May 2007

If there is one thing Judy Liening has been, it's consistent.

In girls tennis for the Todd Beamer Titans, she is going to state for the fourth straight year.

It's a tough one to get around.

To come down on someone because you have trouble understanding them, it's thin ice.

But at the risk of upsetting somebody, I am going to use my little forum to air out a grievance.

I went to the pharmacy to pick up some allergy medicine for the Mrs.

To the Editor:

I really cannot believe that parents really feel that having an iPod stuck into the ear of a student is a safety net in case of an emergency, while the child is playing their music.

Also why in the world would a student really need a cell phone, with text messaging be necessary, other than send answers to other friends in other class rooms or right in the very room they are in?

In the case where the students called their mothers on their cell phones, to let them know about other students with a gun, why didn't they go to the principal, or any tea

Official study confirms fears that car washing chemicals have detrimental impact on fish

It may seem as harmless of a summer activity as gardening and barbeques, but car washing in Federal Way appears to have a significant and negative impact on local fish populations, a recent study reports.

Adding car washing residue of chemicals, soap and grime to Federal Way stream plays a detrimental role to spawning salmon, native trout and other aquatic life in our creeks and rivers.

A recent toxicity study conducted by a local consulting group, Environmental Partners, I

The Federal Way Harmony Kings 46th annual show is slated for Saturday, June 9th at the Auburn Performing Arts Center. The first show is a matinee at 2:04 p.m. followed by the evening show at 8:04 p.m. Reserved seating is required for the evening show. The Kings will introduce their new Director, Glenn Smith, out of Spokane who recently took the helm.

A Barbershop Time of Your Life is the theme of this year's event.

No stranger to traffic, Burbidge will head state organization to improve roads

Federal Way City Councilmember Jeanne Burbidge was elected as chair of the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board at its meeting in Walla Walla last week.

The Secretary of Transportation originally appointed Burbidge to the Board in February 2004 after her nomination by the Association of Washington Cities.

The TIB provides grants to transportation projects submitted by local government statewide.

The Washington State Legislature created the TIB to foster state

Success of city's Domestic Violence Initiative earns FWPD top honors

The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) has awarded a coveted Municipal Excellence Award to the Federal Way Police Department.

The Municipal Excellence Awards promote and recognize innovative and effective city government programs that significantly improve the quality of life in local communities.

Des Moines residents once could take water taxis to Seattle and Tacoma. But that was over 50 years ago.

Now the Puget Sound Passenger Ferry Coalition wants to bring a water taxi back to the Waterland community.

"We've been looking at this for the last three years with a group called the South Sound Ferry Coalition," said Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White.

"The idea's been around for a long time with the 'Mosquito Fleet' that was here years ago.

The King County Council recently expanded potential transportation options for county residents by creating a King County Ferry District.

Passenger-only ferry service to South Puget Sound and Vashon Island, or across Lake Washington to the Eastside, could be operated by the ferry district.

"With the impending replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the State Route 520 Bridge, we must seize this opportunity to use our open waters to get people out of gridlock," said Councilman Dow Constantine, D-West Seattle, the legislation's prime sponsor.

"Passenger-only w

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi and Metro shuttles from the dock to Alki, Admiral Way and the West Seattle Junction will be permanent year around under the King County Ferry District approved recently by the King County Council.

A newly revised state law permits the county to levy and use locally property taxes to finance walk-on-only ferries.

The state has a curb on the auto ferry business.

An additional penny in King County's property tax would raise $2.5 million annually for water taxi service, said King County Councilman Dow Constantine, D-West Seattle.