Notes from the March Meeting

Here are some items of interest from our March meeting.

Upcoming Events
Base Commander Keith Watson brought us up to date on new and upcoming events:

• Christmas Luncheon - We have confirmed our reservations for the 2011 luncheon for Saturday, December 17. We know the holiday season can be busy, so be sure to mark this one down on your calendar.
• Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade - The parade is Saturday, May 21 and we have submitted all our paperwork for the parade. The parade starts at 10 AM and we will be meet around 9 AM. We are also expecting some members from the Silent Service Motorcycle Club to join us at the parade. We will pass along more information as we get closer to the date.
• Smokey Point Rest Stop Event - This event is set for June 10 - 13 (Friday to Monday) and Steve Shelton is looking for people to sign up for shifts at the coffee booth. If you would like to sign up for a 2 hour, 4 hour, or longer shift, contact Steve. Even if you can't put in time at the booth, you can help out by donating cookies (or money to buy cookies) for the booth.

New Book From Don Ulmer
Base member Don Ulmer dropped off copies of his new book, The Cold War Beneath, at the meeting. You can get a copy from Base Storekeeper Bill Giese for $20.

The Cold War Beneath tells the story of an event at sea off the New England coast during the post World War II years. Two submarines play a dangerous underwater game of hide and seek in this action thriller as U.S. Navy forces try to find out the Russian's true intentions for being in American waters.
You can also get copies of Don's other books, Silent Battleground and Shadows of Heroes, from Bill.

Happy Birthday Seattle Base
March 23 is the 12th birthday for our base. We had cake on hand to celebrate the birthday. 

Happy Birthday Seattle Base

March Program
Our March program was a presentation on the King County Veterans And Human Services Levy by King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson and a discussion of King County Veterans programs by Regional Veterans Service Manager Joel Estey.

Councilmember Bob Ferguson (left) and Joel Estey (right)

Councilmember Ferguson covered the history of the King County Veterans And Human Services Levy and highlighted the impact it has had on the veterans community. Since its voter approval in 2005 the levy has expanded and enhanced veterans services such as: legal aid, job retraining, PTSD treatment services for veterans and their families, housing assistance, emergency financial assistance, and working with incarcerated veterans to break the cycle of involvement in the justice system. The program also serves as a model for other states and Washington counties. You can read more about the program and its accomplishments on the King County website.

The levy will sunset this year unless it is approved for the ballot by the King County Council and renewed by voters. The proposed measure will ask voters to renew the levy with:

• No new taxes - the proposed rate is the same as the current rate (5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value).
• Same distribution of fund - 50% for veteran and 50% for human services (note that veterans are eligible for the human services programs).
• Same time frame - the renewed levy would last for 6 years, after which it could be renewed or sunset based on Council and voter actions.

The King County Council must act by mid-2011 to put the levy renewal on the ballot. If you would like to support placing the levy on the ballot, you should contact your councilmember. You can find contact information for your councilmember at Metropolitan King County Council website.

Following Councilmember Ferguson's presentation was Regional Veterans Service Manager Joel Estey. Joel is part of the King County Veterans Program that provides assistance to honorably discharged veterans and their dependents residing in King County, although Joel is happy to help find information for veterans from other counties and states. Joel let us know that there is actually a Washington state law that all counties provide veterans assistance program and he gave us some information about different programs available in King County. Joel provided us with contact information. He also suggested dialing 211 for help if you (or someone you know) need veterans assistance information, but you aren't sure who to contact.

Special thanks to Dick Gonzales for arranging the presentations.