Wednesday, May 21, 2014 | 75 cents
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Spartan baseball
Sumner wins district title Page 3
Weather The forecast for today, Wednesday, calls for partly sunny skies, highs near 71 and lows near 53. Thursday will be mostly cloudy with highs near 74 and a chance of rain in the evening. Showers are likely Friday, with temperatures dropping to a high of 69. The weekend looks to be mostly cloudy with possible showers and highs of 67. Lows will remain steady near 53.
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Officers of the law, just like the rest of us Reporter joins Bonney Lake and Sumner residents at Citizen’s Academy programs
from behind a wall. Officer Daron Wolschleger, dressed in jeans and a Seahawks sweatshirt, gave me his best “criminal” impersonation.
ing isn’t among my most highlydeveloped skills. The situation escalated as I gathered my composure. By the end of the exercise,
“What’s the problem officer?” He asked. “I’m not doing anything illegal, am I?” I laughed. Apparently, role play-
Daron was arrested and my performance was critiqued. The day included several other mock scenes. Participants were
By Theresa De Lay Staff Writer
I strolled into the vacant building as Community Service Officer Steve Flaherty briefed me on the situation. A witness called to report suspicious activity within, and the owners were out of town. I summoned what I thought was a reasonable amount of authority and announced myself, “Bonney Lake Police. I’m entering the building. If anyone is here, make yourself known now and come out with your hands up.” It was day one of mock scenes at the Citizen’s Academy and for once, I was on the other side of law enforcement. Or at least I was pretending to be. I spent 10 weeks attending twice-weekly classes with the Sumner and Bonney Lake Citizen’s Academy programs, in an effort to better understand the police departments I cover. I knew I would enjoy myself, but never did I imagine the fun learning opportunities I was about to experience. I rounded the corner and a familiar face peered out at me
Candidates file for office By Kevin Hanson Senior Writer
The political season may not hit a fever pitch for some time, but all the players are in place. Throughout the state of Washington, candidates last week formally filed
their intentions with the Office of the Secretary of State. The filing period opened May 12 and concluded with the close of business Friday. On the Plateau, voters’ attention will be focused primarily on the three races in the 31st
Coming to Enumclaw May 31st!
PLATEAU COWBOY GATHERING
Legislative District. The contest with the greatest potential for political fireworks is for the 31st seat in the state Senate. Incumbent Pam Roach, a Republican from rural Auburn, is chasing
See election, Page 7
armed with training pistols that shot blanks. We were walked through each situation by an officer, testing our ability to determine when use of force was called for and our understanding of law enforcement. Both Bonney Lake and Sumner programs were very similar, though each had its own approach and unique qualities. The courses provided interactive opportunities for citizens to obtain a taste of everything that goes into law enforcement – from traffic stops, to prosecution, to specialized task forces. Class topics included criminal law; department operations; dispatch and reporting crimes; metro animal services; SWAT, bomb squad and K9 demonstrations; emergency vehicle operations; patrol procedures; live taser demonstration in which participants volunteered to experience a short but clearly agonizing shock; a driving under the influence wet lab in which two city employees of different size and stature consumed alcohol in a controlled setting and then performed standard field sobriety tests; firearms training; domestic violence; narcotics; and many others. “It gives our citizens the opportunity to get to know their local police department and to under-
See police, Page 8
Planning Commission to weigh in on moratorium Sarah Wehmann Staff Writer
The Bonney Lake City Council held a public hearing regarding the marijuana moratorium at the council meeting on May 13. The focus of the discussion was “extending the mora-
See marijuana, Page 7
Deadline: June 3, Published: June 25
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