October 8th Community Update

Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes information on the Opening of the Pete Andersen FUSION Family Center in Federal Way, King County Elections Vote Centers, King County Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meetings, health updates, interesting articles, and more.

Washington Trivia

How did Central Washington University get its nickname?

(Answer is at the bottom).

Pete Andersen FUSION Family Center

Today, the FUSION Family Center had a small ribbon cutting ceremony in Federal Way. Two years ago, I helped arrange a partnership between King County and the State of Washington to fund this project, and I am pleased to be joined today by former Speaker Frank Chopp.

With FUSION Executive Director Robin O’Grady, Rep. Frank Chopp and FUSION Founder Peggy LaPorte.

With Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell, Robin O’Grady, Peggy LaPorte, Rep. Frank Chopp and Sen. Claire Wilson.

King County Elections Update: Vote Centers

In preparation for the upcoming general elections, King County Elections have established partnerships and expanded vote centers to provide ample space to keep staff and voters safe. Aside from the headquarters in Renton, the following Vote Centers will also be open. Please visit this site for more details on when the vote centers are opening.

• Bellevue College
• Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center
• Kenmore City Hall
• Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent
• CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle
• University of Washington Dempsey Indoor Center in Seattle

Important dates to remember:

• Oct. 13 – Local voters’ pamphlets will be mailed to residents.
• Oct.14 – General election ballots will be mailed to residents.
• Oct.15 – Ballot drop boxes will open around King County (find one near you).
• Oct. 19 – If you don't receive your ballot by this date, call 206-296-VOTE (8683).
• Oct. 26 – Deadline to register or update your registration by mail. Mailed registration forms must be received by this day. The last day to register in person and vote is Election Day, Nov. 3.
• Nov. 3 – Ballots must be postmarked by this day or returned to a ballot drop box by 8:00 pm sharp. If you plan to return your ballot by mail, note that you do not need to use a stamp and you can put it in the mail as soon as you receive and mark it.

Elections recommends dropping your ballot in the mail by Friday, October 30^th to make sure it gets postmarked in time to be counted. Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 3^rd. If you have any questions or need assistance, visit the King County Elections website, email elections@kingcounty.gov, or call 206-296-VOTE (8683).

King County Budget Calendar: 2021-2022 Biennial Budget

We're officially in budget season here at King County. Over the next 2 months, King County councilmembers will be making important budget decisions around the King County Executive’s proposed budget. Make your voice heard in this process by following the schedule below:

CDC Confirms COVID-19 is Airborne

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control revised its COVID-19 guidelines to include that the novel coronavirus can spread through airborne transmission, similar to how tuberculosis, measles and chicken pox infections spread. There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away and occurred within enclosed spaces that had poor ventilation. Read more about this article here.

Washington National Guard Reinforces State Contact Tracing Efforts to Fight Spread this Fall

As we enter the cold and flu season, we are expecting an increase in cases as people head indoors with colder weather, however, the Washington Department of Health said it is better positioned than it was in the spring. The responsibility for contact tracing in Washington state essentially lies with the counties. Public Health — Seattle and King County have 61 contact tracers handling about 500 cases per week. The agency believes they are reaching the vast majority of people who have COVID-19.

However, not all counties have the resources to do so, which is why the state Department of Health will step in with three layers of help: the agency’s own contact tracers, a contractor with 78 trained individuals and a plan to hire more, and the Washington National Guard, which has 250 trained contact tracers. The Guard believes they will only need 133, but are prepared to use all 250 if needed to contact potentially exposed people. Read more about it here.

Watch out for this green dot on your iPhone – it means someone is watching

A new iPhone update adds a new "warning dot" that alerts you whenever your camera or microphone is activated and allows you to monitor if any app is secretly recording you. In iOS 14, a green dot will appear in the upper right corner of the screen when the camera is activated and will turn orange if the microphone is activated. Read more about it here.

Locksmith helps save Utah woman who wrote '911' on her hand in a silent plea for help

A woman being held in her Midway, Utah, home was rescued with the help of a locksmith who had been hired to change the lock on her front door. The locksmith, who did not wish to be identified, told authorities that as he gave the woman his invoice, she showed him her hand with “911” written on it, as a suspicious man continued to stay close to the woman only allowing her to have her phone with his permission. The locksmith said he had been involved in some domestic situations before but had not seen anything like this.  Read more about the article here.

As domestic violence cases continue to rise aggravated by situations brought by the pandemic, we are encouraged to be vigilant. Please do not hesitate to contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522. Available 24/7. Can connect callers with local resources and immediate support. Also available through its online chat tool.

As the weather changes and we return inside, we have more time to read books, so I am sharing an inspirational recommendation written by Northwest soldier-hero Sergeant First Class Ryan Hendrickson. Please feel free to recommend books you may be reading as I am still an analog person in a digital world! Thanks to Mike Flood for recommending Seahawk fan Ryan’s book.

King County Case Update

As of yesterday, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 151 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 23,419.  In addition, Public Health reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total in the county to 774.

Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember



Washington trivia answer:

Founded in 1891 in Ellensburg, Washington, Central Washington University was previously known as the Washington State Normal School (WSNS). The institution was established for the training and educations of teachers. As the offerings had grown significantly, the school changed its name in 1937 to Central Washington College of Education, reflecting its advanced educational rigor.

According to HistoryLink, the school continued to expand its curricula and eventually changed its name to Central Washington State College in 1961, and to Central Washington University in 1977.  

According to CWU’s student publication, the athletic team of the university was originally called the Normalities, until they adopted the Wildcat mascot in 1926. In 1981, the university store put on a contest to name the mascot.  Meg Chadwick suggested the name Wellington and won.