HOPE FOR FAMILIES LUNCHEON:  Please mark your calendar for Thursday, December 8 at noon to be at the Golden Steer Restaurant, 23826 14 Ave. SE in Kent.  The Kiwanis Club of Kent would like you to join them for a $5 lunch to help and support local struggling families.   How do you get a $5 lunch deal you ask?  By bringing any new or gently used sleeping bags, jackets, hats, gloves and socks to the Golden Steer.  Cash or check donations will be cheerfully accepted as well.

Please join  your friends, neighbors and community leaders in helping struggling families in Kent.  Call Sally Goodgion at 253-852-0880 or email catalysttravel@hotmail.com with an RSVP no later than December 6.

Oktoberfest comes to Kent via Kent Sunrise Rotary on Saturday, October 1 at Town Square Plaza.  The event is scheduled from 12 noon to 8:oo  pm, rain or shine.  This family friendly event features grub and grog and entertainment.  Beer garden pre-sale tickets are $20; $25 at the door.  The ticket price includes a German beer stein and first beer, and there is free admission to the Family Fest Zone.  Proceeds will support local veterans’ organizations.  It is a family event so kids and grand kids are welcome!  There will be entertainment for all ages, food booths and lots of fun.  Hope you’ll stop by!

Buy tickets online now at OktoberfestKent.com. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event.

Proceeds for the event will support returning veterans.

4Culture is a unique integration of the arts, heritage, preservation and public art, committed to advancing community through culture.  4Culture believes the arts are critical to a healthy community and that arts experiences should be accessible to all residents and visitors.  4Culture stimulates cultural activities and enhances the assets that distinguish a community as vibrant, unique and authentic.

The Heritage Cultural Facilities program funds projects providing strong heritage programming that focuses on the identification, collection, evaluation, preservation, restoration, exhibition, and/or interpretation of the County’s heritage resources.

The Arts Cultural Facilities program supports the purchase, development and renovation of arts and cultural facility projects.  A separate program provides funding for arts equipment.

4Culture Cultural Facilities Application deadline is September 14, 2011, 5 pm PST.   All applicants are encouraged to attend a free workshop that will explain the step by step application process. To learn more about this funding opportunity for both Arts and Heritage Cultural Facilities, please email Deb Twersky at 4Culture.

The public is invited to weigh in on Kent’s Comprehensive Plan and City Code by September 1, 2011.  The City needs input on what the Economic and Community Development Department should focus on in the coming year. 

“We need to know if the comprehensive plan and development regulations create any barriers to the city growing responsibly, equitably, and with environmental and neighborhood sensitivity,” said Fred Satterstrom, Kent’s Planning Director.  “This is the community’s opportunity to participate in making changes.” 

This annual review looks at the challenges that the City’s planning documents, land use plan and zoning maps, and regulations present to economic development and neighborhood vitality. 

The following online tools can help people to weigh in on this annual update.  The public is encouraged to visit the following links:

Submit a request for changes.

View additional details on creating a docket (or list) of suggested changes.

View the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Plan Map and Zoning Districts Map.

Residential burglaries in Kent are on the rise! In particular, Kent burglary trends have shown that homes of Asian families are targeted because of unsecured valuables. Recently there have residential burglaries during the day time, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00p.m. Burglars are gaining access by punching holes in smaller windows next to front doors, punching holes in windows or smashing/prying rear slider doors. In each incident, cash, jewelry, and other valuable items have been targeted; especially “hidden” quantities of money. In some cases, the burglars knock or ring the door bell first. If no one answers, they are going to the back of the house to gain entrance through the sliding glass door.

Here are some ways to help prevent from becoming a victim:

- If you choose to keep cash and other important items in your home, keep them locked in a safe. You may also use a safe deposit box at a bank.

- Keep valuables such as purses, laptops, iPods, and jewelry out of plain sight from windows and doors and locked up if possible.

- Keep all windows and doors locked whether home or not, including back sliding doors.

- Install protective window film to smaller windows next to doors. This helps prevent breaking of glass and denying access to inside of front door.

- Do not leave your garage door open, even if you are at home.

It is important that neighbors be aware of what is going on in your neighborhood. Whenever you see anything suspicious, call 9-1-1 immediately and then notify security. We encourage residents to call 9-1-1 even when something suspicious, such as an unknown person or car in the neighborhood, is occurring.

For more information go to www.kentpoliceceu.com, or contact Stacy Judd with the Kent Police Department at (253)856-5883.

There are ADT Ohio security systems available which provide 24/7 home monitoring protection.

Sat., June 18 from

For more information, contact Harpreet Gill at (253) 856-4968 or Dave Mortenson at (206) 818-8304.

Want a poster to display at your workplace, school or organization? Click here to download –> 2011 KIF Poster Final-2

Thank you to our volunteers, as well as our sponsors:  premier sponsor Kent Station, Cascade DAFO, Quota International of Kent VAlley, Belfor USA, Brantley Janson Yost & Ellison CPAs, Charter Private Bank, Curran Law Firm, Edward Jones (Tim Scheuffele), Emerald Downs, FamilyCare of Kent, Haeger Orthodontics, Live Oak Audio Visual, Miller Hayashi Architects LLC, Mountain Construction, Hentschell & Assoc., Inc., Shannon & Associates, SPIO Compression Garments, Sprague Israel Giles Insurance, Stephen and Barbara Glass, The Creative Office, The Hunt Family, Rock Wood Fired Pizza and Spirits, Univar USA and Wesley Homes.

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Children’s Therapy Center

23rd Annual Fun for Funds Dinner Auction
March 26, 20111 @ Emerald Downs
6:00 – 10:00 pm

Register for this event using our secure online form! This year we are honored to receive a matching gift from Cascade DAFO for expanding the orthotics program in our new therapy center! All fund-an-item donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000!

Individual Tickets are only65.00.

Unlocking Potential…One Child At A Time

There are so many questions when a parent discovers that their child has special needs, the most pressing of which is “Where do I go for services for my child?”  We have been empowering children with special needs and their families in King and Pierce County since 1979 through the provision of quality, individualized physical, occupational, and speech therapy; early intervention; specialized education; family resource coordination; parent education; custom orthotics; and compression garments:

https://dynamicfamilies.org/Page.aspx?hid=513

Save the date…April 27th from 7-8:30 at the Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center. You are invited to come hear uplifting stories about the dramatic impact made in people’s lives through DAWN’s programs and services.

You will be treated to a hearty breakfast and an opportunity to win Great prizes!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center
17620 Pacific Highway South, Seattle
7:00-7:30 a.m.: Check-in, Social, Coffee
7:30-8:30 a.m.: Breakfast & Program

DAWN-domestic abuse woman’s network

Would you like to captain a table of 10 guests? Contact Annual Giving Coordinator Sharon Yamada-Heidner at 425-656-4305 x 261.

Project U(th), a group of savvy local teens serving kids and teens in Kent, qualifies for a Pepsi Refresh Grant of $50,000 and they need the community’s help to earn the grant. The top 10 vote getters in the $50,000 category will receive and grant, and Project U(th) is currently ranked 111th. Please take a few minutes to sign up and then vote once each day to help Project U(th) win.

Register Now

Vote Now

Visit Project U(th) on Facebook.