‘Luau at the Lake’: 34th District Democrats’ first Garden Party at Lakewood Park

August 15th, 2014 at 9:48 pm Posted in Politics, White Center news | Comments Off on ‘Luau at the Lake’: 34th District Democrats’ first Garden Party at Lakewood Park

New location tonight for the 34th District Democrats‘ summertime fundraiser – the Garden Party moved to White Center, at TAF’s Bethaday Community Learning Space in Lakewood Park. And so, with Hicklin Lake in view, the party was dubbed “Luau at the Lake.” As always, the crowd included elected officials, like State Rep. Eileen Cody and Seattle School Board director Marty McLaren:

State Senate Democratic leader Senator Sharon Nelson:

34th leaders too – that’s Chris Porter with the big smile:

You can’t have a luau without boat drinks:

And this was an auction, too, with at least one item carrying a Presidential seal:

When not garden-partying, the 34th District Democrats meet monthly on the second Wednesday, 7 pm, at The Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Happening tonight: Storytelling at Seola Gardens with Gloria Sims

August 15th, 2014 at 3:49 pm Posted in People | Comments Off on Happening tonight: Storytelling at Seola Gardens with Gloria Sims

Sorry for the late notice – but just in case you’re looking for something to do tonight:

The Trusted Advocates community group cordially invites everyone to this Friday’s Storyhour. Get to know your neighbors! Youth especially welcomed!

*6:30 pm*, August 15th
*Seola Gardens Community Room,* White Center
11215 5th Ave. SW

This month’s speaker is *Gloria Sims*, a young Chicana from El Paso, Los Angeles and Washington. She’ll share her story and how we can help our youth avoid or get out of gangs and substance abuse.

FREE! Refreshments included.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Update: Man stabbed in White Center, no arrest yet

August 14th, 2014 at 1:38 am Posted in Crime, White Center news | 1 Comment »

(Photo courtesy Tim Clemans)
ORIGINAL 1:38 AM REPORT: A search is under way for someone suspected in a stabbing reported in downtown White Center. According to a radio transmission asking for Seattle Police to be on the lookout, someone was stabbed at the Locker Room Tavern on 16th SW. We don’t know the circumstances or condition, but a search is under way now (with a possible suspect spotted in West Seattle). We hope to find out more about this later in the morning, too.

8:55 AM UPDATE: According to King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates:

The stabbing was between two men who were acquaintances, and they were both intoxicated. After both were refused service in the Locker Room Tavern they were outside talking for a while when for unknown reasons the suspect stabbed the victim in the back. The suspect left on foot and a K-9 track didn’t locate him. The at-large suspect is described as a Native American male about 5’10” and 160 pounds with what is described as a mullet hairstyle. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket and (in possession of) a baseball hat. The victim was uncooperative with deputies so it’s unknown if he will= assist in prosecution. His injuries were said to be life-threatening, but I’ve had no further update on his condition since shortly after the incident.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Another White Center and vicinity power outage, this time because of a crash

August 13th, 2014 at 9:23 pm Posted in Utilities, White Center news | 3 Comments »

(Screengrab of City Light map added 9:49 pm – yes, it looks a lot like the one from early today!)
No power? You’re not alone. We’re getting reports from Shorewood and part of White Center that power is out again – as of this writing Seattle City Light still doesn’t have the full scope of it on its map, but we have multiple reports it’s linked to a crash. We’re en route to the location to verify.

UPDATE: City Light also verifies the crash is to blame, at 10th/116th. We have just arrived in the area. Traffic signals are out at 16th/112th and 16th/116th, so if you have to drive in the area, please remember to treat nonfunctioning signals as four-way stops. 4,200 customers are without power, according to the customer hotline.

2ND UPDATE: Now it’s on the City Light map, as of 9:40 pm. We also have learned from sheriff’s deputies that 2 people were hurt in the crash and taken to the hospital. Too dangerous because of downed pole to get close, so we only have a photo of North Highline Fire District crew standing by:

3RD UPDATE: City Light says crews are routing power and should get it back to most “within the hour” (which would be, by 11 pm). And we’re starting to hear from people who indeed are connected again.

1:35 AM: City Light map shows 1200+ customers still out of power. We’ve also learned that Seattle Police are investigating the crash that started it. We hope to learn a lot more about that later this morning.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Update: Power outage hits parts of White Center and vicinity

August 13th, 2014 at 12:53 am Posted in Utilities, Weather, White Center news | 2 Comments »

(Screengrab from Seattle City Light map)
12:53 AM: Shortly after major rain started to fall, power went out to a wide area including part of White Center. The Seattle City Light outage map shows more than 4,200 homes/businesses are out of power. So far, no cause listed – just that SCL is “investigating” – but at least one tipster reports big lightning preceded it.

1:30 AM: City Light says it’s restored power to about a third of the customers affected, leaving about 2,600 without electricity.

2:02 AM: And now, fewer than 1,000 still without power.

6 AM: Almost 600, mostly in the South Park area, remain without power.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

White Center businesses: Martial-arts teacher moves from West Seattle, now at Body Movement Arts

August 12th, 2014 at 2:17 am Posted in Businesses, Health, White Center news | Comments Off on White Center businesses: Martial-arts teacher moves from West Seattle, now at Body Movement Arts

A “grand reopening” is planned next month for a longtime West Seattle martial-arts practice that has relocated to White Center.

Until fall 2012, Restita DeJesus operated the Seattle Wushu Center in a West Seattle facility that now is home to a CrossFit studio. She moved classes to another nearby location while looking for a new facility and found it in White Center, across from Southgate Roller Rink, at what’s now known as Body Movement Arts (9627 17th SW). She says:

The new location has a totally new look, 3000 square feet of studio space, and offers classes in Filipino Martial Arts and self-defense, Kung Fu, Wushu, and Tai Chi. A Personal Trainer on site not only teaches some of the classes but also offers personal training sessions. Classes run from as early as 7:00 am all the way through to 8:30 pm.

The “grand reopening” open house on September 14th will feature a Lion Dance performance as well as free short introductory classes for all ages (4 and up).

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Scenes from Night Out 2014 in North Highline

August 6th, 2014 at 11:50 pm Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, Neighborhoods, North Highline Fire District, White Center news | Comments Off on Scenes from Night Out 2014 in North Highline

Thanks to North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin for sharing photos from a lively Night Out gathering in NH – our apologies for delayed publication. Above, NH Fire District firefighters stopped by. Below, King County Sheriff’s Office was represented too – that’s Major Jerrell Wills in uniform:

And he wasn’t alone:

Next year, let us know if you are having a Night Out party – we would love to stop by a few, as we do on the other side of the city-county line – whitecenternow@gmail.com any time!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Election 2014: North Highline Fire District ‘benefit charge’ passing

August 5th, 2014 at 9:08 pm Posted in Election, North Highline Fire District, White Center news | 1 Comment »

It needs 60 percent approval – and so far, after the first ballot count in tonight’s election, the North Highline Fire District benefit charge has almost 70 percent approval. Here’s the full list of election results from around King County; next ballot count will be out tomorrow afternoon.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Election Day: Get your ballot in by 8 pm

August 5th, 2014 at 10:45 am Posted in Election, White Center news | Comments Off on Election Day: Get your ballot in by 8 pm

Today is Election Day and for your vote to count, your ballot needs to either be in the mail by tonight – and postmarked with today’s date, with postage on the envelope – or turned in at a dropbox or dropoff van by 8 pm, which does NOT require postage. There’s a van in White Center, on 8th SW in Greenbridge, all the way up until that last moment at 8. If you still need a reason to vote, there is one big measure to be decided today, the North Highline Fire District benefit charge, which requires a 60 percent “yes” vote to pass. Whatever and whomever you’re voting for, don’t let your ballot go to waste.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Making Roxbury safer: What’s being proposed, including a ‘road diet’

August 1st, 2014 at 3:47 am Posted in Safety, Transportation, White Center news | 6 Comments »

Though the city/county line runs down the middle of Roxbury for most of its length, Seattle is accountable for taking care of what’s between the north and south curbs. So it’s leading the way on the SW Roxbury safety project, for which North Highline Unincorporated Area Council and neighboring Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council led the campaign. The Seattle Department of Transportation unveiled its proposals on Thursday night, at the first of two meetings (the second of which is in White Center on Monday). Here’s a sneak peek via the slide deck:

The biggest part of the proposal is from downtown White Center westward – proposing “rechannelization,” or what’s also more conversationally known as a “road diet,” for the segment between 17th and 35th, converting it to one lane each way, with a center turn lane, and five-foot-wide buffers (shoulders) on each side. For full details on what’s being proposed – but far from finalized – on the full stretch, see our report on West Seattle Blog. Bring questions/concerns/ideas/etc. to the Monday meeting (August 4th), 6 pm at the Greenbridge Y, 9720 8th SW.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

King County Sheriff’s Office to change storefront operations in White Center

July 30th, 2014 at 11:59 pm Posted in King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news | 2 Comments »

As previously announced, White Center’s assigned storefront deputy BJ Myers is moving on to a new assignment. He will not be immediately followed by a specific new assigned storefront deputy, according to KCSO’s Southwest Precinct Commander, Major Jerrell Wills. But the storefront still WILL be staffed, Major Wills explains. First, he shares the memo from Sheriff John Urquhart:

So here are the reasons for the operational change to the schedule in both storefronts [White Center and West Hill]:

1. The current 4/10 schedule does not allow for Friday and Saturday coverage at all. The new schedule does.

2. A storefront deputy should be available to the public five days a week, rather than four.

3. To reduce the need for overtime for community meetings by having the deputy more available during their shift.

4. Since KCSO did not receive budget authority for more deputies in 2015, a five day schedule allows for more deputies in the field.

5. Skyway, in particular, has seen a rash of gun violence this summer, and therefore the need for a deputy on at least that extra day compared to a 4/10.

6. The need to control costs. A non-rotating 4/10 schedule creates an extra expense (and days off) for Holiday pay.

In addition, due to budgetary reasons, it is unlikely we could sustain coverage with plain-clothes detectives for gang and firearm violence occurring in the West Hill community after August. So additional coverage with another uniformed deputy later in the evening is paramount. The new schedule allows the storefront deputy to work later (10:00 PM) five days a week. In addition that position can be “flexed” four hours either way. So if the need arises, the deputy can come in at 10:00 AM or work until 2:00 AM in the morning, for example on Friday and Saturday nights. (Actually having more deputies working later was a suggestion from one of our West Hill Deputies.)

Therefore, both storefront deputies were told they would be working five days per week, 8 hours per day, on 2nd shift, which is 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and affords Friday and Saturday coverage nine months of the year.

As Sheriff, I remain committed to the White Center and West Hill communities and doing what is best for that neighborhood and all neighborhoods where we offer police services.

Sheriff John Urquhart

Major Wills explained, “I regret to have to share the message from Sheriff Urquhart via email, but since there has been a transition of our White Center storefront deputy I felt I needed to get the word out as soon as possible. The immediate impact to this operational change means that neither the White Center or West Hill communities will have an assigned storefront deputy. I am hopeful that we will be able to identify a deputy for each community and the absence of your storefront deputy will only be temporary, but for now we will not have a deputy assigned to either community.

“I look forward to meeting with your community very soon and hope that we can work together to select your next deputy. In the meantime, please continue your vigilance against crime by calling 9-1-1 for emergencies and suspicious circumstances, and if you should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or email either Captain Ted Boe or I.”

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Spoke & Food tonight: Take a bike ride to dinner

July 29th, 2014 at 2:26 am Posted in How to Help, White Center news | Comments Off on Spoke & Food tonight: Take a bike ride to dinner

Tonight’s the annual Spoke & Food dining-out benefit – participating restaurants are donating part of tonight’s dinner proceeds, and will be especially happy to see you arrive on two wheels! In White Center, Proletariat Pizza is on the list; in West Seattle, it’s Marination ma kai. See the full participant list here.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Dates set for SW Roxbury safety-plan meetings

July 21st, 2014 at 4:09 am Posted in Safety, Transportation, White Center news | Comments Off on Dates set for SW Roxbury safety-plan meetings

Two meetings are set for the Seattle Department of Transportation to go public with how Roxbury might be made safer – dating back to the joint call a year ago by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council and the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council. SDOT has announced two meetings at which it plans to show “several different engineering options to improve safety for all modes.” The first one is on the West Seattle side, Thursday, July 31st, 6 pm at Southwest Branch Library. Second one is on the White Center side, Monday, August 4th, 6 pm at the Greenbridge YWCA.The project’s official page is here; check out the maps linked from the left side, including this one showing speeds, volumes, and intersections with the most crashes.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

White Center Jubilee Days: Street fair, car show, parade today!

July 19th, 2014 at 8:38 am Posted in White Center Jubilee Days, White Center news | Comments Off on White Center Jubilee Days: Street fair, car show, parade today!

Biggest day of White Center Jubilee Days is today – and even if for some reason you’re not going, you should be aware of the traffic effects. Today, according to the WCJD website:

*Street fair on 17th between 100th and Roxbury (music schedule here)
*Car show (100th at 16th), 11 am-4 pm
*Parade, traveling north on 16th SW from SW 112th to 100th, 2:30 pm

And of course the carnival continues at Steve Cox Memorial Park, starting today at 11 am. Have a great day!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Steve Cox Memorial Park gets a piano – for a while

July 17th, 2014 at 8:06 pm Posted in Parks, Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center news | 1 Comment »

(The Steve Cox Park piano – photo courtesy Pianos in the Parks)
If you weren’t already planning to spend part of your summer at county parks – a public/private-partnership plan announced today involving King County and Seattle public parks is meant to give you a reason to visit. It’s called Pianos in the Parks, and it’s placed 20 donated and decorated pianos in 20 King County and Seattle parks, for the next month. The parks, listed here, include Steve Cox Memorial Park here in White Center. Since it’s a sizable park, we asked a Pianos in the Parks spokesperson where to find it. She replied, “The Steve Cox piano is roughly in the middle of the park by the picnic huts and the playground.” (Above, that’s the Steve Cox Memorial Park piano, decorated by artist Camille Coonrod, before it was placed in the park.) Yes, the pianos are playable; you can even record yourself playing one and enter a contest. The pianos also are being auctioned off; you can bid on any or all of them online by clicking any individual park photo here to see its piano.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

White Center Jubilee Days: Carnival begins; fireworks tonight

July 16th, 2014 at 7:33 pm Posted in White Center Jubilee Days, White Center news | Comments Off on White Center Jubilee Days: Carnival begins; fireworks tonight

Just a reminder – as of mid-afternoon today, the White Center Jubilee Days carnival is on, and at dusk tonight, it’s the fireworks show.

The carnival continues through Sunday; other Jubilee Days info is on the official website.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

North Highline ballot measure: Hearing next Monday; ballots on the way

July 16th, 2014 at 10:15 am Posted in North Highline Fire District, White Center news | 3 Comments »

King County Elections is sending out ballots for the August 5th election starting today, and if you live in the North Highline Fire District, you will be asked to vote on Proposition 1, the “benefit charge” measure. The district is having a public hearing next Monday, July 21st, during its regular meeting (7 pm, NHFD HQ, 1243 SW 112th). Here’s the fact sheet it’s circulating:

P.S. If you want to return your ballot without having to pay postage, the drop-off van will be back in Greenbridge August 2nd, 4th, 5th – details here.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Another information night for Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby tonight!

July 14th, 2014 at 2:57 pm Posted in southgate, Sports, White Center news | Comments Off on Another information night for Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby tonight!

Southside Revolution Junior Derby was at West Seattle Summer Fest this weekend in hopes of recruiting skaters – and tonight’s your next chance to find out about what’s in store! 7 pm, interested skaters 8-17 (boys as well as girls – they’ll launch a coed team too if enough boys are interested), at White Center’s own Southgate Roller Rink. Southgate will be the practice site for the new league, which also plans an August summer camp. Questions? E-mail info@southsiderevolution.com – and/or check out this Facebook group.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Do you know whose dog this is?

July 14th, 2014 at 10:21 am Posted in Pets, White Center news | Comments Off on Do you know whose dog this is?

From the inbox: “I found this little guy wandering around White Center at 107th and 18th Ave SW
yesterday evening about 8:00 p.m. I took him to the vet and he isn’t chipped. He looks like a possible mix between a Basset Hound, Pug, and maybe Virgo because of his longer fur.” If it’s your dog or you know whose dog it is, please e-mail: anamac247@yahoo.com

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

King County Sheriff’s Office ‘tweet-along’ with Deputy BJ Myers tonight

July 10th, 2014 at 5:25 pm Posted in King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news | Comments Off on King County Sheriff’s Office ‘tweet-along’ with Deputy BJ Myers tonight

Announced this afternoon on Twitter:

You can see the short updates even if you don’t use Twitter – check in at twitter.com/kingcosheriff.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button