7/20: David Thompson, Food Is Free

By rebecca No comments

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David Thompson talks with Becky about Food Is Free, the urban agriculture movement where tenders of sidewalk gardens share their bounty freely with the community.  Interview begins at 12:03. 

STATE

  • As of today, July 20th, all indoor and outdoor live entertainment, including live music at restaurants or drive-in concerts will be prohibited across the state due to the state experiencing the highest single-day case increases, and the highest 7-day average case count, since the pandemic began in January.
    • All social gatherings for individuals in phase 3 counties will be limited to 10 people, down from the previous allowance of 50.
    • All social gatherings for individuals in phase 2 counties (which includes Pierce and King Counties) and all phase 1 counties, will continue to be limited to 5 people per week.
    • Examples of social gatherings include book clubs, barbecues, picnics, parties of any kind, baby showers, social clubs, garage sales, and gatherings on beaches and in parks.
    • Exceptions include spiritual services, weddings, and funerals.
    • The governor warned that the increased restrictions “may be a forerunner to additional rollbacks,” and he stated that “we cannot rule out the potential for another stay-home order this year, and perhaps not in the too distant future.”
  • The State Secretary of Health has returned all applications from counties whose applications were put on pause or pending review from before a statewide pause on phase movement went into effect, because four weeks will have passed before the earliest possible date that permission might be granted for a county to move forward a phase, and virus rates will likely have changed.
    • The nearest county whose application was turned back is Kitsap County.
    • The secretary of health urges Washingtonians to stay home as much as possible regardless of what phase your county is in, severely limit the number of people that you interact with, practice good hand-washing hygiene, and wear masks.

PIERCE COUNTY

  • The Pierce County Fair is accepting online entries for consideration to earn virtual ribbons.
    • The deadline to enter is Friday, July 24th at 10pm
    • Entries are welcome in the categories of Arts, Photo., Floral, Sewing, Needle Arts, Foods, and more
    • See PierceCountyFair.com for more info

TACOMA

  • The city council will hold its weekly meeting tomorrow, July 21st at 5pm via zoom.
    • It will be broadcast in real time on TVTacoma, at TVTacoma.com, and on the city’s facebook live account.
  • The City is offering a virtual workshop this Wednesday, July 22nd, 2-4 pm for business owners, aspiring business owners, and tax preparers
    • Topics include Tax classifications and how they apply to your business, Minimum thresholds that apply before filing is required, Completion and Online filing for tax returns and license renewals, and Tacoma’s paid sick leave and minimum wage laws
    • You can register by calling 253-591-5252 or sign up online at CityofTacoma.org under the “government” tab. Look for “Tax and License” workshops.
  • The City of Tacoma is offering a workshop for residents called “Budget in the Time of COVID-19” to advise on how the city’s funds should be prioritized in light of a projected $67 million deficit for 2021-2022.
    • Participants will use an interactive tool to indicate what resources and services are important to them .
    • The workshop is this Thursday, July 23rd, 6-7:30 PM via Zoom.
    • You can find the log-in information and call-in numbers on the city’s Facebook page under events
    • Anyone can try out the budget tool online at tacomawa.abalancingact.com, or fill out surveys for resident priorities at cityoftacoma.org/budgetdevelopment.

TESTING SITES

  • There are numerous free testing sites in our region:
  • For Pierce County locations, visit TPCHD.org/covidtest.
  • This weekend into next week, pop-up testing events include:
    • Saturday, July 18, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Anderson Island Fire Department, 12207 Lake Josephine Blvd
    • Tuesday, July 21, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., at Catholic Community Services, 5050 South Tacoma Way
    • Wednesday, July 22, noon – 7:00 p.m. at the Steilacoom Farmer’s Market on Lafayette Street between Wilkes and Pacific
    • Thursday, July 23, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Graham Fire Station 91 at 10012 187th Street East
    • Also on Thursday, July 23, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Child & Family Hope Center, 2102 S. 23rd St Tacoma 98405
  • Patients can also call their health providers for tests.
  • Some of the testing sites offer rapid test results, while others have a 48-hr or 5 to 7-day turnaround time.
    • The Health Department reports that around 20% of Covid tests in Washington state are being delayed because of national shortages of lab supplies, like chemicals and plastic vials and pipette tips.
    • The department advises those needing fast results call testing sites to see if in-state labs are doing the analysis, since in-state labs are seeming to have more rapid turnaround times than large out-of-state labs.