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4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS | Learn more in the Red, White and Blues special section [9]
VOL. 15, NO. 26
Mirror
F E D E R A L WAY
division of Sound Publishing
OPINION | Roegner: City council and the chiropractor [6] Letters: Twin Lakes HOA president responds to criticism [6]
SPORTS | Longtime coach passes away. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013 | 50¢ Plus: Why sports need trash talk [15]
By GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
NEWSPAPER RACKS: To see a list of rack locations for the print edition of The Mirror, visit federalwaymirror.com/about_us.
SEX IN THE SUBURBS | Examining the link between sex, cancer and HPV [7] CALENDAR | Centerstage Theatre presents tribute concert to The Supremes [21]
Schools endure Olympia gridlock
Catch the rainbow: Reaction to court’s decision The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) made what many are hailing as a landmark decision, ruling to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). For those in support of same-sex marriage, the June 26 decision is a significant victory in the decades-long battle for marriage equality. “It’s definitely monumental. It’s nice to have recognition at the federal level for my marriage to my husband,” said Federal Way resident Geoffery McAnalloy, who has been in a committed relationship with his husband, Devin, for 14 years. The couple have three adopted children and were married in King County last December after same-sex marriage was legalized in the state. “To finally have equal sitting with heterosexual couples, and to not be viewed as second-class citizens at the federal level…it’s a time to be joyous,” he said. Gov. Jay Inslee shared his support for the SCOTUS ruling, posting a rainbow flag picture with a #loveislove hashtag on his Facebook page, and writing: [ more MARRIAGE, page 22 ]
CRIME BLOTTER | Man named T-Freeze makes death threats over money, drugs [3]
By GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
More than half of Valhalla Elementary School’s 565 students receive free or reduced lunch. Hispanic students represent a majority of the Federal Way school’s population. ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror
Suburban poverty reflects new demographics in S. King County By ANDY HOBBS editor@fedwaymirror.com
South King County serves as a poster child for the nationwide trend in suburban poverty. Unlike the “white flight” of the 1960s when white urban residents flocked to the suburbs, a reverse shift has occurred in the past decade. In 2012, more poor people now live in the suburbs than in cities. That total is more than 16.4 million people nationwide — a 64 percent increase since 2000, according to the Brookings Institution, a prominent independent think tank based in Washington, D.C. South King County’s growing communities are among the subjects of a new book titled “Confronting Suburban Poverty in America” by Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan
Berube. Berube, a senior fellow and deputy director at the Brookings Institution, shared his insights on local suburban poverty June 25 at the South King Council of Human Services (SKCHS) luncheon at Emerald Downs in Auburn. SKCHS is a non-profit organization that helps improve access to housing, education, economic opportunities, racial equity and safe neighborhoods. “The book affirms what we’ve been saying for years,” said Nathan Phillips, SKCHS director, at Tuesday’s gathering. “Resources don’t flow to our region to address these challenges.” The luncheon was one of several engagements this week in South King County to launch a national tour for the book. The book takes a closer look at suburban [ more POVERTY, page 23 ]
FYI: POVERTY BY THE NUMBERS Percentage of families below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau • Federal Way: 6.9 percent in 1999 (pop. 83,259) vs. 9.5 percent in 2010 (pop. 89,306). • Auburn: 10.2 percent in 1999 (pop. 40,314) vs. 11.9 percent in 2010 (pop. 70,180). • Kent: 8.7 percent in 1999 (pop. 79,524) vs. 23.1 percent in 2010 (pop. 92,411). • Renton: 7 percent in 1999 (pop. 50,052) vs. 10.2 percent in 2010 (pop. 90,927). Percentage of students on free and reduced lunch, according to the state superintendent (OSPI) • Federal Way: 28.8 percent in 2000 vs. 56.3 percent in 2012 (total enrollment: 22,017 students) • Auburn: 30.1 percent in 2000 vs. 53.6 percent in 2012 (total enrollment: 14,683 students) • Kent: 26.5 percent in 2000 vs. 51.2 percent in 2012 (total enrollment 27,318 students) • Renton: 31.4 percent in 2000 vs. 54.4 percent in 2012 (total enrollment: 16,979 students) • Tukwila: 58.2 percent in 2000 vs. 77.2 percent in 2012 (total enrollment: 3,429 students) • Seattle: 40.2 percent in 2000 vs. 43.2 percent in 2012 (total enrollment: 50,019 students) • Washington state: 31.2 percent in 2000 vs. 45.5 percent in 2012 (total statewide enrollment: 1,043,031 students)
The Federal Way School Board approved the district’s 2013-14 budget in a unanimous vote on June 25. At the time of the Tuesday meeting, the Washington State Legislature was still feverishly working on a budget deal, but had reportedly resolved its differences with the announcement of a budget deal on June 27. “We’re going to be talking about the general fund budget when we don’t yet have a state budget,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Sally McLean said wryly in her presentation to the board. One new change that had come because of Olympia’s dysfunction, McLean said, is that the district may be forced to borrow money earlier than expected if the Legislature cannot reach a consensus. “This district, along with every other district in the state, will be short paid on our June 30 apportionment payment from the state,” McLean said. “I was not planning on that occurring, and that has impacted our ability to make it through July. So if there’s no state budget adopted as of July 1, then there’s no authority for the state to spend funds, and I will tell you now, that while we’re planning on a McCleary downpayment for (2013-14), without a state budget, we will need to borrow money in July to cover our 2012-13 obligations.” Another impact that the prolonged gridlock in Olympia has had on the budget planning process was increasing the district’s allotment for its “contingency” fund. Traditionally, that amount has been $3 million, but with Olympia’s issues, the district chose to increase it to $5 million. The doomsday scenario of a government shutdown was avoided, as the Legislature reached a deal a few days short of a full state government shutdown. The details of the budget deal reached were not disclosed by Inslee at a June 27 press conference.