Community Focus

Recycle your

Christmas tree

Local Boy Scout Troops 49 and 167 will be coming around to area neighborhoods gathering old Christmas trees to recycle. They will be out and about from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Jan. 1 and Jan. 8. Remove all ornaments and lights and place tree at curb by 9 a.m. for pickup or bring your tree to either Alderwood Manor Youth Club at 19719 24th Avenue W. in Lynnwood or Brier City Hall at 2901 228th St. SW in Brier.

There is no cost but a donation is suggested. For donations use flyer in the bag provided. Check preferable. Make checks payable to BSA. The Boy Scouts would like to thank Fruhling Trucking and Excavating and Domino’s Pizza for supporting this fund-raiser. For more information call Sue at 425-771-3843.

Lynnwood Mayor, fire chief on TV

Lynnwood Mayor Mike McKinnon and Fire Chief Gary Olson can currently be seen on a public service announcements funded by McDonald’s Fine Furniture Liquidators in Lynnwood. The commercial is to benefit the Center for Battered Women and to educate the public about domestic violence and where those in need can get help.

McDonald’s had asked if they could donate to the fire department and instead the department asked to have the CFBW benefit, according to city officials. The furniture store donated furniture to the Center, along with having the PSA.

For more information on how you can help the CFBW call Vicci at 425-259-2827.

Convention Center without a view

Since a recent community effort to clean up the view from Lynnwood’s Convention Center, neighboring properties have started sprucing up.

Along with the state Department of Transportation jumping on board to renovate its bush, noxious weed-covered hillside, the city of Lynnwood’s public works department also did their part and cleared its site directly across from the large meeting facility, where a Taco Time used to stand.

Citizens Academy starts in February

The Lynnwood Police Department is accepting applications for its Citizen Academy.

The 16-week course, which meets 7-10 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 10-May 26, provides an in-depth look at how the police department works.

Topics include officer safety and defensive tactics; detectives, fingerprints, DNA and homicide investigation; a tour of the jail and 911 center; and a ride-along with an officer.

For more information or to request an application, call spokeswoman Trudy Dana at 425-744-6939 or go to www.ci.lynnwood.wa.us/police.

Low cost bike and ski helmets

Fire District 1 has bicycle, multi-sport and ski helmets available to the public for a small donation.

Ski helmets are available at the Mariner Fire Station only (12310 Meridian Ave., Everett) for a donation of $16.

Bicycle helmets are available for a $5 donation and the multi-sport helmets suitable for skate boarding, bicycling and rollerblading are available for a $6.50 donation at most district 1 fire stations. Prices for bike and multi-sport helmets will be going up Jan. 1.

The helmet program is part of Fire District 1’s injury prevention program. Firefighters are trained to custom-fit all helmets. Properly fitted helmets are highly effective in preventing head injuries. For more information about Fire District 1’s helmet program, visit the department’s Web site at www.firedistrict1.org or call 425-551-1200.

WashPIRG reps

out in Lynnwood

As part of a statewide effort, the Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) has launched a local grassroots campaign to adopt legislation requiring standards for new cars like that of California and six other states. Clean car legislation would require that 10 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in Washington to be low-emission vehicles (like hybrids) or zero-emissions vehicles, according to a press release. A small crew of citizen outreach canvassers will be visiting Lynnwood neighborhoods to build support for the campaign during the rest of December. WashPIRG is a non-profit, non-partisan, public interest advocacy organization with approximately 23,000 members in Washington state. For more information, or to get more involved in the campaign, call 206-568-2855.

Lynnwood has festival funds to give

Applications for the City of Lynnwood Festival Fund grant program are now available through the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department. Funding for community festival projects for 2005 will be awarded on a competitive basis, subject to available funding. Applicants from eligible organizations, which demonstrate the ability to complete the proposed activity, can apply. The deadline for completed applications is Friday, Jan. 28. Applications for the Festival Fund are currently available by contacting the Lynnwood Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, 18900 – 44th Ave. W, Lynnwood, WA 98046-5008, or by calling 425-771-4030.

The Festival Fund was created to provide public support for community festivals and celebrations in Lynnwood that have a broad-based appeal and provide family-oriented activities. Funding for this program is made possible through a portion of the city of Lynnwood general fund.

Detailed information about the grant program, eligibility and program requirements are included in the application package. For more information, contact Katie Anderson, City of Lynnwood Parks, Recreation &Cultural Arts Department at 425-744-6445, or e-mail kanderson@ci.lynnwood.wa.us.

Sponsor the

next Hi!5 Run

The Rotary Club of Lynnwood is looking for sponsors for the next Hi!5 Run in Lynnwood scheduled for Aug. 28, 2005.

The 5K and 10K runs are looking for different sponsorships such as the title sponsor for $10,000 and co-sponsors for $5,000. The title sponsors receive exclusive premier location on the back of the official Lynnwood Hi!5 shirts. According to Rotary sponsor committee members some other benefits include marketing money leverage with a 300,000 plus marketing exposure, recognition for involvement in the local community and support of Rotary programs. Sponsors who sign up soon will also receive other benefits. To be included in the advertising material, all sponsorships must be secured by March 31, 2005. There are also other promotional opportunities. Call Harry Truitt at 425-771-2679 for more information.

Boys &Girls Club new teen center

The Alderwood Boys &Girls Club had a grand opening for their new teen center on Sept. 29. The new teen center consists of a multimedia entertainment system, computers, furniture, pool, foos ball and ping pong. The teen center will be open to kids in grades 7-12. For more information call the club at 425-258-2436.

Lost a bike or have it stolen?

The Mountlake Terrace Police Department’s evidence room is overflowing with lost or stolen and found bicycles.

Police officials there said folks don’t always think to report their bicycles missing to police and also don’t think to call area police departments to check if they’ve been found. So by the end of the summer police department’s have several bicycles that if not claimed would be auctioned off.

When calling a police department to inquire about a lost or stolen bicycle be prepared to have a full description of the bike and the registration information if you have it and an approximate date the bike was found missing.

Mountlake Terrace residents wishing to register their bicycle, skateboard or motorized scooter can do so for free at the Mountlake Terrace Police Department.

For more information about lost or stolen bicycles call your local police department. For Mountlake Terrace 425-670-8260, for Lynnwood call 425-744-6900 and for Brier 425-775-5452.

Have a court date? Click here:

Citizens can now go to a new website, www.courts.wa.gov, and look up their court dates by clicking on “find your court date” and entering a valid name or case number.

All courts in Washington including Lynnwood Municipal and South Snohomish County District Court are on the site except for Seattle Municipal Court.

Given that court proceedings may be rescheduled at any time, official said, users are encouraged to call their local court the morning of their appearance. An automated court directory is also available online via the Washington Courts website, combined with a “Courthouse Locator” which provides maps and directions to every courthouse throughout Washington State. For the Lynnwood Municipal Court call 425-670-6668. For the South Snohomish County District Court call 425-774-8803.

Food banks need volunteers

Concern For Neighbors Food Bank in Mountlake Terrace needs people who can drive a truck (yours or theirs) and helpers who can ride along to pick up food during the week. Call 425-778-7227 message phone and leave your name.

Other area food banks: Lynnwood (425-745-1635) and Edmonds (425-778-5833) need people who can help sort and pass out food on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday or just show up at one of the locations and offer your services. MLT and Edmonds Monday-Tuesday 8 a.m. until Noon. Lynnwood- Wednesday Noon until 6 p.m.

Donate an old cell phone for safety

Project Donate a Phone is back on and the need is high, say officials for The Snohomish County Center for Battered Women.

The center is in need of old or new cellular phones, even ones with missing parts can help, Center officials said. Usable cell phones will be provided free to all women who use the center’s services. In case of emergency old phones can still be used to dial 911. The ones that can’t be used will be recycled to a business who has agreed to pay the non-profit organization for parts. To donate phones, drop them off at the Mountlake Terrace Police Department at 5906 232nd St. SW. For more information call Terri or Vicci at 425-259-2827.

Donate your old car for a local cause

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County have started a car donation program. Funds from the program will benefit the activities of the Boys and Girls Clubs. For more information call 1-800-246-0493.

Community Focus briefs for the cities of Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Brier can be sent to sessions@heraldnet.com or mailed to 4303 198th St. SW, Lynnwood, WA. 98036, attention Shannon Sessions. E-mail is preferred. Include contact number with area code for publication in the newspaper. Briefs are printed on a space-available basis.