Poetry in motion

Every year, poems written by local residents and selected by a panel of professional writers are displayed on large placards inside Metro Transit buses. And every year, the transit agency holds its "Poetry on Buses" contest to collect new poems to ponder.

This year's theme is "Dreams."

The contest is open to all residents of King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. Only one previously unpublished poem per applicant can be submitted for consideration, and poems must be 50 or fewer words.

The deadline to enter is April 30. This year, all submissions must be made online.

Besides exposure on bus placards, selected poems will be published in a book. Selected poets will receive a $125 honorarium for use of their poems on the bus.

Contest rules and a selection of published poems from past years are online at transit.metrokc.gov/prog/poetry/poetry.html.

Today

Seattle's transportation department will hold an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. to discuss extending the Mountains-to-Sound Greenway Trail from North Beacon Hill to the SODO area south of downtown Seattle.

The proposed trail extension would start at the end of the existing Mountains-to-Sound Greenway Trail near the south end of the Jose Rizal Bridge on 12th Avenue South on north Beacon Hill.

The open house will be at Beacon Hill Elementary School, 2025 14th Ave. There'll be a presentation at 7 p.m.

Birthday bash

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the nation's oldest scientific agency, marks its 200th birthday this year. To note the milestone, there will be a special exhibit of NOAA artifacts at Seattle's Pacific Science Center from Saturday through Sept. 3.

For the opening weekend, Lynne Barre of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service will talk about killer whales at 3 p.m. Saturday, and retired NOAA scientist Robert Burns will talk about the history of surveying in the Puget Sound area at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Pacific Science Center is at Seattle Center. There is an admission charge for those who are not Science Center members. Information: 206-443-2001.

Getting around

Inspection work on the Hood Canal Bridge on Highway 104 may create delays for motorists traveling between the Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula across Hood Canal on Saturday.

The work, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., will require a single lane closure on the east end of the bridge.

Motorists are advised to consider the temporary traffic restrictions when making travel plans.

Traffic watch

The left southbound lane of Interstate 5 south of Bellingham near Bow Hill in Skagit County will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today to replace damaged guardrail near the Bow Hill truck weigh scale (milepost 236 to 235).

The left northbound lane of Interstate 5 south of Bellingham, near Lake Samish in Whatcom County, will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday for repairs to damaged guardrail near Lake Samish (mileposts 244 to 245).

Motorists should watch for crews working next to the freeway.

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.