June 27th Community Update
King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 06/27/2024 05:29 PM PDT
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News from and about King County… from health updates to community news affecting our daily lives. Dear Friends: King County Regional Crisis Line: 206-461-3222 Sound Transit Board Chooses South 336th Street for Link Operations and Maintenance Facility South Due to land constraints, we had limited options before us for this new Operations and Maintenance Facility. I believe this is the most cost-effective decision we could make as good stewards of taxpayer dollars. At similar facilities, the average employee wage is $45 an hour – that's more than $85,000 a year. I’m glad these impactful jobs supporting regional transit will be in South King County. When complete, the OMF South will store and maintain 144 Link light rail trains for future Link expansion, including service to West Seattle and Tacoma, while providing over 600 permanent living-wage jobs within the project site. It will also contain a test track for 24-hour conditioning and testing of new light rail vehicles, allowing them to enter passenger service more quickly. Click here for future updates.
300,000 Metro Riders Fuel Region’s Recovery Our region reached a major milestone when more than 300,000 people rode King County Metro on May 15th, achieving the highest one-day total in four years. This represents an increase of 22% from a year ago and 156% from 2020. This fall, transit options will grow, too, with more bus service, including in the evenings and on weekends, and providing connections to four new Sound Transit light rail stations. Read more here. More Weekday Water Taxi Sailings This Summer
Seattle Mariners As we celebrate the M’s June success (46-37, .554) it was fun to meet up at a recent game with Auburn School District Superintendent Dr. Alan Spicciati and two of the team’s earliest giants: Chuck Armstrong (28 years president of the Mariners) and John Ellis (the first chairman and CEO of the new M’s). If Howard Lincoln had been there, we would have had a “trifecta”. “It is not an overstatement to say that without John Ellis and Howard Lincoln, the Seattle Mariners would not be here today”, said current M's Chairman John Stanton! Dr. Spicciati is a champion for sports programs in our public schools. Go M’s!
Hazardous Waste Management Program's Annual Report The Annual Report highlights the Hazardous Waste Management Program's services, accomplishments, and financial status for 2023. To learn about how the program reduced toxic exposures, held product makers and sellers responsible, and put innovation into action, read the report here.
Regional Animal Services Waives Late and Adoption Fees through June 30 
All cats and dogs living in unincorporated King County are required to be licensed with Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC). If your pet's license has expired or if you have never licensed them at all, now is your chance. Through June 30th, you can either license your cat or dog with RASKC and all late fees will be waived, or adopt a pet with no adoption fee.
Why Mount Rainier is the US Volcano Keeping Scientists Up at Night In a recent episode of Violent Earth with Liv Schreiber, ambassador for the Union of Concerned Scientists and volcanologist Jess Phoenix said Mount Rainier keeps him up at night. This is not only because it poses a great threat to the surrounding communities, but also because Tacoma and South Seattle were built on 100-foot-thick ancient mudflows from previous eruptions of Mount Rainier. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), Mount Rainier’s destructive potential does not lie on flows of lava or volcanic ash, but on lahar that potentially could impact surrounding residents. A 2022 study modeled two worst-case scenarios with simulations: 1) A 9.2 billion-cubic-foot, 13-foot-deep lahar would originate on the west side of Mount Rainier, with debris flow equivalent to 104,000 Olympic-size pools that could reach Orting, Washington about one hour after an eruption at the speed of 13 feet per second. 2) The second area of pronounced hazard is the Nisqually River Valley, where a massive lahar could displace water from Alder Lake to cause the 330-foot-tall Alder Dam to spill over. As the “sleeping giant” has not erupted in the past 1,000 years, experts and residents remain vigilant. In 1998, the USGS set up a lahar detection system at Mount Rainier, which since 2017 has been upgraded and expanded. Sites on the volcano’s slopes now feature broadband seismometers that transmit real-time data as well as other sensors. In March, 45,000 students from neighboring communities (Puyallup, Orting, White River, Carbonado, and Sumner-Bonney Lake) participated in the world’s largest lahar evacuation drill. Read more in the CNN Science article here.
Last summer, the regional Ready, Set, Go! evacuation campaign launched in partnership with King, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties. This year, Kitsap, Skagit, and Whatcom counties have joined the effort. The program educates the public on how to respond to the three levels of evacuations and prepares them for actions they should take at each level. The expansion of this program also includes two new Sheriff’s Office helicopter water buckets that boost King County’s ability to fight wildfires. Read more here.
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, and Nathan Angle. After working in my office, Max seasonally worked at Jack’s BBQ on Airport Way as a line cook during college break in 2018. Once graduating with a degree in business administration, owner Jack Timmons and the VP group offered him a full-time position as the marketing manager. He now oversees daily business operations, implements regular social media strategies across accounts and brands, and general marketing. As the business he works for continues to expand, Max looks to grow his professional career as well through education and networking. In his free time, he enjoys walking and training his 3-year-old golden retriever, working on his cars, skiing Crystal Mountain as much as the season allows, spending time with his family and close friends, and of course – rooting on our local Seattle sports teams! “I am thankful to be very well traveled at my age, and I look forward to the opportunities to visit more places and cultures down the road. Locally, summiting and skiing Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Adams are at the top of my to-do list. I strive to become a homeowner shortly right here in King County.” Thank you, Max! FUSION Gala 2024: A Whimsical Wonderland Prepare to be transported to a magical realm filled with wonder, joy, and endless surprises at this year’s FUSION Gala on August 7th, starting at 5pm, at Dumas Bay Centre. Enjoy a delectable dinner, entertainment, and live and silent auctions supporting a great cause. Click here for more information.
South King Tool Library Summer Repair Café Code Enforcement Links: Auburn | Algona | Federal Way | Kent | Pacific | Unincorporated
With best wishes, Skies were clear and the winds light, but he planned to detour to help find a U.S. Marine Corps Curtiss C-46 Commando transport that had crashed with 32 U.S. Marines on board to claim a $5,000 reward. Just before 3:00 pm, he circled about 20 miles west of Mount Rainier and saw a bright flash to the northeast, which he assumed was some military lieutenant out with a shiny P-51. After more flashes appeared, he ruled out a nearby Douglas DC-4 airliner as the source. Arnold denied that he initially described the objects as “flying saucers,” but as Megan Garber wrote in her June 15, 2014, article for The Atlantic, “Stories of the time credit Arnold with using the terms “saucer,” “disk,” and “pie-pan” in his description of the objects he had seen.” Read more here. To unsubscribe or update your preferences, click here. |
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ORCA Card Now Available in Google Wallet
King County Water Taxi passengers heading to and from Vashon Island will have new weekday sailings (10 round trips each weekday) available starting July 1st. There will also be more supporting bus service connecting to these trips. In addition, the Vashon route will include four new midday trips to connect riders between the north end ferry terminal and Pier 50 in downtown Seattle. The new sailings will be reflected in Metro's 
This week’s featured District 7 alum is Max Hayes. Max worked in my office as an intern during his senior year in the spring and summer of 2017. Prior to joining my office, he was a full-time student, part time valet driver, and baseball player for the Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHS). Eager to gain professional experiences in preparation to getting a degree at Central Washington University, he was introduced to me by TJHS Coach Joseph Townsend. 
68th Annual Kiwanis Salmon Bake
Join the South King Tool Library (1700 S 340th Pl, Federal Way) for their free fix-it event on Saturday, June 29th from 10am to 2pm. More dates will be announced as they are scheduled. Bring your damaged furniture, broken small household items, dull knives, and torn clothing. The fixers will do their best to make your stuff usable again. Aspiring fixers and tinkerers are invited to learn about repairs all day – learn to fix items yourself. 
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