Rare Whale Beached in Dutcher Cove
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. K EY P ENINSULA Postage Paid Vaughn, WA 98394 Permit No. 2 BOX HOLDER The voice of the Key Peninsula Presidents’ Day Mid-Winter break, Bowling, page 23 NEWS No School ~ Feb. 15-19 www.keypennews.com Vol. 39 Issue 2 • Circulation 9,000 INSIDE ONLINE Not guilty FEBRUARY 2010 plea in KP kidnapping case Staff Report A Key Peninsula man was arraigned in Pierce County Superior Court Jan. 13 and ordered jailed in lieu of $100,000 Glencove Hotel adds wedding chapel. bail after pleading not guilty to four criminal counts. Pierce County prosecutors charged ◗ Kilmer in Olympia Justin Michael Smith, 23, with two counts ◗ Costless burglary of felony harassment, one count of ◗ Photo gallery and more fourth-degree assault and one count of Photo by Jerry Libstaff, Special to the KP News obstructing a law enforcement officer. Become a fan on Facebook A Bryde’s whale washed up on the beach in Dutcher Cove. The closest home for SWAT teams and law enforcement from Follow us on Twitter Bryde’s whales is the coast of California, and experts believe there are only about 12 all over Pierce County descended upon of them living there. Lake Holiday Jan. 12. Smith allegedly choked his wife and left the couple’s resi- dence with a weapon and their infant son. He fled in his Hummer, crashed it, and Rare whale beached took off on foot into the forested area News with the child at about 10:30 a.m. Garbage truck takes dive ....2 According to police reports, the infant, Proposed foster care facility 2 11 months old, was found unharmed in a Dogs kill livestock ................3 in Dutcher Cove wheelbarrow about 2 p.m. Smith was found a short time later with the help of Post office boxes stolen........6 By Jerry Libstaff, mine the cause of death. the Puyallup K-9 unit and was treated for Civic Center needs funds......10 Special to the KP News A spokesperson for Cascadia verified minor dog bites prior to being taken to Out & About ........................28 that the whale was indeed a Bryde’s the Pierce County Jail. A deceased Bryde’s whale was whale (pronounced broodus) and is Initial reports stated that Smith was Sections sighted floating in Case Inlet near extremely rare for our area. considered armed and dangerous, and Peninsula Views . .4-6 Harstine Island Jan. 17, and Monday The male adult measured 40 to 50 both Vaughn Elementary School and Key Letters . .4 morning the body drifted into feet and weighed about 13 tons. The Peninsula Middle School were in modi- Briefs . .7 Dutcher Cove where it beached as the team secured the body to prevent it fied lockdown until deputies were able to tide receded. Cascadia Research, a from going further into the Cove locate Smith. Business . .11 non-profit organization chartered to during the night. At daybreak Jan. 18, Traffic in and out of Lake Holiday was Community Works . .12 manage and protect threatened the team moved the whale from the halted, and cars were searched. Only resi- Education . .21 marine mammals was contacted. They beach at high tide. With assistance of dents were allowed into the area. sent representatives to investigae the Sports . .23 animal, define the species and deter- (See WHALE, Page 26) (See KIDNAP, Page 26) 2 www.keypennews.com • Key Peninsula News Garbage truck takes a dive Proposed foster care facility sparks concern By Marsha Hart, KP News said Sue Braaten. A permit to harvest five acres of About 50 Key Peninsula residents timber on the property sparked packed a recent Community Council concern in the community, however the meeting to ask questions and voice project isn’t even close to the ground- concerns about a proposed develop- breaking, Braaten said. In order to do ment in Vaughn that would house so, the land use permit must be foster children. granted, and that application hasn’t The discussion was continued until been submitted. Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Vaughn Land use consultant and permit Elementary School, when the owners facilitator Eva Jacobson, owner of Still can be present to answer questions. The Water Planning in Gig Harbor, is project, Homestead at Alder Cove, is working on the permit process for the planned as a privately owned non- project. Photo courtesy of Chuck West profit, 40-acre facility on Hall Road that “Right now at the property there is This American Disposal garbage truck careened down 4th Avenue in Home and landed in will house up to 192 foster children. In no work being done. There is an appli- Puget Sound. The driver said he heard a “pop” at the top of the hill and the brakes a statement sent to the KP News, Sue cation submitted to clear approxi- weren’t engaging. and Kenneth Braaten, owners of the mately 5 acres of land in the center of property, said, “This is not for children the property. Jacobson worked on the By Sharon Hicks and Marsha Hart, them he had tried everything he could who have severe emotional issues, St. Anthony Hospital land permit KP News to slow down, including reverse; he violent behavior, sexual misconduct or process, she said, which took more knew he was out of control and had lost other deviant problems.” than two years. On the morning of Jan. 11 sisters his brakes. Seeing nothing but a utility Amenities that are proposed for the “Those are mostly alder trees (being Kathleen Tei and Joyce Dailey were pole and water at the bottom of the hill site include: eight residences broken harvested) and this is not even sitting quietly in their living room when he maneuvered the truck to the right to into three smaller pods for a maximum clearing for the project, but for the they suddenly heard a huge thump avoid the pole and jumped out at the of 24 children per home; recreational timber harvest which is allowed “much like a large wind gust but more corner as the vehicle careened through and inspirational facilities; dining areas; through reforestation and forest so” said Tei. The sisters got up to inves- a corner of Kathleen and Joyce’s yard, administration building; swimming programs,” Jacobson said. tigate only to see a garbage truck in the across “A” Street, over a bulkhead and pool facility; theatre; gymnasium; In fact, the process for the applica- water in front of their house. At the about 40 feet into Von Geldern Cove. vegetable and flower gardens; ball field tion for a land use permit is only about same time a rather shaken man was According to a report from Key and trails. half complete, she said. Currently they heading to their house. After stating Peninsula Fire District 16, the water “My dream for these innocent victims are gathering information and are in that he was OK, he asked if one of them rescue team assisted the tow company by is that they will have a safe, happy, and the investigative stage, and all of that would call American Disposal to let attaching cables to remove the truck comfortable place to call home until costs money. The project was slowed them know what had just happened. from the water. Warner was uninjured. they are adopted, graduate from high down due to the economic downturn. The driver, Albert Warner, was invited Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is school, or return to their family. I want “The application process is very in and told them he was just starting investigating the cause of the accident, them to be able to always have a familiar involved and it has to contain all of the down the top of 4th Ave. when he heard and the Department of Ecology is investi- home, and I want them to be State Environmental Policy Act require- a “pop” and realized he was gaining gating for any hazardous waste contami- surrounded by mentors and families speed. The sisters stated that he told nation in the water. who will encourage and support them,” (See HOMESTEAD, Page 26) EY ENINSULA To subscribe, please write, Executive editor: Marsha Hart Colleen Slater, Frank Slater, Irene K P call or fax: Assistant editor: Danna Webster Torres, Karina Whitmarsh, Sharon Hicks, PJ Kezele, Kevin Reed, Ted Key Peninsula News Ad sales: Lori Boll Community pages editor: Olinger, Kelly Maxfield, Karen Lovett, 17010 S. Vaughn Rd. Kyle Coster, Ed Johnson Connie Renz P.O. Box 3, Vaughn, WA 98394 Distribution: Vic Renz, Phil Bauer, Production: September Hyde, Phone (253) 884-4699 Frank Slater, Gary Gebo www.keypennews.com Chip Butzko Contributors: Jerry Libstaff, Rick NEWS Fax: (253) 884-4053 Unsolicited submissions deadline including press releases: Interim web master: Rodika Tollefson Sorrels, Ron Cameron, Heather Bigger, 15th of each month Email [email protected] Staff: William C. Dietz, Hugh McMillan, Dan Whitmarsh, Jim Bellamy Key Peninsula News is published monthly by the Key Peninsula Civic Center Association at the Key Peninsula Civic Center in Vaughn, Washington. Copyright 2009 with all rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic contents in any manner without permission is prohibited. Annual subscriptions (12 issues) are available for $25.00 and are mailed first class. Copies are mailed presort standard to residents and post office box holders of the Key Peninsula. Single copies are available at the newspaper office in the basement of the Civic Center annex and at various distribution points located on the Key Peninsula. Approximately 18,000 people live in the distribution area. STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, AND OPERATION OF THE KEY PENINSULA NEWS 1. THE KEY PENINSULA NEWS is a community newspaper, owned and published by the KEY PENINSULA CIVIC CENTER ASSOCIATION, a nonprofit, 501-C3, corporation with main offices in Vaughn, Washington.