White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Published at seattlepi.com: The man arrested for stabbing Scatt the cat has pleaded guilty.

If you’re in unincorporated King County, personal fireworks will be on sale starting at noon today. We noticed a few stands-in-the-making in White Center on Friday, including the one above at 100th/16th. But even though you can start buying them today, setting them off is only legal 9 am-midnight on the 4th (next Saturday) – and remember they are banned in neighboring cities Burien and Seattle. Here are all the King County rules.

VIADUCT: This is a good day to not leave home, period. The biggest reason: The Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed most of the day for the Rock N Roll Seattle Marathon. 4 am to 4 pm — the hours may wind up varying somewhat, but that’s the original warning, both directions.

WESTWOOD VILLAGE: One way to avoid leaving the area is to enjoy activities like today’s Westwood Village Street Fair, just north of White Center. We’ll be there representing West Seattle Blog and White Center Now with “live” reporting including photos and video. Free food, music, entertainment, giveaways and more are set to happen at the shopping center 11 am-7 pm; find a schedule here.

CHRISTMAS … IN JUNE: We missed this when it happened a few days ago but are glad to happen onto word of it now: The YES Foundation of White Center visited two schools on the last day of classes to send kids home with gifts to help them enjoy summer, and even raffled off 8 bikes. More info here; photos here.

As reported here after last month’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, one of the group’s facilitators, Kathy Kaminski, is leaving her job to go back to school. So a goodbye for Kathy was a big part of Thursday night’s meeting. She got a cake, going-away present and a card; she told us she came to the job 6 years ago as an AmeriCorps volunteer and was only supposed to stay for a few months, but she fell in love with Seattle and managed to stay. Now, though, she’s leaving to head to Chicago to get a master’s degree in Public Administration. She told us she grew up in that area and her family’s all still there, but she intends to move back here after graduation. She told the group, “Thanks for all your hard work. It was a great opportunity – I’ve learned so much from you guys. I’m excited to move on and sad to leave, but I leave the neighborhood knowing it’s in good hands.”

Speaking of which – here’s the crime roundup: King County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Hancock says the past month’s been unusually quiet in the White Center area – no car thefts, and only one reported vehicle prowl. The major incidents otherwise involved two fights in the 16th SW nightclub/bar zone and a robbery attempt at an ATM; Deputy Hancock says all three cases resulted in arrests, with witnesses’ information helping in the robbery attempt, as several passersby saw what happened and provided tips.

Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Adonis Topacio attended on behalf of the Seattle side of the line; he said car thefts and car prowls remain high. Meeting participants asked him to check on what was described as a recurring situation in the courtyard right there at St. James Place – late-night gatherings with dozens of teenagers making noise.

Also discussed, the abandoned, fire-damaged home in the 9000 block of 17th SW and the adjoining lot with a vacant garage. The house was described as “trash everywhere.” A formal complaint’s been filed with the city. An informal group of concerned citizens will get together between coalition meetings to find out more about what they can do and what the city can do to deal with a situation like this.

One more note: Lisa Quinn from Feet First! came to the meeting, gathering information for a White Center walking map:

She got plenty of help from meeting participants who broke into groups to make lists of landmarks, staircases, public art, and other features. (Speaking of walking in White Center – remember the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s upcoming History Tour of White Center, July 25 – here’s our original report.)

Evergreen High School football director Alfred Johnson sends word of a fun fundraiser this Saturday night:

The coaches and players of the Evergreen High School Football team would like to thank you and the White Center/Boulevard Park Communities for coming out to support the team last football season.

With a new coaching staff and a young team, it really means a lot to the young men to know that the community is interested and encouraging the team to be better students and have a successful season.

This weekend, the EHS Football Team will be hosting a Pasta Dinner Fundraiser, Sat, June 27th, 2009, 7:00pm Start @ the Southwest Boys & Girls Club. This is the first major fundraiser of our new season; the young men of the EHS Football team will be there as food servers and host. The team is attempting to raise enough funds and solicit sponsorships to purchase new uniforms, provide partial funding of the “pay to play” requirement being passed down to the Highline School District and to build the Football Booster funds in order to tend to the needs of EHS football during the upcoming season and beyond.

There will be special guest speakers who be speaking through out the evening (Greg Lewis, former UW football player & Derek Sparks, former WSU football player among many) and the EHS football players will perform their game day “Hakka” as part of the evenings entertainment. Special thanks to Joe Salle of Bernie & Boys Market in White Center for providing the Pasta dinner and the Southwest Boys & Girls Club for letting us use their facilities. …

I think it will be a great time for all and that the EHS Football players will do all that they can to make the evening a success.

It’s a busy primary election ballot on August 18th, but few have more at stake than those who will cast ballots on whether to let their section of North Highline be annexed by Burien. If you’re still making up your mind on North Highline South Annexation Area Proposition 1, note that the city of Burien has scheduled two more “open house” format meetings to for annexation information – July 14 and 29; more details on the city’s website. Remember that this is a by-mail-only election (countywide); ballots will be mailed July 29, according to the King County Elections website, where you can find full details on everything else you’ll be voting on..

Children of the Revolution Trio

Expect a full house and lots of energy when the group Children of the Revolution perform at Cafe Rozella.

Performance starts at 7 p.m., Friday June 26th at Cafe Rozella

“When you go to a Children of the Revolution show, you might as well leave your preconceptions about world music at the door” wrote Tina Potterf of the Seattle Times. Fans will usually say something like, “That was the best live show Ive ever been to; I don’t quite know how to describe it.” From Bozeman Montana to the caves of Granada, Spain, from Istanbul to Taiwan, COTR make life-long fans wherever they go.

They can loosely be compared to such breakaway and high-energy world music artists such as Ozomatli, Gipsy Kings, Santana, Manu Chau and the Afro Celt Sound System, but all similarities stop there. Made up of virtuoso musicians, singers and dancers from around the world, COTR blend their Flamenco, Greek, and Rock roots creating, a lush and melodic sound driven by infectious Latin and Middle-Eastern grooves.

The group is fronted by lead singer Vassili, who grew up on the Greek Islands, and former metal head turned flamenco guitarist Eric Jaeger. Sharing the spotlight is Barcelona-born flamenco dancer Encarnación. Their electrifying and sexy concerts showcase outstanding musicianship and songwriting with world-class dance performances. Both world music aficionados and those new to the genre agree – COTR puts on one of the most unifying and entertaining shows in the world.

Cafe Rozella
9434 Delridge Way SW
Seattle, WA  98106
(206) 763-5805
guarnero@caferozella.com

http://twitter.com/caferozella

www.caferozella.com

(WCN photo from March)
It’s a followup to the BOOM Youth Summit three months ago – a chance to propose a project, and get funding for it. The deadline’s just been extended – find the details, plus a link to the application, here. (You can see some of what was actually created at the summit itself by checking out this link on the White Center Community Development Association site.)

That’s who headlined the music slate in downtown White Center on Saturday night as Full Tilt Ice Cream celebrated its first birthday. The band name’s a little profane so here’s a direct link to their site (where you’ll also find better video – we were a little too close to the guitar, so it drowned out the vocals). And we’ve got the results of the “buy one and we donate one” (hmm, BODO?) ice-cream tally for the day: 165 cones, 60 pints sold. For each cone, Full Tilt plans to give a coupon to the White Center Food Bank for distribution to its clients; for each pint, they’ll deliver the equivalent in ice cream to WCFB for direct distribution. (Of course you can give to WCFB online any time — just go here.)

As of noon, Full Tilt Ice Cream is open for the day and into the night, since there are two bands tonight (starting at 9). This is the day FT is celebrating its first birthday, so if you buy a cone/pint, the equivalent will be donated to the White Center Food Bank. And tonight’s a great night to be on 16th SW, as White Center for the Arts has its monthly event, 5-10 pm in the old skating rink. The group had been trying to buy the building — Justin at Full Tilt tells us a deal couldn’t be worked out by the time the building was scheduled to be auctioned, so the auction went forward last week, but, he says, nobody bid, so that may keep the door open for a nonprofit purchase – at a better price than what was being offered. We’ll keep following the story.

Out of the White Center Now inbox:

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition Meeting
Thursday, June 25, 6-8 pm,
St. James Place, 9421 18th Avenue SW

Guest Presentations:

* Big Brothers and Big Sisters
* Feet First, proposed walking map

Farewell, Social Time – for Kathy Kaminski. An opportunity to wish her well!

And: If you have a specific concern, you may email or call me and let me know before the meeting and I will pass on the information to SPD or KCSO or the appropriate city/county department. With advanced notice, law enforcement officers are able to find out more information about specific incidents and concerns and share that information at the meeting. Everyone is welcome to bring up concerns at the meeting, but if we know the concerns a head of time, we may be able to find out more information for the community. Thanks!

… Please spread the word to your neighbors!

Dinner will be provided. Please call Karen at 767-0760 if childcare or interpretation is needed.
—
Karen Greene
Drug Free Communities Program Coordinator
Seattle Neighborhood Group

They announced the event before the location … but tonight, the latter was revealed – this is Saturday night, by the way:

Location Revealed!!!

This month’s Art EVENT,
brought to you by

White Center for the Arts,

Will be at 9639 16th Ave SW.

Yes, once again, and for the last time,

The Ole Skate Rink
White Center, WA

From 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM

For questions and information, please call

206-306-6230

Trio Lucero And Special Guests

June19th, 2009

7pm

Café Rozella

9434 Delridge Way SW

Seattle, WA 98106

(206) 763-5805

Son Huasteco, Huapango, Sones de Costumbre and Canciones de la Huasteca, Mexico.

Trío Lucero del Norte plays traditional/regional Mexican music from the Huasteca Hidalguense (the State of Hidalgo in the plains along the Gulf Coast) sung in Spanish and Nahuatl (an Indigenous language spoken in Mexico).

Café Rozella kicks off its 2009 Friday night concert/dance series with Regional Dance Music from the Huasteca. Come dance huapango. Trio Lucero del Norte’s hot violin and pounding rhythm executed on jarana huasteca and quinta huapanguera (two variants of local rhythm guitars) will make you want to dance.

Full Tilt is turning 1 year old Saturday the 20th of June. To celebrate, we are going to give a gift certificate for a cone to the White Center Food Bank, for every cone that is purchased that day. Rick Jump from the food bank is going to try and be on hand for part of the day. COme down and meet him.

We’re doing some election research right now and realized that you might not have yet seen what the annexation measure will look like on the August 18th ballot. Here’s the direct link; here’s the language:

North Highline South Annexation Area

Simple majority (RCW 35A.14.080)
Proposition No. 1
Proposed Annexation to the City of Burien

The Burien City Council passed Resolution No. 288 which would authorize annexation of that area of unincorporated King County known as the North Highline South Annexation Area which annexation was approved by the Boundary Review Board with a modification to the boundaries as legally described in Resolution No. 292. Shall that area of unincorporated King County known as the North Highline South Annexation Area as legally described in City of Burien Resolution No. 292 be annexed to the City of Burien?

( ) FOR ANNEXATION
( ) AGAINST ANNEXATION

Each of three “small schools” from the Evergreen High School campus has its own separate graduation ceremony tomorrow – all listed here, all at the Highline Performing Arts Center.

Noticed this in the blog-format section of the White Center Community Development Association website – a restaurant review about one of WC’s newest eating/drinking places. Photos too. See it here.

On behalf of partner site West Seattle Blog, we are tabling today at the Morgan Junction Community Festival (continuing at Fauntleroy /California till 6 pm) – and we just got a flyer from Ron Richardson of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society regarding the big History Tour of White Center coming up July 25. Meet at 17th/Roxbury, in the parking lot, at 10:30 am that day (it’s a Saturday), and the tour will last about an hour and a half. $5 SWHS members, $7 nonmembers (“or make a donation,” says the flyer). Ron promises some amazing sights to be seen – mark your calendar.

The grocery-delivery service has now added zip code 98146, a year and a half after it moved westward. A few more details at WSB.

Here’s the announcement:

Enjoy an evening of free live jazz music at Jazz in the Plaza. ThursdayJune 25th from 4-6 pm in the Greenbridge Plaza (in front of the SW Boys and Girls Club) there will be live jazz music as well as other entertainment, prizes, vendors, activities for the whole family and free lightly used books and toys. The sun has come out…. It’s party time! Sponsored by KCHA, WCCDA, Hope VI, Neighborhood House, YWCA, Southwest Boys and Girls Club and the Greenbridge Community. For more information call (206) 574-1167