Spring – a natural time for lawns
Use Natural Yard Care tips to create and keep a lush, healthy lawn. This season start mowing about 2 inches high for most lawns, and switch your blade to mulch mow, which chops the leaves into fine clippings for free fertilizer. For lawns in poor condition: aerate, overseed, and top-dress with 1/2 inch of compost. Kasey Keller, Hall of Fame soccer player appreciates that Puget Sound Starts Here with every lawn. Watch his and the new how-to videos at naturalyardcare.info. Brought to you by STORM (Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities) a coalition… Read More
May is Puget Sound Starts Here month
May is dedicated to appreciating the streams, lakes and stormwater drains that connect everyone with Puget Sound. Puget Sound Starts Here has programs that get people involved in habitat restoration and preventing water pollution. Cities, counties and nonprofits have hundreds of local programs and events lined up at PugetSoundStartsHere.org. Join us at Puget Sound Starts Here Night at the Mariners (Safeco Field) – May 14, 6:10 PM game against the Angels and visit our booths. Tickets are $15 View Level, $32 Main Level; Deadline to purchase: Friday, May 13 – 5:00 p.m….. Read More
Trade industries fair highlights the ‘other’ four-year college
For more than 35 years, the Women in Trades Fair has helped young women (and some young men) learn about career opportunities in diverse industries from transportation and utilities to maintenance, energy, and more. The event is held every spring at the Seattle Center, and is attended by more than 1,000 people. Over 80 exhibitors are featured at the fair, providing workshops, first-hand learning opportunities, career information and resources. Notable exhibitors have included Seattle Pipe Trades, Pacific Northwest Ironworkers, and last year’s first place exhibition winner, King County Wastewater Treatment Division. The… Read More
Vets 4 HIRE, a bridge from military to civilian employment
The King County Vets 4 HIRE (Heroes In Reintegration Experiences) Fellowship Program was created to support military personnel and veterans in making a successful transition to civilian employment. The Program goal is to provide veterans with valuable hands-on, practical experience to increase their competitiveness for King County and other civilian positions. The Program started in response to President Obama’s 2012 plans to downsize the military. King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn and others motioned for the Human Resources Division to explore creating an internship program for veterans. “A disproportionate unemployment rate exists among… Read More
A local organization’s perspective on why Communities of Opportunity is receiving national attention
Crossposted from the Best Starts for Kids blog In King County, many have taken note of Communities of Opportunity (COO), a ground-breaking partnership between community, the Seattle Foundation and King County to address inequities in health, social, racial, and economic outcomes. Now this approach is getting national attention. This past weekend, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro honored Communities of Opportunity. The Seattle Foundation received the Secretary’s Awards for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships in Washington D.C. at the Council of Foundations annual conference. Read more at Best Starts for Kids
Discounted tickets to see the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm Ticket prices between $16-$29, most sections within 101-128 Friday, June 3, 7 p.m. vs Phoenix Mercury Sunday, July 10, 4 p.m. vs Indiana Fever Friday, August 26, 7 p.m. vs Los Angeles Sparks Click here to access this offer and enter promo code: KING2016. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount Webpage.
Seventh annual Big Backyard 5K supporting King County Parks
Register for the seventh-annual Big Backyard 5K in support of King County Parks. The race is Sunday, June 5 at 9 a.m. at Marymoor Park. The course is flat, chip-timed, and stroller and dog friendly! Register as an individual or team today! And as a King County employee use promo code KCP5 for a $5 discount on your registration fee. Don’t forgot to stop by the King County Parks info booth for your Healthy Incentive’s Parks Fitness Challenge code! For more information about the Big Backyard 5K visit http://www.bby5k.com.
Kudos! King County joins list of best places to work
King County’s efforts to create a workplace culture that empowers employees as problem-solvers and decision-makers are beginning to pay dividends, with the County making Forbes magazine’s list of America’s 500 Best Employers in 2016. King County ranked number 192 on the 2016 list –the first time it has appeared in the ranking– and number 19 among governments nationwide. Forbes compiled the list by asking more than 30,000 U.S. workers employed by companies with more than 5,000 staff members how likely they were to recommend their employer to someone else and how they… Read More
Paratransit/Rideshare Operations Manager steering program to meet rider needs
Imagine being unable to take a bus because of a disability. Riders without disabilities can take it for granted, but riders with disabilities do not. For those riders with disabilities who can’t take their trip on the bus, there is Access, King County Metro’s ADA paratransit service. It is a demand response, shared ride transit service that picks riders up and takes them to their destination. It operates during the same times and days as the bus does and riders can use it to go anywhere as they would the bus. With… Read More
KIRO 7 story looks at fix for 2017/18 budget deficit
King County is facing a $50 million budget deficit in 2017/18, and KIRO 7 News spoke recently to Budget Director Dwight Dively about a small fix that would have a big impact for the County’s ability to provide services. Below is an excerpt from the story: According to Dively, a 3.7 percent increase would help the county provide necessary services for its increasing population. At the current 1 percent rate, Dively explained, the county is in the red. “If we were able to keep up with inflation and population growth with our… Read More
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