June 2011

Dear Neighbor,

The month of June brings with it sunshine and exciting opportunities for South King County Residents.
In this e-newsletter I’ve shared our recent accomplishments and highlighted two opportunities for you to get involved in your County government.

Sincerely,

Julia Patterson, King County Councilmember - District 5

Lake to Sound Trail Open House is June 23

Protecting our most vulnerable residents

Bringing quality health care to South King County

Seeking non-profit agencies in need of transportation!

King County Councilmember
Julia Patterson
www.kingcounty.gov/patterson
julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov

Find me on:

Lake to Sound Trail Open House is June 23

Attend an open house (pdf, 394KB) to learn about the Lake to Sound Trail in South King County. Come and join fellow residents and King County Parks staff to learn about the proposed 16-mile trail linking the shoreline of Lake Washington in Renton to the shoreline of Puget Sound in Des Moines. King County is working with the city of Renton and Tukwila to design a 1-mile segment of the Lake to Sound Trail. The open house will take place on Thursday, June 23 at 5:00pm at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. For questions and additional information please contact Jason Rich at (206) 263-7314 or email jason.rich@kingcounty.gov.

Protecting our most vulnerable residents

On June 13, I was proud to sponsor a special proclamation recognizing June 15, 2011 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in King County. Elder abuse consists of any act that jeopardizes a senior’s health or welfare, including financial, emotional or physical abuse. The proclamation encourages everyone to commit to building safer lives and a safe community for elderly residents. The number of seniors living in King County is expected to double by the year 2025. Now more than ever, we must each take responsibility to listen to seniors and their caregivers, intervene when we suspect abuse and educate others on how to recognize and report suspicious behavior.

Bringing quality health care to South King County

On May 23, the Valley Medical Center Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to form a strategic alliance with UW Medicine.  This partnership will have several powerful impacts on the people of South King County. It will increase their access to care, improve efficiency and the value of services offered to South County residents, and it will align and expand clinical programs, and enhance teaching, research and training programs for our health care providers. The UW Medicine Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the strategic alliance within the next two weeks. Both the UW Board of Regents and the UW Medicine Board of Trustees will still need to formally approve the strategic alliance in the next several weeks.

Seeking non-profit agencies in need of transportation!

Since 1995, each year the King County Council has donated vans to non-profit agencies, which help meet the transportation needs of low-income, elderly or disabled residents. These vans are part of a fleet of county vehicles that have been ‘retired’ after accruing a certain number of miles. Historically, organizations who receive vans use them to transport clients to and from their facilities, medical appointments, grocery stores, or field trips and other outings. If your agency is interested in applying for a van please email angela.kolczynski@kingcounty.gov or call (206) 296-1617.