SEE INSIDE: Make the effort to keep conditioning during drab months, page 8 . . . . Plenty of Plateau representation on all-league rosters, page 20 . . . . Gardeners, take time to give thanks, page 22
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What’s Inside Sports .............................Page 4 Views...................................Page 6 Health.................................Page 8 Church................................Page 9 Classified...........................Page 22
Winds whip the Plateau By Dennis Box Editor
WEBSITE | Check the website for breaking news and weather updates. www.courierherald.com
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Hannah Simurdak and her EHS teammates competed at the state swim meet, page 4
Weather The forecast for today, Wednesday, calls for cloudy skies and high temperatures near 52 with light winds. Overnight lows may drop to 41. Thursday and Friday calls for a chance of rain with highs to 50 and lows to 40. Saturday and Sunday’s forecast calls for rain with highs to 50 and lows to 40.
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An eastern wind sailed down the west face of the Cascades Nov. 11, slamming into Enumclaw and the surrounding area while knocking down trees, power lines, fences and anything not nailed or weighted down. Enumclaw had sustained winds in the 40s with gusts hitting more than 60 mph, uprooting trees and sending roof shingles sailing. The National Weather Service logged wind gusts at SeaTac of 43 mph with sustained winds of 30 mph. At about 10 p.m. Nov. 11 a Douglas fir crashed down across state Route 169 between 400th Street and 424th Street. The tree took out power lines and telephone poles on both sides of the road.
SEE WINDS, PAGE 2 State Route 169 was particularly hard hit by last week’s winds. At left, a PSE worker restores power; below, flares warn motorists of fallen trees. Photos by Dennis Box
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Fire District is planning to cut $3 million By Ray Still Staff Writer
The special East Pierce Fire Commissioners meeting Thursday was a solemn affair as Plateau residents gathered at the Bonney Lake Fire Department to ask questions and express concerns about the East Pierce Fire and Rescue budget, which will be cut by $3 million in 2015. The meeting was standing room only, and residents who could not find a seat stood in the back and even out into the hall to listen to the fire commissioners and Fire Chief Jerry Thorson explain their budget options and their goals for the coming year. Although the East Pierce Fire and Rescue operations and maintenance levy received a simple majority of 56 percent yes votes during the Nov. 4 general election, state law required a supermajority, or 60 percent, for the levy to pass. By press deadline, the plan for the final East Pierce budget was to have it finished by Nov. 18. Many members of the public and even some of the commissioners expressed frustration regarding their present situation. “We are talking about things we’ve never had to talk about before,” Fire Commissioner Chair Dale Mitchell said. “In my 25 years as a fire commissioner, I’ve never had to do this.” The $3 million that was cut from East Pierce’s budget is equal to 14 percent of the department’s budget. Property taxes and the maintenance and operation levy provided East Pierce with nearly 83 percent of its total budget in 2013, according to the department’s 2013 annual report. The same report details nearly 85 percent of the budget went to personnel costs. Almost 11 percent went to supplies and special services, 4 percent to dispatch agency fees and other government agreements, and 1/2 percent to capital leases and debt. At the meeting, fire commissioners explained to the public without the $3 million from the levy, the 2015 East Pierce budget will not have funds to maintain current staffing levels or continue numerous public services.
Staffing Levels
One of the biggest concerns expressed by both the commissioners and the public was the smaller budget
SEE BUDGET, PAGE 2
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