On behalf of the Town Council, staff, and me… we wish that your 2009 Holiday Season is filled with peace, joy, and a lot of opportunities to gather with family and friends. The Town held the annual Holiday tree lighting at Town Hall on December 4th at 6:30 PM. Arrangements were made for special guests from the North Pole to be present. The traditional Steilacoom “Elves and Bells” around Town will be on Friday December 18th.
Volunteers are planning a “Community Christmas Play and Sing Along” at Town Hall from 6-8 PM on Sunday 20 December. The intent of this function is to allow Steilacoom residents of all ages to play Holiday music with their own musical instruments; or simply turnout to just listen and/or sing along. To better gauge if we have enough space, please respond to Nancy Henderson if interested. See you there!!
The military is resurfacing the North Gate Road outside North Fort Lewis which is the only road that leads directly into Lakewood via Washington St. That road has been closed since mid-November and will remain closed until 31 December or until all work is complete. The result is that Steilacoom may experience heavy traffic very early and then late in the day. Be patient and plan your routes if your travel plans take you toward Dupont and I-5.
Council has long been interested in fireworks use and safety during the 4th of July holiday. By a vote of 3-2, Steilacoom will ban the possession or use of Fireworks beginning in 2011. I expect the Council will provide policy guidance next year as to the staffing priorities during the 4th of July celebration. We will keep you informed.
Council also recently reviewed street traffic counts, accident data, and other factors for the three Town arterials. Based upon this information, they voted to change the speed on portions of Steilacoom Boulevard, Chambers Creek Road, and Union Avenue from 35 MPH to 30 MPH. Traffic revision markings have been up for some weeks.
On behalf of the residents of Steilacoom, I want to thank Roe Marcantonio for eight years and Connie Aboubakr for four years of service on the Town Council. Both willingly understood that serving on the council requires a large commitment of personal time and an on-going study of issues; frequent research of State law and the Steilacoom Municipal Code; responding to phone calls and emails from citizens; and continually providing frequent comments to improve the Town and our operations. Thank you…. Roe and Connie!
I welcome to 2010 Council, Councilmen Mr. Lowell Bier and Mr. Steve Stovall who I am sure will continue the tradition of committed public service.
District Begins Search for Superintendent
The search is on in the oldest school district in Washington for a new superintendent.
A series of public forums is planned during December and January to collect public input on the process. This past May, Dr. Cathy Davidson was hired as the District’s interim superintendent replacing Dr. Art Himmler. Community forums to meet the candidates for the position are as follows:
- Wed., Dec. 2, 2009, 6 p.m., Pioneer Middle School (DuPont)
- Wed., Dec. 16, 2009, 6 p.m., Steilacoom High School Library.
- Fri., Jan. 8, 2010, 6 p.m., Anderson Island Community Clubhouse
Candidates will respond to the following questions: What are some of the strengths you see in the SHSD? In the community? What are the characteristics you feel are particularly desirable in a superintendent? What challenges do you see ahead for the school district in the near future?
The selection process time line is as follows:
- Application deadline: Jan. 29, 2010
- Semi-finalists selected by Board: Feb. 10, 2010
- Semi-finalists interviews with Board of Directors: Feb. 13-16, 2010
- Finalist interviews with Board: Feb. 22-26, 2010
- Starting Date: July 1, 2010
For more information about qualifications and other details, please visit the district’s website at www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who supported Operation Make A Soldier Smile. The community support was overwhelming. A special thank you goes to Paula Watter and Denise Dhane who organized this event.
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Mary Hammond says
I wish your headline had indicated which mayor’s desk this was from. Even after reading the whole thing, I know only that it’s from Steilacoom’s mayor, but I’m still clueless as to who that is, not being a Steilacoom resident. I was expecting a “signature” at the end.
I have often been confused – at least momentarily – in the past about the authorship of ST articles, with most everything being “posted by Ben Sclair.” What exactly is meant by “posted by?” Approved by? Edited by? Technically added (posted) to the day’s online newsblog? All of the above?
I’m probably not the only one who’s a bit baffled. Thanks for clarifying.
Ben Sclair says
Sorry about the confusion. I do need to clarify a bit better. You are correct, I post ALL content to the site. I don’t write it, but do edit a little bit.