by Ronnie Estoque
Last Saturday, April 29, community members unified for the 20th Annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival. The event was organized by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington, and featured live musical performances, delicious traditional cuisine, dancing, vendors, and plenty of smiles and laughter on a day where the sun shone brightly.
Continue reading PHOTO ESSAY | Year of the Rabbit: Celebrating Cambodian New Year in White Centerby Sharon Maeda
We hoped and prayed for the best but were braced for the worse. On April 14, the worst was confirmed: The body found in a wooded part of Renton was indeed that of Leticia Martinez-Cosman. She had been missing since attending a Mariners game on March 31. Two days later, her son with special needs, Patrick, was driven from their White Center home in the middle of the night by Brett Gitchel, under the ruse of taking him to the hospital to see his mother after an accident. According to news reports, Gitchel drove Patrick around, then stopped and tried to strangle him. Patrick escaped and was able to contact 911. SPD has charged Gitchel with attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, first-degree theft, and unlawful possession of a firearm, related to his alleged attack of Patrick. Now that Leticia has been found, the King County Prosecutor’s Office is charging him with second-degree murder of Leticia. They found her on April 11, but positive identification did not come until three days later.
Continue reading OPINION | Leticia Martinez-Cosman: A True Innocent of the Worldby Agueda Pacheco Flores
A long-awaited community center and affordable housing complex in White Center will break ground later this year.
The White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA) received $4.9 million from the state’s Housing Trust Fund in December of last year.
Continue reading Affordable Housing and a New Community Space Is Coming to White Centerby Vee Hua 華婷婷 and Jadenne Radoc Cabahug
For some residents of incorporated and unincorporated South King County, tree protection has become a point of focus and concern, as large trees are increasingly being removed without community consultation to make room for single-family homes.
Continue reading White Center Tree Clearing Prompts Tree Protection Actions in Unincorporated King Countyby Amanda Ong
From Nov. 4 to Nov 13, White Center’s Acts On Stage will present “That Talk You Do,” the debut one-woman show of Tia Naché Fields-Yarborough. “That Talk You Do” follows Fields-Yarborough through her own life and youth in Seattle as she explores faith, Blackness, and womanhood through song, spoken word, hip-hop, and ’90s R&B.
Continue reading ‘That Talk You Do’ Reflects on Tia Naché’s Adolescence in Rainier Valleyby Jadenne Radoc Cabahug
The White Center Food Bank (WCFB) sits tucked away in a corner behind large green trees, mostly hidden from public view despite its significant community impact.
Continue reading White Center Food Bank Campaigns for New Downtown Locationby Kayla Blau
Ever since Jhonny Reyes arrived in South Seattle from New York City at 5 years old, he felt the distinct lack of Afro-Latin soul food options outside of his abuela’s kitchen. Over 25 years later, Reyes is working to change that with his local food pop-up, Lenox, which can be found every weekend at the Future Primitive Brewing Company in White Center.
“Most of the Cuban food out here is Cuban sandwiches — and don’t get me wrong, I love Cuban sandwiches — but we don’t have those classic dishes out here like pollo guisado, encebollado, or ropa vieja,” Reyes said.
Continue reading Lenox Pop-Up Brings Afro-Latin Food to the South Endby Ronnie Estoque
Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington (CCAW) is hosting its 20th annual celebration for the Cambodian New Year — a few weeks after the holiday — via livestream on May 28. Past New Year’s celebrations took place as street festivals in White Center; however, last year was the group’s first virtual celebration due to the pandemic.
Continue reading White Center’s 20th Cambodian New Year Festival to Be Celebrated Virtuallyby Mark Van Streefkerk
There’s a new fitness studio in White Center, and it’s doing things a little differently. For starters, the queer- and woman-owned No Judgment Fitness has an unexpected logo: a pink-sprinkle donut with a bite missing. The approximately 900-square-foot fitness space at 11019 10th Ave. SW has no mirrors, no scales, and no weight-loss contests, and it forbids diet talk. It’s also very proudly LGBTQ+ inclusive. At the top of No Judgment Fitness’ website, the words “Welcoming All Trans, Nonbinary and Gender Non-Conforming Bodies. Cis, Too,” are written in all caps. With its grand opening at the beginning of April, No Judgment Fitness aims to be a place for people who want to get into fitness, but don’t feel at home in most gyms.
Continue reading No Judgment Fitness Brings LGBTQ+ and Fat Positive Fitness to White Centerby Ronnie Estoque
The Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery, located in White Center, is a multiuse, multicultural, accessible arts gallery grounded in the Chicano and Latino arts traditions. Its March exhibition is called “Ka-Pow: An Artistic Tribute to Comics.” Much of the art showcased includes work from local artists, while other pieces have been sent in from all over the country. All money from art sales goes directly to the artists, says Jake Prendez, owner and codirector at the Gallery.
Continue reading Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery Features Comics Art Show by Chicano Artists
