SEE INSIDE: Bonney Lake unveils new welcome sign on east side of city, Page 4 . . . . Spartan baseball makes school history with a trip to State semi-finals, Page 7
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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Bonney Lake unveils vet road
Where did it all go?
Hike with Spike the right way. Know where you can bring your dog, and what to bring with you. | Pets, 10
By Brian Beckley Staff Writer
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Coming Up Sumner VFW Post 3070 will begin placing flags at the Sumner Cemetery tomorrow, May 24. Flags will be placed at the graves of veterans. Anyone interested in helping is welcome to attend. The Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. May 28.
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Giovanni Muscarnera perhaps received more than he bargained for on his Friday visit to Dieringer Heights Elementary School. The 4-year-old was the youngest of four children in the Muscarnera clan, and his parents had decided to let his hair grow long for the novelty of it. “It was always getting in his eyes, and he hates it when we brush it,” father Mike Muscarnera said. “We figured if we were going to have his hair cut for the first time, it should go to a good cause.” Giovanni was one of four children to donate hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, a charitable program providing real-hair wigs to cancer patients. Tracie Griffus (above left) was one of the stylists who donated their time and expertise to the lunchtime haircuts. Photos by Daniel Nash
School impact fees about to jump City Council ready to set impact fee to match district needs instead of amount set by county By Brian Beckley Staff Writer
Even as they look for ways to reduce their already-high building costs, the Bonney Lake City Council seems poised to pass an increase on school impact fees. The increase was requested by the Sumner School District, though the city council in Bonney Lake is expected to approve more than originally requested. Presently, the city’s school impact fee, assessed on all single-family homes built in the city, is $1,300. The amount was set by the district and the money, though collected by the
city, goes directly to the district. If passed by the council, the new fee will be $4,488. Officials from the school district were on hand at the council’s May 15 workshop to discuss the measure. Initially, the district requested an increase to $3,005, consistent with an increase at the county level, but council members noticed a table included with the request showing that while the district was requesting the increase to $3,005, internal calculations showed a fee of $4,488 was necessary to meet district needs, as figured by their capital improvement plan. Citing their support of schools
and their desire to make sure the school district gets what they need, the mayor and council offered to make the city’s impact fees the full amount. “We know that it’s very important to our schools, that we value tremendously,” Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman said. Councilman Jim Rackley also defended the higher impact fees by pointing out that money not collected from building fees - the people that create the additional demand on district services - must be made up by the taxpayers already living in the district. “It’s a transference of cost from the new person creating the demand to the broad taxpayers,” he said. “That’s we were are so adamant … in mak-
See impact, Page 4
Just in time for Memorial Day, the city of Bonney Lake is putting the finishing touches on plans for the unveiling of Veterans Memorial Drive East, the new name approved last year for the stretch of the Sumner-Buckley Highway that runs through the city. Signs with the new name have started appearing at intersections throughout the mile-long stretch of roadway, but the official unveiling of the name is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday. According to Special Events Coordinator David Wells, most of the city council, Mayor Neil Johnson and special guests such as members of the American Legion will be on hand for the unveiling. “We are going to take a few minutes and honor some vets by changing the name from SumnerBuckley Highway to Veterans Memorial Drive,” he said. The name change was approved by the council Nov. 22 after several months of discussion. Council member Mark Hamilton led the push for the name change last fall. Hamilton said he was spurred to propose the change by the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the decade of war that has followed. Hamilton said the high profile of the road, plus it’s historical use as a military route between Fort Walla Walla and Fort
See road, Page 2