Hopelink gathering food, gift donations

As the holidays approach, Hopelink expects a significant increase in the number of families needing help. The agency is requesting donations of food, new toys, clothing and gift cards to help meet the demand.

Hopelink's six area food banks need nonperishable items such as tuna and other canned meats, peanut butter, pasta, rice, cereal, soup, canned fruit and tomato products, vegetable oil, onions and potatoes. Grocery-store gift certificates also are needed to purchase fresh foods.

Holiday gift items, including new, unwrapped toys and clothing for children and teens, gift certificates for stores like Target, Fred Meyer, Old Navy and Borders Books, and gifts for teens such as portable CD players, jewelry and sports equipment are all needed. These items are made available to low-income parents and grandparents who can "shop" for the children in their families from the gifts available at the six Hopelink centers.

Addresses and phone numbers of Hopelink centers in Bellevue, Bothell, Carnation, Kirkland, Redmond and Shoreline are available at www.hope-link.org or by calling 425-869-6000. Contact the nearest center for hours and holiday-donation deadlines.

Bellevue

Glass-blowing teens to hold sale Saturday

The Sammamish High School Hot Glass Program will hold a sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the school, 100 140th Ave. S.E. Sammamish is the only high school in Bellevue with a hot-glass (glass-blowing) center. The sale will feature glass-art ornaments, bowls, vases and paperweights made by students and more than 200 pieces donated by guest artists from the Seattle area. Students will give glass-blowing demonstrations during the sale.

Proceeds will benefit the hot-glass program.

Fee changes ahead for building permits

Expect some changes in the cost of city permits to remodel a home, add a deck or build a new office building in Redmond. A new fee schedule becomes effective in March.

The new fees will allow the city to begin recovering the actual cost of building permits and 85 percent of the cost for most planning entitlement fees, such as for subdivision activation and changes of use.

The fee schedule is available from the city clerk and will be posted on the city Web site, www.ci.redmond.wa.us, in January. For more information, contact Roberta Lewandowski, director of planning and community development, at rlewandowski@redmond.gov or 425-556-2447.

Cascadia benefit a boost for teaching

Cascadia Community College in Bothell has raised $24,000 for a new endowment to promote teaching excellence.

The money was contributed by more than 75 guests who attended a benefit event at the Columbia Winery in Woodinville in November to raise funds for the Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Service faculty award.

The money will be matched by a dedicated state fund that encourages partnerships between community colleges and the communities they serve, said Linda Hendrickson, executive director of the Cascadia Community College Foundation and fund development.

"We are extremely gratified by our community's generous donations to this endowment," said Linda Holman, the foundation board chairwoman.

Seattle Times staff