April is Volunteer Month and I want to take this opportunity to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism that defines our community. Volunteers continue to make a big difference; last year more than 4,000 volunteers contributed more than 60,000 hours of service to the Renton community. Their contribution and their personal commitment to serve make our community unique and special. Some of our volunteers have served for more than 35 years.
The furor over the national National Health Care Reform Act has got to stop. Next-to-nothing has been implemented yet and parts of the bill are being challenged by attorney generals from a number of states. Yet, things are getting out of hand.
The FBI on Tuesday arrested a Selah (Yakima County) man for threatening to kill Sen. Patty Murray, who voted for the health-care bill.
The state’s Constitution has this to say about public education:
1. “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.” (Article IX, Section 1)
I think Renton. I think airplanes
I think Kent. I think lettuce.
I think FAA. I think sky.
Airplanes, sky. Lettuce, floodplains.
It seems to me that Renton is a pretty darn good fit for the Federal Aviation Administration. It has been for 20 years.
Three hundred and two people were recorded as living in King County in 1860. That’s hard to believe when you drive around the county today.
Someone might argue that our “Question of the Week” this week was a trick question:
“Is it right that a city can’t prevent a strip club from locating in a city?” (You really have to think about the phrasing, too.)
Earlier this year, news that Wall Street banks had posted record profits and were quickly returning to a “bonus-as-usual” mentality…
Welcome to Renton, King County Library System.
To those who wanted to pull the welcome mat, it’s time to move on. The results of the Feb. 9 election, while close, still reflect the will of the people. The decision to give up a nearly 100-year-old library system should have been agonizing.
Bill Ptacek, the director of the King County Library System, is sending signals that he understands the deep sense of…
We in Washington have a public school funding CRISIS right now!!
Many people are not familiar with how public school funding works in Washington. Many think property tax pays for the majority of the public education bill. That’s not accurate.
Complex social problems, such as violence and homelessness, continue to challenge us. Our Valley communities are being threatened with the…
As I write this, it’s still unclear whether the City of Renton will annex to the King County Library System. The results after two days of counting remain close, although initially those opposed to annexation felt disheartened.
I love the word potpourri. Because if I am using it, then it means that I get to write about a whole bunch of stuff.
This whole bunch of stuff has a common theme. That theme is really a question. How can we take control of our own fate when the fates seem to conspire against us?
It will be a sad day if Renton loses its local library. But it will be a sadder day if…
As an editor, I learn a lot from readers who react in unexpected ways to how we present the news,…
2009 was a year of extremes for Renton. Remember the bitter cold of last winter and the extreme record-breaking heat…
