Posted on July 26, 2018 by

Sheriff’s Marine Rescue Dive Unit trains on Snoqualmie River

The King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue Dive Unit deploys specially trained and equipped deputies who are responsible for water-related law enforcement, investigations, rescue and recovery work. Members of the Marine Rescue Dive Unit train for marine rescues twice a month to be ready when a swimmer needs them. KIRO 7’s Allison Grande caught up with Sgt. Mark Rorvik and Deputy Chris Bedker on the Snoqualmie River during their last training session.

“I think rivers, they’re inherently dangerous unless you have specific training and the right equipment,” said Rorvik in the KIRO 7 story.

Commenting on the reduction in the number of drowning calls so far this year, Rorvik added, “I would hope that’s education, enforcement.”

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Posted on July 26, 2018 by

Training Spotlight: Igniting Employee Development and Introduction to Strategic Planning

Igniting Employee Development and Introduction to Strategic Planning are two trainings we’ve had in our spotlight this month, and there are still seats available!

Learn more about and register for Igniting Employee Development and Introduction to Strategic Planning on Eventbrite before the sessions fills up, and – the web site is back up! – visit Learning and Development on KingCounty.gov to learn more about trainings and other opportunities to invest in YOU!

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Posted on July 25, 2018 by

Accomplished artist brings “East Base Flair” to transit center

Walking into the Metro Transit East Base in Bellevue can be disorienting. The facility is large, with buses and equipment scattered throughout and people moving busily as they go about their work. The sound of drills are heard in the background and the smell of a mechanic shop tickles your nose. Beautiful, hand-painted signs adorn the entrance to each work station and stand out among the otherwise generic facility walls. These signs were created by Don Charbonneau and are part of what he calls “East Base flair.”

IMG_5669Charbonneau, who works in the East Base Paint Shop, is an equipment painter with Metro Transit, member of the Native American Blackfeet Indian nation, Hall of Fame inductee to the Northwest Pinstripers, and twice-featured Artist of the Month at the Blackfeet Heritage Center in Browning, Mont.

He began his career as an artist when he was just a child. His uncle, taught him different art techniques with watercolor. Not long after he sold his first piece of art at age 14. Later on, he was trained as a commercial artist at the Occupational Skills Center operated through Highline Public Schools. He went on to work at sign shops and began pinstriping cars and even watercraft.

His day-to-day operations as an equipment painter for King County include painting the County’s buses and vehicles, equipment in the facility, and signs.

IMG_5675“My background painting signs transfers to the buses,” said Charbonneau. “I’m thankful to be here simply because it has allowed me to focus on my work, art, and life.”

Currently Charbonneau’s personal artwork is being featured in a summer showcase at the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning, Mont.

Many of his new pieces reveal his Blackfeet heritage and reflect traditional values and customs. His work often includes images of horses, buffalo and human forms.

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“In my drawings I try to explain my culture and my beliefs,” said Charbonneau. “I also try to explain things that are universal to different cultures in a way that is still unique to my culture.”

He is a certified Peigan (Pikuni) artist, and he designed the official Blackfeet Tribe license plate for the state of Montana.

His passion for his artwork and culture have left a lasting effect on East Base and brought a sense of pride to the facility. His work has been recognized by other Metro Transit Bases and they have made requests for him to make custom signs for their facilities.

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“His artwork has livened this place up,” said Leif Engebo, Chief of East Base Vehicle Maintenance. “It’s the first thing you notice when you come into the shop, and everyone is always blown away. After Don gets done with his artwork the guys take more pride in – and better care of their equipment”

“King County has all of my talents,” said Charbonneau. “I just try to do the best that I can with everything I’ve got and make everything better.”

Posted on July 25, 2018 by

Keep cool when the heat is on!

We are expecting more hot weather this week and next. Now is a great time to remember that, although the sun is beautiful, it can make our work environment warm and uncomfortable for some.

The Facilities Management Division is committed to your safety and comfort at work, and to running King county buildings as efficiently as possible.  To help us all keep cooler as the weather heats up, here are a few tips:

  • Close the blinds in your work area to reduce sunlight streaming in.
  • Keep windows and doors closed when the air conditioning is on.
  • Dress for the weather conditions.
  • Turn off unnecessary lights and unplug unused electrical equipment.

Click on this image to print and post it in your work space.

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Posted on July 24, 2018 by

Employee Discounts to 2018 Washington State Fair

Washington State Fair: Employees can save on tickets to the Washington State Fair, Aug. 31 – Sept. 23. Click here for instructions on how to purchase your discount tickets. Once you are logged into the Corporate Perks portal, your discount pricing will be unlocked. There is no need to enter an additional discount code.

See all available employee discounts here.

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Posted on July 24, 2018 by

CHOMP!, King County’s celebration of local food and sustainability, returns Aug. 18 with Matisyahu, Caspar Babypants, more

Shared from the DNRP Newsroom

CHOMP posterCHOMP!, a full-day celebration of local farming, food and sustainability, returns to King County’s Marymoor Park on Saturday, Aug. 18.

Now in its fourth year, this fun, family-friendly event is hosted by King County Parks and is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Featuring cooking demonstrations from Beecher’s Foundation Sound Food School, hands-on workshops to make you a better backyard farmer and gardener, kids’ activities, a farmers market, live entertainment, and so much more, CHOMP! is a free all-day event that will inspire, entertain and feed your appetite for fresh, local and exciting food.

CHOMP-20187CHOMP! supports King County Executive Dow Constantine’s Local Food Initiative by celebrating local farmers, chefs and restaurants using locally-sourced food, and local organizations specializing in healthy food, sustainability, and social justice.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening the local food economy and improving access to healthy, affordable food in underserved communities.

CHOMP! is produced by Artist Home, which produces such events as the successful Timber! Outdoor Music Festival at King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation, Timbrrr! Winter Festival in Leavenworth, and Doe Bay Fest on Orcas Island. Artist Home is known for integrating unique natural settings into the event experience, and uniting music, community and nature.

For more details about CHOMP! and to sign up for e-mail updates, visit the website, chomplocal.org, or follow updates via the event Facebook page.

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Posted on July 24, 2018 by

Investing in water quality, one community at a time

Crossposted from Clean Water Stories

When it comes to making a big impact on the environment, sometimes it pays to think small.

King County’s WaterWorks Grant Program began in 2015 to kick-start investment in hyperlocal projects that improve water quality and encourage community partnerships.

Through a sense of purpose and the dedication of countless volunteers, our WaterWorks grants are supporting the kind of environmental progress that makes our neighborhoods – and our region – an even better place to live.

Take for example how a former parking lot in Kent was transformed into a community garden that offers food and kinship for newly arrived immigrants and refugees.

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One of a number of great photos about this project on the Clean Water Stories blog.

The WaterWorks Program provided $75,000 in funding to a project led by World Relief Seattle and the Hillside Church to reduce stormwater pollution and control flooding through the inventive use of green stormwater infrastructure at the site.

The result of the hard work is the Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden, a one-acre site with 50 garden plots irrigated by harvested rainwater collected and stored in four 4,000-gallon cisterns. Rainwater will provide around 80 percent of the water for the garden, and refugee youth equity interns lead garden tours to teach community members about how their site is helping the larger watershed.

In addition to reducing impervious surface and polluted runoff, the transformed site offers a place for community members to bond while growing their own healthy and culturally-appropriate food. The garden project will also feature a full service commercial kitchen to offer classes in canning, freezing and fermenting techniques. Not only will the kitchen help gardeners maximize their harvest, they may also use it to produce products for sale to neighbors and local markets.

King Conservation District, Construction for Change, other organizations, and many volunteers helped fund and build the community garden portion of the project. The WaterWorks grant was matched with $35,000 in trenching and irrigation line work donated by Wheeler Construction in Enumclaw and Plumbers without Borders, and over 1,100 volunteer hours donated by 352 volunteers! The grant match helps stretch county dollars and builds community support.

World Relief Seattle is the largest refugee resettlement organization in the state of Washington that has resettled more than 30,000 refugees in its four decades of operation. And we’re thrilled about the role of our WaterWorks Grants in welcoming our new neighbors while protecting the water quality we all enjoy.

More information on King County’s WaterWorks Grants is available online.

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Posted on July 23, 2018 by

Living Well workshops offer an easy way to manage long-term health conditions

Crossposted from Balanced You

Are you living with an ongoing health condition such as diabetes? Or maybe you watch your spouse or partner deal with issues such as arthritis or high blood pressure?

Balanced You sponsors workshops that are led by volunteers who teach you simple ways to manage your chronic health condition. These volunteers are trained and have dealt with managing long-term health conditions themselves so they have a true understanding of the challenges you face. Read more.

better choicesAs a benefits-covered King County employee, you and your spouse or partner covered by Kaiser Permanente (SmartCare Connect) or Regence (KingCare℠ and KingCare Select) are eligible to join the Better Choices, Better Health online program. This unique six-week, online workshop teaches you strategies such as planning healthy meals, managing medications, high blood pressure, dealing with pain and fatigue, and most importantly managing stress that affects daily lives and the lives of our loved ones.

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We want you to live your best life. So if you suffer from one or more long-term health condition, sign up for a workshop today! For more information or to register, visit kp.org/wa/livingwell or call 1-800-992-2279.

Posted on July 23, 2018 by

Kudos! to DNRP’s Solid Waste Division

SWANAThe Solid Waste Association of North America announced last month SWD’s Factoria Replacement Project is the recipient of the SWANA Gold Excellence Award in the Transfer Station category.

SWANA tweetThe King County Solid Waste Division has received national recognition for its newest recycling and transfer station, which advances the division’s commitment to environmentally and economically sound solid waste management.

The new station replaces the old with a 78,200-square-foot LEED gold facility. Constructed in four phases and sequenced, the facility maintained service to customers throughout construction. The winners will be acknowledged and awarded at SWANA’s WASTECON conference in Nashville, Tennessee Wednesday, August 22.

Read more in the official press release.

Posted on July 22, 2018 by

Metro driver Mark George honored for pulling two people from burning vehicle

Crossposted from Metro Matters

By Scott Gutierrez, King County DOT

King County Metro bus driver Mark George didn’t hesitate when two people in a burning car needed his help.

On the evening of May 12, George was driving his usual route near the Eastgate Park-and-Ride when an oncoming vehicle lost control while turning and collided with the side of his bus. The car ricocheted into a boulder wall and caught fire. George quickly checked on his passengers and rushed to the other vehicle with a fire extinguisher. He doused smoke rising from the engine and helped pull two people from the vehicle, including a woman and 7-month-old buckled into an infant seat.

George recently was honored with a Metro “HERO Award” award for his actions. The award, reserved for employees who go above and beyond the call of duty, was presented during a ceremony at the Bellevue transit base where he works.

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Metro Operator Mark George is presented with a Metro HERO Award by Transit Chief Judy Young.

“Mark George represents the best of what we do at King County Metro,” General Manager Rob Gannon said. “We strive to provide excellent customer service and we rise to the moment when needed to help others in an emergency or a crisis. I thank Mark for his service and commitment to the people of King County.”

Hero-award-2A Chicago native, George joined Metro in 2011 after working as a delivery driver for Amazon. The veteran driver was already a hero to many of his passengers. In October 2017, he was named “Employee of the Month” and has earned a dozen commendations for being personable, extremely courteous, and a “steady hand in crazy traffic.”

On the night of the collision, George made sure the people involved were okay and then directed traffic around the scene at 140th Avenue Southeast and Southeast Eastgate Way until first responders arrived. Then he went right back to work to finish his shift.

George has two teenage sons and when he is not driving the bus, he enjoys football, basketball and hunting.

 

 

 

 

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