Community Connection
Leroy’s Legacy
In some ways, his life tells the ultimate story of the Great Generation. In other ways, he’s the typical neighbor next door, always ready with a whistle and a wave. In all ways, Leroy Goff has spent years helping shape Sumner, his adopted and Goff served in the Navy beloved home. His retirement from in World War II City service will in no way change that legacy. His family came to Sumner in search of a better life during the Great Depression. He served in the Navy during World War II on the U.S.S. Concord, a light cruiser that ran the Straits of Japan. He came home to raise his family in Sumner. Through his career, he worked nearly every job imaginable, from helping can fruit at the Cannery to driving an ambulance. He was selected to be the Civil Defence Chair for Sumner after the War and since the mid-1980s has led Sumner as Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councilmember. He keeps in touch with people by e-mail and is trying to get the hang of Facebook. He loves fishing but zigzags his route out of town to protect the location of his favorite fishing holes! He is one of the leaders of Sumner’s Relay for Life and loves attending events at the schools. He hangs cornstalks Downtown every fall and lights every December. And everyone will see him walking around town nearly every day of the year. Starting in January, Sumner will continue on without Leroy Goff in a leadership position for the first time in decades. The City Council, City employees and Mayor Enslow all thank Leroy for his service. He gave countless hours solely because of his love for this city and its citizens. It is the ultimate gift a city can receive, and for that, Leroy deserves a legacy that will long be remembered in Sumner. See Leroy’s last Council Column on page 2. Everyone is invited to help thank Leroy for his service at a reception at City Hall, January Goff at his last council meeting in December. 10, 4-6 pm. Credit Michael Hochstatter
Help Future of Sumner, By Design The Sumner Design Commission has vacancies open and is just waiting for your input and ideas! The Design Commission reviews plans and determines whether or not they conform to the City’s design regulations. In other words, it’s the Design Commission who makes sure places like the Jack in the Box and WinCo fit their neighborhoods and Sumner instead of the corporate mold. Design Commissioners are usually in professions such as engineering, architecture, planning, construction, and landscaping. You do not have to live within the City limits to apply although familiarity with the community is preferred. To apply, go online to http://www.ci.sumner.wa.us/ Documents/Commission_ Application.pdf.
Issue 69
City of Sumner Newsletter
Winter 2012
Meet Your New Sumner City Councilmembers nancy dumas While teaching at the Juner’s future, Dumas would Originally from Moorenior High and Sumner High like the Sumner community stown, New Jersey, Dumas School during the 1990s, to know that she apprecihas lived in Sumner for 14½ LeMaster started the Sumner ates this opportunity to serve years with her husband and Driving School on Zehnder and is grateful for the faith two boys, who are Street. Later, he moved now 10 and 12. into the private secThroughout high tor and helped start an school and college, organic stormwater and she worked retail to wastewater treatment pay for college, concompany in Redmond. tinuing after college Currently, he is the in department store regional distribution retail management as manager for Contech well as opening and Construction Products managing stores for in Washington and a specialty retailer northwest Oregon, speand a clothing/home cializing in stormwater goods mass mertreatment technologies. chant. She moved When not working, to Washington and LeMaster likes to ski, became a multi-cateperform in community gory buyer, supporttheater productions, ing small businesses Nancy Dumas and Mike LeMaster join the Council. travel with his family to keep them comand read. petitive with mass merchants. that Sumner residents have LeMaster likes many things She was the senior product about Sumner but believes in her to represent them and manager for a local househis favorite is the community be their voice, especially if wares company, owned her that exists here. Since he they are not feeling heard. own small business for five first came to Sumner, he has She hopes people will call or years and was the national/ noticed how its citizens and e-mail her whether to simply international sales manager their City government work introduce themselves or to for a small manufacturer. She share thoughts. She believes hard to maintain the heart and now works with small busisoul of this community as the there is always more than one nesses, helping them find town has grown and changed. solution if one dares to be additional revenue streams He has visited cities in Washcreative. within resources already in ington and Oregon and has place. In her spare time, observed the manner in which MIKE LeMASTER she’s an avid scrapbooker and they manage their growth and LeMaster was born in reader of no particular genre. business. He believes SumOlympia and grew up in Dumas has many favorites Vancouver, Washington. With ner has done a superior job of Sumner, but perhaps the of managing these issues as a bachelor’s degree in history best is that she can be outside and education from Western well as other challenges. He in the dark, putting lights on is excited to do the business Washington University and a trees, while the marching master’s degree in curriculum of the people of Sumner and band is up the street, serand administration from Gon- contribute to the community enading her with Christmas and is concerned about the zaga University, he first came tunes as they practice for the challenges Sumner faces and to Sumner in 1991 to teach at parade. Speaking of parades, will face during the nation’s Sumner Junior High. He and she loves that Sumner has difficult economic times. his wife Becky soon outgrew a parade for just about anyReach Councilmember Dumas their house on Washington thing with anyone able to at 253-299-5794 or Street with three children, participate. She loves that the Hayden (now 19), Anna (18) ndumas@ci.sumner.wa.us and neighborhoods are neighborCouncilmember LeMaster at and Henry (14). They moved hoods and that people are 253-299-5797 or mlemaster@ to Puyallup for a time but reproud to live here. ci.sumner.wa.us. turned to Sumner in 2003 and Excited to be part of Sumhave lived here ever since.
Bring new, unwrapped toys to City Hall, and the Police will match them with local kids in need. Volunteers on the Design Commission uphold strict design standards for new buildings to ensure Sumner’s unique look. Two new volunteers are needed to lend their support.
For more information, contact Sherrie Duggan at (253) 299-5662 or Officer Loren Houselog at (253) 255-6454. Hosted by the Sumner Police Department in partnership with the Sumner-Bonney Lake Family Center, East Pierce Fire & Rescue and Toys for Tots.