The Suburban Times

Stage 1 burn ban issued for Pierce County at 4 p.m. today

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:10:54 +0000

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.

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Same sex marriage bill: Forum to discuss the effects for the people of Washington

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:57:50 +0000

On 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. (more...)

Save the date: Lakewood Community Collaboration is Feb. 8

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:55:19 +0000

By 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

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:53:31 +0000

The 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

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:02:20 +0000

The Soldiers of Company B, 1^st Battalion, 17^th Infantry Regiment, 2^nd 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

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Pets of the week

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:02:01 +0000

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: Foothills Family Furniture Anniversary Sale

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:42:56 +0000

Letter to the editor: Reasons given part 3

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:03:59 +0000

DuPont Council Members,

This is the third 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.

Councilman Courts is quoted as saying: "that he was comfortable with the process that the agreement spells out."

The process that Councilman Courts is "...comfortable with..." was astutely crafted by CalPortland's lawyers, and agreed to by representatives of the Department of Ecology, the Environmental Caucus and the City of DuPont administration and staff (and now the City Council) under the duress of CalPortland's threat of protracted litigation, in a manner that assures that CalPortland will manage and control the outcome of the stated purpose of the 2011 Settlement Agreement which is that participating governmental agencies and environmental groups will "... support CalPortland’s mining in the ... South Parcel...[which includes 117 acres of the existing 360 acre gravel mine]." as well as control the process by which a $200,000 restoration plan for Edmond Marsh and Sequalitchew Creek is funded and developed.

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Obituaries

russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:08:16 +0000

Mattie Bell Jones Sunrise 01/16/33 – Sunset 01/30/12 It was a joyous day for Goldia Brown and Thomas McCluney when they welcomed their baby girl Mattie Bell into the world, in Salisbury, North Carolina. Mattie lived there into her teens attending Dunbar High School, and Southern City AME Zion Church. Years later while working at Woolworth’s in Virginia, she met and married Charles Jones. The U.S. Army brought them to Fort Lewis and Tacoma in 1965. Their only child Charles Jones, Jr. was born four months before the couple arrived in Pierce County. Mattie joined Allen AME Church and sang in the Women’s Choir, served on the Usher Board, in the Lay Organization, in later years as Stewardess, and ultimately as Deaconess. She embraced the responsibilities of every aspect of her life in the church. Prior to even coming to Washington, she was a member of the Elks’ “Israel Temple” Lodge #138 and continued her membership joining the Elks’ “Lily of the West” #180 in Tacoma. She served not only the church, but the public through more than 14 years cooking and managing the lunch counter at F.W. Woolworth’s in downtown Tacoma. She was an extraordinary cook and loved nothing more than to fix a plate for someone. She loved looked forward to her daily devotional reading the Upper Room and her Bible. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy were her favorite TV shows. Fun for Mattie was playing Bingo and Pokeno with friends. Family members that have predeceased Mattie include her parents Thomas McCluney and Goldia Brown, her brothers Charles and Robert, and sister Parthenia. Surviving family includes sisters Betty Brown, Ilene Brown, and brother Arthur Lewis; many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her son and daughter-in-law, with whom she lived the last 2-1/2 years of her life Charles (Jaynie) Jones; grandchildren Tera L. Penrod, Evelyn A. (Jason) Prozora-Plein, and Jonathan T. (Jennifer) Prozora; great-grandchildren Devontae Penrod, Justin Prozora, and Fiona Prozora-Plein. As Mattie leaves us for her heavenly home at age 79, we hold onto a lifetime of memories. She will be profoundly missed by her family and longtime friends who were like family to her including the Alphonse & Louise Johnson, Helen Matthews, Fred & Martha Ervin family, Don & Barbara Ferguson family, and many, many others. Special thanks to St. Joseph Hospital’s John A. Kennedy Dialysis Center for 14 years of dialysis, American Medical Response (AMR), Ramon Anel, M.D., and Charles Weatherby, M.D. for their loving care for Mattie for so many years. Even during the snow and ice storm, AMR never missed a beat in safely transporting Mattie to and from the hospital six times a week; she loved all of them and they loved her. Services are planned as follows on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at Allen AME Church, 1223 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA 98405: Viewing 9:00 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.; Funeral 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Processional to New Tacoma Cemetery with Graveside Service approximately 1:00 p.m.; return to Allen AME Church for reception with family and friends. All services and funeral preparations provided by House of Scott, 1215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA 98405, (253) 572-9555.

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AD: Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity Changing Lives Luncheon

Ben Sclair — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:48:12 +0000

Lakewood's January permit activity

Ben Sclair — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:35:28 +0000

Permits 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

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:05 +0000

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

Nancy Covert — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:29:36 +0000

By 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!”

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Community steps up to help students with tuition

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:05:20 +0000

Around 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.”

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UW- Tacoma Russell T. Joy Building Receives LEED Platinum Certification

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:52:04 +0000

The 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.

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Fourth-graders put cooking skills to the test

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:51:15 +0000

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)

Letter to the Editor: Tillicum residents to protest Camp Murray access on local streets

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:43:23 +0000

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.

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Lakewold Garden hosting Winter (Clean-up) Garden Parties

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:41:54 +0000

Friends 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

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:28:32 +0000

The 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

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:11:42 +0000

DuPont 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.

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Obituaries

russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:08:45 +0000

Mabel Cooley passed away peacefully on January 29th, 2012. Born to Hjalmer and Clara Qualley in Plaza, ND on December 13, 1916, she and her husband Edwin moved to the Spanaway area in 1937. Mabel worked in the furniture and grocery industries where she was appreciated for her hard work. She enjoyed attending her sons' sporting events, playing shuffleboard, traveling throughout the west, helping Ed with woodworking and craft projects, fishing, and sewing. She took great pride in the dozens of quilts she made for family and friends. Mabel loved children and took special joy in her grandchildren and their families as well as the hundreds of other friends who called her "Grandma Cooley". Every trip to Grandma's house included raiding the cookie jar filled with her famous ginger snaps. She is survived by her daughter Opal Swick; sons Dale (Loretta), Wayne, Vernon, Gary (Janice), and Danny (Pamela); 17 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; 3 sisters; and 1 brother. She was preceded in death by her husband Edwin, of nearly 60 years, in 1994. Her family invites you to join them at a funeral service honoring her loving, generous spirit in the Aspen Chapel at Mountain View Cemetery on Saturday, February 4th at 2:00 p.m. A reception will follow the service. Donations honoring Mabel's life may be made to freetobreathe.com in memory of Mabel's daughter-in-law Judy Cooley or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home. 253-584-0252. Please sign the online guest book at www.mountainviewtacoma.com

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Notice: Transportation Funding committee meetings scheduled

Ben Sclair — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:27:00 +0000

By Alice M. Bush, City Clerk

The Lakewood City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation Funding will meet on Thursday, February 2, 9, 16 and March 1 at 4:30 pm in Lakewood City Hall in the Executive Conference Room 3A (Third Floor), 6000 Main Street SW, Lakewood WA 98499. The purpose of the meeting to to discuss transportation funding.

National truck driving organization recertifies Bates program

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:58:58 +0000

This month, the Professional Truck Driver Institute granted Bates Technical College’s Commercial Truck Driving-Entry Level program recertification.

PTDI certification, valid for five years, means the career education program meets or exceeds industry standards. The certification also helps ensure graduates are adequately qualified to safely handle the demands of the truck driving profession.

William Balcom, program manager for the Washington State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Division, said, “Students who complete the truck driving course from Bates Technical College are well taught and prepared drivers,” he said. “The course sets the standard and exceeds state training requirements in order for a new truck driver to receive his/her commercial driver’s license.”

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Nominations being accepted for fourth Annual "Spirit of Youth" Award

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:37:38 +0000

The Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice (WA-PCJJ) is seeking nominations for the fourth Annual “Spirit of Youth” Award. The intent of the award is to recognize and celebrate a young adult who has made great strides following involvement with the juvenile justice system; has overcome personal obstacles; and is today making significant contributions to society. A $1,000 scholarship to attend a Washington state college, university or vocational/technical school is available to the award winner.

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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Emergency Food Network receives $15,000 from Harlequin Books

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:18:07 +0000

Once upon a time, in the land of books and publishing, Harlequin asked readers, authors and fans to help choose the recipients for the 2012 Harlequin More Than Words award—a program that recognizes and rewards women making extraordinary contributions to their community. The story continues when the winning recipients are paired up with Harlequin authors and the recipients’ journeys become the inspiration for three fictional short stories.

After more than 111,000 online votes and 7,800 Facebook shares, the 2012 recipients of the eighth annual Harlequin More Than Words award are Mindy Atwood of Hilliard, Ohio, who runs Patches of Light, a nonprofit organization where anonymous angels pay the rent for parents of desperately ill children; Helen McGovern of Tacoma, Washington, who oversees Emergency Food Network, which distributes food to 67 food banks, meal sites and shelters, including those with health restrictions; and Sally Spencer of Toronto, Ontario, who manages a mentoring program that rescues at-risk children.

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Giddy Up on Over to the Lakewood Chamber Chili Cook-Off!

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:29:34 +0000

Alrighty now Buckaroos...it's that time of year again! Dust off your saddle, scrape off the mud and polish up your boots for the 13th Annual Lakewood Chamber Chili Cook-Off!

If you’ve participated in the past, you know what a great time it is! If this is your first time … prepare yourself for an awesome gastronomical experience! Attendance has grown exponentially over the years and cook-off contestants continue to raise the bar with their offerings in this fierce competition! Thirteen competitors are hoping to have bragging rights for a year ~ in hopes of dethroning last year’s winner, Brink & Sadler, CPA’s.

YOU ARE THE JUDGE! Everyone attending the luncheon will be provided with their own ballot to select their favorite chili. Highest scorers will take home a first place and second place trophy!

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Love Struck, A Select Wedding Show is Feb. 17 & 18

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:20:46 +0000

From the producers of the South Sound and West Sound Wedding shows, comes Love Struck; an exclusive boutique wedding show featuring premier wedding professionals for the Puget Sound region.

The show is Friday, Feb. 17 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the McGavick Event Center. The show is presented by South Sound Wedding & Event Magazine, a local resource guide for the South Puget Sound.

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Check into “California Suite” for a laugh-filled evening

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:06:45 +0000

by Lynn Geyer

There was a time when, if theatre-goers wanted an assurance of a fun evening, they would look for a Noel Coward play. Since the 1960s, Neil Simon plays have always been sure-fire laugh fests.

Today – things haven’t changed!

No matter how you slice it or what your age, “California Suite,” by Neil Simon is still as funny as it was when first produced in 1976.

This sparkling comedy offers four vignettes involving five actors as 11 characters; all but one of whom plays two or three roles. The differences between these personas are beautifully pulled off by the actors – there is absolutely no similarity of character in the roles each plays.

Much of this is probably due to the excellent direction of Frank Kohel, who has a portent for bringing out the best performances from an actor. Yet, surely, it is the actor who is ultimately responsible for the finished product of any show.

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Feb. 2 flag lowering to honor fallen Army private

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:04:49 +0000

Governor Chris Gregoire has directed flags at all Washington State agency facilities be lowered to half-staff Thursday, February 2, 2012, in memory of U. S. Army Private First Class Neil I. Turner, 21, of Tacoma, who died January 11, in Afghanistan of injuries sustained from a training accident.

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.

SBA Kicks Off Emerging Leaders Initiative for 2012

russell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:59:27 +0000

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration kicked off its 2012 e200/Emerging Leaders executive-level training initiative in 27 cities and communities. Since 2008 the e200/Emerging Leaders initiative has helped nearly 1,000 promising small business owners in underserved communities across the country sustain and grow their businesses, providing training they use to succeed and create jobs.

“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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