KENT .com
REPORTER
NEWSLINE 253-872-6600
MARIANNE BINETTI | T’was the week before Christmas in the yard [ page 4 ]
BOYS HOOPS | Any team can win on any HOLIDAY GREETING | The staff of The given day in the tough South Puget Sound Reporter wishes all a merry Christmas and a FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2011 League North division this season [11] happy new year.
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
‘Teddy Bear Friend’ leaves legacy of caring City Council approves Midway plan B BY DENNIS BOX
dbox@kentreporter.com
arbara Joslin, the Kent Fire Department’s “Teddy Bear Friend,” spent nearly 10 years providing spiritual and emotional support to anyone in need with her handcrafted bears before she died from breast cancer Dec. 12. The 74-year-old Kent resident created the teddy bears masterpieces for the firefighters to help cheer up children involved in traumatic emergencies. “She would bring us in six, seven or eight bears every month,” Fire Chief Jim Schneider said. According to the chief, the bears took Joslin about 30 hours to make and cost about $35. All was donated by Joslin to the department. He said Barbara Joslin she gave about 450 to the department over the past decade. Schneider said during the past few months she only brought in two or three each month as the she became weaker from the cancer. After she died, Schneider went to her home to meet with her husband. The chief discovered Joslin had sent many bears to fairs around the region and had taken numerous first-place awards. In the final months of her life Schneider said she did not want anyone to know she didn’t have the strength to make the bears, so she took the ribbons off the bears that were sent to the fairs and brought them into the department.
BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
The Kent City Council has approved zoning regulations and design guidelines in place for when light rail is scheduled to come to town by 2023 along Pacific Highway South on the West Hill. The council adopted ordinances at its Dec. 13 meeting to help CITY OF turn the Midway area into a transitoriented corridor with high-rise buildings for businesses and residents. The Midway area stretches for 3 1/2 miles between South 216th Street and South 272nd Street along Pacific Highway South. Kent officials worked with the city of Des Moines to develop zoning regulation and design guidelines for the Envision Midway project. Pacific Highway from South 216th Street to Kent Des Moines Road is in the city of Des Moines. Sound Transit plans to extend the light rail line from Sea-Tac Airport to South 200th Street in SeaTac by 2016,
KENT
Barbara Joslin spent 10 years making teddy bears for Kent Fire Department firefighters to hand out to children in times of trauma. Photo courtesy Capt. Kyle Ohashi “When I looked at the case all the ribbons were lying at the bottom of the case,” Schneider said. “She had taken the bears into the department.” The chief said every bear played a musical theme by touching the bear’s paw and facial expressions were unique from bear to bear.
Kent park gets new playground BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Children who go to Kent’s West Fenwick Park get to enjoy a new playground because of a donation by United Way of King County and others. Volunteers installed the playground Dec. 13 at the 37-acre park along Reith Road at 42nd Avenue South on the West Hill. Valley Buick GMC of Auburn, the NFL and Everett-based SiteLines Park and Playground Equipment were part of the donation program.
“The craftsmanship was phenomenal,” Schneider said. “Each appendage moved 360 degrees.” The chief said he has a bear sitting on his desk as do many of the other department
Steven Greimann, resource development officer for United Way, estimated the value of the playground contribution at more than $10,000, including cash from GMC and in-kind donations by United Way and the city of Kent. “While United Way usually focuses on addressing human service needs (e.g., housing, food, youth development) we know that the intersection of economic development, gathering places, social services and community creates healthy communities,” Greimann said in an email. “So through developing a stronger relationship with the city (of Kent), we became aware of local community interest in developing gathering places where children can be more active and worked with the Parks Department to identify a park where the play set was needed.” Seattle Seahawks defensive back Marcus Trufant showed up to help install the playground.
NEW LOCATION
15423 SE 272nd St., Ste. 110; Kent, WA 98042
[ more PARK page 3]
SAME NUMBER 253-631-1222
[ more TEDDY page 2 ]
[ more MIDWAY page 3]
Marcus Trufant, a Seattle Seahawks defensive back, helps assemble playground equipment at Kent’s West Fenwick Park Dec. 13. Courtesy photo
Ask about our FREE real estate classes!
549216