Before you read further, check the post one item down. It's about the big box of better-than-flamingo-pink teddy bears that arrived by mail from Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

The box was addressed to general assignment reporter Mike Archbold, who was off last week. Aside from the bears, the only thing in it was a card explaining Bears From Behind Bars' mission to comfort traumatized children and lonely seniors. Calling or e-mailing the six men who made the bears wasn't possible.

Mike was puzzled by the fact that the men had sent the bears to him. We all wondered why they all had "Baron" on their right feet.

We thought it best to get those bears out into the field, cuddling and comforting, so we invited Word on the Street readers to apply for them. Happily, no one has yet done so, so we won't be breaking hearts now that we know the full story.

Packed at the back of Mike's mail slot was a letter from Gus Turner, one of the six men who made and sent the bears.

"Your article, "Roy Family Loses Its Heart," touched us deeply. Laura Baron was a fantastic person. The world was a better place because of her being," he wrote.

Laura Baron died last spring after a long fight with cancer. She and her husband had adopted disabled children from all over the world, and created a loving, successful family.

"We've made teddy bears for all 14 children, and two larger bears for papa Chris. The box of bears is on its way to you at the Tribune. Thank you for writing the article. Thank you for sharing Laura's goodness with us. Mucho mahalo. Gus Turner and the BFBB Project."

That explains the "Baron" on each teddy foot. Mike will take care of getting the bears to their intended destination.

We can all thank them for giving us a glimpse of a worthwhile project going on behind Walla Walla's walls.

UPDATE: City Administrator Rob Karlinsey said crews have determined that it's safe to drink city water.

Gig Harbor City Councilman Derek Young sent me this e-mail over the weekend about the city's prompt response to a water main break.

The incident occurred late Friday, along Harborview Drive at Novak Street, near the heart of downtown Gig Harbor.

Water spilled onto the street and into some homes. Crews cleaned up over the weekend, and the city will test water today to see if it's OK to drink.

(This map shows approximately where the water main broke)

Here's what Young wrote:

=> Read more!

Sixteen teddy bears, two large koalas and 14 small classic types, have gotten out of prison and come to town, looking to do some good.

They're Bears from Behind Bars, made by six inmates at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, and they arrived by mail at The News Tribune with an explanation and a request.

Their story was typed onto the back of their laminated logo, a happy teddy leaning out of a cell window.

"Washington State Penitentiary's Teddy Bear Project is a diverse gathering of prisoners who've come together to help ease loneliness and inspire love and compassion (The things we need most to learn.) through Teddy Bears. We are associated with www.goodbearsoftheworld.org. Like GBW, it is the goal of BEARS FROM BEHIND BARS to put the comfort of teddy bears in the arms of traumatized children and our lonely elders. We've chosen to make a difference with the two things we have in surplus: time and energy."

Six men signed the card with their name and inmate number: Gus Turner, Dean Roesgen, Kenneth Agtuca, Lars Snow, Bryan Wade, and R. Delgado.

I'd have liked to call them to verify the spellings on their names, and to ask why each bear has "Baron" written on the leather pad of his right foot. The two koalas also have "BFFB" on their left feet. Best Friend Forever Bear?

These are well-made bears, and far too bright to spend much time in a newsroom. So we're sending them out to do the job their makers intended.

If your non-profit or first responder group can get them to children or seniors who can use a hot pink hug, log on with your request. Please say where you operate and what you do. If you're the lucky teddy winner we'll let you know this week.

Pierce County is looking for help from the public as it prepares to update and expand its flood management plan for its major rivers.

“We really want this to be a good plan that addresses flood issues in a comprehensive and coordinated way,” Lorin Reinelt, project manager for Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, said in a press release Monday.

“We invite people to share their opinions through the online survey, to be part of the advisory committee, or to send us their comments. We have already seen a strong interest in working together on this.”

The plan Web site offers surveys and opportunities for the public's input on such issues as floodplain development regulations, levee maintenance, gravel removal, fish habitat, emergency response and public education.

The existing plan. written in 1991, is out of date and includes only the Puyallup River system. The new plan will include more rivers and reflect current issues, policies and priorities for managing river flooding.

River flooding affects everyone, and all Pierce County households, even those in incorporated cities, will soon receive a postcard with information about the flood plan update and how get involved.

The updated plan, according to the county, will address the range of resource and policy issues facing local jurisdictions, resource managers, tribes, property owners and businesses.

"The goal is to reduce the risk to life and property from river flooding and channel migration," Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy said in the press release announcing the plan update. "It requires striking a balance among cost-effective flood hazard management, available funding, compatible human uses, economic sustainability, and improved fish and wildlife habitat in flood-prone areas."