🌱 Patch AM: How Mercer Island kids can spread hope at the library Saturday

Cheers Mercer Island! We’re back, helping you stay up to date with what’s happening. Let's take on the day together! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How Mercer Island kids can spread hope at the library Saturday
• Where Mercer Island lands in Washington’s newest safest-towns ranking

Also on today's calendar: Eleventh Hour Makers Market and 3 more events.

Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Rain; breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 51 and low of 38 degrees.
• Friday: A couple of showers, temps: high: 46, low: 38.
• Saturday: An a.m. shower or two; cloudy, with a high of 47 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Art for Hope event will honor Kyra Gupta (mi-reporter.com) — Mercer Island families are invited to the Art for Hope event at the Mercer Island Library on Dec. 20, where kids will create ornaments and courage cards for children undergoing cancer treatment. Organized by Kyra's Hope Foundation in honor of former Islander Middle and Lakeridge student Kyra Gupta, the gathering focuses on comfort, joy, hope, and supporting pediatric cancer research.
   

• New Study Reveals Safer Streets In Washington Towns (thequake1021.com) — Mercer Island ranks seventh among the twelve safest towns in Washington, with both violent and property crime rates down from 2024. Local residents can see how their community compares with nearby cities like Sammamish and Bainbridge Island, and track encouraging year-over-year improvements in reported crime levels.
   

📸 Around Mercer Island

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Mercer Island

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Friday December 19

• Eleventh Hour Makers Market
  Pacific Place, 600 Pine St, Seattle
  12:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Annual Holiday Pops
  Bastyr Chapel, 14500 Juanita Dr NE, Kenmore
  3:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday December 19

• Hanukkah Light Lab
  Stroum Jewish Community Center , 3801 E Mercer Way , Mercer Island
  9:45 am
• Community at Ya Hala
  Suzanne Zahr, Inc. | SZ Build, Inc. , 2441 76th Ave SE #160 , Mercer Island
  6:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Tech Support for Older Adults
  Mercer Island Library , 4400 88th Ave SE , Mercer Island
  3:00 pm

Tuesday December 23

• Fitness Class: Boxing Fitness Class
  Stroum Jewish Community Center , 3801 E Mercer Way , Mercer Island
  6:30 pm

📣 Mercer Island Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 18

• Audubon Bird Walk
  Garden Grounds , 12001 Main Street , Bellevue
  9:00 am
• Bilingual Kaleidoscope Play & Learn / 仁⼈双语幼⼉乐园
  Newport Way Library , 14250 SE Newport Way , Bellevue
  10:30 am
• Big Play Date
  Newcastle Library , 12901 Newcastle Way , Renton
  10:30 am
• Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
  Skyway Library , 12601 76th Avenue South , Seattle
  10:30 am
• Mending Circle
  Bellevue Library , 1111 110th Avenue NE , Bellevue
  11:00 am
• Makerspace Independent Study
  Bellevue Library , 1111 110th Avenue NE , Bellevue
  2:00 pm
• Garden d'Lights
  Garden Grounds , 12001 Main Street , Bellevue
  4:30 pm
• Eric Verlinde
  El Gaucho Bellevue , 450 108th Ave NE , Bellevue
  5:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Mercer Island PatchAM possible:

• Crystal Carpet Cleaning & Restoration, Inc. — (425) 649-0908
  Celebrating 35 years serving our community
• SD Framing — (425) 628-1326
  @sd.framing Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Edit - Found them!
  They returned home safe! Thanks everyone for the kind messages! (Nextdoor North Mercer Island)

• McDonald's Restaurants posted a job opening for Crew Team Member in Mercer Island. Apply here.
• Williams-Sonoma, Inc. posted a job opening for Stock Associate, Seasonal Flex Only, Bellevue - West Elm in Bellevue. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Mercer Island here.

🗞 Nearby News

Bellevue

• More GAFAM Layoffs in Seattle, Bellevue (Washington) (techrights.org)
• Rejuvenate your skin with personalized skincare (king5.com)
• Future Thinking (seattlemag.com)

Seattle

• Original stories dominate Evening's Top 10 Movies of 2025 (king5.com)

Ok Mercer Island! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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