White Center Now: The blog about White Center

A recent note from Margie at Rebuilding Together Seattle: “Recently, we were approached by a sponsor group to do a special rebuilding day with volunteers. White Center is on our list of geographic areas that we’d like to consider. (Are there) any community centers, schools, facilities, etc. that are in need of our help? Interested individuals can contact our office at 206.682.1231.”

(photo courtesy D. Groves)
Over at West Seattle Blog, we reported for much of the night on a hit-run crash that damaged (and in at least one case totaled) several cars along 35th SW. The truck bore the logo of White Center’s Croft Rentals, and this morning Q13 FOX confirmed that the truck was stolen from Croft. The driver got out of the truck and ran after the West Seattle crash. Our full WSB report is here.

White Center for the Arts celebrates its 1st anniversary/birthday next Saturday, with the Third Saturday Art Walk, including the debut of Dream Community Gallery (9640 16th SW). Here are the highlights, as forwarded by WCFTA:

WHITE CENTER ART WALK
February 20th, 2010 6 PM until 9 PM
Featuring:

Salvadorean Bakery:: Chuck Northcutt – photography on canvas

Café Rozella: Carole Ellis – photography

Triangle Tavern: Chase Evans – Spoken Word @ 6:15
DJ sets @ 7:00

Full Tilt Ice Cream: Julie Luke – Acrylic on Canvas

Proletariat Pizza: Baso – photography

Dzul Tattoo: Urban and Tattoo Art

Dream Community Gallery: Fusion Dance Crew @ 6:30
Brian Barr – Portraits of White Center, Amanda Helmick – Mixed Media,
Amanda Pickerel-Winer – paintings

Big Al Brewing: Raina Anderson – photography

DubSea Café: Hye Young Kim – dyed yarn and acrylic,
Micheal Olson – DJ –reggae/dub plus more!

The flash of fire, the sound of drums, all outside Pho My Loi just about an hour ago.

Tomorrow is the start of the Lunar New Year – this is the Year of the Tiger.

To celebrate New Year, the Lieu Quan Lion Dance Team (as announced by the White Center Community Development Association website) – came out to dance.

There’s a big Lunar New Year celebration under way in the International District today too – here’s coverage in the Seattle Times (WCN citywide-news partner).

You can see all 40 of our photos in this Flickr slideshow:

A week ago, the new Hang Around Bar and Grill (at the site that used to be The Wall) had a “recovery party” after word of a break-in. Owners Joe and Glennis have since sent this. (Highland Park resident Dina Johnson was among those at the party and shared the photo above, with Hang Around visitors enjoying darts.)

Thank you for all of the community Support on our recovery party last Friday.

Since then, we made some changes. We added a new wooden Dance Floor, Took out one pool table for room for
tables and chairs. The Stage (was expected to be) complete this week.

Dart Leagues Started…and we’re winning….YAY!

We are auditioning Bands, (smooth Jazz and Blues) to play at our location two days a week.

Two other days we plan on having Comedy Night(s) with live comedians and music.

Mondays will be Karaoke night and Thursdays will always be Ladies night. We recovered….Thank You!!!!

Oh yeah! ….Thanks for the Pizza Too..it was GREAT!

We want this place to be for the 30 and over crowd. That is our goal. The Hip Hop music is Dead in our place and the Old School music is demanded. So Thank you everyone, The King County Sheriffs office, The Community, The West Seattle Blog [White Center Now publishers] and all of our friends….Thank You!

~Joe & Glennis
(Owners of the Hang Around Bar & Grill)

Jordan Royer – former Seattle City Council candidate and son of former Seattle mayor Charlie Royer — has an opinion essay at Crosscut today, titled “Why White Center and Seattle need each other.” See it here. Meantime, the next scheduled event in the process to determine whether there will be an annexation vote for White Center, Top Hat, Boulevard Park, etc., this year, is a week from tomorrow – the Seattle council’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee meeting, 2 pm Friday, Feb. 19.

The White Center Community Development Association website has updated its listing for Vietnamese New Year celebrations this weekend. Now WCCDA says a lion dance is scheduled to be performed at Pho My Loi at 10 am Saturday morning – no firecrackers, though. Read more here.

Just a bit over 50 percent yes in the early going for the King County Library System ballot measure – this is the one and only count that will be out tonight – see it here.

The White Center Library drop box is gone – they’re all gone, except downtown and Tukwila. So unless you can make it to one of those boxes, you need to get your ballot in the mail – with a stamp – by tonight. The King County Library System levy is the big deal today – read about it here.

Saw the 911 mention of a 4th SW/SW Roxbury car crash before 8 pm tonight. Did not hint at the mayhem described in this Q13 story, which says the van that allegedly hit multiple cars turned up abandoned in Burien.

A news release this afternoon from the King County Council:

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Jan Drago today introduced the staff that will assist her in meeting constituent needs in Council District 8. The five-member staff brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from both public and private sector positions throughout the region.

“With such depth and diversity in their backgrounds and experience with big issues like transportation, budgeting, and the environment, I am confident that the team will serve the citizens of District 8 and the entire county very well,” said Drago. “I consider myself quite lucky to have found an amazing team ready to take on this one-year tour of duty with me on the Council.”

· Marsha Holbrook will serve as Drago’s Chief of Staff. Holbrook brings 30 years of experience in the government sector to Drago’s team, with expertise in local government relations, marketing and logistics. Holbrook is responsible for overall office operations and coordination, as well as focusing on disaster preparedness, public health, youth violence prevention, and regional policy issues.

· Jodie Vice is Drago’s Policy Director. Vice was a member of Drago’s Seattle City Council staff, serving as her lead staffer on regional and local transportation policy. Vice will direct analysis of issues related to transportation, including the Ferry District, the budget and fiscal management, and environmental issues.

· Linda Robson is Drago’s Communications Director. Robson has over a decade of experience in public sector communications work in the region, including positions with Sound Transit, the Regional Transportation Commission, and as an aide to former Seattle City Councilmember Jim Compton. Robson will be responsible for media relations, writing and event planning, and concentrate on regional water and utilities issues.

· Mike Heavey will be Drago’s Community Relations Director. Heavey’s interest in government and politics began at the age of 13 while serving as a page for the Washington State Legislature. His most recent position was as the Eastside field organizer for Dow Constantine’s King County Executive campaign. Heavey will assist Drago with planning and coordinating community events and citizen relations, as well as analysis of law, criminal justice and public safety issues.

· Holly Krejci is Drago’s Executive Assistant and will be responsible for the daily operation of the office and constituent service . Krejci has over a decade of customer service, event planning, and administrative support experience, and is an active member of the Georgetown community in District 8.

Drago was unanimously appointed by the Council last month to fill the vacancy created in District 8 when Dow Constantine was sworn in as County Executive. She is Chair of the Regional Water Quality Committee and the King County Ferry District.

Dropping by Cafe Rozella on Saturday, we learned from proprietor Leticia that a new neighbor was moving into their building in the Delridge Triangle. And we’ve just gotten confirmation – the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sean Salazar says they’re indeed opening an office next to Cafe Rozella, probably within the next two weeks. Debra Churchill added in e-mail, “Our campaign is all about reaching out to communities in the inner cities. This is a campaign office for us to stay connected with ‘The People’.” Salazar is a Mountlake Terrace chiropractor, running for the seat held by Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray, who’s finishing her third 6-year term.

(Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog)

WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland had reason to smile. WestSide Baby’s 9th annual Benefit Tea in Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge was sold out long before the doors opened – check out the crowd:

Volunteers young and old made it a success – including ambassadors Sonja and Kelsey (wearing, and handing out, tiaras):

Nancy Woodland says the final guest count was 470 – and they raised more than $100,000. “Unbelievable and amazing and we are so very thankful!” she adds. ADDED: Courtesy of Donna Ryan Photography, Rinku Wheaton speaking at the event, including her thoughts on being part of WestSide Baby’s “Giving Circle” (read more about it here):

From Sarah Airhart at the Community School of West Seattle, which as you may know is right on the WS-White Center boundary along Roxbury, word of the 3rd annual Early Learning Fair and Conference, coming up March 6 at White Center Heights Elementary, presented by the White Center Providers’ Group, “for anyone who takes care of young children or is interested in doing so.” You need to register by February 12 – so you have just a week to go. Here’s the official flyer with all the information you need.

From a comment on our earlier report about last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting – NHUAC president Greg Duff says new County Councilmember Jan Drago has accepted the invitation to be at the next NHUAC meeting, 7 pm March 4, North Highline Fire District HQ. (Also to be attended, as we mentioned earlier, by Kenny Pittman, who’s the current point person for Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn on the proposal for the north section of North Highline to vote on Seattle annexation this November.)

From Thursday night’s meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, held as usual in the North Highline Fire District headquarters on SW 112th – The meeting included discussions of both the impending Burien annexation of North Highline South (NHS), and the possible Seattle-annexation vote in what we suppose we can call North Highline North (NHN).

BURIEN ANNEXATION UPDATE: Burien City Manager Mike Martin took centerstage to provide updates to NHUAC – first, what’ll be happening before the scheduled April 1st date for NHS. During “the last three weeks of March,” Martin said, there’ll be a survey in the area, including door-to-door canvassing, to make sure residents know what’s ahead. City finance managers will be presenting an “annexation budget” soon. Burien leaders plan to “sit down with the community and talk zoning” soon, since obviously moving into a new jurisdiction means different standards and different jurisdictions. Martin also said Burien is pursuing money in the “second round of (federal) stimulus” to repave “most of the streets in the annexation area”; that could cost up to $5 million, he said, but it’s a “shovel-ready” project, so they are hopeful they’ll get the grant: “It would radically change many of the roads up here almost instantly.”

He also said the King County Sheriff’s Office is “doing some reorganization to meet the needs of the annexation,” but overall vowed to keep a promise made during the public forums that preceded the annexation vote – “This is going to be seamless … the level of service up here will be equal to or better than it was before,” with policing services likely featuring “the same people driving the same vehicles, just with new decals on them.”

Not so seamless, he said, is the transition for the parks, following the kerfuffle over Puget Sound Park, plus some transition issues, he said, involving the new county administration. And he noted that for the first time in years, Burien is hiring a fulltime city attorney. (Side note, Martin was not the only Burien leader present at the NHUAC meeting; City Councilmember Kathy Keene was there too.)

SEATTLE ANNEXATION? Martin spoke to this a bit before finishing his NHUAC briefing: “Just buckle up … this is going to be one of those times when rumors fly.” He alluded to being a bit mystified as to how this suddenly emerged on a Seattle front burner, with a move under way to have an election in the north section of North Highline as soon as this November, since his perception from previous conversations was that it “wasn’t really high on Mayor McGinn’s agenda. … But I think the (Seattle) council for whatever reason wants to take a shot at it, and we’ll see where it goes.”

Later in the meeting, NHUAC members discussed the new twist during the “new business” section — a more formal briefing/discussion is planned at the March 4 meeting, when the point person for the Seattle mayor’s office, Kenny Pittman, will attend the North Highline meeting. A considerable amount of semi-heated discussion centered over what NHUAC could officially say/do to remind the Seattle government that it’s on record as recommending the entire North Highline area become part of Burien; the contents of a letter reportedly sent to Seattle a few years back was the topic of intense discussion between members Russell Pritchard and Heidi Johnson, until some research could be finalized, and it was determined that it wouldn’t be a violation of NHUAC’s contract for them to remind Seattle that after community surveying and research, they had recommended the Burien alignment, so a letter to that effect will go out. (While Pritchard wanted to be sure the message was sent in the strongest possible terms, Johnson reminded her fellow councilmembers that they are required to stay away from whatever could be construed as political advocacy.)

ELECTIONS: It was noted along the way that the day the annexation is to take effect, April 1st, is a meeting day for NHUAC; part of its membership, including president Greg Duff, lives in the area to be annexed. The public vote for councilmembers will be coming up in the third week of May, and an official announcement will go out soon.

HICKS LAKE NAME CHANGE? Dick Thurnau from Friends of Hicks Lake briefed NHUAC about efforts to change the lake’s name back to its original name, Hicklins Lake, in honor of Leonard Hicklin and family, who settled in the area in the 1880s. They have a hearing before the Washington State Board on Geographic Names in Olympia on May 21st and Thurnau would like to receive e-mails supporting the name change – you can write to him at:

hdthurnau@juno.com

The sooner the better!

*A few more items were on last night’s agenda – we’ll write about those a bit later.

Update this morning from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart on yesterday’s crash at 1st South/SW 112th:

The driver of the Kia died at Harborview. He was a 49 year-old Burien man. His identity will be released by the Medical Examiner’s Office. The accident is still under investigation and there have been no arrests.

7 pm, North Highline Fire District headquarters. We published the agenda a few days ago; you also can see it on the NHUAC website. This’ll be the group’s first meeting since the news that Seattle plans to pursue an annexation vote this fall, and that’s part of tonight’s agenda, though the Seattle city rep working on the plan isn’t scheduled to appear before the council till next month.

At last report, buses and other traffic are still being rerouted at 1st/112th because of a multicar crash this morning – here’s a KIRO report on what happened. AFTERNOON UPDATE: We checked with King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. John Urquhart who could confirm only that one person had potentially life-threatening injuries. (Those were apparently TV choppers over the scene at noontime, by the way; here’s KING’s latest report.)