By Dawn Masko, DuPont City Administrator
Smoke Detector Grant. All homes in the Historic Village recently received door hangers notifying them that they are eligible for a free smoke alarm that can be installed by Fire personnel. DuPont Fire Department received a grant award to provide smoke detectors for those homes that do not have sprinkler systems. These smoke alarms are the latest technology and come with 10 year batteries. This is a valuable program as the early warning that smoke detectors provide has been shown to save lives. Homeowners who qualify to participate in this program should contact the DuPont Fire Department at (253) 964-8414 to schedule installation.
2. Spring Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Class
The DuPont Fire Department invites citizens who live or work in the DuPont area to attend our next session of CERT classes. Aimed at preparing groups of citizens in our community to prepare for and respond to disasters, the classes will follow a model developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and offered in cities across the United States. The idea behind this model is to teach people in neighborhoods how to help each other in the first few minutes or hours following a disaster – before emergency responders are able to render professional help. Students will gain hands-on skills such as how to put out small fires, render first aid in a disaster situation, and perform light search and rescue.
The series of six classes will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings for three weeks, from 6:30 – 9:00 PM, and will culminate in a practical exercise to be held on a Saturday from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The spring class will begin on March 21st and end on April 9th. Classes will be held at the DuPont Fire Station. Instructors will be uniformed firefighters and other subject matter experts. The classes are FREE and are open to 25 students. It is important that if you enroll you are able to attend all sessions to receive your CERT certificate. Contact Fire Chief Greg Hull at (253) 377-7289 or Battalion Chief Greg Cooper at (253) 377-3245 for additional information. To enroll, contact Vincent Martinez at (253) 983-4580 or vmartinez@lakewoodfire.org.
3. Cherry Blossom Tea
The 2011 Cherry Blossom Tea and Vintage Fashion Show will be held on Saturday, April 30th beginning at 2:00 PM at Chloe Clark Elementary School. This year’s theme is “Women of the Greatest Generation: Fashions and Memorabilia from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s”. Tickets are $12/individual or $10 per person for a table of 10. Be a table host! Invite 10 friends and decorate your table with a theme representing your business, organization or family history. All ladies are encouraged to come for an afternoon of fun, sweet treats and nostalgia for the good old days! Proceeds benefit the DuPont Historical Society and the DuPont Museum. For information please contact Lee at (253) 267-5267 (evenings, weekends) or Joh at (253) 964-2399.
4. Museum Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed to be tour guides or help with our history events. If you are interested, please contact Museum Manager Johanna Jones at (253) 964-2399.
5. Upcoming Meetings – Week of February 21st – 25th
* City Hall offices will be closed on Monday, February 21st in observance of President’s Day
* City Council Meeting Tuesday, February 22nd at 7:00 PM
6. Council Agenda Items – February 22nd, 2011
* Consent Agenda Items: Council Meeting Minutes; Claim Vouchers List
* Discussion Items: Workshop Agenda Items; Department Work Plans; EMS Levy Renewal
7. Parks & Recreation
Please call (253) 912-5245 or go to the City’s website at www.ci.dupont.wa.us for registration information, questions on Parks & Recreation activities, or for volunteer opportunities.
* DuPont Parks & Recreation and Dance4Life is pleased to offer our first spring Cheerleading session. Classes begin April 1st and will be held at the DuPont Community Center. Classes are available for ages 5 thru 13. Please contact Tammy Colbert at Dance4Life at (253) 212-8779 with any questions. The cost is $40 for a four week session. Be sure to watch the City’s website for upcoming summer dance camps.
* Don’t forget to support Youth Basketball on Friday, February 25th for Bingo Night. We have extended the invitation to include all ages. Bring the entire family to the Community Center at 7:00 PM for Bingo, fun and unlimted laughts – as well as great prizes. Tickets are available at City Hall located at 1700 Civic Drive and are $10 for two cards and $20 for four cards. Pizza and drinks will be available for a modest price.
* On your mark! Get set! Register! Spring track registration begin March 1st. The City of DuPont is again partnering with All Sports to offer a spring track program which begins May 9th. The program is offered to kids ages 4 thru 18. Practices are scheduled for Monday evenings from 6:00 – 7:30 PM and Saturdays from noon – 1:30 PM. The cost for this program is $135 which includes a uniform. Please contact Mark Brinkhaus at (253) 948-2401 with any questions.
* Registration is now open for Challenger Sports Spring Break Soccer Camp. This camp will occur April 4th thru 8th at DuPont PowderWorks Park and is open for ages 6 thru 12. The cost is $116. Registration forms are available online at www.ci.dupont.wa.us.
* The Parks & Recreation spring auction, which benefits ongoing recreation programs, events, and the Community Center is being held on Friday, May 13th. Volunteers are needed to help plan this event. Please call (253) 912-5245 if you are willing to offer your services and talents for this worthwhile cause.
8. DuPont Historical Society Lecture Series
The DuPont Historical Society is kicking off their 2011 Lecture Series this Sunday, February 20th at 2:00 PM with “Arrowheads, Dart Points and Knives, Oh My! Stone Technology of South Puget Sound”. The archaeological record of southern Puget Sound displays a rich and varied history of stone tool types and technologies. Scott Williams, Cultural Resources Program Manager at the WA State Department of Transportation will discuss these technologies and some of the unique characteristics of the artifact types in a slideshow and hands-on artifact display. The lecture will be held at the DuPont Presbyterian Church located at 502 Barksdale Avenue in the Historic Village.
9. Intel DuPont Community Gardens
The Intel DuPont Community Gardens (IDCG) is an employee-based community-service organization at Intel, using land provided by Intel, to grow healthy food for the needy in our community. Last year over 2500 pounds of produce was harvested and donated to Pierce and Thurston County food banks. As spring is fast approaching – at least according to the infamous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil – preparations are underway for the 2011 growing season. The directors and employee-growers who made this such a successful venture in 2010 are expanding this program to include all DuPont community residents. If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact Stu Vannerson at (253) 973-5436 for additional information.
10. Fish-Friendly Car Washing Kits
Thirty fish-friendly fundraising car wash kits will be given away to qualified applicants within Pierce County. The car wash kits redirect soapy car wash water away from storm drains, which protects local water quality for fish and other aquatic life. You can apply for a free car wash kit if it will be used at least five times per year for fundraising efforts through a non-profit organization, school, school district, other special district, recreational league, or jurisdiction or agency in Pierce County interested in developing a car wash kit borrowing program. Applications for priority consideration are due by March 1st and can be found at www.piercecountywa.org/carwash. If you don’t think you will use the car wash kit more than five times per year, you can borrow a kit free of charge for your event by contacting Pierce County Surface Water Management at (253) 798-2725.
When a car is washed on paved surfaces, the soap, automotive fluids, oil and roadway dirt goes into nearby storm drains. Water in storm drains flows directly into lakes, wetlands, streams and Puget Sound with little or no treatment. The fish-friendly car wash kit is easy to use and helps keep toxic car wash runoff from entering our waters. The kits were purchased with grant funds by Pierce County Public Works and Utilities Surface Water Management. Each kit comes with a catch basin insert, submersible pump, garden hose, extension cord, instructions, and a sign identifying the car wash as fish-friendly.
11. Kids ‘n’ Critters @ Northwest Trek
This President’s Weekend (February 19th – 21st) is the Kids ‘n’ Critters event at Northwest Trek! Admission is FREE for up to four children ages 3 to 12 with each adult or senior paying full admission. Special Kids ‘n’ Critters activities include nature-themed arts and crafts, and trailside encounters with Northwest Trek’s smaller animals. Hours of operations are 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
12. Export Forum
Companies that would like to export their products and services to new markets, or expand existing exports, are invited to a free Export Forum on March 2, 2011. The forum will be hosted by the Pierce County Economic Development Division and the World Trade Center Tacoma. It will be held from 8:00 AM to Noon in the Pierce County Environmental Services Building, 9850 – 64th St. W., University Place. Topics will include: identifying and researching the right markets for your products or services; finding and qualifying customers; financing and insuring export sales; and accessing the public and private resources that are available to assist in the planning process.
Speakers include presenters from the U.S. Department of Commerce, WA State Department of Commerce, the Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington, Impact Washington, and private companies that will share their experiences. A question-and-answer period will follow panel presentations, and there will be ample time for networking at hosted display tables.
There is no charge to attend. For more information and to register, please go to the Economic Development Division’s website or call Hans Kueck at (253) 798-2335.