For the past three years, I have been the chair of the Metropolitan King County Council. Now that my term as chair has ended, the aspect of my job I am most excited about is having more time to focus on the people, communities, and businesses of Council District 4.

District 4 is a diverse community encompassing the neighborhoods of Belltown, the Denny Triangle, South Lake Union, Eastlake, Uptown, Queen Anne, Interbay, Magnolia, Ballard, Crown Hill, and the western portions of Fremont, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Broadview, First Hill and Capitol Hill. The people living in these neighborhoods - you - are active citizens with great ideas about how to make your community, city, and county better.

In 2007, I have made it a goal to dedicate at least one day each week to getting out of the King County Courthouse to interact with the people and organizations that make up the communities of District 4.

In February, my staff and I devoted an afternoon to helping FareStart prepare and deliver food to needy individuals. In March, we joined with City Councilmembers Sally Clark, Jean Godden, and their staffs to repackage food at Food Lifeline. FareStart and Food Lifeline are non-profit agencies that serve needy individuals and families in King County. FareStart provides nutritious meals for the hungry while providing culinary job training for homeless men and women. Food Lifeline provides food to more than 560,000 people through a network of food banks, hot meal programs, and shelters.

Additionally, I have toured neighborhood businesses in Interbay and Loyal Heights and am scheduled to tour businesses in Queen Anne and the International District in April. I've visited the Ballard and Greenwood Senior Centers, and met with many individuals to discuss District Four concerns at neighborhood coffee shops.

Thanks to the dedicated individuals, organizations, and business leaders in District 4, 2007 has gotten off to a great start. I'd like to continue hearing from you with your ideas and volunteer opportunities. You can send your community involvement ideas and meeting requests to my community outreach coordinator, Travis Commodore at 296.1711 or travis.commodore@metrokc.gov. I look forward to meeting with you.

Larry Phillips lives in Magnolia and represents District 4 on the Metropolitan King County Council and can be reached at 296.1004