www.kentreporter.com hosting a stellar sports team, or having one of the best eateries ever, or simply for being the place you’ve grown up. However, one thing that I believe everyone should be able to add to that list is aesthetic. I don’t quite mean that the whole town must appear spic and span. However, there are certain aspects of a city that can change its ultimate appearance that benefit the community as a whole. What may that be? That would be our parks – the little neighborhood ones that those of an older generation had grown up on and some of whom happen to carry on the tradition by taking their children to. Although it can’t be argued that our cities, such as Kent, completely ignore the maintenance of these places, we can imagine that it certainly isn’t a priority as there are most definitely other things in the list. This unfortunately leads to our parks ending up a little unbecoming. That is to say, not in top shape. Litter is basically what I am getting at. Whether people do it on purpose or habitually, without
[ THOMAS from page 6 ] from the backyards abutting the lake. Those would all be banned. Yes, you personally could try to get a permit, get the fire marshal’s approval and hire your own licensed professional pyrotechnician. However, after talking directly to our fire marshal, your chances would be slim to none
due maintenance, litter builds up around these parks, making it look the opposite of welcoming and a place where we would take our children. Aside from old park equipment, littering is something we can and should change. It is harmful to our fauna and flora, and believe me, cigarette butts should not be found in a place where children are meant to play or where we go to take our dogs on walks. How may this situation be averted, whilst benefitting everyone? By creating cleanup crews. Agreed, that this may be cliché, but it is indeed something that is bound to work. By having our children participate in such a program, we are only going to further their understanding on why it is important to take care of our parks. And for the older kids who are a tad bit more materialistic, they can certainly gather community service hours, which, mind you, is also a high school graduation requirement. Having a “cleanup group” can certainly help. If you don’t feel like creating a due to the close proximity of your neighbors, public safety, etc. I could see in a matter of a few years that neighbors and co-sponsors of this historical event would no longer want to give money to a 20-minute tribute to America’s independence with a single-shot skyrocketing professional pyrotechnician. The grandeur of this event is the fact that the whole
group or anything, then please join up on events like Green Kent Day, which is pre-organized and still helping the community.
– Shaheer Hashmi
Let’s protect our kids State Rep. Mark Hargrove says in his newsletter that Rep. Laurie Jenkins of the 27th District, judiciary committee chair, does not intend to schedule a hearing on HB 2529 addressing gender-specific restrooms. I urge everyone to contact her and their representatives to support this bill to protect children in the state of Washington. The Human Rights Commission’s action providing pedophiles and other sex offenders even greater opportunities than they currently enjoy to prey on society is little more than an act of complicity. The state’s current failure to adequately supervise the offenders its releases is atrocious enough without this enhancing their current opportunities.
– Bob Zimmerman
lake participates and that’s why it attracts about 4,000 people to Kent. Seattle has its Space Needle sparkler, Auburn has its Emerald Downs shootout and Kent has its Splash, which is days of fun culminating with its 10 o’clock fireworks display. Removing the Splash event from Kent would be like remov-
In response to the Kent Reporters’ online article, “Governor’s Clean Air Rule order draws Senatebill opposition”, Jan. 20: In using the term “carbon pollution,” Gov. Jay Inslee is using doublespeak. What the MerriamWebster dictionary defines as “language used to deceive usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth.” “Carbon pollution” really means carbon dioxide (CO2), an invisible, odorless gas on which all life depends. This is more than just an academic point. It is an example of how misleading language has poisoned the climate debate. Calling CO2 “carbon pollution” encourages people to think of it as something dirty, like graphite or soot. Calling CO2 by its proper name would help people remember that, regardless of its role in climate change, a topic of intense debate in the science community, it is really an invisible, odorless gas essential to plant photosynthesis. – Tom Harris, executive director, International Climate Science Coalition
ing Seafair from Seattle. If your interested in joining me to save Splash – I’m calling this movement SOS (Save Our Splash) – call 253-856-5705 and let your City Councilmembers know how you feel, pro or con. Please don’t let this rich tradition die a slow death. Remember SOS. Just as an historical note:
UNITED WAY OF KING COUNTY offers free tax preparation at 24 locations in King County, including Kent, to help keep area families financially stable. The program is designed to help low- and middle-income families increase their financial security and keep more of what they earn. In Kent, the United Way Free Tax Site is at the Kent Multi-Service Center at 515 W. Harrison St., Kent, and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5-9 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. In Highline, the United Way Free Tax Site is at the Highline College Outreach Building (Bldg. 99) at 23835 Pacific Highway S., Kent, and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. United Way Tax Preparation is free for anyone making under $62,000 and will run through April 21. Services will be provided in multiple languages. For more information visit uwkc.org/taxhelp or call 211.
people were using fireworks on Cow Lake (now renamed Lake Meridian) many years ago. I can remember the huge displays of fireworks set off at Ky Fox’s Resort (now named Kent’s Lake Meridian Park) when I was a boy growing up here. Reach Les Thomas, Kent City Councilmember, at lthomas@kentwa. gov.
“I’m dying. Have you noticed? Look at my cute little legs flop around. Katy is sure going to be mad” routine. When that failed she tried the war-wound limp. That hasn’t worked in months. The battle of wits ended with each of us scowling at one another as I backed out of the house with my wet, scarred carrot. I had won the war, and enforced the rule of verticality. The lesson is: rules are rules and must be properly understood and enforced. Rules are a funny thing, and I still have my carrot.
Before she could reach her hidey hole I swooped in and grabbed my carrot from the furry fiend. I rushed back protecting my carrot and hid it in my bag. What appears to be escaping Yodie’s cruddy cortex is I am vertically higher in the air. This is known as the rule of verticality, which means I get to be in charge. It is in the big rulebook. I have pointed this out to her numerous times and all I get is the look that says, “Aren’t I just the cutest little princess you’ve ever seen? Better say yes and give me a treat or I’m telling Katy and then – It’s off to the pecan factory for you.” After securing my orange stick of yummy in
my food bag and placing it on the couch, I went to get my coat while keeping a vigilant eye on the evil one. She sat on the couch looking all innocent and hurt. I took my eyes away for an Einstein instant and bang! Beelzebub streaked to my bag, grabbed the carrot and took off with it jammed in her mouth. This was war. We raced around the house at light speed. I finally outsmarted the four-legged lupus, cut her off and trapped her in the living room. At first she flumped flat on the floor with the carrot under her giving me the, “What?” dog look. How dumb does she think I am? When I reached under her to grab the goods, she rolled over and gave me the,
Reach Dennis Box, Covington Reporter regional editor, at dbox@maplevalleyreporter.com or 425-432-1209, ext. 5050.
A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW CHARTER SCHOOLS, including Excel Public Charter School in Kent, to operate in Washington passed the Senate last week and moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 6194, which was introduced by Sens. Steve Litzow, R-Mercer Island; Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah; Joe Fain, R-Auburn; and Steve Hobbs,
D-Lake Stevens, was approved 27-20 in the Senate on Jan. 22. In September, the state Supreme Court ruled charter schools, which were approved by voters in 2012, unconstitutional and ineligible for state funding. On Nov. 19, the court denied motions by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the Washington State Charter Schools Association to recon-
sider the ruling. Senate Bill 6194 would direct charter school funding to come from the state’s Opportunity Pathways Account, which contains state lottery revenues not restricted to common schools. Excel opened in August, serving sixth- and seventh-grade students with hopes of expanding to grades 6-12.
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What it really means
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