For the first time, Juneteenth will be a city holiday.
The Mountlake Terrace City Council is expected to adopt a proclamation at its Thursday meeting in observance. The council had earlier approved Juneteenth as an official city holiday, one that also recently gained state and federal status.
Juneteenth, or June 19, began in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom, long after the Civil War had ended.
Today, the date marks a community celebration. It also carries a solemn remembrance of the horrors of slavery, and its legacy of violence and oppression.
The City of Mountlake Terrace is one of the community sponsors of the Juneteenth Festival of Freedom planned in Edmonds by the Lift Every Voice Legacy organization. This family event is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 19 at Esperance Park.
Additionally, city facilities will be closed Monday in observance, including City Hall and the Police Station. The Recreation Pavilion will be open, though the pool area is closed for maintenance June 19-25. This means lobby hours and other programming (besides aquatics and open gym) will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday.
The regularly scheduled City Council meeting generally moves to Tuesday when there’s a Monday holiday. However, the June 21 meeting has been canceled for a scheduling conflict. The Council next meets June 30.
For more information, contact Virginia Clough, Community Relations Director and City Clerk, at 425-744-6206 or vclough@mltwa.gov.
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