 News from and about King County… from health updates to community news affecting our daily lives.
Dear Friends:
Today’s update includes information about the recent South King County Scholar Athlete event with Lenny Wilkens, our virtual “Good Eggs” community forum, a meeting with South King County leader Mike Park, King County experts’ study on restoring access to salmon habitat, VSHSL Community Conversations, events in King County, transit and health updates, and more.
Washington Trivia:
This Seattle native and former tennis player and coach holds the record for most match wins by a U.S. Davis Cup captain. Who is he?
(Answer is at the bottom)
South King County Scholar Athlete event with Lenny Wilkens
I had a great time hosting my third brunch for South King County scholar athletes with the "Voice of the Seahawks", Steve Raible, and NBA legend and three-time Hall of Famer, Lenny Wilkens. Congratulations to all our local men and women basketball teams, and thanks to Kent Mayor Dana Ralph and Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus! Special appreciation to Pastor Gordon Banks and Ukranian Consul General, Hon. Valeriy Goloborodko. SKC rules!
 (Clockwise) With Federal Way High School boys basketball team, Pastor Gordon Banks, Lenny Wilkens and Hon. Consul General Valeriy Goloborodko, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus and Steve Raible, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph and Councilmember Toni Troutner, and Auburn High School boys basketball team 3A champion
Virtual “Good Eggs” Community Forum with outgoing Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff
Last week, I had the opportunity to host outgoing Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff at my virtual “Good Eggs” community forum. Peter provided an update on the Federal Way Link Extension and the state of Sound Transit as he ends his tenure. South King County community leaders engaged in a dialogue with Rogoff, and thanked him for his service throughout his past 6 years at Sound Transit. You can watch the recorded version of the forum on my Facebook page.
 With outgoing Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff
Meeting with South King County leader Mike Park
Mike Park has served our region on many levels, from presiding as Federal Way Mayor to parenting two successful daughters with his wife Jin, to establishing a school to educate students of all ages and backgrounds about the Korean Peninsula. We recently caught up at a local Panera Bread to discuss his plans to complete Hanwoori Garden to commemorate the Korean culture and the special relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America.
 With former Federal Way Mayor Mike Park
King County experts have identified the best opportunities to restore access to the most salmon habitat, putting the region in a strong position for new federal investments
Thanks to a three-year comprehensive field study conducted by staff scientists and engineers, King County is in a strong position for new federal infrastructure investments that remedy barriers preventing salmon from swimming freely upstream to vital fish habitat. The recommendations are based on an inspection of more than 3,000 potential barriers. Read more here.
Sound Transit Board adopts updated fare compliance approaches, lowering ORCA LIFT fare and extending subsidized pass and ambassador programs
On May 26th, the Sound Transit Board adopted a package of changes that update Sound Transit’s fare compliance approaches. The Board also reinforced support for income-qualified riders, including lowering ORCA LIFT fares from $1.50 to $1.00; extended subsidized pass programs; and increased options for resolving cases of non-payment. Read more here.
Overlength vehicle/trailer ban starts June 1st
Beginning June 1st, any customer with a vehicle/trailer combination over 25’ will be re-routed from Algona, Houghton, and Renton to one of the modern compactor stations (Bow Lake, Enumclaw, Factoria, and Shoreline). This service change is being implemented as a result of fall hazard mitigation measures that have resulted in shorter customer stalls that cannot accommodate larger vehicles/trailers. Scale operators have notified customers about the ban and variable message signs are in place at the top load stations. Cities have been notified of the change and a $14 discount coupon, with a June 15th expiration, will be provided to anyone re-routed.
87th Sports Star Banquet
As someone who believes that sports bring people together, it was nice to see Jim Whittaker, Lenny Wilkens, Shawn Kemp, and many others at the 87th Sports Star Banquet at the Westin. On May 1, 1963, Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Everest; his nephew “Win” guided me to summit Mt. Rainier on July 14, 1980. Shawn Kemp and Lenny Wilkens aren’t into climbing mountains, but they have summited more than their fair share of obstacles on and off the basketball court.
 (Left) With Sonics Shawn Kemp and Lenny Wilkens; (Right) With Everest Climber Jim Whittaker
VSHSL Community Conversations
The Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) is continuing its series of community conversations to receive your input on issues related to the VSHSL as King County begins to plan for renewal. The conversations are open to all King County residents. For more information about the community conversation in Federal Way on Thursday, June 7th, at the Federal Way Community Center, as well as other dates and locations, click here.
Non-Profit Corner
Below are some organizations located in our area 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
Summer Guide 2022
The Seattle Times has released its Summer Guide for this year with local activities this summer. Click here to find other events in the region in addition to the one below:
Federal Way Rhythm & Brews
Celebrate summer at Federal Way's Town Square Park with the fourth annual Rhythm & Brews festival on July 23rd, from noon to 7:00 pm. Enjoy live bands, drinks, and great food. Ages 21+ only. For more information about this in-person event, please call 253-252-2693 or visit Rhythm & Brews festival.
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Gold Star Families Day would be celebrated each September under new proposal
America recognizes troops’ time in service each November on Veterans Day, but now a bipartisan group of senators wants to set aside a day for Gold Star families each September to better honor their sacrifices. Earlier this year, lawmakers introduced the new Gold Star Families Day Act, which would make the last Monday in September — just about six weeks before Veterans Day — a federal holiday to recognize families who have lost a loved one while serving in the military. Before the new holiday can become law, the legislation must be approved by both the House and Senate.
Health Updates
King County transitions COVID-19 testing sites to community partners
As shared earlier this month, Public Health – Seattle & King County is ending its operational oversight of the Tukwila, Federal Way and Auburn COVID-19 testing sites as it transitions from COVID-19 emergency response into long-term COVID prevention management. Community partners will be taking over operation of these three sites in June, following a brief closure during the transition process. Read more here.
Federal Way testing site
The Federal Way testing site will close temporarily and will reopen in early June, with Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences taking over full operation, which has been working in partnership with King County at this site since it opened in 2020.
Auburn testing site
The last day of King County operations for the Auburn site was yesterday, June 1st. The site will reopen in June under the management of UW Medicine.
You can now report your COVID-19 self-test results online or by phone
A COVID-19 self-test is a rapid test that you can do at home and get results within 15-30 minutes. Self-tests are also known as home tests, self-collected tests, or antigen tests. If you have a positive result or consider yourself positive, you may report your test results to Washington State Department of Health using one of the following two options:
To report by phone, call 1-800-525-0127 and press # (press #7 for Spanish or speak the language you need when the call is connected).
To report online, go to safercovid.org/mytest, select your state, then complete the online form with your test results.
For more information, visit https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/testing/at-home.
King County COVID-19 Case Update
Yesterday, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 1,183 daily average positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 433,137. In addition, Public Health reported 2 daily average deaths, bringing the total in the county to 2,816.
Recent data may be incomplete. For the most current 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.
To 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.
Find your King County Council district here.
With best wishes,
Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember
Washington Trivia Answer:
Tom Gorman is a retired ATP Tour tennis player and coach. He also shares the record with Patrick McEnroe for most victories (18) as a U.S. Davis Cup captain.
Tom originally wanted to play baseball for the New York Yankees, but switched gears at the age of 10 when he played in his first city of Seattle tennis tournament. He lost to his opponent, Steve Hopps, who later became his doubles partner at Seattle University. Among his most notable awards were winning three consecutive state titles and being named as a two-time All American. As a Davis Cup captain, he led the 1992 squad to titles. The Dream Team included John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier, all ranked No. 1 in the world at one point.
Tom is now retired and living in Atlanta with his family. He has not played tennis in five years but has taken up golf. His golf bag is Seahawks colors, and he has a Seahawks towel.
 Photo source: The Seattle Times (AP)
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