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 November 15, 2023
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Giving Trees, Gift of Play, and more ways to show generosity this holiday season
Giving Trees will be set up at three city facilities starting Friday, November 17. The city's Giving Tree initiative plays a vital role in assisting Renton families in need during the holiday season. There are two ways to contribute and make a difference:
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Gift Giving: Renton Salvation Army has identified and screened Renton families needing assistance. Participating in the Giving Tree is a great way to provide essential items to children and senior adults in our community who face challenging circumstances and enable them to experience the joy of receiving holiday gifts. Here's how: Select a "Gift" tag from the tree and shop for the item specified on the Gift Giving Program tag. Return the unwrapped gift to the front counter by Wednesday, December 13.
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Gift of Play: Choose a "Gift of Play" tag from the tree to donate to the Gift of Play Renton Recreation Scholarship Program. This program makes recreational activities accessible for low-income youth, older adults, and adaptive recreation participants. Donations will cover the recreation activity fees.
For more information or any inquiries, please contact Teresa Nishi at tnishi@rentonwa.gov or call 425-766-5157. Find the Giving Trees in the lobbies of the following locations:
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Renton City Hall: 1055 S. Grady Way
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Renton Community Center: 1715 Maple Valley Hwy
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Don Persson Renton Senior Activity Center: 211 Burnett Ave. N.
Lastly, if giving gifts or monetary contributions is not an option, explore holiday service opportunities on the Just Serve website.
Thanks to all for the support and generosity throughout this holiday season!
Thanking Mary Ellen Stone, for 43 years of service to the community
During Monday night's council meeting, Mayor Armondo Pavone, councilmembers, staff, and community members celebrated and honored the retirement of King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) CEO Mary Ellen Stone with a proclamation.
Mary Ellen Stone has dedicated 43 years of her life as a leader in the fight against sexual assault, serving as the driving force behind the development and growth of the KCSARC in Renton.
Her commitment to community involvement and advocacy is evident through her participation in various boards and committees, including Leadership Tomorrow, the Alki Foundation, and the Seattle Archdiocese Review Board, as well as her past involvement with the Mental Illness Drug Dependence Oversight Board, the Seattle Chief of Police Search Committee, the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, the Sex Offender Management Committee, the Women's Funding Alliance, and the Municipal League Seattle-King County.
While Mary Ellen's efforts were pivotal in establishing and strengthening KCSARC, the work must continue. With that, KCSARC has appointed Kate Krug as the new CEO of KCSARC, ushering in a new leadership chapter for the organization.
Kate has 18 years of nonprofit human services experience developing, implementing, and expanding programming for underserved communities.
In her most recent role, she was the executive vice president at Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) in New York. She supported the organization's programming and fundraising goals, created a nontraditional childcare pilot, and established NEW as a national model for advancing female-identifying and nonbinary individuals in the building and construction trades.
“40 some years ago, we were Renton Rape Line, we started here, and you stood with us. You were the first city and the first local government to say this is important enough that we’re going to support services for victims and their families, and we are going to help people speak out and be loud, and you never wavered from standing with us. I am so appreciative of you. It sends a real message to us as an organization, but more importantly to your residents.” - Mary Ellen Stone, speaking to the mayor and councilmembers at Monday night's council meeting about the relationship between KCSARC and the City of Renton.
Mary Ellen's retirement leaves a significant legacy of transformative leadership within KCSARC and the City of Renton as part of the broader King County community. Thank you, Mary Ellen, and the city looks forward to the continued partnership with KCSARC for years to come.
The city’s Urban Forestry Division will plant 61 new trees by the end of 2023
- Ginkgo biloba
- Quercus robur x alba
- Carpinus caroliniana
- Nyssa sylvatica
- Parrotia persica
- Zelkova serrata
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Ulmus americana 'Princeton'
These carefully selected species possess qualities such as hardiness and adaptability to changing climates. By introducing these trees into the neighborhood, the city aims to achieve multiple benefits, including increased shade coverage, reduced air pollution, mitigation of stormwater runoff, carbon sequestration, enhanced wildlife habitat, and greater genetic diversity within Renton's urban forest.
This tree-planting effort aligns with the city's goal of achieving 30% canopy coverage by 2032. To learn more about the Urban Forestry Division’s future goals, reference the 2022-2032 Urban Forest Management Plan.
Rest assured, the Urban Forestry team will ensure the newly planted trees receive necessary care, including watering and maintenance. However, please submit a request through Renton Responds if any damaged or deceased city trees are spotted.
The city is thrilled to enhance the beauty and environmental benefits of Renton through this project.
Clean Economy Strategy 2.0 Plan adopted
Renton City Council adopted the Clean Economy Strategy (CES) 2.0 at the November 13 council meeting. Thanks to community involvement to inform the plan and provide insight on the plan improvements. In September, the city made the CES 2.0 plan available to residents and businesses to provide public comments and feedback based on updates in response to changing conditions, including significant population growth and new regional and state policies.
Over several weeks, the plan was reviewed with community advisory committees, online public workshops, city-sponsored events, and city-published communications, including weekly newsletters, social media posts, press releases, and a video. This effort resulted in over 90 comments in response to the draft plan.
The CES 2.0 plan was adopted in 2011 and is a roadmap of local policies to reduce Renton’s greenhouse gas emissions, enhance environmental sustainability, and prepare for climate change. The CES 2.0 was developed in a phased approach, starting with a review of existing city and regional climate efforts, including a review of the original CES and measuring progress made in the decade since the original plan was adopted.
Implementing the strategies and actions within the CES 2.0 will support the creation of local green jobs, public health benefits, safer walking and biking routes, more accessible transit, long-term energy cost savings, and more robust emergency management systems.
A hearty thanks to the public for contributing to the betterment of the community, the natural environment, and its future.
Wobble down to the Renton Downtown Partnership wine walk and tree lighting this weekend
The Renton Downtown Partnership will hold its annual Gobble Wobble Wine Walk event this Saturday, November 18, from 2-5 p.m. downtown.
To add to the day’s festivities, this year, the Renton Downtown Partnership will host one of Renton's favorite traditions, the downtown tree lighting. All are invited and encouraged to witness downtown light up. The tree lighting will start at 5:15 p.m. at Piazza Park.
Holiday Bazaar and Food Drive kicks off this Friday
The Holiday Bazaar and Food Drive will take place on Friday, November 17, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Renton Community Center. Support over 100 vendors, including 50 new vendors from small businesses around the region this year, and find the perfect holiday gifts.
While exploring the Holiday Bazaar, sample several local food vendors outside the community center, including Una's Kettle Corn, Pizza Maniac PNW, and Café de la Loba.
Additionally, for the first time this year, the Bazaar will feature a food drive on both days to help those in need this holiday season. We encourage donation of any non-perishable food items to Sustainable Renton at the end of the Bazaar.
We look forward to seeing the community out at these exciting events and appreciate the support in making them successful!
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Around Renton
Free Museum Days – First Wednesday and third Saturday monthly, Renton History Museum (235 Mill Ave. S), 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
November 17 & 18 – Holiday Bazaar, Renton Community Center (1715 SE Maple Valley Hwy), Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.
December 1 - Holiday Lights Opening Night, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park (1201 Lake Wash. Blvd. N), 6-8:30 p.m. Holiday lights will run daily from December 2 through January 1 from 4-9 p.m.
In other news
A recap of the news posted on the city’s social media accounts. Find us (@cityofrenton) on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter. Renton residents can also find us on Nextdoor.
Recreation Guide (classes, activities, leagues & events for September through December)
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