Mountlake Terrace man helping the helpers during COVID-19 crisis

Dale Newman and his wife Kim Newman.

As a former Seattle police officer and later a Snohomish County corrections officer, Dale Newman knows something about the perils of being a first responder. The Mountlake Terrace resident of more than 40 years now pays it forward with his latest project — making acrylic S-hooks to relieve ear chafing that comes from wearing a mask all day. So far, he’s turned out 2,500 for law enforcement as well as medical and grocery workers using a laser printer to cut out the devices.

The S-shaped piece hooks into the elastic of a mask and rests on the back of the head, taking pressure off the ears. The devices can be reused and are easily sanitized.

Newman got the idea during an online chat with other users of Glowforge 3D laser printers, ‘The Glowforge community wants to make two million of these S-hooks,” he said. “I don’t have the skill set to sew masks but this I can do.”

A founder of Industrial Massage in Everett, Newman said that his business specializes in deep-tissue massage for workers — for those doing heavy lifting and those who just sit a lot. “Boeing is our biggest customer and includes engineering’ offices, not just machinists. But we’re closed now and had to furlough 22 employees.”

In the meantime, he and his wife Kim are turning out the S-hooks. “We use a sheet of acrylic that’s 12 inches by 18 inches and we can get about 100 out of that,” he said.

They’ve been financing much of the work themselves but are getting some assistance. “I’m a member of the Nile Shriners in Mountlake Terrace and they said ‘let us help,’ so they’ve been buying materials for us,” he said.

A graphic illustrates how to wear them

Their hooks have gone far and wide locally. “I gave some to a QFC in Mill Creek where a friend works,” said Newman. “My mother is on dialysis in Mountlake Terrace so we gave some to the nurses and the patients there. They said, ‘We’ll take as many as you can give us.’”

The Newmans have also distributed them to the Mountlake Terrace Police Department and Northwest Airlift.

To donate to the cause, click on the donate button at www.nvuscreations.com.

— By Connie McDougall

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