White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Family and friends are remembering longtime florist Laurie Rosenthal, 66, this weekend. (You might remember her from the now-closed White Center shop South End Florist.) Here’s the remembrance her family shared:

Laurie Jean Rosenthal, was born to Louis and Leona Hostak on December 31, 1946 and passed away after a short battle with cancer on May 1, 2013.

Laurie was a faithful, loving and passionate daughter, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend. She stayed in the Seattle area all of her life, and was a popular florist at Fran’s Flowers and South End Florist for many years. She will be remembered for her great sense of humor, practical jokes, love of animals, and most of all, her love of family. She adored the love of her life Lonnie, her son Joe and daughter-in-law Debbie, and her son Tony and daughter-in-law Tina. She also loved teasing her brothers and their wives Jim and Mary and Don and Myrna. She was preceded in death by her brother Bob.

She especially loved her grandchildren Anthony, Joshua and Katie. Anytime Josh and Anthony had a baseball game, you would find her in the stands cheering as loud as she could. She never missed a game! She also enjoyed camping and ice cream with Katie. Her numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins were near and dear to her heart. Lana and Bev were her dearest friends and she loved them and their families with all of her heart. She loved all of her many friends and cherished each friendship. All who knew her, loved her and will greatly miss her.

An open house to celebrate Laurie’s life will be held on Saturday, May 4 at 1pm in Enumclaw. Contact Tony at tlrosenthal@comcast.net for details.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to your favorite animal charity.

We’ve received another letter referring to the recent Jubilee Days-related controversy. This is from White Center business owner Justin Cline:

Yesterday a representative from Jubilee Days Board came in with the intentions of unburning some bridges. I think this is a wonderful start. Here is what I would like to see Jubilee Days do to rebuild some bridges.

Involve the community. All the smaller fairs in the area make it a point to include local businesses and art groups, not just take their donations. The Cambodian Festival, The Fair at Sacred Heart, and the various festivals and fairs that the WCCDA host throughout the year manage to bring in our local ethnic restaurants as vendors. Jubilee Days has the same guy selling hot dogs and Elephant Ears year after year. The parade has almost no local involvement. Instead groups from Eastern Washington and farther are paid well to march in our parade.

Thank the people that made your festival happen last year. Most of the people that put on the auction last year didn’t even get a mention in your program. Most of what they heard were complaints from the board. Is it a surprise they are not willing to help again? If you made some earnest and sincere apologies, I am sure it would go a long way.

Make good on the promises you made last year. Put up banners for all the businesses you forgot to last year. Put in the ads you forgot to print. Refund the money you took from Southgate Roller Rink.

Finally, elect a new President. Mike McGrath’s complete disdain for local business and the community in general is not doing you any favors. Last year when asked why he was blocking of the entry way to the Southgate Roller Rink. He said, “F**k them. I don’t have time for this. I am not here to make businesses happy, I am here to put on a festival.”

He said this in front of me and several other people. Southgate donated thousands of dollars in money and in-kind donations, and all they asked was that their entryway was left open so they could participate in the street fair. Mike deliberately cut them out. Even after the festival was over, Mike made no effort to correct this. He has a long history of burning bridges in this area using this festival. Chase Bank won’t donate to you again because Mike promised them a booth and an ad, took their money and then did nothing for them. No booth, no ad. He did something similar to a local couple that donated money for a memorial. They got nothing. It is time to find a new director for your festival if you are truly going to take this into a new direction.

Do that this year, and then come back next year and we will talk about donating again. Until then I will continue to encourage people to avoid this fair.

Justin Cline

The opinions expressed in letters are solely those of the writers, not of WCN. Letters can be sent to whitecenternow@gmail.com.

That’s our video of last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council public-safety forum, featuring King County Sheriff John Urquhart and North Highline’s Fire Chief Mike Marrs. One of the hottest topics: Whether the KCSO White Center Storefront Deputy position will continue to be funded. Sheriff Urquhart said he was committed to keeping it – but budget pressure could trump his intentions, so everyone who wants it to be kept should contact their representatives, particularly King County Executive Dow Constantine and County Councilmember Joe McDermott. (Their e-mail addresses: dow.constantine@kingcounty.gov and joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov … we’ll keep you updated on the county-budget process and potential touchstones along the way for this issue.)

The storefront deputy himself, Deputy BJ Myers, briefed attendees on current area crime trends – biggest news was an arrest of three alleged serial burglars.

White Center’s continuing-to-grow marijuana industry also was brought up, particularly the reported plan for the former Club Evo site to go into that line of business. It was noted that the injunction covering the site remains in force, so no one can open any kind of nightlife business there.

You can’t beat a free breakfast. And this Saturday is the day some pancake fans wait all year to see – and taste: The annual free pancake breakfast at White Center’s McLendon Hardware (as well as the company’s half-dozen other stores). 7:30-10 am, they’re welcoming you for the free flapjacks at 16th and 102nd, in honor of their 79th anniversary – more info online.

Questions about crime prevention and crimefighting, fire prevention and firefighting? Here’s your reminder that you’ll want to be at the North Highline Fire District HQ this Thursday night (May 2) for the next North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Public Safety Forum. From the original announcement:

We are pleased to be hosting King County Sheriff John Urquhart and North Highline Fire Chief Mike Marrs.

Sheriff Urquhart will be here to take our questions, and listen to community concerns about public safety and the sheriff’s department staffing levels for the North Highline area.

Once again our White Center Storefront Deputy position is in jeopardy, as the special funding allocated in 2011 expires at the end of 2013. Will the 2014 budget include funding for this essential position?

The North Highline Fire District, which is funded solely by property tax money from North Highline, is facing critical financial challenges. Chief Marrs will discuss the history of our North Highline Fire District, operational status, and future challenges and options.

Storefront Deputy BJ Myers is scheduled to be there too. The forum’s set to start at 7 pm Thursday, 1243 SW 112th – everybody welcome.

Last weekend, all over the metro area, Rebuilding Together Seattle brought help to dozens of homeowners who needed it – for cleanup, repairs, and renovations enabling them to stay in their homes. One of those homes was in White Center, where Jessica and her son got help from a volunteer group led by workers from Booz Allen Hamilton Consulting. Know someone who might need this kind of helping hand? Check out RTS by going here.

Know this pup? It’s been found – and here’s how to get it home again:

This is a lost puppy I found in White Center. Please message me at 206-353-9066 or e-mail me at sovannaryyy@gmail.com if this dog looks familiar to you.

White Center and West Seattle organizations and community leaders are gathering this Saturday for the annual Gathering of Neighbors, and you’re invited – the first half includes conversations on topics including WC history; the second half is a resource fair with community organizations, and entertainment. Here’s the announcement:

Gather with your West Seattle/White Center neighbors this Saturday at Chief Sealth.

On Saturday, May 4th, at 9:00 am at Chief Sealth International High School, VIEWS (Visualize Increased Engagement West Seattle), Southwest Youth & Family Services, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council, and the Southwest District Council will present the 2013 edition of the Gathering of Neighbors. GON has also partnered with the City of Seattle, Seattle Public Utilities, Rainwise Program to offer Delridge residents the opportunity to learn how water barrels and rain gardens can help improve the environment. SPU and their contractors will be available to demonstrate and answer all your questions.

This year’s event will feature several plenary sessions that we hope will encourage residents, schools, agencies, and community leaders to create new partnerships to meet the changing and challenging needs in the community:
· 9:00am – Social/Refreshments
· 9:30 am – Welcoming Ceremonies
· 10:00am – Honoring our Diverse Northwest Culture
· 10:20am – Sessions
Ø Should We Elect Our Seattle City Council by Districts?
Ø Rain Gardens and Other Creative Way to Improve and Make Your Neighborhood Beautiful
Ø Working Together to Build Stronger Communities
Ø Connecting Resources to Needs When a Major Disaster Hits – Emergency Communication Hubs
Ø Diaries of White Center – A Historical Documentary
· 11:05 – Repeat Sessions
· Noon – The State of West Seattle/Wrap-up
· Resource Fair/Entertainment

During the afternoon the GON Resource Fair will feature neighborhood councils, non-profits and social service providers, a selection of representatives from various city and county departments, plus local entertainment to celebrate the Gathering of Neighbors and the connections we have made. Will you join us? Starting at 12:30 the entertainment will feature:

Ø 12:30 pm – Twelfth Night Productions – Broadway show tunes
Ø 1:00 pm – Ellis Brothers – Middle schools trio of Jazz playing brothers
Ø 1:45 pm – Trackademics – Sealth group
Ø 2:15 pm – DK Dwyer – Chicago style blues (acoustic)

Chief Sealth IHS is at 2600 SW Thistle in West Seattle.

A little chilly today for a street festival, but the hundreds who thronged the White Center Cambodian New Year Festival didn’t seem to mind. Along with almost-continuous on-stage entertainment and contests, there was food …

… and merchandise, including T-shirts to show off Cambodian pride:

The day’s events were detailed in the program on the sponsoring Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington‘s website. It’s traditionally the first street festival of the year in White Center, filling a closed-to-traffic block of SW 98th between 15th and 16th SW.

This Sunday, you can rollerskate at Southgate Rink for a special reason: West Seattle resident Kathy Himes has organized a skating benefit to help her friend Pauline Hunt, a former professional mountain biker who now is living with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. They’re raising money for a Habitat for Humanity renovation for the home where Pauline and her family, including her two young daughters, live, so that it will be wheelchair-accessible. It’s an international effort – Pauline is in Canada and is getting help from friends around the world, including Kathy. So come skate 5-7 pm on Sunday, April 28, for $12, which covers skate rental and a suggested donation. Kathy says there’ll be raffles too, thanks to donations from generous businesses including White Center’s own Zippy’s Giant Burgers, Full Tilt Ice Cream, and Meander’s Kitchen. (See the event flyer here.)

White Center’s wildly popular Proletariat Pizza is expanding – into the former tattoo-shop space next door. That means more room for sit-down dining, including a long space that could accommodate bigger groups, like youth-sports team parties. And there’s a quiet space off to the side intended as an adults-only area. The work isn’t done yet, note proprietors Stefanie and Mike Albaeck, so what you see in our photo is not the final look, nor the final table/chairs setup – it was just this past Monday that they knocked out a few walls to connect the spaces. But they’re expecting the expanded space to be at least partly usable, with temporary tables, tomorrow (Thursday) night when Proletariat takes part in Dining Out for Life, so stop by and take a peek. Proletariat’s been open 3 1/2 years now, at 9622 16th SW; in the mornings and early afternoons, the space is home to Caffé Delia.

Music, dancing, food, and more will fill a block of SW 98th (between 15th and 16th SW) in White Center this Saturday, 10:30 am-5 pm, and you’re invited. The occasion: The annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival. It’s presented by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington; our coverage from last year is here; from 2011, here; from 2009, here.

A beautiful Earth Day at the White Center Pond wetlands! Thanks to Gill for sharing photos, including a Washington Conservation Corps member who was out with a group doing cleanup and planting as part of ongoing restoration work here.

Some of the local wildlife posed with the new plantings, too:

The mallards (above) were joined by Canada geese:

The pond is not only a functional wetland, but also helps the area handle stormwater.

Two White Center restaurants are signed on for this year’s Dining Out for Life fundraiser for Lifelong AIDS Alliance: Company and Proletariat Pizza. The event is this Thursday (April 25th), and both are participating at dinnertime, donating 30 percent of their proceeds.

P.S. If you’re reading this in neighboring West Seattle – four participants there (also for dinner); they are Buddha Ruksa, Eats Market Café, Skylark Café and Club, and Talarico’s;

From North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin, word of the slate for NHUAC’s next public-safety forum:

Mark your calendars.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council invites you to a Public Safety Forum:
Thursday, May 2, 7 pm at the North Highline Fire Station (1243 112th Street SW).

We are pleased to be hosting King County Sheriff John Urquhart and North Highline Fire Chief Mike Marrs.

Sheriff Urquhart will be here to take our questions, and listen to community concerns about public safety and the sheriff’s department staffing levels for the North Highline area.

Once again our White Center Storefront Deputy position is in jeopardy, as the special funding allocated in 2011 expires at the end of 2013. Will the 2014 budget include funding for this essential position?

The North Highline Fire District, which is funded solely by property tax money from North Highline, is facing critical financial challenges. Chief Marrs will discuss the history of our North Highline Fire District, operational status, and future challenges and options.

Also on hand will be our White Center Storefront Deputy, BJ Myers.

Please plan on attending and being part of this very informative and important conversation about life in North Highline.

If you have a child in Highline Public Schools and can donate money and/or food to local food banks – the district-wide food drive’s second and final week starts tomorrow (Monday, April 22nd). As is pointed out in the official announcement, beneficiaries include White Center Food Bank – and one dollar donated to a food bank can have the spending power of up to four! Plus, donations before the end of April count for more at food banks such as WC that are participating in the Feinstein Challenge.

(Photo by Patrick Sand for White Center Now)
Last July, minutes after the Chase Bank in White Center was robbed, we photographed that arrest – and today, the robber has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Here’s the announcement just in from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

A 31- year-old man who robbed a Chase Bank branch in the White Center neighborhood of southwest Seattle at gunpoint last year was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 102 months (8.5 years) in prison and three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. BRYAN ALLEN HILL, was convicted of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence following a jury trial in January 2013. HILL was arrested a few blocks from the bank on July 25, 2012, with the gun and cash that had been taken in the robbery. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said this is “a very, very serious offense… basically terrorizing the individuals in the bank.”

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, HILL entered the bank with a blue bandana pulled up over his face. He pointed a handgun at the teller’s head and ordered the teller to put all the cash in the bag. While stuffing money into his bag, the bandana fell off of HILL’s face and the teller was able to see his face. Other workers in the bank were able to alert law enforcement and one wrote down a description of the robber. Within minutes of the robber leaving the bank, Seattle Police had a description and were searching the area around the bank for the suspect.

A Seattle Police officer spotted someone who was similar in appearance to the suspected robber walking quickly from the area. The officer ordered the man to stop and kneel on the ground. Witnesses from the bank were brought to the scene and identified the man, HILL, as the bank robber. When police searched the bag he was carrying they found the gun, cash, and some of the clothing HILL had removed following the bank robbery.

HILL was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Unveiled in May 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a comprehensive and strategic approach to gun law enforcement. PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America by networking both new and existing local programs that target gun crime and then providing them with the resources and tools they need to succeed. Implementation at the local level — in this case, in King County– has fostered close partnerships between federal, state and local prosecutors and law enforcement.

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs and Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds. Mr. Hobbs is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute gun cases in federal court.

Tell your tale as a 10-minute-or-less movie, and you might make it into the RatCity ArtCity Film Festival this summer. Here’s the announcement:

In June 2011, White Center curated its first Short Film Festival. Three twenty-minute programs covering a wide range of subjects were hosted by Southgate Roller Rink, Full Tilt, and Big Al Brewing.

We are again calling for submissions for the June 2013 Festival!

This is a one-night festival, held on June 13th in White Center. White Center is located between Seattle and Burien in unincorporated King County. It is a place with a lot of character and characters, where RAT is technically an acronym – but embraced as a mascot. RatCity ArtCity’s mission is to bring and sustain an eclectic, diverse range of art and artists to White Center, focusing on both emerging and well established artists. RCAC has revived the White Center Art Walk that had been in place for the past several years. Amanda Kay Helmick, Devrim Ozkan, and Theresa and Jason Beaulieu are the current facilitators and co-conspirators.

Submission Criteria:

* Completed Films should be under 10:00 total run time and formatted as a Quicktime (a complete spec sheet will be sent to filmmakers).
* Films should be completed and submitted by June 1, 2013
* Subjects and themes can range as the run time is the determining factor for inclusion in the program(s).

We encourage all ages, abilities and filming styles to submit! Remember, all final pieces should be in hand by June 1, 2013.

Please contact Amanda Kay Helmick at ratcityartcity@gmail.com for questions, specifications and submissions.

(WCN photo of mural-painting during 2012 Spring Clean)
With more than 20 murals – “tour” them here! – White Center just might be the mural capital of King County – or at least well on its way there. But more artists are needed, according to this announcement sent by Mark Ufkes:

The White Center Chamber of Commerce, working in close partnership with the White Center Community Development Association, has been coordinating the installation of murals at graffiti locations throughout White Center over the past several years. What we have learned is that murals add color to our community and reduce graffiti at the sites where murals are installed. White Center now has more than 20 murals.

Last year, for example, we took two of the dumpiest buildings in White Center and turned them into public art (The Lions Mural and the Rainbow Mural on 17th Ave. SW) Six more mural sites have been identified for this year’s CDA White Center Spring Clean. Three mural sites still need artists.

White Center needs mural artists who are willing to work for free to bring their art and color to White Center. Here are the details of identified mural sites that still need artists.

The Live Butcher (Tom Salle)
9432 16th Ave. SW (South wall – 36 feet long)
(206) 354-2692
Marquise from the CDA (206) 708-8762 will arrange for paint and Tom The Live Butcher will provide artists with extraordinary snacks from his butcher shop while they install their art. Tom would like a farm scene with rolling hills. It should include a steer, chicken and pork. Artists with an idea will need to sketch it out and go visit Tom (as nice a man as you will ever meet in life) and see what he says. Once you both agree on the design, call Marquise to arrange the paint colors you will need, and you can get started. This location is a very visible southern wall on a White Center arterial.

La Mexicana (Bill Fry) (two sections of the front wall facing 16th SW)
10020 16th Ave. SW
(206) 763-1488
Section 1: North portion 90 feet long
Section 2: South portion 65 feet long

La Mexicana is a high quality Mexican foods manufacturer located in White Center. Scenes of life in Mexico could work for the mural, and images emphasizing Mexican foods could work too. Lots of color and lots of culture would be great, Potential artists would need to sketch out their ideas, call Bill and go visit him. He is a very nice fellow. See what he says. If you both come to an agreement about a design, you will then need to call Marquise at the CDA (206) 708-8762 and ask for the paint and brushes. Marquise will set you up. Cover as much of the walls and doors as you can at both sites up to eight feet above the side walk. This will help reduce graffiti at the location.

Tam Industries (9420 16th Ave. SW) and the SW 107th wall cut away at 16th Ave. SW will also get murals this spring. If potential mural artists have questions, please call Marquise at the CDA. White Center needs your talents!!

White Center Spring Clean stretches over multiple months this year – details are on the WCCDA website.

Thursday night was the second edition of RatCity ArtCity, the new incarnation of White Center’s art walk. For WCN, photojournalist Nick Adams stopped at some of the participating venues:

(Photos by Nick Adams for WCN)
At Big Al Brewing (9832 14th SW), artist Ethan Jack Harrington posed with his painting “Sonics Girl.”

Next – glass art work by Michael Church at GnuOrganics (9988 15th SW).

Another look:

Also at GnuOrganics, Guy Lindenmuth‘s paintings:

GnuOrganics also showed acrylic works on canvas by artist Daniel Mohr: