Happy sunny Friday North Bend. It's hard to believe, but we are already approaching mid-March and the start of spring. The milestone means one thing - it is time to SPRING FORWARD! Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night. You may lose an hour of sleep, but you'll gain daylight until 7PM Sunday night, March 14th! Enjoy your weekend and remember to click the linked headline below to read full news releases with additional details.
Governor Inslee announced today that all of Washington State will move to Phase 3 of its Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan on March 22nd. Reopening will also transition from a regional approach to a county-by-county evaluation process. The new 3rd phase also includes a return to in-person spectators at professional and high school sports outdoor venues and businesses will be allowed to increase indoor capacity from 25% to 50%, including restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and others. Additionally, starting Wednesday, March 17, everyone in Tier 2 will be eligible for their COVID vaccine.
North Bend area trails have been a popular destination this past year as residents from near and far sought ways to exercise outdoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many local trails have experienced a notable increase in traffic, which often means more wear-and-tear, including left behind trash. Remember – if you’re using the trails, whatever you bring in with you needs to be brought back out, including food wrappers, empty water bottles, and pet waste. As we head into spring – with many public health guidelines still in place – click the linked headlines for tips to #RecreateResponsibly to protect yourself, the community, the trails, and the environment. [Photo: Camp Brown Trail Day Use Area. Credit; Mountains to Sound Greenway.]
The King County Conservation District (KCD) is currently holding an election for an open seat on its Board of Supervisors. Nine candidates are vying for open position #3. Voting started on March 1st and runs through March 23rd. Voting can be done electronically, making it easy to participate. Election ballots are available to eligible voters online through March 23rd at 5PM. Voters can return their ballots electronically through the online ballot access system or by printing and mailing them to King County Elections at 919 Grady Way STE 200, Renton WA, 98057.
Join your City Councilmembers for their March 16th meeting. The meeting agenda packet, which includes instructions to access the virtual Zoom meeting, can be found by clicking the linked headline above.
Popup Blood Drive Returns to the Snoqualmie Valley
Interested in donating blood, and accomplishing it locally? Then you’re in luck. BloodWorks Northwest will bring a popup blood drive back to the Valley – at Snoqualmie City Hall Council Chambers from March 23 – 29. Donating blood is an essential and encouraged activity critical to sustaining community healthcare, especially during emergencies and tumultuous times like these. A one-hour donation appointment is a safe action to support local hospitals and patients. Schedule an appointment HERE.
The King County Library System (KCLS) has used a federal CARES Act grant from the Washington State Library (WSL) to install external Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) at 44 county library locations, including the North Bend Library. The new external Access Point provides residents with access to the internet outside the North Bend Library, 115 E. 4th Street, while the building remains closed to the public. You do not need a library card or Wi-Fi password to access the free “kcls.org wireless” network.
NEW City Website Pages
We recently launched four new City website pages. The Covid-19 vaccination resource page helps you navigate everything vaccine-related. The Water FAQ page contains answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the City’s water supply and water infrastructure planning. The Transportation page offers info on available shuttle bus, ride share, vanpool options to help get residents where they need to go. The Report a Street Light Problem page will direct you to reporting options for streetlight issues in the City. See a strobing or dark streetlight? This page will get you to the right place to help remedy the problem.
The King County Library System (KCLS) has used a federal CARES Act grant from the Washington State Library (WSL) to install external Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) at 44 county library locations, including the North Bend Library. The new external Access Point provides residents with access to the internet outside the North Bend Library, 115 E. 4th Street, while the building remains closed to the public. You do not need a library card or Wi-Fi password to access the free “kcls.org wireless” network.
NORTH BEND COVID-19 ACTIVITY UPDATE
Good news! Covid-19 activity decreased to zero this past week in North Bend. Over the past 14 days there were no new cases reported and the test positivity rate dropped to zero as well. The City’s 7-day daily case average remained at zero as well. As vaccine rollout continues, it is still critical to follow public health guidelines – spread out, mask up and keep social circles small – to #KeepNorthBendHealthy until the vaccine reaches more of our population this spring
STATE COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE
Healthcare providers have now given more than two million vaccine doses since rollout began in mid-December. This milestone follows some major achievements in the past week, including reaching the state’s goal of giving 45,000 doses of vaccine per day and approaching 100,000 doses of vaccine administered at four state-led mass vaccination sites in just six weeks On March 17, the state will move to Vaccination Phase 1B-2. This phase includes all high-risk critical workers in certain congregate settings, with no age distinction among them. This essentially means that 1B-2 will include critical workers who were previously in phases 1B-2 and 1B-4. DOH will also open 1B-2 eligibility to people 16 and over who are pregnant or have certain disabilities that greatly increase risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Additional high-risk groups will be included as follows:
- April 12 – people with 2+ comorbidities who are 50 and older (1B-3)
- April 26 – People with 2+ comorbidities who are 16 and older (1B-3)
- April 26 – People, staff, and volunteers in congregate living settings (1B-4)
Find Transportation to Covid-19 Testing and Vaccinations
HopeLink has developed a new online resource to help residents find transportation to and from Covid-19 vaccinations and/or testing sites. Find it at: https://www.findaride.org/covid.
Snoqualmie Valley-Northeast King County Community Needs List Survey
Important FYI for unincorporated (outside city limits) North Bend residents. King County Local Services is working to develop a community-identified list of service, program, facility, and capital improvement projects in support of the community’s vision. The community is the driver of this, so if you live in unincorporated areas of North Bend - King County Local Services wants to hear from you. Have a say. Help develop this 20-year vision by taking part in the survey HERE.
Keep Up with City News and Happenings on Social Media
Are you on social media? We are too. You can follow the City of North Bend to keep up with news, events, and other information. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
The City has changed its mailing address. No more PO Box. Instead we are using our physical address: 920 SE Cedar Falls Way, North Bend, WA 98045. Please note the change for utility bills and other correspondence.
