In February, the Lake Washington School District’s (LWSD) Proposition 3 fell just short of the 60 percent “yes” votes needed to approve the $755 million bond to address our urgent growth crisis. In the April 22 special election, the district’s Proposition 1 asks voters to approve an updated bond measure of $404 million. Proposition 1 funds our most urgent needs for seven new schools. The remaining $351 million originally proposed in February for the Strategic Modernization Plan will be proposed to voters in future years. The district’s website, www.lwsd.org, details more information under “April 22 Bond Measure.”
I drove to work on Tuesday morning, but I don’t recall many details of what transpired on the way there.
Washington’s many technology employers are hungry for qualified workers, from software engineers at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond to the folks who install and maintain the systems that keep buildings running in downtown Spokane to nuclear physicists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland to agricultural workers in Yakima Valley.
The King County Metro funding gap and proposed service cuts are of great concern to the entire region and especially to the students, faculty and staff of area colleges. As the presidents of community and technical colleges, we have followed the transportation funding issues with growing concern. We fear the proposed service cuts to King County Metro Transit will have negative effects on our society and economy.
Jay Inslee endorsed the death penalty for his entire political career.
But once the Democrat became governor and got his finger on the switch, he realized he couldn’t push it.
It has been hard to miss all the attention being given to the legalization of marijuana for adults — even in Super Bowl coverage! Many adults are understandably concerned about the increased availability of pot and its effect on our kids.
Did you know that Overlake Village Park, now in the design and public comment phase, is only the first of three parks to be developed in the Overlake neighborhood during the next 20 years?
When I was in journalism school at the University of Washington, I applied for a part-time sports clerk position at the Seattle Times. The main duties of the job consisted of taking calls from high school coaches after games to collect box scores. This was for all sports, so in the fall and early winter, that meant football.
This past year has been nothing short of exhilarating! Being in the Seattle area and feeling the excitement and anticipation build around this Seahawks team and organization, starting with a devastating loss in the final moments of the 2012-13 playoffs against Atlanta. It’s as if the entire Seahawks faithful took that loss to heart and immediately started preparing to come back, better than ever, louder than ever.
I remember waiting for the dreaded phone call from my schoolmate, Tony.
I remember playing football in the street in front of my house with my best friend when I was young.
The role of Romeo was not for me.
In seventh grade, my drama teacher wanted us to tackle some Shakespeare and she selected me to play the lead role in “Romeo and Juliet,” but there was no way I was ready to be in the spotlight.
After every experience, good or bad, there are lessons to be learned. I am proud of Washington’s new two-year budget that added $1 billion to K-12 education did not raise tuition at our state’s colleges and required no new general taxes. However, it was adopted more than two months late and just two days before the previous budget expired, which had some worried about a government shutdown.
As 2013 comes to a close, we tend to look retrospectively on the past year and take account of our accomplishments and tasks that are left undone. Whatever these may be, we should look ahead with optimism for a great year planned ahead of us. Every year, many people around the world create New Year’s resolutions to help create a better year.
You can find inspiration wherever you go. Prick up your ears, open your eyes — it’s there.
Whether it’s visiting with a friend, meeting someone new at a party or reading a story here in the Reporter, life lessons abound and hopefully we can all grasp a few of those as we go about our days.
During the holidays, our thoughts naturally turn to giving — not just giving gifts but donating our time and money to charities and community programs.
Thinking about teenagers and parties is enough to make any parent at least a little nervous. Whether your teen is hosting a party or attending a party, there are steps that you can take to ensure a safe and fun experience for all.
The holiday season certainly kicked into high gear in several ways last week.
When December hits, the weather turns cold on us, the shopping “mauls” get crowded — and someone in Redmond brought the city regional and national attention by posting “It’s OK to say, Merry Christmas” signs around town for the second year in a row.
Many people are surprised when I tell them that we have a Truancy Dropout Prevention Unit in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “Shouldn’t you be going after the serious criminals instead of kids who skip school?” they ask. The truth is that when it comes to protecting public safety, there is no better strategy than making sure that every child succeeds in school.
Merriam-Webster defines appreciation as, “To understand the worth or importance of something or someone; to admire and value, or be grateful for.”