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CONNECTING PEOPLE & PLACE
TO BUILD COMMUNITY


The views and opinions in the WCCDA blog do not necessarily reflect those of The WCCDA or it's staff.

‘Business’ Category

March 10th, 2010 in Business, Community, Environment, Immigration, News, Partners, People, Politics | No Comments


shorewood_dogs1

Blog editor’s note: The following letter was written in response to an opinion piece in the January edition of Shorewood on the Sound Community Club’s newsletter. A copy of this piece was stapled to the White Center Chamber of Commerce’s agenda for their Tuesday, March 9 meeting. You can also read the original piece above.

March 9, 2010

Shorewood on the Sound Community Club

Kevin DeLashmutt, Editor

Michael Armstrong, President

Delivered via email to: kevinde@msn.com

RE: January 2010 Shorewood News edition

Dear Mr. DeLashmutt and Mr. Armstrong:

My organization received a copy of your latest Shorewood News edition at the March 9th, 2010 White Center Chamber of Commerce meeting and were quite disturbed by one of the articles titled “Dog-doo doings….Ewww.”

We are an organization formed by local residents to promote a vibrant neighborhood and high quality of life for White Center residents. We value treating everyone with dignity and acting with cultural competency by respecting the values, history and culture of our diverse communities. We also overwhelmingly believe in our community’s strengths and operate with an open partnership approach to our work.

This is why we were offended by your remark stating that “At our next community club meeting we will be discussing penalties for anyone caught not cleaning after their pets. Something equally if not more egregious, like maybe catapulting flaming bags of poo through their windows, or sending their beloved pets to White Center to be recycled (eaten).”

We do not find this remark funny- we find it offensive, as this stereotype is obviously applied to the communities of color in our diverse White Center. It is also abusive to our goal to market and promote our wonderful, hard-working, and largely immigrant owned small businesses and restaurants.

We appreciate community residents like yourselves getting together to improve your neighborhood. We’d implore you to please do so without dragging down a neighbor, especially one like White Center that has done so much to counter such negativity over the last few years.

Additionally, we’d welcome the opportunity for further conversation with your group as part of a larger North Highline community. Please contact me at aileen@wccda.org or 206-694-1802 x164. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Aileen Balahadia

White Center CDA Executive Director

Karen Veloria

White Center CDA Board President & Blvd. Park resident

Heather Downey

White Center CDA Board Vice President & Shorewood resident

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March 8th, 2010 in Business, Community, News, People, Youth | No Comments


strategy4npcrop

Billy was featured in the White Center CDA's Neighborhood Action Plan, which you can download at the "Neighborhood Plan" tab on our website. Image above is copyright of White Center CDA and cannot be used to repost.

Samway Supermarket was among some of the businesses highlighted in this wonderful piece written by Hugo Kugiya for the Seattle Times. They even quoted Billy (pictured above) in the article:

“…Billy, works most days. He was born and raised in Louisiana, and speaks with a bayou drawl. He has learned friendly phrases in a half-dozen languages so he can properly address his customers.

‘I can speak a little,’ Billy Yim says. ‘Just enough to make them smile.’”

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February 24th, 2010 in Business, Community, Environment, News, People | No Comments


Funding is available for facade improvements in Downtown White Center!

The program aims to:
Beautify Downtown White Center
Strengthen our local businesses
Increase public safety
Build pride in our community

storefront

The White Center Façade Grant program is designed to improve the appearance of the business district by encouraging property and/or business owners to make physical improvements in their storefronts. The White Center CDA will offer a grant to help offset the costs of the improvements. In some cases, the grant may pay for the majority of the work. This program will take place from February 2010 - July 2010. The program is administered by the White Center CDA.

Program Goals
• Stimulate economic activity and increase business viability through good design visible to customers, neighboring merchants and residents.
• Renew or improve the exterior of businesses in a manner that recaptures the integrity of the buildings’ design and character.
• Enhance the shoppers’ experience of the commercial district.
• Improve neighborhood safety.
• Encourage investment in the neighborhood.

Eligible projects include:
Non structural building improvements such as new signs, new awnings, painting, replacement of doors and windows, new lighting or lighting improvements, removal of bars on storefront windows.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE APPLICATION BY CLICKING HERE.

Please help us spread the word!

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February 11th, 2010 in Annexation, Business, Community, Environment, News, People, Politics | No Comments


Why White Center and Seattle need each other

City council majorities have long opposed annexations. Some residents of nearby communities will tell you, sometimes bluntly, they dislike the idea of joining the city. But there are good reasons to hope the diverse neighborhood of White Center joins the city.

By Jordan Royer

It’s hard to find people working for the City of Seattle who have not been involved in the annexation question at one time or another. My first foray came on a summer night in 2000. I had just been hired by the city after working for Sen. Barbara Boxer for six years in San Francisco. We were trying to explain to the community of unincorporated South Park - the so-called sliver by the river - the benefits of joining Seattle.

As we set up our tables and started the meeting at the South Park Community Center, built and paid for by the citizens of Seattle, an older gentleman approached me and looked at my nametag. He squinted and said, “Royer, huh. You any relation to Charley?” I told him, “Yes, he’s my dad.”

Then he told me that when my dad tried to annex the area 20 years ago they told him to go to hell. And then he proceeded to tell me to go to hell.

This illustrates the difficulties ever since as all jurisdictions have struggled to implement the state Growth Management Act and get King County out of the business of providing local government services. My old friend can relax because the sliver by the river will not be annexed anytime soon due to the dilapidated South Park Bridge, which is owned by King County. Seattle will not soon take on that liability. But why is it so hard to annex even when it makes so much sense, as is the case with nearby White Center?

Not only is there deep distrust of Seattle in surrounding communities, there are also funding and infrastructure issues that are not easily resolved. There has been historically a solid majority on the Seattle City Council against annexation. That coupled with beliefs that Seattle will raise the cost of living and bring about gentrification have made annexation incredibly slow and difficult.

And there is another reason: In 2006, the state legislature passed annexation legislation that would allow jurisdictions to retain extra sales tax revenues when annexing smaller jurisdictions. However, there was a catch. The incentive to annex did not apply to jurisdictions of over 400,000 persons. Yes, that’s you, Seattle!

The city lobbied the legislature in 2007 and 2008 in order to be able to annex these smaller areas and help King County’s ailing budget. Finally, in a bout of sanity, the legislature approved a bill that would allow Seattle to recoup costs by diverting a share of the state’s sales tax to the city. Rep. Ross Hunter was the hero as he was able to amend SB 5321 on the House side that would basically fund $5 million per year over a 10-year period so Seattle could provide municipal services to White Center.

Hunter knew that King County cannot continue to provide urban-level local services to unincorporated areas and that North Highline (White Center) logically belonged in Seattle. While White Center and the Seattle neighborhood of South Delridge are split by Southwest Roxbury Street, it is really one neighborhood. Neighbors and commerce do not recognize arbitrary political boundaries. I worked on public safety issues in the area, and we were always challenged by that arbitrary boundary. While Seattle Police Department officers were able to patrol with King County sheriff’s deputies, crucial community building and crime prevention strategies were complicated by the Roxbury divide. We have a chance to change that, improve public safety, and help neighbors work together to strengthen the whole community.

As early as its March 8 meeting, the city council could consider whether to move ahead with the annexation of White Center. Annexation is being viewed as something that might go on the November ballot for a vote by the people of White Center. The council should vote yes, and then visit White Center early and often to talk to people and hear their concerns and aspirations for their community.

White Center is a unique neighborhood with the kind of economic and cultural diversity we value in Seattle. We would be lucky to have them join our city of diverse neighborhoods.

Jordan Royer currently works for the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which represents marine terminal operators and container vessels that serve the West Coast. He previously worked on public safety issues in the Paul Schell and Greg Nickels mayoral administrations. He was a candidate for Seattle City Council in 2009. Reach him by writing editor@crosscut.com.

Source: Crosscut.com

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February 10th, 2010 in Business, Community, Employment | No Comments


EXTENDED DEADLINE! APPLICATIONS DUE TUESDAY, FEB. 16 AT 5:00pm

RESIDENT LEADER FELLOW -Neighborhood Revitalization

Job Description

The Resident Fellow is a part-time internship within the CDA’s Neighborhood Revitalization Line of Business to help further its goals and develop knowledge and skills to effect community level change in White Center. It is expected that through this internship program, the Fellow will gain practical experience in community organizing and outreach, and solid interpersonal and organizational skills.

Position/Classification: Part-time employee thru December 31, 2010

Reports to: Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager

Customers: CDA agency partners and workgroup members, residents and other CDA constituents

Job Duties /Major Responsibilities

1. COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Assist NR Program Manager to work with White Center’s produce markets initiative in the business district and to raise awareness of healthy food options for residents, families, youth & seniors.

Assist NR Program Manager to conduct community outreach for the White Center business district marketing strategy, including but not limited to the shoppers card project and the business attraction package. Other tasks as assigned.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE/PROGRAM SUPPORT

Become familiar with designated NR program strategies and projects. Act on requests by the NR Program Manager to provide follow-up communication, data support, and logistical/administrative assistance for NR-related work.

Provide periodic reporting to the NR Program Manager on outcomes, issues, and needed actions for data, administrative and workgroup activities.

3. CAPACITY BUILDING

Participate in resident leader fellowship circles and evaluation; attend mandatory workshops for skill building and leadership training.

4. DATA SYSTEM SUPPORT

Become familiar with the CDA’s database (Salesforce) purpose, type of data, and reports so as to assist in locating relevant data for designated internal and external parties.

Become familiar with the CDA’s Salesforce database purpose, type of data and reports so as to be able to identify relevant Neighborhood Revitalization data for input and extraction.

Perform data entry as requested and assist in compiling relevant Neighborhood Revitalization data for results accountability and funder requests.

5. DEPARTMENT/TEAM/AGENCY

Develop and follow an annual workplan tied to NR goals.

Participate in evening and/or weekend events as required.

Participate in CDA meetings, events, etc. as required.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: To perform this role successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty and expectation. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities required.

1. Commitment to the White Center CDA mission, vision and values.

2. Highly desirable - Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks and manage time.

3. Comfort and confidence with community organizing, outreach, and meeting new people.

4. Excellent communication skills and proficient written and verbal communication skills in English.

5. Highly desirable - Bilingual in English and either Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Somali, Cantonese, Samoan, Amharic, Tigrinia, Tagalog, or other language spoken by residents of WC/BP.

6. Basic computer skills including word processing, database and presentation software.

7. Strong ability to work with others, develop resources and build alliances; proven ability to work with extremely diverse populations, including age, language & ethnic diversity.

8. Must have access to transportation and ability to attend day/evening meetings as required.

9. Preference given to White Center/Boulevard Park residents (98168, 98106, 98146 area codes)

Education & Experience: Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required qualifications and skills set will be considered.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions: Work is performed in an office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to read, speak, stand, walk, sit and use a computer keyboard and monitor. Some heavy lifting and physical labor is required during special events. This position requires occasional travel to meetings and conferences. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Hours and Compensation: Fellow must have the ability to attend flexible day/evening meetings as required by their respective department. Fellows are part time employees of White Center CDA with no health benefits. Fellows will be compensated at an hourly rate of $15/hour thru December 31, 2010, total hours not to exceed 667. Fellows generally average 10-15 hours per week based on this arrangement. Future work is negotiable based on performance and budget.

To Apply:

Submit a resume, cover letter and three names & contact info. for references to:

White Center Community Development Association

Attn: NR Resident Fellow 1615 SW Cambridge Street Seattle, WA 98106

OR e-mail resume, cover letter and three names & contact info. for references to: Info@wccda.org

All application must be in by Friday, January 29 at 5:00pm.

If you have further questions or comments, contact Soona Vili at (206) 694-1082 or via email at info@wccda.org.

The White Center Community Development Association prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities or in employment and application for employment as protected under state or federal law. We are an equal opportunity employment.

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February 8th, 2010 in Business, Community, Events, News, People | No Comments


UPDATED INFORMATION!

Lunar New Year is approaching, and we’d like to announce that the Lieu Quan Lion Dance group will be performing at Pho My Loi on Saturday, February 13 at 10am:

Pho My Loi - 10439 16th Ave SW

From what we understand, there will be no firecrackers at this performance, but we’re sure that it will be exciting nonetheless!


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January 22nd, 2010 in Arts, Business, Community, Events, Partners, People | No Comments


. flyer-brandondecker

Brandon Decker, from Sedona, AZ, is a folk rock, singer songwriter, touring the West Coast in support of his new album. Check out his website at www.bdeckermusic.com.

Check out Let’s Get Lost at www.myspace.com/letsgetlosttogether.

For more information about Dubsea Coffee, check out Dubsea Coffee’s website.

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January 15th, 2010 in Business, Community, People | No Comments


el_paisano_cook_lupe_cruz_fit_600x600

El Paisano cook Lupe Cruz serves birria de chivo. Photo by Hugo Kugiya.

Goats: good for more than just cashmere

Eating on the Edge: You can try goat or 14 other types of meat at El Paisano in White Center. And that’s no coincidence: the owners run a butcher shop too.

A widely held stereotype of Americans asserts that we like things that are big. After all, what American does not live in a big house, drive a big car, or watch a big TV. When it comes to red meat, we like to eat large animals, namely the cow.

Americans consume relatively little lamb and even less goat, even though the rest of the world consumes more goat than any other animal. In the United States, most Americans prefer wearing goats (cashmere) to eating them. Immigrants from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America do most of the eating.

So it’s no surprise that the most popular dish at the Rosticeria y Cocina El Paisano in White Center is the birria de chivo ($7.99), chunks and shreds of goat meat stewed with chiles. The meat’s taste is not unlike lamb or beef, but it’s deeper and richer. Slightly darker in color than beef, it is lean in texture, with a slightly mineral flavor.

Read the rest of the article here!

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November 17th, 2009 in Arts, Business, Community, Events, People | No Comments


NovArtWalk.pdf

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September 9th, 2009 in Annexation, Business, Community, Environment, Misc, News, Partners, People | No Comments


From the Feet First website:

Neighborhoods on Foot Series
Our “Neighborhoods on Foot” maps are periodicals — in them you can read about important current events, up and coming groups, or how to put your finger on the pulse of the community.  We reissue them with local support and participation.  The cover side is rich with content that will increase your community quotient.

Maps can be picked up in the neighborhood for free from a primary location and many shops, cafes, libraries, and community centers. You can always find them at our office.

You may also view and download some of our maps online.

2009 Editions:

White Center - Seattle / Burien / Unincorporated King County, Washington

(Map | Text Side)

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