The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG) invites the public to attend a free workshop from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday, May 11 at the Aberdeen Timberland Library, 121 E. Market Street in Aberdeen.
Experts on open government issues will lead the attendees through a process that will enable them to effectively exercise their rights under Washington’s open government laws. The purpose of the workshop is to help people understand their right to know what their state and local governments are doing. Attorney Katherine George, a WCOG board member, will explain Washington’s open public meetings and public records laws. The workshop will feature general guidance rather than specific legal advice. Reference materials will be supplied.
Washington Coalition for Open Government is an independent non-partisan non-profit organization founded in 2002 by a group of individuals representing organizations with a broad spectrum of opinions and backgrounds, all dedicated to the principles of strengthening the state’s open government laws and protecting the public’s access to government at all levels.
Funding for this workshop is provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through a grant from the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

For more information, contact

Washington Coalition for Open Government

6351 Seaview Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98107-2664

on the web at www.washingtoncog.org

or call 206.782.0393

Hoquiam, WA - The Hoquiam Police Department participated in the most recent DEA “Got Drugs?” Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27, 2013. Police Chief Jeff Myers tells us a total of 53 citizens dropped off 122 pounds of unwanted medication for safe disposal. The cost to incinerate this medication was covered by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
This is the sixth time Hoquiam has participated in this program. To date, the department has collected and disposed of 607 pounds of unwanted medication since 2010.
Changes to federal medication control laws, including the “Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010” have paved the way to establish formal and safe drug take-back programs to take this responsibility off law enforcement. In the past, the Washington State Legislature has considered several bills to establish a statewide program paid for by the pharmaceutical companies themselves.
Myers said "It only seems right that the companies actually making the medications, spending millions on advertising and receiving profits should fund community drug-take back programs statewide. This would not only relieve the taxpayer of the cost, it would more likely create regular drop-off sites in all our communities. So far, a funding mechanism has not been established.
Chief Myers has been an advocate of the program for years "Our department, and undoubtedly many others in our region, would expand collection efforts with an outside drop-box or other safe, fast and convenient system, so long as the collection and disposal costs did not fall to the local taxpayer.

Ocean Park, WA - Crews fought a large structure fire in Ocean Park Monday night, Pacific County fire district 1 reports the fire in the 29000 block of R Street was well involved when crews arrived, just five minutes after recieving the call.
It took over three hours to extinguish the fire, due to the large fire load in the home, and its location in an area with no hydrants. Approximately 10,000 gallons of water was used in the suppression effort.
The two occupants of the home were transported by ambulance to Ocean Beach Hospital for evaluation. The district reports a total of 22 District personnel responded in three engines, three tenders, one ambulance, and two support vehicles. The home and contents are considered a total loss.

Elma, WA - The Regional Education and Training Center (RETC) will hold its 5th Annual Try-A-Trade this Thursday May 2nd, 9am – 1pm, at the Satsop Business Park in Elma. The event will host 650 high school students from 24 schools within the Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, and Pacific Counties. This will be by far the largest Try-A-Trade event held by RETC. The hands on event will have 15 exhibitors from different trades participating. Students will be given the opportunity to operate crane simulators, and strap in for a ride on a 60- foot utility boom truck, among other things.

Try-A-Trade is part of an effort to inform students about the variety of career pathways following high school graduation. The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) is also sponsoring workshop for high school counselors to learn about apprenticeship pathways for their students and how these experiences can transfer directly to a college degree from Washington’s 34 state colleges.

Each year, the RETC aims to hold the event at no cost to the student and to provide bus scholarship support to schools who could not afford to attend otherwise. “To run this event and support our schools, the RETC works to raise over $15,000 for student lunches, safety equipment, and bus scholarships,” said Ryan Davis, Executive Director of RETC, “This event could not have been possible without great community support from sponsors and industry volunteers who invest their time to share knowledge and expertise with America’s next generation of workforce laborers.”