You can tell by the letters to the editor that a number of Black Diamond residents aren’t happy about the forthcoming land development that just passed through their City Council. With more than 6000 new houses planned, the current residents are about to suddenly become a minority.
It’s been five years since the Covington-Maple Valley Reporter published its first edition, Sept. 7, 2005 and by some miracle I am still here.
Change is the only thing we can count on and much has changed here over the years. It seems I, somehow, remain the only constant and that never ceases to amaze me.
Wow, nearly 10 years in Enumclaw!
When I arrived in Enumclaw on a cold, rainy Jan. 1, 2001, I expected my stay to be five years; before I knew it five was seven and now seven is nearly 10.
For the past few weeks of the summer I have been informing you, the great people of Maple Valley, about the great things that locals in our community have done or are doing currently. However, unless you recognize my name, you have zero idea who I am.
Have we learned anything from British Petroleum’s debacle in the Gulf?
Frankly, I think we’ve learned just how much we don’t know.
And because of that, we should cease drilling in U.S. waters until there’s better science to be had.
I am really loving this top two election style, even though voters didn’t seem as willing to oust the incumbents during this primary. Fifteen candidates on the ballot for senator? It won’t take long until the ballot is as long as the voter’s guide, with over 50 or even 100 candidates for the best offices. I might even try to scrape up the money to run next time (Ryan Ryals, Prefers All Night Party).
Walking toward the Tacoma Dome Saturday evening for one of Lady Gaga’s shows on The Monster Ball Tour, her tour bus stands out in a sea of fans.
Finding a job is the best substitute for an unemployment check, but as more and more Americans exhaust their jobless benefits, employment opportunities remain sparse.
In July, the state unemployment rate was 8.6 percent, down from 9.5 percent a year ago; however, in parts of Washington it is in double digits. The Portland-Vancouver metro area reports 13.3 percent unemployment, about the same as last year.
If there’s an anti-incumbent, electoral revolt going on in the United States this year, voters in the Evergreen State evidently aren’t interested in playing a part in it.
If you’ve been reading the papers lately, you’ve probably noticed political mini-scandals popping up with regularity this month. Wife beater? Time to resign! Juvenile conviction? How can such a person effectively represent us! Can’t be bothered to vote in primaries? Clearly, this candidate doesn’t care about democracy.
Walking along a busy street in Seattle’s University District, a young passerby asked if I hunt ducks from my tractor.
The out-of-the-blue question was wholly appropriate, considering it was Apple Cup Saturday and – like anyone of good character and in possession of more than a thimbleful of common sense – I was letting the world know My Color Is Crimson. The Washington State University hat and Cougar sweatshirt were an automatic target for what was, I thought, a relatively clever one-liner.
As Aug. 17 draws closer, election officials have ramped up efforts to remind us that it’s once again time to be mindful of our civic duty to vote.
In a way, however, they’re almost doing us a disservice by advertising this election as a primary, because we don’t have a true primary. What we really have is a two-part general election, with Tuesday, Aug. 17 being the first stage.
To the driver of the brick red, convertible Seabring Touring driving west on state Route 169 around 1:30 p.m. two Mondays ago – I was in the car directly behind you from Southeast Wax Road to Cedar Grove. It might have been longer, but I really had no reason to notice you until we stopped at the intersection in front of O’Reilly’s. You got out of your car, in the middle of traffic, to rummage through your trunk.
I don’t get out to the Maple Valley Farmers Market as often as I should. Apparently, I missed the Lyndon LaRouche supporters (yes, he is still alive) displaying posters of President Obama sporting a Hitler mustache.
It’s fairly well documented that I don’t think particularly highly of the Tea Party Movement.
I believe the exact phrase I used was “Generally speaking, the Tea Partiers are a bunch of angry, ill-informed loudmouths whose inconsistency on their own positions and total ignorance of government, history and the Constitution makes them impossible to take seriously.”
Jules: “Do you know what I heard on NPR today?”
Travis: “NPR? I didn’t think you listened to that anymore.”
Jules: “I don’t. But I was channel surfing, and I heard this. You’re not going to believe it.”
Travis: “The BP oil cap broke again.”
Jules: “Nope.”
Arizona’s new illegal immigrant policies took effect last week, which put the issue of illegal immigration back on the hot topics for talk radio and in the newspapers. I’ve been getting more of those Angry White Guy e-mails comparing Mexican immigrants to burglars who break into his “house” and demand free social services while accusing the angry white guy of being a racist.
In December 2002, the Covington Water District invested in the development of additional water supply when it entered into a partnership agreement with the cities of Tacoma and Kent and Lakehaven Utility District. Covington’s investment in Tacoma’s Second Supply Project or SSP was imperative if the district was to lift the water moratorium imposed because growth was exceeding the capacity of the district’s own groundwater supply sources.
Every election, I am asked about endorsements by the newspaper of candidates – I’m asked by the candidates themselves, their staff and readers of The Courier-Herald and The Reporter. Last week was no exception as we continued to meet with candidates running for the various seats in our legislative districts and seats in Washington D.C., nearly all wanting the endorsement of this newspaper.
The hospital wars in Covington are still ongoing, but this war feels more like an elaborate courting ritual, and unfortunately not the cutesy teenagers-in-love type of courtship. It’s more like a couple of strippers who are dressing up nicely to cozy up to Old Man Covington’s millions.
