The Newspaper of Neighborhood House
Malik Rahim is well known as an activist with the group Common Ground Relief, which organized neighborhood-driven disaster assistance in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Rahim, who recently received the Thomas Merton Social Justice and Humanitarian award, came to Seattle to speak about current efforts in New Orleans. He also took time to promote a social justice trip that 14 students from Seattle’s Nova High School will take to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward.
During his visit, Rahim spoke at Nova High School, at a fundraiser in a private residence with King County Councilman Larry Gossett and in an art gallery downtown that was showing an exhibition of photos from New Orleans.
Rahim has been to Washington state several times since Katrina, including a trip to Carnation two years ago after the Tolt River flooded. In his talks since Katrina, Rahim has repeatedly stated the importance of disaster preparedness along with civic engagement. He stresses that one cannot assume that government agencies will be immediately able to provide relief.
When the hurricane devastated New Orleans, Rahim was part of a small group of people who pooled $50 and started distributing food, water and medical supplies in the low-income neighborhoods of the city.
It took weeks for FEMA to show up, yet word soon spread about this neighborhood-based effort. Volunteers from all over America started arriving with skills and money and became part of Common Ground’s rebuilding effort.
Rahim estimates that there have been 20,000 volunteers serving 180,000 residents as part of Common Ground in the three years since Katrina.
Among their accomplishments, volunteers have built a free medical clinic, rebuilt an elementary school and an historic church, started a free legal clinic and a women’s homeless shelter and opened community kitchens and food distribution centers.
Volunteers have included people from all backgrounds, from high school students to lawyers and licensed acupuncturists who have provided free services.
While Rahim has become known for his work in Katrina relief, he previously spent decades organizing with public housing tenants both in New Orleans and California.
When asked about the current state of public housing in New Orleans, Rahim lamented that the four largest public housing complexes have been torn down, despite the fact that they only received minor damage in the storm.
Many of their residents remain dispersed, and the fear is that many will also remain homeless. There is also a concern that redevelopment plans will permanently reduce the number of very-low-income housing units; indeed a golf course is included in the plans for the redevelopment of the St. Bernard Housing Project.
Still, Rahim spoke of hope, especially regarding how groups of ordinary people from all ethnicities can come together and accomplish things such as what Common Ground Relief has done.
He added that he hopes that all people in the Northwest, including those living in low-income housing, will take seriously the need to be prepared for the types of disaster the Northwest can face: earthquakes, flooding and even volcanoes.
He said that it is important to work together as neighbors helping neighbors to not only survive disaster, but to build a just and sustainable future.
For more information about Common Ground Relief, visit www.commongroundrelief.org.
Lynn Sereda is a Section 8 tenant who saw the lower ninth ward of New Orleans and visited Common Ground Relief, earlier this year during the Policy Link Conference.
Last month President-elect Barack Obama named New York City Housing Commissioner Shaun Donovan to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), saying in a radio address that few departments would be “more essential” in stemming “the rising tide of foreclosures and strengthen our economy.
“Shaun will bring to this important post fresh thinking, unencumbered by old ideology and outdated ideas,” said Obama.
Housing advocates and politicians hailed Donovan’s nomination, which needs to be confirmed by the Senate.
“Shaun Donovan is a brilliant choice for HUD. He is an expert on the full range of housing issues and has a proven track record of getting things done,” said Sheila Crowley, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
“Thankfully, President-elect Obama has chosen a HUD secretary who is uniquely qualified to take on this task,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who chairs the subcommittee that controls HUD appropriations.
If he is confirmed, she said, Donovan will be a lead player in addressing “the worst economic climate in decades” as “American homeowners are reeling from plummeting home values and rising unemployment.”
In his announcement, Obama explicitly tied the housing crisis to the financial crisis, saying that “expanding access to affordable housing isn’t just about caring for the least fortunate among us and strengthening our middle class — it’s about ending our housing mess, climbing out of our financial crisis, and putting our economy on the path to long-term growth and prosperity.”
Should he be confirmed, Donovan will inherit a housing department that has been disgraced by the Bush administration.
In March 2008, Bush’s second HUD secretary, Alphonso Jackson, resigned from his position in the face of ongoing probes by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department, the FBI and the HUD inspector general. Under Jackson, the nation spiraled into the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, though Jackson insisted that increasing mortgage failures were simply a short-term “correction.”
When Jackson resigned, Bush appointed then-chief of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Steven Preston to replace him. Preston still heads HUD.
Donovan was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in March 2004 by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Until March of 2001, Donovan was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing at HUD.
Donovan served at HUD in the Clinton administration as both acting federal housing commissioner and deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing. He ran housing subsidy programs that provided over $9 billion annually to 1.7 million families and oversaw a portfolio of 30,000 multifamily properties with over two million housing units.
Donovan, who holds master’s degrees in Public Administration and Architecture from Harvard University, researched and wrote about housing policy at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard, and worked as an architect in New York and Italy.
By Colin Sexton
Neighborhood House
Are you or someone you know getting ready for college? Completing a college degree can make the difference to you and your family between just barely getting by and enjoying a stable, comfortable life.
The current financial troubles in this country have people wondering if financial aid is available to new students. Be assured that funding continues to be available through government, public and private sources. Our political and business leaders recognize how important a college educated workforce is to our future economy.
This time of year is very important for those planning to attend college soon, since January is the time to apply for financial aid. Here are some steps you can take to help you secure the funding you need for college:
1. Apply for Federal Financial Aid. Nearly all students attending college complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is used by all colleges and universities, to determine what support you need and what they will provide. The FAFSA will allow you to receive financial aid in the form of grants, loans and work-study funds.
2. Seek out scholarship opportunities. There are many different scholarships available to you. Some are based on need, others based on merit.
Look for scholarships at school. Your counseling department or career center often has postings about scholarships. Ask your librarian or computer lab instructor for ideas about scholarship Web sites.
Look for scholarships on the Web. There are many sites available to help find funding/scholarships. Try the following to start:
a. www.financialaidtips.org/
b. www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/
c. www.easyaid.com/
3. Discuss options with your school Counselor/Advisor. Your counselor or someone else at school can help you apply for school and search for scholarship opportunities. It is helpful to have someone to discuss ideas with or look over your applications/essays.
Most students in college pay for school in a variety of ways.
Some receive grants from the government or scholarships which they don’t have to repay. Many also receive low-interest loans that make sense when we understand how much more a person earns with a college degree.
Finally, many students work, either through work-study programs or independent jobs.
Bottom line: Whether going to community college, technical school or university, you can afford to pay for school.
Lots of people do it each year and so can you. Your future is worth it!
Annual College Fair
6-8 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Yesler Community Center, 917 E. Yesler Way.
Speak with college representatives, get financial aid and scholarship information, meet current university students and snack on pizza.
For more information and to RSVP, contact Brett Houghton at 206-334-7484.
By Department of Labor and industries
Washington’s minimum wage increased 48 cents to $8.55 an hour Jan.
1. This increase is required by a voter initiative that passed 10 years ago.
The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recalculates the state’s minimum wage each year in September as required by Initiative 688, which was approved by Washington voters in 1998. The law requires that the state minimum wage be adjusted each year according to the change in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) during the 12
Alcohol and cancer: Before you drink, know the risks
The holidays have come and gone. Time for family and friends, gifts and good cheer... drinking and more drinking.
Like it or not, alcohol has become a fixture of the season, as traditional as fruitcake (which is often soaked in the stuff).
It’s important to remember, now and every day, of the hazards of drinking.
Here’s a sobering fact to keep in mind: regular alcohol consumption and/or binge drinking can be hazardous to your health.
“Moderation is always the key when it comes to alcohol,” says Heidi Lucas, a naturopathic physician at Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center.
“The big issue is breast cancer,” she adds. “Even a little more than a glass of alcohol a day raises the risk of hormone-positive cancers, which are stimulated by exposure to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.”
The reason for that may be that alcohol consumption puts stress on the liver, which has to metabolize those hormones, Lucas explains. Alcohol also depletes the body of immunity-boosting B vitamins.
In addition to raising breast cancer risk, regular alcohol use has been linked to colorectal cancer and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver.
The more you drink, the greater the risk. People who average about four drinks a day double or triple their risk of mouth, throat and esophagus cancer, while women who drink that much increase their risk of breast cancer by as much as 50 percent.
Lucas advises her cancer patients to abstain from alcohol. For others, she recommends red wine (in moderation, of course) because of the beneficial antioxidants in the grape skins.
Here are some more things to consider before you open that bottle:
• Excessive alcohol use results in approximately 79,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, making it the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death, after tobacco smoking and obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control. “Excessive alcohol use” is defined as heavy drinking (more than two drinks per day on average for men or more than one drink per day on average for women), or binge drinking (five or more drinks during a single occasion for men or four or more drinks during a single occasion for women).
• While drinking small amounts of alcohol, such as a daily glass of wine, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, the benefit goes away with the second or third glass. If you can’t stop at one, it’s probably safer for you to get your health benefits from eating right and exercising.
• Avoid alcohol altogether if you are: a recovering alcoholic; pregnant or lactating; under legal drinking age; driving or doing an activity that requires attention, skill and coordination; or taking a medication that can interact with alcohol (including sleeping pills, antihistamines, anti-anxiety drugs, and medications for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease).
The good news for concerned drinkers is that quitting will reverse the risk for head and neck cancers over time. A study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health shows the risk goes down significantly after ten years of abstaining from alcohol. After 20 years, the risk is similar to that seen in people who never drank.
Need another reason to hold the alcohol? Mixed holiday drinks tend to be high in calories and fat. A single shot of liquor (gin, rum, vodka or whiskey) is 96 calories. When you add the rich and sugary mixers, you get holiday weight gain in a glass. (Just one cup of eggnog contains nearly 350 calories and 19 grams of fat.) Fortunately, you can have your health and drink to it, too.
There are countless cocktail alternatives that are festive, tasty and good for you. Here are a couple of healthy mixtures Lucas recommends:
• Pomegranate juice, soda water, ginger juice, splash of apple cider, squeeze of orange or lemon. Serve over ice.
• In a blender, puree honeydew melon, ginger ale, mint, lime juice and ice. (Note: if you like your drinks a little less tart, add some agave nectar, a natural sweetener.)
Here’s to your health.
Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center is an affiliate of Cancer Treatment
Centers of America, a network of hospitals that integrate oncology with complementary and natural therapies, including naturopathy, acupuncture, Chinese medicine and mind-body medicine. Effective Dec. 22, Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center will move to a larger site at 900 SW 16th Street in Renton. For more information and cancer-fighting tips, call (206) FOR HOPE (367-4673) or visit www.seattlecancerwellness.com.
By Seattle Neighborhood Group
Dear Be Safe:
Recently, I received the following email
claiming to be from the IRS. The
e-mail said that I might be eligible for a
refund and included a link to a webpage
to submit a request. Is this a legitimate
e-mail?
Original Message-----
From: Internal Revenue Service <security.alert@irs.gov>
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Sat, 2 Aug 2008 1:58 pm
Subject: Important Information
About Your Tax-Refund
Dear Customer:
After the last annual calculations of
your fiscal activity we have determined
that you are eligible to receive a tax
refund of $990.55.
Please submit the tax refund request
and allow us 6-9 days in order to process
it. A refund can be delayed for a variety
of reasons. For example, submitting
invalid records or applying after the
deadline.
To access the form for your
tax refund link and sign in:
http://www.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp?ck
Sincerely,
IRS
Online Customer Service
No, this is not a legitimate e-mail.
The IRS does not send out e-mails to
people about their taxes.
The link does not take you to the real
IRS Web site.
It takes you to a Web site that is
designed to look like the real IRS Web
site, but it is not.
Do not visit the Web site! The information
requested by the Web site
may be used to steal your identity and
money.
This practice is called phishing.
Similar e-mails are sent out in the
names of nonprofits, government agencies,
banks, Internet service providers,
phone companies and many other organizations.
Each e-mail looks legitimate and
has a link that takes you to a Web site
designed to look like the real thing.
If you receive a suspicious e-mail
from an organization requesting personal
information, do not use the link.
Contact the organization directly,
using the phone number, e-mail address
or Web site you normally use.
If you do not have the necessary
contact information, look it up in the
phone book or through Internet yellow
pages.
Those sources will be much more
secure than the link or contact information
in a suspicious e-mail.
To submit a question, contact kelly@sngi.org or allan@sngi.org. or call
206-323-7094.
Ed. note — This article previously
appeared in the December 2007 issue
of The Voice. With another chilly winter
upon us, we reprint it here.
By Greg Potter
Special to The Voice
I’m writing this about last year’s
windstorm, because I don’t know if
people think about how bad it was.
If you ask me about it, they should
make a front-page article about how to
be prepared.
It should mention that you should
listen to the weather reports and places
people can go to get their emergency
supplies and what they need from the
pharmacy.
Get some warm clothes, too. Shop for
emergency food, like canned food and a
can opener. And buy a transistor radio.
Have batteries for the radio on hand.
Emergency information will be
broadcast on radio stations, such as
KIRO AM-710 and the KOMO AM-1000. They will tell you what’s going
on in your neighborhood, including
updates on the weather.
When the electricity went out here at
Lake City House, people in wheelchairs
and elderly people couldn’t go down
the stairs. The people who live in low-income
housing should be more alert
about the weather by having weather
radios and batteries.
Also, no one came to check on me
from Seattle Housing Authority for three
days, and no volunteer floor wardens
came to check on me.
I always prepare for anything like
this to survive. I’m in a wheelchair
and I always make sure my wheelchair
battery is charged up — especially in a
bad, bad winter storm coming in to the
north end of Seattle.
People should buy everything before
hand to be prepared, like generators,
emergency radios, flashlights and new
batteries.
Every household should have a plug-in
radio in the kitchen on all the time.
It should be on a shelf by the south
window to get better reception.
Besides your household, what about
your car or truck? It needs the same
supplies, too. Make sure you have about
two sets of batteries for your radio and
flashlights, some dry or canned food
and warm blankets.
You should only use your cell phone
if you have a real emergency, and make
sure you have enough medicine from
the pharmacy.
For your survival kit, buy things you
like to eat. Also, have some games,
puzzles, books, word search, comic
books, magazines, etc., to make the
time go faster so you can be occupied
with things that you like to do.
Because every day is an adventure as
soon as you put your feet on the floor
until you go back to bed — because this
whole life is an adventure. Good luck
on this earth.
Garden tips for community gardeners
By Anza Muenchow
Special to The Voice
Though the calendar says winter has
just started, we know that we have had two
significant winter storms before official
winter arrived. Long term forecasts are
for a colder than normal January, February
and March.
This may be a good time to discuss techniques
for extending the growing season.
Most Pacific Northwest gardeners practice
season extension, but let’s look at how to
plan for some simple ways that will pay off
for the home gardener.
The usual way to get gardens started
earlier in the spring is by having lots of
little transplants to set out as soon as the
soil warms to 40 or 45 degrees.
Lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, choy, celery,
chard and kale are typical to start early in
trays indoors. Use a sterile seed starting mix
with some peat in it for good results.
I have tried to make starting mix with
compost and have had trouble with “damping
off” disease, especially for the Brassicas.
Wash your trays with a solution of water
and bleach (10:1) to prevent fungal and
bacterial diseases. These seeds like 55 degrees
to germinate, but then can grow in 45
degrees or even less.
Either get a grow light stand (simple florescent
tubes are good enough for seedlings)
or make room on a south facing window
with full light. Sometimes it is too cold to
germinate seeds on the window sill, so place
them on top of your refrigerator or by the
furnace to stay warm until they sprout.
Then move the tray to the window. After
4-5 weeks when the seedlings have four true
leaves, it is O.K. to transplant to a nutrient
rich potting mix with plenty of compost. I
use lots of four-inch plastic pots for transplanting.
These pots don’t have to be washed,
though some pests may be hiding in them,
so keep a watch out. Then I usually keep the
trays in a cloche or hoop house, which is a
great addition to any garden.
Hoop houses have become very popular
because they control the micro-climate so
well. This is a large, temporary, plastic
covered “greenhouse.” Often they are made
with plastic pipes bent in a large hoop shape
that the clear plastic skin is easily pulled
over.
The size depends on how much space
you have. Typical hoop houses are 10 feet
wide and 6.5 feet tall, which uses 18 foot
lengths of schedule 40 PVC pipes. This is a
comfortable height for me to work in, and
the length depends on your needs.
We started with them about 20 feet long.
The other determining factor is the width of
the plastic you are using to skin the frame.
We bought a cheap construction grade the
first year and that is just how long it lasted,
one year. All that waste, too.
So, we purchase at least a five-year plastic
now, either searching online or shopping at
Steubers Greenhouse Supply in Snohomish.
The doors at the ends of the greenhouse
and the framing that keeps it from lying flat
in a wind may be complicated to build.
A good door and frame design is available
online through WSU Extension at http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1825/eb1825.html.
What I like about hoop houses is working
in the soil, not in pots on tables. Leaving
trays on the ground in a hoop house
gives them added protection from freezing
weather, but watch out for slugs.
After April 1, when the seedlings are
transplanted out in the garden, start planting
tomato and pepper starts or even the squash
family in the hoop house. The one drawback
is that these summer fruit-bearing crops
need pollinators, and sometimes bees can’t
get into the hoop house.
Try these tricks: transplant a yellow
flowering broccoli plant (left over from last
season) by the open door of the hoop house,
or catch a few bumble bees and release in
the hoop house or just pollinate by hand by
flicking the tomato blossoms. Some new varieties
of tomatoes and cucumbers set fruit
without pollination, listed in seed catalogs
as “greenhouse varieties.”
Gardeners have developed cloche designs
for many years. Cloches are smaller clear
plastic or glass forms that cover a plant or a
row of plants. I’ve used a lean-to frame of
old windows tied down to a few stakes.
Permanent cold frames are popular to
keep trays of seedlings in or grow an early
crop of greens, but watch out for slugs.
Be careful though, because panes of glass
break, and it is difficult to get all the pieces
out of the soil.
Long sheets of clear plastic tunnels are
being used more, too. They just need to be
anchored in our windy climate and need to
be vented on sunny days.
Let us not forget the microclimate benefits
of floating row covers like Remay. It
doesn’t need staking and it prevents flying
pests. Remay offers only a 3-4 degree
increase in temperature, but that is often
enough for seeds to germinate early, especially
carrots and beets.
Whichever season extension techniques
you want to try this year, you may have lots
of snowy days to ponder, design and collect
materials for your project. It looks like a
tough winter. Eat lots of vitamin rich soups
and stay warm and healthy.
Anza Muenchow is a farmer and a volunteer
with P-Patch. You can reach her by
e-mail at mahafarm@whidbey.com or on
the Internet at www.mahafarm.com.
Kim Tautolo wants to be able to care for her children’s minor illnesses and injuries herself, saving time and money.
“I’m not one of those people who likes to go and sit in the emergency room for four hours,” she says.
The mother of three was among some 140 Head Start and Early Head Start parents who participated this fall in a free health care training workshop at the NewHolly Neighborhood Campus in South Seattle.
The training was provided by Neighborhood House, UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Health Care Institute and 26 visiting doctors, residents and nurses from Swedish and Children’s hospitals and Country Doctor Clinic.
The effort is part of a national project by UCLA/Johnson & Johnson to teach low-income parents how to better manage their children’s health needs. In a fun and social setting, parents receive important health and safety tips and are walked through how to use the book, “What To Do When Your Child Gets Sick,” by Gloria Mayer, RN, and Ann Kuklierus, RN.
The guide helps parents recognize and respond to more than 30 common childhood illnesses and injuries and know when to call a doctor. It also includes tips on keeping children healthy and safe and pages where parents can jot down their own notes and fill in medical contact information.
A study of the more than 10,000 parents nationwide who have received the book and training showed that they are much less likely to make unnecessary and costly doctor and emergency room visits, saving nearly $200 in Medicaid costs per family each year.
The percentage of parents going to their doctors dropped from nearly 69 percent to less than a third (33 percent), and nearly half reported using the book. The training also resulted in 29 percent fewer missed school days for children and 42 percent fewer missed work days for their parents.
Neighborhood House has trained some 340 Head Start and Early Head Start parents in Seattle since initiating the project in 2005. The 102-year-old nonprofit organization was chosen to participate because of the diverse, low-income population it serves: mostly immigrant and refugee families living in and near Seattle public housing communities.
During a visit to Neighborhood House three years ago, Gov. Christine Gregoire was so impressed with the project that she went on to provide funding in the budget to offer training to Head Start families statewide.
Kathee Richter, child development director at Neighborhood House, said that in her many years of providing trainings for parents, the Johnson & Johnson Health Care Institute has had the most significant effect on changing parents’ behavior.
“This training gives parents the confidence to take care of their sick or injured children,” she says. “It saves families time and money, and it helps keep health care costs down.”
Health tips for parents
Is my child running a fever? When
do I call the doctor? What’s the best
way to stop a nose bleed?
Answers to those questions and
more are included in the easy-to-use
book, “What To Do When Your Child
Gets Sick,” by Gloria Mayer and Ann
Kuklierus, both registered nurses with
more than 20 years experience.
Here are some highlights:
A fever is a body temperature of
more than 99 degrees F (when temperature
is taken orally) or more than
100 degrees F (when taken rectally).
Temperatures also can be taken under
the arm, but may not be as accurate.
A fever usually is a sign of infection.
Treat the child with Children’s Tylenol
(ask your doctor and use as directed)
and, if the fever persists, a 10- to 15-
minute sponge bath in three inches of
lukewarm water.
Always read the label on over-the-counter
medications to find out the
proper dosage and use the measuring
device in the package (not a kitchen
spoon).
Never give a child aspirin. It can
make them very sick.
Situations when you should call the
doctor or get help right away include
when your child has:
• Trouble breathing;
• Bleeding that will not stop;
• Blood in the pee (urine) or bowel
movement;
• Diarrhea and no pee for six hours;
• A hard time swallowing or won’t
eat;
• Both a fever and a stiff neck
The best way to stop a nose bleed
is to sit the child down and tip his
head forward, have him blow his nose
gently and spit out any blood in his
mouth. While he breathes through his
mouth, have him pinch the soft part of
his nose for 10 minutes straight. If the
bleeding doesn’t stop, pinch for another
10 minutes.
Puget Sound housing authorities (Seattle, King County and Tacoma) recently met with Congressional staff to urge them to add $5 billion to the Public Housing Capital Fund as part of the second emergency stimulus appropriations bill now being considered by Congress. This infusion would stimulate the local economy, create jobs and modernize the region’s public housing inventory.
Public housing currently serves about 3 million low-income residents nationwide. With an infusion of capital from the stimulus package, area housing authorities could begin immediately to address a combined $62 million backlog of projects.
“Making these funds available will have significant benefits for this region’s economy,” said King County Housing Authority Executive Director Stephen Norman. “These projects will generate construction-related jobs along with the related purchase of materials and durable goods. Addressing the backlog of deferred capital repairs, such as roofs and heating systems, will preserve and enhance our public housing stock, a significant public asset spread throughout the region. These projects will greatly increase energy efficiency, helping trim greenhouse gases and lower the operating costs of public housing over the long term.”
“It simply makes sense to invest in public housing during this period of national economic turmoil,” said Tom Tierney, executive director of the Seattle Housing Authority. “Public housing is a critical resource for low-income households and low-wage workers, the populations that are most seriously affected by the current financial crisis. But they are not the only beneficiaries. Investment in our public housing communities also benefits the wider community. By providing high quality, affordable housing to a low-wage workforce, employers also benefit.”
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities reports that momentum is building to include funding for public housing in an economic recovery bill. President-elect Obama’s transition team has indicated that it is most interested in identifying “shovelready” projects. This means projects that could be underway in 120 days or less. Locally, the two housing authorities envision being able to continue work on HOPE VI projects that has slowed due to the combined slowdown of the housing market and the credit markets. Work might also include renovation and addition of more energy- efficient systems in existing buildings.
Following recent discussions with House committee staff, housing sub-committee chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) advocating for inclusion of $5 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund in any economic stimulus package.
Groups such as the National Governors Association, the US Conference of Mayors and the National Low Income Housing Coalition have also been working to include money for public housing in the stimulus bill. Congressional leaders have expressed their intent to have an economic recovery plan ready for President-elect Obama’s signature when he takes office Jan. 20.
The poinsettia, which can bring cheer into any home in the middle of winter, was named for Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who took cuttings from a tall shrub he found growing next to a road in the wilds of southern Mexico and brought them back to his South Carolina greenhouse. (By an Act of Congress, Dec. 12, the day of Poinsett’s death in 1851, has been designated National Poinsettia Day.)
Most poinsettias cultivated for sale are vibrant crimson in color. However, poinsettias may also be pink, white, marbled, speckled or yellow.
According to Bob Gough, horticulture specialist with the Montana State University Extension Service, the showy, colored parts of poinsettias are colored bracts, or modified leaves. The inconspicuous greenish flowers are at the center of the bracts.
Choosing a healthy poinsettia is a simple matter, says Gough. To check the poinsettia’s maturity, look at those true flowers at the base of the colored bracts. If the flowers are green or red-tipped and fresh-looking, the bloom will last longer than if yellow pollen is covering the flowers. On a fresh plant, little or no pollen shows on the flower clusters.
“Look for plants with dense, plentiful foliage all the way to the soil line,” Gough advises. “Although an abundance of rich green foliage is a sign of a healthy plant, avoid plants with too much green around the bract edges — a sign the plant was shipped before it was mature. Avoid any plant with yellowed, drooping or wilting leaves or wilting stems.
“And check the plant for insects. If you brush the leaves and see what looks like flecks of dandruff drop from their undersides, the plant probably has an infestation of whitefly. Don’t bring an infested plant into your house — put it back on the shelf and choose another.”
The length of time a poinsettia will brighten your home depends largely on how you treat the plant, says Gough. With proper care, poinsettias should retain their beauty for weeks. Some varieties will stay attractive for months.
Keeping poinsettias looking their best
The length of time a poinsettia will brighten your home depends largely on how you treat the plant. With proper care, poinsettias should retain their beauty for weeks. Some varieties will stay attractive for months. Here are suggestions for keeping your poinsettia looking its best:
— Courtesy Montana State University Extension Service
By Kristin O’Donnell
SHA Resident
With the state Legislature in session,
now is the perfect time to plan a day-trip
to Olympia — provided that the weather
is good. Note that bus routes listed refer to
Monday through Friday schedules.
Getting there
Leave from Seattle on bus No. 594
- Tacoma at 2nd and University at 8 a.m.
($3/ $1.50). Arrive at the Tacoma Dome
station at 8:57 a.m.
Catch Pierce Transit No. 603 at 9:12
a.m. ($2.50/$1.25). Arrive at Olympia
Transit Center at 10:10 a.m.
Pick up a transit schedule with a book
and map inside. There is a restroom available
on site.
Then catch Olympia Transit bus Nos.
11 or 12 - Tumwater ($1.50/ $0.75 all-day
pass) to the State Capitol visitor center
(ask the driver where the stop is).
I asked the woman at the desk if she had
information on where legislators’ offices
were. “We know everything,” was her
answer, and they possibly do know everything
about the area. (The Visitors Center
may be closed in July of 2009, according
to the Governor’s proposed budget. The
budget is also proposing deep cuts to
health and welfare programs.)
There were dozens of pamphlets and
folders with various tours of the capitol,
Olympia, and Thurston County. History,
politics, architecture, arts, shopping or
walking on the beach or in the woods
— whatever you’d like, and far too much
to do in one day.
I left with a bundle of Olympia brochures
(and another, fatter bundle of Western
Washington information about trips I
may take in 2009 — they have information
from all around the state).
Because the legislature wasn’t in session
(this was a December trip) I decided
to do a historical walk in downtown Olympia.
Olympia is more of a college town than
a tourist town — used book stores, bike
stores, a couple of consignment shops,
gift stores, art galleries and lots of places
to buy beads, yarn and scrapbooking
supplies.
It is also a fine place to get lunch for
less than $7. (If you are on the Capitol
grounds, the Capitol Cafeteria is the place
for lunch. Not wonderful, but not expensive
either, and they do serve bean soup,
just like in Washington D.C.)
In town, the restaurants range from
Mexican, Vietnamese, teriyaki and Thai
to bakeries and coffee shops with sandwiches
and vegetarian places, and yes,
you can find a good hamburger.
The all-day pass and the easy-to-follow
bus map and schedules make it easy to get
on the buses and ride to different parts of
the area (possibly Tumwater Falls Park or
the Evergreen College campus?), which
makes a good break from walking.
Getting home again
From the Olympia Transit Center: From
4 to 5:30 p.m., No. 602 buses to Tacoma
leave frequently; use your day pass. Catch
the bus at the Transit Center instead of the
stop by the Capitol, or you may be standing
up all the way to Tacoma.
Transfer to the Sound Transit No. 594
($3/ $1.50) which meets the 602 at the SR-512 Park and Ride and gets you back to
Seattle in a little more than an hour.
Total transportation cost round-trip:
$7/$3.50. It may cost less — drivers are
supposed to deduct the value of your valid
transfer from your fare.
Ask your driver, but many drivers don’t
and won’t do this. Do not argue with the
bus driver. It does no good.
It is possible to get to and from Olympia
on transit weekends and holidays, but
buses do not run as often — check your
schedule!
Accessibility: All buses are lift
equipped. Downtown Olympia is level
and has curbcuts everywhere. The capitol
buildings are accessible, but often the accessible
entrance is hard to find. Access
to the visitor center is four stairs up from
the bus stop or by way of a short uphill
driveway into the parking lot.
By Public Health – Seattle
& King County
Given the cold temperatures forecast
this winter, Public Health advises all residents
to take steps to stay safe and warm
and especially to avoid carbon monoxide
poisoning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill
you. Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning
by never using a gas or charcoal grill,
hibachi, or portable propane heater to
cook indoors or heat your home. Carbon
monoxide gas comes from burning fuels
such as gasoline, propane, oil, kerosene,
natural gas, coal or wood and can cause
injury or death.
During a power outage or at any other
time, do not operate fuel-powered machinery
such as a generator indoors, including
the garage.
Do not cook or heat with charcoal barbeques
inside your home.
Avoid combustion “space heaters” unless
there is an exhaust vent.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can strike
suddenly and without warning. In some
cases, physical symptoms of carbon
monoxide poisoning may include splitting
headache, nausea and vomiting, and
lethargy and fatigue. If you believe you
could be experiencing carbon monoxide
poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Call
for medical help from a neighbor’s home.
The Fire Department will tell you when
it is safe to reenter the home.
For a full list of carbon monoxide
prevention tips and other safety and disaster
information in English and other
languages, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/disaster.
Keep food safe in a power outage
Keep the doors closed on your refrigerators
and freezers as much as possible.
This keeps the cold air inside. A full
freezer can stay at freezing temperatures
about two days; a half-full freezer about
one day.
If you think the power will be out for
several days, try to find some ice to pack
inside your refrigerator. Remember to
keep your raw foods separate from your
ready-to-eat foods.
Refrigerated foods should be safe as
long as the power is out no more than a few
hours and the refrigerator/freezer doors
have been kept closed. Potentially hazardous
foods, such as meat and fish, should be
discarded if they warm up above 41º F.
By Angela Delahoz, Public Health
– Seattle & King County
Lead and arsenic contamination in the
soil in King County may pose a health risk
to children, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.
While parents and caregivers constantly
monitor the dangers facing children, health
risks do exist in the environment, and are
often overlooked. It is important to know
about these hidden exposures that potentially
put children’s health in danger.
Lead and arsenic soil contamination is
one such possible risk facing King County
residents. For over 100 years, smokestack
emissions containing lead and arsenic from
the now-closed ASARCO copper smelter in
Tacoma polluted the soil in Pierce, Thurston
and King counties.
Lead and arsenic have well-known harmful
effects on the human body, affecting
health and behavior when contaminated
dust or soil is accidentally inhaled or eaten.
Children are at greater risk since their bodies
are small and still developing.
Public Health’s goal is to empower residents
to understand and manage the risks
of soil contamination. While we are vocal
advocates of children playing outside, we
also support the importance of assuring
a safe and contaminant-free environment
for children.
Consequently, we advise parents and
caregivers to encourage children to make
a habit of washing their hands frequently,
removing their shoes before entering the
home, and brushing off dirt from their
clothes. These very simple actions, once
made a habit, will provide an additional
level of protection.
Along with Public Health – Seattle &
King County, the state Department of
Ecology sampled the soil at playgrounds
of schools, preschools and childcares and
soil has been removed and replaced where
contamination is the most severe. However,
a significant amount of untested and
lightly-contaminated soil in King County
still remains, requiring the attention of the
community.
While contamination levels are highest
closer to the smelter, Public Health found
elevated lead and arsenic levels throughout
King County, with the most heavily
contaminated areas in south King County,
Vashon and Maury Island and in the cities
of Des Moines, Burien, Tukwila and Normandy
Park and outlying areas.
Given the health hazards associated with
exposure to lead and arsenic, our hope is
that the community will embrace these
recommendations and keep toxins away
from home.
For more information visit www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/toxic/tsp.aspx.
The Marketplace of The Voice
Department: Education & Community Services Reports To: Family Connections Coordinator Status: Part-time, Temporary (January-June), 10-12 hours per week FLSA: Non-Exempt Salary Range: 13 ($15.27 - $16.96 per hour) Close Date: Monday, January 12, 2009 or until filled
Responsibilities
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Application Procedure Submit targeted cover letter, agency application and resume. Agency applications can be downloaded or picked up at the address below. Only applicants considered for interviews will be contacted. Applicants may FAX their materials to 206-461-3857, or mail to:
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For More Information Inquiries may be directed to Human Resources at 206-461-8430 or by e-mail to nhjobs@nhwa.org
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Three wheel Nova rollator. No seat, snap-on pouch. Hardly used. $60. 206-708-7932
Boys 20” bike. Good condition, orange color. $25/OBO. 253-852-5045
Brown leather Lazy Boy recliner. Brown leather couch. Matching bookshelves. 40” round table with leaf & two chairs.
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Translated Articles From The Voice
Khamriga iyo kansarka: intaadan cabin marka hore ogowkhassaraha. Jeclow ama neb-cow, khamrigu wuxuu noqday tiir dhexaadka xiliga faystooyinka sida fruitcake-oo kale( oo markasta wax la dhexgeliyo).
U dabaaldegidda faystooyinku waxay ka dhigan tahay maalin kasta khamri la cabbo; waxa soo socda waa xaqiiqooyin la rabo markasta inaad madaxa ku haysid: cabitaan joogto ah oo khamri amaba wax badan waxay keentaa khatar ku timaadda caafimaadkaaga.
Cabitaanka khamrigu wuxuu culays saartaa beerka. Khamrigu sidoo kale wuxuu caqabad ku noqdaa kororka ama xogeysiga fitimiin Bga ee isdifaaca jirka.
Taas waxaa sii dheer in cabidda khamrigu ay kordhiso khatarta kaankarada naasaha. Sidoo kale cabitaanka joogtada ah ee khamrigu wuxuu sabab u yahay kaankarada kolorektal, afka,beerka, esofaguska iyo cunaha.
Cabitaanka ood badsataa waa khatarta ood badsato. Matelan dadka cabba afar cabitaan, maalintii wuxuu laban laabaaa ama saddex laabaa khatarta kaankarada afka iyo cunaha.
Dhinaca kale dumarka caba intaas maalintii waxay kordhisaa halista kaankarada naasaha ilaa 50%.
La soco xaqiiqahaan inta aadan dhalada
furin: 79,000 oo dhimasho ayey sanadkasta
sababtaa gudaha dalkan Mareykanka. Taas oo khmariga ka dhigtey dilaha saddexaad ee ah qaadka ay dadku u nool yihiin. Asaga oo ay ka daran yihiin tubaakada iyo cayilka. Waa sida ay sheegtay hay’addda koontoroolka cudurada.
Ka fogow cabitaanka khamriga Haddii: Ka soo roonaanayso cabitaanka khamriga;aad uur leedahay ama aad nuujinayso;aad ka yar tahay da’da cabitaanka; haddii aad samayso wax u baahan taxadar iyo feejignaan badan.; ama aad qaadato daawo la falgaleysa khamriga.(sida kaniiniyada hurdada, midda walwalka, dhiig karka, sonkorowga iyo midda loo qaato cudurada wadnaha).
RƯỢU VÀ CHỨNG BỊNH UNG THƯ
Trước khi qúi vị uống rượu trong dịp các ngày lễ, hãy biết đến những mối nguy hại.
Dù muốn dù không, rượu là thứ không thể thiếu trong các ngày lễ lạc, cũng như truyền thồng trong bánh cake trái cây cũng có ướp rượu.
Nếu ăn mừng ngày lễ có nghĩa là phải uống rượu hàng ngày, thì đây là những sự thật lành mạnh cần nên ghi nhớ:
Uống rượu tạo áp lực mạnh vào lá gan. Ruợu cũng là thứ gây giảm đi hệ miễn nhiểm dựa vào sinh tố B
Thêm vào đó rượu còn gây nguy cơ ung thư vú, người uống rượu thường xuyên hay bị dẫn đến chứng bịnh ung thư ruột già, ung thư miệng, cổ họng, cuốn bao tử và gan.
Càng uống nhiều ,càng có nhiều nguy cơ bị bịnh. Người mà uống 4 ly rượu mỗi ngày thì nguy cơ bị bịnh ung thư miệng, cổ, cuống bao tử tăng gấp đôi hay gấp 3 lần, trong khi đó thì phụ nử mà uống cùng số lương trên thì có nguy cơ bị ung thư vú tăng 50 phần trăm.
Đây là một vài điều cần phải nghĩ đến trước khi qúi vị bắt đầu khui chai rượu ra:
Theo Trung Tâm Bài Trừ Bịnh Tật, thi hằng năm trên xứ Mỹ, có khỏang 79,000 người bị chết do uống rượu quá độ, xếp vào hàng thứ ba trong các nguyên nhân tử vong do lối sống con người, xếp hạng sau việc hút thuốc lá, bịnh béo phì.
Hãy tránh uống rượu, nếu qúi vị đang cai nghiện, đang mang thai, hoặc đang nuôi con bằng sửa mẹ, lái xe, làm công việc cần phải tập trung năng khiếu và điều hợp; hoặc đang uống thuốc với lọai thuốc gây liên ứng với chất rượu( gồm có thuốc ngủ, thuốc chống dị ứng, thuốc an thần, thuốc tri tiểu đường, thuốc trị cao máu, thuốc đau tim).