November 2009 Community Services Newsletter
Events
Holiday Craft Bazaar
Saturday, November 7, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Renton Senior Center
Get ready for the holidays by stocking up on homemade items at the Senior Center's Holiday Craft Bazaar. This event features handmade crafts by Renton area adults 50 and over. The Bazaar will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 7.
Computer tutoring @ the Library
Monday, November 9, 5-7 p.m. - Main Branch
Are you a new computer user? Get free, personal, one-on-one help with things like: setting up your first email account, surfing the Internet, applying for a job online, writing a resumé or other basic computer skills. Advance registration is REQUIRED and can be done in person, by email, or by calling the Information Desk at 425-430-6824.
Wisdom, Weaving, Songs, and Legends
November 10th at 5:00 p.m. - Renton History Museum
In this presentation Harvest Moon brings together her two loves: traditional basket weaving and storytelling. As her fingers transform natural materials into a beautiful basket, she sings Coastal Salish songs that transport a weaver into what is called the “Basket World.” Much like her baskets, Ms. Moon’s stories are carefully woven with words that hold a sprinkle of wisdom. They are captivating and entertaining to people of all ages. (Audience: High school through adult.)
Get Back, Farmer Mac!
Thursday, November 12, 4:00 p.m. - Highlands Public Library
Thursday, November 12, 7:00 p.m. - Main Library
Join musician and poet Eric Ode and his crabby friend Scratch the Cat on one wacky farm, where the cows climb trees and the chickens lay scrambled eggs. Free family fun for all ages.
Library Book Group Meeting
Thursday, November 19, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., Main Library
The Library Book Group's next meeting will discuss the book "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It is not necessary to have attended a previous meeting to join the group, interested people are encouraged to join at any time. For more information about how you can participate, please contact Laurie Finlayson at 425-430-6610 or via email.
Young Writers Group @ Renton Main Branch
Thursday, November 19, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. - Main Branch
If you are between the ages of 13 and 17, and enjoy expressing yourself through the written word, then this group is for you. Share your writing, learn some new creative writing techniques, and build your creative portfolio in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Call to Register 425-430-6610.
Bell, Book and Candle
A Comedy by John van Druten
November 20 - December 6, 2009
Gillian Holroyd, of the Murray Hill district, casts a spell over an unattached publisher, Shepherd Henderson, partly to keep him away from a rival and partly because she is attracted to him. He falls head over heels in love with her at once and wants to marry her. Unfortunately, witches cannot fall in love. This minute imperfection leads into a number of difficulties. For showtimes and ticket sales, contact the Valley Community Players at 425-226-5190.
Hassle Free Holiday Bazaar
Friday, November 20, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Renton Community Center
Saturday, November 21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Renton Community Center
Shoppers, make the Hassle Free Holiday Bazaar your first stop for those special holiday buys. Over 100 vendors will be on hand to present a wide variety of hand crafted items just in time for your holiday decorating. Food and refreshments will also be available. Email Shirley Anderson or Jennifer Spencer or call them at 425-430-6700 for more information.
Teen Nights
Saturday, November 21, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. - Highlands Neighborhood Center
This will be the place to be for free, fun events for those ages 11 to 17. We will have 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, game room tournaments and much, much more. If you like movies, we have that too. Only the latest PG-13 movies will be shown. Snacks will also be provided and prizes will be won. Don’t miss out on this great program designed just for teens to have fun and get some exercise in a fun way.
Teen Tuesdays @ Highlands Library
Tuesday, November 24: Retro Video Games
3:00 to 4:30 p.m - Highlands Library
Last Tuesdays are teen days at the Highlands library. This month drop in for spooky anime, free stuff, contests and more, just for teens.
The Miho & Diego Duo
Thursday, December 3, 4:00 p.m. - Main Library
Musical group, The Miho & Diego Duo, recently received a "Make Art in Renton" grant award funded by the City of Renton. Their program will explore the musical traditions of their own countries of Spain and Japan and encourage participants to begin to discover and explore their own heritage. This program is designed to have children/youths understand different cultures and languages by introducing a new genre of music.
Clam Lights
Friday, December 4, 6:30 p.m. - Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park
Start your holiday season off with an evening of entertainment, holiday spirit, and stunning visual effects. Enjoy a covered wagon ride and a community sing-a-long. A fun event for young and old alike. This event draws thousands of spectators each year.
6:30 p.m. - Entertainment
7:15 p.m. - Official “Clam Lights” Lighting
Don’t miss the 16th Annual Clam Lights event at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park. What started as a small lighting display has now expanded to an event that draws thousands of people each season with its wondrous array of lighting. The magic begins when the main switch is thrown to transform Gene Coulon Beach Memorial Beach Park into a winter wonderland. Marvel at the lighting on the buildings, trees, shrubbery, and walkways. See Clam Lights nightly through January 1.
7:30 p.m. - “Parade of Boats”
Welcome the arrival of the Rainier Yacht Club’s lighted boat parade. Each boat is decked out in the spirit of the season, and will surely be a thrill for all.
Co-sponsored by: Ivar’s Inc. & Puget Sound Energy
Holiday Celebration in Downtown & Tree Lighting
Saturday, December 5, 2:00 p.m. - The Piazza
Kick off the holiday season in style in downtown Renton. Enjoy caroling, hot cider, and roasted chestnuts on S. 3rd Street between Williams Avenue S. and Main Avenue S. from 2:00pm - 5:00pm. Then stroll to the Piazza (S. 3rd Street and Burnett Avenue S.) at 5:00pm for an evening of fun. The program features a lineup of local musicians and singers, a visit from Santa, children’s gifts, and free refreshments. Be there for all the fun, and remember your camera for Santa photos! Downtown event sponsored by downtown businesses. Piazza event sponsored by Piazza Renton and supported by the City of Renton. For information about the Piazza event, visit piazzarenton.com or call Pat at 425-917-0173 or Meri at 425- 228-1977. For more information about the downtown event, contact Mary Clymer at 425-255-6078.
Back to the Top
Administration
November Holidays and Closures
Renton City Hall and most services, such as the Renton Community Center, the libraries, and neighborhood centers, will be closed Wednesday, November 11 for Veterans Day. They will be closed again on 
Wednesday, November 25 for a furlough day to help balance the city budget and on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Normal operating hours will resume on Saturday, November 28 if the building has Saturday hours, otherwise, they will resume on Monday, November 30. Happy Thanksgiving Renton!
Are you prepared?
After a major disaster, it might be several days before vital services are restored. Our area is vulnerable to a wide variety of hazards, both natural and man-made. Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, power outages, and floods are just some of the possible emergencies we may experience. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone service. Just imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives? Two important things to do in an emergency are: be informed and be prepared. Ready in Renton works to do just that by providing important information, tools and resources to help you to be ready when disaster strikes. Renton offers a series of classes through the Renton Emergency Preparedness Academy (REPA) to help you, your family, and friends and neighbors be prepared in the event of an emergency. These classes will teach you ways to better prepare yourself, your family and your home on how to survive an emergency, weather a storm or be able to help your community in a disaster. For information on classes available and how to register, view the REPA flyer.
The City also provides emergency information on its web site, and you can subscribe to web alerts to stay informed in the event of a disaster. The City of Renton has developed a Critical Emergency Information page on its website. When there is important emergency information to be shared a Critical Emergency Information link will appear on the homepage of the city’s website, rentonwa.gov. During non-emergency periods, the Critical Emergency Information page can be found under “Emergencies” on the website where you can subscribe to ensure you stay informed. SIGN UP TODAY!
Back to the Top
Community Resources and Events
Volunteer Program
In September, Community Services received 1,808 hours of volunteer service from 304 individuals. Using the independent section indicator for a value of service for 2008 of $20.25 per hour, this amounts to $36,612. Projects and programs receiving volunteer hours included the Library, Specialized Recreation, Renton Senior Activity Center, Renton History Museum, Youth Athletics, Parks, and the Housing Repair Assistance Program. In addition to the ongoing programs receiving volunteer service during the month of September, the City benefited from the following projects:
• Members of Scout Troop #637 assisted Park staff and Ian Vensel to stencil 81 stormwater drains throughout many of our parks as part of his Eagle Scout Project.
• Volunteers from Herons Forever, Scout Troop #72 and the community assisted Max Lyon with invasive plant and debris removal, and spread wood chips along the paths and viewing areas at Black River Riparian Forest as part of his Eagle Scout Project.
• Members of RUFF assisted staff at the grand opening ceremonies at the new Cedar River Off Leash Dog Park
• Volunteers from Renton Sports and Spine helped at the Soccer Challenge on September 24.
• Volunteers from Economic and Community Development worked with staff for two teambuilding activities which included: Cleaning the bank at Cedar River Park and Cleaning equipment at RCC.
• 64 Community members came out to support the Fall Green and Clean Saturday, on September 26 at Philip Arnold Park giving 128 hours of service.
October Events
Members from the East Renton Community Church helped with the following projects :
• October 10, invasive plant removal at Philip Arnold Park along the bank of the outfield.
• October 10, invasive plant removal in the wetland islands of Tiffany Park in addition to spreading play chips and graffiti cleanup.
• October 11, invasive plant removal along the banks of the Cedar River Trail.
• October 11, reorganizing, alphabetizing and straightening the book shelves at the Downtown Renton Library.
• October 17, LDS will lay sod at Philip Arnold Park.
• Volunteers assisted Jeremy Heckt and Troop #637 with refurbishing six park signs as part of his Eagle Scout project during the months of October and November.
Partner Program
• October 3, marked the 3rd Community Shredathon with Sam’s Club, Iron Mountain and the Renton Police Department.
• Seahawk’s donated $1,500 dollars to the Renton Community Center in appreciation of our support during the 2009 Training Camp.
• Sam’s Club donated $2,500 for program support this Fall.
• The scholarship program received $400 from Soroptimist International.
Back to the Top
Golf
Fall and Winter Special!
From November 2009 to February 2010, Green Fees are just $15 after 1:00pm 7 days a week! Take advantage of this nice price and practice your game to prepare for next Spring.
Maplewood Golf Course Facts
• Maplewood Golf Course was originally opened in 1927 with 36 holes. It was purchased by the City of Renton in 1985.
• Maplewood Golf Course has seven teaching professionals.
• If your step averaged 2’6” it would take you 7,029 steps to complete the 6,112-yard course…who says golf isn’t exercise!
Back to the Top
Human Services
Prescription Cost Assistance
Cost of Prescriptions Too High? RX Help for Washington provides information on hundreds of patient assistance programs. More than 1200 different medications are available at greatly reduced prices, or even free. If your medication is not covered by insurance or you have any difficulty affording your medicine, use RX Help. Have the names of your prescriptions handy and then call 1-877-923-6779 to talk with a trained operator, either in English or Spanish, or go to www.rxhelpforwa.org to access this service online Answer a few questions about your age, estimated household income, the number of people in your family and your current insurance. You will find out if you are eligible for hundreds of programs that provide free or discounted prescription drugs. If you are matched with one or more programs, you will be provided information on how to complete the application process.
Job Hunting Resources
Do you need help finding a job? WorkSource in Renton is one of the best kept secrets. They offer orientation classes that provide an overview of the resources and programs available to job seekers at WorkSource Renton. They also offer Microsoft computer skills training in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. For more information on these and other valuable job preparedness classes, visit www.worksourceskc.org/events/calendar, call WorkSource at (206) 205-3500 (or toll free 1-800-536-9784), or visit them at 500 SW 7th Street, Suite 100, Renton, WA 98057. All services are free.
In addition to WorkSource, the Renton Libraries have a number of resources to aid in job hunting. Computers with Internet access, books on resume and cover letter writing, and word processing software are just a few of the things they offer. The library staff have also created a web site linking to a variety of great online resources to help with job hunting. The cities Community and Economic Development Department has also put together a web page for finding jobs in Renton.
Back to the Top
Library
Library Annexation Frequently Asked Questions
Earlier this year, the City conducted an informal survey to find out how Renton residents feel about the future of library services in the community. The information from the survey was used to create this new web page which contains people's frequently asked questions about the future of libraries in Renton and the answers to the same. On the February 9, 2010 ballot, Renton residents will be asked to decide whether they want the Renton Public Library to remain an independent city run organization or annex to the King County Library System. The information provided on this page will help people make an informed decision for the vote.
RTC Community Bookshelf
RTC students and their families can now borrow books from our Community Book Shelf, located in the RTC Library. Books on the shelf, which are mostly children's books, are there to help busy students find the time to read to and share books with their families, just for fun! Anyone may borrow up to 2 books at a time and return them to either the RTC Library or a branch of the Renton Public Library. If you have questions or would like to donate some gently used children's books to the project, please contact the Outreach Librarian at 425-430-6835 or by email.
Back to the Top
Museum
Museum Master Plan
In July, the Renton History Museum kicked off its master planning process, led by Gyroscope, Inc., a nationally recognized museum planning and design firm. Gyroscope Inc. has involved museum-goers, volunteers, staff, the Renton Historical Society board, Historical Society members, City of Renton staff, and many others in exploring paths to a sustainable future for the museum. The goal of the Museum Master Plan is to provide a new vision for the museum’s next 15 years as the only heritage organization for our growing community. For more information, visit the Museum Master Plan web site.
Back to the Top
Parks and Trails
Black River Riparian Forest
Did you know that Renton has a wildlife sanctuary within its city limits. The 93 acres that constitute the Black River Riparian Forest (Riparian: By a river) are a permanently protected Open Space for great blue herons and all the animals living in the wildlife sanctuary. In 1989, there were only 24 great blue heron nests. By 2006, there were at least 121 to 126 nests, making it one of the largest colonies in Washington today. As the Black River became a destination for nature enthusiasts in the region, multiple threats to the site were emerging. Poorly planned nearby developments have been proposed throughout the last 18 years that could have resulted in deleterious impacts on the herons and other important features of the site.
Many other animals call Black River home. Black River is a rich oasis for the animals that live there, and as a result, it is a refuge for the hundreds of people who visit this site every year. It provides habitat for myriad wildlife. Native birds such as bald eagles, great horned owls, hooded mergansers, wood ducks, and neotropical migrants such as common yellowthroats (contrary to their name, their numbers are few and they are rarely seen), Wilson’s warblers, and western tanagers all live in the Black River Riparian Forest. Raptors (hunters like Cooper’s hawks and American kestrels), fish (threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon, Cutthroat trout, Coho salmon), and mammals (red foxes, river otters, Pacific shrews) can be found among the Black River Riparian Forest’s cottonwood trees, deciduous shrubs, and the P-1 Pond.
The Black River Riparian Forest is one of the last protected lowland, deciduous, riparian forests remaining in Puget Sound. This habitat type was once abundant, but is now rare. The protection and preservation of this area and its sensitive wildlife is crucial.
The colony is in Renton, just west of the intersection of SW 7th and Oaksdale SW, at a junction of the old Black River and Springbrook Creek. The P1 Pond was dredged in 1985, and the next spring six great blue herons built three nests overlooking the same pond they have continued to choose as their breeding location ever since. This year, 2009, marks their 24th year at Black River.
Our herons belong to a unique subspecies that does not exist anywhere else. The fannini heron does not migrate, which is the primary difference between these herons and all the others in the United States. Biologists are concerned about the long-term health of the fannini population as their numbers are declining at an estimated 6% per year.
The Black River Riparian Forest is named in memory of the river that used to flow through the area where the herons now nest. The Black River ran out of the southern end of Lake Washington. It flowed south through Renton, and then veered west and merged with the Green River to form the Duwamish River. In 1916, the lowering of Seattle’s Lake Washington during the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal drained the Black River and caused it to dry up.
The Duwamish tribe had a village located along the Black River for at least 1,400 years and perhaps for thousands of years. The Duwamish were still there in 1916 when the river dried up. In the early 1990s, anthropologist Jim Chatters conducted an excavation near the Black River Riparian Forest. Over 100 boxes of Duwamish tribal artifacts are stored with the University of Washington’s Burke Museum from that dig.
Back to the Top
Recreation
Personal Trainer
Stacy Near has been a certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise since 2007. He became a fitness trainer because of his personal experience of using exercise as part of his fitness and weight loss journey. As a personal trainer, his mission is to help people reach their health and fitness goals while becoming empowered and independent exercisers. He utilizes what he calls the “Four Factors of Fitness”, goal setting, and “homework” assignments to help people reach their goals and develop the habits that will keep them moving forward for a lifetime. The “Four Factors of Fitness” are supportive nutrition, efficient aerobic exercise, effective strength training, and proper rest. When these factors are properly manipulated, most anyone can meet their health and fitness goals. Whether you need basic exercise instruction, an exercise upgrade, or continuing support and motivation Stacy can help you to achieve your goals. To schedule an appointment with Stacy, visit empower fitness.
Club North Highlands
Ages 6 & up. Membership to Club North Highlands is free. The membership provides staff with contact information, allows members access to free drop-in activities, and helps promote ownership in the neighborhood center. Ask staff for a registration form. Club North Highlands members are invited to join the following activities:
|
Day
|
Time
|
Activity
|
| Monday |
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. |
Tournament Time |
| Tuesday |
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. |
Games and More |
| Wednesday |
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. |
Arts & Crafts |
| Thursday |
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. |
Group Games |
| Friday |
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. |
3-on-3 Basketball League |
Club Highlands
Ages 6 & up. Membership to Club Highlands is free. The membership card provides staff with contact information, allows members access to free drop-in activities, and helps promote ownership in the neighborhood center. Ask staff for a registration form. Club Highlands members are invited to join the following activities:
|
Day
|
Time
|
Activity
|
| Monday |
starts at 3:30 p.m. |
Movie Night |
| Tuesday |
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. |
Art Club |
| Wednesday |
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Staff Game Challenge! |
| Thursday |
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. |
Gym Time |
| Friday |
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. |
Kids’ Night |
Back to theTop