Auburn Skies

Dr. Bill Sutton has seen how graffiti can ruin a perfectly good neighborhood. So when his office along Harvey Road recently was hit, the good doctor took action.
He went down to a home improvement center, picked up some matching paint and did the work himself. The City of Auburn offers a pro-active anti-graffiti campaign, encouraging the public to report graffiti, abate it quickly and volunteer for the City’s anti-graffiti efforts.
But Dr. Sutton took matters into his own hands.
“It’s not any real problem,” the longtime Auburn dentist said.
The graffiti problem flared up four months ago. Surveillance cameras were put in place, and the problem went away. Then, it reappeared, as a group hit Dr. Sutton’s office and another businesses and spots nearby.
Dr. Sutton has reported the problem to police. If anything, police come in to document the evidence. But there’s only so much they can do.
“It’s the same old deal, ‘If you don’t catch them in the act … it’s hard to (stop it). They’re pretty elusive, and they do it at night.”

Is there something you wish to ask the mayoral candidates? If so, the Auburn Reporter wants to hear from you.Readers and supporters can participate in the Oct. 15 mayoral debate by posing questions for the candidates – two-time incumbent Pete Lewis and challenger Virginia Haugen.

Please drop off your proposed questions at the Reporter’s office; or mail them to: Auburn Reporter, 3702 W. Valley Highway N., Suite 112, Auburn, WA 98001 (business hours, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday); or reply through the comments option under the elections category at www.auburn-reporter.com.

The Reporter will select the best questions to pose to the candidates. The Reporter also will provide staff-generated questions.

The debate is scheduled to begin 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Auburn Avenue Theater, 10 Auburn Ave. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

The debate will be free. The theater is limited to 270 people. Tickets will be at available at the door only.

Mayoral candidate Virginia Haugen has been critical of downtown redevelopment. 'We're in a little bit of trouble if we don't tighten the belt right now,' she said.

It’s official: a mayoral debate will be here in three weeks. The Auburn Reporter firmed up details this week to hold a debate between two-time incumbent Pete Lewis and challenger Virginia Haugen at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 at the historic Auburn Avenue Theater, 10 Auburn Ave.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The debate will be free. The theater is limited to 270 people. Tickets will be available at the door only. Come early.

The debate will be open at the end to accommodate questions from the audience. We will have a moderator and volunteers in place to help with the format. We will have more on the debate later.

Mayor Pete Lewis, middle, City Councilman Bill Peloza, left, and the Employee Recycling Program's Nick Nicholson, sitting, were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday. The group dedicated the City's newly purchased Specialized Recreation Cycling Trailer.

Kudos goes to the Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation Department in joining the good folks at the Employee Recycling Program to purchase a Specialized Recreation Cycling Trailer. The joint $7,000 acquisition will serve a small but important part of the community – those athletes with disabilities.

Unlike other reluctant cities, Auburn goes out of its way to assist its athletes. “And just because they grow older, we don’t forget about them,” said Daryl Faber, director of the Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation.

The new trailer, which stretches more than 22 feet, will transport as many as 40 bikes, including tandem bikes, tricycles and quadracycles, to trails for training and competitions. Auburn supports about 40 athletes, varying in age from 5 to 57. The team competes in nearby competitions, including the Washington State Summer Olympic Games, where it has brought home its share of medals.

The city’s specialized rec program continues to provide healthy and active programming for participants, both young and old, big and small. The department is one of the best around in setting the tone and reaching out to serve groups, specialized or not.

The trailer would not have been possible without the cooperation between the City and the Employee Recycling Program Fund, a state nonprofit foundation that provides financial assistance for equipment and uniforms to people with disabilities for sports training.

Virginia Haugen admits she has had enough. Weary of the negativity surrounding the mayoral campaign, Haugen stepped forward, called our office and replied, ‘No, Shelley is not working for me,” said the Auburn City Councilmember. Haugen was referring to her former mayoral primary challenger, Shelley Erickson, whom she ousted in the Aug. 18 election.

Haugen finished a distant second to two-time incumbent Pete Lewis in the primary. Both advanced to the Nov. 3 general election.

Since the primary, Erickson has continued to carry a loud voice, criticizing the mayor and the City over issues. It has been speculated that Erickson has been running interference, doing most of the talking for Haugen.

Haugen, mostly, has been silent – until Thursday. “It has gotten out of hand,” she said of the online rancor between those who support and oppose Lewis. Haugen insists she wants no part of the attack crusade, only to move ahead with a “positive” campaign.

Read more about online here, under our elections tab.

Auburn's Jill Joiner-Wong practices a dead lift at the Auburn Valley YMCA, where she often trains.

Auburn’s Jill Joiner-Wong is deceptively strong at 142 pounds. Very strong. She can yank more than 300 pounds from the floor, squat better than 300 and bench-press well over her own weight.

Under the tutelage of trainer Mark Noesen, Joiner-Wong has emerged quickly in masters powerlifting. She took up the sport just two years ago, and has blossomed into a world-class performer who will compete in her age category at the IPF World Masters Powerlifting Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic on Sept. 28-Oct. 3.

“You can tell, I’m really excited about this chance,” said Joiner-Wong, 40, will be competing in the 67.5-kilo (148-pound) division for the United States. “I feel really good. … I’m just going to go there and do my best. That’s all you can really do.”

The Auburn Reporter introduced Joiner-Wong to readers last November, and will continue to follow her career.  We wish her well. She is humble competitor, role model and good ambassador for the sport. She is not your prototypical big girl. She is solid in form as she is in strength.

Readers soon can follow Joiner-Wong more closely at www.jillpowerlifts.com. The site is expected to be up in 10 days or so.

Kudos to Auburn’s Jeff Barkshire with his latest performance on the NASCAR oval. Barkshire finished fifth in last Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Series West visit at Iowa Speedway. Barkshire, driving well despite competing on a limited budget, finished on the lead lap in the 125-lap race around Iowa’s .875-mile asphat oval.  He was fifth when the checkered flag dropped. Barkshire’s Dodge Charger ride is primarily sponsored by Centennial Batteries. He is trying to hook up more backing to ride a full season in 2010. Given his latest two performances and perhaps a more forgiving economy, Barkshire might just get the chance. He is a proven driver with a solid resume from his successes on Northwest and West Coast tracks. Two months earlier, Barkshire ended a long hiatus with a second-place showing at Irwindale, Calif.

Auburn's Jeff Barkshire stayed with the lead pack at Iowa.

Talented football players are getting another chance to extend their playing days. The Northwest Community College Football League gives them that shot. Reporter Shawn Skager provides an interesting look at how the league is giving players, both young and old, a chance to play and the opportunity to perhaps hook on with a four-year college program. Auburn graduate Zac Tate, who was named to the South Puget Sound League North All-League team as an offensive lineman in his junior and senior years, is trying out for a linebacker spot on the roster. “I got a phone call from dad, and he said, ‘Get to the tryouts,’” Tate said. “It’s ridiculous how good some of these kids are, it’s surprising they didn’t go anywhere. …  My goal is to go to WSU,” he added. “And I want to get an education in case I don’t make it in football. I need something behind me. And it gives me more years to play football.”

Keith Hernandez, former Marine and war veteran, goes through drills at Gator practice.

It seems the Auburn Reporter has attracted many online comments from Shelley Erickson, who was ousted from the recent mayoral primary election. However, we continue to hear from her camp as if she, and not her purported rival, Virginia Haugen, were running for mayor. Isn’t it about time we heard more from the challenger herself? Haugen supporters have indicated that she has maintained a low profile in the mayoral race, apparently letting Erickson do her talking. Erickson, a small business owner, has been critical of city matters, targeting the mayor himself. Her frequent comments can be read here online. As a concerned citizen, Erickson has the right to be a part of the dialogue. However, with the general election less than nine weeks away, we want to hear directly from the challenger herself. We want to hear  what she has to say.  Virginia, you can speak for yourself? Right?

Auburn is a generous community. Special kudos go to the Valley 6 Drive-In Theatres, which hosted a recent one- day food drive. The good folks brought in 2,945 pounds of food for the Auburn Food Bank. And it came at a good time. The food bank’s shelves were empty after serving a record day of clients, according to Debbie Christian, the food bank’s executive director. Doors West helped with the

Valley 6 Drive-In Theatres and Doors West came up big for the Auburn Food Bank.

delivery. The food bank plays a crucial role in the community.  To keep pace, the food bank welcomes donations. The public can bring donations directly to the food bank, 930 18th Place N.E., Auburn. The facility is just east of the north Auburn Top Foods parking lot, between 17th Northeast and 18th Northeast on I Street Northeast. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and on the second Wednesday of the month from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.