SEE INSIDE: Health Board to vote on e-cig regulations | Page 3 . . . Bonney Lake proposes property tax increase | Page 4 . . . . Veterans, past and present | Page 32
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 | 75 cents
What’s Inside Sports.................................Page 5 Business.............................Page 7 Views...................................Page 8 Obituaries.........................Page 10 Classified...........................Page 26
This Week... • Bonney Lake’s second annual Mayor’s Food Drive will be collecting non-perishables on Thursday, Nov. 19. Starting at 7 a.m., DM Disposal employees will collect non-perishable and non-glass food items set on the curb in special bags. Call 253-414-0347 for more information. • Did you know? There are almost 22 million veterans in the US. About 2 million veterans are women. Approximately 31 percent of Vietnam vets, 12 percent of Gulf War vets, and 10 percent of Iraqi War vets have PTSD.
Weather The forecast for Veterans Day calls for rain, rain and more rain with highs near 48 and lows around 35. Thursday also expects rain with highs around 52 and lows around 44. Friday, Saturday and Sunday all expect rain with highs in the low 50s and lows in the high 30s.
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Incumbents in Enumclaw, Black Diamond lose elections
Chamber leads effort to get DOT to revise schedule for bridge work
By Dennis Box Editor
Kim Lauk
Darrel Dickson
Incumbent City Council candidates in Enumclaw and Black Diamond fell into the loss column when the first votes were counted the night of the Nov. 3 general election. In Enumclaw, challenger Kim Lauk beat first-term Councilman Darrel Dickson for City Council Position No. 2. As of Friday Lauk had 1,311 votes, 56 percent, and Dickson 1,000, 43 percent. Dickson was elected in 2011, beating incumbent Rich Elfers, who was seeking his second term on the council. Lauk, at 26, will be one
SEE ELECTIONS, PAGE 25
By Ray Still Reporter
Time for district battles
state mandate to provide full-day kindergarten and to reduce class sizes, factors that have the district’s elementary schools filled to capacity. Second are projections that a flood of new students are on the way. The school district – reported to be the fastest-growing in Pierce County – expects its population to increase during the next decade from about 9,000 students to approximately 10,700. In looking to add facilities and renovate others, the district looks to increase its student capacity by 2019. The bill for the plans under consideration tops $162 million; construc-
The Wa s h i n g t o n State Depar tment of Transportation has again revised the closure schedule for the White River bridge. The bridge is now set to be closed sometime in the spring, possibly in April, although the department has reopened discussions with school districts about the closure schedule. It is currently unknown whether the bridge will be closed during the week or weekends, although business owners at a Nov. 5 meeting overwhelming supported closing the bridge during the week. WSDOT’s decision to rerevise the closure schedule came after the meeting between the department, Enumclaw’s Chamber of Commerce, local business owners and Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn) at the Enumclaw library. Business owners on the Plateau complained to WSDOT after the first closure schedule was published, which called for three consecutive weekend closures in December. WSDOT Nor t hwe st Reg ion Ad mi nist rator Lorena Eng told the crowd of 80 the first schedule was published as the department was talking with the chamber and other businesses.
SEE BOND, PAGE 25
SEE BRIDGE, PAGE 25
Area teams took part in district competition last week. At top, Sumner’s Sam Larberg (in white) battles a Prairie player during the district soccer championship. Immediately above, at left, Enumclaw volleyball celebrates; and, at right, Enumclaw and Bonney Lake compete on the pitch. Top photo by Vince Miller, others by Dennis Box.
School district seeks bond money | Part 3 By Kevin Hanson Senior Writer
Looking first and foremost to meets the demands of an expanding student population, the Sumner School District is preparing to ask district voters for more than $160 million. The funds will be sought as part of a bond issue expected to be offered on the February 2016 ballot. Everything is in place, but members of the Sumner School Board have not made the decision final. According to a district spokesperson, the board is prepared to vote on the matter during a Nov. 18 session. Until things are made official, the district is not going public with
anticipated tax rates tied to the bond. The spokesperson only said the district is working to keep taxes as flat as possible for taxpayers, adding that a bond that paid for the new Lakeridge Middle School and upgrades to four other schools is about to be paid off. A committee has worked since 2013 to arrive at a shopping list of needs throughout the district. That group consists primarily of school district employees, but also includes citizens and representatives from the cities of Sumner and Bonney Lake. According to information provided by the district, there are two factors coming into play. First is a
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Best of the Plateau Pgs. 14-15