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Honoring Latino/a/e Heritage Month
 We were joined by El Centro de La Raza Child Development Center Director Hilda Magaña to recieve the proclamation.
Today, in King County Council Chambers, we celebrated immigrant and refugee Welcoming Week and the beginning of Latino/a/e Heritage Month. These proclamations honor the community who built our communities, strengthened our workplaces, and have grown the labor movement. September 15th was chosen as the starting point for the celebration for Latino/a/e Heritage Month because it is the anniversary of the 1821 independence declarations in five Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), and Mexico, Chile, and Belize celebrate their independence days on September 16th, September 18th, and September 21st. As we declared in our proclamation, across all walks of life, the Latino/a/e community is a vital part of the cultural, economic, and political life of our region, and young people of Latino/a/e ancestry continue to invest in this region with their talents and ideals, making our community culturally rich and forward thinking.
At a time when immigrant communities continue to face uncertainty and fear, let me be clear: We built this country, we are American and, we belong here. Many of our ancestors were present far before ICE was invented, before Homeland Security existed, before the borders were drawn and redrawn, and - for Chicanos like me - we understand our ancestors and people didn’t cross the broader, the border crossed us.
Whether a newly arrived immigrant or someone who has had family here for generations – we celebrate you in this month and through these proclamations. These commemorate our independence, struggle, resistance and resilience. Here in Martin Luther King County, we will continue working to ensure that every family can live with dignity, opportunity, and security.
Honoring Feminist Icons Locally and Nationally
Our community is still grieving the recent news about the passing of feminist community leaders, Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinham. Their fights for respect, community and equality benefited all of us. Dolly’s music spoke to many and her philanthropic efforts especially around her Imagination Library supported children’s literacy across the country. During the Pandemic Dolly was an outspoken advocate of the vaccines that helped us return to a semblance of normalcy. Gloria, as a journalist and an activist, laid bare the discrimination women faced in the workplace and was unapologetic in her calls for equality and the removal of barriers that prevented women in our country from being full participants in society. In my eyes, both were incredible giants of feminism. They stood up and said we will not be pigeonholed into what you believe we should be based soley on our gender.
This is why I'm proud to be leading the proclamation of Dolly Parton Day in King County on September 25th, get it - 9/25! I’ll be celebrating 9 to 5 day by hosting a children’s story time event and vaccine promotion evet from 11 a.m. to noon on 9/25 at the King County Library Tukwila branch with the Imagination Library of Washington, King County Library System and Public Health Seattle-King County. The Imagination Library will provide books for King County Library's story time and Public Health Seattle/King County will be on site hosting a kid-friendly table with information on the importance of vaccines and where and how to get them, as well as handing out coloring books, crayons, pens and more.
Photo Credit: Sherry Loeser in Real Change News
It is in this same vein, our community is incredibly saddened by the passing of a fierce organizer and fighter for what is right, KL Shannon. KL was a powerful force pushing for justice and holding those of us in positions accountable to remembering why we are here. KL will be sorely missed but her legacy lives on in those of us who were blessed to have known her and gotten to work with her in the movement.
Today at the King County Council, Councilmember Rhonda Lewis and I officially adjourned the full council meeting in memoriam of KL Shannon - and called for continued action, transformational change, and to hold ourselves accountable to do more to further the social, economic, environmental, and criminal justice issues she fought for throughout her life. May you rest in power, KL. Thank you to community leader and friend of KL Shannon, Emijah Smith for accepting our invitation to receive the commemoration of adjournment in memoriam for KL Shannon.
 Councilmember Lewis, Community Leader Emijah Smith and Councilmember Mosqueda after Council was adjourned in honor of KL.
Budget and Fiscal Management Committee
In 2025, Council set aside $31 million for Harborview Medical Center, the County owned hospital, to address the impacts of HR1 aka the Big Bad Bill. The impacts of this federal action aimed at cutting benefits for working people to fund tax cuts for the ultra wealthy will begin being felt starting on October 1st. Last week, the Budget and Finance Committee received a briefing on the options for spending the 31 million in response to HR1 by UWMed and the Board of Trustees of Harborview. In just a few short weeks as many as 30,000 people could lose their health insurance due to new rules in HR1 simply because their status as lawful immigrants. Next year, hundreds of Washingtonians could lose their care because of new work and verification requirements that are designed to be so onerous that working people simply don’t have time to navigate the maze of paperwork that they simply lose their coverage because of the administrative burden.
As people lose their coverage they will rely on Harborview and our public health system more and more. Now is the time to invest in preventing people from losing their coverage and ensuring our health systems are able to meet the rising need. If any lesson should be taken from our experience with the Covid 19 pandemic, it’s that a strong public health system including Harborview is crucial to having a successful response. Across the Country we see measles making a comeback due public misinformation and under resourced public health systems. Diseases like TB are also waiting in the wings held at bay by our public health systems. Not using the tools we have at our disposal to shore up our public health system including our Hospital would be penny wise and pound foolish.
I look forward to a continued and productive conversation about how we can best invest our public funds to best secure the public’s health.
Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship
 Last week at Council, we took a moment to celebrate the graduates of the Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship. Named for the late “Auntie Ruth” Woo—legendary civic strategist, civil-rights advocate, and mentor to leaders across our state—this fellowship embodies her lifelong belief that democracy works best when everyone has a seat at the table. From transforming her living room into a campaign hub to coaching rising leaders of color, Woo turned commitment into opportunity and made Washington’s halls of power more inclusive. Congratulations to this year’s graduates of the fellowship, I can’t wait to see what you all do next.
Recovery Champion Award
Johnny Ohta is a Youth Substance Abuse Disorder Professional at Ryther Center, where he has been supporting young people for nearly three decades. At Council last week, we recognized Johnny as this year’s Recovery Champion for his work with the Recovery Champion Award. Johnny was nominated by multiple Councilmembers to receive this award this year.
Johnny’s mantra has been “We meet you where you are at, but we don’t leave you where you are at.” He has joined hundreds of young people struggling with addiction wherever they are, whether in homeless encampments, schools, juvenile detention, or anywhere else across King County, drawing on his own experience with addiction as a young adult to walk alongside them through every turn on the path to recovery.
Sharing Lessons Learned from World Cup with Local Progress and Next City
 I'm excited to be joining Local Progress and Next City along with Michael Collins of Play Fair ATL and Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a Webinar titled: The Home Field Advantage: Local Power in Mega-Event Governance. It's crucial that we share our best practices learned from the Fifa Men's World Cup 2026 with other areas across our country especially with the upcoming Olympics and potential for the 2031 Women's Fifa World Cup being played in the United States. We can have these mega events be springboards for shared prosperity instead of exploitation and displacement. If you'd like to join this webinar you can register here.
Labor Day
 It was great to spend Labor Day with Union Members and partners in the labor movement along with other elected leaders committed to raising standards for our working families.
I also want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the members of UniteHere Local 8 and the Seattle Education Association who have both won incredible contracts that help lift up not only these specific workers but all of us.
ILWU Pickets Cruise Line in Seattle
 I'm proud to stand with the longshoremen of ILWU Local 23 as they hold informational pickets to let customers know that American Cruise Lines is not using union labor. The undercutting of our labor standards by companies who benefit by using our public ports and waterways is not in line with our values here in Martin Luther King Jr. County. You can read more about the longshoremen's fight here.
Update on Election Integrity
 Many District 8 residents have expressed concerns about mounting attacks on mail in voting from the current federal administration. As a vote by mail state, this issue hits close to home for all of us. Recently, the Supreme Court struck down efforts to have the U.S Postal Service interfere in our elections and we can move forward in this coming election knowing the status quo is in place. I want to share a brief message from our King County Director of Elections Julie Wise on this:
"Yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld the injunction against USPS implementing their new election mail rules for this election. It is an understatement to say this decision is a huge relief to both election administrators and voters, and provides critical clarity right as voters are getting to vote.
Even with this relief, our work continues to look very much the same. We are going to continue to encourage all voters to return their ballot early, and to use a drop box if they’re able. If voters want or need to return by mail, we are going to continue to recommend that they vote and return their ballot as soon as they receive it. We’re going to continue encouraging voters to sign up for ballot alerts so they can know when their ballot has been mailed to them, and where it is at every step along the way. And we’re going to continue to be here to help them, no matter what."
Bike Safety Updates in West Seattle
 I’ve previously shared about the no parking signs placed in the Fauntleroy neighbor hood by SDOT in response to the tragic death of Maridee Bonadea. I wanted to share the update that SDOT has made further infrastructure changes to this area making permanent the no parking signs and placing flexible bollards to prevent cars from parking in an effort to improve cyclist safety. More work still needs to be done and it shouldn’t take the death of a loved community member to make it happen. I appreciate the work SDOT has done and I'm committed to working with them and community partners to continue making improvement in West Seattle Bike infrastructure to make sure everyone can get where they are going safely.
2026 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program Awards Over $2 Million to District 8 Projects
 The Flood Reduction Grant Program funds important environmental justice projects in the Duwamish River Valley along with other needed resiliency projects throughout District 8. The 2026 Flood Reduction Grant Program awarded $2,030,000 in funding to the following projects located in District 8.
- Cultivate received $250,000 for the Nature-based Urban Designs Project
- ECOSS received $400,000 for the Duwamish Valley Industrial Greening: ECOSS – Phase 3
- King County Water & Land Resources Division received $500,000 for the White Center Ponds Cells 2 and 3 Stormwater Retrofit
- Seattle Parks Foundation received $400,000 for the Duwamish Valley and Thornton Creek Industrial Greening
- Vashon Maury Island Land Trust received $480,000 for the North Maury Bulkhead Removal
Public Health Offering One on One Help with Mobile Food Business Permits
 Public Health’s Food Safety Program is hosting another opportunity for prospective food vendors to receive one-on-one help with obtaining a food permit. This is a great opportunity to support in order to get your permit and grow your food vending business.
MRA Update on Vashon/Maury Island
 Photo Credit: Phil Clapham in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
As I've previously shared, the Marine Recovery Area (MRA) update proposed by public health has been delayed to get more community input and involvement has been delayed until next year. The Beachcomber has great coverage of the issue that can be found here.
Renaming Cesar Chavez Park in South Park to Parque Libertad
 The community-chosen name of Parque Libertad sends a message of utmost importance: Freedom. Freedom to be safe, respected, seen, and included. That is how everyone should feel in King County, and it is our highest responsibility to ensure our public spaces embody these values. Thank you to Councilmember Rinck, Seattle Parks and Recreation, King County WTD, and the South Park community for your partnership and swift action to right this wrong and bring forward a name that reflects the strength and resilience of the farmworker’s movement and leaders like Dolores Huerta, who are showing us what the fight for freedom looks like.” You can read more about this here.
Public Health’s Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the King County Sheriff’s Office Hosted Gun Buyback Event for National Suicide Prevention Month
In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the King County Sheriff’s Office hosted a gun buyback event at Shoreline Community College on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
This event provided a safe and anonymous way for King County residents to dispose of unwanted firearms, which can help reduce the risk of them being used in a crisis or falling into the wrong hands.
Nationally, firearms are the most lethal method of suicide across all ages, with death rates exceeding 90 percent. In King County, firearm suicide deaths account for 66 percent of suicide deaths so far in 2026. Presence of a firearm in the household is associated with an increased risk of suicide.
2026 Recruitment Announcement for KC Rural Forest Commission
Forestry knowledge and regional representation needed! The King County Rural Forest Commission is accepting applications for board members until October 31. Contact Wendy Sammarco at wsammarco@kingcounty.gov
Our Secret Garden
Our Secret Garden is a wonderful Florist located just South of the Alaska Junction at 5020 California Ave SW, Ste 102. They are launching their Ofrenda Challenge to celebrate our shared heritage with the community as we honor Día de Muertos in West Seattle.Share your altar, they bring the marigold.
They will deliver a FREE fresh Cempasúchil bunch in the Seattle area, (outside Seattle area, pick up only) ($45 value) to the first 30 families who share their ofrenda photo. No purchase needed. Just heart. How to join: 1. Create your ofrenda – even a small table is beautiful 2. Post photo tagging @oursecretgardenseattle + #OfrendaChallengeSeattle or email to oursecretgardenws@gmail.com with subject OFRENDA 3. First 30 get delivery Oct 25th Nov 3rd + code OFRENDA20 for 15% off In the spirit of community representation.
Support a Latino-owned small business on California Ave and keep tradition alive. Pre-order your Ofrenda now! Show this email in shop for 10 % off with code VECINO, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm, Tue-Fri 9am-5pm. (In person only)!
Tidelands Native Art Gallery
 While we recognize that we are on Native Land we can also celebrate Native contributions to our arts and culture. That's exactly what Tidelands does in the heart of District 8 located at 55 University St, Seattle, WA 98101. In addition to being an incredible gallery space, they also create their own pod cast celebrating Native stories, All My Relations. This Saturday, September 19th, from 6:00pm - 8:00pm their new exhibit will be opening to celebrate seven years and 75 episodes of All My Relations as it becomes a living exhibition. If you are downtown or near the waterfront, check this out!
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Thank you for allowing us to represent you on the King County Council!
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