Updates from The Signal http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com Edgewood Fire Department will be getting a little safer this August with the help of a national grant. Last year, Edgewood's Fire District 8 applied for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER), which they received in February. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/413 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/413 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) Edgewood City Council has selected R. Kim Wilde, of Waunakee, Wis., as the new manager for the 12-year-old city. Wilde, 54, grew up in Montana and spent the last eight years as village administrator for Waunakee. Before that, he was the city administrator in Snoqualmie for 11 years. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/414 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/414 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) The city of Milton will not be passed up if and when State Route 167 is extended to the Port of Tacoma. The city council reached a consensus at its July 14 study session and directed the city staff to pursue a highway interchange to bring visitors to the city and promote economic development along Pacific Highway. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/415 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/415 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) Three young men who suffered serious injuries while serving their country in Iraq accomplished a remarkable feat earlier this month when they climbed Mount Rainier. Fife City Councilmember Kim Roscoe found spending time with them an inspiring experience. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/416 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/416 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) The city of Edgewood has more or less the same levels of law enforcement since its inception in 1996. For its first three years of cityhood, five patrol officers covered the day and swing shifts, leaving the graveyard up to Pierce County at large. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/417 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/417 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) Fife's signature flower shop, Fife Flowers, will move to a new location next month after about a dozen years in its current location along Pacific Highway. The shop will move to a vacant space just four doors down from the Poodle Dog. "It will make life a lot easier for the ladies who work here," said owner Mike Seeger, who took over the store 12 years ago after a career in the U.S. Army. "We're moving for many, many reasons," he added. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/420 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/420 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) has a trio of champions at Fife High School. At FBLA's 2008 National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, June 26-29, students Jessica Colburn, Tierney Kuhn and JunHo Lee placed 10th in the nation in Emerging Business Issues, each bringing home an engraved trophy. "I am so proud of them and their accomplishment," said their teacher and FBLA advisor Laura Hilzendeger. "We have a really amazing and talented group of kids at Fife (High School)." http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/418 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/418 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle) The city of Fife was by no means immune to the hustle and bustle the area encountered over the Fourth of July weekend. Many hotels scrambled to accommodate extra visitors, and Fife staff worked hard to promote the city at the Tall Ships Festival, which drew about 400,000 visitors to Thea Foss Waterway. The city adopted one of the tall ships - the Lady Washington - as a way to get its name out. Throughout the weekend, city staff and representatives greeted the public and gave out information and temporary Fife tattoos. A Fife resident dressed as character Jack Sparrow, of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, and posed for photos with Tall Ships visitors. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/419 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/419 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) Hear that throaty V-8 rumble off in the distance? It is the sound of 2,000 hot rods and customized cars headed to Puyallup. The 21st edition of the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals car show presented by Tacoma's Griot's Garage takes over the Puyallup Fair and amp; Expo Center July 25-27, turning the grounds into a scene from "American Graffiti." The event features the car show, an automotive swap meet, a vendor exhibit midway, the pin stripers "brush bash," Friday night drag races at Pacific Raceways in Kent, and a host of other automotive-themed activities. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/421 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/421 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tacoma Weekly) Milton resident Sharon Cooper is one of the millions of people in this country who have been affected by breast cancer. Cooper's aunt and the sister of one of her best friends both died of the disease this year. The death of her friend's sister prompted her to take action. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/406 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/406 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) After the abrupt resignation of Edgewood City Manager Henry Lawrence in January, the city began a search to find the first new manager in a decade. Council immediately sought help from executive hiring firm Prothman, and after weeding through about 40 applications in the firm's nationwide search, the top six were presented to the council, and the community, June 30. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/407 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/407 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) The task of figuring out what to call the new road leading to Edgewood's new Civic Center has created much debate between safety issues and community involvement. On the one hand, law enforcement and fire departments agree that numerical road designations make for quicker response time when outside support is called in. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/408 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/408 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) Little hands smudge the bus windows as 50 third-grade students peer out at the awe-inspiring machinery. "Mom! Mom!" cries one of the students, pointing at a large crane loading a cargo ship. "It looks like those things from "Star Wars!"' Indeed, for many curious youngsters, the equipment and operations at the Port of Tacoma inspire the imagination, conjuring images of sci-fi machinery and fantastical monsters. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/410 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/410 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) Chris Finlayson and Tyler Cardin capped their Fife High School football careers June 21 when they played on the west squad in the Earl Barden Classic, the all-star game for players in the 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B classifications across the state. The game was held at Zaepfel Stadium at Eisenhower High School in Yakima. It was a grind-it-out, low-scoring contest, with the east all-stars coming out on top 17-6. The west drew first blood when Griffin Squires, a quarterback from Chehalis, connected with Ryan Gaylord, a wide receiver from Lynden, on a 21-yard touchdown pass. A two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/412 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/412 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) When the students at Endeavour Intermediate School return in the fall, they'll be seeing a new face in the principal's office. After serving an exemplary term as principal at the school, Jody Hess is moving on to other pursuits, and Kevin Alfano, assistant principal at Columbia Junior High, has been reassigned to assume Hess' vacated seat. "Jodi's a tough act to follow," Alfano said as he took a break from moving into his new office at Endeavour. Part of the closely-knit staff at Fife School District for the past decade, Alfano is well aware of Hess' track record and the positive things she brought to the school. Now the wheel is in his hands, and Alfano said he is quite looking forward to the challenges and rewards that lie ahead. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/409 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/409 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle) This summer, visitors to Fife's Dacca Park will have the opportunity to experience bees and Scottish brogues on a 40-foot inflatable screen. For the second year in a row, the city is hosting summer Movie in the Park events. This year, "Bee Movie" and "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" will be the films of choice. Apart from selecting family-friendly movies, the Fife Parks Department considered films that related to the summer season. "Bee Movie" will be shown July 19 and "The Water Horse" on Aug. 23. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/411 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/411 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) There will be no better place to find hot rods than Fife's Dacca Park June 29 at the second annual Walt's Family Affair Car Show. At least 200 street rods, custom cars, vintage cars and other special interest vehicles are expected to fill the park for the event. This year is the first that Walt Kaplin of Walt's Auto Care is partnering with the city of Fife for the event. Last year, the event was held at the Harley Davidson dealership along Pacific Highway. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/405 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/405 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tacoma Weekly) From a distance, Kelly Oberbillig seems like a normal student. Her favorite subject is reading and she enjoys hanging out with friends. But unlike many of her peers, Kelly has a strong determination that will land her in Rapid City, South Dakota, next month to compete in a national competition. Kelly, a Milton resident who will enter sixth grade next year at Surprise Lake Middle School, is a unicycler. While other children spend their afternoons playing, Kelly devotes much of her free time to practicing on her unicycle. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/398 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/398 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) About a half a year into the construction of Edgewood's new Civic Center, contractors have encountered a small glitch. The building, which is currently framed and approaching the "dry in" stages, lays about 13 feet off of the Civic Center's architectural plans. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/399 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/399 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) The Faith Family Church youth group will be selling fireworks in the Surprise Lake Shopping Center this July. This agreement came a day after several members of the church made passionate pleas to the Milton City Council to allow fireworks sales in their church parking lot, saying they'd exhausted their options elsewhere - and area residents made passionate pleas against it. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/400 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/400 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) After the first of July, Edgewood residents can expect to know a thing or two about the proposed 36th and Meridian community park. That gives them just over a month and a half to make up their minds on how they will vote August 19 (even less time for those who choose to go absentee). http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/401 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/401 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) When the sixth and seventh graders at Surprise Lake Middle School (SLMS) set out to gather money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as an end-of-the-school-year fundraiser this month, their teacher, John Garrett, said he would shave his head when the students reached the $200 goal. All that the students had to do was pay $1 to wear pajamas or a hat to school for a day, or $2 to wear both. However, they ended up raising three times the goal amount - $609 to be exact - by giving much more than was required of them. Garrett said he was "blown away" by the students' generosity, as it was known throughout the school that his wife, Jo Ann, was diagnosed with breast cancer just this past January. In fact, numerous Fife School District personnel have battled cancer in various forms, or are in the midst of doing so, and Garrett wanted to support them all by sacrificing every hair on his head in front of the entire SLMS student body at an all-school assembly June 12. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/402 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/402 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle) When Fife resident Michelle McLendon began running in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure about four years ago, it was just another step in her personal running fitness program. The cause - raising money and awareness for breast cancer victims and research - was only a secondary goal. But this year, her fourth year participating in the race, McLendon has a newfound interest in the cause. For the first time, McLendon began to organize a team comprised of members of her workplace, kitchen gadget company Progressive International, in Kent. It was after the team was organized that she and her co-workers learned that another employee was diagnosed with breast cancer. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/403 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/403 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) Fife is taking to the seas this summer. The city adopted the Lady Washington, a tall ship, for this year's Tall Ships Festival in Tacoma. The original Lady Wash-ington has a long - and somewhat shady - history. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/404 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/404 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) The Milton Park Board is looking for feedback on some proposed new names for Milton Community Park, also known as Triangle Park. The four names the park board is considering are: Milton Community Memorial Park; Memorial Community Park; Veterans Memorial Park; and Milton Memorial Park. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/389 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/389 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) In order to accommodate future growth for the city's schools, Edgewood may be amending their general sewer plan. Edgewood city council discussed this option June 3 after a proposal from Puyallup School District (PSD) to include Edgemont Junior High and Hilltop Elementary in phase one of the city's sewer installation plan. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/390 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/390 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) The cities of Milton and Edgewood are progressing on a project to realign Jovita Boulevard. About 30 percent of the design is completed on the $6.8 million project and both cities are getting ready to start acquiring right-of-way from affected property owners. They hope to go to bid on the project at the beginning of next year. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/391 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/391 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) City of Fife workers and Columbia Junior High School students have teamed up to examine the fish populations of two ponds in Dacca Park. The ponds are for stormwater retention, to collect runoff from the Dacca ballfields. Several years ago, the ponds were stocked with fish to control to the mosquito population. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/392 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/392 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) Click! Network cable television customers in Fife are likely to see a slight increase in their bills this summer. The city of Tacoma ordinance regulating cable television rates allows some flexibility in pricing for premium channels and digital service. Other services have set fees that must be approved by the appropriate officials. These include broadcast, basic and standard levels of service, connection charges and certain other fees. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/393 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/393 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) Katie Flannigan went to California for college to escape the family business. But years later, she not only works there, she owns it. Flannigan's mother opened Reservation Outpost, located on 54th Avenue in Fife, in 1977 as a smoke shop. Today, the store supplies a wide variety of basic groceries and deli foods to everyone from Fife residents looking for basic supplies to Port of Tacoma longshore workers looking for a bite to eat. http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/395 http://www.miltonedgewoodsignal.com/article/395 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen)