May 11, 2016 The Skanner Page 5
News
Events & Announcements
Community
Calendar 2016
cont’d from pg 4
Counseling, and or Programs, Homeless Ministries, Athletics and
many more areas. Please contact Rev. Rhonda L. Smith for more
information and tickets, call (971) 801-3406 or email at ehondi-
va3@gmail.com. Tickets are $15 each. 10 a.m. – noon. Maranatha
Church, 4222 NE 12th Ave.
FREE MARSHALL FAMILY FUN DAY: We will be hosting a Free
Family Fun Day filled with public swim sessions, open access to
our fitness center, fitness demonstrations, pottery demonstra-
tions, activities in the gym and much more! Noon – 5 p.m. Mar-
shall Community Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver.
SATURDAY – SUNDAY, MAY 21 – 22
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
DOZER DAYS 2016 AT THE CLARK COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS! We in-
vite you to join us for Dozer Days, where kids can hop in the cab
and drive a dozer loader, backhoe, fire engine and much more.
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. both days. Adults get in for $10, Kids 2 – 12 and
Seniors 60+ for $8. Clark County Fairgrounds, 17402 Delfel Rd.,
Ridgefield.
Central District Little League
Chukundi Salisbury Jr., 10 gets a hug from his Rainier District Little League Full Tilt teammates after he scored a run against the
Pittsburgh Keystones from the Central District Little League in a recent game at the Garfield Playfield.
Seattle News Briefs
What would you do with $700,000 of Seattle’s City
budget? Youth get to make that decision by participat-
ing in Youth Voice, Youth Choice Vote Week on May
21-29.
Youth Voice, Youth Choice is a new participatory
budgeting initiative of the City of Seattle in which
youth ages 11-25 democratically decide how to spend
a portion of the City’s budget. After several months
of collecting ideas from community members, and
youth volunteers turning those ideas into propos-
als, we’re readying for the vote which will occur on
Saturday, May 21 through Sunday, May 29. Youth will
cast their vote for their favorite projects which range
from park improvements to youth programs to arts
funding.
If you live, work, or go to school in Seattle, are be-
tween the ages of 11-25, and want to make a difference
in your community, cast your vote at an in-person
polling site or vote online. The projects that receive
the most votes will be funded by the City! Visit http://
www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/programs-and-ser-
vices/seattle-participatory-budgeting the week be-
fore vote week to see the list of projects and to find out
how to vote or hold a polling site of your own.
ity Discount Program, beginning August 1, 2016. All
households will have the opportunity to opt out of the
Utility Discount Program if they prefer. The Council
will take up this proposal this spring. Current City
ordinances prevent SHA tenants from participating
in the program.
The Utility Discount Program offers a credit of 60
percent on Seattle City Light bills and 50 percent on
Seattle Public Utilities bills. This program is available
for residential City Light and Seattle Public Utilities
customers only and does not apply to residences used
for business purposes. Eligible households must
have income of less than 70 percent of state median
household income, about $60,000 for a family of four.
Today’s expansion of the UDP to SHA tenants is paid
for by all utility customers. The average Seattle City
Light and Seattle Public Utilities bill will increase be-
tween 0.5 percent and 0.65 percent in coming years.
This program expansion builds upon a partnership
with the Washington State Housing Finance Com-
mission to auto-enroll eligible households of other
affordable housing projects, reducing administrative
barriers to utility discount services.
The UDP program is funded by both Seattle City
Light and Seattle Public Utilities and is administered
by the Seattle Human Services Department. Utility
Discount Program eligibility information and appli-
cation materials can be found at http://www.seattle.
gov/humanservices/services-and-programs/utili-
ty-discount-program.
City of Seattle Brings Utility
Discount to 10,000 More Households
King County Officials Urge Caution
Around Cold Rivers, Lakes, Sound
Today Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Seattle Hous-
ing Authority (SHA) Director Andrew Lofton an-
nounced proposed changes to the Utility Discount
Program (UDP) to auto-enroll more than 10,000
low-income Seattle Housing Authority households.
Today’s announcement puts the City on track to sur-
pass the Mayor’s goal to double program enrollment
two years ahead of schedule.
Once auto-enrollment is complete, the UDP will
provide more than $10 million in utility assistance
each year to SHA tenants. This will cut in half their
Seattle electric, water, garbage/recycling, sewage and
drainage bills. The average household benefit will be
$1,030 per year.
This move is a part of Murray’s commitment to
address Seattle’s growing income inequality and re-
move institutional barriers between services and
those in need. In 2014, Mayor Murray challenged City
Departments to double the number of households en-
rolled in the UDP from 14,000 to 28,000 by the end of
2018.
After legislation to enact today’s proposal is ap-
proved by the Seattle City Council, all income-eligi-
ble households of Seattle Housing Authority will be
notified that they have been auto-enrolled in the Util-
Warm air temperatures don’t translate to warm wa-
ter temperatures. In fact, unseasonably warm weath-
er will accelerate the typical Cascade Range spring
snowmelt, and rivers will be running swift with icy
cold runoff for weeks to come. Lakes and Puget Sound
are also quite cold this time of year, and swimmers
can suffer from cold-water shock after just a few min-
utes in the water.
King County officials are on high alert because 17
people died in preventable drownings in the county
in 2015.
King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County,
and the King County Sheriff ’s Office encourage kay-
akers, boaters, rafters, swimmers and other river us-
ers to check conditions and scout rivers thoroughly
for hazards before entering the water.
In 2015, Public Health – Seattle & King County
found that 17 people died in preventable drowning
incidents. Of these, 12 (70 percent) took place in open
water, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, or Puget Sound.
Of the 12 open water deaths, nine (75 percent), may
have been prevented with lifejacket use. Over half (52
percent) of all King County deaths involved alcohol
and or other drugs in the last five years.
In 2014, there were 98 unintentional drowning
deaths of Washington residents.
Youth Voice, Youth Choice Vote
Week is May 21-29
SUNDAY, MAY 22
“MOTHERING INSIDE” : THE FIFTH IN A SERIES OF DOCUMENTARY
FILMS ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUES: “Mothering Inside” doc-
uments a unique program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
in Wilsonville, OR in which female inmates spend quality time
with their children. The film showing is free of charge, but do-
nations will be accepted. 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. First Unitarian Church,
SW 12th between Main St. and Salmon St.
Seattle Metro
THURSDAY, MAY 12
FIRST HILL STREETCAR CELEBRATION: Celebrate the First Hill
streetcar opening with fun interactive performances and visual
arts installations at the new Streetcar. 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Streetcar
stops at E Pike/Broadway and Denny/Broadway.
FRIDAY, MAY 13
NORTHWEST SEAPORT CHANTEY SING: Sea Chantey and other sea
songs celebrate our connections with the sea, ships, skippers
and sailors. Free for all to enjoy and take part in. 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.,
Historic Steam Ferry Virginia V, 860 Terry Ave. N.
THE HOMETOWN BAND FREE SPRING CONCERT IN PORT ORCHARD:
Join The Hometown Band at their annual spring concert. Show
tunes, classics, marches and lots more! 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Port Or-
chard Methodist Church, 725 Kitsap St., Port Orchard.
SATURDAY, MAY 14
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY: Hundreds of
sales — big and small — all over West Seattle. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.,
West Seattle Area, 2850 SW Yancy St.
SUNDAY, MAY 15
PUGET SOUND STARTS HERE FAMILY FUN DAY: Environmental Ed-
ucators from around the area join together to host this event.
Offering hands-on activities, lessons, games and entertainment
related to water quality and the environment. 10 a.m., Foss Wa-
terway Seaport, 705 Dock St., Tacoma.
THURSDAY, MAY 19
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION OFFERS MEN’S COFFEE GROUP: Are
you a male spouse caring for someone with memory loss? Do
you need information and support? Alzheimer’s Association
Men’s Coffee Groups provide a consistent and caring place for
male caregivers to learn, share and gain emotional support from
other male spouses. 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Alzheimer’s Associ-
ation Chapter Office, 100 W. Harrison St. North Tower, #N200.
SATURDAY, MAY 21
SHOP THE FRIENDSHIP POP-UP! Join the Friends Of The Seattle
Public Library for its Pop-Up Shop. Pop in to purchase pre-
owned paperbacks and children’s books for $1. Goodies from the
Friendship Shop including tote bags, mugs, and jewelry! Lots of
things to look at and choose from. 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., West
Seattle Library, 2306 42nd Ave SW.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER: Join in with the community
and start your day off right ! With Pancakes, Waffles or French
Toast plus scrambled eggs and sausage. Cost is $6. 8 a.m. Blaine
Community Senior Center, Conference Room, 753 G. St., Blaine.