Inslee: What the State has been up to this past week

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE |||

Washingtonians have two new places to explore following opening celebrations of the Goldendale Observatory and Beverly Bridge

Gov. Jay Inslee shares an apple pin as he names Jill Sprance-Carr Washingtonian of the Day. Jill is a parks manager at Goldendale Observatory State Park.

On Thursday, Washington State Parks hosted a celebration for the opening of the newly-upgraded Goldendale Observatory State Park at an event with state and local leaders, state parks officials, and other visitors. The observatory houses one of the nation’s largest permanently mounted public telescopes.

The upgrades provide for a much larger and more advanced learning center to complement the iconic main observatory dome and newly upgraded telescope. The new building has already won two architectural awards, including the 2020 Architecture MasterPrize in Recreational Architecture.

The interpretive center and observatory is open in the afternoon and at night to accommodate visitors seeking panoramic daytime views of the park or stunning nighttime views of the deep skies.

View the TVW livestream of the event.

Wahluke High School marching band plays after dedication ceremony of the Beverly Bridge. The band lead the crowd over the bridge after the ceremony.

On Friday, Washington State Parks celebrated the completion of a second major project — the Beverly Bridge on the Palouse-to-Cascades Trail. The bridge is nearly three-quarters of a mile long and passes almost 70 feet above the Columbia River. It was the major missing link in the cross-state rail trail, the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. The trail right-of-way was acquired by the state in the early 80s and the bridge had sat unused since. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 due to its historical significance related to westward expansion.

The bridge offers an exciting new option for people to ride their bicycle or horse, walk, run or roll across the river.

Visit the Washington State Parks website for information about the Palouse to Cascades State Trail Park and the Beverly Bridge project. View the TVW livestream of the event.

State Attorney General’s Office warns of charity scammers

Attorney General Bob Ferguson warns Washingtonians to look out for charity scammers seeking to profit from the crisis in Ukraine. He asks Washingtonians to do their research before donating to help aid Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, and report suspicious solicitations to his office.

People can protect themselves from scams by:

1. Research the charity before giving. Ensure the charity is registered with the Washington Secretary of State. If the charity is registered, review a summary of its financial records and tax status. Check the charity’s rating on Charity Navigator or Guidestar Nonprofit Directory.
2. Don’t give in to high-pressure tactics. If is someone is demanding immediate payment or sensitive personal information, it’s likely a scam.
3. Report any suspicious activity to the Attorney General’s Office. If someone suspects a charitable solicitation might be a scam, they can report it to the Attorney General’s Office. To file a complaint about a charity or commercial fundraiser, visit the Attorney General’s website. For suspicious robocalls asking for a donation, file a robocall complaint.

Department of Commerce announces newest round of Clean Energy Fund projects

On Monday, the Washington State Department of Commerce announced the latest round of Clean Energy Fund grant awards. Through a competitive process, 10 proposed research, development and demonstration projects will receive funding.

The projects are located in cities large and small, including Port Angeles, Darrington and Wellpinit. Examples of the projects include:

• Making green hydrogen fuel from captured CO2, water and electricity for a quiet, clean portable alternative to diesel-powered generators.
• Repurposing retired electric bus batteries.
• Creating next-generation batteries.
• Recycling wind turbine blade materials to create new products.
• Using food and forest waste in new ways and to train workers for green jobs.
• Advancing energy independence and resilience for Tribal communities.
• Converting aging urban buildings to save money and reduce carbon emissions.
• Using more efficient manufacturing to improve the economics of wind energy.

“This latest round of Clean Energy Fund projects includes diverse and creative collaborations among clean technology companies, research institutions, non-profits, Tribal governments and other partners. They are keeping Washington state at the forefront of important new technologies needed to achieve state and global climate goals, and ensure a resilient economy,” said Gov. Jay Inslee.

“Washington’s culture of innovation and our commitment to equity are represented in these clean energy technology projects,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “This work has the potential to accelerate progress toward emissions reductions targets, foster new business growth and job opportunities, and help contribute to a healthy environment for all residents, no matter where we live, work and play.”

The governor and Legislature launched the Clean Energy Fund in 2013. It has funded projects in communities all across the state.

Read more about the latest grant awardees from Commerce.

April is Work Zone Awareness Month

Graphic credit to workzonesafety.org.

Work Zone Awareness Month is kicking off after an extremely challenging March filled with many collisions across the state. Nationally, Work Zone Awareness Week will be observed April 11-15 this year.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is asking the traveling public to help curb the trend since early 2020 with the seriousness of collisions that are happening. The department is asking everyone, every day to be looking out for the safety of themselves and others around them. WSDOT says Washington averages almost 626 highway work zone injuries each year. The top three causes are following too closely, speeding, and driving while distracted.

Please do your part to slow the trend of serious crashes by always staying focused and alert, slowing down, securing your loads, and respecting the lives of everyone else out on the roads.