free each volume 24 month issue 2 a community ......support worker invited kevin wilhelmsen to speak...

The VoiceThe VoiceThe newspaper of Neighborhood House

FREE EACHMONTH

A community-based newspaper serving the Puget Sound area since 1981

VOLUME 24ISSUE 2

Articles translatedinto six languages

February2004

Neighborhood HouseJesse Epstein Building905 Spruce StreetSeattle, WA 98104

Non-profit org.U.S. postage PAIDSeattle, WAPermit #8887

QuotableIn this issue

Health Notes LAUGHTER IS A GREAT MEDICINE

One to grow on TIME TO START PLANTING; TRY PEAS

Celebrating King’s Day MANY VOICES, MANY MESSAGES

Translations

Page 2

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Roaring in the new year

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

2004 is an election year and the voting starts early inWashington. In early February, King County voters willhave a chance to vote on funding for schools during aspecial election on Feb. 3. Democrats all over Washingtonwill choose a Democratic nominee for president on Feb. 7.

Two levies will be on Seattle’s ballot in February. Onewill fund capital projects all over the School District. The$178 million Capital Levy will pay for nearly 700 projectsand improve every school in the District.

Schools Superintendent Raj Manhas said that this levyis a part of a 10-year master plan adopted by the SchoolBoard to renew all of the District’s buildings over time.

$95.5 million of it will pay for improvements to schoolbuildings including roof replacements, upgrading safetyand mechanical systems, retrofitting buildings so thatthey are as safe as possible during earthquakes and makingsure that school buildings are accessible to all.

Along with these basic infrastructure improvements,the capital levy sets aside $42.75 million to help the Districtpay for technology upgrades and equipment includingnew computers, servers, printers, scanners and projectors.

The third and final component of the capital levy is an

PHOTO BY CHARLES REDELL, VOICE

SafeFutures Youth Center in West Seattle celebrated Vietnamese New Year or Tet late last month. The celebrationstarted with a traditional lion dance, above, complete with firecrackers. The rest of the celebration featuredtraditional greetings for community elders from the gathered youth and treats for the children to wish them a luckyand prosperous new year. A fan dance and other performances also had the crowd enthralled.

Busy year ofvoting in Seattlestarts earlySchool levies and presidentialcontests await voters’decisions this year

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

Tax time is coming up again. All over theUnited States, people are gathering their W-2’s, pay stubs and receipts so that they canreport their earnings and pay their taxes ontime. Many low-income individuals andfamilies have a little bit more figuring to dothan the average taxpayer however. This isbecause they can claim the Earned IncomeTax Credit. The extra work is worth itbecause the EITC can significantly reduce

Earned Income Tax Credit best anti-povertytool; assistance offered around region

the amount owed to the government andoften results in a refund to low-incometaxpayers.

The EITC and its companion credit, theChild Tax Credit, are special tax benefits forworking people with low or moderateincomes. They are designed to supplementwages and make work more attractive thanwelfare.

“This is an important program and youshould check to see if you qualify,” saidInternal Revenue Service Commissioner,Mark W. Everson. “EITC rules can be

complicated so you should carefully reviewthe qualifications. Know, don’t guess, if youare qualified. If in doubt, contact the IRS orits volunteer partners for help. If someoneprepares your taxes, seek out a reputableprofessional who understands EITC rulesand who will avoid common mistakes.”

To be eligible for the EITC, single ormarried people between the ages of 25 and64 on Dec. 31, 2003 must have worked atleast part time for part of 2003 and have asocial security number issued by the federalgovernment. Additionally, workers with

children can receive up to $1,000 in taxcredits for each child they have.

The IRS is working with more than 180community-based organizations nationwideto outreach to low-income workers who maybe unaware of their EITC availability. InWashington, many service providers andnonprofit agencies will provide tax-timeassistance with the specific goal of helpinglow-income people and families claim thesecredits.

According to Roxanne Lowe, executive

Please see “Dems need a candidate ...” on page 2

Please see “Tax help is ...” on page 3

“This is a realAmerican holiday.”

Deirdre Daw

FROM“MLK Day brings many voices”on Page 3

2 – LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS FEBRUARY, 2004

The Voice

The Voice, the newspaper of Neighborhood House, is published monthly with the support of theSeattle and King County Housing Authorities. Neighborhood House helps diverse communities ofpeople with limited resources attain their goals for self-sufficiency, financial independence andcommunity building. The Voice contributes to that mission by providing low-income people,immigrants, refugees and other concerned parties with timely, relevant news. Opinions expresseddo not necessarily reflect those of the staff, Neighborhood House, SHA or KCHA. We welcomearticles and tips from the community, and reserve the right to edit all submissions.

Charles RedellEditor

206-461-8430 ext. [email protected]

ReportersEmily Christianson

Katie MeenanAmity Egge

THE VOICE

One to grow onGarden tips for community gardeners

Health NotesA column devoted to your well-being

BY DENISE SHARIFY

Community Health Program Manager

“Laughter is the shortest distancebetween two people.” -Victor Borge

In my family, we have a great familyfriend named Sam. We all look forward tohis visits because when he arrives, ourfamily comes alive. Every householdmember, young and old, gathers around andeagerly awaits his stories. He has the gift ofmaking simple events and plain stories funnyand entertaining. He leaves us feeling greatand exhausted from laughing.

People love to laugh. The average adultlaughs 17 times a day and 5 year olds laughnaturally about 250 times a day. Researchstudies have proved that laughter is goodfor us and can improve our health andhappiness. It has been found that the abilityto laugh is helpful to those coping withmajor illnesses and the stress of life’sproblems. Laughter can bring balance to allthe components of the immune system,which helps fight off diseases.

These are some of the reasons that AnnieEdwards, Neighborhood House’s FamilySupport Worker invited Kevin Wilhelmsento speak to Rainier Vista and NewHollyresidents this winter. Wilhelmsen and his

Laughter is the best medicinepartners are mental health educators atHarborview Medical Center’s Tee Hee HeeTherapeutic Laughter Program. Theseminars emphasized the benefits oflaughter and laughing exercises.

“Laughter or even the anticipation of agood time can create a positive mood andthe ability to deal with problems better,”says Wilhelmsen. “You may not be able tochange a situation but with humor you canchange your attitude about it. Laughter candecrease anxiety and stress, lower bloodpressure, boost the immune system andrelieve pain. It rests the brain, improvesdigestion and also inspires creativity.”

Wilhelmsen said he was able tocommunicate with a diverse audiencebecause laughter is universal. In fact,happiness is one of five emotions that canbe communicated across cultures. Edwardsbelieves that an increase in Senior Clubparticipation at Rainier Vista and NewHollyis a result of the Laughing Seminars.

The laughter benefit that I like the mostis that it stimulates circulation, tonesmuscles and provides an aerobic workout.Since one minute of laughter equals 10 ofjogging, I plan to change my New Year’sresolution. Instead of taking up jogging, I’mgoing to watch more funny movies.

BY ANZA MUENCHOW

Special to The Voice

It may only be February, but it is not tooearly to begin planning your garden.

The first step to getting ready to gardenis to draw a map of your garden and tochoose where you want to plant yourfavorite crops. If you are going to grow anycrop that you also planted last year,remember to change the location of thatvegetable. This is called crop rotation andis especially important for peas, squash,broccoli, cabbage and mustards. However,rotating all of your vegetable crops is a goodidea. It helps avoid pest problems and keepsthe soil’s nutrients from becoming depleted.

Planting can also begin this month forsome crops. For example, peas can beplanted in February. To help you rememberwhen to put peas in the ground, the rule ofthumb is to plant them on Washington’sBirthday, Feb. 22nd.

One of the best things about growingpeas is that they do not need a lot of soilpreparation. It is alright to add somecompost, but not to add any manure.Though peas can fix their own nitrogen, Ihave discovered that peas do much betterif you add a microorganism called peainoculant when you plant.

To plant your peas, put a teaspoon of

the inoculant (which is a black powder) in aplastic bag and add the pea seeds and atablespoon of water. Then plant the peas ina long row. Peas should grow up a trelliswhich is a frame for the vines to hang on, sopick a site where you can easily constructone. Your trellis doesn’t have to be toocomplex. I use string for peas to grow onsince their little tendrils grab easily to it.

If you are anxious to get more cropsgrowing, plant parsley seeds in Februaryas well since they like several weeks of coldbefore they sprout. These seeds will likemore of a rich compost with manure in it,since it is a leafy green and always likes theextra nitrogen. You have to be patient withparsley seed since it takes three to fourweeks to germinate. The wait is worth itthough. Parsley is very high in vitamins andis a natural breath freshener too. It iswonderful to always have a patch of parsleyfor salads and garnishes. Because it lasts12 to 15 months in a garden before it goesto seed, parsley can be a fresh winter treatin any green salad.

The days are getting longer and we’lldiscuss more about getting ready to plantyour food garden next month. If you haveany specific questions please send an e-mail to [email protected] or sendyour question to The Voice, 905 Spruce St.,Seattle, WA 98104.

Planning to plant perfect patch of peas

academic one. This piece includesimprovements to library, science, music andarts facilities, renovations to small learningcommunities and upgrades to athletic fieldsused by schools and the surroundingcommunities.

The second levy before voters inFebruary is called the Educational Programs& Operations Levy or EP&O. As with theCapital Levy, this one is also up for renewal.Currently, its $338 million provides 23 percentof the SchoolDistrict’s funding.

“Every dollarraised by thatoperating expenselevy supports ourstudents’ learningand academica c h i e v e m e n t , ”Manhas said.

The EP&O levyfunds importanteducational programsincluding funds toincrease the numberof teacher positionswhich in turn reducesclass size. It assuresat least one full-day,free kindergartenclass in eachelementary school,bilingual servicesand pays forprograms that workdirectly with at-riskstudents, amongother items.

“We want to beable to provide thebest educationpossible for ourstudents,” said PattiS p e n c e r ,spokesperson for Seattle Schools. “Levydollars allow us to continue to support someof the small-size schools … where kids canbe brought back into the system.”

These levies are paid for through propertytaxes and currently cost homeowners inSeattle $2.39 per $1,000 of assessed valueevery year. Renewing the levies will notincrease that rate.

If either levy fails “it will be a disaster,”Manhas said.

If just the operating levy were to fail, 25percent of Seattle Schools’ staff would haveto be laid off.

“I hate to even think about it,” he said.Upcoming elections

In other elections news, 2004 is apresidential election year. Along with thisyear’s national election in which PresidentGeorge W. Bush is running for a secondterm, there is a Senate race. All Washingtonstate representatives are up for re-electionand so is half the State Senate. Gov. GaryLocke’s term is also up and the office he isvacating is being hotly contested.

The first step in the Presidential electionfor Washington is a caucus. Democrats will

hold their caucuson Feb. 7.Republicans willhold theirs onMarch 9 thoughtheir nominee isalready decided.

Similar toprimary elections,caucuses allowvoters of a specificpolitical party tocome together anddiscuss all of thed i f f e r e n tcandidates who areseeking the state’snomination. Theprocess is a bitmore complicatedthan a regularprimary election,but has the sameend result:delegates areawarded to acandidate helpingto propel himtoward thenomination.

All registeredvoters willing todeclare themselves

as a Democrat can take part in their localcaucus on Feb. 7.

Other state elections take place in twosteps. The primary is on Sept. 14 and thegeneral election, when voters choose apresident, will be on Nov. 2, 2004.

For more information on the Democraticpresidential caucuses or to find out whereyour precinct’s Democratic caucus will beheld, call 206-622-9157 or visitwww.kcdems.org. For more information onthe Republican caucuses, call 206-575-2900or visit www.wsrp.org.

Continued from page 1

Dems need a candidate;schools need yes votes

Feb. 3Localelections

School levies andinitiatives are onthe ballot all overKing County.

Feb. 7DemocraticCaucuses

Washington stateDemocrats meet tonominate a presi-dential candidate.

March 9RepublicanCaucuses

Washington Re-publicans meet tonominate a presi-dential candidate.

Sept. 14Washingtonstate primary

Washington vot-ers nominatelocal candidates.

Nov. 2GeneralElection

Voters choose whoshould fill variouselected positions.

Election time line

BY VOICE STAFF

Every year, Neighborhood House workswith students all over Seattle and KingCounty to help them attain their educationalgoals. Through scholarships, tutoring,mentoring partnerships and Head Startprograms for preschool-aged children andtheir families, the agency provides supportfor youth of all ages and at all levels in theirschool careers.

The Heart of Oak Scholarship Fund wasestablished in 1999 with an initial gift of$1,500. The scholarship is offered annuallyto help pay for tuition and other hard costsof higher education.

Scholarship payments are made directlyto schools’ financial aid offices. To be eligible,applicants must:

•Be residents of Seattle HousingAuthority public housing or residents of acommunity served by Neighborhood House.

•Be high school graduates or GED

recipients 21 or younger.•Be able to demonstrate financial need,

and a history of overcoming obstacles.•Be able to demonstrate a likelihood of

success in higher education.To apply, submit an official high school

or GED transcript, an official collegetranscript (if applicable), three letters ofrecommendation (including at least onefrom a high school teacher and one from aresponsible community member), apersonal statement detailing how you haveshown courage in pursuit of a diploma, andthe completed application form. The formis available at your local NeighborhoodHouse center or by contacting Liz-BethLevy at 206-461-8430 ext. 230 or by e-mailing [email protected].

Mail all application materials to:Neighborhood House, attention: Heart ofOak Scholarship, 905 Spruce Street, Seattle,WA, 98104. Deadline: April 19, 2004

Scholarship opportunity

FEBRUARY, 2004 LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS – 3

THE VOICE

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

Martin Luther King Jr.’s 75th birthdaywas commemorated this year on Jan. 19. InSeattle, as in past years, many differentgroups used the national holiday as anopportunity to honor King’s life, work andmessage of change through nonviolence.

The Garfield Teen Life Center, located

next to Garfield High School in the CentralDistrict, hosted three workshops for youth.The first – “Racism: Media/Music/Minorities” – explored many different topicsincluding institutional racism, minoritiesand the media and the content of today’surban music. The second workshopprovided various perspectives on highereducation and job preparedness. The finalworkshop was called “Juvenile Justice and

MLK Day brings many voices, many messagesCivil Rights.” In it, participants looked atways to reverse the high incarceration ratesfor African American youth andcommemorated the 40th anniversary of theCivil Rights Act.

After the workshops, the teens and othercommunity members held a rally thatincluded speeches, songs and poetry in theGarfield gym to prepare for a march todowntown Seattle.

In the meantime, hundreds of people withalmost as many messages gathered outsideof the Teen Life Center as they assembledto join the march. Representatives of manydifferent organizations also joined thethrong of more than 2,000 people in an effortto get their message heard by thoseparticipating in and watching the march.

Unlike the numerous anti-wardemonstrations held in Seattle last year, thisevent did not cover one topic. Supportersof different presidential candidates wavedsigns and passed out leaflets next tomembers of the Buddhist Peace Fellowshipand Not in Our Name, an anti-war groupprotesting the Bush administration’spolicies. Union representatives with themessage of “justice begins at work” alsomade up a sizeable contingent of themarchers.

Many people came to the march becausethey felt the need to mark something morebasic than anger at a war, the president, theirbelief in labor unions or support of acandidate.

“I always do this because it’s soimportant to keep human rights and justicealive,” explained Debra Morrison, a Seattleresident who sits on the coordinating councilof the Seattle’s Green Party and has beenattending the Martin Luther King Jr. Daymarch at Garfield for almost 10 years. Toher, the wide variety of messages were “allabout the same thing.”

Kenneth Vassar, who lives in the CentralDistrict and has also been going to theannual parade for years, had a slightlydifferent perspective. He comes to theMartin Luther King Jr. Day march every yearwith his grandmother and said that theycome to support King’s message because“if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be hereright now.”

The mix of messages during the daydidn’t feel right to Vassar though.

“The day should be about Dr. King’sbirthday,” he said. “But I respect all thedifferent messages. I feel happy that allthese people came for a purpose.”

One aspect of the afternoon’s march thatwas very different from last year’s protestswas the diversity of the crowd. One woman,Deirdre Daw, who is white, was there withher Asian-American husband Mark Bix andtheir 4-year old daughter Lilly Bix-Daw. Dawsaid that she sees the diversity of the crowdas natural for the holiday and why the couplecame out and brought their daughter.

“This is a real American holiday,” shesaid. “It’s not for any specific group.”

Elsewhere around the region, groupsmarked the holiday in a variety of differentways.

Seattle Center hosted a day-longcelebration that included an arts area forchildren that was put on by the YouthVolunteer Corps of King County, a concertby the MLK Mass Choir, a group of 100multi-ethnic singers and a commemorativecommunity reading of King’s “I Have aDream” speech. Four people read the bulkof the speech until the very last, and mostfamous, paragraph. At that point, the entirecrowd read together, leaving the final wordsof the speech, spoken by many voices,hanging in the air to sum up the day: “Freeat last, free at last. Thank God almighty, weare free at last.”


As this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day march kicked off from Garfield High School,many different messages competed for attention.

Annual march brings out many messages inhonor of King’s message of freedom

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

From Jan. 15 through Feb. 28, parents inthe City of Seattle have the chance tochoose what school they will send theirchildren to in the 2004-2005 school year. Thisis the opportunity for parents whosechildren are entering kindergarten for thefirst time, families who are new to SeattleSchools or just want to switch their child’sschool to make their choices and get priorityassignment.

During this Open Enrollment period,parents may submit school choiceapplication forms. Turning the applicationforms in on time gives parents the bestchance of getting one of their top schoolchoices.

Choosing a school can be a confusingprocess for parents who want the besteducation possible for their children. As aresult, Seattle Schools goes out of its wayto help parents make the best decisionpossible.

The Enrollment Services departmentprovides a wealth of resources andinformation for parents. Chief among theseresources are the Elementary Choice andSecondary Choice booklets which areavailable at Enrollment Service Centersaround the city and on the district’s Website.

These booklets can be parents’ mainsource of information for the entire processof choosing their child’s school. Theyinclude information about services and

programs that are available in SeattleSchools, detail which schools offer whichprograms and a staff member from eachschool in the district, usually the principal,describes the school and the types oflearning approaches that the school takes.The Elementary Choice Booklet also letsparents know which schools offer a free,full-day kindergarten option, preschoolclasses and special education programs.They also cover the details of stategraduation requirements as well as the stepsto making school choice.

Even armed with all the informationavailable in the books, parents may stillhave questions. For this, there areEnrollment Service Centers available. Staffat the three centers are there to help parents“with the entire enrollment process”according to the Secondary Choice Booklet.

The Bilingual Family Center servesfamilies whose first language is not English.Along with the general assistance thatEnrollment Centers provide, the BFC canalso assess the English-language skills ofchildren to see if English as a SecondLanguage services are needed by a student.

In addition to these resources, parentsare invited to visit the schools in which theyare interested. Tours and open houses arescheduled for every school in the district.

For more information about makingschool choices for your children, contactEnrollment Services at 206-252-0410 or visittheir Web site at http://www.seattleschools.org. For bilingualservices, call 206-252-7750.

School choice time is now;help picking is available

policy analyst for Washington’s Workfirstprogram, the EITC is extraordinarily valuablefor Washington’s families.

“It’s free money for low-income families,”she said. “They just need to file.”

Last year in Washington state, more than330,000 families filed for the EITC. Theyreceived more than $500,000 in refunds.

As a part of their efforts to addresspoverty as the root cause of homelessness,United Way of King County and the KingCounty Asset Building Coalition will againoffer free tax preparation services to helplow-income tax filers get back more of whatthey earned in 2003.

Volunteer tax preparers are expected tofill out some 1,800 returns in White Center,Bellevue and at Seattle-Tacoma InternationalAirport between Jan. 17 and April 15.Volunteers will provide services at sevensites in English, Spanish, Vietnamese,Cambodian, Samoan, Tongan, Russian andSomali.

Last year’s inaugural efforts in WhiteCenter led to more than 1,000 tax formsprepared by United Way of King Countyand more than $1 million in tax refunds tofilers that otherwise may have goneunclaimed. The average refund amount was$1,457.50.

“We’re offering the service in manylanguages because we need to meet peoplewhere they are,” said Dave Sieminski, UnitedWay of King County program manager.“King County has many refugees andimmigrants who aren’t familiar with IRS taxcodes or preparing their own returns, and

we help them make sure they get all the taxbenefits they have earned.”

The King County Asset BuildingCoalition will also connect people withfinancial education and provideopportunities for filers to use their refundsfor personal asset development. One waypeople can do this is by taking part in UnitedWay’s Individual Development Accountprogram. The IDA program helpsparticipants save for a house, education ora small business as a way to break thepoverty cycle.

“The Earned Income Tax Credit is thefederal government’s most effective anti-poverty tool, and we’re excited to helppeople strengthen their futures,” saidUnited Way of King County President, JonFine.

The IRS also provides some valuable freetools to help individuals file their taxes andget their refunds.

Now starting its second year, the FreeFile program lets taxpayers prepare and filetheir federal taxes online for free. This allowspeople to receive their refunds in half thetime of a paper return. The program wasprincipally designed to assist taxpayers inlow-income communities.

Free tax preparation is available throughthe Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)programs in most communities. Call 1-800-829-1040 to find VITA or TCE sites.

Look for other articles in this issue ofThe Voice for tax-assistance sites near you.Also look for more tax-aid resources infuture issues of The Voice.

Continued from page 1

Tax help is out thereNumerous free programs are offered

4 – LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS FEBRUARY, 2004

TRANSLATED ARTICLES FROM THE VOICE

TRANSLATIONSTRANSLATIONSTRANSLATIONS

THE VOICE

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Programma po prodl\nnoj vyplateposobij po bezrabotice zakanhivaetsq

federal;naq programmavremennoj pomo]i pobezrabotice v `kstremal;nyxsituaciqx (Temporary EmergencyUnemployment Compensation -TEUC), kogda oni isherpalisvoi obyhnye posobiq. ~taprogramma bol;we neprinimaet zaqvleniq naposobiq TEUC.Programma prodl\nnyxposobij obespehivaladopolnitel;nye vyplaty do13 nedel; posle okonhaniqvyplat po TEUC.Kogda zakanhivaetsq vyplataprodl\nnyx posobij, wtat nemo'et nahat; novu[programmu prodl\nnyxposobij kak minimum vtehenii sledu[]ix 13 nedel;.Centry po poisku raboty(WorkSource centers) wtataobespehiva[t resursy,pomoga[]ie l[dqm v poiskaxraboty. Dlq togo, htobyuznat;, gde oni naxodqtsq, atak'e dlq poluheniqinformacii o vozmo'nostqxtrudoustrojstva posetitevebsajt centra po poiskuraboty http://go2worksource.com.Dlq dopolnitel;nojinformacii o TEUC i Extendedbenefits posobiqx posetitevebsajt http://go2ui.com.

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Extended unemploymentbenefits program ends

Qorshaii gobolka washington ee ukordhiyay caawinaad dadka shaqada lagasaaray ee ay ka dhamaatay ama daaliyaywaxii dhaqaale kale ee soo gali jiray ayaadhamaatay bisha janaayo.

Goaanka ka soo baxay hayada shaqadaee dawlada dhexe ayaa la xariira warbixin lasoo saaray bisha disembar 19 keeda kanahadlaysa tirada dadka shaqo la,aanta ah.Qof danbe ayaan heli doonin in loo siidheereeyo caawinaad wixii ka danbeeyabisha janaayo 10,2004.

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In this section

The mission of the Seattle Housing Authority is to enhancethe Seattle community by creating and sustaining decent,safe and affordable living environments that foster stabilityand self-sufficiency for people with low incomes.

PROTECTED TREESSee page 4

Snow damage

February2004SHA NEWSSHA NEWSSHA NEWS

News and information about Seattle’s neighborhoods

SHA News HABITAT STARTS NEW HOMES

Point of View ACT IN TIME TO PREVENT HEART ATTACKS

High Point Herald GRANT FOR PROVIDERS WILL HELP YOUTH

Rainier Vista News SENIORS CELEBRATE TET

NewHolly Notes FUNDING LOSS JEOPARDIZES INSIDE-OUT

Yesler Happenings PAAC IS BACK AT YESLER

Translations

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Housing Authority acquires additional housingSEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY

In recent months, the Seattle HousingAuthority has purchased several propertiesin order to preserve affordable housing andto improve the neighborhood surroundingsome of its recently redevelopedcommunities. The Ritz Apartments, a 30-unitbuilding at the corner of 13th Avenue Eastand East Yesler Way, will be preserved asaffordable housing for low-incomehouseholds living and working in theCentral area.

SHA has also purchased the 42-unitWestwood Heights East apartments and sixbuildings on the same block in West Seattleacross the street from the recentlyrefurbished Westwood Heights senior-designated high-rise. The Ritz Apartments

SHA purchased The Ritz Apartments atthe request of Beacon Development and theCity of Seattle’s Office of Housing. Theproperty had been affordable housing forpeople with incomes below 80 percent ofthe area median income. However, theowner, Beacon Development, was inbankruptcy proceedings. Along with the

City, Beacon Development wanted tocomplete a sale of the property quickly,before it was foreclosed on to make surethat the housing would remain affordable.

Beacon Development, a firm thatspecializes in developing affordablehousing, will act on behalf of SHA to securefunds and oversee the rehabilitation of thebuilding. Westwood Heights East

With a $17 million HOPE VI grant, SHArevitalized a small but severely distressedarea on the southern city limits. Before HOPEVI, Roxbury House and Village consisted ofa 150-unit high-rise for elderly and disabledhouseholds. The building was completelysurrounded by a poorly designed andconstructed 60-unit townhouse village forlarge families. The HOPE VI grant allowedSHA to rehabilitate Roxbury House, renameit Westwood Heights and target its unitsfor elderly residents. Additionally, theLutheran Alliance to Create Housing(LATCH) built and manages a new 45-unit,mixed-income family village, Longfellow andWestwood Courts, across the street from PHOTO COURTESY SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY

The Ritz Apartments were recently purchased by the Seattle Housing Authority.

SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY

In March 2002, the Seattle HousingAuthority began a project in cooperationwith Seattle Public Utilities to replaceinefficient toilets, shower heads and faucetaerators. Housing Operations SupportManager Bob Wyda estimated that theannual savings might be as much as$500,000 a year, admitting at the time that itwas an ambitious goal. In fact, the annualsavings has turned out to be twice thatamount.

SHA energy savingsexceed expectations

More than 5,300 toilets were replacedwith water-saving models and hot waterboilers were replaced at Olive Ridge andInternational Terrace. This saved at least$1,000 a month in utility costs. Through allof the energy conservation measures thathave been undertaken, more than $1 millionin utility cost savings is now being realizedannually by the Housing Authority and itsresidents.

“As soon as the replacements in onebuilding were completed, we could see waterconsumption dramatically decrease,”reports Wyda.

He said that it was obvious very quicklythat the goal of half a million dollars insavings would be exceeded.

“We are really excited to be able toachieve this level of savings, especiallysince we have experienced cutbacks ofsubsidies in some other areas,” he said.

In addition to these water conservationmeasures, SHA has also taken steps toconserve electricity, which have includedreplacing windows in several buildings,replacing thermostats, and replacing somelight fixtures and light bulbs with moreenergy-efficient models.

“Every small conservation measure helpsin the long run,” stressed Wyda, “whetherthe savings flows to the resident or to SHA.”

Simple fixes lead to big energy savings forHousing Authority and residents alike


The Seattle Housing Authority issending letters to all public housingresidents in January and early February toinform them of their status with respect tothe new Community Service and Self-Sufficiency Requirement. Please read thisletter carefully, since it will inform you aboutwhat you need to do to fulfill this newrequirement. If you have not received a letterabout the Community Service and Self-Sufficiency Requirement by Feb. 5, pleasecontact your property manager.

Letter about service comingIf you can be granted an automatic

exemption based on knowledge that SHAalready has, the letter will say so. If you arenot granted an exemption, your householdmay still apply for one. The letter alsoexplains how to do that. You also need tocheck to make sure that the informationabout you and any possible exemptions foryour household is correct. Please correctany inaccurate information that the HousingAuthority has used to make itsdetermination about your exemptions bycontacting your property manager.

Policy discussionneeds your inputSEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY

The Seattle Housing Authority is askingresidents to review and submit writtencomments on the Housing Authority’srevised Americans with Disabilities Actpolicy. The comments are available atmanagement offices.

In an effort to clarify the process forrequesting, accepting and processing anaccommodation request, SHA has added an“Eviction” section which states:

“Requests for accommodation submittedafter a Notice for Eviction has been servedshall be considered under an expeditedprocess. To the extent possible, the personmaking the request shall receive a writtenresponse from the Senior Property Manager

or designee within fourteen (14) calendardays of SHA’s receipt of the request. Theadministrative procedures outlined in thispolicy shall not apply after service of anunlawful detainer Summons andComplaint.”

If you need additional copies of thepolicy, please contact Cindy Sribhibhadhat 206-615-3302.

Comments about the policy changeshould be submitted in writing by Feb. 23.

Comments can be sent to CindySribhibhadh at the Seattle HousingAuthority, PO Box 19028, Seattle, WA, 98109.Comments about the policy can also be sentby e-mail to Sribhibhadh [email protected].

Please see “Land for ...” on page 5

2 – SHA NEWS FEBRUARY, 2004

THE VOICE

BY JAMES OWENBY

Seattle Housing Authority

Four more 1,250-square-foot duplexes areunder construction by Habitat for Humanityat NewHolly. The duplexes will be home toeight new families who will participate intheir construction. Additional volunteersfrom Habitat for Humanity will also help withthe building. Construction on the homesbegan in late September 2003 and shouldbe complete by early summer 2004.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit,Christian housing organization. Its missionis to build affordable housing. Habitat reliesonly on the labor of community volunteersand the future homeowners themselves tobuild all their homes.

Since 1976, Habitat has built more than150,000 homes throughout the United Statesand 92 countries. Habitat and theirvolunteers are finishing a house every 26minutes. More than 1 million people will beliving in Habitat houses by 2005.

The Seattle chapter of Habitat forHumanity bought the land for theseduplexes at NewHolly from the SeattleHousing Authority. Habitat will follow theNewHolly design guidelines when theybuild there. The families selected to behomeowners by Habitat are required to putin 500 hours of “sweat-equity” byvolunteering on Habitat projects (250 hoursfor a single parent family).

“A lot of the time the homeowners and

Habitat starts newhomes at NewHolly

volunteers have little or no constructionskills. Some acquire very good constructionskills in the process of building a Habitathouse,” said Tim Howland, ConstructionManager for Seattle Habitat for Humanity.

If a Habitat family can not perform theconstruction work required, they work doingother tasks, usually at the Habitat offices.

The homes are sold with no-interestmortgages. Families are chosen accordingto their need, their ability to repay themortgage and their willingness to work withHabitat.

To qualify to become a Habitathomeowner you must first attend anorientation and complete an application.The Habitat staff then reviews theapplication to see that it meets specific low-income criteria. Applicant families musthave lived in the Seattle or King Countyarea for the past year. The family servicesstaff of Habitat for Humanity and thevolunteer Family Selection Committeeverify information on homeownerapplications including income, current rent,relationship with landlords and accountstatus with the utility companies. They alsocheck Washington State Patrol criminalhistory conviction records, credit reportsand personal references.

Homeowner orientations for the Seattlearea are currently over for this year. Morewill be scheduled in September 2004. To getmore information call Seattle Habitat forHumanity at 206-292-5240.


A recently published “Moving To newWays” report details the Seattle HousingAuthority’s accomplishments in 2003. Eachyear the Housing Authority submits a“Moving To new Ways” plan to theDepartment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment, outlining its planned activitiesand initiatives. The follow-up reportcompares the plan with what was actuallyaccomplished.

In a number of areas, SHA met or exceededits goals. A few highlights from the reportare listed below.General Highlights

SHA had a very successful grant writingyear. The Housing Authority secured morethan $1.2 million for supportive services forresidents from partner agencies.

Information and application forms forpotential applicants for SHA housing arenow posted on SHA’s Web site in sixlanguages: Chinese, Russian, Somali,Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as English.

A new rent policy for the Seattle SeniorHousing Program was established. This newpolicy protects the financial viability ofSSHP, which receives no federal subsidy,while ensuring that rents remain affordablefor seniors with incomes less than $16,000per year. A volunteer Rent StructureAdvisory Committee consisting of SSHPresidents and advocates, housing expertsand City of Seattle representatives helpedSHA craft the new rent policy.

The Board of Commissioners adoptednew local preferences for admission to publichousing and the Housing Choice Voucherprogram. Now households with incomesbelow 30 percent of the area median incomefor their family size, or households that arehomeless, have priority for admission. Milestones in community revitalization

Infrastructure construction began at thethird and final phase of NewHolly, and thefirst phases of Rainier Vista and High Point.

The site for the new Yesler TerraceCommunity Center was conveyed to theSeattle Parks Department and constructionon the new community center began.

The first rehabilitated Tri-Court buildingbegan leasing as a smoke-free community.

High Point was awarded $1.8 million forthe Healthy Homes initiative for asthmaprevention and intervention. SHA will build35 healthy homes there and work with Seattle& King County – Public Health,

SHA achievement report

Neighborhood House and SafeFutures onasthma education and monitoring for theasthma-affected families who will live inthose homes.Housing Resources

During FY 2003, SHA:• Received 375 new Housing Choice

Vouchers from the federal government.• Purchased 319 units of affordable

housing, of which 160 will count towardreplacement housing goals.

• Completed construction of Lake CityCommons, a 15-unit building of two-bedroom apartments that contributes toHolly Park replacement housing goals.

• Assumed management of KateriHouse, eight units of housing for peoplewith chronic mental illness.Performance indicators

More than 11,600 households, with morethan 24,000 individuals, benefited from SHAhousing assistance by the end of the year,up from 10,900 households at the end ofFY 2002. More than 88 percent ofhouseholds receiving housing assistancehave incomes below 30 percent of the areamedian income.

SHA collected 98.8 percent of rent duein public housing.

SHA responded within 30 days to 96percent of regular work order requestsreceived from residents of SHAcommunities. This is the fourth year of atrend of significantly improvedperformance in this area.

The public housing vacancy rate was3.65 percent; Section 8 New Constructionwas 2.6 percent; and the Seattle SeniorHousing Program was 4.3 percent.

SHA completed 100 percent of requiredinspections in public housing and theHousing Choice Voucher program.

SHA used 100 percent of the fundsavailable in the Housing Choice Voucherprogram and 1,000 new voucherparticipants completed leasing.

For the sixth year in a row, SHA receivedan Annual Audit Report with no findings. SHA also received clean opinions on itsfinancial statements for its tax credit units.

The full report is available on the“Development and Asset Management”section of the SHA Web site at http://www.seattlehousing.org. For a printedcopy of the report, contact SHA’s SeniorPlanner, Ellen Kissman at 206-615-3560.

BY CHARLES REDELL AND VIRGINIA FELTON

Voice editor and SHA communicationsdirector

Each month, it is our goal at The Voice tobring you a wealth of useful information.From stories about new programs in thecommunity to in-depth coverage of newsthat affects you and your family, The Voiceis here for you, our readers.

To those of us who put The Voicetogether, this means more than just writingstories for you to read. We want you tohave a part in creating The Voice as well.

Your participation can take many forms.The most basic way for you to shape thecontent of The Voice’s pages is to tell uswhat you want to see covered. If yourcommunity group is hosting an event youwant to publicize or if a neighbor is doingsomething worth reporting on – maybe theyjust got a new job or are volunteering tohelp in the community – let us know andwe’ll write about it. The possibilities for whatcan be covered in The Voice are almostendless.

As with any newspaper, readers arealways welcome to submit letters to theeditor. Traditionally, these letters are inresponse to an article in the previousedition. When you write a letter to the editor,you can be complimentary of the coverage,agree with the basic premise of an article,add to what has been said, or evencontradict statements made in somethingyou read.

Another way to get your voice into The

Voice is to write a commentary or opinionpiece. Similar to a letter to the editor,commentaries can be about any subject thatis relevant to our readers. We welcomesubmissions about the topics that interestyou. Whether you want to state yoursupport for an agency or initiative that willaffect the community or publish anopposing viewpoint to a Housing Authoritypolicy, The Voice is here to give you a forumin which to speak.

Finally, perhaps you would like toconsider becoming a regular writer for TheVoice. Neighborhood House, whichpublishes The Voice, often uses interns towrite stories. These interns are usuallyassigned specific stories to research andwrite about each month. If you enjoy writingand have some experience in the field, pleaseconsider becoming an intern andcontributing on a regular basis.

You need not be afraid to speak yourmind in a submission to The Voice becausethe Housing Authority does not expect thatresidents will always agree with theirpolicies and procedures. You can be assuredthat your differing opinion will be respectedand heard. While pieces that are submittedare sometimes edited for clarity andgrammar, the opinions that are expressedare not altered.

To contact The Voice’s editor with a storyidea, call Charles Redell at 206-461-8430 ext.227. Story ideas and submissions can alsobe mailed to The Voice, 905 Spruce St.,Seattle, WA 98104 or sent via e-mail [email protected].

Residents invited towrite for The VoiceIt’s your paper, so your thoughts, opinions andnews are all welcome

BY ELLEN BROESKE


Some time during the next six months,Seattle Housing Authority staff will beinspecting your unit to make sure it is cleanand safe for your family. While SHA takescare of the major systems and appliances, itis up to you to keep your unit clean and freeof hazards on a day-to-day basis. About amonth before your inspection, you will get aletter informing you of the exact date. If yourhome is not clean and clutter free, this is thetime to take care of it. Here are some ways toprepare.

• Make sure curtains and furniture are wellaway from heating sources. Curtains shouldhang at least 5 inches above heatingelements and furniture should be at least 8inches away from them.

• The oven should be cleaned, includingthe range hood vents, to remove all grease

Get ready for inspection

which can be a fire hazard.• The refrigerator and freezer should be

free of frost and all old food removed. Thereshould be enough room inside to allow thedoors to close completely and for air tocirculate.

• Throw away clutter that could createa fire hazard such as newspapers, boxes,broken furniture and rags. Make sure thereis no food sitting out which will attractinsects and vermin.

• If you have a yard, tidy it up. Mow thelawn and remove any litter. Clear the deckor patio of boxes, newspapers and othercombustible items.

If you need to get rid of a large amountof garbage, put in a work order and it canbe picked up. There is no extra charge forthis additional pickup once a year.

For more information, contact yourAdministrative Specialist or PropertyManager.

There is much to do to be prepared

Housing more accessible; still affordable

POINT OF VIEWPOINT OF VIEWPOINT OF VIEWFEBRUARY, 2004 SHA NEWS – 3

NEWS ABOUT THE SEATTLE SENIOR HOUSING PROGRAM AND SEATTLE’S HIGH-RISE COMMUNITIES

Community notes

THE VOICE

BY JEFFREY GERHARDSTEIN

CPC case manager

Real life survivors do not flinch. Theylook terror in the eye. Let’s see how.

We live in a time with many opportunitiesto be afraid. An increase in terrorism all overthe world has led to greater anxiety aboutpersonal safety, panic attacks, nightmaresand depression. Many people ask the samequestion: “How do I cope with terror?”

For an answer, go to the source: real lifesurvivors of terror and abuse. These menand women agree that telling one’s story isthe key act of trauma recovery. Survivors ofterror must face the facts of theirvictimization and not run from it accordingto Marilyn Derbur, a former Miss Americaand an incest survivor.

“If you are engulfed in body pain, angerand hopelessness, remember: recovery is aprocess,” she says. “You can work throughthese feelings, but it takes guts. It meanslooking terror in the eye.”

It is easy to get sidetracked. Mediaglorifies terror and violence to sell aproduct.

Check your local TV listings for recentshows about so-called ‘survivors.’ Their

Looking ‘terror’ in the eyegoal? To perform eye-popping feats to gainone thing: celebrity status.

It is safe to say that real life survivorsbear little resemblance to these actors. Thisis especially true for survivors engaged inthe marvelous process of recovery. Real lifetrauma survivors boldly face down terror,perform acts of heroism, experience awfuldepths of degradation and loss but onceseparated and disgraced by the horrors ofviolent crime, their recovery encourages allof us to rejoin the human community.

Many people have long lived in terrorinside and outside of their homes. Someprivately endure abuse and try hard to putit behind them without the help of acounselor, victim advocate or support group.Real life heroes, like Marilyn Derbur, teachus how to confront our terrors. For a longtime she, who survived profound betrayalbehind closed doors, couldn’t talk about it.Now, she tells it as she sees it:

“Do not be ashamed of yourself; beashamed of your violator,” she said. “I was53 before I stopped feeling ashamed. Istopped feeling ashamed largely because Istopped acting ashamed. Try it.”

How do you face this age of terror? Youcome to your senses. Enter recovery.

BY MARCIA JOHNSON


Jean Hansen, from the Visiting NurseService of the Northwest, has launched anew campaign called “Act in Time to HeartAttack Signs” at Center Park and JeffersonTerrace. The goal is to increase awarenessof heart attack signs and the importance ofcalling 911 immediately at the onset of heartattack symptoms.

“1.1 million Americans will have a heartattack this year,” Hansen said at a recentpresentation of Act in Time. “Coronary heartdisease is America’s number one killer. Themyth that coronary heart disease affectsonly men is common when, in fact, it is thenumber one killer of women in America today.More than one in five women has some formof cardiovascular disease.

“That is why this campaign is soimportant,” she said. “People need to learnto reduce their risk factors, know thewarning signs, and know how to respondquickly and properly if warning signsoccur.”

Charlie Kinder, a Center Park resident,shared his story of having a heart attack afew years ago. He said “one of my heartattack symptoms was a sharp pain from myshoulder to my fingers. I knew that this painwas not right and I needed to get help rightaway.”

‘Act in Time’ helps identify heart attack signsKinder survived his heart attack and he

is glad to share his story with others.Hansen reminded the group that people willhave different degrees of warning signswhen having a heart attack.

Some heart attacks are sudden andintense - the “movie heart attack” - whereno one doubts what is happening. Mostheart attacks start slowly however, with mildpain or discomfort. Often, people affectedaren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too longbefore getting help. Hansen said that someof the heart attack warning signs include:

• Chest discomfort - Most heart attacksinvolve discomfort in the center of the chestthat lasts more than a few minutes, or thatgoes away and comes back. It can feel likeuncomfortable pressure, squeezing,fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upperbody - Symptoms can include pain ordiscomfort in one of both arms, the back,neck, jaw and stomach.

• Shortness of breath - This feeling oftencomes along with chest discomfort. But itcan occur before the chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out ina cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.

If you or someone you are with has chestdiscomfort, especially with one or more ofthese signs, Hansen says that youshouldn’t wait longer than a few minutes

PHOTO COURTESY SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY

From left, Center Park residents Charlie Kinder, Judy McCallister, instructor JeanHansen from Visiting Nurse Services of the Northwest and Jim Bush.

before calling for help. Dial 911 from anyphone right away.

If you are interested in learning moreabout heart disease, talk to your doctor orcontact the visiting nurse or case managerin your building. If you would like to have a

special presentation in your community ofAct in Time to Heart Attack Signs pleasecontact Annika Sage, Seattle HousingAuthority AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, at206-615-3573 or Visiting Nurse Services at425-778-2400.

BY ANNIKA SAGE


Just over a year ago, Julie Sahlberg, aresident at Jefferson Terrace, had an ideathat new residents there needed specialattention. She remembered what it was liketo first come to Jefferson Terrace with verylittle and what a struggle it was to stretchher dollars every month. According toSahlberg, she wanted to give back to acommunity that has provided her with agreat apartment and many new friends. Shethought it would be nice for new residentsto have a few extra things to help themthrough their first month in the building.

Now, a year later, her idea of a welcomingcommittee has blossomed. With the help ofPartners in Caring, a Fremont PublicAssociation community building programat Jefferson Terrace, and two residents,JoAnn Stone and Corey Russell, the grouphas truly come a long way.

In the last five months, the group, alongwith the help of Annika Sage, SeattleHousing Authority AmeriCorps VISTA, hasworked on getting donations and funds topurchase items for the welcoming bags. Oneof the businesses the group contacted wasBen Bridge Jewelry.

The staff at Ben Bridge graciouslydonated more than $240 as well as manyitems like small bottles of shampoo, soapsand lotions for the bags. The money thatwas collected went to purchasing essentialitems for the bags like packets of soup, hotchocolate and oatmeal. Each bag alsocontains a roll of toilet paper, juice, pens,paper, canned food and other surprises. The

Welcome bags givento new residents

items in the bag may differ each monthdepending on the donations.

The committee members teamed up anddelivered the first 15 welcoming bags thismonth and are already looking forward tonext month. It was a rewarding experiencefor each member.

Residents who were visited this monthwere very grateful.

“Thank you so much, I did not have verymuch food today,” said one.

Another told the group with a big smile,“It was nice to be included and feelwelcomed to Jefferson Terrace.”

If you would like more information onhow to start a welcoming committee in yourcommunity, please contact Annika Sage at206-615-3573.


New residents at Jefferson Terrace arebeing greeted by the Jefferson TerraceWelcoming Committee. Above, newresident Anthony Ashby, left, andcommittee member, Cory Russell.

Westwood Heights Technology CenterThe Westwood Heights Technology

Center is designed to meet the needs ofSeniors. The Center offers free computertraining and use. Individuals who are 50and older will find this center very userfriendly. Instruction is available in basiccomputing skills, including using theInternet, e-mail, scanning and editingphotos, creating and editing basic

documents, brochures, flyers andgreeting cards. Classes are also availableis various business applications. Thecenter is open from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; 9 a.m.to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday;and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. The centeris at 9455 27th Ave. S.W. Drop in or call206-932-6942 ext 16 to reserve your placein a class.

NEWS ABOUT THE HIGH POINT COMMUNITY


Community notes

HIGH POINT HERALDHIGH POINT HERALDHIGH POINT HERALD

THE VOICE

BY GEORGE NEMETH


No amount of goodwill, expertise oramnesty can help some situations. Some ofthe trees slated to be preserved as part ofthe High Point redevelopment were just nomatch for the extreme weather conditionsof the Jan. 6 snowstorm and followingfreezing rain. As snow and ice accumulated,branches snapped and shattered whiletrunks cracked and split under the heavyload of snow and ice.

In the still-occupied southern half of HighPoint, tree branches fell on cars, buildingsand utility wires and caused significantproperty damage. No one was injured.

In the northern half of the community,there was no danger to property becausethe site is empty and shut down for winter.However, damage to the site’s trees, theones selected for preservation because oftheir size and beauty, was glaringlyapparent. The hefty weight of snoweffectively crushed a hawthorn. A gray birchsustained serious damage and an elm andan ash tree were badly shattered. At least18 others were less seriously damaged.What is left of one hawthorn and the graybirch in the northeast corner of the site near

Protected trees damaged in snowstormthe new pond will have to be cut down. Theremaining trees, although bruised andbattered, are expected to recover theiroriginal health and beauty.

The planners included many mature treesin the new neighborhood’s design andimplemented far-reaching tree protectionmeasures. The construction fencessurrounding each tree and the big red-lettered signs warning of harshconsequences if trees were hurt could not,however, stop the wrath of winter.

“It is sad to see them wounded,” saidTom Phillips, redevelopment manager forSeattle Housing Authority. “Mature treesnot only provide shade and beauty to thelandscape, they also provide value and asense of home and continuity. That is whywe’re preserving so many of them.”

John Schroeder is SHA’s assistantconstruction manager for High Point. Assoon as the weather allowed, he was on-site to assess the damage.

“Within two days, the generalcontractor’s arborist evaluated thecondition of each tree and prepared a reportfor us,” he said.

A few days later, SHA hired anotherarborist, Jim Barborinas, to get a secondopinion. Barborinas played an active role in

writing and implementing the High Point treepreservation plan two years ago.

“We want to save these trees if at allpossible, and we trust Jim’s expertise andcommitment,” Phillips said. “When ahealthy tree falls victim to an icy snowstorm,

the ensuing steps one takes may make thedifference between survival and death ofthe tree. With proper damage analysis, goodpruning and selective branch removal, wemay help the otherwise doomed tree recoverand live for many years.”


The unfortunate hawthorn tree that collapsed under the weight of snow and ice.

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

The High Point Youth Service ProviderCoalition (HPYSPC) recently received atwo-year, $280,000 grant to strengtheninteragency collaborations between youthservice providers in and around the HighPoint community.

The program is aimed at ensuring that allHigh Point youth, and those in thesurrounding neighborhoods, receive thekind of help they need from the mostappropriate service provider in the area.

The funds will also provide additionalresources for the providers to help youthto get more involved in bettering themselvesand their community.

Christine Torres, Youth DevelopmentSpecialist for SafeFutures, has been withthe agency since 2001. She will be a casemanager for individual youth who attendSafeFutures.

She will also coordinate the YouthLeadership Board. The young members ofthis group will be made up of neighborhoodyouth.

Along with being a voice to thecommunity and acting as advisors to theHPYSPC, the members of the YouthLeadership Board will also gain valuableleadership skills that they can pass on toyounger members of the community.

According to Sorya Svy, SafeFuturesexecutive director, the grant will allow hisagency and many others in theneighborhood to “coordinate servicesaround youth in High Point and thesurrounding neighborhood.”

Called PAVE or Partnership for Anti-Violence Enhancements, the grant wasawarded by the Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA). Itwill provideopportunitiesfor already-e s t a b l i s h e dc o m m u n i t ypartners suchas SafeFuturesYouth Center,The Seattle Neighborhood Group and theSeattle Housing Authority to bettercoordinate their work with the community’syouth in a variety of ways.

Svy pointed out that the programsdeveloped by PAVE will be available toyouth who live in many different situations.They do not necessarily have to be high-risk youth.

Specifically, the program will target youthin the neighborhood who may know mostor all of the services available in thecommunity and might even drop in to theyouth tutoring program, SafeFutures or theYMCA, but are not attached to any oneprogram on an ongoing basis.

PAVE’s goal, Svy said, is to bring all ofthe resource providers in High Pointtogether so that they can compare notesand make sure that each individual gets thekinds of services he or she needs.

“We want to get the kids who are notconnected and give them some kind offollow through,” said Marcus Stubblefield,program supervisor at SafeFutures.

The PAVE project is built on a foundationlaid down by an already successful onecreated by the HPYSPC.

“We’re not inventing anything new,”Stubblefield said. “We’ve beenimplementing a lot of this with way less.This grant helps secure additional servicesfor youth. It gives you more eyes and helpsstop youth from falling between the cracks.”


The Job Connection is offering residentsthe opportunity to come in to its computerresource room to prepare their 2003taxes. There are some online tax programsoffered through the Internal RevenueService Web site that are free to people whomeet income guidelines. These programsalso help identify people who qualify forthe Earned Income Tax Credit.

There are four computers available at theHigh Point Job Connection. Communityaccess hours are from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Monday through Friday, except for thesecond Wednesday of eachmonth. Computer availability is on a firstcome, first served basis. The JobConnection will only be able to offer this

service through its High Point office, butresidents from all over Seattle are welcometo come.

In order to prepare their taxes, people willneed to bring the following information:

• All W-2 forms from all employers• Social Security numbers for all members

of the household, including children• A list of expenses if filing a 1040-A• Bank checking or savings account

information in order to have a refund, if oneis due, deposited directly into the account

It is also important to note thattranslation and interpretation services arenot available for this service, but residentsare encouraged to bring in someone whocan assist with their language needs.

Local tax resource offeredGrant for providers willhelp area youth

Christine Torres

Vietnamese Tea TimeBring your friends, have fun and enjoy

a cup of tea or coffee and cookies atVietnamese Tea Time from 10 a.m. untilnoon every Monday at NeighborhoodHouse. 6564 32nd Ave. S.W. For moreinformation contact Mao Theam at 206-923-3266 or Saray Thach at 206-331-2741.Vietnamese Tea Time is presented inpartnership with Crime Prevention-SNGI,Seattle Housing Authority, Puget SoundNeighborhood Health Centers andInternational District Housing Alliance.

Cambodian Tea TimeBring your friends, have fun and enjoy

a cup of tea or coffee and cookies atCambodian Tea Time from 10 a.m. untilnoon on the first and third Friday of themonth. In February we will meet on Feb.6 and Feb. 20. Teat Time is held atNeighborhood House, 6564 32nd Ave.S.W. For more information contact MaoTheam at 206-923-3266 or Saray Thach

at 206-331-2741. Cambodian Tea Time ispresented in partnership with CrimePrevention-SNGI, Seattle HousingAuthority, Puget Sound NeighborhoodHealth Centers and International DistrictHousing Alliance.

Community Council meetingPlease come to the next High Point

Community Council meeting from 6 p.m.until 8 p.m. on Feb. 9 at Holly Hall. Formore information please contact BonitaBlake.

Employment news on the radioRadio Sol 1360 AM , the only 24 hour

Spanish radio station in Seattle andTacoma has started a new employmentsegment. The employment segment willair on Mondays during the highest ratedshows. Jaime y Luciana from 7 a.m. to 10a.m. and Super Mario from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.Employment information is also on thestation’s Web site: radiosol1360.com.

NEWS ABOUT THE RAINIER VISTA COMMUNITY

FEBRUARY, 2004 SHA NEWS – 5

Community notes

RAINIER VISTA NEWSRAINIER VISTA NEWSRAINIER VISTA NEWS

THE VOICE

Westwood Heights.About a year and a half ago, SHA and

LATCH saw that illegal activities inprivately owned properties across 27thAvenue Southwest were interfering withneighborhood revitalization. Drugtrafficking and drive-by shootings wereeven driving potential tenants away.

SHA joined with several City of Seattledepartments and neighborhoodorganizations in a concerted effort to stop the illegal activity through surveillance,stepped up patrols, and the enforcement ofHousing Choice Voucher payment contractsagainst the landlords of some of theseproperties.

When these efforts proved insufficient,SHA decided to buy the properties and toimprove management and curb appeal inorder to protect the safety and quality oflife of Westwood Heights, Westwood Courtand Longfellow Court residents along withtaxpayers’ multimillion dollar investment inthe neighborhood through HOPE VI.

It took more than a year, but by the endof November 2003, SHA had bought the 42-unit apartment building and the six buildingswhere many problem tenants and absenteelandlords allowed gang members to rule the

Continued from front page of this section

Land for redevelopmentand transit purchased

street. Now that SHA owns the entire half-block that is facing Westwood Heights, thecriminal activity has died down and visualimprovements to the properties will be madeto aid the revitalization of the entireneighborhood.

Twenty-one of the Westwood HeightsEast units count toward HOPE VIreplacement housing goals for Holly Parkand Rainier VistaAlaska Mini-Mart Site

SHA’s most recent acquisition is theparcel known as the Alaska Mini-Mart Site,at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. WaySouth and South Alaska Street. This site, inthe center of the Rainier Vistaredevelopment, was acquired by theHousing Authority in mid-January throughprotracted negotiations with the owner ofthe property.

Part of the site will be used by SoundTransit as it develops the right of way forLink Light Rail which will run along MartinLuther King Way South. Therefore, SoundTransit will be providing relocation benefitsto the businesses currently there. SHAhopes to identify retail uses for the remainderof the site that will be a positive addition tothe new Rainier Vista neighborhood as itemerges.

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

Every week for 13 years, a group ofVietnamese seniors have gathered in aconverted unit on the edge of Rainier Vista.They come together every Friday to spendtime with each other playing cards, readingthe paper and visiting with each other overa hot meal. A food bank is set up as well,and everyone who attends goes home witha bag of groceries.

This is a community tradition that is veryimportant to the people who take part in it.The regular gatherings give these senioradults, most of whom came to the UnitedStates late in life, a chance to connect withtheir peers and the ability to carry ontraditional celebrations in a new land withpeople who understand the meanings ofthose celebrations.

Once a year, the seniors and some specialguests fill the Community House on thecorner of Viburnum Court South and MartinLuther King Way Jr. South to celebrateVietnamese New Year or Tet. This year, theydid so on Jan. 16.

The festive gathering was thanks to theweekly efforts of Khanh Nguyen, thecoordinator of the Vietnamese EldersProgram. He also had help from many othercommunity partners including Nefertari Iwho works for Seattle Housing Authorityat Rainier Vista, the Rainier Vista LeadershipTeam and the City of Seattle Aging andDisability Services.

The decorations in the space gave it anair of festivity. Normally, the CommunityHouse at Rainier Vista looks like many othercommunity rooms around the city. Foldingchairs are set up around rows of folding

tables and the feel of the place generallycomes from the people who fill the room.

To celebrate Tet however, the front ofthe room was dominated by an Americanflag on one side and the Vietnamese flag onthe other. Between the two flags was a tabletransformed into a traditional ancestral altarwith beautiful red and yellow flowers,traditional fruits meant as offerings toancestors, candles and incense.

The festivities started with a series ofwelcoming speeches including one fromNguyen who said, “We want to wisheverybody a prosperous and a happy,healthy new year.”

A main component of Vietnamese NewYear celebrations is to honor the ancestorsand elders of the community. While theancestral altar allowed the guests to payhomage to their family members who havepassed away, there were no children presentat this seniors-only celebration to honor theolder adult guests. Nefertari I took on thisrole instead.

“I am humbled to be here with myseniors,” she said.

Some of the speeches referred to howcrowded the room was and the speakersasked Nefertari and the representatives fromthe RVLT who were also there to help thegroup find a larger space for their weeklygatherings.

According to Nefertari, the RVLT andSHA management want the group tocontinue and are trying to help get them abigger space.

The seniors then enjoyed a special hotlunch of traditional foods to ring in the newyear.

For more information about the group,contact Khanh Nguyen at 206-250-6810.

Seniors celebrate Tet


A member of the Vietnamese Elders group lights incense during a Tet celebration.


The Rainier Vista redevelopment projectreached an important milestone on Dec. 31,2003 when the financial closing for Phase Irental housing secured financing of $4.6million. The funding package combinesbond financing, tax credit equity, proceedsfrom sales of lots to builders, HOPE VI fundsand Seattle Housing Authority funds.

Seattle Northwest Securities underwrotethe bonds for the project. The tax creditinvestor is MMM Financial based inBoston.

With financing in place, construction willproceed on the rental housing in early 2004.Utility work will begin in February, withconstruction of foundations and framingfollowing in March or April.

The financing for Gamelin House, aproject of Providence Health Systems, alsoclosed recently, with total developmentcosts of $9 million. Gamelin House willinclude 78 units of affordable housing forseniors. This building will also house anadult daycare facility and othernonresidential uses.

Financial closing paves theway for new construction

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

Between all of the forms that have to befilled out, the paperwork that has to be kepttrack of and the confusing array of rulesand regulations, completing one’s taxes canbe a stressful situation for anybody.

Help is on the way for residents of RainierVista thanks to The Rainier Vista LeadershipTeam. The RVLT will be hosting TaxAssistance Nights on two evenings inFebruary thanks to volunteers from Deloitte,an international firm with more than $6billion in revenues in 2003. They are comingto Rainier Vista to help residents preparetheir tax returns.

“Our goal is to help people who deserveit get the Earned Income Tax Credit,” saidKatie Appel, tax manager at Deloitte. “Wetry to get the money that was taken out oftheir paychecks during the year, returned

to them.”Appel said residents need to bring the

tax forms mailed by employers, or W-2’s;tax forms sent by banks, called 1099’s; andany tax statements sent by the SocialSecurity Administration, the Department ofSocial and Health Services or othergovernmental agencies that provide somesort of assistance. Everything else, from taxforms to pens, will be available at the RVLT.

To get more information, contact theRVLT at 206-722-8983. Residents interestedin receiving help can get it at the RVLT officebetween 6 p.m. and 8 p.m on Feb. 9 and Feb.11. Appointments must be made in advance.There is a sign-up sheet available between9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday at theNeighborhood House office, 3006 S. OregonSt. For more information on the EITC or tofind other locations where you can getassistance, please see the related story inthe Local and National News section.

Tax help for residents

CorrectionLast month on this page, The Voice

ran a story about a resident who got helpgetting a job from Larry Hill at JobsPlus.In that story, we misspelled the resident’sname. Her name is Letebrhan Tesfay. Wealso identified Hill as the director ofJobsPlus at Rainier Vista. He is the JobPlacement Specialist. We apologize forthe errors.

Community Shares programDue to ongoing budget concerns for

the entire public housing program, the

Seattle Housing Authority has decidedto discontinue the rent reductionincentive offered in exchange forcommunity shares volunteer hours. AfterJuly 2004, Rainier Vista residents enrolledin the Community Shares program will nolonger have the option of receiving a rentreduction in exchange for communityshares volunteer hours. For furtherinformation, please contact SHACommunity Services DivisionAdministrator, John Forsyth at 206-615-3579 or the Rainier Vista CommunityBuilder, Nefertari I at 206-722-4010 ext. 3.


NEWS ABOUT THE NEWHOLLY COMMUNITY

Community notes

NEWHOLLY NOTESNEWHOLLY NOTESNEWHOLLY NOTES

THE VOICE

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

Karen Schrantz joined a Program for EarlyParent Support or PEPS group when her firstchild was born a few years ago. She saidshe and her husband felt that they neededa little bit of support since they were the

first people in their group offriends to have children andthey just didn’t knowanyone with kids.

Schrantz hasn’t felt thatkind of need since findingPEPS.

After joining, she and herhusband met other familiesin their neighborhood whohad also just had babies.They quickly found out howvaluable it is not only toknow other parents who areclose by, but to learn aboutthe development of one’sown child by watchingother children grow up too.

She said that she learnedthat “there’s not a right or awrong way to do things.”

“The more you interactand feel supported, there’sa lot of benefits that cancome from that,” says EllenO’Dell, facilitator of the new

NewHolly PEPS group. “PEPS provides areally fun and supportive environment forparents to come together.”

A parent herself, O’Dell hosts the weeklymeeting of parents with infants and toddlersup to three years old in the NewHollyCampus Building. During the meetings,which are sponsored by the Atlantic Street

PEPS parenting program proves to be a plusCenter, a group of parents – mostly moms,but dads are just as welcome – bring theiryoung children together to talk overcommon issues of parenting, play gameswith the children and create a supportiveand welcoming environment in whicheveryone can feel comfortable askingquestions.

“It’s really hard to connect in the kind ofworld we live in today,” O’Dell said. “PEPSprovides a really fun and supportiveenvironment for parents to come together.”

It is for exactly this reason, said SueSeiganthaler, Program Manager at theAtlantic Street Center, that they broughtPEPS to NewHolly thanks to funding fromthe City of Seattle. The city wants to expandPEPS availability to low-income families.

“Our goal is to make it available tolimited-English speaking communities,” shesaid. “What kind of support do they have?”

There’s a lot going on during a PEPSmeeting. There are toddlers sitting in themiddle of a circle nosily playing with toysthat are spread out on the floor. They quietdown for a few minutes when their momssing a couple of songs.

Then, it is almost as if the kids melt intothe background a bit while their parentsshare the issues and joys they have facedduring the previous week. They shareresources for classes with one parent whosechild just started to walk and discuss a 2-year-old girl who is very shy (the group’s

consensus is that there isn’t much you cando but make her feel protected).

“PEPS is a place for people to cometogether and share their experience,” O’Dellsaid. “Often, parents will solve a problemwith five or six solutions.”

O’Dell said that one of the best parts ofPEPS is that group facilitators “share theirexperiences” but are not experts trained inparenting skills. Facilitators are real parentsjust like the group’s members.

O’Dell has two children and was involvedin a PEPS group when her children wereyounger. She is now a PEPS facilitatorbecause she enjoyed the work PEPS doesand the way they help parents and childrengrow.

Linda Spain, a mother with two youngchildren, attends the NewHolly group. Shesaid that when she had her first child, shenever thought she would join a parentinggroup. But then she needed some helphandling her son’s behavior and gotinvolved with PEPS.

“I got some really good tips,” she said.“It was really valuable to me and reallyimportant for his socialization. And it’s free.”

The NewHolly PEPS group meets from12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday in theNewHolly Building room 104. Parents andtheir children up to 3 years old are welcometo drop in.

For more information, call PEPS at 206-547-8570.


Parents at a recent PEPS keep an eye on their childrenas they talk about common issues.

BY TERESA MOORE

Special to The Voice

The Children’s Museum, Seattle issearching for alternative funding sourcesfor NewHolly’s popular Inside-Out Arts andHumanities Program after the City of Seattledecided to abandon financial support forthe nationally recognized program.

Since 1995, Inside-Out has offered artsand cultural activities to 5 to 14 year oldsliving in NewHolly. The program operatesweekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. during theschool year and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. duringthe summer. Another Inside-Out program atRainier Vista is funded through the SeattleHousing Authority and will continue at leastthrough August.

“It would create a huge void in thecommunity if this were to go away,” saidDeborah Binder, Assistant Director ofOutreach at The Children’s Museum.“Inside-Out provides a safe and positiveeducational experience for kids during non-school hours. We’re working hard to lookfor other sources of support and we hopethat funding will be found to continue theprogram.”

Binder said a small grant from theNesholm Family Foundation and NorthwestChildren’s Fund will breathe life into theprogram through March. The City of Seattleand SHA had provided the vast majority offunding for Inside-Out since its inception.

However the City eliminated all funding forit in the 2004 budget.

Inside-Out activities include painting,drawing, sculpture, literary arts, maskmaking, puppet making, dance, drama, film,photography and the culinary arts. Fieldtrips to local cultural institutions occur oncea week during the summer and several timesduring the school year. Guest artists, actors,musicians and dancers are brought in toinstruct children and to help developdifferent exhibits and performances.

“In addition to our focus on the arts, wecenter a lot of attention on behaviormanagement and the development ofinterpersonal skills,” Binder explained. “Thegoal of the program is to provide a fun, safelearning environment that helps kids growsocially, emotionally and academically. Wewould like to keep it running as it is now.”

Inside-Out has been recognized as anational model program by the President’sCommittee of the Arts and Humanities. Ithas been featured in the Committee’spublication “Coming Up Taller: Arts andHumanities Programs for Children andYouth At Risk” as well as in publications ofthe National Endowment for the Arts andAmericans for the Arts.

For more information or to find out howyou can help save the Inside-Out programat NewHolly, call Chris Cooper, Director ofExternal Affairs for the Museum at 206-441-1768.

Funding loss jeopardizesInside-Out arts programPopular program is cut in City of Seattlebudget; may be shut down this summer

BY KATIE MEENAN

Voice reporter

With 50 percent of NewHolly’spopulation under the age of 18, serviceproviders in the community decided theyneeded to curb unacceptable behavior inorder to make their resources more fun foreveryone, including adults.

Because agency staff members inNewHolly were noticing that youth in theirprograms were exhibiting similar kinds ofnegative behavior, they held a forum todiscuss a new behavior policy. Then theyrecruited youth to define which behaviorswere unacceptable.

“It makes it more meaningful when youthare involved in creating a campus code ofconduct,” said Joy Moro, NewHollycommunity builder.

“The goal was to discourage repetitivebehavior issues and to gain consequencesfor actions,” said Rose Peda, head librarianat the NewHolly Branch library.

The behavioral code of conduct wascreated in order to set limits for inappropriatebehavior. The expectations were explainedto service providers at the January youthservices cluster meeting.

The first offense a youth receives gets awarning and is noted in a behavior log. Asecond reprimand requires that the youth

Behavior policy debutsbe expelled from all campus activities for 24hours. Upon the third reproof, the youthwill be expelled from campus activities forthree days and a letter will be sent home totheir parents. After four warnings within twomonths, the youth will be expelled from allcampus activities for 30 days and will berequired to hold a parent conference withNewHolly staff before permission is grantedto rejoin activities.

There are some offenses that requiremore severe punishment. NewHollyprograms will not tolerate bigotry, disrespectof employees or physical violence. Theseoffenses require an automatic seven-daysuspension from all campus activities.

“It is a big deal when a youth is expelledfrom all the programs,” Moro said. “Theprograms are a lot of fun and provideNewHolly youth with a safe place to be aswell as entertainment, like pool tables andorganized activities.”

Peda said that besides the good behaviorthis will encourage among youth, this newpolicy will have another benefit as well.

“It opens the avenue up to parents,”said Peda. “Parents are supportive andsometimes even tend to be much harder ontheir kids than the library is.”

So far the plan has been successful: Onlyone youth was suspended for 7 days andno one has been expelled for 30 days.

Community safety meetingFrom 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 12,

there will be a Community Safety Meetingat the NewHolly Gathering Hall. Topicswill be protecting our children, stopping

the speeding in NewHolly, trying to get astoplight next to the 37th Avenue Park.This is your chance to discuss importantissues of safety and to talk to staff fromSeattle Department of Transportation.

FEBRUARY, 2004 SHA NEWS – 7

NEWS ABOUT THE YESLER TERRACE COMMUNITY

Community notes

YESLER HAPPENINGSYESLER HAPPENINGSYESLER HAPPENINGS

THE VOICE

BY CHARLES REDELL

Voice editor

The planning is complete and Horn ofAfrica Services is once again offeringprograms in the Yesler Terrace community.According to Ethiopia Alemneh, HOASyouth coordinator at Yesler Terrace, theprograms currently being offered by theorganization are focused on the families andyouth living in the neighborhood.

She said that the two projects offered byHOAS are a leadership program for youthages 13 to 18 years old and a parentadvocacy group that will help parents wholive in the neighborhood understand theschool system in Seattle.

Alemneh, who moved here five years agofrom Ethiopia where she was a middleschool and English as a Second Languageteacher, will coordinate both groups.

The youth program will be focusedaround a continuing series of workshops.Each series will meet for six weeks. Theworkshops will be forums for the youth ofYesler Terrace with cultural backgroundsfrom east Africa to discuss issues withwhich young people all over the countrydeal. The focus of the biweekly meetingswill be to help the young participantsidentify risk factors that they will face asthey grow up and to teach them leadershipskills so they can become role models fortheir peers.

“Those youth who take part in theworkshops will be a model for otheryouths,” Alemneh said. “They will knowabout risk factors, about drugs and conflicts.They will also build leadership skills forthemselves and for others.”

The workshops, she said, will providethe youth with firsthand information aboutcommunity resources from guest speakersalong with the promise of leadership skills

development. The program’s curriculum isnot yet complete. This is because part of itwill be defined by the youth themselveswhen theyrespond to as u r v e yHOAS hasdes igned .A l e m n e hwants tod i s c o v e rwhat theyouth feelthey need tolearn.

The second part of HOAS’ newprogramming in Yesler Terrace is for parentsliving in the community. This program willhelp parents from other cultures understandand navigate Seattle’s school system.

Alemneh said that this program’s goal is“getting parents used to the culture” here.

“We want parents to be able to supporttheir child in their school endeavors,” shesaid.

To help accomplish this goal, there willbe monthly meetings for parents to comeand discuss school issues and take part inworkshops that will help them understandwhat American schools expect from parents.Participants will also be welcome to drop into the HOAS office next door to the YeslerTerrace management office with questionsfor Alemneh.

Alemneh said that in order to helpparents overcome the twin barriers of cultureand language that they face in a newcountry, she will also act as a bilingualadvocate for parents with the school districtwhen that need arises in the community.

For more information on Horn of Africa’snew programs in Yesler Terrace, or how youcan take part, call Ethiopia Alemneh at 206-344-5872.

Ethiopia Alemneh

Horn of Africa bringsYesler new programs

BY JUDI CARTER

community manager

During annual inspections of the firstsection of Yesler Terrace, it was found thatmany units have mice. These pests are aserious problem that the Housing Authorityneeds your assistance to remove.

Mice are small and do not need muchfood to live very comfortably, so it isimportant to take care to clean up regularly.

It is important everyday to wipe the stovetops, counter tops, tables and any placethat there might be crumbs. Floors shouldbe carefully swept every night. It is alsovery important that you take the garbageout every night before you go to bed. Atleast once a week, move the refrigeratorout from the wall to sweep and mop behindit. Try not to store things on top of therefrigerator because they may slip behindit.

Mice are opportunistic creatures. Theywill eat almost anything we humans would.Foods that come in boxes or bags are veryattractive to mice. If at all possible, these

Notes from the manager

need to be stored in plastic or metalcontainers with tight lids. If you do not havesuch a container handy, store these itemsin the refrigerator until you can get a plasticor metal container.

Many people feed their pets outside. Ifyou have a pet, be sure to put the food upand wash the food dish after the animal haseaten, whether you feed it outside or inside.If you have a bird, it is important to keep thebird seed cleaned up, especially at nightwhen mice like to forage for food. Please donot feed the wild birds outside, as it attractsnot only mice, but other rodents as well.

If you notice small holes in yourapartment walls, they could be mouse holes.Contact the management office to put in awork order to have any holes patched. Thetelephone number is 206-223-4983.

Finally, and nearly as important as theseother measures, please contact themanagement office to have your unit treatedif you do have mice. If you are among thosewho do not, you can be sure that you willnot get them if you adhere to theseprecautions. If we work together, I knowthat we can get rid of these pests.

Limiting Yesler’s ‘mouse appeal’

SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION

Yesler Terrace Community Centercoordinator Asfaha Lemlem is one of threeSeattle winners of the Congressional BlackCaucus’s (CBC) first annual ET3TECChampion award for OutstandingTechnology Leaders. Lemlem was honored

at a ceremony at the CBC’s LegislativeConference in Washington, D.C. for “havingdemonstrated sustained excellence whilemanaging, working or volunteering in acommunity technology center.”

Lemlem coordinates the Yesler TerraceCommunity Computer and Learning Centerwhich is a partnership between the City ofSeattle and the Seattle Housing Authority.An east African immigrant, Lemlem isbringing greater self-sufficiency to theresidents of Yesler Terrace through a labthat is used for youth tutoring, healtheducation, seniors, early childhoodeducation and job-skill development.

Each year, the CBC conference drawsmore than 20,000 of the most influentialAfrican American leaders from education,government, the private sector andcommunity-based organizations. TheEducation Technology Think Tank is acollaboration of business, civic andgovernment sector representativescommitted to harnessing technology andtelecommunications for the economic andeducational empowerment of traditionallyunderserved communities.

Lemlem wins award

BY VOICE STAFF

Seattle University and Yesler Terracehave had a relationship for well over 10years. One aspect of this partnership is theannual visit by nursing students at theuniversity to the community.

Each year, SU nursing students visit thefour Seattle Housing Authority gardencommunities and create and run a healthproject based on the needs of residents.

For the next several weeks this year’s

Seattle Universitynurses return to Yesler

Community roomalmost complete


Asfaha Lemlem proudly displays hisaward in the Yesler Terrace CommunityCenter Computer Lab.

The Yesler TerraceCommunity Roomhas been getting amake over duringJanuary. This photo,from the middle ofthe month, is of theroom’s new kitchen.The make overshould be completewithin a few weeksaccording to onemember of the workcrew.


Employment fairSeattle Housing Authority

Employment Services is partnering withAbsher Construction to host a TradeApprenticeship Information andEducation Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb.25 at 7054 32nd Ave. S. Representativesfrom construction companies,

apprenticeship training institutions andsmall business resources institutions.Attendees will learn about various tradesand the requirements of employers andwill attend workshops about accessingapprenticeship opportunities and careerplanning. Contact Rickie Robinson at 206-722-4010 ext. 5.

group of students will return to YeslerTerrace.

Students will talk with the residents andstaff members of the organizations workingin Yesler Terrace to plan a special health-related program for the residents. Inaddition, students are making home visitsto some of residents to assist with healthcare and accessibility to communityresources. Students are at Yesler Terracefrom January 14th to March 11th.


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THE VOICE

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Cô quan Job Connection phuïc vuïcö daân thuoäc khu Scattered Sites

Vieäc ñi kieám vieäc laøm seõ deã daønghôn cho cö daân ôû trong caùc khu laâncaän –scattered sites thuoäc SeattleHousing Authority, ñoù laø nhôø vaøovaên phoøng vöøa môùi khai tröôngcuûa cô quan Job Connection ôû khucöïc baéc cuûa Seattle.Vaên phoøng ôû maïn baéc ñöôïc ñaët ralaø vì soá cö daân ôø khu vöïc phía baécphaûi ñi ñoaïn ñöôøng xa ñeå ñeán vaênphoøng ôû Yesler Terrace, HighPoint hay Rainier Vista (ñeå ñöôïcgiuùp ñôû tìm vieäc laøm).Baø Laura Lakings-Becvar, nhaânvieân ñieàu hôïp SHA, noùi “ baø thaáycoù ngöôøi phaûi baét ba chuyeán xebuyùt ñeå ñeán vaên phoøng ôû HighPoint, khi ñeán nôi thì nhaân vieângiuùp ñôû ñaõ ñi ra ngoaøi ñeå giuùpngöôøi khaùc roài”.Nhaân vieân ôû Job Connection giuùpcö daân nhaän ra naêng khieáu vaø yùmuoán cuûa mình khi kieám vieäc laømvaø giuùp ñôû hoï hoaëc ñöôïc huaánngheä theâm , hay laø neân tieáp tuïchoïc theâm. Hoï cuõng giuùp trong vieäcsoaïn baûn sô yeáu ngheà nghieäpresume, ñieàn ñôn xin vieäc laøm, vaøgiuùp chuaån bò cho caùc cuoäcinterview vieäc laøm. Nhaân vieân JobConnection cuõng giuùp tìm vieäc laømhôïp vôùi khaû naêng cuûa ngöôøi xinvieäc.Vaên phoøng Job Connection ôû khucöïc baéc Seattle môû cöõa töø 9 giôøñeán 3 giôø chieàu trong caùc ngaøyThöù Hai vaø Thöù Ba, vaø laøm vieäctheo giôø heïn trong ngaøy Thöù Tö, ôûñòa chæ soá 12546 ½ 33rd Ave Ne ôûkhu Lake City. Muoán bieát theâm chitieát, xin vui loøng lieân laïc cô quanJob Connection, hoaëc goïi laøm heïn,hoaëc lieân laïc coâ Vernida Jackson-Jones ôû soá 206-344-5637.

Chöông trình gia haïn trôï caáp thaátnghieäp cho nhöõng coâng nhaân bò sa thaûimaø ñaõ laõnh heát tieàn thaát nghieäp, naychaám döùt hoâm thaùng Moät.Quyeát ñònh do boä Lao ñoäng Myõ ñeåchaám döùt chöông trình naøy laø döïa vaøo(baùo caùo) tæ leä ngöôøi thaát nghieäp hoâm19 thaùng 12. Keå töø sau ngaøy 10 thaùngMoät, 2004, thì khoâng coøn ñöông ñônnaøo ñöôïc höôûng tieàn trôï caáp gia haïn.Trong thaùng Möôøi Hai, Sôû ThaátNghieäp (Employment SecurityDepartment) ñaõ göûi thö cho 9050ngöôøi vöøa môùi noäp ñôn xin gia haïntheâm thôøi gian laûnh trôï caáp nghieäp,cuøng vôùi con soá 17,400 ngöôøi vöøañöôïc xeùt hôïp leä ñeå ñöôïc gia haïn laõnhtrôï caáp theâm trong vaøi tuaàn tôùi, cuõng

Chaám Döùt Chöông Trình GiaHaïn Trôï Caáp Thaát Nghieäp

ñöôïc baùo cho bieát laø quyeàn lôïi thuïhöôûng cuûa hoï bò chaám döùt.Phaàn lôùn nhöõng ngöôøi thaát nghieäp ñeàuñöôïc hôïp leä ñeå laõnh trôï caáp thaátnghieäp keùo daøi theâm 26 tuaàn leã nöõadöïa vaøo chöông trình töø chính phuû lieânbang goïi laø Trôï Caáp Khaån Vaø TaïmThôøi Cho Ngöôøi Thaát Nghieäp(Temporary EmergencyUnemployment Compensation) hoaëcTEUC, ngay sau khi quyeàn lôïi trôï caápthaát nghieäp cuûa hoï bò heát ñi. Chöôngtrình gia haïn naøy nay ñaõ chaám döùt.Chöông trình gia haïn naøy tröôùc ñaây ñaõcung caáp theâm 13 tuaàn leã tieàn thaátnghieäp nöõa cho nhöõng ngöôøi ñaõ laõnhheát trôï caáp tuø7 chöông trình Trôï CaápKhaån Vaø Taïm Thôøi Cho Ngöôøi ThaátNghieäp (Temporary EmergencyUnemployment Compensation) .Moät khi maø chöông trình Gia HaïnQuyeàn lôïi (thaát nghieäp) chaám döùt, thìcô quan thaát nghieäp cuûa tieåu bangkhoâng theå môû laïi chöông trình naøy,maø phaûi chôø ít nhaát laø sau 13 tuaàn leãnöõa.Caùc trung taâm Work Source cuûa tieåubang cung caáp nhöõng höôùng daãn ñeågiuùp ñi tìm vieäc laøm vaø hoï coù danhmuïc nôi ñang môû vieäc laøm, haõy vaøotrang maïng cuûa cô quan Work Source

ôû http://go2worksource.com . ñeå bieáttheâm chi tieát veà vieäc chaám döùt gia haïnthôøi gian laõnh trôï caáp, xin vaøo maïnghttp://go2ui.com.

Trudovye svqzi dlq'itelej razbrosannyxposelenij

"itelqm razbrosannyx poselenij"ili]nogo upravleniq Si`tla budetnemnogo leghe najti rabotublagodarq novomu severnomuotdeleni[ Trudovyx svqzej Si`tla.Severnoe otdelenie ofisa Si`tlabylo sozdano potomu, hto mnogie'iteli severnogo rajona dol'nybyli soverwat; poezdki na bol;wierasstoqniq, htoby popast; v odin izofisov programmy, raspolo'ennyx vJesler teras, Rajnier vista ili Xajpojnt.^Odin iz 'itelej odna'dy exaltremq avtobusami v naw ofis na XajPojnt, htoby priexat; togda, kogdanikogo iz rabotnikov ne bylo vofise, oni obslu'ivali drugixklientov,&- govorit Lora L`kings-Bekvar, koordinator slu'bytrudoustrojstva "ili]nogo

upravleniq Si`tla.Severnoe otdelenie ofisa budetobslu'ivat; bol;woe kolihestvo'itelej "ilupravleniq Si`tla,'ivu]ix k severu ot Wip kanala.Personal Trudovyx svqzejznakomitsq s kvalifikaciej iinteresami klienta, a zatempomogaet opredelit;, kakaqdopolnitel;naq podgotovka iliuh\ba mogut byt; neobxodimy. Onimogut tak'e pomoh; sostavit;rez[me, zapolnit; zaqvlenie narabotu i podgotovit;sq k interv;[dlq pri\ma na rabotu. RabotnikiTrudovyx svqzej tak'e prilo'at vseusiliq, htoby najti podxodq]u[rabotu dlq svoix klientov.

Severnoe otdelenie Trudovyx svqzejpredostavlqet svoi uslugi s 9 utrado 3 dnq po ponedel;nikam ivtornikam i po predvaritel;nojzapisi po sredam v ofise po adresu12546 1#2 33rd Ave. N.E. v rajoneL`jk Siti. Dlq poluheniqdopolnitel;noj informacii oTrudovyx svqzqx ili dlq naznaheniqvizita, svq'ites; s VernidojD'ekson-D'ons (Vernida Jackson-Jones) po tel. 206-344-5837.

free each volume 24 month issue 2 a community ......support worker invited kevin wilhelmsen to speak...

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