KentNow

Mayor's Good News, Splash Parks and the Olympics in Paris!

Thanks again for joining us on another KentNow episode! 
This week:
Mayor Ralph stops by with her good news report
Kerry O'Conner and Terry Jungman from our Kent Parks team talk about what's coming up at Uplands Playfield
Dylan High from the Greater Kent Historical Society talks about Experience Kent coming up in August. 
August has a plethora of events happening in Kent! 
Check out our social media platforms for all the details! 
 

Corn Days are BACK!

It's our favorite time of the year! Corn Days! 
Welcome back to KentNow!
This week on the pod:
Chief Padilla, Stacy Judd and Sara Wood from Kent PD talk about National Night Out
Tracy, Kyle and Josh talk about Cornucopia Days hitting downtown Kent this weekend.
Kent Summer Concerts are underway and so much more! 
Thanks for listening! 

Summa Summa Summertime!

How is June almost over?
Welcome back to Episode 13 of KentNow! 
This week, the KentNow team talks to Lucie Wu, Transportation Planning Technician in our Public Works Department. Lucie breaks down some of the transportation services available to residents in Kent. 
It's budget season, so we talk to Finance Director Paula Painter and Budget Manager Michelle Ferguson about the City of Kent budget and how the process works.
As always, we break down other things happening with the Kent City Council with the council recap. 
So many wonderful things to do in Kent this Summer, we go thru all the events for the next 2 weeks, and wrap things up with Maas's "Did you know?"
Have a happy and safe 4th of July! 

Water Wisely!

Welcome back to Episode 12! 
This week Josh, Kyle and Tracy bring back Tony Donati from the city's Public Works Department! He's bringing water conservation knowledge to the garden and drops some helpful hints on how you can cash in on some rebates! 
The team talks about our Kent Parks 4th of July Splash event at Lake Meridian, another Green Kent event coming up and rounding 3rd base with Kent Cornucopia Days in July! 
We would love your feedback, so drop us a line at Communications@kentwa.gov
 

Kent Summer Concerts are on the way!

Hello Friends! 
Welcome back to episode 11 of KentNow! 
Kyle is on PTO, so Kevin jumps in to keep Josh and Tracy on track! 
We have so much to talk about in this episode! Super excited to hear more about our Kent Summer Concert series with Ronda Billerbeck from our Cultural Programs Manager in our Kent Parks Department! The Kent Cornucopia 5k is a few short weeks away and Program Coordinator Mark Hendrickson talks about the history of the race and the cool new shirt this season! 
Recreation Facilities Manager Dave Heldt talks about the renovation happening at the Kent Commons, and Josh rounds it all out with the history of the Kent International Festival happening this weekend! 
Hope you enjoy the episode and leave us a comment and share it with your friends! 
 

Some of us are the picture of health.

Welcome back to Episode 10 of KentNow! 
Josh was out sick, so we had to call in reinforcements! Kevin and Maria joined Tracy and Kyle to discuss what's happening in Kent!
In this episode, we hear from Kristen Holdsworth from the Economic and Community Development team about the Kent Comprehensive Plan, Maria provides a recap from our Space for All event at ShoWare Center.
The team discusses the employee health fair and how some of us aren't healthy after all. 
Our "Did you know" touches on Bike Everywhere Month, and how Kent has some of the best trails to ride in South King County! 
You can always rate and leave a review for the pod! 
We welcome feedback too! Email us at Communications@KentWa.gov
 

It's so spacey!

Happy Thursday!
This week on KentNow, we are going OUT OF THIS WORLD 🌎
Josh, Tracy, and Kyle deep dive into Voyager 1 repairs, National Space Day, and the new Taylor Swift album. It will be a WILD Summer at the theater! So naturally there's discussion over the upcoming Planet of the Apes movie. 
Speaking of movies, join us at Kherson Park (307 W Gowe St, Kent, WA 98032)  8 p.m. Friday night for an out-of-this-world experience. 
7:00 - 9:30 pm: Feast on some delicious arepas from Paparepa's food trailer, and fuel up for an evening of cosmic exploration.
7:30 - 8:30 pm: The Seattle Astronomical Society will be on hand with their telescope, offering breathtaking views of the cosmos. Plus, thanks to Blue Origin's Club for the Future, you'll have the unique opportunity to send a postcard to space, making your mark on the final frontier.
8:30 pm: Settle in as the stars come out for our movie screening of "A Million Miles Away"
 
It's all space in Kent this weekend, as we kick off National Space Day! Guests include:
Somen Palit from IT on how STEM continues to evolve and what roles it plays here in the City of Kent. 
Race and Equity coordinator Maria Tizoc talks about retired NASA astronaut Jose M. Hernandez who will be speaking at our Space for All event Saturday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at accesso ShoWare Center 
Hope you love the episode, and we will see you this weekend! 

Mayor Ralph Weekly Update April 26, 2024

We are trying something new!
If you're not already signed up for Mayor Ralph's weekly newsletter, sign up here! 
OR just listen!
Thanks for listening! 

Allergy season is here! Happy Earth Day!

Welcome back to KentNow! 
This week Josh, Tracy, and Kyle talked to Rob Brown the Transportation Engineering Manager from the Kent Public Works Department on road safety in Kent, and Scott Schroder and Bryce Mireles from Vegetation Management. 
So many fun activities happening for Earth Day in Kent! Make sure you check out our social media platforms to learn more on how you can get involved! 
 
Have a great Earth Day!

ICYMI - Mayor Dana Ralph's State of the City address.

Welcome back to episode 5.5 where we bring you Mayor Dana Ralph's State of the City address at Kent Meridian High School, Thursday, March 21st. 
We set you up with what to expect and dive right into her speech! 
Next week, we will highlight some high-level topics and have a few special guests. 
Thanks for listening!