If you like entertaining basketball, you will LOVE the Harlem Globetrotters who return to ShoWare Center on Thurs., Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Now through Feb. 20, ShoWare is offering this special Family 4 Pack Offer:

4 Tickets, 4 Hot Dogs, 4 Sodas for $112
when purchased at the ShoWare Center Box Office

Online Price, including convenience fees, $136.75
Regular price, including fees, $168.75

So save big by buying your tickets at the ShoWare Center Box Office located at 625 W. James St. in downtown Kent.

Sat., Feb. 4
10 am – 2 pm
Lake Fenwick Park
25828 Lake Fenwick Rd., Kent, WA
YOU can help Pearl Jam mitigate their carbon emissions by volunteering to plant native trees and shrubs at three upcoming events!

Last year Pearl Jam partnered with Forterra to mitigate 7,000 metric tons of carbon emitted during their 2009 world tour. Together we are restoring 33 acres of forested parkland in Kent, Kirkland, Seattle and Redmond. These restoration efforts are part of Forterra’s Green Cities Partnerships, programs with cities and the community that restore our beloved forested parklands.

Volunteers will spend the morning planting native trees, shrubs and ground cover in Lake Fenwick Park while rocking out to Pearl Jam music.

As always, no experience is necessary, and we’ll have all the gloves, tools, and other materials for you, as well as water and snacks. Please remember to bring your own water bottle to re-fill, and/or a mug for coffee.

Wear sturdy shoes and consider long pants and long sleeves. All ages are welcome, although all volunteers under 18 must either be accompanied by an adult or bring a signed waiver (available here).

Please register early by clicking below so that we can plan a great event for our volunteers.  We will follow up with any additional details as we get closer to the date.

EXTRA: Please REGISTER by following this link: http://www.forterra.org/events/2_4_help_pearl_jam_mitigate_their_2009_tour

Updated, Jan. 20–Shelter will also be open this evening, Fri., Jan. 20.

Because of the snowstorm and its accompanying cold temperatures, the City of Kent is opening the Kent Severe Weather Shelter at the Kent Lutheran Church tonight, Jan. 18 through Fri., Jan. 20. Here are the details:

Location:  Kent Lutheran Church, 336 2nd Ave. S., Kent, WA  98032

Check-in and registration:  9 p.m.  (all guests must register)

Shelter closes, guests must leave:  7 a.m.

The shelter is giving priority to homeless families with children who are living on the streets or in their vehicles. Men and women without children are also welcome. There is separate sleeping space available for families, men and women.

The Severe Weather Shelter is operated by Catholic Community Services staff and volunteers from the Kent Lutheran Church and Kent community.

To locate shelters in Renton, Federal Way, Bellevue and Seattle, dial 2-1-1.

If you know of a homeless person or family who needs shelter, please share this information with them.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday, is Monday, January 16. With schools and many businesses closed, including city of Kent offices, Kent Parks would like to encourage students, scouts, families and others to observe it by contributing community service.

Once again, we will focus on collecting litter along the Interurban Trail. Volunteers will meet at the Kent Lions Skate Park on West Smith St. near Lincoln Avenue/Valley Highway overpass in downtown Kent. Parking is available in the Park-and-Ride lot next to the skate park.

Trash bags and a limited number of pick sticks will be provided. Volunteers should dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots or shoes, bring work gloves and a bottle of water if they wish. Special programs manager Victoria Andrews staffs the event and requests pre-registration by January 12 to ensure she brings enough supplies. To download the registration flyer, visit www.KentWAParks.com and click on Volunteer. Or call 253-856-5110.

Sponsored by The Joint Center at Valley Medical Center, the show will be hosted by Nancy Kerrigan and Kristi Yamaguchi. Kenny G and Gladys Knight will also be performing that evening, along with ice skaters Ilia Kulik, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Joannie Rochette, Sasha Cohen, Ryan Bradley, Kurt Browning and more.

The live show will be taped by NBC and aired on Feb 4.

Ticket prices range from $39.50 to $125. The higher end packages feature club seats, dinner and a post-event reception. Visit ShoWare Center online to buy tickets.

January 26, 2012
7:00 p.m.

Kent Senior Center
600 E. Smith St.
Kent, WA  98030

For more info., call Dave Foltz at 253-686-6799 or email him.

Sign-up before kickoff for $50 registration.

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

From Victoria Andrews, Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, local Boy Scout troops will collect and recycle Christmas trees in neighborhoods around Kent for a $5.00 donation.  The location is Service Club Ballfields, 14608 SE 288^th Street (west off Kent-Kangley Road at 144^th).

To ensure pick-up, trees must be placed outside by 8:00 AM Saturday morning; the scouts are unable to confirm an exact pick-up time. If you prefer to deliver your tree yourself, please bring it to Service Club Ballfields.  Scouts will be on hand to unload the trees and accept your donation. Trees with tinsel and/or flock cannot be accepted.  For more information, contact the Kent Lions & Foundation (253-852-5466) or check the City’s community calendar at www.KentWA.gov.

This long-running program keeps the trees out of landfills and provides a stockpile of chips for use by Parks Maintenance to mulch new plants and maintain trails in the City parks system.  By participating in the program, you can help the Boy Scouts, the Parks Department, and the environment.         

City of Kent Recycling:  Jan. 9 – 13, 2012

The City of Kent will also provide free curbside pickup of Christmas trees for residential households within the Kent City Limits the week of January 9-13, 2012.   You must be a current Allied Waste garbage customer to be eligible.  An event flyer is mailed to residential garbage customers in mid-December.

- Unflocked & completely clean of decorations

- Without stands

- Base of tree cannot exceed four inches in diameter

- Trees taller than five feet must be cut into three-foot sections and bundled with natural material like twine

- If your tree is missed, call Allied Waste at 206-682-9735.

Contributed by Megan Hilfer for Farrington Court

Farrington Court is hosting a Community Christmas Dinner with Elohim Ministries at Kent Lutheran Church this Saturday, Dec. 17^th.  They will feed over 200 homeless and low-income families in the Kent area.

The dinner starts at 6pm, and the menu features ham and all the trimmings.  They have received many donations from the community but are still in need of some hams, as well as more volunteers to help serve.  If you can donate or volunteer, please contact Farrington Court for more information at (253) 852-2737.

This is the first year Farrington Court has hosted the Community Christmas Celebration.

Join Kiwanis Club of Kent for Dinner, Jazz and Comedy.

Sat., Dec. 17, 2011
6:30 p.m.

Honorary Emcee Susannah Frame, KING5 TV

Kent Events Center
10120 SE 260th St.
Kent, WA  98030

*Live Jazz
*Local Comedy
*Kids Corner
*Silent Auction
*Live Auction

Dinner and Entertainment, $30 for adults, $20 for children

Buy tickets online:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/210921

Contact Bailey Stober with questions at 253-306-4445 or by email.

Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree

A Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree is on the third floor of the hospital. It includes gift wishes for children from age 1 through 17. Select a tag, purchase a gift and return the unwrapped gift to the tree by Tues., Dec. 13.

VMC’s Occupational Health Services Teams up with BlanketSeattle

Valley Medical Center’s Occupational Health Services is accepting donations of cold-weather items for BlanketSeattle, including:

· Blankets

· Long-sleeve shirts

· Hats

· Thermals

· Pants

· Boots

· Sweaters

· Gloves

· Scarves

· Sleeping bags

· Socks (new)

Donation boxes can be found at the hospital through the end of December.

VMC Fitness Center:  Northwest Harvest Food Collection & Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree

The Fitness Center at Valley Medical Center is collecting donations of non-perishable foods for Northwest Harvest, through December 31. Additionally, a Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree is located at the Fitness Center. Gift wish tags for children ages 1 through 17 are still available. Unwrapped gifts need to be returned to the Fitness Center tree by Tuesday, December 20. The Fitness Center is located on the first floor of the Talbot Professional Center on the Valley Medical Center campus. Free covered parking is conveniently located in the VMC parking garage. 

VMC Day Surgery Center Food & Clothing Drive

The Valley Medical Center Day Surgery Center is having a non-perishable food drive for Faith Harvest Helpers, and a warm clothing drive for the Renton Clothing Bank through December 22. The Day Surgery Center is located at 17820 Talbot Road South, Renton.