December 11, 2024
ISSUE 50
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Cruisers fall short in season opener against Timberwolves By Skip Smith | Contributing Writer The Eatonville Cruisers boys basketball team opened their 2024-2025 season Saturday night, facing off against the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves in a hard-fought non-league matchup. The Cruisers, led by first-year Head Coach Josh Bennett, were eager to start the season with a win, but Morton-White Pass and standout player Judah Kelly dashed those hopes, securing a 66-60 victory. Kelly dominated the game, dropping a game-high 29 points and leading the Timberwolves to the win despite Eatonville’s late-game rally. The game started evenly, with both teams trading baskets in a back-and-forth first quarter. Neither team gained the upper hand, and the score stood tied at 16-16 after one. Eatonville Head Coach Josh Bennett praised his team’s early energy. “We started the game off great,” Bennett said. “We did not come out flat, and our energy was awesome from the jump.” Eatonville looked poised to take control in the second quarter, going on a 9-2 run early to establish a 25-18 lead. However, the Timberwolves quickly responded with a 9-0 run of their own to close out the quarter, entering halftime with a slim 27-25 advantage. The third quarter proved pivotal, as Morton-White Pass broke the game wide open. The Timberwolves outscored the Cruisers 27-13, with Kelly taking charge and delivering critical buckets. Meanwhile, Eatonville struggled offensively, with Amari Samuel providing the bulk of the scoring, contributing 9 of the team’s 13 points in the period. “The third quarter was tough on us,” Bennett admitted. “MWP went on a 9-0 run at one point, and we made some turnovers that we shouldn’t have. I should have used a timeout earlier in that stretch, but I thought we were one or two possessions away the whole time during the third to turn it around. That is how much confidence I have in this group.” By the end of the third, the Timberwolves had extended their lead to 54-38. Despite the daunting 17-point deficit, the Cruisers refused to fold. Led by Lowell McWright, who scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, Eatonville mounted a spirited comeback. They outscored Morton-White Pass 22-12 in the final frame, cutting the lead to as little as four points. “Being down 17 going into the fourth quarter, most teams would have given up,” Bennett said. “In the huddle before we went back out there, the boys committed as a team that they would fight until the end and try to get back into the game. We cut it to four during the fourth, but ultimately, we missed some shots, and time ran out on us. I am beyond proud of the guys for how they clawed their way back into the game.”
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COURTESY BAILEY ANDERSEN
Eatonville's Amari Samuel shoots over Morton-White Pass's Judah Kelly scoring 3 of his team high 20 points in the Cruisers 66-60 loss to the Timberwolves this past Saturday night. Photo: Bailey Andersen.
Incoming Pierce County executive says housing costs, homelessness top priorities By Spencer Pauley | The Center Square
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIERCE COUNTY
Pierce County Executive-elect Ryan Mello
Pierce County Executive-elect Ryan Mello announced his agenda for 2025, including plans to increase the region’s affordable housing capacity and reduce homelessness. Mello was elected as the new Pierce County executive last month during the general election. He has served as the Pierce County Council chair since 2023. Mello, a Democrat, will take over a position held by Republican Bruce Dammeier, who has served as the county executive since 2016. On Monday, Mello announced his upcoming administration’s “Forward Together” agenda to address the top issues facing Pierce County. The agenda prioritizes building more affordable housing and transitioning people out of homelessness. The county’s housing action strategy found that about onethird of all households in Pierce County are burdened by the high cost of housing. The annual rate of housing production countywide needs to increase by 46%, compared to recent efforts to address
current needs and keep pace with expected demand through the year 2044. The agenda also seeks to reduce crime, which has been a worsening issue. According to a presentation in the Pierce County Public Safety Committee in October, the property crime rate in the county sheriff ’s department service area increased by 22.5% from 2019 to 2022. Notably, violent crime in the sheriff ’s department service area decreased by 5.9% from 2019, but increased for the county as a whole by 1.8%. Other listed issues and actions as part of Mello’s agenda include helping families access affordable childcare, ensuring access to parks and safe infrastructure for pedestrians, opening more behavioral health facilities and increasing related services, and creating more good-paying jobs to the region. “Forward Together is about making sure everyone feels like they’re a part of our community and has a say in making it better,” Mello said in a statement. “Our
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