Theater group makes offer to Federal Way

On June 19, Centerstage Theatre proposed to the Federal Way Arts Commission that the nonprofit theater company manage the city’s Knutzen Family Theatre. In his proposal, Centerstage Artistic Director Alan Bryce indicated how such an arrangement could benefit both Centerstage and Federal Way.

“In 2007, the city subsidized the Knutzen Family Theatre with a $125,000 grant drawn from utility tax revenues. Centerstage proposes that Federal Way pay Centerstage a management fee of $75,000 to operate the building, saving the taxpayers $50,000. In turn, this would save Centerstage the $40,000 rental and labor costs at the Knutzen plus the $8,000 rental on its current office space, plus whatever revenues it could generate through rentals and other presentations,” Bryce wrote in a news release.

“This financial cushion is also beneficial to other performing arts organizations and to the taxpayer because, if Centerstage continues to operate as frugally as it has in the past four years, there will be no need to go back to the arts commission, or to the city manager and ask for supplemental funding…as has happened in the past two years,” the news release stated.

Centerstage has addressed its financial challenges. Through fundraising, sponsorship and increased box office revenues, the company has increased its income from $107,000 in 2003 to $199,000 in 2007, according to the release. But the size of rental and labor costs paid back to the city represents 20 percent of its annual expenditures, the release said.

To learn more about the proposal, call Alan Bryce at (253) 661-1444.

Air Force ROTC students

Charmaine Rosales, Kevin Singh and Jazmine Troutt, all Federal Way High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets, graduated from the Hawaii AFJROTC summer leadership school. Rosales and Singh graduated from the program with distinction and Singh was honored as the top graduate.

All participants earned a half-credit of leadership credit.

Summer food program

The Federal Way School District will sponsor the Simplified Summer Food Program for Children this summer. Meals will be provided at no charge for children ages 18 and younger. Meals will be served at the following locations during the following dates.

Adelaide: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31

Camelot Square: Noon to 12:30 p.m. and 3 to 3:30 p.m. June 17-July 10

Decatur: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 18-21

Enterprise: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. June 23-July 31

Federal Way High School: 10:30 a.m. to noon June 23-31 and 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 18-21

Illahee: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Kilo: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Lakota: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Mark Twain: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31

Meredith Hill: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31

Mirror Lake: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31

Olympic View: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31

Sacajawea: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Saghalie: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Sequoyah: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Silver Lake: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31

Star Lake: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. June 23-July 31

Sunnycrest: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. July 9-31

Thomas Jefferson: 8 to 9:30 a.m. June 16-July 11 and Aug. 21-26, 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. June 16-July 11 and Aug. 21-26 and 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 18-21

Todd Beamer: 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Aug. 18-21

Totem: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 21-26

Westway: Noon to 12:30 p.m. and 3 to 3:30 p.m. June 17-July 10

Wildwood: 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 23-July 31.