2014 was full of inspiring stories and stern realities as recounted in The Dispatch. The year began on its first day with a horrific traffic accident that temporarily devastated a family whose members overcame the resulting physical challenges and, with the help of community supporters, reunited once again at home after long hospital stays. And in the months that followed, headline makers GÇô to name a few GÇô included a young woman who conquered her own physical setbacks to become the volleyball coach at a school where she herself once played, voters grappling with tax measures for local public safety, more inspiration in high school athletics (this time on the football field as two schools pursued state titles), first-responders practicing terrorism responses, and Mother Nature putting a scare into people at Mount Rainier. Here's how all of that and more unfolded. Back where she belongs Richelle Heacock, the former star volleyball player at Eatonville High School whose playing days were cut short by an automobile accident that left her paralyzed, was hired as the school's new head volleyball coach. "This seems like a perfect time to give back," Heacock said, referring to the gratitude she feels for the four years she played for the Cruisers, and her own improved energy level that she expects will make it easier to meet the demands of coaching a high school team. Heacock was 20 years old when she suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident on Jan. 4, 2010, as she drove home from college in Oregon. She was on her way to join her father, John, a Pierce County Sheriff Department deputy, at a memorial service for one of his colleagues, deputy Kent Mundell, who'd been shot and killed while responding to a domestic dispute in Eatonville. "She just keeps working hard and treats people with respect," said George Fairhart, the school's athletic director. "She has a great understanding of the game, which will give her instant credibility with the students in the program.GÇ¥
Graham Fire and Rescue's call answered Graham Fire and Rescue, whose firefighters and paramedics answer emergencies, had a close call of its own. The fire district's four-year, $11 million maintenance and operations levy was rejected by voters in the primary election in August. But it passed in November in the general election, giving the district the money that officials say it needs to keep fire stations open and fully staffed and to keep up with the demand for emergency services. A big no to more taxes A request by town officials in Eatonville for more property taxes to pay for public safety got a resounding "No" from voters. Sixty-three percent of them voted against it, virtually the exact opposite of the 60 percent approval that was needed for the measure to pass. Mayor Mike Schaub, in his first year in office, and other officials noted a $270,000 budget shortfall projected in 2015 and said a long-term, sustainable source of funding for the town's police and fire protection is needed. But the money won't come from the levy, which would have added $342,876 in property taxes next year. To continue past 2015, the levy would have gone before voters again at the end of next year. Deja vu at Mount Rainier Mother Nature gave Mount Rainier National Park a drenching dose of deja vu. The park was closed to the public (a rare occurrence) at the Nisqually entrance Nov. 25 as a result of flooding in the Kautz Creek area and the potential for flood damage in other park areas. Heavy rain falling on the snowpack at Paradise forced the evacuation of visitors and created dangerous conditions throughout the park, similar to what occurred when major floods in November 2006 caused widespread damage, including destroying the former Sunshine Point campground and created a repair bill in the tens of millions of dollars. This time, the park was reopened within about 24 hours after a logjam in the creek was removed, stopping the flooding of the roadway. Glory on the gridiron Two high school football teams from south Pierce County GÇôEatonvllle and Graham-Kapowsin GÇô played on the same weekend for berths in state championship games. They didn't quite get there GÇô Eatonville lost to Cascade Christian and Graham-Kapowsin fell to Chiawana in the semifinals of the 1A and 4A tournaments, respectively GÇô but the teams and their players were left with feelings of accomplishment. And they could say it took the best of the best to knock them out of the tournaments. Cascade Christian and Chiawana were the eventual champions. Hit the trail The town of Eatonville completed the Bud Blancher Trail, giving hikers, bikers and runners a 2.5-mile connection with places like Smallwood Park, the Mashel River, and the University of Washington's Pack Forest. About $500,000 for the project came from the estate of the man the trail is named for, the Rails to Trails Conservancy, and Peter and Christine Koch. Don't swim here Eight lakes in Pierce County were risky places to swim virtually all summer due to toxic algae in the water. Ohop, Silver, Harts, Tanwax, Spanaway, Whitman, Twin and Waughop were posted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department with warnings. The algae can make people sick or kill them if they stay in the water too long. It can also be fatal for pets, waterfowl and other animals, too. Remembering crash victims Relatives of a Dutch aeronautical engineer visited the site in Alder where he and seven other people died in 1939 in a crash of a Boeing Stratoliner airplane. The family members from Europe created a small memorial at the site, posed for pictures, and visited with Rod Scurlock, who was a boy when he witnessed the crash. Together at home again An Eatonville-area family, forced into hospitals by a New Year's Day automobile accident that left one of its members paralyzed, was back home in their home by summer. Douglas and Sara Harris and their children, McKenzie and Wyatt, were fully reunited under their own roof with 7-year-old McKenzie's release from Harborview Medical Center. The family received extensive news media attention and community support during their recovery, including remodeling of their home by volunteers to make it more adaptable for life with McKenzie as a quadriplegic. "We are so excited to have our family all back together again,GÇ¥ the family posted on its Facebook page. The family was on its way home Jan. 1 when another vehicle crossed the centerline on State Route 7 and struck the pickup truck that Sara Harris was driving. The other driver, Glenn Fitting of Eatonville, died in the collision. Fitting may have been experiencing a medical emergency in the moments before the crash, according to the State Patrol. All of the Harris family required hospital care. Douglas and Sara underwent surgeries and therapy as part of their recovery from serious injuries. Legislators State Rep. J.T. Wilcox won a third two-year term in November. A month later, the House Republican Caucus retained him as Floor Leader, again giving him responsibility for procedural functions within the caucus and in the legislative process. Joining him as a representative of the Second District, whose constituency includes south Pierce County, is Graham Hunt, also a Republican. He was elected in November to the seat he first gained through appointment in January. Mountain gives up bodies Melting snow and ice on Mount Rainier in August revealed the bodies of three people who'd been missing and presumed dead since a climbing accident in May. They were identified as Mark Mahaney, 26, of St. Paul, Minn., Uday Marty, 40, an Intel Corp. executive for the company in southeast Asia, and John Mullally, 40, of Seattle. There still were no signs of the other missing climbers. In June, the body of a Seattle woman who disappeared during a hike on the Owyhigh Lakes Trail in June was found dead of hypothermia. Another hiker vanished on the Wonderland Trail in July and still hasn't been found. 'Heavy hearts' for a grizzly A male, 24-year-old grizzly bear at Northwest Trek was euthanized after veterinarians found a large tumor in the animal's abdomen. Officials said the 750-pound bear was one of the original inhabitants of the wildlife park and was a special attraction for visitors who saw it as children and later brought their own kids for a look at one of the animals that is listed as a threatened species by federal authorities. "We have heavy hearts," said Donna Powell, Northwest Trek's deputy director. In case of the real thing Personnel from Pierce Transit and first-responder agencies, including Graham Fire and Rescue and the Pierce County Sheriff Department, participated in a terrorist-response exercise as training to sharpen their reactions in case the real thing ever occurs. Scenarios of simulated attacks June 12 on passengers in transit buses were carried out in two locations GÇô Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway and the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup. More than 60 volunteers played the roles of passengers. A bombing of a bus was simulated at Sprinker, while terrorists taking passengers hostage was the scenario at the fairgrounds. Multiple casualties were simulated, and as first responders showed up on the scene, they deployed a bomb-disarming robot and bomb-sniffing dogs while also attending to the victims. Making history come alive James Sawatzki does more than get students' attention when he teaches history at Bethel High School. He gets historians to take notice. Sawatzki, a teacher for 30 years, was awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching History by the Washington State Historical Society Board of Trustees. The award, presented annually to one or more certified teachers of Pacific Northwest history in an accredited K-12 school, recognizes innovative curriculum, consistent effectiveness in utilizing history in the classroom and the community, the advancement of Pacific Northwest history as a field of academic inquiry, and a lasting impact on students. 9-1-1 blackout First-responders and residents in south Pierce County dodged the potential of unanswered calls for help during a six-hour outage of 9-1-1 systems in April. Washington's Utilities and Transportation Commission opened an investigation into what caused the Enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) communications to go down statewide on April 10. South Sound 9-1-1, which serves Pierce County, was one of many 9-1-1 dispatch centers in the state that couldn't take emergency calls and relay them to medical, fire or law enforcement agencies. The county service was out from shortly after midnight until about 6:20 a.m., forcing the use of backup, non-9-1-1 phone numbers. Town shaken by deaths Eatonville was rocked in May by a murder-suicide. According to the Pierce County Sheriff Department, Keith Johnson, 40, shot his 37-year-old wife, Julie Johnson, at their home. He then drove a short distance, parked in the street in front of the house of a friend, and shot himself. Occupants of the house found him in the truck. The Johnsons had two children GÇô a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. "This is a small town. A lot of people know each other,GÇ¥ said a man who knew the couple. "This is really a sad thing.GÇ¥
School of high achievement Eatonville High School was among 413 schools statewide named as Washington Achievement Award winners based on their academic excellence. The award is sponsored by the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the state's Board of Education. The winners, who were announced last week, are selected using the state's Accountability Index and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver. "These awards shine the light on what is working well in schools across Washington," said Kristina Mayer, state board chairwoman. Got health insurance? The federal Affordable Healthcare Act's mandate requiring everyone to have health insurance came due March 31. And free local help was available for anyone who needed a hand signing up. Eatonville Family Agency, an official source of one-on-one assistance, guided people through the process of enrolling via the online healthcare exchange. The agency was among eight community organizations in Pierce County designated as Affordable Care Act assisters. Their personnel received training for the service from Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. The little hero Braylon Morgan, at the of 4, learned that where there's smoke, there's fire. His awareness was credited by firefighters as preventing a possible tragedy when a fire started in his family's house in Graham. He and his mother and infant brother were watching the National Football Conference championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers on TV Jan. 18 when Braylon began telling his mother, Heather, that something was burning. Within minutes, black smoke was billowing from the laundry room. It was the start of an electrical fire involving the furnace. Heather, carrying five-month-old Cohen, fled quickly with Braylon. The house was filled with heavy smoke as soon as they got outside, Heather said. "Braylon tells everyone he's our little hero. We're proud of him," she said. Baby New Year Easton Jackson Zimmerman's birth about an hour after midnight on New Year's Day was a little later than his parents hoped but soon enough for him to gain instant fame as the first baby born in Pierce County in 2014. The delivery at 1:13 a.m. at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup made proud parents of Heather and Stuart Zimmerman of Spanaway. Mom and dad were excited, but professed good-naturedly to a touch of disappointment that their first child hadn't helped them with the IRS. "We were hoping he'd be born on New Year's Eve to get the tax write-off,GÇ¥ said Heather, who spent 28 hours in labor.
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