Kent Reporter, February 07, 2014

Page 1

INSIDE | City to decide which street projects to fund with B&O tax [3]

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REPORTER

NEWSLINE 253-872-6600

KENT

Sports | Royals’ versatile Carter signs with CWU [9]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014

Mayor praises street project, YMCA BY STEVE HUNTER

But Cooke questions par 3’s future in State of the City address

shunter@kentreporter.com

Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke hyped the new South 224th Street overpass to be built across Highway 167 and the possibility of a YMCA coming to town during her annual State of the City address.

Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke says the future of Riverbend’s par 3 golf course remains uncertain during her State of the City address. STEVE HUNTER,

But Cooke left the future of the city-owned par 3 golf course at the Riverbend Golf Complex up in the air during her 36-minute speech at the Kent Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday at the ShoWare Center. “The par 3 may or may not exist by next [ more COOKE page 5 ]

Kent Reporter

ShoWare lowers losses in 2013 BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com

more story online…

Fuel for tomorrow

kentreporter.com

Olyvia Salter, a junior at the Technology Access Foundation Academy, examines a fuel she made out of bio-ethanol materials at the academy’s science fair in Kent last Saturday. Salter was inspired to explore biofuel when she realized that the low-

Kent gets charter school BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com

After months of planning, waiting and hoping, Excel School was awarded a charter to operate in the city [ more CHARTER page 2 ]

income areas most in need of fuels were neglected in biofuel stations. She hopes to become active in social justice in college and help improve impoverished areas through science. ROSS COYLE, Kent Reporter

‘ALYSSA ANGELS’ SHINE School supports cancer-stricken student BY MARK KLAAS mklaas@kentreporter.com

The well-travelled, often squeezed and frequently exchanged sock monkey is a reminder of a precious girl and her plight.

Reserve Now!

[ more ALYSSA page 10 ]

Valentine’s

DINNER PACKAGES

for

TWO FEB. 14!

[ more SHOWARE page 4 ]

Kent Mountain View Academy students, from left, Sia Moiwo, Carly Gadzuk, Ethan Rogers, Morgan Rogers and Andi Hughes, with a sock monkey, are a big part of ‘Alyssa Angels’. MARK KLAAS,

The monkey poses as a standin at school for Alyssa Zoll, a beloved, energetic and fun-loving fifth-grader at Kent Mountain View Academy, who is waging a spirited battle against Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of bone cancer.

APPETIZER FOR TWO ♥ ENTRÉE ♥ DESSERT

The ShoWare Center’s bottom line took its smallest hit last year since the arena opened in 2009. Kent’s city-owned arena still lost $370,874 in 2013. But that compared to a deficit of $707,541 in 2012 and losses of more than $400,000 in each of the first three years. “That’s our best year in five,” said Tim Higgins, ShoWare general manager, at a Jan. 30 meeting of the Public Facilities District board that helps oversee operations of the $84.5 million arena. The arena had expenses of $2.57 million and income of $2.20 million in 2013,

according to the ShoWare Center income statement. SMG, the company hired by the city to operate the facility, estimated losses of $495,000 for last year. “We budget for what we know and what historically has happened,” Higgins said about the higher loss projection. “As the year progresses through what we call hustling we’re able to find shows and make things happen.” The arena drew a record crowd of 7,129 for a Dec. 14 concert by the popular country duo Florida Georgia Line. It’s those type of concerts that pump up the bottom line. Despite the stronger year

Kent Reporter

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