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The Green River Queen returns to Labor Day parade Black Diamond STORY AND PHOTO BY DENNIS BOX Editor
W
hen the Black Diamond Labor Days Committee decided to find someone to bring the Green River Queen float back to life, the choice was easy because there was only one man for the job – Gomer Evans. The life-long resident and former mayor of the town is the one person everyone knows could bring the commu-
nity together to get the job done on time for the Labor Day parade. Evans led a community effort that began in April and ended with the first appearance of the float in more than 50 years in the Labor Day parade. Evans said many businesses and people from Black Diamond, Maple Valley and the surrounding area who volunteered time, money and muscle to bring the float back. [ more QUEEN page 8 ]
votes to assume water rights in The Villages Gomer Evans pilots the Green River Queen float in the Black Diamond Labor Day parade Monday. DENNIS BOX, The Reporter
Author to hold book signing at Covington Library
BY RAY STILL Reporter
The water rights dispute between the city of Black Diamond and the Covington Water District reached a milestone Sept. 3 when the city decided to officially begin the assumption, or take-over process, for the right to serve water to 98 acres within The Villages development. Ordinance 15-1058 passed three votes to one, with one council member recused. This may spell the beginning of the end of this water rights fight, as Black Diamond has attempted to gain control of those 98 acres since the city’s 2009 Water Comprehensive Plan was approved by the county. The city first argued that because Black Diamond annexed The Villages development in 2005, which included the 98 acres, this meant exclusive water service rights were automatically granted to the city. The Covington Water District disagreed,
BY REBECCA GOURLEY Reporter
New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance will make a stop at the Covington Library Saturday on her tour to promote her newest title, “Dance of the Bones: A Beaumont and Walker Novel.” Jance wasn’t allowed in the creative writing program at the University of Arizona because she was a woman. That was in 1964. After her refused admission, she married a man who was in the program. She recalled him telling her four years later there would only be one writer in their family, and it would be him. After divorcing him, Jance moved to Seattle in 1981 and starting writing in 1982. Her newest novel is a crossover book between two of her series, the J.P. Beaumont series and the Walker Family series. She’s written crossover J.A. Jance titles before, but never with these two particular characters, she said. The synopsis of the book is described as, “With a missing boy’s life at stake, detective J.P. Beaumont and Sheriff Brandon Walker join forces to stop a sociopathic smuggler who has eluded justice for decades.” Publishers Weekly wrote, “Bestseller [ more AUTHOR page 2 ]
Editor’s note: This is part three 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’s article outlines what action Black Diamond has taken, and how the Covington Water District may respond. Last week’s article examined 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.
[ more WATER page 6 ]
First Day Jitters
Aaron Tyler drops off his son, Drew, on his first day of kindergarten at Glacier Park Elementary. Unofficially the Tahoma School District has 550 new kindergarten students this year.
The 98 acres, which is highlighted in red, is only a small portion of The Villages development.
REBECCA GOURLEY, The Reporter
Courtesy of the city of Black Diamond