Stories for Communities
Stage 1 burn ban issued for Pierce County at 4 p.m. today
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To protect public health from rising air pollution levels, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is issuing a Stage 1 burn ban in Pierce County, effective at 4 p.m. today. This ban is in effect until further notice.
Same sex marriage bill: Forum to discuss the effects for the people of Washington
Posted by | CommentsOn Feb. 1, the Washington State Senate passed a bill to make same-sex marriage legal in Washington. The measure now moves to the House, where supporters say they have the votes to pass it as early as next week. From there, Gov. Chris Gregoire has promised to sign it, making Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage.
But what does it mean to the citizens of the state? Some interesting consequences are tied to the measure.
A panel hosted by the Division of Student Affairs and the Diversity Resource Center will consider the consequences of making same-sex marriage legal in Washington at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 in William Philip Hall on the UW Tacoma campus. Read More→
Save the date: Lakewood Community Collaboration is Feb. 8
Posted by | CommentsBy Kim Dodds, Human Services Coordinator, City of Lakewood
Do you believe that humans are still victims of trafficking in the United States?
Are you asking: What is human trafficking?
This is just one of the presentations you will enjoy on February 8th when you attend the Collaboration. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. at Lakewood City Hall.
Stay tuned for more details throughout the week! Invite others to come!
Airport Advisory Commission applicants sought
Posted by | CommentsThe Thun Field Advisory Commission is seeking applicants to fill one position to represent South Hill residents on the commission. The commission meets bi-monthly to review issues related to the Pierce County Thun Field airport and other properties within 1,000 feet of the airport.
The unpaid positions require applicants to be current South Hill residents. The term expires April 12, 2016.
Applications are available here or by calling 253-798-4050. Go online to get more information about the Thun Field Advisory Commission.
For more information, please contact Deb Wallace, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities at 253-798-7109 or deb.wallace@co.pierce.wa.us.
2nd Stryker Brigade troops host G.I. Jane Day Friday
Posted by | CommentsThe Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will host a G.I. Jane Day, Friday, Feb. 3 to give Soldiers’ spouses, as well as other family members, a fun, yet challenging look into some of the ways their Soldiers train. Leaders from Company B, 1-17 Infantry, hope the G.I. Jane day will strengthen the bond between Soldiers and their families while helping them better understand what it means to be a Soldier.
Schedule of Events:
- 11 a.m. “Battle-Rattle” Dash
- 12 noon M4 carbine rifle and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon firing
- 1:30 p.m. Stryker rides and static display
Pets of the week
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Omar: 458824 Ormar is all muscle and a giant heart! He’s a 5 year old neutered pit bull and is looking for love and a home where he can get lots of play time! Omar loves to go for walks and is very treat motivated. He would do best in a home where he can work on his training and learn new tricks. He already knows how to ‘sit’. Omar does seem to have some allergies that cause the pads of his paws to swell. This will need to be monitored and hopefully his new family can find the cause and get him on a special diet.. Come meet this handsome boy today!
Meino: 458723 This pet of the week is a true kitty Casanova. Meino is a 2 year old black tabby with white. He’s a neutered male and would love a home in time for Valentine’s day. Meino came to the shelter as a stray and is now hanging out in our new Petunia Louise Community Cat Room. He LOVES napping in the window seat and people watching. He’s very playful and very affectionate. He can get a little rough at times when he plays and would do best in a home with older children. Come meet this handsome man today!
Contact The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, (253) 383-2733 for more information. You can now see all shelter pets online.
AD: Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity Changing Lives Luncheon
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Lakewood's January permit activity
Posted by | CommentsPermits for $418,526.60 worth of construction were issued during January 2012 by the City of Lakewood. The breakdown of issued permits by category is as follows:
- 16 building permits for construction valued at $378,326.60
- 1 demolition permit valued at $2,500
- 1 mobile home permit permits valued at $3,500
- 34 mechanical permits
- 13 plumbing permits
- 5 sign permits valued at $34,200
CP Rotary brings Snow White production to Southgate
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The cast of Snow White prior to a performance at the Lakewood Playhouse.
Southgate Elementary School students brought the magic of the classic children’s story, Snow White to life for their classmates, teachers and families, thanks to contributions by the Lakewood Playhouse and the Clover Park Rotary.
Beginning last fall, staff from the Playhouse tutored Southgate students in acting exercises. Once the basics were mastered, more than 175 students auditioned for 25 parts. Students performed two productions of Snow White at Southgate Jan. 27 and two additional community productions Jan. 28 at the Lakewood Playhouse.
“This opportunity gives our students confidence and widens their horizons,” said Becky Condra, reading interventionist. “Our students worked extremely hard to memorize their lines and ‘become’ their characters. I was absolutely amazed at how well they performed.”
The collaboration was born from an idea by Rotarian Ernie Heller, and started last school year with a production of Peter Pan. The Clover Park Rotary contributed funds to pay theatre staff and to purchase costumes and props.
Saltar’s Point Elementary students tour Steilacoom Museum
Posted by | CommentsBy Nancy Covert
How did the Apple Squeeze become a Steilacoom tradition? What does “Steilacoom” mean?
More than 200 Saltar’s Point Elementary School Fourth Grade students learned the answers to those questions and more when they toured the Steilacoom Historical Museum this past week.
The annual student class tour to visit the Museum’s properties: the Museum, the Wagon Shop and the Orr Home, took place during the last week of January and first week of February. Docents from the Museum’s Education Committee shared their knowledge about Mr. Orr’s shop, and other parts of the community’s history.
The students’ collective reaction to the displays and activities—such as making butter—“what an amazing place!”
Community steps up to help students with tuition
Posted by | CommentsAround 130 supporters of the University of Washington Tacoma attended a fundraising breakfast this morning on the university campus to help students meet the gap between what they can pay and what it costs to attend the university this year.
Friends of the University of Washington Tacoma, including community members, staff, faculty, retirees and alumni, have raised $350,159 so far for a new fund drive called Step Up Scholarships.
UW Tacoma is matching contributions to the Step Up Scholarships at 50 cents on the dollar, bringing the total thus far to more than $525,000. The goal is to raise $1 million all together by April 13, when tuition is due for spring quarter.
“Students are being asked to shoulder more of the cost of attending the university, and we want to help them as much as we can,” said UW Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman. “We have made remarkable progress in a short time, but we still have a ways to go. We need to raise another $316,000 from the community in two and a half months.”
UW- Tacoma Russell T. Joy Building Receives LEED Platinum Certification
Posted by | CommentsThe Green Building Certification Institute has awarded LEED Platinum certification to the University of Washington Tacoma’s Russell T. Joy Building.
The Joy Building, renovated by Korsmo Construction, is the first in Tacoma and first on any University of Washington campus to achieve a Platinum rating in the "new construction / major remodel" category and only the second state-funded building to receive this recognition. Platinum certification is the highest possible, and most rigorous certification in the LEED system.
Fourth-graders put cooking skills to the test
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Carole Jacobs, judge and board member, and Lynn Wilson, judge and administrator for business services and capital projects, sample tasty delights at the Kids Can Cook event.
Eighteen fourth-graders took over the district kitchen Jan. 25 for the fifth annual Kids Can Cook Competition, sponsored by Sodexo.
Students from Beachwood, Clarkmoor, Dower, Evergreen, Greenwood, Hillside, Idlewild, Lake Louise, Park Lodge and Tillicum Elementary Schools prepared unique recipes with the guidance of a student nutrition employee. The student chefs were responsible for their finished food products, including plate and table presentation.
A panel of judges tasted each recipe and had the difficult task of selecting just five winners in the following categories:
- Health-Conscious Foods: Kylee Kennedy, Greenwood, Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
- Kid-Friendly Preparation: Hope Heugel, Hillside, No-Bake Trail Mix Cookies
- Fun Foods: Kamyla McCormick, Evergreen, Fruity Croissant
- Best Table Presentation: Ryan Wynder, Evergreen, Ryan's Mystery
- Judge's Choice: Elijah Barragan, Evergreen, Pizza (Meat or Veggie)
Tillicum is going to court and you are welcome to observe – Friday, Feb.3, 2012, 10 a.m. at Lakewood City Hall Council Chambers. We hope to see a good turnout as Tillicum residents protest the City’s issuance of a permit to allow Camp Murray to access interior residential streets for National Guard employee traffic to get to and from work each day.
Lakewold Garden hosting Winter (Clean-up) Garden Parties
Posted by | CommentsFriends of Lakewold (and others who’ve got lots of energy left over after taking care of their own gardens) are invited to join in and help restore this piece of paradise to its usual splendor at a series of "Winter Garden Parties" at Lakewold Gardens. Formal attire is not required. Garden Parties are set for 9 -11:30 a.m. beginning on Feb. 8. Interested folks should contact Susan Ryan at 253-584-4106, ext 106, or email her at sryan@lakewoldgardens.org .
Clover Park School Board Schedules Retreat
Posted by | CommentsThe Clover Park School District Board of Directors has scheduled a retreat for Saturday, Feb. 4. The retreat will be held in the board room of the Tacoma Country and Golf Club, 13204 Country Club Drive SW, in Lakewood and begins at 8 a.m. and will conclude at 3:45 p.m.
Topics for the retreat include leadership profiles and board development; standard operating procedures; board travel and attendance at conferences, workshops, etc.; accountability plan outcomes; the board meeting and reports schedule; and discussion of Policy 3110, Age at Entrance.
For more information, contact the superintendent’s office at (253) 583-5190.
Letter to the Editor: Reasons given
Posted by | CommentsDuPont Council Members,
This is the second in a series of e-mails that address the reasons given by City Council members for their vote to approve or disapprove the 2011 Settlement Agreement, as reported in the 1/27/2012 South Puget Sound News article.
Councilwoman Trotter is quoted as saying: "We could not get the [$200,000] restoration plan without the agreement,..."
The $200,000 restoration plan to which she refers does not achieve restoration of an already degraded Edmond Marsh and Sequalitchew Creek. The only actions that will restore degraded Edmond Marsh and Sequalitchew Creek are to (1) prevent their further degradation by not permitting any activity that will result in further lowering the Vashon aquifer groundwater table level since such activity will result in adverse environmental impacts on the groundwater connected and sustained surface water bodies in this watershed, (2) restore continuous flow from Sequalitchew Lake into and through Edmond Marsh and down Sequalitchew Creek, and (3) remove the physical impediments that currently interrupt and impede the continuous flow of water from Sequalitchew Lake through Edmond Marsh and down Sequalitchew Creek to Puget Sound. Permitting CalPortland to dewater the Vashon aquifer (and permanently alter its hydrological function) so as to facilitate mining Vashon aquifer saturated gravel located on 117 acres of its existing 360 acre mine and beneath 180 acres of the South Parcel is not only contradictory to achieving a restored Edmond Marsh and Sequalitchew Creek ecosystem, it is prohibited by provisions of the 1994 Agreement, DuPont's Comprehensive Plan and DuPont's critical and sensitive area ordinances.
