All Home Director Mark Putnam featured in blog about changing homelessness narrative
All Home Director Mark Putnam recently contributed a guest blog to the Seattle Foundation called “It’s time to change the narrative on homelessness.” “Changing the way we think about homelessness, which is deeply embedded in our internal and cultural biases, is critical to our ability to meaningfully address the crisis we are faced with today,” Putnam writes in the blog. “While we are housing more people through homeless services than ever, our efforts have failed to match the increasing need. Homelessness has reached emergency levels in Seattle/King County and it is no accident that we… Read More
Rev Up For Retirement seminar, Sept. 29
With increased concern over the future of Social Security and the stability of retirement plans, it’s never too early to prepare! Bring a sack lunch and hear what the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington, the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors and the Social Security Administration have to say about retirement planning, PERS, Medicare, and Social Security. Friday, September 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eighth Floor Conference Hall, King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle Registration is required. Due to space limitations, only county employees may attend. To register, please e-mail: KC.Orientations@kingcounty.gov.
Applications for ESJ Opportunity Fund due Sept. 1
A reminder that applications for the Equity and Social Justice Opportunity Fund are due on September 1. The ESJ Opportunity Fund is a competitive process run by the Office of Equity and Social Justice that provides resources to King County employees to develop and implement projects that work to advance equity and social justice and that complements the ESJ Strategic Plan. For the 2017-2018 biennium, there is a total of $100,000 in one-time funds available and grants ranging from $500 to $7,500 will be awarded to projects that the Funding Committee determines best… Read More
Baby falcons rescued by county employees
Recently several baby falcons fell out of their nest on the third floor window ledge of the King County Courthouse. Lucky for these little birds, County employees were on hand to rescue them. After saving the birds from oncoming traffic, Seattle Animal Control was called. Animal care staff then took the chicks to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynwood. This facility specializes in wildlife rescue. The baby falcons were given a full exam by a vet. Out of the three, one bird had a fracture, but otherwise, all were declared… Read More
Pilot aims to reduce vehicle congestion at hiking trailheads
King County has just launched Trailhead Direct, a pilot project sponsored by King County Parks and Metro’s Community Connections program, to help people get to hiking destinations in the Issaquah Alps and along I-90 without needing a car. Hikers can park their cars or catch the bus to two locations – Issaquah Transit Center Bay 5 and Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride Bay 1 – and get dropped off at one of three trailheads: Margaret’s Way Trailhead, Poo Poo Point Trailhead, East Sunset Way Trailhead, connecting hikers to more than 150 miles of hiking trails. Trailhead Direct… Read More
Confronting climate change aboard a floating classroom
Crossposted from Inside Transportation The King County Water Taxi functioned as a floating classroom recently for a firsthand lesson on how King County is confronting climate change. On an unusually hot day on the waterfront, in the midday hours when our vessels are docked, the Marine Division hosted 13 high-schoolers from the Woodland Park Zoo’s Seattle Youth Climate Action Network (Seattle Youth CAN). They boarded the Sally Fox for our new “Floating Classroom” program, designed to engage students of all ages in environmental and climate change education, and introduce them to internship and job opportunities in both King County… Read More
Puget SoundCorps helps stomp out knotweed
Crossposted from the Noxious Weeds Blog Each year, the King County Noxious Weed Control Program gets a great boost of support from the Puget SoundCorps, a branch of the Washington Conservation Corps’ AmeriCorps Program. Just when we need it most, a crew of six hardworking young adults heads out to help us tackle some of the county’s toughest noxious weeds. This summer, the crew is spending fourteen days battling knotweed on three sites along the Snoqualmie River* under the guidance of Justin Brooks, riparian team lead for the Snoqualmie River. I met up… Read More
Metro’s top bus driver is cheerful, patient, considerate
Quick as a wink, he climbs out of the driver’s seat to help a passenger with her grocery bags. Riders know him by his cheerful smile and say he’s friendly and courteous, and that he looks out for riders who are older and need a helping hand. He even eases the stress riders feel when the whole bus is stuck in congestion. Meet James Turner. At a surprise ceremony today, Metro officials, Turner’s fellow bus drivers and his family shared stories of his kindness and kudos from riders spanning 35 years as… Read More
Job Fair connects White Center teens with employers
The fourth annual Peace ‘N’ the Hood Basketball Tournament at Steve Cox Memorial Park underwent a shakeup with a new component added to benefit teens in White Center: a job fair tailored for teens ages 16-24. Representatives from 30 employers and employment resources participated in the job fair and the attendance goal was nearly doubled, with 150 teens taking part. DNRP Customer Services Coordinator Jody Addicks works at the White Center Teen Program, where the job fair took place. “Justin Cox, who works at Southwest Youth and Family Services and also works… Read More
Celebrating the employees who restored West Point
On Aug. 10, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined Mark Isaacson, Director of the Wastewater Treatment Division, and employees at the West Point wastewater treatment plant for their annual summer potluck to celebrate their commitment and dedication to clean water. Employees worked around the clock to restore normal operations following the Feb. 9 flood at West Point, and the treatment plant is again meeting strict water quality standards. People worked long hours, often in very challenging conditions during the restoration. Employees willingly stepped forward with a spirit of service that is truly inspiring…. Read More
Employee News 