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INSIDE | Report reveals trends in crime, calls to police [3]
FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014
Sports | Auburn-area athletes poised for state track and field showdown [18]
State warms up to improving HOT lanes accessibility
Pacific makes role changes
BY ROBERT WHALE
sskager@auburn-reporter.com
rwhale@auburn-reporter.com
What do you think?
By the end of this summer, the Washington State Department of Transportation expects it will have made it easier for motorists to get into the HOT (high occupancy toll) lanes on State Route 167. That is, by replacing the double-white, restricted entry and exit points with a single white line, drivers will be able to change lanes at almost any location, and not only at designated access points. Patty Rubstello, toll operations director for the WSDOT, said 40 percent of the drivers in a 2012 customer survey told the state that they heartily disliked those restrictive entry and exit points and wanted getting in and out of the HOT lanes to be easier. Transit agencies have
Tell us your thoughts on the design, use and nature of the HOT lanes. Send us your comments at submissions @auburn-reporter.com
also let the state know it’s a pain for them to use the HOT lanes because buses often have to get on and off the highway to make stops, Rubstello told Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus and the City Council during a recent briefing on the SR 167 Hot Lanes Project. But why switch to a single-white line, asked Councilman Rich Wagner. “If it’s OK to cross, why aren’t there dotted lines as well?” Wagner said. “It’s just the way the federal highways requires the striping to be done [ more HOT page 4 ]
DAY OF HONOR Boy Scout Troop 401 flag bearers Guy Adamo and Conner Whitlock wait for their fellow scouts during Auburn’s Memorial Day remembrance ceremony Monday at Mountain View Cemetery. Auburn Mountainview High School junior Morgan Nyren sang “The Star Spangled Banner”, Troop 401 presented an honor guard of scouts, and members of the American Legion laid memorial wreaths. More photos, page 3. SHAWN SKAGER, Auburn Reporter
BY SHAWN SKAGER
Busy Valley Freeway: State engineers are planning to re-stripe the HOT lanes on State Route 167, a change they hope will improve traffic flow. ROSS COYLE, Reporter
A trio of job descriptions fattened Pacific’s municipal code this week. On Monday, the Pacific City Council voted unanimously on Resolution 2014-157, which updates the City’s organizational chart, splits the community development manager position into two new roles – public works manager and community development manager – and updates the City administrator’s role. Guier “The job descriptions passed council,” said Mayor Leanne Guier, who proposed the changes May 3 at the council retreat. “We still have to get a budget amendment passed in council in June because the positions are not yet in our budget.” Guier said she had decided to split the community development director position six months ago when the City was looking to fill the vacant post. [ more PACIFIC page 2 ]
White House honors young scientists STAFF REPORT
When a serious infestation of aphids or plant lice recently threatened to gobble up the green in their school’s greenhouse, Celine Patrick and Ashlee Tarro solved the problem without harsh pesticides. For their work, a recent White House event for students who excel in science honored these two local members of the National FFA Organization. Tarro, 15, of Auburn, and Patrick,
15, of Lake Tapps, members of the Sumner High School FFA chapter in Sumner, received the invitation to the 2014 White House Science Fair Tuesday. The event honored the accomplishments of student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions throughout the U.S. This year’s event included a specific focus on girls and women who [ more HONOR page 2 ]
Tickets:
1056637
www.auburnwa.gov/arts 253-931-3043 Pre-Sale prices: $14/$12