White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(July 3 WCN photo by Deanie Schwarz)
Tomorrow, on 8.14 – it’ll be Grand Opening Day for the new White Center bakery calling itself 3.14. Pie (get it? 3.14?) and more, according to what they’ve been sharing on Facebook. Thanks to Stefanie at Proletariat Pizza for the tip – they’re just a few doors away and she says it’s “super-exciting”! (3.14 says the doors swing open at 9 am. P.S. Wondering what coffee they’re using? Caffe Umbria.)

(Photos courtesy Gill, added Saturday night)
News release received this afternoon from King County:

Vandals cause unsafe conditions, force White Center SW 98th Street Corridor closure
 
A recently completed pedestrian corridor connecting new homes and a growing commercial area in the White Center neighborhood has been so badly vandalized that King County must close it for safety reasons.
 

Vandals ripped out the stainless steel railing and knocked out lights along the 98th Street Corridor, which was just opened in mid July. The corridor’s steep stairway is unsafe for use at night without the lights and handrails, however the ADA-accessible ramp that runs through the corridor remains open. The area was also vandalized with graffiti.
 
The 98th Street Corridor sits between the new Greenbridge community and the Central Business District along Southwest 98th Street. The corridor was developed as a result of the Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and Health Study, which found that people who live in walkable communities are healthier.
 
King County collaborated with the White Center Community Development Association on the project. More information is available at http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/whitecenter.aspx

Two days of fun start just hours from now – 4 to 9 pm tonight, a volleyball tournament is the kickoff to the Pasefika Festival, all day Saturday (10 am-5 pm) at White Center Heights Elementary (10015 6th SW)! More information on the White Center Community Development Association website. Pasefika is part of White Center Assembly, and the festival celebrates Pacific Islanders’ culture and traditions – this is the first year a volleyball tournament’s been added.

We broke this story at partner site West Seattle Blog two hours ago, but in case you haven’t heard: King County Sheriff’s Deputies and Seattle Police believe they have solved the recent rampage of smash-and-grab business burglaries; a 50-year-old man was arrested early today. He has not been publicly identified, but a crosscheck of jail and other records shows a 50-year-old man in custody, arrested early this morning for investigation of multiple burglaries, with public records including a Burien address as of several years ago. Investigators say they arrested him “in the Burien area.”

Story and photos by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

Noelle and Alejandro (“Al”) Brown of Renton arrived in White Center in August of 2008 with such a crystal-clear vision of what they wanted to do, how they wanted to do it and over what period of time it was to be done, that it is little wonder that on this second anniversary of their Big Al Brewing (9832 14th SW), the entrepreneurs have not only met their own expectations but exceeded those of the most discerning regional connoisseurs of adeptly crafted microbrews.

As if successfully executing their business plan were not reason enough for celebratory events this past weekend, they also learned this past week that Seattle Weekly named Big Al Brewing as the Staff Pick for Best Microbrewery in Seattle 2010 and Staff Pick for Best Guide to Home Brewing in Seattle 2010.

So, the raising of glasses and some special events were scheduled this weekend to honor the customer and the crafter both. Home-brewing devotees, the brewery’s team of employees, loyal and newly converted customers, and a few collaborating close-by White Center businesses arrived for some fun in a steady stream all weekend.

Saturday features included Dante’s Hot Dog Stand (one of his six carts serving the famous cream cheese injected hot dog) and Full Tilt Ice Cream was scheduled to pay a visit.

A Rat City Brass performance in the rentable upstairs “living room” was a highlight of Saturday’s evening events, as the unseasonal rain kept some of the crowd indoors but with little complaint. A beer tour van shuttled in aficionados visiting from regions unknown to sample some of the ten items on Al and Noelle’s current lineup.

Sunday continued the weekend-long celebration with a very family-friendly day delivered as promised, with the hugely popular Caspar Babypants (aka West Seattleite Chris Ballew from Presidents of the United States of America) mesmerizing dozens of enthralled kids on the floor.

Neighboring family-friendly eatery Proletariat Pizza served up pizza-by-the-slice.

The absence of food service in this production brewery allows for a unique opportunity for folks to bring their food to Al’s to throw on the grills provided on their patio. Customers also bring local take-out to Al’s from other eateries in White Center as well as from Zippy’s Giant Burgers in Highland Park.

It wouldn’t make much sense to celebrate Big Al’s two years of achievements without mentioning an additional landmark accolade received in 2009. A national nod at the North American Beer Awards conferred the Bronze medal on Al’s Smoky Porter. Big Al’s didn’t enter this well-regarded and important national competition this year. But the recognition of one of their most popular year-round beers has been an important stepping stone on their path, as Al and Noelle continue to pursue their business plan, which includes visions of filling a gap in a niche national market.

They came to White Center with strong business backgrounds and passion for a craft and have, in part, successfully positioned themselves because of the even application of each of their unique strengths and talents. Al provides a wellspring of creative and technical crafting of beer, while Noelle navigates the business side. For six years prior to opening the brewery, Al was a fiendishly enthusiastic home brewer who had already developed a solid knowledge base and authoritative brewing skills prior to ever turning on a tap for the public at large. Noelle’s business degree and marketing background informs the execution of their original goals they set out as well as their evolution as they find themselves at the forefront of the competitive Seattle microbrewery culture. They have accumulated 100+ commercial accounts already.

The economic downturn and any risk of fluctuations in materials cost such as hops seems to have done little to hinder the Browns’ original goal of producing 3,000 barrels of beer in three years. In 2009, 1,200 barrels were produced, and the estimate for 2010 is between 1,800-2,000 barrels.

In the closely aligned home brewing market, which is estimated to include several hundred brewers in Seattle, the brewery is something of a magnet of inspiration and experimentation. As well as being congenial, most of the employees are somehow affiliated with home brewing. Collaborating with the Local Hero program, a competition is held four times a year for home brewing customers. The winner is given the chance to produce their beer using Big Al’s production tanks. The opportunity to show off their recipes to a wider audience is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some and is highly sought after.

In honor of the celebration, Al tapped just one keg of a young Kriek and will allow the rest to age. Two of their flagship beers, the Abbey Wheat and the Irish Red, were available to honor their beginnings, but there are also seasonal offerings currently up on the menu including Tripel, Summer Lager and Brougham Bitter. The Regular Lineup includes the Irish, Smoked Porter, Papa Charlie’s Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and Tutta Bella Amber Ale . The listing of some of the one-ups Big Al’s has offered is fascinating and, according to Noelle, the true craft of brewing goes well beyond the classic IPAs, pales and ambers.

Watermelon sour and jalapeno spice beer are just a couple the brewery has put up. But for this weekend, the shining stars were the flagships and the Kriek – a cherry sour. Down the road, they say, if and when the day for expansion comes, they would like to develop a line of sours for national distribution. This wouldn’t happen until a second brewery location is established to house the stainless tanks they currently use. The vision is that the 3,800 sq. ft., golden-green White Center warehouse would be used strictly for production of sour beers, a niche market in beer brewing, which would be stored in wood casks there. This line of beer would be the only type they want to take nationally. Though they have not yet even begun to look or pursue second properties, they are keeping in mind the dream’s evolution.

The ripples of Big Al’s success are felt throughout the White Center business district, since the first day they opened up shop and became what is now recognized as one of the anchors in the new wave of entrepreneurial energy that’s been sweeping the area.

Just out – the flyer for next month’s big event at Holy Family. Hopefully we’ll get better weather!

Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog, since the memorial service is in White Center – this is an announcement from the family of West Seattle sailor Jarod Newlove, killed last week in Afghanistan:

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jarod Newlove’s memorial service will be held on Monday, August 9, 2010, 11:00 am at Holy Family Catholic Church, 9622 20th Avenue SW [map]. Following the memorial service there will be a procession to Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 SE 240th Street, Covington [map], where committal service with full military honors will be given at 2:00 pm. There will be a reception directly after the committal service at Kent Civic Center, 10120 SE 260th Street, Kent [map], to honor and remember Jarod and all the joy he brought to our lives. All events are open to the public; please join his family and friends to honor PO2 Jarod Newlove.

Just received this – it’s coming up Saturday in Greenbridge:

The family of an Evergreen High School student lost everything in an apartment fire last month. A classmate decided to get involved and her Girl Scout Troop 1775 is sponsoring a Pancake Breakfast at the Southwest Boys & Girls Club in White Center from 8-11 am on Saturday, August 7th.

9800 8th Ave SW Suite 105
Adults: $5.00
Kids under 10: $2.50
8-11 am, Saturday August 7, 2010

All proceeds will go to help the family. The girls are also collecting sheets, blankets, dishes, pots and pans, utensils and other household items on behalf of the family. Cash donations are also being accepted.

You can contact Liz at 206.240.6994 if you have questions. Please spread the word and invite your friends!

The date’s now set for the groundbreaking ceremony at the 30-unit housing development Strength of Place Village, a collaboration between White Center Community Development Association, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, and Capitol Hill Housing. It’ll start at the project site, 13th SW/SW 100th, at 11 am, followed by a barbecue at Steve Cox Memorial Park (one block away) at 11:45. Lots of info here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are honored to be able to publish, starting today, several stories written by local middle-school-age students, introducing you to neighbors you may never have met. They wrote the stories as part of a White Center program affiliated with Neighborhood House, working with literacy/writing coach Norma Andrade, who asked if we might be interested in publishing them here. Answer – of course!

A STRONG WOMAN
By Yasin Ali-Halane

Anab Abdullahi is not short or tall. She is just the perfect height.

She smells like blooming apple blossoms. She loves working with children, and is as quiet as a summer breeze. She is a very smart and strong person.

The tough experiences she went through as a child and a young adult made her tough. One of the things that made her stronger is, when a civil war broke out in the early 1990s, she fled her home country to avoid the violence. She moved to Rome, Italy, and lived there for about 6 years, studying medical books in her house near the Roman Coliseum. She was studying to become a doctor in the U.S.

She later decided that she needed to move to the United States because most of her family had moved there after the war. She didn’t want to leave Italy, but felt as though she should, to feel the warmth of her family. So she left.

She moved to Richmond, Virginia, right near Washington, D.C. She stayed with her family nearby. She stayed there for about 4 years, and finally moved to settle in. Now that she resides in Seattle, she works at Harborview Medical Center as an Interpreter.

She also works in Mount View Elementary School, through the Family Connections Program. She feels it is a great way to help Somalian families who live in White Center. She is a caring woman with three kids of her own. Oh, and her home country is Somalia, and I’m her son.

Last year, West Seattle, this year, SODO! The annual Eat Local Now! dinner is coming up September 30th and organizers are casting a wide net for help. They’ll be meeting August 5th at Big Al Brewing in White Center, and inviting you to join in – here’s the invitation just posted on partner site West Seattle Blog.

Beautiful night for a barbecue – and cookout is exactly what happened tonight at Greenbridge Plaza, as the White Center Food Bank played host to hundreds, enjoying food and music during a special “Feeding Washington” dinner with a long list of sponsors.

White Center Food Bank executive director Rick Jump explained how the event came together:

You might remember our coverage of the potato donation Rick mentioned – back in 2008. As you heard him say, the same farm donated corn for tonight’s event, too. Other fare included barbecue chicken.

And local leaders had a few words – State Sen. Joe McDermott was there, as was the person running unopposed for the seat he’s leaving to run for County Council, State Rep. Sharon Nelson:

Tonight’s event also included live music by Septimus:

Here’s what Feeding Washington is all about. Meantime – if you happen to be going to the West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” this Saturday night (4400 California SW courtyard in WS, free, bring your own chair/blanket, movie starts at dusk but there’s always a preshow activity), donations will be collected for WC Food Bank (and its friends at WS Food Bank).

If you’re going to the Seafair Torchlight Parade this Saturday night (it leaves Seattle Center at 7:30 pm, southbound on 4th Avenue to the International District) or planning to watch it on TV (Channel 7) – watch for the White Center Ambassadors, with the Rat City Rollergirls – we got the entry list from Seafair this week and spotted WC representing!

So says King County Elections. Two races in this area are true primary contests, with more than two candidates in the running – 34th District State House Position 2 and King County Council District 8. The former race is the most hotly contested; at partner site West Seattle Blog, we have published recent “candidate conversation” stories on all four candidates – here are the links:

*Marcee Stone
*Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy
*Mike Heavey
*Joe Fitzgibbon

From Aviva at Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle:

Interested in gardening, but lack the space? Come to Drop-in-Garden-Night Thursdays 6:30 PM – dusk, throughout July and August at the St. James Community Garden – 9421 18th SW. Help weed or plant, then go home with some of the harvest.

Garden Helpers – Interested in
getting some hands-on advice in your own garden? A Garden Helper, trained by Seattle Tilth, can provide suggestions for starting a garden, or help with your existing garden. Read more about the program.

For more information about any of these programs: info@gleanit.org

So now you know; dig in!

By Deanie Schwarz
For White Center Now

Today till 7 pm, an AARP/ Wellness Tour (American Association of Retired Persons) mobile health-screening van is on site at the Roxbury Walgreens. Tests include a full panel for blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, bone density and waist circumference, a $140 value.

Those tested who are over 50 years old will be given a free membership to the AARP (a $12-$16 value) with discounts offered for a variety of services and products. The only requirement to be tested is that individuals are 18 years or older. The panel of tests takes only 15 minutes. If medical issues are urgent, referrals to emergency facilities will be made. If non-emergency health issues are found, additional referrals will be made to private providers or the Walgreens pharmacy staff for affordable alternative and complimentary plans which might include non-prescription vitamins and other supplements, as well as exercise and nutrition advice.

The tests include:
BMI
Waist circumference
Bone Density –
Blood glucose via a simple finger prick
Ultrasound for bone density
Blood pressure

Amanda St Pierre is the lead Certified Health Screener for this van, which will be leaving Washington after a month of testing and heading for Oregon sites tonight. Overall, the AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour has 10 vans in as many regions in the United States, as well as Puerto Rico.

The Tour hopes to screen 2.6 million people throughout these regions. Each van has a mission to screen 130 people per day. As of 2:45 Monday afternoon, about 25 people had been screened. It was noted that the screeners were unaware of any advance outreach to the community other than Univision. One if the primary target populations are Spanish-speaking communities and homeless individuals. The continued funding by Walgrens is uncertain and the program will be evaluated for effectiveness as the regions are covered over time.

A big volunteer effort this afternoon unloaded hundreds of packages of diapers into storage for WestSide Baby in White Center, after the first successful installment of the “Stuff the Bus” donation drive. Executive director Nancy Woodland said they’d brought in more than 27,000 diapers – and there’s another installment coming up, August 7 at Burien Town Square.

White Center-based WestSide Baby needs you – tomorrow, while the first leg of its two-prong Stuff the Bus diaper drive is under way at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market 10 am-2 pm, you can have breakfast at the White Center Eagles and help by bringing a diaper donation! Get $2 off by bringing a package of diapers, 9 am-noon Sunday, 10452 15th SW, you don’t have to be a member.

6:12 PM: More than 20 people at tonight’s White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting at the DSHS building in WC – including special guest Aileen Balahadia, executive director of the White Center Community Development Association, along with Vary Jackson from the King County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Precinct’s Lt. Norm James and Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn. Sean Healy, WCSDCSC chair, is leading the meeting. Updates as we go.

‘NIGHT OUT’ REMINDER: The night for crimefighting, neighborhood-building block parties is August 3rd.

BARBECUE AT HICKS LAKE: 11 am-2 pm on August 14th.

STREETLIGHT TRACKER: Seattle City Light customers can not only report streetlight outages but also track how they’re being handled, by going to a new website. (Added: Here’s the link)

SEATTLE POLICE REPORT: Lt. James is introducing Officer Kiehn as the CPT officer for the West Seattle area that this group covers (among other areas). Next, he mentions that residential burglaries are a focus for the precinct – in Highland Park, there were 15 burglaries last month, and former CPT officer, now Detective, Jill Vanskike started investigating them, got the word out to patrol officers about what appeared to be a trend, and that led to the identification of suspects. Lt. James also is talking about a crackdown on car prowls, after encouraging people to call 911 about them. “Report everything, because we can’t be everywhere,” he reminds those on hand. He’s also letting those on hand know about the online information that SPD has added recently, including the availability of some reports, and the new incident map tools, plus the new online-reporting system launched yesterday for “low-level” crimes. (Added: Here’s the link.)

And Lt. James notes that August 21st, 1-4 pm, is the date for Picnic at the Precinct for the SW Precinct. In response to a question, Lt. James confirms that every precinct is giving two officers to the downtown/Belltown nightlife emphasis on Friday and Saturday nights – but he says they also have access to the same special emphasis on, say, Alki if they need it. Other questions include, from Dick Thurnau of Friends of Hicks Lake, who’s responsible for cleaning up after a car crash? Officer Kiehn’s reply: The tow crew that takes the wrecked car(s) away.

KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORT, INCLUDING CLUB EVO: Deputy Jackson briefed the group, saying that a special crackdown is being planned for some ongoing problems. Separately – Club Evo is still a priority for the Gang Unit, she says, and they’re working with code enforcement from North Highline Fire, the Liquor Control Board, and other agencies regarding violations – she says a “case is opening up” and the NHFD will do a site visit; if Evo is not in compliance, then action will be taken. One attendee says that he just learned Evo hasn’t had the proper, complete licensing for years – Deputy Jackson confirms that’s true, and is being addressed.

Legislative candidate and White Center/South Delridge business owner “Mac” McElroy is here and says that he’s been told the best thing to do might be to send a letter to King County Executive Dow Constantine. Deputy Jackson says that’s certainly his prerogative as a citizen. It’s also being suggested from the audience that the King County Council should be a target of letter-writing as well. Another concern voiced: “A lot of homeless people sleeping near the street” near the future Strength of Place Initiative development site at 100th/13th. Deputy Jackson says without anyone in the storefront deputy position formerly held by Jeff Hancock, there is no one to proactively address problems like that; she says the future of that position may be made public by next month.

WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION: Now executive director Balahadia is up.

(This was the intense part of the meeting – click ahead for the continuation of our as-it-happened coverage) Read the rest of this entry »

(Video and photos by Cliff DesPeaux)
For White Center Now and partner site West Seattle Blog, photojournalist Cliff DesPeaux covered today’s “Got Green?” “green jobs”-program media event at SW 100th and 13th SW, on the site of the future Strength of Place Initiative (SOPI) Village in WC. The video above is from the media briefing that kicked off the event, at one of the existing houses that will be demolished as part of the revving-up project:

SOPI is a project to create 30 future housing units, involving the White Center Community Development Association as well as both the West Seattle-based Delridge Neighborhood Development Association and Capitol Hill Housing. The workers who are training in weatherization techniques at the future demolition site are hoping to be providing as part of a City of Seattle project that organizers say will kick off this fall. As part of today’s event, Seattle Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith was on hand (he speaks about 5 minutes into our video clip). RIght now, 14 trainees are learning at this site. A walking tour followed the briefing, going inside the house to see what the trainees are working on – such as measuring for insulation:

In the next photo, Michael Siva is working in the crawl space:

Placards at the training site reminded onlookers what the project’s about:

You can find out more about Got Green? here. As for Strength of Place Initiative, groundbreaking is set to happen later this summer – here’s one of the renderings:

Its description, from project managers:

Located on the corner of SW 100th Street and 13th Avenue SW, the project will have 30 apartments ranging from one-bedrooms to three-bedrooms for low-income families making less than about $55,000/year. Strength of Place Village will also deliver living-wage construction jobs to White Center and will be green built to the Washington State Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard.