White Center Now: The blog about White Center

One of the co-founders of White Center Now is getting a big spotlight – Full Tilt Ice Cream won its category for “Best of Western Washington”! We were there this afternoon as a KING5 crew interviewed Justin and Ann.

One of the clinics at which this limited amount of vaccine will be offered is in White Center. Here’s the full report, as published on our partner site, West Seattle Blog.

The announcement comes from the White Center Community Development Association – you can see the flyer here.

First we spotted the listing online here. Since it said “West Seattle” but its description left us stumped, we took it to the forums on our partner site West Seattle Blog, and asked whether anyone recognized the pool tables in the listing photo. Consensus – it’s The Wall, and now that we think about it, we’ve seen The Wall publicize live music shows as “West Seattle” rather than “White Center.”

White Center’s Cascade Middle School is getting a boost from a new grant, along with other middle schools in Highline Public Schools. Here’s the official announcement made today:

Highline Public Schools has been awarded a grant to expand community schools programs at Chinook and Cascade middle schools and establish programs at Sylvester and Pacific middle schools. The initial $200,000 award is part of a five-year $1 million grant funded by The Seattle Foundation and the Raikes Foundation.

Highline partners with the non-profit Community Schools Collaboration to provide academic and enrichment programs to students after school, as well as other support services to student and their families. The partnership will use the grant funds to create a support system that will help students achieve their maximum potential in school, work and life, including programs that ease the elementary school-to-middle school and middle school-to-high school transitions.

“This initiative helps schools connect to nonprofits and other neighborhood resources in ways that really make a difference for middle-schoolers in our community,” Michael Brown, vice president of community leadership at The Seattle Foundation.

“We are grateful for the Seattle Foundation’s investment in Highline and the prospect of a long-term partnership,” said John Welch, superintendent of Highline Public Schools. “Thanks to the Foundation’s funding, many of our students will benefit from academic support and enrichment programs that will effectively extend their school day and their opportunities for learning.”

The Seattle Foundation is the oldest and largest community foundation in the region. It’s mission is create a healthy community through engaged philanthropy, community knowledge and leadership.

The Raikes Foundation is a private family foundation focused on support for young adolescents so that they can grow up to be healthy, contributing members of society.

Two quick notes tonight: First, Full Tilt Ice Cream reports a TV crew will be there to do a story next Tuesday (October 20th) around 3 pm, and they’d love to have customers there for the occasion. Second: This may or may not be new, but it’s the first time I’ve happened onto it – Brewsky’s is listed for sale.

Two weeks ago, we brought you Eliza Junkerman‘s request for musical instruments to be donated to White Center Heights Elementary. Tonight, a followup – she says the donation drive was a success!

We have had an amazing turnout and some extremely generous people from West Seattle, White Center and beyond.

I just wanted to give you a quick recap of what we have collected so far (or have set a time to pick up):

26 recorders
1 flute
1 piccolo
2 oboes
1 Cello
4 guitars
1 set of Congo drums
1 Clarinet
1 Alto Saxophone
1 Violin
1 Trombone

This is really way more than we could have ever expected! Thank you to everyone who helped – spreading the word, donating, and just supporting!!

White Center Heights will be holding an Assembly to honor the donors and talk about what encompasses a community, on October 30th from 1:20-1:55. All donors are invited to attend!!

Thank you so much for your help!

Crime/safety concerns? This is the meeting not to miss – one week from tonight. Here’s the draft agenda just made public today:

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition Meeting
Thursday, October 22, 6-8 pm,
St. James Place, 9421 18th Avenue SW

6:00-6:10 Welcome, introductions
6:10-6:25 Police Reports – KCSO and SPD
6:25-6:50 Collaborative Actions (formerly Crime & Nuisance Hotspots)
7:00-7:40 Guest Trainer: Nancy Amidei, “Influencing legislative change: WE can make a difference!
7:40-7:50 Announcements
7:50-8:00 Open Forum

WHO/QUIEN

Champion is a white male toy poodle with lightly tinted brown ears lost on Thursday, October 8th. He is young but not a puppy. Last seen wearing a blue collar with leash. Champion is very friendly. His elderly owner is devasted and hopes you can help. She is offering $100 dollar reward. No questions asked.

Perdido! Perro [macho] tipo toy poodle color blanco con las orejas ten~idas con cafe claro. El pelo lo tiene ligeramente chinito. Desaparecio Jueves, 8 de Octobre. Llevaba un collar azul con correa. Es joven y pero no cachorro. Se llama CHAMPION. Es compan~ero de una sen~ora mayor de edad que esta devastada por su perdida. Espera que pueda ayudar a recuperarlo. Ofrece una recompensa de $100 dolares en efectivo sin hacer preguntas.

WHERE/LUGAR
Last seen on 7th ave SW and SW Roxbury Street.
Ultima vez visto en la avenida 7 y calle Roxbury

CONTACT/COMUNICARSE CON
Ana 206-920-8616 o anaalvarez@yahoo.com

Got a note from local writer Brian Barr. He lives in White Center, just two blocks away from the former home of local poet legend Richard Hugo. While there’s the Hugo House in another part of the area, in White Center, Barr was sad to discover, there’s little evidence of his existence. Read what he wrote on his own website, and see if you’d like to join his quest to change that.

CoolMom – an environmentally minded organization in the West Seattle/White Center area – made that video to help get the word out about an event at Seattle Center on Saturday 10/24, with the bigger turnout the better – and their message:

We Need You to Take the Pledge! On October 24, from 2 to 5 pm – 350.org International Day of Climate Action – pledge 3 things you can do in your home and community for greener living, for your children, and for the planet. Join individuals, moms, dads, kids, organizations and whole communities that care about the environment and show your support for taking action to affect global warming. In the Alki room and at the Seattle Center Fountain, celebrate your pledge, learn from exhibitors and speakers and see what actions your neighbors in the Greater Seattle area are doing via a live video feed stream – all in the name of obtaining a safe level of carbon dioxide (350 parts per million)in our atmosphere by reducing each person’s carbon footprint. Don’t miss your millisecond of fame… At 3:00 pm on the Seattle Center Fountain Lawn we will be forming the numbers 3 -5-0 formed by attendees of the event and taken at 3:50 pm to showcase that Seattle is serious about climate change.

Just published on White Center for the Arts’ Facebook page – who/what you’ll see during next Saturday’s Art Walk, 5-9 pm October 17th: At Salvadorean Bakery, photography by Raina Anderson; at Cafe Rozella, paintings by Robert Houk, Jr.; at Proletariat Pizza, mixed media by Amanda Helmick; at D’Zul, tattoo and airbrush urban art; at Full Tilt Ice Cream, Onion Carillo and Jodi Luna Robinson; at Big Al Brewing all month, photography by Julio Castro.

Two notes re: King County government – First, Monday is the next “furlough day,” so most offices will be closed. More details here about what’s open and what’s not. Second, Wednesday is when King County Elections plans to mail ballots for the November 3rd election – so voting will start as soon as the end of the week. Election info is online now.

Ken Gollesrud sent this invite:

Everyone is invited to this bilingual free event with refreshments. Los Flacos will be joined by two dancers performing traditional Latin American Dances. Los Flacos does a great job of explaining the music and dances as they perform.

Evento del Mes de la Herencia Hispana: Con Los Flacos! / Hispanic Heritage Month Event: Performed by Los Flacos! at the South Park Branch
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT

From Kristina:

Hope For Robin Car Wash Fundraiser!

October 10th & 11th, 11am – 3pm at Vision Collision in Burien
(801 SW 154th Street)

We will also have baked goodies, coffee, tea, and cocoa available for a donation. Please come out and support our worthy cause and get your rig washed. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to wash cars, please contact Kristina Todd at mctodd1976@yahoo.com.

Here is Robin’s story – hope to see everyone this weekend at Vision Collision:

Robin Hoof has been a teacher and swim coach with the Highline School District for 20 years. At Evergreen High School she is a French teacher, and a swim coach for the boys and girls teams at Highline High School.

In April 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After undergoing chemo and a mastectomy she was considered in remission. In early 2009 she noticed a lump in her neck and was diagnosed for the second time in February. She again underwent chemo and then in the Spring she took her students to Europe. When she got back from that trip, she noticed she had a rather bad cough. Then in August she was admitted to Swedish Hospital where she continued chemo treatments, but her health was rapidly declining. Due to her compromised immune system, the doctors gave her the last chemo treatment on September 18th and told her and her mother, “any day now.” That day has come and gone.

Alternative forms of treatment are being explored by her family, as those closest to her refuse to give up. Robin’s words to her mother at Swedish were, “I’m not going to let this get me mom.” She’sin the fight of her life, and willing to beat this disease.

A Facebook page has been created in her honor titled simply, “Hope for Robin”. It is dedicated to giving updates as they come in as well as any and all charity functions for her. The charities include:

A local AVON rep giving 30% of TOTAL sales to her cause. A site has been built for the specific purpose. It’s a live site and tracks the sales thus far. Our total sales goal is $5,000. Visit:

http://mfogerty.avonrepresentative.com/online_event/view.php?rep_spnsr_evnt_id=8631

Shop and help!

Car washes to be held at different times through out the year by the Driscoll family at Vision Collision.

And the big Kahuna …a charity climb in her honor to the summit of Rainier Summer ’10.

Many have rallied around Robin by way of well wishes, donations, and offerings of volunteer work for her. But it’s not enough. More people are needed. Her medical bills are through the roof already, and as a person who’s touched as many people as she has, don’t we owe it to her? Isn’t it our job to give back. And giving Robin hope, is the best gift any human being can give to another.

Because ONE person can make a difference! Be a part of the Army of HOPE!

Like most school districts, Highline has no classes today – it’s an “in-service” day for teachers.

White Center for the Arts has announced it’s set the date for its next Third Saturday Art Walk – October 17, 5-9 pm, more details to come. WCFTA is on Twitter, too – @WCFTA.

Chris Stevens Surf Monkeys

Rock Cafe Rozella

Saturday October 10th

7pm-10pm

Admission is FREE

Via the White Center CDA site, we discover a donation drive is under way for Samoan tsunami victims, with an event October 24th at Evergreen High School, 9 am-1 pm, sponsored by World Vision. They’re collecting items for relief operations, as listed in the flyer you see above – you can find out more about how to help even sooner, at worldvision.org.

Eliza e-mailed to say she’s organizing a music-instrument-donation drive for White Center Heights Elementary – her mom works there and, as Eliza puts it, the school “just got a really amazing music teacher” but has more students interested in taking the music class than they have instruments. Eliza explains, “The school doesn’t have the budget to buy new instruments and the parents can’t afford to rent them or buy them for the kids.” So, she says, “If you have any old/used/formerly loved instruments you could donate that would be so much appreciated!! I will pick them up, I will come to you, I would just like to get these kids a chance to learn a skill they might otherwise miss out on. Please feel free to email me at egjunkerman@yahoo.com or give me a call, 206.818.7376.”