At 10 a.m. today, Pierce County Emergency Management will test the Mount Rainier Lahar Outdoor Warning Sirens. They will wail for about one minute.

Sirens are in Puyallup, Orting, Sumner, Fife, McMillin, Riverside and Alderton.

Today’s test marks the beginning of monthly lahar tests. The tests will take place on the first Monday of every month.

If you have questions, call 253-798-7470.

Read The News Tribune’s complete story about the monthly lahar tests here.

County officials say they successfully tested a lahar warning siren in Sumner today one week after 17 sirens failed to sound during a system-wide test.

The Sumner siren emitted a minute-long wail at 10 a.m. Tuesday as planned, according to a county press release.

The siren system is designed to warn residents in Sumner, Puyallup, Fife, Orting, McMillin, Alderton and Riverside of an impending volcanic mudslide, or lahar, on its way from Mt. Rainier.

County officials upgraded the siren system last year using a $300,000 state grant. But none of the upgraded sirens went off during a test May 4. …

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The county will test its upgraded lahar warning system Tuesday at 10 a.m., which will cause 17 alarms to blare for about a minute.

The sirens are located in four cities and three unincorporated areas: Sumner, Fife, Puyallup, Orting, McMillin, Riverside and Alderton.

This will be the first time the county tests its upgraded, interconnected warning system. Older sirens not connected to the new system will not go off.

Some schools may coordinate evacuation drills in coordination with the siren testing. Read more in the county’s press release below.

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Cast your vote for one of 25 historic sites in the Puget Sound area – including six in Pierce County – that are competing for a share of $1 million in grant money from the Partners in Preservation program.

To raise awareness, most of the sites will have free open houses Saturday and Sunday. Many sites will offer tours, refreshments and entertainment. Read more »

The Daffodil Parade in Puyallup got off to a fine start. It was warm early this afternoon despite a sometimes stiff breeze, and the sun peaked through some wispy clouds.

Thousands of people lined the parade route along Meridian and Meeker. The typical sights of a great parade were plentiful. The sun sparkled. Toddlers perched on their parents’ shoulders to watch the festivities. Toddlers scrambled in the street to snatch peppermint candy tossed from passing cars. Vendors sold cotton candy and cupcakes, Jolly Roger flags and Bart Simpson balloons.

Frank and Pam Aguilar sold “yo-yo” balloons – palm-sized balloons filled …

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A brisk, biting wind greeted people who lined Pacific Avenue this morning for the Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade in Tacoma. At least it wasn’t raining, many pointed out.

The crowd estimate from the two-hour Tacoma parade was 8,500, said Susan McGuire, spokeswoman for the festival. Next up: Puyallup at 12:45 p.m., followed by Sumner at 2:30 p.m. then Orting at 5 p.m. Find the full schedule here.

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As the 2010 Daffodil parade makes its way through the streets of Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting, we’ll have two reporters and two photographers covering today’s events.

Check this blog for updates throughout the day, or leave a comment to share your own stories. What’s your favorite thing about the Daffodil parade?

Here are Daffodil parade routes and start times:

• 10:15 a.m. in downtown Tacoma at 11th Street and Pacific Avenue and travels along Pacific Avenue, ending at South 21st Street.

• 12:45 p.m. in Puyallup at the intersection of Seventh Avenue Southwest and Fifth Street Southwest.

• 2:30 p.m. in Sumner …

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The Daffodil Festival is renewing its call for financial help, saying it may not have enough money to put on the 2010 Daffodil Parade without more contributions.

The festival’s Grand Floral Street Parade marches through Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting each April and has been an annual tradition since the 1930s.
Festival spokeswoman Susan McGuire sent out a letter requesting donations Tuesday, warning that a parade in 2010 was far from a certainty unless the organization gets more help.

“Right now we’re looking pretty dire,” McGuire said in a phone interview Wednesday. “We’re working hard and we want to make it happen, but we’ve got to draw the line someplace.”

Fundraising director Robyn DeLorm said the organization will be about $20,000 short of where it needs to be to put on the 2010 parade if donations continue at their current rate. A parade in 2011 is looking even more doubtful, she said.
Most of the 23 area high schools that participate in the festival’s royalty program have already selected their princesses to compete for the title of Daffodil Queen next spring.

But DeLorm said that if there is no spring parade, there won’t be a Daffodil Queen coronation, either.

“There would be no royalty program, no queen, nothing,” DeLorm said.

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