PORT ANGELES – The Washington State Department of Commerce announced that 17 cities and counties will receive a total of more than $10.5 million in Community Development Block Grants for 2018, and Port Angeles is among them.

Nineteen projects were selected from 31 grant applications requesting almost $18 million. They will improve water, sewer, streets and fire protection systems; and will support affordable housing and community planning.

The City of Port Angeles got $745,000 for the William Shore Memorial Pool after-school program known as SPARKS.

Executive Director Steve Burke says the money will be used to move the kids out of Vern Burton Center and into a brand new space that will be built right alongside of the pool’s expansion and renovation project, set to begin in the Spring.