Every year brings stories that stand out from the rest – sometimes due to the potential impact on a community, frequently because of the can’t-believe-it’s-true narrative and on occasion, unfortunately, due to a troubling turn of events.
With 2016 all but in the books, it’s time to look at the Reporter stories that caught readers’ attention during the past 12 months.
BLACK DIAMOND GOVERNMENT
If Hollywood script writers attempted to create a reality show based on municipal dysfunction, this might be the result. Competing factions have butted heads all year, leading to headlines questioning the City Council’s ability to issue a simple parade permit to near-scuffles among grown-up, elected leaders. Few communities have had to deal with an attorney standing in open, public session and detailing legal action against members of the City Council.
As the year entered its final couple of weeks, the city had not passed a budget for the coming 12 months. That spurred talks of a potential citywide shutdown and the possibility of the small-town government being in violation of state law. An emergency budget ordinance was finally passed Dec. 27.
As always, opposing factions are at odds over growth and everything it brings. Tensions hit a new high (low?) in December when the mayor and mayor pro-tem physically wrestled for the gavel while uniformed police settled an angry crowd of onlookers.
The saga continues…
TAHOMA SCHOOL BOUNDARIES
At the very beginning of 2016, the Tahoma School district had a big job to do. It had to reconfigure the school boundaries with the additions and changes of schools. The school district decided to start a Boundary Review Committee which consisted of school staff members and parents.
For half the year the committee met a few times a month to discuss boundaries. The school district gave the members guidelines they had to follow and after months and months of planning and discussion, they finally decided on a plan.
Parents were allowed to observe when the committee met, but were not allowed to participate. Parents had many questions and concerns for months, and were finally able to voice them at the last few meetings.
The Boundary Review Committee thought they had made a decision but once they heard the questions and concerns from the parents, they reviewed their plans once again and finally decided on the Bryson plan. The plan was approved on July 12 by the Tahoma School District board and will take effect in the 2017-2018 year.
SCHOOL AND PARK BONDS DISAPPOINT
The year 2016 was full of hopeful bonds that did not pass or took a few attempts to pass. The city of Maple Valley put a park bond on the April ballot, which did not pass.
In November, the parks and recreation department presented an updated bond which will be on the Feb. 14 ballot. They took feedback from the community and changed a few things around, most notably, the price of the bond and how much it would affect the community pocketbooks. The bond failed by 64 percent the first time.
The Kent School District was hopeful that their bond would pass because it would affect the school district in a positive way. They would be bringing in $252 million for capital improvements and school improvements that were desperately needed. They needed a 60 percent approval, but unfortunately fell 2 percent short and only got a 58 percent approval.
The school bond was voted on again in November and this time, it passed with a 65 percent approval. The Maple Valley Parks and Recreation department is hopeful their bond will pass this second time, like Kent’s bond did.
MAPLE VALLEY CITY MANAGER RESIGNS
At the May 23 City Council meeting, David Johnston, the Maple Valley city manager, resigned. Mayor Sean P. Kelly made the announcement. With Johnston’s the council needed to find a replacement for him. Laura Philpot was made the interim city manager while the council considered who to hire. The council had a few choices – to hire within or to search outside of the city as they had done with Johnston. After a few months, the council decided Philpot was the answer and she was named the permanent city manager.
The council chose her because of the history she has with the city and the dedication and work ethic she has.
UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR
FROM COACHES
Two troubling stories came out of 2016 where coaches allegedly took advantage of their role as a coach and mentor and acted inappropriately toward their students.
In March, the Kentwood assistant cheerleading coach was charged with immoral communications with minors. Benjamin David Canty, 29, was charged with two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes by the King County Prosecutor’s Office. He was alleged to have sent nude photos of himself through Snapchat to a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old boy.
In August, a martial arts instructor was charged with child rape. Robert James Morrison, 42, who operated Lee’s Martial Arts studios in Renton and Maple Valley was charged with one count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and three counts of rape of a child in the third degree. He allegedly had sent photos of himself to a number of his students and one victim described many occasions of inappropriate intimate contact.
UNEXPECTED ELECTION RESULTS
The last few months of 2016 have been uneasy ones for a majority of the country. When Republican Donald J. Trump was voted in as the next president, some in the nation were in shock.
Whether people voted for him or not, everyone was surprised he beat Hillary Clinton.
The Kent School District’s bond passing made Trump’s victory a little easier for some. The bond had been on a previous ballot but didn’t quite get the 60 percent approval rating needed. The next year will feature school construction and a new president.
LONG-TIME RUNNING GOLF COURSE CLOSES
After 27 years of being open to the public, the Jade Green Golf Course between Auburn and Black Diamond, had to close. James Hawk, the owner, had announced in September that the golf course was going to close on Nov. 27
The golf course was getting financially difficult to keep open. The reason being that the Department of Ecology determined in 2015 that Hawk needed to obtain a water right in order to keep watering the course.
As of when the golf course closed, there weren’t any plans to sell the land.
NEW ATHLETIC LEAGUES
When the fall prep athletic leagues kicked off this year the athletes were competing in a new leagues and classification. After months of work the North Puget Sound
League was reformed, which was dissolved in 1990 when the reclassification process that year forced the schools to switch to new leagues – Seamount, SPSL (South Puget Sound League).
This Tahoma, Kentlake and Kentwood are competing in the NPSL 4A, Cascade Conference. Along with Kent Meridan and Kentridge are Mount Rainier, Kennedy Catholic and Hazen.
According to Chris Gibson, athletic director at White River High School, which is in the SPSL 2A, the major cause of all the upheaval was the decision by so many schools to opt-up and play at a larger classification than their actual enrollment calls for. The WIAA allows schools to move up, but not move down a classification. More than 22 high schools have opted up to 4A, 13 to 3A, one to 2A, eight to 1A and four to 2B. When a school decides to opt up a classification it cannot pick and choose – it must make the leap for all athletics and activities.
COVINGTON CITY COUNCIL CHANGES
Covington lost a council member after 11 years of service in May. Jim Scott decided to retire from his position, which he took in 2006 after serving on the city Planning Commission from 2002-2005 as a member and a chair. Through his years he helped the city get Costco in the city and worked on the round-abouts.
Another big change to the council was the mayor. Jeff Wagner was unanimously selected as mayor of Covington at the Jan. 12 city council meeting.
The previous mayor, Margaret Harto, had announced her retirement last December after serving as mayor for 10 years.
Wagner isn’t a stranger to the City Council or serving as interim mayor, he has been in on the council since 2004 and has lived in the city since 1988.
FIRST FULL SERVICE HOSPITAL IN
COVINGTON
About 40 percent of those living in south King County leave the area to receive medical attention. More than 83,000 residents will be added to the area in the next 12 years, which will mean medical more medical needs.
It was time another city in south King County had a full service hospital. Covington will have a MultiCare hospital open in 2017.
The hospital will include 58 private inpatient rooms including Mary Bridge pediatrics, a birthing center, three surgical suites, an interfaith chapel and family centered care.
