Here's the Qannik video again:

Well, the interview with the injured soldier fell through. I'll keep looking, but I got nada the rest of the day. Everyone enjoy the four-day weekend.

I usually post to this blog on weekdays because, well, that's when the Trib pays me to post on it and that's when most people read, though I do occasionally add stuff on the weekend. After this week, my work schedule is going to change, and so will my blog updates.

I'm switching to a Tuesday-Saturday shift, so that's when you'll be seeing most of the updates these days. I did this for several reasons, including the flexibility to cover (and blog about) more weekend events.

(Also, the change in scheduling and the holiday on Tuesday mean I have a four-day weekend. I'm leaving Tacoma and making my first trip to Portland. Any suggestions? Powell's Books is the only thing on my agenda.)

I couldn't link up with Dave Best, the injured soldier who received a free car, yesterday. I'm going to try again today.

Also, there was an uptick in comments yesterday. I know from the hit counts that plenty of folks are reading, but I encourage everyone to spout off whatever comments they feel like typing -- whether the content is intelligent, fun, goofy, etc.

Remember that November plane crash in Commencement Bay? (It was the one where the owner of Farrelli's saved the two people who crashed.)

The Puyallup Herald has a recap story of the incident, complete with quotes from both sides.

We've just been added to the blogroll at FeedTacoma. For those checking this blog out for the first time, I hope y'all keep coming back. For a quick primer of who I am and what I do, check out this previous post.

And if this is your first time here, go ahead and check out some of my older stuff. I've delineated it by city/town and, for Tacoma, by neighborhood.

The first of two lion statues was reinstalled today after months of repairs at iconic Wright Park, the latest and most visible sign of the $4 million project to return prominence to the area that used to be a center of the city’s social life.

“This is a big step,” said Kristi Evans, a project manager with Metro Parks. “It’s more than just a couple of statues.”

Crews will reinstall four statues – two lions and two maidens – this week and next. The statues, sculpted from poured sandstone slurry, needed repairs to patch major cracks.

They remained in a heated storage container in the park; the cracks were filled in, and each statue will receive one or two coats of fresh paint. Lights will be installed on the statues’ bases.

The statues have long resonated with Tacoma residents and visitors, said Melissa McGinnis, a historian with Metro Parks.

“If you look at historic photographs throughout the years,” she said, “everybody took their pictures at Wright Park in front of the statues.”

=> Read more!

Watch the installation of a lion statue at Wright Park and listen to Metro Parks' Nancy Johnson talk about it below:

Drew Ebersole was hired last week as the executive director of the Metro Parks Foundation, which oversees capital projects. I chatted with him earlier today about Phase 2 of the renovation of Wright Park, which will include a playground and "sprayground" for children.

Listen to him give a quick synopsis of it here.

Crosscut has a look at Tacoma’s art scene here.

The city is apparently hoping the condo crowd downtown keeps the art revival thriving. Here's what Amy McBride, arts administrator for the city, asks: "What's the tipping point? Will the people who move into those condos buy artwork?"

First stop this morning: Wright Park, where crews are reinstalling the lions and maiden statues as part of a $4 million. Photographer Russ Carmack will also be there (and, knowing Russ, he has probably been there since dawn), so there will be some outstanding photos. I’ll let you know how things are going as the day progresses.

Also, check out my story on robotic surgery in today’s paper here.

Here's the video of the robotic surgery again:

I'm back from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Watch the video below to hear staff biologist Derek Woodie describe a typical day for a beluga whale at the zoo. And check out Saturday's paper to get an update on Qannik, who arrived in the summer.

(As seen in Tacoma Mall>

The backwards S? Forgivable if it’s a toy store. After the digits? Kinda annoying. Together at the same time? That’s a big enough mistake to warrant a place on Learn to spell, Washington.

Remember this little critter that came to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium over the summer?

I'm heading over there this afternoon to see how Qannik, the 6-year-old beluga whale, is doing.

You can read an earlier story about him here.

(And if you're a parent and your kid is gung ho about being a reporter, you can always get him even more stoked by saying that journalists can get into the zoo for free if they're working on a story there. That just might be enough to overshadow the doom-and-gloom news from Wall Street about our industry.)

Call it the gift-card effect.

At retail stores across Tacoma, the usual post-Christmas return-line crush seemed more like a hard push. Many customers at Tacoma Mall were there to shop, not return that DVD of “Jane Fonda's Complete Personal Trainer Series.”

“Our foot traffic looks like it’s about the same as last year,” JCPenney store manager Keith Burke said. “The customer base will come in today in large part because of gift cards.”

Many stores hoped to capitalize on the rising number of people who opt to purchase the cards. Almost every storefront at Tacoma Mall advertised a sale or clearance.

“We transition to you – shopping for yourself – instead of gift giving,” Macy’s store manager Shelley Louderback said.

Gift receipts expedite the process of returns and make for shorter lines, Burke said. Another increasing trend, gift purchases online, might have contributed to the shorter return lines.

Burke said he wouldn’t know until probably next week if returns were indeed down.

“The traffic in the mall does look heavier than most weekdays,” he said. “And I walked around at about 8 or 8:30, and it seemed pretty busy then.”

Hope everyone out there had a fun Christmas. I've spent the past 24 hours in a magic wonderland known as XM.

Some folks, though, weren't so happy receiving the latest straight-to-DVD American Pie movie or that T-shirt that's two sizes too small. So my editors are sending me to several different stores today to check out the return lines.

I’ve been talking to a few people about a fantastic Christmas story.

Dave Best, a soldier stationed at Fort Lewis, almost died from an IED explosion. He’s since had nine surgeries at the VA hospital at American Lake. He and his wife put about $3,000 worth of repairs into his car, which was stolen and wrecked on Dec. 2.

The folks at Titus Will Ford heard about the story and surprised Best with a Plymouth Voyager. Stan Nacaratto, who first met Best at American Lake Veterans Golf Course, helped connect Best with the folks at the dealership. He was there when they gave him the car (with a giant bow to place atop it to surprise his wife).

“He looked at me, and big tears began rolling down his face,” Nacaratto said. “He said, ‘I can’t take a car like that. I’m not that kind of person.’ I said, ‘Listen to me, you’re our hero now. You put your life on the line in Iraq. So, please, be our guest.’

“He got in and drove the car a couple of miles. He grabbed me when he got out of the car and hugged me and put his cheek next to mind. It about broke my jaw because he’s so strong. He was so appreciative. I’ve never seen anyone cry harder in my life. And he’s just such a sweet guy.

I’ll have more details after I meet with Best on Wednesday or Thursday.

Downtown resident Laura Hanan, upon reading my article about online crime fighting, e-mailed me to add this:

I worked for six months this year with a TPD Officer who would come to my apartment and pick up my photos for identification. Many of the people I had photographed had criminal records and several of them and others that I called in about after watching them for periods of time were arrested as a direct result of the information I provided - I made a list and came up with about twenty people.

In front of my building alone I have photographed people engaged in sexual acts, smoking crack, and dozens of people making drug deals.

Things have improved a lot lately since the D Town Market was closed and since the police have stepped up patrols in the area. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done and the effort must be consistently maintained.

I was going to try to write some poem based on “The Night Before Christmas” but using events like my 3:30 a.m. trip to Sea-Tac this morning, a trip to BJ’s Bingo in Fife and too much egg nog at Knapp’s.

But that just ain’t my style. And, like most of this post, it would just be a way for me to try to stretch out the fact that I’m just tying up some loose ends today. And that’s my way of saying I’m not sure what or how often I’ll post today, but I will find some stuff to keep y’all entertained.

Check out my story about Internet crimefighting in today's paper, and then check out these links to Stacy Emerson's YouTube channel and the StopCrimeOnTacomaAve channel.

I’m back from talking to Anna Wingate, Randy McElliott and others who run the Resource Distribution Council. They were operating a mobile pantry on South 56th Street – across from their old location – and in high spirits.

It’s been a tough time for them lately, and they look like they’re pulling through.

Wingate and others from the RDC stood in the parking lot of Grace Place on Friday afternoon. It was the third consecutive week they distributed food outside the church on South 56th Street.

While people and organizations came to pick up boxes of food, the RDC accepted donations of food and other necessities, including blankets, coats, paper products and baby formula.

The story will run Monday, but you can listen to Wingate, the founder and president, speak about what was going on Friday and the future of the food bank.

You can also read older stories of it here and here or click here for my former blog posts about it.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget we’re fighting a war on two fronts. Local TV news carries few reports from Iraq and almost nothing from Afghanistan. Newspapers – this one included – bury stories from Baghdad and Kandahar deeper as the wars drag on. And for many Americans, the wars haven’t affected life on a daily basis. There’s no rationing, no pleas for war bonds, no draft.

Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that we here at Word on the Street are big on the military – especially the joes who are the most in harm’s way. It’s not easy being away from loved ones, especially during the holiday. It’s probably doubly difficult if you’re in a military hospital recovering instead of exchanging gifts by the Christmas tree.

But we can help, even if just a little bit. The American Red Cross is accepting cards with messages of support to wounded service members. It works like this: We fill out and mail in the cards to the Red Cross, it bundles the, Pitney Bowes Government Solutions then ships them to military hospitals. They must be received by Dec. 27, so you must send them soon.

Everyone knows cards aren’t a substitute for a healthy body and quality time with the family, but hopefully they can make a bad situation just a little bit better.

Click below to read get more details and read the press release:

=> Read more!

Several readers have called my cell asking how to sign up for Pierce County’s Medical Reserve Corps. I’m all about people volunteering and talking to readers, but I want to point out that a how-to-sign-up box is on the front page of our paper.

If for some reason you can’t find it, here it is again:

Call coordinator Justin Schumacher at 253-798-7675 or click here.

The Department of Health and Human Services has launched an investigation into the October discovery of prescription bottles originating from the Kmart at 1414 72nd Street East in Midland.

Community activist Stacy Emerson, who discovered the bottles near a homeless camp behind the store, forwarded The News Tribune an e-mail from an equal-opportunity specialist with the Office for Civil Rights, which oversees the medical-privacy law known as HIPPA. The department reviewed and approved the investigation, the e-mail states.

No timeline for completion was provided, but the specialist did say the department is investigating a large number of other complaints.

Emerson estimates there were about 50 bottles. The labels on about 25 of them contained identifiers like names, addresses, phone numbers and birthdates.

A agency spokeswoman earlier had told The News Tribune the department couldn't comment on an investigation before it is completed.

I just received an e-mail from Holly Minniti, who shot some of the StopCrimeOnTacomaAve videos.

Posting video to YouTube was successful in that it banded neighbors together. It provided the impetus for gathering and working on a plan to make our neighborhood safer and better. Was it worth the risk and the negative reactions? Probably. When you find out that prostitution rings are using the internet for making transactions and talking about the best place for business I think it only fitting that we use the web to fight these and other unlawful behaviors.

I did read the comments on Exit133 that asked why we would keep airing our videos thus showing people just how unsafe our neighborhood is. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away. I'm just not willing to say that all is rosy and crime has been eradicated due to our efforts. I think a head in the sand mentality only perpetuates the problem. But we have taken the videos down from public access.

They are now private only (accessible to invitees). We will continue to shoot footage to assist the police in making arrests and sending letters (to suspected johns). Our work on crime will be continual and we will all have to be diligent!

She also tells me new ownership at the Vintage Apartments have decided there won't be on-site management of the 89-unit building.

Not that I’m trying to turn this blog into a list of links to Bay Area newspapers, but I did come across this column in the Contra Costa Times from a man who recently attended his 60-year reunion at Lincoln High School.

(But really, how can you go wrong with a logo ripping off the Purdue Boilermakers but with Honest Abe at the gears? Sorry Stadium Tigers and Bellarmine Lions and Foss Falcons -- your logo is just not as cool.)

Today I’m going to swing by a mobile pantry for the Resource Distribution Council food bank to get an update of how things are going.

I’m also hacking away at a few other stories: crime-fighting on the Web, robot-assisted surgery and deep-brain stimulation surgery. It’s that time of year where we scurry to get a lot of reporting done because the next few weeks are mighty lean (not a lot going on, people are on vacation, etc.).

And, as always, if I see or hear something cool, I’ll let you know.

I came across this gem from a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. The columnist, C.W. Nevius, praises Tacoma’s Alcohol Impact Area program. He takes San Francisco to task for being “behind the curve” for treating street alcoholics and for previous measures to combat it being “watered down.”

And there’s this great quote:

"We still have people commenting on how great it is," said Tacoma police Officer Greg Hopkins, a community liaison officer. "What surprised us was that you guys in San Francisco had a sobering center, but you didn't have an Alcohol Impact Area."

(And I also enjoyed the use of the term “Newsom administration” to talk about the mayor’s office. I know the guy has received some national attention, but when have you heard a mayor’s staff called an “administration?”)

Ever wondered what happened to the Resource Distribution Council, the South Tacoma food bank that fell on hard times and almost closed but, buoyed by the good works of the community, was able to land on its feet in Lakewood? I'm going to catch up with Anna Wingate, the executive director.

Tonight I'll be at True to Tradition, a tattoo parlor on South Tacoma Way. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused business in the tattoo industry to boom, and I'll be talking to a few soldiers getting unit and/or memorial tats.

Hear John Lenihan, a Tacoma gynecologist and a member of the medical staff at St. Joseph Medical Center, explain the origins and explanations of robot-assisted surgery and watch a video of prostate surgery:

Photographer Janet Jensen and I are back after watching robotic-assisted prostate surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center. The story will likely run this weekend, but I'm going to try to compile the video today.

I see police have shut off the power at D Town Market. I know at least a few downtowners are happy to hear this.

Today I'll be heading to St. Joseph's Medical Center to watch robotic-assisted surgery. For those interested in what it looks like (and have a strong stomach this early in the morning), click below:

=> Read more!

Lt. Col. Leffry Staha, the commander of the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, delivered the
first speech of the ceremony.

Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster, the commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command, followed him.

And here is Tech. Sgt. Scott Iniss' citation read aloud.

A three-star general had just pinned three medals to Scott Innis’ left lapel, but the technical sergeant avoided talking about himself.

The 16-year veteran of the Air Force said he was happy his family could attend the ceremony and the honor bestowed on his unit, the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron.

But, someone asked Innis, what did it mean to him personally?

“I’m happy for my unit,” he replied. “I like that I got the promotion points. And I think it’s 10 percent on my retirement, and that’s kind of cool.”

Innis might have deflected the personal glory, but make no mistake – plenty of attention was focused on him.

A Silver Star has a way of doing that.

Innis received the nation’s third-highest award for valor at a ceremony in a hanger at McChord Air Force Base for calling in aerial strikes from an exposed position during an attack in Afghanistan last year. He also received a Bronze Star and the Air Force Combat Action Medal for his duty while working as a joint terminal attack controller attached with an Army Special Forces unit.

Thirteen other airman received medals at the ceremony, but Air Force officials asked the news media not to identify all but one for security reasons. Ten Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and 12 Air Force Combat Action Medals were awarded.

Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, the commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command, was on hand to award the medals. He compared the elite airmen to warriors from the Old Testament.

“A dozen Special Forces soldiers with a combat controller is an extremely lethal force when combined with airpower,” he said after the ceremony. “We showed it in the early days of Afghanistan, and we continue to show it today.”

Innis’ medal stems from his actions on March 28, 2006, when Innis and other members of the Army Special Forces detachment came under fire of rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds, heavy machine-gun and small-arms fire from three directions. Despite the danger, Innis scaled a ladder to an observation platform stationed at the center of their firebase. The platform was the only structure visible outside the perimeter and received the bulk of enemy fire.

From that platform, he called in and helped guide aerial counterattacks. He remained on the platform despite several close calls during the 24-hour battle and also coordinated to get injured coalition soldiers evacuated. The airpower he directed led to the death or injury of more than 100 Taliban insurgents.

“He’s a quiet professional,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey F. Staha, the commander of the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron. “He’s one of the guys I turn to handle tough missions.”

Tech. Sgt. Jason Dryer received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. In April, insurgents ambushed his unit in Afghanistan with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. Dryer fought through the ambush and called in an airstrike by an AC-130 gunship. He also called in strikes to quash second and third waves of the ambush.

He later injured his knee and soldier when an improvised-explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Afghanistan.

“I remember turning back to my friend and saying, ‘I can’t wait for this to be over,’ ” he said. “I turned back and don’t remember anything else. I woke up in my friend’s arms with all my clothes were cut off me and all bloody.”

He went to Kandahar for treatment and returned to his unit downrange about 10 days later.
Dryer said he’ll continue training and awaits his next assignment. Wurster had a message for him.

“I told him I didn’t want to give him another Purple Heart,” Wurster said, “so don’t earn one.”

=> Read more!

Robert Boyd is discovering helping people isn’t always easy.

The former Air Force veteran hoped to open an office in Puyallup that would serve homeless vets. He founded the Homeless American Veterans Relief Fund, which he said will complement the veterans’ services already in place through government agencies, earlier this year.

It’s an issue close to Boyd, who fought in Vietnam and was homeless for a time after leaving the Air Force.

“I just hoped to get a place where people could go to start over,” he said. “It can get tough when you’re on the streets.”

John Aldrich, a friend who owns a transmission shop, offered to provide free space from which Boyd could operate.

But a problem with insuring the building has sidelined the office’s opening – but only after he cleaned up the office, built new counters, accepted donations of free furniture and painted the room, Boyd said.

“I wasn’t subleasing because I wasn’t charging him anything,” said Aldrich of Meridian Transmission and Automotive Center. “I was just letting him use the office to get things going. And my insurance agent said, ‘Not a chance.’ ”

The building would be viewed as dual-purpose in the insurance company’s eyes, Aldrich said. And not telling the insurer wasn’t an option, he said.

“I’ve been in business 14 years,” he said. “I know how it is – people can walk in, fall down, and there you go. I had to make sure everything was covered.”

Boyd is now trying to work from his mother’s house, where he recently moved. He believes Aldrich didn’t handle the insurance situation well but said it’s past him. Veterans approach him often and ask about services, he said, and he wants to come through for them.

“This is just a bump in the road,” he said. “I’d like to get everything up and going so I can help people.”

It's about surgeons and special-ops today while I gleefully ponder a reason to file from one of my favorite bars in town.

I'm going to talk to Champ Weeks, a doctor with a baseball player's name at Tacoma General Hospital, about robotic-assisted surgery.

And this afternoon, I'm heading to McChord Air Force Base for a ceremony in which one airman will receive a Silver Star.

I talked earlier with Stacy Emerson, the community activist whose video about homeless camps near East 72nd Street and Portland Avenue in Midland drew much attention.

You'll likely be hearing more from her. She and her son have purchased higher-quality cameras so they can produce multi-angle videos. She registered a Web site to post the videos herself. And she hopes to release another video by the end of the month.

"We live in a society these days where you can’t believe it until you see it – whatever it may be," she said. "It sure does help to have digital technology to allow us to see it on our computer screens."

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released figures from August retakes of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning tests.

According to a press release, “Of the seniors in the class of 2008, 88 percent have now met the reading requirement; 88.2 percent have met writing; and 84.5 percent – or 61,718 students – have met both. This is an increase of 657 students from spring testing.”

The OSPI wasn’t releasing district-by-district results, but I have calls into the Tacoma, Clover Park and Puyallup school districts. Four South Sound districts released their numbers.

In the Tacoma School District, 47 percent of the 64 students who took the reading portion passed, 63 percent of the 71 students who took the writing portion passed, and 21 percent of 122 students who took the math portion passed, spokeswoman Leanna Albrecht said.

In the Bethel School District, 83 percent of the 35 students who took the writing test passed, 62 percent of the 61 students who took the reading portion passed, and 25 percent of the 89 students who took the math portion passed.

The Puyallup School District released figures that factored in the original testing and the August retake. Of the 1,586 students enrolled in the Class of 2008 on Oct. 31, 1,473 passed the reading portion, 1,478 passed the writing portion and 1,155 passed the math portion.

In the Clover Park School District, six of 11 students who took the reading portion passed, seven of the 11 students who took the writing portion passed, and eight of the 38 students who took the math portion passed.

I’ve started making calls for a story that will run this weekend about the increasing trend of citizens snapping photos or shooting videos of apparent criminal activity and how the police use that information.

I just spoke with Greg Hopkins, a community liaison officer with the Tacoma Police Department. Hopkins carries a laptop in his car and a BlackBerry on him almost all day.

He hasn’t seen a dramatic increase in people snapping photos and e-mailing them in, but it’s definitely on the rise.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a consistent increase,” he said. “I think it has to do with the fact that people are getting more tech-savvy. And (the police) are also. And it’s on the rise. That’s a good thing.”

He said shooting video is OK, but digital photos tend to work better because the resolution is higher, making identification easier. But, he said, if you have videos, send ’em.

“The biggest part is that people are involved,” he said. “They feel like they’re part of the solution. I don’t want to minimize their participation, even if we’re not getting the best information out of something.”

There have been instances where digital photos have directly led to an arrest, he said. The most recent he could think of was in the spring.

“We’ve had instances where we’ve had people on a wanted flier,” he said. “We’ve put their photo out to some key neighborhood people, people we know are working with us.

“There were some instances in the Bryant neighborhood where we said, ‘Hey, we’re looking for this guy. Here’s a photo of him. Let us know as soon as you see him.’

“We got reports back. ‘Hey, this guy is on the corner of Eighth and Sheridan right now.’ We swooped in, picked them up and arrested them on a warrant.”

=> Read more!

A combat controller from McChord Air Force Base will be awarded a Silver Star tomorrow. Tech. Sgt. Scott Innis will receive the nation’s third-highest award for valor. About 25 other medals will be distributed at the ceremony.

I’m going to be on base tomorrow for the ceremony, but a transcript of a speech Innis delivered in September 2006 detailing his time downrange can be found here. It’s compelling reading.

Remember that cool, robotic-assisted surgery story I blogged about a long, long time ago (at 7:23 a.m.)?

Won't happen. I got a call from the hospital's media-relations manager guy saying it was rescheduled. But don't worry -- some of us Tribbers are still going to sit in on one later this week. And that gives me more time to find wacky YouTube clips that are somewhat related to robotics.

An office that coordinates services for homeless veterans that was supposed to open in Puyallup early next year won't be opening, a caller said.

She said the automotive business owner who donated the office space on Meridian Avenue says he can't get insurance for it.

I'll find out more details and report back.

One thing I've always liked about reporting is that I occasionally get to write about cool new stuff.

Today is one of those days.

A videographer and I are heading to St. Joseph Medical Center to watch surgeons using robotic arms to work more precisely. From what I understand, instead of a doctor standing over the patient, he or she will be in front of a monitor (with real-time, three-dimensional images) and controlling the arms. There's less room for human error, and I'm told it helps speed up healing time.

I'll let y'all know later if it's as cool as it sounds.

And I was hoping to find a YouTube clip with Kevin Kline from "Dave" in a scene where he's at (I believe) a car-manufacturing factory. He takes control of two giant robotic arms, spreads them apart and announces that he "just caught a fish -- it was this big!"

But, alas, a semi-successful movie from 1993 is a bit too obscure for YouTube. But while searching, I did come across a scene for "Terminator 2" dubbed in Punjabi. Bollywood and the governor of California. Enjoy.

I dropped in on the coffee shop on McKinley Hill that Miguel Flores and Chris Woods are putting together. They’re still a few weeks from opening but recently had an open house that they believed was really successful.

Hear Miguel give an update of the shop and see some photos from the place below:

The colorful stacks of sweatshirts, jeans, shoeboxes and shirts were all but gone by 10 a.m., but Molly Click and Cherylann McMahan were still searching.

There was one student who was going on vacation with his grandfather and needed warmer clothes, said Click, the principal of Clarkmoor Elementary School in Fort Lewis. Another student’s family is struggling financially with large medical bills, and they picked out something for him, too.

“A lot of our families have or have had at least one parent deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan,” she said. “So there are a lot of single parents, and with Christmas and the holidays coming up, they need the extra help.”

For the 20th consecutive year, about $20,000 worth of clothing from an anonymous donor has been distributed to Clover Park School District administrators and counselors, who will give it to students in need. The donor purchases the clothing from department stores in the Lakewood and Tacoma area and has it delivered to the district’s Student Services Center.

Doors opened at 8 a.m. A half-hour later, much of it was “wiped out,” said Kim Prentice, the district’s director of community relations.

Clarkmoor, one of five elementary schools on post, has an enrollment of 300. That makes it easy to keep in communication with the students’ families and figure out who is in need and what they require said McMahan, the school’s health paraeducator.

“They get so excited,” she said. “They feel no shame in it or anything. They’re just happy to get something new and something nice. They just really enjoy it.”

There’s a clear need in the community for the donation, said Angelina Nockai of the district’s Native American Education Program. She said about 64 percent of schoolchildren are enrolled in free- or reduced-lunch programs.

“When the break is over, the kids come to school in their new clothes,” she said. “You know that’s important to them. Here’s an item someone donated to someone in their district, and they’ll wear them the day or two after they get back from Christmas break.”

And it’s important to remember these aren’t secondhand clothes, Click said. That’s something many children notice.

“To have brand-new clothes to give the kids,” she said, “well, that’s just awesome.”

First stop this morning is the Clover Park School District for this:

This year marks the 20th year an anonymous donor in Clover Park School District has donated between $20,000 - $25,000 worth of clothing to needy students in the district. On Thursday and Friday, Dec. 13 and 14, school counselors from across the district will "shop" for students from their school who need new clothes the most. The clothing is sorted by size and color. Counselors come to the Student Services Center, pick out the clothes and take them back to schools to give to the students.

After that, I'm heading to Tacoma's Eastside to catch up with the folks who are opening a coffee shop on McKinley Hill. They're a few weeks away from opening, and the interior is all but done.

I sat down today with Kari Hockett, the corporate partner services coordinator for the Tacoma Rainiers. The 22-year-old Seattle woman was a contestant on the long-running game show “Wheel of Fortune.” It’ll air either on Dec. 20 or Jan. 4.

Below, Hockett says what puzzles she solved, what her go-to letter is and how things on TV aren’t always realistic.

Q: The first question I’ve always wondered: Is Pat Sajak as short as he looks on…?

A: Yes. Oh yeah.

Q: And is the wheel as big as it looks on TV?

A: No. The wheel is tiny! I was shocked. It weighs a thousand pounds, but it’s maybe two times the size of a table. They amplify it on television, and that’s the first thing you notice. You walk on set, and the set is a lot smaller. The wheel is front of the podiums, and it’s tiny. There’s a lot of space around it to make it look bigger.

Q: Tell me about Pat. How’s Pat?

A: We didn’t really get to talk to Pat very much except during the show. He stands on a podium during the show. I don’t know how short he is, but he’s not a big man.

Q: What about Vanna White?

A: Vanna is super nice. She came in in the morning in her pajamas while all the contestants were sequestered inside. She gave us a little pep talk like, “You’re going to do great.” There was about 30 of us there for the show, and she was just smiley. Very real. She had no makeup on and said, “I just wanted to meet you before I got all gussied up.” When she was on the stage, she was very robotic and did her thing.

Q: Does she look absolutely horrible with no makeup on, or does maybe the plastic surgery keep her looking the same all day?

A: She has aged well. She is the tiniest person I’ve ever seen in my life. Her legs are about the size of my hands. She’s this little itty bitty thing, but she is really in pretty in person with no makeup on.

Q: How did you get on the show?

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The Tacoma Avenue neighborhood is coming together again next week to continue talks about forming a neighborhood association to tackle crime in the area.

They'll meet at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Grand Cinema.

"I think we should talk about what kind of shape our group is going to take, get your feedback/additions to the list of tasks we can undertake in our crime fighting, define our goals, etc.," said Holly Minniti, one of the organizers. "I'll have a pretty basic agenda, but hope to give a lot of time to discussion on our direction."

Here's another fun story I'm going to chase down today, courtesy of Jason Hagey:

A man testified at Tuesday’s Tacoma City Council meeting in favor of the noise ordinance being considered. He says he moved into Lakeside Landing apartments because of their proximity to Tacoma Community College, where his son takes Running Start classes. He didn’t realize it when he signed a lease, but later discovered there are LOTS of geese living in the apartment’s namesake lakes. The foul are enough of a problem that the apartment managers have lined the lakes with speakers which they use to blast sound at the geese in hopes of driving them away. This happens from 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. He’s asked them to start later in the morning, to no avail. He can’t move because he’s locked into a contract. He’s hoping the noise ordinance will apply to the goose-blasters. His tale elicited chuckles from the City Council and the audience in the council chambers.

I promised more about Jerry Montgomery's stolen boots. And I have delivered. Just click the link below to read an early edition of the story.

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The quality isn't great, but I thought you might enjoy hearing the eulogies from the memorial service for Sgt. Blair W. Emery.

Maj. Gary D. Fitts called Emery "a special breed of soldier."

Maj. Jeffrey Knudson said Emery was a "natural leader."

Staff Sgt. Roy Parker fought back tears and said his platoon admired him.

1st. Lt. Randy Schilling remembered Emery's honesty.

Chaplain Douglas Yates praised Emery's courage.

And here's the final roll call, rifle salute and playing of Taps.

Click below to read an early edition of my story from the Fort Lewis memorial service.

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It was evident at his memorial service that Sgt. Blair W. Emery made quite an impact on those around him. The full story from the service at the Evergreen Chapel at Fort Lewis will be online soon, but here are some quotes from his colleagues (including some that won’t be in tomorrow’s story):

Maj. Gary D. Fitts stood out among others in his company.

“Blair Emery was a special breed of soldier,” he said. “Sgt. Emery was selected by our gunner by his platoon leadership because of his maturity, professionalism, and proficiency. He was the best at what he did.”

Maj. Jeffrey Knudson said the unit had lost soldiers already, and he hoped they would stay safe before the end of their deployment.

“I was hoping they were going to make it all the way until January, when they’d be back, without having to lose anyone else.”

Emery turned down opportunities to put in for sergeant – and for good reason.

“It wasn’t because he was unwilling or unable,” Knudson said. “In fact, it was quite the contrary; he had proved that numerous times. He just felt like he shouldn’t take those sergeant stripes away from somebody else who wanted to make a career out of the Army.”

He’s what his superiors looked for in a soldier.

“Other soldiers looked to him for his guidance, his direction and his initiative,” Knudson said. “And his chain of command looked to him too, regularly, because they knew he inspired those around him and kept them going. His attitude was contagious.”

Staff Sgt. Roy Parker, fighting back tears, spoke glowingly of his former platoonmate.

“Sgt. Emery stood out with his experience, his knowledge, attitude, athleticism, charisma, sense of humor and ability,” he said. “Members of our platoon respected him and admired him in every way.”

Emery absolutely loved his wife, Parker said.

“He would talk about his wife, and it would make my teeth hurt it was so sweet,” he said. “They loved each other so much. He had her name tattooed around his ring finger. That’s how dedicated he was to her. And I’m sorry he’s been taken away.”

First Lt. Randy Schilling loved Emery’s attitude.

“One of the main things that stood out about him was that he didn’t hold anything back,” he said. “Emery was a straight-forward guy. If anyone asked him his opinion, he would give it to you. And most of the time, it was guaranteed that you weren’t going to like it. It was the combination of his sarcasm and honest opinion that made it easy to digest.”

Click below to see another photo of Emery:

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Emery

I'm about to head to Fort Lewis for the memorial service of Sgt. Blair Emery. I've found some stories from his home state in Maine that I thought you might want to read.

Here's the story from the Bangor Daily News reporting his death.

An Associated Press story about a hometown memorial service can be found here, The Portland Press Herald's take is here, the Boston Globe's is here and the Bangor Daily News' article is here.

The Portland Press-Herald ran a story about how Lee, population 845, is dealing with two deaths from the war in Iraq.

Folks from the Hilltop Action Coalition are meeting with Gov. Chris Gregoire today to discuss budget recommendations based on task force recommendations stemming from the Zina Linnik killing.

I left a message with the HAC folks to get their take on what happened.

The coalition also wrote there is a group "now meeting in a collaborative way to transform the McCarver Playfield into the Zina Linnik Celebration Park, hoping to encompass aspects of Zina's life while providing a safe, wonderful place for children to play."

If you're interested, e-mail hac@harbornet.com.

I’m wrapping up my writing on the strange case of the free-yet-expensive fireboots in Lakewood this morning.

At noon, I’m heading to Fort Lewis for the memorial service of Sgt. Blair W. Emery, a Fort Lewis soldier who was killed in Iraq. He was Lee, Maine, and assigned to the 571st Military Police Company when he was killed by an improvised explosive device in Baquoba, Iraq.

I just talked with Chris Woods, the man who is opening a coffee shop on McKinley Hill and about whom we earlier wrote.

The shop is just a few weeks away from opening, he said. There was a mix-up with a contractor, but everything seems to be more or less in place for customers.

When it opens, it’ll be another sign of McKinley Hill’s revival.

I’m going to swing by Friday morning to snap some photos and give you an update.

As seen in South Tacoma:

Today I'm going to talk with someone at the Lakewood Police Department about Jerry Montgomery's stolen boots. I also plan to chat with someone from the U.S. Postal Service and the woman at Globe Manufacturing who helped Montgomery sync up the serial numbers.

I will also continue my reporting on deep-brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease. I hope to talk to at least one of other local person who had the surgery and a doctor at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle who is one of the local gurus of DBS surgery.

Jerry Montgomery is holding a pair of boots with a story. They're made for firefighters (he's the Boeing Fire Department chaplain) and retail for about $450. They're tough to find outside of the East Coast, but Montgomery has had the boots delivered to his house. Twice.

I'll have more on this story in the next day or two, but here's a quick summary: The boots' manufacturer sent him a free pair as part of a testing program. He never received them. He saw a pair on eBay and purchased them. When he called the manufacturer again, someone asked him what he thought of his free pair. He said he never got it.

But, it turns out, the serial number of the pair he bought off eBay matched the serial number that was sent to his Lakewood home (and were apparently stolen).

In other words, he purchased a pair of boots he already owned.

More coming this week.

Have you or someone you know had to deal with this apparent scam?

Here's an e-mail from a reader:

I'm writing to you about my total frustration with some outfit that has been calling me off and on for more than two years. Recently, they have upped the anti and are calling every day for the last two months. I would hope that you might write some article about this outfit because I think they have recently stepped up their approach and it is taking a scary turn with the last call of the series which I think they are using to frighten the unwary into doing something foolish. I would like to see some articles that warn others of what is going on. They may be targeting senior citizens and single women. Also, is there anyway to get these people to stop? Is there an office in the state that can go after them? Who should I report this too?

Click below to read the rest of the letter:

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A reader who lives near Tacoma Fire Department’s station on South Alaska Street called The News Tribune to say he’s noticed trucks responding to blazes flash their lights and blow their sirens more often than they used to. Sirens wail in the middle of the night with no cars on the road, he said.

Trucks are indeed using their lights and sirens more often, assistant fire chief Dale Vaughn said, but it’s not a new procedure. The department is following the rules already on the books.

“The individual companies have, over time and in deference to the people in the neighborhood, chose not to run their sirens and the neighborhood all the time,” he said. “The chief reminded everyone about three months ago that it is a (Washington Administrative Code) requirement that we’re supposed to run with all of our warning devices anytime we’re running to an emergency anywhere in the city other than the freeway.”

That’s because the Washington State Patrol has given the fire department a special dispensation from using lights and sirens on highways.

There’s no deeper meaning to the Chief Ron Stephens’ clarification of the rules, Vaughn said.

“Some people are looking at it as a change,” he said. “It’s not a change. It’s just a reminder of our policy which is required by law.”

Comments are still coming in about Friday’s story detailing Tacoma resident G.W. Mayo’s experiences at a sailor at Pearl Harbor.

One reader believes we downgraded the heroism of the USS Nevada and its crew that day. Here is an excerpt from his e-mail to The News Tribune:

… the gaffe which really offended me was the comment on the Nevada being beached on order. At no place in this article was it stated that the Nevada got underway. Of course she had to be moving in order to require beaching. In reality, the attempted sortie of the Nevada that morning was one of the outstanding events of that terrible day. As the Navy historical extract above makes plain, the Nevada was the only US battleship which was able to get underway on the morning of the attack. She did so in response to the order given by the fleet commander “All ships sortie.” On the same morning when the crew of the Arizona was immolated, that means burned, the crew of the Nevada made a heroic attempt to the leave the harbor with her ensign streaming at the stern. Historical accounts are explicit in pointing out the elation she caused among the sailors and marines who saw her attempt to exit the harbor and attempt to carry the fight to the enemy. That she was then the focus point of the second wave of Japanese attackers and had to be beached to guarantee egress and ingress from Pearl Harbor was simply another unfortunate occurrence of that terrible day. In my view, your article completely missed the opportunity to let the readers know that the Nevada (BB 36) beached herself on order at the end of a heroic attempt to exit Pearl Harbor.

As I responded, the Trib is the newspaper business, not the book biz. We have finite amount of space, and I opted to tell more of Mayo's story than that of the Nevada. We second-guess here all the time to try to make the paper better, so I'd like to hear (from e-mail or comments) about whether you thought the Nevada received its due given the focus and length of the article.

Click below to read an excerpt from a Navy history Web site:

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StopCrimeOnTacomaAve, the YouTube channel that posts what appears to be illegal activity in the neighborhood near downtown Tacoma, is apparently back.

The plug was pulled earlier because of intimidation against one of the channel's operators. I'll try to contact that person about it today.

Until then, enjoy the new video:

(Thanks for the tip, Erik.)

I was in Olympia yesterday, checking out the Capitol and wandering around the area. I came across the Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It's basically a smaller replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C.

Like other memorials, there were American flags and flowers to honor those who died serving our country. But there was also another kind of tribute I have yet to see at a war memorial.

Wanna know what it was? Click below:

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Remember Nichole Marie Blackwell? Yeah, neither do most people. But you probably remember what the 28-year-old woman did. She's the one who pleaded guilty to encouraging Craigslist readers to come pillage her aunt's Tacoma house in May.

The New York Times Magazine resurrected the story over the weekend -- and in a way you might not expect.

Here's the last line of the story:

And all those shamed employees and crazy neighbors and jilted lovers everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Blackwell for giving this revenge fantasy life.

Prometa, the controversial addiction-treatment regimen, was the subject of a “60 Minutes” piece last night. And that meant Tacoma received some big attention.

Correspondent Scott Pelley visited Pierce County and talked with former methamphetamine addicts who swear by the stuff. The weekly program also touched on the county’s Prometa program and how controversy stung some public officials.

Word on the Street special correspondent Liz Shaw and I were watching and came to come conclusions about the light cast from the report. She’s much more eloquent than I am, so I’ll quote her: “It made Prometa look like a miracle cure, the guy running Prometa look slimy, the Tacomans look like hillbillies and the County Council look shady.”

Did you see it? Any thoughts?

A link to the story (with a link to the video) is here. The story is worth your 14 minutes – as is the comment section on the story’s page. Lots of personal anecdotes in there.

(And bonus points if you can tell me what scene in which you can spot Tribbers Dave Zeeck, Karen Peterson, Randy McCarthy and Dave Wickert.)

Still cranking away on stories about deep-brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson’s disease patients and Pierce County’s Medical Reserve Corps. Hopefully office stuff won’t take too long and I can be up to the usual – looking for more good stories.

From our intrepid columnist Kathleen Merryman. That woman is always working:

So there I was, getting a great $4, 8 a.m. haircut at my favorite salon, Bates Technical College Cosmetology department on Yakima Avenue.

Outside, the merry red lights of the Bates fire engine were flashing in the window, and fire services students were holding out boots for random motorist money. It was the annual fund drive to make up holiday baskets for needy students.

Suddenly, a cadre of topless, tattooed firefighters strode into the salon, held out their boots and pledged a pushup for every dollar we gave them.

We dove for our purses and forked over $23.

They dropped and gave us 23.

I cannot recommend a Bates haircut heartily enough, especially on the first Friday in December.

One minor downside: When I bought a coffee in the cafe, cashier Kimberly Herring gave me a $5 roll of dimes in change.

“The firemen are here today,” she said. “I don’t have any dollars. The girls just cleaned me out.”

I've received some good feedback about today's G.W. Mayo story -- and a whole lot of negative responses.

All of the criticism (at least so far) concerns the headline and photo caption that refers to the former Navy seamen as a soldier. There's no reason to get into the inside baseball facts behind the error, but it's an error nonetheless. Jim Kresse, The News Tribune's editing team leader, tells me he's writing up a correction for tomorrow's paper.

I received an e-mail last week from a reader who said he's noticed Tacoma Fire Department trucks blast their sirens a lot more than ever before. He lives near a station, so he's not happy. The reader called the department and was told it's a new siren procedure. I'll talk to some folks at TFD and figure it out.

Click below to read an early edition of my story about a Tacoma veteran who survived the attacks on Pearl Harbor

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Columnist Kathleen Merryman, upon reading the Crosscut article below about the panhandling ordinance, weighs in with this:

Tacoma now has a variety of Housing First programs. They include those that get housing for the chronically homeless, the people living in encampments, veterans, and people with mental illness.
Tacoma is following up its initial Alcohol Impact Area with another that will cover most of the south and east parts of town.
Tacoma shelter and drop-in center providers have coordinated their hours to provide maximum shelter and meals for those who need them. That’s important, because people here know that if they want to feed down-and-out folks, there’s a safe and efficient way to do it.
Ask me about the encampment I visited in the county last month. Stacey Emerson and I met three people enjoying a few six-packs. They were about to head out to the 512-Canyon Road off- and on- ramps to raise money for “dinner.”
In Tacoma, we’re about solving the problem, not enabling the people caught up in it.

It's a couple of days old, but here's a outside look on Tacoma's panhandling ban.

A reader sent in these photos of vandalism to Garfield Park in Tacoma's North End. It apparently occurred early Wednesday morning.

Click below for more photos:

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Today I'll finish up writing my story on G.W. Mayo, a Tacoma man who was aboard the USS Nevada when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor 66 years ago tomorrow.

This afternoon, I'll meet with Puyallup's Rich Hammermaster. Besides having the greatest last name in the area, he's undergoing state-of-the-art brain surgery for his Parkinson's disease. That story likely won't run until next week.

And I'm on call to head back into the flood zones of Centralia/Chehalis if needed.

I’m stealing idea from a friend’s now-defunct blog. She would snap photos showing misspellings and egregious grammatical mistakes. It usually good for a laugh or two. I’m calling it “Learn to spell, Washington.”

A signboard in a stripmall in Orting will get things started:

Remember what the powder was like on Mount St. Helens or the Silver Dollar Ski Bowl?

For you folks who fancy yourselves as the next super-G gold-medal winner and an amateur historian, there's Lost Ski Areas of Washington. It's basically what it sounds like: information about former ski slopes around the state.

This is usually something more for The Adventure Guys, but I'll post it here because the link was sent to me by Chris Medrzycki, who runs this skiing blog and used to sit next to me in the press box at Rainiers games.

I received a cool e-mail from Bert Brown, a former faculty member at the University of Puget Sound, after he read my Buel Sever story:

Interesting story about Dr. Sever and the Nürnberg trials. You may know that another former Tacoma resident, the late Col. Burton C Andrus, was the officer in charge of the prison at Nürnberg. Col. Andrus later became a professor in the UPS Business School. He has written a book about his experiences there; my copy is loaned out but I think the title is something like "I was the Nuremberg Jailer". Copies should be available in local libraries. I am sure Dr. Sever knew Col. Andrus; I don't recall if he is mentioned in Andrus' book but it would be likely.

For all you folks who folks who enjoyed my Buel Sever story, there's another veteran-looking-back-at-World-War-II. Friday is Pearl Harbor Day, and I'm going to talk to with a man who survived the bombing of the Hawaiian Navy station.

And remember that meeting about the Medical Reserve Corps that was supposed to happen Monday? Because I was out in the floodzones, that'll be this afternoon.

As always, I'll keep you posted throughout the day.

This just in from reporter Rob Tucker:

When Interstate 5 was flooded in 1996 at Chehalis and closed for four days, the Washington Department of Transportation allowed trucks to take Highway 7 in Pierce County to Elbe, and from there take the Highway to Morton in Lewis County to get on Highway 12. From there, trucks could go west to Interstate 5 south of Chehalis and avoid the flooded part of I-5.

But this time, the DOT’s telling truckers they cannot use the Highway 7 – Highway 12 detour. They are telling them to use a much longer detour, via I-90 to Ellensburg, to I-82 to Umatilla, Ore., and then to I-84 to Portland.

Why? I called WSDOT.

Claudia Cornish, spokeswoman for WDOT, said too many trucks took the detour, which is along a couple of two-lane highways. Truckers jammed both highways and locals couldn’t get around. Highway 7 also goes to the main entrance of Mount Rainier National Park and people like to go up there in the winter, too.

“We had gridlock conditions,” Cornish said. “We’re trying to avoid it this time.”

The 1996 detour, Tucker just calculated, was a mere 84 miles. Sure beats the 440-mile detour via Snoqualmie Pass.

CENTRALIA – Don Burlow thought he could wait the storm out. When the waters began to enter his house, he and his wife, Sandra, realized it was too late to leave. And when a man on a four-wheeler came to their house and offered them a lift out of the waters, Sandra evacuated. Don balked.

“I was going to leave,” he said, “but I got scared.”

By the time a unit from the 81st Brigade of the Washington National Guard arrived to help more than two hours later, the 63-year-old was standing in waist-high, brown water in his home. Recycle bins, tires and plastic bags floated in his front yard. And the 30-year resident of Centralia had to leave out his front window.

Burlow was one of about 40 people rescued from their homes Tuesday in Centralia by one four-person crew manning a light medium tactical vehicle. Three of the four were members of a unit of the 81st Brigade stationed in Kent; an officer from the Centralia Police Department was the other.

The Guardsmen were put on alert Monday night and arrived in Lewis County at about 2 a.m. They discovered a town with flooding of up to 10 feet after the dikes of the Chehalis River broke and overflowed. The Guardsmen worked throughout the day rescuing hundreds of people while the Coast Guard circled overhead in helicopters and grabbed people off their roofs.

“People were thanking us when we got them,” Pfc. John Larson said. “But really, this is what we train for. It’s nice to be thanked, but this is our duty to our country and our countrymen.”

The mission had a bit more meaning for Larson, a 22-year-old welder. He lives in Chehalis and knew many people affected by the flooding. Larson worked the back of the heavy-duty truck, helping load and unload supplies and people.

Sometimes the cargo came in an unlikely fashion. A local Wal-Mart donated water, food and toilet paper. Adam Boehm and Sara Thormahlen, two Centralia residents who said they wanted to find a way to help, loaded it up on their boat and met up with the National Guard truck on a flooded offramp of Interstate 5.

“It was easier than going through town,” Boehm said.

The truck then delivered the goods to several shelters in schools and churches. Most of it was offloaded at Edison Elementary School, where 18 of the evacuees were residents at the Guest Only Care Center, a nursing home.

When the truck arrived, its crew was treated like stars. Children squealed at the sight of the vehicle. A teenage girl ran inside to grab her digital camera, and a dozen volunteers helped offload the food and water.

“This has been an awesome response by the National Guard and the community,” said Henry Reilly. “Regular people went to the store, bought $100 worth of food or more and dropped it off.”

Businesses also helped the displaced. Ralph and Charmaine Burr awoke at 3:30 a.m. when water began flowing under their bed. Water was chest-high when they left their trailer less than an hour later with their two dogs, Shadow and Queen.

A 911 dispatcher told them to head to a nearby Holiday Inn Express. There, the hotel management fed them breakfast and lunch, offered them a dry set of clothes and had their wet clothes laundered. They let them relax in the hotel’s lobby and watch TV until the National Guard unit picked the Burrs up in mid-afternoon.

They were heading to a friend’s house, where they’ll stay for a few weeks. They believe their trailer is likely totaled.

“It’ll be all right,” Charmaine said, gently petting Queen’s head. “We’ll get a new house.”

Bonus photos after the jump:

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I'm filing from the back of a heavy-duty National Guard truck. The soldiers aboard have spent all day rescuing people from Centralia and Chehalis.

More to come soon.

We’ve seen a lot of helicopters today – TV stations, Coast Guard, other search-and-rescue.

But the most high-powered chopper in the skies above Centralia had to be this Chinook:

CENTRALIA – Since most of the roads were flooded or closed, Mike Shope reached his destination via the only surefire way: He drove his Ford F-150 along the railroad tracks.

As he headed past residential roads inundated with brown, silty water, a Tacoma Rail utility truck came rolling by and blared its horn. After Shope veered his truck off the tracks and onto a dry part of the street, the utility truck’s driver shook his head and laughed.

“Any other day,” he said, “we might do something about that. But not today.”

That’s because this Lewis County city hasn’t seen flooding like in more than a decade. This year, a dike on the Chehalis River broke, spilling water into the surrounding areas. Large parts of Centralia were shut down as crews tried to alleviate the flooding. Helicopters – from television stations and the Coast Guard – flew patterns over the area as the National Guard plucked people out of their homes.

Shope and his passengers, Dwayne Powell and Darrin Myers, navigated through the flooded residential streets to check on Myers’ house, which was a block away from the tracks and near Logan Park.

What he found wasn’t pretty: Four inches of water sloshed through his house and ruined parts of the interior.

“There was mud everywhere,” he said. He pointed to the sloppy ground and said, “It basically looks like this inside.”

The three also had a boat tied to the truck’s bed that they used to check on an elderly couple – the grandparents of a friend of Powell’s who lives in Colorado. The couple was OK, but their basement was completely flooded. The water came within inches of entering the house, which was raised five feet off the ground.

“When I walked to the house, I was up to my belly in water,” Shope said. “It was bad.”

They weren’t the only ones that needed to use watercraft to navigate Centralia. Chiropractor Wade Randall wanted to check the status of his office, so he and three others used a canoe to reach it.

The office escaped damage, but his wife, Lori Randall, said it was tough paddling back at times because the currents from the overflowing river battered their canoe.

Juanita Carballo fled the rising waters early Tuesday morning and was still wearing striped pajama pants, a Peanuts Christmas t-shirt and flip-flops nine hours later. A neighbor woke her at 3:40 a.m. and told her she should leave. Her son-in-law picked her up and brought her to his brother’s house.

She stood on dry ground across the street from her apartment, but she couldn’t cross the running water and had no idea how badly damaged it could be.

“I don’t know how much got in there, but I know it did get in,” she said. “I just don’t know.”

More photos after the jump:

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Interstate 5 is shut down on the way at exit 88, but Dean and I have found away using some of Washington's scenic backroads into Centralia (with scenic views of Bucoda and Tenino).

Next stop is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Centralia, which is being used as a shelter.

The Veterans Family Fund began with the lofty hopes of Jane Jacobsen of Vancouver, Wash.

She just wanted to help, she said:

I’ve felt a frustration, as I think most Americans have felt, with watching and reading and seeing so many accounts of these wonderful military people coming home and not getting the care they need. I heard one horror story after another and was frustrated.

Unfortunately, the only direction the American people have been giving is to go shopping (to stimulate the economy). And that’s not acceptable to me. That is not showing support. And it’s not doing anything to directly help.

She thinks things get bogged down in politics:

Whether you’re on the far right or the far left or anywhere in between, there is nothing for any of us to do. That’s part of the frustration. There’s not enough money in our treasury to take care of the veterans who are coming back – and not only wounded, but their families.

More after the jump:

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The omen came in the form of dozens of trucks parked bumper-to-bumper on the onramps and offramps of southbound Interstate 5 and a jammed parking lot.

It was at the Restover Truck Plaza south of Olympia – the final truck stop before the flood-induced I-5 closure in Chehalis – that drivers killed time while waiting for the waters to recede. Many conversed outside or ate at the diner. Most were just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Raj Sekhon and Surjit Dhillom were among a group of seven drivers leaning against the brick wall of the truck stop’s convenience store. Sekhon was hauling lumber from British Columbia to Stockton, Calif., and had heard the highway might open as soon as tomorrow morning.

Until then, Sekhon and the other stranded truckers are losing money. Sekhon, like others, is paid by the mile.

“When the truck is stuck,” he said, “how are you supposed to earn any money?”

Dhillom had been waiting at the truck stop since early last night. He complained there always seems to be a winter storm that slows or stops traffic on I-5 every year. He was driving from Seattle to Vancouver, Wash., and first learned about the highway shutdown from Department of Transportation signs.

He and the others were talking about anything they could think of, he said.

“We’re just killing time,” he said. “You can’t stay in the truck all day. You have to do something.”

Other stranded drivers spent time sipping coffee and eating hearty breakfasts inside Deanna’s, the diner at the truck stop. Waitress Rachel Kelley said there was a line formed outside before the restaurant opened its doors at 6 a.m.

“Our parking lot has just been packed since last night,” she said while pouring coffee for three customers and checking on the status of a three-egg omelet and a plate of biscuits and gravy.

By 8:30 a.m., the restaurant had served 50 customers – far above its usual customer volume. Last night was packed too, she said, but she wasn’t sure how many customers they served.

David and Yvonne Cochran spent their Tuesday morning drinking coffee with plenty of sugar at a corner table at Deanna’s. They were hauling a load of sporting goods from Kent to Portland.

The official detour calls for drivers to take Interstate 90 and travel across Snoqualmie Pass – a distance of about 440 miles. They called their company’s office to see if they could take the alternate route and were promptly shot down. The Cochrans are paid by the load instead of the mile, but the company would still have to pay for the fuel.

“They said, ‘Absolutely not,’ ” Yvonne said. “That’s just way too many miles.”

They’ve already missed loads in Portland and Fife because of the shutdown at an estimated personal loss of $1,500. The cost to his company is far higher, he said.

And while they waited, Yvonne talked on a cell phone to try to get the latest news from others in the know.

“There’s nowhere else to go,” David said. “We’re stuck.”

Mike Worthy, the CEO of the Bank of Clark County, helped develop the Veterans Family Fund certificate of deposit. His bank in Vancouver, Wash., was the first to offer it.

The attraction was instant, he said:

The more we talked about it, the more we liked the sound about it. And in that conversation, I said, ‘Well, shoot, our bank could do that.’

I talked to our folks here at the bank to figure out the mechanics of how to do it, and it turned out not to be a particularly different proposition for us to do it.

It doesn’t have to be on a large scale to be helpful, he said:

Even if it were a handful of bank and credit unions offering such an instrument, there would still be a benefit to veterans if the money can reach the right people. And that’s where we came to rely on John Lee and the infrastructure that was already in place in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

There’s more after the jump:

=> Read more!

Photog Dean Koepfler and I were just in Sumner at the Rainier Manor mobile home park. Things looked dry -- and empty. The park was issued a voluntary evacuation yesterday, and many people were gone by yesterday afternoon. Most of the cars were still missing Tuesday morning, and the grass and shrubs near the banks of the Puyallup River showed no signs of overflow.

Since there's not much of a story there, we're heading back down I-5 toward Centralia.

Updates will follow throughout the day.

“I wish I could take credit for this great idea,” was how John Lee started talking about the Veterans Family Fund certificate of deposit program. Lee, the director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

Here he describes the thinking of Jane Jacobsen, who came up with the idea of the fund:

She was conflicted individually with the idea that we’ve got such a small percentage of our national population – less than 1 percent, in fact – defending these wonderful freedoms we enjoy. And we all talk about supporting our troops. But what are we really doing to support them?

So she thought about the old World War II bond imitative where every citizen was called upon to do something.

There’s a big emphasis on the veterans’ families:

The reason we’re calling it the Veterans Family Fund certificate of deposit is because we want a special emphasis and focus, we want people to know that this not only about the person serving in the military. It has everything to do with their family.

I tell anybody that’ll listen to me that we have the greatest veterans’ benefit system in the world. No country honors its veterans any better than the United States. … But more often than not, the benefit is for the veteran. And the family is struggling in many cases.

There’s more after the jump:

=> Read more!

I'm up way too early this morning to meet up with Trib photog Dean Koepfler. We're heading out soon for day-after storm coverage, likely near Chehalis. We'll be updating throughout the day.

I first read about this on our Lights and Sirens blog. While KING-TV news was broadcasting live from a bank in Auburn, someone robbed it.

Kenneth Shepherd and Rita Trotman had packed up their fifth-wheel trailer. Overnight bags sat atop their table at Rainier Manor, a mobile-home community for seniors in Sumner.

Now, Shepherd said, they’re just going to wait and see.

The Puyallup River is expected to crest at 4 a.m. Tuesday, and that might send floodwaters spilling into the park. The fire department circulated voluntary evacuation notices Monday afternoon. By 5 p.m., the park appeared mostly empty.

If they have to leave, Shepherd said, he and Trotman will camp overnight in the parking lot of the nearby Fred Meyer. If they’re out longer than that, they have relatives in the area with whom they can stay.

“I hope this is a missed call or something,” Shepherd said. “We’re going to stay until they tell us to get out.”

Kevin Johnson wasn’t taking any chances with his 67-year-old mother, Judy. He was helping her get ready to go with him to his house in Bonney Lake on Monday afternoon. The park flooded a year ago, and his mother’s trailer took about three feet of water – and it’s built up several feet off the street.

“We’re not taking any chances,” he said. “We’re just going to play it safe.”

I talked to residents at the Rainier Manor mobile-home park for seniors in Sumner. Firefighters served them with a voluntary evacuation order this afternoon. Check back in a few minutes for an update.

Louis Grant and Kristian Holle stood by the side of 14th Street Southwest in Puyallup and watched state workers trying to drain their flooded roadway. They both spent most of Monday working to hold off the encroaching waters.

“Ever since I moved out here, my backyard floods,” Grant said. “So it’s screwed right now.”

Grant also said he’s never seen his front yard so flooded. And the situation wasn’t made any better when he discovered his water pump had burned out since last winter.

Holle, who lives across the street, heard water under his house at 2:30 a.m. After sending his family away, he began sandbagging around his property. He hadn’t slept by Monday afternoon.

The sandbags worked, he said: The water stopped about an inch from reaching his home. He blames the flooding on overdevelopment and poor infrastructure.

“The storm drain was spitting water instead of sucking it in,” he said. “This is ridiculous.”

Dave Davis has lived in the 1200 block of 14th Street Southwest in Puyallup for the past 18 years, and he said flooding has been getting “steadily worse” for a decade.

There are several reasons for this, he says. New developments at higher elevations make runoff greater. Flood drains are inadequate and deteriorating. And the city’s decision to raise the street four inches this summer didn’t help.

He’s been telling members of the city government and has largely been ignored.

“The city has known about this problem for ages,” he said. “… It’s not been well-maintained over the years.”

His wife and he have organized the neighborhood and hope a stronger voice mean change can happen. After all, he said, the city seems to have money for other projects.

“They can buy a new city hall,” he said. “They can pay for new roads elsewhere. But they can’t put one dime into fixing our problem.”

John Burrell waded through his front yard in the 1200 block of 14th Street Southwest in Puyallup in nearly waist-deep floodwaters while trying to clean up from Monday’s storms.

Some of the floodwater, he said, was still standing in the garage. He said the design of the neighborhood means his house takes on a disproportionately high amount of runoff.

“There’s nothing we could do to stop it,” he said. “We take on all the block’s water.”

Elizabeth and Claire Kerns are used to a little bit of flooding at their home in the 1200 block of 14th Street Southwest in Puyallup, but they say it’s getting worse each year. Construction work to raise the road last summer didn’t help either, they said.

“We’ve never had water this high before,” said Elizabeth, who has lived in her home for 10 years. “This is a big, big problem.”

The Kerns’ garage had three feet of standing water in it, said Claire, Elizabeth’s daughter. That meant their washer, dryer, exercise machine and water heater are almost certainly damaged and likely destroyed.

Their front yard was also flooded. They placed a two-by-four to serve as a walking plank to their porch.

I asked if there was anything else they wanted me to know.

“Yeah,” Elizabeth smiled. “Don’t live in the valley.”

I just finished talking with residents of the 1200 block of 14th Street Southwest in Puyallup. Their street was hit pretty hard with flooding, and I'll bring you their stories in the next few minutes.

An early edition of my Veterans Family Fund story is after the jump:

=> Read more!

It’s winter. It’s raining. That means the garden of Margaret Wang has flooded.

The Orting resident says it happens every winter when there’s a big rain. Often, the water is still standing in May. It's a drainage problem that Wang

“We don’t grow anything in the winter,” she said. “There’s always water there, and nothing would grow there like that.”

But, she said, the yard didn’t flood; indeed, most of Orting seemed to ride out the rains with little flooding. Her husband was doing chores outside and, when asked about the weather, looked around the yard.

"It rained a lot and it didn't really flood," he said. "So what?"

Carl Bohm leaned against a truck parked along 60th Street East in the Sumner Valley and watched a pump blast floodwaters into the street. It seemed like an impossible task: His front yard was inundated, with about a foot to 18 inches of standing water at its highest.

“This is what happens,” he said, “when you get 3 inches in 12 hours’ time and it still keeps coming.”

The water hadn’t reached his house’s interior – it hasn’t in the 15 years he’s lived in the house – but he said the flooding has become worse with recent highway and subdivision development. There’s more water on his side of the street and the city, he said, hasn’t compensated with larger storm drains.

“But I do have to credit the city engineers,” he said. “They were out here at 6 this morning trying to make sure things didn’t get too bad.”

Another photo is after jump:

=> Read more!

I’m all over flooding in Pierce County today. I’ll be uploading photos and vignettes. I’m first heading to Puyallup.

If you hear of other stuff, gimme a buzz on my cell: 253-320-4758.

I got a lot of great feedback from my Buel Sever story. Lots of war buffs out there. If you haven't checked out the photo/audio slideshow, it's worth checking out.

Today, I'm writing up an advance for the Pierce County kickoff for the Veterans Family Fund certificate of deposit program. It's where investors can deposit money in a six-month CD; half the interest returns to the investor, and the other half goes into a fund to help veterans and their families for unexpected expenses.

And I'll be meeting with Justin Schumacher, who coordinates the Medical Reserve Corps for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. I'll have more on that today.

Here's the link to an audio/photo slideshow of Buel Sever. You can hear from Sever and see some archive photos of the Nuremberg Trials.

For you war buffs out there, I've posted the half-hour-long interview, and you can download it here. It's a beefy file (about 23 megs), so I'd suggest downloading and saving it before opening it.

Buel Sever helped treat prisoners at the Dachau concentration camp. You can listen to him describing the scene here.