January 27, 2016 The Skanner Page 5
News
Events & Announcements
Community
Calendar 2016
cont’d from pg 4
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
JOIN THE DOG SQUAD: Authors Laura T. Coffey, Waverly Curtis,
David R. Gross and Tracy Weber for an afternoon of Fido fun.
All four authors will read from their books, answer questions,
and accepting kisses. Come prepared to share your dog’s special
talents. 2 p.m., Phinney Books, 7405 Greenwood Ave.
ROBINSWOOD HOUSE/SEATTLE BRIDE – ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE
AND TASTING: Planning a wedding or special event? Please join
us for our annual open house and tasting, featuring all of our
Exclusive Caterers. 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Robinswood House (in
Robinswood Park) 2430 148th Ave. SE, Bellevue.
2ND ANNUAL FAMILY FUNFEST: Come check out this family fun
event! Festivities to include The Harmonica Pocket, face paint-
ing, Caring Clown International, play fun carnival games and
so much more. Admission is $5. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Kingston High
School, 26201 Sisaya Ave. NE, Kingston.
Mothers for Police Accountability
Harriett Walden celebrates her birthday and the relaunch of Mothers for Police Accountability, an organization she help start over 25
years ago, on Jan. 23 at the Collaboratory on Rainier Avenue in Seattle. Friends, family and fellow activists showed up to honor the long
time fighter for justice and to help support an organization that has been at the fore front of seeking police accountability.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
MINI GOLF: Bring your family down and get your min golf on!
See how many hole-in-ones you can get in our 9-hole course.
We’ll provide the clubs, the balls and the snacks. It is all free
for the whole family. 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Ravenna – Eckstein
Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave. NE.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Seattle News Briefs
Washington Healthplanfinder
Reminds King County Residents of
Jan. 31 Deadline for Coverage
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is re-
minding King County residents that only a few days
remain to sign up for a Qualified Health Plan through
wahealthplanfinder.org. Residents have until mid-
night on Sunday, Jan. 31 to select a 2016 health plan
that meets their needs and budgets.
Individuals and families should be aware that tax
penalties for not having health insurance have in-
creased in 2016. Adults who remain without health
coverage now face individual penalties of at least
$695, and families could be asked to pay upwards of
$2,000.
Public Health—Seattle & King County will be host-
ing free enrollment events to assist individuals and
families who have not yet signed up for health insur-
ance. Navigators and brokers can help residents re-
view their health plan options and determine their el-
igibility for financial help that may reduce the cost of
coverage. Find an event near you at the Public Health
website.
Other ways to get help with enrollment include:
• King County’s telephone hotline: 1-800-756-5437
(weekdays from 8am-1pm and 2pm-5pm)
• Healthplanfinder’s Customer Support link on wa-
healthplanfinder.org.
• Healthplanfinder’s toll-free Customer Support
Center: 1-855-923-4633 (weekdays from 7:30 am to 8
pm, and with extended weekend hours from 10 am
to 3 pm on Saturday, Jan. 30 and 10 am to midnight
this Sunday, Jan. 31).
Note: Special weekend hours for in-person assis-
tance at the Metro Seattle Office, on Jan. 30 and 31,
from 10am-5pm, at 201 S. Jackson.
All residents needing to sign up for a 2016 Qualified
Health Plan may do so by visiting wahealthplanfind-
er.org.
Refund Distribution to Washington
Borrowers Begins
The Consumer Services Division of the Washing-
ton State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)
announced that more than 3,000 refund checks stem-
ming from predatory, high interest loans are going
out to Washington borrowers today.
In October 2015, the DFI, Western Sky Financial,
CashCall, Inc. and their owners and affiliates entered
into a settlement involving two cases that had been
on-going for more than four years. Under the terms
of the settlement, the companies agreed to provide re-
funds of excessive interest payments to thousands of
Washington borrowers and eliminate the principal
balances for additional Washington borrowers. The
settlement also provides additional consumer relief
by requiring the companies to contact the credit bu-
reaus to remove any adverse credit reporting relat-
ing to these loans.
The Statements of Charges issued against CashCall
and Western Sky alleged that the companies engaged
in unfair and deceptive acts and violated usury laws
and other consumer protection laws. According to
the Statements of Charges, interest rates on these
loans ranged from 89 percent to 169 percent. Many of
the borrowers reported that they did not understand
the loans terms or how much the loan would really
cost.
Letters were mailed to refund eligible borrowers
in December 2015 notifying them they would be re-
ceiving a refund and the refund would be sent from
the fund administrator, A.B. Data, Ltd. Credit history
repair and principal balance write offs were done
automatically, requiring no action from the affected
Washington borrowers.
In addition to making refunds and charging off
principal balances, the companies also agreed to
cease and desist from lending in Washington. Cash-
Call’s Washington State consumer loan license was
revoked. Western Sky has never had a license to pro-
vide consumer loans in Washington.
To verify whether a company offering consumer
or residential loans is licensed by DFI, go to www.dfi.
wa.gov and click on the “Verify License” link.
Sponsors Needed for Summer Food
Service Program
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI) is seeking sponsors for the 2016 Summer Food
Service Program (SFSP).
The SFSP, a federally funded child nutrition pro-
gram, was established to ensure that children in low-
er-income areas would continue to receive nutritious
meals during long school vacations, when they do not
have access to school meals.
Sponsorship is open to public and private nonprof-
it schools, residential and non-residential summer
camps, private nonprofit organizations, tribal orga-
nizations, and units of local, county, municipal, and
state government.
Colleges and universities that participate in the Up-
ward Bound Program may also sponsor meal sites.
Eligible sponsors are those who operate a non-prof-
it meal program during the summer for children age
18 and younger. Meal sites must be located in areas
where at least 50 percent of the children are quali-
fied for free or reduced-price school meals or where
at least 50 percent of the children enrolled in a spe-
cific program are eligible for free and reduced-price
school meals. All children — regardless of family in-
come level — can receive a free meal at a site once the
site has been approved.
BECOME A GARBOLOGIST: Have you ever wondered what hap-
pens to our garbage once it leaves our homes? Does it really
ever go anywhere? Bring the whole family for a fun, interactive,
hands-on workshop to learn more about the R’s how our landfill
in King County works. 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Mercer Slough Environ-
mental Education Center, 1625 118th Ave. SE.
Meals must meet the USDA meal pattern require-
ments.
Sponsors may prepare their own meals or purchase
them from a school district or food service manage-
ment company. Sponsors are reimbursed for eligible
meals served.
Up to two meal types per day per child may be
served at each site. This may be a breakfast, break-
fast and snack, breakfast and lunch, breakfast and
supper, lunch, lunch and snack, snack, AM and PM
snacks, supper, or supper and snack. Sites serving
primarily migrant children and residential camp
sites may serve as many as three meal types per day
per child.
Interested organizations are encouraged to regis-
ter for training at the SFSP website, which will take
place in April and May and is a requirement for par-
ticipation. Applications will be available online mid-
spring.
Contact OSPI at (360) 725-6202 for more informa-
tion.
McDermott, Dembowski and Dunn
to Lead County Council in 2016
Metropolitan King County Councilmember Joe Mc-
Dermott will Chair the County Council in 2016. Mc-
Dermott was unanimously selected as Council Chair
today by the full Council, and will be joined by Rod
Dembowski and Reagan Dunn, as the Council’s two
Vice Chairs.
The appointments of McDermott, Dembowski and
Dunn are part of the reorganization of the County
Council for 2016. Councilmember Dembowski will
serve as Vice Chair of Policy Development and Re-
view with Dunn serving as Vice Chair of Regional
Coordination.
“I’m honored that my colleagues unanimously elect-
ed me to lead the King County Council as Chair this
year. We have much to be proud of, and many chal-
lenges to overcome,” said McDermott. “I look forward
to continuing to work with my colleagues, with the
Executive, and with the residents of King County to
address issues of growing income inequality, housing
affordability, homelessness, continued transit and
transportation improvements, and environmental
stewardship.”
As the Council’s Management Team, the Chair and
Vice-Chairs work together to set the agendas for
meetings of the Council and Committee of the Whole
and coordinate the referral and scheduling of legisla-
tion.