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When Diversity Matters Most. The Strength Lies In Differences, Not In Similarities

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King County Elections hearing reports of ballot drop boxes filling up

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Officials with King County Elections said on Saturday that they were hearing of ballot drop boxes filling up from people voting.

The county has assured voters its ballot collection teams are out emptying boxes at least once a day and in busy locations, twice a day.

“Ballard Library, for example, tends to be our busiest box. Others in that top tier include Crossroads in Bellevue, Redmond City Hall, our box at Elections HQ and more.” officials said.

Officials said that the ballot drop box bins hold about 5,000 ballots and could “theoretically hold more.” However, what they see more often “than a truly full box is the ballots stacked up a little funky and that makes it hard to get more in there. But we’re expecting to break records this weekend.”

The pandemic has more places across the nation following Washington’s lead, offering mail-in options.

 

Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now Statement on Introduction of Bill Gutting Efforts to Divest from Policing and Invest in Black Community

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Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now Statement on Introduction of Bill Gutting Efforts to Divest from Policing and Invest in Black Community

Coalitions Urge Council Members to Reject Surrender to Durkan and Defend Black Lives

Seattle City Council President Lorena González will introduce a bill that guts efforts to divest from policing and invest in the Black community. This is unacceptable. This is anti-Black.

The gutted bill follows a pattern of the Executive branch bleeding into the Legislative branch, with Mayor Durkan reshaping legislation that Council has already passed. This new bill represents an utter capitulation to the Mayor, who has shamelessly not moved from her anti-Black, pro-police position. The bill does not get us closer to creating true community safety. We reject this approach and question the motives behind it. We urge Council members to override the Mayor’s veto outright. For the first time in their careers, we urge them to stand on the right side of history, stand for Black lives, and against the Mayor’s anti-Black obstructionism.

This summer’s historic uprising in defense of Black lives—following the police murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Manny Ellis and too many others—inspired millions across the country to demand a rethinking of our reliance on racist policing. These movements compelled our Council members to heed the calls for an end to the era of bloated police budgets and failed models of “public safety,” an era that resulted in the police murders of Charleena Lyles, John T Williams, and many others. Council members voted for the first time to minimally cut a police budget, rather than grow it. They voted for a modest $3 million to fund a Black-community led research process to let those most impacted by policing lead the planning of a new world beyond it. They voted for $14 million to fund community interventions to generate safety that do not rely on policing, including $4 million to urgently address gun violence needs in the Black community.

These bills passed with a veto-proof majority. Mayor Durkan’s August 21st veto was anti-Black. It was offensive to all those who stand with Black lives and against racist policing. But it was not unexpected. In fact, this was her fifth veto of a council bill—more than any of the previous five mayors had during their tenure. Council members knew when they voted that they were signing up for an override vote. Nothing has changed except for the Mayor’s public relations machine going into overdrive to justify a veto of a cut to a tiny fraction of SPD’s overall budget, as well as a veto of an investment that pales next to SPD’s overtime budget. That brings us to this moment, to a so-called compromise that reflects a Mayor who continues to attempt to strong-arm the City Council into doing her will.

We reject the new bill, a bill which reflects the Mayor’s contempt for Black people and nothing more. We reject a bill that does not reduce the size of SPD, that keeps the failed Navigation Team mostly in place, along with budget lines for mounted police, police officers in school, and more. We reject a bill that offers $200,000 in bonuses to cops hired in 2020, even as essential city workers face layoffs. We reject a bill that outright slashes community investments in true public safety to $2.5 million down from $14 million. As these investments are needed to address substantial gun violence happening in the Black community right now, this gutted proposal is straight anti-Black. We reject a bill that locks thousands of Black community members (especially elders, youth, and those without political connections to the Mayor) out of the process of reimagining public safety.

Our council members were elected to serve their constituents. This summer, we saw them begin the process of creating true community safety. We saw them vote for Black lives. We urge them to override the veto and reject surrender to the Mayor’s pro-police agenda. We urge them to stand for Black lives and restore badly-needed balance to the legislative/executive relationship. We ask them not to flip-flop on one of the most important votes of their careers. Nothing has changed—our city is still in urgent need of rethinking our approach to public safety. The material conditions for most Black people haven’t changed. They won’t change without the City Council standing in defense of Black lives and avoiding capitulation to the Mayor’s defense of the status quo. We urge Council members to stay the course, follow through on their public commitments, and vote to override.

2020 Bite of Seattle canceled for first time in 38 years!

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Since 1982 when short shorts and big hair ruled at the first Bite of Seattle at Green Lake Park with 75,000 people celebrating food and summer fun, to 38 years later at Seattle Center, 300,000 guests, three live music stages, over 200 vendors, chef battles, and craft beer and cider tasting, the Albert Lee Appliance Bite of Seattle has remained one of the great iconic free-to-attend community festivals in the Northwest.

People from all walks of life coming together to celebrate summer, with three days of festivities, great food, entertainment, chef demonstrations, Bite Movie Night, kids activities, and so much more, all made possible by invaluable partnerships with sponsors like Albert Lee Appliance, BECU, Emerald Queen Casino, NW Beverages, Xfinity, and, many more.

Festivals Inc. the event production company behind the Bite of Seattle, had been trying to reschedule the Bite for a later date, and, had successfully secured a tentative date in late August, however most recently had been notified that the City of Seattle Special Events Committee voted and approved the following:

“The City of Seattle is not issuing permits for major events until further notice – adhering to guidance from the State of Washington and Public Health – Seattle & King County.  These include major cultural events, run/walk events, street events, festivals, and vendor fairs.”  This lasts in a best-case scenario through Labor Day.

Furthermore, recently the State Public Health Department and Governor Inslee issued the following guidance which states in part:

“The changes between Phase 3 and Phase 4, especially with regards to gathering size and occupancy rates, could further increase the spread of COVID-19 in our state, even in communities that have very low rates of disease. The progress we’ve made thus far is at risk, therefore we are making the prudent choice to slow down our phased approach to reopening.”

The vote by the City of Seattle Special Events Committee, in addition to Public Health mandates, and the Governor’s continued restrictions on gatherings into the unforeseeable and unpredictable future, and, for the safety of all involved, the 2020 Albert Lee Appliance Bite of Seattle will be forced to cancel.

“Despite this devastating news, not only for the Bite of Seattle, but for the hundreds of thousands of guests who attend the Bite each year, our top priority remains the health and safety of our guests, vendors, employees, bands, chefs, and all who help make the Bite of Seattle the summer festival of the year,” said Brett Gorrell, President of Festivals Inc.

Behind the scenes, the Albert Lee Appliance Bite of Seattle takes months of planning including securing sponsors, media partners, food and craft vendors, chefs, craft breweries, cider houses, over 90 entertainment acts, in addition to the extensive onsite infrastructure that sprawls across the Seattle Center campus.

The Bite of Seattle has become “the” free-to-attend community food and entertainment festival of the summer, and recently featured as part of the Food Paradise “Best of the Fests” across America series, on The Cooking Channel.

In its 38-year history, the Bite of Seattle has won numerous ‘best of’ awards, and in 2019, founder Alan Silverman was inducted into the Washington Festival and Events Association Hall of Fame.

The Bite of Seattle has secured itself as one of the best food festivals in the world; a long way since 75,000 people attended the first Bite of Seattle at Green Lake Park in 1982.

Seattle’s ‘Original Foodie Festival’ the Albert Lee Appliance Bite of Seattle, would like to thank all who have supported the Bite over the years, and although will miss celebrating this year, look forward to the day when live festivals and events can be celebrated again.

Family Scholar House Stories That Define Us: Meet Dr. Aleshia Thompson

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Each year since its inception in 1995, Family Scholar House (FSH) has served disadvantaged residential and nonresidential single moms, dads, and their children with a comprehensive, holistic continuum of care that meets them where they are and empowers them toward their educational, career and family goals. All of these individuals and families have experienced poverty, unstable housing, and most often, domestic violence.

Those who come to FSH often rise above the circumstances they’ve been dealt with, and they deserve a great deal of recognition. And one of the most accomplished FSH alumni who most certainly merits that recognition is Aleshia Thompson.

When Aleshia and her young daughter Trinity arrived at Stoddard Johnston Scholar House in January 2012, she was already on her path towards a better life and career. Studying night and day, she graduated with her Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees from Jefferson Community & Technical College in 2013.

Aleshia originally wanted to be a nurse, but several of her professors encouraged her to take more challenging courses, and that’s when she fell in love with Anatomy, Biology, and Medicine. “Once I helped deliver a baby with the doctor who delivered Trinity, and I was nearly brought to tears by the magic of that moment,” she says. “It was then that I knew that I wanted to help bring healthy babies into this world and take care of women. My goal, in fact, my mission, then as it remains now, is to give back to women like me who are underserved and need a familiar face that can relate to their concerns and situations.”

While Aleshia and Trinity continued to reside at Stoddard Johnston Scholar House, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Louisville (U of L) in 2016. And to top off that accomplishment, she and her daughter then secured their own living arrangements off-campus thanks to the help of FSH. From that point forward there was no stopping Aleshia! She worked hard personally and professionally to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a doctor and was able to care for patients from her previous work as an EMT and Dialysis Technician once she enrolled in the U of L’s School of Medicine.

So, this June, in the very unprecedented year of 2020, Aleshia received her Medical Degree (M.D.) from U of L and has secured a residency at Kansas University Medical Center’s OB/GYN department as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist for the next 4 years. She remains active with FSH and wants everyone to know this: “Never give up no matter how hard life may seem. And never be afraid to ask for help. Without the guidance I received from FSH, I don’t know where I would be now, eight years after I first met with them. They truly helped make my dreams come true.”

Still Embracing Diversity in the Workplace

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Ricardo Charlton, Port of Tacoma’s maintenance director, and Pat Patterson, assistant director of facilities maintenance.

 Embracing Diversity in the Workplace – Part II

by John A. Huguley – Community Writer

For a second year, the NW Facts Newspaper is proud to do a feature article on the Port of Tacoma on the subject of diversity in the workplace. This year we are highlighting two port employees; Ricardo Charlton, Port of Tacoma’s maintenance director, and Pat Patterson, assistant director of facilities maintenance.

Originally from the Bahamas, Ricardo Charlton came to the Port of Tacoma four years ago with over 20 years of experience. Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, he worked at ports in Louisiana and Florida. During his years in the industry he experienced many diversity changes, but none of the changes were as positive as he has seen at the Port of Tacoma. When he first came to the port he said he was given a blank slate and was granted the power to hire staff whom he felt were most qualified. He made it his goal to exhaust all avenues to find his new team. Ricardo says, “I made it my personal business to have total diversity … I wanted to create a work environment that reflects what the city of Tacoma looks like.”

Ricardo tells us he’s blessed to work in such a great work environment and to be living in the most beautiful part of the country right now. Among his many jobs, he says working for the Port of Tacoma is, “by far, unequivocally the best job he’s ever had.” Ricardo explains that the leadership as well as the people he works with daily are all outstanding. Ricardo has worked for several other ports around the country and says, “what we have here in Tacoma/Seattle is bar-none the best port there is.”

We also spoke with Pat Patterson, assistant director of facilities maintenance. 

Pat is responsible for the facilities side of the day to day operations at the Port of Tacoma properties owned or managed by the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA). He oversees a staff of 38 individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Pat came to the Port three years ago from the Tacoma Housing Authority where he served as the director of property management. The Port’s leadership team told Pat that they hired him to help make a difference. Pat has seen a conscious effort from the top down to make the workplace more diverse, including changes to the hiring process. Pat sees positive changes continuing based on the objectives of the current leadership at the Port and the goals of the NWSA.

Pat adds these wise words, “We have to keep moving – we cannot go backwards. As long as we have an agenda to move forward we are making progress.”

Today the Port of Tacoma employs about 250 people consisting of administration, maintenance, security, and skilled trades. The Port respects and values the rich diversity of its employees, customers, partners, and the community it serves. The Port is also committed to building an inclusive work environment that reflects the demographics of our community.

Founded in 1918, the Port is located on the Tacoma waterfront at the south end of Puget Sound. As the major economic engine for Pierce County, the Port of Tacoma supports more than 29,000 jobs and generates $3 billion in annual economic activity. Together, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma make up the fourth-largest container gateway in North America and a major center for automobile shipments, bulk, and heavy-lift cargo.

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You can read last year’s article by clicking this link:
 https://www.nwfacts.com/embracing-diversity-workplace/

 

 

Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Now Accepting Applications for 2020 Summer Internships

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The Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) helps young people (ages 16 to 24) from low-income households and communities that experience racial, social, and economic disparities. The goal is to increase youth and young adults’ ability to pursue careers that pay well and are meaningful to them.

SYEP has two components: a school-year exploration and learning experience, and a summer internship. The summer internship places young people in work settings to apply their knowledge, gain hands-on experience, develop professional connections, and build their resume. In 2020, SYEP summer interns will be paid $16.39 for up to 150 hours of work over six weeks.

Two young women wearing nurse uniforms in a hospital room

Specific supports are provided to young people to ensure they are set-up for success, including:

  • An ORCA card to cover transportation to and from the program (if they don’t already have one issued through their school)
  • All fees for tests and/or certifications required by internship sites, such as food handler permits or first aid/CPR
  • Internship-related work clothes or safety equipment, such as hard hats and/or work boots
  • Ongoing support from their Youth Development Counselor for general coaching

To be eligible for SYEP, young people must be between the ages of 16 and 24 years old, live within the Seattle city limits, and live in a household with income at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI). Applications for summer 2020 internships are now open, and will close on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at midnight Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Want to apply? Visit our program website at www.seattle.gov/syep today!

Mayor Durkan Announces New Efforts to Prepare for 2020 Census

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As part of her 2020 State of the City address, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced the City’s new actions to prepare for the 2020 United States Census. The City will open a series of Census Assistance Centers and launch other focused education efforts to help ensure all Seattle communities can know their rights and be counted. By mid-March, every household in Seattle will receive a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau, inviting them to fill out their Census form online. With the president trying to undermine the Census at every turn, and with this being the first-ever online Census, the City is working to break down barriers that could prevent historically undercounted communities from completing their Census forms.

The U.S. Census only happens once every 10 years, and the consequences of having an incomplete count are not just statistical: Residents’ lives could be significantly impacted for an entire decade. A complete Census count would ensure Seattle receives its fair share of federal resources, as significant funding is at stake for other federal programs that Seattle families and communities rely on, including Head Start, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicare and Medicaid.

“As one of the fastest-growing cities in America, there’s a lot at stake for Seattle in this next Census. We know that everyone counts, and everyone needs to be counted, which is why we’re working to ensure our residents have the resources and information they need to participate in the 2020 Census,” said Mayor Durkan. “From fear surrounding the failed ‘citizenship question,’ to this being the first-ever online Census, there are significant barriers to a complete 2020 Census count. But our Census Assistance Centers, coupled with the efforts of our community partners, will help people participate in the Census, and ensure Seattle receives our fair share of federal resources.”

The City of Seattle is deploying four key strategies to ensure a complete, safe Census count:

  1. City staff at all Seattle Public Library (SPL) branches and all Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers will be prepared to answer questions about the 2020 Census;
  2. Starting March 12, every Seattle Public Library branch will have computers available for communities to fill out their Census form, regardless of whether they have library cards;
  3. On April 1, the Seattle Public Library will host Census Assistance Centers at the Lake City, Rainier Beach and Ballard branches; and
  4. On April 15, community centers at Alki, Delridge, Garfield, High Point, Jefferson, Rainier, South Park, and Yesler will host Census Assistance Centers.
Front of Alki Community Center
Alki Community Center in West Seattle

“Seattle is committed to using its resources and supporting community organizations and networks to ensure a full, fair, accurate, and informed census count,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide). “Through Census Assistance Centers, the City is changing the way it engages with our communities, and having conversations with our residents where they live, work, and rest. Full participation in the 2020 Census will ensure adequate funding for our City, and bring needed resources back to our historically undercounted communities. But the Census isn’t just about funding, it’s also about having a voice, being counted, and local resistance to this administration’s harmful policies.”

At Census Assistance Centers, community members can receive technical assistance when filling out their online Census form, get their questions answered about how Census information is used, and learn more about why the Census is important. A full list of Census Assistance Center times and locations is available here.

“As Seattle’s immigrant and refugee population continues to grow, it’s important that we are prepared for a fair and accurate 2020 Census count. The federal funding we receive as a result of the Census is critical to supporting the success and well-being of the communities that make up the fabric of our great city. I’m glad to see the City of Seattle open these assistance centers, which will help our communities, especially immigrant and refugee communities, get counted in the 2020 Census,” said Mahnaz Eshetu, Executive Director of ReWA.

Front of the Seattle Public Library Ballard Branch
Seattle Public Library Ballard Branch

“So many of our necessary community resources are determined by the Census, whether that be transportation, food access, health care or education. If we are not all counted, we will be competing for crumbs to support our families and communities,” said Michelle Merriweather, President and CEO at Urban league of Metropolitan Seattle. “There is also an impact on political representation. Who we vote for depends on legislative districts, which move every 10 years depending on how many people are counted. Our representation in Washington, D.C. is solely determined by the Census. If we want fair and equitable representation, we need to be counted.”

In addition to the Census Assistance Centers, every single staff member at The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers will be trained to answer questions related to Census 2020 and help communities complete their forms. And, starting March 12, every SPL branch in Seattle will have computers reserved exclusively for residents to fill out their Census questionnaire. Any community member can use these Census-reserved computers, regardless of whether they have an SPL card.

“Seattle Department of Neighborhoods works every day to elevate community voices, and the 2020 Census is only of the most significant issues for Seattle communities,” said Andrés Mantilla, Director of the Department of Neighborhoods. “We are closely working with community-based organizations along with our ethnic media to ensure we are engaging all communities across Seattle and making it easier for them to participate in the Census.

Throughout 2019, the City of Seattle partnered with community-based organizations to lay the groundwork for a complete and safe Census count. The Mayor regularly convened her Seattle Census Task Force to advise on pressing Census issues, including lack of federal funding, the citizenship question, and continued anti-immigrant policies being pursued by the president. The City was also a significant contributor to the Regional Census Fund, which allocated millions of dollars to community-based organizations throughout King County working to get a complete Census count. Finally, the City issued its first-ever Ethnic and Minority Media Fund to grant a total of $150,000 to local ethnic media so they could raise awareness about the importance of the Census.

The City of Seattle’s fight for a fair, safe and complete Census count is part of our work as a Welcoming City. For more information on our Welcoming City policies, please visit this website: www.seattle.gov/welcoming.

Share your ideas for park and street improvements

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Now’s your chance to share ideas for small-scale park and street improvements you’d like to see in your neighborhood. During Your Voice, Your Choice 2020, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is asking community members to democratically decide how to spend $2 million of the City’s budget on these improvements.

From February 18 to March 18, community members age 11 and up (13 and up to participate online) who live, work, go to school,  receive services, or participate in activities within the City of Seattle can submit their ideas online at seattle.gov/yvyc or in-person at any Seattle Public Library branch. Projects could include park benches, trail improvements, marked crosswalks, and sidewalk repair, to name a few. The only criteria is the project ideas are for physical improvements to Seattle’s parks or streets, benefit the public, and cost $150,000 or less.

Once ideas are submitted, volunteers are recruited to turn the ideas into 8 – 10 proposals per council district. Then this summer, everyone will have the opportunity to vote for the top projects within their district. Of the $2 million budget, approximately $185,00 is allocated to each council district. The remaining funds are allocated to projects in underrepresented communities or Equity and Environment Initiative (EEI) Focus Areas.

UNCF Seattle honors Rep. Eric Pettigrew as Individual of the Year

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Rep. Eric Pettigrew was honored with the Frederick Douglass Patterson Individual of the Year Award by UNCF Seattle at the organization’s 2020 “A Mind Is . . .” gala Saturday night.

Pettigrew, a veteran lawmaker from the 37th legislative district and chair of the majority Democratic Caucus in the state House for the last decade, was recognized for his continuous and successful commitment to minority education throughout his legislative career.

“I’m honored,” Pettigrew said, “and I’m humbled. The UNCF has done more to advance the importance of, and access to, education in the African American community than any other organization.  To receive this award named for the founder of the UNCF and the longtime president of Tuskegee University is something I never could have dreamed of as a kid growing up in South Central Los Angeles.”

Earlier this year, Pettigrew announced his intention to retire from the Legislature at the end of his ninth two-year term next January. During that 18-year career he has been a consistent champion of education for all Washington students, from pre-school through post-secondary levels. For the last several years he has been a leading voice in the Legislature for allowing charter public schools to prove their effectiveness in educating underserved and minority students.

Joining Pettigrew as honorees at the UNCF gala were Seattle community leader and former King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award; NFL analyst and host Jordan Babineaux, who received the Mind, Body, and Spirit Award; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was named Corporation of the Year.

What to Know About Tacoma’s Marketing and Music Powerhouse Sky Creative

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Learn about local nonprofits like Inspirational Workshops that are doing work to cultivate local youth into agents of change and future professional leaders. Inspirational Workshops has been working with youth of color within the King County community for the past two years and is a catalyst when it comes to racial and social justice. The local nonprofit is focused on youth development, all of which are executed with curating social and racial justice in mind.

Inspirational Workshops targets youth development by using innovative ways to prepare them for success. This March, Inspirational Workshops will be launching a digital professional development program focused on Racial Trauma. This digital program is a student-led training that will be sent to schools in King County at no cost and will allow them to see youth execute professional training on the topic to educators. The program will include resources for educators to learn how they can create a positive culture in the classroom, defining trauma, and the youth sharing stories of experiences in the classroom.

Another successful program from Inspirational Workshops is titled “Trailblazers – youth of color blazing the trail for others to follow”. Join Inspirational Workshops through volunteering, giving, and spreading the word about their incredible work with the next generation of youth of color.

About Inspirational Workshops: The nonprofit organization was established in 2017 by Founder and Executive Director, Theresa Hardy. IW is currently partnering with Talbot Hill Elementary School and providing services to youth in the King County area. For more information, visit: https://www.inspirationalworkshops.org/