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BY JACINDA HOWARD

jhoward@federalwaymirror.com

City leaders’ upcoming trip to South Korea will serve a dual purpose.

O� cials head to South Korea at the end of March to celebrate Federal Way’s relationship with one of its two sister cities.

While overseas, local notables will also showcase Federal Way as a place to

invest economically.Each year, Federal Way

visits with its sister cities: Donghae, South Korea, and Hachinohe, Japan. A small group of city leaders and sta� either travel abroad to the sister cities or play host to leaders who come here. � is year will vary slightly from past years. Federal Way will only visit Donghae, due to scheduling con� icts with Hachinohe.

� e trip will have special signi� cance. Federal Way and Donghae will celebrate three anniversaries. � is year, Federal Way turns 20, Donghae turns 30 and the sisterhood between the two cities enters its 10th year.

� e visit will be marked by cultural experiences. Leaders will also network and share problem-solving ideas, economic develop-ment director Patrick

Doherty said.Additionally, time will

be set aside to educate the South Korean population on investment opportuni-ties in Federal Way.

Foreign investmentSouth Koreans are gener-

ally aware of Federal Way because of its large Korean population, Doherty said. However, they are not likely aware of the bene� ts they

could get by investing here, he said. A� er spending time in Donghae, Federal Way’s representatives will travel to Seoul. � ere, they will host a marketing event likely to include food, video, presen-tations and printed materi-als displaying Federal Way’s economic projects and the city’s room for growth.

Koreans are looking to invest, Doherty said. � e South Korean economy

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MIRRORYOU’LL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR | 50¢

LITERACY | Celebrate Literacy Month and check out a special section [9-20]

CRIME BLOTTER | Bystanders tackle and detain suspect in robbery [3]

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OPINION | Roegner: Treadmill tales include kudos for local sex columnist [4] Editorial: Green cards talk as loud as money [4] FIRE MARSHAL | How a � re� ghter answered a “call to duty” [3]

CALENDAR | Upcoming events include a free SAT information seminar [ONLINE]

Trip to South Korea includes sales pitch for investors

[ more KOREA page 2]

BY JACINDA HOWARD

jhoward@federalwaymirror.com

Counterfeit bills are being used to do business across Federal Way.

Beginning in October, reports of subjects pass-ing or attempting to pass counterfeit currency began showing up in the Federal Way police crime log. Since that time, multiple instanc-es of counterfeiting have been reported to police each month. � e majority of the reports list the fake cash as $50 bills. On several occasions, the bills have been used to pay for food or electronic goods.

Counterfeiting money is one of the oldest crimes in United States history, according to the U.S. Secret Service, which investigates counterfeiting. � e crime is a federal felony.

“Whoever, with intent to defraud, falsely makes,

forges, counterfeits, or alters any obligation or other security of the United States, shall be � ned under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both,” according to United States Code, Title 18, Sec-tion 471.

Local incidentsIn Federal Way, food ven-

ues are getting hit the hard-est, according to the police log. Individuals accepting cash for other services, including electronic goods have also been targeted. Following is a sample of counterfeiting incidents reported to Federal Way police:

• At 7:07 p.m. Feb. 9 in the 34900 block of Enchant-ed Parkway South, a suspect attempted to pass a fake $50 to pay for food ordered by phone.

Counterfeiters spread bogus bills across city

[ more FIRE page 3 ]

BY KYRA LOW

klow@federalwaymirror.com

� ey may not be politi-cians, but � re� ghters at South King Fire and Rescue have a vested interest in what goes on at the state Legislature.

� e department is watch-ing several bills closely this session, and Chief Al Church testi� ed on Monday about one of them. Church regularly reports back to the board of commissioners on the status of these bills. � e board and the depart-ment selected these bills to watch when the session started.

The bills• House Bill 1080: Th is

would allow impact fees to be used for all � re protec-tion facilities. � is would include � re districts that are

Fire chief keeps an eye on Olympia

BIRTHDAY |Federal Way marks 20 years of cityhood with a weekend of celebrations Feb. 26-28.[SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE]

seems to be bouncing back quicker than the U.S. econ-omy, creating a situation that is favorable to foreign investors, Doherty said.

“Folks with money from other countries are viewing

[ more COUNTERFEIT page 2]

Thomas Je� erson High School senior Kyle McIntosh hugs Raider head coach Jess Workman after winning the 145-pound championship at the 2010 Mat Classic state wrestling meet Saturday inside the Tacoma Dome Saturday. McIntosh � nished 37-1 on the season. See pages 7-8

and 21-23 in today’s Mirror for a roundup of last weekend’s prep sporting events, including wrestling, swimming, gymnastics and basketball. CASEY OLSON, The Mirror

Embracinga champion

[2] www.federalwaymirror.comFebruary 24, 2010

$50 bill.Counterfeiting is not

unique to Federal Way, said Bob Kierstead, U.S. Secret Service assistant special agent in charge for the Seattle field office.

“It’s a fairly regular activity from the Western Washington area,” he said.

Passing the billOften counterfeiters

try to purchase relatively inexpensive items, using a larger bill in hopes of getting genuine cash back, Kierstead, said. The suspect tests his or her luck, pass-ing bills here and there to see which establishments will accept the bogus cash, he said. The most popular counterfeit currencies are $20 bills, followed by $100 bills, he said.

With the emergence of new technologies, counter-feiting is easier today than it was in the past, Kierstead

said. Years ago, the crime usually called for a person skilled in printing, he said. Today, many counterfeiters use copy machines or ink jet printers to do their dirty work, he said.

“Now, anybody can at least try their hand at it,” Kierstead said.

Detecting fake billsThe United States has

taken several measures to protect its currency against counterfeiting. Each bill, with the exception of the $1 bill, includes 18 security features, Kierstead said. Discoloration; blurred details in the treasury seals, border or serial number; uneven spacing in the serial number; a flat or lifeless looking portrait; and paper that does not feature tiny red and blue fibers embed-ded in it are signs a bill is counterfeit, according to the U.S. Secret Service

Web page: www.secretser-vice.gov/money_detect.shtml. The vertical security thread, located to the right of the portrait, should list a denomination equal to that found at the corners of the bill, Kierstead said. Ad-ditionally, on genuine bills, the facial depiction will feature a texture, Federal Way police Cmdr. Chris Norman said.

Learn moreVisit the United States

Secret Service Web page at www.secretservice.gov/know_your_money.shtml.

Check it outFollowing are 2009 coun-

terfeiting statistics provided by the U.S. Secret Service:

• Roughly $874 billion in U.S. genuine currency is in fluctuation at any given time worldwide.

• $69.1 million in coun-terfeit currency was passed domestically; $4.3 million in counterfeit currency was passed overseas.

• $7.6 million in coun-terfeit currency was seized domestically before going into circulation.

• $101.2 million in coun-terfeit currency was seized overseas before going into circulation.

2012 PG-13 12:40, 4:00, 8:00THE ROAD R 11:55, 2:15, 4:35, 7:15, 9:35PLANET 51 PG 12:20, 2:10, 4:20, 7:20, 9:15THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG G 12:35, 2:40, 4:50, 7:00, 9:10DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGAN’S PG-13 2:20, 7:05

TWILIGHT: NEW MOON PG-13 12:00, 3:00, 6:50, 9:40EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES PG 12:20, 2:25, 4:40, 7:10, 9:20BROTHERS R 12:05, 4:40, 9:25COUPLES RETREAT PG-13 2:05, 7:00ARMORED PG-13 12:15, 4:30, 9:30

You Are Invited!Please join the Federal Way Mirror

in celebrating the “Best Of”

Winners will be showcasing their productsand services starting at 5:30 p.m.Awards Presentation: 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 • 5:30 p.m.at The Commons at Federal Way (Outside Macy’s)

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this as a good time to invest in our country,” he said.

A main focus of the marketing event will be Federal Way’s newest economic leg-up on the competition. On Nov. 5, Federal Way was classified as a regional center — an area in need of economic growth. The label means the city can leverage the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program to attract foreign investors to Federal Way.

Foreign investors who pump a minimum of $1 million into Federal Way’s downtown and help to create at least 10 new local jobs are granted perma-nent U.S. residential status for two years through EB-5. Their spouses and unmarried children are also eligible for a visa, according to the U.S. Citi-zenship and Immigration Services

The money must go toward creating a new business, purchasing, re-structuring or reorganiz-ing an existing business to

create a new commercial enterprise, expanding an existing business’s jobs or net worth by 140 percent, or contributing to retain-ing all existing jobs in a business that has lost 20 percent of its net worth in the past two years.

“This is an opportunity for an investment, what-ever kind of investment it may be,” Doherty said.

Already, the EB-5 program has been ben-eficial to Federal Way. Twin Development LLC announced this month it plans to capitalize on the program to build a 45-sto-ry mixed use building, including retail, a hotel, restaurants, conference center, day spa, public plaza and residences, at the old Azteca restaurant site, 31740 23rd Ave. S.

Doherty said he’s received other phone calls from developers show-ing interest in EB-5, but nothing has gone public yet. People are becoming aware of it, he said.

“There’s a lot of interest on the part of Korean investors,” Doherty said.

[ KOREA from page 1]

• At 3:44 p.m. Feb. 4 at 2302 S. 320th St., a witness reported a suspect attempt-ed to pay for food with a photocopy of a $50 bill.

• At 10:54 p.m. Jan. 25 at 2109 SW 336th St., a sus-pect fled after trying to pass a fake $50 bill at Safeway. Prior to fleeing, the suspect was questioned about the bill.

• At 7:54 p.m. Dec. 27 at 1600 S.W. 312th St., an unknown male presented a counterfeit $10 to pay for his gasoline. An employee confiscated the money and the subject paid by other means. The employee did not believe the man knew the bill was fake.

• At 4:46 p.m. Dec. 26 at 1928 S. Commons, 13 counterfeit bills were passed at various locations at the mall.

• At 8:11 p.m. Dec. 11 at 35105 Enchanted Parkway South, four suspects dined at Puerto Vallarta. One paid for the meals with two $50 bills that were later discov-ered to be counterfeit.

• At 3:30 p.m. Nov. 23 in the 31600 block of Pacific Highway South, a victim reported that he sold a gaming console for $300 to unknown suspects. He later discovered the money he received for the item was counterfeit.

• At 4:13 p.m. Nov. 20 at 2201 S. Commons Way, a victim reported a suspect paid him for a gaming con-sole, controllers and several video games with $400 in counterfeit money.

• At 3:20 a.m. Oct. 30 in the 900 block of SW 312th St., a cab driver flagged down police and reported three males left the driver’s cab after they attempted to pay for the services with a $50 bill that appeared to be counterfeit.

• At 2:38 p.m. Oct. 17 at 2300 S.W. 336th St., a suspect attempted to pay for items at Kentucky Fried Chicken with a counterfeit

[ COUNTERFEIT from p. 1]

Fake bills circulate across Federal Way

City leaders court foreign investors

A real $50 bill. Note the various color markings. GOOGLE IMAGES

Twin Development LLC announced this month it plans to capitalize on the program to build a 45-story mixed use building (artist rendition shown here), including retail, a hotel, restaurants, conference center, day spa, public plaza and residences, at the old Azteca restaurant site, 31740 23rd Ave. S. COURTESY IMAGE

Federal Way turns 20This weekend, Federal Way marks 20 years of

cityhood with three days worth of celebrations. For a complete listing of these events, please see the special section inside. This section was to be delivered on Feb. 20, but due to a production error, it is being delivered in its entirety today. The Mirror apologizes for the inconvenience.

AVID essay writing contestHere’s a list of winning students from the Federal Way

School District’s recent AVID essay writing contest.High school winners: Jake Henderson, first place;

Dominique Maxie, second place; Aliya Lewis, third.Middle school winners: Crystal Smith, first place; Joe

Kauffman, second place; Heather Morris, third.