White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Just a reminder – 6 pm tonight, the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting is the place to bring up your crime/safety concerns, with law enforcers and community organizers right there to answer your questions and offer suggestions. St. James Place, 9421 18th SW (map), dinner provided!

Click pic to play video

That video shows harpist Mary Frank as she played to welcome guests to Saturday night’s White Center Food Bank Harvest Dinner and Auction. WCFB executive director Rick Jump says the final tally was 200 guests and more than $40,000 raised, and he wants to “thank all the White Center and West Seattle businesses who donated so generously to make this possible.” Among the sponsors, BECU, whose Claudia Martinez and John Webb were there as we made the round with our camera:

We also caught up with Steve Fisher from the King County Housing Authority (photo left) in the early going at the gala event at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center. Guests perused, and bid on, silent-auction items before the Harvest Dinner — among the more unusual ones, an authentic fire hydrant. Meantime, regardless of whether you made it to the benefit on Saturday night, there are myriad ways you can give to the White Center Food Bank right now, including the purchase of a beautiful glass apple from Avalon Glassworks in West Seattle (half the $80 purchase price goes to WCFB) – we’ve told you about it before, and Rick tells WCN they’re still available. You can also donate $ online by going here.

This house is located at the intersection of Delridge and 16th Avenue SW.  The house burnt down in December of 2007.   Sometime thereafter, some vagrants started using the basement as their home and so the owner boarded up the windows.  Word is that the house was to be torn down and a mixed use residential-commercial project was to take its place.   Nothing good has happened since.

As you can see from the attached pictures the place is a complete nuisance.  No steps have been taken to mitigate the damage caused by the fire and the subsequent abandonment.  The grass and weeds are overgrown.  The charred appliances and furniture are still lying outside where they were dumped by the fire department.  And the place is conspicuous to just about everyone visiting the White Center commercial area.  Clearly, the owner does not care what kind of a nuisance this creates for the community.  Anybody got some ideas on how to get this negligent owner to clean up his mess?

Just e-mailed by White Center Community Development Association – we’ve had the date on our White Center Now Events Calendar page for a while, but now there are more details:

SAVE THE DATE!
The White Center Community Development Association and Trusted Advocates present

The 2008 Community Summit:
“Celebrating our Community, the White Center Way”

Saturday, November 8
Mount View Elementary School
10811 12th Avenue SW
8:00am – 3:00pm
Free Admission

This year’s community summit will gather families, government agencies and local community-based/non-profit organizations in a fun, family friendly environment. Live cultural performances, ethnic foods, door prizes and children’s activities are just a taste of what the summit has to offer! Come learn about the issues affecting your community and how you can be involved in a positive way. There will be information booths and workshops on health, education, jobs, housing, annexation, immigration and more. Translation services will be provided in Cambodian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Tigrinya, Somali, Amharic, Samoan, Arabic and English (other languages available upon request). Childcare will be provided.

Please help us spread the word!
Invite your neighbors, family, friends, co-workers and classmates.

For more information, and how you can be an event sponsor or exhibitor, contact:

Ebony Davis: (206) 694-1082 x168 or ebony@wccda.org
Ian Dapiaoen: (206) 694-1082 x175 or ian@wccda.org

Event sponsors: White Center Community Development Association, Trusted Advocates, Youth Media Institute, City of Seattle, King County Housing Authority, City of Burien, White Center Early Learning Initiative, Southwest Boys and Girls Club , Seamar, Neighborhood House, White Center Public Health, Homesight, Para Los Ninos, White Center Library, PASEFIKA, Department of Social and Health Services, International Community Health Services, Red Cross, Roxbury Clinic, White Center Food Bank, Refugee Federation Service Center, International District Housing Alliance, YWCA Career Development, King County Food and Fitness Initiative, King County Public Health, Environmental Works, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, Homestead Community Land Trust, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Technology Access Foundation, S. & L. Realty LLC, Center for the study of Social Policy

On one of the many mailing lists we monitor for news and announcements, we just got word of this: A new outpatient chemical-dependency treatment program, exclusively for women, has opened in White Center, called New Traditions. It’s trying to get the word out; managers say, “For the moment, we primarily serve very/low-income, pregnant/parenting women and we provide on-site childcare for their children. We are certified with DSHS Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse and are contracted with King County.” They’re in the building across from the Salvation Army and are seeking referrals, so they’re inviting providers to tour their offices. Contact info is on their website.

Somebody making a mess, someplace they shouldn’t? Action taken by King County Councilmembers today might help. Read on for the full details: Read the rest of this entry »

I just got my ballot in the mail and I am going to fill it out and send it out, just as soon as I find out where they sell those things called stamps. Seriously folks, the last governor’s election was decided by just 130 votes, so your vote makes a difference. And it looks like this governor’s race is going to be a squeaker as well. So get your ballot, vote and then tell everyone you know to do the same. By the way if you are not registered to vote, TODAY is your last chance! You have to do it in person at King County Elections HQ, which is in Renton; here’s directions – they’re open late today, till 6.

Listening to the scanner – sheriff’s deputies are responding to a reported shooting (only a hand wound reported at this point) in the 10200 block of 16th SW (map). May not be able to get further details till morning, but in case you’re nearby and seeing/hearing the activity, thought we would mention it. By the way, this month’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting is 6 pm Thursday, St. James Place, 9421 18th SW (map).

If you aren’t currently registered to vote in Washington and want to vote in this November’s election, you have until the October 20 deadline to do so in person at your county elections office.

Secretary of State Sam Reed is urging eligible residents to register in person to vote by Monday’s deadline so they can take part in the highly anticipated November 4 General Election.

“The upcoming election will be extremely important for Washington voters,” Reed said. “Several interesting initiatives and key races will be on the ballot, including president, governor, most legislative seats and many local government offices. If you aren’t registered to vote and want to vote this year, you need to register by October 20.”

Reed said young adults in particular should not miss the opportunity to have their voices heard in the upcoming election.

“Whether you are 18 or 81, your vote counts,” Secretary of State Reed said. “If you have never voted before, this would be the perfect election to vote in for the first time. Your vote can make a difference.”

Registered voters in the state of Washington are required to be citizens of the United States; have lived in Washington State for at least 30 days; be at least 18 years old by Election Day; and have had their voting rights restored if they were ever convicted of a felony. Federal and state law requires citizens to provide identification to vote, such as a Washington driver’s license or Social Security number. Other ID forms are valid under the law.

Know kids/teens who’d like to make media to encourage others to speak out, stand up, get involved? The deadline’s just been extended for the Puget Sound Off contest; read about it here, and pass the word to any teachers/youth groups/kids/teens you know you might be interested. (Prizes!) Also, there’s a related forum at UW’s Kane Hall on October 30th, 6:30 pm, about young people, “citizen journalism,” and technology – I’m honored to have been invited to be on the panel, along with folks from the Seattle Times, UW, The Vera Project, Reel Grrls, Youth Media Institute, YMCA, and more (teen participants too); everybody’s welcome – hope to see you there.

Thanks to Dick Thurnau from Friends of Hicks Lake for keeping White Center Now updated on the progress of the years-in-the-making dock removal; after he tipped us about the huge crane that’s been brought in, we went by this afternoon for photos – as the second one shows, the dock surface is gone, but the pilings are yet to be pulled out:

I just noticed a new salon opening up on Roxbury. Right now there is just a small sign in the store front, but I was able to track down the owner.

It’s Casanova, a full service salon for Men. Owner Neyirys says, “It is a full service shop for men manicure, pedicure, massage, hair cuts, braids, shaves, facials, shoe shining, all services exclusively for men. It will open mid-November and we will rent chairs and also hire.” It is near the corner of Roxbury and 16th, next to Pho 54 on Roxbury.

At this point they are still in the construction phase, but I will post pics as things progress. They have a limited website up at the moment. casanovallc.com

Just back from the 34th District Democrats’ get-out-the-vote rally with Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray in West Seattle; they’re doorbelling in White Center today too, as are the 34th District Republicans, and at least one ballot issue (Sound Transit Proposition 1 supporters had a flyer on our stoop when I returned home). Just another heads-up. Rally coverage to come.

They lost to Foster tonight by just a touchdown, 13-6. Next week they play Renton (Saturday 10/25, 7 pm).

In the last month, the sandwich board signs for Village Green Nursery, Cafe Rozella and the 16th Avenue Halal market have been stolen.  Apparently, one of the signs was found at the Home Depot dumpster which indicates that these thefts are plainly malicious.  These signs are not cheap and for a small business, especially businesses like Village Green and Cafe Rozella that are not conspicuous, they are important in driving traffic.  Accordingly, Cafe Rozella is offering a $50 coupon reward for anyone who fingers the dirty rats behind these thefts.  Call (206) 763-5805 or email guarnero@caferozella.com. 

Can’t promise that there will be any big stars but this Sunday afternoon there will be a film crew using Cafe Rozella for one of their scenes.  Customers can still patronize the cafe but they will have to quiet down for the dialogues.

Two things, really – first, Evergreen High School football director Alfred Johnson sends word that it’s Homecoming Week:

This week is HOMECOMING!!!

I want to get the word out to any and all Evergreen Alumni, if you live in the area or not, to come out and cheer the boys on to victory for the 2008 Homecoming.

There will be a Homecoming Assembly at Evergreen on Friday 10/17/08, I believe that it will start @ 2:00 pm, but call the school to be sure if anyone plans on attending.

The Homecoming Football game will be at Highline Memorial Stadium @ 7:00pm, Friday 10/17/08.
We will be duking it out with the new addition to the Seamount League, The Foster Bulldogs.

Alfred also sends word there’s a new website for Wolverines football. See it here.

Just over the line from White Center, the Highland Park Improvement Club is planning a Dia de los Muertos bash November 1st, and everyone’s invited. See the flyer here.

Dick Thurnau from Friends of Hicks Lake sent word that work on this long-anticipated project has begun in earnest; we went to Lakewood Park to get that photo this afternoon. As he points out, the railings are now off the soon-to-be-ex-dock, and work crews are setting up on the eastern shore. According to the county website, this project is costing about a quarter-million dollars. Meantime, Dick also says Friends of Hicks Lake will meet at 11 am October 27th at the west picnic shelter (10th SW entrance) of Lakewood Park, with the Pomegranate Center scheduled to, as Dick says, “give us insight on how to utilize people and organizations for funding available for Lakewood Park / Hicks Lake improvements.”