Sharing our know-how across the globe

Crossposted from King County Wastewater Treatment Division Many developing Asian countries face unique challenges delivering quality wastewater services. In an effort to mentor these communities, a team of Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) employees participated in information sharing with a growing utility called URENCO in Dong Hoi, Vietnam. After visiting Vietnam, Dave Jurgens, reliability engineer, realized it’s not only an infrastructure challenge, but also one of culture. “The treatment plant is within a river delta with a lot of farmland. Waste is conveyed primarily from Dong Hoi, a fishing town of about 120,000 people,” he said…. Read More

Best Starts for Kids gets started

Joined by members of the King County Council, Executive Dow Constantine signed Best Starts for Kids. The voter-approved levy will invest nearly $400 million in child and youth development across King County over the next six years. View the video below to watch the ceremonial bill signing.  

Kudos! Management team volunteers time to United Way Day of Caring

Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter Members of the Department of Community and Human Services’ management team participated in the annual United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 23. The staff met at 8:30 a.m. at the Children’s Therapy Center (CTC) in Kent, WA and spent the day improving the CTC campus.  Some of the team spent the day cleaning and sanitizing the children’s toys and playrooms and other interior spaces. Others worked outside to spruce up the CTC grounds, lawn mowing, weed whacking, pruning hedges, raking, seeding, and sweeping…. Read More

Your home, your stream, your future

Join us in developing the Bear Creek Watershed Plan! Learn about living in or near the Bear Creek Watershed and how stormwater is managed affects you, your property, and the health of Bear Creek. The workshop will be held Thursday, October 13, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Woodinville City Hall, address is 17301 133rd Ave NE Woodinville, WA 98072. King County and its partners are collaborating to reduce stormwater pollution and restore and protect stream habitat in the Bear Creek basin. Hear about our work over the last two years,… Read More

Wet and windy weather is here!

Wet and windy weather has arrived and is expected to worsen over the coming hours. Please prepare for possible disruptions and delays in this evening’s commute and again this weekend as we face two consecutive storm systems forecast by the National Weather Service. High winds and rain might create potential travel delays, power outages, and temporarily closed roads. The King County Department of Transportation recommends Metro bus and water taxi riders and people who travel unincorporated county roads monitor weather reports and connect to information available from King County, including travel alerts. Resources… Read More

Inclusion Works!

In observation of King County’s Disability Awareness Month, we would like to highlight a success story in progress …and an employer who is taking steps to ensure a more inclusive and diverse workforce that recognizes the professional contributions of individuals with behavioral health disabilities. Meet Nick… Nick is an Inventory Specialist at Amazon who ensures that multiple Amazon locations are fully stocked with supplies for his hard-working colleagues. He recently celebrated nine months as a full time Amazonian, and has received praise from his supervisors. Nick moved to Seattle in 2006, looking… Read More

The Annual Employee Giving Drive and National Hispanic Heritage Month

The County’s 2016 Annual Employee Giving Drive began last week, and this year’s goal is to raise $1.82 million! The Employee Giving Program is a philanthropic resource for King County employees that benefits county employees by providing prescreened nonprofits, allowing you to plan your giving, making it possible for you to donate time (vacation or compensatory hours), and offering anonymity. In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, the following are four nonprofits serving the King County area that are eligible to receive donations through the Employee Giving Program. Take a look at the services… Read More

County recognizes and celebrates value of workers with disabilities, proclaimed October Disability Awareness Month

As the Metropolitan King County Council declared October as Disability Employment Awareness Month in King County, the Council celebrated the talents and contributions of county employees with temporary or permanent disabilities serving the public. “Families and communities within King County are enriched by the diversity and perspective of those living with a disability,” said Council Chair Joe McDermott. “We must continue to strive to address the injustices that linger and remove the barriers that remain, so that all lives are equally valued, no matter ability.” In addition to the Council’s reading of… Read More

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Monday, Oct. 10

Seattle voted in 2014 to honor Native Americans, and their contributions to our history and achievements, on what has traditionally been celebrated as Columbus Day. Now the second Monday in October is officially Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Seattle. It’s an especially poignant turnaround given that in 1865 the City of Seattle passed a resolution banning Native Americans from living in Seattle. Indigenous Peoples’ Day also recognizes that we all are living on Indian land, and that without the displacement of its first inhabitants, none of us would be here. The day also… Read More

Come see us at the Northwest Film Forum’s Archival Screening Night!

Crossposted from Bytes and Boxes The King County Archives is delighted to be participating in a screening of clips from local archives and cultural organizations at the Northwest Film Forum, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.  The event is being held in honor of Archives Month and promises to be a treat. The King County Archives is contributing a variety of clips, including some local sports history, 1930s silent film, and more! We hope to see you there!