Dec. 14, 2018
Diamond Award Nominations Are Open!
The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce recently announced the 2019 Diamond Awards will be held on March 14 at The Golf Club at Newcastle.

Before the chamber hands out the diamond-shaped awards, they need nominees! Nominations are now open for the annual gala honoring outstanding Newcastle community members. Do you know someone worthy of recognition? Fill out a nomination form at  newcastle-chamber.org . 
Community News
Police Take Down Marijuana Grows in Newcastle, Renton
On Dec. 13, 2018, Newcastle Police Department officers and King County Sheriff's Office detectives found 1,200+ plants and 14 pounds of processed marijuana in a take down of illegal marijuana grow-houses in Newcastle and Renton.

Newcastle Hosts Community Food Drive
The City of Newcastle is partnering with Northwest Harvest to host a community food drive! Time is running out to join the cause and make a difference for families in need in the Newcastle area.

Bring donations of non-perishable foods, baby formula and diapers to the collection box located on the first-floor lobby at Newcastle City Hall (12835 Newcastle Way) through Dec. 19.

Chief Houck Takes the Plunge for Special Olympics Washington
Police Chief Jason Houck is taking the plunge this winter! On Feb. 9, 2019, he'll jump in the icy Puget Sound water to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics Washington.

You can support him as he represents the  Newcastle Police Department! Help him reach his $1,500 goal by Jan. 5 and he'll dunk himself into Puget Sound every 30 minutes for eight hours straight. All the money goes to help Special Olympic athletes. 

CAC Welcomes New Commissioners
Newcastle residents Nathan Stix (left) and Ed Flash were sworn in as the newest members of the city's all-volunteer Community Activities Commission this week! The CAC is made up of seven residents who make events like Newcastle Days possible, coordinate volunteer activities, and advise the city on recreational, historical and artistic programs, as well as improvements to the city’s parks and trails.
MOD Pizza Opens in Newcastle
MOD Pizza had a very successful grand opening in The Shops at Newcastle Commons on Dec. 10. A line of customers snaked around the building as they awaited the grand opening for the artisan-style pizza chain. All opening day pizza sales were donated to Vision House, the local nonprofit that fights to help break the cycle of homelessness for families.
Can't make it to a City Council meeting? We post meeting recaps online at newcastlewa.gov/councilrecaps after each one.

The Newcastle City Council will host Renton School District representatives to discuss the district's upcoming bond measures at the Dec. 18 regular meeting.

We've all heard the adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Bellevue Fire wants you to remember this one: "Safe cooking practices for the holidays keep the fire department away." Or simply "Please don't invite us to dinner!"

The Dickens Carolers will make an appearance at the Newcastle Library at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 22. Adorned in elegant Victorian dress, this a cappella quartet sings your holiday favorites, both traditional and contemporary. Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Newcastle Library.
Expecting lots of deliveries this holiday season? Know which pieces of packaging are recyclable and which aren’t. Flat, dry cardboard goes in the recycling bin. Styrofoam and plastic packaging go in the garbage. 
Don't throw out your holiday lights - recycle them! Holiday lights recycling programs take your old light strands and recycle the copper wire inside them.

There's no Newcastle Police Beat this week, but don't worry, it will be back in the next edition of the Newcastle Newsletter. We apologize for the inconvenience! 
Calling all young artists (grades K-12)! The Newcastle Arts Council is accepting applications for a March art exhibition. Deadline to apply is Jan. 18.
Photo/Video of the Week
In 2019, the City of Newcastle is celebrating a big milestone. It’s our 25th birthday! As we prepare a slate of events to commemorate this special anniversary, we’d love to bring back some of your favorite music acts from past city celebrations. Which bands would you like to see again this summer as we celebrate 25? Let us know in the comments on our Facebook page.
Helpful Links
City of Newcastle |  newcastlewa.gov  

The Newcastle email newsletter is published before every City Council meeting. Learn more about the newsletter, see an archive of past newsletters and sign up to receive it at newcastlewa.gov/newsletters .

Content submissions/ideas for the newsletter? Email  christinac@newcastlewa.gov .