Traditions are synonymous with the holidays.

For me, one of my favorites was when my grandma — who died last fall — would get all the kids a ribbon ball on Christmas Eve; we’d take turns unspooling the ribbon until a prize popped out, and then pass it along.

My parents and I would also light the Advent candles every Sunday in December, read the Bible, and sing carols. Admittedly, as I grew older, I had to be dragged to the table to participate.

Conversely, I was always happily involved in my church’s Christmas services, either in the form of singing in the youth choir with my mother-in-law as the director and my wife-to-be nearby, or meditating in the Celtic Service’s labyrinth. Eventually, this would also turn into performing for the annual woman’s Christmas Tea (I was once the titular arboreal in a rendition of “Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect”).

At New Years, I’d go to my friend’s house to play Mario Party, light things on fire, and alternate between cannonballing into the freezing pool and relaxing in the hot tub.

And so it went, until it didn’t. The ribbon balls were discontinued; Advent petered out; and I moved away from my friends and church in my early adult years.

I became unmoored, left only with those happy memories.

This is a common phenomenon, I think especially for young men — society trains us to believe, intrinsically, that these traditions are naturally-occurring, and that we don’t have to work at maintaining them.

Traditions don’t pop out of nowhere; they’re the result of years of planning, hard work, and love.

Since then, I’ve been brought into new traditions, and have made some more of my own with my wife.

But if I want to make sure my two year-old grows up with similar traditions, traditions he won’t just look back at and feel the warmth at their memories — watching the 1999 “The Mummy” while artistically wrapping gifts (no, we haven’t started that one yet); baking cookies and wearing matching pajamas on Christmas Eve; getting together with friends to celebrate; getting together with friends and family to play games and welcome in the year to come — but want to continue those traditions if he becomes a father, I have to make some major investments now.

The Plateau is at an inflection point. Our cities are always changing, always growing, but this last year, it seemed — well, more than usual, and I’ve noticed that many of the bigger news stories of 2023 were in regard to what sort of community we want to be.

We all have our individual traditions, but we also have our community ones, for the holidays and beyond.

And I don’t just mean events like the Christmas and Fourth of July Parades, or the Pro Rodeo, or the Breakfast for the Birds. It’s our institutions — the ones we have, like the Log Show, the farmer’s market, and our history museums — and ones being proposed, like an elementary school, indoor pickleball court, or community center.

Community service and quality education are traditions, too, and what is culture but a conglomeration of traditions?

How our culture waxes and wanes is up to us, and what sort of work we’re putting into it.

So, in tandem with the normal New Year’s tradition of setting a resolution, I want you to look hard at what community cultures you love about the Plateau, and what you can do to keep them alive — and not just for the next generation, but those that come after.

It takes time. It takes money. It takes heart and soul and grit.

But it’s also what makes the Plateau so special.

And without it, all we’re left with is happy memories.

Correction: The print version of this article incorrectly reported Thomas Allan was a commissioner of Drainage District 9. He was commission for District 4. The article has been updated.

Photo by Ray Miller-Still Joann and Allan Thomas leaving the federal court building in Seattle last May after being ordered to pay more than $926,000 in restitution and forfeiture for stealing local taxpayer money.

10) ALLAN, JOANN THOMAS SENTENCED

Enumclaw couple Allan and Joann Thomas have made the news since the spring 2019, and this list every year except for 2021. The two were accused of using Allan’s position as Drainage District 5 Commissioner to create fake invoices and using the county money meant to fund clearing out local drainage ditches for their personal use. They were found guilty of money laundering, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy in May 2022. Joann was sentenced to 3 years incarceration in January, and Allan to 2.5 years in February; they were also ordered to pay full restitution, to the tune of $923,000. At least Joann appealed, but it’s unclear where in the court process this may be at this print deadline, and it’s possible this is the last time the two will make the Courier-Herald’s Top 10 News Stories list.

Photo Todd Overdorf / sonscapeimages.com Pictured here, taken during Saturday’s contest, is Colton Paulson diving toward the goal through three Orting players.

9) “ENUMCLAW LACROSSE DOMINATES ORTING, WINS STATE” (MAY 31)

One of the brightest sports highlights of the year was when the Enumclaw Hornets steamrolled the Orting Cardinals 20-9 last May, capturing the state 1A/2A title. The club team was on a winning streak all year long, winning 15 of their 16 games. Kole Carnino scored five goals; Wyatt Neu and RJ Struthers scored three; Kobe Kahne, Gunnar Trachte and Aidan Voorhees had two apiece; and Wylie Craighead, Anthony Mills and Jack Popke each tallied one.

8) “INSLEE HANDS ENUMCLAW GROUP A BIG WIN IN PARTIAL AIRPORT BILL VETO” (MAY 31)

Washington is in need of more airport services – but lawmakers are torn about where those services might go. In 2022, what was designated the “King County Southeast” site came rated highly as a possibility by a state commission; in response was a public uproar from local residents and elected officials alike. This airport committee only had a limited time to officially recommend a new airport site to elected officials, but was unable to do so before it disbanded. Another commission, slated to take its place, was expected to be restricted against examining the possibility if expanding current King County airport services; hence, Enumclaw – a “greenfield” or new airport site – would get more consideration. However, Inslee vetoed the section of the bill that would have restricted the new commission from studying King County airport expansions, opening up the possibilities – and, as many locals hope, draw attention away from the Plateau.

7) “MINORS SUSPECTED OF SUMMER CRIME SPREE ARRESTED” (AUG. 30)

One of the bigger crime stories of the year involved a group of local teens who allegedly spent the summer prowling vehicles, stealing cars, and burglarizing local businesses, sometimes even just a day after being released from custody after being arrested for similar crimes. One 16 year-old, suspected of being the leader of the group, was arrested last July for allegedly burglarizing Griffin Brewing; he was arrested again on Aug. 24 after allegedly stealing five vehicles from Fugate Ford. At this time, it is unclear where the five individuals are, in terms of custody or the court system, though the Courier-Herald hopes to publish an update in the new year.

Photo by Ray Miller-Still Somer (pronounced Summer) Johnson, right, gave updates about Enumclaw Community Program participants during the June 13 session; next to her is participant Jadyn Bond, became a peer counselor for the program when she graduated on July 11.

6) “RE-OFFENCE RATES ARE A PROBLEM; COMMUNITY COURT COULD BE THE ANSWER” (JUNE 28)

What is the true face of justice? When it comes to low-level crimes, Somer Johnson and Enumclaw Prosecutor Krista Swain thinks a community accountability can be better than fines or jail time. Enumclaw’s Community Court aims to address the reasons why people are led to commit crimes like DUIs or shoplifting by connecting them to the various community services they need – housing, mental health counseling, etc. – as well as finding ways these people can make reparations to their community. Johnson and Swain both said participants in the program need to want to improve themselves – and if they don’t, they can find themselves back in the traditional justice system. The Community Court celebrated its first graduated last June, and is looking forward to another graduating class in the new year.

5) ENUMCLAW SCHOOL DISTRICT’S FAILED BONDS

The Enumclaw School District ran two bonds this year. The first was a $253 million bond to fund two new elementary schools (one in Enumclaw, the other in Black Diamond), a new high school performing arts center, a new sports stadium, and other various security and infrastructure repairs and upgrades; it failed with 75% of ballots rejecting the measure. In response, ESD ran a $103 million bond for just a new Enumclaw elementary school and those other repairs and upgrades – again, it failed with 65% of the vote against it. On one hand, the failed measures means no new taxes; on the other, it means Byron Kibler Elementary and J. J. Smith Birth to Five Center students will continue to be educated in deteriorated buildings that leak, lack proper heating and cooling systems, and have outdated security systems.

4) ESD’S GENERAL ELECTION RACES

The Enumclaw School District saw the most people run for its Board of Directors in recent years – Jimmy Steward and Scott Mason for District 1, incumbent Tyson Gamblin and Vivian Cadematori for District 3, and Ben Stouffer, Tonya Pettit, and incumbent Lori Metschan for District 4. The races indicated that frustration over various issues, many stemming from what see as a lack of student success and lack of parental control over their kids’ education, came to a head and spurred new candidates to change how the district operates at the board level. However, voters decided to keep Tyson at the table and vote in Mason, who was generally supportive of the previous Boards’ actions; only Stouffer, who ran on a combined platform with Cadematori, Stewart, and Pettit, was voted onto the board.

3) THE MURDER OF NICK VALISON

The shocking killing of Ravensdale resident Nick Valison rocked the Plateau this year. Valison, who was reportedly checking on some possible illegal dumping in his neighborhood at the time, was killed on Sept. 21. About two months later, Black Diamond resident Andrew Ralph Baim was arrested for his alleged murder; he was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree arson, and two counts of possession of stolen vehicles. Baim has pled not guilty. Two additional people that were with him at the time have not yet been charged with a crime, but prosecutors have said possible charges are still being investigated.

Image courtesy the city of Enumclaw A rendering of what the Enumclaw Community Center could look like, though exact final designs won’t be finished unless a bond passes. There will be opportunities for community feedback on the design during upcoming open houses.

2) A PROPOSED ENUMCLAW COMMUNITY CENTER

The Enumclaw City Council has spent more than a year putting together a plan for a new community center to voters, and finally pulled the trigger on Dec. 4. Come the April 2024 special election, Enumclaw residents will approve or reject a $19.5 million bond measure to construct a new downtown building that will house the Enumclaw Senior Center, the Arts Alive! nonprofit, the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce, the city of Enumclaw’s Parks and Rec department. Additionally, there will be an open pavilion, an event space, both designated and instructional space, and a full-sized gym for open use and to expand the city’s youth sports leagues. Whether the bond passes or fails will have wide-ranging ramifications across the community.

Photo by Ray Miller-Still Hundreds of concerned citizens attended the May meeting about Garden House, the Less Restrictive Alternative group home for Level 3 sex offenders being released from McNeil Island, operating outside the city of Enumclaw.

1) THE GARDEN HOUSE SEX OFFENDER HOME

The Garden House saga is easily the biggest news story of the year. Back in February, a small neighborhood learned that a nearby home was to used as housing for “high-level” sex offenders from the McNeil Island Special Commitment Center as they attempt to re-integrate into society. The concern over the home and its sole resident, Steven Knapp, quickly reached a boiling point across not just the local community, but elected officials from the city, county, and state denouncing the state Department of Social and Health Services’ decision to allow this home, called Garden House, to operate. After months of protests and fundraising, a grassroots organization called Save Our Children — Enumclaw raised tens of thousands of dollars to start a lawsuit against Garden House and the state; however, before anything was filed, Knapp was moved back to McNeil Island, and it’s been reported that the owners of the home have taken residence (the Courier-Herald has not independently confirmed this). Save Our Children — Enumclaw has said it hopes to continue its lawsuit, but there have been no updates on that front in recent months.