Drop-in testing for lead in toys

Concerned about high levels of lead in toys?

This weekend, the Darcy Burner Campaign team and Essco Safety Check of Redmond are sponsoring a toy test in seven Eastside and South Sound communities looking for lead contamination and other toxic chemicals. Parents can bring in toys (or other children's products) and have them tested on site without charge.

Testing will be done with an XRF analyzer, a high-tech x-ray gun that detects the presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products. Saturday tests are planned from:

• 9 -11 a.m., Puyallup Public Library, 324 S. Meridian, Puyallup.

• Noon-2 p.m., Covington City Hall, 16720 S.E. 271st St., Covington.

• 3-5 p.m., Fairwood Library, 17009 140th Ave. S.E., Renton.

• 6-8 p.m., Island Park Elementary School, 5437 Island Crest Way, Mercer Island.

Sunday tests are scheduled from:

• 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Community Meeting Room, Crossroads, 15600 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue.

• 2-4 p.m., Issaquah Library, 10 West Sunset Way, Issaquah.

• 5-7 p.m., Redmond Regional Library, 15990 N.E. 85th St., Redmond.

For more information, call 425-443-2564 or see www.darcyburner.com and www.essco-safetycheck.com

Civic calendar

A holiday on ice

Today-Sunday: Check out some cool sculptures. Ice sculptor Chan Kitburi and crew demonstrate their master carving work at two winter festivals. They will put finishing touches on a 4-ton ice snowman at 2:30 p.m. today, Pioneer Square Park, First Avenue South and Yesler Way. The event kicks off the Pioneer Square Historic Holiday running from 4 p.m. today through Sunday. On Saturday, Kitburi and Keijiro Miyata take chainsaws and chisels to ice from noon to 2 p.m. outside Fisher Pavilion as part of Seattle Center's Winterfest festivities.

"Grief and the Holidays"

Today: Providence Hospice of Seattle presents "Creating a Memory Keepsake," a workshop designed to help those who have lost a loved one to cope with the challenges of the holiday season. 6 p.m., Providence Hospice of Seattle, 425 Pontius Ave. N., Seattle. For more information, call 206-749-7702.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times lead news assistant Lynne Berry. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.

Dec. 13, 2002: The Army Corps of Engineers issues the Port of Seattle a permit for filling wetlands in connection with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's third runway. The Port had halted processing of an earlier application after determining that more wetlands were potentially affected by the project than originally estimated. In announcing the approval, the Corps district commander, Col. Ralph Graves, spoke of the need to balance protecting some 20 acres of wetlands with the air-safety concerns that prompted third-runway planning. Under the permit the Port is restoring 80 acres of buffer and wetlands along Miller Creek and 33 acres of buffer and wetlands on Des Moines Creek. In Auburn, the Port is creating 30 acres of new wetlands and restore 34 acres of buffer and wetlands, among many other environmental improvement and investments in the greater Sea-Tac area.

Source: Historylink.org