The approval of Referendum 74 last Tuesday was more than simply an affirmation of marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. It was a transformative event for those of us who grew up knowing that when we found our soul mate, many people would not only disparage our love and commitment, but would see to it that our relationship never gained equal protection or recognition under the law.
I hope you’ll take a minute to read Ian Campbell’s letter to the editor today about how significant it was to him to cast his ballot in the general election.
In a perfect world we would all share the commitment he shows to the democratic process. Thanks, Ian, for reminding us why we vote and why every vote counts.
The Renton Reporter has always supported the planning goal that cities should provide urban-level services and counties should provide the less-intense rural services and regional ones.
That belief hasn’t wavered as we’ve watched the failed attempts to annex and incorporate a city of Fairwood. And it’s what supports our continuing belief that West Hill should annex to the city of Renton.
Whoever replaces Margarita Prentice as state senator in the 11th District will have big shoes to fill.
She embodied the spirit of a true representative of the people, someone with passion and compassion, someone with a deep understanding of her communities and someone who stood her ground.
Even a second grader can tell you the word “veteran” comes before the word “voting” in the dictionary. But they probably don’t realize the significance of that order other than it is grammatically correct.
We are exercising our right to vote with the arrival of our ballot in the mail. Hard to believe it took almost 200 years (1775 – 1971) for everyone over the age of 18 to be allowed to vote, a necessary and key component in maintaining our freedom and democracy over all these years.
The Renton Reporter strongly endorses state Rep. Marcie Maxwell of Renton for a third term representing the 41st District.
In her first two terms in the state House of Representatives, Maxwell has proven herself a valuable and influential leader and thinker on issues important to Renton – education, small business and the aerospace industry.
The will of the people is a powerful concept, used by politicians and other elected officials to give legitimacy to their agendas.
Because of that, there’s a high standard to invoke that will. We don’t think that a poll of 500 registered voters in Public Hospital District 1, the owner of the Valley Medical Center, meets that standard.
The Crisis Solution Center and its therapeutic program is such an important alternative to jail or an emergency room.
It seems the Cedar River library has a lot of friends in its boat, including the Renton City Council.
Reading is one of those fundamentals that touches every aspect of our lives.
Frankly, our lives would be a mess if we couldn’t read everything from a textbook to a traffic sign to a legal document.
And it’s through reading that kids and adults learn about the world beyond their homes and enjoy the stories created by all manner of authors.
One of the Small Business Administration’s top priorities is to provide access and opportunity to small business owners in traditionally underserved communities. Nationwide, SBA has supported $13.5 billion in lending to underserved small businesses since 2009. And, SBA has supported $100.3 billion in federal government contracting dollars to small disadvantaged firms since 2009.
Renton FilmFrenzy 5 is just weeks away, when filmmakers find just the right spot in the city to tell their stories.
In telling those stories, filmmakers are also bringing what makes Renton special to a much broader audience.
Southbound Interstate 405 near Sunset Boulevard Northeast was blocked for about three hours Friday morning after a tractor-trailer involved in an accident lost about 15 gallons of fuel, according to the Washington State Patrol.
We don’t always get a second chance in life. This is especially true when it comes to raising our children. Often parents look back and wish they had done things differently.
Take me, for instance. I was what I would call a “caretaker” mom. You know the kind – the Type A personality caught up in the daily routine making sure everything was running smoothly, rather than overlooking disorder in order to have some fun.
Barbara Mitchell had a long title at Valley Medical Center: senior vice president for Human Resources and Marketing.
But it was really the short words that spoke to her as a person and colleague: Mom, grandma, friend, fair, gracious, tenacious.
The final results are in and no doubt about it Renton wants to keep its beloved downtown library right where it is, over the Cedar River.
The final vote tally is 76 percent, or 12,231 votes, to 23 percent, or 3,781 votes, for a new library just west of the Piazza.
For many years we have said that enforcing existing state and federal pollution laws is one of the most effective actions we can take to recover salmon in western Washington and protect tribal treaty rights. It sounds like maybe we are finally being heard.
Some activists believe there is no such thing as a good dam, that we should destroy all dams to restore fish runs, no questions asked.
A more balanced approach would be identifying dams we can live with, and dams we can live without.
Each year, 250,000 service members make the transition from military service to civilian life.
Veterans over-index in entrepreneurship. In fact, nine percent of all U.S. firms are owned by veterans. More than 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses employ more than 5.8 million individuals. About one quarter of veterans say they are interested in starting or buying their own business. So, we know that providing greater access and opportunity to these veteran-owned small businesses will help them grow and create jobs.
Finally, Renton has spoken loudly and clearly about its library.
While there are still votes to count, the public’s will is to preserve the beloved library over the Cedar River. The lead after the initial results were released Tuesday night is insurmountable.