweet treats for some local kids, thanks to a regional union – here’s the announcement:

Halloween will be a little bit sweeter for children in Seattle’s White Center neighborhood, thanks to members of Machinists Union District Lodge 751.

Union members across Puget Sound collected more than 500 pounds of candy for the Salvation Army of White Center, to support its annual Halloween party.

“That much candy should get them through Halloween and their Christmas party too,” said Ron Coen, the president of Machinists Union Local Lodge 751-C and one of the organizers of the union’s annual candy drive.

District Lodge 751 represents about 33,000 people at 48 employers in three states, including ours. Last year, the union says, members of its Volunteer Program donated more than 10,000 hours of community service.

Some of your downtown White Center favorites are taking a break this holiday – like Full Tilt Ice Cream and Proletariat Pizza – but Caffe Delia, which operates inside the Proletariat storefront in the pre-pizza hours, is open for coffee today: 9 am-1 pm.

If this turns out to be the last 4th of July for fireworks sales in White Center – since fireworks are banned in Burien – the local International Order of the Rainbow for Girls will have to find something to replace it; the fireworks stand is their biggest fundraiser of the year. Theirs is the stand at 16th and 100th, and they’ll be open till 9 pm on the 4th of July.

Whether you love them, hate them, or don’t care about them, it’s notable that this might be the last 4th of July with legal personal fireworks in White Center and the rest of unincorporated North Highline, since they are illegal in Burien (as they are in Seattle), and if annexation is approved in November, it may be in effect by this time next year. We are reminded of this because the annual week of pre-4th sales is days away; by county law (as outlined here), stands can open at noon June 28th – this coming Thursday – and can be open 9 am-11 pm daily thereafter, through July 4th. However, fireworks can only be used on the 4th itself.

Found this one via Facebook: In addition to Cinco de Mayo parties on May 5th, White Center also will be the site of “Cinco de Medico” at Northwest Cannabis Market, with live music and medical-marijuana-strain “judging.” The event poster, which you can see online here, says nearby Herban Legends is a sponsor, with other participating medical-marijuana establishments including Northwest Patient Resource Center in south West Seattle.

For Highline Public Schools, it’s mid-winter break all week till classes resume Wednesday. Most if not all others have at least today off. … Metro is on a “weekday/no UW” schedule. … Sound Transit services’ plans are here … No U.S. Postal Service delivery … The King County Library System is closed today (including the website, which is scheduled to be down 8 am-5 pm for maintenance).

*EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE: Mark asked via e-mail if we had ad space to sell for a day to publish this message. We aren’t yet selling ads on WCN but decided to run it free and invite anyone else with a message to share for their beloved to e-mail us at whitecenternow@gmail.com (before 3 pm today), and we’ll add it too.

If you had a one-use tree this holiday season – here’s how to recycle it.

If you have Waste Management pickup service, you can put it out with your yard waste this week, as long as you follow these rules:

Waste Management collects Christmas trees from its residential customers. Be sure the tree is cut into three-foot sections and remove any tree stands, nails, tinsel and decorations.

If you are within Seattle city limits, you can take your tree to the South Transfer Station in South Park, as long as it’s not taller than eight feet (rules here).

Wherever you live, you are welcome to help out local nonprofits with these two tree-cycling events coming up next weekend:

SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Boy Scout Troop 375 Christmas Tree Recycle
January 7 – 8, 2012 (9 to 4)
Five Corners (160th and 1st Avenue in Burien)
$5 per tree
“Good Karma” Christmas Tree Mulch available for $25 donation per yard

SATURDAY, TWO LOCATIONS: The West Seattle Rainbow Girls will hold their fifth annual Christmas tree recycle fundraiser January 7 at the Alki Masonic Hall 4736 40th Ave. SW. and also at the Southgate Masonic Hall located at 1004 SW 152nd in Burien from 10:00 – 2:00. Suggested donation $5.00. No flocked trees please. For more information please contact Jan Hunter at 206-849-7906. Check out the Rainbow Girls by going to www.gorainbow.org.

Like most year, this one has had its challenges and disappointments – and its triumphs. We’ve heard of two New Year’s Eve events in White Center – if you know of others, please add a comment or e-mail us at whitecenternow@gmail.com:

WHITE CENTER EAGLES: 7:30 pm-12:30 am, big party with The Real Deal playing live. Full details on their website.

COMPANY BAR: Party tonight – full details on the Company Facebook page.

The flyer says it all, in two languages: South Park invites you to a Christmas party on 14th tonight, 4-10 pm, sponsored by its business community!

Just announced by Café Rozella proprietor Leticia:

Join us for an evening of holiday treats, local art and jewelry for sale. Shop local while you enjoy live music by Annie O’Neill and The Watchmen. Saturday, December 17th at Café Rozella, 6-9 pm, 9434 Delridge Way SW.

That’s just a few storefronts away from the White Center Christmas Tree – see you there.

Why did Santa cross the road? To get to the 2nd annual White Center tree-lighting ceremony! Here’s the end of the multilingual countdown, as the lights go on around Veterans’ Triangle Park at 16th/Roxbury:

It was just last year that a longrunning effort to get power to the mini-park finally succeeded in time for the first tree-lighting ceremony (as reported here last December). This year’s tree arrived on Friday (here’s our coverae of its arrival). Tonight, it was all about holiday cheer, with an extra meaning to that word, as Evergreen High School cheerleaders distributed candy canes:

And of course, there was caroling:

As we headed out of sight, you could almost hear, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good Sunday night!”

About an hour ago, White Center business-community leaders and other helpers put up the official White Center Christmas Tree, the second year for a tree to be displayed in the Delridge Triangle mini-park.

Lighting is set for 5 pm Sunday, everybody welcome – Santa and carolers will be on hand, we’re told. Here’s the video (wait for the cheering!) as the tree goes up.

That’s our video (by visual journalist Cliff DesPeaux) from last year’s White Center Christmas Tree Lighting. As reported here earlier this week, we’re now just one week away from this year’s ceremony, 5 pm Sunday, December 11th. And we have new details tonight of help that’s needed, plus a few other fun events ahead: Aileen Sison of WC B.O.S.S. says the organizations coordinating the tree lighting (also including the White Center Chamber of Commerce and White Center Merchants Alliance) are calling for artists to help with a tree topper and other decor; they’re also looking for musicians, singers, and choirs for the event. An organizational meeting is planned for Tuesday night, 6 pm, at Uncle Mike’s Superlicious BBQ; tree installation/trimming is expected to happen around 10 next Friday morning. Also next weekend, an Ugly Sweater Party/Contest is planned at Company, 7 pm. And a door-decorating contest is under way in the White Center business district – get those doors decorated by December 23rd!

Just spotted this on Aileen Sison‘s WC B.O.S.S. Facebook page:

Happy Holidays White Center! Join us! Second Annual White Center Tree Lighting Ceremony is Sunday, Dec 11th, 5 pm. Veteran’s Triangle Park 16th & Roxbury The Cross Carollers and Santa will be joining our celebration.

See you there!

That’s our photo from last year’s White Center Chamber of Commerce Heroes Awards/Toys for Tots Christmas Luncheon, and this year’s edition has just been announced. From Chamber president Mark Ufkes:

The White Center Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its White Center Heroes Awards and Toys for Tots Christmas Luncheon at the Salvation Army, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from noon until 1:30 pm. The Seattle/White Center Salvation Army is located at 9050 16th Ave. SW.

Annually, the White Center Chamber board recognizes three “White Center Heroes” who have gone beyond the call of duty to serve our community. We will also be collecting “Toys for Tots” (new, packaged, unwrapped toy) that will be given to at-risk families. Attendees are asked to make a $10 contribution to the Salvation Army to help cover luncheon food costs.

Guests include King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, as well as three White Center Heroes who will be recognized, and we will discuss Chamber plans for greater cleanup and graffiti removal within the business district and expanded business district marketing in 2012.

White Center Chamber of Commerce
White Center Heroes Award Luncheon and Toys for Tots Drive
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 (Noon to 1:30)
Salvation Army – 9050 16th Ave. SW

Everyone is welcome.

Please RSVP the number attending to Jimie at (206) 619-1029 or by email to markufkes@comcast.net.

One week till Thanksgiving! Here’s one place you might consider spending yours:

On Thanksgiving day (November 24, 2011), The Good News Christian Fellowship Church will serve a Thanksgiving Day Dinner with all the trimmings.

The dinner and fellowship will be held from 1:30 to 5:00 pm, at St. James Church, 9421-18th Avenue SW, in White Center, Everyone is cordially invited to attend, share a meal with neighbors and to give thanks.

Donations of food, cash, and clothing are welcome. Please contact Michael Spann at 206-854-2245 or michaelspann206@gmail.com to make contributions or to request additional information.

Last night, the pumpkins … tonight, the little punkins! Or, dinosaurs. This guy in green was moving along 16th SW with his adult chaperones during White Center merchants’ trick-or-treat event tonight – we caught up with him at Full Tilt Ice Cream, where proprietor Justin Cline, costumed as, well, an indie ice-cream mogul, had candy waiting:

Across the street, it was a trick-or-treating lull, but we caught two businesses with cool jack-o-lanterns – first, you’ll recognize the “power to the people” Proletariat Pizza fist:

And over at the T-shirt place, we couldn’t get the entirety of the carved “RAT CITY” in a single shot, but here’s the first half – and the obligatory rat:

Happy Halloween!