We hope you can join us Monday March 1st at 7pm from wherever you are for your virtual neighborhood council meeting via Zoom. Please see here for a copy of the agenda, and below for the Zoom login information.
We have two great guest speakers joining us this month:
First our very own board member Mr Tony Caldwell will be speaking on behalf of another local organization he volunteers with, the Tacoma Area Disabilities Commission.
Then we’ll have Corey Newton from the City of Tacoma’s Planning & Development department talking about a proposed 5 unit townhouse/multi-family at 232 S 70th St.
Of course we will also have our liaisons extraordinaire who give us information from the city as it pertains to the South End.
We want your input for SENCo! Who do you want to hear from as a guest speaker in the future? Or do you have a particular topic you’d like to see discussed? Have a great idea for the neighborhood you’re willing to share? Any and all compliments or constructive criticism is welcome. We want to hear what is important to y’all! Send to senco253@gmail
Hybrid Learning will continue to phase in more students in February
Approximately 1,600 kindergarten students began in-person instruction at school two days per week Jan. 19.
Approximately 1,200 preschool students began in-person instruction at school two days per week Jan. 25.
Here’s our updated timeline for adding additional grade levels:
Beginning Monday, Feb. 8, first graders will return to school two days per week—Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday—in groups of up to 15 students.
Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 16, kindergarten students will shift to four school days per week—but only if the COVID-19 case count in Pierce County drops below 350 cases per 100,000 residents for 14 days. Otherwise, they will continue to come to school two days per week.
Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 16, second graders would return to school two days per week—Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday—in groups of up to 15 students.
Background
On Dec. 16, Gov. Jay Inslee, the state Department of Health and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction issued new guidance for all school districts across the state. Based on health data, the state loosened restrictions to allow more students to return to school—if specific safety protocols are followed.
Over the last several months, we have prepared by establishing consistent safety protocols and accumulating the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).
Since October, we’ve followed health and safety protocols to provide in-person learning for about 750 students at all grade levels who require special education services. We know when our students, staff and families follow safety protocols, we can limit transmission of COVID-19 in schools.
We’re working on plans to bring first and second grade students to in-person learning four days a week and will share dates for that transition soon.
Students in grades 3-12 would begin to come back in a hybrid model no sooner than March 1. The District is developing a staggered start-date approach for these grade levels to ensure students are able to transition in a safe and healthy manner. More details will be announced in the next few weeks.
In preparation for bringing middle school and high school students back for hybrid learning, principals collaborated to create new daily schedules that will launch with the beginning of second semester Feb. 8—even though students will still be in full remote learning. The new schedules will remain in place when the shift to hybrid learning starts and allow for a smooth transition.
Stay up to date on COVID-19 metrics in Pierce County
Traditional fall sports start officially Monday, Feb. 1 for a seven-week season that will run through March 20, according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). Fall sports include cross country, football, golf, girls swim and dive and volleyball.
Traditional spring sports will run March 15 to May 1. In TPS high schools, those sports are baseball, fastpitch, boys soccer, girls tennis, and track and field.
Traditional winter sports will run April 26 to June 12. In TPS high schools, those sports are basketball, bowling, cheerleading, boys swim and dive, wrestling and boys tennis. Move to Phase 2 athletics: What are the health and safety requirements Guidelines for these athletic activities are established under Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery. Under the new guidelines, Pierce County joins King and Snohomish counties to form the Puget Sound Region, which are now in Phase 2 of the recovery plan.
Phase 2 restrictions for high school sports include:
Facial coverings required for all coaches, volunteers and athletes at all times.
Outdoor training, practices and competitions allowed for low, moderate, and high-risk sports.
Maximum of 200 people allowed at competitions, including spectators.
Indoor team training, practices, and competitions allowed for low and moderate-risk sports.
School Board considers renaming Wilson High School for local trailblazer Dolores Silas
Superintendent Carla Santorno endorsed a community committee’s recommendation to rename Woodrow Wilson High School after local educator and trailblazer Dolores Silas.
Santorno presented her recommendation to the Tacoma School Board of Directors at their Jan. 28 meeting. The School Board expects to vote on the proposal at a future meeting—possibly as soon as Feb. 11.
Dolores Silas, 94, who still lives in Tacoma, started as a teacher in Tacoma Public Schools. She taught at DeLong Elementary School, then later became DeLong’s principal—the first Black woman to serve as an administrator in Tacoma Public Schools. Later, Silas became the first Black woman to serve on the Tacoma City Council, in 1991.
In 2020, Tacoma Public Schools received requests from community members to rename the high school due to former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s history as a Klu Klux Klan sympathizer and his participation in racist ideologies and practices.
Santorno deemed the request worthy of consideration and, following policy established by the School Board, sent it to Wilson High School Principal Bernadette Ray. Ray formed a committee, which conducted a survey and reviewed options. In the committee’s final report back to the superintendent, they offered three options:
Name it after Dolores Silas.
Name it after Ruby Bridges, a U.S. civil rights activist who was the first African-American child to desegregate an all-white Louisiana elementary school in 1960.
Keep the Wilson name but remove all associations with Woodrow Wilson.
As part of Santorno’s recommendation, the name change would take effect July 1. The school would retain its Ram mascot and its red, white and blue school colors.
President’s MessageCynthia StewartFebruary is Black History Month. Several of our featured items this month are associated with recognizing and appreciating black history and realizing how it affects the way we live and communicate today. We have institutionalized racism in our policies and behavior. The League of Women Voters is striving to become an anti-racist organization. That means we are fighting against racism in its many forms. Mary Fertakis will explain at the February 17 forum how much of our state’s history contributed to today’s structural racism. She will discuss racism toward Asians, Hispanics and others, as well as Blacks. The end of her presentation will include a discussion in small groups about where we should go from here to address the rampant discrimination of our past. We will use feedback from those sessions to plan future events.
Let’s also consider the effects of racism in our state policies. Our tax structure is upside down, meaning that people at the lowest income levels, who are disproportionately people of color, pay a much greater share of their incomes in state and local taxes than people at the highest income levels. You can take action to reverse this inequity by letting your legislators know you want them to balance the tax code.
And the people experiencing homelessness in Pierce County are disproportionately black. Let your Pierce County Councilmember know that you want homelessness addressed.
Also this month at our Unit Meetings, we will be discussing sustainability plans, how important they are, and what we can expect in the future. Don’t miss that program!
And finally, February is the birthday of the League of Women Voters. We turn 101 on Valentines Day. Let’s celebrate that achievement as we work toward a better future. February Unit Meetings The February unit meeting program will be on Sustainability Planning. Speakers will describe what it is, why we do it, and the status of efforts in Pierce County.
The League of Women Voters of the US position on climate change is:
The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and planet. The League believes that an international approach to combating climate change — including through energy conservation, air pollution controls, building resilience, and promotion of renewable resources — is necessary to protect public health and defend the overall integrity of the global ecosystem. The League supports climate goals and policies that are consistent with the best available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations. Individuals, communities, and governments must continue to address this issue, while considering the ramifications of their decisions, at all levels — local, state, regional, national, and global.
Our speakers will discuss how local sustainability plans help address climate change. This program will include presentations by Chuck Jensen, League member; and Elly Claus-McGahan, Climate Pierce County. For more information about Climate Pierce County, see http://climatepiercecounty.com/.
There is a lot going on in each of our municipalities and in Pierce County. Our Observer Corps is more important than ever, since we have so little local journalism. In some jurisdictions, the League Observers have been called the “conscience” of the Council. If you would like to contribute to the community by serving as an Observer, only a brief training is required. Please contact Cynthia Stewart, stewdahl@comcast.net.
Here are our recent observer’s notes, with thanks to Lydia Zepeda and Rosemary Powers:Port Commissioners Meeting, Port of Tacoma, January 21, 2021, http://tacomapiercelwv.org/files/port_of_tacoma_commission_1-21-21.pdfCity of Tacoma Special Council Meeting, January 25, 2021 2021,http://tacomapiercelwv.org/files/tacoma_city_council_january_25_2021.pdf Note: We also post these on Facebook when we get them, so you can read them sooner there.Join the Observer Corps Do you want to find out what is going on in your local city or county government? Do you want to let others know? Do you want to use your writing skills? If so, join the LWVTPC Observer Corps! We need volunteers to attend local government meetings and report on their activities. This is how we ensure an informed community. This is how we hold our elected officials accountable.
Being an Observer involves attending at least one public meeting a month and writing up a meeting summary. Plan on a minimum of two hours a month.
As an Observer you choose what meetings and issues to follow. While you cannot participate in the government meetings, you can inform others what issues are being discussed, what laws and policies are being implemented, and how your local government is spending taxpayer money. It is a great way to learn about local government to prepare yourself and others to be better advocates to promote League positions.
If you are interested, please contact Lydia Zepeda at zepelow@gmail.com We can set up a time to chat about your interests and set up training. Port of Tacoma Strategic Plan Anyone interested in following the development of the Port’s 2021 – 2026 strategic plan can find online information and opportunities for engagement here. The Plan is expected to be issued as a draft on February 18.
The public is invited to complete an online survey here.Meaningful Movies of Tacoma First Film of 2021in celebration of Black History MonthNo Time to Waste celebrates legendary 98-year-old park ranger Betty Reid Soskin’s inspiring life, work and urgent mission to restore critical missing chapters of America’s story. The film follows her journey as an African American woman presenting her personal story from a kitchen stool in a national park theater to media interviews and international audiences who hang on every word she utters.
The documentary captures her fascinating life — from the experiences of a young Black woman in a WWII segregated union hall, through her multi-faceted career as a singer, activist, mother, legislative representative and park planner to her present public role.At the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Betty illuminates the invisible histories of African Americans and other people of color. Her efforts have changed the way the National Park Service conveys this history to audiences across the U.S., challenging us all to move together toward a more perfect union.
Please register for this film here by February 3. Registered attendees will receive a link to view the film. TWO ways you can virtually watch the film: • Anytime on Feb 4, 5 or 6. Then return on Feb 5 at 7:30 for the panel discussion. • Or… Watch with us on Feb 5 at 6:30pm and stay for the panel discussion at 7:30pm.Forum: “Immigration 2021: What Happens Now?”February 25, 2021, 6:30-8:30 pmSponsored by the League of Women Voters of Thurston County LWVTC is hosting a forum about what we can expect on immigration issues with the change of U.S. Administrations. Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance and LWV-Mason County will be jointly sponsoring this forum with LWVTC.
Speakers will include experts on immigration who will address:An overview of immigration organizations and the focus of each one.US Federal level immigration issues and what policies the new Administration in D.C. has already affected, can affect and which may continue. WA State Legislation and immigration issues and legislative accomplishments and challenges. Regional and local immigration organizations’ current efforts and what is being planned for the future. This is a Zoom meeting and not a webinar. Participants will be able to choose to attend a breakout room with the speaker of their choice for more in-depth discussion and further Q&A. Each breakout room additionally will have a facilitator who has experience with immigration issues.
A sampling of our Speakers and Facilitators: Bob Zeigler (Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance); Steffani Powell (Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance, practices US immigration law in Olympia); Cariño Barragán Talancón (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network); Kathy Baros Friedt (The Hispanic Roundtable and Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance). Register here.Pierce Transit Announces a new Online, Regional Trip Planning ToolPierce Transit has announced a new online, regional trip planning tool to help transit riders plan trips throughout Pierce County and around Puget Sound. The new Trip Planner, available at PierceTransit.org, includes many new features, such as:Ability to see your bus in real-time on a mapOption to locate your “to” and “from” locations by pointing to a spot on a map rather than entering an exact addressAbility to view and print bus schedules from your desktop browserMore accurate lookup tool with new preloaded destinations, including landmarks, companies and many other locationsIntegrated trip planning that taps a variety of transit modes (local bus, light rail, commuter rail, express bus, ferry and more) integrated together to plan a seamless tripNew step-by-step tutorialIn addition to the new Trip Planner, Pierce Transit has recently introduced several other new technology tools that are helping customers plan their transit trips and get bus arrival information. Those include:An official partnership with Transit app, which offers step-by-step trip planning, information about bus load levels, real-time bus tracking and many other featuresThe ability to text or call 253.533.7084 from a bus stop, enter the stop number and receive a reply about when the next bus will arriveReal-time bus arrival monitors at transit centers, including Tacoma Dome StationPiercePaySM mobile ticketing through a partnership with the Hopthru appRoute text alerts available for signup at PierceTransit.org/StayConnected
President’s Message Cynthia Stewart
February is Black History Month. Several of our featured items this month are associated with recognizing and appreciating black history and realizing how it affects the way we live and communicate today. We have institutionalized racism in our policies and behavior. The League of Women Voters is striving to become an anti-racist organization. That means we are fighting against racism in its many forms. Mary Fertakis will explain at the February 17 forum how much of our state’s history contributed to today’s structural racism. She will discuss racism toward Asians, Hispanics and others, as well as Blacks. The end of her presentation will include a discussion in small groups about where we should go from here to address the rampant discrimination of our past. We will use feedback from those sessions to plan future events.
Let’s also consider the effects of racism in our state policies. Our tax structure is upside down, meaning that people at the lowest income levels, who are disproportionately people of color, pay a much greater share of their incomes in state and local taxes than people at the highest income levels. You can take action to reverse this inequity by letting your legislators know you want them to balance the tax code.
And the people experiencing homelessness in Pierce County are disproportionately black. Let your Pierce County Councilmember know that you want homelessness addressed.
Also this month at our Unit Meetings, we will be discussing sustainability plans, how important they are, and what we can expect in the future. Don’t miss that program!
And finally, February is the birthday of the League of Women Voters. We turn 101 on Valentines Day. Let’s celebrate that achievement as we work toward a better future.
February Unit Meetings The February unit meeting program will be on Sustainability Planning. Speakers will describe what it is, why we do it, and the status of efforts in Pierce County.
The League of Women Voters of the US position on climate change is:
The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and planet. The League believes that an international approach to combating climate change — including through energy conservation, air pollution controls, building resilience, and promotion of renewable resources — is necessary to protect public health and defend the overall integrity of the global ecosystem. The League supports climate goals and policies that are consistent with the best available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations. Individuals, communities, and governments must continue to address this issue, while considering the ramifications of their decisions, at all levels — local, state, regional, national, and global.
Our speakers will discuss how local sustainability plans help address climate change. This program will include presentations by Chuck Jensen, League member; and Elly Claus-McGahan, Climate Pierce County. For more information about Climate Pierce County, see http://climatepiercecounty.com/.
Update: By a majority of votes cast, SENCo approved signing on to this Ordinance. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!
Please see below for text of the ordinance written by SENCo Vice Chair Melissa Knott to Pierce County Council regarding people experiencing homelessness here in Pierce County. A vote for SENCo to sign-on to this ordinance is now being held.
As a reminder, you are eligible to take part in SENCo votes as any resident, renter, or owner of property, business, or nonprofit and their employees, who live or work within the SENCo Neighborhood Council Boundary.
Requested by: The collective communities of Pierce County
Ordinance No. 2021-?
Whereas, it is in the best interests of the entire Pierce County community to take bold steps to reduce chronic, episodic, transitional, and hidden homeless/houselessness in our county; and
Whereas, the measure of progress for The Tacoma, Lakewood, and Pierce County Continuum of Care Plan to end Homelessness created in 2012 was to end chronic homelessness by 2015, reduce all homelessness by 50% by 2016, and reduce family homelessness by 50% by 2021[1], has failed the community of Pierce County; and
Whereas, the County Council and the community has an impetus to create an emergency ordinance to preserve the health, safety, and peace of the public as understood from its mission statement[2]; and
Whereas, having a consistent safe place to stay drastically reduces ones chances of dying from the natural elements, chronic medical issues, and/or contracting and spreading Covid 19[3]; and
Whereas, the social and economic consequences of Covid 19 has rapidly displaced friends and families native to the United States, Washington, and Pierce County[4]; and
Whereas, the availability of stable housing, even temporary housing, statistically deters crime and protects the lives of everyone who lives within our community[5]; and
Whereas, the impact of living without a stable home disturbs the peace of our houseless community members in physical, intellectual, emotional, and social ways; and
Whereas, all of these imperatives can be addressed by assisting our community members who experience homelessness by providing temporary stable housing and the social services they need to effectively apply for the assistance they are entitled to, to meet their housing needs; and
Whereas, it is unacceptable to have no fully operational human resource department in the middle of a pandemic and economic depression to address these specific needs of our community[6]; and
Whereas, the lack of a structured plan to deal with systemic homelessness in Pierce County has allowed the current economic crisis to push families into homelessness which in turn disturbs the health, safety, and peace of our entire community;
Now Therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of Pierce County
Section 1. The Pierce County Council hereby authorizes the immediate reopening of the human services department and grants an additional 200,000 thousand dollars for additional temporary staff with the express purpose of registering individuals struggling in our community for the Federal Cares Act with an emphasis on our homeless residents, those without access to technology for the purpose of applying and those threatened of becoming homeless.
Section 2. The Pierce County Council hereby authorizes a sum of no less than 500,000 dollars of emergency funds to immediately produce hotel vouchers for Pierce County’s homeless communities.
Section 3. The Pierce County Council congruently will produce a plan through both the Community Development Committee and the Select Committee of Human Services to address systemic and emergency homelessness for the bieniem of 2021-2023 to be delivered no later than the first regular meeting in March.
SENCo’s liaison Derek also provided the following answer to a question from the January meeting:
Question: When hybrid learning begins, what will the logistics/process be for checking that each student has submitted their online form via the Family App before coming to school?
Answer: It is the responsibility of each school’s COVID supervisor or their designee to monitor and check in students each day as students arrive. They will have a printout that tells them who has and hasn’t filled out a daily health survey.
Those students whose parents have not completed a daily health survey will be kept in an isolation room. The COVID Supervisor or site administrator can contact the student’s parents to complete a health survey for a younger student.
If a daily health survey cannot be completed, or if students show symptoms, they will be kept in the isolation room for monitoring until their parents can come to school to pick them up.
The Recycling Beyond Curbside Project is a project designed and intended to keep more recyclables out of the garbage. A lot of items can be recycled in the curbside recycling bins, however there are so many other products that can be recycled. This project assists with these that are often not recycled for various reasons including: people don’t know they can be recycled, they are not convenient, or they don’t have the time to search out the resources. This project is to help educate, find resources and help in making recycling these items more convenient.
Why was the Recycling Beyond Curbside Project started?
I made my first trip to the Tacoma Recycling Transfer Station and was shocked by all the products that could be recycled there which I had no idea about. The Recycle Flyer the city sends out only shows three items for drop off so I never looked into it more until this trip. I realized that if I was throwing all these things away because I didn’t know I could recycle them, I bet others were as well. If I was going to be making the trip to the Recycling Transfer Station to recycle my items, why not combine these with neighbors and save on gas and time instead of us all taking small boxes of items over or instead continuing to throw these items in the trash due to convenience.
What products are accepted through the Recycling Beyond Curbside Project?
The following get combined in 1 bin:
Produce bags
Plastic shipping envelopes, including blue & white Amazon bubble mailers
Bread bags – NO other food bags
Dry cleaning bags
Case wrap – like around cases of water
Product overwrap – like toilet paper, paper towels, etc
Deflated air pillows
Newspaper bags
Bubble wrap
Zip lock bags – MUST be clear of ALL food residue
The following get combined in 1 bin:
Plastic clam shells (Plastics #1-7) – stack inside each other as best you can – MUST be clear of ALL food residue. Wash & dry these prior to recycling
Plastic cups (Plastics #1-7) – Such as those from Starbucks
Snap & screw on lids (Plastics #1-7)
Separate the following into their individual bins:
Packing peanuts need to be in a tied plastic bag by themselves
Shredded paper needs to be packed in a paper bag and secured closed so that it does not blow out or spill
Batteries (Button & Household only) – Please separate rechargeable from non-rechargeable. All button batteries go with the rechargeable batteries
Light bulbs (NO incandescent) – bring so they won’t break, will be combined into one box
Styrofoam blocks, FDS & LPDE Foam Blocks – if large, broken down into two or three pieces, will be combined at the drop point with others. Remove any tape
Empty aerosol containers – Please ensure they are empty
Denim in any shape
Toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrushes, toothpaste cartons, toothbrush outer packaging, and floss containers
ARM & HAMMER™ and OXICLEAN™ plastic pouches
All brands of empty writing instruments, glue sticks, watercolor dispensers, paint sets, and flexible packaging
Please see above for proposed letter from SENCo to Pierce County Council regarding Ordinance 2020-136.
If you would like to vote on SENCo’s support of this letter, you are eligible as any resident, renter, or owner of property, business, or nonprofit and their employees, who live or work within the SENCo Neighborhood Council Boundary.
For more information, see 
Port of Tacoma Strategic Plan
Meaningful Movies of Tacoma
No Time to Waste celebrates legendary 98-year-old park ranger Betty Reid Soskin’s inspiring life, work and urgent mission to restore critical missing chapters of America’s story. The film follows her journey as an African American woman presenting her personal story from a kitchen stool in a national park theater to media interviews and international audiences who hang on every word she utters.
Pierce Transit Announces a new Online, Regional Trip Planning ToolPierce Transit has announced a new online, regional trip planning tool to help transit riders plan trips throughout Pierce County and around Puget Sound. The new Trip Planner, available at 
