Seattle News and Events April and May 2014

Seattle Youth Commission Video Informs Youth about Possible Bus Cuts

The Seattle Youth Commission is a group of 25 Seattleites aged 13-19 who are appointed by the Mayor and City Council to connect youth to their elected officials. On April 7, they released a Youtube video to inform youth around Seattle of possible Metro bus cuts. The video, edited by Chief Sealth student Sam Orlin and narrated by Roosevelt student Sean Fox, emphasizes the heavy impact Metro has on students, and the school-related routes that are being cut, reduced, or rerouted. The video also informs students about ways in which they can help stop the cuts, by asking for a "Yes" vote on Proposition 1, and encouraging students to contact their State Legislators, in regard to a statewide transportation bill.

This is not the first time that the Seattle Youth Commission has gotten involved in transportation related issues. In 2012, the Commission urged the King County Council to accept changes to Metro's service that would benefit students traveling to and from school. The Commission has also worked with King County Metro to align bus times with school start and end times in the Ballard neighborhood.

For more information about the Seattle Youth Commission, visit www.seattle.gov/seattle-youth-commission

Revenue Says It’s Time to ‘Claim Your Cash!’

Chances are, you are one of more than three million people who have unclaimed money and assets held in trust by the Washington State Department of Revenue (Revenue). The question is: what are you waiting for?

Revenue says there is no better time to check http://www.claimyourcash.org to see if you or a family member has a share of the nearly $1 billion in property waiting to be claimed.

Revenue administers the unclaimed property program on behalf of the state of Washington. All the assets are held until the rightful owner files a claim. Revenue does not charge a fee for this service.

Unclaimed property typically includes uncashed paychecks, utility deposits, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, refunds, life insurance proceeds and safe deposit box contents. Usually, these assets have gone untouched by the owner for three or more years, and the holding company is required to report them to the state where the owner last resided.

All 50 states operate unclaimed property programs to reunite owners with their assets. To find links to each state’s program, visit http://unclaimed.org/.

King County Councilmember Veterans’ Job Fair and Town Hall Meeting

On Tuesday, April 22, King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer will host a veterans’ Job Fair and Town Hall meeting in Federal Way. The Job Fair will help match veterans with local employers from the aerospace, law enforcement, and manufacturing industries. The Town Hall meeting is aimed at educating participants on the variety of services that county, state, and nonprofit agencies offer to veterans.

The event will last from 1 – 4 p.m. The first hour will be devoted to a discussion of veterans’ services, and the job fair will follow. Both segments of the event will be held at the FederalWayCommunity Center at 876 South 333rd Street in Federal Way. Attendees can pre-register for the event by visiting www.veteransjobfair.eventbrite.com.

Martin Luther King School Dream Foundation 2014 Scholarship Winners

Seven former students of the original Martin Luther King Elementary School have been awarded $l,000 scholarships for post secondary education. 

Garfield High School: Mariah Beverly, Jaybrie Brown, Jaelyn Givens and Dajeanne Washington; RainierBeach: Nadine Middlebrooks; HazenHigh School: Adonis Shareef; University Prep: Syade Shields.

These students will be honored at a banquet on Monday, May 19, to be held at the Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1634 19th Avenue in Seattle.

Reggie Jones, pro football player, Super Bowl champion and motivational speaker will be keynoting the event, offering words of encouragement and inspiration.

For additional information, or if you are interested in attending the banquet, call Jan Lind-Sherman, Dream Foundation chair, at 425-478-8174 or e-mail her at lindsher@aol.com.

Cultural Conversations: Finding Your Own Voice

Cultural Conversations, a women’s group with a vision to build community connections and cultural understanding, will explore the topic of “Finding Your Own Voice” at its next meeting on Tuesday, April 22.

The meeting is from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St. Two women will tell their stories of breaking through cultural and social challenges to find their voice and become strong, independent women.

For more information on this event, or future Cultural Conversations programs, please contact Carol Ross 425-452-7917 or cross@bellevuewa.gov, or Barb Tuininga at 425-452-2800 or btuininga@bellevuewa.gov.

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 

Seattle Speaks TV: Wade into the Waterfront
A vision to transform Seattle’s waterfront into a major public promenade of rehabilitated piers, parks and plazas is taking shape. Join Seattle Channel, Seattle City Club and Town Hall for a live, televised, community conversation about the proposed project; its costs and how it will affect not only downtown, but the city beyond. What’s the price tag and how should the city pay for this expansive and ambitious remake, which aims to reshape nearly two miles of shoreline on Elliott Bay into an iconic public space?

The next episode of Seattle Speaks will bring together a panel and a live audience to deliberate this pivotal moment in the city’s history.

Seattle Channel host Brian Callanan will lead the discussion, 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 29, at Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave. The program will be broadcast live on Seattle Channel cable 21 (HD on Comcast 321 and Wave 721) and online at seattlechannel.org. Join the conversation in person or online, where you can take part in polls and voice your opinion via social media and e-mail. Take the pre-show poll online now: www.seattlechannel.org/seattlespeaks.

Over the past 150 years, Seattle’s waterfront has changed from a Native American gathering place to a deep-water port to the pathway for the Alaskan Way Viaduct, an earthquake-damaged, double-decked highway that will be replaced by a deep-bore tunnel.

Admission to Seattle Speaks is free but advance registration is required. Register at www.seattlecityclub.org or call 206-682-7395. Doors open at 6 p.m. with audience instructions at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.

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.

The Seattle Public Library Hosts Free Radio Journalism Workshop For Teens May 10 

The Seattle Public Library will host a free radio journalism workshop for teens from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at the University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E.

Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required; call the branch at 206-684-4063 to register. Free parking is available at the branch.

Participants will get hands-on interviewing skills and use professional recording equipment in this workshop presented by KUOW RadioActive. Teens ages 16 to 18 interested in an internship with KUOW can get information and an application following the workshop.

RadioActive is a radio journalism program for teens based at KUOW 94.9 radio.

For more information, call the branch at 206-684-4063 

For more Seattle events check out The Skanner News community calendar