What do weeds in Lake Wilderness and the search for a new Kent School District superintendent have in common? Answer: Average Joes and Josephines can have a big say in how both are handled.

On those respective issues, the city of Maple Valley and the school district are inviting their constituencies to take an active role. For people who want to be at ground level in their local decisionmaking processes, these are golden opportunities.

Maple Valley is recruiting volunteers to serve on the 2009-10 Lake Wilderness Citizen Advisory Committee. The five-member (with one alternate) panel includes three residents or property owners from within the city who are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The other members are a City Hall representative and an official from the King County parks system. Together, they monitor government efforts to rid the lake of unwanted vegetation. Their input and reports on the aquatic plant management go to the council, top city administrators and the Lake Wilderness Preservation Association. The deadline for applying to join the committee and have an important say in the health of beautiful Lake Wilderness is Oct. 3, less than a week away.

Also coming up next week is an opportunity in Covington for citizens to put in their two cent’s worth on the kind of person they’d like to be the next Kent School District superintendent. At 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at Jenkins Creek Elementary School, Ray and Associates, a national recruitment firm that specializes in school executives, will listen to what district patrons’ thoughts on the characteristics that are mandatory or preferred for the person who utlimately is chosen to replace Barbara Grohe, who will retire in mid-2009 when the current school year ends.

The district and its hired recruiter rightly want the public’s input. And the public should give them what they want.

Editor Pat Jenkins