MARIANNE BINETTI | Choosing plants to save over the winter [9]
.com
REPORTER
NEWSLINE 253-872-6600
KENT
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
KICKING | The SPSL North 4A Division girls WEBSITE | Check the website for breaking soccer race is tightening up. news, sports stories and weather updates. www.kentreporter.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011 [12]
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Medical marijuana committee meeting gets fiery Committee members struggle with collective garden definition BY DENNIS BOX dbox@kentreporter.com
Medical marijuana lit up emotions at a public hearing Monday evening in Kent. The Kent City Council’s Economic and Community Development Committee scheduled the hearing at City Hall concerning the six-month moratorium on medical marijuana facilities that was passed July 5 by the full council on a 5-2 vote. The committee considered moving a recommendation for a collective garden definition and
zoning options to the full council. Jennifer La Doux testified the city The committee members, of Seattle has dealt with the issue of Council President Jamie Perry, allowing collective gardens. Councilwoman Deborah Ranniger “If the city of Seattle can do it, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Albplease follow that example,” she ertson, voted 2-1 to table the issue said. until its next meeting after some La Doux noted she was unable to Jamie Perry heated discussion. Albertson voted drive because of multiple sclerosis against tabling. and she needed a safe place to get During the hearing, six people medical marijuana. She stated she testified with five speaking in favor of mov- was able to get to Evergreen Holistic in ing a recommendation to the full council Kent. allowing collective gardens. Jessica King, owner of Suzie Q’s in Kent, Mayor Suzette Cooke testified that the which she said is a collective garden, said gardens were not a business and should be it was important to allow people to have in residential areas. options. The other five spoke in favor of allowing “Not everyone has the option for full on collective gardens in designated commergrows at the facilities,” King said. “There are cial manufacturing and industrial zones. so many strains out there. Being able to go
and ask what option do you have, or what option do you have. Having the option for them to go around and see what they want, that is what is important.” Suzie Q’s had not reopened since being closed July 6 by the city. Evergreen Holistic, owned by Charles Lambert and Herbal Choice Caregivers, owned by Deryck Tsang, were also closed but both reopened and are operating as collective gardens. Philip Dawdy, representing the Washington Cannabis Association, Evergreen Holistic and Suzie Q’s, said he was involved in writing the legislative bill that was partially vetoed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in May. According to Dawdy, the law department left out part of the language in the bill refer-
[ more MEETING page 4 ]
Students volunteer at food bank warehouse Scammed seniors
repaid by insurance
BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Peter Kim and a dozen or so other Meeker Middle School students couldn’t help but feel good after what they accomplished Saturday morning in Kent. They joined about 160 other volunteers at the Northwest Harvest food-bank distribution warehouse along West Valley Highway to box 42,896 pounds of apples and packaged 18,800 pounds of rice in just HELPING THE over two hours. Crews distributed the apples and rice this week to Western Washington food banks. “We talked about how much fun it was and that we want to come back,” Kim said. “It’s a rewarding feeling you get from helping other people.” Kim is part of Meeker’s eighthgrade leadership class taught by Travis Wood. The 25-student class helps raise money for the school, puts on school assemblies, runs a lunchtime recycling program and
Five senior citizens lost more than $1 million cashing out annuities and the money was allegedly pocketed by agent BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
HUNGRY
[ more STUDENTS page 4 ]
Christine Huynh and Kelsie Uno from Meeker Middle School’s leadership class, pack apples at Northwest Harvest Saturday during a school volunteer project. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
NEW LOCATION
15423 SE 272nd St., Ste. 110; Kent, WA 98042
SAME NUMBER 253-631-1222
An insurance company will repay the five men and women ages 74 to 90 who lost more than $1 million in an alleged scam by a Kent insurance agent. Chicago-based Bankers Life and Casualty, one of the companies that Jasmine Jamrus-Kassim, an independent agent, worked for, has agreed to replace the money allegedly stolen by the agent, according to an Oct. 4 media release from state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. Kreidler said an investigation by his office found that five clients of Jamrus-Kassim repeatedly cashed out large portions of their annuities with Banker’s Life and Casualty from 2007 to 2009. The money was then pocketed by Kassim. Washington State Patrol troopers arrested Jamrus-Kassim in March in Kent. King County prosecutors charged her with 21 counts of first-degree theft. She has a trial date set for Oct. 31 in King County Superior Court, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Jamrus-Kassim was booked and released March 15 after posting bond on $100,000 bail, according to county jail
[ more SCAMMED page 3 ]
Ask about our FREE real estate classes!
531202