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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.

Omar: 458824 

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.

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.”

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The award also provides the WA-PCJJ and the public with an important opportunity to learn from a young person’s direct experience about the hard work and dedication it takes to build a better life, and how juvenile justice professionals and systems can most effectively be of help.

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Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business Thursday, or first thing Friday morning, February 3.

Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join this recognition.

“Over the last few years Emerging Leaders has helped expand opportunities for many promising small businesses in underserved communities – in particular those that have been most impacted by these tough economic times,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “Graduates of the program have increased their revenue, created jobs and helped drive local economic growth in their communities. Continuing with this year’s lineup of new classes builds on this success and provides even more entrepreneurs in underserved communities with the support, resources and skills to succeed.”

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Increased levels of activity will be noticed during the evening hours, and firing will be conducted from numerous firing points on base.

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More than 400 skaters of all ages and abilities tried out Sprinker Recreation Center's new-and-improved ice rink on Jan. 28, which opened to the public after an eight-month renovation.

County Executive Pat McCarthy cut the ribbon by driving the Zamboni ice resurfacer through it, heralding the start of a new era at the 35-year-old rink, which was threatened with closure in 2010.

"This rink has been a great resource for recreation and exercise for hundreds of thousands of people over the years.  Groups like the Lakewood Winter Club and Friends of Sprinker made it clear they wanted us to find a way to solve this problem," McCarthy said. "I'm really proud of my team for zeroing in on the priority needs, and then identifying existing funding to pay for it.  I appreciate that the County Council approved this cost-effective, common sense solution."

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High pressure has been building over the Puget Sound region, resulting in very cold and stagnant weather conditions. Air pollution is building up in Pierce County, especially in communities where residential wood burning is common. With stagnant conditions expected to continue through tomorrow, pollution levels could reach the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category at some locations.

Clean Air Agency staff follow a protocol set by state law to determine when and where to issue a burn ban, and when to lift a burn ban.

During a Stage 1 burn ban:

• No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled. The only exception is if a wood stove is a home’s only adequate source of heat.
• No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas. It also includes burning yard waste and storm debris. Pierce County is providing FREE storm debris disposal options.
• Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

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The $6.5 million project included a new roof, a new rink and refrigeration equipment for the 35-year-old facility in Spanaway. The ice rink portion of the building had been threatened with closure in 2010 due to structural concerns, but Executive Pat McCarthy and the County Council found a way to address critical needs with existing funding.

Doors opened at 9 a.m. for an open house. County officials and a special guest – Olympic ice dancing silver medalist Ben Agosto – delivered brief remarks at 10:30 a.m. before McCarthy drove the Zamboni through a ribbon across the ice, signaling the start of a new era of recreation at Sprinker. The rink is now read for public skating.

If you have additional questions, call the DAC at 1-866-798-6363 (toll-free) or email PCEOC@co.pierce.wa.us. The DAC is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

“Small businesses are the foundation of economic growth in Washington and in our nation” said Dr. Winslow Sargeant, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “By supporting policies that promote innovation and entrepreneurship, we help small businesses tackle these challenging economic times. These statistics are a resource for a path to economic growth.”

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American Disposal, DM Disposal, and Murrey’s Disposal, Lakewood Refuse, LeMay Enterprises, and Pierce County Refuse

For no additional charge, the company will accept twice your normal amount of garbage and recycling on your next regularly scheduled pick up day. If this requires you to use an additional container, please make sure you label it “Garbage” or “Recycling”. Drivers will be on the lookout for these extra containers.

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The Pierce County Republican Party has announced that 2012 GOP precinct caucuses are set for Saturday, March 3, in ten locations around the county. The caucuses will give Republican voters an opportunity to participate in a "straw poll" to name their preferred presidential candidate and to elect delegates to the Pierce County Republican Convention, beginning the winnowing process to select Washington State’s delegates to the Republican National Convention late this summer in Tampa, Florida.

Pierce County’s GOP will hold "pooled caucuses" centrally located within legislative districts to maximize attendance and reduce confusion over where each precinct meeting is located. All precincts in the 2nd, 25th, 26th, 27th and 31st Legislative Districts will caucus in single locations. The 28th and 29th Legislative Districts will divide into three and two locations, respectively. Sites for all of Pierce County's GOP precinct caucuses are attached.

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Lyle Quasim ’70, Hon.’05, the retiring president of Bates Technical College and longtime social activist and political leader, will present a talk on “The Fire Within” at University of Puget Sound on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012.

Quasim’s keynote speech for Martin Luther King Jnr. Day was delayed last week due to inclement weather. The free public event will now be held in Kilworth Memorial Chapel, 7–8:30 p.m. The celebration will also include gospel music from local artists Navele Davis & Friends. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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Jessie: 458844

Smokey: 458432This beautiful cat is Smokey, a 6 year old spayed female. She is a domestic short hair with jet black coat. She came to the shelter as a stray and is now ready to find her true furrever home. Smokey has been called a “lover muffin and a half” by our staff. She loves to rub against you and will fall over in ecstasy with a good chin scratch. Smokey is social, loving, and very outgoing. She loves treats and toys and would do well in almost any home. Come check out Smokey today!

Contact The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, (253) 383-2733 for more information. You can now see all shelter pets online.

Similar forms of the Washington State Long-Term Care Partnership, which was approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on December 27, have already been adopted by a number of other states as authorized in 2005 federal Deficit Reduction legislation. The partnership applies to services provided at home, in a community setting or in an institution.

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Although calls are still trickling in, the call volume is diminishing steadily compared to the approximately 600 phone calls that Pierce County received last week for downed trees, snow and ice concerns, and localized flooding. County crews continue to make good progress removing and chipping roadside tree debris.

"I am so proud of the thorough response by Pierce County employees," County Executive Pat McCarthy said. "Road crews plowed hundreds of miles of roads. Employees in various divisions throughout Public Works and Utilities pitched in to help clear downed trees and other debris. Our Sewer Utility staff managed pump stations and the wastewater treatment plant during power outages and spikes. And our Emergency Management staff helped coordinate the entire response. This was a total team effort to keep Pierce County residents safe."

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Beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, local, county and state law enforcement officers will team up to conduct a DUI emphasis patrol in Lakewood and the surrounding area. Within an hour of a DUI arrest, additional officers, including officers from the Washington State Liquor Control Board, will make educational visits to bars.

Launched in the summer of 2011, the Home Safe Bar program aims to raise awareness about how servers and bartenders can help reduce the number of impaired drivers on Pierce County's roadways and bar owners can avoid costly litigation related to death or injury caused by a patron served too much alcohol.

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“Impostors hijack and exploit information from legitimate organizations to swindle unsuspecting consumers,” said Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB servingAlaska,OregonandWestern Washington.

Copycats often design similar-looking websites, advertisements and solicitations featuring real business names, logos and contact information to cheat consumers under false guise—and potentially ruin other businesses' reputations.

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“In 2010 the WCCC program paid over $300 million to nearly 19,000 child care providers. About 7,400 were licensed or certified by the state Department of Early Learning, but the other 11,600 were exempt from licensing requirements,” Carrell said. “That means nobody has been calling these providers to verify if their paperwork is correct or even if they do indeed have any children at their facility.”

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Applicants must be registered to vote in the State of Washington, reside in Pierce County, and licensed to practice law in Washington State.   Ethics Commissioners also may not hold or campaign for elective office, be an officer of any political party or political committee, be a lobbyist, assist a lobbyist, or employ a lobbyist.

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