Events for Seattle April 12 to April 30

Photo: Anna Kambon national director of ACT-SO

National Director of ACT-SO Featured at Seattle King County NAACP Annual Competition

On Saturday, April 12, the SeattleKingCountyNAACP holds its annual competition for the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO). The branch will be joined by the National Director, Anana Kambon, who will be in Seattle to support the local program.

As the event draws nearer, the SeattleKingCountyNAACP is doing a final push to alert high school students that it is not too late to participate. The ACT-SO program is an opportunity for youth to showcase their talents and abilities. Students receive medals and prizes from local sponsors, and students who receive gold medals on the local level will be eligible to compete at the National Competition in Las Vegas this summer for scholarships and other rewards.

ACT-SO includes 26 categories of competition, including poetry, original essay, photography, dance, or a science project.

In order to be eligible for ACT-SO, students must be African American, enrolled in grades 9-12 and be a citizen of the United States. Saturday's competition will take place at 10:00am at MartinLutherKing Jr.Community Center (3201 E Republican St, Seattle). A photo session with the National Director will be available for anyone interested. More information at www.seattlekingcountynaacp.org/act-so-program.html.

Celebrate the Opening of Bell Street Park

Join friends and neighbors to celebrate the opening of BellStreetPark on Saturday, April 12, 2-5 p.m. The celebration will be centrally located from 2nd to 3rd Avenue on BellStreetPark, however the new park addition spans Bell Street from 1st through 5th Avenues.

The celebration will be something the whole family and community can enjoy! The special occasion will include a Lion Dance from Northwest Kung Fu and Fitness brought to you by AquaBar, a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a performance from a local band, The Royal We – playing songs from the past 30 years. While you take in the performances, play lawn games provided by Target and partake in activities from Metropolitan Improvement District and snack on sweet or savory treats from food truck favorites.

At the opening celebration, be sure to look for the recent addition of public art. SeattleParks and Recreation and the Office of Arts and Cultural selected national recognized artist Sheila Klein. The art aims to be the catalyst for park activation.

For more information please visit www.seattle.gov/parks.

Tweens and Teens Invited to Build Robots at the Seattle Public Library

The Seattle Public Library invites tweens and teens in grades 6 through 12 to create BristleBot robots from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 14 at the Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S., 206-386-1908, and from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at the University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-684-4063.

Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration not required; call or stop by the branch to register. Snacks will be provided.

BristleBots are easy-to-build small robots created with a toothbrush, a battery and a pager motor. Participants will make and decorate their own BristleBots and race them through mazes.

For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.

Open Call for Red Lineage Poetry Project

Red Lineage is the title of an original poem, adapted to allow others to personalize their own versions. When performed, these poems echo and overlap, thereby fostering a sense of community despite real and/or perceived social and demographic barriers. Within the Red Lineage, everyone is red—a metaphor that invokes the idea of the bloodline.

Seattle’s free of charge Red Lineage Community Workshop is Saturday, April 26, 2 - 5 p.m. at the Northwest African American Museum, 2300 S Massachusetts St, Seattle.

Seattle poets have the opportunity to work closely with well-known writers like Anastacia Tolbert, Harold Taw, and Evan Peterson, to create their own original Red Lineage poems. Finished works will be recorded as part of the project. Registered participants will then receive guidance from project archivists, Naomi Ishisaka, Zac Buschmohle, and Lara Davis to capture each participant's creation. Lastly, everyone will be invited to share their own Red Lineage poems as Daemond Arrindell, Shoko Zama, and Sadiqua Crutcher perform live adaptations inspired by these Red Lineages using different forms of dance and spoken word.

Red Lineage is an interactive poem that has been shared and presented locally and internationally as part of Miko Kuro’s Midnight Tea.

Local Churches Band Together for Oso Relief

Seattle and Eastside area churches are joining forces to raise money for the victims of the Oso landslide. Currently 18 churches have committed resources with others joining daily. The churches have set a goal to raise $100,000.00 by Easter Sunday, April 20.

The community of Oso was devastated by a massive landslide on March 22nd. Local churches all around the Pacific Northwest watched the impact of this tragedy and have been praying for both victims and rescuers. A number of churches have intentionally come together to raise relief funds assisting the community of Oso. The website www.churchesforoso.org has been created with the intent that contributions collected will be directed through churches in the Arlington and Oso area, sending a message of hope and encouragement to the people up north who are Osostrong.

Churches who are currently participating include:

BallardChurch (Seattle)

Bellevue Presbyterian

Bethany Covenant (Mount Vernon)

CompassCommunityChurch

Cornerstone Christian Fellowship

Creekside Covenant

EvangelicalChineseChurch (Seattle & Redmond) FaithBibleChurch (Seattle) First Covenant of Everett Highland Covenant (Bellevue) MarketplaceChurchOverlakeChristianPacific NorthwestConferenceQuestChurchRedmondPresbyterianChurchSeattleChurchTrinityChurch (Kirkland) Westminster Chapel

The Seattle Public Library Hosts ‘Sound Cycling’ Biking Info Fairs

The Seattle Public Library is hosting two Sound Cycling biking info fairs in April. Enjoy fun biking activities, connect with local biking and commuting organizations, and learn about bike maintenance and future Sound Cycling programs.

Library programs and events are free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Free parking is available at the branches.

See below for info fair schedules and descriptions.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26at the NewHolly Branch, 7058 32nd Ave. S., 206-386-1905

- Bicycle Rodeo for Kids, 10 a.m. to noon: Learn bicycle safety while riding bikes through obstacle courses. Bikes, helmets and instruction will be provided by BikeWorks.

-- Cycling Information, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Organizations will provide information on the local biking community, including RideSavvy, Cascade Bicycle Club, City of Seattle, Washington Bikes, and more.

1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 27at the Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W., 206-684-4089

-- Bike Blender: Bring your favorite ingredients from the farmers market and try a delicious smoothie made with your own pedal power.

-- Cycling Information: Organizations will provide information on the local biking community, including RideSavvy, Cascade Bicycle Club, City of Seattle, Washington Bikes, and more.

For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.

Revenue Department Offers Free Webinar about Taxes for Businesses

Business owners in Washington have many responsibilities, including knowing which taxes they must report. To help reach more businesses statewide, the Washington State Department of Revenue (Revenue) will host on April 30 a free live webinar for new and small business owners from 10 – 11 a.m.

In offering these live webinars, Revenue aims to make it easier for small businesses to participate.

To register, send an email to NBOWebinar@dor.wa.gov with your name, company name, phone number, and email address.

The deadline to register is Friday, April 25.

Participants will learn about Washington excise taxes, reporting classifications, deductions, sales tax collection and record-keeping requirements. The webinar facilitator will answer specific questions related to your business at the end of the webinar.

The Revenue website at www.dor.wa.gov/Workshops offers a complete schedule of in-person business workshops held around the state and short video versions of the workshops.

Find more events in Seattle on The Skanner News Community Calendar