VOICE Program; Volunteer program; Lincoln Award Scholarship; Rotary scholarship; Free enterprise scholarship; Host families needed; Foundation business breakfast is March 22; IMS presents `Grease’ ; Water shut off; Fund for fire victims set

VOICE Program

Applications for current eighth through12th graders will be available Friday, April 1, for the V.O.I.C.E Program. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 27.

Volunteers accepted to the program must attend a mandatory informational meeting on Thursday, May 12, (date subject to change). For information or an application call 236-7293. Applications will be available at Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, the R&R place at the high school, the Mercer Island Library, Islander Middle School and the VOICE Web site: www.mi-voice.com

Volunteer program

Also through Youth and Family Services, the Summer Volunteer Program, open to current sixth and seventh graders, is back. SVP introduces young volunteers to community service and social service issues around the larger community. All service projects are structured group activities. Applications will be available Friday, April 8. The program runs from Monday, June 27 through Monday, August 25. For more information or to get on the mailing list, call 236-7293

Lincoln Award Scholarship

Senior high school applications and instructions for the Lincoln Award Scholarship are available at the high school counseling office. The deadline is Thursday, March 31, 2005.

Rotary scholarship

The Mercer Island Rotary is accepting applications for vocational, technical and community college scholarships for the 2005-2006 year. The scholarships will be awarded for vocational or technical training or career retraining. Applications must be turned in by Thursday, March 31. Winners will be announced in early April.

To qualify, a candidate must be a high school graduate or soon to be graduating senior and enrolled or accepted in an accredited vocational-technical institute or community college. Preference is given to Mercer Island residents and graduates of Mercer Island High School. An application must be accompanied by two letters of recommendations and proof of enrollment or progress toward program completion.

Applications are available at the high school counseling office or by calling Dick Chappelle at 206-441-1333 or Pat Turner 236-3326.

Free enterprise scholarship

Washington state high school seniors who have an aptitude for business can earn a financial head start on their college studies with a Free Enterprise Scholarship from the National Federation of Independent Business. The group is planning to award 300 scholarships across the nation this spring, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.

Applicants must be entering their freshman year at an accredited two- or four-year university, college, community college or vocational or technical institute. Applicants must also be nominated by a Washington state NFIB member. The deadline for applying in Tuesday, March 15.

For more information, call 360 786-8675.

Host families needed

The International Student Exchange Program is seeking local host families for teens from countries around the world. Visits are for students attending a local school for one semester to one year. All can speak English. Each exchange student is screened, has their own spending money and expects to be a responsible member of a household. Families may select the teen of their choice through student applications, biographical essays and photos. Those interested should call 1-800-733-2773.

Foundation business breakfast is March 22

The Mercer Island Schools Foundation is hosting its second annual community business fund-raising breakfast, “Because Good Schools are Good Business,” on Tuesday, March 22, at Mercer Island High School. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the program starts at 7:45 a.m. The master of ceremony is KIRO radio host Dave Ross, and the keynote speaker is Bob Watt, vice president for The Boeing Co.

The program will include a short video presentation on how support from the foundation helps the Mercer Island School District educate students to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Sponsorships and guest reservations can be made by contacting the Mercer Island Schools Foundation at 275-2550.

IMS presents `Grease’

The Islander Middle School drama club is presenting the 1950’s musical `Grease’ this weekend. Several Mercer Island High School students helped to produce the play and mentor the middle school actors.

Check the Calendar section for times and information.

Water shut off

The city briefly shut off the water system immediately surrounding the Island Market Square construction site last week so that workers could make connections for the project’s fire service and other water lines.

“We’re trying to do all the work at night to minimize the impact,” City Engineer Patrick Yamashita said.

The one-block shutdown on S.E. 28th Street occurred from about midnight to 4 a.m. last Tuesday, and was projected to affect only the Shell gas station and the QFC, both of which expected to have very few customers during that time period.

Fund for fire victims set

A fund has been established to help the family displaced by a fire two weeks ago at a home in the 3700 block of 78th Avenue S.E.

The family had no renter’s insurance, so their landlady, Kathryn Allahyari started a fund to help them purchase new clothing and possessions.

Donations can be made to the Caccam Family Relief Fund at any U.S. Bank. As an alternate means of support, Allahyari suggested that Islanders may prefer to patronize Tsukushinbo, a sushi restaurant that the family runs in Seattle at 515 S. Main St.