Seattle News and Events March 28, 2014

PHOTO: Seattle Public Schools Board: Stephan Blanford, Sherry Carr, Sharon Peaslee, Sue Peters, Betty Patu, Marty McLaren, Harrium Martin-Morris.

Last-Minute Health Enrollment Assistance in King County

Public Health – Seattle & King County is coordinating more than two dozen enrollment events this week, which will be staffed by local organizations with certified “In-Person Assisters” for the Washington Healthplanfinder.

King County Executive Dow Constantine and Public Health staff will be on hand March 31 at an all-day “Beat the Deadline” HelpCenter, from 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the ChinookBuilding, 401 Fifth Ave., Seattle. 

March 31 is a federal and state deadline for purchasing an individual health insurance plan for 2014. Those who remain uninsured after this date may face a penalty on their 2014 taxes. Opportunities to acquire insurance after that date will be limited. (Exceptions: low-income individuals eligible for Medicaid may enroll year-round, and anyone experiencing a qualifying event, such as getting married or losing a job, may enroll).

To enroll, people should first try the WashingtonHealthplanfinder website, and the state’s help-line, at 855-923-4633. Those who need more help or don’t have internet access should find in-person assistance.

Public Health’s “Beat the Deadline” HelpCenter, operates, at the downtown Seattle headquarters.  (ChinookBuilding, 401 - 5th Ave., Seattle)

Get help and find all KingCounty enrollment events: www.kingcounty.gov/coverage 

Special Sounder Trains Will Run For Mariners Games

Seattle Mariners fans can take Sound Transit’s popular game day Sounder trains to select games this season, starting with the game against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, April 13 at 1:10 p.m.

Trains from the south will leave Lakewood at 10:45 a.m. Trains from the north will leave Everett at 11:15 a.m. Return trains will leave King Street Station 35 minutes after the last out.

Sounder trains will serve 11 other Mariners games through August. A complete schedule of game day service for Mariners and Sounders FC events is available at soundtransit.org/Schedules/Event-services. 

Many ST Express buses also drop off passengers near the stadium. Link and ST Express bus schedules are available at soundtransit.org/Schedules.

Regular fares apply for all Sound Transit services. ORCA and all standing transit passes will be accepted.  Getting an ORCA card is a great way to skip lines at ticket vending machines. Cards only cost $5 for adults, plus whatever amount a rider chooses to load in the card’s E-Purse or the cost of a pass that is good for unlimited transit trips. ORCA works on trains, buses and ferries throughout the region. More information is available at orcacard.com.

Superintendent José Banda hosting town hall meetings on March 27 and 31

Seattle Public Schools is hosting five community meetings to share information on the District’s five-year Strategic Plan, with tailored comments, topics and data from each of the five educational regions. These meetings are designed to engage families, students, staff and community members in ideas to ensure academic success for every one of our students. There will also be time for participants to ask questions of the Superintendent and District leadership.

The final two community meetings will be held:

-- Thursday, March 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m., for the Northwest region, at BallardHigh School, 1418 NW 65th

-- Monday, March 31, 6:30-8:30 p.m., for the West Seattle region at Roxhill Elementary, 9430 30th Ave. SW

Interpreters in Spanish, Somali, Chinese, Vietnamese and Tagalog will be available at each meeting. In addition, supervised children’s’ activities and light refreshments will be provided.

Each meeting includes a joint presentation by Superintendent José Banda and the Executive Director of Schools for that region. Families, staff and community members will be invited to participate in small group discussions about the Strategic Plan on how to ensure the District meets its goal of ensuring every student graduates prepared for college, career and life.

To learn more about the District’s Strategic Plan go to www.seattleschools.org.

Cast-Offs Reborn as Upcycled Designs

The term “sustainability” pops up everywhere these days as people become more concerned with conserving resources and recycling. Using cast off items in creative ways is a challenge championed by four innovators who will talk about their work during an evening of networking sponsored by the School of Apparel Design & Development.

Ammi Borenstein, director of product for Outdoor Research, will moderate the panel discussion. Panel members include Cheryl Campbell, managing director of the Eileen Fisher Community Foundation, Marita Dingus, artist, and Eli Reich, owner of Alchemy Goods.

The networking, wine and appetizer event will be held on April 10, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Seattle Central College’s School of Apparel Design & Development, 1716 Harvard Ave. The event is open to the public. Register and purchase $15 tickets here.

Cheryl Campbell is the momentum behind GREEN EILEEN, a recycled clothing program sponsored by designer Eileen Fisher. Lightly used garments are resold or repurposed into children’s clothing at one of four GREEN EILEEN stores, one of which is in the ColumbiaCity neighborhood of Seattle. Details: Greeneileen.org

Artist Marita Dingus makes art from discarded materials using items like fabric, leather, plastic and other found objects. She says she strives to create inspiring and eclectic pieces to convey a powerful message about the sustainability of the human spirit.

Eli Reich’s company, Alchemy Goods, makes upcycled products from items like blown-out bicycle inner tubes, used seat belts and advertising banners. These unwanted pieces are turned into trendy bags, totes, laptop carriers, purses and wallets. He has turned 400,000 bicycle tubes into sought after bags. Alchemygoods.com

Ammi Borenstein, the moderator, leads an Outdoor Research team that designs, develops and merchandises innovative products for the outdoor market. He has also lead collaborative design and development projects with the U.S. military. 

Vigil Outside of Tukwila ICE Field Office to Support of Bring Them Home Families

Seattle and immigrant families around the country will hold vigils outside local representative and ICE offices to garner support for loved ones currently inside the Otay Detention Center in San Diego, California. The vigil is part of an initiative through the #BringThemHome Campaign to reunite families who were previously separated by deportation and extreme anti-immigrant laws.

WHAT: Vigil in Support of Bring Them Home Campaign Families

WHERE: Tukwila ICE Field Office:

12500 Tukwila International Blvd, Tukwila, WA

WHEN: Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 7:00pm

Earlier this month, Kimberly Sotelo Ochoa, Dolores Lara Villegas, Elvira Yolanda Morales Olguin, Jose Manuel Morales, and Paola Morales Olguin from Washington and over a hundred other undocumented mothers, fathers, children, and students crossed the border into the United States at the Otay-Mesa Point of Entry in San Diego, CA. In total, 159 people participated in the #BringThemHome campaign, including 71 children, 55 of which are US citizens.  Among the group are also 54 Dreamers.  All 159 people crossing were detained for trying to reunite with their families and communities.

This Sunday, Elvira Yolanda Morales Olguin and her daughter, Paola Morales Olguin, recently released from the Berks County Residential Center, will be reunited with Kevin and Britney, Yolanda’s 2 U.S. citizen children, after being separated by ICE officials at the Otay Port of Entry. Jose Manuel Morales, Yolanda’s husband, and Kimberly Sotelo Ochoa, a Dreamer, remain separated from their families. Their families will share their stories and request the immediate release of these two Washingtonians currently held at the Otay Detention Center.

For more events in Seattle and Portland check out our Community Calendar