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

Dear Friends:

Today’s e-news includes information on a recent visit to a Seattle Thunderbolts cricket match, the new county mask mandate, the Lions Club annual car show, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hanwoori Garden, and more.


Washington Trivia

This Auburn High School graduate became a prominent civil rights activist who challenged the legality of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Who is he?

(Answer is at the bottom).




Visit to Seattle Thunderbolts Cricket Match

Wicket…Pitch…Fielders…Bowling. Just some of the terms I learned while trying to figure out the bat at my first Cricket match at Marymoor. From India to South Africa, fans came together with families (and as a “family”) to watch the Thunderbolts v. LA Social Lashings. While cricket is currently more popular in other countries around the world, it has become one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. due to a renewed interest and substantial investment in the game over the last few years. Thanks to Vijay Beniwal for hosting me!



Attempting to learn some of the fundamentals of cricket with Seattle Thunderbolts Co-Owner and Co-General Manager Vijay Beniwal!


King County to require masks at large outdoor gatherings

As new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin has issued a Local Health Officer Order requiring masks at any outdoor event with 500 or more people in attendance. This requirement applies to all people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, 5 years of age and older. The order strongly recommends that masks be worn in all other outdoor settings where people cannot remain six feet apart from non-household members. You can find the entire announcement from the Executive Office here.


16th Annual Lions Club Scholarship Car Show

Whether it’s fighting diabetes or hunger, the Federal Way Lions Club raises money to help neighbors in need through various programs in our community. I had the pleasure of attending the 16th Annual Lions Club Scholarship Car Show at the Commons last weekend. The club’s largest fundraising event of the year raises money for scholarships for Federal Way students. Great weather, great turnout, great cause!



With members of the Federal Way Lions Club


Hanwoori Garden Kickoff and Groundbreaking Ceremony

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking part in a groundbreaking ceremony held by the Federal Way Korean Association at the site of the future Hanwoori Garden. The City of Federal Way donated land at the entrance of the Panther Lake Trail for the garden to be built. The Hanwoori Garden will be the first traditional Korean garden of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and will be built with a mix of traditional and modern Korean designs to celebrate the rich Korean heritage in our community. The project is expected to be completed by 2023-2024.



Breaking ground at the future site of the Hanwoori Garden in Federal Way



Rendering of Hanwoori Garden project


Weekly King County Health Updates

King County Health Update: Back to School Strategies

Students and their families, teachers, and staff are both excited about in-person school and concerned about the risk of the highly transmissible Delta variant. In-person learning is especially vital to the educational, social, mental, and physical development in children yet those aged 11 and younger are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination.

The CDC and Seattle-King County Public Health recommend these strategies for keeping everyone healthy and making in-person school possible:
• Get vaccinated against COVID-19 if eligible–students, family members, and staff
• Stay home if students or anyone in their household are symptomatic or test positive
• Wear a high quality, fitted mask and wash/replace frequently–staff and students (ages > 5 years)
• Socially distance–especially for high-risk situations like lunch time and indoor sports
• Pivot to outdoor settings if possible
• WA State mandates expert-review of school ventilation and air filtration systems
• COVID-19 screen testing access for symptomatic, exposed, high-risk students and staff

COVID-19 News: Trusting COVID-19 Guidance

The King County health care system is under extreme stress with the highest hospitalization rates since the beginning of the pandemic. King County Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Duchin reports that age-adjusted data comparing fully vaccinated with not fully vaccinated residents show the latter are six times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, 37 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and 67 times more likely to die from COVID-19 related illness.

What we are learning about COVID-19 is in real time resulting in guidance changes since the beginning of the pandemic. Although the changes may be confusing or even make some people think something is wrong, they are effective in real time. 37 per cent of recent hospitalizations have been unvaccinated younger adults (ages 25-49) and as we head into the school year and winter, the concern is for the health of children who are not yet eligible for vaccination and surges. For your and your community’s welfare, health experts urge getting fully vaccinated, masking and social distancing indoors and outdoors with people outside your household, avoiding crowds, and keeping up to date on your health care and vaccinations.


King County COVID-19 Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 960 new positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 137,267. In addition, Public Health reported 1 new death, bringing the total in the county to 1,772.

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







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 Auburn and Kent.

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: 1-800-273-8255 or Text TALK to 741-741


Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Gordon Hirabayashi, an Auburn native, was one of a handful of Japanese Americans to defy U.S. government curfew and “evacuation” orders issued in 1942 during WWII to persons of Japanese ancestry who lived on the West Coast. Hirabayashi considered the orders to be a gross violation of Constitutional rights and as a result was arrested, convicted, and imprisoned. He eventually appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Hirabayashi v. United States. Although the Supreme Court upheld his conviction at the time, the fight to overturn it resumed in the 1980s, resulting in his judicial vindication.

Photo source: Associated Press


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