White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Lots to report from tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, from fundraising to graffiti-fighting to annexation. Here are the highlights: Read the rest of this entry »

We are having the Paper Dolls, and Tom Matchett. It is going to be a good show. Tom is from London, and this is his only show in the NW.

http://www.myspace.com/tommatchett

http://www.myspace.com/therealpaperdolls

Also, we got a nice writeup in the PI. Comes out in the morning’s paper. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/377762_eat05.html

A group of very charming young people just came by the Cafe.  Their English was halting so I spoke to them in Spanish, to which they were thrilled.  They also loved our poetry wall with its emphasis on Pablo Neruda.  Turns out they are dancers from Argentina and are here to perform traditional Tango.  (As readers may know the Tango originated in Argentina.)  They will be performing in late September.   Please check here for more details.

Most people are not aware that we sit near a small store-front mosque.  Everyday, you can see Muslims from the Horn of Africa make their way to the mosque for prayers.  They are a very handsome people and carry themselves with regal bearing.  I find it fascinating that they have travelled so very far away to wind up in chilly Seattle (the Switzerland of America).  I am still waiting for the day, soon to arrive, when we can enjoy fresh falafel sandwiches in White Center.

If White Center is any indication, Seattle continues to be a draw for people from other parts of the country — especially the midwest.  The greatest number come from Michigan followed by the Chicago area and Minnesota.  Then there’s the couple from the Yukon (I know that’s Canada).

Just finalized plans for an exhibition and sale of Oaxacan rugs.  The rugs are made by a women’s collective in Oaxaca, Mexico.  Oaxaca is heavily indigenous and the rugs will bring that imprimatur.  We will likely have music to go along with the exhibition.  That should happen on September 24th of 25th.   Click here for more details.

Charanga Danzon will provide the music this Friday at the Cafe.  Charanga Danzon plays traditional Cuban music and is comprised of some excellent musicians.  Should be a fun performance.

Phoebe sent that photo to the mailbox for our partner site WSB – but it’s in the unincorporated area, so we’re sharing it here first. She writes:

There were goats running around loose near SW 106th Street and 28th Ave SW this AM! (map) I saw them darting out into traffic and then ducking into this yard for a snack! I parked my car and tried to find where they had escaped from without any luck. Eventually I called animal control who told me the goats are technically in King Co (Seattle city limits end at SW 106th & 32nd Ave SW) and that she would “see what she could do”. I drove by again at 10:00 and I didn’t see them in the area…I hope they made it home safe & sound!

Want to find out what’s happening with major community issues – and/or speak out about something that’s concerning you? You’ve got the chance tonight at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) monthly meeting, 7 pm at North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 112th SW (here’s a map). To see the agenda, click here.

That photo’s just in from the FBI – from the White Center WaMu robbery reported here on White Center Now yesterday. And here’s some additional information from Seattle FBI spokesperson Robbie Burroughs, who says the same man is suspected in other robberies:

He uses a note and has not displayed or threatened a weapon. Yesterday he was described as being 5’6″ with a round face, wide eyes and a thin mustache. He was wearing a black shirt with vertical white stripes and a black brimmed hat.

Click here to see the flyer put out earlier this summer for two Burien robberies believed to be the work of the same robber. Meantime, here’s the second photo from yesterday’s heist:

If you have any idea where this man is, call 911.

We posted a reminder a few days back, and now the big day’s here. Still looking for info? Here’s the Highline Public Schools website; here’s the one for Seattle Public Schools. And it’s time for drivers to keep an eye out for school zones and buses, too. (Any back-to-school pix? E-mail us!)

The result wasn’t surprising – in a Tukwila meeting room tonight, the Boundary Review Board accepted Burien’s move to withdraw its North Highline Annexation proposal, at least tentatively – but what happened in the moments before the hearing ended, held a little drama, particularly the statement made by an attorney representing the city of Seattle. ADDED 10:30 PM: Here are full details: Read the rest of this entry »

That’s King County Executive Ron Sims and White Center/West Seattle-area County Councilmember Dow Constantine at a just-concluded media briefing in Sodo detailing a state-funded plan to add Metro bus service when major Alaskan Way Viaduct work starts next spring. Full details later; the White Center/Burien-area routes mentioned as “candidates for service enhancement” include 21, 22, 23, 60, 113, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, 128, 131, 132, 134, 174. (West Seattle routes are listed in this report on partner site WSB.) ADDED 1:36 PM: Here’s the official news release from the county website. We’re working on getting electronic copies of the collateral (including a countywide map of potentially affected routes) that was handed out at the media event. ADDED 5:30 PM: Full report now posted on WSB, including video clips.

Thanks to Paul for the tip, which we subsequently confirmed with the King County Sheriff’s Office: The White Center Washington Mutual branch was robbed this morning. KCSO’s Sgt. John Urquhart says it happened around 9:40 am today, and the robber got away “on foot” – he was described only as a black man, 35 to 45 years old, and “handsome.”

Looking ahead to the start of school tomorrow for Highline Public Schools (Seattle too, if you’re on that side of the line): One of White Center’s public schools has a new principal – Mark Demick is starting his first year leading Mount View Elementary, after almost a decade of principal work in Federal Way. Here’s his online message to families.

Even though the City of Burien has withdrawn its North Highline Annexation proposal for now (as first reported here), tomorrow night’s hearing before the Boundary Review Board is still on – 7 pm, hearing room’s behind the main building at Riverside Residences Inn, 11244 Tukwila International Blvd. (here’s a map). This is a public hearing (official notice here), so if you have something to say, this is your next chance to say it when/where decisionmakers will hear it.

For today’s holiday:

-Most county facilities, including White Center Library and Evergreen Pool, are closed.
-Metro buses are running on Sunday schedules, as are Sound Transit buses.
-If you have Monday solid-waste pickup, it’s on a normal schedule.
-State-run liquor stores (including White Center and Boulevard Park) are closed.

Did not even know this was going on until just now. Expo Seattle is a Hispanic celebration of all Christian faiths. http://exposeattle.org/

There is music going on almost every corner in the neighborhood.

Just added to the White Center Now events calendar: King County’s Solid Waste Division is presenting a “recycling event” at Evergreen High School on September 13th, and the list of what they’ll accept that day is so long, it just might help you with a fall cleanup: Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re not already a regular user, Highline Public Schools‘ web site has tons of information for families, well-organized and specific. That includes bus schedules for each school; they’re all linked here. If you’re in Seattle Public Schools‘ service area, general transportation information is here – though not specific stops, which are available on a phone hotline – plus maps to walking routes for each school. Wednesday is the first day of classes in both districts (private schools’ start dates vary; Holy Family, for example, starts Tuesday).

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Clouds? Drizzle? Breeze? Not on the patio at Cafe Rozella tonight, where the Brazilian music of Eduardo Mendonca transported listeners to a more tropical place, or at least mood. In case you couldn’t be there, we’ve provided a minute and half of it in our video clip above; next Friday night Charanga Danzon performs at the cafe, and there’s live music tomorrow night at Full Tilt Ice Cream, with Talbot Tagora.

Last night, our first report brought you the biggest news from the monthly White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, held at St. James Place (photo above) — King County Parks’ new graffiti-fighting proposal (read about it here). But that was only part of what was discussed at an information-packed meeting. A special presentation on best practices for calling 911 will be featured in our third report later today, but right now – here’s the newest information on crime/safety concerns in the area: Read the rest of this entry »

That whiteboard holds a few of the questions asked by some of the dozens in attendance at tonight’s gathering in Boulevard Park, the first in a new round of informational meetings planned by Burien city leaders in hopes of answering questions about their North Highline Annexation proposal.

Besides “how would annexation affect me?” type questions like those you see in our whiteboard photo, the biggest question underlying the event: After yesterday’s withdrawal of the proposal, what now? Here’s what we found out, including video from our interviews with two top Burien leaders: Read the rest of this entry »

White Center Now also covered tonight’s annexation-information meeting presented by Burien city leaders in Boulevard Park; we will bring you a complete report, including video, a little bit later, but one highlight: Burien Councilmember Gordon Shaw explained the reasoning behind one frequently asked question — why isn’t Burien seeking to annex the entire White Center/North Highline area right now? He believes that Burien runs “efficiently” right now and that could change if the city takes on too much territory all at once. Stand by for much more information from tonight’s meeting, including the status of plans for more meetings like this, even as ramifications of the procedural development we first reported last night continue to unfold.