By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

Bonney Lake is on the path to becoming more beautiful now that the organization Beautify Bonney Lake will be adopting a charter and establishing itself as a nonprofit organization.

A ceremony commemorating the adoption of the charter will take place Jan.17 at Columbia Bank, 19925 state Route 410 E.

The organization began two years ago when Andrew Lear, who works as a finance manger at Weyerhaeuser, brought the idea to the City Council and Chamber of Commerce.

Lear was living in Michigan and saw the Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce adopt the idea.

&#8220The idea was introduced to the chamber there and it was very successful,” Lear said. &#8220Bonney Lake is a growing city and it has an opportunity to forge an identity as a city that takes care of itself. This is the perfect community for this to take root.”

Two beautify Bonney Lake events have taken place. The first was in 2004 when 200 people gathered to spruce up the city. The second happened in September when more than 350 gathered to plant shrubs, put down beauty bark, topsoil and generally clean up the city.

Work parties gathered at Ascent Park, Allan Yorke Park, Bonney Lake Elementary, Lake Bonney, the intersection of state Route 410 East and 214th Avenue East, the Bonney Lake Library, the Sumner-Buckley Highway and the downtown core.

&#8220September was a very successful event,” Lear said. &#8220By becoming a 501c all donations are tax deductible. That makes it a tax advantage for business to participate.”

Lear and the other organizers hope to attract more local business to the event this year.

Many community members have come together to help organize the event and charter including Lillian McGinnis, Katrina Minton, Mayor Neil Johnson, Randy McKibbin from the Planning Commission, assistant Public Works Director Gary Leaf, Administrative Services Coordinator Don Morrison, Josh LeBlanc from Target, Lynn and Dan Rattenbury, owners of Priced Right Print and Sign and Carol Wells-Reed from Columbia Bank.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.