Opinion

Email editor@kentreporter.com

For every vote to count, Kent needs district-based elections | Guest column

By Mónica Mendoza-Castrejón Guest Column If you’re a community member here in Kent who’s thinking of running for public office, you’ll be told a variation… Continue reading

  • Feb 8, 2023
Email editor@kentreporter.com
Keith Livingston is a retired municipal management professional, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident. He can be reached at keithlivingstondesign@gmail.com.

Homeowner’s behavior toward waste worker is pure garbage | Livingston

I recently witnessed an interaction between a homeowner trying to deal with having his green bin container picked up by Waste Management. The driver of… Continue reading

Keith Livingston is a retired municipal management professional, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident. He can be reached at keithlivingstondesign@gmail.com.
Cartoon by Frank Shiers

Go Seahawks! | Cartoon by Frank Shiers

Cartoon by Frank Shiers… Continue reading

  • Jan 13, 2023
Cartoon by Frank Shiers
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.

America needs ‘all of the above’ energy approach | Brunell

In 2023, one of the most significant shifts America needs is to return to an “all of the above” strategy that expands our energy options… Continue reading

  • Jan 7, 2023
  • By Don C. Brunell
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.
Cartoon by Frank Shiers

Welcome to the big show, Dori | Shiers

From cartoonist Frank Shiers: You probably know that I worked at KIRO Radio for 17 years with Dori, among others. His conservative-leaning opinions were certainly… Continue reading

  • Jan 6, 2023
Cartoon by Frank Shiers
Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.

‘I must have driven through a barn’ and other stories of grace | Whale’s Tales

My brother, Jack, and I were jabbering on Christmas Eve about all the things we’ve done in our lives that we improbably survived. Many of… Continue reading

Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.
Keith Livingston is a retired municipal management professional, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident. He can be reached at keithlivingstondesign@gmail.com.

Let’s say our 8 billionth person was born in South King County | Livingston

The United Nations announced Nov. 8 that the world had just welcomed its 8 billionth human passenger. As Earth’s human population keeps growing, we need… Continue reading

Keith Livingston is a retired municipal management professional, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident. He can be reached at keithlivingstondesign@gmail.com.
Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.

When old age asks the new year for a dance | Whale’s Tales

One of the important lessons the dawning of each new year has taught me is the futility of making New Year’s resolutions. My track record… Continue reading

Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.

Wreaths honor veterans at cemeteries across America | Brunell

The holiday season is an especially difficult time for anyone grieving lost loved ones. Evergreen wreaths placed on veterans’ graves across America help to ease… Continue reading

  • Dec 24, 2022
  • By Don C. Brunell
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.
Hilde at her 103rd birthday party. Photo by Alex Bruell.

Lessons from Hilde, who fled Nazi Germany for a better life

Here’s a few things my great-aunt would have liked you to know.

Hilde at her 103rd birthday party. Photo by Alex Bruell.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.

Highs and lows of brick-and-mortar holiday shopping | Brunell

The good news is, despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing online as well as making in-store purchases. The National… Continue reading

Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.
Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.

Thanksgiving and the Whale kitchen’s eternal warmth | Whale’s Tales

Looking today at the North Auburn home in which I grew up fills me with wonder. As in, I wonder how in the heck we… Continue reading

Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.
Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.

The ‘ignoranting’ of Americans in the age of false narratives | Whale’s Tales

Many sweeping generalizations stalk our land today, making no distinctions between diverse people and institutions, but lumping them into one steaming mass. Of course, we… Continue reading

Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.

Honoring fallen heroes goes beyond lowering flags to half-mast | Brunell

Lowering our flags to half-staff is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes, whether they be men and women in our armed forces or… Continue reading

Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact thebrunells@msn.com.
Cartoon by Frank Shiers

Thank you for your service | Cartoon

Cartoon by Frank Shiers… Continue reading

  • Nov 11, 2022
Cartoon by Frank Shiers
Cartoon by Frank Shiers

Political commercial overload | Cartoon

Cartoon by Frank Shiers… Continue reading

  • Nov 4, 2022
Cartoon by Frank Shiers
Cartoon by Frank Shiers
Cartoon by Frank Shiers
Keith Livingston is a retired municipal management professional, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident. He can be reached at keithlivingstondesign@gmail.com.

Are South King County’s poverty problems here to stay? | Livingston

What does success look like? To our current community leaders, we must look pretty good. We have essential services being done, parks, police working hard,… Continue reading

Keith Livingston is a retired municipal management professional, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident. He can be reached at keithlivingstondesign@gmail.com.
Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.

The cost we pay for having a marketplace of ideas | Whale’s Tales

Ah, the internet, the internet, let us count the many blessings of the internet. As the internet means one thing to this guy and something… Continue reading

Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@soundpublishing.com.
Cartoon by Frank Shiers

Cartoon: What a difference four dry months make

Cartoon by Frank Shiers… Continue reading

  • Oct 21, 2022
Cartoon by Frank Shiers