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Sports | Volunteers plant trees and shrubs, beautify Auburn park [3]
Friday, November 8, 2013
GENERAL ELECTION ‘13
Backus leading close mayoral race By ROBERT WHALE rwhale@auburn-reporter.com
Mayoral candidate Nancy Backus, with daughter Lucky, thanks her supporters during an election night party at the Truitt Building. RACHEL CIAMPI, Auburn Reporter
Auburn’s mayoral race remains too close to call from early returns in Tuesday night’s general election. City Councilmember and Deputy Mayor Nancy Backus holds the early edge over City Councilmember John Partridge. Backus, seeking to become Auburn’s first female mayor, received 4,014 votes
in the combined total of King and Pierce counties to John Partridge’s 3,668 – a 53.2 to 47.8 percent margin. And with only 346 votes separating the two, Tuesday’s leader wasn’t quite ready to call the race her’s nor the fellow trailing ready to call, concede and congratulate. At Backus’ crowded party on the second floor of the Truitt building on West Main Street, there was excitement
INSIDE: Four Pacific City Council races up for grabs in early returns, page 7
tempered by the narrowness of the spread – and at Partridge’s party at Zola’s Cafe on East Main there was disappointment and hope. Backus was upbeat, taking the microphone at 8:20 p.m. shortly after King County Elec-
tions released its first batch of numbers. “With the candidates it looks like were elected tonight we will be moving Auburn forward together,” Backus said to scattered whoops and hollers. “It’s close in King County now, very close,” Backus cautioned. “Pierce County, gotta love those Pierce County voters. But it’s close, and we will [ more ELECTION page 7 ]
Pacific discovers it lost millions of dollars in grants under Sun’s watch By SHAWN SKAGER sskager@auburn-reporter.com
The costly fallout from recalled mayor Cy Sun’s disastrous administration in Pacific continues to affect the City. The Pacific City Council was informed at its Oct. 28 regular meeting that more than $1.2 million in construction grants earmarked for transportation improvements in the city had been rescinded by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).
“I was looking over the status of various funds that had been awarded to the City over the past few years and there was $611,967 from the Puget Sound Regional Council that had not been dispersed in a timely manner,” said City Engineer Jim Morgan. According to PSRC spokesperson Anne Avery, the grant – $651,238 intended for trail improvements on the north side of Stewart Road – was rescinded [ more GRANTS page 9 ]
Veterans Day Parade, programs on tap Reporter staff
RAVENS REVEL Auburn Riverside coach Bryant Thomas joins his players in celebration after the playoff-bound Ravens defeated rival Auburn, 20-7, to secure the Fugate Trophy in a South Puget Sound League North 4A game at Auburn Memorial Stadium last Friday. The Ravens (7-2 overall) host Cascade (8-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in a state play-in game. For more details, see page 13. RACHEL CIAMPI, Auburn Reporter
Tickets: www.auburnwa.gov/arts | 253-931-3043
Auburn honors veterans this weekend in its own special way – with ceremonies, programs and a traditional parade, one of the largest of its kind in the country. The 48th annual Veterans Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday on Main Street. The parade features more than 200 units, 5,500 participants and more than 25 high school marching bands, in addition to military vehicles, veterans units and honor guards. Complete list of the City’s Veterans Day Observance activities, page 15
Seattle Int’l Comedy Competition | Nov. 8 & 15, 7:30 pm | $20/$18, Auburn Ave. Theater Auburn’s Veterans Day Parade | Nov. 9, 11 am | Main Street, Downtown Auburn Randy Hansen’s Jimi Hendrix Tribute | Nov. 23, 7:30 pm | $17/$15, Auburn Ave. Theater 880762