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The long road home

This past Monday, I finished an excellent book – “Indianapolis: the True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the 50 Year Fight to Exonerate and Innocent Man” by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic. ...
Seeds of hope

In Washington, approximately 1 person dies by suicide every 8 hours. That is 3 people each day. From the shores of the Pacific, through the beautiful Cascade mountains, across the rolling hills of the central valley, across the Palouse and up and...
Clean sweep

We’ve seen a big increase in code enforcement complaints over the past few years. As I write this, seven code enforcement officers are working on about 1200 active cases. We are expecting twice as many complaints in 2018 as the year before. Online...
Scones, Krusty pups and piglets!

As a Pierce County native and Puyallup resident, I love our community celebrations that make our region distinct. Whether it’s the Buckley Log Show, Maritime Gig Festival, Daffodil parade or outdoor concerts at the Curran Apple Farm in UP, we have...
Gardening is always a fun thyme

Eight years ago, Jane Ostericher’s garden wasn’t thriving, so she asked her green-thumb friend for help with the problem. Within a matter of seconds, she was told frostbite was to blame for her decaying shrub. Impressed with the diagnosis, Jane asked...
Dollars and sense

The culmination of thousands of hours of work and a depressing amount of paper is ending as I finalize the 2019 budget I will submit to the Council in September. Creating the budget every year may be a bit daunting but it’s a critical exercise in...
Have a Voice

Last week, Auditor Julie Anderson presented a report to the Council on the recent primary election. There are approximately 500,000 registered voters in Pierce County. As of August 10, there was an estimated voter turnout of 33-34 percent turnout in...
Working together to keep our students safe

No one wants to think about a shooter in one of our schools in Pierce County. But, if we are going to do our best to keep our young people safe, we must not only think about such a horrific possibility but we must plan for it. That’s why I was so...
A Home for Maria

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Maria* was already sitting up in bed before her alarm went off. Since she moved into her new home three days ago, she has been too excited to get a full night’s sleep. She turned off the alarm clock and sat on the edge of the bed...
Cookin’ up something fun

Summer is upon us and that means it is a great grilling barbeque season. And while barbecuing may be perceived as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration – especially with the hot weather we’ve had lately – the secret to success is always in the...
What are you most proud of?

When meeting with employees from our Facilities Department last week, I drew the following question from the hardhat (which contained all the questions they submitted): “Professionally, what are you most proud of?” That is a very thoughtful...
Power Paddle to Puyallup

Large handmade cedar bark canoes are on the move. Some have been on the water and even in the ocean over the last month. Paddle to Puyallup will kick off tomorrow morning and run through Saturday, August 4th as more than 100 cedar bark canoes will...
Honoring Our Medicine Canoe Journey

Starting July 28 until Aug. 4, our community will be able to experience an outstanding event! A multitude of Native American Tribes from all over the west coast, including Canada and Alaska, will be arriving by canoe to the shores of Commencement...
No Stain is Too Big!

It was late fall of 2017 when Eric Taylor first noticed the small yellow circle forming on the ceiling in his foyer. As a disabled veteran with mobility and memory issues, Eric was not able to inspect the damage. He tried to ignore the growing stain...
Fair winds and following seas

Late last week I learned that Lowell Porter, our director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), is retiring from Pierce County. While I appreciate his decision, it’s always hard to say goodbye to a trusted and talented colleague. Those of...
Planes, trains and automobiles – and buses and feet, too!

I wrote this blog from BWI Airport (Baltimore-Washington International) waiting for my 7:20 p.m. flight back to SeaTac. The last two days have been non-stop, including traveling on nearly every kind of transportation: bus from the airport to/from...
You care for them. We care for you.

When you think of a caregiver, what image do you see? You might imagine someone dressed in scrubs, most likely a woman, helping an elderly patient get dressed, use a walker, or take medications. Perhaps you see them at the end of their work shift,...
Learning from the past

I hope you had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July celebration with your family and friends this week! My celebration was colored by two people I met this past week. In last week’s blog, I highlighted meeting an amazing 98-year-old WWII nurse who...
Honoring service with hope and healing

Those who have served us in the military should never be without a roof over their heads. I’ve written in past blog posts about the Betsy Ross Project housed at the Washington Soldiers’ Home in Orting. A refurbished dormitory for wartime nurses has...
In a fight for lives

Earlier this week I read a story in the News Tribune about a teenager who broke into a woman’s home in the early hours of Saturday morning. Her husband was gone on travel, so she was home alone when awakened by her dogs to alert her to a...