City Breifs

RODEO FOR KIDS

The annual Kid Rodeo will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 31 at Pierce County Fairgrounds in Graham. The mounted horse unit organizes the event. While affiliated with Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the members of the unit are not deputies. They patrol parks and assist in search and rescue operations. This event is for physically challenged children, allowing them to ride horses and practice roping skills under the supervision of professional ropers, as well as participate in barrel riding. There will also be a hayride and a clown making balloon animals. Lunch will be served.

HANBERG TO CHAIR TACOMA READS TOGETHER    

Mayor Marilyn Strickland has appointed Erik Hanberg to serve as chair of Tacoma Reads Together, a community reading initiative. “I selected Hanberg because he is a voracious reader, a champion of social media and very active in the civic, arts and business arenas,” Strickland said. “As our city moves forward, I want to ensure that new voices are brought to the table to serve on boards, commissions and in other positions of leadership.”

In its ninth year, Lincoln High School Principal Pat Erwin created Tacoma Reads Together in an effort to encourage Tacomans to come together to read, reflect upon and then respond to the ideas and issues raised by a good book. Each year a book is selected by the mayor for the opportunities it presents to the community to discuss critical issues. These have included racism and discrimination, the balance between the rights of the individual versus the needs of the state, immigration and cultural assimilation and the role of science in public life.

BURN BAN IN EFFECT

A stage one burn ban is in effect throughout Pierce County through Sept. 30. Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau declared the ban, in cooperation with Pierce County Fire Chiefs Association. It was prompted by forecasts calling for continued dry weather. The burn ban applies to all outdoor burning except for small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission. The use of propane stoves and barbecues is allowed.

WATER STOCKS DEEMED SUFFICIENT    

The Water Supply Forum, a cooperative effort of public water supply systems and local governments in the central Puget Sound region, reports that summer water supplies are forecasted to be sufficient. Linda McCrea, superintendent for Tacoma Water, expects the utility to meet the needs of Tacoma customers with an adequate water supply from the Green River and Tacoma’s well fields.

“Improvements to Howard Hanson Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also aid in that effort,” McCrea noted. “In addition, we are currently developing communications that will help our customers begin to think about their water in new ways and encourage smart use now and into the future.”

TPU ADVISORY BOARD

Customers have an opportunity to help shape the communications they receive from Tacoma Public Utilities (TPSU). It seeks volunteer advisors to serve on a new editorial board. This will assist TPU’s Community and Media Services with providing better communications with customers. It will help shape TPU’s newsletters, website and special publications. TPU seeks opinions from board members about existing tools and ones under consideration. It will meet in the evening once every three months starting in September. Members, who must be TPU customers, will serve two-year terms. Applications are available at http://www.mytpu.org/edboard.

NEW STAFF AT CRBS

Cascade Regional Blood Services (CBRS) has hired Tim Ross as director of donor services and Ann Marie Ceredona as director of cellular therapy apheresis and laboratory operations. He spent two years with Virginia Blood Services, preceded by 10 years with American Red Cross Blood Services. He manages the operations of blood donor services, blood drives, three donor center collection sites and hospital-based therapeutic procedures. Ceredona comes to CRBS from Worcester, Mass., where she spent 22 years with University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. She serves as a regulatory auditor with Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and American Association of Blood Banks. At CRBS Ceredona directs all laboratory activities including donor processing, distribution of blood and blood components, component preparation and quality control.

JAZZBONES BUILDING FORECLOSED

The building that houses Jazzbones, a popular nightclub located at 2803 6th Ave., could be sold at auction this fall. According to documents filed with the Pierce County Auditor’s Office, Pacific International Bank has foreclosed on the building. The documents indicate the bank is owed almost $57,000 in late payments and fees. Jazzbones Ventures Inc. took out a loan from the bank in 2007 for almost $1.6 million. According to the documents, the bank plans to auction the structure on Oct. 1. Terry Suzuki owns the building. Karen Choi and Sun Lee bought the club last year and lease the space from Suzuki. The building housed Victory Club in the early 1990s. That venue closed and the space was vacant for several years. Jazzbones opened in 2000.

MURPHY JOINS SUPERIOR COURT

Judge Edmund Murphy was recently sworn in during a ceremony in the County/City Building. Governor Chris Gregoire appointed him to Pierce County Superior Court, department nine. He spent the past 26 years working in the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office. He started as a deputy prosecuting attorney, where he handled cases ranging from class C felonies to aggravated murder. He served as felony division chief for five years. Other positions he held were Juvenile Division chief, Misdemeanor Division chief, Drug Trial Team supervisor and Robbery/Assault Trial Team supervisor. He was instrumental in establishing the county’s Drug Court. Most recently he was in the Civil Division, where he advised the county’s Public Works Department. He has been a volunteer judge in University Place Youth Court.

Murphy earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington and his law degree from University of Puget Sound.

LICENSE FOR CUSHMAN DAM

After waiting for 36 years, Tacoma Power has received an acceptable long-term license to operate Cushman Hydroelectric Project. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued an order that amended a license issued in 1998 to include the terms of a settlement Tacoma Power and other government agencies reached with Skokomish Tribal Nation in 2009. The agreement allows Tacoma Power to operate the dam until 2048. The original license expired in 1974.

“The acceptance of our licensing agreement by FERC ends years of uncertainty, mistrust and litigation for Tacoma Power and many others,” Tacoma Public Utilities Director Bill Gaines said. “We can now confidently assure our customers that we will be able to continue to generate clean, renewable power for many years to come, and we can move forward with a new cooperative relationship with Skokomish Tribe.”

Tacoma Power can now add new generators at the dam to capture some of the energy from flows released into North Fork Skokomish River. The three megawatts of electricity produced from that project will help Tacoma Power meet renewable energy targets mandated by state law.

CIO PLEADS GUILTY

Dale N. Frantz, former chief information officer for Auto Warehouse Inc., has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was charged with embezzling more than $500,000 from his employer, an operation on the Tideflats that handles the logistics of bringing cars made in Asia to the United States. The embezzling occurred between May 2007 and September 2009.

Frantz was convicted of multiple counts of theft in Indiana in 1996. In 1998 he moved to the Tacoma area and went to work with Auto Warehouse. He was promoted to CIO in 2002.

In some incidents, Frantz collaborated with Michael A. Newman, who provided fake invoices as part of the scam. Both men were charged in June. Newman pleaded guilty in federal court in Tacoma to one count of conspiracy. He faces up to five years in prison. Frantz faces up to 20 years. Both will be sentenced in October.

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