Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, November 23, 2012
CLICK ON ADS visit ad sites or videos!
www.issaquahreporter.com
Towing blues Issaquah towing companies frustrated by police rotation
Toni Nielson looks to give back to those in need this holiday season. The mother of three knows full well what it’s like to struggle around the holidays as her family was adopted for Christmas not long ago. KEVIN ENDEJAN, ISSAQUAH & SAMMAMISH REPORTER
BY LINDA BALL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
A TIME TO GIVE Once a mother in need, Issaquah business owner returns favor
BY KEVIN ENDEJAN ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
T
oni Nielson recalls the helpless feeling like it was yesterday. Recovering from her second layoff in five years, the single mother of three boys was faced with the reality of no holiday surprises for her children, then aged 11, 9 and 7.
“There flat out wasn’t going to be Christmas,” said Nielson, who turned to delivering pizzas after being laid off from full-time positions at a moving business and investment company. “I didn’t even have enough money for stocking stuffers.” Admittedly depressed, Nielson was rejuvenated by a huge surprise — one that saved her from having to tell her boys Santa couldn’t make it that year. After a receiving a recommendation, Nielson got word that she and her family were adopted by Happy Valley Grange in Redmond. The organization donated toys for the children, clothes, food and feed for the animals on Nielson’s rural farm south of
LEND A HAND Extreme Pizza will donate 20 percent of all its sales Dec. 12 to Eastside Fire and Rescue, which will adopt five families for the Christmas season. The restaurant did the same thing this week, providing money for families in need on Thanksgiving. Tiger Mountain. “It was huge, these people went all out, they were awesome,” Nielson said. Now, with her life in a much better position, the owner of Issaquah’s Extreme Pizza is ready to give back in a similar fashion. This holiday season, Extreme Pizza will donate 20 percent of its net sales on two dates — Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 — giving that money to Eastside Fire & Rescue for its annual Adopt A Family for the Holidays program. There will also be a donation box in the store the next two months. “This year, because I have this, it’s a means and a tool to be able to give back,” said Niel-
son, who is now in her 18th month of owning the business. Firefighters and staff of EF&R annually donate to local service clubs who assist about 20 families in the area with Thanksgiving dinner and adopt five families for Christmas. “I know suicide rates are a lot higher, money’s tight, the economy sucks, so if I can help in any way, I will,” Nielson said. “And, partnering with the fire department, what’s better?” Nielson admits there can still be financial challenges at times, but after receiving a great deal on purchase of the restaurant and seeing success since opening, she owes something back. “With this gift comes a lot of responsibility,” she said. Nielson said her three boys, now 21, 19 and 17, have also learned a lot from the tough times and value giving back to the community. One thing they will all never forget is the one year, they almost didn’t have a Christmas. “It kind of restored my faith,” Nielson said. “Some people say there’s no Santa Claus — well yeah, there is.” Kevin Endejan
425-391-0363, ext. 5054 kendejan@issaquahreporter.com
Hiram Burke, the owner of Clark’s Towing in Issaquah is concerned about threats to the local towing industry. With a 50-year history in Issaquah, between his company, along with Ruby’s Towing, which has been in Issaquah for just as long, they have 14 vehicles to serve Issaquah. Daniel Weihe, the new owner of Ruby’s Towing, who bought the company from the Ruby family has eight tow trucks and two service vehicles. Clark’s has four tow trucks. When an accident occurs, or some other reason for a vehicle to be towed and/or impounded, these two local companies, along with Ibsen Towing in Issaquah, and Superior Towing with locations in Redmond and Bellevue, are on a rotation with the Issaquah Police as to who gets called out to remove the vehicles. “But it’s a little bit upsetting, it’s frustrating when a wreck is right in front of you, and you wait 40 minutes for someone from Bellevue or Redmond,” Weihe said. Both men said their trucks have a 20-minute window, which IPD requests, to get to the scene. But if either of them aren’t next on the rotation, they have to sit on the sidelines while a non-local company often struggles through traffic to get to the scene. Burke said both his business and Ruby’s are registered tow truck operators, regulated by Washington state law, enforced and inspected by the Washington State Patrol. There are other tow truck operators who SEE TOWING, 2