SEE INSIDE: Enumclaw student wins essay contest | Page 7 . . . . Winter sports previews | Page 18 . . . Santa Run | Page 3
Wednesday, December 9, 2015 | 75 cents
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Views...................................Page 6 Obituaries.........................Page 8 Going Green....................Page 10 Sports.................................Page 18 Classified...........................Page 21
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Sumner elementary students bundle up with new warm coats
In Memory
This Week...
By Ray Still
N
• The Cascade Foothills Chorale will twice of-
fer its holiday concert “Christmas” this weekend. The concert will begin at 2:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13. Performances will be at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1535 Washington Ave. in Enumclaw. Also performing will be the Allegro Women’s Ensemble. Admission is $10 per person. • Flood watch this week
from Dec. 8 to Dec. 9. Up to 11 inches of rain may fall in the mountains, causing local rivers to swell.
Weather The forecast for Wednesday calls for showers all day and night, with highs around 49 and lows near 38. Thursday also expects showers with a high around 45 and a low near 37. Friday, Saturday and Sunday all expect rain with highs in the low 40s and lows around 35.
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The star on top of Bonney Lake’s tree is dedicated to the Ellis family, who died in a bridge accident on April 13. Top right, Natanan discusses with Santa Claus what she wants for Christmas. Bottom right, the Bonney Lake Viking Choir sings at the tree lighting ceremony. Photos by Ray Still.
Reporter
othing says happy like a warm coat in the winter. That’s why East Pierce Fire and Rescue teamed up with the Coats for Kids Foundation for the third year in a row to help out with Operation Warm, an annual program devoted to providing new winter coats to children in the community who otherwise could not afford one. East Pierce firefighters fitted coats on nearly 100 children Dec. 3 at Daffodil Valley Elementary before moving on to five other elementary schools in the Sumner School District. Last year, the Local 3520 firefighter union, which handles the donations for this fundraiser, raised enough money last year to buy 620 coats (about $22,000). “In 2014, we ranked number 10 among all other fire departments in the United
SEE COATS, PAGE 4
East Pierce budget replaces Buckley budget grows retiring firefighters after gas utility sale By Ray Still
increasing community outreach events and bringing information technology staff After surviving a tumul- back to normal levels. tuous financial year due The budget expects a 7 to a failed levy, percent increase in East Pierce Fire revenue this year, and Rescue plans totaling more than to return to full $23 million. strength by the end Expenditures of 2017. tally to just more Within this year’s than $23.6 milbudget, which was lion, resulting in a approved by the $500,000 budget department’s Board Bud Backer shortfall that East of Commissioners Pierce plans to cover Nov. 20, are plans with money that rolls over to increase staffing levels and from 2015 to 2016. minimum staffing by hirThis rollover fund, called ing firefighters, recruiting the beginning fund balance more volunteer firefighters, Reporter
by East Pierce, is typically used to tide fire departments over until taxes are collected in the spring. In the past, nearly 30 percent of East Pierce’s total budget rolled over into the next year. In 2016, only 20 percent of the budget will roll over, a reduction of nearly $2 million from the previous year. Fire Chief Bud Backer gave an additional $500,000 to the beginning fund balance, money that was not spent from last year’s operations budget.
SEE EAST PIERCE, PAGE 5
By Kevin Hanson
meeting of Nov. 24. “It’s nice to sit down at the table and not look at After years of strugcuts,” Johnson said, refergling to make ends ring to a budget meet, the city process that went of Buckley has smoother than found itself with in recent years. a bit of financial “We’re definitely breathing room. turning the corThat’s the word ner on the econfrom Mayor Pat omy.” Johnson, delivThe city’s preered in the wake Pat Johnson liminar y 2016 of the Buckley budget began City Council ’s with a positive message formal adoption of a 2016 from an upbeat Johnson. spending plan. The council passed a budget for the coming year during a SEE BUCKLEY, PAGE 3 Senior Writer
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