SEE INSIDE: Two Sumner councillors question city administrator choice, Page 10 . . . . Local former Olympian Melanie Roach shares her Opening Ceremony memories, Page 14 . . . Bonney Lake’s ‘Chief For a Day’ honored with proclamation, Page 3
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Wednesday, August 1, 2012 | 75 cents
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Council rejects Eastown sewer ULA By Brian Beckley Staff Writer
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In somewhat of a surprise 4-3 vote, the Bonney Lake City Council Tuesday night voted down a utility latecomers agreement that would have put sewers in the Eastown section of Bonney Lake. The council members voting against the measure were Mark Hamilton, Randy McKibbin, Katrina Minton-Davis and Tom
Watson. Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman and council men Jim Rackley and Donn Lewis voted in favor of the agreement. Mayor Neil Johnson also supported the agreement. Opponents of the measure said there was too much risk and worried the city would not make its money back on the investment and did not think the 5 percent buy-in by the landowners was enough. “We’re speculating with
public money,” MintonDavis said. “I’m having a hard time seeing how this is in the public’s best interest.” Supporters said the project was too important to the future of the city that despite some misgivings toward the agreement, they would support it. “The sewer has to be done before we do other things,” Swatman said, calling the city “just the bank.” “They supposedly will
pay us back,” he said. City staff, council and landowners in the area have been working for several years on an agreement that would build a backbone sewer line through that area of the city. Under a latecomers agreement, the city and the Eastown Landowners LLC would pay up front for the system to be built and anyone tying into it through development would pay back the city and the landowners for
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Moving up in the world of the minor leagues Daniel Nash
Today, Wednesday, should bring us mostly sunny skies with a high in the low 70s, cooling overnight to mostly cloudy skies with a low in the mid-50s. The pattern repeats through the weekend with sunny days and cloudy nights and highs in the mid- to upper-70s.
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their initial contributions. But several council members also mentioned a comment from landowners during the public hearing on the issue that they characterized as “demands” and seemed particularly put off by the tone of the comment. During the discussion, Hamilton emerged as the swing vote, and though he seemed in support of the
The survivor’s lap that leads the Relay For Life each year is a celebration of those who have beaten the disease and of those still fighting it. This year’s Bonney Lake/ Sumner Relay for Life at Bonney Lake High School was the first time the event has been held in Bonney Lake. This year’s theme was “The Magic of Relay” and brought princesses of all ages to the track. Photos by Daniel Nash
Bryan Marquez is hot most days on the baseball diamond; the unforgiving Texan daylight—beating down at 100 degrees on a good day—will do that. The Bonney Lake son is a first baseman and designated hitter for the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, a team in the independent North American Baseball League. He dedicates all his time to the game, making $20 to $30 a day as a utility player and living with up to three other teammates at a time in a one bedroom apartment. Every day, they wake up late in the morning and hit the gym by noon, then field practice, then the night’s scheduled game. Train, play, improve, repeat. He is 25 years old and living his American dream. “It has always been my goal to continue playing baseball after school,” Marquez said. Marquez graduated from Sumner High
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