• Cheers to the Federal Way police, Sound Transit and King County Metro for enriching security at the Federal Way Transit Center through a joint policing plan. Safety at the transportation hub is a valid concern, and this plan should help set residents’ minds at ease. Aside from improved communication and surveillance, the plan also includes an unorthodox crime fighter: Classical music, which will either calm potential perpetrators or drive them away.
• Jeers to vandals who target holiday decorations at homes in Federal Way. It is too bad that restitution for offenders does not include a public spanking of their bare butt cheeks.
• Cheers to the Federal Way School Board for including cyber-bullying in its policies on harassment. Cyber-bullying involves using the Internet, cell phones or other devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. Students have the right to an educational environment that’s free from harassment and intimidation, whether it’s done in person or through a computer.
• Jeers to the overheated arguments regarding the proposal to change Federal Way’s form of government. Each side acts as though the Earth will spin off its axis if the other side wins. What matters most is the voters’ preference, regardless of whether it’s the answer you want. When all is said and done, life will still carry on in Federal Way. Relax and enjoy the ride.
• Cheers to the bravado by a new restaurant in Federal Way called Pho King, located at Pacific Highway and South 324th Street. A manager at the restaurant, which serves Vietnamese noodle soup, is aware of the play on words with Pho King — “pho” is correctly pronounced as “fuh.” So if you’re looking for comfort food on a rainy day, try some Pho King pho. Just be sure to watch your language.
• Jeers to the state Supreme Court for its 7-2 ruling that courts are exempt from the Public Records Act. The decision stems from Federal Way resident David Koenig’s request for public records relating to correspondence between Federal Way Judge Michael Morgan and the city. The ruling determines that courts and the judicial branch do not meet the definition of the word “agency” as defined in the Public Records Act. Justice Debra L. Stephens, one of two dissenting opinions in the case, got it right in her interpretation that the PRA should include the judiciary branch. Instead, the ruling is yet another roadblock to holding judges accountable.
