NEWS GLEAMS | Alaska Airlines Door Plug Was Improperly Reinstalled; Legislative Bills Would Require Genocide Education in Public Schools

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

National Transportation Safety Board Report Confirms Alaska Airlines Door Plug Was Improperly Reinstalled Following Repairs

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report and statement regarding the early January Alaska Airlines flight that was grounded in Portland after a door plug blew out of its side wall and caused rapid decompression. Nobody was injured during the incident. Immediately afterward, Alaska Airlines grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes for additional safety checks, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an audit of Boeing and its subsidiaries, such as Spirit Aerosystems, which manufactures the door plugs overseas.

In its 19-page report, which was released a month after the initial incident, the NTSB stated that "four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED [mid exit door] plug were missing."

"The NTSB said the door plug was opened at Boeing's Renton factory so a team from supplier Spirit AeroSystems of Wichita, Kan., could repair damaged rivets adjacent to the door plug on the 737 MAX 9 jet," reported The Seattle Times.

Following repairs, however, the remaining four bolts were not properly reinstalled. In its report, the NTSB wrote, "Photo documentation obtained from Boeing shows evidence of the left-hand MED plug closed with no retention hardware (bolts) in the three visible locations."

Boeing has yet to provide the NTSB with documentation about which employees conducted the repairs and who was authorized to make decisions around the repairs, though regulations require such repairs to be properly documented. The current NTSB report invited interested individuals from Alaska Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the FAA, Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union to participate. NTSB has stated it will conduct additional interviews with Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems personnel at a later date, to be scheduled.

The NTSB report is preliminary, and some details within it are likely to change.

Proposed State Bills Would Require Holocaust and Genocide Education in Public Schools

A duo of Washington State bills — HB 2037 in the House and SB 5851 in the Senate — have been introduced to propose Holocaust and genocide education in public schools. The initial proposed bills were focused more narrowly on education around the Holocaust, but public hearing sessions and testimony from a number of nonprofit organizations, educators, activists, and survivors from genocides in other parts of the world demanded amendments that would be more meaningful, inclusive, and equitable in funding.

In collaboration with the nonprofit organization Washington Ethnic Studies Now, a number of ethnic community organizations affected by genocide in countries such as Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia called for such amendments. The organizations that worked together in coalition included the Seattle Amhara Association, the Bosnian American Institute, the Khmer Community of Seattle King County, Rwandan Community Association WA, Jewish Voice for Peace-Seattle, Ibuka ("Remember"), Tutsi survivors, and more.

Following amendments, the proposed bills now name the Holocaust specifically, but also include more general language around genocides or crimes against humanity elsewhere. The bills, if passed, would:

• Annually designate the month of April "International Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month to provide space for formal recognition of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide and crimes against humanity."
• Require each public school to "conduct or promote age-appropriate educational activities that provide instruction, awareness, and understanding of the Holocaust and genocide education to all students."
• Require the office of the superintendent of public instruction to work with a Washington nonprofit organization with experience teaching about the Holocaust, as well as other nonprofit organizations with expertise in other genocides and crimes against humanity throughout other parts of the world.

Equitable Development Initiative Seeks Paid Advisory Board Members

The Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) seeks community members to join its advisory board in a limited paid capacity. Located within the Office of Planning & Community Development, EDI takes into account historical and current conditions to reduce disparities by championing private and public investments, programs, and policies into specific neighborhoods where under-investment has been prevalent.

EDI is now inviting individuals who are dedicated to addressing deep, persistent inequities and who are in relationship with communities that face displacement to join its advisory board. Members of the EDI advisory board would help guide millions of dollars of City funds into community-led projects. Past recipients have included the Africatown Community Land Trust, Chief Seattle Club, Ethiopian Village, Multicultural Community Coalition, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, and Rainier Valley Midwives, to name a few.

According to its press release, EDI projects "aim to empower communities through fostering ownership, resilience, cultural expression, and overall wellbeing, with a special focus on marginalized groups. Investments recommended by the Board support capacity building and the acquisition, improvement, or development of community places and spaces that benefit the public and increase access to opportunity."

Board members would be compensated a monthly stipend of $60 an hour, with a maximum of $300 for full participation. Learn more by visiting the Office of Planning & Community Development website or explore its EDI framework and implementation plan.

The priority deadline is 5 p.m. on Feb. 27, 2024. To apply, visit the City's Boards & Commissions website. Applications can also be submitted via email by contacting Abesha Shiferaw at Abesha.Shiferaw@Seattle.gov.

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📸 Featured Image: The Ethiopian Village, a 100-unit affordable senior housing project on Rainier Avenue South, opened in August 2023 after eight years of planning. (Photo: Phil Manzano, 2022)

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