Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2016)
March 23, 2016 The Skanner Page 5 News Events & Announcements Community Calendar 2016 cont’d from pg 4 work by Portland, OR. Native ShaRonda Lynne McCauley and stick around for a Q& A session to follow. 6 p.m. In Other Words, 14 NE Killingsworth St. FRIENDS OF TREES PLANTING & POTLUCK: Come join us and plant trees with neighbors and then join us for a delicious potluck lunch. Beaumont-Wilshire, Cully and Roseway neighborhoods (NE Portland). 8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 4927 NE 55th Ave. Seattle Metro THURSDAY, MARCH 24 PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED MIGHTY MITES “EGG” STRAVAGANZA: Egg hunt, play equipment, bounce houses, and other fun activities. Bring your basket to hunt for eggs. For children ages five and younger. Free. 10 a.m. – noon. Egg hunt starts at 11 a.m. sharp. Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave. E. FRIDAY, MARCH 25 Feeling the Bern More than 17,000 supporters showed up to see Sen. Bernie Sanders speak at Seattle’s Key Arena March 20, on one of a string of speaking engagements in the area in advance of Saturday’s Democratic caucus. Sanders is scheduled to return to the area for speaking engagements in Portland and Seattle Friday morning. FLASHLIGHT EGG HUNT: This egg hunt is offered at two locations for kids 12 to 18 years old. Bring a flashlight and a bag to hunt for all the eggs in the dark. 7 p.m. sharp at Van Asselt Commu- nity Center, and 8 p.m. sharp at Jefferson Community Center. SATURDAY, MARCH 26 Briefs cont’d from pg 4 BOLI Announces Minimum Wage Rulemaking Process The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) will be- gin the rulemaking process for Oregon’s new min- imum wage law (SB 1532) in preparation for a July minimum wage increase, the agency announced to- day. An advisory committee comprised of business as- sociations, labor organizations, legislators, family policy advocates, and agricultural and farm sector representatives will assist BOLI in developing rules for determining an employer’s location. Passed by the 2016 Oregon Legislature, SB 1532 cre- ates enacts a series of annual minimum wage increas- es starting in July of this year. After 2023, Oregon’s minimum wage rate will be indexed to inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a figure published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to track prices for a fixed “market basket” of goods. The law creates a tiered wage floor based on three zones around the state: 1) inside the urban growth boundary of the Portland metro region, including Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties 2) certain “nonurban counties listed here and 3) the rest of the state. The advisory committee will begin work in late March. The rulemaking advisory committee will include members of the NW Grocery Associations, Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Association of Nurseries, Associa- tion of Oregon Industries, Oregon Business Associ- ation, PCUN, AFL-CIO, Family Forward, SEIU, CAU- SA and Oregon Center for Public Policy. In addition, representatives from the offices of Governor Kate Brown, Senator Michael Dembrow and Representa- tive Paul Holvey will serve on the committee. Employers that want to keep up to date about min- imum wage rules and other workplace topics may sign up for the Technical Assistance for Employer’s email list here. The agency also intends to develop one poster for the state that will satisfy employers’ posting requirements. Additional public comments can be directed to paloma.sparks@state.or.us. Seattle News Briefs Mayor Murray Announces $617,000 in Matching Funds for Neighborhood Projects Today Mayor Ed Murray announced an investment of $617,102 in matching funds to support 31 neighbor- hood-initiated projects across the city. The awards are from the Neighborhood Matching Fund for a vari- ety of arts events, physical improvements, and youth projects. These awards are part of the Small and Simple Proj- ects Fund, one of three funds offered by Seattle De- partment of Neighborhoods. It provides cash awards of up to $25,000 in matching funds to community organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2016 February awards range from $4,249 to $25,000, and the organizations pledge to match the City of Seattle’s $617,102 investment with $722,931 of locally raised money, donated materials, and volunteer labor. In addition to the Small and Simple Projects Fund, the Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) has two other programs: the Large Projects Fund which pro- vides matching funds of up to $100,000, and the Small Sparks Fund which provides funds of up to $1,000. Over its 28-year history, more than 5,000 projects have been funded with the help of NMF, and its in- vestment in neighborhoods can be seen across the city. For more information about all of the funds visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/. The Small and Simple Projects Fund has two more opportunities to apply this year in June and Septem- ber. To learn more visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ nmf/smallandsimple.htm. DNR Report Says Seagrass Recovering in Puget Sound Eelgrass beds have shown signs of expansion in parts of Puget Sound in recent years. A new report issued by the Washington State De- partment of Natural Resources found sites with in- creased eelgrass area outnumbered sites with declin- ing eelgrass between 2010 and 2014. This reverses the previously observed pattern in Puget Sound. The rebound was most pronounced in lower Hood Canal. Seagrasses provide nearshore nursery grounds and shelter for many species. They also serve as a spyglass into the health of Washington’s saltwater environment. In 2014, eelgrass covered some 24,300 hectares of Puget Sound. That is slightly above the 2016 target set by Gov. Jay Inslee’s Results Washington initiative to track eelgrass coverage in Washington. As the steward of state-owned aquatic lands, where the majority of eelgrass beds grow, DNR is at the fore- front of efforts to understand and improve Washing- ton seagrasses. The full report is available at: http://file.dnr.wa.gov/ publications/aqr_nrsh_svmp_report_2014.pdf Port of Seattle Announces Pilot Program for Transportation Network Companies The Port of Seattle will begin a one-year pilot program for Transportation Network Companies SPRING EGG HUNT AT COMMUNITY CENTERS: Bring a bag or bas- ket to hunt for all the eggs. Lots of fun activities planned at each center. These hunts are for children 11 and under. Jeffer- son, Rainier & Cal Anderson Park and community centers. Hunt starts at 10 a.m. sharp, so please arrive at 9:45 a.m. Jefferson Community Center will also have a Troops For Fitness Kickoff Event at the same time. Troops For Fitness is a new program that hires U.S. Military Veterans to run recreation programs. FRIDAY – SUNDAY, APRIL 1 – APRIL 17 SEATTLE CENTER WHILGIG: Inflatable rides and entertainment for children under 12. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily. $8 all-day main floor pass, $4.50 all-day toddler zone pass, $1.50single ride tickets. Free Thursday rides at no charge. Seattle Center – Armory Cen- ter House, 305 Harrison St. SATURDAY, APRIL 2 GARDEN LOVERS’ BOOK SALE: Love gardening, plants, trees and growning your own food? You don’t want to pass up this bar- gain! 11th Annual Garden Lovers Book Sale of used books at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Free public event. All day long, Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St. SATURDAY, APRIL 9 83RD ANNUAL DAFFODIL FESTIVAL PARADE: 83rd Edition of Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade featuring 150 participants which include floats, bands, mounted units and more. Starting at 10 a.m. at Pacific Ave. & S. 11th, ends at S. 24th St., Tacoma. (TNC’s) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport starting March 31, 2016 that will add choices for trav- elers while maintaining carbon emission reduction priorities. This innovative program will be a first for a U.S. air- port, requiring either a green vehicle-only fleet or a port-initiated green standard that companies must meet through a combination of high MPG vehicles, deadhead reduction, and/or ridesharing. TNC’s (also known as app based ride sharing ser- vices) are being encouraged to sign agreements with the port, who will have operation logistics ready and available on March 31. “Sea-Tac Airport was the first airport in North America to achieve a 100% green taxi fleet in 2003 and the first airport in the country to do a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory in 2008,” said Port of Seat- tle Commission President John Creighton. “Our agreement with the ground transportation providers requiring them to meet specific environ- mental standards is also the first of its kind in the country and continues our efforts to make Sea-Tac Airport one of the greenest airports in the country.” The operating agreement has been part of a trans- parent, year-long effort by the port to bring together all stakeholders in the ground transportation indus- try to determine the best way to introduce the new ride-sharing option that has become popular with consumers.
