West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
Almost a full year after first word that Company was coming to downtown White Center, the new bar is officially open. Just up on White Center Now, WCN/WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz‘s report on opening night – see it here (including info on drinks/appetizers you’ll find on the menu).
Just up at partner site White Center Now: Seattle and Burien leaders’ reaction to a new City of Seattle report showing just how much it would cost Seattle to annex White Center (and other parts of the remaining unincorporated area). The Seattle mayor’s office, for one, is backing away from what at one point looked like a drive toward a vote this year. Here’s the story on WCN.
Lots going on with our neighbors to the south. First – the White Center Chamber of Commerce has put up its first two new multilingual “Welcome to White Center” signs. More details on our partner site White Center Now, where you also will find news of two new businesses – first, Crawfish Grill is going to “time-share” with Be’s Restaurant; second, a new wireless store is moving in. Thanks to WSB/WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz for spotting the new businesses; thanks to WCN reader Gill for sharing the sign photo (if you’re driving by Holy Family in about an hour, you’ll see the WC Chamber’s board celebrating the sign with a photo-op). P.S. You can check the latest headlines from White Center Now any time without leaving WSB – they’re fed to the page you’ll reach by clicking the top-of-page “White Center” tab.
One of the two food banks that serves West Seattle, the White Center Food Bank, just put out the call for volunteer help. Can you pitch in? From volunteer coordinator Audrey Zemke:
The White Center Food Bank needs help this coming week handing out food to clients. The most urgently needed shift is 3:30 to 6:30 pm Monday, December 20. In addition we could use help Wednesday, December 22 from 12:30 to 3:30. Please contact me by e-mail (audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org) to sign up.
Just a week after the White Center Chamber of Commerce announced plans for a community Christmas tree in the small park area at the end of the Delridge Triangle (on the city side, so West Seattle can claim it too), the tree was lighted in a ceremony tonight. Video/photojournalist Cliff DesPeaux was there for WSB and partner site White Center Now. If you haven’t followed the backstory on WCN, the “power” to which nearby pub owner “Mac” McElroy refers in the clip is electric power – with the help of Seattle City Light, the area got connected earlier this week, which also makes lighting possible for the flag that flies over the triangle as part of a veterans’ memorial.
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for West Seattle Blog/White Center Now)
Even after the West Seattle Junction tree lighting a week ago, and the Our Lady of Guadalupe lighting last night, still yearning for more turn-the-tree-on holiday spirit? You’re in luck. The brand-new White Center community Christmas tree is up (technically on the West Seattle side of the line) and the WC Chamber has just announced a lighting ceremony for this Wednesday night. Full story and more photos on our partner site White Center Now.
Just published on partner site White Center Now (whose stories can always be accessed through the “WC” tab atop WSB pages): The King County Sheriff’s Office says it arrested a White Center student after tracing hoax calls to his cell phone. Those calls put two adjacent schools into lockdown. Details here.
Just received this from Audrey at White Center Food Bank (which as we frequently note serves southern West Seattle too):
Because of the weather, we could use a few volunteers for the 9:30-12:30 and 12:30-3:30 shifts handing out food to clients. I don’t know how many clients will brave the weather but I want to make sure we can give them their holiday food if they do.
We have been adding holiday help requests (volunteer and donations) to the West Seattle Holidays page too – scroll past the lists of events.
When you do your holiday food shopping this weekend, consider buying extra, for food banks. We reported previously on what West Seattle Food Bank needs; today we talked with Audrey at White Center Food Bank, which serves part of WS too. She says they do NOT need more turkeys, but they DO need fixings: Chicken broth, condensed milk, olives, pickles, stuffing mix, fruit cocktail, Jell-O, etc. Audrey says they expect to serve 950 families next week.
With a week and a half till Thanksgiving, it’s time to start thinking how to offer extra help for the holidays. For Thanksgiving, we’re checking with our local food banks regarding their needs for food donations – particularly turkeys – look for that info soon; for starters, we’ve received this volunteer-help request from volunteer/resource coordinator Audrey Zemke at the White Center Food Bank, which serves southern West Seattle as well as WC (and north Burien):
The White Center Food Bank needs volunteers to help hand out holiday food the following shifts
Mon., November 22 – 12:30 to 3:30 and possibly 3:30 to 6:30
Tue., November 23 – 9:00 to 12:30, 12:30 to 3:30, and possibly 3:30 to 6:30
Wed., November 24 – 12:30 to 3:30, 4:30 to 8:30Mon., December 20 – 12:30 to 3:30 and 3:30 to 6:30
Tue., December 21 – 9:00 to 12:30, 12:30 to 3:30, 3:30 to 6:30
Wed., December 22 – 12:30 to 3:30Families, individuals or groups are welcome to contact me at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-762-2848.
A big ceremony and celebration marked the groundbreaking a year and a half ago for White Center Square, a shopping center at 14th/15th/100th (map) anchored by the Vong family’s new Hung Long Asian Supermarket. Now, quietly, that store has opened, reports Deanie Schwarz for our partner site White Center Now, where you’ll see more of her photos from its first day. (P.S. You can always find the newest story links from WCN by clicking the WHITE CENTER tab atop all WSB pages.)
(WSB photo by Ellen Cedergreen)
“Walk to School Month” is going out in style – and this morning at White Center Heights Elementary, in the Greenbridge neighborhood that starts just across Roxbury from West Seattle, the style was a blue school sweatshirt for King County Executive Dow Constantine. We’ll have more photos, and video, up shortly at partner site White Center Now; later today, Roxhill Elementary School has its own Walk to School Month celebration – but (as mentioned here during our Monday coverage of librarian Pat Bliquez’s special honor) it’ll be a Walk *from* School event!
(Part 1 of 3 unedited segments comprising tonight’s candidates’ forum in White Center)
It’ll be the wee hours before we finish the full story, but for election-watchers, we wanted to let you know we’ve written a very quick first summary of tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council-presented candidates’ forum in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood, featuring both candidates in each of our area’s open-seat races: King County Council District 8 and 34th District State House Position 2. That quick summary is up right now at partner site White Center Now. We also recorded the forum on video in its entirety – nothing artistic, we’ll warn you, but in case you want to see/hear for yourself, we’re putting it on the record in three unedited segments comprising the entire 2 1/2 hours – what’s embedded above is Part 1. ADDED 11:19 PM: And here’s part 2:
12:47 PM: And part three:
Again – full story to come!
(WSB photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
Three nights after White Center Food Bank executive director Rick Jump was at the microphone in South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center, telling the City Council Budget Committee about his agency’s new mobile service, its truck was at the same spot – on display for the food bank’s annual Harvest Dinner and Auction. With it above are volunteers Brittany McIntyre, Lena Guevara, and Johnny Huynh. It took to the streets for the first time on Tuesday, serving WC Food Bank clients at Arrowhead Gardens (WSB sponsor). Of course, the food bank’s leader himself was at last night’s event too, all smiles over the big turnout:
The Harvest Dinner program noted, “This year we’ve faced tremendous challenges as we coped with the realities of an economic downturn and the sharp rise in need in our community. Thanks to your support and partnership, we’ve more than met the basic needs of the families we serve to ensure nutritious meals are available to those who need them most.” Also on the program, quite the entertainment lineup, including Rainier Dance Group, photographed as they prepared to go onstage:
Also performing: Fusion Dance Crew, plus a harpist and jazz pianist. The night included live and silent auctions, a dessert dash (with all money going to buy holiday pies for WC Food Bank clients), and a 50/50 raffle. If you weren’t there, your chance to help out the White Center Food Bank – which is responsible for southern West Seattle too (Myrtle is the south boundary of the West Seattle Food Bank‘s service area) – is year-round, online – just go here.
As WestSide Baby‘s car-seat-collection drive was wrapping up at 2 this afternoon, that dumpster was packed full of car seats for recycling – about 400 collected today and at a Ballard dropoff last Saturday. The dropoffs today also included about 50 reusable car seats:
Today’s drive is in an expansion facility that WestSide Baby is finally ready to start talking about in a big way – it’s a former auto shop right behind their 15th SW headquarters in White Center, but it fronts on 14th SW, and gives them lots more room to accept donations for local families, and for volunteers to work on sorting those donations, starting in early November. WestSide Baby’s Nancy Woodland explains that it means not only can they accept more items to distribute to local families in need, they also can separate the pickup and dropoff areas, making it easier for people on both ends of the equation to deal with WS Baby. The expansion building – which is being remodeled with donated materials and labors by many businesses, groups and individuals (including WSB sponsor West Seattle Design Build) – is at 10027 14th SW; it’s also where the diapers collected in last July’s Stuff the Bus were taken for storage (here’s our report with video). If you missed today’s car-seat event, by the way, no worries, Nancy says they hope to have more!
That’s Katie Salinas from Waste Management, photographed a week ago when we got full details about the car-seat collection events in which WM is partnering with WestSide Baby. Today is the big collection event for West Seattle/White Center and vicinity; between 10 am and 2 pm, take your no-longer-need car seat/booster seat to 10027 14th SW in White Center (that’s a block from WS Baby’s current location – here’s a map). If it’s in good-enough shape to reuse, that’ll happen; if not, it’ll be recycled. More details on the WS Baby website – which says the collection event in Ballard last weekend netted 50 reusable seats and almost 200 recyclable ones. Can West Seattle/White Center top that? Just hours to go.
Big night for some West Seattle schools – including Curriculum Night at Madison Middle School (6:30 pm), Open House for families of students at Chief Sealth International High School (6 pm), Junior/Senior Night at West Seattle High School (6:15 pm), Family Engagement Night at Sanislo Elementary (6 pm) – thanks to Misty for two of those tips and Sue for another; any others? let us know … Toddler Story Time today at High Point Library, 11:30 am … The Seattle Design Commission gets an update on the West Seattle Triangle planning process today (1 pm, City Hall downtown) … Traffic note: Lane closures today on the West Seattle and Admiral Way bridges … First Lutheran Church of West Seattle Pastor Ron Marshall‘s quarterly “Read the Koran in 4 Weeks” series starts its next four-week run tonight (call 206-935-6530 to check if there’s still room) … If you’re interested in the King County Housing Authority‘s developments in the White Center area, the agency’s director will be at tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting to answer questions (North Highline Fire District HQ, 7 pm) … More on the WSB Events calendar.
(Photo by Deanie Schwarz)
A rare break tonight for the team at White Center’s Proletariat Pizza – proprietors Stefanie and Mike Albaeck, Highland Park residents (shown above with daughter Hazel and newborn Hollis), took their staff out for an anniversary celebration. Proletariat just finished its first year in business. For our partner site White Center Now, contributing reporter Deanie Schwarz talked with the Albaecks about their amazing year – read the full story here.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
The groundbreaking this morning was in White Center, but the project has strong ties to West Seattle: Strength of Place Village, a 30-unit housing complex for low-income families, is headed up by partners including Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, White Center Community Development Association, and Capitol Hill Housing. DNDA executive director Derek Birnie was among those who helped break ground (photo above), as did West Seattle’s State Senator Joe McDermott – here’s Birnie at the podium with CHH’s Chris Persons:
We’ve got more photos in a longer report on partner site White Center Now.
Not only is Rudy Alvarado overseeing the Holy Family Community Street Fair this weekend – he is also remembering his role in the aftermath of what shook America and took almost 3,000 lives nine years ago today. About half an hour ago, as street-fair vendors and volunteers gathered for a blessing, he asked for a moment of silence for the 9/11 victims, wearing a “NYFD” memorial T-shirt and explaining that he was on a first-response team that spent almost a week there looking for evidence in the smoldering rubble – and his team found a fragment of one of the planes, on the second day.
After those on hand this morning bowed their heads to remember, it was on with the event – here’s today’s entertainment schedule:
There are vendors along the street, which is closed for a block south of Roxbury alongside Holy Family (WSB sponsor), and the food/entertainment area is on the playfield raised up on the west side of the street:
The street fair continues till 6 today, and runs again tomorrow, 9-4 – highlights include a chili cookoff today, salsa cookoff tomorrow!
Quite the story behind a brief lockdown this past hour at Holy Family School (WSB sponsor) on Roxbury. WSB scanner ace Katie tipped us to the lockdown report, linked to a call about someone reportedly seen with a rifle. It was already ending as we arrived, and here’s what we found out from Holy Family principal Frank Cantwell and staff: A nearby resident was loading a pellet gun to try to get rid of a rat. The resident somehow managed to do this in full view of second-graders who were outside and who subsequently told their teacher they’d better call the police because they saw a man with a gun. Police responded and figured out what was going on pretty quick, but gave the kids major props for their instincts – better to call when you think there’s trouble, than to hesitate. So it’s all over now, no one hurt, all’s well. (By the way, Holy Family is getting ready for its second annual Community Street Fair – both days this weekend; lots of info here.)
Nine years ago tomorrow, 29-year-old Crystal Vaughn was shot dead in White Center. Today, the King County Sheriff’s Office is circulating information and sketches they hope might solve the case. We’ve published them all on partner site White Center Now, including information on what to do if you have any tips.
Another burst of warm weather is in the works, but as of this week, only one city-run wading pool remains open in West Seattle – Delridge, E.C. Hughes and Hiawatha have just had their final days of operation for the year, but Lincoln Park is open 11 am-8 pm daily (provided the daytime high’s projected to be at least 70) through September 6th. Also, Southwest Pool is scheduled to start a maintenance closure today, to run through Sept. 3rd; High Point Community Center also was scheduled to start a building-maintenance closure today. And an impending closure of note: One week till Seattle Public Libraries shut down for a budget-cut-compelled week, from Aug. 30th till after Labor Day (and note that the West Seattle [Admiral] branch already is closed for roof work that’ll last till the systemwide-shutdown week is over) – but you have ample opportunity to enjoy your libraries this week, starting with Baby Story Time at Southwest Library today, 11 am. 
Finally, our daily preview does include one opening: As first mentioned here a week ago, it’s grand-opening day for Uncle Mike’s BBQ in White Center (9640 16th SW) – a complete look at the new restaurant and its owners is now up at partner site White Center Now (check out the vegetarian options!). Meantime, more Monday activities around the area are listed on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
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