September, 2011

In this newsletter:
1. Safe Place partners with Metro Transit to help youth in crisis
2. Say “NO” to junk mail and reduce waste
3. Countywide burn ban continues through Sept. 30
4. Duvall Heritage Festival: A trip into the past
5. Fall Harvest Farm Tour comes to Snoqualmie Valley Sept. 24
6. Give or get help with Pet Detective video

Dear District 3 friend,

Thank you for your interest in staying informed about activities and issues in King County. As we transition into fall and back-to-school, I hope you have a productive and pleasant autumn.

Best wishes,

Kathy Lambert

1. Safe Place partners with Metro Transit to help youth in crisis

YouthCare Executive Director Melinda Giovengo (left) and National Safe Place Executive Director Laurie Jackson (right) joined me on Aug. 31 to announce a new partnership with Metro Transit to help youth in crisis.

For youth in crisis on the street, help is just a bus away thanks to a new partnership among King County, local service agencies, and “Safe Place”, a national non-profit organization that builds community safety nets for young people in crisis. I was proud to help coordinate this partnership with King County Metro Transit, which will help connect young people directly with local youth service agencies, including YouthCare, Friends of Youth and Auburn Youth Resources. Safe Place expands the reach of our existing youth services by connecting with our network of buses and finding new ways to get help to youth in crisis. Any teen who is scared and alone and confused should know at least one thing – the nearest Metro bus is a safe place to get help. Read more at http://kingcounty.gov/transportation/
kcdot/NewsCenter/NewsReleases/2011/August/nr083111_SafePlace.

2. Say “NO” to junk mail and reduce waste

Last month, the King County Solid Waste Division launched a new website where citizens can sign up to opt out of receiving junk mail and phone books. The website makes it easy for county residents to stop delivery of junk mail, catalogs and phone books. The King County EcoConsumer program has joined forces with non-profit Catalog Choice to provide a convenient website, https://kingcounty.catalogchoice.org where residents can opt out of thousands of different catalogs, coupons, credit offers, circulars, newsletters, other junk mailings and unwanted phone books. The opt-out website is intended for all King County residents who live outside the City of Seattle. More information is available at www.KCecoconsumer.com.

3. Countywide burn ban continues through Sept. 30

Please remember to be careful outdoors while the fire danger remains extreme during hot, dry late-summer weather. A county-wide fire safety burn ban continues through Sept. 30 after it was declared last month by the King County Fire Marshal in coordination with the King County Fire Chiefs’ Association. This Phase 1 burn ban applies to all outdoor burning except for small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission. These fires must:

• Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds;
• Grow no larger than three feet across;
• Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including a 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches; and
• Be attended at all times by an alert individual with immediate access to a shovel and either five gallons of water or a connected and charged water hose.

The use of gas and propane self-contained stoves and barbeques continues to be allowed under the ban. For more information about local fire restrictions, call 1-800-323-BURN or visit the King County Fire Marshal Services website at www.kingcounty.gov/property/FireMarshal/BurnBanInfo.

4. Duvall Heritage Festival: A trip into the past

The historic Dougherty Farmstead will host the Duvall Heritage Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pioneer fun for the whole family includes tours, antique tractor and quilt displays, demonstrations of blacksmithing and mule-plowing, children’s activities such as butter churning and corn grinding, and entertainment, including folk and square dance music as well as storytelling. The free celebration is co-sponsored by the Duvall Historical Society, City of Duvall and Duvall Cultural Commission. More information about the Duvall Heritage Festival and fall harvest celebrations is available at www.cascadeharvest.org/community/harvest-celebrations.

5. Fall Harvest Farm Tour comes to Snoqualmie Valley Sept. 24

As summer comes to a close, it is time to celebrate agriculture in King County! The 2011 Fall Harvest Farm Tour, which includes three days of free-range farm adventures for families in two counties, comes to the Snoqualmie Valley on Saturday, Sept. 24. Seven farms from Duvall to Fall City will have a variety of farm animals, crafts, games, produce and farm products for sale, U-pick pumpkins, Snoqualmie tribal heritage events, wagon rides, habitat restoration exhibits and farming equipment displays. Download a complete Farm Tour Guide with event schedules and directions at
http://county.wsu.edu/king/agriculture/harvestcelebration/Documents/
1108HarvestTourGuide_Compressed.pdf .

6. Give or get help with Pet Detective video

If your pet gets lost, you can find help and hope at the King County Animal Shelter, now known as the King County Pet Adoption Center. If you love pets and want to help, you can volunteer with the new program. Find out more about regional animal services of King County’s new Pet Detective Program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odJw3MumoJo.