For a lot of people, driving a car is how they get around, but for others, it’s not an option. Many people can’t afford to have a car, have disabilities that prevent them from driving, or are either too old or too young to drive a car. In fact, a third of people living in the United States don’t have a driver’s license. But how our streets are built and the lack of reliable transit often makes it difficult, inconvenient, and dangerous to rely on walking, rolling, and transit. That’s why Disability Rights Washington created the Week Without Driving challenge.
The Week Without Driving challenge, an annual event that will happen this year from Monday, September 30 to Sunday, October 6, encourages those who have the option to drive to try to go a week without driving. It gives participants the opportunity to learn firsthand about the barriers and challenges that nondrivers face and helps foster understanding to create more accessible communities for all.
I have been participating in this challenge since it began in 2021. Even as a person who typically gets around by bike and transit, it is an edifying experience and has made me even more committed to creating a transportation system that makes it easy, safe, and convenient for people to get around without a car. Anyone can participate - sign up and get ready for an eye-opening and rewarding week!
 It was wonderful to see Ron Chew (third from right) and a great community turnout at the event. The Healthy Aging and Wellness Center is just behind us in the North Lot of the Pacific Tower.
On Monday, I had the pleasure of joining International Community Health Services (ICHS) to celebrate their progress towards creating the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center. This state-of-the-art senior care facility, named in honor of legendary community leader Ron Chew, will expand ICHS’ successful PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Center, which empowers seniors to stay active, stay connected, and stay rooted in their own homes and communities.
At this new center, seniors will find comprehensive, affordable, culturally-competent wraparound services that will help them age in place, with independence and dignity. I am so proud that King County was able to provide financial support for this innovative center and I am excited that, when open, it will quadruple the number of seniors accessing these vital services.
Photo: Mukai Farm & Garden
Last week, the King County Council approved the transfer of the Mukai Farm & Garden Fruit Barreling Plant property to the Friends of Mukai. This historic Vashon Island property was part of a strawberry farm founded by B.D. Mukai in 1926. This property transfer will help the Mukai Farm & Garden preserve and share an important piece of our region’s history: the stories of the Japanese American community that helped shape our region for decades before the shameful incarceration of people of Japanese descent during World War II.
Uplifting the local history of Japanese Americans, from their important social, economic, and cultural contributions to the discrimination and injustices perpetrated against them, is vital for our community. It is happening in Bellevue through Isan Bellevue, on Bainbridge Island with the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, and on Vashon Island at Mukai Farm & Garden. I am thrilled that King County took another step in supporting this important work with this property transfer. I hope you will consider visiting to learn more about this core part of our region’s history!
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