Maple Valley is one of the 10 Best Towns for Families (Seattle: low income, crime)

[Boxkicker]

According to Family Circle Magazine....

Full story here 10 Best Towns for Families: 2011

Maple Valley, Washington

Population: 20,537
Median Income: $80,196
Median Home Price: $279,995
Households with Kids: 51%
Student/Teacher Ratio: 21:1
Great Schools Rating: 9
There are times when Brenda Habenicht, 46, just can't make it to parent-teacher conferences for her kids—Lindsey, 16, and Alex, 13. No worries. Chances are she'll run into their instructors around town—and get a full progress report. "One Saturday I had a 20-minute conversation at the market with Lindsey's history teacher," she says. "Another night we were at a school rally when Alex's math instructor came over to tell me that he had gotten a perfect score on a test." That kind of dedication is just one reason why Brenda and her husband, Brett, 44, who own a coffee-roasting business, love this Seattle suburb. Another is Maple Valley's top-rated Tahoma school district, where students score among the top 10% in the state. Homes are affordable, and despite more than doubling its population in the last 14 years, the town retains its rustic charm. The Habenichts often go hiking, fishing and boating at Lake Wilderness, a 117-acre park with a spectacular shoreline, towering evergreen forests and meandering pathways. "You can see bald eagles, blue herons, bears and elk up close," says Brenda. "But it's not one thing that makes living here special. It's the natural beauty combined with a strong sense of community—plus, we're only 40 minutes away from Seattle or Tacoma. It's an unbeatable combo."
Good Deeds
The Maple Valley Rotary Club, which raises some $100,000 for charity every year, recently donated $50,000—and recruited hundreds of volunteer workers—to refurbish a gym for a nearby town.

[Boxkicker]

Family Circle magazine has selected Maple Valley for its annual top 10 best towns and cities in the country for families.

The city will be featured in an article that hits news stands today, Tuesday, July 5.

Maple Valley was selected because it fit the survey criteria which analyzed 2,500 cities and towns with populations between 15,000 and 150,000.

"It's a great opportunity to let the entire region know about Maple Valley," said Tahoma School District spokesman Kevin Patterson. "This is an acknowledgement that the community is doing things the right way. The school district doesn't promote itself as a destination, we're not out recruiting students, but, something like this does help to reinforce what we're trying to do and that is create a quality learning system."

One of the things considered by Family Circle in its survey was the quality of the school district.

In addition magazine staff considered other criteria that made a city "family friendly," such as affordable homes, access to health care, green space, a low crime rate and financial stability.

From that, cities were ranked and a list of finalists was created, then magazine staff did additional research including interviews with residents of each city.

Thanks to suggestions by Sue VanRuff, the Maple Valley-Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce executive director, and Maple Valley City Manager David Johnston, Brett and Brenda Habenicht were interviewed by Family Circle.
VanRuff wrote in an email that it was significant Maple Valley "attracted the attention of a magazine on the east coast."

"One important factor in the selection was based on the family interview," VanRuff wrote. "The family played a very important role in articulating the merits of Maple Valley and conveying the passion they have for their home town. We know it is a great place to live but the affirmation is something to be celebrated."

And for Johnston, who was hired in part to help with economic development in Maple Valley, said it was significant to be recognized.

"It's quite an honor that folks away from Maple Valley, actually away from the Pacific Northwest, have noticed what a great place Maple Valley is to live and go to school," Johnston said. "To have something such as a national magazine give us this honor is quite rewarding. More people will know about us nationally, what we have to offer. We can use it in economic development because quality of life is a major part of this award and we have something tangible to put in front of investors."

More than that, though, Johnston said, it's "a good shot in the arm" after Maple Valley has weathered the economic downturn along with the rest of the country.

"It's also good for the region, for people to take a whole new look at Maple Valley as part of the Seattle-Tacoma metro area," he said. "They'll find out what we've been saying and what Family Circle is saying is that it is a great place."

Read more: Maple Valley make top 10 list of best towns and cities in the country for families by Family Circle magazine - seattlepi.com

[tickyul]

Maple Valley is great......wait until Big Brother forces a bunch of low income housing on it........then it will look just like Rentonadelphia.