White Center Now: The blog about White Center

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

Seattle resident and New York Times correspondent, Timothy Egan weighs in on the Amanda Knox case with a long opinion piece in today’s New York Times.  I wish I could say that this was the break of objective reporting that we were looking for, but such is not the case.  Egan is not an attorney nor does he regularly write on criminal or judicial matters.  His area is politics, and at that, mostly regional politics.  His piece sheds no new light on the case, revealing the time-worn themes trotted out by the competing Knox camps: those who claim she is innocent and those who claim she is guilty.   But what is of note is that Egan throws all journalistic objectivity aside (whatever that actually means) and weighs in with “an innocent abroad” crowd.  Fittingly that is the title of his piece.  Accordingly, he pulls no punches and calls this a “railroad job.”  As with so much American reporting we get lots of smoke but no light.

His bias is evident when discussing Amanda Knox’s initial alibi, which was that the bar owner, for whom she worked, had committed the murder, while Knox was in the apartment.  To wit, Egan:

Still, Knox’s statements were troubling. She and Sollecito gave different versions of what they had done the night of the killing, their memories clouded no doubt because they’d been smoking hashish. And Knox raised the possibility that a bar owner with an airtight alibi could have been involved.

Knox did not “raise the possibility” that the bar owner might be involved she gave a long narrative blaming him with an array of sordid and lengthy details.  Not exactly a problem in translation.  For those who want a more balanced piece you can read my take, “The Curious Case of Amanda Knox.”

This is unfortunate, as I very much like Timothy Egan’s writing.  In fact, his subjectivity is often the best part of his pieces.  Unfortunately, in this case, he is no better than the Seattle reporters who are rooting for the hometown girl.  Tis a shame.

UPDATE:  Timothy Egan responds to his critics.

I read Egan’s response to his critics regarding his opinion piece on Amanda Knox, “An Innocent Abroad.”  There is some measure of contrition in his response, as with his use of “innocent abroad.”  But, overall, Egan does little to give substance to his very clearly biased opinion piece in which he rails against the prosecutor and calls the case a “railroad job.”  He says he took a month to review the evidence, but there is very little in his piece that could be called factual.

1.  Egan’s account of the conviction of Rudy Guede is, to put it mildly, incomplete and inaccurate.   He draws a straw man, implying that the “anti-Knox” crowd is completely discounting his guilt.  That is sheer nonsense.  Guede is clearly guilty, the only question is whether he acted alone and on that score the forensic evidence points to more than one actor.  Guede was caught almost immediately, and in one of Knox’s permutations of her alibis, she claimed that she let him in and that she was in the next room while he raped and killed her — hearing her screams as well.   If so, why didn’t Knox call the police herself?  She has since ditched that story.  The only thing Egan falls back on is police duress.  But Knox changed her alibis over a period of time and it took three weeks before her first victim, Lumumba the bar owner, was cleared.  She never volunteered that her story was false until his alibi panned out.

2.  Egan claims that Knox had no motive.  This was not a vendetta, robbery or revenge killing.  It was a crime of passion.  As I explained when it comes to sex a little motive goes a long way.  It is not the prosecution’s case that Knox planned to murder Kercher.   The theory of the case fits the case, a sex game gone awry.  This explains the brutality of the murder and incompetence in disposing of evidence.

3.  Egan spends a lot of time impugning the Italians and the British as having prejudged this case.  My reading leads me to the exact opposite conclusion, it is the American media that has prejudged this matter in favor of the American girl.  I sourced much of my material to Der Speigel and the BBC, hardly tabloids, as Egan pronounces the foreign press.

As my original post made clear, I am not prejudging this matter, I certainly have no stake in it.  Although, by all accounts, I should be in the Knox camp, being as we are part of the same community.  Egan is a very able writer, but he is no legal analyst ala Jeffrey Rosen or Kurt Eichenwald.   I think that Egan is simply out of his element and out of his league, on this matter and his shoddy work clearly indicates as such.

PHOTOS OF SEATTLE a photo-exhbit by the New Futures Program will be held on Friday June 12th at 6 p.m.

Information on New Futures can be found at http://www.newfutures.us/

The Exhibit will be followed by a performance by acclaimed Brazilian artist, Eduardo Mendonca.

Cafe Rozella is located at 9434 Delridge Way SW

Phone: (206) 763-5805 – www.caferozella.com

10 am tomorrow in Burien, the King County Police Chiefs’ Association is sponsoring a King County Executive candidates’ forum focused on public safety issues. The 5 top KCE candidates have confirmed, according to organizers; here’s the latest. (P.S. If you are on the Seattle side of White Center, you may be interested in tonight’s 34th District Democrats candidates forum – KC Exec is *not* included, though, because of the forum a week ago in Fauntleroy.)

Just a little more than two months now till the annexation vote in southern North Highline – and another open house is set for next Tuesday, this time at 6 pm, Southern Heights Elementary School, 11249 14th Avenue South (shown above in Google Street View).

Eduardo Mendonca

The always captivating, Eduardo Mendonca will bring his energetic Brazilian music to Cafe Rozella this Friday at 7 p.m.  As always the performance is al fresco and FREE.

Highline Public Schools leadership has gone public with recommendations for how to balance the budget (see them here). Now, they want to hear from you, and will be accepting comment at this week’s School Board meeting. It’s at 6 pm Wednesday, 15675 Ambaum in Burien (map); see the agenda here.

Stephen Lamphear wanted to share this information:

f you are a customer of Seattle City Light — you do not have to be senior or disabled to get reduced rates.

Low income customers can get a 50% rate reduction. That means what it says — LOW INCOME. Stop struggling to pay utility bills — get help. This is not temporary or one-time help to pay the bill. This is long term rate reduction. Eat better, pay less for electricity.

Discounted Rates for Seniors, Disabled and Low-Income Customers
Qualifying customers can save 50% on electric, water, sewer and garbage bills. Customers living in federally-funded public housing and Section 8 housing are not eligible.

* Seniors and persons with disabilities – If you are a senior citizen or a person with disabilities and your income is at or below 70% of the state median level, call the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens at (206) 684-0268.

Income Guidelines.

* Low-Income – Customers with household income at or below 70% of state’s median income may call the Seattle Human Services Department at (206) 684-0268 to qualify and enroll.

This message brought to you by Stephen Lamphear, former Burien City Councilmember!

Click pic to play video

That’s some of our video from last October, as U.S. Sen. Patty Murray helped break ground for the new Educare Learning Center at Greenbridge. Construction’s going well, according to Linda Carr at Educare/Highline Head Start, who asked if we would share this with you:

The construction of our new Educare Learning Center at Greenbridge is on schedule – we hope to move in the last week of December and welcome Head Start students on January 4, 2010!

We are recruiting children to fill our 9 part day classes, our 1 extended day class and our full day child care classroom. We encourage every low-income family with a 3 or 4 year olds to apply. We give priority to homeless children, children with a disability and 4 year olds. If we are not full by late August, we will invite some eligible 3 year olds to join us. We have great bi-lingual staff and a large pool of interpreters to help parents who ELL to apply and enroll.

Families can call us at 206/762-6070 to get an application in a variety of languages. Alternately, they can stop by our current locations: 501 SW 110th Place in Park Lake II Homes or 10014 Sixth Ave SW to pick up an application.

Our staff are busy getting training and finishing degrees as we become an Educare Center.

Our Park Lake II center will close for 2 years starting this August. We will have classrooms temporarily at Burien Community Center and at Coronado Springs Apartments until our new building opens.

(North Highline Unincorporated Area Council officers from left, Vice President Christine Waldman, Treasurer Ron Johnson, Secretary Jessica Stoneback, and President Greg Duff)

By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for White Center Now

The art installation at Steve Cox Memorial Park has hit another snag – dirty dirt.

Contaminated soil near the entrance of the ball field could be stirred up by digging needed to install the artwork and may have to be removed before the project can continue, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council learned Thursday night.

More than $18,000 has been raised for the art that is the last piece needed to finish the tribute to the fallen King County Sheriff’s deputy.

Meantime, the new slate of councilmembers looked a lot like the old group. In the recent election, none of the council incumbents had a challenger, and all were easily re-elected by the 25 voters who participated — compared to 900 people who voted in the council’s first election.

Re-elected were Ray Helms, Heidi Johnson, Ron Johnson, Doug Harrell and Greg Duff.

Outgoing President Russ Pritchard complimented the council on its work ethic. “This is the most workaholic council I have ever been president of. You have accomplished more than any other council I have seen.”

Duff was elected council president, and Christine Waldman was elected vice president. Jessica Stoneback was re-elected secretary and Ron Johnson was re-elected treasurer.

Duff said he is excited to serve as president “in a year when we hope part of our area will go to Burien. It is very significant.” The annexation vote is set for August 18.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin told the council that they are meeting with various community groups to “make our intentions clear” and push forward with the annexation. Martin said they have been meeting with various community groups, which each have unique questions about what the annexation will mean.

A recent meeting with the Latino Leadership Community raised questions about business licensing and police presence, for example, he said.

Martin also gave an update on the King County Sheriff’s deputy assigned to Burien who was seriously injured in an accident while responding to a burglary call. He will be home soon, but will still need a great deal of recovery time.

The council also considered several new proposals, activities and invitations.

Ray Prentice asked for support in his effort to apply for funds to update the cinder running track at Evergreen High School to an all-weather rubberized surface. The Evergreen track is used by students, but also by members of the community to socialize, walk, jog and play.

Prentice also led the earlier effort that modernized the track at Mt. Rainier High School. The council voted to support the effort at Evergreen, but were also cautious that no funding that could possibly be used to keep the community swimming pool open would be jeopardized by the track request.

Council members also took a tough vote, following some discussion, deciding not to participate in the Burien Fourth of July parade. Some first considered the possibility if a convertible car was available.

“I have a pickup; you can ride in the back,” said Councilmember Doug Harrell.

Ultimately, because several council members are going to be out of town, that the group would be unable to participate. Brochures providing information about the council will be set out at the Emerald City Smoothie booth.

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council members will turn out for White Center Jubilee Days and the Burien Strawberry Festival on June 20 and 21.

The NHUAC usually meets the first Thursday of each month, 7 pm, North Highline Fire District HQ.

6 pm, Steve Cox Park, help shape the new playground that’s in the works. 7 pm, North Highline Fire District HQ, attend the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s meeting to find out about the latest work on hot community issues (including Evergreen Pool, as reported here earlier).

Boogie Wonderland

Put on those dancing shoes
Come one, come all
to the
Community School of West Seattle auction

Bid on a no-host stay in an English house,
a flight to Friday Harbor,
a song written just for you by a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter,
mountain getaways, kids’ amusements, theater, yoga, dance, baby sitting, beach outings, adopt-a-wolf, art from local artists and students.

Disco attire is encouraged.
Free food.
Cold drinks.
English auctioneer.
Bring a nice bottle of wine for the “wine cellar” we will be auctioning off.

Love is in the air!

for complete catalog see: http://www.landkammer.net/csws_auction

Saturday, June 6 6:30 p.m.
Community School of West Seattle
9450 22nd Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98106