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CRIME BLOTTER | Illegal dumping leads to arrest; shootout threat causes lockdown [2]
VOL. 15, NO. 41
Mirror
F E D E R A L WAY
division of Sound Publishing
OPINION | Editorial: Endorsements for mayor, council [4] Roegner: What did they know and when did they know it? [4] SCHOOL NEWS | Board will discuss recent trip to Europe at next meeting [6] MR. FEDERAL WAY | Abduction attempts of two little kids last weekend [5]
SPORTS | The Eagles’ Chico McClatcher is CALENDAR | Cancer Ninjas host fundraiser; FRIDAY, October 11, 2013 | 75¢ Federal Way’s top football prospect [18] Fright Fest returns to Wild Waves [11]
ELECTION 2013
FW candidates tackle top local issues at forum By ANDY HOBBS editor@federalwaymirror.com
Mark Twain Elementary teachers win money for classroom supplies The Federal Way Wal-Mart store on South 314th Street awarded $50 gift cards to 20 teachers from Mark Twain Elementary School. The honor was part of the company’s Teachers Reward Program. “A lot of teachers dig into their own pockets for classroom supplies,” said store manager Josh Proctor, noting that the program has contributed $4.5 million total to schools nationwide. Mark Twain teachers/staff who received gift cards: Natasha Yanez, Parvin Strong, Lorraine Comery, Colleen Richardson, Dianna Sullivan, Angela Forbes, Alexandra Hernandez, Marla Claffey, Melissa Brooks, Taylor Stafford, Katie McEachern, Janet Genord, Ashley Maxwell, Anne Wolfrom, Jessica Gibbs, Mary Whitley, Barbara Egan, Melanie Wetzel, Margaret Bourgette, April Moffett. Andy Hobbs, The Mirror
Mayoral candidates
On Oct. 8, Wal-Mart store manager Josh Proctor and Good Works Coordinator Dick Mayer (pictured with pumpkin) handed out gift cards and cupcakes to teachers selected in a drawing.
Illahee needs streetlight Concerns surface over safety and crosswalk at school By GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@federalwaymirror.com
NEWSPAPER RACKS: To see a list of rack locations for the print edition of The Mirror, visit federalwaymirror.com/about_us.
The Federal Way Mirror hosted a public forum for mayoral and city council candidates on Oct. 9 at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club. General election ballots will be mailed Oct. 16. Deadline for voter registration is Oct. 28. The election is Nov. 5.
Federal Way staff and city council members discussed the possibility of installing a streetlight near Illahee Middle School to increase safety in the school zone and associated crosswalk. The issue was brought to the attention of Parks and Recreation, Public Safety and Human Services committee chair Susan Honda by a local resident. Senior traffic engineer Rick Perez and Public Works
Director Cary Roe outlined the possibilities to try and make the area safer. Concerns were raised about inadequate lighting at the existing crosswalk at Illahee, 36001 1st Ave. S. Students are also crossing away from the existing crosswalk, Perez said in a brief presentation Oct. 8. “There’s one streetlight that’s on 361st… that’s not intended to light the crosswalk,” he said, noting there is no mechanism to properly light the crosswalk. Perez said the crosswalk issue is mostly driven by where parents are able to drop off their students. Children cross the street where they’re dropped off, which is [ more ILLAHEE, page 10 ]
Skip Priest is the city’s first elected mayor, which is a position Jim Ferrell (the city’s deputy mayor) created through a ballot initiative in 2009. Priest is a former state representative. Ferrell is a King County prosecutor. At Wednesday’s forum, Priest and Ferrell clashed over the direction of the city, both in terms of public safety and economic development. Priest consistently said that he presided over the city during a recession and had to make difficult cuts. When a city allows its parks and roads to go downhill, he said, it starts a “down-
ward spiral” from which recovery can be impossible. “I make no apologies for our commitment to frugal innovation,” said Priest, noting a mantra he adopted upon his election. “I didn’t get us into (the recession). I was the one who got us out of it.” Ferrell said Priest’s “frugal innovation” came at the expense of a properly staffed police department, and said the city can do a better job of addressing crime. One example Ferrell cited was that on Sunday, seven officers were on duty for a city of 90,000 when that number should be 10 officers. “Frugal innovation is a cruel hoax,” Ferrell said. “We are cutting to the bone and calling it innovation.” Priest said a lot of positive things are happening in Federal Way, such as the reduction of empty office space by nearly half, and a reinvestment in The Commons mall by its corporate owner. Ferrell said the current administration lacks a [ more CANDIDATES, page 14 ]
Mayor Skip Priest (left) and Deputy Mayor Jim Ferrell (right) speak to the audience at Wednesday’s forum. ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror