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COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND
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LOCAL| Covington’s holiday celebration kicks off with tree lighting [page 3]
THE NEXT LEVEL | Maple Valley’s Colin MacIlvennie signs to play lacrosse at the FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013 University of Maryland [12]
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Plans for town center begin to take shape
Managing general fund focus of budget
BY KRIS HILL
BY KATHERINE SMITH
khill@covingtonreporter.com
ksmith@maplevalleyreporter.com
It may be years before the town center vision in Covington becomes reality but officials hope the work put in now will pay off when development begins. Derek Matheson, Covington’s city manager, said that the city is focused on a handful of elements in the coming year that will lay the foundation for the town center project which is envisioned for the current site of Covington Elementary and ideally the 7 acre property next COVINGTON door owned by Ashton Development. A town center feasibility study is planned, a request for qualifications was put out to find a partner to develop the town center and city staff continue to move forward with the effort to bring higher education to the city. Matheson said the City Council
Managing decreased general fund revenues and a need to diversify Maple Valley’s tax base are the two main themes in the city’s 2014 preliminary budget. The Maple Valley City Council is scheduled to adopt the 2014 budget by Dec. 16. Among the stated goals of the city for 2014 are restarting the Legacy Site planning process, attract commercial growth to diversify the city’s tax base, support improvements MAPLE to Lake WilderVALLEY ness Park and Lodge, assess options for municipal court and jail services for 2015, and pursue grants for transportation improvement projects. City Manager David Johnston wrote in his annual budget message that the city’s focus in recent years has been on the general fund. Johnston noted that home
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Mulvihill, left, points out the features of an item to a customer, Theresa on Black Friday Black Friday Leih at Mulvihill’s shop, The Dazzled Dame, located in Maple Valley Town Square in Four Corners. Local Shopping DENNIS BOX, The Reporter
Kentwood DECA to host sixth annual Hypnotist Show Friday BY KATHERINE SMITH ksmith@covingtonreporter.com
Kentwood DECA students are preparing for the sixth annual hypnotist show at the school where they hope to raise $4,000 for Ronald McDonald House of Seattle on Friday. Last year the club raised just under
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$3,000 according to DECA member and Kentwood senior Jaclyn Rainey. The show will include a miracle minute in which the audience members will be asked to donate any spare change they have. “That typically brings in $200-$300 in that minute,” club President Erika Quan said. Rainey added this year they have enlisted school administrators and teachers to be
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vides housing and support for families of seriously ill children who are being treated in Seattle. In 2012 the Seattle Ronald McDonald House served over 600 families. For more information about Ronald McDonald House visit www.rmhcseattle.org. The show will be held at 7 p.m. in the performing arts center at Kentwood. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Reach Katherine Smith at ksmith@ covingtonreporter.com or 425-432-1209 ext. 5052. To comment on this story go to www.covingtonreporter.com.
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hypnotized along with students. Additionally, Rainey said, audience members will be able to enter a drawing for a chance to be hypnotized. Quan has been participating in DECA since her freshman year at Kentwood and helped convince Rainey to join as well. “I just kind of jumped on board,” Quan said. “It’s a business club to help you to apply those leadership skills to the rest of life.” The tradition of the hypnotist show is what Quan said is one of her favorite parts of helping to organize it. “It’s really cool that we get to get involved with this event because it’s one of the signature events at Kentwood,” Rainey said. Ronald McDonald House of Seattle pro-
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