FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Billy Henry, Executive Director
Northwest Association for Blind Athletes
PO Box 65265
Vancouver, Washington 98665
Local Phone: 1-360-448-7254
Toll Free: 1-800-880-9837
http://www.nwaba.org
bhenry@nwaba.org

Paralympian Medalist Brett Lewis Keynotes Northwest Association for Blind Athletes Fundraising Luncheon in Boise on September 15th


Vancouver, Washington--August 21, 2017--Brett Lewis, Paralympian medalist and the first American Judo competitor to win the Gold Medal in both his weight division and open division at the World Championships for the Blind, will provide the keynote address at the Vision for Opportunities Fundraising Luncheon for the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) on Friday, September 15th.

Blind from the age of six, Lewis became active in Judo, running and wrestling as a youth. He grew up in Spokane, Washington and attended Stanford University, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in math and engineering. He worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Mission at NATO and the RAND Corporation. He currently is a software engineer for Freedom Scientific. He also serves as the Head Sensei at the Spokane Judo Club.

The luncheon will be held in room 410 at Boise Centre East, (850 W Front St, Boise, ID 83702.) The event will include a delicious plated meal, a small silent auction, and powerful testimonies by Brett and others impacted by Northwest Association for Blind Athletes. There is no cost to attend, but each guest will be asked to make a tax-deductible gift to support NWABA's life-changing programs and services. Doors open at 11:15 a.m. Individual seats or table reservations can be made by calling 360-448-7254, 1-800-880-9837, or by emailing Rose Lombino (rlombino@nwaba.org).

About NWABA:
The mission of Northwest Association for Blind Athletes is to provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. A group of visually impaired students formed the Association in 2007 to ensure that people who are blind were participating in sports and physical activity. Today, NWABA is a rapidly expanding charitable organization that provides more than 1,500 children, youth, adults and military veterans with visual impairments tailored programming, which improves self-confidence and self-esteem, promotes independence, creates an inclusive community of supporters, and builds the skills necessary to succeed in all areas of life including school and employment.

For information: http://www.nwaba.org or
Contact: bhenry@nwaba.org
Phone: 1-360-448-7254

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CLARKSTON, WA -- Clarkston School District announces its policy for free and reduced-price meals for qualifying children. During the 2017-2018 school year, a child may qualify for meals served under the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Program according to the attached eligibility standards. Breakfast and Lunch is available daily at each school.

Children from families whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The attached table lists the family size income criteria for determining eligibility. Each school and the District's central office have a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party.

Application forms, with a letter to parents or guardians, have been sent to all homes. To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households must fill out the application and return it to the school. Additional copies are available at the school office in each school. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. Please only return one application per household.

For more information on the free and reduced-price meal program, or other food service questions, please contact Food Service Director Amy Kimberling at 509.769.6346.


Attached Media Files: Free & Reduced Meal Prices

PR 12-17
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 17, 2017
CONTACT: Kevin Wingert, 503-230-4140 or 503-230-5131

BPA focuses on safety and reliability during total eclipse

Public's cooperation requested in interacting with crews on or near transmission lines and facilities

Portland, Ore. -- While the pending total eclipse may capture the nation's attention and turn eyes skyward, Bonneville Power Administration remains focused on the region's high-voltage transmission lines directly overhead.

Between Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, officials from the state of Oregon expect an influx of more than one million visitors, many of whom may be camping in areas near BPA facilities and critical infrastructure. Likewise, the state of Idaho anticipates significant travel in and out of the state. BPA is keenly aware that its high-voltage corridors may appear an attractive vantage point for the public even as the lines may pose potential hazards.

These pop-up populations may put additional strain on BPA as it seeks to deliver power reliably and safely throughout the Northwest. BPA's Security and Continuity of Operations Office has been analyzing the path and timing of the eclipse relative to BPA facilities and interests, and working both within BPA and with external agencies to identify and mitigate those potential impacts to our operations.

"We're expecting significant traffic congestion, which could create challenges in responding to any potential power outages. We're also concerned about the possibility of trespassing and vandalism on BPA property, as well as an elevated risk for wildfires," says Sarah Laylo, chief security and continuity officer for BPA.

One concern for the agency is the interaction between the public and our transmission field crews who may be responding to a power outage or performing needed maintenance on the high-voltage transmission system.

"If you encounter a BPA field crew in or near a BPA right-of-way or facility, please remember they have a job to do and that job is directly tied to providing reliable power to the people of the Northwest," said Robin Furrer, vice president of Transmission Services for BPA. "And if they give you instructions or request that you leave an area, it is for your safety. High voltage cannot be taken lightly."

As a way of introduction to visitors and a reminder to residents of the northwest, BPA operates three-fourths of the region's high-voltage transmission system. That system includes more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines that move vast amounts of power from hydroelectric projects and other power plants to urban centers hundreds of miles away.

Here are some key safety facts to remember with power lines or substations:

BPA's high-voltage transmission lines range from 69,000 volts to 500,000 volts -- that's 50 to 100 times the amount of electricity that flows through the distribution lines delivering power to your home;

Unlike the wiring in your home, overhead power lines are not enclosed by electrical insulating material;

Electricity can "arc" or "flashover" from wires, through the air, to trees, other vegetation or equipment up to 15 feet away, where it can cause fires, injuries or even fatalities to anyone nearby;

When power lines carry more electric load, they normally heat up, which causes the wire to expand and sag. In summer, for example, when the air is hot and customers demand lots of electricity, lines can sag up to 14 feet;

Under some high-voltage lines, vehicles can collect induced voltage, particularly if on a nonconductive surface such as asphalt or dry rock. BPA crews use specific restrictions for parking and roads within the right-of-way to keep potential shocks at a low level.

Additionally, wildfires are an ever-present danger, particularly during a dry, hot summer. While BPA's right of ways are used on occasion as fire breaks by firefighters, they are not immune to fire. Something as simple as the heat from an idling vehicle's exhaust pipe can result in combustion of grasses or low vegetation.

BPA is asking the public to report any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the high-voltage transmission system. Damage to lines or substations or other related facilities and equipment is a crime. BPA incurs direct costs to replace stolen or damaged equipment. But those costs, along with lost revenues and economic losses due to power interruptions, are ultimately passed on to electric ratepayers in the Northwest.

Crime Witness Program

BPA offers up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of individuals committing crimes against BPA facilities and infrastructure. If you have information about illegal or suspicious activity on BPA property, please call BPA's 24-hour, toll-free, confidential Crime Witness hotline at 800-437-2744. If you see illegal or suspicious activity happening in real time, please first contact local law enforcement. For more details about the program, go to www.bpa.gov/goto/CrimeWitness.

About BPA

The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 142 Northwest electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA delivers power via more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and 260 substations to 511 transmission customers. In all, BPA markets about a third of the electricity consumed in the Northwest and operates three-quarters of the region's high-voltage transmission grid. BPA also funds one of the largest fish and wildlife programs in the world, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain affordable, reliable and carbon-free electric power for the Northwest. www.bpa.gov

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