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VOL. 16, NO. 49
MIRROR
F E D E R A L WAY
DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
OPINION | Roegner: How will the process to replace Freeman unfold? [6]
Eagle Tire & Automotive COMMUNITY | TJ alumnus inspires students [4] POLICE | Man peering under bathroom stall at library shocks woman [17]
CITY | Mayor honors Sen. Eide FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2014 | 75¢ with Key to the City [19]
BUDGET | Council adopts biennial budget, mayor boasts economic growth [28]
30th District Democrats pick top 3 to replace Rep. Freeman BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
T
he 30th Legislative District precinct officers voted Carol Gregory, Richard Champion and Shari Song as their top three candidates to replace late Rep. Roger Freeman on
Monday night. Freeman was elected during the general election just six days after passing away from colon cancer. Approximately 29 of 36 District 30 precinct officers attended the meeting at the Washington Education Association building to vote for
the candidates in a ranked order. Out of six nominees, Gregory was chosen as their top choice, Champion as second and Song third. “I’m very pleased,” Gregory said after learning she was ranked first. “It’s something I really believe I want and I think there are a lot of things
I’d like to accomplish around education in Olympia and this is the year to do it, so I’m very pleased.” Other nominees included Hope Elder, Roger Flygare and Sharry Edwards, also known as Rose O’Sharon Edwards. Because the 30th District
straddles King and Pierce counties, the King and Pierce County Councils will meet together to select an appointee at a later date. Acknowledging both Councils still have to choose one among the top three, Gregory said if she’s appointed as District
More details emerge in city’s purchase of former Target site
[ more DEMOCRATS, page 3 ]
Strong wind, waves damage Redondo Beach boardwalk BY CARRIE RODRIGUEZ editor@fedwaymirror.com
BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
Public records show the Federal Way mayor wasn’t the only one interested in developing the former Target site, 7.48 acres the city recently purchased for $8.2 million. Although previously reported that the city had to act fast in purchasing the property because another $8 million offer was on the table, several people in the community speculated whether the city paid too much for land initially appraised at $5.8 million. Some even questioned whether the other offer was legitimate. Documents the Mirror obtained through a public records request indicate Wei Zhang was the first buyer to make an offer on the property, located at 2141 S. 314th St. in Federal Way, according to the back-up addendum to the purchase and sale agreement. Zhang is the managing director of Bellevuebased Winson Investment LLC (also known as Winson at Federal Way LLC) and the principal [ more CITY, page 5 ]
30 Representative Pos. 2, her duties as a legislator will be to ensure children aren’t negatively affected by education policy during a legislative session focused on finding those funds and that issues of transportation and economic development
Des Moines Public Works crews pull loose boards from the Redondo Beach boardwalk on Nov. 29, when strong wind and waves damaged the walkway. The popular boardwalk near Federal Way is closed while Des Moines city officials look for ways to fund repairs to the walkway. Contributed by Bruce Honda
Des Moines Public Works crews continued to clear debris and other hazards from the Redondo Beach boardwalk on Monday after strong arctic winds and waves damaged the walkway on Saturday. “We’ve had instances in the past where some of the planks will pop loose — but this particular event caused much more damage than we’ve ever seen,” said Dan Brewer, Public Works director. “I was just astonished at how extensive the damages were, where we had steel that was mangled and twisted from the force of the waves.” A combination of gusty winds and a high tide sent waves crashing over the boardwalk and across Redondo Beach Drive with enough force to knock out parts of the seawall in some residents’ yards. Most of the planks came loose or broke and some of the steel support systems beneath the boardwalk also failed. Crews worked on Monday to demolish two of those support systems “so they don’t end up [ more REDONDO, page 2 ]
Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks about equality to students BY SARAH KEHOE skehoe@fedwaymirror.com
Rev. Jesse Jackson told Technology Access Foundation (TAF) Academy students to dream high and to break down the walls of race and gender inequality during an event on Monday. “I look around the room and think that Dr. King would be so proud to see a group of multicultural and multiracial students sitting together at an event like this,” Jackson told the sixth through 12th-graders. “You are the American Dream and you can keep breaking down stereotypes by working hard in school and
fighting for equality.” Jackson’s appearance at the school was part of a tour through Western Washington where he spoke about the need for minorities and women in high-tech jobs in Seattle, calling it the “civil rights issue of the decade.” “I believe this problem can be solved by copying TAF’s model, which is implementing STEM opportunities to students at schools,” he said. Jackson was invited to speak by Trish Millines Dziko, executive director and founder of the Technology Access Foundation. Dziko helped start the
academy in 1996 to bring STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to underrepresented populations in those fields, particularly students of color and girls. This desire came from Dziko’s own experience. “After spending 15 years as a developer, designer and manager in the high tech industry, I found that despite tremendous growth, there were very few women and people of color working in the field,” she said. “I determined the best thing to do was to go fix the root of the problem, which was lack of access to STEM in public schools.”
Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks to Technology Access Foundation students about equality during an event on Monday. Contributed by Andrea Capere Technology Access Foundation Academy was started in 2008 with a partnership between Federal
Way Public Schools and the Technology Access Foundation. The academy [ more EQUALITY, page 13 ]