newrainiervista.com

The recent snow didn’t cause any power outages for us in NRV, but lots of other people lost power. And we’re certainly not immune. The following info comes from Public Heath-Seattle & King County.

Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill you. Carbon monoxide gas comes from burning fuels such as gasoline, propane, oil, kerosene, natural gas, coal or wood.

Prevent poisoning from carbon monoxide:

• Only use a generator outdoors and far from open windows and vents
• Never use a generator or portable propane heater indoors, in garages or carports
• Never cook or heat inside on a charcoal or gas grill.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen suddenly and without warning. Physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include splitting headache, nausea and vomiting, and lethargy and fatigue.

If you believe you could be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Call for medical help from a neighbor’s home. The Fire Department will tell you when it is safe to re-enter the home.

For a full list of carbon monoxide prevention tips and other safety and disaster information in English and other languages, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/disaster.

Staying warm indoors safely
If you have a power outage, use safe ways to stay warm:

• Find places where you can go to get warm, such as the home of friends and family whose homes have power. Many cities have opened centers where people can go during the day to stay warm. Center locations can be found at www.kingcounty.gov/safety/prepare
• Wear several layers of light weight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. Wear hats, mittens, and blankets indoors.
• Close curtains and cover windows and doors with blankets. Everyone should try to stay together in one room, with the door closed, to keep in body heat.

Stay safe

• Check on elderly friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they are safe.
• Watch your footing on surfaces that may be icy and slick, and wear shoes that provide traction.
• Be careful not to overexert yourself when shoveling snow, especially if you have heart disease or high blood pressure, as the cold weather puts extra strain on your heart.
• Do not sled on streets or on slopes near streets, ponds, or streams.
• Avoid driving if you can. If you must drive, allow safe stopping times and distances.

Help others

• Warn others about carbon monoxide poisoning. Share the information with neighbors, friends, family and community groups.
• Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially if they are elderly or if you think their power might be out.
• If you know someone who has lost electricity, invite them to your home to stay warm.

Food safety
If power goes out where you live, keep food safe:

• Keep the doors closed on your refrigerators and freezers as much as possible. This keeps the cold air inside. A full freezer can stay at freezing temperatures about two days; a half-full freezer about 1 day.
• If you think the power will be out for several days, try to find some ice to pack inside your refrigerator. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Refrigerated foods should be safe as long as the power is out no more than a few hours and the refrigerator/freezer doors have been kept closed. Throw away foods that spoil easily (such as meat and fish) if they warm up above 41º F.
• Frozen foods that remain frozen are OK to eat. If potentially hazardous foods are thawed (such as meat and fish), but are still cold or have ice crystals on them, use them as soon as possible. If potentially hazardous foods are thawed and are warmer than 41º F, throw them away.

The next NRV Community Kitchen will be held this coming Friday, Nov. 18, from 10am til noon, at the NRV Neighborhood House. Seattle Tilth will be running the class and teaching residents how to make their own pickles. The class is free and all supplies are provided. Students will take home jars of pickles at the end of the class!

If any residents have favorite pickle recipe to share, they are welcome to join!

If you have any questions, please contact Kate Farmer at katef@nhwa.org

Come join your neighbors for a Thanksgiving feast, Wednesday, November 16 from 5pm to 7pm at the Neighborhood House. Bring a dish to share (and label your contribution with the name of the dish and primary ingredients). There will be raffles and games! Spend some time with your neighbors and start the holiday season off right! Need more info? Contact Naomi at nchang@seattlehousing.org.

Construction on the northeast corner of NRV is completed. There will be a Celebration on Thursday, October 20 from 3pm to 5pm at 4200 MLK. Stephanie Van Dyke, SHA’s Director of Development, will speak at 3:30 and appetizers will be served.

Come celebrate our volunteers, the farm, and the harvest with:

• A potluck dinner (if you can, bring the recipe for your dish to share as well)
• An apple cider press
• Conversations and sharing stories with your friends and neighbors

The party is on Tuesday September 13th 6 – 8pm at The Seattle Community Farm, which is located just west of MLK in between Lilac and Andover Streets. It’s directly behind the new Habitat for Humanity houses.

For more information, contact Mariah Pepper at 206-387-6644 or urbanfarm@solid-ground.org.

Come join Rainier Valley Eats! this Friday, August 26th from 5:30 to 6:30pm for a free community dinner at the Rainier Community Center. Cooking starts at 3pm if you want to participate in the cooking.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Leika at pearblossom88@hotmail.com.

Come Join Your Neighbors for the New Rainier Vista Night Out Celebration
Saturday, 7/30/11
5:00PM – 8:00PM
New Rainier Vista Central Park (29th Avenue and South Genesee)

Fun for Kids and Families!
Community Potluck!
Raffle Prizes!
Chickens will be provided!
Bring a dish to share with your neighbors!

Featuring:

? Au Lac Vovinam Lion Dance Team
? Rainier Vista Khmer Dance Group
? Strongman Demonstration
? Face Painting
? Karaoke

For information, call Naomi Chang at 206-722-4010 ext. 11 or email nchang@seattlehousing.org

Sponsored by the Rainier Vista Traffic and Safety Committee and Multicultural Gathering

This project is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Rainier Vista Home Owner Association, Neighborhood House and the Seattle Housing Authority

There’s a work party for the new trails in Cheasty Greenspace at Mt. View coming up on Saturday, July 9 from 10am to 1pm. There’s lots of trail prep work to be done before the next load of gravel arrives in August.

Bring a drink and something to share and join in a Potluck BBQ at Mary DeJong’s house after the work party.

(This work party is running long enough that you can come to the Neighborhood Cleanup at 10am, have a doughnut and some coffee, pick up some trash, then head out to Cheasty at Mt. View and do some plant relocation and trail leveling, and then join in a potluck. There, a full Saturday of outdoor time and community connections!)

There will be a “Gumbo Feed” with Gumbo, cornbread, soda and salad at Rainier Vista Boy’s and Girl’s Club this Saturday, June 18th from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Food can be eaten there or they will pack it up for you to take it home. $15.00/person and a great cause right in our own neighborhood.

Lettuce Link is pleased to announce the official Grand Opening of our newest project, The Seattle Community Farm at Rainier Vista! You are all invited to come by on Saturday, June 25, 2011 12 noon — 3pm.

Come celebrate our first growing season! Visit the farm, enjoy a light lunch, and hear about all the exciting things we’re doing. Bring your friends, bring your kids, and enjoy the day!

• 12pm — Food is served
• 12:30pm — Welcome & official opening
• 1-3pm — Children’s Games, Arts & Crafts, Farm Tours

The Farm is at the far north end of Rainier Vista, north of the P-Patch. For more information, please contact Mariah Pepper, Seattle Community Farm Outreach Coordinator at urbanfarm@solid-ground.org or 206.387.6644.