White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(Luminarias outside the Highland Park Improvement Club on New Year’s Eve)
Cafe Rozella is open noon-6:30 pm for New Year’s Day coffee; Dubsea Coffee is open 10 am-7 pm.

White Center Jubilee Days has its 2010 theme – “Come Together, Embrace Our Differences” – chosen in mid-December, and planning for next summer is roaring ahead. Next meeting for people who want to help is at 6:30 pm January 6th (next Wednesday), Big Al Brewing (then the group will meet every two weeks till they go into weekly-meeting mode). According to the WCJD Facebook page, another decision that’s been made is to have the parade on Sunday this year, probably at 10 am.

About a month into the New Year – February 9, 2010, to be exact – you’ll be voting on a levy-lid lift for the King County Library System. Without it, KCLS says, it’ll have to cut at least 10 percent across the board. If it passes, taxes for a home worth $400,000 will go up about $32. According to library info, this is operations money, not construction money (notable given the Puget Sound Park controversy).

Metro‘s on the “reduced weekday” schedule today through Thursday (explained here), then a Sunday schedule on Friday (New Year’s Day).

Just north of White Center, that was the festive scene Sunday afternoon at Highland Park Improvement Club, as friends and neighbors made balloon lanterns to get ready for a New Year’s Eve neighborhood parade (with coaching from Fremont artist Tricky Bunny, left foreground). You’re invited to join in – just meet at the HPIC lot at 6:30 Thursday night; the parade will last about an hour, followed by a fire show in the HPIC lot, and the Highland Park “house party” right after that. More info here.

On the surface, this is one of those mandatory public notices- but it’s about one of the most important services the county provides – so if you have something to say about the 911 Center, check out this notice from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive January 9, 2010, to examine all aspects of the King County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.

Verification by the team that the King County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center meets the Commissions state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement communications professional excellence.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to call in and offer comments. The public may call and speak with Assessors at 206-205-7518, on Monday, January 11th between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the King County Sheriff’s Office. The local contact person is Accreditation Manager Tom Nesko, 206-205-4097.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the King County Sheriff’s Communications Center’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation should write to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2201.

10 am-4 pm, Puget Sound Blood Center will have a mobile blood drive at Holy Family‘s Tice Hall (just don’t drop by noon-1 pm, it’ll be closed for a break) tomorrow (Saturday 12/26). Blood supplies tend to run low during the holidays – so the “gift of life” matters now more than ever.

Not an all-inclusive list but a couple White Center notes: Proletariat Pizza says it’s open till 9 for dinner tonight. And Cafe Rozella will be open for Christmas morning coffee, 8 am-noon.

Got yarn to share? You might want to drop it off at White Center Food Bank after reading this story (shared on Facebook by volunteer Beth Grieser).

If you need to take care of county business, today’s the day, since most county offices/facilities are closed tomorrow. Christmas Eve also is a “reduced weekday service” day for Metro, and other changes are coming up over the next two weeks – all detailed here.

From the Puget Sound Blood Center:

With a decrease in donations and an increase in accidents, we could use help maintaining a stable blood supply over the holidays.

As we exchange gifts during the holidays, please remember that you have the most precious gift inside you to give.

Please give others a chance at a better life:

– Saturday December 26th
* Holy Family Parish- Tice Hall 9516 20th Ave SW 98106
* 10:00AM- 4:00PM (closed 12-1pm)

The Puget Sound Blood Center is a non-profit, community and volunteer based organization. For more than 60 years, the PSBC has been improving the quality of life for sick patients in the Puget Sound area. This is all thanks to the generous donors who are saving lives in Western Washington every day. Your volunteered blood is distributed to 70 local hospitals and clinics in the Puget Sound area. For more information, please contact 1-800-DONATE-1.

(artist Leo Schmidt during the White Center Art Walk)
Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for White Center Now/West Seattle Blog

Neighboring West Seattle has a monthly Art Walk tradition, every second Thursday – and White Center is working on one too, every third Saturday.

Saturday night during this month’s White Center Art Walk, Damien Jurado played live at Full Tilt Ice Cream, Dubsea Coffee featured the art of Joerael Elliot along with a spoken word and open mic performance by youth from Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, student photos from New Start High School graced the walls of Big Al Brewing – these are by Kat Cabrera:

And student paintings were on display at the Salvadorean Bakery.

Shelli Park, chair of the White Center for the Arts board of directors, admits that the rain and holiday week reduced Art Walk attendance somewhat, but she has high hopes for future events, which take place the third Saturday of the month year-round.

“Our goal is to have more local businesses participating to be representative of the entire community,” Park says. “What they will provide will be poetry, music, whatever resonates with their community.” (We photographed her with her daughter at Proletariat Pizza, which also participated, with photos by Alexander King.)

Park says that the goal of the White Center Art Walk is twofold: “To help local artists and to help the businesses. We don’t want the people who are already here to be shut out because of the inevitable gentrification. We want them to be part of it: the diversity, the food, the color, and the culture.”

Learn more about future programs, including art programs and upcoming film workshops for local students – and watch for a preview of next month’s White Center Art Walk! – at the White Center for the Arts website.

From White Center for the Arts — First: Rat City Rummage will be at Big Al Brewing from 2 PM until 6 PM, with 12 arts/crafts vendors:

Then it’s the White Center Art Walk, 6-9 pm, including these venues and artists:

The Salvadorean Bakery: Photography Students of New Start High!
1719 Southwest Roxbury Street

Café Rozella: Fabulous Artist!!
9434 Delridge Way SW

Full Tilt Ice Cream: Youth in Focus “Fear: Advanced Digital Summer 2009”
Music by Damien Jurado!!
9629 16th Ave S Seattle

Proletariat Pizza: Alexander King – photography
9622 16th Ave SW

Big Al Brewing: Photography Students of New Start High School!
Music by Ryan Burns and Crew!!
9832 14th Ave. SW

Dubsea Coffee: Joerael Elliot –
“Fractured Parables” 9910 8th Ave SW

(Also at Dubsea)

{ Hi Touch Art Show } JOERAEL ELLIOTT / Saturday Dec.19.2009. 7:00-9:00 pm

SPOKEN WORD & OPEN MIC
by Youngstown Cultural Arts Center youth with Amos Miller
DJ MURDOC will be laying down the beats!

If your student’s in Seattle Public Schools, they’re out an hour early today; if Highline Public Schools, they’re out 90 minutes early like most Fridays. Happy vacation!

From King County Public Health:

Get vaccinated for H1N1 flu: More H1N1 vaccine arriving, more opportunities to get immunized

It’s not too late to get an H1N1 flu vaccination. H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, is expected to continue to spread, and H1N1 vaccination will protect you and your family so you won’t miss days of school, work or other important events due to this flu.

Anyone over 6 months of age is now eligible to receive H1N1 vaccine in King County . It’s especially important for people who are at highest risk for H1N1 influenza, including pregnant women, babies and young children, and people with chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems. H1N1 vaccine is being distributed to many health care providers and local pharmacies.

Call your health care provider or check pharmacy locations at www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1.

In addition, free vaccination clinics for those who cannot afford to pay will be held at the following locations:

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Auburn: HealthPoint ( 126 Auburn Avenue, Suite 400 ), 9 am – 12 pm
Bellevue: Eastgate Public Health Center ( 14350 SE Eastgate Way ), 9 am – 5 pm
Bellevue: Sea Mar – Bellevue Medical ( 1811 156th Ave NE, Suite # 2 ), 9 am – 5 pm
Federal Way: Public Health Center ( 33431 13th Place S ), 9 am – 5 pm
Kent: HealthPoint (403 E Meeker, Kent), 9 am – 12 pm
Redmond: HealthPoint ( 16315 NE 87th St, Suite B6 ), 9 am – 12 pm
Renton: Public Health Center ( 3001 NE 4th St ), 9 am – 5 pm
Seattle: Columbia Public Health Center ( 4400 37th Ave S ), 9 am – 5 pm
Seattle: North Public Health Center ( 10501 Meridian Ave N ), 9 am – 5 pm
Seattle: Sea Mar – South Park ( 8720 14th Ave S ), 9 am – 5 pm
Seattle: Sea Mar – White Center ( 9650 15th Ave. S.W. #100 ), 9 am – 5 pm

Tuesday, December 22 , 2009

Seattle: Sea Mar – South Park ( 8720 14th Ave S ), 2 pm – 8 pm

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Bellevue: Sea Mar – Bellevue Medical ( 1811 156th Ave NE, Suite # 2 ), 10 am – 4 pm
Seattle: Sea Mar – White Center ( 9650 15th Ave. S.W. #100 ), 1 pm – 8 pm

For more information, go to www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 or call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-5464.

From the White Center Food Bank website – 50 trees donated for happier holidays, courtesy of IKEA and Evergreen High School! See the story, with a photo, here.

ORIGINAL REPORT: We’re covering this as-it-happens on partner site West Seattle Blog – the King County Council is into the sixth hour of considering the last item on its agenda for the year – to appoint a successor for County Executive Dow Constantine. They deadlocked 4-4 in defeating the first motion to appoint the 34th District Democrats’ choice, State Sen. Joe McDermott; and again deadlocked in defeating the second motion, to appoint Seattle City Councilmember Jan Drago. Most of the time’s been taken up in “recess” – closed-door huddles in the wings of the council chambers. Follow the ongoing coverage here; we’ll update WCN if/when there’s finally a decision. UPDATE: In the end – no decision – councilmembers declared themselves hopelessly deadlocked and will try again in the new year.

King County Councilmembers, meeting as the Committee of the Whole, could have announced this morning who they want to recommend to fill the year left in the term for County Executive Dow Constantine‘s former council seat – but instead, they just voted to send the list of four finalists on to their afternoon meeting as the full council without recommendation, which means the announcement and final vote will be made together this afternoon.

It is with a very heavy heart that we write to inform you of the passing of our dear friend Cherisse Luxa, the founder of Burien Drinking Liberally. Cherisse lost her fight with stomach cancer this morning.

If you have ever attended Drinking Liberally, you almost certainly know of Cherisse’s incredible energy and her unstoppable drive to make our community a better place. From her decades as a King County Sheriff’s Deputy to her impressive track record as an activist an advocate, Cherisse made a huge difference, both for Burien and for the broader community.

Cherisse touched thousands of lives and was a role model for many of us. We will sorely miss her.

We will be in touch with memorial information. In the meantime, if you know of or are able to provide a home to two of Cherisse’s much-loved cats (Howard and Harris, who are four years old and would prefer to be adopted together), please let us know as soon as possible.

(Via Liz Giba) Photos from Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8642390@N06/3586558536/

Just in from Puget Sound Clean Air Agency:

The Stage 2 burn ban issued on December 8 for Snohomish County and December 9 for King, Kitsap and Pierce counties is lifted, effective at 10:00 a.m., December 13, 2009.

The current weather pattern has brought improved mixing and dispersion of fine particle pollution. As a result, air quality has improved sufficiently to allow the lifting our Stage 2 burn ban. Good air quality conditions are expected for the next 72 hours.