August 12, 2026
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ISSUE 33
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Limited Century-Old Cars will Take to Eatonville Openings in ESD Roads for ‘Road to Rainier’ Tour Early-Learning Programs
Staff Report
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atonville School District had three tuition-based openings remaining in its preschool and Transition to Kindergarten programs for the 2026-27 school year as of Aug. 5. Eatonville Elementary School had one Pay to Go preschool opening for a 3-year-old and one Pay to Go Transition to Kindergarten opening for a 4-year-old. Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy had one Pay to Go Transition to Kindergarten opening for a 4-year-old. The district said the spaces would be offered in the order interest forms were received, as determined by the timestamp on each submission. The district used forms submitted by families this spring to determine demand and establish programs at Columbia Crest, Eatonville Elementary and Weyerhaeuser Elementary School. The first day of preschool and Transition to Kindergarten will be Tuesday, Sept. 8.
TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Transition to Kindergarten is intended for children who need additional preparation before entering kindergarten. Eligible children must meet at least one of several criteria, including limited access to licensed preschool, qualification for free or reducedprice meals, eligibility for bilingual education or lagging social or academic skills identified through screening. Children must be 4 by Aug. 31 and live within Eatonville School District boundaries to qualify. Children identified as eligible for Head Start or the state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program do not qualify for Transition to Kindergarten. Columbia Crest and Eatonville Elementary will each offer a Transition to Kindergarten class for qualifying 4-year-olds, who may attend free of charge. When the classes were established, each also included three tuition-based spaces for 4-year-olds who did not meet the eligibility criteria. Of those six
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rivers around Eatonville may find themselves sharing the road with vehicles considerably older than anything normally encountered during the morning commute when a group of antique-car enthusiasts arrives in town this month. More than 50 members of the Portland Regional Group of the Horseless Carriage Club of America are expected to bring approximately 25 historic automobiles to the Eatonville area Aug. 16–21 for the group’s annual scenic tour. Dubbed “The Road to Rainier,” this year’s tour will use Eatonville as its home base while participants explore communities and attractions throughout the region. According to information provided by the club, participating vehicles date from the early 1910s through 1931. The
collection will include familiar Model T and Model A Fords as well as a variety of other restored automobiles from the early decades of motoring. Some participants plan to complement their vehicles by dressing in period clothing. The group will be headquartered at the Mill Village Motel in Eatonville throughout the week. From there, drivers plan to venture north toward Spanaway, south to Elbe and east through Packwood and into Mount Rainier National Park, including a trip to Paradise Inn. Stops highlighting the area’s timber history, wildlife and other local attractions are also planned. Tour organizers said members intend to spend time dining and shopping in Eatonville between excursions, bringing the traveling group into the community throughout the week. “We are incredibly excited to bring these magnificent
automobiles to Eatonville and the shadow of Mt. Rainier,” tour leader Keith Townsend said in an announcement for the event. The visit isn’t intended to be enjoyed exclusively by club members. Residents interested in getting a closer look at the cars are invited to visit the group’s gathering area at the Mill Village Motel, where a large yellow Horseless Carriage Club of America banner will identify the display. “We invite the community to come see the cars up close, ask questions, and step back into the automotive world of their grandparents and great-grandparents,” Yvonne Townsend said. Residents may also encounter the cars simply by traveling around the region. With some of the participating automobiles now more than a century old, organizers say the vehicles generally travel at about 35 to 40 mph. Drivers
will use backroads when practical, but portions of the tour will require travel on larger highways. The club is asking motorists who encounter the caravan to be patient when passing the slower vehicles. Antique-car drivers plan to use wide shoulders when available to allow modern traffic to safely pass. Several South Pierce County organizations and attractions are involved in welcoming the group to the area. The club credited the Eatonville Eagles, Coburg Tree Farm, Rainier Veneer, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, LeMay Collections at Marymount, Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and the University of Washington’s Pack Forest for their hospitality. The Horseless Carriage Club of America is an international organization dedicated to preserving and enjoying early automobiles and promoting interest in the history of motoring.
Wildfire Smoke Pushes Mount Rainier Air Into Unhealthy Range
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ildfire smoke drove air quality into the “Unhealthy” range at Mount Rainier National Park last week as major fires burned across Central and Eastern Washington. The National Park Service’s Ohanapecosh monitor recorded a NowCast Air Quality Index of 179 at 10 a.m. Aug. 4. Its highest readings remained unhealthy Aug. 5, when the AQI reached 171, and early Aug. 6, when it reached 166. Conditions then improved steadily. The highest recorded AQI fell to 113 on Aug. 7, 95 on Aug. 8 and 53 on Aug. 9. By noon Aug. 10, the reading was 33, in the “Good” range. The Ohanapecosh sensor is near the campground in the southeastern corner of Mount Rainier National Park at an elevation of about 1,900 feet. The National Park Service says the valley is susceptible
to inversions that can trap smoke and other particle pollution near the ground. Its readings should not be treated as measurements for Eatonville or the entirety of South Pierce County, but they illustrate the severity of the smoke around the mountain. The readings are preliminary and may later be revised, according to the National Park Service.
SMOKE CREATES HEALTH RISKS Fine-particle pollution, known as PM2.5, was the primary concern. These microscopic particles can travel deep into the lungs and aggravate asthma and other heart or lung conditions. Smoke exposure can cause coughing, headaches, irritated eyes and sinuses, chest discomfort and difficulty breathing. Children, adults over 65, pregnant people and those with heart or lung conditions, diabetes or a history of stroke face greater risks. Health officials advise residents to limit strenuous outdoor activity when smoke is present, keep windows closed and use air conditioning on recirculation. Portable air cleaners can reduce indoor smoke, while a properly fitted N95 or N100 mask can reduce exposure outdoors. Residents can check current conditions through the Washington Department of Ecology air-quality map, AirNow.gov or
the National Park Service’s Ohanapecosh monitoring page.
FIRES PROMPT EMERGENCY RESPONSE Washington entered August amid its fourth consecutive statewide drought. More than 1,000 fires had burned approximately 425,000 acres by the beginning of the month, the most acreage burned in the state since 2021, according to state officials.
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