News from and about King County… from health updates to community news affecting our daily lives.

Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes information about Auburn Councilmember Yolanda Trout’s appointment to the King County Children and Youth Advisory Board, King County Solid Waste Division’s Re+ Circular Economy Grant Program, Recruitment for the Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee, King County Sheriff finalists, Digital Equity Grant recipients, 2022 Youth and Amateur Sports Grant Program, transit and health updates, and more.


Washington Trivia

This former Major League Baseball pitcher played for the Seattle Mariners and later taught mathematics in Federal Way Public Schools. Who is he? (Answer is at the bottom).




Auburn councilmember Yolanda Trout appointed to the King County Children and Youth Advisory Board

I was pleased to sponsor the appointment of Auburn resident and city councilmember Yolanda Trout to the King County Children and Youth Advisory Board. The Children and Youth Advisory Board assists policymakers in considering outcomes, policies, and investments for children, families, youth and young adults, and serves as the Best Starts for Kids (BSK) strategies oversight and advisory body providing recommendations on the distributions of the levy proceeds.

Yolanda’s degree in early childhood education and her experience running a bilingual preschool will provide a valuable perspective on how King County can better serve children and families for whom English is their second language, and I am looking forward to working with her in this capacity.



With Auburn Councilmember Yolanda Trout


King County to support more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste through innovation grants

King County Solid Waste Division is making $1.8 million in funding available for local recycling, reuse and waste reduction projects through its Re+ Circular Economy Grant Program. Proposers are eligible for $20,000 to $300,000 per project. Application deadline is Friday, May 6th, at 2 p.m. Learn more at Re+ (zero waste) - King County.


King County Council recruits members for the Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee

The King County Council is recruiting members for the King County Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee (CEOC). The CEOC is a 16-member committee of volunteers, who have interest or expertise in elections. The CEOC is charged with conducting oversight of election-related matters, and reporting to the King County Council its observations, findings and recommendations through an annual report. Find out more at www.kingcounty.gov/ceoc.




Finalists and public forums announced for King County Sheriff as hiring process moves into the final phase

Following three rounds of interviews with the hiring committee, three candidates have been selected to move into the final phase of the recruitment process for a new King County Sheriff. A total of 12 candidates submitted applications to the nationwide search conducted by POLHIRE, which began in November 2021. Seven candidates were moved to a first round of interviews. Read more here.

The three finalists selected are:

• Patti Cole-Tindall, Interim Sheriff, King County Sheriff’s Office
• Charles Kimble, Chief of Police, Killeen, Texas Police Department
• Reginald Moorman, Major, Atlanta, Georgia Police Department


King County awards $2 million in digital equity grants to local groups, agencies, and organizations serving communities most impacted by COVID-19

The King County Office of Equity and Social Justice awarded $2 million in grants to 29 local groups, agencies, and organizations that aim to increase digital equity and literacy in communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants, funded by federal dollars, will provide linguistically and culturally appropriate services in communities that face barriers accessing digital services. Read more here.


2022 Youth and Amateur Sports Grant Program

King County Parks has partnered with the King County Play Equity Coalition to design, develop, and implement the 2022 Youth & Amateur Sports Grant Program with federal Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery (CLFR) funding to nonprofit organizations providing programs and facilities that support youth access to physical activity. King County Parks will administer a one-time CLFR investment of approximately $4 million across the County to nonprofit organizations serving youth most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and furthest from play equity. Applications open Monday, April 25th, at 9:00 am and are due on May 20th at 5:00 pm. Click on the link about for more information..




Transit Updates

Masks recommended, but not required, on transit

Guided by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) statement on Monday, April 18th, King County Metro will no longer require masks on transit. However, Public Health – Seattle & King County recommends that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time. Additionally, many of Metro’s system-wide health enhancements will stay in place permanently. These include daily disinfecting, fleetwide air filter upgrades, and encouraging contactless payment. Read more in Metro’s blogpost here.

Federal Way light rail construction connects to existing 1 Line

With the installation of girders at Angle Lake, the 7.8-mile Federal Way light rail extension is now physically connected to the existing 1 Line, moving expanded service an important step closer to completion. A photo gallery of the overnight work is available here.

Sound Transit seeks public feedback on Kent Station parking and access improvements

Sound Transit kicked-off the first in a series of community activities to solicit feedback on the visual design of the new garage for the Kent Sounder Station. The first event is an online open house that runs through April 26th at https://kentstation.participate.online/.

Online open house for King Street Station platform area improvements

As part of the Sounder South Capacity Expansion program, Sound Transit is studying how to make King Street Station better for passengers and ready to serve more Sounder riders in the future. Improvements at the station could include more stairs, elevators, a concourse above the platform and lengthening the platform to accommodate longer trains. An online open house will be available through May 10th at https://kingstreetstation.participate.online/.




Non-Profit Corner

Below are a couple places where your donations go a long way:

Auburn Food Bank
930 18th Pl NE, Auburn, WA 98002
Donations accepted in person Monday-Friday (8:00 am to 3:00 pm)
https://www.theauburnfoodbank.org/

Auburn Valley Humane Society
4910 A St. SE, Auburn, WA 98092
1123 E Main St., Auburn, WA 98002 (Thrift Store)
To donate supplies, call 253-545-0314 Monday-Saturday (10:00 am – 6:00 pm), Sunday (11:00 am – 5:00 pm).
https://www.auburnvalleyhs.org/

Bloodworks Northwest
1414 S 324th St., Suite B101, Federal Way, WA 98003
Whole blood and apheresis donations are accepted Monday-Tuesday (10:00 am to 6:00 pm), Wednesday, Friday-Saturday (8:00 am to 4:00 pm), and Sunday (9:00 am to 5:00 pm). To schedule a donation appointment, call 253-945-8660 or 800-398-7888 or visit https://schedule.bloodworksnw.org/DonorPortal/.

Bridging a Gap (BAG)
33313 1st Way S, Federal Way, WA 98003
Food donations can be dropped off at the following locations:
St. Luke’s Church - 515 S 312th St., Federal Way, WA 98003
Communities in Schools - 1825 S 316th St., Federal Way, WA 98003
Red Canoe Credit Union - 33616 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003
https://www.bridgingagapfw.org/get-involved/

Federal Way Senior Center
4016 S 352nd St., Auburn, WA 98001
To volunteer, please call 253-838-3604 or email director_fwsc@hotmail.com.
https://www.federalwayseniorcenter.org/

FUSION Décor Boutique
1108 S 322nd Pl, Federal Way, WA 98003
Donations are accepted Tuesday-Saturday (10:00 am to 6:00 pm)
Please call beforehand at 253-839-4045 with a description of the items.
https://www.fusiondecorboutique.com/

Multi-Service Center Food Bank
1200 S 336th St., Federal Way, WA 98003
Donations may be dropped off at the warehouse Monday-Friday (8:30 am to 4:00 pm)
https://mschelps.org/getinvolved/donations/

The Salvation Army
26419 16th Ave S, Des Moines, WA 98198
Open Monday-Thursday (9:00 am to 4:30 pm) and Friday (9:00 am to 12:00 pm)
https://federalway.salvationarmy.org/federal_way_corps


2022 South King County Scholar Athlete Auction and Lunch

Please join the South King County Scholar Athlete Fund auction and lunch on May 21, 2022, at the Federal Way Performing Arts & Event Center, with NBA Legend Lenny Wilkens, hosted by the Voice of the Seahawks, Steve Raible. In past years, over 250 community members raised more than $50,000 for scholar athletes in South King County school districts. Please consider attending this year’s event to continue supporting our local scholar athletes and athletic programs.

Tickets can be purchased in advance of the event for $50 at www.skcscholar.org. The ticket includes admission to our lunch, live silent auction, and remarks by Lenny Wilkens and Steve Raible. All event proceeds will benefit the South King County Scholar Athlete Fund.



Left: Seattle Seahawks Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin speaks to more than 250 supporters at the 2018 South King County Scholar Athlete Breakfast. Right: Auburn High School Athletes with Jim Zorn and Steve Raible.


Why Ukrainian refugees prefer resettling in Washington state

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the human cost of war continues to mount and has internally displaced millions of people. Over the last 10 years, more Ukrainian refugees arrived in Washington than any other state in the U.S., according to a Seattle Times analysis of data from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. An established immigrant community of Ukrainians in Washington state is one of the main reasons Ukrainian refugees choose to arrive here, said Oleg Pynda, executive director of the Ukrainian Community Center of Washington.



For now, most Ukrainian refugees are fleeing to neighboring Eastern European countries Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Belarus. Still, agencies are preparing for an influx when Ukrainians do manage to secure refugee status or parole. Read more in The Seattle Times article here.




Muckleshoot Tribal Council Officers for 2022-2023



Congratulations to Muckleshoot Tribal Council officers, Chair Jaison Elkins, Vice Chair Donny Stevenson, Secretary Jeremy James and Treasurer John Daniels Jr.!


Health Updates

Updates to King County Community Vaccination Clinics

On April 15th, the community vaccination clinic at the Kent Public Health Center closed. The Auburn Outlet Collection Mall vaccination clinic will remain open with the same hours (10:30 am – 7:00 pm) but will be open from Friday to Monday. Read more here.

UW Medicine CEO Paul Ramsey to retire after 25 years

Dr. Paul Ramsey will step down from his administrative position as CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine, effective June 30th, and will retire from the University of Washington, effective July 31st. UW Medicine Chief Medical Officer Tim Dellit, MD, will serve as interim CEO for two years. Read more here.


Inflation hit a 41-year high in March, but there are signs price hikes could slow down soon

According to the published report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual rate of inflation hit a 41-year high of 8.5% in March. Prices for food, energy and used vehicles increased the most, with preowned cars and trucks jumping 35%, gasoline 48%. The country is still far from putting the inflation problem behind it. But while headline inflation gauges point to intensifying pain throughout the economy, other factors suggest the worst could soon be behind the US. Read more in the Business Insider article here.





King County COVID-19 Case Update

Yesterday, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 598 daily average positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 386,806. In addition, Public Health reported 1 daily average deaths, bringing the total in the county to 2,728.

Recent data may be incomplete. For more information, visit the King County COVID Daily Summary Dashboard here.







Order free COVID home test kits: www.covidtests.gov | https://sayyescovidhometest.org/.

Vaccine Locator: To find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, visit Vaccine Locator.

For King County residents: Register here to schedule your appointment at one of the high-volume vaccination sites in King County.

For in-home vaccination: Call King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977.

Register by phone: Call King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977 or Washington COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.

For veterans: Call 206-716-5716 or visit www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine.

For more information, visit Getting vaccinated in King County.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255, text TALK to 741-741 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Find your King County Council district here.


With best wishes,

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Roy Justin Thomas was a Major League Baseball pitcher for eight seasons. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners.

Thomas appeared in three games when the Mariners set a franchise record with an eight-game winning streak in 1985 and earned two wins while holding opposing batters to a .190 batting average. When fortunes reversed, and the Ms were on a six-game losing streak that same year, Thomas pitched 6.1 brilliant innings of relief to break the streak. He pitched a team high 93.2 innings in relief, compiling a 7-0 record, the most wins without a loss ever on a team with a losing record.

Following his retirement from baseball, Thomas worked as a math teacher at Totem Middle School and Illahee Middle School in Federal Way. He currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Jane.



(Photo Source: tcdb.com)


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