White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Out of the inbox:

This dog was found in a White Center parking lot this afternoon around 3:30 pm. Chris says it was taken to a vet, but had no microchip, and it was wearing no collar. Yours? Or know whose it is? Contact Chris at 253-334-5654.

UPDATE: Reunited!

Just got this from White Center Art Walk organizers – sorry we can’t hotlink the URLs immediately but wanted to pass the information on as fast as possible – it’s happening tonight:

This month seems to be themed towards PARTY MONTH. Seriously. There is going to be three different locations that are rockin kegs and art. How could you not want to come out for that? EddieGuyver and his birthday party at Big Al Brewing, Herban Legends and their always-rockin Art Walks and The Forge: Fire Pits Gone Wild. Really people. Come out even though it’s cold and damp and have a rockin’ good time in White Center. Where we are all currently living the dream.

3.14 (9602 16th Ave SW): Larry the Front Desk Guy (Sorry, Larry- I never heard back on what your last name is)- Ink on Paper: Intricate drawings with a tribal feel, these pieces pull you into a vortex of mazes. Small and intimate you have to get in close to really get a feel for what’s going on. Kind of like the cinnamon rolls, which you should eat and then tell me all about.

Big Al Brewing (9832 14th Avenue SW): Margaret Brown- Oil on Canvas: Margaret has created a series of paintings devoted to one black leather jacket. It is cohesive, thick, raw and reminiscent of suspended auto-parts. She definitely has a strong grasp of color and has explored different compositions to highlight them effectively. Stop by Big Al, drink a Winter Warmer or the Local Hero #11 (Stout) and get your art on. I recommend playing some darts and yelling at each other as well. In case you are normally in the hood- it’s local favorite bartender EddieGuyvers birthday and there will also be a smidgen of stand-up comedy goin down. Don’t miss it!

Café Rozella (9434 Delridge Way SW): TBA- Stop in for some rockin coffee and see what’s on their walls.

Company (9608 16th SW): Rafael Carraballo-Oil on Canvas: Rafael and his pomegranates are sticking around for another month. If you haven’t made it in to check out his playful compositions, you should. It is well worth it. Plus you could put a glass of rye in your belly. We all know you want to do that.

Dubsea (9910 8th Ave SW): Sarah Browning- Paper Stacking: Bold, chunky graphics that “explore themes of survival an nurturance”. Sarah layers different pieces of cut paper in such a way that the resulting image almost jumps off the page to punch you in the face (in a nice way… people… seriously. This is art) Sadly, there will not be an opening reception the night of the art walk but it will be up all month. Try and stop by to check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Dzul Tattoo (9622-B 16th Ave SW): Katie & Alex- Black & White Photography. Drop in for funky grooves and an eye-full of new body ink. Updated B&W photos of the newest generation of ink, dripping with permanence. This shop has spirit and enough eye-candy to chew on for days.

Full Tilt Ice Cream (9629 16th Ave SW): Sydney Smith- Photography: Landscape photography that’s not just black and white, if you know what I’m saying. I’m pretty sure that if you grabbed a scoop of Memphis King and played some skee ball, your soul would not be offended.

Herbal Legends-Medical Marijuana Dispensary– (9619 16th Ave SW): Featuring -Carlos Aguilar and other awesome artists- http://carlosgaguilar.com/works/-Urban Paintings: This guy seriously rocks that spot. Fancy, bright colored creatures that jump off the page with an enthusiasm that can hardly be matched. Most of his work is playful and bold with a tight use of color and an epic usage of the house-people. Stop by to party it up as these guys. There will be an artist reception- I’m talkin’ bout beer and snacks people. Let’s get together and do it the White Center Way.

Proletariat Pizza – (9622-A 16th Ave SW)- Zach Bohnenkamp “Matamuros”- Graphic Paintings: You’ve already seen his work spread out over White Center. He’s the proud artist of both the mural on the side of the New Angkor Market (98th and 16th) as well as the produce market on Delridge right by the CDA. Now is your opportunity to see some of the pieces you can buy right off the wall. Zach executes well thought out compositions with bold chunky lines. He doesn’t shy away from color either, which is more than OK in my book. Pop in for a slice a pizza and some arts.

Salvadorean Bakery (1719 SW Roxbury): Grace Rajendran- Watercolors on Paper: Playful pieces that host a variety of subjects. Grace manages to put a smile on your face with her whimsical use of subject and color. Combine that with a papusa and you have a guarantee of a good time.

Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th Ave SW): Stop by and check out the AWESOME ROLLER SKATE SCULPTURES! Round 1 has been installed and we are currently on the look out for participants for Round 2. Vintage-roller-skates-gone-art. Must-I-Say-More?

Tilton, Balaban (see? I can be taught) & McCallister– (9052 Delridge Way)-The Forge- White Center Style: A new forge that’s bloomed in White Center- these fantastic blacksmiths are opening their studio doors for foot traffic and a smattering of good times. Stop by and welcome them to White Center. Don’t forget to tell them that you think they’re very pretty. Because they are..

11:12 AM: Reminder that White Center Food Bank is now open, till 7 tonight, to accept frozen turkeys, chickens, and any other kind of holiday food you’d care to donate.

ADDED 2:30 PM: That’s WCFB executive director Rick Jump in the food bank freezer, which still has room for several hundred more turkeys! They’re at 8th and 108th.

Friends of the victim’s family are casting a net far and wide to try to help investigators solve an attack last night. First, here’s what the King County Sheriff’s Office says about it, in a news release just sent out:

A 21 year old man was severely beaten as he walked home from downtown Burien last night around 9 pm.

Joshua Sheen arrived home around 9 pm bloody and had to crawl to get into the house. He had “pretty much everything in his face fractured” said his sister Brianna Davey. Sheen also had teeth knocked out and according to Davey had “internal bleeding and had to have his spleen removed.”

Sheen was missing his cell phone, shoes and possibly his wallet. Sheen had no recollection of how he was injured.

King County Sheriff Deputies searched several blocks attempting to locate where the incident occurred but was unable to locate any evidence.

Sheen is 5’7” tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He was wearing a black jacket and dark jeans. “We are hoping that someone saw something and will come forward,” said his sister Davey.

If you have any information about this crime please call the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 206-296-7530 or email us at MCUTips.KCSO@kingcounty.gov.

We received this through a mass e-mail sent to media all over the region by multiple people who are friends of Sheen’s uncle, comedian Derek Sheen. They forwarded this note from him:

My nephew, who is a special needs adult, was the victim of a hate crime. He is currently at Harborview Medical Center, in ICU on life support. There is a chance he may not recover. I’m asking residents in the area to please contact local media and ask them for help in gathering information and public support to assist in the capture and prosecution of the person or persons responsible. Any help or information is greatly appreciated.

30 new apartments have officially joined the White Center community, now that Unity Village has celebrated its grand opening. You might recall the affordable-housing project at 13th SW/SW 100th for its previous name, “Strength of Place Village”; the name change, says project sponsor White Center Community Development Association, came from its new residents as well as other White Center community members. Wednesday’s celebration included tours:

And of course, a celebratory cake:

Though the weather was a little too drippy for anyone to be using it, visitors got a good look at Unity Village’s sparkling playground.

Blessings for the ceremony were given by ministers from Seattle’s Choeizan Enkyoji Nichiren Buddhist Temple, Revs. Kanjin Cederman and Ryujin Sorenson:

Among the dignitaries on hand: White Center/West Seattle’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott:

Also involved in the $9.5 million development along with WCCDA are Capitol Hill Housing and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. You can read more about it here.

From the City of Burien’s latest newsletter:

The Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County has set the public hearing date on Burien’s proposed annexation of North Highline. The hearing will be held on Jan. 9, and if necessary, Jan. 10, 7 p.m., at Cascade Middle School, 11212 10th Ave. SW. The Boundary Review Board will determine whether to accept the proposal, modify the boundaries, or reject it. The annexation would increase the population of Burien by about 17,300 and add about 3.2 square miles to the City including the White Center area, Top Hat, Beverly Park, Glendale, and portions of Boulevard Park, Riverton Heights and Shorewood.

Boundary Review Board approval would be required before an election could be held in the potential annexation area. If you want a peek into how the meeting is likely to work, take a look at our “as it happened” coverage from a similar meeting held two and a half years ago before Burien’s previous annexation.

After the DEA search in downtown White Center earlier this week, news emerged (first reported yesterday afternoon by PubliCola) of a disturbance on Saturday night. From King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West:

On 11-12-11 at approximately 1130 pm, it looks like there was possibly a party at the GAME establishment that had a large number of youth in attendance. We had deputies patrolling the area. According to the police report, a couple of our deputies heard 2 gunshots coming from the area of 16th St between 9600-9800 blocks. The deputies went to the area where they heard the shots and saw that there were approximately 75-100 juveniles in the area. Some were coming out of the GAME establishment. The group of juveniles had separated and were posturing in the street, flashing gang signs and yelling. Deputies did not locate any victims. SPD had arrived to assist also.

(About an hour later) deputies heard several more shots, coming from the area of 15th-16th and Roxbury. It appears bullets struck the wall of the Walgreens, and a business identified as Pure Drop Water Purifier received damage to the buildings and glass at the business had been shattered. No suspects at this time.

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition usually meets later in the month, but since the fourth Thursday this month is Thanksgiving, the meeting is tonight – 6 pm at the Wiley Center in Greenbridge (here’s where to find it), which is a different location than usual. Coalition chair Sean Healy says, “During this meeting we will discussing a possible action plan for our neighborhood to address safety concerns and more.”

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.

If you haven’t already seen it on our partner site West Seattle Blog, we’ve obtained and reported on the search-warrant affidavit related to the Tuesday raid on the GAME Collective lounge in White Center.

3:05 PM: In at least three counties, federal Drug Enforcement Agency officers are searching medical-marijuana businesses – and one of them is in White Center, the GAME Collective ‘lounge’ in the former Hang Around bar space. Thanks to a tip, we got over there around 1:30 to find unmarked law-enforcement cars outside and officers inside. Among those on the scene, DEA spokesperson Agent Jodie Underwood, who told us that they expect to have “a statement” before day’s end, but otherwise, she wasn’t commenting. Regional media organizations are reporting raids in several other counties including Pierce and Thurston, but so far we haven’t found an indication of others in this area – we went by White Center’s other establishment and the three openly operating dispensaries in West Seattle, and there was no sign of current police activity. The lounge has been open for seven months.

ADDED 6:13 PM: Though there are no specifics about indictments, charges, arrests, or even business names, the local DEA has issued this statement to the media, attributing it to Special Agent in Charge Matthew Barnes:

It has never been our policy to target individuals with serious illnesses. However, there are those operating commercial storefronts cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana under the guise of state medical marijuana laws and exploiting such activities to satisfy their own personal greed. The DEA remains committed to the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in all states.

The coordinated enforcement actions of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and our state and local law enforcement partners involve violations of both federal and state law.

The DEA will exercise its investigative authority to pursue criminal actions for any violation of federal law, when warranted. This includes investigating organizations or individuals that grow, manufacture or distribute any illegal drug to include marijuana, and those who rent or maintain a property to facilitate drug trafficking.

The White Center Food Bank has two holiday requests for you, received today as a news release:

On November 19 from 9 am until 7 pm, White Center Food Bank will be holding a Turkey Drive to collect donated frozen turkeys and chickens for their upcoming Thanksgiving holiday distribution. White Center Food bank expects to serve over 1,000 families for the holiday. This year’s turkey shortage combined with high wholesale prices (currently $1.25 a pound) make it difficult for the food bank to purchase turkeys at normally deep discounts. Starting (today), local sales and deals on turkeys will be posted on the White Center Food Bank’s Facebook page. Other meal items that are needed include: olives, cranberry sauce, pickles, cookie or cake mixes, cool whip or whipping cream, pumpkin, any type of canned milk, muffin mixes and pie crust mixes.

To donate, any turkey or chicken should be frozen. White Center Food Bank located at 10829 8th Avenue SW will be open November 19 until 7 pm to accept any donation. Other times to drop off are available; please call 206-762-2848. Volunteers are still needed to assist with holiday distribution as well including Monday through Wednesday, November 21-23 from 12:30-3:30 pm.

Here’s the WC Food Bank’s post this morning about turkey deals (if you have one to add, let ’em know!).

Just out of the WCN inbox:

Want to engage your restaurant staff on going green? ECOSS can help! We’re looking for 25 family-owned restaurants in SeaTac, Tukwila and White Center to compete in a 30 day going green challenge. You’ll receive a getting-started package and a road map on four different areas of focus. Work with your staff to conserve resources and cut costs. If you are interested in participating in this free program, contact Stephanie@ecoss.org (or) 1.206.767.0432 with your name, restaurant name, phone number, and address before November 25th.

After a couple weeks of being open, it’s time for Caffe Delia in the Proletariat Pizza space to celebrate the GRAND opening – and that’s happening today, 8 am-2 pm. From the official announcement:

9622A 16th Ave SW

Music starts at 11ish with performances by White Center/West Seattle stars:
Squirrel Butter, Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio, Del Rey

Caffè Delia uses beans roasted by Andrea Spella (www.spellacaffe.com) who will be at the grand opening. Pastries by Macrina. Chai made from scratch by Delia.

Go say hi if you haven’t been there already – or even if you have!

(Photo by Katie Meyer for WCN)
4:07 PM (crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog): Big emergency response to 3rd SW/Olson Place just past the east end of Roxbury – there’s a crash that went out as an “automobile rescue” call. Our crew is there and we’ll have more shortly – for now, though, avoid the area, which is a busy route to and from Highway 509. Ongoing updates in the story on WSB.

Just got word that White Center Eagles are having a Veterans Day dinner, 5-8 pm tonight, and Joleen Post says, “All retired and active duty military are free.” (Everybody else is $7.) Meat loaf and au-gratin potatoes are on the menu. 10452 15th SW.

Don’t let the need for bicycle repairs keep you off the road. Here’s free help, coming up Sunday:

Is your bike out of commission? Bring it to DubSea Bikes at Full Tilt Ice Cream, 9629 16th Ave SW, downtown White Center, on Sunday, November 13th, from 2 – 4 pm.

This free event will focus on minor repairs to get more bikes on the street in White Center and beyond.

At a time of year when those in need are most at risk, a benefit to help fight hunger and homelessness is planned for this Sunday. Here’s the announcement we received:

Light Under the Bridge, a Homeless Christian Ministry (non-profit), is joining Union Gospel Mission and the White Center Food Bank’s fundraiser for the hungry and homeless. Featuring “A Night of Giving with Joe Arrants,” November 13th from 5:30-8 pm, at Westside Foursquare Church, 11452 26th Ave SW. We will be serving soups, salad, & bread. Hurry and buy your tickets and invite family, friends, neighbors, etc. Tickets can be bought from Jon 206-941-4301 or at the door.

In tonight’s election, though the results won’t be final for weeks, some things are clear after just the first round of ballot-counting. White Center’s King County Councilmember Joe McDermott has won election to his first full four-year term, leading Diana Toledo, 67%-32%. … In the North Highline Fire District contest, Liz Giba leads Mark Ufkes, 52%-47% … In the only contest for Highline School Board, incumbent president Sili Savusa is losing to Tyrone Curry, who has gained some fame for his lottery win and subsequent donation, 55% for Curry to 44% for Savusa … Burien had three council races on the ballot, and one of the city’s most outspoken opponents of annexing White Center (and vicinity) has defeated an incumbent: Bob Edgar has 60% of the vote, to 40% for Gordon Shaw. In the other two races, incumbent Lucy Krakowiak – one of two “no” votes on last month’s annexation resolution – leads former North Highline Unincorporated Area Council chair Greg Duff, 64%-36%, while pro-annexation incumbent Jerry Robison leads Debi Wagner, 54%-46%. Next ballot count is due around 4:30 tomorrow afternoon.

The biggest threat to the Puget Sound ecosystem isn’t oil spills or other one-time catastrophes … it’s ongoing toxic runoff from homes, streets, drains, and more. But that means we can do something about it – if you know what to do, and what not to do. As a project of Sustainable West Seattle, presentations have been made around West Seattle to explain how to fight the Tox-Ick Monster – and the next one will happen in the White Center area, in Spanish – Saturday, November 12th, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., White Center Community Cultural Center (aka St. James Annex), 9421 18th SW. $500 in prizes available to participants!