A new front in the city’s struggle to grow into a modern city while maintain a small-town image: a midnight curfew for minors. Undaunted by the failure of Sumner’s curfew attempt, which was struck down in 2003 as unconstitutional, Federal Way is looking to the examples of Auburn and Tacoma, which have curfews that remain in place — largely because they have not been challenged.

Curfew proponents are bolstered by the reports that juvenile crime in Tacoma was reduced in the years after the curfew was in place; though there is some question whether this really stopped crime, or merely moved it somewhere else.

Bottom line is, yes, even people under 18 have rights like the rest of us, and a city seeking to build real community would do well to protect them rather than attempt to infringe upon them. In the ideological fight between security and liberty, America is supposed to be the place where the latter reigns. Let’s teach our youth that lesson, instead of the lesson that restricting the liberties of others is a proper way to solve our problems.

The TNT reports on Federal Way City Council’s green light for red light cameras. The slated pilot intersections are two of the busiest (and most backed up): 320th/Pac Hwy (right downtown) and 348th/Enchanted Pkwy (down by the Crossings and Home Depot).

Makes me wonder if the city will ever decide to do something like, say, improving the traffic flow for those intersections so that they don’t attract so many backups. Which, naturally, would reduce the tendency for red-light-runners.

Methinks it’s time for a fourth I-5 ramp. Someone should determine where all the rush-hour 320th exit traffic actually goes, and plan a new ramp accordingly.

First it was the scourge of marker and paint, now it’s the scourge of plastic on wheels.

Red, blue and brown colored shopping carts can be seen littering street corners, bus stops and business parking lots in downtown Federal Way near Pacific Avenue South.

On Aug. 23, eight shopping carts could be seen on the corner of 20th Avenue South and South 330th Street.

The abandoned carts have been there for more than a week, said Joli Francis, who lives on the corner opposite the carts. Last week, 10 to 15 had accumulated on the same corner, she said.

It seems to me that, instead of focusing on trivialities, that Federal Way has more important issues to worry about. Like it’s constant internal cultural struggles, or it’s opponents of growth, or its lack of identity. Or even bad police officers.