Renton Reporter, December 02, 2011

Page 1

RENTON .com

REPORTER

FRIDAY DECEMBER 2/11

OUR VIEW| Boeing, Machinists show how to get things done; are politicians next? [6]

Mother of all washers | Service Linen Supply installs a water-efficient, energyREPORTER NEWSLINE 425.255.3484 efficient industrial washer [3]

A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING

Winter previews | See what’s in store for Hazen girls basketball and wrestling this season [12]

Boeing to build 737 MAX in Renton Machinists to vote next week on landmark contract that is key to making the plan work

BY DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com

The Boeing Co. will build the 737 MAX in Renton, pending the approval of an early contract extension by the company’s Machinists. The agreement, reached after several

weeks of negotiations between Boeing and the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM), was announced Wednesday. Machinists members will vote next week on the four-year contract extension. The announcement comes just two

Renton Honda to relocate to East Valley Rd.

THE SEASON OF HO, HO, HO More holiday events/11

Renton Motorcycle Co. closed for business Tuesday BY DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com

Garry Anderson, a former Renton police chief, will again preside as Santa over the Christmas tree-lighting festival at the Piazza in downtown Renton Saturday. CHARLES CORTES, Renton Reporter

This Santa wants to give back Under that red and white uniform is Garry Anderson, who wore blue to to protect Renton BY TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com

Garry Anderson has been wearing uniforms all his life. He started first as a police officer for the City of Renton and rose through the ranks to eventually become the police chief. Anderson traded in his blue police uniform for the bright red and white, plush guise of Santa Claus soon after retiring from the force in 2006. He made a preview appearance in Renton Tuesday to sit down with the

Renton Reporter for a chat. Anderson, er, Santa makes his official arrival to the Piazza who will ring in the at 5 p.m. Saturday Christmas holiday at the for Piazza Renton’s Piazza Saturday Tree Lighting festival. As Anderson posed for pictures in the square Tuesday afternoon, he drew attention from honking cars and waving shopkeepers.

“This (uniform) brings kids and adults to the same place.” Garry Anderson,

“This (uniform) brings kids and adults to the same place,” he said. Anderson doesn’t remember exactly how he became old St. Nick for the community group’s event. But, he did remember wanting to give back to the city after so many years spent working for the Police Department. He called his Santa gig a great and fun job. “Renton was very, very good to me and my family and (I) had a lot of opportunities here in 28 years,” Anderson said. [ more SANTA page 2 ]

Renton Motorcycle Co. closed for business Tuesday to make way for the eventual relocation of Renton Honda, now on Grady Way, to its site on East Valley Road. Today, Renton Honda is at one of the key entryways to Renton where State Route 167 becomes Rainier Avenue. It’s one of the city’s biggest auto dealerships and an anchor of the Automall that stretches along Grady Way. “This presents us with a tremendous opportunity for a new dealership or a new use at one of the most highly trafficked intersections in the county,” said Alex Pietsch, the city of Renton’s administrator of the Department of Community and Economic Development. The Automall is one of the most successful such groupings of auto dealerships in the state, he said. “This is a great place to sell cars,” he said. “It think it will continue to be.” The sale of autos is a significant contributor to the city’s sales taxes, Pietsch said. At its new location, Renton Honda would remain within the city limits. [ more HONDA page 14 ]

206.949.1696 www.marciemaxwell.com Marcie Maxwell Associate Broker, Realtor & CRS

Lisa Lam

Realtor, CRS, ABR & ASP

549223

Ivar’s Clam Lights: 6:15 p.m. Friday, Gene Coulon Beach Park Piazza tree lighting: 5 p.m. Saturday, the Piazza

weeks after Gov. Chris Gregoire laid out a statewide plan in Renton to ensure the 737 MAX is built in Washington; it stresses the need for major investments in education at all levels and in worker training to meet the needs of the aerospace industry. [ more 737 page 7 ]


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