April 10 is Community Appreciation Day – come sample the West Seattle Water Taxi!
Now that the clouds are parting and it’s starting to feel like spring, King County Executive Dow Constantine is inviting you to get out on the water and experience West Seattle’s new water taxi. Sunday, April 10 is Community Appreciation Day, hosted by the King County Marine Division. So bring your friends and family out to Seacrest Dock and get an up-close look at the M/V Doc Maynard and take a ride across the bay to Pier 50. All trips will be free as the water taxi kicks off its summer sailing… Read More
ORCA cards make transfers between buses and Link free and easy
Crossposted from Metro Matters Now that Link light rail and our northeast Seattle and Capitol Hill bus changes are just around the corner, we’re hearing a lot of questions about how fares will work when using both buses and Link light rail to make trips. Having an ORCA card will be the easiest and cheapest way to pay. This post will hopefully help you better understand how to navigate the Metro and Sound Transit system seamlessly, how ORCA can work for you, the different ways to get an ORCA card, and how… Read More
Department of Public Defense Employees Feed Homeless
More than 130 homeless people in Seattle were served up dinner by public defenders who volunteered for Operation Nightwatch (ONW) on Saturday, Feb. 20. The menu included Sloppy Joes, rice, salad and gourmet brownies. This was hardly a first for public defense. In fact, members of the department have been serving dinners for homeless men and women every other month for more than five years.
Language portal shares Haz Waste info in 22 languages
Your friends and neighbors speak a language other than English. They want to know how to get rid of hazardous products they no longer want to use. What do you do? Send them to the language portal on the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County website. They may be able to find the information they need in their own language. With colorful thumbnail images, videos, web pages translated into Spanish and a Spanish Facebook page, this portal makes hazardous product information accessible to more people and businesses in our county.
Spanish language classes create opportunity for connection
When the phone rings and the woman on the other end asks her question in hesitant English mixed with Spanish, she finds herself surprised that the King County employee responds to her in Spanish and directs her to a translator who can better assist. Such smooth and welcoming customer experiences might be all thanks to King County’s Language in Motion program. King County has partnered with Seattle Colleges to offer Introductory Spanish business language classes. The classes are aimed at getting frontline employees in agencies such as Elections and Records and Licensing,… Read More
Eat healthy & support local farmers through Farm Fresh Local
Healthy IncentivesSM began on Tuesday, Feb. 2. and the program has a number of ways to help you eat healthy, including a new focus area, Farm Fresh Local. Through the Farm Fresh Local Text for Well-Being Individual Action Plan, you’ll receive tips and inspiration for eating local and making a difference—directly to your phone. During this Text for Well-Being program, you’ll learn fun facts about local food in King County, find out what’s in season, and get motivated to eat farm fresh food. Look for Community Supported Agriculture this spring As part of… Read More
Disability doesn’t stop dancing employee
If you happen to see a man busting a move while cleaning up hedge trimmings or emptying a trash can at Marymoor Park, it’s probably Parks Specialist Dwight Lewis. Dwight has been with parks for 17 years and his enthusiasm for the work is showing no signs of waning. “He actually makes people on our crew want to be better at what they do,” Andy Boland, Parks Maintenance Coordinator, said. “He pushes us, he comes in with a lot of energy, positive attitude, and it’s really what we need; he’s a spark… Read More
Breaking down barriers with Supported Employment: Jodeen Wieser
Jodeen Wieser is a 20-year employee with King County’s Environmental Lab, a Lab Assistant who performs a wide range of essential tasks that help the Lab do its work of collecting, analyzing and monitoring samples that protect our local environment. Jodeen is also a supported employee through a King County program that pairs her with a job coach to help with learning new skills, communication and any other issues that arise. “When you meet someone with a disability that maybe is a different picture of what you thought someone was or what… Read More
Veterans Court helps veterans in criminal justice system
For most, the court system can be complicated, confusing and scary. For many veterans, the process now comes with a sense of comradery and hope. The King County District Court Regional Veterans Court serves veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other disabilities from their time in service. In 2008, a judge in New York launched the first Veterans Treatment Court. Recognizing a need, King County launched a study in 2011 to determine the best treatment option, and in 2012 officially opened King County District Court’s Regional Veterans Court. The Regional Veterans Court is classified as a therapeutic court, where individuals are served by… Read More
Explore Race and Social Justice through Literature Out Loud
“We are human only if I see myself in you and if you see yourself in me.” These lines are from a poem called “Dialectic” by Quenton Baker, one of eight literary artists selected to present their work to King County employees in a series of symposia in 2016 called “Reflecting on Race and Racism through Spoken Word, Story, and Conversation.” The presentations offer King County employees the opportunity to explore equity and social justice issues through the personal and intimate art of “literature out loud.” Writers will read or perform their work… Read More
Employee News 