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2014
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Best Of Edition! See Pages 11-20 Wednesday, September 24, 2014 | 75 cents
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City Council approves traffic light on SR 410
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Sports..................................Page 3 Views...................................Page 6 Pets.......................................Page 8 Classifieds..........................Page 21
By Ray Still Staff Writer
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Panther Football
Bonney Lake lost 33-20 to Auburn Mountainview Enumclaw at home Friday
Weather Today, Wednesday, brings a 90 percent chance of rain, with a high temperature near 68. Showers remain in the forecast through Friday night, with daytime highs in the mid- to upper-60s. Saturday and Sunday will see sunny skies returning, with highs perhaps into the lower 70s.
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Beautify Bonney Lake
Cierto Garcia, 5, plants tulip bulbs at Bonney Lake Elementary. Top, Slade Zumhofe, Dalton Workman and Grant Sulham install a hydrant at Viking Park. Middle, the Bonney Lake Elementary volunteers cheer during a work break. Darin John, Ken Milburn and Bryan Cook construct an outdoor amphitheater.
The Bonney Lake City Council amended the Washington State University Forest agreement during the Sept. 16 workshop to allow a traffic light at the future intersection of 204 Avenue East and state Route 410. The amendment passed 4-3. “The council has worked hard over the last year or so to make sure the amendment was solid and benefit the citizens,” said Mayor Neil Johnson. “Connectivity and traffic flow were the biggest issues for the council, which were worked on extensively through the committee process with help from staff.” The WSU agreement, passed by the City Council in 2009, allows Bonney Lake to develop 40 acres of the WSU Forest to attract commercial and medical business. The original agreement, which also connected 204 Avenue East to state Route 410, did not allow for a traffic light to be installed at the future intersection. The traffic light will allow drivers going west on SR 410 to turn left onto 204 Avenue East. There is currently no plan to allow drivers going east on SR 410 to turn left onto 204 Avenue East. The amendment also included language for the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Development Company to talk to the Regal Movie Theater property owners and discuss connecting the parking lots of the two properties, which Johnson said, “is critical for the flow of traffic in that area.”
Photos by Ray Still
SEE TRAFFIC LIGHT, PAGE 10
Bank heist ends quickly By Sarah Wehmann Staff Writer
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Enumclaw resident Gar y Gookstetter, 79, walked into the Sound Credit Union on state Route 410 in Bonney Lake wearing a ski hat and carrying a replica pistol with the intent to rob the bank. He succeeded, leaving the credit union with an undisclosed amount of money in hand but he didn’t make it far. Bonney
Lake police officers were waiting outside for him as he exited the credit union and made his way to his vehicle that was parked right outside. Sgt. Ron Sasaki was on a routine patrol driving through the parking lot of City Hall when word of the robbery came from dispatch. “It was great timing for us, bad for him,” Officer Daron Wolschleger said. “Depending on how you look at it.” According to the charging
documents Gookstetter told the manager, “I want money. I don’t want to shoot.” Gookstetter then handed the manager a sign that read “closed” and told her to put it on the door and lock the door. After the manager did, Gookstetter pulled out two white garbage bags and told the staff to fill them with money. The manager and another employee emptied the drawers into his bags and explained to him that one of them was locked, according to the charging documents. Then he directed them to the safe but they told him that they
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could not access it. According to the charging documents, Gookstetter told them to go into the bathroom and wait five minutes and not to make any phone calls. In order to leave, the manager told Gookstetter that he would need a key to exit. After she gave him the key, he left and they remained in the bathroom. A few moments later, employees looked out the window and saw Gookstetter was surrounded by officers. East Pierce Fire and Rescue emergency personnel treated a
SEE ROBBERY, PAGE 27
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