The Seattle City Council today launched a new website to help people cope with the current economic crisis. Recession Resources for Seattle Residents offers links to a variety of informational sites and resources for those seeking job training, debt assistance, help with housing issues, and health care. This new service is designed to help people hold their ground in what looks to be a continued stretch of difficult financial times.  "Our goal is to make it easier for Seattle residents to find the help they need, and find it quickly," Council President Richard Conlin said. . . .

Eric Stanford (far right) directs volunteers at a benefit car wash for the First AME's Annual Richard Allen Brotherhood Summer Camp. The camp provides an opportunity for the men of the church to mentor the boys while enjoying the outdoors. 

What's happening for you in your city this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below . . . .

Members of the cast of Hairspray joined over 200 other groups June 28 during the annual Gay Pride Parade.  Thousands of people lined the parade route from downtown to Seattle Center.  Organizations as diverse as the ACLU, Half Price books, PFLAG and the Seattle Public Library participated in the Parade. . . .

Sharon Jones performs with the Dap Kings at this year's Blues Festival. Photo courtesy of Waterfront Blues Festival. The largest blues fest west of the Mississippi will kick off this Thursday at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The 22nd annual Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival will welcome more than 100,000 attendees from July 2 to 5 to listen to more than 100 performances from some of the best performers in the nation. . . .

The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson created some of the best-selling records and song hits the world has ever known. From his collaboration as a child with the Jackson 5 to "Thriller" and beyond, Jackson was a pioneer of voice, dance and style ... In Portland on July 11 at the Someday Lounge, there will be a Prince vs. Michael Jackson show . . .

The graceful, and beloved, dancer choreographer Keith Goodman died suddenly Saturday afternoon after a dance performance in Beaverton. He was 54. The celebration of his life is Thursday, July 2 from 4-6 p.m. in the Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland. Goodman had worked for years with children at Buckman Arts Magnet School, collaborated with the Conduit dance collective, and led his own troupe, Dance Gatherers. . . .

This year's 4th Annual Day of Re-Tilling the Soil, Saturday July 11, is the biggest ever, with three neighborhood cleanups, a basketball tournament, book giveaway and free party at Irving Park. The clean-ups this year start with free breakfast at 8:15 a.m  ... The Z-Tournament, named in honor of deceased Portland Police Officer Mark Zylawy, runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m ... The competition features one age bracket of eight teams of fifth and sixth graders, and a second bracket of seventh and eighth graders. . . .

Evelyn Murray with one of her 21 grandchildren. For years, Evelyn Murray had been looking for the proper greeting card for her multiracial family. After years of searching, she said it was nearly impossible to find a card that featured a Black and White couple. So she decided to make her own. . . .

The New Seasons Market on Interstate Avenue is currently displaying photographic work from students of Open Meadows School. The class was organized with help from the Media, Arts and Technology Institute. Bobby Abrahamson, a freelance teacher who helped instruct students on the project, said the 10 students were taught much more than the basics of photography. The project began with an exploration of who each student was and what they thought about the world they lived in. . . .