of people with limited resources while safeguarding the ...THE VoiCE NEws For FAmiLiEs LiViNG iN...

KCHA NEWSKCHA NEWSKCHA NEWSThe mission of the King County Housing Authority is to provide quality affordable housing opportunities and to build communities through partnerships. We encourage self-sufficiency and we protect the dignity of people with limited resources while safeguarding the public trust.

Low-impACT worKouTssee page 5

Exercise packs a punch

in this section

February2012

A resource for King County Housing Authority residents

Healthy Families pages 2-3inside: birch creek career center

Generations pages 4-5inside: how your community garden grows

Translations pages 6-7

white Center scene page 8inside: deputy white reaches out to the white center community

By KCHA StAff

Ground has been broken on three commu-nity service centers that will provide public housing families with better opportunities and brighter futures.

The King County Housing Authority began construction on community service centers at Firwood Circle and Burndale Homes in Auburn and Valli Kee in Kent late last year. Project managers expect all to start serving their communities in fall 2012.

“These three facilities will support pro-grams that help children succeed in school and their parents develop necessary job skills to become economically self-suffi-cient,” said King County Housing Authority Executive Director Stephen Norman. “Our approach − combining stable, attractive housing with vital human services and im-proved educational opportunities − ensures that struggling families have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

These projects are part of a broader ini-tiative by the Housing Authority to build or expand facilities at seven additional complexes. When complete, KCHA will have 18 centers, operated in partnership with nonprofit providers, serving low-income households across King County.

Construction of the Valli Kee center be-gan in November of 2011 by CDK Construc-

tion Services. The new facility will have 4,330 square feet of program space, along with a pair of outdoor play areas. Details on exact services have yet to be determined, as construction won’t be completed until August 2012. At Valli Kee, KCHA will collaborate with the Kent School District,

the Puget Sound Educational Services Dis-trict, and other community-based nonprofit partners including the Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), Childcare Resources and the YWCA. Kent Youth and Family Services will be the service provider at the new facility.

Funding for the Valli Kee community fa-cility came from a Capital Fund Community Facilities grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The cost of construction is estimated at $1.35 million.

Burndale Homes’ new center construc-tion was begun by Buchanan General Con-tracting in December 2011, and is expected to finish in September of 2012. The building will house 3,526 square feet of program space, replacing a four-bedroom apartment that is still serving as a community resource space. Estimated costs for the construction are $1 million. Neighborhood House will provide resident services at Burndale.

CDK Construction Services also began construction on the Firwood Circle center in December 2011, with an expected finish date in September 2012. The current Fir-wood Circle facility will be renovated and expanded to provide 3,563 square feet of program space. The estimated construction cost for the facility is $1 million. No service provider has been announced.

All three centers will operate as satellite service centers. In addition to providing on-site services to youth and adults, the primary service providers at each center will connect residents to offsite resources includ-ing Renton Technical College, Green River Community College and the Workforce Development Council.

By trAviS SHerer

King County Housing Authority

The results from the Real Estate Assess-ment Center (REAC) inspections are in, and KCHA received its highest marks to date in 2011, thanks in large part to the efforts of residents in our communities.

Earning a 94.4 percent out of a possible 100, KCHA reached its goal to exceed the previous REAC score of 92 percent in 2008. And while the building structures received the high evaluations, KCHA employees had a different take on what made 2011 a success.

“It is very much a symbiotic relationship between the residents and the housing man-agement teams because the deficiencies for the units are resident-driven,” said KCHA Director of Public Housing Bill Cook. “It’s an interactive process by which the residents and the property workers have to communi-cate what needs to be in order.”

perfect propertiesStrong communication between residents

and maintenance workers is the central reason Boulevard Manor received a perfect score.

“The residents took it upon themselves both to inspect their own units thoroughly, and communicate any deficiencies that we might have missed,” said Boulevard Manor Property Manager Chris Clevenger.

Clevenger said that he handed out evalua-tion forms to the tenants at Boulevard Manor, who then displayed a collective brilliant eye for detail.

“That allowed maintenance workers like mechanic Steve Brehan, who have worked through a number of REACs, to fix what needed to be fixed in time for the inspec-tions,” Clevenger said.

Boulevard Manor is just one example of what properties across the county had to prepare for. Ten percent, or almost 250, of KCHA’s units were randomly selected for inspection. This meant that KCHA and its

residents had to maintain a steady dialogue across the board to keep their properties at such a high level.

“Our hope is that the properties are in good enough condition that they don’t require tons of work, but the reality is that every time we go through this process, it requires tons of work,” Cook said.

Also receiving a perfect score were the Nia apartments.

Top-scoring propertiesA number of buildings surpassed high

scores from the 2008 inspections, including Firwood Circle, which scored a 95 percent in 2011. Maintenance Mechanic Mike Quam credits his longtime relationship with tenants as the reason for this success.

“I know my tenants so well that they tell me when something doesn’t conform to the REAC,” Mike said. “I’ve been through a lot of REACs, and so have my tenants. That really helps because everybody knows what to look for and they trust that we’ll get things fixed.”

Firwood scored a 91 in 2008. Other properties that have scored a 90 in the past two inspections include Eastridge House, Southridge House, King’s Court, Evergreen Court, Federal Way 3, Northridge I and II, Mardi Gras, Pickering Court, Wayland Arms, Gustaves Manor, Plaza 17, Burndale Homes, Cedarwood, Juanita Trace, Wells-

wood, Cascade Homes, Glenview Heights, College Place, Kirkwood Terrace, Eastside Terrace, Bellevue 8, Valli Kee, Campus Court II, Vista Heights, Yardley Arms, and Munro Manor.

most improved propertyBeing the best isn’t just measured by

having a high score. Taking a property from an average score to a good score can, at times, be just as difficult as maintaining the same high score. Casa Juanita, for example, jumped from a score of 79 in 2008 to 98 this year.

“A lot of the units have recently been remodeled,” said Vlad Soltys, property man-agement specialist at Casa Juanita. “Our re-modeling crew gets a lot of the credit for that jump. However, our maintenance crew kept up all the units and really helped as well.”

KCHA is four years into an ongoing unit remodeling project that has produced a higher standard of living for many of its residents.

With these results, KCHA maintained the “high performer” status it has earned since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began evaluating housing authorities in 1992.

Thank you to the residents whose partner-ship in the process made this our best-scoring year ever.

KCHA residents, staff unite for highest REAC marks yet

Construction starts on three new community service centers

PHoto By trAviS SHerer

A construction worker assembles a wall frame for the new Valli Kee community service center. Construction began in November 2011.

THE VoiCE

NEws For FAmiLiEs LiViNG iN KCHA CommuNiTiEs

2 – KCHA NEws FEBruArY 2012

HEAltHy fAmiliESHEAltHy fAmiliESHEAltHy fAmiliES

By trAviS SHerer


The chairs are filled with people learning the skills that will help them be one of the success stories already decorating the walls.

Despite opening just four months ago with a new provider, Neighborhood House, the Birch Creek Career Development Center is flourishing.

“We’ve made some leaps and bounds,” said Marla Brown, Birch Creek’s career center coordinator. “But we’re still trying to get people to come out and take advantage of our resources.”

The center, located on the second floor of the Kent Family Center, reopened its doors in October 2011, and the community has been using its services since.

Organized by Neighborhood House, the career center offers three job search clinics a week, with one on Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. and a pair on Fridays targeted specifi-cally to Burmese and Somali job seekers. It is also a WorkSource affiliate. This means job seekers can get a full range of services, as well as info about the labor market, con-tact info for other employment agencies, and for those recently laid off, help in applying for unemployment all at one site.

Veronica Parker, a Birch Creek resident, originally went to the center three months ago to get help updating her resume.

“They’ve been a great help because my resume wasn’t up to date,” Parker said. “Now I’ve gotten callbacks for interviews with my new resume and I wasn’t getting any for my old one.”

Parker, 38, plans to enroll in a Certified Nursing Assistant class soon, for which the center helps pay tuition and provides transportation. Until that happens, how-

ever, Parker keeps coming to find new jobs to apply for online during the open com-puter lab sessions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

“With the market the way it is, a lot of employers don’t have the time to hand ap-plications out to would-be job seekers, so it’s very important that people get set up with an email address,” Brown said.

Getting a job is more complicated than just telling people where to look and how to apply. Nowadays, prospective workers need basic computer skills for most jobs, and the career development center provides classes that teach basic word processing skills and helps people set up an email account.

“These classes instruct people in those basic skills before they start preparing their resume or looking for a job,” said Health Navigator and Case Manager Munira Farah.

Staff at the career development center can help residents write a resume. General Education Development or English as a Second Language classes improve Eng-lish proficiency while strengthening an applicant’s credentials. Also available are citizenship classes.

All classes, workshops and help are of-fered not only to those in public housing but to the broader community, as well. Kids of working age can also come to get help, as a youth employment case manager is also available at the career development center.

“We want to make it easier for anybody who walks in and says, ‘I want a job,’” said Munira.

By the time job seekers have learned what they need to become more market-able, they’ll be on their way to having their picture on the wall next to the phrase “I found work.”

As the new communications specialist for the King County Housing Authority, my job will be to tell your stories and address your needs as residents in public housing.

But if I’m going to expect you to share your life with me, I should share a little of mine with you. I’ve worked either in print journalism or communications since graduating from Western Washington University in 2005. I’ve been a reporter, columnist, editor and photographer for newspapers such as The Marysville Globe and The Lynden Tribune.

What has kept me in this business, however, is my ability to put myself in other peoples’ shoes. It’s hard to write about the lives of others if you can’t see things from their perspective. And I have a tremendous curiosity about viewpoints other than my own. That being said, I hope you all will take my curiosity for granted and share your stories with me. I can’t promise they’ll all make The Voice, but I will be interested in what you have to say, and look for connections between your stories and your sur-rounding community, and how they either inspire or inform your friends and neighbors.

I look forward to hearing your story,Travis Sherer

By KCHA StAff

To improve the educational outcomes of children living in its communities, the King County Housing Authority has added another tool to its toolbox for par-ents: www.GreatSchools.com.

Families interested in the performance of their area’s schools can compare how their children’s school ranks with others around the county.

KCHA strives to help parents make informed educational choices for their children and stay involved with their education to help improve their likelihood of success. Parents can also see how well their children’s school is performing and compare that performance.

But Internet access isn’t necessary to use GreatSchools’ resources.

Translated materials are available for

those who don’t speak English, includ-ing a fact sheet listing five easy steps to picking a new school, the top 10 tips for parents to help their children succeed in school and a workbook that takes a par-ent through, step-by-step, how to search, apply and enroll their children. Those materials have been prepared by a HUD Neighborhood Network Center, located at KCHA’s Hidden Village Apartments, 14508 SE 24th St. in Bellevue.

GreatSchools, a nonprofit organiza-tion, also provides Web-based resources such as worksheets and activities to help children learn math, science and read-ing from the preschool level to the high school level. The site also provides advice and techniques for taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and applying to col-lege, as well as information on nutrition and learning disabilities.

Did you know the earlier you sign up for federal college aid, the better off you will be? Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible to get the most help for college.

You can apply online by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov and clicking “start here,” or you can request a paper version of the form by calling 1-800-433-3243. For the quickest results, the U.S. Department of Education recommends filing out all infor-mation online. Once you’ve applied, you can check the status of your application by calling 1-800-433-3243 or revisiting www.fafsa.ed.gov.

FAFSA forms have to be filled out every year you or your child is seeking financial assistance for college; you do not need to know your exact tax informa-

tion to fill out the forms. You can fill out your FAFSA as early as Jan. 1; the federal deadline is June 30. Be sure, however, to check out the deadline for your university or college for aid as well, because each is different. In Washington state, the dead-line is set by your university. For those of you with hopes of attending school out of state, those deadlines can be imposed by the state the school is in.

Travis Sherer, new KCHA communications specialist

FAFsA deadlinesJan. 1 – FAFSA applications can

be returnedJune 30 – Final deadline for all

FASFA materials

Don’t wait to apply for college aid

Great Schools helps parents stay involved in kids’ education

Birch Creek Career Center helps residents enhance marketability


Munira Farah, center, instructs a job-seeker with resume preparation and another working on his English language skills.

THE VoiCE

FEBruArY 2012 KCHA NEws – 3

By KCHA StAff

Natasha Hundley recently joined King County Housing Authority as its new resi-dent services coordinator for the North and East regions. Drawing from her background in public service, where she worked and volunteered at the Everett Housing Author-ity and AmeriCorps, Natasha plans to bring her active lifestyle to her residents.

“I’m very focused on growing our com-munities through shared activities,” she said.

Having been on the job since December, Natasha has already developed a fondness for her area because it fits perfectly with her outgoing personality and curiosity for other cultures and lifestyles.

“I have so many properties in my area that I get to meet a wide variety of people from different cultures. I learn something new every day that you can’t be taught unless you’re involved with the great residents who live in our complexes,” she said.

Natasha plans to emphasize programs that promote fitness and healthy living, such as cooking classes and exercise programs, but she also wants to stress that she is here to help residents pursue their interests as well.

“It comes down to what they want to do,”

she said. “I want to help people stay involved in their communi-ties. But I’m all for listening to what they want and need to help make their lives better.”

T o t h a t end, Natasha

stressed her desire to be approachable. She hopes residents will have no qualms asking for help with a problem or submitting an idea to her.

With a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Washington, Natasha wanted to come to KCHA. She considers herself a lifer in housing and noted that she is exactly where she wants to be.

Natasha’s philosophy as a professional, and a single mom with a third-grader, is that moving forward in life is most important — especially when it gets hard.

“I understand that life can be hard, but you still have to work hard and find a way to improve your situation,” she said. “That is what I hope for all of my residents.”

If you’re having trouble navigating your way around your city or even your neighborhood, the King County Housing Authority hopes residents will take advan-tage of upcoming workshops to help them get where they need to go.

The Pedestrian Visibility Project will hold one-hour workshops at 13 KCHA properties from February through April to promote safety in transportation. Dates and times of the workshops are listed below.

“We know there are hardships just get-ting to the bus that will get to the grocery store,” said Jodi Connolly, coordinator of Getting There, the Transportation Re-source Center at Harborview Medical Cen-ter. “And we want to come to each property and answer questions that will help people overcome those problem areas.”

The Transportation Resource Center will also distribute low-cost safety aids, such as reflective tape and vests, blinking lights, bike bells and flags, as well as the knowledge and training on how to use them effectively.

“We understand that handing out aids isn’t enough to help people get around safely,” said Connolly. “You also have to talk about how those aids can be best used

to increase safety.”The programs will also address any

questions people may have about getting around, whether the barrier is mental or physical.

KCHA partnered with Getting There and Hopelink’s Travel Ambassador vol-unteer program to bring workshops to the following properties:

Feb. 7Lake House, 11 a.m.Briarwood, 1 p.m.Northridge 1 and 2, 3 p.m.Feb. 29Monro Manor, 11 a.m.Burien Park, 1 p.m.Yardley Arms, 3 p.m.March 15Wayland Arms, 11 a.m.Mardi Gras, 1 p.m.Plaza 17, 3 p.m.April 4Casa Juanita, 11 a.m.Forest Glen, 1 p.m.April 17Westminster, 11 a.m.Paramount House, 1 p.m.

Free assistance with preparing tax returns is available through April 15 at several locations through the United Way of King County’s Free Tax Prep Campaign. The free service is available to households making less than $50,000 per year.

You don’t need an appointment. But because many sites get very crowded, you should arrive as close to the site’s opening time as possible for the best chance of get-ting served.

The tax preparation help is provided by multilingual volunteers who have been certi-fied by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Here’s what you should bring with you:• Any W-2 form, 1099 forms, and other

end-of-the-year income statements that you received from all of your employers and sources of income

• A copy of last year’s tax return, if you have it

• Social Security card number or Indi-vidual Taxpayer Identification Number and birthdates for every person to be claimed on your tax return

• Childcare provider name, address, and tax ID number

• Anything else you think might affect your return, even if you’re not sure

• If you want your refund deposited di-

rectly into your bank account, you’ll need to bring your bank account number

For more information about free tax prep assistance, please call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274 or go to unitedwayofkingcounty.org/taxhelp.

Below is a list of free tax prep sites near you. If services are available in additional languages besides English, those languages are listed in parenthesis.

AuBurNAuburn City HallAddress: 25 W. Main St.When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (Spanish) and 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays (Spanish/Rus-sian/Ukranian)

BELLEVuEHopelink Address: 14812 Main St. When: 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays (Chinese/Japanese)1 to 9 p.m. Thursdays (Chinese/Japanese)and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays (Chinese/Japanese/Russian)

Crossroads MallAddress: 15600 N.E. Eighth

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays (Spanish/Russian)5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays (Spanish/Russian)and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays (Spanish/Russian)

BuriENBurien GoodwillAddress: 12808 Ambaum Blvd.When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays (Spanish)and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays (Spanish/Vietnamese)

FEDErAL wAY Multi-Service Center Address: 1200 S. 336th St. When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays (Russian) 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays (Amharic/Tigringa)and 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays (Korean)

KENT Highline Community College Outreach CenterAddress: 23835 Pacific Highway S.When: 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays (Chinese)and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays (Chinese/Russian/Vietnamese)

Washington Women’s Employment and Education CenterAddress: 515 W. Harrison St. When: 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (Vietnamese)

and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays (Vietnamese)

rENToNSalvation Army Renton Rotary Food BankAddress: 206 S. Tobin St.When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Spanish)and 12 to 4 p.m. Sundays (Chinese)

sEATACThe Village at Angle Lake Community Services BuildingAddress: 4040 S. 188th St.When: 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays (Amharic/Span-ish/Vietnamese)1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays (Spanish)And 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays (Spanish)

sHorELiNE HopelinkAddress: 15809 Westminster Way When: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays (Vietnamese)1 to 9 p.m. Thursdays (Vietnamese)10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays (Chinese/Span-ish/Vietnamese)

wHiTE CENTErYWCA GreenbridgeAddress: 9720 Eighth Ave. SW When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (Spanish)12 to 4 p.m. Fridays (Spanish)12 to 4 p.m. Saturdays (Spanish/Vietnamese)

By KCHA StAff

The wait is over.The community service center at Eastlake Terrace

is complete and kids began playing and learning there Jan. 23.

“I think they are thrilled,” said Nicole Jackson, Boys & Girls Club area director. “They’d been watching it go up for a while now and were dying to go in and check it out.”

Construction, which was supervised by the King County Housing Authority, finished in early Janu-ary. The doors opened to kids a few weeks later.

In addition to the programs previously offered, the new facility also features a teaching kitchen where cooking classes will be held and healthy eating will be emphasized, a teen room that caters to junior high students, a smart board and a digital arts program. The digital arts equipment, much of which was provided by Nintendo, will focus on music, photography and other opportunities for kids

to nurture their creativity.Also offered during the school year, from 2:30 to

6:30 p.m., is homework assistance, computer labs, a snack and social recreation. In the summer, the facility will host camps and provide a snack.

Jackson estimated that the facility will serve 75 kids daily.

Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Kathy Haggart noted that the emphasis will be on academ-ics here. Staff will work more closely with the Bel-levue School District, parents, the city of Bellevue, KCHA, local businesses and Eastside Pathways to support the afterschool educational needs of the kids. Eastside Pathways is a partnership of local organizations that pools together as many resources as possible to help advance the academic outcomes of children in the Bellevue School District.

“Academics is our main goal, but we also want to see how much kids achieve in other parts of life too, like leadership and overall health,” Haggart said.

Natasha Hundley joins the North and East regions

Natasha Hundley

Transportation workshops to help break down barriers

Get free help with your taxes

Eastside Terrace B&G Club opens: Focus on education to spur success


The Boys & Girls Club has offered after-school activities at the Eastside Terrace community service center since Jan. 23. The building was completed in December 2011.

NEws For sENior AND DisABLED rEsiDENTs oF KCHA CommuNiTiEs


gENErAtioNSgENErAtioNSgENErAtioNS

THE VoiCE

Larger type, better access

The stories in the Generations section are printed in a larger typeface than the standard font size, to help make the articles easier to read for the visually impaired.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part series on community gar-dens. In March, The Voice will share information on how to maintain a community garden year-round.

By trAviS SHerer


If Sokha Kim, 65, didn’t have a community garden, he doesn’t know what he’d do with all his time.

“I’d just walk around — all over,” said Sokha, a Nia resident. “Just to get some exercise.”

But his fellow residents don’t see him walking that much because he spends most of his time at the Bam-boo Garden, one of three community gardens at Greenbridge. In the sum-mers, gardeners like Sokha and his wife, Srey, are digging, raking and picking produce every day — put-ting an emphasis on community in the community gardens.

Places to garden have become highly sought after at many of KCHA’s properties. Even with three sites, Greenbridge, for example, requires an annual pledge from a resident to use the plot assigned to them throughout the year in order to keep it. Other properties, such as Northridge II, which have less gar-dening space, have a lottery system to decide who gets assigned to either a plot or a waiting list. The first step to getting your own plot in your community is to check with your resident services coordinator to find out how to reserve one. The earlier you ask your coordinator, the higher likelihood there is of scoring a plot the next time they are allocated.

Properties with community garden space are Ballinger Homes, Birch Creek, Casa Juanita, Greenwood, Harrison House, Nia, Northridge I and II, Plaza 17, Seola Gardens, Southridge House, Wayland Arms and Yardley Arms. Also, Green Leaf is about to install a garden.

Although a year-long pledge to keep a garden going might seem like

a large commitment, many gardeners find the activity rewarding. Addition-ally, gardeners find they make new friends.

“I’ve seen friendships form these gardens,” said AmeriCorps volunteer Julia Metz. “It provides an activation for social activity and creativity.”

At the Bamboo Garden, Sokha can point out who works in each of the 12 plots, and what they grow. Some gardens are so organized that the gardeners trade crops, providing a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices that wouldn’t be possible given the limited space of each plot.

Gardeners who weren’t born in the United States also can get a sense of back home by growing foods they used to eat. Sokha, who had experi-ence working on his own farm in Cambodia before immigrating to the United States more than 20 years ago, said it’s also fun to incorporate plants not from home, such as fava beans. While the families at the Bam-boo Garden grow everything from garlic and onions to tomatoes and cilantro, Sokha seems to favor beans.

“Many of them already know what to plant because they have been working on farms,” said Tracie Friedman, a community builder at Greenbridge. “And they save their seeds to grow the same things next year. It is a very well-organized group.”

Gardens aren’t just for growing what you eat; many people find them comforting. At Plaza 17 and Wayland Arms, Resident Services Coordinator Generosa Schauer no-ticed that there is a difference in the intensity of her gardeners. And while PHoto By trAviS SHerer

$1.3 million in improvements to Boulevard Manor, a 70-unit public housing complex for seniors and people with disabilities in Boulevard Park, were recently completed. Work included the installation of new energy-efficient windows, insulation of the building’s exterior, and ductless split system heat pumps. New water-saving toilets, which use only one gallon per flush, were also installed. The work was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), intended to provide or preserve jobs across the country.


Nia residents Srey Kim, left, and her husband Sokha cultivate garlic at Greenbridge’s Bamboo Garden. Twelve families grow much of their food in this garden.


Greenbridge’s community gardens are still used in the winter, as part of a whole-year plot sustaining program.

putting the community in community gardens

both those who are in it for recreation and those in it for sustenance tend have different goals, they both end up being part of a larger community.

“It’s kind of cool to see them working together and trading what they grow,” Schauer said. “And sometimes their kids and grandkids are out there helping them, so it bridges that generational gap.”

Of course, those who don’t spend time in the dirt can also appreciate the gardeners’ hard work, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I come to make the plants look nice — so everybody can come and see,” said Sokha brimming with pride.

KCHA properties with gardensBallinger Homes, Birch Creek, Casa Juanita, Greenwood, Har-rison House, Nia, Northridge I and II, Plaza 17, Seola Gardens, Southridge House, Wayland Arms and Yardley Arms

Renovations at Boulevard Park completed

FEBruArY 2012 KCHA NEws – 5

THE VoiCE

The King County Housing Authority is committed to providing accommodations to persons with disabilities so that their living ar-rangements are, as a whole, comparable to that of other applicants and residents.

Requests must be medically necessary and sufficiently tied to the individual’s disability. To request a reasonable accommodation, please talk to your property manager or resident services coordinator. Also, a copy of the reasonable accommodation request form for public housing applicants and residents is available on the KCHA Web site at www.kcha.org/currentresidents/sh_reasonable.aspx.

Residents with disabilities can seek Reasonable Accommodations

By trAviS SHerer


Arms and legs fly around in unison while everything else stays still dur-ing the low-impact exercise class at Burien Park.

A popular class for both seniors and those with physical disabilities, the exercises focus on building and maintaining muscle and flexibility – all without leaving your chair.

“Everybody experiences wear and tear over the years, and this class helps people who can’t remain on their feet for a whole hour stay engaged and mobile,” said class instructor Alex Lewis.

While the majority of the exercise routines focus on the extremities, the others work on different body parts – from the neck to the abs – in an effort to incorporate a full-body workout.

“We try to get a little bit of every-thing worked on,” Lewis said. “But the important thing is to exercise. It is recommended that older adults get 30 minutes (of exercise) a day.”

The class, which is sponsored by Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, is open to anyone who can pay $5 for three months, and has transportation to the community room at Burien Park. Class is held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays


Burien Park residents Vincent Frazier, front, and Irina Nesterova, red sweater, work on the flexability of their right shoulders during a low-impact exercise class.

By tHe HeAltHy Aging PArtnerSHiP

Resolutions for the New Year are just a month old, but hopefully still in full force. The Healthy Aging Partnership, a coalition of some 40 Puget Sound-area organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of older adults, has ways to help seniors maintain an active goal without injury.

The key to beginning a fitness routine that actually pays off is to choose enjoyable activities you can do regularly, and then gradually step it up and mix it up.

If you’ve been sedentary, aim for at least 30 minutes of regular activity five days a week. Eventually you’ll be rewarded by a boost in energy, lower blood pressure, stronger bones and muscles, better balance and an improved mental outlook.

Regular exercise has also been shown to ease the effects of such chronic conditions as arthritis and diabetes.

Most healthy adults can begin a plan of moderate exercise - brisk walking or cycling on a station-ary bicycle - but men over 40 and women over 50 should check with their doctors before launching into

Slow and steady are keys to staying fitrigorous exercise like jogging, skiing or singles tennis.

Adults with chronic conditions or certain physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, diabetes, osteo-porosis and asthma, also are advised to consult their doctors beforehand.

Age and frail health aren’t excuses to avoid activity. On the contrary, illness and disability are more often the result of inactivity, according to HAP. Particularly as we age, physi-cal fitness is critical to keeping our health and independence.

The Healthy Aging Partnership offers the following tips for starting and sticking with an exercise plan:

Choose activities you enjoy and can do daily. Your workout routine should be something you can main-tain and adapt as your fitness and circumstances change. In our rainy winters, for example, you may want to take your workout to the gym, community center or another indoor facility.

Plan to cover the four areas of fitness: endurance (activities that increase heart rate and breathing); strength (such as light weight lifting or bowling); flexibility (stretching); and balance. Consider using a train-er, at least for one visit, to outline

a total fitness program appropriate for you and against which you can establish a baseline.

Set specific goals and track your progress. Step up the intensity of your exercise regimen as you get more fit, but don’t overdo it. Experts recommend a gradual increase of no more than a 10 percent. If you’re too breathless to talk, you’re probably overdoing it.

Play it safe. Always wear ap-propriate shoes, clothing and gear to prevent injuries. Take the time to warm up and cool down and drink plenty of water.

Vary what you do to keep bore-dom at bay. Do different activi-ties on different days, walking on Wednesdays, swimming on Tues-days, gardening on Thursdays, for example. Mixing it up also helps you work different muscles and avoid injuries.

Everyday chores - vacuuming, mopping and shopping - count. Fit in more fitness by taking the stairs instead of the escalator, walking in-stead of driving, and doing exercises while watching television.

Have fun! Get together with a friend and take dance or golf lessons.

Remember that some activity, even if it’s just walking the dog, is better than none. Soon you’ll be able to do more.

Taking the pressure out of exercise

at 3:30 p.m, through March 16.Lewis said that while it may seem

just like a little movement, one hour of exercise three times a week can have noticeable results, to which a number of the participants can attest.

“I always feel immediately better for the rest of the day after it’s over,” said Burien Park resident Elizabeth

Ramey, 82, who has participated in the class since last fall. “And I’ve noticed that my hands are getting stronger since we’ve started -- we do hand exercises and I can now open a bottle cap again.”

For those looking for other vital areas to exercise, Lewis recom-mends the joints, such as the knees,

shoulders and hips. Using strap-on weights -- 1 to 5 pounds for seniors -- can help build more muscle, or at least stave off the 5 percent muscle loss that everybody who doesn’t exercise loses per year.

The class is designed for the physi-cal health of the participants, but Lewis said there is a mental aspect that is also important.

“I try to stimulate the mind be-cause that’s a muscle that needs to stay active too,” he said. “Many of the residents here spend most of their time in their apartment, so there is a social aspect to it as well.”

“I exercise every day anyways,” said Burien Park resident Vincent Frazier, 84. “So I come down here to get out of the apartment and talk with people.”

Playing smooth jazz while he directs which arm or leg to extend a certain way, Lewis keeps the atmo-sphere light, telling jokes and stories.

“He’s just a crack-up,” Elizabeth said.

Low-Impact classes held: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 3:30 p.m. at Burien Park com-munity room


TrANsLATED ArTiCLEs For our FAmiLiEs

trANSlAtioNStrANSlAtioNStrANSlAtioNS

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GreatSchools Helps Parents Stay Involved in Kids’ Education

ግሬትስኩልስ ለወላጆች ስለልጆቻቸው የትምህርት ጉዳይ እንዲከታተሉ ይረዳል፡፡

ልጆች በኮሚኒቲያቸው የአኗኗርና ሁኔታ አጥጋቢ የትምህርትን ውጤት እንዲኖራቸው ለማድረግ የኪንግ ካውንቲ የቤቶች አስተዳደር ሌላ ተጨማሪ መፍትሄ አግኝቷል, www.Great-Schools.com፡፡

ወላጆች በትምህርት ቤት ውስጥ ስለሚካሄደው የትምህርት አሰጣጥ የልጆቻቸውን ትምህርት ቤት ከሌሎች እንዴት እንደሚወዳድር ያስችላቸዋል፡፡

የኪንግ ካውንቲ የቤቶች አስተዳደር ለወላጆች ስለ ስለልጆቻቸው የትምህርት ምርጫና እንዲኖራቸውና ዜናዎችን በማግኘት ይበልጥ ሊሳተፉ የሚችሉበትንና ለተሻለ አጥጋቢ የኑሮ ስኬት እንዲኖር ለማድረግ ጥረት በማድረግ ላይ ይገኛል፡፡ በተጨማሪም ወላጆች ልጆቻቸው የሚማሩበትን የትምህርት ቤት ጥንካሪና ከሌሎቹ ጋር ያለውን ደረጃ ማወቅ እንዲችሉ ይታደርጋል፡፡

የኢንተርነት መኖር ግሬትስኩልስ ያለውን ጥቅም ያሳውቃል ማለትም አይደለም፡፡ የ HUD የኔበርሁድ ኔትወርክ ሴንተር ከኪንግ ካውንቲ

የቤቶች አስተዳደር ሂድን ቪሌጅ አፓርትመንት ይገኛል፡። ቤልቪው የሚገኘው እንግሊዘኛ ለማያነቡ በተለያዩ ቋንቋዎች የተተረጎመ በተጨማሪም በአምስት ቀላል ደረጃዎች በዝርዝር መዝገብ የተፃፈ አዲስ ትምህርት ቤት ለማግኘት፣ አስር መልእክቶች ወላጆች ልጆቻቸው በትምህርት ቤት አጥጋቢ ውጤት እንዲያገኙና የስራ መፅሓፍ ይህም ወላጆች አንድ በአንድ እንዴት አድርገው መፈለግ እንደሚችሉ፣ት/ቤት ማስመዝገብና ልጆቻቸውን ማሳተፍ፡፡

ግሬትስኩልስ የተባለውና የነን ፕሮፊት ድርጅት በተጨማሪ የኢንተርነት ብቻ ኢንፎርሜሽን አገልግሎት የሚሰጥ ሲሆን ወርክ ሽትና ልጆች ሂሳብ እንዲማሩ የሚያስችላቸውን ነገሮች፣ ሳይንስና የንባብ ትምህርት ቤት ከመጀመራቸው በፊት ለሚገኙና ለከፍተኛ ትምህርት ቤት አ ገ ልግ ሎ ት ይ ሰጣ ል፡ ፡ ይ ህ ኢ ን ተ ርነ ት በተጨማሪም ምክሮችንና የተለያዩ ቴክኒኮችን ለስኮላስቲክ አፕቲትዩድ ቴስት ((SAT)፣ ኮሌጅ እንዴት መመዝገብ እንደሚቻል እንዲሁም ስለ ተመጣጠኑ ምግቦች እና እካለስንኩል ትምሀርት ይሰጣል፡፡

GreatSchools Helps Parents Stay In-volved in Kids’Education

Программа помогает родителям участвовать в обучении детей

Жилищное управление округа Кинг добавило ещё один инструмент в свой арсенал для более эффективного ш ко л ь н о го о б р а з о в а н и я д е т е й , проживающих в районе –www.Great-Schools.com.

Интересующиеся могут узнать, как оценивается школа, в которой учатся его дети, в сравнении с другими школами округа.

ЖУОК старается помочь родителям принимать информированные решения для образования своих детей и быть вовлечёнными в обучение для более вероятного достижения успеха. Родители также могут видеть, как работает школа, где учатся их дети, и сравнить её с другими.

Но доступ к интернету не обязателен для того, чтобы использовать ресурсы GreatSchool. В центре связи отдела

жилищного и городского развития, расположенном в Белвью по адресу Hidden Village Apartments,14508 SE 24th St.,есть переводы различных материалов для тех, кто не говорит по-английски, включая пятиступенчатую инструкцию, как выбрать новую школу, 10 главных советов родителям, как помочь детям успевать в школе и конспект, который шаг за шагом покажет родителям, как искать школу, подавать заявление и определить на учёбу своих детей.

Некоммерческая организация Great-Schools также обеспечивает широкую информацию с интернета о расписании и содержании занятий для помощи детям в изучении математики, естественных наук и чтения с дошкольного возраста до высшего школьного уровня. Также даются советы и методы для сдачи теста для определения схоластических способностей (SAT) и подачи заявления в колледж, а также информация о питании и труднообучаемых детях.

C H Ư Ơ N G T R Ì N H G R E AT-SCHOOLS GIÚP CHO PHỤ HUYNH LUÔN THAM DỰ VÀO VIỆC HỌC VẤN CỦA CON EM

Để củng cố cho kết quả học hành của con em ở các cộng đồng, Nha Cấp Phát Gia Cư quận King (KCHA) vừa đưa thêm vào một công cụ mới trong khối công cụ của họ, đó là trang mạng www.GreatSchools.com.

Những gia đình muốn tìm biết kết quả thành đạt của các truờng học trong vùng và so sánh với trường mà con em qúi vị đang theo học so với các trường trong quận hạt.

Nha Cấp Phát Gia Cư Quận Kinh KCHA cố gắng giúp cho phụ huynh đuợc thấu hiểu những chọn lựa về học vấn của con em và có liên đới dự phần vào để giúp củng cố cho sự thành công. Các phụ huynh cũng có thể nhìn thấy trường mà con em mình đang học có sự thành đạt như thế nào so với các trường khác.

Nhưng không cần phải có phương tiện

vào mạng internet để xử dụng những tài nguyên của chương trình GreatSchool. Mạng lưới ở trung tâm HUD Network tại Hidden Village Arpartments ở 14508 SE 24th St ở Bellevue đang có sẵn các tài liệu được dịch ra , dành cho người không nói được tiếng Anh, bao gồm những chỉ dẫn cụ thể cho 5 bước để chọn trường học mới, 10 cách chỉ dẫn hàng đầu giúp cho con em thành đạt ở trường học, và tập sách nhỏ chỉ dẫn cách để phụ huynh thực hiện, từng bước một, cách tìm tòi, và nộp đơn ghi tên cho con em đi học.

Chương Trình GreatSchools, tổ chức thiện nguyện, cũng có cung cấp trang mạng với thông tin giúp cho em học toán, khoa học, đọc sách, từ lớp vở lòng cho tới các lớp trung học. Trang mạng cũng cung cấp những lời khuyên, những kỷ thuật để thi SAT-Khả Năng Học Vấn và để nộp đơn vào đại học, cũng như có những thông tin về việc dinh dưỡng, và khuyết tật trong học vấn.

GreatSchools Helps Parents Stay Involved in Kids’ Education

GreatSchools Ayuda a Padres Per-manecen Implicado en la Educación de Niños

Al mejorar los resultados educativos de niños que viven en sus comunidades, el King County Housing Authority ha agregado otra herramienta a su caja de herramientas, www.GreatSchools.com. Las familias interesadas en el desem-peño de las escuelas de su área pueden comparar cómo la escuela de sus niños sitúa con otros alrededor del condado.

KCHA se esfuerza por ayudar padres hacen elecciones educativas informa-dos para sus niños y queda activa con sus educaciones para ayudar a mejorar sus probabilidades de éxito. Los pa-dres también pueden ver cuán bien la escuela de sus niños realiza y compara ese desempeño.

Pero el acceso a Internet no es nece-sario para utilizar GreatSchools’ recur-sos. Un Centro de la Red del Vecindario

de HUD situó en “Hidden Village” apartamentos de KCHA, 14508 S. 24th St. en Bellevue, tiene traducciones de varios materiales para los que no hablan inglés, inclusive un informe que lista cinco pasos fáciles a escoger una nueva escuela, las principales 10 puntas para padres para ayudar a sus niños consiguen la escuela y un cuaderno que toma a un padre por, paso a paso, cómo buscar, aplicar y matricularse a sus niños.

GreatSchools, una organización sin fines de lucro, también proporciona recursos Web-Basados como una ho-jas de tarea y actividades para ayudar a niños aprenden las matemáticas, la ciencia y leyendo del nivel preescolar al nivel del instituto. El sitio también proporciona el consejo y las técnicas para tomar la Prueba de aptitud Es-colástica (se SENTO) y aplicando al colegio, así como información en la nu-trición e incapacidades de aprendizaje.

7 – KCHA NEwsFEBruArY 2012

TrANsLATED ArTiCLEs For our sENior AND DisABLED rEsiDENTs

trANSlAtioNStrANSlAtioNStrANSlAtioNS

THE VoiCE

ረጋ ብሎና ሳያቋርጡ መስራት ሰውነትን ለመገንባት ዋነኛ ቁልፎች ናቸው፡፡

የአዲሱ ዓመት ውሳኔ ገና አንድ ወሩ ሲሆን በኸልዚ ኤጂንግ ፓርትነርሽፕ አዛውንቶችን በብዙ መንገድ ለመርዳትና ሳይጎዱ ከፈለጉት ዓላማ እንዲደርሱ ይረዳል፡፡

ሰውነትን በተሟላ ሁኔታ ለመግንባት ዋናው ቁልፍ በመጀመሪያ በየጊዜው ሊያዝናናዎ የሚፈልጉትን የእንቅስቃሴ ዓይነት መመረጥ ሲሆን ቀስ በቀስ ሌሎችን በመጨመር ማሻሻል ይቻላል፡፡ በየቀኑ 30 ደቂቃ ቋሚ አድርጎ ለአምስት ቀናት እንቅስቃሴ ማድረግ፡፡

ከፍተኛ የደም ግፊት ያለባቸው አዋቂዎች ፣ ዲያቤቲክስ፣ ኦስቲዮፖሮሲስ እና አስማ ያለባቸው የሃኪማቸውን ምክር በመጀመሪያ ይጠይቁ፡፡

HAP የሚከተሉትን ምክሮች እንዲወስዱና እንዲቀጥሉ የሚረዳዎትን የእንቅስቃሴ ፕላን ያቀርባል፡

በጣም የሚወዱትን የሰውነት ማጠንከሪያ እንቅስቃሴ ይምረጡ፡። ይህን የመረጡትን እንቅስቃሴ በመጠበቅ በየጊዜው ሁኔታውና ጥንካሬዎ በጨመረ ቁጥር ሁኔታውን መቀያየር ያስፈልጋል፡፡

አራቱን የሰውንት እንቅስቃሴ ክፍሎች ይከታተሉ፡፡ ኢንዱራንስ ወይም የልብን ትርታ የሚጨምር፣ ጥንካሬ ወይም ቀላል የክብደት ብረት ማንሳት፣ ፍሌክሲብል መሆን ወይም ስውነትን ማዘረጋጋት እና ሰውነትን ማመጣጠን

ግብን ማወቅና እድገትን መለካት፡፡ ብቃት ሲኖ ረ ዎ የ ሰው ነ ት እ ን ቅ ስ ቃ ሴ ዎ ን በ ዛ ው ልክ መጨመር ግን በጣም እንዳይጨምሩ ደግሞ መቆጣጠር፡፡ የዚህ ሙያ አዋቂዎች እንደሚመክሩት ቀስ በቀስ የ10 ፐርሰንት ያህል ለመጨመር መሞከር

ይጠንቀቁ፡፡ ሁልጊዜ አስፈላጊውን ጫማ ያድርጉ፣ ጉዳትን ለመከላከል ልብስና ተጨማሪ ነገሮችን መያዝ፡፡ ጊዜዎን በመውሰድ ሰውነትዎን ለማሟሟቅና ለማቀዝቀዝ ይሞክሩ፡፡ በተጨማሪም ብዙ ውሃ ይጠጡ፡፡

እ ን ቅ ስ ቃ ሴ ዎ ን ይ ቀ ያ ይ ሩ ፡ ፡ የ ተ ለ ያ ዩ እንቅስቃሴዎችን በተለያየ ጊዜ ይስሩ፣ ለምሳሌ ማክሰኞ ይራመዱ፣ ረቡዕ ዋና ያድርጉ፣ ሃሙስ የጓሮ አትክልት ይስሩ፡፡

በየቀኑ የሚያደርጓቸውን ይቀያይሩ፡፡ ተጨማሪ ነገሮችን ለምሳሌ ኤስክሌተር ከመጠቀም ደረጃ መውጣቅ፣ ከመንዳት በእግር መሄድ፣ ቴሌቭዥን ከማየት ኤክሰርሳይስ ማድረግ፡፡

Медленность и постоянство – способ оставаться в форме

Новогодним решениям исполнился только месяц и Содружество здорового старения (Healthy Aging Partnership) знает, как помочь пожилым людям достичь запланированной цели без травм.

Главное перед началом тренировок – это выбрать наиболее привлекательный для вас вид активности, то, что вы можете делать регулярно с повышением нагрузки и сочетать с другими видами активности. Нацеливайтесь на 30 минут постоянной активности в день пять дней в неделю.

Взрослые с повышенным давлением, диабетом, остеопорозом и астмой должны предварительно посоветоваться со своим доктором.

НАР предлагает следующие советы для начала и продолжения плана упражнений:

Выберите тот вид занятий, который вам нравится. Ваши занятия должны меняться и приспосабливаться к обстоятельствам.

Работайте по четырём направлениям тренировки: выносливость (упражнения, повышающие частоту пульса); сила

(упражнения по поднятию небольших тяжестей); гибкость (растягивания) и баланс.

Поставьте цели и прослеживайте достижения. Повышайте постепенно нагрузки по мере тренированности, но будьте осторожны, не переборщите. Специалисты рекомендуют постепенное увеличение нагрузки по 10 процентов. Осторожность прежде свего. Всегда надевайте подходящие туфли, одежду и используйте приспособления, чтобы избежать травм. Не торопитесь при разминке и после упражнений и пейте побольше воды.

Меняйте виды активности. В разные дни делайте разные вещи, гуляйте по вторникам, плавайте по средам, занимайтесь садоводством по четвергам, для примера.

Ежедневные занятия идут в счёт. Включите больше тренировочного времени, поднимаясь по лестнице вместо лифта, гуляя вместо того, чтобы поехать на машине и делая упражнения при просмотре телепередач.

CHẬM VÀ VỬNG CHẮC CHÍNH LÀ CHÌA KHÓA ĐỂ GIỮ GÌN THỂ LỰC

Những điều ước hẹn cho năm mới vừa trải qua được 1 tháng, và chương trình Healthy Aging Partnership –Hiệp Hội Sức Khỏe Cho Người Già- đang có nhiều phuơng cách giúp cho qúi vị cao niên đạt được mục tiêu sinh họat mà không bị tổn hại.

Mấu chốt để bắt đầu vận động thể lực chính là chon cho mình những sinh họat mà mình yêu thích và có thể thực hiện được thường xuyên, rồi sau đó gia tăng dần lên, và hòa lẫn vào nhau. Hãy nhắm tới việc thực hiện 30 phút mỗi ngày và 5 ngày 1 tuần.

Những người có bịnh cao máu, tiểu đường, viêm khớp, suyễn được khuyến khích tham vấn với bác sĩ trước khi thực hiện sinh họat này.

Healthy Aging Partnership –Hiệp Hội Sức Khỏe Cho Người Già đưa ra những chỉ dẫn sau đây trước khi (qúi vị) bắt đầu và tiếp tục đeo đuổi chương trình thể dục:

Hãy chọn cho mình sinh họat thể lực mà mình thích và có thể làm mỗi ngày.

Hãy cố gắng giữ đúng việc tập luyện thường ngày và thích ứng vào đó khi có trường hợp phải thay đổi

Có 4 lãnh vực cho việc tập luyện: sự bền bỉ về thể lực (sinh họat khiến cho nhịp tim tăng); sức mạnh (thí dụ như cử tạ); sự uyển chuyển (nới giản ra) và sự cân bằng.

Hãy đề ra mục tiêu và theo dỏi những tiến triển. hãy gia tăng việc vận động, nhưng cũng đừng làm quá lố. Các chuyên gia khuyến khích là gia tăng chừng 10 phần trăm mà thôi.

Giữ cho an tòan : hãy mang giày thích hợp, quần áo và vật dụng để ngăn ngừa bị thương tích. Dùng thời gian để vận động cho ấm lên, hay hạ nhiệt xuống, và hãy uống nước đầy đủ

Thay đổi những sinh họat vận động. hãy thực hiện những sinh họat khác nhau trong các ngày, ví dụ như đi bộ trong các ngày Thứ Ba, bơi lội trong các ngày Thứ Tư, làm vườn trong các ngày Thứ Năm.

Hãy kể luôn khi làm các việc vặt trong nhà. Như bước lên các bậc thang, thay vì đi thang máy, đi bộ thay vì đi xe, và tập thể dục ngay lúc đang xem TV.

Despacio y Estabiliza Son Las Claves al Ser Saludable

Las resoluciones de Año Nuevo Convenientes son sólo un mes vieja y la Asociación Vieja Sana tienen maneras de ayudar a las personas de la tercera edad alcanzan metas activas sin herida.

La clave a empezar un régimen de salud es de escoger actividades agradables que usted puede hacer regu-larmente, y entonces gradualmente aumentar el régimen y mezclarlo con otras actividades. Apunte para 30 minu-tos de actividades regulares cinco días por semana.

Los adultos con la hipertensión, la diabetes, la osteoporosis y el asma son aconsejadas a consultar sus médicos de antemano.

HAP ofrece las puntas siguientes para comenzar y atascar con un plan de ejercicio: Escoja actividades diarias de que usted disfruta. Su rutina de ejercicio debe mantener y adaptar si su salud o sus circunstancias cambian.

Cubra las cuatro áreas de la salud: resistencia (actividades que aumen-tan ritmo del corazón); fuerza (como levantar de peso lijero; la flexibilidad (estirando) y el equilibrio.

Escoge unas metas y medir su pro-greso. Ascienda la intensidad de su régi-men de ejercicio como llega a ser más conveniente, pero no pasar de la raya. Los expertos recomiendan un aumento gradual del 10 por ciento.

Ten cuidado. Siempre uso apropias zapatos, la ropa y el engranaje para pre-venir heridas. Tome el tiempo de calen-tarse y enfriarse, y beber mucha agua.

Varíe sus actividades. Haga activi-dades diferentes en días diferentes, andando los martes, nadando los miér-coles, trabajando en el jardín los jueves, por ejemplo.

Las actividades diarias cuentan. Quede en más salud tomando la escalera en vez de la escalera mecánica, andando en vez de manejando, y hacer ejercicios al mirar televisión.


NEws ABouT THE GrEENBriDGE AND sEoLA GArDENs CommuNiTiEs

WHitE CENtEr SCENEWHitE CENtEr SCENEWHitE CENtEr SCENE

THE VoiCE

By trAviS SHerer


King County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric White met with residents at Burien Park to discuss personal safety, protection from identity theft, and their rights.

“These meetings are extremely im-portant because they get us out into the community where we can listen to resi-dents’ concerns, talk about what’s going on in the community, and even eliminate some misconceptions,” White said.

While safety and security are ongo-ing concerns, White said these meet-ings should be held annually to keep everyone informed about what they can and cannot do, and what resources are available to them.

Although servicing the residents of public housing only since the spring of 2011, Deputy White is familiar with his beat, recording 10 years of service with

the Sheriff’s Department.“I grew up around this area and I still

live around here, so I know it pretty well,” he said.

The deputy has an office in the store-front at Greenbridge, but will likely be out patrolling and answering calls, as he has a large zone to cover. Although White is familiar with his beat, he said his positive impression of the district he covers that includes Burien, White Center, Auburn and Kent, is growing with each day he spends protecting the residents in public housing.

“There are a lot of good people here,” he said. “Some that have sad stories and some that have amazing stories — and I meet both every day.”

While meeting with the residents of Burien Park, White offered advice on avoiding identity theft:

Don’t give out your personal informa-tion over the phone.

Shred papers with sensitive infor-mation; don’t just throw them in the garbage or recycling bin.

Don’t leave sensitive information out, even in your home, because anyone can walk by and see it.

He also spoke about keeping yourself and your belongings safe:

• Lock up or conceal your belongings, even if they are only going to be out for a few seconds.

• Women should always keep their purses secured to their body when outside.

• Don’t leave keys or cell phones out in the open.

• Finally, White told residents to make sure to dial 911 in a true emergency only. The more often that it’s dialed in a non-emergency situation, the more precious emergency services dollars are wasted. It also may slow the ability to react to actual emergencies.


King County Sheriff Deputy Eric White speaks to Burien Park residents about safety in their neighborhood.

By KCHA StAff

Greenbridge, a recently redeveloped community in the White Center neigh-borhood, started a revamping of a new kind in October of 2011. The KCHA Resource Conservation and Resident Services programs have begun a com-prehensive effort to educate residents about waste disposal and recycling in the community. The goal is to improve recycling knowledge and the quality of the recyclables collected at Greenbridge, as well as to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill.

This is no small task at a property that will house 3,500 people when com-pleted. The Greenbridge community, in fact, pays for the disposal of approxi-mately 23,000 gallons of garbage each week. KCHA AmeriCorps volunteers Julia Metz and Carol Earnest have spent the last few months visiting residents at their homes, holding community meet-ings, answering questions and providing residents with feedback on how recy-

cling is going. By recycling properly, the residents at Greenbridge will reduce natural resource use, decrease garbage costs, and support jobs in the environ-mental field.

In addition to door-to-door outreach, recycling workshops are being held after school for children at the Southwest Boys & Girls Club. The kids work with the AmeriCorps members to discuss the importance of recycling in reducing our impact on the planet. They learn to reuse clean recyclables and trash to make art projects, and how to recycle the appro-priate materials through fun activities like recycling relay races.

The size of the recycling container at Nia, a senior apartment building at Greenbridge, has also recently been increased. A large recycling dumpster replaced a small recycling cart, mak-ing it easier for the Nia residents to recycle more materials. Only a couple of weeks after education efforts began, Nia residents were already filling the new recycling dumpster to the brim with

clean, valuable recyclables!Recycling education at Greenbridge

will continue through April 2012 at East-bridge, Salmon Creek and Sixth Place. Thank you, Greenbridge residents, for striving to be excellent recyclers!

Before the education effort began, the majority of the materials in the recycling bins at Seola Gardens, a sister property of Greenbridge, were actually consid-ered garbage, or ‘contamination’. This may have been due to confusion about what is recyclable, or confusion about which cart is for garbage and which is for recycling. Unfortunately, the facili-ties that process recyclables do not have the capability to sort recyclables out from garbage. Therefore, if there is too much garbage in a recycling container, everything will be sent to the landfill, and Seola Crossing is issued a fine by the garbage hauler. Since education efforts began at Seola Gardens, contamination has been reduced by 21 percent. Thank you Seola Gardens residents!

upcoming meetings/events• Greenbridge Community Council The Greenbridge Community Council meets

from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. This month’s meeting will be on Feb. 9 in the conference room at the YWCA Career Devel-opment Center, 9720 Eighth Ave. S.W., Seattle.

• Cooking ClassGreenbridge offers a monthly cooking class

devoted to nutrition. This month’s class will be Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the Joe Thomas Room of the Wiley Community Service Center at 9800 Eighth Ave. SW. Please bring your own pan, cutting board and knife if possible.

• Parents and Partners CollaborationThe White Center Community Development

Association meets with parents and providers for the Parents and Partners Collaboration the third Thursday of every month. This month’s meeting will be on Feb. 16.

If you are interested in any of the above or have questions, please contact Tracie Friedman, Green-bridge Community Builder, at 206-574-1161 or Stacie Castelda, Greenbridge AmeriCorps member at 206-574-1167.

Greenbridge Library• Library closed for President’s Day, Feb. 20.The Greenbridge Library is at 9720 Eighth Ave.

S.W., Seattle. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, please call 206-762-1682.

white Center Library• Study Zone: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 1, 2, 6, 7,

8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 27, 28, 29. Drop in during scheduled Study Zone hours for free homework help from trained tutors.

• Game On!: 2:30 p.m. Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 29. Play your favorite multi-player video games on GameCube, Xbox 360, and the Wii.

• Rise & Shine Family Story Time: 11:15 a.m. Feb. 2, 9 and 16. Join us for stories, songs, finger plays and fun. Ages newborn to 6.

• Poetry in White Center: 2 p.m. Feb. 4. Join poet Mike Hickey in a workshop that uses poetry to explore place. The discussion will place a particular emphasis on White Center.

• Talk Time: 6 p.m. Feb. 6. Meet with other English language learners to develop your English speaking skills.

• Open Up & Say Ha!: 7 p.m. Feb. 8. Part con-cert, part storytelling, but mostly fun and games. This program is a laugh-filled experience that will help us feel great about ourselves and others.

• EReader and Digital Downloads Demo: 7 p.m. Feb. 16. Learn how do download KCLS eBooks to your eReader or computer.

• Library closed for President’s Day, Feb. 20.• Spanish Computer Class: 6 p.m. Feb. 23.

Aprenda términos importantes del Internet, como navegar por la Web, y como boscar información en la Web usando un buscador. Pre-requisito: ha-bilidad para usar el ratón.

• Leap Year Party: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 29. Leap Year comes only once every four years so it’s time to celebrate! Come for Leap Year fun, food and a craft.

The White Center Library is at 11220 16th Ave. S.W., Seattle. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, please call 206-243-0233.

Highline public schoolsFeb. 8: School Board MeetingFeb. 20: Presidents Day (No School)Feb. 21: Mid-Winter Break (No School)Feb. 29: School Board Meeting

News Notes

White Center community takes recycling to another level

King County deputy speaks with residents

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