Seattle News and Events for May 15 Through June 3, 2015

Bike To Work Day: Stop by the Seattle Public Library's Commute Station May 15

The Seattle Public Library will participate in Bike to Work Day 2015 on Friday, May 15 with Books on Bikes commute stations for morning bicycle commuters at two locations.

• 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 15 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Plaza. Bike commuters can roll right up to the Library's plaza, outside the Fourth Avenue entrance.
• 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 15 at the Green Lake Branch, 7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N., 206-684-7547. Bike commuters can stop by the steps of the Green Lake Branch.

Stop by to sign up for a Library card, check out popular media, pick up some free swag and see the Books on Bikes trailers. The trailer at the Central Library was designed by local builder Haulin' Colin, and the Library's newest bike trailer at the Green Lake Branch was painted by local artist Eroyn Franklin.

Library programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required.

This event is presented in partnership with F5 and Cascade Bicycle Club.

For more information, call the Library at 206-684-4720 or www.spl.org.

City To Provide Free Activities During May 19 Teacher Walk-Out

21 community centers to serve students from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Seattle Parks and Recreation has announced it will open and staff drop-in activities at 21 designated community centers for Seattle Public School students from kindergarten to 8th grade in response to the May 19 teacher walk-out. The free program will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19 and will include supervised recreation activities, with an anticipated supervision ratio of 20 children to 1 adult leader.

Due to space limitations, eligible students will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. All students must have a completed registration form. Registration forms can be obtained at open community centers, at the community centers the day of the drop-in service, or printed from www.seattle.gov/parks. To hold a spot at a center register in advance please go online at https://class.seattle.gov/parks/Start/Start.asp. A registration form still must be brought to the community center on the 19th.

Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Associated Recreation Council will staff these sites. Parents are asked to drop off eligible children by 9 a.m. Spaces for parents who have pre-registered will not be held past 9:00 a.m. Once signed in, children will only be released to the authorized contacts listed on the registration form (identification is required).

Parents are asked to send a sack lunch with their child. Snacks will be provided to all students, and lunch will be provided to those students who are unable to bring their own.

Parks’ Teen Centers will be open 2:30-8:00 p.m. in order to provide some daytime drop-in activities for teens. Geographically located Teen Centers are Meadowbrook, Garfield, and Southwest. For the complete list of open centers go to http://www.seattle.gov/parks/tlc.

Use Your Library Card to Visit Museums for Free

The Living Computer Museum has joined The Seattle Public Library’s Museum Pass program, bringing the total to 14 Seattle museum partners offering free admission to Library cardholders.

The Museum Pass program allows patrons of The Seattle Public Library to use their Library card to check out free museum passes.

Participants can reserve a pass to an individual museum once every 30 days, and may use one pass per week. All passes are good for up to two people -- some passes even include free admission for kids ages 17 and under.

The program reservation system requires the cardholder enter their Library card number, personal identification number (PIN), choose a specific date, and print the museum pass. To read more details and reserve a museum pass, visit www.spl.org/museumpass.

Other participating museums include: The Burke Museum, The Center for Wooden Boats, EMP Museum, Henry Art Gallery, The Log House Museum, Museum of Flight, Museum of History & Industry, Nordic Heritage Museum, Northwest African American Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Asian Art Museum and Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience.
The Museum Pass program is sponsored by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or go to www.spl.org.

Washington Verizon, Sprint Consumers Hit With Bogus Charges Can Claim Refunds

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that more than 750,000 Washington Sprint and Verizon customers will be eligible for refunds for unauthorized charges on their cell phone bills as a result of legal action by his office.

An estimated 774,900 Washington customers were wrongly charged millions of dollars for unauthorized services. Consumer victims of this practice, called “cramming,” are socked with charges, typically $9.99 per month, for “premium” text message services (PSMS) — such as horoscopes, trivia, and sports scores — that they have never requested or often even heard of.

Ferguson urged Washington consumers to obtain the refunds they deserve by submitting claims for reimbursement to Verizon and Sprint. (Claims instructions below.)

Affected customers can submit claims, find information about refund eligibility, and request a free account summary that details PSMS purchases on their accounts at the websites below.

Verizon Consumers can submit claims by visiting www.CFPBSettlementVerizon.com or calling the claims administrator at 888-726-7063 (Verizon).

Sprint customers can submit claims at www.SprintRefundPSMS.com or call 877-389-8787 (Sprint).

Build a Kite at The Seattle Public Library June 3

School's out early! Come build a colorful kite or pinwheel from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 at The Seattle Public Library, Wallingford Branch, 1501 N. 45th St., 206-684-4088.

Library programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required. A limited amount of parking is reserved for Library users in the adjacent parking lot. Street parking is free and available near the branch.

On Wednesday, June 3, all Seattle Public Schools have a two-hour early dismissal. All materials for building kites and pinwheels will be provided. This program is designed for children ages 6 and up.

For more information, contact the Library at 206- 684-4088 or www.spl.org.

For more Seattle area events, visit The Skanner's Community Calendar.