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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014
ShoWare’s lofty losses create rift among leaders BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
After hearing Kent spends about $4.8 million per year to support the financially struggling ShoWare Center, City Councilman Jim Berrios pulled no punches with a pointed question to city staff. “For the next 30 years we’re tied to a debt, a payment to the city
regarding ShoWare that’s outweighs the deficit? Can going to be pretty signifisomebody honestly say cant, especially when we that?” start experiencing the big Ben Wolters, city hits on the interest rate,” economic and commuBerrios said at a heated nity developer director, council workshop on quickly replied. Oct. 7. “So $4.8 million “Sure I can,” Wolters Berrios per year is where we are said about the economic at now. There’s been talk impact. “It’s $750 million about the benefits of ShoWare over a 30-year period.” to the city, can somebody say it “No, I’m talking about now,”
Berrios said. “I don’t want a forecast. You’re just forecasting what it could be. Based on the last five years, can you honestly say ShoWare has been a financial improvement to our city?” Wolters said he could say that, based on an economic impact study in 2012 that showed the 6,025-seat arena brought in an estimated $25 million to the local economy in 2011, according to
an economic impact analysis by Community Attributes, Inc. of Seattle. The consultant company concluded in its report that the arena “is a regional magnet, attracting more than one million visitors to Kent for sports events, entertainment, conferences, civic events and more.” Wolters then explained about [ more SHOWARE page 7 ]
City seeks businesses not paying B&O tax
Holocaust survivor Henry Friedman, an award-winning author and long-time volunteer in the Kent School District, received an honorary high school diploma at an Oct. 8 ceremony. ROSS COYLE,
BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Kent Reporter
RISING FROM THE ASHES Holocaust survivor earns diploma
BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com
It was 68 years in the making, but Henry Friedman has finally got his high school diploma. A Holocaust survivor, Friedman lost his childhood in the 1940s, when Jews were prohibited from attending school. He survived the nightmare by hiding in a barn, and received
a piecemeal education from the family’s retained teacher. But he never received a diploma, and on Oct. 8 the Kent School District rectified that. The 86-year-old Friedman received an honorary KSD diploma at a ceremony honoring early graduates from Kent-Meridian, Kent Phoenix Academy [ more FRIEDMAN page 3 ]
Kent city officials are trying to find ways to track down businesses that apparently are not paying the city’s business and occupation (B&O) tax even though they are required to pay. City staff revealed at a City Council workshop on Tuesday that nearly 5,000 businesses are licensed in town. But only 2,800 have set up B&O accounts. Of those, 1,600 are paying the tax while 1,200 are not required to pay because of gross revenues lower than the $250,000 exemption or other waivers. Mayor Suzette Cooke
INSIDE: Chamber of Commerce opposes hike in tax, pages 5
proposed in her preliminary 2015-16 budget last month an increase in the B&O tax to bring in more revenue to the general fund as well as hiring four more employees to help get more businesses to pay. The tax became effective in January 2013 and brought in $5.2 million in 2013 (dedicated to street maintenance) with $300,000 spent on two auditors. Cooke proposed raising the B&O rate and lowering [ more TAX page 4 ]
Growing program builds relationships at early age BY MARK KLAAS mklaas@kentreporter.com
With a turn of a page Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas read a story, engaging a small group of imaginative minds huddled in the corner of a classroom. The picture book’s
friendly tale described the connection between dutiful police and those they help, youngsters. The message was clear, a tone expressing Kent Police’s responsibility and commitment to the safety and welfare of kids. That association between early childhood
and law enforcement is extremely important. So says Thomas. “It’s a start to building a relationship,” said Thomas, who visited a group of 3- and 4-year-old children enrolled in the new ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program)
classrooms at Sunrise Elementary School last week. “I think it’s all a big piece of keeping our community safe and improving the quality of life in the Kent community,” Thomas said. “And it starts early on.” [ more LEARNING page 4 ]
Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas shares a tale with children at Sunrise Elementary. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter