Neary-Sighted

There was a nicely nuanced article in The News Tribune over the weekend about CP schools and the city.

There are some interesting reflections, including some deeply disturbing ones, shared by readers of that original story.

Here's an example:
Recently I moved our family to Yelm. We lived on McChord and next year we faced having to send my daughter to Woodbrook Middle School. There was no way in hell I wanted my daughter to be forced down that rabbit hole of mediocrity. This past year my daughter participated in her elementary school's science fair and I couldn't believe what I saw. Science projects full of mistakes and spelling errors were celebrated by teachers as achievement. That experience sealed the deal for me. We decided to buy a home, move off base, and into a school district with a track record of decent test scores and real achievement. We hated to leave the McChord community but we had to escape what I and many others consider to be one of the worst school districts in the state.
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I'm a big fan of a new Internet service called FriendFeed that allows people to collect their favorite articles on the Internet, and talk about them. For an experiment, I created a version that tries to collect Lakewood news from the TNT and The Sub Times. http://friendfeed.com/rooms/lakewoodwashington Let me know what you think. I'm not sure it is that useful if it only has two 'feeds' coming into it.

This brings up another question, and maybe you can help me share an answer with our audience. I often check the Internet and Seattle media sites for news about our Lakewood. But, of course, there are 80 million Lakewoods in the United States (my estimate). And if you include 'Washington' as a search term, of course that helps but then you tend to get news about Washington D.C. How do you all search the Net for our Lakewood?
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Last night, a couple of us told the United Way, which was asking for money, that it should get in line with other community groups in applying for funding. Lakewood has a rigorous and competitive process that relies on screening by a volunteer committee that reviews an enormous amount of data. The United Way was apparently pretty unhappy about this outcome, as evidenced by the sour grapes story they told a writer at The News Tribune. You'll find my comment at the end of the posting.

Sooo ..United Way doesn't want to compete head-on with other groups, and then its director turns around and insults the City Council. Hmmm .. maybe the United Way needs to apply for funding to a publishing house to write a book about how NOT to raise money.

This approach is trying to storm over other groups and then insult the referee is pretty pathetic, and in failing to apply side-by-side on comparison with other groups, also rather chicken. It's a shame when you consider that a group that is willing to play by the rules could get funding to help needy kids.
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There's a wide-ranging editorial in today's News Tribune about the whole blogging incident. Also some comments by TNT readers. If you add those comments in with those for the original story, you see a lot of support for council members who blog. That's not surprising, I guess .. people who blog now would naturally favor openness.

And here's another perspective, for those of you who have not been entirely scared away by what has happened to me (and I'm kidding .. this was a great 'live and learn' experience and quite frankly, it has done more to spread word of my lil' blog and Lakewood news than anything else before): how you, a citizen, can and should blog live.
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It's been interesting to see how the whole blogging fuss has reverberated, first as news stories, and now as items that are showing up on a couple of blogs. Here are a few takes on the subject. In the first case, out of Olympia, I knew the writer when I was business and tech editor at The Olympian.

Lakewood is Lucky to Have Neary

Complaint Stops Live Blogging

And here's an interesting one that woke me up because the gent accidentally promoted me to Congressman (at least in a early version of the posting) ... but he does ask a real good question: can someone do two things at once, and do them well?
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Like I said below, I spent a lot of SummerFest yakking with folks, but I did get a couple photos of our favorite Lakewood Historical Society volunter in our booth. I also got a photo of her after her shift, which you see to your right.

This little scene began when a young lady came by, looked at a photo of the Old Park Lodge School, and said, "Oh, I went to Park Lodge." So I told her that she needed to say hi to Elizabeth Poinsett, who was nearby using her walker. Also on the board was a photo of Elizabeth when she was attending Park Lodge in 1914. At 97, I believe she is our oldest active volunteer. The young lady wandered off after a brief chat - I believe this is her mom talking to Elizabeth here - but Elizabeth sure enjoyed connecting with another Park Lodge graduate! Elizabeth's mother was one of the founders of the Clover Park School District, and Elizabeth was a teacher, so she still has a soft spot for schools.
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I busted up laughing when I saw this comment, posted on The Oregonian's web site, in reaction to the wire story below:

"Lakewood isn't quite ready for one of them there blog doohickies thing a mijigs."
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A brief account of our little blogging fuss has made the national wires, and it looks like yours truly is featured in some Sunday papers (or at least Sunday web sites)

If you are familiar with what actually happened, then it's interesting to read this shortened version. I'm a bit worried about what other elected officials and future elected officials who might glance at the story will 'take home' from this brief item. This whole thing started with the complaints of just two citizens who at least on the surface simply seemed unfamiliar with how many people use computers these days (AND who, I hasten to add, were also correct in some of their criticism).

It would be a shame if those few comments led to a chain of events that somehow discourages elected officials, in even the slightest way, from using the Internet to communicate with other citizens.

It's incredibly important for elected officials to share, and especially exchange, information with our constituents.

Of course, the story first came out Saturday morning in the local daily. It sure felt odd to have my face on the front page of the paper on the morning of SummerFest, Lakewood's annual community festival. But the situation turned out incredibly well. I set up, tore down and helped staff the local history booth. We had lots of fun conversations about local history. But sometimes it seemed all folks wanted to do was tease me about my picture in the paper, and then personally thank me for trying to communicate with them and others.

It was pretty neat to get so many supportive comments, standing there in the glorious weather and in my favorite park. The Internet is great, but it's nothing like having a husband and wife looking you in the eye and intently telling you how much they appreciate your work.

Moodwise, I was sailing by the end of the day. And that helped if you saw how far we had to haul our stuff at the end of the day during tear-down!

When there were not folks talking about history in the booth, people like me who live, eat and breathe Lakewood politics talked quietly about the political subcontext of the whole story. We talked about why a couple people really criticized my use of a computer. You know darn well that people in Lakewood are not any more surprised by seeing someone pull out a laptop computer than folks in other cities. But such political conversations were few and far between.

Most SummerFest visitors live more normal lives - I envy them! - and don't eat, sleep and breathe the local politics or have a lot of time to focus on this whole little saga. For most of my neighbors, I repeated over and over what I said in the newspaper: blogging is a good idea, but I also learn from my mistakes! I sure would have done some things differently if I knew then what I know now.
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Interesting comments on The News Tribune web site about the blogging furor: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/394309.html
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The whole question of lake access in Lakewood has been pretty dormant as various folks have been doing lots of studying and lots of thinking about how to address the complexities of numerous pieces of land. Another meeting on the topic will be held this Tuesday in City Hall at 5:30 p.m.

The parks board is currently considering several options for what to do about the public street land that dead-ends into lakes. I thought the minutes from their past meeting actually summarized things really well and set us up for what will surely be one of the Lakewood's more important - but also extremely bitter and devisive - decisions.

Gosh, if you think folks have gotten bitter arguing about a ban on minicasinos or scantily-clad baristas ... or got real wound up that I sometimes used a computer during council meetings .. well, the town will go ballistic when we discuss our street ends and whether there should be greater access to the lakes.

But hey, government is supposed to listen to everyone and then make tough decisions. And pretending there is no question at all just won't work anymore. I remain proud of our council that we were willing to tackle a subject that others have not wanted to touch.

If you are interested in lake access issues, definitely download and read those minutes. And for more context, you can find my previous posting about the lake issue here.
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Various volunteers who advise the Lakewood City Council about land use, parks and landmarks climbed the hill at Fort Steilacoom this week to see what's left after demolition of the Hill Ward building. The volunteers are part of a group advising the city about how to care for Fort Steilacoom Park. The group is known popularly as the "Tri-Board," representatives each from three different city advisory committees: the land use, parks and landmarks committees.

This week, they met to talk about, among other things, how improvements are going at the Hill Ward site. The group also talked about signs that would interpret the history of the park; more on that in a minute.

If you are physically able, I suggest you make the walk. Go see what the place looks like now that the derelict building is gone. It's amazing how the feel of the place has changed.

The only camera I had was in my cell phone. As I got it ready to take shots this week, I realized I had totally forgotten that I had a photo of the old building stored in the phone. I must have shot this old photo last winter right after I got the phone.

The building was, of course, an amazingly picturesque death trap, and had to come down. You can dive a bit deeper into the subject through my old blog posting on the topic.The resulting mound of dirt follows the shape of the old building, while still leaving behind the various first-floor stairways allowing for a bit of climbing (and a bit of area for people to still paint graffiti late at night. Frankly, the building has been a graffitti showcase for much longer than it was ever a functioning hospital building)

Sadly, my cell phone camera was not up to the task of capturing the good weather and sharp scenery last week, but here are some shots of the view and the committee:




And yes indeed, the gent on the left in that last photo is Steve Dunkelberger, who co-authored the Lakewood history book. Steve is a volunteer with the city's Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board.

The plan is to rim the outline of the mound - the outline of the building - with a large wood trim perimeter that would allow seating. There will be a labyrinth in one part of the field. It should be a lovely place for meditation and reflection. And old remnants of the building that did not crumble will be etched with brief information about the history of the hill, for benefit of our and future generations. Of course, the area that you see as dirt in these photos will be seeded with grass, so it becomes a gentle grassy mound seeming to rise from the old foundation.

The former Hill Ward building is going to become quite a nice destination, just as the Legislature envisioned when it approved most of the funding for the project. Part of the plans include improving the walkway up the hill, and putting some benches along the way, so hopefully some of the frailer folks who can't get to the hill now can make at least part, if not all, of the climb. (If you are involved in cross country, don't worry, half the trail is going to stay gravel)

On the whole, it's a great project. The Hill Ward site will become a destination, guaranteed.

That said, the committee looking out over Fort Steilacoom Park still has its work cut out for it. For two years, the city has been planning to put interpretive signs in the park about the amazing history of the land. That history includes the Native Americans who lived here, the English farmer who practically starved to death out here in the 1840s, Chief Leschi, George Pickett and other early soldiers .. and that does not even include the history of the hospital and of mental health care.

The committee heard an idea from our parks department to put all these signs around Lake Waughop. I'm thrilled to hear the signs may finally go up ... our children deserve to know the area's history .. but much less thrilled about the signs being confined to the lake trail. Plus, the lake trail is more of a natural setting than I would personally imagine interpretive signage.

So I think we chalk down the lake trail idea as a good idea that others can react to and either amend or supplement. The city's landmarks board, which was scheduled to meet the next day on regular business, voted the next day to recommend at least some interpretive signs go into more widely traveled and hopefully less vandalizable (is that a word?) parts of the park. Stay tuned. We will get our young people educated about the heritage of that land and of Lakewood, one way or another.
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Monday night, the Lakewood City Council will consider a contract with a company that would help plan development in American Lake Gardens. That we are being methodical about filling out this area is no surprise; the council decided in our retreat we want to do current projects well and not swing out in new directions.

What's intriguing is a staff report that says the $90,000 cost of the contract with Huitt-Zollars might be shared with the Port of Tacoma. It's exciting to know the Port of Tacoma, a major employer and potent international business force, is interested in American Lake Gardens. But that interest is also just common sense. Think how rare it is to find large acreage of industrially-zoned land right next to Interstate 5. The potential is obvious. Here's hoping any partnership will lead to a better American Lake Gardens, and a lot more jobs for our young folk and everyone else in the city.

The contract sounds to me at first blush like a good idea. We don't want the area to become just a bunch of empty warehouses with very few jobs; so master industrial planning will be important. We don't want the area to develop piecemeal although the forces in Lakewood that always shout "Hey, let's do things the cheapest, shlockiest way" may surface to oppose this contract. And there may be good reasons to be critical of it; more information is needed.

Among the topics that would be covered in the study and planning:

- Study of the relationship and potential conflicts, if any, with McChord Air Force Base

- The character of industrial land supply and demand right now with an eye for who might want to locate here.

- Identifying the cost-benefits of investing in various infrastructure for the area

- A plan for what happens if people who live in the area now are displaced when propertown owners sell land

- Transportation issues (can you say 'cross-base highway?' among other such issues)

- And studies of what the best zoning and businesses might be for the property.

It's a mouthful of issues.

I look forward to learning more at the Monday. And for those of you who have been following our little blogging tempest in a teapot, don't panic, I will report back to you after the meeting :)
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Lakewood's parks and recreation department often surprises us with creativity, and this new event promises to be quite interesting. From the city web site:

"The City of Lakewood is hosting a fun-filled, educational and entertaining camping experience for the entire family at this special community event on June 28-29. The Campout begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, and will conclude at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 29.

"The Great American Campout is being held in communities across the country and provides a great low-cost family outing that doesn’t require a lot of driving. Campsites will be designated on the soccer fields and amenities such as the restrooms will be open for use. A hot dog dinner and pancake breakfast will be provided and classes and workshops on a variety of outdoor skills will be taught by experts. If you don’t have basic camping equipment (tents, etc.) the city may be able to loan the equipment for the event.

"Sign-up early especially if you have equipment needs. The cost is only $10 for a campsite adequate for six people. Register your family for the event by June 18th at Lakewood City Hall or contact Dennis Higashiyama at 253-589-2489 for further information."

Registration and other info is on the city web site.
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Frankly, the back and forth over my blog post about the budget is probably a lot more interesting than the original post. These can also be found on the comments page below my post ... be sure to look for comments as they are often quite interesting and useful.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that the city now is facing a budget deficit for 2008. In the budget workshops last year Council members Ron Cronk, Pad Finnigan and John Arbeeny asked that the city plan for a 3% budget cut in 2008 given the declining housing market and looming recession. You Mr. Neary, along with council members Thomas, McGovern and Richardson shot the idea down. According to Mr. Richardson we didn't need to even consider a cut because there was enough in the reserves to cover and short fall. SUPRISE! You were wrong. The reason you are in this financial fix and need a "fix" of gambling revenue is because this council has not learned how to prioritize a budget or conduct long range financial planning. So please don't blame the public for their insatiable desire for services: that too is a myth. The fault is yours collectively as a council. Government will grow or shrink to the extent that tax revenue will allow.


12:06 PM
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Blogger Walter said...

Anon Ymous, thanks for writing, but I am afraid I can't hold up Lakewood CARES as a model. Those guys have been claiming for years there is budget fat that they have been unable to identify or which is not fat but the activities of sound governance.

It sounds good in the papers to claim something that can't be seen - who can argue with the promise of much lower taxes and a free lunch? - but it doesn't get to the question of whether there's something we should be cutting.

You could also argue that coming up with catchy and newspaper-friendly budget proposals is not as useful as engaging in competent management, but I've made my point.

Across the board cuts are the lazy and sloppy way to cut budgets. The way you could make a cut that large - unless CARES surfaces with the courage to actually name a program, and maybe they will - is to cut salaries and benefits. That would drive employees into unions who would only try to win back those benefits. It may be that Lakewood CARES wants to drive employees into unions as part of some agenda, but I don't myself see the value.

I should quickly add, to correct the comment above, there certainly are reserves if we want to tap them. Lakewood has a much larger percentage of reserves than cities of comparable sizes.

The fact that we have sizeable reserves in case of disaster is evidence that the city is financially responsible. And that's why it is so irritating when Lakewood CARES insults the intelligence of the public and suggests otherwise. I have to admit it does bother me when I print the per capita tax collections and CARES continues pandering to and insulting the intelligence of the public by saying citizens are overtaxed.

Anyway, it's too early to consider going into reserves or something drastic like that. Clearly, though, the budget pictures is not bright, and there is much work ahead. I look forward to the CARES folks doing the responsible thing this year and telling us all *specifically what* should be cut. They might even be right. I hope we even get that far.

12:23 PM
Walter
I sent a letter to the editor today, after debating whether to publicize it. I watched you typing during the City Council Budget meeting, got home two minutes after the meeting, only to find your blog already posted. After reviewing the complexities of the financial situation the City Council was presented on Monday night, I was a bit incensed that you crafted this blog while the financial future of Lakewood was being discussed. To this layperson, City Council people were elected to advocate for the citizens of Lakewood, from babies to old folks, and when we elected you, we expected you to have the best grasp possible on the issues of the City. I can multi-task (as most mothers can), but I would not be able to simultaneously digest the nuances of four different financial scenarios, revenue projections and potentials for cutbacks, all while entering a blog for posting at the same time. It seems rather self-serving, especially given the fallout from last Monday's City Council meeting and your vow to not blog during meetings. So much for promises.
Thank you,
Mandy Candler

Reading Mandy's note was quite humbling for me, because I remembered saying I would not type while members of the public were talking, out of respect for them. So that's why I posted Monday night. But she's correct, I did say in The Suburban Times I would not post at all until after a hearing. So that's what I shall do in the future.
In some ways, I regret saying that, because taking notes during a meeting and blogging both have value. But this situation is confused enough, so I simply won't post until after a meeting.
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I dunno about you, but Monday's weather got me thinking that the summer sure came and went pretty quickly. So perhaps it's appropriate that today the Lakewood City Council held our first study session to consider the 2009 budget.

Tough decisions will have to be made when we have detailed budget hearings in the fall. Just as last year, the public generally wants and perhaps even needs more services than there is money to pay for it all. Of course, things get complicated and even heated because individuals often have very different wants - and may think their wants are more important than the wants of others. A couple things add complexity this year in terms of the budget, as opposed to last year: rising gas prices can cost the city an additional $125,000, and the proceeds from real estate transfer taxes are down.

It's funny, because if you read the junk that some people are putting out about the recent initiative proposal, there is some delusion that Lakewood government is bloated and the citizens are overtaxed. In fact, Lakewood government is strained in terms of revenue.

The average amount produced per resident in sales tax in Lakewood is $132; for the 10 largest Pierce County cities, the average is $347. So those cities are generally getting a lot more in taxes from their citizens AND Lakewood citizens who buy things in their cities. Bear in mind, it doesn't mean we are paying less in Lakewood ... it's the sales taxes that we in Lakewood pay in Tacoma, Puyallup, DuPont, and other cities that goes into the city services of Tacoma, Puyallup and DuPont - not Lakewood.

The average amount produced per resident in property tax is $96 in Lakewood, compared to $213 average in the 10 largest Pierce County cities.

You know, it's funny, because you can tell folks these numbers, and then they will quickly ask when we can add more police, take better care of our roads or put new equipment in parks. There's no point in complaining about that reaction. It's human nature to want more and perhaps not understand where or why there might be less.

Monday night, the council talked about scenarios in which the city was down several hundred thousands dollars if we just tried to do what we do now. Obviously there are difficult decisions to be made ... and it was too early to get into those Monday.

Staff provided for the sake of argument some ways of increasing taxes, but I don't expect that to go far. Folks in Lakewood should not have to pay more taxes. What we should do is find ways to keep sales tax dollars in Lakewood, and help people spend their money here and not Tacoma. Ultimately, it's the work we do encouraging redevelopment of places like Tillicum and American Lake Gardens that will provide the funding we need and citizens deserve.
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My blog post during the Lakewood City Council meeting the other night drew some strong reaction from someone who a) disagreed with my first thoughts as folks were talking and b) disagreed with the idea of blogging during a hearing. You can read her thoughts here, followed on that page by my comments.

In a similar vein, longtime community activist Tami Arredondo-Brigham sent me an email saying my information about parent activism with the school board is outdated. I got her OK to post the following. To understand the first part, you need to understand that a student said that she was not prepared well for her college credit test, the Advanced Placement test, and Tami's followup point was that this is a very bright student who could have passed it if she had been prepared correctly.

(Students in the Clover Park School District who take Advanced Placement Classes pass the outside test for college credit at a rate of) about 10%. That's for AP Biology, Math, Foreign Language and English. ...(Because the student) did not pass that AP college test, it means I get to pay about $1,500.00 for her to re-take that class in College. She is at least getting an "A" out of the HS AP Class. She could have just taken a regular English class got an "A" in that class . She just would not have had to studied (so hard) all year......

Curtis (High School students in University Place) pass their AP College Test scores at (a rate of ) about 65% of the time. What are they doing that our district is not? I did my own three-week investigation, and I know exactly why my daughter failed her AP test. Why has the district never cared to check and find out why these kids are failing these tests for years! Nobody seems to care!!!!!

The meeting with The Lakewood City Council was about the CP School Board Members being incompetent. CP4CP - our group - has been going to School Board meetings for 3-4 years. I personally have been going off-and-on for 15 yrs. I tried to get uniforms into Southgate Elementary School (Then hopefully into the whole CPSD, but the superintendent wouldn't support me). I spent a year of my life trying to do that. I am one of the reasons CPDS has site-based schools in CPSD.

Last, but most importantly: Like in churches, our schools usually have 20% of the parents volunteering for the whole year. It is the same parents year after year who are putting the hours in. CP4CP parents (and others) have been the ones not just on PTA, but also running the PTA. We have helped with the field trips.

We have volunteered in our children's classrooms, gone on field trips, and coached every type of team you can think of. We have volunteered for more dances than you could ever know. My husband and I just put on a BBQ for the whole CPHS track team for Districts. Tomorrow, we are putting on a BBQ at Lockburn for all team sports. I am on a committee that gives scholarships to 8-10 schools in Pierce County. Yes, we parents - not just those who belong to CP4CP - volunteer.

Unfortunately, 18% of the 20% of the parents who used to volunteer have transferred their kids out of the Clover Park District.

Walt, this is not about parents (well, maybe it is now about the parents who have moved out of this City or waivered their kids out of the School District - I'll give you that.) You would not believe the numbers that have transferred out of this District. You should get those figures.

This topic is honestly about a school district that does not believe in excellence in any way, shape or form. They don't investigate to see why families are leaving the District. They don't look into why kids are failing tests. They aren't trying to find out what would engage our children and get some electives that might keep kids in school. Why did CP just drop their DECCA program last year? My youngest daughter loved that class. Why are students allowed to beat each other up (put someone in the hospital) then after a period of time those students are let back into our schools?

This ultimately is about CPSD's Washington State Report Card and a large number of our students that are failing the Washington state tests. So, our district is then failing. The job of the school board is to make sure our students are passing. Period. They aren't doing that.

And here's part of what I wrote back:

Hi Tami, and thank you for sharing all this. I surely did not mean to blame the parents; it's the district's responsibility to do the right thing for kids. I remember how much time you were putting into community leadership even back when I was at the paper, which sure seems like a long time ago.

What I was trying to say in my own sloppy way was, I hope these parents know they have a continuing battle ahead of them. Because, sadly, excellence often just does not happen in a public policy setting; it has to be demanded. And it sounds like you folks have been trying, and I am sad to hear of the frustration that you feel it has not worked, or not worked enough, yet.

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The News Tribune web site has, at this writing, 56 comments that stem from the story about minicasinos. I don't believe I have ever seen as many comments on an Internet site anywhere about a Lakewood issue. How cool.

The web page above is a classic example of Internet dialogue ... some of the comments are amazing, and some are just flat strange. But it's all people talking to each other, which is good. Check it out.
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This graphic about what communities have the highest concentrations of sex offenders does not tell us anything we did not already know, but you have to admit it's a nice way of illustrating the challenge facing local law enforcement and the community.

Whoops ... didn't mean to bring up something like sex offenders. Let's go back to talking about skimpily dressed coffee baristas and banning legal businesses. ... :)

OH, speaking of that ... the Internet is great for building dialogue, and there has been quite a bit on the News Tribune forum related to this morning's profile of David Anderson, who is one of the folks trying to get card rooms banned. Check out the forum.
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As I sit here on the council dais tonight, we're beginning to hear from a stream of parents during our open public comment period. (The comments were continuing as I posted this at about 8:15 p.m.) The parents are concerned with how the Clover Park School Board appointed a new superintendent.

The whole issue is extremely complex, but surely the matter will not go away. A high school student got up and told us that her class could not finish a college prep history test ... a test they were preparing for all year ... because they did not have the proper books. More to the point about administration, a parent read from district emails that were disclosed as part of a public records act request. She read from an email in which a board member wrote that the board had made a point about keeping superintendent matters out of email where comments would have to be disclosed to the public.

The short version of the issue is that parents say the school board appointed an internal candidate over candidates who were better qualified and who got better scores in panel review by teachers and members of the community . And yet the district needs big changes, say the parents ... many Clover Park students don't have the basic earning skills to do well in college, said parent Tami Arredondo-Brigham.

"Lakewood will crumble if we don't fix the schools," parent Cindy Baij said. "Actions need to be taken or the school district will destroy Lakewood."

"It seemed like despite an invitation to the part of the process, the voice of the community was not heard," said parent Clint Johnson.

"Our kids are losing the passion," another parent said. "There is disrespect between the teachers and the students, and it goes both ways. That's not acceptable. We need help. I would never recommend Lakewood to someone because of the school district. It's a sad situation in Lakewood, and we need your help."

People have been describing governance problems at the Clover Park School District since the first day I was in Lakewood many years ago. I have met many fine teachers and students. One of my kids got an amazing elementary education at a CP school. Another kid was in a school that was very badly run in ways that left me speechless.

There's no question the CP schools have a poor reputation in many circles, and as long as I have been here it's been discussed that folks don't move to Lakewood because of the schools. Clearly, we should be more engaged in the district. Frankly, folks, almost every school board meeting I ever went to had only a few members of the public in attendance. I can't speak firsthand to all the issues the parents are raising but I know that if they stay involved in the Clover Park school district, that's going to be good. That's, frankly, the real solution. School board members respond to voters. They don't care what members of a city council think.

So .. these parents have come to the council for help. What do we do as a council? Frankly, I don't know. It's not like we have clout with the school board. The school district budget is twice the size of the city's. It's not like we as council members are experts in schools.

Are those just excuses? I don't know. What do you think?

What I find myself doing right now is remembering my long years as a reporter, and all of the school district meetings I went to where I was the only member of the public present. And so I am looking each of these parents as they speak and wondering .. Are you going to go to school board meetings? You've got pain and frustration in your voice now ... but how many night meetings are you willing to go to? How many dinners will you skip? How much time with your children will give you give up to be involved in the schools? Are you going to run for school board? Are you going to support a school board candidate, or stay engaged in the school district?

Because I frankly think that's the answer .. involvement .. hard and prolonged as it maybe. Democracy responds to people. Or, as the saying goes .. government goes to those who show up.
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