REPORTER
COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND
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REGIONAL | Reports, witnesses tell tale of Bonney Lake tragedy [page 3]
Coming Home | Kentwood’s new football WEBSITE | Check the website for breaking coach returns to Kent [9] news, sports and weather stories. maplevalleyreporter.com or covingtonreporter.com
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Covington Prop 1 still failing, gap narrows
Pitch made to council for sports complex BY REBECCA GOURLEY
BY DENNIS BOX
Reporter
Editor
The Covington Transportation Benefit District has failed to clear the 50 percent yes hurdle with nearly all the ballots counted since the April 28 special election. The latest tally posted Tuesday at the King County Elections website had the proposition losing with 1,278 yes, 48.05 percent and 1,382 no, 51.95 percent. The proposition gained ELECTION some ground since Election Day when the measure was down with 1,206 voting no, 53.27 percent, and 1,058 voting yes, 46.73. Covington City Manager Regan Bolli wrote in an email Tuesday, “If Proposition 1 does not pass, as is expected, it will be extremely difficult to maintain current levels of service on our streets and sidewalks and make it much harder to fund an additional police officer. We will be going back to the drawing board to determine the best and most efficient way to proceed.” The benefit district would have authorized a 10 year 0.002 sales tax increase or 20 cents for every
One of the main points of discussion in Maple Valley is the lack of sport facilities and fields within the city. Alfoster Garrett of Another Level Sports and Bruce Laing of Pacific Lighting Systems made a presentation to the City Council at its April 18 retreat for a potential sports complex. Derrick Pryor of AES Development based in ColumMAPLE bus, Ohio joined VALLEY the meeting via phone. The presentation was regarding an economic impact study Garrett and Laing did for a sports complex in Maple Valley. The complex, according to the presentation documents, would “offer recreational and competitive athletic opportunities for children and adults, as well as increased educational opportunities for children.”
LOCATION
Compost For Days
Glacier Park Elementary received a literal dump truck load of compost last week as part of Cedar Grove’s Big Garden Give. The students on the school’s green team collected produce stickers and completed sticker cards. For each card filled with stickers, an equivalent of a bag of compost was donated to the school by Cedar Grove. Above is Brianna Aldahondo and Elyssa Hicklmen sprinkling compost in the garden’s beds. See more photos on page 7. REBECCA GOURLEY, The Reporter
[ more PROP page 8 ]
The council agreed at the retreat they would like to see more information on the project. But at least one council member was not sold on the location proposed for [ more SPORTS page 8 ]
Jenkins Creek bridge project moving forward BY REBECCA GOURLEY Reporter
The trail improvement and bridge replacement project at Jenkins Creek Park in Covington is moving forward. Robert Lindskov, city engineer for Covington, made a presentation to the City Council April 28 regarding the project plan and timeline. In December 2010, the pedestrian bridge that once spanned across Jenkins Creek collapsed after record rainfall hit the region. Within a week the remainder of the bridge was removed. Three years later, in November 2013, the city re-
ceived a $418,000 federal community development block grant from King County to replace the bridge and make other improvements to the walking paths in the park. The plan for the project is not only to replace the bridge, but to also make the paths in the park Americans with Disabilities Act compliant by widening and paving them. The design style of the bridge that Lindskov said was the staff favorite is called an “underhung style” with weathered steel. The city planned to start advertising the project for bids Friday, May 8. The city’s timeline also stated the project should be awarded to a contractor in June and completed by November 2015.
The Jenkins Creek Park bridge collapsed in December 2010 after a heavy rain storm. Seen here are workers cleaning up the debris. File Photo