This isn’t something I like to dwell on, but it’s important. Back in 1995, when The Lakewood Journal endorsed cityhood, I misled voters. I didn’t do it on purpose, but the outcome was the same. At the time, I assured readers that if the new city proposed changes, good or bad, the public wouldn’t be […]
Letter: Why it’s so hard to have a discussion about land use?
One of the big challenges of talking about land use is that people talk at cross-purposes to each other. It’s almost as if the system is designed to create confusion and ensure money-making projects go through. But it also makes it personally frustrating for people concerned about land use. Let me explain. For Exhibit 1 […]
Apartments or Local Shops for Lakewood? Have Your Say at a Feb. 19 Public Hearing
The City of Lakewood is considering expanding its Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program, a policy that could significantly reshape the character of our community in specific parts of Gravelly Lake Drive and unspecified parts of Oakbrook, Springbrook and Tillicum. The Lakewood Planning Commission, which advises the City Council, is holding a public hearing on Feb. […]
Lakewood City Council: The Untold Story of What Happens Beyond Monday Nights
The majority of the Lakewood City Council recently decided to reduce its meetings from four Mondays a month to three. This decision prompts me to reflect on my own experiences as a council member and offer a practical perspective on what it means. We should be fine with it if council members had said, “We […]
The Untold Story of Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood: Battling Stigma, Saving History
“Timing is everything.” An exaggeration, you wonder? It depends on the subject. For example, let’s imagine John, Paul, George and Ringo had set up their amplifiers, drums and guitars outside the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 outside Westminster Abbey. Surely before they had finished “All My Loving” they would have been bundled up […]
Letter: Act by January 8, to let the Washington AG know that public records are important
Friends, today we widen our field of vision beyond Lakewood. We write today about open government in all of Washington. At the least, I hope this column educates you about work to keep government healthy and open. And perhaps some of you may write to the Attorney General by a deadline of Wednesday. Jan. 8, […]
Learning from the Past: Why Lakewood’s Heritage Needs a New Approach
One of the first things I ever wrote about Lakewood, back when we were all dodging pterodactyls and Moses hadn’t left for the journey yet, was about how a local government agency was hiding something from taxpayers. A big theme of the Lakewood Journal back in the day was that citizens should be informed of […]
Letter: Celebrating Native heritage in Lakewood is great for Fort Steilacoom Park in several ways
Sometimes, doing the right thing also brings added benefits — and that’s exactly what’s happening with an exciting new initiative at Fort Steilacoom Park. Let’s unroll some background to explain why. The park gets its name from an actual US Army fort, whose surviving 170-year-old buildings stand across Steilacoom Boulevard on the ‘front lawn’ of […]
A New Hope: Lakewood City Council shows restraint on the rush to apartments and condos
Years ago, the original Star Wars movie was renamed “A New Hope” when George Lucas decided to place it in the middle of a 9-episode saga. I wanted to share a small sign of new hope for Lakewood and development that balances community, small business and housing. The saga began last spring when the city […]