White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Looking for something to do Saturday night? The White Center Community Development Association has an invitation for you:

The White Center Community Development Association’s (CDA) 20th Anniversary Gala: Truth in Community, will be on Saturday, September 10, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the South Seattle College Brockey Center. Gala attendees will hear community narratives and testimony that encompass the theme of ‘Truth in Community.’

We invite the community to join us for activities throughout the night, such as a silent auction, wine pull, and a champagne toast alongside dinner, dessert, and special performances. There will be opportunities to mingle with community partners and organizations as the Seattle-based band, the OBG’s, plays their favorite tunes.

The White Center CDA’s works to eradicate poverty and build a vibrant and economically diverse community in unincorporated White Center. In the past years, the White Center CDA has engaged in community facilitation on a diverse range of projects that touch the White Center community. These projects include King County’s revisions to the North Highline and White Center Subarea plan, fighting for the strong and resilient business community within the White Center business core, advocating for and providing culturally relevant early learning opportunities and needed resources to families, and bringing a needed hub of community resources and affordable housing to White Center.

The White Center CDA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2002. The White Center CDA works to connect community to people and place in many ways, such as the Spring Clean, the White Center 5k, and ongoing anti-displacement work within White Center.

Here’s where to go to get tickets.

Li’l Woody’s is celebrating Labor Day by giving away free burgers for three hours this afternoon. Between 2 and 5 pm today (Monday, September 5th), you can go to Li’l Woody’s at 9897 16th SW in downtown White Center for your free burger. Note that it’s a basic free burger – if you want anything extra, that’ll cost you. One per customer, and you have to order in person – no online or phone orders. (Thanks to Karen for the tip.)

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges against 67-year-old Ranjel Joaquin, a convicted sex offender arrested at Steve Cox Memorial Park two weeks ago. The charging documents allege that Joaquin tried to get a 10-year-old girl to go into a wooded area with him, and then exposed himself to her. The girl’s mother called 911 while following him through White Center and taking photos, but he took off as deputies arrived. A detective following up on the case circulated the photos, and a colleague recognized Joaquin from another recent incident in which he was engaging in indecent exposure. Further investigation revealed additional similar arrests, as well as an extensive multi-state history of similar offenses. Police started looking for him and found him at Steve Cox park, watching children. They took him in for questioning and eventually arrested him. He is now charged with luring, indecent exposure, and failure to register as a sex offender. Joaquin remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Update from NHUAC:

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council wishes you a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Please join us for our next monthly meeting on Thursday, October 6th at 7 pm.

Looking forward to seeing you in October!

Watch for specifics when that date gets closer.

If you haven’t been to downtown White Center for this year’s Block Party, don’t miss the chance – you have three more hours, and the weather’s glorious. Dozens of vendors and organizations are there. Kid activities, too, like the bouncy toys south of 98th:

The intersection of 98th/16th is where you’ll find the main stage:

South of 98th is also where you’ll find Lariat Bar‘s wrestling ring – we caught part of an early match:

The “Hammer Brothers” (Jack and Sledge) were so dominant in that one, including the pre-match bluster, we didn’t even catch the names of their opponents. So go wander 16th between Roxbury and 100th until 6 pm, and look for the special wristbands you can buy for discounts and freebies at participating businesses! Proceeds this year benefit local nonprofits.

The first day of school for Highline Public Schools is a little more than a week away – Thursday, September 1st. The district announced today that all students get free meals this year:

Research has shown there is a crucial relationship between nutrition and academic performance. This year, all Highline Public Schools students will be able to eat healthy, kid-friendly meals at school at no cost.

Highline Public Schools has been approved for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program as part of the National School Lunch Program for School Year 2022-23. Under this provision, all enrolled students on campus can receive a no-cost breakfast and lunch each school day.

Highline participates in Farm to School by promoting and serving locally grown foods. This exposes students to a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms and growers.

Highline is one of four school districts in Washington State awarded a Team Nutrition grant to develop new recipes. Staff have worked on recipes for fruit leather, salmon tacos, black bean and cheese pupusas, and huckleberry cornmeal muffins.

Highline menus are planned by a registered dietitian to meet USDA specifications based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“We’re looking forward to creating some delicious recipes and menus this school year. We’re grateful that every child will be able to eat a balanced breakfast and lunch that will fuel their mind and body for a day of learning,” says Lisa Johnson, Director of Nutrition Services. “No-cost meals allow all students to try new foods and eat together while providing convenience to families.”

Even though meals are at no cost for everyone, some families may be asked to complete an income survey to access other discounts and benefits. Income data allows Highline to maintain state and federal school funding. Highline will share a link to the survey this fall with families. Completing the survey is simple and confidential. There are no citizenship requirements for participation in federal Child Nutrition Programs, and immigration status is not requested or disclosed.

Lariat Bar sent word that as part of this Sunday’s White Center Block Party, they’re presenting live, free wrestling – the Defy Summer Bash. You’re invited to two rounds 1 pm-2:30 pm and 3:30 pm-5 pm. Spectators have to be 21+ to watch from inside the beer garden but all ages are welcome outside the beer garden. If you haven’t yet been to Lariat, it’s at 9827 16th SW. The Block Party is happening noon-6 pm Sunday (August 28th).

We noticed the banner for Corry’s Dry Cleaning and Fuzzy Wuzzy Rug Company on the former Northmart building in downtown White Center. Those businesses share a location in West Seattle, north of The Junction business district, so we stopped there to ask about the plan for the WC building. No, they’re not moving – the plan is to use the White Center building for an expanded cleaning facility, they told us.

After an event last night in Skyway, King County went public with the list of who’s getting what after the first-ever “participatory budgeting” vote in the unincorporated urban areas, including White Center/North Highline. Here are the local organizations/projects chosen, in two groups of recipients (the second for programs/services to be funded by a share of cannabis-tax revenue):

White Center/North Highline

White Center Food Bank “New Location Renovation Fund” ($875,000)
White Center Community HUB “Construction Fund” ($750,000)
Khmer Community Temple Support ($750,000)
Spray Park/Outdoor Cooling Center; Cool Me Down – White Center ($725,000)

White Center/North Highline (Funded by Marijuana Tax Revenue)

Gifts of Hope ($175,000)
Nepantla Cultural Art Programming ($150,000)
Acts on Stage – Programming ($75,000)
Green Education – New Start ($66,000)
Mental Health – Grief Support ($32,500)
White Center Heights Elementary School – Family Resource Center ($25,000)
Wolverine Select – Funding ($16,500)

Between North Highline and other urban unincorporated areas, $11 million of spending was decided in this first-ever round of “participatory budgeting.” The county says more than 2,600 people voted. Here’s the full announcement, including the list of funded projects/programs in other areas.

P.S. The new spraypark is planned for Steve Cox Memorial Park.

(WCN photo from August 2021)

The second annual White Center Block Party is now a week and a half away. Here’s what organizers want you to know:

White Center Block Party 2022

WHERE: White Center Retail Core: 16th Ave. SW between Southwest Roxbury Street and Southwest 100th Street

When: Sunday, August 28, 2022 Noon-6pm

WHO: White Center Block Party and White Center Community Development Association

What: Street festival celebrating White Center

Cost: FREE and family friendly. Wristbands for additional purchase for discounts at participating businesses and special offerings at restaurants and bars during the White Center Block Party hours.

We are thrilled to announce we are bringing back the White Center Block Party! It all started when a group of local business and neighbors came together and decided that White Center needed some love after an extended series of vandalism and fires centered around the retail core last year.

Our mission with the first annual White Center Block Party (WCBP) was to raise money for the victims and businesses affected by all the fires. We are back this year to announce our second annual white center block party that will focus on creating a safe, family friendly, and inclusive place to gather after so much time apart. Proceeds for this year’s event will be donated to two local White Center organizations: White Center Food Bank AND Khmer Community of Seattle King County.

White Center Block Party aims to support and promote local and regional businesses – restaurants, bars, retailers, artists, musicians, etc. – all in one place.

Highlights:

· Street vendors including crafts, food, merchandise and local businesses and non-profits.

· Live music and performances

· Beer gardens

· Bars and restaurants

· Bouncy houses by Aleko

· Defy wrestling summer showcase hosted by Lariat Bar

No arrests yet in a shooting Monday afternoon in North Shorewood, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office. It happened just after 3:30 pm Monday in the 2600 block of SW 110th. KCSO would only say it happened “in or near a garage of a home” and that one person was shot. The area resident who sent the photo said it appeared the victim was a woman and that firefighters/medics said she was critically injured. If you have any information, the KCSO case number to refer to when reporting it is C22027189.

King County Public Health says a community monkeypox-vaccination event still has doses available for eligible walk-ups – until 6 pm or until they run out – at the Lumber Yard Bar, 9630 16th SW in downtown White Center. Here’s who’s eligible.

Until about 6 pm, the White Center Community Development Association-presented community market is on, at 16th/98th. Along with some food and merchandise vendors, you can check in with local nonprofits, like the White Center Food Bank, which is working on its move to downtown WC:

You can also find out more about the White Center HUB project from nonprofits like Southwest Youth and Family Services:

If you can’t get there today, two weeks from tomorrow is your next chance to shop in the street, the next White Center Block Party (August 28th).

Chef Gino from TheHomeSkillit.com invites you to the first of his tailgating events, Friday nights in White Center:

This is the first in a series of Friday events:

If you don’t know Chef Gino, he’s a West Seattle-based entrepreneur and says he’ll be vending at Lumen Field on these gamedays:

The Seahawks’ first preseason game is on the road tomorrow vs. the Steelers

One week ago tonight, 64-year-old North Highline resident Dory Larsen was killed in Burien when a man driving a stolen car ran a red light and hit her. The driver who killed her, 25-year-old Mohamed Tayib, is now charged with three felonies – vehicular homicide, hit and run, and reckless driving. Charging documents say a Burien Police officer was trying to pull Tayib over when he ran the red light and hit Ms. Larsen’s car; Tayib caught the officer’s attention with screeching tires and running a red light at 4th Avenue South and 128th, continuing eastward. The officer activated his lights and, prosecutors say, was behind Tayib when he ran the 1st/128th light, his stolen Subaru Outback smashing into Ms. Larsen’s Ford Fiesta as she drove northbound on 128th. A third car was hit before Tayib pulled into a nearby gas station, where he and another man got out of the car and tried to walk away; a bystander stopped them until the officer caught up. Dispatch subsequently confirmed the Subaru had been stolen in Seattle the day before. Ms. Larsen died at the scene; no one else was seriously hurt. Tayib was booked into jail and remains there, bail set at half a million dollars. Earlier this year, he served time for a five-count conviction including residential burglary and two counts of car prowling; the charging documents say his record also includes assault, theft, hit-and-run, DUI, and speeding