98391 is more than a number
Published 12:18 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Dennis Box
The Courier-Herald
Bonney Lake's new number is two weeks away.
The Bonney Lake ZIP code, 98391, is beginning to make its way into databases and slowly, but surely, becoming a new sign of the city's identity.
Guy Bennett, manager of address management systems in Seattle for the United States Postal Service, sent a letter June 1 to all residents affected by the new ZIP code, which begins at the Baron Manfred Von Vierthaler Restaurant and Winery on state Route 410, about half-way up Elhi Hill, and extends to 214th Avenue East and some points along 234th Avenue East.
"Bonney Lake will now be a separate area," Bennett said. "The whole point is to divide municipal areas."
Bennett said he will send out one more letter to residents around July 1, the official date the ZIP code takes effect.
"There is no real magic switch," Bennett said. "We say the first is the effective date so we can formally use it as a place to look back to."
According to Bennett the entire process took about a year for the new ZIP code to be approved by the U. S. Postal Service.
"ZIP codes represent the way we live," Bennett said. "It represents community identity and we try and mirror what is going on in a community."
The new ZIP code - over the next few months - will work its way into databases, Bennett said, including map companies, phone and insurance companies.
Ken Linn, manager of the Bonney Lake Post Office, said residents do not have to put a change of address in at the post office, but should notify billing companies soon.
"People have a year to notify anyone they need to," Linn said. "But it's best to do it as soon as possible."
Linn said people in the new 98391 area should begin writing Bonney Lake rather than Sumner in their addresses.
"Almost every address on the hill gets a new ZIP code," Linn said. "We've been working on the routes since last fall in anticipation of the change."
Linn reported 23 routes received the new ZIP code.
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.
