Coffee and Conversation
Happy Friday, Kent!
The sunshine has been quite nice the past few days! I hope you took a moment to get out and enjoy it!
I wanted to invite you to join us at the Kent Senior Center for another Coffee and Conversations. Bring your questions, concerns, or compliments!
📅 Thursday, March 13 🕖 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 📍 Kent Senior Center 600 E. Smith St
Hope you enjoy the update and have a great weekend.
Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor
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Don't forget that we're springing forward this weekend! Daylight saving time in Washington will begin at 2 a.m. on Sunday. |
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Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims across the world.
Eid Mubarak to our neighbors celebrating this weekend! 🌙✨🕌
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Queen Safa Market & Deli is a new family-owned international market located at 23424 Pacific Hwy S.
Last weekend, Chief Padilla and I helped cut the ribbon for their grand opening. Their goal is to be a "one stop shop" for everything from groceries and baked goods to household items including beautiful rugs made in Afghanistan.
Queen Safa Market is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood! I definitely recommend stopping by.
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Wednesday night, I had the honor of attending the Women in Aerospace dinner. Celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments and resilience of women in the aerospace community was truly a pleasure.
It was a blast!
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Thursday, I spoke at the Kent Chamber of Commerce State of the City luncheon.
We discussed how we are focused on stabilizing our business community and are working with local, regional, and state partners to leverage every resource available to increase public safety.
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State of the City
We are just a few short weeks away from my State of the City address.
We hope you will join us Thursday, March 21 at Kent-Meridian High School. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. address starts at 7 p.m.
I'm looking forward to sharing stories of our success, what we've accomplished and what's on the horizon.
Cider and Ale Trail
Tonight is the Kent Downtown Partnership Cider and Ale Trail!
There will be some of the best beer and cider brewers, and distilleries together for a fantastic night of tasting, live music, dining and shopping in historic downtown Kent.
📅 Tonight ⌚ 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 📍 Historic Downtown Kent
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Catch the T-birds game tonight against the Spokane Chiefs at 7:05 p.m. or 5:05 p.m. Sunday against the Tri-City Americans at accesso ShoWare Center! Go Birds!
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Kids Art Day
Who’s joining us for Kent Kids’ Arts Day? This crafty event returns to the Kent Commons Community Center tomorrow!
Come and celebrate with over 12 different hands-on projects lead by professional artists. Get your hands dirty with the hands in wax project or get creative with some favorite traditional projects.
The stage will be going all day with music from local performers, and we will have food trucks on site. Volunteers are needed to help out with hands-on projects. Come on down and have some fun while giving back!
📅 Tomorrow ⌚ 10 a.m - 3 p.m. 📍 Kent Commons
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Kent Station is having their fun and free family cocoa crawl. Bring a donation for Vine Maple Place to Mama Stortini’s to get your first clue and a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize!
Hold onto your raffle ticket, and they will pick a winner on the Kent Station Cocoa Crawl FB event page!
Here's more information on how you can join the cocoa crawl fun!
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Kent City Council
Here's the recap on what the Kent City Council has been working on!
  You can also see the full meeting agendas, minutes and livestream recordings on our website.
As a reminder, the council has switched back to the Committee of the Whole format, so business that was previously discussed at meetings throughout the week is back to being before our regularly scheduled Workshop and council meetings.
Block Watch 101
Interested in starting a Neighborhood Block Watch or revitalizing an old one? Come learn how to start a Block Watch from Kent PD's Community Education Unit and Neighborhood Response Team! To register, send us an email!
West Hill/Valley: Sara Wood swood@kentwa.gov East Hill: Stacy Judd sjudd@kentwa.gov
📅 Tuesday, March 12 ⌚ 6:30 p.m.- 8 p.m. 📍 Kent Police Training Center (24523 116th Ave SE)
Business Summit
 The Kent Police Neighborhood Response Team will be holding another Business Crime Prevention Summit at the Accesso ShoWare Center.
It's your chance to hear from Kent officers and the Community Education Unit on general safety and crime prevention tips impacting Kent businesses.
There will be a question-and-answer session so you leave with all of the safety and prevention information you can use to prevent crime.
Must be a Kent business owner, manager, or employee.
📅 Thursday, April 25 ⌚ 9 a.m. - Noon 📍 Accesso ShoWare Center
RSVP required to swood@kentwa.gov
Target Zero
We are developing an action plan to improve transportation safety in Kent, working toward eliminating fatalities and serious injuries due to crashes.
Please take this brief survey to share your experience on city streets and areas you feel may be unsafe.
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Green Kent is BACK!
Get outside and give back to the community as a volunteer through hands-on environmental conservation with our GREEN KENT program!
Events will be held from April to November at a variety of locations across our Parks system.
Volunteers at Green Kent events will work to help us keep our parks healthy and thriving, as well as learn valuable information about our natural areas and local environmental conservation efforts. And for students, these events provide a great opportunity for them to complete required community service hours!
Registration is NOW OPEN for all 2024 events!
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Annual Diaper Drive
Help us collect diapers and wipes for the 10th Annual March for Diapers Drive. During March, donate diapers and wipes at Kent City Hall during business hours.
Every year, the City of Kent joins other South King County cities in collecting diapers and wipes for babies in need.
We have set up a Diaper Corral in City Hall Lobby to collect donations until March 29. We are asking for any child diapers preemie to size 6, as well as pullups and baby wipes. We will take half used packages too!
Two outstanding organizations that serve Kent that will receive donations from this drive are: Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN) & Kent's Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC).
Drinks in the Driveway
Drinks in the Driveway was such a huge success, that we have opened up dates for Spring and Summer.
Chief Padilla, Public Works Director Chad Bieren and I visit local neighborhoods and councils to discuss issues they are facing and keeping our community safe. We bring the soft drinks; you bring the conversation.
If you would like to reserve one of the spots, sign up here!
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The KentWorks app lets you access information and improve your neighborhood and community by reporting non-emergency issues to the city.
You can request a service, report a problem and find information about the City of Kent all from your mobile device in just a few taps!
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We're hiring! Check out our featured jobs and find great opportunities on our hiring page at jobs.kentwa.gov
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Check out the Eagle Loop! It's one of the Kent Valley Loop Trails, and is a mostly flat 13-mile route on multiuse trails. Check out the whole route map! |
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Have you seen what’s new at 4th & Willis?
The City’s Willis Street Greenway Sculpture Exhibition is a juried, two year-long exhibition located in the newly renovated greenways along the north and south sides of Willis Street near the 4th Ave roundabout.
Twelve applications were received for the inaugural exhibition and a jury selected sculptures from artists Sophia A. Hatzikos and Matt Babcock.
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We are super excited to announce there will be a “People’s Choice” vote held online throughout the duration of this exhibition. The winning sculptor will receive a “$1,000 People’s Choice Prize.” I encourage you to take a look at them and vote! |
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Parks Spring/Summer Guide
A new season of fun is right around the corner! Our 2024 Spring/Summer Recreation Guides will land in your mailbox soon.
From preschool classes and free summer concerts to youth sports and programs for adults aged 50 and older, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy!
Registration opens Tuesday, March 12 at 8 a.m.
Registration for Adaptive Recreation opens Wednesday, March 13 at 8 a.m.
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With input from you, our Park Planning & Development team has developed a Draft Framework Plan that will help guide the future of Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park.
The draft plan, and an incredible graphic novel that was developed to help visualize the future of this incredible park and natural area, is available online to view now. Make your voice heard and provide your feedback on the plan online today.
Leave your feedback by Tuesday, March 19, 2024, and make your voice heard!
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Houseplants can help keep the air in your home free of contaminants, relax us and beautify our environment.
Saturday, you can learn about best soil, pot, plant choices for your home and practice potting up small starts into a larger container to take home with you. Buying small starts saves money and gives you the fun of growing plants in your home!
📅 Tomorrow ⌚ 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. 📍 Panther Lake Library (20500 108th Avenue SE)
Sponsored by the Friends of the Kent Libraries.
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The Kent Parks ShoWalk program is a free, indoor walking program offering a warm and dry place to walk and stay active during the cold, wet months.
Check out the schedule here!
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Get your furry friends licensed with Regional Animal Services of King County to help get them back to you if they're ever lost!
Your license also helps fund RASKC's life-saving animal shelter work. They reunite lost pets 24/7 and provide shelter pet care 365 days a year.
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Don't forget to check out the KentNOW podcast! This week, Sara Wood and Stacy Judd from the Kent PD Community Education team talk about Block Watch 101 and Kyle Nearhood Parks and Rec Supervisor talks about the Spring/Summer guide in your mailbox now! Check out the new season now! 🔊 Apple Podcasts apple.co/3J2UMkd 🔊 Spotify spoti.fi/3GNCeli 🔊 Amazon Music amzn.to/3jjaOvU |
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