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BUSINESS | For the love of pie [7]
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
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Arts Council starts new campaign for pocket park Water service rights in The Villages still disputed | Part 2 BY REBECCA GOURLEY
Reporter
The Maple Valley Creative Arts Council is reaching out to the community a second time, asking for donations to fund the pocket park planned in the Lake Wilderness Village retail complex. The park would sit in the alley between QFC and Starbucks. The first time the council tried collecting donations through a crowdfunding website (Kickstarter) in December 2014, more than $23,000 was pledged by 157
people, according to the archived website, but the fund didn’t reach the then-goal of $43,000. Per Kickstarter’s rules, if the goal of the fundraiser isn’t met, none of the funds are collected from the pledgers. After the Kickstarter campaign ended on Dec. 31, members of the arts council attempted to reach out to some of the would-be donors and several of them donated their previously pledged amount, said Mary Jane Glaser, president of the Arts Council. The arts council held a launch party
for the new fundraiser, which is hosted on Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo. com/projects/pocket-park-for-maplevalley-2-0#/story), on Friday, Aug. 28 at the location of the potential park. According to the council, $35,000 has been raised for the project so far, with a remaining $23,000 still needed. Indiegogo’s rules are different for crowdfunding projects than Kickstarter’s; if the goal isn’t reached, the money is still collected from the donors.
[ more PARK page 2 ]
The Black Diamond City Council vote on the assumption ordinance was set for Thursday Editor’s note: This is part two in a series about a water service dispute between the city of Black Diamond and the Covington Water District. Both claim service rights to 98 acres inside the Black Diamond city limits. This week the article examines statements made in Black Diamond’s 2009 Water Comprehensive Plan, responses from the Covington Water District and how these may affect claims to the land. Lasts week’s article examined each entity’s claim to exclusive right to the 98 acres. BY RAY STILL Reporter
Roping At The Rodeo
Hannah Morris, from Black Diamond, roped her calf in 4.6 seconds, putting her in second place in the Breakaway Roping event at the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo last week. Two other Black Diamond residents competed in the rodeo events – Robbye Jackales and John Morris. RAY STILL, Courier-Herald
[ more WATER page 6 ]
Historic float returns to Labor Day festival BY SARAH BRENDEN Reporter
As the three day weekend draws near, the city of Black Diamond prepares for its annual Labor Day festival. This year marks the 101st year the city has held the festival. According to Black Diamond Labor Day Chairman Melissa Oglesbee the earliest record showing when the festival was first held was 1914. This year patrons can expect
As the Black Diamond staff prepares Ordinance 15-1058 to officially assume water service rights to 98 acres of The Villages development, the Covington Water District is doubling down on its efforts to wrestle back control of the disputed land. If the council votes to approve the ordinance, the city will begin the official assumption, or take over, of water service rights to those 98 acres in The Villages, something Black Diamond has been attempting since at least 2008. If Black Diamond passed the assumption ordinance Sept. 3, the Covington Water Dis-
three days full of endless activities. Oglesbee said there will be puttputt golf, live music, food trucks and an art show among other activities. “You don’t need to leave town on Labor Day weekend to have a really great time,” she said. Returning to the Labor Day festival this year is the Green River Queen Float. The float is more than 50 years old and “has been a showpiece that had been presented in pa-
rades around the state,” Oglesbee said. When the float returned to the Black Diamond Labor Day festival it was used as a stage. But four years ago, the Green River Queen couldn’t make the trip and hasn’t been seen since. The float has been sitting in the salvage yard of Palmer Coking Coal, Oglesbee said. She said a fund was set up to revamp the Queen but it wasn’t until this year that the float was able to be restored. Restoring the float was the work of former Black Diamond Mayor Gomer Evans. “(He) really went to town to [ more FESTIVAL page 2 ]
The Green River Queen float has been restored and can be seen at the Labor Days festival in Black Diamond this weekend, Sept. 5-7. COURTESY PHOTO