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Happy 4th of July
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013
Change in fireworks height may affect views Viewers at Coulon Park are in for a more ‘saturated’ show, but the excitement will not be as visible outside of the park By Brian Beckley bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
The City of Renton is hoping this year’s Fourth of July fireworks show at Gene Coulon Park will be the best show they’ve done so far. But you may have to be in the park to see it.
For the first time since the city began its July 4 celebration, this year’s fireworks will not be fired off from a barge 1,000 feet from shore but from the Ivar’s water walk . That means instead of the usual height of about 600 feet in the air, this year’s explosions will only reach about 300 feet, making it difficult to see from surrounding homes
and hills. The change is due to increased regulations and hazardous materials transportation and safety standards. According to Sonja Mejlaender of the Renton Community Relations and Events department, the city must find a place south of the Interstate 90 bridge to load its shells onto the barge, that would then be towed into place near the park. In the past, the city used a spot in Kenmore, but that location has become a
construction site for the new state Route 520 bridge and is no longer available. Because of the larger shells used for the fireworks show, a setback of 1,000 feet from all residences is required. And south of the highways, there are no commercial locations available to load a barge. The city even tried working with Boeing, but because fireworks are a hazardous material, Boeing could not approve using its land for the barge either. [ more Fourth page 14 ]
Dog park unlikely at Cascade Village By Brian Beckley bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
Celebrating the survivors The annual Renton Relay for Life began under clear blue skies Friday at Renton Memorial Stadium with the traditional Survivor’s Lap, honoring those who are fighting or have beaten cancer. Walkers remained on the track through the night until the closing ceremonies at 11 a.m. Saturday morning. The event is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. This year 510 participants on 32 teams rasied more than $83,500 for cancer research. Photos courtesy of Ray Kusumi
The hope of creating a dog park or community garden for the Benson Hill neighborhood has hit a snag, but community leaders are moving forward with new ideas for a community gathering space. Originally, the new Benson Hill Community Plan called for the empty space at the commercial center to create a community focal point, with a focus on a dog park or garden, but a check by the property’s owner revealed that his insurance would not allow it. According to Chuck Seil, vice president of the Cascade neighborhood Association, Cascade Village property owner Bruce Anderson’s insurance company told The Benson Hill community plan him that not only would envisions Cascade Village at the heart they not cover a dog of the neighborhood. Brian beckley, park, but the addition of a Renton Reporter dog park to the property would force them to cancel his policy altogether. “I was a little saddened by it,” said Seil, who owns a dog himself and was looking forward to the possibility of offleash space. Senior Planner Erika Conkling said that while using the commercial space for a dog park may be out, there is still the possibility for the area. “It’s not possible to have those things in the way they went about pursuing it,” said Conkling. “It could be pos[ more Benson Hill page 5 ]
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