South Sound briefs

Tumwater

Council, mayor to receive January raises

Salaries for the City Council will rise from $570 to $620 per month, according to a new city ordinance.

In addition, the pay for Mayor Ralph Osgood increases from $1,350 to $1,450 monthly.

The raises are to reflect a 7.3 percent cumulative increase the past two years in the Consumer Price Index for the Seattle/Lower Puget Sound region, City Administrator Doug Baker said.

The raises will become effective in January for the mayor and council positions 1, 2, 3 and 7. The raises for council positions 4, 5 and 6 will take place in January 2010.

Rochester

Public forum to focus on transit issues

Thurston County's first south county public forum is expected to focus on transit issues, county officials said Monday.

The forum will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Rochester High School, 19800 Carper Road S.W. Towns such as Rainier, Tenino, Yelm and Rochester do not have regular bus service.

"A lot of people in south county work up in north county," Commissioner Diane Oberquell said. "I think it behooves us to at least get a few routes going in the a.m. and a few in the p.m."

Commissioners Cathy Wolfe and Bob Macleod said the issue comes up frequently at meetings they attend.

For more information, call 360-786-5440.

Thurston County

Motorcyclist who died Sunday from Lacey

The Washington State Patrol Monday identified the motorcyclist who died in the crash on McCorkle Road Southeast on Sunday as William Cavagnaro, 47, of Lacey.

Nathan Thronson, 18, of Olympia reportedly crossed the center line driving a 1993 Buick when he collided with the 2002 Honda motorcycle Cavagnaro was riding, the patrol said. Cavagnaro died at the scene.

The Buick continued on and collided with a 1995 Ford pickup driven by Mark Grimes, 47, of Lacey. Neither he nor his passenger, Hunter Grimes, 4, were injured.

Neither Thronson or his passenger, Chelsie Marchesana, 17, of Tenino were injured.

Charges are pending, the WSP news release says.

Lacey

North Thurston schools backs tax proposition

The North Thurston school board unanimously endorsed Thurston County Proposition 1, which would raise sales tax to support crime prevention programs for youths, at its meeting Monday night.

School board member Judy Wilson, who is treasurer of the proposition campaign, abstained from voting.

The proposition, which would raise the sales tax from 8.4 cents to 8.7 cents per $1 spent, would not necessarily affect school programs, but would be for grant-funded intervention programs and early childhood programs.

The tax is expected to raise $10 million annually. About two-thirds would be earmarked for crime-prevention programs. The other third would be distributed to the county and its seven cities for criminal-justice projects. The average cost for a Thurston County family would be $45 annually.

Proposition 1 was put on the Nov. 6 ballot by the Thurston County Board of Commissioners.

Lacey

Car hits pole, knocks power out to 1650

About 1,650 Puget Sound Energy customers lost power Sunday evening when a car hit a power pole in the 5900 Block of Yelm Highway in Lacey, police and company officials said.

The collision occurred at 6:41 p.m. when driver Steve Mattingly — a Lacey resident in his mid-20s — said that he hit the pole after he swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle that had crossed into his lane, Lacey Police Cmdr. John Suessman said.

The collision knocked the pole down and into the road, blocking several lanes.

By about 8:30 p.m., Puget Sound Energy crews had been able to clean it up, spokesman Dennis Smedsrud said. By 9 p.m., all but about 150 customers had power restored.

Those remaining customers got their power back about 5:50 a.m. Monday, Smedsrud said.

Olympia

Event: Control sprawl, transfer rights

Activists who are worried by suburban sprawl have planned a forum Wednesday to explore how to use transfers of development rights to manage growth.

The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at Capital Playhouse, 612 Fourth Ave. E. and features speakers including Seattle Councilman Peter Steinbrueck, Redmond Councilman Richard Cole and Jeff Adken of Cascade Land Conservancy.

Rights transfers exchange zoning rights from low-density areas to higher density areas, in effect concentrating growth and protecting open space.

Sponsors include Livable Thurston, the League of Women Voters of Thurston County and Thurston Conservation Voters.

Sponsors say transfers have worked in King County, where 91,500 acres had been protected from development as of October 2005.

Redmond also has an 11-yearold program.

Senate hires clerk from other chamber

Democrats in the state Senate reached across the Capitol to the House Chief Clerk’s Office to hire a new caucus chief of staff.

Rich Nafziger, the House chief clerk, moves into his new job Oct. 1, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said Monday in a news release.

Nafziger had served as chief clerk since October 2003.

Carolyn Busch, who was chief of staff for three legislative sessions, said last month she is leaving for a position at the University of Washington’s planning and budget division.

“I am pleased he will be bringing his experience — particularly in the areas of education and labor, which are caucus priorities — to support Senate Democrats,” Brown said.

Nafziger is a member of the Olympia School Board and serves on several committees — including the Thurston Regional Planning Commission.

First United Methodist sets tent city meeting

The First United Methodist Church of Olympia will have a neighborhood meeting to discuss its plans to bring Camp Quixote, a homeless camp, to the church beginning about Oct. 1.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the church, 1224 Legion Way S.E.

South Sound comes close to heat record

Olympia almost tied a record for heat Monday and could set a record today.

The city hit 86 degrees Monday; the record of 87 was set in 1993. The normal temperature is 74.

Today, the forecast is for 85 degrees; the record of 86 was set in 1969, and the regular temperature is 73.

The heat wave is expected to end, however, dropping to the mid-70s the rest of the week.

Sea-Tac airport tied a 61-yearold record Monday, hitting 85.

The last time it was that hot on a Sept. 10 was in 1946.