White Center Now: The blog about White Center

White Center has an amazing melange of cultures.  Every weekend, you can step back to the Rio Grande Valley and enjoy authentic Tejano music.  This weekend featured the bands La Cima and Banda Kachay.  Pictures courtesy of Greg McCorkle (local artist).

White Center-based WestSide Baby sends word of a car-seat safety day coming up this Wednesday at IKEA in Renton. Even if that’s too far for you to go – before we get to the announcement of that event — here’s something you might be able to help with, right here in White Center at WestSide Baby HQ, today or tomorrow:

Special offer from WestSide Baby: Bring us your recalled or outdated (6 years or older) carseats by Tuesday afternoon and we will take them to the recycle event so that 90% of the parts can be reused instead of going into the landfills. This recycling can only happen in partnership with a facility in Portland so this offer only happens twice a year.

Volunteers also welcome! If you are interested in helping with the event to support recycling of carseats, please contact us at sarah@westsidebaby.org by Tuesday afternoon. We’d love extra hands to dismantle the seats.

Now, the official event announcement for Wednesday.

State Farm Child Safety Day at Safe and Sound (& Green)

A partnership preventing unintentional injuries through education and access: In King County car crashes continue to be the number 1 killer of children under 18. Though many families now understand the importance of car seats they are often confused about correct installation and the best “seat choice” for their child. State Farm is committed to helping keep kids safe and are sponsoring this event. In addition to the inspections, the South King County Child Passenger Safety Coalition will be collecting used car seats for either re-distribution into the community or recycling them back into usable materials. About 97% of the car seats materials can be made into new products. It takes time and effort but the Coalition feels that keeping these seats from the landfills is an important investment. Following are the details.

Where: Ikea in Renton (601 SW 41st St., Renton, WA 98057)
When: Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 from 9 am to 1 pm

Here’s a look at what’s happening at this fantastic event!

FREE Car Seat Inspections by State Farm and Safe Kids King County – South Car seats inspected for correct installation and proper fit. Donations gladly accepted. Last car taken at 12pm.

Car Seat Donation Event by PASS-IT Program Do you have a car seat you no longer need? Bring it here so it can be assessed for redistribution to families in need. Useable car seats are inspected by a certified passenger safety technician and then re-equipped with the necessary registration material, manual and other information to maximize potential for correct use.

Car Seat RECYCLING by Safe Kids King County – South Unusable car seats will be collected and sent to a facility where 90% of the materials will be recycled. Keep these items out of our landfills!

Children’s Basics Donations Event – Your donations of diapers, child safety equipment and other basics will be collected and distributed through West Side Baby and Pregnancy Aid of King County.

Custom Fit Helmet Sale by Safe Kids King County & Bell-Anderson Insurance Wearer of helmet must be present for custom fit. Bike style helmets will be available for sale for only $7.

Join us in helping families in our community to be safe and environmentally responsible!

So says Pasado’s Safe Haven, which posted an online update the other day to say that Scatt may be able to return soon to his home at White Center’s Cross Church; the update also includes the latest on the man accused of viciously attacking him – read the latest details here.

In case you hadn’t heard, here’s the announcement:

Holy Family Parish School’s 21st REACH Auction is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2009. Our doors open at 5 p.m. for the Silent Auction; the Live Auction begins at 7 p.m.. Our physical address is 9615 20th Avenue SW, Seattle. Proceeds from the auction will allow us to continue our mission of providing an excellent, quality Catholic education to all those in the community, regardless of their ability to pay.

Dinner reservations are still being accepted. Please contact Sandy at (206) 248-2728 if you would like to purchase tickets; each ticket is $50. This year’s Auction theme is “Mexican Fiesta.”

To find Holy Family online, go here.

Reminder from the White Center Food Bank:

FIRST STUDENT “DRIVE AWAY HUNGER” FOOD DRIVE FOR WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK

First Student drivers and school buses will be collecting non-perishable foods and diapers for the White Center Food Bank on Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 10:30 am to 3:30 p.m. at the following stores:

Burien Albertsons (12725 1st Avenue S)
QFC Westwood Village (2500 SW Barton Street)
White Center Albertsons (10616 16th Avenue SW)

The White Center Food Bank says the most needed foods are Hamburger Helper and Rice-a-Roni type products as well as canned meat (not tuna), canned fruit, cereal, and jelly. The White Center Food Bank serves a diverse ethnic population so ethnic foods are always welcome. The food bank also accepts $5 and $10 gift cards from Safeway, QFC or Albertsons. Cash donations can be sent to the White Center Food Bank at 10829 8th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98146. To donate on-line go to www.whitecenterfoodbank.org.

The White Center Food Bank has been providing emergency food relief in this community for over thirty years. In the past two years food insecurity has grown. The rising cost of housing, food, and health care, cutbacks in federal funding for housing and food assistance, and the loss of manufacturing jobs leave many working families short of food. Stories about the rising costs of food and hunger are in the press almost daily. The White Center Food Bank continues to provide much needed emergency food relief while promoting efforts to fight poverty.

Last year a record 17,000 families were served and almost 900,000 pounds of food was distributed worth about $1.5 million dollars. This was done with two paid staff and over 200 volunteers including members of Kiwanis White Center, 34th District Democrats, Fauntleroy UCC and Evergreen Key Club. 1,700 families a month are being served.

And there’s one week left to go in the Feinstein Challenge – which makes your donations worth even more than face value. If you can’t donate in person, donate online at the food bank’s website.

From King County Public Health:

Asian Bubble Tea located at 9835 16th Ave SW … was closed by a Public Health food inspector on Friday, April 24, 2009 at 11:30 am for operating without a valid food business permit.

(WCCSC’s Kathy Kaminski takes notes as King County PAO Dan Satterberg addresses the group)
By Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for White Center Now

Tuesday night, King County Prosecuting Attorney — and Highline High School graduate — Dan Satterberg visited the White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting at St. James Place to “talk about what you want to talk about,” as he put it in his opening statement to the approximately 20 attendees.

As he began his talk, which was similar to the one he presented to the Rotary Club of West Seattle in March (covered by partner site West Seattle Blog), he discussed the effectiveness of an ongoing crackdown on car thefts.

Read the rest of this entry »

From the Rat City Rollergirls‘ “Deadly Aim,” who we profiled recently at partner site West Seattle Blog (see the story here):

Just wanted to give you a heads up … RCRG will be in White Center Saturday from 11-2 for some street cleaning. The 2 mile stretch of SW 16th was adopted 5 years ago, and twice a year ever since we’ve headed down to give it some sprucing and have some fun.

After the cleanup, she adds, there’s an afterparty at Big Al’s.

Just received this from Ian at WCCDA:

There will be two sessions at Mt. View Elementary tomorrow for parents and community members to be informed about HSD budget cuts. HSD Board Member Sili Savusa will facilitate both meetings. We hope these meetings will prepare folks for the April 27 meeting at Evergreen HS. Please see attached flyer or keep reading for more info…and again, keep spreading the word!

DISCUSS THE CUTS!
Friday, April 24
Mt. View Elementary – 10811 12th Ave SW
9:00am – 11:00am & 5:30pm – 7:00pm

(photo from Pasado’s Safe Haven website)
As just published at our partner site West Seattle Blog – the animal-advocacy group Pasado’s Safe Haven has updated Scatt‘s condition; here’s the latest.

Help Highline School District decide budget cuts!

The district is asking for community help to prioritize funding. Highline Public Schools and our school board will be holding a series of meetings this week for the expressed purpose of gathering community input and your voices about the cuts we will surely endure next year. I strongly encourage you to come to one of these events to have your priorities heard and thoughts expressed to the school board and the district. This is the best venue to do that. The dates are:

· Thursday, 6 – 8 pm, 4/23 at Pacific Middle School

· Saturday, 9 – 11 am, 4/25 at Hazel Valley Elementary

· Monday, 6 – 8  pm, 4/27 at Evergreen Campus

More information is on the district website at http://www.hsd401.org/ .Furthermore, there is a direct link to an electronic “drop box” you can send messages to as well.

White Center schools struggle to meet student needs under the current budget. Further cuts will have significant effects on our community. Please remember our local schools:

New Start Alternative High School @ Salmon Creek

Evergreen High School

Cascade Middle School

White Center Heights Elementary

Mount View Elementary

He has longtime ties to the area – and tomorrow night, he’s scheduled to be back in White Center for a guest appearance at the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Partnership meeting, 6 pm, St. James Place – here’s the formal announcement of the meeting featuring Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg:

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Meeting
Thursday, April 23rd, 6-8 pm,
St. James Place, 9421 18th Avenue SW

Guest:
Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney

Topics:
* Elections & Vote on By-laws
* Summer Activities!
And if you are interested in helping pursue AIA (Alcohol Impact Area), please contact me and we’ll see how to best link you up with the effort. Thanks so much.

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.

Satterberg had been scheduled to appear earlier this year but had to cancel at the last minute because of a family emergency, nonetheless promising to reschedule, so this is the fulfillment of that promise.

This info was left as a comment on an old story about trying to keep Evergreen Pool open – so we wanted to republish it here:

April Pool’s Day
Saturday, April 25th from noon to 2:30 pm

This free, annual, family-friendly event promotes water safety & includes fun activities, demonstrations, & even canoe rides in the pool.

Stop by to find out more about saving this great asset of our community from the County’s Chopping Block.

King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart just sent this news release about a cat that may not survive having been viciously attacked; as noted in the report, the alleged attacker was arrested:

A 47 year-old man was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies Monday (April 20th) on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly severely injured a cat with a box cutter knife.

The incident occurred at the Cross Church, 1320 SW 102nd in the White Center neighborhood of unincorporated King County. The church operates a live-in recovery program, and the suspect was one of its residents.

Another resident was awakened by the suspect about 1:00 AM Sunday morning, April 19th. The suspect said he had “gutted the cat”. The resident thought the suspect was intoxicated, and both men ended up going to bed.

The next morning the suspect moved out.

That afternoon the church pastor found the church’s cat, “Scat” in the parking lot. He had serious cuts and puncture wounds, including a 7” cut, and possibly three broken ribs as well.

Sheriff’s deputies tracked down the suspect Sunday afternoon. He was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Animal Cruelty. He told the arresting deputy the cat “attacked” him.

Scat is at a local veterinary hospital and it is unknown if he will survive his injuries. He is around 10 years old.

The vote is on, as noted in this item from this morning’s city of Burien newsletter – the final action by the Boundary Review Board was a followup to the public hearing in Tukwila that we covered March 30th:

North Highline Annexation Headed for Ballot

The City of Burien’s proposed annexation of a southern portion of North Highline is headed toward a vote of residents who live in the proposed annexation area. The proposed annexation cleared a major hurdle April 16 when it was approved by the Boundary Review Board of King County. Next, the City of Burien will work with King County to place it on the August 18 ballot. The measure requires a simple majority for passage. If approved, the annexation will take effect in early 2010. To see a map or to determine if you live in the proposed annexation area, visit the City of Burien website at www.burienwa.gov/annexation, or call 206-241-4647.

So says this news release just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

Sheriff Rahr Applauds Seattle Mayor

Sheriff Sue Rahr has applauded Seattle’s mayor Greg Nickels pledge that there will be no cuts to police or social services as he trims $13 million from the city’s budget for 2010.

In an e-mail to Nickels from Rahr on Friday, the Sheriff wrote, “I applaud you for making public safety a top priority in the face of difficult budget decisions. It’s refreshing to see an elected public official take action that demonstrates a real commitment to the safety and well-being of the people we serve.”

The Seattle Police Department plans on adding 154 officers between mid-2005 and 2012, a 25% increase in their patrol force. Those additions are on track as planned, despite the budget cut for next year.

The Sheriff’s Office has faced stiff reductions in their budget in 2009, and was forced to cut about $7.5 million for 2009, resulting in the loss of 47 deputies and 18 civilians assigned to unincorporated King County.

The Executive’s Office notified Sheriff Rahr to plan for another budget reduction in excess of $7 million for 2010. That could mean an additional 70 job cuts for next year.

Of course, as you know, somebody different will be in the executive’s office next year — since current Exec Ron Sims finally gets the confirmation hearing for his federal job this Thursday; an interim exec has not yet been chosen, but the list of candidates does not include those who are in the running for the “permanent” post this fall.

Got this note from Julie – we’re thinking WCNers will be interested as well as some West Seattleites:

As you may know, many of the communities in “southern” West Seattle look out over 3 Tree Point and the communities of Arroyo, Seola Beach and Arbor Heights enjoy our fireworks show. Last year, quite a few families from these neighborhoods contributed funds toward our entirely not-for-profit and volunteer effort (although the barge based fireworks are presented by professionals, thank goodness!). We are enormously grateful for that support. This year we have new chairs and have launched a new website www.3TreePoint.org

Their fundraising drive runs throughout May – check out the website for more details.

Arlingto Northwest Memorial at Greenlake

Arlington Northwest Memorial was set up Sunday, April 19 to honor Spc. Chris Dickison of White Center and 4,273 other American men and women who have given their lives in Iraq.

The memorial was set up along the lakeside at Green Lake in Seattle.  About 50 volunteers arrived at 7 am to set up the display which will stand for one day only. The sponsors of the event are Veterans For Peace, Chapter 92 and the Evergreen Peace and Justice Community. Many of these volunteers were veterans who served in Vietnam. From time to time they have set up the memorial of small crosses and headstones arrayed as they would be at Arlington National Cemetery in our nation’s capital. These volunteers have set up the Arlington Northwest Memorial at various places around the State of Washington over recent years.

A handout prepared by one of the volunteers answers the question: Why do we continue to erect this Arlington Northwest display?

Memorial to Chris Dickinson of White Center

“Friends,
We must strengthen our resolve to maintain Arlington Northwest as a loving, though painful, memorial. It honors those who died.  It acknowledges the shattered lives and dreams of their friends and loved ones.  It reminds us all of the immesuarable losses and suffering associated with war.  It allows those of us who erect it to hope that if we continue to confront our fellow citizens with this accounting, the reality of this war’s horrendous costs will change their hearts and minds…….. Karen”

The walkers, joggers, and bicyclists who work their way around Green Lake on Sunday were given something to contemplate as they moved on their way through a sunny day. It gives all of us something to think about.

Chris Dickison was killed in 2005. Here’s a video tribute to him, posted on You Tube: