The new HOV lanes on the freeway through town are done, and though the off-ramp from Eye-Five south to Hwy 18 was an absymally dangerous section for way too long, it's now complete.

The entire project has traffic running smoothly at the usual twelve miles an hour during the rushes.

As long as there are humans and cars, there will never be a chance to catch up for long. This rave is mitigated by a rant. Score zero.

There is a blight on the City of Unsynchronized Traffic Lights known as "rogue shopping carts."

You've seen them, huddling in cloisters in abandoned lots or tipped on their sides in the bushes like so much refuse.

It's a pity that these useful conveyances have to turn bad. How do they get loose anyway? I always return my carts to the appropriate collection sites, but for some reason, there always seems to be a number of them out late at night, doing who knows what.

And you can't blame the carts.

They're just misunderstood.

The sign on the store window says it all, "Not responsible for damage caused by shopping carts."

This is "cart" blanche for any sort of behavior and just plain wrong.

I propose that special ankle-type bracelets be attached to all shopping carts so that when they decide to stray off the lot, a buzzer goes off alerting store-owners.

I would rant, but who would listen?

Jane K. Balogh, Federal Way citizen and owner of Duncan M. McDonald, the Australian shepherd-terrier (breed, not occupation) was mentioned in local news media recently because she decided to sign Dunc up as a voter.

According to Ms. Balogh, Duncan was eligible because he is an American citizen, was born in the United States, is over 18 years old (in dog years) and has never been convicted of a felony.

This seems fair.

An occasional thumbing of the nose (look it up, it's very British) to inattentive election supervisors seems like a good heads up.

With only a name on a phone bill needed, it's far too easy for anyone to register to vote illegally.

I would give Balogh and Duncan a rave, but the county prosecutor's office decided to charge Balogh with a misdemeanor, with a sentencing recommendation of one year deferred, a year of probation, ten hours of community service AND a $250 fine, but only if she pleads guilty.

If she doesn't, Ms. Balogh will be charged with a felony.

Reprimanding someone for pointing out loopholes or flaws in electoral systems via a bit of pranksterism does not need to result in a felony charge.

Another nice rave canceled by a foul rant.

Graffit is problem in the city.

And as far as the city is concerned, it's mostly your problem.

The writing is on the wall, as they say and if your fence gets tagged by some rotten graffitist with a can of Krylon, you are responsible for cleaning it up.

According to the City of Federal Way's webpage, "enforcement action can be taken if graffiti is not removed in a timely manner."

And according to one source I contacted, "a timely manner" consists of three days.

Color this a rant. The city council tried to help.

Their GRIP plan (Graffiti Removal Incentive Program) was created to give graffiti victims free paint removal kits (vouchers for $25.00) but the program was abandoned, apparently due to the low number of voucher requests.

It is understood that paint taggers are not a huge priority in the City's big picture, but penalizing property owners is like calling your fence, sign or building wall an attractive nuisance.

I suggest perhaps the SCRUB program (Supply Creeps Real Useful Brushes) to help mitigate this problem.

Lastly, the concern about the crush of traffic that the new Christian Faith Center would bring, at this point, seems mostly for naught.

Hoops that church leaders had to jump through included the cost of installing a new traffic light at 20th Ave. South and in hiring a traffic cop on Sundays.

With the initial Grand Opening and First Service on September 2 , there were no reports of major fallout, car crashes or roving mobs.

This could qualify as a rave, but with fifty acres, (reportedly the largest church campus in the state) and a twelve million dollar K-12 private school slated for construction next year, this one-man jury is still out.