Liberty medals at state, Hazen is shut out Page 14
Students show a passion for the past Page 12
Public works director leaving for North Bend By Christina Corrales-Toy Newcastle Public Works Director Mark Rigos has only worked with the city for three years, but his impact on the community is so great that when he announced his resignation, at least one resident became emotional at the thought of losing him. “Honestly, I teared up a little bit,” Newcastle Trails representative Peggy Price said. “He’s been absolutely fabulous to Newcastle Trails. He’s proactive and he backs us up.” Rigos announced in May that he will leave to become the public works director for the city of North Bend. His last day in Newcastle is June 13. It wasn’t an easy decision to leave, Rigos said, especially since he has certainly grown to love Newcastle and
its residents, but North Bend offers some new opportunities that Newcastle didn’t. In North Bend, Rigos will manage the city’s water and sewer district, something he couldn’t do in Newcastle, because that falls under the Coal Creek Utility District’s purview. He’ll also get the chance to manage North Bend’s wastewater treatment facility. “In the private sector, I’ve designed miles and miles of water mains and sewer mains, but I’ve never managed a full facility, a district, a fund, so that will be a new challenge for me that I just haven’t been exposed to yet,” Rigos said. Rigos wore many different hats during his time in Newcastle. Sometimes, he was a trails manager. Other times, he was like a parks manager. But whatever he
did, his constant dedication to customer service touched everyone that came into contact with him. “He is a very humble leader and I liken him to a modern day Nehemiah, doing his best for others and the city with a sincere purpose and calling,” Newcastle Weed Warriors President Grace Stiller said. Along with his staff, Rigos managed several sidewalk projects, oversaw a tricky landslide-stabilization project along Newcastle Golf Club Road, worked with Newcastle Trails to develop and acquire new trails, and guided the city through some major pavement rehabilitation projects in his three years. His proudest accomplishment was the huge strides the city’s stormwater division See RIGOS, Page 7
Summer events lined up By Christina Corrales-Toy
Alldritt will likely join other community members at the park, where between 1 and 3 p.m., the planes will fly over, offering spectators a close look at the collection. The flight time is vague, because the planes are expected to visit at least 30 cities. Following the flyover, Regency Newcastle, a premier independent and assisted living community, will host a light reception with snacks at the park shelter for any attendees.
Fireworks will again grace the Newcastle skies this Fourth of July, and this time for more than a few minutes. Attendees at last year’s Independence Day celebration at Lake Boren Park will remember that technical difficulties shortened what was supposed to be a 12-minute fireworks display. The Olympia-based company Entertainment Fireworks Inc. took full responsibility for the problems, City Manager Rob Wyman said last year. Newcastle will contract with the company again for its 2014 fireworks show, with assurances the issues won’t occur again. “I have spoken with the owner multiple times on the phone and he has assured me 200 percent that we will not have the problem again,” said Wendy Kirchner, Newcastle’s community activities liaison. “They’ve got a very, very experienced pyrotechnician that’s going to be working with us.” Residents can start filing into Lake Boren Park at 6 p.m. July 4. Vendors will serve hot dogs, kettle corn and more. Soul Siren, a band whose appearance is sponsored by The Golf Club at Newcastle, will take the park stage from 8-10 p.m. The fireworks show starts shortly after it gets dark, or at about 10 p.m. The city’s annual Independence Day celebration at Lake Boren Park is
See D-DAY, Page 5
See SUMMER, Page 5
By Christina Corrales-Toy
Mark Rigos, outgoing Newcastle Public Works director, with his son Alexander, speaks at the May Creak Trail ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 15.
Regency Newcastle residents remember D-Day By Christina Corrales-Toy Four P-51 Mustangs from the Flying Heritage Collection at Paine Field will do a flyover of Newcastle’s Lake Boren Park on June 6, the anniversary of D-Day. They’re not unlike the ones Regency Newcastle resident Roy Alldritt flew as a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. In fact, Alldritt, a fighter pilot, was there June 6, 1944, among the 13,000 aircraft supporting the invasion that experts
If you go D-Day anniversary flyover q 1-3 p.m. June 6 q Lake Boren Park q 13058 S.E. 84th Way call the beginning of the end of World War II. “I got in on the invasion and there was just a lot of action,” he recalled. “You just didn’t have any relaxation or anything.”
During World War II (19391945), the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region, according to History.com.
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