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Latest Blog Posts

Frozen

In the movie, Frozen, ice queen Elsa sings “the snow never bothered me, anyway!” Well, it may not bother Elsa, but it sure made life miserable for our residents. Thankfully for them, we had an amazing group of County employees – and some equally...
Council Schedule Highlights Week of February 11th, 2019

As we dig out from the snowstorm and prepare for the next, I anticipate that this schedule will change. While a couple of us can probably make it to work safely, we need to be thinking of constituents, staff, and councilmembers who are traveling from...
2019 Snowmageddon

Thanks to Mother Nature, this week’s blog will be shorter than normal. I would to thank everyone who will be working this weekend and in the days ahead to keep our residents safe. From our Sheriff’s Department to Emergency Management,...
Universal Home Visits for Washington

In 2017, Superior Court Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck approached Rep. Laurie Jinkins and me with concerns over rapidly increasing dependency and removal rates in Pierce County. While the neglect and abuse of children has many causes, we’ve seen a...
Without a home

We all know that some people in our nation, state, and communities are struggling with homelessness. The federally required annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count gives us a snapshot of those people throughout the nation. In Pierce County, we conduct...
Council Schedule Highlights Week of January 28th, 2019

As the Council gets into full swing with our first retreat day, I’ll also be busy in Olympia. The session is still taking shape but county issues continue to dominate the agenda such as behavioral health and housing. Monday, JANUARY 28th, 2019 1:30pm...
Hola!

Hola! My name is Maia Espinoza and I’m the new Director of Constituent Services in the Executive’s Office. My primary job is to make sure that constituent matters that come directly to our office are routed to the correct department so that issues...
A powerful lesson

What if I told you students in Puyallup can graduate with an RN degree by age 20?! It’s true! The Puyallup School District has teamed up with Clover Park Technical College to offer a nursing program that begins in high school and finishes in college...
Boom town

I love it when people outside of Pierce County invest in our community and our residents! I love it even more when people who are already here decide to re-invest! 40 years ago, far-sighted community leaders set aside 500 acres in Frederickson for a...
2019 Council Leadership and Committee Appointments

At the first Council meeting of the year, we have our organizing votes electing leadership and making committee appointment. The Rules Committee is responsible for scheduling and administrative functions of the Council. It will be led by:...
Beyond the Borders

For many reasons, thousands of people who live in or travel to Pierce County are either temporarily or permanently unable to transport themselves where they need to go. They may be too young or too old to drive, they may have a mental or physical...
Farewell & Welcome

The Sheriff tweeted out his congratulations for the 22 members of the Department who retired in 2018. Shockingly, the combined service to the people of Pierce County came to a total of 523 years! If you added that to the retirees from the...
Always serving Pierce County residents

I took advantage of a lighter work calendar on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, to get around the County to thank employees and wish them Happy Holidays. I found departments celebrating the holidays with festive decorations or people taking deserved time...
That’s a wrap!

Soon we will be singing Auld Lang Syne and celebrating the start of a new year. But, before we do, I want to invite you to take a quick look back at some of the highlights of 2018. Together, we accomplished...
‘Tis the season to think of others

I love the holiday season because it brings out the best in people – including our County family. I was proud to learn that more than 45 teams of County employees from 18 different departments are participating in Adopt-A-Family this year. This...
Everyone counts, no matter where they live

Next month, on January 25, hundreds of volunteers will hit the streets to participate in the annual Homeless Point-in-Time Count. The purpose of the Count is to collect information about how people became homeless, so we can improve programs and...
Remembering a President – and much more

Wednesday was a national day of mourning for our former President George H. W. Bush, who passed away Nov. 30, 2018 at the age of 94. The 41st president was the last World War II veteran to serve as Commander in Chief. In 1942, then 18-year-old...
Planning for the Future and Remembering the Past

New Year’s Day will be upon us before we know it, and after a lot of important work by our departments and the Council, we are ready to both close out our 2018 financial year and start on 2019. I am very thankful for all the folks who work very hard...
Hope and healing in the Orting Valley

Last year, 11.4 million Americans aged 12 or older reported misusing opioids. Drug addiction is an issue that affects everyone, even here at home. In Pierce County, from 2007 to 2017, the number of opioid-related deaths rose to 833. The Orting...
Thanks, a lot!

Have you ever seen that TV show, “Dirty Jobs?” The host, Mike Rowe, takes on different difficult jobs (Season 6 Episode 24 “Fish Squeezer” & Episode 30 “Medical Waste”) sharing the gross details with the audience. It’s easy to blanche at the...