White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From Lina Rose at King County Parks – a chance to do a good deed while having a good time this Saturday (June 4th):

Our program lead community members in high quality service experiences in King County Parks with the goal of connection and engagement in the health of our parks. Together with our partners, we lead an average of 10,000 volunteers a year performing restoration, park improvement and building and maintaining trails. We weave environmental education into every event, to make for a rewarding and productive day in the park.

We’ve got a free, public event coming up on June 4th in partnership with Parkour Visions that we’d like to share with the White Center community. This special event is focused on connection to White Center Heights Park through environmental restoration, and through play. The event includes 3 hours of learning about the plants and animals of the park, digging out weeds and spreading compost mulch with an option to stay for an hour of parkour. Parkour Visions staff lead the parkour portion of the event and participants will receive instruction in parkour basics like the basic jump, landing, climbing and vaulting techniques. We ask that interested volunteers sign up in advance of the event so that we can plan our tools accordingly and ensure that all volunteers have the information that they need for the day.

To learn more and sign up please visit: Volunteer King County Parks

Date: Saturday, June 4, 9 am-1 pm

Location: White Center Heights Park

*Note that volunteers must show proof of vaccination in order to participate in this event. Please contact Crescent Calimpong, ccalimpong@kingcounty.gov with questions about this event.

Those are some of the riders who left the White Center Bike Playground on Sunday morning to head out on the fundraising Ride for Major Taylor. It was actually two rides – a 63-mile route, with riders heading out as early as 7 am, and a 26-mile route with departures starting at 8:30 am.

The ride raises money to help youth via the Major Taylor Project. The presenting organization, Cascade Bicycle Club, explains it:

Marshall “Major” Taylor was a Black athlete and cycling legend who was one of the greatest bicyclists of his era, setting numerous world records and winning a World Championship–all while battling racism throughout his career from the late 1800s to early 1900s. He was an international superstar whose amazing talents and drive were as well-known in his era as LeBron James or Serena Williams are today.

The Major Taylor Project is a year-round, youth leadership cycling program focused on introducing young adults from underserved communities to the recreation of cycling and creating an inclusive culture of bicycling that will continue to future generations. The Major Taylor Project currently serves schools in the Puget Sound region; Seattle, Tacoma, and Puyallup.

The Major Taylor Project welcomes donations year-round.

(Photo courtesy DubSea Fish Sticks)

Got room under your roof for a summer visitor? The DubSea Fish Sticks are looking for a few more host families for the collegiate players who will spend a big part of their summer here:

The DubSea Fish Sticks summer collegiate baseball team is looking for host families for out-of-town players this summer.

The team recruits players from colleges across the country to come and play for the months of June and July. The 2022 summer roster is composed of players from 26 different colleges. The players report in late May and play with the team to hone their skills and hope to one day play professionally.

Similarly to junior-hockey teams like the Seattle Thunderbirds out of Kent, the Fish Sticks rely on the support of local families to host players for the summer months, also known as billets in the hockey community.

General Manager Justin Moser said, “Host families are the backbone to successful summer collegiate teams. Being able to recruit players from a broader range of area improves our ability to be as competitive as possible. It also allows us to expand our reach into other communities and give college student athletes an experience of living in our community.”

The Fish Sticks aren’t just a baseball team, though. They require players to volunteer within the community weekly, performing community-service hours at the food bank, with local non-profit organizations, help run youth baseball camps, and do community cleanups regularly.

“We’ve seen host families in the past start out as a safe place to stay, and then the relationship grows and many players become an extension of the family. Most of our former players and their families still have relationships with their former host families,” explained Moser.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a host family, please visit gofishsticks.com/hostfamilies. The team is still in need of hosts for 8 players this summer.

You can find more information about the Fish Sticks at GoFishSticks.com, where you can join their priority ticket list. Season tickets and flex packs go on sale in mid-April and single-game tickets go on sale in May.

You’ll see hundreds of bicyclists riding in White Center on April 24th, as the Cascade Bicycle Club‘s Ride for Major Taylor starts and finishes at WC Bicycle Playground (11050 10th SW). The ride raises money to support free after-school educational programming. Riders can choose a 26- or 63-mile course. Find out more – and register, if you want to ride – here.

Up for a bar/pub crawl? Set your calendar for Saturday, March 19th. White Center establishments are participating in a benefit for this summer’s White Center Block Party. From the ticketing page:

COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY ON MARCH 19!

The WC Block Party planning committee is rounding up the bars in White Center for an evening of drinks and deals over St. Paddy’s day weekend right in the heart of White Center. All proceeds from bracelet sales will go toward planning the White Center Block Party this summer.

PRE-ORDER NOW AND GET A FREE JELLO SHOT AT PICK UP! OR, PURCHASE DAY-OF FOR 20.00.

Participating bars:

Buho

Drunky’s Two Shoe BBQ

CanBar

Mac’s Triangle Pub

Lariat

Roller Rink Bar

Boombox

Future Primitive

Beer Star

Special Shops Participating:

Macadons – Free Cream Puff for Pub Crawl Attendees

Cartwheel Vintage & Consign – 20% off from 4-8 PM for Attendees

It all starts at 4 pm March 19th; buy your advance ticket here.

The White Center Food Bank needs your help, if you can donate food. Here’s the announcement we received:

We are running low on the following items and need our community to help fill the shelves:

Soup (pop top)
Broth
Peanut Butter
Rice
Sugar (in a box)
Condiments (BBQ, mustard, mayo)
Oil
Flour
Coffee & Tea
Soy Sauce
Mac and Cheese
Ramen Noodles
Salt
Black Pepper

Donation hours at the food bank are 8 am-3:30 pm M-F, 10829 8th Ave SW.

Please get in touch with a staff member when you arrive and they can help load in.

If those hours or location are not convenient, we have donation barrels located at:

– BECU in Roxbury Safeway
– Moonshot Coffee
– Good Day Donuts
– Future Primitive Beer
– White Center and Fauntleroy Starbucks locations

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:

That’s Crescent Calimpong, volunteer coordinator for King County Parks, who had quite a crowd to coordinate at Steve Cox Memorial Park on Saturday;

Crescent had 17 volunteers for a fall tree-planting event, mostly students, reports Gill Loring, who took the photos. This was a three-hour event – that’s all you need to give, a small amount of time to make a big difference! Other opportunities are coming up, including one at White Center Heights Park in less than two weeks – go here to sign up.

If the end of summer has you feeling rummage/yard/garage-sale withdrawal, here’s one more chance – the White Center Library Guild‘s books-and-more sale is happening today!

Find the sale just outside the library (1409 SW 107th) until 3 pm. Besides books, we found toys, clothing, housewares, even classic music cassettes.

The all-volunteer Library Guild raises money to help fund programs at the library.

From the White Center Library Guild:

The White Center Library Guild is having a Book & Sidewalk Sale this coming Saturday, October 2nd, from 10 AM to 3 PM at the White Center Library at 1409 SW 107th St. in White Center just east of 16th Ave. SW. Stop by the Library for a fast look at books and other items to restart needed funding for our White Center Library programs for children and adults over the next year. Guild members will be on hand to sell various items collected during the COVID shutdown. Be masked and come by for some good bargains. Join our Guild, too! If you have yet to visit, the Library it is a beautiful welcoming place with books, computers, a children’s play area, and a friendly staff. Great place for children of all ages to go after school. COVID protocols are in place.

(WCN photo, September 13th)

Less than two weeks after the 3-alarm fire that destroyed the closed Locker Room in downtown White Center, its neighbor to the north, Huong Xua Deli, is still struggling to recover from damage. (Our photo above shows what it looked like inside hours after the fire.) So their neighbors to the north, Full Tilt Ice Cream proprietors Justin Cline and Ann Magyar, have launched a crowdfunding page for community donations to help Huong Xua reopen. The page features this message from the deli’s owners:

My name is Kevin Bui and my wife is Phuong Nguyen. I came to the US when I was young. Growing up, I didn’t have that many opportunities and wealth. I had to work to support me and my family. Even through the struggle, our culture brings happiness and everybody together. That is why I wanted to open a small business to share some cultural foods such as Bánh Mì, Bún Bò Huế, thịt Heo Quay (Roasted Pork) and many more foods. When we inherited the business from the previous owners, everything was still the same but got slower from the pandemic. Not too long ago, our Roasted Pork Sandwich got rated #1 as the best Bánh Mì in the Puget Sound from The Seattle Times. I could say this was a blessing. Our business got more customers coming from all over the state. Everything was going well until a fire that was spread to our Deli. There were 3 fires that happened in a span of 5 months, but this time, Hương Xưa Deli was affected and damaged by the water and fire retardant. Our friendly neighbor from Full Tilt, started this fundraiser to help us rebuild our deli. Our family’s income depends on this business. Anything will help, thank you all for your support, I hope we can rebuild a new Deli as soon as possible located in the spot where we are right now to serve to our lovely community in White Center.

You can donate by going here.

P.S. Bizzarro Italian Café, south of the Locker Room, remains closed too. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer told WCN that investigators believe “smoking material” started the fire, as was the case with the April fire that closed the Locker Room.

Thanks to Gill for sending word of this. Your help would be welcomed!

Restoration and Stewardship at North Shorewood Park

10044 24th Ave SW

Saturday, September 11, 2021
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Space is limited, register at:
pg-cloud.com/KingCountyParks/

The Community School of West Seattle at 22nd/Roxbury invites your support at a fundraising concert in White Center Heights Park:

Go here for tickets.

Set your calendar:

Almost a month have passed since the arson that tore through part of the heart of downtown White Center. Businesses are still working to get back open, some in new locations. Today (graphic via @WhiteCenterPride) there’s word of a big party in four weeks to help – be there!

Lots of options for this year’s White Center Refresh! The invitation was sent by Mark Ufkes:

We need “I Love White Center” Volunteers!

White Center “Refresh” Spring Clean 2021

White Center Needs Volunteers for two 2-day sessions :

Friday and Saturday, May 21 and 22
Friday and Saturday, May 28 and 29
Volunteers who want to earn a “I Love White Center” T-shirt must sign-up and help complete one of the 15 projects listed below. The free T-shirt supply is limited so sign-up soon.

You can sign-up by sending a message by e-mail or text to volunteer Project Coordinator Mark Ufkes (email; markufkes@comcast.net or Text; 206-595-7124).

In your sign-up email or text, include your name, your shirt size, and the number of the project you want to volunteer for and show up at the location at the listed day and time. The Project Coordinator will promptly confirm your project assignment.

Once you arrive at the location on the day and time listed below, our crews will have all the gear you will need to complete the project and help you make White Center more beautiful.

We cannot be responsible for your children at these clean-up events. Please bring work gloves and rakes if your project includes yard work. All paint, brushes, rollers, etc. will be provided.

If you are a White Center business owner, we encourage you to clean up the area in front of your business while our volunteers do the larger White Center projects. Consider adding hanging flower baskets in front of your business, clean your front windows and nicely cover over or remove nearby graffiti. Our goal is to help you transform White Center during this two-week period.

White Center Projects include;

Friday, May 21

White Center Welcome Sign (4th SW and SW 108th) Mow and rake area, plant flowers under the sign. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Friday, May 21; 2 pm)
White Center Welcome Sign (Delridge and 18th SW) Mow and rake area, plant flowers under the sign. 3 volunteers, 2 hour (Friday, May 21, 4 pm)
Back Alley (SW 96th and Delridge SW) Paint over graffiti, match previously used brown and white paint to make the walls look nice. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Friday, May 21, 3 pm)

Saturday, May 22

Touch-Up Murals on both sides of street (107th at 16th SW) Touch-up existing murals on both sides of 107th, paint new murals, mow median strips. 10 volunteers, 3-4 hours (Saturday, May 22; 9 am)
White Center Plaza Building (98th and 15th SW) Paint over graffiti, paint walls to make them look nice. 6 volunteers, 3 hours (Saturday, May 22; 10 am)
White Center Bus Stop (100th and 15th SW) Paint over graffiti. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Saturday, May 22, 10 am)
Alley between 15th and 16th SW (Behind Proliteriat Pizza); Paint over graffiti. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Saturday, May 22, 11 am)

Friday, May 28

White Center Community Events Board (100th and 16th SW) Clean the Events Board display, paint the display. 3 volunteers, 2 hours (Friday, May 28, 2 pm)
Lions Mural Building (Roxbury and 17th SW) Touch up painting on murals, paint over graffiti. 5 volunteers, 2 hours (Friday, May 28, 3 pm)

Saturday, May 29

White Center Welcome Sign (Roxbury and 20th SW) Clean sign, plant flowers below sign, and rake and clean the hillside around the sign. 6 people, 2 hours (Saturday, May 29, 9 am)
9800 Block of 16th SW (Northmart and Starbucks area) Paint over graffiti, clean and sweep the area, pick up trash. 10 volunteers, 2 hours (Saturday, May 29, 9 am)
White Center Welcome Sign (10th SW and Roxbury) Mow and weed eat along the sidewalks between 9th to 11th, touch up mural, paint upper guard rail white. Park at the 10th dead end. 10 volunteers, 3 hours, (Saturday, May 29th, 10 am)
Saars Market Evergreen High School Art Class Mural; Touch-up the painted areas next to mural, make wall and area look nice. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Saturday, May 29, 10 am)
100th Block of 16th (south of Autozone); Paint graffiti on walls, rust red; make the walls look nice. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Saturday, May 29, 11 am)
White Center Eagles on 15th, paint graffiti, clean up area. 4 volunteers, 2 hours (Saturday, May 29, 11 am)

White Center Refresh Spring Clean 2021 is organized by the White Center Community Development Association (White Center CDA) and the all-volunteer Eagle Scout White Center Improvement Club.

Spring has sprung, and volunteers have sprung into action! Gill Loring sent the photos after a volunteer work party at North Shorewood Park last Saturday.

Gill reports that King County Parks has a new volunteer-program coordinator, Crescent Calimpong, and that participating volunteers on Saturday “were from all over the Seattle area.” North Shorewood Park has another event on September 11th; other KC Parks events are planned in the meantime.

If you’re interested in volunteering, find out how by going here.

If you haven’t already heard about this – it’s gotten regional media attention – we’ve been asked to share the link for a crowdfunding campaign to help White Center businesses recover from vandalism. The GoFundMe page says businesses hit so far include:

· Salvadorean Bakery & Restaurant
· Bizzarro Italian Cafe
· Full Tilt
· Macadons
· Mynt Salon
· Decoraciones Ely
· Za-Za Boutique
· Crawfish House
· Beer and Wine Source
· La Tipica Oaxaqueña

If you can contribute, here’s where to go.

Here’s a tasty way to help the White Center Cooperative Preschool:

We need you to eat ice cream, cookie dough, and cotton candy for a great cause!

The past year has brought all sorts of challenges for schools. Our local preschool, the White Center Co-Op Preschool (part of the larger South Seattle College Cooperative Preschools) has seen a huge increase in financial assistance requests, and outdoor classes and remote learning has meant new demands for class materials. But through it all, the school has kept kids learning and playing, and given families invaluable support through community and the parent education program. Now we are offering our newest and most sugary Covid Pack ever to help raise money for this incredible school.

The Sugar Rush Covid Pack includes a pint of ice cream, a pint of vegan chocolate chip edible cookie dough, and a quart of cotton candy. You’ll also get a one of kind piece of art from one of the kids you are supporting. The cost is $30, with half going straight to the school.

Order online now through Thursday, April 29 and pick up starting Friday, April 30th at Full Tilt in White Center.

(File photo: Stack of donated car seats from past WS Baby drive)

With your help, local nonprofit WestSide Baby works to help families keep babies safe, warm, clean, and dry. One important component of that: Car/booster seats for wee ones to ride in. On Saturday, WestSide Baby’s collecting them – and you can help even if you don’t have one to donate:

Donate your new or used car seat

Saturday, April 17, from 11 am-2 pm
White Center Hub & South Lake Union Branch
(or)
Purchase car seats to ship to us directly through our Amazon Wishlist

Car Seat Details
Donated seats MUST meet the following requirements:

For Infant Car Seats: Donated items must be at least 6 months from the expiration date. Expiration dates are typically 6 years after the manufacture date. This date is often located on either side or under the car seat on a sticker.

For Convertible/Combination/ Booster Car Seats: Donated items must be at least 1 year from the expiration date. Expiration dates are typically 6 years after the manufacture date. This date is often located on either side or under the car seat on a sticker.

Have not been in an accident. You will be asked to sign a waiver stating that this car seat has not been involved in a vehicle accident.

Have not been washed with harsh chemicals, like bleach. Although we love to receive clean items, bleaching the straps impacts the webbing, as it easily frays, allowing children to come out of the seat in a crash.

In addition, whenever possible, please visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov to quickly review whether your seat has been recalled. You may be surprised. Many issues can be addressed by ordering a part (usually free of charge from the manufacturer). This individual effort on your part allows us to move items safely and quickly.

Other ways to donate to WestSide Baby are here.

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.