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Archives for January 2018

Celebrate Neighbor Day on February 10

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Join us for Seattle’s 24th Annual Neighbor Day on February 10 and help us kick off 2018 with a celebration of kindness and community!

With all the change, upheaval, and stress in our world right now, we could all use a chance to reconnect with our neighbors, friends, and communities through small acts of generosity.  Our Neighbor Day celebration provides the perfect opportunity to do just that!

Neighbor Day is a special day set aside to reach out to neighbors, make new friends, and express thanks to those who help make your neighborhood and community a great place to live. We encourage all Seattle residents to celebrate this day by indulging in random acts of kindness. Residents, businesses, or community groups are all invited to participate however they like. The main goal is simply to reach out and connect with your neighbors through generosity.

Neighbor Day will take place on Saturday, February 10, 2018.

We have made it as easy as possible for you to participate! Below is a list of ideas and resources that can help you plan your Neighbor Day event or activity:

  • Do something nice for a neighbor: take them to coffee, clean up their yard, bake them some cookies, invite them for a walk.
  • Organize a neighborhood potluck, open house, or work party. It can be as big or simple as you want.
  • Need more ideas? We have an extensive list to help you.
  • Want to know how your local business or community group can participate? Here are some ideas!
  • If your event is open to the public, you can post it to our online events calendar.
  • Use our flyer to post around your neighborhood or work area to remind people of the day.
  • Share a “great neighbor” story or tell us how you are celebrating by tagging us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and using #NeighborDay.

For more information on Neighbor Day, please visit our website at http://www.seattle.gov/neighborday.

If you have any questions or want to bounce ideas off someone, contact Neighbor Day coordinator Sam Read at .

“Building a Bridge to Housing for All”

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Plan Invests in Affordable Housing, Bridge Housing, and Essential City Services Upon Sale of Property This Summer

In her first major legislation, Mayor Durkan proposed “Building a Bridge to Housing for All,” a plan to sell an underutilized City property to address Seattle’s affordability and homelessness crisis. Her plan would leverage $11 million from the sale of an underutilized City property to create urgently needed bridge housing for those in our community experiencing homelessness and to support households on the verge of homelessness, while also reinvesting in essential City services.

“With too many families pushed out the City and too many people living on our streets, we need to take urgent action to help those unsheltered and on the verge of homelessness. Leveraging one City property, we can provide essential services and attack our affordability crisis,” said Mayor Durkan. “There’s no quick or simple solution to solving this urgent challenge, but we can focus our efforts to rapidly deploy cost effective shelters to move people out of doorways and tents and into safer spaces.”

Mayor Durkan’s legislation is co-sponsored by four Councilmembers including Council President Bruce Harrell (District 2, South Seattle, Georgetown), Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle), Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle) and Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

“For years, I’ve been committed to creating more emergency housing options, and this investment will make significant progress to build more bridge housing for people on our streets or for those who are struggling on the edge of homelessness. Mayor Durkan’s proposal has strong support from the City Council because it will do what we’ve been trying to do for years:  address the affordability crisis from many angles, moving people into and through managed shelter into respectful permanent housing,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

“Leveraging the proceeds of this sale to help solve our homelessness crisis is a good and necessary investment. By funding new shelter and housing options and also including a payment to Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA), I am happy to see that these dollars would address both short and long term housing needs.  I look forward to learning more about how the proceeds of this sale will help house our unsheltered neighbors and keep people in safe and stable housing,” said Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle).

“I’m proud Mayor Durkan has chosen housing – one of our City’s most obvious and dire needs – as one of her first initiatives as Executive.  I look forward to collaborating with my Council colleagues to further develop this legislation and other bills intended to address our affordability crisis head on, and to meet the needs for women and others who are more exposed and face greater threats than most others when living without shelter,” said Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle).

This one-time investment would leverage $3.5 million for essential City services and $10.7 million for affordable housing, safer spaces for those without shelter, and provide housing stability for households on the verge of homelessness. The sale of the property located at 1933 Minor Avenue is expected to close in Summer 2018. Mayor Durkan’s proposal includes:

  • Investing $5.5 million in a Bridge Housing Investment Strategy to increase our capacity to quickly and cost-effectively move people experiencing homelessness to safety through new bridge housing and shelter. Several options of bridge shelter or bridge housing will be examined including but not limited to mass shelter tents, hard sided tents, wood-frame sheds, portable modular bunkhouses or cabins, backyard cottages, and the master leasing of existing apartments. This strategy will kick off with a project to serve chronically homeless women in our community by the end of Spring 2018 with additional solutions to be deployed later this year;
  • Investing $2 million to maximize housing options for those on the verge of homelessness by piloting a Seattle Rental Housing Assistance Pilot Program;
  • Reinvesting $2.5 million into our City’s communications capabilities including the relocation of the Seattle IT’s Communication Shop and a new lease;
  • Investing $1 million for design and pre-planning costs for a new Seattle Fire Department facility; and,
  • An upfront Mandatory Housing Affordability payment of $2 million, for affordable housing. The City will be able to leverage the full payment of approximately $7.7 million several times over through other funding sources.

Seattle Repertory Theatre Two Trains Running A Community MUST SEE

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There’s a new president in the White House, and racial tensions are on the rise. No, it’s not 2018, it’s 1969. At a critical moment in the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT Memphis is forced to consider selling his restaurant to the city of Pittsburgh as urban planning eats away at his beloved neighborhood. Featuring a captivating SLICE-OF-LIFE cast of characters, Two Trains Running is celebrated playwright August Wilson’s portrait of a DEFINING MOMENT in American history.

  • Run time is approximately three hours including one intermission.
  • Note: There will be explicit language throughout this production.
Nicole Lewis (Risa), Carlton Byrd (Sterling), Eugene Lee (Memphis) in Seattle Repertory Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Photo by Nate Watters.

“In the world of August Wilson, just because the jukebox is broken doesn’t mean the music has died.”

Can Can Productions Unveils Its Original, Modernized Adaptation Of ROMEO + JULIET

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A Part Of The 2018 Seattle Celebrates Shakespeare Festival
 
Opening February 9, 2018 Underneath the World-Famous Pike Place Market
The season of love is upon us and Can Can Culinary Cabaret is awash in its sentiments with an all-new, modernized dance adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous Romeo + Juliet. As part of Seattle Celebrates Shakespeare, a citywide festival taking place in Spring 2018, Can Can will honor one of history’s greatest writers by putting their own stamp of playful entertainment on the tale of star-crossed lovers. Can Can’s Romeo + Juliet will run February 9 – April 29, 2018 and tickets are on sale now at TheCanCan.com.
“Can Can has been producing original works for over 10 years at our venue underneath Pike Place Market,” Chris Pink, Can Can Artistic Director comments. “That said, in the last four years, we have taken our form and started to create full, evening length shows with an arc to them, as opposed to more vignette, cabaret style evenings. When we got the call from David Armstrong at the 5th Avenue Theatre to participate in the citywide festival, the idea came to the team and me almost immediately – the story of Romeo + Juliet was just made for Can Can! It felt natural that this be our first production to be based on a pre-existing story and as such, we’re really pulling out all the stops.”
Inspired by captivating and dramatic interpretations of this story from the likes of Franco Zeffirelli, Baz Luhrmann, Carlo Carlei, traditional operas, the Royal Ballet, and others, Can Can’s Romeo + Julietfeatures an original score composed and produced by Pink and Pezzner (Chris Pink and Dave Pezzner) with additional production by Justin Hartinger. The music is an original electronic soundtrack flourished with programmed, sampled, and live instrumentation featuring elements of classical, pop, big band, and more. The Can Can Company will dance all new choreography by Fae Phalen Pink while also incorporating a new apparatus into their show concept. “This has been a really fun process,” Fae Phalen Pink, Can Can choreographer commented. “We went into this last Spring aiming to create a sort of juxtaposition of both the traditional story and modern adaptations that instead of creating tensions with violence and death, instead would do so through sexy, romantic encounters performed through dance, burlesque, vocal performance, and so on. It’s much more fun, and much more Can Can this way. One of my favorite moments is the balcony scene in our show – in this version of the tale, our star-crossed lovers perform on a spinning spiral staircase. Now, how does this possibly happen in our intimate, underground venue that seats just 60, you may ask? Well, you’ll just have to come and see for yourself!”
Can Can’s behind-the-scenes shop has been a bustle of activity. Creative team credits include apparatus and set design by Jonathan Betchtel and JC Bedard; lighting design and brand new installation by Robert Aguilar (Seattle Repertory Theatre: Pride and Prejudice, Dry Powder). Music composition by Pink and Pezzner with mix by Floyd Reitsma (Litho: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews) and mastered by Ed Brooks (Resonant Mastering: Fleet Foxes, Deathcab for Cutie); Projections by TJ Davis of Lux Collective (Base Nectar, Google); and choreography by Fae Phaelen Pink.
The Can Can Company of dancers for Romeo + Juliet (playing evenings onlyl) feature co-producer and principle emcee Jonathan Betchel (BFA Cornish College; Can Can: Wonderland, French Kiss); Elise Landles (BFA Cornish College; Can Can: Ice Cream, Wonderland); and Shay Jenkins (Can Can: Ice Cream; Wonderland); Joel Domenico (Can Can: Ice Cream Sundaes; Wonderland) and Shadou Mintrone (Spectrum Dance Theatre; Can Can: Wonderland Brunch; This Is Halloween).

Mayor Durkan Proposes $11 Million for Homeless Programs from Sale of City Property

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Mayor Jenny Durkan with Melinda Giovengo (Youthcare), City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Debora Juarez, Rev. Lawrence Willis (S.V.I and LIHI Board), Gerald Brooks (former tiny house resident), Sharon Lee, and Seattle Vocational Institute students.

 

Mayor Durkan is allocating $5.5 of the $11 million City land sale proceeds to tiny houses, micro units and backyard cottages, etc. This will cover some of the capital costs for new tiny house villages.  LIHI will be working with the City to set up a new village to house chronically homeless women.
Gerald Brooks, the resident who spoke at the press event, was swept by police last year and lived at Licton Springs Tiny House Village. He is a military veteran who was homeless for four years. Thanks to LIHI case manager Richard Horne he is now in permanent housing at LIHI’s Marion West apartments in the U District!

Featured in the background of the photo on left is a completed tiny house built by volunteer Dale Hoff, who is building a tiny house a month in 2018.  S.V.I students are in the process of building their 16th tiny house as part of their curriculum.

Gov. Inslee appoints retired Judge William Downing to Public Disclosure Commission

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Retired William Downing

The Public Disclosure Commission today announced that Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed retired Superior Court Judge William Downing to the Commission.

Downing was a highly regarded member of the King County Superior Court bench for 28 years. Since his retirement in early 2017, he has worked part-time as a mediator and arbitrator for JAMS, an international alternative dispute resolution firm.
“Judge Downing has served our state with distinction for many years as a judge and mediator. He has an impartial, fair and open approach that will serve him well as a Public Disclosure Commissioner and tremendously benefit all Washingtonians,” Inslee said.
Downing’s judicial career was distinguished by a focus on building public trust and confidence in the courts. He was a longtime chair of the Washington Pattern Jury Instructions Committee as well as the Bench-Bar-Press Liaison Committee, where he was the author of the state’s rule giving news cameras broad access to courtrooms. He also was an integral part of the YMCA Mock Trial, coordinating the yearly competition for high school students and writing many of the cases that students argued.
“Public access to and understanding of government is a vital part of a democratic society,” Downing said. “I see in the PDC mission the same values that shaped my time in the judiciary. I am delighted to be part of a team focused on this important aspect of public education.”
A native of Kinderhook, New York, Downing spent three years as a deckhand on Mississippi River tugs and Bellingham-based fishing boats before attending law school at the University of Washington. He was a deputy prosecutor for King County for 12 years before joining the judiciary.
During his time on the bench, Downing presided over many notable cases, among them the 2004 challenge of the state’s Defense of Marriage Act that prohibited same-sex marriage. Downing was the first trial-court judge in the nation to strike down such a law as unconstitutional.
Downing has been named a “Distinguished Alumnus” of the University of Washington Law School and has received the Williams Nevins and Robert Utter Awards for promoting ethical and democratic values. The Council on Public Legal Education presented him with its “Flame of Democracy Award” this year.
“I was long an admirer of Judge Downing’s thoughtful judicial approach when he was on the bench,” said Commission Chair Anne Levinson. “Bill is also a wonderful human being with a deep commitment to the mission of the PDC. He will be an asset to the Commission as we ensure that the state’s campaign finance laws are fully and fairly enforced, the public is provided timely access to information, and we provide guidance to help the regulated community comply with the law.”
Downing joins fellow Commissioners Levinson, Jack Johnson and David Ammons. The Commission is comprised of five individuals, who are appointed by the governor to five-year terms.
Downing’s appointment fills one of two vacancies left by the December departures of former Commissioners Judge John Bridges (ret.) and former Mayor and state Rep. Katrina Asay.
“I want to thank Commissioners Asay and Bridges and for their service. They each gave generously of their time and expertise to the work of the Commission on behalf of the public,” Levinson said.
Voters created the PDC in 1972 with the passage of Initiative 276. The agency provides timely and meaningful public access to accurate information about the financing of political campaigns, lobbyist expenditures, and the financial affairs of public officials and candidates and enforces Washington’s campaign finance and disclosure laws.

Trained for success: Corrections program promotes rehabilitation

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Larry Vene operates the wastewater treatment plant at Cedar Creek Corrections Center, the very prison where he was once incarcerated. While incarcerated, Vene received the training needed to work in wastewater treatment, and now he helps train men currently incarcerated at the prison. (Washington State Department of Corrections photo)

 

When Larry Vene went to prison 15 years ago for a drug conviction, he didn’t expect the path to his dream job would be through sewage.

But thanks to the training he received through Cedar Creek Corrections Center’s wastewater treatment plant program, he became a plant operator after his prison release. It’s a job he’s had for 10 years — the past four and a half of which were at the very prison where he was previously incarcerated.

“I wanted to come back to give back,” Vene said. “I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that I do more for the environment every day than most people do in their lifetime.”

Vene ensures the plant is in top condition to filter and process an average of 40,000 gallons of wastewater daily. He also trains nine incarcerated men who help run the plant and the prison’s on-site compost facility.

Four men’s correctional facilities in Washington state run on-site wastewater treatment plant operator programs, and incarcerated men who learn the trade have the potential to earn a good wage after they are released. In Washington state, wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn an average of $63,087 annually.

Inslee appoints special assistant to oversee agency compliance with immigration executive order

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Michelle Gonzalez

Gov. Jay Inslee  announced he has hired a special assistant to help state agencies comply with the governor’s executive order to protect immigrant residents from discriminatory federal deportation efforts.

Michelle Gonzalez is an attorney who currently teaches at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and is former assistant dean of UW’s School of Law. She will begin her six-month appointment next week.

“It is clear that our well-intentioned efforts to protect Washington’s hard-working immigrant and refugee families need to be reviewed and improved,” Inslee said. “Federal immigration officials are becoming more aggressive and creative in seeking individuals who pose no apparent public safety risk and have no other criminal record. We have to be equally aggressive and creative in anticipating how they will take advantage of information our agencies use. Michelle’s legal expertise will help us greatly with that effort.”

Last year, Inslee announced an executive order aimed at reducing the likelihood that personal information collected by state agencies could be used by the Trump Administration to single out Muslims, Hispanics or other targeted populations.

The Seattle Times recently discovered that the state Department of Licensing has been responding regularly to requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in investigations that appear to be solely related to immigration issues. DOL has implemented swift changes in response to the findings, and Inslee hopes Gonzalez can improve the ability of other state agencies to identify changes necessary to safeguard personal information from immigration authorities.

Gonzalez will work with agencies to ensure unnecessary personal information is not being collected or retained, and review agency processes for interacting with law enforcement and responding to related records requests.

“We do not consider it a crime to take your children to school, work hard and contribute to the vibrancy of our economy and our communities,” Inslee said. “While we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement authorities that are investigating crimes that pose a threat to public safety, we will not be intimidated or coerced into helping deport individuals who are merely working hard to make a better life for themselves and their families.”

Clibborn and Senn cheer passage of $4 billion construction budget

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Construction projects across the state of Washington and the 41st District now have the funding they need after the House and Senate passed the state’s $4 billion construction budget.

“This budget is about jobs, opportunity and building a better Washington,” said Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island. “I’m proud that we worked together to get this done so men and women in hard hats can get to work building schools, colleges, state parks and other vital projects.”

The budget – Senate Bill 6090 – passed the House 95-1 and the Senate 49-0.

“I’m celebrating the fact this budget includes record investments in education, such as the $1 billion to build new public schools and $800 million for public colleges and universities,” said Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island. “I’m also proud to have established a grant program for Career and Technical Education that will benefit schools here in the 41st and across the state.”

Here are some highlights from the local projects list:

  • $3.3 million for projects at Bellevue College
  • $72,000 for career and technical education equipment for Bellevue public schools
  • $50,000 for career and technical education equipment for Issaquah public schools
  • $500,000 for Cougar Mountain trails
  • $2.6 million for the Lake Sammamish Picnic Area
  • $500,000 for the Wilburton Trestle

WA DOL issues Emergency Rule

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Washington residents who apply for a standard driver license, instruction permit and ID card will no longer be asked to provide their place of birth as part of the application process.

On January 19, 2018 the Department of Licensing (DOL) filed emergency rule making to immediately end the collection of information that isn’t required by state or federal statute. This change takes effect today.

During the 120 day period the emergency rule is in effect, DOL will pursue rule changes in order to permanently eliminate place of birth as a requirement to apply for a driver license or ID card.

After 30 days, DOL will file proposed rule language altering WAC 308‐104‐014. DOL is required to hold a public hearing at least 20 days following submission of text. The rule becomes permanent 31 days from the date DOL files the exact text of the rule and the agency’s response to any written or verbal testimony.

DOL is taking these actions to ensure the agency is safeguarding personal information that can be used to determine immigration status and to uphold the intent of Governor Inslee’s Executive Order 17-01, Reaffirming Washington’s Commitment to Tolerance, Diversity, and Inclusiveness.

For more information, visit http://www.dol.wa.gov/informationdisclosure.html.