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Opening Day … Seattle


By

Seattle Times staff

SeattleWAthumbpixs

Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day boat parade celebrates spring with a “Myths and Monsters” theme Saturday, May 2, through Seattle’s Montlake Cut.

It’s the 95th year for the annual event that draws thousands of spectators in boats along the log boom and lining the shore of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

Crew races hosted by the University of Washington start the day at 10 a.m. with hundreds of rowers, from teens to 70-year-olds. Then come races, with the University of Washington teams hosting New Zealand (the current world champions), Columbia University and the University of Virginia for the 29th annual Windermere Cup.

For shoreside spectators, viewing is on the banks of Montlake Cut, the narrow canal that connects Portage Bay and Lake Washington, near the Montlake Bridge, and any vantage point overlooking the area. Early arrival is recommended for parking, suggested in University of Washington lots along Montlake Boulevard.

The Montlake Bridge is closed to traffic from approximately 9:20 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Joint Base Lewis McChord’s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade’s Apache Guardian and Black Hawk helicopters fly over (weather permitting) to kick off the noon parade. Seattle Fire Department boats and a boat hosting the UW Husky Band start the procession of vessels of all kinds and sizes decorated in the “Myths and Monsters” theme, from dinghies, aqua cars and wooden boats to sailboats, powerboats and yachts.

Sunny weather is in the forecast to complete the perfect Seattle spring day on and off the water.

Nepal …


Dear friends,Whole hills swept down over the beautiful and delicate rural villages of Nepal on Saturday. Thousands were crushed, more are missing and the country is crying out for water, food, and shelter. It’s devastating and in the middle of it all this one brave local organisation, Abari, is using everything they have to put up tents in the hardest hit remote areas.

Aid experts say before the disaster they were doing some of the most impactful work in the country, and that they’re one of the best ways to get crucial aid to rural communities fast. That’s because this is their home.

We can make all the difference for this incredible group, and many others across Nepal, literally multiplying their relief budgets by 10, empowering them to build for the long term and keeping their emergency work funded in hard-to-reach places.

And by donating to local leaders ready for the hard years of rebuilding to come, we’ll plant the seeds of hope for a sustainable and safe future in Nepal’s poorest villages.

To give an amount other than the ones listed above, click here.
Nepal has a bad reputation for inefficiency and corruption, and its government is divided. That’s why Nepal’s vibrant civil society is likely to bring the most effective, life-saving support for many citizens.Abari, and many organisations like them in Nepal, have been at work in some of the worst hit regions building water tanks and housing, and making the connections aid workers need to navigate the remote areas and bypass corruption. The best part is that they are set up to take international donations directly right now.

Big international aid organisations have used established systems to mobilise money and expertise fast to meet this emergency, while local groups are improvising to respond to the vast needs. Supporting such groups can be riskier, but with that risk comes the possibility of a huge reward. When a cyclone hit Burma in 2008, our community raised two million dollars that was smuggled in through a network of monks working outside of the corrupt government system. For some, this bold tactic led to the only life-saving aid they ever saw.

We have the chance to do that again in Nepal. Click below to join in and Avaaz will collect and distribute our donations as soon as we raise enough to make a big difference for these inspiring local heroes:

To give an amount other than the ones listed above, click here.
Our movement was designed to break through bureaucracies and deliver hope directly. When disaster struck Burma and then again when it struck Haiti, theAvaaz Community opened our hearts and pledged millions to help people on the ground to get money to those most in need. Our common humanity united us to stand together in those times of greatest need. Now we can come together again toprovide the Nepalese people with the urgent support to survive this horror.With hope and determination,

Emma, Alex, Allison, Laila, Oli, Alaphia, Rowena, Mais and the rest of the team.

Sources:

Nepal’s relief effort must reach the rural poor (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/nepals-relief-effort-must-reach-the-rural-poor/article24135973


Nepal earthquake: authorities struggle to cope despite international aid efforts (The Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/27/nepal-earthquake-authorities-struggle-to-cope-despite-international-aid-efforts

Villages Near Nepal Earthquake’s Epicenter Are Desperate (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/world/asia/nepal-earthquake.html

Nepal earthquake: Relief starts reaching remote villages (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32507783


Abari Adobe and Bamboo Research Institute

https://www.facebook.com/abari.Nepal

Migraines …


22 Things About Migraines You May Not Know – Migraine