THE VOICE - October 2009

The Newspaper of Neighborhood House



Daytripper: For those who do more than just pass on through, Everett is rewarding

By Kristin O’Donnell
SHA Resident

Most people go through Everett on the way to someplace else, but there are several things in Everett that are worth seeing — and it is an easy bus ride from Seattle.

Catch Sound Transit 510 to Everett on Fourth Avenue (also stops at freeway stop in the University District). The bus leaves every half hour on weekdays.

When you arrive at Everett Station — where most Everett buses, intercity buses and Amtrak stop — take time to go inside the impressive building. There is art that is worth taking time to see, including in the halls of the upper levels. Unlike many bus and train stations, the building and restrooms are shiny clean.

Pick up an Everett transit schedule booklet, which lists all transit routes and includes good-enough maps of Everett.

Return to the transit mall outside Everett Station and catch Route ET 20 – Walnut.

Get off downtown at Wetmore and Pacific. If you are planning to visit the botanical garden, check the schedule for Route ET 7 – North Colby. It leaves once an hour. Take an hour or so to see downtown Everett. If you are going to the cemetery later, drop by the Northwest Room in the library at the corner of Hoyt and Everett streets. Ask for the cemetery map. (If you travel with an iPod, there’s a free recorded tour).

The people who work at the library know an amazing amount about the town. They have walking tour pamphlets, information about parks and neighborhoods … and they know where the nearest bus
stop is.

Another worthwhile stop is the Everett Arts Council Gallery in the old Monte Cristo Hotel at the corner of Hoyt and Wall, once the fanciest hotel in Everett, now low-income housing and arts space (and there is a Goodwill store across the street). There are a lot of choices for lunch, including a deli at Sno-Isle Co-op at Grand and California (Tasty pakoras with mango salsa! Tree-ripe peaches!) and Pavé Bakery, 2613 Colby Avenue (between Everett and 26th), where you can pick up a picnic lunch to bring to the park.

On to the gardens: Catch the ET 7 – North Colby bus (NOT the ET 7 – Evergreen!). The bus runs through the pretty Colby Avenue neighborhood to Legion Park. Get off the bus at West Marine View
Drive and Alverson and follow the driveway into the park. Turn right at the end of the driveway onto a gravel path that leads into the arboretum and garden. Enter the garden between a group of bright blue pillars.

With a background of native evergreens, the garden is designed to have something on display between early spring and the first hard frost. A spaceship fountain, gates and arbors and modern and traditional sculpture combine with the plants. There’s a big collection of Japanese maples — the leaf color should be great in October.

There are picnic tables across Alverson Drive from the park with a great view of Gardiner Bay and the Olympics. Restrooms are in the park. Do keep track of time — the return bus leaves hourly, from the stop where you got off, and brings you to the college bus mall, where you can transfer to a bus to downtown or Everett Station. A stop on the way out of town — sometime around sunset — is the Evergreen Cemetery.

As you know, if you’ve read earlier articles, Daytripper cannot pass a thrift store. What you do not know is that Daytripper often visits pioneer cemeteries — Evergreen in Everett is one fine cemetery. It is old, it has a fine restored gatehouse, and a large variety of old trees. The woods are overtaking the edges. On a weekday afternoon, you may be the only (living) person in the cemetery.

Most Everett pioneers have modest red or gray granite gravestones without much decoration, but there are enough granite tree trunks and white marble lambs to be interesting. There is also what is perhaps the largest monument in the state, the Rucker family’s massive 35-foot-high granite pyramid. And there’s a tombstone with the epitaph: “I Told You I was Sick.”

The cemetery is large, but the map from the library makes finding special places easy. Old cemeteries are good places for history fans, bird watchers and autumn leaves. This cemetery is also a popular place for late-afternoon mosquitoes — bug repellent might be a good idea!

No restrooms in the cemetery, not anymore, but check out what the library tour calls “the restroom of the dead” — the crumbling remains of an old public restroom in an overgrown area of the cemetery.

Getting to the cemetery by bus from downtown Everett may be tricky. The 510 CT bus (the route back to Seattle) will stop by the Aquasox ballpark* at 38th and Broadway, three blocks from the cemetery if there are passengers waiting for the bus there (or if you ask the driver VERY nicely and the driver is in a good mood). Otherwise, the closest stop is the CT 510 – 38th and Broadway heading into Everett from Seattle. Although it is possible to get off the 510 at the South Everett park and ride and catch another 510 northbound to Everett, depending on the time of day, there may be a fairly long wait at the park and ride.

Maybe this isn’t the day to visit Evergreen Cemetery?

Going home: Same buses, reverse order.
Accessibility: Buses and most of downtown Everett is very good, with a few gentle hills. Everett bus stops aren’t close together, usually lack shelters/benches and can be hard to locate. Arboretum and
garden access is OK, although some paths are gravel surfaced — not great for walkers and wheelchairs. The bus stop on Alverson Road doesn’t have a sidewalk — the bus driver said he uses the lift from the lightly trafficked road.

Cemetery access is quite difficult: three uphill blocks from the bus stop (if the bus stops), steep hills and limited paved roads within the cemetery.

Cost of Fares: Sound Transit $3 adult; $2.50 youth; $1.50 senior disabled. Everett Transit $0.75 adult; $0.50 youth; free senior disabled.

*More on the Aquasox — a Mariners farm team with express bus service from Seattle, cheap tickets and THREE mascots — next year!

 

The 2010 U.S. Census: What you need to know

By Jim Bush

As many people may already know, the federal government counts how many people are living in this country every ten years, as required under the U.S. Constitution. This official count is used to determine a number of things, like how many congressional representatives each state gets (there are 435 members of Congress; the census determines how many seats each state gets), how many “electoral” votes each state gets in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Presidential elections, how seats in each state’s legislative body are allocated, how the federal government allocates funding for services such as:

• Health care, especially Medicaid
• Transportation infrastructure (roads, airports, railroads and mass transit)
• Housing, especially low-income subsidized housing
• Educational funding
• Support services for infants, children and the elderly

In this effort, over $300 billion in annual funds are allocated by the Federal government — a total of $3 trillion over the ten-year period. The census is also the tool that is used to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act, a law that’s been around since 1965 and ensures that racial minorities have an adequate number of representatives in all levels of government (under the Act, each state has to have
at least one congressional district where minority populations are actually in the majority).

The census forms will be sent out by mail early next year and will have 10 very simple questions. It is extremely important that you answer all ten questions for each person living in your household on
April 1, 2010 (the actual date of the census) and return the form to the address that will be printed on the form itself (or the envelope used to return it).

Some people may not want to fill the census form out since they don’t agree with the current immigration policies in this country. There is no reason not to fill this form out since any information is kept
strictly confidential and, under Federal Law, anyone who knowingly releases it faces rather hefty fines and jail time.

There are many ways you can help the process go smoothly and, by doing so, you’ll be a dynamic part of making sure the census includes everyone.

What to do
• Educate everyone about the census. Talk about the form that will be mailed out in early 2010. It’s a simple one-page form with only ten questions that need to be answered for everyone in your household. It should only take 10 minutes to complete the census form. Most importantly, all of the information on this form is kept totally confidential — it is not given to any other sources or agencies.
• Be a census taker. These are the people who will go door-to-door to collect the information needed to conduct the census. There will be plenty of part-time jobs doing this, so if you’re interested, call the Census Bureau at 1-866-861- 2010 (TTD: 1-800-877-8330) or go to www.2010censusjobs.gov for more information or application instructions.
• Become a census partner and work with the Seattle Complete Count Committee. While no direct monetary grants are made, census partners have preferred access to communications materials and
promotional items.
• Staff a help center. Like we said earlier, the forms will be mailed out in early 2010. To supplement this, over 40,000 “Be Counted” sites will help distribute them as well. In addition, there will be 30,000
help centers throughout the country where people can go and get help filling out these forms, especially if they can’t read the form itself (they will be printed in English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese,
Korean and Russian).
• Focus on the “hard to count.” There will be a few of them, especially immigrants, low-income people and people living in multiple-family households or those with mixed citizenship status. It is important for those people to be counted as well, along with the homeless populations.
• Fight the boycott. Some people have already suggested that they’ll urge a boycott of the census to protest current immigration policies. Most organizations working with immigrant populations are saying this is not a good solution since it would deprive undercounted populations of representation and resources without achieving changes in policy, which in turn, hurts more than just the people taking part in the “boycott.”

The material for this article was received at the 2009 CSTI Conference in Portland recently and has been expanded on somewhat by the author. The Voice will have more information on the upcoming census in future issues of this publication. Please watch for it.

 

Getting everything to be ready for anything, the whole year round

By Greg Potter
SHA Resident

Getting ready for anything the whole year long is something I think about and do on a regular basis. Do not ever wait until the last minute to get everything you will need, because it might be that later your life will depend on it. It might be an emergency or disaster, and you might not have electricity, heat, water, food or transportation to a doctor or store, so you will need to be prepared.

You should have disaster kits at home and in your car, as well as a “Ready to Go Bag” in case you have to leave your apartment — you might not be able to return for quite a while.

Everybody should go to their local grocery, variety store and hardware store for supplies as soon as possible. Do not put this off because, when you get everything at the last minute, the stores might be
closed or out of items that you need. Even everyday things like batteries, which are critical in an emergency, could run out if you wait until the last minute.

Ready for fall and winter
People should get ready for anything in the fall. Have those emergency things all ready for the winter — in time for rain, wind, snow and power outages, because winter weather comes along as early as
October.

Also remember in the fall that it is flu season. Make sure you stay home if you have a fever or cold. While regular seasonal flu and H1N1 flu can be very serious illnesses, there are actions we can all take to
prepare for the upcoming flu season.

If you have children, have a plan for emergencies or illness. If your child is sick, keep your child home. Some parents find it helpful to coordinate childcare plans with other families, friends and neighbors.
Take action to prevent the spread of disease. Stay home if you’re sick, cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands frequently with soap for 20 seconds and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.

Purchase over-the-counter medicine now for colds and fever, so that you can have it ready if you get sick. Buy extra canned foods like soups, chicken, tuna, fruit and vegetables just in case you are not able to get to the store.

Ready for spring and summer
How about in the spring? People should get ready for the summer time early. That means more than just preparing for the beach with a cooler, suntan lotion and extra water. On July 20 of this year, we had 103 degree heat, then Mt. Rainier had a bad lightning and thunder storm and flooding followed. A couple days later in Alberta, Canada, they had a windstorm with 60-mph winds, and someone got killed in the storm. They had no warning.

Even in the summer there will be stormy summer days. In Seattle, watch out for those days as well as the heat waves.

During the year, you can turn your TV to the Weather Channel to learn about Seattle and Pacific Northwest weather. During periods of inclement weather, local stations such as KIRO and KOMO will broadcast weather-related updates.

Everything you need in your emergency kit
At a minimum, have the basic supplies listed below. Keep supplies in an easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate. If possible, keep one kit in your home, a second at work, and a third in your car.

Water — one gallon per person, per day (three day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)
Food — nonperishable, easy-to- prepare items (three day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)
Flashlight
Battery-powered or hand- crank radio
(NOAA Weather Radio, if possible) with extra batteries
First aid kit
Medications (seven-day supply) and medical items
Multipurpose tool
Sanitation and personal hygiene items
Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
Cell phone with chargers
Family and emergency contact information
Extra cash
Emergency blanket
Maps of the area

Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit.
Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:
Additional medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)
Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
Games and activities for children
Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
Two-way radios
Extra set of car keys and house keys
Manual can opener
Additional supplies to keep at home or in your kit based on the types of disasters common to your area:
Whistle
N95 or surgical masks
Matches
Rain gear
Towels
Work gloves
Tools/supplies for securing your home
Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
Plastic sheeting
Duct tape
Scissors
Household liquid bleach
Blankets or sleeping bags

Information in this sidebar from the Red Cross

 

Health Notes

A column devoted to your well-being

Seasonal flu vaccines are available

While H1N1 influenza (swine flu) is currently in the headlines, every year in King County thousands of people get sick from seasonal influenza, also known as seasonal flu. Seasonal flu vaccine is starting
to become available, and vaccination is the best way to prevent getting sick and to lessen the severity of illness. Federal health officials expect that a separate vaccine to protect against the H1N1 influenza
will begin to be distributed in October.

“Getting a flu shot protects you, your family and your community against a highly contagious illness that causes preventable medical visits, inappropriate antibiotic treatments, hospitalizations and deaths every year,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Communicable Disease and Immunizations, Public Health - Seattle & King County. “Both the seasonal flu and H1N1 strains are predicted to be circulating
in the community this flu season, so it’s especially important that people who are recommended to receive each vaccine get protected. Getting the seasonal flu vaccine is the first step.”

“Now is the time to get vaccinated while supplies are plentiful and health care providers’ offices and pharmacies are not as busy,” said Duchin.

Influenza, unlike the common cold, has a swift onset of symptoms beginning with two to seven days of fever, headache, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, runny nose and sore throat, and a cough that is often
severe and may last seven days or more. Influenza can also lead to serious bacterial pneumonia, including MRSA.

Who should get a seasonal flu vaccine?

Vaccination is recommended to protect people at high-risk for complications from the flu, including:
• Children aged six months old to 19 years old
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People, six months or older with certain chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease (including asthma), kidney disease or diabetes
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

People who live with or care for those at high risk for health complications from flu should be vaccinated as well, including:
• Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
• Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age who are too young to be vaccinated
• Healthcare workers
The vaccine is also available to anyone who wants a vaccine to protect them from the flu. People at high risk for influenza-related complications may also need immunization against pneumococcal pneumonia. If you think you may need this vaccine, talk to your health care provider.

Injectable flu vaccine and FluMist availability
In King County, flu shots are available now at many doctors’ offices and other providers, such as drugstores and pharmacies.

Some health care providers and pharmacies may also have FluMist, the live attenuated vaccine. Instead of getting an injection, a small amount of vaccine is sprayed into each nostril. FluMist is licensed for healthy non-pregnant people aged 2 through 49 years. The federal and state funded Vaccines for Children Program subsidizes the cost of children’s influenza vaccine at most health care clinics.

Other ways to protect yourself from the flu
As always, healthy habits can limit the spread of contagious illnesses, including the flu: cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands often, avoid close contact with ill people and stay home from work, school
and other public settings when ill. For more information on good health manners and educational materials, visit Public Health’s Stop Germs, Stay Healthy! Web page: ww.kingcounty.gov/health/stopgerms.

For complete information about seasonal influenza, where to get a flu vaccine, and costs, please visit the Flu Season web page at www.kingcounty.gov/health/flu or call Public Health’s Information Line at
206-296-4949.

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.9 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier
communities for everyone, every day. More at www.kingcounty.gov/health.

 

CityClub sponsors Community Matters campaign

Dialogues, debates focus on education and economic opportunity

By Virginia Felton
Vice President, CityClub Board of Governors

What if everyone across Seattle and King County started talking together about the issues of education and economic opportunity? That is the goal of CityClub’s 2009 Community Matters Campaign.
These two issues of particular urgency will be explored in various ways between now and Election Day on Nov. 3 . City Club is partnering with the Seattle Foundation to begin a community dialogue based on the findings of its newly released Healthy Community Report, available at www.seattlefoundation.org.

Over the coming weeks, CityClub will convene 3,000 participants to discuss what we can and need to do individually and communally to overcome barriers and achieve positive results. CityClub is sponsoring a host of Community Dialogues across the city. Here are three that residents of Seattle Housing communities could participate in. All dialogues are free.

Wednesday, Oct. 7 — 6:30 p.m.
At Seattle Public Library — Greenwood Branch

Thursday, Oct. 15 — 6:30 p.m.
At Seattle Public Library — Rainier Beach Branch

Friday, Oct, 16 — 12:30 p.m.
At Seattle Public Library — Central Branch

In addition, candidates for public office will be asked to comment on the Healthy Community Report during debates presented by CityClub, and media and business leaders will be invited to comment in
newspaper columns and blogs. For more information about election debates that are free and open to the public, click on the “Events” section of CityClub’s Web site: www.seattlecityclub.org.

At the end of the campaign, CityClub will report back to participants and community leaders. The goal is to begin a dialogue, create buzz and the inspiration to act; to engage our whole community
with the data, urgency and opportunity for positive change.

The hard facts about education, employment in Washington state

Here are some of the facts that CityClub is distributing to get people engaged in this dialogue:
• Washington leads the nation in jobs for people with degrees in science and engineering but ranks 38th nationally in the number of students graduating with those degrees.
• Washington ranks 37th in the nation in high school graduation rates.
• The gap between the rich and the poor continues to rise. In 2007, 49 percent of all income in King County went to the top 20 percent of households while around 3.5 percent went to the lowest 20 percent.
• Sixty-four percent of King County’s jobs do not pay a “living wage” for a two-parent household with two children (one parent working). A living wage is the minimum amount of money a family needs to earn to provide the basic necessities of living. For a family like the one described above, the living wage is $50,000.
• A recent survey of Washington firms found that the highest vacancy rates were for jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a baccalaureate degree.
• The number of green jobs could quadruple in the Northwest by 2020 and add billions of dollars to Washington’s $270 billion economy.

 

Upcoming Greenbridge activities

Join the Greenbridge Community Health Project in connecting with your neighbors and health promotion activities. For more information about other activities, call 206-461-4554 ext. 24. All programs are free and open to Greenbridge Residents.

Community Council Meeting
Hosted by KCHA
Tuesday, October 13 at 5:30 p.m. Joe Thomas Room at the Jim Wiley Center
Meet new neighbors and hear news about Greenbridge and other important information.

Walking Group
A program of Neighborhood House
Every Thursday and Saturday at 9 a.m. behind Nia Apartments
Meet your neighbors and walk for better health.

Knitting Class
Every second and fourth Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Nia Apartments Community Room
Knitting materials provided

Kitchens of the World
A program of Neighborhood House
Wednesday, October 28 6-8 p.m.
Healthy cooking class followed by a potluck dinner.
Bring a side dish. We will prepare the main dish together.
Space is limited. To register, call 206-461-4554 ext. 24.

 

Be safe
Fall is here — a new school year starts

By Seattle Neighborhood Group

Our children are off to school.

A middle school boy walks home after school and carries a back pack and his band instrument. He listens to an iPod with headphones. The boy reports: “An older man walked towards me and cornered me against the fence. I had to stop. The guy suddenly hit me and grabbed my iPod.”

Are there ways to increase our children’s safety coming and going from school? Parents, here are a few practices and tips you can pass on to the kids.

Pay attention — rainbow or tornado?

Help your children plan a “rainbow” route, a safe walking route to their destination. A rainbow route has good lighting and visibility, sidewalks and “eyes and ears” on the street. Parking lots, alleyways and dark parks are places to avoid.

Tornado down the road? When your kids are alert, they have more time to spot a threatening situation and react. Crossing the street, entering a store, turning and quickly walking in the opposite direction may get kids out of a potentially bad situation.

In a word, kids should pay attention to their surroundings and avoid walking on “automatic pilot.” Listening to an iPod can cut down a child’s awareness of what is happening around them.

Walk with confidence. Suspects look for opportunities and victims. Kids should project an alert, confident image that says “I’m not a victim.”

Make eye contact with people on the street. Let people on the street know that you see them. Bad guys are more likely to jump kids who cannot identify them.

Wear clothing and shoes that allow for free and quick movement.

Carry fewer items; too many may make a child a target.

See and be seen — wear bright or light colored clothes.

Walk with a buddy — there is safety in numbers.

Observe basic pedestrian safety practices. Cross streets at street corners, and always look both ways before crossing. Do not run across a street to catch a bus.

Allan Davis (323-7094) and Kelly McKinney (323-7084) are Community Educators for Seattle Neighborhood Group. Please contact them for public safety assistance and information.

 

One to grow on

Garden tips for community gardeners

Take time to update your garden journal and rotate your plantings

By Anza Muenchow
Special to The Voice

As you are harvesting the last of your squash and tomatoes this month, it is important to update your garden journal. Make a map of your summer garden and record where the different crops were planted.

Your annual garden map is important because you need to rotate plantings, keeping track of the families of the vegetables you grew. Keep a record of plantings for at least five years, because some plant families are sensitive to diseases in the soil brought in during the previous years.

The legume family has a pest that attacks peas, the pea weevil. Pea crops do best with a rotation of at least three years and at least 20 feet from last year’s plantings. The weevil larva eats roots and the adult weevil eats the leaves of the pea sprouts in the spring. If you used a legume for a winter cover crop (Austrian field peas, especially) then wait three years before planting peas in the same place.

Beans do best with a three-year rotation as well. All these legumes have nitrogen fixing bacteria that leave extra nitrogen in the soil. A leafy green crop planted the next year will appreciate the nitrogen.

Onions and garlic (Allium family) are also sensitive to disease problems if planted in the same area the following year. Onion root rot is awful if it becomes established in a garden and takes five to ten years without any alliums to recover. It is exacerbated by wet soils with significant clay content.

As you plant your garlic this month, make sure you had no alliums in that area for four or five years. Check the health of your garlic cloves and don’t plant any that look gray or have brown spots. Use the largest and healthiest cloves for the best harvest next August.

Brassica planting rotation is especially important. This family includes broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, radish, turnip, Brussel sprouts, arugula and kale plants. Check the roots as you pull out the last of these plants this fall and look for “club root,” a fungal disease that is persistent in soils of our area.

The roots will have a gnarled, swollen look. Do not compost these roots because once club root fungus is established in a garden, you may never get rid of it. It is contagious and can be spread from an infected garden. Prevention is important, like adding lime to your soil before planting Brassicas, as the disease thrives in acid soil.

The Solanacea family includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos and potatoes. These tolerate a rotation of just a couple years, unless you notice problems with potato diseases. It is often difficult to harvest all the potatoes, but make an effort to remove all the potatoes and give the soil a break from the Solanacea family.

The carrot family (Apiaceae) also includes fennel, parsley, parsnip, cilantro and dill. These have umbel shaped flowers, good for the beneficial insects. However, the insect pest, carrot rust fly, can leave eggs in the soil and ruin next year’s crop.

Always rotate plantings for at least a three-year cycle and plant 20-30 feet away from the last plantings.

Beets, spinach and chard can benefit from a three-year rotation also. They can attract a leaf miner fly that can be quite a pest in our area. These seem to benefit from following a legume crop as the soil may require less nitrogen fertilizer.

In your garden journal, record crop successes and crop failures. Include information about soil improvement, which beds received lime or which ones had manures or fertilizers.

Remember the varieties of plant seeds you used and where you acquired the seed. All these records help you improve your gardening over the years.

Anza Muenchow is a farmer and a volunteer with P-Patch. You can reach her by e-mail at anzam@whidbey.net, or online at www.mahafarm.com.

 

Project HANDLE receives Drug Free Communities grant

By Voice Staff

Neighborhood House was recently named a recipient of a Drug Free Communities grant, awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Neighborhood House’s Project HANDLE program will use the funds to involve and engage the local community to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug abuse among youth.

Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), announced the grants, totaling $21 million across 161 communities, in August.

“The Drug Free Communities Support Program bolsters individuals and groups correction across the Nation that are improving their communities by preventing drug abuse,” said Eric Broderick, SAMHSA’s acting administrator. “SAMHSA is honored to play a role in this innovative program, which has done so much to promote well-being, hope and feelings of empowerment among so many young people.”

The Drug Free Communities program is directed by the ONDCP in partnership with SAMHSA. The DFC program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement and the media.

 

 

A trip to the Puyallup Fair with the ROSS program for senior and disabled residents

Community notes

By Pam Wilcox
SHA Resident

On Sept. 17, I went to the Puyallup Fair via the ROSS program for seniors and disabled. Twenty-two people in all made the trip, including our two drivers, Neighborhood House employees Annie Edwards and Long Luu.

We spent four hours doing as much as we pleased at the fair. Everyone seemed to have a great time.

I started out by getting a scone and some lemonade. Then I attended a pots-and-pans cooking demonstration, then had lunch. After this I went to see the goats and cows. For me, the four hours went by quickly.

Before I “Did the Puyallup,” I interviewed Edwards about the ROSS program. She told me that ROSS stands for Resident Opportunity for Self Sufficiency, a program funded by HUD.

The purpose of the program is to help people break social isolation, to participate in different activities, to learn about different resources and to be active and social.

The program includes the communities of Jefferson Terrace, Yesler Terrace and Greenbridge.

Edwards, who has been with Neighborhood House for 24 years, has spent three years working on the ROSS program. For questions about the program or to learn about upcoming activities, Edwards can be reached at 206-461-4522.

Previous trips have included the Tulip Festival, Mount Rainier, Seattle Art Museum, Snoqualmie Falls, Northwest Trek and picnics at Lincoln and Madrona parks.

Upcoming events include bingo, luncheons at Yesler Terrace and Greenbridge, a Thanksgiving luncheon at Yesler Terrace and holiday luncheons at Yesler and Greenbridge.

How to participate
If you are a resident of Jefferson Terrace, Yesler Terrace or Greenbridge and want to learn more about the ROSS program, contact Annie Edwards at 206-461-4522. Some trips require a small fee.



Community Notes

SNAP program seeks participants
The Seattle Neighbors Actively Prepare (SNAP) Leadership Academy is calling for participants to attend its October session. The SNAP program teaches emergency preparedness skills to those willing to serve as community leaders.

Course topics include:
• Top preparedness tips
• Hands-on emergency skills
• Connecting with your neighbors
• Motivating others
• Creating momentum
• Resource sharing
• Games, activities and more!

Dates: Wednesdays, Oct. 14, 21 and 28 *
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. each night
Place: Seattle EOC, 105 5th Ave S., Seattle, WA 98104
RSVP by Oct. 7 to snap@seattle.gov or 206-233-5076.

* There is no cost for the Leadership Academy, but participants are asked to attend all sessions. If you cannot participate, please feel free to refer someone you know who would make a great SNAP Coordinator.

Knee and hip replacement — Before and after
Tuesday, Oct. 27 Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Yesler Community Center
917 E Yesler Way
Cost: $5
Register in advance at 206-233-7255

Join us for an informative lunch and lecture. Do you suffer from knee or hip pain? Learn ways to manage your minor or severe pain. Have you considered orthopedic surgery? Get information from an orthopedic physician, physical therapist, and a rheumatologist. Hear people’s testimonies about their experiences. A panel of health care providers will be on site to present and answer questions.

Central east lifelong recreation resource fair and lunch

Thursday, Nov. 5
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Garfield Community Center
2323 E. Cherry
Free
Call 206-233-7555 for more information.

A great opportunity to get information, resources, and discounts for seniors. A host of agencies and businesses will be on hand with displays and giveaways and lots of information that you need! Doctors, retirement homes, energy assistance, employment opportunities, health care, insurance, banks and much, much more ... everything in one place. We will have numerous guest speakers, door prizes and
free healthy snacks will be served.

 

Our Voices: A change of scenery for a Voice reporter

By Tyler Roush
The Voice editor

Later this month, Robert Canamar will pack up his belongings, move out of his apartment in Jefferson Terrace and travel across the country to New York.

He’s collaborated on a project with a New York playwright, writing the score for a musical that’s in development. It’s a new opportunity for the activist and Voice contributor who is a member of the Voice Resident Advisory Committee and frequent reporter. The next step — to produce, cast and direct the show in advance of its 2010 premiere.

It’s a sort of return to his roots, “considering I started off as a stagehand and wound up as a director” at NBC in the early 1970s, Canamar said.

In fact, Canamar said he practically grew up in the NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., where his father was a long-time employee.

“I like to tell people I had 200 fathers growing up,” Canamar said. “All those stangehands who worked with my father looked out for me.”

After a tour in Vietnam, Canamar returned and took a job at the studio. He and his father would build the studio’s first computer, which was used to operate the gameshow “Celebrity Sweepstakes.”

Eventually, Canamar would move from stagehand to technical director, and then to director.

“The nice thing about entertainment is, you get to move around, you meet a whole lot of people,” he said.

He said he received more education by working in the entertainment industry than he could find in any school, anywhere. “I learned that there’s always more than one way to get a job done, no matter what it is,” he said. “So it behooves us to listen to everyone.”

That thinking still informs his political philosophy, which is decidedly liberal, he said.

Since coming to Seattle in 1990, his focus has been on music, which he has practiced since childhood. He recalls placing in accordion competitions as a boy in California.

“To this day I hate the accordion — I can’t stand it,” he said.

But he prides himself on being able to play most any variety of instrument from all parts of the world.

It’s a part of his desire to stay open to new challenges and opportunities, such as the one he will soon be pursuing in New York.

“Don’t constrict yourself; open your mind,” he said. “Learn as many different things as you can. And one day it all coalesces into one picture, called you.”


Volunteer opportunities at Neighborhood House

Fall is right around the corner and we have a variety of volunteering opportunities at Neighborhood House!

We are currently looking for volunteers to fill these positions:

  • Volunteer tutors for our after-school program at our Park Lake and Auburn tutoring centers, Monday through Thursday, 3:30 to 6 p.m.
  • Computer Lab Support for our Rainier Vista open lab classes for youth and adults (please contact me for the schedule).
  • Graphic Designers for small, flexible projects in our development department.

  • Volunteers for our CASASTART youth mentoring program this fall at our Rainier Vista location (one or two nights per month).

  • Neighborhood House Internship — Assist our development team on various projects, including our grand opening of our new High Point Center, Nov. 14.

Please contact Neighborhood House Volunteer Coordinator Jen Rosenbrook at jenr@nhwa. org or 206-461-8430, ext. 255 for more information.

 

 

CLASSIFIEDS

The Marketplace of The Voice

South Seattle Community College

• College Transfer (206) 768-6600

Professional/Technical (206) 764-5394

Adult Basic Education/ESL/GED (206) 764-5363

High School Programs (206) 764-5805

Continuing Education (206) 764-5339

Online/Distance Learning (206) 764-7930

Four-Year Degrees (206) 764-5387

South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106 • (206) 764-5300 • www.southseattle.edu NewHolly Learning Center, 7058 32nd Ave S, 2nd Floor of NewHolly Learners Bldg., Seattle, WA 98118 • (206) 768-6642

Items wanted

Adult cloth prefold diapers. Adult plastic pants (Med). 206-527-0558

Hire censored author Saab Lofton to write a custom made short story based on your favorite things. Call 206-291-3815.

 

For Sale

3-wheel Nova Rollator. Features a loop-lock braking system, large 8 “ wheels and a snap-on vinyl pouch. Supports up to 250 pounds. $35..00. Ballard area. Ph. (206) 708 -7932

Electric lift for 3 wheel scooter Bruno Model #VSI-692.Volt 1200 Type:MDC 12008 serial # C16265 cash only $950 or best offer. Used 3 times.206-365-3440

To place your ad in The Voice contact classmgr@nwlink.com

Market place coupon

Do you have a couch or other item you want to sell? Take advantage of the free person-to-person classified advertising in The Voice by filling out your 24-word ad below. Remember, write only one word per line and don’t forget to include your telephone number in your ad! Mail your ad before the 18th of the month and it will be included in the next month’s issue.

Name _______________________________ address _____________________________ city _______________________________ state __________________ Zip ___________ Telephone ______________________ e-mail ____________________________________

Write your ad here (one word per line)

check the classification: ❑ items for sale ❑ autos for sale ❑ items wanted ❑ services

Mail to: PPC, PO Box 80156, Seattle, WA 98108 fax: 206-461-1285 e-mail: classmgr@nwlink.com w/subject line “The Voice”

 

TRANSLATIONS

Translated Articles from The Voice

Seasonal and H1N1 flus

Сезонный и свиной гриппы

Каждый год до 20-ти процентов американцев заболевает сезонным гриппом. В этом году в дополнение к сезонному гриппу специалисты по здоровью предсказывают вторую волну свиного гриппа H1N1.

Так как немногие люди имеют иммунитет к этому новому вирусу, есть вероятность, что больше людей заболеет. Симптомы свиного гриппа похожи на симптомы сезонного гриппа: жар, озноб, кашель, боли, раздражение в гортани, головная боль, насморк и усталость. Осложнениям от обоих видов гриппа наиболее подвержены беременные женщины, дети , люди с хроническими лёгочными заболеваниями (включая астму), больные диабетом, с ослабленным иммунитетом или другими заболеваниями. В то время как пожилое население обычно страдает больше всех от осложнений при заболевании сезонным гриппом, мы видим, что при заболевании свиным гриппом H1N1 наибольшему риску подвержены дети.

Ребёнок, не получивший полностью прививок:

  • подвержен повышенному риску заболеть той болезнью, которую можно было предотвратить прививкой

  • может быть исключён из школы или детсада на время эпидемии болезни, которую можно

предотвратить прививкой и которая может продлиться несколько недель

• может заразить других, которые не имеют возможности получить прививку, тех, у кого ослабленная иммунная система, беременных женщин, которые не могут получать некоторые прививки или младенцев, слишком маленьких для того, чтобы быть полностью привитыми.

Прививки от сезонного гриппа рекомендуются для всех детей в возрасте от шести месяцев до 18ти лет. Родители также должны подумать о прививке своих детей от свиного гриппа H1N1. Вакцина разработанаибудетрекомендоваться, но не обязательна для детей.

Bịnh Cúm Theo Mùa và Bịnh Cúm

Heo

Mỗi năm, có độ 20 phần trăm người Mỹ mắc bịnh cúm theo mùa. Năm nay, theo vào chứng bịnh cúm theo mùa, những chuyên viên về sức khỏe kỳ vọng sẽ có đợt sóng thứ hai của chứng cúm heo H1N1

Bởi vì có rất ít người được miễn nhiểm đối với lọai siêu vi khuẩn mới này, nên có thể có nhiều người sẽ nhiểm bịnh.

Triệu chứng bịnh cúm heo H1N1 thì gần giống chứng cúm theo mùa: sốt, ớn lạnh, ho, đau nhức, đau cổ họng, nhức đầu, nghẹt mủi và mệt mỏi. Đối với những người có nhiều nguy cơ đưa tới biến chứng khi nhiểm cả hai chứng bịnh cúm gồm cả phụ nữ đang mang thai, trẻ em, người mắc chứng bịnh phổi (gồm bịnh suyển), tiểu đường, bịnh về hệ thồng miễn nhiểm và các chứng bịnh khác. Trong khi mà những người cao tuổi thường dễ bị biến chứng từ bịnh cúm theo mùa, thì chúng tôi thấy rằng đối với siêu vi khuẩn H1N1 cúm heo, thì trẻ em thường có nguy cơ biến chứn cao hơn.

Trẻ em mà không được chích ngừa đầy đủ

Thì tăng nguy cơ mắc các chứng bịnh mà lẻ ra nếu có chích ngừa thì đã không bị.

Thì có thể bị buộc không cho đi học, không được đến nhà trẻ trong thời gian đang có dịch bịnh, có thể kéo dài cả tuần lễ

Thì có thể làm lây bịnh sang cho người đã không thể chích ngừa đuợc, như phụ nữ mang thai, người có hệ thống miễn nhiểm kém, hay trẻ sơ sinh chưa thể chích ngừa được.

Chích ngừa bịnh cúm theo mùa được khuyến khích cho mọi trẻ em từ 6 tháng tuổi đến 18 tuổi. Các phụ huynh nên nghĩ đến việc chích ngừa cúm heo H1N1 cho con em của mình. Thuốc chích ngừa này đang đuợc bào chế và sẽ được khuyến khích chủng ngừa, nhưng không bắt buộc.

Xilliga iyo hargabka H1N1

Sanadkasta 20% oo dadka Maraykanka ah ayaa u xanuunsada hargab xiliyeedka. Sanadkan kasakoow hargab xiliyeedka, waxay khuburada caafimaadku sheegeen in uu H1N1 soo rogaal celindoono.

Maadaama dad yari u adkeysiga cudurka lee yihiin, dad badan ayuu soo ridi doonaa.

Calaamadaha cudurkaan wuxuu la mid yahay hargabka xillilaha ah sida qufac qandho, qarqaryo, cuncun, cune xanuun, madax xanuun iyo cabur. Dadka khatarta ugu jira waxaa ka mid ah uurreyda, carruurta, dadka qaba cudurrada ayka mid yihiin sambabada, (neefta) macaanka, qofka difaaca jirkiisu

liito. Inkastoo aan aragnay in dadka

waayeelkaaa u nugul yihiin hargab xilliyeedka, Carruurta ayaa ugu darran midkaan H1N1ka.

Cunug aan la tallaalin:

• wuxuu khatar ugu jiraa inuu qaado cudurro tallaal looga hortegi karey

• I skuulka waa loo diidi karaa

• Wuxuu ku daarran karaa carruurta kale een tallaalnayn, sida kuwa aan difaacoodu akyn, dumarka uurka leh, ama ilmaha hadda dhashay ee aan tallaal gaarin. Tallaalka waa muhiim in carruurta oo dhan la siiyo da’dooduna tahay lix bilood illaa 18 sano.Waaliddiintuna waa inay ka fakaraan inay carruurtooda ka talaalaan H1N1ka. Tallaaal ayaa hadda gacanta lagu hayaa lagu dhiirri galindoono in carruurtu qaadato ee aan logu qasbayn.