Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Happy Friday, Kent!

Before we dive into this week's updates, I want to wish all the moms, bonus moms and mother figures out there a Happy Mother's Day weekend!

As a mother of two, I know that our work is cut out for us! And feeling valued by those around us through acts of love and appreciation is so important. 

Those small acts of kindness you can show and share with a mom who's important in your life can brighten their day. 

If you're looking for a nice spot to go walking, biking, or just hang out with mom, check out one of our parks! We have so many great and unique parks, playfields and trails all around Kent. 

I have a lot of great updates and fun things to share with you this week. Hope you enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor

Space for All Recap

The Space for All STEM Festival was amazing! Thousands of residents came by to the accesso ShoWare Center Saturday to interact with STEM exhibits and learn about the work and opportunities in STEM careers!

It was an honor and pleasure to welcome Astronaut José Hernández to the event as our keynote speaker! He delivered some fascinating and inspiring words, encouraging our young people and everyone to pursue their passions and leave a legacy.

Special thanks to all the businesses and organizations who participated, and especially the sponsors of the event! If you missed it, watch the fun video we put together of the event here!

Last weekend, I attended the fundraiser to support the long-standing student exchange program with Kent, Auburn and Tamba, Japan.

Who doesn't love a cozy place to read a book? The kids from Kent Youth and Family Services ECEAP at Birch Creek were so excited to try out the new Reading Oasis. The area was donated by our wonderful Kent AM Kiwanis Club in honor of long-time member Mike Till. Mike absolutely loved reading to kids.

Every year, the city hosts a fundraiser to support a local non-profit and provide an opportunity for staff to purchase flowers for loved ones before Mother’s Day. In prior years we had a nursery putting flower baskets together. This year, Kentwood High School students worked with our Public Works’ vegetation experts, to grow beautiful flowers for our event. The students did such a great job, and the flowers are beautiful!

Saturday is the Khalsa Day Celebration and Parade at accesso Showare Center. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This celebration is filled with prayer, food and martial arts demonstrations. If you are planning to be around downtown Kent on Saturday, 4th Ave N will be closed for most of the day for the parade.

Kent Kitty Hall 

We are kicking off Paw-Fest weekend, where Kent City Hall becomes Kent Kitty Hall!

It's where all the cuddliest, cutest adoptable kittens and cats will be available for adoption thanks to Regional Animal Services of King County.

This is a purr-fect time, to find your furever friend! No kitten around!

📅 Thursday, May 30
⌚ 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
📍 Kent City Hall 

Paw-Fest 

Join us and Regional Animal Services of King County at PawFest! Animal rescues will have sweet animals up for adoption and we'll have licensing help on-site. 

There will be a pet parade, best pet costume contest, pup cups, demonstrations from dog agility teams and dog trainers. 

📅 Saturday, June 1
⌚11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
📍 Kent Station

Thank you, Kent Chamber of Commerce, for hosting the Business Expo at accesso ShoWare Center earlier this week!

This week we honor the amazing and dedicated men and women who serve in our City of Kent Corrections Facility. The job is demanding, and often thankless. They are a crucial piece to our Law Enforcement team. Please take a moment to thank them this week.

Kent City Council

The Kent City Council held multiple public meetings this week. Check out the recap on this week's meetings below. 

You can also see the full meeting agendas, minutes and livestream recordings here.

At this week's Kent City Council meeting, we issued five proclamations.  We started with recognizing Rita Schwarting from the Kent Guild of Seattle Children's Hospital on their 95th anniversary. You can see the full text of the proclamations here.

Bike Everywhere Month recognizes bicycling as a popular and economical mode of transport, supported by the city, and was accepted by KBAB Chair Wendy Graves.

National Corrections Officers Week recognizes corrections officers for their service and dedication as law enforcement professionals, accepted by Corrections Commander Armstrong and Chief Padilla.

I also proclaimed May 15-21 as National Police Week in the City of Kent! Join me in commemorating our law enforcement officers, past and present, who by their faithful and loyal devotion to their responsibilities, provide a dedicated service to our communities and help keep our community safe.

We celebrate May as Jewish American Heritage Month, a time dedicated to honoring the profound history, enduring traditions, and invaluable contributions of the Jewish community. Regina Friedland, Regional Director for American Jewish Committee was there to accept the proclamation.

We also welcomed the new King County Library System Executive Director, Heidi Daniel.

Kent International Festival 

International Festival is back at ShoWare Center this year! This event is a celebration of the cultural diversity represented in our city, and it's a great way to come together, celebrate various heritages and build respect, understanding and a sense of inclusivity in our community.

📅 Saturday, June 1
⏰ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
📍 accesso ShoWare Center

It will feature performers, cultural and informational booths and so much more! They are still looking for volunteers, so if you're interested head over to their website to learn more.

We're thrilled to have Top Pot Donuts in Kent! Their decision to lease warehouse space is an exciting development that speaks volumes about the attractiveness of our city as a place to do business. Read more about their decision to come to Kent here!

It's National Bike Month! Whether commuting to work, running errands, or enjoying an easy ride with friends and family, every pedal stroke counts. The Kent Bicycle Advisory Board presents "The Ride of the Month," a monthly recommended bike course in Kent. You can find all of the previous Rides of the Month HERE.

Just a reminder as we head into a warm weekend! Just because the temperature outside is warm, doesn't mean the water isn't still cold. Snowmelt can actually make the water even colder!  So, if you and your family will be out enjoying some fun in the sun and water this weekend, please keep an eye out for signs of hypothermia. Things like excessive shivering, mental sluggishness, numbness and cold feet and hands. Plays safe and enjoy the sunny weather.

Last weekend was Team up 2 Clean up in Kent. It was great to see so many volunteers out in the community partnering with our Public Works staff picking up trash. It takes all of us to keep our city looking great. Thank you to everyone that came out to help! To learn more about these events and similar ways to get involved, visit KentWA.gov/TalkingTrash!

Employee of the Month

Heath originally started working for the city in 2016 when he was hired as a Public Works GIS Analyst and is currently the GIS Supervisor.

Heath organizes, coordinates, and maintains the activities, operations, software, and database of the Public Works Department's Geographic Information System (GIS) to provide information and recommendations to management and staff.

He performs advanced technical work in the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) software and workstations.

Heath grew up in Sunnyvale, California with his parents and two younger sisters. He attended Brown University in Rhode Island where he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

Heath later obtained a graduate degree in GIS from Portland State University in 2009 and has spent all his GIS career working in the public sector.

He's worked for Portland Metro, WSDOT as a GIS Specialist and Transportation Planning Specialist before coming to work for Kent.

Heath was nominated because he consistently demonstrates qualities in Communication, Teamwork, and Innovation, making him a standout in Public Works and other city departments GIS supports.

Heath’s experience and technical knowledge of not only GIS software, but software using a geospatial component and getting that function to work within recently implemented technology keeps the city moving towards providing sustainable services to the public we serve.

Heath’s knowledge, caring and willingness to assist city staff to meet their goals makes him an asset to our organization. 

Heath lives with his husband and 2 dogs and take their travel trailer throughout Washington and escape to Palm Springs when the weather is not cooperating. Heath also enjoys bouldering, skiing and more recently has become a potter.  

Join the Greater Kent Historical Society for a night of music, performance, and gathering at the Kent Historical Museum! The event is open to all artists at all levels. New, emerging and wise artists & performers encouraged. See the schedule and how you can participate here!

While we recognize May as American Wetlands Month, check out this amazing blog about the Lower Russell Levee Setback project.  We are so proud of the improvements to the levee along the east bank of the Green River. The improvements will help protect surrounding residential and commercial development from flooding and create additional flood storage and fish habitat.

Green Kent 

Register now for our next Green Kent event: Kent Kids to Parks Day!

We encourage you to join us with your kids and little ones at Van Doren’s Landing Park for a day of planting and natured-themed fun!

📆Saturday, May 18
🕘9 a.m. - Noon 
📍Van Doren's Landing Park, 21901 Russell Rd

I can’t wait to see what the young athletes from our Youth Track program can do this weekend in their final meet of the year! Qualifying participants from 28 Kent School District elementary schools will come together at French Field on tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. for the 2024 Junior Olympics. See you there!

Registration is open for the Cornucopia Days 5k! This year's event will take place on Saturday, July 13 at Three Friends Fishing Hole with the race kicking off at 9 a.m. The deadline to sign up and order a shirt is June 14.

Kent Community Bike Rodeo

Our annual Bike Rodeo event is a fun, interactive, non-competitive skills course designed for kids to improve their bike handling and traffic safety skills. 

Kids will learn about stop signs, crosswalks, approaching corners as well as being considerate around other bikers and pedestrians. 

The program will include helmet fittings, helmet giveaways, a bicycle skills course and bike safety checks. 

If you would like to volunteer, please email KentBikeRodeo@gmail.com.

📅Saturday May 18 
⏰10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 
📍Kent YMCA 

This mobile hazardous waste collection service will be cruising throughout King County most weekends until October, making it easy and safe for you to drop off household hazardous waste for free. You can see the full schedule on their website.

Transportation Safety Plan

We are developing an action plan to improve transportation safety in Kent, working toward eliminating fatalities and serious injuries due to crashes.

Please take this brief survey to share your experience on city streets and areas you feel may be unsafe.

Spring & Summer Parks Guide 

Registration for Spring/Summer programming through Kent Parks is open!

From preschool classes and free summer concerts to youth sports and programs for adults aged 50 and older, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

If you haven’t received a guide, browse a digital copy to check out upcoming events and all available programs.

We're hiring! Check out our featured jobs and find great opportunities on our hiring page at jobs.kentwa.gov

Are you interested in the construction trades? ANEW offers free training in OSHA 10, Flagging, and Forklift certifications at no cost to students! Learn more about the free training at anewcareer.org

Get your furry friends licensed with Regional Animal Services of King County to help get them back to you if they're ever lost!  Your license also helps fund RASKC's life-saving animal shelter work. They reunite lost pets 24/7 and provide shelter pet care 365 days a year.

Don't forget to check out the KentNOW podcast! Josh and Tracy update you on the important, fun and interesting things happening here in the city! Listen to new and previous episodes on: 🔊 Apple Podcasts apple.co/3J2UMkd 🔊 Spotify spoti.fi/3GNCeli 🔊 Amazon Music amzn.to/3jjaOvU

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