Kent is the sixth largest city in Washington with a population of 118,200. A culturally rich destination, Kent features captivating neighborhoods, award-winning parks, exceptional school districts and nationally accredited police and fire departments. In recent years, Kent has experienced impressive economic growth, and is nationally known as a prime location for manufacturing. Recently, the Kent Chamber of Commerce urged the Legislators of Washington state to support the competition of I-5/state Route 509 project. Completion of this project will be keeping a 20-year promise to our area for transportation projects.
In some ways public school education hasn’t changed a bit since I graduated from high school nearly 16 years ago.
Citizens should be aware of – and opposed to – House Bill 2801 and the provisions that would allow local governments to cease publishing public notices in their local newspapers. The presumed cost savings to local government is in fact false economy – there is a hidden and very dangerous cost. In trying to save money, local governments would curtail access to the legislative process, and ensure that fewer – rather than more – citizens know what their representatives are up to.
Back in the day the mantra was, and still is, “all students can learn.” By golly that’s right, all students can learn; that is, “when they want to learn” and what they want to learn.
In the early afternoon on Feb. 16 I found an article I wrote after Seth Dawson first started coaching the boys swim team at Kentlake High little more than a year ago.
I am helping 7-year-old Maria with math homework – she struggles with the English instructions and I assume she may not get much help at home because her parents are busy or lack English proficiency.
The smoke-filled room of medical marijuana legislation in Olympia will continue to be shrouded in haze.
When I left home Tuesday morning the wind was blowing. For most places around the Puget Sound, that is not necessarily a big deal, but in Enumclaw we take notice. The wind really knows how to blow in that town.
OK, I am in the newspaper business last time I checked. That means I am supposed to write stories and try to tell something resembling the truth.
Education, schools and school teachers are hot topics everywhere parents or politicians are locked in the same room these days. The recent State Supreme decision on the Constitutional requirement to fully funding schools created quite a furor among political leaders in office and those hoping to get into office.
As a reporter and a fiction writer, the transformation of the traditional publishing industry has been fascinating.
Some of us know how to take it easy.
Ron Harmon, who retired from the Kent City Council after two terms, is less visible these days, but he has not exactly put the engine in neutral.
I was asked by community residents to write about the historical significance of Bill Boyce, a black man, having been elected to the Kent City Council.
The new year has started and there are a few items I would like to write about in this first column as 2012 engines rev up. None are worthy of a column on its own, so I will just string some notes together about issues I am interested in or would like to figure out.
A new year editorial cartoon from the pen of Frank Shiers, Jr.
The National Transportation Safety Board has taken a tough, but necessary, stand on texting, emailing or chatting while driving a vehicle. The board wants it outlawed.
Cases of sexual abuse and misconduct seem to be everywhere this year.
Nationally the allegations against former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky as well as the accusations against Bernie Fine, a former assistant mens basketball coach at Syracuse University, have caused far-reaching waves in education and athletics.
The best way to start this column is a line from Roman Polanski’s 1974 film “Chinatown.”
Noah Cross says to J.J. Gittes, “You may think you know what you’re dealing with, but believe me, you don’t.”
Oh yeah.
A look at the new year through cartoon of Frank Shiers, Jr.
Christmas is right around the corner and as usual I am completely unprepared for everything. I have no idea what to buy, where to go to purchase anything and my daughter will be home for the holidays, which means life as I know it is over.
