On Sunday, June 23 at 12:00pm, I hope you will join me for the opening of the NE 8th Street Bridge in Bellevue and the unveiling of community-led Japanese American heritage art installations. 

These art installations honor the history of the Japanese American community in Bellevue in a significant location: they sit near the former site of Bellevue Growers Association packing and shipping warehouse, the only location for Japanese American farmers to distribute their produce prior to World War II and Japanese incarceration.

Located on the new NE 8th Bridge that provides a safe pedestrian crossing and connects the Eastrail with Sound Transit's new 2 Line at the Wilburton Station, they will tell the stories of the Japanese American community in Bellevue by incorporating features of this historical site through pieces by artists Akiko Sogabe, Lauren Iida, Lawrence Matsuda, Erin Shigaki, and Mari Shibuya. 

I am deeply grateful to Isan Bellevue and the Japanese American community for leading this powerful effort to honor and uplift the Japanese American community that helped shape the City of Bellevue.  

On Tuesday, the King County Council passed the implementation plan for the crisis care centers initiative. This voter-approved levy takes a regional, coordinated approach to behavioral health and will create a network of five crisis care centers across King County (including one for youth), restore the residential treatment beds that we have lost since 2018, and invest in the recruitment and retention of the behavioral health workforce.

This week, I was pleased to participate in several community events highlighting the importance of our arts and culture sector, including an art walk with the Metropolitan Seattle Chamber of Commerce in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and Inspire WA’s Cultural Futures workshops at the Seattle Rep and the White River Valley Museum in Auburn.

Arts and culture aren’t a “nice-to-have”—they are an essential part of healthy individuals and healthy communities, offering people joy, healing, personal growth, and community connection.  

That’s why I was proud to help lead King County’s work last year to pass the transformational Doors Open arts and culture levy. In the coming months, the King County Council will take up the implementation plan for Doors Open, making important decisions about how we invest these vital funds to support programming in schools, increase tourism, spur economic development, and feed the workforce pipeline in the arts and culture sector. I look forward to working with my colleagues and community leaders to pass a plan that will uplift our residents, revitalize underserved communities, and enrich our cultural landscape.