Enumclaw Courier-Herald, March 04, 2015

Page 1

SEE INSIDE: Bob Milne to perform at The Chalet, page 2 . . . . WR girls advance in state tourney, others eliminated, page 3 Marianne Binetti: spring sprouting in the garden, page 21

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 75 cents

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Feds forgive Enumclaw debt

What’s Inside

Sports.................................Page 3 Views...................................Page 6 Family.................................Page 8 Obituaries.........................Page 9 Classified...........................Page 17

This Week...

By Kevin Hanson

• Block Party - LEGOS at the Enumlcaw Library, 4 p.m. today, March 11. The library supplies the Legos. • Lions Club Peace Poster Program 7 p.m. Thursday at Ganny Sue’s Pizzeria, Bonney Lake

Senior Writer

Courier-Herald... If your newspaper looks a little different this week – it is. This is the first week The CourierHerald features all the Plateau news in one publication. The Bonney Lake and Enumclaw newspapers were combined into one edition giving all the news in one place.

Weather Sunny skies should stick around today, Wednesday, with a high temperature of 51 degrees. Tonight’s low will drop to the miid-30s. Thursday should stay partly sunny before some clouds roll in Friday. The weekend looks good, with plenty of sun and highs in the middle 50s.

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News ..................................ext. 3 Retail Ads .........................ext. 2 Circulation ........................ext. 1 Classifieds..................ext. 7050

Remember to turn your clocks forward Saturday night for daylight saving time

Dowman hangs out with Rutabaga the Moose and PanTHOR the Panther Pack the Russell at Bonney Lake High School’s Pack the Gym game last Wednesday. The Pack the Gym is an series of basketball games for the area’s Special Olympics teams. The Gym event Bonney Lake/Sumner team won the state title last Sunday, 52-28. Photo by Ray Still

Enumclaw has dodged a financial bullet that could have blasted a hole in city coffers. Specifically, a potential debt of nearly $600,000 to the federal government has been forgiven and wiped clean from the city slate. Mayor Liz Reynolds made the announcement – “great news,” she called it – during a short, Feb. 23 session of the Enumclaw City Council. At issue was money the city spent while planning for a multi-use Welcome Center. The proposed facility floated on the periphery of city government for 14 years, taking different shapes as it was addressed by three different mayors and several roster turnovers of the seven-member council. Finally, buy a 4-3 voted taken in August 2014, the council pulled the plug. As plans for the Welcome Center moved along, year by year, the city had received grant money to do the work, eventually spending well in excess of a half-million dollars. When the vote was taken to scrap the project, city leaders were fully aware federal authorities could ask that

SEE ENUMCLAW, PAGE 2

East Pierce fire commissioner Rick Kuss retires By Ray Still Staff Writer

E

ast Pierce Fire a nd Resc ue Commissioner Rick Kuss announced he will be retiring from his position on the board on March 1. “I have been in public service since I was 17 years old and planned to retire at 62,” Kuss wrote. “So after 44 years I am retiring and to do so I need to resign my position at East Pierce.” Kuss wrote in an email that his retirement has

nothing to do with teer firefighter in his recent disagreeSumner while he ment he had with was in high school, the rest of the board following in his concerning the profather’s and eldest cess for recruiting brother’s footsteps. and hiring a fire In 1975 Kuss Rick Kuss chief. was accepted into The fire board the Puyallup Fire decided to hire Department as a Greg Prothman to conduct full-time firefighter and a national search for a new was eventually promoted fire chief. Kuss disagreed to deputy fire marshal in with the decision, saying 1990. it was “one of the poorest Kuss then went to the decisions” he had seen as a law enforcement academy commissioner. and became a police invesKuss started his career tigator. in firefighting as a volunKuss became a fire com-

missioner with the Lake Tapps Fire Department in 1989, which became part of East Pierce in 2000. “It’s been a great career and I am very proud of the men and women of East Pierce Fire and Rescue,” Kuss wrote. “I’m glad I was able to do my part in helping to develop a high level of fire and emergency medical service to the citizens I served.” Kuss plans to spend more time with and spoil his granddaughter and new grandson and enjoy fishing and hunting season.

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Challenges facing East Pierce

One challenge the department is facing is a lack of a command structure, according to Kuss. Kuss’ retirement is the third retirement East Pierce has seen so far this year. Former Deputy Chief John McDonald retired at the beginning of February of this year, and Fire Chief Jerry Thorson plans to retire at the end of April. Both McDonald and

SEE RETIRES, PAGE 5

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