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Friday, February 21, 2014
New mayor, new approach Backus talks change as City confronts funding challenges
Mayor Nancy Backus in her State of the City address, said she hopes to engage residents better under her watch. COURTESY PHOTO,
By ROBERT WHALE rwhale@auburn-reporter.com
Nancy Backus is Auburn’s chief politician. But please, oh please, don’t call her that. Ever. She prefers wife, mother, soccer mom, friend, confidante, professional business
City of Auburn
woman, proud product of the Auburn School District, Green River Community College graduate, 10-year member of the Auburn City Council, even first female box boy at Piggly Wiggly. And, perhaps, Auburn’s biggest booster. Thus, in her first State of
the City address did Auburn’s mayor of 49 days introduce herself to a roomful of business leaders at Emerald Downs. “I do not like politics and don’t like being referred to as a politician,” Backus began. “In today’s climate, the descriptor suggests a person who engages in politics for
PROUD BUILDING FOR THE AGES
By ROBERT WHALE rwhale@auburn-reporter.com
Community celebrates 100th birthday of historic Carnegie, now a dance and music center
Mandy Urwiler was only 13 and recently kicked out of her previous school because of her recent running away from home when pimps and drug dealers at her new school began pressuring her. “On my second day of school,” Urwiler recalled, “they asked me to be their whore and make them money … I didn’t want to sell my body. I said no, but they kept pushing.” Urwiler held her ground, and the young men finally, savagely, beat her. The night of the beating, Urwiler told her divorced parents what had happened. They pulled her from the school. “I was lucky, because, in this case, it was a situation I could get away
By ROBERT WHALE rwhale@auburn-reporter.com
[ more CARNEGIE page 8 ]
[ more TRAFFICKING page 3 ]
Pacific boosts rates By SHAWN SKAGER sskager@auburn-reporter.com
Robert Smith, the owner of Auburn’s historic Carnegie building, and others have maintained the integrity and life of the 100-year-old structure. The former library, built by a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. ROBERT WHALE, Reporter
bravo
Ave Kids: Goldilocks | February 22, 2 p.m. | $8, Auburn Ave. Theater AveOlympics Movie: Miracle (PG) | February 23, 2 p.m. | Free, Auburn Ave. Theater Free4thFriday Movie: Psycho (R; 1960) | February 28, 8 p.m. | Free, Auburn Ave. Theater
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[ more BACKUS page 10 ]
Leaders hear, seek ways to prevent child sex trafficking
AUBURN’S
If the old Carnegie building could talk, oh, what tales it could tell. Ah, but heck, the librarians who once held sway in Auburn’s first standing library would probably have warned it to “hush up there” anyway. Yet from 12 to 4 p.m. Sunday there’ll be no shushing the celebration rolling the building, as festivities marking its 100th birthday, dip, pirouette and twirl into full swing. Today, just as it has been for nearly 50 years, the brown brick structure at 306 Auburn Ave., the one with the great trees out front and the distinctive blue doors at the top of the steps, is home for the Auburn Dance and Music Center. “We’re excited about the celebration, which has been a long time in the making,” said building and business owner Robert Smith. “In addition to the celebration, we have been completing a lot of preservation projects with the support of 4Culture and other nonprofit
their party’s benefit or for one’s own advantage.’ I think you’ll understand why I do not want to be categorized as such a person.” Her sole intent, she said, is to lead Auburn’s government into the 21st century and get things done, not to follow the quiet dogmas of the past.
Residents of the City of Pacific will soon pay more for their wastewater, stormwater and water utilities. The City Council voted to [ more UTILITIES page 3 ]
Tickets: www.auburnwa.gov/arts | 253-931-3043