White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Our partner site West Seattle Blog covered a controversy yesterday afternoon regarding a cyclocross bicycle race that was scheduled to be held in Lincoln Park this Saturday, till the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department abruptly pulled the permit, saying it had committed to the community years ago that the park would no longer host such races and that it shouldn’t have granted the permit in the first place. Promoters at MFG Cyclocross started working to find an alternate site – and they have just announced that Lakewood Park is the alternate site. We’ve also found additional details on the King County Parks news website.

Teen games at 2:30 pm, family story time at 6:30 pm, all at the White Center Library. Here’s the full event listing!

7 pm Thursday, Full Tilt Ice Cream, be there. From the invitation published on the WCFTA website:

Who is invited? Artists who live in and those who love the GREATER White Center Area/ Unincorporated King County, and a little bit outside that line. That means ALL artists. Music, dance, film, theatre, visual, 3-D, photography, written, mixed-media, young, old, in-between, student, emerging, established, etc.

What is this about? This is about creating your opportunities. What do you want/need from your community in order to further your work/goals? What can you give to your community to help strengthen it? White Center for the Arts is opening the line of communication. This is not a formal, stuffy meeting, but the first meeting of many where your voice can be heard, new alliances can be created, and we can figure out how to best accommodate you, the artist, in our own neighborhood.

Want to know more about what’s ahead for your student in algebra, and how to help? Get a firsthand experience in Parent Math Academy, Monday night 6 pm at Highline Public Schools HQ in Burien – full story here.

9 am-1 pm today, you can drop off donations for Samoan disaster survivors at Evergreen High School – there’s a program, with entertainment, scheduled to start at 11 am. A list of what’s needed, plus more information on the event, is on the White Center Community Development Association website – see it all here.

The county says it ran out of H1N1 vaccine after three days of giving it to people with major health trouble and no insurance. So now what? Here’s the news release, as published on partner site West Seattle Blog.

Interested in helping stop youth violence? You’re invited to a meeting next Wednesday, 1 pm. From organizers:

Location: Steve Cox Memorial Park, SW District Office (east of basketball court-)

Topics:

* Guests: Robert Gant, SW Network Coordinator & also present will be the SW Intake & Referral Specialist, Mayor’s Youth Violence Prevention Initiative
* Program updates

(photo added 8:33 am)
A crash has Roxbury blocked eastbound at 17th, and 17th blocked southbound from there as well. UPDATE: Deputies say two vehicles collided – one was trying to turn – two people were taken to the hospital, including the driver of the pickup in the photo we just added. ADDED 9:57 AM: Tony Bradley photographed the rescue effort:

Crime and safety information, plus a chance to ask your questions – King County Sheriff’s Office, King County Parks, Liquor Control Board, Seattle PD are among the agencies usually represented, plus community leaders. St. James Place, 6 pm (free dinner so don’t worry about being hungry if you need to go directly there from work). 9421 18th SW (map).

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.