West Seattle, Washington
06 Friday
The wait is almost over, for fans of Zippy’s Giant Burgers. West Seattle Blog/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz has just spoken to Zippy’s proprietor Blaine Cook, who says the opening date/time is officially set – next Tuesday (May 31st), 10:30 am. Zippy’s left its original location in Highland Park on April 16th, amid much uncertainty that followed the building’s foreclosure (its previous owner ran the now-closed SeaMart store on site), and had hoped to reopen in White Center about a week and a half later, but challenges with permits and upgrades stretched the time far beyond what they had expected and hoped for. As first reported here in February, the new location is at 9614 14th SW.
More than a month has now elapsed since Zippy’s Giant Burgers closed in Highland Park, hoping to reopen in White Center a week and a half later. We’ve updated you on the challenges they’ve faced with permits and upgrades. This morning, Blaine Cook from Zippy’s shared an update: “Well, yesterday we thought would be the last day for all of these last-minute details to be ironed out… But wait, no burgers for you. The radio system for the fire alarm calls for a permit and, yes, another inspection. Like all permits, this one will take a few days to be reviewed by the proper officials. Both the tech and the guy we deal with at the alarm company were both surprised that this last thing needed a permit.” But he feels hopeful that once this is past, “there should be no more hidden surprises/gremlins waiting for us.” In case you’ve lost track, the new location is at 9614 14th SW (map), and we’ll share the news immediately once there’s word it’s cleared to open.
Since Zippy’s Giant Burgers owner Blaine Cook told us last week that today would be the “best-case scenario” for opening the bigger new restaurant in White Center, we just checked back with a visit to the opening-soon location (9614 14th SW). Sadly, a few things still aren’t ready (hot-water heater trouble, for example) so he tells WSB it’ll be at least a few more days.
As first reported here last Monday, Zippy’s Giant Burgers had to push back their plans of opening their new White Center location that day – but they may have just a few days left to go. Their exterior signs finally went up Friday, and West Seattle Blog/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz was there.
Deanie says Zippy’s is expecting two key inspections on Monday and (probably) Tuesday, and whenever they get word they’ve passed, they’ll get ready to open the doors. She says they’ve also received their temporary liquor license, so they’ll have “classic, old-school canned and bottled beers, as well as wine” when they open at 9614 14th SW. Here are new interior photos:
Deanie adds, “The big booth is a refurbished 1970’s booth with attached slide-away table.”
(White Center Now/West Seattle Blog photo by Deanie Schwarz)
On the day after another medical-marijuana enterprise opened in our area – a branch of the GAME Collective just launched a lounge in White Center – the State Legislature has finalized a bill to regulate it (SB 5073) though Governor Gregoire’s signature is no slam-dunk. Local authorities have said they need state regulation so they know how to deal with these operations, which technically are illegal under state law, though medical marijuana itself won voter approval more than a decade ago. But the governor has said that she’s concerned the bill will leave state employees open to prosecution, and she reinforced that in a statement just sent out by her office:
“I realize the value that medical marijuana has for patients and support the voter-approved initiative. I also agree with the intent of the Legislature to clarify ambiguity surrounding search and arrest as well as concerns around dispensaries and access. We need to create a system that works.
“I asked the Legislature to work with me on a bill that does not subject state workers to risk of criminal liability. I am disappointed that the bill as passed does not address those concerns while also meeting the needs of medical marijuana patients.
“I will review the bill to determine any parts that can assist patients in need without putting state employees at risk. No state employee should have to break federal law in order to do their job.”
But Seattle’s Mayor and City Council are hoping she’ll sign it – their joint statement just came in:
“We would like to extend our greatest appreciation to the Washington State Legislature for passing today SB 5073. The bill would provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for medical marijuana use. This bill spells out precisely how dispensaries and production facilities can operate in a way that provides legitimate patients with medical marijuana, gives local governments the tools we need to help protect the health and safety of our communities, and provides much-needed clarity for law enforcement.
“In particular, we would like to thank Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles for all of her hard work and leadership on this bill, and Rep. Eileen Cody for shepherding the bill through the State House.
“We encourage Governor Gregoire to sign the bill, and look forward to working with her and her staff in the coming days.”
The governor’s spokesperson Scott Whiteaker replied to our followup question by saying that’s not a veto statement – she has 20 days to decide how to handle the bill. Meantime, with the GAME Collective opening in White Center yesterday, four medical-marijuana outlets are in operation in West Seattle/White Center, with at least two more on the way (Northwest Patient Resource Center at 35th/Roxbury – WSB coverage here – and Herban Legends in White Center – WCN coverage here).
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for West Seattle Blog/White Center Now)
‘AS-IT-HAPPENED’ REPORT AT 9:22 PM THURSDAY: Shortly after the renovated Southgate Roller Rink opened its doors to general-public skating for the first time in more than five years (here’s our original February story about the reopening plan), this line snaked out the door and out along the walkway to the front door. Inside, the skate is on. More coverage to come.
ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: Photos and video from Opening Night, by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB/WCN. First, the Derby Girls took the floor in early evening before the official opening session, to work on fundamentals:
Then at 8:30 – the first public session:
The old saying “a good time was had by all” seemed to be in order. Even for Ronda Stapleton, who Ellen says may have been the first to take a tumble, but was still smiling, bravely showing off her bruised arm:
Southgate has a skate shop, too, in case you want to buy your own skates and gear (rental skates are included in the admission fee if you need them):
The Southgate schedule is online – see it here.
As we’ve been reporting, tomorrow night is grand-opening night for the renovated Southgate Roller Rink in White Center – but tonight, some lucky skaters got a test run, and Deanie Schwarz – who was first to report the renovation plan back in February – was there for WSB and partner site White Center Now. Here’s a clip for starters; more coverage to come.
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
In case you haven’t seen it yet on our partner site White Center Now – WSB/WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz has checked back inside Southgate Roller Rink as it gets ready to open to the public tomorrow night. Here’s the story, with more photos. The rink officially opens at 8:30 tomorrow night for an adult (18+) session; here’s the full schedule.
(COURTESY LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: White Center Mardi Gras Parade 1947 passes Southgate rink)
Here’s an update you just might want to throw a parade for: As first reported here and on partner site White Center Now last weekend, Thursday night is grand-opening night for the newly renovated Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. Southgate’s been publishing updates on Facebook (check out the photo of the 300 newly arrived rental skates!) but now also has updated its website with full details on the skating-session schedule and prices (which include skate rental if needed) – you can see it here (including a beginners’ class on Sundays). Here’s how to find the rink. (And if you missed it – here’s our original February story breaking the news of the rink reopening.)
In case you don’t regularly check our partner site White Center Now (whose latest headlines also can be found on the WHITE CENTER tab atop WSB pages), a couple links of note today: First, WCN/WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz has just confirmed what’s believed to be White Center’s first planned medical-marijuana dispensary; also, Seattle City Councilmembers continue to comment after the decision earlier this week to delay WC (etc.) annexation-vote decisionmaking until next year – the two newest stories are atop the WCN annexation archive (as is reaction from the mayor of Burien).
Last month, for West Seattle Blog/White Center Now, Deanie Schwarz broke the story of White Center’s historic rollerskating rink – turned “event center” – getting new management and a new life with its old identity, as Southgate Roller Rink. Tonight, she has an update from rink managers, just published on WCN – they’ve set the opening date, April 7th.
As reported Tuesday on partner site White Center Now, Union Gospel Mission‘s “Search and Rescue Van” is coming to West Seattle and White Center tonight for the first time, hoping to find homeless people who sleep outdoors, to offer them various types of help. Today, as April pointed out on the new WSB Facebook page, UGM is looking for information on where they should go – if you have a suggestion, go here to tell them.
This afternoon at City Hall, a new twist in the ongoing saga of who will eventually annex White Center and the rest of remaining unincorporated North Highline: Instead of deciding whether to give voters in that area a chance to decide this fall if they want to join Seattle, there’s a new push to give Seattle’s council one more year to make up its mind. This afternoon, the council’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee passed a resolution proposed at the last minute, saying that if the council doesn’t decide by next February to seek a North Highline annexation, they will officially withdraw the city’s longstanding designation of NH as a “potential annexation area.” The resolution goes to the full Seattle council on March 28th. More details on our partner site White Center Now.
(Photos by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
When WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz broke the news two weeks ago about reopening plans for the once-and-future Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, excitement ensued. So she has been checking back on what’s happening there. When she dropped by Wednesday, she discovered two updates – one including the sports stars who got their start at Southgate, the Rat City Rollergirls!
First, the renovation work is beginning: The photo above shows the 10,000-square-foot original maple floor under many coats of paint. A contractor with a stripping/sanding “tractor” will soon begin work; refinishing will then involve a unique urethane finish “which reacts specifically with the materials the skate wheels are made of,” Deanie reports, adding that the finishing touch will be a three-foot wall around the perimeter. Meantime, electrical work briefly exposed a bit of the old high ceiling (top right, in the photo):
That’s why it was “the Rollerdrome” in the ’30s. But its new managers do not have immediate plans to remove the newer dropped ceilings to expose the original beams; this was just a glimpse.
Now, on to the Rollergirls:
In Deanie’s photo, from left, RCRG chief operating officer Alyssa Hoppe, Jessica Ivey from the Grave Danger team, Josh Rhoads of new Southgate management, and “MaxMillion” from the Throttle Rockets team.
They told Deanie this was their first meeting to explore bringing RCRG back to the Southgate rink for special events offered to season-ticket holders (“The Rat Pack“). The discussions are in far too preliminary a stage for any details, even dates, but more talks will follow.
Ivey added: “There’s a possibility you’re going to be seeing us around [White Center] a lot more. We’re just really excited about the possibility to bring the season-ticket holders this opportunity. They’ve been asking to come to some of our events and they haven’t been able to attend because of the location at a private facility; we might be able to bring the ticket holders here to Southgate. “
She shone some light on derby’s roots at Southgate, too: “Back in the 20’s and 30’s, to ease the Great Depression, they had to be creative and were looking for new activities that were inexpensive. They would have dance-a-thons at the then-Southgate Rollerdrome, and eventually roller-skating marathons. As was the case in the dance marathons, whoever could endure and was the last skater on the floor would be declared the winner of the contest. As they extended the hours of these marathons, from 24 to 36 hours, participants would become tired and the competitors would start deliberately knocking down the other skaters to get an advantage to win the marathon contest. It was out of those physical and uber-competitive marathon skating events that derby skating arose into a spectator sport of co-ed teams.” Then came the TV heyday of roller derby, as stations tried to fill time with everything they could find in the ’50s.
A little more history, from RCRG COO Hoppe – She told Deanie that her grandmother was the Queen of the Rollerball at Southgate before WWII – forbidden by her family to attend events lest she become a “rink rat,” undesirable for a “proper young Christian woman of that era,” so she made up alibis and sneaked away with a friend to travel from Green Lake all the way to Southgate to roller-skate far from the watchful eyes of anyone they knew from the north end!
P.S. Southgate Roller Rink has launched a Facebook page with ongoing updates – you can “like” it here. More updates as the pre-reopening renovations continue in the weeks ahead.
(September 2010 photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
It’s “the pizza that made White Center famous,” but it’s also popular among West Seattleites and beyond, so we’re sharing the news here that Proletariat Pizza confirms it’s about to venture into delivery (as hinted earlier today on their Facebook page). WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz talked to Proletariat’s Stefanie Albaeck, who says they’re starting simple – a customized bicycle now being built in Georgetown will enable home delivery in the 9622 16th SW pizzeria’s immediate area. After that, Proletariat expects to expand to delivery by car, to a much wider area (no boundaries set yet, though eventually they would hope to cover much of White Center, West Seattle, and Burien). Right now, they’re strategizing the logistics of this expansion. It’s already been a half-year since Proletariat celebrated its one-year anniversary – here’s the story Deanie wrote last fall.
Following up on last week’s City Council briefing on the potential costs of White Center/North Highline annexation, the Regional Development and Sustainability Committee took a closer look today. It was the first step toward deciding whether to seek an annexation vote this fall – to ask the 20,000 residents of the potential annexation area whether they want to become part of Seattle or not. The state Growth Management Act says urban services need to be delivered by cities, so unincorporated urban areas like this one have to either become part of a city, or create their own; the latter is considered unlikely, so the decision for WC is ultimately: Seattle or Burien? Under terms of a never-finalized agreement that both cities are nonetheless currently honoring, Seattle has dibs till the end of this year. For an annexation to happen this fall, a process including the state/county Boundary Review 
Board has to be triggered this spring, so the big decision for this committee will come at its next meeting March 18th. You can watch Seattle Channel video of this afternoon’s meeting (public comment 2:30 in, the full agenda item at 42:30, with an unrelated urban-forestry report inbetween) by going here; we also live-chronicled meeting highlights on partner site White Center Now. (Screen-grab images: Above left, Seattle annexation supporter Kathi Wheeler; above right, Burien annexation supporter Gill Loring.)
P.S. A commenter asks about the boundaries of the proposed annexation area; here’s a King County map showing the zone under discussion, known as “Area Y.”
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
Just published at partner site White Center Now: WCN/WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz reports that Mayor McGinn turned up in downtown WC today for a walking tour, even as his office has publicly reiterated he believes it’s too expensive for Seattle to annex WC (and environs) right now. The City Council will decide in the next few months whether to call for an annexation election this fall – next step is a committee meeting on Tuesday.
Story and photo by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for West Seattle Blog/White Center Now
The long-closed former Southgate Skate Center in White Center will be a roller-skating rink once more.
After more than three months of negotiations with the owners of what is currently the Southgate Event Center at 9646 17th SW, John Venables of Lakeview Properties and Josh Rhoads of Lynnwood Bowl and Skate confirmed today to WSB/WCN that they have put down deposits and are awaiting the receipt of the keys on Monday, when they plan to sign leasing papers with an option-to-purchase clause.
Rhoads is a 14-year U.S.A World Team competitive artistic skater who currently manages the Lynnwood Bowl and Skate rink. Venables is an apartment-properties owner and manager, as well as a former cargo-ship steward. They intend to return the building (originally called the Southgate Rollerdrome in 1937) back to full use as a competition and training rink and family-oriented entertainment/sports facility with full concessions. It will once again be called the Southgate Roller Rink.
Remember Michael Merta, whose anti-litter letter was published here three weeks ago? He’s mustered some support and is now – with one local leader’s encouragement – inviting you to join in a cleanup, among other things. Here’s his update:
About three weeks ago I wrote an open letter about the worsening problem of litter in the Seattle area. I’ve received many responses to that letter from other concerned citizens since then. I have still not heard back from any of the city, county, or WSDOT officials that I complained to, about their plans if any, to deal with the problem.
I have been contacted by King County Councilman Joe McDermott’s office, and they have asked me to organize a cleanup through the Facebook page that I created around this issue.
The Councilman’s office has contacted Waste Management to provide support, tools, and supplies for the effort, and we are tentatively planning it for Saturday March 5th between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Please see the Facebook page for further details, or contact me at michaelmerta@hotmail.com
It is unclear to me, and it is also unclear to officials in Councilman McDermott’s office, just who is responsible for routine litter patrol, and in which areas of town. There may be areas where indeed, no agency is currently responsible. Since I first complained about this to the various agencies, there has been no litter removed from the sites I’ve identified. It seems as if our local government does not have the resources, or has not allocated the resources to solve this problem, so we as citizens need to figure something out here.
Obviously, one cleanup event cannot solve this problem. In my opinion, it’s going to take a comprehensive effort involving frequent citizen cleanups, state and local government organized cleanups, increased fines, and increased code enforcement. A kind of full-on campaign, we could call it “Keep Seattle Beautiful.” I’d like some help with getting such a campaign started. We could all start by writing about our concerns to our local politicians. mayormcginn.seattle.gov, Dow.Constantine@kingcounty.gov
In a city that prides itself on being “green” and environmentally friendly, it seems we have allowed plain old litter to make a comeback. Today, as I was driving across the First Avenue bridge (one of the areas I first complained about) I noticed someone decided to drop off an old couch on the side of the road (see photo above). Funny thing about litter, you leave it there and it seems to multiply.
You’ve heard a lot about what’s going on in the Middle East – but have you heard about what’s going on in Southeast Asia? A border clash between Cambodia and Thailand is about to come to a head in front of the United Nations, and today Cambodian-Americans came to West Seattle and White Center for a demonstration aimed at bringing it to your attention and demanding the U.S. government get involved. West Seattle Blog/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz noticed the protest, took these photos and talked to spokesperson Sokmakara Hang, who explained that the demonstrators came from all over the state, and came here because this area has the state’s highest concentration of Cambodian-Americans. They stood on corners all around 16th/Roxbury:
Also on hand was Meach Sovannara from the Khmer Post Media Center in Long Beach (Calif.). The dispute is over a border area near the Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is more than a millennium old. The Cambodian-Americans say the most recent skirmishes killed Cambodian soldiers, and are demanding that the Thai government stop what they call an “invasion.” They want United Nations intervention as well as President Obama and the rest of the international community. According to this story from the Bangkok Post, this issue will be brought to the UN Security Council on Monday, and reportedly Cambodia will claim it’s at war with Thailand. There’s more background on the century-long conflict over the temple in this Jakarta Post story.
One more art note before the night’s out: Though the West Seattle Art Walk (tomorrow, 6-9 pm) is definitely the bigger of the two, the White Center Art Walk is livening up our southern neighbor each month too … and tonight, WSB’er Amanda is putting out the call for more participants:
Calling all West Seattle Blog and White Center Now-reading artists! The White Center Art Walk happens every 3rd Saturday of the month from 6pm – 9pm. Proletariat Pizza, Full Tilt, Big Al’s, Dzul Tattoo, Dubsea, Company, Salvadorean Bakery, and Rozella’s are some of the participants. With all the new places moving into White Center, it’s becoming a great place to see local art!
We are looking for artists to participate. There are no commissions or hanging fees either! We are in need of two artists for this month (the 19th) at Full Tilt and Big Al’s. Looking for family friendly art, but are open to all kinds of art. Please contact Amanda Kay Helmick for submission information. smyliegrl at gmail dot com
(Photos by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
Earlier this week, Zippy’s Giant Burgers said it would likely have news of a new location by the end of the week, since the foreclosure mess at its original Highland Park location didn’t seem likely to result in a continued lease, or purchase, of the building – and tonight, West Seattle Blog/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz has just confirmed with Zippy’s ownership that the new location is final: A long-empty restaurant spot on the northern edge of White Center. 9614 14th Avenue SW (map), right behind the Roxbury Bartell Drugs, about a block and a half north of Big Al Brewing.
Blaine Cook from Zippy’s explains that among other things, staying at the current location would have meant triple the current rent. As for other possibilities around West Seattle and White Center, it would have cost too much for the “buildout” at other locations they explored. Staying in this area was important, since of their 11 employees, all but two live in West Seattle or White Center. The new location – with previous names including the Cookbook Café – is now inked for a three-year lease with two options for five-year extensions, he says. It’s a lot bigger than the current location – 1,600 square feet, with room for up to 60 people to sit down. That means they might eventually expand their menu – breakfast is a possibility.
This also means:
–They can accept credit cards
–They’ll cut their own fries
–They’ll seek a license to offer beer
They’re hoping to open in late April or early May, with minimal downtime for a moveout from Highland Park before their lease expires on April 19th. The White Center site is truly turnkey, Cook says – some floor work and “kitchen tweaks” are needed, plus permits. But overall, he says, “We are stoked!” They’re looking forward to being part of White Center’s ongoing renaissance. And remember the term SoRo – South of Roxbury – if it catches on, he’s the one who made it up!
(Photos courtesy Michael Merta. Here: “Olson Place SW going up toward Roxbury”)
It’s easy to see a problem and gripe about it. Getting something done – doing it yourself – not so easy. Michael Merta says he’s figuring this out, as he tries to rally support to fight littering and other blight. He asked if we would publish his open letter and a few photos. He lives in White Center but is challenging folks throughout the West Seattle/White Center/South Park/Georgetown areas, and beyond:
I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed an increasing amount of graffiti and litter on our West Seattle and South Seattle roadways and public places lately? I have, and I decided to try to write to the appropriate departments to see what was happening. I emailed the city of Seattle and received a polite thank you and acknowledgement, though no specific reply stating that anything would be done.
I wrote to WSDOT about litter all along SR 509 which seems to have been accumulating for quite some time with no noticeable effort to clean it up. I have not had a reply to that complaint.
When I wrote to King County I received a very prompt reply from Dinah Day with the King County Illegal Dumping hotline, who wrote “I do have to warn you that there have been many budget cuts and how often and how much litter gets cleaned up has been significantly reduced in the last few years.” Those were her exact words, and at least they serve as confirmation that I have not been imagining things.
Personally, I feel at a loss to figure out where to go next. I’ve created a Facebook page where people can post photos, discuss the problem, and try to come up with some solution:
facebook.com/pages/Clean-Up-Your-Act-Seattle/179821188720483One person complaining probably won’t get much attention but if we all get together maybe we can make some positive change.
We all know there have been budget cuts but I don’t think it’s acceptable to just say “budget cuts” and not do anything. Aside from looking terrible, its a matter of public safety if you subscribe to the broken-windows theory of crime prevention. There are always going to be people that litter and paint graffiti; we pay taxes to assure that it gets cleaned up. If the city, the county, and WSDOT do not have the money to take care of it in a timely fashion, perhaps we as taxpayers need to remind them that for us, it’s a priority.
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