White Center Now: The blog about White Center

In nearby Shorewood on the Sound, next Saturday is a day much like our recent West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – dozens of residents are having yard/garage sales. A couple folks in Shorewood have e-mailed to call our attention to this so we can share with you. They say the map’s not available online, but printed copies will be available in the neighborhood that day, and hopefully we will get a list to sales to share with you before then. Sale hours on Saturday are 10 am-4 pm.

With a Bartell Drugs location at 15th/Roxbury, you’ve got a chance to participate in this:

Bartell Drugs launches its “Stock the Pantry” food drive for Northwest Harvest by accepting nonperishable food items and cash donations at all 57 Bartell Drug locations from June 1 to June 13.

This two-week food drive, now in its second year, is especially important to help Northwest Harvest replenish food stocks during summer months–when families that normally depend on free or reduced-price school meals may struggle to provide those meals at home.

Last year the two-week drive generated more than 16,767 pounds of food donations as well as cash contributions for food banks in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The company also donated 1,500 reusable bags for use by food bank clients.

Thanks to Stefanie at White Center’s celebrated Proletariat Pizza for the tip and the photo – The King County Fire Marshal posted that big green DO NOT OCCUPY notice at Evo, formerly Evolucion, today. We got word of this after 4:30 pm and tried half a dozen different county offices – all of which had already shut down, in most cases with the voice mail saying to call back Tuesday (or later). However, as noted earlier, tonight happens to be the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, at which the former Evolucion has been a topic of discussion many a time, so we hope to find out more within a few hours. (The notice mentions a violation of the International Fire Code, but we’re having trouble finding the section it appears to cross-reference.) 7:13 PM UPDATE: 1st word from the meeting is that the violation reportedly involves sprinklers that aren’t hooked up, while alleged occupancy violations remain under investigation.

From White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition leader Sean Healy, the agenda for tonight’s meeting:

Its highlights – including the newest changes planned for Metro Route 60, which serves White Center – were discussed as part of a wide-ranging public meeting last night. Here’s the detailed report published on our partner site West Seattle Blog. Bottom line remains, the bridge closes 7 pm June 30th, and the money to replace it hasn’t been rounded up yet.

Tonight is the second of two meetings for the public to hear about the closure plan for the South Park Bridge – now just a month away (7 pm, June 30th). The meeting’s 6-8 pm at the Machinists’ Union Hall in South Park; full details at the SP Bridge Closure page on the King County website.

While looking around for more information about Rat City Brass, whose Friday performance in West Seattle is now featured here, we noticed they’re playing during Jubilee Days – and then found that the WCJD schedule is taking shape in a big way. There’ll even be a fireworks show! Find out a lot more by checking out the WCJD website.

Evergreen Community Aquatic Center is among the organizations/businesses/entities tabling at today’s Westwood Village Street Fair, close to the White Center/West Seattle line, so if you go to the street fair, drop by and say hi! The events are all happening in the Bed Bath Beyond/Pier 1 Imports parking lot, till 7 tonight. We’ve got a schedule of events and other highlights in our coverage on partner site West Seattle Blog.

Just hours after the voting, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council has posted news of Thursday night’s winners on its website:

District 1: Pat Price
District 2: Stephen Porter
District 3: Jessica Stoneback
District 4: Christine Waldman
At Large: Rebecca Lopes, Barbara Dobkin, Richard Miller.

They will be seated at the next meeting, June 3, 2010.

That meeting, like other NHUAC meetings, will be at 7 pm on the 1st Thursday of the month at the North Highline Fire District‘s HQ.

Thanks to Gill for sending the nudge – 6-8 pm tonight at North Highline Fire District headquarters, it’s time to vote for North Highline Unincorporated Area Council members. Candidates and eligibility info is here.

From Maggie Anderson at the King County Food and Fitness Initiative:

This morning a student (a young boy) was struck by a hit and run driver as he was attempting to cross the street to get to school today in white center. The boy is a student at White Center Heights Elementary School. According to the school office manager, the school has been waiting (since it was built a few years ago) for crosswalks to be painted and flashing lights to be installed so that children and families can cross safely. The young boy has leg injuries (possibly a broken leg).

The King County Food & Fitness Initiative (KCFFI) recently received funding from the WK Kellogg foundation to create opportunities for healthy eating and active living at White Center Heights Elementary School and 5 others between 2010-2012. Activities include leading focused efforts in two specific limited income public schools each year over the three year implementation period (totaling six schools over three years) as they relate to school wellness policies, improving meal and snack quality, farm to school, school gardening, safe routes to schools, physical activity and education, and school wellness advisory councils. The KCFFI plans on beginning that work in fall 2010.

What do safe walking and bicycling environments include?

* Neighborhood schools that are within walking and bicycling distance from homes
* Sidewalks or bike-paths that connect homes with schools
* Improved opportunities to cross streets (such as the presence of adult crossing guards, raised medians or traffic and pedestrian signals)
* Slow vehicle speeds accomplished through roadway safety measures (traffic calming) and/or police enforcement where needed

Safety education includes working with:

* Children – to provide them with basic safety education, such as how to cross streets, obey crossing guards and be visible to drivers.
* Parents – to create awareness of the need for pedestrian and bicyclist safety education and opportunities to walk and bike and by practicing safety skills with their children.
* Drivers – to alert all drivers to the presence of walkers and bicyclists and the need to slow down.
* Law enforcement – to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety with school zone enforcement.
* Local officials – to identify changes needed to improve walking and bicycling conditions around schools.

Just posted at partner site West Seattle Blog: Normandy Park City Councilmember Shawn McEvoy says he’s in the running for King County Council District 8, the seat currently held by Jan Drago, appointed last year but not planning to run this fall (as of last time she discussed it publicly, anyway). McEvoy joins State Sen. Joe McDermott in the race.

This is a somewhat tangled tale – a 36-year-old man who worked for Highline Public Schools providing first aid at sports events, and also had volunteered with Evergreen High School, is now suspended by the state Health Department because of allegations of sexual misconduct. Our partners at the Seattle Times explain the story. And there’s more information in this HPS news release, which says the man was let go as soon as the district learned about allegations against him: Read the rest of this entry »

New information today on the 15th/Roxbury deadly shooting first reported here early yesterday – the King County Sheriff’s Office has sent this news release:

A shooting early Saturday morning (May 22nd) left a man dead in a White Center street. The incident occurred about 2:30 AM.

The victim was found in the eastbound lanes of the 1500 block of SW Roxbury Street. He was dead when police arrived after receiving a 9-1-1 call of a shooting. He was shot at least once, and in his early 20’s.

According to a witness who was driving by and heard several gunshots, the man stumbled out of an alley and collapsed in the street. There were numerous people in the alley, but most were gone when Sheriff’s deputies arrived, just minutes later.

No one has come forward who actually witnessed the shooting.

If anyone has information on the case they are asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hours) or 9-1-1.