I would like to thank those Federal Way residents that have greeted me at their door, as I continue to doorbell Federal Way neighborhoods, sharing their thoughts about their local neighborhood and Federal Way in general.It has been very enlightening to say the least.

Federal Way is blessed with people who are caring and sharing. I have been invited into homes to have a bite to eat and a cool glass of water (must be my famished appearance) while doorbelling many, many hours nearly every day.

However, in the coming days, there will be a lot more sign waving and doorbelling to be done. If you don’t see me on the corner waving signs like many candidates for the past few elections, you can be sure that I am thinking of you while I am walking more neighborhoods getting input from as many as I can so that my term as a city councilman will be as educated as possible from the information that I’ve gathered from all of you.

Serving on the city council will not be a part-time job for me. I made a pledge to myself a couple of weeks ago and will now make that same pledge to you that when elected, I will walk the neighborhoods of Federal Way every year in the summer months. It is that personal connection that provides the glue that binds you and I together tightly.

Residents have shared their likes and dislikes with me. Some of the likes have been the city park system, the farmers market, the BPA Trail for hiking and biking, the music venue at Steel Lake Park, the summer Salmon Bake, the Hylebos Park and walkway, Dumas Bay multipurpose building and park, and the list goes on and on. Federal Way has a lot to offer all of us.

However, people would like to see higher quality stores at The Commons Mall, more indoor types of recreation and entertainment, and also more places to enjoy the different cultural influences by way of restaurants.

Businesses have shared with me that they would like to have an increased ability to market their unique businesses that dot the streets and Pacific Highway of Federal Way. They have a sense of being invisible to the public.

So as you can see, there are a lot of positives about Federal Way that have been shared with me, but there are also some concerns as well. Being on the city council will enable me to help address those issues and help build Federal Way into the city that we will all enjoy and feel proud to call our home.

Roger Flygare, Federal Way (candidate for city council)