Education and hard work

Amen to the guest column by Federal Way resident Frank Comita, “Socialist state steals from taxpayers” (April 30).

This really hit home with me, as my oldest grandson, who was an International Baccalaureate student (IB Program), worked hard maintaining high grades on this accelerated program in high school and yet was not awarded a scholarship. He is now at Central Washington University with his parents and himself paying for his education.

If he was willing to work hard to maintain high grades in the IB program and not entitled to a scholarship, what makes you think a 2.0 student is willing to work hard to maintain grades once in college and entitled to be awarded a scholarship?

It is outrageous that legislatures or anyone else expect the taxpayers to dole out, once again, for another entitlement program.

Delores Warner,

Auburn

Defending Judge Larson

Bob Roegner, what is your problem?

In your April 30 column, you attack Dave Larson for being excited about his new position as a Federal Way Municipal Court judge. Anyone who has even seen a sign in the community over the past five or six years (at least) would know that he has been eager to serve the people of Federal Way. He has been active in the community through Kiwanis, the Federal Way School Board and a variety of committees in his sons’ school. I have no doubt that there are a multitude of other areas he has supported that add to the health of this community. Everything Dave Larson has done, he has done with enthusiasm and contributes his ability to find positive, win-win solutions to problems.

Federal Way is constantly in the news for one negative thing or another…whether it be the state of our schools and the decisions the board thinks are important, or judges who make questionable decisions. It’s tiring. You can’t turn on the news, access the Internet, buy a newspaper, listen to the radio or overhear the conversations of people in stores without it being negative drama. We are turning into a society who wants all the dirt…all the sensationalism… who thinks that the individual has all the right answers to problems and doesn’t look at the experts to know anything. It’s tiring.

Dave Larson is neither naive or unintelligent. He knows he’s in a honeymoon period. He knows better than most that there are political agendas, public criticism, personal issues, etc. He knows all that and yet is ready to get into the game. At a time when our municipal court has had so much bad press, Dave Larson is willing to stick his neck out and offer a ray of optimism.

Give me a break. We can always listen to the diatribes of people like Charlie Hoff, Bill Pirkle and sometimes Walter Backstrom who profess to understand entire situations and have the right answer. It gets old. Have you read any of the columns Dave Larson has ever contributed to The Mirror? In every case, Larson is straightforward, honest, optimistic, open to suggestions, willing to apologize, offering to be a part of the solution and always, always a gentleman and a diplomat.

Dave Larson’s open letter on April 23, was a refreshing ray of hope/optimism for Federal Way, and I am glad to hear someone say something positive about our city.

I’d like to challenge you, Mr. Roegner, to stick your neck out and genuinely write a column emphasizing any positive, hopeful aspect of Federal Way politics — not just an individual, but a department that has people who are publicly acknowledged and others who are behind the scenes doing the little things that make a real difference.

D. Hagen,

Federal Way

Don’t miss arts center opportunity

Mayor Jack Dovey and members of the Federal Way City Council,

I will be out of town and unable to attend the May 6 meeting regarding a performance hall in Federal Way.

I urge you to move forward, and use the $500,000 the Legislature designated for design and preconstruction work, and make it top priority. The benefits to the city are innumerable, both as a quality of life issue and as an economic stimulus.

We have many performing groups here who either must present their concerts or plays in churches inadequate in many ways, or they live here, rehearse here, but perform in nearby Auburn (three performance halls in their schools, plus a civic theater); Highline (800 seats) or Sumner (800 seats).

Even tiny Fife has a performance hall in its schools. We do not have a facility in the city for guest artists, seminars or presentations that would require 500 to 700 seats.

The offer of free land at two different sites would amount to several million dollars we could save now. If we wait, both of those properties might not be available. We are running out of suitable space.

The Federal Way Coalition of the Performing Arts was organized in 1989, with the mission of promoting the performing arts, and contributing toward a future large performance hall in Federal Way.

We were the nonprofit entity that raised $408,000 toward enhancements to the Knutzen Family Theatre (234 seats). For that campaign, we engaged many more than our own members to help on various committees and who also personally contributed. Many of us who were involved in that campaign are eager to assist however we can in this effort. We have been a part of the grass-roots coalition from the beginning.

With professional leadership, we could serve in a number of ways, from grant writing to researching, to making presentations. We did it before.

Over the years the FWCPA has presented a variety of fundraising concerts, both to feature performances by our local member groups, and to build a fund toward the large performance hall.

We have saved in a fund designated for the building only. We look forward to the day we can donate it.

This is a rare opportunity we must not miss.

Joann Piquette,

President, Federal Way Coalition of the Performing Arts