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

Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes news about the Auburn Station Access Project, the new King County Guardian One Helicopter, Pre-Apprenticeship Programs in Federal Way, the King County 2025 Budget, Local Services' Participatory Budgeting, King County Flood Control District Updates, and more.




Washington Trivia

This host of the longest-running game show in US History was born in Darrington, Washington and as a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, spent most of his youth on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Who was he?

(Answer is at the bottom).




Auburn Station Access Project

Patience and persistence! Those words best describe Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus’s push to increase the parking capacity at our heavily used Sound Transit Sounder Station in Auburn, and I was pleased to join Nancy and my Sound Transit Board and King County Council colleague Claudia Balducci for a “rainy” groundbreaking at the new $69 million garage, which will have approximately 675 parking stalls. It may have been wet and gray, but the future in Auburn is BRIGHT!



With Auburn Councilmembers Hanan Amer, Tracy Taylor-Turner, Sound Transit Deputy CEO Terri Mestas, Mayor & Sound Transit Board Member Nancy Backus, Senator Claudia Kauffman, King County Councilmember & Sound Transit Board Member Claudia Balducci, Auburn Councilmembers Yolanda Trout-Manuel, Cheryl Rakes, and Kate Baldwin


King County Unveils New Guardian One Helicopter

The King County Sheriff’s Office unveiled the latest addition to its Air Support Unit, a Bell 407GXi helicopter designed for quick, smooth landings in unpredictable conditions. It will support a wide range of missions, including law enforcement patrol, search and rescue, wildfire response, and more. The helicopter, known as Guardian One, allows the Sheriff's Office to respond to emergencies throughout King County within 20 minutes. Read more here.




Pre-Apprenticeship Programs in Federal Way

What has no college debt, access to a high-paying career path, and the support of the King County Council? Pre-apprenticeship programs!! Pre-apprenticeship pathways are an alternative to college and include construction and automotive trades as well as others. I was pleased to present $125,000 to Federal Way School District (FWSD) Superintendent Dr. Dani Pfeiffer and the FWSD board to support this invaluable program.



With King County Council Budget Chair Girmay Zahilay, Federal Way School District Superintendent Dr. Dani Pfeiffer, School Board Directors Quentin Morris, Dr. Jennifer Jones, Luckisha Phillips, and Joan Marie Murphy, and JROTC cadets


King County 2025 Budget

The next King County Budget Town Hall is on October 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM, at the Kent Senior Activity Center. To review the King County Executive’s 2025 Budget Proposal, click here. For more information about the King County Council’s review of the budget for 2025, read more here.




Participatory Budgeting: Urban Unincorporated Communities to Vote on which Projects to Fund

If you live in one of the unincorporated urban communities listed below, it's time to vote on which proposals you would like to fund to make your area a better place to live. Voting in each community is open through October 31st. Community members can vote online or at in-person pop-up voting events that will be held throughout the month in each community. If you have questions, email Program Manager Gloria Briggs at gloria.briggs@kingcounty.gov.

• East Federal Way
• East Renton
• Fairwood
• North Highline/White Center
• Skyway/West Hill

Alumni Corner

While our work is based on policies and programs, it is the people we work with who make the difference. Previously featured alumni included: Chris Cho, Tom Pierson, Bailey Stenson Gordon, Agnes Wooters, Jim Ferrell, Jackie Schneider, Megan Rage, Thomas Efrem, Jenny Faubion, Sue Park, Dani Cortez, Joey Schneider, Caroline Vadino, Brooks Meadowcroft, Nathan Angle, Max Hayes, Samantha Mills, Satchel Kolde, Tyler Pichette, Greg Stock, Will Craig, and Troy Pichette.

This week’s featured District 7 alum is Pat Lantzy. Pat worked in my front office from June 1998 to September 2018, assisting new staff, handling telephone traffic, keeping track of my schedule and arranging travel. When she started, Tom Pierson was the chief of staff.

When asked what she learned from her time in my office, she shared:

“I learned how to assist constituents when they had problems. Pete was very caring about his constituents and staff – very caring! When we received calls from constituents and organizations in his district, they became priority number one!

I met so many people over the years working for Pete. I am so thankful for the many people that I met and worked with in Pete’s office, and the chance that I had to work for Pete. I learned so much from him over my long tenure in his office.”

After working for 20 years in my office, Pat retired, shortly before her 85th birthday. Her goal is to have a few more years to watch her family grow. Her oldest grandchild just turned 51. She is thankful for her family for taking such good care of her. Thank you, Pat!


Non-Profit Corner

South King County Non-Profit Organizations

Auburn Food Bank | Auburn Noon Lions | Auburn Valley Humane Society | Bloodworks Northwest | Eileen & Callie’s Place | Federal Way Kiwanis | Federal Way Lions | Federal Way Senior Center | FUSION Décor Boutique | Kent Lions | Multi-Service Center Food Bank | Orion Works | Rotary Club of Federal Way | Soroptimist International of Auburn | Soroptimist International of Federay Way | The Salvation Army | Unleash the Brilliance

Hurricane Relief Fundraiser at Mama Stortini's

On October 29th, Tuesday, all three Mama Stortini’s restaurants (located in Puyallup, Kent, and Federal Way) will be holding a Hurricane Relief Fundraiser through the American Red Cross to benefit people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.


King County Flood Control District Updates

2024 Flood Reduction Grant Awardees in District 7

The 2024 Flood Reduction Grant awardees in District 7 include the Cherry Park Retention Pond Restoration Project in Algona, the PW-23-016 Milwaukee Ditch Improvements Project in Pacific, and the NE Auburn Creek Restoration Final Design Project.

These flood reduction projects are critical to protecting our communities and preserving our natural environment. By restoring the Cherry Park retention pond, we will not only reduce local flooding but also enhance stormwater management for the entire neighborhood. The NE Auburn Creek restoration and the Milwaukee Ditch improvements represent essential steps in addressing infrastructure issues while also improving fish habitats and reducing flood risks. I am proud to see these vital projects moving forward, ensuring that District 7 is more resilient and prepared for the future. Read more here.

King County Improves Web-Based Flood Warning App

Stay informed during flooding events with King County’s new Flood Warning App. The upgraded website provides real-time, reliable information about river levels and flood phases for seven rivers and Issaquah Creek in King County and gives you more time to act if necessary. Find the app—plus information on how to create a safety plan — at kingcounty.gov/flood.




Local Services Contact Information

Code Enforcement Links: Auburn | Algona | Federal Way | Kent | Pacific | Unincorporated
Crime Maps: Auburn| Federal Way| Kent | all of King County
Law Enforcement Updates: Auburn | Algona | Federal Way | Kent | Pacific | KCSO Unincorporated

To report illegal street racing in your neighborhood, dial 911.

Vaccine Locator: To find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, visit Vaccine Locator. For more information, visit getting vaccinated or getting tested in King County.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat https://988lifeline.org/ to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Click here for schedule and ticket information.


With best wishes,

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Born into modest circumstances on December 12, 1923, to a father who was one-quarter Sioux and a foreman on the electrical high line through Washington state, Bob Barker attended grade school on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, SD. He attended college at Drury University on a basketball athletic scholarship. In 1943, Bob joined the Navy Reserve to train as a fighter pilot but did not serve in combat. While on military leave in 1945, he married Dorothy Jo, who he met when he was 15, and after the war, returned to Drury to finish his education, graduating summa cum laude.

In 1950, Bob moved to California to pursue a broadcasting career and was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show, which ran for six years. He began his game show career in 1956, hosting Truth or Consequences, and later hosted The Price Is Right, starting in 1972. In 1987, unlike many gameshow hosts, Bob stopped using hair dye and let his hair go gray, its natural color by then.

As a vegetarian, he advocated for animal rights, famously signing off each episode of his game show urging the audience to “help control the pet population--have your pet spayed or neutered.” He also stepped away as host of the Miss USA pageant after producers refused to remove fur prizes. In 2007, Bob retired from hosting after celebrating a 50-year career in television.

Bob died at his home in Los Angeles on August 26, 2023, at the age of 99 and was buried alongside his wife at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.



Photo Source: The Seattle Times (Jonathan Alcorn/ZUMA Wire/TNS)

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