King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an Emergency Declaration earlier this week to provide free disposal of wood debris, following our snow, ice and wind storms. Wood debris only can be recycled Jan. 28-29 and Feb. 4-5 in Kent:

Free Wood Debris Recycling
Russell Road Park
24400 Russell Rd. (across from Riverbend Golf Course)
Kent, WA 

Jan. 28 – 29:  9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Feb. 4 – 5:  9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Workers will be available to help Kent residents unload their wood debris. They ask that you place a tarp under the materials before bringing them to the park. This will make unloading easier. Stumps, logs and limbs shorter than six feet will be accepted. Other yard waste, such as brush, leaves and grass clippings, will not be accepted.

Please cover the wood debris while traveling from home to the park to prevent road litter and potential damage to other vehicles if the debris becomes loose during travel.

For more info., call 253-856-5549 or visit KentRecycles.com.

Submitted by Katie Cava for Forterra

Sat., Feb. 4
10 am – 2 pm
Lake Fenwick Park
25828 Lake Fenwick Rd., Kent, WA
YOU can help Pearl Jam mitigate their carbon emissions by volunteering to plant native trees and shrubs at three upcoming events!

Last year Pearl Jam partnered with Forterra to mitigate 7,000 metric tons of carbon emitted during their 2009 world tour. Together we are restoring 33 acres of forested parkland in Kent, Kirkland, Seattle and Redmond. These restoration efforts are part of Forterra’s Green Cities Partnerships, programs with cities and the community that restore our beloved forested parklands.

Volunteers will spend the morning planting native trees, shrubs and ground cover in Lake Fenwick Park while rocking out to Pearl Jam music.

As always, no experience is necessary, and we’ll have all the gloves, tools, and other materials for you, as well as water and snacks. Please remember to bring your own water bottle to re-fill, and/or a mug for coffee.

Wear sturdy shoes and consider long pants and long sleeves. All ages are welcome, although all volunteers under 18 must either be accompanied by an adult or bring a signed waiver (available here).

Please register early by clicking below so that we can plan a great event for our volunteers.  We will follow up with any additional details as we get closer to the date.

EXTRA: Please REGISTER by following this link: http://www.forterra.org/events/2_4_help_pearl_jam_mitigate_their_2009_tour

Thanks to Public Health of Seattle & King County for these tips on winter weather safety.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill you. Carbon monoxide gas comes from burning fuels such as gasoline, propane, oil, kerosene, natural gas, coal or wood.

Prevent poisoning from carbon monoxide:

• Only use a generator outdoors and far from open windows and vents
• Never use a generator or portable propane heater indoors, in garages or carports
• Never cook or heat inside on a charcoal or gas grill.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen suddenly and without warning. Physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include splitting headache, nausea and vomiting, and lethargy and fatigue.

If you believe you could be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Call for medical help from a neighbor’s home. The Fire Department will tell you when it is safe to re-enter the home.

For a full list of carbon monoxide prevention tips and other safety and disaster information in English and other languages, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/disaster

If you have a power outage, use safe ways to stay warm:

• Find places where you can go to get warm, such as the home of friends and family whose homes have power. Many cities have opened centers where people can go during the day to stay warm. Center locations can be found at www.kingcounty.gov/safety/prepare
• Wear several layers of light weight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. Wear hats, mittens, and blankets indoors.
• Close curtains and cover windows and doors with blankets. Everyone should try to stay together in one room, with the door closed, to keep in body heat.

• Check on elderly friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they are safe.
• Watch your footing on surfaces that may be icy and slick, and wear shoes that provide traction.
• Be careful not to overexert yourself when shoveling snow, especially if you have heart disease or high blood pressure, as the cold weather puts extra strain on your heart.
• Do not sled on streets or on slopes near streets, ponds, or streams.
• Avoid driving if you can. If you must drive, allow safe stopping times and distances.

• Warn others about carbon monoxide poisoning. Share the information with neighbors, friends, family and community groups.
• Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially if they are elderly or if you think their power might be out.
• If you know someone who has lost electricity, invite them to your home to stay warm.

If power goes out where you live, keep food safe:

• Keep the doors closed on your refrigerators and freezers as much as possible. This keeps the cold air inside. A full freezer can stay at freezing temperatures about two days; a half-full freezer about 1 day.
• If you think the power will be out for several days, try to find some ice to pack inside your refrigerator. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Refrigerated foods should be safe as long as the power is out no more than a few hours and the refrigerator/freezer doors have been kept closed. Throw away foods that spoil easily (such as meat and fish) if they warm up above 41º F.
• Frozen foods that remain frozen are OK to eat. If potentially hazardous foods are thawed (such as meat and fish), but are still cold or have ice crystals on them, use them as soon as possible. If potentially hazardous foods are thawed and are warmer than 41º F, throw them away.

From Victoria Andrews, Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, local Boy Scout troops will collect and recycle Christmas trees in neighborhoods around Kent for a $5.00 donation.  The location is Service Club Ballfields, 14608 SE 288^th Street (west off Kent-Kangley Road at 144^th).

To ensure pick-up, trees must be placed outside by 8:00 AM Saturday morning; the scouts are unable to confirm an exact pick-up time. If you prefer to deliver your tree yourself, please bring it to Service Club Ballfields.  Scouts will be on hand to unload the trees and accept your donation. Trees with tinsel and/or flock cannot be accepted.  For more information, contact the Kent Lions & Foundation (253-852-5466) or check the City’s community calendar at www.KentWA.gov.

This long-running program keeps the trees out of landfills and provides a stockpile of chips for use by Parks Maintenance to mulch new plants and maintain trails in the City parks system.  By participating in the program, you can help the Boy Scouts, the Parks Department, and the environment.         

City of Kent Recycling:  Jan. 9 – 13, 2012

The City of Kent will also provide free curbside pickup of Christmas trees for residential households within the Kent City Limits the week of January 9-13, 2012.   You must be a current Allied Waste garbage customer to be eligible.  An event flyer is mailed to residential garbage customers in mid-December.

- Unflocked & completely clean of decorations

- Without stands

- Base of tree cannot exceed four inches in diameter

- Trees taller than five feet must be cut into three-foot sections and bundled with natural material like twine

- If your tree is missed, call Allied Waste at 206-682-9735.

Get your hands dirty and join Kent Parks, Starbucks and REI to celebrate National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 24 at Lake Fenwick Park, 25828 Lake Fenwick Road, Kent. Volunteers are needed to continue the environmental restoration of the Park’s 140 acres.   Kent has participated in National Public Lands Day for the last five years.  The event on September 24 will be held rain or shine, with orientation beginning at 9:00 am and projects continuing until 12 noon.

Last year was the largest National Public Lands Day in history.  Approximately 170,000 people volunteered at more than 2,000 sites across the nation.  They contributed to over $15 million in improvements to public lands.  The event began in 1994 with 700 volunteers.  It was established as a way to continue the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the 3 million Americans who worked from 1933-1942 to preserve and protect America’s natural heritage.

All ages and abilities are welcome!  Registration is required for planning purposes; the deadline is September 21.  Contact 253-856-5110 or download a registration form at www.KentWAParks.com to volunteer.  Tools and gloves are supplied, but extra shovels and pruners are always welcome.  Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy shoes or boots (no flip-flops or sandals allowed) and to dress for the weather.

The 4th Avenue and Meeker Street Starbucks is donating coffee and hot chocolate, as well as water and snacks, and each volunteer will receive an REI volunteer t-shirt.

From the City of Kent:

The public is invited to weigh in on Kent’s Comprehensive Plan and City Code by September 1, 2011.  The City needs input on what the Economic and Community Development Department should focus on in the coming year. 

“We need to know if the comprehensive plan and development regulations create any barriers to the city growing responsibly, equitably, and with environmental and neighborhood sensitivity,” said Fred Satterstrom, Kent’s Planning Director.  “This is the community’s opportunity to participate in making changes.” 

This annual review looks at the challenges that the City’s planning documents, land use plan and zoning maps, and regulations present to economic development and neighborhood vitality. 

The following online tools can help people to weigh in on this annual update.  The public is encouraged to visit the following links:

Submit a request for changes.

View additional details on creating a docket (or list) of suggested changes.

View the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Plan Map and Zoning Districts Map.

Photo by Victoria Andrews

Volunteers met throughout Kent on Saturday, March 19, 2011 to rid the city of unwanted graffiti. Seventy volunteers showed up for the event to remove graffiti from 40 different locations throughout Kent. The event was a huge success. The City of Kent would like to give a special thanks to the downtown Starbucks who donated cocoa, coffee, and pastry goodies for all the volunteers.

Supplies were provided by a grant from The Home Depot Foundation and the six 5-gallon buckets of paint used were donated by Ski’s Painting Inc. Volunteers included  people around the Kent area, several Rotary Club members and students from Kent high schools.

For more information, visit the City of Kent’s Graffiti website.

The City of Kent is opening the Severe Weather Shelter (SWS) tonight at Kent Lutheran Church for the evenings of Wednesday February 23rd, Thursday February 24th, and Friday February 25th due to predicted dangerously low temperatures and snow.

Kent Lutheran Church

336 2nd Avenue South

Kent, WA 98032-5849

9 P.M. – Check-in and registration

7 A.M. – shelter closes, clients must vacate

Priority is given to homeless families with children who are living on the streets or in vehicles, but the SWS is also available for single women and men (separate sleeping space has been prepared for single men, women, and for families with children). The SWS will be operated by Catholic Community Services staff, and volunteers from Kent Lutheran Church and the Kent community.

The SWS will open at 9 P.M. Clients must register at the door. As with all shelters, rules for the health and safety of all clients and staff and the broader community will apply.

Please help distribute this announcement.

City of Kent, Housing and Human Services

253-856-5070

In a press release dated October 21, 2010, the City of Kent announced that the corporate headquarters of REI has been named the Kent Green Business of the Year. It had previously won the award in 2007 and 2008.

REI received the award because the company continually focuses on minimizing its impact on the planet including a lofty inspiration to be a zero-waste-to-landfill and climate-neutral company by 2020. In 2009, for example, the company recycled 88% of its operational waste by volume including paper, glass, cardboard and wood pallets.

In the press release, Kevin Hagen, REI’s director of corporate social responsibility said, “We’re honored to be recognized for our efforts to reduce our impact, but we recognize we have much work to do. To achieve our steadfast commitment, we will continue to focus on collaboration as key to our long-term strategy.”

To read the full press release, click here.

For more information about REI’s stewardship philosophies, visit REI online.

If you’ve got old household items, chemicals or other recyclable materials ready to go, bring them to Kent’s Fall Recycling Event scheduled for Sat., Oct. 16 from 9 am to 3 pm.

The event will be held at Russell Road Park (24400 Russell Rd., Kent), and the city will accept these items (note: some require a donation):

• Appliances and scrap metal
• Propane tanks
• Porcelain toilets & sinks
• Refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners
• Televisions, computers, monitors & laptops
• Electronics
• Petroleum-based products
• Tires
• Reusable household goods
• Document shredding (limit 3 file-size boxes per person)
• Cardboard
• Concrete, asphalt, rock and brick
• Batteries
• Mattresses

No flatbeds or dump trucks allowed. No vehicles will be admitted for entry after 3 p.m. For more information about recycling in Kent, Washington, visit these helpful websites:

Recycling Special Materials

Hazardous Waste

Photo by Dana Neuts

Thanks to Victoria Andrews of Kent Parks for this news release:

September 24, 2010–The City of Kent and the Kent School District will mark 10 years of a successful partnership on Tuesday, October 5, 3:00-4:00 p.m. at Clark Lake Park’s main entrance on SE 240^th. Additional parking is available at the Eastridge Baptist Church, 12520 SE 240th St.

The City’s Youth Tree Education Program, “Plant the Planet,” began in the year 2000, when Kent School District elementary students helped plant 2,000 native trees.  To date over 20,000 trees and shrubs have been planted by Kent children!  The City is marking the 10^th anniversary by creating a Walk of Native Trees & Shrubs and a self-guided tour at one of Kent’s most beautiful parks, 130-acre Clark Lake Park. The walk features mature examples of 13 of the species students have planted over the past 10 years.

Council President Jamie Perry will MC the walk’s dedication.  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lee Vargas will also participate, along with a few of the teachers who have been part of the program for many years.  Parks Director Jeff Watling, who will take the walk for the first time at the dedication, commented, “Plant the Planet is one of our most popular annual programs, for teachers, students and City staff.  Our Public Works and Parks staff team up to give children a hands-on learning experience about what trees do for our environment.  Each child pots a tree or shrub in the spring and cares for it until it can be planted at home or at a park in the fall.”

In 2007, “Plant the Planet” received the Education Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation.  In 2009, it was selected for national recognition by Take Pride in America® in the local government category.

Light refreshments will be served after the dedication and walk.  For more information, contact 253-856-5110.

The boat launch at Lake Meridian will be temporarily closed due to unusually high rainfall.  The City of Kent is monitoring the water levels daily and will re-open the boat launch as soon as conditions improve.

“Boating activity and the wakes they create could potentially cause erosion of the shoreline,” said Jeff Watling, Kent’s Parks and Recreation Director.  “The amount of rainfall we’ve seen this June is unprecedented.  Closures of the boat launch typically occur only during winter months.”

For more information and updates on the boat launch, visit www.choosekent.com.

Contributed by the City of Kent by Michelle Witham

KENT, Wash. – June 2, 2010 – The July 1 effective date for Panther Lake area residents to become part of the City of Kent is soon approaching, and as part of the annexation process, the City is required to conduct a special census of all homes in the area.

A census worker wearing a City of Kent identification badge will visit households between June 17 and July 17. The only information required in this census is the names of all individuals residing in a household.

According to Fred Satterstrom, Kent’s Planning Director, cooperating with this special annexation census ensures that Kent receives a full share of state funds allotted for essential public services.

“This special annexation census is in addition to the U.S. Census recently conducted by the federal Census Bureau earlier this spring; they are separate counts.  I hope residents won’t be confused by it,” Satterstrom said.

Annexation area residents may also provide this census information directly, at any time by calling the Kent Census Hotline at 1-800-635-6594. The Census Hotline is available 24 hours a day. Any information provided will be held confidential.

Residents should be aware the census will NOT require them to provide their social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account information or pay any fees.  Residents should not provide such details to anyone who claims to be a census worker and asks for this kind of information.

Legitimate census workers will have identification badges with a phone number that residents can call if they would like to verify their identities. Residents may contact the annexation message line at 253-856-5799 with questions or concerns.

The City of Kent is the fourth largest city in King County, Washington with a population over 88,000. As a culturally rich destination, Kent’s dynamic quality of life features captivating neighborhoods, award-winning parks and nationally accredited police and fire departments. In recent years, Kent has experienced impressive economic growth, and is nationally known as a prime location for manufacturing. For more information, visit www.choosekent.com.

Next Saturday, June 5 is National Trails Day. Help the City of Kent celebrate by volunteering to work at Clark Lake Park (120th Ave. & SE 240th St.) in Kent. Rain or shine, volunteers will work from 9 a.m. to noon to reconstruct a gravel trail into the park, remove weeds, and plant native trees and shrubs. After the event, Farrington Court is providing lunch!

Sign up by June 2 by completing this form and returning it to Victoria Andrews with Kent Parks, Recreation and Community  Services.

Students? Need community service hours. Three fun hours right here!

Also in this May’s Scene email newsletter, the City of Kent reminds us that the city’s summer water rates are in effect from May 1 through September 30,  a two-tiered rate structure with higher rates as water consumption increases.

Rates rise each summer because we have less precipitation in the summer time and demand increases 35 to 45%, often due to watering of laws and gardens. Higher rates often discourage water users from overwatering or wasting water. For more information, call 253-856-5201.

Approximately 61,000 tons of plastic bags find their way to King County landfills every year, according to the City of Kent’s “Scene” May 5 email newsletter.

To reduce the number of wasted bags, the city urges residents and shoppers to recycle those bags by saving them and returning them to retailers around town serving as recycling centers. This program is a part of the King County “Bag Your Bags and Bring ‘em Back” program.

For more information, including a short informational video, visit King County’s “Bag Your Bags…” page online.

In Kent, those stores include:

Earthworks Park will “Celebrate Earth Day” on April 17, 2010 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.

Celebrate Earth Day by spending the morning at this landmark park. It’s a fun, environmental education event for volunteers of all ages and abilities.  Come clean up this landmark park named for the Earth we are celebrating. There will be pruning, planting and invasive plant removal.

April 5, 2010 update–Earth Day Registrations are closed out. All volunteer slots have been filled. For those wanting to volunteer, there are two additional opportunities coming up:

• Arbor Day, April 24 @ Fenwick Park – Download and complete this registration form.
• Off-leash Park Work Party, May 1 at Morrill Meadows Park – Contact Brian Levenhagen.

City of Kent residents, the week of April 5 – 9 is Spring Clean-Up Week.

Put out extra garbage, trash and yard waste on your regular trash pick-up day during the week of April 5 – 9. The additional refuse will be picked up without an extra charge. Only residents in the Kent city limits who pay for trash service are eligible.

Note:  no construction or demolition debris; no rocks, concrete, bricks or asphalt; no furniture or appliances.

- All garbage/trash must be in bags, boxes or cans.

- Each bag, box or can must way less than 60 pounds.

- Limit of 10 units of garbage.

- Yard clippings must be separate from garbage. Includes leaves, grass, brush, flowers, tree wood waste and branches.

- All yard waste will be processed into compost.

- Limit 15 units of yard waste.

For more info. on Recycling in Kent, visit the city’s website.

KENT, Wash. – March 17, 2010 – The City of Kent urges residents to put all of that sand to good use with spring fever in the air. With March 30 marking the official end of the 2009-2010 flood season, people are beginning to look for ways to get rid of their sandbags for the summer. While the sandbags won’t last until the next flood season, there are ways residents can save the sand for fall or use it for gardening and home improvement projects.

“The best thing people can do is place a plastic covering in a corner of their yard or garage and empty the sand there,” says Greg Reed, Utilities Superintendent with the Public Works Department. “If they cover the sand pile with plastic, they’ll have their own personal sandbag filling station for the new sandbags we’ll pass out come fall.”

How to use the leftover sand:

• Aerate lawns and spread sand to help improve drainage
• Fill in low spots in the lawn, cover with grass seed for a green and level lawn
• Mix with garden or potting soil to promote good drainage for plants and flowers
• Use as the base for brick or stone walkway projects

For residents unable to keep the sand onsite through the summer, the City will collect the sand and sandbags each Saturday in April from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the following locations in Kent:

• Home Depot, 26120 104^th Ave. SE
• Grandview Park, 3600 S. 228^th St.

Assistance is available for those who need it by calling the Service Clubs Volunteer Hotline at 206-755-4814 or by email at kentserviceclubs@yahoo.com. Kent Sunrise Rotary, Rotary Club of Kent, Kent Meridian Kiwanis Club, Kiwanis Club of Kent, Kent Lions, Soroptimist International of Kent and Quota International of Kent Valley have all come together to serve as volunteer coordinators to help those who are physically unable to move sandbags.

Businesses are not allowed to dump sand at these sites, but they can find additional resources and potential disposal sites at www.kingcounty.gov/floodplans.   Residents of other cities or unincorporated King County should contact their local emergency management office for sandbag disposal options in their area.

Whichever method residents choose, it is important that the sand is properly disposed of. It is illegal to dump sand or litter in wetlands, rivers, creeks and drains. Doing so can impact drinking water and damage fish and wildlife habitat. For more information, contact the City of Kent Public Works Department at 253-856-5500.

The City of Kent is the fourth largest city in King County, Washington with a population of 88,380. As a culturally rich destination, Kent’s dynamic quality of life features captivating neighborhoods, award-winning parks and nationally accredited police and fire departments. In recent years, Kent has experienced impressive economic growth, and is nationally known as a prime location for manufacturing.  Visit www.choosekent.com.

The City of Kent is sponsoring an Arbor Day event on Saturday April 24, 2010 at West Fenwick Park.  “Celebrate Arbor Day ’10″ runs from 9am to noon, rain or shine.  Kent has been named a Tree City USA since 2003 and wants to celebrate this by keeping it green.

Join in the festivities by:

• Removing invasive plants.
• Planting native trees along the cleared area.
• Laying weed barrier and mulch.

The City of Kent is looking for volunteers to join in the already large list including scout troops, corporate groups and students earning community service hours.  For more information visit the City of Kent website or contact Victoria Andrews, Special Programs Manager at vandrews@ci.kent.wa.us.  Celebrate Arbor Day with Kent!