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LOCAL | Gov. Inslee visits Covington for groundbreaking on new hospital wing [page 3]
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014
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Wildlife rehab center growing Reagan Dunn, local
city councils support Auburn health center
BY REBECCA GOURLEY rgourley@maplevalleyreporter.com
A
deep, reverberating growl comes from the kennel in the corner. No animal is in sight, but her snarls sound much too ferocious to be coming from anything small enough to fit into a cat carrier. As a human hand reaches in to start the daily cleaning of her kennel, the three-pound bobcat pokes her head out of the darkness, bears her razor sharp teeth and continues her menacing snarl. To most, this would be terrifying, but to veterinarian Dr. Jan White, it’s just another day at work. White runs South Sound Critter Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center in the Maple Valley area. Her facility takes in virtually all wild animals in the area, big and small. The latest addition to the center is a 2 1/2 month old bobcat, who is believed to be orphaned. Don’t let her kitten-like looks fool you, though. She’s definitely powerful and incredibly aggressive for her small size. If her tennis-ball sized paws were any indication, she will soon be much too large to pick up with just a claw-proof gauntlet. White and her staff will care for the feline until she’s well enough to go back into the wild on her own. White makes it her mission to take in injured or orphaned wildlife, get them back to good health and release them into their natural habitat. So far this year, her center has taken in nearly 2,200 animals (a 24 percent increase from last year), and have between 100 and 200 animals at any given time depending on the season. Being one of only a couple centers of its kind that takes in most, if not all, injured wild animals in Pierce and King Counties, it’s no wonder why she wants to expand the facility. “We are being overrun,” White said. They have a little over 100 animals right now and expect that number to
during a one-on-one meeting Tuesday morning. “It’s never a done deal Reagan Dunn received until the votes are finally the messages. taken,” Dunn said. “I think After hearing from people are taking this serimultiple city officials and ously.” members of the public, the The city of Black DiaKing County Councilman mond joined multiple other told The Reporter Tuesday cities that opposed the that he made a request to clinic’s proposed closure, the council’s budget chair by passing a resolution for full funding in 2015 of at a meeting Oct. 16. The the Auburn Public Health Maple Valley City Council Center. Facing a $15 milfollowed suit with its own lion annual budget deficit, resolution Oct. 27. the King County Council The Black Diamond proposed closing the clinic resolution stated the counon Dec. 31, along with its cil “strongly supports” the sister clinic in Federal Way clinic because it “provides and facilities in Bothell and valuable health care and White Center. The closure other critical services to the in Auburn also threatens public in the surrounding the Enumclaw and Muckarea, which includes Black leshoot Indian Reservation Diamond.” WIC offices, which The resolution are satellite opera“It’s never added that closure tions of the Auburn a done deal “will widen health center. until the disparities, and Partnerships and votes are the entire commuemployee wage finally taken.” nity will suffer with sacrifices helped Reagan Dunn increased rates of rescue the clinics in disease and chronic White Center and health problems.” Federal Way, but additional The resolution urged the funding to assist Auburn King County Council to and Enumclaw remains up continue funding and opin the air. erating the clinic’s existing Dunn said he is champiservices. oning funding for Auburn “This clinic and the and Enumclaw as one of his support and primary care top three budget priorihealth services provided to ties and thinks he made a the public are invaluable, compelling pitch to Budget Chairman Joe McDermott [ more CENTER page 7 ] BY ERIC MANDEL
emandel@covingtonreporter.com
Tigger Birch, veterinary technician and wildlife handler, holds a 2 1/2 month old orphaned bobcat that was recently brought to South Sound Critter Care. REBECCA GOURLEY, The Reporter increase, or maybe even double, by next year. White relies on volunteers and college interns to help her take care of the animals. Currently, she is working on getting a new annex and cabin ready for a few out-of-town interns that need a place to stay. During the spring and summer this year, White had 20 interns working at the center in various capacities. Some were local, a
couple were from the eastern US, and one was from China, studying as an international student in Oregon. A temporary fix, the new annex will not only serve as living quarters and a workshop for some of the interns, but also as a small aviary for the center. However, White does have her sights set on something a little more permanent, a piece of land known as “Henry’s Switch” in Maple Valley. [ more GROWING page 20 ]
City Council approves land sale to school district BY REBECCA GOURLEY rgourley@maplevalleyreporter.com
The Maple Valley City Council unanimously approved a purchase and sale agreement with the Tahoma School District for 8 acres of land at what is known as Summit Park. The decision came after overwhelming support for the new Tahoma High School project was
relayed from the public at the ing non-school hours and events. City Council meeting Monday Considering the parking lot night. and access road is expected According to the city’s to cost between $3 and $4 attorney, Jeff Taraday, million, several council MAPLE the city won’t receive any members stated that this VALLEY actual money for the land. was a very fair deal. Instead, in exchange for the Access to the parking lot land, the district will grant the will allow the city to piggycity an easement on the property back on the school’s project and that allows the city to use the new develop the land for future park parking lot and access road dur[ more SALE page 2 ]
The blue shaded area is the approximate location of the 8 acres of land the City Council approved to sell to the district Monday. Courtesy Image