Standing up to fear, hate, and violence
King County Executive Dow Constantine
This weekend our nation once again witnessed the senseless loss of life in two mass shootings, this time in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
These cities join the heartbreakingly long list of places whose residents have endured unthinkable violence, whose families have suffered unbearable losses; our nation’s leaders stand idly by while the epidemic of gun violence affects more and more communities.
This is a difficult period in our nation’s history, one where words of fear and hate are being used to divide us. There are consequences to hateful rhetoric. Creating and stoking a fear of “others” – people of another race, religion, country of origin, or sexual orientation – has consequences. And as we saw again this weekend, fear and hate, combined with military-grade weapons in the hands of disturbed individuals, can quickly turn into unspeakable tragedy.
We need to act to stem the scourge of gun violence. State and federal law pre-empt our ability to regulate firearms, but we are doing what we can within our own authority to reduce gun deaths. One very important area of work has been increasing the safe storage of firearms. Public Health – Seattle & King County has found that almost half of local gun owners have at least one unlocked firearm. This puts families, schools, and communities at risk; unlocked firearms are more likely to be stolen and used in a crime, and adolescents with access to firearms are nearly three times as likely to die by suicide.
When we witness tragic events like those in El Paso and Dayton, it is important that we support one another. If you would like to speak with someone, King County provides two free services to employees that offer professional support and advice: the Employee Assistance Program and Making Life Easier. Both resources are free and confidential.
There is no place for hate in King County. We are a place that welcomes, not one that divides, a welcoming community where every person has the opportunity to thrive.
Thank you for everything you do for the people of King County.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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August treats and tunes at City Hall Park
Enjoy quick eats and free tunes this August with the new schedule of food trucks at City Hall Park, on 4th Ave and Yesler Way, and fun outdoor concerts, schedule here. For more information about the food trucks visit www.seattlefoodtruck.com.
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Featured Job: Real Property Agent III-IV
Salary: $82,347.20 – $120,348.80 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Multiple job types-career service and/or temp
Department: DNRP – Natural Resources & Parks
Job Number: 2019-10373
Closing: 8/22/2019 11:59 PM Pacific
The Capital Planning and Land Management Section in the Parks and Recreation Division is currently seeking highly qualified candidates to fill two current vacancies: a Career Service/FTE Real Property Agent IV position and a Term Limited Temporary or Special Duty Assignment Real Property Agent III position. This recruitment will also be used to fill future vacancies over the next six months. In this role, you will have the opportunity to be part of a dedicated Land Management team who is committed to responsible stewardship of our thriving and growing regional open space and trails system, passionate about serving the public and dedicated to continuous process improvement. The Real Property Agent IV is recognized as an expert in a highly specialized real property field. RPA IV’s support major capital infrastructure projects; manage the review and approval process for complex development proposals on Parks’ property that involve interagency, inter-jurisdictional or multi-disciplinary coordination; and recommend and help develop overall program strategies. This is a Career Service position.
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Training Spotlight: La Cultura Cura Philosophy Overview
La Cultura Cura Philosophy Overview, Sept. 17: The National Compadres Network in partnership with King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice presents La Cultura Cura Philisophy Overview: A Training on the National Compadres Network Healing Informed Philosophy and Framework with Jerry Tello. La Cultura Cura is a transformative health, learning, justice, and healing philosophy that recognizes that within individuals’, families’ and communities’ authentic cultural values, traditions and indigenous practices exist the path to healthy development, restoration and lifelong well-being. Register and learn more.
View more training and development opportunities at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
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King County names new Children and Family Justice Center after the late Judge Patricia Hall Clark
Crossposted from King County Superior Court Blog
On July 24, 2019, the King County Council voted to name the new Children and Family Justice Center in honor of the late Judge Patricia Hall Clark. Her family was on hand to speak of her commitment to our youth and the court. The late Patricia H. Clark received her JD from the University of Washington in 1987, recognized for her outstanding abilities as an oral advocate. She joined the King County Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Division before leaving to teach at the Seattle University Law Clinic. She joined the Superior Court bench in 1998.
Read more from King County Superior Court Blog
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Join us for #CityHallSelfie Day on August 15
Show your King County pride! If you’re at lunch or on break, meet us at the Administration Building on the Fifth Avenue side at noon on Thursday, Aug. 15. We’ll take a group photo and post it on the county’s social media feeds to celebrate #CityHallSelfie Day. (Just because we’re a county doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with this!)
If you work elsewhere around King County, hop in front of your building, snap a picture, and send it to socialmedia@kingcounty.gov and we’ll share it. You can also feel free to share our posts and use the hashtag #CityHallSelfie in your own posts. City Hall Selfie Day is sponsored by ELGL, Engaging Local Government Leaders.
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Employee discounts for UW football and Seattle Symphony
King County employees can now take advantage of two new discounts:
University of Washington football: UW vs. Eastern Washington University, Saturday August 31 and UW vs. USC, Saturday, Sept. 28. To access the discount, visit this link here.
Seattle Symphony: Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Use promo code 1920FINAL for no fees on ticket purchases. To order tickets visit www.seattlesymphony.org and enter the promo code, order by phone at 206-215-4747 or 1-866-833-4747 and give the operator the promo code, or purchase tickets in person at the Benaroya Hall Box Office.
See all available employee discounts at www.kingcounty.gov/employeediscounts.
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GoGreen at Movies@Marymoor August 7
Come out for GoGreen Night during King County Parks’ Movies@Marymoor on Wednesday, August 7, for the screening of Incredibles 2. Multiple programs and services will host informational booths to help people learn about King County’s great programs and services for a chance to win a pair of Marymoor Park Concert tickets.
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Cine en el Parque August 10
Join us at Cine en el Parque on Saturday, August 10 for the screening of Spider-Man: Un Nuevo Universo. “Cine en el Parque” is a free outdoor movie at Dick Thurnau Park in White Center. Movies are projected onto a 40-foot-tall inflatable movie screen (bigger than most indoor theatres) that turns the Park into a spectacular outdoor cinema under the stars. The movie is free, so grab a blanket, a lawn chair, family, friends, neighbors or co-workers, and head to our fourth-annual “Cine en el Parque.” There will be games, music, prizes, snack booths and much more.
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Make your commute easier with a reserved parking spot at Metro’s busiest park-and-rides
Crossposted from Metro Matters
King County Metro will begin charging $20-$90 a month to reserve a parking space at some of the busiest park-and-ride lots and garages, providing more parking options to transit riders who can’t arrive early enough to find a spot.
Monthly permits are scheduled to go on sale this fall for the Aurora Village Transit Center and park-and-rides at Bear Creek, Bothell, Issaquah Highlands, Kenmore, Redmond, South Kirkland, Tukwila, and Shoreline. These lots are regularly 90% or more full early in the morning on weekdays.
Read more from Metro Matters
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