Bellevue teachers group, district join lawsuit

The Bellevue School District and Bellevue Teachers Association announced this week that they have joined a sweeping lawsuit seeking more education funding from the state.

Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include parents of children who attend schools in the Chimacum and Snohomish school districts, as well as a coalition called Network for Excellence in Washington Schools, which includes the state PTA, League of Women Voters of Washington, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, 12 school districts and the Washington Education Association, the state's largest teachers union.

The lawsuit asks a judge to order the state to increase funding, although it doesn't seek a specific amount.

Bellevue

Investor-education kickoff event planned

Bellevue Community College will kick off a new investor-education program Friday at the main campus, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E.

The event, which begins at 10:30 a.m., will celebrate the college's receipt of a $150,000 grant from the Investor Protection Trust to develop classes to teach the basics of saving and investing.

The public will have an opportunity to ask financial questions of financial-services providers, state agencies and nonprofit organizations at the event.

The new program is intended to familiarize students with the concepts of risk and return, asset allocation, investment vehicles, evaluation of investment opportunities and providers, warning signs of fraud, and how investments fit into a personal financial plan.

For more information about the investor education program or the kickoff event, contact Leslie Lum at llum@bcc.ctc.edu or phone 425-564-4063 or visit www.bcc.ctc.edu/financialeducation.

Kirkland

Business owner to run for council

Business owner Penny Sweet this week announced her intention to run for Kirkland City Council Position 3.

Sweet, 58, who has lived in Kirkland since 1985, has owned The Grape Choice, a downtown wine shop, with her husband, state Rep. Larry Springer, for more than 20 years.

Sweet plans to retire later this year from her position in business and operations management at Group Health Cooperative, where she has worked for 30 years.

She is founder and president of Celebrate Kirkland, the organization that revived the city's Fourth of July celebration in 2000, and has served on the Kirkland Arts Center Board and as events chair of the Kirkland Centennial steering committee.

The nonpartisan election is in November. The council seat is currently held by Jessica Greenway.

Seattle Times Eastside bureau