White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From White Center Chamber of Commerce president Mark Ufkes:

The White Center Chamber of Commerce will have its June luncheon next Tuesday, June 12th at noon at the Salvadorean Bakery located on the corner of Roxbury and 17th Ave. SW. Agenda items will include the status of the Chamber/CDA mural project to date, an update on our new website, discussion on the status of the Homeless Summit effort, Jubilee Days update, and discussions on how Chamber members can assist local youth programming. Traditionally, Chamber luncheons are not held in July or August, and begin again in September, so this is the last Chamber luncheon for the summer.

The new website is in the works at visitwhitecenter.com.

One year after the longtime White Center mailbox (and more) business Pony Express closed, the name and services are back. Jeri e-mailed us to announce that “the services provided by the Pony Express of White Center are now available at a new address. S & L Realty LLC at 9849 17th Ave. SW is now providing private mailboxes, mailing services, UPS shipping, money orders, pay bills, faxing, and copying.”

Help the White Center Library Guild provide special programming – especially for kids/teens – by supporting its sale on June 22nd and 23rd!

Another mural for White Center! With paint contributed by the WC Chamber and WC Community Development Association, high-school students from Highline Public Schools‘ Evergreen Campus are creating one on the north wall of Super Saver Foods, which opened in March in the 16th/107th storefront that was formerly an Albertsons. As Chamber President Mark Ufkes explained it in e-mail last week, “The design will include cultural images and food items and promote the diversity at the three Evergreen High Schools on campus.” We checked on this site this past Monday; it’s just part of what’s becoming a tapestry of mural art around the area; we’ll check in on other projects soon.

For those following all matters annexation – Seattle’s discussion of pursuing annexation of both the “sliver by the river” and the Duwamish Triangle has suddenly hit a snag: Property owners in the Duwamish Triangle are seeking annexation by Tukwila, which also claims that part of the area as a “potential annexation area.” The Seattle City Council discussed this a short time ago, and our report is on our partner site The South Park News.

In downtown White Center till 6 pm, you are invited to come celebrate The Center Studio‘s grand opening (9611 16th SW).

Meet proprietor Lonjina Verdugo (above), admire RobRoy Chalmers‘ art (behind Lonjina in the photo), have a snack and/or sip, and if you are bringing kids – there’s a bouncy house out back!

See the class info at whitecenterstudio.com.

From North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin, the announcement of next Thursday’s meeting, and its agenda:

We are pleased to have Rep Joe Fitzgibbon join us for the June 7 meeting, when he will provide information on the 2012 Legislative Session. Bill Lasby and Yolanda Pon from the Environmental Health Services Division of King County Public Health will be on hand to answer questions regarding yard waste, trash, and other general environmental concerns facing the North Highline Community. As always, all are welcome.

7:00 pm Call to Order – Flag Salute – Roll Call –
Approval of Agenda – Approval of Minutes
7:05 pm Public Announcements
7:10 pm Public Comment
3minutes for Individuals
5 minutes for Groups

7:15 pm Deputy BJ Myers

7:20 pm Dick Thurnau – Hicklin Lake Update

7:25 pm Joe Fitzgibbon

7:40 pm Bill Lasby & Yolanda Pon
King County Public Health, Environmental Health Services

8:00 pm Treasurer’s Report
8:05 pm Committee Reports
1. Governance
2. Arts and Parks
3. Public Safety
4. Housing and Human Services
5. Public Outreach
6. Transportation

8:10 pm Unfinished Business/Old Business
• Flower Bed Planting (100 ST & 16th Ave, SW)
• Jubilee Days

8:20 pm New Business
• August 2 Public Safety Forum

The meeting’s at the usual time and place = 7 pm Thursday (June 7), North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 SW 112th.

Happening tonight! From TAF, as shared by White Center Community Development Association:

June is just around the corner, don’t forget to mark your calendar for this family-friendly preview event at Technology Access Foundation’s new home in White Center – the Bethaday Community Learning Space. BBQ, games, tours and fun for the whole family. Come and help spread the word – it’s time to celebrate and warm up our new home together!

Date: Friday, June 1st

Time: 5-8 pm

Location: Lakewood Park, White Center

10916 10th Avenue SW

If you’re with a company that specializes in getting people ready for the outdoors – what better way to spend your volunteering time, than to be, well, outdoors? North Shorewood Park got an infusion of attention on Thursday when REI volunteers dug in:

If you’re feeling like helping out, REI’s website even has a feature you can use to find someplace to volunteer. Thanks to Gill for the tip about Thursday’s work party – and for sharing this bonus group shot:

Side note: North Shorewood Park, which is at 24th and 102nd, is one of those that King County would turn over to the City of Burien if annexation wins the November vote and is finalized next year.

(crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog, since WestSide Baby serves both areas)

They help thousands of local families … but they can’t do it without help from you … and tonight, White Center-headquartered WestSide Baby has a new call for volunteers “ages 8-108”:

WestSide Baby is increasing our Volunteer hours and we need your help!

The need is growing and our ability to respond to that is also growing. We are offering more volunteer opportunities than ever before and we hope you will consider helping out, either regularly or by dropping in when it’s convenient for you.You can tailor your volunteering to meet your schedule: once a week, once a month, several times a year, or more! WSB has monthly evening, weekend and daytime shifts. Check out the schedule on our WSB Volunteers page. WSB can also schedule special times for groups of 10-20 volunteers.

Onsite volunteers sort donations, fill orders, package diapers, check equipment and toys, and dismantle unusable car seats. Take-home jobs include laundry, mending clothing, pick up and drop off of items. We especially need committed regular volunteers for toys, donation collection (van or truck required) and car seat/equipment checking. Anyone ages 8-108 can volunteer. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult and youth 14-18 can volunteer on their own, with signed consent form.

To start volunteering, please go to http://www.westsidebaby.org/default/volunteer and fill out the volunteer application. Or contact Maria Groen, Outreach/Operations Manager at WestSide Baby, maria@westsidebaby.org, (206) 767-1662.

Maria also notes that “… our first “First Tuesday Frenzy” 5:30-7:30 pm volunteer time at WestSide Baby will be on June 5th, 10027 14th Ave SW.”

From Nhan Nguyen at the City of Burien:

The first informational forum on the proposed annexation of North Highline by the City of Burien will be at 3.14 Bakery (9602 16th Ave SW) on June 21 at 6 pm. We plan to hold one forum per month at various locations to answer questions the community may have on the issue. For additional information including the FAQs, please visit our website: burienwa.gov/annexation.

City reps already have held one forum, at the invitation of Glen Acres residents; here’s our coverage.

The final phase of the renovation work at Steve Cox Memorial Park‘s tennis courts in White Center is almost finished – the colorful new surface is in place, the sealant was applied Friday, and now it needs time to cure, so that’s why the nets are down.

King County Parks spokesperson Doug Williams tells WCN that they’ll be down for a few more days in hopes that’ll keep court use to a minimum. The curing is weather-dependent, so, Williams says, the nets won’t be put back up till this weekend or maybe even early next week. The project, estimated last year at $153,000, was paid for with the help of a federal grant. (P.S. Thanks to Gill for the story tip!)

It’s the calm before the storm … of summer activities. Another White Center Jubilee Days fundraiser is coming up, though, if you haven’t heard already: The 2nd annual Pinewood Derby at Big Al Brewing, all ages welcome, on June 23rd; doors open at noon, $10 per entry, which gets you a car kit. Food trucks, beer, prizes, trophies all promised, as well as live music featuring Rats in the Grass – more details on this Facebook event page.

From the White Center Food Bank:

If you’ve been waiting to do a food drive for the White Center Food Bank until you heard we really needed help, now is the time. Food donations are down 100,000 pounds in the first 5 months of this year. We are continuing to see record numbers of families. Won’t you help? Contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or Rick Jump at rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 762-2848 to help. Most needed foods are canned meat, canned fruit, cereal, peanut butter and pinto beans. We can give you a complete list of suggested items.

The state has just announced that instead of having May 31st be the final day for all state liquor stores, with June 1st the first day of privatized sales (that’s a week from Friday), it’s closing the stores in phases. The White Center store is currently scheduled to have its final day in business next Monday, May 28th. (West Seattle’s two stores both will be closed after Tuesday, May 29th.)

P.S. As previously noted, both Saar’s (the former Albertsons) and Bartell Drugs in White Center have applied for hard-liquor-sales licenses, along with the Walgreens that is on the West Seattle side of the city-county line at 16th/Roxbury.

This was announced at last night’s board meeting, and confirmed today in a news release we just received from the North Highline Fire District:

Wayne Alishokis, retired North Highline firefighter and current commissioner, resigned his position at last evening’s regular board meeting. Mr. Alishokis served as commissioner since 2006 and as board chair for the past three years. He stated in a letter to the board, “I believe the board has dealt with most all issues in preparing for the potential annexation by the City of Burien so this is a good time for me to move on.”

Because of this resignation, North Highline Fire District is now accepting letters of intent for Mr. Alishokis’ vacant fire commissioner position in accordance with RCW 52.14.050. Interested persons must reside within and be a registered voter of the Fire District. The interim position will begin immediately after appointment and end upon certification of the November 2013 election.

Letters of intent will be accepted through Friday, June 15, 2012 and may be mailed to North Highline Fire District, 1243 SW 112th St., Seattle, WA 98146.

The other two commissioners currently serving are Ray Austin and Liz Giba.

On the plaza at Greenbridge early this afternoon, the maroon-shirted volunteers who had just spent hours cleaning, painting, you name it, weren’t resting – they were dancing! (Video to come.) That was part of the 9th annual White Center Spring Clean‘s celebration at the plaza – as was a martial-arts demonstration:

King County Sheriff Steve Strachan was there too, at left in the next photo, with White Center Storefront Deputy BJ Myers, just days after his official swearing-in:

Even as the Greenbridge event unfolded, other Spring Clean volunteers were still busy – the multiple-panel mural along 17th SW north of Roxbury was a hub of activity:

The crew we found working there included Aileen Sison from the White Center Chamber of Commerce, one of the partners in this project. (added) Commenters point out that the project is headed up by Brittany Trujillo from Seattle Silkscreening Company. Here’s a panel, closeup:

In downtown White Center, the new wayfinder was going up atop the kiosk at 98th and 16th. We photographed it around noon:

And thanks to Liz for sharing this photo of Troop 1775, part of today’s volunteer workforce:

If you were part of today’s Spring Clean, some local businesses are offering rewards – get a cone for half price at Full Tilt Ice Cream if you’re wearing your Spring Clean T-shirt; wearing the T-shirt and dining in at Proletariat Pizza gets you $2 off a whole pie.

While setup went on outside for the Greenbridge Plaza party that’s part of today’s White Center Spring Clean, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott – sporting a maroon Spring Clean T-shirt – spoke to more than 50 people at Dubsea Coffee this morning. His hourlong Q/A touched on topics from Occupy Wall Street to the presidential election to farm subsidies, with much more inbetween. We recorded it all on video and will add that later, along with more toplines.

ADDED 3:23 PM: There’s the video – note it’s a coffeehouse and a casual roving format, so the audio quality varies greatly!

Biggest event of the day is of course the annual mega-operation White Center Spring Clean, with hundreds of volunteers fanning out across the area to paint, build, pick up, and more. If you hadn’t pre-registered as a volunteer, it’s too late, but certainly your well-wishes will be appreciated – smile and wave! Also this morning, at Dubsea Coffee at 10 am, you are invited to meet U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott for an hourlong Q & A – you ask the Q’s, he’ll give the A’s.

We received several reports last night from south Highland Park (West Seattle) as well as North Highline regarding a helicopter in the area for 10-15 minutes. Couldn’t track down the incident last night but did get an answer from King County Sheriff’s Office today – an assault case in the 1300 block of Roxbury, they say. Details here.