Pierce County Emergency Management spokeswoman Sheri Badger sent out a reminder today about garbage pickup, recycling and other services affected by last week’s storm.

Here’s the news release:

Reminders: Garbage, recycling and storm debris
Posted By Sheri Badger on Jan 26th, 2012 at 1:29 PM

Last week’s storm affected almost everyone’s trash and recycling collection and many of you are wondering when to set out your containers.

American Disposal, DM Disposal, and Murrey’s Disposal, Lakewood Refuse, LeMay Enterprises, and Pierce County Refuse

For no additional charge, the company will accept twice your normal amount of garbage and recycling on your next regularly scheduled pick up day. If this requires you to use an additional container, please make sure you label it “Garbage” or “Recycling”. Drivers will be on the lookout for these extra containers.

For More Information

American Disposal, DM Disposal, and Murrey’s Disposal

888-806-7048 and www.murreysdisposal.com

Lakewood Refuse, LeMay Enterprises, and Pierce County Refuse

253-537-8687 and www.lemayinc.com

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Taxpayers can look up their 2012 property taxes on the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer’s website, www.piercecountywa.org/atr, after 4:30 p.m. Feb. 3.

Property tax statements for 2012 will be delivered to Pierce County taxpayers that pay their own property taxes starting Feb. 15, the assessor-treasurer’s office said today. Those who pay their property taxes through their mortgage company will not receive a statement. Instead, their mortgage company will be notified of taxes due.

Here’s the news release:

Pierce County

Office of the Assessor-Treasurer

2401 South 35th Street, Room 142
Tacoma, Washington 98409-7498
(253) 798-6111 •

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Northwest Trek has closed its gates to the public so employees can clean up the wildlife park and repair exhibits damaged by the snow, ice and wind storms that battered the region over the past week.

The park hopes to reopen for the Presidents’ Day weekend in mid-February, the park announced in a press release issued today.

“It looks like a battle zone out there now, with downed trees, damaged exhibits and plant debris strewn everywhere,” said Dave Ellis, Northwest Trek’s deputy director. “It’s the worst storm damage I’ve seen in over 25 years.”

Thousands of large tree branches have

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Tacomans are famous, or perhaps notorious, for their activism, and their wonkiness.
They demand that attention be paid to neighborhood concerns, from gangs to traffic to crime to air quality.

They have learned how to get that attention in part thanks to (occasionally bitter) experience, and to an eight-year collaboration between the city’s Neighborhood Council Office and University of Washington-Tacoma’s Urban Studies Program.

The two offer the Government Leadership Institute free to all comers on Mondays from January 30 through March 5. Each of the five sessions runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the UWT campus, Keystone

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Puyallup residents can drop off fallen tree branches and other yard debris from last week’s storm at a temporary location across from Bradley Lake Park.

The site, set up by the city and DM Disposal, is open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through Sunday. People should bring ID showing they live in Puyallup.

The city says there also are a few other guidelines:

• Branches and trees can’t be taller than 8 feet long and 10 inches wide.

• No roofing or hazardous materials will be accepted. Drop-offs should be limited to yard debris from the storm.

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Lakewood businesses that sustained damage during last week’s winter storm are encouraged to contact city officials as they might be eligible for federal assistance.

The city is attempting to determine how many and to what extent the businesses incurred either lost revenue or property damage as a result of the severe weather.

If the amount of damage reaches a certain dollar threshold, the U.S. Small Business Administration may be available to help businesses recover from the damages.

The city asking businesses that incurred damages to complete a worksheet that estimates adverse economic impact and property damage. The worksheet can be

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Last week’s snow and ice storm turned out to be most costly for Pierce County in three years.

The county’s costs for snow and ice removal for the storm reached $718,876, said county road operations manager Bruce Wagner. That total for labor, equipment and materials covers from Jan. 13, when preventive work started, through Sunday.

The storm wiped out 70 percent of Pierce County’s 2012 budget for snow and ice removal of $1,030,670. The total cost updates a figure The News Tribune reported Sunday.

The snow and ice fighting costs were less than those for the storm from Dec.

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The Friends of Pierce County environmental group is holding a general membership meeting Thursday in Gig Harbor.

The meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive NW.

Dennis Canty from the American Farmland Trust will talk about the continued loss of agriculture land in the county.

An update also will be given on the Orton Junction appeals filed with the state Growth Management Hearings Board.