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INSIDE | Juneteenth celebration on Saturday [3]
FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014
Sports | Kent Crusaders capture state rugby titles [7]
Local braider takes fight to state BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Salamata Sylla sat in her Kent business hopeful that a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the state Department of Licensing (DOL) helps keep her African hair braiding shop open. “I hope so,” said Sylla, a single mother of three young children, during a Monday interview at her small East Hill shop. “Because without it where
will I go or what will I do? How will I survive with my children, will I be going to a shelter? This pays my bills and puts food on my table every day. I worked really hard to build my clientele.” Well, it appears Sylla already has won the right to remain in business. The Institute for Justice, a national public-interest law firm based out of Arlington, Va., but with
Salamata Sylla, owner of Sally’s Africain Hair Braiding in Kent, hopes she can keep her shop open despite efforts by the state to close her business. COURTESY PHOTO,
[ more BRAIDER page 6 ]
Daniel Berman, Institute for Justice
Union files grievance over conditions at Mill Creek Middle School BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com
Grad celebration station Kentridge High graduates gleefully throw their mortarboards into the air during the graduation ceremony at the ShoWare
Center last Saturday. For story, more photos, see page 2. ROSS COYLE, Kent Reporter
Golden Steer restaurant celebrates golden anniversary BY MARK KLAAS mklaas@kentreporter.com
The restaurant business can be consuming and challenging, but it also can be fulfilling and rewarding. Jim and Suzanne Berrios know as much. When the Kent couple decided to buy the Golden Steer Steak ‘n Rib House from its original owners, Don and Dar Raftis, 15½ years ago, they understood the responsibility that came with it. They pledged to honor its loyal
Suzanne and Jim Berrios
customers, welcome new ones and extend a helping hand to a growing, diversified community.
Today, the proprietors of one of Kent’s landmark restaurants on the East Hill continue that obligation in more ways than one. The award-winning restaurant celebrates its 50th anniversary on Thursday, June 26. Owners, past and present, will join family, friends, the Kent Chamber of Commerce and the general public for a night of food, song and tributes from 5 to 8 p.m. at the restaurant, 23826 104th Ave. SE. [ more ANNIVERSARY page 6 ]
The Kent Education Association has filed a formal grievance against Mill Creek Middle School over dangerous disciplinary conditions at the school that have affected students and staff. “At this point we felt we had to formalize our concerns because there’s got to be an optimal learning environment for students and staff,” said KEA president Cindy Prescott. The complaint comes after several serious issues of fights and bullying have created disruptive conditions at the school. Both parties will have to find a way to balance
out class stability with the districts overarching goal of giving students as many chances to succeed in school as possible. Prescott said that the grievance has been filed at the school/building level, and that they will have seven days to respond to the allegations, at which time it will move up to the superintendent level. She noted that these are active school days, and so summer days won’t count. Discussions will likely be picked up at the beginning of the next school year, but “that doesn’t mean we can’t have informal conversation about the issues going on there,” said Prescott.
Land Use Planning board considering rezoning par 3 BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Jack Ottini remembers when corn and strawberry fields filled the land where the city of Kent’s Riverbend Golf Complex par 3 golf course sits next to the Green River. “The best thing that was ever on that property was Kato’s strawberry farm and Frank Watanabe’s corn farm,” Ottini said in his role as chairman of the city Land Use and Planning Board, at a June 9 workshop. “If you go back that far, you know you could get the best corn in the valley and the best strawberries you’ve ever had.” [ more PAR 3 page 4 ]