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YOU’LL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR
Council candidates take stage and state their cases
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BREAST CANCER | Skin care therapy treats ailments caused by radiation [9]
VOL. 13, NO. 384
MIRROR
F E D E R A L WAY
DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
OPINION | Hobbs: Exploring the great Federal Way fishbowl [4] Amy Johnson: Domestic violence and teenage break-ups [4] BEATEN TO DEATH | Man pleads guilty to beating a girl over her soiled diaper [5] ELECTIONS | Candidates for school board answer Mirror questionnaire [7]
SPORTS | TJ girls cross country runners SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011 score major upset over Tahoma [14]
CALENDAR | Pancake fundraiser benefits winter shelter for homeless women [12]
City creates new law on identity theft Ordinance compensates for county prosecution BY GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
The Federal Way City Council unanimously approved the state’s first misdemeanor level identity theft law.
The new law, as written, allows for the prosecution of identity theft perpetrators when the damages to the victim are $1,000 or less. The new ordinance classified the crime as a gross misdemeanor, meaning those prosecuted under it could face up to a year in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both. The law was created not in response to an observable spike in
low level identity theft, but rather in response to the King County Prosecutor’s Office declining to move forward on such cases at times, said Federal Way city spokesman Chris Carrel. “The problem the ordinance is addressing is the gap between state statute, which defines identity theft as a felony, and King County’s resources for trying felony cases,”
Carrel said. “King County prosecutors sometimes decline identity theft cases due to limited resources. Since the city does not have identity theft in the Federal Way Revised Code, we cannot address those identity theft crimes that occur in Federal Way that King County may decline to prosecute. [ more THEFT, p. 17 ]
BY ANDY HOBBS
Group advocates for local labor pool on Crystal Palace project
editor@federalwaymirror.com
Economic development and job creation were the big topics as Federal Way City Council candidates voiced their views at two forums Oct. 5. The Federal Way Chamber of Commerce hosted the candidates at its membership luncheon, then teamed up with The Mirror for an evening forum at Federal Way High School.
Position 3: Susan Honda vs. Roger Flygare Susan Honda and Roger Flygare are running for the city council seat being vacated by Mike Park. Honda is a longtime community volunteer who has held leadership posts involving the PTA, Diversity Commission and Arts Commission, among others. Honda said her top priority is to change the perception of Federal Way for businesses and residents. “What image do we want to project?” she asked. Honda said she will focus on developing the downtown area and fostering a more business-friendly community. She presented [ more COUNCIL, page 8 ]
Top 10 reasons to volunteer in Federal Way parks EarthCorps is hosting several upcoming volunteer events. Learn more on page 13 in today’s Mirror. Pictured: Lina Rose and her son, Jesse, joins Friends of the Hylebos board members Margery Godfrey and Adele Freeland last Tuesday to explore a site slated for replanting at the West Hylebos Wetlands Park. ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror
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“I know both the city council and the developers expressed interest in hiring Even though the Crystal locally,” she said. “However, Palace project is still in one of the concerns we have its infancy, one group is is that…once that sale goes already thinking ahead. through, the city will not be Working Washington is try- in any type of position to ing to make sure that local enforce a local hiring comworkers will be involved in mitment.” the ambitious project for Vassar continued, saying Federal Way’s downtown. history is guiding Working Amelia Vassar and Washington’s suggesMia Franklin, repretions to the council. sentatives of WorkNEWS “As history has ing Washington, atshown, local hiring tended the Federal commitments are Way City Council’s not always honored Oct. 4 meeting. They by contractors once the had some suggestions on sale of the land has gone how to ensure the local through,” she said. “We labor pool is tapped, if and really insist that local hiring when construction begins be part of the negotiations on the proposed Crystal for the sale of the land.” Palace project. The project Using local workers is slated for the 4.1-acre would improve the comAMC Theatres site on 20th munity’s perception of Avenue South, near the the Crystal Palace project, transit center. Vassar said. If local workers Vassar said the council are guaranteed to be hired, should consider a local then some of the negative hiring agreement, espebacklash of the innovative cially as the council moves project would possibly distoward the sale of the land sipate, she noted. to Boston-based developer ARCAAD. [ more CRYSTAL, p. 17 ] BY GREG ALLMAIN
gallmain@hotmail.com
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