Cherie Seymour and Soul Moving performed Jan. 15 in the Concert 4 Peace during Seattle's "Celebrating the Dream" observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Seattle Center.

Kimberly Howard, left, managing director at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, and Joyce Harris light the candles during the closing ceremony of the cultural center's Kwanzaa celebration on Monday.

Beginning this month, planners for the Portland Development Commission-backed Killingsworth Station project will be soliciting public opinion about a proposed four story condominium and retail building.
Winkler Development and the PDC will hold the first of several neighborhood outreach meetings at 6:30 p.m. on Jan.10 at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center.
Jim Winkler, of Winkler Development, said the meeting will inform those affected and take public comment on the proposed transit-oriented project on the northeast corner of Interstate Avenue and Killingsworth Street. The building will house about 50 condominium units and 9,000 square feet of retail space, although Winkler said final designs won't be drawn until after public comment has been taken.

U.S. Congressman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said he will reintroduce legislation to abolish the Selective Service System and put it in "deep standby" status. Deep standby would suspend draft registration, reduce a significant portion of the system's staff and disband the Selective Service System boards. 

Supporters of a campaign finance reform bill have filed suit in Marion County Circuit Court to require Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and Attorney General of Oregon Hardy Myers to enforce the provisions of a statewide ballot measure approved by Oregon voters last November.
"The voters of Oregon adopted campaign finance reform in November," said attorney Linda Williams, "but the two government officials who are required to implement the reform are refusing to do so."
On Nov. 17, Bradbury issued a letter stating his intent not to implement Ballot Measure 47, although voters approved it in the November general election.

Activist KL Shannon joined at least 100 others at a peaceful protest against the Iraq War Jan. 1 following the death of the 3,000th member of the United States military to be killed since the beginning of the war. Organized by the Veterans for Peace, the protest, called a "die-in" at Westlake Center, included a 30-minute silent action in memory of those killed in the war.

Both legislators and lobbyists agree with Gov. Chris Gregoire: 2007 looks like the year of education spending. When the Legislature goes to work on Jan. 8, the big question will be how much of the state's expected $1.9 million surplus will be spent in the classroom.
Setting the agenda will be Washington Learns, which in November issued 50 pages of suggestions about how to improve education in the state.
The governor, who convened the education task force, is asking the Legislature to start putting some money behind those ideas. With the budget surplus and Democrats firmly in control of both the House and the Senate, such spending is considered highly likely.
"The time is right for us," said Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, chair of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. "The stars are aligned."

Looking for a way to get positive media coverage for your business or organization?
Then join some of Seattle's most prominent reporters and editors for a media access workshop from  8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 20, at Grace United Methodist Church, 702 30th Ave. South, Seattle.

More than 500,000 people in Washington who want to open a checking account won't be accepted because they don't know how to manage their finances.
But a partnership between the nonprofit Consumer Counseling Northwest and area financial institutions could change that with a program called "Get Checking."
The program guarantees a bank account for individuals without checking accounts and is helping people enter the financial mainstream.

Martin Luther King County Council President Larry Gossett will speak at 6 p.m. at the Jan. 9 Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs meeting at the Central Area Motivation Program, 722 18th Ave. in Central Seattle.
Gossett recently was elected by King County Council members as the legislative body's leader for 2007.
The coalition's agenda includes an update on the legislative effort to revise the state construction bid/procurement law RCW 39, Sound Transit's upcoming meetings and related Sound Transit issues, the city of Seattle initiative and the trucking consortium.