Erik Fraker and Diana Rall are planning our second annual Block Watch and Emergency Planning meeting. Their guest presenter is Tracy Connelly from the Seattle Office of Emergency Management. As we have seen in the postings on the Montlake Forum, the need for this information is more important than ever. If you have not yet formed a block watch, don’t miss this meeting. If you have a block watch and want a refresher and to learn some new points, we hope to see you there.
Waste Reduction – How to Begin and Win $50,000
CleanScapes Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards Competition, Fall 2009-Spring 2010
CleanScapes, your garbage, recycling, and compost service provider, is sponsoring a $50,000 neighborhood challenge to reduce waste. You don’t have to sign up, you don’t have to apply. The only thing you have to do is create less garbage! To begin reducing waste, start by taking an inventory of the single-use, throw-away, or even recyclable items you use in your daily routines and try to replace these items with reusable, durable and washable items – water bottles, travel mugs, cloth dish towels, and cloth shopping bags. You will be surprised by the difference small changes can make over time.
The best way to discover where you can reduce waste is to sort through your trash and recycling. It sounds a little gross at first, but you’ll find it is very informative. Lay out a tarp in the garage or in the yard, put on some gloves, and start sorting. Look for what each family member throws away, what could be recycled, which materials take up the most space, and which materials could be replaced by durable materials.
Try and identify where you could make different choices. If your recycle bin is filled with plastic water bottles, think about getting everyone their own reusable water bottle. If you move the paper towels out of sight for emergency use only and replace with kitchen towels and cloth napkins, you can save about a roll a week. If you have a lawn, think about leaving the clippings where they are.
Packaging that comes home with the weekly groceries can be reduced by purchasing local products, shopping at farmers markets, purchasing in bulk, using cloth grocery bags, and not using plastic bags for produce. You can reduce the amount of paper coming into your home by signing up online to be removed from junk mail, catalog, and phone book mailing and distribution lists to reduce the paper that ends up in your recycling can. Go to www.dmachoice.org, www.catalogchoice.org and www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org.
To find out more about the competition or learn more waste reduction tips, visit www.cleanscapes.com. No project is too small. You can submit your ideas to educationoutreach@….
Montlake Neighborhood / 520 Meeting
Neighborhood meetings were held on December 14, 15, 16, and 17, to discuss the 520 Project’s impact to the Montlake Community based upon the haul routes proposed by WSDOT for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV program. The haul routes will mainly affect four areas within the community: Boyer Avenue residents, residents along 24th Avenue, residents on East Hamlin/Shelby Streets and business owners along 24th Avenue.
The meeting included a brief introduction and discussion of the federal regulations that provide a strong basis for the Montlake Historic District to negotiate with WSDOT regarding all potential impacts. Impacts would include damage to historic properties; natural / cultural resources including the Waterfront Park, the Bill Dawson and McCurdy Trails, The Greek Annual Festival and Opening Day; and community assets such as the Boyer Children’s Clinic. Air and water quality and noise level standards, required by the National Environmental Protection Act (EIS), will also be included in the negotiations.
Following the introduction, attendees discussed their assessment of the potential impacts on their homes and businesses. We distributed haul route traffic questionnaire and discussed the Community’s Action Plan as the 520 project progresses. The main effort at this time is to assemble the questionnaire responses as a basis for a Memorandum of Agreement to minimize the impact of the construction process on the community.
For copies of all the referenced information, contact Jon Decker at jdecker@… or 2311 16th Ave. E, Seattle, WA 98112.
Montlake Branch Library News
Be sure to mark your calendar with the new shorter hours at the Montlake Branch and changes to open hours at other locations of the Seattle Public Library. The new Montlake Branch hours are:
- 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
- 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Closed Friday and Sunday
Due to our new hours, there will be no story times in February. Check with the branch either online at www.spl.org or by phone at 206-684-4720 for updates on our new story time schedule.
The Washington State Department of Transportation will host an environmental briefing on the upcoming 520 Bridge Replacement Project at the Montlake Branch Thursday February 18 3-5:00 p.m.
The Montlake Branch Book Group meets Tuesday February 16, 6:30-7:45 p.m. This month we discuss “A Mercy” by Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison. All are welcome.
Want to know about free academic and cultural programs and services for teens? Sign up for The Seattle Public Library’s newest e-mail newsletter, Teen News, to hear about stuff like our free chat tutoring, our spoken word writing circle, comics and gaming events, how to earn your service learning credit writing book reviews, plus much more. Teen News has lots of good information for Seattle-area teens, tweens, parents and educators.
Please note that all locations of The Seattle Public Library will be closed February 15 in observance of Presidents Day.
