White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Latest proof the library’s not just for books these days: Teen games at White Center Library, 2:30 pm Wednesday – GameCube, Wii, XBox 360 – more info on the latest library calendar of events (which also includes world-language storytimes!).

From the White Center Now events calendar (is your event missing? please e-mail us!) – This Thursday is the night when the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council – the community council that represents YOU if you live in White Center and other areas between the Seattle and Burien city limits — invites you to a community meeting to discuss annexation and a whole lot more. Here’s our original preview; it’s at St. Bernadette’s (map)

Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle is inviting area gardeners to bring extra vegetables/fruit to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market tomorrow for a fresh-food collection drive they’re calling “Share the Bounty” – the White Center Food Bank will get everything that’s gathered, says CHoSS. Here’s more info on the CHoSS website; if you haven’t been to the Farmers’ Market before, it’s in the West Seattle Junction, at 44th SW/Alaska (map), 10 am-2 pm tomorrow (and every Sunday, year-round).

Today’s the last scheduled day of the year for the Master Gardener program to have its weekly clinic at McLendon’s answering your questions (“what IS this weird plant I found?” and more), 10 am-2 pm.

Click pic to play vid

Hot music and cool treats – The Allegations rocked Full Tilt last night, and here’s a sample.

Click pic to play video

Ricardo shared a lively Reptet reminiscence earlier in the week (click here if you missed it) – as you can see by our video from tonight’s performance, they definitely lived up to advance billing. And what a gorgeous night – guess this makes up for some of that August rain. Here’s where to find out more about Reptet (billed on their website as “an original jazz sextet from Seattle.”

UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL FRIDAY MORNING VERSION: MagnoliaVoice.com covered a Magnolia meeting Thursday night regarding the proposed jail site in Interbay. That site’s original report said that Burgess thought the Interbay and “South Seattle” sites were the most likely ones of the “final four” — since there is no “South Seattle” site, but rather two West Seattle sites (Highland Park Way SW/West Marginal Way and Myers Way South), we contacted the Magnolia Voice editor (a veteran journalist who I worked with for years in Seattle citywide media), who reported he’d said Myers Way (which she confirmed when we checked with her again just now). However, Councilmember Burgess left a comment on this post saying he had mentioned the “First Avenue South Bridge” site, and pointing to a post on his own blog from early August in which he said Interbay and “First Avenue South Bridge” were the sites most likely to meet the criteria. No site is identified as “First Avenue South Bridge” on the city list; the Highland Park Way SW/West Marginal Way site is the closest to that bridge. We have a message out to Councilmember Burgess to clarify that’s the one he describes as “First Avenue South Bridge.” and will update this again if/when we hear back. *Note that we have not amended the comment thread below, so it refers to the original version of this post, up through my response to Councilmember Burgess’s comment; anything after that would be responding to this updated post.* UPDATED SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Councilmember Burgess’ reply to our request for clarification of which site he meant:

Correct, the West Marginal site which is about 1.5 blocks off the southwest corner of the bridge. The site is partially owned by the city and partially owned by WSDOT which used it as a staging location when the bridge was repaired a few years back. I refer to it as the First Avenue South Bridge site because that helps people understand the geographic location better than the intersection.

A customer walks into Cafe Rozella and before I have chance to say anything he blurts out, “so, how many times have you been robbed?”  I stuttered, “What?”  He replied, “This is such a dangerous neighborhood, you must be robbed all the time.”  I got his order and looked him over:  silk pants, expensive sport shirt, Italian loafers — looked like a salesman.  “None,” I replied.

Ruminating for a minute, I said, “actually this is a very safe neighborhood.  Crime statistics show this is much safer than most other urban Seattle neighborhoods.”  Yeah, but you have so many creeps around here… blah, blah, blah… he stammered on.

“Where do you live?” I asked him.  “White Center,” he said with a laugh.  When he saw that I wasn’t in on his joke, he mentioned the very same neighborhood that I live in.   Now, I could clue this fool in, but I knew that he had a bagful of prejudices and preconceptions that no amount of small conversation would alter.

I thought about all the Rozella regulars who make this their second home:  tradespeople, programmers, biotech scientists, teachers, counselors, government workers, students, writers and artists.  Does this guy have a clue about the richness and diversity in this community?  I’ll admit that, as with any urban neighborhood, there are a fair number of street alcoholics who wander around like extras in the Blade-Runner movie.  But what of all the families walking to buy groceries at the Asian and Latin American markets?  Are they invisible?  Only to those too blind to see.

My dad was a mechanic and hence I relate well to people who do the complex jobs known as the trades.  God has a special place for the grace of those who work with their hands.  I love these people and they represent the best of our community.  And what of the artists who struggle to fulfill a vision — that takes courage.

All this went through my mind from that small exchange.  And the guy didn’t even leave a tip.

REPTET brings their award-winning and energetic jazz to Rozella.

Friday September 12th at 7 p.m.

Reptet is a sextet consisting of six multi-instrumentalists all of whom are members of the internationally acclaimed Monktail Creative Music Concern based out of Seattle, WA. They have established themselves as a group of considerable excitement, flair and vision while simultaneously debunking preconceived notions of what a jazz group ought to be. Their music has been aired on radio stations across the United States and Europe, and their members have toured internationally. The arts organization Earshot Jazz has described them as, “A hot progressive combo of Seattle’s best young players. Their music is intense, taut, and fresh.” With the release of their second full length CD Do This!, Reptet has established themselves as an irrepressible force in modern jazz.

Press Quotes
“This Seattle sextet does it all: it grooves, it rocks, it squawks – occasionally, it even talks. Mostly, it sounds like a New Orleans jazz band on crystal meth.” ~Alex Gelfand’s Critics pick for the best release of 2006, Jazziz Magazine~

“Trumpeter Samantha Boshnack’s open voicings, jaunty tempos and buoyant timbral mixes for two winds and two brass have a friendly monster feel that conjures a bittersweet and elegiac mood of orchestral grandeur.” ~Downbeat~

“A juggernaut jazz band, arresting, compelling, and just plain cranked-up. Do This! is one of the most convincing albums of the last several years from Seattle jazz players.” ~Earshot Jazz~

The Puget Sound Regional Council is looking for your opinion on several transportation projects around the metro area that are slated to get millions of federal dollars – and one of them happens to be proposed “Intelligent Transportation System” work along 16th SW through White Center, from Roxbury to 116th. Find out more – and find the direct online link to send your comment – by going to this PSRC webpage. Comments will be accepted through October 9th.

Ron Richardson is preparing a brief history of the historic Southgate Roller Rink.    He would like to include your memories, descriptions, thoughts about the place.   It was built by Hiram Green as a boxing arena, then briefly was a dance hall, and, since 1937, a roller rink.   It has been an important a community gathering place for 60 years.  Please contact Ron to share your memories.  email him at ron.richardson@comcast.net Feel free to attach photos.  Include a caption with photos.

From the Highline School District eHighlights blog: Three schools (none in White Center, though) are now using the district’s new online info system eSIS – and by next school year, all schools in the district are expected to be plugged into it. Read more here; also check out several other new posts on eHighlights, including a $10,000 grant for the New Start High School library. Meantime, watch White Center Now later today for our interview with Mount View Elementary’s new principal, following his first week on the job.

This is taken directly from the website Moontown Foundation http://moontownfoundation.org

White Center Energy Festival & Prosperity Project

Date: September 27, 2008
Time: 8am to 6pm
Location: White Center Heights Elementary School

On Saturday, September 27^th, 2008, tens of thousands of Americans will mobilize for “Green Jobs Now: A National Day of Action to Build the New Economy.” Green Jobs Now is a National Day of Action that will empower everyday people to stage hundreds of grassroots events throughout the country. Special emphasis is being focused toward low-income communities and communities of color.

Moontown Foundation is spearheading the largest Day of Action event in the state of Washington. Over 300 volunteers are being called into action and tasked to canvass an estimated 32,000 residents living in approximately 7,800 households and small businesses to spread the word.

The event, aptly called the White Center Energy Festival & Prosperity Project, will occur in the White Center Community, a highly diverse, economically challenged, neighborhood located south of Seattle in unincorporated King County. The event is designed to promote home energy efficiency, spur economic development, increase awareness the emerging green job market, as well as raise funds for the Eco Apprentice Scholarship Fund. A Fund meant to help low-income youth and young adults pursue educational training and certifications in so-called green job trades (i.e., energy efficiency auditing and solar panel installation) at local vocational and community colleges.

Residents may be eligible to win free home energy audits, as well as energy efficiency improvement products and services, as well as, low interests loans to finance improvements.

To register, please visit http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/5211.

Yeah, we don’t normally do midweek shows but this one is going to be amazing. Fatigo from Phoenix is a Latin/Americana freakout. Oh Man is the local support on this bill. They are a delightful dance explosion.

Ohman
http://www. myspace. com/ohmanthatisawesome

Fatigo
http://www.myspace. com/fatigo

Not your usual yard sale. Spotted on CL – “preschool closing sale,” Saturday and Sunday. Here’s the ad; here’s a map to the sale location.

As we reported here earlier, the prospect of a potential community fireworks ban came up at this morning’s meeting of the North Highline Fire District‘s commissioners. Now, as the legendary Paul Harvey says, “the rest of the story” — at least, the rest of what was discussed before commissioners went into executive session. First: Annexation, since the district is one of the agencies whose future depends on whether the area is annexed and if so, by whom. It was announced that the commissioners plan a special meeting with City of Seattle reps at NHFD HQ, 8 am Sept. 24, the day after their next regular meeting at the same time/place on Sept. 23. (This is now added to the White Center Now Events Calendar page, along with other dates announced at today’s meeting.) Read the rest of this entry »

White Center Now covered this morning’s North Highline Fire District commissioners’ meeting at NHFD HQ, and several news items emerged. Perhaps the biggest one: Commissioners are looking into sending a letter backing a new county proposal to allow communities (such as White Center and the rest of the unincorporated area) implement fireworks bans. One meeting attendee expressed concern that this might hurt fundraising efforts by local groups that make money from fireworks sales each year. No formal action has been taken so far. The commissioners also discussed a variety of items from annexation to training; more on that in the next post.

From the county’s Food Establishment Closures list:

*Pho Thu Thuy* restaurant located at 9627 15th Ave SW … was closed by a Public Health food inspector on Sept. 8, 2008, 2:00 pm due to the imminent health hazard of no hot water available for handwashing. The establishment will be reopened by the inspector once confirmed that hot water has been restored.

We’ll let you know when there’s word of that confirmation and the restaurant reopening. TUESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: It’s reopened.

This Friday afternoon at White Center Library, you’ve got the chance to find out more about the anti-discrimination laws designed to protect you, in a free forum sponsored by the county’s Office of Civil Rights. From the website for it:

The sessions are designed for employers and employees, property owners, managers and renters, small business owners – anyone providing or seeking services in unincorporated areas of King County.

Just be at the library 3-5 pm Friday. Full details here.