MLK Jr.: ‘The time is always ripe to do right’
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Seattle once, from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11, 1961. King was 32 at the time and had yet to deliver his iconic address during the March on Washington or write his powerful Letter from Birmingham Jail. Accounts from his time in King County, King’s “The American Dream” speech at Garfield High School includes lines that he would use two years later in his “I Have a Dream” speech.
King also delivered some of his most powerful calls to action to Seattle audiences. The Seattle Times reported King saying, “There is a strange illusion that time will solve problems… The time is always ripe to do right.”
Read more from Metro Matters
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Watch the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
King County employees turned out in force to honor our nation’s foremost human rights leader and our County’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.
The event was held Thursday, Jan. 16, from noon to 1 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle. The keynote speaker was john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California at Berkeley. Former King County Councilmember Larry Gossett was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
You can watch a video of the entire celebration by clicking the image below. You can also watch powell’s address here.
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Featured Job: Engineer II (Capital Strike Team)
Salary: $37.75 – $47.86 Hourly
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DNRP – Natural Resources & Parks
Job Number: 2019MK11102
Division: WLRD -Water & Land Resources
Closing: 1/23/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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2020 Mindfulness classes open for registration
Would you like to stress less this year? Give Balanced You’s popular mindfulness classes a try! Balanced You has partnered with Mindfulness Northwest to offer classes at county worksites, online, or in the community. Classes are available to King County employees free-of-charge, subject to availability. The next available class, “Introduction to Mindfulness” will be Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the King County Airport. Registration closes January 15th. Visit the Balanced You blog for more information.
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Pet of the Week: Rudolph
Hi! My name is Rudolph and I am available for adoption. I was brought in by a good Samaritan on Dec. 2, 2019.
I am a sweet cat who may need extra time and attention to warm up to new situations and new people. When I was a wee little one, I was not taught how nice and friendly people can be, but I am learning quickly! Though I may be timid at first, once you take the time to show me I can trust you I will show you just how wonderful I can be.
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet.
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Celebration follow-up, Jan. 21
As we will spark reflection and ideas at the MLK Celebration, employees are encouraged to continue the dialogue to deepen our equity, inclusion and belonging discussions and actions in work teams, departments, and communities. One opportunity to participate in facilitated follow-up conversations will be held at the King Street Center 8th floor conference center on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.. All King County employees are welcome. For more information, contact KKibet@kingcounty.gov.
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Free Financial Check-Up Webinar for employees
Making Life Easier offers webinars throughout the year, free-of-charge, to King County employees. Topics include mental health, financial savings, healthy communication, and more. Employees interested in developing healthier finances can tune into Making Life Easier’s next webinar, “Your Financial Check-up,” which will be released Jan. 21.
Webinars are available on-demand. Employees can access webinars via the Making Life Easier portal, username: King County. Contact balancedyou@kingcounty.gov for more information.
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KCInform alert system reaches employees in emergencies
This week’s snowy weather is a perfect reminder for employees to sign up for KCInform, the King County employee emergency alert system. KCinform, powered by CodeRED, allows us to reach you by phone, text, and email with timely information in an emergency or natural disaster.
If you have not registered your personal phone, personal email, or work cell information yet, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-3830 (between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday) to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit the KCInform website.
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Employees come together to raise Seahawks flag
Several employees joined Councilmember Joe McDermott to show their support for the Seattle Seahawks by coming together to raise the 12th Man Flag at the Administration Building plaza last Thursday, Jan. 9
The wintry weather couldn’t stop King County employees from raising the Seattle Seahawks flag at 12:12 p.m. on a cold, rainy Blue Friday. Unfortunately the Hawks’ Super Bowl run came to an end on Sunday in Green Bay, but like the 12s, they’ll be back next season. Go, Hawks!
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Normal business operations today
King County operations will open as scheduled today, Wednesday, Jan. 15. If you are scheduled to work today, please plan to report to work at your normal start time or discuss any changes beforehand with your supervisor. Please note that some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
Be prepared for cold weather, high winds, and possible delays on your commute. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions.
Metro Transit routes: Metro Transit service is operating on normal routes except in areas of north and east King County, where some routes are modified or on snow routes. Learn if your bus route is affected. Sign up for Metro Transit Alerts.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Please refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather to learn more. (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy; Superior Court and District Court employees please check court policies).
Alternative work arrangements: If adjusting a work schedule, working at an alternative location, teleworking, or taking vacation are options for your job, please discuss beforehand with your supervisor. Employees may be able to take a day of accrued vacation or comp time instead of reporting to their normal work location today. Check with your supervisor for more information.
School districts: Seattle Public Schools are closed today, and other school districts are closed or will start late today, so please check with your local school district and have a plan for your kids. When schools are delayed or closed and King County operations remain open, employees are expected to report to work as usual, or follow applicable personnel policies. Check with your supervisor for more information.
Stay informed: Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information at work and at home in the event of inclement weather:
- Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now!).
- Check your King County email for information on business operations, delays, and closures. Log on at https://outlook.kingcounty.gov (you made need to click “Advanced” and then “Proceed to outlook.kingcounty.gov”). Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
- Contact your supervisor for instructions.
- Follow King County on Twitter—@KingCountyWA, @kcmetrobus, @kcroads, and @kcemployees—and LinkedIn.
- Check your agency website or intranet (if applicable), and monitor local media channels.
- Visit the Emergency News page at kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
KCInform: Make sure you can be reached in a major emergency. If you haven’t yet registered your personal contact or work cell information in KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
Superior Court employees: Information will be provided on the Superior Court website, or by calling the following hotlines for recorded updates on the status of work locations:
- Seattle courthouse/NJB employees: 206-205-6767
- MRJC courthouse employees: 206-205-6746.
- Youth Services Center employees: 206-205-6747.
District Court employees: Call the employee information emergency telephone line at 206-296-6820 for recorded information, or check the District Court website for updates on operational status.
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