Civic Almanac

In photos: Edmonds food bank director honored

Free watt meters

Snohomish County Public Utility District and Sno-Isle Libraries will offer free electricity watt meters for checkout starting this spring. Throughout April, a pilot program at the Edmonds Library will offer 15 meters for consumers to borrow to assess where energy might be getting wasted. Simply plug appliances or electronics into the watt meter to determine actual energy use and calculate energy costs.

Meters will circulate to other libraries later this year.

PUD and Sno-Isle Libraries are also offering energy-related programs. Two programs are scheduled at the Edmonds branch: Wanda Flipplefairy (for kids) 11 to 11:45 a.m. April 10; and Identifying Energy Savings: Save Energy and Money (for adults) from 7 to 8 p.m. April 12. For more details contact Sno-Isle Library: 360-651-7000, www.sno-isle.org or Snohomish County PUD: 425-783-1700, www.snopud.com.

I-5 closure

44th Avenue West at the I-5 ramp will be shut down April 4-8 for construction of the 44th Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The closure hours are 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Garbage strike vote

Garbage haulers have voted to authorize a strike should their contract dispute remain unsettled this week.

The strike vote would involve more than 450 trash haulers for Waste Management, contracted in Mountlake Terrace, Mill Creek and Lynnwood, and 100 Allied Waste haulers, contracted in Edmonds.

The vote to strike could be called as soon as midnight March 31.

Despite any possibility of strike, Snohomish County operated solid waste transfer stations in Everett, Mountlake Terrace and Arlington will be open regular business hours.

PUD seeks energy projects

Snohomish County Public Utility District is seeking proposals from local organizations for solar energy demonstration projects to be installed on new or existing buildings in the utility’s service area. Proposals are due on April 16.

The PUD expects to award grants for eight to 10 solar projects this spring. The demonstration projects will be funded through customer contributions made to Planet Power, a voluntary PUD green energy program with over 3,100 participants.

For details, visit www.snopud.com/planetpower or call 425-783-1731.

Projects will be selected in June and should be installed during the summer and fall of 2010.

Train service extended

The second daily Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver, B.C. has been extended through Sept. 30. The service has been operating as a pilot project since last summer and was scheduled to run through March 31. The train makes a stop at Edmonds station.

Ridership on both trains to Vancouver B.C. have increased substantially since the added service.

MLT coffee

The next Coffee with the City will be April 7, 6-7 p.m. at the Recreation Pavilion. Citizens, business owners and others from the community are welcome to attend and ask questions or have a casual conversation with city officials. Feel free to drop in and enjoy a cup of coffee and hear what’s going on in the city, provide input about city services and events, and ask questions.

CT safe drivers

Community Transit welcomes six coach operators into the Million Mile club for their long records of safe driving. Two of these Million Mile Drivers are part of safe driving dynasties — their parents are also are members of the Million Mile club.

Carl Huth, Jr. earned his Two Million Mile Driver award. Five others — Reza Ghandari, Cris Healy, Amjad Khalil, Dorothy Saarinen and Diane Sassé — reached Million Mile Driver status.

It takes drivers approximately 12 and a half years without a preventable accident to achieve this honor.

BUSINESS NEWS

Small business loans

Gary Schmitt, CEO of Bank of Washington, will discuss small business lending at the Rotary Club of Edmonds Daybreakers meeting on April 6. He will present “What are they facing today” and address the shape of lending in a small community. You hear a lot about how small business creates jobs, and yet getting credit and getting loans seems very difficult for small business. Reservations required. RSVP to Mike Montgomery at DSASTRPLNG@comcast.net. A catered buffet breakfast is $15.

United Way Campaign Awards

Philips Healthcare, AT&T Mobility and Dunn Lumber in Bothell and Connelly Skis, Inc., Nordstrom-Alderwood, and Premera Blue Cross were among South County companies honored by United Way of Snohomish County at their awards dinner March 10.

All won Best of Industry awards. Best of Industry winners vie for the year’s top United Way award, the President’s Award.

Anne LeGrand, general manager and senior VP of Philips Healthcare, Ultrasound Division in Bothell, won the Chair Challenge Award recognizing campaign leadership by top management. Philips Healthcare also won the Live United award for a campaign that included sending a team of 84 employees to volunteer at Cocoon House. Premera Blue Cross also won a Live United award for a video featuring employees who had been helped by United Way programs.

Kim Buike, Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.), of Mountlake Terrace, will serve as 2010 Campaign Chairman.

HIV/AIDS contract awarded

The Snohomish County Board of Health has awarded a one-year contract to Evergreen AIDS Foundation to continue case management of medical care for HIV/AIDS clients in Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties, and will add Snohomish County clients to its case load.

Based in Bellingham, EAF has provided case management in northwestern Washington since 1996. It plans to open an Everett office in April to administer the local contract previously held by Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

• South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce Sample of South County, Wednesday, April 14. Lynnwood Convention Center, 5 – 9 p.m. For more information call 425-774-0507 x11 or info@s2c3.com.

• The Greater Edmonds Chamber of Commerce’s networking breakfast is held every Wednesday morning, 7:30 a.m. at Fairwinds-Brighton Court, 6520 196th St. SW, Lynnwood. The event is free to attend. Breakfast can be ordered for $8. For more information call 425-670-1496.

• The Rotary Club of Edmonds Daybreakers, 7 a.m. every Tuesday, Edmonds Yacht Club.

• VFW Post #8870 monthly meeting, 2 Friday April 9, South County Senior Center, Edmonds. For more information, call 206-362-3935.

PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE

SOUTH COUNTY

Community Transit Board of Directors, 3 p.m. April 1, 7100 Hardeson Road. On the agenda: service change final modifications.

Alderwood Water District Board of Commissioners, 5 p.m., April 5, 3626 156th St. SW, Lynnwood.

Snohomish County Fire District 1 Board of Commissioners, 7 p.m. April 6, 12425 Meridian Ave., Everett.

Snohomish County Public Utility District, Commission Meeting, 9 a.m. April 6, 2320 California St., Everett.

EDMONDS

City Council, 7 p.m. April 5, Council Chambers, 250 Fifth Ave. N. On the agenda: Public hearings on outdoor dining areas and amendments to the city’s development code. Broadcast on Channel 21 at noon and 7 p.m. the following Wednesday, noon on Friday and Monday. Recent actions: passed funding request for Edmonds Night Out, established a fire proceeds sale fund.

Hearing Examiner, 3 p.m. April 1, Council Chambers 250 Fifth Ave. N.

Architectural Design Board, 7 p.m. April 7, Council Chambers, 250 5th Ave. N.

Arts Commission, 6 p.m. April 5, Edmonds Library Plaza Room, 650 Main St.

Historic Preservation Commission, 4:30 p.m. April 8, Brackett Room, 3rd floor, City Hall, 121 Fifth Ave. N.

Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Committee, 9 a.m. April 1, Brackett Room, City Hall, 121 Fifth Ave. N.

LYNNWOOD

City Council, 7 p.m. April 13, Council Chambers, 19100 44th Ave. W. Broadcast on Comcast Channel 28, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sundays. 425-670-5000.

Planning Commission, 7 p.m. April 8, City Hall Council Chambers, 19100 44th Ave. W.

Parks &Recreation Board, 7 p.m. April 6, Wickers Building at Heritage Park, 19921 Poplar Way.

Tourism Advisory Committee, 7:30-9 a.m. April 8, City Hall Conference Rooms, 19100 44th Ave. W.

Civil Service Commission, 6 p.m. April 7, City Hall, 19100 44th Ave. W. Call to confirm meeting: 425-670-5000.

Public Facilities District, 6 p.m. April 6, Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th St. SW.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE

City Council, 7 p.m. April 5, Council Chambers, 6100 219th St. SW, Suite 200. Audio available at www.cityofmlt.com/cityServices/cityCouncil/councilMeetings.htm

MILL CREEK

City Council, 6 p.m. April 6, City Hall, 15728 Main St..

Board of Adjustments &Appeals, meets as needed, City Hall, 15728 Main St. 425-745-1891.

Civil Service Commission, 5:30 p.m. April 8, City Hall, 15728 Main St.

Library Board, 5 p.m. April 5, City Hall, 15728 Main St.

Parks &Recreation, 5 p.m. April 7, City Hall, 15728 Main St.

Youth Advisory Board, 3:30 p.m. April 7, City Hall, 15728 Main St.

BRIER

City Council, 7:30 p.m. April 13, City Hall, 2901 228th St. SW.

Civil Service Commission, 7:30 p.m. April 7, Council Chambers, 2901 228th St. SW.

WOODWAY

Town Council, 7 p.m. April 5, Town Hall, 23920 113th Place W.