Seattle News and Events for July 2 through August 2014

Seattle Pride Parade Celebrity Grand Marshall George Takei waves at the crowd that lined 4th Avenue for the 40th Annual Seattle Pride Parade Sunday, June 29 in Downtown Seattle. A record crowd estimated at 150,000 attendees made the Emerald City ring out with cheers. Susan Fried photo

Voter Registration Deadline July 7 for Primary Election

Voters for the Aug. 5 primary election have until Monday, July 7 to register to vote or update voter registration information online or by mail.

King County Elections will mail primary election ballots to all registered voters on July 16, so it’s important that citizens register to vote and keep their address and other information, including their signature, updated.

Voters can check to make sure their registration information is current by:

Using My Voter Guide online at www.your.kingcounty.gov/elections2/voterlookup

Calling the Voter Hotline at 206-296-VOTE (8683)

· Visiting King County Elections at 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Visiting the Voter Registration Annex at 500 4th Avenue, Room 440, Seattle., weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

At King County Elections or the Voter Registration Annex

Voters who miss the July 7 deadline to update their registration should still contact the Elections office to update their information for future elections. King County residents not currently registered in Washington can register in person at the Elections office through July 28.

Who can register?

To be eligible to register to vote, you must be:

· 18 years old by election day (August 6)

· A United States citizen

· A legal resident of the state of Washington

· Not under the authority of the Department of Corrections

Voters can visit the Elections website, www.kingcounty.gov/elections, or call the Elections office at 206-296-VOTE for assistance and information.

City Holds First ‘Find It, Fix It’ Community Walk

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray hosts a series of ‘Find it, Fix it’ Community Walks, focused on crime hotspots.

At the walks, community residents, police, and city officials will walk together to identify issues they would like to see addressed, primarily graffiti removal, street lighting, litter and garbage clean-up, and trimming overgrown bushes and trees.

‘Find it, Fix it’ Community Walks coming up include:

July 8, 7 – 9 p.m.: Orcas and MLK

July 22, 7 – 9 p.m.: Sound Transit tour, between Rainier Beach and Othello Stations

July 29, 7 – 9 p.m.: Rainier Ave. and Genesee

August 12, 7 – 9 p.m.: Rainier Beach

For more information on Murray’s public safety strategy for Seattle, visit www.seattle.gov/mayor/public-safety-strategy-for-seattle.

Senior-Friendly Computer Classes

Southeast Seattle Senior Center offers affordable, hands-on computer classes just for seniors, July 15 through Oct. 2,Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 to 11 a.m., at their facility, 4655 S. Holly.

The classes, which cost $3 for members and $5 for non-members, is taught by Leslie Stewart, who tailors classes for participants and makes computer skills easily accessible and lessons welcoming for older adults.

The most recent report from the Pew Research Center shows that only 59 percent of U.S. seniors are internet users (compared to 86 percent of all adults.) The research also shows that those seniors who are using the internet connect with the digital world regularly.

Call SESSC at 206-722-0317 to with questions or register.

Measles Outbreak in South King, Pierce Counties

Local public health officials are investigating eight confirmed cases of measles among members of the same extended family in south King County, and a single suspected case in Pierce County. These cases are linked to another case who returned to the United States from the Pacific Islands on May 26 with measles.

Known public exposures occurred at several MultiCare healthcare facilities where the infected individuals were treated, including a hospital in Tacoma. Details about these exposures will be updated regularly at the MultiCare website. These medical facilities are directly contacting persons who were present – clients, visitors, and staff – during the times of potential exposure

People without a regular healthcare provider who think they might have measles can contact their local health departments at the numbers below:

King County residents should call the Measles Hotline at 206-296-4949

Pierce County residents should call 253-798-6410, option “0”

PHOTO: Si Young, a hip hop artist from South Seattle, performed with the Jefferson Breakers at the fifth annual Beacon Rocks! street fair, June 28 on Roberto Maestas Festival Street on Beacon Hill. In addition to music the event included community information, food and a visit from Fire Engine #13. The Beacon Rocks! street fair will be held twice more this summer, on July 26 and August 23. Susan Fried photography