The event will feature free health screenings and giveaways by local businesses.

The Edmonds Senior Center is located at 220 Railroad Ave, just two blocks south of the ferry dock on the Edmonds waterfront. Call 425-774-5555 for more information or visit http://edmondssc.org/

Some families have participated in the popular PEPS Newborn group program but many are new to PEPS. In a PEPS Group, parents meet (with their babies), share and learn in informal sessions facilitated by a trained volunteer. Each meeting includes time for sharing parenting highs and lows, followed by a discussion of a topic related to the joys and challenges of parenting. Meetings take place over 11 weeks and also include time for informal socializing and connecting with other parents.

The Baby Peppers group will take place Mondays from noon-1:30 p.m. starting April 23 at the Mountlake Terrace Parent Trust Office, 6912 220th St, SW. For more information and to register, visit http://www.peps.org/programs/infants/baby-peppers

The concerts and artists for this year’s series are:

Sunday, Oct. 23: “Brass & Bratwurst” with The Bavarian Village Band.
Bratwurst lunch begins at 11:45 a.m. followed by the concert at 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m.:
“Sing Noel!” annual Christmas concert featuring the Chancel Choir, Charisma Vocal Group, Youth Singers and Hallelujah Blues Choirs, Chapel Bells, instrumentalists, and percussionists of Edmonds United Methodist Church.

Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at 3 p.m.: “The Glory of Organ & Brass” featuring Norma Aamodt-Nelson, Organ, and Brass Reflections.

Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 3 p.m.: “Ring for Joy!” featuring the Chapel Bells of Edmonds United Methodist Church.

Season subscriptions are available for a suggested donation of $30 and can be purchased from the Church Office, by phone (425-778-2119) or online at www.edmondsumc. Tickets are also available at the door at each performance. Edmonds United Methodist Church is located at 828 Caspers St., Edmonds.

Much of the series will benefit the completion of the Visser-Rowland organ gifted to the church and installed in 2009. While the cost of transportation and initial installation of the instrument is complete, there is still significant work to be done. Phase 2 will include repairing and updating the organ’s aging electrical system and installing a new Swell Division of pipes allowing for presentation of a much greater range of organ literature and more sensitive accompaniment of various vocal groups. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from concerts in this year’s series will benefit the Carol Rowe Memorial Food Bank, a ministry of Edmonds United Methodist Church, and the church’s handbell program.

Just two years ago, we provided 3,500 wardrobes for children in need. We have seen the need increase each year, and thankfully — due to our volunteers as well as the support in the community from individuals, businesses, and community organizations — Clothes for Kids has been able to meet that demand.

How does our program work? We are a referral-based organization. Children receive a referral from their school counselor, teacher or administrator. The children and their parents then visit Clothes for Kids during any of our open shopping hours. Together they shop in our retail store environment and select a full wardrobe from our selection of new and gently used clothing. They may visit Clothes for Kids twice per year — once in the fall and once in the spring. As we say, the only thing missing is a cash register.

We are proud of the work we have accomplished. To every volunteer who contributed to more than 7,900 volunteer hours this year, every donor and community group that helped us meet this need, we send our deepest appreciation.

– Submitted by Rob Schwertley, Clothes for Kids

The Port also approved a resolution establishing policies for entering into or amending personal services contracts. This is in response to a state requirement.

Following the meeting, commissioners adjourned to a workshop session to review the Port’s strategic and master plans and suggest possible areas of modification.

The next regularly scheduled Port Commission meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, June 28, in the Port Commission meeting room. Scheduled agenda items include an update and review of the Commission meeting schedule. The public is invited.

– Submitted by Jim Blossey, representing the Port of Edmonds

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The next regularly scheduled Port Commission meeting will be at 7:00 PM, Monday, June 28, 2010, in the Port Commission meeting room. Scheduled agenda items include an update and review of the Commission meeting schedule. The public is invited.

This food (and clothing) drive benefits The Bread of Life Mission, a homeless mission in downtown Seattle. This event is sponsored by EveryDayOneThing.Org, a Seattle start-up aimed at inspiring people to do one thing a day to make the world a better place.

Every Day One Thing will be on hand to help donors learn how to translate their donations into dots on their website, marking every time a person does a “thing.”

The mission is in need of non-perishable foods, toiletries and adult clothing.

For more information, click here.

Let’s all think we are shareholders in a company that has been around for over a century. We are a major manufacture of widgets in Edmonds and have many people employed in the various service levels of this popular and family friendly business.

The Board of Directors is thinking of issuing more bonds to gain money and spend hundreds of hours trying to convince shareholders. Instead the CEO and CFO in April get together with the unions and decide that regionalization and combining services of our beloved team to a larger corporation is the best way.

The Board of Directors becomes engaged and in October, the executive summary numbers and contract of services are provided with various scenarios of only selling service and/or buildings and with service.

The shareholders are also given a few months to review the details but the information is disjointed and some shareholders question both the executive summary numbers and/or the contract summary of services as they are based on averages rather than outlining actual positions and service levels.

During the process the current CFO decides to go to work for the larger corporation. An interim CFO is hired and is present while the shareholders have their meetings with the Board of Directors. Many complain about the quickness of this important transaction in addition to the numbers. Shareholders that complain are not given any specific answers other than the corporation “stand by their numbers.”

The Board of Directors approves the sale of the widget service team and the sale takes place the beginning of 2010.

In January, the new CFO (formerly interim) provides financial projection to the Board of Directors reflecting a significant bottom line loss of close to two million dollars. Additionally, the sale of the services is half than what was anticipated.

The Audit Committee questions the CFO and CEO on these projections and basically the CFO states on more than one occasion that the sales transaction utilized the former CFO’s numbers. At no time during the Audit Committee meeting did the new (formerly interim) CFO takes responsibility of the largest transaction that ever affected this corporation. The CEO states the deal and outdated numbers have nothing to do with the sale of the services.

The stock plummets and shareholders leave in anger. Certain individuals face violating conflict of interest rules and misleading their shareholders. Furthermore, now the Board of Directors has to go back to the shareholders and try and regain trust to convince them to buy into the bonds.

So, the question becomes (use your imagination and fill in the blanks as to the characters of this story), why are municipalities different?

I suggest that those interested request from the council clerk’s office a copy of the taped Feb. 9, 2010 minutes of the Edmonds City Council Finance Committee meeting and listen to the discussion about the sale of Edmonds Fire Department assets to Snohomish County Fire District No. 1 that occurs about 35 minutes into the meeting.

I attended the public meeting at the Port on Monday, Nov. 16, in which Mark Hinshaw and two other consultants outlined a framework for a plan for development of the Port properties. In this letter I will address the process, not the content, of the meeting.

Edmonds citizens have very strong feelings about development on the Waterfront properties and, as you know, I am one of those citizens. Our elected representatives, as public servants, are charged with providing venues to allow all citizens to express their opinions. At the Port meeting, my comments were interrupted by an angry tirade from a member of the Planning Board. The moderator of the meeting, Bruce Faires, did nothing to stop the tirade and allow me to continue my comments. Instead, he joined with the other man in criticizing my input.

I have seen a similar process in City Council meetings. As Mayor, you set the tone for Council meetings, and the tone you set is adversarial. You regularly challenge citizen input at the meetings. It is my understanding that the three-minute comment period is for citizens to express their opinions on any issue “regarding matters not listed on the Agenda as Closed Record Review,” however, you use your position of power to berate and belittle citizens and to support your own political agenda.

An example of this is when you asked Diane Buckshnis, following her input to council, if she was a CPA. This was clearly an attempt to discredit Diane’s input and a thinly veiled way for you to demonstrate your support for Strom Peterson. This abuse of your power as an elected official is especially hypocritical as you meticulously stop citizens who are commenting at Council from referencing, or even wearing labels, supporting candidates for office.

The result of the adversarial tone you set is that it is very difficult to muster the courage to get up in front of council and speak, even for someone as outspoken as I am. I find that I have to be emotionally and physically prepared to handle any abuse that might be forthcoming.

I am disheartened that this pattern of incivility has spread to the Planning Board and to the Port public meetings. I request that you and each Council Member do everything in your power to reverse this trend.

Joan Bloom