Bag a ball

Seattle Mariners coaches and players have each autographed a couple dozen baseballs to be sold in grab bags at tomorrow's M's game against the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field. Each baseball bears one signature and is sealed in a small brown bag. Each bag, with the mystery baseball inside, will be sold for $50.

The grab bags are a fund-raiser sponsored by Mariners Wives & Mariners Care, the team's nonprofit foundation, to benefit Seattle's First Place, an organization that helps youngsters in family crisis.

Grab bags will be available before and during the evening game on Safeco Field's main concourse, and on the Terrace Club and Suite levels. More than 1,000 bags are available, but buyers won't know who signed the ball in it until they open the bag. It's luck of the draw.

Traveler's aid

Two Seattle-area post offices will host passport fairs on Saturday for people seeking a passport. The fairs are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bellevue Post Office, 1171 Bellevue Way N.E., and Kent's Covington Station at 17300 S.E. 270th Place. Passport fairs also will be held the same day at the Everett Post Office on Hoyt Avenue and at Tacoma's University Place Station.

Revised federal requirements are making passports more essential for travelers crossing U.S. borders. By the end of this year, passports will be required for all travel to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Central and South America. And by the end of next year, passports will be required for all travel to and from Mexico and Canada, as well.

To apply for a passport at one of the fairs, applicants must provide two forms of acceptable identification, which could be a certified birth certificate with an official seal, a certificate of naturalization, a valid driver's license or a state identification card.

Passports also are available at the Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle and through some of Seattle's community-service offices.

The passports are not free. There is a charge at the official passport agency, and passport fees will be charged at the post-office fairs, too.

The deadline for nominations for two state awards — the Medal of Merit and Medal of Valor — has been extended to Sept. 30.

The Medal of Merit recognizes those who have distinguished themselves by exceptional meritorious conduct in performing outstanding services to the people of this state. The Medal of Valor recognizes those who, at risk of personal injury or even death, have saved or attempted to save the life of someone else.

Information about the awards and the application process is available from Washington's Secretary of State Office in Olympia, or online at: www.secstate.wa.gov/medals/. The medals will be awarded at a special meeting of the Legislature next year.

Secretary of State Sam Reed administers the awards program. Several top state officials, including Gov. Christine Gregoire, are on the awards committee.

Traffic watch

One more time this week, one lane of Highway 18 in each direction between Federal Way and Auburn will be closed overnight for installation of a glare screen on the median barrier. Lanes will be closed from 9 tonight to 5 a.m. tomorrow. Lanes also were closed overnight Tuesday.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times staff reporter Charles E. Brown and news assistant Suesan Whitney Henderson.

To submit an item, e-mail herenow@ seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.