January 29, 2021
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Newcastle Celebrates Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day
The City of Newcastle wants to show our community a little love this February. That’s why we’ve partnered with Aegis Gardens and 4Culture to safely celebrate Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day with special take-home giveaways for residents.

Newcastle Mayor Linda Newing and Deputy Mayor Tony Ventrella will distribute FREE goodie bags to commemorate the holidays at two separate drive-thru distribution events. On Friday, February 12, pick up your Lunar New Year bag. The next day, snag a bag with Valentine’s Day crafts.
Community News
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
Big news! King County is opening two new community COVID-19 vaccine sites in Kent and Auburn on Monday. They will serve older adults at greatest risk of COVID and their caregivers who face barriers to accessing vaccine through traditional healthcare systems. Online registration for appointments start at 8 a.m. Saturday.
King County Advances to Phase 2 in Healthy Washington Plan
Governor Inslee announced our region can advance to Phase 2 starting on Monday, loosening restrictions on certain activities. That means indoor dining at restaurants will be able to resume at 25 percent capacity. It took a lot of hard work to get there, but let's continue making good choices! Mask up, stay home if you're sick, you know the drill by now, Newcastle!
Newcastle City Council News
The Newcastle City Council is exploring an opportunity that would generate revenue for street and sidewalk improvements in our community. The establishment of a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) would allow the City to collect funds for transportation enhancements through vehicle licensing fees.

The City Council wants to hear from the community before taking any action, so they’ve scheduled a February 2 public hearing to collect feedback. Click the button to learn more about a TBD and how to participate in the February 2 meeting.
Newcastle Police Blotter
In this week's Blotter, Chief Houck continues to plead with the community to do their part to protect themselves and their property.

"NPD as a whole will continue to try and catch these people, but YOU all can make the biggest difference in this and not give them anything to take." 

Read his message and get the latest crime updates! Stay informed about what's happening in your neighborhood and learn how you can keep yourself and others safe.
Virtual Arts Class
Unleash your creativity by exploring a variety of art modalities. On February 20, local artist Sarah Varon introduces acrylics, guiding us through creating a simple painting of a pineapple with a few simple supplies.

Register to receive a meeting link. Program hosted by the Newcastle Library in partnership with the Newcastle Arts Council, the City of Newcastle and 4Culture
Upcoming Events
— February 2: Newcastle City Council Meeting (5:30 p.m.) Includes closed executive session at 5:30 p.m., followed by the public portion at 6 p.m. which includes public hearing Agenda and Meeting Link

— February 10: Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Virtual Luncheon (12 p.m.) Guest speaker is Coal Creek Family YMCA Executive Director Andy Sharpe. Register Here

— February 10: Community Activities Commission Meeting (7 p.m.)

— February 10 & 24: Newcastle Cares Grocery Essentials Distribution (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) @ Aegis Gardens. Free non-perishable foods and hard-to-find paper products, sanitizers, etc. for Newcastle citizens in need. Must reside in Newcastle City limits. Contact newcastleoutreach@gmail.com for more information.

— February 12: Newcastle Lunar New Year Giveaway (10:30 a.m.- 12 p.m.) @ Aegis Gardens, while supplies last

— February 13: Newcastle Valentine's Day Giveaway (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) @ Lake Boren while supplies last

— February 15: Presidents' Day City Hall services will be unavailable in observance of the holiday

— February 18: Newcastle Chamber Educational Breakfast (8 a.m.) Guest speaker is King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. FREE, but register by 5 p.m. February 17.

Times, dates and events are subject to change. For a full, current listing of calendar events and meetings, visit newcastlewa.gov/calendar

*Note: Newcastle City Hall remains closed to the public. City staff are still available during regular business hours. Please be advised that most are working remotely and so they may be returning your call from an unfamiliar or blocked phone number. If you need to contact one of our staff members, you can view the staff directory at newcastlewa.gov/contact.*
Photos of the Week
This week, our Newcastle Cares grocery distribution welcomed some very special guests. Newcastle Mayor Linda Newing (pictured below) helped bag groceries for Newcastle families in need.
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn also stopped by to witness the operation in action and presented a check for $1,000 to support the program.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much to ALL of the volunteers, especially Amy George, who ensure this program continues. You are doing an amazing service for your community and we cannot thank you enough.
Helpful Links
City of Newcastle | newcastlewa.gov 

The Newcastle email newsletter is published before every City Council meeting. Learn more about the newsletter, see an archive of past newsletters and sign up to receive it at newcastlewa.gov/newsletters.

Content submissions/ideas for the newsletter? Email christinac@newcastlewa.gov.

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