It’s official. The aging Vaughn Bay Bridge is history.

Pierce County, which is replacing the 43-year-old bridge, ripped out portions of the span this week.

Crews began working on the project last month. The 1,625 vehicles that cross the bridge every day have had to take a 2.2-mile detour to cross the bay.

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For years, school officials have been lamenting the state's underfunding of transportation.

Without adequate funding from the state, they say, districts must devote more and more of their local levy dollars to get kids to school.

One of their loudest charges: the state doesn't reimburse districts for transporting students whose homes or daycares lie outside a one-mile radius from school. And instead of calculating the actual route mileage, the distance is measured as a direct line from school to home or daycare. Or, in the colloquial, "as the crow flies."

Actually, says Allan Jones with the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state does provide some money to bus kids within the one-mile radius. But not much.

Jones, director of pupil transportation, says the state gives districts some funding based on the total number of kids in kindergarten through through fifth grade within the one-mile radius.

The original intent was to help districts defray the cost of transporting youngsters who faced hazardous walking conditions, even though they lived close to school.

But it's a lower rate than what the state funds for students living outside the one-mile minimum. And the districts don't have to have hazardous walking conditions to get the money. They don't even have to use the money to transport kids within that radius.

Here's how Jones explains it, and the "crow flies" business in an e-mail to The News Tribune.

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Kevin Cavanagh with Pierce County Information Technology points out that the link we published in the printed paper for the weather tracker system left off one symbol.

The correct link is http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/PC/

If you can't bring it up, click here.

On the left side, it's titled "How hot is it?"

It's pretty cool. According to the site, "Eleven weather stations around the county record temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and more. Data is updated every 15 minutes."

Earlier this month, the Key Peninsula got its first Blue Star Memorial Marker.

It was first unveiled at the Bay Shore Garden Club's 60th anniversary celebration, in which the group dedicated a memorial garden at the Longbranch Fire Department.

Here is an e-mail Cheryl Ozbirn sent to The News Tribune on June 15 (She also sent us this picture of the memorial to the right):

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U.S. Sen. Patty Murray will stop in Gig Harbor tomorrow to discuss the national shortage of nurses.

Her office sent out a press release if you want to attend:

Sen. Murray will hold a news conference at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor to bring further attention to the local and national shortage of nurses and other critical health care workers.

She will also discuss her efforts to include federal funding in national health care reform legislation that will address workforce issues of tomorrow. As access to health care is broadened through national health care reform, even more nurses and other health care workers will be needed locally and across the nation in the future.

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Erika and Shawna Hettick recalled how their cousin was a superhero, literally and figuratively.

The sisters from Gig Harbor would visit Jaxon at his house in South Kitsap County to have fun. The three would play games, watch movies and, of course, laugh uncontrollably when he’d dress up as Spiderman or the Blue Power Ranger.

He was full of energy. He was a regular kid.

But after awhile, Jaxon couldn’t swing from buildings or fight monsters the way he once did, a result of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephaliti. The rare and chronic neurological disorder is caused by the measles virus. It results in death for most children who have it, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Last October, Jaxon died at only 8 years old. (Pictured right)

It was especially hard on Erika, 12, and Shawna, 10, who both attend Minter Creek Elementary.

“When Jaxon died, it was hard to forget about him,” Shawna said. “It would be hard to forget about him because he was a big part of my life. I was really hoping to find a cure before he died.”

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The campers Friday also featured some newcomers to Kopachuck. Mat and Crystal Marinelli of Gig Harbor took one of the last campgrounds remaining.

Crystal Marinelli said she heard about Kopachuck’s possible closure earlier this year.

Her reaction at the time? “Don’t take our parks.”

They loved the fact that they could have water gun fights with their 4-year-old son, Giovanni, early in the day and later drive less than a mile to pick up their daughter, Sophia. The 6-year-old attends Voyager Elementary School.
Mat Marinelli said his wife tells him all the time that their family can camp in their back yard.

“We haven’t,” he said. Friday. “Now we will.”

As I walked the loop of campsites that Kopachuck State Park offers, I ran into a woman who's turned Memorial Day camping into a family tradition.

Jodi Mercer has gone camping every Memorial Day weekend for the past 20-plus years.

Her family and friends usually camp at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, but decided to make the switch this year.

The first time she took her now 9-year-old son, Zachary, camping was when he was 3 months old.

Mercer and her mother, Beate Zoike of Tacoma, go camping every year to celebrate their birthdays, as evidenced today by the sliced cake at her picnic table.

"We'd really be crushed if they closed the park," she said.

Read more about Kopachuck's busy Friday before Memorial Day in tomorrow's print edition.

Just arrived at Kopachuck State Park to interview campers for a story on outdoors-ing it for the busy Memorial Day weekend.

I first stopped at the office of the park ranger (or park manager, for those born after the Yogi Bear cartoons were popular)

I asked how business was doing today, thinking 50 percent to 75 percent of the park's campsites were full.

The response from Park Manager Tom Pew? "We're 100 percent full already."

That's right, Kopachuck has been full since about 8:30 a.m., today. This is one of Washington State Parks' busiest holiday weekends for camping, along with the July Fourth and Labor Day weekends.

And campers might cherish their stays this year more so than any other. The state was threatening to close some parks because of a lack of revenue, including Kopachuck and Joemma Beach.

But after public outcry, lawmakers instead decided to keep parks open via a $5 registration fee on vehicles.

For that, Pew said, "The rangers say 'Thank you' to the people of the state of Washington."

Read more about this story in tomorrow's print edition

I'm sitting here at Horseshoe Lake County Park, over the Purdy Spit bridge in Kitsap County. If you live west of the Narrows Bridge and get a chance, stop by here.

It's bright and sunny, a nice 65 or so degrees. There are teen-agers pulling up in their cars, cruising the parking lot.

The young guys are taking off their shirts, flexing for their female counterparts. I figure I'm working, so I probably shouldn't do the same. Actually, were I to take off my shirt, it would strike fear more than anything. (Hey, I'm a dad with a paycheck and easy access to donuts. Cut me some slack)

Really, if you have a chance over the Memorial Day weekend, this is just one of the many parks on the Kitsap Peninsula in which you can lounge. It's like Malibu Beach, only instead of BMWs, everyone drives a Subaru wagon.

Note: The county says it initially issued the incorrect days work will take place. Construction is scheduled 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Pierce County will begin work on some major road projects near the Fox Island bridge next week.

The county says drivers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

"Weather permitting, Warren Drive will be closed between 27th Street Court Northwest and 70th Avenue Northwest starting (Monday) May 11," according to the county's press release. "It is scheduled to partially reopen June 8. The intersection of 32nd Street NW and 70th Avenue NW will also be completely closed over one weekend during this four-week period. A detour route will be marked."

Work hours are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Here is the county's full press release:

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I swung by the polling place at Fox Island. It had, by far, the best ambiance of any station I went to today. It was in a church and had Gregorian chant playing in the background. Can't argue with that.