New direction for Olympic National Park?

Olympic National Park is getting a new management plan that will set a course for the park over the next 20 years.

The public is asked to comment on whether the park should continue to be managed as it is today; whether to place greater emphasis on preserving the park as a wild ecosystem; or to increase development for visitors and tourism.

National Park managers have extended the public-comment period on the plan and have scheduled a public hearing in Seattle. The park superintendent and members of the planning team will answer questions and accept comments at the meeting, 5 to 8 p.m. today at Seattle REI, 222 Yale Ave. N.

To review the plan, go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olym or call 360-565-3004.

Changes for Denny Park

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Friends of Denny Park have scheduled three public meetings to gather ideas for the creation of a children's play area and multigenerational gathering area in Denny Park. The park, at 100 Dexter Ave. N., is the city's oldest. The meetings are scheduled:

• Today, 6-8 p.m. at Seattle Unity Church, 200 Eighth Ave. N.

• Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m. at the Spruce Street School, 914 Virginia St.

• Nov. 16, 6-8 p.m. at Denny Park Lutheran Church, 766 John St.

Pioneer David Denny gave the land to the city in 1861, initially for a cemetery and in 1884 for a park. The park was also the site of the Denny Grade School from 1884-1928.

Nominations open

for honoring activists

For the fifth year, the Thomas C. Wales Foundation plans to honor local civic activists who have made significant community contributions in public service.

Nominations are being accepted for the nonprofit foundation's annual Award for Passionate Citizenship, which recognizes ordinary Puget Sound-area citizens dedicated to improving their communities.

Wales was a federal prosecutor and head of the gun-safety organization Washington CeaseFire. Friends and relatives established the foundation in his name shortly after he was shot to death in 2001 at his Seattle home.

Nominations are open to the public and must be submitted online or postmarked by Sept. 11. Information and nomination forms are available on the Foundation's Web site: www.walesfoundation.org, or call 206-233-2801.

The award will be presented at the foundation's annual Night Among Heroes dinner on Nov. 18.

Can you help?

The Literacy Council of Seattle is signing up new volunteers who speak, read and write English to be trained as tutors for English-as-a-second-language learners.

Tutor-training workshops are scheduled two Saturdays next month: Sept 23 and 30, both from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 811 Fifth Ave. in downtown Seattle. Volunteers are required to attend both sessions. To sign up, call 206-233-9720 or e-mail 3278@literacyprogram.org. There is a $35 fee for training materials. Information is online at www.literacyseattle.org.

Here & Now is compiled by Suesan Whitney Henderson, Seattle Times staff. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.