White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Two White Center business notes:

UNICORN BAR: The Capitol Hill entrepreneur hoping to open a south outpost of his one-of-a-kind club – at 9832 17th SW – is crowdfunding to save his dream. From the GoFundMe page:

Three years ago my wife & I made one of our dreams come true. We purchased a 24k sq ft building in White Center. Our goal was to create a magnificent space like no other in the world and have a space that we owned & would be safe from the ridiculously high rents of Seattle where we could have a sustainable business; we also wanted to give small business & first time entrepreneurs the same chance that I was given once when I started Unicorn (Capitol Hill ) so we spent the time & money earthquake retrofitting the entire building as well as replacing a 24k sq ft roof . We rented out the five storefronts on 16th sw to five awesome unique,first time business owners (three of them are open, the other two coming soon).

Money has been tight from the beginning as real estate in the NW is always ridiculous, but somehow, by some miracle we were able to get this building and were chosen over a developer that told us ” I was going to put bars & restaurants in it & then “scrape it” in ten years “…. I cried for twenty minutes straight after finding out that we had been approved for the purchase. I started off bartending at a “dive bar” in Seattle and saved my money to start Unicorn. Unicorn Capitol Hill has been wildly successful over the past decade and I used my share of the profits to purchase this space as our own- away from the cruddy business partners & exorbitant rents of Capitol Hill. We want this space to live on forever… and then the Covid came our way. We haven’t had any income whatsoever in the past 4 months from Unicorn Capitol Hill & instead have had to pay 100k + in rent & now we are just racking up an insane “rent tab” for our Capitol Hill space and who knows when we will be able to open again …. if ever.

Read the rest – and donate – by going here.

NEW TENANT: In downtown White Center, a liquor-license filing lists a new tenant for the former Miss Sheryl’s Ballet space at 9613 16th SW, La Tipica Oaxaqueña, described as a “grocery store.”

That’s a Little Free Pantry. In the spirit of Little Free Libraries, it’s a new nwighborhood-based way to help address hunger – which already existed in all neighborhoods, but is now worsened by the virus-crisis economic crunch. The project started in southeast Seattle and founder Molly Harmon says they are expanding west:

A small movement has taken hold in SE Seattle and we are spreading the energy to West Seattle, White Center and Burien – the building and installing of Little Free Pantries (LFP).

This project began with a micro-grant & six Little Free Pantries, and within a month we’ve raised over $3,000 and distributed nearly 44 Little Free Pantries. Little Free Pantries help neighbors feed neighbors. They aren’t intended to replace food security agencies nor eliminate the need to support them; rather they work alongside each other to draw awareness to food insecurity issues and create community through collective action in a neighborhood. We’ve begun working alongside Northwest Harvest & will work to reach out to area food banks, finding ways to utilize each other’s efforts in addressing food security.

The intention is to inform people on food insecurity and bring an issue, which hides in our society, to the surface. Millions of housed Americans are facing food insecurity on a daily basis and with our unemployment rate soaring due to COVID-19, food banks are struggling to access enough food to support those in need. It is imperative to educate the public on this growing need for food and LFPs bring this issue front and center to our neighborhoods, but in a supportive and caring way. Micro-communities form around this pillar (Little Free Pantry) and in turn, connect neighbors who otherwise would not have met. By neighbors stocking their neighborhood Little Free Pantry with non-perishable foods, it keeps the pantry full and helps those needing a meal. Whether a need for food or a need to give, Little Free Pantries help neighbors feed neighbors, nourishing neighborhoods.

We have hit our recent goal of $1150, which will enable us to build 18 pantries. We will distribute these pantries for free throughout Southwest Seattle. This is a grassroots, crowd-sourced solution to address immediate and local needs as a viable way to build community and support those facing food insecurity.

More information can be found at www.thelittlefreepantries.org. Additionally, if you feel a Little Free Pantry would work well in your neighborhood, please apply through the website.

Food insecurity is prevalent, whether you have seen it firsthand or not. And COVID-19 is intensifying the food insecurity that many of our neighbors are vulnerable to. With schools closed and layoffs rampant, many in our community are potentially going to bed hungry A quote from an owner of anewly installed Little Free Pantry in the Seward Park neighborhood, “Since it went up a little over two weeks ago, our LFP (located on Seward Park Ave, between Willow and Brighton) has been used daily, confirming that hunger is often hiding in plain sight, even in neighborhoods you might not think it would exist in.”

Just announced, a benefit for Australia’s bushfire victims, with White Center’s Lumber Yard Bar participating:

SEATTLE LGBTQ+ BARS CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA DAY WITH MAJOR DONATIONS TO BUSH FIRE RELIEF AND NIGHT OF EVENTS FOR THE FIRST-EVER BUSH BASH

When: Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 8 P.M.

Where: queer/bar, Diesel, R Place, and The Lumber Yard Bar

Australia Day is usually when Aussies around the globe celebrate their unique culture, wildlife, and country, but this year, as the bush fires continue to rage, they’re turning the public holiday into a day of action. This is no exception for the Australian community and friends over 8,000 miles away in Seattle,. Always working to better improve the local LGBTQ community, and the greater Seattle area as a whole, a group of well-known queer bars throughout the city are uniting by donating a generous amount of money to the Australian Community’s Disaster Relief Fund while also holding a fun-filled evening of specialty Tito’s drinks, chances to further donate, and, of course, the musical offerings of Australian Queen Kylie Minogue and more favorites from Down Under. Participating bars will also have a koala on display with a QR code for bar patrons to make further donations, and revelers can also keep an eye out for one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence working the bars.

We’re asking for Seattle’s LGBTQA+ community to come out in full force on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 8 P.M. and support participating establishments: queer/bar, Diesel, The Lumber Yard Bar, and R Place.

Record-breaking temperatures and a severe drought have created unimaginable conditions in the country. Some 28 people have lost their lives, an estimated 15.6 million acres of bush, forest, and parks have been burned, and an inconceivable 1 billion animals have died. Rehab and relief will take the continent decades and unimaginable funds are needed. The Australian Community’s Disaster Relief Fund () distributes funds to various organizations and charities working directly on the ground in Australia all while allowing US citizens to make tax-deductible donations.

The Lumber Yard Bar is at 9619 16th SW.

As noted in our coverage of last month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, a popular fundraiser is coming up this week – baked potatoes and tacos for New Start High School‘s Key Club. The Kiwanis Club of White Center is presenting the dinner at the school (614 SW 120th), 5:30-7:30 pm Thursday (January 16th), $20/person, $45/family, $10 for kids 5-12, free for kids 4 and under. Tickets will be available at the door, or email:

billnancytracy (at) aol.com
shorewoodscott (at) comcast.net
cindy.akana (at) highlineschools.org

(Photo by Marie Tweedy)

Monday, January 20th, you doing anything? Right here in White Center, you can do a good deed at a local park! Here’s the announcement:

Come celebrate MLK Day by giving back to your community and improving forests! Not only do healthy forests and parks provide a beautiful green space for people to connect with nature, they filter pollution, prevent erosion when there’s heavy rain, and are a home to wildlife. Our Day of Service focuses on keeping the forest at Dick Thurnau Memorial Park in White Center healthy by removing aggressive weeds and planting native trees and shrubs in their place. So come out and join us!

Please reach out to Sean Walters (swalters@kingcounty.gov) to sign up and for more information. Thank you.

If you didn’t get to Good Day Donuts (9823 15th SW) by 1 pm for Emily Un‘s “Bringing Warmth” caat/blanket collection – good news! The folks at the shop told us they’ll keep a bin throughout the holidays so you can drop off a donation some other day. GDD is open 7 am-2 pm Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 am-2 pm Saturdays, 9 am-1 pm Sundays.

From the YWCA:

Looking for a way to give back to your neighbors in need? Participate in the Bringing Warmth coat and blanket drive on Sunday, December 15 at Good Day Donuts in White Center.

Emily Un, a high school senior in West Seattle, organized the drive because of her mother’s personal connection with homelessness, as well as her hope to give back to people in need of keeping warm during these cold months ahead. “I believe many of us don’t realize how much we have in life and that we can give so much back to the people that need it so much more!” explains Emily.

December 15, 2019 | 10 am – 1 pm
Good Day Donuts | 9823 15th Ave SW

Donations from the drive will benefit YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish and Downtown Emergency Service Center.

The drive’s organizer Emily is a senior at Chief Sealth International High School.

Looking for something to do post-Thanksgiving? 6 pm Friday (November 29th) at Drunky Two Shoes BBQ in White Center, you’re invited to rock at “The Beating Heart”:

A Benefit for Life Center NW, Paws NW Harvest, and Mary’s Place.
Featuring
Stoic FB
Celia
Virginia Street Revival
5 Miles Wide
Kevin Redlich

Ticket info here.

We’ve reported before on community work at Seola Pond. Now, it’s getting some support from a new project of the King County Noxious Weed Control Program, which shared the photo and announcement:

On November 21 in White Center, The Healthy Lands Project (HeLP) is hosting a community open house about the restoration project at the Seola Pond green space and a free workshop on invasive weeds. HeLP will hold a volunteer planting event at Seola Pond on December 7, where neighbors can get hands-on experience planting native shrubs and trees and removing weeds to help make the green space a better place for people and nature. Volunteers at the work party will receive a free native plant to take home. Kids and families welcome!

Community Workshop and Open House
Thursday Nov. 21, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Grace Church, 10323 28th Avenue SW

Seola Pond Work Party
Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Seola Pond, 30th Avenue SW and SW 105th Street

These events are part of HeLP’s effort to support the community-led project to restore Seola Pond. In addition to the community events, HeLP contractor DIRT Corps will be removing invasive weeds this fall to make room for more native plants. For more information about events in White Center, contact Marta Olson, Education Specialist. For information about other upcoming events, Healthy Lands Project plans and how to participate, contact Dan Sorensen, HeLP Project Manager.

Saturday is the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! multi-site work party focused on the health of our area’s only river and its watershed. And one of this year’s sites is in White Center! You are invited to volunteer at White Center Heights Park – contact Lina Rose at lina.rose@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-6101. 10 am-1 pm is the main window for volunteers. See the full list of areas here.

Spend next Friday night at the White Center Community Development Association‘s annual gala! From the WCCDA website:

“FORWARD TOGETHER”

Keynote Speaker:

This year, we are honored to have Senator Joe Nguyen speaking at our Gala. He was born in White Center, raised in Burien and currently lives in West Seattle. His experiences growing up in an immigrant community as the son of Vietnamese refugees and being raised by a single mother informs much of his service today. Sen. Nguyen is not afraid to have the difficult conversations needed in our community. It will be a treat to listen to him on this night. Make sure you get your tickets!

There will be plenty of food, beer and wine, a photo booth and great raffles packages.

We have 3 Raffles Packages

“WHAT’S GOOD WHITE CENTER” White Center Experience
“WHAT’S UP SEATTLE?” Seattle Events
“GET OUT” Travel Tickets for 2 (two)

Venue:

Metropolist
2931 1st Ave S

6 pm September 20th – get your ticket(s) here.

Got your ticket(s) yet?

The White Center Food Bank’s 15th Annual Harvest Dinner & Auction fundraiser is September 14th from 6 PM – 10 PM at the Brockey Center at South Seattle College. The theme is “Growing Together” to celebrate what the food bank and its supporters have been growing together.

Keeping with the theme, WCFB will have a former Key Club volunteer from New Start High School share her story and how she has grown. WCFB will present The Doris Bemis Volunteer of the Year Award. Dinner will be served family style.

Featured items in the Live Auction include: “The Best of White Center” package, a fire hydrant from KC Water District 20, Dinner for 4 made by Chef Erik Jackson of Good Day Donuts, a kayaking trip for 2 in the San Juan Islands, and a farm to table dinner for 8 at WCFB featuring food grown onsite and Convergence Zone Cellars wine.

Tickets are $75. Get them here. Questions? Please email: auction@whitecenterfoodbank.org or call 206-717-2531.

It’s almost time to start previewing Jubilee Days. But first – another event happening this weekend – the White Center Library Guild Sidewalk Sale on Saturday (July 20th)!

See you there!

The White Center Bicycle Playground is the start and finish tomorrow for the annual Ride for Major Taylor benefit bike ride. From Cascade Bicycle Club:

The riding event is the biggest annual fundraiser designed specifically to benefit the Major Taylor Project, an after school youth development program for middle and high school students in Seattle and Tacoma. The program is designed to introduce youth from diverse communities to the recreation of cycling while fostering an inclusive culture of bicycling.

More than 300 riders are expected, with the route including White Center, Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, Federal Way, Tacoma, and Vashon Island, starting around 8 am. Find out more here.

Today is the final day of cookie sales for Girl Scouts in our area – and if you’re going to be in Burien, you can support a special troop of girls whose families have been finding shelter at Mary’s Place:

On Sunday, March 17 from 12 pm to 2 pm, the girls will be selling cookies at
Walgreens at 14656 Ambaum Blvd SW in Burien,

We just found out about this from a troop leader in West Seattle. Read more here.

From the White Center Kiwanis – you’re invited!

Community Fund Raising Dinner

Join us for our dinner on Friday, March 1, 2019

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Steak or Portobello Mushroom, Vegetable, Roll

(also Raffle tickets & Prizes)

Cost = $20 each

LOCATION: White Center Eagles

10452 15th Ave SW, White Center

(Later that evening Eagles will have live entertainment)

For tickets or information, contact Bill Tracy at (206) 248-2441. Tickets also available at the door.

All proceeds will go to WC Kiwanis Youth Foundation (a 501C3), to benefit youth in the White Center Area

(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!

From the White Center Kiwanis:

Join us for our Eighth Annual Taco Bar and Baked Potato Dinner
supporting the New Start High School Kiwanis Key Club

Thursday, January 24, 2019 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Cost = $20 each or Family: $50
Kids under 12: $10, under 5: Free

@ New Start High School, 614 SW 120th St, Burien

Come enjoy a taco and baked potato bar, chili, salad, rolls, dessert and beverages….

A student talent show and musical entertainment will be provided.

Twice a year, you have a chance to make a difference along the Duwamish River and its watershed. Here’s the announcement for October 20th’s Duwamish Alive! multi-site work party:

What is the connection between the Duwamish River and our local Orca? The Duwamish River is home to 5 species of salmon including the vital Chinook, which is a critical food source for Puget Sound Orca. Orca depend on the dwindling Chinook runs for the majority of their diet, and Chinook depend on healthy salmon habitat in the Duwamish.

Duwamish Alive! will have volunteers working throughout the Duwamish Watershed to improve the health of our green spaces, creeks and especially our Duwamish River, which provide salmon critical habitat. Volunteers are needed at many local sites which provide critical habitat for our community and our river.
Duwamish Alive! celebrates the connection of our urban parks and open spaces to our river, wildlife and community. Starting at 10:00 am, volunteers of all ages, at multiple Duwamish sites throughout the watershed from river to forest, will participate in a day of major cleanup and habitat restoration in the ongoing effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon and orca.

A special opening ceremony will be held at T107 Park, across from the Duwamish Longhouse at 10:00, with special honoring of George Blumberg and Willard Brown for their work in restoring the Duwamish
Opening Ceremonies:

T107 Park 9:45 – 10:30
Cecile Hansen, Duwamish Tribe
James Rasmussen, Presentation of Honors
Chris Wilke from Puget Soundkeeper, Stewardship
Sameer Ranade from Front and Centered Highlighting I-1631

Longfellow Creek at Greg Davis Park 10:00
Representative Joe Fitzgibbon from the 34th District, State House

Duwamish Alive! is a collaborative stewardship effort of conservation groups, businesses, and government entities, recognizing that our collective efforts are needed to make lasting, positive improvements in the health and vitality of the Green-Duwamish Watershed. Twice a year these events organize hundreds of volunteers to work at 14 sites in the river’s watershed, connecting the efforts of Seattle and Tukwila communities.

To volunteer, visit www.DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and to the contact for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org This is a family friendly event for all ages, tools, instruction and snacks are provided.

That’s a photo from last year’s WestSide Baby Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive Bash at WS Baby’s White Center hub. The party’s happening again this year and you’re invited! Noon-3 pm Sunday, July 22nd, at 10002 14th SW. Bring diapers and/or cash donations! Here’s the current list of most-needed items:

-Diapers sizes 4,5,6
-Pull-ups sizes 3T-4T and 4T-5T
-Wipes, baby shampoo, baby wash, powder, lotion, diaper cream

P.S. It’s OK to bring packages of diapers that have been opened.