Good morning! Grand openings, gatherings and golf were on the agenda this week. 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend.

~ Dana

Half Lion Public House – a great addition to Riverbend!

I am really excited about Half Lion coming to Kent. This is Half Lion’s second location; their first is a brewery in Sumner. The Kent Public House opened earlier this month, and it held its Grand Opening and ribbon cutting last night. With giveaways and golf-related games and contests, it was a fun celebration! If you haven’t been there yet, Half Lion Public House is a great new addition to the Riverbend Golf Complex.

Half Lion is open daily. They offer lunch and dinner, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings, they open early to serve breakfast – a perfect start to the weekend whether you’re golfing at Riverbend or running errands around town. They are family-friendly and serve a full menu of classic American fare, including everything from burgers and meal baskets to soups, salads and sandwiches. They offer a rotating selection of handcrafted Half Lion brews, ciders and a non-alcoholic root beer. Golfers will be glad to hear they will also be operating a beverage cart service on the course very soon! Lots of good stuff.

South County Mayors’ Meeting

Earlier this week, I was proud to host some of our South King County mayors at Half Lion, to show off the new restaurant and catch up on issues impacting all of our cities. Thanks to all the mayors that joined me! Working together makes us all stronger.

• Algona Mayor David Hill
• Black Diamond Mayor Carol Benson
• Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner
• Enumclaw Mayor Jan Molinaro
• Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell
• Maple Valley Mayor Sean Kelly
• Pacific Mayor Leanne Guier
• Renton Mayor Denis Law
• SeaTac Mayor Erin Sitterly
• Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg

Congratulations to Riverbend on 30 years!

On June 10, we celebrated Riverbend’s 30^th anniversary! If you haven’t played the course, it runs along the Green River and has beautiful views of Mount Rainier. Here are some other fun facts about Kent’s very own municipal course:

• On the course’s 30^th anniversary, 300 rounds of golf were played at $15 (the same as price as opening day in 1989).
• The Riverbend Golf Complex features a 6,663-yard, 18-hole golf course, a covered driving range, an 18-hole miniature golf course and a discount golf center for all your golfing needs.
• In 2018, golfers played 60,000 rounds.
• In 2018, 5 million driving range balls were hit, and 6,000 mini putt rounds were played.
• There is a nest of eagles behind the 7^th hole that has a following all its own!
• The course is conveniently located along the Green River Trail and across the street from Hogan Park on Russell Road.

Riverbend Golf Course is a wonderful community asset, and I hope you will get a chance to check it out this summer as we celebrate its 30^th year!