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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013
City builds up cash reserves, might hire more police BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
The city of Kent’s building up cash reserves and paying down debt this year because of new
taxes as well as increased taxes and permit fees. In fact, city officials even discussed at a council workshop Oct. 15 about adding six or more police officers in 2014 because
of the positive financial picture Mayor Suzette Cooke and her staff presented during the 2013-14 biennial budget update. “You’re going to hear a lot of good news about our budget this
year, finally,” said Tom Brubaker, city interim chief administrative officer, to the council. “There has been good strides in our financial goals,” said Bob Nachlinger, city finance director.
The general fund cash reserve is expected to hit $5.6 million by the end of this year as the city hits it 10 percent target of general [ more BUDGET page 4 ]
Committee leaves North Park out of downtown plan rezone
Eye for nature: Danny Najera is dedicated to studying the complexity of honeybees. ROSS COYLE,
BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
A Kent City Council committee agreed with residents that the city’s proposed downtown development plan should leave North Park alone. Three North Park residents asked the city’s Economic and Community Development Committee on Oct. 14 to follow the recommendation by the city’s Land Use and Planning Board to keep a half block north of James Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, south of Cloudy Street, zoned for townhouses and condos rather than changing it to commercial use. City staff had recommended a rezone to commercial as part of an overall Downtown Subarea Action Plan designed to revitalize downtown over the next 10 to 20 years. “We just want to make sure that what comes out of this committee’s recommendation follows through with the Land Use and [ more PLAN page 5 ]
Kent Reporter
WHAT’S ALL THE BUZZ? Expert: students can learn eco connections through honeybees BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com
MUCH FOG, NO FISH A fisherman returns from a fruitless attempt as fog shrouded the Lake Meridian fishing pier Tuesday morning. Fog and 50-degree temperatures kept a grip on the Kent Valley throughout most of the week. ROSS COYLE, Kent Reporter
Bee stings don’t really hurt Danny Najera like they used to. After years of studying the creatures – including accidentally dropping a hive while carrying it in the middle of the night – he’s come to accept them as simply an occupational hazard. Now Najera is bringing his enthusiasm for the insects to Green River, where he uses the bees as way to not only show the complexity of life, but to illustrate how ecosystems are interconnected. “There is a direct connection between the health of bees and the health of our agricultural system,” he said. “Do you like apples?
Supporters mount campaign for school district levy BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com
Another year, another time for taxpayers to decide whether or not to renew the Kent School District levy. A handful of teachers, officials, community leaders and Kent
residents gathered at the Kentridge High School library on Oct. 17 to launch an official campaign for the district’s proposed levy. “Someday we may be fully funded with state and federal dollars, but until that day we’ll need local money,” said Kent Educators Asso-
ciation president Cindy Prescott. Until higher governments can better support education programs in schools, many districts turn to raising funds from the community to keep extracurricular activities afloat. [ more LEVY page 5 ]
Kent teen dies in car crash BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
A 17-year-old Kent boy died from injuries suffered when his car collided early Sunday morning with a
Yeah. Then you like bees. Do you like strawberries? Yes. Then you like bees.” Najera, a Ph.D from the University of Kansas, has brought in his own bee colonies to illustrate the complexity and interconnectedness of the environment to his biology students at Green River Community College. “There has been no other organism that I can carry around in a box and get anything near as much as a powerful lesson as these honeybees.” The boxes he refers to are his colony demonstrations, two plywood boxes two with hinged shutters covering Plexiglas for observing the bees. They serve as Najera’s live instructional displays. The bees produce an audible buzzing despite the Plexiglas wall, but the sound pales in comparison to the tactile vibrations [ more BEES page 4 ]
King County Sheriff ’s Office patrol car in Kent. The accident occurred at about 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of South 196th Street and 68th Avenue South, also known as the West Valley Highway. Brandon Gonzalez, the [ more CRASH page 3 ]