White Center Now: The blog about White Center

ORIGINAL 7:31 PM REPORT: That’s the scene a short time ago inside the Triangle Pub (owner Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy at left, White Center Chamber of Commerce president Mark Ufkes at right) as a White Center Business Forum event was convened to deal with “chronic, homeless alcoholics” in the area. Along with about a dozen business and community participants, there are reps from King County Sheriff’s Office and Seattle Police (including Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Norm James, as well as three state Liquor Control Board agents. We’ll have details soon on what was discussed and what happens next.

ADDED 1:26 AM: Here’s the rest of the story, with more photos: Read the rest of this entry »

Check out the video posted on the Seahawks‘ website, narrated by longtime local sports broadcaster Tony Ventrella, featuring a Seahawk sighting with WCPAL at the gym. Here’s the link.

That’s the bright and cheery image you’ll find on the City of Burien website’s informational page about the North Highline South Annexation that officially takes effect tomorrow. There’ve been so many outreach efforts that we doubt anyone in the area hasn’t gotten word of it yet, but just in case you’re left with any questions, the page is link-laden. And of course there’s a map:

If you open the map from the Burien site, you can zoom in to follow the borders of the annexation zone. In the West, from Seola Beach Drive, it follows SW 112th to 15th SW, jogs south a bit, then heads eastward on SW 114th to 10th SW, heading south again to SW 116th; east of 509, it jogs northward to 112th again, then at 16th S, north yet again to 107th and 108th the rest of the way. So it may take a while to memorize exactly who’s in the city limits and who’s not. Meantime, there’s also a “frequently asked questions” page here.

They desperately need boys’ clothes sizes 8 and/or 10. But they’re also celebrating a different type of donation. That’s all part of this story from our partner site West Seattle Blog.

That’s tonight’s late update from KING 5 News, which reports that three suspects are now in custody in connection with the burglary that led to a wild, chopper-enhanced, roadblock-requiring search in White Center today. As you’ll see in the video, the victim says the alleged burglars picked the wrong people to mess with. After one arrest in WC, as we reported in our earlier story, the other two arrests were made at a South Seattle motel. We’ll check tomorrow for more information on the suspects and the charges they face.

While Teamsters Local 174 isn’t saying its drivers definitely WILL walk off the job if they don’t have a contract deal with Waste Management – which serves White Center as well as parts of Seattle and other local communities – by tomorrow night, the company is taking no chances: Our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times have just published an update, saying WM is hiring replacement drivers. Talks continue tomorrow.

Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy, one of five candidates so far for State House Position 2 in the 34th District, is planning to kick off a “West Seattle Listening Tour” – first stop, though, is in White Center, not far from his Triangle Pub. He’ll be at Full Tilt Ice Cream, 9629 16th SW, 7-9 pm, on Tuesday, April 6.

ORIGINAL 11:35 AM REPORT: We’re at the scene of a big police operation in White Center – centered in the 10700 block of 18th SW. Law enforcement and TV helicopters are there too. This started as a call about a woman with a shotgun more than an hour ago. Seattle Police are assisting King County Sheriff’s deputies in closing off roads around the area. More to come. 12:02 PM UPDATE: We’ve spoken at the scene with Sgt. John Urquhart from King County Sheriff’s Office. He says the reported gun-toting woman person is one of three suspects they’re seeking after residents came home to find a burglary in progress. The residents weren’t hurt, but the burglars fled, and that’s why there’s been such an extensive search around the area. 12:59 PM UPDATE: Adding our video of Sgt. Urquhart’s media briefing (complete with background noise from the chopper/s). He says one of the three suspects HAS been caught.

Thanks to Rebecca for the Facebook tip on a crash that closed Ambaum between SW 116th and SW 122nd (map). According to a tweet from KIRO-TV, a car hit a barrier, went airborne, but landed “right side up.” Needless to say, if you have to head that way, good idea to avoid the area for now!

April 1st will be a momentous meeting for the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council; the unincorporated area shrinks that day, with the North Highline South annexation taking effect. And with that, NHUAC president Greg Duff will preside one last time, as the annexation makes him a Burien resident. Here’s the agenda he sent:

7:00 p.m. Call to order

Flag salute

Roll call

Approval of agenda

Approval of minutes

7:10 p.m. Public announcements

7:15 p.m. Update from Mike Martin, Burien City Manager

7:25 p.m. Major Jim Graddon, KCSO

Captain Carl Cole, KCSO

Captain Patrick Butschli, KCSO

7:45 p.m. Chief Mike Marrs, Burien Fire Chief

8:00 p.m. Update sent in by Deputy Jeff Hancock, KCSO

8:05 p.m. Public Comment – 3 minutes individuals

5 minutes groups

8:20 p.m. Treasurers Report

8:25 p.m. Committee Reports

1. Governance

2. Arts and Parks

3. Public Safety

4. Housing and Human Services

5. Public Outreach

6. Transportation

7. Steve Cox Memorial

8:35 p.m. Old business

8:45p.m. New Business

As always, NHUAC meets at North Highline Fire District HQ.

That’s our video from this afternoon’s South Park Bridge rally. A few dozen people stood alongside the south side of the bridge, waving signs, rattling noisemakers, even shaking pom-poms. Before 3 pm, though, it started to rain, hard, and we noticed a few of the demonstrators leaving – though others stayed and simply whipped out umbrellas. ADDED 10:57 PM: Washblog has a story with lots of photos.

With that ribbon-cutting ceremony a little more than an hour ago – check out the little boy jumping for joy! – the Educare Early Learning Center at Greenbridge is now open, a year and a half after the ceremonial groundbreaking. (Lots of background here on the facility designed to serve at least 134 children, birth-5.) Big crowd on hand:

Among the crowd of hundreds, all three 34th District state legislators – from left, Rep. Eileen Cody, Sen. Joe McDermott, Rep. Sharon Nelson:

Those attending also included Bill Gates Sr. and Mimi Gates. The event started with about 45 minutes of speeches – we’ll add video of highlights – and then, the gala ribboncutting, followed by tours.

ADDED: Two speech excerpts from the pre-ribboncutting event in adjacent White Center Heights Elementary School. The most memorable speaker was Beatrice Harper, a White Center mom whose son Angelo has attended precursor programs for the past two years:

And on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which made a major contribution to get the center built, Greg Shaw said he had a request for everyone present:

Through White Center Early Learning Initiative, WC is one of two “demonstration areas” in the state for early-learning initiatives; the other is East Yakima. Also, our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times take a closer look in this article that’s just gone online.

From Shelli at White Center for the Arts – a call for help, at a critical time for what is literally the organization’s DREAM:

White Center for the Arts must make a decision this weekend as to whether or not to continue pursuing the very fabulous space at 9640A 16th Ave SW for DREAM Community Gallery. We have the deposit money, and some grant money coming. However, it is not enough to responsibly continue with the project at this time without having $28,000 more. The landlord is understandably tired of waiting, and wants to move on. We have seen a vision of the future, and this space is what is needed, and desired, by many of the artists in the area.

DREAM: Community Gallery has a solid business plan. We have a great person, Lance McIntosh, who is managing the project, and who has crunched the numbers. We have a solid team of volunteers who will help with the build-out, and plenty of artists who are ready to exhibit, and performers ready to bring their art to you. We will be providing a resource library, a computer that is free to use, free wi-fi, and art materials for those who want to use them while they are at the gallery. In the gallery, as a way of avoiding having to apply for the endless parade of grants, we will have a small coffee bar. There will be plenty of comfy seating, and snacks. This space will be the central point from which White Center for the Arts conducts its arts programming.

We are a community organization. We are reaching out right now to the community for a show of support. Please support this beautiful project with a tax-deductible donation of any size.

We are also looking for arts/business-minded people to sit on the Board of Directors. We need a solid infrastructure directed by people from the community.

WCFTA is here with a vision of healthy community, and a goal of being a part of a healthy White Center. We are partnering with other organizations in the area to help realize this vision. Will you be a part of this?

If you have any questions, want to volunteer ( a list of opportunities is ready to be put up on the site), and/or want to donate, please contact me:

Shelli Park
crimsonpark@whitecenterforthearts.org

Just listened in on the King County Courthouse hearing in which the Hang Around Bar and Grill operators (see earlier coverage) challenged the property owner’s attempt to evict them immediately. They won a bit of a victory – while the owner and her lawyer contended that they had no landlord-tenant relationship with the Hang Around, court commissioner Carlos Velategui said the fact that the landlord had taken a rent check from operators Joe and Glennis proved otherwise. However, he found no evidence that they had a lease – just a month-to-month relationship – which means, as he vigorously noted several times, they can be given a 20-day notice to get out, provided they pay the March rent; if they don’t pay that rent, they can be given a 3-day notice to vacate. Given the owner’s repeated insistence that she wants them out, Velategui said, he wasn’t quite sure why the case had come before him, but the couple contended they were hopeful that community support might convince the landlord to let them stay. The landlord’s lawyer told the couple’s lawyer, standing before the judge, he didn’t care what the community thought, his client wants them out. We’ll be checking to see what happens next.

ADDED SATURDAY: Joe posted this today in the comment section following our original story:

THANK YOU !!! Everyone for your support and your Friendship that i never expected from such a great community. SPECIAL THANKS TO… Traci, Heidi, Bob,Richard (Papa’s Pub),Mac (Triangle Pub), Liz (CDA) and especially Gerald Robison (our Gracious and most professional attorney). WE hope and pray that this comes to a good resolution and we continue to stay in White Center. I know this is just the first step, but i was told by Glennis for me to step back as SHE will now handle this (with the women in the community). when i saw them gathering last night at the Hang Around in the Dart room, i was even afraid to go in there as they were meeting about the court and landlord situation. So, again, Thank you, Heidi, Liz and Glennis. (The Women took over and im not gonna go near that! Just to show that the Women in the community is not to be recon with. (smiles and grins). Thank you everyone for your help and friendship.

Joe & Glennis

Notes from last night’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting at the WC DSHS office: King County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Hancock told the group he’ll be out working temporarily as a patrol officer to deal with a KCSO short-term staffing gap, but WC remains his primary duty. For Seattle Police, Community Police Team Officer Jill Vanskike didn’t have updated crime stats overall but said there was some good news for the West Seattle side of the line – a burglary arrest in Highland Park seems to have a put a stop to a spree of break-ins and car prowls; the suspect can’t make bail and remains in jail awaiting trial. … The State Liquor Control Board plans emphasis patrols at local bars and stores soon; a nighttime bar check earlier this year, the group was told, turned up a few problems in Burien but none in White Center (both communities are in the same territory for enforcement officers) … White Center Chamber of Commerce president Mark Ufkes made flyers available for an event coming up March 31, a White Center Business District Forum co-sponsored by the Chamber and the WC Community Development Association, addressing “Options for Managing Homeless, Chronic Alcoholics in White Center,” 6:30 pm. at Triangle Pub … The WCCSC, which has been operating as an all-volunteer, no-staff group for several months now after its funding grant for staff ran out, talked about its focus and organization. Co-chairs Sean Healy and Angela Rambo want group members to consider whether its purpose is more advocacy-oriented, or more information-oriented. No conclusion was reached, so more discussions is ahead … The coalition meets at 6 pm on the fourth Thursday of each month, so its next meeting is scheduled for April 22.

We brought you the story Wednesday of the Hang Around Bar and Grill‘s owner Joe saying he’s getting the boot after just a few months. He’s going to court to challenge it, and is requesting support:

My lawyer asked me to ask our friends and public to appear in court for us Tomorrow [Friday] at 3 pm to tell the judge and her lawyer that what you feel about us there. The court proceeding is to STOP the eviction process and have the Attorney, landlord and the Judge [know] that we are NOT bad people and the public opinion is very important.

EXPARTE / King County Court WEST COURT ROOM 3rd Floor at 3 pm tomorrow (FRIDAY) please attend.
THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!

Got this announcement from the folks behind the Master Gardeners program – note they’ll arrive in White Center earlier than West Seattle – mark your calendars!

The King County Master Gardeners will have their table set up at the West Seattle Farmer’s Market every Sunday beginning April 25th until September 26th (with the exception of May 2nd, May 30th, July 4th, and September 5th) from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. They are there to answer your gardening questions, give gardening advice, and help diagnose gardening problems.

They also have a clinic at McLendon Hardware (in White Center) on Saturdays, beginning April 3rd until September 25th (with the exception of May 1st, May 29th, July 3rd, & Sept. 4th) from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Please stop by and “Ask a Master Gardener!”

We first reported these last night on partner site West Seattle Blog – but in case you didn’t see them there, we’re linking here too. Multiple agencies sent reps to the first “bridge closure planning meeting” yesterday in SP; after that, we were off to a media opportunity with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, whom we asked whether the city might chip in money for a new bridge, as a county rep had suggested to us might be necessary. Here’s the full story with details on both angles (including video of the mayor’s answer). Meantime, nothing has changed as the county moves toward its plan to close the South Park Bridge permanently at 7 pm June 30th.

Almost seven months after that August 30th rally preceding the shutdown of Evergreen Pool, the official announcement just arrived in the inbox – there’s a deal to reopen it “on or before May 1st.” (The White Water Aquatics website says they’re targeting April 12th, with a 5/1 “grand opening.”) And it’ll have a slightly changed name. Here’s the news release:

Officials of White Water Aquatics Management, LLC, a not-for-profit subsidiary of an area swim team, today announce that they have reached an agreement to re-open Evergreen Community Aquatics Center (formerly Evergreen Pool) in White Center on or before May 1, 2010.

From the time King County closed the pool last summer, the parents of children who compete on the Whitewater Aquatics Swim Team have worked with The Highline School District and King County to develop an operating agreement. White Water Aquatics Management has developed a business plan to operate the pool with a full range of programming for diverse community needs, and has raised over $50,000 in private donations to get started.

“Swimming and water recreation offer lifelong health and safety benefits, and we are so pleased to be able to offer this programming to White Center and our community”, said Ed Marrs, president of Whitewater Aquatics, and a professional firefighter. “We would like to thank The Highline School Board, King County, Dow Constantine and dozens of Whitewater Swim Team Families who all worked tirelessly to ensure that we could open this pool. Our unique public-private partnership is an example of how citizens can mobilize and assist government in challenging times,” he continued.

With repairs underway, planning for a spring break scrub-and-paint marathon, lesson calendars and schedule planning in the works – as well an operating swim team preparing for several swim meets – , it’s a “hectic time at The Evergreen Community Aquatic Center, but we are truly excited to embark on this new venture,” said newly appointed pool manager, current WWA Head Coach Joel Schweiger. “We hope to release our calendar and start promoting spring swim lessons by April 5th.” Schweiger, an accomplished competitive swimmer, has managed several pools in California and has over fourteen years coaching experience up to the highest levels of the sport.

The pool’s at 606 SW 116th (map).

Just got word from Joe, owner of the Hang Around Bar and Grill in the former home of The Wall in the heart of downtown White Center: He says their landlord has told us they have to get out by Friday, because the building will be closed. They say they got what they call “eviction papers” yesterday. It’s only been a few months since they opened, and Joe says they are in shock. He wrote in part:

We just totally established the place, put our hearts and love into it, and been tossed out like garbage. YES, the rent was paid every month. Im asking the community for help now. We always have had support from the community, the local shops welcomed us and we felt like part of the Family in White Center. Now we have to pack up and leave. What kind of people are they to do this? A lot of you people know us and i hope you can make a difference for us to stay here. all we did was love the community and love our business.This has saddened us and we did not see this coming. now 7 people have to be laid off who served the community with love and respect and helped kept the area clean of the Riff Raff.I hope and pray that someone can help us. PLEASE!

We’re working to find out more about what kind of help he’s looking for, among other aspects of the story, and will update when we get more information.