It seems like we say this every January, but man, 2022 was a heckuva year: on one hand, millions of people died of COVID and hundreds of millions more got sick; inflation is at a 33-year high; Russia invaded Ukraine and started off Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II, prompting fears of another global conflict; the U.S. once again experienced more than 600 mass shootings; and Queen Elizabeth II died after wearing the crown for 70 years, the longest of any British monarch.
But on the other, COVID restrictions and states-of-emergency were lifted after two years and more than 10 billion vaccines were administered around the world; Ukraine has proved far more resilient to invasion than expected; U.S. mens and womens soccer teams signed an equal pay agreement; Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act; and one little girl was reunited with her teddy bear after losing it at Glacier National Park.
I guess all I mean to say is, the last 525,600 minutes has been a bit of a mixed bag, whether we’re talking about the world or our own little cozy corner of it; we’ve had our own incidents of violence and bigotry, but we have also had many moments worthy of celebration and congratulations. Read on to see what we’ve deemed the Top 10 stories of the year.
But beyond that, since it’s so easy to remember the bad times, we should work twice as hard to recall the good ones as we transition into 2023. For me, it was celebrating my son’s first birthday, summiting Mt. St. Helens, and mixing some amazing new cocktails (thank you, Shaker and Spoon!) while I read some fabulous pieces of literature (“A Marvelous Light”, “A Court of Thrones and Roses”, and “The Fifth Season”, among others).
I hope you, too, can take a moment to reflect on your moments of love and light this past year.
And, while you do that, look forward to se what you’re hoping for in the new year. Are you planning a special vacation? Reaching a personal milestone? Celebrating a new life? Hold that hope close — it’s easy to lose sight of it, when moments get dark.
Will 2023 be any better than 2022? I think it depends on what your metrics are.
Certainly, there will be challenges. Some struggles we’ll overcome; others, we’ll fall short. But don’t let that discourage you — progress and success, either personal or otherwise, is not a linear line.
But as long as we focus on the good in our lives, and stick together as a community to make Enumclaw a warm, welcoming city, we’ll get through the next 525,600 minutes just fine.
Happy New Year!
10. NEW PRODUCE STORE ADDS TO BUCKLEY’S SMALL GROCER SCENE
Buckley couple Taylor and Derek Muirhead this winter opened Rainier Fresh, a store next to Blue Max Meats on Highway 410 that aims to sell fresh produce and other groceries starting this spring.
Unlike its neighbors to the east and west, Buckley has no large chain grocery stores like Safeway or QFC, but it does have a number of smaller specialty grocers like Buckley Foods. With the promise of a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, and even dairy and baked goods, the Muirheads are hoping to expand the city’s indie food scene even further.
9. SCHOOL DISTRICT VICTIM OF RACIST ZOOM BOMBING
It’s not often Enumclaw makes national news, but an Enumclaw School District “Zoom Bombing” last November was reported on as locally as The Seattle Times to as far as the Washington Post and the Miami Herald.
On Nov. 22, as Superintendent Dr. Shaun Carey — who is Black — was delivering his report to the public, at least two individuals on the Zoom virtual meeting platform began playing a recording of the “n” word on repeat. This prompted both harsh denunciation from the district as well as many locals in the form of numerous letters to the editor of this paper.
The Enumclaw Police Department opened an investigation into the incident, but closed the case about a month later after announcing there was not enough information to identify the suspects. There were enough clues, however, that the raid was linked to a group that has Zoom bombed more than two dozen similar raids in the U.S. and Europe.
As such, the department deemed the bombing a “prank”.
8. ESD EXPERIENCES ALL-TIME HIGH NUMBER LOCKDOWNS, CLOSURES, THREATS
The Enumclaw School District has experienced multiple threats to staff and students, lockdowns, and school closures during its last school year.
According to the district, ESD experienced only one lockdown during the 2014-2015 school year, and another two in 2017-2018. However, the district experienced a total of four lockdowns and one closure during 2021 – 2022. All lockdowns were considered “modified lockdowns”, which means students could move freely inside district buildings, nut no one was allowed to enter or leave.
These incidents involved an unsubstantiated threat over social media regarding Enumclaw High School (which the district put into modified lockdown in an abundance of caution) in December 2021, a threat against an EHS student last February (lockdown), a student threatening to bomb EHS on Valentine’s Day (prompting the school to close, and other schools to go into lockdown over similar threats), and a former student who drove across the high school’s campus on a dirt bike with various weapons (EHS and other schools went into lockdown).
During this current school year, the district was made aware of a Halloween shooting threat at Enumclaw Middle School, but the student suspected of making the threat was arrested and schools operated as usual that day.
Enumclaw’s new municipal flag is packed with symbolism, from the green to represent the nature that surrounds the city, the golden arches to represent the history of farming, and Enumclaw’s most famous landmark, Mt. Rainier.
7. ENUMCLAW ADOPTS MUNICIPAL FLAG
In one of its more successful public input campaigns, more than 50 people — young and old, old-timers and newcomers, local and even international — submitted designs for a city of Enumclaw flag.
The city’s Arts Commission, Community Services Commission, and City Council had a hard time picking the final design, as many flags depicted why Enumclaw is unique, from images of Mt. Rainier to homages of the area’s logging and farming history.
In the end, local Kyle Miller received the honor of having his flag chosen and flown inside the City Council chambers and, eventually, on the flag out front of city hall.
One of the performers sits with former Living Court resident Elma Gust during the Exotic Legends show. Photo by Ray Miller-Still.
6. LIVING COURT LADIES LIVE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
It may not be the hardest-hitting story on this list. But it’s one of the most memorable.
About a dozen women of Enumclaw’s Living Court assisted living community — many in their 80s and one as old as 106 — were paid a visit last summer by the strapping lads of Exotic Legends XL, a male dance revue that tours the country with choreographed stripping, dancing and comedy.
The dancers gave the women a bawdy night to remember, picking them up, dancing with them, and performing over-the-top skits as firefighters and construction workers. It was a trip organized by Living Court but requested by the ladies, some of whom had never been to a strip show before.
The ladies gave the dancers positive reviews afterwards, and one even hung a signed picture in her room.
Buckley’s Shelby Moore (center) poses with teammates during the U17 World Championships in Rome, Italy. She is flanked by Gabriella Gomez of Illinois (left) and Kaiulani Garcia of California. Submitted photo
5. BUCKLEY WRESTLER IS BEST IN THE NATION
Buckley’s very own Shelby Moore was ranked the greatest female high school wrestler in the United States this summer, courtesy of USA Today’s High School Sports Awards.
The honor came after Moore went undefeated and pinned every single one of her opponents in the previous season, culminating with a state championship. At 15, the wrestler captured three national championships in the span of 48 hours last year, including in a division where she competed against girls several years older than herself.
Her skills took her all the way to Rome this year, where she represented the United States in the U17 World Championships and took fifth place. She now attends McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois.
Keep an eye on Moore — odds are her next teammates will be Team U.S.A. at the Olympic Games.
Photo by Alex Bruell Muckleshoot Tribal Council Chairperson Jaison Elkins speaks during a ceremony celebrating fish passage efforts at Howard Hanson Dam near Ravensdale, Washington, on Aug. 30.
4. FEDERAL FUNDING REVIVES HOWARD HANSON FISH PASSAGE PROJECT
A decades-long effort to build a fish passage facility at the Howard Hanson Dam east of Black Diamond was effectively revived this year after receiving an injection of $220 million in federal funding, negotiated with the help of U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Kim Schrier. The project will be built by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, but it has been shaped with the help of many groups, including the Tribes.
When finished, the project should reintroduce endangered salmon into their historical habitat, helping the iconic fish boost their numbers and viability. That, in turn, will restore food for wildlife like bears, eagles and endangered orcas, and help fulfill the United States’ obligations to tribes like the Muckleshoot to provide access to fishing and hunting. The project could nearly double the spawning ground for several threatened fish species in the Green River.
The Howard Hanson project was authorized by Congress in 1999 but stalled out about a decade ago when its costs exceeded its funding limits. Now, the Corps aims to finish designing the facility in around three years, with construction ideally taking another four years.
3. ENUMCLAW’S “MASS SHOOTING IN THE MAKING”
No one died when local Aaron Ray Lincoln allegedly threatened Ryterra Quarry workers with a loaded firearm last July — but King County prosecutors didn’t mince words when they told a judge how easily the incident could have turned deadly.
According to court documents, Lincoln first approached quarry owner Jason Wood in the late morning, and after a nonsensical discussion and Wood saying he was going to call the police unless Lincoln left, he told Wood, “I would call the cops if I were you. People are going to die today.”
Lincoln then allegedly held two people at gunpoint at separate times as he walked around the quarry, though both escaped when Lincoln became distracted: once by an automatic wheel washer going off, and another time by a police helicopter, at which Lincoln supposedly shot at.
After his arrest, which involved being shot with several less-lethal rounds to get Lincoln to comply with law enforcement’s orders, he was officially charged with three counts of assault in second degree and first degree robbery — far less harsh charges than what Ryterra Quarry workers were expecting, based on King County deputy recommendations (assault in the first degree, five counts of felony harassment (threat to kill), robbery in first degree with a firearm enhancement, and unlawful imprisonment).
Because of the serious public safety threat, Lincoln was given a $750,000 bail. If convicted, Lincoln could potentially spend between 11 and 13 years in prison; his current trial date is Jan. 27, 2023.
Photo by Ray Miller-Still Allan Thomas and his attorney John Henry Browne exit the U.S. District Court building in Seattle following his conviction on several of the counts he was charged with in the drainage district trial.
2. THOMASES GUILTY OF FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT
Locals Allan and Joann Thomas were found guilty of conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering last May, capping off a five-year investigation and trial process that was complicated by the pandemic and other health issues plaguing the defendants.
There’s not enough room here to reiterate how the investigation into the Thomases began, but in short, the couple was convicted of stealing more than $450,000 from Enumclaw taxpayers while Allan was the commissioner of Drainage District 5. Prosecutors convinced a jury that the Thomases defrauded King County by forging signatures and invoices in order to receive tax dollars meant to be spent on clearing about 18 miles of drainage ditches scattered around the east end of Enumclaw.
Allan was also alleged to have retained his elected position as commissioner illegally, as there was evidence showing Drainage District 5 held few, if any, proper elections over his 30-year term. However, Allan was not charged with any election-related crimes.
The news of the guilty verdict wasn’t widely reported outside local media (including King 5, which first broke the story), but this saga will almost certainly go down in Enumclaw history for not just the seriousness of the crime, but also how it shined a spotlight on how special-purpose taxing districts in King County and beyond have extremely limited oversight.
All that’s left now is sentencing, which has been delayed several times due to ongoing health issues. The current sentencing date is this Friday, Jan. 6.
What sort of sentence or restitution will be levied against the Thomas is unclear, though the two will likely spend at least two years in prison, the mandatory minimum for aggravated identity theft. Prosecution has also asked the judge for full restitution, but it’s unknown if the Thomases have that much money to repay the county or taxpayers.
1. PLATEAU REACTS TO AIRPORT COMMISSION
The news broke this summer that the Enumclaw Plateau had been ranked highest on a list of potential sites for a new major airport prepared by a consultant to the state Department of Transportation.
That prompted a bit of head-scratching, because the legislation that created the committee tasked with recommending a new airport site ruled out picking any locations in King County. But although the commission wasn’t allowed to select the Enumclaw site — and ultimately didn’t include it on their shortlist in the fall — nothing prevented the commission from being briefed on the location, WSDOT leaders said.
Nothing is set in stone, but it would be a hefty challenge for the new airport to end up on the Plateau.
First, the idea was roundly rejected by local leaders. The Muckleshoot Tribe, mayors of Auburn, Black Diamond, Covington, Enumclaw, Maple Valley, all three 31st Legislative District representatives, county council member Reagan Dunn and County Executive Dow Constantine all made official statements asking the commission to look elsewhere for a new airport site. Little if any local support has materialized for the idea.
And if Washingtonians do end up with a new airport, it’ll be up to three agencies to sign off on the project: the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates air travel and provides funding; the state legislature, which approves funding for the connecting infrastructure; and an “airport sponsor,” such as city, county or port, which manages the airport itself. (The Port of Seattle is the sponsor for Sea-Tac, for instance). The Courier-Herald isn’t aware of any parties who have signaled a desire to sponsor the project.
The CACC makes its final recommendation to the legislature in June.
