An electronics recycling event for area residents will be held the weekend of June 18-20th at the South Center South industrial park off West Valley Hwy at 18435 Olympic Ave South in Tukwila.

Like last year, the event allows residences the opportunity to recycle the following:

• All TVs
• PCs
• Monitors
• Laptops

For FREE.

For more information, visit the website at www.ecycleevents.com or call 1-888-880-1254

Here are the details:

WHAT: Electronics Recycling Event for area residents.

WHEN: Friday June 18 through Sunday June 20th:

• Friday the 18th: 9 am – 3 pm
• Saturday the 19th: 9 am – 4 pm
• Sunday the 20th: 9 am – 3 pm

WHERE: American Electronics Recycling Corp, located at 18435 Olympic Ave South Ste B-100 in Tukwila.

INFO: From their website:

American Electronics Recycling will be holding an electronics recycling event for King and Pierce county residences.

This event will be held in the South Center South Industrial park off West Valley Hwy in Tukwila.

Residents are welcome to recycle all TVs, PCs, Laptops, and Monitors for free. A variety of other electronic items will be accepted, but a small disposal fee may be charged.

A full list of the items can be viewed on our website: www.ecycleevents.com

All of our recycling efforts meet the Washington State Department of Ecology standards.

We want to thank our local communities in advance for helping to keep Washington green.

WHY WE RECYCLE:
Every year more than 50 monitors and pcs are estimated to be discarded. A typical CRT can contain 3 lbs of lead. PCs and Macs can contain environmental toxins as well. Many laptops have a small fluorescent lamp in the screen that contains mercury, a toxic material when inhaled or digested.

*computers leaving your home or business may still contain personal, sensitive information. American Electronics Recycling will ensure that your hard drive is handled and destroyed properly

by Ralph Nichols

Sixty-four hundred miles – the distance from Sea-Tac International Airport to Santiago, Chile – is a long way. It’s a lot farther still if you’re here and have immediate family members in earthquake-ravaged Chile.

Patricio Mendoza, the owner of EC Computers in downtown Des Moines, knows this all too well.

For almost 48 hours after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile on Feb. 27, Mendoza could only wonder how his son Victor, his father Humbetor, his sister Cecilia, and his niece Erika Cecilia (who lives in the Seattle area, and whose initials give the computer shop its name) had survived.

Communications with the outside world are difficult with widespread power outages and many of the country’s cell phone towers knocked down. Mendoza has since been told the tremor “was so big,” and “lasted so long and was so strong.”

Despite his anxiety, he hoped and prayed for the best – and waited for their calls.

Then late Sunday and again on Monday he finally heard from his niece and his sister. Both were well – and they had word that Victor, who lives near Viña del Mar, a seaside community of almost 300,000 where Mendoza is from, was OK too.

But there was nothing like hearing his son confirm this himself when, at last, Victor called him Tuesday evening.

These reports brought welcome news because “at first I thought the worst,” Mendoza said. “This was one of the biggest earthquakes we have ever had. The destruction is total. It’s all around.”

Mendoza is still waiting for word about his 80-year-old father Humbetor, who he assumes is OK but who lives where power remains out.

In an irony of timing, Mendoza returned only a month ago from a six-week trip to his home town, which is not far from Santiago, the nation’s capital, and an extended visit with his relatives who live in that region.

He also accompanied his niece there. Cecilia, 19, had “worked for the last year to pay for her dream trip to Chile,” he told the Waterland Blog this week.

“She was supposed to get back to the states on March 1. Her flight was scheduled for Feb. 28.” But with canceled flights and possible damage to airport runways, “she’s still stuck down there.” If everything goes all right, he said, she now should return on March 9.

Cecilia sounded much calmer than she did in her first call just a couple of days after the quake, which continues to be followed by strong aftershocks, he added.

Mendoza’s first reaction after hearing about the earthquake was, “I want to get a ticket and go there. The first thing I wanted to do is help my family. But the airlines have raised the ticket price four times or more for this tragedy.

“I still plan to go when the price goes back down. I can’t afford it now. I want to see how my father is doing and how my son is doing. I want to see my father personally because he’s 80 years old and alone. I know he will say he’s OK, but I still want to know.

“It’s pretty bad to be this far away and not be able to go down and help,” he said.

And after helping his family, Mendoza also wants to do what he can – including taking clothing and other necessities – to help others there who are trying to rebuild their lives and property.

“People are hungry, people are upset. I’ve been in strong earthquakes where aftershocks continue for days. You feel so little after that. You cannot sleep in the day. You cannot sleep at night. You have no peace. It takes weeks to recover.”

Mendoza said that although he’s not there now, “at least I can bring some of the resources they need to them” if he can find a way to get there.

“A lot of people from Des Moines have called or stopped by the shop, concerned about my niece and my family,” he continued. “I thank all of you for your moral support. It has really helped.”

Highline Community College Business instructor Jeff Ward has earned a statewide honor for his leadership and achievements in “eLearning,” also known as electronic learning.

No, it’s not for teaching people about electronics, it’s for helping teach classes online.

Ward, of Lake Forest Park, provides one-on-one support to faculty and encourages them to explore and expand their use of technology in the classroom as Highline’s Faculty in Residence for Technology and Distance Learning.

“With online learning we have erased geographical boundaries. I can have students in class from all over the world, and their different experiences and backgrounds enrich discussions and give topics a more global perspective,” Ward said. “Alternative delivery of classes such as online and hybrid courses are better able to meet the diverse needs of our students – working parents, returning students, full-time workers, etc.”

The Leadership & Innovation in eLearning Award from the eLearning Council of Washington’s community and technical college system recognizes up to two individuals annually for achievements in electronic learning.   The honor comes with a $200 cash award and a grant for all-expenses paid trip to participate in the spring Pacific Northwest Higher Education Assessment, Teaching & Learning conference from April 28-30 in Vancouver, WA.

For more information on the Washington State eLearning Council, visit www.sbctc.edu/college/e_elearning.aspx.

Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 18,300 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening and weekend classes. Alumni include former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, entrepreneur Junki Yoshida, Washington state poet laureate Sam Green and Scott Schaefer, Publisher/Editor of this here blog and three-time National Emmy winning Writer for “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

Tukwila company American Electronics Recycling Corporation is holding a FREE “E-Cycling” event this weekend (Aug. 7th, 8th, and 9th from 9am – 3:30pm) as part of the state’s “E-Cycle” law that allows for convenient and environmentally-responsible recycling of computers, monitors, laptops and televisions.

Drop-offs are being accepted at American Electronics Recycling Corporation offices, located at 18435 Olympic Ave. South in the South Center South Industrial Park in Tukwila (see map below). There will be signs directing traffic off of West Valley Highway.

Here are the details:

WHAT: FREE e-cycling event

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 7th, Saturday, Aug. 8th and Sunday, Aug. 9th, from 9am-3:30pm

WHERE: American Electronics Recycling Corporation offices, located at 18435 Olympic Ave. South in the South Center South Industrial Park in Tukwila (see map below)

INFO: They will be collecting a long list of electronic items, including all TVs, Laptops, PCs, and Monitors for free. AER is registered with the WA State Dept. of Ecology, as part of the E-Cycle WA program. More info on our company, and a list of the items they will be accepting can be found at http://www.aercorprecycler.com.

Here’s more info from the State of Washington E-Cycle website:

Who can use the program?
Households, small businesses, schools & school districts, small governments, special purpose districts, and charities can recycle electronic products free of charge in this program.

What can I recycle for free?

• Televisions
• Computers
• Computer monitors
• Portable or laptop computers

Please note that computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in this program.

Why recycle electronics?
Many electronics, especially TVs and computers, contain toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Reusing and recycling electronics keeps these toxic materials out of our landfills and incinerators and also recovers valuable resources. The electronic equipment this program collects will be taken apart and separated into materials such as glass, plastic, metal and toxic chemicals. All recycling will follow performance standards set up by the Department of Ecology.

To find other drop-off points near you, visit this website.

View Larger Map

The State of Washington now has a new “E-Cycle” law that allows for FREE, convenient and environmentally-responsible recycling of computers, monitors, laptops and televisions, and a local company is open for drop-offs in Tukwila.

Drop-offs are being accepted at American Electronics Recycling Corporation offices, located at 18435 Olympic Ave. S. Suite B in Tukwila (map below).

• Hours are Mon – Sat from 8:30am – 3:00pm.
• They also offer a pickup service for a fee.
• Visit www.aercorprecycler.com for additional electronics that are accepted at this location.
• They are registered with the WA Dept. of Ecology, and are part of the “Take it Back” network for King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.

Here’s more info from the State of Washington E-Cycle website:

Who can use the program?
Households, small businesses, schools & school districts, small governments, special purpose districts, and charities can recycle electronic products free of charge in this program.

What can I recycle for free?

• Televisions
• Computers
• Computer monitors
• Portable or laptop computers

Please note that computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in this program.

Why recycle electronics?
Many electronics, especially TVs and computers, contain toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Reusing and recycling electronics keeps these toxic materials out of our landfills and incinerators and also recovers valuable resources. The electronic equipment this program collects will be taken apart and separated into materials such as glass, plastic, metal and toxic chemicals. All recycling will follow performance standards set up by the Department of Ecology.

To find other drop-off points near you, visit this website.

View Larger Map