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Archives for September 2018

City of Seattle awards $900,000 in matching funds for 16 community-based projects

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The City of Seattle has awarded $890,250 to support 16 community-initiated projects through Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund. Our Community Partnership Fund offers matching funds of up to $100,000 to community organizations committed to fostering and building community. These awards range from $17,000 to $100,000 with the 16 organizations pledging over $786,680 in community match involving volunteer hours, locally raised money, donated materials, and in-kind professional services.

“Seattle’s distinct and culturally rich neighborhoods are what make our city the best place to live in the country. The 16 organizations receiving matching funds have their fingers on the pulse of the needs of their community and are truly invested in making Seattle more inclusive and more accessible to everyone. We celebrate these organizations for the work they are doing, connecting our neighbors with resources that provide safety and cross-cultural understanding.”  

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Our Neighborhood Matching Fund has two funds: Community Partnership Fund, which is offered three times a year with cash awards up to $100,000; and Small Sparks Fund, which is offered on a rolling basis throughout the year with cash awards of up to $5,000.

“With this NMF funding, we are one step closer to revitalizing Maynard Alley – one of Seattle’s three historic alleys. Not only does this funding support our community engagement and outreach, it also allows us to work with design and engineering professionals to ensure the community’s ideas are carried out in a safe and sustainable manner.”

Jamie Lee, SCIDpda’s director of Community Initiatives and a partner with Friends of Little Saigon

The Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) provides more than $3 million each year to local organizations. Over its nearly 30-year history, more than 5,000 projects have been funded in partnership with the NMF Program, and its investment in neighborhoods can be seen across the city. For more information about NMF, visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/.

 

2018 Community Partnership Fund Awards – Summer Cycle

Citywide (Across All Districts)

  • $60,000 to Le Leo o Samoa: Voice of Samoa to create Saili Ao Malo: Samoan American Trilogy, a documentary to raise awareness of and celebrate Samoan American Culture. This project will actively engage college-aged youth leaders and culminate in public screenings of the film to share Fa’asamoa – the Samoan way of life. (Community match: $49,980)

 

District 1

  • $41,450 to Friends of Delridge Triangle to engage a professional designer to create a conceptual redesign with community input for the Delridge Triangle at 9200 Delridge Way SW. Managed by Seattle Department of Transportation, this property is located on a busy travel corridor. (Community Match: $29,490)
  • $45,764 to the South Park Retail Merchants Association to install a welcome sign and create additional green space at the intersection of 14th and Director St. This project is informed by the Duwamish Valley Vision Plan 2009 and community input. (Community match: $24,800)

 

District 2

  • $69,000 to SouthEast Effective Development to educate and empower southeast residents to produce community radio programs for KVRU 105.7. This project includes the development of a training program, equipment purchases for community use, and broadcasting live, local programs. (Community match: $64,200)
  • $28,160 to Community Arts Create to work with diverse local musicians and educators to design and deliver a weekly roots music class to 30 southeast Seattle youth. The project culminates in December with a free community concert. Students will be offered a stipend for participating in the program. (Community match: $28,960)
  • $17,000 to Friends of Little Saigon to undertake a study to improve Maynard Alley. Once implemented, the changes will improve Maynard Alley’s safety and usability for community members and pedestrians. (Community match: $61,000)
  • $48,250 to Friends of Maple Elementary School to work with a landscape architect/master plan designer and conduct extensive outreach to produce a master plan that improves access routes and outdoor usability of the school for students, neighbors, and community groups. (Community match: $32,000)
  • $33,790 to East African Community Services to establish a year-long Parent Training Leadership Initiative Pilot for East African parents. This project seeks to engage, educate, and empower the East African community by covering issues like culture, citizenship and agency, racism, poverty, and diversity. (Community match: $32,700)
  • $52,391 to hire a design firm to develop 60% design for improvements at the 8th Ave S Street End. This project will work with community members to develop a cohesive street end and shoreline design that includes a bioswale, ADA parking, benches, and accessible shoreline. (Community match: $28,800)

 

District 3

  • $82,500 to Africatown – Central District Preservation & Development Association to create a temporary neighborhood hub called “Imagine Africatown Fall Winter Activation @ Midtown” that celebrates the African American/African Diaspora legacy and culture in the Central District through art, pop-up events, and other programming. (Community match: $83,940)
  • $68,000 to 206 Zulu to host the Meeting of the Minds Community Arts Forum that brings local leaders, artists, youth, families, and pioneers in urban arts activism together. The free forum will include guest speakers, panels, presentations, art displays, and performances from both emerging and established artists, dancers, and musicians. (Community match: $50,380.48)

 

District 4

  • $49,940 to Green Lake Elementary PTA to hire a design team to develop a master plan with the community for an active space area at the school. The redesigned space will be more inclusive and inviting to both students and the neighborhood. (Community match: $36,015)
  • $100,000 to the University District Food Bank to install an anaerobic digester at the site to reduce waste and provide free compost to neighborhood P-Patch gardens. Community members will participate in its construction and direct its subsequent use as an educational tool. (Community match: $127,440)

 

District 7

  • $80,000 to the Magnolia Historical Society to produce a 3rd volume of Magnolia neighborhood histories extending the record provided by previous volumes to the mid-20th century. More than 40 residents will participate in the creation of this book. (Community match: $54,755)
  • $79,180 to Friends of Discovery Park to develop two trail design and viewpoint alternatives for the South Beach Trail in response to community meetings with Seattle Parks and Recreation and the public. The project will reopen the trail and improve trail safety. (Community match: $39,600)
  • $34,825 to Belltown Community Council Parks and Arts to fund several events and programming in Belltown’s five parks throughout the year. This project seeks to foster a sense of community through these public events. (Community match: $42,500)

Mayor Durkan seeks members for three Landmarks Preservation Board positions

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At-Large, Urban Planning, and Structural Engineer positions open

Mayor Jenny Durkan is seeking three new members to serve on the Landmarks Preservation Board in the at-large, planning and structural engineer positions. The 12-member Landmarks Preservation Board makes recommendations to Seattle City Council for landmark designation and reviews all proposed physical alterations to designated features of landmark properties.

The Board is composed of two architects; two historians; one structural engineer; one representative each from the fields of urban planning, real estate, and finance; a Get Engaged member (a position for ages 18-29); and three members at-large. All appointments are made by the Mayor and subject to City Council confirmation.

Landmarks Preservation Board meetings are held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 3:30 p.m. The Architect and Historian board members also serve on the Board’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC). In general, board members must commit approximately 10 hours per month to Landmarks Board business.

Interested applicants must be Seattle residents, and Board members serve without compensation. If interested in being considered, send a letter of interest and resume by Monday, October 15.

Please email your letter and resume to: Erin.Doherty@seattle.gov
(reference the Landmarks Preservation Board in the subject line)

Electronic submissions are preferred, if possible. To submit a paper copy, please address: Erin Doherty, Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, PO Box 94649, Seattle, WA 98124-4649.

For more information, contact Erin Doherty at (206) 684-0380.

Improve your civic leadership skills at the People’s Academy for Community Engagement

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Now accepting applications through October 1; classes begin October 13

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is accepting applications to the People’s Academy for Community Engagement (PACE), its civic leadership development program, for the next wave of community leaders. The Fall Quarter will be held on Saturdays beginning October 13 and running through November 10.

During the 5-week program, 25-30 emerging leaders (18 years and up) learn hands-on strategies for community building, accessing government, and inclusive engagement from experts in the field. PACE has a strong focus on Seattle’s community and the city’s governmental structure and processes.

The classes will be held on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Topics include: Approaches to Leadership, Accessing City Government, Community Organizing, Building Relationships with Local Media, Public Speaking, Conflict Resolution, and more. Tuition is $100, and there is tuition assistance available.

To apply, visit seattle.gov/PACE. The application deadline for the upcoming Fall Quarter is Monday, October 1 at 5:00 p.m.

PACE is offered three times a year: winter, spring and fall. Applications for all quarters are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit our webpage and for questions, email PACE@seattle.gov.

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY

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On Sale Now! The Williams Project’s
Thought-Provoking New Production of Tony Kushner’s
A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY
October 25 – November 18 at Hillman City Collaboratory
A story about the struggle between conscience and comfort – how much are you willing to sacrifice for your beliefs? All tickets pay-what-you-can and available now.
Seattle, WASH. (September 5, 2018) – The Williams Project today announced that single tickets to its production of Tony Kushner’s A Bright Room Called Day, directed by Ryan Guzzo Purcell, are on sale now. Set in Germany in the early 1930s, during Hitler’s rise to power, A Bright Room Called Day follows a group of ordinary Berliners. This circle of friends, all artists and activists, resembles Seattle today: diverse, theoretically progressive but largely comfortable, unsure how bad things will get, struggling between practicality and militancy, idealism and realpolitik. As their story unfolds amidst a gathering national storm, Kushner’s prescient work tackles questions of community and civic responsibility that will sound eerily relevant in our time and place. How should everyday people engage with politics in a dangerous time? How do we know what tactics to use? How do we build coalitions, despite our differences? The Williams Project’s A Bright Room Called Day will run October 26 – November 18, 2018 at the Hillman City Collaboratory in South Seattle – all tickets are pay-what-you-can and available now at TheWilliamsProject.org.
“It’s a play about politics, and creeping fascism, so of course everyone will say it’s about Trump,” says Artistic Director Ryan Guzzo Purcell. “And, I guess it kind of is. But this play is amazing because it was written thirty years ago. Tony Kushner predicted our present political moment not because he knew Trump was coming but because he understood how the stories Americans tell themselves might someday clear the way for someone like Trump. And so, the play becomes about us. About Seattleites, in 2018, and what we need to do to change ourselves, our city, and our country. And because it’s Kushner, this play finds a way to rigorously engage that debate and still be funny and sexy and theatrical and human.”
Building upon The Williams Project’s commitment to making theatre that sparks civic discourse and connects communities, performancesof A Bright Room Called Day will feature partnerships with other local nonprofits and advocacy organizations, highlighting for audiences ways of becoming more civically engaged. After specially-designated performances, stay to talk with representatives from partner organizations about how their work makes a difference in Seattle communities and how you can get involved. Look for updates on these non-profit partnerships in the coming weeks at TheWilliamsProject.org.
About the Venue
The Hillman City Collaboratory is a social change incubator, where community forms across boundaries and visionaries bring their dreams to life. The Collab is a cooperative, multi-purpose space shared by grassroots organizations and individuals who care about social justice, creative expression, and community building. The Collab strive to be an instrument of transformation, providing a built environment and programming that supports community and equips change-makers. Learn more at hillmancitycollaboratory.org.
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS
WHAT:
A Bright Room Called Day
By Tony Kushner
Directed by Ryan Guzzo Purcell
A new president has just come to power by the slimmest of margins. Though his rhetoric is alarming, democratic institutions are strong and the opposition is looking good heading into the next election. This is Berlin, in 1932. In Agnes Eggling’s apartment, a group of artists and activists struggle between their conscience and their comfort, trying to decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for their beliefs. First produced in 1985, this prophetic play by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner is a wake-up call and warning for contemporary America, posing timely questions about citizenship, resistance, and complicity. In Williams Project fashion, this production will partner with local nonprofits and activist organizations to connect audiences with new avenues for civic engagement in their communities. All tickets are pay-what-you-can and available now at TheWilliamsProject.org.
WHERE:
Hillman City Collaboratory
WHEN:
October 25 – November 18, 2018
Thursday-Sunday (with two exceptions, there is no performance on Thursday, October 8, and instead there is a performance on Monday, October 12).
Show begins at 7:30 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m.)
Opening Night is Friday, November 26, 2018. Media Invite to come.
TICKETS:
$0-$50 – ON SALE NOW
Online Box Office >> TheWilliamsProject.org
All seating is general admission. Learn more about The Williams Project’s inclusive approach to ticket pricing here: http://www.thewilliamsproject.org/box-office.
SOCIAL:
Facebook – /TheWilliamsProject
Instagram – @TheWilliamsProject
About The Williams Project
The Williams Project is a theatre ensemble that strives to make theatrical excellence accessible to diverse and engaged audiences, while paying our artists a living wage. The writing of Tennessee Williams shapes our vision of theatrical excellence, so we strive, like him, to create theatre that is:
  • Entertaining enough to make everyone feel welcome and a part of the community;
  • Ambitious enough to risk humiliating failure;
  • Powerful enough to move people to love each other more, even in the face of the temporary nature of theatre and life.
The Williams Project strives to make theatre in a manner consistent with our belief that professional artists are vital to our culture, and that such artists deserve to be compensated in a way that recognizes their value. Great theatre artists sacrifice greatly to make important work, and we pay our artists a living wage in order to support that work.
This production of A Bright Room Called Day is supported, in part, by grants from 4Culture/King County Lodging Tax, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Show Sponsor for A Bright Room Called Day is Verity Credit Union. KUOW is this production’s Media Sponsor.

 

True Hope Village READY TO SERVE

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Middle left: Sharon Lee, Rev. Jeffrey of New Hope Church, Rev. Willis of True Vine Church, and True Vine parishioner. Middle right: New Hope parishioners donating hygiene supplies. Bottom right: True Hope Village kitchen and community space.

LIHI celebrated the opening of True Hope Village, the ninth tiny house village in Seattle.  True Hope will shelter about 55 residents, including homeless families with children, students, seniors, veterans, singles and people with pets. The village is sponsored by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church and will feature 35 tiny houses with heat, insulation and electricity. The village includes shared kitchen, laundry, showers, counseling offices, security gatehouse and community space.

“Tiny houses are not the end solution for this struggle against homelessness; they are simply an interim action. We must continue to work for the day when affordable housing is available for everyone,” said Rev. Robert Jeffrey, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.
True Hope houses were built by 400 Vulcan employees at CenturyLink Exhibit Center in partnership with Associated General Contractors (AGC), SVI, Urban League and nine contractors.  Houses were also built and donated by UW Medex, Arlington High School, SVI, Northwest School, Walsh Construction, Sumner High School, IBEW Local 46, Google, Microsoft, Wheelhouse DMG, and John Ricker and his neighbors.

Two case managers will assist villagers with obtaining long-term housing, services, employment and healthcare.  Residents will abide by a Code of Conduct. Full-time staff will be on-site 24/7 to supervise and keep the village clean, organized and safe. The Seattle Human Services Department is providing funding for operations and services. The Low Income Housing Institute, a nonprofit organization, is operating the village.

Referrals to True Hope Village will come from Seattle Vocational Institute, Urban League, Seattle Indian Center, SPD’s Navigation Team, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Truevine Of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church, and LIHI.

The Marion West wins 2018 VISION 2040 Award

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Joe Gruber (U District Food Bank) and Sharon Lee (LIHI) accept award
from Puget Sound Regional Council executive director Josh Brown

The Low-Income Housing Institute, University District Food Bank, YouthCare, Runberg Architecture Group, BNBuilders, Susan Black and Associates, the Washington State Housing Trust Fund and the City of Seattle have won a 2018 VISION 2040 Award from the Puget Sound Regional Council for the Marion West development. The awards recognize innovative projects and programs that help ensure a sustainable future as the region grows.

“This partnership envisioned a community with amenities that meet the needs of struggling groups of people,” said Josh Brown, Executive Director of PSRC, “and built that facility with the right mix of apartments, community space, food security, job training and more.”
The Marion West is a mixed-use housing development that provides housing and job training for formerly homeless young adults, workforce housing for people making 40 to 60 percent of the area median income, and a food bank that is growing fresh produce on the roof.
James Bible, civil rights attorney and grandson of Marion and Ray West, shared inspiring
stories of how his grandparents helped break the color barrier in Seattle

The award was presented at the Marion West in the University District on August 29, 2018.

VISION 2040 is the region’s growth management, economic, and transportation strategy, designed to meet the needs of the 5 million people expected to be living in the region in 2040. It is an integrated, long-range vision for the future that lays out a strategy for maintaining a healthy region – promoting the well-being of people and communities, economic vitality, and a healthy environment.
PSRC develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth, transportation and economic development planning within King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. The Council is composed of over 80 entities, including all four counties, cities and towns, ports, state and local transportation agencies and tribal governments within the region.

Washington ranked the best state to work

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Washington is the best state for workers, according to a ranking released today by Oxfam America. The organization based its findings on wages, worker protections and workers’ rights in all 50 states and the nation’s capital — and only the District of Columbia had the Evergreen State beat.

The state’s new paid family and medical leave program played an important part in securing Washington’s spot in the Best States to Work Index.

Last year, Washington passed the landmark bipartisan legislation, becoming the fifth state in the nation to get a paid family leave program, which will offer some of the most progressive benefits in the nation. Washington’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program will provide everyone in the workforce with up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave to care for their own serious health condition and up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or an ailing family member.

Oxfam, an organization that aims to end poverty, also gave high marks to Washington state for not having a so-called “right to work” law similar to those that have weakened unions in other states. And the organization noted that Washington has rules to ensure equal pay, accommodations for pregnant workers, and sexual harassment protections, as well as laws that prohibit pay secrecy in the workplace.

“Washington state is busting the myth that policymakers have to choose between promoting a strong economy or protecting and supporting our workers,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “We consistently rank as having one of the best economies in the nation, and that’s because businesses thrive when we invest in our people and in making our state a beautiful and healthy place to live.”

Relationships change when caregiving needs begin

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Friendships can last a lifetime. When childhood friendships continue into adulthood, they can evolve into something more, such as a tremendous support system offering encouragement, and even growing into caregiving. Not all caregivers are family. Many caregivers are friends and neighbors close by or far away.

Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources is offering another free film in our caregiving series. The film “Miss You Already” will be shown on Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Grand Cinema, located at 606 S. Fawcett Avenue in Tacoma. The film begins at 10:45 a.m. with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. Complimentary popcorn will be provided by Advanced Healthcare. The film is free, but tickets must be reserved online through Brown Paper Tickets or by calling the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 253-798-4600.

“Miss You Already” centers on two women who have been best friends forever. They have shared everything since they were kids – secrets, clothes, laughs, substances, and boyfriends. As adults, one has a great job and lives in a townhouse with her wonderful family. The other has a less glamorous job and lives with her boyfriend on a houseboat in London. Although their friendship is rock solid, it is put to the test when life throws them curveballs that affect their health and happiness.

“There is nothing more special than a lasting friendship,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources manager. “They can support us through thick and thin.  Deep, lasting friendships are vital when the need for caregiving arises. While family is important, drawing on the support of close friends can complement the assistance that others are able to provide. This film definitely shows how important friends are in offering care.”

Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources offers this film as part of our Family Caregiver Support Program. The program helps unpaid family caregivers with a variety of supports including education, counseling, adaptive equipment, housework and errands services and respite care. The program offers support to families of all incomes. For more information about the program or to reserve your tickets, call the Pierce County Aging and Disability Resource Center at 253-798-4600.

Changing the face of championship golf in the Pacific Northwest

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Chambers Bay will replace its fine fescue putting surfaces with perennial Poa annua in a decision that will immediately improve daily playing conditions and ensure the ability to conduct an exemplary USGA Championship in 2021, officials for Chambers Bay recently announced. Chambers Bay — site of the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, 2015 U.S. Open and the 2010 U.S. Amateur championships — will close play on Oct. 1 and reopen in March 2019. The golf course closure will not impact operations of the Chambers Creek Regional Park.

The ongoing turfgrass project will provide long-term benefits to the facility, which is an important asset to the community and region, according to Matt Allen, General Manager. Chambers Bay is owned by Pierce County and operated by KemperSports.

In early 2017, turfgrass health issues surfaced on three putting greens (No. 7, No. 10, and No. 13), and the decision was made to re-sod those greens with a local source of Poa annua. Results of that sod work prompted conversations between KemperSports, Pierce County, and the USGA about the prospect of re-surfacing every green. By the end of the year, consensus had been reached that such a project would not only ensure better putting surfaces for future championships, but would improve the every-day experience for our customers.

“We acknowledge the foresight and initiative of everyone at Chambers Bay for undertaking this work,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s Senior Managing Director of Championships.

Overwhelmingly positive feedback has been received from customers and stakeholders about the new Poa annua greens.

“The people I have talked to have been nothing but positive about the new greens they have played,” said Larry Gilhuly, USGA Agronomist. “Players think the greens are spectacular. They’re firm. They have good pace.”

“Any concerns that Poa annua would not be conducive to the firm and fast conditions that are hallmarks of links golf have quickly been erased,” said Eric Johnson, Director of Agronomy at Chambers Bay.

While the course is closed, the clubhouse, golf shop, and restaurant will remain open Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information or to book a tee time at Chambers Bay, visithttp://www.chambersbaygolf.com/.

About Chambers Bay:

Located just south of Tacoma, Washington, on the shores of Puget Sound, Chambers Bay is widely recognized as one of the finest municipally owned golf courses in the United States. When it opened in 2007, Chambers Bay was recognized by GOLF Magazine and Travel+Leisure Golf as the top new golf course in America. As the site of the 2015 U.S. Open Championship, Chambers Bay features 18 holes of scenic and challenging links golf, with vistas of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains to the west and of iconic Mt. Rainier to the east. Chambers Bay is owned by Pierce County, and is managed by KemperSports. For information and tee times call 1-877-295-4657 or visit chambersbaygolf.com.

 

Purchasing forum helps businesses work with government

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Businesses looking to win government contracts have that opportunity at the annual Greater Pierce County Purchasing Forum.  This free event takes place Thursday, Oct. 11 from 8:30 a.m.- 12 p.m. at the McGavick Conference Center located on the campus of Clover Park Technical College, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Building 23, in Lakewood.

Participants can learn first-hand how to register and compete for contracts with federal, state, and local government agencies, meet one-on-one with purchasing agents and network with other Pierce County business owners and managers.

Participating agencies include Pierce County, City of Tacoma, Port of Tacoma, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), Native PTAC, NAVSUP Fleet Logics Center-Puget Sound, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Facilities Engineering Command NW, Tacoma Public Schools, Pierce Transit, City of Lakewood, Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises, Minority Business Development Center-Tacoma Business Center, City of Tacoma Small Business Enterprise Program and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

Register online here

For more information email Hans Kueck or call (253) 798-2335.