Cheers and jeers: Christmas 2011 | Editorial

Cheers to anyone hoping and praying for the recovery of South King Fire and Rescue firefighter Wynn Loiland. Jeers to the three police unions for rejecting the new health care package that would have saved $319,000 in Federal Way’s budget.

• Cheers to anyone hoping and praying for the recovery of South King Fire and Rescue firefighter Wynn Loiland. The 52-year-old firefighter was struck by a vehicle and critically injured while assessing the scene of a rollover accident on I-5. He has yet to regain full consciousness. Best wishes to Loiland and his family.

• Jeers to Federal Way paying for light rail that won’t be here for at least 30 years. The best answer Sound Transit can give is that there’s no money. If only there were a way to free Federal Way from the voter-approved deal. In the meantime, the city estimates taxpayers will spend $13.5 million annually on a project that ain’t coming.

• Cheers to Federal Way candidates who ran clean, issue-oriented races in the election. What a relief to not have to go through day after day of negative campaigning. Cheers to Liz Drake, who showed true leadership by withdrawing from the school board election and accepting the principal job at Thomas Jefferson High School where she could make an immediate impact.

• Jeers to LA Fitness for their inept handling of the purchase of Bally Total Fitness and the closing of the Federal Way location, which served as a tennis hub.

• Cheers to arts groups like Centerstage, the Federal Way Chorale, the Federal Way Symphony, the Harmony Kings, Jet Cities Chorus, Ninth Avenue Dance and Rosebud Children’s Theatre Conservatory for providing wonderful year-round theater, music and dance for our community.

• Jeers to the three police unions for rejecting the new health care package that would have saved $319,000 in Federal Way’s budget. They would pay no premium, no deductions in this plan with Group Health, but could choose providers in and out of the Group Health network. With this rejection, 19 police positions could be lost, and 1.5 civilian positions. The public deserves a reasonable explanation to their decision.

• Cheers to helping children live better lives. Cheers to all who contribute food, toys and time to Federal Way charity drives that serve local children. Cheers to the parents, grandparents and other volunteers who tutor students in schools.

• Cheers to the Federal Way parks department for opening a day camp when the Tacoma School District teachers strike continued this fall, so parents could work and the kids would have a safe supervised place to play. In fact, the day camps in Federal Way rock even in the summer.

• Cheers to the capture of a suspect in the shooting of Jayme Thomas. Des Moines police charged Johnny Rourn, 29, with murder in the second degree. Thomas, 19, was shot Nov. 5 in Redondo. Cheers to the community for providing tips that led to the suspect’s capture.

Contact The Mirror’s editorial board via email: editorialboard@federalwaymirror.com