Sarah Nigbor

Public records request

Last week, I wrote about a public records request I had sent to Pierce County/Pierce County Sheriff’s Office June 12, related to the dismissal of the DARE officer, PCSO staffing and a whole host of other questions. I received a response to my lengthy request at 2:46 p.m. Friday, July 31, two days after my column was published. I’m not sure if my column had anything with receiving the information at that time. I do know the county is busy this time of years combing through departmental budgets, so I’m hoping that was the reason for the delay. Part of the request was denied, part was granted. Unfortunately, I did not have adequate time to comb through the information over the weekend in order to schedule interviews, seek more information or clarification, etc. in order to publish articles before this week’s edition, the last edition before the Aug. 11 partisan primary. The articles will be published after the primary, but I believe they will still be relevant. Not only do I want to know why a DARE officer was let go, but I want to highlight the hard work of the PCSO employees over the past few years, knowing many of them have worked hours of overtime. I also want to know why veteran officers have left after decades of service.

This isn’t salacious gossip I’m seeking; I want to share with readers facts about how their tax dollars are being spent. When I have person after person coming to me asking me to investigate things, as a reporter I feel it’s my due diligence to do so. Stay tuned.

Is it time for school yet?

The three remaining teenagers I have at home are driving me crazy. I love them, but is it time for school to start yet? They act like they live in a restaurant or an Amazon warehouse, where every wish is granted. When I suggested the 17-year-old drive himself to get food at Culver’s, he looked at me like I was insane. They have been consuming enough macaroni & cheese, Cheez-its, watermelon and cherries to fuel a small country.

And why do teens abhor water? Shouldn’t we be past the point where they get headaches because they don’t drink enough water? We drill it into their heads, but it still hasn’t sunk in.

Last week, I had to get creative. Teens also apparently hate shutting the toilet lid or putting the seat down, so I put decal signs on the lids showing a wide-eyed cat, admonishing them for not putting the seats down due to the cat having a drinking problem. So far it has worked. It’s ridiculous, but I’m desperate. Put the seat down. Please. And please don’t act like shutting off a light is torture.

And don’t get me started on towels. They all shower once or twice a day (thank God we don’t have municipal water) and must use a clean towel for each shower. My daughter sometimes uses two. Would it kill them to use a towel twice? The 17-year-old (see a pattern here?) informed me that using a towel twice will give him acne. Guess who gets to do the laundry now? It’s not me.

Pierce County Fair

Next week is the craziest, most fun week of the year: The Pierce County Fair! Unfortunately, our fair guide had to be delayed until next Wednesday, due to some unforeseen issues at our new printing plant (see John’s column on the front page). However, it will have great content and highlight the best four days of the year. If you see me running around like a chicken with my head cut off, please say hi. And don’t forget to send me your favorite fair photos at sarah@piercecountyjournal.news