A resident bald eagle gazes across Henderson Bay from its accustomed perch atop the Purdy power tower. Photo: Daniel Jackson
The Key Peninsula Veterans hosted its annual honor aisle at Vaughn Cemetery on Memorial Day with the largest display of flags west of the Mississippi River, according to Frank Grubaugh, past KP Veterans president. Over 330 flags were flown at the cemetery, which overlooks Vaughn Bay and Case Inlet. Photo: Don Tjossem, KP News
Memorial Day ends with a patriotic sunset over Filucy Bay. Photo: Richard Hildahl
A team of runners from the Pierce County Sherriff’s Department carry the Special Olympics Torch, known as the “Flame of Hope,” during a running-and-boating relay through Purdy, Gig Harbor and across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge June 1, delivering the torch to the 2017 Special Olympics Washington Spring Games at Pacific Lutheran University. Photo: Don Tjossem, KP News
Vaughn Postmaster DeeDee Emmett catches up on some spring-cleaning outside her office in early June. “I came out to put a new sticker on the box and realized it was filthy,” she said. “And, it’s a sunny day, so…” Photo: Ted Olinger, KP News
Mark Knisely digs a trench for power cables for the new emergency generator at the Key Peninsula Civic Center, which will allow the center to act as an emergency shelter for residents in the event of a disaster. Photo: Ted Olinger, KP News
As part of its Community Connects series, the Board of Fire Commissioners meeting July 11 will include a demonstration featuring the KP Fire Department’s two new water tenders. These vehicles replace a 1980 rig that had a pump failure due to significant damage sustained in 2015 and a 1986 rig that is well past due for retirement. The demonstration begins at 5 p.m. Photo: Ted Olinger, KP News
On May 30, Minter Creek Elementary School became the last in the Peninsula School District to receive a new playground structure. It was paid for by a joint effort of the Peninsula School District and the Minter Creek PTA, which organized multiple fundraisers. “This project started with two students asking me for some new monkey bars,” said Minter Principal Tyrone Robuck, Jr. The new playground features a climbing wall, twisty slides, a zip line and a walking bridge. The colors were selected and voted on by Minter students. The fifth-grade class was asked to compose rules for next year’s incoming kindergarteners; the new rules include a prohibition on jumping off the sky bridge and a recommendation to refrain from licking the slides. Photo: Ed Johnson, KP News
The Key Peninsula Historical Society Museum hosted third- and fourth-grade students from Vaughn Elementary in June to learn old-fashioned skills and games from the pioneer past. Students visited eight stations, including log rolling, drilling, butter making, quill writing and clothes washing. Wool carding, cording and spinning was also demonstrated and students twisted some into bracelets. “I didn’t know they had to work so hard to get everything they needed,” wrote one student in his thank-you note. Courtesy Judy Mills