White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(Photos by Patrick Sand for WCN)
Lots of great people to see (and meet, if you don’t know them already) at the White Center Jubilee Days Street Fair along 17th SW – like the Evergreen Cheer team members, there with a fundraiser, and big smiles! Despite the sun-clouds-sun-clouds weather, we saw lots of smiles – North Highline Unincorporated Area Council members Jessica Stoneback and president Barb Dobkin were at the NHUAC booth when we stopped:

Just a few booths to the north, you’ll find White Center Community Development Association team members, making sure you know all about the big White Center Promise celebration, 4-6:30 pm next Friday:

At the White Center Food Bank booth, you can get your photo taken with a classic motorcycle, for a donation:

At the 34th District Democrats’ booth, they’ll sign you up to vote:

Businesses are on hand too – including Alaska USA Credit Union, visiting from nearby Westwood Village:

And vehicles to admire, like the North Highline Fire District’s ladder truck:

Plus the cars at the Jubilee Days Show ‘n’ Shine:

And that barely scratches the surface.

Live music, food, oh – and vendors – need to keep your head and neck warm in this crazy weather?

Then there’s the White Center Art Walk tonight, the carnival over at Steve Cox Memorial Park … All the Jubilee Days info you could possibly want is on the official website.

WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz says more than 20 people joined in a protest this morning organized by Washington Community Action Network, demanding that megabanks like Chase and Bank of America stop foreclosures, among other things. One of those joining the protest was Vera Johnson, the White Center/West Seattle-area Village Green Perennial Nursery owner whose difficulties in dealing with B of A to fend off foreclosure have been reported this past week by WCN partners West Seattle Blog (story here) and the Seattle Times (Nicole Brodeur‘s column here). From Chase, where Deanie shot the video, the group walked along 16th to B of A – where Vera is at left in our photo below:

Washington CAN sent a news release after today’s demonstration – read it after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

(Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog)

11:39 AM: A crash on Olson Place heading downhill to Highway 509 from the east end of Roxbury has traffic being diverted at Olson/4th (map) – you’ll have to go southbound on 4th. The crash scene is close to the top of the hill. The Seattle Police Department Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is there, which suggests that downhill (eastbound to 509) Olson will be closed for a while, usually a few hours. Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Rasmussen tells us two people were taken to the hospital.

1:53 PM UPDATE: Per scanner, police are clearing and Olson is now open again.

Rain? What rain? We’re in denial. The Jubilee Days Street Festival is still on, and so’s tonight’s Art Walk. We’ll be checking out both. Jubilee Days info here; Art Walk info here.

When the Burien City Council meets again next Monday, the prospective annexation of the rest of North Highline, including White Center, is back on the agenda – and the report that’s already in the online “packet” for the meeting includes an early report on the financial analysis, which says so far it’s looking like annexation “is financially viable.” Here’s the entirety of the text:

Annexation of the so-called “area Y” in the North Highline, including White Center, has a long history that council is well aware of. In short, Burien and Seattle in 2009 agreed to bi-furcate the North Highline Area into two areas; “X” in the south and “Y” in the north. Each city agreed it could advance annexations in adjacent areas without opposition until January 2012. Burien successfully annexed area X in 2010 and that area is now part of Burien. In March 2011, Seattle declared it was not interested in advancing an annexation in area Y but adopted a resolution stating it might at a later date, perhaps February 2012. The resolution also allowed Burien to advance an annexation in area Y if it wished.

Staff is working with a private contractor, Berk and Associates, to study the financial viability of annexing area Y. Initial, draft data seems to indicates the annexation is financially viable, largely because of a sales tax credit offered by the state as an incentive. The entire study will be available August 1 and presented to council at its meeting that evening. It will not be available for inclusion in the council packet. Staff intends to offer a high-level summary of the document at that meeting, and will return with the authors at your next council meeting, August 15th for a more detailed discussion.

As mentioned previously, while financial data is central to the question of annexation, staff understands it is not the
exclusive one and that the policy question is more complex. In an effort to anticipate additional areas of interest, staff
continues to solict other lines of questioning council would like us to explore.

The annexation discussion will predictably be iterative and require information to be acquired as talks progress. The intent of this agenda item is simply to continue that discussion and ensure it progresses in as linear a fashion as possible.

You can see this along with the rest of the “packet” by going here (PDF). Next Monday’s meeting is at 7 pm, Burien City Council chambers, 400 SW 152nd.

This is what the helicopters were doing over White Center earlier today: A 2-year-old fell out of an open window at the Coronado Springs Apartments. According to the North Highline Fire District, the child got up on a couch and accidentally took the fall, 10 to 12 feet below, onto a porch. His mom went out of the window after him – she has a sprained ankle leg injury, and he has a head injury. Both have been taken to the hospital.

Great show over Steve Cox Memorial Park tonight – the White Center Jubilee Days fireworks, bursting in air over Mel Olson Stadium. We watched from north of the fieldhouse, which provided a unique view – the almost-full moon hanging in the sky right behind the fireworks. Our clip features three minutes from the second half of the show. Much more Jubilee Days excitement to come, including the street fair and parade this weekend, plus the annual pancake breakfast – we received this announcement:

The Jubilee Days Kiwanis Pancake breakfast is being held again this year on Saturday, July 16th, from 8 am to noon.

The cost is $5 for adults and free for kids under 5 years old. There will be pancakes, sausage, and Juice. Raffle tickets are available. All proceeded got to the Kiwanis Club of White Center (Helping Children of the World)

The Pancake breakfast will be at:
Holy Family School:
9615 20th SW

It looks a little more done on the outside than the inside, but community members were invited to come over this afternoon to tour Strength of Place Village, the new 30-unit low-income housing complex at 14th SW and SW 100th. You’d have to use your imagination to think about the possibilities of the still-being-built interiors – this is going to be a community room:

The living spaces are taking shape – note the windows and brightness in this one:

As reported here earlier this month, applications are now being taken for prospective tenants. Strength of Place Village is a partnership between Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, White Center Community Development Association, and Capitol Hill Housing, whose Kate Gill de la Garza was a tour guide this afternoon. Ground was broken for the project last September.

Early this evening, we strolled through the White Center Jubilee Days carnival, to see the sights – classic rides as always, like the Tilt-A-Whirl, above, and the Zipper:

The poster lists tonight’s end time as simply “closing.” So before, during, after the fireworks (500 shells at dusk!), look for the bright lights, loud music, and classic fair/festival/carnival food at Steve Cox Memorial Park.

12:35 PM: Thanks to Gill for the photos of law-enforcement officers at Asian Bubble Tea, 9835 16th SW. The officers in the photo are city of Seattle and state officers, but according to our friends at KING 5, this is all part of a string of raids around the region today, targeting alleged crimes including illegal cigarette sales. (UPDATE: Alleged food-stamp fraud is also being targeted here by federal investigators, according to KING’s update.) The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is leading the operation, which it describes as “a multiagency law enforcement operation conducted today involving the execution of multiple search warrants pertaining to the illegal trafficking of contraband cigarettes in Seattle and areas of Western Washington.”

ATF plans a media briefing shortly, and we expect to have more information after that.

ADDED 1:24 PM: Click ahead for the full text of the ATF news release: Read the rest of this entry »

Just announced: The longtime principal of West Seattle’s Chief Sealth International High School, John Boyd, is coming to Highline Public Schools as executive director of the north region, which includes White Center. Here’s the story we just published on West Seattle Blog.

(Jubilee Days carnival setup on Tuesday; photo by Deanie Schwarz for WCN/WSB)
Big day, and night, in White Center! Jubilee Days events get into full swing. The carnival at Steve Cox Memorial Park opens at 3 pm and continues till 10; somewhere around that time – dusk – is when the second annual fireworks show will fill the sky over the park. If you want to get ticket books, with discounts, before you go to the carnival, they’re available at Full Tilt Ice Cream and Proletariat Pizza, as well as Albertsons on 16th SW, according to WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz.

Story and photos by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

The former Thai Thai restaurant at 11205 16th SW in White Center will be reopening its doors under the new name of “Ped Nin Restaurant,” as requested by the late owner Sawang “Sam” Sudthaya, who died last month after a year-and-half battle with cancer.

Sam’s widow,Orawan and daughter Samantha will continue to run the beloved Thai restaurant with the continued help of Orawan’s sister Nujaree in the kitchen and Choothai Chaiboonruang, who spoke with WCN on behalf of the family (Nujaree and Choothai are in our photo at right).

For nearly 30 years at this location, Sam hosted patrons with open arms, as Orawan and Nujaree prepared the dishes that brought back repeat customers for not just years, but decades. It was the quality of the home-cooked meals and the graciousness of the family that brought many diners into the lavender-colored cement building, located just before what is now the northern boundary of Burien.

This bittersweet re-opening has been anticipated by many of their loyal and regular customers who for the past year and a half have wondered how Sam’s battle with cancer was coming along. Sam and his wife had returned to Bangkok for surgery and then had come back to White Center optimistic about his recovery and hoping to reopen the Thai Thai. But soon after their return and before they had a chance to reopen, the cancer surfaced quickly again, with no medical solutions. Sam chose to be at home with his family and died there on June 24. He had asked them to continue his life’s work but under the new name “Ped Nin,” which translated to English is “Black Diamond.”

The family is busy doing maintenance on the equipment and building and cleaning the space that sat empty for so long. They hope, depending upon public health inspection schedules, to be open by the end of July. They also are planning to have a website in the future as they begin a new era of the restaurant they are each devoted to. They thank all of their friends who are also their customers for their support as they return to work to fulfill Sam’s request at the Ped Nin Restaurant, (206) 246-2246. WCN will let you know when the opening date is finalized.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Our previous reports on the meeting are here – as-it-happened notes – and here (unedited video of the meeting). This is a closer look at the most contentious item of the night, and where it stands since then.

By Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

The owner of the downtown White Center space formerly known as Club Evo(lucion), Alfredo Lopez, appeared with new business partner Daniel Yarbrough at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) Thursday night before a standing-room-only crowd.

Invited to participate in a discussion regarding their proposed plans to reopen the club as an 18-years-old-and-under “banda” (Mexican country music) dance club, the two addressed council members’ and nearby neighboring business owners’ comments about their past experiences with Lopez as a nightclub owner and more than a few negative expectations for any future business there, which the partners say could include a remodel of the building into a restaurant/lounge (as first reported here).

The proposed business plans of the partners for the Lopez-owned property at 9625 16th SW are contingent on successfully meeting the compliance parameters required to allow the May 17 King County Superior Court permanent injunction to be potentially be lifted by the Court at a later date.

Having introduced himself to those who had not met him since he took ownership of the building in 2000, Lopez began by saying his original intent was to provide Latino teenagers a place to dance because at the time he opened the all-ages club, Club Evolucion was the only such club in Western Washington. Lopez explained that other Latino all-age venues have opened in the years since which serve the areas closer to where those minor-aged Latinos live and he thinks they will no longer drive that far to patronize his club. He said up until three years ago when he moved to southern California, he lived in Des Moines and before that resided in Burien and White Center. He asserted he was a member of the community because of that history.

Permits, Parking and Public Safety

According to Jim Chen and Chris Ricketts, both with King County Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES), the King County Superior Court injunction is on the building itself and cannot be removed until compliance is satisfied, regardless of any future DDES permit applicants’ names. Chen also told WCN the injunction restrictions hold even if a change of ownership of the property were to happen. When someone at the meeting pointed out that he believed Lopez has current warrants with the state of Washington for back taxes owed, Chen told him that DDES applications can be pursued, but if applicants have outstanding back taxes, permits would not be issued.

The matter of a lack of onsite parking for the club (with a potential occupancy range of 250 to 500) was another concern of a wide number of community businesses. Lopez said that in the past he had “informal arrangements” with Schuck’s Auto Supply on 17th and Roxbury, which is now owned by O’Reilly’s Automotive. But his first reaction was to say that he wasn’t going to worry about parking until all compliance issues were addressed. He said his patrons were a late-night crowd anyway and typically wouldn’t show up at the club until after 10:00 PM. Also, he said he was not concerned about a shortage of available parking because most other businesses would be closed by then.

However, the point was made a number of times that many complaints from the former club’s operations originated from property damage and desecration, littering, loitering, and violence — including fights, stabbings and gunshots– public intoxication of minors and overall concern for the public safety of clubs patrons and patrons of neighboring businesses owing to the walking distance between non-contracted properties’ parking lots and the club. Chen and Ricketts told WCN that applicants for a Tenant Improvement Permit might need to provide, among many other parameters, signed contracts for offsite parking for discretionary review by the Director. The number of parking spaces required is determined by the square footage and usage, they confirmed.

Yarbrough outlined a few details of their security plan. He says they have received rate sheets from the Sheriffs’ Guild, which handles hourly rates and varying level of services by off-duty KCSO officers who might be hired for security. Council member Mosely noted previous community concerns regarding a conflict of interests by off-duty sheriffs working at the club. Capt. Joseph Hodgson of KCSO interjected that though the Guild handles initial arrangements for off-duty officers, the KCSO has the final determination of whether such arrangements will be approved. Hodgson mentioned, for example, that if alcohol were going to be served at a contracted location, then KCSO has the authority and discretion to decline off-duty work by their sheriffs.

Neighborhood activist Gill Loring asserted that contrary to the owner’s comments that KCSO deputies were trimmed down and then eventually discontinued last year as a budgetary matter, the King County Permit at a Glance website showed that the KCSO stopped off-duty coverage because it was “not a legal business and was operating in a substandard building.” The King County DDES Permit At a Glance site for Permit Enforcement E1000445 states the County’s determination: OPERATION OF A BUSINESS IN A SUBSTANDARD BUILDING WITH MULTIPLE FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS AND OPERATION OF A BUSINESS WITHOUT A KING COUNTY BUSINESS LICENSE.

And to that, Lopez conceded that perhaps it actually was more of a concurrent decision by both himself and KCSO.

Lopez said he made a mistake last year when he changed the format of his club to include a Friday night event with a hip-hop promoter, which he says is where all the trouble started, though there was much disagreement with his assessment of where and what the trouble was and when it began. He realized, he said, that trying to run the club from out of state became more difficult. His new partnership with experienced club owner and developer/manager Yarbrough — who will act as operating manager — will alleviate the previous problems, he said. He told the crowd that that hip-hop promoter had lied to him last fall when the Sheriff’s officers confiscated alcohol inside the club and he had no control over it because he was out of state. He went on to say to the crowd that his “family’s safety is his number one concern” because he, his wife, his 25-year old son and 19-year old daughter will be working there. However, Lopez did not say he was changing residency to White Center or the state of Washington, though he did say he is licensed to practice law in Washington and the state shows his law office is located in White Center.

The issue of alleged gang-related activity associated with the previous club operations was a point of concern to many in attendance. Lopez and Yarbrough said that because the dance club will no longer cater to minors, the number of gang-associated juveniles will decrease because gangs are predominantly, though not exclusively, under the age of 18. Yarbrough reiterated the police-agency training and certification requirements of any security personnel who will work at the club.

Neighboring tavern and bar owners said they had seen plenty of traffic away from and toward the bar on 16th Ave. with fights the off-duty officers standing by did not control, numerous observations of 18-year olds consuming alcohol in cars illegally parked in neighboring parking lots, litter and the overall creation of a gauntlet of public safety insecurities to be negotiated by other 16th Ave. business customers.

WCN attempted to contact Lopez and Yarbrough for an interview after the meeting to determine if they had any new insight into their plans based on the discussions, but calls have not been returned. Also, we sought comment from the White Center Community Development Association and the White Center Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber was the only agency to respond immediately and its official statement follows in its entirety.

“Creating a safe, welcoming, family-oriented venue for the Latino community to come dance their hearts out in White Center is a wonderful business model. We love it, we endorse it and we would welcome it to White Center. But past actions are a predictor of future actions. Mr. Alfredo Lopez is an absentee landlord whose previous business management style and operation of Club Evo, in our view, drastically increased the threat of violent crime on that block when his business was operating.

The two most common complaints we hear from White Center business owners are 1.) The increasing public drunkenness on our streets; and 2.) The aggressive, marginally monitored crowd attracted by Club Evo on Saturday nights.

Until the Chamber sees a management and public safety plan from Mr. Lopez that is approved by the majority of businesses in the core White Center business district on both sides of 16th SW, and is fully funded by Mr. Lopez, our Chamber would take the highly unusual action of not supporting a new business in White Center.

Mark Ufkes, President
White Center Chamber of Commerce

The WCCDA informed WCN that the matter is being discussed amongst WCCDA leadership and WCN will be notified when an official statement is available.

Till 6 pm, go get a map and wander amazing White Center gardens – pick up your map at McLendon Hardware on 16th!

Our video shows last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting in its entirety, except for some routine business in the last few minutes. It runs two hours and 17 minutes, unedited, starting with the Pledge of Allegiance. The Club Evo discussion begins about halfway through – one hour, eight minutes in, first with a county DDES rep, then the club’s partners Alfredo Lopez and Danny Yarbrough. (Our separate article summarizing the discussion will be published here later.)

We’re at the North Highline Fire District HQ in White Center for the full-house meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council. Among the items of major interest: the partners who say they plan to reopen what was Club Evo in downtown WC, as reported here on White Center Now recently. But there’s a lot more to talk about; currently Dick Thurnau is talking about trouble at Hicks Lake; public comment included Rick Jump from White Center Food Bank announcing this year’s Greenbridge barbecue on August 5th, as well as the upcoming Harvest Dinner/Auction for WC Food Bank. Lots of familiar faces in the audience, including local business leaders and King County Councilmember Joe McDermott. More to come. (We’re rolling video on the entire meeting, and will post it here afterward, in case you can’t get here to see what happens in person.)

7:20 PM: Two people in the public-comment section have voiced concern about the medical-marijuana businesses in downtown White Center; one mentioned live music at GAME Lounge, saying it seems to be “more than a medical facility.” Burien city manager is now updating the council and audience, saying that Ambaum road work is done, with synchronized signals to come. Regarding annexation, he says crime stats will be brought to the Burien City Council on July 18th, including a comparison to what’s happening in the city of Burien as well as the potential-annexation area itself. He also mentioned the study he has commissioned regarding the finances of annexation, and says that will be presented to the council “in about three weeks.”

7:26 PM: For the crime update, KCSO says significant spike in residential burglaries though overall crime is down. “Right now there’s very little information” on why, says the Sheriff’s Office rep. “The typical MO has been, knock on the front door, getting no response, kick in that door or the back door.” Assaults are also reported to be up, though it’s described as typical for the start of summer. Asked about the medical-marijuana businesses, the KCSO rep says they’re awaiting the state-law change later this month to see whether things “solidify.”

7:39 PM: The crime discussion continues with audience questions. One man identifying himself as a White Center business owner says the crime in downtown WC is not going down, in his view. He discusses public intoxication – which KCSO reminds, is not a crime. The business owner wonders if the owners of White Center Plaza can be approached to cut down on the drinking that happens there. “We can make that effort,” replies KCSO. Asked if there seems to be any chance White Center will get a storefront deputy back any time soon, the answer boils down to: Probably not. How did Skyway get it? By demonstrating the need, is the reply. And there’s a lot of need, all over the county.

7:47 PM: Legislative updates now – starting with State Sen. Sharon Nelson. State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon is here too. (7:57 pm) He is speaking about the potential $20 transit-fund-raising fee for license-plate tabs, and the possible Metro cuts if it doesn’t become law, either through a vote of the County Council, or a vote of the people. He’s also talking about the “tangled mess of laws around medical marijuana,” particularly what happened once Governor Gregoire vetoed most of the legislation that passed in Olympia. He says fixing that will be “one of the top priorities … to clarify that situation” in the next Legislative session, since many communities are dealing with it.

8:13 PM: Alfredo Lopez, who owns the site once known as Club Evo, is speaking with his new business partner. Preceding them was a DDES employee who noted that the injunction that closed Evo is still in effect, as they wait to officially hear what the new business proposal is. (WCN’s Deanie Schwarz, who interviewed the partners and broke the news of their plan, is here at the meeting as well and will be writing a full report on this angle, while your editor here is handling the general overview, as well as the videography.) Lopez acknowledges he “made a mistake” by allowing “another promoter” to come in and handle Friday nights with hip-hop shows that he said “attracted problems.” He says his new partner Danny Yarbrough will be the “operating partner” and lives in West Seattle.

8:43 PM: Still discussing ex-Club Evo/future nightclub. NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin has basically said Lopez talks a good game but has said it all before. NHUAC member Christine Waldman is reciting notes from past White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meetings at which Evo(lucion) came up.

9:20 PM: The Club Evo discussion, tense at times, finally ended around 9:15 pm. (Again, full, separate story coming up; we’ll add video after returning back to HQ.) President Dobkin now says the County Council is taking up its Unincorporated Area Councils bill next Monday – and the life of NHUAC is at stake. She says this meeting, with about 50 in attendance and a hot issue to discuss, is testament to the value of the council.

1:16 PM: According to the King County Public Health Department, the medical-marijuana GAME Lounge in downtown White Center is open again, with the qualifier “allowed to remain open to sell food and beverage items that are exempt from permit.”

6:13 PM UPDATE: WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz talked with GAME Lounge owner Brionne Corbray, who disputes what the county was asking for:

Just in from King County Public Health:

The Game Lounge located at 9803 16th Ave SW, Seattle, 98106 was closed by a Public Health food inspector on July 6, 2011 at 1:50 pm for operating without a valid food business permit. The establishment will be reopened once it’s confirmed that the person in charge of the establishment has completed the steps to get a valid permit per the instructions online at
www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/foodsafety/FoodBusiness

Thanks to Madge Bloom for e-mailing to share that photo of a fire she spotted, and reported, late last night in the open space by the White Center Dairy Queen. She says North Highline Fire District firefighters got there fast and made quick work of it; she has more photos on her website, The View From Right Here.