The Herald is looking for East Pierce County neighborhoods that shoot for the stars with holiday decorating.

Maybe there’s a home that stands out every year during the Christmas season in your neighborhood? It could be an icicle wonderland or adorned with more lights than Qwest Field.

Either way we want to hear about it. Send us a picture at editor@puyallupherald.com, by mail at P.O. Box 517, Puyallup, WA 98372 or come by the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 822 E. Main in Puyallup.

To contact a reporter about your neighborhood’s holiday cheer contact Chris Albert at 253-841-2481 ext. 313 or by e-mail at chris.albert@puyallupherald.com.

John Galle was selected Tuesday evening as Sumner’s new police chief.

The former lieutenant has served in Sumner for 10 years, most recently as the acting chief of police.

Galle replaces former chief Colleen Wilson, who accepted the job of police chief for the Port of Seattle in August.

Other candidates for Sumner’s police chief position included Kent Curry from Renton, Carl Cole from King County and Sumner Lt. Mark Mears.

The following are updated election results for contested positions in Bonney Lake, Sumner and Puyallup for the Nov. 6 General Election as of Nov. 9.

The most contested races have been the Bonney Lake Ward 5 City Council position between Dan Decker and Phil DeLeo and the Puyallup At Large City Council position between Kathy Turner and Rick Hansen.

While Decker’s lead has increase from an initial 53 votes to 72 votes, Hansen’s early lead of 97 votes has narrowed to 41 votes.

Bonney Lake

Council At Large No. 2 position

Mark Hamilton leads Tom Watson 1,364 to 810

Council Ward 5 position

Dan Decker leads Phil DeLeo 266 to 194

Puyallup

Council At-Large position

Rick Hansen leads Kathy Turner 3,176 to 3,135

Council District No. 1 Position 1

John D. Knutsen leads Glen Zevenbergen 1,349 to 686

Council District No. 3 Position 1

Don Malloy leads Curt Gimmestad 1,325 to 714

Puyallup School District No. 3 Director Position No. 2

Cindy Poysnick leads Larry Carney 9,836 to 7,726

Sumner

Council Position No. 5

Mathew Richardson leads Jon Swanson 1,223 to 558

The following are updated election results for contested positions in Bonney Lake, Sumner and Puyallup for the Nov. 6 General Election as of Nov. 8.

Bonney Lake

Council At Large No. 2 position

Mark Hamilton leads Tom Watson 1,178 to 695

Council Ward 5 position

Dan Decker leads Phil DeLeo 229 to 168

Puyallup

Council At-Large position

Rick Hansen leads Kathy Turner 2,687 to 2,621

Council District No. 1 Position 1

John D. Knutsen leads Glen Zevenbergen 1,118 to 566

Council District No. 3 Position 1

Don Malloy leads Curt Gimmestad 1,149 to 628

Puyallup School District No. 3 Director Position No. 2

Cindy Poysnick leads Larry Carney 8,348 to 6,607

Sumner

Council Position No. 5

Mathew Richardson leads Jon Swanson 1,070 to 495

The following are updated election results for contested positions in Bonney Lake, Sumner and Puyallup for the Nov. 6 General Election as of Nov. 7.

Bonney Lake

Council At Large No. 2 position

Mark Hamilton leads Tom Watson 1,005 to 567

Council Ward 5 position

Dan Decker leads Phil DeLeo 185 to 132

Puyallup

Council At-Large position

Rick Hansen leads Kathy Turner 2,473 to 2,376

Council District No. 1 Position 1

John D. Knutsen leads Glen Zevenbergen 1,036 to 535

Council District No. 3 Position 1

Don Malloy leads Curt Gimmestad 1,046 to 565

Puyallup School District No. 3 Director Position No. 2

Cindy Poysnick leads Larry Carney 7,576 to 5,968

Sumner

Council Position No. 5

Mathew Richardson leads Jon Swanson 960 to 438

City manager Jim Bacon announced his intent to leave Puyallup to accept a position in Arizona. The announcement was made via an e-mail message to city employees on Tuesday night, Nov. 6.
He will become the town manager for Paradise Valley, Ariz.
City attorney Gary McClean will serve as acting city manager until the city council chooses an interim.

Sumner residents recently received a notice announcing that Northstar Chemical Inc. has applied for a permit to demolish the 95-year-old Fleischmann’s Yeast Plant.

It’s separate from the original permit application, which included demolition and construction of a chemical tank farm on the property. The chemical farm project is about to undergo an environmental impact analysis, and city officials must now decide if the demolition also requires such a process.

Residents are being informed of the application because city code states that a completed application is the first public notice residents are sent.

The former yeast plant was built in 1912 and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s currently on the 2007 Most Endangered Historic Properties list put out by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.

City officials say the historic significance of the property will be considered when deciding what action to take with the demolition application.

Sumner resident Sara Hoime wants other concerned residents like herself to speak up. The demolition is one more step leading toward the construction of the chemical farm, and Hoime doesn’t want that to happen, she said.

Written comments will be accepted regarding the demolition application until Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. Mail them to: City of Sumner, Attn: Ryan Windish, 1104 Maple Street, Suite 250, Sumner, WA 98390.

A fire destroyed one house and damaged another Sunday night at Sumner Viewpoint, according to East Pierce Fire and Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Dave Wakefield.

Sumner Viewpoint is a housing development currently under construction in the south end of Sumner. No one was injured in the fire.

The president of the company building the project, Gary Meath of Benum Enterprises, said it was likely not an accident, but declined to give further details.

The damage is estimated at $150,000 to $250,000, Wakefield said. East Pierce Fire and Rescue is not ready to release any other information. The incident is under investigation by the Pierce County Fire Marshal.