White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From Barbara Dobkin on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:

If you live in District 1 or District 2 (see District boundaries below) of the North Highline Unincorporated Area, and are thinking of running for a seat on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, there is still time to submit an application.

There will be a special three day filing period, April 26, 27, and 28, for the upcoming Council election to be held on May 19, 2011.

Applications will be accepted for a two year terms for these two districts.

District One. All precincts lying easterly of State Route 509.

District Two. All unincorporated area bordered on the north by the City of Seattle, on the south by the City of Burien, on the east by State Route 509 and on the west by 4th Avenue SW.

To obtain a Candidate Filing Statement or to learn more about the position contact Barbara Dobkin, Chairperson, Elections Committee, bdobkin@northhighlineuac.org, or visit our website: www.northhighlineuac.org.

You can also see, and download, the candidate filing statement here.

Just received: Word of a lost Shepherd mix, last seen around 104th/4th SW. There’s a chain attached to his collar; if you see this dog, please call Liz at 605-3824.

Tomorrow, the weather just might not be so bad. Even if it is a little challenging, you’re going to want to be out and about. It’s Duwamish Alive! day – 10 am-2 pm, restoration and cleanup parties at a variety of sites in the area. See them here.

Then, there’s the HP3 environmental run – details on this, here. Related to that, from Westcrest Park forest steward Mike Shellenberger:

In conjunction with the HP3 runners’ event that starts at Big Al’s Brewing this Saturday April 16th, the Green Seattle Alliance (GSA) Volunteers will be planting hundreds of native evergreen trees in Westcrest Park. The intent is to begin to replace the older deciduous trees, like maples and alders, that are reaching their life span with native longer lived evergreens like fir, cedars, pines etc…We can use as many volunteers as we can get. The more folks that volunteer, the more we can plant. Just show up at the Westcrest Park main parking lot on the west side of the Park near the Kids Play area at 9:15 AM Saturday and we’ll put you to work on this important project..While volunteering people can also walk the Park’s trails and view Spring’s new arrivals. For instance, the beautiful native trilliums are in full bloom..See you Saturday.

(Courtesy Aguero Photo)
Two months ago, West Seattle’s Avalon Glassworks announced its Feed The Core Fundraiser for White Center Food Bank was close to a milestone … $10,000! Each golden blown-glass apple goes for $80, with half of that covering production costs, half of it going to the WC Food Bank, which can buy 200 pounds of food for that much money. Shannon Felix of Avalon Glassworks tells us they have just reached the $10,000 milestone – 250 apples sold, and 25 tons of food for hungry people in our community. But you can still buy an apple – go here!

Story and photo by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

Teo Restaurant and Café owner Phuong Nguyen took a break from extensive remodeling to chat with WCN at his soon-to-be opening White Center Vietnamese restaurant.

Phuong is a White Center resident and first-time restaurant owner, building out the former Home Trust Real Estate Services office at 9650 14th SW as a dining room/cafe. A private room rental will also be available in the space which might accommodate 40-60, according to the new owner. The exterior of the building will soon be revamped with a redesign of the boxy brick building’s facade, to reflect an Asian sensibility.

“White Center is growing very quickly,” Phuong said. “We want to bring this place [to the neighborhood] and [we want to] be as good as the Green Leaf” (a traditional Vietnamese restaurant in the International District). To that end, Phuong has begun searching for a chef who will help bring his family’s dream of high-quality food and service to life for the White Center community.

A beer and wine license has been applied for, with no plans for a full liquor license. “We want people to stop by after work and enjoy a beer while they relax before a nice meal,” Phuong explained.

Teo is the latest addition to White Center’s ongoing arrivals of new businesses on 14th, accompanying Zippy’s Giant Burgers‘ scheduled opening April 25 (just half a block north on 14th SW). Big Al Brewing, a popular beer brewery and tasting room, is less than a block south.

Phuong promises to keep WCN updated on the opening date, with a preview of the completed space and final menu to come.

From Devrim – the list of who’s where on this Saturday night’s White Center Art Walk:

White Center 3rd Saturday Art Walk – April 16th, 2011 6 PM to 9 PM

Big Al Brewing (9832 14th Avenue SW): Carlos Aguilar- Paint and Ink- -Animated, vibrant & twisted paintings that will make you double-take, every time. Come have a pint of Local Hero #9, play some Wii and absorb a room full of enthusiastic awesome!

Dubsea Coffee (9910 8th Ave SW): Martijn Caspar Swart- New Varied Paintings. http://martijncswart.blogspot.com/- Same artist, more mind blowing. Martin will be rotating new work into Dubsea this month. If you missed last month, stop punishing yourself and go experience his gift. His vibrant colors are married seamlessly in a perfect mixture of abstraction and realism. Guaranteed to drive you to drink more delicious Dubsea coffee so your eyelids keep from wavering during the onslaught of creativity. I purchased a piece from his last show and have absolutely NO buyers remorse! Can’t wait to see it in my house!

Salvadorean Bakery (1719 SW Roxbury): Andrew Miller– MantisArt-Photography. Andrew Miller will blow your righteous eye with his hand painted original photographs. His application of oil on B&W photographs creates a dreamscape of color with biting realism for the hints of pure photo that push through. If you’re lucky, he’ll sweeten the deal with a couple of illustrative line drawings. ‘Vibration’ may be the only go-to word. Don’t forget the Salvadorean Quesadilla to fill your tummy once your artistic desires have been satiated.

Café Rozella (9434 Delridge Way SW): Erik Hoogan- Timeless Portraits. Spot on portraiture of faces we all know and love. Bold, bright and hard to miss- these are worth a stop in and some coffee. They will be sharing wall space with landscape photographer and painter, Renee Bazino who will be showing through May. Just enough time to lounge in the café and slurp down some liquid gold.

Dzul Tattoo (9622-B 16th Ave SW): Katie & Alex- Black & White Photography. Drop in for funky grooves and an eye-full of new body ink. Updated B&W photos of the newest generation of ink, dripping with permanence. This shop has spirit and enough eye-candy to chew on for days.

Company (9608 16th SW): Toshi-?? All we know is that the last batch of artists were awesome. We’re guessing that Toshi won’t disappoint. Drop in, have the beet salad and find out the last name of the artist or just look at the pretty(?) pictures.

3.14 Bakery (9602 16th Ave SW): Rob Johnson- Photography. A Black and White series of landscape photography will be up for ogling. Stop by, grab something on a stick and walk the walls of 3.14.

Full Tilt Ice Cream (9629 16th Ave SW): Megan Thorberg- Prints. Bold lined B&W prints with an interesting twist. Dark & Peppy anyone? Perhaps a scoop of Mexican Chocolate ice cream and a pint of Big Al’ Hop Villain while you inhale the chaos and creativeness?

Proletariat Pizza – (9622-A 16th Ave SW)-Ryann Morris- Painting, Photography & Ceramics-Drop by for a Ham & Egg and see what Rybuy has for you this month. An eclectic mix of craft- meets-form, she finds art in the little things and makes little things into art.

ALSO! Please Welcome the Southgate Roller Rink to White Center!! (9646 17th Ave SW). They will soon be rolling into our growing art walk family with rotating shows and a possibility for projected visual scrumptiousness! Stay tuned to see how they keep us groovy…

(Photos by Deanie Schwarz for WCN/WSB)
Almost since its opening day three years ago, Zippy’s Giant Burgers has been one of West Seattle’s most buzzed-out restaurants, so its impending White Center move is fodder for close-up coverage. White Center Now/West Seattle Blog contributor Deanie Schwarz checked back inside the new location (9614 14th SW) now that we’re less than two weeks away from its scheduled opening. Above, that’s the expanded counter, where for the first time, Zippy’s will be processing credit-card transactions. Next – the kitchen, with features much more expansive than Zippy’s current, cozy quarters in the Highland Park neighborhood:

Still a lot of setup to be done, but there will be five booths, as well as tables and counters, with 40 able to be seated comfortably:

The gold wall, Deanie says, will be the “bun wall,” with a sesame-seed look – behind it, the pinball/game alcove. And check the floor – freshly polished concrete, “a labor of love” as Zippy’s proprietor Blaine Cook describes it. Last but not least, note the windows … should be lots of light, with the southern and western exposure (Highland Park faces north-northwest):

But don’t worry that it’ll be too hot in summertime – a high-efficiency, quiet fan will keep things cool. Zippy’s plans to close in Highland Park once it’s out of food this Saturday, April 16, and then hopes to swing open the doors in White Center on April 25th.

Story and photos by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

The restaurant formerly known as Be’s Restaurant at 9826 16th Ave SW has undergone a major expansion over the past few months, if you’ve noticed the new signs outside, and is now Be’s Crawfish Grill.

Inside, the spruced-up restaurant, after working out all of the first-month kinks with a new partner and an added dinner menu, continues offering the same breakfast menu as always (and also as the 4509 California Avenue location where Be Nguyen and her kids have been serving the West Seattle community for 22 years).

But only White Center’s new Mardi Gras-themed location is offering a full dinner menu (3:00 pm till closing) of traditional Cajun-influenced, Louisiana-style seafood dishes developed by Brandon Vo, a family friend who grew up in New Orleans and also owns the popular Crawfish Grill near the Renton IKEA store.

The sharing of Be’s large White Center space with Vo has expanded the offerings to include seafood boils and happy hour beer specials (Monday through Friday 3-6 pm), featuring a pound of fresh crawfish which the Vo brothers pick up daily at Sea-Tac Airport (flown in from approved Louisiana farms) . The market price for fresh crawfish varies by season, and though the season began late this year due to poor weather in Louisiana, March into April is usually considered mid-season and the per pound price is currently $7.99. Other boils feature more local seafood also set at market price and include Dungeness and king crab, as well as shrimp.

Large, casual family-style crawfish feeds are frequent in the restaurant where patrons gather round the paper-wrapped tables for a juicy, messy meal of the fresh crustaceans, sausage and corn-on-the-cob informally dumped on the tables, where bottles of Tabasco stand by along with ample rolls of paper towels.

The entrée list features a number of baskets, including fried shrimp, oyster, catfish and softshell crab. New Orleans barbecue shrimp and smothered catfish (with house-made etoufee sauce) are the most expensive entrée items at $16.99 and $12.99. The appetizers and lagniappes (French Cajun for sides, or little extras) range from $3.99 for french fries to $7.99 for fried calamari. Additional sides include fried mushrooms, fried gizzards, yam fries, onion rings and Cajun wings. Be and Brandon also have their own take on Po Boys: fresh french bread sandwiches which include fried shrimp, oyster, catfish or softshell crab.

Be’s Crawfish currently has a beer and wine license, but is awaiting approval of a liquor license, which they think will come through soon. A stage and dance floor in the large bar area are separated from the all-ages, TV-free dining area by a wall of heavy dark curtains, behind which beers (Blue Moon, Abita Amber and Abita Purple Haze, Corona, Bud, Bud Light and Heineken) and seafood can be enjoyed while watching karaoke or television. They are discussing the possibility of adding Vietnamese-type appetizers down the road.

Be’s Crawfish Grill, 9826 16th Ave SW, 206-588-1613, online here; on Facebook at Crawfish Grill (for current market price postings and specials)

From the White Center Community Development Association: Tuesday, April 19, 6-7:30 pm is the next White Center Business District Mixer Meeting, and the agenda includes a discussion of the impending openings of medical-marijuana dispensaries in WC, including the one we’ve already reported on here. The announcement says WCCDA has “invited the owner of one of these businesses, the G.A.M.E Collective, to attend our mixer meeting and he has accepted. We have invited folks from the health organizations, law enforcements, and social service organizations to attend as well.” GAME Collective, whose other dispensaries include one in West Seattle, is believed to be moving into the former Hang Around Bar and Grill space (The Wall before that), whose onetime owner identified it as the setting for a TV interview done recently by GAME owner Brionne Corbray.

The agenda for the Business District Mixer also includes, from the announcement:

1. Annual White Center Spring Clean Event (May 14, 2011): drawing over 400 volunteers completing about 20 projects throughout the community. Registration is currently open; a fun event for the entire family. Volunteers received free “I heart White Center” t-shirt, breakfast, lunch and entertainment.

2. Social media marketing: assistance to businesses to set up business Facebook account

3. Business Resource Guide: a brochure to assist existing and new businesses finding relevant resources from governmental and private agencies

4. Shopper Incentive Card: guide to find discounts and good deals in White Center.

The location is TBA; we’ll add it here when it’s announced.

New businesses are opening in our business district:

1. Opening of the South Gate Roller Rink:
https://whitecenternow.com/2011/04/08/southgate-roller-rink-is-open-scene
s-from-opening-night/

2. Upcoming opening of Zippy’s Giant Burger:
http://zippysgiantburgers.com/

3. VN Market and Trading Company, LLC – a new food store on 16th
Avenue

At any rate, we are building on great momentum in the White Center
community; let’s keep it strong:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2011/02/07/news/update-white-center-bus
iness-district-mixer-focus

Sincerely,

Nhan H. Nguyen

Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager

White Center Community Development Association

1615 SW Cambridge Street

Seattle, WA 98106

206.694.1082 ext 166 phone

206.658.8344 fax

nhan@wccda.org

www.wccda.org

Connecting people and place to build community

Shared by Joleen:

Ricardo Frazier invites Eagle Members and their guests to join him at the Ladies Style Texas Hold’em Fundraising Event at the White Center Eagles.

Dinner and Auction at 5:30pm
Tournament at 6:30pm

Benefits the Foster High School Girls Basketball Team (Tournament trip to North Carolina)

(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for White Center Now/West Seattle Blog)
Shortly after the renovated Southgate Roller Rink opened its doors to general-public skating for the first time in more than five years (here’s our original February story about the reopening plan), this line snaked out the door and out along the walkway to the front door last night. Once inside – an energetic crowd. The following photos are by Ellen Cedergreen for WCN/WSB. First, the Derby Girls took the floor in early evening before the official opening session, to work on fundamentals:

Then at 8:30 – the first public session:

The old saying “a good time was had by all” seemed to be in order. Even for Ronda Stapleton, who Ellen says may have been the first to take a tumble, but was still smiling, bravely showing off her bruised arm:

Southgate has a skate shop, too, in case you want to buy your own skates and gear (rental skates are included in the admission fee if you need them):

Video in the works.

WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz sent video from the “soft open” for Southgate Roller Rink, officially opening tomorrow night.

ADDED EARLY THURSDAY. More from Deanie:

Rat City Rollergirls’ Annie Warhead and Know Mercy (l, r) say that lots of other RCRG’s teams’ members are planning on attending Thursday night’s event.

That’s Jesse, Company Bar owner, narrowly escaping a fall by holding onto the table where “Meaty” of Uncle Mike’s BBQ is putting on skates. Meaty was celebrating his 65th birthday tonight. Company Bar will be offering happy hour-priced drinks all weekend to anybody who has their Southgate admission ticket when ordering at Company.

Born and raised in West Seattle, Gil McLynne said he used to go to the Southgate Rink all the time when he was a kid. It’s been about ten years since he’s been on skates. Asked how many times he fell tonight, Gil said he preferred not to disclose that, but girlfriend Megan quickly chimed in that she made it around several times without falling. In spite of a couple of falls, Gil was excited about Southgate, “This is so great. It is really awesome. These guys are going to do great here.” Gil thought a men’s derby league might be a fun idea.

Keshia Elder and Ada Johanson, both skaters, are the first Southgate employees. They fit all the customers with brand new skates and while they will provide the right fit for your shoe size, they can’t guarantee you will remain vertical and moving.

That’s our video from this morning’s West Seattle Chamber of Commerce awards banquet at Salty’s on Alki, as White Center Food Bank executive director Rick Jump was honored as Westsider of the Year. “I see the face of hunger every day – that’s what keeps me going,” Jump said, as he told the story of a recent encounter with one such “face.”

(Photos by Deanie Schwarz for WCN)
Inside Southgate Roller Rink, with two nights to go until it officially reopens Thursday night, it’s really starting to look like a rink! WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz stopped by to check in – and the shot that really hits it home is the one with the shelves full of skates:

The Seattle Derby Brats are a flat-track junior girls derby (ages 8-17) and two of their members, Board Member and Coach Kathi Webster (aka Katy Didit) and her daughter Mallie (aka Mal intent) were hard at work when Deanie stopped by, siting the logos which will adorn the south wall of the rink.

The derby grrrls are hand-painting the official Southgate Roller Rink logo (which can soon also be found on T-shirts available for purchase in the rink shop, along with inline skates, and assorted gear). Soon to be added on the wall will be the logos for the Seattle Derby Brats and the Rat City Roller Girls. Teen Night for the Grand Opening is Friday, and All Ages Derby Skate is Sunday night.

Owner Josh Rhoads told Deanie that the nearly 10,000-square-foot floor will receive another plasticking coat in about a month. Skate time on the newly stripped and refinished floor helps smooth down newly exposed surface fibers and allows the first few coats to completely absorb. Additional finishing coats will be added over the next few months too, to gradually build up the floor. Co-owner John Venables told Deanie that he won’t be happy until there are at least five coats of finish protecting the unique old-growth oak and maple wood laid more than 80 years ago in a one-of-a-kind, skater-friendly, octagonal configuration. (Here’s her February report on the reopening plan.)

(Map of potential annexation area – click for larger version, from City of Seattle)
The last time King County convened a meeting between potential parties of interest in North Highline annexation, the process ultimately led to Burien’s annexation of the south part of the area. Now that Seattle has pushed off its final decision, and Burien hasn’t leaped forward immediately to step in, a new round of talks is about to start. Tomorrow, representatives from the cities of Seattle, Burien, and Tukwila, as well as the North Highline Fire District, will sit down for a mediated closed-door meeting in Seattle. Karen Freeman, senior policy analyst on King County Executive Dow Constantine‘s team, says this is something that’s provided for in the complicated process laid out for unincorporated areas becoming part of a city. As she observes, and as anyone watching this process is very well aware, it’s “very complicated … this is the only area in the county that has triple designations” — as a Potential Annexation Area for Burien, Seattle, and Tukwila.

Though Seattle and Burien had an unofficial (since the Seattle council never ratified it) agreement that Seattle would have dibs on the north area until the end of this year, Tukwila is now raising its hand to try to claim part of it – specifically, Freeman says, a small area of mostly industrial land toward the northeastern edge of the Potential Annexation Area. One problem, she says, is that there are no clear boundaries until an annexation process is initiated.

She says it’s hoped the meeting will clarify “what we need to wade through to present residents (of the remaining unincorporated area) with the best options possible.” And during our phone conversation, she referred repeatedly to the unprecedented nature of this situation, with multiple jurisidictions having claims in one area, yet no one moving on a clear path forward toward incorporation. “This has never happened before.” And the state Growth Management Act, while calling for urban services to be provided by cities, not counties, “doesn’t provide any hammers” to force cities to take possession of unincorporated areas.

Freeman describes it ultimately as “a maze of process … (and) no matter which way we go into the hedge, we’ll all wind up staring at each other … It’s clear that in the next year or two, somebody’s going to want to do something (regarding annexation) – or if not, let’s understand more about (why not).” In her view, the area’s residents “are really ready to consider something” in terms of an election. The question is … what … who … and when.

Though the lion’s share of the unincorporated area won’t be directly affected, Freeman says it appears Tukwila “would like to move forward” with annexing that small area in which they’re claiming an interest. She also notes that they did not come to the last round of mediation a few years ago.

The area “needs a good home,” she concluded, saying county leadership is hopeful this might make that possible, even though tomorrow’s meeting is “probably just the beginning of the process.” She also says it was not the result of last week’s Seattle vote to delay a decision, but has been in the works since before that vote.

We get questions every so often about the big project between Highway 509, Highway 99/West Marginal Way, and South Kenyon, downhill from the northeastern edge of White Center and environs. Not everybody realizes it’s … the new transfer station, 140,000 square feet, under construction and scheduled to open next year. WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz photographed the model at Second Use. (More project info here.)

From the NHUAC website:

7:00 p.m. Call to order
Flag salute
Roll call
Approval of agenda
Approval of minutes
7:05 p.m. Public announcements
7:10 p.m. Public comment – 3 minutes for individuals
5 minutes for groups
7:15 p.m. Mike Martin, Burien City Manager
7:20 p.m. KCSO Capt Joseph Hodgson – Crime Stats
7:30 p.m. Sally Abella, King County DNRP – Hicks Lake Alum Treatment
7:45 p.m. Treasurers Report
7:50 p.m. Corresponding Secretary Report
7:55 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
8:05 p.m. Unfinished Business
Burien Strawberry Festival
UAC Status
8:15 p.m. New Business
2012 Comprehensive Plan – Zoning Changes

The meeting is at 7 pm Thursday (April 7), North Highline Fire District HQ as usual.

WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz has been investigating reports of potential medical-marijuana dispensaries opening in White Center, and has just confirmed one.

First, a little context: While the state says dispensaries are illegal, county and city authorities have said that since medical marijuana itself IS legal, dispensaries are doing business in a gray area, and they are hopeful that the State Legislature will vote soon to allow regulation of these types of operations. (There is a bill, SB 5073, that has passed the State Senate and is now making its way through the State House.)

Now, Deanie’s report:

Property owner Tan Chung confirmed to WCN earlier this week that he had leased his space, the former EZ Aquarium at 9619 16th SW, to a medical marijuana dispensary, but was unable at that time to identify the company name.

WCN has confirmed this morning with the new store’s owner, Chris Cody of West Seattle, that Herban Legends dispensary is tentatively scheduled to open there around May 1.

Another followup to the Seattle City Council vote on North Highline annexation – delaying a final decision on Seattle’s interest, or lack of it, until (no later than) the end of next February – NH Unincorporated Area Council members received a letter from Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (who is a West Seattle resident), replying to their letter saying they are on record against Seattle annexation. NHUAC’s Barbara Dobkin shared the text:

I appreciate you writing to me regarding the potential annexation of White Center (in the North Highline designation) by the City of Seattle. I do not live far from the area proposed to be annexed and I am quite familiar with the neighborhood.

While I find White Center to be a wonderful, vibrant neighborhood, I do not favor moving forward to take the next step to possibly annex the area to Seattle. The reason is because we have huge unmet needs for roads, bridge and other maintenance costs and repairs in Seattle neighborhoods. I cannot justify taking on additional costs for the City which according to the Annexation Report presented to the Council earlier this year, estimated that the operating expenditures could be as high as $16.8 million, and net one-time expenditures could range from $4.7 million – $91.3 million.

Seattle had to make serious budget cuts for this year. Many Seattle neighborhoods, including ones bordering White Center, need sidewalks, drainage and other services, but we do not have sufficient funds to pay for them. Again, in light of the financial costs I did not support a ballot measure for the annexation of North Highline at this time.

Thanks again for writing.

Regards,

Tom Rasmussen
Seattle City Councilmember

Most of the Seattle City Council members keep blog-format websites that they use to expound on various issues. Among them: Council President Richard Conlin, who has said he would like to put Seattle annexation to a vote in unincorporated North Highline, has just written about his thoughts following the Monday vote to delay a final decision till next February.. Among his points:

* Public safety and business development issues are harder to address because Roxbury is an artificial boundary that divides this business district. Policing resources are dramatically less on the south side of Roxbury and southward, putting the safety of Seattle residents at greater risk. Law enforcement in White Center as a whole would be much more effective if it were uniform throughout the neighborhood. Arbor Heights will get better fire service from the North Highline fire station than it currently gets from our Seattle fire station. The many immigrant communities in North Highline will be in the same governmental unit as the other members of their community in Seattle.

* In addition to being another great neighborhood for Seattle, this area has great potential for development and/or redevelopment. The business district could become another Ballard or Lake City, with mixed use buildings and vibrant business activity. …

* We should be clear that none of our residential neighborhoods pay for themselves. If money is our only concern, we should immediately start deannexing many of our neighborhoods. Georgetown, Lake City, Broadview, Beacon Hill, they are all money pits. …

I hope that we do have more certainty in 2012, and that Seattle does move forward with this unique opportunity. We will never know what the people of North Highline want unless we give them the chance to vote on their destiny.

Again, you can read his entire musing here. (Hat tip to contributor Deanie Schwarz for finding it.)