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COMMUNITY | Federal Way rallies to collect school supplies for students [7]
VOL. 16, NO. 31
MIRROR
F E D E R A L WAY
DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
OPINION | Editor’s Note: Residents sound off on traffic cameras [4] Roegner: Money matters in heated Senate race [4] AUTHOR | Woman describes life as dancer on front line for Germans during WWII [11] POLICE | Man arrested for wielding machete at Burger King [16]
SPORTS | Golfers make it to state FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 | 75¢ tournament next week [14]
CALENDAR | FUSION to hold annual fundraising event on Aug. 6 [23]
Man accused of threatening Obama heading to trial BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
A
Federal Way man charged with threatening President Barack Obama has been
ordered competent to stand trial after two years of competency tests and involuntary medication. Anton Caluori, now 33, was arrested for threatening to kill the president in
an email sent to the FBI in August 2012. His jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 20. Caluori was at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield,
Missouri undergoing forced medication but was deemed competent to stand trial on July 11 at a competency hearing, when he also pleaded not guilty to the threat against the president
count and assault on a federal officer or employee count. He’s since filed a motion on Thursday to terminate his forced medication, [ more OBAMA page 2 ]
Council issues moratorium on city center BY GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
The Federal Way City Council recently enacted a six-month moratorium aimed at halting any proposed expansions or creation of a “retail establishment providing entertainment, recreational, cultural services or activities” within the city center. At the June 3 Council meeting, assistant city attorney Amy Jo Pearsall explained what the moratorium means for the city. “A moratorium is an emergency measure designed to preserve the status quo,” she said. “It would suspend the right of applicants to submit applications and obtain approval as well, while the City Council considers and adopts development regulations as the city responds to new or changing circumstances, like we have in our downtown core and frame at this time. It would also provide an opportunity to thoughtfully address the issue. It’s sort of like a timeout so more research can be done.” In recent months, the city approved the Performing Arts and Conference Center
Sounders visit meal site
Federal Way native Lamar Neagle, a midfielder/forward for the Seattle Sounders, high-fives a girl at Steel Lake Park on Wednesday. Neagle, Sean Okoli (also from Federal Way) and Josh Ford (center) visited the Summer Meals program site that provides lunch for kids. For information, visit www.parenthelp123.org. ALISA GRAMANN, Mirror intern
project, along with the Town we have a brief window of Square Park. opportunity to examine this City spokesman Chris section, and take a thoughtCarrel said the moratoful approach to potentially rium arose out of long-term narrowing the definitions in discussions the a way that supports “With economic current and past the downtown development Councils have economic developheating up, we have ment vision.” had regarding potential changes a brief window But it appears of opportunity to city code to the moratorium support the city’s to examine this may have also been vision for the partly inspired by a section, and take downtown. company wanting a thoughtful “There was to turn the old Top approach ...” a recognition Food and Drug Chris Carrel that this section building at 31515 of the code is 20th Ave. S. into a overly broad in a way that health club/spa-like business. might lead to unintended At the June 17 City Counconsequences,” Carrel wrote cil meeting, Benny Kim, an in an email. “With economic architect for Callison Global, development heating up, was the only person who
spoke at the public hearing regarding the moratorium. “I’m an architect for designing an indoor water park/spa facility at the former Top Food building,” Kim said of the 60,000-square-foot building. “The owner(s) acquired the building last year and they wanted to develop it. They wanted to build something like a spa/sauna, with some kind of service activity and water park component. That was the initial idea, but later it was redesigned, and is now more like a spa and a wellness center.” Kim said the project he’s working on would make Federal Way “more dynamic, vibrant,” and would make
Federal Way’s downtown a “landmark cityscape.” “It will be like an urban oasis, or a meditative space. Instead of a bunch of office buildings, it’s a bit more variety, a bit more fun, and will help the city differentiate itself from others.” Kim said he and the interested parties he was representing would be “willing and happy to work with the city,” so their project could fit more closely with the city’s vision for the city center. With the June 3 approval of the moratorium, the zoning code amendments for the city center and core were transferred to the Planning Commission Work Plan, and assigned a high priority.
Police arrest suspect in connection with 5 robberies BY ALISA GRAMANN agramann@fedwaymirror.com
Federal Way police have arrested a suspect in connection with five bank robberies, including the July 18 robbery at Umpqua Bank in Federal Way. The 23-year-old male was a Federal Way resident. Pierce County Sherriff ’s detectives are looking for two other suspects who may have been accomplices. Together, the three are allegedly responsible for a series of bank robberies in Pierce and south King counties. Between July 14 and July 22, the three suspects allegedly pulled off five heists, according to Tacoma/Pierce County Crime Stoppers. The male suspects are all in their 20s with slender builds. Footage shows them wearing baseball hats and sunglasses. The suspects worked as a team to either rob multiple tellers at the same time or to act as a lookout, according to police. The suspects allegedly gave the tellers notes, demanding cash and threatening violence, saying they were armed. Once they received the money, they fled the banks. According to a Federal Way police report, at 5:25 on July 18 at the 1900 S. 320th St. Umpqua Bank, one suspect gave a teller a note saying to hand over all the $50 and $100 bills and not to include any GPS tracking devices. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash, accord[ more ARREST page 2 ]