Cheers: To Federal Way Public Schools for its work to improve the number of minority and low-income students participating in gifted programs. Since her arrival in 2015, Superintendent Tammy Campbell has been at the forefront of changing the school district’s reputation for the better. The school district also has raised its graduation rate from 70 percent of students in 2012 to 80 percent in 2016.

Jeers: To the city of Federal Way for its ongoing struggle to establish a city identity. A recent example is the failed effort to come up with a new logo to replace the generic old one. Federal Way is a great place to live and do business — so why is that so hard to convey? What do we stand for? One suggestion is to celebrate the city’s diversity and treat it like a value instead of a detriment. Also, maybe it’s finally time to change the city’s name.

Cheers: To the city of Federal Way for its road system. Federal Way’s roads are generally smooth with a noticeable lack of potholes. Think about that the next time your tires rumble along the streets of Tacoma.

Jeers: To the city of Federal Way for lack of movement on the homeless issue. It’s one thing to treat the symptoms, but it’s another thing to find a solution. The city’s new Homeless Mothers and Children Initiative is a task force that helps connect people to homeless service organizations. The key to reducing homelessness is to provide a “housing first” program that offers permanent housing that gets the homeless off the streets and then connects them with supportive services to keep them off the streets.

Cheers: To the Multi-Service Center William J. Wood Veterans House for providing housing to veterans and their families in the form of 44 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. We have a moral duty to support the men and women who have served our nation.

Jeers: To too many apartment complexes being built in Federal Way, along with the lack of architectural standards for apartment complexes. A handful of new developments in recent years have added at least 1,100 more apartment units. One of the reasons the city was incorporated in 1990 was to curb the runaway construction of apartment buildings. The city needs a strategic housing plan that serves a variety of income levels while maintaining a consistent aesthetic in the downtown core.

Cheers: To Federal Way’s park system and the hundreds of hours of service donated by local volunteers April 22 for the annual Federal Way Parks Appreciation Day.

Cheers: To Centerstage Theatre and retiring Artistic Director Alan Bryce, and to the rest of the arts community, for their commitment to bringing arts and entertainment opportunities to Federal Way. The arts help bring people together and enrich life in Federal Way.

Cheers: To the future of the 430-acre Weyerhaeuser property as a possible refuge for recreation and open space, but also to the property’s present-day gems like the Pacific Bonsai Museum and the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.

Jeers: To gunshots frequently ringing out through various neighborhoods, as well as the recent rash of shootings in Federal Way. The city’s 93,000 residents deserve better.

Cheers: To the Federal Way Police Department officers for all their service and response, especially in regards to the recent shootings.

Qualified Cheers: To Mayor Jim Ferrell, Councilwoman Susan Honda, Police Chief Andy Hwang, Officer Scott Eatchel and the Federal Way Day Center for their work in reuniting a homeless woman, April Arne, with her therapy dog, Sikaya, after the dog was taken to the Tacoma Humane Society. City officials worked it out so Arne didn’t have to pay the city fees for Sikaya’s return. Day center volunteers arranged for a carrier for Sikaya, and the center’s program director drove Arne to get her pet. We have to wonder, however: Would Ferrell and Honda have gone out of their way to help if it wasn’t an election year?

Comprised by the Mirror editorial board.