June 14, 2013 [5]
www.federalwaymirror.com
Data: Same sex couples are 20% of marriages
By ANDY HOBBS
From staff reports
editor@fedwaymirror.com
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the first round of data on same sex marriage in the state since it was made legal with last November’s election. According to the DOH, nearly 2,500 same sex couples were married between Dec. 6, 2012, and March 31, 2013. These marriages accounted for nearly 20 percent of total marriages in the state for the same time period. In fact, 35 of 39 Washington state counties saw same sex couples tie the knot, with King County having the lion’s share of those marriages. In King County, onethird of all marriages for the December-March period were for same sex couples. The only counties not reporting same sex marriages are Ferry, Asotin, Garfield and Wahkiakum. According to the DOH’s statistics, the majority of the same sex marriages in the state were among women, accounting for 63 percent of the same sex marriages in the first few months of the new law’s
Next to rows of veggies and ripening strawberries at the Truman Community Garden is a new sensory garden, where nurture complements nature. With guidance from special education teacher Jennifer Babcock, the sensory garden was designed to be therapeutic and educational. Babcock works with students who have severe autism and developmental disabilities. These students have planted much of the garden through tasks that provide structure. The sensory garden is viewed as a stress-free zone. Kids and adults alike can walk the tranquil trails to decompress. They can explore hands-on activities with the therapy swing, sensory sandbox, a “quiet tent” and a sheeting water stimulus fountain. “If you have a brain,” said Carol Stanley, member of the Federal Way Community Gardens Foundation, “that garden is going to work for you.” On June 8, the Truman Community and Sensory Therapy Garden was of-
ficially dedicated. Located on the campus of Truman High School, 31455 28th Ave. S., the garden first broke ground in September 2010. In that time, the garden has generated more than 10,000 pounds of organic produce for hungry seniors and food pantries. The garden is maintained by the non-profit gardens foundation. At the Truman dedication ceremony, Franciscan Health System presented the foundation with a check for $10,000. The money will help further the foundation’s mission for spreading health and wellness in Federal Way. “Our goal is to make Federal Way a city of beautiful, productive gardens,” said Cynthia Kannenberg, a foundation member and manager of the Women’s Health and Breast Center at St. Francis Hospital. Mike Stanley, the foun-
Pictured: Ribbon cutting and a ripe strawberry at the Truman garden. See more photos at federalwaymirror.com. ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror
dation’s executive director, said the donation will help maintain other gardens in the city’s network, including several elementary schools. He reflected on the journey from start to finish with the Truman garden, which cost about $60,000. The Federal Way Community Gardens Foundation will host a fundraising dinner Aug. 1, featuring wine paired with food that was grown at Truman.
existence. 14 percent of the same sex marriages performed in Washington
involved people who were both from out of state, the DOH notes.
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Sensory therapy area opens at Truman garden