To the Federal Way Mirror:

As mayor of our beloved City of Federal Way, I congratulate all of you at the Federal Way Mirror upon the 20th anniversary of the newspaper, and I thank you for the incredibly hard work you do every single day.

A community newspaper like yours is vital to the health of a community and to local government. It serves as a forum for the whole community and as an accountability vehicle for local elected officials.

As your name implies, the Mirror serves as a reflection of the entire community. You provide a voice for the otherwise voiceless. You act as a cheerleader for our too-often-unsung heroes and when necessary as a constructive critic of our leaders, myself included.

You have helped me become a better mayor, and even when I cannot come to agree with something you have written, I always remember the words Evelyn Beatrice Hall used when explaining the philosophy of the great Enlightenment historian and philosopher Voltaire, famous for his advocacy of freedom of speech: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

You are the only source of information out there on local news, events, happenings, and milestones. You air our issues and our concerns. You serve as the glue that holds our community together. You help inform us so that we can make our community better, and you make us feel proud about all our community is accomplishing. You make us proud. It is often said that our newspapers write the first draft of history.

As we move forward, you tell the story of Federal Way hour-by-hour, day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, and year-by-year. All of us in Federal Way owe you a debt of gratitude for the great job you do and for your dedication to the truth. Congratulations again!

Sincerely,

Jim Ferrell, Mayor, City of Federal Way