Halloween Happenings in South King County abound. Fun for all ages and different levels of “scary”! In addition to these events, a number of local churches are offering alternatives to traditional trick-or-treat, so check your local place of worship for more info.

Daily through Oct. 31:

Mosby Brothers Farms
Pumpkin patch, corn maze, produce stand, hay rides
12754 SE Green Valley Rd., Auburn
253-939-7666 or mosbyfarms@earthlink.net

Carpinito Brothers Farms
U-pick pumpkins, corn maze, hay rides, prize drawings and more.
Corner of S. 277th St., W. Valley Hwy. and Hwy. 167, Kent
9 am to dusk
253-854-5692

Serena Farms
Corn trails, hay rides, u-pick pumpkin patch.
22431 84th Ave. S., Kent
Noon to dusk
253-261-8789

Oct. 27 – 29:

Dark Hollow Haunted Forest (Oct. 30 – 31)
Royal Arch Park
20821 Renton-Maple Valley Hwy. SE
Maple Valley
$9 general, $8 Family Walk
7 to 9 pm Thursday
7-11 pm Friday/Saturday

Oct. 28 – 29:

The Den Youth Center Haunted House
Very Scary (Fri & Sat):  7 to 10 pm
$5 once-through + glow bracelet
$8 twice-through + glow necklace
Call 425-432-1272 for more info.

Oct. 29:

Tricks & Treat Funfest
Federal Way (876 S. 333rd St.)
6 – 8:30 pm
Ages 2-12
$6 in advance, $8 at the door

Spooky Swim
Covington Aquatic Center
Session 1 (younger kids):  5 – 6:30 pm
Session 2 (preteens & teenagers):  6:30 – 8 pm
Fees apply; 425-413-POOL

Halloween Costume Party
Pat’s Bar & Grill, Kent
Live Music 8 pm – 12 am with Boneyard
Prizes for best 3 costumes.
Drink specials.

Oct. 30:

Halloween Puppet Show (Oct. 30)
The Magic Show by the Magic Man
Toy Theater production of “Jack the Giant Killer”
Maple Valley Library
21844 SE 248th St.
Maple Valley
7 pm
FREE

Oct. 31:

Trick-or-Treat and Costume Contest
Kent Station
Kent
4 to 6 pm
FREE

Pictures at the Reporter
Costumed kids can have their photo taken for publication.
Covington/Maple Valley Reporter
22035 SE Wax Rd (425-432-1209)
3 to 4:30 pm
FREE

IKEA Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular
IKEA, 601 SW. 41st St., Renton
4 to 7 pm
FREE

GMVCC’s Trick or Trucks!
Halloween Trick or Treating
Greater Maple Valley Community Center
22010 SE 248th St., Maple Valley
4 to 5:30 pm (no horns)
4 to 6 pm
$3/child for Trick or Trucks
$3/child for Less Scary Haunted House at The Den
Pizza, Salad &  Dessert also available:  $5/adult and $3/child
425-432-1272

The Den Youth Center Haunted House
The Den Teen Center
22010 SE 248th St., Maple Valley, WA
“Less Scary” Haunted House from 4 to 6 pm
Regular Haunted House 4 to 10 pm
Call 425-432-1272 for more info.
See flyer for details.

Auburn Meadows Halloween Party and Trick-or-Treating
Auburn Meadows, 945 22nd St. NE, Auburn
3 to 7 pm (party 3 to 5 pm, trick-or-treat 3 to 7 pm)
Ages 12 and under
253-333-0171

Des Moines Halloween Carnival
Carnival-style games, costume contest, candy, prizes, magic show and more.
Field House, 1000 S. 220th St., Des Moines
6th grade and younger
$2/child, free for parents
Hotdogs and soda available for sale
206-870-6527

Are we missing an event? Email us at iLoveKent.net, and we’ll add it!

Yesterday Dana Neuts, owner/publisher of iLoveKent.net, launched iLoveCovington.com, a sister site. Like iLoveKent.net, iLoveCovington.com is intended to be a community website, by Covington, for Covington. To contribute news, events, business information, advertising and more, contact Dana Neuts via email.

In addition to the website, iLoveCovington.com can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

I was driving in the Kent-Covington area this morning, doing my best to avoid all of the construction zones – some large, some small. I was frustrated by the traffic cones, flaggers and closed lanes and sidewalks…but then I realized that this isn’t about me or even about you. This is a necessary function, one that we as taxpayers ask our cities, counties and states to manage for us.

Think about it. We want our roads pothole free, our sidewalks without cracks, and our trips in and out of the city without traffic…but yet we hate the work required to keep our roads and sidewalks safe. We complain about every road and lane closure and how they inconvenience us. We gripe about how some projects seem to take forever, and how we hate the black tar and paint striping that sometimes sticks to our cars when we drive in newly paved and painted zones. We simply don’t like going out of our way.

Taking that one step further, think about the summer road construction crews and engineers who are out there working long hours in the hot sun, getting cursed at, honked at and flipped off. They probably don’t want to be in our way any more than we like having them there, but they show up for work every day anyway. Like us, they go to work so they can take care of their families and put food on their tables. Summer road construction crews know they aren’t popular with local drivers, but they do the work no one else wants to do. They do a thankless but necessary job with nothing but grief from us.

I’d like to change that up a bit. I propose that, instead of being frustrated with these crews, we should be grateful that they are doing their jobs so our streets can be safe. We should thank them, wave to them or offer a simple smile to say “Hey, thanks, buddy! I appreciate you!”

Give it a try tomorrow. I think the road crews will appreciate the small kindness, and it will make you feel better too! Happy motoring!

——————-

Resources to learn more about road closures in your area:

WSDOT – Northwest (includes King County)

WSDOT – Olympic Region (includes Pierce County)

King County Road Services (Traffic Alerts, Construction Updates, etc.)

City of Kent Public Works Projects

Covington Public Works Projects

Though I don’t consider myself a diehard coffee drinker – I prefer the “foo-foo” coffee drinks like mochas, lattes and frappucinos – I’ve always loved Starbucks. I was in the Covington Starbucks on Tuesday to meet a client, and I discovered I had left my wallet at home. I brought my laptop, but no cash. Unable to order, I sat down to wait for my client. I didn’t want to tell her what I’d done, so we just started our meeting.

When the barista brought over my client’s drink, she also brought me a full-sized strawberry Vivano “as a sample” on the house. It was such a nice surprise and I really appreciated it, especially on such a hot summer day. Afterward, I went over to thank the baristas behind the counter, and they just smiled and said they were happy to do it. It is hard to find service like that these days, so thank you, Covington Starbucks. I hope to pay it forward soon!

The Salvation Army in Kent is holding a “Back to School” school supplies drive from August 1 through 31. Please help support local low-income families by donating school supplies. This is particularly important this year as the economy takes it toll on area residents and unemployment continues to grow.

Supplies needed for Kent, Auburn, Covington, Algona and Pacific area schools:

Wide rule paper
Pencils & pens
Glue
Backpacks
Crayons
Erasers
Wipes
Markers
Calculators
And more…!

The Salvation Army has a detailed supply list by age group. To sign-up or to make a donation, call the Kent Salvation Army office at 253-852-4983, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 2 pm.

Thank you for supporting our children!

Shirley Harris
Kent Service Coordinator
Kent Salvation Army

Thursday, May 14
6:30 to 8:00 PM
The Bouncy Place, 22647 72nd Ave. S., Kent, WA  98032
253-872-2155

Cost:  $10 per child, includes bottle of water and an awareness bracelet

Come have fun bouncing with your families to support a local Covington boy, Gavin Carlone, diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Funds raised will provide ongoing medical care for Gavin.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately 1 in every 3,500 male births. Duchenne results in progressive loss of strength. The progressive muscle weakness leads to serious medical problems, particularly issues relating to the heart and lungs. Young men with Duchenne typically live into their late teens to early twenties.

With awareness and fundraising, there is hope for the future that maybe in a few short years, there may be a treatment for Gavin and thousands of boys like him.

Thanks for all of you who follow my blog. I apologize for not being more consistent lately, but with my wedding coming up on 2/14, I’ve had my hands full.

That doesn’t mean that things in Kent haven’t been hopping though! There is so much going on here. People are excited about the ShoWare Events Center, changes at Kent Station, the new Costco in nearby Covington and new shops going into downtown Kent.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Darren Motamedy, an award-winning jazz musician and band director for the Kent School Districts. He was not only talented, but he was also patient, kind, amusing and surprisingly humble. I can see why his students look up to him and how teaching them to play music is such a passion for him. Watch for my profile on him in an upcoming issue of Kent Magazine.