Kittens sure are cute, but oh boy, they can be a handful! Take it from us adult cats, you should scroll past those kittens and take a look at us…

Our buddies at the shelter have named us Opal, Princess, and Bulgogi, and we are all estimated to be somewhere around 1 to 2 years old. We each got lost from our previous homes in Sumner and Puyallup, but were so lucky that nice people found us and brought us to the shelter so we could be safe. Now that we have had our shots and been spayed, we are ready to go to a real home today!

We each have our own unique personalities, so we are sure that you will find one of us is a purrrfect match to you. One of us is very sweet, one of us is very playful, and one of us is very curious – so you’ll just have to come down to the shelter to find out who is who!

If you would like to meet Opal, Princess, or Bulgogi, please reach out to the Metro Animal Services Shelter in Puyallup at pets@sumnerwa.gov. These ladies need to find three forever families and we hope it is with you!

It has been brought to our attention that some folks have been receiving “final notice” scam text messages stating that they owe our Sumner Municipal Court money for outstanding tickets or citations. Please be aware our courts will never contact you via text. Apparently this scam is happening nationwide, so be aware the name of the court or entity might look different, but If you receive a message similar to this, do not click any links and delete the messages.

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-dmv-new-jersey-scam-text/

Last week we had the honor of participating in the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. Deputy Chief McCurdy and Officers Devore and Boone ran with Athlete Matthew through East Pierce County. This year is the 50th Anniversary!

#WATorchRun25, #LETRforSO, #SpecialOlympicsWashington, #50thAnniverersary

Our offices will be closed Thursday, June 19th, in observance of Juneteenth.

Please note the following street closures for Rhubarb Days (see map for details): beginning at 4:00 PM on Friday, June 20, Main Street (from the railroad tracks to Wood Avenue), Sumner Avenue (Main to Maple), Ryan Avenue (North to Main and Main to Maple), Alder, Kincaid, and Cherry avenues (Main to Maple), plus the Trackside lot and the lot behind Craft.19, will be closed to traffic. North Street will remain open but is being used as a staging area, so please anticipate some congestion. Event setup No Parking kicks off at 12:00 PM Friday in the Trackside lot, with all other lots and affected roads closing for No Parking activities at 3:00 PM; closures then go into effect at 4:00 PM. All roads and lots will reopen on Sunday, June 22 at 9:00 PM. As an added convenience—and to support our local food bank—the Sumner High School lot will be available for public parking on Saturday and Sunday.

A message from Mayor Hayden on the importance of buckling up:

Last month, we had a special “Click It or Ticket” emphasis patrol within our city limits. And it seems, we needed this. Over the span of just four hours, our staff stopped 48 vehicles, accounting for 56 separate traffic violations. That’s in Sumner alone. Among the violations, 23 tickets were issued for seat belt violations, and 23 tickets were issued for distracted driving. Several drivers had multiple violations, including no insurance and suspended driver’s licenses. To put this in perspective, an emphasis patrol like this expects to see usually about 4-5 violations. This is not how we like to excel.

This emphasis required the coordination of multiple officers, a “violation spotter” and multiple officers to conduct the traffic stops. To see so many violations in such a short period of time is staggering and highlights just how pervasive these dangerous habits remain. When we do these patrols, someone always comments, “Don’t you have anything better to do?” or something to that effect. No, actually, this is one of the most important things we do. It was funded by a grant, which allows us to conduct this patrol in addition to our normal staffing. And, these are not petty violations that were “busted” just to fill some sort of quota. In each incident, the driver was putting someone’s life in danger–either their own, someone else’s or most likely, both. In a walkable, active community like Sumner, we need to change our traffic safety culture. Let’s all commit to doing better. It’s pretty simple:
1. Buckle up—every time, no exceptions. Put your seatbelt on before you even start the car. Make it second nature.
2. Eliminate distractions. Before you begin your drive, set your music, enter your directions, and stow your phone somewhere out of reach. Looking at your phone for just five seconds while driving 55 mph is equivalent to driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

Your life—and the lives of others—depends on your full attention behind the wheel.

-Mayor Kathy Hayden