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VIETNAMESE - SPANISH - KHMER

We made the official announcement last week, but here’s more information about the SOPI Village Groundbreaking and BBQ event. See you there!

Calling all local historians, both amateur and professional! Preservation 4Culture is embarking on a new project in partnership with the White Center Community Development Association to document the history of the Southgate Roller Rink and we are asking YOU to share your memories…

The Southgate Roller Rink served as a community gathering place - weekend hangout, family activity center, and sports arena - for over 70 years. It is a neighborhood fixture that helped put White Center on the map. Popular sports figures like boxers Al Hostak and Harry “The Kid” Matthews, wrestler Robin Reed, and most recently, the Rat City Roller Girls drew large crowds to White Center. The rink is probably best remembered by locals, however, for the hours they spent showing off their skating skills circling around the hardwood floor with their family members and/or sweethearts. We want to hear about those experiences!

Contact Flo Lentz at flo.lentz@4Culture.org or (206) 296-8682.

Image: © 1948, Courtesy of Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch.

Source: 4Culture

Best representing White Center’s vibrant and ethnically diverse business district, “Growing a Global Village” is the culmination of an exciting process led by the White Center Community Development Association and a Marketing Taskforce comprised of business owners and members of the White Center community. To preview the new brand and logo, please visit the White Center CDA Office at 1615 SW Cambridge Street starting July 6 through August 31, 2010.

The new brand thoughtfully incorporates both the uniqueness of White Center and the aspiration of more improvement still to come. “To me, the authenticity of the brand is what’s most important. In particular, the word ‘growing’ means there is an important and solid foundation from which to grow, expand and bloom,” said Aileen Balahadia, Executive Director of the White Center CDA.

“Growing a Global Village” portrays a picture of people from all corners of the world living and working side by side.  White Center embodies the aspirations and hard work of people, living the American Dream and creating a future for their families. “Just like a real global village, our business district has something for everyone and serves our diverse community very well” says Nicky Nguyen, owner of Banh 88 Restaurant in White Center.

A beautiful vibrant logo was created for the brand. “The colorful, organic rings represent the diverse community of White Center as it comes together to form unity. Different yet the same, the continuum of people and place…a moving-forward and in-motion neighborhood with vitality and conviction. The baskets, which are found in the center of our business district at 16^th & Roxbury are symbolic of something we all have and share in our various cultures,” wrote Kathi Wheeler, a White Center resident and brand graphic designer.

The White Center CDA would like to thank the White Center community, marketing consultants PRR and graphic design firm Noise without Sound, for their invaluable contribution to make this project possible. We’d like to acknowledge the White Center Chamber of Commerce for re-painting the five “Welcome to White Center” signs using our new brand color palette. The White Center CDA is looking forward to work with partners to promote and integrate our community brand and will soon make the brand available for web download by the community.

This photo was taken just this morning. Nice day (weather wise) for a bridge closure. There is a “wake” planned for the South Park Bridge tonight. For more info, click here.

King County Executive Dow Constantine brought together leaders from all over the community today to bring hope to the South Park Bridge Replacement Project. At the base of the South Park Bridge this afternoon, elected leaders from the state to neighborhood came to announce their support for the South Park Bridge Replacement. Governor Chris Gregoire announced $20 million from the State, Constantine, King County Council Chair Bob Ferguson and County Council Member Julia Patterson announced $30 million from King County, City of Seattle Council President Richard Conlin announced $15 million from Seattle, and Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton announced $5 million to support the bridge replacement. The crowd could feel the support for this regional link that connects families and industries. Photo by Virgil Domaoan.

The West Seattle Herald kindly covered this event yesterday for Key Bank’s visit to White Center:

“Key Bank brought a crew of corporate employees out to White Center on Tuesday, May 25 to clean windows, pick up litter and do general clean up in association with the White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA). This year marks the 20th anniversary of this project. Senior management, managers and staff come together in groups to go work as community servants.”

Check out the article and photo over at the West Seattle Herald!

Volunteers give the "Welcome to White Center" sign a makeover during the 2010 White Center Spring Clean on May 15. Photo by Alex Meas of Youth Media Institute.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS, AND ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS, SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR A GREAT EVENT!

We were hard at work today preparing 16th and Roxbury for our signature project for tomorrow’s White Center Spring Clean. Check out the photos! What makes it our signature project? Find out tomorrow, when we’ll post the “after” photos. Go White Center!

This was exclusively sent to the CDA from our partners at the Evergreen Pool:

Opening Monday, April 19^th!

We’ve been scrubbing, painting and gardening - we’ve got your pool in shape and ready to go!  All we’re missing is you!

We’ll be open next week for lessons and lap swims - come in or check our still-under-construction website www.evergreenpool.org for details.  Lessons are generally from from 9:00 to 12:00 and 4:00 to 6:00; vertical exercise / water aerobics from 7:00 to 9:00; and lap swims almost all day - let us know what you need, as accommodations can be made while we’re building our schedule.

Remember our Grand Opening with free public swim on May 1^st, and our free public swim for all of those participating in the White Center Spring Clean on May 15^th.

Drop by when you can - we hope you’ll love what we’ve done with the place.