News briefs
MI Senior Commission highlights older Americans in May
The Mercer Island Senior Commission launches “Older Americans Month” with a special showcase at the Mercer Island library. Entitled “Connecting The Generations,” the display can be viewed through the month of May, the traditional Older Americans Month since the 1960s.
A reception for Island older adults is scheduled for Friday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Center at Mercer View. All of the Commissioners will attend and refreshments will be provided.
The City Council and Senior Commission also invite Islanders ages 55 and older to complete a need-and-interest survey. These are available at the library, community center, Island Books and the Chamber of Commerce.
Island Books joins in honoring elders throughout May with a special display of selected literature and resource books of interest to older individuals.
The Senior Commission will submit recommendations late this summer to the City Council based on input from the survey and the May 30 event.
Former President John F. Kennedy was the first to designate May as “Senior Citizens Month.” Then along came former President Jimmy Carter’s updated “Older Americans Month.” By presidential proclamation, it is a time to honor family and all persons considered seniors.
The Mercer Island Senior Commission invites Islanders to celebrate May across the generations. Count every day as a “service” day; do something for each other as simple as holding a door open, helping someone across the street or carrying a grocery bag along with conversation. Smile at the youth who embrace our future.
The Commissioners are Maria Ackley, Alanna Burdell, Beth Cordova, Susan Guralnick, David Jobe, Chair, Tom Kenworthy, and Harriet Weiss, co-chair. For more information about the events this month regarding “Older American’s Month,” contact Maria Ackley at (206) 409-3193 or Beth Cordova at (206) 652-4444.
PSE buyout meeting
The Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission will hold a public meeting in regard to the purchase of Puget Sound Energy by a group of private investment companies.
The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m., May 15, in room 130 B at Bellevue Community College. The Bellevue meeting is one of three regarding the proposed merger between the publicly held company and a consortium of investors in Australia, Canada and United States.
The transaction must be approved by the UTC, which is presently reviewing the transaction to ensure that the new ownership will not “cause harm to PSE’s customers.” Comments are also accepted by e-mail. For more information, go to www.PSE.com or www.utc.wa.gov.
Council broadcasts delayed until July
The city has postponed its start date for airing City Council meetings on cable television. The city now plans to begin televising the Council during its July 21 meeting.
Prior to putting the bimonthly meetings on cable, the Council wants to approve and adopt an operation policy that lays down the ground rules of its broadcast. Communications Coordinator Joy Johnston said she is working on that policy but needs more time with the videographer.
“We want to make sure that we get it passed,” Johnston said of the operations policy.
Johnston hopes the operations policy will be approved during the Council’s July 7 meeting. If adopted, the city will air the following meeting on Comcast cable channel 21 at 7 p.m., July 21.
