REPORTER
COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND
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LOCAL | Top Two Primary Election History [page 3]
7pm
FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2014
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
City pushes forward with park site plans
Matheson resigns as city manager
BY KATHERINE SMITH
BY ERIC MANDEL
ksmith@maplevalleyreporter.com
emandel@covingtonreporter.com
The city of Maple Valley is going forward with creating site plans for two underused pieces of city property that could become parks in the future. The two properties in question are Henry’s Switch and several parcels adjacent to one another that the city had MAPLE purchased at VALLEY the intersection of 216th Avenue and 276th Street that parks and recreation director Greg Brown said has “no real name.” “Both of these sites were purchased by the city over a decade ago and (the city) never got around to what the use should be,” Brown said. Earlier this year the city completed an update to its Parks,
Covington City Manager Derek Matheson has announced his resignation from the position to take on a larger role in the city of Kent. Matheson, who spent more than seven years in the post, announced his resignation to City Council and staff via phone and email on Monday. Derek Matheson “We’re in mourning,” said Sharon Scott, Matheson’s executive assistant. Matheson has been named Kent’s Chief Administrative Officer, the city’s top appointed position, taking on day-to-day operations for the city of 121,400 residents and 630 employees. In his email to staff, Matheson said
[ more PARK page 7 ]
CANDY BOOM
The candy cannon shoots goodies into the air during the candy scramble at Lake Wilderness Park during the Fourth of July celebration. The Maple Valley Parks and Recreation Department set up a series of games, there was a pie baking contest, live music and the evening was capped off with a fireworks display over the lake. More photos on page 2. DENNIS BOX, The Reporter
Black Diamond boy given the gift of a ‘re-birthday’ BY KATHERINE SMITH ksmith@maplevalleyreporter.com
May 29 was 5-year-old Ryan Norgate’s “re-birthday.” It wasn’t a typical young boy’s birthday celebration with cake and games and friends. It was late at night and his gift arrived in a red Igloo cooler, delivered by a volunteer who had just stepped off a flight, given by an anonymous donor.
Norgate, who calls Black Diamond home but is currently living with his mom, Patrice, at Ronald McDonald House in Seattle, was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia last year, a disease that effects only two in a million. May 29 was his “day zero,” the day he received a bone marrow transplant that is his only option for a cure. “The reason I want to tell his story is this is a very negative experience and I basically don’t want
to be victimized, I don’t want us to be victimized by this,” Patrice said during a few brief hours in Black Diamond on day 33. “I want it to be something positive and by bringing exposure to the disease and the bone marrow transplant process. I want to be able to share that with him someday, and maybe that helps save someone’s life.” The journey for Ryan and his family began in June 2013. Patrice noticed that Ryan was bruising easily but she just figured she had a rambunctious son who loved to play outside. Ryan developed a cold right before the family was due to go [ more GIFT page 7 ]
[ more CITY page 6 ]
Ryan Norgate, 5, rides a bike through the halls of Children’s Hospital in Seattle. Ryan underwent a bone marrow transplant on May 29. Courtesy photo