Fireworks, Playground By The Sound and all that stuff July brings

July is upon us and that means so many earth-shatteringly significant things, well, maybe…
July 1st is Canada Day…ok, enough on that.
You can set off legal fireworks in University Place from 9am to 11pm now through July third.  You get an extra hour, until midnight, on the fourth.  (By the way, if anyone’s setting off fireworks around my house at 9am, you’ll get to see… No, I think I’ll let it be a surprise.) 

In U.P. you must be 16 years old to purchase, posses or discharge any fireworks.  Kids younger than that involved with fireworks must be under the direct supervision of an adult. No, a 16 year old is not an adult.

 Hey, would you be careful, please.  Even the legal fireworks can be dangerous.  Sparklers…safe, right?  Well, if handled appropriately, sure. However, please note that sparklers burn at a temperature which is hot enough to melt gold!  Between 1,000 and 2,000 degrees farenheit is where sparklers burn.  How do you think a little kid’s fingers would do in contact with that or someone’s eye?  I’m not saying don’t light off fireworks. What I’m saying is:

Buy fireworks only from licensed retail outlets;

Never hold fireworks in your hand or throw them;

Don’t lean over fireworks or relight duds;

Have a RESPONSIBLE, SOBER adult present;

Know your local emergency numbers, your address/location and basic first aid.

Why not opt for attending a public fireworks display. They are much cooler than what you can do in your driveway!

That’s what I’m saying.  And you know what?  It’s a good time to remind you about the University Place Emergency numbers:

Emergency Number: 911	In case of an emergency, to report a crime in progress, or if you need an officer to be dispatched.
Non-Emergency Number: (253) 798-4722	To reach the dispatch center for non-emergencies where the perpetrator is gone and you want an officer to investigate.
All Other Calls: (253) 798-4058	For general inquiries Monday through Friday during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Firearm Permit (253) 798-7441	For questions relating to gun permits.

So, what else is significant around here? 

 July 8th is the date for the next concert in the park at the Curran Orchard park. It’s the Washington National Guard 133rd Army Band playing patriotic and popular music. The Thursday concerts begin at 6:30 and run until 8pm and you can bring your own picnic dinners or purchase food from the Kiwanis, there.   Upcoming shows include the Motown sounds of Fingertips, July 22nd and the always popular Dead Edsels with their old rock and roll show on August 12th.    

                                
You’ve heard reference to the PLAYGROUND BY THE SOUND (PBTS), haven’t you? It’s that “not small” undertaking that groups of U.P. citizens have committed to, aimed at funding and constructing, next year,  a sizeable and unique playground on the Chambers Creek properties overlooking the golf course and Puget Sound. They’ve found a great way to help fund it but you’ve got to help to make this work.

Pepsi has accepted the Playground By The Sound project as a July candidate for their $50,000 Refresh Everything grant. With a total budget of $200,000, the Pepsi grant would make a significant contribution to achieving the goal. The Pepsi grant is a competitive grant which is won by popular vote – YOUR VOTE!  Fire up your computer then online, go to  www.Refresheverything.com  to register and vote EVERY DAY during July. Ask all your friends to vote. too. It will take TONS of votes to beat other communities competing with us for their own projects. For more information on the project, go to the PBTS website  www.playgroundbythesound.org

This one fund-raising effort could make it or break it for the PBTS project and it’s SOOOOO easy to help. You know what’s even more important than YOU clicking online and voting EVERY day in July?  Asking more and more of your friends to vote, too. They can be email friends on the other side of the planet. They don’t need to be in U.P.  Just forward this to them and BEG them to click on every day throughout July. It could sure put a smile on a lot of little kids faces!  That’s enough motivation for me. I have three different computer addresses. I’ll be voting three times every day. How often will YOU vote? (How many friends will you get to vote?) Let’s not pass up this grant!  The kids are worth it.  Thanks!  (Pass the word)

By the way, if you would like to garden AND do you Green part, there’s a Rain Garden Class set for July 13th from 6 to 8pm at Narrows View Intermediate School.  It’s all about learning how to put your rain water to work supporting your gardening.  Register by calling 460-2505 or email  sbuter@cityofup.com

OK, I’ve over stayed my welcome but in the next edition of the UNIVERSITY PLACE:  WHAT’S UP?  Blog, we’ll get into the fact that May’s unemployment numbers are a continued improvement and we’ll take a look at what U.P. home prices are doing.  Those two factors go hand-in-hand in determining our recovery from this recession.  By the way, it’s good news!    And maybe,  just maybe, we’ll take a look at that back-in, angle parking on Bridgeport.  I’ve already gotten one query about it and the city is providing a response. So, come back soon and we’ll see what that topic’s all about.  If I don’t catch you before, have a safe July 4th and remember that it’s not just BBQ, beer and fireworks that we’re celebrating.   Be well and God Bless America!

PAT MADDOCK     

Coldwell Banker Bain REALTORS      3560 Bridgeport Way     University Place, WA  98466      patmaddock@cbbain.com

Who is this guy?

As a top producer with Coldwell Banker Bain REALTORS in University Place, Pat Maddock is the former President of the Tacoma-Pierce County Association of REALTORS and the 2009 Vice-President of the Washington REALTORS, the statewide trade association of professional members of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). He also serves the University Place – Fircrest Division of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce on it’s Board of Directors and he serves the City of University Place on the Economic Development Commission. But most importantly, he’s been a University Place native since 1953. Pat is also a 20-year Air Force veteran. ( And he ain’t runnin’ for nuttin’! )

You can find Pat at the Bridgeport office of Coldwell Banker Bain.  If you want to know most anything about University Place real estate, talk with someone who knows it, understands it and can explain it !

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University Place has lost one of it’s strongest citizens

Last evening at the Franciscan facility on Bridgeport Way, a most kind gentleman passed away, once again leaving his rich and unique mark on this community.
J. Richard McEntee, Dick, as we all knew him, was finally given rest after suffering from lung cancer but that trial represented less than one percent of an extraordinary life  many will recall in the forthcoming weeks when his name comes up again and again.
A proud Villanova alum, Dick spent the bulk of his working life with Nalleys and then Grace Foods. As their director of Operations, Dick took the local food enterprise to new heights and  landed them on the map as a premium Northwest business.

Dick could have been called, the number one supporter behind the lady who founded the Washington State March for Life, his late wife, the wonderful Kathy McEntee.  Together, they provided a moral compass for a state struggling with what may well be THEE moral issue of our time.  They did so without wavering, without compromise without any consideration of defeat.  In her absence Dick and daughter Noreen picked up Mom’s gauntlet and there is little doubt the name McEntee will be behind that crusade into the future.

And that touches upon Dick’s finest contribution, if you asked him.  A proud father of six and an equally loving grandfather to nine.  Those were the reasons he was put here, according to his own words.  This man who left his mark in profound ways on most all he touched throughout a life which literally defined outstanding citizenship, would, when asked, softly reflect on the joy of his own family as the single-most important factor in his noteworthy life. 

This blog is no obituary or eulogy.  It’s simply a shout from the hilltop.  “Attention! Attention! Take notice of the passing of a remarkable man!”  Dick McEntee gave and he gave and he gave but where he gave us all the most was in simply being that remarkable man. A most honorable character from whom any of us could learn a lesson in life…ANY of us!  

Always with a sound political sense about him, Dick served more than 40 years ago as a Fircrest City Councilman and later in a number of capacities with the City of University Place, after moving his family to Beckonridge. Dick is also well know to those behind the scenes at the top end of St. Joseph’s Hospital where he served for ten years on their board of directors. He served as the national president of a trade association. He has given leadership to the Knights of Columbus.   He served Governor Booth Gardner on his advisory board for three years and the list goes on…seemingly forever.  But when his political party came to him with hands outstretched, Dick stood tall in running against the state auditor many called untouchable.  The party asked him to take on the Sontag “dynasty” at a time when Brian’s occupancy of that position was seemingly concrete.  Dick’s presence caused Sontag’s party to open the coffers wide and spend to defend their incumbant against this most serious candidate. In fact, when face-to-face with Dick, checkbook in hand, I asked him, “Do you think there’s any hope of a win against him right now?”  I should have known better.  I should have remembered who in the heck I was talking to.  “Patrick, I’m not running to run. I’m running to win! No question about it, my friend.”  I wrote the check.  Why?  Did he ask me to?  No.  Did I believe he could win that year?  Did I believe anyone could unseat State Auditor Sontag?  Nope but I believed in my friend Dick and that’s all that mattered.  He was like that. He inspired confidence.  I had a young friend about to run against a formidable candidate just a few years back. So, I took him to Dick for advice.  Dick really put him on the spot. He grilled him and when my young friend seemed to have passed the McEntee scrutiny, Dick took him and his positions on yet again.  He gave him more than I could have asked him to.  And he planted that seed of McEntee confidence in him and it went on to serve him very well.   The last time I saw Dick as we both served on our respective commissions at the city, he was joking and smiling and that notoriously errant lock of Irish curls was prancing about as if to say, “Do what you can, my friend but don’t take yourself too seriously…life will inevitably prove you wrong.”

Your life proved to us all that one man can make a difference, Dick.  Your civic life, your faith, your fatherhood taught lessons to those you never even knew you touched.  You shepherded a wonderful family alongside a  wonderful  woman who gave you credit for most every accomplishment of her own remarkable life.  You leave this a better community, a better state for you having been amongst us.  Our sincere thanks go with you, Sir.  Your likes may not soon be seen again.

“Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened!”

Emplyment’s UP, Duck Daze are upon us and they’ve named a new Police Chief for University Place!

If you haven’t noticed before, I’ll point it out now. I rarely bother repeating negative news in this blog. Why not? Because the commercial media revels in reporting it and they waste no time. “Home sales are down again”, “The jobless rate is up for the ninth consecutive…” Why bother? They frame their newscasts and headlines around it. So, it IS nice to read a headline like the one in the May 31st Business Examiner. “Jobless rate falls”.
Back in 2002 housing in this country was fully one quarter of the gross domestic product. THAT was the red flag so many ignored. You can’t sustain that! And we did not. Housing fell, the banks fell, employment fell and conditions are still not conducive to a full-scale recovery. As has been the case in the past, housing led us down the path and housing will lead us back up. History has shown that time and again and our recovery from this e-x-t-e-n-d-e-d slump should be no different. Recent upturns in home sales have and continue to be encouraging and it’s all part of a slow, sober recovery but when you get a good shot in the arm like the April employment numbers, that adds clearly to the overall picture.
The state “…unemployment rate fell for the first time in more than three years.” The Business Examiner just reported.
When we read percentage rates of unemployment in our state we see numbers like 9.5% but what does that translate to in jobs? Well, the recent increase took unemployment in Washington from 9.5% in March to 9.2% in April but what that translates to is 5,800 additional jobs and that’s a damned good thing! Bring it on! I know too many good folks right here in University Place scrambling for income. This is the first significant and positive change to the state’s unemployment rates in 36 months! I’ll take 3/10ths of a percent as an increase. Oh, hell yes! Onward!
And this is all a vital part of the recovery. Declining unemployment, favorable interest rates, shrinking housing inventory…it all adds up to economic recovery and it IS a damned good thing. It’s coming slowly, every-so slowly but it’s coming and I for one continue to be encouraged.
Now, for the nay sayers who like to write me and want to tear the good news down and say “No
Way, there’s no recovery in sight”. Save your time. I won’t print you. Write the News Tribune. They love ya.

Meanwhile, back home…
University Place: What’s UP? DUCK DAZE! That’s what’s up. The unofficial kick off to summer in U.P. happens this weekend. So I hope you have your yellow rain slicker and your duck-billed cap ready.

Saturday … THIS Saturday, the 5th, 10am, the Duck Daze parade begins at 27th and Bridgeport and heads all the way up to Town Center.  It’s fun to gather along the parade route and view the get ups and antics of our neighbors but they tell me it’s even MORE fun to get out there and join in!

If you want to march in the parade, they need you at 27th and Bridgeport by 9:00 a.m. and you should call Dixie Harris first at 564-6373.  Following the parade, they all head for the Treasures in the Park Antique Show and  Flea Market and then most everyone heads over to the Public Safety building for the Fire Department and Police Department open house.  Treasures in the Park is scheduled for 10am to 4pm and they feature fun for the kids, too.  If you might be interested in a last-minute vendor opportunity, call Councilman Ken Grassi at 278-1946.  The Fire Dept and Police Dept open their doors from 10am to 2pm at the Public Safety building and that is all an open house with the firefighters and cops SHOULD be plus if you need a life jacket, bike helmet or a multi-sport helmet, they’ll be on sale there and the pros will properly fit you, which is even more important.  Good prices, too.  Life jacket $14, bike helmet $7, multi-sport helmet $10.   And there’s more fun down there for the kids with temporary tattoos, face painting, refreshments, etc.

Did you know that the UP Town Cruisin’ Association will also be out in force on Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Call Charlie Maxwell to find out more at 405-9014.  And the United for UP Coalition will be in the Town Hall Courtyard with informational booths from local businesses and nonprofit organizations and they, along with some of the other functions that day will all be collecting non-perishable food donations. 

You’ll encounter all sorts of entertainment throughout the day, even over and above the entertainment value of just seeing your friends and neighbors dressed up like DUCKS!   Tell me you don’t want to see Councilman Eric Choiniere in yellow feathers!   I would PAY to see that!

Karaoke, storytelling, a band, a performing pianist, in fact, a lot of music and more!   Duck Daze is always fun and you know what?  One of these days each of us need to grab  Dixie Harris by the arm, look her in the eyes and tell her sincerely THANK YOU for making University Place a better place to live and raise a family! Among her other community endeavours, she has been behind the parade and Duck Daze itself since it’s inception, as I understand it.  And this is the 11th annual event! She would immediately point out all of the other folks who have contributed, too but they would all turn and point back at Dixie.  Credit finds its way where it belongs.  We all owe much to that sweet lady, hard worker, leader and really great neighbor!  ( Don’t you really think we should start calling her DIXIE DUCK? )

Oh, and finally…take a cue from Dixie and Dress Like A DUCK !!!

 29 years! That’s a heck of a lot to give to the people of Pierce County but it’s what U.P. Chief of Police Jim Andrews has done.  Since April of 1981 he has served us throughout the county and as our own chief for the past five years.  The announcement was just made by City Manager Steve Sugg and Pierce County sheriff Paul Pastor that Lt. Rusty Wilder will succeed Chief Andrews effective July 2nd.

And while Chief Andrews will certainly be missed on the softball field…  Oh, we’ll save that for later!

Hey, it’s good to be back.

In our next installment of the blog, we’ll get back into the University Place Real Estate Sale of the Day. (I WISH there were that many!)  There are plenty and we’ll start profiling them again for you.  So, you can keep tabs on what YOUR marketplace is doing and how it will affect your home value.

Do set a side some time this Saturday to watch the parade up Bridgeport and/or come walk through the activities in the park and around the area to include the open house at the Fire and Police Departments.  After all it’s DUCK DAZE and it only happens in UNIVERSITY PLACE, WASHINGTON!

And that’s What’s Up!

PAT MADDOCK     

Coldwell Banker Bain REALTORS      3560 Bridgeport Way     University Place, WA  98466      patmaddock@cbbain.com

Who is this guy?

As a top producer with Coldwell Banker Bain REALTORS in University Place, Pat Maddock is the former President of the Tacoma-Pierce County Association of REALTORS and the 2009 Vice-President of the Washington REALTORS, the statewide trade association of professional members of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). He also serves the University Place – Fircrest Division of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce on it’s Board of Directors and he serves the City of University Place on the Economic Development Commission. But most importantly, he’s been a University Place native since 1953. Pat is also a 20-year Air Force veteran. ( And he ain’t runnin’ for nuttin’! )

You can find Pat at the Bridgeport office of Coldwell Banker Bain.  If you want to know most anything about University Place real estate, talk with someone who knows it, understands it and can explain it !

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